Cinema Spotlight Series Uncategorized

Top 10 Movie Moments of the 2000s

By jasonbleau on

The 2000s was a time of interesting change for cinema. Popular movies and award winning films were no longer one and the same as some of the best films of each year tended to flop and some of the best moments in those films were only recognized in hindsight. It was also a time where superhero movies experienced a significant resurgence and over the top performances were seen as more of an art than a stain on otherwise great projects. They all resulted in some of the best modern movie moments to hit the big screen to date. As we near the end of September my month-long look at the best moments in film continues with a breakdown of the last full decade of films and the moments that helped make them memorable. These are my picks for the Top 10 Movie Moments of the 2000s.

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Box Office Breakdown, Sept. 21-23, 2018

By jasonbleau on

Fall has officially begun and while the last couple of months have given us some huge hits and the box office is still on its way to record highs for the year last week brought a lackluster return for “The Predator” showing signs that the box office is leveling out. While October looks to be a big month September continues to be a slow one with a handful of new offerings over the weekend mostly underperforming. Did this result in a surprise repeat victory for “The Predator” or did a new name find its way to the top? Let’s take a look in this week’s Box Office Breakdown.

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Movie Reviews

Review: “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”

By jasonbleau on

Jack Black is a very specific kind of actor these days. He’s like what Rosie O’Donnell and Robin Williams were in the 90s, an actor fully capable of taking on mature material but they were the go-to performers that children were clinging to when it came to live action and voiceovers for a time. Black has had somewhat of a career resurgence playing more family friendly roles in movies like “Kung Fu Panda” and “Ghoosebumps”. So it’s no surprise he’s at it again headlining the children’s fantasy film “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”. Based on the book of the same name by John Bellairs and directed by modern horror genre regular Eli Roth, usually known more for his graphic and violent films, “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” challenges its director to take on a more family friendly approach while challenging Jack Black to offer something new with his shtick. So what is the end result, a child friendly mess with a mouthful of a name or an entertaining ride that does more than pander to the lowest common denominator of its target audience? Let’s see what this house is hiding shall we? This is my review of “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”.

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Cinema Spotlight Series

Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1990s

By jasonbleau on

Oh the 90s. I have a soft spot for this decade because it was the era I grew up in meaning many of the moments on today’s list were essential to my maturing as a fan of movies and cinema. The 90s saw subgenres take hold, CGI become more perfected and fluid and some of the greatest directors of our time bring some of the best moments in film to life. These cinematic moments pushed the boundaries of the medium both on a technological level and in terms of what content was acceptable for the public eye. It’s time to take a look at some of the best moments to come out of a decade that set a new standard for films and established the most recent selection of films that can truly be considered nostalgic classics. These are my picks for the Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1990s.

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Trailer Reactions

Trailer Breakdown: “Mary Poppins Returns”

By jasonbleau on

Oh Disney, how you love to live off of your old ideas in modern time I guess. Well you won’t hear me complaining especially if it means we get a “Mary Poppins” sequels! Yes the follow-up to the 1964 classic has had a teaser trailer out for some time but we finally get a few glimpses at the story in the full length trailer released for the film earlier this week. It’s been ages since I’ve seen the original film and while it’s not the kind of movie I have to watch every time it’s on I still love it and understand why many people could take or leave a continuation. All the same I still took some time to examine the trailer for the sequel and I broke it down to see what we might expect from the project as a new generation prepares to experience a bit of Mary Poppins’ magic touch. So let’s dive in and break down this trailer and see what it has in store. If you feel I missed any details please feel free to share your comments below and, as always, you can view the trailer at the bottom of the breakdown.

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Cinema Spotlight Series Uncategorized

Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1980s

By jasonbleau on

The 80s were an era when movies evolved from simply an art form to a form of shameless entertainment. Many classics debuted in this decade spawning countless iconic movie moments that were so plentiful in fact that my shortlist for today’s countdown consisted of 30 potential candidates. Obviously it was hard to narrow things down. Today I look at the movie moments that defined a generation in the post war era when teen angst, popular television shows and the possibilities of society’s future all helped form the basis of some of the most iconic moments in cinema history. Continuing my look at the greatest movie moments of all time let’s count down the Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1980s.

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Trailer Reactions

Trailer Breakdown: “Captain Marvel”

By jasonbleau on

IT’S HERE!!!! After recently releasing photos to Entertainment Weekly Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for the highly anticipated next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Captain Marvel”. The film will be Marvel’s first female-led standalone movie and will be set in the 1990s before many of the events of the MCU take place. With the end credits of “Infinity War” teasing the heroine’s entrance into the battle against the Mad Titan in “Avengers 4” many are waiting to see just how powerful Captain Marvel really is. Well I, for one, am excited to break this trailer down and see what the first real sneak peek of the film has to offer. Let me know if you caught something I didn’t in the comments and, as always, you can watch the trailer in full at the bottom of this post. Let’s get to it!

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Box Office Breakdown, Sept. 14-16

By jasonbleau on

It’s been a big few weeks for Warner Bros. who have held the top spot at the box office for over a month. This past weekend threatened to end that streak with a handful of new offerings taking over theaters nationwide. Still that doesn’t mean WB fell from the thrown. As we’ve seen over the past month or so the studio has somehow tapped into a market that promises staying power and the result of that made for a very competitive weekend as Fox, Lionsgate and Studio 8 looked to earn wrestle the top spot away. Did they succeed? Let’s find out in this week’s Box Office Breakdown.

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Movie Reviews

Review: “A Simple Favor”

By jasonbleau on

Paul Feig is a genius director responsible for numerous modern classic comedies including “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” so naturally he had heads turning when it was announced he would be directing a mystery thriller for 2018. Billed as a project filmed from the “darker side” of the director, “A Simple Favor” challenges Feig to escape his pigeonholed genre and try his hand at something new. Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, “A Simple Favor” promised intrigue and suspense as a missing person’s case becomes personal for a stay-at-home mom. With several big names in the starring roles and a capable director behind the camera there was a lot of promise for this thriller, but does it live up to those expectations? I took a look for myself to have my say. This is my review of “A Simple Favor”.

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Movie Reviews

Review: “The Predator”

By jasonbleau on

The “Predator” franchise is one of those series that some believe has gone on too long and others wish had a new installment every few years. While often seen as a companion franchise to “Alien” (in fact two crossover movies were made exploring this relationship) the “Predator” movies have been less popular that the “Alien” films and there have been fewer “Predator” films released to date. That said it’s been eight years since the previous movie “Predators” debuted in 2010 and 20th Century Fox saw fit to produce a new project based on the eponymous alien hunters. Thus we have “The Predator”, the fourth film in the “Predator” franchise and sixth to feature the character on the big screen. Directed and co-written by Shane Black, who played one of the soldiers in the original film, “The Predator” is one of those odd sequels that was demanded but some question if it’s really needed. So does this film succeed in bringing the “Predator” series new life or is it the waste of time some believed it would inevitably be? Let’s take a closer look. This is my review of “The Predator”.

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Cinema Spotlight Series

Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1970s

By jasonbleau on

The 70s saw the debut of cross-genre classics, some of the most iconic Best Picture winners in history, the rise in relevance of war films and a new age of more aggressive visual and filming styles that set a new bar for cinema for decades to come. Narrowing down the best moments of this awesome decade of film was no easy task. From a shortlist of 25 candidates, all from different films, I managed to narrow down the list to just ten iconic scenes to continue my countdown to the best moments ever in film. In a decade featuring some of the greatest and most revolutionary cinematic achievements there’s a lot to cover. So let’s get down to it. These are my picks for the Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1970s.

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Movie Reviews

Review: “Peppermint”

By jasonbleau on

Vigilante films are a dime a dozen. Heck we’ve already seen at least two in 2018 with the “Death Wish” remake and “The Equalizer 2” and I did a whole list on vigilantes a while ago that you can read here. But admittedly it’s rare to see any film focus on a female vigilante. That’s the unique twist that “Peppermint” takes putting a woman scorn front and center as a controversial figure taking the law in her own hands. Still, we’ve seen the formula before, many times in fact. So “Peppermint” needs more than just a unique central character to stand out. Does it accomplish that feat or is “Peppermint” nothing more than the same old song and dance? Let’s take a look. This is my review of “Peppermint”.

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