Uncut Gems (2019)

It's one of the most talked-about films of the past year. This drama starring Adam Sandler is beyond bizarre and strange, yet it somehow finds its way to entertain me. It's bizarre in so many ways that it somehow finds a way to entertain. It has something that Adam Sandler's past films have not had: depth. It's an intriguing film, to say the least, and I commend the Safdie brothers' direction and their writing talents, because, though the film is strange, it is a thoroughly entertaining film.  

New faces Safdie Brothers direct this thrilling drama. This is the single most odd film I've ever seen. They are able to, despite its very strange and bizarre narrative, craft a thrilling film that entertains from start to finish. The duo writes with a crisp rawness of a burst of authority with excessive profane language, it is able to emphasize the emotional drama of the film overall. 

This film is perhaps usual funnyman Adam Sandler's most poignant role to date. His role as a tough and boisterous addicted gambler & jewelry store owner is one hell of a character. He packs no punches as this tough New York-based businessman. His performance is riveting and highly compelling, all thanks to the craft that the Safdie Brothers have made here. 

Scoring the drama is Daniel Lopatin. His score is of electric and upbeat characteristics which help speed up the drama of the film overall. It helps the film be as thrilling as it is with this score. It's as fast-paced and exuberant as the film itself. 

Some films aren't just to my liking. This film is however entertaining, it's just very strange and its approach is very bombastic and flashy. That being said, I do think its a good movie, just not a great film that requires a second viewing. With the film seemingly all over the place, it just doesn't seem like a film many would be interested in watching. 

It's one of the strangest most bizarre films I've ever seen. Adam Sandler's performance is nothing short of dramatic yet somehow, this film is just not as great as it claims to be. Audiences will not go into this film with the expectation to laugh but rather indulge in the theatrics of Sandler's dramatic role in a slightly overwhelmingly odd and bizarre film that may not win over many people. 

Poster Courtesy of A24 Pictures 

Rate: C 

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett and  Idina Menzel 

Directors: Josh and Benny Safdie 

MPAA Rating: R  (for pervasive strong language, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use)

Runtime: 2 Hours & 15 Minutes 

Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie comes an electrifying crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.

Doctor Sleep (2019)

It is the sequel to one of cinema's most thrillingly suspenseful films of all time. The iconic Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" from 1980 gets a long-anticipated sequel and is the second story from author Stephen King. This film 40 years after the acclaimed 1980 predecessor is just as thrilling and suspenseful, not by much, it still has that same thrill factor of the original film but it just struggled a little during the first half of the film. 

Horror cinema has evolved dramatically since 1980 and the release of the Jack Nicholson thriller. With this direct sequel 40 years in the making, it has the same thrill and suspense factors just like the previous film, but I still think that the Kubrick original is slightly better than this sequel. 

Director Mike Flanagan is no stranger to thrillers and the horror scene. He is better known for his work on the Netflix show "The Haunting of Hill House". His take on this film is horrifying and lives up to the legacy of the original film. His vision of thrilling horror escapades goes deeper into the world Stephen King has created and while offering nostalgia to viewers who have seen the 1980 Kubrick horror masterpiece. 

Playing adult Danny Torrence is none other than Ewan McGregor. McGregor does an outstanding job as the traumatically grown-up version of the character. His performance is nothing short of dramatic and sharp. Starring alongside McGregor, are Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Fallout) and young breakout star Kyliegh Curran. 

Ferguson stars as the villain of the film in a menacing and hellbent on gaining immortality. Curran plays a young girl who has the same supernatural abilities as Dan Torrence. Their performances are all equally dark and terrifying, which I think audiences will be entertained by. 

Scoring this horror-thriller flick are the Newton Brothers. They are also no stranger to the horror-suspense thriller scene. They have also worked on the hit show "The Haunting of Hill House". Their score is as haunting as the original films. With a new spin on Wendy Carlos', Rachel Elkinds', and Chuck Cirino's theme from the original film, their score is as dark and electric as the film itself. 

It's been forty years since the world first saw the dark and horrifying "Overlook Hotel". Now return to the iconic world and hotel once again in this new film. This new film lives up to the original film and the Kubrick style overall. Audiences of the original film will no doubt enjoy this film even more now that this sequel dives deeper into the world of the "Shining" unlike anything ever before.  Horror fans of old and new generations will be on the edge the whole time. This film does the original 1980 film justice in a menacingly thrilling fashion. 

Poster courtesy of Warner Bros. 

Rate: B

Director: Mike Flanagan 

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kyliegh Curran 

MPAA Rating: R (for disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity and drug use)

Runtime: 2 Hours & 32 Minutes 

Synopsis: 

"Doctor Sleep" is the continuation of Danny Torrance's story 40 years after the terrifying events of Stephen King's The Shining. Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the "shine." Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality. Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra's innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before-at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past.

The Sound of Music (1965)

It is the single greatest musical film ever made, no question about it. For over 55 years, Rogers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music", still reigns supreme as the greatest musical-film of all time. It still manages to delight decades after its release. Even after so many years, the iconic film is still as great a film now as it was back then. It's iconic because of not just the vocal talents of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, but its scenery and overall spectacle. It's the single greatest film of its kind and I think that's why audiences continue to watch and sing along to the film. 

The films' director Robert Wise has created something so charming and magnificent that it's irresistible. His vision of telling this iconic story is marvelous and heartfelt. It's because of the stunning scenery and story that makes the film all the more charming. His work will live on forever with the creation of this beautiful film. 

Leads Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer give towering performances in the iconic film as Maria and Captain VonTrapp. They are the best part of the movie, but the kids are the real showstopping stars of it all. With the rambunctiousness of the VonTrapp kids, they are the funniest thing about the film. 

This film stands out among the rest in its genre, because it's not only just a film musical, it's a real-life story. This film is the most memorable and iconic in so many ways, but the fact that this film is based on a true story is why this film is so unique in every possible way. 

Not only does this film have excitement at every turn, but the songs are also very iconic. That is yet another reason why this film is so entertaining. The musical numbers are the one thing that this film makes so iconic. Yet, after 55 years, these songs and its score are still popular today. 

It is the greatest musical film ever made. With its iconic Austrian scenery, a marvelous cast and catchy tunes, this film stood the test of time. It is indeed the all-time greatest film not just in the musical genre but one of the best films ever made. I have no doubt that the legacy of the film will continue to grow for ages. 

Poster courtesy of Fox 

Rate: A+ 

Director: Robert Wise 

Starring: Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer 

MPAA Rating G 

Runtime: 2 Hours and 55 Minutes 

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020)

For the longest time, disability has been underrepresented. Now, a full-length documentary shining a light on disability is here. The disability community finally gets the representation its been looking for from "Hollywood". What makes this documentary the perfect portrayal and representation of disability is the authenticity and appreciation the directors have for disability. 

It is one of the best films to depict and showcase disability in a way that we can be proud of and appreciate even more than ever before. This film is a remarkable and groundbreaking achievement in film and getting the path set on the accurate and authentic portrayal of disability that we crave. 

Directors James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham make an extraordinary film. LeBrecht, who has Spina Bifida, knows just how to portray disability as it should be. The directing duo does an amazing job of making a film that actually captures the real and authentic picture of disability as a whole. I have no doubt this film will be a wake-up call to Hollywood and show them that this is how disability should be shown. 

Famed composer Bear McCreary scores this film. McCreary makes a score that is as lighthearted and jubilant as the film as a whole. His jubilant score is of blue-grass and honky-tonk qualities. 

One of the biggest things facing disability in the media today is representation. With films like this, disability in film and television can be just like this. But if only Hollywood listens, we won't get anywhere. This film, however, is at the forefront of accurate disability representation in film and television.  

Poster Courtesy of Netflix

Rate: A 

Directors: Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht

MPAA Rating; R (for some language including sexual references)

Runtime: 1 Hour & 47 Minutes 

Synopsis: In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp "for the handicapped" in the Catskills, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and makeout sessions awaiting everyone, and campers felt fulfilled as human beings. Their bonds endured as they migrated West to Berkeley, California -- a promised land for a growing and diverse disability community -- where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption and unity might secure life-changing accessibility for millions.