Bo Burnham: The Inside Outtakes (2022) - Movie Review

Well, it looks like leftovers of already-reviewed movies are still on the table, after looking at Jackass 4.5 earlier this year, as Bo Burnham has released an outtakes reel for his (in my not-so-quiet opinion) genius production Inside onto his YouTube channel. Seems like a fitting place for this to turn up, given his internet content roots along with the emphatically homespun production values of the special itself. But while this could easily be written off as just a behind-the-scenes scrapbook of the main event, I’d argue that this shows Burnham finding more ways to be creative even in this capacity.

Top 20 Best Films Of 2021

2021 was definitely a disappointing year in a lot of ways, and one of the harder ones to deal with in many others, but honestly… forget how I ended my last list: For all the bad that happened, I’m glad that 2021 happened the way it did. I went through a lot of difficulties with my own work and life situation, true, but the latter half of the year had me reaping the rewards for the previous eleven years’ worth of grinding I’ve put into this little endeavour of mine. Not only did Universal Studios start contacting me directly to go to preview screenings, but I finally stopped being an intern with FilmInk as I have been for the last few years, and became a paid contributor. After spending so long doing all of this, resigning myself to this just being a hobby, I achieved one of my life goals and have made it as a professional writer.

In light of all that, and for as sour as my Worst list turned out, I find it difficult to really hate the last twelve months. As such, rather than doing my usual Best Worst Film Of The Year mention (which, for the second year in a row, went to an After sequel), I’m going to start this off with a quick rundown of ten things (in no particular order) that I loved seeing this year… that aren’t attached to films already in the list proper.

1.       Symbolic BDSM in an R.L. Stine adaptation

2.       Twitter Cinema

3.       Gay Venom

4.       James Wan going completely bugfuck

5.       Hugh Dennis in a James Bond movie

6.       Ridley Scott releasing two of his best films in a single year

7.       Chloé Zhao releasing two of her best films in a single year (Eternals was fucking brilliant, I don’t care what anyone else says)

8.       In a sea of nostalgia bait, a much-needed reality check

9.       A collaboration between Troma Studios and Saban Entertainment (well, damn near it, anyway)

10.   A new Clint Eastwood movie that didn’t make me feel like I would rupture a major artery

Yeah, a lot of good shit happened at the movies in 2021, when all the big fuck-off blockbusters that the studios had been sitting on for well over a year finally saw public release, along with some killer indie features. So, before we completely leave 2021 in the rear view, let’s take one last look at some of the best that the year’s cinema had to offer. Here are my picks for the twenty best films of 2021. (By the way, *SPOILERS* for Spider-Man: No Way Home ahead)

Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) - Movie Review

I won’t claim to be the biggest Bo Burnham fan out there; I haven’t watched everything the man has ever done or anything. But with everything I have seen of his (Country Song, Eighth Grade, his performance in Promising Young Woman, his work on Chris Rock’s Tambourine), I’ve always walked away with a sense that this is a dude with talent to burn and a willingness to try different things. And while his latest comedy special might not technically count as a film… well, as I’ll get into, that distinction doesn’t really mean a whole lot, considering the how and why of its creation.

Eighth Grade (2019) - Movie Review

Part of me hates movies like this. Sure, I’m not entirely adverse to coming-of-age stories, as I’ve covered some pretty damn good ones over the last few years like You’re Not Thinking Straight, The Edge Of Seventeen, Lady Bird and Love, Simon. However, the part of me that dislikes going out to see this category of cinema, and something that reaches somewhat of an apex with this film, is a very specific type of cringe. The kind that comes from seeing adolescents and teenagers struggling with their own awkwardness in a school setting, making one realise just how awkward they themselves were at that age. If that’s not the feeling you get from seeing films like this, I'm assuming you come from somewhere in Andromeda.