MOVIE REVIEW: A Quiet Place Part II

The counterpoint would be to ask why ruin what stands as a distinctive strength. While A Quiet Place Part II ventures outside of its original single setting into the open world of its neighboring countryside, any omniscient truth is still rightfully guarded and methodically uncloaked at its own speed. Simply put, to know any more than our invested characters in harm’s way would take away the whole fascinating mystique that draws us with its purposeful and rapt silence.

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GUEST CRITIC #65: Judas and the Black Messiah

by Lafronda Stumn

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.

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GUEST EDITORIAL: The "Escape Room" Movie

by Kevin Gardner

Escape rooms are like an adventure game brought to life. When you play them, you and a team of people are placed in a themed room and have to complete a mission to "escape." It has become a popular activity for team building, family outings and friendly competition among friends. The Escape Room movie took that concept and turned it into a horror film.

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PODCAST: Episode 10 of "The Cinephile Hissy Fit" Podcast

For our tenth episode, our hosts go head-to-head on Todd Phillip's wildly divisive and Oscar-winning film Joker from 2019. 25YL film critics, celebrated dads, and calendar-counting school teachers Will Johnson and Don Shanahan saw this movie's intentions in surprisingly the same way yet come away with shockingly different reactions. They have chosen their Joker hills to die on. Come for the shared challenge and tirade and stay for the mutual love and respect for the fun movies encapsulate. Enjoy our podcast!

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "You'll Probably Agree" YouTube channel talking about the Snyder Cut

Recenty, I joined Mike Crowley’s You’ll Probably Agree YouTube show to talk about our lingering impressions from Zack Snyder’s Justice League from HBO Max. He and I were both fans of the lengthened and improved movie the director was granted to complete. We haven’t been able to let it go. Moreso, we’ve been weighing its impact on the matter of creator say, director’s cuts, and where that battle lies between filmmaker and studios. Enjoy this spirited conversation!

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MOVIE REVIEW: Cruella

Cruella tosses that “psycho” term and label around flippantly, even with its successful motivation to be interesting and darker than the usual live-action works from the Mouse House. It offers a villainess to believe in, but what does that say to audiences? Swinging for sympathy towards the amoral could have amounted to the same mistake as Maleficent seven years ago. Luckily, the conniptions and confrontations of “Emma vs. Emma” are damn fun. There’s a welcome place to relish in their wickedness.

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GUEST EDITORIAL: Little Women: The Veracity of Description

by Jessica Chapman

Many readers would admit that they have either not read or aren't fond of Little Women's novel. However, it is hard to believe that this is the opinion of most readers. It is even less believable given the number of women writers such as Patti Smith, JK Rowling, and Simone de Beauvoir, publicly claiming that this 19th century novel by Louisa May Alcott has inspired them. One character from the most inspiring story is Jo because of her strong will and how much of a heroine she is.

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GUEST EDITORIAL: A Review of "The Proposal"

by Kevin Gardner

The Proposal is a romantic comedy from 2009 starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. On the surface, it is cute in a formulaic way. Two people with no real attraction or fondness for each other are forced into a situation in which they have to get married to one another, and it is only after the engagement that they fall in love. It is a predictable plot based on a well-worn trope. The movie is a lot like cotton candy: Insubstantial, but sweet and enjoyable for the moment.

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GUEST EDITORIAL: 6 Aspects of Movies That Are Affected by Data

by Kevin Gardner

The process of making movies is highly complex, to say the least. Decisions need to be made at every turn. Since these decisions are so important, studios tend to use data to make informed decisions. This data can come in many forms, from movie scores to box office ratings. If you'd like to know more, here are six aspects of movies that are affected by data.

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