Author Archive
Film Review – Dolittle (2020)
Dolittle (2020) is the kind of middle-of-the-road film that is frustrating to write about. On one hand, it’s not remarkable enough to jump over the moon and sing its praises. On the other, it’s just competent enough to provide some level of entertainment. It’s the…
READ MORE
Top 15 Films of 2019 – Allen’s Picks
2019 was such an excellent year in film that I seriously debated pushing this list out to 25, maybe even 30 entries. There was such an abundance of quality work that whittling it down to a small grouping is about the equivalent of a parent…
READ MORE
Film Review – Underwater
It’s rare for a film to start at the beginning of the second act. Normally, we are given some introductory scenes where we learn a little bit about our characters and their relationships. This is meant as a set up so that we understand what…
READ MORE
Film Review – The Grudge (2020)
Ahh, 2020. A brand new year, which means a brand new start to check out fresh, original movies. Every January brings some excitement and anticipation for what will come, in hopes that we will be graced with cinema that makes us look at the world…
READ MORE
Film Review – 1917
Long, unbroken camera takes – where the frame follows on screen action without any edits or cuts – can immerse us into a film when done properly. It allows us to experience events as they happen in real time, going through the physical and emotional…
READ MORE
Film Review – A Hidden Life
What does it mean to be a hero? What does it mean to do the right thing? We often remember great acts of valor, of sweeping gestures that can shift the tides of civilizations. These people are forever planted into history in textbooks, statues, and…
READ MORE
Film Review – Cats
Tom Hooper’s Cats (2019) isn’t just one of the most bizarre musicals ever made, it’s one of the most bizarre films of recent memory, period. Everything about it is strange – from the story, to the characters, the music, the dancing, the special effects –…
READ MORE
Film Review – Jumanji: The Next Level
One of the reasons Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) was such a pleasant surprise was the chemistry of the main cast. You had a group of kids – Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser-Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner) – getting magically…
READ MORE