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In a world where movie tickets are pricey and you could spend hours browsing streaming platforms, Zoe is here to help by giving you the nuts and bolts of a movie or TV show without the spoilers! But movies and shows are more than just mindless consumables, they’re stories that tell us something about our world and the people around us. Zoe invites you into a deeper conversation about media and how to navigate modern storytelling.
This episode of Reel Review is different. Instead of reviewing a new movie, Zoe is joined with two incredible guests to discuss their new film: Pastor's Kid. The film's director and writer is Benjamin Koppin, who works in L.A. as a commercial producer and independent filmmaker with his wife. The leading actress in the film is played by Courtney Bandeko who loves working in indie-films and has also done a lot of TV shows.
In this Reel 2, Zoe is taking a closer look at the "true story" the movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on. It turns out this action-backed and violent rated R film may not be as true to the real life events or heroes as it seems. And sadly, that is true with many films based on "true stories" because there is no standard or expectation for how accurate they are supposed to be... Is this a problem? Is it okay to fudge the facts to make it entertaining? Zoe would argue it isn't okay but what do you think?
In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe covers the refreshing and entertaining film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" starring Henry Cavil. Zoe and her husband Sam enjoyed this film but it is definitely for mature audiences with profuse swearing and a glorification of violence. There is one scene which has some nudity from behind, but it is a scene which shows a character how bad these Nazis are, and the scene was done tastefully and purposefully. The film is fast paced and based on the true story of this secret mission to stop the Nazis...
In this spoiler-free reel review, Zoe covers the surprising film "Monkey Man" which was written, directed, produced and starring Dev Patel. This film is rated R in every way, from the bloody violence, to language, and nudity, but it is also a heavy film wrestling with a lot of themes like religion and politics, revenge, and the treatment of minorities. It is a difficult film to recommend and depends on you, the movie-goer. For sure, it is a provocative film that is full of heart.
In this Reel 2, Zoe asked her resident Godzilla-expert Sam to bring his knowledge to the conversation. Sam discusses why he felt this movie was more of a Kong movie than a Godzilla film, not really a team-up, and he wishes the Legendary studio would make a genuine Godzilla-centered film. They also talk about the monster-verse, franchise-fatigue, and how it is indeed possible to make legitimately good monster movies.... and maybe this one is just "okay".
Big monster fights are not Zoe's cup of tea when it comes to movies but this latest entry in the "monster-verse" franchise from Legendary Studios surprised her! She had a very fun time at the theater and her husband who is a mega Godzilla fan was also pleased. It can't be compared to Japan's film, Godzilla Minus One, from last year, but that's okay because they're two completely different films and it's something Zoe can't wait to talk about in Reel 2.
In this deep dive into Kung Fu Panda 4, Zoe explains why she feels this full shows the greed of Hollywood. One of the film's co-directors, Stephanie Stein, has come out expressing her frustration with DreamWorks and shared her unfortunate experience on the project. Her story explains exactly what went wrong on this film: the bad storytelling decisions, lack of character development, rapid pacing, and how clearly it was all produced to make money. This shouldn't come as a surprise, of course, but it is frustrating none the less. Zoe emphasizes the importance of good storytelling and how disappointing it is to see this happen to a good animated trilogy.
This reel review shares two opinions on the film Kung Fu Panda 4. Zoe found the film lackluster and disappointing but her autistic brother Josh found it hilarious. Perhaps it isn't worth the theater price but it is a passable kids film, if you don't mind your kids watching small bunnies jump with glee for violence.
It's okay if Dune isn't your cup of tea when it comes to film entertainment, but for Zoe its frustrating when people criticize the Dune films for being style over substance. Here in this deeper dive, Zoe shares some background information on the director, Denis Villeneuve, which illustrates what makes him a unique storyteller. He employs "show don't tell" through the tools of cinematic storytelling with cinematography, lighting, and audio design, and he trusts his audience. There is a lot of style in this movie, but there is also a story at the heart of it, and not all movies have heart these days...
This is your spoiler free review of the second part to the recent sci fi saga, Dune. Zoe is very biased on this one since she is a huge fan of sci fi, fantasy, world-building, and the director Denis Villeneuve. So for her, this was a highly anticipated sequel... and you shouldn't walk into a theater with expectations, but lucky for her this sequel was three-hours well spent. However, this may not be everyone's thing, and the film is rated a "hard" pg-13 with intense violence and direct intimacy inferences.
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