Category: Movie Reviews

RETRO REVIEW: Shotgun Stories (2007)

Theatrical Release Poster - Multicom Entertainment Group
Theatrical Release Poster – Multicom Entertainment Group

The following is a retro review of Shotgun Stories, a Jeff Nichols film.

Writer-director Jeff Nichols, who is about to have his breakthrough in 2016 with two major motion pictures (‘Midnight Special’ & ‘Loving’), has quietly been making a name for himself. 2011’s Take Shelter was very impressive, and his 2013-film, Mud, was one of the very best films of that year, in my opinion. But for today’s retro review, I’m looking back at his feature film debut: Shotgun Stories from 2007.
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RETRO REVIEW: Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a retro review of Ghostbusters 2 (1989).

In preparation for the release of Paul Feig’s new rebooted Ghostbusters, I’ve been rewatching the two original Ivan Reitman films. I’ve always liked the franchise and the characters, but I’ve never been a real Ghostbusters fanboy. Just the other day, I rewatched and reviewed the original Ghostbusters, which is still an amazing comedy. Now, I hadn’t actually seen Ghostbusters 2 in, maybe, around ten or eleven years. I couldn’t really remember it that well, and, when I sat down to watch the sequel today, I found out why: Ghostbusters 2 is a serious step down from the first film and, arguably, a thoroughly lackluster ghostly comedy by comparison.

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CLASSIC REVIEW: Ghostbusters (1984)

The Ghostbusters fighting Gozer in Ivan Reitman’s GHOSTBUSTERS — PHOTO: Columbia Pictures.

The following is a classic review of Ghostbusters (1984).

Ghostbusters takes place in New York City and follows a team of scientists who focus on the supernatural, who, after getting their team name out to the public, are contacted by a woman named Dana Barrett (played by Sigourney Weaver). Barrett reports of a monster or spirit in her refrigerator by the name of Zuul. One of the scientists, Dr. Peter Venkman (played by Bill Murray), takes lead on the investigation, but he is more interested in Dana than the case. 

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REVIEW: Into the Forest (2016)

Theatrical Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of Into the Forest, a Patricia Rozema film.

Patricia Rozema’s Into the Forest, not to be confused with Rob Marshall’s Into the Woods or Jason Zada’s The Forest, had its premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, but wasn’t released theatrically in Canada and the United States until 2016. Just the other day, I saw it pop up on a Danish video on demand service, but the film didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Into the Forest (2016)” →

CLASSIC REVIEW: Schindler’s List (1993)

Theatrical Release poster - Universal Pictures
Theatrical Release poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a classic review of Schindler’s List, a Steven Spielberg film. There are spoilers in this review.

Schindler’s List tells the story of how Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson), a German businessman, saved more than a thousand of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. This review will be a little bit different. I’ll review this film, by explaining why I didn’t see it until 2016. There are spoilers in this review, so I will not hold anything back.

One of the things I always wondered about, was why my father would never watch Schindler’s List with me. He has always been intrigued by films set during World War II, but for some unknown reason he would never watch it with me. He has always told me that he had seen it, but he has no interest in ever seeing it again. Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Schindler’s List (1993)” →

REVIEW: Spotlight (2015)

Spotlight poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Open Road Films

The following is a quick review of Spotlight, a Tom McCarthy film.

In late 2015, I made the decision to publish my top ten films of the year on New Year’s Eve. Sadly, that meant a number of films, which hadn’t been released in Denmark yet, were deemed ineligible for my top ten films of 2015-list. One of those films were Spotlight. By now, I’ve seen Spotlight three times, and it has made me reconsider its status as ineligible. Spotlight is an exceptional film, and one of the best of the year.   Continue reading “REVIEW: Spotlight (2015)” →

REVIEW: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)

Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures

The following is a review of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, a Michael Bay film.

Michael Bay gets a lot of hate from the online film community. A lot of people hate his films, and some of his films, namely the Transformers movie franchise, represents what many see as the worst aspects of film today. Michael Bay once said, that he makes movies for teenage boys, but, with 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, he has made a surprisingly mature film that I think is his best film since Armageddon, which I still really like. Continue reading “REVIEW: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Star Trek (2009)

Theatrical Release Poster - Paramount Pictures, et al.
Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures, et al.

The following is a retro review of Star Trek, a J. J. Abrams film.

I wasn’t a fan of Star Trek before 2009. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. J. J. Abrams made me a Star Trek fan. I’ve since gone back and seen some of the shows, but this film is still what made me a fan, and still my favorite thing in the franchise. 2009’s Star Trek is fast-paced fun. It’s exhilarating. It looks amazing, and it is one of the best science fiction action films I’ve seen.  Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Star Trek (2009)” →

REVIEW: The Neon Demon (2016)

The Neon Demon Poster
Theatrical Release poster – Amazon Studios, et al.

The following is a review of The Neon Demon, a Nicolas Winding Refn film.

I like a lot of Nicolas Winding Refn’s films. I think he’s one of the most talented Danish directors out there. Drive is probably his most well known film, and definitely the film people praise the most. Drive is amazing, and I really like his Pusher-films too. Only God Forgives gets a lot of criticism, and I get where the criticism is coming from, but, ultimately, I thought the good outweighed the bad there. I really didn’t know what to expect from The Neon Demon.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Neon Demon (2016)” →

REVIEW: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

ID4-2 Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Independence Day: Resurgence, a Roland Emmerich film.

It’s been twenty years since the release of the original Independence Day. That film from 1996 is a nice, fun little popcorn film. I have a lot of fun with it, even if it isn’t considered a ‘great film’. That said, I was really pessimistic when I sat down in the theater to watch the sequel, Resurgence. I had heard that Will Smith wasn’t in the sequel, and that Mae Whitman had been replaced by Maika Monroe. I was worried, but I wanted to like the film. Now I’ve seen it, and it’s even worse than I had feared.
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