A tight, relevant reboot of ‘The Invisible Man’ is visibly successful
“The Invisible Man” is the latest of many attempts by Universal Pictures to reboot their classic monster movies. The filmmaker behind this reboot is Australian writer/director Leigh Whannell, the co-creator of the “Saw” franchise and writer/director of the successful 2018 sci-fi/action film “Upgrade.” This movie stars Elizabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass, a woman who has […]
The way of the fan: a brief retrospective of Disney’s ‘Star Wars’
If it isn’t already clear from the headline, I am a huge Star Wars fan and have loved the franchise ever since I watched the original trilogy on my grandparents’ VHS. Throughout these three films, George Lucas and company created a vast science-fiction/fantasy universe that spawned worlds and creatures beyond our wildest dreams and characters […]
‘Dr. Sleep’ is a worthy follow-up to two classics
“Doctor Sleep” is a sequel to the classic Stanley Kubrick horror film “The Shining,” both of which are based on bestselling Stephen King novels. This movie follows an older Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), who is trying to move on from the events of “The Shining.” Dan must face his past when the True Knot—a dangerous […]
‘The Lighthouse’ shines
“The Lighthouse” is a new psychological thriller from Robert Eggers, director of the critically acclaimed indie horror film “The Witch” (or “The VVitch” as it is often stylized). The movie revolves around two lighthouse keepers, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) who slowly but surely lose their minds on an isolated New […]
‘It 2’ is a thoroughly watchable sequel
“It: Chapter Two” is the long-anticipated sequel to the 2017 blockbuster horror film “It.” Set 27 years after the original, “It: Chapter Two” follows The Losers’ Club as adults who reunite in their hometown of Derry, ME in order to finally kill the murderous, child-eating clown known as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). When I saw “It” […]
‘Free Solo’ doc climbs to great heights
“Free Solo” is a 2018 documentary from Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. The film follows Alex Honnold, who in June 2017 became the first free solo climber to conquer the 3000 foot high El Capitan mountain. For those who don’t know, free solo climbing involves climbing above safe heights without protective equipment, so any […]
Glass is the Movie Shyamalan Fans have been Waiting For
“Glass” is the latest feature from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and is the long-anticipated conclusion to his “Eastrail 177” trilogy that started in 2000 with “Unbreakable” and continued in 2017 with “Split.” The latter is what many critics considered a return-to-form for the filmmaker, after almost 10 years of critically lamented box office failures (with […]
Halloween (2018) Review
“Halloween” (2018) is the latest entry in the long running horror franchise that started way back in 1978 with John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” Set 40 years after the events of the first film and ignoring all of the other sequels, this story sees Michael Myers escaping containment so that he can once again wreak havoc on […]
‘Searching’ innovates with computer-screen film genre
“Searching” is the latest thriller that takes place entirely on computer screens and smartphones. The film revolves around a San Jose-based father named David Kim (John Cho) who is concerned when his sixteen-year-old daughter Margot (newcomer Michelle La) is missing. With the help of a decorated detective named Rosemary Vicks (Debra Messing), David uses the […]
‘The Disaster Artist’ depicts the making of ‘The Room’ with stellar cinematography and acting
“The Disaster Artist” is a biopic about “The Room,” the most iconic “so bad it’s good” movie of all time. This story revolves around aspiring actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) who befriends another aspiring actor named Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and moves with him from San Francisco to Los Angeles so they can both pursue […]
“Blade Runner 2049” lives up to expectations
“Blade Runner 2049” is the the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic “Blade Runner.” The story this time around is set 30 years later and revolves around a new “blade runner” detective named K (Ryan Gosling). After making an earth-shattering discovery, K must now uncover an even more shocking secret with the help of […]
‘Wind River’ stuns in portrayal of Native American murder investigation
“Wind River” is the directorial debut of Taylor Sheridan, the screenwriter of “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water.” The film revolves around a local game tracker named Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) who must work with a rookie FBI agent named Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to solve a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation […]
Stirrups, cowboy hat, and revolver in hand, ‘The Magnificent Seven’ delights
“The Magnificent Seven” is a remake of John Sturges’ acclaimed Western released in 1960 which itself is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” released in 1954—neither of which I’ve seen. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke, among others, this new iteration of the acclaimed hero’s tale is […]
