When I was in high school I worked with elementary school aged children. I worked at an after-school program, meant to be a fun place for kids to socialize, play games, and generally have fun. Of course in many cases it was more of a daycare: somewhere parents could leave their kids for a few… Continue reading The Florida Project: The Place Next to The Happiest Place on Earth
Author: Samuel Russell
Certain Women is Honest and Empathetic
Although I had never seen any of her films, Kelly Reichardt is a filmmaker who I’ve admired for a while. How is it possible to admire an artist without having any experience with their work? Well my senior year in college I was the AV assistant for a freshman film theory course. I loaded up… Continue reading Certain Women is Honest and Empathetic
Logan Lucky’s Solid Performances Make A Clichéd Plot Fun
SAMUEL RUSSELL: Critics seem to love Steven Soderbergh. I personally don’t have too much of an opinion on the guy. I saw the Oceans movies when they were in theaters, but hardly remember them at this point, and I saw Magic Mike, which I remember feeling underwhelmed by. Logan Lucky apparently marks a return from… Continue reading Logan Lucky’s Solid Performances Make A Clichéd Plot Fun
In the Future, TV Shows Will Never End
In a media landscape where TV shows are revived as quickly as they are canceled, are we looking at a world where TV shows never end?
The Beguiled Beguiles These Guys, But at What Cost?
Christopher Maher: Hey Sam, hope you’re enjoying this rainy day. Is it cold out? I don’t think I’ve even been outside yet. Is it misty? Because The Beguiled by Sofia Coppola sure was, and also we saw it yesterday and we’re talking about it today. What’d you think? Samuel B Russell: The Beguiled wasn’t so… Continue reading The Beguiled Beguiles These Guys, But at What Cost?
Atomic Blonde is Very Cool
Every now and then a movie comes out that proves “style over substance” isn’t the awful thing it’s believed to be. We’ve discussed this in past reviews, but when style is all-consuming, when it is the primary purpose of a film, it becomes the substance. And when that style is good enough to sustain an… Continue reading Atomic Blonde is Very Cool
The War is for the Planet, but These Apes are After Your Heart
People often complain about the modern state of cinema (or music, or whatever) and it’s easy to look around and say, “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Especially when you’re regularly inundated with a barrage of crap. But we shouldn’t forget that it’s the one percent of exceptional work that will be… Continue reading The War is for the Planet, but These Apes are After Your Heart
A Ghost Story is an Intimate and Cosmic Masterpiece
David Lowery has become one of my favorite up-and-coming directors. I remember enjoying his art house western Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013), but he really earned my interest with his decision to direct a Disney children’s movie, Pete’s Dragon (2016). Lowery executed a potentially soulless mission with care and grace. He didn’t sell-out, Disney bought-in.… Continue reading A Ghost Story is an Intimate and Cosmic Masterpiece
Wonder Woman is Bad like the Rest
Wonder Woman was always doomed to be held by a different standard, viewed with unrealistic expectations, and to be burdened with perpetually mounting symbolic pressure. That’s what happens when a male dominated industry collectively refuses to include women (both as leading characters and as creative leaders behind the camera) in spite of a constant high… Continue reading Wonder Woman is Bad like the Rest
Would You Kiss Your Robot Twin? (Alien: Covenant review)
Samuel Russell: Hey Chris, how’s it going? So after we saw Alien: Covenant last night I was thinking about the series it belongs to. My first encounter with the Alien franchise was through the 2004 b-movie Alien versus Predator, which is a good example of lowest common denominator sci fi slashers. Even my 10 year… Continue reading Would You Kiss Your Robot Twin? (Alien: Covenant review)
Friends on Flicks 