top gun: maverick – soars above original

Top Gun: Maverick is an action/drama set 36 years after the original film. It’s directed by Joseph Kosinski, written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, from a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. The film stars; Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell returns to Top Gun where we has to train the next generation of fighter pilots and confront his past.

the northman – not your daddy’s conan

The Northman is a period/action piece, with some drama thrown in, it’s the latest film from Robert Eggers. It’s co-written by Eggers and Sjon and based on the legend of Amleth. The film stars; Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Bjork, and Willem Dafoe. It’s about a Viking prince who is unwillingly placed on a path to avenge his father’s murder.

the unbearable weight of massive talent – talent massive of weight unbearable

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a lot of things, but it’s mainly an action comedy. It’s directed by Tom Gormican with a screenplay by Gormican and co-written by Kevin Etten. The film stars Nicholas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish. The movie is about Nic Cage playing a fictionalized version of himself trying to get his next big acting gig, while juggling his family drama.

everything everywhere all at once – gives you everything everywhere all at once, and it’s great

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a lot of things, it’s a sci-fi, action/comedy. The film is written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Kr., James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film is about a Chinese-American woman who must retain her best self and qualities throughout a multiverse.

spider-man: no way home – no spoiler review

Spider-Man: No Way Home is the 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the third film with Tom Holland in the title role (Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home). No Way Home is directed by Jon Watts, written by Chris McKenna and Erik Soomers, it stars Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Marisa Tomei. Following the event of Far From Home, Peter asks Dr. Strange to let everyone forget that he’s Spider-Man, but things don’t go as planned and this opens up the multiverse allowing other Spider-man villains into this universe.

ghostbusters: afterlife – we’re back!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the latest installment in the Ghostbusters franchise, it’s the long awaited third movie since the original in 1984. It’s directed by Jason Reitman who co-wrote the screenplay with Gil Kenan. The film stars Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Paul Rudd. Afterlife is thirty two years after the second film, this time it involves a single mother and her two kids as they move out to a small town in Oklahoma, where there’s some strange things afoot, and they discover their connection to the Ghostbusters.

r.i.p. dean stockwell

Dean Stockwell passed away on November 7, 2021.  I remember him best as Rear Admiral Albert “Al” Calavicci in Quantum Leap. Stockwell’s presence on the show was something that opened up my mind to science fiction, a hologram interacting with someone in a different time, helping guide events for the betterment of humanity.

Later on he would be Brother Cavil in the revival of Battlestar Galactica. Seems he found a nice home among the world of science fiction. I have fond memories of watching the first episode of Quantum Leap when it aired (my mom let me stay up late), and then revisiting the series when I was older as reruns on USA network.

Stockwell passed away of natural causes at the age of 85, it’s rare nowadays that you hear of natural causes being listed as the cause of death.

malignant – don’t cut this one out of the list

Malignant is the latest horror movie by James Wan. It’s got a screenplay from Akela Cooper based on a story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Cooper. The film stars Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White and Jacqueline McKenzie. It’s about a women who starts seeing visions of murders, people think she’s crazy, but is she??

shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings – 10 stars!

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the latest Marvel Studios movie (25th in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, screenplay by Cretton with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham, from a story by Cretton and Callaham. It stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung. This film is about Shang-Chi as his past comes to back into his life, he’s got to deal with family and his place in the world. It’s the first Marvel film with an Asian lead.

black widow – in russia, movie watches you!

Black Widow is the latest installment (24th film) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is directed by Cate Shortland with a screenplay by Eric Pearson, it stars; Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone and Rachel Weisz. It takes place after Captain America: Civil War and before Avengers: Infinity War, it’s part origin story, prequel, and yet stands on its own.