Author: Mark A. Lester

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3 1/2 Stars Movies

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Sadly, it was only until a few years ago that I finally saw the OG Planet of the Apes from 1968.

My reasoning was mainly due to the fact that I had already had the famous plot twist spoiled for me as a kid (most likely from The Simpsons), and was unfortunately introduced to the idea of talking apes in Tim Burton’s disastrous 2001 film. Thankfully, the 2010s gave us a trilogy (all of which I just recently revisited) that was nothing short of solid entertainment, to the point I was worried this new film would be a de-evolution, as it were.

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3 1/2 Stars Movies

The Fall Guy (2024)

Most recently, I finally got around to seeing 1928’s Steamboat Bill, Jr.

It was this film where Buster Keaton (arguably the most influential leading man who did his own stunts) stood perfectly still as the side of a house fell on him, only unscathed due to an open window (your move, Tom Cruise!). Every since Keaton’s days, the stunt man has been risking all for the purpose of the shot (more than enough have sadly died in the process).

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4 1/2 Stars Movies

Civil War (2024)

Over the last month or so, I found myself watching three films from the 1950s that were definite products of their time (which is not to say they were bad).

The three films (The Incredible Shrinking Man, Them!, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) most assuredly dealt with fears of the times: radiation, political invasion, and nuclear war. Thankfully, none of that has happened since then (well, maybe the invasion part, but that is not something I want to dive into), but they surely seemed like possible outcomes.

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3 1/2 Stars

Monkey Man (2024)

Going as far back as Kurosawa’s 1961 classic Yojimbo (and probably even before that), the revenge flick always has a unique place in the heart of the audience.

Whether it be a samurai, a war vet (ala Rambo), a 21st century Liam Neeson role, or (most recently) the John Wick films, we all have that inner being that wants to exact revenge. Whether it be a bully, a boss/co-worker, or someone who cut you off in traffic, our (much safer) alternative to vengeance is watching it dished out on screen.

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2 Stars Movies

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

As of now, I have seen only thirteen movies involving Godzilla and/or King Kong (about 19 percent of them all according to Letterboxd).

I mention this at the outset because I now only realize how all the movies have one key challenge to face: balance the monster scenes with the human character scenes. Of course, a vast majority (if not all) of audiences will be going to these films for the CGI monster mashing, making most of the human stories somewhat forgettable (unless you are Godzilla Minus One, the film that finally won Godzilla an Oscar).

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3 Stars

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

I was very wary about this movie, perhaps mainly because I was wary about the franchise as a whole.

The original Ghostbusters from 1984 is an undoubtable bona fide comedy classic. The sequel,…I saw it once and don’t remember much from it. While I have yet to see the 2016 female reboot, the 2021 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife showed that, with adding some new characters, the franchise still had a little bit of,…well, life. Still, with the film being pushed back from it’s original December release (albeit due to the SAG strike) still had me less than eager to see this. Thankfully, this franchise still has not yet frozen over.

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2 1/2 Stars

Arthur the King (2024)

One viewing of the trailer of Arthur the King is more than enough to see where this film is going.

When asked what movie I was going to see, I mentioned the title. 

“What is that?”, I was asked.

“The Mark Wahlberg/Dog movie.”

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"Top Tens", and others Movies

Predictions for the 96th Academy Awards

I am really coming in to the 11th hour.

With the only a few days left until the Academy Awards, my predictions are finally done, but at the cost of a few things, namely, that I don’t have all the photos I would normally have with this post.

(On the plus side, I did have time to see all the shorts).

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Much of that has to do with the same old story of me overthinking certain categories and not knowing what to pick. That is not to say that there are not certain categories that are easy to predict. the real question of Oscar night will be how many awards will Oppenheimer sweep and how many will the rest get?

Here are my predictions

– “Predictions for the 96th Academy Awards”
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4 1/2 Stars Movies

Dune: Part Two (2024)

“Dune Part 2 is the The Godfather 2 of Sci-Fi films.”

– My buddy Rudy

Like many, Rudy was able to see this movie this past Sunday (I was unaware of this early showing until I had already had my tickets). As great a movie lover (and friend) that he is, Rudy does tend to over hype things a bit (I fall into this same trap, but I am gradually improving a little).As the storytelling is more gradual and less bombastic as other sci-fi films, so was my appreciation for this epic sequel.

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1 Star Movies

Madame Web (2024)

Recently, the MCU announced the long awaited casting decisions for the Fantastic Four going forward. 

The cinematic stories showcasing “Marvel’s First Family” have been rather substandard at best. There was a nearly forgotten 90s movie followed by two lackluster films in the mid 2000s. There was promise when a new version was to be displayed in the mid 2010s with stars Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, resulting in Fan4stic Four, one of the worst comic book movies ever made. I never thought I would see a superhero film stoop that low again.

Enter Madame Web.

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