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Movies Merica

Van Ebert

186 episodes

1 week ago

Back in the day when only the wealthy had home computers, came a revolutionary movie called “Tron” from Disney in 1982. The computer generated visual effects in it were so out of this world that the Oscars refused to nominate “Tron” because they thought using computers for visual effects was cheating. Fast forward to 2025, when a stance like that by the Oscars is blatantly moronic and we get the third movie in the “Tron” series, “Tron Ares.” As you would imagine, the visual effects are more t...

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Back in the day when only the wealthy had home computers, came a revolutionary movie called “Tron” from Disney in 1982. The computer generated visual effects in it were so out of this world that the Oscars refused to nominate “Tron” because they thought using computers for visual effects was cheating. Fast forward to 2025, when a stance like that by the Oscars is blatantly moronic and we get the third movie in the “Tron” series, “Tron Ares.” As you would imagine, the visual effects are more t...

Show more...

Episodes (20/186)

Movies Merica

Tron: Ares review

Back in the day when only the wealthy had home computers, came a revolutionary movie called “Tron” from Disney in 1982. The computer generated visual effects in it were so out of this world that the Oscars refused to nominate “Tron” because they thought using computers for visual effects was cheating. Fast forward to 2025, when a stance like that by the Oscars is blatantly moronic and we get the third movie in the “Tron” series, “Tron Ares.” As you would imagine, the visual effects are more t...

1 week ago

50 minutes

Movies Merica

The Smashing Machine review

UFC, or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the mixed martial arts league, started out small like any new sporting endeavor. However one of the great fighters of that early period was Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The need, the craving, is to win no matter what and Kerr took that seriously. The new movie “The Smashing Machine” shows what happened to Mark Kerr because of that. Also, the UFC was very disorganized and a lot of the fighters suffered because of it. Mark did too a...

2 weeks ago

43 minutes

Movies Merica

One Battle After Another review

Hey! Feel like the topic of political violence doesn’t come up near enough nowadays? Have you ever been doom scrolling and thought, “This is cool and totally not rotting my brain, but ya know what would be cool? Putting this up on a movie screen for 2 hours and 41 minutes!” If this is a current and accurate description of you, dear reader, get ready to be happy because boy! Is “One Battle After Another” for you! Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob who for most of the movie is a broken down, always be...

3 weeks ago

57 minutes

Movies Merica

The Long Walk review

You may think the American economy stinks now but it’s still not bad enough to warrant the twisted walk that’s portrayed in the movie “The Long Walk.” This movie takes place in a alternative history that resembles the 1950s. There was a great war and most people are in poverty. However there is an annual event called The Long Walk that’s meant to inspire every state in America to work harder to make the country prosper again. A man from each state is chosen to participate in The Long Walk fro...

1 month ago

37 minutes

Movies Merica

The Conjuring Last Rites review

In “The Conjuring: Last Rites”, Ed and Lorraine Warren have worked over a thousand cases as spiritually guided paranormal investigators, helping save people from demonic forces. That doesn’t mean they’ve seen everything and this latest case might be the one that breaks them. This is the real-life Smurl case in suburban Pittsburgh, where the introduction of a possessed mirror into their home, also introduces evil spirits. In addition to that, the evil spirit within the possessed doll, Annabell...

1 month ago

41 minutes

Movies Merica

Backdraft review

Fighter pilots have “Top Gun.” Race car drivers have “F1” and “Days Of Thunder.” What movie did firefighters have up until 1991 to put their heroics on full display? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, until a director, mostly known for making comedies, decided that firefighters finally get their day in the sun. That director was Ron Howard and the movie that helped the aura of firefighters burn so bright is the movie I’m reviewing in this episode of Movies Merica. That movie is “Backdraft.” Kurt Ru...

1 month ago

51 minutes

Movies Merica

In the new Ron Howard movie, “Eden”, a group of disillusioned Europeans settles on a remote, uninhabited island in the Galápagos. They’re inspired by a man, played by Jude Law, who came to the island and supposedly found happiness. They soon discover that their greatest threat isn't the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but one another. Human nature is what it is after all. Sinful. As tensions spiral and desperation takes hold, a twisted power struggle unfolds, leading to betrayal, violence ...

2 months ago

41 minutes

Movies Merica

Nobody 2 review

The star of “Nobody 2”, Bob Oedenkirk, typically plays sleazy, cowardly, funny characters, like in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” However, in the “Nobody” movies, he gets to stretch his acting chops by playing an unassuming, middle-aged, ass-kicking secret agent, named Hutch Mansell, balancing life with a wife and two kids. In this sequel, since he’s always gone dishing out pain, his family is under strain. He’s a neglecting husband and an absent Dad. It’s time for urgent action to re...

2 months ago

31 minutes

Movies Merica

If you like a horror movie that will keep you guessing and constantly exclaiming “OMIGAWD WHAT AM I WATCHING!!!?”, then the movie “Weapons” just might be that movie for you. This movie is brought to us by the director of the surprise horror hit from 2022, “Barbarian.” That would be one Zach Cregger and we’ll see if he goes two for two with this latest offering from him. “Weapons” starts off with the plot point that suddenly 17 elementary school kids, all from the same class, suddenly run out ...

2 months ago

42 minutes

Movies Merica

The Naked Gun (2025) review

In 1998, we got the sequel to the movie “The Fully-Clothed Gun”, known as “The Naked Gun.” Leslie Nielsen played ace detective Frank Drebin who showed everyone the wrong way to be a cop. Now, in 2025, we’re getting the inevitable. A remake of “The Naked Gun” starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. who now has to carry on his father’s legacy of being a cautionary tale with a badge who shoots first, asks questions much later, sometimes never. This reboot is brought to us by the same guys who b...

2 months ago

1 hour 33 minutes

Movies Merica

Superman review

In this episode we talk about what is no doubt the most anticipated movie of 2025, James Gunn’s “Superman.” Gunn is more known for his quirky movies with unusual characters engaged in constant frenetic action. This time he takes on the most well-known superhero, the first son of Krypton. No small feat. Can he make everyone with their own idea of who they think Superman should be happy? In this latest Superman movie, Superman (David Corenswet) has been protecting Earth for a few years along wi...

3 months ago

54 minutes

Movies Merica

Jurassic World: Rebirth review

We learned about dino DNA for the first time in 1993 with the first Jurassic Park movie. That DNA must have staying power but they’re still churning out Jurassic movies 32 years later. This time, in “Jurassic World: Rebirth”, it’s Scarlett Johanssen, post-Black Widow, taking the lead. She plays Zora, a merc hired by a questionable pharmaceutical rep to help a dinosaur expert get access to a forbidden area where dinosaurs still roam free. This is all to get some dino DNA to help cure heart dis...

3 months ago

47 minutes

Movies Merica

In 2022, director Joseph Kosinski wowed us with amazing sights from inside fighter jets in “Top Gun: Maverick.” In 2025, he’s dropping our jaws to the floor with awesome sights from inside F1 race cars in the summer blockbuster “F1” starring Brad Pitt. PItt plays veteran driver Sonny Hayes who is asked by his friend, who owns a team, to help them win and maybe mentor their young driver too. Hayes soon finds that today’s racing is fraught with betrayal, nasty media, corrupt F1 officials and th...

3 months ago

40 minutes

Movies Merica

28 Years Later review

First there was “28 Days Later.” Then “28 Weeks Later.” This week we got “28 Years Later.” We better appreciate this one big time because the next one has to be “28 Decades Later”, and none of us will be around. For now, let’s focus on “28 Years Later”, which is the latest in this series of movies centered around an outbreak of what’s called the Rage Virus. People are infected with the Rage Virus and then infect others by biting them or getting their infected blood into a person somehow. In 2...

4 months ago

37 minutes

Movies Merica

Ballerina review

You know the John Wick movies are successful when they’re making spin-off TV series and movies off of that franchise. This week we get the first, and most assuredly, not the last John Wick spin-off movie, “Ballerina.” Ana De Armas takes the starring role in this as another assassin who, like John Wick, was trained to kill by the Ruska Roma criminal organization. Perhaps she’s even more lethal than Wick because no one expects her to be an assassin. We saw a preview of De Armas kicking butt as ...

4 months ago

44 minutes

Movies Merica

Bring Her Back review

Did you just watch a feel good movie and need to rid yourself of the good feelings? Then the movie “Bring Her Back”, from the directors of “Talk To Me”, just might be what the doctor ordered. There’s nothing sunny and bright about this movie, but it is a horror movie, so that tracks. Piper and Andy are step-siblings who are placed with a foster mom, Laura, after tragedy strikes. Laura is a bit “off”, to say the least. Plus she has a clearly troubled young boy living with her. The longer...

4 months ago

38 minutes

Movies Merica

Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning review

The Mission:Impossible movies started in 1996 with Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt for the first time. Now 29 years later, we might be getting the last Mission:Impossible movie with “Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning.” We were left with a cliffhanger in the last Mission:Impossible movie, so we’ll perhaps get the conclusion we’re looking for. Is it worth going to the theater to see if we do? Check out this episode to find out! “Mission:Impossible The Final Reckoning” also stars Ving Rhames,...

5 months ago

50 minutes

Movies Merica

Have you ever been watching a classic vampire movie like “Fright Night” or “The Lost Boys” and thought, “This is good, but this could be great with two of the guy who played Apollo Creed’s kid in those ‘Creed’ movies as well as some blues music and a dash of racial commentary!”? Well, put up your black square on Instagram and clutch your George Floyd bobblehead in celebration because a celebration is a comin’! Your reason for celebrating is the movie “Sinners” from director Ryan Coogler. He d...

6 months ago

39 minutes

Movies Merica

“War is hell” is a common phrase, but as we live our peacetime lives, it can be hard to visualize what that phrase really means. The movie “Warfare” provides a way to see and comprehend that phrase. The movie is directed by “Civil War” and “Ex Machina” director Alex Garland and Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza. Mendoza was one of the soldiers in the middle of the real-life battle that this movie shows. Garland and Mendoza don’t hold back on showing the shocking, brutal and bloody side of war. If ...

6 months ago

43 minutes

Movies Merica

The Salton Sea review

Val Kilmer was one of the most eclectic and enthralling actors of his generation and one of the movies that heavily showcased this is this week’s movie, “The Salton Sea.” Kilmer showed he could be wacky, like in “Top Secret!” and “Real Genius” or deadly serious like in “Spartan” and “The Doors.” In “The Salton Sea” he sort of combines those two and it makes for an entertaining and captivating performance. If you want a movie that leads you down one path, en route to setting an expectation, ju...

6 months ago

56 minutes