KGB Productions

And now for something different.  My son who is a big fan of Fallout wrote his first review, so he would be best to judge the series and how it played to him.  Take it away Kris: For as long as I can remember, I have been a die-hard fan of the Fallout video game franchise. I mean that as in I legitimately don’t remember how or when I became a Fallout fan but I was hooked immediately. I played Fallout 3 first before moving on to New Vegas and Fallout 4 once it was released. I even went back and played the original 2 games in 2018. Over the years my views on Fallout as a franchise and Bethesda as a whole began to shift, but that is a story for another time. But I still love those games and I still replay 3 and New Vegas often. When a show for the franchise was announced, I was skeptical for a few reasons, the primary reason being I was concerned about the show’s setting, being the ruins of Los Angeles, interfering with the established lore of the first two games of the series ...

What can I say if your into the monster verse & love those old time Toho studio films you'll love "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire".  But I think even if you're not a fan you'll enjoy this film.  In this film we have a team up, and what a team up it is.  Godzilla and Kong doing their thing.  Here they must defeat the evil ape Scar & his pet who is controlled by Scar, and it's up to Godzilla to help along with Kong. The movie opens up the monster-verse and makes it bigger.  We the audience learn more about hollow earth and its lore, and it's a great jumping off point film for more adventures with our cast of characters.  Is this a film that says something and why does it exists, and all I can say is the film exists for pure entertainment value, and for the kid inside of all of us.  This film is about the monsters, and it is us humans who are caught in the middle of it.  Godzilla is the protector of the earth.  That means he protects it...

The question is why I haven't seen this film till now, and that's on me I guess. With the newer film coming out this week-end I thought it was time to watch Afterlife before going to see " Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire ".  And after catching it on  FX2  I was pleasantly surprised, and really loved this film.  Having been a fan of the old series I enjoyed seeing them when they came out in 1984 and 1989.  I was in college and going to film school and the films had a definitive impact on me & that's because of Ivan Reitman the director.  His incorporation of comedic elements and drama were what made the films so successful.  Plus he was working with legends such as Bill Murray ,  Harold Ramis , and Dan Aykroyd all legends in the comedy field.  Successful movies are made by sheer tenacity, a bit of luck, and talent all coming together to create that lightning in a bottle.  The Ghostbuster franchise did that in the 80's, and all who worked ...

Michael Keaton's film "Knox Goes Away" is a modern film noir of a hitman losing his mind to a disease while finishing one last job.  To say it is a exceptional film would be an understatement.  The film is Keatons's second directorial debut, and it's a stunning film noir of a hitman losing his battle with dementia.   The film also stars Marsha Gay Harden, and Al Pacino in two smaller roles that shine in this film.  It just opened this Friday and I rushed to see it because Keaton is such a fine actor.  But what he is too is a better director.  The performances in the film are top notch and one that really show their talent.  Keaton himself is fabulous as well.  His expressive face say's all, and Keaton lets the performers do their thing without hinderance.  The acting flows naturally,  and you can tell Keaton knows how to get good performances from his actors.  Being an actor helps and in this film we see that less is more....

 So it's been forever since seeing Dune: Part One , but I was excited to see the conclusion & I was not disappointed, but was not satisfied.  I'll try and explain if I can.  I first read Dune the novel in high school.   I was a sci-fi nerd, and was engrossed in the novel.  A novel that had it's own glossary to explain different words meaning.  Herbert created a universe that was so inhabited by different houses which competed against each other and who were divided by their specialities they provided for the empire.  It was a complex and fascinating read.  Unlike anything that I had ever read before.  I would re-read the novel again in 1984 when David Lynch released his film Dune .  I had very mixed feelings about the film.  It was it's own unique film to say the least.  A total Lynch film for sure, and there are things in the film that were a bit over the top, but kind of reflected the novel.   Now flash for...

It seems that Godzilla Minus One is slaying it's competition at the box office since it was released in December.  But unlike other films this film has been gaining steam and not losing its momentum.  Toho Company the studio that released the film and also the licensee for all things Godzilla has announced a release of Godzilla Minus One in black & white on January 26th for a week.  The studio is releasing it to the fans and saying thank-you to its audiences for making the film a success.  Audiences are slowly coming around and watching the movie, which is breaking various box office records for a foreign film.  The fi lm is a powerful fil m about regret, war, and guilt as well as a monster movie.  What the original film in 1954 was about was a warning about nuclear proliferation & what we as humans are doing to the earth.  It rings true in 1954 and in 2024.  With global warming becoming more, and more evident the film has found it's audi...

Me and the Misses went to see " My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 " the other evening.  I am a fan of the original film, and do have some love for the second one, but this film felt different.  I love the characters, and I loved the story.  The fact that the original film was an indie film hit that took Hollywood by surprise is kind of a cool, which reinforces William Goldman's theory "that Hollywood knows nothing".  Nia Vardalos is a favorite of mine, and she has some really great comedic chops. Ms Vardalous is the writer of these films and she based them on her growing up, and her family, so it feels personal, which are the films strength. The first one is a gem, and the second is cute, and well done.  But the third seems forced.  Right from the beginning we know something is different as pictures of the actors Michael Constantine & Bruce Gray   fade to black & white.  The two actors passed away in both 2021 & 2017, and it feels fitting ...

My son & I went to see The Meg 2 awhile back.  Try and find it in theaters now and you'll have a problem, but no matter soon you can catch it streaming soon.  We got free tickets to it, and so like anyone whose watching their wallets these days we went.  To say that we enjoyed ourselves is an understatement.  Was the film predictable?, was it formulaic?, and was it what you expected?  I have to say yes only instead of just one Meg there are now three, and oh let's not forget the big octopus.  Plus a whole lot of amphibious type creatures that pop up more then once & eat people.  The film is a Chinese/ American co-production, so the Chinese are the good guys and believe in saving the earth.  Jason Statham is sort of an eco-warrior of sorts, and in the beginning we see him bust some evil capitalistic polluters who are dumping radioactive waste into the sea illegally.  But hey that's just the beginning.  Eventually we're back at th...

So not long ago I went to see Oppenheimer.  I confess I did not see it in the biggest screen as all the advertisements and reviews said you should see it.  I did not feel that I missed anything, and I enjoyed the film just as it was.  Is it an interesting film about the man?  I think so, and it made me look up actual interviews of Oppenheimer that they did while he was alive. Did I think it the story was dramatized?  Yes, big time.  At 3 hours the film is a tour de force in patience, and a bit in dramatic license, yet I enjoyed the film and was thoroughly interested in the man and that made me seek out articles & interviews about the man. The film is smartly directed by Christopher Nolan who is a a decent director, and knows how to direct actors.  Cillian Murphy is exceptional, and should get nominated for a his performance, as well as the supporting actors in the film such as Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey.  Even Gary Oldman puts ...

Living is a movie out of time.  It takes place in the distant past of London in the 1950's.   Bill Nighy plays Rodney Williams a British civil service who receives a grim diagnosis, which changes his view on everything.  The one thing he questions is if he has lived a good life.  A life rich in experience and friends, and he comes to the conclusion that he hasn't and that change can happen, and redemption is possible. Bill Nighy is fantastic in the part, and he gives a quiet performance in this movie.  We are thrust into the characters dilemma early in the movie and the director Oliver Hermanus doesn't waste anytime in getting us familiar with the characters of the film.  I have always liked Bill Nighy's performances no matter what movie he is in.  He does a wonderful haunting performance of Rodney Williams.   The film makes you feel the monotony of Rodney routine.  It is his diagnosis that tips him into the so called pool of life ...

The film Megan is a sci-fi/horror film with a lot of dark humor, which makes the movie so interesting to watch.  I had to say this was not on my radar to see.  I thought maybe one day on cable or streaming, but my youngest wanted to see it and so I was game.  I'm glad I did see this and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was.  I should also say seeing this at he movies was a treat.  The direction, the cinematography, and the whole feel of the film gave me an appreciation of this film that I would not have gotten otherwise. To label this a horror film would be a mistake.  It has horror elements in it but it's science fiction more than anything else with a dash of horror.  I do like that the film takes the old Frankenstein myth and updates it to the digital era.  I think because of this the film is a better for it.  The graphic violence is played off screen which works.  If you're a gore hound you will be disappointed, but it does not ...

                                               Empire of the Ligh t directed by Sam Mende s is a brilliant film about the cinema and what it means to us.  It's a love story of sorts between us the audience and what the cinema does for us & it is a love story between the two characters both struggling with their own problems.  I have to say here that I adore this film, and I am biased about it.  Its a very emotional film about how the cinema transports us out of our reality, and the way it magically does so.  Olivia Colman as Hilary is amazing and she should be nominated for another Oscar.  Ms Colman is brilliant as a women with mental health issues brought on by her past.  She shines as she descends into a schizophrenic break and we cannot feel but sympathy for her character as she descends into depression & her delusions.  ...

 The beginning of "The Fabelmans" starts with the family taking young Sammy to the cinema.  Apparently it was the director Steven Spielberg's first film that he saw with his mom & dad.  Throughout the film the movie shows how Spielberg became fascinated with moviemaking became a skillful storyteller.   I am familiar with Spielberg's career and throughout the years he has given many interviews about his growing up & making movies in his teens.   In fact it was a photo of him shooting a miniature of a spacecraft that made me interested in filmmaking.  A good documentary to see if you have time is literally named " Spielberg ".   It is the most definitive documentary about Spielberg & his family.  It is on HBO Max and it is longer than the film the Fabelmans by about 17 minutes.  The film "the Fabelmans takes some liberties on Spielberg's origin story as I call it, and I had no problem with that.  After all this i...