On the surface, The Last Witch Hunter feels like Vin Diesel playing Vin Diesel in a Vin Diesel film, produced by Vin Diesel. And you may very well come away with that perspective, once you’re through. But if my writing program have taught me anything, it’s that the story takes precedence and it’s your job…
Atomic Blonde is a thrill ride. The movie takes place in the midst of the fall of the Berlin Wall, but the filmmakers embraced The Coldest City graphic novel source material full force. They played it close to its comic book roots rather than relying on true reality. I was six when it came down,…
I decided to do a double feature of the original Mystery of the Wax Museum and its 50s remake, House of Wax. Mystery is a fun 30s romp… on the surface. It was a suspenseful thriller, and it hooks you from the first punch to Igor’s face. I liked the pacing. It didn’t fill up…
Pokémon came out when I was in high school. I wasn’t the target audience. But I was drawn to the characters, the monsters that fit in my pocket, and the adventures and hijinks they got into together every day. A cynical person will say that cartoons are meant for kids. But a great cartoon brings…
All you need is one killer track. Baby Driver was a beautiful film. I felt emotionally satisfied leaving the theater. If you haven’t seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Hot Fuzz, or Shaun of the Dead, you’ll enjoy this movie for what it is. But there are hallmarks of Wright’s filmmaking that stand out, and…
Suspiria crashed into my heart like a trainwreck and I refused to look away. It combines my biggest fears: dogs that attack their owners (I love dogs so much, how could they ever hate me enough to take my life?), maggots (I’m a clean freak and if I saw a maggot, I would lose my…
Rosemary’s Baby is a movie everyone assumes you’ve seen if you claim to be a student of film. I don’t think I’ve ever discussed it in casual conversation. I spoiled myself silly years ago because of random Wiki surfing. However, I never deigned to sit down & watch it until my 31 Days of Fear…
I have been keeping up on the press for the movie since it was announced. I almost went so far as to watch the premiere at the actual Winchester Mystery House. That meant touring the mansion, enjoying a reception, and then walking across the street to CineArts on Santana Row to watch it. I’m a…
Originally published March 19, 2012 I didn’t have high expectations for this movie, even with an all-star cast of Christoph Waltz, Matthew Mcfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Milla Jovovich, Mads Mikkelsen, Logan Lerman, Orlando Bloom (in supreme supervillain mode, amped up to 11), or a cameo by Til Schweiger. It was a fun romp nonetheless.…
I wrote my final paper in my Senior Seminar on the effect of photographs on the war effort in Vietnam. I wanted to somehow include films – which gave me the excuse to watch movies for the next few months. When I did my initial research, Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter would show up…
