Eenie Meanie is a high-octane thrill ride that will take you from the edge of your seat in anticipation, to laughing hysterically. Shawn Simmons expertly weaves the intricacies of an action thriller with a heist movie, featuring dynamic characters that leave you cheering for multiple sides.
Continue reading “‘Eenie Meanie’ Revs Up the Screen with Action, Thrills, and Humor”
I got to chat with director Tony Tost and star Paul Walter Hauser about Americana, the new Western/heist/comedy opening this week from Lionsgate Films. The interviews and my review of this thoroughly enjoyable genre-mashing romp, featured below. Americana also stars Halsey (yeaaah, “Without Me,” “Closer,” “Boy With Luv,” that Halsey!), Sydney Sweeney, Zahn McClarnon, Eric Dane, and Simon Rex.
Continue reading “‘Americana’ is a Dark Comedy About Cultural and Literal Theft, For Our Times”
When I pressed play on The Pickup, I was ready for a light, laugh-filled heist romp. Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson, and Eddie Murphy in one film? Directed by Tim Story? I expected chaos. I expected jokes. I expected surface-level fun. What I didn’t expect was a film that would detour from slapstick and romance into a quiet story about Black grief, corporate neglect, and what happens when the system that takes from us decides we’re not worth the refund.
Continue reading “‘The Pickup’ Blends Comedy, Chaos, and Reparative Justice — and I Was Not Ready”
In the past few years, reboots have become as ubiquitous as Marvel sequels. It feels like every week a new reboot gets announced. On TV, there’s Will and Grace, Fuller House, and the now-cancelled Roseanne. In film, there’s been 21 Jump Street, The Mummy, yet another Spider-Man reboot and of course, Ghostbusters. It’s hard not to compare Ocean’s 8 to the plethora of reboots that have come down the pipeline. But I can safely say that Ocean’s 8 is exactly what it needs to be. It’s fun, campy, silly, and suave. Every actress was perfect and absolute in the roles. And in so many ways, it checked all the boxes of a good heist film: good tricks, intricate plans, and unexpected plot twists.
Continue reading “‘Ocean’s 8’ is an Exercise in Expectation vs. Reality”
Like countless others, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Furious 7.
April just can’t get here fast enough.
It’s hard to believe that this is the same crew from the original The Fast & The Furious movie. While Dom and his team were a band of ride or die street racers and hijackers then, they weren’t exactly trotting the globe, executing billion dollar heists and battling international terrorists.
With each sequel, Dom, his family, as well as the F&F mythos have evolved. Furious 6 and Furious 7 are very reminiscent of Vin Diesel’s 2002 film, XXX.
