I dont remember seeing him do alot or any actual narrative analysis More just if he simply found a movie entertaining or not
Yeah, I just mean his actual writing style was very easy to read and digest, which is why I understand why he was considered the “Everyman’s movie critic” or whatever. But yes, the actual content of his reviews is where he fails, for me at least. The general movie goer probably doesn’t care about narrative analysis, but they do wanna know if it’s entertaining or not
I appreciated that there was no pretense with his writing, his writing was so personal and sometimes reviews are so analytical that it's like did a robot write this Also " I can lose weight but you'll always be the director of The Brown Bunny" is such a phenomenal burn
I've said it before but I'll continue to repeat myself any chance I'm given. Freddy Got Fingered is easily a top 10 comedy of all time.
Ebert was a mediocre critic, and his idiotic "thumbs up" system helped to dilute useful criticism. It is very rare to find him sticking up for a film that was unfairly dismissed, although there are plenty of times he was overly critical of films that would find more appreciation as time went on.
i watched the tv version of fanny & alexander today. i wanted to spread it out over the course of a week, but i got hooked because of the arresting visuals and immense amount of characters with whom to get to know and empathize. it was a magical experience that went to places i didn't expect and i'm really happy i didn't read too much about it beforehand. to be sure, i have to rewatch wild strawberries, but i think this is my favorite bergman and perhaps one of my favorites of all time; but then again, i would've been pretty upset if i spent 5+ hours watching something that i didn't feel enriched my life somehow.
I've seen on average a movie a week this year so far with Moviepass. Sorry this post is so long; I haven't really posted in here since I saw Shape of Water back in December, so. Coco - I cried. Twice. Phantom Thread - The costume design was delightful, as expected. Also, food porn. Sound mixing was top-notch, too. Really great film for DDL to go out with. Call Me By Your Name - Slow, quiet, beautiful. Timothee Chalamet is definitely an up-and-comer to look out for. Black Panther - Everything about the movie was fantastic, except for one tiny thing. I'm kind of iffy about how they used Korea as a backdrop for the action without including any Asian characters given the MCU's track record both in movies and on Netflix, but it's Black Panther, an undeniably huge moment for representation, so I'm not complaining. T'Challa's and Killmonger's scenes with their fathers made me cry. Get Out - I don't think I've ever felt so tense watching a movie. Stayed with me for weeks. Dunkirk - Unnecessarily convoluted. (I just said that about a Nolan film? Wtf is going on?!) Jumanji - Very enjoyable, thanks in no small part to the fact that the main cast--already likable enough on their own--are essentially playing teenagers. A Wrinkle in Time - Very flawed, but with a big enough heart that it doesn't matter. Tomb Raider - Pretty faithful to the look and feel of the game. I actually liked the introductory sequences they added to the beginning. Alicia Vikander is perfect. Changes I liked: 1) her father is alive when she gets to the island, 2) the guy who replaces Sam isn't a completely helpless damsel Changes I disliked 1) the island feels small due to the compartmentalization of the open world into a movie, 2) they gave a scientific explanation to the mysticism, basically snuffing out the possibility of it for the rest of the film series (if they decide to make more) Love, Simon - Recently, there have been better teen movies (Lady Bird, Edge of Seventeen) and better LGBTQ movies (Moonlight, Call Me By Your Name), but the fact that it's both--and that it's just super charming--makes it feel special. Unsane - It's a really good bad movie. Makes me want to watch The Crown. Annihilation - Almost everyone in the cast has been in a Disney(/Marvel/Star Wars) movie! Anyway, aside from a couple of small things I didn't like about the story, it's a really strong and visually stunning sci-fi movie centered on women. Like, Arrival's pessimistic cousin. A Quiet Place - I kind of wish they'd release a cut of this without so much background music. Other than that, it's pretty much the perfect monster horror movie. Game Night - A great time, with lots of twists and turns. Dark comedy, surprisingly violent, and weird as fuck. Blockers - Sexual comedy, more laugh-out loud funny than Game Night, but more straightforward with its story and almost too preachy with its wholesome familial themes. Both movies have a good balance of physical and verbal comedy, though. You Were Never Really Here - Very visually pleasing. Story isn't great, but the way it's executed is wonderful. Very compelling portrayal of PTSD. Interestingly, more often the graphic imagery shown is the aftermath of brutality rather than clear shots of violence being acted out--this isn't the hallway scene in Oldboy. Also, I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but this isn't Logan--for better or worse, the kid isn't in it for very long for Joaquin Phoenix's character to develop a relationship with. I guess it's cool that it focuses on him as a solitary figure.
Mister Lonely is really good. So charming and the painted egg scene with Iris Dement's wonderful song really gets me.
Watched Jigsaw and Murder On The Orient Express last weekend and enjoyed both. Think I looked Jigsaw more only because of preconceptions vs actual enjoyment were different for each film. Plan to watch Wonder Woman and Justice League this weekend
Moana - 8/10 Better than Frozen, not as good as Tangled. Good songs though. Great visuals. Standard story.
State testing is over so I have been showing a lot of nonsense to keep the kids quiet. I have sat through Infinity War, Batman and Robin, Anchorman, The Fate of the Furious, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, A Night at the Roxbury, and Deep Blue Sea. I have High School High, Malibu's Most Wanted, Zoolander, A Talking Cat, MacGruber, and Mac and Me set up next. I am going to try and get my best class to appreciate Monty Python and the Holy Grail.