film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
UPDATED: Winners are indicated with ♦s. I made informed guesses in 20 of the 24 categories; of those, I guessed 12 correctly. (Well, 13, really, except that in the animated short category in the original version of this page, I had both “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” and “Logorama” checked … more…
Recently the members of the Online Film Critics Society discussed what technical race — that is, editing, production design, on so on — we follow with the most interest and which films we would have nominated. The critics’ responses are here. Now it’s your turn: Which technical Oscar category interests you most? Mine is probably … more…
If what I think is happening here, is happening here, it better not be…
Now I so want to see what Wes Anderson would do with a comic book. Though I pretty much already did after falling in love with his Fantastic Mr. Fox. (via Jezebel)
Here are the most quotable movie lines of the year 2009. No ranking — newer quotes are posted at the top. [Warning: May contain spoilers.] “I’m craving a burger. Is that strange?” –Sergeant Matt Thompson (Guy Pearce), as he puts on his bomb suit, The Hurt Locker “If he wasn’t an insurgent, he sure the … more…
If you regularly check my on-the-fly ranking of new theatrical releases as I see them, then my top 10 movies of 2009 are no surprise: I shuffled a few titles around a bit last month, but the films ranked in the top 10 for 2009 haven’t changed much in months. (The 2009 ranking is here; … more…
Well, there was none of that nonsense from Wes Anderson about how he was so sure he wouldn’t win that he didn’t prepare an acceptance speech. When the National Board of Review named Fantastic Mr. Fox its Best Animated Film of 2009, Anderson was ready:
…as almost every other movie rakes in piles of dough, too: 1. Avatar: £5.9 million (3rd week; up 55%) 2. Sherlock Holmes: £3.4 million (2nd week; up 12%) 3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: £2.5 million (2nd week; drops 54%) 4. Did You Hear About the Morgans?: £1.2 million (NEW) 5. Nine: £.78 million … more…
Today’s Hollywood has no place for personality, concludes Henry Stewart at The L Magazine. Or perhaps because a movie about a talking animal that doesn’t come with its own Happy Meal is just too weird. (Perhaps not coincidentally, Fantastic Mr. Fox did get the Happy Meal treatment in the U.K.… where it had grossed, before … more…
Well, you can’t ever really have too much John Simm, can you? That ending? Yes, my head exploded, but not quite in a good way. I was afraid something like this was in the offing, and I don’t think it’s a direction the show should be going in. (In the same way that I wish … more…
