We’re now in 2025. Granted, it’s only the first day of the new year, but, hey, we have to accept that 2024 is now in our collective rearview mirror. Like has become tradition on this website, I start every year by listing the ten articles or reviews written in 2024 that were the most popular based on views. At the very end of the article, I’ll even reveal what non-2024 written output was the most popular in the year to which we have now all said goodbye. Let’s get to it!
Jesse Plemons looking down at Cailee Spaeny in Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR — PHOTO: A24 (still image from the trailers).
Directed by Alex Garland — Screenplay by Alex Garland.
I would definitely describe myself as a fairly big fan of writer-director Alex Garland. Although he, as a writer, had already influenced a couple of personal favorite genre films in the early 2000s — specifically Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later and Sunshine — I must admit that I didn’t really know who he was until I saw his feature directorial debut titled EX_MACHINA, which is this breathtakingly fascinating and stunning science-fiction masterpiece. After blowing me away with his debut as a director, he cemented himself as a true master of the science-fiction genre with his equally thought-provoking and spellbinding sophomore effort titled ANNIHILATION. Following his sophomore directorial effort, his career trajectory changed slightly as he created, wrote, and directed the underseen but very good FX sci-fi series titled Devs. He then made his third feature as a director, but it, a folk horror film titled Men, didn’t quite receive the warm critical reception that his previous efforts did. Some might think that after the lukewarm reception to his third outing, he would be tempted to make something less button-pushing or with fewer potential pitfalls. Not so. Civil War, his fourth film as a director, is his biggest film yet, and it dares to imagine a world where tensions as a result of dangerous, hateful polarization — perhaps not unlike today — have devolved in such a way that the United States of America has entered into a modern — you guessed it — civil war. Along with the release of his biggest and potentially most controversial film yet, Garland has also suggested that he has fallen out of love with filmmaking and may be stepping down from directing. But if Civil War is evidence of anything for Garland, it is that he is a filmmaker who knows how to craft a fascinating film that can ratchet up the tension and ask interesting questions.
Brendon Gleeson and Colin Farrell’s characters at the pub in Martin McDonagh’s latest hit THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN — PHOTO: Searchlight Pictures.
Directed by Martin McDonagh — Screenplay by Martin McDonagh.
By now, Martin McDonagh, a long-time celebrated British-Irish playwright, has established himself as a brilliant writer-director with a home in the dark comedy genre. His Oscar-winning short Six Shooter, as well as his equally excellent first two features In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, set up his name as one to keep an eye on as a filmmaker. With Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, McDonagh had a genuine awards frontrunner, and that extra spotlight, or magnifying glass, revealed a far more divisive and controversial film than the 7 Oscar nominations (and excellent Rotten Tomatoes score) may have made general audiences suspect. I’ve enjoyed all of McDonagh’s films, including Six Shooter, but Three Billboards didn’t land as well for me as In Bruges or Seven Psychopaths had. Therefore it makes me happy to say that The Banshees of Inisherin, his latest film, is a return to form and arguably as good as, if not better than, In Bruges.
The following article contains spoilers for previous Spider-Man films & Avengers: Infinity War.
I think Andrew Garfield is a very talented actor — I love many of his films — but when he played Peter Parker, he was never my Spider-Man. I grew up with Tobey Maguire’s performances as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and a part of me will always see him as ‘my Spider-Man’ — no matter what happens — but today I want to talk about why I think Tom Holland is already starting to take his place. Continue reading “Great Responsibility: Tom Holland is Spider-Man – Special Features #22”→
I used to write these New Year’s Speeches every year, and I really enjoyed doing so. I sort of stopped doing it last year, but I’ve tried to find a way to comment on all of the things that happened this year. I came up with this post, in which I want to talk about the entire year briefly. Film, television, and politics. Good and bad. Hope and dread. So if you don’t want anything political with your movie news, speculation, or discussion, then this isn’t the post for you. Continue reading “Goodbye 2016”→
Today I’m revealing the first half of the 2016 nominations for this blog’s IJR Awards (I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, but you probably already guessed that). The two legend awards (Film Legend and TV Legend) aren’t getting any nominees, instead I’ll reveal the winners, or honorees, in the eventual IJR Awards 2016 post. Continue reading “IJR Awards 2016: Nominations Announced, Part One of Two”→
I love the Oscars. Sure, there’s almost always controversy. Sure, the Academy doesn’t always recognize my favorite films, but it’s always entertaining. To me, at the very least. But I just realized something. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is on the top of pretty much every Hollywood actor’s wish list, somehow the franchise has never won an Oscar.
So, by now, you’ve all had a chance to see Captain America: Civil War. This gives me a chance to fully dive into spoilers in this post, so if you decided not to watch the film yet, you should probably check it out before reading this post. Today I ask myself if the Captain America-trilogy, which I call the The Man Out of Time-trilogy, is the best superhero trilogy of all-time. Continue reading “Is The Man out of Time-Trilogy the Best Superhero Trilogy of All-Time? – Marvelous Monday #51”→
I'm Jeffrey Rex 