BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 09/21/2018

THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLSf3f22cc1cf766aae3384304a4d81c3106a95f01a

“A kicky throwback to those mischievous, slightly sinister kids’ adventures Steven Spielberg proteges used to churn out on a fairly regular basis three decades ago.” – Sean Burns, North Shore Movies

“Though it’s certain to please the little ones when they tire of trick-or-treating, this film doesn’t capture the full aura of its predecessor.” – Michael Cox, Edge Boston

“If executed properly, THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS could have possibly become a surprise hit.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS is exactly what it needs to be: charming and creepy.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

 

MV5BOTM5YzVhODUtYzk0NC00NWNlLTgyMTYtZjRjNjhiYjQ0ZjJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQW1yb3NzZXI@._V1_CR0,15,1235,695_AL_UX477_CR0,0,477,268_AL_LIZZIE

“LIZZIE has got to be the most bloodless movie ever made about an ax murderer.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“…LIZZIE postures with the stuffy importance of most historical biopics, and the clash between biography and thrills ends up feeling exploitative.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“LIZZIE feels like a peek behind the lace curtains of an abusive and ultimately murderous household. It offers a sympathetic view towards an axe-wielding killer, and does so with sensitivity and respect.” – Deidre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

“…a film that moves at such a glacial pace that by the time we finally see the murders occur you’re unlikely to care who is responsible. ” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

BLAZEnull

“Pitched somewhere between a tall tale and an expose, marinated in the whiskey and cocaine benders of outlaw country music’s juke joint fringe, it’s a richly ambivalent film about artistic expression as its own reward and the bad romance of our most destructive impulses.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

 

74b63461-01c5-4fab-a5e0-81802b632a6a-Life_ItselfLIFE ITSELF

“…if your attitude is that life is meaningless and then you die, you may want to give this one a pass. Fogelman clearly believes life has meaning, even if we can’t always see it for ourselves.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

BOFCA AWARDS: 2014

THE 2014 BOSTON ONLINE FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

SNOWPIERCER

BEST PICTURE: SNOWPIERCER

INARRITUBEST DIRECTOR: Alejandro González Iñárritu, BIRDMAN

GLEESONBEST ACTOR: Brendan Gleeson, CALVARY

COTILLARDBEST ACTRESS: Marion Cotillard, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

NORTONBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Edward Norton, BIRDMAN

SWINTONBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Tilda Swinton, SNOWPIERCER

MCDONAGHBEST SCREENPLAY: John Michael McDonagh, CALVARY

TWO DAYS ONE NIGHTBEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

LIFE ITSELFBEST DOCUMENTARY: LIFE ITSELF

LEGO MOVIEBEST ANIMATED FILM: THE LEGO MOVIE

BIRDMAN1BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: BIRDMAN

EDGE TOMORROWBEST EDITING: James Herbert & Laura Jennings, EDGE OF TOMORROW

UNDERSKIN1BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Mica Levi, UNDER THE SKIN

BIRDMAN2

BEST ENSEMBLE: BIRDMAN

THE TEN BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. SNOWPIERCER

2. UNDER THE SKIN

3. BOYHOOD

4. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

5. THE BABADOOK

6. TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT

7. BIRDMAN

8. CALVARY

9. INHERENT VICE

10. SELMA

BOFCA MIDWEEK ROUNDUP 8/13/14

Note: The Boston Online Film Critics Association extends its condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the late Robin Williams. 

Greetings movie-lovers! Here’s your weekly sampling of what the members of the Boston Online Film Critics Association have been doing, seeing and saying lately. Enjoy!

Michael Cox reviewed DOM HEMINGWAY and DISNEY’S BEARS

Deirdre Crimmins reports on horrific offerings from Fantasia Fest

Kilian Melloy on THE DOG and the passing of Robin Williams

Bob Chipman talked GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and more on The Escapist Podcast

Joyce Kulhawik weighs in on LIFE ITSELF

Spoilerpiece Theatre took on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and TMNT

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 07/04/2014


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TAMMY

“Fed up with everyone, she heads out on a road trip with her grandma, but only because grandma has some money. They get into a series of increasingly silly (and vulgar) misadventures, a life lesson is learned, end of film. Yawn.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Like IDENTITY THIEF, I was waiting to laugh at TAMMY, but the laughs never came.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Where some may see a bait and switch, I see a pleasant surprise.”  – Kristofer Jensen, C-Ville Weekly

“How many times can you play the same vulgar and aggressively stupid character before the audience moves on?” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

maxresdefault (1)EARTH TO ECHO

“You have seen this movie before. More to the point, you have seen it done better, and with greater cohesion.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“EARTH TO ECHO is not a great movie by any means, but it’s an upbeat sci-fi flick for younger audiences that they may enjoy.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“For those viewers who measure their ages in single digits, this will prove to be one of the best films of the summer.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

snowpiercer-tilda-swintonSNOWPIERCER

“SNOWPIERCER isn’t just a movie worth seeing, it’s a movie worth arguing about.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“If the film is about the evils of monetary greed and the threat of climate change, then Bong’s shrewdly assembled cast firmly proclaims just how much these issues impact us on a global rather than merely local scale.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

“A film like SNOWPIERCER isn’t for everyone, but it’s something many will find entertaining.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

It’s rare treat for filmgoers to experience a film that dodges labels as effectively as SNOWPIERCER.” – Kristofer Jenson, DIG

“The journey through the train and the twists and turns it takes—which aren’t groundbreaking, but still work—is a big part of the fun.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

Life-Itself-Movie1LIFE ITSELF

“You can argue about his taste in films, or his penchant for hobnobbing with the celebrities and filmmakers whose work he wrote about, but you can’t deny the fact that the guy not only had talent, but had a passion for using that talent to write about what he loved. ” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“The positivity is contagious, the stubborn lust for life formidable, and he never once ever stopped carrying on about how much he loved movies. Even when he couldn’t talk.” – Sean Burns, Technology Tell

“That’s the kind of person Ebert was: someone who handed down his passion from one person to the next, opening up our minds to the possibilities of the medium he loved so dearly.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

 

aww_photoandreasjohnsen_2u1a0284AI WEIWEI: THE FAKE CASE

“… the more Ai changes, the more he stays the same.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

 

 

download (10)THIRD PERSON

“This is a movie that deliberately challenges and provokes us, bending and blurring reality in ways that start out as subtle and then progress to outlandish.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

BEGIN AGAINBegin-Again-4

“It’s featherweight. It’s unbelievable. It’s cute and charming, and it’s an antidote to crappy summer films.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

 


1175917 - DELIVER US FROM EVILDELIVER US FROM EVIL

“I still liked DELIVER US FROM EVIL in spite of its obvious blemishes, but I can’t say I’d recommend it to anyone looking to see a horror movie in the theaters at this time.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show