Kong: Skull Island

By George M. Thomas

King Kong makes his return to the screen in Kong: Skull Island.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a B-movie that possesses an A-list type of pedigree.

From the title alone the expectation is that this would be one of those cheesy, retro flicks that used to appear on UHF television stations in the ‘60s and ‘70s.  Locally, think Super Host or Ghoulardi.

But do not miss the opportunity to see a movie that’s incredibly well done, laced with humor and takes modern special effects and uses them to its full advantage.

This is the movie, which happens to be set in 1973, the most recent remake of GODZILLA should have been.  There’s no hiding the goods in this one.  Kong appears early and often and he’s a magnificent cinematic creation in a story that’s up to the task. Does it contain a great rumination on life?  Nope. But it sure as hell is fun and it features a cast that buys into that notion and goes along for the ride.

Repost: Room (February 24th at the Case Western Reserve Film Society Strosacker Auditorium)

[ROOM screens Friday February 24th at 7:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and midnight at the Case Western Reserve Film Society Strosacker Auditorium.]

Review by Candice Lee Catullo

ROOM eloquently combines the tension and reality of a true-to-life crime story with dream-like storytelling. Inspired by 5-year-old Jack’s point of view on life in and out of captivity with his young mom, this dreamy quality is beautiful and entrancing. Only intensified by one of the world’s most immovable forces, a mother’s love.

The title, ROOM, is also the pronoun with which the main characters refer to the tiny backyard shed they are locked inside. Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay (THE SMURFS 2, BEFORE I WAKE), talks about room in the loving way that only a child could, “good morning room,” he says each morning. But his mother, played by Brie Larson (THE SPECTACULAR NOW, SHORT TERM 12, DON JON), is living in a hellish alternate reality, unlike the one she has painted for her son.

Room (opens in Akron December 4th at the Nightlight Cinema)

[ROOM opens in Akron on Friday December 4th at the Nightlight Cinema.]

Review by Candice Lee Catullo

ROOM eloquently combines the tension and reality of a true-to-life crime story with dream-like storytelling. Inspired by 5-year-old Jack’s point of view on life in and out of captivity with his young mom, this dreamy quality is beautiful and entrancing. Only intensified by one of the world’s most immovable forces, a mother’s love.

The title, ROOM, is also the pronoun with which the main characters refer to the tiny backyard shed they are locked inside. Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay (THE SMURFS 2, BEFORE I WAKE), talks about room in the loving way that only a child could, “good morning room,” he says each morning. But his mother, played by Brie Larson (THE SPECTACULAR NOW, SHORT TERM 12, DON JON), is living in a hellish alternate reality, unlike the one she has painted for her son.

Room

Review by Candice Lee Catullo

ROOM eloquently combines the tension and reality of a true-to-life crime story with dream-like storytelling. Inspired by 5-year-old Jack’s point of view on life in and out of captivity with his young mom, this dreamy quality is beautiful and entrancing. Only intensified by one of the world’s most immovable forces, a mother’s love.

The title, ROOM, is also the pronoun with which the main characters refer to the tiny backyard shed they are locked inside. Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay (THE SMURFS 2, BEFORE I WAKE), talks about room in the loving way that only a child could, “good morning room,” he says each morning. But his mother, played by Brie Larson (THE SPECTACULAR NOW, SHORT TERM 12, DON JON), is living in a hellish alternate reality, unlike the one she has painted for her son.

Trainwreck

Review by Pamela Zoslov

Seldom has a movie been as aptly named than TRAINWRECK, an assemblage of poorly fitted comedic and sentimental ideas that sputter and wobble, colliding in a ridiculous cheerleader dance number that has to be seen to be believed.


In fairness, there are many funny moments and good performances in the film debut of comedian Amy Schumer, who wrote the screenplay. Schumer, a standup comic who has a sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, has a funny, transgressive comic persona and a round-faced, broad-nosed look refreshingly uncharacteristic of leading ladies.

Short Term 12

*Thanks to Grace Snyder for this guest review. The film screened at the Cleveland Cinematheque this past weekend, and Grace was there to see it.

Grace is a student at Kent State student who does her own blog 'Let's Get Critical' which she describes as, "reviews of films from an untrained college student with hopes of becoming a film critic."

Review by Grace Snyder

Directed and written by Destin Cretton, SHORT TERM 12 is a feature film expanding on the 2008 short of the same name. The film, based on Cretton's real-life experiences working at a foster home, follows Grace (Brie Larson), the supervisor of a foster home full of underprivileged, abandoned, and abused children. SHORT TERM 12 opens with Grace and boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) teaching a new staff member the ropes of the group home. The most important of these being that as staff members they are not parents or therapists; their job is simply to keep them safe. Grace seems to contradict this almost immediately, as it is evident that she has a true passion for helping these kids. However, Grace's passion does not seem to follow through in her own life. She remains emotionally and physically distant from the desperate-to-understand Mason. Despite his efforts, Mason is not able to break into Grace's mind which seems to be deeply troubled for reasons unknown to anyone but herself.