Original US release date: December 5, 2008 Production budget: $25,000,000 Worldwide gross: $27,426,335 There are timely films and then there are films that are before their time. Ron Howard is probably seen by most as a director who frequently makes good or very good films and occasionally makes a great one. Most recently, a lot... Continue Reading →
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 →
It was just early this year when Marvel's Black Widow was essentially appropriated for a Jennifer Lawrence vehicle you probably remember entitled Red Sparrow (click here for that review). Now, from Pierre Morel, the director of Taken, comes another let's-pretend-it's-not-a-Marvel-character movie starring Jennifer Garner, this time by the name of Peppermint. Morel hasn't really done... 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 →
Along with BlacKkKlansman, Searching was my most-anticipated film of August. An intense, gripping trailer combined with a stylish presentation and a lot of buzz coming out of Sundance made this one the one to see on opening weekend. I've also liked star John Cho since my first exposure to him in ABC's "Flashforward" television series... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 25, 1993 Production budget: $35,100,000 Worldwide gross: $70,172,621 For those who might not be aware, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were a common theatrical comedy duo, much like the pairings of Don Knotts and Tim Conway, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, or Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Their first movie... Continue Reading →
It has taken me far longer to see Debra Granik's (Winter's Bone) Leave No Trace than I had either hoped or intended. The buzzy independent film has been a festival darling and garnered rave reviews all around the industry (it currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) but out-of-town trips, local weekend events, and a... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: July 17, 2009 Production budget: $7,500,000 Worldwide gross: $60,722,734 It's hard to believe that (500) Days of Summer is now over nine years old (that's 3,304 days of (500) Days of Summer, to be exact). Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, the film was the first to be directed by Marc... Continue Reading →
Dwayne Johnson has been a busy man in recent months. Skyscraper is his third major film in the last eight months, alongside Rampage (click here for that review) and his holiday season mega-hit, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (and that review is here). He has unquestionably successfully transitioned from one of the most iconic professional... 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 →
The Movie March! 