Only for diehard franchise fans.
A month ago, Disneyland guests on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride were treated to a cool surprise when Johnny Depp popped up on the attraction in place of the … Read more
Alien: Covenant < Prometheus. Yeah, I said it.
I was thoroughly frustrated by Alien: Covenant and was actually mad when I left the theater. Aside from Michael Fassbender in dual roles and the cast … Read more
To take on the legend of Excalibur, Guy Ritchie sticks with his usual love-it-or-hate-it style.
The Knights of the Round Table. The Sword in the Stone. The Lady of the Lake. Merlin. Ah, I just … Read more
Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!
Here’s my quick take on the film:
I laughed the entire 90 minutes of the film. Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn are both funny, but the supporting cast; Wanda Sykes, Joan … Read more
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is Fantasy, Action & Adventure by British director Guy Ritchie of the Sherlock Holmes movies, he gives us an updated King Arthur film.
Charlie Hunnam stars as Arthur (The … Read more
More of the same, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It’s 44 degrees in Chicago as I write this, but make no mistake—summer is here. I know this because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. … Read more
A Film Critic’s Personal Journey to Ebertfest and Revisiting Her Childhood Home of University of Illinois
The 19th Annual Ebertfest Film Festival, April 19-23, was held at the historic 1,525-seat Virginia Theater and the University … Read more
The Fate of the Furious is action & adventure, it’s the eighth film in The Fast and the Furious series. Many actors from the previous films have returned, two newcomers to the series are, Charlize … Read more
The Zookeeper’s Wife is the true story of Antonina Żabińska a working wife and mother who became a hero to hundreds during World War II and based on the book of the same name by … Read more
The film centers on alcoholism as a monster, and it’s far reaching effects on others. Anne Hathaway (Gloria) is an out-of-work party girl who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, is … Read more
You’ve probably never seen a movie quite like this.
I adored Colossal. It’s my favorite film of 2017 so far. I want to campaign for it at every theater across the country. I want to … Read more
A decent but forgettable thriller that adds nothing new to the Doomed Space Crew genre.
Are you a space scientist?
I’ll assume you’re not and proceed to ask you this: “Not being a space scientist, … Read more
This live-action remake may not be necessary, but it’s still a lot of fun.
I usually try to review remakes (or prequels or sequels, for that matter) on their own merit as standalone films, but … Read more
The Boys are Back!
Is revisiting the zaniness of Trainspotting (1996) 20 years later worth the trip? (Pun intended.) I guess if you’re wondering if Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, or Begbie made the decision to … Read more
Kong: Skull Island is a blast.
Almost exactly a year ago, my husband and I ran around the Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando. We passed by a large barricaded area surrounded by high … Read more
Logan is the tenth X-Men movie . . . and might just be the best.
When I review a film from any franchise that has what might be described as “rabid fans”—be it Star Wars, … Read more
Oscar Blog Part 4-Final Oscar Blog!
Wow, Oscar weekend 2017 is here! We are very excited over here at Sarah’s Backstage Pass, as this is a huge weekend for us! We love viewing the Academy … Read more
Oscar Blog Part 3
*BEST DIRECTOR – Damien Chazelle, La La Land, Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea (Should win) Nominees: Denis Villeneuve, Arrival, Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge, Damien Chazelle, La La Land, Kenneth Lonergan, … Read more
Oscar Blog Part 2
Hi again, here’s the next installment; happy reading. Wow, it’s getting exciting the last week before Oscar. Hey, do you have your tickets to the best viewing party in Chicagoland? I’ll … Read more
Hey comedy directors: when your end-credits blooper reel is funnier than the rest of your movie, you’ve failed.
Fist Fight should have at least been decent; its trailers gave me hope. It stars the high-strung, … Read more
As an avid life-long Academy Award watcher, I’ve always enjoyed attempting to see all Oscar-worthy films, along with selecting my personal winners. The Oscars are my Super Bowl so to speak, an … Read more
The Lego Batman Movie is fun (and funny), but not quite as awesome as its predecessor.
The Lego Movie surprised everyone in 2014. Nobody expected it to be good, much less one of the … Read more
Top 20 (Award-Worthy) Films of 2016 Listed in order of favorites starting with #1
*Please note that I have not screened Martin Scoreses’s Silence this list may change.
1. Arrival—Science Fiction, based on … Read more
Heartwrenching Family Drama with Excellent Performances
Manchester by the Sea is a movie wherein the more you discuss the great aspects of the film, the more it sounds like your worst nightmare. And by discussing … Read more