Krampus is a Christmas themed horror comedy based on the horned monster of the same name from German and Austrian folklore. I know what you’re probably thinking, “That sounds ridiculous and silly.” It is a ridiculous tale, but only as ridiculous as the story of Santa Claus. Besides, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective the film is at espousing traditional Christmas values while gleefully murdering its cast in holiday themed horror. Krampus serves as a warning to anyone or any family who would dare forget the true meaning of Christmas.
Read moreSpotlight (2015) Movie Review
The sexual abuse scandal in the Boston Catholic Church rocked much of the world when it was revealed by The Boston Globe in 2002. Spotlight dramatizes how the investigative team exposed this scandal. The term “spotlight” refers to the team of reporters at the Boston Globe who investigates an issue or topic in depth for months, thereby shining a “spotlight” on the previously unknown. This Spotlight team was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their efforts depicted in the film. Spotlight is a fantastic film about the importance of “outsiders”, institutional corruption, thorough investigative journalism, and the dire consequences of inaction.
Read moreIn the Heart of the Sea (2015) Movie Review
In the Heart of the Sea is based on the book of the same name which details the true story of the ill-fated whale ship Essex and her crew. The movie is told through a series of flashbacks to Herman Melville, the writer of Moby Dick. It attempts to be a love letter to Herman Melville and Moby Dick, while taking a deep look at the folly of man, via an action filled survivalist movie. It tries too hard and ends up being a poor adaptation. ITHOTS’s compelling foundation is marred by its unfocused direction.
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Read moreThe Good Dinosaur (2015) Movie Review
Once again, Pixar has me feigning indifference after a turbulent emotional journey (claiming something is in my eye). They are experts at playing heartstrings, the worst offender being Toy Story 3, but The Good Dinosaur isn’t too far behind. The film actually marks the first time that Pixar has released two films in a calendar year (Inside Out being the other). Not to imply that this film suffered from a lack of quality due to this. The Good Dinosaur is another extremely well produced Pixar movie, but it’s not as great as their best films. It’s a simple, but effective, coming of age tale about a young dinosaur and his unlikely human companion.
Image Via: rotoscopers.com
Read moreCreed (2015) Movie Review
When Grudge Match (2013) came out, I felt it wasn’t worth seeing an old Stallone and an old De Niro punch it out in a lukewarm sort of Rocky vs. Raging Bull. Honestly, it seemed like a cynical cash grab and I just couldn’t be bothered. But now we have Creed, the first movie from the Rocky franchise since Rocky Balboa (2006), and boy does it pack a punch (pun intended). It’s an engrossing and genuinely engaging boxing flick that reboots the franchise with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) as its centerpiece. Its honestly the best Rocky since Rocky IV.
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Spectre (2015) Movie Review
During the Sony Pictures email-hacking-fiasco, it was revealed that studio executives expressed concerns that Spectre was poorly written, citing problems with its villain, and that its budget was ballooning into the 300 millions. The sad part about these concerns was none of these problems were fixed. The film pits Bond and his agency, MI-6 against the mysterious organization Spectre, whose leader claims extreme personal connection to Bond, “The author of all of his pain.” Sadly Spectre is still badly written, way too long, but gets by on its incredible action sequences.
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The Peanuts Movie (2015) Movie Review
Let me tell you a secret: I’ve never seen any Peanuts movie or special before. I know that might seem crazy but it’s true. I’m certainly aware of Charles Schulz’s legendary comic strip, its iconic characters, and their personalities, but I’ve never read the comic strips or seen any of the movies. So unlike this writer I’m not familiar with the half century of materials that came before and will review this movie based solely on its merit (not discounting the materials from the past half century of course). Having said that it's a wonderful trip down memory lane with all of the iconic Peanuts moments and characters present.
Read moreSteve Jobs (2015) Movie Review
Steve Jobs is a very good film about an unlikable asshole. This film is the third to feature the enigmatic co-founder of Apple in two decades. This Sorkin-Boyle production is a well oiled film about Steve Jobs and his relationship with the people closest to him. However, why Hollywood needed a third film to tell Job's story is beyond me. Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs is a character study of a control freak who doesn’t care what others think about him.
Read moreThe Last Witch Hunter (2015) Movie Review
The Last Witch Hunter is mildly amusing, mediocre, and utterly forgettable. It doesn’t make any sense nor does it try too, and the CGI is average at best. Many plot elements and magical items are introduced and not properly explained. The best parts of the movie (and that’s not saying a whole lot) are the actors, led by Vin Diesel in the title role of Witch Hunter.
Read moreThe Martian (2015) Movie Review
Filmmaker Ridley Scott has been behind the camera for almost five decades, and though he is extremely talented he remains an enigma. How one man can be responsible for both Exodus: Gods and Kings and Alien (among other horrible failures and stunning triumphs) is utterly baffling. I am a big fan of Scott’s best work like the aforementioned Alien, Gladiator, or Black Hawk Down. However his failures such as Exodus or Prometheus are so awful they tend to make one wary of seeing any more of his films. So is his latest film another failure or another best picture contender? As it turns out Scott has made another fantastic film. The Martian is a surprisingly engrossing gem. The film thoroughly captures the journey, the sacrifice, and the work of one man as he struggles to survive on a barren planet over thirty million miles from Earth and the efforts of NASA to bring him home.
Read moreCrimson Peak (2015) Movie Review
For all the hubbub about this film being a horror movie by Guillermo del Toro this movie was a disappointment; not awful just disappointing. If you, as I did, go into this movie expecting a horror film then you will be sorely mistaken. The movie is a mystery romance thriller, with light horror elements interspersed. That in itself is fine, except that the trailer (below) is misleading. For instance, the trailer for The Grey turned out to be terribly misleading, but the film itself was fantastic. Sadly that is not the case here. Crimson Peak happens to be a gorgeous film with attractive, impeccably dressed actors, brilliant settings but unfortunately its undermined by its predictable plot and plodding pacing.
Read moreSicario (2015) Movie Review
I assumed Sicario would be a gritty drug-enforcement-take-down action flick, a classic good vs bad with one of the best action movie heroine’s (Emily Blunt) in the starring role. I was wrong. While there is loud gritty violence, the movie is also a taut, tense thriller, and so much more than just popcorn cinema. It’s a thoughtful, albeit bleak look at the escalating war on the Mexican Drug Cartels.
Read moreBlack Mass (2015) Movie Review
Black Mass is about incompetent FBI agents and that’s really it…no, no not really of course. The film harps on themes like blood is thicker than water, evil triumphs when good men do nothing, etc. In spite of this the film fails at anything meaningful because none of the characters really connect with the audience.
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