I watched the four hour long Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It actually probably took six or seven hours including breaks for walks and cooking. Believe it or not I’m trying to get out of my couch potato habits and walk around. I’ll be frank, I have not enjoyed director Zack Snyder’s previous DC films. Batman v Superman is a movie made up of cool moments but it was a mess of storytelling and I can’t...
I hadn’t heard of The Vigil before the day I watched it. When I needed something new to watch my editor brought it up and I said: “Alright, that will do.” This horror movie about a jewish man who becomes haunted by a demon while looking over a deceased elder is the feature film debut of writer and director Kieth Thomas. While I do think Thomas does show a lot of promise as a filmmaker,...
Judas and the Black Messiah opens a new window for us to peer inside the story of Illinois Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and his friend/FBI informant William O’Neal. It’s a captivating ride, rooted in reality and unstitched from the overdone nature of many Hollywood historical dramas. This balanced yet sometimes incohesive picture provides entry to thought and reflection without a smothering hand. The film tells the story of two men who face a daily...
Despite the film’s problematic perpetuation of traditional able-bodied casting, its story finally feels earned and free of a sentimentality of disabled people long tokenized by Hollywood and awards culture. Endearing films surrounding disability have long been seen as “Oscar bait,” or cheap, intentional tugs at the heartstrings of Hollywood critics. All made with the slight undercut of hope that award season voters will check the box for those films and performances on their nomination ballots...
The first Wonder Woman film infuriated me. It’s a fine movie, it’s nothing special, and even for the time it doesn’t really do enough when it has other movies of its kind to go against. But it was a well enough made movie that has some pretty good character work. The reason the movie makes me want to throw my Blu Ray player is because it thematically shoots itself in the foot (spoilers for the...
It’s that time of the year and though this Holiday Season is indelibly different we can still indulge in one of my favorite pastimes in watching Christmas movies. Throughout my life there are a few classics that are near and dear to my heart but on my list you will see some newcomers and curveballs as well. For me if a movie’s story takes place during the holiday season and namely Christmas is part of...
2020 has not been the greatest year for movies. With the pandemic delaying some of the most anticipated projects set to come out (if only Dune, if only) and a large number of movies ending up disappointing (looking at you Tenet) there hasn’t been a large catalogue this year. For me this year has been mostly about catching up on stuff that I missed and re-experiencing some of my favorites (ready for my thousandth viewing...
The history of underground crime syndicates date as far as the bible, taking many names spanning across many different cultures and races for thousands of years. In America their stories were made famous from newspaper clippings transforming the Mafia Bosses from public nuisances to cultural legends. Throughout the years these characters were fictionalized through pulp comics, film, and television in some of the most memorable persona’s ever created. Listed will be my rankings of the...
This year Halloween is different. I personally will be choosing to stay in and social distance on my favorite holiday. That doesn’t mean I’m not celebrating and acting miserable, I am going to make the best of it by watching some of my favorite horror movies. Growing up I was a horror fan because it always felt like taboo. Like any child I would watch scary movies and wouldnt be able to sleep for fear...
Spike Lee’s latest movie Da 5 Bloods has come straight to the streaming titan Netflix, it is equal parts heist film, history lesson, and social commentary who’s timing couldn’t be better. The film follows four Black Vietnam War Vets on the search for the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold riches he helped them hide in the jungle years ago. The film takes risks in the way it was shot through multiple...
