Tag: 2018

Golden Globes Predictions: Film Nominations – Special Features #35

It’s beginning to look a lot like, well, awards season. Some critics groups have already announced their winners, while other groups are still waiting for their brief moment in the spotlight. As the wait for the BAFTAs and Oscars goes on, the first major televised awards show is about to announce the films, shows, and performers who they have nominated for their coveted awards. So, today, I am going to try to predict the nominees for each and every film category for the upcoming Golden Globe Awards. Continue reading “Golden Globes Predictions: Film Nominations – Special Features #35” →

Best Picture Alignment Test – Special Features #34

A long time ago, on a movie-related podcast, a question was posited to the hosts: When is the last time your favorite movie of the year won Best Picture at the Oscars? As I was listening to the podcast, it took me a little while to figure my first answer out, but whenever I thought of a film, I realized that I only agreed with the selected winner of the nominated films — but it wasn’t really my favorite film of the year. So, today, I want to do my own four-pronged test, for the purpose of finding out just how much I agree with the Academy. Continue reading “Best Picture Alignment Test – Special Features #34” →

If you like Red Dead Redemption 2, then watch these films – Special Features #33

I, like many other gamers, have now spent weeks playing Red Dead Redemption 2 — Rockstar Games’ latest video game masterpiece that you can lose yourself in. While I was playing the game, I thought of many different films, some of which the game includes visual homages to. So, today I want to highlight some films that you should check out if you loved, liked, or even just had fun with Red Dead Redemption 2. Continue reading “If you like Red Dead Redemption 2, then watch these films – Special Features #33” →

REVIEW: The House That Jack Built (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster (Director) — TrustNordisk / Zentropa / IFC Films

The following is a review of The House That Jack Built — Directed by Lars Von Trier.

I have in a previous review described Lars Von Trier, the controversial Danish auteur, as a ‘true auteur mad man,’ and I’ve thought of him as the devil on Danish director Jørgen Leth’s shoulder guiding his every move in the fascinating documentary The Five Obstructions. He has been accused of sexual harassment, some people think he is a misogynist, and he has made a fool of himself by joking about his own identity, Naziism, and Israel. I’m not sure he cares whether or not you like him, and I’m sure he’d say that he’s perfectly happy knowing that his films divide audiences.
Continue reading “REVIEW: The House That Jack Built (2018)” →

REVIEW: A Star is Born (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of A Star is Born — Directed by Bradley Cooper.

There is a scene towards the end of the film, where Sam Elliott’s character gives a speech about twelve notes, an octave, and the same story being told over and over again. This feels like first-time director Bradley Cooper’s attempt to justify remaking the A Star is Born story for the third time — the industry is cyclical and only the artists can make new attempts unique.
Continue reading “REVIEW: A Star is Born (2018)” →

REVIEW: Widows (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Widows — Directed by Steve McQueen.

Based on Linda La Plante’s 1980s crime drama of the same name, Widows is only the fourth feature film from Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and BFI Fellowship-winning film director Steve McQueen, who has now teamed up with crime writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl & Sharp Objects). After having made films about Irish history, sex addiction, and the American history of slavery, McQueen’s latest film tackles themes such as class, politics, and gender via an audience-pleasing genre. Continue reading “REVIEW: Widows (2018)” →

REVIEW: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald — Directed by David Yates.

Everybody wants to rule the world. Everybody wants to be Marvel Studios or Lucasfilm. It is perfectly natural to want to make many Harry Potter spin-off films, but it is a bit much to want to make five films about Newt Scamander. But that isn’t all Fantastic Beasts is. Because this film makes it very clear that the Fantastic Beasts-brand is used as an all-encompassing title for every prequel spin-off dream Warner Bros. and J. K. Rowling, who is now writing the scripts for these films without basing it on a book of hers, could be interested in. Continue reading “REVIEW: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)” →

REVIEW: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs — Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Netflix has come a long way since its first original film in the western genre, 2015’s The Ridiculous Six, which was so poorly received that it still now, at the time of writing, has a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer. Not a single Rotten Tomatoes approved critic liked the film that I called “possibly the worst film of 2015.”

Now here we are in November of 2018, and now Netflix has a new western original film to champion. Netflix has teamed up with the widely celebrated Coen Brothers to release a collection of American western stories presented as an anthology film and not as a series, as it was previously reported as. The Coens’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is hysterical, sad, and morbid, and it is one of my favorite films of the year thus far.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)” →

REVIEW: Suspiria (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Amazon Studios

The following is a review of Suspiria — Directed by Luca Guadagnino.

The original Dario Argento Italian horror classic Suspiria is one of those films horror fanatics scream from the rooftops for you to watch. For the longest time, I was one of those who ignored that call. To prepare for Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 reimagining of the same name, I finally decided to sit down and watch Argento’s film, and while I didn’t love it as much as its disciples do, I recognized it as a stunning stylish classic with a frightening musical theme, but the dialogue and the acting left something to be desired. Continue reading “REVIEW: Suspiria (2018)” →

Netflix Revives Dream Projects – Special Features #32

Netflix is slowly changing its reputation. For the longest time, people saw Netflix as a dumping ground for original films. But even though Netflix still hasn’t managed to learn exactly how they can promote all of their films on the service, it would be foolish to call Netflix a dumping ground nowadays. Instead, I think it is time to accept the fact that Netflix is a place where certain dreams come true. Maybe not for actors or other hopefuls, but for filmmakers — both those who have lost major studio backing and those who are just starting to make a name for themselves. Continue reading “Netflix Revives Dream Projects – Special Features #32” →