Mike Goes To Movies

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker If you didn't have enough of my initial rambling review of The Rise of Skywalker, here is my second half, spoiler-filled (likely too-long) breakdown of the film. Here we go... SPOILERS AHEAD: The Good: Reylo! As with the previous two films, the tense and mysterious connection between Rey and Kylo Ren (now known to be a Force dyad!...) continues to be the highlight of this trilogy. And it all comes to a breathtaking and heartrending end here. Now, for most of us, it was no surprise that Kylo would turn to the light in the end. This whole saga is built around the redemption arc (specifically when it comes to the Skywalker fam). And, as he set out to do in TFW, Kylo does ultimately follow in his Skywalker grandfather's footsteps and returns to the side of the Jedi when it is most needed in order to destroy Palpatine. Like the spectacular team-up fight in TLJ, the rousing visual of Rey and Kylo side-by-side wie...

Joker: Discussing Its Laughable Reception Alright! So, Joker is finally out and I assume most everyone who is going to go out and see the film has by now done so. Like our titular character, this post is going to be a little all over the place with random thoughts, anecdotes and discussion that have popped into my head since seeing the film about one month ago. Obviously, SPOILERS AHEAD. One thing that I think everyone can agree upon (even most of the assholes that have condemned the film) is Joaquin's astounding performance. Though there are many elements of his manifestation that can be detailed and applauded, there is one in particular that, quite literally, stuck in my head for many days after seeing the film. That is - the laugh. Joker's laugh is one of his most important attributes and each actor who has portrayed Joker has put a unique spin on it. (Hamill and Ledger's are two of my personal favourites.) However, Joaquin (along with Philips and Silver) put a who...

Is This The New Legitimate Era of Netflix? Though Netflix remains the controversial behemoth that it is - loved and hated in equal measure - this past weekend at the Academy Awards, the streaming service finally won big time... like really big time. During Sunday's awards show, the Mexican feature, Roma , directed and written by Alfonso Cuaron won three acclaimed Oscars for Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography and Best Director. Now, Netflix has been nominated in the past and has actually won before, all of the wins and most of the nominations being in documentary categories. But with Roma,  the implicit acclaim of the awards it received boosts Netflix's credibility, most notably, to the naysayers within the film industry who continue to pan Netflix and other streaming services for diminishing the 'film experience', arguing that such services' content should not be eligible for film festivals or awards. Well, this past weekend's awards have pretty much cl...