Note: This review is for the 187 minute 70mm roadshow cut of the film Quentin Tarantino returns with the snowbound Western The Hateful Eight. Stuck in a blizzard, bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) hitches a ride with “The Hangman” John Ruth (Kurt Russell), who is heading into the town of Red Rock to deliver…
A blacklisted screenwriter fights back in Trumbo. Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was one of the most elite screenwriters in Hollywood. However, during the Cold War, Trumbo is called out by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) for his membership to the Communist Party, which results in him being blacklisted from Hollywood. Unable to write films under…
Warning: Those wanting to avoid specific plot details are best advised NOT to proceed further. The Star Wars saga continues with Episode VII The Force Awakens. It has been 30 years since the defeat of the Galactic Empire. Out of its ashes arisen the First Order headed by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), who commands dark Force user Kylo Ren…
Tom Hardy stars as the infamous London gangsters The Krays in Legend. Reggie and Ronnie Kray (Hardy) are twin gangsters in London during the 1960s. Reggie, the more level-headed of the two, fronts his criminal enterprises as the head of a nightclub, white Ronnie is a mentally unstable violent psychotic. All the while, the actions…
An investigative team at the Boston Globe uncovers a cover-up surrounding child molestation within the Catholic Church in Spotlight. Spotlight is an investigative section of the Boston Globe headed up by Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson (Michael Keaton) and his team of Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James). The Globe’s new editor-in-chief Marty Baron (Liev…
The son of Apollo Creed seeks out Rocky Balboa as his trainer in Creed. Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the illegitimate son of late boxer Apollo Creed, who had a very troubled life, before being taken in by Creed’s widow Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad). Adonis decides to follow his father’s footsteps into boxing, but wants…
A family is tormented by the dark shadow of St. Nicolas in Krampus. Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette) have to put up with another stressful Christmas with relatives Howard (David Koechner), Linda (Allison Tolman) and Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell). The family bickering is enough for Tom and Sarah’s son Max (Emjay Anthony) to give up…
The shorts that preceded the films at the 2015 Blood in the Snow Film Festival included mirror images, voodoo dolls, dark Christmas tales, and urban legends. Here is my rundown of the Blood in the Snow pre-film shorts. Chiral Hank (Nelson Leis) is an art-dealer hosting a gallery opening. He chases after a thief who…
The short showcase for the 2015 Blood in the Snow Film Festival featured everything from monster vigilantes to killer salesmen to mermaids. Here is my rundown of the seven shorts that played as part of this showcase. Birthday A woman becomes a sacrifice to give birth to a powerful being. Without a doubt, Birthday is a…
A camping trip takes a turn for the worse in White Raven. Jake (Aaron Brooks), Dan (Shane Twerdun), Kevin (Andrew Dunbar), and Pete (Steve Bradley) are four friends going on a weekend trip of camping and drinking. All the men are leaving behind stressful situations in their lives, with the hope that this weekend will be…
