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Combustible Celluloid

Combustible Celluloid is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Jeffrey M. Anderson, Rob Blackwelder.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
3/4
Arabesque (1966) Jeffrey M. Anderson While this convoluted story doesn't add up to much, Donen established a new visual style for himself, all reflections, odd angles, and convex surfaces, paving the way for his next film — one of his greatest — Two for the Road.
Posted Feb 02, 2026  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Dead Man's Wire (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Perhaps no other filmmaker could have told this story quite so well as Gus Van Sant.
Posted Jan 22, 2026  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Sirāt (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson It is a disquieting experience, effectively straddling joy and release with loss and grief. It won't be easy to forget.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Train Dreams (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson This is an organic, poetic approach, worthy of its source material.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
It Was Just an Accident (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Panahi is a political poet, knowing exactly how much to show and how much to suggest in this murky tale of vengeance, and what it actually means to cause harm.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Eephus (2024) Jeffrey M. Anderson It's a movie about a game that matters hardly at all, but in the moment, matters more than anything.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Sentimental Value (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Well-acted, and astutely co-written and directed by Joachim Trier.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Marty Supreme (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson A high-tension, high-stakes whirlwind not unlike their previous film 'Uncut Gems,' but perhaps not as relentless; this one is funnier, and with pacing that allows for moments to breathe. (Even though it's monumentally long, it's also crisply edited.)
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
Hamnet (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson The movie's only moment of greatness comes at the end when Agnes watches the play and slowly releases what the words really mean. [Buckley's] performance in that scene is entrancing, but it's a slog before we get there.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Secret Agent (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Despite its running time and complexity, I'm eager to see this again.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Rental Family (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson For a story about lying, the film stays emotionally and logically true.
Posted Dec 31, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Wicked: For Good (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Every Chu film I've seen since then has the same fluidity and grace. Even if they never seem very important or even artistic, he knows how to put a movie together.
Posted Dec 24, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Holiday Affair (1949) Jeffrey M. Anderson Though it's not widely known, Don Hartman's 'Holiday Affair' (1949) is one the best grown-up Christmas movies ever made.
Posted Dec 20, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Castle Freak (1995) Jeffrey M. Anderson Gordon's unique choice of angles and framing, as well as a few interesting tracking shots, capture the terror of being stalked.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
In Your Dreams (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson 'In Your Dreams' is a delight. It's a mix of weird humor, dazzling visuals and just the right amount of heart, as well as a powerful and resonant message.
Posted Nov 14, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Running Man (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson This is one of the rare occasions in which a remake easily outguns its predecessor.
Posted Nov 14, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
The Running Man (1987) Jeffrey M. Anderson Its core idea is similar to 'Battle Royale' and 'The Hunger Games,' but those movies had a firm grasp on the social satire involved, whereas the simplistic 'The Running Man' is more about spectacle, violence, and the good guys winning.
Posted Nov 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Desert Hearts (1985) Jeffrey M. Anderson Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts was a rare thing in 1985 and, sadly, still a rare thing in 2017; it's a grown-up drama about two flawed, intelligent women who fall in love, and maybe get to be happy in the end.
Posted Oct 13, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Megadoc (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Looking at these actors and images and the work that went into making it, made me appreciate it even more and made me want to see it again.
Posted Sep 24, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson 'Spinal Tap II' isn't uproariously funny, nor particularly edgy, and it will be entirely useless to anyone who is not already a fan, but darned if it isn't rather sweet and pleasant. That's not exactly a metal thing to say, but it's true.
Posted Sep 17, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Caught Stealing (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson An adrenaline-fueled, twisty action flick that may have been inspired by Tarantino... Yet it doesn't feel frivolous. It feels grounded, and violence has consequences. There is loss and grief, and there is kindness and love.
Posted Sep 05, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Roses (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson What's remarkable about 'The Roses' is how thoroughly different it is from DeVito's film; it could barely even qualify as a remake, which is refreshing.
Posted Sep 05, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Weapons (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson It builds a mystery story that is constantly gripping, and thrilling.
Posted Sep 05, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Ace in the Hole (1951) Jeffrey M. Anderson One of the most powerfully cynical movies ever made, and one that feels ever more relevant today.
Posted Aug 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
The Fortune Cookie (1966) Jeffrey M. Anderson Though it unfolds with sitcom logic, Matthau in particular gives an outstanding performance, loading up his grandstanding with quietly hilarious little moments.
Posted Aug 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) Jeffrey M. Anderson It doesn't make much sense, but Wilder's beautiful use of the black-and-white widescreen frame, dazzling casting and crisp pace make it an interesting oddity.
Posted Aug 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Fedora (1978) Jeffrey M. Anderson 'Fedora' is, in its way, even more deeply cynical than its cousin ('Sunset Boulevard'), much closer to the abyss. It looks in and sees the end.
Posted Aug 10, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson The Fantastic Four: First Steps is easily the best Fantastic Four movie yet made, but this is a very low bar. This one is merely… OK. Hardly fantastic. It makes one wonder if there's something about this specific comic book title that resists adaptation.
Posted Jul 25, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Superman (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson This is a terrific film, finding just the right balance between character, humanity, action, humor, and lore.
Posted Jul 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Shanghai Blues (1984) Jeffrey M. Anderson A silly, lovable screwball comedy. (It even pays homage to Howard Hawks's 'Bringing Up Baby.')
Posted Jun 21, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) Jeffrey M. Anderson It shows a clear example of how those kinds of movies can be made, not only how they can break out of their rut, but how they can be drastically improved upon.
Posted Jun 21, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988) Jeffrey M. Anderson The portrait that emerges is one of genius, sadness, and a certain withdrawn forlorn-ness.
Posted Jun 21, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
The Life of Chuck (2024) Jeffrey M. Anderson The movie is a miracle for some of the same reasons that 'The Shawshank Redemption' means so much to so many.
Posted Jun 06, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Up! (1976) Jeffrey M. Anderson Russ Meyer's 'Up!' (1976) is full of sex, but it's not especially erotic; it's silly, fun, funny sex, which is kind of refreshing.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Motorpsycho (1965) Jeffrey M. Anderson One of Russ Meyer's black-and-white "Gothic" films, 'Motorpsycho' is down-and-dirty, but looks great and has a pulse-pounding energy.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Legend of Ochi (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson This movie is tactile; you feel you could live in it.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Pink Floyd at Pompeii (1972) Jeffrey M. Anderson Clearly conceived as a piece of cinema, to be enjoyed on a screen, which is not something that filmmakers regularly thought about back then; usually a filmed concert was just a filmed concert.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Sneakers (1992) Jeffrey M. Anderson Goes down easy and leaves you feeling satisfied.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Manon of the Spring (1986) Jeffrey M. Anderson 'Manon of the Spring' is the real masterwork here.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Jean de Florette (1986) Jeffrey M. Anderson A classical, simple film, full of sunshine and flowers and actors in nifty hats.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Lilo & Stitch (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Might actually be in the equation someday when viewers try to decide which version they'd like to see. In almost every other case, the original animated version is better, and no decision is necessary. In this case, they are both nearly equally good.
Posted May 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
In the Heat of the Night (1967) Jeffrey M. Anderson These are two great performances that are strikingly opposite but snap perfectly together.
Posted May 12, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Caught by the Tides (2024) Jeffrey M. Anderson It may seem like a collection of "B" sides more than a cohesive album, but the more we stick with it, the more it comes together as a masterful movie of Jia's themes and concerns.
Posted May 12, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Final Destination (2000) Jeffrey M. Anderson The dialogue, by Glen Morgan, James Wong and Jeffrey Reddick, is, for the most part, thoughtful and the death scenes are delightfully gruesome. A
Posted Apr 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
What's Cooking? (2000) Jeffrey M. Anderson What's Cooking? (2000) is so nicely balanced and fine-tuned by director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) that it turns into an honest holiday film, filled with plenty of delicious-looking shots of Thanksgiving dishes being prepared and served.
Posted Apr 23, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Supervixens (1975) Jeffrey M. Anderson This is another Meyer film through and through, with zany cutting, and weird commentary throughout, but strangely funny and transfixing.
Posted Apr 10, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Black Bag (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Its setup is quite intriguing. Its development is enticingly complex. Its conclusion is rather simple, but it so thoroughly delivers the tingles, that it still feels like a rousing success.
Posted Apr 04, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Captain America: Brave New World (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson It tries a little too hard to get things moving in the first act, and it does feel fairly slight overall, a Minor Marvel. But for the majority of its running time, it soars, largely thanks to Anthony Mackie's potent presence.
Posted Apr 04, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Love Hurts (2025) Jeffrey M. Anderson Like Marvin, I choose to look at the bright side, and 'Love Hurts' does offer enough to celebrate: effective fights, fun characters, and DeBose and Quan in the limelight.
Posted Apr 04, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Damned (2024) Jeffrey M. Anderson The freezing, desolate arctic winter is the most important thing in the movie, the thing that makes everything work so well.
Posted Jan 24, 2025  Edit critic review
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