“Midway” is a throwback style movie of a great World War II battle, and they don’t them like this anymore. But this movie kinda shows WHY they don’t make them like this anymore. Read more
“Last Christmas” is a movie with a lot of heart, and that makes it special. Special in the use of the overwhelming charm of the two main lead actors (Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding). But also special in the use of the overwhelming charm of London, decked out in full holiday sparkles. Read more
“Terminator: Dark Fate” is a return to form, a flexing of muscles that have not been used since – say – 1984 and 1991? That was the last time that a true James Cameron ‘Terminator’ story worked along with actors Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Back then, it was “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” that blasted onto the movie screens like a T-800. Read more
“Motherless Brooklyn” is a movie set in 1950’s New York, but the unmistakable location is “Chinatown”. Based on a novel from the 90’s (and also set in that time period), this version makes a jump to the ‘Film Noir’ Big Apple borough period, with wide lapel coats and fedoras all around. It is detective story, wrapped up in big city corruption and vice. Read more
“Black and Blue” is a movie title that could represent the terrible beating that both the local citizens and the law enforcement system takes. Or it could mean the divide between the low-income (and even lower class) people of color (black) and the local police force (men and women in blue). Read more
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a sequel to the first Disney switch-up to “Sleeping Beauty” called “Maleficent”. The idea of looking at the fairy tale story from a different perspective was well-received. Which is to say – it made a ton of money. Read more
“Zombieland: Double Tap” is the result of a ten-year wait cycle – a sequel based on the 2009 movie “Zombieland”. The original was a clever and irreverent ‘Zom-Com’ about four very different people who band together to fight off zombies. It had elements of tension and horror, but only to further the goofy story line and give the characters good quips (example: “Nut up or Shut up”). This new movie takes the same fun and self-aware group and gives them new people to meet, new zombies to fight, and new adventures to have. Read more
“Lucy in the Sky” is a well-meaning, yet ultimately unsuccessful attempt at asking DEEP QUESTIONS about Earthlings ability to handle outer space. The idea is that an astronaut can have a space-bound experience that forever changes them into a person who can never find meaning in the normal humdrum way of life. Read more
“The Addams Family” started out as the bizarre hand-drawn comic stylings of creator Charles Addams (in the 1930’s). It was later turned into a TV show, and then still later it became the basis of a couple of movies. So, it is only right and fitting that is now once again an animated comic movie (but it lost the ‘hand-drawn’ aspect). Read more
“Abominable” is an animated story of a girl in China who finds an oversized new friend and winds up on a long road trip to get him home. The animation production level is really spot on, and everything is lovely to watch. Read more
