Wounds

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019 / Tom / 7 Comments

Release: Friday, October 18, 2019 (Hulu -- U.S./Netflix internationally) →Hulu Written by: Babak Anvari Directed by: Babak Anvari The word 'wounds' really makes me feel icky. It's a trigger for me like 'moist' is for others. (Sorry if I just made you wince.) I hate. The word. Wounds. Masochist that I am, I chose to watch a movie … Continue reading Wounds

In the Tall Grass

October 11, 2019October 11, 2019 / Tom / 2 Comments

Release: Friday, October 4, 2019 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Vincenzo Natali Directed by: Vincenzo Natali Last year Netflix inadvertently triggered the Bird Box Challenge, which set a new standard for stupidity when it comes to audience interaction/reaction. This year it's given us another curio ripe for parody in the form of Vincenzo Natali's In the Tall Grass. A horror film … Continue reading In the Tall Grass

Month in Review: September ’19

October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 / Tom / 9 Comments

I don't really know what happened, but in September I found a bit more rhythm and motivation to put up content. Maybe I was starting to feel guilty calling myself a "blogger" by putting up nothing but empty wrap-around posts and the occasional streamed review (see August -- that was dire!). I have been one … Continue reading Month in Review: September ’19

I Am Mother

September 27, 2019 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, June 7, 2019 →Netflix Written by: Michael Lloyd Green Directed by: Grant Sputore I Am Mother is another movie ideally suited for those of us already harboring a healthy distrust of robots. An often disconcerting experience, this post-apocalyptic thriller from Australian and first-time director Grant Sputore uses the relationship between a matronly AI and her flesh-and-blood daughter to … Continue reading I Am Mother

Ad Astra

September 24, 2019September 25, 2019 / Tom / 16 Comments

Release: Friday, September 20, 2019 →Theater Written by: Ethan Gross; James Gray Directed by: James Gray Ad Astra is not the increasingly familiar, inspiring saga of human achievement the marketing has been pitching it as. It's something much more honest and intriguing -- a terrifyingly lonely quest for truth that dares put us in our place and puts potential limits … Continue reading Ad Astra

The Peanut Butter Falcon

September 17, 2019September 18, 2019 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, August 23, 2019 →Theater Written by: Tyler Nilson; Michael Schwartz Directed by: Tyler Nilson; Michael Schwartz Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz make their narrative feature début with what could be the year's most Googled movie title, The Peanut Butter Falcon. Previously known for their short films and documentaries, the duo are now behind this year's biggest … Continue reading The Peanut Butter Falcon

Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood

September 9, 2019 / Tom / 3 Comments

Release: Friday, July 26, 2019 →Theater Written by: Quentin Tarantino Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino is among the biggest names in the biz today and in his ninth and apparently penultimate film he's relying on clout more than ever to get mass audiences invested in something that he takes as seriously as Jules does Ezekiel 25:17 -- … Continue reading Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood

Mission of Honor (Hurricane)

September 5, 2019September 6, 2019 / Tom / 6 Comments

Release: Friday, March 15, 2019 →Netflix Written by: Robert Ryan; Alastair Galbraith Directed by: David Blair David Blair's World War II film arrived on American shores earlier this year as Mission of Honor. It was originally titled Hurricane. Just to be clear this is not an account of violent weather but instead one of heroic actions taken by a … Continue reading Mission of Honor (Hurricane)

Paddleton

August 26, 2019 / Tom / 13 Comments

Release: Friday, February 22, 2019 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Mark Duplass; Alex Lehmann Directed by: Alex Lehmann It's not often that the Duplass brothers make a heavy movie. Darting in and out of the so-called mumblecore scene and playing with time in pleasantly nostalgic trips down memory lane (Blue Jay) or lurching ahead into the future with spirited … Continue reading Paddleton

Month in Review: July ’19

August 3, 2019August 3, 2019 / Tom / 14 Comments

Well unfortunately I never did manage to come up with some kind of "celebration" post for my blog's eighth birthday -- that opportunity came and went without so much as a kazoo being tooted. Actually -- that can still happen. In fact, here's literally an entire kazoo band to make up for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zMbsDzNT90&fbclid=IwAR1sFZYtZEzL7tQUlp65CNoN-1PncmZLyplsuCsSAZ7-FfIaCMPas1isfBc Now, … Continue reading Month in Review: July ’19

Thomas J

My Journey Through Film

Drama