Recent Articles
And The Nominees Are: Breaking Down the Ten 2023 Best Picture Hopefuls
It’s Oscars weekend! And this year, the pool of Best Picture nominees are an unusually interesting and diverse crop. There’s stories about gender relations, about human atrocities, about the little moments that can make life so damn melancholy, and about actors who really, really want an Oscar. But are any of them any good? Read along with my breakdown of the ten possible Best Picture nominees for 2023 to find out!
The Delightful World of Jacques Tati: Cleaning Out My Criterion Closet
For this month’s feature, let’s work through the unopened Criterion box sets I have lying around by exploring the world of Jacques Tati! Topics include: the brilliance of PLAYTIME, his knack for social observation, and the possible reasons why some people just don’t seem to find him all that funny.
I Watched Every Super Bowl Halftime Show.
For February’s bonus article, let’s take a look at the first 57 Super Bowl halftime shows and see how they’ve evolved since the sixties. Between Al Hirt and Rihanna is a lot of fascinating trash, as well as some thrilling works from major musical artists. Also, a lot of Up With People. Which are the best? Which are the worst? Read along and find out!
The Surprising Endurance of MEAN GIRLS
This week, I’m relieved to announce that the 2004 comedy MEAN GIRLS remains a classic almost twenty years later, despite a lot of things theoretically working against it. It endures so much, in fact, that I ended up bailing on my initial gimmick for this article. What was it? Read and find out!
Stocking Stuffer: The Twelve Craziest Things that Happened on THE SANTA CLAUSES
Okay, in the spirit of giving, one more article. Here are the twelve craziest things that happened during the first two seasons of THE SANTA CLAUSES.
The Simple Power of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Today, a quick Christmas bonus going over the simple and effective power of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’s, both its ending (and how it makes me cry every time) and the movie’s constant building to that payoff. Merry Christmas, everyone!
The Gorgeous Gilded Cage of Sofia Coppola’s PRISCILLA
For this month’s Crittical Analysis, we take a look at Sofia Coppola’s eighth film, PRISCILLA. Although not at the pinnacle of her filmography, her recent biopic of Priscila Presley, bolstered by two great lead performances, at the very least cuts to the emotional devastation at the heart of one of the most unfortunate givens in the world of the rich and famous: the age-gap relationship.
Getting Lost in the Labyrinth of Taylor Swift
This week, after spending the last two years going from “Taylor Swift agnostic” to a legitimate fan, in a time when she seems to be taking over every space imaginable….I have a lot of thoughts! Whether you’re a lover, a hater or just indifferent, there should be something for you in this mega-length bonus article!
The Uncomfortable Conversations Within KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Martin Scorsese’s latest film, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, has already sparked conversations, both in regards the events it depicts as well as the way it chooses to present them. Both conversations tend to be uncomfortable, but maybe that’s okay in the big picture. Let’s dive in!
The Devil Don't Care: THE EXORCIST And the Death of the Legacy Sequel
It’s easy to forget, but a sequel to THE EXORCIST came to theaters three weeks ago. To explain why it failed, we should go back and reflect on the original’s success, as well as the peaks and (mostly) valleys of previous attempts to capitalize on it. God willing, the legacy sequel may be near its end.
ON THE ROCKS Is On The Nose
As we wind down Sofia Summer, let’s take a look at her most recent film, ON THE ROCKS. For completely unrelated reasons, I also offer you my theory about what constitutes an “airplane movie”.
THE BEGUILED Marks a Return To Form
This week, Sofia Coppola shakes off THE BLING RING with her adaptation of THE BEGUILED, a dark Civil War drama based off of a 60’s novel. It’s dark (often literally), it’s intriguing, it features great performances from Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell. Yet….was this movie bested fifty years prior?
THE BLING RING Goes In Circles
This week, we dive deep into THE BLING RING, Sofia Coppola’s first real misfire. It’s a movie that neither serves as effective parody or sincere deep dive into the 2000’s, one of the bleaker cultural American decades. So, what went wrong?
Getting Lost in the Middle of SOMEWHERE
This week, we discuss Sofia Coppola’s super-simple, and wildly effective, approach to storytelling in SOMEWHERE, a tale of a loser Hollywood actor and the life he could leave behind if he only chose to do so.
Sofia Coppola and The (Possible) Reclamation of MARIE ANTOINETTE
MARIE ANTOINETTE is arguably misunderstood, both as a film and as a subject. I was delighted and surprised to see how much I ended up liking Sofia Coppola’s third feature, a film that debuted to mixed reception back in 2006. However, why did I fall short of loving it?
LOST IN TRANSLATION and The Power of Connection
This week, I go long on one of my very favorite films, LOST IN TRANSLATION. Sofia Coppola’s sophomore feature has a dreamy haze that’s still unrivaled even twenty years later. Its lingering, uncomfortable issues remain, yet its expression of universal themes like melancholy and desire for connection rise above all. Right?
Reflection and Repression: THE VIRGIN SUICIDES
Today, let’s kick off Week One of our Sofia Coppola deep dive by starting at the beginning. THE VIRGIN SUICIDES is about a lot of things, but its most powerful notions deal with the desire for autonomy in a repressive environment and the mysterious power of nostalgia. Also, it’s a reminder that you all should watch PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK.
BABY J Births a New Era for John Mulaney
Last month, John Mulaney made his “return” in Netlfix’s BABY J. With his previous stand-up persona mostly gone for good, has something new emerged? Given what it wraught and what it hid, how valuable was the previous persona anyway? Finally, does Mulaney still Have It?
We Are The Story: Robert Altman Walks in NASHVILLE
This week, we complete our look back at Robert Altman’s work of the 1970’s with a deep dive into NASHVILLE, a sprawling panorama of the country music scene, of how we treat celebrity, of the intangible desire for change, of…well, practically everything, really.
3 WOMEN, 1 BLOG: Altman Goes To Dreamland
This week, Robert Altman delves deep into the world of dream theory with his 1977 impressionist masterpiece 3 WOMEN. To call it a “stolen identity” movie would be to sell it far short, but maybe it’s best to just experience it for yourself if you haven’t already!