Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Best Picture: The Final Ranking
After nearly two years, I’ve watched every Best Picture winner in order, written about them on here, and given my ideas about what should’ve won instead. But the winners were the winners, so I may as well rank them because everybody loves a ranked list. Those of you who checked out my Letterboxd lists over…
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Best Picture #93: Nomadland
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #92: Parasite
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #91: Green Book
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #90: The Shape of Water
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #89: Moonlight
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #88: Spotlight
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #87: Birdman
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #86: 12 Years a Slave
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #85: Argo
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #84: The Artist
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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My Journey with Old
To paraphrase the introduction to Dan Olson’s video essay regarding watching Contagion dozens of times during the early months of the pandemic: this is not a review, it is a raw nerve. As M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film came to a close, I began to lose sight of the film itself, and I started to…
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Old
So, I guess I should preface this review by saying that I never decline an opportunity to champion one of the great filmmakers of our time. Regardless of where you stand on M. Night Shyamalan, his releases tend to be events amongst critics and film buffs alike. This is exactly why I need to get…
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Mandibles
French Absurdist auteur filmmaker/musician Quentin Dupieux has by and large made a name for himself with his inexplicable oddities. If you’ve seen one of his films (probably Rubber or Deerskin), you know exactly what I’m referring to. His typically quirky plots and eccentric world-building have an aurora of intrigue in the most simplistic of manners;…
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Jolt
Meet Lindy, a horny mid-30s English romantic living in New York hoping for a better life. She’s into photography, extreme sports, manners, Star Wars, chugging Redbull, the firing range, rough sex, oh, and a bit of the ol’ ultraviolence. You see, Lindy has an unnatural level of cortisol running through her all the time which…
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Best Picture #83: The King’s Speech
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Fear Street Part 3: 1666
[This review contains spoilers for Fear Street Part 1: 1994 & Part 2:1978] The Netflix Fear Street trilogy has finally come to a close. The final chapter promises a lot: a return to the protagonists we were introduced to as well as a journey back in time to when all of the town’s troubles began.…
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Pig (2021)
Where to begin with Nicolas Cage‘s latest endeavor? For starters, it’s titled Pig, and the story is about Cage’s bearded Oregonian wilderness-living recluse searching for his kidnapped truffle pig. What many, including myself, thought would be along the lines of A24’s drama First Cow meets Mandy actually turns out to be a bit more complex…
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Best Picture #82: The Hurt Locker
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Fear Street Part 2: 1978
[This review contains spoilers for Fear Street Part 1: 1994] The Fear Street Netflix trilogy continues with its middle entry, 1978. While this one is obviously a sequel to the first installment, most of it is a prequel following the character of Christine “Ziggy” Berman (Sadie Sink for the majority, Gillian Jacobs in the 1994…
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Best Picture #81: Slumdog Millionaire
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Fear Street Part 1: 1994
If you grew up in the ‘90s, or were a weird kid growing up in the 2000s like me, you’re probably familiar with R. L. Stine. A children’s author who put out books faster than Stephen King does these days, Stine is well known all across America for introducing the horror genre to young readers.…
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No Sudden Move
Steven Soderbergh is back, baby. Well, he’s been back for quite a while, but let me explain. After a brief hiatus that he called a retirement in 2013 following the release of Behind the Candelabra, Soderbergh quickly made his return with Logan Lucky (Ocean’s Seven-Eleven if you’re nasty), a return to the heist genre that…
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Zola
Two new friends set out on an adventure sharing one similar interest but when that fairy tale turned into a nightmare, it sparked a viral 148-tweet thread about a mission gone south, literally. What happened, whether true or not, would be worthy of a big-screen adaptation because of just how buckwild it was, right? What…
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Gaia
A newcomer to the scene, South African director Jaco Bouwer‘s feature directorial debut Gaia will instantly bring to mind a handful of recent eco-horror staples. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and originally making its global debut at SXSW back in March, Gaia takes a high concept approach along the lines of Annihilation. Two unsuspecting park…
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Censor
As video equipment became more available to consumers throughout the 1970s, more and more films were being made independently by up and coming directors and producers. There was a surge in this decade of low budget horror films with more gore than ever before. Maestros of the genre like Herschell Gordon Lewis were able to…
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Best Picture #80: No Country for Old Men
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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In Conversation: F9 and the Fast Future
For anyone who hasn’t watched the trailers that give away everything, consider this a spoiler warning for F9 and the whole franchise. Henry: A little more than a year ago, I had never seen a movie in the Fast and Furious saga and really had little interest in ever watching them despite my dad and…
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Best Picture #79: The Departed
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #78: Crash
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Best Picture #77: Million Dollar Baby
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Cruella
Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the cruelest one of all? None other than Cruella De Vil herself. She’s one of Disney’s most iconic animated villains – and easily the best dressed character in their film library – and it’s for a few simple reasons: she wants to skin 99 (not 101, despite the animated…
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Best Picture #76: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Army of the Dead
Like it or not, Zack Snyder is having a very prolific year. Barely two months since the release of his long awaited cut of Justice League, which I very much enjoyed, his first non-franchise film in a decade has just hit Netflix’s library. Army of the Dead is somewhat a return to form for the…
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Spiral: From the Book of Saw
I spent most of the past February catching up with the Saw franchise with my roommate. They were already a fan, and I was finally convinced to jump aboard the ship with the announcement of this new film that we have, as well as an incredible episode of the podcast Why Are Dads? that featured…
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Riders of Justice
Anders Thomas Jensen‘s fifth and latest film working with fellow Dane Mads Mikkelsen, and I believe the fourth collaboration with excellent co-stars Nicolas Bro and Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Riders of Justice might just be my favourite film of the year thus far as well as one I’m comfortable saying, in comparison to Another Round, is…
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The Killing of Two Lovers
Director, writer, editor Robert Machoian‘s The Killing of Two Lovers is one I’ve been keeping an eye on since it got picked up by NEON. A pseudo-thriller seamlessly disguised as a very raw marriage break-up story, focusing on a small-town high-school sweetheart couple who has, after four children, decided to take a break. When our…
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Best Picture #75: Chicago
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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Without Remorse
Taylor Sheridan is one of the few writers working today that, for me, is more likely to attract me to a project than the filmmaker bringing it to life. His filmography is impressive even after less than a decade. Sicario and Hell or High Water are both great movies, elevated by their direction, but they…
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Best Picture #74: A Beautiful Mind
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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AFI Top 100: The French Connection
Each week, this column will cover one film on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, covering my general thoughts on the film and whether or not I think it belongs on the list. You can also see my personal ranking here. This week’s film is #93 on…
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The Head Hunter
Director: Jordan Downey (ThanksKilling, ThanksKilling 3) Starring: Christopher Rygh Runtime: 72 minutes Release Date: April 12, 2021 (UK) Language: English Stereo PCM & DTSHD surround Subtitles: English Aspect Ratio: High-definition 1080p 16:9 (1.78:1) Format: Blu-ray (1 disc) Region: B Adorned in his battle worn armour—riddled in tears, scorch marks, and stains from myriads of slain…
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Uncle Peckerhead
Director: Matthew John Lawrence Starring: Chet Siegel, Jeff Riddle, Ruby McCollister, David Littleton, Ryan Conrath Runtime: 97 minutes Release Date: May 3, 2021 (UK) Language: English Stereo PCM & DTSHD surround Subtitles: English Aspect Ratio: High-definition 1080p (2.39:1) [*The credits are open matted, so you will notice them rolling through the top and bottom screen…
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Best Picture #73: Gladiator
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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AFI Top 100: Titanic
Each week, this column will cover one film on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, covering my general thoughts on the film and whether or not I think it belongs on the list. You can also see my personal ranking here. This week’s film is #83 on…
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Best Picture #72: American Beauty
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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AFI Top 100: Sophie’s Choice
Each week, this column will cover one film on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, covering my general thoughts on the film and whether or not I think it belongs on the list. You can also see my personal ranking here. This week’s film is #91 on…
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HELD
“Isn’t that heaven on earth. It’s the way a marriage should be, before feminism and political-correctness muddied the waters. Simpler. Better times.“ Directed by the duo behind Blumhouse’s The Gallows, Chris Lofing and Travis Cliff, Frightfest official selection HELD sees a departure from the supernatural horror aspect. With some #MeToo movement subtext, HELD bolsters more…
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Best Picture #71: Shakespeare in Love
Each week this column will highlight one winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, progressing chronologically until all winners have been discussed. There will be a brief discussion of the film itself followed by a mention of what we wish won from the nominees in the given year (though in many cases there were…
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AFI Top 100: American Graffiti
Each week, this column will cover one film on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, covering my general thoughts on the film and whether or not I think it belongs on the list. You can also see my personal ranking here. This week’s film is #62 on…
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