DON'T BREATHE REVIEW [SPOILERS] - STILL ON HIATUS!

I took a mini-break from my hiatus to review 'Don't Breathe.' Similar to this Spring's '10 Cloverfield Lane,' 'Don't Breathe' took me by surprise. I didn't know anything about it before I went to the theater, but 'Don't Breathe' is a slick little horror film, with a great cast, and a thrilling (yet unbelievable) plot. Admittedly, the film has enough plot holes to drive a truck through it, but it kept me on the edge of my seat--which is hard to do. What I liked about the film is that none of the characters are particularly likable. This is one of the few horror films in which there are no heroes.

OH AUGUST! HIATUS=MINI-REVIEWS + SPOILERS

This past month has been a bear. Having a full time job, a family, and being in grad school is no joke! I will be on hiatus for a few months. I will still be popping in to see my favorite blogs and make an occasional post, but I won't be able to post regularly for a while. If only I could be a blogger full time right? I really don't know how people are able to do that unless thy are independently wealthy. I finally finished up my last paper for the semester, but will be starting a new semester in a few weeks. Ugh. I am so behind on my film reviews. So much so I will have to create a combo post.

In the months of July and August I've seen the 'Ghostbusters' remake, 'Lights Out,' and now 'Bad Moms.' I've also seen 'Stranger Things' on Netflix. In my effort to limit my exposure to bad movies, I have purposely left several films off the list. I believe I have succeeded...so far. 'Batman v. Superman' was the "worst" film I've seen this year and it wasn't that bad. Don't get me wrong, BvS was not a good movie, but it wasn't terrible. It was just "ok." Notably absent from my list is 'Suicide Squad,' 'Jason Bourne,' and the 'Legend of Tarzan.'

'PURGE: ELECTION YEAR' REVIEW - "THE SOUL OF OUR COUNTRY IS AT STAKE" [SPOILERS]

The 'Purge' films get a lot of flack. I've heard some reviewers refer to fans of the purge films as sociopathic. After all, these are not highbrow films, nor do they stimulate intellectual conservation. And yes these films are violent, but thankfully, writer and director James DeMonaco never crosses the line into "torture porn" territory. The horror of the film is all about the buildup. The tension is created in the idea of "what could happen" and less on what is actually happening. But what these films lack in critical acclaim, they more than make up for in their entertainment value. Lastly, these films are highly allegorical. The symbolism and social satire in these films only add to its charm.

'FREE STATE OF JONES' REVIEW - "THIS FIGHT IS FOR OUR CHILDREN"... [SPOILERS]

IT AIN'T JUST FOR US. 

BLACK, WHITE, RICH, POOR, 

IT'S FOR EVERYBODY.

-Newton Knight [to Moses]

Wow, it's been a while since my last review. Unfortunately, I had to remove 'X-Men: Apocalypse' from my film review list. I just can't bear to see and review terrible films. I've also had to remove 'The Huntsman: Winters War,' 'The Boss,' and 'Batman v. Superman.' As you may recall last year, I made a resolution not see so many crappy movies this year. After all, we only have so much time and I can't get two hours of my life back. I also put a lot of time and effort into writing a review. So I will occasionally cull films off my list. 'Free State of Jones' was almost removed from my list because of mixed reviews, but overall I'm glad I saw it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR REVIEW - "WE USED TO BE FAMILY." [SPOILERS]

*Sigh. If only DC Comics could make movies like this. I recently read that 'Captain America: Civil War' was a direct response to 'Batman v. Superman.' Well, let this DC fan be the first to tell you that Marvel does 'Batman v. Superman' better than DC Comics/Warner Brothers does. It's such a shame. Someone at DC Comics/Warner Brothers Studios needs a different job because they really suck at making superhero films. This problem goes beyond Zack Synder and Henry Cavill--both of whom I firmly believe need to be replaced as well.

In the past I have had issues with Marvel Studio Head Kevin Feige--namely because of his refusal to feature female superheroes in starring roles. But Marvel has changed this stance once DC announced the 'Wonder Woman' film. Feige has publicly committed to making films featuring Captain Marvel and Black Widow. So whatever DC does, it seems Marvel just does it better (with regard to film). DC Comics has the corner market on television. Bless DC Comics' hearts, but Marvel Studios sure knows how to make a good superhero movie and they know how to use their character catalog. Unlike DC, they're not stuck making Batman or Superman films for 40 years. Side note: I would exclude 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' from the "good movie" category.

WEEKLY RUNDOWN NEWS + LINKS

Before getting into any of the happenings this week, I wanted to take a moment and acknowledge that the movie blogging community has suffered a huge loss. Thank you to Chris at Movies and Songs 365 for his wonderful post about Chip. First, I want to say how personally saddened I am by this news. Chip was one of the first bloggers who visited my site when I was just starting out 8 years ago. He was an incredible film blogger with deep insight and and a friendly disposition. I will always be grateful to Chip's kind words when I was a new blogger with very few friends in the community. He was a class act and just a wonderful person. Chip you will be missed. May God rest your soul and Godspeed friend. Godspeed.

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE REVIEW - "I AM KEEPING YOU ALIVE" [SPOILERS]

This movie is one of the few movies I knew very little about before seeing. I typically visit Rotten Tomatoes before I throw down $30 for a movie, popcorn, and a drink, but I didn't have time this past weekend. Thankfully '10 Cloverfield Lane' didn't disappoint. As a sequel/prequel to the original 2008 'Cloverfield' film, one would expect '10 Cloverfield Lane' to "go big," but instead "it goes home." LITERALLY.

15 MORE RIDICULOUS THINGS ON 'THE WALKING DEAD' [SPOILERS]

I like to preface my "most ridiculous list" by emphasizing my love for 'The Walking Dead.' I have been reading the comics for almost a decade and I've watched the show since its debut in 2010. I'm a hardcore fan. Despite occasional problems on the show, I'm on the train until it hits the wall. Meaning, I will be watching until it ends. So in the spirit of fun, here is a continuation of the Most Ridiculous Things on 'The Walking Dead!' with 15 More Ridiculous Things on 'The Walking Dead!' You can see my original 2014 list here. Admittedly, some of the items below may be the writers illustrating that human behavior is often NOT logical.

BEST & WORST FILMS OF 2015 - PART 3, WORST FILMS OF THE YEAR

This entry is part 3 of 4 of my best and worst list of 2015. My first post was the best of the best. My second post was the most disappointing. My third post is typically reserved for the worst movies of the year. Unlike the most disappointing list, the films below have very few, if any, redeeming qualities-- be it visuals, direction, writing, or acting. Some of the films are so bad I can't believe someone sober actually wrote it, directed it, or greenlit it. I can't believe I was sober watching them.

It takes a great deal of effort and time to work on these posts. So forgive me, but I don't have the heart or the inclination to write full reviews for the festering pile below. So behold, below is but a simple list with a few giffys for good measure. They are not in any particular order.

BEST & WORST MOVIES OF 2015 - PART 2, BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

If you can imagine the previous post was even longer. I was originally going to make one large best and worst list, but it was just too long. So I decided to split them up into 4 parts. The first part was the best films of 2015. The movies on this list are typically films that have some redeeming qualities, but just didn't make the cut. These films are in the fair to middling range. Before I changed it to the biggest disappointments, these probably would have been titled, "Most Ok Movies." They weren't good and they weren't necessarily bad. So next week you will see my choices for the absolute worst/trashiest/should-have-never-been-made-films of 2015.