Colossal (R) ★★★½
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
Reviews
★★★★ (4 Stars) is the Highest Rating
Life (R) ★★½
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
Beauty and the Beast (PG) ★★★½
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
T2: Trainspotting (R) ★★★½
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 (PG-13) ★★★
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
Table 19 (PG-13) ★★
Table This Film…For Good
Have you ever attended a wedding and ended up wanting to crawl into a hole because you were seated at a table with complete strangers? Despite the initial awkwardness, these situations … Read more
Logan (R) ★★★½
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
Get Out (R) ★★★½
Get Out and See this Film
You cannot always judge a book by its cover. Similarly, you shouldn’t judge a movie by its trailer. These words of wisdom are especially true for the film Get … Read more
Oscar Blog-Part 4 Best Documentary, Best Original Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song
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, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design
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, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Animated Film
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
Fist Fight (R) ★½
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
Oscar’s BackStage Pass Blog 2017 Part 1-Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor
It’s Oscar Time!
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 (PG) ★★★
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
Silence (R) ★★★★
Have Faith in Silence
For living legend Martin Scorsese, who spent nearly 30 years trying to get this film made and even contemplated joining the priesthood, it would be an understatement to call Silence a … Read more
Sarah’s Top 20 Movies of 2016
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
Julieta (R) ★★★½
A Mother and Child Reunion?
With the slew of super hero mega films, book to film adaptations and unoriginal American pictures that hope the star power will singlehandedly carry the film, foreign films are often … Read more
Nocturnal Animals (R) ★★★½
Tom Ford Designs Another Work of Art
In the build-up to Oscar season, Hollywood studios release their “best films” from Thanksgiving to Christmas to such an extent that it can be overwhelming to the public. … Read more
Manchester By the Sea (R) ★★★½
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
La La Land (PG-13) ★★★½
Upbeat Musical with Beautiful Stars
Opening on a warm California winter’s day, we view a typical LA freeway traffic jam and an over-the-top atypical song and dance number; La La Land thus proclaims itself as … Read more
Split (PG-13) ★★★
James McAvoy helps save M. Night Shyamalan from himself in Split.
Like many others, I have been frustrated by M. Night Shyamalan’s career. Since I am a big fan of his first five movies—… Read more
Patriots Day (R) ★★★½
Patriots Day is a powerful reminder of this country at its best.
As I left for the Patriots Day screening, my husband asked me to remind him what I was seeing. After I told him, … Read more
Moonlight (R) ★★★★
Raw Emotion Strikes a Chord with Universal Themes
Superficially, one might sum up Moonlight by declaring that it presents three chapters of a gay black Miami man’s life. However, the film delves much deeper than … Read more
Live By Night (R) ★½
Ben Affleck’s really weird gangster film is a dud.
“What. Is. Happening?!?”
While watching Live by Night, I turned to the person next to me and asked this question several times. She was … Read more