Big Hero 6. 2014 Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams Starring Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk Synopsis The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a […]
Interstellar – An Open Letter To Hollywood
Robert Kojder on Interstellar… Whether you love or hate Christopher Nolan, it is undeniable that he is crafting some of the most stimulating and thought-provoking films out there today; the icing on the cake is that they also happen to be highly lucrative Hollywood blockbusters. Outside of possibly Quentin Tarantino, no other director working in […]
Movie Review – Foxcatcher (2014)
Foxcatcher. 2014 Directed by Bennett Miller Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave SYNOPSIS: Based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont and brother Dave Schultz would lead to unlikely circumstances. If there’s one thing that is reinforced over and over […]
Movie Review – Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawler, 2014. Written and Directed by Dan Gilroy. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed. SYNOPSIS: A young man stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime journalism. Motivation for success is a perfectly fine trait to have, but what happens when all moral consciousness is lost while climbing the ladder? […]
Movie Review – Ouija (2014)
Ouija. 2014 Directed by Stiles White. Starring Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Bianca A. Santos, Douglas Smith and Shelley Hennig. SYNOPSIS: A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board. What else can be said about the current state of mainstream that […]
Movie Review – John Wick (2014)
John Wick, 2014. Directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. Starring Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick. SYNOPSIS: An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. If there is one thing that […]
50th Chicago International Film Festival Review – Birdman (2014)
Birdman. 2014 Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Amy Ryan, Andrea Riseborough and Naomi Watts SYNOPSIS: A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory. There might […]
Movie Review – Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash, 2014. Directed by Damien Chazelle. Starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell and Nate Lang. SYNOPSIS: A promising young drummer enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential. “There are no two […]
50th Chicago International Film Festival Review – Natural Born Killers (1994)
Natural Born Killers, 1994. Directed by Oliver Stone. Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rodney Dangerfield. SYNOPSIS: Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media. Natural Born Killers was selected as a special presentation at the 51st Chicago […]
50th Chicago International Film Festival Review – The Imitation Game (2014)
The Imitation Game, 2014. Directed by Morten Tyldum. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Charles Dance, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Beard, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, and Allen Leech. SYNOPSIS: English mathematician and logician, Alan Turing, helps crack the Enigma code during World War II. Just when you think every possible battle, pivotal moment, and time period of […]