If there was ever a writer who should be allowed to run amok on a movie, with no apparent oversight or control, that writer is not Aaron Sorkin. It pains me to say this, both because I’m a fan of his and because 2017 desperately needs some good movies at the end of the year,…
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the debut of Gossip Girl, which should make all of us feel old. Since this show was one of the formative ones of my adolescence (which probably explains a lot about me), I feel compelled to eulogize it in an excessively long look back. You’ve been warned. In the mid-2000s,…
(Note: Contains spoilers for the first three Bourne movies, but not this one.) One of the great pleasures of 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum was the way it conclusively brought its protagonist’s journey full circle. When the credits rolled, that was it: the saga was complete, and everyone was satisfied. It almost didn’t matter whether or not Jason Bourne…
The Oscar nominations were announced today, and even though people trust the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences only slightly more than Congress, this day always excites me. The full list can be found here. Now, ten thoughts on the nominations in what’s been a weird year for mainstream movies: 1) It’s understandable that Leonardo DiCaprio’s…
Most Overrated Movie: Spotlight Grant says: The kind of movie that always gets overpraised. Chronicling the exposure of the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in the early 2000s, Spotlight is a ‘talky’ without particularly good dialogue, which is a bit of an issue. It also feels dated (imagine if ‘Margin Call’ or ‘The Social…
In the last year or so, a few prominent filmmakers have released movies that have unfortunately highlighted their creators’ weaknesses. This fall’s Steve Jobs was less a movie than An Aaron Sorkin Movie, more interested in spitting out rapid-fire dialogue than in creating three-dimensional characters or resonant situations. Last year’s Interstellar exacerbated Christopher Nolan’s problems with shoddy…
In almost every way. LeBron James’s career has been wildly successful. You don’t need me to tell you that. But for as much fulfillment as he’s provided, there’s one glaring deficiency–one that really has nothing to do with his play, or the success of his teams. But, for better or worse, it has everything to…
I’m not sure I can recall another mainstream, non-fantasy, non-scifi movie that has less interest in appearing real than ‘Steve Jobs.’ How much that bothers you will be a matter of personal preference. Even though there was another movie about former Apple CEO Steve Jobs a couple years ago, this has always been the most…
Ideas for shows and movies will never be completely used up. In fact, there’s a strong body of evidence suggesting that ideas barely matter. The latest piece of support for that thesis comes from the best show on TV right now. You’re the Worst, airing on a channel that sounds like a porn network, breaks no…
Download link (you may have to right click and “Save As”) For The Earn This Podcast, Episode 17, Dan and Grant sat down to discuss the worst of the IMDb Top 250 — the ten worst inclusions and the ten worst exclusions. They bemoan the overrated and wonder why IMDb underappreciates certain gems. (And you get hear,…