A franchise’s future often lies in its past. The narrative need to look back upon the legacy of a series starter and the history of its characters provides a clear entry point for many sequels that may otherwise struggle to justify their existence beyond merely financial reasons. It’s a strategy used to moving effect in…
Even with two traditionally bankable stars in Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, writer-director Shane Black’s last film, “The Nice Guys,” a dark 70’s buddy-cop movie, was an underwhelming box office release in 2017. For 21st Century Fox, the more recent staples of their lineup has been the “X-Men” and “Planet of the Apes” series (and…
“Just another Wednesday,” the visibly fatigued nurse exclaims as she tends to a bullet wound of one of the guests of her dimly lit, blood spattered hotel for crooks. The only rules of the underground institution: No guns, no cops, and no killing of other guests. Throughout the film’s jaunting plot we watch thieves, assassins…
James Brown. Jackie Robinson. Thurgood Marshall. Besides being brilliant black pioneers in their respected careers, what do they have in common? They were all played by the same rising young Hollywood actor: Chadwick Boseman (“Gods of Egypt”). His name may not ring a bell since most of his movies haven’t exactly been major box office…
