The Bodyguard (超级保镖) (HIFF 2016) - Movie Review

The Bodyguard, an official selection of the 2016 Hawaii International Film Festival, is an action packed kung fu film that pits super powered brothers against each other. Written and directed by Yue Song, the film stars Wai Man Chan, Collin Chou, Yue Song, Xing Yu, and Li YuFei.

Arrival - Movie Review

Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners), follows a linguist and a physicist as they attempt to figure out how to understand and translate the communications of a recently arrived alien species. The film features acting performances from Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mark O'Brien, and Tzi Ma.

Shut In - Movie Review

Shut In, directed by Farren Blackburn, is a thriller that takes us into the secluded home of a woman who is desperately trying to find a missing boy as a snowstorm approaches. The film features acting performances from Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Oliver Platt (Chef), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), and Jacob Tremblay (Room).

Seoul Station (서울역) (HIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Seoul Station, an official selection of the 2016 Hawaii International Film Festival, is an animated feature and predecessor to the smash hit Korean zombie action film, Train to Busan, both of which were written and directed by Sang-ho Yeon. The film, which shows the original zombie outbreak that leads the events of Train to Busan, features voice acting contributions from Seung-ryong Ryu, Franciska Friede, and Joon Lee.

Pete's Dragon - Movie Review

Pete's Dragon, adapted for the screen and directed by David Lowery, travels into the forest home of a mystical creature, and the lost young boy he has been protecting, as construction and demolition looms on the horizon. The Disney Picture release features performances from Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, Oona Laurence, and Oakes Fegley.

Sadako vs Kayako (貞子 vs. 伽椰子) (HIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Sadako vs Kayako, an official selection of the 2016 Hawaii International Film Festival, brings together the ghouls from The Ring and The Grudge for an all out supernatural slug fest. The film, directed by Kôji Shiraishi features acting performances from Mizuki Yamamoto, Tina Tamashiro, Aimi Satsukawa, Masahiro Kômoto, Masanobu Andô, and Maiko Kikuchi.

Green Room - Movie Review

Green Room, written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, follows an indie rock bands descent into a nightmare of survival against the owners and patrons of a neo-nazi skinhead bar. The film features acting performances from Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart, Imogeen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, and Macon Blair.

Morris from America (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Morris from America, an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, follows a father and his 13 year old son as they move from New York to Germany. Directed by Chad Hartigan, the film stars Craig Robinson, Markees Christmas, Carla Juri, Patrick Güldenberg, and Lina Keller.

Doctor Strange - Movie Review

Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister), introduces the Sorcerer Supreme and his magical ways into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and puts him up against a challenge that, if not stopped, could send the entire world into a dark and terrible existence. The film features acting performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelson, and Tilda Swinton.

X-Men: Apocalypse - Movie Review

X-Men Apocalypse, directed by Bryan Singer, sees Professor X's mutant band of heroes face off against an unstoppable foe who just happens to be the original, most historical mutant of all time. The movie features an all star cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Lucas Till, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Hugh Jackman.

Operation Chromite (인천상륙작전) - Movie Review

Operation Chromite (인천상륙작전), directed by John H. Lee, uncovers a secret mission, ordered by General Douglas MacArthur, that would either help to win the Korean War or, if not successful, would simply send a group of brave men to their deaths. The movie features acting performances from Jeong-jae Lee, Beom-soo Lee, Se-yeon Jin, Joon-ho Jeong, Byeong-ok Kim, Geum-seong Kil, and Liam Neeson as General Douglas MacArthur.

The Handmaiden (아가씨) - Movie Review

The Handmaiden, co-written and directed by Chan-wook Park, is a 1930's crime thriller filled with deceit, debauchery, and double crosses as a con man tries to steal an inheritance from a secluded young woman. The film features acting performances from Min-hee Kim, Kim Tae-ri, Jung-woo Ha, and Jin-woong Jo.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - Movie Review

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, produced by and starring Tom Cruise, sees the return of the titular hero made famous by the series of novels written by Lee Child. The movie was directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond) and features supporting performances from Cobie Smulders (Avengers), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton), Danika Yarosh, and Patrick Heusinger (Black Swan).

Luck-Key - Movie Review

Luck-Key, directed by Gye-beok Lee, is a remake of a Japanese film called Key of Life and tells the tale of two men who switch lives after an accident leaves one man with amnesia and the other with a new lease on life. The film features acting performances from, Hae-jin Yoo, Lee Joon, Yoon-hee Jo, Ji-yeon Lim, Hye-bin Jeon, Dong-hwi Lee.

Keeping Up with the Joneses - Movie Review

Keeping Up with the Joneses, directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland), shows us what might happen if an international spy couple were to invade the perfect suburban neighborhood. The movie features an ensemble cast that includes Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot, Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Matt Walsh, and Kevin Dunn.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2016 Hawaii International Film Festival

Aloha! I am very excited to once again be providing press coverage for the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) which 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 along with a few I have already seen and would highly recommend.

Trespass Against Us (TFF 2016) - Movie Review

Trespass Against Us, an official selection of the 2016 Tacoma Film Festival, gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Cutler clan who lives as outlaws on a British countryside compound. The film was directed by Adam Smith and features Michael Fassbender in the starring role with supporting performances from Brendan Gleeson, Lindsey Marshal, Sean Harris, and Rory Kinnear.

Ouija: Origin of Evil - Movie Review

Ouija: Origin of Evil tells the story of how a board game became the source of evil shenanigans thanks to some really bad historical happenings. The film was written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus) and features acting performances from Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Parker Mack, and Doug Jones.

Operation Mekong aka Mei Gong he xing dong - Movie Review

Operation Mekong, directed by Dante Lam, is based on real events that took place in 2011 where 13 cargo ship crew members were killed by a drug lord in what is known as the Golden Triangle, a section of land that connects Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. The film features acting performances from Hanyu Zhang, Eddie Peng, Wenjuan Feng, Baoguo Chen, and Xudong Wu.

The Accountant - Movie Review

The Accountant, directed by Gavin O'Connor (Warrior), follows a Treasury Department investigation into a math genius who handles books for illegal organizations around the world. The film features acting performances from Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, John Lithgow, and Alison Wright.

Asura: The City of Madness - Movie Review

Asura: The City of Madness, directed by Sung-su Kim, follows a corrupt cop down a bloody path of corruption and politics as he plays both sides of an investigation between prosecutors and the city's mayor. The film features acting performances from Woo-sung Jung, Jung-min Hwang, Ji-hun Ju, Do Wan Kwak, and Man-sik Jeong.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - IMAX or Cinerama

Do you plan on seeing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when it comes out on November 18th? Do you know where you are going to see it and which theater will give you the biggest and best experience? My comparison of Seattle area theaters will help you make that oh so important decision!

2016 GeekGirlCon Recap

Year after year, GeekGirlCon just gets bigger and better while keeping the focus on the fans and allowing for one of the friendliest, most welcoming conventions around. This year's festivities again took place at Seattle's Washington State Convention Center and featured more panels, more guests, and an expanded exhibitor floor, all of which meant more fun for all the fans.

The Girl on the Train - Movie Review

The Girl on the Train, directed by Tate Taylor, is a psychological thriller based off of the best selling novel written by Paula Hawkins. The features Emily Blunt in the starring role alongside a supporting cast that includes Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Allison Janney, Luke Evans, Édgar Ramírez, and Justin Theroux.

Queen of Katwe - Movie Review

Queen of Katwe continues Disney's tradition of inspiring tales wrapped around competition by showcasing champion chess player Phiona Mutesi, Uganda's ultimate underdog story. The film, directed by Mira Nair, features acting performances from David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, Madina Nalwanga, Martin Kabanza, Taryn Kyaze, and Esther Tebandeke.

American Honey - Movie Review

American Honey is a movie about a teenage girl who decides to join a traveling magazine sales crew instead of living a less than ordinary life. The film was directed by Andrea Arnold and features acting performances from Shia LeBeouf and Riley Keough as well as a stunning debut by Sasha Lane.

Deepwater Horizon - Movie Review

Deepwater Horizon is a film directed by Peter Berg and tells the true story of the offshore drilling rig which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The movie features acting performances by Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, Kate Hudson, John Malkovich, J.D. Evermore, Dylan O'Brien, Joe Chrest, and James DuMont.

Bad Moms - Movie Review

Bad Moms, written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, lets the ladies have their turn at letting loose and leaving all their responsibilities behind. The movie features acting performanes from Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annie Mumolo, Oona Laurence, Emjay Anthony, Clark Duke, Jay Hernandez, and Wendell Pierce.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Movie Review

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a film by Tim Burton and is based off of a young adult fantasy novel written by Ransom Riggs. The film features acting performances from Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Allison Janney, Chris O'Dowd, Terence Stamp, and Ella Purnell.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2016 Tacoma Film Festival

It's time once again for The TwoOhSix to travel to the 253 to give you the 411 on the 2016 Tacoma Film Festival. This year's lineup is filled with lots of special events and prestigious premieres to go along with a full roster of feature films and shorts programs beginning on Thursday October 6th and running through Thursday the 13th. Below you will find my "TwoOhSix Picks" for this year's festival. These are the films I have selected as the ones you do not want to miss.

Snowden - Movie Review

Snowden, directed by Oliver Stone, tells the story of Edward Snowden, a former CIA and NSA agent who helped to release thousands of classified documents regarding illegal surveillance techniques. The film features acting performances by Joseph Gordon Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Rhys Ifans, Nicholas Cage, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Eastwood, Keith Stanfield, and Ben Schnetzer.

Magnificent 7 - Movie Review

Magnificent 7, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name which is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai film from 1954. This wild west tale of underdogs fighting impossible odds features an all star cast including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Luke Grimes, and Matt Bomer.

The Disappointments Room - Movie Review

The Disappointments Room is not a good movie and I can not recommend it to anyone. Nothing about the story, the visuals, or the editing made any sense at all. Kate Beckinsale must have either been contractually obligated to be in this movie or she lost a bet.

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Blair Witch - Movie Review

Blair Witch, directed by Adam Wingard, is the third installment in a series of found footage style horror movies and, this time around, we see a group of young people heading back into the infamous Black Hills forest to make a documentary about their search for a long lost relative. The film features acting performances by James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson, and Valorie Curry.

Line Walker (Shi tu hang zhe) - Movie Review

Line Walker, a Chinese action film based off of the highly successful TV show, follows a special crime unit as they try to retrieve a group of undercover agents who have had their identities wiped clean from the database. The film was directed by Jazz Boon and features acting performances from Nick Cheung, Louis Koo, Francis Ng, and Charmaine Sheh.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi - Movie Review

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, a film directed by Michael Bay, tells the story of an attack on a U.S. compound in Lybia and the security team who decides to take matters into their own hands. The movie, based on the novel by Mitchell Zuckoff, features acting performances by John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman, Dominic Fumusa, Max Martini, Alexia Barlier, and David Costabile.

Sully - Movie Review

Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood, tells "The untold story behind the miracle on the Hudson". The film, which was shot almost exclusively with IMAX cameras, features acting performances by Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey, Mike O'Malley, Jamey Sheridan, Anna Gunn, and Katie Couric.

Central Intelligence - Movie Review

Central Intelligence is an action comedy spy movie that reunites high school classmates, one a computer expert who hasn't lived up to his billing as "most likely to succeed" and the other a social outcast who has gone on to become a top agent in the CIA. The film stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Jason Bateman, and Aaron Paul.

2016 Portland Film Festival Recap

The 2016 Portland Film Festival has come and gone and, from everything I've seen, heard, and read, it was yet another smashing success! I am very happy to have had the opportunity to see a few of the films that were presented during the festival and have collected my reviews here for easy access.

The Light Between Oceans - Movie Review

The Light Between Oceans, directed by Derek Cianfrance, tells the story of a man who, after fighting in the first world war, take a job managing a lighthouse, meets the woman of his dreams, and then makes some really bad decisions. Based on a best selling novel, the film features acting performances from Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Jack Thompson, and Anthony Hayes.

Morgan - Movie Review

The Movie:
Morgan, directed by Luke Scott, is a science fiction thriller that explores the world of artificial intelligence, it's potential use as a weapon, and how it compares to actual humanity. The film features a strong cast that includes Kate Mara, Paul Giamatti, Brian Cox, Michelle Yeoh, Toby Jones, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Vinette Robinson, Boyd Holbrook, and Anya Taylor-Joy.

Spaghettiman (PDXFF 2016) - Movie Review

In a world where defective microwaves can give normal people strange, food based powers, Spaghettiman bursts onto the scene with an outrageously comedic take on the super hero genre. The film, an official selection of the 2016 Portland Film Festival, was directed by Mark Potts and stars Ben Crutcher, Winston Carter, Brand Rackley, and Jo LoCicero.

Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time (PDXFF 2016) - Movie Review

Thirteen years ago, Neil Stryker took on an evil cult. Now, the futuristic hero returns to action at the 2016 Portland Film Festival in Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time. This low budget, time traveling action movie features acting performances by David Ogden Stiers, Walter Koenig, Nic Costa, Matt Zak, Bryna Smith, Jordana Ansley, and Rob Taylor in the starring role as both the hero and the villain and is also listed as a producer, writer, and director.