Essay Question

The Essay Question (Dec. 11, 2019)

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Each month, the OFCS polls its members with a question related to movies. It can be serious or amusing, but each member is given the opportunity to submit a short response to the question, which we will then post on the first Thursday of the month. Here is this week’s query.

Essay Question #2:

What’s the one moviegoing experience you wouldn’t like to repeat?

Question Submitted by: Federico Furzan @ Cinelipsis

Responses

Continue reading The Essay Question (Dec. 11, 2019) →

Classics & Other Film Reviews

Classics & More on DVD (Dec. 10, 2019)

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Here are our latest reviews of films on DVD.

Pre-2017 Film Reviews

Viy

James Jay Edwards @ FilmFracture (1967)

The Woman in the Moon

Mark Leeper @ Mark Leeper’s Reviews (1929)

  • Excerpt: This was the first science fiction film to try to be serious and accurate in depicting celestial travel. While it is not too hard to find, few science fans and science fiction fans have actually seen it.
The Grab Bag

From Our Members’ Desks (Dec. 9, 2019)

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OFCS members don’t just write film reviews. Here are several articles you might find interesting.

Best of Lists

10 Classic Films Making Restored Blu-ray Debuts in 2019

Michael Barrett @ PopMatters

Silently Yours: The 10 Best Silent Films on Blu-ray in 2019

Michael Barrett @ PopMatters

Interviews

Rian Johnson Stays Sharp for Knives Out

Dan Lybarger @ Film Threat

  • Excerpt: You just have to do what you’re most interested in doing, do something that you care about and do something you believe in.

Awards Coverage

92nd Oscars: Visual Effects Semifinalists

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

The Friday Face-Off Round One #16

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar Preview: Precursor Winners & Losers, Week 2

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar Preview: Weekend of Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2019

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: Remaking Best Production Design, 2013

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 19th AARP Movies for Grownups Nominations

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 19th American Film Institute

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 24th Satellite Awards Nominations

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 28th Annie Awards Nominations

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 29th Gotham Awards

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 4th Atlanta Critics Awards

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 85th New York Critics Awards

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 91st National Board of Review Awards

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: Australian Academy Awards

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Essays

Luz

C.H. Newell @ Father Son Holy Gore

  • Excerpt: Cerebral horror wrapped in an aesthetically stunning package that feels part Fulci, part Lynch, part von Trier while simultaneously announcing Singer as a distinct artist in his own right.

The Shed

C.H. Newell @ Father Son Holy Gore

  • Excerpt: For all its faults, The Shed makes us think about the role of trauma in bullying and how it can ultimately turn some people into monsters, perpetuating the cycle, but that there are those who refuse to be made into monsters, too.

Video Essays, Video Reviews, Vlogs & More

The Irishman

Scott Phillips @ www.wrbl.com

Marriage Story

Scott Phillips @ www.wrbl.com

Other Types of Articles

5 Favorites Redux #6: Films Starring Scarlett Johansson

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

The Morning After: Dec 2, 2019 (The Farewell, The Hustlers, Judy, Knives Out)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar in Box Office History (Week 48, 2019)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: Best of Dec. 2018, Wide

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: Now That You’ve Seen “Knives Out”

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: What Are You Watching? (Dec. 6-8, 2019)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Feedback

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Grand Isle

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Hell on the Border

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: In Fabric

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Intrigo: Death of an Author

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Call of the Wild

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Rhythm Section

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Wolf Hour

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Trolls World Tour, updated

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: December 1

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: December 2

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: December 3

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: December 4

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: December 5

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 29

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 30

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Week at the Movies

This Week at the Movies (Dec. 6, 2019)

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Here are some reviews of films coming out at the theater this week as well as others that may be in theaters or newly on home video.

Opening: Dec. 6, 2019

Wide (United States)

Playmobil: The Movie

For member reviews of this film, follow this link

Limited (United States)

Daniel Isn’t Real

For member reviews of this film, follow this link

Marriage Story

For member reviews of this film, follow this link

The Aeronauts

Jared Mobarak @ JaredMobarak.com

  • Excerpt: [The fictitious] James and Amelia provide us a century’s worth of triumph and excitement in an hour-and-a-half. It’s a wild appetizer for history’s more expansive meal.

The Aeronauts

Aaron Neuwirth @ We Live Entertainment

  • Excerpt: The adventure aspect is quite compelling and looks great.

I See You

Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum

  • Excerpt: A solid mystery achored by strong performances that manages to lull you into one direction while pulling the rug out from under you in a compelling way.

In Fabric

Brent McKnight @ The Last Thing I See

  • Excerpt: A giallo-inspired horror film about a literal killer dress? Sign me up.

Knives And Skin

Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum

  • Excerpt: Writer/director, Jennifer Reeder, wears her influences on her sleeve, but she uses those influences to create a timely and visually striking mood piece.

A Million Little Pieces

Jared Mobarak @ The Film Stage

  • Excerpt: [The filmmakers are] bound to [its] shortcomings because the text’s drama is born solely from James’ fear while everyone around him distracts from the redundancy of that truth.

2019 Films In Theaters Now In Select Areas

Continue reading This Week at the Movies (Dec. 6, 2019) →

2019 Films

Reviews: Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)

Here are review links for this film submitted by our members:

The Grab Bag

From Our Members’ Desks (Dec. 2, 2019)

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OFCS members don’t just write film reviews. Here are several articles you might find interesting.

Interviews

Interview with Waves director Trey Edward Shults

Josh Taylor @ www.forgetfulfilmcritic.com

  • Excerpt: I recently had the opportunity to speak with director Trey Edward Shults in anticipation of the release of his new film Waves. Don’t worry, I was sure to ask him what you’re all dying to know: whether he considers Marvel movies to be cinema or not.

Ken Loach / Passámos Por Cá: Brexit é uma distração

Paulo Portugal @ Insider [Portuguese]

Knives Out — Rian Johnson Interview

Andrea Chase @ PRX.org

  • Excerpt: Rian Johnson talks being human, toying with an audience, and how the late, great Ricky Jay makes a cameo

Awards Coverage

92nd Oscars: The Precursors Are Coming

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

92nd Oscars: Upcoming Precursors – December

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

The Friday Face-Off Round One #15

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar Preview: Precursor Winners & Losers, Week 1

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar Preview: Weekend of Nov. 22-24, 2019

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: Remaking Production Design, 2012

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Precursor: 3rd Hollywood Critics Nominations

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Inquirer

Paulo Portugal @ Insider [Portuguese]

Reviews of Short Films

Alien: Harvest

Paulo Peralta @ CinEuphoria [Portuguese]

Meat Wagon

Paulo Peralta @ CinEuphoria [Portuguese]

  • Excerpt: Buried Alive Film Festival coverage

Playtime’s Over

Paulo Peralta @ CinEuphoria [Portuguese]

  • Excerpt: Buried Alive Film Festival coverage

Toothache

Paulo Peralta @ CinEuphoria [Portuguese]

  • Excerpt: Buried Alive Film Festival coverage

Other Types of Articles

5 Favorites Redux #6: Favorite Films Starring the Cast of Knives Out

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Oscar in Box Office History (Week 47, 2019)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: Now That You’ve Seen “Frozen II”

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: What Are You Most Anticipating? (Dec. 2019, Limtied)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Poll: What Are You Watching? (Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2019)

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Beyond the Law

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Cats, updated

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: Sonic the Hedgehog, updated

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Irishman, updated

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Two Popes

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

Preview: The Way Back

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 22

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 23

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 24

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 25

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 26

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 27

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

This Day in Oscar History: November 28

Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight

2019 Films

Reviews: The Perfection (2019)

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Here are review links for this film submitted by our members:

  • [New (11/28/19)] | Marco Albanese @ Stanze di Cinema [Italian]
  • Blake Crane @ Film Pulse
    • Excerpt: The Perfection is always intriguing and consistently shocking, the drama and sleaze anchored by fantastic performances that sell every demented twist and turn.
  • Karl Delossantos @ Smash Cut Reviews
    • Excerpt: The Perfection‘s first half portends a sharp and tense psychological thriller with two committed performances by Allison Williams and Logan Browning as the former and current star students of a prestigious music academy respectively. But one poorly executed twist followed by another takes away any goodwill the movie builds in its genuinely well-constructed setup.
  • Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
    • Excerpt: Delightfully bonkers and wildly unpredictable, but once it reaches the third act, it loses itself with heavy issues that the filmmakers simply aren’t prepared to tackle.
  • Jeremy Kibler @ The Artful Critic
    • Excerpt: The Perfection is a lurid, brazen, steadily insane ride that catches one off-guard as it keeps changing and shuffling through so many different thriller subgenres—an erotic thriller, revenge horror thriller, contagion body-horror and psychological thriller, and not necessarily always in that order—with nearly as much flair and tension as the best of Brian De Palma and Park Chan-wook.

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