Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Fences
One of the biggest debates during the “Oscars So White” debacle that plagued the nominations last year was that there weren’t enough roles of substance for people of color. I was one of the people […]
reel reviews
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Passengers
When it comes to a Jennifer Lawerence film, it is hard to not look at it as an Oscar contender. Over the past few years, Lawerence has done nothing but embrace roles that ultimately lead […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Collateral Beauty
How can a project like this attract such grade A talent? I have to believe that the script they received was far removed from the finished product we get on screen. I’m trying to think […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Disclaimer: This review reveals cameos of characters from the Star Wars canon. If you do not want to know who is in the film, please stop reading. In 1977, we first heard about the capturing of the […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Office Christmas Party
The frustrating thing about comedies like Office Christmas Party is that there is potential for something truly funny here. The trailers suggest a pretty rowdy good time but despite its R-rating, the film plays things […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Gaius’ Reel Review: La La Land
When you have a debut like Damien Chazelle had with 2014’s Whiplash, all eyes are going to be on what you’re going to do next. Whiplash, in my opinion, is one of the best films […]
David's Reel Reviews
David’s Reel Review: La La Land
A trip to the theater has always been seen as an escape from reality for me. For 2 hours or more, moviegoers are able to put aside all the outside issues that surround our lives […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Whiplash
Two years ago, the world was introduced to Damien Chazelle‘s filmmaking and what an introduction it was. Whiplash is not only a great film but one of the best films of 2014. A film that pulls no […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Jackie
When news first broke about the release of a film about Jackie Kennedy, I was full of excitement. That excitement just grew over the months with not only the casting of Natalie Portman in the […]
Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Moana
I questioned the move when Disney Animation Studios started making computer animated feature films despite having Pixar in their arsenal but they have put out some gems on the big screen and have given Pixar […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Allied
Robert Zemeckis has a had an interesting career of films that offer a look into his diversity as a filmmaker. From Back to the Future to Castaway, he has shown his superior skills as a […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Five years ago, the wizarding world of J.K Rowling concluded in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 2. With a fitting finale to the highly successful franchise, no one would have expected 5 years later to […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Loving
Despite its by the numbers approach, Loving is well crafted enough to still make an impression. It takes the typical “based on a true story” route that doesn’t offer up many surprises but its intentions […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Nocturnal Animals
I think I’ve been sleeping a bit on director Tom Ford. I didn’t see A Single Man until a year after its release and while I did enjoy it, I wasn’t sitting on the edge of […]
Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Trolls
The Trolls are the happiest creatures in the land. They sing, dance, hug and make scrapbooks. Their happiness is so infectious that they are hunted by creatures named the Bergens, who are very unhappy, who […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Arrival
A lot of people have asked me what the best movie of 2016 has been so far. It has been a bit of a struggle because I’ve seen some very good films but none of […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Hacksaw Ridge
In many ways, Hacksaw Ridge feels familiar and even embraces clichés of the genre but the outcome is a purely visceral experience that also has moments of great inspiration. As I was watching it, I […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: King Cobra
King Cobra is one of those films that feels like it could only be thought up by some over the top writer in Hollywood. There is no way a story like this could really happen, […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Doctor Strange
Marvel deserves a lot of credit for making the general movie audience care about their lesser known comic book properties. Last year, I had minimal knowledge about Ant-Man and I ended up enjoying it a […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Boo! A Madea Halloween
We’re nine films deep into the Madea franchise and despite how we all might feel about Tyler Perry and the character he introduced to mainstream audiences in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, there is […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Ouija: Origin of Evil
If you decide to hit the multiplex for Halloween today, you can’t really go wrong with Ouija: Origin of Evil. I find myself surprised to be saying this since 2014’s Ouija was a by the […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
2012’s Jack Reacher is a film that was entertaining in the moment but nothing that stuck with me long after it was over. It was a serviceable action film with Tom Cruise playing a role […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Moonlight
Every year around this time, there is an expectation that moviegoers will be blown away by certain films. The Oscar season is known for providing cinephiles with not only pleasant surprises but serious contenders. This […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Accountant
Even though Ben Affleck has his superhero duties covered as the Caped Crusader, The Accountant gives him another shot at a potential superhero franchise. The film isn’t based on an existing comic book but his character of […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Birth of a Nation
Ignoring the salacious headlines that have plagued the film, The Birth of a Nation is a powerful experience. There is attention to detail here that adds a lot to the film and you can tell it […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Girl on the Train
On the surface, The Girl on the Train is a completely serviceable thriller. It’s never dull and it mostly succeeds at entertaining the audience. Despite this general praise, I still wanted more. This is the kind […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horizon owes a little bit of debt to The Towering Inferno. Despite its “based on a true story” label, much of the film is structured like an old school disaster movie. Not in the same vein […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’
At this point of his career, many would be hard pressed to be surprised by a Tim Burton film. With over 20 years of films including Batman, Ed Wood, Beetlejuice, and 2014’s Big Eyes, Burton has always been able […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Manchester by the Sea
No film in 2016 has yet to draw such a painfully, emotional reaction from its audience as Manchester by the Sea. After premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Manchester by the Sea has garnered buzz […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: The Magnificent Seven
I must confess that I’ve never seen 1954’s Seven Samurai (the first time this story was turned into a movie) nor have I seen 1960’s The Magnificent Seven. I know that the former is highly regarded as […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Rocky
The boxing genre has been beaten to death throughout the years with many countless rehashings of the same up and coming fighter who struggles to get to the top. With that being said, there is one […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Wonder Boys
After hearing about the passing of Curtis Hanson on Tuesday night, my mind immediately went to Wonder Boys. After being known as a bit of a B-list filmmaker with efforts like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and The River […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Blair Witch
2016 has been a rebirth of horror with titles like The Conjuring 2, Lights Out, and Don’t Breathe not only doing solid financial business but also getting love from critics that tend to dismiss the genre. Blair Witch should’ve […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Snowden
Director Oliver Stone has never turned away from controversial subjects in his films. From his take on the Vietnam war in his Academy Award-winning Platoon as well as Born on the Fourth of July to the ultimate conspiracy in JFK, Stone […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
With a success like The Blair Witch Project, a sequel was inevitable. The film cost a mere $60,000 to make and made $248 million worldwide. No matter the polarizing audience response, the film was a hit and with […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: The Blair Witch Project
It’s been about 17 years since The Blair Witch Project came and turned the horror genre on its head. The genre had seen the return of the teen slasher film with the success of Scream in 1996 […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: JFK
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is one of the most controversial subjects in American history. While many want you to believe Lee Harvey Oswald was the man that pulled the trigger, there have […]
Gaius' Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Sully
When I first heard that they were making a movie about the “Miracle on the Hudson”, I was a bit surprised. There is no denying that it was the stuff of top breaking news back […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Kicks
The sneaker culture is a great phenomenon. Teenagers to grown adults spend on average $200 to $6,000 dollars on sneakers, sparking a culture that is the subject of news articles, TV news, and documentaries alike, […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Don’t Breathe
Despite the numerous home invasion films done before, Don’t Breathe is an original nerve-racking thrill ride that doesn’t stop coming at you until its final moments. From the director of 2013’s Evil Dead remake, Fede Alvarez brings us […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Taxi Driver
With the release of Hands of Stone this week, it is only right that a tribute is paid to one of the finest actors of this generation, Robert De Niro. From Raging Bull to Goodfellas, De Niro […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Clerks
Today’s #TBT Reel Review takes us to Leonardo, New Jersey where a young director brought us a memorable script, great characters, and the ongoing debate on whether or not the independent contractors on the Death […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Yoga Hosers
Over the last few years, director Kevin Smith has stepped away from the work that has endeared him to fans. From an incoherent mess in Red State to his thin, unimpressive work in Tusk, it has been […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Batman: The Killing Joke
After the success of the definitive Batman story, The Dark Knight Returns, it was only a matter of time that the essential Joker origin story, The Killing Joke, would follow. Fast forward to last year’s […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Jason Bourne
Originally intended to be a trilogy, the Jason Bourne franchise deviated from that script when it released 2012’s The Bourne Legacy concentrating on a new character (Jeremy Renner) within the Bourne universe, similar to the direction taken […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Star Trek Beyond
When the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond was released, it was divisive, to say the least. There were two viewpoints to the upcoming film at the time. Casual fans found the trailer fun and looked […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The most important aspect of an installment of a franchise is the respect shown to the material and its fans. George Lucas has been spitting on the franchise he created for years with sub-par prequels […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: X-Men: Apocalypse
Bryan Singer has made a career with the X-Men franchise up to this point. After the failure of Batman and Robin, studios were not releasing comic book/superhero films for a few years. It looked like the genre […]
David's Reel Reviews
Reel Review: Ghostbusters (2016)
The fanboys can put their proton packs away, there is no need to put this film into a trap where Ray, Peter, Egon, and Winston trapped ghosts 32 years ago. Ghostbusters is not the train wreck […]
David's Reel Reviews
#TBT Reel Review: Ghostbusters (1984)
What can be said about an iconic film that has not been said before, Ghostbusters is one of the greatest comedies ever made. There is much more to a film like this. A film that has crossed generations […]