In watching Rupert Wyatt’s (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes) Captive State I was constantly reminded of Star Wars (1977) because both movies are relatively simple in terms of their story, yet to very different effect. Star Wars takes works well within the confides of a narrative that is no richer that the typical […]
I’m done with Star Wars. I enjoyed the original trilogy, but every since George Lucas left the franchise it appears that Lucasfilm is asleep at the wheel. I think they’re taking a “director-driven approach” which means a director can essentially do whatever the heck they want, never mind continuity or narrative consistency. And I’m out. […]
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi isn’t a great movie, though it is an entertaining one that seems to grasp it’s characters well. Though it’s not without its problems, some of which I go into in the following video.
No franchise is too big to fail, though typically a decline–the same logic applies to whether we’re discussing movie franchises or nations– comes before a fall. And that’s important because if you pay attention to the signs you may be able to delay or even avert a worse-case scenario. The Last Jedi is taking a […]
And Yes, ‘Ragnarök’ has an umlaut and it’s lazy not to include it. Anyway, last week I made the audacious claim that Thor: Ragnarök would likely join the Billion Dollar Club, the hallowed ground where movies that earn at least a billion dollars go during their theatrical runs roam. And profits matter because as much […]
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I bet there’re a lot of people asking ‘Who asked for a Tomb Raider reboot?’ And the answer is ‘No one.’ Then again, who asked for new Star Wars films? Star Trek? The answer–while there are always people who would love to see more of these characters and […]
Luc Besson is nothing if not ambitious and Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets is his most ambitious feature yet, but I am concerned. The movie, based on a French comic book written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières, is likely unfamiliar to most Americans, which is likely why the director […]
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released a few hours ago, and looks… like a Star Wars movie. Which is stating the obvious, though it also reveals a problem. The last Star Wars movie, Rogue One, was what you get when you take Star Wars and remove the wonder, heart and engaging characters that […]
I’m in the process of editing my review of ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS Story so check back for the full version! Though I have to say that I really did not like this movie. Say what you will about the prequels, at least they felt like Star Wars movies. Rogue One? Maybe the last […]
I am mystified why Brian DePalma’s The Fury (based on the novel by John Farris) hasn’t been remade because not only would the movie benefit from a more timely interpretation (in these days of government programs we often don’t completely understand, but fear a reboot could potentially find a very receptive audience) and a more […]
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