I have to admire the boldness of The Vast of Night casting no doubt of what it’s trying to be. It’s a Twilight Zone episode, announced with a 1950s television with the mono blaring and the black-and-white crackling. Of course, the whole film isn’t in this style as it has Continue Reading
“Scoob!” Review
Scooby-Doo has remained a constant icon of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon stock for so long one often wonders how it continues to linger. Born from the groovy 1960s setting and still holding its dated decor, the gang of the Mystery Machine has been solving mysteries in many forms for many years. Continue Reading
“Trolls: World Tour” Review
As the first major film to forgo a theatrical release amid the COVID-19 pandemic to favor a digital release, Trolls: World Tour has a benefit to offering comfort during tough times. As the sequel to the 2016 animated fantasy, it’s a colorful mix of light and musical silliness. It has Continue Reading
“The Invisible Man” (2020) Review
Even if the connected Dark Universe was declared dead after the dismal action reworkings of The Mummy, Universal wasn’t ready to throw in the towel for remaking their monster movies. The idea of a connected universe is so last decade. What’s in now is horror with a more vocal purpose Continue Reading
“The Hunt” Review
In a time of political divisiveness, The Hunt more or less aims to be the South Park of social horror. It has no greater ambition to say something overt about the world in its cavalcade of gore and tension. The film would sadly rather stew in the extreme lunacy of Continue Reading
The Video Game Movie Curse is Dead
I think there’s an odd conception about movies based on video games, that they must suffer from some curse. I wrote a book called Pixels to Premieres: A History of Video Game Movies and when I sold the book the most common comment was “that must’ve been an agonizing book Continue Reading
Revenge of the Nerds is Worse Now More Than Ever
1984’s Revenge of the Nerds is a film that has not aged well. At all. This notion has been a little easier to accept shortcomings that become more obvious over time. The lead nerd of Louis having sex with a woman under a false identity is basically rape, the race Continue Reading
“Onward” Review
Pixar once more does what they do best: a detailed sense of worldbuilding with a movingly emotional story behind it. Considering their previous films that mostly relied on aged and long-awaited sequels (worthy as they may be), Onward features an original blend of suburban fantasy amid a tale of loss Continue Reading
Missing the Movie Theater
The last movie I saw prior to the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown was a preview screening of Bloodshot, a routine and forgettable action picture of Vin Diesel playing a cyborg seeking revenge. I sat there in the theater with the comfy seats, the massive screen, and Dolby sound, not the least Continue Reading
“Sonic the Hedgehog” Review
Sonic the Hedgehog, personally, is a conflict of nostalgia. I grew up playing the Sega Genesis games which made the blue blur becom an icon of my childhood. I also grew up watching mindless 90s-cool media like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and still hold an affinity for which is partial Continue Reading