Posted in November 2017

Why ‘Coco’ Feels Like an Act of Defiance

Why ‘Coco’ Feels Like an Act of Defiance

  There is a part of me that loves Coco, the new Pixar film, for Coco, and a part of me that loves it for essentially being a big ol’ “eff you” to our president and his openly xenophobic, anti-immigrant ideology, which isn’t really an “ideology,” because let’s face it, Donald is not an ideological kind of … Continue reading

Does ‘Valerian’ Deserve a Second Act?

Does ‘Valerian’ Deserve a Second Act?

Simple answer to the question posed by the title of my latest piece at The Hollywood Reporter: Yes. Yes it does. Luc Besson’s latest and underloved summer CGI extravaganza, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, has its flaws, most of them being tied to Dane DeHaan’s ill fit as the cocky action hero type, … Continue reading

Review: The Breadwinner, 2017, dir. Nora Twomey

Review: The Breadwinner, 2017, dir. Nora Twomey

I could do with a new Cartoon Saloon film every couple of years or so, ideally more often than that, but it’s animation, what are you gonna do; besides, the movies this studio knocks out are always worth the wait. Back in 2014, I reviewed Song of the Sea. This year, I reviewed The Breadwinner, a very … Continue reading

Review: This Is Congo, 2017, dir. Daniel McCabe

Review: This Is Congo, 2017, dir. Daniel McCabe

I went into Daniel McCabe’s This Is Congo with a healthy amount of trepidation, expecting nothing more than a linear history lesson about the state of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017. My expectations weren’t met. The film is a history lesson, that’s for sure, but it keeps the lesson active, primarily rooted in McCabe’s footage … Continue reading

Ichi the Killer Doesn’t Need Your 4K

Ichi the Killer Doesn’t Need Your 4K

And now, for the second time this year, I’ll link to that old piece I wrote about Ichi the Killer back when this blog was in its fledgling days (and literally everything I wrote, I wrote on these pages, as opposed to what I do now).  There’s a reason for the re-link: Ichi the Killer is back … Continue reading