James' Movie Blog

As a kid growing up in the 1990's, I subjected myself to various books in order to keep my mind expanded. One series of books was Goosebumps by R. L. Stine; combining horror and the paranormal for young readers, this series of books made an impact on popular culture. So, when a movie based on the series was announced, I was excited to see a nostalgic memory come to life. And then I saw the film. The movie version definitely captures the spirit of the books, yet everything else seemed to be overplayed a bit. While the movie adaptation isn't terrible, it's also not good. “Goosebumps” is a fun movie for fans of the original books, but newcomers might be a little confused as to what is going on. The story has a new kid named Zach (Dylan Minnette) moving into Madison, Delaware with his mother to adapt to his new surroundings. Said surroundings include his next door neighbor, who just so happens to be R. L. Stine, author of Goosebumps (Jack Black). He also has a daught...

Life is crazy sometimes. And in the world of entertainment, there is one character that embodies crazy nearly perfectly: The Joker. Created for DC, this character has become one of the most popular and psychotic of any character that deals in the realm of crazy. And since his creation from 1940, he has been portrayed by many people in the realm of both television and film. The newest incarnation, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is the subject of the film “Joker”, directed and co-written by Todd Phillips who is best known for more crude comedies like “The Hangover” trilogy. While there is some plot elements that don't add up, especially with the finished product, “Joker” excels on a technical level, and is eye candy at its finest. There's also the fact about how disturbing the initial movie is, but we'll get there when we get there. But for now, “Joker” is a unique character study about one man can see the world as nothing more than crazy. The story follows a man named A...

Take all the stories from the tall tale genre, and combine it with a person's real life, and you get this movie. “Big Fish” is basically a tall tale of someone's life told through an extraordinary, and surprising way. This tall tale contains stories of love, laughter, drama, and excitement that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. It's both a wonder and an achievement at how this movie is so good. “Big Fish” combines all the stories of a tale tale, and getting at your emotions, including this reviewer, in one of the most underrated gems from Tim Burton. The story is that Edward Bloom (Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor) tells his son, Will (Billy Cruddup), stories based on events in his life. As a child, Will believes his dad, but on his wedding day, Will now realizes that the stories his father told him were not true. After believing this, Will promises to never speak to his father again. Several months pass, and Will is doing fine, until he learns that his ...

What's it going to be then, eh? Well, come closer, and I'll tell you. Stanley Kubrick adapted Anthony Burgess' novel “A Clockwork Orange” into a cinematic masterpiece. He did so after the tumultuous production of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and the result is quite shocking to say the least. Words cannot simply describe what this movie is about; you have to see it to believe it. While it may stray from the original source material, and there are one or two minor setbacks, the film is excellent and shocking for the viewing audience. “A Clockwork Orange” is simply one of those films that stand the test of time and provoke controversy over its subject matter. The plot of the film is about a young hoodlum named Alex (Malcolm McDowell) who goes around the city with his gang beating up people and raping innocent women just for the fun, enjoyment and pleasure of it. Unfortunately, on one night, Alex and his gang break into a house where everything goes wrong and Alex mur...

Children's programming has always been aimed for a much younger audience. However, one of the most influential, and groundbreaking shows was 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' that ran for over 35 years during its initial run on PBS. Since Fred Rogers' passing in 2003, there have been many people questioning Fred's ability to create valuable lessons to children. Well, the 2018 documentary “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” explores the ways that Fred Rogers both entertained as well as educated children over deep and complex issues. The documentary also explores how the show became such a huge phenomenon, and how it developed a large audience. “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” is an exploration into one man's goal to educate children in the nicest way possible. And mentioned above, “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” chronicles the life of Mr. Fred Rogers. A simple man who widened his eyes on the invention of television, and produced 'Mister Rogers' Neighbo...

Who doesn't love a good scary story? A scary story gives the viewer/listener something to keep them on their toes, and their heart pounding. But what if you take those scary stories and turn it into a visual medium like movies or television? That's where our feature film “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” comes into play. Based on a series of books by Alvin Schwartz and directed by André Øvredal, the film is a compilation of some of she short stories featured in the books with a tying narrative. But the big name is Guillermo Del Toro, who could be considered a master of horror in his own right, who is both co-writing and co-producing the film. While the film does have some issues, it is quite entertaining in its own right to hopefully become a horror classic. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a unique set of stories that will keep you up during the night with the lights on. Please note: this review is coming from someone who has not read the stories by Schwartz. ...

During the 1960s, there was a time when a new wave of directors came into existence, and forever changed cinema in ways one could possibly imagine. On the 50 th anniversary of the close of this wild and crazy decade, director and writer Quentin Tarantino decides to pay tribute to this time period by releasing “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, along a lot of other big names (too many to list), the film captures what it means to be a celebrity during this time period. While the film isn't absolute perfection, the movie is quite interesting as well as entertaining at the same time. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a look at the last year of the 1960s and how crazy the decade was in general. The story follows Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), a former TV star and his stunt double and best friend Cliff Booth (Pitt). Together, they have formed an inseparable bond, but as the years pass, Rick thinks that his career is over. Together, both Rick an...