IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED.
Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. Part 7 focused on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Part 8 had The Last Duel. Part 9 discussed Ron’s Gone Wrong and Part 10 talked about The King’s Man and Summer of Soul. Part 11 discussed Nightmare Alley and West Side Story. Part 12 highlighted Death on the Nile and Part 13 talked about The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Part 14 highlighted Barbarian and See How They Run. Part 15 discussed Amsterdam and Part 16 talked about The Banshees of Inisherin and The Menu. We have returned for Part 17 to share our thoughts on Empire of Light!
Empire of Light
This film centers around a cinema in the 1980’s where the white manager falls for her black employee and dealing with the racism and hate of that time period. The overall performances are fantastic despite the depth provided for those characters. The film felt like it was more meant to showcase the experiences of the black male and not on the person himself. Overall this film missed the mark and was quite dull in terms of story but I appreciated the quality of the performances.
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me copies of some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. Part 11 talked about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Part 12 discussed Elvis, DC League of Super Pets, The Lost Boys and Poltergeist. Part 13 shared some classics with 8-Bit Christmas, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Polar Express, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Part 14 had Don’t Worry Darling and Part 15 was discussing Black Adam. We are back with Part 16 and Bones and All, House Party plus the 4k release of Training Day.
Bones and All
What limited trailers I had seen hinted at something dark happening in the story of this film but focused on a central theme of travelling and love. There was nothing in them I saw that indicated that this is a love story about two cannibals. Despite feeling a little misled at the start I wasn’t upset. The film was great over all. I found it odd how well the love story mixed with horror but they blend perfectly.
Training Day (4K)
As expected from the title, this is the 4k release of the Training Day, the same film that Denzel Washington won an Academy Award for. Despite it’s age the film still holds up just as well as it did back when it first came out.
House Party
Listed as a “Remix” of the 90s classic film of the same name, this is truly a reboot. This time around our characters are played by a new cast and a throwing the party in the home of Lebron James. They are both house cleaners and failing party planners assigned to clean the James house. They decide to throw a party and things get a bit nuts. Overall we found the film to be enjoyable, laughs aplenty with a few dragging moments.
Which of these Warner Bros films have you had the chance to see? Which was your favorite? Let us know on our Twitter!
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO DISNEY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Disney Studios (their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. With Part 1 we were taking a look at the live action version of Mulan. Part 2 discussed Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon. Part 3 looked at the live action story of Cruella. Part 4 discussed Luca and Part 5 talked about Jungle Cruise. Part 6 discussed Encanto and Part 7 talked about Turning Red. Part 8 covered Lightyear and Part 9 with Strange World. Part 10 is here to talk about Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1!
Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1
Presented as Mickey & Minnie reviewing images from a scrapbook that showcases ten of their classic animated shorts. Most include both characters but others include one or the other. Having watched most of these previously I wasn’t expecting much from them but it had literally been decades since I had seen them. Watching them again I realized so much has changed about what is acceptable for the animated shows we let our children watch. Specifically the use of tobacco products and some cultural insensitivity when Mickey poses as a Native American. Considering how old some of these shorts were though it was quite impressive to see what Walt had created and achieved with these and personally felt the Figaro themed shorts were not only the best but the mannerisms of the cat were captured perfectly. Despite the social issues these shorts were simply fun and plan on watching them again with my youngest.
Have you had a chance to see this release from Disney Studios?
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO Marvel Entertainment I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Marvel Entertainment (their home page is here) had sent me a code to one of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on it with you. This will be a regular series and Part 1 we talked about Black Widow. Part 2 discussed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Part 3 shared our thoughts on Eternals and straight to DVD release Spidey and his Amazing Friends. Part 4 focused on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Part 5 discussed Thor: Love and Thunder. We have returned with Part 6 for Black Panther Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever
Filming had started after the passing of Chadwick Boseman and required some drastic changes to the original story. What we have left is the results of this pivot. The film starts with Shuri trying to recreate the heart-shaped herb as a way to try to save her brother from a mysterious disease and ultimately fails. I was expecting a CGI version of Chadwick for at least the start of the film but the studio decided against that. Overall I thought the story was great considering the fact that this is not the original planned story and leaves me wondering what could have been. Even with this hanging over the film the story was great and the performance of the cast was absolutely stellar especially from Leticia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and newcomer Tenoch Huerta.
Have you had a chance to see this film from Marvel Entertainment? If not it can currently be seen in Disney+ as well as purchased from your favorite distributer (releasing February 7th).
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED.
Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. Part 7 focused on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Part 8 had The Last Duel. Part 9 discussed Ron’s Gone Wrong and Part 10 talked about The King’s Man and Summer of Soul. Part 11 discussed Nightmare Alley and West Side Story. Part 12 highlighted Death on the Nile and Part 13 talked about The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Part 14 highlighted Barbarian and See How They Run. Part 15 discussed Amsterdam and we have Part 16 to talk about The Banshees of Inisherin and The Menu!
The Banshees of Inisherin
This film follows two lifelong friends that have suddenly fallen out of friendship. One is a bit simplistic and wants to rebuild the friendship while the other wants nothing to do with him. He instead wants to focus his time and energy on leaving a legacy of creativity behind. The film was well written and the landscapes were stunning but I thought the pacing was quite too slow for my taste. I also found it odd that this film was marketed more as a comedy but it felt like a serious drama. If you are looking for a thought provoking film that is full of depth then this is a great choice but if you are looking for something faster paced or exciting then you’ve chosen the wrong film.
The Menu
The Menu centers around a young couple that visit a lavish restaurant on a private island where a chef is providing a unique experience along with his tasting menu. Equal parts horror and comedy this one will keep you at the edge of your seat. Between the chaos of the kitchen and the refined dining experience this film blends the experiences together wonderfully. The real stars of the film are Anna Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes but the cast overall is nothing short of phenomenal, surpassing my already high expectations from all of them.
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me copies of some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. Part 11 talked about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Part 12 discussed Elvis, DC League of Super Pets, The Lost Boys and Poltergeist. Part 13 shared some classics with 8-Bit Christmas, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Polar Express, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Part 14 had Don’t Worry Darling and we’ve returned for Part 15 and Black Adam!
Black Adam
This is the final installment of the current iteration of the DCCU after the changes at Warner Bros and the first to include Black Adam. Knowing how The Rock tends to play comedic roles I was expecting this very serious character to be more campy that he would be in the comics. I am happy to say this is not the case. He gave the character the look and feel we hoped for from the comics. I didn’t know much about Adam’s history other than him being tied to Shazam in some way so getting to see this in depth made the character more interesting. The story follows Adam’s return to the world as he is called to save his country from tyrants once again. With the serious tones of the story, great effects and some better acting than we normally see in a DC film I thought this one was a total win!
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO DISNEY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Disney Studios (their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. With Part 1 we were taking a look at the live action version of Mulan. Part 2 discussed Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon. Part 3 looked at the live action story of Cruella. Part 4 discussed Luca and Part 5 talked about Jungle Cruise. Part 6 discussed Encanto and Part 7 talked about Turning Red. Part 8 covered Lightyear and we’ve returned for Part 9 with Strange World!
Strange World
The story starts with an adventuring father and son duo as they search to reach the other side of a mountain. Jaeger (the father) wants to continue on the mission while Searcher (the son) wants to take a plant that generates electricity back to their home as an end to the adventure. Jaeger decides to continue the mission and leaves the party. Fast-forward 25 years and Searcher has become a farmer and responsible for pioneering the future. However the plants begin to lose their efficacy and Searcher must return to the place his father left him to find out why.
The animation quality is fantastic and the world the studio created is absolutely stunning. Overall the acting was great but I’m not a big fan of Gyllenhaal and think Searcher would have been better cast with someone else. There were two things I thought were handled wonderfully by the film. The first is that Searcher’s son has a male love interest and the film treats it as they would have if it were any other heterosexual love interest without making it obvious that it was what they were doing. The second is that the dog is missing a leg and there are characters with other disabilities like one being confined to a wheelchair. Sure the dog doesn’t have a speaking role but subtle character details like this mean a lot for those that don’t normally see themselves represented and they should have the ability to seem themselves in the characters they are watching just like everyone else.
I watched the film with my youngest and once finished asked her what she thought, she said it was “meh”. I should note that she has watched it multiple times since and really enjoys it. I thought the film was great both visually and in terms of story. I was shocked by how poorly the film did in theaters and suspect it had more to do with either blatant homophobia, racism or the fact that many people these days are under financial strain and waiting for the film to hit streaming services like Disney+.
Have you had a chance to see this film from Disney Studios?
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me copies of some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. Part 11 talked about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Part 12 discussed Elvis, DC League of Super Pets, The Lost Boys and Poltergeist. Part 13 shared some classics with 8-Bit Christmas, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Polar Express, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We are back with Part 14 and Don’t Worry Darling.
Don’t Worry Darling
Having been invited to live in the idealized community Victory, Alice and her husband join what seems to be the perfect community. She begins to question things as they start to fall apart around her. The story itself very much reminded me of Hex Wives by Ben Blacker and that’s a good thing. That storyline was amazing. Florence Pugh plays Alice and does a beyond amazing job and is worth seeing the film alone for her. The film as a whole was great as well.
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!
Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me copies of some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. Part 11 talked about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Part 12 discussed Elvis, DC League of Super Pets, The Lost Boys and Poltergeist. Part 13 has returned to share some classics with 8-Bit Christmas, Casablanca, A Christmas Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Polar Express, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Casablanca
I had never seen this film previously and had been told many times I had to. This was the perfect opportunity. Having finally watched it I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I hoped. It simply did not live up to the hype.
A Christmas Story
The classic Christmas tale that my family loves to hate. It’s one of those films that is required watching, at least once but despite the annoying kid it’s not a bad movie.
Elf
This is another classic I hadn’t seen before. Everyone I knew praised this movie as one of the best Christmas films made. My kids loved it despite a slow start. I thought it wasn’t bad, much better than A Christmas Story.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This is the classic Christmas film we love to watch. We watch this every year and it still holds up. As much as a more modernized version might be enjoyable I don’t think they could ever match the hilarity or magic of this film.
The Polar Express
Focusing on the magic of the holiday this is the story of a train ride on Christmas Eve where a group of children are given a chance to meet the man in red himself. This film never fails to captivate our kids from start to finish and the animation quality is still top notch.
8-Bit Christmas
This is the first unique Christmas film I’ve seen in a couple years at least. The movie is about the quest of a boy to get himself the original Nintendo Entertainment System and everything that happens along the way. This film was a ton of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Alithea is an academic that is on a lecture circuit and while visiting some local shops purchases a small glass bottle that catches her eye. After some vigorous cleaning a genie appears offering her three wishes in exchange for her freedom. The cast was fantastic and the film was just as good. We were glued to this one until the end.
Which of these Warner Bros films are you planning on seeing?
IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED.
Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. Part 4 discussed The Empty Man. Part 5 talked about Nomadland and Speed 4K Ultra HD. Part 6 discussed The Night House and Free Guy. Part 7 focused on The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Part 8 had The Last Duel. Part 9 discussed Ron’s Gone Wrong and Part 10 talked about The King’s Man and Summer of Soul. Part 11 discussed Nightmare Alley and West Side Story. Part 12 highlighted Death on the Nile and Part 13 talked about The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Part 14 highlighted Barbarian and See How They Run. We are already back with Part 15 to discuss Amsterdam.
Amsterdam
This film follows a doctor and his lawyer/partner as they investigate the death of the man who created their regiment. As they dig deeper into the mystery things get more deadly. The cast is full of big names and they were all fantastic. So good in fact that I would be shocked if many were not nominated for Oscars this year. The movie too. As a whole it was a great film and I couldn’t stop watching.
