review
Reviews of the top geek movies, tv, and books in the industry.
'Coco' Review: A Beautiful Pixar Gem
There's no denying that Pixar has had better days; the studio may still be the reigning king of animation in North America but in recent years (post The Incredibles) the majority of their films have been satisfactory yet have lived in the shadow of the golden era (Toy Story-The Incredibles). Every once in a while, the studio releases a gem that fits on the shelves with their early efforts; Coco — along with Inside Out, Toy Story 3, Up, WALL-E and Ratatouille — is one of said standouts. Pixar’s external brand is still an image of a vibrant bubble of creativity and originality, but it is clear that internally, their business model has shifted since Disney’s acquisition in 2006.
By Ben McVittie8 years ago in Geeks
Justice League Review
In "Lisa the Vegetarian," the Simpsons take a trip to Storytown Village where they witness one poorly created childhood story after another. When watching the wolf pitifully fail to blow the three little pig's house down, Homer utters an apt line for most of what life is these days, while everyone else has an unimpressed face, "It was good, not great."
By Nicholas Anthony8 years ago in Geeks
Movie Review: 'The Square'
The Square, the 2017 winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s highest honor, the Palme D’or, is a provocative and strange film. At times, the film defies description in its oddity and yet its points and purposes regarding political correctness as an excuse for the rich to ignore the poor are relatively obvious and on the nose. Directed by Ruben Ostlund, whose Force Majeure was far more interestingly provocative than The Square, the film has beautiful cinematography and a handful of the most interesting scenes in any movie in 2017.
By Sean Patrick8 years ago in Geeks
Movie Review: 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool'
I fell in love with Gloria Grahame, as so many movie fans did, in her pitch perfect performance in In a Lonely Place, one of my all-time favorite films. Grahame plays one of those self-possessed, take-no-crap dames that always seemed to play opposite Bogart. He loved strong women, breaking down their defenses was what made him a screen icon, and them the envy of women everywhere. Grahame stood out, however, as she allowed herself just a little more vulnerability than the others, a note of extra sadness to go with the sass.
By Sean Patrick8 years ago in Geeks
Movie Review: 'Lady Bird'
Lady Bird is a remarkably emotional experience, even if you’re not a teenage girl from Sacramento. Writer-director Greta Gerwig has, in her first directorial effort, relayed a masterpiece of the coming-of-age genre. Lady Bird is a wonderfully human, sympathetic, and smart movie, more in touch with real human emotion than most films of its kind. The film ranks next to my other favorite movie of 2017, The Big Sick, as that all too rare humane masterpiece.
By Sean Patrick8 years ago in Geeks
Altruism in Literature
Altruism, whether psychological or biological is a kind act towards another person in which they expect nothing in return without holding a grudge. Many people are never able to master this, some say. Others say that one can maintain this point of view. Whether this is true or not has never been determined; however, literature can help to recieve a fully rounded picture of what altruism might look like in everyday life. Here is one description of altruism:
By Katy Christensen8 years ago in Geeks
'Daddy's Home 2' Review
Hayden's Overall Grade: B- Daddy's Home 2 comes on the heels of the 2015 original Daddy's Home. That film received mixed praise but the main spotlight went to Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell's comedic timing. As co-Dads, the original father Dusty (Wahlberg) and stepdad Brad (Ferrell) showcased great heart in comedically trying to out do the other. In this hilarious sequel, it seems like they have found the great groove that they showcased in the first film. As these co-Dads work together to throw their kids a great Christmas together, a wrinkle is added in when both of their fathers arrive to spread the holiday joy.
By Hayden Fisher8 years ago in Geeks
Review: 'Justice League' (2017)
Okay, as an amateur movie critic, I'm not super well-versed on the burgeoning and ever-endless growing comic-book-franchises that are popping up like weeds in the desert. I do find that both the powerhouse comic book forces, DC Comics and Marvel Studios are in some sort of battle royale to get their respective movie superheroes into multiplexes as fast as you can chug a 2-liter soda bottle in three to five seconds. I haven't seen Thor: Ragnarok yet and I'm reserving judgement for when I do see it, but if and when I do, I won't be drawing parallels between the DC Extended Universe and the Marvel Universe. Nope - thankfully, Justice League will do all of that for me. Yes, there'll be a breach of movie etiquette of comparing crosshatching dueling comic book movie franchises. The question will be, did I enjoy it and do I recommend it? The answer may surprise you.
By Carlos Gonzalez8 years ago in Geeks
Justice League
Well, the moment that diehard DC Comics fans have eagerly awaited most of their lives finally arrived this past week with the release of the feverishly anticipated Justice League film. The fans knew that the stakes were high; everything would be riding on the success or failure of the first ever cinematic team up of DC's greatest heroes, but the critical and commercial success of this past summer's Wonder Woman, the first ever film of its kind and the first film in the DCEU with a deliberately lighter, more inspirational tone than previous films, buoyed people's hope that the DC's cinematic universe was finally on the right track with audiences.
By Matthew Frati8 years ago in Geeks
