The Upside

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019 / Tom / 5 Comments

Whoops, wrong poster. That's my fault. Here we go: Release: Friday, January 11, 2019 →Theater Written by: Jon Hartmere Directed by: Neil Burger I am an unapologetic fan of Kevin Hart. He's the reason I stood in the line that never was for The Upside, an update of a hugely successful French film from 2011 that goes by several … Continue reading The Upside

Aquaman

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 / Tom / 8 Comments

Release: Friday, December 21, 2018 →Theater Written by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; Will Beall Directed by: James Wan Four weeks on and the box office still hasn't dried up for DC's latest superhero origins story, the rise of one Arthur Curry, a.k.a. the Aquaman. Director James Wan has kinda done the unthinkable (not to mention given his bosses a … Continue reading Aquaman

The Marvelous Brie Larson

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 / Tom / 6 Comments

I know she probably doesn't much care for all this extra attention, but this I just have to do. Because, quite simply Ms Larson, you are Marvel-ous. Born in Sacramento, California in 1989 as Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, she has driven herself to great success, with a foot in music as well as movies. She started … Continue reading The Marvelous Brie Larson

Year in Review: 2018 on Thomas J! (Part 2 of 2)

January 6, 2019January 9, 2019 / Tom / 7 Comments

In Part 2, we finish up the year (July thru December) in movie reviews, my seventh (technically sixth full-year) since first joining WordPress back in 2011. (Click here or just scroll your happy self to the bottom of this post if you missed Part 1!) The back half of 2018 found Thomas J putting up … Continue reading Year in Review: 2018 on Thomas J! (Part 2 of 2)

Year in Review: 2018 on Thomas J! (Part 1 of 2)

January 3, 2019January 3, 2019 / Tom / 3 Comments

It has been some time since I went overboard and put together one of these long-winded end-of-year summaries; I think the last time I did anything like this was when I last "hosted" my own little version of the Academy Awards presentation -- circa 2016, I think? Long-time readers remember this annual feature as The … Continue reading Year in Review: 2018 on Thomas J! (Part 1 of 2)

The Mule

January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 / Tom / 7 Comments

Release: Friday, December 14, 2018 →Theater Written by: Sam Dolnick; Nick Schenk Directed by: Clint Eastwood The Mule marks the 37th time Clint Eastwood has directed a movie. Remember that the next time you go out for Trivia Night. From The Eiger Sanction (1975) to his Best Picture-winning western Unforgiven (1992); Mystic River (2003) to Gran Torino (2008), the man has … Continue reading The Mule

Mock and Roll

December 31, 2018December 31, 2018 / Tom / 7 Comments

Release: Friday, November 30, 2018 (watch now on Amazon Prime) →Vimeo Written by: Ben Bacharach-White; Mark Stewart Directed by: Ben Bacharach-White You don't need to be a groupie to join in on the fun in Mock and Roll, a low-budget yet high-spirited independent film representing the Columbus, Ohio underground filmmaking scene and styled as a mockumentary that follows … Continue reading Mock and Roll

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

December 26, 2018December 26, 2018 / Tom / 1 Comment

Release: Friday, December 14, 2018 →Theater Written by: Phil Lord; Rodney Rothman Directed by: Bob Persichetti; Peter Ramsey; Rodney Rothman A Review from the Perspective of a Spider-Newb A cornucopia of visual delights that rivals the best of Pixar and Studio Ghibli, two of the giants in the world of animation, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has taken Sony Pictures … Continue reading Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Beautiful Boy

December 16, 2018 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, October 12, 2018 (limited) →Theater Written by: Luke Davies; Felix van Groeningen Directed by: Felix van Groeningen I think it is important to note how specific an experience Beautiful Boy describes. Closing titles reveal some alarming statistics about the pervasiveness of drug abuse in America but the film does not presume to speak for everyone. This is about … Continue reading Beautiful Boy

Free Solo

December 12, 2018December 13, 2018 / Tom / 14 Comments

Release: Friday, September 28, 2018 →Theater Directed by: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi; Jimmy Chin Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber who occupies a very obscure niche within the rock climbing community. As a free soloist responsible for some of the world's most death-defying ascents sans a rope and any protective gear, he is most alive when climbing … Continue reading Free Solo