Despite its technical mastery, surprising relevance, and outstanding performances by Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, there is something missing from 'Mank.'
Read More »REVIEW: Yes, ‘Tenet’ is good, but we’ve adapted to Christopher Nolan’s tricks
The trouble with 'Tenet' is that after so many mindbenders, audiences have reshaped themselves to Christopher Nolan's machinations. Once bent, an object never goes back into shape.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Performaniax’ makes us question why we grant art power
As a film audience it is our obligation to decide what we will allow in our art. If we are offended or invested, we are giving it power. If we feel nothing, we are taking its power away. "Performaniax" makes us question why we grant art this power.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Irresistible’ knows good satire doesn’t need to be angry and/or mean
'Irresistible' is more interested in restoring sanity and not fear, finding the common humanity in its characters instead of eviscerating stand-ins for so-called enemies. And it reminds us that the conflict isn't between left and right, it's corruption versus not corruption.
Read More »Pandemic movies to watch while stuck in coronavirus lockdown
Often during times of uncertainty people seek the comfort of knowing that those individuals in places of power have the stability, competence, and expertise needed to lead us back toward a calmer atmosphere. And when those people are absolute, humiliating failures more interested in bragging about stock numbers and denying …
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Birds of Prey’ tries very, very hard to be cool
I'm not sure if there's something I didn't "get" about 'Birds of Prey.' What I am sure of is that I entered with no expectations, and those expectations were met.
Read More »Pop Mythology’s Ten Best Movies of 2019
It’s unfortunate but I must start with an apology: this list is far later than I’d like. The first reason for this tardiness is due to my current job for which I had an intense period in the middle of January, two weeks in which my life shut down other …
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Knives Out’ is a great time with horrible people
For those of us who can still appreciate original films with an obvious sense of fun, "Knives Out" is a well-earned break from the barrage of huge, albeit often very well-made, studio franchise releases.
Read More »REVIEW: Time comes for us all in ‘The Irishman’
With its near three and a half hour length and technology used to make the actors appear younger, "The Irishman" is a film obsessed with time.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘El Camino’ is an extended episode of ‘Breaking Bad’ but not a memorable one
'El Camino' could have been made as a farewell to its most sympathetic character, a spotlight for its overlooked star, or a cash grab, but none of these make it necessary.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Joker’ brilliantly anticipates its own misinterpretation
'Joker' is not a rewriting of the comic book movie genre. It is not a social movement. But it is definitely a film worth talking about. How you choose to interpret what it says is up to you.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Ad Astra’ is an inner voyage worth taking
Brad Pitt's performance, the deliberate pacing, the uniformly gorgeous visuals, and the attention given to everything seen and heard rank "Ad Astra" as one of the great modern space operas.
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ pushes Spider-Man, and the MCU, into the future
By now we should all know the phrase (credited to Ben Parker) which governs Spider-Man’s existence. In the five movies in which this current version of Ben’s nephew has appeared, the MCU has wisely avoided giving us yet another utterance of this ubiquitous phrase. As the first film following the …
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Toy Story 4’ is Pixar’s attempt to move on
As we watch Woody pondering the next step after fulfilling his initial purpose, we see Pixar doing the same with 'Toy Story 4.'
Read More »REVIEW: ‘Dark Phoenix’ is bad—not funny-bad or offensive-bad, just bad
[*No spoiler review*] As the credits rolled to close Dark Phoenix I looked over to the friend who foolishly accompanied me and remarked, “So when does the movie start?” We then waited a moment trying to put together the words to properly describe the images and noises we had previously …
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