I can't immediately recall a time when there were so many (three, to be specific) mysteries in theaters. First, just a few weekends ago, we got the mediocre The Happytime Murders (review) and the spectacular Searching (review) and, now, from "the darker side of Paul Feig" (as the marketing states) we get A Simple Favor. ... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 9, 1983 Production budget: $25,000,000 Worldwide gross: $65,884,703 There can be any number of reasons why a given film may go on to live forever in the public consciousness, achieving legendary status. Sometimes, it's due to the story. Sometimes, it's the property. Sometimes, a film may represent a giant leap... Continue Reading →
The Happytime Murders was making news before it even hit theaters after Disney sued the creators for potentially causing marketplace confusion among consumers. Directed by Brian Henson - the son of legendary puppeteer and the creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson - The Happytime Murders is set in a world where humans and Muppet-like puppets... Continue Reading →
Approximately one year ago, I found myself tasked with the responsibility of standing in front of my Freshman Orientation class and attempting to explain to them the then-recent events of Charlottesville, Virginia. It was Current Events Day in the curriculum, and each Freshman Orientation teacher was asked to discuss the most relevant current events for... Continue Reading →
You may or may not know that this franchise from director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington is based on a television series of the same name from the eighties that starred Edward Woodward. In each version, the main character, ex-intelligence agent Robert McCall, seeks to strike a balance between right and wrong through vigilantism,... Continue Reading →
Better late than never, right? I wasn't sure I was going to take the plunge and see SuperFly, the remake of the 1972 similarly-titled film Super Fly. It's a crime film, which I'm not crazy about (I struggle to engage with lead characters who are wittingly engaging in criminal activity), and the director's pretentious moniker... Continue Reading →
Full disclosure: I saw Sicario: Day of the Soldado out of a sense of obligation to the Movie March. I saw the original Sicario in the theater back in 2015 and thought it was fine. But, while there's nothing inherently wrong with them, these hard-edged crime movies aren't generally my cup of chocolate milk. I... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: June 19, 1992 Production budget: $80,000,000 Worldwide gross: $266,822,354 Following the successful reinvention of the Batman character by Frank Miller in DC Comics' The Dark Knight Returns series, director Tim Burton achieved the same result in the world of live-action entertainment when he released Batman in 1989 to massive audience enthusiasm and... Continue Reading →
Though Drew Pearce has a couple of significant writing credits on his résumé, having his name on the scripts for both Iron Man 3 and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Hotel Artemis marks his debut as a feature film director (in addition to writing the screenplay). And what a debut to have, landing Jodie Foster (The... Continue Reading →
To the utter dismay of misogynists everywhere, Ocean's 8 hit theaters over the weekend while I was busy with family and delivered the goods at the box office, earning more in its debut weekend than Ocean's Eleven did back in 2001. (Sure, some will be quick to play the Inflation Card, but I'm still sitting... Continue Reading →
The Movie March! 