For most movie-watching audiences Godzilla is something of a caricature representing the hokiness of Japanese giant monster cinema. Watching dudes in rubber suits awkwardly smash model buildings isn’t exactly high……
My Top 5 of 2021
Don’t know about y’all but 2021 has been a year of tremendous growth and change for myself. I quit my job back in April and started decluttering my life to……
Review: Lana Wachowski reclaims The Matrix in “Resurrections”
WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Earlier in the year, the MCU introduced one of its newest heroes to audiences everywhere in “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.” The film, based……
Review: “No Way Home” is Fun Nostalgia Bait
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead Earlier in the year, I watched the sequel/reboot of the 1990s kids classic “Space Jam.” “A New Legacy,” as it was called, starred LeBron James this time……
Sam Raimi’s “Spider-man” is both Dated and Refreshing
It might not feel like it, but Sam Raimi’s original “Spider-man” will be 20 years old by May of 2022. It feels like a short time ago in some ways……
My Top 5 Favorite Characters
WARNING: Some spoilers for these characters ahead if you haven’t seen them. Growing up I was always known as a bit of a space case. My teachers would often take……
Review: Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop” Misses on Multiple Levels
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead. A few weeks ago I had middling but also what I felt were reasonable expectations of Netflix’s “live-action” Cowboy Bebop adaptation. I never once thought this could……
Review: “The French Dispatch” Tells At Least One Great Story
Wes Anderson is definitely one of the most unique directors working in Hollywood today. Whether you love or hate his filming style you can always tell what is and isn’t……
My Top 5 Favorite Movies
Many moons ago, I was out on a date with a girl in my senior year of college and took her out to see a movie. That movie was “Immortals”……
“Young Frankenstein”: How to tell a Sincere Story in a Funny Way
One of the things that has always irked me about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how adrift the entire franchise is in bathos. What is bathos, you might ask? Bathos……
Growing Old Sucks and So do Mummies in “Bubba Ho-Tep”
Warning: Some Spoiler Clips Ahead Each year seems to feel shorter and shorter than the last as we get older. This isn’t too surprising, of course. When we really stop……
“Princess Mononoke’s” Pacificism is Admirable but a bit Naive
If there is one film that describes director Hayao Miyazaki’s entire ethos and philosophy the most, it’s probably “Princess Mononoke.” The film showcases Miyazaki’s love of nature and spirituality in……
How Martial Arts and Identity Merge in “The Matrix”
A few years back I was wrapping up a session at karate practice when one of my senseis brought me to the side to speak with me. I had done……
“Shang Chi” and Hollywood “Representation”
When I first started this blog a few years ago my initial goal was to give the pop culture community a new Asian American voice and perspective, I felt it……
Review: Evangelion Finally Gets Its Closure in “Thrice Upon a Time”
WARNING: Some spoilers ahead. Roughly 24 years ago, “End of Evangelion” was released as somewhat of a giant middle finger to the fans by creator Hideaki Anno. After receiving tons……
Review: “The Green Knight” asks “What are you afraid of?”
About a week before I graduated college, my fraternity (yes, I was in a frat) held an event called Senior Couch Night. It’s a semesterly party where brothers come together……
“Starship Troopers”: You’re Not Immune to Propaganda
Not sure how many you remember the early 2000s, but I remember it now as the era our news media truly became the powerful, manipulative engine that it is today.……
“The Grandmaster”: Life, Martial Arts, and Living with our Regrets
One of my biggest fears these days is what kind of legacy am I going to leave behind. When I’m old and can no longer move around as I used……
Hollywood and the Pentagon: A love story
Trigger warning: Discussion of war crimes and some disturbing images ahead… One of the better later season Simpsons jokes comes in an episode called “New Boys on the Blecch” in……
“Megalo Box 2: Nomad” is a beautiful gut-punch
Warning: Some spoilers ahead. 2018’s “Megalo Box” came out at a time when I felt personally unfulfilled and desperate to reach out for my true potential. My passions in both……