Musings of a Wandering Writer

These days, I do my best to avoid Disney's films as I generally think the entire company's film divisions are creatively bankrupt. With that being said, I'm a sucker for pulpy adventures and I was excited at the prospect of an (mostly) original story being told on the big screen. In fact, I was so excited that I'm proud to say that seeing this film was the first movie I'd seen in theaters since before the COVID-19 Pandemic. I'm happy to report that the theater was fairly packed when I saw this and I hope people continue to support their theaters if they are able to. 1 Where You Can Find It:   I saw this in theaters but it is also available to Disney+ subscribers. General Information  Jungle Cruise is an adventure-fantasy film that was released on 30 July 2021. It was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is based off of the popular theme park ride of the same name at multiple Disney amusement parks in America....

I've been out for a bit, and I'm pretty late in getting the review out for this one, but as I've said on more than one occasion: all things come with time and patience. I've been a pretty big fan of this franchise for years, and it's been a blast to go through the series again. Although it's well-known now for its over-the-top violence towards young people, it is surprising to see how this whole series first came about. 1 Where You Can Find It:   I saw this on Showtime via Amazon Video. General Information  Friday the 13th is a horror slasher film that was initially released on 9 May 1980. It was directed and produced by Sean S. Cunningham with Paramount Pictures distributing. It is the first entry in the long-running Friday the 13th film franchise, which currently boasts a total of 12 movies in the series (this is including Freddy vs. Jason ). On 13 February 2009, the last entry in the series was released, which was a reboot of the same name. Since the reboot...

Dear America, Lately, I've been plagued by a series of nightmares that have given me a lot to ponder. I wish I could say these nightly terrors are of more conventional things like monsters, masked killers, or a series renewal to  Keeping Up With the Kardashians , but alas, it's something a bit harder to define. It's a mirage of mercy, forgiveness, and closure that I'm not sure is even possible or deserved. Why do people apologize? Is it truly a selfless act to make the aggrieved feel better? I suppose that when I was a younger man, I may have thought so. These days I wonder if it's simply a selfish desire for that sweet release of catharsis. If you're looking for answers, I'm afraid I still don't know. Long ago, I had a friend. We'd known each other in a galaxy far, far away and our friendship had extended well beyond state lines. We were different and went down wildly contrasting paths, and somehow we managed to stay connected years later. At some p...

It's been a while since I posted a review of my bad movie group's misadventures, but I think I finally found a cinematic trainwreck that warrants enough attention for a review. You'll probably notice that this film has seemingly two different titles. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I like the idea that this movie is so chaotic in design that it doesn't even know its own name. For the purposes of this review, I'll be calling this film by "Droid Gunner," since that is what its IMDB page calls it. 1 Where You Can Find It:   I saw this on IMDB TV where it is available for viewing with ads. General Information  Droid Gunner is a science fiction action movie that was initially released on 14 November 1995 (I'm going to make the logical assumption that this was a straight to home video release). It was directed and produced by Fred Olen Ray with New Horizons Picture distributing. If you're not familiar with Ray, he's a low-budget film dir...

I've been meaning to go back to some of Michael Mann's earlier works for some time now as the thought of having Blackhat be the last Mann film I'd seen left a bad taste in my mouth. I finally got my chance when some friends of mine mentioned they'd never seen this. To be fair, it had been a while for me as well, so I dove on the chance to bring this one back and it hit just as hard as I remembered it would. 1 Where You Can Find It:  I viewed this one on Amazon Video where it is available for rent/purchase. General Information  Collateral is a neo-noir thriller film that was released on 6 August 2004. It was directed and produced by Michael Mann (with Julie Richardson also producing) and written by Stuart Beattie. Music for the film was done by the Emmy and Grammy Award winner, James Newton Howard. Production was done via Parkes/MacDonald Productions and Edge City with DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures distributing. The film won seven major film awards as well ...

Sometimes our minds betray us and nostalgia clouds our judgement. It's times like these where friends come in handy as they help keep you honest. When I started this up, I assumed this would be the best entry of the franchise, but a new viewing made me see that everything isn't as rosy as I remember it being. * Where You Can Find It:  I viewed this one on Amazon Video where it is available for rent/purchase. General Information  The Purge: Anarchy is an action thriller film that was released on 18 July 2014. It is the sequel to The Purge and was written and directed by James DeMonaco. It was produced under the combination of Blumhouse Productions, Platinum Dunes, and Why Not Productions with Universal Pictures distributing. It is the second entry in the Purge film franchise, and was released approximately one year after the original film. Like its predecessor, it grossed well over ten times its original budget . The film currently holds a 50 Metascore on Metacritic with a 57...

Dear America, I've been away for a few days. Did you miss me? Don't think for one second that I've been giving you the cold shoulder! I've merely been on vacation taking in the wonderful sights and sounds of an American summer breaking free from the shackles of a pandemic. For the majority of my life, I've always considered my heart to be in New York City , but my soul will always belong to Miami. Maybe it was a bit too much Miami Vice , but Magic City has always spoken to me on a deep level. It's a land of beauty, neon lights, sunshine, and some of the best damn coffee you'll ever have ( uno cortadito, por favor! ). In every sense of the phrase, it is my holy land, and I had always regretted not having actually ever been there. Last week, I finally made the pilgrimage to my promised land and it certainly didn't disappoint. The smell of the ocean mixed with the scent of good food and cigars, while the pastel colored buildings stood like bright towers. T...