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Quad Cities USA - Guide to Davenport & Bettendorf Iowa and Rock Island & Moline Illinois
 

Does ‘Barbie’ Movie Deserve All The Controversy, Or The Hype?

August 11th, 2023
Does 'Barbie' Movie Deserve All The Controversy, Or The Hype?

Saw the “Barbie” movie. Wanted to wait until the hype died down. Brilliant script, great movie. I will be shocked if it’s not (deservedly) nominated for a bunch of Oscars. First off, it’s very smart, very meta, and very funny. I laughed a lot throughout. But it’s also not necessarily for kids, they won’t get a lot of it. The women to the right of me were laughing along with me at most of it, the little girls to the left of me not so much, and in fact, a couple times they were saying to their parents “why are they laughing, what’s so funny?”... Read More

To Capitalism and Beyond! (Movie Review: Lightyear)

July 5th, 2022
To Capitalism and Beyond! (Movie Review: Lightyear)

Is Pixar the greatest animation studio in the history of film? Possibly. It can certainly compete with Disney, its quasi-parent, along with the mighty Studio Ghibli of Japan. For my money, Pixar slightly edges out Studio Ghibli and comes out on top due to two factors — the quality of animation and innovative storytelling. From 1995 to 2010, nearly every Pixar release could be considered a classic. I’ll grant you that Monsters, Inc. is well-meaning fluff, and I recognize that Cars is less geared toward families and more aimed at young children. But Wall-E, Up, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille... Read More

Running and Screaming (Movie Review: Jurassic World: Dominion)

June 17th, 2022
Running and Screaming (Movie Review: Jurassic World: Dominion)

There’s an old belief that all little boys go dino-mad for a minute. I have no idea if that’s accurate, but I do know I was no exception. Back then, I recall a zoo of molded plastic critters, everything from the T-rex to the Stegosaurus. I remember junior paleontology books and a bemused father* taking me over and over and over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science so that I could gawk at the fossils. I love dinosaurs. I always have. Even now. I recently finished the very good book The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black.** Odds are I’ll stop loving them right around the time... Read More

Flyboy (Movie Review: Top Gun: Maverick)

May 24th, 2022
Flyboy (Movie Review: Top Gun: Maverick)

The first time I saw Top Gun, I hated it. As a wee lad, I remember seeing it in a packed theater in 1986. I remember the whooshing of the jets, the omnipresent soundtrack, and the unnerving intensity of Tom Cruise. I remember the buzz of the audience walking out. People adored it, and I remember looking around and thinking, “What movie did you guys just see because that sucked.” Is it still that bad, though?* Of course not, and it’s yet another example where the movie isn’t the problem; I’m the problem. I should like it. Consider that, despite what you might think of his personal life,... Read More

Strange Tales (Movie Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

May 12th, 2022
Strange Tales (Movie Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Within stories, the idea of continuity is powerful. It’s like the lure of history, the pull to understand events or character through the study of a chain of events. That’s why we dive into literary series, why we’ll binge-watch a show on Netflix, and why we’ll carry around decades of plot points regarding comic books. Author Douglas Wolk recently released his book All of the Marvels. He wrote about his experience reading every comic book published by Marvel Comics.*  When I say “every comic book,” I mean that Wolk read over twenty-seven thousand published works, attempted to make... Read More

And the Nominees Will Be…

February 7th, 2022
And the Nominees Will Be…

It’s Oscar Nomination Eve! Yay! Despite my two favorite films of the year – Nightmare Alley & In the Heights – being left out of the Best Picture conversation, it was a rock star year for movies. It is definitely a year to celebrate! With an ever changing precursor season, however, it is getting more and more difficult to read the Oscar tea leaves. Luckily, I follow it all close enough that to still determine what’s out front and what’s been forgotten. So here we go! And the nominees for the 94th Academy Awards might be… BEST PICTURE Belfast The Power of the Dog King... Read More

New “West Side Story” An Emotional, Thrilling, Breathtaking Return to Movie Theater

December 20th, 2021
New “West Side Story” An Emotional, Thrilling, Breathtaking Return to Movie Theater

When my wife Betsy and I were married in July 1990, in a Quaker meeting house in Evanston, Ill., we included two Catholic priests in the service (in honor of my upbringing), but we “married” ourselves, under the care of the meeting, not repeating vows from a benevolent clergyman. During plans for our interfaith ceremony, I originally wanted the music to the immortal “One Hand, One Heart” played during our vows, joining our different faith traditions, but for some reason I backed out. The quiet, reverent Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim song (from 1957’s “West Side Story”) is one... Read More

Michael’s Game (Review: Halloween Kills)

October 20th, 2021
Michael’s Game (Review: Halloween Kills)

He was close. He thought he was ready, but at the last moment, he stepped away. Wait — let me back up and I’ll explain. To set the stage, last weekend I knew my upcoming review would be Halloween Kills, the latest entry in the extremely venerable franchise. The film picks up moments after the end of the 2018 Halloween, and as I had a little free time, rewatching Halloween felt like a good move. As my son Liam has gotten older, he’s been developing his own tastes when it comes to film. He has directors he likes* and films he’s been curious about.** The only genre he hasn’t leapt into is... Read More

The Bond Craigslist (Review: No Time to Die)

October 5th, 2021
The Bond Craigslist (Review: No Time to Die)

I once read that a person’s preferred 007 can be determined by when their father showed them their first Bond movie. This is not a concept that’s supported by any kind of rigorous scientific method, and I know that because of my own experiences. My father was a product of World War II and the Cold War. The exploits of a gentleman spy were right up his alley, and to the best of my knowledge, he never missed a Bond movie either theatrically or on television.* He loved Bond, and Roger Moore was his Bond. My first full Bond experience was us trooping to the theater to see A View to a Kill.** Dad... Read More

Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu (Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

September 29th, 2021
Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu (Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a trend-setter, and it’s kind of amazing considering the risks taken. Consider the lead of Iron Man was a troubled actor with a notable drug problem. Consider that the vast majority of people had no earthly idea who Iron Man even was. Consider that the idea of an interconnected multi-film franchise was looked at as, to be charitable, raging insanity. The irony is that, despite the huge chances taken by the MCU, Marvel Comics originally followed numerous trends instead of inspiring them. The creation of the Fantastic Four was a response to DC Comics’ creation... Read More