Although we mainly focus on reviews of movies and TV or streaming series, we have a wide array of reviews here at Cosmic Circus. This includes concerts, tech and other products, travel, games, books, and comics.
Refer to the Stellar Picks archive to find some of our top-rated movies, shows, books, games, and more!
“The unknown journey will continue.” This was the promise made at the end of the first installment of the Final Fantasy VII: Remake trilogy. When the game came out in April 2020, Square Enix and Director Tetsuya Nomura embarked on the daunting task of reimagining one of gaming’s most iconic RPGs. Remake (and the later enhanced Remake Intergrade) received high praise from Final Fantasy fans, becoming one of the
Read MoreIf anyone ever complains to you that there’s nothing new under the sun in the world of cinema, please kindly point them to the documentary Grand Theft Hamlet. This experiment from British co-directors (and romantic partners) Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane covers the gamut of human emotion, from triumph to tragedy, in its 89 minutes of infectious fun. The story behind
Read MoreDenis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is here, and we here at The Cosmic Circus are ready to accept Timothée Chalamet (and Zendaya’s!) ascendancy. It’s been a long road to the second half of this newest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel from 1965, and there have been a few bumps along the way. From teases to whether or not “Part Two” of Dune would actually happen to dual strikes in
Read MoreBill and the Doctor have a debate to settle in The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro. What happened to the “lost” Ninth Legion of the Roman Army? Stationed in Britain in the second century A.D., the Ninth Legion suddenly disappeared without a trace. To this day, no one knows what happened to them. But of course, the Doctor knows, or
Read More“Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That quote, coined in the late 19th century by English historian and politician Lord Acton, would serve as a perfect tagline for the upcoming three-part HBO docuseries Ren Faire by director Lance Oppenheim. The first hour of the limited series, what Oppenheim describes as a “docu-fantasia,” premiered at SXSW 2024 and will turn up on
Read MoreWhen David Benioff and DB Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, inked a deal with Disney to helm a new Star Wars cycle before backing out in favor of a deal with Netflix, many people called out the pair for essentially losing interest in the series that made them storytelling superstars. Nevertheless, anyone who appreciated the deeply addictive Thrones had to
Read MoreIt’s hard to imagine a more rollicking opening night film to kick off SXSW 2024 than director Doug Liman’s remake of the 1989 cheese-fest Road House, which starred the late, great 80s action icon Patrick Swayze. The crowd enthusiastically hooted and hollered their way through Liman’s ultra-violent take on a Zen dispenser of pain with a troubled conscience. There was also
Read MoreIn February, I was lucky enough to be invited to a screening of Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon. Taking place in downtown Los Angeles at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the screening was followed by an exclusive Q&A with several actors from the film, including breakout star Lily Gladstone! [Warning: Spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon
Read MoreAs any other rebellious American teenager, of course, I watched American Pie when I shouldn’t have. Everyone and I do mean everyone my age remembers “Jim’s Dad” who was played the comedy icon Eugene Levy. The laughter didn’t stop there, as Levy made several appearances in the vastly successful franchise. Beyond that, he regained newfound fame with his son Daniel Levy
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