Okay cousin. Listen up!

The Bear is easily one of the best TV shows I've ever seen. I could have never predicted I would be making that sort of claim about a scripted fine dining "cooking show" but here we are. All it took was sprinkling in some extensive verbal abuse, dysfunctional family drama, and the stylistic flair of an A24 film.

But don't be overwhelmed by all the ridiculousness I just threw at you. I think the show is quite approachable simply becasue when the screaming stops you are treated to a beautiful view inside the deeply passionate culinary world. This is not to mention the brilliant acting, comedy, and genuine hart it wears on it's sleeve.

Do yourself a favor and give the (currently) two seasons of The Bear a watch... unless cussing and screaming triggers you or something 🤔 then maybe don't 😆

After being very critical of the “monster verse” I am happy to say that we FINALLY have a true Godzilla film that pays homage to the original 1954 film and takes advantage of 2023 technology. For a reported budget of only $15 million, the visual effects are outstanding. There are definitely times where the budget shows, but these are only on a few occasions.

Though this is a Godzilla film, it features a compelling human story with solid actors that help to sell this era of time in the aftermath of WWII. My favorite characters were definitely the “doc” and the crew who work with the lead of the film who is a disgraced pilot from the war.

The writing is also quite good, though it is clear that many ideas were borrowed from the original film and other subsequent releases. Even with that being the case, there is a level of comfort that comes along with it as it makes it feel that much more like a true Godzilla reboot.

The only real critique I would have would be the pacing which at times is slow and drags. The film could have cut off about 15 mins and it would have been much better paced.

All in all this film was a darn good time and well worth the watch. Seeing it in IMAX for a fan preview was also great especially when the original Godzilla score kicks in and all the heads began to nod to the beat. These film puts all of the so called “monster verse” films to shame. End the Legendary films and give that money to Toho instead. They clearly know what they are doing.

Barbie charms thanks to its incredible production design, catchy soundtrack, and the performances of Margot Robbie’s Barbie and especially Ryan Gosling’s Ken. However, its muddled and self-contradictory messaging about gender politics chafes and detracts from what could have otherwise been a truly great Barbie movie.

3/5

David Fincher's latest release follows the exploits of a mysterious hitman played excellently by Michael Fassbender. The film was written by Andrew Kevin Walker, the same writer from Se7en. As always, like every Fincher film, there is amazing cinematography utilized. Fincher's direction is just as methodical as the leading character. The main issue with the film is the lack of interesting characters that makes it hard to root for anybody. The main character is slightly interesting when you learn about his certain traits and killing process, but he's really such a brick wall that you can't get emotionally attached to him in any way. Maybe Fincher was going for this emotionless killer reminiscent of Michael Myers, but the film was seriously lacking an interesting protagonist. The series of events that unfold are mildly entertaining but kind of conventional too. There's not really any themes that the film tries to go for. There is a very well choreographed hand to hand fight scene that occurs that actually almost felt like it was out of place in this very quiet and intense crime thriller. Pretty disappointing considering the same guy that wrote this had also written Se7en. It was decent. I recommend to anyone who's a fan of Fincher or crime thrillers.

5/5

This film is one of my favorites of all time, and also an excellent display of craftsmanship by David Fincher. After Fincher got dealt a bad hand with Alien 3, it is very fortunate that he gave film directing another shot with Se7en. This is a dark and grisly crime thriller that focuses on the relationship between Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman's characters and their attempt to solve a series of gruesome murders. Fincher behind the camera shoots this movie almost like an old fashioned noir film. There is a great use of shadows and darkness that give the film a haunting look. The crime scenes depicted are pretty gnarly. Depending on the individual viewer, certain scenes have the ability to turn your stomach. As someone who loves horror, this film gives me a lot of the same chilling thrills. I won't spoil the ending, but the ending is one of the best in cinematic history in my opinion. The ending reinforces the themes of the film. I really like David Fincher. He has made a lot of good movies but this one just might be my personal favorite.