2024 has been a real rollercoaster of movie quality. Sometimes it swings one way or the other, but this time it has been fairly samey with big swings and big misses. For every Monkey Man there was a Borderlands. The samey-ness came from Hollywood just churning out unnecessary stuff. A sequel to Beetlejuice? A sequel…
Video Games of 2024 (with only three being from 2024)
Looking over my list of games… almost none of them are from 2024. So that’s a warning for you! “Epics” have been taking all of my game-playing time this year. From Dragon Age: Inquisition (ahead of this years Dragon Age: Veilguard) and Larian Studio’s Divinity and Baldur’s Gate 3. I definitely feel a bit wiped….
Review: Wicked
You know what…? It was quite fun. Before Dorothy fell from the sky and into the land of Oz, two aspiring witches of very different backgrounds meet. A conspiracy lurks as well, but can they settling their differences and discover what is wrong in the wonderful world? Wicked has quite the history. Unfortunately I personally…
Review: Gladiator 2
A movie that’s perhaps 15 years too late. A man loses his home and his wife to the conquering Roman Empire. Enlisted as a gladiator, he seeks revenge. But his past will rise up to greet him, setting him on a different path. Academy Award winning movie Gladiator was released in the year 2000, and…
Review: Juror #2
Was expecting a little more from Eastwood directing. When expecting father Justin is called in for jury duty, he discovers he might have killed the victim of the case. Now it is a matter of how to continue. Directed by nonagenarian Clint Eastwood, and starring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette JK Simmons, and Zoey Deutch, Juror…
Review: Heretic
A surprisingly moody, well-paced horror, written like a debate rather than scares-per-second. Two Mormon missionaries arrive at a house owned by a religiously-curious man. However, once they enter, they find this man to have unsettling ulterior motives… Written and directed by duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (creators behind 65 with Adam Driver) and starring…
Review: The Wild Robot
What a beautiful, fun, scary and moving experience. When a robot built to serve humans finds itself lost in the wilderness, it must instead adapt and serve the nature around it. Directed and written by Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) based off the book by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot…
Review: Transformers One
The bruised and beaten franchise waves a cheery flag. A prequel following the origins of Optimus Prime and other Transformer characters, Orion Pax, a worker on Cybertron, discovers a world-shaking conspiracy. The awkwardly named Transformers One is directed by Josh Cooley, who recently made Toy Story 4. The writing team is entirely from Disney/Marvel MCU…
Review: Joker – Folie à Deux
How can a film of 139 minutes achieve so little? After his killing spree, Arthur Fleck lives his life in prison. But when psychologists and a fellow rehab client, Harley, believe he can be free… Maybe there’s time for one last laugh? Returning director Todd Phillips and lead star Joaquin Phoenix are joined by Lady…
Review: Late Night with the Devil
Horror abound, and another good example of retro film-making. Jack Delroy’s American late night talk show is struggling to hold ratings. “Night Owls”, becomes more outrageous and outlandish to stay relevant. So far as to invite the devil onto the show? Written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Late Night with the Devil is…