For an industry whose main priority is making entertainment that attracts the largest audience, Hollywood excels in creating comatose-inducing award shows commemorating the quintessential “best” movies and TV shows. Unsurprisingly, that’s just the start of their many faults and hypocritical megalomania. When NBC canceled the Golden Globes ceremony in 2022 after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed the awards body had no black members, the 2023 broadcast was poised for a momentous comeback. To their credit, ratings only fell by about 9% compared to the …
‘M3GAN’ is killer, with minimal buffering
You’re probably familiar with the old adage about shooting for the moon and landing amongst the stars. To begin this review by referencing that adage would be cheesy. Luckily “M3GAN” the latest theatrical release from the horror trailblazers at Blumhouse, pairs perfectly with a little cheese. M3GAN, short for Model 3 Generative Android, is an A.I. prototype willed and welded into existence by roboticist Gemma. Built to be the last toy any kid will ever need, M3GAN becomes just that and more when tragedy makes …
‘Glass Onion’ peels back layers in another Rian Johnson whodunnit
After a sweeping box office success in 2019, Rian Johnson was off to the races to produce a sequel to “Knives Out” and after three years, a switch in distributors, and a pandemic, it finally arrived. Ditching the New England estate and familial setting, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” moves detective Benoit Blanc to a Grecian island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron. The film follows a fantastic ensemble cast, so-called “disruptors” who are portrayed by the likes of Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella, …
‘Halloween Ends’ and 9 other slasher movies you should be watching this October
“Halloween Ends” arrived in theaters and streaming on Peacock last Friday, with the promise of bringing one of the most iconic and identifiable horror franchises to a close. The series, which began with John Carpenter’s undisputed classic in 1978, has followed masked serial killer Michael Myers in pursuit of babysitter Laurie Strode for more than a dozen films spanning over 40 years. Jamie Lee Curtis has starred as Strode since the original, and has vowed that “Ends” will be her final reprisal of the role. …
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ fails to serve suspense to its viewers
While watching ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ there were a lot of questions. In fact, there are only questions. The unnecessarily long movie takes place in an experimental neighborhood designed to impersonate a perfect and safe community. Main characters Alice and Jack Chamber, played by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles respectively, live an ongoing honeymoon life with no kids and friends who act similarly. What seemed like a tired version of the Disney Plus series, Wanda Vision, takes a turn into becoming a semi-thriller when Alice spots …
Adorable capuchin steals the show in ‘Gigi & Nate’
“Gigi & Nate” is a heartwarming tale of a boy who is given a capuchin monkey as a service animal after an accident causes him to become quadriplegic. An animal rights group threatens to take away Gigi, the monkey, the only thing that gives Nate a sense of what life was like before the accident. “I’m excited for them to see a genuinely emotional, entertaining, almost old-fashioned Billy Wilder kind of movie, which allows you to enter a beautiful domestic world and have a great ride, …
Schitt’s Emmys, Zendaya’s ‘Euphoria,’ and Tyler Perry’s quilt?
The camera pans between numerous celebrities sitting in the audience as Jimmy Kimmel goes through his opening monologue. From Keegan-Michael Key to Meryl Streep to even Kimmel himself sitting in front of Ted Danson, all laughing along with Kimmel’s jokes. The host then feigns confusion as to why he sees himself in the audience only for the camera to zoom out to a wide shot to reveal a hollow auditorium vacant of attendees. “Of course we don’t have an audience,” Kimmel said. “This isn’t a …
‘The Circle’ proves just as pointless as the shape
“Knowing is good. Knowing everything is better.” If there’s any quote from this week’s new film The Circle that summarizes the entire plot of the near two-hour cinematic flop, that’s the one. If I had known it would be that simple, I might not have felt so bad about stepping out to refill my popcorn.
Rediscover retro videos and vinyl at Videotheque
In the heart of South Pasadena lies a hidden gem chock-full of thousands of films for movie lovers of all ages.
Family film night a huge hit in Pasadena
The sound of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie” emanated from the DJ booth at Pasadena Towers on Saturday night just as the sun began to set. Over 1,000 people came out to the towers in Pasadena for food, face painting, music and a movie.