The Brown Note Movie Review

The Marvels (2023) Movie Review

I walked in expecting a fairly decent 6/10 movie that had been review bombed into the dust by bro-tastic Brie Larson haters, I got literally the worst MCU film yet and kick off the year with a big fat zero out of ten. Even the terrible Thor 4 and Antman 3 have so many more things going for it than this abysmal travesty of film-making.

Napoleon (2023) Film Review

Director Ridley Scott is having a grand old time of it his later years, putting out some of his wildest films. The Last Duel was a totally underrated true life historical movie, yet actually it's House of Gucci that Napoleon is far closer to. It fails its main job of delivering a convincing biopic of its titular character but succeeds in being entertaining - if draining - due to how completely crazy it is.

Ricky Gervais: Armageddon (2024) Stand Up Review

Since I recorded this, Gervais' latest special won a Golden Globe, remarkable in a few ways. I almost gave up on Ricky's stand ups after the very tepid, Humanity, but this one, though not perfect, has a lot more fire and reason to be.

Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2024) Stand Up Review

Sadly the weakest of the probably six Chappelle specials I've reviewed. Certainly with the least amount of top tier material and reason to exist.

Saltburn (2023) Film Review

Emerald Fennell's follow up to the outstanding debut, A Promising Young Woman, isn't as vital or brilliant, but certainly has plenty to recommend. Mainly it's pairing of Barry Keoghan and a stellar Rosamund Pike. It's an often great, if superficial and fairly meaningless collision between Brideshead Revisited and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Movie Review

Hearing this was a young adult romance and musical, there was no way I was going near this with a fifty foot pole, but being desperate I did. After nearly cringing myself to death during the opening half hour, a surprising good story developed. Although it doesn't really dove-tail into the most iconic YA film series of all, I've nothing but respect for a director with this much narrative NOT splitting it into two films (I see you Zack Snyder). Overall a surprisingly good and intelligent watch.

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023) Movie Review

Zack Snyder came out of the DC Extended Universe something of a cult hero, neutered from his vision by an uncaring world and leaving the unexpectedly superb Snyder Cut of Justice League as a goodbye. Next to James Cameron and Christopher Nolan, he also has one of the most annoying online fan-bases of any director, just without the great movies. The aggravatingly titled and critically mauled Rebel Moon, earns its atrocious reviews. It is nearly so bad it's good and there is some fun to be had playing guess the movie, as it is the most derivative movie I have ever seen.

The Best And Worst Films Of 2023

In a banner year for big, great and terrible movies, my best and worst films of 2023.

 

Emperor's New Clothes award going to, Killers of the Flower Moon, sadly.

Top 25 Albums Of 2023

My yearly list of the best albums, in a pretty decent but not great year in music, in a particularly poor era for music journalism. Movies to follow.

 

Emperors New Clothes award for most inexplicably, universally praised album of the year - Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

 

Full show with music - https://www.mixcloud.com/julian-brown/top-25-albums-of-2023/

The Grey (2011) Film Review

Every single time I watch this Liam Neeson "actioner" my appreciation for it as a modern classic grows. For me it is the greatest film to examine the difference between toxic masculinity and positive masculinity, as a group of near awful or at least deeply broken men, all become better versions of themselves through adversity. The pack of wolves hunting them representing a beautiful tone poem on inescapable mortality and how you greet that.