Cathy Yan’s big budget DCEU picture Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn delivers rated-R action violence as we follow the truly fantabulous Margot Robbie owning the title role of one Harley Quinn. Robbie produced the film, and also hired writer Christina Hodson and director Yan. Our abused and highly sexualized… Continue reading “Birds of Prey” Review: Girl Power and an Awesome Bit of the Ol’ Ultra-violence
Author: Brian Russell
Brian Russell grew up loving super-hero comic books, TV and movies. Star Trek, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Planet of the Apes were his favorites as a kid. He still loves all that cool sci-fi stuff, but now spends about half his screen time with Classic Films. Film Noir is his favorite genre in that realm. He is a Director of Photography with credits ranging from an ESPN 30 for 30, to celebrities like Arianna Huffington, Ed Burns and the entire cast of Saturday Night Live. Check him out at http://www.redshoefilm.com
“The Gentlemen” review: A Rube Goldberg machine of a movie in the best possibly way
The Gentlemen is exactly the kind of “style over substance” storytelling I love. This convoluted gangster action comedy brings us back to the wonder and fun of Guy Richie’s earlier career entries like Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RockNRolla. This motion picture looks amazing and is a delight to have injected into… Continue reading “The Gentlemen” review: A Rube Goldberg machine of a movie in the best possibly way
“Little Women” review: Yes … You Should See It
I’m just a woman. And as a woman, there’s no way for me to make my own money. Not enough to earn a living or to support my family, and if I had my own money, which I don’t, that money would belong to my husband the moment we got married. And if we had… Continue reading “Little Women” review: Yes … You Should See It
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” review: The Fall of a Franchise
My dad took me to a little theater in Westbrook, Connecticut in 1977 to see Star Wars. My parents were not movie people, and I always had to beg them to take me. The near hour-long drive to any movie theater provided a serious obstacle. But take me he did. Even at ten I was… Continue reading “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” review: The Fall of a Franchise
“Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” review
Warning: Mild Historical Spoilers included Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to a by-gone Hollywood basks in late day sunshine, inviting us to sit down and spend some time with Rick Dalton, Cliff Booth, and Sharon Tate. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dalton, a past-his-prime TV star and Brad Pitt is Booth, his stunt double. A luminous Margot Robbie… Continue reading “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” review
“Knives Out” review: Sharp Knives? Sharper Movie!
Brian Russell: Hey Sam! So we both saw Knives Out and I think we both liked it! Rian Johnson’s new whodunit rolicks along, and painted a smile across my face from beginning to end. The star-studded cast and beautiful sets made me feel like I’d entered old Hollywood in the best possible way. Craft at… Continue reading “Knives Out” review: Sharp Knives? Sharper Movie!
“The Irishman” Review: Scorsese meditates on morality, aging and consequences
I sometimes describe myself as a Nihilist. Not the “burn-the-world-down” anarchy-crossover kind, but the “uggggg, what’s the point?” kind. I have boxes of old family photos and — beyond my own parents and grandparents — I can’t identify any of the people. My kids would be hard-pressed to even point out my grandparents, much-less the… Continue reading “The Irishman” Review: Scorsese meditates on morality, aging and consequences
“Terminator: Dark Fate” review: No fate but what we make. Over. And over. And over again.
The Terminator was a predictive post-apocalyptic movie made just for me back in 1984. Terminator 2: Judgement Day arrived eight years later — an eternity by today’s sequel-itis standards — and did the impossible: it maintained the heart of the original, yet surpassed it in every way. A time travel story that honored its roots, but… Continue reading “Terminator: Dark Fate” review: No fate but what we make. Over. And over. And over again.
What is Cinema? My Public Disagreement with Martin Scorsese
… the best superhero (and action) films have been by auteur directors and did have real risks and consequences … Logan, The Dark Knight, Joker and even Tim Burton’s Batman from 1989 were all very big risks, and transcend the “Marvel” problem Scorsese is talking about … Scorsese has made a decision — based on his age (he actually pretty much says this in his OpEd piece) and his prejudices — to discard and entire segment of films.
Blindspotting is a Must-Watch for Every White Boy (and all humans)
The film places us squarely inside Collin’s mind … he can’t even report this crime. And as a former criminal himself, he is branded forever. This one brief scene says so much about disenfranchisement, being black, trying to escape one’s past, and of course fear of the establishment.
Friends on Flicks 