How to Fix Hollywood’s Diversity Problem
This week, I had the pleasure of publishing an article for the magazine The Week. In it, I discussed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and prescribed potential fixes for movie studios, executives, the Academy, and the press that could lead to a truly inclusive Hollywood. It was an honor to write this piece, and I’m extremely grateful […]
John Likes Movies Podcast, Episode 3: Oscar Predictions and Top 10s
Max Covill of ImpassionedCinema.com and I devote our latest discussion to making 2016 Oscar predictions and sharing our top 10 films of 2015. For more, you can check out Max’s top 10 list and Oscar predictions. My top 20 isn’t quite ready yet, but my Oscar predictions are available here. Listen to or download the […]
Oscar Season: The Century’s Most Memorable Winners So Far
The following was written by Joseph Price. ***** It’s almost Oscar season, and with the Golden Globe recently taking place, fans and critics are already speculating as to which films could take home the top prizes at the Academy Awards. It’s always an exciting time of year for film lovers. But before delving into this […]
John Likes Movies Podcast, Episode 2: B&N Criterion Sale Preview
It’s episode two of the John Likes Movies Podcast, and I’m joined once again by Max Covill of ImpassionedCinema.com. This time, we’re talking about the Criterion Collection in honor of the Barnes & Noble half-off sale that began this week. Max and I offer recommendations for titles you should consider purchasing this month, including The […]
John Likes Movies Podcast, Episode 1: Talking TIFF with Max Covill
On the inaugural edition of the John Likes Movies Podcast, I’m joined by writer Max Covill to talk about TIFF 2015. We discuss what it’s like being at a festival like TIFF before jumping into some of Max’s highlights (and some lowlights) including Anomolisa, Office, and The Lobster. SHOW NOTES TIFF Nuts and Bolts: 0:00 […]
5 Things To Know About Fantastic Four
The following was written by Drew Hansen. ***** In just about a month’s time on Aug. 7, the Fantastic Four reboot will finally reach theaters. While the average moviegoer might not be particularly excited to hear this, given that the previous attempt at adapting this particular superhero squad to the cinema more or less flopped […]
The Next Barnes and Noble Criterion Sale
The question on every cinephile’s lips around the 15th of every month: “When is the next Barnes and Noble Criterion sale?” It’s true we’re spoiled twice a year, but that moment after you make your final, last-minute purchase is one of both satisfaction and disappointment. “Really, I’m not going to own another one of these […]
So, About Those 2015 Oscar Nominations…
What in the name of Dick Poop just happened?!?!?!? It was a wild morning that saw the announcement of the 2015 Oscar nominees, and I just can’t get past Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs’ all-time great mispronunciation of a name. Congratulations to Mr. Turner cinematographer Dick Pope on your Oscar nomination. I’m sorry you’ll live […]
Why Do We Take Awards So Seriously Anyway?
Like clockwork, the Directors Guild of America announced its five nominees for Best Director of 2014, and the internet exploded in anger. Two years ago, it was Tom Hooper and the nerve he had, I don’t know, using too many Dutch angles in his adaptation of Les Miserables. Last year was relatively quiet on the […]
5 Ways to Solve Marvel’s MacGuffin Problem
The MacGuffin is one of the oldest cinematic tropes in the book. It’s generally thought of as something without meaning to the audience but of great importance to the characters in a film. (Think Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps or, more recently, the rabbit’s foot in Mission: Impossible III.) Marvel has established a series of MacGuffins […]
My 2014 Criterion Sale Haul
The latest Barnes and Noble 50% off Criterion sale concluded today, and I spent some dough. Been digging into the discs above for the last few weeks, and I’ll continue to for weeks to come. Some thoughts on the films: A Hard Day’s Night — There’s a good chance this ends up being my favorite […]
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace My Break From Blogging
As a lot of you probably know, I got married not too long ago—May 31 to be precise. It was a fantastic day, but the weeks leading up to it and since have been stress-filled and jam-packed. Blogging had to go on hold for a while, but I think it might have been for the […]
What Else I’m Watching: March 2014
Because you can’t review them all. Sadly, life gets in the way of writing about everything I see, so this space is as much for keeping track of what I’m watching as it is for you to share your thoughts on what are, with any luck, a group of high-quality films. I haven’t written this […]
Casting the Monstars for Space Jam 2
“News” “broke” over the weekend that King LeBron James himself would be suiting up this summer for Team Looney Tunes in a sequel to the brilliant 1996 comedy Space Jam. If your childhood was anything like mine, Space Jam was a staple. Bugs Bunny, Lola, Bill Murray, Wayne Knight, and His Airness Michael Jordan could […]
The Fearlessness of Pixar’s Ratatouille
I recently contributed to Sound on Sight’s 28 Days of Disney Animation series by discussing the theme of fearlessness in Pixar’s Ratatouille. It’s one of my very favorite Pixar films alongside WALL-E and Toy Story 3, and I talked about how the ballsiness inherent in the film’s premise opened the floodgates for a half decade […]
Revisiting My Most Anticipated 2013 Movies
I was writing up my most anticipated movies of 2014 when I realized I couldn’t quite remember what topped (or even placed) on my 2013 list at this time last year. Revisiting the list, as I’ll do below, simply confirms my suspicions that this exercise is a little foolhardy. There’s no predicting what you’ll respond […]
