“The Christmas Chronicles” was streamed 20 million times its first week up. (Photo courtesy of Netflix) Linda Poe Connector Contributor Should a Christmas film contain a high speed car chase and a jailhouse rock number? Apparently for director Clay Kaytis and screenwriter Matt Lieberman, the answer is an enthusiastic, “Yes.” These elements, along with many… Read More Kurt Russell sleighs in “The Christmas Chronicles”
Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee makes a nonspeaking posthumous cameo in the movie. (Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Hannah Manning Connector Editor Beneath the sometimes pandering and relentless references to the Internet of today and the lingering feeling that this film will be almost embarrassingly dated within six months of its release, “Ralph… Read More A heartfelt defense of ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’
Imagine Dragons performed the lead single “Zero” for the soundtrack. (Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Editor “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is less “Wreck-it Ralph,” and more “The Emoji Movie.” In other words, yikes. After Ralph’s (John C. Reilly) hijinks in the Sugar Rush arcade game cause the game’s steering wheel… Read More ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ and the franchise
Actors such as Christian Bale and Benedict Cumberbatch were considered for the role of Dumbledore. (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Editor Magical spells and fantastic creatures might sound fun and interesting, but they are nowhere close to being enough to save “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” from being a dull… Read More ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is criminally dull
Rolling Stone magazine noted multiple historical inaccuracies in the film. (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox) Owen Johnson Connector Editor For a personality as idiosyncratic as Freddie Mercury and a band as revolutionary as Queen, their biopic is incredibly lackluster and surprisingly uninspired. From the early days when he first met his band mates to Queen’s… Read More “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not killer Queen
“21 Jump Street” was the sixth most illegally downloaded film of 2012. (Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Editor With this article, I reached the milestone of having 100 articles, mostly movie reviews, published with the UMass Lowell Connector. Over the past three years of me doing this, I know I have garnered… Read More One-hundredth article extravaganza: ’21 Jump Street’
“First Man” has made $60 million at the box office. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures) Owen Johnson Connector Editor What is needed to make a great historical drama is either an interesting figure or a fascinating event to focus on. Neil Armstrong is that figure and the space race to the moon is that event,… Read More “First Man” is only second rate
(Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Taylor Dorian Connector Staff “Coco” is a movie that every family should see together. Not only does this movie provide the perspective of a culture outside of the U.S., but it reminds us how valuable family is. “Coco” tells the story of Miguel, a young Mexican musician… Read More Watching ‘Coco’ should be the new Thanksgiving tradition
