When Tom Hanks is billed as a lead for an emotionally challenging film, it has generally been a recipe for success in the past two decades. When he was cast as Captain Richard Phillips in “Captain Phillips,” moviegoers couldn’t wait to break out the tissue box for another ride. Sadly, Hanks’ new project as the heroic captain falls flat...
Before going to see Disneynature’s latest film, “Monkey Kingdom,” I must ask you a couple of questions. First: Do you like monkeys? Specifically, do you like toque macaque monkeys, the kind featured in this film? Do you like seeing monkeys play and act like monkeys? And the stringent hierarchy of the monkey kingdom? Yes?
Wait, don’t answer yet. Second question:...
The transition from successful comedian to movie star is a difficult feat. What used to be a shoo-in for superstardom is now something that makes or breaks your career, as many comedians have tried to make the giant step to film, but ultimately failed. Coming off the success of his groundbreaking stand-up shows “Let Me Explain” (2013) and “Laugh...
Fresh off the success of his “Dark Knight” trilogy, Christopher Nolan returns with another hit. “Interstellar” is a science-fiction adventure film about a team of explorers who must travel through space in search of a new hospitable planet. In the near future, Earth becomes unable to sustain humanity as crops are ravaged by blight and dust storms. Cooper, a...
When one hears the name Frankenstein, one generally thinks of the monster, but there are those who do think of the man, the mad doctor who wanted to create life. Sadly, despite the star-studded cast, “Victor Frankenstein” would need more than a lightning bolt to save it from the writing that beats the film’s only metaphor to death.
“Victor Frankenstein,”...
If you can’t take joy in gratuitous violence and boobs, you probably won’t find much pleasure in “Machete Kills” — but you should already know that going in. After all, this is a sequel to a movie that was just an expansion of a fake trailer in the midst of the Rodriguez-Tarantino “Grindhouse” films, which were themselves parodies of...
The legend of King Arthur and Excalibur is an amazing tale of a child born of royal blood who, after discovering his lineage, must reclaim his throne which rightfully belongs to him. As for the 2017 film starring Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur, it is mediocre at best. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, falls a bit short from...
Some things are better left unknown. When you go digging for the truth you might uncover something far more daunting. “Gone Girl,” the psychological thriller directed by film veteran David Fincher encompasses all the aesthetics that make films compelling and sticks to the basics. The film never tries to break new ground. Instead, it meticulously crafts itself into a...
The Highlander would like to thank ASPB for their free screening of “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Marvel’s Cinematic Universe continues with “Thor: Ragnarok,” which follows our favorite hammer-swinging Asgardian as he simultaneously tries to free himself from imprisonment and save the kingdom of Asgard. The 2017 film, which is directed by Taika Waititi, is highly entertaining. Boasting great acting, effective jokes and...
One of the many things that doesn’t follow the horror genre is a decent reputation. However, with David Robert Mitchell’s new horror film, “It Follows,” the horror genre seems to be working incredibly hard to ditch a stigma that has developed over the past few years due to the repeated release of shoddy, unkempt horror films.
“It Follows” tells the...