War for the Planet of the Apes

Charles 2017, Reviews Leave a Comment

I’ll admit: I was skeptical when I heard they were rebooting the Planet of the Apes series again after the mess that was Tim Burton’s attempted reboot, but most of that skepticism had to do with the decision to use entirely computer generated apes instead of modern makeup. I’ve typically been of the opinion that effects done practically are the best and that CG is often used excessively and done lazily. I also LOVE the original Planet of the Apes. It’s one of my favorite movies. But then I actually saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes and that trepidation vanished. Not only was the movie fantastic, but the …

Day 6: Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Kelley 2017, Actor Spotlights, Reviews Leave a Comment

Welcome back for Day 6 of the Clint Eastwood Spotlight Series, where we’ll be talking about one of the actor/director’s biggest modern triumphs: Million Dollar Baby (2004). First of all, this is an amazing movie. It’s the kind that elicits a physical reaction at the core of your being, like the chambers of your heart might legitimately be torn asunder. Think I’m being dramatic? Watch the movie. You’ll see. As far as plot goes, Baby seems relatively straight-forward on the surface. Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is an aging, emotionally hardened boxing trainer who is going through a painful estrangement from his daughter, Katie. We never find out why the two are estranged, but Frankie’s priest, Father …

Day 5: The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Kelley 2017, Actor Spotlights, Reviews Leave a Comment

Welcome back for Day 5 of our Spotlight Series on the films of Clint Eastwood! Today we’re going to be talking about a movie that is different than any we’ve discussed so far this week–heck, it’s different than most other films he made in the entirety of his decades-long career. Grab the tissues and get ready to experience a lot of feelings, because we’re diving into the 1995 romantic drama (adapted from the novel of the same name), The Bridges of Madison County. Bridges is another film directed by Eastwood, co-starring everyone’s favorite feminine powerhouse, Meryl Streep. The pair have pretty incredible chemistry, and several scenes are downright steamy. A far cry from the “where’d my glasses …