At this point in 2021, it is not necessary to be a fan of comic books or even movies in general to have a surface level familiarity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With a total of 24 films across 13 years grossing nearly $23 billion at the worldwide box office, this franchise has become […]
Read More Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – ReviewBAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Written and Directed by Drew Goddard I’m honestly still disappointed that this wonderful piece of art was overlooked during awards season. Certainly one of the most original films of 2018 – and of the decade, for that matter. A Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination would have been justifiable, […]
Read More BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Bad Times, but Good FilmmakingExamining the credits of this film, Keith Sutliff’s impressive effort becomes apparent as he worked as the writer, director, producer, production designer, art director, and lead actor. Undertaking all of these responsibilities to bring together a vision for this project took incredible dedication, commitment, and patience. Sutliff undoubtedly poured his heart and soul into this […]
Read More The Refuge – An Impressive Production Effort that Cannot Overcome its FlawsDirector: Danny Boyle Writers: Jack Barth and Richard Curtis Producers: Nick Angel, Lee Brazier, Bernard Bellew, Tim Bevan, Danny Boyle, Richard Curtis, Alexander Dostal, Eric Fellner, Matthew James Wilkinson Starring: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Sophia Di Martino, Ellise Chappell, Meera Syal, Harry Michell, Vincent Franklin, Joel Fry, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran, James Corden, Michael Kiwanuka, […]
Read More Yesterday – Your Troubles will Truly be Far AwayDirector: Josh Cooley Writers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Martin Hynes, and Stephany Folsom Producers: Peter Docter, Mark Nielsen, Jonas Rivera, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich ————————————————————————————————————————————– Toy Story 4 somehow manages to explore the most complex and profound themes at the heart of human existence through the eyes […]
Read More Toy Story 4 – Childlike ExistentialismDirector: Guy Ritchie Writers: John August and Guy Ritchie Producers: Ivan Atkinson, Kevin De La Noy, Jonathan Eirich, Max Keene, Dan Lin, Karl McMillan, Mark Mostyn, and Marc Platt Starring: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, and Nasim Pedrad ————————————————————————————————————————————– Despite some narrative bloat, one too many climaxes, and a slightly […]
Read More Disney’s Aladdin (2019) – A Magic Carpet Thrill RideDirector: Rob Letterman Writers: Dan Hernandez, Benji Sait, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly, and Nicole Perlman *Based on characters and other Pokémon stories created by Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda, Atsuko Nishida, Tomokazu Ohara, and Haruka Utsu Producers: Greg Baxter, Cale Boyter, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Tsunekazu Ishihara, Hidenaga Katakami, Cliff Lanning, Don McGowan, Ali […]
Read More Pokémon: Detective Pikachu – Ridiculous Fun Done RightDirector: Mary Harron Writer: Guinevere Turner *Adapted from Karlene Faith’s book “The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten: Life Beyond the Cult.” Also adapted from Ed Sanders’ book “The Family.” Producers: Paige Barnett, Dana Guerin, Michael Guerin, David Hillary, Matthew Rhodes, Cindi Rice, Jeremy M. Rosen, John Frank Rosenblum, Ed Sanders, and Guinevere Turner —————————————————————————————————————————————- Simply […]
Read More Charlie Says – The Story of the Manson Family WomenDirector: Chad Stahelski Writers: Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston ————————————————————————————————————————————— The ultimate “hell yeah” movie. One of the most adrenaline-filled, unrelenting action films I have ever experienced, full of all the absurdity, […]
Read More John Wick Chapter 3 – THIS is how to Make an Action FilmThe fact that this film was created is a notable achievement in itself. Director Bobby Bala made remarkable sacrifices of time, energy, and financial stability to even make the science fiction short, The Shipment, a reality. Fittingly, the story itself is one of sacrifice as well, following Kaiden Katar (Aleks Paunovic), a single father drifting […]
Read More The Shipment: A Sci-Fi Short with a Few Shortcomings
The Run-Down on Movies 