armando vanegas

Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 154 (Interview with Edward Drake)

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On this episode of the Cinephellas Podcast, Armando interviews writer/director Edward Drake about his new movie, Detective Knight: Independence. They talk about working with Bruce Willis, the inspiration for the movie, and the relevancy of the movie’s story in today’s world.

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“Detective James Knight’s last-minute assignment to the Independence Day shift turns into a race against time to stop an unbalanced EMT worker who’s posing as a cop.”

Review – The White Lotus : Season 2 (2022)

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We check in and review season 2 of The White Lotus, which is set at an exclusive Sicilian resort and, similar to the first season, follows the exploits of guests and employees over the span of a week.

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“Set in a tropical resort, it follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week.”

Review – Rushmore (1998)

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Rushmore (1998) | Radio Times

by Armando Vanegas

If you’ve ever been a 10-year-old who felt they outgrew Disney or that you were more mature than most kids around you, then Rushmore is the perfect movie for you. I grew up watching it on Comedy Central for years and it was at a perfect time in my life when my parents were getting divorced and I was starting middle school. I didn’t really have many people to lean on so Wes Anderson’s distinctive style spoke to me for many reasons. I felt Rushmore was a good version of a ‘90s teen movie filtered through a very reserved but adult lens. It feels like a prototypical high school movie but its unusual tone sets it apart from other movies like it. A lot of this is what has kept me coming back to it over the years and shows why Wes Anderson is still the best to ever do it.

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Review – Licorice Pizza (2021)

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Licorice Pizza (2021) - IMDb

by Armando Vanegas

It’s not a surprise that 2021 has been a trash ass year. It’s unanimously ties with 2020 as the worst years in human history. Seriously, has anyone said 1990 or 1979 was trash? No, because coronavirus didn’t exist then. So therefore, those are wrong answers. Licorice Pizza comes at a great time where we need an escape. This year hasn’t exactly been as exciting or as satisfying when it comes to movies personally because art is in a weird place right now and emotionally, a lot of movies didn’t hit as hard as I would’ve liked. Licorice Pizza, though, is one of the few movies that actually delivered for me this year. It worked for me precisely because it’s a movie that refuses to live in the now and instead recognizes the joys of being young when you didn’t have as many worries in the world in a time when things just felt less complicated. I’m not going to be all hyperbolic and say that it was so thrilling that the edge of my seat needed an edge of the seat or that it’s going to bring movies back because movies never left. What are you talking about? But I did enjoy it a lot due to its clear inspiration from films like American Graffiti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Paul Thomas Anderson has crafted a gratifying coming of age story that feels like a great return to the vibe of Boogie Nights.

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