My Own Little World

In closing the door on 2016, I realize that there are a lot of films that I have seen that unfortunately I was unable to review for one reason or another. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't want you guys to know what I think of most of these films, so just like the last couple of years I will be doing a few posts over the next month or so wrapping up all of the films I got a chance to see from this past year. This time around, I've got an unexpected sequel that's not really a sequel, a weird but stellar indie flick, and Natalie Portman... 10 Cloverfield Lane  - Buy it.  10 Cloverfield Lane is one of the best thrillers I've seen in the past several years. It builds tension incredibly well between good and bad, truth and lies, and character vs. character. John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are fantastic and give very believable performances in their respective roles. Dan Trachtenberg's direction is stunningly good for a first-timer as well. Ju...

Harry Potter is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I grew up reading the books and watching the movies, loving every second of it. In my freshman year of high school, a few of my friends and I actually watched all eight films in one sitting.  So, naturally, when I heard that a spin-off was in the works, I got really nervous and really excited at the same time. On one hand, I really like the world that J.K. Rowling has created and wanted more from it; on the other hand, I was nervous that this new chapter might spoil my memories with the wizarding world. Harry Potter is just one of those things that seemed so self-contained and so complete on its own that anything else additional ran the risk of bringing my opinion of it down in my own mind.  That being said, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is absolutely the right next step for the Harry Potter universe. It recaptures all the magic of the original franchise but doesn't come from any of the sam...