Hey everyone, one of my most anticipated movies of the year - Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus - has now hit theaters. It is obviously the premier theatrical release of August and it's a film I was very excited for because I love the first two Alien movies but I'm also a big fan of Fede's horror movies. The trailers looked VERY promising and after the high-brow mumbo-jumbo that was Ridley Scott's two Alien prequels, it felt like the right time to take an Alien movie back to basics. Is Alien: Romulus one of the best horror movies of 2024 or is it a disappointing and safe Alien entry? Find out in this NON-SPOILER review!

Alien: Romulus:

Directed by: Fede Álvarez

Written by: Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues

Based on Characters Created by: Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett

Produced by: Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Walter Hill

Executive Producers: Fede Álvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon, Tom Moran, Brent O'Connor

Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch

Cinematography by: Galo Olivares

Editing by: Jake Roberts

Casting by: Sydney Shircliff, Mary Vernieu

Production Design by: Naaman Marshall

Set Decoration by: Zsuzsanna Sipos, Toppler Zoltán

Costume Design by: Carlos Rosario

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu

Synopsis: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Hey everyone, The Umbrella Academy is back with its latest and final season. Overall, I think this show has been a bit of a mixed bag, with some AMAZING moments and characters but some very messy storytelling. That, in my opinion, has been pretty consistent over all three of the previous seasons. Well, the show has now wrapped, with season 4 dropping on Netflix just recently. Does the final seaosn stick the landing? Find out in this SPOILER-FILLED review!

Synopsis: "The Hargreeves siblings have scattered after the climactic showdown at the Hotel Oblivion led to a complete reset of their timeline. Stripped of their powers, each is left to fend for themselves and find a new normal – with wildly varying degrees of success. 

"Yet, the trappings of their uncanny new world prove too hard to ignore for very long. Their father Reginald, alive and well, has stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye, overseeing a powerful and nefarious business empire. A mysterious association known as The Keepers holds clandestine meetings believing the reality they’re living in is a lie and a great reckoning is coming. As these strange new forces conspire around them, the Umbrella Academy must come together one last time – and risk upsetting the shaky peace they’ve all endured so much to secure – to finally set things right." - Netflix

Hey everyone, the latest video game adaptation - Borderlands - has been released in theaters. I have never really had much interest in the games but from reading the premise, I always thought a movie adaptation could be fun. That being said, the behind the scenes nightmare that we've heard this film turned into and the constant delays (the movie BEGAN PRODUCTION in April 2021) kind of killed any excitement. And unfortunately, the trailers did not help. So does Borderlands fall victim to the infamous video game movie curse or is it a win in the vein of something like Gran Turismo or The Last of Us? Find out in this review!

Borderlands:

Directed by: Eli Roth

Screenplay by: Craig Mazin and Eli Roth

Screen Story by: Eli Roth

Based on the Video Game 'BORDERLANDS' created by Gearbox Software and published by 2K

Produced by: Ari Arad, Avi Arad, Erik Feig

Music by: Steve Jablonsky

Cinematography by: Rogier Stoffers

Editing by: Julian Clarke, Evan Henke

Casting by: Victoria Thomas

Production Design by: Andrew Menzies

Costume Design by: Daniel Orlandi

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt

Synopsis: A ragtag team of misfits embark on a mission to save a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power.

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all doing better than I am because I just wasted 3 hours and 20+ minutes watching the Director’s Cut of Rebel Moon - Part 1, which has now been retitled ‘Chapter One: Chalice of Blood’ for this release. I was on record as hating Part 2 of Rebel Moon back in April but I was one of the rare few who actually dug the first part, despite its insane array of problems. That being said, for the last 8 months, these new R-rated cuts have been sold as ‘Zack Snyder’s true vision’ and an ‘alternative universe’ version of this story so against my better judgement (because of my issues with the PG-13 versions), I decided to give the first part of the director’s cut a try. I did that only to learn that it’s basically the same movie… with extra gore effects and even more unnecessary scenes that add no characterization to any of the cardboard cut-out characters that make out this cast. As a fan of Zack Snyder, this was very disappointing so enjoy this RANT of how Netflix and Zack Snyder not only ruined the release of these Rebel Moon films but also duped us into watching them for a second time. I’ll also be explaining why the Director’s Cut is a wast of time and basically the same movie. Enjoy and believe the title!

Hey everyone, M. Night Shyamalan is back! While I have not been a big fan of his work in recent years (since Split), it is undeniable that he makes some of the more interesting movies out there and I always appreciate going to see his movies in theaters. Trap seemed like a great concept which is why it was one of my most anticipated movies of the back half of 2024. I'm also a big Josh Hartnett fan. Is Trap a return to form for M. Night or does it continue his streak of poorly-executed, contained thrillers? Find out in this review!

Trap:

Written & Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Produced by: Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan, M. Night Shyamalan

Executive Producer: Steven Schneider

Co-Producer: Jeff Robinson

Music by: Herdís Stefánsdóttir

Cinematography by: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

Editing by: Noemi Katharina Preiswerk

Casting by: Douglas Aibel

Production Design by: Debbie DeVilla

Costume Design by: Caroline Duncan

Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka, Hayley Mills

Synopsis: A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.

Hey everyone, Batman: Caped Crusader - the latest attempt at making a Batman animated series - has finally arrived on Prime Video. I feel like it has been an ENDLESS wait to see this series; I've been hyped to see this show ever since they announced it YEARS back and that it would be from Matt Reeves as well as, creator of Batman: The Animated Series (the greatest animated show of all-time), Bruce Timm. While I was concerned about the deviations from classic Batman lore initially, the approach to making a retro crime-noir series definitely intrigued me. And I was very, VERY concerned when we heard WB was be considering cancelling this show but luckily, it was picked up by Prime Video. So, does Batman: Caped Crusader - season 1 match the level of quality of some of the greatest Batman animated series out there or is it one of the weaker iterations? Find out in this NON-SPOILER review!

Synopsis: In the grim Gotham City, affluent philanthropist Bruce Wayne goes beyond his humane capabilities and transforms into an enigmatic figure, Batman; his crusade for justice brings in unexpected allies, but his actions also lead to perilous consequences.

Hey everyone, Marvel Studios’s SDCC panel for 2024 has now come and gone… and we, of course, have tons of new details from their upcoming projects to discuss. However, most of it - I thought - was pretty superfluous and felt like a lot of information that didn’t really mean much in the long run. There were some awesome details such as learning we’ll be getting the Fantasticar in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, now (weirdly) titled ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. That’s the one upcoming MCU project that has trumped all my concerns in the MCU because of how much I love those characters. Despite all the details regarding Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World that we got, the only things I really wanted to discuss here is, of course, the return of the Russo Brothers to direct Avengers 5 & 6, now titled ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ respectively AND, more controversially, the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU. However, he isn’t returning as Iron Man but rather legendary Marvel Comics (normally Fantastic 4) villain, Doctor Doom. Here, I break down all the news relating to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars so make sure to listen if you’re hyped about the upcoming culmination of The Multiverse Saga.

Hey everyone, Deadpool & Wolverine is now out in theaters worldwide! I’ve had the chance to see it twice now so it’s time we break down this entire film and all the plot points, crazy appearances & references and characters moments. This episode, obviously, will include FULL SPOILERS for the entirety of Deadpool & Wolverine so if you haven’t seen it, don’t listen to this discussion until after you’ve seen the film. Trust me, there are so many wonderful surprises in store for you in this great movie. Go in blind, have a blast! If you have seen it, stick around and let me know what your favorite moment in Deadpool & Wolverine is in the comments! Enjoy!

Hey everyone, my most anticipated movie of the year (as I'm sure it is for most of you as well) - DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE - has finally released! The Fox X-Men franchise has a very special place in my heart: it's arguably the movie franchise that got me into nerdy comic book and superhero stuff on a deeper level in the first place, despite how much I loved the parts of Phase 1 of the MCU that were already out there when I got into the X-Men films. I just loved the more serious tone, heavier subject matter and combinations of characters we would get. I was also a huge fan of the first two Deadpool films, especially the first film. Logan is also, of course, a masterpiece. Throwing Deadpool and Wolverine - Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman - together had me salivating to finally sit in a theater and witness the potential glory we were due. Now, I have seen it! Does Deadpool & Wolverine mark a turning point in the downfall of comic book movies, and the MCU especially, since Endgame... or is it another letdown? Find out in this NON-SPOILER review! LFG❤️💛