I’ve been to Camp Crystal Lake. In fact, I even dipped my toe into the resting place of Jason Voorhees, though I’m getting ahead of myself. Camp No-Be-Bosco is a gorgeous, lushly green Boy Scouts’ camp tucked away in beautiful Blairstown, New Jersey. I visited the spot during the summer of 2007 and was struck […]
20 Years of the Maui Film Festival: Critic Barry Wurst II reflects on the greatest movies to play at the world’s finest film festival
As the annual Maui Film Festival enters its 20th year, the high points are easy to cite. Let’s start with the various “Tastes”: the Oceanside Taste of Summer, the “crown jewel” Taste of Wailea, and for serious choco-holics, the granddaddy of them all, the Taste of Chocolate. There’s the glorious outdoor bonding experience of the […]
Maui Film Festival Movie Review: ‘Echo in the Canyon’
Echo in the Canyon is director Andrew Slater’s documentary on the game-changing music movement in the mid-late 1960s that took place in Laurel Canyon, California. The history of that remarkable time is presented from a bevy of music legends, including David Crosby, Ringo Starr, producer Lou Adler, Michelle Phillips, Jackson Browne, and Eric Clapton (to […]
Summer Movie Preview 2019: Another Summer of Sequels and Re-Makes
While there’s a great deal of promise and maximum entertainment value to be derived from the selection of this year’s summer movies, I’m already thinking ahead… to next summer. It’s not that the return of Godzilla, Chucky the Doll, and two generations of John Shaft isn’t exciting. The thing is, I’ve been waiting most of […]
Bonus Film Review: ‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’
Someone thought the world needed a live-action Pokemon movie, so here we are. In Pokemon Detective Pikachu, a young man named Tim (played by Justice Smith) turns to the title character (a fuzzy yellow critter voiced by Ryan Reynolds) to investigate an unsolved mystery. Along the way, they learn of a vast conspiracy at work […]
‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ New Movie Review
There was once a movie called John Wick, in which Keanu Reeves played “the boogeyman of assassins,” who avenges the shooting of his dog by murdering a lot of people. In John Wick: Chapter Two, he more than triples the original film’s body count before the first hour is up. Now, in part three, with […]
Film Review: ‘The Hustle’ is impressive… impressively bad
Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in this remake of the Michael Caine and Steve Martin comedy classic, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Set in modern day, the elegant con artist Josephine Chesterfield (played by Hathaway) takes the sloppy but clever scammer Penny (Wilson) under her wing and teaches her how to sharpen her craft. They team […]
LONG SHOT Movie Review: This crude film is both progressive and lowbrow at the same time
When we meet journalist Fred Flarsky (played by Seth Rogen), he’s undercover and attending a white supremacy meeting, to provide research for an article. Like everything else in his life, Fred does this with reckless abandon, proving himself a great writer but risk taking to the point of self destruction. This quality catches the eye […]
Avengers: Endgame Movie Review – More like Avengers: Infinity Running Time
On my way out of Avengers: Endgame, I ran into Alika Seki, the owner of the Maui Comics and Collectibles shop in the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center. I told him I had just seen the film and he immediately began teasing me (considering our friendship, this is nothing new). “Did you find the editing clunky, the […]
HELLBOY New Movie Review: It isn’t enough to reignite this film series
Milla Jovovich stars as The Blood Queen, a sorceress so powerful and despicable, she’s dispatched by being cut up into pieces and buried. However, this doesn’t stop her from returning and continuing her plans to destroy all of mankind. The only one who can stand up to her is Hellboy (played by David Harbour), a […]
SHAZAM! New Movie Review: This film has ka-pow!
Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel) is a 14-year-old who is presented with a last chance offer: After fleeing previous foster homes and getting caught breaking the law, he has one final opportunity to live with a new family and redirect his life. In addition to adapting to a brand new family unit, Billy must […]
PET SEMATARY New Movie Review: Brace yourself, horror fans
Assessing the overall value of a horror movie is easy. Basically, how scary is it? There are other factors to consider (intent, theme, production values, performances, sustained tension, etc) but really, when you get down to it, did the movie achieve its most transparent goal of unnerving its audience? I will admit that, in addition […]
THE EDGE OF PARADISE Movie Review: Catch this still-relevant film on April 6 for a one-night-only special screening
The Edge of Paradise (which has previously been titled Taylor Camp and Paradise Found) is Robert C. Stone’s documentary on the “Taylor Camp” hippie living community, which existed on Kaua‘i from 1969-1974. It encapsulates a lost time and recreates a you-had-to-be-there-to-really-get-it living community. Imagine, if you can, a seven-acre stretch of land on the Garden […]
DUMBO New Movie Review: It’s a flop-o
The 1941 Dumbo is one of Disney’s most beloved (if dated), emotionally rich, and rewarding animated films. It’s about a baby pachyderm, born in the circus, who is torn from his mother and turned into a circus freak but finds acceptance after discovering he can fly. The 2019 Dumbo is about how a once-reliable company […]
‘Us’ Movie Review: Writer and director Jordan Peele’s latest nightmare is a shocking and impressive follow-up to ‘Get Out’
Toward the end of the “Key & Peele” series on Comedy Central, the sketches were becoming alarmingly dark. Many of the bits had a twisted premise that would develop in ways that were fitting for a horror movie and seemed removed from the earlier, lighter, oft-quoted skits that have made the show notable. These dark […]
‘Rise of the Wahine: Champions of Title IX’: A relevant and beautifully crafted documentary with a message of equality and respect
Most sports documentaries focus on The Big Game and linger on the final celebration, relishing the winning score as it blares from the scoreboard. Dean Kaneshiro’s Rise of the Wahine: Champions of Title IX isn’t about a single game or the winning score at the end of a season, but a much greater victory with […]
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