Following in similar footsteps to films such as “The Social Network,” and “The Big Short,” “Dumb Money” tells a tale of a very contemporary event that disrupted the entire industry it was a part of. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, America Ferrera, Seth Rogen, and Pete Davidson among others, it is yet another example of why historical dramas should not be relegated to purely telling stories the majority of the audience wasn’t even around for. “Dumb Money” is the story …
GAME OVER! ‘Saw X’ delivers human look at inhuman killer
Where 2021’s “Spiral: From the Book of Saw” set out to imitate the feeling of a classic “Saw” movie, “Saw X” jumps up to properly give fans of the gruesome franchise just what they’ve been asking for. This one delivers a proper, bloody disgusting, and compelling entry in the long-running series. “Saw X” launches the audience back to the early ’00s, between “Saw” and “Saw II,” when cellphones still flipped up and down and search engines were in their infancy. Tobin Bell returns as John …
‘Dazed and Confused’ at 30: No, you’re not born in the wrong generation
Writer-director Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused” shares a reputation with similar coming-of-age films reminiscing on years past, such as “American Graffiti” and “Lady Bird,” to name a few. Besides their shared high school setting, all three take place at least ten years prior to their release, with “Dazed” being the farthest removed from its setting at a firm 15 years later. But while the movie still holds up on its 30th anniversary, the idealized depiction of the 70s plays a part in the recent surge …
We’re gonna need better movies, not bigger blockbuster bombs
Moviegoers were first introduced to the idea of a summer blockbuster in 1975 when Steven Spielberg’s seminal “Jaws” was released, leading lines out of theater doors and raking in an all-time astonishing number of $100 million at the box office. Nowadays, these numbers shoot off into the billions and are much more common, but movies have begun to sputter and fall flat, which begs the question: What happened? It’s clear that the demand for movies, both new and old, continues to be high, but what …
‘Beau Is Afraid’ amuses and confuses in odd audacious odyssey
There’s little to be afraid of in “Beau Is Afraid,” a surprisingly not-so-scary comedy from one of the most exciting horror directors, Ari Aster. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, it’s the sort of comedy where everyone, including the audience, is in on the joke. Everyone except for Beau, who is relentlessly tortured by any and every absurd creative choice Aster could imagine. Not every ambitious idea works in the film’s favor, yet the ungodly fever dream remains hilarious in a perverse, perturbed sense of humor. Beau is …
As vampire stories go, ‘Renfield’ kinda sucks
Chris Mckay’s modern day Dracula horror-comedy is one to be remembered, if not for the wonderful talent of the people in front of and behind the camera, then for its lackluster plot. What began as a wonderfully delightful movie filled with equal parts comedy and drama, ended in a less than satisfying way, leaving the audience wanting more from such a spectacular cast. Nicolas Cage delivers us a Dracula that far exceeded all expectations, a terrifying yet hilarious performance that undoubtedly became one of the …
New Mario Bros. movie is a warp pipe to the mushroom kingdom
The Mario franchise has come a long way from a simple Donkey Kong arcade game. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” does a fantastic job of displaying every aspect of the Nintendo universe, from the comedy to the animation, to the soundtrack, there was no visible weak spot. Recently after quitting their steady plumbing job, Mario and Luigi,who are played by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, test their luck and attempt to start their own plumbing company. With hardly any success and limited external support, the …
Moviegoers refuse to pay admission and attention
When theaters reopened after quarantine put a pause on the movie industry, there was uncertainty as to whether or not audiences would return. Three years after the shutdown, box office numbers are slowly climbing back to how they were. So much so that the 3-hour-long “Avatar: The Way of the Water” crossed a billion dollars within two weeks and became the third highest-grossing movie of all time. But with the ever-growing rise of streaming services providing entertainment without ever having to leave one’s home, is …
‘Cocaine Bear’ blows away expectations, snorts up success on screen
A massive American black bear accidentally takes an overdosing wash in a cocaine shower, eating kilos upon kilos of the powdery white substance, and goes on the best coke-fueled rampage you’ve ever seen. And the best part is, this actually happened. Elizabeth Banks’ ridiculous comedy “Cocaine Bear” is a comically retro film that follows the 1985 story of a group of people in Georgia trying to kill, and most of the time escape, a 500-pound American female black bear who unintentionally ate a significant amount …
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ expands MCU into new heights
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the latest installment of the Marvel universe, being the first production to start phase five. Phase four of the MCU was filled to the brim with 18 projects, leaving fans feeling bloated and concerned with the large amounts of mediocre work. Quantumania however hits the mark in giving fans that refreshing boost to stay and see what lies ahead. From an ex-convict to an Avenger, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) resumes life in San Francisco but is now looked at …