Putting those stars together with that concept surely has to generate some sizzle with the history and mythology crowds, right? Well, with all pun intended, leave it to Apple and professional retreading screenwriter James Vanderbilt (currently stewarding Netflix’s Murder Mystery series and the legacy sequel vapors of the Scream franchise) to go back to a fading Hollywood well, leap in, and find it dry.
Read MoreWith the 20th anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Mike Crowley of the You’ll Probably Agree website was very eager to talk about the blockbuster’s legacy. He, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, and I ignite our lightsabers and reminisce about the best George Lucas’s prequel finale had to offer. Time has been kind to the movie and so were we. May The Force Be With You!
Read MoreJustWatch spoke to acclaimed British actor Finn Cole on his latest film Last Breath, a gripping true survival story that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. Best known for his roles as Michael Gray in Peaky Blinders and Joshua "J" Cody in Animal Kingdom, Cole shares his thoughts on what makes Last Breath a must-watch movie experience.
Read MoreJustWatch, the world’s largest streaming guide, has analyzed how the Academy Awards influenced streaming preferences in the U.S. Following Hollywood’s biggest night, audiences turned to their favorite platforms to catch up on the most celebrated films, leading to significant shifts in streaming rankings. While several top contenders remained popular, the post-Oscars data reveals noticeable changes in audience preferences. New titles surged in viewership, while others saw renewed interest based on award wins, nominations, and critical buzz.
Read MoreMike Osborn and Curtis Menke of the irreverent and laugh-filled podcast “Let’s Talk About Flix are weekly appointment laughs for me and pod I support on Patreon. Mike and Curtis have become two full members of the Chicago Indie Critics group that I co-direct. For the second year in a row, I was honored to be asked on as the return guest during their “Patreon Picks” month. For that guest’s choice theme, I brought them 2018’s The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot starring Sam Elliot. Enjoy our chat! Follow their show on podcast platforms and YouTube!
Read MoreMany would say, going by that selection of talent thrust together in this predominantly single-setting premise, the stars were aligned for a peppy crime comedy in Riff Raff. The potential combinations offer interesting mixes of presences and styles. It’s too bad because the script and the director cannot align characters and tones with any semblance of congruency. Simply put, everyone is in a different movie from their scene partners.
Read MoreDeeper though, what compels us for certain heroic movies beyond these dreamboats with best-of-the-best skill sets? First, it depends on the stars chosen. Radiant charisma and a touch of romance sure help when it comes to letting the beautiful people win. An interesting opponent, or predicament would help even more. Luckily, The Gorge offers enough of those enhancers to give us a good time with marquee names.
Read MoreWitnessing this journey is an absolute pleasure to behold in Suze, a little gem that can unite wayward young audiences with the jaded adult parents out there both trying to make sense of shifting crossroad moments of their lives. When Suze and Gage come to say “I’m really glad you’re here,” you will find yourself nodding in agreement about the sweet movie itself, and it all started with a convincing himbo.
Read MoreThe grand searches for meaning and the combination of their little ventures are not quite expressive or poignant enough to sear hearts and call upon the need to tug on the tissues, despite a promising effort from Julia Stiles taking on a new role in her lifelong medium. While Wish You Were Here may not fully succeed for many, she deserves more chances in the big chair.
Read MoreThe narratives are constructed to build these tipping points of success with suspense. If the journey has been framed right, the characters have earned their chance at rewards from their exhaustive hard work and preparation. Likewise, viewers come to sports films for those cathartic moments of satisfaction and savor their inspiration power long after. Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside follows that very finely-tuned trajectory but does something different with its cinematic stamina and steadfast platform.
Read MoreJust like with Melody, patience is required and cynical stigmas need to be shelved for this family-friendly dramedy. Be patient because brilliance will be revealed and faith will be rewarded by an empathic engine of a film that demands to be required viewing– and maybe even prescribed penance– for several ages and generations of privilege circulating society today. What this girl and this movie want to say demands to be seen and heard.
Read MoreWith every chapter, Music by John Williams defines and stamps the maestro’s brilliance, even if the running time could be doubled or tripled to peel back even more “how does he do it” storytelling and clinical breakdowns from film to film and era to era. Plenty of cinephiles would love to see all that, but only so many nuanced moments fit alongside the big ones in one feature-length documentary. Even comprised as the parade it is, the Disney+ film is a fitting biographical tribute to the artist who could have rested on his laurels a quarter-century ago and still been an all-timer worthy of nonfiction hero worship.
Read More
