Time for another TSJ #ShortMovieReview.
SOLO — A STAR WARS STORY is a highly entertaining movie, delivering the history of Han Solo, the Millennium Falcon, Chewie and others in a fast-paced, f/x-filled joyride. Despite the tumultuous filming history, the changing directors and the re-writing and reshooting of over 70% of the film, it all works.
I had the good fortune to attend a screening last weekend as the guest of an old friend.
(No Spoilers)
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The Best Movie Sequels of All TimeBefore I begin, here are a few basic facts about me that you might already know by now:
I love movies.
I love genre movies — thrillers, action, adventure, horror, science fiction.
I love sagas, series, and trilogies. Call them what you want; I love to revisit characters and storylines that captivated my attention in the first film.
The Greatest Trifectas in (Recent) Film History by TSJWhile writing the blog entry “Where Has the Character-Driven Action Film Gone?” (found here) I mentioned the idea of a trifecta — or “triple” — in film history. There are few directors who can create successful film after successful film. Having one critical and commercial hit is difficult enough. Having two in a row is even harder. And three? Nearly unheard of.
I decided to create a list of the greatest triples in film history. Even the concept seemed absurd, however — what gives me the right to create such a list? Who am I to say one director created a “better” trifecta than another? Moreover, how does one define success or failure in the creative/artistic industry? Sometimes a box office hit can be a critical failure, or vice versa. Well, to be blunt, this is my blog. I’ll write what I want. However, to identify triples and narrow the field it was necessary to create a list of criteria that I would follow.
Forty-Seven. Can’t really believe it, but there it is. It’s been quite a ride so far.
I couldn’t have been born at a better time, really. I was born in 1970 and grew up with the explosion of science-fiction films that coincided with the birth of modern f/x. I also had the benefit of discovering novelists from the Golden Age of Science Fiction — Isaac Asimov, Fred Pohl, and Robert Heinlein to name just a few.
People often ask me about my favorite movies. I try to watch a lot of thrillers and horror, especially in the Science Fiction genre, I like to talk about movies, and I enjoy reviewing great ones on my blog. So, I figured that this might be a good place to write an article about my top three films of all time.
Counting down from Three to One …
Title: LIVE DIE REPEAT: EDGE OF TOMORROW
Runtime: 113 min
Theatrical Release: 6 June 2014
Domestic Gross: $100 million
International Gross: $370 million
DVD/BLU/Digital Release: 7 October 2014
MPAA: PG-13
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Director: Doug Liman
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth
When I learned of Wes Craven‘s passing in the Summer of 2015, it hurt.
He was one of the originals. He was a horror director who helped create the “slasher” genre, but he did so with more backstory and style than some of his peers. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET brought us Freddy Krueger, one of the greatest villains of all time.
So many films of the slasher genre involved teenagers being teens, and having to deal with the repercussions of bad or questionable choices. When this movie appeared I was fourteen years old and among the age demographic that Craven had targeted. (I was perhaps a tad on the young side of the demographic, but the movie had a greater effect on me because of it.) Nightmares are by nature scary and intangible things and have the potential to impact in emotional and scarring ways. Wes Craven tapped into this in a very effective way, and Freddy’s history ensured that he was an invincible villain. Freddy became iconic and instantly recognizable around the world.
Here’s a #short #book #review for you this morning:
Almost two years ago now I first picked up READY PLAYER ONE by @erniecline. I couldn’t put it down. Took me three days to finish. Reality intervened, work and life interrupted a few times, but when I wasn’t reading I was doing everything I could to get back to that book. It’s rare that a novel does this to me, but it’s happened before. The previous one that I recall having the same effect was probably THE FOREVER WAR by Joe Haldeman.
THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US is a compelling and engaging story of survival, extremely well crafted and featuring two wonderful stars: Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.