The Jungle Book (Film Review)

Now THAT is how you remake a Disney film!

Miracles from Heaven (Quick Review)

There’s no question I prefer softer Christian-faith films—with their lighter themes and more open minded ideals—over extremist, Kirk Cameron-faith propaganda (where their “themes” and Christian morals are dropped on the viewer like a two-ton anvil).  I praise 2014’s Heaven is for Real for its tolerant outlook on religious philosophy, in addition to its subtlety and actual touching/humorous scenes.  2016’s Miracles from Heaven is very similar in premise, yet while far from a bad film, it is a rather boring one.  Some may argue a boring film is worse than a bad film, since a bad film at least triggers emotional reactions from its viewers.  While an excellent point, I’d counter argue that, given the choice between sitting in a blank room for two hours versus sitting in a room while getting punched in the face for two hours, I’d prefer the former option (though neither would also be acceptable).

The Lady in the Van (Film Review)

The Lady in the Van initially caught my attention for one reason: Maggie Smith.  It’s here, I feel the underlying urge to write how I’ve been a fan of hers long before Harry Potter—lest I be ridiculed by any snobs as a pseudo fan—that, however, would be a straight up lie.  A child of the 90s to early 2000s, I first learned of Smith from her performance as Professor McGonagall (Heaven forbid a nine-year old not have seen Smith’s 1969, Oscar winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie!).  Since then, I’ve expanded my Maggie Smith filmography to more than the Harry Potter films, and have grown a great deal of respect for her acting capabilities.  2015’s The Lady in the Van is the third story variant Smith has acted in (the first two being a theatrical production in 1999, and a radio adaptation in 2009), and, expectedly, delivers a wonderful performance.  The Lady in the Van, however, is more than just a good Maggie Smith performance: it’s a delightfully witty comedy, well-balanced with elements of drama and character development.

My Trip to the Franklin Institute (Trips & Travels)

Yesterday—a bizarre April day where a snow shower decided to ruin our pleasant spring weather—my good friend and his dad invited my wife and me on a trip to the Franklin Institute.  There we got to see its latest exhibit, The Science Behind Pixar, as well as view a true IMAX experience called National Parks Adventure: a 45-minute film about the United States’ National Parks.  I figured since both pertain to film, it’d be fun to give my two-cents about both events.

Winner of April Film Poll (Film Poll)

The results are in!