Sunshine Cleaning marks its 15th anniversary since holding its world premiere during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film’s premiere came on January 18 at the Racquet Club theater. If the venue name does not sound familiar, you probably know it by its new name: Park City Municipal Area Recreation Center (MARC). In any event, I never had the opportunity to check out the film in theaters, only on home video. While it plays beautifully…
"Sunshine Cleaning Marks 15th Anniversary"Tag: Amy Adams
Trouble with the Curve is still a charming baseball movie in watching the film a few months after it marked its tenth anniversary. The film marked the directorial debut for Clint Eastwood’s longtime producing partner, Robert Lorenz. If you want my opinion, the director is in there with a stand-up triple. While the film isn’t Eastwood’s final acting role, it’s one of his last roles on screen and honestly, you couldn’t ask for more. Plus,…
"Trouble with The Curve Still Charms 10 Years Later"
Disenchanted, the long-overdue sequel to Disney’s 2007 hit film Enchanted, is finally making its arrival for audiences to watch on Disney+. I love Enchanted but I’m not quite sure that I’m at the same level for Disenchanted. Where the first film sees Disney go meta by doing a hybrid animated/live-action Disney Princess movie, the sequel does the same for villains. The fact that this film sees Amy Adams’ Giselle becoming the wicked stepmother is something…
"Disenchanted: Enchanted Sequel Falls Short"
Life’s a happy song when there’s someone by your side to sing along as The Muppets marks its tenth anniversary since the 2011 release. Films like The Muppets are exactly why the Academy Awards needs a Best Comedy category. We’re long overdue and this is certainly one of the best comedies in 2011. Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller deliver a crowd-pleasing script, beautifully directed by James Bobin. And the set pieces, oh my! There are…
"The Muppets Celebrates 10th Anniversary"
Dear Evan Hansen may not be the monstrosity of a movie musical that Cats was two years ago but exploiting suicide is unforgivable. While Dear Evan Hansen may have been a Broadway phenomenon, the film is not the cinematic event that it claims to be. Ben Platt isn’t going to become an EGOT winner on this film and it’s not his fault. He may have been the right age for the role when he was…
"Dear Evan Hansen Isn’t As Bad As Cats, Thank G-d"
The Woman in the Window is finally launching on Netflix over a year and a half after it was supposed to open in theaters. When it comes to movies about windows, Rear Window is the gold standard. This isn’t about to change anytime soon. When it comes to the film’s release delays, people will likely think about Tulip Fever. Just me? Okay. Both The Woman in the Window and Tulip Fever have books for their…
"The Woman in the Window Can’t Be Saved"
Hillbilly Elegy launches on Netflix this fall as an awards contender for Amy Adams and Glenn Close but their performances cannot save the film. I’m a Kentucky native so naturally, I like that there were scenes set in Jackson, Kentucky. Having a film directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close is enough to pique my interest. But there needs to be more here in order to elevate the film and take…
"Hillbilly Elegy: Oscar Bait Falls Short"
Four years after Warner Archive first issued Drop Dead Gorgeous on DVD, the cult classic finally makes its arrival on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray itself is short on special features. There’s an opportunity to add on some supplemental materials. Instead, all we are left with is the theatrical trailer. No commentary or where they are now features. Aside from this, they use a new 1080 master to present the film. What follows is my full review…
"Drop Dead Gorgeous Arrives on Blu-ray"
The performances from Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, and Amy Adams in The Fighter are the very definition of a masterclass in acting. Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a welterweight boxer. Ward is managed by his mother, Alice Ward-Eklund (Melissa Leo), and trained by older half-brother Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale). As far as his boxing career goes, Micky isn’t at a great point when he first meet him. He’s the person that you defeat while you’re…
"The Fighter Puts On A Masterclass in Acting"
For his role as Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice, actor Christian Bale is on the way to another Oscar for Best Actor in Adam McKay’s newest film. While the current administrations’s activities make us long for the days of the Bush Administration, Vice reminds us that maybe this should not be the case. Roughly two hours, this film is a study of Cheney’s lust for power. When he gets the call from George W.…
"Vice: Give Christian Bale The Oscar Right Now"