Author: Rob Dean

Watching “Halloween Ends” made me contemplate the weird math that many filmmakers employ when balancing out reality with entertainment. This doesn’t mean that every movie has to be grounded, but each one must establish and occupy a particular world with a clear set of physical rules and expectations, and then that in turn must be weighed against what will make for a good story and an engaging time at the theater. “Halloween Ends” follows along with the reality-based aspects of the “Halloween” series that found regular people besieged by a man who was figuratively a shark in human skin. For…

I’m probably a gentler critic of Marvel Cinematic Universe properties than many of my colleagues. I still have my criticisms of the projects themselves — the endeavor and company practices of Marvel and Disney, as well as my reviews of “Moon Knight” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” amongst others, have shown that — but my soft spot for Marvel is that the comics are a fundamental part of my life. I learned how to improve my reading through Marvel Comics; I learned about different cultures and morality through them; and I had my imagination expanded due to their colorful characters…

For those wondering why “Hocus Pocus 2” is being released on Disney+ as opposed to theaters like its predecessor, it’s for the exact same reason why the movie’s pandering is divided and thus ineffective: its biggest audience is the older fans who are nostalgic for the original, while the crowd that would bring in the most money at the cinema (presumably preteen to teenage girls) need a good reason to see it. That creates a risky gambit because the older crowd isn’t going to put up big box office numbers while the younger crowd won’t have the same enthusiasm for…

“Don’t Worry Darling” is an excellent example of how many moving parts of a film must come together to deliver something impressive and engaging. Director Olivia Wilde delivers a movie with lots of stunning visual touches, an overall decent (if belabored) theme and a strong cast of performers, and yet, even with all of this assembled, “Don’t Worry Darling” still feels less than. Its overall messaging feels like a pulled punch, while the story manages to be simultaneously obvious and convoluted. There are lots of good ideas and sequences in the movie, but the parts never amount to much more…

It’s a sad fact of history how many stories of rebellion and independence fit into an archetypal structure — one in which people suffering under the yoke of tyranny (or facing some form of eradication) band together to fight back against overwhelming odds. “Braveheart” is a good example, as it’s based on the real story of William Wallace, adds in various embellishments for the sake of dramatic narrative and shows how an unorthodox force almost toppled their cruel masters. These fact-based stories reflect the actual occurrences in which underestimated people find resourceful ways to unexpectedly defy a far superior military…

There’s a pattern to films starring “Saturday Night Live” cast members in that their early movies are usually just an encapsulation of their “SNL” persona. Chris Farley accentuates his physical comedy and violent outbursts in “Tommy Boy”; Adam Sandler uses absurd gibberish and music in “Billy Madison”; and Norm Macdonald even reuses his “note to self” bit from Weekend Update in “Dirty Work.” This doesn’t make them bad, but it means that they tend to be extensions of a well-known and beloved persona, and what people like about these films is what they liked about the performer on “SNL.” This…

“Clerks” is the reason I write for Bullz-Eye.com. Well, not literally; it’s not like the editorial staff gave me a quiz on the seminal 1994 indie in order to get the gig. But writer/director Kevin Smith’s debut was the gateway to my love of, and knowledge about, film. Growing up an indoor kid, I watched many VHS tapes from the comfort of the couch with a warm blanket and a bad case of asthma. I always dug movies, quoting them and talking about them with folks, and even shamelessly ripping off plot points to populate my short stories for classes.…

This review is based on the first four episodes of the series as provided by Disney+. In 2006’s “V for Vendetta,” a character talks about standing at a point and knowing how events will soon unfold based on an intuitive sense of the curvature of history. Similarly, looking at new comic book adaptations, it’s hard not to see what is about to befall the nerd discourse in the wake of Marvel’s latest show. I would love to be proven wrong and be pleasantly surprised by the lack of repetitive talking points and rote tribalism lobbing meaningless buzz words at each…

There’s a tendency to let nostalgia cloud the judgment of how things used to be. Much of the arts and entertainment that we love from our youth is closely aligned with pleasant memories and emotional attachments, making it difficult to discern whether something was actually as good as we remember. Another issue with this phenomenon is that much of what survives past its decade tends to be the cream of the crop. There are so many forgotten titles and artists that didn’t make the jump to a new platform or flamed out. Therefore, what remains is either the absolute best…

You don’t technically need dessert, at least not in terms of nutrition or any other requirement. There are no discussions about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that includes the term “tiramisu.” If you go without some cake or ice cream, your day will proceed essentially the same either way, and yet, such confections still serve a purpose. A cookie or some candy is a small indulgence but can have a surprisingly large impact on one’s mood. It’s a pause for delight, even though you probably won’t think of it outside the first day or so after eating it. There’s nothing wrong…