One of the keenest pleasures found in moviegoing is that of competence porn. A great comedy can flood your brain with endorphins, a solid horror movie can unnerve you days after you saw it, and the right drama can restore your faith in the essential decency of humanity. Even the much-maligned superhero genre can, when executed properly, provide viewers with something mythic. That’s all well and good, but I really dig films about smart people doing a particular job with intelligence and competence. Consider Apollo 13, a film I absolutely adore. On the one hand, I understand perhaps 25 percent... Read More

Could two Quad-Citians bring home an Oscar to Bettendorf? This Sunday, the 91st annual Academy Awards will begin in Los Angeles at 7 p.m. CST, and “A Quiet Place,” written by Quad-Citians Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, was nominated in the sound editing category. Unfortunately, despite a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nom, Beck and Woods weren’t nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, and “Place” lead Emily Blunt was snubbed for an actress pick despite some buzz. The biggest surprises among the nominees were “Black Panther,” which became the first Marvel film to... Read More

“A Quiet Place,” written by Quad-Citians Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, was nominated in the sound editing category for the 91st Academy Awards, which announced their noms this morning. Unfortunately, despite a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nom, Beck and Woods weren’t nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, and “Place” lead Emily Blunt was snubbed for an actress pick despite some buzz. The biggest surprises among the nominees were “Black Panther,” which became the first Marvel film to be nominated for Best Picture, although it was certainly deserved. In addition... Read More