Posted in November 2014

Essay: Ferguson, SELMA, And Hope

Essay: Ferguson, SELMA, And Hope

“I saw Ava DuVernay’s Selma at a “for your consideration” screening the same night a grand jury in St. Louis County declined to indict Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.” (Via Badass Digest.)

Review: The Babadook, 2014, dir. Jennifer Kent

Review: The Babadook, 2014, dir. Jennifer Kent

“Classifying Jennifer Kent’s feature debut, The Babadook, is tricky. Ostensibly this is a horror film—freaky stuff happens on an escalating scale, so qualifying Kent’s tale of a single mother’s fractious relationship with her young son with genre tags seems like a perfectly logical move. But The Babadook is so layered, so complex and just so … Continue reading

Review: Horrible Bosses 2, 2014, dir. Sean Anders

Review: Horrible Bosses 2, 2014, dir. Sean Anders

“Why does every single Jason Bateman character ever insist on associating with morons? Bateman’s always been the smartest, most hapless schmuck in the room; ever since his days on Arrested Development, viewers have gravitated towards him out of sympathy, wanting to support his innate, down-to-earth likeability. But there’s a point at which an actor’s persona … Continue reading

TV Review: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Episode 2.07, “Lockdown”

TV Review: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Episode 2.07, “Lockdown”

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine has really been whiffing on its holiday episodes this season; first it was “Halloween II,” now it’s “Lockdown.” These episodes suffer from the exact same storytelling problems, both superficial and fundamental. Neither manage to outdo their predecessors from yesteryear, but in all honesty that’s not a huge issue—if either managed to just be … Continue reading

Review: Interstellar, 2014, dir. Christopher Nolan

Review: Interstellar, 2014, dir. Christopher Nolan

“Whether he’s making superhero movies or blockbuster puzzle boxes, Christopher Nolan doesn’t bandy with emotion. He’s an intellectual clinician concerned more with the whiz-bang side of filmmaking than in messy, icky sentimentality. We buy tickets to his movies in the pursuit of wonder because that’s his trade, much like we visit a mechanic to replace … Continue reading