Book news, movie reviews, hot takes, etc.
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The Super Mario Bros Movie is a video game movie done right
Woo! Yah! Wahoo! You probably read that in his voice, didn’t you? Here we go again. Another video game movie. That means it’s time to roll our eyes and get the cheapest movie ticket we can because this one is probably gonna suck. Video game movies have a storied history of stinking to high heavens,…
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Thor: Love and Thunder is typical Taika Waititi fun
This was probably the only Marvel thing I was excited about this year. Most of you who follow this blog know that my relationship with Marvel kind of fizzled out after the Infinity Saga. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Marvel, we just… drifted apart. We didn’t grow together. They seemed fixed on doing…
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Lightyear is a smorgasbord of missed opportunities
I love Toy Story. Like, top three movie of all time. Hands down. Not only is it a massive technical achievement, but it’s also top-shelf storytelling. Pixar set the world on fire when they dropped it in 1995, and the studio would produce hit after hit for decades to come. So how did we end…
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No one asked for Top Gun: Maverick, but I’m glad we got it
Sometimes I can be a story snob. Okay, I can be a story snob a lot. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t appreciate a good summer action flick every once in a while. You know, the kind of film that isn’t trying to say anything particularly deep in stirring, but just gives me a…
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What I Knew He Could Be is a brief but thoughtful tale of forgiveness
I didn’t know what to expect when producer Sky Crystal reached out to me with an advance screening copy of What I Knew He Could Be. All I knew was that it was a short film produced somewhere near Atlanta. I knew nothing about the plot, the writing, or the people involved. That meant I…
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The Batman is more noir, less superhero
It’s brooding. It’s moody. It’s heavily-stylized. No, it’s not Twilight. It’s actually a good movie—it’s The Batman. It’s been two years since Bruce Wayne donned the mask and cape, and Gotham has only gotten worse. What’s more, there’s another justice-hungry vigilante named the Riddler that’s on a conquest to uncover Gotham’s elite for what they…
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No Way Home is great, but isn’t the best Spiderman movie
I can feel you bristling through the phone/computer. This title got you heated. You’re probably reading this because you’ve already seen Spiderman: No Way Home and decided it was one of the best movies you’ve ever seen. And I respect that. But you’re wrong. Look, I’ve heard so many people say that Spiderman: No Way…
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Dune is simply spectacular.
There’s not much I can say that will prepare you for Dune. But I will say this: If Part 2 is as good as this Part 1, we’ll have a sci-fi Lord of the Rings on our hands. When it comes to scope, artistry, and quality, it can only be compared to Peter Jackson’s seminal…
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No Time to Die is a different breed of Bond. That’s good.
Daniel Craig said back in 2016 that he’d rather slash his wrists than do another James Bond movie. But in the same year, he also said that he’d keep playing it for as long as he was physically able. Well, it’s been about 15 years. He definitely had a good run, and No Time to…
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Shang-Chi is kung fu movie first, Marvel movie second
Trust me. That’s a good thing. There’s a lot of good to be said about Shang-Chi and not much bad. And honestly, the bad stuff isn’t really bad, it’s just stuff that could have used improvement. Is it worth one viewing? Absolutely. Is it going to be come your new favorite Marvel movie? Um… maybe.…