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State of the Blog: May 2017

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April showers bring May flowers, Mayflowers bring pilgrims, and May itself brings the start of Summer Blockbuster Season, that baffling mixture of excitement and predictable, four-quadrant committeethink.  As we touch base at the beginning of this season, I’ll discuss the films that have me stoked for this month (both big and small), talk about a … Read more

State of the Blog – April 2017

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It’s April, the lion of March has transfigured into a lamb (at least I think that’s how it works), and now the fools have come and gone (I’m sure).  All the while, the endless cycle of movie releases continues unabated and I’m here on Plot and Theme to contribute to the confusion with my entirely … Read more

State of the Blog – March 2017

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Here at Plot and Theme, March promises to be an especially exciting month, especially compared to the relative doldrums of the year so far.  There have been extremely strong stand-outs so far (see Get Out), but like most Januaries and Februaries, there is much more trash than anything else.  So, for this State of the … Read more

State of the Blog – February 2017

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February is going to be a great month for catching up on older movies and writing.  The theaters are not going to have too much to offer, and the Oscars are sure to be charged with politics (in case you’re not aware – they already are, and for good reason).  But, all is not lost.  There’s going to be some cool things going on here on the blog, and I am sure that at least one movie will end up being a pleasant surprise (my money is on Get Out).

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State of the Blog – January 2017

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We’re just into 2017, and the time-honored tradition of celebrating a new year by accidentally writing down its predecessor first continues unabated.  Though the early months of the year often struggle movie-wise, there are interesting things going on.  These include a few intriguing films, the meaningless over-evaluation of Awards Season (and the vitriol it inspires), and even the beginning of the festival season.  Here at Plot and Theme, I’ll reflect backwards a bit, mention some cool things I’m looking forward to, and then set some goals for the year.

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State of the Blog – November 2016

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The second-scariest month of the year has passed, and we now find ourselves in the most-scariest.  Something about an election (to paraphrase Barry Crimmins, the problem is that someone will win). Fortunately, there is a high chance that fans of film stand to win as well, as November appears to the month with the most intriguing array of releases.  December looks fine too, but we’ll deal with that one as it comes.  For this month’s base-touching, I’ll lament about the relatively disappointing October (briefly), wig out about November flicks that I predict will be worth seeing, and do a little managerial upkeep on Plot and Theme.

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State of the Blog – October 2016

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Autumn is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, and with it comes sweater weather, pumpkin-spiced everything, and Oscar contenders.  While I was a little harsh on the cinematic offerings of September, I was pleasantly surprised by most of what I saw last month, both at home and in the theater.  I also began a new writing venture, which you should see reflected on this site soon.  And, my readership seems to be increasing with each month, to boot!  To make matters even better, October is stocked with an outstanding array of films, from high-dollar Hollywood fares all the way down to some of the most widely-regarded and weird indies out there.  Let’s get into it.

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State of the Blog – September 2016

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Speaking generally (which never upsets anyone, ever), September is the month when the studios start to release their Oscar darlings.  Then, in a counter-programming move, you can find some bigger films, genre flicks, or other stuff that will impress the crowds that simply aren’t concerned with the Oscar-bait.  This September is no different, but it strikes me as odd that the films being released this year are much less interesting than we are used to.  So, for this State of the Blog, I’ll likely just complain a bit about the flicks, try to find something that I think will end up being cool, and then I’ll also talk about a few flicks that I would like to see.

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State of the Blog – August 2016

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I got a little off the rails during the month of July.  The big tentpoles that were released last month just didn’t float any boats in my mind, so I ended up skipping a lot of them.  In fact, the only one out there that I still want to see before it leaves theaters is the new Star Trek sequel, which has gotten reasonable reviews.  Everything else, from Ghostbusters to Lights Out I can comfortably play the waiting game and see later in the comfort of my own home.  August, which is usually the second dumping ground of the year (after January), is doing an interesting about-face this year and actually has some amazingly exciting releases scheduled (far better than September and October, imo).  So, I’ll preview some of those, talk about other pieces I am writing, and then carry on with the rest of my life.

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Plot and Theme’s Top 10 Films of the First Half of 2016 – Plus Complaining!

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A semi / biannual tradition begins here at Plot and Theme as I decide it is time to rank movies again according to my very own standards.  My opposition to lazy list-style articles notwithstanding, every now and then taking a glimpse of the best trees in the forest offers potentially interesting observations.  That is certainly true in this case, as I will not only briefly summarize and recount my favorite ten movies that I’ve seen released in 2016, but also discuss the relatively poor output of the big blockbuster landscape for this year.  I’ll also predict whether there are any saviors on the horizon, or if 2016 is doomed to be remembered as a year of flops, both critically and commercially.

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