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 […]
The Whale

Film Title
The WhaleSynopsis
We are all chasing something
Director
Darren AronofskyCast
Brendan Fraser
Sadie Sink
Ty Simpkins
Hong Chau
Samantha Morton
Babylon (1922)

Film Title
BabylonSynopsis
We’re going to need two cigarettes after this romp
Director
Damien ChazelleCast
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 LivesSynopsis
A rescue mission is assembled to save a soccer team trapped in a cave.
Director
Ron HowardCast
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 FutureSynopsis
Humans are evolving and David Cronenberg makes it gross
Director
David CronenbergCast
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 & WildSynopsis
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 SelickCast
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 DevilsSynopsis
A free-thinking, sexually active priest is accused of witchcraft
Director
Ken RussellCast
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, BodiesSynopsis
Spoiled rich kids find bodies during a hurricane party
Director
Halina ReijnCast
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
EmancipationSynopsis
A runaway slave attempts to escape his former masters
Director
Antoine FuquaCast
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 FabelmansSynopsis
It’s not Fabelman. It’s Fabel-Man. He’s a fable…man
Director
Steven SpielbergCast
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 […]