10. Blue Ruin.  This deftly-constructed deconstruction of the Hatfields and McCoys narrative seemingly came out of nowhere.  Jeremy Saulnier had previously written and directed one feature film – the obscure horror/comedy Murder Party (2007) – in which former classmate and stay-at-home dad, Macon Blair, had a supporting role.  And yet, with Blue Ruin, Saulnier’s eye is as subtle and evocative ... Read More »

10. Bad Words.  Here’s a cheesy, distasteful, and seemingly thin premise: a 40 year old high school drop-out identifies a loophole that allows him to compete in a children’s spelling bee. But Jason Bateman, as Guy Trilby, pulls it off with unapologetic, politically incorrect snark even before the plot deepens to explain how (and why) in the world this is happening. ... Read More »

Spoiler Scale (How spoilery is this article on a scale of 1 to 10?): 4    After any unnecessary remake, an above-average biopic, and an adaptation of a half-baked short story, it’s damn good to see director David Fincher back on his game – or I should say, The Game (1997), because that’s Gone Girl‘s closest touchstone to any of ... Read More »

When it comes to annual cycles in the film industry, concepts tend to show up in pairs – two tornado films (1996), two volcano films (1997), on and on up to this years’ end-of-the-world comedies (This Is the End and The World’s End).  Unfortunately, 2014 will see the trend continue with two great directors Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010)) and Ridley Scott (Alien (1979), Black Hawk Down (2001)) devoting ... Read More »