Film News
Reel Review: The Strangers: Prey At Night
In a cash grab movie world that we live in, it’s really surprising it took ten years for 2008’s The Strangers to get a sequel. The original film had first been scheduled to be released […]
reel reviews
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Game Night
It’s no secret that the live-action comedy has taken a hit at the box office. Sure we have recent successful examples such as Pitch Perfect 3, Daddy’s Home 2, and Girls Trip but before these releases the […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Annihilation
A week ago, I was raving about the brilliance and importance of Black Panther. While that opinion has not changed, the film may have to take a back seat to what may not only be the best […]
4 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Black Panther
As you read this review, headlines will continue to pour in about the record-breaking success of Black Panther. From placing itself in the top five opening weekends of all time to moviegoers seeing it multiple […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: Black Panther
The Marvel Cinematic Universe always brings a hype only matched by Star Wars to fans all over the world. Black Panther is not any different as there has been an ever-growing momentum of hype for this film thanks […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Fifty Shades Freed
It has finally arrived, folks! The climax we have all been waiting for. What began in 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey and what basically concluded in 2017’s Fifty Shades Darker, reaches its “happy ending” in […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: Fifty Shades Freed
Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, The Dark Knight, Toy Story: These are film trilogies that got it right. Trilogies that not only have stood the test of time but like fine wine […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: Molly’s Game
One of the first rules of screenwriting is that you should consistently move the narrative forward through action rather than dialogue. It’s believed that if a film gets too “wordy” it can lose the interest […]
3 Reels
Reel Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Every year we get a film that looks like a complete disaster but manages to defy all odds and end up being a pleasant surprise. In 2017 the recipient of that honor came as the […]
3 Reels
Reel Review: Pitch Perfect 3
Pitch Perfect 3 is what some might call a fan service film. This essentially means that, while it could appeal to everyone, it mostly exists to please the already established fans of the franchise. All […]
2.5 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
Back in December of 2015, I exited my viewing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and lauded it with critical praise. I thought it was everything I wanted and more and I was quick to […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Pitch Perfect 2
Back in 2013, Pitch Perfect became a surprise hit when it grossed $115.4 million worldwide and made an instant impact on pop culture. From a top-selling soundtrack to a top 10 song on the Billboard […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Pitch Perfect
Sometimes movies are all about timing and a prime example of that was the release and success of Pitch Perfect back in 2012. The film was released in the wake of the success of Glee, […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Over the past hour, I have sat and contemplated where I even begin with the film I just saw. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is without a doubt the most anticipated film of 2017 and […]
3.5 Reels
#TBT Review: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
After two successful trips to a galaxy, far, far away, George Lucas and his team looked to close out (or so they thought) the Star Wars saga with 1983’s Return of the Jedi. After the critical and commercial success […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Wonder
Back when Justice League disappointingly opened to less than $100 million for its opening weekend, a true success story was playing out in the number two spot. A little $20 million film that was tracking […]
3.5 Reels
Reel Review: The Shape Of Water
Guillermo Del Toro has embodied consistency throughout his career in Hollywood. From Hellboy, Hellboy 2, The Devil’s Backbone, and my favorite Del Toro film, Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro has been a staple of Hollywood’s most respected directors and a […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: The Disaster Artist
The cult classic is a term often used for films that develop a following so unexpected and unprecedented that it undermines any good or bad reviews that the film may have received from fellow critics. […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Coco
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the past 22 years is that never doubt Pixar. When first hearing about their latest installment, Coco, I was not as excited as I usually am for a […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: Justice League
Since 2013, DC has been playing catchup with the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe with its DC Extended Universe. While Marvel’s formula included origin stories for each of their individual superheroes as a lead up to […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
While the Oscar season may have begun a few months back, unlike last year where La La Land was the clear favorite until the moment the Best Picture award was given to Moonlight, 2017 has been a bit […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: Justice League
The most goosebump-inducing moments in Justice League come during the first few minutes and when the film begins to run its end credits. A cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” by Sigrid gives the opening […]
2 Reels
#TBT Review: Suicide Squad
Editor’s note: Be sure to check out the rest of our #TBT reviews on the DCEU here. Prisoner of the moment is a constant feeling for cinephiles in today’s fast-moving world. With the instant reaction world […]
#TBT Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Editor’s note: Be sure to check out the rest of our #TBT reviews on the DCEU here. I have now watched Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice four times (one being the Extended Cut that makes […]
2 Reels
#TBT Reel Review: Man of Steel
Editor’s note: Be sure to check out the rest of our #TBT reviews on the DCEU here. While distant to many, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took control of the superhero genre, there was nothing hotter […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Murder on the Orient Express
It seems that the days of the name above the title movies is mostly a thing of the past. Back in the day you could throw a few big names on a poster and flash […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: A Bad Moms Christmas
So when I’m not checking out the newest cinematic offerings, I do marketing management for a restaurant here in Los Angeles. The restaurant happens to be in the same plaza as the Arclight Beach Cities […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Thor: Ragnarok
I have to give Marvel credit for consistently working on things that may not entirely work. Their cinematic universe has thrived because, even in some of their weaker efforts, there is a feeling that they’re […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Jigsaw
13 years ago, James Wan was put on the map with the release of Saw. A film whose ending truly left me floored. As a 17-year-old, many scenarios went through my head while watching the film as […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Happy Death Day
It’s pretty amazing that the horror genre hasn’t really applied the Groundhog Day premise until this last weekend’s release of Happy Death Day. It seems like an obvious plot device to use but maybe it […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Flatliners
Back in 1990, the original Flatliners was able to deflect mixed reviews by showcasing its talented young cast (Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, & Kevin Bacon to name a few) and illustrating a sense of style […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
In 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service was a breath of fresh air because it was so unexpected. It was released the same Valentine’s Day weekend as Fifty Shades of Grey and that film hogged much […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel TV Review: Star Trek: Discovery
I would say I’m more of a casual fan of all things Star Trek. I don’t claim to be an expert on any of its lore and I’m not really offended when liberties are taken […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: mother!
At this point, we all know the casual moviegoer has decided that Darren Aronofsky’s mother! is a mess of epic proportions. With its underwhelming opening weekend box office and “F” CinemaScore, the film’s theatrical life […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: It
It’s certainly a good weekend to be a horror fan. After a few weeks of dismal box office returns that made us wonder if anyone was filling seats at the local multiplex, a little clown […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: It (2017)
For readers of Reel Talk and listeners of Reel Chronicles, I have never shied away from the fact that despite its consistent inconsistency, horror has been my favorite genre of film. Separating the “movie snob” […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard
It’s no secret that the month of August has been a low point at the movies. It has always been known as the month when studios release lesser offerings from their summer movie schedule (although […]
TV Ratings
Reel TV Review: The Defenders
Back in July, The Defenders was the final Friday showing in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. The room was full of fans who were highly anticipating any news Marvel would give us & whole […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Logan Lucky
Back in 2013, after making the underrated Side Effects, Steven Soderbergh announced his retirement from feature filmmaking. It was a bit of a blow because Soderbergh is certainly a director with a unique voice & […]
2.5 Reels
Reel Review: The Dark Tower
For all the stories of post production problems, poor test screenings and a rough journey years in the making to get it to the big screen, The Dark Tower isn’t the shambled mess you might […]
2 Reels
Reel Review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
From a purely visual experience, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is interesting. The problem at hand is that the narrative never reaches the heights of its visual palette. For some of its runtime, […]
1.5 Reels
Reel Review: The Emoji Movie
I was going to review The Emoji Movie with a series of emojis like this:😤😖😞😳💩💩🖕 Then I realized I’m an adult and I have a responsibility to actually tell you if this is a good […]
1.5 Reels
Reel Review: Atomic Blonde
Based on the trailers and talent attached, Charlize Theron’s summer action vehicle, Atomic Blonde, has all the makings of a fun escape that should thrill, excite, and entertain audiences. Unfortunately, the film is a flop that […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Annabelle: Creation
Annabelle: Creation opens everywhere August 11th, 2017. For the second consecutive year, the horror genre has provided us with the biggest pleasant surprise of the year. 2016 brought us the prequel to Ouija and while most eyes […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: The Defiant Ones
In a time when we are getting countless made for TV biopics and big screen re-enactments of some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, it is a sort of relief when we receive a well-made documentary filled […]
4 Reels
Reel Review: Dunkirk
Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino – these names and their reputation no matter the film subject matter bring people to the movies. Over the past 17 years, Christopher Nolan has joined the landscape […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: War for the Planet of the Apes
They say you save the best for last but this isn’t always the case with big movie franchises. After a great second installment, some film series drop the ball on the third act (Spider-Man 3, […]
3.5 Reels
#TBT Reel Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I don’t think anyone would’ve blamed us for being a bit cautious when stepping into Rise of the Planet of the Apes when it was released back in 2011. Our foray into this world was […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming
There’s no denying that in the Marvel Comics canon, there is probably no one as popular as Spider-Man. Other Marvel titles have their own level of popularity but Spider-Man probably has a universal appeal. The […]
4 Reels
Gaius’ Reel Review: Baby Driver
If this lackluster summer movie season has taught us anything, it’s that reboots, rehashes and “big” franchises, don’t always excite the casual moviegoer. Despite strong showings from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman […]