Sunday, July 30, 2017

A Ghost Story - Review

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.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Atomic Blonde - Review


The sudden shift in career trajectory for Charlize Theron has not gone unnoticed. Slowly making a new name for herself as an on-screen action powerhouse, Theron gets to lead an action film once again (let’s just forget Æon Flux deal?). Pair her with an unbelievably skilled stunt coordinator turned director in David Leitch and the formula is already set in motion.

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.