Interview with Bella Ramsey and Andrew Scott for “Catherine, Called Birdy”

In this edition of Meet Me at the Movies: Open Dialogue, Thomas Manning chats with Bella Ramsey and Andrew Scott about their roles in Catherine Called Birdy, a medieval coming-of-age comedy directed by Lena Dunham. Thomas Manning is a member of the NCFCA and SEFCA, and also the co-host of the television show and radio program Meet Me at the […]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Review

At this point in 2021, it is not necessary to be a fan of comic books or even movies in general to have a surface level familiarity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With a total of 24 films across 13 years grossing nearly $23 billion at the worldwide box office, this franchise has become […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Scandal (1951)

In the opening of Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Scandal, the artist Ichirô Aoye (Toshirô Mifune) has his canvas set up with a gorgeous view of the looming mountainside. A small crowd of passersby stop by to offer unsolicited critiques of Aoye’s artistic process. Those familiar with Kurosawa’s background as a painter prior to his filmmaking […]

LITTLE WOMEN has Big Heart and Soul

LITTLE WOMEN is a wholesome, delightful, emotionally riveting piece of filmmaking. It is like a warm hug, followed by an ice-cold dagger plunged straight through your heart, with an ensuing miraculous recovery, and another warm hug to top things off. Greta Gerwig directs and adapts Louisa May Alcott’s classic story with stroke after stroke of mastery. […]

Dora and the Lost City of Gold – A Surprise Late Summer Family Hit

This movie was way better than it needed to be to entertain its young target audience. It far surpassed my expectations, giving me an absolute kick, even as a 19-year-old guy. I grew up watching the cartoon, and I had a feeling that this would be directed at that very young audience more than anything. […]

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” – 2019’s Most Joyous Film Yet

Written and directed by duo Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is easily one of my favorite movies thus far in 2019. To be honest, this is definitely not a perfect film. But, it is indeed practically perfect at accomplishing exactly what it sets out to do. This movie warmed my heart, […]

Disney’s “The Lion King” is Visually Riveting, but an Ultimately Bland Recycling of the Original

Critically-acclaimed director, writer, and producer Jon Favreau oversees this photo-realistic remake of Disney’s 1994 animated feature The Lion King. The original film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, and written by trio Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton. This time around, in addition to Favreau taking over the director’s chair, newcomers Jeff Nathanson […]

Toy Story 4 – Childlike Existentialism

Director: Josh Cooley Writers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Martin Hynes, and Stephany Folsom Producers: Peter Docter, Mark Nielsen, Jonas Rivera, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich ————————————————————————————————————————————– Toy Story 4 somehow manages to explore the most complex and profound themes at the heart of human existence through the eyes […]

Disney’s Aladdin (2019) – A Magic Carpet Thrill Ride

Director: Guy Ritchie Writers: John August and Guy Ritchie Producers: Ivan Atkinson, Kevin De La Noy, Jonathan Eirich, Max Keene, Dan Lin, Karl McMillan, Mark Mostyn, and Marc Platt Starring: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, and Nasim Pedrad ————————————————————————————————————————————– Despite some narrative bloat, one too many climaxes, and a slightly […]

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu – Ridiculous Fun Done Right

Director: Rob Letterman Writers: Dan Hernandez, Benji Sait, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly, and Nicole Perlman *Based on characters and other Pokémon stories created by Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda, Atsuko Nishida, Tomokazu Ohara, and Haruka Utsu Producers: Greg Baxter, Cale Boyter, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Tsunekazu Ishihara, Hidenaga Katakami, Cliff Lanning, Don McGowan, Ali […]