MovieFest

• A Series Of Unfortunate Events, S2 • 9/10 • Season 2 of 'A Series Of Unfortunate Events' is jam-packed with, horrors, devastation, heartbreak, literary jokes, slapstick and irony and that's not even the half of it... the creativity here is first-rate, a perfect example is how they make funny nods to the audience: Olaf at one point stares right into the camera after exclaiming, “I hate boring television”. NPH is a true showman, he continues to delight as the terrible Count Olaf, supplying us with amples of funny disguises and musical numbers. He's not been as horrific as the book series as of yet, but I feel something brewing for the final season! Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes are becoming great little stars, filling the shoes of the Baudelaires in tremendous style. Other cast members like Usman Ally, Lucy Punch, Dylan Kingwell, Nathan Fillon and Sara Rue all brought something special to the table. If you look beyond what the eye can see, you will also fin...

• Moon, 2009 • 9/10 • 'Moon' is one the best (independent) Sci-Fi flicks I have seen in a very long time. It puts a relatable human touch on an intriguing and deep sci-fi story that explores loneliness to a T. Sam Rockwell puts on an emotionally spellbinding performance as Sam Bell, and Kevin Spacey's monotonous GERTY voice-over is eery and excellent. I rarely come across movies that have me so engrossed and intrigued from beginning to end. Some may say the film starts off slowly, but I found the first half hour to be an important and gripping portrayal of what it would mean to be alone in space, without it, the movie would not be as effective. As a film fanatic who is not really a sci-fi buff, I would recommend this flick to anybody who wants to see a movie that will take over their lives for a whole 97 minutes and leave you thinking of how beautifully layered it was hours after. P.S - I really do love it when independent films with small budgets and minimal e...

• MovieFest Marathon #10 • Dog Day Afternoon, 1975 • 10/10 • 'Dog Day Afternoon' has a very simple premise, two guys rob a bank, but everything that can go wrong, does. Simple premise, perfectly executed. From the get-go your completely enticed, and for the remaining 2 hours of the film it fails to let that grip go, keeping you enthralled to the very end. The script, direction, screenplay, dialogue and score were all sublime. Everything about this film screams entertainment, especially knowing everything that happened here, is pretty much true. Al Pacino is mesmerising. If u thought he was spectacular in GF I, II, and Scarface....then just watch him in Dog Day Afternoon. Quite simply one of the greatest performances in movie history. Definitely my favorite of his. The depth and energy with which he plays Sonny is such a treat to watch that I lost count of how many times he left me in AWE. This is definetly Al's film, and probably my favourite performance of his, ...

• Heaven Knows What, 2014 • Safdie Brother's • 8.6/10 • Heaven Knows What centers around the real-life stories of actress/writer Arielle Holmes who stars as a lightly fictionalized version of herself. The Safdie brothers we're working on another film at the time when they bumped into Arielle in NYC, and they we're so intrigued by her story, they decided to get her to write a memoir, paying her by the page. This is not an easy film to watch, the Safdie brothers made this flick like a raw documentary, shot with long lenses and backed up by a haunting electronica score which cuts you straight to the bone. This incredibly touching story follows the life of 3 young, homeless heroin addicts and there journey for their next fix, and one's journey to find love or sense of purpose. You witness how harsh life is on the streets, how heroin effects their everyday lives, how they have nothing to hope, live or fight for. It is a real dark, and lonely place to be, and the Saf...

MovieFest's Weekly NewsFest: • • Idris Elba is set to star, direct and produce the live-action remake of 'The Hunchback Of Notre Dame' for Netflix. What a weird choice! • • James Mangold has been tapped up by Lucasfilm and Disney to write and direct a Boba Fett movie. This could be interesting! • • Liam Neeson, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson have all been cast to star in the new MIB flick. It will be directed by 'Fate And The Furious' director, F. Gary Gray. Love Hemsworth, but hating Hollywood for these unnecessary reboots! • • As you all know, John Wick 3 has began filming, but incase you didn't know, Fishburne and McShane will return and Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Mark Dacascos and Jason Mantzoukas join the cast. Buzzing for this as our boy Wick has a $14 million dollar contract on his head, we all know what that means!!! CARNAGE!! • • Dennis Villeneuve confirms 'Dune' will be released in 2 parts! • • Sesame Str...

• Gringo, 2018 • 7.9/10 • Gringo is a twisty action-comedy from brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton. It starts off as a high-energy, colourfully funny thrill-ride, but as soon as we hit the 70 minute benchmark that all starts to falter -- The jokes fail to land and the action gets tiring. Don't get me wrong, it's definetly not a bad movie. The storyline is quite complex but easy to follow (plus for me), It's full of clever twists, the action is solid and it is genuinly funny, for the most part. The two standout stars are Theron and Oyelowo. It was great seeing Theron out of her comfort zone, playing a snide, OTT, foul-mouthed biatch with all the jokes (she really hit the nail right on the head), and as for Oyelowo, he was absoluetly hilarious and had me almost crying with laughter a couple of times, I think he's found his calling. The biggest problem for me (surprisingly) was Sharlto Copley. Nash struggled to get the best out of him, completely underutilizing wha...

• Thoroughbreds, 2017/18 • 9/10 • 'Thoroughbreds' is an unsettling slow-burn debut masterpiece from writer-director, Cory Finley. Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) and Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) are two young actresses ready to take hollywood by storm. There performances are note-perfect, and there chemistry is pure fire in this icy psychological thriller. Childhood besties, Lily (Anya) and Amanda (Olivia) have problems (to say the least), Amanda is a sociopath who over the years has taught herself to mimic human emotions because she is completely void of them all, she literally feels nothing! Lily on the other hand is probably the exact opposite, she's way to oversensitive and bloody competitive, she feels everything. When there on there own, everything's cushty. Put them together and they become fucking homicidal! As soon as the late Anton Yelchin appeared on-screen it brought an Instant fire which kicked the flick straight into 5th gear. Everything he did was amazin...

• MovieFest Marathon #9 • Full Metal Jacket, 1987 • 8.2/10 • Although this is a film about the Vietnam War, it could just as easily be about recent events. The ugly realities of war, and what soldiers have to endure before they even get there, are a timeless theme, and 'Full Metal Jacket' looks at the whole picture. There isn't really a lot of plot -- the soldiers go from training to war and they fight for their lives -- but the relationships among the men and the extremity of the situation they're in are riveting. The film captures both the excitement and the tedium of war, but ultimately loses something by not having a stronger storyline and a stronger leading man. Modine is a good actor, but he is something of a cipher here. We don't know enough about him to care deeply for him, but he's the moral center of the film. It's a well-made film that is powerful and still relevant, but it somehow doesn't quite deliver what it seems it could. P.S - I...

• Death Wish, 2018 • 3/10 • Director Eli Roth's remake of 'Death Wish' is not only awful, it's also incredibly thoughtless, brutish, and very simpleminded. It does offer a few arguments against vigilante violence, but for the most part, it wants us to root for its "hero" and hope he'll get away with his heinous crimes. Filled to the brim with shit dialogue, cliches and backed up by a god-awful script, It's boring, unoriginal and weak. On top of all that, it's stupid. For example, a "surgeon" who swore to protect and save lives shouldn't resort to killing so quickly, and especially get a kick out of it that easily, baring in mind his wife is dead and his daughter is still in a coma, dickhead. The only one thing that had a little time and care put into it was?? Can you guess, being an Eli Roth movie an all.... Yep, the gore, that was pretty much the only thing that stood out. Bravo! Skip this one!

• MovieFest Movie Marathon • Spirited Away, 2002 • 10/10 • This is a thrilling, spectacularly beautiful movie, filled with imagination, amazing animation, wonder and plenty of wit. 'Spirited Away' is an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do in order to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. Chihiro fights Yubaba, she rescues Haku and aids a wounded spirit, triumphing where others do not because she is not sidetracked by (the ample temptations of) greed. Beautiful animation, beautiful story, beautiful score, this film is 100% beautiful! Must see!

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #7 • Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 • 8.5/10 • A winning obsessed father with a heart of gold, looking to sell his "9-Step" program. A beleaguered mother with unflagging hope in her daughter's potential. Her troubled, homosexual brother, fresh out of the hospital after a suicide attempt. A Nietzsche-obsessed brother who has taken a vow of silence until he becomes a pilot. A porn-ogling, foul-mouthed grandfather regretful of having "not fucked a lot of women" in his lifetime, and a precocious little girl determined to be the winner of the titular pageant. What a family! 'Little Miss Sunshine' is a 'quirky' road-trip comedy where the standard-issue dysfunctional family bonds and learns an Important Lesson at the denouement. It's also laugh-out-loud funny, brilliantly acted, perfectly written and genuinely moving (the climax made me want to laugh, cry, and cheer, all at the same time). The feature debut of husband...

• Cargo, 2018 • 8.4/10 • Martin Freeman puts in a stirling performance as a father trying to save his family in the Australian out-back, which has been ravaged by a deadly, rabies-like pandemic. While many of the clichéd ingredients of a standard zombie movie are here, what shines through most strongly is the drive that Andy (Martin Freeman's character) has to try and preserve his family and particularly his baby daughter. Civilisation seems very remote in this harshly beautiful scenery. But there are a few survivors, most significantly Vic, a vicious thug played by Anthony Hayes. In general, though, the white people and their medicine seem impotent in the face of the unfamiliar disease while aboriginals have reverted to their old ways and customs which gradually feel more convincing to Andy. He teams up with a young girl, Thoumi (Simone Landers) who is also trying to protect her father. The film is gory, but not gratuitously so, and in many ways it's better than avera...

• Cobra Kai, 2018 • Season 1 • Spoiler-Free • 9.2/10 • When I heard YouTube Red were bringing out a sequel series to 'Karate Kid' 30 years down the line, I wasn't really sure what to expect, the inner child inside of me was excited, whilst the other half left me feeling anxious (you can't really blame me). Needn't worry... It's corny, predictable, steeped in 1980's nostalgia, full of nods to the original... and those are just some of the reasons to LOVE it! Credit to everyone involved in the making of this series, it's an instant classic. If you are a fan of the original films then this is going to be exactly what you are looking for. John Avildsen and Pat Morita are definitely here in spirit. Perfect binge-watching material. P.S - Zabka is amazing, definetly the star of the show, and a bloody great anti-hero! And let's not forget about the references to the films 😂😂👌!!

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #6 • Apocalypse Now • 9.3/10 • This intense, potent film is infamous for Coppola's over-budget and over-schedule process. Can you believe, the six-week shoot ultimately took 16 months! The project was plagued by problems. Coppola shot nearly 200 hours of film and took almost three bloody years to edit the project. Despite multiple glitches in the process, the final product is a gripping and incredibly disturbing image of the murkiness of war and the depths of human depravity. Apocalypse features some of the best performances I have ever seen. Sheen, Fishburne, Booth, Bottoms and Forrest were all sensational. Robert Duvall gives a disturbing performance as Lieutenant Kilgore, a man who finds surfing and combat compatible activities and the character credited with one of the films most famous lines, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." All in all, what a spectacle! The score, cinematography, editing, absolutely everything was sen...

• The Cured, 2017/18 • 7.1/10 • Could you imagine if there was such a virus that could turn you into a flesh-eating zombie....? Yeah of course you can, we have seen it in many-a-film. But, could you imagine, being cured of that virus, and being able to come back from the "otherside," problem is, with every positive there's normally a negative; the 75% who have been cured from the virus remember everything they did as a Zombie. It's all a pretty solid notion, but nothing really comes of it due to the first-time filmmaker (David Freyne) filling up his plate with to many undigested ideas -- guilt, innocence, bigotry, forgiveness and atonement, aswell as the whole horror concept, which is pretty solid tbh, It's thought provoking, suspenseful and rather thrilling at times, there's just to much going on.

MovieFest's Weekly NewsFest • 'Gotham' may be coming to an end after it's fifth and final season, but we are going to get a new 10-episode series titled 'PennyWorth' from @epix which will delve into the life of a younger Alfred. • The awesome Rami Malek's, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' released it's first official trailer earlier on today... I'm Excited!! • • James Ransone has been cast as adult Eddie for 'It: Chapter 2!' • 'Agents Of Shield' has been renewed for a 6th season. Some people are saying it should be the end, I disagree! Thoughts? • YouTube Red's amazing hit series 'Cobra Kai' will return for a second season! • Spike Lee says his 'KKK' movie is a wake-up call for Trump's America! Check out the trailer if you haven't already! 👌 • Marvel sets 'Blacklist' writers for 'Eternals' movie. Slow down Marvel, focus on the properties you already have! Do we really need another Mar...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #5 • Airplane • 8.7/10 • Without a doubt, this movie reigns as king of all '80s parody films and it still even beats most others to this day. Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, and Lloyd Bridges appear to enjoy portraying characters that lampoon their previous dramatic roles (like Naked Gun). And, although the dialogue and references will appeal mainly to adults, sight gags such as the jive-talking granny and exchanges such as, "Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious ... and don't call me Shirley," will have families rolling on the floor. Along the way, Airplane! mixes embarrassingly obvious puns and sight gags with surprisingly quick-witted knocks at everyday airport/airplane situations. All in all, I'm glad I finally watched this. Like a fine wine, only gets better with age! P.s - Who loves the ridiculous backgrounds behind Kramer's driving? 😂

MovieFest Movie Marathon #4 • Raging Bull, 1980 • 10/10 • Director Martin Scorsese uses gorgeous black-and-white photography to evoke the time period. But, that barely covers up the mean, modern stuff, from the language and behavior to the ferocious fight sequences. On top of everything, the performances set a new standard for American movies and actors, with Robert De Niro famously gaining 60 pounds over the course of the production for his character. The acting was phenomenal, De Niro is on another level (scenes where he resites material for his stand-up, shows how talented he really is.) Pesci was just born to act, every thing he does turns to pure gold. I really can't commend his performance enough, I love him! What a career debut from Cathy Moriarty, before this she had never acted before, Pesci found her in a nightclub and casting director Cis Corman gave her two weeks of training before she met Scorsese and De Niro. Lucky woman, what a first film! I h...

• Terminal, 2018 • 5.4/10 • 'Terminal' is a modern film noir that looks great, but suffers from your typical case of style over substance. Crafted In a similar mold to 'The Usual Suspects' only just routine and all too obvious. The movies setting generated an almost entirely artificial world devoid of daylight and used deep spaces to ominous effect -- a little to much at times. There were some cool shots but nothing special and the score was mediocre. Although the film was all over the place, Margot Robbie was absolutely sensational, stealing scene after scene and saving this film. Simon Pegg felt wasted, and it was weird seeing Mike Myers in his first live-action movie role in what, 10 years? Dexter Fletcher was quite enjoyable in almost the same role he played in Lock Stock, and that's about it really. Maybe if they went with a little less style and a little more story, it could of been a decent crime thriller, not just a mediocre one!

• We Need To Talk About Kevin, 2011 • 9/10 • Wow...! I've just finished watching 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' and I have to say I'm completely blown away, totally depressed, but blown away. Lynne Ramsay is on top form again with a film that is very similar to her other works -- her films are always quite bleak, marked with themes of grief, guilt and death and it's aftermath. Tilda Swinton is absolutely breathtaking as an emotionless mother who is struggling with parenthood. Eva has to give up her beloved freedom and bohemian lifestyle to have a child, a child she doesn't want. She resented every part of the pregnancy, and when her son was born it only got worse, he cried constantly and never took to his mum, although sometimes she tried to bond, she never really made enough effort (in my eyes). She never had time or patience for him, and whenever she did make the effort she would quickly loose her temper, sometimes resulting in things you don't w...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #3 • Dazed And Confused • 8/10 • 'Dazed And Confused' is your typical coming of age high-school dramedy. Just like nowadays, only 42 years later, it follows a group of rowdy teenagers celebrating there last day of school. The funny thing is, when you think about it, what's changed? 42 years down the line and the social groups in school/college are exactly the same. For example, you always have some big kid picking on a little kid, wether that be girl or boy. Though conflicts do arise, the film does not let such serious moments complicate the good time these youngens experience. I loved that every time something bad happened -- Affleck and his bullies hazing freshman -- it was switched up so the bullies became the bullied, and that for me, kinda made it feel more like a light-hearted version of 'Stand By Me!' The acting was fresh, soundtracks were amazing and the realism was there. Ben Affleck and Mathew McConaughey with them mul...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #2 • North By Northwest • 8.7/10 • • Sure to entertain viewers with even the most diverse of tastes, the film is a true cinematic pleasure with an impressive pedigree (you wouldn't expect any less with Hitchcock behind it). North by Northwest is consistently light and comic. Some sort of silly comment or joke relieves even the tensest scene. Cary Grant is superb as Thornhill. The character demands large tonal shifts, from mama's boy to suave sophisticate, from terrified man on the run to indignant pawn of the government, and Grant pulls it all off convincingly. Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) is a perfect foil for Thornhill's man under pressure. She's cool and mysterious, leaving Thornhill unsure of whether to trust her for much of their time together. Deffo a must see for any true movie lover, what an experience! • #northbynorthwest #alfredhitchcock #thriller #drama #comedy #classic #cine #movielover #careygrant #evamariesaint #jamesmaso...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #1 • The Usual Suspects • 9/10 • 'The Usual Suspects' is a typical favorite "guy movie" for its cool crook-talk dialogue (filled with swearing) and breathtaking twist at the end. It is a transfixing, convoluted film noir thriller that forces you to think through events and in the end still leaves you questioning everything you was led to believe. My favourite part about the film (bar Kevin Spacey) is that there's no "good" guys, there all just as bad as each other in there own twisted ways, and for me, that paints a pretty picture of a violent world. The plot was intriguing, the score was perfect, the dialogue was witty, smart and filled with F-Bombs and the whole cast were sensational. The man who stole the show.... obviously Spacey and my short-lived favourite was Benicio Del Toro! 1st movie of the #MovieFestMarathon ✅ #theusualsuspects #bryansinger #kevinspacey #beniciodeltoro #gabrielbyrne #stephenbaldwin #kevinpol...

• Mulholland Drive, 2001 • 8.6/10 • David Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE is not a story but a mosaic of stories, eras, moods, characters, and themes that intersect, overlap, and parallel like a dream, but, this time, the dream is actually the reality, so be prepared to see it with an open mind that is ready to be engaged. Don't get me wrong I love Lynch, he's a true artist, he's original, unique and very mysterious -- you never know what's going through his head while making films like this and BV. But, I personally feel that sometimes, he makes you think a little too much. Although all of his work has complex storys, MD is the only one I really struggled to piece together, It could be my lack of superior intellect or it could be the fact I didn't have the clues that are included in the DVDs, Who knows, but I got there in the end it just made my viewing experience a little strenuous at times. Other than that, it's beautifully stylish, the acting was first...

• Donnie Darko, 2001 • 9.5/10 • This movie was, and still is embraced as a genuinely oddball "cult" item almost instantly upon it's unsuccessful theatrical release back in 2001. Like most cult movies, Donnie Darko works well on numerous levels -- as a brainy piece of science-fiction, an ominous psychological thriller, or a tragic drama of a doomed young rebel. Young Gyllenhaal is amazing as the unstable but intellectually brilliant Donnie, Gyllenhaal plays a guy who can be likeable, sympathetic, and scary all at once -- so in other word's, he's always been mad talented! Though Donnie -- sometimes in a trance-state, sometimes consciously -- commits vandalism and lashes out, he's smart enough to sense the eerie time-warp pattern behind all the odd goings-on. And he's heroic enough to make a Christ-like sacrifice at the end, for the good of everyone else, when the "end of the world" comes. Though it's possible he never had a choice -- jus...

Ok cinephiles... I have just spent a good couple of hours putting this list together. Here are 24 films that I have always wanted to see but never got around to experiencing. So, I thought why not set myself a little challenge, a movie marathon if you will. I'm going to give myself 30 days from today to watch and review every one of these films: • It Happened One Night - Frank Capra • Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick • Apocalypse Now - Frances Ford Coppola • Amores Perros - Inarritu • 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick • Lost Highway - David Lynch • The Usual Suspects - Bryan Singer • My Left Foot - Jim Sheridan • North By Northwest - Alfred Hitchcock • The Third Man - Carol Reed • Dog Day Afternoon - Sidney Lumet • The Elephant Man - David Lynch • Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki • Rushmore - Wes Anderson • The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock • Airplane - David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams • Little Miss Sunshine - Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris • W...

MovieFest's Weekly NewsFest: Here we are again, you should all know the drill by now: • Netflix have released there first official trailer for Luke Cage's second season and it looks like he's met his match. • My main man Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a Leonard Bernstein Biopic for director Cary Fukunga. • Oscar winner Gary Oldman and young Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien are set to star in New Orleans crime-thriller 'Bayou!' • • Ryan Reynolds' 'The Hitman's Bodyguard' is getting a sequel with an even spunkier title, 'The Hitman's Wife's Bodygaurd.' • Sylvester Stallone is making a 'Rambo 5.' • Bruce Willis is set to play famed boxing trainer Cus D’Amato in the new drama “Cornerman,” about discovering Mike Tyson. • Nearly 12 years down the line and Tenacious D have announced they want to do a sequel to there crazy flick "The Pick Of Destiny.'

• Blue Velvet • 9.1/10 • Well... I wasn't expecting that! While 'Blue Velvet' has the power to repulse you in its dark and twisted mysteries, it also has the power to hypnotize you with its beauty. Vibrant colors and ominous shadows offer gorgeous contrast and the film is packed with unforgettable imagery. Moments big and small, from MacLachlan playing with a child's birthday hat to Dean Stockwell's show-stopping lip-synch of Roy Orbison's "In Dreams", are as haunting as anything you will ever see in cinema. I was hooked from start to finish, not one quick look at my phone to see how my latest post was doing, nothing, and that was due to the outstanding screenplay, brilliant direction, gorgeous imagery, and some brilliant, sometimes over-the-top acting (Dennis Hopper I'm looking at you). Everyone was on point, MacLachlan was just right as the lost innocent Jeffrey, Hopper shreds the screen as his depraved, creepy AF counterpoint Frank and Ros...

• I Kill Giants, 2017 • Review • 8/10 • 'I Kill Giants' is a powerful and Emotional rollercoaster with some fantastic performances to boot! The story follows a young troubled genius who's a bit on the wild side; Barbara Thorson is just like many other children her age, she has a very big imagination. But, it's not all fun and games, her imagination helps her get through each traumatic day at home and at school. For many young people (including myself once upon a time), getting caught up in a fantasy is the only way they can cope, and eventually confront, a troubling reality, and that's exactly what we have here. Director Anders Walter did an outstanding job on his first full length feature film. The cinematography was on point, the VFX outstanding, the score appropriate and the acting was perfect by all cast members, especially young Madison Wolfe (shining star). It's just too bad the writing was not tighter and a bit more audience friendly -- Don't...

• Game Night, 2018 • Spoiler Free • 8.5/10 • GAME NIGHT may not be an outstanding film, but it's definitely a genuine blast and a thoroughly entertaining ride from beginning to the very end (seriously, stay for the post-credits scene!) This rare major studio comedy actually feels like a film, rather than a soulless exercise in assembly-line filmmaking, and that's down to such creative choices like Cliff Martinez's thumping score and Barry Peterson's cinematography, which not only introduces new locations as if zooming in on a board game piece, but also sports a surprisingly well-executed long take. The balance between comedy, thriller and drama was brilliant, I didn't see that coming. Lamorne Morris and Billy Magnussen are some of the obvious standouts among the film's enjoyable cast of characters, let's not forget the forever funny Bateman and the rather enjoyable Mcadams, but, Jesse Plemons is the true MVP, stealing every single one of his scenes wit...

• One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest • Review • 10/10 • Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a landmark in cinema. Pretty much everything in this film is at or close to perfection; score, screenplay, acting, vision, dialogue, you name it, it's brilliant. And rightfully so, it became only the 2nd (1 in 3 films in history along with 'It Happened One Night' and 'Silence of the Lambs') to win the top five Oscars: Best Picture, Actor (Jack Nicholson), Actress (Louise Fletcher), Director (Forman), and Screenplay (Bo Goldman). The story (based on Ken Kessey's astounding, though not too similar, novel) focuses on a rowdy misfit named Randle Patrick McMurphy (Nicholson) who is put in a mental hospital with other people (some voluntarily in) who are not all there. Some of these guys include Danny DeVito (in his first role), Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif (in his Oscar nominated role) and the unforgettable Will Sampson who played the Chief. The...

• Her, 2013 • Review • 8.7/10 • Few movies capture the magic and the heartbreak of falling in love in an unexpected, mind-bending way; HER is one of them. Though it's set in a sterile, somewhat disembodied future, where people seem permanently outfitted with earpieces connected to their computers, bidding them to cull through their emails, make appointments, pick songs, its essential question is about something entirely human: the joy and frailty of love. Spike Jonze's film is a delicate meditation on love, but it's jubilant, too. It's also unpredictable in the best way, skipping the simplistic solutions for something more interesting and complicated. I was immediately emotionally Invested with Theodore due to the realism provided by Jonze and Phoenix. Phoenix was absolutely brilliant, weird, but wonderful, funny but vulnerable, and really quite sad. Scarlett Johansson was brilliant, I especially admired how she brought personality and verve to Samantha without e...

• Avengers: Infinity War, 2018 • Review • 9.5/10 • Where, and how the F do I start with 'Avengers: Infinity War?' I would start with the terrifying Titan Thanos, but everyone has kinda beat me to that already and there isn't really much to say anyway apart from WOW. Josh Brolin nailed the voiceover and the Russo Brothers nailed the whole perception of him to a T. He was intimidating and I hated everything he stood for, yet, I kinda felt for him, I understood (to an extent) what he wants to do and how much he has sacrificed to get there, so I really appreciated that, kudos to the Russo's. Oops look at that, I started off with Thanos! I was worried, just like many of you, thinking, how are they going to Handle the overload of superheroes? There was no need to worry, that was handled extremely well, splitting the heroes into about 5 different groups so they could weave the storylines together and split them apart as and when they needed. It all worked so well, every...

• Journeys End, 2017 • Review • 8.8/10 • This drama about the First World War is quietly moving as it perfectly conveys the horrors of war without heaviness and gore, focusing more on humanity and relying very little on battle scenes. Director Saul Dibb (The Duchess) stages this flick with plenty of mud and gloom -- and even wobbly hand-held cameras -- and yet it has enough patience and care that it works beautifully. Potent little moments, like attempting to clear mud from a whistle, punctuate the story to great lengths. The cast is especially excellent, starting with Bettany, whose avuncular presence (the men call him "uncle") is downright calming; right before the mission, he coaxes Raleigh to focus his mind on other things (hot cocoa and a Lewis Carroll poem), he's bloody brilliant. Butterfield is appealingly naïve and I loved him as usual, Jones makes a grimly funny cook, providing a commentary on the dishes he manages to put together. And even Claflin --...

• Tragedy Girls • Review • 8.5/10 • 'Tragedy Girls' is a fresh dark comedy with plenty of venom and crazy cleverness. It kinda felt like a flick that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produced. I just can't help but think; If you gave them two a tragedy girl slasher flick to helm, I gaurentee it wouldn't be far off the mark from what we have here. I really thought I wouldn't enjoy this film so I just kept putting it off, but, boy I was pleasantly surprised, I was literally hooked within the first 5 minutes -- one of the most entertaining intros I have seen in a while. Amazingly, the movie is bright and slick, without relying on gobs of social media imagery; it stays rooted in the present and in the characters. The supporting cast is uniformly strong, from Durand as the sneering, cackling killer to Craig Robinson as an iron-pumping firefighter and Nicky Whelan as a duplicitous teacher. Especially funny is Josh Hutcherson, viciously satirizing his teen heartthro...