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 to losing sleep after seeing it, the new Pet … [Read more...] about PET SEMATARY New Movie Review: Brace yourself, horror fans
Jason Clarke
FIRST MAN New Movie Review: A familiar history lesson becomes a masterpiece
There has never been a film about space exploration like First Man. While most possess a passing knowledge about NASA and Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man," the new film from writer and director Damien Chazelle places the emphasis on the struggles of the astronauts, not the spectacle of their occupation or the triumphant aftermath. While this is a dazzling work from … [Read more...] about FIRST MAN New Movie Review: A familiar history lesson becomes a masterpiece
WINCHESTER New Movie Review
My wife Julia first told me about the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. She told me how, as a child, her mother took her and her siblings there, which has 160 rooms, trap doors and passages and stairs leading nowhere. The massive house, full of random, puzzling touches meant to confuse ghosts, is the creation of Sarah Winchester. Mrs. Winchester believed the … [Read more...] about WINCHESTER New Movie Review
TERMINATOR GENISYS New Movie Review
A 31-year-old franchise returns with bold new upgrades, only some of which hit their mark. In Terminator Genisys, the fifth film in the series, John Connor (now played by Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (played this time by Jai Courtney) to the past. Once Reese arrives in 1984, he finds his mission has changed, as Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones) is no damsel in … [Read more...] about TERMINATOR GENISYS New Movie Review
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES New Movie Review
Ten years after Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the massive army of angry, enlightened and collaborative apes have taken over much of the United States, with few humans visibly around to threaten them. The once adorable Caesar (Andy Serkis, whose eyes burn through a mask of CGI pixels) is now the magnetic leader of the apes, keeping a close watch on his kingdom and maintaining … [Read more...] about DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES New Movie Review