Western documentaries tend to rely upon the dual tropes of white saviorism and white sympathy to offer myopic approaches to complex interconnected cultural issues. This results in two-dimensional solutions to problems like climate change which tend to overlook marginalized groups that suffer for the global system of white supremacy. Seen as a bargaining tool and voice of […]
Cowboys & Aliens: Extraterrestrial Manifest Destiny And Its Enduring White Gaze
On November 15, 2020, NASA and SpaceX partnered to launch a six-month science mission on the International Space Station. Despite the ravages of COVID-19, NASA’s collaboration with this brainchild of Elon Musk, himself a product of an apartheid South African emerald mining fortune, solidifies the “final frontier” as yet another domain for colonial capitalist dominance. […]
Søren On the Science of Vaccines with The Waffle Press Podcast
Is this a crossover episode? I had the rare opportunity to jump on The Waffle Press podcast and discuss some important issues with my good friends Diego Crespo and Gene Aversa. The first part of our discussion focuses on the hesitancy around vaccines seen both in the general population and among people of color. We […]
“Oh Hai!” The Room, Cult Films and Togetherness
The first time I watched The Room, I couldn’t stand it. A friend had recommended the movie, but it was riddled with cheesy dialogue, stilted acting and continuity errors. When it finally reached its conclusion, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding in. I had no idea what I had just […]
Mulan Brazenly Challenges Gender and Sexuality
Disney’s Mulan came out right around the time my generation started watching movies in earnest. Long after Disney’s Golden Age (1937-1942), Millennials’ grew up during the animation giant’s important soul searching phase: the Disney Renaissance (1989-1999). We saw non-traditional families, people of color in lead roles and a general break from the norms of Disney princess […]
High Concept on the Down Low: Steven Spielberg
Welcome to the first episode of “High Concept on the Down Low,” a podcast that focuses on the modern Hollywood scene. We will explore everything from big-name directors to composers. If it’s happening in Hollywood, we’ll talk about it. Everyone is familiar with Steven Spielberg and his numerous films. Yet people might not be aware of how […]
Søren Discusses Animation with The Talk Film Society
A few months ago, I had a chance to make a guest appearance with The Talk Film Society podcast. It was an incredibly fun conversation that covered everything from Song of the Sea and the state of international animation to Sing Street and more. You can find TFS on Soundcloud here or subscribe on iTunes (click here for Hey Whatcha Watchin). […]
Gene Wilder: A Retrospective
Søren Hough My earliest memories of Gene Wilder exist in a land of pure imagination. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was consummate entertainment as a child. The effects were colorful and fun, the subject matter was candy and the adventure was exciting, strange and engrossing. And leading us through this world was an eccentric but ultimately […]
No Future: Green Room and Punk Nihilism
“No future” is one of punk’s most distinctive calling cards. Originally borrowed from the lyrics of the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” the slogan captures the nihilistic ideologies that fueled this cultural movement and its offshoots across other artistic media. For the punks, there’s not much hope in a capitalistic hellscape—but there is some […]
The Jungle Book Succeeds Where Jurassic World Fails
Dinosaurs are by far the largest and most spectacular creatures ever to walk this earth. Consider the magnificent Brontosaurus; up to 90 feet and 35 tons worth of saurian majesty. Elongated neck on one side, whip like tail on the other, legs like pillars of an ancient temple in between. As for the color of […]
Is Attack of the Clones Really That Bad?
Last week, Diego Crespo of The Waffle Press invited me to share my thoughts on one of the most maligned Star Wars films, Attack of the Clones. I dreaded suffering through the film again and anticipated a bloodbath of a conversation, but I have to say – even I was rather surprised at my reaction to revisiting one of the […]
Debating Avengers: Age of Ultron with The Waffle Press
Diego Crespo of The Waffle Press is a stalwart defender of Age of Ultron, a film he believes qualifies as one of the best and most thematically rich MCU films released thus far. I, on the other hand, found Joss Whedon’s Avengers follow-up utterly hollow, terribly confusing and altogether disappointing. Diego invited me onto his show to discuss […]
An Introduction To Marathi Cinema
Bollywood is easily the most well-known arm of Indian cinema, so much so that Indian cinema has become all but synonymous to Bollywood—at least in the Western world. Considering the dramatic storylines, the focus on emotions accentuated by intense sound effects and entertaining dance numbers, it’s no surprise that Bollywood has made it big, overshadowing […]
The Shining: A Vendetta Story
Over the last 35 years, humanity has achieved many great feats: the end of the Cold War, the creation of the Internet, four more identical films in the Rocky franchise. Yet one lingering mystery still plagues our species’ mere mortal brains — Stanley Kubrick’s seminal classic, The Shining. For most people, The Shining is a mildly […]
Søren and J’s Oscarcast 2015
2015 was a year of meager expectations when it came to the Oscars. While controversy surrounded the nomination process, we generally knew who’d take home the major awards. No one gasped in amazement when Birdman took Best Cinematography, or when Patricia Arquette was named Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood. Yet sometimes there is intrigue to be found […]
Movie Fail Tweets the 2015 Academy Awards
Keep it locked here for the Movie Fail live Twitter coverage of the 87th Academy Awards ceremony! The full list of 2015 Oscar nominees can be found here. The one and only Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting. The festivities begin at 7 pm EST on ABC (or online). Tweets by @MovieFailBlog We want to hear […]
Nate’s Top 10 Films of 2014
So many movies released in the past twelve months felt like advertisements that it was nice when the year periodically decided to come back from commercial break. That doesn’t mean that every non-blockbuster was a masterpiece. For every gem like The Grand Budapest Hotel there were duds like Palo Alto or Transcendence. And don’t get me started on The Giver again. I […]
Eight Alternative French Classics
Beyond venturing to and from the movies in 2014, I’ve also stumbled upon a wonderful streaming website called Mubi that’s met many of my cinematic needs. The service provides one international film every day of the year. As you might imagine, that leads to an eclectic mix of features both old and new. Mubi is a fine starting point […]
Thibault’s Top Movies of 2014
2014 was a great year for the cinema industry from a critical standpoint, even if it was a terrible year business-wise. Failing box office returns were almost a good thing; I enjoyed the quieter transitional period for U.S. film before we head into a year laden with mega-franchises (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Avengers, etc.). I discovered comparatively smaller movies in that time, […]
Hailey’s Best Films of 2014
2014 was an entertaining year for film. Marvel experienced huge successes with Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Big Hero 6. We also saw a large influx of action/comedy films, with 22 Jump Street being the prime example of how well action and comedy can mix together. Animated movies also had a good year. […]
Following from a Nascent Nolan
While innovative, hugely popular big budget blockbusters are Christopher Nolan’s staple these days, life wasn’t always so glamorous for the English director. Sixteen years ago, Nolan made his foray into feature-length filmmaking with the ultra-low budget (£3,000) Following. This often forgotten gem of an independent film is unquestionably nascent Nolan. Watching Following in the context of his subsequent productions offers a fascinating insight […]
Thibault Talks: The Disney Singularity
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” nobody would’ve imagined that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would one day share a family with Iron Man and Chewbacca. Yet in 2012, that’s what happened. Disney approached George Lucas and $4.05B later the rights (and a few lightsabers) transferred hands. This is just the latest […]
Revisiting Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining
Stanley Kubrick produced a masterwork of suspense, escalation and visceral horror in his adaptation of Stephen King’s third novel. So much about The Shining has transcended both the horror genre and broader pop culture, from Jack Nicholson’s crazed delivery of “Here’s Johnny!” and young Danny’s “redrum” refrain to Kubrick’s bevy of accomplished cinematographic techniques. Examining the film […]
Sin City: A Dame to Flop For
It was during the Cannes Film Festival in the spring of 2005 when the world first discovered a cult classic: Sin City. Robert Rodriguez’s take on the renowned comic by Frank Miller was chosen to screen in competition at the famous French film festival. At that time, most critics commended the film for its audacious design and smart […]
The Princess Bride Forever
In the first moments of The Princess Bride, the narrating grandfather (Peter Falk) describes the story with a litany of genre elements: “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles,” but that doesn’t begin to cover all the things that draw people to the film. The Princess Bride seems to be aware of its own […]
Currying Favor: A Tim Curry Retrospective
When I was seven years old, my mom, my brother, and I watched Clue for the first time. That movie helped form my love of film. I can quote every line by heart and talk endlessly about what makes it great. But ultimately, there’s really only one reason the film has stuck with me: Tim […]
Thibault Talks: U.S. Summer Box Office Tanks
Overview It is not an exaggeration to say that this 2014 U.S. summer box office was catastrophic in terms of both profit and attendance. May, ($1.23B, -15.7% compared to May 2013), June (~$994$, -19.2% compared to June 2013), and especially July (~$803M, -39.2% compared to July 2013) were all big disappointments for American studios. We did see a turnaround […]
Edge of Tomorrow Versus the World
You might remember an op-ed I published a few days ago in defense of Edge of Tomorrow‘s title. As I expected, not everyone agreed with me. In fact, my friend and podcasting veteran Teague Chrystie from Friends in your Head was so emphatic about his disagreement that he suggested we record a short podcast about the issue. You can listen […]
Guardians of the Galaxy Changed Blockbusters
A little film called Guardians of the Galaxy accomplished something extraordinary this summer. It featured a cast of characters from a lesser-known comic series, essentially subverted the entire superhero film genre and redefined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oh, and it also had the best August opening in box office history. Summer is the season of […]
Why CGI In Guardians of the Galaxy Works
There are many reasons to love Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s funny, it’s smart and it’s one hell of an action-packed ride. The film was a risk; unlike Captain America or Batman, almost no one knew who the these characters were before the film came out. Making a successful blockbuster out of a no-name property was no small feat. […]
Edge of Tomorrow Is A Great Title
Let’s talk about titles. Conversations about “good” and “bad” titles tend to baffle me. A good title is descriptive (without being too specific), simple, unique and interesting. Discussions outside of that sphere don’t hold water. That being said, I feel compelled to jump into the most recent title debacle stirring up the film world. Released earlier this […]
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Acting “Master” Class
The late Philip Seymour Hoffman was without question one of the greatest actors of his generation. Through his performances, he provided the ideal model of what a good screen actor should be. As with any actor, much of that quality came from the directors he worked with. But I would argue that his performances go […]
Remembering Robin Williams
I am leaning on the register. It’s a slow day at work, so I check my phone. There’s a message in my Sketch 22 thread that stops me. I start scanning the internet, hoping to find something to tell me it isn’t true. But I only find confirmation. I stare at Entertainment Weekly’s short breaking […]
Looking Back: The Dark Knight
Six years ago today, one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time hit theaters. The Dark Knight won over 100 awards when it was released, including academy awards for both sound editing and the late Heath Ledger’s performance. It has remained in the public consciousness since 2008 and is regularly hailed as one of the best […]
Superhero Madness, Part 3: DC
DC has been making waves in the industry these past few weeks. With the revelation that Ben Affleck is playing a Frank Miller-inspired Batman, speculation on the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has run rampant. Will Jason Momoa be playing Aquaman? Is David S. Goyer the absolute worst person to be handling this superhero […]
Superhero Madness, Part 2: The MCU
Marvel has made cinematic history with their foray into the movies. Although the rights to two of their most valuable properties – X-Men and Spider-Man – respectively belong to Fox and Sony, Marvel has nevertheless created the most profitable franchise of all time. And along the way, they’ve made some of the best superhero movies […]
Superhero Madness, Part 1: X-Men
Superhero films have been a point of contention between J and me in recent months. For example, although I completely agreed with Okwudili’s review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, J was less than thrilled with the film. And while I really enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past, J claims that it represents everything that’s wrong […]
Spotlight on Tete’s rain town
The first time I saw rain town, I knew I had stumbled on the work of a master animator. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Although it exhibits some clear Japanese influence, rain town also echoes the foggy collage style of both Yuriy Norshteyn and award-winning writer/illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie). Without words and without […]
The Happening: Shyamalan’s Magnum Opus
M. Night Shyamalan has seen his share of derision over the past decade. His movies have oscillated between the abominable The Sixth Sense to the pop culture-defining The Last Airbender. He has become the butt of mean-spirited jokes and dismissive condescension. But in 2008, Shyamalan did something nobody expected. Coming off of the Paul Giamatti vehicle Lady […]
Søren and J’s Oscarcast 2014
Last year, J and I created the first ever Movie Fail Oscarcast. After live tweeting the 86th Academy Awards, we decided to sit down and record our thoughts once again. In this podcast, J and I discuss the winners and losers of the ceremony, as well as our thoughts on the event itself. Enjoy, and let us know […]
2013 A Strong Year in Film
Moviegoers were well-tended in 2013. The past year in film was certainly diverse, with plenty of highs and lows along the way. With a decent slew of quality popcorn flicks and some very pleasant surprises in multiple genres, this was a big year for the silver screen. While it wasn’t quite the sequel-dominated year that, […]
Is Academy History Weighing Gravity Down?
3D. Motion capture. High frame rate. We live in an age where technological perfection is not only possible, but expected. Computer generated sound and visual effects are better than ever before. As a result, modern cinema is bound only by the imaginations of filmmakers. This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saw […]
The Wolf in Context
We sit entrenched in an Irish mob den. Here, anyone could be a mole and thus everyone toes Death’s door. Then we are transported to an island, where a man is unsure of what is real, and what isn’t. His feverish nightmare reaches its peak before bringing his world down around him. And now we […]
The Best Cinematic Experiences of 2013
Roman Polanski once said, “I’d rather watch a film in a movie theatre. I have all the kit you need at home, but it’s not the same.” A few months ago, I had the privilege of seeing The Matrix (1999) on the big screen. I missed its theatrical debut fourteen years ago, but my local […]
High Frame Rate and Why The Hobbit Films Matter
As the prequel films to the estimable The Lord of the Rings franchise, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films already carry with them a heightened expectation of narrative quality. However, there was more to The Lord of the Rings than its epic story. Every part of the production was groundbreaking; filming all three movies at once […]
Dare to Dream of a Better Christopher Nolan
This is a multilayered dreamscape, and you are at its core. You are finished dreaming and would like to regain your consciousness. And in order to ascend, you must get a “kick” to wake up in the next level of the dream world. Under normal circumstances, one can achieve this kick by “dying” – by […]
Let the Right One In Is Not Your Typical Horror Movie
Quiet and meditative. Romantic, stark and beautiful. Poignant. These are not the words one usually associates with the horror genre. And yet, the ostensibly horror-themed Låt den rätte komma in, or Let the Right One In, has been praised by the world over using these very descriptors. The film follows Oskar, a 12-year-old boy who […]
On the War Between Movies and TV for the Soul of Horror
Few things have aided the rise of horror on television more than the decline of horror at the movies. There is a rich history of great horror at the movies. Consider the early Universal monster flicks of the 30s and Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary, contemplative re-imagining of the thriller sub-genre. Think about the classic slasher films in […]
On Blackfish and the Understated Influence of Documentaries
“Never capture what you can’t control.” So says the tagline for Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s muckraking new documentary — currently being distributed in select art-house theaters by Magnolia Pictures — which is a stunning indictment of the manner in which SeaWorld has captured and treated wild orca whales over the years. The film could have an enormous impact […]
Summer Box Office Saturated with Explosions
A decorated gladiator steps out into the sun, brandishing two swords while donning finely detailed armor. Around him, hundreds of men and women line the seats of a massive arena, wildly screaming his name. He walks forward to address his opponent, a Roman slave whose character design is the product of meticulous behind-the-scenes scrutiny. After […]
