Kid Blue and The Christian Licorice Store @ Aquarium Drunkard

In 1969, James Frawley made the jump from being an Emmy-winning director of the joyous Monkees TV-show to thoroughly bumming people out with his debut film The Christian Licorice Store. That movie, staring Baeu Bridges as a tennis player going through an existential crisis, barely earned a formal release. But it did lead to 1973’s Kid Blue, a thoughtful, ramblin’ western featuring an acting trifecta for the ages: Dennis Hopper, Warren Oates and Peter Boyle. Find some thoughts on these two offbeat movies over at Aquarium Drunkard.

Deadlock @ Aquarium Drunkard

I put down some words and thoughts on Roland Klick’s DEADLOCK for Aquarium Drunkard’s Videodrome feature.

aquarium drunkardSean EricksonOctober 1, 2021movie, Deadlock, Roland Klick, movie reviewComment

Straight to Hell @ Aquarium Drunkard

An article on Alex Cox’s STRAIGHT TO HELL, written for Aquarium Drunkard’s Videodrome column.

aquarium drunkardSean EricksonSeptember 7, 2021movie, straight to hell, alex cox, movie review, filmComment

Damsel (or, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival Pt. 3; or, Let's Give Some Love to the Farce)

Robert Pattinson has supposedly called the movie a "slapstick western," but I have a hunch he may have intended something closer to a "western farce." These terms tend to get mixed up because they often coexist. It's common for a farce to contain some slapstick elements as a way of reinforcing the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the genre (or the spirit of the story being told), but Damsel isn't much of a slapstick anything. It's not a Three Stooges western. It is quite silly, clever and violent at times, but at its heart it is a tragedy -- one that is both funny and sad, sometimes within the same scene. And I think that's a big reason why it makes for a very successful farce.

Berlinale 2018, Berlinale, film festivalsSean EricksonMarch 22, 2018movie review, damsel, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, film, film review, movieComment

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (or, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival Pt. 2)

Perhaps it's a good sign as to just how much I liked his latest, the recovery tale called Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, but I'm now eager to catch up with Restless and Land of Trees (as with Finding Forrester, I still have a hard time finding interest to see Promised Land).

Isle of Dogs (or, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, Pt. 1)

Anderson has created his own Roald Dahl-type fable this time. Or, to be more precise, his own The Little Prince. While the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic is about a pilot who crash lands in the desert and meets a little boy from another planet, Isle of Dogs is about a boy who crash lands on an island and meets five dogs who agree to help him find his beloved Spots. In case the hat tip wasn't implicit, the dogs call the mysterious fallen boy, the "Little Pilot."

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Is it possible for an Alien movie to still offer surprises? If you've been following the trajectory of these movies for the past few decades, you'd be forgiven for considering the series exhausted. And while I'm willing to admit that lowered expectations may influence my appraisal, it doesn't diminish the fact that Alien: Covenant is by far the best of the last thirty years. But not only that, it's a terrifically twisted horror movie that stands rather well on its own.

Something NewSean EricksonJune 16, 2017Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott, Michael Fassbender, movies, movie review, movie, film, film reviewComment

Hitting Refresh: Where the Wild Things Are

A look back at Spike Jonze's adaptation of a popular kids book that is anything but a kids movie.

Hitting RefreshSean EricksonJanuary 4, 2017Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are, movie review, movie, film reviewComment

Doctor Strange (2016)

With help from the magical Tilda Swinton, and a physics-defying set piece that is a high-point in the Marvel filmography so far, Doctor Strange has enough style to overcome some weak points in the character department and actually make the 3D surcharge worthwhile.

Something NewSean EricksonNovember 4, 2016Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scott Derrickson, Marvel, movies, movie review, film review, movie, filmComment

The Rover (2014)

Another great apocalyptic Aussie flick featuring memorable performances from the reliably brilliant Guy Pearce and a more surprisingly great Robert Pattinson.

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