Tag: Dan Stevens

REVIEW: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities – Season One (2022)

Tim Blake Nelson and Sebastian Roché in ‘Lot 36’ from GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES — PHOTO: Netflix.

Series Created by Guillermo del Toro.

Just in time for All Hallow’s Eve, Netflix released a spooky four-day event with eight episodes (two released each day) of the brand-new horror anthology series Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has assembled eight directors and had each of them direct their own hour-ish-long episode. Admittedly, not every one of them is an outright hit, but, as a collection of horror curiosities, del Toro’s anthology series definitely does its job, and, if you follow the two-a-day release schedule, then you may find that their spot in the season wasn’t entirely random. Horror aficionados gather around because this one is for you.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities – Season One (2022)” →

REVIEW: The Call of the Wild (2020)

Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Studios

The following is a review of The Call of the Wild (2020) — Directed by Chris Sanders.

Chris Sanders’ The Call of the Wild is an adaptation of the Jack London short adventure novel of the same name from 1903, which, since 1923, has been made into several films. Set in the late 19th Century, the film follows Buck (motion-captured by Terry Notary), a large and excited St. Bernard-Collie dog. In the film’s opening, the oversized, eager, and excited dog from California is abducted, crated, and put on a ship headed for Yukon. In snowy Yukon, Buck is then swiftly sold to become a sled dog, which he struggles with. Over the course of the film, Buck experiences wilderness, he leads by example, and he encounters new masters and friends, including John Thornton (played by Harrison Ford), a grumpy and world-weary nomad, who learns to love man’s best friend. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Call of the Wild (2020)” →

REVIEW: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga — Directed by David Dobkin.

David Dobkin’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is an American straight-to-Netflix comedy about a fictional band’s journey to the Eurovision Song Contest, an international song competition that celebrates pop music. It is, essentially, the European Championship of pop music. In the song contest, each country has a representative who must belt out an original popular song and attempt to win the grand prize of a microphone-shaped glass trophy, as well as the right to have their country host the song contest the following year. Continue reading “REVIEW: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)” →

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)” →

REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Release Poster – Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The following is a review of Beauty and the Beast – Directed by Bill Condon

I was born in the early 1990s, and, as a result, one of my first favorite movies was the animated ‘classic’ Disney’s Beauty and the Beast from 1991. My mom recently reminded me and my sister that we would watch it over and over again when we were kids, and my father seems to have become tired of the film as a result.

I still absolutely love the animated film, but, seeing as I’ve enjoyed both Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book remake and Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella remake, I was confident in Disney’s ability to remake another one of their most beloved films. Yet while I can say that I enjoyed this remake by Bill Condon, it does feel rather unnecessary and it doesn’t hold a candle to the animated classic. Continue reading “REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast (2017)” →