Super Movie Reevaluation 2017-18

 That's right! You thought we had forgotten these years, eh? No - these are the critical years! Just as we have done over the last few weeks with every year since this blog was conceived in 2009 we are going back and reevaluating which films were TRULY great, which have stood the test of time, and which ones I still care about today. These years are a little more recent in the memory, but here is where we are right now:

2017:

COCO
A Ghost Story
I, Tonya
Colossal
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Ingrid Goes West
mother!
Brawl in Cell Block 99
Good Time
Blade Runner 2049

It was hard dropping a few favourites, especially The Bad Batch. But the said truth is that 2017 is a SUPER over-hyped year. Dunkirk, Get Out, and Baby Driver were all super popular at the time and have great moments but when I sat here distilling the whole, I didn't find any of them to be Top Ten worthy. Yeah, I picked like, Colossal over them. There is a lot of high concept weirdness going on here, but films like A Ghost Story and mother! brilliantly use the media they inhibit to tell their stories, and I have thought about them long LONG after the fact. Blade Runner 2049 is and will likely always be my #1 for this year. Suprisingly, only three from my original list remain, but seven from my 2018 reevaluation. I suppose my tastes haven't changed dramatically since then.

2018:

A Star is Born
Widows
Annihilation
American Animals
The Sisters Brothers
Assassination Nation
Vice
BlacKkKlansman
Sorry to Bother You
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse


Black Panther was pretty close. I know, I know, I try to avoid "Honorable Mentions" because that's such a cop out. I still knock it down points for the ending and villain - don't get me wrong, Michael B. Jordan is amazing, but I hate when superhero films just make the villain the same as the hero and have a big fight where their powers are the same. Loss of points! Infinity War is a tough call - I really don't even think it's a movie, though. I JUST watched A Star is Born, so that is super recent for me, and I think it lived up to a lot of the hype. I converted. Eight films from my 2019 reevaluation - I'm surprised my love for Assassination Nation and American Animals was so high, even then. but only six from my original ranking. Why do I even bother ranking the year things come out? I suppose it is valuable to see what I'm passionate about in the moment, and that surely counts for something. Buster Scruggs fell off because when it hits it hits so well, but when it misses, that's a rough miss. I also disliked Death of Stalin quite a bit on a rewatch, so that sadly dropped. I don't see Spider-Verse going anywhere any time soon.

That's it, folks! It's a tough call with these, I don't have too much reevaluation going on. I still think it's a worthy effort every couple of years. Stay tuned for more self-doubt!

All Glory to 2020: Best Movies!

Okay people, here we go! Our official list for the GREATEST FILMS of the YEAR 2020 CE. This immutable list will be chiseled in stone for all eternity, never to be changed or altered in anyway. As is tradition, here is our revised 2019 list filled with movies we caught up on and saw last year. It's radically different. Here is the original list we had.

2019 Revised List:

Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Booksmart
Us
The Dead Don't Die
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Knives Out
1917
Uncut Gems
Midsommar
The Lighthouse

Now that we've gone through that, let's talk about the list of films that definitely won't change in a year's time. We limited this year to films we've actually seen - there has been so many possible weird indies that have slipped by us. I thought about faking it. I always fake it. Nah, not this year. 2020 is a year for genuine rankings! Nomadland will wait!

#10: Mank

I was not super into Mank when I first saw it...and still aren't exactly excited about it, but there are some great bits here. Is it weird to think that David Fincher is too in love with his own father's script - it feels very personal almost to the point of inscrutability. It honestly has barely anything to do with the writing of Citizen Kane (1941), it feels more like an indictment of Depression-era politics, alcoholism, and its own private takedown of William Randolph Hearst. It's also noir without quite being noir and a character study without quite getting into the meat of the character. Still, the acting is all phenomenal. It's one of those films where Gary Oldman should get the long-deserved Oscar that he already got a few years ago.

#9: David Byrne's American Utopia


I am not a huge fan of concert films, but this just so happens to be THE GREATEST CONCERT FILM OF ALL TIME. That may be slight hyperbole, but it's certainly fun. That distinction obviously goes to Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006). Still, David Byrne finds a way to create an incredibly engaging experience by removing all barriers between the audience and the band members, giving each a distinctive personality and dance routine through the innovative use of wireless microphones and instruments. It all fuels Byrne's music that escalates between modern protest songs, classic rock, and unyielding positivity for a torn nation. The only thing holding it back is the fact that I'm not really into concert films at all.

#8: Deerskin

Hahaha. I don't know, folks. I put this on my anticipated films list last year and watched it pretty much because of that. It is an assuredly weird film, a little slow, quite incomprehensible, but if you roll with it, it can be rewarding. Sort of. Jean Dujardin hasn't done all too much since his breakout in America in The Artist (2011), which is getting to be a long time ago. He does an even better job here as a man obsessed with a deerskin jacket and their quest to eliminate every jacket in the world. Yes, that is the actual plot. It's amazing. It's such a subtle descent into complete madness. There is a logic to it, though, and again, if you can roll with it, it's a fun ride. Just don't through rocks at kids' heads.

#7: Palm Springs

This was one of the most satisfying movies of the year, and possibly the funniest. There were some critics out there that called it a Groundhog Day (1993) rip-off, but time loops are its own genre at his point, from Triangle (2009) to the recent Happy Death Day movies. Anyway, Samberg shows previously unseen depth of acting and Cristin Milioti has a star-making role (if she wasn't one already. I don't know where she is). There's a nice twist where we enter when Samberg is far along into the loop, which is a perspective we don't get too often in these things. It counter-balances Milioti's experience and the character work as she progresses and pushes both of them out of the loop is nuanced while being immensely consequential. It's also genuinely funny. This was a great trip.

#6: Bad Education

This was a little different - an HBO movie, but a movie is a movie, right? Especially this year. Hugh Jackman somehow finds a roll he's never had before, but still does a great job. It's nice to remember that he's an actor sometimes. Allison Janney is incredible, although she isn't quite in the film as much as advertised. Everyone else, from Ray Romano, to Geraldine Viswanathan puts in great work. The latter especially from here to Blockers (2018) has done great work as an up and coming actress. The corruption at the heart of this film is also insidious, contemporary, and constantly engaging. I didn't have huge expectations going in, but this is an extremely competent adult drama that is so rare these days. It was a great experience.

#5: The Trial of the Chicago 7

Speaking of adult dramas, there was perhaps no better than The Trial of the Chicago 7. We're dropped into the apex of 1960s counterculture, and what's striking most is the realization of how much of this dream has failed. It also highlights how many different viewpoints existed simultaneously, which still feels like a significant issue in uniting disparate sections of the political spectrum against the one true enemy - injustice! It has very true poetical vibes, racial vibes, judgmental vibes - I really enjoyed it. It's also a showcase for great acting, from the genuine hilarity and inspired casting of Sasha Baron Cohen playing Abbie Hoffman to the subtle notes of consistent character actor John Carroll Lynch and titans like Frank Langella and Michael Keaton showing up and doing their thing. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II continues to be the best part of anything he's in. And Mark Rylance! This was a lot of fun.

#4: Color Out of Space

I'm surprised I haven't seen this on more lists. Maybe because it's completely bonkers insane eldritch horror that's nigh-incomprehensible, anchored by a Nic Cage performance suitably Nic Cage. But there's a lot of good stuff here - the uncontrollable inevitable horror that destroys every part of your life - the upended family unit, idyllic nature's shift, lost community members, the failure of authority. Why isn't this the definitive 2020 movie? It is a little reminiscent of Annihilation (2018), but it's more opaque, without ever being inaccessible. There's also this undercurrent of failed investments, the idea that this family had been doomed by poor judgment before the color ever descended. I typically judge films by how much they stick with me, and this one I kept thinking about for months and still will.

#3: Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee's second film on this list - who knew 2020 would be such a year for him to shine? I mean...actually were we surprised that one of our most distinctive and prolific Black filmmakers shines in a year filled with racial turmoil? Da 5 Bloods when I saw it was a shoe-in for one of the best films of the year and I'm actually surprised that it's fallen down a little bit for me. It's a monumental look at a very specific black experience but also finds a way to show how universal that experience is. It's a great achievement to weave threw these two narratives simultaneously

#2: I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Yeah, this is a tough one. Going again with the films that stayed with me, this is one that had my headscratching for years. Or months or however long this year has taken. I've wanted to watch it again to pick up on all the details and nuance with the added benefit of knowing how it ends - it's actually remarkably straightforward when you know what's going on - it's that figuring out of what is going on that's the tough part. It is quite a marvel of film structure, I was continually checking the time stamp. Partly because it can come across as painfully boring, but you need to lean into the madness and realize that every scene has acute but significant purpose. I want to watch it again, but it's a tough emotional journey to go down. In essence, an incredible use of cinema that left a big impact on me.

#1: Buffaloed

I didn't think it would come to this, and I guarantee no one else picked Buffaloed this year, but in the end I just liked it more than anything else. It spoke to me more than any other movie. Part of that is assuredly my Western New York heritage, as well as my keen focus towards the current giant con of debt collection. It's ultimately a dark comedy about starting a small business, but it's flavor is so specific in ways that definitely won't speak to everyone, in fact I would suggest it would not speak to most people. I do think the accents are over the top, it's like The Departed (2006) for Western New York. It's an underrated accent that most movies should adopt. It's also consistently hilarious. Zoey Deutch gives a career-defining performance and Jai Courtney plays a delectable villain. Jai Courtney is underrated, I'm saying it - how many baffling crazy person roles does he have to take?

There were a few close calls this year. I really enjoyed The Platform and thought about it a lot, but ultimately it just wasn't there for me. Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm is a strong contender for the most 2020 movie every made, but it too just barely missed the mark for me. Finally, the following films are all great candidates that I just didn't get to this year. Will they change my mind a year from now? Super effin possible!

Bacurau
Nomadland
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Promising Young Woman
Extra Ordinary
Kajillionaire
Black Bear
Sound of Metal
Personal History of David Copperfield
Freaky
One Night in Miami

Have you seen any of these? Am I totally wrong? That is 2020 for you. Also, Sonic was unashamedly great, not even joking, I really loved it, folks.

Norwegian Morning Wood's Official Oscar Predictions

Well folks it's time once again for our 100% accurate, never-fail Oscar Predictions. The 91st Academy Award Ceremony is three weeks from last night and we have all the hottest bits right here awaiting you.

We've done this for a while now. Here's our all-time record:

2010: 12/24
2011: 14/24
2012: 16/24
2013: 14/24
2014: 20/24
2015: 13/24
2016: 14/24
2017: 13/24
2018: 16/24

Long-term average: 14.7 / 24

That's certainly not great. We can predict about that much. This year is really special because I haven't paid attention at all because there are a lot better things to do with life. Nevertheless, it's time to put myself out there and see what we can come up with. It's actually looking like a weird year in a few categories, so here goes nothing:

Best Picture:

Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice

Predicted Winner: Roma

I have gotten this wrong four years in a row. Why are you still reading this website? A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody seem to be the other big contenders, but Roma has the precursor and festival momentum. Now, I hated Roma, but I'd be okay with its win here, especially over Rhapsody, which seems to have massive populist appeal for a movie that to me, didn't live up to the life of Freddie.

Lead Actor:

Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Predicted Winner: Bale

This could go to Rami Malek, who hasn't won all that many awards, but two big ones in SAG and Golden Globes. Bale picked up a globe as well, because of course, Bohemian Rhapsody isn't nearly the musical comedy that VICE is. Still, I like Bale's chances a little bit more. The Academy may love a gay musical biopic, but they'll also love body transformations and heavy leftist political propaganda. I've already expressed my distaste for Rhapsody for not going gay enough, which means I'll likely get this wrong and Malek will win.

Or ever the bridesmaid Bradley Cooper will win to make up for losing Best Picture and missing out entirely on a Director nod. But history isn't so kind to him.

Lead Actress:

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Glenn Close, The Wife
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Predicted Winner: Glenn Close

Colman and GaGa presented far more memeable roles in far more interesting movies, but this just feels like a long overdue Glenn Close award. But for what, actually? 101 Dalmations (1996)? Glenn Close is like someone who you think has had this legendary career but who really hasn't. Still, it feels right to give her the award here. Or it could be like Michael Keaton a few years back who gets totally screwed. With enough precursor support, we feel safe, though.

Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Predicted winner: Mahershala Ali

Even though he just won, this seems like another safe bet. It's that classic bullshit where the white actor gets Lead and the black actor gets Supporting. How is this a thing? Richard E. Grant is leading a bit more in precursor awards, but the easygoing charm of Mahershala coupled with the intensity of his roles and him having a bit of a moment right now with True Detective on the horizon feels right.

Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams, Vice
Marina de Tavira, Roma
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Predicted winner: Regina King

It's become fairly standard to give this to a black woman. Seriously, even when the Academy is not being racist, it's being racist. Amy Adams has enough nominations behind her without a win to make this a little bit of a toss-up, as does previous winners Weisz and Stone. Regina makes the most sense, especially since Beale Street is the kind of lauded, underseen, under-awarded film that everyone seems to like.

Director:

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Predicted Winner: Cuaron

For the first time in a long time I'm betting this category lines up with Best Picture. I should probably go with Bohemian Rhapsody for Best Picture, actually. Precedent be damned! Cuaron will have a good night.

Animated Feature:

Incredibles 2, Brad Bird
Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson
Mirai, Mamoru Hosoda
Ralph Breaks the Internet, Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Predicted winner: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Somehow this might be a really good, justified night for this film that should have had way more recognition than it ended up getting. I named it one of my favorites of the year, it's done fantastic at the DGA and Annie awards and could walk away with a statue here. For once, I'm pumped.

Animated Short:

"Animal Behaviour", Alison Snowden, David Fine
"Bao", Domee Shi
"Late Afternoon", Louise Bagnall
"One Small Step", Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
"Weekends", Trevor Jimenez

Predicted winner: Bao

By far the most emotionally complex and most widely seen, this seems like Bao's bag. This category, however, is totally insane to predict and no one ever gets it right. Based on my thirty seconds of research, though, I 100% guarantee it!

Adapted Screenplay:

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
BlacKkKlansman, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins
A Star Is Born, Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Predicted Winner: Spike

Somehow Spike Lee has never won an Oscar, and was only nominated in this category 28 years ago with Do the Right Thing (1989). BlacKkKlansman was pretty popular, widely nominated, and awarded, and likely won't walk away with much else. This seems really fitting. Upsets could be Brad Cooper or Barry, or anyone here, really.

Original Screenplay:

The Favourite, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
First Reformed, Paul Schrader
Green Book, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
Roma, Alfonso Cuarón
Vice, Adam McKay

Predicted Winner: Deb and Tony

This could go a lot of ways. McKay has been here before and VICE is a little better written than The Big Short (2015). Cuaron could sweep everything. This could be a good consolation for First Reformed, which otherwise has dip this ceremony. Green Book and Favourite are both movies that may not garner much else. We lean towards The Favourite - Yorgos seems to be on a roll with respected, witty, and very original work, even though he didn't actually write this one.

Cinematography:

Cold War, Lukasz Zal
The Favourite, Robbie Ryan
Never Look Away, Caleb Deschanel
Roma, Alfonso Cuarón
A Star Is Born, Matthew Libatique

Predicted Winner: Cuaron

Okay, as much as I hated Roma, it's the most beautiful movie ever and if Cuaron doesn't win, there's no justice.

Best Documentary Feature:

Free Solo, Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Hale County This Morning, This Evening, RaMell Ross
Minding the Gap, Bing Liu
Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki
RBG, Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Predicted Winner: RBG

With Won't You Be My Neighbor out, the presumptive heir is RBG. It seems like too perfect not to win, right? It's timely, well-done, popular, and widely known. Minding the Gap has won more critics awards and Free Solo sounds like that Star Wars movie, so there could be upsets.

Best Documentary Short Subject:

"Black Sheep", Ed Perkins
"End Game", Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
"Lifeboat", Skye Fitzgerald
"A Night at the Garden", Marshall Curry
"Period. End of Sentence.", Rayka Zehtabchi

Predicted Winner: "End Game"

I was actually really pumped for a documentary about grammatical periods. It is not what that movie is about. This could be anything. End Game seems to be the biggest heart-string tugger.

Best Live Action Short Film:

"Detainment", Vincent Lambe
"Fauve", Jeremy Comte
"Marguerite", Marianne Farley
"Mother", Rodrigo Sorogoyen
"Skin", Guy Nattiv

Predicted Winner: "Marguerite"

"Fauve" sounds like the coolest and "Skin" has the most star power, but "Marguerite" seems to have the most love. Good enough for us.

Best Foreign Language Film:

Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)

Predicted Winner: Roma

Right? Like, how can it be Best Picture and not Best Foreign Picture.

Film Editing:

BlacKkKlansman, Barry Alexander Brown
Bohemian Rhapsody, John Ottman
Green Book, Patrick J. Don Vito
The Favourite, Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Vice, Hank Corwin

Predicted Winner: Bohemian Rhapsody

I don't think a movie can be nominated this much and be such a populist film without winning anything. Most critics are thinking VICE, and we'll see, but considering what a mess the production of BH was, the editing really works, especially in the final LiveAID scene.

Sound Editing:

Black Panther, Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker
Bohemian Rhapsody, John Warhurst
First Man, Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan
A Quiet Place, Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
Roma, Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Predicted Winner: First Man

First Man really fits into that Gravity (2013), Arrival (2016), Dunkirk (2017) kind of feel, but A Quiet Place could get in there. But there's really no sound in that damn movie. I should also note that each of those films was far more popular than First Man, which gives me a little hesitation.

Sound Mixing:

Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born

Predicted winner: A Star Is Born

It's always a rule until it's not. This was a common musical category for a while, but it's lost a bit of a step with La La Land (2016) and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) missing out recently. In that case, it fits that First Man technical bill again, but no one liked that damn movie. I'm not hinging my bets on two losses here. Black Panther will probably sweep, but big blockbusters don't tend to do well here.

Production Design:

Black Panther, Hannah Beachler
First Man, Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
The Favourite, Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
Mary Poppins Returns, John Myhre, Gordon Sim
Roma, Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Predicted Winner: Panther

This award has gone to big populist movies a lot lately, and BP is original and intricate enough to earn this award.

Original Score:

BlacKkKlansman, Terence Blanchard
Black Panther, Ludwig Goransson
If Beale Street Could Talk, Nicholas Britell
Isle of Dogs, Alexandre Desplat
Mary Poppins Returns, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Predicted winner: Black Panther

I have not listened to this. Isle of Dogs stands out in an otherwise muddled movie, but enough people might picture the Black Panther sound track to pick that. Desplat has won two of the past four awards in this category. Beale Street is cruising the precursors, so we'll see if I eat my words. But I always follow precursors and lose. Let's go Panther!

Original Song:

"All The Stars" from Black Panther by Kendrick Lamar, SZA
"I’ll Fight" from RBG by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson
"The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
"Shallow" from A Star Is Born by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice
"When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Predicted winner: "Shallow"

No commentary.

Makeup and Hair:

Border
Mary Queen of Scots
Vice

Predicted winner: VICE

C'mon. I need this to make up for my other terrible predictions.

Costume Design:

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Mary Zophres
Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter
The Favourite, Sandy Powell
Mary Poppins Returns, Sandy Powell
Mary Queen of Scots, Alexandra Byrne

Predicted Winner: Mary Queen of Scots

Listen, this is always some random fucking winner except for when Mad Max (2015) inexplicably won, so we're going with that. There's also only two or three costume designers who ever win, and Byrne won back in 2007 for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. See? You don't remember that damn movie. That's what this category is.

Visual Effects:

Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
First Man
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Predicted Winner: Thanos

Like, legit that movie's effects were amazing.

That's it, folks. Stay tuned to see what we got right and what we got horribly, horribly wrong!

Twenty GREATteen: Top Movie Moments

Alright ladies and gentlemen, we're almost at the end of 2018, which means a ton of retrospective lists thrown your way. We'll get to our Top Films of the Year eventually, maybe even before New Year's Eve, but we want to take a moment and reconcile all the other fun stuff we got this year! Let's start with all the best scenes, some from terrible movies, some from great movies, but all from movies.

Best Movie Moments of 2018

Avengers: Infinity War - Thor & Rocket

So you could have a lot from this movie. The snap, Thor's arrival, the Soul Stone, bubble gun, "I don't feel so well", a lot of it was instantly iconic. However, the best scene in the movie is when it slows down a bit and Thor actually reflects on the tragedy in his life, something that THOR: Ragnarok (2017) was too fast-paced and goofy to do. It's a quiet conversation between Thor and Rocket Raccoon of all people. It's all pain covered by ego and a fine performance from Hemsworth.



Black Panther - Killmonger steals the mask

This is another film full of possible moments. The best, most clever, most character-driven scene though, is our introduction to Eric Killmonger. I love how the expectations of each character shifts dramatically as the white / black power structure is revealed, exploited, and turned on its head.



Upgrade - STEM takes over

This was a super underrated movie this year about a paralyzed man whose body is taken over by a computer chip that makes him a badass. The cool thing about scenes like this is watching Logan Marshall-Green's horrified face as it doesn't line up with the brutality his body is achieving. It reminds me a bit of Venom (2018), not the least because Logan Marshall-Green looks exactly like Tom Hardy. Anyway, the enigmatic camera work sucks you into the scene as the STEM chip takes over. It's darkly fun, horrifying, and sweet.



Hold the Dark - Iraq

Hold the Dark, a long contemplative movie about wolves eating children in Alaska that somehow isn't that great has a handful of spectacular moments, including an oft-talked about shootout in an old barn, but the mid-film break to focus on Alexander Skarsgard in Iraq really did it for me. The cold righteousness, the American domineering presence, the lone cigarette. It all captures chaos and war in an ironically noble way.



VICE - Mid-Movie Credits

This one just dropped, but I've never seen a movie so drip with dry sarcasm as when just before Dick Cheney gets the call from George W., the movie paused and presents an alternate history where he never entered politics again and spent the rest of his life peacefully fishing with his family. As the film's credits literally start to roll on this saccharine ending, we get a big "JUST KIDDING" and Adam McKay's playfully insane romp through the VP's life rolls on.

Hereditary - Watch Out for that Sign!

Spoiler here and I won't even link the clip because I can't deal with it, but there's nothing like a weird-looking little kid sticking her face out the window and getting bashed by a street sign. Like everything in this movie it's depressing, intense, and played perfectly.

Blindspotting - Rap Scene

I haven't seen this movie nor do I really know what it's about, but it's got to be some kind of white cop killing black folk movie, but all those complicated feelings about the issue are wrapped up in this one four-minute-long rap by Daveed Diggs. I knew this dude from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and this is all sorts of amazing acting. It'll grab you by the pooper.



Sorry to Bother You - Horses

This scene is better left unwatched if you have't yet seen Boots Reilly's Sorry to Bother You because it's that moment where the film completely comes off the rails and you can't tell if it's a dream or not. From there the film gets insane and bonkers but always stays thematically coherent. A close runner-up is this scene, which captures white appropriation and mindless pop more than anything else in any movie ever.



BlacKkKlansman - Final Phone Call

There are a lot of great moments as BlacKkKlansman draws to its focal point - from the ironic deaths of KKK members to the final phone call between Ron Stallworth and David Duke where he blatantly exhibits a vocal tick that Duke had previously espoused to Stallworth as emblematic of the Negro persuasion. Duke's hypocrisy is revealed once more, Stallworth has his last laugh, and then of course, the film goes on to show that despite this small victory, not a whole lot else has changed in succeeding forty years.

Bohemian Rhapsody - LiveAID

This flick has appeared on a decent amount of year-end lists, and whether folks loved it or hated it, we can call agree that the ending Live AID sequence is phenomenal. It uses the event as the apex of Freddie Mercury's career - that wasn't really true, but it works great for the narrative the film was trying to tell. It's meticulously recreated and a true stunner for those of us who didn't experience the concert firsthand or those of us who forgot how great of a band Queen really was.



Annihilation - That Bear

There are a lot of pretty insane body horror moments in Annihilation, but nothing beats the Bear. As the weird alien bubble is mixing up genes and souls and whatever else, somehow Tuva Novotny's character Cassie gets absorbed or at least copied by a big scary scull bear who then roams around the room of our other protagonists. We're at a loss for the madness taking place within the bubble and what exactly is going on, but that's part of what makes the Lovecraftian horror of the film so effective. Damn that scream...



Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Leap of Faith

Stan Lee's cameo (likely to be one of his last) is a good candidate here, but this scene choked me up. Miles Morales finally ascends to become the Spider-Man he can be - claiming his own spin on the suit, fulfilling the Leap of Faith forshadowing, and expressing more than any other film has the actual thrill and danger you must feel jumping off a building and hoping your web shooters latch on to something. In a close to perfect movie, a close to perfect scene.



Deadpool 2 - High Wind Advisory

The second Deadpool movie starts to take aim at superhero team-ups, recruiting a who's who of modern trendy actors like Terry Crews, Bill Skarsgard, and Brad Pitt and promptly kills them all in a horrible skydiving scene. It's a subtle play - from Shatterstar who is trying so hard to be cooler than everyone else (killed by his own cool hair blocking his view of helicopter blades) to poor Peter, his last act of nobility killed by acidy spit. It's what Suicide Squad (2016) tried so hard to achieve. Of course, Domino and her luck lands perfectly and the entire scene is set up by continuous wind advisories. It's a fantastic moment.



What did you dig this year? Stay tuned for more movie stuff and maybe even some reviews!

First Impressions: BlacKkKlansman

Hey folks! I watched BlacKkKlansman (2018) about two months ago - right before my life went totally crazy and I moved like three states away and started a ridiculous new job. But ever since 2009 every single film I've seen in theaters has received an impression. Eventually. This definitely takes the cake for longest drought. I wonder what happened in that movie...Adam Driver seemed good.

Wide nose breathin all the white man's air

BlacKkKlansman comes from Spike Lee, and aligns well with the common critique that this is his best, most timely film in years, a return to vintage Spike and the cunning political attitude that he made his career on. This is very much true, although that kind of attitude tends to ignore the fact that Chi-Raq (2015) exists and he's been back on the map since at least that film. For sure it seemed like he was sliding into mainstream fare for a while there, but he's always a competent filmmaker and storyteller. There will def be SPOILERS for the film from here on out, so go watch it.

This film joins a slew of 2018 Black Film efforts trying to find their way in a world with shifting racism. Black Panther (2018) called out black hypocrisy in a world designed against them. Sorry to Bother You (2018) found this intersection between selling out to capitalism and the exploitation of the Black American Dream. BlacKkKlansman builds on this idea of the acceptance of white voices over black ones and creates what amounts to a moment of moral victory amidst a sea of unchanging racial attitudes.

The film tracks a fledgling black detective in Colorado in the 1970s, played by John David Washington. He's the son of Denzel, but you'd never really know it by watching the film and even though Denzel and Spike have a history that probably got John on Spike's radar, he earns his spot here with a terrific performance. He's always walking a line between his responsibility to his people and the Black Power movement and his role as a police officer, often at odds with his fellow brothers and sisters. It's a difficult position to be in, especially as along the way there's plenty of vile cop behavior, misguided black protest, system and institution failure regarding both, and of course, the constant undercurrent of violent racism disguised as throwing back to core American values.

The movie concerns Ron Stallworth (Washington) posing as a white man trying to apply for membership in the Ku Klux Klan. A white surrogate (Adam Driver) contacts the Organization in-person and hijinks ensue. There are moments of supreme tension as either police officer is on the verge of being discovered and you get the sense that every white character involved doesn't see this investigation as a big deal. They're more concerned with investigating Kwame Ture and young black power movements. As Stallworth finds actual seeds of a nefarious bombing plot against said Black Youth, shit gets real.

This all leads to one of the more perfect movie endings in recent memory. The idiot white nationalists blow themselves up, which is both satisfying and prevents Stallworth from becoming a vengeful black murdercop. We also get a taste of perfection when he finally reveals himself to Grand Wizard David Duke in a brilliant vocal tic that exposes Duke's complete bullshit claim to phrenology-style black voice analysis. Then of course, there's the simple fact that after the bomb plot is revealed, the case just sort of... ends. I can't think of a better metaphor for our current racial strife. We're on to the next controversy without really solving anything.

Like many period pieces, or at least the best ones, this takes place in the 70s as a placeholder for our current day, and the fact that you can see a lot of the same things happening today is exactly the message Spike wants to deliver. He's never all that subtle, and says as much by throwing in footage from the Charlottesville, VA murders of a year ago. Stallworth's final moment of triumph is bastardized by none of the white folk really caring. He wants to keep investigating because, obviously the KKK is still bad news, but in White Society, it's time to move on to the next thing. It's tragic and awful, but feels pretty real. It's a film filled with coded racism bookended by more overt messages from people in White Power. When that veil is unlifted, it's powerful.

Along the way there are a handful of indulgent Spike Lee moments. There's an extended soul music dance scene that feels a bit too long and a few scenes drag on. The cast mostly has it together, and smaller moments from relative no-names like Jasper Pääkkönen and Ryan Eggold as Klansman sell the danger of the film. It's also one of Spike's best looking films. Cinematographer Chayse Irvin doesn't have too many credits to his name (Beyonce's "Lemonade" video may be his biggest), but he does great work with the colors here, making everything both pop and muted at the same time, fitting the film's slightly comic sensibility.

When they first announced this film, I immediately thought it ridiculous that they were making the greatest Chappelle Show sketch into a feature film. This turned into a lot more than Clayton Bigsby: The Movie, though, and it accomplishes a lot of themes at once and remains a movie that's stuck with me these past two months.

October Rundown

Heyyy


Yeah, I'm still alive. I never get personal on this blog, but suffice it to say that this past month has been crazy. I started a new job three states away, been crazy busy, had trips to Denver, Cincinnati, and Rochester in there - it's a lot.

But ever since June 2009 this blog has had at least one post per month, and although my yearly pace is basically shot now, we need to go through some movies from the past few weeks. Now, it's tough because for a lot these my pre- and post-release hype would be very different. I was really eager for Venom. Then apparently it sucked. Oh well. Here is a list of notable crap I wanted to talk about in the past six weeks:

The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018): I don't know who this film was for - too childish for adults, too scary for children. Also, somehow a Goosebumps (2015)-esque Jack Black movie a month before an actual sequel to that movie came out? Also somehow directed by Eli Roth - this is a big case of "Why Aren't I a Studio Head" and could have just told everyone this wasn't going to work. It didn't have much of a splash, but did alright domestically all things considered.

Hell Fest (2018): Seemed to really try to be a catchy Fall Horror, but landed a little too soon and too soft. Also I saw Blood Fest (2018) this year, which was totally the same movie but way more satirical and clever.

Night School (2018): I actually expected this to be a little bit better - it seemed like a dream pairing of Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart. Is Kevin Hart getting old? The trailers looked pretty funny. Maybe it could be the comedy movie of 2018! Maybe I've been living in isolation the past six weeks (definitely true) and it did alright, but not a huge cultural force. Or I'm just too white.

Smallfoot (2018): What the fuck is this shit? This is literally all I know about this movie. That's how I heard it existed. This, Night School, and Clock in Walls literally all made $65-$67 million.

Venom (2018): Did surprisingly well! All things considered. Did it suck, though? I'm still excited and wanted to avoid spoilers. And this was me not really getting pumped until the trailers came out. Is it kind of lame? Ugh. I'm wondering if it really sucked or just critically sucked. From what I read about The Predator (2018), that movie seemed to genuinely miss a mark it was trying really hard to hit. I'm curious if Venom was similar, but in a vain PG-13 glory. Still, it seemed to have a nice cultural wave.

A Star is Born (2018): It's a really nice moment when a lovely drama makes a big splash and Brad Cooper, GaGa, and Dave Chappelle all killed it. I assume. There are probably other people in this, but Chappelle stood out. It's the Oscar presumptive right now and has a lot going for it. It's one positive thing we can rally behind, from memes, musicals, country stars, it's got a bit of everything. I haven't actually seen it, nor do I really care to, but I'm rooting for it.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018): I did NOT know this existed - the aforementioned Goosebumps is actually super underrated as fine children's spooky fare. It looks like it has not done that well, and the sliced budget and shunted cast aren't doing it any favors. Also - Goosebumps were so totally 90s, man. This could be entertaining in that bored on an October Thursday Night so let's Netflix Some Crap sort of way. That's how I caught the first Goosebumps.

Halloween (2018): I also did not realize that there had been so many renditions of Halloween. Like I definitely forgot about that Busta Rhymes one. I guess on some level I'm aware that Michael Myers keeps coming back again and again, but the Rob Zombie one was 11 years ago! Holy crap! Feels like yesterday. This one is apparently pretty sweet and definitely the 2018 version of IT (2017) - nice Fall Horror that capitalizes on an ancient franchise that still has some life in it. It also had a monster opening. The Shape lives!

First Man (2018): More like First Bland! Nah, this probably has some merit, and it's crazy that Neil Armstrong has never had a biopic besides Kirk Lazarus in Moonshot (2007). It's just not quite what interests me. Damien Chazelle has had some great flicks, but is also now this ingratiated Oscar kid who seems to be checking boxes to get a Best Picture winner. Am I the only one to get that vibe?

Not listed here are BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) which I HAVE seen in theaters and will write up...one day. I've written about every film I've seen in theaters for the last nine years and can't stop now! I did see BlacKkKlansman in early September...I hope to remember it. It was memorable.

How was your October?