You ever get that feeling that no matter how hard you try, everything not only turns out wrong, but seems designed to make life that much worse by its very existence? That's what the last several months have been for me. Between being unemployed for nearly a year, approaching a phase of literal worthlessness, insulting … Continue reading This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – July 2025
There are basically three types of story when it comes to movies adapted from the works of Stephen King. The first is intricate, metaphor-laden horror that can fascinate as well as terrify. This is where you get the likes of It, Carrie, and The Shining. The second is batshit insane horror and science fiction that … Continue reading Doing the Math – The Life of Chuck
If there's one thing that's consistent with the works of Alex Garland over the last decade, it's that much of what we see is open to interpretation. How soon did Ava become fully self-aware and turn the tables in Ex Machina? What really took place beyond the Shimmer in Annihilation? How much of Jessie Buckley's … Continue reading The Snap – Civil War
Ava DuVernay is one of those rare filmmaker who approaches her work in such a thoughtful manner that no matter what she does, you feel a natural curiosity based on the degree of credibility she's developed over the last decade. After triumphs like 13th, Selma, and When They See Us, she has given audiences an … Continue reading The Roots of Bigotry – Origin
There's a moment in Dicks: The Musical (which was my "Redemption Reel" for September but I only got a chance to see it this past weekend thanks to two late delays in release) where you realize that just like Larry Charles' previous work (Borat, The Dictator, Religulous, etc.), absolutely nothing will be sacred, anything is … Continue reading Toxic Theatricality – Dicks: The Musical
I will fully admit that I'm not a financial expert. My late mother was a payroll accountant for 25 years, and through her I learned how to balance a checkbook and do my taxes. For me, that's basically good enough. I had a 401(k) when I worked for ESPN, one where I contributed 4% of … Continue reading The Medium Short – Dumb Money
The first Lego Movie was one of the most unique moments in modern cinema history. It was an absolutely shameless bit of corporate synergy that at the same time was a visual marvel filled with laughs, amazing animation, and an emotional gut punch of an ending that was surprisingly profound, taking us out of the animated … Continue reading Everything is Not Quite Awesome, But Still Pretty Fun – The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
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
There are shades of two of my all-time favorite movies on display in the father/daughter musical dramedy, Hearts Beat Loud, directed by relative newcomer Brett Haley and starring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons (Diggy from Dope). The first is High Fidelity, where John Cusack plays a wonderfully cynical record store owner who must discard his youthful flaws in … Continue reading Your Father’s Day Gift is Some Schmaltz and a Nice Song – Hearts Beat Loud
I Actually Paid To See This 