Disney Kickoff
As this is a new website about movies, I figured I'd begin by reviewing movies that everyone knows and loves: Disney movies. I will review, chronologically, each Disney film and ultimately compile a ranked list! Enjoy.
2015 News
Schedule for the Week
of 5/18/15
In honor of Mad Max: Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2 that arrived in theatres this past weekend, I will review all of the preceeding films in each franchise. Additionally, in honor of this coming weekend's release of Brad Bird's Tomorrowland, I will review all of the Pixar Animation films, two of which Brad Bird directed, and The Iron Giant, Brad Bird's first film. A ranked list will come with those Pixar films too.
Schedule for the Remaining Week
of 5/25/15
In honor of San Andreas that arrives in theatres today, I will review a few disaster movies that have come out over the years and this past year's Godzilla, just because it is trying to sell itself as a disaster movies. I got to watch almost all of the movies I had in store last week, but not quite all of them. Notably missing are the rest of the Pixar films after Ratatouille. I've decided to postpone those until Inside Out comes out in June. Until then, enjoy these mostly terrible disaster movies.
Hopefully I'll also review a few soundtracks for variety's sake.
Schedule for the Week
of 6/1/15
This weekend sees the release of Spy and Insidious: Chapter 3. To honor that, I will try to review the original Insidious, and as many stand-alone spy films as I can. In this day and age, most spy films are part of franchises, such as the Jason Bourne franchise, the James Bond franchise, and the Mission Impossible franchise. I'll be films belonging to those franchises closer to the release dates of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Spectre, the newest installments in two of the franchises. For now though, enjoy these spy films!
Schedule for the Week
of 6/8/15
This weekend sees the release of Jurassic World and not much else. To honor that, I will try to review all of the previous Jurassic films (of which there are three), and as many of the films that I missed in the previous weeks. I know I haven't really been out to the theatres much so I'll try to get in reviews for those films. For now though, I just hope Jurassic World is good.
Schedule for the Week
of 6/15/15
This weekend sees the release of Inside Out and Dope. I'm not super enthusiastic about Dope, but Inside Out should really be #2 on my most anticipated list because I am so excited for the film. Early reviews are amazing, so hopefully this marks the comeback for Pixar. Pixar is the subject of this week's reviews, where I will be reviewing the remainder of Pixar's films, hopefully a few of the soundtracks to them, and make that list I talked about. I will also try my best to see Inside Out and include it in the list.
Schedule for the Week
of 6/29/15
I was out last week, but luckily nothing of any interest was opening. This week, on the other hand, sees the release of Magic Mike XXL and Terminator Genisys. Of these two, I am much more excited for Terminator Genisys as a huge fan of the first two films in the franchise. For this week, I will add a category for the Terminator franchise (there are 5 movies now) and review all of them.
Schedule for the Week
of 7/6/15
Had family over this past week, so movie watching was at a bit of a standstill. Managed to get in 3 terminator films, but that was about it. This week sees the release of Minions and two original and mostly unknown films that I probably won't see unless I hear good things. Minions is enough to chew on for the week, however, because I am a big fan of the first Despicable Me that was a big hit in 2010. Apart from that and the sequel, I should hopefully finish up the other two terminator films and play catchup.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
7/6/15-7/12/15
This week I had a lot of work going on and wasn't able to watch a whole lot. Luckily, Minions was the only noteworthy release this weekend and I had already watched and reviewed Despicable Me. So I watched Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Despicable Me 2, and Terminator Salvation. A review for the last film will be up hopefully tonight to close off the Terminator franchise. Now I leave the conversation to you guys. What did you watch this week? Leave a comment below!
Schedule for the Week
of 7/13/15
Ant-Man comes out this week and it has a lot of buzz around it. Early reviews are pretty positive which is great considering the movie is about a rather vague comic character. Marvel has been on fire recently so it seems they may keep that streak going. The reviews this week will be all Marvel, which will be difficult considering how many there are. Other releases this weekend include Trainwreck and Mr. Holmes (in limited release). Hopefully I'll get to see those as well. All I know this week is that I have my hands full. I will also change the categories a little bit to reflect the comics the movies are from, not the characters they exhibit (so Marvel will encompass X-Men and Spider-man, even though both are owned and distributed by other companies).
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
7/13/15-7/19/15
This week was a busy one for posting reviews. However, I got lucky and had a head start on most of them. More than half had been already written and just needed to be patched up. That having been said, I watched many films this week. I began with Shrek, which I just felt like watching to wash out the stink of Terminator Salvation from the week before. Then I watched Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Mr. Holmes, and felt overly sentimental Saturday night and watched The Lion King. Today I wanted to crush that sentimentality and watched Nightcrawler, one of the most acclaimed films of last year that I've been wanting to see for some time. Though I've already posted reviews for all of these films save Shrek and Nightcrawler, I really think watching The Lion King washed out the redundancy of Marvel superhero films so well that I ended up remembering it the most. Still, it was a good week for watching films.
Schedule for the Week
of 7/20/15
Not a whole lot comes out this weekend that is particularly interesting to me. Maybe it's interesting to you though, so I guess I'll get to watch some of the new releases, including Paper Towns, Pixels, and Southpaw, which I already have a screening to, so I guess that's one I'll definitely see. Otherwise, I'll be playing catch-up as I try to watch all of those movies I've missed over the past few months. Those include movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, Minions, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, Dope, Pitch Perfect 2, San Andreas, Trainwreck, Self/Less, The Gallows, Magic Mike XXL, and even Tomorrowland. Those are the films to choose from. I guess we'll just see which get seen. Might just throw in a soundtrack review somewhere in the mix.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
7/20/15-7/26/15
This week was a busy one for me, but not for movie reviews. I think I only managed to post reviews for Southpaw and Mad Max: Fury Road. That isn't all I saw though. I also watched John Wick, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, '71, and The Fault in Our Stars. That means that I watched a ton of movies I didn't say I watched, and generally let you all down. I watched one of the list of movies I listed. On the bright side, The Fault in Our Stars is relevant, so I'll post that review (I haven't written anything about the films I mentioned past Mad Max: Fury Road. Tomorrow, I'll hopefully be seeing Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Paper Towns. I'm still working on going to see those other movies I mentioned. Hopefully I'll get there later this week. Thank you all, from the people who commented last week to the people whom I spoke to about film recommendations, because you guys are the best. I'm doing my best to get to all of the movies you all recommended, and have added all of them to the list.
Schedule for the Week
of 7/27/15
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is just about the only noteworthy film to come out this weekend and, as such, will be the focus of this week. I've already seen the film, and can tell you that it's well worth your money to go see this kinetic, energy-charged thriller. Review will be coming soon. Apart from that, I'll do my best to watch and review the other four Mission Impossible Movies and try to still play catchup from the past few weeks. I know I still have to go see Trainwreck, Paper Towns, and Dope. Hopefully, like last week, I'll get one of these older, missed films, into the reviewed section.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
7/27/15-8/2/15
Well, catchup really didn't work too well. It never seems to, except for that week I watched Mad Max: Fury Road. Oh well. This week I watched Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation which was incredibly fun. You all should definitely see the film and read the review, not necessarily in that order of course, as my reviews are always spoiler-free! I also watched the 1996 Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible II (review coming soon), Back to the Future (just because it's such a fantastic film), and The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Long story behind that one. Anyway, I'll hopefully get more of what I've said I'd review in there. Still more films to catch up on and still two Mission: Impossible films to go review. That makes this coming week even more difficult as it has like five major releases and they all have good reviews. Anyway, I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 8/3/15
This weekend is an incredibly busy one with Fantastic Four, Shaun the Sheep Movie, The Gift, and Ricki and the Flash all coming out this weekend. Of those four, Ricki and the Flash is definitely the one I have just about no interest in. No screening and lukewarm reviews pin this one as forgotten in a week. Fantastic Four is probably the one I'll go see, even though Shaun the Sheep Movie and The Gift both have fantastic reviews. I'll probably review the other two Fantastic Four films and see what else I can get to this week. It's not like there isn't a lot to choose from.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
8/3/15-8/9/15
I watched Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and The Incredibles, which is still absolutely fantastic in every way. I'm beginning to think that playing catchup on movies that came out over a month ago or even a few weeks ago is pointless. So i've decided to not do that anymore. Instead, those movies from earlier in the year that I manage to go see anyway will get posted at the end of the year. That having been said, I missed all of the new releases this weekend. I decided against watching Fantastic Four because I don't like bad movies. Simple as that. The Gift ended up being the most interesting thing released, and hopefully I'll go see it this coming week. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 8/10/15
I have a pretty busy week ahead in terms of things that I have to do unrelated to movies. But Straight Outta Compton has been getting good reviews so hopefully I'll get to see that. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is an action movie and I like action movies, but it might get sidelined this weekend. Also hoping to see either The Gift or Shaun the Sheep Movie from last week. Both looked good, especially The Gift.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
8/10/15-8/16/15
As much as it seemed like I barely posted anything this week, I actually saw quite a few movies. They just weren't movies relevant to what was coming out so I didn't post reviews. The only relevant film I watched was Shaun the Sheep Movie, and I posted a review. I also watched The Judge at the request of Amy Feng, watched The Fugitive, watched Ex Machina, and watched Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Strange mix of films, I know. The Judge was full of drama and had some problems, but was pretty good. The Fugitive is one of my favorite movies of all time and is one of those stepping stones that got me into loving movies. Ex Machina was a film that came out earlier this year that I missed. It was slow but full of amazing ideas about artificial intelligence, great acting and great writing. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a movie I've been meaning to see for quite some time and it most certainly did not disappoint. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 8/17/15
The three new releases this week are Sinister 2, American Ultra, and Hitman: Agent 47. Of those three, I'd say Hitman: Agent 47 is the least appealing. Of the other two, I'm not sure. If I watch the first SInister, then I'll go see Sinister 2. Otherwise, American Ultra is probably the choice. As always, there are other releases I missed last week that I will try to get to. I just wish I had enough time to get to everything all the time! Wouldn't that be nice?
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
8/17/15-8/23/15
It might seems as though this week was a total bust given that Sinister 2 was the only movie I posted a review for. Fortunately, I also watched a slew of other films that ranged from good to freaking fantastic. I watched Whiplash, Birdman, Prisoners, and Romancing the Stone. Romancing the Stone is one of those classic 80's movies (like Back to the Future from Robert Zemeckis, the same director) that I just needed to see. It was pretty good. Prisoners was a really long but incredibly suspenseful kidnapping mystery. Birdman won the Best Picture award at the Oscars last year, but was disappointing in a lot of ways. Quite unlike Whiplash which, of this lot of films, is the one that most affected me. It's about a drummer who is pushed to the limit by a teacher determined to create the next greatest musician of the world. What a film it was, with loads of commentary on the standards society gives to things now and how "normal" can be seen as just accepting mediocrity. Anyway, this was the best film I've seen in a while. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 8/24/15
The end of August going into September is notorious for being a sinkhole for movies, where only bad ones get released. Well, this week seems to prove that, just like last week, we're in for a bunch of crap. Wednesday release No Escape has mediocre reviews and weekend release We Are Your Friends is similarly bad. I'll probably just watch a bunch of movies from earlier in the year that I missed (I already got The Gift out of the way. It was good. Should've seen it back when it came out in theatres. Sorry!) Those reviews will probably hold out until the end of the year when I make a list of which movies from 2015 are worth watching.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
8/24-8/30
I may not have posted any reviews but that doesn't mean I didn't watch any movies this past week. As a matter of fact, I went out and saw The Gift, Straight Outta Compton, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., How to Train Your Dragon, and The Last Airbender. If you're wondering why that last one is in there, it's because I wanted to have a good laugh with my friends and wanted to have the review ready for in two weeks, when M. Night Shyamalan's next movie comes out. The Gift was a tense thriller questioning whether or not people change. While it isn't holding up as well in my head now that I've had a week to sit on it, I would still definitely recommend it. Straight Outta Compton was electrifying in its energy even though the film clearly focused on the members of the group who acted as producers. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a stylish action movie without much action in it. It was also a bit longer than it needed to be and not all of it made sense. Pretty good but not great. How to Train Your Dragon is one of my favorite FILMS of all time, not just from Dreamworks or in the animation department. I recognize that it is perhaps not as good of a movie as The Incredibles but it is so darn enjoyable and perfectly paced that I just love it. Nothing more needs to be said about The Last Airbender, just don't miss the review. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 8/31/15
The end of August going into September is notorious for being a sinkhole for movies, where only bad ones get released. Yeah, I said that last week and I'm saying it again. I didn't post any reviews last week because all of the releases were garbage! This week sees the release of The Transporter Refueled, the fourth film in the franchise. Wow! I haven't seen any of those and they're all poorly reviewed. But I can't go two weeks without posting a review so I'll probably go see the first in the franchise and maybe this new one if its well received or if I get a screening for it. Otherwise, just expect that one.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
8/31-9/6
This past week, I saw The Stanford Prison Experiment, The Transporter, Maleficent, Inglourious Basterds, and The Sixth Sense. As M. Night Shyamalan's next film comes out next week I felt it necessary to watch and review the movie that made his career. The Sixth Sense is a very well-crafted movie that, while never fast-paced, has a very creepy atmosphere to it that I liked and a great story as well. The Transporter was a dumb action movie. Maleficent was a dumb kids movie grounded in an interesting idea. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a fascinating psychological study that, while a bit too long, really shook me. Inglourious Basterds is one of my favorite films of all time and my favorite film by director Quentin Tarrantino. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 9/7/15
Finally the weeks of boring movie season are over. This weekend sees the release of three movies: The Visit, Perfect Guy, and 90 Minutes in Heaven. Of those three, I will definitely be focusing on M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit. Along with that film, I will review the movie that made him a star (The Sixth Sense) along with the movie that killed his career (The Last Airbender). I might toss in another one of his films in there if I have the time to go see it. Apart from that, depending on how interesting early reviews are of the other two films, I might go see them too. For now, however, just count on the Shyamalan.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
9/7-9/13
This week I watched Unbreakable, The Visit, and Mad Max: Fury Road. That's right, I watched that movie in the theatre again. Why? Because it was freakin' fantastic. I love that movie. The Visit was M. Night Shyamalan's most recent movie that was pretty decent. It wasn't great, but it was decent. Much improved. Unbreakable was a movie that, when I watched it, I didn't initially love it. However, it grew on me as I thought about it more and more and ended up really liking it and appreciating how it was structured. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 9/14/15
This coming week has a lot of major releases and a few limited releases that are all interesting to me. Among which are The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Pawn Sacrifice, Black Mass, Captive, Everest, and Sicario. That's six movies that are all new! And I'm probably going to watch the first The Maze Runner movie for contextual reasons. I have a screening for Sicario so that's one I'll definitely review. The other movies are just gonna come if they are playing at the right place, at the right time. Hope I can get to most of them because they're all interesting!
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
9/14-9/20
6 new movies came out this week. I managed to see three of them plus another movie. This week I watched The Maze Runner, Sicario, Black Mass, and Pawn Sacrifice. The Maze Runner was a movie weak in story and full of exposition. Pretty weak in general, as it only exists to set up the sequel. Sicario was the best movie of the bunch. Wow was this movie intense. It was also beautifully shot and full of good performances. Those are from Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin. The fantastic performance in this film comes from Benicio Del Toro. Wow was this guy good. Black Mass was a gangster movie that didn't really have anybody to root for, even though it was well-acted and engaging all the way through. Pawn Sacrifice was a film about Bobby Fischer, the greatest chess player in the history of the world, and about his mental struggles on the way to getting to his esteemed position. It was a pretty solid film, even though a lot of things were left unexplained towards the end. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 9/21/15
Of the films that came out last week, the only one I missed was Everest. Hopefully I'll get that one, because it got a good reception and looks good. On top of that rollover movie, this week sees the release of Hotel Transylvania 2, Green Inferno, The Intern, 99 Homes, and Mississippi Grind. I really don't care about Hotel Transylvania 2, especially given the strong competition from more appealing films. The same argument goes for Green Inferno, which looks uninteresting and hasn't been well-received. The other three films, however, I should get to see. Reviews will follow.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
9/21-9/27
I had an incredibly busy week but still managed to see three films. I saw The Guest, a movie I described as The Terminator on acid, because the film is really weird, but still entertaining. I also saw 99 Homes and Mississippi Grind. Both films were good, though Mississippi Grind doesn't have a lot of story to it and 99 Homes was really difficult to watch. What do you expect from a movie about people getting foreclosed on? I missed Everest and The Intern but given the light amount of films coming out next week, hopefully I'll get a chance to see them. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 9/28/15
So I missed The Intern last week and still have to see Everest from two weeks ago. On top of that, this week sees the release of The Walk and The Martian. Both are well-reviewed movies from esteemed directors, featuring A-list actors. This is a good sign. The Walk is a movie I have a screening for already, so that should be excellent. It's about an acrobat who walks across the Twin Towers in New York City. It's directed by Robert Zemeckis, who really knows how to both craft a good story but also make it visually appealing. The Martian is perhaps even more interesting as it deals with a man who is stranded on Mars after a catostrophic storm that forces his crew to leave him. Apparently the book is excellent as well. Director Ridley Scott may be returning to form after his recent bombs.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
9/28-10/4
What a fantastic week it has been for movies! Both The Walk and The Martian were released this week. I had the privelege of seeing both of them and man, they were both fantastic. The Martian proved that Ridley Scott hasn't lost his touch (after his last few bombs) and The Walk proved, for the millionth time, that Robert Zemeckis is one of the finest directors working today. This week, I also saw Mad Max: Fury Road again. Why? Because my roommate hadn't seen it and I kept pushing. He loved it, duh. In preparation for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I've decided to see all of the Star Wars films in the franchise, one per week. So this weekend, I saw Star Wars. To this day, the movie is still incredible, telling one of the best stories ever told. I can't wait to continue the series next weekend. But despite all of the amazing films I had the previlege of seeing this week, I also had to watch The Intern. Not that it is bad, it's just completely forgettable and riskless; nothing about it stands out. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 10/5/15
After the amazing releases from last week (of which I had the pleasure to see The Martian, The Walk, and Sicario), this week slows things down. Only two worthwhile films are being released: Pan and Steve Jobs. Of those two, only Pan is actually a wide release. However, Steve Jobs is the more interesting choice as it's directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting...) and stars Michael Fassbender, one of my favorite actors working today. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see that one. Pan is less interesting, especially given that it looks exactly like the 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland.
What I Watched vs. What You Watched
10/5-10/11
So this past Friday I saw Steve Jobs in theatres. It was an impressive biopic because of its structure and how it chose to go about showing us the title character. Great writing and performances. But on Saturday I watched Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi and I pretty much forgot about the only new movie I'd seen, even though it was really good. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is one of the best movies I've ever seen ever, and that's not just because I loved Star Wars. It is full of amazing writing, brilliant humor, incredibly visuals, beautiful sets, gorgeous cinematography, thrilling suspense, and amazing characters. I mean, every single one of the characters in the original Star Wars is expanded upon in the most amazing ways. This movie is a hundred times better than the first one, and the first one got a 10 from me! Unfortunately, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi did not hold up nearly as well. The movie was incredibly hit-or-miss. Some parts of it are actually awful. And then some parts are absolutely fantastic. I can't wait until Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is near and I get to actually publish my reviews for the Star Wars movies. What a story they tell. Now it's your turn! I encourage you to post a comment with what film(s) you watched this week and what you thought about said film(s)!
Schedule for the Week
of 10/12/15
This weekend has four major releases and two interesting limited releases. Of the major releases, which are Crimson Peak, Bridge of Spies, Woodlawn, and Goosebumps, Bridge of Spies is definitely the one to see, if I only have to see one of them. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reuinite in this well-reviewed historical drama that both Spielberg and Hanks are masters at by this point in time. Crimson Peak is also an interesting one, because I can't tell if it's a horror film or a period drama. I guess we'll find out. The two limited releases are Room and Beasts of No Nation. Both are excellently reviewed and have interesting plots. This is one weekend I hope I won't be limited to seeing only one film.
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 10/12
and to the coming week of 10/19
This is a new segment on the website, which combines the previous "schedule" and "what I watched" segments and combines them.
This past week was a bit of a busy one for me (as will be this next week) but I still managed to get in Bridge of Spies, Room, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. There was quite a lot of difference between the quality of those three films. Let's start with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. I've seen it before, but not recently, so I was expecting to find at least some redeeming quality in it. Unfortunately, none was to be had. The story is over two hours long and still is rushed. When we aren't even introduced to the characters in the movie and they just do stuff without any emotional involvement, the movie becomes boring. That was the entirety of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Bridge of Spies was pretty good, but a little underwhelming. I didn't mention how patriotic the film was in my review, but that's definitely worth noting; it was great to see Tom Hanks' character represent what America stands for in such a positive light. Room was definitely the standout of the week, however. Sometimes it's easy to stick to the mainstream wide releases and never see little films like this one. But each and every year, there is a smaller film that just blows me away (last year it was Whiplash). Everything in the movie was powerful, and I still dwell on it for lengthy periods of time.
Next week sees the release of a lot of films, but not too many I would like to see. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, The Last Witch Hunter, Jem and the Holograms, and Rock the Kasbah don't really pique my interest. It is only when you look at a few of the limited release films, namely Sufragette, where things get a little more interesting. Hopefully I'll see that one. Also to consider are a few of the films from last week that I missed, namely Crimson Peak, Beasts of No Nation, and even the surprisingly well-received Goosebumps. It's a busy week, though, so I really don't know what is in store.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 10/19
and to the coming week of 10/26
This past week wasn't really a big one for good films as we got the pleasure of watching four bad movies flop. I got to see Beasts of No Nation, one of the well-reviewed films from the week before. It was decent, but nothing to get excited about. Good performances but a serious lack of story or focus. I also got to see was Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, which was way better than Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but still pretty awful. I've been basically keeping on track with my Star Wars reviews, watching one movie per week in order of release date. Next weekend I'll be away, so I'll be spared having to watch all three prequels in a row. For Back To The Future Day on Wednesday, October 21st, I watched Back to the Future 2. It was decent, but a little bit of a mess in terms of telling multiple stories during different time-periods. It definitely could have used a little more focus.
Once again, next week sees the release of a few films, none of which are particularly interesting. Burnt, Our Brand is Crisis, and Scouts Guide to The Zombie Apocalypse are all either poorly-reviewed or not that interesting. Of the three, I'd probably go with Scouts Guide to The Zombie Apocalypse, simply because it looks like it might be the most entertaining. Apart from that, still trying to see Suffragette.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 10/26
and to the coming week of 11/2
For the first time ever (I think), I posted no reviews during the week. No movies were released that were of interest to me, so I instead watched Trainwreck, Casino Royale, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Trackwreck was probably an hour too long, as it never really gained much speed. The beginning had a lot of humor to it for it quickly lost its way. It wasn't really a comedy or a drama or a romance; it was a mixture of the three. I've been meaning to review Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as it's a great adventure-comedy film. I watched Casino Royale in preparation for the coming release of Spectre as it is my favorite James Bond film and probably my favorite action film ever.
Thank goodness that this coming week has a lot of movies I want to see. I've already mentioned Spectre, which actually made it onto my most anticipated list, but this weekend also sees the release of Trumbo, Spotlight, and Brooklyn. All three of these films are well-reviewed and supposed to be awards contenders. On top of that, they're all interesting stories that I'd like to see. I haven't even mentioned The Peanuts Movie, which might end up pretty high on my list if I get a screening for it. I expect to see at least three of these films, so you'll see some more reviews in no time.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 11/2
and to the coming week of 11/9
This week was a little more productive for me. I watched Brooklyn, Spectre, Suffragette, and Schindler's List. Brooklyn was a surprisingly moving period romance/drama that really worked. It looked really good and had some great acting in it. A lot of people have been seriously criticizing the lacking story in Spectre, and while I thought I agree that it was lacking, I can't deny that the film had a lot of really good moments, looked amazing, and had great action in it. It's not a great movie, but I enjoyed it. Suffragette is a film I should have gone to see last week. It was a harsh look at the women's suffrage movement in England and what it is like to give your life to a cause. It had a big missed opportunity at the end of the film, but it was nonetheless a satisfying watch. But nothing top's Schindler's List. I have hailed this work of art as the greatest film ever made ever since I saw it the first time. The film just has such an atmosphere about it, and creates some of the greatest characters ever. It shows what happened without flinching, and depicts the actions of one man who decided that he could do something about it. The music, cinematography, acting, writing, and directing are all absolute perfection in this film. I'm often surprised by how many people bash Steven Spielberg for only creating crowd-pleasing films for the masses. Schindler's List is his response to them.
Unfortunately, I missed The Peanuts Movie, which got surprisingly good reviews, Spotlight, and Trumbo. There were simply too many options.
This coming week sees the release of nothing of interest. The 33, Love the Coopers, and My All American are a mixture of cliché, poor reviews, and general apathy, and I can't really see myself going to see any of them.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 11/9
and to the coming week of 11/16
As predicted, I watched none of the new releases. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any of the other films I wanted to see. It was just a busy week. The only film I got to see last week was Atonement, a powerful film about the consequences of one's actions. It has some great acting, great music, great cinematography, and genuine emotion to it.
This coming week sees the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, which I am looking forward to. Though certainly not perfect, this series of films has been pretty solid, and I like the characters. This week also sees the release of Carol, Legend, The Night Before, and The Secret in Their Eyes. Of those films, I don't think I will see any of them except for Carol, which has some awards buzz going for it. I don't really know much about the other films, and their trailers don't quite make me need to see them.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 11/16
and to the coming week of 11/23
I tried to make up for the fact that I've been pretty derilect in my duties as a critic over the past few weeks as I've watched all of 1 movie. This week I reviewed The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, The Night Before, and Spotlight, a film that I should have seen two weeks back but didn't. In addition to those three, I watched Tropic Thunder which was hilarious. The fourth Hunger Games film was quite good, and I don't think I missed much having not seen the previous film (I've seen The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but not The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1). The Night Before was a really good time and I got all that I wanted out of it. Spotlight is a film that has been hailed as this year's Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards and, though I hope another, far better film (Room), beats it, I can see why it is being lauded. It has flaws, but it was very good.
Next week sees the release of Creed, The Good Dinosaur, Victor Frankenstein, and The Danish Girl. I won't be in New York for most of this coming week, so I probably won't see The Danish Girl, which is in limited release. But I will definitely try to go see the well-reviewed Creed and Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. I might even review Rocky to go along with Creed.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!
This Week And The Next
Looking Back on the Week of 11/23
and to the coming week of 11/30
This past week I watched The Good Dinosaur, License to Kill, Tropic Thunder, Mary Poppins, and Room for the second time. Unfortunately, I missed Creed, which I am determined to go see one of these days. The Good Dinosaur was pretty mediocre as Pixar films go, which makes it still decent. I am like Inside Out far less than I did when I reviewed it, but it was the better of the two Pixar films to come out. Still, I'm hoping that Pixar can churn out another great film, because their last one was 2010's Toy Story 3, and even that was a little bit of a letdown for me, at least compared to the first two Toy Story films. I watched License to Kill, because I had heard good things about the tone in Timothy Dalton's portrayal of the James Bond character. That tone was there in the movie, but the story was lacked stakes, the effects looked incredibly dated, and the movie was way too long. Tropic Thunder is a hilarious film that really made me respect Ben Stiller a lot more, both in front of the camera and behind it. The way the movie takes actors who are known for playing particular roles and then puts them in roles that challenge them created some amazing characters. Mary Poppins is a film that should fail by its premise. It's a musical about a flying nanny to take care of two children in 1910's London. And yet, the film is actually brilliant in a lot of ways. The movie is much more about parents being there for their kids. The soundtrack is so good that it just moves the movie along, even when it should be slow. Room was every bit the masterpiece I'd thought it was the first time. It is simply the best film I've seen all year, nothing more and nothing less.
Next week sees the release of Krampus, a Christmas horror film, The Letters, and MacBeth. None of these films are particularly appealing to me, but I might end up choosing one and just going to see it, assuming I've already seen Creed already.
Until then, please leave a comment with a movie you're looking forward to, or a movie you saw last week, even if it isn't a new one. I love hearing from everyone!