Author: julie

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How Does “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Move Forward from Devastating Loss?

How does a filmmaker like Ryan Coogler and a franchise like Black Panther move forward from the devastating loss of it’s iconic star? The answer appears to be shakily.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11th, just two years after Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death and his absence is felt in every frame. The entire cast fights their hardest to make up for that loss, none more so than Letitia Wright as Shuri, his brilliant sister and heir-apparent. She punches her way through the script but seems to be carrying the weight of box-office expectations along with her sorrow. Writer/Director Ryan Coogler throws everything he can think of at the plot, which results in a 161 minute long film that often loses focus and spends too little time with Wakanda itself. He also introduces a new “threat” that never seems very threatening in terms of world-domination.

So no, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not as good as Black Panther. How could it be? It’s an impossible ask of Ryan Coogler, who lost not only a seminal character but also a dear friend. How do you write a story that properly moves the Black Panther franchise forward while honoring Chadwick Boseman and regarding the grief of his cast-mates and friends? I guess you simply do the best you can and I respect Ryan Coogler and all involved for the enormous effort they’ve given.

See Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for the incredible tribute it pays to T’Challa and to Chadwick Boseman. See it for the always incredible Angela Bassett and Lupita Nyong’o, and to honor the grit and passion of Letitia Wright. Most importantly, see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever because, though imperfect, it is vastly necessary. The film, franchise and everyone involved has suffered an unimaginable loss. This is their first step forward on shaky but committed legs. They may never have another Chadwick Boseman or T’Challa, but Wakanda Forever is a step away from the pain and towards greatness again.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens November 11th and is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language.

/ julie

Free Screening of “The Greatest Beer Run Ever”

Who’s up for a FREE MOVIE tonight? Because I have passes to a free screening of The Greatest Beer Run Ever, starring Zac Efron, Russell Crowe and Bill Murray! It’s from Director Peter Farrelly (Green Book, Dumb and Dumber) and tells the true story of John “Chickie” Donohoe, who risked his life to deliver beers to his buddies fighting in Vietnam. Click HERE to grab your passes (they’re for TONIGHT, September 20th), then watch the trailer below. You can also click HERE to read about the real Chickie Donohoe, who actually pulled this off!

/ julie

JSS Movie Minute: “Where the Crawdads Sing” Review & the Controversy Surrounding its Author (also “Black Bird” & “The Old Man”)

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Hot July Movies (& a “Thor: Love and Thunder” Review) on “Good Morning Texas”

July Movies

I was on Good Morning Texas today, talking about all the biggest movies opening this month. I had reviews for Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: Rise of Gru and Where the Crawdads Sing, plus a preview of the most anticipated film of the year, Nope. Click HERE to watch the segment, then watch the latest trailer for Nope below!

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JSS Movie Minute: “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Stranger Things 4 (Vol. 2),” “Hustle,” “The Terminal List,” and “God’s Favorite Idiot”

It’s the beginning of the month (plus Julie and Rebekah have been on vacation) and there are SO many new shows to catch up on! This week, we share our thoughts on Thor: Love and Thunder, The Terminal List, Hustle, God’s Favorite Idiot and many more while also telling you about some highly rated shows to watch! Remember to find earlier reviews at JulieSaysSo.com and to check the Free Movie Passes page to see what we’re giving away! Also, check out the trailer for Black Bird below. It debuts on Apple+ Friday July 8th and is still getting high marks on Rotten Tomatoes!

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RAPID REVIEW- “Thor: Love and Thunder” Suffers from Its Own Director

Thor: Love and Thunder finds the Norse god at a major crossroads in his life. Without a battle to fight or love to follow, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is listless and lost. His ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is inexplicably drawn to New Asgard during her own personal struggle and together they must battle a new threat who plans to murder all of the Gods. 

Thor: Love and Thunder has two main issues working against it. 

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See “Where the Crawdads Sing” Early & For Free (Reserved Seats)

If you’re a fan of the 2018 novel Where the Crawdads Sing, you were probably thrilled to learn that Reese Witherspoon’s production company was bringing it to the big screen. Covid threatened to sideline production but the film adaptation (starring Daisy Edgar-Jones) finally hits theaters July 15th. Even better, I have 5 pairs of passes to see it EARLY and FOR FREE on July 13th! These are reserved seats, meaning you won’t have to get there early and wait in line, so they will go quickly! Simply tell me who wrote Where the Crawdads Sing in the “Comments” below. The first 5 who answer correctly will score the tickets. Good luck everyone! Take a minute to watch the Where the Crawdads Sing trailer below and to hear Taylor Swift’s Carolina, which she wrote just for the film.

/ julie

JSS Movie Minute: “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Stranger Things: Season 4,” “Obi Wan Kenobi” & “I Love That For You”

We covered some great streaming shows in this episode of the JSS Movie Minute, like the latest season of Stranger Things, Barry, Obi Wan Kenobi and Julie’s new favorite show, I Love That for You. Julie also has some pretty strong opinions about Jurassic World Dominion. Remember to find earlier episode at JulieSaysSo.com and to look through the films available on the Free Movie Passes page! And take a look below at this week’s trailer for the new horror flick, The Menu.