Tag: Film Review

REVIEW: Burning Sands (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a quick review of Burning Sands – Directed by Gerard McMurray

Burning Sands is a story about the hazing that a group of young college students are put through in order to be accepted into a prestigious all African-American fraternity – Lambda Phi. One of the young students, Zurich (played by Trevor Jackson), is a very smart kid, and Professor Hughes (played by Alfre Woodard) takes a special interest in him. As he and his potential future fraternity brothers get closer to Hell Night, the final night of pledging and hazing, Zurich must decide how far he is willing to go to stand by the brotherhood. Continue reading “REVIEW: Burning Sands (2017)” →

REVIEW: Grand Piano (2013)

Poster – Magnet Releasing

The following is a review of Grand Piano – Directed by Eugenio Mira

Grand Piano is a mixture of a simple classical concert and Joel Schumacher’s thriller Phone Booth. Tom Selznick (played by Elijah Wood), a well-known pianist who has developed stage fright, is playing a comeback concert in Chicago. During his opening performance, Selznick notices a note written with a red marker on his sheet music. Continue reading “REVIEW: Grand Piano (2013)” →

REVIEW: Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Kong: Skull Island – Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

In 2014, no film disappointed me more than Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla. It’s not a bad film, per se – and I do think Gareth Edwards is a talented director – but it remains one of the biggest movie disappointments over the last few years, for me. Therefore, I was, obviously, apprehensive about the next film in Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s monster movie cinematic universe.

My main issues with Godzilla were that Godzilla, essentially, had a story that was populated with mostly uninteresting characters, and that I also felt the marketing had promised me much more of both Bryan Cranston and the titular monster than we were given. Does Kong: Skull Island share those issues? Well. Yes and no. Continue reading “REVIEW: Kong: Skull Island (2017)” →

REVIEW: Moonlight (2016)

Release Poster - A24
Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of Moonlight – Directed by Barry Jenkins

Whenever a smaller film becomes the ‘Best Picture’ winner at the Academy Awards, there is a pretty big chance that it will labeled as an overrated film later on. People will watch those kinds of films for the first time, and maybe they won’t be blown away the way they were expecting to be. The general moviegoing audience may encounter these films and question the Academy’s decision to give them that award.

Now, I, unfortunately, had to wait until after the Academy Awards to see Moonlight. So, when I finally got the chance to see the newest ‘Best Picture’ winner, I will admit that I was a bit worried. As I left the theater – still thinking about the film, obviously – I didn’t feel that this was my favorite film of the year. Another 2016 film had already stolen my heart. But make no mistake. Moonlight is a masterpiece. Continue reading “REVIEW: Moonlight (2016)” →

REVIEW: Sausage Party (2016)

Release Poster - Columbia Pictures
Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a quick review of Sausage Party – Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan

It might not have been one of the ten films I was most excited for in 2016, but Sausage Party’s trailers really started to get me fired up about the film. I think the red band trailers were solid, and I was definitely getting more and more excited about the film. I didn’t get to see it in theaters, though, and I had to wait this long to finally see Seth Rogen’s animated project. Frankly, it’s a pretty disappointing film, even if it isn’t all that bad. Continue reading “REVIEW: Sausage Party (2016)” →

REVIEW: Logan (2017)

Poster - 20th Century Fox
Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Logan – Directed by James Mangold

It’s been a long time since Hugh Jackman first joined the X-Men series. He was never the franchise’s first choice to play the iconic comic book character. Supposedly, the filmmakers of the original X-Men film always wanted Russell Crowe to play the Canadian mutant, but, instead, got Jackman.

Jackman has now confirmed that Logan will be his final film as the Wolverine (unless Ryan Reynolds convinces him to appear in a Deadpool movie), and I expect that people will always want him back. After all, Hugh Jackman is now – and always will be – our Wolverine. Continue reading “REVIEW: Logan (2017)” →

REVIEW: I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Release Poster - Netflix
Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore – Directed by Macon Blair

One of last year’s most genuine and shocking surprises were Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room, a violent thriller set in a neo-nazi bar. Green Room was a great little film, which starred Macon Blair in a supporting role, and it made me look back at what Saulnier had made before.

I soon came across Saulnier’s 2013 thriller Blue Ruin, which also starred Macon Blair (this time in a leading role). Both Green Room and Blue Ruin are great, violent thriller films, and I particularly enjoyed Blue Ruin. Therefore my interest was instantly piqued when Macon Blair’s directorial debut – I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore – went on to win the Sundance Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for the U. S. Dramatic competition. Continue reading “REVIEW: I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)” →

REVIEW: Girlfriend’s Day (2017)

Release Poster - Netflix
Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a quick review of Girlfriend’s Day – Directed by Michael Paul Stephenson

On Valentine’s Day 2017, Netflix released an original film from the mind of – and starring – Bob Odenkirk with a lean runtime of 70 minutes. As I am a fan of Odenkirk, it should’ve been easy to get through. It should’ve been a treat. But, somehow, it took me more than a week to get through and finish. Continue reading “REVIEW: Girlfriend’s Day (2017)” →

REVIEW: A Cure for Wellness (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster - 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of A Cure for Wellness – Directed by Gore Verbinski

A Cure for Wellness follows Lockhart (played by Dane DeHaan), an overworked and ambitious executive, who is sent to the Swiss Alps to retrieve Pembroke (played by Harry Groener), his company’s CEO, from a wellness center. It was supposed to be a quick retrieval. He didn’t intend to stay there for more than a few hours, but when Lockhart wakes up from a car crash he appears to have broken his leg. Continue reading “REVIEW: A Cure for Wellness (2017)” →

REVIEW: La La Land (2016)

Theatrical Release Poster - Summit Entertainment
Theatrical Release Poster – Summit Entertainment

The following is a review of La La Land – Directed by Damien Chazelle

They don’t make movies like they used to. Cinema is dead. – Odds are that you’ve encountered similar sentiments online or by the water cooler this past year. 2016 was, somewhat unfairly, called a bad year for movies, when it was just a bad year for summer blockbuster films. As is always the case with discovering new films, you have to know where to look.

It is all about finding the right talents, the right studios, or the premises that will pique your interest. Sometimes the right movie for you is one that reminds you of great classics but still isn’t blind to the nostalgia it’s feeding on. With a charismatic and charming cast, a brilliant director, and a genre that people are sometimes turned off by, La La Land is here at the right time to breathe new life into our love of movies.  Continue reading “REVIEW: La La Land (2016)” →