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1 week ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
In the same way that I find that some take what Wes Anderson delivers in his films for granted, I’m sure I’m idealizing his process. Making reasonably budgeted features with attractive ensemble casts, as far as studios are concerned, that get in and out in under two hours must feel like some sort of relief for a filmmaker who has seemingly never compromised on their proposed vision.
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2 weeks ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
Not unlike the results of some of Stitch’s use of items as projectiles, talking about some of the same points involving live-action Disney remakes makes me sound like a broken record. Lilo & Stitch was a curious choice for me to see come up, as the film is fairly recent compared to other Disney cash grabs remakes (don’t get me started on the upcoming Moana remake).
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3 weeks ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
One of my favorite line readings in the entire Mission: Impossible film series comes from one of its more derided entries, 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2. When Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt dares to question the challenge of his upcoming task, Anthony Hopkins’ Mission Commander Swanbeck replies, “Well, this is not mission difficult, Mr. Hunt, it’s mission impossible.” It would be a silly line were it not delivered with such skill, but it was also spoken about something relatively straightforward.
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1 month ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
When asked to name the directors whose latest films I want to see instantly, it’s a prompt that doesn’t elicit much reaction from me, as I am happy to see so many different filmmakers’ work. Now, when considering true event filmmakers, the directors who are just as likely as the stars to bring in the audiences, there really only are a handful. Right now, coming alongside the Nolans and Tarantinos, I think there’s a good argument to make for Ryan Coogler.
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2 months ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
It feels like Jason Statham is one of our only true modern A-list action stars who is not burdened by holding that title. Statham seems content with staying in a lane that suits him, not concerning himself with sequels that have to up the ante on previous entries, or letting age get to him (as long as he comes out with barely a scratch on him). It also feels like he must have been thrilled to bring together his friends Sylvester Stallone and David Ayer for A Working Man.
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2 months ago | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Scott Menzel
Back in 2018, A Simple Favor surprised pretty much everyone, including director Paul Feig. The well-reviewed film was a decent box office hit, and a few years later, it gained a whole new life thanks to streaming. While a sequel was never initially planned, the modest box office success combined with the film’s resurgence on streaming led to Another Simple Favor being greenlit. I want to begin my review by saying that I was thoroughly surprised by how much I loved A Simple Favor.
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Mar 4, 2025 | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
It’s been a long wait to see director Bong Joon-ho deliver a follow-up to his Oscar-winning film Parasite, but it was worth it. Mickey 17 may not feel like a new direction for anyone familiar with the filmmaker’s work, but that’s hardly an issue when watching one of the great modern filmmakers being handed a sizable budget to make a gleefully cynical science fiction comedy.
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Sep 26, 2024 | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
Passion projects and gambling on one’s self is not new for Oscar-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Megalopolis is his largest directorial effort in over two decades, and it’s been made thanks to a sizable investment on his own part. The results? Well, an ambitious, epic sci-fi drama coming from a director who has always been willing to push boundaries and stray from easy choices, there’s little doubt the film won’t prove to be divisive. Challenging, sure, but easily accepted by audiences?
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Sep 12, 2024 | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Aaron Neuwirth
If there’s a commonality shared between most films focused on assassins, butchers, hitmen, and other professional killers, it’s how much they lean into the absurdity. Whether they take a dramatic angle that places you in the mind of a morally flexible contract killer or something more broadly observed antics of a hatchet man, there’s still this pervasive sheen of cool that has no place in reality.
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Sep 4, 2024 | 
weliveentertainment.com | Zachary Marsh |Scott Menzel
In 2019, Todd Phillips’ Joker premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The film took home the Golden Lion while becoming one of the year’s most discussed films. Even though Joker was polarizing amongst critics, the general public loved the film. In fact, Joker became the first R-rated film to ever gross over a billion dollars at the box office. It also received 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor, the latter of which it won.
