In this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I give you my thoughts on 1) Mel Gibson’s final appearance as Mad Max, 2) one of last year’s best documentaries, 3) last year’s much-discussed historical epic from Ridley Scott, 4) Danny Boyle’s directorial debut, and 5) a horror comedy cult classic.
Continue reading “‘Napoleon,’ ‘Beyond Utopia,’ and More | Bite-Sized Reviews”
Directed by George Miller — Screenplay by George Miller and Nico Lathouris.
Back when the low-budget cult favorite first Mad Max film was released in 1979, no one would have expected it to eventually evolve into a franchise that director George Miller would still be working on when he, himself, was 79 years of age. But here we are, and even though it’s been nine whole years since Miller’s finest hour — the action masterwork that was Mad Max: Fury Road — it is now time to finally get the origin story to the character of Furiosa — who was originally played by Charlize Theron — in the long-awaited prequel film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Though it isn’t the instant genre classic that Fury Road was, it is nevertheless a very good film that builds upon the successes of the previous film through gripping world-building and an extremely entertaining supporting performance.
Continue reading “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) | REVIEW”
Directed by George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) — Screenplay by George Miller and Augusta Gore.
Quite clearly a passion project for the Australian filmmaker, George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing is based on A. S. Byatt’s collection of short stories titled The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye. It follows a British scholar named Alithea Binnie (played by Tilda Swinton) who, while in Turkey, buys an antique bottle, which, later, unleashes a great and powerful Djinn (played by Idris Elba). The Djinn is desperate for Alithea to make three wishes, but she — as a narratologist with a deep understanding of narrative structures, traits, and tropes — is worried that the Djinn is just a hallucination or possibly even a trickster. In an attempt to convince her, the Djinn tells her his life story.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)”
As has been announced previously, now that the 2010s have come to an end, I want to highlight, recognize, and, in a sense, reward the best films not just of a year but also of the last decade. Previously, I’ve written Best of the 2010s-lists on Comedy, Directorial Debuts, Biopics, and Horror films. The next genre-specific top ten list for the 2010s is all about one of my very favorite genres: Science-Fiction. However, before I list the best science-fiction films of the decade, let me describe my criteria for putting the list together. Continue reading “Best of the 2010s: Top Ten Sci-Fi Films”
Leonardo DiCaprio – Academy Award-Winning Actor! Finally! The 88th Academy Awards was a great show, with a lot of great winners. Chris Rock was a really solid host, and, as a whole, it probably was one of the better Oscar shows in recent memory. Continue reading “88TH ACADEMY AWARDS: REACTION – MOTION PICTURE THOUGHTS #7”
For the uninitiated: In 2013 I launched a yearly ‘award’ post for the blog called I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, this post names the current frontrunners (up to two titles for each award).
In a month we’ll be halfway through the year, therefore I’ve decided to look back and note my current frontrunners for each award, and reveal if there are any changes for this year’s I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards. Continue reading “I.J.R. Awards 2015 – Current Frontrunners”
The following is a review of Mad Max: Fury Road — Directed by George Miller.
Thirty years ago the last Mad Max-film, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, was released. Although all three films are beloved by fans, it is still somewhat of a cult franchise. Sure, very few people realize just how much the original Mad Max films gave to its genre. Yes, some people have surely understimated the impact of the film series. But the franchise is, by no means, a film that young audiences hold dear right now. Nevertheless, you don’t get many better dystopian action films than Mad Max: Road Warrior. However, I am pleased to report that the latest Mad Max-sequel, Mad Max: Fury Road, actually tops it. George Miller’s latest film is absolutely terrific.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 