No Spoilers ahead!

For this recap I will be analyzing the analytics of this blog and what I could do better in the future. This semester-long project was by far the best project I’ve had because I got to tap into my hobbies and have creative freedom. This project has also opened my eyes to the obstacles that come if I were to continue the blog. In the next paragraphs I will analyze my work and contemplate the future.

Since there is always room for improvement, I will discuss what to do better. My advertising wasn’t the best, since the only platform I advertised was on Twitter. Furthermore, I also lacked an abundant amount of followers for an ample amount of viewers on my blog. With that in mind, I plan to promote on more platforms other than twitter, and follow more users relating to my topic. With that being said, this experience has given me some expertise on what to expect. Another thing this project did for me was that it opened me to Adobe Premier, which is an editing software for videos. Since a YouTube channel was originally my idea, having knowledge of an editing service has greatly benefited me. The blogging experience has expanded my knowledge of the internet and how it operates. Exposing me to more sub-cultures that I had no idea existed, until I started this project. One more thing I could improve, would be to create a schedule to write an interesting read for readers, and to edit any grammar mistakes in more detail. One thing I did notice was that viewers tend to click more on recent films, rather than old ones. My review on The Invisible Man being the prime example, since it was the most recent movie that came out and also had the most clicks.

Overall this blog was extremely fun to explore. I plan to continue my YouTube videos with a little more experience on my belt. I will list my Twitter and YouTube once more and hope to see everyone there. Thank you for the journey and of course, I’ll see you around.

Spoilers lie ahead!

James Cameron’s Avatar is one of those movies that stay intriguing to watch with age. Movies that age well are masterpieces, in my opinion. James Cameron is one of those directors that care about creativity and it shows in his filmography, with films such as: The Terminator, The Titanic, and Aliens. All of them treasured by fan bases that continue to this day and the same can be said about Avatar, with the sequel set to release next year. Another observation upon watching his movies, Cameron’s value of creativity and Sci-fi, is what makes his idea of Avatar much more fascinating that really makes it one of a kind.

Avatar was the film everyone was talking about in 2009, and for good reason. The film pushed boundaries for film editing, and as a result, Avatar has one of the best world building in all film history. Featuring lush jungles and unique planet life, my eyes were glued to screen throughout the long three-hour runtime. Which is also why today’s image is taken outside, inspired by the outdoor setting of the film! The plot of the film was easy to invest in and by the end, Avatar made me side with the Na’vi, who were the natives of the main planet Pandora. Years after the film released, the script still shines for being emotionally investing for all characters.

In 2009, I didn’t really know much about James Cameron, and I didn’t see his iconic piece: the Titanic. However, after seeing James Cameron’s Avatar, it showed me the creative visions that is inspiring as much as it is memorable. This film should be considered a masterpiece, and movie review outlets such as Rotten Tomatoes, others agree. Avatar is a movie that should be in everyone’s collection and I can’t wait to see what his team does next in the sequel. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone one on the planet and I hope to see you all in the next one.

Spoilers! (but who hasn’t seen The Lion King at this point)

The Lion King is such an amazing Disney Movie, that had one of the most iconic movie openings of all time, and with the release of the reboot, some things you can find familiar, while other instances seem pretty bland. The casting and director choice, I felt was spot on, but the one thing that was the highlight of the movie, was the one thing that killed it for me in the end. Long story short, The Lion King (2019) has the premise of being a great movie, but it didn’t hit the mark of amazing as much as the original Disney animation did for me. With that out of the way, let me go into detail about the reboot.

Jon Favreau is the one who directed the newest take on The Lion King, and at first, I was excited. You may know him from other Disney works such as: The Mandalorian, Iron Man, and even the recent reboot of the Jungle Book (2016). As you can see, he is no stranger to the Disney formula. So hearing that he would also help remake another iconic piece such as the Lion King, initially got me excited. He has charm and it shows in his directing, which is why Disney trusts him with many of their projects. Favreau also did nail the casting with Donald Glover and Beyoncé as the main lion and lioness and even Seth Rogan as Pumbaa, which is a chef’s kiss since he was the perfect actor to do the characteristics of the warthog. However, with these foundations of a great movie, I was underwhelmed. The main reason for that, is because of the CGI. I completely agree that CGI is the future for movies, and because the original film being released in 1994, I could see why that decision had to be made. Nonetheless, it didn’t work in this film. The quality of the CGI was certainly astonishing from the level of detail, but since the story of the Lion King was about betrayal and the circle of life, it was hard to pay attention about the messages of the film from the blank faces of the animals. I get that they’re supposed to look like actual lions, but for the emotional scenes, such as Simba losing his father, it was hard to feel anything with a blank lion cub face. The decision to make them real life animals is what really brought me out of the reboot.

With an increase of reboots happening in Hollywood, I hope for viewers to expect that it may not always turns out for the best, which is the case for this film. I know I have the poster hanging up on my wall, but the reason for that is because of the story that the original one did for me. Leading into my next point about how nostalgia can make it blind to some viewers on how disappointing the film can be. Now I’m not saying that nostalgia is a bad method to capture an audience, I just want people to know that’s how Hollywood gets people to watch their movies nowadays. However, the reboot did do one thing; it made me want to watch the original. Thank you guys like always, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Spoilers Ahead!

Today we’re going to review one of my childhood movies that I’ve seen over a million times. That is a joke of course but it has been close… The Emperor’s New Groove is a Disney film property developed in 2000, around the same time as other big titles such as Finding Nemo, Hercules, and Monster’s Inc were developed. Which is also why my photo today was an old-fashioned VHS of the film! With that being said it makes perfect sense on why this film was swept under the rug when other blockbusters were making more of an impact on their younger audience. The reason for this, I believe is that it contained nothing special to offer compared to a factory being run by monsters, but still has is charm and magic to remain as one of Disney’s “hidden gems” to this day.

In high school when my teacher had nothing to teach that day or it was during finals week, The Emperor’s New Groove was nearly almost always put on for my classmates who have already seen it in the period before. Now I know this is not the case for everyone, but just to provide a perspective from an individual who has seen it on many occasions. The basic outline of the movie is a young emperor who has always had it all, had it overthrown by his throne advisor and turned into a llama, so she herself can become an emperor. That being said, a common villager is introduced to the snobby, higher than life llama who agrees to help him turn back into a human despite his town on the brink of being remodeled. What I like about this movie is that it doesn’t exactly follow the Disney Movie formula, which contains an abundance of musical numbers and two individuals who end up falling in love with each other. This movie is a Buddy adventure movie between the commoner and the young emperor, and in that way is what makes this movie special. With Social classes there as always been tension between the wealthy and the poor, but The Emperor’s New Groove shows how it doesn’t have to be that way, and that anyone can be friends with one another. The voice work also by John Goodman (Pacha) and Patrick Warburton (Kronk) were by far, the best memorable characters in the film. Even Kronk’s squirrel buddy provided some good laughs, and that character only spoke gibberish. My main complaints in the movie has to be the main character himself, and the villain. David Spade plays our main young emperor Kuzco which I didn’t see as a good casting choice. The setting of The Emperor’s New Groove is in South America, far from modern civilization, so you can see why this is a little off-putting since David Spade is normally given the same persona in all his films. Additionally, the reason why I mention the Villain, Yzma, is because I feel like she was not the most dangerous factor in the movie. Since the movie is mostly about the dangerous adventure back to the young emperor’s palace, it can be seen that the main priority of the movie was the friendship message, not providing her to be a true threat and even being shown to get into clumsy situations and losing the fight all the time. Besides that, The Emperor’s New Groove is a great movie about friendship and self discovery.

Overall The Emperor’s New Groove is a fun time with lots of charm and laughs that can provides an important message that can be applied to everyday life. The film might not be as memorable is some departments such as music and having a good villain, but the friendship between the young emperor, Kuzco, and the commoner, Pacha, keeps the movie of the greats. Thank you guys, as always for reading my review for a not so new movie and I hope to do more old fashion classics in the future. Be sure to check out my social media for updates and my other movie reviews! Peace!

What’s good everyone! Today we’re going to do something different. Normally I review a film but this time I am recommending another fellow movie reviewer. He goes by the name of Stan The Movie Man, and he really is the man. I will provide a link to his blog so be sure to check him out and show him the support that I receive from all you great movie lovers.

Stan The Movie Man is a loveable guy who gives background information about films, as well as the plot in a casual conversational way. Plus Stan always wears a different hat or wig in every one of his videos, which is a unique hilarity that makes him a special critic. Also makes you wonder on how many hats he has in his arsenal. As mentioned before, Stan gives a background of the film. For example, his recent review of “The Hunt,” he tells his audience about how the film was delayed on multiple occasions and the reasons behind it, giving the viewer a broader perspective of the movie as a whole. With the abundance of movies that also come and go through the movie theaters, Stan The Movie Man doesn’t miss them. Life goes fast, which causes you to sometimes miss that movie that you’ve been waiting to see but Stan can easily solve your problem rather than waiting months to see it on Blu-ray.

Stan The Movie Man is a great reminder on why I love being a critic. A critic offers a different approach and result that makes the viewer think and reflect on what they’ve seen as well. Everyone is a critic and everyone can become a critic, because everybody’s opinions matter; creating a community where different interpretations amplify a message, rather than destroying it. Guys as always, it has been a pleasure and be sure to follow Stan The Movie Man’s blog as well as my social media to stay up to date on all your favorite movies!

• Stan the Movie Man’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/moviemanstan

Spoilers!

The Invisible Man was simply a brilliant modern re-imagining that we haven’t seen in quite a while. The film was directed by Leigh Whannell, who happened to also direct the movie called “Upgrade”, and if you haven’t seen it, I totally recommend it if you like sci-fi action movies. Speaking of sci-fi, The Invisible man took that unexpected approach, which is why I think this movie really works. The original invisible man was 1930s monster film using themes. Which is also why I made my ticket black and white this time! On the topic of monster movies in the 1930s, a film universe not well known by many was taking place. During this time period movies such as King Kong, Dracula, and Frankenstein would be created and soon be combined with each other making them connected. With the success of the industry at the time, a remake was soon to follow. With their arrival however, it was not very successful. Such as “The Mummy(2017)” not earning as much critically acclaimed reviews. But The invisible Man provides new hope of the remade monster universe to became reality again.

My favorite things from the invisible man include the very good acting from Elizabeth moss, who really sold her scenes playing a mentally distressed woman being put through a situation where people fail to believe her that an invisible man was tormenting her. Another thing was the motive of the villain. Motives in horror movies are kinda hard to pull off due to many logistical errors or them just being darn right too cheesy, but for this film it was about the boyfriend being emotionally and physically abusive to the main character and would do something as much as pretending to kill himself, using his own brother, and develop an invisible suit to stalk her is evidence enough to be creeped out by the main antagonist. Which I think is a unique motive for a sci-fi horror movie villain such as this compared to the original invisible man. My only complaints would have to be the scares. Don’t get me wrong they were effective but the reason I mention it is that most of the scares were shown in the trailer! Most of the best ones were already shown in a three-minute clip which I think is not a good way to advertise a horror movie, especially if the scares are a big part of the genre. Now not all the scares are spoiled, and the ones that weren’t, were crazy unexpected…

The Invisible Man is a must-see movie for 2020. Even with the unfortunate situation with the coronavirus, Invisible man and many others were the last recent wave of movies before cinema theaters shut down. However, streaming services such as Amazon Prime offer the ability to watch them so be sure to go and support these films! As ever, it was a blast reviewing this movie and I wish everyone to stay safe and be sure wash your hands!

Spoiler warning!

Man oh man… this movie. Fantasy Island is a Blumhouse production film, directed by Jeff Wadlow, and is a re-imagining of the TV show with the same name from the 1970s-1980s. In the original show, the premise was to bring guests from modern society onto a tropical island where they can live out their deepest fantasies. In the 2020 film of Fantasy Island it follows the same premise but alternates it into a horror film based on the guests’ deepest fantasies, and reveals supernatural elements are at play. I will not try to spoil this movie as much as possible, but some key points will be addressed.

The island has a host that goes by the name of Mr. Roarke, played by Micheal Pena, who is shown in the movie to be the “antagonist” but I simply couldn’t grasp it from the beginning. I will just get straight with everyone and just flat out say that this movie was terrible. The characters: a girl who was traumatized in grade school, a woman who lost her chance to marry the love of her life and start a family, a man who always wanted to be a soldier, and two brothers who wanted to have the time of their life I guess? And that brings me to my point about our characters in the movie, they are very forgettable and as soon as the movie wants you to feel empathy for the sad past that one of the characters experienced, they cut away to another character partying with models and doing drugs. By the halfway point in the runtime, I still didn’t care about what happened to them and even looked over to my friend, shaking my head at many times in the movie. A main reason for my head shakes, was the plot of the movie. Fantasy Island has one of the messiest plots in 2020, because it tries to show each of the main group’s fantasies while also adding a “horror” undertone. I will admit I am easy to scare in horror movies simply because jump-scares are loud and sudden, and are the most used tactic for Hollywood horror movies, but this movie was far from scary even with the cheap jump-scares. I found myself laughing in more situations than being scared, which is the biggest disappointment since it was advertised as a “supernatural horror” film. I also had the curse of hearing one of the cheesiest one-liners I’ve heard in recent years, “Come with me unless your fantasy is to die.” Am I making this up? No.

Fantasy Island is a movie with terribly written characters, whose actors somewhat save the quality of the film, but not enough to overlook the lazy writing. The plot, which felt like had many plot twists, made even the supernatural element of the island uninteresting. Overall I recommend for this movie to not be taken seriously and to wait for the film to be on streaming services. Thank you all for reading and I’ll see you in the next film!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog, where we discuss: Movies, Actors, Cinematography, and most of all…. Popcorn. All stomach aches aside, let me introduce you to myself and what got me into making this blog about movies in the first place. My name is Ty Cox, I currently go to college where I am studying to become a film critic. I’ve been watching movies for as long as I can remember, especially the early Disney classics which I feel is the main driving factor, because Disney had a special magic, if you will, that filled many kids (including mine) with imagination. With my parent’s divorce, movies offered an escape from reality and into a world that had a living, breathing atmosphere that you just don’t see in everyday life. Movies have been with me every step of the way, and they plan to stay that way well into the future. Some of my favorite childhood movies are: Dumb and Dumber, The Benchwarmers, and The Mummy (1999). And yes I know those movies were poorly reviewed by critics and yes I know that those weren’t exactly children movies, but they were in heavy rotation in my household. I want to explore my knowledge of movies and film in this blog as well as entertain. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I do notice the structure of movies and how they build into something worthwhile or a funny waste of time, which is fun to pick apart. I hope to inspire my audience to look behind the scenes with all movies and to appreciate the craft of film as a whole. I plan to also start a YouTube channel to review films because of the great film community that resides there. This blog however, will receive my reviews here first before YouTube, so definitely check here first for the early reviews. I am very excited to see where this blog goes and I can’t wait to review for you soon. I will also link my Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to provide updates and other content. Stay tuned!