The Bearded Trio

Brad’s April Escape - Part 19 April 29 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Each weekday this month, I’ll screen a film from The Bearded Trio Cinematic Universe and list 10 random scenes, characters, musical cues or performances that I particularly enjoy and look forward to upon every viewing. I’d love to hear similar little things you enjoy about these films, and hope you join me in this escape from the present-day world. Next up is the final entry in the Skywalker Saga, coming out on Disney+ next week, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The Rise of Skywalker - An Introduction This was it. The last film in the Skywalker Saga was finally upon us, just a few short months ago. The story of Rey, Finn and Poe came to a conclusion in a film that can only be described as "big." Big settings, big stakes for our characters, big implications on the rest of the saga. I'll be up front with this - the sequel trilogy, as a whole, did not resonate ...

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Sapeny, Rinko Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Ariona, Zhang Jin and Charlie Day Story by Steven S. DeKnight and T.S. Nowlin Based on characters created by Travis Beacham Screenplay by Emily Carmichael and Kira Snyder and Steven S. DeKnight & T.S. Nowlin Directed by  Steven S. DeKnight   Out of Four Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) and his Jaeger are ready for action. (Images Courtesy Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures) 2013's Pacific Rim is one of those films that either really works for you or doesn't work at all, and it doesn't seem like there's a lot of in between. For the crowd that doesn't get it, it's important to point out that it came out in a summer made up of films ranging from so-so to terrible:  Man of Steel, World War Z, After Earth and The Lone Ranger. Let's face it : even the most the most satisfying and well reviewed films like  Star Trek Into Darkne...

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Starring Mark Hamill,  Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyon'go, Domnhall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran,  Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro Written and Directed by Rian Johnson Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs & Paul Gibbs   Out of Four A couple of years ago, in theaters not at all far away, Star Wars: The Force Awaken s took the entertainment world by storm by bringing the beloved franchise back to its place as the hottest property on the planet (Earth) and becoming the highest grossing film of all time worldwide. For some, it was much needed apology for the lackluster prequels, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, some dismissed it as merely a point by point rehash of  A New Hope. We can honestly say that   we sympathize with both feelings, but ultimately do not subscribe to either point of view (you're going to find that a great ma...

DETROIT Starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jack Reynor, Jason Mitchell, Kaitlyn Dever,  Samira Wiley,  John Krasinski and Anthony Mackie Written by Mark Boal Directed by Kathryn Bigelow  Out of Four W hen a white man directs a great film, or a hit film, they are just a director, representing themselves. But this year we've seen hype about Patty Jenkins getting the record for biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman, and F. Gary Gray get attention for the highest grossing opening weekend for a film from a black director. Why do we do this? Why must Patty Jenkins represent all female directors instead of just herself? Why must F. Gary Gray represent all black directors? Why must Kathryn Bigelow represent all of James Cameron's ex-wives? Even though it's only early August, Detroi t appears to be a shoe in for a Best Picture nomination (and a front runner to win.). Of course, if Bigelow wins, she'll be the sec...

It is April 1st as I write this. The Force Awakens has been out for about three and a half months and it was released digitally at midnight. I have seen the movie nine times in theaters. The hype has began to lessen. My wife and I go to stores and she'll point to a display area and say "this used to be all Star Wars." We shake our heads and say "the end of the era." The hype leading up to and during the Force Awakens' run was pretty monumental. You could not go anywhere without being inundated with Star Wars items. This is hardly a new experience, as the hype leading up to the Phantom Menace (which was even larger with good reason, it being the first Star Wars film in sixteen years) is  well documented . But this time Disney was leading the parade and that is a clear difference maker. The marketing campaign was overwhelming for some, especially non-enthusiasts, but never got to me too much. Mostly I was simply over the moon about a new Star Wars movie. I ...