My Top Films of 2017 (So Far): 10-6

As it turns out, last year was a pretty good year for movies. We had plenty of outstanding genre-fare, which pushed boundaries in ways that forced the the major award ceremonies to pay attention. As always, there were plenty of surprising and weird indies and foreign films pushing boundaries in other ways. Even as the …

The Last Jedi: Review and Rebuttal

*Warning: Spoilers Ahead* The greatest teacher, failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters. Star Wars means a lot to a lot of people. In many ways, it’s the perfect film portrayal of the Hero’s Journey, summarizing hundreds of years of myth into the story of …

Mary and the Witch’s Flower: Quick Review

As Ghibli prepares for its (alleged) final release, the torch has been passed to the recently formed Studio Ponoc. Created in 2015 as Miyazaki and Takahata announced their retirement and the eventual shuddering of their legendary animation studio, Ponoc is made up of many ex-Ghibli employees who have sought to carry on the legacy of …

Your Name: Quick Review

  I'm always looking for something, someone. Working as a unlikely combination of a fun body swap rom-com and a harrowing thriller, Kimi No Na Wa’s tonal shift hits with the weight of a freight train. It successfully engenders so many fleeting feelings; nostalgia, longing, and the fickleness of memory are all given a fading …

I, Tonya Review

  They want someone to love. But they also want someone to hate. A couple outstanding classics aside, I’m not a big fan of biopics. I find that subgenre to frequently be unfairly manipulative, using the guise of “true events” to amplify drama while stretching the truth of these events. At worst it feels like …

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Quick Review

A rare prequel which is helped by the inevitability of its conclusion, Lynch shows us the unflinching death spiral of the final days of Laura Palmer’s tragic life. Sheryl Lee’s performance here is harrowing and multifaceted. At times sardonic, sensual, or hysterical, implying a fractured psyche resulting from repeated trauma, Palmer is our point of …