Amidst the franchise machine of summer blockbuster season,
the occasional unique and wholly original small film manages to poke its
proverbial head out from amongst the crowd. Summer 2017 has already had seen a
few but none are quite to the artistic level or strangeness that is A Ghost Story.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Friday, July 28, 2017
Atomic Blonde - Review

The story is nothing truly remarkable by any means, the plot
points play out just as you’d expect a cold war spy thriller to work. Some of
the twists and turns do work, to a degree, but the overall framework of the
plot just can’t quite get to the same level as the action in this film.
And man is the action just the best. Kinetic yet easy to
follow, Leitch gets to show off how well he can shoot a well-choreographed
action scene. There is one sequence in particular that’s jaw dropping to behold
as it continues in a single shot for a solid eight minutes or so.
Those are just some brief thoughts on Atomic Blonde. If you’d like to read more check out my full review
at 614NOW or check out some other reviews on I Am Sam. Regardless make sure to
share, subscribe, comment below, and as always return to I Am Sam for weekly
reviews and insight.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - Review
Science Fiction, in large part, owes a lot to Pierre
Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. The creators of the source material for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,
the comic series Valérian and
Laureline that began in 1967, can now see the influence on other high profile
sci-fi films, including director Luc Besson’s own film The Fifth Element.
And what better way to finally bring Valerian to the big screen in an
epic film than the weird and out there Luc Besson.
Dunkirk - Review
There are quite a few modern directors that make up the
conversation of best working director in Hollywood, but few have the near
perfect track record of Christopher Nolan. While he does have a few minor missteps
along the way, seeing this director take on World War II is a can’t miss in the
cinema. And truth be told, Nolan and crew do not disappoint in any way.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Top 5 Best World War II Films
War films have almost become their own genre in the
Hollywood machine. With numerous conflicts throughout history, the settings can
vary, the cast of characters can change and even the themes can ultimately fluctuate.
For this list today, it’s clear that variances can occur even amongst films set
during the same war. Here are the best 5 World War II films.
Friday, July 14, 2017
War for the Planet of the Apes - Review
The Planet of the Apes
franchise is different than most. Beginning in 1968 with a classic and then the
subsequent sequels, the franchise has seen a failed reboot and now a fantastic
one. The newest trilogy of films packs such an emotional punch when watching
them all in sequence and yet each can stand on their own as well.
When you have this film that’s so deeply poignant and
intelligent, it’s truly spectacular that the gorgeous apes almost take second
fiddle to the drama played out on screen. But let that not be forgotten: the
CGI work is spectacular. And throw in some performances behind that work and
you’ve got something special. Andy Serkis continues to outdo himself and is
doing everything he can to make Caesar real. If he isn’t in the conversation
for awards when it comes time, it’s truly a crime.
The film is nothing short of amazing and cements this new trilogy as one of the best sci-fi trilogies of all time and possibly one of the best in all of cinematic history.
For more of my thoughts on War for the Planet of Apes check out my full review at 614NOW. I am
occasionally writing for them now as well and thus reviews will be posted there
periodically instead.
So what did you think of War
for the Planet of the Apes? Have you seen it? Are you interested in seeing
it? Share, subscribe, comment below, and as always return to I Am Sam for
weekly reviews and insight.
Wish Upon - Review
Despite the current winning streak that horror films have
going for them, the bad horror was bound to pop out from behind a door and
unceremoniously end it all. While this usually occurs in two months, January
and October, Wish Upon hits smack dab
in the middle of summer to ruin everything. Hardly a horror film in any sense
of the word, Wish Upon is a travesty
for more than a few reasons.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Planet of the Apes (1968) - Flashback Review
There’s nothing quite like classic sci-fi. The inherent
charm of the early years of science fiction is almost unmatched in terms of
genre filmmaking. And a film like Planet
of the Apes is among one of the stranger concepts that actually worked at
the time. Spawning an unorthodox franchise and one of the better series of
films of the 21st century, the original Planet of the Apes deserves a look back at what makes it so great.
Friday, July 7, 2017
The Big Sick - Review
The romantic comedy. A time-honored tradition of Hollywood
that sees film upon film try to muster up the magic of those that came before, most
to no avail. And yet every so often a film comes along to breathe new life into
the tired subgenre and this year it just so happens to be The Big Sick. A film about love, death, and the humor in all of our
lives, The Big Sick finds a way to
pull on every emotion you could fathom, and then some.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Spider-Man: Homecoming - Review
A reboot that turned out better than the original is a
rarity and yet here is Spider-Man:
Homecoming; a film better than 2002 original adaptation from Sam Raimi. The
film is a perfect blend of heroics and high school that collects all the best
pieces of Peter Parker and assembles them into this amazing, spectacular film
that is Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The cast is just fantastic across the board with little to
complain about. Tom Holland is the definitive versions of both sides of the
historic comic character. Few embody both the alter ego and the mask with such
ease as the young star does here. Michael Keaton is also fairly menacing as the
Vulture and all of Peter’s classmates get a moment to shine.
Without a doubt Spider-Man:
Homecoming is can’t miss entertainment for a summer that’s been largely disappointing.
For more of my thoughts visit 614NOW or check out some of my other reviews.
Share, subscribe, comment below and as always return to I Am Sam for weekly
reviews and insight.
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