The “comic counsel” dais of Ian' Simmons’ Kicking the Seat podcast was burnt to the ground and resurrected from the ashes at the ShowPlace ICON X theater after watching the culminating send-off that was supposed to be Dark Phoenix, the final Fox X-Men film. David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews, myself, and four hot new microphones makes this post-film discussion sizzle. Come and enjoy our back-and-forth. Critic and proud!
Read MoreTHIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the best movie cameo ever?
Keanu Reeves just got done dropping jaws and metaphysical truths in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe this past weekend. It got David Ehrlich to wonder was was the best cameo ever. I was heartset on Alec Baldwin from Glengarry Glen Ross, but he’s technically a billed member of the cast. After that, it came down to Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder or Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction. You can read my pick and criteria below from the survey article. Many great picks from the other critics boost the list!
Read MoreSlot machines are a few hundred parts of circuits and machinery, a million parts mathematical odds, and at least one part entertainment. With the razzle-dazzle of thematic presentation, the ease of use, and the big jackpots, these lines of sit-down entertainment are endlessly popular. There are many movie-themed slots with free online spins for your enjoyment. Casual gamblers drop those coins in hopes of scoring more in return. With the superhero movies being the biggest movie trend of the moment thanks to Avengers: Endgame, one has to wonder if their advanced abilities and powers could make them better and more successful winners. In an exercise of fun brainstorming, here are five Marvel movie superhero characters we think could beat any slot machine.
Read MoreWe’ve all used movies to escape. But what if you could take that escape and make it real? Often movie scenes are set in real places that you can do more than visit, you can even spend an entire night. Take a trip beyond the confines of your living room or local theater and spend a night in a place you thought you could only visit on-screen. Courtesy of Reservations.com, here are those hot spots!
Read MoreTHIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the worst movie ever and why?
Not too many critics are taking too kindly to Disney re-imagined Aladdin. I see the appeal, but it’s far from a great remake. That said, it’s far from the worst too. By golly, have there been some stinkers. This week’s IndieWire critics survey from David Ehrlich polled for the ugliest of the ugly and got ten selections. For the second survey in a row, I went to the 1990s, this time for Gus Van Sant’’s reviled Psycho remake. Misguided isn’t even the beginning of it. Any other choice here was going to be a distant second for me.
Read MoreThere’s a very good reason why casinos make an appearance in so many films. They contain all the elements needed for a gripping drama. They’re naturally glamorous locations filled with the beautiful and wealthy, where fortunes being won or lost on the turn of a card or the spin of a roulette wheel. Last, but not least, they give the hero of the film the chance to use their wits or skill to get the better of both the casino and the other players who are pitted against them.
Read MoreWith guns blazing and some fun editing, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat was kind enough to invite me for his podcast roundtable for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. I came into this as a neophyte where I hadn’t seen any of this series before prepping for the third. David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel and Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews and to this circle and we all approach this one quite uniquely. Reload with us and enjoy the critiques!
Read MoreTHIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the best Keanu Reeves performance and how does it speak to his unique persona?
With the third John Wick film dropping this week, the question was an easy softball matching the film’s star. Keanu Reeves has had one interesting and steady career. The peaks are far spaced between his breakout with Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Speed, The Matrix, and John Wick, but he’s as steady as they come. I went with the dark and seedy stuff that made him break his deadpan persona for my survey pick. Second place would have been the little-seen The Watcher where Reeves plays an enigmatic serial killer.
Read MoreAs I grow with press credentials and professional affiliation locally and nationally, I find myself more and more landing and conversing in circles with other film critics of various levels. Much like the David Ehrlich survey I participate in, I answered an open social media call from Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel. He is a fellow Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who also has contributed to The Young Folks, The Playlist, We Got This Covered, and The Film Stage. His poll was to collect the Top 5 films of the 2010s from critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my quintet.
Read MoreFor the seventh consecutive year, many of the best domestic and international films on the festival circuit come to Chicago thanks to the Chicago Film Critics Association. The 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival opens May 17th at the famed and restored Music Box Theatre in the northside Lakeview neighborhood. Steaming towards a decade in successful existence, the CCFF remains the only film festival curated by film critics in the nation. This year, 25 feature films and two short film programs comprise their rich and ambitious offering slate
Read MoreTHIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What major filmmaker should try their hand at television?
Full admission, I don’t little to zero current TV. I’m a long-time cord-cutter and I’ll occasionally binge a show with my wife on Hulu or Netflix. Still, the list of buzz-worthy shows I haven’t seen during this 21st century evolution of the medium that keep water coolers thriving is ridiculously long. However, my eye for the movies can pick out a good creative mind. A little research on Google revealed many prime director names who’ve had their moonlighting projects on television, much to my surprise. After a few nominees, I found my stylish pick.
Read MoreFolks, this was the big one! Immediately after the hush-hush advance press screening of Avengers: Endgame, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat called for the “comic council” of film critics to assemble. True to our loyal form, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel and myself started spoiler-free and then expanded to full spoilers on our fresh and immediate reactions on the big MCU finale. Mere minutes after the epic film’s conclusion, the three of us exhaled for a very spirited conversation.
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