Author: Chris Burlingame

Reviews

Eternals falls under the weight of its own ambition in the MCU’s biggest misfire

by Chris Burlingame

It was just two months ago, almost to the day, that I was, uhh, marveling at how Marvel Films’ blockbusters were mostly entertaining in the same ways. Watch enough of the movies, and they have a formula down for delivering a satisfying film experience. All that gets turned on its head with Eternals, the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie is filled with lush, gorgeous cinematography, and a rich and diverse cast. You shouldn’t expect less when dealing with the reigning Best Director, Chloe Zhao. It’s also weirdly somehow both too long and not long enough. Altogether, though, the movie is messy, unfocused, and a massive disappointment. 

Festivals Reviews

SIFF DocFest 2021: Storm Lake

by Chris Burlingame

Most people haven’t heard of the Storm Lake Times newspaper for the same reason they likely haven’t heard of the Nome (Alaska) Nugget or, say, the Daily World from my hometown of Aberdeen, WA. But the Storm Lakes Times fills an important role in informing the citizens of Buena Vista County, Iowa. Despite having a circulation not much over 3,000 for a bi-weekly, small-community newspaper, it won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for editorial writing and exposing corruption in the agriculture industry. 

Festivals Reviews

SIFF DocFest 2021: a-ha: The Movie

by Chris Burlingame

At the beginning of a-ha: The Movie, the three primary and constant members of the legendary Norwegian, synth-pop band tell their likelihood of recording another album. Pål Waaktaar-Savoy says he already has the next a-ha album written; Magne Furuholmen says he’s open to going back in the studio; and Morten Harket says that he sees no point in a-ha putting out another album. It’s a telling story that shows the disparate points of view for this band that’s told through this film. And, for the record, a-ha does have a new album scheduled for release in 2022.

Reviews

Candyman can scare the bejesus out of you, if you want it to

by Chris Burlingame

Set in the fast-gentrifying Chicago arts scene, this updated-for-2021 slasher/thriller wants you to know that it’s politics are righteous. If it provides a few thrillers, even better. Overall, I liked it, even if there were often times when the politics felt heavy-handed and took away from the scarier aspects of the thriller, even when I agree passionately with the points the filmmaker is making. Still, there was plenty of horror that came through clearly.

Reviews

For Madmen Only pays tribute to the comedy legend that probably mentored your favorite comedians

by Chris Burlingame

I had never heard of Del Close before learning of this illuminating documentary about his life. Close was a comedic actor and writer, but he’s most known as one of the major authorities on improvisational comedy whose list of proteges is impressive and unparalleled. Clips of Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Robin Williams, among many of their peers, are shown praising Del Close. Bob Odenkirk, Tim Meadows, and Adam McKay are interviewed for the movie and they all have stories about the impact Close had on their lives. He’s probably responsible, at least indirectly, for a supermajority of times I’ve laughed in my life.

Reviews

A heartbreaking saga about suicide and, uhh, squads

by Chris Burlingame

Every superhero movie is ridiculous on some level. How ridiculous is the new Suicide Squad movie? There’s a character called Polka-Dot Man, whose superpower is the ability to throw polka-dots, and he’s possibly the fourth most absurd character in this movie.

Reviews

By being “good,” Old is M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie in twenty years

by Chris Burlingame

It almost appears hyperbolic to say Old is M. Night Shyamalan’s best film in decades, but he’s produced more shit over the past twenty years than what can be safely extracted through Jair Bolsonaro’s nose. It’s been a wild fall from grace where the director was telling magazine writers after the success of his breakthrough The Sixth Sense that he figured out the formula for making hit movies, and then he basically turned into Max Bialystock after his follow-up Unbreakable (his best movie, IMO). After a series of box office bombs, people began booing when his name was shown in trailers.

That’s not to say that Old isn’t ridiculous. It very much is. It’s camp, but it leans into it.