REVIEW: The Last of Us – “Long Long Time”

Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in HBO’s THE LAST OF US — PHOTO: HBO / Liane Hentscher.

The following is a recap and review of the third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect story spoilers.

In the third episode of the first season of the HBO adaptation of the masterful video game franchise known as The Last of Us — titled Long Long Time — Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) make their way toward the home of two of Joel and Tess’ allies. As they make their way and Joel tells Ellie about the pre-and post-outbreak world, we get to know Bill (played by Nick Offerman) and Frank (played by Murray Bartlett) in an expanded flashback that takes us all the way to ‘the present day.’ Long Long Time was directed by Peter Hoar (Daredevil; It’s A Sin) and written by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl).

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REVIEW: Spiderhead (2022)

Chris Hemsworth as the charismatic antagonist, Steve Abnesti, in Joseph Kosinski’s SPIDERHEAD — Photo: Netflix.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski — Screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick.

No, my fellow cineastes, your eyes are not deceiving you. This adaptation of the George Saunders short story Escape from Spiderhead was indeed directed by Joseph Kosinski whose film Top Gun: Maverick — a charming, thrilling, and crowd-pleasing legacy sequel — invigorated the film and movie theater industries by being a huge hit just this very month, and its screenplay was indeed written by the writers of Zombieland, Deadpool, and Life — Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. When you add the fact that Spiderhead is spearheaded by acting talents like Marvel Studios’ God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth, and Whiplash lead, Miles Teller (who also starred in Top Gun: Maverick), then it starts to sound like the kind of film that ought to have been released in theaters or, at the very least, been given a larger marketing push than it has gotten thus far. You’d be right in thinking that. Even though it has some issues, it deserves far better than falling into obscurity as one of the many overlooked entries in Netflix’s vast content library.

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REVIEW: Chaos Walking (2021)

Daisy Ridley as Viola and Tom Holland as Todd Hewitt in Doug Liman’s CHAOS WALKING — Photo: Lionsgate.

Directed by Doug Liman — Screenplay by Patrick Ness & Christopher Ford.

On paper, this should be a huge hit. It’s a science-fiction action film starring Tom Holland of Spider-Man fame and Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame, they are surrounded by a more than capable cast including the incredible Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round), and the film was directed by Edge of Tomorrow‘s Doug Liman. And yet this is a film that has been through quite a lot of behind-the-scenes work. It has gone through several rounds of rewrites and expensive reshoots, and it, reportedly, was the victim of poor reception at test screenings. After having had its release delayed several times, Chaos Walking is now here, but while it has all the ingredients of a film made for me, it just doesn’t work as a complete package.

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REVIEW: A Quiet Place (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Paramount Pictures

The following is a review of A Quiet Place — Directed by John Krasinski.

Actor-turned-director John Krasinski’s third feature film as a director is the horror-thriller film A Quiet Place, which follows the Abbott family in the dystopian near-future wherein the entire world seems abandoned and empty due to the existence of blind, mysterious, and violent creatures that hide and wait for something as harmless as the sound of a pin drop to pounce on any pray alive to be taken. Continue reading “REVIEW: A Quiet Place (2018)”

CLASSIC REVIEW: Blade Runner (1982)

Final Cut Release Poster – Warner Bros.

The following is a review of Blade Runner: The Final Cut – Directed by Ridley Scott

When people want to start reading comic books with their favorite characters from the big screen, they often become very confused about where to start. There are so many different versions, issues, and volumes that it is not an easy hobby to start. Similarly, some movies and franchises seem too complicated to get into. Sometimes people say they won’t start watching Star Trek or Star Wars because, to them, it feels like you need an extensive guide to start. Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Blade Runner (1982)”