kevin muller

Review – Like A Boss (2020)

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by Kevin Muller

For those of you who are unaware, the first two months of the new year are reserved for films that usually are not good or that the studios have no faith in. In Hollywood, the unofficial name for January and February are “dump months.” Sure, there have been years where films defied expectations, February 1991’s Oscar Winning film Silence of the Lambs comes to mind, but most are forgettable or downright terrible.   Unfortunately, Like a Boss, which released during the second week of 2020, falls into the pile of forgettable films.

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Top 10 Best & Worst Films of 2019

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by Kevin Muller

The Top 10 Worst Films of 2019

10. The Kitchen  

The tenth spot on this list is reserved for, not necessarily a bad film, but for one that given the talent involved, should’ve worked.  Based upon the Graphic Novel, “The Kitchen” tells the story of three women who are romantically involved with men connected to the Irish Mob. When the men are all thrown in jail, the three must band together to continue the men’s work, to avoid financial debt to themselves, and the community that depends on the mob. The leads are played by Elisabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish, and Melissa McCarthy, in what seemed to be the perfect trio to pull this off.   Unfortunately, a story that should’ve been about female empowerment, was just so lifeless on its execution. The film also failed to carry a consistent tone. It tried to be funny, with awkward results, it tried to be a crime drama, but failed to give the controversial story any type of spark. It was the definition of a missed opportunity.

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Oscars 2020 – Predictions

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Kevin Muller‘s Oscar Picks

Visual Effects

Avengers: Endgame

The Irishman

1917

The Lion King

Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker

 

My Pick: 1917

What Will Win: 1917

While the people will be pulling for Avengers: Endgame, I feel that the sheer mastery of direction, and visual trickery, of Sam Mendes World War 1 film, will take it all.  It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking that pushed the extremes of the singular shot technique.

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Review – Cats (2019)

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by Kevin Muller

On July 18, 2019, an event happened that shook the cinematic world. The trailer for the big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway show Cats was released in all its nightmarish glory; with human/cat hybrids dancing and singing songs from the Tony Award winning show. How could Academy Award winning director Tom Hooper be behind this mess? To be fair, there have been plenty of bad trailers that marketed good or great movies. Film trailer creation is a difficult process, but that isn’t the focus of this review. Is the film a misunderstood charmer, with a lousy trailer, or a complete failure?

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Review – Richard Jewell (2019)

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By Kevin Muller

We are in a point in history where people are at odds with the news media. While some people swear by CNN/MSNBC, others think that FOX News are the ones who tell the truth. Even our own President has weighed in by creating a catchphrase to describe his feelings about the news organizations. Back in 1996, an event happened that threw a good man through the ringer, and even though he came out clean, it changed his life until his death in 2007. It was a story of a misunderstood hero who was wrongly accused by the press and FBI. Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood, has decided to bring this story to the big screen.  Is it more like wonderful American Sniper or the mundane The 15:17 to Paris?

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Review – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel : Season 1 and 2

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By Kevin Muller

There are certain roles on television that you can’t imagine any other actor, or actress, playing. Ed O’Neil was hilariously pathetic as Al Bundy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus gave us so many laughs as Elaine, and Bryan Cranston sent chills down our spines as the Walter White. Now, you can add Rachel Brosnahan to the list of actors who have provided unforgettable protagonists that make a great show, like this one, even better. Her Midge Maisel is a true character of female empowerment.

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Review – The Irishman (2019)

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by Kevin Muller

The Irishman represents a lot as a film. First, it is the first time the legendary director, Martin Scorsese has worked with legendary actor, Al Pacino. This is also a big gamble for the streaming service, Netflix, who put up the $159 Million dollar budget, when almost every studio in town passed on it. The company has released many films before, including last year’s Oscar winning, and my favorite film of the year, Roma. The gigantic price tag went to de-aging the actors, since this film spans over 50 years. It is an expensive trick to finance. Most of all, this feels like a good-bye to a genre of films made by the master and his crew of skilled actors. The important question is, does it all work?

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Review – Parasite (2019)

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by Kevin Muller

One of the perks of the Oscar film season, which we are currently in, is films from all around the world get their moment in the spotlight that are vying for the chance at the “Best Foreign Film” prize. You probably have a favorite film from this genre: Life is Beautiful, Roma, A Separation, War and Peace, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This film comes from South Korea.  Does it deserve to be mentioned amongst those other great films?

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Review – The Lighthouse (2019)

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by Kevin Muller

When writer and director Robert Eggers burst on to the scene with 2016’s The Witch, he gave us a true New England horror tale. What he succeeded in doing was creating an immersive experience for the viewers. A majority of the time, when films are set in a different time periods, the accents are shoddy, the cinematography too clean, or the actors can’t nail the true essence of the characters. Eggers nailed all three of those aspects and much more. For his next feature, he has given us a movie, that takes place at the end of the 19th century, located in New England, with his two actors speaking in thick New England accents. Does he go two for two, or was his first effort a fluke?

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Review – Gemini Man (2019)

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by Kevin Muller

How would you define a movie star? Personally, it is an actor whose charisma shines through and levitates the best and worst of films. Will Smith has a giant personality that has given him a successful career that has spanned through television, music, film, and two Academy Award nominations. He can bring the funny as well as he can bring the tears. He can be sensitive, loving, and caring, but also witty, fun, and bad ass. Those are the very traits that make this very mediocre film semi-enjoyable instead of the train wreck it could’ve been.

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