NOMADLAND underscores the fragility of America
by Rosalie Kicks Editor in Chief, Old Sport
With the breathtakingly stunning cinematography and magnificent score, I often found myself forgetting that this story is in fact heartbreaking.
Sundance 2021: THE PINK CLOUD is a courageous debut
by Rosalie Kicks Editor in Chief, Old Sport
There is so much within this film to commend, from the smartly written screenplay, superb acting and incredible use of space.
Riverdale Recap: Chapter 079: As we go on, we remember
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
Well, my fellow Riverdale devotees, I hope you brought your tissues for this one ‘cause you are going to need them.
Sundance 2021: JOHN AND THE HOLE is a quest for understanding and adulthood
by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief & Old Sport
If you’re a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos or Lynne Ramsay, you’ll probably enjoy this trip down the hole, just be prepared you may not find your way out.
Sundance 2021: PLEASURE searches for dignity in sex work
by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief & Old Sport
“What do I need to do to be the next big porn star?”
Split Decision: Sundance Faves
This week’s question: What is a film you love that premiered at any year's Sundance Film Festival?
Riverdale Recap: Chapter 078 asks who is The Auteur?
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
When one coffin closes another opens…
SAINT MAUD shows the impact of belief on others
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
Growing up with a mother that attended Catholic school for the entirety of her education, I learned that religion, well, it makes people look ridiculous.
Split Decision: Charlie Chaplin's Films
Each week, Ryan will pose a question to our staff of knowledgable and passionate film lovers and share the responses! This week’s question: In honor of the recent centennial for The Kid, what is your favorite film directed by Charlie Chaplin?
Read MoreRiverdale Recap: Chapter 077 sets the scene with some VHS help
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
Between VARCHIE (Veronica + Archie) in danger of imploding, the mysterious case of the cryptic VHS tapes and the gang’s Prom, chapter seventy-seven did not disappoint
THE LITTLE THINGS offers its three Oscar winners very little
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
The Little Things is trying so hard to be something grandiose and, instead, ended up as a predictable slog.
Welcome to New MovieJawn: The Way of the Future!
I did not start MovieJawn but, without it, I would not be alive. This may sound extreme, but it is the truth.
Read MoreSundance 2021 Preview: Kicks's Flick Picks
by Rosalie Kicks, The Old Sport
On January 28, I will embark on my third year of covering the Sundance film festival and, like many things as of late, it could not look more differently.
Read MoreMJ's Top Ten of 2020
by Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy
A couple weeks before the end of the year (and what a year it’s been), I asked everybody to list their top five movies that they’d seen so far. This is always a tough chore because people are trying to cram in the films they’d heard about but missed throughout the year and then there’s the Christmas Day releases that only a few people have seen by that point. This means that people will always look back at their list in a year or two and find things that they wish they would've included, but just hadn’t seen yet. I feel like this year has exacerbated that situation because everyone has had to settle into finding films through different avenues.
Here, I’ve compiled everyone’s rankings and responses to give the MovieJawn Top Ten for 2020.
Read MoreWonder Woman 1984
Written by Patty Jenkins (screenplay and story), Geoff Johns (screenplay and story) and Dave Callaham (screenplay)
Directed by Patty Jenkins
Starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal
Running time: 2 hours and 31 minutes (which is too long buttttt hey, at least you have access to a pause button and your home restroom)
MPAA rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“So many things. So many things.”
After viewing Patty Jenkins’s 2017 Wonder Woman in the theater, I did not think it was a perfect film by any means but there was a major thing it accomplished, unlike any of the previous superhero flicks I had seen (except for Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2). It made me feel. Watching Dianna fight her way through “No Mans Land” - I ain’t gonna lie, a tear was shed. Unfortunately, with Jenkins’s follow-up flick, Wonder Woman 1984 I found myself devoid of all emotion except pining for the flick to end.
Read MoreSylvie's Love
Written and Directed by Eugene Ashe
Starring Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha and Aja Naomi King
Running time: 1 hour and 54 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13 for smoking and sexual content
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“Extraordinary.”
I’m not always big on the Hollywood ending. There have been times when I have actively scoffed or batted my hand at the screen when experiencing a picture that ends all packaged up with a pretty bow. However, in 2020 no one will find me complaining about a happy ending. In fact, I find it to be the precise medicine needed for this hellacious year. While Sylvie’s Love doesn’t have a practically perfect in every way closure, the story comes pretty darn close.
Read MorePromising Young Woman
Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell
Starring Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham and Alison Brie
Running time: 1 hour and 53 minutes
MPAA rating: R for sexual assault, language, drug use and strong violence
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“I’m a nice guy.”
I have a bit of an obsessive personality. Take, for example, my discovery of a new film director. I don’t just buy one of their flicks for my collection, I buy the whole damn filmography within minutes of being introduced. Must have them all. Recently I started watching the hit teen soap drama program, Riverdale and now am the proud owner of the entire YA book series based on the show, a Jughead beanie™ and have renamed my pup Li’l Foxie to Li’l Foxiekins. Compulsive behavior such as this has plagued me for most of my life, especially in terms of getting over things. Which brings me to Emerald Fennell’s feature debut, Promising Young Woman.
Read MoreA Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio
A Horror Anthology
Running time: 1 hour and 44 minutes
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“Your program is crap!”
As a self-proclaimed “radio guy”, it was a no-brainer that I was going to watch A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio.
Read MoreI'm Your Woman
Written by Julia Hart and Jordan Horowitz
Directed by Julia Hart
Starring Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Arinzé Kane
Running Time: 2 hour
sMPAA Rating: R for language and violence
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
To put it gently, I am not much of a kid person. Nah, not a fan. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but the simplest way to explain it (at least this is what I have gotten out of many therapy sessions) is that never having the opportunity to be much a child myself has created a lack of understanding of what it is like to be a child. Simply put, I don’t know how to play. My experience of being around little ones tends to be difficult and draining. I have no interest in being a mother, except to those of the four legged furry persuasion, like my sweet dear pup, Li’l Foxie. Maybe this makes me some kind of a certain asshole and, well, I’m fine with this. The role of a parent is serious stuff, quite frankly I happen to think it is one of the most important jobs anyone could do on their journey around the sun. I say all this to help understand the sheer horror I felt upon witnessing the opening scene of Julia Hart’s I’m Your Woman, in which the main character, Jean, is gifted a random baby by her husband.
Read MoreMank
Written by Jack Fincher
Directed by David Fincher
Starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins and Tuppence Middleton
Running time: 2 hours and 11 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for language
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“Tell the story you know…”
David Fincher’s first feature flick in six years, Mank is a lot of things. For one, I believe it is important to note the word itself “mank”, is british slang for something that is disgusting. Knowing this and after watching this brief yet epic, fragment in Herman J. Mankiewicz’s (Gary Oldman) life left me finding this nickname to be rather fitting. This is not to discredit the film in the slightest. Characters such as this, not only make life less boring but also serve for an extremely thrilling tale. When you mix the golden age of Hollywood with Fincher’s powerful use of the camera to show an environment, along with his use of lighting design, well, this is a recipe for greatness. This may be a bit bold, but I feel after a couple watches, this may bump Zodiac down a notch on my favorite Finchy flick list.
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