Tag: Vacation

The Family Plan (2023) | REVIEW

Mark Wahlberg and Iliana Norris in The Familly Plan, now streaming on Apple TV+.

Directed by Simon Cellan Jones — Screenplay by David Coggeshall.

Simon Cellan Jones’ The Family Plan follows Dan Morgan (played by Mark Wahlberg), a car salesman who lives in Buffalo, New York with his wife Jessica (played by Michelle Monaghan), as well as his children Nina (played by Zoe Colletti), Kyle (played by Van Crosby), and Max (played by Iliana Norris and Vienna Norris). They seem like a normal family, but, in reality (and unbeknownst to his family), Dan isn’t the patriarch of the family’s real name and he is actually hiding from his associates from his past life as a hired assassin. When, one day, a picture of him is posted to the internet, he and his family are targeted. In an attempt to keep his family safe, he makes up an impromptu family vacation and has to keep hitmen off their backs on-the-go. Dan has to work up the courage to tell his family the truth, and, while they are on their road trip, he sees new sides of his beloved family.

Continue reading “The Family Plan (2023) | REVIEW” →

Infinity Pool (2023) | REVIEW

Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth with grotesque masks on their faces in Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL — PHOTO: NEON / UNIVERSAL.

Directed by Brandon Cronenberg — Screenplay by Brandon Cronenberg.

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” former U.S. President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally in 2016. With what has happened since then — such as his supporters’ January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, or the unyielding support that Trump still receives even after having been indicted (checks notes) 4 times — I think it would be fair to say that he’s probably right, even though it absolutely should not be true. Some people are just gobsmackingly blind to what is really going on — and once they find out who people really are, it is sometimes too late. Anyway, why am I mentioning this? Well, this idea that the uber-privileged have no relationship with consequences is something that has stuck with me ever since I first saw Infinity Pool, which is not at all about Trump but definitely is about who people are behind the masks that they hide behind in their outward-facing daily lives.

Continue reading “Infinity Pool (2023) | REVIEW” →

REVIEW: The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

The Mitchell family (voiced by Maya Rudolph, Abbi Jacobson, Michael Rianda, and Danny McBride) in THE MITCHELLS vs. THE MACHINES — Photo: Sony Pictures Animation / Netflix.

Directed by Michael Rianda (Gravity Falls) — Screenplay by Mike Rianda & Jeff Rowe.

Sometimes it’s difficult to really gauge whether or not the hype for a film is justified or not. From the outset, what I had heard about The Mitchells vs. The Machines sounded really good. The premise was neat, I liked what I had seen of its animation style in trailers, but I wasn’t sure if it would work as a total package once I finally felt ready to sit down and watch the film, which had been on my watchlist for quite some time. The reactions that I had heard from my peers also made it sound like far and away one of the best animated films in years, which was overwhelming information that I didn’t know what to do with at that moment since I was a little bit too busy when it was released. I ended up waiting a considerable amount of time before I finally watched it, which meant that when I finally felt the urge to start up Netflix and watch their Lord & Miller-produced animated hit, the hype had sort of died down at least a little bit. So, having now seen the film, do I think the hype was justified? Well, yeah. Though I was trepidatious initially, the film more than won me over.

Continue reading “REVIEW: The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)” →

Marvelous Monday #37 – Pre-Phase Three Watchlist

Da Marvelous Monday

The first two phases of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe have ended, and the third phase is looking to be the largest and most expensive yet. Still, there are a ton of films coming up in the third phase that we need to prepare for. Today I’ve assembled a watchlist for people interested in the new actors, directors, and writers for two of Marvel’s third phase films. Continue reading “Marvelous Monday #37 – Pre-Phase Three Watchlist” →

REVIEW: Vacation (2015)

Universal Pictures Poster for Vacation

The following is a review of Vacation (2015), a Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley film.

Believe it or not, 2015’s Vacation is the fifth theatrical installment in the Vacation-series. We’ve been with the Griswolds through many memorable adventures in Vegas, Europe, and, most notably, across the United States of America. This time around it is not Clark but Rusty Griswold leading his family from the Midwest to Walley World – and, sadly, it is not as memorable as the original Vacation. Continue reading “REVIEW: Vacation (2015)” →

Box Office Predictions – Weekend of August 14, 2015

Box Office 2015

The following is a new weekly post on I’m Jeffrey Rex, wherein Jeffrey predicts the coming weekend numbers at the box office for North America.

Mission: Impossible remained on top of the North American box office for its second weekend. It managed to beat the extremely disappointing Fantastic Four. Now, can a spy-film and a music biopic take the Tom Cruise-led film down? Continue reading “Box Office Predictions – Weekend of August 14, 2015” →

Box Office Predictions – Weekend of August 7, 2015

Box Office 2015

The following is a new weekly post on I’m Jeffrey Rex, wherein Jeffrey predicts the coming weekend numbers at the box office for North America.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation flew into cinemas last weekend (with Tom Cruise on the side of an airplane, no less) and it went straight to the no. 1 spot. It was a huge win for Tom Cruise and the Mission-franchise, but this will be a tough weekend to win for Cruise. Why? Well, another Marvel Comics property releases this week – the controversial Fantastic Four. Continue reading “Box Office Predictions – Weekend of August 7, 2015” →

Box Office Predictions – Weekend of July 31, 2015

Box Office 2015

The following is a new weekly post on I’m Jeffrey Rex, wherein Jeffrey predicts the coming weekend numbers at the box office for North America.

Somehow Ant-Man kept the number one spot last weekend, but that will probably be the last weekend win for Marvel’s Ant-Man. This week the Marvel superhero will battle two famous franchises. Surely, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation & Vacation will take down Ant-Man. Continue reading “Box Office Predictions – Weekend of July 31, 2015” →