Star Wars: The Force Awakens REVIEW

Boy, it's good to be back in a galaxy far, far, away! JJ Abrams has crafted a love letter to the original trilogy (especially A New Hope) while propelling the franchise forward in exciting ways with impeccably casted new characters. Read on for my review.

THE MARTIAN Review - We really like to strand Matt Damon

The Martian is a solid, breezy, funny, and entertaining film. In a rare occurrence where the movie improves upon the book, Ridley Scott and co. have made a film that's smart, yet doesn't forget it's audience.

What does it mean to be a "true gentleman"?

This is a piece I began writing for a local news agency but this version differs greatly from the published piece. Given that so much of online news now can be prone to want shorter, easy to digest pieces, they wanted something different for their target audience of young women that day dream of one day finding their Atticus Finch only to discover he's a zombie.

In any case, I post the original here for your reading pleasure. I sincerely wanted to give the article some substance and really drive home the point of "just because this boy does x, y, and z does NOT mean he's a gentleman". If the boy who dons a suit and fedora at the local high school can technically do all the same "things" as say, Atticus Finch, then why is the former not regarded as a gentleman? What is filling in the gaps there? Here you go:

It's here! Final trailer for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

The final trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has arrived and you can see it right here. Also, tickets are on sale but many sites have crashed and MANY showtimes are already sold out. If you hope to see this movie before Christmas, act now!

SICARIO Review - "What are we doing here?"

Of all the movies I've seen in the past while, Sicario has stuck with me the most. It's meaty, dark, and forces yourself to ask serious moral questions. In this review I'll do my best to bring to light some themes the film explores while keeping the plot largely intact. This is another movie I saw without having anything spoiled, so I'll do my best to do the same for you.

End of Summer Movie Recap - Who Came Out on Top?

Well, that's a wrap, folks. The summer movie season is officially over, with only the dregs of the late  August slate premiering in the next week. So what was the outcome? Who were the winners? Who didn't fare so well? Let's take a closer look at some of the standouts, on both sides of box-office battle.

Because Jeff Goldblum

Looking back on JURASSIC WORLD - What did we really see?

While it would never be able to match the now-classic, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World stands on it's own as a fun ride, while calling nostalgically to the past.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Review

Mad Max: Fury Road is unlike anything I've ever seen. A stunning production design, a moving score, exhilarating (practical) action, and solid performances make this a rare thing to witness - there just aren't too many movies like this being made anymore.

THE AGE OF ADALINE Review

 
The Age of Adaline is a beautiful, contemplative film in which the title character faces one thing we all seem to welcome, yet fear: the passage of time.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Review

Joss Whedon's swan song in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Age of Ultron is big, loud, hilarious, and above all, fun. With emphasis on the characters we've come to know and love, Whedon has crafted a flawed, but very satisfying capper to Marvel's Phase 2. I'll do my best to keep this review spoiler free.

First Image of Jared Leto's Iteration of THE JOKER Revealed

                            Image via David Ayer twitter

David Ayer, director of the upcoming Suicide Squad has revealed the first photo of Jared Leto's iteration of The Joker.

Marvel's Cinematic Universe Movies (so far) Ranked from Best to Worst

 

  Image via Marvel Studios

We are just one week away from surely what will be one of the biggest sequels in history. The anticipation is huge for many fans out there (like myself) and we're all keeping our fingers crossed Marvel can make some magic happen again.

Second Teaser Trailer for STAR WARS:EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS

The second teaser for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is here and is a welcome return "home" for all.

First Teaser Trailer for BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Warner Bros. has released the first teaser trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and I feel a little underwhelmed. With that being said, I know this is only a teaser for a movie that is still 11 months from being released so I will do my best to treat it as such.

FURIOUS 7 Review

  Image via Universal

The team is back together in the most wild, over-the-top, fun entry yet in the Fast & Furious franchise. Universal has found their superheroes.

Empathy Machines - What is this blog?

Hello, readers! Thanks for reading my blog. Creating this blog is something I've been considering doing for a long time now, given my love of all things in the arts - especially movies. I love them, and I have for a long time. Many have had lasting, powerful, and deep impacts on my life and I hope that through this blog you can begin to see even a small part of what I see when I go to the movies.

He's Back: A Deeper Look into the Early TERMINATOR Films

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For the 1980’s and early 90’s Hollywood seemed almost obsessed over making the next best action film. This is evidenced by the sheer number of action films that were released during this time, many of which would feature characters and actors that would become iconic in this crazed action cinema.

2014 Oscar Nominations Announced

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I wrote this a long time ago, but some may find it enjoyable even though the time has passed:

This morning the 2014 Oscar Nominations were announced, and I’m a little disappointed by a few oversights made by the academy (I recognize that my credibility is very little here because I did not see a few of these films). One such failing is regarding the date when a film is released and how that date can have so much bearing on how much it is recognized by the academy for awards. For example, The Place Beyond the Pines was a fantastic film that easily should have been nominated (along with its amazing score). Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper could have been nominated for it, along with Derek Cianfrance, the director over their fantastic work. But, because it was released the back in April, it isn’t given much attention.