JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Venom: The Last Dance Starring Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans Directed by Kelly Marcel The Sony Spider-Man Universe is, to say the least, not doing well. For a cinematic universe that has the title of the main character who hasn't appeared in any films thus far, it only adds to the lack of excitement these films carry. Essentially it's a Spider-Man Adjacent Cinematic Universe that features Spider-Man villains (or antiheroes) as opposed to the Web Slinger himself. The results haven't been generous, with the likes of "Morbius" and "Madam Web" getting eviscerated by critics and general movie-going audiences alike.  The only films that have somewhat escaped this dour fate is Tom Hardy's "Venom" series, but even they have things lacking (most notably "Venom: Let There be Carnage," which wastes one of Marvel's biggest, scariest villains in a PG-13 humdrum of a movie who's short runtime lacks any deep charac...

Wolfs Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams Directed by Jon Watts Sometimes you can hold the weight of a film solely on the performances, especially with actors who've worked so much together that they're best friends in the real world, and doesn't feel like acting anymore. Two of these actors are George Clooney and Brad Pitt, who've appeared together in seven films and are well-known buddies outside the movie set, and both are good natured pranksters who's rapport with each other is effortless and seamless. So when they come together for a generic, by-the-books caper movie, it elevates it beyond mediocrity due to their charismatic performances. When Manhattan District Attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan) brings a young man (Austin Abrams) to her hotel room, she's shocked when he accidentally dies. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact, she calls a mysterious number, and a Man (George Clooney) arrives to clean up the mess. He works alone, and p...

The Mouse Trap Starring Simon Phillips, Sophie McIntosh, Mackenzie Mills, Madeline Kelman Directed by Jamie Bailey Lately the beloved classics have entered the public domain, most notably Winnie the Pooh, meaning their characters can be used for free without paying royalties to the owner. The result, as everyone now knows, is turning our beloved childhood icons into killing machines, again most notably Winnie the Pooh in two horror movies, and being the center of the upcoming Poohniverse cinematic universe. Not wanting to be left out on the gory fun, Mickey Mouse has also become public domain (well, at least his Steamboat Willie iteration from 1928), and literally the day that happened the trailer for the then-titled "Mickey Mouse Trap" came out. Renaming it "The Mouse Trap," the film itself is a dull, uninspired mess of a movie with the worst acting possible, the most nonsensical story, and the lamest, tamest kills you could imagine. It's almost Alex's (Sop...

Woman of the Hour Starring Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale Directed by Anna Kendrick I'm a huge true crime fan, and I've heard the story of "The Dating Game Killer" Rodney Alcala, who went on the classic game show in 1978 despite already having murdered numerous women. He would go on to win that show and score a date with Cheryl Bradshaw, but fortunately for her she never followed through with their vacation, leading Rodney feeling rejected and continuing his murder spree until he was eventually caught and imprisoned for his crimes - even though he was only charged with eight confirmed deaths when he could've been responsible for up to 130. First-time director Anna Kendrick tackles the story in "Woman of the Hour," but also touches on misogyny both then and now, and how women aren't usually heard like they're supposed to. Throughout the 1970s, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) went on a string of murders, killing women i...

Smile 2 Starring Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley Directed by Parker Finn I don't know what it is about "Smile" that people really enjoy. Even after reading reviews and such, it just boggles my mind, as the film itself is nothing more than a mix of "The Ring" and "It Follows" with more jump scares than actual plot. Sure, Sosie Bacon does a terrific job with the material she's been given, and the cinematography is sometimes decent, but overall the first film had my smile turned upside down. So with the sequel, I already had a preconceived notion as to how much I wouldn't like it, and by golly did it deliver on that aspect. Yet again this is nothing more than jump scare central with a great female lead and some decent cinematography, and yet again - for some odd reason - people are eating it up. Maybe I'm too cynical. Or maybe I've seen more messed up movies than most. Either way, the only smiles I had duri...

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a...

Mr. Crocket Starring Jerrika Hinton, Ayden Gavin, Kristolyn Lloyd, Elvis Nolasco Directed by Brandon Epsy Everyone knows their names - Mr. Rogers, Pee Wee Herman - wholesome performers (well, at least Mr. Rogers) who graced our screens when we were children teaching us important lessons about life, love, and being a good person. Sometimes, these role models served as the only parents kids ever knew, since their own family lives were tumultuous and volatile, and the boob tube served as the perfect babysitter. "Mr. Crocket" takes this approach and turns it on its head, providing a horror film with impressive practical effects, an alluring villain, but ultimately a script that can't quite reach the credits. In 1994, Summer (Jerrika Hinton) has just lost her husband, and her only son Major (Ayden Gavin) is being a major thorn in her side. He's unruly and unresponsive, acting out on the daily and causing Summer all kinds of headaches, ultimately declaring that she's do...