Color me ignorant to the love people have for The Room. Sort of, I guess. Look, I get liking crappy movies; I have gone to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show performed live in theaters and participated to extents in the rituals and customs of its live exhibitions. But I don’t necessarily qualify The Rocky Horror Picture Show … Continue reading
I’m not sure I altogether disliked Justin Kelly’s latest film, King Cobra; it’s a damn sight better than his last movie, 2015’s irredeemably awful I Am Michael, and it’s pretty decent on its own merits. But I couldn’t let go of the film’s flaws in my review for The Playlist: The film is just way too underdeveloped … Continue reading
“These past weeks, the Sony hacking scandal—the single weirdest movie news item of my lifetime, and that’s counting the time WB hired Jesse Eisenberg to play Lex Luthor—evolved from a mere social embarrassment for the studio, to a damper on their bottom line, to a serious threat to the safety of both their employees and … Continue reading
“Stealing wads of pelf from a dead man seems like a victimless crime, unless you’re a character in a gangster yarn. Then, you’re just plain old taking your life into your hands. We’re talking about what’s arguably the most amoral genre of all time, a mode of storytelling that thrives on shades of grey (and … Continue reading
Taking an everyperson– that’s an everyman or an everywoman for you PC types out there– and throwing them into an extraordinary circumstance can provide a path to success in storytelling if the person spinning the yarn knows what they’re doing. In a way, I think we respond more to the everyperson than we do to … Continue reading
What makes the efforts of one director superior to those of another? If one person wins Best Director, does it stand to reason that they should also win Best Picture? I had these two questions– and sub-questions pertaining to both, as well as variations on each of said questions– rolling around in my head after … Continue reading
For me, 2010’s in the bag, but it’s not totally wrapped up until I take the time to ruminate over the upcoming slate of movies in 2011 that excite me, discourage me, intrigue me, or puzzle/offend me (and, of course, also post the rest of my top ten, which is, I promise, coming around the … Continue reading
2010 dwindles down to its final hour with the passing of each day. It’s been a pretty mixed year, filled with movies worth watching but not necessarily worth getting excited about; only a handful here and there, for my taste, have really been exceptional and stood out amongst the crowd of good-but-unmemorable releases. But what … Continue reading
Comic book movies– more specifically, super hero movies– generally follow a specific line of progression starting from the very first film and continuing through the subsequent sequels. The opening installment is always an origin story; it is where we learn of and witness the events that lead to our protagonist becoming empowered with the special … Continue reading
A Constant Visual Feast 