Atomic Blonde - Movie Review

The Movie: Atomic Blonde

The Director: David Leitch

The Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Sofia Boutella, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Bill Skarsgård, Eddie Marsan, James Faulkner

The Story: An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

Kong: Skull Island - Movie Review

The Movie: Kong: Skull Island

The Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer)

The Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Tian Jing, Toby Kebbel, and Jason Mitchell

The Story: A team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

2016 Recap - The Performances

In 2016, I watched a lot of movies. Probably more in one year than I ever have before so there was a lot of acting to take in. Most are passable and get the job done adequately and then there's a few that make you cringe and wish the casting director had made a different choice. Finally, there is a select handful that really catch my attention and never for the same reason. These performances are so unique, often very powerful, and, if nothing else, they are just fun to watch on screen.

Patriots Day - Movie Review

The Movie: Patriots Day

The Director: Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon)

The Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan, Christopher O'Shea, Rachel Brosnahan, Jake Picking, Lana Condor, Jimmy O. Yang, Melissa Benoist, Alex Wolff, Themo Melikidze, John Fiore, and Khandi Alexander.

The Story: Based on true events, “Patriots Day” is a powerful story of a community’s extraordinary courage in the face of adversity and chronicles in detail one of the most sophisticated and well-coordinated manhunts in law enforcement history. - Official Website

10 Cloverfield Lane - Movie Review

10 Cloverfield Lane is a science fiction thriller from producer J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and was directed by Dan Trachtenberg who is making his feature film debut. The movie features acting performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr.

Trumbo - Movie Review

Trumbo, directed by Jay Roach (The Campaign), is an historical drama based off of a book written by Bruce Cook. The movie stars Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, James DuMont, Alan Tudyk, Louis C.K., Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Elle Fanning, and John Goodman.

Transformers: Age of Extinction - Movie Review

Transformers: Age of Extinction is a movie directed by Michael Bay that continues the adventures of the Autobots and Decepticons in their eternal struggle for control of the galaxy. The movie features an all new cast including Mark Wahlberg Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Raynor, Titus Welliver, and Bingbing Li. Voice talent provided by Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, John Goodman, Ken Watanebe, and Mark Ryan.

Inside Llewyn Davis - Movie Review

Joel and Ethan Coen have a long history of writing and directing very unique stories that consistently earn praise from both critics and moviegoers alike. Inside Llewyn Davis, which stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake is the brother's latest attempt at continuing this long tradition of success.

Monsters University (SIFF 2013) - Movie Review

Disney and Pixar studios are back again with what they hope will be yet another box office hit with Monsters University which reunites Billy Crystal and John Goodman as everyone's favorite scary characters along with Helen Mirren, and Aubrey Plaza. Dan Scanlon takes his first stab at putting together an animated feature while teaming up with Monsters Inc and Cars writers Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird.

The Hangover Part III - Movie Review

The Hangover Part III brings the wolfpack back together for another crazy ride, but this time there is no bachelor party and no one is getting married. This time around writer and director Todd Phillips sends the crew on a mission that brings all of their adventures back full circle. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Ken Jeong all return to their roles and John Goodman joins the cast as a new villain.

ParaNorman - Movie Review

2012 has been a very interesting year for animated features as Pixar has lost a little bit of its luster as the dominant studio and competition like Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox have risen to a much more respectable level. You can now throw Laika Entertainment in to the ring as well with a surprisingly entertaining stop motion animated effort from the people that previously brought Coraline to movie-going audiences.

Flight - Movie Review

It has been quite some time since Robert Zemeckis has directed a live action feature film and his return brings a lot of anticipation for a return to a quality standard that has given us such gems as Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and Contact. Denzel Washington has also had a very storied career and his turn as the star of this movie also adds to the anticipation that Flight should be something truly special.

You'll notice, I did say "should".

Argo - Movie Review

To this point, Ben Affleck has had quite an illustrious career not only as an actor, but as a director and writer of movies going all the way back to his original collaboration with Matt Damon with the Oscar winning "Good Will Hunting". "Argo" is a movie that will be considered a cornerstone piece to the overall body of work he has produced to this point.

Happy Feet Two - Movie Review

The first Happy Feet movie was a huge hit and a surprise success for Fox Animation so naturally plans were set in motion to create a sequel. With an all star cast including Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Sofia Vergara along with the latest in animation and 3D technologies, Happy Feet Two looks to recapture the magic of the first installment.

Red State - Movie Review

Kevin Smith has created an interesting commentary on society, religion, and the youth of America all wrapped in to an independent thriller starring John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Kevin Pollak. It's nice to see small films like this being created by big name Hollywood types and marketed unconventionally with an internet campaign and VOD availability, but the ultimate question is whether or not this film is worth watching under any format.

The Artist - Movie Review

'The Artist' begins in 1927 during the heyday of silent films and follows the lives of two people as Hollywood begins to transition in to an era of sound. One is in danger of being left behind while the other becomes an overnight sensation and, although their stories are intertwined, they are constantly being pulled apart by both time and technology.

This movie is primarily a love story but is also so many other things that, by the time the credits role, you realize you are appropriately at a loss for words when trying to describe such a beautifully crafted silent movie.