Author: Jill Florio
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The Shallows – First View Movie Review (2016)
The Shallows is much better than The Reef (or the more recent Crawl) but offers the same kind of apex predator adventure. Blake Lively (as Nancy) tells a more compelling story, however, through sheer acting talent and believable physicality. What do you do when you you’re trapped on a rock, spitting distance to shore, with…
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Deep Blue Sea – First View Movie Review
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I just watched 1999s Deep Blue Sea for the first time, during Shark Week 2019. DBS is sort of like Jurassic World if the Mosasaurus started hunting the lab techs. With some Samuel L Jackson on the side — although someone else got his famous line. And there’s a nod to Jaws. (Licence plate, but…
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Movie Review – Dora and the Lost City of Gold
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There’s a lot of great kid movies out right now that adults can enjoy: Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Aladdin and Secret Life of Pets 2. I saw three of the four twice and recommend all highly for people of any age. Unfortunately, can’t say the same for Dora and the Lost City…
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Easter Eggs in Aladdin and The Lion King
Who knew classic, straight-laced, non-Pixar, Original Flavor Disney would start using Easter Eggs? It’s possible they’ve been doing this all along and I haven’t noticed, but usually there’s not a whiff of cross-pollination between, say, Princess properties. No nods to Snow White in Sleeping Beauty, for example, even though both feature winsome lasses in comas…
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We Own It – Lyrics to the Fast & Furious 6 Movie Song
I’m binging through The Fast and The Furious franchise as a fresh newbie to get ready for Hobbs & Shaw. Music is as useful in scene setting these films as the sound of revving cars and screeching tires. (Also, the word “family” — which is the beating heart of this strangely affectionate flashy fantasy.) Although…
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Fast & Furious 1 & 4 Is Really ONE MOVIE
I finally watched a couple of Fast & Furious movies. Even though the upcoming film is called Hobbs & Shaw, I do know they are a F&F spin-off, and was curious about WHY WHY WHY there are all these movies out there about fast cars and criminals? Why these are movies so popular? I adore…
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Movie Review – Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable
Bethany Hamilton’s Unstoppable as a documentary is hard to grade. I’m going through a ‘shark movie’ phase, and there were no toothy predators here. I expected to see Bethany’s harrowing events, feeling gripped and scared along with viewing her traumatic experience. As it was, the documentary picks up only after the attack and healing phases.…
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The Lion King – Rewatch Review of the Animated Classic
This week the rebooted version of The Lion King arrives in theaters. But before that happens, I want to say a few things. To start with, the original 1994 Lion King is one of the best Disney movies EVER. For me, it’s right after The Little Mermaid, and that’s saying a lot. The Lion King…
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Avengers: Endgame Re-Release Extra Footage Explained
In an attempt to knock Avatar (2009) off the Biggest Box Office high horse, the Marvel Cinematic Universe opened their vaults and added some extra footage to Avengers: Endgame in a ‘re-release’. Normally a re-release happens after a movie has been gone awhile, but with MCU fever still running high, Marvel Studios added six minutes…