Things tend to get hectic this time of year. We're firmly into Awards Season, with the various studios all jockeying for position as they campaign to the Academy and outright bribe the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The International Feature entries start seeping into theatres, both independent and mainstream. As the holidays approach, there's an absolute … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – November 2022
My dear readers, we come to it at last. The big one. The mamma jamma. The reason any of us still pay attention to any of this - Best Picture. Ten films are up for the highest honor in cinema, but only one will walk away with the prize. That is, assuming the presenters don't … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Picture
I had initially planned to do a YouTube video for this category as well as the four acting fields and Best Picture. After all, the director is the ultimate creative force behind a successful film. It's their vision for the material that's ultimately realized through their ability to frame shots, wring the best performances they … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Director
The moment has come at last. After a truncated year of eligibility, way too much hype for remakes, and for some reason a "documentary" about Billie Eilish, it is time to finally announce this year's nominees for the Academy Awards. I was up early (but not bright) at 5am Pacific Time to watch and react … Continue reading WAKE UP! IT’S TIME TO BLITZ! – 94th Academy Award Nominations
The Screen Actors Guild had their say a couple weeks ago when they announced their slate of nominees. Next week our friends across the Pond will get their turn when the BAFTA Award nominees come out. Today, we have the meat of this Awards Season undercard sandwich, as the other three major American production unions … Continue reading An Invitation from THE GUILD! – DGA, PGA, WGA Nominees
I can't remember the last time I felt so... conflicted, about a movie. I wholeheartedly believe that Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story should not exist. It should not have been made. It is an insult to one of the true classics of cinema history, and commits the blasphemous sin of remaking a previous … Continue reading Can Several Wrongs Make a Right? – West Side Story
It's the holiday season, and bad movies are the gifts that keep on giving. This year is no exception. As Awards Season reaches its peak, there are oh so many also-rans and downright pieces of shit out there that studios are hoping to make some money off of in the meantime, either by selling them … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – December 2021
If there's one word to describe Damien Chazelle's latest work, it would be, "gripping." That really is the best word I can come up with for First Man, his chronicle of the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong and the events leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing. From the very beginning it is Chazelle's intent … Continue reading Riding Shotgun to History – First Man
Okay, right off the bat I feel I have to give away a major spoiler for Steven Spielberg's latest film, Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline's best-selling novel (Cline also co-wrote the screenplay). Don't worry, I'm not telling you how it ends, just how it doesn't end. You see, it's a sci-fi film from Spielberg, but … Continue reading Future Gamers Go on a Cinematic Speed Run – Ready Player One
There are basically two types of Steven Spielberg movie these days: One is historical drama where heroes use the power of words to change the world (think Lincoln, Schindler's List, and most recently Bridge of Spies), and the other is absurdist fantasy that seems to try to recapture the magic of E.T., including an unhealthy predilection for aliens and … Continue reading Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep Show Us How “Fake News” Did it in the 70s – The Post
I Actually Paid To See This 