Flash Frames

I’m in my catch-up period for this year’s new releases, so this is gonna be a lot of fun. __________________________________________________ Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 "You there?" Director: Emma Tammi Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Theodus Crane, Freddy Carter, Skeet Ulrich, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, Teo Briones, and Matthew Lillard Synopsis: “One year after the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, the stories about what transpired there have been twisted into a campy local legend, inspiring the town's first ever Fazfest. With the truth kept from her, Abby sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, setting into motion a terrifying series of events that will reveal dark secrets about the real origin of Freddy's, and unleash a decades-hidden horror.” I’m a big fan of the Five Nights at Freddy’s games, so I’m well aware that for this, I gotta separate the fan-brain and the critic-brain. I didn’t even hate the f...

We gotta lock back in again. No days off for this movie stuff. I’ve only been to the theater like twice in the past month or so, I’m stepping up my game now. __________________________________________________ TRON: Ares "No going back." Director: Joachim Rønning Cast: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges Synopsis: “A highly sophisticated program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.” Maybe it’s the low bar that I had for myself, but TRON: Ares ended up being just fine. For a series of movies that never did too well commercially, the $200 million+ budget confuses me. Unlike a lot of recent blockbusters, though, that money is put onto the screen. It’s very pretty to look at with all of its sleek CGI and the occasional glimpses into the Grid can be stunning. I also think Ares boasts one of ...

I know this is later than I hoped, but hey, at least it’s up at all. Let’s get it done. __________________________________________________ Train Dreams “All the wondrous, devastating layers of an entire life.” Director: Clint Bentley Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, Will Patton, and William H. Macy Synopsis: “A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America.” I was really blown away by Train Dreams , which comes from the same team behind last year’s Sing Sing (one of my favorites of that year). It has the same qualities of the newer Terrence Malick movies, specifically The Tree of Life , that really made me feel spellbound by its philosophical take on a man trying to hold onto what he has left in the changing world that surrounds him. Edgerton really shows up here, especially when he’s paired with Jones. Macy is also fantastic in his small role, as always. Bryce ...

I’ve been very happy with these weekly mini-reviews that have been going on, so we’re just gonna keep the train rolling. __________________________________________________ A House of Dynamite "Not if. When." Director: Kathryn Bigelow Cast: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke Synopsis: “When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.” A House of Dynamite had a lot going for it. A great ensemble cast, a very timely kind of movie, a wide audience reach in terms of a Netflix release. It never hit theaters near me, so that’s the best I was getting. Up until its release, it even had talks of being a big presence at the Oscars this year. Unfortunately, Kathryn Bigelow’s latest movie really falls on its face. As I’ve said, A House of Dynamite had a lot going for it. A great ticking-cloc...

Mini-reviews ended up going very well the last time, so I may end up sticking with this structure for a while! Straight and to-the-point reviews, all that jazz, no need to delay anything. So, let’s get started. __________________________________________________ Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere "Everyone knows his music. But no one knows the moment everything changed." Director: Scott Cooper Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, and Odessa Young Synopsis: “Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.” This was one of my most anticipated of the year, given that Bruce Springsteen is one of my personal favorite artists ever, and for the most part, Deliver Me from Nowhere really ended up delivering for me. This is not like Bohemian Rhapsody , which was a greatest hits “womb-to-tomb” movie, and picking out a specific part of Springsteen...

I’ve been very busy over the past few days, so I’ve decided to knock out some of the newer releases I’ve seen in one post! Maybe I’ll do some more of these often and save some of the films I’ve seen with some more I have to say. So, here are three movies I’ve seen recently. __________________________________________________ After the Hunt "Not everything is supposed to make you comfortable." Director: Luca Guadagnino Cast: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny Synopsis: “A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues, and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.” What I got most out of Luca Guadagnino’s latest film is not the #MeToo movie that the trailer makes it out to be, although I would’ve been perfectly fine with that with this cast. After the Hunt is a story about “good optics” and how even something as seriou...