Roulette Films

In this shorter, more surface-level review, I discuss the most recent  Scream film. I found it to be supremely enjoyable and for the most part  firing on all cylinders. With very minor missteps, it's a clever and fun  movie that rewards attentive viewers and fans of the franchise, while  being digestible and highly enjoyable to newcomers as well. Watch the review with accompany...

Thursday night, I saw Quantumania. It is everything you've heard about  it and more, but in the bad way. I cover most of what causes this  unfinished product to leave a bad taste in your mouth in this review,  but really there's not even much in the movie that inspires, positively  or negatively. It's a forgettable, underwhelming experience that I would  recommend forgoing...

Last Wednesday I saw Knock At The Cabin. I ended up enjoying it thoroughly, much more so than I had initially expected to. There are a litany of reasons this was the case, but I take a look at a few in particular. Namely, the structure the film sets upon itself due to its premise, and its opening. Both of these work to inform the audience of how they should engage with the movie, and make the view...

This week, I had watched two new pilots that premiered on HBOMax. I  loved one, and felt exhausted by the other. I discuss how these two  different adaptations of renowned IPs differ and what lead to their  completely opposite receptions from both critics and audiences. Simply  put, it comes down to a love for and appreciate of art. Watch this review along with clips from both...

In this video, I cover everything I've reviewed this year, as well as  some movies that came out this year that I didn't get a chance to  review. It's hard to rank so many things in comparison to one another,  so I went with the tier list method. Let me know what you agree with,  disagree, with, or if there's anything else you'd have liked to see on  the list. Maybe I can...

In this review, I discuss the purely joyful experience that was seeing  Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in theaters during its limited  release. From the themes, symbols, and metaphors brought together  through the script, to excellent technical displays and marvelous  performances, there is a ton to appreciate about this movie. Rian Johnson once again delivers a massively en...

In this entry into my Halloween Hoedown series, I take a look at several movies instead of one, analyzing one scene from each of them that I feel illustrates the elements that dictate success in the horror genre. These are the elements that make scares stick with us long after the credits roll, and are often far more impactful than the usual jump scare. Find this episode here on my YouTube, along...

In this entry into my very-tenuously-Halloween-related anthology, I take a look at Barbarian and She-Hulk, both productions I had recently viewed. I examine them through the lens of how they rely on what audiences know about the genre they are a part of, as well as what audiences anticipate out of the films themselves, to keep viewers engaged in their stories and drive their narratives forward. Th...

In this rendition of my critically-acclaimed Halloween series, I discuss what fun, campy, corny, yet enjoyable films mean to me. I do this by talking about the second Scooby Doo live action film, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. I feel this film, while not excellent by any means, manages to stay entertaining and earnest throughout, using its absurdity to its advantage. Watch the review and releva...

For the second installment of my Halloween videos, I take a look at Mean Girls, an inspiration for many a costume, a meme, and even a me. I talk about how the movie manages to be so entertaining while having such an effective story. Mostly, this is due to the great script-writing on display by Tina Fey. Very fetch. Check out this review and clips from the film on my YouTube channel here . And find...

In the first of many spooky season serials in this series, I forage into the realm of D-List "horror", watching the Hulu original Crawlers, which came out in 2020. Unfortunately, it is not the sort of bad horror that is "so bad it's good". It would be more apt to say it's so bad I wanted these 90 minutes of my life back. Hope you enjoy this commentary on the movie more than I did the film. Feel fr...

In this review, I take a look back at Coco, perhaps my favorite entry in Pixar's filmography. I discuss how its earnestness and purity allow for it to quickly endear itself to viewers. I also spend some time discussing how music is used in various parts of the film to drive the story forward as well as accent the arcs of the characters and themes of the story. But, most importantly, I discuss the...

Last week I watched Prey, the new Predator film streaming on Hulu. I found it to be exactly what it should have been: entertaining, engaging, and effective. Despite not having lofty goals or overly complex ideas in the vein that some Oscar-contender film might, Prey is perfectly successful in my opinion. I talk about what that means, and how I believe we should engage with blockbuster cinema. Watc...

Thor Love and Thunder ultimately didn't deliver for me. It has consistent shortcomings that anyone familiar with Ragnarok could have seen coming, but this time those issues are dialed up to 11 while the standout parts of the previous entry feel entirely absent. Rushed, half-baked, and seemingly self-conscious, it's a very weak entry into the MCU, and not much beyond a way to kill two hours. Watch...

In this review, I discuss Stranger Things' latest season and what I believe it does so well that helps it stand out from other pop-culture heavy hitters of the late 2010s / early 2020s. Things like character moments and divisions of the group are staples of each season of this show, and this allows for some genuineness that I think other media doesn't bring to the table as frequently. Here is a li...

After hearing how tremendously well this movie has been received, I finally got around to seeing it myself. And Everything Everywhere All At Once lived up to the hype in every possible way. I cannot recommend this movie enough, as it is a really beautiful piece of filmmaking. Watch this review, coupled with a bunch of amazing moments from the film (and a much clearer understanding of a couple of m...

The Multiverse of Madness, unfortunately, felt more like the multiverse of meh-ness. Though there was inspired directing, brilliant moments, and captivating performances, there was a constant nagging feeling of the film not being quite right. This stems from the screenplay, which I cover as I discuss some of the issues and highlights of Dr. Strange's latest adventure. Watch this review with releva...

In this review, I discuss the recent semi-blockbuster film from Robert Eggers, a Viking revenge epic. It's got amazing displays of technical prowess in all fields. It's highly accessibly compared to some of the other more well-known Eggers projects. And it's got a straightforward, engaging premise. But something felt off for me. Watch this review with the beautiful visuals of The Northman on YouTu...

In this episode, I discuss the similarities that a good joke has to components of a story. From the structure of setups and payoffs to the underlying ideas of suffering enhancing each, they are much more alike than you would think. Maybe because they're the same thing.... Find this episode in video form on YouTube (with visual examples!) here . And find all of my other links here .

This week, I review the 2022 Oscars (a recent disaster film), where the events that occurred during and around them make an excellent case for why sometimes, people should just...not say anything. Honestly, most times. I also discuss No Way Home, Army of The Dead, and Justice League somewhat briefly.  Listen to my review in YouTube form here , where you can see a cornucopia of awful takes on...

Over the past two weeks I have watched both La La Land and Malignant. I typically love horror movies and am ambivalent about musicals, so I was surprised when I really enjoyed La La Land yet couldn't bear Malignant. In this review, I compare the two films and explain why. Watch the review (along with a bonus meme) on YouTube here . And find all my other links here .

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to go to a special "fans first" screening of Matt Reeves's The Batman, and I absolutely loved it. It was a great experience and an even better film. I highly recommend seeing The Batman, and here I discuss some of the themes of the film and the character. Batman is a character I have loved since my childhood, and I think this movie does him justice. Check it out as so...

In my very first episode of Roulette Rewrites, I look at a movie I feel could have accomplished a lot more with what it had to work with, Uncharted. This is coming off my recent review from Uncharted, where I consider it a passable, at times fun adventure movie saved by its set pieces and partially strong cast. I look to enhance the arcs, themes, and characterizations of the film while still stayi...

Uncharted is a movie from my favorite genre, adventure films. So, I enjoyed it a lot, especially being able to see it in theaters. That said, I would not consider it a good or great movie, just an enjoyable adventure movie. Sophia Ali and Tom Holland turn in solid efforts to elevate middling material and make the wait for the big set pieces tolerable. I'd probably not recommend this movie unless y...

Death On The Nile is an engaging if not overly complex murder mystery. The whodunit gives plenty of visual spectacle and is rounded out by charismatic, fun performances from its star-studded cast. This, along with a strong second and third act, overcome any issues the film encounters early on. I'd strongly recommend this film to anyone, especially if you'd want something pretty to look at on the b...