Film & Television
Reviews, essays, and other coverage of movies and TV shows
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The 2018 Brickwall Film Awards
The Oscars get it wrong pretty often. In fact, they rarely get it right. To set the record straight (and really just for a bit of fun), I’m looking back at past years and re-picking the nominees and winners for the major Oscars categories and a couple of new categories of my own. This time… Read more
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The Lone Wolf and Cub Film Series is Essential Cinema
I love samurai films, from “Sanjuro” and “Yojimbo” to “13 Assassins” and “Blade of the Immortal.” Even if you aren’t well-versed in the samurai genre, as long as you’re a movie lover, there’s a high likelihood that you’re well acquainted with the many samurai films of Akira Kurosawa. These classics deserve all of the love… Read more
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The 2016 Brickwall Film Awards
The Oscars get it wrong pretty often. In fact, they rarely get it right. To set the record straight (and really just for a bit of fun), I’m looking back at past years and re-picking the nominees and winners for the major Oscars categories and a couple of new categories of my own. This time… Read more
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The Director Who Best Picture, then Immediately Destroyed his Career
The story of Michael Cimino and Heaven’s Gate. After making The Deer Hunter, which won five Oscars including best picture, Michael Cimino’s follow up, Heaven’s Gate, became Hollywood’s biggest disaster, ruined his career, and forever changed the American film industry. Read more
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The 2017 Brickwall Film Awards
The Oscars get it wrong pretty often. In fact, they rarely get it right. To set the record straight (and really just for a bit of fun), I’m looking back at past years and re-picking the nominees and winners for the major Oscars categories and a couple of new categories of my own. This time… Read more
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The Films of 2025, Ranked
It’s that time of year: It’s time to look back at and rank every 2025 film that I saw. Instead of doing a top 10 or bottom 10 or anything like that, I’m ranking absolutely everything. And this year, I saw a whole bunch. I’ll say up front that I don’t bother with movies that… Read more
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No Other Choice Finds Park Chan-wook at the Top of his Game
“No Other Choice” is South Korea’s submission to the best international feature film category at the 2026 Academy Awards, and I’ll tell you right now, it’s a lock for one of the five nomination spots. If you want my predictions, I’ll call it now that the real International Oscar category is a race between “The… Read more
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2025’s best fight scene could be hiding in this romcom – Splitsville review
2025’s “Splitsville” is a romantic comedy that takes aim at infidelity, polyamory, divorce and the intersection of the three in modern romantic relationships. The tangled-up quadruple at the broken-heart of the film is played by Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Dakota Johnson, and Adria Arjona. All four served as producers on the film, and you… Read more
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The Secret Agent is a triumph for brazil in more ways than one
If you had told me that “City of God” or “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” took home Oscars for Brazil, I would have believed you. However, it wasn’t until last year’s “I’m Still Here” that Brazil won its first Academy award. But now, the country has a shot at taking down the best international feature… Read more
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Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) Stylish Horror from Panos Cosmatos – Review
My old review of the debut feature film of “Mandy” director Panos Cosmatos: “Beyond the Black Rainbow.” This is a stylish sci-fi, horror film with a retro-futuristic setting. 6.5/10 Read more
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