Movie Reviews

‘The Shape of Water’ – Guillermo del Toro at His Overindulgent Worst?

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  Guillermo del Toro is a passionate artist with a wonderful eye for the fantastic.  He is capable of creating both lauded works of art (‘Pan’s Labyrinth’), solid genre fare (‘Blade II’, ‘Hellboy’, ‘Pacific Rim’), and overwrought, although visually appealing, reaches (‘Crimson Peak’).  Despite the heaps of critical praise piled on his most recent film,… Continue reading ‘The Shape of Water’ – Guillermo del Toro at His Overindulgent Worst?

Movie Reviews

‘The Post’ – A Relevant Spielberg Quickie?

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Every now and then, inspiration pushes an artist to quickly create a work that both squarely nails the current zeitgeist and can stand the test of time as a classic.  Steven Spielberg is one such artist for whom it seems to happen to every few years, and his latest film, ‘The Post’, is one such work.  A movie… Continue reading ‘The Post’ – A Relevant Spielberg Quickie?

Movie Reviews

‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’ – Taking Risks with the Biggest Franchise on the Planet?

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  The release of a new episode of ‘Star Wars’ is hands down the biggest cinematic event of whatever year each drops, and as such there is an enormous weight on these films due to a fan base that is truly unrivaled among franchises.  While it is impossible to please everyone, the new entries from the… Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’ – Taking Risks with the Biggest Franchise on the Planet?

Movie Reviews

‘Justice League’ – Is DC/WB Ruining the Superhero Genre?

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  Coming off the relative triumph that was ‘Wonder Woman’ this summer, DC Comics and parent company Warner Brothers had the opportunity to turn the page on its’ poorly received, yet still financially viable, extended comic book superhero universe.  Instead, with ‘Justice League,’ they give audiences an absolute mess of a film that fails on… Continue reading ‘Justice League’ – Is DC/WB Ruining the Superhero Genre?

Streaming Reviews

‘Stranger Things 2’– Can Lightning Strike Twice?

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  The first season of Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’ came out of nowhere last summer, yet quickly became culturally ubiquitous as an example of the ‘right’ way to present nostalgia and genre homage.  Set firmly in 1983, complete with period accurate design and callbacks, the cinematic eight-part maxi-series claimed its’ well-earned place in the zeitgeist. … Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’– Can Lightning Strike Twice?

Movie Reviews

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ – Marvel’s Version of an Adventure Picture?

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    Is there and has there ever been an extended franchise/film universe more successful and exciting than the MCU?  Critics and audiences looking for more meaty, adult entertainment have been decrying the prevalence of superhero comic book films for the past few years (and yes, there have been problematic movies **ahem . . .… Continue reading ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ – Marvel’s Version of an Adventure Picture?

Movie Reviews

‘Blade Runner 2049’ – Is a Return to a Sci-Fi Masterpiece 35 Years Later a Good Idea?

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  Ridley’s Scott’s 1982 film, ‘Blade Runner,’ remains a masterpiece of science fiction cinema even to this day.  It re-defined the vision of a future for a whole generation of filmmakers and fans, overlaying breathtaking visuals over a film noir plot.  The film’s relatively simple bounty hunter storyline may be the driving force bridging scene… Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049’ – Is a Return to a Sci-Fi Masterpiece 35 Years Later a Good Idea?