Singin’ in the Rain: The Best Movie Musical

Taking place at the start of the talking picture era, Singin’ in the Rain will go down in cinema history as the best movie musical of all-time. The late 1920s were an interesting time for the motion picture business.  Silent pictures were all the rave but things changed when Warner Brothers premiered The Jazz Singer.  Producing a movie musical about this era in time is a genius move on Arthur Freed’s part.  While many executives…

"Singin’ in the Rain: The Best Movie Musical"

The 24th Is Timely And Relevant

The 24th tells the true story of the all-Black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment and what happened during the Houston Riot of 1917. The film’s release from Vertical Entertainment comes on the weekend of the Houston Riot’s 103rd anniversary.  Like many other events in history, this is one of those historic events that I knew nothing about.  Regardless, there’s still a relevance to the events when we look at what’s happening across the United States. …

"The 24th Is Timely And Relevant"

The Sleepover Fits Well On Netflix

The Sleepover is the type of family adventure-comedy that fits perfectly well on the Netflix platform and should be able to find an audience. It’s hard to truly describe the type of film that The Sleepover is without giving it away.  It’s a fun film that honestly blends genres.  There’s something for everyone, really, unless comedies aren’t your thing.  I mean, who doesn’t love a solid family adventure-comedy?!? The gist of the film is that…

"The Sleepover Fits Well On Netflix"

The One and Only Ivan is Heartwarming

The One and Only Ivan is another heartwarming picture from The Walt Disney Studios and it is sure to be a solid winner for Disney+. By my count, this film marks the third of four films from Disney to skip theatrical release.  Given the pandemic, the studio is taking advantage of having Disney+ at their disposal.  At the same time, you also can’t help but feel bad for the theaters because it means a lesser…

"The One and Only Ivan is Heartwarming"

Emperor Shines A Light On A Forgotten Hero

Emperor adds insight to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Fairy by shining a light on Shields Green, a hero that most Americans probably didn’t even learn about in American history books. When learning about the years before the Civil War, history books teach us about John Brown’s (James Cromwell) raid.  What they don’t do is teach us about Shields “Emperor” Green (Dayo Okeniyi).  In some ways, I feel like 2020 has been such an educational…

"Emperor Shines A Light On A Forgotten Hero"

Hook Still Brings A Smile To My Face

Hook, featuring a grown-up version of the legendary Peter Pan facing off against the captain, offers a nostalgic trip full of adventure. Over two decades before Disney wonder what would happen if Christopher Robin grew up, Steven Spielberg also tackled a similar idea.  What if Peter Pan grew up?  In this case, Pan becomes a workaholic father known as Peter Banning (Robin Williams).  Oh yeah, his wife, Moira (Caroline Goodall), also happens to be Wendy’s…

"Hook Still Brings A Smile To My Face"

Jurassic Park III: The Worst of the Franchise

Jurassic Park III manages to get even darker than the prior films but the sequel doesn’t quite capture the magic of the franchise. Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) heads to Isla Sorna under false pretenses.  Assistant Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola) joins the Jurassic Park veteran on the trip.  Paul (William H. Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Téa Leoni) offer Grant funding if he gives them an aerial tour of the island.  Sounds like a good idea,…

"Jurassic Park III: The Worst of the Franchise"

The Lost World: Jurassic Park Raises The Stakes

The Lost World: Jurassic Park seeks to raise the stakes from the earlier 1993 classic but the sequel doesn’t improve upon the original. Four years later, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) sends Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Golblum) to an island full of dinosaurs.  Malcolm is reluctant to go on the research expedition until learning that girlfriend Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) is already on Isla Sorna.  At which point, it becomes a rescue mission and Malcolm…

"The Lost World: Jurassic Park Raises The Stakes"

CREEM: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine

CREEM: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine manages to dive into the history of the magazine in a brisk but informative 75 minutes. When I think of music-focused magazines, Rolling Stone and Billboard are among the first that come to mind.  CREEM, however, does not.  This could possibly be because of when I came of age and started listening to rock and roll.  I didn’t get into music until the mid-90s, a few years after…

"CREEM: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine"

Jerry Maguire: Show Me The Money!

Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire recently got an upgrade to 4K Ultra HD this past June as a part of the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection. “Show Me The Money!”  “Help me help you.”  “You complete me.”  “You had me at hello.”  “The human head weighs eight pounds?”  “Kwan.”  These are just a few of the phrases that Crowe helped bring into the lexicon. It’s not unfair to say that Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is…

"Jerry Maguire: Show Me The Money!"