In 1977, a film named Star Wars came out that sparked the world's imagination and ignited the spirits of filmgoers everywhere. Caught up in that fervor was Eddie Pasa, a one-year-old brought to the theater by his parents; as one of his earliest memories, he cites this as the starting point for his love of cinema. He has seen thousands of movies in the intervening years, finally finding an outlet for his opinions in 2010, when Dean Rogers graciously gave him a yearlong stint at The Rogers Revue. This was followed by a two-year post at Reel Film News with William Ayres. Eddie is a member of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) and a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS).
Halloween Kills works best with a repeat viewing. Firstly, to watch it expecting the sudden shocks of relentless gore and violence; second, to focus on what director/co-writer David Gordon Green is giving us with this entry in his Halloween trilogy. While still obviously a slasher movie, there’s something else going on here about the cycle of violence and […]
Not counting the non-Eon production Never Say Never Again, Daniel Craig is the longest-tenured James Bond at 15 years (which would have been 14 had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic). With each of the five films in this era, we experienced a fresh take on the character, largely devoid of the pithy one-liners delivered […]
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduces West to East, an incomparable marriage between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and grand Hong Kong sword-and-sorcery period action epics where honor, loyalty, and love are prized above all else. In color, form, and tone, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings emulates some of the best […]
The tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) hits like a sledgehammer wrapped in whoopee cushions and slathered in KY Jelly. Writer/director James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is everything you hoped it would be – fast, loose, funny, and absolutely gory – with the bonus of not taking itself seriously. All of the DCEU films to […]
Right away, Jungle Cruise throws you off with an altered Magic Kingdom logo underscored with a repeated E-G-B-E-B-G note sequence which suddenly becomes all too familiar once more instrumentation is added. Then you find yourself wondering, “What the hell is Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ doing as the musical score of a Disney flick?!” Everything about Jungle Cruise is aimed at discombobulation […]
It’s odd. Black Widow has been chosen to kick off Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it easily outclasses its predecessors by retaining its humanity while bearing more excitement than any of its predecessors. Seriously, this film is balls-to-the-wall action through and through, and it’s got a perfect mix of everything – stellar fights, excellent […]
There’s not a lot that The Fast Saga (the official series title according to F9‘s posters) can possibly do to go for broke anymore. Let’s see – they’ve raced cars against cars, planes, a tank, a submarine, and countless military and terrorist vehicles. The Toretto gang has hand-picked new family members from all over the globe, sometimes […]
The filmed version of In the Heights is an amped up, in-your-face, vibrant celebration of life. From the eye-popping choreography by Christopher Scott to the vivid photography by Alice Brooks capturing every nuance and bead of sweat dropped over a few of the hottest days in New York City, this film encompasses the greatest of our heart’s […]
Writer/director John Krasinski didn’t want to make a sequel to his 2018 smash A Quiet Place, claiming it was “a one-off,” something that needed no further advancement. However, he soon realized the possibilities of expanding the world of the film and the metaphors which rang so soundly throughout it. A Quiet Place wasn’t just about aliens tearing humanity […]
Author’s note: I have not seen Le Convoyeur, the film upon which Wrath of Man is based. With the exception of maybe one or three films in his 23-year career, I dig on Guy Ritchie movies. There’s nothing else like them. The way he moves his characters through seedy underworlds, his jukebox-style use of music, the world-layering plots […]
Let’s get one thing straight: I live for the Jack Ryanverse films. The Hunt For Red October is on every playable medium in my house (Blu-Ray, 4K, DVR, streaming, and the sell-through widescreen VHS is in a cabinet upstairs somewhere), and channel surfing stops when I find Patriot Games or Clear and Present Danger. I even check out The Sum of All Fears – […]
There’s much to enjoy with Nobody, especially if you’re one of the millions who continually gobble up each chapter of the John Wick franchise. Count me in as a John Wick fan – after all, what’s not to love about a mob hitman having to go back to his trade after successfully getting out? Nobody takes it a few steps further, its protagonist […]
If we were to boil Kelly Marie Tran’s character Raya down to her bare essence, it would be this: You can’t lose what you don’t give away. After six years of running from monsters and enemies, she’s bitter and hard, the result of being bitten by betrayal and loss, especially at so young an age. […]
The cast and crew of Hamilton have put their hearts and souls into this film which, both in performance and execution, hasn’t aged at all since its recording four years ago.
