Category Archives: Long Reviews (>400 Words)

All Movie Reviews, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Psychotronic

Series 7: The Contenders (2001) is an Underseen Gem — Psychotronic Cinema

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This is installment six in our “Psychotronic Cinema” series. (What is psychotronic cinema?).

There exists a veritable subgenre of horror-thrillers (truly, there are dozens and dozens of these things) where the premise involves some form of gamified scenario centering around torturous or otherwise deadly scenarios. The trend blew up following the massive success of the Saw franchise (a franchise also responsible for popularizing the torture porn film), but it did not begin here. It also saw a recent unlikely revival with the surprise success of Squid Game in 2021.

Series 7: The Contenders is something like a working class, non-science fiction Running Man. Or a non-science fiction The Hunger Games, years before those books were published. It is murder codified into Continue reading Series 7: The Contenders (2001) is an Underseen Gem — Psychotronic Cinema →

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Scream VI (2023) Movie Review

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Scream VI, as one of the film’s own characters tells us, is a “requel sequel” — i.e., a sequel to a franchise reboot which also follows some, if not all, of the continuity of the original film(s). We have been seeing many of these in the horror genre lately (and we are scheduled to see even more), so this is good territory for a “requel sequel” of Hollywood’s favorite meta-horror franchise to interrogate. Unfortunately, this interrogation falls flats.

This film picks up where the last one left off, with the two surviving sisters of the last Woodsboro murder spree, Tara and Sam Carpenter (Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera), relocating to Continue reading Scream VI (2023) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre (2023) Movie Review

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Guy Ritchie has spent the most recent stretch of his career making passable yet somewhat anonymous and, frankly, lacking action pictures. Following the bungled Aladdin live action film for Disney, which I don’t think was necessarily Ritchie’s fault (he wasn’t the right choice for the material to begin with), he has been trying to get back to the brand of film that made him a name in the first place.

The Gentlemen was fine but not my bag. Wrath of Man has some nice sequences but is repetitive and drab. This time out, Ritchie goes for a sprawling, international espionage thriller — he’s trying for a James Bond or Mission: Impossible vibe.

The film opens with your standard issue “gathering up the usual suspects” routine. Two government bureaucrats (Cary Elwes and Eddie Marsan) discuss the crew for their next important job — something involving Continue reading Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre (2023) Movie Review →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

How the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards Change the Oscar Acting Races

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This update is part of our 2023 Oscar predictions series. Check out our full predictions in all Oscar categories.

There were some big moments at yesterday’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, including some surprises which have implications on the Academy Awards acting races (in three of the four acting categories, anyway).

To begin with, Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Not the least bit surprising, and this notch in Quan’s awards season belt (the most recent of many) means that Continue reading How the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards Change the Oscar Acting Races →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Ranking The 2023 Best Picture Oscar Nominees by Their Winning Chances

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Picture, part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

This article will attempt to adjudicate the state of the Best Picture race for this year’s Academy Awards, as it stands on Feb 25, 2023. There is still plenty of time for things to change and for this race to become a completely different monster. So take this all with that grain of salt in mind.

10. Women Talking

Despite critical acclaim, Sarah Polley’s Women Talking did not show up on Oscar nomination morning. Given the film’s (very) early buzz, it could have picked up Continue reading Ranking The 2023 Best Picture Oscar Nominees by Their Winning Chances →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Actress and Best Actor

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Actor and Best Actress, part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

Best Actress

  • Ana de Armas – Blonde
  • Cate Blanchett – Tár
  • Andrea Riseborough – To Leslie
  • Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans
  • Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Will Win: Continue reading 2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Actress and Best Actor →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short Film

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Animated Short Film, Best Documentary Short Subject, and Best Live Action Short Film, part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

Best Live Action Short Film

  • An Irish Goodbye
  • Ivalu
  • Night Ride
  • The Pupils
  • The Red Suitcase

Will Win: Continue reading 2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short Film →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, Best International Film

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Animated Film, Best Documentary Film, and Best International Film part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

Best Animated Feature

  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
  • The Sea Beast
  • Turning Red

Will Win: Continue reading 2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, Best International Film →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

Best Original Screenplay

  • The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • The Fabelmans
  • Tár
  • Triangle of Sadness

Will Win: Continue reading 2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay →

2023 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup & Hairstyling

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These are our 2023 Oscar predictions for Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects, part of a series on this year’s awards. Check out full predictions in all Oscar categories.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • The Batman
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  • Elvis
  • The Whale

Will Win: Continue reading 2023 Academy Awards Predictions — Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup & Hairstyling →