Random Movie Birb

The Florida Project Starring: Brooklyn Prince, Willem Dafoe, and Bria Vinaite Directed By: Sean Baker US Release Date: October 6th, 2017 My First Viewing: February 18th, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Within the shadows of the happiest place on Earth, The Florida Project  shows the not-so-glitzy side of Orlando and living near Disney.  The film shows the perspective of kids (led by Brooklyn Prince's Mooney) growing up near the theme park in the grimy pay-by-week motels. Bria Vinaite plays Mooney's mother, someone who will do anything to ensure she can provide for her kid and make sure they keep the roof over their head. As the movie progresses, we see her level of desperation increase, and this becomes just as much her story in the second half as it is Mooney's in the first. Both are breakout stars in the movie, which also gets a great supporting piece in veteran actor Willem Dafoe playing the hotel manager.  Sean Baker (who also wrote the film), gives an a

The Cloverfield Paradox Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo Directed By: Julius Onah US Release Date (Netflix): February 4th, 2018 My First Viewing: February 14th, 2018 Image Credit: joblo.com The third film in the Cloverfield  franchise, The Cloverfield Paradox, was first advertised during the first quarter of Super Bowl LII, saying it would be exclusively on Netflix "very soon". Turns out, very soon was at the end of the game. Keeping with the "show don't tell" advertising campaign of its predecessors, 2008's Cloverfield, and 2016's "sequel" 10 Cloverfield Lane, this is becoming much less of a franchise and more of an extended universe.  Originally titled God Particle, The Cloverfield Paradox  follows a team of astronauts (the crew including Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oleyowo, Daniel Brühl, and Ziyi Zhang), are trying to come up with a solution to Earth's impending energy crisis. When one of the experiments goes wrong, the

Black Panther Starring: Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan Directed By: Ryan Coogler US Release Date: February 17th, 2018 My First Viewing: February 16th, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com 2018's first MCU offering this year is Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman as the title character, reprising his role first introduced in Captain America: Civil War.  Like all of the MCU films dating back to Iron Man  back in 2008, the visual effects are absolutely stunning. The story contains the right amount of humor (with plenty of laugh out loud moments), and Michael B. Jordan is great as the villain Killmonger. Typically the MCU has a villain problem, but this is more on the Loki side of good than the typical Marvel baddie.  Does it follow a lot of the standard MCU tropes, especially for stand-alone origin films? Yes, but that's okay. With this movie, it's all about the ride, and it's a fun one. This film is giving so many great young African-American actor

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller Director: Stephen Chbosky US Release Date: September 21, 2012 Most Recent Viewing: February 10th, 2018 image credit: fanpop.com Trying to maneuver your way through high school can be a daunting task. For freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman), he begins the countdown to graduation on day one, 1,305 days and counting. The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows Charlie through his first year of high school, making friends, finding love, and dealing with personal issues that can be devastating for anyone, much less a 15-year-old.  Lerman, Miller, and Watson (the latter two play step-siblings Patrick and Sam) have great chemistry, with supporting cast members Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Paul Rudd, Nina Dobrev, and Mae Whitman make for a great ensemble. This is a must-see for anyone, showing that while high school can be rough, there is a light of the end of the tunnel, and it is infinite.  The Perks of