JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Army of the Dead Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera Directed by Zack Snyder Zack Snyder is best known for directing epic films like "300," "Watchmen," and "Justice League: The Snyder Cut," but his first directed film was 2004's "Dawn of the Dead," a reimagining of the George A. Romero classic which saw the zombies as terrifying, fast-running killing machines which were different than Romero's slow, shambling undead. It took seventeen years but he finally returned to his zombie roots with "Army of the Dead," a film that highlights his epic style and knack for filming intense action scenes, but lacking character development and serving as an almost typical zombie movie despite its fascinating differences. After a military envoy is involved in an accident near Las Vegas, the secret cargo load - a fierce zombie known as Zeus - escapes and turns the army into his living undead, and they set their ...

The Unholy Staring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, William Sadler, Katie Aselton Directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos In Catholicism, the Virgin Mary is deemed as a saint, a masterwork of God and the start of God bringing mankind into communion with Jesus. There's been countless apparitions of the Virgin Mary throughout history (mostly in Europe), with the same general events occurring - some poor soul has a vision, she speaks about hope, love, and grace, and millions of believers flock to the area to be healed of their ailments. Some of the most famous sightings in history occurred in Fatima, Portugal and Lourdes, France, but there hasn't been many well-known sightings in the United States. The concept that this vision can bring about healing and faith is a well-documented event, but one must wonder: if the good is true, can't the opposite be as well? Couldn't there be a demon that disguises itself as the Virgin Mary to trick believers into following it and pledging the...

Spiral: From the Book of Saw Starring Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Samuel L. Jackson Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman In 2004, the then-unknown duo of James Wan and Leigh Whannell wrote and directed a film called "Saw," which ignited international excitement for a new type of horror movie - torture porn. The film centered around a man who abducts people and places them in intricate, deadly traps (many of which were taken from real-life historical records) and given a choice: disfigure yourself in order to escape, or die - the choice was theirs. The movie was hailed not just for its ghoulish, gory goodness, but also for its sharp writing and surprising twists and turns that really weren't seen in any film before it. It served as the grandfather of the torture porn genre, leading to numerous copies and copious amounts of sequels (the second being the best, and the rest leaving you scratching your head in bewilderment as to how such a once-successful film could...

Things Heard and Seen Starring Amanda Seyfried, James Norton, Natalia Dyer, Alex Neustaedter Directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini In "Things Seen and Heard," one of the side characters works at a prestigious college as an "adjunct weaving professor" who really enjoys sewing, and in a way the film itself is a scarf in and of itself - one that starts off very tight, professionally woven, and filled with intricate beauty that keeps you drawn to it as the scarf progresses, hoping that the final sewn moments will be as wonderful as the first. Unfortunately, this "weaving professor" of a film decides to just unspool their efforts so by the end it's just a load of useless strings that lead absolutely nowhere, leaving you scratching your head in wonder as to how something with so much potential can be utterly wasted. Catherine Claire (Amanda Seyfried) and her professor husband George (James Norton) decide to move to the countryside of New Yor...

Oxygen Starring Melanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi Directed by Alexandre Aja Claustrophobia is one of my biggest fears, the idea of being trapped in a small, enclosed space with no seemingly way out terrifies me, as well as millions of other people, and cinema has given us some expert-level films that correlate to this fear. From Ryan Reynolds' phenomenal "Buried" to the horror-thriller "The Descent" to the true-life story of "127 Hours," there's a load of films to please the claustrophobic thrill-seeker in us all, and Alexandre Aja's "Oxygen" can now be added to that list, a film that - much like "Buried" - focuses on one sole actor in an enclosed space that could've been a disaster if the wrong actress was chosen, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Dr. Elizabeth Hansen (Melanie Laurent) wakes up inside a cryogenic chamber with no memory of how she got there, or even who she is, as her memories themselve...

The Woman in the Window Starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Fred Hechinger, Julianne Moore Directed by Joe Wright There were a slew of films that were slated to be released in 2020, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, they were all pushed back, including "The Woman in the Window," the film adaptation from the best-selling 2018 novel by the same name. While many films have suffered from this move - and this film is no exception - "The Woman in the Window" seems more timely now than it would've been if it was released when it was supposed to. The story of a woman shut up in her home all alone as she watches her neighbors seems more relevant now with the lockdowns we all went through in the last year, adding a deeper sense of meaning to an otherwise so-so film that heralds direct comparisons to the classic (and unbeatable) Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window." Anna Fox (Amy Adams) is a child psychiatrist, but also suffers from agoraphobia after a tragic eve...

Those Who Wish Me Dead Starring Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen Directed by Taylor Sheridan The work of writer/director Taylor Sheridan is exceptional, as he's delivered some of the most thoughtful, compelling, full-on action films in recent memory, writing films like "Sicario," "Sicario: Day of the Soldado," "Hell or High Water," and "Wind River." He manages to capture both the human aspect of the characters as well as the action that happens around them by incorporating a nuanced sense of writing that's often downplayed at first but fully appreciated by the end, thanks in no small part to dedicated, acclaimed actors like Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. "Those Who Wish Me Dead" is his latest outing in both writing and directing, and once again he draws in a hugely talented ensemble cast including Jon Bernthal, Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen, Jak...

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar Starring Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo, Jamie Dornan, Damon Wayans Jr. Directed by Josh Greenbaum There are films that were supposed to be funny, but managed to take themselves so seriously that it took the comedy out of it entirely. Then there are others that were supposed to be serious but was so haphazardly done that it turned into an irreverent comedy. Rarely is there a film that's supposed to be a comedy, and actually achieves its goal due to the fact that no one takes it seriously enough to dampen the mood, but seriously enough to maintain a sense of real humor throughout without missing a beat or even breaking a sweat, making it feel effortless. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" is one such rarity, a film that seemed totally stupid in the trailer, and proved itself to be just as stupid as the trailer, but in the most intellectual way possible. Lifelong friends Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) live together in their small ...