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In: 2016, Hot Take

Hot Take: For what it is, it’s a good (not great) movie. It’s easily identifiable as a Michael Bay film (the slow motion, the cheesy dialogue, the blowin’ stuff up real good, the complete and utter lack of an editor — even the title this time!) which is some good and some bad. Overall, it’s a good movie that suffers from a bloated first half and a second half that some will chalk up as combat porn.

My expectation meter typically sits in the middle to low range on movies released in January and even lower when the movie has a Michael Bay attachment. Enter 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi. The movie is so desperate to present itself as historically accurate, it wears a name more fitting for a documentary. Based on a book — “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi” — which is the retelling of the Benghazi ordeal as told by the five surviving CIA security contractors who are the central characters in the movie, it is fairly accurate. It also makes every effort to not be political. It makes no bones about pointing out governmental ineptitude but it doesn’t point fingers or name names. So, it’s sort of not political (like an unlit M-80 isn’t an explosive).Read More →

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In: 2016, Hot Take, Trailers

Anticipation (Before Trailer): 60/100

Anticipation (After Trailer): 60/100

The cast — George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Dominic West, Giancarlo Esposito — has me more intrigued than anything. Thanks to Money Monster, we’ll get to see Clooney do his best Jim Cramer impression. The trailer feels a little bit too revealing as I feel as if I’ve seen most of the movie now but maybe there are a few twists and turns not revealed. Coming in May 2016.

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Anticipation (Before Trailer): 50/100

Anticipation (After Trailer): 65/100

A coming of age film featuring lame 80s music and bad hair set in Ireland? I’m in for the sick burn on Phil Collins alone. It looks like Sing Street will début at Sundance in January but no idea when it casts a wider net.

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Anticipation (Before Trailer): 0/100

Anticipation (After Trailer): 80/100

In this day and age, to drop a trailer without even a hint of it coming is an impressive feat. Hat tip to J.J. Abrams for pulling it off. Cloverfield is one of those films I inexplicably missed when it came to theaters and then inexplicably missed on it’s run on cable so I have even less knowledge to go on than usual here which means I have zero inkling what this is about but damn if I don’t want to know what’s coming and what is outside that bunker.

On March 11, 2016, I can find out! I’m very much looking forward to 10 Cloverfield Lane.

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In: 2015, 2016, Hot Take, Lists, Uncategorized, Weigh In

We’re a few hours away from the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominees. Now would be as good of a time as any to weigh in on who I think will be nominated for this year’s awards. And, for fun, who I’d nominate if my vote was the only one that counted:

Best Picture

My Nominations

  • Room
  • The Hateful Eight
  • The Revenant
  • The Martian
  • The Big Short
  • Ex Machina
  • Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Spotlight
  • Sicario
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Who Will Earn the Nominations (From most to least likely):Read More →

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In: 2015, Hot Take

Hot Take: Woah! This unnecessary reboot was bad… worse than you can imagine, actually.

When I read there was a remake of Point Break coming out, I scratched my head. Is this something the world was clamoring for? It was 1991 when the original Point Break came out and while it was unintentionally campy and time hasn’t done it any favors, it’s still fun to watch. There’s nothing about viewing it, though, that suggests it’s a film in need of being retooled. Read More →

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In: 2016, Hot Take

Hot Take: The Forest is real… ly dumb. Apparently, the writer and director took the movie’s advice to “stay on the path” if staying on the path in a horror flick means cheap scares and huge, gaping plot holes.

January is never the best month for movies unless there are a few Oscar nominees you missed in December or the occasional late wide release (like The Revenant which released in a few theaters in December and hit wide release on January 8). Instead, the first month of the year is reserved for films like The Forest. Great marketing, a somewhat unique premise, a promise to frighten a little and, when finally viewed, a hollow, cheesy horror film with lame, cheap thrills that it’s better to not think about if you actually want to enjoy what little the movie has to offer.Read More →

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In: 2016, Lists, Top Movies

Updated January 30th, 2016

  1. Jackie
  2. Sing Street
  3. Hell or High Water
  4. Moonlight
  5. Fences
  6. Arrival
  7. La La Land
  8. Everybody Wants Some!!
  9. The Witch
  10. Lion
  11. The Founder
  12. Manchester by the Sea
  13. Hidden Figures
  14. Eye in the Sky
  15. Moana
  16. Zootopia
  17. Miss Sloane
  18. Doctor Strange
  19. Captain America: Civil War
  20. Deadpool
  21. The Nice Guys
  22. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  23. Keanu
  24. Hello, My Name Is Doris
  25. Swiss Army Man
  26. Pete’s Dragon
  27. Captain Fantastic
  28. The Jungle Book
  29. The Meddler
  30. Love & Friendship
  31. Demolition
  32. Midnight Special
  33. Denial
  34. Queen of Katwe
  35. Kubo and the Two Strings
  36. Sully
  37. Silence
  38. The Magnificent Seven
  39. Star Trek Beyond
  40. The Infiltrator
  41. Miles Ahead
  42. The Shallows
  43. A Bigger Splash
  44. Bad Moms
  45. A Monster Calls
  46. Me Before You
  47. Southside With You
  48. Trolls
  49. Don’t Breathe
  50. Green Room
  51. The Lobster
  52. The BFG
  53. Patriots Day
  54. Hacksaw Ridge
  55. Finding Dory
  56. Gold
  57. Deepwater Horizon
  58. The Accountant
  59. Our Kind of Traitor
  60. Indignation
  61. Café Society
  62. The Finest Hours
  63. 10 Cloverfield Lane
  64. Lights Out
  65. Free State of Jones
  66. The Edge of Seventeen
  67. Passengers
  68. Kevin Hart: What Now?
  69. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi
  70. Sing
  71. Morgan
  72. War Dogs
  73. Hail, Caesar!
  74. Mr. Right
  75. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
  76. How to Be Single
  77. High Strung
  78. Anthropoid
  79. Rules Don’t Apply
  80. Ghostbusters
  81. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
  82. The Program
  83. Eddie the Eagle
  84. The Bronze
  85. The Birth of a Nation
  86. Snowden
  87. The Light Between Oceans
  88. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
  89. Bleed For This
  90. Equity
  91. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
  92. Ouija: Origin of Evil
  93. Storks
  94. Barbershop: The Next Cut
  95. Hands of Stone
  96. Jason Bourne
  97. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  98. X-Men: Apocalypse
  99. Suicide Squad
  100. The Wild Life
  101. The Secret Life of Pets
  102. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
  103. Miracles from Heaven
  104. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
  105. Nerve
  106. The Girl on the Train
  107. Keeping Up With the Joneses
  108. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
  109. Triple 9
  110. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
  111. Risen
  112. Race
  113. The Man Who Knew Infinity
  114. The 5th Wave
  115. Sausage Party
  116. Elvis & Nixon
  117. The Legend of Tarzan
  118. Allied
  119. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
  120. Bridget Jones’s Baby
  121. The Confirmation
  122. Money Monster
  123. Now You See Me 2
  124. Central Intelligence
  125. Office Christmas Party
  126. Man Down
  127. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
  128. Blair Witch
  129. The Boss
  130. Clown
  131. The Perfect Match
  132. The Young Messiah
  133. A Hologram for the King
  134. Warcraft
  135. The Huntsman: Winter’s War
  136. The Conjuring 2
  137. Alice Through the Looking Glass
  138. The Neon Demon
  139. Live By Night
  140. Collateral Beauty
  141. The Adderall Diaries
  142. I Saw the Light
  143. The Brothers Grimsby
  144. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
  145. Jane Got A Gun
  146. Yosemite
  147. Florence Foster Jenkins
  148. Masterminds
  149. Nine Lives
  150. 400 Days
  151. Regression
  152. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
  153. Gods of Egypt
  154. Max Steel
  155. The Disappointments Room
  156. The Purge: Election Year
  157. Independence Day: Resurgence
  158. The Boy
  159. When the Bough Breaks
  160. Inferno
  161. Get A Job
  162. The Other Side of the Door
  163. The Forest
  164. The Choice
  165. London Has Fallen
  166. Mechanic: Resurrection
  167. The Darkness
  168. Hardcore Henry
  169. The Angry Birds Movie
  170. Shut In
  171. Papa: Hemingway in Cuba
  172. Nina
  173. Criminal
  174. Zoolander 2
  175. Ride Along 2
  176. Dirty Grandpa
  177. Norm of the North
  178. Ratchet & Clank
  179. The Divergent Series: Allegiant
  180. Meet the Blacks
  181. Mother’s Day

 

 

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In: 2015, Hot Take

Hot Take: Brutality and ugliness can be beautiful. The stunning visuals of The Revenant combined with the details of the grisly story are sometimes hard to digest together. It’s a film you don’t want to stop watching even though you feel, at times, maybe you should. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers the performance of his career.

Occasionally, viewing The Revenant feels like a test of endurance. Some will find it to be a task and dismiss the film in a number of ways. For me, it intensified the viewing experience and helped create a rare bond between myself and the main character, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio). Early on, there was a connection that carried throughout which enhanced the film to another level. Typically, those types of connections are reserved for when you can relate to the character. In this case, the cinematography, performances and pacing contribute more to the connection than any personal connection.Read More →

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In: 2015, Hot Take

Hot Take: Carol is a better movie after the fact, as it sinks in as it’s such a small film it has moments that are somewhat mundane. Afterward, it is in the mundane and humdrum where the film thrives as it’s a classic love story with very little emphasis on the fact that the love story is between two women.

I’m torn when it comes to Carol. On one hand, the film’s ability to capture the 1950s and deliver unbelievable chemistry between it’s two main characters — Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) — are worth heaping praises. On the other hand, the film’s mundane tale and rather plodding pace might not be worth the payoffs of some excellent scenes. Read More →