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If Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven is an anti-western, then Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner is the anti-samurai movie. Though Kiyoshi has the same last name as Akira Kurosawa, the late,  legendary master of samurai films, Kiyoshi takes a very different approach to his storytelling and its presentation. With this latest entry, Kiyoshi deconstructs the… Continue reading THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER: The Unforgiven of Samurai Films

The central premise of the romantic comedy, One Night Only, is that the U.S government is regulating when single people can have premarital sex. The two protagonists of the film, a couple of single people who keep crossing paths on the one night that singles can have sex without criminal repercussions, is a very scary… Continue reading ONE NIGHT ONLY Is a Bizarre and Mostly Unamusing Exercise In Facism

A forgotten Peter Parker (Tom Holland) lives alone as a full-time Spider-Man until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change and a powerful new enemy emerges (IMDb.com). This latest installment of the Spider-Man franchise may be my favorite because not only is it visually stunning and well-acted, but, most importantly, extremely well written. Not to say… Continue reading SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY

The MCU’s Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is back with a brand new adventure, with a different director and a set of writers who seem to have a better handle on the character than previous attempts at the character’s development. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the previous installments of the character’s franchise.… Continue reading SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Is the Best Spider-Man Movie of The MCU

Nicolas Winding Refn, the director behind Bronson, Drive, and other films with artistic appeal, comes with his latest movie, which looks quite pretty but has a muddled, undecipherable plot. I am not exactly sure what message Refn is trying to convey through his latest film. The movie presents some semblance of a coherent idea, but… Continue reading HER PRIVATE HELL: A Gorgeous Looking Film Derailed By Its Writing

Homer’s Odyssey is an iconic work of ancient literature that has influenced major contributions to fantasy literature, as well as quintessential entries in storytelling and cinema. Writer/director Christopher Nolan, known for his incredible films, attempts to adapt this classic story with some modern context, but at the same time, honors and celebrates the spectacle delivered… Continue reading THE ODYSSEY: Christopher Nolan’s Cinematic Adaptation

Notably, I am a huge fan of the original animated film and an even bigger fan of Dwayne Johnson. The 2016 animated version is one of those movies that just works for me — the music, the humor, the emotion, the ocean, and the relationship between Moana and Maui work. So, with any live-action remake,… Continue reading Moana: not as good as the first, but enjoyable

Ten years ago, Disney released a remarkable animated movie that brimmed with life, great music, and a story celebrating Polynesian culture, and it has made its mark in cinema. For some reason (easy money), Disney has decided in their “great” master plan to save cinema that they should do another (sigh) live-action remake of their… Continue reading MOANA: Another Pointless Disney Live Action Remake