David Leitch’s adaptation of the graphic novel from Oni Press is something of an anomaly that I’ve had a difficult time wrapping my head around since I finished it. I’m not typically one who is easy on an action movie that’s so unnecessarily hard to follow, but “Atomic Blonde” kept me hooked, even when I was trying to keep up with it. Leitch’s direction, matched with the excellent editing, and just amazing martial arts scenes assured me I may just be watching “Atomic Blonde” again and again. The amalgam of a neo-noir and a gung ho martial arts spy thriller amounts to an occasionally awkward experience, but I embraced it in the end as this imperfect action film that sucked me in time and time again.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
The Lion King (1994): Signature Collection [Blu-ray/DVD/Digital]
“The Lion King” is still one of the most entertaining movie going experiences of my life and one of the most moving animated films I’ve ever seen. With the anticipation of the live action remake growing, Disney has granted fans a new release with their Signature Edition. This new edition packs in the DVD, a Digital copy, and of course the new Blu-Ray with changes that are interesting and more geared toward meticulous hardcore fans of the film more than anything. It’s certainly worth a double or triple dip, especially if it’s your favorite of the Disney animated library (and on your top ten), as it is mine.
Goon: Last of the Enforcers (2017)
Doug Glatt is aging, his physical and fighting form are not at their peak anymore, and he has a kid on the way. This leads him to try to be a responsible adult and get a regular job. Can he stay away from the game and be a responsible father?
Haskell (2017) [HollyShorts 2017]
Three moments from the life of a man who can manipulate time and how his ability is affecting him.
Written and directed by James Allen Smith, Haskell is a small part, or three small parts, of what feels like a much bigger story. The story deals with time and how it affects people, especially the man who can manipulate it and those around him. The story is one that is multi-layered and deals with plenty to become a full length feature easily. The way it’s written does make it feel like it’s a part of something much bigger and perhaps a proof of concept for a feature film. However, it does still work as a short where not everything is explained and the film works with some mysteries not explained.
Death Note (2017)
I’ve been a casual fan and observer of “Death Note” since the mid-aughts and have always been fascinated with its premise and the moral dilemmas it props up for the audience and its characters. It’s almost like “The Box” but with a hit of adrenaline and more complex ideas and philosophies. Director Adam Wingard adapts “Death Note” for a new audience, taking the material from Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, and adding his own quirks, ideas, and dashes of dark comedy. What we get is a stark, entertaining horror movie that is very much a “Death Note” tale, but one that works in its own rhythm for a broader audience, without alienating the core fan base.
No Roads In (2017) [Oceanside International Film Festival 2017]
No Roads In is a music documentary but also one about how music can transform lives.
Written by Christopher Leeson and directed by Josh Wong, this documentary follows a band as they record an album in an abandoned home in the Canadian Prairies. One of them finds this place while driving and brings the rest back to record a more natural, organic album in terms of sound and how it comes to be. The film follows these men and looks into their lives through interviews and music. The men shown include Adam Naughler, Jon May, Blake Reid, Aaron Young, and Jason Valleau who all work on the album together and have their lives and hopes discussed by themselves and others.
30 Minutes with Laura (2017) [Oceanside International Film Festival 2017]
A man meets with a woman in a restaurant where they get to know each other. As they talk, not everything is as it seems.
Written and directed (and edited) by Juanjo Haro, this short film takes a simple premise and spins it on its head. It builds what looks like a meeting between two lonely people in a restaurant through their conversation into something quite different. About halfway through the film, something happens that greatly affects the plot. As this is an important factor into this film, it shall remain a secret here. The film takes this and works with it, explaining itself in images, something that may not have been needed, but works well nonetheless.