The obvious reaction to this movie (and even I, a huge Downton Abbey fan, thought this way) is that it’s just another cash-grab sequel with an irrelevant plot that keeps these aging characters around as long as they can make a buck. The title, “Downton Abbey: A New Era”, suggests a big transition, but it’s…
Category: Movies
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Movie Review
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! When a new Harry Potter movie came out, it was sold-out, top of the box office for weeks, but this was the second weekend for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and I was just in a theatre with only three others in the audience! (You probably don’t even…
Oscar Schmoscar 2022
I originally started these posts to express my tongue-in-cheek disinterest in the Oscars, especially who the winners were (since I’d watched so surprisingly few). However, over the years, I’ve shifted to genuine interest in the nominees (though I still don’t care that much about who wins) and look on them as a checklist of films…
Spider-Man: No Way Home – Catch-up Movie Review
I’m probably one of the last people to see this movie, which has been out for almost two months. But at least this way I can comment freely without fear of giving anything away about this movie because you’ve all seen it, right? Nevertheless, just in case, I’m still issuing a spoiler alert for this…
Dune – Movie Review
Many times have I tried (and failed) to get into Dune, the seminal, Hugo and Nebula award-winning, science fiction classic. After watching the 1984 David Lynch film, the 2000 TV mini-series, and the listening to the 1993 audiobook, I still wasn’t there, but Denis Villeneuve’s stunning, absorbing film has finally won me. I had read…
No Time To Die – Movie Review
No Time To Die is special in a few ways: not only is it the last time Daniel Craig plays James Bond, but also this time Bond is married (I know!) and retired (which seems to happen a lot) and working for (or maybe “with”) the CIA. Those clues may seem to suggest that this…
Luca – Movie Review
What could be better on a warm summer afternoon than Pixar’s latest gelato scoop of a movie about two boys (who also happen to be sea monsters) having a little fun in the eternal Italian summer? While it’s not groundbreakingly original (compared to some past Pixar masterpieces), this enjoyable film really captures the warm, languid…
Raya and the Last Dragon – Movie Review
In this strange year of movie-watching at home, it’s unfortunate that Raya and the Last Dragon didn’t get the big screen exposure that it deserved. (With cheapskates like myself, who sadly didn’t even want to shell out the $30 premium money to watch it several months ago, we’ve treated a beautiful, fun, exciting, enjoyable potential…
Oscar Schmoscar 2021
Much has been said (and will be said) about how extraordinary this year’s Oscar nominees are (in terms of diversity, and because “smaller” films got to break through due to studio films being delayed by the pandemic). For me that has also meant unprecedented access to the nominees through streaming services (mainly Netflix) for my…
Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture 