The Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman manages to open up in The Quiet One but the documentary as a whole is sadly not as compelling as it should be. There may have been five members of The Rolling Stones but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have always been more popular. Perhaps that’s the problem in viewing the documentary. While Wyman opened up his vast archive starting in 2014, his personal story doesn’t come off as…
"The Quiet One: Bill Wyman Documentary Disappoints"Month: June 2019
The entire premise of Tammy and the T-Rex is one of the most preposterous ideas ever but one cannot help but be entertained. What we know at the start of the film is that Tammy (Denise Richards) and Michael (Paul Walker) are dating. Tammy’s ex, Billy (George Pilgrim), is the type of ex-boyfriend who thinks he owns her. He doesn’t give a shit that Tammy is now with Michael. Billy’s grand plan turns up to…
"Cinepocalypse 2019: Tammy and the T-Rex"
Actor-writer-director Jon Favreau was on hand Saturday night in Chicago to receive the 2019 Gene Siskel Film Center Renaissance Award. Before accepting the award, Jon Favreau was joined in conversation by Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. This made for a pleasant but entertaining evening as the two went down memory lane. The two spoke about a lot of things–including how not directing Iron Man 3 would lay the groundwork for Chef. This is because…
"Jon Favreau talks Technological Advances at Siskel Gala"
High Life may have come with a lot of hype but I left the film feeling like it was a bit too much art house for my liking. Going into my Sunday afternoon screening, I knew that Robert Pattinson would play an astronaut. This was pretty much all I knew going into the film. While we’re getting to know Monte (Robert Pattinson), Claire Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau’s script digs into the film’s backstory. It turns…
"High Life: Too Art House For My Liking"
Actor-writer-director Jon Favreau was on hand Saturday night in Chicago to receive the 2019 Gene Siskel Film Center Renaissance Award. With Robert Downey Jr. on hand, it’s no surprise that Iron Man would be a matter of discussion. There were certainly other films brought up throughout the evening. These films would include Elf, Chef, and Swingers. The latest film to be directed by Jon Favreau is Disney’s The Lion King. Of all the films based…
"Jon Favreau talks The Lion King at Siskel Gala"
It would not be unfair to state that the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced Ice on Fire documentary is a horror film because the global climate is at a crossroads. This is yet another climate change film. However, there’s something that is strikingly different about this film. I’ll get to more on this later. There’s some beautiful imagery–don’t get me wrong–but it’s unfortunate the reason. While Leonardo DiCaprio is a brilliant actor, he’s found a way to blend…
"Ice on Fire: Climate Crisis Doc is a Horror Film"
Framing John DeLorean serves as a way of telling the story of the car inventor while pointing out all the failed attempts to make a biopic. In making a doc-drama hybrid, we’re able to learn quite a bit about the automaker. This may depend on what you already know about him going into the film. Through interviews, we learn about how his downfall affected his family. We already know that his legacy lives on by…
"Framing John DeLorean: A Docu-Drama Hybrid"
Toy Story 4 could very well be a satisfying conclusion and the end of the line for the 24-year-old Disney-Pixar franchise. The opening prologue starts out some nine years ago when the team comes together to save a toy. Unbeknownst to them, Bo Peep (Annie Potts) is set to be given away. It’s not an easy farewell for Woody (Tom Hanks) after all they’ve been through but all one can do is move forward in…
"Toy Story 4 Could Be A Satisfying Conclusion"
The Last Black Man in San Francisco might suffer at times with the film’s pacing but it is otherwise a beautiful ode to the Bay Area. Jimmie Fails (Jimmie Fails) has a dream. This dream is to take back what rightfully belongs to his family: A Victorian home in San Francisco. Jimmy’s grandfather is said to have built it himself in the 1940s. Even though a family currently resides in the house, this doesn’t stop…
"The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
The Dead Don’t Die may work as a horror comedy but writer-director Jim Jarmusch ultimately aims for both meta and allegorical comedy. “This is going to end badly,” police officer Ronald Peterson (Adam Driver) repeatedly tells police chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray). How does Peterson know this? He read the full script. Robertson on the other hand would only receive the pages with his scenes. While the joke may be self-referential, it ultimately pays off. Other…
"The Dead Don’t Die Goes Meta"