Haunted Mansion Is Mostly Forgettable

Haunted Mansion is the newest film to adapt a Disney ride for the big screen but this comedy is too long and fails to deliver the laughs. After having so much fun watching Jungle Cruise in 2001, it pains me to see that the fun is missing in their newest attempt to bring a theme park attraction to the big screen. There’s no reason that this film needed to be over two hours long. Rather…

"Haunted Mansion Is Mostly Forgettable"

Step Brothers Marks 15th Anniversary

Adam McKay’s Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, marks the 15th anniversary since its theatrical release in 2008. When one looks at the Judd Apatow-produced films in the 00s, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) are signature man-children. Both adult children are still living at home with their parents. Neither one of them enjoy the idea of becoming step brothers. There are times when they’re bonding over things…

"Step Brothers Marks 15th Anniversary"

Seabiscuit: Horse Racing Drama Marks 20th Anniversary

The Oscar-nominated Great Depression-era horse racing drama, Seabiscuit, marks the 20th anniversary since its theatrical release in 2003. “He just needs to learn how to be a horse again.” – Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) In 2003, Gary Ross beautifully adapts Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling book for the big screen. The end result is an impressive piece of filmmaking. How Ross doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for directing is beyond me. They have the original 1938 match…

"Seabiscuit: Horse Racing Drama Marks 20th Anniversary"

The Scout Touches On Mental Health In Baseball

While Steve Nebraska was Shohei Ohtani before Ohtani became a baseball legend, The Scout touches on mental health in baseball. The Scout has its roots in an article written by Spink Award winner Roger Angell in The New Yorker. Once optioned by Andrew Bergman’s producing partner, it went through a number of rewrites and actors between 1983 and the theatrical release in 1994. It’s hard to imagine Peter Falk, Walter Matthau, or Rodney Dangerfield in…

"The Scout Touches On Mental Health In Baseball"

Rookie of the Year Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Rookie of the Year–one of two baseball comedies to be released in 1993–marks the 30th anniversary of its theatrical release. After missing it earlier this month, there’s no better time to do an anniversary viewing than Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. Disney’s D23 celebrated the 30th anniversary at Wrigley Field and Gallagher Way earlier this month with star Thomas Nicholas in attendance. Nature may have had other things in mind with the weather but…

"Rookie of the Year Celebrates 30th Anniversary"

Oppenheimer Is An Epic Masterpiece

Christopher Nolan has done it again with Oppenheimer as the J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic is another epic masterpiece. Don’t let the 3-hour run time fool you because this one earns every minute of it. I left the theater once and that was only so I could refill a drink. At no point did this film ever feel slow because it had my attention for every single minute. It’s a film that must be experienced on…

"Oppenheimer Is An Epic Masterpiece"

Barbie: Greta Gerwig Continues A Brilliant Run Behind The Camera

Greta Gerwig continues a brilliant run behind the camera with Barbie while co-writing a hysterical script with Noah Baumbach. Gerwig and Baumbach’s script is funnier than it has any right to be. It’s also full of double entendres but it does have a PG-13 rating for suggestive references and brief language. One would assume that many parents would want to bring their young daughters under 10 but that might not be the best idea. After…

"Barbie: Greta Gerwig Continues A Brilliant Run Behind The Camera"

Interstellar: One Of The Best Sci-Fi Thrillers Ever Made

Interstellar is a science fiction thriller–now a classic–incorporating real science in the quest for new worlds and the fate of humanity. One does not necessarily need to understand the science behind the film to find it entertaining. Having an understanding would probably help. In any event, it is very much a Christopher Nolan thriller. His films have a way of getting bigger in terms of scale through the years. Dunkirk brought things back down to…

"Interstellar: One Of The Best Sci-Fi Thrillers Ever Made"

The Prestige: A Magical Psychological Thriller

The Prestige is a magical psychological thriller about a pair of feuding magicians with no shortage of edge-of-your-seat suspense. Christopher Nolan reteams with a number of his usual department heads as he reunites with his Batman Begins stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine for an adaptation of Christopher Priest’s (not to be confused with the comic book writer) 1995 novel. Nolan would adapt the script with his brother, Jonathan, for a number of years before…

"The Prestige: A Magical Psychological Thriller"

Insomnia: Another Christopher Nolan Psychological Thriller

Insomnia is the third feature film for filmmaker Christopher Nolan and gives him a bigger playground with a trio of Oscar winners. This is the only film in Nolan’s career that he didn’t write. One, it is a remake of an earlier Norwegian film. Two, Nolan has his first studio film and a medium-sized budget. Slowly but surely, everything is coming into place for taking his career to the next level with The Dark Knight…

"Insomnia: Another Christopher Nolan Psychological Thriller"