Josephine Decker's SHIRLEY (2020)

The great achievement of this dreary work

Is making of Ms. Moss's elfin face

A doppelganger for Ms. Jackson, smirk

And rank untidiness and all, but pace

The famous savages who wore her down.

Instead we get some newlyweds to share

Their home, two cute young things who quickly drown

In melodrama, but I couldn't care

About them and their sexy, sexy scenes. 

I'd rather a straight biopic, though, than this --

And Moss and Stuhlberg sure would be the means

To make this happen! But this here's a miss.

The look of things was right; I'll give it that. 

But otherwise? It's just not where it's at.

Matt Sears' THE SKY (2020)

I love my lo-fi sci-fi, and it seems
The genre has a future, if the Earth
Continues turning, if small, nimble teams
Of young filmmakers keep at it. At first
This seems the most lo-fi, two women sit
In folding chairs out in the wilderness
And talk, and then decide to have a bit
Of magic mushroom as the End will bless
Or curse the whole world soon. Good cam'ra tricks
And psychedelic FX sure would be
Enough, but here the actresses, script, mix
Well with the other efforts. I will see
As much of Matt Sears work as e'er I may,
And hope we've years yet 'til the here-shown day.

Jacob Hamilton's JUMP SHOT: THE KENNY SAILORS STORY (2020)

If Bud were not so tall, nor Ken so short

Wyoming wouldn't have its special place

In history, at least that of the sport

Of basketball. Sure, in the dash and chase

Along the boards, another would have made

The change, would add that third dimension to

An earthbound, static game, but how he played

Deserves this treatment. He played that way through

His life entire.  All of the talking heads

In praise of what he did when young are great, 

As are the fun cartoons, but this tale treads

Much longer, deeper paths. He's of my state,

But left his mark worldwide. I do, though, call

Bullshirt on one thing: why no Eric Schaal?

P.S. Hi Fennis. We love you, too