SPIDER-MAN movies are pretty critic proof, either you are “in” and will go see the latest installment of Spidie’s adventures (in this case SPIDERMAN: BRAND NEW DAY) or you are not. There are very few people on the fence. So, if you are on the fence, check out this installment in the Spider-man (and MCU) franchises - it’s very entertaining. Do you need to do homework for this film? Not really. It will behoove you to watch the previous installment, SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME, bu

Everyone has a film that is beloved by everyone…except them. For me, one of these films is the Coen Bros.’ THE BIG LEBOWSKI. I’ve only viewed it once (and that was probably 25 years ago) and I thought it was “fine”, but nothing special. One of the reasons for my retrospective on Coen Bros. films is that it would be an excuse to revisit this film to see if my “meh” reaction to it still stands. Well…I am here to tell you that it does not…my view on this film has change and I no

They sure don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Harking back to the giant “Sword and Sandals” epics of the likes of Cecil B. DeMille in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Academy Award winning Director (for OPPENHEIMER) Christopher Nolan eschewed CGI to film most of the scenes in his adaptation of Homer’s epic poem THE ODYSSEY practically, turning this film into a visceral experience that one can feel. And…boy…did he succeed. Starring Matt Damon (GOOD WILL HUNTING) as Odysseus the

Let’s get this out of the way at the top - the Coen Bros.’ 1996 masterpiece FARGO is in my top 10 List of All Time Favorite films and this most recent rewatch has only solidified it’s place on the list. Supposedly, a “true story” (it’s not), FARGO tells the tale of a hapless Car Salesman (William H. Macy) who hires two equally hapless hitmen (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife. When things take a tragic turn, a small town Minnesota Sheriff (Frances McDormand

A few months ago, an alien rock creature touched my heart in PROJECT HAIL MARY. Last month, it was a talking Octopus in REMARKBLY BRIGHT CREATURES. Now it is the sheep that are THE SHEEP DETECTIVES. Starring Hugh Jackman as a kind. loving shepard that likes to read British Agatha Christie-like murder mysteries to his flock, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES gives us a traditional Agatha Christie-like British murder mystery in a quaint small town filled with oddball locals, but instead of

With last year’s SUPERMAN, James Gunn broke the mold of the dour, downbeat, “punchy, punchy” types of movies the the DCEU was known for (most notably with the Batman and Superman entries). And…at the end of that David Corenswet starring vehicle we were treated to a scene toward the end that delightfully introduces Clark Kent/ Kal El’s cousin, Kara Zor El (a wonderfully disheveled Milly Alcock). The question was as we entered the Cineplex to watch SUPERGIRL (this NOT directed

The World finally got the long-awaited third chapter in the Steve Spielberg “Alien” trilogy (following CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and E.T.) with DISCLOSURE DAY - was it worth the wait? Mostly, but not absolutely. There is a lot to love in this new Spielberg action film. The Cinematography of long-time Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski is top notch (of course), beautiful, sharp and interesting. See DISCLOSURE DAY on the largest screen possible just so you can be absorbed in the v

One of the most talked about and anticipated films of early 2026 was Maggie Gyllenhaal’s THE BRIDE! A modern(ish) take on the Bride of Frankenstein story, it arrived at the Cineplex with great fanfare and promptly landed with a thud and disappeared quickly. Now that it is streaming it is time to take a look at this film and find out what went right and what went wrong. And…as one can imagine…there are plenty of things to list on both sides of the ledger. Adapted from Mary S

n my opinion the most under-rated and criminally under-seen film in all of the Coen Bros. oeuvre, is 1994’s THE HUDSUCKER PROXY and upon this most recent rewatch, my opinion remains unchanged. Starring Tim Robbins and Paul Newman, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY is an homage to the screwball comedy films of the 1940’s (like HIS GIRL FRIDAY with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, Directed by Howard Hawks) that features rapid-fire dialogue and a battle of wits and wills. In this film we foll

When a movie is sent into theaters in January, the common thinking is that the film is a bad one and the Distributing Theatrical Company is “dumping” the film at a time when not many folks are looking (I’m looking at you, Bob Odenkirk’s NORMAL). However, every now and then a good film finds it’s way to the light of the theater in the only timeframe that it could find. Such is the case with the Sam Raimi Feminist-Revenge film SEND HELP. Written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swif

The latest installment in the STAR WARS series of films is a spin-off of the DISNEY+ series THE MANDALORIAN. This time following the further, amazing exploits of Din Djarin (THE MANDALORIAN, played by Pedro Pascal) and his young ward/apprentice, the “Baby-Yoda” Grogu. And…it succeeds as a continuation of the series (call it Season 4). But... it falls down as a blockbuster “wow” movie going experience. There’s a lot to like in this film, starting with the central performanc

Who would have thought that the “Feel Good Movie of the Year” would have, at it’s core, a story about an Aquarium Janitor, a Vagabond and…an Octopus. But that is exactly what you get with the straight-to-Netflix film REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES Written and Directed by Olivia Newman based on the popular debut novel of the same name written by Shelby Van Pelt. Set in the Pacific Northwest, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES tells the tale of loss, love and a life that has lost it’s ze

What are the elements that make a film watchable? Plot Characters/Performances Direction/Tone Cinematography Script/Dialogue Let’s see how the straight to Netflix thriller APEX fares in these categories. PLOT: A mano-a-mano story of a person exorcising demons of their past when they are caught in a cat-and-mouse game with a psycho-killer. Only one of them can come out of this alive. Verdict: Fair enough. A bit derivative, but I’ll go with it CHARACTERS/PERFORMANCES: Char

Halfway through my viewing of the Coen Bros. 1991 weird dark comedy BARTON FINK my thoughts drifted to wondering if this film was just going to be weird or was there going to be a point/plot to this film. And then the 2nd half of the film kicked in and I got my answer…in spades. A dark satire of the Hollywood Studio system of the 1940’s, BARTON FINK tells the tale of a NYC Theater writer, Barton Fink (John Turturro) who is hired by a “Big Hollywood Studio” to write a “B” flic

When I saw that there was a “gritty Crime Thriller” starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry and Mark Ruffalo coming to theaters in January, I was intrigued and looked forward to checking it out. Next thing I know, it was out of theaters and wouldn’t show up on streaming until March. I have now watched that film and understand why it didn’t last long. Written and Directed by Bart Layton (the underrated AMERICAN ANIMALS), CRIME 101 is a “HEAT wannabe” in that it shows a thief, w

What type of film do you think you are going to get when you hear about an action/comedy starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd as two sad-sack buddies going through a mid-life crisis who decide to go to the Amazon rainforest and create their own version of the 1997 B-picture, ANACONDA? Well…that’s EXACTLY the movie you get…and it was pretty darn entertaining! Written and Directed by Tom Gormican (THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT), Anaconda doesn’t pretend to be anything th

Director's Series: The Coen Bros. MILLER'S CROSSING (1990) After successfully Writing and Directing a Film Noir (RAISING ARIZONA) and a Comedy (RAISING ARIZONA), the Coen Bros. turned their attention to one of their favorite genres - the Mobster film - with MILLER’S CROSSING. Set in the prohibition era 1920’s, MILLER’S CROSSING tells the tale of rival gangster mobs and the “fixer” that is trying to keep the peace - between them. Perfectly cast (again) by the Coens', Gabriel B

Movie Review: PROJECT HAIL MARY Amaze. Amaze. Amaze. See PROJECT HAIL MARY in the largest screen you can find with the best sound system. You can thank me later. Based on the novel by Andy Weir (The Martian) and adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard (the screen adaptation of Weir’s The Martian) and Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (the duo who directed THE LEGO MOVIE amongst others), PROJECT HAIL MARY is the feel good movie of the year about collaboration and scie

BEST (and WORST) FILMS OF 2025 The BankofMarquis caught over 50 films that were released in 2025 - here are the Best (and the Worst) of them… FILMS I HAVE YET TO SEE (so they won’t be on the either list): ZOOTOPIA 2 SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT EDEN HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (Live Action) HEDDA SNOW WHITE (Live Action) THE ROSES SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES WORST FILMS OF 2025: 5). THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 - Interesting book, uni

98th Oscars Picks and Predictions The Oscar race this year has come down to a 2 picture race. Paul Thomas Anderson’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER took the early lead and looked to be the shoo-in for BEST PICTURE, but SINNERS is making a late charge and just might nip OBAA at the wire. Here are the BankofMarquis Picks and Predictions for this year’s Oscars (nominees listed in reverse order of preference): BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 5). ELLE FANNING, Sentimental Value: Walks a tightro