alcohol Archives - The Spool

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review – A Web-Slinging Animated Classic in the Making

Miles Morales gets the big-screen treatment he deserves, an aesthetically vibrant, action-packed story that might just be one of the best animated superhero films of all time. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood What if I were to tell you that one of the most dazzling, innovative, hilarious and poignant animated films of the ... Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review – A Web-Slinging Animated Classic in the Making

Features

Scrooged at 30: How Bill Murray Turned A Christmas Carol On Its Head

Three decades later, Bill Murray’s dark turn on Ebenezer Scrooge remains as adored by its fans as it was a nightmare to make. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In December of 2015, Netflix aired A Very Murray Christmas, an original holiday special hosted by Bill Murray, who at some point in the past fifteen ... Scrooged at 30: How Bill Murray Turned A Christmas Carol On Its Head

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Review: The Coen Brothers Spin Six Tales of Old West Tragicomedy

The Coen brothers return to the Old West for a darkly comic anthology of six stories of doomed men and women out on the frontier. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Watching a Western movie means feeling a strange surge of patriotism, of pride and awe for the American men and women who made ... The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Review: The Coen Brothers Spin Six Tales of Old West Tragicomedy

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Prospect Review: A Thrilling, Micro-budget Sci-Fi Western

Writer/director team Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell craft a grimy, visceral space Western about a family of prospectors risking their lives on an alien moon. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Space-based science fiction is usually a big-budget affair – hundred-million-dollar space battles, exotic alien creatures and slick, futuristic spaceships. However, every so often ... Prospect Review: A Thrilling, Micro-budget Sci-Fi Western

Overlord Review: Nazi Zombie Shoot-Em-Up Is Fast and Furhrer-ious

The JJ Abrams-produced Nazi zombie flick provides plenty of schlock and scares, but stumbles over its own rotting feet when it reaches for profundity. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood If Indiana Jones has taught us anything, it’s that Jehovah starts with a ‘Y’ and there’s nothing more satisfying that watching someone kick the ... Overlord Review: Nazi Zombie Shoot-Em-Up Is Fast and Furhrer-ious

The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover

Lisbeth Salander returns, this time played by Claire Foy, in a slick but shallow sequel that trades in the series’ nuance for Bond-ian action. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Pre-screening chatter before The Girl in the Spider’s Web all seemed to center on the same questions: “What happened in the last movie?” “Is ... The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover

Outlaw King Review: Chris Pine Frees Scotland in Tepid Historical Drama

David McKenzie reunites with Chris Pine for a Braveheart-esque historical epic that plays out more like a filler episode of Game of Thrones. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Before you read any further, know this: yes, Chris Pine does hang dong in Outlaw King. For a certain subset of the population, this may ... Outlaw King Review: Chris Pine Frees Scotland in Tepid Historical Drama

Features

How the Matrix Sequels Expanded the Wachowskis’ Universe By Humanizing its Villains

The Wachowskis’ seminal sci-fi trilogy hits 4K today ahead of the first Matrix’s 20th anniversary. In honor of that, we take a look back at the much-maligned Matrix sequels and their intriguing ability to build upon (and even subvert) the themes of the first. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Matrix movies are some ... How the Matrix Sequels Expanded the Wachowskis’ Universe By Humanizing its Villains

Features

10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror

This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Let me rephrase that right from the beginning. This list really should be “10 Horror Movies for People Who Normally Aren’t Into Horror Movies, But Might Be Willing to Give Them a Shot,” but that’s just too long for a title. Horror is the genre most often forced ... 10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror

Suspiria (2018) Review: A Bone-Chilling Descent Into Existential Horror

Luca Guadagnino’s disturbing, cerebral remake of the Dario Argento giallo original is an ice-hot knife to the cerebellum, its scares shrouded in terrifying mystique. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It’s been three days since I’ve seen Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, and I still can’t get it out of my head. Two and a half ... Suspiria (2018) Review: A Bone-Chilling Descent Into Existential Horror

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Review: Melissa McCarthy Compels in Awards-Hungry Journalism Drama

While it’s patently hungry for awards, Melissa McCarthy’s biopic of infamous letter forger Lee Israel is compelling and darkly accessible, with some great supporting turns from Richard E Grant and Jane Curtin. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Oscar baiting: we know it when we see it, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? is ... Can You Ever Forgive Me? Review: Melissa McCarthy Compels in Awards-Hungry Journalism Drama

CIFF 2018

CIFF Dispatch, Part 2: What They Had, Retablo, Maria By Callas, and More

This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Chicago International Film Festival keeps chugging along this week, and so does our coverage. From upcoming big indie films to smaller local works, to foreign films that may never see mainstream distribution here, CIFF is a great time to stock up on works you may not get ... CIFF Dispatch, Part 2: What They Had, Retablo, Maria By Callas, and More

CIFF 2018

CIFF 2018 Dispatch, Part 1 (Feat. Interview w/Felix van Groeningen)

This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The 54th Chicago International Film Festival is more than just an amped-up pledge drive for Cinema/Chicago – it’s a huge showcase for some of the biggest, most interesting films of the year, foreign or domestic. It’s always a treat to cover – I spent two years as a ... CIFF 2018 Dispatch, Part 1 (Feat. Interview w/Felix van Groeningen)

Interviews

Trouble: Writer/Director Theresa Rebeck on Wrangling Low Budgets and Big Stars (Interview)

This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Novelist, screenwriter and Pulitzer-nominated playwright Theresa Rebeck is a woman of many hats – the latest of which is the director of the independent ensemble comedy Trouble. A film with modest ambitions but no small amount of charm, its tale of a small-town sibling rivalry is bolstered by tremendous ... Trouble: Writer/Director Theresa Rebeck on Wrangling Low Budgets and Big Stars (Interview)

Bad Times at the El Royale Review: Good Times With Drew Goddard’s Gritty Ensemble

Sporting a brilliant ensemble cast, Drew Goddard’s throwback to the neo-noir crime films of Tarantino and Rodriguez is that rare example that actually works. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It’s the sort of plot that’s been around for so long, Hollywood was essentially built on it: a bunch of ne’er do well strangers ... Bad Times at the El Royale Review: Good Times With Drew Goddard’s Gritty Ensemble

A Star Is Born (2018) Review: Lady Gaga Soars In Sumptuous, if Shallow, Remake

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut features strong performances and some catchy tunes, but he’s just the opening act for Lady Gaga’s revelatory breakout performance. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood When that first teaser for Bradley Cooper’s version of A Star Is Born dropped in early June, jaws were justifiably dropped. The skepticism around the ... A Star Is Born (2018) Review: Lady Gaga Soars In Sumptuous, if Shallow, Remake

The Sisters Brothers Review: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly Upend the Western

Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly are a pair of offbeat gunslingers in Jacques Audiard’s unconventional, gorgeously energetic Western. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The American Western has been told in every conceivable fashion, but they often feature the same sort of lead – a man who, when faced with great adversity, buries ... The Sisters Brothers Review: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly Upend the Western

Festivals

Five LGBTQ+ Films We Can’t Wait to See at the 36th Reeling Film Festival

The 36th annual LGBTQ+ film fest starts up this week in Chicago, and we talk about some of the queer films we most look forward to. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood For decades, Chicago Filmmakers has been one of the city’s greatest champions for arthouse and independent film. Part of that is the ... Five LGBTQ+ Films We Can’t Wait to See at the 36th Reeling Film Festival

A Simple Favor Review: Paul Feig’s Comedy-Thriller Is a Riotous Look at Female Agency

A bold, brassy take on Gone Girl, Paul Feig’s mommy-vlogger noir allows Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively to smash the patriarchy in some fascinating ways. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood You have to admire the bravery of a film that all but tells you what it’s about. At no point does A Simple ... A Simple Favor Review: Paul Feig’s Comedy-Thriller Is a Riotous Look at Female Agency

The Predator Review: Shane Black’s Sequel Is One Messy Hunt

Shane Black returns to the macho 90s alien-hunter franchise he helped spawn, but his irreverent stamp (including a heaping helping of ableism) does more harm than good. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood On the surface, Shane Black seems like a great, if unexpected, fit for the Predator franchise. He’s a distinct, irreverent action-comedy ... The Predator Review: Shane Black’s Sequel Is One Messy Hunt

Film Review: Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Mistakes Frumpy for Failure

Netflix updates Cyrano de Bergerac for the social media era in this clunky teen rom-com, which distastefully hinges on a young girl’s perceived unattractiveness. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Now that they have a smash hit in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Netflix needs to up its game in providing youth-oriented ... Film Review: Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Mistakes Frumpy for Failure

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