Category: Film Reviews

“Ghostbusters” Is Very Good, Sorry (Not Sorry) Haters

When Paul Feig announced his all female led Ghostbusters reboot the last thing I imagined the film would receive was backlash. Then again, I forgot that the internet is filled with sexist fan boys living in their parents’ basement with absolutely nothing better to do than organize campaigns to lower a film’s IMDB score (all before even seeing the movie mind you) so I guess I shouldn’t have been too shocked. The mere thought that four women would fill the roles originally inhabited by men in the 80’s classic was enough to send these nerds into a whirlwind of chaos. That’s sad huh?

“Controversy” aside, Feig and his Ghostbusters (returning vets Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and newcomers Kate Mckinnon and Leslie Jones) aren’t out to duplicate the original film. On the contrary, they use the familiar premise as a templet; Feig has provided his group of actresses their wackiest and zaniest playground yet, and while the hi-jinks aren’t as laugh out loud funny as previous efforts like The Heat or Bridesmaids, they still make for some of the most entertaining moments in film this year.

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“Batman Vs. Superman” Is Just As Bad As You’ve Heard

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I finally caught up with Batman Vs. Superman late last night, days after its premiere and a tidal wave of bad press and reviews. Even some of the biggest die hard comic book fans have lambasted the film. It’s hard to keep an open, unbiased mind when there’s been such a strong reaction to something like this, but I gave it my best shot.

The nicest thing I can say about Batman Vs. Superman is that it’s a movie.

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“10 Cloverfield Lane” Review

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Going into 10 Cloverfield Lane I didn’t really know anything about it. I had seen vague, quick trailers on TV but had not really paid them any attention. Within the last month or so, however, I noticed the ads picked up and soon it was harder not to pay attention. Suddenly my interest was piqued. I noticed John Goodman’s involvement, and after a quick search online I found out Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Romona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) was the lead. But I still didn’t know what it was about, and I liked that.

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Puritan New England Is Terrifying In “The Witch”

I’ve been hearing outstanding things about Robert Eggers’ The Witch since its Sundance Film Festival premiere last year. Eggers won the festival’s Best Director award, and the film was instantly picked up by the ever-growing A24 for release this year (this was due to their slate of films released in 2015, including the Oscar nominated Room). Everyone from Stephen King to the Satanic Temple has given the film their blessing. While it was almost impossible to wait that long given the hype preceding its release, I’m glad I finally caught up with the first great film of this year.

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WGA Nominations Include “Steve Jobs” and “Trainwreck”

The Writer’s Guild of America released their list of nominations, following yesterday’s announcement from the PGA.

Straight Outta Compton and Sicario continued their impressive guild performances, despite a lack of precursor support, by receiving nominations. Also surprising (a good kind) was the inclusion of Carol after being shut out by the PGA. Hopefully it was just an oversight on their part, and will be embraced by the Academy (as it deserves to).

A number of scripts were deemed ineligible to compete here, including Ex-Machina, The Hateful Eight, 99 Homes, Inside Out, Son of Saul, Room, Brooklyn, Suffragette, 45 Years and Me, Earl, And The Dying Girl. Though their ineligibility here does not mean they are barred from consideration from the Academy.

See the full list of nominees below.

The winners will be announced on February 13th.

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Quentin Tarantino Worships Himself In “The Hateful Eight”

Quentin Tarantino movies are known for their cast of eclectic characters, non-linear storylines, lengthy dialogue and excessive violence. The latter, I find, is sometimes unnecessary, but Tarantino is is a filmmaker who loves excess. I can forgive him for that because he’s provided us with some of the most memorable films ever released; Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (Volumes 1 & 2), and even Inglorious Basterds are classics. I can’t say the same for his latest film, The Hateful Eight, which is nothing more than a self-indulgent, overly long snooze fest.

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“JOY” Is A Misfire On All Fronts

Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell have made three feature films together since 2012. Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and now JOY. It’s easy to see why, as O. Russell has directed her to 2 Oscar nominations, and one win. He also gives her the space to breathe, something she doesn’t receive in The Hunger Games films. While I’ve not always agreed with Lawrence’s casting in these roles (she’s way too young) she has delivered some compelling moments, even if it never amounts to a whole performance.

JOY, however, is O. Russell’s messiest film thus far, with Lawrence’s casting sticking out like a sore thumb.

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“The Revenant” Review

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I had to sum up The Revenant in one word, it would be: grueling.

That’s not a knock on the film’s quality by any means, though it doesn’t always make for an easy viewing experience. As with his last film, the Best Picture winning Birdman, director Alejandro González Iñárritu continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to filmmaking. It’s funny, because there are some parallels between Riggan Thomson, the main character of Birdman, and Iñárritu himself. Where Riggan was tasked with proving himself as a ‘real actor’ and adapting a novel into a stage play (which he was also the star of), Iñárritu has attempted to best himself with the largest, most visually arresting film of his very esteemed career.

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