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Showing posts from April, 2018

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (Q&A EDITION) Possible minor Spoilers!!!!

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What is the film about? Do you really have to ask? Ok, fine. A Big, Bad Villain from the deepest parts of the Universe sets out to collection the 6 Infinity Gems. Once he gets his hands on these mystical and powerful gems, he plans on wiping out half of the universe. Who can possibly stop him? Well, who do you think? The Earth's Mightiest Avengers along with the help of The Guardians of The Galaxy. That's who. Do I need to see any of the previous Marvel films before I see this? It sure would help understand things better. There is very little exposition in the film, unless it has to do with Thanos and the Infinity Gems. Otherwise, the filmmakers assume you know all the major players and everything they've been through up to now. There is no backtracking here. Do people die in this film unlike in most Marvel films? (Minor Spoiler!!!!!) Yes. The Powers that be finally deliver consequences that amount to something here. That is all I will say. How long is the film?

LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK (4-25-18)

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   Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen I appreciate those who take their time out to read my movie reviews. I am looking for feedback. I recently started a new type of review that I call Q&A Movie Reviews. Have you read the two I recently wrote? If so, do you like the style versus the traditional style movie review? What do you think about the reviews in general? Any feedback you are willing to give me will be quite helpful when writing future reviews. Feel free to post in the comment section below and share with me your thoughts.   Thank you for your time. William Wygle

ISLE OF DOGS (2018) (PG-13) Q&A Edition

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What is the film about? Set in the future, ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of a boys search for his dog, who was just one of many dogs exiled on an island of garbage after a dog flue breakout sweeps Japan. After the boy crashes on the island, he encounters a pack of dogs who help him search for his missing dog. Is it written and directed by artsy fartsy filmmaker Wes Anderson? Yes, it is. Wes Anderson is similar to Woody Allen in the sense that his films do not attract a mainstream moviegoing audience. Mr.Anderson is hit or miss with me. His latest film and his second animated feature after THE FANTASTIC MR.FOX, is a hit with me. Is this a film for children? That depends on the intellect of the child. I doubt small children will sit still for long enough to immerse themselves in this often awkward style of storytelling. Middle school children and up might find something to like about in this film. I hear it's different from today's animated films. How so? The film use

BLOCKERS (Q&A Edition)

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What is the film about? BLOCKERS tells the story of three teenage girls who make a pact to lose their virginity on Prom Night. Complications ensue when the parents find out the plan via text messaging. Is this movie funny? Film is subjective and ultimately up to the individual to decide what is funny or not. For me, I found the movie to be funny in a very uncomfortable way. I'm not a fan of raunchy sex comedies, so I was somewhat surprised when I found myself laughing for much of the movie. One big reason for me is that I could relate to the parents and where their need to control things gets out of hand in comedic fashion. What is John Cena doing in this movie? You read that right. WWE wrestler John Cena is one of the stars of the film and does a fantastic job of showing his comedic side. He is a scene stealer in this film. Can I take my mother to see this? Depends if your Mother like raunchy sex comedies and if you are comfortable watching raunchy sex comedies wit

BLOCKERS (R) (2018)

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         BLOCKERS is an ultra-raunchy sex comedy about three parents who learn that their teenage daughters plan on losing their virginity on Prom Night.The film stars John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz as the three parents. The three have a good comedic chemistry that carries much of this surprisingly funny movie. It's also crude and vulgar at times, which is a stumbling block for me. For those who don't like this type of comedy, I issue a strong warning-know what you like and dislike in movie watching. I felt guilty at laughing at some of the stuff. I also found myself relating heavily to three parents, as they find themselves spying on their daughters on one of the biggest nights of their young lives. The three young ladies are also worth mentioning here. Kathryn Newton, Gideon Alden, and Geraldine Viswanathan turn in good work as the often foul-mouthed girls who are finding their way through today's world. Director Kay Cannon does a competent job of bringing

CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW: ADAM'S RIB (1949)

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                      ADAM'S RIB starring Spencer Tracy and Kathern Hepburn is considered a classic in cinematic film history. It tells the story of husband and wife attorneys Adam and Amanda Bonner who find themselves on opposite sides of an attempted murder trial. Amanda defends a housewife who shot her husband after catching in the act of having an affair. The question that is put worth is whether or not the wife, played by Judy Holliday, was justified in shooting her husband.                  ADAM'S RIB, directed by George Cukor is an uneven comedy that features amazing chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn. There is no denying that these two had a rare onscreen chemistry that translated into movie magic. They are much better than the movie itself. A woman's place in the world is as timely an issue now as it was almost 70 years ago. The film as a whole did not register with me. I wasn't invested in the issues that Tracy and Hepburn were fighting for. Also, I felt th

RAMPAGE (2018) PG-13

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          RAMPAGE is the film adaptation of the 80's video game that I don't remember playing as a teenager. It tells the story of a gorilla named George who is infected with a deadly pathogen (aka a virus) that ends up making him a giant along with two other animals. Dwayne (THE ROCK) Johnson stars as Primatologist Davis Okoye. He runs the gorilla exhibit at the San Deigo Zoo (if I'm not mistaken). Once George escapes, it's up to Davis and Geneticist Dr.Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to bring George back to safety. However, the U.S. Military and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are hot on George's trail with the intent to destroy George and the other two giant animals.       RAMPAGE reunites Johnson and director Brad Peyton for their third collaboration. The previous two films being JOURNEY 2 and SAN ANDREAS. The film offers the moviegoer his or her chance to leave their brains in the car and suspend disbelief for nearly two hours and just have a good time. On that level, RA

SECRET IN THEIR EYES (2015) (PG-13)

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     SECRET IN THEIR EYES is an uneven crime thriller with big stars-Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and a very good performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor(12 Years a Slave). Somehow this escaped the eyes of moviegoers when it made it's debut in theaters back in November of 2015.     SECRET tells the story of a team of investigators who discover one of their own family members is brutally murdered. The film is written and directed by Billy Ray (Breach, Shattered Glass) and is a remake of the 2009 Spanish language film El Secreto De Sus Ojos. The cast is top-notch, featuring a stellar performance by Ejiofor and good supporting performances by Kidman, Roberts, Dean Norris(Breaking Bad) and Michael Kelly(House of Cards).      My problem with SECRET is that it is uneven in its story structure. Light Spoiler Alert ahead.....The film goes backward and forwards with its use of flashbacks, with hairstyles being the only thing that differentiates between the two time periods-2002 and 2015. It m

A QUIET PLACE (PG-13)

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      A QUIET PLACE tells the story of a family who lives in a secluded area of a post-Apocalyptic America hiding from creatures who hunt and kill by sound. That is all I will say about the plot of this first-rate horror/thriller co-written by The Office star, John Krasinski, along with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. This is Krasinski's second film to direct. He really knocks it out of the park with an edge of your seat, suspenseful masterpiece.         Emily Blunt, Krasinski's real-life wife plays his wife here, Evelyn Abbott. Krasinski plays Lee Abbott. They are a couple that does everything in their power to protect their two children played wonderfully by Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) and Noah Jupe (Wonder). These four actors do amazing jobs at acting with very little dialogue. All elements of filmmaking-directing, writing, acting, sound, cinematography and visual effects and music are combined for a white-knuckle film going experience. The film is a fast-paced one and g

Movie Review: I, TONYA (2017)

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                        Is I, TONYA a truthful account of the life of professional skater Tonya Harding and is the "incident" involving fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan exactly how it happened? I want to believe this portrayal of the life of Harding but I have a hard time giving myself completely to this "truth" because it is an account from several points of views and they are all either liars, abusers or cheats.       Whether you believe this account of Tonya Harding's life or not, one thing you will have a hard time arguing with me is that this is an incredibly well-acted movie that is also well put together at the hands of Director Craig Gillespie.  His film reminds me of Martin Scorsese's mob masterpiece, Goodfellas(1990). Both films have a similar pacing and style that plunge the viewer into a world of dangerous, charismatic and unlikable people. The film features two amazing performances by Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding and Allison Janney as her mother

SIN CITY (2005) RATED R

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SIN CITY is based on the comic book from Frank Miller who wrote and co-directed the film with Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids). It also pays homage to the film noir genre of the 30's and 40's, while staying grounded in its over-the-top comic book style roots.  SIN CITY tells several small stories that are all tied together by the time the film is over and features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Micky Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Jessica Alba and Benicio Del Torro just to name a few.  This is a film that is definitely not for everyone.The film is rated a hard R that contains strong language, nudity, and graphic violence. Some of the action and performances come off as hokey and campy, but the film has plenty of style going for it with its use of black and white film photography blended with color and most sequences. You can watch SIN CITY, if interested, now on NETFLIX. I give SIN CITY a B.