Spinning the Reel
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Best of Lists
    • 2017 List
    • 2018 List
    • 2019 List
    • 2020 List
    • 2021 List
  • Podcast
  • About Us

Cody’s Tribute to Olaf

8/27/2020

Comments

 

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.

All the traits mentioned above are what make Olaf relatable because he isn’t what you would call a fake friend. Patience, in which it is the time to allow the friendship to blossom, is what we really need to understand here. Just as Olaf grows in Frozen 1, he develops these traits and growth of maturity even more so in Frozen 2. From the beginning of existence we see his willingness to sacrifice himself as he states, “Some people are worth melting for.” This statement alone is enough to showcase such traits that can break down ice barriers we ourselves always seem to be putting up. Olaf is adept to situations in which he listens, cares, and learns. Dishing out advice and statements of affection that we would all like to hear so that we ourselves feel better. We see this plenty with Anna. This all boils down to that Olaf is the kind of snowman we would all want to have in our lives to share moments and laughs with. Just as he is by the creation of magic, his friendship alone is nothing short of magical and we could all use a little magic in our lives. We could all use a little Olaf.


Comments

2020 Oscar Nominees: Favorites, Surprises and Snubs

1/14/2020

Comments

 

Evan D.

For film buffs, Oscar nomination day can be a bit of a roller coaster. Coming on the heels of the frequently wacky Golden Globes there is always a flicker of hope that the Academy will make good choices. Far more often than that though, the nominees are exactly what everyone pessimistically predicted plus a few surprises that are also usually bad.

2020 was no exception as beloved films such as ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Little Women’ underperformed while ‘The Farewell’ and ‘Uncut Gems’ were excluded entirely. Conversely the film that led all others in total nominations was the highly divisive ‘Joker.’ It wasn’t all bad news though, the Documentary branch nominated 4 women and 4 foreign language films in their category and ‘I Lost My Body’ found its way into the animated feature nominees after being snubbed by the Golden Globes.

Just like last year, I’m breaking down the nominations in the major categories. If you’re interested in how I did last year, check it out here. Without further ado, the nominees are:

Read More
Comments

Evan’s Top Ten Films of 2019

12/31/2019

Comments

 

Evan D.


Picture

Towards the end of Summer, the year in film was looking pretty bleak. Endgame had smashed box office records, but moviegoers had precious few truly great films to choose from. Fast forward to December and to consider 2019 anything less that great year in film would seem crazy.​

Like most years, the best movies in 2019 were reflections of the world around us. Some of the most resonant films put a microscope on the global inequality we see today. We were treated to films that thoughtfully explored economic hardship, the uphill battle faced by women in male dominated worlds and the zero sum nature of late capitalism. It’s truly been a spectacular year for movies and here are my 10 favorites from 2019.

Read More
Comments

Disney’s Monopoly on Nostalgia

11/18/2019

Comments

 

Evan D.


Picture

With the launch of Disney+ last week and the massive box office haul in progress for Walt Disney Studios, the Mouse House is really having a moment. Indeed after just one day Disney plus reported over 10 million subscribers to its streaming platform. If that seems like a lot, it is. Disney+ already boasts a subscriber count higher than that of any other streaming platform except Netflix and Hulu (which Disney also owns.) Couple that with the company’s staggering box office numbers in the first 10 months of 2019 and you’re left with, pretty inarguably, the most powerful media company in the world right now.

Read More
Comments

2019 Oscar Nominees: Favourites, Surprises and Snubs

1/22/2019

Comments

 

Evan D.


The Oscar nominees were announced this morning marking the beginning of a month of lobbying and speculation about who will win what. With everything fresh in mind let’s take a look at the big categories (Best Picture, Director and the four acting categories) to see who has the inside track, who surprised with their nomination and who inevitably was left out.​

Read More
Comments

Evan’s Summer Movies to Catch (and Miss)

7/16/2018

Comments

 

Evan D


I know its been a while since I last posted a review, life happens. Instead of writing a full fledged deep dive into something that came out a couple months ago, I thought I could give a quick rundown of movies you can still see in theaters. There are plenty of great movies out right now from mega blockbusters to limited release indies. In order of their release (oldest to newest) here is what’s still playing and if you should check it out:

Read More
Comments
Forward>>

    Categories

    All
    AFI 2021
    Author: Cody
    Author: Emily
    Author: Evan
    Awards
    Commentary
    Festival
    Reviews
    Sundance 2021
    Sundance 2022
    Throwback Thursday
    Year In Review

    Archives

    August 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

Interact on Our Socials!

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Best of Lists
    • 2017 List
    • 2018 List
    • 2019 List
    • 2020 List
    • 2021 List
  • Podcast
  • About Us