THE DANMAN CAN

Extra-Terrestrially Close Encounters Of The Minority Report Kind Steven Spielberg Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

A minor nitpick to get out of the way up front (I mentioned this in my review of 2022's  Jurassic World Dominion )—it really bothers me that there is no colon in the title of Jurassic World Rebirth (2025). I don't understand why one wasn't used (besides these last two, the other  Jurassic Park   film titles that necessitate colons contain them) and I am of the firm opinion that one should have been. Oddly enough, IMDb does  use colons in its listings for both Dominion and  Rebirth (as they should), but I don't believe those are the "official" titles. I don't get it and I don't like it. Anyway... Rebirth  is a perfectly entertaining action/adventure/dino movie. It's well-shot, straightforward, and the characters are just fine. It delivered what I expected from the sixth sequel in this franchise. It's nothing special, but I had a good time. Jurassic Park  Franchise Films Ranked

Less convoluted and labyrinthine on a rewatch, Steven Soderbergh 's  Black Bag   (2025) is a fun, funny, stylish, and sexy spy thriller. Steven Soderbergh  Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Another solid effort from  Steven Soderbergh . I can't say that any of his films from the last decade have blown me away (2017's  Logan Lucky   ( review ) is a ton of fun though), but I love that he continues to experiment.  Presence   (2024) is no exception. It provides a unique take on a haunted house story that plays more as a family drama (kudos to  David Koepp 's screenplay). Some of the acting leaves a bit to be desired, but this is interesting work regardless and held up fine on a rewatch. The fact that Soderbergh shot, directed, and edited the film is commendable and it's exciting to see a filmmaker of his calibre and renown fluctuate between big budget popcorn entertainment and smaller scale movies like this that mix veteran actors with newcomers. Steven Soderbergh  Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

A bit convoluted and labyrinthine in its plot mechanics, but  Steven Soderbergh 's Black Bag   (2025) is a fun, funny, stylish, and sexy spy thriller. Steven Soderbergh  Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

" Get the fuck out of my house! " David Fincher Feature Films Ranked

Another solid effort from  Steven Soderbergh . I can't say that any of his films from the last decade have blown me away (2017's  Logan Lucky   ( review ) is a ton of fun though), but I love that he continues to experiment. Presence (2024) is no exception. It provides a unique take on a haunted house story that plays more as a family drama (kudos to David Koepp 's screenplay as well). Some of the acting leaves a bit to be desired, but this is an interesting work regardless. The fact that Soderbergh shot, directed, and edited the film is commendable and it's exciting to see a filmmaker of his calibre and renown fluctuate between big budget popcorn entertainment and smaller scale movies like this that mix veteran actors with newcomers. Steven Soderbergh  Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

In 1998 both actor  Nicolas Cage  and director  Brian De Palma  were at high points in their career, success-wise—De Palma with his prior film, the hugely popular and financially lucrative  Mission: Impossible  (1996) ( review ), and Cage having recently starred in three action blockbusters:  The Rock   (1996),  Con Air   (1997) ( review ), and  Face/Off  (1997). Snake Eyes  (1998) is undoubtedly entertaining, contains all the usual De Palma visual trademarks (split diopter shots, split screen, a very impressively long tracking shot just after the opening credits), and despite the fact that it contains the talent behind and in front of the camera that it does, it rings a bit hollow. The filmmaking is incredibly slick and there's a lot of dazzling editing. De Palma taps into his typical bag of  Hitchcock  worship, but  Snake Eyes  largely plays as his version of  Kurosawa 's  Rashomo...

I remember seeing the trailer for  Death Becomes Her   (1992) many times around the time it was released and I was familiar with much of the imagery, but I somehow only watched it for the first time three years ago. In 1992 I didn't know that it was made by the same director as the  Back To The Future  trilogy  (reviews  here ,  here , and  here ) and  Who Framed Roger Rabbit  (1988) ( review ). What a fun movie—so up my alley in so many ways.  Meryl Streep  and  Goldie Hawn  are perfect as catty but clever rivals,  Bruce Willis  is brilliant in the rare straight-up comedic role,  Isabella Rossellini  is deliciously wicked and sensual, and the at-the-time pioneering CG effects largely hold up really well (save a few scenes).  Dean Cundey 's cinematography is gorgeous, as usual, perfectly complimenting the Gothic/Art Deco production design. The body horror in  DBH  finds director...