I love the character of Hellboy, both the cinematic and the source material brought to life in the Mike Mignola’s comic books. However, this time out, thanks to budget constraints, which directly impacted actors, effects, camera et. al. what fans are given feels like a fan-film and not a studio one. Set in the early…
Tag: performances
Run (2020) – Aneesh Chaganty
Run is a crisp and engaging thriller that rushes its twists and turns at a breakneck speed, driven by the performances of its two leads, Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen. Chloe (Allen) is confined to a wheelchair, and battling a number of illnesses. But she has her mother (Paulson) by her side, tending to her…
Blown Away (1994) – Stephen Hopkins
Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones star in a cop thriller about revenge and the past. Set in Boston, Jimmy Dove (Bridges) is verging on retirement from the Bomb Squad following his marriage to Kate (Suzy Amis). Unfortunately, Dove’s past comes calling for him in the form of Ryan Gaerity (Jones) an IRA extremist with…
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) – Wes Ball
I love the Planet of the Apes franchise, including the Tim Burton iteration. And I’ve enjoyed them all, to be clear, I don’t remember much of the animated series from when I was a kid, or the brief live-action series, but I know the rest of franchise. I was initially unsure about the Dawn/Rise/War trilogy…
Dreamcatcher (2003) – Lawrence Kasdan
I don’t know why this one didn’t work so well twenty years ago. Lawrence Kasdan (!) directs from a script he wrote with William Goldman (!), based on a novel by Stephen King (!) , a score by James Newton Howard (!) and a top-notch cast; Damian Lewis, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant, Morgan…
Lake Michigan Monster (2018) – Ryland Brickson Cole Tews
I loved Hundreds of Beavers so I was eager to check out an earlier film from the creative duo behind it, Lake Michigan Monster. Sharing some of the film’s creative styles, it’s shot in black and white, made to look like a throwback to yesteryear, and has a goofy sense of humor that slides from…
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) – Osgood Perkins
After enjoying Longlegs I definitely wanted to check out some of Perkins’ other work, and pulled up The Blackcoat’s Daughter to watch. And once again, I rather enjoyed his work, his storytelling and the performances he got from his actors. Set in a February winter break in an all-girls private school, Bramford (a nod to…
The Invisible Man Returns (1940) – Joe May
It’s more time well spent with the Universal Monsters as I dive into the first sequel to 1933’s The Invisible Man. Vincent Price in one of his earliest performances is Geoffrey Radcliffe, a man imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. His beloved Helen Manson (Nan Grey) is stunned and refuses to believe he’s guilty….
TIFF24: A Missing Part dir. Guillaume Senez
Senez delivers a moving drama that examines familial connections against the backdrop of Tokyo and Japan’s clean break policy when it comes to family separation. Jay (Romain Duris in a role that allows him to deliver a stellar performance) drives a cab at night, while he spends his days trying to find the daughter he…
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) – George Miller
I love the Mad Max universe, and have enjoyed every single one of the films that George Miller has delivered us that give us looks into that world. I had plans to see the latest film, Furiosa, on the big screen but life happened. So I finally had a chance to settle in and enjoy…
The Mind Reels 