Tag: 2020

REVIEW: After Hours (1985)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Martin Scorsese’s 1985 classic After Hours — Written by Joseph Minion.

Although his 1980 feature film Raging Bull earned Martin Scorsese rave reviews and industry awards recognition, its success did not ensure that Martin Scorsese’s 1980s would be a nice and smooth ride with nothing but successes. Even though he had already made films that we still talk about today, Scorsese was not the box office draw that modern cineastes might have imagined. His follow-up to Raging Bull, his 1982 near-masterpiece The King of Comedy struggled at the box office. Then Paramount Pictures got cold feet due to a sizable budget as well as religious protests, and, as a result, they, eventually, canceled the production of Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ, which was finally made and released with the help of Universal Studios in 1988. So one might understand if, in the mid-to-early 1980s, Martin Scorsese needed to make something wildly different. It was at this point when, before he finally got to make his aforementioned controversial religious passion project, Martin Scorsese made his frantic black comedy After Hours. Continue reading “REVIEW: After Hours (1985)” →

What To Watch (Or Not Watch) During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Special Features #67

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of your time during your Coronavirus pandemic self-isolation by watching a truckload of films and shows. In this edition of Special Features, I have listed several films and television shows that I have watched recently. Also, I obviously recommend that my readers watch both Westworld and Better Call Saul, but since I am reviewing — or plan to review — these shows, I won’t be discussing them in this article. In fact, I don’t currently plan to write lengthy reviews of most of the shows or films that I am specifically writing about in this article. However, that does not mean that I don’t have plenty of shows or films that I want to recommend. Let’s dive in. Continue reading “What To Watch (Or Not Watch) During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Special Features #67” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Dedicado a Max”

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

In the fifth episode of the fifth season — Dedicado a Max — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) goes to work for Mr. Acker (played by Barry Corbin), Kim Wexler (played by Rhea Seehorn) makes potentially dangerous plans, and Mike (played by Jonathan Banks) tries to figure out why he is in Mexico all of a sudden. Dedicado a Max was written by Heather Marion and directed by Jim McKay, who previously directed the Better Call Saul episode titled Coushatta. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Dedicado a Max”” →

REVIEW: El Hoyo (2019)

Festival Release Poster – Basque Films; Mr. Miyagi Films; Plataforma La Película; A.I.E

The following is a review of El Hoyo, also known as The Platform — Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.

I have been looking forward to this movie for close to six months. I heard it described as one of the best horror films of 2019 and one of the coolest movie concepts of that year. People whose opinions I pay attention to were praising this movie so much that I ended up having fairly strong expectations for the film. Thankfully, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s feature film directorial debut did not disappoint, even though the debut director failed to make his film stand out from other similar films. Continue reading “REVIEW: El Hoyo (2019)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Namaste”

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

In the fourth episode of the fifth season — Namaste — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) has a meeting with Howard Hamlin (played by Patrick Fabian), Kim Wexler (played by Rhea Seehorn) tries to make Mesa Verde reconsider their plans, and Mike (played by Jonathan Banks) tries to make things right with his family. Namaste was written and directed by Gordon Smith, who has previously written several episodes of Better Call Saul. This is Gordon Smith’s directorial debut. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “Namaste”” →

Coronavirus Update: Stay Home – Special Features #66

Contagion (2011), Warner Bros. Pictures

On March 5th, I wrote an article about the announcement that the 25th Eon-produced James Bond film, NO TIME TO DIE, was postponed to November 2020 to minimize the risk of infection at movie theaters all over the world and to ensure commercial success. Since then, as I predicted, the theatrical releases of several films including, but not limited to, A Quiet Place: Part II, Mulan, The New Mutants, and Fast and Furious 9 have been postponed. Continue reading “Coronavirus Update: Stay Home – Special Features #66” →

REVIEW: Lost Girls (2020)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Lost Girls — Directed by Liz Garbus.

Netflix is starting to build itself a strong reputation for being a good home for true-crime content. There are numerous Netflix exclusive true-crime docu-series and films that I have been very fascinated by. The latest true-crime content from Netflix is Lost Girls, the narrative film debut from the seasoned documentary film director, Liz Garbus, who I don’t think, ultimately, does enough with this incredible true story. Continue reading “REVIEW: Lost Girls (2020)” →

REVIEW: Spenser Confidential (2020)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Spenser Confidential — Directed by Peter Berg.

Though I have yet to see Mile 22, I have liked every other Peter Berg-Mark Wahlberg collaboration — Lone Survivor; Deepwater Horizon; and Patriots Day — that came out prior to Spenser Confidential. So when I found out that Berg and Wahlberg were reteaming for a new Netflix film, I was very interested and, frankly, a little bit excited. I was hoping that Netflix had finally made a good, solid, and rewatchable action flick. However, Spenser Confidential is a terrible disappointment. Berg and Wahlberg’s partnership has not provided us with anything good this time around. It’s almost at the point where the only thing I liked about this movie were the dogs in it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Spenser Confidential (2020)” →

REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “The Guy for This”

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

In the third episode of the fifth season — The Guy for This — Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) meets Lalo Salamanca (played by Tony Dalton), Kim Wexler (played by Rhea Seehorn) has to deal with a stubborn Tucumcari homeowner, and Nacho Varga (played by Michael Mando) is confronted by his father. The Guy for This was written by Ann Cherkis and directed by Michael Morris. Continue reading “REVIEW: Better Call Saul – “The Guy for This”” →

‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Theatrical Release Postponed Due to Coronavirus Outbreak – Special Features #64

‘NO TIME TO DIE,’ Universal Pictures

The twenty-fifth James Bond film produced by Eon Productions, Cary Joji Fukunaga’s NO TIME TO DIE, was scheduled to be released just next month on April 2nd in most of the world and on April 10th in the United States. The coronavirus outbreak has now affected most of the world, and major events all over the world are now likely to be either canceled or postponed. Now MGM, Universal Pictures, and Eon Productions have announced that the publicity tour and the global release of the film have been postponed to November 2020 to minimize the risk of infection at movie theaters all over the world and to ensure commercial success. Continue reading “‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Theatrical Release Postponed Due to Coronavirus Outbreak – Special Features #64” →