I love Kevin Smith, even his lesser films, aka non Askewniverse, I find charming(for the most part....fuck Cop Out). I unashamedly love Clerks 3, it got me choked up. But now he has the 4:30 Movie and this is easily his best non Askewniverse film and possibly his best film since Chasing Amy. Full of heart, witty banter and love of cinema, your typical Smith fare but this here feels semi autobiographical, especially the stinger.
Didi is one of the best coming of age films in recent years. It features mostly all first time actors and much like Mid 90s and Skate Kitchen it is a welcome addition to skate films. Set in 08 it feels familiar and it is crazy how much things are the same yet different from back then, and i miss that year of life. It is quite cringe at times, on purpose, cause of decisions our lead makes, he is a dumb ass at times and an asshole at others but he has a good heart, and the rawness adds to the films coming of age.
I'm late to the party but i finally finished the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Every season since the relaunch i kept thinking this should be it, go out on a high note, and every season after kept giving the goods. This season didn't disappoint and it honestly felt like a gift for Seinfeld fans. So many meta moments , it ended perfectly.
Planet of the Apes is possibly my favorite Sci Fi franchise other than possibly Star Wars. Atleast the original 5, the remake not so much. The new series while solid is quite forgettable. The latest while having some beautiful moments was quite dull. The ending was pretty damn poetic but the series has ran its course.
So Beetlejuice is my most watched film ever. I legit watched my HBO copy daily from like the age of 2 til I was 5. I have watched it atleast once a year since that time. I won Costume contests as Beetlejuice, I have a Beetlejuice wall in my dining room, I loved the Broadway musical. With all that said, I was not stoked for the sequel, I feel a part if it was so many buying into the fake posters the past 10 years but the first trailer kinda hooked me. I still went in with low expectations because it is Tim Burton.....and I liked it.....I thought it was heavily flawed in plot, humor and characters but I was entertained, and that was all I needed. Too many subplots and characters seemed to be juggled, alot of moments were forced but it was an enjoyable film regardless.
I love Watchmen, i love the comic, i had the issues then i bought the graphic novel. It felt larger than life, it felt cinematic and art house. I liked Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead but hated 300, so i was iffy on his take on Watchmen, but wound up loving that, i actually have all the cuts. I have the motion comic, i have liked the DC crossovers, i struggled with the HBO series but wound up enjoying it for the most part. Now we get the animated film.....the animation style is different...in a good way, the voices take a bit of getting used to, but the overall presentation of the story was lacking. Yes this is chapter 1 but it felt like the depth was gone, this didn't feel epic. Yes it could be niche but a property like this deserves to feel like an event and film in general is so oversaturated that this doesn't feel special and if it had it would have been hella disappointing. I'll stick with Watchmen Babies....look it up!
I honestly haven't enjoyed a John Woo film since Paycheck, and that is not a good film. Sure he did Red Cliff and that was a good film but i didn't really enjoy it, i would say the last that was good and i enjoyed was Face Off, but even then the term good is questionable, perhaps Hard Boiled is the winner, which of course is more in line with the original Killer, i enjoyed that great piece of action so i figured i'd watch the remake.....bland & generic, it feels like Woo through & through. Woo Woo Woo you blew it!
Knox Goes Away feels like a mid 90s crime film or a mid 00s crime film, both of the straight to video variety. That isn't to say it is bad, it is actually well made and acted, just a tad convoluted and a bit dull. I hope Michael Keaton directs again cause he has a good eye.
Hell Hole has a atmospheric vibe to it, some cool imagery and a kickass score but ultimately it feels like the team's last film, Hellbender. Style over substance, something to enjoy artistically but not really to love. Tedious and dull yet pretty.....not quite a hell hole.
