When I reviewed The Trial of the Chicago 7 last year, I made note of a lot of the creative hallmarks of Aaron Sorkin's career, both positive and negative. But there was one element I left out of the equation, mostly because it wasn't relevant to that particular film. He has a somewhat elitist penchant … Continue reading WAAAAHHHH! – Being the Ricardos
I hadn't originally planned to see the cinematic adaptation of Clifford the Big Red Dog, even though the trailer suggested it would be an enjoyable film for kids. I'm simply not the target audience, and I'm self-aware enough to realize that it would look weird for a single man in his late 30s to take … Continue reading How Can You Say No to That Face? – Clifford the Big Red Dog
We're in the thick of it now. Awards Season is officially underway, with the first submission deadlines come and gone for next year's Oscars. The studios are making their major moves, planning their releases as well as their For Your Consideration campaigns. In most years, this would also be the point where checks would start … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – November 2021
I've mentioned before that one of my favorite movies is Hirokazu Kore-eda's After Life from 1998, easily one of the most profound existential explorations ever put to celluloid. In it, a group of dead social workers welcome the souls of the recently deceased to a way station of sorts, where they spend a week interviewing … Continue reading Live to Work, Work to Live – Nine Days
Nine years ago, Pixar brought its flagship franchise to an end in just about the most perfect way possible. Eventually earning a Best Picture nomination and lauds from even the likes of Quentin Tarantino as the best film of 2010, Toy Story 3 was a gut-wrenching masterpiece of animation, story, and emotional satisfaction, as Woody (Tom … Continue reading One More Adventure for Fork’s Sake – Toy Story 4
Representation in mainstream cinema has a long way to go, but there have certainly been significant strides in the right direction. Case in point: Greg Berlanti's new film, Love, Simon. It's a testament to how far we've come as a society (and how far we still have to go) that an otherwise standard teen rom-com could … Continue reading A Love Story That’s Short on Substance, but Big on Heart – Love, Simon
I Actually Paid To See This 