kevin muller

Review – First Man (2018)

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by Kevin Muller

From the halls of renowned musical school to the hills of Hollywood, Academy Award winning director, Damien Chazelle, who still is the youngest director to win the award, has a love affair with ambition and what it takes to be the best. Andrew, from Whiplash, and Mia and Sebastian, from La La Land, sacrificed their wants and needs in order to attain their dreams. This time, the stakes are a bit higher. This life or death mission to space shows the many lives lost from countless failures to one of America’s proudest moments. Does Chazelle pull it off?

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Review – A Star is Born (2018)

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by Kevin Muller

The word, remake, has become a dirty word in Hollywood. Whenever one is announced, people roll their eyes, and either totally ignore it or hand over their money in some type of curious shame. The new film, A Star is Born, is the third cinematic iteration of the popular story about a musician, in his decline, that finds both talent and hope in a young female aspiring singer. The pair this time are Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who not only stars as the male lead, but directed, co-wrote, and produced this epic love story.

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Review – The Nun (2018) **31 Days of Horror**

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by Kevin Muller

The Nun is the new entry in The Conjuring cinematic universe. It expands upon the legend of an evil spirit that takes the form of a hideous nun. The universe has been the go to for those who want to be dropped into a world of the supernatural, instead of one full of superheroes. Annabelle was the first standalone film based on the findings of real life couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. Of course, major liberties have been taken, but each of these films follow the same beats as the ones that proceed them. Does this one add anything new to the universe or is it just one that will get lost in the shuffle as more of these are to be made in the near future?

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Review – Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

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by Kevin Muller

It’s hard to believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, is celebrating ten years. Throughout these films, we’ve seen many memorable moments, including when Iron Man first emerged, in the prototype of what his suit would become, to the God of thunder, Thor, wielding his hammer in a battle with Hulk, that made the green guy become helpless and, of course, when the original Avengers first came together. It has been one hell of a ride. One other constant has been the very serious threat of someone named Thanos and how he must be prevented from obtaining the Infinity Stones that are spread across this cinematic world.

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Review – American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace (2018)

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by Kevin Muller

Ryan Murphy has been a gift from God for FX.  Over the past eight years he has given us American Horror Story, Feud, Glee, and most recently 9-1-1. Four out of the five mentioned have won countless awards. In 2016, Murphy gave us a new series called American Crime Story, which was about the trial of OJ Simpson. As with Feud and American Horror Story, each season has its own story with its own characters and conflicts. The series won countless awards for acting and as a series overall.  Once again, it was a major win for FX. What would Murphy follow up with for season 2? There were ramblings about Katrina, which will now be season 3, but he ultimately decided to look at the death of Gianni Versace and the hunt for his murderer, Andrew Cunanan. Murphy, a proud and outed gay man, would definitely give one of the gay community’s greatest icons the proper treatment, right? Well, that is where the series becomes conflicted. It isn’t with the acting. All the actors, including Edgar Ramirez, as the title character; Penelope Cruz, as his sister Donatella, and even Ricky Martin, as Versace’s lover, Antonio D’Amico, are all fantastic. The production value is incredible to boot. Even Darren Criss, more on him later, is career defining as Cunanan. The problem lies that the title character isn’t really the main focus of the piece, and when he is, the story is incredibly fragile.

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The Best and Worst Movies of 2017

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by Kevin Muller

The Worst Films of 2017

10. Suburbicon

George Clooney took a shot at directing a film that was scripted by the Coen Brothers.  Unfortunately, the groundwork laid by the brothers wasn’t strong enough for Clooney to make a good film. It is spectacular failure. The first half of the film leads us through an interesting story that drops the ball in the second half. Clooney decided to combine an unproduced script, a crime film, and the true story of a black family living in a white suburb, into one movie. The problem is that both scripts have totally different tones and themes that could’ve worked if they had their own movie, but by mashing them together, it created a narrative mess that you can’t pinpoint where it starts and ends.

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Oscars 2018 – Predictions

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by Kevin Muller

Most people get excited for the beginning of the year due to the proximity of the Superbowl to the New Year.  For me, I also get the Academy Awards, which is the Superbowl for film fans.  Though the Patriots, and Brady, losing to a team who never won and that no one believed in, was maybe the greatest narratives of the year.  Let’s see who is nominated in each of these major categories, along with my personal picks, and who I think will take an Oscar home.

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Review – Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

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by Kevin Muller

Sit back and buckle up for the wildest ride of the year. Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri is a masterpiece and the writer/director’s best film to date. This is a film with balls that isn’t afraid to offend, while providing us with a story that is as hilarious as it is profound, this one is a true winner.

It has been too much damn time for Mildred, an amazing Frances MacDormand, since the gruesome death of her young teenage daughter, who was raped and burned to death a few months before the film begins. It doesn’t help that the last time they saw each other they had a typical mother/daughter fight that concluded with things said that both did not mean. The police haven’t made any progression on the case that seems to be the afterthought. In an act with desperation and rebellion, Mildred purchases three vacant billboards that sit outside of town. On them, she asks the police, specifically Willoughby, who is perfectly played by Woody Harrelson, why it is taking so damn long to solve the case? While Willoughby is bothered by it, it is a younger, and troubled, officer at his department, Dixon, who really takes it to heart.  Dixon is played with such ferocity by Sam Rockwell. He is a simple minded man, who is the last person who should be an officer of the law. Mildred’s bold move acts as a catalyst, for not only the movie’s plot, but the spirit of the town. Everyone tries to fight her, but she refuses to give up.

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