The Opening Act is a fictional account depicting the harsh realties that come with trying to make it in the business as a stand-up comedian. Writer-director Steve Byrne injects some of his own real-life experiences into the script. Byrne has been in the industry for two decades so basically, he’s calling friends and casting them in the film. This aspect certainly shows through in the production. It honestly feels like one agrees to this kind…
"The Opening Act: Stand-Up Comedy Isn’t Easy"Category: Movie Reviews
Minority Report might take place some fifty years after the film was shot but the film’s themes are still relevant almost twenty years later. This film marks the first collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise. The film has audiences asking some important questions. What if we knew what was going to happen in the future? After you ask yourself the question, what if the person knowing this found out he was going to kill someone? …
"Minority Report: Spielberg Tackles the Future"
Always departs from the rest of Steven Spielberg’s 1980s filmography in that the film goes for sentimentality more than anything else. It’s not uncommon for Spielberg to release multiple films in the same year. The summer saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While there is some nice action in the aerial scenes in Always, the two films couldn’t be further apart. Maybe this is why it has taken me until now to watch Always. …
"Always: My Least Favorite Steven Spielberg Film"
Following Raiders, Steven Spielberg gets back to science fiction and gives us his most personal film in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. I have a confession to make. It wasn’t until the late 1990s/early 2000s before I watched E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. A lot of this is because I am prone to nightmares and like Mars, Inc. at the time, I thought E.T. was scary. Let me tell you how wrong I am for this line of thinking.…
"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Another Spielberg Classic"
In spite of the logistical challenges in putting the film together, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a Steven Spielberg classic. Much like George Lucas and Star Wars, Steven Spielberg also continued working on Close Encounters. Ultimately, Spielberg kept working on it and gave us his ultimate version in 1998. Most of the reason for the Special Edition is because the studio wanted to go inside of the ship. In the end, Spielberg would…
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind: A Classic"
Thirteen Days may have been critically acclaimed but the film takes some major dramatic licenses in revisiting the Cuban Missile Crisis. If we want to get technical with the anniversary, the wide release didn’t come until January 12, 2001. But for the sake of Oscar qualification, New Line released the film on December 25, 2000. There weren’t many critics groups giving the film many awards. The Critics Choice Awards were among the few to honor…
"Thirteen Days Marks 20th Anniversary"
One can look at We Can Be Heroes as being a copycat of films like The Avengers (and with children) but this film is so much more. Perhaps what is the most surprising is that this is a stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl. Taylor Lautner does not reprise his role. The film finds a way to hide this, of course. While this may be a stand-alone sequel, the film makes…
"We Can Be Heroes: A Superhero Film With Heart"
The Oscar-nominated Munich, one of two Steven Spielberg films released in 2005, marks its 15th anniversary since the theatrical release. After so many fun Spielberg films in the early 1990s, the latter half of the decade saw his return to serious dramas. The beginning of the 2000s is no exception. Much like 1993, Spielberg had room for sci-fi and a serious drama. Though in this case, both films also deal with the subject of terrorism. …
"Munich: Steven Spielberg Film Marks 15 Years"
While Wonder Woman 1984 never quite lives up to its groundbreaking predecessor, it is still thrilling entertainment in its own right. Before I get started with the rest of my review: there is a mid-credits scene. Press screeners did not include any scene after the credits. This is the most important thing to know going into the film. I want to get this out of the way right now: I am judging the film on…
"Wonder Woman 1984 Is Thrilling Entertainment"
It may be hard to believe but News of the World marks the first time in his career in which actor Tom Hanks stars in a Western. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) travels around to read people the news. One could also look at this as being old-school podcasting before podcasting was ever a thing. To be fair, I think Tom Hanks made this reference when appearing on the late night circuit. Perhaps it…
"News of the World: A New Classic Western"