Transpecos (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

The Movie: Transpecos

The Director: Greg Kwedar

The Cast: Johnny Simmons, Gabriel Luna, Clifton Collins Jr, David Acord, Oscar Avila, Luis Bordonada, Will Brittain, Jake Lockett, and Lora Martinez-Cunningham

The Story: For three US Border Patrol agents, the contents of one car reveal an insidious plot within their own ranks. The next 24 hours could cost them their lives.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Beauty and the Beast

The Director: Bill Condon

The Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellan, Emma Thompson, Audra McDonald, Stanley Tucci, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw

The Story: A tale as old as time.

Get Out - Movie Review

The Movie: Get Out

The Director: Jordan Peele

The Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel, Lakeith Stanfield, Stephen Root, and LilRel Howery

The Story: A young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Kong: Skull Island - Movie Review

The Movie: Kong: Skull Island

The Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer)

The Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Tian Jing, Toby Kebbel, and Jason Mitchell

The Story: A team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

Moonlight - Movie Review

The Movie: Moonlight

The Director: Barry Jenkins

The Cast: Mahershala Ali, Alex R. Hibbert, Janelle Monáe, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, and André Holland

The Story: A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood of a young black man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

Logan - Movie Review

The Movie: Logan

The Director: James Mangold

The Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq LaSalle, and Elise Neal

The Story: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Kedi - Domumentary Review

The Movie: Kedi

The Director: Ceyda Torun

The Cast: Sari, Bengü, Aslan Parçası, Psikopat, Deniz, Gamsiz, and Duman.

The Story: A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat. - imdb.com

2016 Recap - The Movies

For me, 2016 was a pretty incredible year for movies with such a diverse mix of styles, genres, and countries represented. Indie films, festival films, foreign films, animated films, horror films, and big budget blockbuster films all filled movie theaters in a seemingly endless stream of talent and creativity. Of course, not all of them turn out as good as you hope they might (Independence Day: Resurgence, X-Men: Apocalypse) and others seemingly come out of nowhere to shine above all the rest (Train to Busan, Sing Street).

Underworld: Blood Wars - Movie Review

The Movie: Underworld: Blood Wars

The Director: Anna Foerster

The Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Charles Dance, Lara Pulver. Tobias Menzies, James Faulkner, Bradley James, Clementine Nicholson, and Daisy Head

The Story: Vampire death dealer, Selene fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. - imdb.com

The Great Wall - Movie Review

The Movie: The Great Wall

The Director: Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers}

The Cast: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Andy Lau, Pedro Pascal, Hanyu Zhang, Lu Han, Kenny Lin, Eddie Peng, Ryan Zheng, Karry Wang, and Willem DeFoe.

The Story: European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures. - imdb.com

Cook Up a Storm (决战食神) - Movie Review

The Movie: Cook Up a Storm (决战食神)

The Director: Wai Man Yip

The Cast: Nicholas Tse, Jung Yong-hwa, Yan Tang, Bing Bai, Anthony Wong, and You Ge.

The Story: A Cantonese street cook and his chief rival, a French-trained Michelin-starred chef, discover they have a lot in common as they prepare for a world-famous culinary competition. imdb.com

2016 Recap - The Performances

In 2016, I watched a lot of movies. Probably more in one year than I ever have before so there was a lot of acting to take in. Most are passable and get the job done adequately and then there's a few that make you cringe and wish the casting director had made a different choice. Finally, there is a select handful that really catch my attention and never for the same reason. These performances are so unique, often very powerful, and, if nothing else, they are just fun to watch on screen.

The Lego Batman Movie - Movie Review

The Movie: The Lego Batman Movie

The Director: Chris McKay

The Cast: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakas, Jenny Slate, Jason Mantzoukas, Conan O'Brien, Doug Benson, Billy Dee Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Seth Green, Jemaine Clement, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Adam Devine, Hector Elizondo, and Mariah Carey.

The Story: With the fate of Gotham City hanging in the balance, Batman aka Bruce Wayne must come to terms with one of his biggest fears.

John Wick: Chapter 2 - Movie Review

The Movie: John Wick: Chapter 2

The Director: Chad Stahelski (John Wick)

The Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Common, Claudia Gerini, Lance Reddick, Tobias Segal, and John Leguizamo

The Story: "After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life." - IMDB.com

Split - Movie Review

The Movie: Split (The Visit, Unbreakable)

The Director: M. Night Shyamalan

The Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Sebastian Arcelus, Brad William Henke, and Betty Buckley.

The Story: "Three girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities, and must try and escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th." - IMDB.com