Logan Lucky is a hugely entertaining, and laugh-filled heist film. Something we should have come to expect knowing that Steven Soderbergh, who also delivered the Ocean’s Trilogy, is at the helm. There’s a lot of fun to be had with a great cast led by Channing Tatum. Tatum is John Denver-loving Jimmy Logan, a down…
Tag: surprises
Anyone But You (2023) – Will Gluck
Using Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as a template (there are quotes and references littered throughout), Will Gluck directs this delightful, and sexy rom-com that stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. Ben (Powell) and Bea (Sweeney) have a lovely little meet-cute, and have an amazing first date. One that is brought to an abrupt end,…
The Return of Ellie Black (2024) – Emiko Jean
To call The Return of Ellie Black a jaw-dropping page-turner doesn’t do the book, the story, or the author, Emiko Jean, justice. It was nothing short of a compulsive read, one that I stayed up late to finish, something that doesn’t happen often for me. I had to know how the story played out, I…
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Survivors (1989) – Jean Lorrah
The fourth novel in The Next Generation series from Pocket Books is set between the events Arsenal of Freedom and Skin of Evil and gives Tasha Yar more story time than she received in her only season on the show. It also fills out some of her backstory, and while nothing contradicts the established canon,…
The Marvels (2023) – Nia DaCosta
Superhero fatigue is real. We seem to be so inundated with comic book stories now, they’re everywhere, films, television series, video games and actual comic books. Disney has gone to town building and expanding their MCU and even as the series and movies keep coming it’s been hard to get excited about new entries because…
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) – Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of the classic 60s series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which serves as a bit of an origin story for the series characters is uneven at best. What could have launched a fun franchise, that wouldn’t equal Mission: Impossible, but could have been a delightful theatrical tentpole fumbles as it proves unable to…
Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) – Timothy Zahn
In 1992, Timothy Zahn took us back into the slowly expanding universe of Star Wars with the second book in his Thrawn cycle, following on the heels of the previous year’s Heir to the Empire. Continuing the story that is set five years after The Return of the Jedi, the heroes of the rebellion are…
Burnt Offerings (1973) – Robert Marasco
Burnt Offerings is the type of tale that I’m glad I came to at this age as opposed to my early teen years when I first discovered horror novels. I say that because at that time, I would have hated it no matter who recommended it to me. I had discovered King, and The Shining…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) – Bombad Jedi, Cloak of Darkness, and Lair of Grievous
“Heroes are made by the times” For the first time, we see Rodia depicted onscreen as Padme Amidala (Catherine Taber) is headed there on a diplomatic mission with Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). The episode, Bombad Jedi, was written by Steven Melching, Henry Gilroy and and Kevin Rubio. It debuted on…
Captain Marvel (2019) – Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
It took a decade, but this week Marvel brings us their first female led superhero film. Giving us a quick respite before diving into Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel brings us a unique Marvel movie, and not just because it has a female as the lead. Captain Marvel is irreverent, playful, and puts a new spin…
The Mind Reels 