I have a crystal-clear memory of watching Spider-Man 3 in theaters in the South Chicagoland area back in 2007. At the time, I thought it was a massive letdown from the soaring heights of the previous two films from the trilogy.  To some degree, my opinion hasn't changed. I still don't think it measures up…Read more Film Review: Spider-Man 3 (2007)

A classic case of a decent idea marred by poor execution, Novocaine is one of those films you want to like but ultimately can't. The film stars Jack Quaid, one of the most enjoyable of the nepo-babies that have taken over Hollywood in the 2020s. Here he plays Nate, a young(ish) assistant bank manager who…Read more Film Review: Novocaine (2025)

Beloved the world over, it feels like there is very little that already hasn't been said about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. All I can really add is that this is perhaps my favorite film of all time. It launched my interest in cinema as a serious art form and…Read more Film Review: The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

If you ever wanted to see the duality of man, all you have to do is watch Punch Drunk Love. Paul Thomas Anderson's warm, wonderful film repackages Adam Sandler's rageful albeit juvenile on-screen persona into a still hilarious yet far more complex look at the relationship between loneliness, anger and love. Sandler stars as Barry…Read more Film Review: Punch Drunk Love (2002)

Like the show Friday Night Lights if you removed its soul, 1999's Varsity Blues is filled with all the crude, country-fried stereotypes you might expect. Set in a small, football-fixated town, the film centers on Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek), the high school football team's backup quarterback. Although Mox has had a life-long love…Read more Film Review: Varsity Blues (1999)