Tag Archives: Zac Efron

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

The Iron Claw (2023) Movie Review

December 30, 2023 Alex Brannan

Sean Durkin’s films are about haunted people. In The Nest, the English manor the characters move to becomes a haunting symbol of their marriage crumbling down around them in the present. The protagonist of Martha Marcy May Marlene is haunted by her traumatizing past in a cult. The characters of the Von Erich brothers in The Iron Claw are haunted by their futures.

The reason for this forward-looking anxiety is the brothers’ parents. Their father, Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany), owns the Dallas-based wrestling league the WCCW, and he only really expresses pride and love for his sons when they Continue reading The Iron Claw (2023) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) Movie Review

May 6, 2019 Alex Brannan

I don’t understand the meme in which serial killer Ted Bundy is lauded for his physical attractiveness in spite of his villainy. Netflix is the prime source of the “hot Bundy” memes, and the memes do not do Netflix’s latest, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, any favors. Midway through Joe Berlinger’s film, a series of women are interviewed during an intermission from Bundy’s murder trial, and they stumble through statements that exult the alluring presence of Bundy in the court room.

If that isn’t enough proof that the film aims to capitalize on Bundy’s Continue reading Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words), musical

The Greatest Showman (2017) Movie Review

December 24, 2017 Alex Brannan

One benefit a musical is afforded is narrative efficiency. As we see at the beginning of The Greatest Showman, entire backstories and a character’s drives and goals can be distilled into a single song. But narrative efficiency should not replace depth of characterization, storytelling, nor theme.

The themes at the heart of the songs in The Greatest Showman are not particularly deep or insightful. The power of dreams and acting on them. The power of individuality and being comfortable in one’s own skin. Tolerance of those different than yourself. A general distaste for upper class snobbishness. None of these concepts are Continue reading The Greatest Showman (2017) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Baywatch (2017) Movie Review

May 26, 2017 Alex Brannan

Remember CHiPs? Remember how that worked out? Yeah? See where I’m going with this?

Starting from a baseline jump in which no one can possibly take it seriously is seemingly a good place for a film to begin. Expectations are meaningless when you are a high concept soft reboot with guaranteed bankability.

With the bar set this low, we shall look at Baywatch with a grain of salt (I would say sand, but this review is no laughing matter).

Matt Brody (Zac Efron and his washboard abs) is a disgraced two-time Olympic gold medalist whose career has been ruined by an unfortunate, vomitus-centered relay race. With no sponsors, job, or home, Brody has only one place to turn to: Continue reading Baywatch (2017) Movie Review →

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, Leave it, Quickie Reviews (<400 Words)

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) Movie Review

May 19, 2016 Alex Brannan

Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) sell their house under contractual escrow, so they must ensure that nothing in their neighborhood screws up their chances of moving out. Three college freshman (Chloe Grace Moretz, Kiersey Clemons, and Beanie Feldstein) ditch the inherent misogyny of Greek life by creating their own sorority conveniently located next door to the Radners.