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| EFC STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
31246 |
| Total Ratings: |
247606 |
| Total Reviews: |
27838 |
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| SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY |
"Solo or The 120 Hands of Sabacc."
Peter Sobczynski says... "The arrival of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” the latest entry in the long-running and highly lucrative film franchise and the second spin-off film to come out that is not a part of the currently unfolding trilogy, is an event that even the most dedicated members of its devoted fanbase may regard with more than a little suspicion. For one thing, while moviegoers used to have to wait three years or so between the films, this marks the fourth “Star Wars” property to hit screens since 2015, leading to the very distinct possibility that most audiences may be getting to the point where they need a bit of a break from them. More significantly, this was a film with a number of well-publicized production problems that culminated with the original directing team of Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, hot off of “The Lego Movie,” being fired with reportedly less than three weeks until the completion of principal photography amidst rumors of clashes between them and the producers and the suggestion that star Alden Ehrenreich required acting lessons. Granted, recent “Star Wars” productions have not always run smoothly—“Rogue One” underwent extensive reshoots and the original directors for a planned Boba Fest spinoff and “Episode IX,” Josh Trank and Colin Trevorrow were both sacked before they even got near the cameras—but to can the directors that late in the process suggested a production that was in serious trouble and the hiring of Ron Howard to come in and take over (reportedly reshooting between 70-80% of the film, depending on who is telling the tale) further indicated that the producers were now less concerned with doing something a little off-beat (which was presumably the idea behind the hiring of Lord & Miller in the first place) and more interested in simply getting the damn thing done in the quickest and most painless manner possible (which would explain the hiring of Howard, a good director when blessed with good material but not exactly the most daring or innovative member of the DGA). The fact that the film would make an extremely high-profile debut at the Cannes Film Festival suggested at least some degree of confidence in it but my guess is that most will approach it with a level of trepidation not seen since “Attack of the Clones” arrived in the wake of the thunderously underwhelming “The Phantom Menace.”" (more)
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| DEADPOOL 2 |
"Meets comic superhero x-pectations."
Jay Seaver says... "It's tough to do "Deadpool" twice; the first was a well-needed go at taking the piss out of Marvel's ubiquity and how seriously some fans take corporate shared universes, but the second can't help but build up its own continuity even as it spends the credits shredding the very idea. Plus, Marvel has done "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in the last year, closing a little ground, which means "Deadpool 2" has to go farther to try and get the same results - although, isn't that the case with most sequels?" (more)
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| DEADPOOL 2 |
"Another unrepentant middle finger to Superhero seriousness"
Greg Ursic says... "After languishing in development hell for the better part of a decade, Deadpool finally got the green light after test footage for the project was “accidentally” leaked and fanboys went crazy. The wise cracking Merc with a Mouth delivered on every level: an unconventional love story, gory deaths galore, a barrage of smart ass one-liners, a measure of redemption for Ryan Reynolds and the best ever box office for an R-rated flick, guaranteeing a sequel, if not a franchise. Prepare not to be disappointed." (more)
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| CRIME + PUNISHMENT |
"Watching the watchmen."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON 2018: At times "Crime + Punishment" feels like two related documentaries superglued together, as director Stephen Maing tells the stories of a dozen NYPD officers suing the department over an illegal quota system alongside that of a teenager held for a year before trial as a result of such a system. It makes for a somewhat crowded movie, but a compelling one, especially as one half of the story, at least, can have some resolution." (more)
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| EIGHTH GRADE |
"As full of potential but stuck in-between as any middle-schooler."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON 2018: There has got to be a way of portraying awkwardness and uncertainty aside from dragging it out, and that "Eighth Grade" doesn't find it is kind of a bummer, because the are only a few scenes in the movie that don't feel like they are five times longer than they need to be. There are some terrific moments in this movie, and maybe one has to be a bit ground down to appreciate them, but it's entirely possible that I wouldn't get to the good parts of this movie in my living room as opposed to in a crowded theater." (more)
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| REVENGE (2018) |
"Hell hath no fury like a woman pushed too far"
Greg Ursic says... "As blonde bombshell Jen (Matilda Lutz) steps out of the helicopter sucking on a lollipop, we see her lingering reflection in muscled boyfriend Richard’s (Kevin Janssens) sunglasses, which leaves little doubt as to the nature of their trip. Their dirty weekend in the desert is interrupted by phone calls from his wife worried about catering and more ominously, the early arrival of his hunting buddies. Men being the entitled idiots they often are, playful flirtation results in bruised egos leading to rape and attempted murder." (more)
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| BEAST (2018) |
"A dark romance that never quite gets dark enough."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON 2018: "Beast" is the sort of movie that figures it can let a serial killer running loose in the community sort of simmer in the background, confident that the psychological drama it's got running up front is more interesting. That's true enough for a while, as the audience gets to know its young woman with an overbearing family and her own dark side, but eventually it's got to start pulling things together, and it's all too clear that neither the crime wave nor boyfriend Pascal is nearly as interesting as Moll is." (more)
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| GOOD MANNERS |
"Appropriate in some situations, less so in others."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL XX: "Good Manners" is one of those movies that is split close to right down the middle and thus sets itself up for a fall, because the odds that it's going to do two unusual things really well are slim. It's also possible that one just works better, making the other look bad. That's the case here; the first half works in a way that the second doesn't, even though it's not hard to imagine that part working well on its own or even if handled differently here." (more)
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'HOW ABOUT I BE MR.PURPLE?'
- Mr. Pink, Reservoir Dogs
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