spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-dom-asm-online-1sht-6072x9000-05-aoj-rgb-1532383689774_1280w.jpg — Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

**Directed by: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman**
**Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Liv Schreiber, Chris Pine**
**Rated: PG for Frenetic Sequences of Animated Action Violence, Thematic Elements, and Mild Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 57 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Animation, Story, Meta-Writing, Crazy Freaking Visuals**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

December 18, 2018

After Peter Parker is killed, a device opens a portal between multiple dimensions, allowing multiple versions of Spider-Man into new Spider-Man Miles Morales’s version of New York.

MV5BZjBhNjQ2NmYtYzMwYi00ZGM5LTgwN2YtOWZkZjZkOTQyNGZlL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_.jpg — La Strada (1954)

**Directed by: Federico Fellini**
**Starring: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart**
**Rated: NR (Suggested PG-13 for Suggestive Content and Brief Violence)**
**Running Time: 1 h 48 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

La Strada (1954)

December 12, 2018

A jovial girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, and learns to endure life with all it’s ups and downs.

d 4.jpg — Day for Night (1973)

**Directed by: Francois Truffaut**
**Starring: Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Francois Truffaut**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 1h 55m**
**TMM Score: 5 Stars**
**STRENGTHS: Beautiful Reflection of Reality**
**WEAKNESSES: Glosses Over Tragedy**

Day For Night (1973)

December 6, 2018

Summary

A film crew struggles to finish their film as personal struggles, relationships, scheduling complications, and crises arise.

A Film for Film Makers

I was looking forward to this film as I worked through France for our Road Trip. He's one of the few classic French directors whose films I had actually seen. Well, I watched one, "The 400 Blows," and it was in film school, but I loved it and was pumped to take my next step into his world.
I had heard that it was a delightful, funny, and heartfelt film and I have to say I agree completely with that sentiment. Many people's view of foreign film is of a black and white, subtitled, and slow film but Truffaut shows how ignorant this view is.
A bright airy laughter filled film is only accented by moments of tragedy as a cadre of filmmakers overcome obstacles, even when those obstacles are themselves, in order to create a work of art. Usually, I'm about 50/50 on movies about movies but this one had me because it was more about the process of film making and why it is so addictive to those who do it.

There is no other craft like it and the relationships you form with the people you do it with are some of the deepest and most trust driven you can experience. I met my co-conspirator on True Myth Media, Seth Steele, on the first feature film we ever worked on and it is a frequent struggle for the loved ones of such addicted artists that they feel like they are competing for love with a movie.

This film shows why that is in a whimsical yet technical way, showing the diversity of roles and personalities one encounters on a production. The number of times I thought to myself as watching this movie, "Oh man, that reminds me of so-and-so," is high. It was a bit of a nostalgia trip making me long for home. My home away from home. My cheap hotels, long hours, stolen moments, and the crescendo of wrapping.

What is there to say about the acting, cinematography, and production design? It's a love letter to film making by a master film maker and his team of film makers. Of course, it is wonderful all 'round. It's failures are the failures of romantic poetry. The heart is on the sleeve and no one is ashamed to say how they feel.

When I finished it, I was torn between wanting to write, wanting to find out if there is a production gearing up, or trying to get my family to watch this film. I landed on recommending it to all of you; my film family and friends. For you to see and understand a piece of my passion for film making and hopefully how it mirrors those things for which you have passion.

Author's Bio Page

Review Written By:

Michael Mcdonald

MV5BOTRmYTgzNjEtYzM1Ny00Zjk4LWJkZGYtYzhkNGFhNjc3N2M3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjI5NTk0MzE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,750,1000_AL_.jpg — Mon Oncle (1958)

**Directed by: Jaques Tati**
**Starring: Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie, Alain Becourt**
**Rated: NR (Suggested G)**
**Running Time: 1 h 56 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Subtle Satire, Fun, Mis-En-Scene, Soundtrack**
**WEAKNESSES: Length**

Mon Oncle (1958)

December 3, 2018

Monsieur Hulot visits his wealthy sister, brother-in-law, and nephew but can’t quite fit into their modern home.

MV5BNzAyOGIxYjAtMGY2NC00ZTgyLWIwMWEtYzY0OWQ4NDFjOTc5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjU0OTQ0OTY@._V1_.jpg — Some Like It Hot (1959)

**Directed by: Billy Wilder**
**Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon**
**Rated: Nr (Suggested PG-13 for Risque Humor)**
**Running Time: 2 h 1 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting, Soundtrack**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

Some Like It Hot (1959)

November 30, 2018

Two down on their luck male musicians must fleet Chicago after witnessing a mob hit, disguising themselves as two females for an all girls band playing in Florida.

MV5BMTI4ODY1MjIyNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTExMTM5MQ@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,673,1000_AL_.jpg — Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

**Directed by: Mike Leigh**
**Starring: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zergman, Andrea Riseborough, Eddie Marsan**
**Rated: R for Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 58 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Acting, Directing, Themes**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

November 27, 2018

An optimistic schoolteacher living in London navigates her life trying to make the best of everything.

MV5BMGM4M2Q5N2MtNThkZS00NTc1LTk1NTItNWEyZjJjNDRmNDk5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjA0MDQ0Mjc@._V1_.jpg — The Princess Bride (1988)

**Directed by: Rob Reiner**
**Starring: Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 1 h 38 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Pretty Much Everything**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

The Princess Bride (1988)

November 23, 2018

While home sick from school, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a book titled, The Princess Bride.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

November 21, 2018

A dying thief reveals where he hid a stolen fortune to a group of passing travelers only to set off a chain of crazy events as everyone races towards the riches.

MV5BYjRkYTI3M2EtZWQ4Ny00OTA2LWFmMTMtY2E4MTEyZmNjOTMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDg4NjY5OTQ@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg — The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

**Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen**
**Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Waits**
**Rated: R for Some Strong Violence**
**Running Time: 2 h 12 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Coen Bros Flair, Irreverence and Poignancy, Clever Writing**
**WEAKNESSES: Some CGI and Sets Look A Little Cheap**

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

November 20, 2018

Six stories set in the Coen Brothers’ Wild West.

MV5BMjMxOTM1OTI4MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODE5OTYxMDI@._V1_.jpg — Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

**Directed by: David Yates**
**Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Ferrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller**
**Rated: PG-13 for Some Fantasy Action**
**Running Time: 2 h 13 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: World-Building, Characters, Production Design, Effects**
**WEAKNESSES: Scatterbrained Story, Pacing**

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

November 16, 2018

A wizard named Newt Scamander journeys to New York in the 1926, only to accidentally become involved with a group of Wizards. Meanwhile, the evil Grindelwald wrecks havoc around the wizarding and muggle worlds alike.

MV5BMjA3Y2I4NjAtMDQyZS00ZGJhLWEwMzgtODBiNzE5Zjc1Nzk1L2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc2MDU0NDE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_.jpg — Naked (1993)

**Directed by: Mike Leigh**
**Starring: David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge, Greg Cruttwell, Ewen Bremner, Peter Wight**
**Rated: NR (Suggested R for Strong Sexual Content Including Rape and Pervasive Language)**
**Running Time: 2 h 12 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting**
**WEAKNESSES: Content, Themes (?)**

Naked (1993)

November 9, 2018

After committing a crime, a nihilistic man flees Manchester to go stay in London with his ex-girlfriend while he revaluates his life and philosophies.

A1Aj7ttMqXL._RI_.jpg — Trick’r Treat (2007)

**Directed by: Michael Dougherty**
**Starring: Dylan Baker, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin**
**Rated: R for Horror Violence, Some Sexuality/Nudity and Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 22 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Halloween Spirit**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Uneven Pacing**

Trick'r Treat (2007)

November 2, 2018

A flower shop worker comes across an unusual species of plant that brings him great fortune, but at a great cost.

The Love Witch (2016)

November 1, 2018

Elaine is anything but a modern girl. Using magic to lure and keep men, however, she is left with a host of unexpected and frustrating emotions. Not to mention the ever growing stack of bodies she can claim to her name.

MV5BOTUzMzAzMzEzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTg1NTAwMjE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,671,1000_AL_.jpg — The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

**Directed by: James Whale**
**Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger**
**Rated: NR (Suggested PG for Violence and Some Scary Imagery)**
**Running Time: 1 h 15 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Characters, Story Structure, Moral Dilemmas, Effects, Technically Superior to Original, Acting, Pacing**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

October 31, 2018

The continuing misadventures of Frankenstein and his monster.

MV5BOTZiNTE3MGItMjM0NC00ZGQzLWI5ZDEtNWYwM2IyMjRjODQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTg2NTc4MzA@._V1_.jpg — The Old Dark House (1932)

**Directed by: James Whale**
**Starring: Boris Karloff, Ernest Thesiger, Melvyn Douglas**
**Rated: G**
**Running Time: 1 h 12 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Cinematography, Atmosphere, Story**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Acting, Character Motivation**

The Old Dark House (1932)

October 31, 2018

A torrential storm washes out the road, causing five travelers to take shelter at a strange old home.

MV5BYTI5YTMzYzMtZjE4ZS00YWI4LWIzOGUtYTAwNDY3MzgxMmY4L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjIzNzE3NDU@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,713,1000_AL_.jpg — Errementari: The Devil and the Blacksmith (2017)

**Directed by: Paul Urkijo Alijo**
**Starring: Kandido Urgana, Uma Bracaglia, Eneko Sargardoy**
**Rated: MA**
**Running Time: 1 h 38 m**
**TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Story, Production Design, Make Up, Unexpected Humor**
**WEAKNESSES: Won’t Appeal to All Audiences**

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (2017)

October 27, 2018

A retelling of an ancient fable about a Blacksmith who captures a demon.

abm 1.jpg — The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

**Directed by: Terry Gilliam**
**Starring: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Robin Williams, Uma Thurman**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 2h 6m**
**TMM Score: 4 Stars (Really Liked It)**
**STRENGTHS: Creativity, Fantasy, Performances**
**WEAKNESSES: Uneven, Slow in Spots**

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

October 26, 2018

The City is under attack by the Turks and while the government know it alls claim to have it all in hand, the townspeople are being treated with a theatrical presentation of the adventures of Baron Munchausen. That is, until the real Baron shows up and tells them that the siege outside their gates is really his fault, but not to fear. He will set it right, again.

MV5BMWEzNmUxZTMtZjY0My00OGNmLWIyNDctODM2YzZjM2YwZWEwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,683,1000_AL_.jpg — The Lost Boys (1987)

**Directed by: Joel Schumacher**
**Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Jamison Newlander**
**Rated: R**
**Running Time: 1 h 37 m**
**TMM Score: 2.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Some Humor, Some Action**
**WEAKNESSES: It’s Silly but Thinks Its Cool, Doesn’t Follow its Own Rules**

The Lost Boys (1987)

October 23, 2018

After moving to a new town, two brothers find out the area is infested with vampires.

MV5BMTM1MDAyMDYxMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQwMzc3NA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_.jpg — Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

**Directed by: Robert Bierman**
**Starring: Nicolas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Ashley**
**Rated: R**
**Running Time: 1 h 43 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Unique Acting**
**WEAKNESSES: Story, Characters**

Vampire's Kiss (1988)

October 23, 2018

A publishing executive believes he’s turning into a vampire.

MV5BMjE0ODI3Mjc0NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTM5MjgwMzE@._V1_.jpg — Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

**Directed by: Trey Parker**
**Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Toddy Walters**
**Rated: R for Comic Gore/Violence, and Some Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 35 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Humor, Low Budget Gem, Writing, Some Songs, Locations**
**WEAKNESSES: It's Pretty Stupid, Pacing**

Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

October 20, 2018

A team of miners travels across the mountains only to be trapped in the winter. As the snows pile up the travelers are forced to turn to cannibalism, while singing!

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Summary

A Film for Film Makers

Michael Mcdonald