Tag Archives: Movies

For all the sci-fi lore in recent filmmaking triumphs and blunders, I will admit my education on the literary side needs a bit more refinement. To experience a film directly adapted from the eccentric work of one H.P. Lovecraft, and not have much of a grasp of his masterwork, what may automatically stand as the definitive film adaptation of Color …

After a pair of considerable misfires where British-born filmmaker Guy Ritchie tried, and ultimately struggled against poor source material, there was always that thought in the back of one’s mind all hope would be lost. Don’t try to deny it: last year’s redo of Aladdin and the equally misguided King Arthur: Legend of the Sword were both duds whose stains …

From the moment Sam Mendes (Skyfall) makes his first frame in his attempt to shake up the war movie genre, you’re immediately swallowed whole by the will of the camera. You’re one with it, basically. And you’re suddenly in good company with a pair of rookie soldiers just trying to do their job and do it well. 1917 fulfills its …

Think of the one film this past decade that pulled you in simply because it looked incredible; never mind the storyline. John Carter, Inception, Alita: Battle Angel, Ex Machina, The Jungle Book. Five examples, two of which will likely stand among the best this decade, for both a visionary style and a grounded storyline worth paying attention to. The base …

Any child star who’s narrowly escaped the spotlight and matured into a stable adult will likely tell you fame is the worst double-edged sword imaginable. Fans, coworkers and studio execs will be forever enamored by the work you put in. But then one must consider the mild toxicity often holding one back from growing and learning. Whether it be someone …

From the get-go, everything about Brian Kirk’s 21 Bridges feels painfully out of date, and culturally out of place. A police drama bordering itself on unstable confusion as it shoehorns multiple subplots and lingers on a bittersweet moral lesson on who we could name a hero and a villain, and whom we could trust with a badge. Perhaps in the …

Every generation will always crave an iconic film or TV property to idolize and relate to. For some, it could be Star Wars, and hopefully for the right reasons. Others, it could be Little Women, which one will hope Greta Gerwig can be done with great justice. And for a small few, a very small few, it’s Charlie’s Angels. First …

If it’s difficult to perceive how Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren have never worked together on stage or screen until now, in 2019, then perhaps it’s meant to be. I could go the quick route and say that they are most excellent together, and that The Good Liar, Bill Condon’s adult-friendly popcorn thriller is an unbridled mystery delight. But regrettably, …

Paul Feig is a nothing short of a wild card as far as quadruple threats go. First and foremost, as a talented writer under the wings of Judd Apatow, having created a TV cult classic in Freaks and Geeks, where he’d left a real niche in the field. And yet most folks will see him more as an avid film …

In a year that’s seen Stephen King’s best work from his 80s writing heyday soured somewhat by poor marksmanship, even if the direction was always with best intention, perhaps it’s a miracle the best was saved for last. The absolute best, like mind-blowing, mind-numbing best. Legitimate horror personified without needing to rely excessively on nostalgia or grotesque imagery to tell …