My Positivity Runneth Over

Aside from New York Film Festival coverage, this week seems to mark a first in my criticism career: not one, not two, but THREE separate 3.5-star reviews. Add a few more affirmative write-ups to the mix, and what you've got is the most positive link dump in recent memory, highlighted by a film destined to appear on my year-end top ten, David Fincher's mesmerizing Zodiac.

Plus, it also includes the first of two scheduled "guest reviews" at Cinematical, for the ignorable Two Weeks.

Today:
Zodiac (Slant magazine)
Black Snake Moan (Slant magazine)
Two Weeks (Cinematical)

After Today:
12:08 East of Bucharest (Slant magazine)
The Lookout (Slant magazine)
The Ultimate Gift (Slant magazine)

Before Today:
The Astronaut Farmer (Slant magazine)
The Number 23 (Slant magazine)
Premium (Slant magazine)

And if this wealth of movie-writing wasn't enough to satiate your appetite, remember to come back next week, when I'll have a review of 2007's first mega-hyped event pic, 300.

Comments

[Andres Zambrano]

Nick:

Ecellent Work --especially your piece on "Zodiac". It was really quite a pleasure to read, both articulated and detailed beautifully. The film, along with "Black Snake Moan" and "12:08 East of Bucharest", have been placed on my watch list.

Keep up the excellent writing and work! It isn't only a pleasure to read, but a true inspiration for criticism.

[Simon]

Zodiac was thoroughly engrossing. I want to see it again already, as I'm sure I missed a lot of details, but Fincher's vision is incredible - lots of noteworthy shots, especially the tracking one that follows Toschi (?) through the SFPD with the digitally added Zodiac letters scribbled on the walls, engulfing our leads. Towards the end I could feel the restlessness of my peers, and LOTR: RoTK style groans could be heard as the seemingly never-ending movie fades into yet a few more years later. It's a shame when a movie that earns its ~3hour length comes by goes unappreciated due to itchy bottoms and ADD, courtesy of Michael Bay.

Black Snake Moan was really something too, backed by some really juicy performances. At times Brewer treads that misogyny line damn closely, but the movie resonates, better than Hustle & Flow.

[J]

Zodiac was pretty solid, especially the detail. (If I'm not mistaken even the Paramount logo's prior to were the 60's version)

Also, Nick. Follow up to one of your earlier posts about M. Night Shyamalan stealing that strong arm / weak arm thing from The Simpsons; I just watched Roger Corman's Teenage Caveman (1958) which I can't really recommend but if for some reason you were to watch it you'd notice how Shyamalan basically ripped the entire thing off to create The Village.

[Nick]

Funny to hear that Shyamalan "borrowed" stuff from a Corman film for The Village...but not that surprising, I must admit.