Evan D. After the shocking victory of Donald Trump in 2016, there has been a certain obsession, a fetishization even, of the “white working class.” This amorphous group of Appalachia dwellers, “hill people” as MawMaw (Glenn Close) calls them, have been the subject of intense scrutiny. They’ve been focus grouped, polled and interviewed in every rural diner the New York Times could get to, all in search of an explanation for our most unexpected president.
Evan D. At times I think that animation is the most misunderstood genre. To even call it a genre may be a mischaracterization. The medium has been so monopolized by Disney’s singular vision of adventure seeking princesses and peasants that more mature fare gets overlooked. Animated in the playful style of a children’s picture book and focusing on two girls who can magically transform into wolves, Wolfwalkers may not seem like grown-up cinema, but appearances can be deceiving.
Cody R. Source: Netflix When ‘Hubie Halloween’ hit Netflix it was assumed that all the buzz would center around Adam Sandler and his particular brand of nonsense. We’ve seen it over and over again with films like ‘Big Daddy,’ ‘Waterboy’ and ‘Billy Madison.’ Whether you enjoy this type of comedy or not is irrelevant, the only things that matter are June Squibb’s t-shirts. These novelty shirts warranted an additional half a star rating to some from reviews I have seen on Letterboxd. To show my appreciation I have decided to personally rank them from worst to best:
Evan D. I can’t even count how many times I’ve typed some variation of the phrase “This is the perfect film for the coronavirus moment.” When an event so imbues itself into the day to day consciousness, it begins to color the way we see the world. Art takes on a new, perhaps unintended, meaning. Dick Johnson is Dead, a moving piece of personal filmmaking under any circumstance, becomes something much more profound in the context of a global pandemic.
Evan D. First it was James Bond. Peter Rabbit and Mulan soon followed. These films were the some of the very earliest to flee their theatrical release dates as it became clear that the novel coronavirus would force theaters closed for an extended time. That emptying of the 2020 release calendar only accelerated, forcing studios to weigh the costs of full year delays against premium VOD drops. Although no film escaped the reality imposed by a global pandemic, one film has consistently led the charge to reopen theaters: Tenet. Evan D. Jessie Buckley in I’m Thinking of Ending Things Why carry on with something that you know is doomed? “Maybe it’s human nature to go on in the face of this knowledge” posits the young woman (Jessie Buckley) at the center of Charlie Kaufman’s new film, his first directorial effort in 12 years (he doesn’t count Anomalisa.) This impulse to call it quits is at the very core of his — aptly named — I’m Thinking of Ending Things, in more ways than one.
Cody R. Back in March the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation and closed theater doors. This forced Disney’s hand in postponing the release of their live action adaptation of Mulan which was merely weeks away. Thus, began the battle within Disney about how to handle the highly anticipated film.
Evan D. When the coronavirus pandemic forced theaters across the United States to close, Disney’s much anticipated remake of Mulan was less than 2 weeks from releasing. Just one week before it had premiered to LA critics and mildly positive reviews. As is the case for most of us, 2020 has become an unmitigated disaster for Mulan.
Evan D. Keanu Reeves (left) and Alex Winter (right) in Bill & Ted Face The Music Back in 1989 a pair of intrepid teens, who were definitely not stoners, left San Dimas to embark on a most excellent adventure. Had Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) used their time machine to travel to 2020, they likely would have been shocked by what they found. No, I don’t mean the once in a century pandemic, the global economic collapse, or even the massive popularity of Justin Bieber and Post Malone. Bill and Ted would have arrived in 2020 to find their lives on the brink. Had the young Wyld Stallyns dropped in on the event’s of Bill & Ted Face the Music would they have been disappointed in themselves?
Cody R.There is an old phrase that states, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” The problem here is not the kitchen. The problem, if one even exists, is the warm hug. And it is here, by the creation of snow magic, does the chilling discussion over Olaf’s greatness begin. Let’s see if I can sum it up as quickly as he did in Frozen 2 over the plot synopsis of Frozen 1. There was a time when the idea of Olaf was no more than a mere fabrication from one’s own imagination. And as children we all had our own interpretation of what Olaf was to us. But it was here, through Elsa and Anna, that we were blessed with the reality of a new friend who possessed the ability to showcase compassion, empathy, foolishness, and of course without fail, a little bit of annoyance.
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