CineSnob’s Top 10 Films of 2023
Here are Kiko, Cody and Jerrod’s Top 10 Films of 2023 lists. Cody and Jerrod’s thoughts about each film can be heard on The CineSnob Podcast linked below. Kiko’s blurb reviews can be read on this page.
Eli Roth – Thanksgiving
“My least favorite side dish is a human head because everybody fights over the eyeballs and the tongue.”
Cinematic Spillover: Short Reviews of Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, Ladyworld and Itsy Bitsy
With a title like Itsy Bitsy, horror fans might anticipate a campy creature feature starring a cluster of eight-legged freaks, but visual effects producer and first-time writer/director Micah Gallo has something a little more sinister up his sleeve. The story follows Kara Spencer (Elizabeth Roberts), a nurse and single mother who moves with her two children to a small town to take a job as a private caretaker to Walter Clark (Bruce Davidson), a world-traveler with an affinity for collecting tribal artifacts. When a cursed relic is brought to him by a friend of his deceased wife, it releases a dog-sized, venomous spider that takes up residence on Walter’s property. Surprisingly, the spider itself doesn’t play into the narrative much until the third act. Itsy Bitsy is more about Kara and her insecurities as a mother and the depression she has to confront because of the death of a third child. Despite Gallo’s ability to keep a consistently creepy vibe, the script, which is also co-written by special effects and makeup artist Jason Alvino (Sucker Punch) and writer Bryan Dick (911 Nightmare), doesn’t bring all the dramatic and horror elements together in a cohesive enough way. Gallo, however, builds some solid tension. Ironically, Itsy Bitsy might’ve worked better as a conventional and minimalist ghost story instead of a gooey monster movie. The arachnid is irrelevant. Itsy Bitsy hits VOD platforms August 30.
Cinematic Spillover: Short Reviews of Ready or Not, The Peanut Butter Falcon, David Crosby and More
It’s 2019 and, against all odds, singer-songwriter David Crosby is still alive. It’s a somber concept at the center of David Crosby: Remember My Name, a candid documentary on the unstable life and career of its title subject – one of the founding members of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. First-time director A.J. Eaton taps into Crosby’s mind as he contemplates the mistakes he’s made in his life, mortality, addiction, the friends and lovers he’s lost along the way and his contribution to the musical counterculture of the 1960s. Like the documentary Echo in the Canyon from earlier this year, the best footage comes when Crosby is front and center telling both funny and tragic stories about his past and exorcising his demons. “Every minute that you get is precious,†he says. “Time is the final currency.†As a documentarian, Eaton plays it straight – allowing Crosby’s words to direct the narrative and giving him a platform to speak from the heart. Most importantly, the film is not an exercise in hero worshiping. Crosby’s warts are visible for all to see. While it’s unknown if a project like Remember My Name can move some people to reconnect with Crosby (he’s burned a lot of bridges in the last half century) and make amends, the doc makes a good argument for why they should. In the end, Remember My Name feels a lot like the 2014 music documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me – a touching farewell to an exceptional talent.
Light of My Life
“Casey Affleck’s ability to keep the nervous, albeit silent, energy consistent is an impressive feat.”
Sword of Trust
“A sharply written dark dramedy. Deeper and more meaningful than an average satire.”
CineSnob’s Top 10 Films of 2018
It’s been a long year and a lot of movies. Here’s a look at what CineSnob.net critics Jerrod Kingery, Kiko Martinez and Cody Villafana put on their list of the best movies this year. JERROD KINGERY – Contributing film critic 10. Bumblebee – As fan of “Transformers†for as long as I can remember, the […]
The Front Runner
“Like all politicians, the film is flawed. As Gary Hart, Hugh Jackman is genuinely believable.”
Jon Heder – Napoleon Dynamite
“He wouldn’t be very good at social media. He’d probably just post pictures of food.”
Wildlife
“A low-key family affair that gives way to a narrative where aggravation and resentment simmer beneath.”
The Oath
“Might lose focus during the second half of the movie, but lands a good amount of solid gut punches.”
First Man
“A commendable technical achievement. Director Damien Chazelle is at the top of his game.”