Category: 3 1/2 Stars

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date July 29, 2025
4 Comments on The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first MCU entry in some time where prior knowledge of previous films/TV Shows is not entirely needed.

Admittedly, I was thrown off at the start when I found out the setting was Earth-828, which is not the main earth from the prior MCU films (that was…let me check…oh right, Earth-616). This is an interesting approach, since the Fantastic Four are, as far as I can tell, behind only Spider-Man and the X-Men when it comes to the most prominent of Marvel characters.

Tags Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fantastic Four, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Matt Shakman, MCU, Movie Reviews, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Pedro Pascal, PG-13, Ralph Ineson, Rated PG-13, The Fantastic Four, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Vanessa Kirby

3 1/2 Stars

Materialists (2025)

I won’t lie and pretend I know the history of online dating apps, but I am pretty sure that the last 15-20 years or so are when they began to explode in popularity (two of my brothers met their wives that way).

The thing is, I can not think of every coming across anyone in my life who used an in person match making service like the one shown in Materialists. Still, that is focus taken by writer/director Celine Song (who, I have learned, was once a match maker herself for a few months before becoming a film maker).

Tags 2025, Celine Song, Chris Evans, Comedy, Dakota Johnson, Drama, Madame Webb, Materialists, Past Lives, Pedro Pascal, R, Rated R, Romance

3 1/2 Stars

Saturday Night (2024)

In what I believe was my sophomore year of High School, I was at a Marching Band practice when, after telling a joke of some kind, one of my directors stated he could see me hosting SNL in fifteen years (that was about twenty years ago, but oh well). What I did not mention was, at the time, I honestly was not sure what Saturday Night Live was.

Obviously, I caught up, and would spend time looking up past sketches deemed essential viewing (some I am still discovering). I admit I am not an expert on the history of Television, but one shouldn’t need to be if asked what other show is responsible for the career successes of its talents (both in front of the camera and behind it.)

3 1/2 Stars Movies

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date September 9, 2024
No Comments on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Like many my age, my cinematic discovery of Michael Keaton was the same as my cinematic discovery of Tim Burton (well, it was actually Batman Returns before Batman.) The third for each would end up being Beetlejuice.

As a kid, it took me a lot of convincing that the guy behind the Batman mask was the same playing the bio exorcist. Still, it was a near perfect introduction to the mind of Tim Burton (I did not get to Pee Wee until later in life), as it made me aware at a young age directors could have there own sense of style.

Tags 2024, Arthur Conti, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Betelgeuse, Catherine O' Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Michael Keaton, Monica Belluchi, PG-13, Rated PG, Rated PG-13, Tim Burton

3 1/2 Stars

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Regardless of your knowledge of the Alien franchise, it is basically general knowledge that the first two films occupy the top tier. Personally, I feel good about that as I have recently only seen those two along with 2012’s Prometheus.

Obviously, this makes me not at all an expert of any kind about the franchise, but that does not mean I can’t try to enjoy the films individually, which brings us to Alien: Romulus. Oddly enough, the events of this film actually take place between the first two films, while paying homage (both effectively and not effectively) to them.

Tags Aileen Wu, Alien, Alien Romulus, Archie Renaux, Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Fede Álvarez, Isabela Merced, R, Rated R, Romulus, Sci Fi, Science Fiction, Spike Fearn

3 1/2 Stars Movies

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date June 30, 2024
No Comments on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Prior to watching Kevin Costner’s first directed film in over two decades, I looked at my Letterboxd account to realize that this film would only be the eleventh western film I have ever seen in the theater.

Granted, this is largely due to my age (which is why my first “western” experience in the theater was sadly 1999’s infamous Wild Wild West), so it is safe to say all the westerns I have seen have been on a smaller screen. It was with this lack of big screen western experience and the fact that Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has a 40% score on rottentomatoes (it was not screened for many critics, which is rarely a good sign) that I went to see the film,…and was actually surprised at it.

Tags Abbey Lee, An American Saga, Chapter 1, Danny Huston, Giovanni Ribisi, Horizon, Jaime Campbell Bower, Jena Malone, Kevin Costner, Luke Wilson, Michael Angarano, Michael Rooker, Movie Reviews, R, Rated R, Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Tom Payne, Will Patton

3 1/2 Stars

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date May 25, 2024
No Comments on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

In the week or so I spent catching up and rewatching the previous Mad Max films, a rather unrelated film scene popped into my head.

In 1941, there was a film released called Hellzapoppin’. While I have not seen the film, I have seen what is arguably the film’s most popular scene when the characters do a dance called “The Lindy Hop”. When you watch it on YouTube, you will most likely have trouble concluding that these talented people are not being sped up on film: they are just that bleepin’ fast.

3 1/2 Stars Movies

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date May 17, 2024
No Comments on 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.

Tags Kingdom of the planet of the apes, Movie Reviews, PG-13, Planet of the Apes, Rated PG-13, William H. Macy

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).

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.

Tags 2024, Dev Patel, John Wick, Monkey Man, Movie Reviews, R, Rated R, Revenge, Taken