Author: Brett_G

“Antebellum”

Definition – existing before a war, especially : existing before the American Civil War.

Now I understand why the band shouldn’t have used it in the first place. Good lord, don’t they hire PR teams to say ”probably not the best idea.”

Back to the movie… Get ready to get uncomfortable, but in a productive way. If this film doesn’t make you uncomfortable, there is another conversation to be had. Janelle Monáe kills it as our two main characters. An absolute powerhouse performance.

The cinematography is downright breathtaking. The score is perfectly complementing the visual elements. The attention to detail, second to none. So many easter eggs to be discovered within almost every frame, driving you to a second viewing to immerse yourself in every nuanced “a-ha” moment fully. Hauntingly beautiful comes to mind.

You won’t expect or believe what you see upon first viewing. The film wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was better than I could have imagined.

“Shaun of the Dead”

7.9

Brilliant!

I’d like to think this is how I would handle the zombie apocalypse.

The perfect balance of horror and comedy. Great special effects, great acting, a great script. And it all ends at the pub. In the vein of other Simon Peg masterpieces, such as “At World’s End,” a legendary addition to zombie canon.

“A Rainy Day in New York”

7.9

I liked this more than I guessed I would have supposed at first glance. It’s a definite Woody Allen film. Hard-on for New York City, clunky dialogue at times, rushed, yet witty storytelling.

An awkward savant serves as our main character, who fumbles his way from beautiful woman to beautiful woman. Selena Gomez, of all people, bringing down the house as the unsuspecting love interest. All the while, his girlfriend stumbles her way through equally awkward yet less rewarding encounters. Al set against strikingly beautiful set pieces, shot in a way that only Allen can pull off.

If you’re in the mood for an oddball romance, this one hits the spot.

“From Beyond”

6.4

All I wanted to know was where the idea for the floating sky jellyfish in zombies mode in the new “Call of Duty” came from… Apparently, that was too much to ask. Come along with me down the rabbit hole.

Buckle up for a wild ride. Rogue pituitary glands, killer ghost seas creatures, and the most moist finale this side of the horror classic “Society.” If the multiple uses of moist make you uncomfortable, that gives you a taste for what your in for for the entire runtime. Wowza.

“Ex Machina”

7.7

Instead of your typical Victorian/Colonial age film from A24 that makes your skin crawl, this one has robots!

Brilliant performances by all involved precisely weave a cautionary tale of AI gone awry. The age-old scientific inquiry, “we can, but should we?” Michael Crichton would be proud! Get ready to have your mind bent, then blown by this masterpiece of science… Fiction? (only because this feels all too real in the not so distant future)