Derrick Murray is a Los Angeles based stand up comedian, writer, and co-host for The Jack of All Nerds Show.
“Predator: Badlands” is the lesser of the latest three helmed by Trachtenberg, lacking the grit and rawness of “Prey” and the blood soaked adventure of “Killer of Killers.” It’s not so much that it’s bad – it’s not and actually a whole lot of fun – but more so that it feels like a standard sci-fi action hero film reformatted to fit a Predator into it.
Sure to frustrate the historical purist crowd, the latest iteration of “Nuremberg” trades out accuracy for thrilling court room drama, fueling its reimagining of historic events with big time dad movie vibes. This is a rare moment where TNT energy is a compliment, the kind of film that has so many rousing (albeit predictable and by the numbers of the genre) moments that when it inevitably plays on cable endlessly, you’ll most likely kick your feet up and watch it through to the end. “Nuremberg” gives the sham trial the “A Few Good Men” treatment, using genre tropes as a…
It’s a rare thing to see both a break out lead performance from an ever reliable performer and a break free moment from franchise shackles for a director. In “Hedda,” whatever glass ceiling limitations are set on these women are shattered with brute force. Tessa Thompson solidifies her already solid career as a true leading women, delivering an electrifying, tour de force performance and Nia DaCosta (“Candyman,” the upcoming “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”) directs the hell out of this classic reimagining, proving that she is best when not constrained by the IP studio machine. For Thompson, she has…
“Bugonia” pulls the rubber band until it snaps, and before you have a chance to gather your senses it unfolds with unrelenting insanity – a staple of Yorgos and a welcomed explosion of WTF.
“Blue Moon” is a character study of genius, brought to life by a powerhouse performance from Hawke, a sharp script and a soft touch from Linklater’s hangout direction.
“House of Dynamite” simply attempts too many things without saying anything for itself, leaving it in a sort of limbo where its highs are rocket ships in space but the lows are scouring the bottom of the Titanic.
There may not be a justification for yet another version of a timeless tale, but for all its faults “Frankenstein” still sits as a cinematic experience to behold even if it makes some stumbles along the way.
“One Battle After Another” is a masterpiece, the true movie moment of our time and one of the most important films to see as it arrives at the precise time it needs to. This timeless yet timely tale taps the raw nerve exposed in American politics and captures the hopelessness of fighting against institutions of power and the hopefulness of the neccesity of generational revolution.
From its opening shot, “It Was Just Accident” reveals itself to be worthy of the coveted Cannes Palm D’Or award. Something as a simple as a family on a dark Iranian road has never felt more enthralling, unsettling, and in control, something only a filmmaker as skilled and incisive as Jafar Panahi can pull off. And then the chaos starts, and we bear witness to an unrelenting pressure cooker, a gripping thriller with no easy answers, no easy characters, and no easy resolution. A complex, intense, and shockingly humorous film constructed with the most astute confidence and rage at an…
once the ominous atmosphere and chaotic gambling framework and high strung bright lights fade, “Ballad of a Small Player” has no hand left to play. It is at best a fun time spent with Farrell who is really going for it, but at worst it’s peak Netflix fodder fit for a lost in the shuffle queue search and almost completely overcome by the Netflix sheen that once again rears its ugly head.
