Melissa McCarthy has always been a frustrating figure for me. She's a brilliant comic actress and an insanely talented writer. When she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the hilarious Bridesmaids, I even briefly held out hope that the Academy might finally give comedy its due. But unfortunately, ever since she made … Continue reading Yes, But Only if You Keep Doing This Stuff – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
I'll fully admit that I was a bit biased going into the new Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, as I've been a fan of Queen my entire life. While they may not be the greatest band of all time, they are arguably the most artistic, bending genre and convention to their collective whim, and coming up … Continue reading Mercury Rises to the Pantheon of 2018 Cinema – Bohemian Rhapsody
The original Halloween, which debuted 40 years ago, is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it's certainly the best of the slasher subgenre. Director John Carpenter created a seminal character and film using the barest of elements, including a minimalist keyboard theme that still creeps me out to this day, and of … Continue reading Kenny Powers Delivers a Villain About As Scary as Austin Powers – Halloween
First off, my apologies for not posting these past few weeks. As previously mentioned, I was on a work assignment that took up an inordinate amount of time. As such, I have a bit of catching up to do, which is why the first review back is for a film that debuted three weeks ago. Bad … Continue reading Not Quite Jackie, Not Quite Bill, but Definitely Not Cheesy – Bad Times at the El Royale
If there's one word to describe Damien Chazelle's latest work, it would be, "gripping." That really is the best word I can come up with for First Man, his chronicle of the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong and the events leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing. From the very beginning it is Chazelle's intent … Continue reading Riding Shotgun to History – First Man
If you've read this blog regularly, you know I am very much not a fan of remakes in general. In most cases, they're lazy, cheap, and an insult to our collective intelligence. That said, if there's a compelling reason, I will see a remade version of a classic film. Usually that reason comes in the … Continue reading The 4th Time’s Got Charm, But Not Much Else – A Star is Born
There's a reason that Disney fought so hard to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving us the truly awesome Homecoming in the process. It's because Sony, which has owned the movie rights to the character and its franchise since the turn of the century, has basically ruined him. We got one decent movie (Spider-Man), … Continue reading One Big Gloppy Mess of Goop – Venom
Kevin Hart is a bit of a hit-or-miss for me. He's a brilliant comedian and performer, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. One minute he's tearing up the stage on any of his stand-up specials, the next he's a homicidal bunny. Some days he's the busiest man in Hollywood, seemingly popping up in every … Continue reading The GED is DOA – Night School
Reinaldo Marcus Green is a young director and producer, mostly known for shorts and some TV work. His latest, Monsters and Men, marks his feature-length debut, and was screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival before being commercially released this week. Featuring a cast of mostly unknowns, Green has put out an amazing first feature, … Continue reading Stuck in the Middle with Truth – Monsters and Men
I think it can be generally agreed that Robert Redford is one of the greatest film actors of all time. Among his vast catalog is an array of classics, and you could have a wonderful debate as to the best of the bunch. Is it Jeremiah Johnson? All the President's Men? The Sting? A Bridge Too Far? For me, … Continue reading Sundance Rides Out One Last Time – The Old Man & The Gun
I Actually Paid To See This 