All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Indie Films, Love It

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) Movie Review

July 22, 2016 Alex Brannan

Young ne’er-do-well Ricky (Julian Dennison) is sent to live with foster parents on a farm in the woods of New Zealand. When the foster mother (Rima Te Wiata) dies (at the end of a brief but wonderful performance), Ricky and his gruff foster father (Sam Neill) must learn to get along, particularly when they are hunted by social services and the police due to a massive miscommunication.

Taika Waititi’s directing has a comic energy to it; the story a child-like charm. Waititi’s cameo itself is arguably the Continue reading Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Like It, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Star Trek Beyond (2016) Movie Review

July 21, 2016 Alex Brannan

Three years into a five-year mission, the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise make a routine stop at the Yorktown Star Fleet space station. There, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is tasked with locating a missing vessel, a mission that ends in an ambush. The villainous Krall (Idris Elba) crashes the Enterprise, stealing away most of the crew and stranding the rest on a nearby planet.

Star Trek Beyond is a lot of bells and whistles, flashing lights and sweeping camera moves. While this at times yields action-packed returns and visuals that call for oohs and ahs, the spectacle as a whole is Continue reading Star Trek Beyond (2016) Movie Review →

Box Office Predictions, Movie News

The Future of the Summer Blockbuster

July 13, 2016 Alex Brannan

I recently read an article through Moviepass (free promotion for Moviepass: they are a great service for the avid filmgoer) about the history of the Summer blockbuster. Near the end of the article, they address a shift in Summer movie box office trends. This and recent thoughts I’ve had about this Summer’s slate of new releases have spurred some personal speculation on the future of the Summer blockbuster. Moviepass looked into the past, let’s now look into the future.

The Summer movie season, in recent memory, has been littered with Continue reading The Future of the Summer Blockbuster →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Ghostbusters (2016) Movie Review

July 12, 2016 Alex Brannan

In the Aldrich Mansion, the daughter of the family was locked in confinement after stabbing all of the house servants to death. Now, she has returned to wreak supernatural havoc on a lowly tour guide (Zach Woods).

Meanwhile, Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is trying to rectify her reputation and achieve tenure after an early book of hers about the existence of ghosts has resurfaced online. The co-writer of the book, Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), on the other hand, is still Continue reading Ghostbusters (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Horror

Evil Bong (2006) is a Masterpiece

July 12, 2016 Alex Brannan

To those whom it may concern, spoilers for Evil Bong.

Alistair (David Weidoff) is a nerd; we can tell from his symmetrically parted hair, glasses, and pocket protector. Alistair moves in with three cool bros named Larnell (John Patrick Jordan), Bachman (Mitch Eakins), and Brett (Brian Lloyd); we know they’re cool because they lift five-pound weights, eat red meat, and always ask if you’re a narc before letting you into their crib.

Our heroes are tragic figures. Bachman’s seashell busted from mishandling, he is destined never to hear the ocean again. Once primed to be a major leaguer, Brett lost his shot at stardom due to Continue reading Evil Bong (2006) is a Masterpiece →

Box Office Most Wanted

Box Office Most Wanted Ep. 4 – We Are Your Friends

July 10, 2016 Alex Brannan

Box Office Most Wanted is a series dedicated to discussing some of the lowest grossing films of all time. The list of films can be found, and are ranked according to, the Box Office Mojo list of the “Worst Openings – Very Wide,” which is to say the lowest grossing opening weekends from films released in 2,000+ theaters domestically (U.S. and Canada).

We Are Your Friends

Release Date – August 28, 2015
Production Budget – $2 million (estimated)
Size of Release – 2,333 theaters
Opening Weekend Box Office – $1,767,308
Total Box Office – $3,591,417
6th lowest box office opening in a wide release ever

Cole (Zac Efron) is a young, up-and-coming DJ in the San Fernando Valley. He and his best friends are…douchebags.

The first five minutes of this film shows us that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. It begins as a Continue reading Box Office Most Wanted Ep. 4 – We Are Your Friends →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Like It

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) Movie Review

July 7, 2016 Alex Brannan

After a string of boisterous, and often dangerous, benders at family gatherings, brothers Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) Stangle are asked by their family to bring respectable dates to their sister Jeanie’s (Sugar Lyn Beard) wedding in Hawaii. Who they find, however, may prove to be even more boisterous than the Stangle brothers themselves.

As is common with most comedy films, Mike and Dave features characters who are Continue reading Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Indie Films, Love It

Swiss Army Man (2016) Movie Review

July 7, 2016 Alex Brannan

Swiss Army Man begins with Hank (Paul Dano) about to hang himself, a corpse washing upon shore, and lots and lots of farting. The movie is, in short, a story of friendship between a stranded man and a corpse. This corpse, named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe), has special bodily abilities that have the capacity to help Hank find civilization again.

The film initially holds a tone, and some early shots, that are reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s more subdued works. It is quirky, endearing, and strangely blunt. However, as the film progresses it becomes apparent that this is a film with an authorial stamp of its own.

Radcliffe is fascinating as the deadpan human tool. Manny’s lack of worldview makes up much of what Continue reading Swiss Army Man (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Animation, Leave it, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

The Secret Life of Pets (2016) Movie Review

July 5, 2016 Alex Brannan

In The Secret Life of Pets, scrappy dog Max (Louis C.K.) finds his home dynamic thrown off kilter when his owner brings home a new dog, Duke (Eric Stonestreet). As a result of their differences, Max and Duke both find themselves taken hostage by animal control, sprung free by vengeance-seeking stray animals, and in a race through New York City to get back home.

The voice acting in the film is fairly strong across the board. Jenny Slate and Kevin Hart are perfectly cast into their roles and steal the show on the charisma front, although Hart Continue reading The Secret Life of Pets (2016) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Animation, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The BFG (2016) Movie Review

July 3, 2016 Alex Brannan

In The BFG, a young girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is whisked away from her prison-like orphanage in the middle of the night by a giant (Mark Rylance). A Big Friendly Giant (an admittedly redundant name). The BFG takes Sophie to Giant Country, where he must hide her away from the other giants who aim to eat her.

The production design is the first noticeable facet of the film. The juxtaposition of set design between the luminous city streets and the wooded jungle abode of the BFG is clear, but one is not favored stylistically over the other. Both contain distinct Continue reading The BFG (2016) Movie Review →

CineFiles Movie Reviews

Monthly Archives: July 2016