As a character, Spider-Man has been around for a long time and has had multiple iterations on the page. His alter ego Peter Parker has gone through the trials of high school and college, gotten married, had his marriage erased by the devil, died, come back to life, become a billionaire, but always seems… Continue reading ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ – A Comic Book Character Evolves?
This Thanksgiving, everyone is back for ‘Creed II” except for wunderkind writer/director Ryan Coogler. While it would be absurd to say that his skills aren’t missed, luckily he was able to set up a sturdy enough foundation with the characters and the talented actors who play them to help this sequel succeed. Sylvester Stallone may have been… Continue reading ‘Creed II’ – A Sequel to ‘Creed’, ‘Rocky’, or Both?
Seemingly out of nowhere, a little movie about a kid coming of age in the ‘mid90s’ southern California skater subculture previewed, evoking a nostalgia for all those of a certain age who could relate to its smattering of hip-hop and punk/grunge samples, as well as its low-key vibe. Then at the end of the preview, the… Continue reading ‘mid90s’ – Is Jonah Hill’s Ode to Youth Provocative, Profound, or Somewhere in Between?
In hindsight, launching a definitive sequel to 1978’s classic John Carpenter horror film, ‘Halloween’, as it celebrates its 40th(?!) anniversary, is a no-brainer. What isn’t is uber-horror-producer Jason Blum’s ability to get notoriously cantankerous Carpenter’s blessing, match the IP with unlikely filmmakers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, disavow decades of sequels and re-imaginings,… Continue reading ‘Halloween’ – The Best Slasher Sequel in a Long Time, Possibly Ever?
‘A Star Is Born’ should not work as well as it does. Ostensibly a vanity project shepherded by Bradley Cooper, who stars, directs, and co-writes, with a feature turn by Lady Gaga (billed as such), this is the 4th(?!) time a movie has born this title and story arc. Audiences have seen this a… Continue reading ‘A Star Is Born’ – Can an Oft-Told Tale Still Work Today?
Watching ‘First Man’ on an IMAX screen, director Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling’s follow-up to ‘La La Land’, it’s striking that such a bombastic event as the first steps on the moon could be presented in such a subdued, melancholic, yet visceral way. Yet it completely makes sense to make this film now, at a time when it… Continue reading ‘First Man’ – A Case for the Dearth of Armstrong Biopics?
Shane Black’s ‘The Predator’ is not a good movie. It struggles with such basic film notions as tone, character development, structure, editing, pace, and sense. Although it really does not work on any level, despite all of its faults, the movie remains entertaining throughout. The reason why is because of the name at the top of this… Continue reading ‘The Predator’ – Is it Possible to Enjoy a Really Bad Movie?
The latest Peter Berg / Mark Wahlberg collaboration ‘Mile 22’ is not only a nonsensical, poorly framed action movie, it’s straight up bad on just about every level beyond the purely physical parts of ‘The Raid’ movies’ star Iko Uwais’ performance. Maybe it’s the fact that the latest masterful ‘Mission: Impossible’ is so fresh in mind. Maybe it’s the… Continue reading ‘Mile 22’ – What’s Your Macho Nonsense Mileage?
At this point in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, has the movie-going public finally realized that it has taken star Tom Cruise, and his alter ego Ethan Hunt, for granted after all these years? Public opinion has now shifted from ‘wow, that crazy, couch-jumping Tom Cruise is a middle-aged show-off’ to ‘wow, this 56-year-old (?!!) star… Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ – Still Cruising After all this Time?
Capitalism. Greed. Race. Art. Gender. Friendship. Unionization. Socialism. Social Media. Viral Fame. Ethics. Boots Riley’s ambitious satire, “Sorry To Bother You,’ isn’t afraid to tackle it all. The film is an absurdist take on the trappings of wealth and power in America, the promise of which can be a cancer, counter to the moral drive for human connection and honest interaction. … Continue reading ‘Sorry To Bother You’ – An Essential Trip Worth Taking?
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