Film and TV Reviews and Podcasts
Frozen essentially came out of nowhere to reinvigorate Disney’s musical princess movie algorithm. Instead of romance, the real goal for the main heroine was her own self-love and acceptance. So how do you follow-up something like that? For directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (who directed the first film), the motto seems to have been “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Happy Thanksgiving (to those of you in the US)! In this special double parking lot special episode, Kyrsten and I have a laid-back non-spoiler review of Knives Out and then Tiny and I go into a spoiler review of the film! Then, to close out the episode, we have the remaining Red Carpet recordings from last month’s Heartland International Film Festival!
Writer/star Mindy Kaling and director Nisha Ganatra’s “boss from hell” movie about an underdog in late night TV is plagued by underutilized supporting characters, underdeveloped subplots, and a borderline unlikable co-lead character. Late Night’s saving grace is a strong performance by Emma Thompson who, despite her character being nearly irredeemably obnoxious, is served well enough by a script that misuses most of the other characters and subplots.
This week, Tiny and I catch up on what we’ve watched lately with an Extended Potpourri episode. In it, we discuss Disney+, The Boys, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Joker, El Camino, and much more.
Part thriller, part socioeconomic fable, and part black comedy, the brilliance of Parasite is when it effortlessly – and, more important, believably – changes its tone, sometimes within the same scene. Any given moment could easily elicit laughter or gasps of horror from one person to another, and neither would be wrong in their reactions. I hate to be so vague and evasive, but it should be stated that Parasite is one of the rare films that is truly best experienced when knowing as little as possible before viewing.
This week, I fly solo for the 300th (holy crap!) episode of the podcast! In this special episode, I share my spoiler-free thoughts on the Disney Plus exclusive Lady and the Tramp remake. I also share my thoughts on several Disney Plus exclusive shows launching with the service on Nov 12th. Series reviewed include: Encore!, Forky Asks a Question, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Marvel’s Hero Project, The Imagineering Story, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and Spark Shorts.
The King (2019) Premise: Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life. The King may not be the longest, the most plot-heavy, or even the most complicated […]
The Irishman (2019) Premise: A mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa. The Irishman is Martin Scorsese’s examination of time, regret, and aging through the lens of the gangster epic. It’s a perfectly fine film whose biggest strength is in the powerful performances of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Unfortunately, aside from […]
RIGHT CLICK IMAGE, SAVE LINK AS TO DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE… OV299 – The Lighthouse – For All Mankind, Dickinson, See, The Morning Show, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, In Fabric, Marriage Story, Just Mercy, and Netflix’s The King (Guest: Ben Sears) Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Stitcher Direct Download Link http://traffic.libsyn.com/obsessiveviewer/OV299.mp3 This week, I welcome back our contributor Ben Sears […]
The Lighthouse (2019) Premise: The hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. “I knew ye was mad when ye smashed that lifeboat and chased me with that axe” Willem Dafoe’s Thomas Wake bellows to Robert Pattinson’s Ephraim Winslow (or is it Thomas Howard?) late in The Lighthouse, the […]
Dolemite Is My Name (2019) Premise: Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon.
In a New York Minute (2019) Narrative Feature/Official Selection 102 Minutes/USA/2019 Drama/Romance Director: Ximan Li Premise: “In A New York Minute” follows three strangers connected by a single pregnancy test. Amy is haunted by a past breakup that has manifested into an eating disorder. Angel is caught between a loveless marriage to an American businessman and a passionate affair with […]
House of Hummingbird (2019) Narrative Feature/Grand Prize Winner 138 Minutes/South Korea/2019 Drama/International Director: Bora Kim Premise: A lonely 14-year-old, Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness. Deprived of attention from her family, she spends her time finding meaning in the love and friendships of her peers. When Young-ji, a new teacher, arrives, she becomes […]
The Laundromat (2019) Premise: In this dramedy based on the Mossack Fonseca scandal, a cast of characters investigate an insurance fraud, chasing leads to a pair of a flamboyant Panama City law partners exploiting the world’s financial system.
RIGHT CLICK IMAGE, SAVE LINK AS TO DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE… OV298 – HIFF2019: Part II – Award Winners – Press Junket Interviews: House of Champions, Man Camp, Syndrome K, Moonlight Sonata, Ernie & Joe, We Shall Not Die Now, Standing Up Falling Down, Samir, and Going Attractions Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Stitcher Direct Download Link http://traffic.libsyn.com/obsessiveviewer/OV298.mp3 In part 2 […]
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