Posts in Home Media
MOVIE REVIEW: RRR

Deep down, all movies are passion projects for the people that make them. Sometimes, it is difficult to see that passion come through fully in the finished film. Uninspired moments, pretentious indulgences, shortcuts of effort, or even the limits of ambition will dilute the fervor of how the given movie came to exist. To that end, the rarer feat is a film that never, even for a second, loses or runs out of its passion. S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR is one of those special movies.  

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MOVIE REVIEW: Something From Tiffany's

Those layers, baked in by director Daryl Wein (How It Ends), present a small, but very commendable maturity and restraint from the norm. Characters with tangible messiness about them are still pausing to think with their heart and head equally. That relatability brings about romantic possibilities in Something From Tiffany’s that spark with stronger potential connections than the short burst of superficial fireworks based on mere looks. Enjoy that little diversion on Amazon Prime.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Lady Chatterley's Lover

Sex sold then and it still does now. Go ahead and say it. D.H. Lawrence rolled in the hay so the likes of E.L. James could bang on posh furniture. Even so, both authors love that touchy-feely F-word. Watching an enlivened adaptation of Lawrence’s firebrand prose today– debuting on Netflix December 2nd and directed by The Mustang’s Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre– reminds us that sexual awakenings are still valuable, and, best of all, desirable.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Confess, Fletch

So much of Confess, Fletch feels like a wiser-than the norm throwback against the hefty audience quadrant that will always prefer the louder, action-ified punch of the James Bonds and Jason Bournes of the world over a journalist gumshoe. If that crowd can slow down for a smaller and smoother ride, they will find mental thrills equally clever to the pop of blockbuster stunts that fade as quickly as they explode.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "You'll Probably Agree" YouTube show talking about movies that make us cry

When my Cinephile Hissy Fit podcast partner Will Johnson was in town, Mike Crowley of the You’ll Probably Agree website (and fellow 25YL film critic) was kind enough to be the video host for some collaborative crossover content among a gathering of mutual friends. Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front and freelancer Hayden Mears of Collider joined us with the plan of recording two sessions of shared video and audio content. Shot inside Chicago’s The Laugh Factory, this first episode is a discussion on movies that make us cry. Enjoy this energetic and emotional conversation and be sure to follow Mike’s work on 25YL.

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MOVIE REVIEW: The Gray Man

Both men are stupendously deadly in their own ways. Seen and unseen pushers and handlers with unreliable agendas have tied hands, and forced ones too, for the repercussions to come. Pit these two men and their motives against each other, and the unpredictability ignites itself in The Gray Man. Wall to wall, the Russos have unleashed what may stand as the best pure action movie of 2022.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Spiderhead

In both keen and ineffective ways, mood confusion is the slant of choice for Joseph Kosinski’s Spiderhead opening on Netflix this week. Targeting both the narrative characters and us in the voyeurs’ seats, purposeful choices are made to set a certain vibe. That curated atmosphere is meant to cloak and subvert a more impactful identity underneath. The clinchers for Spiderhead’s engagement as a thriller are how tantalizing the constructed mood is and how provocative is the hidden truth.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Senior Year

Through all of these little shocks to the system, nostalgia trips, and learning leaps is Rebel Wilson’s bull in a China shop. Much like Ryan Reynolds, Rebel Wilson is at her best playing Rebel Wilson. She has his commitment-to-the bit where her saucy signature personality and quick wit always follow her physical comedic bravery. She tells it like it is and we love it. Like her character, Rebel herself is more beautiful, smart, and funny that we give her full credit for.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Along for the Ride

To its credit and nicely lifted by music by Beach House and a peppy soundtrack, Along for the Ride is a positive story for connections built on trust and friendship first and attraction second. It is not just some party movie of hot bodies wooing each other with little to no consequences. Love and identity are the center and they don’t come easy. Nothing is automatic or preachy for the characters. Alvarez has created a lush space safe for the expression and healing of personal emotions heavier than the usual wants and needs of youth.

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