Between Jordan Peele with “Get Out,” Aaron Sorkin with “Molly’s Game” and Greta Gerwig here, 2017 has been a great year for directorial debuts. “Lady Bird” stars Saoirse Ronan as a high school senior living in 2002 Sacramento. In her final year before going off to college, she deals with boys, popularity and her turbulent… Continue reading ‘Lady Bird’ a Warm, Honest Dramedy
Willem Dafoe, the angel that you are. “The Florida Project” follows a 6-year old named Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who lives in a motel with her mother (Bria Vinaite) in Florida. Together they find ways to get into trouble and make ends meet. Willem Dafoe and Caleb Landry Jones also star as Sean Baker directs and… Continue reading Sunshine and Struggles in ‘The Florida Project’
For what it’s worth, this is the best of both the “Thor” trilogy and the recent Marvel entries. “Thor: Ragnarok” is the 17th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features the God of Thunder Thor (Chris Hemsworth) needing to team up with his half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and a scavenger… Continue reading ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is Solid Marvel Entertainment
I ran into this issue last year with “Almost Christmas:” early November is too soon to release Christmas movies. “A Bad Moms Christmas” is the sequel to last July’s surprise hit “Bad Moms” and features Jon Lucas and Scott Moore returning to write and direct. The film follows Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn… Continue reading ‘A Bad Moms Christmas’ is Like Getting Socks as a Gift: You Didn’t Ask for It and Some Will be More Forgiving than Others
What an absolute baffling train wreck of a dumpster fire… “Suburbicon” follows a mild-mannered father living in a 1959 suburb with his wife and son. After a home invasion leaves his wife dead, things begin to get crazy in the town. Or something like that, the plot of this film is a mess. Julianne Moore… Continue reading ‘Suburbicon’ is a Misfire of Hilarious Proportions
What’s it say about us as a human species when characters in the “Saw” films are fighting for their lives in deathtraps and we’re just all hoping and praying for them to fail? “Jigsaw” is the eight installment of the torture porn franchise, and the first since 2010’s “Saw 3D.” In the film, the Jigsaw… Continue reading ‘Jigsaw’ is Exactly What You Think it is, For Better or Worse
It’s very rare you’ll be alone in a movie theater but that was how I found myself today when I sat down to watch “The Snowman;” and I’m thankful no one else was there to endure what I had to. “The Snowman” stars Michael Fassbender as an alcoholic detective named Harry Hole (I am absolutely… Continue reading ‘The Snowman’ is About as Enjoyable as Walking Barefoot in a Blizzard
Always refreshing when a movie is exactly what the trailers and cast imply it’s going to be. “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” is the sequel to last year’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” (very clever naming going on here) and the 10th installment of Tyler Perry’s series. The film features Perry again playing several characters, including… Continue reading Sue Me Again: Something About ‘Boo 2! A Madea Halloween’ Entertained Me
You know the apocalypse is approaching when one of the year’s best films stars Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller. “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” is the latest film from writer-director Noah Baumbach and stars Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Marvel, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson as a dysfunctional family living in New York City.… Continue reading ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ a Dysfunctional Family Dramedy That Excels
If we’re never going to see Vincent Chase star in “Smoke Jumpers” then at least we have this. “Only the Brave” is the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who battled the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013. Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Taylor Kitsch and James Badge Dale star… Continue reading Emotional and Entertaining, ‘Only the Brave’ is One of the Best Films of 2017
The Reel Deal 