Even though much was made about Avengers: Endgame being the end of the current incarnation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (to the point that it's been re-released with additional footage to ensure it wins the 2019 Box Office), there was technically still one more film left in the so-called "Third Phase." I think I mentioned this … Continue reading I Feel a Tingle – Spider-Man: Far From Home
A little over a decade ago, director Danny Boyle struck Oscar gold with Slumdog Millionaire, winning Best Picture and Best Director among its eight victories. The film also made Dev Patel into a star, turning him into arguably the most famous actor of Indian descent on the planet. Can lightning strike twice? Can Boyle turn another … Continue reading All You Need is Love… And for Some Reason Ed Sheeran – Yesterday
We're just about to wrap up the first half of 2019, so before we officially hit the midway point, this is as good a time as any to go DownStream and take a look at some recent streaming fare. On deck this time are four documentaries dealing with people and events that help reshape the … Continue reading DownStream – Fight the Power Couple
Nine years ago, Pixar brought its flagship franchise to an end in just about the most perfect way possible. Eventually earning a Best Picture nomination and lauds from even the likes of Quentin Tarantino as the best film of 2010, Toy Story 3 was a gut-wrenching masterpiece of animation, story, and emotional satisfaction, as Woody (Tom … Continue reading One More Adventure for Fork’s Sake – Toy Story 4
When I was a junior in high school, I took AP English Literature. It was a fun class because given the small size (only nine students), we could delve deeper into literary works and concepts than the more full classes. This also meant we could explore different ways to study, including artistic films. It was … Continue reading Zombies and Satire Compete for Biting Supremacy – The Dead Don’t Die
I fully admit that I was not the biggest fan of The Secret Life of Pets when it came out a couple years ago. What began as an interesting premise - What do your pets do when you're not home? - quickly turned into 90 minutes of one-note jokes, a completely nonsensical Toy Story ripoff, some serious … Continue reading Literally Sent to a Farm Upstate – The Secret Life of Pets 2
Growing up, there were two musicians who had the biggest initial influence in my development. Those were Billy Joel and Elton John. My early love of their piano skills and voices was the first spark that lit the fire of a lifelong love of rock music. From them I moved on to The Beatles, Aerosmith, … Continue reading I’m Still Standing and Applauding – Rocketman
When you have a disaster or monster movie, one of the hardest aspects is creating a storyline with which to frame the devastation. It's easier when you're creating the first film in a series, or rebooting a franchise, because a good chunk of the plotting can be devoted to the origin story of the giant … Continue reading Oh No! There Goes Mexico? I Think? – Godzilla: King of the Monsters
One of the cooler - and in my opinion more essential - features of recent cinema is the fact that Hollywood has put out a slew of great films dealing with music, particularly rock and R&B. They've run a particularly intriguing gambit from bombastic crowd-pleasers like Bohemian Rhapsody to insightful documentaries like Amazing Grace. And there are … Continue reading The Music That Truly Reverberates – Echo in the Canyon
In 2009, writer David Grann published a remarkable article in The New Yorker called "Trial By Fire." The rather lengthy piece (which you can still find here) describes the execution of a Texas man named Cameron Todd Willingham, convicted of the murder of his three daughters (one a toddler, the others twin infants) by way … Continue reading Where There’s Smoke… – Trial By Fire
I Actually Paid To See This 