Film

THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY If you have ever thought, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in a situation as awful as a school shooting, this incredible new short film will show you. Without bloodshed, writer/director/producer Fabrice Joubert creates an effectively tense film with little more than a ten-minute run-time. There’s just…

5 BEST EDUCATIONAL FILMS FOR STUDENTS When a holiday season is just about the corner, many students, who are happy to forget about a paper writing service they usually take advantage of but still are not willing to stop learning, start looking for effective ways to spend their free time productively. Thoughts like “I need…

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES In 30 of the United States, LGBTQ people risk losing employment simply because of who they are. In Mississippi and North Carolina, laws have been passed to strip them of basic human rights. In this seriously divided nation, hatred is endorsed by the present administration. Far from encouraging love of one’s…

A FILM THAT’S NOT JOKING AROUND Joker, directed and co-written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, is a dark, disturbing, profound film that has tapped into the zeitgeist of today’s class divides with a vengeance. This is not a comic book movie, although DC Films is one of the production companies. In this prequel, Joaquin…

JAPANESE HORROR FILM REVIEWS One might ask what is so special about Japanese horror movies, as Japan’s input into global culture is now strongly associated with animation, fashion, and toys. However, the names of the horror films listed below are so widely known that a specific tendency becomes almost apparent. Let’s read on and try…

MOLLY’S GAME: HOW DOES THE FILM COMPARE TO THE REAL STORY? Molly’s Game is based on the real story of Molly Bloom; an Olympic Skier turned entrepreneur who made a lot of money running high-stakes underground poker tournaments. When a movie is based on a person’s life, some of the sections are likely to be…

SHAZAM! Two Captain Marvel films were released in the space of a month during this year. For those who didn’t know, the superhero from Shazam! with its funny white cape and bad lightning suit, was once the original Captain Marvel. For decades, some lawsuits and a lot of creative scrutiny later, the comic book audience…

DO WE CARE? Being a major Quentin Tarantino fan, I was really looking forward to seeing this film. I just knew I was going to love it. But unfortunately that was not the case. My biggest problem with the film was that I didn’t really care about the characters. The one exception is Margot Robbie,…

IT’S STILL SCARY The Witch Hunt has been part of the American psyche since Salem. Lately though, the cries of “witch hunt” evoke not the green of Elphaba, rather a nauseous orange. And while that might seem a horse of a different color, let us not forget the Red Scare in which the self-serving machinations…

STOP REMAKING ANIMATED CLASSICS As is too be expected, Tim Burton’s Dumbo has a beautiful and somewhat strange looking design and a disastrous third act. At times he captures a sympathetic and lovable flying elephant but the tinkering of the story is where this film goes awry. Maybe children who are new to this tale…

GAMBLING WITH FAMILY Rain Main is a heart-warming Hollywood tale that explores the relationship between a slick, fast-talking Lamborghini salesman, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), and his autistic, yet extremely gifted brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). When returning to Cincinnati to attend the funeral of his father, Charlie is disappointed to find that his inheritance consisted solely…

THE MOVIE’S A MARVEL, BUT MARVEL HERSELF..? Is it possible to love a film — its great humor, excitement and surprises — but not the lead actress? Brie Larson plays Vers aka Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel with all the moves necessary to be front and center in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — kicking, leaping,…

CASINO ROYALE It’s no doubt been quite some time, but you now get to revisit the outstanding Bond movie from 2006, Casino Royale. Adapted from Ian Fleming’s first novel, written in 1953, the hero is different from Marvel Comic-type superheroes and other slot-game characters like Top Cat, where you can get a free spiny. Produced…

ROUNDERS Watching a game of poker has always been appealing. When it comes to films based on poker, Rounders always appears at the top of the list. The 1998 movie focuses on two guys who travel throughout the country looking for high-stakes poker games in hopes of winning a significant amount of money to settle…

Y TU ROMA TAMBIEN Written, directed, photographed, and edited by Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También, Gravity) Roma is not only one of the best films of the year but the decade. There are so many things that I want to say about it, but I won’t hesitate to call it an artistic masterpiece. You…

A GOOD GAMBLE Remade from the 1974 film, The Gambler  (2014) is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Wholly different than the original, it sure has the needed charisma to do that. Made under the direction of excellent filmmaker  Rupert Wyatt, the script was reportedly offered to many top directors, including Martin Scorsese….

NOT SUCH A JOLLY HOLIDAY It may be sacrilege to slam an American classic — or rather, a made-to-be-foolproof sequel based on a classic film — but I’ll take my chances. While watching  Mary Poppins Returns I  found myself fidgety — which I knew could mean only one thing: I was bored. Very, very bored. This isn’t…