Don’t read this review. Sorry, I don’t mean to tell you what to do, but one of the true joys of cinema I have had this year was watching “Colossal” without knowing anything about it. As the plot continued to escalate and become darker and entirely unpredictable, I realized I was watching one of the […]
Movies
Posted inCulture
Start Looking at ‘Tomorrow’
It’s only a day away
At the beginning of “Tomorrow,” a new environmental documentary by French filmmakers Mรฉlanie Laurent and Cyril Dion, the message seems incredibly alarmist. The filmmakers bring in a pair of scientists who say that we have 20 years to start turning things around when it comes to climate change or else the world will face another […]
Posted inCulture
Shoot ‘Em Up
Fire fight aims low
After “Pulp Fiction” came out in 1994, action films were basically reinvented for years to come. As soon as Quentin Tarantino unleashed his masterpiece, filmmakers attempted to capture that same lightning in a bottle by making movies combining sudden violence with characters spouting pop-culture heavy dialogue over hyper-stylized imagery. Films including “Things to do in […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Earth Day Movies
Edu-tainment for everyone
Sometimes the best way to celebrate a holiday is to become more educated about important issues surrounding that special day. Hey! Is it Columbus Day? Then learn more about how this country was founded. It’s never a bad idea. So, for this year’s Earth Day, here are a few films that can help educate and […]
Posted inCulture
The Fate of the Franchise
The new “Fast” trips over its own feet and tries to save the planet
It’s OK to like “The Fast and the Furious” movies. Even if you like them un-ironically, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. I mean, some of them are terrible (I’m looking at you, numbers two and four), but even the worst of the series are still wildly entertaining and better than your average guilty pleasure. […]
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Spring into Cinema
A seasonal preview
We’re a quarter of the way through the year so far, and in the realm of cinema (and politics), it hasn’t been the best. There have been a few stone cold classics including “Get Out” and “Personal Shopper,” and some disappointments such as “The Space Between Us” and “War on Everyone,” but we also have […]
Posted inCulture
Shell Games
The Ghost of an Idea
The title “Ghost in the Shell” is an ironic one. It’s explained to Major (Scarlett Johansson) early on that the “Ghost” is her soul and that even though she is primarily made up of cybernetic pieces, she is still mostly a real girl because of the humanity she possesses underneath all the metal and futuristic […]
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Aliens Gone Wild
Ziggy would not like this life on Mars
Film snobs forget that some of the best movies ever made are remakes. John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece “The Thing,” was a remake of the goofy 1951 monster movie “The Thing From Another World.” David Cronenberg’s 1986 body horror shocker, “The Fly,” was a remake of a ridiculous 1958 flick of the same name. What these […]
Posted inCulture
Shop Girl
A Horror Movie Unlike Any Other
It’s almost impossible in 2017 to walk into a movie without knowing what to expect. With the advent of Rotten Tomatoes and film trailers coming out six months before the film is released, catching a movie in the theaters is mostly just checking off a list of things we remember from the previews. That’s one […]
Posted inCulture
Lightning Bottles
“Beauty and the Beast” can’t help being magical
Every single Disney movie I review seems to come to the same basic conclusion: Disney done did it again. Their new releases could play more like victory laps than anything and still make billions, yet the movies continue to be entertaining and artful almost across the board. Last year’s live-action remake of “The Jungle Book” […]