I can’t recall why I was asked to go to a certain YMCA week long camp back in 2003 (probably so my little brother was not alone, even though I hardly saw him the whole week), but the last night was indeed eventful.
We had a canoe ride that was to be followed by a dance, in which a girl I developed a summer crush on said she would dance with me. The canoe ride when over by an hour or so (we got lost in the rain), but I got that last bit of time to dance with her (to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t help falling in love”, for that matter).
I won’t lie and pretend I know the history of online dating apps, but I am pretty sure that the last 15-20 years or so are when they began to explode in popularity (two of my brothers met their wives that way).
The thing is, I can not think of every coming across anyone in my life who used an in person match making service like the one shown in Materialists. Still, that is focus taken by writer/director Celine Song (who, I have learned, was once a match maker herself for a few months before becoming a film maker).
With the only a few days left until the Academy Awards, my predictions are finally done, but at the cost of a few things, namely, that I don’t have all the photos I would normally have with this post.
(On the plus side, I did have time to see all the shorts).
Much of that has to do with the same old story of me overthinking certain categories and not knowing what to pick. That is not to say that there are not certain categories that are easy to predict. the real question of Oscar night will be how many awards will Oppenheimer sweep and how many will the rest get?
There are a lot of positives and negatives to look back on in 2023 when it comes to cinema, both industry wise and personally.
Of course, Hollywood had a big dent in the year with two strikes (which I did support, for what it is worth), While they have thankfully ended, we will probably feel the fall out of them in this upcoming year (and possibly into 2025). Looking back at the amount of films I have seen (just shy of 80, which is more than I have done in previous years), I saw nearly 90 percent of them (whether in theater or streaming) by myself. It would really be nice to have my friends and family have a better schedule for me, but such is life.
Admittedly, I was not planning on doing a report of the first half of 2023, but obligation did kick in, so here we are.
It has always been no secret that the first half of a calendar year is not as strong as the second half, but that is not the fault of the films that are actually good.
With that in mind, here is a brief look back at what we have gotten so far this year…
Proof the Rom Com is still alive:
Streaming on Hulu, Rye Lane is a brisk 82 minute flick full of 21st century heart and laughs. I truly would not mind if this film lasted a little longer.
Proof that coming-of-age dramadies are still alive:
I never read the book, but I can only imagine this was a breath of fresh air to those who grew up adoring Judy Blume’s classic Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. Abby Ryder Fortson is a true gem, and this is honestly the best I have seen Rachel McAdams in years.
Best based on a true story about a product:
A tie between Air and Blackberry, both equally enthralling films in their own right.
How to properly end a franchise (potentially):
Despite its run time and refusal to give us time to breath, John Wick: Chapter 4 did bring a fitting end to an action saga in the likes of which we have not seen before.
How to not end a franchise (potentially):
While not a horrible film, you don’t end this franchise with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. You end it the way it always should have ended: with Indy and company riding off into the sunset after the last crusade.
Best Villain of the year so far:
As memorable as Jack Black was as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, no villain has made a better lasting impact than that of Jonathan Majors’ Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Here is hoping all works out for him in his personal life that he can stay on the MCU roster.
Best Comic Book/Animated/Sequel/Action/Multiverse Film of the year so far:
Duh.
I mean, no offense to the other films that fit this description, but come on: ain’t no way it would not be Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Worst Comic Book/Animated/Sequel/Action/Multiverse Film of the year so far:
I know what you are thinking: “Mark, The Flash was not animated!”
True, but it may as well have been, because that is how horrendous the CGI was.
Between this and Nefarious, I am struggling over which is the worst of the year so far.
Best of the Year so far:
While other films like How to Blow Up a Pipeline were spine tingling in its own way, nothing stole my breath like Past Lives. Believe the hype you have been hearing about the film: It is that good.
My friend Kurt and I have known each other since 7th grade English class, and to this day, I still hold it over him about how he “stole” and dated the girl I had a crush on (to be fair, their relationship lasted about two weeks.)
The same girl ( I won’t give her name away in case they are reading this, and if she is, I truly hope she is doing well) moved away before I could try to make my move, but we did stay in touch and even managed to go to my Senior Homecoming. We even went to the same college, but by then, despite our friendship, I realized she would almost always be out of my league.
Nothing else to say 