Category: Film Reviews

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ a Prison Drama With Hope

R | 2h 22min | Drama | 23 September 1994 (USA) Like a handful of classics that came before this film—“The Wizard of Oz,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Citizen Kane,” “Vertigo”—“The Shawshank Redemption” was a box office failure upon initial release. Yet, for the better part of the last 25 years, it’s been ranked number one on the imdb.com Top 250…


Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘They Were Expendable’: A Stirring Tribute to a Lesser-Known Theater of World War II

Not Rated | 2h 15min | Drama, War | 1945 As an Army vet, I’ve watched quite a few war movies. But as a landlubber, I’ve never known much about the PT boats I’ve seen snaking through jungle rivers in movies about the Vietnam War. Director John Ford sheds light on their impact in one…


Film Depicting Plight of Chinese Orphans Suffering Under CCP Persecution Wins Big at Leo Awards

The story of a little girl who is determined to use the magic of art to bring her mother back to life after she was killed for her faith in Communist China, swept the animation category at the 2021 Leo Awards, which recognize excellence in British Columbia’s film and television industry. “Rag Doll,” a stop-motion…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Jerry Maguire’: Why It Became an Instant Classic

R | 2h 19min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 13 December 1996 (USA) If there was an award for movies with the most lines that immediately become famous and change American culture, “Jerry Maguire” would have won. Consider, if you will: 1) “Show me the money!!” 2) “You complete me.” 3) “You had me at…


Popcorn and Inspiration: “A Few Good Men”: The Marines Who Stand Guard on the Wall

R | 2h 18min | Drama, Thriller | 11 December 1992 (USA) “A Few Good Men” is a court-martial drama based on a true story: At the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, a Marine named William Alvarado informed on a fellow Marine who apparently fired shots into Cuba. This ratting-out was responded to with…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Saving Private Ryan’: A Story of Sacrifice and Patriotism

R | 2h 49min | Drama, Historical, War | 24 July 1998 (USA) As the nation prepares to celebrate its 245th birthday this weekend, it is wholly fitting to acknowledge a landmark film that depicted an event which rescued the free world from tyranny over 75 years ago. While the majority of “Saving Private Ryan” is fiction, it uses the June…


Film Review: ‘F9: The Fast Saga’: Dumbing Down Audiences Fast

PG-13 | 2h 25min | Action, Adventure, Crime | 25 June 2021 (USA) Remember the summer blockbuster? That bonafide, rock-your-world, super-fun rollercoaster ride that everybody buzzed about for an entire summer? Like “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Top Gun”? How far our hallowed American summer…


Healing and Redemption: A Marine Corps Veteran’s 5,800-Mile Walk

War scars in more ways than one, and when our veterans come home, it’s not always easy to see at first glance. The stigma surrounding mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) makes it even more difficult to address the trauma our men and women in uniform experience. Sometimes it takes bold action and candid…


Rewind, Review, and Re-rate: ‘Paterson’: Elevating the Ordinary to the Extraordinary

R | 1h 58min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 2016 Many films recount the lives of famous creative folk throughout the ages. Most of them, however, are about the world’s revered visual artists. Films about important poets, on the other hand, seem to be less popular. Besides a few standouts, such as 1998’s “Shakespeare in…


Film Review: ‘Lansky’:  An Organized Crime bio-flick with a Thriller Twist

R | 1h 59min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Biography | 25 June 2021 (USA) A genre almost as old as the film medium itself, the crime sub-category of gangster movies is a reliable staple with a dedicated, often-fervent fan base. Ask movie-goers to name some Italian-themed gangster flicks and you’re certain to get “The Godfather” trilogy and “Goodfellas.” If you’re lucky,…