Category Archives: movie review

My Snap Judgement Oscar Awards & Psychic Predictions

Posted on March 26, 2022 | 10 comments

Many of you are familiar with my previous Snap Judgement Oscar Awards where I give out my own Oscar Awards to the movies, actors, and actresses that I think really deserve the awards. I’m still going to do that, but this year, I’m adding a twist. I’m going to use my psychic talents. After telling you who I think really deserves the award based on my own idiotic reasoning, I will use my psychic powers to predict who I think the Academy will give their awards to. I’m only going to choose three in each category just to shorten this up. Without further adieu…

Top 3 Best Supporting Actress Nominees: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog; Judi Dench, Belfast; Ariana DeBose, West Side Story. The winner of my Snap Judgement Oscar Award is Kirsten Dunst for her work in the 2002 movie Spider-Man. She never got the credit she deserves for being the first to play Spider-Man’s girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Honestly, Tobey Maguire dragged that film down and Kirsten Dunst’s Oscar chances with it. My psychic prediction for the 2022 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose in West Side Story.

Top 3 Best Supporting Actor Nominees: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog; J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos; Troy Kotsur, Coda. The Phil Factor choice for this years Snap Judgement Best Supporting Actor Award goes to J.K. Simmons for his role as J. Jonah Jameson in the 2002 epic Spider-Man. If not for Tobey Maguire, he would have gotten that 2002 Oscar. In my world, if J.K. Simmons wants an Oscar, J.K. Simmons gets an Oscar. My psychic prediction for who the Academy will choose as Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur for Coda.

Top 3 Best Actress Nominees: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye;  Kristen Stewart, Spencer; Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos. Although Jessica Chastain has made the transition from women’s soccer to acting, she won’t be the choice for Best Actress. My personal choice for The Phil Factor Snap Judgement Oscar Award for Best Actress is Kristen Stewart because she was smart enough to break up with Robert Pattinson, the worst Batman ever. Unfortunately for Kristen, my big psychic noggin says that the Best Actress Oscar goes to Nicole Kidman for her work overcoming the dead weight that was Tobey Maguire Val Kilmer in Batman Forever in 1995. It may not be Spider-Man, but it’s close enough.

Top 3 Best Actor Nominees: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog; Will Smith, King Richard; Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick…Boom!. Woo! This category is loaded this year. The Snap Judgement Oscar Award es to Andrew Garfield for his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home in which he shined despite the presence of Oscar killer Tobey Maguire. Despite my Spider-Man love, my psychic prediction for Best Actor is Will Smith for King Richard and because we all still remember when Fresh Prince Will and Carlton did that dope dance number to Apache by the Sugarhill Gang.

This combination of photos shows promotional art for the films nominated for an Oscar for best picture, (Focus Features/Apple TV+, Netflix, Janus Films & Sideshow, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Netflix, 20th Century Films via AP)

Top 3 Best Picture Nominees (I have seen none of these movies):

The Power of the Dog: A Western based on a 1967 novel by Thomas Savage with the same title. It’s got a great cast and won a bunch of awards, but a Western?!!? I’m falling asleep just writing this paragraph about it.

Belfast: A movie about a boy growing up during a sort of civil war in Northern Ireland in 1969. If they could have made this about a boy growing up in war torn Ukraine, they’d have that Oscar in the bag already.

CODA: If you’re not familiar, CODA stands for Children Of Deaf Adults. This film is about a young girl trying to balance her desire to help her family’s struggling fishing business while pursuing her dream of going to college for singing. Yes, singing, not signing.

My  Snap Judgement Oscar Award for Best Picture goes to…Licorice Pizza, another Best Picture nominee that is a sentimental, coming of age comedy/drama. I’m a sucker for coming of age comedies because, let’s face it, don’t we all identify with those movies?

My psychic prediction for the winner of the 2022 Oscar Award is The Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch who played the role of Dr. Strange in the December released movie Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

There you go. That’s all you need to know about the Oscars, including who will win. If I’m right on every one of these, you’ll never hear the end of it.

Have a great weekend! ~Phil

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Posted in Current Events, Humor, movie, movie review, Movies, Oscars, pop culture, Psychic predictions, Uncategorized

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Movie Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Posted on December 28, 2021 | 4 comments

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I’m going to preface my review by saying that I’m a Spider-Man truther. He’s always been my favorite Marvel character. When I was 12 years old I’d save my allowance money to buy the new Spider-Man comic book each month on the first day it was available. When I had a bad day, as bad as a kid can have, instead of drinking a glass of whiskey or wine, I got myself a bag of Doritos and a Spider-Man comic. Considering all that, I think you’ll find my review surprising.

I give the movie a 7 out of 10 rating. The internet has been crazy about this movie since it came out ten days ago. Despite that, I’m not going to give away any spoilers just in case you haven’t seen it.  For my money and my Marvel fandom, this movie didn’t justify the hype.

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Yes, Peter’s friends MJ and Ned are back and provide some great comedic relief.  Benedict Cumberbatch returns as Dr. Strange and as always, plays the role impeccably. Later in the movie a few special guests arrive to provide some more heart and comedy. I didn’t know about the special guests and was pleasantly surprised by their addition to the plot.

What was done well was Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. In my opinion, he’s been the best choice of the three actors who have played Peter Parker. (Just for fun, I’ll rank them: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire. Let me know in the comments if you disagree) In fact, I think that in this movie every actor and actress played their role perfectly. It was the plot that I was disappointed in, and that surprised me.

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To me, the plot seemed clumsily contrived. The throwback stuff was fun but seemed a little forced at times.

I’m a writer and I think about how I’d write a scene or part of the plot. I like subtlety. I like the surprises in a book or movie to sneak up and surprise me. I guess that when writing a screenplay, you have to take into consideration that a movie can’t be four hours long and they can’t put every detail or line in that they want. Also, if you’re a newbie to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as they call it, this is still a great movie to see, but you’ll be a bit lost if you haven’t watched several of the recent Marvel movies.

I don’t know if, as many have said, that I’d rank this as the best or even a top five Marvel movie, but it’s definitely top ten and was a fun watch that is a must-see on the big screen. If you’re a Marvel movie fan you have to see this movie if only to see the post credit scenes that give you clues to upcoming Marvel movies.

If you’ve seen it, what do you think compared to my thoughts here?

Have a great day! ~Phil

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Sharknado 5 is Coming!

Posted on May 21, 2017 | 13 comments

Yes, the SyFy network has announced the release date for Sharknado 5. It appears the title will be Sharknado 5: Global Swarming. If you’ve never watched the Sharknado series of movies you’re missing out on a modern classic, tongue in cheek, campy, cheesy version of the disaster movie genre.

In 2013 the first Sharknado took the world by storm and it’s iconic, signature image was that of Fin Shephard (played by Ian Ziering) chainsawing his way out of a shark that had swallowed him and his chainsaw. The fact that a shark movie has a main character named Fin tells you this isn’t a movie that takes itself too seriously.

Here is the published synopsis of Sharknado 5: With much of North America lying in ruins, the rest of the world braces for the inevitable – a global sharknado. Fin Shepard and his family must put a stop to this disaster before Earth is completely obliterated. That just oozes with so much sharky goodness. I can’t wait.

Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath and Ian Ziering

In addition to Tara Reid returning as Fin’s wife, part of the awesomeness of this movie series is the cavalcade of guest star cameo’s including Mark Cuban, Jerry Springer, Mark McGrath, Anne Coulter, Al Roker, Frankie Muniz, Vivica Fox, Gary Busey, Cheryl Tiegs, Steve Guttenberg, Carrot Top, and almost every pro wrestler, YouTube and reality TV star you can name. With #Sharknado5 going international you can bet that there will be an international cast of characters. Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkonson of Australia’s The Today Show have already revealed that they have cameo’s in Sharknado 5 as have Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins, Kate Garraway, and Laura Tobin. British Olympic swimmer Tom Daley is also appearing in Sharknado 5.

Also, I have a special affinity for the movie series because two years ago #Sharknado actor and theme song musician Robbie Rist was interviewed here on #ThePhilFactor. I can’t make any promises, but I’m going to try to land an interview with someone else from the movie. Consider yourself on notice and clear your calendar for the evening of August 6th! Stay tuned!

Have a great Sharkday Sunday! ~Phil

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The 3rd Annual Snap Judgement Oscar Awards!

Posted on February 27, 2016 | 22 comments

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For the third year in a row I’m handing out my own Oscars using the kind of idiotic rationale we all use to choose the movies we go see. Half-assed and uninformed, The Snap Judgement Oscar Awards have been one of my more popular posts the last two years. Feel free to chip in with your opinions in the comments. The more the merrier!

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Actress in a Supporting Role: The nominees are Jennifer Jason Lee, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Alicia Vikander, and Kate Winslet. Jennifer Jason Lee is ruled out because she has three names and two of them are men’s. It’s like her name is half of the Brady Bunch. Can’t you just hear Carol Brady calling them down to dinner? “Jennifer, Jason, Lee, time for dinner! Wash your hands first!” I almost picked Rooney Mara because she’s related to two families that own football teams, and I like football. But…drumroll please! The 2016 Snap Judgement Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress is Rachel McAdams because she is still one of the cutest women ever created.

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Actor in a Supporting Role: The nominees are: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance and Sylvester Stallone. Sly Stallone is immediately ruled out because I heard once that he doesn’t allow his household staff to look him in the eye. Christian Bale is out because I hated his stupid Batman voice. Tom Hardy gets consideration because when I was a kid I read all the books about he and his brother solving mysteries. Never heard of Mark Rylance. The Snap Judgement Oscar for Supporting Actor goes to Mark Ruffalo because I like him as Dylan Rhodes in 2013’s Now You See Me, a surprisingly fun movie with a great surprise ending.

Actress in a Leading Role: The nominees are Cate Blanchett, (already ruled out because she seems kind of snooty), Brie Larson, being named after cheese is a good start, Jennifer Lawrence, (the three time winner of the Hunger Games already has enough hardware), Charlotte Rampling, (interesting name is points in her favor), Saoirse Ronan, who is disqualified because no one can pronounce her first name. The Oscar for Best Actress goes to…Scarlett Johanssen in Avengers because she can rock a leather jumpsuit like nobody’s business.

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Actor in a Leading Role: Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, and Eddie Redmayne. Eddie is ruled out because of his weird name. Same goes for Fassbender. Damon seems to get lost in every movie, so he doesn’t need an Oscar for playing the same character again. DiCaprio? Sure, great actor. So great that he doesn’t need a trophy to validate him. The Snap Judgement Oscar for Best Leading Actor goes to Bryan Cranston for his role as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle. He was hilarious. I think he may have a future in acting. BTW, whatever happened to Frankie Muniz?

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Best Picture: The nominees are: The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max, Bring Him Home, The Revenant, Room, and Spotlight. The Big Short is out because the title is an oxymoron and they crammed the movie full of great actors in an obvious bid to get the Oscar. Bridge of Spies? It’s hard to root against Tom Hanks. Brooklyn? It’s not even the best borough in New York, so it can’t be the best movie. Mad Max? Are you kidding me? I couldn’t sit through a commercial about that crappy Comic-Con wanna-be costumed freak show, much less two hours. The Martian? Do we need to bring him home? Haven’t we seen enough Matt Damon movies? Room? That doesn’t sound exciting. I’ve got lots of rooms. Spotlight is tempting because Mark Ruffalo is in it and he played a great Hulk. The 2016 Snap Judgement Oscar Award goes to…Jurassic World starring Chris Pratt. Best 3-D effects I’ve ever seen. All movies should be in 3-D and I’m happy to pay for the extra D every time.

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So what do you think? Do you agree with my choices? What are your choices? And please include your idiotic rationale in the comments. Have a great weekend! ~Phil

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Movie Review: Deadpool

Posted on February 14, 2016 | 12 comments

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Despite my son being 18 years old, he still likes to go to movies with his dad. Or maybe he likes when his dad pays for him to go to the movies. And buys him the Texas-sized bucket of popcorn and a soda pop that he could swim in. This time I bought tickets and the aforementioned snacks for he and his girlfriend. And it was so worth it. Don’t worry, there’s no spoilers here.

It’s perfectly appropriate for me to do a Deadpool review on Valentine’s Day because it’s a love story. Yes, Deadpool is a superhero movie, kind of. If you enjoyed the Batman, Spider-man and other comic based superhero franchise movies that took themselves waaaay too seriously over the last twenty years, then buckle up buttercup because this isn’t that kind of movie. I kind of like that last line I wrote. I think Deadpool would like it too, except he would probably say, “Then buckle the f–k up buttercup because this isn’t that kind of movie.” And he’d look into the camera and say it to you.

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In the past Ryan Reynolds has been panned for his abundance of good looks but dearth of acting ability. In Deadpool he has found his acting sweet spot. He plays a down-on-his-luck, snarky, sarcastic, irreverent, foul-mouthed “superhero.” And he plays it brilliantly. I have to give credit where credit is due, and that goes to the writers of Deadpool, and to Stan Lee, who allows his comic book franchise to grab pop culture by the balls and announce his presence. Deadpool’s, not Stan’s. (Make sure to keep your eyes open for Stan Lee’s usual cameo as he does in all Marvel comic based movies)

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Deadpool has been a cult/underground sensation since the launch of his comic book in 1997, but after this film brings his character into the mainstream his popularity will reach Spider-Man/Batman heights, at least at the box office. In dollars, the movie had the biggest opening of any R rated movie ever.

Unlike superhero movies of the last twenty years, Deadpool has an R rating and it earned it. There’s language  and jokes that would make Quentin Tarantino blush, and speaking of Quentin, I think he’d love this movie. There’s lots of killing and lots of blood. There’s also some nudity, but it is of course very artistic and integral to the plot.  So yes, Deadpool may be a superhero, but he’s not your father’s superhero.

For you parents who might consider going, the humor isn’t just crude jokes. There’s plenty of clever pop-culture references to the 80’s and 90’s that you’ll appreciate. There was a few so relevant to previous decades that I didn’t think my 18 year old would get them. Also, DO NOT leave as soon as the credits start rolling, and DO NOT leave when the first initial set of credits are done. Wait until the end of all the credits. Trust me. And trust me on this: if you go in skeptical you’ll come out laughing.

Have a great Valentine’s Day! ~Phil

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