Sunday, December 27, 2015

The Hateful Eight - Movie Review


The Hateful Eight is the eighth motion picture created by celebrated director Quentin Tarantino.
The film features acting performances by Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, and Zoƫ Bell.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

2015 Recap - Horror


This year, I had the good fortune of watching a whole bunch of different horror movies, a lot of them during the various film festivals I covered. There's a lot of good, a lot of decent, and a fair amount that were not quite as good, but definitely a great mix of styles and sub genres which made for a really fun year.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Movie Review



Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, continues the epic space saga originally created by George Lucas. The film stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Max Von Sydow, Gwendoline Christie, and Peter Mayhew.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension - Movie Review


Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, directed by Gregory Plotkin, continues the story originally created by Oren Peli. The movie stars Chris J Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, Dan Gill, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Chloe Csengery, Don Mcmanus, and Michael Krawic.

Monday, December 14, 2015

2015 Recap - Animation


Even with two releases from Pixar studios, this was not a banner year for animated films as there really just wasn't that much out there. Maybe next year will be better but, in the meantime, here is what I saw and which was my favorite for 2015.

Friday, December 11, 2015

In the Heart of the Sea - Movie Review


In the Heart of the Sea is based off of the true story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, one of American literature's greatest achievements. The film was directed by Ron Howard (Rush, Apollo 13) and stars Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Charlotte Riley.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Legend - Movie Review


Legend, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, is based off of a true story and  is adapted from the book written by author John Pearson. The film features Tom Hardy in a dual role as well as Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Tara Fitzgerald, Taron Egerton, Adam Fogerty, and Chazz Palminteri.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

2015 Hawaii International Film Festival Recap


While I wasn't able to attend the 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival, I was able to check out a few of the films and what I saw was pretty darn good. The festival took place at several venues between November 12th and 22nd and featured a very diverse schedule filled with feature films, short films, and documentaries, all of which were in some way connected to regions around the Pacific Rim.

Monday, December 7, 2015

The Night Before - Movie Review


The Night Before is a very unique take on the holiday comedy genre and was directed by Jonathan Levine who's previous efforts include Warm Bodies and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. The movie stars Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Jillian Bell, Lizzy Caplan, Michael Shannon, Ilana Glazer, Tracy Morgan, Randall Park, Mindy Kaling, and Lorraine Toussaint.

Krampus - Movie Review


Krampus is a holiday horror comedy written and directed by Michael Dougherty. The film stars Adam Scott, David Koechner, Toni Collette, Allison Tollman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stafania LaVie Owen, and Krista Sadler.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Good Dinosaur - Movie Review


The Good Dinosaur, paired with the short film Sanjay's Super Team, is the latest animated feature from Disney and Pixar Studios. The movie features the voice talents of Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Marcus Scribner, Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Peter Sohn, Steve Zahn, A.J. Buckley, Anna Paquin, and Sam Elliott.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Une LibƩration - Short Film Spotlight


Une LibƩration is an award winning short film written by and starring Marion Kerr and was directed by Brian Crewe (Far). The film also features acting performances by Ross Marquand, Matthew Temple, and mark Jaeger.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Spotlight - Movie Review


Spotlight is a feature film directed by Tom McCarthy and is based on actual events regarding how the Boston Globe uncovered a scandal that rocked the world. The film stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, Brian d'Arcy James, Jamey Sheridan, and Neal Huff.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

The Peanuts Movie - Movie Review


The Peanuts Movie, directed by Steve Martino, brings the classic franchise that features Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and friends to a new generation of movie goers. The movie features the voice talents of Noah Schnapp, Kristin Chenowith, Rebecca Bloom, Noah Johnston, Hadley Bell Miller, Venus Schultheis, and Mariel Sheets.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Creed - Movie Review


Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), continues the story of fictional boxing champion Rocky Balboa made famous by Sylvester Stallone. The movie stars Michael B. Anthony in the title role as well as Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew, Ritchie Coster, Graham McTavish, Malik Bazille, and Wood Harris.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Trailer Debut - Captain America: Civil War


The first official teaser trailer for Captain America: Civil War has been released and it looks just as bad ass as Winter Soldier was, if not more! This is sure to be one of the biggest movies of the year. Hit up the comments and let me know what you think.


Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (HIFF 2015) - Movie Review



Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, written and directed by Emily Ting, is an official selection of the 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival. The movie stars Jamie Chung, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Ng, Zach Hines, and Jaeden Cheng.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Brooklyn (HIFF 2015) - Movie Review



Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley, is an official selection of the 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival. The movie features a cast that includes Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Emily Bett Rickards, Eve Macklin, Fiona Glascott, Jessica ParƩ, and Jenn Murray.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 - Move Review


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, directed by Francis Lawrence, is the final installment in the Hunger Games saga which is based off the best selling novels written by Suzanne Collins. The movie features a star filled cast which includes Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Dormer, and Gwendoline Christie.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Coffin Maker / Magkakabaung (HIFF 2015) - Movie Review



The Coffin Maker, an award winning film directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, is an official selection of the Hawaii International Film Festival. The movie stars Allen Dizon, Gladys Reyes, Emilio Garcia, Chanel Latorre, Bor Ocampo, and Felixia Dizon.

Monday, November 16, 2015

2015 Seattle Shorts Film Festival Recap


Wow, what a weekend of amazing films! The 2015 Seattle Shorts Film Festival is definitely becoming one of the can't miss festivals of the Pacific Northwest and I had a great time watching as many of the films as I could that were available over the two days of sold out programming.

TwoOhSix Interviews (SSFF 2015) - Shannon Maree Walsh


During the 2015 Seattle Shorts Film Festival, I was able to sit down with actress Shannon Maree Walsh who was participating as a member of the festival's jury panel. We discuss her transition from championship gymnast to a budding career in film making as well as working with people like Wes Craven, Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, and Susan Sarandon.

This is an audio recording. Images have been added to help you follow along with the interview.


The 2015 Seattle Shorts Film Festival was held at the SIFF Film Center during the weekend of November 14th and 15th and featured over 30 films from around the world. CLICK HERE to see all of my reviews and a recap of the festival including the TwoOhSix Festival Favorite award.




 


Thursday, November 12, 2015

The 33 - Movie Review


The 33, directed by Patricia Riggen, is based off of real life events from Deep Down Dark, a novel written by Hector Tobar. The movie stars Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Casas, Jacob Vargas, Juan Pablo Raba, Oscar NuƱez, Adriana Barraza, Kate del Castillo, Cote de Pablo, Elizabeth De Razzo, Naomi Scott, and Gabriel Byrne.

Seattle Shorts Film Festival - Preview Reviews (Part 4)


And now, the fourth and final installment of my Seattle Shorts Film Festival "Preview Reviews" which I will be releasing over the two weeks leading up to the actual film festival weekend. Each installment of this review series will feature a few of the short films that I have selected as my "TwoOhSix Picks" which can be seen by clicking HERE. The reviews you are about to read have been typed out immediately after watching each film so you are getting an honest and immediate reaction.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

TwoOhSix Picks - 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival


Hello again! I am very excited to be providing press coverage for the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) as it features a very unique perspective on film making while focusing on movies that come from all over the world with a heavy influence from the Asia/Pacific regions. After perusing this year's festival schedule, I have hand picked a selection of the films that I personally would not want to miss and I hope you have a chance to enjoy them as well.

The Hot List