Twenty years ago, following the release of the American adaptation of “Godzilla,” few probably would have guessed that we’d be seeing a film like “King of the Monsters” coming out someday.
Continue reading “Godzilla sequel will be the de facto finale of a decade-long buildup”
It’s funny how “The First Purge” turned out to be better than the first “Purge.”
Way back in 2013, I wasn’t expecting this little, low budget horror franchise to have a fourth installment, but here we are. Unlike the previous two, this entry is a prequel, showcasing how the first Purge event took place. The film picks up in the not so distant future where a new political party has taken power amid high unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure.
As a result, some scientists working for the government decided the best option is for an “experiment” where all crime could be legal and any individuals who are upset about the system or just their daily lives could take out their anger. As a trial run, the experiment only takes place in the area of Staten Island. There, a group of characters we’re introduced to must try to survive this new government operation, which we as the audience know from other “Purge” movies is really to eliminate poor Americans.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Intense action, good lead characters make ‘First Purge’ a fun B-Movie”
“Avengers: Infinity War” continues to dominate the box office, now reaching a total of nearly $1.2 billion.
The theater tickets sold, as well as the great feedback from audiences and critics, is the latest example that we are in the superhero movie golden age. Since 2000, when the original “X-Men” came out and was followed by “Spider-Man” a few years later, the genre has been on an incredible upward trend.
“Infinity War” is just the latest highlight in a series of milestones that includes great films such as “The Dark Knight” and “Captain America: Winter Soldier.” Even comedy films based around the genre have popped up over the years to some solid success.
Continue reading “A Look At How ‘Mystery Men’ And ‘Unbreakable’ Were Ahead Of Their Time”
With a name like “Red Sparrow,” you’d think this film wouldn’t be so colorless.
The picture stars Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence as Dominika Egorova, a Russian woman who works as a ballet dancer. Her career is cut short, though, because of a devastating injury and as a result, it puts her future and her ability to care for her ailing mother in jeopardy.
As a way out, Dominika is offered an opportunity to become a spy by her uncle (Matthias Schoenaerts) who works in Russian intelligence. Dominika agrees and after a short time is sent on a mission to target an American agent named Nate (Joel Edgerton).
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Red Sparrow’ Is A Dreary, Unmemorable Cinema Experience”
When Director Ridley Scott opted to fire Kevin Spacey and remove him from this movie because of sexual assault allegations, some wondered if the product could still be salvaged. Turns out, it was. Scott was able to successfully replace Spacey with Oscar winner Christopher Plummer and the move appeared seamless and not at all awkward.
But, how was the overall movie?
Before getting into the answer, let’s breakdown what story the movie is telling. The film centers on the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer). The reason for that abduction is that the young man’s grandpa is J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), who at the time of the hostage taking was the richest person on the planet.
The picture explores JP Getty’s response to the kidnapping, his hiring of a private agent named Fletcher (Mark Wahlberg) to handle negotiating with the kidnappers and the boy’s mother Gail (Michelle Williams) who will stop at nothing to save her son.
The horror genre has lived on largely thanks to innovation. Whenever something started to get stale, new directors stepped in to offer something different.
Director Wes Craven (Aug. 2, 1939-Aug. 30, 2015) was one of them. This aspect was most notable in 1984, when his picture “A Nightmare on Elm Street” came out and threw in a new twist on the newly formed slasher sub-genre.
Continue reading “Halloween Horror Fest 2017: Honoring Wes Craven”
Did the film “Groundhog Day” start a genre? With films like “Edge of Tomorrow” and now “Happy Death Day,” it’s starting to seem so.
The latter was just released this past weekend and follows the story of Theresa (Jessica Rothe), who goes by the nickname Tree. A college student and a sorority member, Tree is a very much a partier and enjoys living life rather promiscuously.
Her life comes to a screeching halt, though, when she’s murdered on campus on the night of her birthday. However, instead of dying, Tree wakes up on the morning of her birthday and relives it all over until she’s once again murdered. After waking up again on that same morning, it becomes apparent to her that she’s reliving the same day and sets out to solve her own murder.
The concept of zombies existed long before 1968.
The first known film related to zombies was actually released in 1932, which was “White Zombie.” However, the zombies at that time were more related to magic and voodoo and it wasn’t until the late 60s that the modern zombie movie was created.
It was all thanks to George A. Romero (Feb. 4, 1940-July 16, 2017) who came along and thrust the genre in a whole new direction with the film “Night of the Living Dead.” Romero’s indie film, which introduced the concept of a plague that turns people into flesh eating zombies, didn’t just create a new idea for filmmakers to use, though.
Continue reading “Halloween Horror Fest 2017: Honoring George A. Romero”
There have been a lot of sequels lately that have revisited properties that were long left dormant, including “Jurassic World,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Creed.” This sequel to the 80s cult classic “Blade Runner,” though, might be the best one yet.
The new “Blade Runner” takes place 30 years after the original, hence the title. Replicants, the bioengineered humans that were featured in the original, are once again present in the movie and this time more integrated into society. The main example of this is the movie’s protagonist, K (Ryan Gosling). K is a replicant who works for the Los Angeles Police Department and is tasked with hunting down older replicant models.
In his latest investigation, K discovers a clue that relates to events in the first film. As a result, K is sent down a rabbit hole where he finds out information that could change the entire world.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Blade Runner’s’ Return Is Remarkable”
Perennial cinematic risk taker Darren Aronofsky, who’s previously helmed films such as “Black Swan” and “Requiem for a Dream,” is at it again with this year’s “Mother!”
The movie opens rather mysteriously before introducing the audience to the two lead characters, named only Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and Him (Javier Bardem). Their married life is a simple one, Him being a writer and poet who’s trying to find his next breakthrough while Mother works on restoring sections of the house they live in.
Tensions begin to rise as two guests show up on their home’s doorsteps, though, played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer. That tension only continues to build as the situation at the house becomes more and more unsettling.
Matthew Liedke on Film 