What Are the Best Movies of the Decade So Far?
It’s hard to imagine we’re five years removed from the myriad “Best Movies of the Decade” posts of 2009. That was fun, and each intervening year since has produced more than enough titles worthy of appearing on such lists. Of course, most of those titles won’t eventually make it when we get to the end […]
10 Movies I Can Watch Any Time
My favorite movies are The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Psycho. But I’m not always in the mood to watch three hours of the mafia, apes and wormholes, or Janet Leigh getting murdered. There’s a big difference between best movies and favorite movies, and there’s an even bigger difference between favorite movies and most […]
Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances
It’s with a heavy, heavy heart I get around to finishing this post I’ve started and restarted so many times. The problem with trying to name one’s favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performances is that a rewatch of one of the dozens of films the man was great in can shake up the entire thing. He […]
What Else I’m Watching: September 2013
Because you can’t review them all. Sadly, life gets in the way of writing about everything I see, so this space is as much for keeping track of what I’m watching as it is for you to share your thoughts on what are, with any luck, a group of high-quality films. It’s an eclectic bunch […]
21 Jump Street Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) If you groaned upon hearing the news that the short-lived 1980s detective series 21 Jump Street was getting a big screen remake, prepare to be surprised. Not only does the film depart greatly from the series (the latter was a drama, while the former is 100% action-comedy), but it’s actually good—really good. […]
Ranking the 2012 Oscar Nominees
Just a quick hit today. I took this idea from In Contention, and last year, I put forth a ranked list of that year’s nominees. Below are the films I haven’t seen, followed by my rankings of all those I have seen. Films I haven’t seen: My Week with Marilyn, A Cat in Paris, Chico […]
Moneyball Review
RATING: (4 STARS) While Moneyball might seem like an odd cinematic fit, the dream writing team of Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zailian transform the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s into something exciting, emotionally-involving, and surprisingly thoughtful. Though the film (thankfully) doesn’t shy away from the nuts and bolts of building a successful baseball team, […]
2012 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: One Year Out
I realize it’s a bit silly for 2012 Oscar predictions this far out, but I can’t help it. With the multiplex fare so bad this time of year, I need something to be excited about, so why not dig into the prestige films later this year? The odds say much of what looks Oscar friendly […]
