There was a period of time between 2005 and 2015 when it seemed like there would be no more Star Wars movies. No film for avid fans to rally around, cheer for, or ultimately berate endlessly. Then, in 2009, a new hope emerged. A long-gestating independent film called Fanboys was released. Most independent films do… Read More "2009 In Review: …
Category: Retrospectives
2009 In Review: ‘Avatar’ Blazed New Trails In Visual Effects, But Struggles With a Conventional Story
James Cameron remains one of the most important blockbuster directors in American cinematic history. Unsurprisingly, when Cameron broke the record for "most expensive movie ever made," it was often for a troubled production. What separates Cameron from other directors who held that title, is that he broke his own record. Four times. Terminator 2, True… Read More "2009 In Review: …
2009 In Review: ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ – The Perfect Marriage of Filmmaker and Source Material
Film nerds around the country were really into Wes Anderson in 2009. The director had some massive hits under his belt, including The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket, and Rushmore. However, he was coming off of The Darjeeling Limited, a movie that divided his fanbase. It embraced some of his worst tendencies as a filmmaker, and never… Read More "2009 In Review: …
2009 in Review: ‘The Hangover’ Remains a Starmaker for Galifianakis and Cooper, Even as the Sequels Tarnished Its Legacy
When you discuss 2009 as a year for comedic movies, it cannot be described as anything but a massive letdown. Just one year earlier, we had Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In 2009, the studio comedy was dead. There's a real chance that The Brothers Bloom (which we will get to) was the… Read More "2009 in Review: …
2009 in Review: ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Could Be Quentin Tarantino’s Finest Film
Director Quentin Tarantino is an objectively controversial figure. He has been ever since Reservoir Dogs first debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January of 1992. The director doesn't know how to get out of his own way, loves violence, and believes he an Oscar should be named after him. The toxicity of the Tarantino fanbase certainly does not help… Read More "2009 in Review: …
Read More "2009 in Review: ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Could Be Quentin Tarantino’s Finest Film"
2009 in Review: A Ten-Year Anniversary Retrospective for One of Our Formative Years at the Movies
Hello all! We're jumping into another retrospective for the ten-year-anniversary of 2009. For most of us, this year was an awakening. I personally began following the Oscar races in earnest this year, starting to watch as many films as possible. It's also the year I graduated high school and started college, a time when suddenly… Read More "2009 in Review: …
Retrospective: ‘Big Hero 6’ Turns Five, How Time (and Baymax) Flies
When a young boy volunteers his robot for a fight, the crowd of adults laughs at the simple machine the kid produces. As Hiro (Ryan Potter) puts in his wad of cash, the tables quickly turn. Turns out, this kid is a ringer, and way smarter than his competition. Of course, he might literally be… Read More "Retrospective: ‘Big Hero …
Read More "Retrospective: ‘Big Hero 6’ Turns Five, How Time (and Baymax) Flies"
