If there's one thing about my upbringing for which I'll be forever grateful, it's that my mother raised me on great music. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and while I certainly found my favorites in those sets (my first "jams" were Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" and Guns 'n Roses' "Paradise City," … Continue reading You Got Nothing to Lose – A Complete Unknown
I've been sitting on this one for a while, as I saw Nightbitch over a month ago at AFI Fest. The latest effort from writer/director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) debuted at Toronto back in early September, and the film made its rounds throughout the festival … Continue reading Doggy Style – Nightbitch
Any regular reader of this blog knows my feelings on remakes. In short, I'm not a fan. In long, I'll give them a go if there's a compelling reason, typically a great actor leading the affair or a very creative director giving the audience their unique take on the material. There is an additional circumstance … Continue reading The Kindness of Strangers – Speak No Evil
When I randomly saw Clifford the Big Red Dog last year, I remarked that the film was incredibly flawed, especially in the CGI design of the titular giant cuddle pup, but that none of it really mattered because the little children in the audience were enraptured the entire way. The movie didn't offer anything beyond … Continue reading Musical Scales – Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Five years ago, writer-director Mike Mills earned an Oscar nomination for 20th Century Women, a unique coming-of-age story and a testament to the "It takes a village" mentality in raising a family. It was one of the best films of the year, and it solidified my eternal crush on Greta Gerwig. Mills is back at … Continue reading A Cinematic Course in Child Psychology – C’mon C’mon
I Actually Paid To See This 