Family/Comedy, 88 Minutes, 2015
I’ve got a soft spot for “The Peanuts”. I’m hardly alone in that. 50 years of comics, dozens of television specials, four feature films, two dozen video games and an effectively infinite number of advertisements, tie-ins and merchandise have allowed millions to nurture their own soft spots for Charlie Brown and the gang. Thier last big screen appearance was 35 years ago; does the gang still have what it takes to put asses in seats?
Zombie alert!
See the review of “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” on our sister site, MoreBrains.com dedicated to all things zombie!
Western/Drama, 187 Minutes, 2015
One thing can be said for Quentin Tarantino [IMDB] films: they’re easy to dismiss. Before a tirade about how over-rated his films are, you’ll often hear “too violent”, “too long” or “too complicated”. Tarantino’s films are hard. They require a commitment from the audience that some are unwilling to make. “The Hateful Eight” is no different.
Adventure / Sci-Fi / Action, 117 Minutes, 2015
The overwhelming success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has allowed them a certain leeway; a certain freedom to experiment. While this hasn’t yet resulted in something truly insane, like a film led by a woman, it has allowed them to explore some of the quirkier ideas and characters available in the vast Marvel catalog. Two years ago, this led to the explosive success of Guardians of the Galaxy [IMDB] and now it brings the closest we’ve come to a straight Marvel comedy.
Fantasy/Adventure, 102 Minutes, 2014
I’ll happily admit that I’ve got a soft spot for dragons (and dungeons) and sorcery (and swords). Whenever a new fantasy film is announced, I turn back into my twelve-year old self and start looking around for my dog-eared Monster Manual. I’m often disappointed. Still, even a bad fantasy movie is usually a pretty good time.
Mystery/Drama, 86 Minutes, 2009
The trailer for this begins “In a world…”, so you know it’s going to be something different! Or at least a different version of something you’ve seen before. Or maybe something exactly the same as what you’ve seen before, but with a different paint job.
This is that last one.
“The Sisterhood of Night” on IMDB
Drama/Mystery, 104 Minutes, 2014
Before I begin, an admission: I had no interest in seeing this. At all. I gave it a glance and dismissed it as another brooding, tween, After School Special melodrama. Somebody would offer somebody else drugs, they’d just say no. Somebody else would cry and so forth and so on. I am, however, married, and this film was shot in my lovely bride’s hometown at her former high school.
So, guess who got to watch “The Sisterhood of Night”?
Horror/Drama, 93 Minutes, 2014
Found-footage is a genre that just won’t die. The well is fouled and rank, but Directors keep dipping in, audiences keep lapping it up and, yes, I keep reviewing them. Gimmicks distract, even when used well, and this is one gimmick that’s run it’s course. It does nothing positive for this movie. We get video from handheld cams, helmet cams, body cams and, like all found-footage, impossible cams.
After many years building their skills producing award winning short films, Pixar quietly slipped Toy Story [IMDB] onto the big screens in 1995. Initially a curiosity – it was the first feature-length computer animated film – it quickly won over audiences and critics. The movie became an instant classic and established Pixar as a force to be reckoned with.
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“Inside Out” on IMDB Comedy/Drama 95 Minutes, 2015 |
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| “The Good Dinosaur” on IMDB Comedy/Drama 93 Minutes, 2015 |
This initial success was short lived. It was replaced by mind-numbing, Earth-shattering success. Their 16 feature films have earned 12 Oscars and over four billion dollars in ticket sales (and that’s not counting the billions more in home media, partnerships and merchandising). No studio in history has enjoyed such a consistent record over such a long period of time.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on IMDB
Adventure/Sci-fi, 135 Minutes, 2015
A couple of weeks ago, I shared the painful story of how I saw Star Wars: The Phantom Menace on opening night, seventeen years ago. It was a sorry experience for more reasons than you’d think, but it did teach me an important lesson: even Star Wars can disappoint. The obvious question is: does it again?
(There will be no spoilers here.)
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“Ant-Man” on IMDB
“Seventh Son” on IMDB
“Metropia” on IMDB
