All posts tagged: film review

‘We the Animals’ Review

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We the Animals is a 2018 film directed by Jeremiah Zagar based on the 2011 novel written by Justin Torres. The film follows Jonah (Evan Rosado) and his two brothers Joel (Josiah Gabriel), and Manny (Isaiah Kristian) as they navigate childhood through poverty, their parent’s abusive marriage, and questions of sexuality. This is yet another film I cannot break down with “the good and the bad.” I don’t feel it’s a piece that can be looked at in that way as it feels entirely like a painting(?); you take from it what you can and what you will. So, I wanted to go through just that; my observations of the film and what I could take away from We the Animals. A Memory: Before getting to the meat of the story you have to first acknowledge the visuals of this; it’s a beautiful film. While there are many shots that seem to glue the images into your mind there are also shots that move quickly, appear randomy, and proceed so unfocused and shaky that a …

‘Downton Abbey’: Will There be More?

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For a podcast and a site where I usually rant about comic related media, you may be shocked to learn that I’m a HUGE Downton-head. I f****** loved this show. It is about people cleaning and having dinner every episode and I am equally invested on my couch having a ball. Did I enjoy the film? F*** yes! It felt like one large episode that too was about cleaning and eating some good food. It worked. The audience at my theater consisted of super-fans and it was a communal experience. One of my favorite theater experiences this year. Now, I could rant about everything I loved about the film, but instead I want to dive into the likelihood of this setting off a new film franchise. Goodnight Dowager: Out of the gates I have to give all the respect on Earth to Dame Maggie Smith. Just as she did during the series run, she was easily my favorite in the movie. “I don’t argue, I explain.” Love it. However, as I lightly suspected, the film …

‘It: Chapter Two’ SPOILER Review

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It has been a long summer with our accidental hiatus! Therefore, let’s waste no time and get into our review of It: Chapter Two. As always, I will go through the good, the bad, a few tidbits from the book, and my overall score! The GOOD Opening: Something I’ve mentioned on the podcast, back when the last trailer for this film dropped, was my hope that they would adapt the opening sequence (from the present day) with the gay couple. I know they are two mediums (prose and film) that shouldn’t be compared but, for anyone interested, the book is much scarier and horrific with this scene. I highly recommend. I wanted this scene in the movie because it is one of the moments in the 1200 page novel that communicates the book’s consistent ideas throughout; It is a monster and does not discriminate, and It may  be the literal beast but there is evil in humanity that too creates horrors. Something the movie didn’t touch at ALL was the issue of race and It’s attack …

‘Before Night Falls’ Review

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We are in the final week of Pride Month and I still have some important reviews to get through! Today I want to take a look at another book/film combo with Before Night Falls.  This particular story holds a very special place in my heart for so many reasons. Not only did the memoir release in the very early 90’s, but it touched on elements of the gay experience that we don’t see expressed even now! It highlights the toxic elements of machismo, cuts into the loneliness, and daringly plays with the reader to tempt them to the idea- maybe we are all the same. Machismo: An element to every and all Latin cultures. It is so present in this memoir/film that it feels as if it’s a character. The title role of Reinaldo Arenas is given to Javier Bardem and revolves around his life in Cuba and his experiences of growing up gay in the machismo culture. Within the context of the memoir, there are many moments that come off as not just angry but …

‘Toy Story 4’ SPOILER Review

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We just finished the latest (and I hope final) installment in the Toy Story franchise.  I don’t want to review this movie as the usual “good vs bad.” The movie is solid. I have only one tiny complaint and I’ll express that later. For now, I want to focus on the metaphor’s of the film. This movie brilliantly serves as a kids movie and at the very same time is a film entirely for adults. The cohesion between the two was mind-blowing. Buzz: In Toy Story 3 he felt very much like a supporting character and even though he got more screen time than the rest of the toys in this film, it still felt like that was his role here. Quite frankly I was a little upset that other toys didn’t have bigger roles considering this was the last film! Alas, I understand there is only so much time and there’s a story to tell. Anyway, though not to do with the love element (even though it can apply to some extent) Buzz’s plot …

‘Call Me By Your Name’ Review

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It is another week of Pride month which means it is time for another review(?) of one of my favorites. Today we will be looking at Call Me By Your Name which was originally a book written by Andre Aciman then adapted to the 2017 film. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s definitely worth the time. HOWEVER, I am here to sing more praises about the novel. Rather than breakdown the plot piece by piece I want to go over some of my favorite quotes from the book. Of course, my entire copy is pretty much highlighted to the point it glows in the dark. Since I will spare everyone 1,000 quotes, I kept it simple! 1: “I suddenly realized that we were on borrowed time, that time is always borrowed, and that the lending agency exacts its premium precisely when we are least prepared to pay and need to borrow more…”  For those that don’t know, the story takes place in a nameless city/town in Italy where a young man and his family …

‘Rocketman’ Review

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The Pride continues with my review of Rocketman! The good? the bad? More like the good and the meh. Let’s get into it. The Good Taron Egerton: I have seen this guy in a couple movies and have thought, ok, he’s a good actor but haven’t really been wowed by any performance. Until now… Not only is he a handsome devil and a talented actor, but the DUDE can SING. Holy F#$^#. It’s one of those things that just makes you  think, “so he’s a triple threat and some of us here are just trying to heat up some old chicken and remember to drink enough water?” Not fair. NOT. FAIR. His performance in this movie is fantastic across the board. Is it oscar worthy? I’m not sure, but I know we’ll hear from him to some capacity during award season. I feel this movie would have done better had it come out closer towards the end of the year to be fresh on the mind, but here we are. I still do preach that …

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Review

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Yes, I am aware this movie came out a year ago. Yes, I am aware this review is late as all living F#$^. BUT, I just saw it for the first time and S@$^ has to be said! I will get it out of the way that there was nothing about this film I disliked. It was completely up my alley. So I just want to rant about my favorite elements. Gemma Chan: Gemma played Astrid, Nick’s cousin with the heart of gold. Her first scene with the pearl earrings had me a bit skeptical of her character. I could tell that Nick’s family was going to be a roller coaster and give us the cliche “rich family that hates the commoner” and I thought she would prove to be the worst of them. However, she really was made with a heart of gold! I preach quite often that I’m all for feminist characters and female empowerment in film/television, but can get really annoyed when the direction doesn’t trust that the audience will understand on their …