Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
October 15th, 2019 by Jason Coleman
The ever-amazing Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2019 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 8th – 17th at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in LA at the Hollywood and Highland Center is still going strong with the frightful flicks unspooling fast and furious. But what to do when you come across a flick that is not only utterly original but also firmly entrenches itself in your top 10 films of the year? It’s feature time!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2019 – ‘The Wave’ Director Gille Klabin Talks Mixing Genres (Plus Bonus Five-Star Review!)’
October 11th, 2019 by Jason Coleman
In today’s horror laden movie climate zombies have become a dime a dozen. Long gone are the days of Romero’s stark new vision of flesh eating ghouls as the walking dead have literally gone mainstream. Thus it takes some utterly original tinkering to make any such film a standout, but fortunately the latest cinematic outing involving the undead from helmer Rodman Flender titled Eat Brains Love has just enough humor, quirk and highly memorable characters to make it rise above the buried alive fray and live again.
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2019 – Undead “Eat Brains Love” Knows How To Bring Characters To Life (Movie Review)’
October 11th, 2019 by Peter Paras
Ang Lee’s Gemini Man is the kind of film geeks like yours truly not only rush out to see but rush out to see in the best theater possible. In this particular case, there are less than twenty theaters across the country that can offer the premiere experience. So, is the 3D High Frame Rate action extravaganza starring not one but two Will Smiths worth paying the premium ticket price? Read on!
– Continue reading ‘‘Gemini Man’ Is A Flawed, Groundbreaking Experiment (Movie Review)’
October 2nd, 2019 by Peter Paras
Todd Phillips’ Joker aims to deliver much-needed weight to the comic book genre. It’s an alternate take on the origin of one of the most famous villains in the DC universe. There are no massive CG set pieces. Instead, you have what adds up to two hours of a glum and not at all fun time at the multiplex. Still, free of the many tropes saddling down big-budget superhero flicks, the Joaquin Phoenix-starring film is a darn near triumph of style, performance, and timely resonance. That said, Joker is obviously not for kiddies but for everyone else let’s dive in…
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Continue reading ‘‘Joker’ Is The Clown Prince We Deserve (Movie Review)’
October 2nd, 2019 by Jason Coleman
For those who live in Los Angeles and have a love for all things horror, October is the month to watch for in that it houses the ultimate genre festival of the year – the beyond compare Screamfest 2019! That’s right fright fans, for those who need their blood bucket filled to the movie brim the Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2019 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 8th – 17th at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in LA at the Hollywood and Highland Center is on the dark horizon and as usual this year’s crop looks to be a wondrous mix of both blood and gore for the conservative yet cannibalistic cinephile. From creepy features to scary shorts, the line up for Screamfest 2019 proves once again why the yearly event is the king of seeking out the outstanding in the realm of what makes us scared. And since there is such an abundance of savory unsettling selections this year, both film critic Jason Coleman and his proud movie-loving pop Michael Coleman will be working in tandem to bring the skinny on the full crop of horror hopefuls. (Two movie geeks for the price of one!) But as always first up are the initial impressions on what they think are the hot tickets of the fest. Father and son coverage time… it’s What To See’!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2019 – “What To See” (Father & Son Edition!)’
September 18th, 2019 by Peter Paras
Quiet, contemplative sci-fi ranks as some of the best in the genre. For many, the entry point began with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and has continued up to releases seen this decade. Gravity, The Martian and Arrival are stellar cinematic spectacles (Interstellar is pretty good too) concerned with the inner as well as the outer feelings of space and beyond. Director James Gray’s bid to the stars, Ad Astra, can’t quite reach their level, but this is still a must-see for anyone in love with the big-screen experience. It’s just too bad voice-over track can’t be toggled off.
– Continue reading ‘Too Chatty Ad Astra Still Worth the Trip (Movie Review)’
September 13th, 2019 by Peter Paras
Tales of con artists have always been a better fit for my taste in the crime genre, over mobsters. My preference for Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money over his beloved Goodfellas will surprise no one who knows me. To my delight, Lorene Scafaria’s new film, Hustlers, about Manhattan strippers taking as much as they can from Wall Street clients, is one of the most entertaining films of the year.
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Continue reading ‘Hustlers is Engaging, Funny, and Has All The Right Moves (Movie Review)’
September 12th, 2019 by Peter Paras
I’ve only read fifty-one pages of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Goldfinch, yet I can tell from such a small sample (the book is nearly 800 pages) that a 140-minute feature adaptation would be a tricky endeavor. Nevertheless, John Crowley, who directed 2015’s Brooklyn, one of the best films of the decade, has given it a go. The results are the mixed bag I expected, though certainly not the dumpster fire the pre-release buzz from recent films festivals seemed to suggest.
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Continue reading ‘The Goldfinch Can’t Quite Soar (Movie Review)’
September 5th, 2019 by Peter Paras
What do we make of It Chapter Two? Films rarely fit neatly into one genre anymore, and the notion of what is or is not horror is often debated among film fans as well as casual moviegoers. Are horror films always about something supernatural like The Conjuring? What about the slasher sub-genre? It’s easier just to accept most as hybrids, like Edgar Wright’s best film, Shaun of the Dead.
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– Continue reading ‘It Chapter Two: Big Horror Cheap Thrills (Movie Review)’
August 25th, 2019 by Corey M. Crosdale
I have been waiting to see this film since I caught the first few seconds of its trailer as a YouTube ad! I love the premise, I love the lead, and it just feels like a good ole fashioned shoot em’ up! Well does it deliver… of course! Ready or Not (2019) is a hilarious, fun, and suspenseful thriller that keeps you engaged from beginning to end! Okay okay I’ll calm down a bit so I can tell you guys about this one. So I’ll give ya’ll till the count of hundred to choose your weapon, find a hiding place, and get ready to here all about it! Continue reading ‘Ready or Not? Here We Go! (Movie Review)’
August 21st, 2019 by Peter Paras
Most of the guests have left. The ceremony was fitting for a family with mucho dinero. They “Spared no expense,” and all that. It’s time for newlyweds Grace and Alex to settle in for the night, for their honeymoon to begin. But before Grace can take off her stunning white gown, her husband of a few hours tells her there’s just one more thing: she needs to play a game with him and his immediate family – including that weird aunt that kept staring at her during the nuptials. The game chosen is random. It can be checkers, chess, who knows? Grace pulls a card from an ancient wooden box. It reads Hide & Seek. The rules are simple: she can hide anywhere on the grounds of the magnificent estate of the Le Domas family. She must survive until dawn. Unbeknownst to Grace, survival is meant literally as all of her in-laws will be out to maim and possibly kill her. Ready or Not, let the games begin.
Continue reading ‘Ready or Not… Here Come The One Percenters!’
August 15th, 2019 by Brian White
Good Boys for me is just one of those moments in life when you watch a trailer, it reminds you of a blast from the past (in this case Superbad) and you say why not. Why not refers to the fact that it appears like you could have a fun time with this one. It may be hard to relate to the age of the main characters, but make no mistake we’re all coming to see this one for the profane humor and raunchiness of it all. Can you blame us? After all, Seth Rogen is kind of responsible for this. So follow me down below and will take a look at Good Boys, which you can warmly call a more innocent reboot of Superbad…with of course a much younger cast. Continue reading ‘‘Good Boys’ Pleases With Raunchy Innocence (Movie Review)’
August 14th, 2019 by Peter Paras
What exactly do we expect from a sequel nowadays? Heck, what should we expect from merely a title of a series? In the old days (the 80s) there’d be straightforward ones like Star Wars that audiences could easily latch onto as George Lucas expanded his saga. These days Universal’s Fast & Furious franchise might play fast and loose with its original intentions but the spirit of it all: the cars, the bros, and the schemes still pretty much fit the name.
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Continue reading ‘’47 Meters Down’ Sequel Is Shallow, Not Shallows (Movie Review)’
August 10th, 2019 by Corey M. Crosdale
I have seen two films with “The Art of” in the beginning of their titles this summer. The first film was
The Art of Self Defense (2019), go see it if you guys haven’t seen it yet, and now
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). To be honest, I’m usually indifferent about seeing these types of films. The only exception to my indifference towards these sentimental dog films would be, the aptly named,
A Boy and his Dog (1975). It’s a weird one, but a good one. Though there are some similarities in each film, like quite a few, make no mistake, the two are wildly different films! The reason for my indifference for these films is because they are pretty predictable for the most part. However, I am always willing to watch and review as many films as I have the opportunity to. So I went to see this film, by myself, in a room full of strangers. Some audience members were young, some audience members were old, and, all of us were from different walks of life. However, when our furry protagonist is heard narrating his ordeal in a heart wrenching opening scene… well… let’s just say the water works were already flowing. Sniff… sniff. Alright guys… sniff… let’s… sniff begin.
Continue reading ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain… { Insert feels here } (Movie Review)’
August 8th, 2019 by Brian White
The Kitchen sounds like it should be a cooking talk show. Does it not? Come on it doesn’t hurt to start a review off by being silly and don’t tell me you’re not thinking along those lines either. The ironic part about The Kitchen too is how excited I am for it. I say that because I never used to be a fan of Melissa McCarthy at all. I used to avoid everything she was in. Then the unthinkable happened. I reluctantly checked out a press screening for the new Ghostbusters a few years back and left the theater instantly a fan. Ever since then I instantly, like overnight kind of instantly, became a fan of hers and I even by free choice watched her Rated-R Muppets movie last year. While it wasn’t that good it was at least somewhat tolerable, but I digress. I’m all about strong women in my movies and from the trailer The Kitchen doesn’t look like an exception at all. We’re so used to seeing men in these kind of crime, gangster roles so I’m stoked to see how the women proverbially take care of the business. Bring it! Continue reading ‘‘The Kitchen’ Serves Up Some Cold Food (Movie Review)’
July 31st, 2019 by Brian White
We’ve been covering the Fast & Furious films on the site ever since part six with my reviews of the eighth HERE, seventh HERE and finally that sixth one of Aaron’s HERE. Lucky for me the franchise shows no signs of slowing down with a ninth one on its way next year, but I digress. Today it’s time to talk about a spin-off of The Fast and the Furious franchise. That’s right! You heard me correct. Fans loved the chemistry between Jason Statham (as Deckard Shaw) and Dwayne Johnson (as Luke Hobbs) in the seventh and eighth installments so much that they are now getting their cake and eating it too. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the spin-off appropriately titled Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (we’ll roll with the latter half of that name throughout the rest of this review). There’s no mistake about it. When it comes to a title like that you know who the movie revolves around. But wait! There’s so much more to talk about. Buckle up and follow me down below. Vroom! Vroom! Continue reading ‘‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw’ Supercharged! (Movie Review)’
July 25th, 2019 by Brian White
Like George Washington once said I cannot tell a lie. I haven’t told many people this, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is my most anticipated movie of 2019. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been waiting an eternity for another Tarantino film to release. Also, for the life of me I could not have envisioned such a large ensemble cast as this one packs in. The big names in this one are absolutely ridiculous. Rest assured we’ll get to all those big names down below in a moment, but I do want to pay homage to one in particular before we begin. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the last film to feature one of my most favorite actors from my home state of Ohio, Luke Perry. He tragically died in March 2019. Rest In Peace. I’ll always have that memory of you and I chatting it up about Normal Life in LAX. And with that thought I officially digress. Let’s talk all about Quentin Tarantino’s long awaited ninth film! Continue reading ‘‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Is Quentin’s Golden Fairytale (Movie Review)’
July 12th, 2019 by Corey M. Crosdale
So as you know I – – went – – to see – – The Art – – of – – Self Defense. And it – – was – -great! To give you guys a little insight… I had no idea this film was coming out. My expectations for this film were quite low due to my ignorance of its existence. This has proven to be a pretty good strategy when it comes to viewing films though. Going into a film with an open mind, free of preconceived notions, or hype, allows you to truly take in what you’re watching. What I was watching was some pretty good stuff. Due to not watching any trailers or reading about this film at all I was shocked and surprised at how well-crafted and detailed the film was. Well – – lets see – – what – – it’s all – – about! Continue reading ‘I – – Went – – to – – see – – The Art – – of – – Self Defense (Movie Review)’
