Tag: 2022

REVIEW: The Batman (2022)

The Batman (played by Robert Pattinson, left) and Selina Kyle (played by Zoë Kravitz, right) get up close and personal in THE BATMAN — Photo: DC Comics / Warner Bros.

Directed by Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) — Screenplay by Matt Reeves & Peter Craig.

I was elated when Robert Pattinson was announced to play Batman. Pattinson’s work in independent films had impressed me so much, and I thought he was a pretty obvious choice for the role. However, as many people know, Batman movies always lead to premature casting criticism (people were critical of Heath Ledger, Michael Keaton, and Ben Affleck long before they had even seen them in their respective films). I remember receiving rude comments about my excitement for Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. After having finally seen the film, I can honestly say that I feel vindicated. Pattinson is great and Reeves has once again made an outstanding blockbuster film in a vastly popular (and, to some, tired) franchise.

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‘Jackass Forever’ is a Nostalgia-Fueled Theme Park Ride | Review

Johnny Knoxville and co. are back doing dangerous stunts and pranks in the fourth Jackass-film, ‘JACKASS FOREVER’ — Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When I was very young, my sister and I could spend several hours watching shows like Jackass, Viva La Bam, and Wildboyz over and over again. We could never see ourselves doing those kinds of dangerous stunts, but it was just nice to watch and it was definitely more than merely chuckle-worthy. Over the years, she and I would watch each and every one of the Jackass films, and, in a way, it felt a little bit like you grew up with them (even though they were always older than us). For the release of Jackass Forever, my sister and I went to the movies together to see what our old stunt-loving pals from the television were up to. We had a blast, but it was also a strange reminder of the passing of time.

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REVIEW: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Leatherface is back in 2022’s TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE — Photo: Netflix.

Directed by David Blue Garcia — Screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin.

There are so many legacy sequels out there today, and this industry trend has also hit the horror genre in a big way with Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022) being two of the most notable examples, but whereas the latter film is a continuation of all of the Scream films, David Gordon Green’s Halloween ignores the existence of every other Halloween sequel. David Blue Garcia’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre ignores seven ‘Leatherface-films’ and is instead a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 iconic horror picture.

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REVIEW: Kimi (2022)

Zoë Kravitz as Angela Childs in Steven Soderbergh’s KIMI — Photo: Claudette Barius / Warner Bros.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh — Screenplay by David Koepp.

Steven Soderbergh’s Kimi takes place around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which point our protagonist (Angela Childs, played by Zoë Kravitz), an agoraphobic tech worker, is struggling to even set foot outside of her apartment door. However, while reviewing the data stream of the titular virtual assistant Kimi (a la Alexa or Siri), Angela discovers evidence of what may have been a violent crime. But to get the evidence to the proper authorities she realizes that she will have to go outside. What she doesn’t know is that by reporting the recording to her company’s higher-ups she has effectively put a target on her back.

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REVIEW: The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022)

Boba Fett (Played by Temura Morrison) in Lucasfilm’s THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, exclusively on Disney+. — PHOTO: Lucasfilm / Disney+.

Series Created by Jon Favreau — All Episodes Are On Disney+ Right Now.

Jon Favreau’s The Book of Boba Fett is a spin-off of the extremely popular Disney+ Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian. The Book of Boba Fett follows the titular character (played by Temura Morrison), who became a fan-favorite character in the Original Trilogy (and who made his in-universe return in The Mandalorian), as he tries to become the new daimyo of Tatooine for the purpose of controlling the territory that once belonged to Jabba the Hutt. But he isn’t the only one who wants to control what can and can’t happen on the desert planet.

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Did Showtime’s Revival Actually Fix the Controversial ‘Dexter’ Ending? | Review

Michael C. Hall and Jack Alcott in Showtime’s DEXTER: NEW BLOOD — Photo: Seacia Pavao / Showtime.

The following is a review of the mini-series ‘Dexter: New Blood,’ which was developed by Clyde Phillips.

Is it possible to salvage a once-iconic show that once ended terribly? The original run of Showtime’s Dexter (2006-2013), which was based on Jeff Lindsay novels, started great, picked up a massive fanbase in its first four fantastic seasons, and then, after a couple of underwhelming, but still at least watchable (and rewatchable), seasons of television, it ended in a way that has made the original show a textbook example of how not to end a show.

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REVIEW: Scream (2022)

The Ghostface mask is back on the big screen alongside members of the original cast in 2022’s SCREAM — Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (also known as ‘Radio Silence’) — Screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.

What’s your favorite scary movie? That question instantly makes me think of Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s 1996 horror movie modern classic Scream, which revitalized the horror slasher genre while commenting on tropes in a really clever and funny way. The so-called Ghostface killer, dressed in black from head-to-toe except for his white mask that appears to be inspired by Edvard Munch’s unforgettable painting (The Scream), asked that exact question to a nervous teen back in the 1996 picture, and the question has since become quite iconic. And, just for the record, my favorite scary movie franchise has, in fact, always been Craven and Williamson’s Scream meta-slasher series of films.

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REVIEW: Ozark – Season Four, Part One (2022)

Jason Bateman as Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde and Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore in ‘Ozark.’ — PHOTO: Steve Dietl / Netflix.

All seven episodes of Ozark: Season Four, Part One are available now on Netflix.

Nowadays, fourteen years (or so) after the release of the iconic AMC crime thriller series Breaking Bad, there have been many shows and showrunners that have tried to ape its style or tone. But I think one of the better comparisons to Breaking Bad is Netflix’s crime darling Ozark, arguably the family-centered crime series equivalent of Pepsi to Breaking Bad‘s Coca-Cola. Of course, Ozark’s cold and blue aesthetic and color-grading also fit quite well with that comparison.

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REVIEW: Munich – The Edge of War (2022)

Jeremy Irons as Neville Chamberlain in ‘Munich – The Edge of War,’ — PHOTO: Netflix.

Directed by Christian Schwochow — Screenplay by Ben Power.

Netflix releases an overwhelming amount of films on their service every year, and while not all of them are as great as their awards players, there are several hidden gems in their content library. Sometimes, though, their library can also feel like a dumping ground. In January of 2022, I’ve been a little bit worried about their recent English-language releases. I thought Monika Mitchell’s Brazen (a Lifetime-esque thriller starring Alyssa Milano) was bland and lifeless, and Rick Jacobson’s The Royal Treatment was a very cheesy, very generic, and very predictable romantic comedy. Though it isn’t without faults, Christian Schwochow’s terribly titled Munich – The Edge of War (the main title makes me think of the Spielberg film and the subtitle makes me think of it as an extremely generic picture) was much more up my alley. Based on what I’ve seen, this is the best 2022 Netflix film released thus far this January.

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94th Academy Awards – Nomination Predictions – Mid-January

From Left to Right: Posters for The Power of the Dog (Netflix), Dune (Warner Bros.), West Side Story (20th Century Studios), Belfast (Focus Features / Universal).

The new year just started, and yet it feels like the first month of the year has almost come to an end. So, today, before the final major guilds (and the BAFTAs) share their film award nominations, I am ready to share my own predictions for the upcoming 94th edition of the Oscars (except for the short film categories). The recent SAG nominations really changed my thoughts on Best Actress, but they (and the BAFTA longlists) also focused my thoughts on Best Picture, which I feel pretty good about right now, even though the film I’m predicting to win may not be the most accessible film that I’m predicting to be nominated for the top award. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

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