Irrelevant But Awesome

Alexa:  I will freely admit I am not a video game person at all, so I’m sure I didn’t appreciate “Man vs. Snake” on the same level as my fellow reviewers. But fortunately it’s a film you can go into with zero video game knowledge and still enjoy. The documentary does a great job of capturing the video game culture of the Twin Galaxies era and conveying the significance of Tim McVey’s achievement. Tim is an affable character, and his passion is infectious. “Man vs. Snake” is an intriguing exploration of the gaming community – and a specific subculture within that community – but at its heart, it’s a story about an ordinary man and his quest to achieve an astonishingly challenging goal. I liked that the documentary chronicled Tim’s experience over several years. It underscored what a difficult achievement this was, and how much time and effort he had to put into breaking the record again. Really my only complaint about the film is Walter. I appreciate his contributions to gaming...

Alexa:  After reading the New York Times article that inspired “Kodachrome,” I find myself immensely frustrated by all the clever things this movie could have been and wasn’t. In her review for Entertainment Weekly, Leah Greenblatt says the film “feels like it was generated by a Sundance screenwriting app,” and she hits the nail right on the head. It’s as formulaic as indie dramedies come, for all the pros and cons that go along with that. The New York Times piece hints at an assortment of interesting photographers who, for a whole host of reasons, have held onto their devotion to Kodachrome film until the last possible second. There is a breadth of clever territory for the filmmakers to mine for this story, perhaps a rich ensemble of characters and a deeper exploration of what photography means to society - a theme the film barely scratches the surface of in the third act. But instead they settle for the familiar strokes of long-gestating issues between children and their pa...

Joel:  Nintendo’s surprise announcement of a new Super Smash Bros . game earlier this year has caused plenty of speculation articles about what exactly could be in the new game. While there’s nothing more than a single announcement trailer about the game (and some are convinced that it’s not actually a new game but a port of the Super Smash Bros. game for the Wii U), Super Smash Bros. is a popular enough franchise that there is still plenty to discuss and speculate on. The biggest thing of course is to try and guess what new characters will be in the game or explain why this or that certain character SHOULD be in the game. We’re taking a different approach. While this is a list of five things that need to be in Super Smash Bros. 5 , none of the entries on this list are new fighters. (If this announcement from Nintendo does end up being a port of the most recent Super Smash Bros. game, then you can apply this list for when a fifth game is finally made in the series.) 5. ...

Alexa:  The plot of “The Incredible Jessica James” is pretty formulaic for an indie rom-com. Girl is getting over a bad breakup. Girl meets boy who is also reeling from a messy divorce. Girl and boy find love while navigating some complications. Girl also finds herself in the process. But this movie has a lot going for it that elevates it beyond others in the genre, first and foremost its captivating lead. I picked this film because I loved Jessica Williams on “The Daily Show,” and I was not disappointed in her performance here. “The Incredible Jessica James” is a showcase of her talents. Her Jessica James is grounded and relatable. She can be self-centered at times but her outward confidence masks a host of inward insecurities, which takes a toll on her relationships. But ultimately, she learns from her experiences. She’s a refreshingly honest and nuanced protagonist for a rom-com, and she’s surrounded by other engaging characters. Chris O’Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield and Noel Wel...

Joel:  We have to talk about the Box Office results of Solo: A Star Wars Story. At this point there’s really no way around it. For the past two weeks Solo ’s box office success, or lack of box office success has been the biggest story in Hollywood. But as it always is with these kind of things, it’s not always as cut and dry as any quick news bite would have you believe. Box office results have a funny way of always being more complicated that you would expect, so let's take a moment and really try and peel back all the hyperbole surrounding this and see what really might be happening with the latest Star Wars movie. The facts are these. In the past two weeks Solo has made around $150 million domestically. It made just over $100 million on its opening weekend and just under $30 million in the second weekend. Worldwide, the movie pulled in a little over $264 million over the first two weeks. Now, there is no question that these are not numbers we normally see when talking abo...

Alexa:  Much of the conversation about “Lincoln” typically revolves around Daniel Day-Lewis’ impeccable performance, but to gloss over the many other elements that make this such an outstanding film would be an injustice to all the tremendous talent involved. Day-Lewis is, of course, exceptional. Few actors completely disappear into their roles quite like he does. From his voice to his mannerisms, every choice he makes in his performance is deliberate, and the end result is an effortlessly layered character. No matter how many times you may have studied Lincoln in school, Day-Lewis’ portrayal makes you feel like you’re getting to know this man on such a personal level. Add on top of that the phenomenal work of the movie’s hair, makeup and costume teams and Day-Lewis isn’t just playing Lincoln here; he becomes him. The film is stuffed full of other powerhouse performances, particularly supporting turns from Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones and brief but memorable appearances fro...