Month: August 2026

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The End of Oak Street

The End of Oak Street

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Since 1993, almost every movie released that featured dinosaurs had “Jurassic” in the title.  This is strange, given how often Hollywood studios copy off of each other’s homework.  The End of Oak Street is the first serious attempt at a dinosaur movie outside of that franchise, and it made me wonder why it took so long.  There’s plenty of action involving humans either running away from or being eaten by elaborate CGI dinosaurs, which is precisely what we want from a movie like this.  If anything, it should inspire those behind the Jurassic films to make better sequels.

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CatVideoFest 2026

CatVideoFest 2026

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As the saying goes, the internet is made of cats.  Which is true because it’s the best way for cat lovers to both share and watch videos starring their favorite animals.  Since there are so many videos of cats doing inexplicable things that anyone can readily watch on their phone, how does one explain the ongoing popularity of the CatVideoFest film series?  (It began in 2019, and after a Covid lull has steadily grown over the past five years.)  To paraphrase Homer Simpson, why would people pay to watch something they can already watch for free?

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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When people talk about the MCU, it’s understood that they’re talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  However, considering the unhappy lives most Marvel heroes usually have, the M reality should stand for Miserable.  This is very true for one Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, who can do “anything a spider can” but can’t have things you and I take for granted.  He can’t have friends or fall in love, which would make the people involved targets of evil doers who want to hurt Peter.  That anxiety is enough to force Peter into solitude, which (of course) leads to even worse problems for him.  Poor Peter Parker, if only web-slinging were enough to make him happy.

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No One Will Save You

No One Will Save You

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If you’ve seen even a few flying saucer movies from the Fifties, you know that the female character’s responsibility is to shriek and remain frozen in place when confronted by an alien.  No One Will Save You cleverly turns that notion on its head by making the damsel in distress resourceful and courageous in the presence of the alien invaders who come knocking.  Not a riot “girl-boss” way, but definitely far from helpless.  It’s an intriguing concept that’s well-executed, but by itself isn’t enough to build a feature-length feature film around.

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