As hard as I tried, I could not get into George Miller’s “Mad Max” or “The Road Warrior.” Although the latter at least proved to be a more developed post-apocalyptic Australia concept with progressive action, it felt like a violent costume party for people who like things with engines. Now, 30 years after “Beyond Thunderdome,” […]
Archives
Chicago Critics Film Festival: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Review
Has the light-hearted coming-of-age cancer drama become a “thing?”
Avengers: Age of Ultron Review
The task of bringing together Earth’s mightiest heroes took Joss Whedon into uncharted territory with 2012’s “The Avengers,” and, despite the weight of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on his shoulders, the results were staggeringly entertaining. The task of making a sequel to that ground-breaking, monumental event film, however, and being expected to deliver on par […]
Summer Movie Preview 2015
The best part about summer movie season is it starts with a bang the first weekend in May and heralds the coming of better movies and better weather. As a blogger, nothing is more fun that putting together a summer movie preview. Just about anything could turn out to be one of the year’s biggest […]
The Theory of Everything Review
The stories of great people, particularly the great thinkers, have been source material for a number of acclaimed and awarded biopics, a sub-genre that has evolved a lot in the last decade. You can tell just by comparing two of 2014’s best, each focused on one of the greatest British minds of the 20th century. […]
Spring Movie Preview 2015
Spring movie usually get us in the mood for the summer blockbusters, but you have to be selective to avoid the duds, and there’s a mine field out there this March and April. Here are my 10 most anticipated films of the season, along with five you should be a bit wary of. These are […]
Oscars 2015 Recap: The Oscars with a lot of issues
Man, the 87th Academy Award had issues.
The Top 10 Films of 2014
As with what happened to me last year, it’s hard to name the top 10 films of the year on Dec. 31 when you haven’t seen a bunch of the best-reviewed ones. So, just before 2014’s best get honored at the Academy Awards, I present to you my 10 favorite films of 2014. Unfortunately, there were […]
American Sniper Review
Stories of American soldiers — their bravery in the field, their struggles to return to civilian life — have been well documented by Hollywood. The first thing to think about, therefore, is what makes each a necessary or unique story to tell. “American Sniper” tells of the life and years of service of Chris Kyle, […]
Whiplash Review
Jazz music and psychology create a furious cinematic swell in Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash,” a striking breakthrough effort that will have toes tapping and pulses racing. Centered on a 19-year-old aspiring Jazz drummer pushed to his limits for better and for worse (usually worse) by a merciless instructor, “Whiplash” tells a simple story of how far […]
The Interview Review
When major theater chains decided not to show “The Interview” because of terrorism threats from North Korean hackers, Hollywood saw an unparalleled degree of hype surrounding a film that otherwise would’ve received a moderate spotlight at best. But while news buzz for this comedy about a TV host and his producer being recruited to assassinate […]
Oscar Noms 2015: 7 Facts and Takeaways that Aren’t Complaints
Everyone wants to talk about the snubs: “Selma,” the Roger Ebert documentary “Life Itself,” “The LEGO Movie” (okay, I’m really pissed about “The LEGO Movie” too you guys). But I like to find the facts you might not have considered or that I think are worth noting.
Oscar Watch: ‘Boyhood’ is the early consensus pick
Woot! Sorry, had to get that out there. That’s what it feels like when you finally motivate yourself to write a post for your blog that isn’t just a review of the last movie you saw, which, if you’ve been checking out Movie Muse at all in the last year, is all you’ve gotten outside […]
Begin Again Review
How is John Carney the only filmmaker who knows how to make a contemporary musical? The “Once” filmmaker recaptures some of that film’s magic in “Begin Again,” a more mainstream approach for a wider American audience. With a team of terrific songwriters and a top-notch cast, “Begin Again” is a welcome reminder of why and […]
Winter Movie Preview 2015
The truth is that January and a majority of February are really about catching up on 2014 awards contenders. Hollywood knows it too, which is why January, especially, is considered a dumping ground for bad movies. Heck, that’s why last year I did my “Top 10 Movies of 2013” list in January because I needed […]
