tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38035105216921072762024-09-08T12:27:24.125-05:00Welcome to the best little movie blog in the world. Reviews of Academy Award winning films and anything else that comes to mind. tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comBlogger407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-78773041007490378732020-06-05T19:40:00.007-05:002020-06-06T08:44:55.405-05:00

There is no denying that these are very strange and tumultuous we're living in. Obviously I haven't been blogging too much lately, it's not that I haven't been watching movies, but really nothing I felt like writing about. And the movies I should be blogging about, I can't, I just have a huge block. But after listening to a podcast yesterday, I decided to just write and see if I can move past

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-40472134844506690102020-05-10T16:41:00.000-05:002020-05-10T16:41:09.161-05:00

I'd like to say my delay in posting these reviews was due to some wonderful reason, like I was meditating in Tibet with the Dalai Lama or I was on a secret mission or the space bar was stuck on my laptop. Alas, nothing quite so dramatic, just a lot of The Office episodes, afternoon naps and a smattering of ennui. By this time, you may have already seen the films below, and if not,

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-84125403050159044782020-02-09T22:30:00.000-06:002020-02-09T22:30:20.484-06:00

The 92nd Academy Awards start in just a couple of minutes. It will be hostless this year, and I'm okay with it. It was still long last year, but slightly less annoying. Janelle Monae is opening as Mister Rogers, singing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", and now into an opening number celebrating the Oscars. Steve Martin and Chris Rock are presenting something, right now they're kind of

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-33060775242696000842020-02-09T12:44:00.003-06:002020-02-09T12:51:38.006-06:00

For the past four or five years my friend and I have gone to one of the theaters in Uptown (Lagoon or Uptown) to watch the Animated and Live Action Shorts. There's usually a lunch involved, some people watching and a few shorts that really stay with us. As soon as the nominations are out, we start planning our day. Here are some of my thoughts. 2/8/2020 Animated Shorts Oh, where to begin? (

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-47406583932492294652020-02-08T21:36:00.001-06:002020-02-08T21:36:36.140-06:00

1/19/20 1917, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2019 National World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO 1917 sure did get a lot of nominations, but nothing for the actors. I've seen that

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-40542494975669380072020-02-02T20:29:00.001-06:002020-02-02T20:29:05.620-06:00

1/25/20 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, nominated Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2019 I enjoyed the first Maleficent film, starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning; I saw it in a theater and thought the visuals were terrific. Lately, I have found myself reluctant to see sequels, unless I'm compelled by the list or they were part of the Marvel Universe. I had intentions of seeing Maleficent:

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-76805032070130485252020-02-01T13:25:00.001-06:002020-02-05T19:03:08.317-06:00

Regular readers know that I love documentaries, and I have special place in my heart for the documentary shorts. I usually go to the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis and make an afternoon of it. However, time constraints this year have forced me to Plan B. Almost all of them were available online, except for St. Louis Superman. 1/26/20 Life Overtakes Me - As refugees flee their home countries

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-47549480996201804562020-01-26T11:15:00.002-06:002020-01-26T11:15:13.623-06:00

I have two weeks to go before the Oscars and I am terribly behind due to my two weeks in Asia, so it's well worth it. I have twenty-nine movies to see and I'm not optimistic. I have legitimate concerns that my retinas will burn out. 1/25/20 Little Women, nominated Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, 2019 I was

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-16772441675941883022020-01-23T19:47:00.004-06:002020-01-23T19:47:45.121-06:00

12/26/19 The Two Popes, nominated Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2019 I cannot speak to the accuracy of The Two Popes, especially the scenes within the conclave where the Cardinals vote for the new pope. I thought the ballots were burned, so perhaps that part is speculation. At any rate, the film looks at the unusual circumstance and relationship between Pope

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-9573848768258733362020-01-22T19:52:00.004-06:002020-01-22T19:52:58.014-06:00

1/16/20 Missing Link, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2019 If you're like me and are looking for something new, or at least not remade or a sequel, I totally suggest Missing Link or Klaus (my favorite was Klaus). Missing Link was done by Laika, which has also done some of my recent favorite animated films including Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, Kuba and the Two Strings (if not my favorite, I like

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-91966861238285053782019-12-27T17:26:00.003-06:002019-12-27T17:26:34.320-06:00

Since a lot of these are pretty fresh or may get new legs with DVD releases, I'm going to go light on plots and just give you my go/no go recommendation. It will be faster for all of us, I promise. 12/13/19 Marriage Story, 2019, not yet nominated Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star as a married couple that is getting unmarried; their initial attempt is to do it without lawyers, but it

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-73968151206602910852019-12-15T19:19:00.003-06:002019-12-15T19:19:31.860-06:00

12/7/19 Woman at War, 2018 Woman at War is set in Iceland and uses the incredible landscape as part of the action. Halla is an environmental activist and choir leader who is waging a battle against heavy industry development in Iceland, and the threat to destroy natural wonder and resources. There is a subplot, a case of mistaken identity, that runs through the film that is kind of fun

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-17471040861181982492019-12-08T20:21:00.002-06:002019-12-08T20:21:50.652-06:00

It seems from February until Thanksgiving cinema is a vast wasteland, filled with throwaway movies. I've learned over the eight years of doing this blog that I can pretty much wait until November before I have to worry about serious Oscar contenders. Sure, there's always the odd special effects nominee or underdog picture that sneaks onto the coveted list of nominated films, but not as often as

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-65573656331403299002019-12-04T18:18:00.000-06:002019-12-04T18:18:12.238-06:00

11/28/19 Maiden, 2018 Maiden is why I love documentaries so much. It has unapologetic protagonist in Tracy Edwards; a challenging, life-changing event in the Whitbread Round the World Race; antagonists in the form of the all-male teams against whom Tracy and her crew were competing; and an uplifting and empowering message.  In 1989, Tracy Edwards assembled an all-female crew to compete in

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-83515954510064495782019-11-30T20:33:00.003-06:002019-11-30T20:33:34.495-06:00

10/20/19 They Killed Sister Dorothy, 2008 Dorothy Stang was a nun living and working in Brazil who was brutally murdered for her work to protect the Amazon Rainforest and the poor who lived there. She crossed paths and had violent encounters with the ranchers who wanted to cut the forest down. The documentary uses interviews with her brother; Sisters in her order, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur;

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-46716198351062303482019-11-24T18:52:00.004-06:002019-11-24T18:53:23.851-06:00

9/13/19 Reversal of Fortune, Best Actor, 1990 I remember when the Claus von Bulow case was in the news. It was very titillating, the life of the ridiculously wealthy. This was before the internet and 24 hour gossip cycles. I vaguely remember when the movie Reversal of Fortune was released, perhaps I was no longer interested. I honestly don't recall it making that big of an impression, much less

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-13457726011418501262019-10-09T12:39:00.003-05:002019-10-20T14:02:56.968-05:00

I have seen Steve Hackett five times prior to Monday, but never in Minneapolis. I was pretty excited when I saw that he was coming to the Twin Cities. On this tour, he was focusing on his album, Spectral Mornings released forty years ago and my favorite Genesis album, Selling England by the Pound, as well as including songs from his latest album, At the Edge of Light. It must be hard to put a

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-4333759873410142682019-09-08T19:20:00.000-05:002019-09-08T19:20:32.260-05:00

From a stroll in Chicago this past May, Siskel and Ebert. Two thumbs up. 6/9/19 Driving Miss Daisy, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Makeup, Best Adapted Screenplay, 1989 One of the fun things about re-watching movies I watched 5, 10 or 20 years ago is seeing if I still feel the same way as when I first watched them. There have been some movies where I feel incredibly different,

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-4066695251127849162019-08-03T21:11:00.002-05:002019-08-03T21:11:35.269-05:00

All I can say is, it's a good thing I have a day job. 4/27/19 Broadcast News, National Historic Film Registry, 1987 Unfortunately for Broadcast News, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor was also released in 1987 and won 9 Academy Awards in the same season, many in the same categories. The movie stars William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks as members of a newscasting team (it reminds me

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-50920299281817925932019-05-26T18:07:00.000-05:002019-05-26T18:07:08.196-05:00

It's been a while, a pretty long while as a matter of fact. I have no excuse. So, without further ado, here we go. 4/2/19 Mary, Queen of Scots, nominated Best Costume Design and Best Hair and Makeup, 2018  I know I said I didn't really have an excuse, but I think I am going to blame Mary, Queen of Scots starring Saoirse Ronan as Queen Mary and Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I. Yup,

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-18745184577923167642019-04-21T18:41:00.000-05:002019-04-21T18:41:07.102-05:00

In between traveling and going to concerts, I've been able to squeeze in a few Oscar-nominated movies. I wish I could have gotten them in before the big show to give me a better perspective, but a person can only do so much. 4/13/19 If Beale Street Could Talk, nominated Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, won Best Supporting Actress, 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk was directed by

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-73702355957881495702019-03-31T21:00:00.000-05:002019-05-26T18:08:21.825-05:00

I have seen the premiere Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box, six times, and up until this most recent time, the shows focused on the Genesis tours for "Selling England by the Pound" or "Foxtrot". Since the band recreates those concerts, there is very little variation in the setlist. There's a part of me that didn't care, because I totally missed that error of Genesis being a little young and

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-18371607194848870602019-03-24T17:01:00.001-05:002019-03-24T17:01:10.811-05:00

3/19/19 The whole purpose for this trip across the Atlantic was to see Mike & the Mechanics in York at the Barbican. I saw the band a few years ago (maybe 2014/2015?) in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theater. I love these smaller theaters because there isn't a bad seat in the house (mostly). As it happened, my seat was in the center, row H, so about 8 rows from the front, perfect. The demographic

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-53016613400508169952019-02-24T22:17:00.001-06:002019-02-24T22:17:06.611-06:00

The night begins with Queen opening with "We Will Rock You"; the crowd seems more enthused at this opening than anything in quite some time. It is pretty cool to see the crowd rocking out to "We are the Champions"; I think I saw Octavia Spencer singing. There's no host this year, and I'm honestly hoping that cuts out about 45 minutes of dumb skits. An opening montage of 2018 film clips. I have

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803510521692107276.post-41837682302149515622019-02-24T17:42:00.003-06:002019-02-24T17:57:53.049-06:00

As I finish this entry, the night of the Oscars, there are eleven films I haven't seen. It's my worst showing in the last couple of years, but I felt so uninspired and house-bound during this ridiculous deep-freeze we've had here, that I'm actually thrilled with how many I have seen. 2/10/19 The Wife, nominated Best Actress, 2018 Glenn Close has been nominated for Best Actress for her role as

tracerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427636546393448561noreply@blogger.com