The Quintessentialist

Top 5 Best Movies Of 2019 Great Films I Highly Suggest Seeing! Wow, another year gone and it's time for the Top 5 Best Movies Of 2019 list, I can't believe it! Alright the rules are as follows, the movie must have been in theaters this year or it must have premiered this year, and it must have scored at minimum 4/5 and I only allow myself three 5/5 movies per year from now on. I keep it simple, and you must watch every film on this list! So I know you've been waiting, and without further ado, the Top 5 Best Movies Of 2019! 5.  John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum   Another great addition to the John Wick franchise! It's not as good as the previous two films, but it's still a fun watch and I'd recommend seeing it. 4.4/5 4.  ReMastered: Devil At The Crossroads I saw this film by chance and I'm sure as hell glad I did! This is perhaps one of my favorite documentaries at the moment. An interesting piece in music history I highly recommend....

Top 5 Worst Movies Of 2019 I Forgot About A Few Of These Films Welcome back to my Top 5 Worst Movies of the year list! What a year it has been, a lot of ups and downs for film this year. I'm going to keep this brief, the rules are the movie had to either been in theaters this year, or premiered this year, and the movie must have scored below a 3/5. I like to keep things simple with my end of the year rules. So, if you want to read the review, just click on the movie's name, but I'll give a brief summary of my thoughts for each movie. Now it's time for the Top 5 Worst Movies Of 2019! 5.  Godzilla King Of The Monsters I had high hopes for this film, but what I got was a let down. I grew up watching the Godzilla films and this movie is such a let down. 2.8/5 4.  Men In Black International To be honest, I forgot this movie existed. I didn't expect much for this film going in, and I didn't get much coming out. This film will be forgotten. ...

Merry Christmas! Hey everyone! Just wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and you you all have a good time spent with loved ones. Eat some good food, spread some joy, and enjoy the day. What a year it has been, and I'm glad for another year with the blog. Merry Christmas everyone!

Rating All MCU Films So Far And a Series average review Look, I'm not a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but I will admit there are some good films. I haven't seen all of them, but I have seen most of them. Maybe someday I will write reviews for each of the films, but until then, I will use this post to give my ratings for MCU films. If I write a review for a MCU film, just click on the title of the film and it will take you to the film's review.  Phase 1 Iron Man: 4/5 The Incredible Hulk: 1/5 Iron Man 2: 3/5 Thor: 1/5 Captain America: The First Avenger: 3.5/5 Marvel's The Avengers: 3/5 Phase 2 Iron Man 3: 3/5 Thor: The Dark World: Skipped Captain America: The Winter Soldier: 3.5/5 Guardians of the Galaxy: 0.1/5 Avengers: Age of Ultron: 2.7/5 Ant-Man: 3/5 Phase 3 Captain America: Civil War: 3/5 Doctor Strange: 3/5 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Skipped Spider-Man: Homecoming :...

Penny Dreadful City Of Angels  Thoughts On The Upcoming Series I've been loosely following the upcoming sequel series to Penny Dreadful , Penny Dreadful City Of Angels. Some first look shots have come about  as of recent. It appears as though Natalie Dormer is in the cast and I'm pretty happy about that. She's a good actress and it's nice to see her in another series since Game of Thrones. Though I don't know how she will stack up against Eva Green's fantastic performance in the original series.  Just looking at these first few images, the tone of the series looks like it will be different. I'm going to go into this series with caution. I don't doubt Natalie Dormer's acting prowess, but I am concerned how the story will go moving forward. The original Penny Dreadful series did a fantastic job of blending gothic literature of Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. into one great show. I am wondering how they will blend elements into the new series sin...

Rebel Without A Cause Movie Review A Fun Classic! I saw the film, Rebel Without A Cause a little while ago, and I have to say, it's fantastic! Rebel Without A Cause follows Jim Stark ( James Dean ) as he moves into a new town. He's a guy constantly getting into trouble and when he does, his parents pack everything up and head off to the next town.  The town they just moved to, Jim is putting in an effort to do better, but his peers might push him to do other things instead. I want to start off by saying, this is the first James Dean film I've seen and man he's a great actor! It's a tragedy we lost a man of talent so young. The whole cast did a fine job with no real bad performances. The cinematography in Rebel Without A Cause is fantastic as well. The directing was very well done too. I just have to gush about how great James Dean played Jim Stark. He was so freaking fantastic as this character. I want to see his other major films now after seeing Reb...

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Just a short post today wishing you a happy holiday and hope you eat lots of good food! Sorry I haven't been posting much. If you read my post back in July  this year, you'll understand why I haven't been posting as much. My family's luck hasn't improved much and we just had a death in the family (My Grandpa's sister, who his last sibling) so it's been hard. We're trying to see the brighter part of things and enjoy the holidays. So it's just been a continuation of rotten luck. I hate making these kinds of posts, but I think you guys should know why I haven't been around very much. I want to end the year on a happy note, so check out theses posts if you haven't read them yet: Outlaw King Movie Review Silent Film Week! It Movie Review Silent Film Week! Sherlock Jr. Movie Review The Wolf Of Wall Street Movie Review The Room Movie Review These are some fun films to checkout if you haven't yet. Also...

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood Movie Review A Fantastic Heartwarming Film I just got back from seeing A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood with my dad, and I have to say, this is a great film! This film is based on a true story in 1998 when journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is assigned to do an article on Mr. Rogers (Tom Hanks). The film follows Lloyd as he writes his article while dealing with his own family issues while developing a friendship with Mr. Rogers. This is a beautiful film and probably one of my favorite performances from Tom Hanks. I didn't see much promotional material for this film going in, and I was surprised to see Matthew Rhys in this film. The music is fantastic, the acting is fantastic, and just the overall tone of the film is great! I'm going to admit something which you might not be happy about dear reader, and that is that I've never once watched Mr. Rogers show as of writing this. Yeah yeah, I know I know, I probably should hav...

Midway Movie Review  A Pretty Good Movie I went and saw the film, Midway, last night with one of my buddies. The movie was actually pretty well done. The movie Midway takes place during WWII, and it shows the events leading up to the battle of Midway and the battle itself. Midway was a pretty enjoyable film. I cannot attest to the historical accuracy of the film due to the fact I don't know much about this period. However, I will be judging this movie on a cinematic basis. The acting was good for the most part, the music was decent but repetitive, the action was well done, and the pacing was fine. The acting overall in Midway was enjoyable. I think it was a little campy at a few points but pretty solid overall. There weren't any standout performances but everyone seemed to give it there all. I didn't see much promotion for this film before going in, and I was surprised by how large of an ensemble cast this film has. Again, everyone was solid in Midway, but nothing...

The King Movie Review A Good Movie But Long I watched the movie, The King, on Netflix the other night and I have to say, it's pretty good. I will warn you though it is a bit long coming in at a 140 minute runtime, but the pacing is good for the most part. The King follows the early years of King Henry V of England. I know it's a pretty short synopsis, but hey, it's accurate. The film is based off of Shakespeare's plays on Henry V. If you're a longtime reader of this blog you might have read my feeling about Shakespeare once or twice . Setting those feelings aside, and looking at this as a historical film, it does a pretty good job. Last year I reviewed Outlaw King , another Netflix historical film, and I'm happy to see Netflix taking better care of history than most of Hollywood. There are a plethora of stories to tell, and I'm ecstatic to see historical films make a resurgence!  I will admit, I'm not sure of the historical accuracy of this...

Happy Halloween everyone! Just a simple post today for the holiday. Hope all of you eat some good candy, watch a scary movie, and have loads of fun! Nothing big today, just wanted to say Happy Halloween :) - The Quintessentialist

Judy Movie Review A Good BioPic I just got back from Seeing the new film, Judy, and it was pretty good! The movie is a little long and not what I expected, but I walked out of the theater with a smile on my face. Judy follows the later life of actress and singer, Judy Garland, as she travels to London to try and make some money to pay off her debts. She wants to spend time with her children, but cannot afford a home. Renée Zellweger did a great job playing Judy Garland! I was enthralled with her performance. The film focused in on her and showed her quirks. I love how Renée Zellweger brought Judy to life. The actress also did a fine job singing. The camera work was simple but effective for the film. They did a few really good long takes, and it worked wonders on screen. The colors of the film were a fine fit as well. The music was present, but in the background, in a good way. The film is a bit tragic. Judy Garland didn't have an easy life. It shows in the film and i...

So, you might have seen my playlist from last year , but this year I'll build upon the songs I've already had. If you're planning on throwing a Halloween party this year, check out these songs. You might just want to add a few to your playlist.

You're Next Movie Review This Is What Happens When There's One Smart Person You're Next is a pretty good horror flick. Honestly, it lived up to my expectations for the film and I'm happy about it. You're Next follows a family as their parents celebrate their wedding anniversary. But when a group of murders comes upon them, the anniversary falls into chaos. What the murders don't expect is Erin ( Sharni Vinson ), the girlfriend of one of the brothers, and she knows how to fight back. You're Next is basically what happens when you drop one smart character in a horror film. Erin is a cool character and knows how to hold her own. If I was in a horror film, I'd want her to lead the group.  The acting is a little clunky at times, but the film doesn't take itself too seriously. I think the cast didn't have the best chemistry, especially since they're supposed to be a family. Sharni Vinson is probably the one who makes this film.  ...

Joker Movie Review Overhyped But Good I just got out of seeing Joker, and it was pretty good. However, it is overhyped so prepare yourself cause this movie has been getting a lot of traction. Joker follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as his life goes from bad to worse and into a descent into madness. Joaquin Phoenix gives a fantastic performance as Arthur in Joker. I could tell he was really getting into the role. The film did everything right on a technical level, however is a bit predictable. I can say, Joker is entertaining. First off, bravo Joaquin Phoenix. He really fits into this role and makes it his own. The Joker is a hard character to do right. We all know Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the best and hard to top, but Joaquin's Joker is on a different level. I think they are equally good, but they are good in different ways. Ledger's Joker is traditional perfected, but Joaquin's is a fantastic modern character study. My one complaint about Joke...

The Haunting Of Hill House Season 1 Review A Terrifying Series So Far I'm a little late to be reviewing The Haunting Of Hill House, but what's 1 year right? Right? Okay, I'm sorry, I should have gotten to this show last year, but I got to it this year, so you guys will just have to sit through this one. I'm going to be a little lazy and copy the IMDB page explanation for the show, " Explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past, some of which still lurk in their minds while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House." The cast sucks you into the show without missing a beat. I was hooked from the first frame to the last, and I binged the first season in 2 days. This is terror done right. The acting is good, the tone is good, and it'...

True Blood Show Review Better Than I Thought It Would Be So, I watched True Blood... is the main character a literal walking dumb blond joke? Yes. Is the show a bit cliche? Yes. Is True Blood absolutely hilarious? Yes. This is perhaps one of the funniest vampire shows or media I've seen. True Blood follows Sookie Stackhouse ( Anna Paquin ) a telepathic waitress at a local small town bar in Bon Temps Louisiana. She hears everyone's thoughts, except when one night a vampire named Bill ( Stephen Moyer) walks in. Vampires have come out of the coffin and the whole world now knows about them. Sookie and her friends and family soon get themselves entangled into a darker world than they thought they knew. There is way to many characters to mention in one review. But I will give a big round of applause for this cast, because they looked like they had one hell of a good time making True Blood . I will warn you,  DO NOT show this show to younger viewers. You've heard o...

The Descent Movie Review Better Than It Looks So, the other night one of my friends came over and we watched the 2005 horror flick, The Descent and the film surpassed my expectations. The Descent follows a group of women as they go off exploring a cave as a bonding experience. They soon get trapped in the cave and have to find their way out, but what they don't expect is the creatures which lurk down below. When the movie started, it came off as your run of the mill style B film, or so I thought. Yes, the movie does go through the tropes  of the genre, but the actors know what they're doing and aren't completely helpless. What I really love about this film is that even though our band of characters are terrified by what they encounter, they learn to adapt. The Descent does an excellent job of show, don't tell. I was very surprised by how they keep it consistent throughout the entire flick. What's even more impressive is the fact that the cave scenes wh...

Happy October Everyone! It's that time of year again! You'll be seeing more horror reviews coming out this month or horror related topics. Sorry for my absence again, I will be posting more in October, and I do have a review scheduled to come out an hour after this post goes live. I won't be making a post every day like last year, but you can expect to this blog to be a little more active.  Time has just been flying by, and it seems like it was just yesterday I got home from vacation in Virginia . If you want to check out some horror flicks while you're waiting for more uploads, type in the search bar up top, "31 Posts Of Halloween" It'll be my list from last year. Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since then. Time really flies.  Anyways, I'm a little happy that it should be around the time for things to start to get cozy again. I'm happy to be making a few more posts on the blog, cause I really haven't been doing as much as ...

It Chapter 2 Movie Review The First Was Better, But This Was Still Decent Well guys, I saw It Chapter 2 last night, and it was pretty good. I enjoyed It (2017) a lot more, but It Chapter 2 was pretty entertaining. It Chapter 2 takes up the story of the first film 27 years later. The clown is back, and the loser club have to come back together, to defeat the It, once and for all. I want to say, they picked an outstanding cast for this film. Bravo. The transitions were also really well done in the film. The pacing was a bit off though, and I wish there was more character development with the adult actors. But in the end, it was still entertaining. Starting off with the actors. Fantastic choices. I applaud the decisions made in this sphere. James McAvoy as Bill, Jessica Chalstain as Beverly, Bill Harder as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike, Jay Ryan as Ben, James Ransone as Eddie, Andy Bean as Stanley, and Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, I applaud this fantastic cast. I also wan...

MindHunter Season 2 Review Hot Damn That Was A Good Season! If you have Netflix, you need to be watching MindHunter. This show is fantastic, and it's quickly rising to become one of my favorites. If you haven't checked out my review for Season 1 yet all the way back from 2017, go and do so. Season 2 of MindHunter continues the story of two FBI agents, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) along with physiologist, Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) in the late 1970s as they build upon the new behavioral science unit at the FBI. This season, their unit begins to expand, and they begin to apply their finding in the field.  I purposely left the show description a little sparse this time, because if I gave more, I fear I'd enter spoiler territory. The acting was topnotch! The camera work was beautifully crafted and the overall aesthetic of the show is incredible. Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv are fantastic actors. They play their pa...

Dora and the Lost City of Gold Movie Review This Was My Dad's Idea Well... I went and saw Dora and the Lost City of Gold today with my dad, and... the film was a lot funnier than it has any right to be. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a live action adaptation of the Dora tv show on Nickelodeon. Dora, now a teenager, is sent to the City to live with her cousin, Diego, while her parents go exploring for a lost City. When her parents go missing, Dora and her new friends go and search for her parents. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the movie wasn't half bad. There is a ton of tongue and cheek humor. There is some cringe to the Dora and the Lost City of Gold too, but remember, this is a movie made for kids. As a kids film, it does a fine job. The acting was fine, and for a kids film, everyone did alright. Isabela Moner, who played Dora, did a good job portraying the character from what I remember about the show when I was very young. What surprised...

Pulp Fiction Movie Review Better Than I Remember Like I said in my Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Movie Review , I'm not a big Tarantino fan. Yet the other day I rewatched Pulp Fiction with a couple buddies of mine, and it was better than I remembered. Pulp Fiction follows a few people as there lives intertwine together in the underground of society.  I think that's the shortest movie synopsis I've ever written. The acting is fine, and so is the directing. The jokes land most of the time and the action is Tarantino's signature .  I think it's always impressive how Tarantino can assemble such an array of talent. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, etc... It seemed like all the actors had a fun time with this film. Tarantino has a very unique directing style. You know you're watching a Tarantino film if I just plopped you down in front of the screen and only showed you one scene. What I don't understand is his seeming ob...

Good Boys Movie Review Superbad If It Were Sixth Graders I got to see an advanced screening of Good Boys this past Wednesday with a couple buddies of mine, and we laughed our butts off! Good Boys stars three young sixth graders, Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams), and Thor (Brady Noon), as the three of them get entangled in hijinks. Look, this movie is a very raunchy comedy. If that's not your style of humor, then you won't like this film. If you're okay with raunchy comedy, you will love Good Boys.  The three young stars did a fantastic job and worked well with each other. Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon, all did such a fantastic job. I could see the three of them being friends in real life because their chemistry on screen had such a natural flow. All the other actors in this film did well as well. The laughs just keep on coming. I laughed from the first scene, to the last. Jokes are quick and they keep coming. Remember though...

How to create an Indie Book A Basic Guide For New Or Beginner Indie Authors  Introduction Well, this is a bit different from my usual posts. As some of you may know, I'm an indie author. I've made mistakes, and some of my books are better than others, but I've grown a lot in the past year. I want to share my knowledge, so maybe you don't make the same mistakes. This is the nearly free way to put out an indie book. The only thing I recommend paying for is a cover for your book. But if you decide to make your book cover, I'll provide you with some resources I've found which may help. If you've only put out one or two books, or you're thinking about putting out your first book, I hope this basic guide can help save you from the mistakes I've made. Each section will give you a basic overview of how to get things done. If I can, I'll share resources with you, which has also helped me improve over this past year. Let's get right into it!...