I wanted to like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I really did. And I enjoyed it enough when I was watching it at the theater. But moments after the credits rolled (and I’d sat through all the mid and post-credit scenes), I left feeling empty. Guardians Vol. 2 is visually stunning, with bright colors […]
Søren and J’s Oscarcast 2015
2015 was a year of meager expectations when it came to the Oscars. While controversy surrounded the nomination process, we generally knew who’d take home the major awards. No one gasped in amazement when Birdman took Best Cinematography, or when Patricia Arquette was named Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood. Yet sometimes there is intrigue to be found […]
Movie Fail Tweets the 2015 Academy Awards
Keep it locked here for the Movie Fail live Twitter coverage of the 87th Academy Awards ceremony! The full list of 2015 Oscar nominees can be found here. The one and only Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting. The festivities begin at 7 pm EST on ABC (or online). Tweets by @MovieFailBlog We want to hear […]
Nate’s Top 10 Films of 2014
So many movies released in the past twelve months felt like advertisements that it was nice when the year periodically decided to come back from commercial break. That doesn’t mean that every non-blockbuster was a masterpiece. For every gem like The Grand Budapest Hotel there were duds like Palo Alto or Transcendence. And don’t get me started on The Giver again. I […]
Guardians of the Galaxy Changed Blockbusters
A little film called Guardians of the Galaxy accomplished something extraordinary this summer. It featured a cast of characters from a lesser-known comic series, essentially subverted the entire superhero film genre and redefined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oh, and it also had the best August opening in box office history. Summer is the season of […]
Why CGI In Guardians of the Galaxy Works
There are many reasons to love Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s funny, it’s smart and it’s one hell of an action-packed ride. The film was a risk; unlike Captain America or Batman, almost no one knew who the these characters were before the film came out. Making a successful blockbuster out of a no-name property was no small feat. […]
Guardians of the Galaxy
For the first few moments of Guardians of the Galaxy, I worried. I saw elements of tropes rearing their head instantly. I sighed at a roguish hero whose existence screamed traits of other classic movie characters. I cringed at a villain whose antics veered well into the theatrical. I gaped as names of planets, new alien […]
2013 A Strong Year in Film
Moviegoers were well-tended in 2013. The past year in film was certainly diverse, with plenty of highs and lows along the way. With a decent slew of quality popcorn flicks and some very pleasant surprises in multiple genres, this was a big year for the silver screen. While it wasn’t quite the sequel-dominated year that, […]
American Hustle
American Hustle opens with a balding, rotund, middle-aged man distastefully gluing a toupée to his head. You can taste the plaster fumes as little rivulets drip down his scalp. Then he takes his remaining strands of hair and pulls them over the furry piece now attached to his skin. The scene is uncomfortable, synthetic, difficult […]
Søren and J’s Oscarcast 2013
If you were following us on Twitter (and you should be), you’ve already seen bits and pieces of thoughts from the Movie Fail staff on this year’s Oscars ceremony this past Sunday. In this podcast, Josh and I cover everything from the Rhythm and Hues protests to Seth MacFarlane as we discuss the event. Give […]