Tag: 2018

REVIEW: Venom (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Sony Pictures Releasing

The following is a review of VENOM — Directed by Ruben Fleischer.

Last year, director Daniel Espinosa’s sci-fi film LIFE was released to mixed-to-positive reviews. I liked that film much more than I thought I would, and I was impressed with how such an under-the-radar sci-fi film somehow had a cast with A-list stars in it. Back when we were still only waiting for LIFE to be released, a fun fan theory surfaced online: what if LIFE was actually a prequel to the then-upcoming Sony Spider-Man spin-off film known as Venom? Continue reading “REVIEW: Venom (2018)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Winner”

The following is a recap and review of the tenth and final 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 tenth and final episode of the fourth season — Winner — Lalo (played by Tony Dalton) starts to follow the search for Werner Ziegler (played by Rainer Bock), while Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) prepares for the appeal hearing. Winner was written by Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz, and directed by Adam Bernstein. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Winner”” →

REVIEW: Private Life (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Private Life — Directed by Tamara Jenkins.

Tamara Jenkins’ Private Life is a dramedy about a never-ending pursuit of parenthood. The film follows a frustrated middle-aged couple — Richard (played by Paul Giamatti) and Rachel (played by Kathryn Hahn) — as they desperately attempt to become parents. Expensive medical procedures, adoption, egg donor — you name it and they’ve either tried or considered the method. When their desperation reaches a new high, the couple decides to ask Richard’s niece, Sadie (played by Kayli Carter), if she would consider being their egg donor, even though her family might be against it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Private Life (2018)” →

REVIEW: Hold the Dark (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a short review of Hold the Dark — Directed by Jeremy Saulnier.

In the last few years, director Jeremy Saulnier has started to become a household name with cinephiles. His last two films Blue Ruin and, especially, Green Room were both met with critical acclaim and a lot of support from the film community. So when it was announced that his next film — Netflix’s Hold the Dark — would be his most ambitious and most expensive project yet, I and many other cinephiles were, naturally, excited. Continue reading “REVIEW: Hold the Dark (2018)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Wiedersehen”

The following is a recap and review of the ninth 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 ninth and penultimate episode of the fourth season — Wiedersehen — Werner (played by Rainer Bock) makes a move, and Jimmy (played by Bob Odenkirk) runs into problems at his reinstatement hearing. Wiedersehen was written by Gennifer Hutchison and directed by Vince Gilligan. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Wiedersehen”” →

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”” →