Author: Derek Sharp
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40 YEARS LATER: Getting Over Myself and Learning to Love Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ – Part One
I’ll get there, eventually – but for now, with a new perspective, I want to try and understand why I hated it so much. Because, in hindsight, I think the film just got under my skin.
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REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘The Midnight Gospel’ Is a Trip Mostly Worth Taking
The Midnight Gospel uses real-life podcast interviews (from the long running ‘Duncan Trussell’s Family Hour’ podcast) as the basis for the in-universe interviews.
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REVIEW: ‘Frozen 2’ is Clearer and Sharper than the Original
“All this to say, in Frozen 2 Anna and Elsa feel like real characters, not just props Disney uses to sell toys” Frozen 2 knows that it’s a sequel to one of the most important Disney movies of the last few years. Regardless of what you actually thought of the…
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REVIEW: ‘High School Musical: The Musical – The Series’ Pilot Episode Is Fine But Not Memorable
If you just want some comfort food, you could do a lot worse.
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REVIEW: With ‘Parasite’, Bong Joon-Ho Fashions a Genuine Jaw Dropper
“[Bong Joon-Ho has] crafted an indelible soul-whipper, a tale primed to have a profound cultural resonance. “ Right off the bat, let me say that Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite is an absolute supernova; an explosion of talent and brilliance and incisive commentary that we don’t get very often. It’s worth seeing, and is…
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On Unbecoming a Hero: Why and How ‘Ad Astra’ Resembles The Odyssey
Midway through Ad Astra, Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride boards a ship to Mars. When they see his name on the manifest, the crew asks if he is that Roy McBride. He says he is and they celebrate; they’re honored to transport the son of a hero, the son of the…
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REVIEW: “Treads water over territory previously explored” – ‘IT: Chapter 2’ (2019)
“Engaging, but lacking in thematic depth.” IT Chapter 2 finishes off the Loser Club’s story with a behemoth of a film that’s fixated on the past. Of course, this seems fitting considering that this film’s events rely on the 27 year cycle of the central shape-shifting creature. There’s definitely room…
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‘Midsommar’ and The Big White Cult
The following article contains spoilers for Ari Aster’s Midsommar. One of the principal criticisms of Midsommar is that it’s main thematic assertion is that international travel is dangerous. Cultural critic Richard Brody said it best when he wrote “the subject of “Midsommar” is the absurdity and obtuseness of suspending moral judgment…
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REVIEW: “More Stressful Than Frightning” – ‘Midsommar’ (2019)
When I first finished Hereditary, Midsommar writer/director Ari Aster’s first film, I sat through the credits in stunned silence. Then I stared out a midnight window for an hour, wrestling with what I’d seen. I hadn’t ever experienced a film that felt so devastatingly cynical, mean, and gut wrenching. After…
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Best Of 2019 So Far – Derek Sharp
2019, you good fam? It’s no secret that 2019 hasn’t consistently delivered quality cinema, at least from where I’m standing. I’m sure the festival circuit is popping, but most people don’t get to go there. This summer has been especially dry, with several big-budget blockbusters turning out to be, uh,…
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