TOP 10 FILMS-2022
(2022)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
Good Old JR picks his TOP 10 Films of the Last Year

CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE
(2022)-VITO CARLI
The "Big Tuna" Vito Carli weighs in with Summation of the Year in Film

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
(***1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...as much a creative success as its predecessor."

WEDNESDAY (a Netflix limited series)
(**1/2)-VITO CARLI
"...hum drum and ordinary, with similar plotlines having been done better..."

BLACK ADAM
(*1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...Black Adam contains little that’s new, enervtating, or interesting."

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...some of the best scenes and most memorable characters of the year"

TROLL
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a decent ride of large-scale action and near-misses..."

TAR
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...it's rare to see a cinematic character as-multidimensional as Lydia Tar"

A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a worthy sequel that doesn’t reinvent or upstage the first."

WOMAN KING
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...an inspiring tale of female autonomy and sisterhood"

WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...some inspired madness..."

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a veritable feast for the eyes"

TOP GUN: MAVERICK
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a better time than Top Gun — more nimble, more exciting, more soulful."

MOONAGE DAYDREAM
(***)-VITO CARLI
"The more normal/popular Bowie got the more conventional/boring he became..."

the MUNSTERS
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...more of a train wreck viewing experience..."

PEARL: AN X-TRAORDINARY ORIGIN STORY
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a cross between an old-melodrama and a traditional slasher horror film"

SANDMAN (DC Universe limited series)
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a heartfelt tale full of emotional depth and-an incredible amount of humanity..."

EMILY THE CRIMINAL
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...Plaza’s groundbreaking performance is a-career making thing of beauty"

THOR: LOVE & THUNDER
(**)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...veers from dark and dour tragedy to glib, dismissive comedy..."

NOPE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...imaginative, thought provoking and exciting, but it feels a little too long."

LIGHTYEAR
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"The best thing in Lightyear is the surprisingly mature story"

APOLLO 10½: A SPACE-AGE CHILDHOOD
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"I cannot think of a better film that could be seen with the whole family..."

PREY
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...it smashes through a low bar with ease"

BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...emotionally bruising-is definitely worth sitting through..."

the GRAY MAN
(**)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"The gears keep turning in a routine and predictable motion."

NEPTUNE FROST
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...a veritable feast for both the eyes and ears"

the AUTOMAT
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a slice of nostalgia as sweet and fluffy as a piece of-lemon meringue pie..."

PISTOL
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...if you are a punk fan it is must see TV"

RRR
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...like taking that first breath of outside air after being cooped up all day..."

CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
(***)-VITO CARLI
"... a film of exceedingly small, human pleasures..."

AFTER YANG
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a profound film for the glass-half-full atheist"

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a fitting last film-it serves as a summation of his (Cronenberg's) career..."

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...an all-out assault of metaphysical possibility"

MOON KNIGHT (Marvel Universe limited series)
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...often entertaining, exciting and delightfully imaginative"

DR.STRANGE AND THE MULTI-VERSE OF MADNESS
(**½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...generally operates more on the level of self-pastiche than any real inspiration"

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
(***1/2)-VITO CARLI
"...a truly original risk-taking cinematic gem..."

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
(**½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"... a spider’s web comic what-iffing its way through two and a half hours"

the NORTHMAN
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...this film makes its characters as exotic, unknowable and brutal as possible..."

the BATMAN
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...arguably the best superhero movie since Logan..."

X
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...finds clever ways to enliven and update a fairly formulaic plot..."

TURNING RED
(***1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...the broadness of anime to the usual bitter sweetness of a Pixar production"

MORBIUS
(**)-VITO CARLI
"...a totally underwhelming mixture of the superhero and horror genre tropes..."

ENCANTO
(***1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...thought-provoking and stimulating"

ACADEMY AWARDS PREDICTIONS-2022 EDITION
2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
Two Critics, 23 nominations with 38 total predictions for 2022

DRIVE MY CAR
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...its patient storytelling is only matched by its temporal scope."

CODA
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"While-predictable, it has more resonance than many more original films..."

NIGHTMARE ALLEY
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...reliably beautiful in its visuals-a lack of flair in the storytelling..."

KING RICHARD
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...the film is not really about the girls so much as it is about the-God like dad."

WEST SIDE STORY
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a resplendent entertainment..."

LICORICE PIZZA
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...takes you back to a time when-anything was possible"

the ETERNALS
(**½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a gutsy mess..."

A HERO
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a stern cautionary tale about the fickleness of people and-social media"

NO TIME TO DIE
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...destined to change how the franchise proceeds in the future"

WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY
(****)-VITO CARLI
"I've rarely enjoyed watching-people talk more on screen"

DON'T LOOK UP
(**½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...not as shrewd nor smart as it obviously think(s) it is"

the POWER OF THE DOG
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...cold, cruel, and impossible to ignore"

the POWER OF THE DOG
(***1/2)-VITO CARLI
"...wiser and more powerful than the majority of films I've seen this year"

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...recommended to Anglophiles, horror fans, and lovers of 60s films..."

BELFAST
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a crowd-pleasing film that will  undoubtedly please fans of classic Hollywood..."

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...the type of superhero introduction that every fringe character should enjoy."

the FRENCH DISPATCH
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"Anderson tells the stories using almost every imaginable form and technique(s)..."

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US
(*1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"What begins as a thoughtful exploration of grief-turns into mindless blood sport"

THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, ITS A RESURRECTION
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...serves as a fine tribute to the skills of the late great lead actress..."

DUNE
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...Villeneuve understands what makes the novel run and what keeps it-vital..."

TITANE
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"... a work that will thrill some and repel others..."

the MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a decent balance of-intrigue, as well as a character-driven standalone story..."

CRY MACHO
(***)-VITO CARLI
"... a mostly enjoyable and optimistic cinematic diversion..."

the GREEN KNIGHT
(****)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...likely to take up space in you mind for a long time after watching it..."

BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR-SEASON ONE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...an eerily disturbing limited series"

THE SUICIDE SQUAD
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a refreshing dose of sarcasm in a genre that often takes itself too seriously"

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...left me feeling somewhat empty and wanting more"

BLACK WIDOW
(**1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...perhaps the single most mediocre film of the-Marvel Cinematic Universe."

ANNETTE
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...far more and thought provoking than anything else I have recently seen."

OXYGEN
(***)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...an engaging style, which almost makes up for missed narrative opportunities."

STILLWATER
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...will probably give casual movie goers much more than they expect"

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN-PART 2
(***1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...Part Two serves as a great continuation and conclusion to this adaptation"

PIG
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...packs quite a wallop and it may be the best thing he Cage has ever done"

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN-PART 1
(***1/2)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a well-seasoned production overall and a fine adaptation of the source material"

PAPER SPIDERS
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...features two of the finest performances I have seen in months"