Filmlosophers

The Filmlosophers discuss the hilarity of vulgarity in The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017), the bromantic action comedy you’ve heard so much about starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. The profanity-laden film follows two highly trained specialists—one an assassin, the other a private bodyguard—trying to overcome an aggressive team of mercenaries and reach the international criminal court at The Hague...and bickering all along the way.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome guest commentator Wendy Day for a reflective review of Detroit (2017), directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Anthony Mackie and many more. The film recounts the horrifying events that transpired at the Algiers Motel in the midst of the summer of 1967, when racial tensions boiled over in America’s fifth largest city and led to violence between citizens and law enforcement officers.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, venture into the realm of modern myth-making with their review of the much anticipated film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower (2017), starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, and Matthew McConaughey as Walter O’Dim, the Man in Black. After spending many years stuck in development hell, was the new film from director Nikolaj Arcel worth the wait?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, welcome frequent guest and outspoken advocate Laura Sirikul for a timely conversation about the growing influence of women in film, both on and behind the screen. As the number of female-led stories continues to expand and roles open up for women in prominent leadership roles behind the camera, what are some indicators of meaningful progress...and how far does the industry still need to go to break down the “celluloid ceiling” for good?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, share thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s taut, tense new film, Dunkirk (2017), which interweaves multiple narratives to depict one of World War II’s most intense stories of struggle and triumph. After nearly two hours spent in near-constant suspense, what impact did the tight shots, resonant sounds and epic aerial dogfights have on our delicate psyches?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, head deep into the motion capture wilderness of Matt Reeve’s War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson and Steve Zahn. As the Simian Flu continues to transform the planet, how will that impact the tense interactions between sentient apes and humans who fear being supplanted as the dominant species on the planet?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, embrace their darker side with a review of Despicable Me 3 (2017), wherein reformed villain Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, considers going back to his dastardly evil days after parting ways with most of his Minions and meeting his twin brother Dru, also voiced by Steve Carell, for the first time. This third installment marks a turning point for the franchise, but is it for the better or for the worse?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, join with Sacramento's best cosplayer, Trenton Brewer, to relive the hormone-infused days of high school with a spoiler-filled recap of Spider-man: Homecoming (2017) starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. With a flurry of nods to the other films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this latest take on the friendly neighborhood webslinger brings the humor and heart of Marvel’s “everyman,” Peter Parker, into the fold with a little help from a variety of familiar faces.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, test drive Edgar Wright’s critical darling, Baby Driver (2017). Starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, the film centers on a young wheelman named Baby as he navigates his roles as criminal, foster son and boyfriend. The inventive film showcases much more than a series of car stunts, with a distinctive soundtrack that proves to be as much a focus as any of the characters involved.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva and Chad Riley, don’t need to dive very deep for this review of Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). Allegedly the final directorial turn for Michael Bay in this franchise, the film stars Mark Wahlberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins and a host of characters that blur together in the latest bit of Bayhem.