Critically Acclaimed Network

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED is chock full of movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review the instant sci-fi classic THE VAST OF NIGHT (Amazon), Abel Ferrara's triumphant new drama TOMMASO (Kino Lorber),the creepy quasi-biopic SHIRLEY (Hulu), the Mexican musical style icon I'M NO LONGER HERE (Netflix), the heartfelt horror documentary SCREAM, QUEEN! (Shudder), the sli...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore Raoul Walsh's quasi-western DISTANT DRUMS, the film that introduced the Wilhelm Scream! It's one of the most popular and recognizable sound effects in motion picture history, but the film that originated the Wilhelm Screa...

The late, great comedian Fred Willard co-stars in the new Netflix comedy series SPACE FORCE, but did you know he also starred in ANOTHER television series with the exact same name? It's called SPACE FORCE, it came out in 1978, and it's basically THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW (a.k.a. SGT. BILKO) in space! Is that a bad idea? Or was SPACE FORCE... Canceled Too Soon? Critics William Bibbiani and Witn...

You've probably read her books, seen her 1970s tv series, and binged her new CW series, but do you recall the most 1990s NANCY DREW of all?  And was it... CANCELED TOO SOON? William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold solve that mystery, and ponder the depressing head canon of Scott Speedman, in an all-new episode dedicate to the history of NANCY DREW, and a syndicated series most people never heard o...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore Douglas Trumbull's SILENT RUNNING, a sci-fi epic starring Bruce Dern as an environmental activist who defies orders to destroy Earth's last remaining forests! With a screenplay by Michael Cimino (THE DEER HUNTER) and Step...

Orson Welles may be best known for directing classic films like CITIZEN KANE, TOUCH OF EVIL and CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, but he also had his own talk show! For one episode! That never got picked up by a network! THE ORSON WELLES SHOW featured special guests Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, and The Muppets, along with their voice Jim Henson and Frank Oz! It sounds like an amazing show, so could it be tha...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about what the difference is between film criticism and television criticism, the rarely discussed problem with recommending films on streaming, why Star Wars should start adapting Shakespeare and the movies that inspired them t...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has the hottest new movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae rom-com THE LOVEBIRDS (Netflix), the eye-popping sci-fi spectacular BLOOD MACHINES (Shudder), David Lynch's new short FIRE (POZAR) (YouTube), the anime anthology film MODEST HEROES (Netflix), and the unusual new documentary THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF (H...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore the gorgeous and contemplative story of DERSU UZALA, a Russian film directed by Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa! This true story about a cartographer who befriends a small, uneducated, but impossibly brave and wise man i...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about they owe Mighty Man and Yukk an apology, the movies they grew to love, the future of film festivals after the pandemic, how to watch director's cuts, the movie sequels we can't believe are real, and the difference...

Every month on THE IRON LIST, the Patrons of the Critically Acclaimed Network get to pick a topic for a giant-sized episode! And this month it's a little on the nose, because they picked THE BEST DYSTOPIAN MOVIES EVER! Join film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold as they highlight the films about sci-fi societies that explore the failures of the past, our anxieties about the present,...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has the biggest new movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review the animated Hanna-Barbera reboot SCOOB!, the bizarre Tom Hardy/Josh Trank passion project CAPONE and the character drama MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPERS! And this week on THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED STREAMING CLUB, Bibbs and Witney dig up the third CG-animated film ever made, Dreamworks&#39...

The fourth annual CANCELED TOO SOON AWARDS are finally here! Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold highlight the best, the worst and the weirdest failed TV series they've reviewed in the last year, featuring cult classics, forgotten oddities, and missed opportunities aplenty! Who will win this year's Soonies? There's only one way to find outt: by listening to this mammoth me...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about what they miss most about local video stores, the best films adapted from stage plays, the little moments in movies that amazed us, books should have been adapted by women a long time ago, and why we may need to expand our...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has a metric ton of movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani are reviewing new releases from all over the streaming world, along with a murder mystery classic that'll make any fan of KNIVES OUT happy! This week on CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, Bibbs and Witney explore the new the amazing LGTBQIA+ rom-com THE HALF OF IT, the First Nation zombie thriller BLOOD QUANTUM, the ro...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore the fantastical world of KING KONG, the original 1933 blockbuster action/horror epic that pioneered new visual effects, new techniques in sound design, and an innovative musical score that's still influential today! How did K...

Everyone on Earth blacks out at the same time and gets a vision of their own future! It's FLASHFORWARD, a short-lived series that combines OEDIPUS, LOST and 24 to create a distinctive blend of drama, mystery and action, with an all-star cast including Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Gabrielle Union, Dominic Monaghan, Ricky Jay, Courtney B. Vance, Shohreh Aghdashloo and more! FLASHFORWARD may have be...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about blockbuster filmmakers who have been forgotten by the mainstream, dance movies, trucker movies, issues in international cinema and podcast cats! Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.net,  so we can read your corresponde...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they revisit THE WIZARD OF OZ, a towering, epic production which - like STAR WARS - pioneered new effects and technologies, and inspired a ceaseless wave of imitations and homages! Bibbs and Witney break down the genius of THE WIZARD OF OZ an...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about why a movie doesn't have to be popular to be a classic, the movies that always make them cry, why superheroes might be too violent, and why long takes in movies like 1917 and EXTRACTION might be hurting the story! Emai...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED has boatloads of movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani are reviewing new releases from all over the streaming world, and also one of the worst movie musicals they've ever seen (which is saying something)! This week on CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, Bibbs and Witney explore the new ambitious action thriller EXTRACTION (Netflix), the dark animated family film THE WILLOUGHBY...

Every month on THE IRON LIST, the Patrons of the Critically Acclaimed Network get to pick a topic for a giant-sized episode! And this month, since we could all use a little escapism, they picked THE BEST MOVIES ABOUT MOVIES! Join film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold as they highlight the films about filmmakers that illuminate what works about the industry, and what's an absolute an...

Film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold are working backwards through film history, using STAR WARS as the starting point! This week on EPISODE ZERO they explore Arthur Lipsett's experimental short film 21-87, a montage of imagery and ideas about the interconnectivity of all things! How did this film inspire George Lucas to create "The Force," and how does it connect to and im...

It's an all-new episode of WE'VE GOT MAIL, the podcast where film critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold answer YOUR letters! This week, Bibbs and Witney talk about trickster movie characters, how press screenings really work, old movies that seem eerily relevant today, whether we need to re-evaluate KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD and more! Email us at letters@criticallyacclaimed.ne...

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED is jam-packed full of movies this week! Film critics William Bibbiani are reviewing new releases from all over the streaming landscape, and a kung fu classic starring Bruce Lee! This week on CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, Bibbs and Witney explore the incredible career of the late, great Brian Dennehy, and review the new streaming releases SERGIO (Netflix), ENDINGS BEGINNINGS (Amazon),...