Since the release of Materialists I’ve had a lot of discussions online and in person about the film. Some people agree and others disagree with me about the problems with the script and characters but the majority seem to agree that it is at the very least not the romantic comedy the promotion sold it it as. There have been some who push back on me (which is totally fine. Love the discussion) and argue it should be included and that we should have a wide understanding for the category. On one hand this is semantics and categories for all genres can be quite nebulous (I’ve yet to have anyone adequately explain to me the difference between a horror and thriller for example) but on the other hand it does matter because far too often traditional romantic comedy fans are left abandoned with nothing to enjoy at the cinemas.

If we were living in a thriving age of cinema where all kinds of comedies and romance were being released on a regular basis I would have less squabbles about whether a film is more a straight comedy than a romantic comedy. Many films have been debated over the years such as Legally Blonde, which is minimally about the endgame romance or Breakfast at Tiffany’s which is definitely a romance but the comedy is a smaller role with the dramatic moments sticking out more prominently.

Again, I wouldn’t complain if the studios were giving everybody what they want at the cinemas but that’s just not the case. Let’s look at 2024. The only romances released in theaters were genre mashups like Love Lies Bleeding, Challengers, Your Monster, and Lisa Frankenstein. The closest we probably got was Fly Me to the Moon but that was arguably more a workplace comedy than a rom-com but it has enough of the tropes of the genre to count in the category.

One movie! There is no more underserved genre. Sure there were other rom-coms released last year like The Idea of You, Irish Wish, Musica, Hit Man. All went straight to streaming.

Here’s where the problem comes in. Hollywood knows the market is there for rom-coms but they aren’t making them. So their solution is to market films that don’t really qualify as being in the genre leaving fans disappointed when they actually see the films. This can be seen in marketing for many films such as Materialists this year and last year’s The Fall Guy. When both films underdeliver on both the rom and the com people feel justifiably let down. Why do you think Materialists had such a low Cinemascore? Cinemascore shows the level of satisfaction audience had with the film they were given. With Materialists audiences rightly went in hoping for a love triangle romantic comedy and instead got a cynical piece with sexual assault at its center.

Some people will say ‘it’s just a phase’ and rom-coms will be back in cinemas and to that I say ‘I hope so… If a movie like the recent Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy can’t get a release I’m skeptical. That’s a franchise with a proven track record at the box office and it couldn’t even get a limited run over Valentines weekend with nothing else in theaters (it still tripled its budget internationally which is amazing so at least other places are acknowledging the genre.) And it’s not like this is just a momentary phase. When Crazy Rich Asians came out in 2018 it was viewed as somewhat of a miracle. Not only did it have a diverse cast and subject matter but a big budget Hollywood rom-com with a wide release was so rare- even then and it’s only gotten much worse in the last 7 years.

And it’s not just streaming vs wide release. It’s that the entire genre has been relegated to television-sized budgets with very little of the fun and spectacle we used to get from the genre. Even reliable filmmakers like Nancy Meyers, who has almost never had a commercial flop, isn’t able to get the budgets and the casts a similar director in another genre would be able to get. Almost all the rom-com directors of the past have been relegated to television or streaming in the last few years. Amy Heckerling, for example, hasn’t made a movie since 2012. All television directing from her lately. It’s just sad.

And the depressing part is they could make money. The rare unicorn of a release with Anyone But You, which wasn’t even that good,  made $220 million on a $25 million budget. You would think this might inspire copycats but nope almost everything since has been straight to streaming even Hit Man starring Glen Powell!

We as genre fans are then left with only Hallmark and Hallmark-sized films and as much as I love Hallmark that isn’t all I want. I want it all!! It’s so discouraging to go to the cinemas and never see the kind of movies we used to get all the time, and when I say never I mean virtually never. Whether the offerings are good on their own outside of the genre disappointment is up for debate but the loss of the cinematic rom-com should be acknowledged.

Pretending like the category hasn’t been abandoned isn’t helpful or productive. This is why I stubbornly fight this fight. The romantic comedy was a genre worthy of saving- a genre that provided a lot of joy to a lot of people especially women. It deserves more than only on our televisions…It just does.

(For the record, something counts as a romantic comedy in my opinion if you can’t remove either the romance or the comedy from the story and it still work. They are fundamental elements to the success of the film, but that’s just me)

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

 

 

As a film critic I like to think of myself as being able to bring new insight into a conversation about a movie I am reviewing. To elevate the discussion beyond what the average filmgoer might see (surely seeing 500+ movies a year should account for something? Right?) On the whole I’d say I’m successful in this goal (my readers would be the ultimate judge in this regard but I do try.) That said, sometimes insight fails me and my response is admittedly more basic. Such is the case with Pixar’s latest film Elio. It’s perfectly serviceable piece of family entertainment but not much beyond that. In a weird way I almost wish it was made by Illumination because they would try harder for the jokes. This is very sincere and sweet, kids will enjoy it but nothing about it is memorable or special. It’s just an ok movie for kids.

I’m actually really torn on what score to give Elio because is it even right to hold Pixar films up on a pedestal any more? There was a time where a ‘just ok’ film from the studio would have been a colossal disappointment. Now it’s more par for the course. It was cute but I was a little bored is how I felt coming out of the theater and you could do a lot worse than that in mainstream animation these days.

If you are unaware of Elio‘s existence (highly likely with the weak marketing campaign) this latest entry from Pixar is about a little boy named Elio who is an orphan (of course he is) who through various contrivances ends up communicating with aliens and visiting their planet as a representative from Earth. While there he meets an alien named Glordon and they become friends. Eventually the have to stand up to Glordon’s Dad who doesn’t understand him (of course he does) and they save the day before heading home to be with his astronaut in training aunt Olga.

The movie works best in the time before and after Elio goes to the planet. It’s very sweet getting to know Elio and the struggles with Olga are easy to relate with. On the alien planet it looks pretty with bright and colorful alien design but it has the pacing and story designed for kids rather than appealing to adults. Usually Pixar threads that needle of family entertainment for all better than they do here. That said, there was nothing off-putting in these ‘let’s have fun in space’ sections like say Lightyear or Turning Red had in their clunky metaphors and plots.

I hate to say it but I understand why some are waiting for Disney Plus for Elio. It’s fine but just not the kind of film that demands the big screen unless one is solely seeing it to bolster original storytelling. Unfortunately that can only get a studio like Pixar so far in this day and age. Yes we want to support originality but the entertainment factor still needs to be there. On letterboxd I gave Elio a 3/5 which I guess is technically a fresh score. Now that I’m writing the review I’m trying to decide whether ‘cute but boring’ is good enough for fresh (or smile worthy by my rankings?) It’s really hard!

At the end of the day, if people are going to be putting down their hard-earned money I just don’t think Elio is good enough…

 

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

 

I hate to do another catch-up post but sadly sometimes there just isn’t time for long full reviews of everything I’m seeing. Make sure you are following me on youtube and instagram as I post all of my out of theater reactions on both sites.

So here goes:

Things Like This is a cute enough queer rom-com, but I wish the characters were more likable and the dialogue snappier. The Phoenician Scheme is more of the same from Wes Anderson although this is more coherent than his last few projects. If you’re still on the Wes train you’ll love it if not give it a pass.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life isn’t the subversive rom-com I hoped for and even more disappointing is how little insight it has on Jane Austen or romance in general. A real letdown. Raising the Bar is too schmaltzy even for me and I’m a huge softee when it comes to underdog sports movies.

Fans of the John Wick franchise seem to be loving the Ballerina spinoff. It’s ok if you’re just looking for action but even that I found to be largely dark and cloudy with little innovation to the individual action set-pieces. The same night I saw Ballerina I saw the indie film Tornado which surprisingly has a very similar story to Ballerina and yet is a much more compelling film. Tornado will be too much of a slow burn for some but it’s very well made with compelling characters. Worthy of your time.

I had the chance to see Wicked again so I could watch the Wicked: For Good trailer debut with a crowd. That was probably the best time I’ve had in a theater this year. So much fun to see such a quality blockbuster again and have the enthusiasm of a trailer debut with a crowd.

The How to Train Your Dragon remake will test your desire to see a live action remake of the animated film. If that is something you want it is fine. If you are hoping for something even slightly creatively challenging than you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s ok for what it is, but I would never watch it over the animated film. I just don’t get the appeal of these live action remakes that don’t try anything new.

I appreciate the swing The Life of Chuck takes and that it gives theater-goers a lot to talk about but I still can’t recommend the sappy, heavy-handed metaphor of a film. I’ve seen it twice now just to give it a fair shake and I was left unmoved by the experience both times.  It’s honestly not any more insightful than those Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff memes. It’s like they took the most cheesy self-help book you could imagine and threw in a little mystery and it’s supposed to be life-changing. The middle section is particularly lame. We get it. Dance to the beat of your own drum (I’m not being facetious. They literally have dancing and a drummer.) How profound…

The Good Night, and Good Luck live stream was a historic moment for Broadway with the first time I Broadway show has been live streamed directly to network television. I enjoyed this play and think George Clooney is quite compelling as Edward R Murrow. They are very smart to include a little side romance and other supplementary plots which help keep the play from feeling preachy and one note. It was better and more entertaining than I expected.

Materialists by Celine Song was one of my most anticipated films of the year. I was so hopeful from interviews she’d given and the trailers it would be a fun, if indie, romantic comedy. Sadly that is not the case. Instead we get another treatise on the woes of modern dating and how cynical singles are in New York City. This is the kind of story we used to get from Woody Allen except without the humor or witty banter. Literally a major plot point of this movie revolves around a single woman getting sexually assaulted. It does have a nice style to it but even that feels derivative and uninspired. Chris Evans is pretty charming but the other leads fell completely flat for me and nobody has any chemistry. Just a big old disappointment.

So there you have it. My update on the latest new releases. What have you seen? What do you think is worth watching? Let me know!

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Hi friends! We have another month of blind spot to tell you about. This month it was a fun one for me because we looked at both Heathers the cult film from 1988 and the more recent Heathers: the Musical which is getting an off-Broadway revival this June.

Manda and I had a great discussion about both projects, and I’d recommend both. Naturally I love the musical more because I love musicals but they both make interesting choices. The movie must have been incredibly shocking for 1988 audiences. It’s a hard R rating and very cynical in its humor and it let’s you know that right away with an opening sequence with Veronica’s head in the grass during a game of croquet.

The musical tries to give everything more humanity where the movie is more of an outright horror story which makes sense especially because the musical is an hour longer. I saw the musical last November at Mad King Productions in Salt Lake (see review here) and it was an incredible experience. I loved the songs and found the whole thing fresh and exciting. My favorite of the songs are probably “Candy Store,” “Dead Girl Walking” and “Lifeboat” with the weaker songs being “My Dead Gay Son” and “You’re Welcome.”

Still I think both are wildly creative and definitely worth checking out. There is a pro-shot of the musical but evidently it wasn’t very good so it is very difficult to track down. You can find slime recordings of the off-Broadway production online but I recommend seeing it for yourself live. You won’t regret it. The movie I also recommend. Just prepare yourself for something sick and twisted.

 

It’s always an interesting thing to see what films resonate with different people and why. Everyone knows a lot of blockbusters or studio films have been underwhelming for me in the last few years. This summer I’ve already been disappointed by Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and Lilo and Stitch was predictably bland. Now we have Karate Kid: Legends and most of my friends seem to be dogging on it, so it might surprise you to hear I quite enjoyed it! Go figure.

Now I should say that none of the criticisms I’m hearing on this film are inaccurate. It is very predictable and the story takes some strange choices like becoming a boxing movie for a large chunk, but I was still over-all entertained by what was happening on screen. This is partly due to the fact that I am a huge sucker for underdog sports movies and the movie is extremely short so the problems didn’t weigh on me the way they might have. The cast is also hugely likable so that goes a long way for this kind of formula film.

This entry in the franchise follows Li Fong (Ben Wang) as he moves to NYC with his Mom (Ming-Na Wen who I adore), and he is told he cannot fight anymore. Of course, that means he definitely will fight but it is only after getting a girlfriend (Sadie Stanley) and helping said girlfriend’s Dad prepare for a boxing match (like I said that angle was weird but it’s Joshua Jackson who is so charming I didn’t mind it.) Then he must challenge bad boy Connor Day in the Battle of the Boroughs which means he must learn karate in a couple weeks (he knew kung-fu before because he is from China not Japan.)

Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are not in the movie as much as the trailer would have you believe but they are likable enough to make me smile throughout and Wang is really endearing as Li. I wish director John Entwistle had made better choices with the fight cinematography. Everything feels choppy and weirdly edited so if you are going for great fighting than moderate your expectations.

As you can tell from my review Karate Kid: Legends is a flawed film but it hits those underdog sports movie beats well, is short and sweet and has a very likable cast so it did enough to entertain me. Your mileage may vary. I have never seen an episode of Cobra Kai so I can’t speak to anything involving that show in the movie.

I do like that this is a movie that boys and girls should be able to vibe with equally but it might have been nice if the girlfriend was also a fighter as opposed to being the prize to be won and protected by both Connor and Li. Still, it’s a crowd-pleasing movie that made me smile and at the end of the day that’s what blockbuster entertainment is all about.

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Hi friends! Today I have my Goldilocks version of movie reviews. There is one movie I hated, one I was mixed on and one I liked a lot. So here goes

FRIENDSHIP-

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZhJlsL-MiYc?feature=share

Let’s start with the negative reaction. I went into the new movie Friendship completely cold with no prior knowledge of anyone involved except for Paul Rudd. The movie is made and written by Andrew DeYoung and stars Tim Robinson who evidently has a popular Netflix show but I’d never heard of him. Let’s just say Friendship has not encouraged me to watch his show.

I honestly almost walked out of this movie. I found it completely unbearable with its obnoxious lead character and terrible attempts at humor. I’ve liked awkward humor in the past but it often works by having some relief from said awkwardness or jokes that are over-the-top and funny you can’t help but laugh through the cringe. That was not the case here at all. Not one laugh. Instead it was just wondering why this person wasn’t being institutionalized for his unwell behavior. All of these people should have been more like Richard Dryfuss in What About Bob but at least in that movie Bob is sweet and likable and isn’t irritating everyone around him except for Dryfuss. This, on the other hand, is just a miserable experience, and I don’t recommend it to anyone unless you want to torture people with annoying characters.

Frown Worthy

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING

https://youtube.com/shorts/0Yy1P5Z3mF0?feature=share

The Mission Impossible series is interesting because all of the 7 previous films have been entertaining even though they have not succeeded in attaching me to the characters and stories. They are pure spectacle but done at such a degree that its worth recommending.

Now we have  the latest in the franchise, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and I honestly feel torn whether to recommend this one. I was definitely not expecting to have this reaction but I can’t lie about the very uneven experience I had at the theater.

There are a bunch of problems with Final Reckoning. First of all, the first hour is an unending stretch of exposition dumps and nostalgia nods for fans of the franchise. This is understandable for a finale of  a long-running franchise but there’s too much. In addition, some of the exposition felt repetitive and even had a feeling like I was sitting down for one of Tom Cruise’s Scientology auditing sessions (there’s literally a moment where he hooks himself up to the entity device and it looks right out of a L Ron Hubbard book…) All that would be fine if it wasn’t so long and boring.

I was really struggling and then we finally get to an underwater scene that is very fun and a final fight sequence on a plane that is extremely impressive. The last act is quite fun with the whole team becoming involved and everyone giving good performances- particularly Angela Bassett as the president is very compelling.

If you can get a discount ticket then maybe see Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning for that last act on the big screen but just know you will have to sit through a lot of self-aggrandizing gibberish to get there. You’ve been warned.

Frown Worthy

SECRET MALL APARTMENT-

It’s interesting that the winner of this weekend is undoubtedly the smallest release. It’s called Secret Mall Apartment and it’s a documentary that chronicles a group of artists who build a secret apartment in the mall in Providence, Rhode Island. They do this as a  way to take back ownership of the land the mall took away but also as a kind of dare to see how long they can get away with it (which is 4 years!)

This is the kind of movie that could only be a documentary. Each step along the way one can’t believe what is happening or that they are getting away with it. They even have a video game system and sofa there along with other furniture.

Director Jeremy Workman also explores the nature of art and when does the community vs private individuals own their community. When does something become an artistic community asset and when is it junk? If you can find Secret Mall Apartment I highly recommend it.

Smile Worthy

I also saw Wolf Children on Mother’s Day and that was incredible to watch on the big screen. Highly recommend.

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

 

Hi friends! The last few weeks have been a bit of a dry period when it comes to new releases at the cinema but that should change quickly as summer movie season is soon to be upon us (hopefully this year is better than last year’s disappointing run of blockbusters.) I just have one to quickly report on and 2 classic films I had the joy of seeing in the theater last week.

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL-

First up I had the great pleasure to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail in cinemas in honor of its 50th anniversary. They had an intro from all of the Python guys and shared some fun behind the scene details (evidently the shoot was muddy and cold but they were good sports about it. ) I can’t think of a movie that is more quoted and part of the cultural zeitgeist that more holds up to its reputation than Holy Grail. Usually that kind of repetition wears out a comedy but not the case here. It was funny then and it’s still funny today.

My favorite gags are the brave Black Knight and the Knights that Say Ni! It was so much fun to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail with a crowd. Highly recommend if you get the chance.

Smile Worthy (obviously)

JULIET & ROMEO-

If anyone should be designed to love Juliet & Romeo it should be me. I love romances, especially musicals and don’t mind a new take on a classic story. Unfortunately this bloated and mediocre production makes for one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had a movie theater in some time.

I think there might have been a salvageable work here as a Disney Channel Original Movie or even Hallmark at around 80 minutes with the bland pop ballads and young leads but this new take on Shakespeare stretches out to a punishing 122 minutes and almost nothing works. The leads are bland, the songs are forgettable and the modern dialogue is cringeworthy (why change the dialogue when you have Shakespeare right there and then keep it in Elizabethan times?) To make matters worse they change the iconic ending and even advertise for a sequel at the end. Give me a break!

If only all involved had a little bit of fun with the material. For example, I enjoyed Journey to Bethlehem because it had a little bit of camp factor and didn’t take itself so deadly seriously despite being a Biblical story. This is just plodding and a real bore.

Frown Worthy

WOLF CHILDREN-

This year on Mother’s Day I had the chance to see the anime film Wolf Children by animator Mamoru Hosoda. This is not only the perfect film to see on Mother’s Day but one of the most beautiful animated films of the last 20 years. I love the authentic and raw portrayal of motherhood it shows with such humanity and heart.

In the film, Hosoda tells the story of Hana a young woman who falls in love with a man who is a wolf-man. She then has 2 children who are wolf children as the title suggests. The movie then chronicles the highs and lows of Hana’s journey trying to raise these unique children. In this struggle she is fearless but not in a cliche way. In many ways she is shy and sweet but willing to do anything for her children.

While watching Wolf Children I realized there aren’t very many good movies about motherhood. Every once in a while we will get a Nightbitch or Tully but considering how universal of an experience it is we don’t see it portrayed often. In this sense Hosoda’s film is even more special and unique. I love everything about it from the beautiful animation, to the unforgettable sound design and music to the moving story. It’s just fantastic. If you can see Wolf Children in theaters I highly recommend it.

Smile Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.