Author: Derrick Murray

“Power of the Dog” is another example of masterful filmmaking, delivering a powerful yet extremely subdued western with stellar performances and excellent direction.

“Spiderman: No Way Home” will spark a fire of love for the cinema we may have long since forgotten, and we are all the better for it.

There have been very few films that I have been wholly invested in until the last 30 seconds. “Snowpiercer” comes to mind. An absolute banger of a film that takes one giant leap towards the implausible in the final moments. “Being the Ricardos” somehow commits the same folly, creating a brilliant, well-written, behind-the-scenes character piece that all but crumbles in a flash as the final minute transpires. It is unfortunate, because “Being the Ricardos” is one of the most beautiful messes I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It was sharply written, overall decently paced, and really well acted. Its…

You would think that will the explosion that “Tiger King” made on our current cultural would carry over into a fever pitch for more and more of this strange world. That should be the case, but it seems Netflix doesn’t quite understand what made the series so beloved in their first outing. Everything sense, including “Tiger King 2” and the now limited series “Tiger King: The Doc Antle” story seem to consistently fall short of recapturing the magic of the first season that enthralled us just a year and a half ago. Once again, the power of Joe Exotic vs.…

Dolly Parton has her own Little Golden Book!

The series finale is yet another reminder as to why Netflix’s “Money Heist” is one of the best shows on television.

Disney has always been know for big, giant, grand ideas with massive price tags. More often than not, those price tags match the experience. So when the House of Mouse announced an immersive, Star Wars hotel experience, fans were intrigued, and eager to see the final product years in the making. We got a few glimpses of mock ups and summaries of what the experience would include, and we also go the astronomical price tag of $5,000 for two people (for a minimum of 2 nights). For that much money, you should be given a background role in the next…

Against all odds, Sony Pictures has somehow managed to turn Spider-man foil Venom into a massively profitable franchise. I still don’t know why, because both movies are marginally enjoyable at best, unmitigated disasters at worst. But somehow defying gravity, “Venom” has turned itself into a massively successful film franchise, earning over a billion (with a B) at the box office. “Let There Be Carnage” is consistently at odds with itself throughout the entirety of the film. It’s a kind of throw it all the wall and see what sticks kind of filmmaking. So much so that Sony cut another romantic…

“West Side Story” is a near cinematic masterpiece, a must see cinematic experience that feels equally familiar yet refreshingly new.

In addition to new releases and bad movies, I also took on the task of reviewing films that turned 25 this year. This was a much more enjoyable endeavor, as I got to rewatch some of my favorite 90s films including “Primal Fear” and “Empire Records.” Rather than making an end of year list that captures my own personal favorites, I thought it might be best to highlight some of the more surprisingly enjoyable ones I rewatched during this trip down memory lane. There were a LOT to choose from, and this list was harder to compile than the Rated…