In the midst of a global pandemic and stay at home orders all over the country, I am coping by watching movies and podcasting about them as if they were part of a Film Festival. Here is my coverage of cOVid-19 Film Festival Day 16: Netflix Spotlight (April 2, 2020). For the spotlight review, Tiny calls in to talk about Tiger King with me in a spoiler review.
In the midst of a global pandemic and stay at home orders all over the country, I am coping by watching movies and podcasting about them as if they were part of a Film Festival. Here is my coverage of cOVid-19 Film Festival day 6: Programmed by Mike White. For the spotlight review, Mike calls in to talk about Freaks with me in a mostly non-spoiler review.
Bride of Frankenstein is replete with themes of creation and destruction amidst subtext involving identity politics, nature vs nurture, and a healthy of dose of homosexual undercurrents thrown in for good measure.
The Invisible Man is the mind-blowing journey of a man overcome with the conflicting feelings of the power he has gained and the longing to come back to the one he loves. It’s a mad scientist motif that drives a narrative more and more toward an ending that may not be as redemptive or emotionally satisfying as one might expect. With a powerful lead performance by Claude Rains and spectacular visual effects, The Invisible Man leans into its mad scientist’s descent as it leads to a thrilling conclusion.
Despite having a plot that is heavily borrowed from Dracula, The Mummy showcases Karloff’s strength and range as an actor behind it. The film also features an exotic Egyptian locale and set design that is noticeably different from the Gothic horror of Dracula or the villages of Frankenstein. More importantly, The Mummy has tense atmosphere and a sense of grandeur to its monster that keeps it from simply being a rip-off of Dracula.
COVID-19 is sweeping the nation. So, naturally, I am coping by watching movies and podcasting about them as if they were part of a Film Festival. Here is my coverage of day 4 & 5: Amazon Prime Weekend. For the spotlight review, Tiny calls in to talk about HBO’s Watchmen with me in a non-spoiler and spoiler section.
Frankenstein infuses its monster with a science fiction hue to great effect. The scientific and moral concepts at the heart of Frankenstein help enhance the wonderful characterization and tragedy-laden arc of the film’s titular character and his complicated monster.
COVID-19 is sweeping the nation. So, naturally, I am coping by watching movies and podcasting about them as if they were part of a Film Festival Here is day 1.
1931’s Dracula, the beginning of the Universal Classic Monster films, is a work of stunning beauty and dread from the outset. The detail in the backdrops of the opening scenes is awe-inspiring and lends to an impressive scale and cinematography that has aged extremely well.
This week, frequent guest and OV contributor Ben Sears joins Tiny and me to discuss several topics in an Extended Potpourri episode. Topics include: Devs, Dave, The Outsider, McMillions, The Way Back, Mythic Quest, The Warrant, Fail Safe, and more.
Although The Invisible Man is not without many missteps in its storytelling and attempts (or lack thereof) to be socially relevant, Leigh Whannell has delivered an effective and scary thriller.
Although Onward may not be the best Pixar offering in recent years, it’s led by spectacular voice work from Holland and Pratt. It leaves a memorable impression on audiences with its emotional resolution and will have you yearning for more original content from Pixar.
This week, Tiny and I reflect on this year’s Oscar ceremony, which we were both pleased with. We then discuss several topics in an Extended Potpourri segment. Topics include: The Witcher, Gretel and Hansel, Terminator: Dark Fate, Downhill, Fantasy Island, and Mike Birbiglia’s The New One.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a strong teen romance film that doesn’t just pay homage to what’s come before it, but proves it can hold its own in the pantheon of strong teen romance films.
Troop Zero is a sweet, paint by numbers story with some decent performances and a less than stellar script wrapped around a positive message. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Troop Zero. Unfortunately, there is not much that’s memorable about it either.
The Obsessive Viewer 