Bad Times at the El Royale

Staying at Hotel Rwanda might be safer. It is 1969, and right on the edge of Nevada and California is a hotel known as the El Royale. A decade ago, this was the place to be where everyone near and far would come to enjoy life. That was before a deadly incident occurred on the […]

A Star Is Born (2018)

Every day, A Star Is Born. In the country music world, there’s none bigger than Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper). Hell, there may be none bigger in any genre of music than he. Supremely talented, few know the real Jack—an individual who wrestles with the demons of a turbulent childhood in Arizona and finds temporary respite for […]

A Simple Favor

Would you kindly do…A Simple Favor? Widow Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) gets by with her deceased husband’s life insurance and manning a popular—if oft-ridiculed, vlog on YouTube. The bubbly mother immerses herself in the life of her son, Miles (Joshua Satine) and his class. Miles is best friends with another boy in the class, whose […]

Searching

So very glad I didn’t grow up in this media-centric age. In the early years, David Kim (John Cho) was extremely close to his daughter, Margot (Michelle La). They did everything together, and their adventures were documented over time on the family PC. As things go as it pertains to kids becoming teens, the love […]

The House With a Clock In Its Walls

Time waits for no man, or house. Upon the death of his parents, young Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vacarro) is taken in by his uncle, Jonathan (Jack Black). Jonathan lives in a sprawling mansion with his old friend in Florence (Cate Blanchett). There’s something about this house. Inanimate objects move, and, there’s a frequent ticking sound […]

The Wife (2017)

What’s written on the page rarely tells the entire story. For forty years, Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) has been the epitome of support, holding the family down and doing the nitty gritty while her writing husband, Joe (Jonathan Pryce) crafts a living as a world-renowned author. The “genius” Joe isn’t easy to spend time with, […]

White Boy Rick

Sell them funky drugs, white boy. When in poverty, whatever needs to be done gets done to improve daily life. When in poverty, whatever needs to be done gets done to improve daily life. The Wersche family, a combination of uneducated and dysfunctional, is in deep poverty in the pressure cooker of Detroit. Mother Wersche […]

Peppermint (2018)

If justice isn’t given, you take it. Riley North (Jennifer Garner) is as mild-mannered as they come. Save for the occasional sharp-tongued comment that’s only done to protect her daughter, Carly (Cailey Fleming) from those dastardly PTA moms, Riley is sweet. Her work is basic as a financial bank manager, and her husband, Chris (Jeff […]

Kin

Fortnite could totally use this weapon. Fourteen-year-old Elijah (Myles Truitt) has never really known a normal life. He was adopted at six months old by Hal Solinski (Dennis Quaid), who has done his best to provide a fatherly influence. His adopted mother passed away some years ago, with the void still felt. Another void in […]

Movie Man Jackson looks at: 2018 Music in Movies (Part 2)

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. Part 2 of the yearly Music in Movies series continues. If you missed part 1, you can find that here. Let’s do it. Tomb Raider (composed by Junkie XL) The Bag The Devil’s Sea Never Give Up Mad Max: Fury Road like? Not […]