Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Queen is one of those bands that even if you don't like them you know all of their songs. Queen was a band but Queen was also much more than that. Freddie Mercury was an icon, a legend to so many.

When Bohemian Rhapsody got announced I was wary. There were so many ways it could go wrong. Do they focus on Freddie's eccentricities too much that the music gets lost? Do they focus on the music and cast a shadow over the monolith of a man that was Freddie?

Thankfully the filmakers found a good balance. This was a great movie and not just for the soundtrack which was amazing. The casting was spectacular, Rami Malek obviously put so much care into the role and at times is almost able to fool us (The Live Aid performance). Gwilym Lee and Lucy Boyntonas Brian May and Freddie's best friend Mary were amazing.

I loved the scenes with Freddie and Mary, they had such great chemistry.

Go see Bohemian Rhapsody and sing along.

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

 

Mary Queen of Scots is my favorite historical figure and so when they annonced this movie, before I even knew anything about it, I was excited. The casting was suberb and the trailer had me hooked. I got the posters early and hung them at my work. We even got the standee. I was getting hyped for this movie.

They cut short a lot of the detail surrounding Mary and her rule but I felt like they captured the intrigue and the desperation. These were two women ruling over men in a man's world. The movie takes care looking at the lives of these two women obviously favoring Mary over her cousin Elizabeth.

There are historical inacuracies which were to be expected but mostly they got the spirit right. Mary Queen of Scots is a stunning historical drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat to see who will prosper.

Bumblebee (2018)

 

I grew up on Transformers. My brother and I used to watch the show on saturday mornings over bowls of cereal. I used to watch the animated movie whenever I got a chance and while that movie remains my favorite bit of Transformers Bumblebee is on the same tier.

This was intended to be a prequal and you can certainly see the pieces they put in to support that. I however think it's in their best interest to use Bumblebee as a launching pad for a reboot.

It has everything Transformers fans were asking for. It has callbacks to the original look and feel of the show with bits and pieces of refrences to other media. I would have gladly sat through two hours of the war on cybertron.

Bumblebee is the heart of the autobots and he always has been. The way he grows and interacts with Charlie is perfect. John Cena was a bit over the top but that is how he has always been so I wasn't expecting anything else.

Til' all are one!

Welcome to Marwen (2018)

The trailer was interesting but I knew little to nothing about this film or what to expect.

The animation and transition from real life to the world of Marwen was fantastic. The story is inventive and inspiring. I related a lot to Mark, the main character played by Steve Carell. I have always poured a bit of myself into the worlds I create whether it be in a game of D&D or a novel I'm writing.

Marwen was a breath of fresh air. It flowed well and engaged me the whole time. If you like quirky stories check out Marwen.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (2018)

 

The Spider-Man films have been very hit or miss. The original trilogy with Toby Mcguire was troubled though Spider-Man 2 was a masterpiece. The only things I liked out of the Andrew Garfield flicks was Emma Stone's Gwen.

The animation style used in Spiderverse was fresh and part of the reason I was excited to check it out. Spider-Man is not my favorite hero but being a Marvel fan he's always been around. The real reason I was excited to see this flick was Spider-Gwen. The Spiderverse was an interesting story in the comics and Gwen was my favorite part.

Spiderverse takes place in the ultimate universe of Miles Morales. If you'e confused have no fear, everyone's origin is explained quickly and concisely. 

This is my second favorite Spider-Man movie right behind Homecoming. It's fresh and new, full of heart. 

Aquaman (2018)

 

 

Not big on DC, but man do I like Jason Momoa. Out of all the Dc I read the few things I liked were Batman and Aquaman. Late 90's Aquaman was entertaining, I started reading it because a friend had recomended it to me. The DC movies for the most part have been awful for the most part, the most notable exeption was Wonder Woman but the momentum for that character was quickly dashed in Justice League.

This movie was a huge success. I would say it still doesn't compare with Wonder Woman but it was close enough to note. This is an origin story but it's more than that. It felt less like a straight forward superhero story and more of an epic adventure.

The casting was superb and the CGI was improved from what we had seen in the trailers. Jason Momoa takes on the mantle of Aquaman with ease. Amber Herd was spectacular here and she brought a lot to the film.

Creed II (2018)

I'm big into boxing and the Rocky movies are what started it for me. It's got the hits, it's got the drama. The series has evolved over the years, we followed Rocky Balboa from The first Apollo Creed fight to the tense showdown in Russia between Balboa and Ivan Drago (We don't talk about Rocky V).

Rocky was done for decades, he had thrown in the towel. Rocky Balboa saw him do what no one thought could be done or should be done, Rocky was back. While Rocky Balboa was not widly liked it was neccisary.

In 2015 we saw Adonis Creed heir to the throne come out and stun the world. Michael B Jordan had the Charisma of Apollo and the heart of Rocky as Adonis (He added a bit of his own ferocity.)

Now there is a challenger, Things didn't end well for Ivan Drago and his son is hungry. These titans square off to face eachother but it wouldn't be a Rocky movie without drama. Both of these fighters are motivated by the past not just theirs but their fathers. One has everything to lose and one has lost everything.

If you liked Creed you NEED to see this movie. If you're just curious I highly recomend it.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

 

Unfortunatly I was sick and so didn't get to test this movie early. Someone knew Queenie was my favorite part of Fantastic Beasts. I was told her story in the sequel and how bad it was. I can tell you now that they were not entirely right. 

Fantastic Beasts 2 revolves around the same characters though honestly the focus is less on Newt and more on the villain Grindelwald. The film was fun and a bit darker than the previous one (one of the reasons I liked it.) 

The pacing was odd and sometimes it felt like the script was cobbled together by a group of people who knew nothing of the characters and themes. This was a decent movie but it lacked greatness. Queenie and Jacob were still my primary focus and their story was thouroughly engaging. 

If you liked the first one, you should continue the story but if you're new to the series this is far from the first place you should start.

First Man (2018)

 

My brother was a space fanatic. We watched the launches, we watched the movies. He wanted to go to Space Camp so bad. We always looked at the stars, not just in reality but in our media as well.

I was excited to see First Man, I really was. Without going into too much detail, First Man is hardly a movie about space. It's a movie completely focused on Neil and not all of it is how we'd like to think of him. I don't know enough to know whether it is accurate enough. If Buzz Aldrin acted like he did in the movie I would be supremely disappointed. 

I would avoid this one like the plague. Not even Ryan Gosling can save it.

Halloween (2018)

We return to Halloween. There have been a lot of sequels and remakes over the years, some of them were truly awful. Halloween 2018 ignores them all and instead chooses to be a direct sequel to Halloween 1978.

There IS a fantastic nod to Halloween III in the form of the Silver Shamrock masks which I thought was amazing.

Laurie Strode has made herself ready for Michael, she is no longer the victim. She is also not neccesarily the main character. Much of the movie follows her granddaughter, the only one who seems to understand Laurie.

MICHAEL is back and he is evil personified. The kills are brutal and inventive, his strength is legendary. There are a few twists along the way as well.

The score is haunting and sets the tension to 11.

THIS is the sequel we always needed.

Halloween (1978)

 I haven't seen this movie in a decade so i needed a refresher before Halloween 2018.

This is a classic slasher, there's no rhyme or reason just evil. Michael Myers is one of the most terrifying slashers ever on screen. The strength he displays, his breath under the mask. A young Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, in my opinion THE difinitive survivor girl. This movie is full of classic tropes because it invented most of them. 

Who knew a William Shatner mask could be so terrifying. While the kills aren't very inventive they are brutal and horrifying. The score is iconic and you're on the edge of your seat the whole time.

If you have never seen Halloween I suggest you turn the lights off, hit play and give yourself over to terror.

Hellfest (2018)

Slashers are my favorite horror subgenre. Hellfest looked generic but it had a cool poster and who doesn't want to see a slasher in a crowded amusement park.

The pacing was great, we're introduced to the gang and then we're told about Hellfest after an introduction to our killer. There's lots of color, neon lights and such but everything remains dark and ominous.

The amusement park is pretty cool, it's a combinination of a couple haunts with some games and even an escape room or two.

Our killer is terrifying without being a supernatural being from hell. It kind of reminded me of scream a little where the evil is in the heart of man, thers no reason, no explaination.

Hellfest succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat. A modern day classic in my opinion.

A Star is Born (2018)

 

I wasn't too interested in seeing this for any reason other than Lady Gaga. Man was this good. I was engaged right away, the music the colour and the characters. 

Bradley Cooper took on quite the persona, he's pulling double duty as actor and director but man it was great. Gaga's character seemed a little close to her actual self so maybe not a stretch for her. 

A Star is Born is ann emotional roller coaster that I was not prepared for. I cried and I laughed too. I felt connected to every moment, I was fully invested in their story.

If you like music go see this movie. If you like drama go see this movie. If you like Gaga go see this movie. If you like Bradley Cooper go see this movie. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

No place for a priest. Bad Times at the El Royal feels like a Tarantino movie. You've got one singular event covered by 4 perspectives, add some classic music and you're rolling.

The trailer seemed ver generic and I felt like it showed a little too much and while it did show more than what I would have liked there was still plenty going on that wasn't spoiled.

I like movies set in different times, it's the attention to detail to make a movie FEEL like a different time and it certainly worked here.

Ever since Mad Men I've been a Jon Hamm guy and he was pretty good here but the best performances go to Chris Hemsworth and Jeff Bridges.

Bad Times has a lot of layers and I think it's a flick you have to experience a couple of times.

Venom (2018)

 I went into Venom with very low expectations. How do you do a Venom movie without Spider-Man?
The first trailer was god awful and it looked like we were only going to get the suit briefly.

I will be the first to admit that I was wrong. Venom worked! The way they portayed Eddie Brock was spot on and it wasn't lacking without Peter as a focus. Tom Hardy was ajoy to watch but as far as I'm concerned Michelle William's part was the best.

The CGI was rough at parts but it wasn't distracting to look at. The way the symbiote interacted with Eddie was amazing. Venom was not my favorite character growing up, he wasn't even on the list (Spider-Man wasn't my thing.)

This movie wasn't amazing but it was good. Go in with low expectations and you're in for a fun ride.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

My mother bought this movie years ago for me out of the $5 bin at Walmart. I did not expect much but I loved it. Upon rewatching it I fell in love again.

Ginger Snaps is a werewolf movie but it is very different than all of the rest. Ginger Snaps is told from a female perspective and is very blatant.

Bridget and Ginger are 15 and 16. Both have still yet to blossom into their womanhood by getting their period. Ginger gets hers and then... WEREWOLVES.

The soundtrack sticks out to me every time.

Both girls are creepy as hell and I love it.

A Simple Favor (2018)

I have been looking foward to this one since I saw the trailer last year. A Simple Favor is a thriller at heart with a dash of comedy sprinkled in.

Two women are the focus in this film. Stephanie played by Anna Kendrick is a single mom and blogger striving to be the perfect mom. Her son meets the son of Emily played by Blake Lively who is a successful woman and a bit of a fashionista, ok more than a bit.

Somehow Stephanie and Emily become friends though it may be debatable if that is one sided. The mystery starts when Emily goes missing.

This was a wild ride. It had twist after twist and some I expected to pan out a certain way ended up leading to some more twists.