Movies! 2024! Hurray! (CREDIT [Clockwise from Top Left): NEON; 20th Century Studios/Screenshot; Altered Innocence/Screenshot; Focus Features)
Best Movies of 2024
January 28, 2025
Best in Film 2024, Best of 2024, Cinema A Different Man, Best of 2024, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Frankie Freako, Furiosa, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I Saw the TV Glow, Late Night with the Devil, MaXXXine, movies, Problemista, The First Omen, The People's Joker, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, The Substance, Will & Harper Leave a comment
Lead vs. Supporting Conundrums: 2024 Edition
January 13, 2025
Cinema, Oscars 96th Academy Awards, 97th Oscars, A Real Pain, Academy Awards, Awards categories, Challengers, Emilia Perez, Heretic, Oscars, The Substance, Wicked Leave a comment
Respect. (CREDIT: Golden Globes/Screenshot)
You may have noticed that trophies are being handed out more than usual lately. You may have also noticed that the organizations that deliver those awards may be making questionable categorization decisions.
Around this time of year, I like to assess the situation and offer my own take on certain dilemmas, in particular whether a certain movie performance was a Lead or Supporting role. To be fair to the Oscars and other awards ceremonies, these decisions are subjective and not always clear. Reasonable people can disagree on these matters. But I’m not one to have my enthusiasm dampened my ambiguity!
Ergo, here is a selection of performances from 2024 getting awards attention and whether I think they should be considered Lead or Supporting.
(There are still a few movies in the awards conversation that I haven’t seen yet, so I may update my thoughts if I feel compelled to.)
Inject ‘The Substance’ Straight Into Everyone! (Not Literally, Though)
September 24, 2024
Cinema, Movie Reviews Coralie Fargeat, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, Margaret Qualley, The Substance 2 Comments
The Substance is full of substance. (CREDIT: MUBI/Screenshot)
Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Running Time: 141 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: September 20, 2024 (Theaters)
Not long ago, I discovered that Will & Harper was the perfect movie for my habit of reviewing cinema by asking, “Would I like to be a part of what this movie is all about?” But now I’m confronted with the totally opposite situation in the form of The Substance, as I would most definitely decline to inject myself with the titular substance. I prefer when things are in balance!
Although, I suppose I could learn from Elisabeth/Sue’s example and just not make the same mistakes. But ultimately, I’d still have to say “Nah.” Working out our most grotesque desires/insecurities without actually going into the danger zone is one of the most useful purposes of art, so just watching The Substance is enough for me. I imagine Coralie Fargeat and her cast and crew felt similarly by making it happen.
Grade: 77 Activators out of 101 Stabilizers
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 9/20/24
September 20, 2024
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television 143, 7, A Different Man, Bright Eyes, Colin From Accounts, Five Dice All Threes, Flow Control Lucidity, In Waves, Jamie xx, Joan As Police Woman, Kate Pierson, Katy Perry, Lemons Limes & Orchids, Like All Before You, Nelly Furtado, Neon Trees, Never Let Go, Radios and Rainbows, Sink Your Teeth, The Floor, The Masked Singer, The Substance, The Voidz, Thurston Moore Leave a comment
By my accounting, there’s a lot of TV to watch this Fall (CREDIT: Paramount Plus/Screenshot)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–A Different Man (Theaters)
–Never Let Go (Theaters)
–The Substance (Theaters) – Gimme (Demi) Moore (of Margaret Qualley).
TV
–The Masked Singer Season 12 Premiere (September 25 on FOX)
–The Floor Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on FOX) – There are even more spaces on the floor this year!
–Colin From Accounts Season 2 Premiere (September 26 on Paramount+)
Music
-Bright Eyes, Five Dice, All Threes
-Nelly Furtado, 7
-Joan As Police Woman, Lemons, Limes & Orchids
-Thurston Moore, Flow Control Lucidity
-Neon Trees, Sink Your Teeth
-Katy Perry, 143 – Will I love it?
-Kate Pierson, Radios and Rainbows
-The Voidz, Like All Before You
-Jamie xx, In Waves
jmunney’s Top Cinematic Choices for September 2024
September 1, 2024
Cinema, Monthly Top Cinematic Choices Movie preview, My Old Ass, Speak No Evil, The Substance Leave a comment
I want to see a movie. (CREDIT: MUBI/Screenshot)
They keep making new movies, and some of them are even worth watching. Here’s what’s at the top of the slate for September 2024:
Speak No Evil: I’ve seen the trailer for this about 6 million times in the past few months. It’s a remake of a Danish film that I’ve heard good things about. James McAvoy looks creepy. There’s also a mini-Halt and Catch Fire reunion.
Movie theaters will Speak No Evil on September 13.
Jmunney's Blog 