Happy Saturday ... In Between Awards Screeners

It’s the most … wonderful time of the year, and no, I don’t mean Christmas. This weekend, my fellow Los Angeles Film Critics Association members and I will meet to vote on the best movies, performances and technical achievements of 2023. I still have a bunch of last-minute screeners to watch before I pick my favorites, but wanted to stop in for a quick hello. We tend to think for ourselves as you can see from previous years’ winners, and enjoy honoring work that deviates from the annual awards-season groundswell. We’ll meet on Sunday for about six hours, including our infamous lunch break, which always causes great consternation among industry pundits. This is also the first time for us all to meet in person since 2019, so it’ll be nice to spend time with dear friends. If you’d like to follow along, someone will be live-tweeting from the LAFCA Twitter feed (I’ll never call it X, and I’m barely even on there anymore). Lots of great films to champion, but I’ll be rooting hard for Poor Things, my favorite movie of the year.

Speaking of the latest from Yorgos Lanthimos, I had the pleasure of rhapsodizing about it for RogerEbert.com. I gave it four stars, but in some ways those reviews are among the hardest to write. You make yourself vulnerable when you love a film so deeply in a way that you don’t with the typical 2- or 2 ½-star reviews. It opened in limited release Friday before going wider in upcoming weeks, and this is trippy fairy tale of female empowerment is definitely one you’ll want to see in the theater. What’s your favorite movie of the year? I’d love to know.

Last weekend for Ebert, I got to go long on “Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé,” which is only fitting because the film itself runs about three hours. The concert documentary, which Beyoncé wrote, directed and stars in, follows her massive Renaissance World Tour on stage and behind the scenes. She’s a mesmerizing talent, of course, with an incredible work ethic and musical gifts. But she’s also a serious filmmaker who obsesses over lighting cues and camera lenses. You’ll learn more about scaffolding than you ever could have imagined. Beyoncé is meticulous about every detail, large and small, which the fellow Virgo in me appreciates. It’s in theaters now.

This week’s Breakfast All Day videos. If you already subscribe to our YouTube channel, wonderful! If not, I’m happy to share the links to our latest reviews, and I welcome you to head over there and see what we have to offer. This week, Alonso and I discussed:

• POOR THINGS. The daring Greek auteur has truly outdone himself this time.

• GODZILLA MINUS ONE. A thrilling throwback to classic kaiju movies with incredible special effects and real emotional stakes. Plus the score is kick-ass.

• THE BOY AND THE HERON. The master animator Hayao Miyazaki is back with what is supposedly his final film, a semi-autobiographical stunner about the living and the dead. It’s gorgeous and harrowing, with some imagery involving fish and frogs that will provide serious nightmare fuel.

• ORIGIN. Clunky and didactic, this is a rare misfire from writer-director Ava DuVernay, but it features some strong performances and moments of visual poetry.

Breakfast All Day podcast. If you’d rather hear us on the go while you’re out and about running errands during this busy time, here’s a link to our latest episode. We’re on Apple podcasts, Spotify and all the usual places. We’d love it if you’d subscribe and rate us!

This week’s radio reviews. I was on both local NPR stations this week discussing the latest movies: FilmWeek With Larry Mantle on LAist (formerly KPCC) and Press Play With Madeleine Brand on KCRW, where I got to share the air with my darling Alonso in a different setting. Sometimes the schedule shakes out that way! Listen and enjoy.

Rest in Peace, Norman Lear. We lost a legend this week with the death of the pioneering television producer at age 101. Lear’s bold vision and distinctive voice ushered in a groundbreaking era in American pop culture through shows like “All in the Family,” “One Day at a Time” and “Maude.” Apparently he was also the sweetest of gentlemen. My old AP colleague and friend, the always insightful TV critic Dave Bauder, offers this appreciation.

Looking ahead, we’ll have our annual Christmas movie livestream with Alonso, the holiday movie expert, at Noon PST on Tuesday, Dec. 19. He literally wrote the book on Xmas movies (several of them, actually), and it’s always fun to hear about your favorites and annual viewing traditions, as well. So mark your calendar and come chat with us at our YouTube channel!

And if you’re looking for holiday gifts, let us help you with discounts from the companies we’re proud to work with at Breakfast All Day. (Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something, we’ll receive a small commission):

• COFFEE BROS. Their Holiday Blend is especially cozy with notes of cooked berries, cocoa and wine, but we’ve loved everything we’ve tried from them. Take 15 % off your order with code BREAKFAST15. Shipping is free on orders of $50 or more.

• ATHLETIC BREWING CO. If you or someone you know is thinking about trying Dry January, or just hoping to drink less during the holidays, alcohol-free brews from Athletic make it easy to stay social and have fun. Take 10% off with code BREAKFASTALLDAY. Shipping is free on orders of $50 or more.

• NSABERS. The perfect gift for the “Star Wars” fan in your life! NSabers has a wide variety of well-made, neopixel lightsabers from beginner models for kids to more serious ones for cosplayers. They’re offering deals up to 50% for the holidays. Our link is above and the code is XMAS10.

Thanks so much for coming back and spending time with me. I hope this is helpful and I welcome your feedback. And if you ever miss any editions of my Saturday Matinee newsletter, they’re all right here. Have a great weekend!