Skip to content
  • weekly digest email
  • join my Patreon
  • join my Substack
  • my books
  • about/contact
  • twitter
  • rotten tomatoes
  • letterboxd
  • goodreads
  • pinterest
  • rss
FlickFilosopher.com

film criticism by maryann johanson | handcrafted since 1997

Substack, Patreon, and Paypal subscriptions have restarted [more]
  • on Netflix
  • movies for the resistance
  • classic film virgin
  • directed by women
    • Where Are the Women? project
  • cinemas
    • US and Canada
    • UK and Ireland
  • dvd/vod
    • US and Canada
    • UK and Ireland
  • 2023’s films ranked
    • 2022’s films ranked
    • 2021’s films ranked
    • 2020’s films ranked
  • all recent posts
    • archives by month
  • all reviews
    • A–M
    • N–Z
    • Oscars Best Pix
    • Oscars Best Animated Pix
  • new comments

Studio Ghibli

from Facebook: Studio Ghibli producer’s sexist take on female directors

Wed, Jun 08, 2016
6 comments

[This post is not behind the paywall.]

| 6 Comments

When Marnie Was There movie review: girls have adolescent angst too

Wed, Feb 03, 2016
13 comments

Enchanting, startling; a rare story about a girl at a precarious age. Full of that exquisite Studio Ghibli sorcery that captures the beauty of the ordinary.

| 13 Comments

Boy & the World movie review: urban chaos and color

Thu, Jan 28, 2016
14 comments

Paints an impressionistic canvas of unease and disquiet, of hope and wonder, filled with glorious music. Magical… though sometimes it’s black magic.

| 14 Comments

Two by Two: Ooops… The Ark Has Gone (aka Two by Two: God’s Little Creatures, aka All Creatures Big and Small) movie review: global apocalypse, you know, for kids

Fri, May 01, 2015
20 comments

This spectacularly ill-conceived movie is what happens when a cheap ripoff cannot even rise to the level of crass Hollywood junk.

| 20 Comments

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya movie rating: green light

Sun, Feb 22, 2015
7 comments

With an irrepressible heroine full of life and joy and humor, this is an ancient Japanese folktale fresh with immediacy and relevance.

| 7 Comments

The Wind Rises review: Jiro dreams of flying

Fri, Feb 21, 2014
61 comments

Visually ravishing, as you’d expect from Hayao Miyazaki, but there is, disappointingly, no drama and no conflict here.

| 61 Comments

Doctor Who thing: crayons carved into sonic screwdrivers, because why not?

Fri, Jan 17, 2014
no comments yet

The creativity and ingenuity of fans will never cease to surprise and delight me.

| Leave a comment

From Up on Poppy Hill review: gentle as a seaside breeze

Thu, Aug 01, 2013
9 comments

Joyously warm and gentle… though perhaps too gentle to be entirely satisfying.

| 9 Comments

Arrietty (aka The Secret World of Arrietty) (review)

Sat, Feb 18, 2012
2 comments

While perfectly pleasant and an entirely suitable option for anyone looking to take small children to the movies, it is a disappointingly minor entry in the annals of Studio Ghibli…

| 2 Comments

question of the day: What’s your favorite non-English-language film?

Fri, May 06, 2011
no comments yet

Do you have different criteria for judging foreign-language films than you do for English-language films?

| Leave a comment

sf/f/h flash fiction by me

Cultural Artifacts cover
now on Kindle Unlimited!

try KU for free:
US Amazon
Can Amazon
UK Amazon

please help keep truly independent film criticism alive!
support my work at Patreon  support my work at Substack
Pledge your support now at Patreon or Substack.
FREE weekly digest and daily streaming recommendations via Substack.
Or make a one-time donation via Paypal.

shop to support




Watch on Apple TV

FlickFilosopher.com does not accept ads, guest posts, link placements, or sponsored content.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

member
Online Film Critics Society


member
Alliance of Women Film Journalists

Tomatometer-approved critic on
Rotten Tomatoes



top critic
Movie Review Query Engine

Amazon US author page
Amazon UK author page


executive member
International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
Copyright © 1997–2023 MaryAnn Johanson. All rights reserved.
No content appearing on this site may be reproduced, reposted, or reused in any manner without express written permission.
privacy policy | hosted by Fused