Marked as writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film, ‘Once Upon A Time In . . . Hollywood,’ powerfully sneaks up on an audience primed by some of his past films to expect bombast and energy. A filmmaker so obviously deeply in love with cinema, who has flexed his vast knowledge and ear for dialogue in the… Continue reading ‘Once Upon A Time In . . . Hollywood’ – A Sentimental Tarantino Delivers a Nostalgic Tour-De-Force?

Ari Aster makes films that fuck you up. After only two films, ‘Hereditary’ and now ‘Midsommar’, he has proven to be an auteur of abject terror, writing and directing pieces of art that work on multiple levels to deeply unsettle. If ‘Hereditary’ showed audiences the potential for a film to worm its way into the… Continue reading ‘Midsommar’ – A Deeply Unsettling, Sun-Bleached, & Somehow Beautiful Nightmare?

The above question is a very valid one after the wistful, emotional conclusion to Pixar’s original (and rightfully beloved) ‘Toy Story’ trilogy. ‘Toy Story 3′ was a masterful capper to a franchise that basically unfolded in real time, tackling heady themes of relevance and aging, under the auspices of a hilarious and ingenious prison break… Continue reading ‘Toy Story 4’ – Was This Sequel Necessary?

‘Avengers: Endgame’ is the culmination of over a decade of a film series that has truly captured the imagination of the entire world. In an era of increasingly segregated ploys for popular attention, streaming services and cord cutting, can anything really claim the same sustained attention paid to the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?… Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – A Perfect Finish?

At this point the DC comic book universe seems to be taking the approach of throwing everything against the wall and seeing if anything sticks. ‘Shazam!’ is their idea of quirky fun, a tone that to this point has been foreign territory for the studio. It’s an unapologetic superhero version of ‘Big’, that succeeds when… Continue reading ‘Shazam!’ – The Softer Side of DC?

‘Captain Marvel’ has been a long time coming. As the first female-led superhero movie set in the MCU and possible deus ex machina for Thanos’ apparent victory in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, it also carries a lot on its shoulders. These expectations are perhaps a bit too much for what is ostensibly a prequel of the… Continue reading ‘Captain Marvel’ – Marvel’s Powerhouse Suffers a Bit of Prequel-itis?

‘Fighting With My Family’ is a movie based on true events surrounding the discovery of WWE (that’s World Wresting Entertainment for the uninitiated) wrestler Paige. She was the first to hail from across the pond in England, but what is most notable about her backstory is that she came from a whole family of amateur… Continue reading ‘Fighting With My Family’ – An Oft-Told Tale Done Right?