“Logan”: a fitting swan song for Jackman’s Wolverine

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Denise

logan-posterNutshell: A fitting goodbye to Jackman’s Wolverine, as well as an amazing introduction to Laura “X-23” Kinney. Logan gives you everything you want in a big-screen re-imagining of the “Old Man Logan” story…and while everything means the film goes on a bit longer than necessary, it’s impossible to look away from such a talented group of actors telling such a compelling tale. Grade: A-

“I’m a fan.”

Story: Once upon a time in 2029, Wolverine (now going by  Logan) is starting to weaken and age due to adamantium poisoning.  Charles Xavier (aka “Professor X”) is suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s, making him not only dangerous, but a beacon to those who would destroy what remaining mutants are still alive.  When a woman comes to Logan asking for help for her daughter Laura, Logan’s tenuous grip on sanctuary goes from bad to worse. But damn if Laura doesn’t remind him of someone… *snik* Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ezekiel Boone, Skitter

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Denise

skitter cover
Nutshell: Boone proves there’s nothing to the notion of a “sophomore slump” if you’ve got a great writer and a kick-ass story.  Skitter is just as much gruesome, “GET IT OFF ME” fun as The Hatching was, but this time the stakes are even higher…  Sit back, dig in, and be prepared to read this in one sitting.  It’s that good.   Grade: A

Book Basics
Stand-alone or series: The second book in The Hatching series.
Target audience: Post-apocalyptic genre fans who aren’t afraid of webs. Or who can get over their fear for some seriously good, creepy fun.
Publication 411: hit shelves May 2nd, 2017. (Atria/Emily Bestler Books)

“I might be off on the numbers. You have to understand, they’re not leaving one in five people alone, … One in five people survived, which isn’t the same thing.”

The bugs are back, baby!  Oh fine; spiders are actually arachnids (#invertnerd) but I couldn’t pass up an alliteration.  Boone is back with the second installment of this amazing series, and you need to read this book.  You really, really do.

Why?  Because it’s good.  Boone delivers an action-driven story, but there’s no disturbance to his narrative flow when he takes side-routes or shifts perspective.  In Skitter, the world tries to sift through the wreckage of what happened when these spiders unleashed hell.  But hidden here and there, there are little time-bombs all over the world, waiting to go off. And a few really big, glowing ones as well.  That can’t be good, can it?  No, no it can’t.  Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza – “Kong: Skull Island”!

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Denise

kong-skull-island-onesheetWhere my kaiju fans at?  Where my monkey fans at?  And most importantly, WHERE MY MONKEY KAIJU FANS AT? Because I’ve got passes to Kong: Skull Island! (Yes, I’m fully aware that Kong is actually a Great Ape, not a monkey.  Roll with me on this.)

Synopsis!

The producers of Godzilla reimagine the origins of one the most powerful monster myths of all in “Kong: Skull Island.”  This compelling, original adventure tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful.  Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature.  As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.

The trailer is epic, so I’m hoping the entire film will be just as awesome.  Let’s go! Continue reading →

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Catching Up Review: “Hacksaw Ridge”

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Denise

hacksaw-ridgeBloody, bloody, bloody.  And bloody good.  See what I did there?  FINE.  But if you can stomach the copious amounts of gruesome battle FX (apparently director Gibson loves slinging blood onscreen.  See: The Passion of the Christ) you’ll find an incredible story of heroism.

Garfield deserves his Oscar nom here, and many other actors do similarly outstanding work.  As Sgt. Howell, Vince Vaughn found the roll he was born to play.  And it’s always a good thing when Hugo Waving and Rachel Griffiths (as Hal’s parents Tom and Bertha Doss) hit the screen.

Kudos to director of photography Simon Duggan for giving this film just the right look and feel, from the sweet 1940s love story at the beginning to the grueling, smoke-filled battlegrounds of the Ridge. Don’t get up when the story ends; there’s lots of real-life footage and interview clips with some of the soldiers.You’ll want to stick around for that.

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Catching Up Review: “Fences”

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Denise

fences-posterAs with Manchester, this movie-based-on-a-play is a slice of life story starring actors that nabbed Tony Awards for these same performances on Broadway.  And deservedly so.  Washington and Davis are incredible here, as is the entire cast who bring the African American experience in 1950s Pittsburgh to life.  Getting to see the amazing Russell Hornsby (Grimm) as well as the incredible Stephen Henderson (who’s also in Manchester; yet another connection between these two incredible films.)

Expect to laugh, cry, and get really mad sometimes.  But ultimately this film does story should do; provides hope.

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Catching Up Review: “Manchester By the Sea”

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Denise

manchester_by_the_seaLet me make two things perfectly clear:

1) this is not a feel-good film.  This is a film that grabs you by the lapel, glares in your face, and makes you cry. And I couldn’t look away, even when the story was so heartbreaking that’s all my soul wanted to do.

2) this is amazingly well acted film, and while the story about a broken man who has to go back home after his brother’s death isn’t “fun” to watch, it’s amazing cinema.

Bring Kleenex.  Don’t be surprised if, every so often, you find yourself laughing at the deadpan, sometimes bleak, humor.  A beautiful, rough, slice-of-life story, well acted and directed.

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Elsewhere Review – Robert Michael “Bobb” Cotter’s Vampira and Her Daughters: Women Horror Movie Hosts from the 1950s into the Internet Era

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Denise

Read the original piece RIGHT HERE at The Green Man Review!

vampiraWell hello there, boys and ghouls!  Devilishly delightful weather we’re having, wouldn’t you say?  Time to curl up with something scary, lie on your bed of needles, and while the day away until the sun sets and things really get going, am I right?  And who better to curl up with than a superbly strange horror host?  While many people can think of famous male hosts, like Svengoolie, Joe Bob Briggs, Count Gore De Vol and Zacherley, there are plenty of wicked women who’ve taken up the mantel as well.  And with Cotter’s Vampira, these ghastly gals get their due.

Cotter digs deep into the history of the horror host, and uncovers a wealth of knowledge about these hidden stars. From classic hosts like Elvira, Moona Lisa, and of course Vampira herself, to YouTube and web-hosts like Miss Misery Rosxy Tyler and Penny Dreadful (who pens a glorious intro to this book, by-the-by), Cotter assembles female horror hosts from sexy to scary, with everything in between. And he does a bloody great job with it.
Continue reading →

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Table 19”!

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Denise

table 19 posterI love going to weddings.  Well okay; I hate having to figure out what to wear (I’m not great with dressing myself up classy-like), but I love weddings.  And wedding receptions.  Who doesn’t love cake?  But maybe the folks over at Table 19 have a different – and hilarious – take.  Synopsis!

Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick) – having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text – decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend’s wedding anyway. She finds herself seated at the ‘random’ table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets (but not before sending something nice off the registry). As everyone’s secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. Friendships – and even a little romance – can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.

Sounds like a good time, right?  Let’s crash this joint!

Continue reading →

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Catching Up Review: “La La Land”

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Denise

la-la-land-posterThere’s a difference between a loving homage, and a poorly lit, badly directed, slap-and-paste edited, ripoff of the greats. Emma Stone gives a wonderful performance despite the dreck she has to wade through. And while she’s amazing, the plot is too choppy to truly care about any character here. I can’t believe this mess is directed by Damien Chazelle, who brought us the incredible Whiplash.

Am I mad?  No.  Disappointed, let-down, and underwhelmed?  Definitely.  Do I hate this film?  Well…maybe kinda, a little bit.  But really, it’s more that La La Land is the worst thing a musical can be; sloppy and pointless. Looking for an engrossing, well thought out story with killer music? Please, PLEASE, watch Sing Street instead.

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Before I Fall”

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Denise

Before I Fall posterIt’s a gorgeous May-in-February day, so why not give away some passes?  Well, don’t mind if I do!  I’ve got passes for Before I Fall, and it sounds like a Deep Thoughts version of Groundhog Day.  And I mean that in the best way possible.  Synopsis!

What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Samantha Kingston has everything: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. As she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of those around her–before she runs out of time for good.

Ready to question your own perfect life?  Then let’s go!

Continue reading →

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