I thought it was wild that Rotten Tomatoes didn’t have an app fifteen years ago. I distinctly remember searching the app store only to find myself confused about nothing coming up.

It seemed like a no-brainer. They didn’t really have a staff of writers yet to necessitate a library of unique content, so it would have just been a system to quickly check scores, follow critics, and discover what’s new without opening a browser. And yet it did not exist.

2010 was the year Flixster bought it (before Warner Bros. bought them)—a purchase and stream platform with a social media component for movies that competed directly with Vudu as the place to go for consumers jumping onto the Ultraviolet digital train. One would think that might make developing an app even more of a no-brainer, but integrating RT scores onto Flixster also meant Flixster could become a sort of de facto RT app on its own.

Flixster then sold to Fandango in 2016 (bringing RT scores directly to the ticket purchasing app under the Comcast umbrella—with the continued promise not to position their Universal titles above the other studio releases). Ultraviolet finally shut down in 2019 thanks to Disney Movies Anywhere pivoting their superior product into Movies Anywhere (a hub that collected all your purchases of participating studios from Flixster, Vudu, Prime, iTunes, etc. together without allowing you to purchase directly from it). And, in 2020, Vudu also sold to … Fandango: the one to rule them all.

So, at this point, having a Fandango app to purchase tickets alongside RT scores and a FandangoNow app to purchase digital films alongside RT scores kind of made creating a third app just for RT scores a bit overkill. Until now.

The new Rotten Tomatoes app is a bit janky (the launch email called it a “soft launch” without much fanfare while they work out bugs and solicit comments from critics for improvements) and our critic profiles aren’t yet integrated (but should be soon), so I’ve been roaming around with a fan account to see what’s what. The one feature I’m enjoying most is the “following” tab because I can use it as a feed of GWNY Film Critics when looking for links to add to our website. Otherwise, it’s pretty much exactly what you would have expected back in 2010 … besides the addition of an AI assistant named “aRTi.”

One shouldn’t be surprised about this last point because every tech company is jumping on the AI bandwagon and RT’s business plan was always about replacing the act of reading critical thoughts with an aggregate score (of which some people still can’t comprehend the meaning). They replaced our words with a number and now they’re using our words to give that number a voice.

And it only costs us our lives as the insane water footprint necessary to keep the AI industry alive grows larger yet again.

What I Watched:

FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT

(limited theaters; VOD on 6/24)

First-time feature filmmaker Chase (Brennan Keel Cook) is in pre-production when a documentary crew led by Rochelle (Marie Paquim) asks if they can film his progress. She's been capturing the indie scene for ten years now and sees this ultra micro-budget horror project as a perfect fit for her series. It's one man's vision assisted by his girlfriend as first-AD (Erika Vetter's Natalie), the star of his short films as associate producer (Chen Tang's Mitchell), and his best filmmaking client as chief financier (Dean Cameron's furniture store owner Frank who uses Chase to direct all his commercials). Since each of them is a novice, completing The Patterson Project at all would prove an immense victory.

Director Max Tzannes and co-writer David San Miguel present Found Footage: The Making of The Patterson Project as what we can assume to be Rochelle's documentary. The opening credits focus on in-film names and institutions, so we're placed into this fictional world from the first frame as a fatigued Chase provides an on-set testimonial setting the stage with a promise to himself that this movie won't turn into a regret. From there we rewind two months and see a completely different man with an excitable smile and bottomless wealth of optimism. Nothing anyone could say would ruin Chase's high then. Not Natalie's worry about their location. Not even Frank's unorthodox means of securing an angel investor (Suzanne Ford's Betsy).

The film within the film is a creature feature with Bigfoot as the villain. Except, as Chase explains without a drop of irony, it's really humanity that's exposed as the true monster. So, don't be surprised when he exudes obvious film bro levels of pedantic arrogance to portray his script as the equivalent of "heightened horror" without using that nonsense phrase himself. His worst nightmare is for his masterpiece to be pigeon-holed as one genre when it's "so much more than that." More than enough to secure a big-name actor (maybe). Enough to enlist the talents of a costumer and make-up duo who create a Sasquatch that literally fools passersby into thinking it's real. Even enough to open the gates of Hell.

Well, let's not give Chase's artistic genius credit for that last one. Yes, he technically is the person who unleashes a demon by dragging a supply chest through an intricately drawn sigil on the basement floor, but the chaos that ensues would have occurred regardless of his reason for being there. The question for us is therefore whether the noises and issues that arise are actually a result of this act or just a coincidence. Because films like The Patterson Project never go off without a hitch. Being able to overcome the inevitability of all his plans going awry is what Chase will need to prove he's a real filmmaker. And, for the most part, he does find a way. Perhaps to a fault.

I say this because Chase's pretentiousness about "Bigfoot" is ultimately true in the sense that he is this documentary's monster. That doesn't mean Tzannes hasn't also created a real monster to terrorize cast and crew in his mockumentary. It's just that the metaphor of a film set's unpredictability being akin to a cabin in the woods suffering under the weight of demonic possession allows Chase to show his collaborators his true colors. Because he will always put the art first once tensions rise. He'll even use the art to solve certain problems, carving his way out of impossible real-world scenarios by rewriting and adding to the existing fiction. And while this mode of thinking should get the work across the finish line, it may also ensure he crosses it alone.

Therein lies the multi-layered fun built into Found Footage's DNA. This idea that The Patterson Project will test creative and interpersonal limits just as the unexplained supernatural phenomena they combat tests the limits of their sanity. A lot of comedy is born from the convergence of these two—characters laughing off extremely serious events because they must to continue moving forward. It doesn't matter if they're pushing the flexibility of their morality to its breaking point in the process. As long as nobody sues or messes with the footage (which proves a struggle in itself considering the lead actor, played by J.R. Gomez, acts as though a camcorder is an alien object despite his role demanding that he also be the camera operator), Chase won't need to jump off the nearest bridge.

For the first two-thirds, we're generally watching as the production begins to fall apart. Chase is entrenched in mental gymnastics to Band-Aid insane issues, Frank is becoming more hands-on (and problematic) as the shoot progresses, and Natalie is quickly realizing she'll always be an afterthought to her boyfriend while Mitchell leans further into a martyr complex that makes him highly susceptible to being victimized by the entity potentially wreaking havoc around them. Their increasing stress levels guarantee an escalation in our enjoyment of their pain as voyeurs like Rochelle enjoying the ride without an ability to smack them in the face to wake-up and see what's right in front of them (people and demons alike).

That's the meat and potatoes as far as messaging goes, but it's the final third that leaves a mark because Tzannes isn't actually messing around where it concerns the horror aspect. It's easy to believe he might since the budgetary constraints of The Patterson Project lull us into thinking Found Footage suffers from the same, so you might be surprised with how effective the "real" terror facing Chase and company proves by comparison. The special effects gore work is great and the Blair Witch Project-esque look of the post-shit-hitting-the-fan footage is even better. All the fake screams and intentionally amateur acting pays off too when this lot comes face-to-face with their mortality. Not only does Tzannes get the joke, he knows how to exploit it so his parody can also become the real thing.

- 7/10

OUTRAGEOUS: Season One

(streaming on BritBox – first two episodes are available now)

Narrated by Nancy Mitford (Bessie Carter), the eldest of "Favre" (James Purefoy's David Freeman-Mitford) and "Muv's" (Anna Chancellor's Sydney Bowles Mitford) seven children, our introduction to the family comes with the scintillating tease that one of the six sisters will turn out to be the most hated woman in Britain. It's a bold declaration that holds great intrigue—even if my guess for the reason why centered on the presumption that these were simply debutantes getting into tabloid troubles. After all, a woman daring to ask for a divorce to be with the man she loves would technically be a big enough scandal for infamy back then.

As Sarah Williams soon fleshes out during the first season of "Outrageous" (based on Mary S. Lovell's book The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family), however, there's a lot more to this brood's story than money. In fact, there's hardly any money considering the market crash following World War I has left finances in such dire straits that the Mitfords are forced to lease out their estate during the summer months while staying in their "damp" London flat instead. Diana (Joanna Vanderham) mustn't worry as she married rich and both Tom (Toby Regbo) and Pam (Isobel Jesper Jones) have jobs, but the others rely on the status of Favre's lordship to stay on solid ground.

Yes, even Nancy, despite her blossoming career as a writer, since her status being "unmarried" (because her beau refuses to propose) allows her to stay at home while using her income for luxury. The other three girls (Shannon Watson's Unity, Zoe Brough's Jessica, and Orla Hill's Deborah) are still teens, each varying years away from hitting public life themselves for the chase to capture a husband's affections. So, we get a bit of everything as far as maturity, generational divide, rebelliousness, and contrarianism go. Nancy's relationship is a comedy of errors (everyone wondering if her boyfriend might prefer men), Diana's love life is a dramatic powder keg, and the rest do their best to survive the tumultuous era.

That's where things get interesting. Because the man Diana loves isn't just any old homewrecker. No, Oswald Mosley (Joshua Sasse) is the leader of the British Union of Fascists. It might not mean much to the characters in the first episode, but Williams' timeline quickly begins to push towards the inevitable outbreak of World War II. So, we know the danger of his politics and wince as Diana listens, absorbs, and ultimately parrots his rhetoric. We also begin to realize "most hated woman in Britain" is probably not just going to be the result of a "scarlet letter." Because the more she falls in love, the more his ideas become her own. And the country must soon start to fear Hitler's influence crossing the Channel.

So too must the Mitfords as the fascist allure captivates one of the teens (with Diana's help) while another becomes infatuated with a cousin-by-marriage's (also a relation of Winston Churchill who is an infrequent attendee of the same circles on-screen) commitment to communism. Politics are therefore tearing this sisterhood apart just as it threatens to tear Europe apart. Diana and Unity on one side. Nancy and Jessica on the other. The others desperately trying to play peacekeeper since all that chaos is happening in Germany and thus "none of our concern." Except, of course, that it is very much their concern. The world will soon discover it should have been humanity's greatest concern.

It's why certain events possess a chilling effect in their parallels to current events. Because it's one thing for a character to praise how welcoming Germans are right before the camera finds a "Juden Verboten" sign hanging behind her. It's another to witness a dinner scene with family members attempting to discredit the only person speaking truth because her facts were "refuted" or "unsubstantiated" in the press. I saw my own family in them since my Fox News-pilled parents also laugh off atrocities that "aren't happening" because their propagandized media source refuses to report them. See the aftermath of the Battle of Cable Street recalling last week's militarized occupation of Los Angeles under fabricated pretense.

These similarities are surely why the publicity outreach hit me (I've never received a screener pitch for a BritBox production before) and why the messaging has preemptively called it "major" and a "summer hit." It's the sort of mirror people need to recognize how easy it is to look the other way when horrors are occurring miles away or to forgive a loved one's hate to alleviate awkwardness at holidays. We've been through this before. That helpless feeling many have has precedent. You aren't alone. The scary thing, though, is that you can almost understand how it happened then with slower communication lines. Today proves scarier because the tools that made communication faster have also been weaponized to dismantle the line separating editorial from truth.

I did get worried during the season finale, though, since dialogue and actions began leaning towards the absolute wrong message of accepting fascism as a "difference of opinion." Thankfully, this is merely a narrative ploy to help drive home the pressing need to remind viewers that certain topics do demand a hardline stance of resistance no matter how much you want to believe the person you knew hasn't become a monster. It was a relief because I didn't want it to ruin what was an otherwise engrossing experience. Williams and company hooked me fast and made it so I curbed my impulse to simply go on Wikipedia to see what happened next because I wanted to watch it all unfold on-screen instead.

So, I'll wait to see if "Outrageous" earns another season before correcting my ignorance about the Mitfords since not knowing anything about them only added to the potency of their intrigue. Because their lives are tabloid fodder on the surface with the inevitable circus ensuring they entertain on an over-the-top melodramatic level regardless of message. The backdrop being what it is, however, also guarantees the stakes remain high enough to see why these actors are so committed to portraying these roles as complex figures at odds between hearts and minds. But, as Muv admits by the end: the world is changing. At a certain point, one must choose a side and know the fight is much bigger than family.

- 7/10

Cinematic F-Bombs:

This week saw Angus (1995), Cousins (1989), Gran Turismo (2023), In the Mix (2005), Krampus (2015), Last Breath (2025), Loosies (2012), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), The Seven-Ups (1973), State of Play (2009), Stories We Tell (2013), and U2: Rattle and Hum (1988) added to the archive (cinematicfbombs.com).

James Hong dropping an f-bomb in Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise.

New Releases This Week:

(Review links where applicable)

Opening Buffalo-area theaters 6/20/25 -

• 8 Vasanthalu at Regal Elmwood
• 28 Years Later at Dipson Flix, Capitol; AMC Maple Ridge, Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker
• Bride Hard at Dipson Capitol; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker
• Elio at Dipson Flix, Capitol; AMC Maple Ridge, Market Arcade; Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria, Quaker
• Kuberaa at Regal Elmwood, Transit
• The Life of Chuck at North Park Theatre; Dipson Amherst; Regal Galleria, Quaker
• Sitaare Zameen Par at Regal Elmwood, Transit, Galleria
• Utshob at Regal Elmwood

Streaming from 6/20/25 -

• Ash – Shudder on 6/20
• K-Pop Demon Hunters – Netflix on 6/20
• A Minecraft Movie – Max on 6/20
• Semi-Soeter – Netflix on 6/20
• Enigma – Max on 6/24
• Trainwreck: Poop Cruise – Netflix on 6/24
• A Working Man – MGM+ on 6/26

Now on VOD/Digital HD -

• Fight or Flight (6/17)

  “Chandran and Sackhoff are good as the two actors with enough screen-time to not be relegated into bit parts like everyone else. So, it's up to Hartnett to carry Fight of Flight on his shoulders and the tone is right in his wheelhouse to ensure he does.” – Full thoughts at HHYS.

• Final Destination: Bloodlines (6/17)

• Friendship (6/17)

• Alma & The Wolf (6/20)

• Don't Tell Larry (6/20)

• Found Footage (6/20)

  Thoughts are above.

• Inside (6/20)

• The Rock Prophet: The Story of Link Wray (6/20)

• An Unfinished Film (6/20)

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