Us

Jordan Peele's followup to to his 2017 debut, Get Out, Us is a horror film centering on a family staying on their beach house as they are soon overtaken by violent figures who look exactly like them and soon learn that it's happening all over the country. Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke play a married couple with two kids, and all four actors not only provide great performances, but the chemistry works so well. Most of the film is set in one night, and the cinematography by Mike Gioulakis does such a great job at being able to see enough in scenes that are in the dark or able to hide just enough to set the mood. A lot of the music and score fits well at creating the tone and atmosphere perfect for a horror movie. The story is well told and very original in the way it tells it, but the explanation for what the copies are and what they are doing isn't explained as well as it thinks. While the performances and the way the copies look is creepy, some of their mannerisms can feel silly. The plot twist involving Nyong'o's characters is a great idea, the problem with it is that it doesn't really go anywhere. However, the last shot of the movie that references the Hand Across America benefit event from 1986 is very haunting and awesome. Over all: 98%

2019 top list so far:
1. Shazam!

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

4. Us

5. Captain Marvel
6. The Upside
7. Cold Pursuit
8. Glass

Fathom Events-TCM Big Screen Classics: To Kill a Mockingbird

Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events partner up to show a classic movie three separate days each month, and for March I went to see their rerelease of the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. Based on the best selling novel by Harper Lee, I read it back in school and never got around to be able to see it until now. The book and the film both deal with a young girl, Scout, in the Deep South during the Great Depression as she learns to grow up all the while her father, Atticus, a lawyer is tasked with defending a black man accused of rape. Even if it was made nearly sixty years ago, Mockingbird is just as thought provoking and memorable as any other modern film. The performances and chemistry between the actors portraying the Finch family are all great and makes you believe that they have always been together. All of the movie is great to watch, but the one standout that really makes you remember is the speech delivered by Gregory Peck as Atticus at the end of the trial to defend Tom Robinson. The cinematography, production design, and costuming all perfectly evoke the 1930s era in which the film is set.

Shazam!

Technically the first superhero named Captain Marvel but kept from naming him that due to a legal issue with Marvel, Shazam! is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe. It tells the origin story of abandoned teenager Billy Batson who is given god like powers by an ancient wizard to fight the personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins and their chosen champion, Dr. Sivana. This is by far the best film in the DCEU, even beating out Wonder Woman, and definitely one of the most fun superhero ever made. Asher Angel as Billy and Zachary Levi as the adult superhero persona are perfect in their roles, along with the rest of the cast all having great performances. A lot of the comedy is on point, and helps make it such a fresh spin on the genre whenever they focus on Shazam doing odd things to impress people before committing to fully helping people. The action scenes and effects are done really well, even if the design of the Deadly Sins are a little generic. Unlike the first few Extended Universe films, Shazam! isn't afraid to be lighthearted, fun, comedic, and self aware of what kind of film it is. What really works is just how accurate the film is to the comics, such as the costume and even sillier aspects like the appearance of of the Rock of Eternity. There are some negatives in Shazam!, the most obvious being that whenever the ancient wizard finds someone to test whether they're worthy, he never erases their memory of the event. Over all: 100%

2019 top list so far:
1. Shazam!

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

4. Captain Marvel
5. The Upside
6. Cold Pursuit
7. Glass

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is the first female led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Brie Larson in the title role. Set during the 1990s, Larson's character, calling herself Vers, is a Kree soldier whose past is unknown to her until she is kidnapped by the shape shifting Skrulls and escapes to Earth where she starts to regain her lost memories. Allying herself with a younger and less experienced Nick Fury, Vers comes upon what led to her memory loss and energy powers, a conspiracy by the Kree, and what the Skrulls want. With the directing duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck in the helm, their past work in small independent films is known as the film's strongest aspect is the acting and the chemistry between Larson and Samuel L. Jackson that makes it a really great buddy film. While it has some great action scenes, Marvel has a few moments that don't feel as well done especially for an MCU film. Much of the first quarter of the movie is very slow and takes a while before it really starts to get good. Since it is set in 1995, there are numerous references to the time period such as a Blockbuster and slower computers, though not too many things that distract except for a few song choices. The story is well done, even if a lot of it tends to be too similar to past MCU films during its first phase. As always, the comedy can either work really well or can be grating and forced, including the reveal of a stray cat being an alien. The biggest weakness that hurts Captain Marvel is that there are many things and ideas that could have been utilized but are wasted, such as having a younger Phil Coulson and Ronan but barely appearing throughout it, seeing more of Kree society, and no mention of how Skrulls could disguise themselves as huge figures like Tony Stark knowing his genius could be useful. While silly, the way Fury loses his eye I don't see as a huge deal since he always lies to make something more epic and thus fits a bit with the character. Over all: 95%

2019 top list so far:
1. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

2. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

3. Captain Marvel
4. The Upside
5. Cold Pursuit
6. Glass

The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015-2016) #1

Another of the free digital comics to promote the Wonder Woman movie, The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015-2016) #1 is another retelling of the Amazons' origins. The story starts out with how Hippolyta and her sisters became immortal, how she nearly lost after falling in love, her wanting of a child leading to Diana being created by the gods, and how as a child Diana felt a change was to occur soon. Even if the story has been told numerous times before, the poetic and brisk style of the writing makes it unique. The style of the artwork feels so fresh and has a quality to it that nearly feels like it would make for a great animated film. What I like most when reading it was its honest take on the tragedy that being immortal can bring when it deals with Diana's mother's personal life and what it meant for her people. Over all: 100%
Top list so far for 2nd set of comics:
1. The Tick: Free Comic Book Day 2018
2. Free Comic Book Day 2018: James Bond 007-VARGR
3. Free Comic Book Day 2018 Invader Zim: Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy
4. The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015-2016) #1
5. Ant-Man (2015) Vol. 1 #1: Second-Chance Man Part 1
6. Batman/The Flash: The Button
7. The Adventures of Superman Vol. 1 #500
8. The Unworthy Thor (2016-2017) #1
9. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #5
10. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6
11. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4
12. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1 #1
13. Wonder Woman Free Comic Book Day 2017 Special Edition (2017-) issue #1
14. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
15. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
16. Incredible Hulk (1999-2007) #92: Planet Hulk Part One
17. Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
18. Wonder Woman (2006-2011) #1
19. The Astonishing Ant-Man (2015-2016) #1
20. Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #1
21. Tate's Not At Comic Con Local Indy Anthology #8