Category: Movies

Best of 2023: Film

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Movies, Pop CultureLeave a comment

Sadly, I didn’t get out to movie theaters as much as I used to. When you’re dynamically disabled, you have to conserve your energy. Going to the movies might not seem like it takes that much effort, but when the disabled toilet is broken and the only functioning one is on the other side of the theater and you’re using a wheelchair … you can guess why I haven’t seen Killers of the Flower Moon yet. I did manage to see Barbenheimer on different weekends though!

Here’s the list of my favorite films of 2023. This list is dynamic (like me!) so follow me on Letterboxd for updates. Parentheses show how I watched the film.

15. Talk to Me Creepy Australian horror flick with a diverse young cast. (Borrowed from library)

14. Red, White & Royal Blue This was fun. Of course the book is better, but I love seeing queer lit being adapted. (Prime)

13. Nimona A sweet adaptation of N.D. Stevenson’s graphic novel. (Netflix)

12. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour I missed out on tickets for the real thing, so seeing Eras in the theater was second best. Being in a theater filled with women and girls was refreshing. There was dancing, clapping, and of course, singing. (In theater)

11. Renfield Nic Cage as Dracula. Nicholas Hoult as Renfield. Plus Awkwafina! Need I say more? (Borrowed from library)

10. The Killer Michael Fassbender stars as a serial killer who constantly listens to The Smiths. My social media handle is an ode to The Smiths, soooo yes, this movie was made for me. (Netflix)

9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse A great sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Stunning animation. (In theater)

I don’t care what anyone says, I love flerkittens

8. The Marvels More of a sequel to the excellent Ms. Marvel TV series than Captain Marvel, I found this movie to be a delight. Who doesn’t love a superhero who has a flerken as a sidekick? (In theater)

7. Infinity Pool Doppelgängers and Alexander Skarsgård. Yes, please. (Borrowed from library)

6. Saltburn Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi smolder in the sophomore film from director Emerald Fennel (Promising Young Woman). (Prime)

5. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar This short film clocks in at 39 minutes and is everything you’d want from Wes Anderson and Benedict Cumberbatch. Henry Sugar was my favorite of Anderson’s Roald Dahl adaptations. (Netflix)

4. Oppenheimer Am I the only one who gets “Oppenheimer,” by the Old 97’s stuck in their head at the mere mention of Christopher Nolan’s epic opus? (In theater)

3. Beau Is Afraid I’m probably an outlier, but I adored this bizarre film. (Borrowed from library)

2. Asteroid City I even like The Darjeeling Limited. That’s how much I like Wes Anderson, so of course I loved his latest outing. Blink and you’ll miss Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker as a cowboy singer. (Borrowed from library)

1. Barbie Much like seeing Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in theaters, it was a joy to be in a theater filled with women (though I attended with two men). Yes, I cried. (In theater/MAX)

Tripp Review: The Go-Go’s

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Movies, Music, Tripp ReviewLeave a comment
The Go-Go’s at the Boston House of Blues in 2016. Photo by Amy Lordan

By Jon Tripp

Not a ton of surprises for anyone who saw the Behind The Music, but a bunch of sweet archival footage from the band’s early days make this worthwhile. Cameos by members of Madness and The Specials were appreciated, but it would’ve been sweet to see Pat Smear show up to discuss Belinda’s brief tenure in The Germs.

Tripp Review: Make Mine Music

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Pop Culture, Tripp ReviewLeave a comment

By Jon Tripp

Not much to see here, folks. Basically a collection of Silly Symphonies with delusions of Fantasia‘s grandeur. The highlight is probably the segment “All The Cats Join In”, a jazz-era romp that looks like it features the Archie gang and contains some surprisingly ribald humor for a Disney production… It almost feel like a “this is your kid on jazz!” PSA for parents.

Side note: steer clear of the Disney Gold Collection DVD, which is not only abridged (missing “The Martins and The Coys” segment) but also features an embarrassingly bad transfer and is artificially transferred into widescreen, cropping the top and bottom of the frame. All around, an underwhelming viewing experience.

Tripp Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Movies, Pop Culture, Tripp ReviewLeave a comment

By Jon Tripp

For the first half or so, I thought, “This is the best John Wick movie!” Then he gets back to the Continental and I kinda checked out for the next 45 minutes. I know this is supposed to be the great action franchise of this generation, but I just can’t get behind it. It’s just good enough that I’ll eventually get around to watching each movie on DVD.

Rating: three stars