‘Garden State’ (2004) makes melancholy feel so good
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): A great soundtrack, melodrama, quirky folks and a smoothly understated romance make this a coming-of-age gem.
Natalie Portman
‘Garden State’ (2004) makes melancholy feel so good
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022) spectacular, insubstantial
Superhero Saturday (Movie review): However, it’s unlikely this fourth “Thor” installment will stick with audiences the way more serious superhero films do.
‘Everyone Says I Love You’ (1996) celebrates heart’s desires
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): While still recognizably an Allen film, this one focuses on the positive side of love enough to make you want to sing and dance.
‘V for Vendetta’ (2006) a gorgeous revolution
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): This comic adaptation is a message movie about the value of freedom, and also a beautiful work of art.
‘Annihilation’ is Garland’s disappointingly slow and weird follow-up to ‘Ex Machina’ (Movie review)
The 2015 masterpiece “Ex Machina” put Alex Garland on my list of must-see auteurs, and the trailers for “Annihilation” – now available on home video – made it look like an amazing follow-up. A shimmering […]
‘Thor: The Dark World’ (2013) mixes comedy, grand drama
An outsider’s take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Movie review): The Thor saga grows a bit from its rough first entry.
‘Thor’ (2011) makes clunky debut in the MCU
An outsider’s take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Movie review): Thor gives the MCU an otherworldly addition.
‘V for Vendetta’ reviews
John’s “V for Vendetta” flashback review, Nov. 5, 2020 “V for Vendetta” – This adaptation of Alan Moore’s famous comic book takes us to a not-too-distant future when England is ruled by an oppressive state. […]
‘Garden State’ review
“Garden State” – It’s a great romance film precisely because it doesn’t seem like a romance. It stars Zach Braff (who also directed and compiled the Shins-heavy soundtrack) as a bright 20-something wandering aimlessly through […]
What John thought about ‘Revenge of the Sith’ in 2005 (Movie review)
To round out the “Star Wars” film reviews on my blog, I thought it would be fun to look back at my review of “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” from May 20, 2005, in the Brainerd […]