​Baby Driver is my favorite film of the year so far and honestly might be my favorite movie in a couple of years.  This movie manages to find the perfect balance between style and substance. The film had me observing and enjoying the style while also sweating in my seat  as the tension continued to build as the film reached its climax. Edgar Wright, music director Steven Price, cinematographer Bill Pope, and editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss I think all deserve high praise as every part of the movie controlled by these men was impeccable. The choreography of the everything from the fight scenes to the scenes of Baby walking were all perfect. In terms of the plot, I thought it was very light in terms of the plot which is unusual for an Edgar Wright movie as his plots and stories usually have a lot going on with lots of moving pieces. That would be in movies like Hot Fuzz and The World's End where the plot and every single detail build on top of each other for the entirety of the movie until it all comes together at the very end. Baby Driver on the other hand has a very simple plot that is backed up with the style and plenty of emotion to keep you very engaged. This is also a very interesting and simple idea that I hope to see more of in Hollywood. As far as the performances go, I thought everyone was spot on. Ansel Elgort as Baby was a great choice as his style of acting best suit this type of quiet character who communicates through body language and visual ques. John Hamm was also a standout as he gave a great, menacing performance as Buddy. If you had told me before going into this movie that I would be genuinely afraid of John Hamm, I'd think you were full of it but he was scary at times. Everyone else gives very believable performances and people like Kevin Spacey just do their usual stick and it works out great. At the end of it all, Baby Driver also has a great emotional core as the love story between Baby and Debora is very endearing and the two have great chemistry. Also, almost every character has some sort of emotional arc or change over the course of the story which gives the movie a very completed and wholesome feeling by the end. The only negative I could really give the film would have to be the ending as I thought it was a bit rushed and out of nowhere. I still enjoyed the ending I just don't think it blended seamlessly with the rest of the films style and pacing. 

All in all, if you like entertaining movies at all I would give this a glowing recommendation. I think that everyone you know can find something to like in this movie, even your Grandma.  This movie truly hits all the marks of a great film with an original plot, memorable characters, powerful emotion, enthralling action and genuine laughs. That's why I'm giving Baby Driver a 9.5/10. 

-Pat Megno

Let me start by saying that this is a very good movie and it is a shame that political correct BS got in the way of this doing well in the box office, or at least better than it did anyway.

Ghost in the Shell is one of those niche movies for a very specific audience so it probably wasn't going to break box office records.  The way the studio attempted to get around that was to cast a major star that is already in the minds of science fiction fans.  So the lead character, Major, was played by the Black Widow herself, Scarlet Johanson.  Boy did this backfire on them.

For those of you that have no clue what this movie is let me fill you in as best I can.  The story originated as a Manga story.  Manga is a Japanese style comic book and later was made into an anime (japanese animation) movie which is considered to be one of the best anime films ever made! So the writers and directors had huge shoes to fill already before they even started this movie.  

The hype for this movie was through the roof.  The huge niche following of Manga and Anime couldn't wait for this story to become a live action movie.  Then they found out that Johanson was cast as the lead and the world lost its mind!  How could they cast a White girl in a role that is specifically for an Asian girl?  All of the press that surrounded this movie dealt with the fact that Johanson is white and the role should've gone to an Asian actress.  And we all know what its like in 2017.  Once race comes up as an issue it is GAME OVER!

The movie was panned in the press and currently has a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and this movie is way better then a 46%.

I am not a huge fan of Manga or Anime.  Its fine, I just rather watch and read traditional comics and animation.  So I haven't seen the original source material to compare it to the movie.  But I am a huge fan of science fiction and learning that this was such an important sci-fi story, I wanted to see it.  Maybe in the future I will compare the anime to the movie but for now this is what I think of the live action movie.

In my opinion this is an 8/10 for a futuristic Science Fiction films where Terminator is a 10/10.  Now, I am fairly generous with my ratings so Joe and Mike might give this a 6 or a 7 but it is no where near a 4/10.

The action is insane.  Like John Wick meets the Matrix.  The CGI is superb!  You feel like you are in a modern version of an 80's future movie.  Picture Blade Runner and Minority Report merged together.  Industrial but clean.  Lots of 3D neon signs and huge sky scrappers.  Beautiful.   And the story is strong!  It might be different from the Manga, but I have no clue so it doesn't bother me one bit.  

Johanson plays Major, a weapon made of a human brain with a synthetic body.  She is kind of like Robocop who was composed of both human and robotic parts.  Major's body is fully synthetic however.  The only organic part of her is the human brain that was taken from dying girl with no next of kin.  She is supposed to be the best of A.I. police technology because she has the abilities of a robot with the logic and compassion of a human.  And she is BAD ASS!!!!  

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The plot centers around her and her team, Section 9, hunting down someone that is killing off members of the company that make the A.I. units.  When she finds the individual it is revealed that he is an A.I. like herself.  He was an earlier version of the same robot that had flaws and was supposed to be destroyed, but he got away and is now hunting down his creators for taking his memories.  He in turn helps Major realize the story she knows about the dying girl with no next of kin, is a lie.  And that the company stole her memories so that they can control her better.  With this information, Major begins to remember her true origins and remembers that she was an Asian school girl that was kidnapped and put into this Shell that looks like Scarlet Johanson so that nobody would recognize her.  (So there is the reason she isn't Asian! Deal with it!)  This pretty much pisses her off enough to become a fully sentient.
 

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Now I have watched the trailer for the Anime movie and it looks extremely similar to the film as far as aesthetics go.  Major looks like major for the most part.  Her partner is almost identical to the man in the movie.  The costume that Major wears and the dive off the buildings that she does is exactly the same so besides the fact that Johanson is white and the story is different (not bad) they seem to be somewhat similar.

I would love to hear some feedback from people that have read the Manga or seen the anime movie as well as the live action and tell me what you think and just how wrong I am for liking this movie so much.  

Watch this movie!!!

-Steve

You are also introduced to a very ill King George VI who after lung surgery, learns about a malignant tumor and only has months to live. This sets into motion the grooming of Princess Elizabeth (with help from her husband)and heir to the throne. Leading us to episode two and three, she takes on numerous duties and tours the Commonwealth countries where she begins her relations with them. King George passes, Elizabeth returns back home and you witness a flashback of the abdication of King Edward, George’s brother. King Edward’s story is quite fascinating...I suggest reading about it. Eventually, all of this will lead to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and beyond.

The Crown does a wonderful job documenting a young Princess and eventual Queen Elizabeth II as well as the politics that are involved surrounding her reign. I highly recommend The Crown, especially if learning about the House of Windsor is of interest. It’s a good drama and a good history lesson!

-Nicole
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Two famous actresses. One famous feud. Many know the story of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis (you know, the one known for her eyes). Crawford is played by the talented Jessica Lange and Davis, played by Susan Sarandon. The show is produced and created by Ryan Murphy. Those of you familiar with FX know him as the mastermind behind American Horror Story.

The pilot introduces the viewers to an older Joan Crawford. Crawford, who is still grieving the loss of her husband, Al Steele, CEO of Pepsi Cola,  is having trouble paying bills and employees of hers. Deciding that Hollywood needs an actress like her instead of a breast baring Marilyn Monroe, Crawford is set on finding a script that not only suits her, but will win her another Oscar. Not being satisfied with the scripts she is reading, Crawford decides to look for her own script. It’s her assistant of some sort, who ventures out to a bookstore and brings home the book “What ever happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell. Baby Jane Hudson is a forgotten childhood actress who tortures her famous actress sister Blanche who is crippled. Davis is perfect for the role of the villain.

Crawford visits Davis who presents her with the opportunity to work together on the film. Crawford tells her to read the book and offers Davis the lead role. Clearly you can see the tension between the two stars.

After some deliberation and persuasion by Director Bob Aldrich (played by Alfred Molina), who insists that Baby Jane will be the greatest role she will ever play, Davis signs on and so begins getting the ball rolling for the film to be made.

The remainder of the episode shows the dislike (to put it kindly) these two have for one another as well as scenes from the famous film. We also get a glimpse into both women’s private lives as well; husbands, alcohol, divorce and movie roles.

If you are not only curious about this famous feuding duo, but want to watch a well put together drama- documentary, as I like to call it, then I highly recommend Feud. Lange plays a great Crawford and Sarandon is nearly identical to the crazy Baby Jane role.  For those of you that haven’t seen the original film, it's a must! Maybe it’s me, but there’s something about two washed up actresses taking digs at each other.

by Nicole Iannuccilli ​

This is a very different King Kong movie as the previous iterations in 1933, 1976, and 2005 were all films that had action, adventure and romance but were also concerned with the poetic elements of the beauty and the beast story. But this new film was more targeted at the audience of the Fast and the Furious as it is packed full of over top and excessive action. (I guess the filmmakers thought since we were getting Beauty and the Beast  in theaters next week the audience didn’t need that story twice. ) This leaves the audience with a pretty entertaining movie but in the end has no emotional impact. This is mainly due to the empty and boring characters and the basic slow moving plot. While the actors gave good performances, they didn’t have much to work with as every character is either doing nothing or spewing expository dialogue. There were even moments where you forget characters even exist but then they throw in a quip and you think to yourself “When did he get here?”. As far as the plot goes, it should do the job but the characters have no strength to support it. In these moving through the jungle stories the characters usually are strong enough to carry the story with either some conflict, romance or a sense of a strong team comradery. This worked in movies like Romancing the Stone and Tropic Thunder as these are movies that have interesting conflicts, challenges and motivations for our small groups(s) of characters. Whether it be to escape the jungle, or take down a Vietnamese drug ring or kill a predator.   While Kong Skull Island has its characters mope around for nearly the entire second act as this creates an enormous lull in the story. This also makes the movie incredibly inconsistent as the movie would jump from over-bloated, almost comedic action scene to boring dialogue. This made the movie choppy and very predictable. However, the action is very entertaining which is the only saving grace of this movie. If the only reason you go to a King Kong movie is to see Kong punch and throw things you will not be disappointed.

    All in all, I think Kong Skull Island is an empty shell of a movie that would be better to watch on YouTube through a series of short action scenes. But, if you're a person who doesn’t care about developing characters or compelling story this may be the movie for you. For me personally, when I think back to the original King Kong and remember the moving moments on top of the Empire State Building and is packed with great characters like Ann Darrow and Carl Denham this movie just winds up being a disappointment. So, I’m giving Kong Skull Island a 3/10.
-Pegno

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Back in 1980, Rebecca gives birth to two healthy babies, a boy and a girl. The third, a boy, was stillborn. Dealt with this devastating situation, fate steps in. The same day the twins were born, a newborn baby was left on the steps of a firehouse and brought to the same hospital Rebecca delivered in. Jack learns of this as he is looking at his two children in the nursery. He makes the decision with Rebecca that they planned on leaving the  hospital with three babies and they will leave the hospital with three babies. Their adopted baby is of African American decent. This baby you come to learn is Randall.
The pilot ends with the introduction to the “Big Three”; the nickname given by Jack and Rebecca.
This episode is a preview of what you will see in the future episodes as you follow all three siblings and learn more about Jack and Rebecca’s relationship; struggles and all. You will definitely need a box of tissues for this one. A

​-Nicole

Okay, this is going to be real quick because this movie does not motivate me to say very much.  I have wanted to see this movie for a while now but  I was never compelled enough to go to the movies to actually see it and I definitely made the right choice to save my $$ and watch it at home instead.  Passengers is slightly better then Meh only because of the performances of Pratt and Lawrence .

Morten Tyldum, who also directed The Imitation Game, brings us this extremely predictable mash up of 2001:A Space Odyssey and Titanic.  Not a second goes by when you don't already know what is going to happen next.  Honestly, every trope in sci-fi and romance drama history was used in this one.

Putting all of that aside, Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence played their parts very well and the visuals were very good.  However, this movie lacked enough tension to make you wonder if they are ever going to make it out or not.  Not a single twist for two whole hours.

So if you have two hours to kill on a snowy day like I did and you want to watch a sci-fi romance that you will know the ending to within the first 20 minutes then this is the movie for you.  

​-Steve

​6) The Son of Kong (1933)- the sequel to the original movie, Carl Denham is a hated man for bringing Kong to New York, slip on to a ship and after a mutiny is stranded on the island where he troubles began. While searching for treasure he stumbles upon a Baby Kong trapped in quick sand. He rescues the son of Kong and the two venture through the island together. I enjoy this movie a lot. Takes too long to see the son of Kong. But it's a fun and unfortunate journey. 

5) King Kong (1976) the is a remake of the classic 1933 film. Stars Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. There was some changes compared to the original. Instead of a film company looking for a location, it's an oil company looking for a new sight. One of the best gorilla suits was designed and used by legendary special effects creator Rick Backer. Not too much adventure like the original. Movie had potential but lacks action. Kong only fights a giant snake. I have to admit that I still get choked up watching Kong get gunned down by helicopter in this version. This is a must watch for all Kong fans.

4) King Kong Escapes (1967)- Toho studios (created Godzilla) attained the rights for Kong and made an enjoyable movie. Before everyone starts going crazy I rated this movie higher than the 76 version because as a kid it was one of my favorite kaiju films. An evil ruler kidnaps Kong for excavating these rock/crystals. These rocks give off some type of radiation which affected his MechaKong. Kong escapes and battles his robot counterpart in Tokyo. This Kong flick has some good monster battles and it a good watch for a rainy Saturday. 

3)King Kong (2005) Peter Jacksons (Lord of the Rings) tries to keep his good fortune with movies rolling forward with this remake of the 33 version. Same idea as the original with a film company looking for a location. The special effects are very good. The dinosaurs look as good as Jurassic Park. The main problem with this film is it's so long. On the DVD it's 22 chapters before you see Kong. Jackson version is such a drama. A love story where you sympathize with the lead characters. It does have one of the best T-Rex Vs Kong fight scenes, which is the only reason I still watch this movie. 

2) King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)- This is the highest grossing Godzilla film ever(31 films and counting). The third installment in the Godzilla universe that has a much more comedic feel to it. A pharmaceutical company captures King Kong from his island because they are tired of Godzilla. The two monsters battle it out on Mount Fuji. This is one of my personal favorite childhood movies. Two of my favorite giant monsters fighting on the big scene. The Kong suit is absolutely horrible, so of the characters are goofy, but there is something special that makes thing film so good. A classic Kaiju film that people of all ages will enjoy. I know I'm anxiously waiting for the remake in 2020. 

1) King Kong (1933)- What else would be #1 on our Kong List? The Original giant monster movie that started it all. A film company looking for a location to finish its film, land on an island that time forgot. This is also a long film but has much better flow than Jackson's film. There is nonstop action once the natives sacrificed Ann (Fay Wray) to Kong. Even though stop motion is outdated, this is still a great watch. You definitely should watch this movie before seeing any other Kong movie. 

​The GOT reference wasn't related to the actual type of show. It's was referring to the amount of characters and subplots all around the main story. Because there are so many characters and plots I'm just going to give a basic review. The overall plot starts with an Irish lad, Michael Smyth (Landon Liboirin) , and his girlfriend trying to steal from a British supply ship that heading to the Hudson Bay company in Canada. Their plan goes completely wrong. With both of them captured, Michael is brought before Lord Benton (Alun Armstrong), a British lord who commands a group solider and he is responsible for Hudson Bay Company. Lord Benton is heading to Canada to once and for all deal with Harp. He makes a deal with Michael to use his Irish nationality as a way into Harp's posse and has to help the British capture him. If Michael is successful him and his girlfriend can go free. 

What works for this show is the action sequence was great. You get to see Native Amercan dealing with the French and British fur traders. Harp is an ok character. His best parts is when he is fighting. But overall his character just wasn't developed properly in my opinion. Lord Benton is your typical evil villian. He shows no mercy. For all the ladies out there, there are a great number of female characters that really make this a good show. Not many damsels in distress which was really cool. 

With an exhausting amount of characters and plots, this 6 episode season came up short in expectations. It's not a terrible show. Its not a great show. It an ok show that can be simplified. I don't  consider this a binge worthy show. Thank God the finale was good. It was so good that I will give season 2 a chance. At best this is a 6/10 show.

-Chris