REVIEW: Overlord (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures

The following is a review of Overlord — Directed by Julius Avery.

I won’t be the first or the last person to make this comparison, but Avery’s Overlord could’ve easily been the basis for a Wolfenstein game, a hugely popular and long-running video game series — the title font on the poster above is even similar to the font used for the latest Wolfenstein-logo.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Overlord (2018)”

REVIEW: The Other Side of the Wind (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Other Side of the Wind — Directed by Orson Welles.

Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles, who died in 1985, has had his final film released as a Netflix film in 2018. That is one of those sentences that makes no sense to anyone unfamiliar with the situation. It isn’t a spoof film. It isn’t a joke. The Other Side of the Wind is actually a long-discussed unfinished Welles project that is now finally seeing the light of day thanks to a streaming service.  Continue reading “REVIEW: The Other Side of the Wind (2018)”

REVIEW: Shirkers (2018 – Documentary)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the Netflix Documentary Shirkers — Directed by Sandi Tan.

In the early 1990s, a group of teenage Singaporean cinephiles became filmmakers when they wrote, cast, produced, and shot their independent road movie, Shirkers. Though the film was directed by their American mentor Georges Cardona, the premise and the script came from Sandi Tan who also played the protagonist. As Sandi Tan waited to go into post-production on Shirkers, Cardona, who was in possession of the film reels, ignored her and disappeared out of nowhere with the film — leaving her and her friends empty-handed and without the film that a film critic friend of theirs thought was childish but ahead of its time.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Shirkers (2018 – Documentary)”

REVIEW: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster — 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Bohemian Rhapsody — Directed by Bryan Singer.

The best word to describe the reported principal photography process for Bohemian Rhapsody is ‘problematic.’ Production of the film was temporarily stopped due to director Bryan Singer. Bryan Singer was eventually fired before the film was even finished. Hoping to save the film, the studio behind it hired director Dexter Fletcher to complete the film and take it across the finishing line in the best state possible. As it turns out, Bohemian Rhapsody — the film — is not as interesting as the notorious making of the film seems to have been. Continue reading “REVIEW: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)”

REVIEW: The Haunting of Hill House (2018 – TV Series)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the Netflix limited series The Haunting of Hill House — Directed by Mike Flanagan.

With films like Oculus, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Hush, and Gerald’s Game, filmmaker Mike Flanagan has started to make quite a name for himself. He has become a reliable horror filmmaker, and after Gerald’s Game, in particular, it certainly felt like he had gotten into the right meeting rooms. Suddenly, he had signed on to adapt Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, and right now he is ready with these ten episodes of The Haunting of Hill House — a great Netflix’s horror series that is as sad as it is terrifying. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Haunting of Hill House (2018 – TV Series)”

REVIEW: First Man (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of First Man — Directed by Damien Chazelle.

Do kids still dream of becoming astronauts? — That is one of the many things I thought of after I saw First Man — the latest film from Damien Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench; Whiplash; La La Land). When I was a kid I remember I sometimes would play and try to jump in slow motion, because I imagined that would be what it would be like to jump on the moon. Continue reading “REVIEW: First Man (2018)”

REVIEW: Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Bad Times at the El Royale — Directed by Drew Goddard.

There are some films that you can only recommend with a very specific caveat — that the movie felt as if it had been designed and made for you. This feeling can happen all the time, and when this happens I almost always find myself saying that “I absolutely loved it,” and then I limit my statement with a “but.” In the case of Bad Times at the El Royale, that sentence would probably look something like this: “I absolutely loved it, but there is a very real chance that its length and pace will annoy the hell out of you.”  Continue reading “REVIEW: Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)”

REVIEW: Halloween (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of 2018’s Halloween — Directed by David Gordon Green.

One of the challenges of being a Star Wars fan is that newcomers to the series, or those unfamiliar with the texts, tend to become confused by the order of the film series. The first film is the fourth episode. The fourth film is the first episode. Sure, the seventh film is the seventh episode, but then you suddenly have to explain where the Disney spin-off films fit in. It can be fun, but it can also be tiring. Halloween fans know this problem all too well. Continue reading “REVIEW: Halloween (2018)”

REVIEW: 22 July (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Netflix’s 22 July — Directed by Paul Greengrass.

Paul Greengrass’ latest, 22 July, is a film about the 2011 Norway attacks set in Norway, starring Norwegian actors who are all speaking English. Greengrass’ feature film is not to be confused with Norwegian director Erik Poppe’s 2018 film about the 2011 Norway attacks, Utøya 22. Juli (sometimes referred to as U: July 22), set in Norway, starring Norwegian actors who all speak in their native language. Continue reading “REVIEW: 22 July (2018)”

REVIEW: Apostle (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a short review of APOSTLE — Directed by Gareth Evans.

In 2011, Welsh director Gareth Evans rose to fame in the film community for his Indonesian action film The Raid: Redemption. After he had completed its sequel, Evans had become known for these elaborate and inventive action set-pieces. His latest film is not an adrenaline-fueled action film in the vein of his previous Indonesian efforts. Continue reading “REVIEW: Apostle (2018)”