NEW THIS WEEK
Last
year’s awards-sweeping original musical romantic dramedy stars Ryan Gosling and
Emma Stone as two young LA artists who find a troubled love with each other at
a turning point in their lives.
We Said: “This is such a
huge step up for [director Damien] Chazelle that it's amazing how easy he makes
it look. Even the bittersweet ending, which I think will be divisive to those
hoping for a more definitive resolution, earns every single emotional beat.
However you feel about the way things shake out, you will definitely feel
something by the end of La La Land. It manages to encapsulate through song and dance
the entirety of our eternal love affair with music and cinema.” Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The
newest film in the ongoing action horror series, Blood Wars sees heroine
Selene (Kate Beckinsale) return to battle both her Lycan enemies and the
vampire army she once trusted. Joining up with a new team, she goes on an
action-packed quest to bring the titular war to an end.
We Said: “I have to admit to
being a little bit torn about Underworld: Blood Wars. I think I've
been in this limbo space long before the franchise's fifth (!!!) chapter of
vampires vs. Lycan warfare, but it's more pronounced now than ever. These movies probably ran their course with Rise
of the Lycans […] and have been treading water ever since. And while
the storylines may not be offering much that's new, fans of the stylized action
will find the violence worth sinking their teeth into. […] While Underworld's
blood may have grown thin, as long as Beckinsale sticks around there will be
one reason to see the Vampire/Lycan war continue.” Rating: 3 out of 5
This
acclaimed, subversive horror movie takes a fresh look at the zombie genre,
focusing on a society run by the monsters alone. When a young girl is found to
be seemingly immune to their virus, the zombie science community begins their
journey to find a cure.
We Said: “The
Girl with All the Gifts spins a smart tale of species survival, with
enough horror elements to keep genre fans happy. However it's our emotional
investment that it earns right away in the character of Melanie, who is bright,
cheerful, and...oh yeah, she occasionally devours soldiers and sometimes even a
housecat. We're made to see both sides of who she is because that is ultimately
what the film is about. Is she a danger, and thus someone who needs to be
exterminated? Or is she just a little girl who has been co-opted by the fungus?
The answer to that question plays out in a finale that literally stunned me it
was so surprising.” Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Also Available: Animal Kingdom: The Complete First Season, Catfight, American Anarchist, We Are X, Witness the Prosecution, Detour and The Daughter
