JoeMama's Movie Reviews

All Quiet on the Western Front Starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus Directed by Edward Berger During the Civil War, General William Techumseh Sherman gave the now-famous quote: "war is hell," and we've gone through numerous wars since then, and haven't seemed to grasp that simple statement. Why average citizens would volunteer to go somewhere and fight and die for their country is something I don't understand, but I can respect their decision to do so - to me, war is like a giant chess board. The kings and queens on each side sit comfortably out of the way of battle while the generals, sergeants, and other military leaders play the rooks, bishops, and knights, while the soldiers on the front lines are the pawns: sacrificial pieces that are nameless, numerous, and who means little to nothing to the king and queen. Perhaps I'm just cynical or unpatriotic, but I'd never willingly volunteer to fight in a war, especially one that...

To Leslie Starring Andrea Riseborough, Marc Maron, Allison Janney, Owen Teague Directed by Michael Morris "To Leslie" was a film I never even heard of until Tuesday, when the Academy Awards were announced and instead of the likes of Danielle Deadwyler or Viola Davis being announced, it was Andrea Riseborough for "To Leslie," and I was extremely surprised. I knew I had to see it to see what all the fuss was about, and something happened while I was watching it that happened to me when I saw "Moonlight." For reference (in case you care to hear), I didn't see "Moonlight" until after it won the Best Film Oscar, and after watching it I was a bit underwhelmed by it - but that's not to say it wasn't an incredible film (it was), but after having such high expectations going into it, it was impossible to achieve it. "To Leslie" had the same effect: while Riseborough was tremendous, I was a left a bit underwhelmed by the product, and ...

Skinamarink Starring Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, Jaime Hill Directed by Kyle Edward Ball When you were a child, what were you the most afraid of? What nightmares do you still remember? Those are the sorts of questions YouTube creator Kyle Edward Bell asked his audience, and their responses served as the framework for his feature film debut "Skinamarink," but that's just the bare bones of what the film is, which is something that's ultimately terrifying in the fact that it demands you to make your own interpretations, see through grainy frames that something is wrong, and being told in a way that makes the term "slow burn" seem fast compared to what you're witnessing on screen. One night, children Kevin (Lucas Paul) and Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault) notice that their father (Ross Paul) and mother (Jaime Hill) have disappeared, and they hear a disembodied voice that echoes throughout the house. Then they find that the doors and windows are ...

The 95th Academy Awards Nominations Snubs & Surprises  One of my most favorite times of the year has arrived, and that's the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards. While there's been a lot of news about how viewership is declining, I'm a firm believer in the fact that the Oscars aren't meant for a broad audience, otherwise it would include the likes of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" or "Thor: Love and Thunder" as Best Picture contenders. Rather, the Academy honors the best films of the year, most of which aren't watched by a larger audience due to their limited release and the fact that theaters are trying to keep a profit, and they do that by supplying fresh, action-filled blockbusters to get butts in the seats. As they try to pander to a broader audience, however, the Academy loses what makes it special, and turns it into a laughingstock (like how they tried last year to give out "fan voted" awards that basically ...