No Content For Old Men

Let’s talk westerns! The good, the bad and the ugly (pun intended) of one of Hollywood’s most trusty genres. Plus, I get to climb back on my soapbox about the complex relationship between movies and social media.

Bob Odenkirk is an action star. And a good one at that! What has the world come to? I bet you’re surprised by my reaction to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and unsurprised by my feelings about a quintessential 1970s movie.

I made my return to a movie theater for the first time in over a year to knock out the last of the Best Picture nominees I hadn’t seen, discovering this thematically and formally inventive portrayal of dementia. Anthony Hopkins, wow.

The historic win by “Moonlight” in 2017 launched the Academy Awards into what I’m calling the Advocacy Era. Here’s what that means for this year’s ceremony as the nominees were finally announced this week.

A ripple in the media business could change the movies and shows you’re watching for the next 20 years! Plus recommendations for a fun little indie, a Cary Grant classic, and the best comfort food TV show running.

What does it mean to join the Second Wave of minority movies? Plus my thoughts on the Golden Globes, and suggestions for a few wild documentaries you should definitely check out this weekend. If you’ve never seen “Hands on a Hardbody,” have you even lived?

Documentaries are becoming more cinematic, and narrative films are becoming more authentic with each passing day. Maybe that’s why the movie industry’s biggest prize is eyeing Chloe Zhao’s utterly undefinable “Nomadland.”

I make the case for Shaka King’s biopic to take the Oscars’ top prize. Plus a dispatch from cinema’s guardian angel Martin Scorcese, a tribute to Shelley Duval and my rediscovery of the modern day “Citizen Kane.”

It’s kinda nice we can all argue about something as innocent as the latest movie release. I’m diving into the discourse around Sam Levinson’s ill-fated relationship experiment. Plus a recommendation for “Framing Britney Spears,” a look back at an Orson Welles classic, and my pick for the most worthy Best Picture candidate. You can subscribe to my newsletter at MattCraig.substack.com!

Plus my recap of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and a note on Netflix’s “The Dig,” which raised some interesting questions about the movie industry.

What does the Sundance Film Festival even mean in 2021? Plus a review of the opening night films “Coda” and “Censor,” plus streaming suggestions “Pennis From Heaven,” “Hollywoodland,” and “The One I Love.”

There’s a reason why actors love adaptations of stage plays so much. We discuss, in relation to Regina King’s racial docudrama. Then, a discussion of HBO Max’s recent releases and a few streaming suggestions for your weekend. Enjoy! You can check out my newsletter at www.mattcraig.substack.com!

In response to the debacle that was Wonder Woman 1984, this week we’re focusing on a trio of female stories told right. You can subscribe to my weekly newsletter at www.mattcraig.substack.com!

I’m a fool for not including it on my full 2020 movies list, which you can find by signing up for my newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/ba288c710dc1/sign-up. Also included in this week’s episode: “Sylvie’s Love,” “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

When two of the greatest living filmmakers put out new projects, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t tune in.

Does a truly Great Movie really require two viewings in order to appreciate it? Allow me to explain the skeleton key that unlocked the brilliance of David Fincher’s period masterwork.

There are soooo many Christmas movies. And most of them are...bad. How do these 2020 offerings stack up? Then, I give out my five favorite Christmas-adjacent movies. Enjoy!

The Sarah Paulson-led thriller is the latest effort from wunderkind Aneesh Chaganty, who has earned the budget and leash to take on more ambitious work. Ron Howard is certainly getting that kind of work, but is his latest work Oscar worthy, or simply Oscar bait?

The rom-com genre is coming back to Hollywood, but some movies pull off the signature tropes far better than others. A pair of first time directors did it better than anyone else this year.

What happens when an iconic writer/director cannot escape the caricature of himself he’s created? When he gets lost in his own ivory tower?

When the movie industry recovers from the pandemic, the blockbusterization of the studios is gonna going to get more drastic. So indies turn to the horror genre to take chances and mint new stars. Here are the two best entries that 2020 has to offer.

We’ve got a whole slate of new movies and shows to discuss! Sofia Coppola’s new jam on Apple TV+ is a vibe, and comedy has gone crazy through a rash of real live pranks and stunts. Plus, my personal connection to Netflix’s “Yes, God, Yes.”

Razor-sharp dialogue and knock out acting performances are a given, but does Sorkin’s latest project make the grand statement he was hoping for? “The whole world is watching!”

Here’s some under-the-radar streaming suggestions for your weekend, plus as always “something new,” “something old,” and “something to stream.”

Movies have never held less cultural caché than they do at this point in 2020. Into that void comes an end-of-the-word comedy that skewers the sourdough-making, social media-obsessed millennial generation. It is *chefs kiss*.