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FlickFilosopher.com

film criticism by maryann johanson | handcrafted since 1997

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Star Wars The Phantom Menace

Dune movie review: dreams of alien worlds

Mon, Oct 25, 2021
17 comments

Monumental. Villeneuve tells a familiar story with uncommon elegance and pensiveness, even dreaminess, on a breathtaking scale. A stunningly gorgeous, supremely dignified movie about ugly things.

| 17 Comments

curated: the boy who was almost Anakin Skywalker

Sat, Oct 02, 2021
no comments yet

Please watch this absolutely bittersweet and poignant short film about Devon Michael, a child star in the 1990s who was on the very shortlist to play Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace…

| Leave a comment

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker movie review: the galaxy isn’t far far away, it’s just very small

Thu, Jan 09, 2020
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Kudos to J.J. Abrams for doing something extraordinary: he has made me not care about Star Wars for the first time ever. I’m kind of relieved that it’s over, because it has stopped being fun.

| Leave a comment

Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie review: a great disturbance in the Force

Mon, Dec 18, 2017
228 comments

Upends expectations, demythologizes the mythos, and takes an iconic series in a bold new direction with a story full of humor, courage, and dazzling imagery.

| 228 Comments

Ben-Hur movie review: it’s fine, everything is fine

Fri, Sep 09, 2016
9 comments

It’s not great. It’s not terrible. It is bland manufactured entertainment product. It’s fine. Hollywood is not creatively bankrupt. Everything is fine.

| 9 Comments

Ratchet & Clank movie review: wretched and junk

Thu, Apr 28, 2016
208 comments

Could have been assembled entirely from clips from other movies — mostly the Star Wars prequels — and would have been better if it had been.

| 208 Comments

rewatching Star Wars: the prequel trilogy (the tweetening)

Sat, Jan 09, 2016
3 comments

Earlier this week, I live-tweeted a rewatch of Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III. Here’s how it went down…

| 3 Comments

question of the day: Why does geek fandom hold grudges for so long?

Wed, Jun 20, 2012
no comments yet

Does it serve any purpose beyond tribal bonding? Has the Net era encouraged and amplified geek grudge-holding? Will fandom ever learn how to forgive and forget?

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Doctor Who thing of the day: Dalek relaxation tape

Wed, Apr 04, 2012
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If you’re not relaxed after this, you’ve got some serious stress issues…

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the MPAA’s preciousness strikes again (and other adventures in social networking)

Thu, Feb 23, 2012
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What my followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ saw today…

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