the finest film fanaticism on this blog
I wish I could say, even retrospectively, that I learned anything from my middle school years. This was a time I developed a lot of taste I still maintain today, when I started getting into movies--by 13, I had memorized every film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, which I have somehow still … Continue reading Eighth Grade (2018) – dir. Bo Burnham
I think most folks like to believe that elected politicians are holed in Washington D.C., trading barbs and spirited debate on policy and democracy. Like a really boring sports match, or a round of debate. But to hear actual congresspeople tell the tale, they're less of rivals and more like co-workers who are all very … Continue reading Vice (2018) dir. Adam McKay
Though I haven't listened to The Mountain Goats' The Sunset Tree in a few years, John Darnielle's autobiographical accounts of his tumultuous relationship with his abusive stepfather remains a personal favorite, as well as one of the most startling and raw listening experiences ever recorded--matched only, in recent years, by records like Sun Kil Moon's Benji and Mount Eerie's … Continue reading Minding the Gap (2018) – dir. Bing Liu
Scary movies are a unique, often visceral way for people to confront primal worries or insecurities. And while any film, even the bad ones, have some understanding of storytelling as a way of reflecting the human experience, no genre is better equipped to get under one's skin and feel out a reaction quite like a … Continue reading Bird Box (2018) – dir. Susanne Bier
Most of the time, reviewing is easy. Most of the time, how well a film works, what is being said, and how the execution unfolds is quite clear. This doesn’t mean most movies can’t keep presenting new meaning or ideas, even once one’s thoughts are crystallized, but few films have much to say or reveal … Continue reading A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) – dir. Steven Spielberg
Good war stories are complicated, because war is often complicated. History often bears out winners and losers, the latter group is not only defined by their technical loss, but by their moral shortcomings. Every enemy is morally bankrupt, willing to fight any fight for victory. So, we're supposed to show up in even greater force, … Continue reading Grand Illusion (1937) – dir. Jean Renoir
I could write a lot about my mother. How she drives me up a wall. How she is maybe my biggest fan, or maybe totally withholding. I could talk about what a crazy person she is, or how adventurous she is. In any discussion, I’d be remiss not to mention how much I admire her … Continue reading Better Off Dead… (1985) – dir. Savage Steve Holland
One of the more common fantasies I like to entertain is the idea of going back and time as I currently think and understand the world, complete with the memories and understanding of my life I've lived up to whatever point the hypothetical arises. This is a short-sighted desire with a slew of problems that … Continue reading Boyhood (2014) – dir. Richard Linklater
What is the worth of a life? This is something art and stories question all of the time, and invariably something any person wonders about themselves. One assumes, with time and space being as vast as they are, that they are not very significant in the grand scheme of things. Maybe we sometimes fool ourselves … Continue reading It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – dir. Frank Capra
One of the joys and minor frustrations of dissecting a film is why a film works at all. As a personal rule, I do my best not to criticize films based on how well they accomplish something next to another film. For example, I might believe that Star Wars has more to say about rising to the … Continue reading Clue (1985) – dir. Jonathan Lynn
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