Author: Michael Thomas

Ranking the Rocky Films

The Rocky films have never been my thing. I tried out the first one when I was much younger, and I was so unimpressed that it took me over a decade to give it or any of them another chance. One of the things that kept a desire in me to look at them though is that I loved Stallone’s work in the Creed films. He is such a talented movie star when he has the right role. And Rocky Balboa, if nothing else, is his defining role.

While you’re here, check out the following articles/podcasts:
Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: Creed
There Will Be Movies – Episode 37: Creed
Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: Rocky
Pantheon Plus – Underrated Sequels: Rocky Balboa

Continue reading Ranking the Rocky Films

Top 10 Best Curb Your Enthusiasm Supporting Characters

At The Reel World, we believe instead of paying us money to listen to and read our mundane thoughts on popular culture, you should give back what you can to people who need it. I suggest supporting The Manna-hatta Fund. “The Manna-hatta Fund presents an opportunity for all settlers to support the Indigenous peoples, such as the Lenni Lenape, who were forcefully displaced by European settlers and their descendants to create New York City and the United States.” Follow the beneficiaries on Twitter: @AICHNYC

For the purposes of this column, we’re assuming Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, and Susie Essmen are the other regular members of the cast since the beginning and do not qualify. Anyone else who has appeared in more than one episode is up for grabs.

Continue reading Top 10 Best Curb Your Enthusiasm Supporting Characters

Ranking the Curb Your Enthusiasm Seasons

 

At The Reel World, we believe instead of paying us money to listen to and read our mundane thoughts on popular culture, you should give back what you can to people who need it. I suggest supporting The Manna-hatta Fund. “The Manna-hatta Fund presents an opportunity for all settlers to support the Indigenous peoples, such as the Lenni Lenape, who were forcefully displaced by European settlers and their descendants to create New York City and the United States.” Follow the beneficiaries on Twitter: @AICHNYC Continue reading Ranking the Curb Your Enthusiasm Seasons

Ranking the Hayao Miyazaki Films

“No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love.”

Still Need to Watch: The Castle of Cagliostro

After years of hype about the Hayao Miyazaki films, I could not help but feel underwhelmed by his work. They are not bad by any stretch. I was just taken aback by how much they bordered on twee. I was not expecting to feel like they were just hand-drawn Pixars. And while they are artistically and visually more ambitious, thematically and emotionally they often end up too close to Pixar for comfort. Continue reading Ranking the Hayao Miyazaki Films

Ranking the James Gray Films

James Gray is a much celebrated filmmaker. Isaac Feldberg wrote about him: “A modern American master, James Gray makes richly textured, near-operatically expressive melodramas that swirl together history and myth in the realm of the personal.” I have always been a little cynical about him, but I decided to finally go back and see everything he did. These were the results.

Continue reading Ranking the James Gray Films

Ranking the True Detective Seasons

True Detective is pretty fascinating. The first season was such a blockbuster for so many reasons, and it became a genuine water cooler show.  That lead to season 2 being one of the most hyped seasons in quite sometime. And it was a critical BOMB. It was nearly a series killer. The fact that there was an eventual third season starring a multiple Oscar winner barely went noticed. All of that is to say there is actually much to dissect once you get past the noise and perception of the show.

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Ranking the Fargo Seasons

It’s funny to think about how weird and stupid this show sounded before it ever aired. Noah Hawley seems pretty dumb. He writes bad novels. He made a movie nobody liked or cared about. He writes his dialogue like he’s an essayist but he has nothing to say. At least nothing notable or interesting. But he somehow has made some fun seasons of television shows. Whatever else, it’s probably where he should concentrate his time.

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5 Takeaways from Re-Watching X-Men [2000]

X-Men is one of the most important films for me personally. It was the beginning of me recognizing differences in quality and style in the movies.

I may have not been able to express it at the time, but part of the 11-year-old me understood that it was better watching Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in this movie than whatever shlock they were putting out for kids. Something about the pacing, color choices, and general tone that I on some level understood to be more advanced.

X-Men was the first DVD I ever owned. It was baby Michael’s first movie. And after all these years, I stand by it as a quality film. I feel no need to separate my personally history with the film and pretend like that has not shaped my appreciation of it. Instead, I embrace that. The X-Men and X-Men were a big part of my childhood, and they have been an even bigger part of exploring what I like and appreciate about movies ever since. The films have perhaps been even more important for helping me understand what I do NOT like about movies. The X-Men films are, if nothing else, hit or miss. Anyway, here are my five big takeaways from rewatching the film in honor of the website’s podcast series finale.

Continue reading 5 Takeaways from Re-Watching X-Men [2000]