Nerd in the 'Noke

Blade Runner 2049 (2017), R, 2h 44min - Prior to this past week, it had been quite a while since I had sat down and watched the original Blade Runner (1982), which was really a disservice to myself, especially when compiling my  Most Anticipated Films of 2017 post earlier this year.  On that list, Blade Runner 2049 was only an honorable mention.  Had I seen the original more recently, 2049 would likely have easily cracked the Top 10.  So prior to seeing Blade Runner 2049 yesterday afternoon, I made sure that I did my due diligence and gave the original a re-watch.  And I'm glad that I did.  Not only was I reminded of how awesome the original was, it prepared me for what was to come with my theatrical experience for 2049. Blade Runner 2049 takes place in the year 2049 (surprise!), thirty years after the events of the original film (based upon the world created by Philip K. Dick in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ).  The Tyrell Corpo...

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), R, 140 minutes - Back in 2010, Derek Cianfrance, who had previously directed television documentaries broke through with the critically acclaimed film Blue Valentine.  Now he is back with his latest project: The Place Beyond the Pines, which just so happens to be generating its own fair share of acclaim. I first saw the trailer for Pines a couple of months ago and was instantly interested.  I was curious to see what came next from Cianfrance, especially considering the cast he was working with: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Bruce Greenwood.  All have been in films that I've really enjoyed.  As I learned more about the film, I found out that it is set in Schenectady, New York.  A good friend of mine grew up in Schenectady and I had the chance to visit there when I went to his wedding a few years back.  That's a fairly small tie to a place I know, but it still added to my interest in ...