BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/12/2020

Delroy Lindo looks sweaty and tired in the movie Da 5 BloodsDA 5 BLOODS

“Like in his previous two works, CHI-RAQ and BLACKkKLANSMAN, Lee tears apart any notion that fiction should be separate from the world around us. He’s as much a political tactician as he is a cinematic technician. Lee isn’t just asking important questions. He’s demanding immediate action.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

 

THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND
Pete Davidson shirtless with sunglasses and arms outstretched in the movie The King of Staten Island

“Obviously, THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND is not a typical comedy. But it is funny. It’s also sad, empowering, fascinating, and frustrating.” – John Black, Cinekong Reviews

“There’s a lot to enjoy about THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND despite its many faults, but there’s an even more interesting collision between Apatow-branded dramaturgy and Davidson’s own stream of consciousness style of comedy that really makes things fall in place quite nicely.” – Sam Cohen, EDGE Media Network

THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND would be much easier to recommend if it wasn’t so unnecessarily long.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND shows another side of Apatow, as a director in control of his film. There is much more attention paid to how a scene is filmed, blocked, and edited to reflect shifting attitudes and power dynamics.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“Apatow has always had a hard time telling the difference between good fat and gristle, and THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND is no exception to that rule.” – Nick Johnston, Vanyaland

“Apatow’s raunchy humor often makes me squirm. But here, he tenderizes his comedic chops, with a good deal of insight and even grace, holding these characters loosely and lovingly in his sights.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“Apatow manages to make mental illness humorous (though I can see some objecting), but this is a less a story about depression and more a vehicle to help Millennial or Gen X men find purpose.” – Randy Steinberg, Blast Magazine

 

BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 3/9/2016

Steve Head and John Black bring back The Post-Movie Podcast (and again)

Deirdre Crimmins joins the Film Thrills podcast to talk GHOSTBUSTERS, THE WITCH and Oscars

Kilian Melloy reviews THE HAWAIIANS and THE FALL

Joyce Kulhawik talks The Oscars and THREE SISTERS

Spoilerpiece Theatre talks TRIPLE 9, GODS OF EGYPT and BATMAN ’89

Monica Castillo covers The Miami Film Festival

Bob Chipman has published 7 new books of collected works

Jake Mulligan covers PIECES, Spike Lee’s MICHAEL JACKSON and DEMOCRATS

Kristofer Jenson talks MAGIC MIKE XXL

Andrew Crump has an Oscars post-script, reviews BROOKLYN NINE-NINE and the best of Criterion new releases.

BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 12/3/2015

Jake Mulligan talks to Spike Lee about CHI-RAQ

Andy Crump on THE MUPPETS, JESSICA JONES and BROOKLYN

Bob Chipman on DOA XTREME

Derek Deskins talks the Awards Season

Spoilerpiece Theatre talks CREED, ROCKY movies, THE GOOD DINOSAUR and PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP 11/29

FROZENFROZEN

“…this may be the best animated offering out of Hollywood this year.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Succeeds in updating, modernizing and even critiquing the [Disney Princess] franchise-formula – without turning into a SHREK-style jaded gagfest.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist (Spoiler-free. In-depth piece w/spoilers HERE)

 

HOMEFRONTHOMEFRONT

“It’s not exactly idiosyncratic, but at least it doesn’t feel as if it came off the focus-tested-$150-million-movie conveyor belt.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE

“A straightforward thriller with beatings, shootings, a young girl in peril, and a stoic hero who never loses his cool. It’s worked before. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work again.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“You can think James Franco’s turn in SPRING BREAKERS was the defining supporting performance of this year and still want to watch him get his block knocked off by Statham. At least I do.” – Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian

 

OLDBOYOLDBOY

“I liked this movie fine but I’ll get back to you when I figure out a reason why it exists.” – Sean Burns, Technology Tell

 

 

PHILOMENAPHILOMENA

“Provokes fury and outrage, but also supplies a balm in the form of truly gracious forgiveness.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGE

“Needless to say, the grande dame’s performance, alternately goofy and grave, is an absolute tour de force.” – Inkoo Kang, Village Voice

 

BLACK NATIVITYBLACKNATIVITY

“It’s goofy and probably very easy to mock, but so full of positivity and good spirits that I can’t imagine why anybody would want to bother.” – Sean Burns, Technology Tell

“Lemmons hits all of the expected notes that come prepackaged with this sort of picture; call it corny and hammy, because it is, but she’s more than up to the task of making all of the expected “stuff” of its archetype work.” – Andrew Crump, Go-See-Talk

 

NEBRASKANEBRASKA

“This is more of a melancholic reverie than a young man’s outburst – this once-furious auteur has grown up, and mellowed out.” – Jake Mulligan, Movie Mezzanine

“Payne cobbles together a shockingly accurate portrait of the US’s flyover states, at least as envisioned by those of us living on the East and West coasts; they’re desolate, barren, cultural wastelands, places that time has forgotten, populated by people modernity has passed by.” – Andrew Crump, Go-See-Talk

“It’s a gimmicky sitcom script gussied up with “artful” affectations borrowed from the New Hollywood heyday of the early ’70s. Except it doesn’t even get those right.” – Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian