John’s top 10 movies of 2017
For me, 2017 goes in the books as the year when we don’t have to comment on special effects anymore. In major motion pictures, they are almost universally good now, and if they aren’t, it’s because the studio purposely cut corners. As such, several blockbuster science fiction movies find spots on my list, starting with
‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001) reviews
John’s “Planet of the Apes” (2001) flashback review, April 13, 2018 “Planet of the Apes” — Director Tim Burton and writer William Broyles’s re-imagining of the 1968 sci-fi classic isn’t exactly an intellectual exercise, but by summer blockbuster standards, it’s pretty good. Mark Wahlberg crash lands on an ape-dominated planet after going through a time
‘Apes’ pre-make trilogy wraps with masterful ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (Movie review)
Watching “War for the Planet of the Apes” – now available via Redbox and streaming – is like seeing a movie from the future. Every scene has an ape in it; there’s never a sense that the filmmakers are being frugal with the special effects, but at the same time, they aren’t showing off. While I know
10 movies John wouldn’t mind seeing this summer (Commentary)
These are 10 movies I wouldn’t mind seeing this summer:
Movies and TV shows John is looking forward to in 2017 (Commentary)
Here are 10 movies and TV shows I’m looking forward to as a new entertainment year begins:
‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ explores human nature via apes, brilliant special effects (Movie review)
The “Planet of the Apes” franchise shows us we’re not much different from apes, and we’re both victims of our respective races’ propensity for violence and destruction. But 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” gave the apes a fresh opportunity: Caesar (Andy Serkis plus motion capture computer effects), the first member of a
John’s top 10 movies of 2014
These were my 10 favorite movies of 2014: 1. “Dumb and Dumber To” – Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels effortlessly slip back into Lloyd and Harry’s born-of-stupidity mistreatment of animals and their fellow man, but this isn’t merely a reunion tour. The sequel has lots of great new hits, like Harry getting into Arizona State and being
‘Wish I Was Here’ and 9 other movies John wouldn’t mind seeing this summer (Commentary)
Here are 10 movies I wouldn’t mind seeing this summer (especially if they’re playing in the cheap theater), in order of release date:
John’s top 10 movies of 2011
As always, I start my top 10 movies of the year list with a disclaimer: Since I live in a small town, I haven’t seen well-reviewed films such as “The Descendants,” “Like Crazy” or “Young Adult” yet. When I do, I might have to rejigger my list a bit. For now, though, here are my top 10 movies of 2011:
How did the apes get that way in the first place? ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ has the answers (Movie review)
A cool thing about science fiction novels is that not only do they explore future possibilities, they also inspire other writers’ imaginations; sometimes one writer’s little idea leads to a whole line of fictional exploration he didn’t originally intend.