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Ben’s Breakdown | “Red, White & Royal Blue” is almost a fairy tale come true.
Adapting books to the big screen is not new. Many Hollywood blockbusters came from an original novel. Many times it works. Sometimes it fails pretty badly. And sometimes you get something that is somewhat good but can’t snag that elusive gold ring. As romantic comedies go, this one is pretty basic. The adult child of…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “Citadel” Two Episode Thoughts
Agent Nadia Sinh is working a spy case on a train in Europe. She is, to her surprise, backed by Agent Mason Kane. Just as she is about to achieve the mission’s goal, she learns that the mission was a setup by an enemy agency. There is a bomb on the trail, and Agents Sinh…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Judy Blume Forever” – A Revelation
I don’t think there is anyone of my age that didn’t grow up with Judy Blume. Her books and writing were groundbreaking and instrumental to so many on their path to adulthood. My hope was that the documentary would reveal truths about Judy Blume and that the film would reveal who she is to a…
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Andrea’s Angle | “On a Wing and a Prayer” – Feel Good Story, Heavy-Handed Message
One of the main reasons I wanted to watch this film is I’ve always been a fan of Dennis Quaid. He generally has a good track record in films, and most of the films he’s been in have been engaging. After watching this film, Dennis Quaid gives his usual strong performance with a story that…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Night Agent” Three Episode Thoughts
An FBI agent, whose father was apparently a disgraced agent, saves a train full of passengers from a terrorist bomb. A woman just fired as CEO of her own cybersecurity company is on the run after learning her aunt and uncle weren’t who she thought they were. The daughter of the Vice-President is somehow a…
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Ben’s Breakdown | As The Sun Also Sets, Life Becomes A “Soapdish”
It’s not uncommon to see a movie or some other artistic work and recognize where art is imitating life. What can be a surprise is when the lives of those in the movie are imitating the art they are a part of, and sometimes the result can be outrageously funny. Celeste Talbert is a soap…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Shotgun Wedding” Blows Up Comedy Target
From the first moment I saw the trailer, I was dying to see this movie. While I haven’t watched many of Jennifer Lopez’s films, I was familiar with the rest of the cast, especially comedy heavyweights Jennifer Coolidge and Cheech Marin. The film looked like an amazing combination of action, romance, and comedy. After watching,…
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Ben’s Holiday Breakdown | “A Christmas Carol” Told As A Horror Story?
It’s a cold and snowy Christmas Day when a young man walks into a graveyard and towards a specific headstone. He then does something rather unthinkable by opening up his trousers and urinating all over it. This has the effect of removing the snow and frost from the headstone, and we can then see the…
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Ben’s Holiday Breakdown | “A Christmas Story Christmas”
Imagine having had the perfect Christmas when you were a child. Imagine having made the perfect Christmas movie when you were a child. Imagine, as an adult, you want to give your children the perfect Christmas. Imagine, as an adult, you wish to leave for the next generation the perfect Christmas movie. Thus begins the…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Nanny” – Beautiful and Strange
I was wildly interested in Nanny. It looked unusual and different. I also have found Anna Diop mesmerizing in other performances. With an intriguing cast and an interesting premise, I hoped the film would be as compelling as the cast. When I watched the screening, I found Anna Diop mysterious and engaging. The film’s story…
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Ben’s Holiday Breakdown | “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”
A young Peter Quill and Kraglin are chatting about a holiday called Christmas. Yondu shows up and tells them he’ll have none of this Christmas nonsense. We flash forward to an adult Kraglin sharing this tale with other members of the Guardians, including Mantis and Drax. Mantis feels terrible that Yondu has ruined Christmas for…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Good Night Oppy” – Sublime Depiction of Human Endeavor
Good Night Oppy is amongst that rare breed, a documentary that is as fascinating and endearing as any fiction film. Depicting the journey of the Mar rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, from idea to creation to their time on the red planet, the documentary enlivens the audience with adventure, emotion, and the potential for human accomplishment.…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul” – Skillful Satire, Magnetic Performances
I happen to like satire, especially if it is done well. Satire is designed to make you think, make you uncomfortable, and cause laughter. When I saw the trailer for this film, I was interested because it is tackling a powerful but easy target but had a wonderful cast that I was certain would be…
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Ben’s Breakdown | Superhero Surprises can be found in “Secret Headquarters”
Imagine being a kid with divorced parents. Even worse, your father is constantly absent and missing out on his visitation responsibilities. Then, while he’s away, you and your friends discover his secret lair. Your dad is the superhero The Guard. This movie is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who has given moviegoers a plethora of adventure…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Anything’s Possible” – Authentic Acting
With the film Anything’s Possible, I was excited because the film has Billy Porter in his debut as a director. Having enjoyed him in his own movies and shows, I was excited to see what he would bring, especially with a story featuring a trans character. Since I believe we need more authentic representation in…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Don’t Make Me Go” – Unexpected and Emotional
I’ve been a fan of John Cho for years, since his days in the Harold and Kumar films. Having seen his work in many films and shows, I was very hopeful about the quality of the movie. Despite the subject, a dying man, this film goes to some unexpected places, is full of humor and…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Emergency” – Wild and Unexpectedly Insightful
When I first watched the trailer, I expected a college buddy comedy. However, as much as the billing of this movie is as a comedy, it is something far different and better; it is a satire, delving into race and politics as well as the nature of friendship. Not only are the performances brilliant and…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Offer” 3 Episode Thoughts
For cinephiles, one of the most beloved films to come out in the last 50 years is The Godfather. It tells a grand story in a very intimate way. Many people would go so far as to say it is the best movie ever made. After having seen it, I can understand why. Now, just…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Batman” is a Mixed Bag of Bats in the Belfry
What do you do when you want to make a movie about a superhero that has already been done countless times? Simple. You make the movie but change everything about that superhero. This is the case with The Batman, written by Peter Craig and Matt Reeves, who also directed this movie. It is a bold idea,…
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Andrea’s Angle | “All the Old Knives” – Sizzling Intrigue
When I heard about this film, I was excited over two aspects: The cast, including Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, and Laurence Fishburne, all of who are excellent performers and who I have enjoyed on screen. I also was intrigued by the plot which sounded compelling and as though it would make an intriguing mystery. Fortunately,…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Adam Project” May Be Sci-Fi Fluff, But It Also Has Tremendous Heart!
Imagine living in the future and you go on the run from your own people. You travel back in time to correct an event that will save your future, and your only ally is your 12-year-old self. Using time travel to change past events is not a new idea in sci-fi stories, but the moment…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Lucy and Desi” – Work of Love
When I heard about this documentary, I was beyond excited. I adored I Love Lucy on reruns when I was a child. I had also seen the fictionalized film Being the Ricardos and loved the bits of insight in the movie. What I was hoping for was that this documentary would bring even more enlightenment…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “Severance” Season 1: Three Episode Thoughts
Imagine going to work without any of the emotional burdens from your personal life. Then, imagine going home from work without any of the work stress brought upon by your job. Is this good? Is this bad? Would you undergo the procedure called Severance? This original AppleTV+ series is the brainchild of Ben Stiller. Yes, that…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “Alex Rider” Season 2: Three Episode Thoughts
Alex is a teenager in high school in England who finds himself recruited by the agency MI6 (or rather a dark offshoot for more “dirty work”) as a result of trying to get to the truth regarding his uncle’s death. He’s recruited for a special mission regarding an unusual school for troubled youth from rich…
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Andrea’s Angle | “I Want You Back” – Offbeat and Hilarious
I love a great Rom-Com. And when I watched the trailer, this particular romantic comedy looked extremely intriguing, with a potentially different plot and unique characters. After watching the film, I found the premise offbeat, the acting fantastic and the comedy elements are on point. This is one romantic comedy done right. I Want You…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” – Fun Addition to Series
The “Hotel Transylvania” movies are meant for families and children. The first time I watched one I wasn’t expecting it to be as fun as it was but it was surprisingly good with lots of witty insights and family love. With this fourth film in the series, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sometimes sequels…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Witcher” – Three Episode Thoughts
A young princess is forced to flee the kingdom she’s growing up in due to an invading enemy force. A disfigured woman is taken away to join a mysterious and magical Sisterhood. A white-haired man, feared and despised by many, lives a solitary life as he is a monster killer for hire. Welcome to the…
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Ben’s Breakdown | Mixed Messages are at the Heart Of “A Hero.”
A man who is on a two-day furlough from a debtor’s prison is given an opportunity to pay his creditor and be freed from jail. However, he isn’t comfortable with the means this money came about and desires to see it returned to its rightful owner. What he does not foresee is the amount of…
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Ben’s Breakdown | Can “The Matrix Resurrections” Resurrect a Franchise?
Every so often a movie comes along that does more than take popular culture by storm. It causes people to have serious discussions about the world around them. It alters the collective consciousness. The world becomes irrevocably changed. That happened when an unassuming movie came out in 1999 titled The Matrix. Cyberpunk stories weren’t precisely…
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Ben’s Holiday Breakdown | “The Perfect Wedding” Is The Perfect Holiday Love Story!
It’s coming up on Christmas and the Fowler family is also knee-deep into wedding preparations for their daughter Alana. Because of the enormity of the upcoming nuptials the whole family, along with friends and extended family, have been called together to help out. This includes Roy Madigan, Alana’s best friend who also happens to be…
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Andrea’s Angle | “The Tender Bar” – Great Performances, Shallow Story
When I watched the trailer for The Tender Bar, I was incredibly interested. It looked funny and has an incredible cast, including Christopher Lloyd, Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, and Lily Rabe. I’ve been a fan of Christopher Lloyd forever, I like Ben Affleck when he’s in a solid role and have loved Lily Rabe in…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Being the Ricardos” – Stellar Cast and Story
I admit that I grew up on reruns of I Love Lucy and like everyone who watched the live show, I absolutely loved it. I’m fairly certain that I watched every episode and fell in love with Lucy and Ricky. But I also loved Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. When I heard about this film,…
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Gini’s Christmas Classics | “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
The Two Gay Geeks and our Staff are taking a much-needed break from Thanksgiving through the end of the year, but we still wanted to have content for you to read during that time. As such we got busy and watched all of our favorite holiday videos. Some are classics and others are off-beat and…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Encounter” – Powerful Performances
When I heard about Encounter, I was intrigued by the premise, especially as it dealt with a father and his two young sons. I also discovered that the main lead is Riz Ahmed with Octavia Spencer in a secondary role. Both actors are phenomenal and I was hoping the film would live up to my…
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Gini’s Yaps Review | “Red Notice”
We have a treat for you today, a review from the one and only Gini Koch about the new Netflix series, Red Notice. Have a read and see what Gini thought. Let us know what you think in the comments section below and whether Gini has convinced you to go see Cats. As always we…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “Midnight Mass” – Three Episode Thoughts
A highly successful businessman, having consumed more alcohol than he should, accidentally kills a girl while driving. He’s paroled after serving his jail sentence and returns home to Crockett, a small fishing island community. A doctor is taking care of her mother who suffers from dementia. A young girl has become a paraplegic after being…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “Dune” is an artistic achievement, but is also dull
There have been science fiction books that were so epic that people either tried to adapt them to the big screen and failed or wouldn’t even attempt it. This very year we have already seen two such epics make it to the big and small (or “not quite as big” for those with large screen…
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Ben’s Breakdown | “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain” Gives Beautiful and Moving Insight into Autism
My only familiarity with Louis Wain was from his beautiful cat drawings and illustrations I had seen in my youth, but I knew nothing of the man. When I learned of this movie it was apparent to me that I had to see it because it not only starred an actor who has made an…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Black as Night” – Entertaining Twist on Vampires
I’ve liked quite a few of the Blumhouse films and learning that Amazon Prime and they have teamed up to offer double features for October, made me want to check out one of their films in the selection, Black as Night. Not only does it have vampires in New Orleans but Keith David is in…
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Andrea’s Angle | “My Name is Pauli Murray” – Extraordinary Vision, Extraordinary Person
I found it absolutely terrible that I’d not heard of Pauli Murray. History does not give Pauli credit for their work, for their vision, for their extraordinary words. Once I read the synopsis of the documentary, I knew I had to watch the film. For me, it was incredible to learn about Pauli, their life,…
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Andrea’s Angle | “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” – Empowering and Emotional
When I saw the trailer for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, I knew that I wanted to see it. It looked fun with a great cast so I was excited to watch it. I thought the premise of the main character wanting to be a drag queen sounded intriguing. Since watching it, I am absolutely in…