Author Archive
Film Review – Meg 2: The Trench
Imagine you are at a talent show. One person goes up on stage to play the guitar. However, despite their best efforts, they keep messing up and hitting the wrong notes. But instead of booing them off the stage, the crowd encourages them to keep…
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Film Review – Sympathy for the Devil
If there is one thing Nicolas Cage cannot be accused of, it’s taking a role for granted. Whether it’s a big budget blockbuster or a straight to video indie, Cage cannot operate at any level other than 200%. That’s what makes him so compelling – he takes…
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Film Review – Happiness for Beginners
Here now is a rom-com that is so feathery light that it risks floating away. Happiness for Beginners (2023) is about as breezy and formulaic that it could have very well been a satire. You know all the tropes – a guy and girl have a Meet…
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Film Review – They Cloned Tyrone
They Cloned Tyrone (2023) is a clever, entertaining, and imaginative movie. In his feature length debut, director Juel Taylor (who also cowrites with Tony Rettenmaier) gives respect to a whole plethora of genres. There are references to everything from blaxploitation, sci-fi, and horror films. While watching it, I was…
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Film Review – The Deepest Breath
The Deepest Breath (2023) begins with an extraordinary uncut shot. We see a deep sea diver submerge under the water, heading straight down. Following a single line of rope, they descend deeper, deeper, and deeper still – with the camera never looking away. Safety personnel and…
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Film Review – Bird Box: Barcelona
Bird Box (2018) was a sci-fi/horror film that contained shades of The Happening (2008) and The Mist (2007). Based on the novel by Josh Malerman, the premise involved an invasion by an unseen force (Aliens? Demons?) that causes anyone who looks at them to turn suicidal. It incorporated themes of faith…
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Film Review – Insidious: The Red Door
With Insidious: The Red Door (2023), the Insidious franchise has now reached its fifth installment. This is surprising, given that it never quite got off its feet since the 2010 original. While I’m not the biggest fan of that first film, admittedly, director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell did catch lightning in…
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Film Review – Nimona
What a strange and interesting world that inhabits Nimona (2023). The film plays like a traditional fairytale, with knights and queens and mystical beings in a faraway kingdom. Yet at the same time, it incorporates cityscapes, flying vehicles, TV, Japanese anime, rock & roll, and sci-fi technology.…
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