The Disappointments and Least of 2022

We begin the year end wrap up with a look at the most disappointing and least (worst) things to happen all year in the world of film 

Before I get to the film the worst thing that happened was the death of friend and fellow writer Gerald Wright. He was great man and his loss was incalculable. He will be missed.  

THE MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS OF 2022

FROM WHERE THEY STOOD – This look at a series of photographs that were taken in a concentration camp during the Second World War is good, but any power is lost with its over length. Why is this two hours?

FINAL CUT-Why remake a classic a horror film and stay close enough to the original that you are forced to compare them? This is proof of why the director of Oscar winning THE ARTIST never hit again.

CROWS ARE WHITE is a look at an atypical monk loss ground because the man at the center is really annoying.

BLACK PHONE much heralded horror film left me scratching my head since the story makes no sense what so ever. (and don’t get me started with it not feeling like the 1970’s)

YEAR BETWEEN Alex Heller’s nightmare of a film about a nightmare character never gets the horrified tone right and it annoys more than shocks.

IDINA MENZEL: WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE is self-serving puff piece about the singer as she tours and heads toward a concert at Madison Square Garden. It’s a film that kind of cooks things to make Menzel seem even more special.

MASTER GARDNER is Paul Schrader’s over inflated story of a man and the women in his life. Full of self-importance that only the director sees it crashes and burns. It’s got moments but mostly it needs a rewrite

I did not have high hopes for BLACK ADAM because I knew using a character most people don't know would require a lot of exposition, but I didn't expect something so inert. This film is as slow as the slow motion it favors for action films. Using a mostly uninteresting characters and cliches (the Justice Society excepted-they deserve a better movie) this film spins its wheels with a tale of no stakes and even fewer moments of excitement. Yes the film made me yelp with delight with a Hawkman line, but the film is other wise semi interesting images with no soul and worse no fun. I was at least hoping for bad but fun.

While I am all for people taking films as they come, the lack of trigger warnings for a couple of films at some of my favorite festivals has to be called out because sometimes you need to warn your audience. Fantasia should have warned its audience going in that the animated film OPAL was not for the young or old, it should not have been in an early slot so parents would take their kids.. It was a very adult film about a father raping his daughter repeatedly.  Some animated films are not child friendly. 

I know the film maker and the PR firm of  BLAZE where behind Tribeca not issuing a warning about the deeply disturbing and graphic rape that starts the film. I was repeatedly told not to mention it in my review by the PR  people but having friends who were sexually assaulted I mentioned it any way. As it is many reviews  of the film mentioned it because they too were rattled by it.

LEAST (WORST) FILMS OF 2022

HONEYCOMB- first bad film of 2022 is a badly acted, I can't believe someone thought this was well written.

GAY HAIRCUT is a terrible film about a haircut

IT IS IN US ALL- this film about a man becoming involved with a younger man he literally crashes into. Low key and smoldering, it makes no sense unless you read the directors notes on the film.

BITCH ASS is a horrible horror film about a man who likes to play games and tricks people into his house so he can play with them until they die. Just awful.

355 has a cast to die for that is lost in a badly edited action film that generates no excitement or sense.

ABJECT yet another couple go away to save their marriage tale that goes nowhere

ARMAGEDDON TIME another cast is lost in a film that seems like it was based on a bad sitcoms idea of life.

L'ODGE D'OR surreal look at life adds up to nothing and goes no where

ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS exists only to push buttons. What can you say about a film where the happy ending has the hero and his woman getting together to produce a baby he can rape? I'd be offended except it's just the filmmakers doing something just to get noticed and having to stoop below ground level to do so.

HUMAN FLOWERS OF FLESH paint drying is more exciting than this film which takes pride in being the slowest film in the slow cinema subgenre (They actually use that line in their promotional material on FestivalScope.)

RAZZENNEST is a fake art film being riffed ala Mystery Science Theater 3000 as if it were a DVD extra. Why make a bad film to riff? More to the point why make fun of riffing. Not only pointless but badly done.

IT IS NIGHT IN AMERICA is a dull look at animals wandering into civilization via zoomed grainy night vision images

SQUEAL not really good story of man who ends up captured by a family and forced to live with the pigs. Yea, no.

ISLAND OF LOST GIRLS is a home movie turned wildly over long and dull children’s film about kids getting lost at sea and having non adventures. This exists only to pay for the filmmakers family vacation.

COUNTRY GOLD is a dreadful mocumentary/riff about a Garth Brooks like singer coming up and having dinner with George Jones and stuff. It has a couple of moments but mostly it has nothing .