Some Dude Reviews Movies

Guy Ritchie's films are in my film DNA. Everyone has a film DNA. It's composed of the movies you watched in your formative years. The ones that established what you liked in a film. DNA films are the ones you've seen countless times. Ones you can quote with ease. The ones that survive yearly DVD purges. The ones that gather dust on your shelf. The ones you swear are your favorites, but that you haven't actually watched in ages. The problem with DNA films is that, often, when you go back and rewatch them, they lose their luster. They turn out to be not as good as you remember. The flaws that you weren't looking for in your youth pop out. Sometimes, over long periods of time, your tastes have changed and the movie that informed your movie DNA in your youth is no longer relevant or held in the same esteem. Guy Ritchie's latest films have not been great. I am not sure if it's a result of a filmmaker trying to do something he can't, or whethe...

I started this blog because I like to write. Specifically, I like to write about movies. I don't particularly care if anyone reads it. The joy of it is always in sitting down and laying out my thoughts about a movie I've just seen. This month has been more challenging than most. I knew the cyberpunk theme was going to net me some bad films, but I hadn't quite counted on seeing so many duds in the theater. It seems like the majority of the films that I've watched lately have been boring, derivative, or stupid (except for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse  (2018), you really should see that one). Which makes the writing of this post a real treat. Because, now, I get to write about a movie I really love. Now I get to tell you about Blade Runner 2049 . And, yes, I have technically already reviewed this movie (way back when I was posting on Facebook), but I always have things to say about it. And rewatching it last night kind of reinvigorated my soul. I....

You'd be forgiven for being a bit hyped after you saw the trailer for Welcome to Marwen , a feature film directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Steve Carell. It seems to hit all the right notes: a quirky story that appears to make use of Carell's penchant for both heartfelt characters and masterful comedic timing. It looks like the kind of story, about a man overcoming his PTSD, that seamlessly blends laughs and touching emotional moments. It doesn't, though. I. What is It? Artist Mark "Hogie" Hogancamp was viciously beaten one night. He lost his memory and his ability to draw and write. He has since adapted and become a photographer. He created the world of Marwen, and peopled it with intricately detailed dolls, and uses this town and these dolls to tell stories. He also uses them to help understand and conquer his PTSD. II. What Should Be Sweet Comes Off More Than a Bit Creepy This movie should be sweet. It should be heartwarming. It should b...

At this point, you go to see a DCEU movie with two outcomes in mind: you are either going to witness a cinematic train-wreck, or this will be the time that they pull it out and get back on track. After Wonder Woman  (2017), DC seemed to have gotten their shit together. But Aquaman  loomed on the horizon. The marketing campaign focused on the sense of fun, the bright colors, and the adventure of it all. But would it live up to the hype? I. What is It? This is the story of Arthur Curry. His mom was a queen and his dad was a... light house... guy. They fell in love, and she had to go back to Atlantis... because. Anyway, many years later, Arthur's half brother is gathering the might of the seven seas to wage war on the surface world. And only Arthur can stop him. Cuz he's a king, ya know. II. It is Pretty... The color in this film is bright and pops off every frame. The reds and teals have been dialed up to eleven, and stand in stark contrast to the drear...

I was interested in the recent Ghost in the Shell  movie. The trailer made it look exciting. I'd heard that there was an anime, but never got around to watch it. Then the hot takes started pouring in. Accusations of racial appropriation and insensitivity started flying. I decided to skip the thing on its original theatrical run. But then I decided to watch cyberpunk movies for this month. And, for better or worse, Ghost in the Shell  is a relevant piece of cyberpunk cinema. Even if it might be relevant for the wrong reasons. Let's take a look, shall we. I. What is It? This is the story of a woman whose consciousness, or "ghost," has been placed into a cybernetic body. She works with an elite team of law enforcement officers in a far future unnamed city (much of it is based on Hong Kong). A spat of murders sets her on a course of self discovery, as she tries to figure out why she keeps seeing glitches of memories from a life she doesn't know. ...

I heard about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse  (2018) some time ago. I remember being struck by the original-looking animation. But, given that it was being produced by Sony, I figured that it would either be a direct-to-DVD charmer or absolutely botched. But then clips and trailers started dropping. And the enormity of the film's ambition started to sink in. This was no simple "cartoon." This was Sony placing all of its bets on a last-ditch effort to make a shared universe film. It looked bold, and funny, and seemed to have a very high pedigree of talent swirling around it. I knew, pretty soon, that I was going to HAVE to see this one in theaters. So. Is it any good? I. What is It? This is the story of Miles Morales. When a hole in interdimensional space flings Spider People from multiple realities into his world, Miles realizes that he's one of the few people in the world that can help them. Miles needs to figure out who he is, what he want...

I'm a fan of Dolly Parton. I have developed an appreciative eye for drag culture. I'm a sucker for a well-made coming of age story. Put all those things into a blender, and you might concoct something like Netflix's Dumplin' (2018). Directed by Anne Fletcher, Dumplin' is the story of a plus-sized girl whose mother runs local beauty pageants. As an ode to her recently deceased aunt, and a middle finger to the beauty standards that have alienated her from her mother, this girl signs up to compete in the Miss Teen Bluebonnet Pageant. She and her ragtag group of compatriots will learn what it means to accept the skin you live in, and how to have fun. Oh, and there's drag queens, too. I. Every Body is a Swimsuit Body This is a movie about body positivity and claiming victories for ones' self. The characters in this film have different arcs that explore the same idea: every body is a swimsuit body. Willowdean (Danielle McDonald) learns to be comforta...

Dredd  is a 2012 film written by Alex Garland and directed by Pete Travis. It is criminally underrated, and I'd like to endeavor to tell you why. Dredd  is set in the far-flung futuristic Mega City One. The Judges are the only thing that stand between civilization and absolute chaos. When a routine triple homicide goes belly-up, one of the most ruthless Judges in Mega City One will have to fight against the odds with his newbie partner. I. Stunning This movie is gorgeous. Mega City One has never looked so good. It is a sprawling dystopic urban nightmare, but it looks and feels like a real place. One of the things that immediately stands out is how colorful it is. A lot of sci fi, cyberpunk especially, gets sort of washed out in dark blues. Dredd  ratchets up the greens and yellows, instead, which makes for vibrant, bright, neon colors. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle uses his depth of field and framing like a boss, and creates interesting, dynamic images ...

I had never seen Strange Days. But, when researching cyberpunk movies for this month's theme, this film kept popping up on lists. Upon initial inspection, its pedigree was good (directed by Katheryn Bigelow and co-written by James Cameron), it had an excellent cast (Ralph Fiennes, AND Angela Bassett? Yes, please), and an intriguing premise (re-purposed military memory tech used to sell virtual pornography). I was worried, though. I'm doing a cyberpunk series. And this movie is set in 1999, on the eve of the new millennium. That's four measly years since the movie's actual release date. How much dystopian future could Bigelow wring in four years? Turns out, she'd be turning in one of the best cyberpunk movies of 1995, one of the best of the three I watched, anyway, and possibly one of the best movies of my entire cyberpunk selection. I. A Great Premise One of the great qualifiers of the cyberpunk genre is how "the street finds a way." This...