I love the decade of the 1970's which has some of my favorite films and certainly my favorite genre of music, disco (excluding the genre of film scores). And the second prequel film from Illumination's Despicable Me franchise is jam-packed with both the music and references to the movies of my favorite decade. And while the [...]
Although she is mostly known for her visually extravagant and surreal Broadway theatrical productions and film work, Julie Taymor created a more conventionally structured biopic with her film “The Glorias” (2020). The result is one of her most emotionally resonant works of art, and a further evolution in Taymor's increasingly accomplished cinematic projects. While Taymor's [...]
Director Scott Derrickson has taken a short story written by Joe Hill (son of Steven King) and fleshed out "The Black Phone" into one of the most effective creepy movies in a long time. We often see movies based on short stories that have nothing more to offer and should have remained in short format. [...]
Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" isn't your typical musical docu-drama. Like Baz's previous films, this one is packed to the rim with kinetic energy, feet-tapping tunes, and a questionable grip on reality. In a particularly brilliant choice, the story is told in flashbacks from the perspective of the villain, Elvis' shady manager Colonel Tom Parker. (Tom Hanks) [...]
Pixar's "Lightyear" isn't an expanded story about the action figure we know and love from the "Toy Story" series, but instead, it's this movie that later spawned the toy. While some may argue the concept is just a gimmick meant to stretch out the "Toy Story" saga even further, Pixar has lovingly crafted one of [...]
The age-old story of lonely people creating their ideal mate, whether a partner or, in the case of Jim Archer's Brian and Charles, a friend, has been repeatedly told as Brian seeks companionship of any kind. There's something to be said about the heart at the center of David Earl and Chris Hayward's script, based [...]
The synopsis and trailers for "Jurassic World Dominion" imply that the fragile balance on Earth between man and his environment will be forever changed due to the dinosaurs that were set loose four years ago at the end of "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom." It seems far-fetched that a handful of dinosaurs could take over a [...]
Golf has been a curiosity, partially because I can't play the game to save my life; I duff and divot when I should reach for the stars. Trust me when I say I can never go back to Top Golf. Heck, I don't think there's a mini-golf course that would take me in. I can [...]
Before Andrew Ahn’s “Fire Island” even begins, the main cast imparts the famous Alfred Newman Searchlight Fanfare out of tune, a giddy, bright, and vibrant rendition that perfectly sets the mood for the next 105 minutes. That tune perfectly sums up Noah, Howie, Keegan, Luke, and Max's rowdy, fun-loving family as they embark on a [...]
David Cronenberg returns to his sexualized body horror roots in "Crimes of the Future", his first feature in eight years. During the premiere at Cannes this year there were stories of people walking out during the first 10 minutes while those who stayed engaged in a 5-minute standing ovation. The redband trailer released recently also [...]
