Movie Thoughts

A discussion of some of the film critics (and other kinds of critics and writers) who have had an influence on my own approach to thinking about and talking about movies.

I discuss some of the reasons people like to argue about the Oscars, and focus in on arguments about undeserved winners. I discuss why I think movies such as How Green Was My Valley, Dances with Wolves, and Going My Way, still "deserve" their best picture wins, despite winning over arguably better movies. I also white knight for some movies that aren't quite as good but still strike me as being unfairly targeted as undeserving (like Crash and The Greatest Show on Earth). I still end up not finding too much good to say about Shakespeare in Love, though.

A quick and dirty compare and contrast between The Hunger and Near Dark, two stylish vampire movies from the 1980's, made early in the careers of directors who would go on to achieve great things.

I attempt to push back against and deconstruct the widely held idea that cinema in the 1980's represented a tragic falling off from the greatness that was cinema in the 1970's. Also, I make fun of Goonies.

In this one, I talk about the difference between the way normal people watch movies and the way that (some) egg-head movie buffs like myself watch movies. I discuss my thoughts on some beloved-by-me and not-well-liked by most normal people movies, including Howard Hawks' A Song is Born, Michael Mann's Public Enemies, and Hitchcock's Topaz.

In which I go from the ridiculous to the sublime and recommend a couple of movies currently available for streaming.

A tour through Martin Scorsese’s filmography.

I clarify some of my thoughts on several Brian De Palma movies, and try to explain what’s so great about Blow Out and Mission: Impossible.

In which I try to answer the question of why some people say that theatricality in movies is a bad thing.

I talk about three books that each present a different approach to writing about the making of a movie: The Wah Wah Diaries, Chris Nashawaty’s book on Caddyshack, and the magisterial The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler.

An epic exploration of the question: was there an American New Wave?

An attempt to explore the question: what makes a mediocre movie mediocre?

A brief appreciation of some of the movies in the Criterion Channel’s current ‘70s Sci-Fi series.

I compare and contrast two relatively recent movies set in New York City and based on true crime cases.

Bonus mini-episode: an off-the-cuff run through of the filmography of one of my favorite filmmakers.

A discussion of the pros and cons of using “who’s the greater director, X or Y?”, as a conversation starter.

A mini-episode on the new Safdie/Sandler movie Uncut Gems.

I talk about why I think 1959 was such a great year for movies, and share thoughts on some of my favorites.

An overly self-indulgent episode where I share my thoughts on my process of coming up with a best movies of the decade list.

I offer some thoughts on Owen Gleiberman’s Most Overrated Movies of the Decade List.

I look back over the last year, count up all the movies I watched, and share some thoughts on my favorites.

Some thoughts on the under-reported phenomenon of changing your mind about a movie.

In this follow-up to last week’s episode, I talk a little more about some of my favorite recent movies that didn’t get the respect I think they deserved.

Short bonus episode in which I answer the question: is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

I opine on the frequent habit of declaring movies overrated or underrated, and offer some examples of my own.

My take on the 1977 George Lucas movie and all that it has wrought.

I go on the offensive against people who criticize filmmakers for “repeating themselves”, and I defend Wes Anderson and Hong Sang-soo against these charges.

The second part of my epic deconstruction of the Maestro’s comments about the Marvel Movie Method, in which I attempt to answer the question, “What is Cinema?”

The first of an epic two-part discussion of the Maestro’s critical comments about Marvel movies, in which I provide my own take on the Marvel Movie Method.

Was 1999 the “best movie year ever”? No. But there were definitely some great movies made that year. In this episode, I talk about a few of my favorites, some well known and others, well, less so.

In which, I ramble about how I think that most people who complain about a movie being “historically inaccurate” are full of it (including myself on the occasions when I’ve done so). I talk specifically about In the Name of the Father and The Big Short.

For my first episode, I share some thoughts about Todd Phillips’ new movie Joker and the response to it by critics and other movie buffs.