Monthly Archives: July 2026

Movie Reviews

The Dink Review

Leave a comment

The Dink

  • Director: Josh Greenbaum
  • Writer: Sean Clements
  • Starring: Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Ben Stiller, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Chris Parnell, Aaron Chen, Andy Roddick

Grade: C+

Given that it’s become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, it was only inevitable for pickleball to be the subject of a sports comedy. Enter The Dink, a film which has quite a few funny ideas at play, but manages to run most of them into the ground until they barely make it across the finish line. Thankfully it’s a film that’s populated by hilarious personalities, utilizing their greatest strengths.

Continue reading The Dink Review →
Movie Reviews

The Odyssey Review

Leave a comment

The Odyssey

  • Director: Christopher Nolan
  • Writer: Christopher Nolan
  • Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, John Leguizamo, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page

Grade: B+

What is it about The Odyssey that’s endured throughout the millennia? And what is it that has enraptured writer-director Christopher Nolan enough to make a faithfully accurate big-screen adaption? Indeed, while various episodes of Homer’s epic poem are well known across popular culture, the story itself doesn’t teach any grand lessons about heroics or military tactics that easily translate to modern sensibilities. Nolan, in his post-Batman career, has continually pushed the envelope with spectacle filmmaking, and while The Odyssey may not rank as the best of his career, it improbably, occasionally, feels like his most personal film to date.

Continue reading The Odyssey Review →
Best of 2026, Special Features

Best Movies of 2026 So Far

Leave a comment

Usually it takes a bit of time for the best movies of 2026 to roll in (they don’t call it Dumpuary for nothing). But the first half of the year has been surprisingly full of solid material, with a handful of films that could make it onto the year-end list. Even the streaming-only fare hasn’t felt like a total waste of time! A solid mix of genres, budgets, and new and experienced filmmakers has made for an exciting anticipation for the second half, and a formidable list of the best movies of 2026 so far.

Honorable Mentions

Continue reading Best Movies of 2026 So Far →
Movie Reviews

Minions & Monsters Review

Leave a comment

Minions & Monsters

  • Director: Pierre Coffin
  • Writer: Pierre Coffin, Brian Lynch
  • Starring: Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels

Grade: B

Singin’ in the Rain. Barton Fink. 8 ½. Boogie Nights. Minions & Monsters. All of these celebrated titles share a love for films, filmmaking, film history, the colorful weirdos responsible for putting it all together, and the never-ending struggle to see your dreams realized on the big screen. Unfortunately, only one of those films includes a minion dressed in clown makeup and a thong wielding a chainsaw. Yes, perhaps it’s the only logical endgame for Hollywood to see the third film in a Despicable Me spin-off as a love letter to cinema but, surprisingly enough, writer-director-voice artist Pierre Coffin mostly makes it work.

Continue reading Minions & Monsters Review →