The Whale

Film Title

The Whale

Synopsis

We are all chasing something

Director

Darren Aronofsky

Cast

Brendan Fraser
Sadie Sink
Ty Simpkins
Hong Chau
Samantha Morton

Going into Darren Aronofsky’s latest film The Whale, I prepared myself for at least one disturbing scene that would sear itself into my brain next to scenes from Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan. Like Stanley Kubrick, Aronofsky tends to make weird and dark movies, some of which feature scenes you cannot unsee. To […]

Babylon (1922)

Film Title

Babylon

Synopsis

We’re going to need two cigarettes after this romp

Director

Damien Chazelle

Cast

Brad PItt
Margot Robbie
Diego Calva
Katherine Waterson
Jovan Adepo
Tobey Maguire
Jean Smart
Olivia Wilde

It’s a rare occurrence when a movie or series shows something that stops every random thought in my head, every synapse focusing like a laser on the screen. I become Neo in The Matrix when Morpheus leaps to a distant building. “Whoa” is the only correct response. It happened the first time I saw the […]

Thirteen Lives

Film Title

Thirteen Lives

Synopsis

A rescue mission is assembled to save a soccer team trapped in a cave.

Director

Ron Howard

Cast

Viggo Mortensen
Colin Farrell
Joel Edgerton
Paul Gleeson
Tom Bateman

It’s award consideration season, so here’s my consideration. Synopsis A cave rescue mission. Writing On June 23, 2018, twelve boys and their coach were trapped in a flooded cave system in northern Thailand. Given the recency of the event, extensive coverage at the time, and the known outcome, the movie practically writes itself. The only […]

Crimes Of The Future

Film Title

Crimes of the Future

Synopsis

Humans are evolving and David Cronenberg makes it gross

Director

David Cronenberg

Cast

Viggo Mortensen
Lea Seydoux
Kristen Stewart
Don McKellar
Dierdre Brown

It’s award consideration season, so here’s my consideration. Writing There are interesting concepts, but they never fall into a cohesive narrative. In this future, most humans have evolved to no longer feel pain or become infected by disease and many are growing new organs with undetermined functions, only to have them removed to comply with […]

Wendell & Wild

Film Title

Wendell & Wild

Synopsis

A juvenile delinquent, two demons with daddy issues, a priest, demon hunters, zombies, corporate executives, and the devil clash for all the reasons.

Director

Henry Selick

Cast

Lyric Ross
Keegan-Michael Key
Jordan Peele
James Hong
Angela Bassett

It’s award consideration season, so here’s my consideration. Synopsis A juvenile delinquent, two demons with daddy issues, a priest, demon hunters, zombies, corporate executives, and the devil clash for all the reasons. Writing Just because Wendell & Wild is pretty doesn’t mean it has coherent writing. Surprisingly, Jordan Peele co-wrote this mess with Henry Selick, […]

The Not Quite #5: The Devils (1971)

Film Title

The Devils

Synopsis

A free-thinking, sexually active priest is accused of witchcraft

Director

Ken Russell

Cast

Oliver Reed
Vanessa Redgrave
Dudley Sutton
Christopher Logue
Gemma Jones

I love shit about repressed female sexuality. Take nuns. They’re a bunch of wretched, feeble-minded cowards, women who cling to a fantasy deity and starve themselves of Earthly pleasures because they’re ashamed of their pussy. Now The Devils may well appear to be about religion and politics in 17th century France, but it’s more to […]

Grovel Before God, You Maggots.

Grovel Before God, You Maggots! In the beginning back in 1988 a six-foot-four deity who shunned goofing around arrived in moviedom. It wasn’t long before he began to generate wall to wall adoration by being outstanding at whatever job he did, never showing fear despite the ever-present threat of death, and snapping the limbs of […]

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

Film Title

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

Synopsis

Spoiled rich kids find bodies during a hurricane party

Director

Halina Reijn

Cast

Amandla Stenberg
Maria Bakalova
Rachel Sennott
Chase Sui Wonders
Pete Davidson

It’s award consideration season, so here’s my consideration. Synopsis What a game of Among Us would look like if it was a feature-length film, but everyone playing was an asshole and some of them actually die. Writing There is a lot of talk that the movie satirizes Gen-Z, but I call bullshit. It satirizes spoiled […]

Emancipation

Film Title

Emancipation

Synopsis

A runaway slave attempts to escape his former masters

Director

Antoine Fuqua

Cast

Will Smith
Ben Foster
Charmaine Bingwa
Ronnie Gene Blevins

It’s award consideration season, so here’s my consideration. Synopsis A history lesson behind the famous “scourged back” photo (circa 1863) of Peter Gordon, a slave who escaped bondage in 1863. Now with more action. Writing I’ve done a bit of research to find out how much is truly known of Peter Gordon’s escape from slavery. […]

The Fabelmans

Film Title

The Fabelmans

Synopsis

It’s not Fabelman. It’s Fabel-Man. He’s a fable…man

Director

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Michelle Williams
Paul Dano
Gabriel LaBelle
Judd Hirsch
Seth Rogen
Chole East

After watching The Fabelmans, I wondered what certain directors’ childhoods might look like. I imagine Martin Scorsese had a nanny who was also a hitman. Baz Luhrmann rarely ate food that wasn’t laced with LSD. George Romero constantly buried his friends on the beach. Quentin Tarantino definitely tortured animals. Stanley Kubrick was the kid in […]