The Beastmaster (1982) – Don Coscarelli

I remember seeing The Beastmaster back in the early 80s on one of the free First Choice/Super Channel weekends. I liked it a lot at ten years old, and hadn’t seen it since. So I was curious if I was going to enjoy it. The opening credits and title cards made me dubious, but over…

Monkey Man (2024) – Dev Patel

Dev Patel directs and stars in Monkey Man, an action revenge film that makes sure to add in emotion, trauma, as well as some commentary on religion and politics. It’s all done without losing the driving, pulse-pounding action sequences that make this film incredibly enjoyable and watchable. As the nameless hero of the film, known…

Flash Point (2007) – Wilson Yip

Donnie Yen continued to prove how awesome he is in the police thriller, Flash Point. Ma (Yen) is a no-holds-barred cop, he’s more than willing to beat a criminal to a pulp to prove his point and make an arrest, and he’s been after three criminal brothers, Tiger (Xing Yu), Tony (Collin Chou) and Archer…

The Jungle Book (2016) – Jon Favreau

  Opening this weekend is Disney’s update of their classic film, which lifts moments and characters from both their original 1967 film, and the source material as penned by Rudyard Kipling. Favreau’s camera moves throughout the jungle, never ceasing for a moment, as we enter a photo-real jungle, filled with the most photo-real computer generated…

Jungle Cat World – June 2015

  My first trip to Jungle Cat World was part of my 40th birthday celebrations, and at that time, my hopes had included having the experience of being able to pet a tiger. The specific tiger I’d hoped to meet was Nadine, but she was off-site that day, so even though I was disappointed, I…

Swiss Family Robinson (1960) – Ken Annakin

  The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for a viewing of Robin Hood, is this Disney take on the book of the same name, that set the tone and style for family adventure for some time. I had never seen this film, and was quite delighted to settle…

The Jungle Book (1967) – Wolfgang Reitherman 

  The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following Snow White is quite possibly my second favorite classic Disney cartoon (the first is Robin Hood), bearing only a passing resemblance (and that’s only if you squint) to its source material by Rudyard Kipling, Disney’s The Jungle Book is filled…

Dear Mr. Watterson (2013) – Joel Allen Schroeder

  Calvin & Hobbes. Just reading the name brings a smile to my face. I came to this strip a little late, right around 1990, when I came across Something Under The Bed Is Drooling. I was gob-smacked, I had never come across a comic strip like this, one that reflected my own childhood, and…

Turning 40

  Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love animals. I love being around them, I love petting them and playing with them and snuggling them. I tell them my deepest darkest secrets and have no fear of judgement from them. Movies about them make me laugh and cry more than any other….