By John Corrado The sophomore effort from German writer-director Tilman Singer, Cuckoo is an intentionally bizarre horror movie that draws upon the metaphorical symbolism of the titular cuckoo bird to reimagine genre tropes through Singer’s more unique vision. Our heroine is Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), a 17-year-old girl who travels to Germany with her father (Marton… Read More Movie Review: Cuckoo
By John Corrado Sony Pictures has released the first trailer for director Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night (formerly titled SNL 1975), a dramatization of the frantic ninety minutes leading up to the first ever live broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live on October 11th, 1975. Co-written by Reitman and Gil Kenan (his writing partner on Ghostbusters:… Read More Trailer Released for Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night
By John Corrado Eli Roth, the actor turned filmmaker who is mostly known for his bloody slasher movies, now takes a stab at directing a video game adaptation with Borderlands. But, in bringing the titular franchise to the screen, Roth struggles mightily to overcome the curse of most video game adaptations. The result is a… Read More Movie Review: Borderlands
By John Corrado New releases for the week of August 2nd, 2024. Theatrical Releases: Trap (Wide Release): M. Night Shyamalan returns with this serial killer thriller set a pop concert, starring Josh Hartnett (and the director’s own daughter Saleka Shyamalan as the pop singer). It wasn’t screened for critics, but I’ll be seeing it next… Read More New This Week (08/02/2024): Trap, Sing Sing, & More!
By John Corrado The title of Sing Sing refers to the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, located on the Hudson River. But the film’s title, with its evocation of music and singing, also serves as a jubilant nod to the spirited performances being staged by the men within the maximum security prison. It’s… Read More Movie Review: Sing Sing
By John Corrado Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy, Fifty Shades of Grey), Back to Black is a biopic of British singer Amy Winehouse, who passed away at age 27 from alcohol poisoning. The film is named after her (still incredible) Grammy-winning 2006 album Back to Black, which catapulted her from working-class Camden girl to… Read More Blu-ray Review: Back to Black (Collector’s Edition)
By John Corrado Please note that this is a review of the Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my original review right here. After a successful run in theatres, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has now released Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on physical media, including Blu-ray.… Read More Blu-ray Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
By John Corrado New releases for the week of July 26th, 2024. Theatrical Releases: Deadpool & Wolverine (Wide Release): Marvel’s highly anticipated team-up between Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has finally arrived. I saw it at a press screening earlier in the week, and it’s a lot of fun. As I wrote, it… Read More New This Week (07/26/2024): Deadpool & Wolverine, Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, & More!
By John Corrado Netflix has released the first trailer (and poster) for His Three Daughters, which actually premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where the streamer picked it up. This happened to be the last movie I saw at TIFF last year, and it’s a solid, dialogue-driven chamber piece centred around the death… Read More Trailer Released for Netflix’s His Three Daughters
By John Corrado Fashioned as a love letter to Hollywood stunt doubles, The Fall Guy is a mildly entertaining but ultimately uneven romantic action comedy from director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train). Ryan Gosling stars in the film as Colt Seavers, who is the main stunt double for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), an arrogant… Read More Blu-ray Review: The Fall Guy
By John Corrado In a surprise move, Searchlight Pictures has just released the first trailer for their upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic folk singer. The studio has also dated the film (which recently wrapped shooting) for release in the thick of awards season in December. Directed by… Read More First Trailer Released for A Complete Unknown
By John Corrado There is a lot riding on Deadpool & Wolverine, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film not only serves as the third movie in the Deadpool franchise, but also officially brings the potty-mouthed Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) into the fold of the MCU, following Disney’s acquisition of studio 20th… Read More Movie Review: Deadpool & Wolverine
By John Corrado Warner Bros. has just released the new trailer for their upcoming sequel Joker: Folie À Deux, which of course sees Joaquin Phoenix returning to his Oscar-winning role of Arthur Fleck, the failed comedian turned crown prince of crime. Phoenix is joined this time around by Lady Gaga, who takes on the role… Read More New Trailer Released for Joker: Folie À Deux
By John Corrado In 1996, audiences were taken into the world of “storm chasers” in the summer blockbuster Twister, a film that used the dramatic effects of severe weather to drum up excitement, while grounding itself in the relationships between a group of characters. Since legacy sequels are all the rage these days, we now… Read More Movie Review: Twisters
By John Corrado New releases for the week of July 19th, 2024. Theatrical Releases: Twisters (Wide Release): Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) directs this belated followup to the classic 1996 blockbuster Twister. I just saw it in a theatre this afternoon, and it feels like a proper, made-for-the-big-screen summer blockbuster. It’s a fun thrill ride that… Read More New This Week (07/19/2024): Twisters, Young Woman and the Sea, & More!
By John Corrado The latest inspirational sports movie from Disney, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Young Woman and the Sea is based on the true story of pioneering female swimmer Trudy Ederle, who became the first woman to swim across the 21 mile English Channel in 1926. Daisy Ridley (who most notably played Rey in the Disney… Read More Movie Review: Young Woman and the Sea (Disney+)
By John Corrado The feature debut of music video director Luke Gilford, National Anthem is an engaging portrait of outcasts who desperately want their part of the American Dream, but have to carve out their own piece of it. Entrenched in the world of cowboys and rodeos, Gilford’s film is steeped in Americana, but explored… Read More Movie Review: National Anthem
By John Corrado The first trailer has been released for Edward Berger’s Conclave, the German filmmaker’s highly anticipated follow up to this Oscar-winning remake All Quiet on the Western Front. The film is adapted from a Robert Harris novel. Berger’s latest, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini and has been… Read More Trailer Released for Edward Berger’s Conclave
By John Corrado The latest film from Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All), Challengers is a smart, stylish tennis drama built around a trio of captivating performances from Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. Zendaya stars in the film as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis rising star who is… Read More Blu-ray Review: Challengers
By John Corrado Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, which had its world premiere at TIFF last year, is now being released on Digital platforms across Canada and the United States this week from distributor Shout! Studios. Mortensen’s second directorial effort, following his underrated 2020 debut Falling, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a foray into… Read More Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt is Now Available on Digital Platforms
The Joy of Movies 