Black Mass (Film Review)

Black Mass is a blend of 70s, 80s, 90s and occasional 00s mob tropes balanced into one surprisingly effective film.  Black Mass takes a lot from previous gangster films: complex alliances, morbid humor, a rise and fall story, villain protagonists, snitches and persistent paranoia, rivaling businesses, clashing ethnicities, and of course brutal, unapologetic violence…violence done right I might add.  The major difference between Black Mass and its previous mob influences is its grim and gritty violence; there’s some dark s%!t happening in Black Mass, with no effort to lighten the impact (making its film title all the more appropriate).  The violence is given no bright and colorful cinematography, catchy soundtrack, or witty dark humor—when it happens, Black Mass is blunt, bleak and highly effective. 

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Film Review)

Sometimes low expectations can have wonderful results.

Attack on Titan (Film Review)

Shingeki no Kyojin, otherwise known as Attack on Titan has become one of the biggest anime sensations in the past decade.  In just six years the manga has sold over 50 million copies, boosted immensely by its anime which increased series hype to the point where people unaware what “anime” was knew about Attack on Titan.  With such massive popularity it was inevitable an Attack on Titan movie would be made, and while there’s been talk of a U.S. release, Japan has fittingly struck first in a two-part film series—this review covering part one.

SET PUBLISHING DATES!!!+Changes to the Quick Review/Film Review Format (Format Changes)

A chief goal since Film Reviewer Jr.’s beginning has been to release at least one film post per week—and aside from the rare occasion (November 2013 being a good example, where student teaching plus college studies ate up my free time), I’ve kept good to such promise.  Yet while one can (practically) expect a post each week, the release day has varied between the seven available.  I’ve never given release days for readers to follow, frankly because I didn’t want to follow said dates; a whole week to work, finalize, and release a post is less stressful than a set date per week, especially with reality throwing those predictably unpredictable curveballs.  Such vagueness can be potentially frustrating for you the reader, being unaware which day(s) I’ll be publishing (will I publish Monday, or wait till the week’s end?)—as such I’ve created a solution too hopefully satisfy both concerns.