Films and Feelings

    Being a film critic is certainly one of the more savory stations in life, but it's not without its frustrations.       One of the most irritating of these is the expectation to just produce a perfectly sound summation of a film's merits and limitations after just a single viewing of the relevant film--and to do so immediately after that single viewing. This is not the ideal condition in which a discerning mind fairly or accurately appraises the worth of a text.  Art demands reflection. Reflection takes time. You catch subtle inflections upon repeat viewings that completely change your context for said film. And yet, film reviews depend on visceral first responses, and so we critics offer up our unseasoned reactions, praying that the casualties will be minimal ...      I'm here to write about one such experience I've had with this phenomenon: my review of Mamoru Hosoda's Belle , premiering in U.S. markets in January of 2022.  ...

       Ever since Sidney Prescott asked audiences nearly 30 years ago "how do you gut someone?" with such disgust, the "Scream" franchise has forced a stab-hungry audience to question how they could ever entertain a ritual so violating as the gruesome act taking someone else's life.  Last year, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett delivered arguably the franchise's strongest offering yet. Strong because the film played its game very well. These guys also know that subversion in film is fun, certainly, but also that films which sell themselves on their subversion tend to be very hollow. You need a strong thematic lifeblood and a cast of characters to root for. If your audience is more excited about the cut-up bodies than the victors, you have a problem. This is where the newer films, including this most outing, have found their strength. Scream VI sees the survivors of the last installment making a fresh break in New York City. Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad a...