Yes, some of the special effects are terrible, and yes, the film seems to be played more for laughs than telling a dramatic and serious story, and the cameos, such as they are, seem a little wasted, and Ezra Miller can come across as severely unlikeable but having waited a few months since the film’s…
Tag: father
Hill Street Blues (1985) – Seoul on Ice, and In the Belly of the Bus
There’s a lot going on in Seoul on Ice. LaRue (Kiel Martin) and Washington (Taurean Blacque) are attempting to run down leads to solve the vicious attack on Garibaldi (Ken Olin) that landed him in critical condition in the hospital – can you say debts owing to loan sharks? And that’s just the tip of…
Ghost Rider (2007) – Mark Steven Johnson
Ghost Rider has always been a cool character to me. Someone stuck in a horrific world filled with supernatural beings and violence, demons and angels, not to mention your common criminal, all coming from one man making a choice based on keeping those he loved safe. As a kid, I thought the character just looked…
Mexican Gothic (2020) – Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexican Gothic is a wonderfully lush, and haunting novel, embracing all the familiar tropes of the Gothic genre, romance, the old dark house, family secrets, and the hints of something preter- or supernatural all juxtaposed into Mexico of the 1950s. We’re introduced to Noemi, a vivacious, smart, stubborn, flirtatious young woman who is still looking…
The Equalizer (1989) – Prisoners of Conscience, and The Caper
Even as the series closes in on its ending, we continue to get peeks into the character of Robert McCall (Edward Woodward), and this time he’s joined by his actual son, Tim Woodward, who takes on the role of McCall’s father, seen in flashbacks. Prisoners of Conscience was written by Robert Eisele and debuted on…
Skinamarink (2022) – Kyle Edward Ball
What could have been a descent into a childhood nightmarish dreamscape is frustratingly held back by a gimmick that overstays its welcome and leaves viewers struggling to grasp at any strands to form some kind of coherent narrative. With unusual camera angles that prevent the viewer from seeing anything of import or creating a context…
Garden State (2004) – Zach Braff
The Zach Braff film (writer/director/star) Garden State hasn’t aged very well. And even in 2004, some of it seemed questionable. The soundtrack that we all thought was amazing at the time wasn’t, and I have to tell you, I never liked the Shinns no matter how much Braff insisted the song would change your life….
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) – Peyton Reed
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the time for mourning is over. Phase 5 begins with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and launches it with a sense of fun, family, and a reminder that despite our affection and connection to these characters, it’s still just a romp. And who better to lead us in some fun…
Hill Street Blues (1982/1983) – Santaclaustrophobia, and Gung Ho
It’s the holiday season on the hill, and lots of things are going on at the precinct. Santaclaustrophobia, written by Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, and Jeffrey Lewis, first aired on 16 December, 1982. Belker (Bruce Weitz) is undercover as a bell-ringing Santa, but a young kid keeps spoiling things by revealing he’s a cop. Hill’s…
Imaginary Friend (2019) – Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chobsky, perhaps currently best known as the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, gets his Stephen King on with his latest novel, Imaginary Friend, a tale of horror that pits a small town against itself in a battle of good versus evil. At the heart of the story is young Christopher, and…
The Mind Reels 