Rest assured, dear reader, that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have prepared the most delicious of summer cinematic treats with their fun, effulgent, airy, and oh-so-scrumptious Jon Watts-directed Spider-Man: Homecoming. This is the Spider-Man movie audiences have wanted since Sam Raimi’s 2004 Spider-Man 2. Ladies and gentlemen, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back!
Publications
Who can you trust when ‘It Comes At Night’?
From A24, the studio that brought you the tragicomedy The Lobster and the delightfully morbid Swiss Army Man, comes psychological mystery It Comes At Night, helmed by director Trey Edward Shults (Krishna). Though it starts with all the hallmarks of… Read More ›
If audiences are lucky, Jack Sparrow’s fifth outing, ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’, will put all future stories to rest.
An alternate, shorter take of this review was originally published for CLTure on their site on May 26th, 2017. As the latest, and hopefully last, film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Dead Men Tell No Tales attempts to go back to its roots,… Read More ›
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ may be a mature and poignant sophomore outing, but it’ll still kick your butt. (Extended Cut)
In 2014, Marvel Studios unveiled Guardians of the Galaxy, a rock-centric space oddity unlike anything Marvel had released before. Through the direction of James Gunn (Slither/The Belko Experiment), Marvel introduced the world to a rag-tag group of miscreants and killers… Read More ›
‘The Promise’ tells the story of the oft-forgotten Armenian Genocide amid a distracting romance subplot.
There are moments in history – true tragedies – that are difficult to process and understand. These moments must not be allowed to disappear from our collective global memories. One such horrific event is the Armenian Genocide, an event that… Read More ›
Artful, soulful, and character-driven, James Mangold’s ‘Logan’ is the perfect swan song for Hugh Jackman and Wolverine.
This review was originally published for CLTure on their site on February 20th, 2017. Ever since director Bryan Singer’s 2000 release X-Men, Hugh Jackman’s been synonymous with Marvel Comics’ ultimate assassin, the unstoppable Wolverine. Though not the original choice for the role, Jackman made an… Read More ›
Zhang Yimou’s ‘THE GREAT WALL’ offers pretty, but hollow fun.
This review was originally published for CLTure on their site on February 18th, 2017. Famed director Zhang Yimou (Hero/House of Flying Daggers) brings the flourish and beauty of Chinese cinema stateside with The Great Wall, a tight action-packed fantasy adventure starring Matt Damon, Tian Jing,… Read More ›
Genuine and heartfelt, “A Dog’s Purpose” reminds why we love our furry friends.
It’s important to address the controversy that surrounds A Dog’s Purpose before moving forward. A video posted by TMZ on the 18th of January depicts two instances of a German Shepard under duress during production. The studio denies the allegations,… Read More ›
“Hidden Figures” inspires hope for the future by revisiting the past.
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on January 4th, 2017. When 20th Century Fox dropped the first trailer for Hidden Figures on August 14th, the Internet exploded after watching the jaunty first glimpse of director Theodore Melfi’s… Read More ›
Honesty, Heart, and Laughs Reside on “The Edge of Seventeen” – Review
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on November 18th, 2016. Adolescence is a difficult time for us all. Our bodies change. Our friends change. Our interests change. For many, those changes feel less like the beautiful escape… Read More ›
Finding Our Humanity Sometimes Requires An Unexpected Arrival
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on November 11th, 2016. Adapted from the novel Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, writer Eric Heisserer (Lights Out) and director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario/Prisoners) flesh out the story to create… Read More ›
Unraveling the Mystery of the Accountant
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on October 14th, 2016. There is nothing better than watching an actor – any actor – melt into a roll so completely that you forget what you’re watching is mere shadow… Read More ›
Youth in Revolt Loses Its Luster Without Purpose – American Honey Review
An alternate “Quick Hit” version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on October 14th, 2016. Writer/director Andrea Arnold‘s American Honey is lavishly decadent in its depiction of a group of teens who travel the country selling magazines door-to-door during… Read More ›
Tim Burton Brings To Life A Gothic Kid’s Tale In “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children”.
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on September 29th, 2016. Adapting stories from books requires more than just a best-selling story. It needs a director who can encompass the ideals of the author and bring the internal vision… Read More ›
The Well From Hell – Deepwater Horizon Review
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on September 29th, 2016. April 20th, 2010, off the coast of Louisiana, a semi-submersible oil rig known as the Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing eleven people and causing the largest oil spill… Read More ›
“Don’t Breathe” Redefines What Horror Can Be – New Release Review
From the creative team of Fede Alvarez and Sam Rami, who brought you Evil Dead (2013), comes Don’t Breathe, a claustrophobic suspense-filled horror-thriller that twists and turns all the way to the credits. Don’t expect a gorefest this time around… Read More ›
A Fresh Take On A Beloved Story: Pete’s Dragon – New Release Review
As the sun begins to set on summer, Walt Disney provides us with one more golden through director David Lowery’s reinterpretation of the 1977 classic musical Pete’s Dragon. Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) shoves off the seafaring locale, the songs,… Read More ›
Take Downs Take Time – The Infiltrator Review
A shorter version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on July 14th, 2016. For most folks, everyday life is a series of innocuous moments: getting up, eating breakfast, kissing your family before you leave the house for work, the commute, the… Read More ›
Team Work Makes The Dream Work – The Secret Life of Pets Review
A shorter version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on July 6th, 2016. From the studio that brought you Despicable Me and Minions, comes The Secret Life of Pets, an animated tale (tail?) that provides a peek into the lives of… Read More ›
An Uneven Magical Spectacle – The BFG Review
I wrote a shorter version of this review originally for CLTure and it was posted on their site on June 30, 2016. There is barely a bookshelf that has not held the weight of their words of Roald Dahl. His stories delight our… Read More ›