Morning Reel

I am joined by E-Zone, XG, and Chiclets on this review of "Casino" directed by Martin Scorsese. This film is great and will stand the test of time. I like that the film sheds light on how casinos operate and get its' fill. We put man there and see what can come of it. I describe that Las Vegas itself is a character and it's inherently evil, I'd say. The major characters, besides the mobsters, CAN be decent people. It's just the environment that they get molded into. Sam Rothstein and Nicky Santoro ended up being different people as to...

Gregory Nava's "Selena" is a good biography-genre film about the life of Tejana musician/songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez famously played by Jennifer Lopez. This film showcases the chase of the American Dream that we all strive for. Selena's life was practically a movie in itself - there highs and lows of her personal life and the life of a singer touring across America, trying to make it with her family. There are moments of melodrama, thriller, comedy, and romance of course. I dig the film for the way Nava directed it. He brought out Selena to life and chose the d...

B-Real TV alumni, has photographed bands such as Korn and Slipknot, and loves pro wrestling -  Shaun Vizzy and I discuss his favorite film "Friday" directed by F Gary Gray who stars Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. It's a slice-of-life style of a film that's set in south central Los Angeles where two homies hang out and smoke weed but they get into a sort of laid back but messy situation with the neighborhood drug dealer. It's beyond an LA film or a hood film of sorts, but a film that represents community in a raw form. You do get t...

XG and I review "Fat Girl" (À ma sœur!) written and directed by Catherine Breillat that was released in 2001. It's a coming-of-age film from France. The French do coming-of-age films very differently from the USA. This is a film that's meant to break the human spirit and eliminates hope. It's a film about two sisters who sort of compete and talk about "girl stuff" to keep it PG. Their family are in vacation and the older sister secretly wreaks havoc in which shatters the innocence of the little sister. It's a film that's aimed for a mature audience and it ba...

"Opening Night" is a film about acting and a film about aging. Trying to make sense of a role is hard when you are drowning yourself in alcohol. It's hard to cope with loss when your career is on the line. Gena Rowlands, who plays the lead character, Myrtle, is pure tour de force acting. This film is a masterclass of not only acting but cinema overall. John Cassavetes directed this film and he broke the rules of cinema with this film. It shows that you can do whatever you want however you want as long as you make it...

"Flow" is an Academy Award-winning animated film directed by Gints Zilbalodis. He earned it, plain and simple. Shout out to him and the country of Latvia. It's Latvia's first Academy Award, respectfully. This is a film created with the application called Blender. Imagine that? A film created by Blender, beat Disney AND DreamWorks at their own game. Millions upon millions of dollars, and "Flow" took the cake. Bravo. This is a film about a cat who joins other exotic animals as they journey to find a better place for their lives as it was disrupted by a crazy environmental event...

I'm joined here with fabb_999 on this episode reviewing "American Me" directed and produced by Edward James Olmos who shows us a life of a man who's spent half his life in the prison system, trying to reclaim himnself in society after he gets out. It's a very masculine but truly humbling film. Olmos did a great job showing us that he can not only act, but direct as well. I was impressed with the shots he used in the film, some that I pondered as to why he would use it and I understood why. He's a creative indivisual...

"Cameraperson" is a documentary directed by Kirsten Johnson that treats the film as a memoir of her life. In this day and age with ties to social media, almost no moment is lost. We share everything and not all of it is worth sharing. Let's just be for real. This film shows us who Kirsten Johnson is through not only her work but her personal life. She shares us crime, loss, and murder. We also see new life, love, and the freedom of where she lives which is the USA. She goes to places where she she purposefully puts herself...

Tim Burton directed "Batman Returns", the sequel to the first Batman film of the iconic franchise that came out of a comic book created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This sequel had an all-star cast that included Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer who played a great Catwoman. I think "Batman Returns" is an okay film by critical point of view but I sure enjoyed the hell of the it. It is fun to watch due to its entertainment value. It has action, some type of drama when it comes to local politics of a city, romance stemming...

Martin Scorsese directed a brilliant film that will stand the test of time. It's film that we all love and enjoy and we don't care that the characters are bad guys, like, really BAD guys. Scorsese has that visual power where we get to see, envy, the glorification of "GoodFellas" featuring my good friends of the We Don't Smoke the Same podcast - E-Zone and XG. We dissect the film by pointing out favorite scenes, discuss the power of being a gangster and the culture it influences, and how drugs come into play in the mob business. I dig the...

"My Dinner With Andre" is beautiful simple film directed by Louis Malle. A legendary filmmaker decided to film two theater guys talk about life while they eat in what looks like to be a fancy restaurant in New York. This film is unqiue due to the fact that it's simply two people who meet up and dine. And they talk for 111 minutes. For us nowadays, one will say "oh, well that's just a typical podcast". True, but it's the FIRST. And honestly the only of it's kind. There's really not a film like "My Dinner With Andre". These two men...

Danny Boyle directed a good film that was written by Aaron Sorkin called "Steve Jobs". It's a biographical film depicting Apple Computers Co-Founder and Visionary Tech Giant, Steve Jobs. The film centers around three key moments in Jobs' life and in each of the periods shows us who this guy Steve Jobs is and we should care about him and the people who surround him. The scenes really give out a clear but complex picture of Steve Jobs. To be a visionary such as himself, you must some type of complication, something that stand out in your life. I dig...

"Mona Lisa Smile" is a universal film that aimed towards people who thnk they have their futures written in stone. A film directed by Mike Newell, stars Julia Roberts as this free-spirited teacher who travels over to the east coast to teach at an institution where women are guided to be submissive wives/partners. This was set in the mid-'50s. I never really focused on Roberts in films but this one really swept me to a point. I love her character as Katherine Ann Watson. She doesn't let anyone really dictate her life and style. The film is not...

"Paddington 2" is the most positive reviewed film in the history of cinema and it came out in 2017, beating "Citizen Kane" directed by Orson Welles. Imagine that? Anyways, I love this film. I didn't mention it in the review but this a "perfect" family film. It has everything - comedy, action, moments of wonder & curiosity, drama, but most of all, this film has heart and that heart is the character himself - Paddington. The cast in the film great, even to the villains. Hugh Grant was great in this film, you can tell he was having a blast playing a villain...

"As Tears Go By" is the debut of filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. It's his love letter to the film "Mean Streets". He shares a tragedy where love is lost, both of the romantic and of the brotherly. I was amazed to see a style of filmmaking and it came out in 1988. It's very stylistic and isn't afraid to push narrative boundaries. My favorite scene of the film is honestly, the ending. I wont say why but it's an effective ending that you don't really get to see in cinema nowadays. It's a film that drama, romance, crime, some comedy, and even...

"As Tears Go By" is the debut of filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. It's his love letter to the film "Mean Streets". He shares a tragedy where love is lost, both of the romantic and of the brotherly. I was amazed to see a style of filmmaking and it came out in 1988. It's very stylistic and isn't afraid to push narrative boundaries. My favorite scene of the film is honestly, the ending. I wont say why but it's an effective ending that you don't really get to see in cinema nowadays. It's a film that drama, romance, crime, some comedy, and even...

Terrence Malick gives us "The New World", a visual epic of the story of America, but in a romance between John Smith and Pocahontas. It's a really good film depicting the settlement of Jamestown in what is know as Virgina at the time. We see how it goes down, how love can be new and destructive to someone and how it navigates they way order and growth goes. I enjoy this film for its simple but poetic plot. We just don't see Native Americans fighting for theirs against the Jamestown people, we see how actions and decision are laid about...

Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo" is a colorful sight of a film to see with a beautiful way to tell a story of how the test of friendship can LITERALLY disbalance the earth. What a way to tell a film without having a bad guy, it's all about something for the good of all kinds, not just man. Miyazaki likes to put the awareness and importance of maintaining the sustainability of our earth, our environment. I like the slight agresssive attack towads that thematic and how it overall ties to the film. it's a character of it's own, if you ask me...

Lars von Trier is a controversial filmmaker with his work and as a person himself. Due to his depression that, he creates films with dark characters with, sometimes, dark storylines. But his films are great. Some are beautifully shot with referneces to classical art. This film "Melancholia" is one of those. It's about the last days of the world due to a planet that is literally going to crash into Earth and the main character welcomes with open arms. It's more dramatic than how it sounds but it's there and it's in full effect. The film is great for its...

Éric Rohmer ends his famous "Tales of the Four Seasons" with "Autumn Tale". It's a French romance comedy about a woman who operates a vineyard, thinks about the idea of dating again and it focuses on the middle age folks, which is a bit different from the other season films. Magali's friends decide to take matters into their own hands and get matches for her. At this wedding party, it all goes down and it's an iconic scene itself. I love the film for it's rich and engaging screenplay and the actors who make these characters very real, especially when t...

David Lynch's "Inland EMpire" is a crazy psychological thriller that I had the pleasure of watching. I three hour film shot on a sony digital camcorder and it makes perfect sense as to why he choose to shoot a film like this. A film that barely has a script but as holoow as it many seem, it film goes into alternate realities where we question our own reality. It's a film about a "woman in toruble" that takes on a film set. Laura Dern's character is an actress who's gonna star in a film that's known to have a death...

The Coen Brothers are incredible filmmakers. They are known for their screenwriting and direction. From wacky comedies to serious dramas, they always go for the heart and it gets us to wonder about life and the meaning of it. "A Serious Man" is a 2009 comedy drama that's dark about Larry who is about to get divorced and doesn't know why but we see why. But not only that, he has other struggles that really break this man down but not completely because of his faith in Judasim. The only thing that he ponders about is the meaning of life and...

"Todo Sobre Mi Madre" is one of Pedro Almovodvar's great films especially of the 90s. It's a complex drama surrounding a mother dealing with her only son's death and actually doing something about it. She goes into a spiral of events that eventually answers deeper questions of her past lives. It's almost that thing where you can't lead into the future unless you can let go of the past. A great film because it's full of laughs and legitimate drama. Thw riting is excellent because gets sucked in and the cast that highlights it makes you wonder why they haven't...

"Lamb" or natively "Dýrið", is a crazy folk horror film and there is a twist and a couple of turns. The director did a pretty good job showing us the effectiveness without spoon feeding like American horror films. it's a about a couple who discover a lamb that has features of a human. You have to see it to not only believe it, but to see how it plays out. The ending is unexpected. The way the characters play out the story seems plain but there's a lot of dark pain in it and it slowly unfolds. It's a no...

Xavier Guerrero is my guest for this episode reviewing the film "A Summer's Tale" of "A Tale of Smmer"--however you want to pronounce it--is a comedy film by Éric Rohmer. He is a beast in comedy, witty and impactful philosophical writing and direction that seems breathless to the eyes. In this film in particular, it's about a dude who comes with no dilemmas ending into evading a huge one that dealt with three women. Man, what a film. XG and I talk about suspenseful it gets with the different dynamics of each of the women and the intersection of t...

"Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire", a fun film with a lame plot where somehow we had to revolve it around an existential crisis from a teenager that I feel doesn't work. I don't mind the film getting to the roots of demons and how it ties into ghosts. That part still barely makes sense but it's better than Phoebe trying to figure herself out. I felt cheated, like it forced us to try to be "woke". I don't mind an existential crisis but it has to tie well with the overall plot and I feel we two different plots going on at...

"Lost In Translation" is an iconic film written & directed by Sofia Coppola. It's one of the first films in her career that is very visual with a simple but profound plot where two travelers from America are missing something. One just graduated from college, married and with no clue with what to with life. The other was a famous actor and now does commercials, married but unhappy. He has little clue as to how to move forward with life. They meet and the rest is history. The film touches the idea of social/cultural displacement and the question of what...

We all know Zack Snyder and what he's known for. He's definitelty a celebrated filmmaker. Has made numerous superhero films in the DC Comics universe and the iconic "300". But before all that, he re-made "Dawn of the Dead". Now, I didn't compare the two. You really can't, thery're their own films. It's fun to see Tom Savini be a part of the 2004 version. Now, I'm not a big fan of Snyder and "Dawn of the Dead" but it's not a bad film. It's not a great film either. I talk about the casting, how the characters develop as they interact...

Janeen Damian once again directs Lindsey Lohan in the film "Irish Wish", a rom com about an editor who is in love with her boss who is the author of books that get published. Guess what, a fairy godmother of sorts grants Lohan's character's wish to get married with this guy. Then, it's a journey of love dispelling the notion of true love especially when she starts hanging out with this photographer who, guess what, gets her! Who would have thought, right? This is not a good film but it tries really hard. I talk about the strengths of Lohan's...

Jonathan Glazer is a trailblazer of a filmmaker. "The Zone of Interest" is another win for him and filmmaking in general. He was able to use sound to highlight the horrors of the holocaust. He chose to not show any kind of violance whatsoever and the sound makes up for. It's a simple story of a family of Nazis who live in a beautiful home RIGHT NEXT TO the Auschwitz concentration camp ran by Rudolf Höss. It focuses mainly on Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, seeing life in their evil lives, living peacfully, almost gracefully with the he...

"Priscilla" shows a very mature and talented Sofia Coppola exploring the exodus of Elvis and Priscilla Presley's life as romantic partners. The caasting is pretty good. We definitely see how Priscilla grows up on screen played by the same actress. It's a dramatized version of their romance with a straightforward story and plot. It's pretty intimate, gets up close at one point where we see eyeballs, a lot of attention to detail. We get to know how in all apsects of hers and their lives as a whole. We do see relationship that is obviously built on lust in the...

Kevin Smith wrote, directed, and edited "Zack Miri Make a Porno" which is an ambitious film about people who get together and make something especially when you gotta make quick money. But life is about more than money and that's where this film stands out and it especially stands out from Kevin Smith's filmography. The man proves he is more than just a "sequel" director. The characters in this film prove themselves even as simple as making an adult film. I dig the film the film for it's premise. It's plot is plain for the most part because we can...

Jonathan Demme is a master filmmaker and he shows us his storytelling prowess with "The Silence of the Lambs". The film is not only great because of its premise and engaging plot but the power of the close up. That close up is a very powerful use of cinematography and by keeping us at that close up for the majority of the film, you cant help but continue to watch. I can understand why people would pay to see this film on the big screen. Those details are scary. Jodie Foster played a great Clarice Starling, showing a character that...

"A Ghost Story" is a film all about time as it states in its poster. And it is. It's a strong film written & directed by David Lowery who casted Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara about two people who love each other and they eventually lose each other. It's more really more about the journey than it is about the couple itself and how the film works, it's meditational piece of art. Now there are cons as I talk about them in the film just in the aspect of how the story can push forward and with a film like this...

XG joins me on this episode for the film "Leave the World Behind". He requested it so we did it. Funny because I was gonna review this film down the road. The film isn't bad, it's just a bit too long and there's not much of a plot to work with which is crazy because you can do so many things with this type of story. It's weird that I had a hard time connecting with these characters. Almost as if they're robots in a sense except for Ethan Hawke who played Clay. He relly shines in this film. I...

Ava DuVernay directed "Selma" that deals with the marches of Selma in 1965 led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This actually happened that led to an official to pass signed by President Lyndon B Johnson. A dramatized film of course but it's straightforward, it's gets to the point and the performances from the talent really give this film the attention it deserves. We get to see a MLK Jr. very human, almost too human, seeing him deal with all kinds of aspects in life epsecially with things that have nothing to do with him. People look up to this man...

"Anatomy of a Fall" is a gripping courtroom dramam directed by Justine Triet. The film is literal in it's title. We are looking at a fall that resulted death to the husband/father of a family that secretly failing. We don't know if the fall was ruled out to be suicide or murder. The mother/wife is the only prime suspect and the family is thrown to the ringer. It's crazy how a courtroom is a place where the skeletons come out of the closet. One of my favorite characters is the dog in this film. The actor is named...

"Juice" is a good film. It could have been greater if Tupac's character "Bishop" wasn't written to be so James Cagney and it's funny that the film ended in the fashion of "White Heat" but it's because of that film Tupac decided to go deep into the psyche of a man with practically nothing to lose at a young age growing up in early '90s New York. Harlem to be more exact. The film is about senior high schoolers trying to figure themselves out and it's root is basically the time and location they're living in. It's tough in...

This is a film Roger Ebert would have loved. He loved Martin Scorsese and this film, "Killers of the Flower Moon" is just another notch on the belt. This is a western epic that deals with history in the United States. What I loved about the film is the screenplay itself. It was written so well. You have all kinds of situations that are happening at the same time and it intensifies throughout the whole film and not only does it affect the main characters, it affects society around them which would ultimately have a dominio effect all the way...

"Jingle All the Way" is a fun and sometimes wacky film about consumerism and how to keep up with your word. My faovrite Christmas film because it shows toys, toys, and more toys. Especially the Turbo Man doll that's the "It Doll" of the year. Imagine having to buy a toy on Christmas Eve? THE toy that every kid wants. Good luck, buddy. And good luck with this film because it is cheesy for the most part especially trying to manipulate us feeling so bad that Arnold's character has to succumb to the guilt of of not being able to...

"Black Christmas" is one the earliest slasher films of the horror game and who would have thought it would come straight from Toronto, Canada? Well it did and it is iconic in its style and the dabbling of the plot where we don't know who the killer is. Who is causing all this harm? it's crazy beacuse even law enforcement can't even figure it out, obvious plot defect but the screenwriter makes up for it in the scenes where the man from the phone company is trying to ind the tapped line to figure out the killer. And we do...

Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" is a national treasure of a romantic comedy film that is still as relevant as ever due to the fact of Apatow's knack of wiriting witty dialogue and had a dream team of a cast that knew their roles to the tee and weren't afraid to improvise in the process. I'm grateful for E-Zone and XG who are co-hosts of the We Don't Smoke the Same Podcast, joined me to go a on a deep dive of this film, discussing relationships and how relatable it is to us and both men & women in general. As raunchy...

Greta Gerwig is a woman who stars and directs film where the characters are dealing with an existential crisis, or rather, dealing with their identities and questioning life and our pupose in it. "Barbie" is the film that was meant for her to direct and what a way to put that life concept on a doll that has influenced modern culture and it continues to. This is one best films of the year that can probably win multiple awards including "Best Picture". I strongly believe it will definitely win "Best Screenplay" but comparing it to "Oppenheimer", I think "Oppenheimer" has...

Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" is a modern day masterpiece that will always stand the test of time due to it's subject of humans vs A.I. and can we play God amongst them. The film couldn't paint a better picture and it's told in two hours plus. I was pleased and thankful to have Rock Samson on this episode because he shares the same love I have for this film. But whether we love it or not, it's a great film. Shot and told very well by Spielberg's team including his actors. It's a challenge to pretend to...

"Princess Mononoke" is Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece. It's an adventure film that's filled with vibrant colors and deep morals and they're all tied to how we humans treat our environment and it doesn't look good. It's tough to make a feel look beautiful even in it's darkest pastures and still have an effective story about our roles in this Earth. I dig the film for it's cinematography, the use of CGI and hand-drawn animation. It's kind of hard to think that it is hand-drawn. There are some scenes that make you wonder how they did the scene period without much a...

What? A double featured review? Yes. I ended watching two "Orphan" films. I didn't there was a prequel in this very limited film series. I saw the first one. Then I found out about the second one. And by watching it, I might as well double them up. These two films are very similar to each other. The plots are different but they are alike. One is not better than the other although I actually enjoyed the prequel - "Orphan: First Kill" due to the cheesiness of it. "Orphan" has good cinematography, the sound design does play tricks on people...

"Hereditary" is a great horror film that I tried my best to stay away from but a lot of people wanted me to talk about it. I'm glad that my mind was changed about seeing this film that deals with loss and the disfunction of family. It's not your typical horror film, all these characters have motives and brains that push the story forward and there's a lot of mystery as how these characters themselves operate. Everyone in this film is dealing with a lot and it's great to see a story where all this ache plays out and it's...

"Five Nights at Freddy's" is a film I never thought would ever be made especially at the fact it's from a famous video game and even more so that Blumhouse made it. All right, well, you did it. It's a success in the box office coming out during the week of Halloween 2023. Great job on that too. However, this film suffers from a screenplay we are expected to believe everything we see. A lot of logic goes out the window in the film especially how certain aspects of character action somewhow connect to the third. No explanation, it just happens...

"Before Midnight" is the third and final installment of the "Before" Trilogy directed by Richard Linklater. We all know his work of "Dazed and Confused", "A Scanner Darkly", "School of Rock" and "Boyhood". His film tackles existentialism between relationships and their own with the characters of Jesse and Céline as they are older and they are parents. I dig the film for it's realism, how deep it goes with the charaters that are tackling the issues that comes with relationships, familes and blended families. This is a film that is important to watch, showing the slice of life that w...

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 03: Dream Warriors" is a solid slasher film that actually has depth compared to other films of the genre and for its time the special effects are very good. The film has a balanced screenplay with great characters that carry their own weight but I wish there was a bit something different for this film plot. They really generalized the plot where people can dream together and be united in said dream which would remind people of Christopher Nolan's "Inception". Which is impressive to have! It really is but can there be more? I guess not...

"The Shining" is a great horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick that's adapted by Stephen King's "The Shining". I never read the book and don't care too much of it so I couldn't compare and I wouldn't, to be honest. I'm reviewing films and this film puts you on the edge of your seat. Not a complex plot but how the events play make somehting so simple very exciting and scary at the same time. You have to give it to Kubrick for shooting a take of fake blood coming out of an elevator and flooding the entire space and...

"House" is one of the wackiest but complex horror films of all time. It's not your typical psychological horror film, you really need to look past what is presented to you. It has symbolism deals with innocence and the loss of a loved one be it a mother or a lover. Both hurt just as hard and we are shown the permanent shards of it. The film, as experimental as it is, it makes sense. It does actually make sense. The characters show little development but it's granted with a film like this. It would have been a pretty impactful...

The iconic slasher film didn't have Jason Voorhees as the major character but the major catalyst in "Friday the 13th". Stupid teens were warned by locals to stay away from Camp Crystal lake. Shit happens and all of a sudden nobody knows what to do. A lot cool killings and a few were shown on camera. It looked very convincing. I wish the plot was a bit more convincing. It's a one-by-one cat and mouse game. But it's very entertaining overall. You get cool kills and witty conversations.

Two out of four tokes.

Diablo Cody teamed up with Karyn Kusama and they came up with a Twilight that was catered to emo/goth teens and alike, and lets face it, those who graduated from high school. It's called "Jennifer's Body" and it's about hot chick who becomes possessed after hanging with a band she was obsessed to see. She starts killing dudes from her high school and her best friend is trying to figure out what to do and she can't trust no one becomes no one takes her seriously which is pretty weird. I had problems with this film, such as character...

David Gordon Green co-wrote "The Exorcist: Believer" with Danny McBride but ultimately directed this attempt of horror that deals with spiritual/demonic possession. It's a subgenre that he hasn't been too. This film has a simple plot where overall kids skip school, go to the woods and decide to do a ritual and BOOM- possession. This film is a bit more more than what I just described. It lightly explores the whodonit scenario especially when you put parents in the mix. It all becomes about parents trying to save their kids. We see family dynamics and how it ties into...

John Singleton showed us 1991 America in less than two hours and he was relentless. The f-ed up part of it all is that even though it's a fictional film, what you see in the film happens everyday. What sucks even more is that it still happens to this day. This is my favorite film from this director who took a chance and he dragged us along with it and we can't look away. I talk about how impactful this film is through its subject matter of parenthood, growing up in tough & unpredictable neighborhoods, trying to survive in order to make...

"I Love You, Man" is a great bromance film. It's a rom-com made for everyone when usually it's aimed for women. We all know how Hollywood works. Is it hard to say "I Love You" to a good friend, expecially if he's a best man for your wedding? XG is my featued guest today as we dissect this hilarious film that does a good job being relatable to relationships and those who aren't in one. it's good to see dymanics in different types of relationships - romantic, platonic, family, and they all relate to each other. It sort of plays...

M. Night Shyamalan loves mystery and science fiction. He definitely is a filmmaker who loves to mix those genres together and push boundaries. He's known for twists and turns. Sometimes, he likes to put that twist almost at the end of the film. He really likes you to sit through it. It worked in this film called "Old". Not that much of a complex film as far as plot and even premise but it's enough. He has a varied cast that tries to solve the mystery but trying to stick together at the same time. I enojyed watching this film...

William Friedkin is an underrated filmmaker and he took "The Exorcist" and gave the film its own spiritual cleanse on screen. He made a film that's iconic and will stand the test of time. It's very in-depth, the characters show great sense of purpose and their purpose pushes the film. The film's tone goes all over the place. It can be dark, uplifting, and even humorous. The devil can play tricks on you and it doesn't care and will laugh at you. The film shows you to not mess with people or things that just feels like it ain't right...

Regina King debuted "One Night In Miami..." in various film festivals and have received nothing from praise, adapting a play into a visual experience of four legends all in one screen and in the same area. It's very impressive. I dig the film for its message of unity, equal rights, and staying true to yourself because fame can get you and turn you into the opposite of you. I did wish the film had a bit more as far as pushing th story forward but with four men, it's tough to for everyone to have equal dialog. That itself is...

David Cronenberg is a great filmmaker, a legend in sci-fi film community but he also makes these dark, undertone thrillers where little action goes in the film but the one big violent scene is suppose to make it up for it all. In some cases, it works. In this film, it didn't work too much for me. It is a sold crime/gangster film. I love the fact how Anna who is played by Naomi Watts goes into the rabbit hole of Russian crime life all to make sure the baby she delivered is safe and with some type of...

Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, started her directing film career with "The Virgin Suicides". She created a good film about teen sisters growing up in a very strict and religious household. Their parents are weird and it's their fault the girls died. Now, I don't discuss that but the main focus of the film centers on a family gets through death of their own. I love how Coppola did her best of showing five sisters going though grief but centers on about two to three of 'em. I do like the visuals of this film because if you're...

The Coen Brothers are master of filmmaking. They can make a crime film funny but at the same time they don't hide the bleakness of what can happen when a insecure/beta car salesman purposely sets up to have his wife kidnapped for ransom. What can't go wrong, right? "Fargo" puts us in a cold world where not only is there crime but life also awaits. I love the cast of this film, they made the screenplay into their own. I love the fact that visuals in the film help push the story forward as well giving us moments of...

Alejandro González Iñárritu created a beautiful film called "Biutiful" but as beautiful as it is, it's dark, sad and relentless. We follow a man who's involved in the counterfit business as well as guiding lost/broken spirits into the next life as a medium. The two professions do not coincide. Uxabl, the main character, found out that he has prostate and he doesn't have much time. What to do? The film centers on the family dynamic between his immediate family and his relatives. The film also relies heavily on spirituality and how we should always try to be on...

A24 finally released a normal film called "Past Lives" about the re-connection and absolution of two people who, at one point, were in love with each other although time and distance were not in their favor. it's hard to tell where relationships can go especially if one is willing to go the extra mile. These people hadn't seen each other for years, almost a decade and one of them is looking for a chance that we all know is too late. But it's not about chance for that type of opportunity, it's about closure and it's importance. We all need...

Christopher Nolan's 2014 "Interstellar" is the perfect film and I consider it the best film of last decade. The perfect film where all aspects of filmmaking blend very well together to deliver a great film. It has a great story, a lot of information thrown at you where you shouldn't except yourself to know, you just trust the people on screen and HOPE they save humanity and by saving humanity you save Earth. The film touches on that, time travel and crossing boundaries that greater what we expect and that's what the film is about. We humans are maverick and if...

Christopher Nolan is back and he's back with "Oppenheimer", and adapted biographical film abut J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "father" of the atomic. It's wild film both visual and audio. It's a film made to be experienced in the theater and the screenplay itself is just as good. I like how the film tackles with the psychological effects and politics scientists go through with such a notion that we have not only developed a weapon of mass destruction but we have unlocked the capabilities of more and a country like the United States will use it and probably abuse it. It...

Kenneth Lonergan wrote and directed "Manchester by the Sea" A great film that earned Best Original Screenplay and Best Male Lead Actor and the film deserves. It's a film that heavily deals with guilt and grief due to a tragic loss of family. As heavy the emotions are in the this film, Lonergan was able to write some comedy in the film, almost making into a black comedy. We need some type of release from our troubles even though they wont fix anything. Life always goes on but it's important how you go about it. I love how the film...

"Tár" is a film driven by paranoia from the titular character. I liked the theme about being the talk of the town to almost a half-recognized talent. And all of it is due to allegations to where we see this character scramble for some type of security. In her world, there isn't any. People in her field of work and expertise all play a role where they all back stab each other. I dug "Tár" for it's unique screenplay of a pretentious Lydia Tar trying to make delusional sense of what's crumbling around in her life. I also li...

Miranda July is known to weird out, to stretch what we call normalcy. I feel like she is David Lynch's daughter. She'd be the comedy version of him. Anyways, Mildred Fernandez and I reviewed "Kajillionaire" about Old Dolio who never had a chance in life. I mean, her name says it all. All she wants is someone to meet her beyond what is just equal. We want to feel special. July created a film where it's screaming that without having to hear it. We see the events that unfold where a human progresses dramatically as the film goes on. This...

E-Zone asked me the other day is we can review this film. Of course we can and we did. Eva Longoria in directorial debut, released "Flamin' Hot", the story of how Richard Montañez made the hot cheetos that eveybody in the world knows about and loves. In her debut, she a made a good film about ambition, following goals and proving yourself. The things that me and E-Zone is generational trauma. I wanna give praise to Longoria, I think she captured it very well and I hope she makes films with that type of theme, folks in our generation n...

A24 put out a great film with a great cast that rightfully earned "Best Picture" at the Oscars n 2017. "Moonlight" is a coming-of-age film written & directed by Barry Jenkins. It's a gay film about identity that centers around Chiron, who grew up in a very dysfunctional household with his single mother who's struggling with her own addiction. The only nuture Chiron has is through a drug dealer and his girlfriend Teresa who would be his parents in another reality. The film centers primarliy on Chiron's upbringing as he goes thorugh his life struggling with his idenity being a gay person...

"Coraline" is full of spunk but not for your average child, it's too edgy for it. It's a stop motion film that goes for a quasi-horror spooky film that's centered with the idea of unification as a family and the struggle of identity. It's a film that is filled colors, moods and themes established due to cinematography. Let's not forget the production design because the artists who made this film deserve the mention. I talk about a couple fo these things and how some key parts of the screenplay itself did not work for me but didn't stop me to...

Michael Haneke wrote and directed "The Piano Teacher" with precision and brutal honesty. It's about a woman who is living through being a total lie. She takes life to other people and sadly to herself but there are reasons for it. It's a film about control. Do we have the control? How easy is it for one to slip? I loved the film for the complexity of the characters that carry this film through the tensions. The writing is great and Haneke is also great and character displaying the shots he chose as well. I also talk about how deep...

in 1975, arthouse queen Chantal Akerman wrote & directed "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles", a film about a widower turned into a prostitute to make ends-meet. That's it. That's the plot but there's so much that goes into this 201 minute minimalistic film that you'd never thought you'd encounter. 201 minutes, yes 201 minutes. The whole Avengers series is much longer than that and sucks as a whole with little depth into it besides saving the world. Jeanne saved herself in some weird way in this film. Sight & Sound publication named this film the "Greatest Film of All Time" in their decade film poll...

Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot" is the perfect comedy film and it came out in 1959 that stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. This trio can make life together and how many lives have they uplift and brought laughter to our faces. I love this comedy film. It teaches about life even if you have to dress up as a chick to do so. I praise the film for its elements such as writing, acting (especially Tony Curtis plays THREE characters). The supporting roles are great and all this acting helps push the story. The one-liners! This film...

May the fourth be with you. Today I reveiw the best "Star Wars" prequel film, "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith". It's probably the most balanced film of them all that gives us thoughts of life & death, coping and moving forward with loss, and should they written better dialog? I do have some issues with this film but regardless of that, it has action to back up during the ominous scenes of the film. I praise the film for its visual effects, how story carries itself with the wipes and Lucas kkind of knows where to write the best...

DJ C-Minus joins me on this review on Brett Morgen's "Moonage Daydream", an artistic collage of David Bowie's musical career to where it begins at the beginning of his "Ziggy" era. We go a little deep into the film, discussing aspects of the documentary film that's shown by a deep catalog of archival footage that looks great. The film celebrates intimate moments of Bowie, making us feel like we're right there in person and doesn't shy on what to show us. It's a discussion for the fans of Bowie, glam and filmmaking in general. Enjoy.

DJ C-Minus
...

David Gordon Green released 2008's "Pineapple Express" and since then has become a cult following to all stoners and would-be stoners and it's thanks to Cheech & Chong's infliuence of their comedy and association to the vibrant plant known as marijuana. The stoner comedy film "Pineapple Express" brought laughs especially with it's slapstick humor and how they tie the stigma's the plant's "dangers" to society especially when you see corrupt cops fucking around with drug criminals. isn't that hilarious? The flaw I have is with Amber Heard. Not the taking a shit in the bed but I wish there was more...

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is a great starter film for everyone to get into the franchise. The legacy has made it to the big screen in animation and they got it for the most part. I praise the film for Jack Black as Bowser, the best Bowser character you can get for $100 million. I also like how it brings nostalgia, making you want to dust off your SNES and start playing in front of your 50 inch curved flat screen that still has AV inputs. How times have changed. I wish the film could have had a better screenplay to...

"Sound of Metal" teaches us a lesson. Sometimes we gotta accept what we have and move forward, especially to live a fufilling life. Ruben in the film was like, "F that, I want my hearing back". You pay the price for the things you want and sometimes it doesn't turn out right. Ruben learned the hard way but in the end he did get peace and for the way the film was written to get the ending we see, it's great. I praise the film for its use of sound, the dedication the actors put on to make this film...

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" is the perfect film as much as it's not my favorite film, it deserves most of the Oscars (and you'll hear why). Overall it's gerat, action-packed, drama goes all over the place and this film in general does go all over the place and as the film goes, the message of it is just in your face and it remains there for the duration of it and I personally love it. It's about real life taken in all kinds of versions of itself and wouldn't we want to know that? I praise the film for...

Spike Lee directed "He Got Game" in 1998 and although it didn't meet the budget as far as sales go, he taught us things that money can't buy and that's being a man. In this film, being a man is everything, even more than basketball and it's funny because basketball is life for Jake and Jesus Shuttlesworth.The very thing separated these two characters and could it bring them together? And how. I dig the film for it's visual style, how the characters interact with each, seeing actually use their bodies to drve the film. It's a very physical film besides...

"The Banshees of Inisherin" is a great written and directed film by Martin McDonagh, who takes black comedy to the ficitonal place called Inisherin fille with a unique cast of characters whom are very interactive. Some of the cast add great purpose to the push of the film's plot and they bring the two main characters together even though one of 'em doesn't wanna do jack. The film is so simple but filled with great dialog and how it supports loneliness, existentialism, life crisis, and other things in that nature. A very grown up film but it's also hilarious but...

"Cocaine Bear" is Elizabeth Banks' best film to date. She was able to show us a thriller, a comedy and a crime film all in and hour 30 mins. That's a little hard to do even if it leans towars the comedy side of things. It's a pretty solid script, cheesy for the most part. But seeing the bear high on cocaine is sort of like watching a National Geographic program. I'll say this, it's not the best film but it definitely end up sharing it's simulcast with National Geographic. Listen to us what intrigued us, such as direction, certain shots...

"If Beale Street Could Talk" is great film that deals with injustice and how to get through it out. The tale is embodied by Tish & Fonny, who are beyond in love, separated by bars due to a crime Fonny was wrongfully convicted of. Tish is carrying Fonny's baby and with support of her family, they try to turn things around. But like life, there are challenges that one must get by with no guarrantee and that's what I love from the film personally, the fact that we're seeing a window to these fictional people's lives and seeing what their realities...

"Love & Basketball" shows the life of two people who are not only in love with each other but in love with basketball. The ticket to freedom, success and being wanted for them is basketball but they later realize what they have is far much greater. This films deals with the ups and downs of trying to be a success especially dealing with family and peers. I talk about why I like this film due to a great sctipt, how complex and insightful these characters are and how this theme of love is carried. Enjoy.

#love&basketball #valentinesday #film

"Elvis" is a wild ride. It definitely complimented the craziness of Elvis through it's elaborate editing, sound design, to the sloppiness of the screenplay itself along with casrting choices. I enjoyed the film for it's beauty of cinematography, production design, and honestly, it's screen direction because it is tough to show a concert being done even it's all filmmaking. Enjoy.

#elvis #morningreel #bazluhrmann

Steven Spielberg has done it with this film called "The Fabelmans" which is roughly his autobiography. Everyhting he cherishes about filmmaking and being vulnerable is right here. I briefly talk about why this film is a masterclass in filmmaking, I give credit to the casting and the actors who played these great and realistic characters, and I also briefly bring up how the plot of the film plays to even modern times, splitting your work life and family life, art vs passion. This is a film that everyone will enjoying especially those who are career-driven individuals. Enjoy.

#thefabelmans...

Danny DeVito directed Matilda, who gave us a lot to think about and a lot to be grateful of. It's visually striking, the dialog is very snappy and a bit dark at times, especially with Principal Trunchbull, she's a riot. Matilda is a smart girl, almost too smart for your own good and a lot of power of the film comes from that understanding. We all want to belong, believe it or not. I briefly talk about DeVito's visual style in this film in particular, the character development of Matilda and some of the characters, and lastly the comparison of...

This film review was a request by orlyb2012 Thank you orlyb2012 !


Waking Life is Richard Linklater's love letter to his whole filmography: the meaning of life. Is there magic in the world? Are we actually alive? Linklater various films explore those themes, of existentialism, reality, in a lot of his films and he doesn't really go deep on them but in this film in particular, he goes BALLS DEEP and I like that. This is not your typical drama or action film. It's a film that demands your attention and your mind because it does...

Alfonso Cuaron started his studio film career with A Little Princess in which I enjoyed especially with the cinematography and great acting from the cast that you wouldn't expect to see. You can tell that Cuaron has a knack for visuals and it shows in the dream sequences that the set has created that looks very inviting, fluid, and imaginative, which is the subtext of the film, belieivng in reality's magic. Enjoy!

#alittleprincess #alfonsocuaron #morningreel

New Year's Eve is a Garry Marshall directed film and somehting happened to where stories don't go no where but somehow captivate the heart. Not mine, that's for sure. Here's a film where an ensemble cast could have done better if the treatment was better for them in the first place. FInd out why I gave this film TWO tokes in terms of story selection, writing in general and the cheesiness of it. Enjoy.

#newyearseve #garrymarshall #morningreel

Aftersun is a brave film written & directed by Charlotte Wells that focuses on the dynamic between single parents and their children especially when dealing with depression coming from the parent. It's a simple in its plot but complex as to what the characters go through in an emotional and physiological level. I love it for the writing, the acting and stage direction Wells was able to successfully accomplish, as well as how the cinematography presents the dynamics. Enjoy!

#aftersun #charlottewells #a24

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first TV special of the Peanuts gang and it's great for kids and adults to watch. The short is still reltable to today's time especially how it mentions commercialism and greed, especially from a child's perspective. I loved the humor, seeing Charlie Brown as a play director is great and Snoopy steals the cel throughout. Watch it on Apple +, sadly it's not broadcasted to the public audience, but do please see it whenever it's on your screen.

#acharliebrownchristmas #morningreel #charlesmschulz

Elf is directed by Jon Favreau and he did a great job guiding a cast to cheer and jubulation. It's a well balanced film that I would consider a modern Christmas film and at this point it is a classic. Listen to me talking about the team between James Caan and Will Ferrell, how develop from each other, how music embodies Christmas, and how to relates to certain people who think they got it all but if family ain't there, you got nothing.

#morningreel #elf #willferrell

Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a Christmas gift provided by John Hughes to us. Now, in this review, I don't go in-depth to the how this franchise stood the test of time. I simply talk about how I like the first film aginst its adventurous sequels but they are great to watch and enjoy for all kinds of people to see and it's great to see this film due to its constant culture it continues spray to our younger generations. Enjoy.

#homealone #homealone2 #johnhughes

It's a Wonderful Life" is wonderful for many reasons - the production design, the well written script adapted from "A Christmas Carol", the acting and ensemble cast you get, plus more from the premise itself of making the best of life, especially when you know you got it good. Enjoy.

#morningreel #itsawonderfullife #frankcapra

True love! In this LSD review, I talk about why I think "The Philadelphia Story" is a great film, almost the perfect film to be more descriptive. The cast filled with beautiful and talented actors and how they certainly bring the script alive on its toes especially with endless one-liners. This film caught my attention as to how it reflects the times and parodies high societies, monocles y todo. Even for a screwball film, it has great cinematography as well, moving through the set design, exposing the goods of the manor. Enjoy this one.

#thephiladelphiastory #morningreel #lsd

This Peanuts classic shows us kids and adults what Thanksgiving is about in a cute, comedic and wholesome way. A simple plot didn't go a long way but I enjoyed Snoopy making food for his friends and all comes from the bottom of his heart. A film to enjoy and possibly re-create, you'll get hooked and make you want to take on the world.

#morningreel #acharliebrownthanksgiving