“Joker” Review
Given the competition, I could easily see someone praising the surface-level sophistication of something like Joker greatly distancing itself from the current crop of comic book films. There’s no quippy superhero to save the day, no routine villain scheme of taking over Gotham and no anti-hero bent where our antagonist Continue Reading
“Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” Review
It’s pretty clear from Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue and homages from his many films that he’s a huge movie nerd, to say nothing of his many exciting chats about his favorite films. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his ultimate tribute to his obsession with the medium. His film not Continue Reading
“The Lion King” (2019) Review
As the second Disney film directed by Jon Favreau to feature computer-generated animals, The Lion King plays things relatively safe with the perfected formula of the studio remaking their animated classics. Is there any deviation from the 1994 animated classic? Nope. Are the familiar songs all there? Yep. Does it Continue Reading
“Five Feet Apart” Review
Five Feet Apart is yet another entry into the subgenre of dying teen drama. You know the type; one or more teenagers have a horrible condition or disease that causes great tragedy in finding romance when life seems so short. The film follows a familiar pattern to be sure but Continue Reading
“To Sleep With Anger” Review
Danny Glover has an amazing ability to seem both innocent and chaotic at the same time. In To Sleep With Anger, he plays Harry, the latest visitor to a crowded household. We don’t know Harry as well as the other adults who seem to remember his sordid history in one Continue Reading
“Stalker” (1979) Review
Stalker may not be the most iconic of science fiction films. It doesn’t feature any weird alien creatures, out-there technological advancements, or a special effects showcase. Debuting in the era after the cinema landscape was changed with Star Wars, the film may appear very minimal in its presentation. But with Continue Reading
“Chungking Express” Review
Chungking Express is a wonderful portrayal of quirky, confused and complicated people in the crowded corners of Hong Kong. A young cop faces a quarter-life crisis as he approaches his 25th birthday. A mysterious blonde-wigged woman becomes a mess as her underground drug operations go south. A restaurant employee plays Continue Reading
“The Upside” Review
I partially knew what I was in for with a film like The Upside. Prepared for the most milquetoast of melodrama, I grabbed a coffee and sat back hoping to be won over by the chemistry of Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. The coffee was a mistake as I found Continue Reading
“Stan & Ollie” Review
Both Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly certainly have the look of the iconic comedic duo Laurel and Hardy down pat. Stan & Ollie is a film that doesn’t waste that look, taking care to make something worthy of their makeup but not merely turn in a somber tale of Continue Reading
“Creed II” Review
Creed II has everything I did and didn’t want in a sequel to the Rocky spin-off. While it does present Adonis Creed with another tough boxing challenge and ties directly into his lineage for being the son of Apollo, it also slips too comfortably into the old Rocky movies. The Continue Reading