Wednesday – February 13th, 2019 – was really tough to live through. Yesterday, my family and I said our goodbyes to our beloved dog, Deus. We had him for eleven years, but yesterday, just a few days after he and his brother’s birthday, was his last day with us. Now he’s up skateboarding (that’s an inside joke, of sorts), chasing balls, and barking with our other lost loved ones in heaven. Continue reading “I’ll never forget you, Deus”
Okay, I know. This is insane. But I enjoyed doing it last year, so it’s happening again! The 91st Academy Awards haven’t even been held, and I’ve only seen, like, twelve films from 2019 at this point. I love writing about the awards season, but, to be honest with you, I find the annual best picture frontrunner backlash to be draining. So, therefore, I think it’s much easier for me to write about next year’s awards season. And don’t you worry, I have a pretty good idea of what is coming out this year. So, without further ado, let’s get to it. Continue reading “Crazy Early 92nd Academy Awards Predictions – Special Features #46”
The following is a review of High Flying Bird — Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh rose to directorial stardom with Erin Brockovich and his Ocean’s-heist trilogy. In 2018, Soderbergh’s low-budget thriller Unsane was released to strong critical reception. What made that film so interesting was the fact that the entirety of the film was shot on iPhone 7 Plus cameras. Now, in 2019, Netflix has given Soderbergh a worldwide audience for his second iPhone-film High Flying Bird, a sports drama centered around an NBA lockout. Continue reading “REVIEW: High Flying Bird (2019)”
The following is a review of Vice — Directed by Adam McKay.
In recent years, comedy filmmaker Adam McKay has successfully changed his reputation in Hollywood. He was once thought of as one of the great funny-man directors of the industry, with such films as Anchorman and The Other Guys. But with 2015’s The Big Short — a film about the financial crisis of 2008 — McKay became known for his unconventional techniques in covering a disastrous true story. It didn’t work for everyone, but, for the most part, I really enjoyed his first foray into this style of political filmmaking. Continue reading “REVIEW: Vice (2018)”
The following is a review of Arctic — Directed by Joe Penna.
To some, Mads Mikkelsen, known outside of his home country for his roles in the NBC-series Hannibal and the James Bond-film Casino Royale, is the quintessential villain. A European character actor that, from time to time, takes on roles in blockbuster films and elevates the material. To others, like A. O. Scott once wrote, Mads Mikkelsen is the face of Danish cinema. The Copenhagen-born dancer-turned-actor has earned himself a strong reputation outside of Denmark, with such successes as winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt. Continue reading “REVIEW: Arctic (2019)”
The following is a review of Velvet Buzzsaw — Directed by Dan Gilroy.
In 2014, Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut — Nightcrawler — became a hit with critics and audiences alike. It gave us a brilliant and rivetingly unhinged performance from its leading man, Jake Gyllenhaal, and it showed us that Dan Gilroy was a supremely talented filmmaker.
With his second directorial effort, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Gilroy stumbled a bit, even though that film had another committed lead performance — this time from Denzel Washington. Now, Gilroy and Gyllenhaal have reteamed for a horror film about the art world with Netflix’s Velvet Buzzsaw, and, though it isn’t quite a return to form, it shows us that Gilroy is perfectly capable of having fun with his art. Continue reading “REVIEW: Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)”
I'm Jeffrey Rex 