Category: Movies

Hoppers (2026)

As Disney/Pixar now approaches their 30th film with Hoppers, it has me looking back at previous films revolving around animals (especially when it comes to human interaction).

Except for the two masterpieces Finding Nemo (2003) and Ratatouille (2007), the rest of them have been, at best, passable (I also exempt 2001’s Monster’s, Inc., due to those characters being more fantastical than realistic). Add in the fact that the last truly great classic was 2017’s Coco (though I can see defenders of 2020’s Soul, which I do need to rewatch), and you can see why Hoppers has a lot riding on its shoulders.

Tags Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, Disney, Hoppers, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Meryl Streep, PG, Piper Curda, Pixar, Rated PG

"Top Tens", and others Movies

Top 10 Worst Films of 2025

For those unfamiliar, there is a story in the book of Genesis (specifically in chapter 19) that talks about a man named Lot.

He is told by an angel of the Lord to take his family and leave Sodom and Gomorrah before they are destroyed, and not look back. As they are leaving, Lot’s (unnamed) wife looks back, and turns into a pillar of salt.

Tags 2025, Top Ten, Top Ten Worst of 2025, Worst movies of 2025, Worst movies of the year, Worst of 2025

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 3…

I know, I know. This is three movies instead of one.

Yet as the very overused meme would say, “one does not simply pick one of the films in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.”

Tags J.R.R. Tolkien, LOTR, Peter Jackson, PG-13, Rated PG-13, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, The Two Towers

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 5…

Looking back, most would agree that no other year this century had a more top-notch lineup of films than 2007 (although 2019 would come to mind).

That said, it is somewhat forgotten that the year was also solid in its output of musicals. You had originals like Enchanted (which showed the world how alluring Amy Adams can be) and High School Musical 2 (though not as adaquate as the original in my book, the music to that trilogy had popularity like you would not believe). Then there were stage-to-screen adaptations, such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (one of Tim Burton’s very best films) and Hairspray, which took delight to a whole new level. Still, no musical (of any year) had me rushing to iTunes to buy the whole album quicker than Once.

Tags 2007, Glen Hansard, John Carney, Marketa Iglova, Movie Milestones, Once, Once Movie, Once Musical

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 6…

In High School, my english class always seemed to be one of the first of the day, and that was no exception back in my sophomore year.

Yet one day in January of 2004, I can safely say I don’t at all remember what we were supposed to be doing, because I was not paying any attention. We were in one of the computer labs (do those even exist anymore? I don’t know), working on research of some kind, but my mind was elsewhere: the Oscar nominations.

Tags Cliff Curtis, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Movie Milestones, Niki Caro, PG-13, Rated PG-13, Rawiri Paratene, Whale Rider

3 1/2 Stars 3 Stars Movies

Silk/The Girl in the Street (2025)

Post author By Mark A. Lester
Post date October 19, 2025
No Comments on Silk/The Girl in the Street (2025)

Perhaps I am late to this realization, but with short films, it is much easier to find out the intent of the filmmaker(s) since there is not too much to worry about plot wise.

Such was the case with two new short films I saw by Chris Paicely and Miles August (“Chris and Miles”): Silk (directed by August) and The Girl in the Street (directed by Paicely), both of which each of them wrote.

Tags 2025, Chris and Miles, Chris Paicely, Horror, Miles August, Short Films, Silk, The Girl in the Street

4 Stars Movies

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

As someone who has yet to visit New York City (still near the top of my bucket list), I in no way feel I can say what director in the history of cinema has best captured the city.

A few names do come to mind: Martin Scorcese, Nora Ephron, Sidney Lumet, and Woody Allen (despite his troubled personal life). Then of course there is Spike Lee. While he has not entirely relied on New York for all of his films, his best ones (namely Do the Right Thing in 1989) have helped shape parts of the city that never sleeps in our movie going psyche.

Tags 2025, Akira Kurosawa, Aubrey Josephy, Denzel Washington, Do the Right Thing, Elijah Wright, High and Low, Highest 2 Lowest, Jeffrey Wright, R, Rated R, Spike Lee

0 Stars Movies

War of the Worlds (2025)

It’s been around a year and a half since Pepsi had the unfortunate plug in Madame Web, making Pepsi supporters redder in the face than the red in the can of its rival soda company.

There were scarce a number of product placement that were unfortunate in recent cinematic history, but at least Pepsi was not in the shameless promotion. What Amazon has going for it in the newest version of War of the Worlds is so wanton I legit thought of spending some time apart with my Prime Benefits relationship.

Tags 2025, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Ice Cube, Madame Web, Rated PG-13, War of the Worlds

4 1/2 Stars Movies

28 Years Later (2025)

Whether it was at the age of 10 when I discovered the idea of zombies through the OG Resident Evil games (and later, the atrocious movies), my brief obsession with The Walking Dead (I stopped watching not long after Carl was killed off), or only recently catching up with the 28 days films, I have come to one solid conclusion: I would not last long in a zombie apocalypse.

There are too many factors to consider, but the main reason is that without the meds I normally take, I’m a goner. Nevertheless, the idea of a zombie apocalypse has been lodged in our society’s psyche since the days of George A. Romero. Now, director Danny Boyle (along with Alex Garland as a script writer) have come back to the universe they created in 2002, with 28 Years Later, the third in the series (both were absent for 28 Weeks Later).

Tags 2025, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alex Garland, Alfie Williams, Danny Boyle, Jodie Comer, Matt Reeves, Movie Reviews, Planet of the Apes, R, Rated R, Resident Evil, The Walking Dead, Zombies

Mark's 21st Century Movie Milestones Movies

Number 18…

In my mind, a foreign language film can go one or two ways.

Either the film can be so ingrained into a country’s culture that it would not work anywhere else, or the film can be so universal that it could be told virtually in any language or country. I personally try for the middle ground, where a movie shows characters that are relatable to any nationality or race, and no other live action foreign language film has impacted me in that way this century more so than 2011’s Iranian film, A Separation.

Tags 2011, A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, Family Drama, Foreign, Foreign Language, Iran, Iranian, Rated R, Top 25