REVIEW: The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Cloverfield Paradox — Directed by Julius Onah.

There is nothing quite like Cloverfield. The production and release of Matt Reeves’ found footage monster movie was kept under wraps for a long time. The existence of Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane — the spiritual sequel — was only revealed one or two months before it was set to be released in theaters. And, now, The Cloverfield Paradox is released on Netflix just a few hours after the first trailer for it was released during Super Bowl LII. There is nothing quite like Cloverfield, and yet there are so many things like the immensely disappointing The Cloverfield Paradox.
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REVIEW: Step Sisters (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Step Sisters — Directed by Charles Stone III.

Step Sisters is a dance comedy film about an African-American college student, Jamilah (played by Megalyn Echikunwoke), who wants so desperately to go to Harvard. So, when a damaging video of white sorority girls goes viral, Jamilah tries to secure a letter of recommendation from the Dean by teaching a mostly white sorority how to step dance. Continue reading “REVIEW: Step Sisters (2018)”

REVIEW: A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of A Futile and Stupid Gesture — Directed by David Wain.

Here is a thing that I don’t think Americans have ever thought about. When I was younger and I watched National Lampoon’s Vacation or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and so on and so forth, I had no idea what the hell National Lampoon was. I vividly remember asking my parents several times what National Lampoon was, and they didn’t really have a firm grasp of it either. Honestly, I don’t think most Non-Americans really know about National Lampoon. So, really, A Futile and Stupid Gesture — a film about the rise and fall of the parody magazine — is probably a pretty good idea. Continue reading “REVIEW: A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)”

Reaction to the Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards – Special Features #15

I made my predictions, I was ready to watch the nomination announcement, and I gave my live-reactions on Twitter. But I’ve got more to say, and I’ll do that here in this week’s Special Features. Let’s talk about the nominations for the 90th Academy Awards! Continue reading “Reaction to the Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards – Special Features #15”

Final 90th Academy Awards Nomination Predictions – Special Features #14

In a couple of days, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will reveal the full list of nominees for the 90th Academy Awards. That means that it is finally time to unveil my list of predicted nominees. I’ve tried to predict the nominated films for every category excluding the short film awards. Continue reading “Final 90th Academy Awards Nomination Predictions – Special Features #14”

REVIEW: The Open House (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Open House – A Netflix Original Film.

A couple of months ago, I had my first genuinely effective nightmare in my adult life. In it, I was watching television when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone standing in the doorway. It wasn’t just anyone. It was a figure that seemed to have been constructed from different images from Stephen King adaptations. Imagine something of a mix between the leper from Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of IT and the moonlight man from Gerald’s Game.

In the nightmare, I was unable to move as this figure kept moving towards me ever so slowly. Needless to say, home invasion movies have a strong effect on me. A home invasion is one of my biggest fears. Therefore, as you might imagine, The Open House was a horror film I had on my radar. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Open House (2018)”

REVIEW: The Polka King (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Polka King – Directed by Maya Forbes.

The Polka King is a comedic biopic that tells the true story about Jan Lewan (played by Jack Black), a Polish polka band leader and con artist, who became a convicted criminal while exploring the depths of the American Dream. The film is far more interested in his successes and deceptions than in his time in prison, however, and that gives us plenty of time to see surprisingly strong supporting cast of actors like Jenny Slate — playing his wife, Marla Lewan; Jacki Weaver — his mother-in-law, Barb; and Jason Schwartzman — his good friend and one of the band members in his polka band.
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Box Office Predictions – 2018 Preview

And here we are! Can you believe it? We actually made it through 2017. In this month’s edition of Box Office Prediction, I will first be giving my overall 2018 opening weekend predictions (i.e. I will be sharing my prediction of the top ten opening weekends of this year), then I will be giving my predictions for Januar 2018, before finishing up this month’s post with a look back the Billion Dollar Club-members from 2017. Continue reading “Box Office Predictions – 2018 Preview”