One of the main premises of Ryan Coogler's Sinners is that music is a deeply-rooted source of power and identity that can transcend generations. It's a feeling that a lot of us have experienced, when a particular song, lyric, or performance resonates so much that it's almost out of body. Even for someone as non-religious … Continue reading Let the White One In – Sinners
The last few weeks have been really rough. I buried my brother-in-law, had a hell of a time helping my sister through her grief, struggled to connect with my nephew now that he's obsessed with Geometry Dash, Minecraft, and any other app that can keep his gaze glued to a phone, and I've been out … Continue reading This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – April 2025
More than anything else in Creed III, this latest entry in the Rocky film series (notably the first where Sylvester Stallone doesn't appear, serving only in a Producer role) emphasizes the idea of casting aside the shadows of the past. Whether it's through personal healing, confrontation, or taking the reins on a meta level, this … Continue reading Out of the Shadows – Creed III
The death of Chadwick Boseman hit a lot of people really hard, myself included. He was an amazing actor, by all accounts a wonderful human being, and the way he suffered in silence through the cancer that took his life showed the fortitude of the very superhero that made him most famous. After the first … Continue reading Finding Namor – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The death penalty is always a touchy subject in this country, mostly because of deep-rooted biases in the states that still practice it. It isn't exactly racial bias, or a bias towards justice, or deference for law enforcement. There's no one, singular cause that the capital crowd fights for, but whatever their motivations, the issue … Continue reading Innocent Lives Matter – Just Mercy
I saw 111 new films in 2018 between the theatre and streaming services. Eleventy-one movies, eleventy-one reviews, either stand-alone or in groups. Eleventy-one chances to thrill, to laugh, to cry, and to outright despise. It's been a hell of a run this first year, and we're still not done. There are still plenty of movies … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2018
Before we get into the actual plot and artistic elements of Creed II, there are two things I have to point out that bugged me in the film that have no real bearing on the story, but are just betrayals of fact. And also, as this was a good, fun, movie, I want to get the … Continue reading Round 2, Really Round 8, Leans Heavily on Round 4 – Creed II
I'll admit I've had a difficult relationship with the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past few years. Sometimes it's a matter of quality, and sometimes it's simply a lack of access. We are now in what is referred to as "Phase Three" of the MCU, and I confess I haven't seen half the films in … Continue reading A Film Fit for a King, and a Message Fit for its Maturing Audience – Black Panther
I Actually Paid To See This 