I guess it’s always nice to start with a compliment, so…I guess “The Possession of Hannah Grace” has a few nice moments balancing shadow with light and silence with jump scares. A better director could have crafted an entire movie for the legitimate creepiness found in those few solitary moments. Instead we have this: “The Possession […]
Film
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May the Source Be with You
Holiday Season Edition
I know. I can’t believe it has been another year, either. It’s heartbreaking to think about how much time I spent listening to podcasts and binging on another silly…just kidding, it’s the greatest. We’re living our best lives, not because we have the spare time to listen to podcasts and watch cool stuff, but because we’re […]
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Men in Fights
Another Robin Hood, another day
I refuse to become cynical about movies. Even films that have the most broadly commercial appeal and attempt to reach out and embrace every single demographic still can have moments of pure artistry sprinkled throughout. I believe that for each horrible Adam Sandler movie released, there’s also a young and hungry filmmaker out there trying to […]
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Shadowboxing
Creed II Isn’t Quite a Knockout
When “Creed” came out in 2015, no one really expected the emotional powerhouse that director Ryan Coogler had delivered. A spinoff of “Rocky,” focused on the son of the late Apollo Creed, sounds like something dreamt up in a corny Hollywood focus group aimed at pitching ideas for sports movies. The—ahem—knockout performances from Michael B. […]
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The Quick and the Dead
“Windows” is an old-fashioned pot boiler
“Widows” is a film about reflections—not just about how we’re seen by those around us, but how women are viewed by men, how women view themselves and the way we look at our husbands and wives, desperate to know that what we’re seeing is the truth. British director Steve McQueen finds dozens of ways to […]
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May the Source Be with You
Thanksgiving Edition
At this point, another holiday where we have to argue national politics or foreign policy with a family member sounds a bit nightmarish. Healthy debate is always a good thing, but if there’s anything we’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s that there’s not much that’s healthy about this administration. With that said, […]
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Enter the Dragon
This spider’s web fails to grip
If there’s an idea or currently popular intellectual property that the American public might have heard about, Hollywood will try to find a way to spin it into gold. Whether it’s “The Emoji Movie” or Nicolas Cage trying to save people from the collapsing towers in “World Trade Center,” if there’s an idea to exploit, […]
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Saving Private Dyin’
Overlord forgets to scare
When film nerds talk about the movies that changed their lives, it’s usually something classic that did it to them, like “Citizen Kane,” “Jaws” or “Stalker.” These are movies that change the way you not only view cinema, but also reshape your brain into something more interesting and adaptable. For me, it wasn’t some piece […]
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Mercury Rising
La Vie Boheme
There are different kinds of secrets in Hollywood. Some have been kept close to the vest and will probably never see the light of day until decades from now…if ever. Others are “secrets” that are well known in the film industry, yet no one talks about because of the balances of power. People knew for […]
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The Hunt for the Red Schlocktober
Gerard Butler in a submarine
Man, I love submarine movies. The creaking of the hull, the intensity of enclosed spaces and the dominant personalities aboard make it one of the most entertaining and grueling genres possible. Films like “Das Boot,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Crimson Tide,” “Below” and “U-571” are such great examples of the genre that to make […]
