Review of “The Father (2020)”

In my return to the theater for the first time since March of 2020, I decided to see what I figured would at least be an interesting experience: The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. I was not let down, and this might be a contender for one of my favorite 2021 films so far.

Examining the gangs in Rumble in the Bronx

Like many people in the world, I am a big fan of Jackie Chan films, particularly the ones he had significant direct creative involvement in (whether it be directing or being the stunt director, etc.). One of the earlier memories of my childhood was watching Rumble in the Bronx with my father on VHS, and it’s a movie I own on DVD to this day. Its fight choreography still holds up really well in 2021, but one element definitely does not: the gang that Nancy and Tony are members of. Let’s look at why that is for a minute.

Review of “Test Pattern (2019)”

When looking for a new film to watch this week, I saw this listed in the SNF Parkway’s virtual theater and its synopsis sounded as though it would be pertinent to 2021. Having never heard of this film or its director beforehand, I wondered what kind of experience I would be in for, and I was not let down in the slightest. What follows is a deeply personal story of sexual assault and the nature of fractures that occur in life after- not any form of easy viewing.

Review of “The Girl on the Train (2021)”

As I was scrolling through Netflix’s newest additions, I decided to risk watching one of the more random suggestions that showed up- a remake of a film from 2016 sharing the same name but starring Emily Blunt. What followed is one of the most compelling arguments against taking risks that look very much like obviously bad decisions I can think of.

Retro Review of “The Blues Brothers”

Lately, there has been a bit of a dearth of films I find myself interested in reviewing in writing, while there are others that I simply have not had the chance to watch yet. In the meantime, let’s revisit a topic I’ve been wanting to discuss for awhile now: what makes a good movie musical, and why The Blues Brothers is a great example of one done correctly.

Review of “Nomadland”

Nomadland has seen a lot of traction online, perhaps a result of the impact of the pandemic and its effect on the modern theater. With its release on Hulu, I decided to try out the third feature from Chloé Zhao, to see just what the fuss surrounding this film was about. It turns out that it’s not about anything I agree with.

Review of “Judas and the Black Messiah”

Over the past week, I had an opportunity to watch a film that initially had my skepticism due to its associations with Hollywood. This film details the history of Fred Hampton and the Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers, and was announced to have an all-start caliber cast of actors and talent. Does it live up to the hype? Almost completely.

Review of “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel”

Netflix recently released this documentary mini-series that fell onto my radar by complete happenstance, this time focusing on the strange disappearance of Elisa Lam. Like many crime scene cases that exploded in popularity on the internet, there is a great deal of investigation already done that only seems to have intensified the mystery. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel explores almost none of it in any meaningful way.

A Brief Road Map to the next Street Fighter Anniversary Collection

It’s been two and a half years since the release of Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, and while it received some positive reviews overall, its distinct features left the community at large somewhat unimpressed. Yes, it was great to have an entire collection of different versions of each series, but the emulation for certain games was questionable (especially at launch) and there are features still missing from certain core titles. So, here’s some ideas on what certain fans (i.e. me) want from the next collection should Capcom release one in 2013.

Review of “Pieces of a Woman” (2020)

So, I meant to watch this earlier this month when it finally arrived to Netflix, but I was on an extended break from reviewing films after my latest marathon. And then, for a week, buzzers in my building kept me from wanting to watch anything because I could hear them in my apartment. With those issues fixed, I sat down to watch a film I’ve seen receive high praise all over my timeline- and while it certainly deserves some accolades, I’m not convinced it lives up to the numerous 10 out of 10 scores some have given it.