Movie Review: Blindspotting (2018)

The first time I saw the trailer for Blindspotting, I was a little confused as to what it was. The trailer begins by making you think it is some sort of comedy and ends looking more like a drama on race relations and perceptions. As it turns out, the movie is both. We follow a young man whose parol is nearly up, navigating the complicated relations and his own changing perceptions in the wake of witnessing a police shooting. Now, I do not have the words for a full review, but I at least wanted to share some of my immediate reaction in the wake of seeing it.

Movie Review: The Equalizer 2

Four years ago, director Antoine Fuqua re-teamed with his Training Day star, Denzel Washington, to reinvent a 1980’s crime drama series as a big screen action thriller. That film was The Equalizer. That movie proved to be a hit, making more than $100 million at the box office. I liked it, I thought it could have been more, but there was something about how Denzel portrayed this character that I liked. I never thought it was going to be the sort of film that would get a sequel. Goes to show what I know, right? Anyway, the sequel is here and I went to see it, not expecting all that much. I am here now to tell you that this sequel surpasses the original by a long shot. This movie floored me and I can do nothing but recommend it.

Movie Review: Lights Out

I don’t remember how long ago it was, a year, maybe two (three?), I don’t think it’s been that long, but I am too lazy to check; anyway, there was a short that made the rounds on social media that was an effectively creepy film that only lasted a couple of minutes. Well, that short caught the attention of Hollywood and it was green lit to be turned into a full length feature film. That movie bears the same name as the short, Lights Out, and while not perfect, proves to be a highly effective movie. Sure, it feels like a stretched out short at times and there is precious little exposition, but it still manages to unsettle and delivers a nice emotional punch at the end.

Movie Review: Central Intelligence

When I first saw the trailer for Central Intelligence, it was right around the time that Ride Along 2 was out, I thought it was pretty quick for a third entry in the series. Of course, I knew it was not another Ride Along, but it was hard to deny the similarities that trailer had to the Kevin Hart/Ice Cube series of films. Based on those similarities, I was almost ready to write it off then and there; however, there was something else at play that kept my interest afloat. I am a fan of Dwayne Johnson, sure, he's had his share of disappointments, but he has a charisma that has carried him past them. In short, I saw the movie and I did, indeed, laugh.

Movie Review: The Skid Kid

I must admit, I have not seen many movies originating from Union, Missouri. To take that a step further, before the other night, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie originating from there. Now, I can say that I have. That movie is none other than The Skid Kid, a bizarre, super low budget superhero movie that really doesn’t make any sense and really isn’t all that good. The best I can say about it is that writer/director/producer Glen Gruner wanted to make a movie and he went and did it. Forget about how good or bad it is, he went and made a movie.

Movie Review: Me Before You

The other day I saw a movie called The Lobster. That film was fantastic, a new take on the romantic comedy that sends it spinning off into the utterly bizarre realm of an undefined future where relationship status is important and people can be turned into animals if they fail to couple. Crazy, right? Anyway, I chose to follow that up with something a bit more traditional. This past weekend saw the release of Me Before You, a romantic comedy that aims to get you right in the proverbial “feels.” I have to say, this is not a type of film that usually gets to me, but every once in awhile one is executed well enough that it cuts through and threatens my tear ducts. No. I did not cry, but the potential was there.

Movie Review: The Lobster

So, The Lobster, that is a movie that happened. It is the sort of movie that defies explanation, a nebulous slice of bizarro cinema that begs to be seen if not understood. Well, that may not exactly be true, on some levels it is perfectly understandable, perhaps even relatable, but the execution takes it to another level of odd. It is a film that challenges expectations, makes you laugh at the absurdity, cringe at some of what it shows, and in some ways touch you on an emotional level. Of course, this is not a movie for everyone, and while I would recommend it to everyone, I cannot guarantee your enjoyment.

Movie Review: Money Monster

I have to admit, Money Monster is not a movie that really made sit up say “Wow! I really need to see that!” It didn’t look all that bad, but hardly a must see in this day of flashy blockbusters and trendy indie offerings. It is a movie being marketed on old school star power, a method that doesn’t seem to hold the cache that it once did. There was a time when you could sell a movie based on the names Clooney, Roberts, and Foster, but I think that time is gone. It is not that they are not talented performers that deserve at least some attention, it is just that the movie does not really have a strong hook outside the stars’ names.

Movie Review: The Darkness (2016)

Have you heard of this movie The Darkness? I saw the trailer for it a few times, but it is not a movie that ever stuck in my head. Every time it played, it was like I was seeing it for the first time. That is not really a good thing. In any case, it is now in theaters all over the country and I did go and see it. While it is far from the worst thing I have ever seen, I feel like my time may have been better served elsewhere. This is a movie made on a low budget where very little happens by a studio hoping to squeeze out a little money from the unsuspecting audience. I am sure the creative believe in it, but the finished product is just not very good.

Movie Review: The Invitation

I enjoy a well crafted blockbuster just as much as the next guy, however, I think I get more excited for movies like this. You know, the bigger the budget eats, the more it has to play to a wide audience, thus compromising the artistic integrity. No, this is not always true, but when it comes to independently produced features, there tends to be more creative control and a willingness to do things a little differently. That brings us to The Invitation, a wonderfully stylized thriller that takes its time to truly cut loose, it moves its players carefully around the board, and then flips it over, letting the pieces fall where they may.

Movie Review: Green Room

The Green Room hit theaters last week and seems to have barely made a dent when compared to the likes of The Jungle Book and Batman v Superman. While I quite like both of those films, Green Room deserves some of the attention. The movie is an intense blast of tense suspense as we watch our protagonists battle for survival. It is a nail biting sort of film that keeps you involved from the first frame all the way to the end, with plenty of crazy moments to keep you glued to the screen. Now, I get the sad feeling it is not going to be in theaters for very long, so I would recommend you get out there and see it sooner rather than later.

Movie Review: Bite

Have you ever heard of a movie called Bite? No? I hadn’t either until maybe two weeks ago when it appeared on the schedule for the local Alamo Drafthouse. I decided to take a peek and see what it was all about. Turns out it is an independent horror film that is said to be very gross and has drawn comparisons to Cronenberg’s The Fly. Now, we all know how good that take on The Fly is, so I could not really buy into the positive comparison. Still, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Like a soldier with his marching orders, I dutifully went and checked the film out the other night, hoping for the best.

Movie Review: Demolition (2016)

Demolition is one of those movies that I was interested in but cannot say I had terribly high expectations for it. There was something about it that just seemed different. It was something about how the trailer transitioned from a tragedy to a comedy with a death followed by an annoyance over Peanut M&Ms. There there was the introduction of another woman, via response over said candy annoyance that indicated a potential new romance on the heels of a dead wife. Beyond that, the central character seemed somewhat off. It was interesting enough to draw me in.

Movie Review: Darling

The horror genre can be a tough nut to crack. There are so many different varieties, styles, sub genres, places to draw inspiration from, and countless variables to consider. It just may be the one type of film that can come in the most flavors. Do you like your horror with a side of blood? Perhaps you are partial to psychological chillers. Do you prefer serial killers or slashing creatures of the night? Vampires or zombies? The possibilities are endless. With the case of Darling, writer/director Mickey Keating has gone the internalizing route, making a movie that is stripped down to its bare essence with the majority left to the imagination.

Movie Review: Hardcore Henry

Many years ago, I recall talking with friends about the possibility of and technical difficulties associated with making a movie in the first person. You know, how to progress the narrative, telling the story in real time, and how to hide the camera. It was a conversation that did not last long. Little did we know the style had already been pioneered way back in 1947 in the Raymond Chandler adaptation Lady in the Lake. Granted, I have not seen it, but I am intrigued. Then there is the FPS sequence in the game adaptation Doom, which was pretty well done. Also, in 2013 we got a remake of the mean and nasty Maniac, putting you in the head of a killer. Now have the first first-person action film, Hardcore Henry.

Movie Review: Summer Camp (2016)

Ever hear of the movie Summer Camp? I hadn’t either until it recently popped up on the schedule for a local movie theater. The title did not sound all that exciting, so I was going to pass on it, but considering it did not even have a poster, I clicked the link to see if there was a trailer. To my surprise it turned out to be a horror movie. All right, I can get behind this. The trailer seemed decent, with some blood and gore, and an old school feel to the proceedings. So, sure, yeah, I’ll go and check it out. While it is not exactly a shining piece of original film making, it was surprisingly good and I am glad I decided to click the mysterious blank link.

Movie Review: The Bronze

So, did anyone else see The Bronze? I know there are some of you out there, it has made $.5 million as of this writing. The next question would be how many of you would admit to it if you did. It is not a good movie, although, to be fair, I have seen worse this year. On some level I think you could say I enjoyed it. Still, this is not a movie that much effort was made in terms of marketing it. One of my first thoughts as I walked out of the theater was wondering just who this movie was made for. It was an entity without a purpose. A comedy without the drive, a drama without the heart. Why was this made?

Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane

I remember the night the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane hit theaters, it was with 13 Hours (a movie I did not see). The only reason I knew was that posts started popping up talking about a Cloverfield sequel. Needless to say, I was excited. How did they make this without anyone knowing? Was it a direct sequel? What is the connection? So many questions based on the fact that a trailer just appeared. I am a big of Cloverfield, so this jumped up my anticipation list. Of course, since then many facts about it have been revealed, but to be honest, most of that was secondary to how good the movie is. Seriously, when it comes down to it, it is always about the movie.

Movie Review: Midnight Special

So, the other day I had the opportunity to see an early screening of Midnight Special. I jumped at the chance, having been rather intrigued by the trailer. I was also intrigued to see what writer/director Jeff Nichols would do with a science fiction film, following a couple really good dramas in Mud and Take Shelter. Not to mention Michael Shannon is an excellent actor. On top of seeing the film, there was the added bonus of a Mondo 7” vinyl containing a couple of tracks from the soundtrack. So, how did it turn out? Well, good and bad, leaving the experience decidedly in the middle of the road with its ultimate fate yet to be decided.

Movie Review: Batman v Superman - Dawn of Justice

I sit here contemplating if I should bother writing about this movie. There is both good and bad to the movie, but no real effect to be done by my words. Besides, I have seen what it has turned my Facebook feed into. It is at a level of disharmony that I thought was reserved for political discussion, which I generally try to avoid (generally). On top of that, there has already been so much written about the film that anything I saw would disappear into the echo chamber (pretty much like everything else I write). Not to mention the cyclical, few times a year, backlash against critics, including a crazy claim of writers being paid off for bad reviews. Ridiculous.