I tried to make separate lists of “Favorite Movies” and “Favorite Video Games” and such, and it just didn’t work, so now I’m trying something new: a Master List of all my favorite art from 2019, in order. I’m not gonna worry about hitting an arbitrary number of things or separating into kinds, I’m just…
There’s a fascinatingly human struggle at the center of the new “Star Wars” trilogy, the likes of which we’ll probably never see again in a franchise of this size. It’s a tug-of-war between JJ Abrams (director/co-writer of “The Force Awakens” and “The Rise of Skywalker”) and Rian Johnson (writer/director of “The Last Jedi”). Each director…
Rian Johnson might be the most likable filmmaker on Earth. You could hate every single film he’s ever made, but I’d defy you to hate the man himself. There’s an ineffable buoyancy to his work, a boundless, uncynical enthusiasm. He never panders, never insults his audience’s intelligence nor wastes their time. Every picture he makes…
DOCTOR SLEEP NEEDS YOUR LOVE–I really loved this movie, but it’s not doing well at the box office, so I feel the need to jump up on a soap box for it. I don’t wanna overclock your expectations here, it’s not a masterpiece, but it is really really SOLID, well-made, better-than-it-had-to-be genre entertainment for adults.…
In 2003, Hollywood tried to get “Terminator” going again with “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” They couldn’t get Cameron, but they got Arnold, some decent actors, and a journeyman director. It’s actually a better movie than you remember (I’m a full-on apologist for this film), but it still under-performed at the box office, raking…
1. HOW IS IT? You know… I’m kinda surprised to say this, but it’s really good. Better than I expected. 2. WILL I LIKE IT? I’m not sure. The people I saw it with didn’t like it as much as I did. It’s definitely not for everyone. If you’re looking for a superhero movie, or…
AD ASTRA–“Ad Astra” is a really good movie until it suddenly isn’t. There’s an old saying that if you had to choose, you’d rather have a movie start poorly and end well than the other way around, because bad endings are more recent in your mind and cast a pall over what came before. “Ad…
(HEADS UP: Some sexually explicit stuff in the opening paragraph.) There’s an episode of Seinfeld in which Elaine is dating a saxophone player who is, for whatever reason, not interested in giving her certain actions in the bedroom (they never name it, but it’s understood to be oral). When she finally convinces him to change…
MINDHUNTER (TV, Netflix)–If you’ve got a strong stomach, this Netflix thriller about the origins of the FBI’s behavioral profiling practices is a must. The first season was very good, this one is through the roof. A more focused investigation helps, and I think the writers have learned how their show works. I would like to…
The quickest way to review this movie is to say it’s pretty good but some people are going to very legitimately hate it. That’s because it really isn’t a story in the conventional sense that all QT’s other films are. It’s a slice of life, a series of amusing anecdotes about a collage of…