Author: Jessica DeLong

The Secret Life of Pets (PG) ★★★½

“The Secret Life of Pets” is a Pet Lovers Delight

The Secret Life of Pets is an amusing, animated tale that centers on the curiosity of what pets do and think about all day while … Read more

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (R) ★★★

Popstar Successfully Skewers Modern Pop Music

The movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984) was a groundbreaking comedy that introduced many to the mockumentary style of filmmaking and focused on the ridiculousness of 70s heavy metal … Read more

The Angry Birds Movie (PG) ★★½

The Angry Birds Movie Lacks the Story to Soar 

In the 90s, several movie studios tried to cash in on the success of video games with live action adaptations of popular games. Although movies like … Read more

Captain America: Civil War (PG-13) ★★½

Captain America: Civil War Does Not Leave Audiences United

The summer blockbuster season is upon us, which for the last decade has included a steady diet of superhero movies. Although many super hero flicks can … Read more

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) ★1/2

A Battle of Titans That Faults Way Short of Its Potential (PG-13) ★1/2

Superman and Batman in the same movie…sounds good on paper. Both have devoted fan bases and a history of bringing in … Read more

Deadpool (R) ★★★

The “Anti”-Superhero Movie

Deadpool, is the first R-rated superhero movie to come along, which is fitting as our eponymous hero breaks the mold as far as superheroes go. He is foul-mouthed, kills his enemies … Read more

Hail, Caesar! (PG-13) ★★1/2

“Hail, Caesar!” Salutes Hollywood’s Past 

The 1950s is the post-Golden Age period for when the studio system that dominated the movie industry was breaking down, television was offering people entertainment alternatives, and the Red Scare … Read more

Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG) ★★★1/2

Kung Fu Panda 3 Provides Plenty of Kicks

Three movies…three smash hits. Kung Fu Panda 3 follows its predecessors’ footsteps by, once again, delivering the animated comedy goods. Voiced by its cast of well-known Hollywood … Read more

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (R) ★★½

Another War Movie That May Not Stack Up to its Predecessors

The 2012 attack on Benghazi still carries significant political weight these days and rightfully so. The event, that took place on the evening of … Read more

The Hateful Eight (R) ★★

A Rare Miss in Tarantino’s Wheelhouse

Anyone who walks into a Quentin Tarantino film can typically expect a few things –snappy dialogue, clever plot twists, and stylized violence. In his latest film, The Hateful Eight… Read more

The Revenant (R) ★★★½

The Revenant is a Grizzly Adventure Epic To Be Experienced

The word revenant is defined as someone who has returned from the dead, which is a fairly good indicator of what’s in store for … Read more

By The Sea (R) ★★½

Don’t (Always) Judge A Film By Its Trailer

It’s been a decade since the last on-screen Pitt partnership in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005). The real-life power couple’s latest venture, By The Sea, takes … Read more

Concussion (PG-13) ★★★

An Entertaining Bio-Drama That Will Cause Headaches for the NFL

In the past few decades, the National Football League (NFL) has surged passed Major League Baseball as America’s pastime. On Fall Sundays, viewers are glued … Read more

The Big Short (R) ★★★½

This Film Does Not Fall Short

The Great Recession in 2008 had many causes, but no factor was bigger than the belief that the prices of homes would keep rising. The Big Short is … Read more

Spotlight (R) ★★★

Old Fashioned Journalism Makes for Great Modern Day Bio Drama

With the new age of reporting, society often forgets about those behind the scenes of a story. While newspaper teams are enduring budget cuts and … Read more

Room (R) ★★★½

Touching and Tension Filled

For a film with a one-word name that has not been heavily promoted, it’d be difficult to see it gaining heavy traction with moviegoers. I really hope this will not be … Read more

Sicario (R) ★★★★

The Border Wars Ignite in Sicario

The film, Sicario, named after the assassins who work for drug cartels (‘hit-man’ in Spanish), is an action-thriller set on the U.S.-Mexican border that deals with the fight against … Read more

Mississippi Grind (R) ★★½

Mississippi Grind: A Drama That’s Quite a Gamble

In this road movie that feels much like classic 1970s cinema, Ben Mendelsohn (The Place Beyond the Pines, 2012) plays Gerry, a talented yet perpetually unlucky … Read more

Amy (R) ★★★

Amy: The Deadly Downward Spiral

Amy tells the story of one of the biggest music icons – singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse’s instant fame and the fight against what else it had to offer. The biographical … Read more

A Little Chaos (R) ★ ★½

Winslet Charms Audiences in A Little Chaos

It’s been 20 years since actor-director Alan Rickman (Lee Daniels’ The Butler, 2013), and Academy Award winner Kate Winslet (Insurgent, 2013) collaborated in Sense … Read more

Spy (R) ★★★½

McCarthy’s Magnificent in Spy

From the director of Bridesmaids and The Heat, Paul Feig presents his latest action-comedy flick, Spy. With Melissa McCarthy (St. Vincent, 2014) at the helm, audiences are in … Read more

San Andreas (PG-13) ★★★

A Few Faults, But San Andreas Wows Audiences

The Rock (Dwayne Johnson, Furious Seven, 2015) is on a roll and makes big moves in the 3-D disaster flick, San Andreas.

After a massive, magnitude … Read more

People, Places, Things (Unrated) ★★★

Sundance Film Set for U.S. Summer Release

While this film’s title may suggest numerous settings and a large cast, this dramedy by writer-director James C. Strouse (Grace is Gone, 2007) is really a … Read more