Let’s also say that what this movie reminded me of was a blended mix of both seasons of True Detective to which is a affixed a fragile but showy veneer of bitter middle-class angst and marital subterfuge, plus a lot of dark humor.
Josh Feldman's “SENN”
Senn transcends its low-budget roots and tackles a mainstream sci-fi premise with elegance, intelligence, original special effects and music, and excellent production values that include extensive alien signage and lettering.
Tomm Moore's SONG OF THE SEA
This charming, lyrical, and exceptional animated film is a reminder of the power of folklore and myth and how the visual arts and music can be combined to tell a powerful and emotional story.
Christopher McQuarrie's MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION
This is a great summer movie and I think this matches and in some ways exceeds the recent Bond films. But let’s not get too serious here. This is a popcorn film of the highest order. We have learned to expect no less from that crazy guy Cruise.
The Wachowskis’ JUPITER ASCENDING
This review will not be popular. I really enjoyed Jupiter Ascending. I had a similar reaction to another movie I also enjoyed immensely, John Carter.
Kevin MacDonald's BLACK SEA
I’m a sucker for submarine movies and books. BLACK SEA delivers.
Pete Docter & Ronaldo Del Carmen's INSIDE OUT
This is definitely a movie to see in the big screen. It’s not just the detail, it’s the vast scope of the landscapes presented — keeping in mind that all of this is supposed to be taking place inside the head of an 11-year-old girl!
David Dobkin's THE JUDGE
Best of all you get to see Duvall deliver one of his best performances ever.
John Darabont's "THE MIST"
As time passes increasingly deadly attacks occur and we watch as factions emerge among the survivors with opposing views on “Why this is happening to us?” and “What can we do about it if anything?”
Michael Roskam’s THE DROP
But it’s the characters on display here that are the real focus. Who are these people and what are they really up to? Watching the actions of the police is especially interesting. They’re the outsiders here. Everyone goes to great lengths to keep the cops at arm’s length so they can pursue their own deals.
GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET
Plot twists develop that are unexpected and handled in surprisingly dramatic and original ways. I found the series getting more interesting as it progressed as it addressed issues of militarism, greed, social structure, duty, honor, generational transition, artificial intelligence, and reliance on technology.
This is not just one more big city with skyscrapers being torn apart by Marvel or Transformer characters fighting. This is a human scale small town surrounded by cornfields getting smashed by Mother Nature in scenes that are becoming depressingly more common as our climate continues to change for the worse.
David Ayer's “FURY”
Inglourious Basterds, except for its opening sequence, is a cartoon compared with Fury.
George Miller's “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD”
Speaking of stunts, it is interesting to compare what’s on display here with a Buster Keaton movie like The General which was released on February 5, 1927. That movie involved an extended locomotive chase along with amazing stunt work that still make one’s jaw drop.
I wonder what Keaton would think about this movie?
Julius Avery's "SON OF A GUN"
A lot of thought and planning went into the production and editing and it shows.
Alex Garland's EX MACHINA
Ex Machina has developed a reputation for being one of the more cerebral science-fiction movies to come along in many years. While I agree that it’s a pleasure to see a non-crash-bang/non-superhero film masquerading as SF, I was bit let down by the AI aspects of the film.
Ridley Scott's “EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS”
Having heard all the negative press about this movie I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Darren Aronofsky's “NOAH”
While there’s a lot here that’s “true to the Bible,” the movie also make sense as a fantasy set in a time and place far far away. We can’t help but wonder about the morality of such a world where the vices of humans are met not with forgiveness but with genocide on a planetary scale.
Out of this genocide emerges a new and greener world.