REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Coushatta”

The following is a recap and review of the eighth episode of the fourth season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers. 

In the eighth episode of the fourth season — Coushatta — Jimmy (played by Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) try to make it so that Huell Babineaux avoids a prison sentence, while Nacho (played by Michael Mando) is introduced to another member of the Salamanca family. Coushatta was written by Gordon Smith and directed by Jim McKay. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Coushatta”” →

REVIEW: First Reformed (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of First Reformed — Directed by Paul Schrader.

There aren’t many screenwriters as iconic as Paul Schrader, who has written such classics as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. With his latest directorial effort, First Reformed, he has joined forces with Ethan Hawke, the critical favorite in the film’s leading role, to dissect despair and religious responsibilities with another trademark-Schrader ‘man in a room’ film. Continue reading “REVIEW: First Reformed (2018)” →

REVIEW: Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018 – Documentary)

Release Poster – HBO

The following is a review of Jane Fonda in Five Acts — An HBO Documentary Film.

Documentary filmmaker Susan Lacy, who directed last year’s Spielberg, has with her newest HBO documentary film — Jane Fonda in Five Acts — pointed the camera at Jane Fonda, one of the most fascinating and controversial American movie stars of the last sixty years. The film takes you through her career, which included both ups and downs, and attempts to make the argument that she was defined by others until she found herself down the road. Continue reading “REVIEW: Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018 – Documentary)” →

REVIEW: Hell Fest (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Lionsgate / CBS Films

The following is a review of Hell Fest — Directed by Gregory Plotkin.

Editor-director Gregory Plotkin’s Hell Fest is a horror-slasher film set almost entirely in a horror-themed carnival complete with various haunted mazes and scare zones. The film follows three couples as they are stalked through the horror carnival by a masked serial killer in street clothes posing as a normal parkgoer. Continue reading “REVIEW: Hell Fest (2018)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Something Stupid”

The following is a recap and review of the seventh episode of the fourth season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers. 

In the seventh episode of the fourth season — Something Stupid — Jimmy (played by Bob Odenkirk) has to ask Kim (played by Rhea Seehorn) for her assistance when his bodyguard, Huell Babineaux (played by Lavell Crawford), is arrested for protecting Jimmy. Something Stupid was written by Alison Tatlock and directed by Deborah Chow. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Something Stupid”” →

REVIEW: Maniac (2018 – Mini-Series)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a full review of Netflix’s Maniac — Developed by Cary Joji Fukunaga & Patrick Somerville.

It is a good time to be Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director of Sin Nombre and Beasts of No Nation, who won an Emmy for directing the first season of HBO’s True Detective. Although Fukunaga’s career has seen him deal with behind-the-scenes production issues, with his exit from 2017’s IT being the primary example, he may have just had the best week of his career. Continue reading “REVIEW: Maniac (2018 – Mini-Series)” →

REVIEW: Thoroughbreds (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster — Focus Features / Universal Pictures

The following is a review of Thoroughbreds — Directed by Cory Finley.

Remember My Chemical Romance? It was a rock band that my sister loved back in the day. I really liked their album The Black Parade, and every now and then some of the band’s songs come to mind. When I was watching writer-director Cory Finley’s directorial debut Thoroughbreds, I started to think about their song “Teenagers” — more specifically about the line “All teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone will bleed.” The late-great acting talent Anton Yelchin, in what seems to be his final role on film, has a similar line in the film, but he manages to express himself in much fewer words: “fucking evil children.” Continue reading “REVIEW: Thoroughbreds (2018)” →

REVIEW: BLACKKKLANSMAN (2018)

blackkklansmanpostr
Theatrical Release Poster – Focus Features

The following is a review of BlacKkKlansman — Directed by Spike Lee.

Director Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is based on the memoir of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American officer and detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department, and the film tells the story of how Ron (played by John David Washington) and his partner Detective Flip Zimmermann (played by Adam Driver) infiltrated the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan.  Continue reading “REVIEW: BLACKKKLANSMAN (2018)” →

REVIEW: The Predator (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of The Predator — Directed by Shane Black.

While I enjoy both franchises, I’ve always been more of an Alien-fan than a Predator-fan. I don’t rewatch the classic original Predator-film often, I don’t have a particularly favorable opinion about the sequels. In fact, the spin-off film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is one of the films that I dislike the most. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Predator (2018)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Piñata”

The following is a recap and review of the sixth episode of the fourth season of Better Call Saul, available on AMC in the U. S. and on Netflix internationally. Expect story spoilers. 

In the sixth episode of the fourth season — Piñata — Kim Wexler (played by Rhea Seehorn) makes an important decision for her career, Mike (played by Jonathan Banks) meets a German construction crew, and Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) gets his revenge. Piñata was written by Gennifer Hutchison and directed by Andrew Stanton. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Piñata”” →