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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: It takes a special movie to thrive at 2-plus hours and this sequel isn’t that movie. If Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 were more self-aware there would have been a kitchen sink in the movie because everything else is.

Before seeing Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, I was warned on Twitter to not see it without first seeing the first installment in the series. After seeing the latest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’m not really sure where that warning came from or why the movie would have been enhanced by following such advice. If anything, I probably would have been more disappointed in the movie as my favorite thing about GotGV2 was the characters and the cast. It didn’t take long to pick up their story arcs (with an assist from a quick recap of the original GotG thanks to Wikipedia) and it wasn’t difficult to follow the plot despite a lack of background on the film or its characters.Read More →

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In: 2016, Hot Take

Hot Take: This drama/comedy has sharper teeth than it does belly laughs. It’s funny but not hysterical but it’s also unexpectedly moving.

Very often, it’s hard to find honesty in a film. Don’t Think Twice isn’t one of those films. The 2016 drama/comedy about a NYC improv troupe who longs to find jobs on Weekend Live (the movie’s version of Saturday Night Light) is not the riotous laugh fest you’d expect a film about an improv comedy troupe to be. Instead, it’s chock full of some of the more difficult moments in life and the stark reality all of the members of the comedy troupe face as they all realize there’s a chance they may never accomplish what they thought they would.Read More →

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In: 7 Days

While the most notable day of the week would be Cinco de Mayo, there aren’t too many movies that tie back to the recognizable day. However, there are 7 other days to celebrate that pair with the perfect film for that day:Read More →

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In: Hot Take, Ranked, Trailers

There are some huge movies on the slate to kick off the 2017 summer movie season. There are big box office expectations for 3 sequels (Guardians of the Galaxy,Vol. 2, Alien: Covenant and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and Amy Schumer returns to the cinema to see if she can repeat the kind of success she had with Trainwreck in Snatched. All in all, there are 9 movies expected to see a wide release and 25 movies on the release schedule. Here’s the full list of films coming out in May:Read More →

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In: BuRStS

Even though there are 10 releases this week, it’s not a great week for big movies. There are 3 Oscar nominees in the mix with a Best Animated Feature nominee The Red Turtle joined by Best Documentary nominee I Am Not Your Negro and Best Foreign Language Film winner The Salesman. We’re still suffering the residual effect of January as the movies released during dump month are now finding their way into the home video market. Here’s what to buy, rent, stream and skip for the week of May 2:Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: It takes a little bit for this comedy to get going but once the laughs start coming, they don’t stop. How To Be A Latin Lover exudes joy in its performances and has an unexpectedly sweet center that is endearing.

Preconceived notions are the enemy of a lot of films. I know I walked into How To Be A Latin Lover expecting to find a lot wrong with the film based solely on the trailer. The film is about a man who decides he’s never going to work and, instead, find a rich woman to take care of his financial needs by giving her sexual attention. Come on! Can you blame me for expecting the worst?Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: With talent like Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega at its disposal, The Circle shouldn’t land with as loud of a thud as it does. A colossal waste of time.

I really wanted The Circle to be good. April was a rather weak month of releases but it landed at the top of MHT’s anticipated films of the month list. There’s a lot to worry about when it comes to our privacy in this much more transparent, digital age and that gives The Circle a solid foundation to build something compelling and timely. Unfortunately, The Circle feels about 5 years too late and today’s fears don’t match yesterday’s concerns and The Circle‘s paranoid plot appears outdated and off the mark.Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: 2017 still doesn’t have a 5 star movie but it does have a new #1. Sleight is a genre blending (and bending) delight. It feels fresh which is something severely lacking in today’s cinematic world.

Typically, I get a little nervous when I see Blumhouse Tilt and WWE Studios as the film distributor. This year, Blumhouse Tilt is having a banner year with Split, Get Out and now Sleight. As for WWE Studios, Sleight is one of the rare releases that doesn’t feature an appearance from their stable of wrestling superstars. Blumhouse Tilt and WWE Studios have tag teamed a film previously with rather disappointing results as they’ve paired up to release Incarnate in 2016 and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone earlier this year. Neither were received well and the history of the two studios provided plenty of reservations about what to expect from Sleight.Read More →

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In: 7 Days

While this week contains May 4th, don’t expect that day’s recommendation to be a Star Wars movie. Instead, this week’s “7 Days of Streaming” focuses on some historic days in history, a birthday of The Godfather (of Soul) and the anniversary of one of the greatest films of all-time:Read More →