VERDICT

As much as I don’t like the term, “Thrill-Ride” might be the most appropriate description for a movie like ‘Furiosa’. It’s two and a half hours of pure fun. While it doesn’t capture the imagination of 2015’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, it’s still deserves a much better box-office take than unfortunately it’s received so-far.

3.5/5 Swedish Fish

So what do you think? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats) and Instagram (@korkedbats)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube.

The post 3 Big Things on ‘Furiosa’ – A SPOILER-FREE Video Review appeared first on Korked Bats.

Luca Guadagnino’s follow-up to 2022’s ‘Bones and All’ may not be his most groundbreaking film, but it certainly is his most entertaining. For me, if ‘Dune: Part II’ didn’t come out in March, ‘Challengers’ would easily be my favorite film of 2024 so far.

With it’s impeccable cast, fast-paced storytelling, and INSANE score it’s damn-near impossible to have a good time watching ‘Challengers’. Some of the technical choices left me a bit puzzled, and the ending is a bit of a mystery, but I can’t wait to see it again.

Check out the video above for a more-depth (and SPOILER-FREE) review!

VERDICT

4.5/5 Swedish Fish

So what do you think? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats) and Instagram (@korkedbats)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube.

The post 3 Big Things on ‘Challengers’ – A SPOILER-FREE Video Review appeared first on Korked Bats.

As of late, I feel like my existential dread meter has been quite low. Fear of societal collapse truly is the spice of life. Can you really enjoy a good time without, what my therapist calls, a “slighty irrational” fear of the world ending? ‘Civil War’, while slightly being able to fill that void for me, wasn’t actually what I was expected. In some ways that’s a good and in other ways it’s not.

Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ is his follow up to 2022’s mind-boggling, squirm-in-your-seat, gloom-fest ‘Men’. Once again, Garland showcases his mastery of making his audiences uncomfortable for 90 minutes. Now, ‘Civil War’ doesn’t include a gruesome 5-minute sequence of dying “man” giving birth to other dying “men” (sorry for the spoilers but if you haven’t seen ‘Men’ at this point you’re not going to). It’s discomfort resonates from the extremely realistic depiction of front-line war violence.

‘Civil War’ is a visceral and immersive war film. It echoes shades of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Full Metal Jacket’ in a very unique but somewhat unengaging manner. Although it avoids taking a preachy and polarizing tone on modern society (although not completely void of social commentary), ‘it ‘Civil War’ can’t really decide on what it’s identity is.

#DunstDudes–Where You At?

I’m now officially accepting membership into my Kirsten Dunst fan club. The Dunst-Dudes. Being a “dude” is not a requirement–I just have a thing for strong consonants and alliteration. If my theory is correct, you can expect #DunstDudes to be trending on Twitter as hard as Conan O’Brien on Hot Ones was this weekend.

Performances are truly the high-point of ‘Civil War’; starting with our aforementioned Kirsten leading the charge. She’s taken the roughly 30 years of Hollywood B.S. she’s dealt with and created a character who is absolutely calloused to the world and war around her. She truly is the heart and soul of ‘Civil War’ but that’s not to say she isn’t also complimented by a tremendous supporting cast.

Wagner Moura seems to be at the beginning of having a “moment” in Hollywood and has Pedro Pascal-esque charisma and charm. He’s a wildcard in the best sense throughout the film.

Speaking of having a moment, Cailee Spaeny much? Between this, ‘Priscilla’ and the upcoming ‘Alien: Romulus’, she is about to become a household name. And finally, is any movie ever made worse when Stephen McKinley Henderson shows up? No. The answer is no.

S#!t’s Loud.

‘Civil War’ is a film that benefits from being seen in a theater. Alex Garland use of sound, and to a large degree music, magnifies the visceral nature of being embedded in the front-lines of war. The final 15 minute sequence feels genuine due to the how intense the sound pumps through the speakers. I can’t imagine watching this at home and it having the same effect.

Alex Garland, without diving too deeply into exposition or backstory, uses technical aspects to raise the stakes of the film. We may not really understand the who, what, and why of things, but we feel the gravity of warfare simply by how the film is shot and turning the volume up to 11.

The tragedy of ‘Civil War’

While I can honestly sit here and say that ‘Civil War’ is thought provoking and an overall positive experience, it’s true downfall is that it really doesn’t know what type of movie it wants to be. It’s stuck somewhere between a cautionary tale for modern America and a compelling story about war journalists. While this does help to not drag the audience into a morality play which causes us to choose sides, it doesn’t do itself any favors in establishing a firm identity.

VERDICT

Although it has it’s high-moments with outstanding performances from it’s cast and technical prowess from it’s director, ‘Civil War’ is a movie that doesn’t really have a firm identity. This lack of a truly compelling story keeps it out of the upper-echelon of war movies even though it strives to be there.

3.5/5 Swedish Fish

So what do you think? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats) and Instagram (@korkedbats)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube.

The post ‘Civil War’ Review – SPOILER FREE appeared first on Korked Bats.

Every vote has been counted, and It’s time to announce our winners! Special thanks to everyone who voted! This is truly our favorite time of the year, and having you all along for the ride makes it that much more special.

Enough mushy stuff. Let get to the fun part. Your winners of the 2023 Tommy Awards are:

The 2023 Tommy Legacy Award

If you’re confused as to why a film in 2018 just won an award for 2023, you’re certainly not alone. Every year, our dearest CineBoi Tom (who these awards are named for) chooses a film or TV show from the past that he finally got around to in 2023 and loved. Tom loves to take his time, but his winners are never wrong.

Congratulations to Alex Garland, Natalie Portman and the rest of the cast & crew of ‘Annihilation’.

Best Actress of 2023

Fresh off her Golden Globe win Sunday night, Ayo Edebiri is our winner for actress of the year. Is a Tommy more prestigious than a Golden Globe? Probably not but at least you don’t have to sit through a Jo Koy monologue…shots fired. Edebiri was EVERYWHERE this year, but truly what put her over the top was her supporting performance in ‘The Bear’

This is Ayo Edebiri’s first nomination and first win.

Best Actor of 2023

Another Golden Globe winner from Sunday walks away with his first Tommy Awards as well. He’s patiently waited through 20 years of supporting roles in Christopher Nolan films to finally get the lead and he absolutely crushed it. Perhaps the single best performance by any actor for 2023. I think he can confidently look forward to bringing home the Oscar come March.

This is Cillian Murphy’s first nomination and first win.

Best TV Show of 2023

Honestly, we thought ‘Succession’ in it’s last year was going to take the cake, but ‘The Bear’ snuck in from behind and took the Tommy. It might even be good enough to fill the ‘Succession’ sized hole in my heart. I guess this makes up for us not including in the vote for last year’s Tommy’s.

Congrats to the cast & crew!

Best Movie of 2023

Are you really that surprised? Yah, ‘Barbie’ got a lot of the vote this year, but let’s face it, Christopher Nolan is among everyone’s favorite directors and this is his magnum opus. It’s truly deserving of this prestigious award.

What do you think of this year’s Tommy Award winners? Is there anyone you think we missed? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz) and Instagram (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube and subscribe to The CineBoiz Podcast wherever podcasts are found!

You can watch us announce the winners on our latest episode here:

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards: Your Winners appeared first on Korked Bats.

We’ve announced our nominees and now it’s up to you to VOTE!

Voting is open now and closes this Saturday, January 6th at 9 AM CST! Be sure to make your voices heard! The winners will be announced on Monday’s new episode of the CineBoiz Podcast. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever podcasts are found or watch this Monday on the Korked Bats YouTube page.

VOTE HERE!!!!

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards; TIME TO VOTE appeared first on Korked Bats.

This is it! This is the BIG ONE. The category of categories. The following films are our nominees for the best films of the year.

What a remarkable year for film! If it wasn’t for movies, we simply would not have a podcast. Be sure to be on the lookout in the next few days for your chance to VOTE on the Tommy Awards!

And the nominees are….

Oppenheimer

Barbie

Past Lives

Killers of the Flower Moon

The Iron Claw

Poor Things

Maestro

The Holdovers

What do you think of this year’s nominees for Best MOVIE? Is there anyone you think we missed? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz) and Instagram (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube and subscribe to The CineBoiz Podcast wherever podcasts are found!

You can watch the MOVIE Nomination episode here:

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards: Best Movie Nominees appeared first on Korked Bats.

Where would we be without the invention of the TV? It’s the fireplace that modern society gathers around for comfort, relaxation, and fun. We here at Korked Bats and The CineBoiz Podcast truly love our TV’s. We doubt we’d be half the boys we are without them.

So it makes sense that we would want to nominate some of our favorite TV shows from the year of our lord 2023.

And the nominees are…

The Last of Us (HBO; Max)

The Bear (FX)

Silo (Apple TV+)

Succession (HBO; MAX)

Hijack (Apple TV+)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Jury Duty (Freevee; Prime Video)

What do you think of this year’s nominees for Best TV SHOW? Is there anyone you think we missed? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz) and Instagram (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube and subscribe to The CineBoiz Podcast wherever podcasts are found!

You can watch the TV SHOW Nomination episode here:

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards: Best TV Show Nominees appeared first on Korked Bats.

Another week, another round of Tommy Award Nominations! Last week we highlighted our nominees for Best Actress. This week? Well, you’ve probably guessed it if you’ve clicked on this article…we’re highlighting the actors for 2023 that we’ve deemed worthy of this prestigious award. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for your chance to vote, but for now…

Here are the nominees:

Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

Adam Driver (Ferrari)

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Ryan Gosling (Barbie)

Jeremy Allen White (The Bear; The Iron Claw)

Zac Efron (The Iron Claw)

Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)

Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

What do you think of this year’s nominees for Best Actor? Is there anyone you think we missed? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz) and Instagram (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube and subscribe to The CineBoiz Podcast wherever podcasts are found!

You can watch the Best Actor Nomination episode here:

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards: Best Actor Nominees appeared first on Korked Bats.

They made Florida Man into a video game.

The post Our Reaction To The ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Trailer appeared first on Korked Bats.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yah sure, the holidays, blah blah blah. More importantly though? The 2023 Tommy Awards are just around the corner! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting all the nominees from our four categories on The CineBoiz Podcast.

This week, we made our final nominations for Best Actress of 2023! Be on the lookout for the nominations in the following weeks, and get geared-up to vote once we’ve made all the announcements.

For Best Actress of 2023, the Tommy Nominees are….

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear, Bottoms, Theater Camp, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem)

Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, Pain Hustlers, The English)

Emma Stone (Poor Things, The Curse)

Greta Lee (Past Lives, The Morning Show)

Carey Mulligan (Maestro)

Sarah Snook (Succession, The Beanie Bubble)

Margot Robbie (Barbie)

What do you think of this year’s nominees for Best Actress? Is there anyone you think we missed? Be sure to holler at us on Twitter (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz) and Instagram (@korkedbats; @thecineboiz)

Also, be sure to follow Korked Bats on YouTube and subscribe to The CineBoiz Podcast wherever podcasts are found!

You can watch the Best Actress Nomination episode here:

The post The 2023 Tommy Awards: Best Actress Nominees appeared first on Korked Bats.