Tag: movie-reviews

Top 20 Best Movies of 2014

AdamLeave a comment

It’s been ten years since 2014! Let that sink in for a moment! TEN YEARS SINCE FREAKING 2014! I got nothing else to add than that!

In all seriousness, when looking back on 2014, I can never stop to think about just how much amazing films that came out of that year. No matter what genre of movies you like, there was something for you about everybody! Action, drama, comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, and also some superhero stuff! I would go as far to say that 2014 was the best year for films since I’ve been alive. Yeah, it was THAT good!

And maybe it was just me but I also can’t help but feel like this was the last “tolerable” year when it came to discourse surrounding films and entertainment! Before it was all about what’s woke and what’s not and something something something “cultural war”, the conversation surrounding film was more on what the medium itself was about and NOT the politics behind it all, both from a studio standpoint and social/cultural standpoints! Yes, we did unfortunately get a sneak preview with what was to come for the next decade with the infamous geek culture movement that was GamersGate but at the time, it was easy to ignore that and just judge films for what they actually are!

And if I were to judge 2014 in film form, I don’t think you could get much better than this! There were bangers after bangers scattered throughout the entire year, from a promising spring to a knockout summer movie season to a worthy Oscar season. There were so many great films to come out in 2014 that I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10 or 15 movies! No, I had to go with 20 of them, TWENTY! And there were also ten other honorable mentions that I couldn’t squeeze but desperately wish I could! That should give you an indication of just how incredible 2014 was for movies!

Let’s not waste anymore time and dive straight into this list! Starting off with my TEN honorable mentions!

Honorable Mentions:

  • Enemy
  • The Theory of Everything
  • 22 Jump Street
  • A Most Violent Year
  • Locke
  • The Boxtrolls
  • The Drop
  • The Imitation Game
  • The Fault In Our Stars
  • Frank

That’s right! Not a single one of those was able to crack my top 20! You starting to see why I keep saying that 2014 was an AMAZING year for films! Anyways, now my top 20!

20.) The Babadook

Starting off the list is was my favorite horror film to come out in 2014 with The Babadook! Jennifer Kent is able to start her directing tenure with a bang with with this creepy and terrifying thriller, acting as perhaps the scariest film at the time since Sinister. The performances from Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman are stellar, the atmosphere is as haunting as it could get, and the Babadook itself is one of the more scary antagonists in recent horror movie history. It’s not quite a film that I go back to rewatch often but it’s undoubtedly a must watch for any fan of horror there!

19.) Fury

One of the most compelling war flicks in recent memory, David Ayer is able to deliver a film about the horrors of war and the atrocities that come with it for those that are involved in it. Despite all the stellar things about this film such as the intense action sequences, great cinematography, and spot-on direction, it’s the performances from the cast members such as Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman, and Michael Douglas that is able to evaluate the picture even further to make it stand out as well as it does. It may not break any new boundaries for war films and there is a near half hour long detour that could have been trimmed down from time but aside from that, Fury is a damn solid war flick.

18.) Life Itself

Back in 2013, we lost one of the best and most respected film critics in the industry with Roger Ebert. One year later, we were able to get a great documentary that did this great man justice in Life Itself.  A beautiful and emotional dive into this iconic movie review, showing his incredible legacy in a powerfully moving narrative among other critics and filmmakers out there. He was a film critic that earned the respect from every one around him and this documentary gives a great showcase as to why. RIP Roger Ebert! Cinema would never be the same without you! Two thumbs up!

17.) The Grand Budapest Hotel

While Wes Anderson can be a hit or miss filmmaker for me, he was able to hit big time here with The Grand Budapest Hotel! Anderson’s style is able to fit perfectly throughout this film, delivering his most striking visuals to date alongside an uncommonly fast-paced and engaging story. The cast members are all on top form here, the script is witty and full of charm, the production value is absolutely outstanding, and there’s even a very engaging and moving narrative at center, making everything matter more in the grand scheme of things. I do imagine most Wes Anderson fans would have this rank much higher on this list but The Grand Budapest Hotel is still more than worthy of landing a spot among the top 20 best films of 2014.

16.) Selma

If you’re looking for perhaps the most personal film of the year where you can hear the director’s voice throughout the entire picture, Selma would likely take the cake as the best of the year in that regard. This is a film where you can feel the weight of every scene, line, & moment that Ava DuVernay shows on screen. This is the kind of biopic that likely has and will be shown in schools so that generations never forget the message, spirit, power, and importance of the man that is Dr. Martin Luther King. It may not be the most comfortable watch but Selma is undeniably one of the most important watches of 2014.

15.) Snowpiercer

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was not the only 2014 film that had Chris Evans being a badass, that honor also is shared with Snowpiercer, directed by the brilliant mind of Bong Joon-ho. It’s a film that is able to exceed at being an action flick, a sci-fi epic, and a post-apocalyptic film all at that exact same time without losing any sort of cohesion. Filled with awesome set pieces, a memorable ensemble cast, and plot twists thrown at you at every turn, there is not a second of Snowpiercer that isn’t remotely entertaining or engaging. Even if the third act left a little bit to be desired, this is still a damn exciting ride that you should not miss! Just stay away from the tv series!

14.) Interstellar

What might be Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious film to date, Interstellar makes for one of the most interesting and intriguing sci-fi films of the 21st century. The film goes into great lengths about mankind’s place in the universe and what we are willing to achieve for the survival of the human race. The effects are a feast for the eyes, it’s superbly acted, the emotional core between Cooper and his daughter is very well done, and the first two acts is able to execute it’s themes to near perfection. It’s only the bumpy as hell ending and the way a certain subplot gets completely handwave by the conclusion that prevents this from being up there with Nolan’s very best. Even if it’s not able to stick the landing as well as it could have, Interstellar makes for one engaging ride that is worth experiencing at least one time.

13.) John Wick

Before the sequels would go even bigger, bolder, lore-heavy, and dive into traditional world building, John Wick was largely a smaller-scale self contained story about a hitman coming out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog, the last piece of his late wife that remained. It may be a rather straightforward and simplistic motivation but that’s all that’s needed. Because what matters most is that we get to see Keanu Reeves kicking ass once again and become even more of a badass than he ever did in The Matrix films. With elements such as the glorified action, awesome stunts, superb lighting and cinematography, an excellent supporting cast full of recognizable talent that all get their moment to shine, and of course, the awesome Keanu Reeves delivering cheesy one-liners in a direct but cool way. While some might take issues with the simplistic plotting /characterization along with needing to tolerate corny puns and having to suspend your disbelief, anyone else that is able to accept the tropes that have become common with action movies while also wanting something fresh and new should think John Wick is right up their alley. It’s one of those movies that is able to deliver exactly what you would ever want in an action movie and even more.

12.) How To Train Your Dragon 2

Fulfilling it’s role as the dark middle chapter of DreamWorks’s most critically acclaimed film series, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a strong example as to why they can be counted on to deliver strong middle chapters for stories when they count the most. Taking the next level in terms of animation and technical achievements, this sequel is able to exceed for the same reasons that the very best sequels out there are able to do. It takes the characters to the next step of their development by putting them on a journey which makes them challenges who they are and why they do what they do. The voice work is also particularly strong here, especially with Cate Blanchett acting as Hiccup’s long lost mother. Not to mention, the surprising fate with one of the characters stands as one of the most bold moves that any DreamWorks film has every made. While the antagonist himself is a weak line and it lacks the freshness and novelty the first film had, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is still a very impressive animated sequel that is worthy of praise.

11.) Nightcrawler

One of the most gripping and unique thrillers to come out in 2014, Nightcrawler makes for one of the most fascinating character studies in recent memory! This is a film where the main character is basically an antagonist but he’s so interesting and menacing on screen that you just get engaged whenever he is on screen regardless. It’s a nice deep look into the inner meanings of being a reporter and the lengths one will go to in order to get the news and footage that they need. Jake Gyllenhaal is exceptionally excellent here, perfectly balancing the charisma and chaotic nature of it’s character. Complemented by dark and striking visuals, a strong supporting cast, and a rather haunting atmosphere, Nightcrawler delivers greatly as a unique, intense thriller! The fact it falls just shy out of the top 10 is criminal but that’s only because of how genuinely great these next ten films are!

10.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

If Captain America: The First Avenger was a perfect period piece flick, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a perfect flick for the modern times. Not only a very well done espionage thriller with plenty of thrilling action, character development, and important subject matter, but it managed to make certain characters more interesting and badass than ever before. Captain America became cool to like in this one, Black Widow was more interesting and developed this time around (along with having the best hairstyle here), Nick Fury actually gets to do something here than just try to motivate the Avengers through pep talk, and man does Winter Soldier make for an intense and threatening presence whenever he is one screen. This was the Russo Brothers first film in the MCU and they were able to make one hell of a first impression! Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an absolute game changer for the MCU when it came out back in 2014 and it still remains one of their very best films to date!

9.) Edge of Tomorrow

Perhaps the most surprising summer blockbuster of the year, Edge of Tomorrow (or Live. Die. Repeat as it was later changed to….I think) was significantly better than it had any right to be! This is a time loop film that is able to do everything it possibly can with it’s Groundhog Day-like premise! It’s able to be action packed, entertaining, funny, well-acted, perfectly paced and be able to surprise you at basically every turn! Although Tom Cruise shows he’s still able to be a convincing action star outside of Mission Impossible, it’s Emily Blunt as Rita Vrataski that steals the show entirely, fondly earning the name the Full Metal Bitch! Yes, it’s a shame this film didn’t do that well at the box office (likely due to the film’s rather lackluster campaign) but that doesn’t change the fact that this is an absurdly great and clever sci-fi action thriller that is MORE than worthy of your time!

8.) Gone Girl

Even when you think that David Fincher has run out of ways to tell compelling stories, he proves us all wrong with Gone Girl. This works near perfectly as not just a faithful adaption of the novel which it is based on but it also works as terrific social commentary on the politics surrounding media and the consequences of coming to a general consensus without having all of the information. Ben Affleck might be damn good here but Rosamund Pike is absolutely INCREDIBLE here, giving perhaps the best performance out of any actress this year. With a fantastic script, great cinematography, an engaging cast, and a narrative that will keep you intrigue and guessing throughout, Gone Girl is a fantastic thriller and one of the very best films to come for the great David Fincher.

7.) X-Men: Days of Future Past

While there’s definitely a strong argument to be made that Logan is objectively the best X-Men film ever made, Days of Future Past is by far my absolute favorite “team-up” X-Men film in the series. From the superb character development to the amazing action set pieces (The Quicksilver scene is still an all-timer!) to the warm, dark tone to the resonate themes to the inventiveness of the time travel storytelling to the inspired score, this is basically everything you can ask for in an X-Men film or in basically any superhero movie in general. But the one thing I believe is most important to take away from Days of Future Past is how just because you are course-correcting your franchise does not mean the overall product has to suffer because of it. I can’t really recall any movie in recent memory that was able to be a kind of course-correcting movie without feeling the need to sacrifice it’s own quality for a brighter future. As curious as I am with how the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles the X-Men property from now on, I can’t imagine them topping this film or craft something as creative and inventive as this, at least in terms of live-action (X-Men 97 is MAGNIFICENT btw!)

6.) Birdman

The film that won Best Picture at the Oscars may not quite be the very best film that I saw in 2014 but in many ways, it’s pretty damn close! Birdman remains one of the most unique and original films in recent memory, giving a great insight into a legendary actor passed his prime, how film critics observe film, and the way that Hollywood operates in chasing successful trends. The one-shot gimmick is unique and never wears out it’s welcome, the screenplay is excellent, the narrative is engaging, the cinematography is more than Oscar-caliber, and the performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton is among the very best in all three of their careers. Even if it does have a tad sense of smugness throughout, almost as if director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is shouting his frustrations at the way superhero flicks are taking over anything, Birdman is an extremely impressive cinematic achievement that it’s too hard to care about any potential shortcomings.

5.) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

If you want a textbook example on how to do a proper summer movie blockbuster, this would be exactly what you find in that dictionary. Released in a loaded 2014 movie season that was serving constant bangers, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was able to stand greatly among them. This is a layered, three-dimensional, and at times unpredictable film that is able to tell a cautionary tale about the roles that two different species play and every single one of them looking for the best possible outcome for themselves. Instead of going with a conventional “apes good, human bad” approach, Dawn instead shows the pros and cons of both the humans and apes, highlighting the gray area that is consuming both sides, as the two sides are trying to make for the best possible future for themselves in the worst possible times. We also can’t forget the spectacular visuals and motion capture of the apes that has never been better than it has been here, great action, perfect tension throughout, and one of the coolest and underrated villains in recent memory in Koba, played perfectly by Toby Kebbell. Perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly directed, and perfectly acted (Give Andy Serkis an Oscar already!), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is blockbusters at it’s absolute finest, giving me all hope that we are still capable of making great franchise installments.

4.) The Lego Movie

One of the most genuinely surprising films in recent memory, The LEGO Movie was able to defy any logical odds and become an instant classic! This is a movie where you have the LEGO people be actual characters who get development, it’s own unique animation style, tons of exciting and inventive set pieces, incredibly funny and original jokes, poking fun at movie cliches, subverting expectations at every turn, and has a heartfelt message that can appeal to both kids and adults that have played with LEGOS at some point in their lives. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were able to fully realize their vision when sitting comfortably in the director’s chair and used this premise to create this magnificent animated picture. While I’m sure the movie was able to help sell tons of LEGO sets the way that stockholders hoped it would, The LEGO Movie was able to be something much more than simply be a movie exist to sell toys, even if that was intention with stockholders. It showed that just because you’re a brand doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the artistic integrity and creativity to make something special. 

3.) The Raid 2

You wanna talk about an action filmmaking TRIUMPH, that would be The Raid 2! Gareth Evans is able to take everything that made the original Raid so good and crank it up to ELEVEN here! The action is constantly non-stop, throwing one amazing fight at you after another with constant blood and carnage throughout, the shock value is off the charts, every single frame and set piece feel expertly crafted, the pacing is absolute rapid fire, and even the story and characters are quite engaging, helping make every fight scene that more gripping and suspenseful. I don’t think I have ever seen an action film with better fight sequences, more convincing stunts, and more superb fight choreography than this! There is nothing here that feels half assed, restricted, or unconvincing! Even if nothing that happened in this movie happened in real life, it will FEEL like that when you are watching The Raid 2! There’s been a lot of great action films out there but when it comes to the pure action itself, I don’t think I’ve seen a film that delivers that any better than The Raid 2!

2.) Guardians of the Galaxy

While this may not be technically the best directed, acted, or written MCU movie, I don’t think there’s any other MCU movie I would rather rewatch than the original Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s incredible how a movie with this different of concept and characters and play barley over two hours yet it still feels like the complete package. Every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy is instantly iconic and lovable, with the big standouts being Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, the story is familiar but also refreshing with it’s own unique identity to it, the action scenes are well-crafted, it’s incredibly funny as hell, the score is kick-ass, and there’s some hard hitting emotions that feel just right. Even the one-note villain of Ronan the Accuser, is actually quite functional in his own way as being the space equivalent of Hitler. There are definitely Marvel movies that are better made and might be better objectively but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s as fresh, surprising, and flat-out more entertaining than Guardians of the Galaxy! This is a film I can watch time and time again and NEVER be bored with!

1.) Whiplash

There are rare times when films feel more like than just films but feel like experiences! I don’t think I can think of a more fitting example of that than Whiplash! There was no film in 2014 that was able to enthrall me, challenge me, have me on the edge of my seat, or keep me engaged than Whiplash! This is not just a film about music but it’s about pushing yourself beyond measures to be the best version of yourself you can possibly me. It’s about the lengths you will go to accomplish your dream goals and what you are willing to sacrifice along the way! It’s about a professor trying to get the very best out of his student in ways that are unconventional and absolutely anxiety inducing! Best of all, Whiplash is about filmmaking at it’s finest! Damien Chazelle’s directing is spot-on, Miles Teller turns in the best performance of his career, J.K. Simmons’s Terence Fletcher is one of the best film antagonists in recent memory, the screenplay is as air tight as they come, the score and editing is sublime, not a single moment feel wasted, and the third act is one of the best and most satisfying climaxes of any film I have ever seen! When it comes to all the films I saw in 2014, there is not that stuck with me the most and had me appreciating the more I thought about it than Whiplash! An absolute masterpiece on every level and legit one of the best films I’ve ever seen period!

Why Animators Need To Go On Strike

AdamLeave a comment

It has been announced that Pixar will be laying off 14% of current employees due to Disney’s cost-cutting measures. This will be the biggest restructuring in Pixar’s history. Even after undergoing similar layoffs last year, which included Galyn Susman, the woman who helped keep Toy Story 2 at bay during production, yet another restructure is occurring at the offices of Pixar. Never mind the fact that last year’s Elemental was able to squeeze a profit after it’s incredibly strong legs or that Inside Out 2 is set to have the biggest opening weekend at the box office in 2024 so far! Neither one of those elements were enough to continue letting talented animators get the hammer!

Unfortunately, this has not been the only layoffs in recent memory within the animation industry. Back in March, shortly after Kung Fu Panda 4 had a strong opening weekend at the box office, DreamWorks had announced massive layoffs with their company as well. Even more so than the ones with Pixars, DreamWorks confirmed that many departments were cut in half and the creative staff on movies were to be reduced at least up to 50%. Yes, around HALF of the creative staff at DreamWorks were laid off a few months ago. Never mind the fact that Kung Fu Panda 4 had a solid opening weekend at the box office and has managed to gross over 530 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing Kung Fu Panda sequel domestically and even outgrossing the previous Kung Fu Panda installment. Not to mention, the lower 85 million dollar budget that certainly allowed for higher revenue that perhaps any other Kung Fu Panda movie to date. None of that was enough to save DreamWorks from being forced to clean house and restructure their entire company.

There are multiple reasons why this is all occurring to not only within the animation industry but nearly all forms of entertainment in general. Mediums underperforming or tanking at the box office and/or sales, bloated budgets that makes return outcome nearly impossible, rushed development cycles which artists are constantly overworked and crunched for times, etc.. However, I do think the #1 reason behind all of this has to do with the higher ups of these studios. In the cases I just mentioned, Disney and Universal.

If you have been seeing how technology is becoming more advanced by the day, you likely are familiar with the way A.I. has been playing a bigger role now than before. With artificial intelligence features such as ChatGPT becoming more common in every day use, it’s clear that studios are looking to have that be more incorporated to the way entertainment is made now. Not for the sake of quality but for the sake of quantity. Companies want A.I. to play a big role now because it will save them extra bucks in not having to hire more animators or artists. That way, more and more money can be made that can light their own pockets and NOT be spend on actual content themselves.

Many people find it blasphemy that big studios and companies are still trying to convert A.I. into their products at the expense of actual human beings after going through at least two major strikes because of that push. However, it just doesn’t matter in the eyes of the higher ups. They don’t know how to shortened the budgets of their content that doesn’t involve laying off a good portion of their employees. They just think A.I. is the big answer to all of their problems. Not because they want to experiment on different ways to make new forms of entertainment but because that will save them a few extra pennies. It’s about as greedy, corporate, and cynical as they come.

All of those reasons and more is why whenever the contract inevitably expires this year between the Animation Guide and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a strike is going to 100% occur. It’s not a WANT per se but an absolute NEED for both sides, if the future of animation is to thrive in the best way it can. Companies need to learn that they can NOT take animators for granted and needs them to provide quality entertainment.

Even if you take out the constant push for A.I., the animation industry has been infamous with it’s troubled production with films in recent memory. You have Across the Spider-Verse which had animators being treated extremely poorly by Phil Lord, causing hundreds of animators to leave the project. You have Kung Fu Panda 4 which had plenty of back and forth between the creatives and being rushed out of door during the multiple strikes to get out by spring. And do I even need to bring up the development history surrounding Frozen 2, which had a Disney Plus documentary in which the people who made it unironically state that they were overworked, crunched, and was basically making the whole movie up as they went along. And I can only imagine the stories we will be hearing about Moana 2, the Disney Plus series turned movie, during the holiday season this year?

Working in the animation industry or any entertainment industry is certainly hard and requires you to be working a TON to get each project out on time. But it should never come at the cost of someone’s mental health, insanity, or skills as a human being. You might be able to get away with that once or twice but to have EVERY production in animation going this way is a big no-no. That’s how you wind up with something like Megamind 2, that was litter with animation errors that became noticeable to anyone once the very first trailer dropped. Not only is the poor treatment for animators along with this constant push for A.I. to take over is affecting the work-life balance of animators but also the quality of animated motion pictures. And once you got so many of those poor quality animated films in a row, eventually people will catch on and your movies will end up bombing at the box office. Just ask Disney with Wish!

Yes, there has been plenty of great animated work as of late, regardless of their production history, but more times than not, these rushed developments cycles, harsh treatment of animators, and wanted to replace them with robots is causing major harm to the animation industry. At some point, you as an animator has to put your foot down and stand up to the studio saying “No! You will just not tolerate any longer! Treat us with the respect we deserve or we go on strike!” While it’s unlikely that will occur on it’s own, the soon-to-be expired contract between the Animation Guide and the AMPTP will certainly make the voices of animators be heard. And there is not better time for them to start speaking up than now!

Just like how actors and writers had every right to go on strike last year, animators deserve that very right! With big companies performing layoffs within the industry in the hopes of avoiding a strike, that is only going to throw more fuel into the fire. Laying off hundreds to thousands of animators in the hopes of giving those extra bucks to those that deserve it is NOT the answer! Replacing those animators with robots is NOT the answer! Putting the animators through hell with every single animation production is also NOT the answer! The only answer is to give them the proper care, treatment, and respect that they deserve to deliver the best quality creative product that they can!

It’s only then that animators may not have to strike. However, in this case and under THESE circumstances right now, they have more than earn their right to do so once they get the chance!

About Chris Stuckmann’s Madame Web “Review”

AdamLeave a comment

I never thought I would be doing ANOTHER piece talking about Madame Web. As a matter of fact, it was around the time that Chris Stuckmann posted his Madame Web “review” that I posted my piece on why it’s time for Sony to give Spider-Man back to Marvel. And it’s around the time of writing of which Bob Chipman, A.K.A. Moviebob, just uploaded his take on this trivial matter that I’m about to do my take on.

In all seriousness, Madame Web came out last month and was universally panned across the board by professional critics and those that actually had the guts to watch that turd in the wind in theaters. And while there has been stupid discourse over the financial bombing and lackluster quality of that movie, most notably that the sole reason it failed is because female led superhero stories don’t work because….women, the most obnoxious that I’m still seeing back and forth on social media weeks later is on Chris Stuckmann’s take on the movie, or most notably about the studio politics and behind the scenes drama surrounding it.

In case you don’t know who Chris Stuckmann is, he’s been known as one of the main film critics on YouTube since around 2010. He would do reviews on the latest movies that are playing in cinemas, video analyses of certain key films, and specific videos talking about the state of cinema in general. Outside of Jeremy Jahns, he’s probably been the biggest and most influential movie reviewer on YouTube for the majority of the 2010s.

However for the past few years, Chris had been working to become a professional film director, making his feature length film debut with a project titled Shelby Oaks. In 2021, he announced on his channel that he will stop doing videos where he critiques film to take his first few steps into filmmaking and now mainly uses his channel to discuss films that he actually enjoys.

For longtime viewers, this felt like a decision that was long coming. Even before semi-retiring as a film critic, he has stated constantly that he doesn’t enjoy dogpiling on movies due to how that negative mindset has impacted the state of film criticism on the internet, so much so that he stopped doing worst movies of the years lists after 2017. That right there practically gave you a direction of where his head was at for his future on YouTube. Not to mention, making a platform out of showing love and passion for film and NOT contempt seems like the logical way to go for someone who is working to become a filmmaker. Considering we all live in a time where negativity attracts the most attention on the internet, especially in regards to entertainment, it does seems like a refreshing change of pace for someone as big as Chris Stuckmann to use his popularity to support the good side of cinema instead of always fueling fire with the bad.

However, shortly after Madame Web came out, Chris decided to make a video talking about it. It wasn’t so much about the quality of the film itself but more of what likely went on from behind the camera and the film production at Sony Pictures. And because of that, the internet didn’t react so kindly to that video.

Most were outraged at the fact that Chris didn’t make the whole video about tearing down Madame Web and swearing off everyone involved with that movie. There were those that claimed he’s only doing that to save face in case he one day gets a shot on working on a major franchise with a major studio. While I can understand an argument or two on that, the majority of the response what I’m seeing is the fact that people are angry with the fact that Chris himself didn’t do an angry rant on the movie where he’s constantly shouting and isn’t joining along with the rest of the internet to tear an obvious bad movie down a new a**hole. And what I say to that is, you all need to CHILL THE F**K OUT!

First off, never once in that video does Chris claim that he wanted to do a review on Madame Web. As I mentioned before, his main goal with his channel is to celebrate good films instead of tearing down bad films like the majority of the internet does with anything nowadays. Why in the world would he make an exception with Madame Web? Because everyone else is doing it?! Because it’s a Marvel/superhero movie?! Because it’s a female led movie?!?! What would be the point of him doing that? Doing a negative review on that is no longer in his character so why would he feel compelled to do that?!?!

Heck, he literally states at the beginning of the video that it is NOT a review of Madame Web and there’s plenty of other folks out there that have reviews for it for everyone else to read, watch, or listen to. That right there should have given you all the info you need to know that is NOT a review of Madame Web, assuming the title of the video didn’t give that away entirely.

For anyone that actually bothers to watch the entire video instead of an out of context clip on Twitter and Facebook, you would know that Chris himself just wanted to give an insight has to how the film industry operates when it comes to most of the bigger franchises IPs out there. Now that he is within the industry and likely has associates who have worked on some of these franchise IPs, he now has a bigger understanding as to how things tend to work in the film business.

The whole point of a video is to put a spotlight on corporations like Sony and how they basically have control and say over how their big films go. In that, it’s not always on the cast and crew for why a product turns out so bad, it’s on the studios and their constant micromanagement of said film. Because at the end of the day, they are the ones that greenlight a movie and have totally say onto how things should go doing production of said film. What is so wrong with stating something so INCREDIBLY obvious?

As I mentioned in my piece about Sony last month, all you have to do is look at the treatment they have been giving our favorite web swinger since 2007 to prove Chris’s points. They are the ones that wrecked Spider-Man 3 by forcing Sam Raimi to include characters he didn’t want to. They are the ones that drove the Amazing Spider-Man film series into the ground by over budgeting, overplanning, and not having a proper direction for that franchise. They are the ones that are making these unnecessary Spidey villain origin stories that no one is asking for. And if reports are true, they are the ones that are rushing MCU’s Spider-Man 4 to get it out by next year despite the MCU being too packed in 2025 and they likely don’t even have a finished script for it yet. Who do you think is more at fault with the results of those movies mentioned? The cast and crew of those pictures or Sony themselves? If you say Sony, then congratulations you got the point of Chris’s video!

The thing is I’m sure all of us would KILL to do a Spider-Man movie if we were given the opportunity to do so. We all have our own version of Spider-Man that we would love to share with others all over the world. However, even when you get a chance to work on one, there’s a good chance that vision will not match the studios. As I mentioned before, they are the ones that chose the direction to go and whether or not your vision is the one they want. And if they refuse, you either have to sit down, shut up, and do what they say or you would just quit entirely. This is a real world we live in and the studios won’t just hand over their massive franchises over to you and let you do what they want just because. They have to approve of everything.

In the case of Madame Web, Sony are the ones that approved the quality of that mess, not director S.J. Clarkson or writers Kerem Sanga, Claire Parker, Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless. Sony could have said “No!” to the movie they made and have it reworked into a better film but they didn’t. However, because the majority of people that watch said film don’t know how big movies are made, they just put the full blame on the cast and crew for the outcome of the movie they saw and NOT on the studio that greenlighted it. Because of that, it’s the creative team behind the movie that will suffer the great casualties from Madame Web and NOT Sony Pictures! Once again, this is what Chris Stuckmann was talking about!

And even if all of this has NOTHING to do with the video, why do you need ANOTHER review that’s just nonstop bashing Madame Web?! You already have hundreds to thousands other YouTubers for you to do that, as stated by Chris at the literal START OF THE VIDEO! You have mainstream critics that panned the hell out of the movie, so much so that it will likely go down as one of the worst reviewed films of 2024. You have an audience that didn’t bother to go and see it and Sony will likely lose a TON of money as a result. This is the equivalent of kicking a horse that’s already dead! Just stop! THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE!

I do want to make something clear that I am NOT against film criticism. Even in an age where we have YouTubers making overlong and tedious movie reviews that talk about how said film is “OBJECTIVELY BAD!” which is non stop nitpicking with the mindset of a CinemaSins doppelganger, I do think critical feedback is important in the hopes of more quality films in the future. However, I don’t think Chris Stuckmann contradicts that because quite simply, he is no longer the man to go to in this regard. He himself has confirmed that and everyone has to simply expect that now.

I can maybe understand if you used to watch Chris Stuckmann and weren’t aware of his more friendly turn to discussing films that you might have an initial negative reaction to this. However, for those that have known this since 2021, what exactly are you trying to accomplish here? Another bad review of Madame Web isn’t going to change anything since there’s already been a million of them since the movie came out. It’s like the equivalent of picking up on the poor nerdy kid in school who has no friends and is constantly being picked on. Everyone else is doing it so that means I should do it too! If that’s the mindset everyone has in regards to this, then that just goes to show you how far proper film discourse has fallen.

The vile reaction to Chris’s video is just more proof of different times we live in now. Gone are the days where a film is loved and acclaimed by everyone with an occasional contrarian or two. Gone are the days where we can have a simple discussion and explain why a certain film just doesn’t work. Gone are the days where we can even make simple videos about how simply making a film is not as black and white as it seems. Now, it’s just going on and on about how “woke” or “anti-woke” a certain film is and whether or not it fits into one’s preferred political parties’ “agenda” or gives more ammunition in this so-called “cultural war”. It’s just stupid discourse after stupid discourse with no end in sight.

If you disagree with Chris Stuckmann’s take on what might have gone wrong behind the scenes with Madame Web, that’s fine. If you preferred when he was a film critic and had no problem with critiquing films, that is fine too. But if you are someone that is mad with the fact he is not joining along with every big name YouTuber in making Madame Web their whipping boy (or in the case of this movie, whipping girl) of the moment, then that says more about you than it does for Chris.

The funniest thing about this all is that Chris himself makes it perfectly clear that he did not enjoy Madame Web whatsoever. He might not directly say that but if you just read between the lines, it’s painfully obvious he agrees with 99.99% of the population in that Madame Web is a bad movie. The fact that people are angry at him anyway is the real master stroke on this sick cesspool we call film discourse in the year 2024!

And I am SO not prepared as to how Kung Fu Panda 4 will fare into all of this complete BS!

Come to think about it, perhaps that’s why DreamWorks hasn’t bothered to properly market that movie. Even they know that if too many people are aware of its existence, then Po’s next movie will too will get needlessly dragged or roped into this pointless war surrounding entertainment. Po is innocent and deserves so much better than what grifters or the “woke” crowd are gonna force him into by next week.

If only Roger Ebert was still around. He would find a way to stop all of this nonsense!

Night Swim (2024) Early Movie Review- A January Horror Movie At It’s Finest

AdamLeave a comment

It’s become cliche to say that a movie released in January sucks. After all, January is pretty much considering the dumpster month of movies. A time where the kids are back in school and the awards contenders are able to hit that end of the year deadline in some areas to qualify for the Oscars. However, in recent memory, there has been a solid number of released films released around this time that were actually not bad or had at least some version of quality. 2016 had Kung Fu Panda 3. 2017 had Split. 2018 (at least in America) had Paddington 2. 2020 (before the pandemic) had Bad Boys For Life. 2022 had Scream. And just last year, 2023 had M3GAN. None of these films were necessarily masterpieces (except for Paddington 2) but they did at least start their respective year on a decent enough note that got folks interested to see what the rest of the year had in stores. If there is a January movie in 2024 that would do exactly that, it’s CERTAINLY not going to be Night Swim. Despite Blumhouse being able to surprise folks with M3GAN last year, they can not make that same lighting strike twice here.

Premise: Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) moves into a new house with his wife (Kerry Condon) and two children (Gavin Warren, Amelie Hoeferle). He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. However, a dark secret from the home’s past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.

The most blatant problem with Night Swim is how it can’t seem to figure out what kind of film it wants to commit the most too. You would believe based off the premise of a pool monster who preys on those that dare take a late night swim would put the majority of the focus on building tension and creating inventive scares that will get under your skin during and after the movie ends. However, it also wants to be a deep thematic movie about learning to accept a new stage in your life when you can no longer go back to the prior one and the overall meaning of sacrifice for the ones you love. Night Swim tries to do both stories at the same time but it’s done in the most half baked way imaginable.

The overall lore and mythology of who exactly this pool demon is are painfully underdeveloped. It’s never clear as to who this monster is, why it does what it does, or even how it’s been allowed to thrive in this pool for so long. Even when we get to the part where the original victim of this monster dive into the backstory of their prior encounter with the demon, it just makes thing even more complicated and confusing than it already is. It seems like it wants that pool to come across as some sort of drug, where the father and son become too addicted to it to the point where they are starting to lose who they are, but it’s never clear as to why it’s suppose to help those that swim into the pool. At best, it might heal Ray Waller of his disease sooner rather than later so he can go back to playing baseball but even then, aside from one scene where they go to the hospital for checks, that never gets addressed again and the movie goes on to the next nonsensical thing. It’s not a good thing when the first thing I ask myself when the movie was over is like, “Why don’t the family just NOT swim in the pool?!” There, problem solved!

The human drama with Ray and his disease is probably the most engaging subplot but it honestly feels like it should have made for it’s own movie rather than this one. A story about Ray having to choose to embrace his new life fighting this new disease only with his family or working his way through his illness to become a ball player could make for an interesting flick but not for a horror one. It’s the two conflicting tones of wanting to be a human drama and an intense horror thriller that makes Night Swim feels at odds with itself. This is all the more apparent in the final reel which the main character makes a move that’s suppose to tie into the overall theme the movie has been flirting with throughout the runtime but because of the other things it had to focus on, it comes across as anti-climatic and (the more that you think about it) incredibly stupid. It should have decided if it wanted to be a personal character driven drama or a straight up scary flick, not both at the same time.

When it comes to the scares themselves, some of them are decent but there is nothing here that will make your skin crawl shortly after the film ends. Most of it only works when it happens in the moment and there’s no creative visual imagery that will be living in your head rent free. The rest of the scares are poorly shot, lighted, and edited where I could barely see what was happening on screen. The perfect example are the scenes towards the end where the mother and son goes into the pool to confront the demon and it felt like the filmmakers had the desire to hid as much as possible for whatever reason. I don’t know if it had to do with the lack of a big budget, the proper rating, or that the director doesn’t have much major film experience but for those coming for the scares, you will likely feel ripped off as well.

Acting wise, while far from the worst performances you will see in an January movie, there’s nothing that stands out from the cast. Wyatt Russell is the most entertaining one here but feels too comedic for this role, almost feeling like he would fit better in a Jordan Peele horror movie rather than this one. Even during the scenes where he supposedly turns evil, it’s hard to buy his sudden turn because of him keeping that same form of charisma that he did in his good form. The rest of the performances from the cast are passable at best but nothing to write home about, giving that exact feeling of only being in it for a quick paycheck.

Night Swim is a perfect example of why horror movies or movies in general released in January get a bad rep. It’s a confused mess that has no idea what kind of film it wants to be. The tone is all over the place, the scares aren’t effective, the lore and mythology surrounding the monster and haunted pool don’t add up, and the ending the more I think on it might just be one of the dumbest endings to a film in recent memory. It might be technically “watchable” and might find an audience for those that have a soft spot for these trashy January horror flicks but it’s definitely not something I can recommend you should go out of your way to see. If anything, you are better off just watching the short film that this is based off of. I may not have seen it myself but I’m willing to bet it’s better than whatever the feature film was.

Move over Bambino and Billy Goat, the newest baseball related curse has arrived in the form of Night Swim!