Tag: Movie Review

REVIEW: The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of The Most Hated Woman in America – Directed by Tommy O’Haver

The Most Hated Woman in America is a biographical drama about the life of Madalyn Murray O’Hair (played by Melissa Leo), an atheist activist, and her mysterious kidnapping and murder in 1995. The Most Hated Woman in America had a lot going for it. The cast is sublime. Melissa Leo, of course, is the lead actress, but the film has other noteworthy familiar faces like Juno Temple, Adam Scott, and Vincent Kartheiser.

It’s just a shame that they’re completely wasted in a biographical drama that I’m honestly shocked by, and not in a good way. Melissa Leo is the best thing about the film, but this project doesn’t deserve the talented cast or her performance in the film. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)” →

CLASSIC REVIEW: Raging Bull (1980)

Release Poster – Tom Jung

The following is a classic movie review of Raging Bull – Directed by Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers – and my personal favorite – of all-time. But while I’ve loved his work for years, I still have a lot of his past films to watch for the first time. One movie that I, somehow, managed to always avoid was the classic biographical boxing tragedy Raging Bull. It’s been at the top of my Martin Scorsese watchlist for quite a while, and I’m happy to say that I understand the love Raging Bull has been getting. Raging Bull is, indeed, a masterpiece.  Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Raging Bull (1980)” →

REVIEW: Life (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a review of Life – Directed by Daniel Espinosa

Life, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (the writers of Deadpool and Zombieland), is an intense science fiction thriller. The film follows the International Space Station’s crew, which captures a space probe that holds an organism that proofs the existence of extraterrestrial life. The organism is named ‘Calvin,’ after an elementary school named after Calvin Coolidge, but the astronauts soon discover that the organism isn’t as harmless and friendly as they expected. Continue reading “REVIEW: Life (2017)” →

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)” →

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)” →