Fear and Loving in David Gordon Green's HALLOWEEN Trailer

Anyone who knows me, knows how loud my heart beats for John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978). It's the best slasher film ever made, and if you don't agree, let's fight. (Must be under five feet tall and weigh less than 100 pounds).

There have been several reboots, all have sucked (looking at you, Rob Zombie), and we finally may have the Michael Myers conclusion fans like me deserve. HALLOWEEN (2018) is under great care -- Jason Blum (producer for the great GET OUT, Paranormal Activity, and other great horrors movies), and is directed by my king, David Gordon Green (GEORGE WASHINGTON, JOE, PRINCE AVALANCHE).. DGG has never made a horror film before, but I will always trust this man.

Another fun tidbit: Danny McBride (Yes, Kenny Powers) co-wrote the film, but don't let that turn you off, he's a terrific writer and like DGG, he's taking this film very seriously. 

I trust DGG and McBride with this franchise -- they got Carpenter to return and do original music, as well as executive produce, Jamie's back, Nick Castle (who played Michael Myers / The Shape in the original Halloween) returned as Mikey, and you can tell just from what we've scene, DGG and McBride have paid close attention to detail. (If you look close, you can see Meyers left eye is poked out from when Laurie poked it with a hangover in Halloween (1978). So stoked. 

I try to avoid trailers if I can, but there's no way I was going to miss this one. I also hate when people judge a movie based on the trailer, but I cannot help but not when it comes to Michael Myers. I have been eagerly waiting to see footage of the film since HALLOWEEN's production started. The trailer does get me amped, but I do have some reservations (please God, let there be a damn good reason for Meyers for going after Laurie now they we know they are not brother-sister -- pure coincidence and a 40-year grudge will make her less significant and special). I will save those for the review, once I've seen the film. I just hope this is the Myers-Strode showdown us Halloween nerds deserve. 

I will say, I love the homages to previous Halloween incarnations throughout the trailer. Very cool of DGG to pay tribute to all the filmmakers who took a stab at the Myers franchise. 

October 19th is the theatrical release date; until then, check out the trailer and let me know what you think. 

New on Blu: TREMORS: A COLD DAY IN HELL

Once upon a time, the TREMORS franchise was fun to watch. When practical effects and real scares were in, as well as a solid plot, and Michael Gross wasn't hurting for money. (It also didn't hurt that TREMORS (1990) starred Gross, along with Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Reba McEntire, and Victor Wong.)

In the sixth installment of the very tired franchise, TREMORS: A COLD DAY IN HELL stars Michael Gross (the guy from the other TREMORS movies you probably know as Dad from FAMILY TIES) and Jamie Kennedy -- a once-beloved actor who stole the show in a little movie called SCREAM -- as the father-son duo who head to Canada to take on more Graboids and Ass-Blasters. If the latter sounds like a scat porn title, we are on the same page and need to get our heads out of the gutter. 

I really wanted to enjoy TREMORS: A COLD DAY IN HELL, but it's, well, boring. This is never a good sign when it comes to a monster movie about creatures who chew through the earth to make you their lunch. A COLD DAY IN HELL wants to be funny and scary at the same time, but the execution is really, really bad. There's a scene that comes to mind when a smart character is about to be pulled under with a Graboid -- she has the option to survive if she takes off her pants. She refuses because she's "not wearing any underwear." What was director Don Michael Paul intention here? Comedy? Unconventional practicality? I don't want Jamie Kennedy seeing my bits and pieces as much as the next person, but there's no way I'm risking my life for a pair of jeans because I'm not wearing underoos. 

It'll be a cold day in hell before I watch this movie again. Thank God we will always have TREMORS (1990), a satire that brilliantly paid homage to JAWS and didn't take itself too seriously but managed to still scare the hell out of audiences everywhere. 

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Review

The Avengers are at war, and this time it's not civil. (Sorry, I have been waiting to use that sentence since the announcement of this film. It's quite lame and I'm OK with this.)

This is going to be a capsule review of THE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR because there's a lot of layers and superheroes (about nine million, if I counted correctly), and so much going on, and well, I don't want to spoil anything for you. 

I don't think I need to dive much into the plot -- the big, bad guy we've been waiting on to come take on the Avengers -- Thanos (voiced by DEADPOOL 2's Josh Brolin) -- is here. He's arrived to get all the infinity stones and wipe out the galaxy. If he gets all of those stones, he's got the chance. 

INFINITY WAR is stuffed like a fat turkey with all your favorite MCU superheroes, and the action is mind-blowing. Moreover, the CGI is better than any superhero film I've ever seen -- there is one character I thought was real but was, in fact, complete CGI. (It's hilarious we are in 2018 and Marvel tricked me with their immaculate CGI, yet DC can't digitally erase a fucking mustache properly.) 

INFINITY WAR's running time is over 2 1/2 hours but it's so nail-biting intense it zooms by and is a rush the entire time. Marvel is unstoppable and DC needs to take notes. (Note: I love MAN OF STEEL and will defend it to the death. Come at me.) 

Co-directors The Russo Bothers did a fantastic job balancing the tone of each character and franchise that joined while keeping the film dark when it needs to be dark, and funny when it needs to be funny.

THE AVENGERS will always be the best in the franchise because Joss made a seemingly impossible job so incredible, but INFINITY WAR will no doubt be the most memorable.

 Being a more of a DC fan (well, OK, just Superman and Batman, and now Wonder Woman), I am very much looking forward to AVENGERS 4. 

Fun trivia: Marvel has a thing for giving Josh Brolin's left hand a key element to his character -- the glove in INFINITY WAR and his metal arm in DEADPOOL 2. Man, I am a dork but I love this stuff. 

First Poster for David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's HALLOWEEN

John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is perhaps the greatest slasher of all time. What makes the film's antagonist -- Michael Myers, also known as The Shape -- so frightening is the mystery surrounding him. He can't be hurt and we don't know why, and he really wants to kill his sister Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) for reasons I can only guess is for sport. Before all the awful sequels tried to ruin Myers' reasoning (with the standard "supernatural" trope), Carpenter kept it simple with Dr. Loomis' (the late, amazing Donald Pleasance) words: Michael Myers is just pure evil. 

When I was younger, I loved Halloween H20 because it returned Curtis to the franchise, and she ended it in the best way possible -- buy chopping his head off. Michael Myers was finally dead. 

But that's not how it works in Hollywood and the regurgitated more movies (with Lee coming back for one more and getting killed off which I'm still bitter about), and they all sucked. 

This is about to change. King David Gordon Green (GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRINCE AVALANCHE) and Danny McBride (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) teamed up to write a faithful continuation of HALLOWEEN that picks up 40 years later after Carpenter's. 

The first poster has just been released and it's fabulous. Myers has got to be in his late 60s now, and the emaciated mask proves it. One thing I noticed, if you look close, you can see his left eye is missing from when Strode poked him  in it with a hanger in HALLOWEEN. This is a small but colossal detail and proves DGG and McBride really care about the original film and want to do a stellar job with their film. It's also great that Carpenter officially signed on to score the film, which he did for his HALLOWEEN and many of his other great films. 

HALLOWEEN (2018) hits theaters on October 19th. Do not miss it.

Review: YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

Update: I've watched this a lot since writing this and have come around. I love this film. Maybe I'll write about what changed my mind later. 

We need to talk about YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, writer-director Lynne Ramsay's new hammer starring the immaculate Joaquin Phoenix (INHERENT VICE). Based on Jonathan Ames' (BORED TO DEATH scribe) novella of the same name, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE follows PTSD-stricken Joe's (Phoenix) vigilante quest to take down suits trafficking underage girls and smashing them to death with a hammer. Or is it? 

I don't watch trailers for two reasons: 1) They always give away too much and, 2) they can often be misleading. The latter is the curious case for YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE. Last May when the film premiered at Cannes, we were shown a clip from YOU WHERE NEVER REALLY HERE. It's two incredible tracking shots with an intoxicating score from Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood -- composer for PTA's masterpieces: THERE WILL BE BLOOD and THE MASTER. The first moment, the camera floats down a motel hall and then cuts to a disheveled Phoenix walking out of the building -- fire alarm screaming -- into an alley. His beard is unkempt, his hoodie is up, covering his head, and while walking, he gets a surprise attack by some goon, only the goon is caught off guard when Phoenix headbutts him, knocking him to the ground, vomiting blood. It's the coolest clip I've seen in a long time and I was sold.  

This scene is kickass, for lack of a better term, and I watched it a thousand times. Here it is -- you need to see it. 

This scene is one of the best moments in a film, and that's all I needed to put this at the very top of my Must See list. In fact, I had made up my mind this was probably going to be my favorite movie of the year. But, to my disappointment, I was wrong. *sad emoji*

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE is not a terrible movie, but it's not the movie I thought it was going to or hoped it would be. It goes in one direction and then gets lost along the way. I don't want to spoil much, but there seems to be an underlying theme in the movie that's hard to pick up on if you're not paying attention (watch closely with his interactions with his mom). That or I don't understand what Ramsay is trying to show with the changes she made from the novella. 

Lots of critics are calling this the contemporary TAXI DRIVER, and I can see that -- a man with apparent mental illness wanting to save an underage girl from scumbags. 

But this doozy is quite different than that, and I'm still not entirely sure I understand the final act. So, what I did was buy the novella the film as based on, and read it before writing this review. Ramsay did a remarkable job capturing specific scenes in the book -- and even making some moments a hell of a lot cooler -- but the novella gives us a much better understanding of the story and why Joe (Phoenix) is the way he is, as well as how good he is at his job. I am a big advocate of separating the book from a film adaptation when it comes to watching and/or discussing, but I can't do that here, the film is too disoriented. (Sort of like INHERENT VICE, but PI novels are meant to be mysterious and confusing -- it keeps a reader on their toes. I don't consider YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE a PI novel but Joe is a hitman, and a good one at that.) 

As Joe, Phoenix makes the movie worth the watch. He is a force to be reckoned with, and he keeps mopping the floor with each film he pumps out. His Joe has PTSD from his time as an FBI agent, and he makes it his life's mission to track down and murder every pedophile he can. He only needs two weapons to get the jobs done: a hammer and his rage.  Judge, jury, executioner. Phoenix's Joe wears a stoic face throughout the film. You don’t know if he’s going to hug you or explode in a fit of rage and beat you to death with a hammer. This is what's makes YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE fascinating -- this unreliable narrator is fascinating to watch. We are not sure if Joe can be trusted.  

The problem with the movie is the story skips important plot points and big scenes come and go quick. It's hard to keep up with exactly what's going on with all the people Joe meet, who they are, and why they are necessary for this story. And that third act, hoo boy -- I wish Ramsay went with the novella's ending, it's much more potent.  

An important character in Joe's life is his mom. He lives with her and shares an endearing moment with her. This scene involves Hitchcock's PSYCHO that's not in the book -- a nice addition from Ramsay -- and this scene may or may not be a critical part of the movie. I am still not sure.  

Phoenix won Best Actor at Cannes, and Ramsay took home Best Screenplay at the festival as well. Look, I want this movie to do well because Phoenix is so good in it and I like Ramsay (sans WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, an incredibly frustrating movie). But I need to be honest; this movie lost me. Once the credits rolled, I'm not sure what YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE is about at its core. There's life to this movie, but it dies rather quickly. 

Review: John Krasinski's Riveting Masterpiece, A QUIET PLACE

The best movies sneak up on you. A vicious tornado that rips through town without any warning. You didn't see it coming, and the aftermath quite literally blows you away. 

This is a pretty lousy metaphor, but my point is, the best movies are the ones you don't think much about but are left slack-jawed once the end credit rolls. 

This is the luck of A QUIET PLACE, a marvelous post-apocalyptic monster movie about family. That's a sentence I never thought I would write. 

A QUIET PLACE stars John Krasinski (who also co-wrote and directed) and Emily Blunt (SICARIO), as a married couple (whom are married in real life) trying to raise their children in a future world where monsters hunt anything that makes a sound. 

What makes the design of these creatures so terrifying is that they're not here to feed or hunt for sport (hello my dear PREDATOR (1987)). These monsters go berserk by the sound of anything -- human noise, a tractor, or even a spaceship toy. We don't know why they are here; we know they've been here a while and already wiped out half of humanity. What's terrifying is our only defense system: to stay as quiet as possible and hope a fart or sneeze doesn't have the creatures coming to slaughter. 

Lee (Kraskinski) and Evelyn (Blunt) have built a quaint little home/fortress for themselves and their kids. They've paved paths to walk (barefoot) on that eliminates noise, and they communicate with each other via sign language; one of the children, actress Millicent Simmonds, is deaf in real life -- kudos to Krasinski for hiring an actor who is truly hard of hearing versus hiring someone just to pretend, it gives the casts' communication a natural presence. Simmonds reactions to important scenes feel more realistic because we -- the audience -- know she truly hearing impaired and doesn't know what could lurk right behind her. We are scared for her because she lives in a world where she may inadvertently cause a loud noise and not even know it. Imagine living with this threat daily. Terrifying. 

Sure, A QUIET PLACE is a movie with monsters, but this is not a monster movie. A QUIET PLACE is an allegory on parenting and the challenges a mother and father face under sometimes extreme duress and pressure. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

At the beginning of the movie -- within the first five minutes -- the Abbott's lose a child in a most violent and shocking way, setting the tone for the rest of the film: nobody is safe. There's an unspoken rule in cinema -- when you kill off a child, all bets are off. Anyone can die at any moment, including the stars of the movie. It's meant to make the audience uneasy and sweat during the film's entire running time because of that dreadful feeling so-and-so could die at any moment. This scene sets that tone, as well as the allegory about parenting and Emily Blunt's Evelyn says it best, "Who are we if we cannot protect our children?" 

There is also a major character death and it's one that I that will never forget. This scene replays in my head over and over. 

What makes A QUIET PLACE so impactful is the real star of the movie: the silence. It makes you question long after leaving the theater the little noises you make that now sound larger than life. Since first seeing this, I now tiptoe at my apartment because I don't want to wake up my roommate and I imagine the chagrin of my downstairs neighbors when I stomp. A good movie has you talking long after leaving the theater, and that is exactly what A QUIET PLACE has done for me and many others -- I think about this movie constantly. I think about the film's frightening atmosphere, and what I would do if I were ever in Lee and Evelyn's position. 

It's only April, but A QUIET PLACE will make my top 10 movies of the year. I did not expect to be walloped upside the head as hard as I did seeing this movie. 

A QUIET PLACE is quietly making a loud statement in Hollywood; it cost $17 million and has raked in $328,450,761 worldwide. It's a critic darling and audiences around the world love it. This message is pretty clear: people want originality (and John Krasinski in a beard). A QUIET PLACE screams cunning innovation on a genre that's hard to achieve real success. 

4K Blu-ray Review: STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII - The Last Jedi Ultimate Collector's Edition

Bringing writer-director Rian Johnson on to make a Star Wars film was -- regardless of the polarizing contention between critics and fans -- one of the best decisions this franchise could make. His last effort, LOOPER, is one of the best sci-fi mind-benders over the last decade, perhaps longer. Have you seen it? Stop reading and watch it now, if not. 

Taking on such a beloved franchise is a stomach ulcer waiting to burst, but Johnson did the best he could, brought a lot of fresh fun to the franchise, and changed a few things up, for better or worse. 

I'm a fan of Star Wars to an extent -- I grew up on the originals and watched them religiously on VHS. I went to see the "upgraded" ones where Lucas added a bunch of unnecessary CGI look cool, and I even asked Harrison Ford the infamous "Who shot first?" question when I interviewed him. (Note: I asked before it started to drive him batty.) 

All that said, there's a lot I love about THE LAST JEDI, and there's a lot I don't enjoy (to put it kindly), and I have crazy respect for him adding and taking away things from the Star Wars canon. 

The hyperspeed crash Vice Admiral Holdo (Lauren Dern) does is breathtaking and will leave you slack-jawed for a moment. But once that moment is over, it forever changes the way I -- and millions of others -- see this valuable method of escape. What if our hero hits hyperspace and on the way hits an asteroid and his ship blows up? This is a valid argument someone like me is going to let go (but always think about) because this is a movie about humans living in space without spacesuits and live, work, and hang out with Aliens. I can bypass this little itch. 

The big problem with THE LAST JEDI isn't that it's a bad movie -- it's that diehard fans are having trouble letting go of the troupes Johnson got rid of, and I applaud him for that. New beginnings. 

STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII is now on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and other formats. 

Blu-ray Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE

The most significant flaw in JUSTICE LEAGUE comes from its director (or directors depends on which side of the argument you're on), Zach Snyder, but he can't be faulted for the film's complete failure since his life changed forever during mid-production and he had to hand the keys over to Joss Whedon to finish the film. These two are a dream team and have done miraculous things for the superhero genre (I love MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and will fight you), so one would think the movie we've waited so long time for would be at least good, but JUSTICE LEAGUE is far from even barely tolerable. Uneven pacing, second-hand embarrassing "comedy," -- Whedon's touch --  and yes, you can tell when Snyder drops off and Whedon steps in, but for some reason, I can't help but give the film a pass.

 I very soft spot for Superman and Ezra Miller's The Flash makes the film worth your time -- I cannot wait for his upcoming solo film if it happens. And Jason Momoa looks like he's having the time of his life as Aquaman, which was refreshing, but none of our heroes could save this catastrophe. 

Despite how any feels about MAN OF STEEL and BVS, there's no denying that one can tell Zach Snyder gave both of these movies his all. They have his presence pulsing throughout them, and his passion radiates in every shot. Sure, there are script problems, but there's no denying that Snyder made these movies with his heart, and it's clear he was checked out during JUSTICE LEAGUE. Maybe it was the critical crushing combined with the tragic death of his daughter, but this version of Snyder's JUSTICE LEAGUE is not Snyder's version or even a movie, really. It's a bunch of ideas (and a really shitty CGI villain with an old Canadian-American rock band name) put together. 

Also checked out in the movie is Ben Affleck -- he looks bored and miserable as Batman, a tough character to crack after Christian Bale's incredible performance, and made it his own. He let the critics get to him, and now he's doing all he can to get out of the franchise. It's a bummer, he's a great Bruce Wayne and brooding Batman. 

Kind of like Superman has for the world, each time I watch Justice League I have hope that it’ll be better, and every time I’m reminded that it will not. Sigh. 

Another major flaw for the movie is JUSTICE LEAGUE did wrong what THE AVENGERS did right was took its time with our superheroes in their own movies, which made the highly anticipated wait of them joining forces pay off with remarkable awe.. JUSTICE LEAGUE crams the team into a packed RUNNING TIME, and we only really got to know Superman, Wonder Woman, and a bit Batman prior.  

What JUSTICE LEAGUE doesn't follow is continuity, which brings me to the most frustrating thing about the movie: Superman's resurrection. BVS lead us to believe he would rise on his own and in a slack-jawing way, but nope, the movie needed a silly deuce ex machina to bring Supes back, and it's highly insulting and frustrating. Superman deserved better. 

And what I can't wrap my head around: Superman was (rightfully) feared in MAN OF STEEL, hated in BVS, and the world mourned when Superman died (and didn't say a thing when he came back to life.) 

Poorly CGI'd mustache was the start of lousy VFX for the film. Both MAN OF STEEL AND BVS still have great CGI, and it seems like the team behind JUSTICE LEAGUE were like, "fuck it, this movie sucks anyway, might as well dial it back on the special effects.  

After WONDER WOMAN, we were given hope the franchise is finally moving in a positive direction, but now it feels like it's a step backward. 

We've waiting decades for a JUSTICE LEAGUE film and deserved something close to exceptional. Here's to hoping future DC movies get better by following Wonder Woman's sharp trajectory and be great, again. (One more reminder to bring it home: I love MAN OF STEEL and BVS. and will fight you if you hate them. Just don't be tall or stronger than me, please.) 

It should also be noted that I wanted this film to be great -- I loved Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman prior to seeing this film, and it's a damn shame this movie is a failure in every way possible. (But I will still watch it again and again because I'm a masochistic for bad movies.) 

Black Panther

BLACK PANTHER is a beast! Big, bold, BEAUTIFUL, and badass. Co-writer and Director Ryan Coogler (FRUITVALE STATION, CREED) is three for three, and I have a gut feeling these numbers will always match — the man can tell a good story, an essential element for a film of this caliber. This is one of the BLACK PANTHER's strengths -- it's a compelling story of loss, suffering, and discovery (and kicking ass). The VFX folks always do a fantastic job at making Marvel movies look slick and uber-cool, but as we learned with superior letdowns like IRON MAN 2, or DC’s JUSTICE LEAGUE, a good story is a vital lifeline in making it a true success. (OK, and a good villain and a perfected Super digitally-absent mustache, too.)

Aside from being a lot of fun and action-packed, BLACK PANTHER is culturally significant, as in it dips into fascinating Northeastern African culture, specifically the culture of the fictional Wakanda, where T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman -- GET ON UP, 42 ) and his people reside. Most superhero movies take (a majority) of running time on American soil. It's still stunning, but I would rather see a bunch of big fights happen on foreign land with breathtaking waterfalls and locations I’ve never seen before, than at an airport parking lot. BLACK PANTHER is in a world we've never seen before. It's beautiful. Experiencing Wakandan life stimulate the senses with its rich and delicious colors used through fashion, cultivation, and customs. We learn a lot about Wakanda, but are still left with wonder and discovery. 

Michael B. Jordan literally slays it as the film's antagonist, Killmonger. He can strike fear, rage, and hope one moment, and be quite vulnerable the next. Acting! I would love to see a prequel about his voyage to his introduction in BLACK PANTHER. I'm confident it's quite a gripping journey. 

Other standouts: Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead) as T'Challa's protector and patriotic soldier, General. I'm trying not to overuse this noun to describe this movie too much, but this my party and I'll cry if I want to: General is a badass. Then there's Shuri (Letitia Wright — Black Mirror), T'Challa's sister takes a cue from James Bond's Q as the creator of all of Black Panther's slack-jawing gadgets. She's funny, she's smart, and she will kick your ass if you mess with her brother. Lupita Nyong'o (12 YEARS A SLAVE) has a cool role of Nakia, someone important and faithful to T'Challa. She's beautiful, smart, and will also kick your ass if you mess with T'Challa. 

You see the trend up there? T'Challas' team is full of women who kick a lot of ass. Coogler didn't do this as a gimmick; he did this because women do kick a lot of ass. If there is a damsel in distress in this movie, it's Black Panther. These three ladies are his saviors. Perhaps this is the Justice League we need. 

The film, yes, is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's self-contained and, aside from a few specific jokes, you don't need to see any other Marvel film to keep up with the movie. This film is about Black Panther's beginnings and the start of a marvelous franchise. 

Film Review: Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK

“Survival’s not fair.”  

Cowards survive, heroes die or are captured by the enemy after saving countless lives — is anything fair when it comes to war? Writer-director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy) may have the answer in his latest fireball war epic, Dunkirk.

Nolan wastes no time when it comes to getting to ground zero of the action, where 400,000 Allied soldiers (mostly very young men) are stranded with the Germans attacking by land, water, and air. From frame one to the final moment of the film, we see — and feel, especially if you watch Dunkirk in IMAX — how terrifying war is when you’re outnumbered and a bomb or bullet could end your existence at any moment. 

Nolan breaks new ground with Dunkirk, giving audiences a unique take on a war film. There are no big speeches, voiceovers, or really any dialogue: just war. Moreover, the viewer is put right in the bleeding heart of the chaos — we are with the soldiers every step of the way. We feel claustrophobic, scared, and paranoid, and death is lurking just around the corner. It’s uneasy feelings but the unparalleled filmmaking makes this one hour and 47 minute heart palpitation worth it. I’ve seen a lot of war movies in my time, but nothing like Dunkirk. 

Getting this out of the way: There’s no character development, and some who frown on this are missing the point — Nolan only wants to show you the turbulence and turmoil in war; a war film under two hours with constant chaos is not much time for character arcs. One could argue character development is in the form of perspective: the air, the ocean, and land. It works. 

The only real issue I had with the movie was understanding the dialogue. It was either from watching it in the ka-booming IMAX audio, or the thick and quick English accents. Or, both. It’s not much of a problem because we understand what’s going on: “We need to get the hell out of here and try not to die while doing it.” 

Before I’m off,  I must talk about Hans Zimmer’s (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar, Inception) powerful score — it’s one of the best of his brilliant career. Using violins and Christopher Nolan’s very own stopwatch, tick tock tick tock tick tock; these sounds pump up the volume of the intensity of the nonstop action exploding on screen. This level of vigor while watching a movie is what critic’s call “edge-of-your-seat” entertainment. I do remember the moment the clock stopped ticking and letting out a deep breath of relief. (And yes, I was on the edge of my seat almost the entirety of the film.)  

I don’t believe Nolan will ever make a bad film. He’s too meticulous with details, and takes his time in his research for the story and telling it with remarkable power, not to mention he builds a dream team to work with for every film. In his ever-growing oeuvre, Dunkirk ranks as one of his best. 

New on Blu: 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Do you even care to know how "gorgeous" the 1080P or 2/4 K scan transfer looks, or how cool the extra features are? By now, you are well-versed in what transfers look like and you know what's coming with the release. You're (hopefully) here because you want to know the experience I had watching this/these film(s). 

New on Blu is a column from film pundit Chase Whale (that's me!), exploring studio, arthouse, underground, exploitation and cult cinema released on Blu-ray and DVD from some of the most cutting-edge independent distributors around the U.S. He talks about the movie and whether it's worth a buy or rent, not how amazing the transfer looks because you already know this system.

20th Century Women

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Writer/Director: Mike Mills
Cast: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup
Rating: ★★★★
Buy/Rent: BUY

When I saw 20th Century Women, I was certain Annette Bening was going take the Oscar for Best Actress. What I wanted more was at least a Best Supporting nod for Greta Gerwig, who gives the performance of her career in this film. Bening makes this movie as great as it is, but it's Gerwig who completes it. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Director: David Yates
Writer: J.K. Rowling
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller
Rating: ★★★★
Buy/Rent: BUY

Every Pot(ter)head is going to buy this regardless of what I say, but I'll have you know I really liked this film. Fantastic Beasts is a movie we go to the theaters for -- to escape from the cruel realities of the world, and to get sucked away in fantastic world of fantasy and be wowed by things we'll never see or do in real life. This movie has the all of the pleasures of fun cinema. 

New on Blu: RED DAWN Collector's Edition, THE LOVE WITCH, FENCES

Do you even care to know how "gorgeous" the 1080P or 2/4 K scan transfer looks, or how cool the extra features are? By now, you are well-versed in what transfers look like and you know what's coming with the release. You're (hopefully) here because you want to know the experience I had watching this/these film(s). 

New on Blu is a column from film pundit Chase Whale (that's me!), exploring studio, arthouse, underground, exploitation and cult cinema released on Blu-ray and DVD from some of the most cutting-edge independent distributors around the U.S. He talks about the movie and whether it's worth a buy or rent, not how amazing the transfer looks because you already know this system.

Red Dawn Collector's Edition

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Director: John Milius
Cast: Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey
Rating: ★★★
Buy/Rent: BUY

WOLVERINESSSSSS! I'm pretty sure it's un-American to not want to watch Patrick Swayze kick ass, first-timer Charlie Sheen be a good little brother, and Jennifer Grey blow shit up with a rocket launcher while hiding out in the woods, taking out Russians in a world where World War III happens. 

WOLVERINESSSSSS! 

The Love Witch

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Writer/Director: Anna Biller
Cast: Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Maria Conchita Alonso
Rating: ★★★
Buy/Rent: BUY

The Love Witch is an acquired taste. If you love 60s pulp cinema like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, or movies that were shot in Technicolor, this film is for you. It's an intoxicating throwback to films like the aforementioned and All That Heaven Allows. What makes The Love Witch so fascinating is the pitch perfect set and costume design, as well as the Technicolor look and feel, and biting tale on girl power. Writer/director Anna Biller's first feature, Viva, is another throwback, so it's clear this filmmaker has a passionate affinity for the 60s and 70s pulp cinema. I can't wait to see what she's up to next. 

Is this entrancing homage to Technicolor and pulpy cinema going to be the next cult classic? We'll know soon. 

Fences

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Director: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, 
Rating: ★★★★
Buy/Rent: BUY

Banging out one of this best performance of his career, Denzel Washington also directed Fences, a tough tale of family and the effects of tough love. Fences first started out as a play starring Washington and his co-lead in the film, the super talented Viola Davis, who deservingly won an Academy Award just a few weeks ago for her performance in the film. In hindsight, Fences is an everyday story about regular family issues, but these two performances really bangs you over the head.

Complete List of Film Reviews

LOST A LOT OF MY REVIEWS AND RE-ADDING. THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. STILL NEED TO ADD FILMS FROM ROTTEN TOMATOES AND LINK TO THE REVIEWS. PLEASE BE PATIENT, YOU WILD ANIMAL. 

Headshot
I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore. 
John Wick: Chapter 2
La La Land
A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
A Most Violent Year
Adult Beginners
Adventures of Power
Afternoon Delight
Alex of Venice
All The Light In The Sky
Amy
Animal Kingdom
Attenberg
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Bad Turn Worse
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Bellflower
Big Game
Birdman
Black
Blue Ruin
Blue Valentine
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
Boyhood
Brick Mansions
Butter
C.O.G.
Ceremony
Charlie Countryman
Child of God
Cop Car
CXL
Dark Places
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Deadfall
Don Jon
Don't Think Twice
Drive
Dumb and Dumber To
Embers
Escape from Tomorrow
Foxcatcher
Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Fubar: Balls to the Wall
Fury
Godzilla
Going the Distance
Gone Girl
Grey Gardens
Gridlocked
Guardians of the Galaxy
Holy Motors
Holy Rollers
Hungry Hearts
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
I Am Chris Farley
Imperial Dreams
In the Blood
Inherent Vice
Inside Out
Iris
Jack Goes Boating
Jackass 3
Jersey Boys
Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work
Joe
Jurassic World
Just Jim
Kaboom
Kill the Irishman
Klovn: The Movie (Klown)
Let Me In
Liberal Arts
Life Itself
Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow
Lola Versus
Louder Than a Bomb
Lucy
LUV
Mad Max: Fury Road
Maggie
Man of Steel
Maps to the Stars
Melancholia
Men, Women, & Children
Miami Connection
Middle of Nowhere
My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Nature Calls
Nightcrawler
Nighthawks
Oddsac
One & Two
Only God Forgives
Peep World
Pincus
Pricecheck
Prince Avalanche
Rabbit Hole
Raze
Robot & Frank
Rosewater
Rubber
Rudderless
San Andreas
Save the Date
Scream 4
Sleepwalk With Me
Smashed
Snowpiercer
Somewhere
Southpaw
Spring Breakers
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Submarine
Sun Don't Shine
Take Shelter
Take This Waltz
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terminator Genisys
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Bastard Sings The Sweetest Song
The Cold Lands
The Comedy
The Equalizer
The Expendables 3
The Fault in Our Stars
The Gambler
The Girl
The Girlfriend Experience
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Hateful Eight
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
The Kids Are All Right
The Kings of Summer
The One I Love
The Raid
The Rambler
The Revenant
The Rover
The Second Mother (Que Horas Ela Volta?)
The Snowtown Murders
The Spectacular Now
The Visitor
The Wailing
The Ward
The Way Way Back
The We and the I
The Wetlands
The Wolverine
Trainwreck
Trash Humpers
TV Junkie
Two Days, One Night
Unbroken
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning
Upstream Color
Victoria
Visitor
Waiting for Lightning
What We Do in the Shadows
Where the Wild Things Are
Whiplash
White Bird in a Blizzard
Wild
Win Win
Wish I Was Here
Wolf at the Door
Wrong
Wrong Cops
Young Ones
Your Sister's Sister