I’m writing this in May long before Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day comes out. I love when Spielberg plays in the science fiction genre, and I am very excited to see what happens in his new film. But I also realized it had been forever since I watched the Leslie Bohem created miniseries that he executive…
Tag: visual effects
Lake Placid (1999) – Steve Miner
I forgot how laugh-out-loud funny this movie was. I haven’t watched it since it came out, and boy, I just dove right into it. My only note is that I could have used about fifteen minutes more. The cast and their banter are hilarious. You’ve got Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, Betty…
The Watchers (2024) – Ishana Shyamalan
The Watchers is apparently based on a novel by A.M. Shine. I imagine the book is a lot better than the film. While the film has a somewhat interesting look, the forest is shot beautifully, and the production design is solid, everything else around it is lacking. Dakota Fanning leads the cast as Mina, a…
Dangerous Animals (2025) – Sean Byrne
Jai Courtney is chewing all the scenery in a wonderfully over-the-top performance in Dangerous Animals. In it, he plays Bruce Tucker, a psychopathic serial killer who uses sharks as his weapon. Set in Australia, Tucker runs a tour boat that takes people swimming with sharks. When he chooses his victims, he chums, and then hooks…
Jumanji (1995) – Joe Johnston
I hadn’t seen this movie since I saw it in the theaters. I remember that it was on all the loop tapes we played in the video store I worked in. I saw the clips of the monkeys in the police car, and the animal stampede countless times, so much so that it almost overpowered…
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – Gareth Edwards
It’s lost some of its magic. There is too much green screen and visual effects, and almost no practical work when it comes to the dinosaurs, and it’s glaringly obvious. There’s no majesty when we see the dinosaurs now, because they don’t look real anymore. You can tell they are all done by VFX artists….
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) – Chad Stahelski
The Wick-verse expands again with John Wick: Chapter 4 in a story that takes us from New York to Japan to Paris, and Keanu Reeves’ Wick is kicking ass all the way. Determined to reach the High Table will require that he return to the fold and be of service. But his target, the Marquis…
Predator: Badlands (2025) – Dan Trachtenberg
I loved Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey. It was amazing. It took an IP that continues to endure and intrigue and shake it up in a new way. So when I heard he was cranking out another one, I was ready to see what he did next. Predator: Badlands ends up being a middle-of-the-road entry, one that…
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) – J.A. Bayona
Five films in you can’t expect the series to forge too much new ground. They have a formula that works and people love seeing dinosaurs running amok. This story brings back Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to bookend the film, and puts Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard – bit of a crush) and Chris Pratt…
Good Boy (2025) – Ben Leonberg
Mr. Loenberg, you had me at a horror movie told from a dog’s perspective. What I didn’t epect was a proto-Spielbergian ghost story that hits all the feels with its unique storytelling. There is a lot to dissect and discuss for this wonderful film that is getting great word of mouth. In fact, talking about…
The Mind Reels 