A movie you peel back again and again.
Author: Verse
Atlas (2024) 1.5/5
There are a lot of neat parts here but it just doesn’t come together well, and I think that falls very heavily on the direction and the script.
Everything else ranges from serviceable to good. I am not a big JLo listener/watcher but I think I could see people wrongly putting it on her shoulders because her face is all over it. None of the actors felt like they were slacking off and the fx house did some neat work.
The Thing (1982) 5/5
Categories 5/5, Horror, Movie and Series Reviews, Mystery, Sci-Fi 
Just a joy of a film. Great practical effects are only a feature of a movie that has characters you want to watch every moment.
3:10 to Yuma (2007) 3.5/5
A good movie but a little too cleanly puzzled together. The scripts cleanliness takes front stage to character motivations. This makes for some admittedly fun one liners and impressive scenes, but it feels very Hollywood by the end. Even the wrapping up feels like everyone says the right thing in unnatural ways to get it to the overall cool idea. This leaves Dallas Roberts, as the money man, to just be super agreeable at every step.
This also may be the cleanest R rated film. I am not advocating for going Bone Tomahawk, but it detracts how every death is so visually polite. Especially when quite a lot of characters are motivated by dealing and avoiding death out.
If that seems tough on the film, it is only because I really like certain parts. Ben Foster is fantastic and chews what he can with his dialogue. Peter Fonda really nailed his holyer-than-thou role. Bale is awesome and lets scenes breath around him. It is always fun to see Alan Tudyk, even if his character felt very cut down in editing here or in need of some actual doctoring scenes along the journey.
MoviePass, MovieCrash (2024) 3/5
Categories 3/5, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Movie and Series Reviews 
It was entertaining. I never had a membership and know nothing about it so I can only go off of how it was presented. It did feel like there was a little bit of padding with some of the people they talked to.
Boy Kills World (2023) 2.5/5
Categories 2.5/5, Action, Crime, Movie and Series Reviews, Thriller 
Some thrills are along the way to the inevitable arrival at exactly where you expect to arrive. The first half had some better carry than the closeout.
There is a post-credits scene but if you missed it, you didn’t miss anything.
Appaloosa (2008) 4.5/5
I saw Appaloosa years ago, and now again, and I still enjoyed it a lot. It is a very slow film with a lot of character, dialogue, and patience. Life slowly rolls by and even the action has a patient, audience-aware, build up. I admire its ability to eschew being over dramatized and keep interest.
Unfrosted (2024) 1/5
Categories 1/5, Biography, Comedy, History, Movie and Series Reviews 
I can’t find a reason to encourage anyone to watch Unfrosted. Technical movie making keeps it from escaping falling any lower, but be not deceived, the movie is dreadful.