Shot on 65mm film for IMAX and Ultra Panavision 70, yielding a letterboxed 2.76:1 ratio in standard multiplexes, Sinners has received a positive buzz since it was released last week. Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) it stars Michael B. Jordan (Creed) as Chicago hoodlum twins Smoke and Stack, who've returned to Mississippi to open a juke club and make some quick cash. This is a period film set in 1932 that starts as a crime drama musical and…

I watched this thinking it was actually based on a true story about a Jewish architect (Adrian Brody) who fled the ruins of World War II in Europe to start a new life in Philadelphia. That's how realistically and well-crafted The Brutalist plays. Shot on 35mm film in VistaVision format to avoid lens distortions of buildings, it's best seen projected in 70mm — I settled for a digital multiplex screening with a bucket of radioactive popcorn. At 3½ hours, The…

Overall, I enjoyed this sequel to my second-favourite movie of all time, Blade Runner (1982). Amazingly, it does feel like the same world set 30 years later. The melancholy tone, futuristic ideas, production design, cinematography, and synthesizer music score are all here, which was a huge relief. This is the real triumph of the film; it could have easily been a train wreck. The story itself, developed by Ridley Scott and original writer Hampton Fancher, is all right, considering it…

Apeocalypse Now, anyone?

This is how you make a popcorn monster movie, i.e. the old fashioned way. Set up a basic storyline with unique characters who have clearly defined motives, cast attractive leads (Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson), add comic relief, and most importantly, show the fucking monsters! It couldn't be simpler, but Hollywood has gotten it wrong so many times: Pacific Rim, Peter Jackson's bloated King Kong remake, both Godzilla borefests, Monsters*...the list goes on. Another plus for this movie…