REVIEW – “Blindspotting”: An Intense Poetry Class, Under the Skies of LA
[NOTE: Previously viewed as a selection of the 2021 Seattle International Film Festival] Let me start by prefacing I was a high school poetry kid. I can still remember how…
Movies
REVIEW – “The Tomorrow War”: The Future of Sci-Fi Looks Doomed in this Alien Battle
One cannot help but feel a sense of pride for Chris Pratt being a native Washingtonian who struck big in Hollywood relatively after a pair of overnights, his starring roles…
REVIEW – “Zola”: A Social Media Barnburner Hustles its Way to the Big Screen
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this ***** here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” Twitter can often be inviting, enriching, scary. A…
REVIEW – “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”: An Action Sequel That (Surprise) Narrowly Aims Off Mark
Four summers can often seem like a long eternity. For a film fan who favors overlooked or underappreciated franchises slowly building steam, it could equate to a matter of life…
REVIEW – “The Sparks Brothers”: Edgar Wright’s Version of Music Theory 101
Name one artist who has possessed firm longevity, a diverse discography, and a legion of fans. So many of you will probably answer with Paul McCartney, Barry Manilow, or maybe…
REVIEW – “Luca”: Pixar Starts Summer with Sweet, Bashful Friendship Story
In what appears a necessity as the theatrical marketplace continues to recover from the past year, the product doled out by the good-natured geniuses at Pixar has again been relegated…
REVIEW – “In the Heights”: Lin-Manuel’s First Musical Aims High in Effusive Cinematic Adaptation
At the very moment my screen went dark at the end of director Jon Chu’s latest feature, I knew. I knew waiting another year was more than worth it. It…
SIFF 2021 FULL REVIEW – “The Dry”: Bana Soaks Up Heated Atmosphere in Tense Murder Mystery
[NOTE: This film presented as the Opening Night Entry of this year’s Seattle International Film Festival] From the moment the first frame hits the screen on Robert Connolly’s (Paper Planes)…
REVIEW – “Cruella” – Emma Stone Shines Darkly in Spot-Soaked Disney Origin Story
In the grand, often alluring tradition of Disney’s recent live-action track record, reimagining and reboots remain a vital element of keeping creative DNA fresh. To a degree, at least. The…
REVIEW – “Army of the Dead”: Snyder Reawakens the Dead, Risks Putting Audiences to Sleep
Zack Snyder has slid his way back into the world of the undead. Ever the epic director, and a master of the cinematic slow burn, he has stepped past superhero…