Monthly Archives: August 2015
Truthfully, anytime I see hype for a horror movie as the greatest in years, I get a bit hesitant. Because there tends to be a bunch every year. Last year the praise was heaped on the Babadook. Which was a decent horror film. But hardly the best in years. It Follows has received a lot of high praise. So, I went in with a bit of concern. The story is focused on… Read More
A couple things. Firstly, I really liked Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s 2012 Sinister. It was eerie and ended strongly (with real tragedy). It was a challenge to the pursuit of selfish glory and especially at the expense of the needs of your loved ones. Secondly, I have been spelling Bughuul wrong for the past three years. I am so embarrassed. Sinister 2 appears to pick up a couple years after… Read More
Ant-Man is the 12th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has been the source of multiple controversies. It was not always meant to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, instead it was the pet project of Edgar Wright. With Iron Man, Marvel Studios birthed their cinematic universe, and slowly started to wrangle Ant-Man in. When Marvel announced actor Paul Rudd, it got a shot in the arm. Eventually Wright… Read More
There is a lot about Playing Cool that makes me want to like it. The cast (both lead and supporting) is comprised almost entirely of actors I like a lot. The film has some nice ideas it is playing with. It has some clever visual moments. But the pacing and the storytelling? That is where it falls flat. And it keeps it from being a movie I truly enjoyed. That it is… Read More
So…I was not a fan of the the latest stab f the Fantastic Four. And I was not alone. But Jamie Broadnax, whose writing I respect and enjoy, has voiced an appreciation of the film. This challenged me to think about the film a bit harder. Specifically, are there things I did like? Things that I could appreciate even if they did not work? There things I liked. For instance, Franklin Storm. I… Read More
Truthfully, the Fantastic Four reboot is exactly what I would expect from someone behind Chronicle. Chronicle was a good film, but it was tonally dark, focused on the breakdown of family bonds and friendship. It was dark and sad. None of these are really good tones for the Fantastic Four. Josh Trank has already tried disowning the movie, but the problem is? It sure looks like the kind of movie I would… Read More
Tig Notaro tends to be what I think of as a comedian’s comedian. One of those people that seems to fly under the radar with the public, but comedian’s love. They often are hard working comics who get opportunities on late night talk shows because the host thinks you should hear them. Notaro’s career was on the rise until 2012 when it skyrocketed. Because, uh, she got breast cancer. Tig had a… Read More
So, yesterday brought news that Frank Darabont “updated” his wrongful termination suit against AMC and the Walking Dead. Specifically, he has added Fear the Walking Dead (debuting August 23rd on AMC) to the suit (among other changes). For the first time, the plaintiffs have called out the upcoming Fear The Walking Dead by name as “derivative productions” for which Darabont is due payment.“Plaintiffs are entitled to payments and/or contingent compensation under the… Read More
If you started watching movies in the early 80’s, you have seen the work of Drew Struzan. Actually…if you listened to music in the 70’s, you probably owned his artwork on your shelf. The documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster is an opportunity to make folks aware of Struzan and his long body of work and for people to heap tons of praise on the man. And looking at the enormous… Read More
Back in 1989, Weird Al Yankovic tried to conquer the movies. He did not quite succeed, as this was Al’s only starring role. UHF was low on plot, mainly a vehicle for film and television parody. The film has maintained a cult following, and not without reason. Yankovic’s UHF is goofy and fun. The basic set up is daydreamer George (Weird Al Yankovic) is just getting by, working minimum wage jobs, unsuccessfully…. Read More
