Release: Friday, September 20, 2019 →Theater Written by: Ethan Gross; James Gray Directed by: James Gray Ad Astra is not the increasingly familiar, inspiring saga of human achievement the marketing has been pitching it as. It's something much more honest and intriguing -- a terrifyingly lonely quest for truth that dares put us in our place and puts potential limits … Continue reading Ad Astra
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Month in Review: July ’19
Well unfortunately I never did manage to come up with some kind of "celebration" post for my blog's eighth birthday -- that opportunity came and went without so much as a kazoo being tooted. Actually -- that can still happen. In fact, here's literally an entire kazoo band to make up for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zMbsDzNT90&fbclid=IwAR1sFZYtZEzL7tQUlp65CNoN-1PncmZLyplsuCsSAZ7-FfIaCMPas1isfBc Now, … Continue reading Month in Review: July ’19
First Man
Release: Friday, October 12, 2018 →IMAX Written by: Josh Singer Directed by: Damien Chazelle While First Man is only a small step into a different genre for director Damien Chazelle, the way he tells the story of the Moon landing may well represent a giant leap for fans of his previous, more emotionally-driven work. The historical reenactment is uncharted … Continue reading First Man
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Release: Friday, May 25, 2018 →Theater Written by: Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan Directed by: Ron Howard Though Ron Howard is among my favorite directors I wouldn't have pegged him as a candidate to helm a Star Wars movie, even a spinoff. But this is good news people -- no longer do you have to suffer through The Dilemma to find … Continue reading Solo: A Star Wars Story
The Cloverfield Paradox
Release: Sunday, February 4, 2018 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Oren Uziel Directed by: Julius Onah The Cloverfield Paradox, a surprise addition to the Cloverfield collection which debuted on the heels of Super Bowl LII, is itself an experiential paradox. How did I just sacrifice an hour and forty-five minutes of my time and yet feel like I watched nothing … Continue reading The Cloverfield Paradox
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release: Friday, May 5, 2017 [Theater] Written by: James Gunn Directed by: James Gunn One of the things that struck me about the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy is how obviously the returning cast carry their swagger around. It's as if they just got done saving the entire galaxy. But has this level of cockiness really been … Continue reading Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Life
Release: Friday, March 24, 2017 [Theater] Written by: Rhett Reese; Paul Wernick Directed by: Daniel Espinosa I love how nihilistic Life turns out to be and the irony of it being so totally NOT life-affirming. While the characters in Daniel Espinosa's zero-gravity-set thriller often demonstrate a lack of tact and intelligence, their incompetency only serves to underscore the arrogance of man … Continue reading Life
Hidden Figures
Release: Friday, January 6, 2017 [Theater] Written by: Theodore Melfi; Allison Shroeder Directed by: Theodore Melfi 'We go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.' Former President John F. Kennedy's speech became a staple of American history the moment those words were uttered. The … Continue reading Hidden Figures
Passengers
Release: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Jon Spaihts Directed by: Morten Tyldum Morten Tyldum is a Norwegian director who has been on the fast-track to success ever since bursting on to the world stage in 2011 with his critically acclaimed Headhunters, an action thriller based upon a novel by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø and featuring a Scandinavian cast. He's never looked … Continue reading Passengers
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Release: Friday, December 16, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Chris Weitz; Tony Gilroy Directed by: Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards (Godzilla; Monsters) has been given the none-too-enviable task of linking two of cinema's most iconic trilogies. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story predicates the ultra-classic original space opera and follows on the heels of the considerably less classic trilogy that kicked off circa the turn of the … Continue reading Rogue One: A Star Wars Story