Author: Diego Crespo

Blade Runners: More Human Than Human

Blade Runners: More Human Than Human

Posted by | Nov 30, 2017 | |

Originally published on October 12, 2017; republished in celebration of Director Ridley Scott’s 80th birthday.*This article is filled with spoilers for Blade Runner 2049. Please proceed with caution.* Could Rick Deckard and Officer K be any more different? In characterization, the two represent wholly different approaches to characterization. Deckard is a fundamentally flawed being who has little interest in life. K is almost immediately revealed to be a replicant whose only job is to exterminate other replicant models. Deckard’s journey is one of revelation in his embracing of humanity, while K longs for a mere ounce of it. Even...

Read More
Geostorm is a Brain Dead but Efficient Disaster

Geostorm is a Brain Dead but Efficient Disaster

Posted by | Nov 6, 2017 | , |

Overview: Gerard Butler and Jim Sturgess fight satellites that control the weather. Warner Bros. Pictures; 2017; Rated PG-13; 109 minutes. Geostorms? In this economy?: I am a man of simple tastes. I like my Gerard Butler-starring action movies to be dumb and efficient, even if others think they’re a waste of time. I’ll go watch Gerard Butler starring in problematic action movies as long as he stabs a dude in the head at some point. The manner of making it doesn’t influence my reaction as much as what is in front of me. All things considered, there is no logical...

Read More
Jigsaw Falls Prey to Familiar Traps

Jigsaw Falls Prey to Familiar Traps

Posted by | Oct 30, 2017 | , |

Overview: The legacy of the Jigsaw killer continues. Again. Lionsgate Films; 2017; Rated R; 91 minutes. Playing the Same Game: Jigsaw doesn’t present anything noteworthy for a return of the tortuous franchise, lacking the staying power of the better sequels. However, it may prove to be enjoyable enough for fans of the series looking for nothing other than cheap kills with cheap thrills. When a singular series of films is boxed in with specific low budget gimmicks, there are only so many directions the film can take. It’s been an issue with the series since the first sequel. Innocent victims are...

Read More
The Foreigner Disappoints With Stone-Faced Dad-Core

The Foreigner Disappoints With Stone-Faced Dad-Core

Posted by | Oct 16, 2017 | , |

Overview: Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan share the screen in a heavy dad-core action thriller. STXfilms; 2017; Rated R; 114 minutes. Dad-Core Strikes Back: Jackie Chan is one of the greatest discoveries in film history. An action superstar who transcended borders and is beloved worldwide. Pierce Brosnan is also an adored action star thanks to his part in the legacy of James Bond. They are practically global icons greatly respected in the industry for their craft and ability to bring a crowd-pleasing attitude to action films. But perhaps the most undervalued asset of both Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan...

Read More
A Double-Billing of ’80s Pop Horror: Welcome to Fright Night

A Double-Billing of ’80s Pop Horror: Welcome to Fright Night

Posted by | Oct 11, 2017 |

Is there a better title for a horror movie like this? Not outright terrifying, just an all around crowd pleaser that just leaps off the screen. Fright Night. It has that special zing when you say it. Though vampires are stewards of the night eternal, it’s a harder task to keep them fresh. Fresher than a clove of garlic, anyway. One of the first films to play with meta genre conventions on a large scale, Fright Night doesn’t attempt to redefine the vampire mythos like Near Dark or The Lost Boys. It merely implements them with a coming of...

Read More
American Made Showcases One of the Last American Outlaws

American Made Showcases One of the Last American Outlaws

Posted by | Oct 2, 2017 | , |

Overview: Doug Liman and Tom Cruise re-team to give us the dark spiritual sequel to Top Gun we never had. Universal Pictures; 2017; Rated R; 115 minutes. The American Dream: American Made is the mostly true story of Barry Seal, an American pilot who became a smuggler for the CIA, DEA and Medellin Cartel. In the vein of films analyzing chaos through entertainment like Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Short, American Made looks back at a final frontier in American history. In interviews, Liman and Cruise refer to piloting in the 80s as the last bastion of...

Read More