Review: "Mary Poppins Returns" is a Dazzling Good Time

Scene from Mary Poppins Returns

There is something daunting and rare about director Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns. It's a sequel to Oscar-winning beloved family film that has become one of Disney's towering achievements (they even made a movie called Saving Mr. Banks to remind us of this). So, where could Marshall possibly go with 50 years of distance and generations hooked on some of movie musicals' most memorable music? The answer is simple. It goes for the whimsy, trying its best to capture the enthusiasm of the original while attempting to make a new story that compliments advanced technology to bring the landscape to life in ways not available in the mid-60's. While the music isn't quite on par or the performances as immediately iconic, Marshall has continued to prove himself one of the premiere musical directors of the 21st century with a quaint new holiday treat that may not match the original, but serves to entertain for a few hours as best it can.

A24 A-to-Z: #58. "Lady Bird" (2017)

Scene from Lady Bird

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Composing Greatness: #12. Thomas Newman - "Passengers" (2016)

Scene from Passengers

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Suicide Squad" (2016)

Scene from Suicide Squad

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Legitimate Theater: Elf the Musical (2010)

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Review: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Reinvents the Superhero Narrative Perfectly

Scene from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

With over a half dozen superhero movies released annually, it does seem difficult to answer such a simple question: what makes someone a hero? It takes an act of bravery for sure, but most films feature familiar archetypes fighting supernatural forces more than getting to the heart of how the person watching the film could ever imagine themselves on screen. It's exactly what makes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse so revolutionary and one of the quintessential superhero films of the decade. It isn't just that the animation pushes the boundaries of conventional CGI, but that it manages to find the humanity within the style and bring something new to something oh so familiar.

Composing Greatness: #11. Thomas Newman - "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013)

Scene from Saving Mr. Banks

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "American Sniper" (2014)

Scene from American Sniper

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Nothing But the Best: "The Shape of Water" (2017)

Scene from The Shape of Water

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

R.I.P. Sondra Locke (1944-2018)

Sandra Locke

On November 3, 2018, actress and director Sondra Locke passed away in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 74 after battling breast and bone cancer. Among the highlights of her illustrious career was a 13 year partnership with actor Clint Eastwood, starring together in seven films including The Outlaw Josey Wales and Sudden Impact. She is also the central subject of a nasty lawsuit between her and Eastwood that has since become a textbook case for law students on how to have a case with "good faith." She received an Oscar nomination for her debut role The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and has since gone on to have a compelling and lengthy career full of splendid highs. She leaves behind an incredible legacy both on the screen and off and will be missed greatly for her impact towards women in the industry.

A24 A-to-Z: #57. "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" (2017)

Scene from The Killing of a Sacred Deer

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Kevin Hart Backs Out of Oscar Hosting, Nobody's Replacing Him, So... What's Going On?

There's of course the old adage that news travels fast. Last week The Academy announced that comedian Kevin Hart was scheduled to host this year's upcoming ceremony. It seemed fair enough, given that Hart was a trendy comedian who could draw in that audience that The Academy was clearly going for. However, the news wasn't even hours old when the tides began to turn and suddenly Hart was out due to homophobic comments, leaving the question as to who is hosting up in the air. In what has become one of the messiest years since the inaugural Oscars So White debacle, there's now comment that The Academy will replace Hart with... no one. It's not something that's really happened all that much (and there's a good chance that this will be old news by publication), though it does exemplify the identity crisis that they currently face: who deserves to be at The Academy Awards? Who deserves to win? In 2018, it seems like that question is about more than just personal conduct.

Review: "Roma" Finds Cuaron Getting Personal in a Beautiful, Nostalgic Way

Scene from Roma

In 2013, director Alfonso Cuaron created what is considered one of the most groundbreaking technical achievements of the decade with the Oscar-winning Gravity. It wasn't just a film, but an experience that needed to be seen on the big screen and, in a very rare instance, warranted a 3D treatment. He is one of the most essential directors of the moment, managing to convey human emotion while testing the limits of what a camera can film. It's why there's something to be said for the power of Roma: a film that is almost entirely antithetical to Gravity from its length (Roma is approximately 45 minutes longer) to its personal portrait of a woman whose life is undervalued by those around her. It's by no means a thrill ride, but instead a meditative journey into Mexico City in the 1970's as Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) goes about her days as a maid and an unexpected mother. It may be among Cuaron's least flashy plots in his entire career, but that only helps the film to be rich with subtle detail, feeling like a personal love letter to his own childhood with a perspective not often caught on film.

Check This Out: "Schindler's List" to Receive Theatrical Re-release Starting Dec. 7

Scene from Schindler's List

While December is usually a busy time for those wanting to catch up on every potential Oscar-nominee, there's another reason to go the movies. Starting this Friday, director Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama Schindler's List will be released in theaters to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its release. For those who haven't seen it or are looking for a reason to see it on the big screen, now is your chance. The film is set to have a limited engagement in theaters nationwide, and it's sure to bring quite a turnout. The film won seven Oscars in 1994, including one for Best Picture and marked Spielberg's first as director. It's a harrowing drama that redefined what a Holocaust drama could look and feel like, finding empathy where it often wasn't found. It's a powerful film and well worth checking out. Check your local listings for showtimes. 

Kevin Hart Announced as Academy Awards Host for 2019

Kevin Hart

With less than a month until 2018 closes its doors, it does seem strange that there hasn't been an Oscar host announced yet. Following a two year run by Jimmy Kimmel, there was a lot of concern over who would take the position. This year has had a lot of interesting themes, including the prediction that Black Panther will become the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture, and that The Academy is in desperate need for more viewers to the point of temporarily announcing a Best Popular Film category that was quickly reviled. So, who do you get that could appeal to those audiences who probably have yet to see this year's big contenders? Yesterday, The Academy announced that comedian Kevin Hart will be hosting. As with every new host, it only feels right of looking forward to what he has to offer by guessing just what he'll bring to the position.

A24 A-to-Z: #56. "The Florida Project" (2017)

Scene from The Florida Project

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Composing Greatness: #10. Thomas Newman - "Skyfall" (2012)

Scene from Skyfall

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Big Short" (2015)

Scene from The Big Short

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

10 Great Films I Discovered Thanks to FilmStruck

Yesterday, November 29, 2018, FilmStruck shut down after a brief two year run. While it may not seem impressive in an era where companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have inspired anyone with an internet connection to make their own streaming service, the ambitions of the TCM/Criterion Collection-hybrid were unmatched and a reflection of how much cinephiles desired to see good cinema. It wasn't just a chock-a-block website with no-name titles popping up every two weeks. It was catered in unprecedented ways, providing behind the scenes content for cinema that ranged from world cinema to Hollywood classics to modern indie greats. While they're shut down, the reports of a reemergence in 2019 with The Criterion Channel is a welcomed blessing. To pay tribute to their greatness, I thought that I would share 10 films I watched via FilmStruck that made an impression on me (for a full list of what I did watch, you can find it here). If anything, I hope this get you to hop on board with The Criterion Channel and make it last, because it's the only thing like it and easily the best variety of cinema for your streaming service money. 

Review: "Ralph Breaks the Internet" is a Smart Yet Overbearing Sequel

Scene from Ralph Breaks the Internet

As any of the countless studies have proven, the internet is a crucial tool to how we communicate with one another. So why then is it so hard to capture the feeling of digital relationships on film, itself a medium of equally limitless potential? Disney's latest Ralph Breaks the Internet is a film that attempts to be everything all at the same time. It tries to make the internet seem like a world of wonder, where Disney Princesses can be pulled up in a second's notice, while discovering something darker and more unpleasant about humanity. Ralph may be a video game character, but his insecurity is a real feeling and something that Disney has been grappling with in the past two years with many films exploring toxic masculinity (Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, Coco, etc.). For a character who was built in the first film as sympathetic and misunderstood, it's a bit of an odd shift. However, it makes the film one of the studio's boldest films in a long time, serving more as an essay on internet culture than genuine entertainment. It may hurt the film, but it also makes it a unique achievement.