March 2022 – Below the Line

Joe vs. Carole Cinematographer Jules O’Loughlin on How He Brought Visual Flair to Peacock’s True Crime Series

March 31, 2022 Robin Milling Comments Off

Back in March 2020, when our stay-at-home enforcement left us looking for something to divert our attention and anxieties, the personal feud between Joe Schreibvogel (aka Joe Exotic) and Carole Baskin made a welcome entrance into the zeitgeist. Their dirty dealings for big cat sanctuary were put on public display when reporter/host Robert Moor aired 15 episodes of the Wondery podcast Joe vs. Carole. The visual component of this real-life soap opera was […]

Morbius Review: Jared Leto’s Vampire Anti-Hero Is Caught in Disorienting Maze of Latest Marvel Movie

March 30, 2022 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

After nearly two years of pandemic-related delays, Morbius finally hits theaters on Friday, arriving on April 1 like some kind of really expensive April Fools’ joke. The film stars Jared Leto as the titular living vampire and the latest anti-hero to emerge from Sony’s Spider-Man universe with his own movie following Venom. Since this is an origin film, naturally, it begins with the traumatic childhood of young Michael Morbius, who resides in a hospital […]

The Accidental Turitz: Thoughts on The Slap Felt ‘Round the World and Hollywood’s Lack of Class

March 30, 2022 Neil Turitz Comments Off

Let’s start with the fact that it was a crap joke. We all know that by now, and even Chris Rock has admitted it was a misfire that was ill-considered and in bad taste. Whether Rock knew about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia or not, at its core, the simple truth was that the joke was a groaner. That does not come close to excusing what Will Smith did in response, […]

Union Roundup at the Oscars: Overshadowed by The Slap, Dune Editor Was Forced to Interview Himself Backstage

March 29, 2022 Mark London Williams Comments Off

And in the end, even with mixing in an open-handed slap to a presenter, the Oscars still just barely moved the needle on viewership, according to preliminary overnight ratings. Did more people watch than last year? Well, yes. Are fewer people still watching the Oscars than ever before? Well, yes. The “theme” of the show this year was, ostensibly, “Movie Lovers’ Unite!” While it’s unclear why the Oscars need a “theme” […]

Oscars: With Six Wins, Dune Was Not to Be Denied When It Came to the Year’s Crafts

March 29, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

It’s been more than 36 hours since the 94th Academy Awards and The Slap is still all that anyone can talk about it, but it’s important not to lose track of the fact that Dune won six Oscars on Sunday night — twice as many as any other movie, thereby giving Warner Bros. bragging rights over its rival distributors. Sort of. Warner Bros. won seven statues on the night, but […]

Oscars: CODA Wins Best Picture; Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock; Full Winners List

March 27, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

CODA won three Academy Awards on Sunday night, including Best Picture, but its history-making win was overshadowed by an unscripted moment in which Will Smith went on stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face following a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. He later invoked King Richard subject Richard Williams, who was also “a fierce defender of his family.” Yes, it was a wild evening at the 94th Academy Awards. […]

Everything Everywhere All at Once Review: Michelle Yeoh Wins the Multiverse in Brilliantly Inventive A24 Film

March 25, 2022 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

Marvel may have its multiverse but it is Michelle Yeoh and her two directors who have mastered the concept with their new A24 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who call themselves, simply, “Daniels.” The duo made a splash at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival with their irreverent and ambitious debut Swiss Army Man, which found Paul Dano developing a strange friendship […]

Cinema Audio Society Announces 2022 Board of Directors

March 25, 2022 Staff Comments Off

Following the successful return of the 58th CAS Awards as an in-person event, the Cinema Audio Society has announced the results of its March election for the CAS Board of Directors. Re-elected to their executive positions were Vice President Steve Venezia and Secretary Frank Morrone. They will continue to serve alongside President Karol Urban and Treasurer Lee Orloff. Two incumbent production directors, Willie D. Burton and Stephen Tibbo, were re-elected to serve […]

The Lost City Review: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s Chemistry Can’t Rescue Film from Jungle of Cliches

March 24, 2022 J. Don Birnam Comments Off

Sandra Bullock recently announced that she’d be taking a temporary break from acting, which is a bummer for movie lovers, especially fans of her unique comedic talents. Her knack for comedy is on full display in The Lost City, in which she and Channing Tatum play an opposites-attract-type couple stuck in an improbable jungle adventure worthy of the cheesiest Hollywood blockbusters. The Lost City means to parody those films, and Bullock and Tatum’s surprising level of chemistry […]

Artios Awards: CODA, Don’t Look Up and West Side Story Honored by Casting Society

March 24, 2022 Jeff Sneider Comments Off

Best Picture nominees CODA, Don’t Look Up and West Side Story were among the big winners at the 37th annual Artios Awards, which held a virtual ceremony hosted by Danielle Pinnock on Wednesday night. “We are so excited to honor these immensely talented, creative, and hard-working casting directors tonight. What a wonderful way to begin Casting Society’s 40th year by celebrating these extraordinary casting directors’ invaluable contributions to the entertainment world,” said Kim Williams. […]