Cultural Conversation
Cultural Conversation is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this
publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following
Tomatometer-approved critic(s):
Tony Black
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
4/5
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
For me, No Way Home is joyful. Others will find it infuriating and strangely reductive. And either way, it could be a sign of times to come.
Posted Dec 18, 2021
2
4/5
Dune (2021)
Dune: Part One is a stunning piece of work in that context, one that could well be for the ages.
Posted Nov 20, 2021
3
4/5
No Time To Die (2021)
No Time to Die caps off films which have elevated the James Bond franchise into something they rarely were before: fine examples of artistic, dramatic craft.
Posted Oct 6, 2021
4
2/5
Gemini Man (2019)
A 90's sci-fi action thriller that fell through a time vortex.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
5
2/5
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
The crucial problem of course is that for a comedy, it's not really very funny.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
6
4/5
The Last Samurai (2003)
The Last Samurai delivers one of the stronger historical adventure epics of recent years.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
7
2/5
Terminator Genisys (2015)
It's just utterly hollow, a big noisy shuffling of temporal timey-wimey mechanics that does nothing we needed to a franchise that will always have legs.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
8
1/5
Diana (2013)
Diana turns out to be an enormously tedious character study which never once has the balls to go beyond its glossed-up TV movie roots.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
9
5/5
The Shining (1980)
A true masterpiece.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
10
3/5
Making Waves manages to cover an array of different areas and delivers a comprehensive, enlightening and relaxed journey through the history of sound and film.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
11
4/5
Doctor Sleep (2019)
A Kubrickian xerox with soul and dark beauty.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
12
2/5
A thuddingly joyless experience that feels twice as long, with a leaden pace, an awful script & phoned in performances.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
13
4/5
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2009)
A horrific gem. One of the great found footage pictures and indeed the faux documentary genre.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
14
4/5
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
A thrilling, playful middle finger to corporate conservatism.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
15
4/5
The Ninth Gate (1999)
If you go in not expecting thrills or chills but an old-fashioned, carefully constructed puzzle, you may well find this surprisingly beguiling.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
16
4/5
Frozen (2013)
It's genuinely a delightful experience; full of memorable songs and fun moments & lots of dry humour.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
17
5/5
GoodFellas (1990)
It's an epic, it's powerful, it's funny, it's tough, it's rough and by God is it cool.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
18
4/5
Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield is quite a stunning, fresh use of the found footage concept which cleverly updates the Godzilla-concept.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
19
3/5
Room 237 (2013)
It has something to say about obsession & perhaps serves as a warning: look too hard at something, and you may go slightly mad.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
20
2/5
The Phantom Menace will always be possibly the single biggest missed opportunity in modern cinematic history
Posted Feb 16, 2021
21
2/5
You go into this prequel wanting to love it, and come out wondering what happened to the Star Wars you grew up with, and whether it really is gone forever.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
22
3/5
Revenge of the Sith is by some distance the finest Star Wars prequel and though it can't quite sit on a par with the original trilogy, it skirts close.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
23
4/5
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One isn't just the prequel you never knew you wanted, it's also quite possibly almost almost as good as A New Hope itself.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
24
5/5
It's far from the greatest movie ever made, but A New Hope-and its sequels-will be remembered, discussed and loved until we're all living in a galaxy far, far away.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
25
5/5
A rare example, maybe the finest example, of a sequel greater than its predecessor. The Force is the strongest here.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
26
3/5
It's well constructed, tonally in spirit, and hugely enjoyable, but the Force simply isn't as strong in this one.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
27
4/5
Blowing away any memories of the prequels, The Force Awakens, for once, lives up to and perhaps even betters the hype.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
28
4/5
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
The Last Jedi doesn't entirely detach from the mythological themes and fantasy tropes Lucas' movies played with - but it feels like the start of a brave new world.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
29
2/5
The expected, soulless capstone of a four decade saga.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
30
3/5
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Weak satire almost saved by a surfeit of heart.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
31
4/5
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
It may be as deep as a puddle, but splashing around hasn't been this enjoyable in a while.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
32
3/5
The Hurricane (1999)
A powerful case of injustice lacking punch.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
33
2/5
Bombshell (2019)
The haunted, toothless response to a destructive political culture.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
34
2/5
Next Friday (2000)
While outwardly amusing, with plenty of scatological and farcical gags, it is an example of the kind of diminishing sequel that the early 2000's would deliver in spades.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
35
2/5
Down to You (2000)
Not in any way a harmful or distasteful film, however clumsy it might be, Down to You is simply entirely forgettable.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
36
3/5
Star Trek - Nemesis (2002)
Nemesis, released in the long shadow cast on American storytelling by the horrific events of 9/11, feels like the reluctant last gasp of Star Trek's second era.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
37
3/5
A quietly moving retort to modern cynicism.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
38
2/5
Eye of the Beholder (2000)
Neo-noir & near enough a bore.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
39
4/5
Scream 3 (2000)
An underrated, post-modern deconstruction.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
40
2/5
The Beach (2000)
Apocalypse Now 2 - Beach Vacation.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
41
2/5
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
High concept, low returns.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
42
3/5
Wonder Boys (2000)
Classy but listless existential privilege.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
43
1/5
The Next Best Thing (2000)
A glossy, ham-fisted, non-romance.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
44
3/5
Mission to Mars (2000)
A sedate, mournful, yet optimistic journey to the stars.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
45
4/5
Erin Brockovich (2000)
A relaxed but powerful American star-vehicle.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
46
2/5
Romeo Must Die (2000)
Less star-crossed lovers, more impossible physics.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
47
3/5
The Road to El Dorado (2000)
Though containing all of the elements you would imagine might make a rip-roaring, animated comedy adventure, The Road to El Dorado doesn't fit that bill.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
48
3/5
Rules of Engagement (2000)
A military drama scared to face its demons.
Posted Feb 16, 2021
49
2/5
28 Days (2000)
Painfully earnest, addiction-tackling piffle
Posted Feb 16, 2021
50
2/5
U-571 (2000)
Well-executed but troubling wartime historical revisionism.
Posted Feb 15, 2021