Flashback

POSITIVES…

  • Lives up to the title of the movie in a way that is quite interesting and unique.

  • Fascinating and mysterious plot should give you some incentive to keep watching.

  • The first act should pique your curiosity. The second act should grab your attention. The third act is absolutely a love it or hate it thing. Either way. Writer-Director Christopher MacBride is undeniably giving you a fresh experience in a usually derivative movie genre.

  • Conclusion should definitely give you something to think about.

  • Movie is a bit cerebral and philosophical, with lots to say about memories, nostalgia, perception, time, life, and desires.

  • There’s some sentimentality in a certain plot point that I appreciated.

  • Dylan O’Brien is very good in this. He is a huge reason as to why the movie is worth checking out.

  • Excellent use of quick edit scenes that serves the narrative really well.

  • The illustrations. Really liked those.

  • Nice reminder for kids to take drugs responsibly.

  • Maika Monroe as Cindy Williams is there for those of you with “tsundere” fantasies.

NEGATIVES…

  • I can see people saying that this is actually pretty dumb and just pretentious.

  • Actors in their late 20s playing high school students…

  • The slow methodical pacing is not going to be for everyone.

  • Extended strobe effects scenes is something to warn you about.

  • Sebastian character is just too much.

  • Cindy Williams is just too underwritten of a character.

  • Felt like the movie also didn’t do Hannah Gross’ character of Karen the justice it only thinks it gave her.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Flashback - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

The Water Man

POSITIVES…

  • This is a solid coming of age type story with an adventurous inventive element to it. 

  • It’s a family friendly movie, but it isn’t afraid to tackle heavier topics involving life and death. 

  • I liked the animated graphic novel bits here and there. 

  • Excellent work by the young lead actors. Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller as Gunner and Jo deserve the kudos. 

  • Part of the hook of this movie are the interactions between Gunner and Jo, and following their journey in this story. 

  • Good adult cast too. David Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, Maria Bello, and several more. 

  • Narrative has some nice pleasant surprises to offer you. 

  • Worthwhile thematic lessons here. 

  • Fantastic colorful cinematography throughout. 

  • The kid has a Japanese sword. That’s pretty cool.

NEGATIVES…

  • Still has some familiar plot tropes and cliches. 

  • Plot conveniences too. Certain story beats were just glossed over. 

  • I can just imagine some people not liking the Amos and Jo characters that much. 

  • Leans on some adventurous elements for the premise, but the movie itself could have showcased more adventurous situations than it actually did. 

  • Bugs!

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The Water Man - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

POSITIVES…

  • You go into a “The Conjuring” movie for the scares, but you really end up sticking around because of Patrick Wilson’s and Vera Farmiga’s Ed & Lorraine Warren respectively. This one is no exception. Gotta love those two. 

  • Good work by the supporting cast as well, which includes Ruari O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Eugenie Bondurant, Julian Hilliard, and John Noble. 

  • Premise for this installment, plays off more like a detective crime mystery thriller, which is a nice change of pace to the franchise. 

  • Fascinating plot point of bringing the court of law into The Conjuring universe. 

  • Plot progression and narrative is engaging and interesting. I don’t know how you wouldn’t be compelled to see this story through. 

  • Opening scary set piece was an incredible beginning to this movie. 

  • It still knows how to properly build tense anticipations for the scares. 

  • There’s also this cool special visual effect found during the third act. 

  • Little bits of levity and humor here and there were unexpectedly welcome. 

  • “Introduce you to Annabelle. If you’re not convinced, we’ll butt out.” 

  • Took a while to get to the underlying theme of the story, but I genuinely appreciated it when it was revealed what that was.

NEGATIVES…

  • Probably the least scary installment so far. 

  • Some unbelievably improbable moments here and there. 

  • May just not be as remarkable of a movie as you wished it would be. 

  • Arguably too visually stylish at times, that makes you forget that this is a movie in The Conjuring franchise. 

  • Rats.

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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - watched it on HBO MAX

Oslo

POSITIVES…

  • As an intellectual political historical thriller, this is such a relevant film to see when considering current events.

  • Premise revolves around several meetings that will literally change the world, and this movie captures that importance in full effect. 

  • Part of the entertainment in watching this are the twists and turns on where the narrative takes this story to. 

  • Tonal shifts that will throw you on a loop is perfectly demonstrated by a scene about telling jokes and eating waffles. 

  • That “Declaration Of Principles” montage. 

  • Introduction of Uri Savir is an amazing turning point. 

  • Then the introduction of Joel Singer is also another huge game changer. 

  • For a movie that’s primarily people talking or yelling at each other, this still manages to be quite the gripping story to watch. 

  • Ensemble cast is amazing, and includes Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Salim Dau, Jeff Wilbusch, Waleed Zuaiter, Doval'e Glickman, Igal Naor, plus more. 

  • Appreciated how this film demonstrates the power of diplomacy. 

  • “Garbage and Taxes is what a government does.”

NEGATIVES…

  • Not exactly the most blockbusters of movies. 

  • It’s basically a talking heads film, which is not for everybody. 

  • Plot shortcuts. Didn’t appreciate them, but I do understand the need for them. 

  • Felt like it kept us in the dark at times, for scenes that I expected to be privy to.

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Oslo - watched it on HBO MAX

PLAN B

POSITIVES…

  • As a rather mature teen comedy that leads into crazy situations, this was actually quite the entertaining movie. 

  • Because of this movie, you should add Sunny and Lupe, played wonderfully by Kuhoo Verma and Victoria Moroles respectively, into the distinguished list of memorable cinematic comedic duos, like Harold & Kumar, or Bill & Ted, before them. 

  • There are some funny and outrageous scenes and encounters to be found in this. 

  • “Indian Mafia.” 

  • Loved the clever witty lines in this movie. “Girls are horse f****** and I haven’t even had my first kiss.” “Who plays hockey in a cardigan.” “...weirded out by the phallic nature of corn.” 

  • If that isn’t obvious, there is some very very frank dialogue in this, that I appreciated. 

  • There’s also that sex scene. LOL. How appropriately on point for this movie. 

  • Movie has some good surprises plot wise, but also character wise. Like Michael Provost as Hunter, who is an absolute delight in the role. 

  • The commentaries on social issues here are to be commended. 

  • That abstinence educational video was such a hoot and a half. I mean sex euphamisms via vehicular terminologies. Hilarious. 

  • Christian trap hip-hop music.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s not always a laugh-a-riot of a movie like you probably would have wanted it to be. 

  • Doesn’t completely maintain that fun energetic tone from the first act, during the next two acts of the story. 

  • A little too on the nose with men wanting to sexually exploit women, a couple of times too much in this movie. 

  • Isn’t showing mean teenagers just such a tired old cliche by now? 

  • Plot conveniences and familiar plot tropes still show up as expected. 

  • Vomit.

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PLAN B - watched it on HULU

Cruella

POSITIVES…

  • As a reinvention of the Cruella DeVille character, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out. 

  • Movie is also not afraid to have a dark, wicked, naughty, tone throughout. So parents just know that it may not be for kids at all. 

  • While it doesn’t lean heavily on comedy, there are several comedic moments throughout to keep you entertained. 

  • Narrative is fantastic and engaging. Incorporates a lot of good pacing, editing, one-take tracking shots, plus all those great montages. 

  • Has lots of amazing scenes, from the opening act, the black & white ball, to the final set piece during the third act, and all those scheming heists sequences. Not to mention the conversations Estella has with her Mum. Loved those. 

  • Lots of witty and clever lines of dialogue, that only enhances the scenes they are in even more. “Fabrics! Can you get me a red like that.” “Sorry. Slight tone delivery problem.” “You’re in my way.” “Thank You.” 

  • The dynamic between Estella / Cruella and the Baroness is just so much fun to watch, it’s electrifying. 

  • Speaking of which. Huge applause to the two Emmas here. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. They are both just simply amazing in this. 

  • Excellent supporting cast that includes Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Andrew Leung, John McCrea, Mark Strong, and more. The Dogs! Can’t forget to give a shout out to the dogs too.

  • All the colorful, kinetic, arresting visuals and imagery that can be found in this film. Spectacular stuff. 

  • Really enjoyed the soundtrack, that’s filled with lots of rock favorites from the 1960s and 1970s. 

  • Oh yeah, and then there’s all that fashion stuff. I’m sure fashionistas will get a kick.

NEGATIVES…

  • Song choices can be arguably superficially implemented into the movie. 

  • Certain story conveniences and familiar tropes here and there. 

  • Some logical flaws that take you out of the movie at times. 

  • Movie is probably longer than it had to be. 

  • CGI dogs. I mean. Advancements in live-action computer animation and all, but still. Obvious CGI dogs.

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Cruella - watched it on DISNEY+

A Quiet Place Part II

POSITIVES…

  • A worthy follow-up to the first installment. Arguably even better than part one. 

  • Amazing cast! From Millicent Simmonds, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, to John Krasinski. 

  • Day 1 flashback section of the movie. Amazing. 

  • All that tension and thrills that this movie can achieve. Fantastic. 

  • So effective in telling a story with many scenes not containing dialogue. May as well be a silent film at times. 

  • The moments that do contain dialogue, were eloquent, and even thought provoking. 

  • Really great at intercutting certain scenes together, that were really engaging to see play out on screen. 

  • There were some really engrossing scenes to experience in this movie. Kudos to Director John Krasinski! 

  • What also greatly helps with the tone and the narrative, is the musical score. So good. 

  • Visually, the cinematography and those arresting imagery. Top notch. 

  • Monster creature effects are excellent. 

  • Those big triumphant moments deserve a standing ovation.

NEGATIVES…

  • Certain plot conveniences and familiar tropes do still crop up, which cheapens the narrative a bit. 

  • Some “why are you doing that?!” moments that make you want to do a facepalm. 

  • Fake out jump scares. Come on. I feel like you don’t have to rely on those for this movie. 

  • That one stupid idea of a trap. Unbelievably wasn’t thought through was it? 

  • All those shots of bare feet.

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A Quiet Place Part II - watched it IN THEATERS

Together Together

POSITIVES…

  • The opening interview scene is a great way to kick off this interesting premise of a movie. 

  • Ed Helms is great in this as Matt, showcasing his skills of being awkward and vulnerable. 

  • Patti Harrison as Anna is also great here, and is fantastic at her deadpan comedy. 

  • A lot of this movie is about the chemistry and the conversations Matt and Anna have, and they easily kept me engaged. 

  • There is quirky, awesome, and clever dialogue in this that covers fantastic topics from fascinating factoids, social-philosophical thoughts, and pop culture references. 

  • Along with the conversations, are the excellent scenes that feature them. This movie is filled with fun quirky and humorous scenes. 

  • “Opening the shade: The deeper meaning behind color…” 

  • “Lamp.” 

  • “I can’t tell if she’s really rude or amazing.” 

  • There are lots of excellent supporting casts here, but I gotta give it to Sufe Bradshaw for stealing every scene she’s in. 

  • Three story arcs. Three trimesters. Cute. 

  • Sweet. Touching. Thought provoking. Good stuff!

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s not exactly the most exciting movie in the typical sense. 

  • Some might think Patti Harrison’s dry comedic role is just much too dry. 

  • There will be those who won’t be too happy with how the movie ends.

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Together Together - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

Army of the Dead

POSITIVES…

  • If you like zombie movies and Zack Snyder, then by all means go check out this movie. 

  • Fun premise of combining the zombie genre with a heist element to it. 

  • Opening montage is awesome. All the montages in fact. Snyder knows how to do fantastic montages. 

  • Good ensemble cast, from Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Theo Rossi, plus many more. 

  • Speaking of the cast though, I gotta specifically give it to Tig Notaro, Nora Arnezeder, and Matthias Schweighöfer, for being the stand-out characters in this. 

  • The introduction scene for the Athena Perample zombie character. Fascinating. 

  • That one set piece involving Samantha Win’s character is peak zombie movie awesomeness. 

  • Booby trap sequence. Entertaining stuff. 

  • Has some spectacular visuals to see in this movie. 

  • Liked the mythological touches to the story behind the zombies. 

  • Zombie animals. 

  • Richard Cheese and Allison Crowe’s “Viva Las Vegas.”

NEGATIVES…

  • While there’s a heist element to the premise, it doesn’t really capitalize on that genre as much as I hoped it would. 

  • Logical flaws in the story. 

  • Characters you just don’t really care for.

  • There are some slow moments that I didn’t like halting the momentum the movie had. 

  • Needless to say, some pacing and tone issues. 

  • Zack Snyder arguably indulges himself too much here. 

  • Considering the content of the movie, it really didn’t need to be 148 mins long. 

  • Was the topless female zombies really necessary?

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Army of the Dead - watch it on NETFLIX

Oxygene

POSITIVES…

  • The way this film builds from the simple concept of somebody who finds herself trapped in what is essentially a coffin, and expands it into so much more, is an incredible feat by Director Alexandre Aja and writer Christie LeBlanc. 

  • Having pretty much the whole movie set in that one claustrophobic location and still manages to keep you engaged is fantastic. 

  • You’d think with just that one location there wouldn’t be much to see visually. Not true at all. There’s a lot of dynamic visuals that take advantage of the premise in nice ways. 

  • Plot progression moves and builds up in interesting, surprising, and suspenseful ways. 

  • That big reveal in the middle of the movie. Well done. 

  • This story manages to tackle some very thought provoking themes and topics. 

  • Mélanie Laurent carries this film splendidly. Amazing performance. Especially considering she is only interacting with disembodied voices. 

  • Shout out to Mathieu Amalric for the excellent job of being the voice actor for the artificial intelligent computer M.I.L.O. He is definitely a character. 

  • "Would you like a sedative?"

NEGATIVES…

  • Starts off a little slow. 

  • Some jump scares seemed unnecessary. 

  • Certain plot coincidences might be pushing it for you. 

  • Rats.

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Oxygene - watched it on NETFLIX