Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood's best to independent and arthouse movies.
Kansas City, Missouri USA
The quirky black comedy “The Phoenician Scheme” is the most “Wes Anderson-y” Wes Anderson movie yet. Benicio del Toro leads an all-star cast in the story of a corrupt 50’s […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Phoenician Scheme” (PG-13), “Bring Her Back” (R), “Lulu is a Rhinoceros” (TV-Y7) appeared first on KKFI.
Move over “Barbenheimer,” it’s time for the “Stitch Impossible” weekend. The live-action remake of Disney’s 2002 animated hit “Lilo & Stitch” has landed on Earth, with our fugitive alien befriending […] The post Freeze Frame: “Lilo and Stitch” (PG), “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (PG-13), “Fountain of Youth” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, stars along with Jenna Ortega in the artsy and very dark musical drama, “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” Tesfaye wrote the script along with Reza […] The post FREEZE FRAME: “Hurry Up Tomorrow” (R), “Murderbot” (TV-MA), “Octopus!” (Not rated) appeared first on KKFI.
Whether or not the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust” should have been released at all is a question for another time. Now available on streaming on demand platforms, the controversial Western […] The post Freeze Frame: “Rust” (R), “Fight or Flight” (R), “Clown in a Cornfield” (R), “Nonnas” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
Nicholas Cage gives yet another gonzo performance in “The Surfer,” an Australian production inspired by and modeled on 70s-era exploitation movies. Cage returns to the beach of his childhood to […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Surfer” (R), “Another Simple Favor” (R), “Bullet Train Explosion” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
In the action thriller “The Accountant 2,” Ben Affleck is back as the autistic savant money launderer and crime fighter…just go with it…who’s trying to solve a murder. He recruits […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Accountant 2” (R), “On Swift Horses” (R), “Havoc” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
“The Wedding Banquet” is a remake, or rather a reimagining of the popular 1993 gay rom com of the same name. Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone lead the cast in […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Wedding Banquet” (R), “Sneaks” (PG), “The Dark Money Game” (TV-MA) appeared first on KKFI.
Oscar winner Rami Malek stars in a tight and smart throwback spy movie, “The Amateur.” Malek plays a meek and mild CIA computer analyst and decoder whose wife is murdered […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Amateur” (R), “Sacramento” (R), “The Luckiest Man in America” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Don't be fooled by the deceptive advertising. The big dog movie “The Friend” with Naomi Watts and Bill Murray is NOT a family friendly comedy. It's an R-rated drama about […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Friend” (R), “Freaky Tales” (R), “MobLand” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
You can chalk up the comic horror thriller “Death of a Unicorn” as a near miss. Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega play a father and daughter who hit a unicorn […] The post Freeze Frame: “Death of a Unicorn” (R), “A Working Man” (R), “Number One on the Call Sheet” (TV-MA), “Holland” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Maybe the best thing to say about the controversial live-action revision of the Disney’s classic “Snow White” is that it’s not nearly as bad as feared. Rachel Zegler is a […] The post Freeze Frame: “Snow White” (PG), “Locked” (R), “The Twister: Caught in the Storm” (Not rated), “The Electric State” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Want a spy thriller with a little meat on its decadent bones? A first rate cast lights up the screen in Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag,” a twisty tale of duplicity. […] The post Freeze Frame: “Black Bag” (R), “Novocaine” (R), “Rule Breakers” (PG), “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
Director Paul W. S. Anderson scored big at the box office with his “Resident Evil” franchise. That same excessive visual style is on display with “In the Lost Lands,” an […] The post “In the Lost Lands” (R), “The Rule of Jenny Pen” (R), “Plankton: The Movie” (TV-PG) appeared first on KKFI.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has stepped into yet another role, movie producer. His production company has released a new film that is much better than its awkward […] The post Freeze Frame: “My Dead Friend Zoe” (R), “Riff Raff” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
The Apple TV+ movie “The Gorge” is half of a really solid sci-fi thriller. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy are fine in this high concept horror flick about two highly […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Gorge” (PG-13), “Kinda Pregnant” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
The Brazilian political drama “I'm Still Here” from acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles is a nominee for this year's Best International Feature Oscar. Fernanda Torres has already won a Golden Globe […] The post Freeze Frame: “I’m Still Here” (PG-13), “Heart Eyes” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star in the high-concept sci-fi romance, “Love Me.” Long after mankind has destroyed itself, two remaining AI entities, a smart buoy and a satellite, begin […] The post Freeze Frame: “Love Me” (R), “Dog Man” (PG), “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (PG-13), “You’re Cordially Invited” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
There have been multiple films about the tragic massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The tense drama “September 5” tells the story from the perspective of the […] The post Freeze Frame: “September 5” (R), “Flight Risk” (R), “Star Trek: Section 31” (PG-13), “Brave the Dark” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
The Golden Globe-winning drama “The Brutalist” is half of a great movie. The first half. In Brady Corbet’s 3 1/2-hour epic, Adrian Brody excels as a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Brutalist” (R), “Nickel Boys” (R), “Wolf Man” (R), “Back in Action” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Pop star Robbie Williams is a major artist in the UK. But Williams suffers from so much self-loathing that in his musical autobiography “Better Man”, he portrays himself…as an ape. […] The post Freeze Frame: “Better Man” (R), “The Last Showgirl” (R), “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
Happy New Year! Time to look back at my picks for the best movies of 2024. 10) HIT MAN (R) is a snappy tongue-in-cheek thriller. Glenn Powell stars as a […] The post Freeze Frame: Russ’ Top 10 movies of 2024! appeared first on KKFI.
The early years of Bob Dylan's career are effectively depicted in “A Complete Unknown.” Timothée Chalamet captures the nuances of the enigmatic troubadour and does his own singing and playing, as do most […] The post Freeze Frame: “A Complete Unknown” (R), “Nosferatu” (R), “The Fire Inside” (PG-13), “Homestead” (PG-13), “Babygirl” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Disney once again attempts to mine gold from the Serengeti with “Mufasa: The Lion King.” This photo-realistic animated film is a prequel to “The Lion King,” telling the musical adventure […] The post Freeze Frame: “Mufasa: The Lion King” (PG), “The Six Triple Eight” (PG-13), “ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs’ Clothing” (Not rated) appeared first on KKFI.
Angelina Jolie’s stunning performance is the main draw of filmmaker Pablo Lorraine’s “Maria,” a Netflix biopic about the last tragic days in the life of famed operatic diva Maria Callas. […] The post Freeze Frame: “Maria” (R), “Queer” (R), “Kraven the Hunter” (R), “Carry On” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Every dog has its day, and Amy Adams has hers in a movie with an awful title. In “Nightbitch,” Adams plays the harried mother of a two-year-old boy. She begins […] The post Freeze Frame: “Nightbitch” (R), “The Order” (R), “Flow” (PG), “Unstoppable” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Disney goes back to the tropical well with the animated sequel, “Moana 2.” Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return as the lead voices, but it's the spectacular animation that's the real […] The post Freeze Frame: “Moana 2” (PG), “Beatles ’64” (Not rated), “Joy” (PG-13), “Our Little Secret” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Part one of the smash Broadway musical “Wicked,” the origin story of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, finally hits the big screen. Here’s the upside: It’s very entertaining and beautifully […] The post Freeze Frame: “Wicked” (PG), “Gladiator II” (R), “Bonhoeffer” (PG-13), “The Piano Lesson” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Are you looking for a Christmas movie with charm and warmth that captures the holiday spirit? If so, then the Rock’s PG-13 adventure flick “Red One” ain’t it. If you […] The post Freeze Frame: “Red One” (PG-13), “A Real Pain” (R), “Emilia Peréz” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Hugh Grant goes against type and scores as a psycho philosopher in the slow burn horror entry “Heretic.” Grant lures a pair of Mormon missionaries into an elaborate trap in his […] The post Freeze Frame: “Heretic” (R), “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (PG), “Absolution” (R), “Small Things Like These” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
Kansas City filmmaker Sav Rodgers’ documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” is a story of how Kevin Smith’s 1997 film “Chasing Amy” saved Rodger's life. Traumatized by bullies at school, Rodgers found […] The post Freeze Frame: “Chasing Chasing Amy” (Not rated), “Anora” (R), “Here” (PG-13), “Hitpig!” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
The Netflix documentary “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” is an involving film about a solitary Norwegian teenager named Mats who suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Upon his […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Remarkable Live of Ibelin” (PG-13), “Your Monster” (R), “Rumours” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
The 2022 horror hit “Smile” gets its inevitable sequel. In “Smile 2,” Naomi Scott plays a pop star haunted by a malevolent entity that causes people to kill themselves and […] The post Freeze Frame: “Smile 2” (R), “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (R), “Woman of the Hour” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
The chaotic buildup to the first episode of the classic variety series “Saturday Night Live” is the basis for filmmaker Jason Reitman’s engaging account, “Saturday Night.” A cast of largely […] The post Freeze Frame: “Saturday Night” (R), “The Apprentice” (R), “The Last of the Sea Women” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
The drama “White Bird” serves as a sequel and prequel to the movie, “Wonder,” based on the graphic novel by R. J. Palacio. Helen Mirren plays the French grandmother of […] The post Freeze Frame: “White Bird” (PG-13), “The Wild Robot” (PG), “Wolfs” (R), “Will and Harper” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Francis Ford Coppola remains one of the world’s greatest filmmakers. That’s true even though his latest effort, “Megalopolis,” is a colossally pretentious mess. Adam Driver stars in a high-concept sci-fi […] The post Freeze Frame: “Megalopolis” (R), “My Old Ass” (R), “Apartment 7A” (R), “Lee” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Three strong performances provide a solid foundation for the Netflix drama, “His Three Daughters.” Carrie Coogan, Natasha Leone and Elizabeth Olsen play disconnected sisters who gather together as their father […] The post Freeze Frame: “His Three Daughters” (R), “The Substance” (R), “Transformers One” (PG) appeared first on KKFI.
Graphically violent action comedies just keep popping up, with over-the-top stunt work inspired by movies like “The Kingsman” and “John Wick.” It takes a deft touch to pull these movies […] The post Freeze Frame: “The Killer’s Game” (R), “The Critic” (R), “Uglies” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
It’s taken 36 years, but Michael Keaton’s wisecracking demon returns to haunt supernatural TV hostess Winona Ryder in Tim Burton’s gory gothic comedy, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Surprisingly, the over-the-top farce has […] The post Freeze Frame: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (PG-13), “Across the River and Into the Trees” (Not rated) appeared first on KKFI.
The crime drama “1992” is a typical thriller but is infused with social relevance. Tyrese Gibson plays a worker at a metals plant who winds up battling thieves out to […] The post Freeze Frame: “1992” (R), “Reagan” (PG-13), “You Gotta Believe” (PG), “The Deliverance” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
After 45 years and eight previous “Alien” movies, is it possible for yet another installment to be exciting, suspenseful and fresh? In the hands of director Fede Alverez, the answer […] The post Freeze Frame: “Alien: Romulus” (R), “The Union” (PG-13), “My Penguin Friend” (PG), “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
The healing power of the arts is the focus of the moving and thoughtful drama, “Sing Sing.” Coleman Domingo is excellent, starring alongside a group of actual former inmates in […] The post Freeze Frame: “Sing Sing” (R), “Daughters” (PG-13), “Jackpot!” (R) appeared first on KKFI.
Yearning for another movie based on a video game series? If so, you still may want to avoid “Borderlands.” Director Eli Roth, best known for his gory splatter films strands […] The post Freeze Frame: “Borderlands” (R), “It Ends with Us” (PG-13), “The Instigators” (R) appeared first on KKFI.