Black Widow

Posted November 26, 2021

I went into Black Widow with few expectations, except that it would be mediocre. The trailer didn’t evoke a lot of excitement. There didn’t seem to be a story that needed attention or was anything more than a footnote. I think in large part because the film was released after the end of the Infinity Saga. If it had been released five years ago, sometime before Infinity War and the culmination of all these films, if there were questions about where it would lead and how it played into the larger narrative, then the story would have seemed more interesting. […]

Why Henry Cavill Basically Already Is James Bond

Posted November 10, 2021

Henry Cavill stands in a Miami hotel room looking like a comic book drawing made real. He’s 6-foot-2 but seems taller because he’s so broad. His muscles stretch an ordinary knit shirt into a bulky superhero outfit. Yet as we sit down for the first of our two interviews, Cavill’s brawn is quickly contrasted by his genteel demeanor that his colleagues say is typical of the 38-year-old Englishman. Take the way the Witcher actor typically starts his days on set: Cavill will select a crewmember, say hello, shake their hand and ask how their day is going. Then he’ll approach another crewmember and […]

Dune (2021)

Posted October 23, 2021

I am not a huge Dune fan, let’s start there. Not like some people are fans. I was first introduced to the sci-fi saga through the Syfy mini-series (way back when it was still the Sci-Fi Channel). Immediately, I enjoyed the story and the characters and wanted to know more… but not enough to read the books. Not when I had a shortcut in a friend who told me it wasn’t worth it because the series was long and went a little sideways. Then Syfy (still Sci-Fi) came out with the Children of Dune mini-series and I loved that even […]

All the tv of 2020

Posted January 17, 2021

2020 has to have been the year of binge watching for like…. everyone. So instead of a “best of” list I thought I’d do mini reviews on all the shows I watched this year. Mostly, I enjoyed rewatching shows because I enjoy them or in order to finish out the end seasons I’d missed. Volume Balance But first a quick rant. There are several shows not on the list because I couldn’t handle watching them. The volume balance is just so bad–with loud sound effects and music and quiet dialog. What’s the point of watching a show if you can […]

Chadwick Boseman

Posted August 30, 2020

“Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating,” said Kevin Feige. “He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.” Walt Disney Co. chairman Bob Iger said, “We […]

Marvel Movies in Chronological Order

Posted May 30, 2020

In case you decide to have a family movie marathon and want to watch all the Marvel movies together in some sort of order. Incredible Hulk – I mean, this movie really shouldn’t be on the list and also you shouldn’t watch it. It’s not a good movie and it has no bearing on any of the later stories so there’s really no point. *Disney Plus lists the two Guardians movies back to back before Age of Ultron but I feel like that’s because no one really knows what to do with Guardians 2 (except forget about it which is […]

Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He’s Trying Honesty

Posted February 19, 2020

The actor speaks frankly about everything from his addictive behavior and his divorce to why he lied about that back tattoo. This is Ben Affleck, raw and vulnerable, talking extensively for the first time about getting sober (again) and trying to recalibrate his career (again). Affleck, Oscar-winning writer, director of the Oscar-winning Argo, alcoholic, divorcé and proud possessor of a mythical back tattoo — has four movies coming out this year. The Way Back where Affleck plays a reluctant high school basketball coach with big problems — he’s a puffy, willful, fall-down drunk who blows up his marriage and lands in rehab. You read […]

Brad Pitt Is Still Searching

Posted September 21, 2019

At 55, the consummate Hollywood star seems to have the Hollywood parts figured out, using his wattage to get unlikely movies—like his new space drama, Ad Astra—into theaters. Brad Pitt interviews tend to happen in strange and impromptu places. Like this poolhouse, on a property that belongs to neither of us, not too far outside Pasadena. By necessity and inclination, Pitt likes to present a moving target, and so he spends a lot of time passing through spaces that are convenient to something else he’s doing. Just yesterday the Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, which Pitt stars in opposite […]

Tom Holland Braces For Impact

Posted September 3, 2019

Tom Holland loves golf. He plays rounds on public courses and on courses that used to be the exclusive province of kings. He plays while on movie press tours in Asia and Europe and the United States. If he’s not currently playing golf, there is almost always some part of his mind that is just anticipating the next time he’ll be able to. “I don’t know what has happened,” Holland says, “but it has become my addiction. I go to sleep thinking about playing golf the next day.” What’s interesting about this fixation is that Tom Holland could reasonably be […]

X-Men Dark Phoenix

Posted June 17, 2019

I went into Dark Phoenix with fairly low expectations. Other than James McAvoy I wasn’t in love with the cast. And it’s a story Fox has tried to do before. With one of my favorite characters. And, despite box office success, few of the X-Men movies have really been spectacular (Days of Future Past is pretty much the exception). Also while I love Jean Grey, I’m only familiar with the Dark Phoenix saga through wikipedia (and honestly I read through the Endsong rather than Dark Phoenix years ago because it’s gorgeous. Which means Dark Phoenix was either going to be […]

girls speak geek

celebrity interview archive. media commentary. tv and film reviews.