Archives October 2024

Sideways is a film about friendship, lost love and wine tasting from Searchlight Pictures.

In the world of wine tasting, Sideways does a great job of explaining the reasons behind the behaviors of the wine tasting crowds. They still seem absolutely nuts hearing them talk about wines but some of the things they’re saying actually make a little sense. For the 20th anniversary the film has been rereleased by Searchlight Pictures to 4k. When the folks at Searchlight had send us the film, I had never heard of it. I honestly thought it was a newer film that I just never saw a trailer for.

The film follows Miles who is still reeling from his divorce, two years prior, but also the failure of his novel he is trying to publish. He is accompanied by his closest friend Jack, an actor that is on the verge of getting married. They take a road trip to taste a lot of wine and try to live a little before returning home. Jack spends most of the time trying to cheat on his future bride and to help Miles find himself a woman to spend an evening with.

Despite the education about wine tasting, I found the film to be slow and overall to be quite dull. That’s even with the talented cast delivering great performances through the entire film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street and it’s villain, Freddy Krueger, have haunted audiences for decades and have returned in 4k from Warner Brothers.

Freddy Krueger is back in the 4k edition of A Nightmare on Elm Street and was established as one of the ultimate horror villains when I was a kid. He is still talked about to this day. Of course many of us from the 80’s like to relive those films from our childhood and that is further helped by horror themed conventions and music, like Ice Nine Kills’ American Nightmare. That song was actually what got me not just listening to them but WANTING to see this film for the first time. That’s right, prior to this viewing I had never seen a single movie in the franchise. Thanks to Warner Brothers, this edition also includes the Uncut version as well! Of course, the only real differences between the two is an extension of a couple scenes, making them just a bit more graphic. I’m glad I watched this before letting my son, he doesn’t do well with gory elements.

My understanding about Freddy’s character is that he was simply some sort of demon that killed teens in their sleep and simply put, that is accurate but it goes much deeper than that. He was a man that was hung and is now targeting the children of his own killers. Of course the parents were justified as Freddy was evil even as a man and was already targeting children. Now he is targeting SPECIFIC children.

At this point I should stop being surprised at how well a story is told from the 80’s and learn to accept that to make a great film you don’t need all the new effects and rely more on actual talent instead. Finishing the film I was quite impressed and can easily see why Freddy remains one of the great horror villains.

Today we take a look at Kinds of Kindness from the same director behind of Poor Things and much of the same cast, including Emma Stone.

Some films come and completely change how you viewed the genre or create a new bar to hold all cinema to. Kinds of Kindness is one of those films for me. From Searchlight Pictures and Director Yorgos Lanthimos, the film is broken up into three short films, each more deranged than the last. This film was one of the most difficult I have ever reviewed. I literally spent more than a week just staring at the screen, trying to figure out how to voice my thoughts on the film. For me it was beyond difficult. I even called friends to voice my feelings on the film but even they couldn’t help me voice my thoughts in a constructive manner.

In short, this was probably the worst film I have seen all year, BUT it’s clear, I am not the target audience for the film. The cast, editing, literally everything in the production was done with expert skill, beyond what most films do these days. It just wasn’t a film FOR ME. Now, I have no idea who the target audience really is but they’ve managed to do something great with the film, despite my lack of enjoyment. They proved that a film unlike any other out there, using truly original ideas and stories could not only be well received but also be brilliantly executed. It proves that not all films have to be for everyone. I used to believe that if someone watching it can’t enjoy it even a little then they screwed up. After seeing the film I can respect what they’ve done and what they’ve tried to do and still not enjoy it. If you’re someone that watches a film for the directing, the acting or some other technical aspect then you will love this film. If you focus on the uniqueness of the story then this is the film for you, but if you’re looking for a great story at the same time this one may just fall short.

Deadpool and Wolverine is FINALLY available on Blu-Ray and Digital retailers and we are beyond excited for it!

Deadpool and Wolverine is not only one of the most anticipated films for my household and many others, it is also the highest grossing R-Rated of all time! The film starts with a dance sequence and then jumps back in time to see Deadpool being invited to help the TVA, the same guys Loki fights and then joins in the Loki miniseries. I don’t remember seeing any film by Marvel receive this much attention or receive as much anticipation. I try to leave every expectation at the door but that would be a herculean feat with this film and I failed to do so. My expectations were high considering the first two films were by far some of the funniest films I have ever seen. Once Upon a Deadpool was funny as hell as well, since it was literally Deadpool 2 but modified to allow for more ages to view the film. Part of me was actually worries that this film would be aimed at the all ages crowd, that is until i saw the R rating.

With the death of Wolverine in Logan, Wade learns that without his universe’s anchor being his world was slated for death. He begins are race against time to bring any Wolverine back to his own reality to keep it alive. Eventually he finds himself in The Void and facing off against many new and classic X-Men themed villains, meeting some friends along the way and dealing with an entire Corps of Deadpools. Simply put, this is the funniest damn film I have seen this year and likely in the last decade. Absolutely worth the watch by anyone that likes a good laugh, a better story and amazing performances. Love the film start to finish. Make sure you stay till the end of the credits for the BEST after credits scene to date.