the CONCLAVE
(****)--VITO CARLI
"...one of the finest and smartest dramatic American films of the year"

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: DELICATE
(*½)--VITO CARLI
"If future seasons are as disappointing as this, they should just pull the plug..."

TASTE OF THINGS
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...the finest example(s) of culinary foreplay I have ever seen in a film..."

WILD ROBOT
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...it would be difficult to find a better film for families to enjoy together..."

SATURDAY NIGHT
(***)--VITO CARLI
"...a lively and mostly satisfying film..."

the SUBSTANCE
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...an intriguing, intelligent and very gory feminist body horror film"

SING SING
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...close to matching the all-time great American prison films..."

BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...it’s hard to imagine a better Halloween treat than Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice."

WYNONNA EARP: VENGEANCE
(*)-VITO CARLI
"...exist(s) to squeeze out the last dollars from the final fans of a mediocre show"

3 BODY PROBLEM-SEASON ONE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...more successful on an intellectual than emotional level."

VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR
(*½)-VITO CARLI
"...a low-brow vampire variation on a teen male initiation story."

ALIEN ROMULUS
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...always watch able but it is also frequently predictable."

ROBOT DREAMS
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...should go to the top of your must watch list."

LONGLEGS
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a fine, moody and atmospheric film that will disturb and enthrall you."

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...just the high-quality Marvel product that Disney needed at the perfect time"

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES (DC Universe limited series)
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...it feels overstuffed-with more ideas and characters than necessary"

MAXXXINE
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...an invigorating and consistently enjoyable piece of cinematic sleaze"

THE HIT MAN
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...intelligent and philosophical-without ever being heavy handed"

the FALL GUY
(**½)--VITO CARLI
"The dialogue never pops and it’s all sort of predictable."

CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE
(MID YEAR 2024)-VITO CARLI
The "Big Tuna" Vito Carli weighs in with Year in Film at the half way point

INSIDE OUT 2
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...more than just a kid’s film and it is better than it had to be"

ORIGIN
(****)--VITO CARLI
"...one of of the best films of the year"

I SAW THE TV GLOW
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...it could become a modern cult classic"

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...one of the best adventure films of the year"

DAISY JONES AND THE SIX
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a solid, enjoyable, and lively effort."

CHALLENGERS
(***)--VITO CARLI
"In the hands of a lesser director this could have been as banal as a Lifetime film"

SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...as creative, stylish, and entertaining as any other horror show currently on TV."

CIVIL WAR
(***)--VITO CARLI
"...skillfully done and engaging..."

LA CHIMERA
(***)--VITO CARLI
"...provides a few moments of merriment..."

JUNJI ITO MANIAC: JAPANESE TALES OF THE MACABRE
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...as creative, stylish, and entertaining as any other horror show currently on TV."

LOVE LIES BLEEDING
(***½)--VITO CARLI
"...one of the better recent suspense films..."

DRIVE AWAY DOLLS
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...an exercise in some good mindless fun..."

DUNE: PART 2
(****)--VITO CARLI
"...science fiction films simply do not get much better than this."

LISA FRANKENSTEIN
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"If I was an alienated 15-year-old girl this might be my favorite movie"

ZONE OF INTEREST
(***)-VITO CARLI
"I admired Zone of Interest from a distance more than I loved it."

PERFECT DAYS
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...it makes visual poetry out of-everyday occurrences."

AMERICAN FICTION
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a very good, provocative film which would be ideal for seeing and discussing..."

MAESTRO
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"The biggest crime this film commits is it only very good in an excellent year..."

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...the film’s strong elements outnumber its weaknesses..."

FALLEN LEAVES, (Kuolleet lehdet)
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...one of the finest romantic films of the year"

HEART OF STONE
(*)-VITO CARLI
"...abysmal, still born cinematic failure in almost every sense"

POOR THINGS
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...lingers in your imagination like a vivid fever dream."

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...mandatory viewing for fans of early rock n’ roll."

CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE
(2023)-VITO CARLI
The "Big Tuna" Vito Carli weighs in with Summation of the Year in Film

BARBIE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...has great visuals, the script is not quite as impressive"

GODZILLA MINUS ONE
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...shockingly and surprisingly good"

SALTBURN
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...an exquisitely shot and wickedly amusing class comedy."

the KILLER
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...works as efficiently as a well-oiled machine..."

the MARVELS
(*½)-VITO CARLI
"There is nothing marvelous about the film..."

the CREATOR
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"Creator is not perfect, but it’s thoughtful, exciting, and compelling."

ANATOMY OF A FALL
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...darkly rewarding... "

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a bit overrated because of its politics."

EL CONDE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...gets more points for its ambition than its actual execution."

BLACK MIRROR SEASON 6
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...six good to great little mini sci-fi movies."

DEAD RINGERS (mini-series)
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...sure to make you think as it horrifies and repulses you."

A HAUNTING IN VENICE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a perfect fun film for the Halloween season"

FREMONT
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...looks and feels different than everything else that’s playing anywhere."

TIN AND TINA
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...slow moving and it takes a very long time-for the horror to really start"

PERSONALITY CRISIS: ONE NIGHT ONLY
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...many great revelatory moments-but it is inconsistent and overlong..."

BLUE BEETLE
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...charming blend of family drama, action, ethnic observation, and comedy"

PAST LIVES
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...will leave you pondering where you ended up and where you could have gone"

JOHNNY AND CLYDE
(*)-VITO CARLI
"It's rare to see a professional production-with such sub-par acting..."

OPPENHEIMER
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...one of the great movie events of this year"

ASTEROID CITY
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...style is much more impressive than the content"

FOR ALL MANKIND (Season 1-3)
(***½)-JIM RUTKOWSKI
"...a refreshingly retro devotion to honor and the common good."

CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE
(MID YEAR 2023)-VITO CARLI
The "Big Tuna" Vito Carli weighs in with Year in Film at the half way point

FLASH
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...a great hour and a half ride that ends in a car crash..."

R.M.N.
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...the most timely, powerful, and absorbing film I have seen so far this year."

SHOWING UP
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...nothing major happens in Showing Up, so every little thing is important..."

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 1
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...it could become a classic sci-fi program. It is just not there yet."

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET.
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...plays like the best After School Afternoon Special you never saw"

INFINITY POOL
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a perplexing, puzzling, and disturbing film..."

SUZAME (Suzume No Tojimari)
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...a wacky and imaginative piece of entertainment..."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"It's like a rollicking, fun filled roller coaster ride-shared with good friends"

HIS ONLY SON
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...there isn’t really enough visual material or plot to make a good feature film..."

RENFIELD
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...not particularly deep or artistic but it does hit a vein, and it Is a whole lot of fun"

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...lively, energetic, invigorating and loads of fun"

CHILDREN OF THE MIST
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...viewers will be horrified that this kind of thing still goes on"

THE LOST KING
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...minor but pleasant crowd-pleasing film..."

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS SEASON 1
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...it could become a classic sci-fi program. It is just not there yet."

MY YEAR OF DICKS
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...I discovered more and liked it more each time I saw it."

ANT-MAN AND WASP: QUANTUMANIA
(*1/2)-VITO CARLI
"...a failure on almost every level."

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
(***)-VITO CARLI
"...a commendable version that keeps your interest..."

AVATAR THE WAY OF WATER
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...I stopped caring about the story-but not the visuals..."

LIVING
(****)-VITO CARLI
"...captures the tedium of government bureaucracy as well as Gilliam’s Brazil"

M3GAN
(**½)-VITO CARLI
"...those not expecting too much originality may have a reasonably good time"

THE WHALE
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"...(you) will never forget the astonishingly convincing lead performance"

WOMEN TALKING
(***½)-VITO CARLI
"Everyone in the film is almost equally terrific"

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, enervating, 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..."