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The Boogeyman I Review by: Benjamin Garrett

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If you told me you weren’t afraid of the dark when you were young, you’d likely be lying. At some point we’ve all let our imaginations create horrifying possibilities for what may be lurking in the shadows. The  Boogeyman  brings those fears to life with a movie that’s far less frightening than anything you dreamt up as a kid.  The movie follows a high school student named Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer, after the recent death of their mother. Their father is withdrawn and somewhat distant as he grieves in his own way. When a dark entity finds its way into their home, Sadie takes matters into her own hands, to rid the house of this terrifying presence.  Director Rob Savage makes excellent use of the contrast between light and dark, keeping the entity shrouded in shadow for the majority of the film. He plays with minimalist lighting sources quite cleverly, whether it’s a spherical moon globe or the fluorescent glow of a fridge light. Not sure why this family doesn’t believe in over

Across the Spider-Verse I Review by: Benjamin Garrett

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  With a great movie comes the great responsibility of making a worthy sequel. Not only does Across the Spider-Verse reach the incredibly high bar set by its predecessor, but in many ways, raises it.  The amount of time, effort and passion that was poured into this film is simply staggering. It breathes new life into the term “comic book movie”, and sets a benchmark for animated movies in general. Every single frame looks as if it were torn straight from the pages of a comic book, with hundreds of different art styles effortlessly blending into one cohesive vision. There’s an almost overwhelming amount happening on screen at any given time, but not a single detail feels out of place. Trust that I’m not exaggerating when I say, this movie is a work of art.  The visual splendour might be the main draw, but a strong story and a touching emotional core give so much meaning to the artistry. Don’t forget, Spider-Man is just a kid, with the weight of the world - no - the Spider-Verse - on his

Across the Spider-Verse I Review by: Amanda Guarragi

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  When we first meet Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), he is a bright young man with a loving set of parents. Like all  Spider-Man  tales, a couple of defining moments push him into becoming the hero he was always meant to be. At first, it was a leap of faith to learn how to be Spider-Man, thanks to Peter Parker (Jake Johnson). But now, in  Across the Spider-Verse , Morales has to contend with his fate as Spider-Man by doing impossible things across dimensions. What creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller focus on in Morales’ story is who he is at his roots, thanks to his parents. A Black-Puerto Rican teenager who has to navigate this world differently, even when it’s around his fellow Spider-people. As Morales catapults across the Multiverse, he encounters a team of Spider-people charged with protecting his existence.  Into the Spider-Verse  was an incredible achievement in animation and one of the best comic book movies capturing the very essence of what it means to be a hero. The tea

Barry Season 4 I Review by: Benjamin Garrett

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  Like many of you, I was left in total shock by Barry’s season three finale. I thought “where could they possibly go from here?”, as I nervously anticipated the final season, worried there wouldn’t be enough story left to fill another eight episodes. I should’ve known better, because just like the show did in its first three seasons, it managed to subvert my expectations and surprise me in the best of ways. These final episodes find the series continuing to erase the line between comedy and drama. What started out as an occasionally dark but very silly comedy has evolved masterfully into a thoughtful character study, but it hasn’t abandoned those comedic roots. It’s a darker, slower entry, taking time to develop each character and guide them to the end of their arcs. The laughs may come less frequently, but they’re just as well timed and delivered as always. Bill Hader is once again a triple threat, serving as writer, director and bringing Barry Berkman to life with an incredible perf

Succession Season 4 Review

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  All good things must come to an end, and last night, one of the greatest series of all time took a stunning final bow. Season four of Succession is a near perfect season of television, giving us exceptionally fitting closure for the Roy family, and the legacy we’ve watched them build (and destroy) over the past five years. The sharp and quick witted writing we’ve come to expect from the series is even sharper in this final outing. One of the most beautiful things about the way it’s written, is that even when the business jargon goes over your head, the show is never hard to follow because of the characters. Yes, this is a show about a massive media conglomerate, but it’s always been more about personal motivations and familial conflict. Even when you’re lost listening to the terminology they toss around, you’ll know exactly why these people make the choices they do. The performances are the knot that ties it all together, and honestly, I can’t think of a better acted show currently a

The Boogeyman (2023) Review by: Amanda Guarragi

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  There have been many Stephen King adaptations over the years; some have been better than others.   The Boogeyman   is unique because it is a short story in King’s anthology series   Night Shift.  Co-writers Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Mark Heyman adapted a 10-page story into a feature film, which turned out well. The lore of the boogeyman has been around for decades, and King added depth to what the creature did. The boogeyman is meant to prey on children, but it does prey on weakness in this adaptation. After Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) walks into Will Harper’s (Chris Messina) office to seek therapy, the creature that killed his children and terrorized his family passes through to Harper’s home. The boogeyman needed to feed on a new host.  Life has been hard for Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) Harper. They recently lost their mother in a car accident, and their father hasn’t opened up to them. Adding this backstory for the girls brought another layer

How To Blow Up A Pipeline Review

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  Eco-political thrillers often find their activist messages overpowering the thrills, or, in simpler terms, they can come across too preachy to be engaging. Despite a crystal clear stance on its subject matter, How to Blow Up a Pipeline delivers the adrenaline rush you’d expect, and rarely feels like a story with a political agenda.  Just as the title states, the movie finds a group of environmental activists (or terrorists depending on your own political viewpoints) as they plan to blow up a pipeline, sending a message to the oil companies polluting the world. The viewer is thrown directly into the culmination of their efforts, with backstory and character motivations being filled in by flashbacks throughout. This narrative structure gets your heart racing immediately, as you know the basics of what’s going on, but almost none of the fine details.  Even with those character focused flashbacks, this is a lean thriller that gets right to the point and rarely takes a moment to breathe.

About My Father Review

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  When two families come together to celebrate the union of their children, it’s always a wonderful thing. A good old family comedy is scarce in this cinematic climate. Sebastian Maniscalco decided to retell the story about growing up with his father and how he was his hero. Sometimes people can lose their way because they’re so set on building their own life away from home that they forget their parents have lives too, and we need to share them with them. Maniscalco honoured his father, Salvo, by casting Robert De Niro to play him and make him as charming as ever.  About My Father  has Sebastian (Maniscalco) ready to propose to his girlfriend Ellie (Leslie Bibb) over the Fourth of July weekend. Ellie’s parents are officially comfortable with him because they extended the invite to their White Oaks Country home for the festivities. When Sebastian visits his dad, he kindly asks for his late mother’s ring, but Salvo wants to meet the family face-to-face. Ellie’s family is white and privi