Reviews by JR1220

One of those, "I THINK I saw this when it came out, but maybe I didn't" movies. Since this was on Disney+, I decided to give it another look and yes, I do have fuzzy memories of this, but had no memory of the third act.
So, here goes. Yes, this is a weird, fun, and chaotic musical romp and it makes perfect sense why it has such a cult following. The stop motion animation is outstanding and is perfect for the spooky and charming tale.
With some of Tim Burton's "stock" players, like Catherine O'Hara, Paul Rubens, Glenn Shadix and the singing prowess of long-time collaborator Danny Elfman, many of the secret ingredients are in place to make this a unique, if not off-kilter production.

A fun concept - "what if" a singing cowboy movie was made today (in this case, the mid 80s)
This satirical western hits many of the right notes (pun intended), but the second act kind of hits a lull, but the finale makes for an entertaining payoff. Still, it's always fun to see Marilu Henner as the "Hostess" of the local saloon, and Andy Griffith as the "bad guy" was really fun, too.

"Madame Web" is enjoyable from a certain perspective, and it certainly doesn’t deserve all the criticism from both critics and cast members. Yes, it has flaws, but that’s a reflection of life, isn’t it? We are all flawed. We are all products of multi-million dollar budgets and the efforts of hundreds of people working towards one goal: getting a motion picture onto the big screen and streaming services.

Regarding Dakota Johnson’s performance as Cassie Webb, I completely understand her indifference for about 90% of the movie. In her mind, her mother dragged her along, even while pregnant, to the Amazon to study spiders, and ended up losing her life as a result. That’s some heavy trauma to place on a child. No wonder she is described as a "tough hang," as Jason Mantzoukas put it on the podcast "How Did This Get Made?"

Let’s also acknowledge the three young adults Cassie has been tasked with protecting. Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced all delivered believable performances in their roles as snarky, know-it-all, and indifferent teenagers.

Is this film "Citizen Kane"? Definitely not. But is it silly, escapist fun? Absolutely!

Oh, and Adam Scott is in it, which is worth at least half a star!

"Madame Web" is enjoyable from a certain perspective, and it certainly doesn’t deserve all the criticism from both critics and cast members.

Wait, I think I already said that. Deja vu!

One of those movies that has been on my watchlist for years, and I finally got around to seeing it. Wow, what a labor of love. The ensemble cast is outstanding. Another “deep bench” with some established heavyweights blended perfectly with the next generation of stars. Tense, deliberate filmmaking which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had NO IDEA how it would end, and that’s a very good thing. Bravo to all involved.

Far exceeded every expectation I had and the expectations were HIGH!
Outstanding visuals matched by exceptional performances. Will certainly be counting the days until part two!

Last evening, I received an early birthday surprise—a screening of this documentary here in Indianapolis. I could try to claim that the guest appearances by two stormtroopers, a Rebel pilot, and Darth Vader himself didn't influence my review, but I can't honestly say that. What an incredible experience! As a six-year-old when the original Star Wars hit theaters, I was instantly hooked by everything that came from a galaxy "far, far away." This included The Star Wars Holiday Special. Yes, I have memories, albeit fuzzy, of watching it the one and only time it aired in 1978, and over the years, I've seen clips and bootleg copies of this wild moment in TV history. However, I had no idea about the behind-the-scenes chaos that went into the production of this cult classic. It seems that it could only have been brought into existence in the late 1970s, in a small window between the original Star Wars and the debut of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. To round out the story, there are interviews with comedians like Paul Scheer, Seth Green, Taran Killam, Kevin Smith, Gilbert Gottfried, and Weird Al. Each brought their unique perspectives to the Holiday Special, as most of them were in the prime demographic for the show and had a front-row seat to the fever dream. For fans of Star Wars, Hollywood, the creative process, or those who simply enjoy watching a train wreck, I highly recommend treating yourself to A Disturbance in the Force. This is the way.

SEVEN Academy Award winners! SEVEN!
Even with all that talent, they couldn't save this horrible train wreck (literally, in one scene) of a motion picture spectacular.  
To be fair, I added an extra half a star each for the legends, Olivia de Havilland as the delightful schoolteacher in the little down beseiged by killer bees and for Henry Fonda, doing his all in this disaster of a disaster movie. Wanna know the "buzz?" Henry Fonda was a beekeeper in real life, and provided some helpful inside information on
I've watched over 100 movies this year, and this is the absolute worst, at least so far. So bad it's fun to watch? Maybe. If only to watch Sir Michael Caine deliver 90% of his lines to Richard Widmark's character whilst SHOUTING!!

What better (or perhaps worse, depending on your sensibilities) guide through the Southern California of the mid 1960s than Paul Newman's rough around the edges, but charming nonetheless, Lew Harper. The titular character is back on the case for an acerbic woman of means played by the legendary Lauren Becall. She's desperate to find her husband, who has gone missing, but we get a sense that she doesn't care either way.
Through the case, like all good noir cases, we are along for the ride in Harper's Porsche 356 Speedster, which, like Harper, is dinged up a bit and has some damage to the driver's side panels. Apropos, yes?
Newman seems to be having a great time in this role, and like any good Private Eye, is cool as a cucumber. He'll do whatever it takes, short of romancing an aging movie star, to visiting a religious order up in the hills, in order to get just the right clue to unravel this case.
Harper has a "deep bench" of talent, too, with wonderful performances from Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Shelly Winters, and Strother Martin, who was paired up with Newman on four excellent motion pictures in the past.
Harper is an enjoyable ride, and seemed to capture the excitement of that era quite nicely.

This outstanding film was a feast for the senses. We are transported back to South America in the 1750s and experience both the promise of a community based on love and the basest tragedies of colonialism. Raw performances from some of the greatest actors and actors of a generation as well as supporting roles that match the intensity throughout. All of this paired with exquisite cinematography, which earned Chris Menges his second well deserved Academy Award at the 1987 Oscars.
A film worthy of your time for the beauty and powerful messages.

Do you know what? This is a movie musical, and by and large, the music and dance numbers are pretty fun.
Most certainly, this doesn't have the legendary status of the original, but there were several moments where the writers and Director "flipped the script" and provided some surprises for us. For example, The T birds were in a locker room and instead of having them spy on classmates of the opposite sex, like many "teenage sex comedies" of the era, they were doing research on their rivals as they rehearsed for the talent show. I found that refreshing.