Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
In building the all-encompassing Marvel Cinematic Universe (or the MCU for short), Disney/Marvel, a.k.a. our New Cinematic Entertainment Overlords, have sometimes taken shortcuts in fashioning their individual standalone character films. Though the quality in some of their chapters has improved as of late—most notably with the likes of Peyton Reed’s surprisingly amusing Ant-Man (2015) and … Continue reading
Movie Review: A Bigger Splash (2016)
Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s English-language debut entitled A Bigger Splash takes place in a specifically chosen setting at a villa hillside getaway on Pantelleria, a volcanic island that’s suspended between Italy and Tunisia on the Strait of Sicily. Conceived as an overt homage if not a complete replication of Jacques Deray’s stylish romantic thriller La … Continue reading
Generation Film’s Official 2016 Oscar Ballot for the 88th Academy Awards
The Academy Awards are a week away and the anticipation isn’t necessarily high, mostly due to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that may or may not be valid (let’s assume it is due to overall lack of diversity throughout Hollywood and move on). But let’s not let that diminish the fun of guessing, prophesizing, or routing for … Continue reading
Generation Film’s 2016 Oscar Nominee Snubs, Omissions, and Surprises
My previous predictions of 20 of the 24 categories weren’t exactly spot on, though I believe they were almost in the range of being 80% correct (or solid C+/B- work in terms of my own grading scale on this site). There were some surprising omissions from some prominent categories and some minor to major snubs … Continue reading
Generation Film’s 2016 Oscar Nominee Predictions
This Thursday (January 14th, 2016) the 88th Academy Award nominees will be announced for their inevitable annual presentation February, 28th. In a year where the awards race has been inconsistent and surprising, there’s no really telling which categories are 100% determined. While there might be one or two definite contenders within each category, the remainder … Continue reading
Generation Film’s Top 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2016
25. War on Everyone Director: John Michael McDonagh (Calvary, The Guard) Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, Tessa Thompson, Theo James, Stephanie Sigman Synopsis (from IMDB): Two corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Things take a sinister turn, however, when they try to … Continue reading
Generation Film’s Top 25 Films of 2015
25. The End of the Tour– Though it’s incredibly likely that the great, late American novelist David Foster Wallace would have thoroughly objected to the creation of The End of the Tour, it’s actually quite stunning how compassionate and sensitive this unauthorized study is in the hands of director James Ponsoldt. Based on David Lipsky’s … Continue reading
Movie Review: The Hateful Eight (2015)
Filmmaker and cinephile Quentin Tarantino’s celluloid occupied brain seems to resist being encumbered by meticulously absorbed cinema history, always being able to refocus his influences beyond simplistic homage and into a refreshing expressive purpose. His unique brand of creativity—admired both by actual film lovers and wannabe movie fans who think liking Tarantino equals cinematic sophistication—is … Continue reading
Movie Review: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
After years of anticipation and months of slowly revealing trailers, junkets, and theories, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has finally arrived as the cinematic event of your lifetime, at least according to Disney and their marketeers (yes, that misspelling is intentional). The rabid fans of this beloved franchise—who teeter between the reservedly patriotic … Continue reading
Movie Review: The Big Short (2015)
It’s quite unsurprising that culture satirist, jocular director, and blustery social media persona Adam McKay would force his career towards tackling more discerning political material. This is, after all, the director who thinks his comedies possess some insightfully biting partisan subtext, such as the supposedly astute critique of TV news culture in Anchorman: The Legend … Continue reading
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