Film and TV Reviews and Podcasts
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.
Of course, Onward contains all of the Pixar standards: great visuals and a lively color palette, fun character dynamics, comic relief, action set-pieces, and a conclusion that’s designed to make the adults cry. But where it lacks most is the unique messaging that we’ve come to expect from the studio.
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.
Blumhouse’s reimagining of 70s & 80s television show Fantasy Island is at best a passable cheese fest depicting beautiful people in peril. At its worst (and, sadly, most frequent), it’s the dull presentation of an uninspired thriller that’s more concerned with revealing its mystery than creating compelling characters.
Aside from a few scant comedy beats and a delightfully over the top performance from Jim Carrey, Sonic the Hedgehog feels like a slapped together adaptation of a video game franchise for which no one seemed to be clamoring.
Birds of Prey can best be seen as DC cleansing itself of the earlier films, right down to the fiery explosion that Harley uses early in the film to signify that she’s done with the Joker.
How much mileage you get out of Miss Americana may vary depending on your level of devotion to Swift’s career and music, but her overwhelming sincerity may make a believer out of even the most cynical.
Heartbreaking but hopeful, complex but familiar, Portrait tells the story of a doomed romance between two young women in the 18th century – one a painter (Noémie Merlant) and the other her muse (Adéle Haenel), the daughter of a wealthy family who is betrothed to a man she’s never met.
The Obsessive Viewer 