RealMelValentin
Mel Valentin
Senior Critic
Mel Valentin has been writing about his first and possibly his last love, film, for more than a decade. Born somewhere on the East Coast in the last century, Mel moved to the San Francisco Bay Area two decades ago. Mel spends his days looking forward to when we can all return to movie theaters and film festivals in person.Articles by Mel Valentin:
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June 30, 2024
A Quiet Place: Day One Review: A Best In Series PrequelA Quiet Place: Day One is a best In series prequel, directed by Michael Sarnoski and starring Lupita Nyong’o.
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June 7, 2024
The Watchers Review: Like Father, Like DaughterIshana Night Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut with The Watchers — and shares some of the same highs and lows as her filmmaker father.
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June 5, 2024
The Acolyte Review: The High Republic Makes a Promising Live-Action DebutStar Wars reaches outside of The Skywalker Saga in The Acolyte, an exciting, if flawed, new Disney+ series set during the High Republic era.
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May 15, 2024
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review: This Fourth Entry Barely Misses A StepKingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a worthy, if not as a standalone entry, then as an addition to a franchise that repeatedly renews itself.
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May 6, 2024
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed Review: Droll, Kinky Exploration of Millennial AngstThe Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed delivers a droll, kinky, and hilarious exploration of millennial angst.
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April 20, 2024
Abigail Review: Dracula’s Daughter Returns as Bloodthirsty BallerinaA 12-year-old ballerina turns out to be a bloodthirsty vampire in Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s blood-soaked Abigail.
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January 13, 2024
Destroy All Neighbors Review: Gory, Gruesome, Gnarly Fun for the Whole FamilyDestroy All Neighbors is a splatter-filled B-movie with a game cast.
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December 31, 2023
Godzilla Minus One Review: Latest Reboot Brings Toho’s Biggest Star Into the 21st CenturyGodzilla Minus One brings Toho’s biggest movie star back to the big screen with one of its all-time best entries.
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December 24, 2023
The Color Purple Review: The Newest Adaptation of Alice Walker’s Novel Stumbles TonallyThe second adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, The Color Purple, mixes dramatic and musical conventions to tonally jarring, disappointing effect.
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December 23, 2023
Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire: Zack Snyder’s Franchise Starter Wannabe Isn’tRebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire just isn’t the epic franchise starter filmmaker Zack Snyder wishes it was.
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December 22, 2023
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget: Aardman Makes a Welcome Return to Stop-Motion AnimationChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to Aardman Animation’s 2000 hit, offers a welcome return to form for the studio.
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December 21, 2023
Aquaman and the Last Kingdom: The DCEU Goes Out With a ShrugThe nicest thing one can say about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is that this DCEU product is the last movie in the franchise.
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December 13, 2023
The Iron Claw Review: Efron and Durkin Elevate Wrestling Family DramaZac Efron delivers a career-best performance in Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw, which recounts the Von Erich wrestling family dynasty.
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