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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: “Inspired by the Trump era” might have been a worthy tagline in the opening credits. Salma Hayek and John Lithgow deliver great performances in this art house summer think piece. Too bad it couldn’t stick the landing.

Usually, when someone says, “This hasn’t been a great year for movies,” it is hyperbole. 2017 has not been a great year for movies, though. At this point last year, we had already enjoyed Sing Street, Hell or High Water, Everybody Wants Some!! and The Witch. All 4 ended the year in my top 10. If, by the end of this year, my current #1 (Wonder Woman) is still in the top 10, I’ll be shocked. Beatriz at Dinner is indeed one of the better movies of this year and, if it weren’t for a rather ambiguous, disappointing ending, it may have challenged Wonder Woman for the top spot.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: Thinking about seeing Paris Can Wait? It can wait for DVD.

One of my favorite films of all time is Before Sunrise. The Richard Linklater film features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and follows them as they meet on a train in Budapest as the two travel to France. The film is filled with intrigue, romance and while almost nothing happens, so much happens in the course of the film’s 101 minute run time. While it might be a stretch, Paris Can Wait has some similar plot elements to the Linklater classic that spawned two excellent sequels. What it lacks is a couple that has the chemistry of Jesse and Céline and also contains a rather dull adventure that feels more like something you’d see on The Food Network rather than at your local cinema.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: For the second year in a row, there’s a girl vs. shark movie that makes for great entertainment. Let’s hope this becomes a summer tradition. It has plenty of problems but it’s so much fun I chose to ignore them all.

Say what you want about 47 Meters Down. The dialogue is laughably bad. The plot twists are ridiculous. Ironically, it lacks depth. It counterbalances every terrifying thrill with something completely dumb. Despite those criticisms which can’t be denied, 47 Meters Down might be the most fun you have in a theater this summer. It’s the perfect packed audience flick. It’s likely to make the guilty pleasures of many filmgoers, myself included. Read More →

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There’s 7 movies hitting the home video market this week. You’d think luck would be involved and the viewing audience would be the beneficiary here since the number is 7 but that’s not the case. The box office winner of the group was Life, if that tells you anything about this week’s crop of releases. But at least it has Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal, right? Here’s what you should buy, rent, stream and skip for the week of June 20th:Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: A messy waste of time and talent.

I really wanted to like The Book of Henry. The cast looked excellent. Director Colin Treverrow is slated to direct Star Wars Episode IX. The trailer had intrigue. It was all seemingly set up for success. Despite all of the signs pointing toward a positive viewing experience, The Book of Henry failed on so many levels and left wondering if there was a better movie somewhere in this mess.
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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: Proof that comedy is very personal… and personally, this didn’t do much for me.

Scarlett Johansson is not having the best year. After four solid roles in 2016 (two in a voice-only capacity), she started off this year with the very disappointing Ghost in the Shell. The follow-up is Rough Night, a blend of Very Bad Things, The Hangover and Bridesmaids that has a few laughs and a game cast but predictable punchlines to set-ups and a lame story drag down the film and make it a subpar comedy offering.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: A simple but effective “based on a true story” tale. It’s an emotional war/dog movie. A well told story with a straightforward mission: Make you tear up.

Megan Leavey might be the story of the female Marine who became a bomb dog handler but it’s every bit the story of Rex, the dog she worked with. Coming from a person who you’ll never find gushing at a PetSmart over the available dogs and cats, I found myself watching Megan Leavey missing Rex when he wasn’t on screen and developing a cinematic emotional attachment to the character.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: The Mummy was a poor attempt to launch a franchise that forgot it should try and be a good movie. Heck, based on the resulting film, they might not have even cared if they made a good movie. The next one in Universal’s Dark Universe should be free to all The Mummy ticketholders… If they are willing to risk wasting another 2 hours of their life.

The beginning of The Mummy is terrible… then it got worse… and worse… and worse. It’s so bad that I’m throwing out the “Spoiler Free” nature of these reviews and might end up giving away some information that might reveal tidbits of the film. Don’t worry, though. You can’t spoil something this rotten. Read More →

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In: BuRStS

Between last week and this week, 21 movies have become available for your home viewing pleasure. The list isn’t the best but there’s at least plenty to choose from. If you’re questioning whether you should read further, realize there are movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme on this list. (I’m not sure if that’s a selling point or a caution.) Here’s what to buy, rent, stream and skip for the weeks of June 6 & 13:Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: More hopeless than horror with an ending that leaves you asking yourself, “Why bother?” There’s no payoff and I didn’t lose a second of sleep over the events that transpired.

One thing I expect to happen when watching a horror film is, soon after, I will lose a little bit of sleep over something I’ve seen in it. Even some of the worst horror films have moments that shake my nerves enough to cause me to lose a few minutes of sleep. (Although, to be fair, since I’ve given up caffeine, hardly anything can stop me from sleeping.) Nothing even close to that happens in It Comes At Night, a dark, hopeless, post-apocalyptic horror film that attempts to be more cerebral than visual in its attack on your nerves. Read More →