**SPOILER FREE PORTION** As I walked into Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I resolved to throw popcorn at the screen if: There was no famous word “crawl” at the beginning. Chewbacca died. Either Jar-Jar Binks, “Force Ghost” Anakin, or an Ewok appeared. Beyond that, my expectations were low, but as John Williams’ […]
Archives
-
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
20 Dec 2015
-
Inside Out: Pixar Rediscovers Originality
22 Jun 2015
Inside Out is an anomaly. Think of all the qualities that comprise your typical animated film and here, and not for the first time, Pixar ignores most of them. Not only does it strain convention by taking place inside the main character’s head, but Inside Out also has a dearth of singing, slapstick, and cultural references. […]
-
Avengers: Age of Ultron
05 May 2015
The history of blockbusters is littered with poor sequels that were only sharp enough to pierce our expectations. These movies deflate. Like a beach ball that pops as soon as it touches the hot sand, we, the movie faithful, suckers that we are, are always in search of good times that are too rarely had. […]
-
Fury: A Film Worth Rediscovering
19 Feb 2015
I am always giddy when war films are announced and open. Perhaps that emotion is not the most suitable one for a genre that wrenchingly reveals the best and worst of human nature, but I am what I am. War films have evolved dramatically since John Wayne was single-handedly defeating the Japanese in Flying Tigers and […]
-
Interstellar: What Hollywood Ought to Be
02 Jan 2015
This review is late. After all, Interstellar debuted seemingly eons ago and most of those who are going to see it in theaters have already done so. If you are on the fence about the possibility, let me implore you. Get thee to a theater. Interstellar demands a large screen, high quality sound, and popcorn drizzled […]
-
Snowpiercer: Dystopian Tale for the 99%
11 Dec 2014
“Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.” –Arthur C. Clarke Science fiction is, almost without fail, either set in the future or an unknown universe. This allows the author, or filmmaker, to turn blank pages and screens into whatever he or she wishes. Without the baggage of now, science fiction often comments […]
-
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 1
24 Nov 2014
This trend is execrable. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and 2. The Hobbit 1, 2, and 3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 1 and 2.* Hollywood, like a dairy farmer with cold hands, has gripped tightly to whatever dangling teat it can find, wringing every drop of funds from the American cash […]
-
Guardians of the Galaxy
02 Aug 2014
There are relatively few good arguments for actually going to a theater. The crowds are noisy. Cell phones too often pierce the cloak of darkness. The concessions require a credit check. And, to be frank, most movies aren’t worth paying the premium price to see. But still, I persist. Why? There are two reasons. First, […]
-
Apes on Horses with Guns? Count Me In
15 Jul 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is better than it has a right to be. The premise, if you are familiar with the series, is the stuff of hallucinogenic extravagance. Apes talk. Apes ride horses. They brandish firearms. Mayhem ensues–and how could it not? They’re apes! Culture and community happen. Pierre Boulle, the Frenchman […]
-
X-Men: Days of Future Past
28 May 2014
Too many films are burdened with poor titles. Even typing X-Men: Days of Future Past contracts my authorial stomach, bringing bile to my pen’s tip. I am not going to pretend that my prose is always polished, or that my phrases are framed with poetic elegance, but I try to respect punctuation and syntax. I […]
Bert Wheeler
Jeff Haymond
Marc Clauson
Mark Caleb Smith
Tom Mach