Here are my predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards that take place tonight:
Best Picture: 1917
Best Director: Sam Mendes (1917)
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Best Actress: Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Best Original Screenplay: Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit
Best Film Editing: Parasite
Best Cinematography: 1917
Best Original Score: Joker
Best Original Song: I'm Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)
Best Sound Editing: 1917
Best Sound Mixing: 1917
Best Visual Effects: 1917
Best Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Costume Design: Little Women
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Bombshell
Best Animated Feature: Klaus
Best Documentary Feature: American Factory
Best Foreign Language Film: Parasite
Best Live Action Short: The Neighbors' Window
Best Animated Short: Hair Love
Best Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Joker Movie Review
Hype is a dangerous beast. It's great to feel the rush and excitement for something to arrive, but it also can lead to disappointment when the thing you are excited turns out to not be what you expected. I hate saying it but Joker falls into this category.
Joker tells the story of a man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) who is constantly beat down by those around him and how it pushes him to reach his breaking point and become the classic comic book villain, the Joker.
Even though Joker didn't reach my expectations, there is still a lot to like about this movie. First off, Joaquin Phoenix is amazing in this movie. It shouldn't come as that big of a surprise that Joaquin is great since he is great in every movie he is in, but with this performance he takes it to another level. Joaquin's character suffers from a condition that forces him to laugh, even when it's not appropriate and the way Joaquin pulls this off is stunning. He does a great job of showing in his face how he struggles to hold the laughs in and up doing so brings him to tears and even chokes on occasion. There is also a great physicality to the performance. Joaquin often dances his way through scenes when his character is feeling confident or has to sulk and walk with a limp when he is down. Joaquin's performance also does a great job of making you feel sorry for his character when he is getting beat down, but also fearful of him when he starts to snap and turn into the Joker.
Another great aspect of Joker is the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir. The work Hildur does in this movie is truly remarkable and easily one of the best scores of the year. Her score adds this intensity and darkness to the movie that ratchets up the dread that is throughout the movie. While watching the movie I couldn't help but think of another score that I enjoy, Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for Arrival. It turns out Hildur as actually worked with Jóhann on a few of his scores.
Joker is also gorgeous to look at. The cinematography by Lawrence Sher is truly spectacular. In the poster above you can see a sample of how he frames and lights his scenes. Gotham City, where the movie takes place, is going through a garbage strike, so throughout the movie there is garbage everywhere and this helps add to the dirty feeling that the movies main character gives off.
So with all the praise I've given the movie, what didn't I enjoy? One is just how much time we actually get to spend with the Joker. Arthur doesn't actually turn into the Joker until the final thirty minutes of the movie. Those thirty minutes are truly outstanding and I just wish we got to see more of him. I understand that that critique is more on me than the movie itself. I also felt that some of the scenes were cut together oddly. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Arthur is at his job as a clown, the next scene he is with his counselor and it looks like he cleaned all the make-up off his face, but in the next scene, he has some makeup still on his face. This left me wondering what order these events had taken place. This wasn't the only time this happened. Another part that really annoyed me with the movie was the use of a "jock jam". The scene in which it was used was made up to be this iconic moment, but it just gets ruined by the use of this song.
Joker is a movie that has a lot going for it. The central performance by Joaquin Phoenix is outstanding, the score is dark and intense, and the technical merits of the movie are top notch. But this movie is more of a deep, slow, dark character study that leaves you feeling dirty when it ends. If you are looking for a typical comic book action movie that is centered around one of the greatest comic book villains, this movie will probably not be one that you enjoy. I do think this movie is worth seeing, just know it may not be what you are expecting.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Joker tells the story of a man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) who is constantly beat down by those around him and how it pushes him to reach his breaking point and become the classic comic book villain, the Joker.
Even though Joker didn't reach my expectations, there is still a lot to like about this movie. First off, Joaquin Phoenix is amazing in this movie. It shouldn't come as that big of a surprise that Joaquin is great since he is great in every movie he is in, but with this performance he takes it to another level. Joaquin's character suffers from a condition that forces him to laugh, even when it's not appropriate and the way Joaquin pulls this off is stunning. He does a great job of showing in his face how he struggles to hold the laughs in and up doing so brings him to tears and even chokes on occasion. There is also a great physicality to the performance. Joaquin often dances his way through scenes when his character is feeling confident or has to sulk and walk with a limp when he is down. Joaquin's performance also does a great job of making you feel sorry for his character when he is getting beat down, but also fearful of him when he starts to snap and turn into the Joker.
Another great aspect of Joker is the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir. The work Hildur does in this movie is truly remarkable and easily one of the best scores of the year. Her score adds this intensity and darkness to the movie that ratchets up the dread that is throughout the movie. While watching the movie I couldn't help but think of another score that I enjoy, Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for Arrival. It turns out Hildur as actually worked with Jóhann on a few of his scores.
Joker is also gorgeous to look at. The cinematography by Lawrence Sher is truly spectacular. In the poster above you can see a sample of how he frames and lights his scenes. Gotham City, where the movie takes place, is going through a garbage strike, so throughout the movie there is garbage everywhere and this helps add to the dirty feeling that the movies main character gives off.
So with all the praise I've given the movie, what didn't I enjoy? One is just how much time we actually get to spend with the Joker. Arthur doesn't actually turn into the Joker until the final thirty minutes of the movie. Those thirty minutes are truly outstanding and I just wish we got to see more of him. I understand that that critique is more on me than the movie itself. I also felt that some of the scenes were cut together oddly. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Arthur is at his job as a clown, the next scene he is with his counselor and it looks like he cleaned all the make-up off his face, but in the next scene, he has some makeup still on his face. This left me wondering what order these events had taken place. This wasn't the only time this happened. Another part that really annoyed me with the movie was the use of a "jock jam". The scene in which it was used was made up to be this iconic moment, but it just gets ruined by the use of this song.
Joker is a movie that has a lot going for it. The central performance by Joaquin Phoenix is outstanding, the score is dark and intense, and the technical merits of the movie are top notch. But this movie is more of a deep, slow, dark character study that leaves you feeling dirty when it ends. If you are looking for a typical comic book action movie that is centered around one of the greatest comic book villains, this movie will probably not be one that you enjoy. I do think this movie is worth seeing, just know it may not be what you are expecting.
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Friday, August 16, 2019
47 Meters Down: Uncaged Review
Sometimes a movie comes out that you don't really want to see, but you like the genre so you decide to see it anyway. That my friends, can be a big mistake and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged is proof of that.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is a "sequel" to the 2017 shark survival movie, 47 Meters Down. I use the quotation marks because it's hard to call it a sequel since no actors from the first movie return and the events of the first movie are never brought up. The people that do return for it though are the writer/director, Johannes Roberts, and his co-writer, Ernest Riera. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged tells the story of four girls who go scuba diving in this underwater Mayan city and along the way end up getting hunted by some sharks.
I have to be honest with this one, there wasn't much I liked about it. If I had to pick something I guess it would be the premise. I like shark movies and I like watching the destruction they can cause. Watching a group of people in a claustrophobic environment, trying to get away from sharks, should make for an interesting and fun movie. Unfortunately, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged is neither interesting or fun.
I really don't like being negative and ripping a movie, so I'm going to keep this short. Since this movie takes place in an underwater city with tight corridors, at times it is extremely hard to tell what is going on. When the shark first appears, the characters kick up all this dirt from the ocean floor making it impossible to see anything except for their flashlight beams. When this happened, the inability to see was just annoying and didn't add any sort of suspense. You couldn't see the characters nor the shark so if something was going to happen it wouldn't matter because us as the audience wouldn't be able to see it. You also never get a sense of where the characters actually are. They swim down these tight corridors that the shark tries to swim through to get them, but can't fit, but magically somehow the shark ends up in the next section of the city. In a similar movie that came out this summer, Crawl, the movie set up the places the gators could and could not go to, so it made sense when the gators got to a place that the characters had entered. With 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, you just have to suspend any kind of logic and just try to accept that the shark can get from one area of the city to another.
The last third of this movie just becomes completely laughable. For some reason, when the sharks attack the people, the movie enters these horrendous slow motion sequences. I don't know if the intention of the director was to try and have these cinematic scenes that are cheesy as someone gets attacked or if he was trying to be serious and have the scenes be intense. Whatever he was going for it didn't work at all.
I'm sure a lot of people worked hard on this movie and are proud of what they accomplished, so here a some additional quick negatives. The acting is not that great and the fact that they are wearing scuba masks the entire time, you can't really get a sense of the fear they are experiencing. The characters aren't that likable at the beginning of the movie so once the shark starts to attack them, you end up rooting for the shark.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is just a bad movie and it's not one of those it's so bad, it's fun to laugh at movies. The movie is not scary or tense. The sharks look horrendous. The acting is subpar. You can't see what is going on and when the sharks do try and attack someone, the director uses this horrible slow motion technique. I say skip this movie.
1 out of 5 Stars
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is a "sequel" to the 2017 shark survival movie, 47 Meters Down. I use the quotation marks because it's hard to call it a sequel since no actors from the first movie return and the events of the first movie are never brought up. The people that do return for it though are the writer/director, Johannes Roberts, and his co-writer, Ernest Riera. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged tells the story of four girls who go scuba diving in this underwater Mayan city and along the way end up getting hunted by some sharks.
I have to be honest with this one, there wasn't much I liked about it. If I had to pick something I guess it would be the premise. I like shark movies and I like watching the destruction they can cause. Watching a group of people in a claustrophobic environment, trying to get away from sharks, should make for an interesting and fun movie. Unfortunately, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged is neither interesting or fun.
I really don't like being negative and ripping a movie, so I'm going to keep this short. Since this movie takes place in an underwater city with tight corridors, at times it is extremely hard to tell what is going on. When the shark first appears, the characters kick up all this dirt from the ocean floor making it impossible to see anything except for their flashlight beams. When this happened, the inability to see was just annoying and didn't add any sort of suspense. You couldn't see the characters nor the shark so if something was going to happen it wouldn't matter because us as the audience wouldn't be able to see it. You also never get a sense of where the characters actually are. They swim down these tight corridors that the shark tries to swim through to get them, but can't fit, but magically somehow the shark ends up in the next section of the city. In a similar movie that came out this summer, Crawl, the movie set up the places the gators could and could not go to, so it made sense when the gators got to a place that the characters had entered. With 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, you just have to suspend any kind of logic and just try to accept that the shark can get from one area of the city to another.
The last third of this movie just becomes completely laughable. For some reason, when the sharks attack the people, the movie enters these horrendous slow motion sequences. I don't know if the intention of the director was to try and have these cinematic scenes that are cheesy as someone gets attacked or if he was trying to be serious and have the scenes be intense. Whatever he was going for it didn't work at all.
I'm sure a lot of people worked hard on this movie and are proud of what they accomplished, so here a some additional quick negatives. The acting is not that great and the fact that they are wearing scuba masks the entire time, you can't really get a sense of the fear they are experiencing. The characters aren't that likable at the beginning of the movie so once the shark starts to attack them, you end up rooting for the shark.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is just a bad movie and it's not one of those it's so bad, it's fun to laugh at movies. The movie is not scary or tense. The sharks look horrendous. The acting is subpar. You can't see what is going on and when the sharks do try and attack someone, the director uses this horrible slow motion technique. I say skip this movie.
1 out of 5 Stars
Thursday, July 18, 2019
The Lion King (2019) Review
The 2019 version of The Lion King is considered to be live action remake even though the entire movie was generated by computers. This movie shouldn't be considered live action, because the entire movie feels completely dead.
The Lion King is a remake of the 1994 animated classic and everyone pretty much knows what it's about. For those that don't, The Lion King tells the story of a lion cub named Simba, who must deal with the loss of his father, Mufasa. While Simba is away, recovering from this tragedy, he runs into Timon and Pumba, a meerkat and warthog, who try and teach him how to live a carefree life. As Simba gets older, life starts to catch up with him and he must return home and take what is rightfully his.
Let's start with what I like about The Lion King. The first one is pretty obvious, but it's the visuals. This movie looks fantastic. For most of the movie, it's impossible to tell that all of it is computer generated. It looks just like one of those Disney Nature documentaries that come out every year. I loved the way the animals moved and would interact with one another. It was all just so life like. Also baby Simba was absolutely adorable. Every time he showed up on screen, I couldn't help but let out a little "Awwwwww, he's so cute!".
Another thing I really enjoyed about The Lion King was Timon and Pumba. They were voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan and they couldn't have been more perfect for these roles. They brought this energy to the movie that was severely lacking before they showed up roughly halfway through the movie. For the most part all of their jokes landed and their rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight was absolutely wonderful.
I also surprisingly really enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as the villainous Scar, Simba's uncle. When the first trailer came out, I was part of #NotMyScar, but after seeing this version, I am no longer a part of that hashtag. He did a great job of being menacing and commanding the screen whenever he was around.
Now let me get to the part that hurts me the most, what I didn't like about The Lion King. Unfortunately for me, there is a lot that didn't work with this movie. The first thing was the way the animals looked when they talked. The mouth movement for the most part did not match what was coming out of their mouths. At times it was really distracting and would take me out of the movie. Also, there was no emotion coming from the animals. The worst part was when Simba's dad dies and Simba is extremely distraught. The look on his face was completely flat, he looked just like he had previously in the movie when he was happy. There wasn't any sort of movement in the ears or eyes that normally appear when an animal is sad.
Another disappointing part of the movie was the lack of energy during the first half of the movie. All of the musical numbers that take place in the first half felt flat, there was no life to them. It was one of those things where I felt like the writers should have done some rewriting and completely remove the songs and find a way to tell the story without them. The musical score by Hans Zimmer also did not help with this. By itself, the score is great, but it did not work with what was happening on the screen. It never seemed to match up with the characters movements on the screen or the emotion of the scenes.
Overall, The Lion King was really disappointing. Yes, it's gorgeous to look at and contains a few solid performances, but as a whole it doesn't work. The animals don't show any emotion and the mouth movement when talking is super distracting. This is one of those movies, where I'm not sure I can recommend people go see this in theaters. You most likely own the animated version and would be better served to just watch that one from the comfort of your home. Maybe when this new one comes to a streaming service, you can give it a watch at home.
2 1/2 out of 5 Stars
The Lion King is a remake of the 1994 animated classic and everyone pretty much knows what it's about. For those that don't, The Lion King tells the story of a lion cub named Simba, who must deal with the loss of his father, Mufasa. While Simba is away, recovering from this tragedy, he runs into Timon and Pumba, a meerkat and warthog, who try and teach him how to live a carefree life. As Simba gets older, life starts to catch up with him and he must return home and take what is rightfully his.
Let's start with what I like about The Lion King. The first one is pretty obvious, but it's the visuals. This movie looks fantastic. For most of the movie, it's impossible to tell that all of it is computer generated. It looks just like one of those Disney Nature documentaries that come out every year. I loved the way the animals moved and would interact with one another. It was all just so life like. Also baby Simba was absolutely adorable. Every time he showed up on screen, I couldn't help but let out a little "Awwwwww, he's so cute!".
Another thing I really enjoyed about The Lion King was Timon and Pumba. They were voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan and they couldn't have been more perfect for these roles. They brought this energy to the movie that was severely lacking before they showed up roughly halfway through the movie. For the most part all of their jokes landed and their rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight was absolutely wonderful.
I also surprisingly really enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as the villainous Scar, Simba's uncle. When the first trailer came out, I was part of #NotMyScar, but after seeing this version, I am no longer a part of that hashtag. He did a great job of being menacing and commanding the screen whenever he was around.
Now let me get to the part that hurts me the most, what I didn't like about The Lion King. Unfortunately for me, there is a lot that didn't work with this movie. The first thing was the way the animals looked when they talked. The mouth movement for the most part did not match what was coming out of their mouths. At times it was really distracting and would take me out of the movie. Also, there was no emotion coming from the animals. The worst part was when Simba's dad dies and Simba is extremely distraught. The look on his face was completely flat, he looked just like he had previously in the movie when he was happy. There wasn't any sort of movement in the ears or eyes that normally appear when an animal is sad.
Another disappointing part of the movie was the lack of energy during the first half of the movie. All of the musical numbers that take place in the first half felt flat, there was no life to them. It was one of those things where I felt like the writers should have done some rewriting and completely remove the songs and find a way to tell the story without them. The musical score by Hans Zimmer also did not help with this. By itself, the score is great, but it did not work with what was happening on the screen. It never seemed to match up with the characters movements on the screen or the emotion of the scenes.
Overall, The Lion King was really disappointing. Yes, it's gorgeous to look at and contains a few solid performances, but as a whole it doesn't work. The animals don't show any emotion and the mouth movement when talking is super distracting. This is one of those movies, where I'm not sure I can recommend people go see this in theaters. You most likely own the animated version and would be better served to just watch that one from the comfort of your home. Maybe when this new one comes to a streaming service, you can give it a watch at home.
2 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Crawl Movie Review
Movies dealing with natural disasters or creatures tend to be movies I gravitate towards. So obviously, if you combine those two, changes are I am going to love the movie. Not surprisingly that ended up being the case with Crawl.
In Crawl, a Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on Florida and Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) can't reach her dad, Dave (Barry Pepper). Haley starts to panic and decides to drive to her childhood home to see if she can see what he is up to. When she gets to the house and can't find him anywhere, she decides to check the crawlspace where she finds her dad, who is now injured, as well as a couple of giant alligators that are protecting the only way out. With the hurricane intensifying, the crawlspace starts to flood so Haley must find a way to save herself as well as her dad.
The thing I love most about Crawl is the havoc that the gators cause. When it comes to creature movies, I go in to them looking forward to seeing the carnage they create and seeing the body count rise. With Crawl, I was not disappointed. The setting is contained mainly to the house, but the gators are still able to find ways to eat or badly injure a fair amount of people. That probably comes across a little twisted, but that's what these movies are for. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when someone is swimming in the water and the camera moves into the air and you just see 5 gators swarm around him and just grab on to a few different body parts and enjoy some lunch.
Another aspect I enjoy was the father/daughter relationship between Haley and Dave. Early on in the movie, there are flashbacks that show Dave being Haley's swim coach. Because he spent so much time focusing on coaching her, his marriage became strained and Haley ends up feeling like she is guilty for causing her parents marriage to end. I really enjoy seeing Barry Pepper in movies and felt he did a great job playing Dave. He is wonderful at playing that broken dad that is willing to do anything to protect his daughter. Kaya is also fantastic has Haley. The movie mainly focuses on her and if she doesn't sell the paranoia and fear it would fall apart. Luckily, Kaya does a great job and the scenes with her father get pretty emotional at times.
The only real criticism I have for Crawl is the same one most of these types of movies have, characters just make stupid decisions or have injuries that should be pretty life-threatening, but they just act like it was a bug bite within 5 minutes of it occurring. It's a minor nitpick that just comes with the territory of movies like this.
Overall, I really enjoyed Crawl. The relationship between Haley and Dave was believable and helped fill in the slow periods between the action. The gator action was a blast to watch and at times pretty intense and gory. Also, the movie gets extra points for having the main character's last name be Keller. Crawl is a fun time at the movies and does a great job of filling in the gaps between all the franchise blockbusters out this summer. I recommend it.
4 out of 5 Stars
In Crawl, a Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on Florida and Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) can't reach her dad, Dave (Barry Pepper). Haley starts to panic and decides to drive to her childhood home to see if she can see what he is up to. When she gets to the house and can't find him anywhere, she decides to check the crawlspace where she finds her dad, who is now injured, as well as a couple of giant alligators that are protecting the only way out. With the hurricane intensifying, the crawlspace starts to flood so Haley must find a way to save herself as well as her dad.
The thing I love most about Crawl is the havoc that the gators cause. When it comes to creature movies, I go in to them looking forward to seeing the carnage they create and seeing the body count rise. With Crawl, I was not disappointed. The setting is contained mainly to the house, but the gators are still able to find ways to eat or badly injure a fair amount of people. That probably comes across a little twisted, but that's what these movies are for. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when someone is swimming in the water and the camera moves into the air and you just see 5 gators swarm around him and just grab on to a few different body parts and enjoy some lunch.
Another aspect I enjoy was the father/daughter relationship between Haley and Dave. Early on in the movie, there are flashbacks that show Dave being Haley's swim coach. Because he spent so much time focusing on coaching her, his marriage became strained and Haley ends up feeling like she is guilty for causing her parents marriage to end. I really enjoy seeing Barry Pepper in movies and felt he did a great job playing Dave. He is wonderful at playing that broken dad that is willing to do anything to protect his daughter. Kaya is also fantastic has Haley. The movie mainly focuses on her and if she doesn't sell the paranoia and fear it would fall apart. Luckily, Kaya does a great job and the scenes with her father get pretty emotional at times.
The only real criticism I have for Crawl is the same one most of these types of movies have, characters just make stupid decisions or have injuries that should be pretty life-threatening, but they just act like it was a bug bite within 5 minutes of it occurring. It's a minor nitpick that just comes with the territory of movies like this.
Overall, I really enjoyed Crawl. The relationship between Haley and Dave was believable and helped fill in the slow periods between the action. The gator action was a blast to watch and at times pretty intense and gory. Also, the movie gets extra points for having the main character's last name be Keller. Crawl is a fun time at the movies and does a great job of filling in the gaps between all the franchise blockbusters out this summer. I recommend it.
4 out of 5 Stars
My Mid-2019 Movie Rankings
Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters during the first half of 2019:
- Apollo 11 (5 Stars)
- Avengers: Endgame (4 1/2 Stars)
- If Beale Street Could Talk (4 1/2 Stars)
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (4 1/2 Stars)
- Roma (4 Stars)
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (4 Stars)
- Us (4 Stars)
- Cold War (4 Stars)
- Toy Story 4 (4 Stars)
- Late Night (4 Stars)
- Booksmart (3 1/2 Stars)
- Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (3 1/2 Stars)
- Captain Marvel (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Kid Who Would Be King (3 1/2 Stars)
- Arctic (3 1/2 Stars)
- Shazam! (3 1/2 Stars)
- Rocketman (3 1/2 Stars)
- Long Shot (3 1/2 Stars)
- Yesterday (3 1/2 Stars)
- Alita: Battle Angel (3 1/2 Stars)
- Aladdin (3 1/2 Stars)
- John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Mustang (3 1/2 Stars)
- Pet Sematary (3 1/2 Stars)
- Capernaum (3 1/2 Stars)
- Hotel Mumbai (3 1/2 Stars)
- On the Basis of Sex (3 1/2 Stars)
- Fighting With My Family (3 Stars)
- Happy Death Day 2U (3 Stars)
- Child's Play (3 Stars)
- Men In Black: International (3 Stars)
- Gloria Bell (3 Stars)
- Dark Phoenix (3 Stars)
- The Dead Don't Die (3 Stars)
- Missing Link (3 Stars)
- Greta (3 Stars)
- Brightburn (3 Stars)
- Ben is Back (3 Stars)
- Tolkien (3 Stars)
- High Life (3 Stars)
- Glass (2 1/2 Stars)
- Five Feet Apart (2 1/2 Stars)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2 1/2 Stars)
- Dumbo (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Beach Bum (1 1/2 Stars)
- Hellboy (1 1/2 Stars)
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards
Here are my predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards that take place tonight:
Best Picture: Roma
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Best Actor: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Best Actress: Glenn Close (The Wife)
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Best Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Best Film Editing: Vice
Best Cinematography: Roma
Best Original Score: If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Original Song: Shallow (A Star Is Born)
Best Sound Editing: First Man
Best Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Visual Effects: First Man
Best Production Design: Black Panther
Best Costume Design: Black Panther
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Vice
Best Animated Feature: Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse
Best Documentary Feature: Free Solo
Best Foreign Language Film: Roma
Best Live Action Short: Marguerite
Best Animated Short: Bao
Best Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence
Best Picture: Roma
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Best Actor: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Best Actress: Glenn Close (The Wife)
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Best Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Best Film Editing: Vice
Best Cinematography: Roma
Best Original Score: If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Original Song: Shallow (A Star Is Born)
Best Sound Editing: First Man
Best Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Visual Effects: First Man
Best Production Design: Black Panther
Best Costume Design: Black Panther
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Vice
Best Animated Feature: Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse
Best Documentary Feature: Free Solo
Best Foreign Language Film: Roma
Best Live Action Short: Marguerite
Best Animated Short: Bao
Best Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence
Friday, January 11, 2019
If Beale Street Could Talk Review
Some times when you go to the movies you just watch a movie, other times, you watch a beautiful piece of art that leaves you breathless. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those pieces of art.
If Beale Street Could Talk is written and directed by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins and is based on a novel written by James Baldwin. It is a story about a young couple, Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James), who are dealing with the harsh reality of Fonny being in jail after being falsely accused of rape and Tish being pregnant with their first child. The movie interweaves the story by showing what happens when Tish and Fonny first start dating along with Tish trying to get Fonny out of jail.
There is a lot to love about If Beale Street Could Talk. The first thing is the relationship between Tish and Fonny. The chemistry between them is electric and when they are on screen you can't help but be blown away by what you are watching. At first Tish seems a little timid, but as the movie moves along you start to see her fall more and more in love with Fonny and you can just feel your own heart warming up. The scenes where Tish visits Fonny in prison will just break your heart. The look on Fonny's face is filled with so much hope that he may soon get out of prison, but you know that that is probably not going to happen. And you can tell that his love for Tish is why he has that hope. The look on Tish's face shows that she can tell Fonny is having a rough time in prison. You can't help but want that glass wall that is separating them to be taken away so they can at least hug each other.
Another fantastic aspect of If Beale Street Could Talk is the score by Nicholas Britell. The musical score just adds to the emotion of each scene. Some of the musical cues will fill you with hope and love while others will make you feel despair and sadness.
If Beale Street Could Talk is also beautifully shot. Pretty much every scene of the movie could be framed and hung on your wall. Right from the very first scene you could tell this movie would be special visually. From the way Tish and Fonny's clothes are color coordinated to the way scene is framed with them walking down a stair well, you could see that director Barry Jenkins knows how to shoot a movie.
Because the chemistry between Tish and Fonny was so strong, when they weren't on screen, I got a little impatient and wanted to see them back on screen. There were a couple of moments throughout the movie that involved Tish's parents and while they were good moments, I wanted the movie to go back to focusing on Tish and Fonny. There were also a couple of side stories that never seemed to wrap up. One involved Fonny's friend, Daniel, being a key witness and how the prosecutors were probably going to try and get him to flip and it ended up not really going anywhere. Another dealt with Fonny's mom. When she first finds out that Tish is pregnant, she becomes angry since the child will be born out of wedlock. You never find out if she ends up caring for the baby or just stays angry. These are really two minor gripes and do not take away from the overall quality of the movie.
If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful movie that will break your heart and make you fall in love multiple times throughout. The score is fantastic and each scene is absolutely stunning. I highly recommend everyone goes to see this movie. If Beale Street Could Talk is one of those rare movies that isn't just a movie, but a beautiful piece of art.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
My 2018 Movie Rankings
Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters in 2018:
- Annihilation (5 Stars)
- First Man (5 Stars)
- Anna and The Apocalypse (4 1/2 Stars)
- Phantom Thread (4 1/2 Stars)
- Searching (4 1/2 Stars)
- A Star is Born (4 1/2 Stars)
- Black Panther (4 1/2 Stars)
- I, Tonya (4 1/2 Stars)
- Mission: Impossible - Fallout (4 1/2 Stars)
- Ready Player One (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
- Creed II (4 1/2 Stars)
- Eighth Grade (4 1/2 Stars)
- Free Solo (4 1/2 Stars)
- Widows (4 1/2 Stars)
- Crazy Rich Asians (4 Stars)
- Molly's Game (4 Stars)
- The Shape of Water (4 Stars) * 2
- Paddington 2 (4 Stars)
- Hearts Beat Loud (4 Stars)
- Ralph Breaks The Internet (4 Stars)
- Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (4 Stars) * 2
- Hostiles (4 Stars)
- You Were Never Really Here (4 Stars)
- American Animals (4 Stars)
- Lean on Pete (4 Stars)
- Leave No Trace (4 Stars)
- Tully (4 Stars)
- Won't You Be My Neighbor (4 Stars)
- The Hate U Give (4 Stars)
- Wildlife (4 Stars)
- First Reformed (4 Stars)
- The Post (4 Stars)
- A Quiet Place (4 Stars)
- Incredibles 2 (4 Stars)
- Game Night (3 1/2 Stars)
- A Simple Favor (3 1/2 Stars)
- Aquaman (3 1/2 Stars)
- Blackkklansman (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Sisters Brothers (3 1/2 Stars)
- Assassination Nation (3 1/2 Stars)
- Tag (3 1/2 Stars)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
- Ant-man & the Wasp (3 1/2 Stars)
- Deadpool 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
- Can You Ever Forgive Me? (3 1/2 Stars)
- Hereditary (3 1/2 Stars)
- Avengers: Infinity War (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
- The Old Man & The Gun (3 1/2 Stars)
- Isle of Dogs (3 1/2 Stars)
- Tomb Raider (3 1/2 Stars)
- Love, Simon (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Meg (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Favourite (3 1/2 Stars)
- Blockers (3 1/2 Stars)
- Upgrade (3 1/2 Stars)
- Bumblebee (3 1/2 Stars)
- Juliet, Naked (3 1/2 Stars)
- Green Book (3 1/2 Stars)
- Christopher Robin (3 1/2 Stars)
- Overlord (3 1/2 Stars)
- Mary Queen of Scots (3 1/2 Stars)
- Mary Poppins Returns (3 1/2 Stars)
- Adrift (3 1/2 Stars)
- Operation Finale (3 1/2 Stars)
- Vice (3 Stars)
- The Wife (3 Stars)
- Sorry to Bother You (3 Stars)
- Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (3 Stars)
- Colette (3 Stars)
- Mid90s (3 Stars)
- Vox Lux (3 Stars)
- Halloween (3 Stars)
- Sicario: Day of the Soldado (3 Stars)
- A Wrinkle in Time (3 Stars)
- Chappaquiddick (3 Stars)
- Unsane (3 Stars)
- Ocean's 8 (3 Stars)
- The Spy Who Dumped Me (3 Stars)
- Boy Erased (3 Stars)
- Papillon (3 Stars)
- Puzzle (3 Stars)
- The Front Runner (3 Stars)
- The Equalizer 2 (3 Stars)
- Uncle Drew (3 Stars)
- Rampage (3 Stars)
- 12 Strong (3 Stars)
- Early Man (3 Stars)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (3 Stars)
- Thoroughbreds (2 1/2 Stars)
- White Boy Rick (2 1/2 Stars)
- Beirut (2 1/2 Stars)
- Red Sparrow (2 1/2 Stars)
- Skyscraper (2 1/2 Stars)
- Alpha (2 1/2 Stars)
- Beautiful Boy (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Girl in the Spider's Web (2 1/2 Stars)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2 1/2 Stars)
- Robin Hood (2 1/2 Stars)
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Predator (2 Stars)
- The Death of Stalin (1 1/2 Stars)
Saturday, June 30, 2018
My Mid-2018 Movie Rankings
Here is the ranking of all the movies I have seen so far in 2018 in theaters:
- Annihilation (5 Stars)
- Phantom Thread (4 1/2 Stars)
- Black Panther (4 1/2 Stars)
- I, Tonya (4 1/2 Stars)
- Ready Player One (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
- Molly's Game (4 Stars)
- The Shape of Water (4 Stars) * 2
- Paddington 2 (4 Stars)
- Hostiles (4 Stars)
- You Were Never Really Here (4 Stars)
- American Animals (4 Stars)
- Lean on Pete (4 Stars)
- Tully (4 Stars)
- Won't You Be My Neighbor (4 Stars)
- First Reformed (4 Stars)
- The Post (4 Stars)
- A Quiet Place (4 Stars)
- Incredibles 2 (4 Stars)
- Game Night (3 1/2 Stars)
- Tag (3 1/2 Stars)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (3 1/2 Stars)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
- Deadpool 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
- Hereditary (3 1/2 Stars)
- Avengers: Infinity War (3 1/2 Stars) * 2
- Isle of Dogs (3 1/2 Stars)
- Tomb Raider (3 1/2 Stars)
- Love, Simon (3 1/2 Stars)
- Blockers (3 1/2 Stars)
- Upgrade (3 1/2 Stars)
- Adrift (3 1/2 Stars)
- A Wrinkle in Time (3 1/2 Stars)
- Chappaquiddick (3 Stars)
- Unsane (3 Stars)
- Ocean's 8 (3 Stars)
- Rampage (3 Stars)
- 12 Strong (3 Stars)
- Early Man (3 Stars)
- Thoroughbreds (2 1/2 Stars)
- Beirut (2 1/2 Stars)
- Red Sparrow (2 1/2 Stars)
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Death of Stalin (1 1/2 Stars)
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Predictions for the 2018 Academy Awards
Here are my predictions for the 2018 Academy Awards that take place tonight:
Best Picture: The Shape of Water
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Best Original Screenplay: Get Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name
Best Film Editing: Dunkirk
Best Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
Best Original Song: This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)
Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Best Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Best Visual Effects: War For The Planet Of The Apes
Best Production Design: The Shape of Water
Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Darkest Hour
Best Animated Feature: Coco
Best Documentary Feature: Faces Places
Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman
Best Live Action Short: DeKalb Elementary
Best Animated Short: Dear Basketball
Best Documentary Short: Edith+Eddie
Best Picture: The Shape of Water
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Best Original Screenplay: Get Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name
Best Film Editing: Dunkirk
Best Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
Best Original Song: This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)
Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Best Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Best Visual Effects: War For The Planet Of The Apes
Best Production Design: The Shape of Water
Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Darkest Hour
Best Animated Feature: Coco
Best Documentary Feature: Faces Places
Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman
Best Live Action Short: DeKalb Elementary
Best Animated Short: Dear Basketball
Best Documentary Short: Edith+Eddie
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Film Independent Spirit Awards Ballot and Predictions
This year I decided to join Film Independent which allowed me to get screeners and vote in the Independent Spirit Awards. It was a lot of fun to get to watch the nominated films that I had yet to see at home and some before they were even released in theaters. Below you will find the nominees and who I voted for and who I think will win each category.
Best International Film
-BPM
-A Fantastic Woman
-I Am Not A Witch
-Lady Macbeth
-Loveless
My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch I Am Not A Witch
My Predicition: BPM
Best Documentary
-The Departure
-Face Places
-Laste Men in Aleppo
-Motherland
-Quest
My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch Faces Places
My Predicition: Faces Places
Best Supporting Male
-Nnamdi Asomugha (Crown Heights)
-Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)
-Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
-Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Benny Safdie (Good Time)
My Vote: Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
My Prediction: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Female
-Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
-Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
-Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
-Lois Smith (Marjorie Prime)
-Taliah Lennice Webster (Good Time)
My Vote: Allison Janney (I,Tonya)
My Prediction: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Best Female Lead
-Salma Hayek (Beatriz at Dinner)
-Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
-Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
-Shinobu Terajima (Oh Lucy!)
-Regina Williams (Life and nothing more)
My Vote: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
My Prediction: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Male Lead
-Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
-Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats)
-James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
-Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
-Robert Pattinson (Good Time)
My Vote: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
My Prediction: Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Best Cinematography
-The Killing of a Sacred Deer
-Columbus
-Beach Rats
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider
My Vote: The Killing of a Sacred Deer
My Prediction: Call Me By Your Name
Best Editing
-Good Time
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider
-Get Out
-I, Tonya
My Vote: I, Tonya
My Prediction: Get Out
Best First Screenplay
-Ingrid Jungermann (Women Who Kill)
-Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)
-Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)
-Kogonada (Columbus)
-Kris Avedisian, Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman (Donald Cried)
My Vote: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)
My Prediction: Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)
Best Screenplay
-Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
-Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers)
-Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Mike White (Beatriz at Dinner)
My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
Best Director
-Sean Baker (The Florida Project)
-Jonas Carpignano (A Ciambra)
-Luca Guadagnano (Call Me By Your Name)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie (Good Time)
-Chloe Zhao (The Rider)
My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
Best First Feature
-Columbus
-Ingrid Goes West
-Menashe
-Oh Lucy!
- Patti Cake$
My Vote: Ingrid Goes West
My Prediction: Columbus
Best Feature
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Florida Project
-Get Out
-Lady Bird
-The Rider
My Vote: Lady Bird
My Prediction: Get Out
Best International Film
-BPM
-A Fantastic Woman
-I Am Not A Witch
-Lady Macbeth
-Loveless
My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch I Am Not A Witch
My Predicition: BPM
Best Documentary
-The Departure
-Face Places
-Laste Men in Aleppo
-Motherland
-Quest
My Vote: I didn’t vote in this category since I wasn’t able to watch Faces Places
My Predicition: Faces Places
Best Supporting Male
-Nnamdi Asomugha (Crown Heights)
-Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)
-Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
-Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Benny Safdie (Good Time)
My Vote: Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
My Prediction: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Supporting Female
-Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
-Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
-Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
-Lois Smith (Marjorie Prime)
-Taliah Lennice Webster (Good Time)
My Vote: Allison Janney (I,Tonya)
My Prediction: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Best Female Lead
-Salma Hayek (Beatriz at Dinner)
-Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
-Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
-Shinobu Terajima (Oh Lucy!)
-Regina Williams (Life and nothing more)
My Vote: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
My Prediction: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Best Male Lead
-Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
-Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats)
-James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
-Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
-Robert Pattinson (Good Time)
My Vote: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
My Prediction: Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Best Cinematography
-The Killing of a Sacred Deer
-Columbus
-Beach Rats
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider
My Vote: The Killing of a Sacred Deer
My Prediction: Call Me By Your Name
Best Editing
-Good Time
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Rider
-Get Out
-I, Tonya
My Vote: I, Tonya
My Prediction: Get Out
Best First Screenplay
-Ingrid Jungermann (Women Who Kill)
-Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)
-Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)
-Kogonada (Columbus)
-Kris Avedisian, Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman (Donald Cried)
My Vote: Matt Spicer, David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West)
My Prediction: Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick)
Best Screenplay
-Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
-Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers)
-Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Mike White (Beatriz at Dinner)
My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
Best Director
-Sean Baker (The Florida Project)
-Jonas Carpignano (A Ciambra)
-Luca Guadagnano (Call Me By Your Name)
-Jordan Peele (Get Out)
-Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie (Good Time)
-Chloe Zhao (The Rider)
My Vote: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
My Prediction: Jordan Peele (Get Out)
Best First Feature
-Columbus
-Ingrid Goes West
-Menashe
-Oh Lucy!
- Patti Cake$
My Vote: Ingrid Goes West
My Prediction: Columbus
Best Feature
-Call Me By Your Name
-The Florida Project
-Get Out
-Lady Bird
-The Rider
My Vote: Lady Bird
My Prediction: Get Out
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
My 2017 Movie Rankings
Here is my ranking for all the movies I saw in theaters in 2017:
- Dunkirk (5 Stars) * 2
- Lady Bird (5 Stars)
- It Comes At Night (4 1/2 Stars)
- Your Name (4 1/2 Stars)
- Brigsby Bear (4 1/2 Stars)
- Baby Driver (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
- The Big Sick (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
- War for the Planet of the Apes (4 1/2 Stars) * 2
- Land of Mine (4 1/2 Stars)
- Blade Runner 2049 (4 Stars)
- A Monster Calls (4 Stars)
- The Lego Batman Movie (4 Stars)
- The Killing of a Sacred Deer (4 Stars)
- Thelma (4 Stars)
- Logan (4 Stars)
- Get Out (4 Stars)
- Jackie (4 Stars)
- Wonder Woman (4 Stars) * 2
- Spider-man: Homecoming (4 Stars)
- Battle of the Sexes (4 Stars)
- Wind River (4 Stars)
- Detroit (4 Stars)
- Darkest Hour (4 Stars)
- Patriots Day (4 Stars)
- Silence (4 Stars)
- The Beguiled (4 Stars)
- Professor Marston and The Wonder Women (4 Stars)
- Lady Macbeth (4 Stars)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (4 Stars) * 2
- IT (3 1/2 Stars)
- Hidden Figures (3 1/2 Stars)
- Split (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Lost City of Z (3 1/2 Stars)
- Wonder (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Disaster Artist (3 1/2 Stars)
- Coco (3 1/2 Stars)
- Stronger (3 1/2 Stars)
- mother! (3 1/2 Stars)
- Novitiate (3 1/2 Stars)
- Only the Brave (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Florida Project (3 1/2 Stars)
- Thor: Ragnorok (3 1/2 Stars)
- All The Money in the World (3 1/2 Stars)
- John Wick: Chapter 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
- Kong: Skull Islands (3 1/2 Stars)
- Logan Lucky (3 1/2 Stars)
- Ingrid Goes West (3 1/2 Stars)
- Free Fire (3 1/2 Stars)
- Life (3 1/2 Stars)
- Colossal (3 1/2 Stars)
- Marshall (3 1/2 Stars)
- Beatriz at Dinner (3 1/2 Stars)
- 20th Century Women (3 1/2 Stars)
- A Ghost Story (3 1/2 Stars)
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri (3 1/2 Stars)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
- Thank You For Your Service (3 1/2 Stars)
- Patti Cake$ (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Fate of the Furious (3 1/2 Stars)
- Their Finest (3 1/2 Stars)
- A Quiet Passion (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Greatest Showman (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Zookeeper's Wife (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Hero (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Lovers (3 1/2 Stars)
- Victoria & Abdul (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Hitman's Bodyguard (3 1/2 Stars)
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (3 Stars)
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (3 Stars)
- American Made (3 Stars)
- Happy Death Day (3 Stars)
- The Dark Tower (3 Stars)
- Gifted (3 Stars)
- Megan Leavey (3 Stars)
- Goodbye Christopher Robin (3 Stars)
- Justice League (3 Stars)
- Pitch Perfect 3 (3 Stars)
- A Bad Moms Christmas (3 Stars)
- The Glass Castle (3 Stars)
- Ghost in the Shell (3 Stars)
- The Belko Experiment (3 Stars)
- Rough Night (3 Stars)
- Power Rangers (3 Stars)
- Alien: Covenant (3 Stars)
- Good Time (3 Stars)
- xXx: Return of Xander Cage (3 Stars)
- The Founder (3 Stars)
- Roman J. Israel, ESQ (3 Stars)
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (3 Stars)
- Elle (3 Stars)
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle (3 Stars)
- The Mountain Between Us (3 Stars)
- The House (2 1/2 Stars)
- Before I Fall (2 1/2 Stars)
- Downsizing (2 1/2 Stars)
- Beauty and the Beast (2 1/2 Stars)
- American Assassin (2 1/2 Stars)
- Atomic Blonde (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Foreigner (2 1/2 Stars)
- Despicable Me 3 (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Mummy (2 1/2 Stars)
- Live by Night (2 1/2 Stars)
- 47 Meters Down (2 1/2 Stars)
- Suburbicon (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Wall (2 1/2 Stars)
- Baywatch (2 1/2 Stars)
- A Cure for Wellness (2 Stars)
- Brad's Status (2 Stars)
- Murder on the Orient Express (2 Stars)
- Tulip Fever (2 Stars)
- The Book of Henry (2 Stars)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2 Stars)
- Cars 3 (2 Stars)
- Table 19 (1 1/2 Stars)
- Transformers: The Last Knight (1 1/2 Stars)
- The Great Wall (1 1/2 Stars)
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (1 1/2 Stars)
- Daddy's Home Two (1 1/2 Stars)
- The Snowman (1 1/2 Stars)
- The Circle (1 Star)
- Toni Erdmann (1 Star)
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Atomic Blonde Review
Well that was disappointing. I went into Atomic Blonde looking forward to an ass kicking good time and instead I got a movie that had all its ass kicking shown in the trailers and a spy story that I didn't care about.
Atomic Blonde takes place in 1989 right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and tells the story of a MI6 spy named Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron. With the help of David Percival (James McAvoy) and Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella), Lorraine must find a list of names that was lost when fellow spy is killed.
There were a couple of things that I did like about Atomic Blonde. The first, and most obvious, was Charlize Theron and her fight scenes. Charlize totally kicks ass as Lorraine. When it came to her fight scenes, I liked that they showed she was vulnerable. In a lot of action movies today, the hero will get into these brutal fights and walk away like they were invincible. In Atomic Blonde, Lorraine gets bruised and bloody and near the end of fights is out of breathe and barely standing. I also enjoyed how the fight scenes were shot. The camera was close to the action and I never felt lost about what was going on and where the punches were landing.
Another aspect I liked about Atomic Blonde was the way certain scenes looked. Actually, they weren't really scenes, but more like one shots. These one shots would consist of Charlize mainly just sitting in a chair in her hotel room. I loved the way these shots were framed with her in the center and the lighting around her. In fact, I actually enjoyed these moments more than when she was fighting and kicking someones ass.
The big negative for me with Atomic Blonde was the story. I found the journey to be uninteresting. I was never on the edge of my seat wondering who was this mystery person Lorraine was looking for and if she would ever find him/her. I was expecting non-stop action and instead they tried to give me a spy thriller that didn't add anything new to the genre. I found myself often wanting the story to hurry up and move on to the next action scene. Unfortunately, when it did move on to the next action scene, it was a scene that I saw in the trailer, only just extended by a tiny bit.
Atomic Blonde provided solid action scenes with Charlize Theron, unfortunately, if you have seen the trailers, you have seen all the action. The story is below average and never keeps you engaged in the movie. If you are interested in Atomic Blonde, see it at a matinee price or wait until you can rent it or it's on Netflix/Amazon Prime.
2 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Atomic Blonde takes place in 1989 right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and tells the story of a MI6 spy named Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron. With the help of David Percival (James McAvoy) and Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella), Lorraine must find a list of names that was lost when fellow spy is killed.
There were a couple of things that I did like about Atomic Blonde. The first, and most obvious, was Charlize Theron and her fight scenes. Charlize totally kicks ass as Lorraine. When it came to her fight scenes, I liked that they showed she was vulnerable. In a lot of action movies today, the hero will get into these brutal fights and walk away like they were invincible. In Atomic Blonde, Lorraine gets bruised and bloody and near the end of fights is out of breathe and barely standing. I also enjoyed how the fight scenes were shot. The camera was close to the action and I never felt lost about what was going on and where the punches were landing.
Another aspect I liked about Atomic Blonde was the way certain scenes looked. Actually, they weren't really scenes, but more like one shots. These one shots would consist of Charlize mainly just sitting in a chair in her hotel room. I loved the way these shots were framed with her in the center and the lighting around her. In fact, I actually enjoyed these moments more than when she was fighting and kicking someones ass.
The big negative for me with Atomic Blonde was the story. I found the journey to be uninteresting. I was never on the edge of my seat wondering who was this mystery person Lorraine was looking for and if she would ever find him/her. I was expecting non-stop action and instead they tried to give me a spy thriller that didn't add anything new to the genre. I found myself often wanting the story to hurry up and move on to the next action scene. Unfortunately, when it did move on to the next action scene, it was a scene that I saw in the trailer, only just extended by a tiny bit.
Atomic Blonde provided solid action scenes with Charlize Theron, unfortunately, if you have seen the trailers, you have seen all the action. The story is below average and never keeps you engaged in the movie. If you are interested in Atomic Blonde, see it at a matinee price or wait until you can rent it or it's on Netflix/Amazon Prime.
2 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Friday, June 30, 2017
My Mid-2017 Movie Rankings
Here is the ranking of all the movies I have seen so far in 2017 in theaters:
- It Comes At Night (4 1/2 Stars)
- Your Name (4 1/2 Stars)
- Baby Driver (4 1/2 Stars)
- Land of Mine (4 1/2 Stars)
- A Monster Calls (4 Stars)
- The Lego Batman Movie (4 Stars)
- Logan (4 Stars)
- Get Out (4 Stars)
- Jackie (4 Stars)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (4 Stars)
- Wonder Woman (4 Stars) * 2
- Kong: Skull Islands (4 Stars)
- Patriots Day (4 Stars)
- Silence (4 Stars)
- The Beguiled (4 Stars)
- Hidden Figures (3 1/2 Stars)
- Split (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Lost City of Z (3 1/2 Stars)
- John Wick: Chapter 2 (3 1/2 Stars)
- Free Fire (3 1/2 Stars)
- Life (3 1/2 Stars)
- Colossal (3 1/2 Stars)
- 20th Century Women (3 1/2 Stars)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Fate of the Furious (3 1/2 Stars)
- Their Finest (3 1/2 Stars)
- A Quiet Passion (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Zookeeper's Wife (3 1/2 Stars)
- The Lovers (3 1/2 Stars)
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (3 Stars)
- Gifted (3 Stars)
- Megan Leavey (3 Stars)
- Ghost in the Shell (3 Stars)
- The Belko Experiment (3 Stars)
- Rough Night (3 Stars)
- Power Rangers (3 Stars)
- Alien: Covenant (3 Stars)
- xXx: Return of Xander Cage (3 Stars)
- The Founder (3 Stars)
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (3 Stars)
- The Mummy (3 Stars)
- Elle (3 Stars)
- Before I Fall (2 1/2 Stars)
- Beauty and the Beast (2 1/2 Stars)
- Live by Night (2 1/2 Stars)
- 47 Meters Down (2 1/2 Stars)
- The Wall (2 1/2 Stars)
- Baywatch (2 1/2 Stars)
- A Cure for Wellness (2 Stars)
- The Book of Henry (2 Stars)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2 Stars)
- Cars 3 (2 Starts
- Table 19 (1 1/2 Stars)
- Transformers: The Last Knight (1 1/2 Stars)
- The Great Wall (1 1/2 Stars)
- The Circle (1 Star)
- Toni Erdmann (1 Star)
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2017
The summer movie season is one of the best times of the year for movies. It is the time of year where we get the big summer blockbusters as well as some indie darlings that fly under the radar. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 coming out this week, I decide to list my Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer. For movies to appear on this list they must be released between May 1st and August 31st.
10. Alien: Covenant:
Ridley Scott returns once again to the Alien franchise. Back in 2012, Prometheus was released with a lot of hype but overall disappointed a lot of people. I felt that it was okay but it never really felt like an Alien movie. So far the trailers for Alien: Covenant give the feeling that this sequel to Prometheus is a proper Alien movie. I do have some issues with what I've seen from the alien creature but I hope the movie at least provides some intense situations and some brutal deaths. Alien: Covenant will be released on May 19th in the US. Trailer
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming:
When Captain America: Civil War was released last summer, one of the surprising highlights was Tom Holland as Spider-man/Peter Parker. He brought this youthful energy to the team and provided a lot of the laughs. This summer we get to see Tom return as Spider-man this time in his own movie called Spider-man: Homecoming. With Homecoming, we also get to see Michael Keaton return to comic book movies as the villain, Vulture. A lot of people say this movie feels like a John Hughes movie from the 80s and I hope that Spider-man: Homecoming does feel like a smaller superhero movie. Spider-man: Homecoming will be released on July 7th in the US. Trailer
8. Wonder Woman:
Well it's that time of year again where we get another DC Comics movie. Lately the DC Comics movies have been very disappointing. Last year Suicide Squad was one of my most anticipated films of the year and I found it to be complete shit. I hated pretty much everything about that movie. So far the trailers for Wonder Woman have been promising. I feel that Gal Gadot could be a decent Wonder Woman, I mean she was the best part of Batman V Superman last year. I like that this movie takes place back in World War I and from the trailers the action looks great. Wonder Woman will be released on June 2nd in the US. Trailer
7. The Beguiled:
Here is the first indie movie of the summer on my list. The trailers for The Beguiled make this movie look terrifying. I am not familiar with the book it is based on and the original movie that was released in 1971 starring Clint Eastwood. This version of The Beguiled stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. The cast alone should get everyone excited about this movie. Colin Farrell has been one of my favorite actors for a long time and I have really enjoyed what Elle Fanning has been in recently. The Beguiled will be released on June 23rd in the US. Trailer
6. It Comes At Night:
I am someone that doesn't really like horror movies, but for the second time on this list here is what would be considered a horror movie, It Comes At Night. This is another movie where the trailer is absolutely terrifying. One of the main reasons I am anticipating this movie is because it is being released by A24. For those that don't know, A24 is probably the best film studio around today. Each year they put out one fantastic movie after another. Some of those films include Swiss Army Man, Ex Machina, Room, The Witch and Moonlight (winner of Best Picture at this years Academy Awards). Another reason I am looking forward to It Comes At Night is that it stars Joel Edgerton. Joel is one of my favorite actors working today and I will see anything he is in. It Comes at Night will be released on June 9th in the US. Trailer
5. A Ghost Story:
Oh look, another movie being released by A24. As I mentioned above I love A24 and will see any movie they release. Another reason I am excited about A Ghost Story is that it stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck. I adore Rooney Mara and love seeing her in movies. Casey Affleck is usually pretty solid in his movies and is coming off winning the Academy Award for Best Actor. I've only seen the one trailer for this movie and have read that you should go into this movie knowing as little as possible and that is what I am trying to do. A Ghost Story will be released on July 7th in the US.
4. Baby Driver:
Written and Directed by Edgar Wright, that's all you need to know about Baby Driver. I have loved every movie made by Edgar Wright and from what I've heard the streak will continue with Baby Driver. The cast for Baby Driver looks incredible and the trailers give off this energy that gives the expectation that this movie will be an absolute blast. The response from people that saw Baby Driver at South by Southwest caused this movie's release date to be moved up from August to June, I can't remember that last time I heard of that happening. Baby Driver will be released on June 28th in the US. Trailer
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was awesome. The characters were fun, the adventure was exciting and the music was fantastic. The trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 show that the sequel should be more of the same. Plus the sequel gives us Baby Groot and that alone is a perfect reason to be excited about this movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be released on May 5th in the US. Trailer
2. Dunkirk:
A new movie from director Christopher Nolan, that's all I need to hear to get excited for Dunkirk. Nolan is another director who I have enjoyed all his previous movies with The Dark Knight being one of my favorite movies of all time. Visually Dunkirk looks incredible and I look forward to seeing Nolan's take on a war movie. Dunkirk will be released on July 21st in the US. Trailer
1. War for the Planet of the Apes:
And here we are, my most anticipated film for the summer of 2017, War for the Planet of the Apes. This is the third movie in the reboot of the Planet of the Apes series. Andy Serkis returns as the chimpanzee Caesar. Serkis' motion capture work in the previous Ape movies has been impressive and I look forward to seeing what he does in this movie. With this movie I am trying to avoid the trailers because I want to experience everything when I see it on the big screen. Visually I know this movie will be impressive and I hope that it will touch me emotionally. War for the Planet of the Apes will be released on July 14th in the US. Trailer
10. Alien: Covenant:
Ridley Scott returns once again to the Alien franchise. Back in 2012, Prometheus was released with a lot of hype but overall disappointed a lot of people. I felt that it was okay but it never really felt like an Alien movie. So far the trailers for Alien: Covenant give the feeling that this sequel to Prometheus is a proper Alien movie. I do have some issues with what I've seen from the alien creature but I hope the movie at least provides some intense situations and some brutal deaths. Alien: Covenant will be released on May 19th in the US. Trailer
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming:
8. Wonder Woman:
Well it's that time of year again where we get another DC Comics movie. Lately the DC Comics movies have been very disappointing. Last year Suicide Squad was one of my most anticipated films of the year and I found it to be complete shit. I hated pretty much everything about that movie. So far the trailers for Wonder Woman have been promising. I feel that Gal Gadot could be a decent Wonder Woman, I mean she was the best part of Batman V Superman last year. I like that this movie takes place back in World War I and from the trailers the action looks great. Wonder Woman will be released on June 2nd in the US. Trailer
7. The Beguiled:
Here is the first indie movie of the summer on my list. The trailers for The Beguiled make this movie look terrifying. I am not familiar with the book it is based on and the original movie that was released in 1971 starring Clint Eastwood. This version of The Beguiled stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. The cast alone should get everyone excited about this movie. Colin Farrell has been one of my favorite actors for a long time and I have really enjoyed what Elle Fanning has been in recently. The Beguiled will be released on June 23rd in the US. Trailer
6. It Comes At Night:
I am someone that doesn't really like horror movies, but for the second time on this list here is what would be considered a horror movie, It Comes At Night. This is another movie where the trailer is absolutely terrifying. One of the main reasons I am anticipating this movie is because it is being released by A24. For those that don't know, A24 is probably the best film studio around today. Each year they put out one fantastic movie after another. Some of those films include Swiss Army Man, Ex Machina, Room, The Witch and Moonlight (winner of Best Picture at this years Academy Awards). Another reason I am looking forward to It Comes At Night is that it stars Joel Edgerton. Joel is one of my favorite actors working today and I will see anything he is in. It Comes at Night will be released on June 9th in the US. Trailer
5. A Ghost Story:
Oh look, another movie being released by A24. As I mentioned above I love A24 and will see any movie they release. Another reason I am excited about A Ghost Story is that it stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck. I adore Rooney Mara and love seeing her in movies. Casey Affleck is usually pretty solid in his movies and is coming off winning the Academy Award for Best Actor. I've only seen the one trailer for this movie and have read that you should go into this movie knowing as little as possible and that is what I am trying to do. A Ghost Story will be released on July 7th in the US.
4. Baby Driver:
Written and Directed by Edgar Wright, that's all you need to know about Baby Driver. I have loved every movie made by Edgar Wright and from what I've heard the streak will continue with Baby Driver. The cast for Baby Driver looks incredible and the trailers give off this energy that gives the expectation that this movie will be an absolute blast. The response from people that saw Baby Driver at South by Southwest caused this movie's release date to be moved up from August to June, I can't remember that last time I heard of that happening. Baby Driver will be released on June 28th in the US. Trailer
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was awesome. The characters were fun, the adventure was exciting and the music was fantastic. The trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 show that the sequel should be more of the same. Plus the sequel gives us Baby Groot and that alone is a perfect reason to be excited about this movie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be released on May 5th in the US. Trailer
2. Dunkirk:
A new movie from director Christopher Nolan, that's all I need to hear to get excited for Dunkirk. Nolan is another director who I have enjoyed all his previous movies with The Dark Knight being one of my favorite movies of all time. Visually Dunkirk looks incredible and I look forward to seeing Nolan's take on a war movie. Dunkirk will be released on July 21st in the US. Trailer
1. War for the Planet of the Apes:
And here we are, my most anticipated film for the summer of 2017, War for the Planet of the Apes. This is the third movie in the reboot of the Planet of the Apes series. Andy Serkis returns as the chimpanzee Caesar. Serkis' motion capture work in the previous Ape movies has been impressive and I look forward to seeing what he does in this movie. With this movie I am trying to avoid the trailers because I want to experience everything when I see it on the big screen. Visually I know this movie will be impressive and I hope that it will touch me emotionally. War for the Planet of the Apes will be released on July 14th in the US. Trailer
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Predictions for the 2017 Academy Awards
Here are my predictions for the 2017 Academy Awards that take place tonight
Best Picture: La La Land
Actor in a Leading Role: Denzel Washington (Fences)
Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone (La La Land)
Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis (Fences)
Animated Feature Film: Zootopia
Cinematography: La La Land
Costume Design: Jackie
Directing: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Documentary Feature: OJ: Made in America
Documentary Short Subject: The White Helmets
Film Editing: La La Land
Foreign Language Film: The Salesman
Makeup and Hairstyling: Star Trek Beyond
Original Score: La La Land
Original Song: City of Stars (La La Land)
Production Design: La La Land
Animated Short Film: Piper
Live Action Short Film: Timecode
Sound Editing: Hacksaw Ridge
Sound Mixing: La La Land
Visual Effects: The Jungle Book
Adapted Screenplay: Moonlight
Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea
Best Picture: La La Land
Actor in a Leading Role: Denzel Washington (Fences)
Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone (La La Land)
Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis (Fences)
Animated Feature Film: Zootopia
Cinematography: La La Land
Costume Design: Jackie
Directing: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Documentary Feature: OJ: Made in America
Documentary Short Subject: The White Helmets
Film Editing: La La Land
Foreign Language Film: The Salesman
Makeup and Hairstyling: Star Trek Beyond
Original Score: La La Land
Original Song: City of Stars (La La Land)
Production Design: La La Land
Animated Short Film: Piper
Live Action Short Film: Timecode
Sound Editing: Hacksaw Ridge
Sound Mixing: La La Land
Visual Effects: The Jungle Book
Adapted Screenplay: Moonlight
Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Weekend Expectations: Feb 10-12
After a weekend of not going to the movies, it's time to get back to it. This weekend has two releases that I am really excited to see: The Lego Batman Movie and John Wick: Chapter Two.
The Lego Batman Movie: Two words: Lego and Batman. That's all I need to hear to get excited about this movie. Batman is my favorite comic book hero and Lego was my favorite toy growing up. In 2014 when The Lego Movie came out I was blown away with how much I enjoyed it and how great Batman was in that movie. Now that he is getting his own movie I look forward to laughing a lot and enjoying seeing all my favorite DC heroes and villains.
John Wick: Chapter Two: Also released in 2014, when John Wick came out I didn't really know what to expect. What I ended up seeing was a movie with some of the best action scenes in recent memory. With Chapter Two, I am expecting much more of the same. I am looking forward to seeing Keanu Reeves kicking some ass and just laying out tons of people. I am also looking forward to seeing what Ruby Rose does in this movie. I enjoyed her a lot early this year in xXx: Return of Xander Cage and expect her action scenes to be just as great in John Wick: Chapter Two.
The Lego Batman Movie: Two words: Lego and Batman. That's all I need to hear to get excited about this movie. Batman is my favorite comic book hero and Lego was my favorite toy growing up. In 2014 when The Lego Movie came out I was blown away with how much I enjoyed it and how great Batman was in that movie. Now that he is getting his own movie I look forward to laughing a lot and enjoying seeing all my favorite DC heroes and villains.
John Wick: Chapter Two: Also released in 2014, when John Wick came out I didn't really know what to expect. What I ended up seeing was a movie with some of the best action scenes in recent memory. With Chapter Two, I am expecting much more of the same. I am looking forward to seeing Keanu Reeves kicking some ass and just laying out tons of people. I am also looking forward to seeing what Ruby Rose does in this movie. I enjoyed her a lot early this year in xXx: Return of Xander Cage and expect her action scenes to be just as great in John Wick: Chapter Two.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Weekend Expectations: Jan 27-29
This weekend there are no major releases that I am interested in seeing. I haven't watched a Resident Evil movie since the second one, the controversy behind A Dog's Purpose will keep me from seeing it and Gold just doesn't look good. Because there is nothing new to see, I will be catching up on two movies that were released last weekend, Split and xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
Split: This is the latest release from M. Night Shyamalan. Lately Shyamalan has not made very good movies, in fact I haven't seen one of his movies since Lady in the Water in 2006. I really enjoyed his earlier work, especially Signs. So far I've heard that Split is good to very good and that the twist at the end is incredible. Those two things alone have me excited to see Split. I am also looking forward to James McAvoy's performance. In the trailers he looks absolutely stunning. I am also looking forward to seeing Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) and Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen).
xXx: Return of Xander Cage: My expectations for this one are extremely low. The only reason I am going to see this is for its mindless action sequence. I don't remember anything that happened in the previous two xXx movies but I have feeling that won't affect what happens in this movie. The one thing I actually am looking forward to is seeing Donnie Yen in another movie. He was one of my favorite parts of Rogue One. I am basically going into this movie expecting to laugh at how ridiculous the action is.
Split: This is the latest release from M. Night Shyamalan. Lately Shyamalan has not made very good movies, in fact I haven't seen one of his movies since Lady in the Water in 2006. I really enjoyed his earlier work, especially Signs. So far I've heard that Split is good to very good and that the twist at the end is incredible. Those two things alone have me excited to see Split. I am also looking forward to James McAvoy's performance. In the trailers he looks absolutely stunning. I am also looking forward to seeing Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) and Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen).
xXx: Return of Xander Cage: My expectations for this one are extremely low. The only reason I am going to see this is for its mindless action sequence. I don't remember anything that happened in the previous two xXx movies but I have feeling that won't affect what happens in this movie. The one thing I actually am looking forward to is seeing Donnie Yen in another movie. He was one of my favorite parts of Rogue One. I am basically going into this movie expecting to laugh at how ridiculous the action is.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Weekend Expectations: Jan 13-16
For this weeks Weekend Expectations I am picking four movies even though I technically will only see two during the weekend. I hope to see Patriots Day and Live by Night early next week so I decided to include them.
Elle
Elle is one of those movies where I don't know too much about. What I do know is that it has won a few Best Foreign Language Film awards, including last week at the Golden Globes. Also at the Golden Globes, actress Isabelle Huppert won Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. It also has appeared on numerous best films of 2016 lists. Given all those accolades you would assume that my expectations should be high, but I have also heard there is a little bit of controversy with Elle. I don't know the entire details of the controversy but I will look into it once I have seen the movie. Because of this, I will have moderate expectations for Elle.
Jackie
Jackie is another movie where I have heard tons of good things about it. I have heard it is beautiful to look at and that Natalie Portman gives a great performance. But I have also heard some negative things saying it doesn't live up to peoples expectations. Just like my expectations for Elle, I have moderate expectations for Jackie.
Patriots Day
I'm not sure what to think of Patriots Day. The cast looks spectacular, it has Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Bacon and one of my favorite actresses Michelle Monaghan. Most of the reviews I have seen for Patriots Day have been very, very good. I'm not sure how I feel about having a film already being made about such a tragic event that happened only three plus years ago. Given director Peter Berg's recent filmography, Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon, I know that this movie will be emotional, graphic and extremely patriotic. Lone Survivor exceeded expectations but Deepwater Horizon was a bit of a disappointment for me. I should probably have high expectations for this one, but I am once again going in with moderate expectations.
Live by Night
Oh look, another movie directed by Ben Affleck. I really enjoyed Gone Baby Gone and Argo, but don't really remember anything about The Town. Reviews for Live by Night have been pretty bad and the trailers haven't really impressed me. Given those two factors, my expectations for Live by Night are pretty low.
Elle
Elle is one of those movies where I don't know too much about. What I do know is that it has won a few Best Foreign Language Film awards, including last week at the Golden Globes. Also at the Golden Globes, actress Isabelle Huppert won Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. It also has appeared on numerous best films of 2016 lists. Given all those accolades you would assume that my expectations should be high, but I have also heard there is a little bit of controversy with Elle. I don't know the entire details of the controversy but I will look into it once I have seen the movie. Because of this, I will have moderate expectations for Elle.
Jackie
Jackie is another movie where I have heard tons of good things about it. I have heard it is beautiful to look at and that Natalie Portman gives a great performance. But I have also heard some negative things saying it doesn't live up to peoples expectations. Just like my expectations for Elle, I have moderate expectations for Jackie.
Patriots Day
I'm not sure what to think of Patriots Day. The cast looks spectacular, it has Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Bacon and one of my favorite actresses Michelle Monaghan. Most of the reviews I have seen for Patriots Day have been very, very good. I'm not sure how I feel about having a film already being made about such a tragic event that happened only three plus years ago. Given director Peter Berg's recent filmography, Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon, I know that this movie will be emotional, graphic and extremely patriotic. Lone Survivor exceeded expectations but Deepwater Horizon was a bit of a disappointment for me. I should probably have high expectations for this one, but I am once again going in with moderate expectations.
Live by Night
Oh look, another movie directed by Ben Affleck. I really enjoyed Gone Baby Gone and Argo, but don't really remember anything about The Town. Reviews for Live by Night have been pretty bad and the trailers haven't really impressed me. Given those two factors, my expectations for Live by Night are pretty low.
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