Bryan Goforth

1917 is unlike any war film I've ever seen! 🤯 This movie was shot in the most stunningly beautiful way possible. Cinematographer Roger Deakins (Almost all of the Coen Brothers films, Sicario, How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2 and Bladerunner 2049 😍) alongside director Sam Mendes (as well as the rest of the crew of course) crafted a harrowing journey that doesn't let up at all during its 2 hour runtime. You feel as if you are right alongside our main characters as they push across enemy lines to save 1,600 British soldiers from an ambush set by German soldiers. The score by Thomas Newman, who has been creating great scores for decades, has created his BEST and gloomiest score to date. I was audibly hooked thirty seconds into the film 🎶👏🎶 I can't wait to sit down with the score soon! There are a ton of a-list stars in this film but they all have very little screen time (Richard Madden was the absolute best of the bunch in my opinion) compared to Dean-Charles Chapman and George Mackay and this is where the film excells. You are left with two everyday young soldiers that are given an impossible task and you form a bond with them as they make their way across the war torn country side. There are startling, heart wrenching, suspenseful, horrifying and inspiring moments throughout the entire film and they ALL need to be experienced on the BIG screen. I often tell people to see movies on the BIG screen but I've never meant it as much as I do right now. Don't go into this film thinking you're seeing something along the lines of Saving Private Ryan or Apocalypse Now. 1917 is much more intimate compared to those films and that is why it is such a unique cinematic experience. I will be seeing this again before it leaves the theater without a doubt. Don't sleep on this film! Trust me, it's an experience unlike any you've had before at the cinema.

The Rise of Skywalker is a perfect example of what happens when the people in charge of one of the most impactful movie franchises on planet earth don't have a plan in place. I didn't hate the film but I was beyond disappointed with the direction that JJ took. The plot moved at light speed and I just wanted to scream SLOW DOWN! at the screen throughout the whole film. I won't get into spoilers here because people definitely need to see this knowing absolutely nothing of the plot. I did call several BIG reveals before it even came out though, maybe you will have called a few yourselves 🤔 Visually it's absolutely stunning and it definitely needs to be seen on the BIG screen 🤯 Being a big fan of The Last Jedi (minus the terrible canto bight section of the film), I was excited to see how JJ would expand upon the endless possibilities that Rian Johnson created but ultimately those possibilities were left in the dust for the most part. In short, this movie wasn't for me and I was left feeling as if I was "force" fed an endless amount of fan service that left me feeling almost nothing at all. To end on a positive note though, as I was walking out of the cinema there was a dad with his young son walking next to me and the kid was absolutely ecstatic about the film. He was rapid firing all of the big moments of the film at his dad with pure joy and that young fandom moment made me smile really wide. Everyone will take something different away from this saga and of course it's not perfect but it's been one hell of a journey even if the landing didn't stick for me in the end. Be your own critic of course and see where you land with this final installment 😉 and May The Force Be With You 💛

This movie has made my heart grow three times its size 💗 I didn't expect to get so emotional 😭 during this film but damn it truly delivers some incredibly human moments. It is in my top 5 of 2019 without a doubt! I don't remember the last time I cared so much for a group of characters. Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson are great but Zack Gottsagen is the star 🌟 It has some serious Mark Twain vibes but where it excells is when you watch these characters grow and create real connections with each other. If you're in need of a positive spiritual boost, you need to sit down with this film. You will walk away with a profound understanding of what it means to be a family 😍👏

The Outer Worlds builds upon the legacy of Fallout: New Vegas in all the right ways. The exploration in this game is out of this world ;) and the characters were given so much depth and personality that you cared about them all. The gameplay is almost perfect and the consequences of your actions are felt deeply in this rich open world. If you're looking for a game to get lost in for 60 to 100 hours, look no more! You'll be exploring the universe discovering gorgeous planets, meeting unique people and slaying ferocious creatures all while trying to do what you think is right (or wrong) for the colony. Here's hoping Obsidian plans on making DLC for this amazing game!

Doctor Sleep is absolutely stunning! Mike Flanagan directs the hell out of this movie and just so you all know, it's 100% a sequel to Kubrick's The Shining. The world that was created is steeped in Stephen King's lore. There are Dark Tower easter eggs in it, f'n Dark Tower references AAAAAHHHH! 😍👏 #KA #Nineteen The ENTIRE cast delivers in this film! Especially Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat 🎩 There is a scene in the film that involves her taking a little trip that is so beautifully shot that I wish I could have immediately rewound the moment and watched it again. The horror is brutally effective but it's the human (family) trauma that really shines 😉 in the film. Flanagan has always had a way with using horror to explore the complexity of dealing with traumatic events in ones life. Early on in the film Danny finds himself at a hospice center and I was emotionally rocked by the interactions he has with the patients. The subject matter and delivery of it had me tearing up. Its was beautifully written/shot 👴😭 The first two-thirds of the film built up to the showdown at the Overlook hotel and I for one was not disappointed with the third act and the insanity that unfolded within it. Before Danny walks into the Overlook he has a line that made me jump up in my seat with unbridled excitement. The score was exceptional and I can't recommend this film enough to both the lovers of the Kubrick film and the books. This film is without a doubt in my top 5 of the year and I can't wait to see what Flanagan has in store for us with his next film/series. Do yourself a favor and see it in an IMAX theater. Not just for the GIANT screen but for the incredible sound design. It was glorious!

I have seen so much hype, both good and bad, about the new #Joker film and I just want to say a few things about it. 1. The movie is far from the most violent film I've ever seen (Rambo Last Blood was straight up murder porn for the final 20 minutes) and the media is going out of it's way to sell the idea that seeing it in a theater full of people will somehow put lives at risk. We live in a country where going to get groceries or going to an ELEMENTARY school might be the last thing you ever do. It's irresponsible to keep pushing this narrative and just plain wrong. 2. People are saying that Joker makes you feel for the villian in the movie thus causing you to root for the murdering clown. Without spoiling it, YES you can't help but be sympathetic towards Arthur and the horrible events that took place early on in his life BUT you definitely shouldn't be rooting for him once a specific line is crossed. If you do find yourself rooting for him after said line crossing, it may be time to talk to someone about what's going on in your life. Seriously. With that out of the way, I've spent the past 36 hours thinking about this film. It's shot beautifully, the score is haunting and incredibly effective and Joaquin Phoenix delivers an absolutely powerful performance as the incredibly damaged Arthur Fleck. What needs to be in the conversation surrounding this film is mental health services, class disparity and above all else APATHY and the effects it has on our society as a whole. The movie holds up a mirror to society and it seems quite a few people aren't liking what they see. I have a suggestion for all of the people prejudging the film or just saying that it glorifies violence, go out and try to EMPATHIZE with your fellow man. See what you can do to lift up those that are destitute and powerless. Try to provide some positive reinforcement and above all else just SEE people because more than anything people just need to be seen (and heard). In short, I loved this film and I was seriously uncomfortable for the majority of it as I think you are supposed to be. That's how I know Todd Philips and company knocked this out of the park. I can't help but think it will earn Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar nomination. He is now tied with Heath Ledger in regards to the best portrayal of the Joker on screen. I could go on and on in finer detail about this film but I'll leave you all with this brilliant idea, BE YOUR OWN CRITIC and take a moment to look into the mirror 😉

Here are a few (non-spoiler) pros and cons about IT Chapter 2 🎈 It's a great companion piece to Chapter 1! It feels a little long at times (2 hrs & 49 mins) yet at the same time I swear there is an hour of this movie sitting around somewhere and I want to see it! The director said recently that he may do a 6.5 hour megacut of the films It's funny, like really funny The deaging used for the young losers made me squint constantly in bewilderment and took me out of the film more than once. The set and creature designs were some of the best I've ever seen! The decision to change up the Ritual of Chüd for the film was a big let down for me (book reader problems) ☹️ The casting for the film was pitch perfect! Some of the scares were more comical than actually scary but I was surprisingly okay with that more often than not 😱😆 Bill Hader is without a doubt the MVP of this film 😍👏 .......and last but not least, the transitions between the old and young Losers were absolutely flawless and I hope more movies choose to do this in the future 😮👏 I really really liked this film although not as much as the first film and I recommend seeing it in a Dolby Cinema or an IMAX because it is a summer blockbuster after all. It has some good scares sprinkled throughout, plenty of chuckles to go around and quite a few moments of heart 👍

Well, that was something 🤔 I'll try to keep this short and sweet (not likely ) but let it be known that I am a HUGE fan of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series 😍😱👏 I saw the film tonight and I had plenty of thoughts about it afterwards. The script was severely lacking (oof, the dialogue and character development was pretty terrible) but the creature effects were absolutely amazing. I won't spoil what little plot there is here but I have to say these short stories would be better suited for an anthology series. Better yet, I feel like the movie would have been a million times better if it was done in the same style as Cabin in the Woods (such an underrated horror film), where all the creatures are let loose all at once to terrorize the small town that the movie was set in. That being said, I was overcome with pure nostalgic joy when the monsters made their way on-screen. All my childhood fears came to life during those moments and I was 100% there for it! The completely updated take on Me Tie Dough-Ty Walker, The Jangly Man in the film, was perfection as I was genuinely freaked the F out by that creature. The other stories were done well, especially the lady from The Dream, but I was left wanting so many other stories to be in the film. Not to worry though as they left it wide open for a potential sequel. I can tell you right now that I want my favorite stories to be used for it. The Bride with it's extremely haunting twist, High Beams with it's intense build up and horrifying conclusion, The Hook with it's extremely creepy twist and The Thing with all of it's gore-filled insanity would all translate to pitch perfect horror on the BIG screen. Here's to hoping the second (possible) film has these stories in it and the screenwriters do a much better job of weaving it all together in a slightly more coherent manner. In short, if you're a fan of the books like myself catch this film in a dark theater. Perhaps make it a matinee though 😉👍

So if you're in a dead end relationship or just needing to have your perception of co-dependency/trauma cracked WIDE open, go see Midsommar While a little too long for my taste, it was shot beautifully with a score that really drove home the insanity that is this film 😱👏 Florence Pugh without a doubt deserves to be in the conversation for this year's award season because she is amazing in this film I couldn't help but empathize with her character from the opening scene to the closing shot. She was nothing short of a revelation! 👏😭😱😍👏 Ari Aster has created two uniquely challenging films with Hereditary and Midsommar. I love being consumed by stories like these because they force me to analyze EVERYTHING 🤔 as they can not be taken at face value whatsoever. Simply put, it's cinematic art & I am here for it!

Rocketman is everything that Bohemian Rhapsody needed to be! I haven't felt this way about a musical since Hedwig and the Angry Inch 😍👏 Taron Egerton (and all of the supporting cast) was amazing! I don't know if I've ever seen this level of acting from him before and the fact that he sings every song so bloody well truly elevates his performance I was completely captivated by the musical performances in this film! 🎶 🎶 The Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) sequence made me want to get out of my seat and start dancing/flailing in the aisle and the Rocketman sequence was beautifully done. Both scenes were definitely the highlights of the film for me 💙 I could go on and on about the brilliance that was the production design, cinematography, editing and direction of this film but that would spoil so many amazing moments. I was so happy that they showed Elton John's journey without a pair of rose colored glasses on. You get to see him as a person and not just a persona and the film is better for it. I walked away from this experience with a new found respect for both Elton John and Taron Egerton and I can't wait to see it again! There's a scene towards the end of this movie where a single line is delivered from the past and the present and it will break/fill your heart. It was the moment when I realized that Dexter Fletcher accomplished something special with his film. To avoid spoiling it, I'll just say....HUGS