Michael Lee
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iammichaeljlee.bsky.social
Michael Lee
@iammichaeljlee.bsky.social
#DieMyLove reminds us why uncomfortable laughs and hollow assurances don’t address how domestic calm conceals a desperate cry for help. My review at @ThatsITLA

thatsitla.com/die-my-love-...
Die My Love: Jennifer Lawrence Unravels In Dark Comedy - That's It LA
Die My Love is an unraveling of a woman who’s already past her limit, and everyone around her keeps calling it normal.
thatsitla.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:53 PM
#BlackPhone2 starts with trauma and tension, but once it drifts into dream logic and over-explaining it loses the grounded fear of the original.
Here’s my review of the film at ThatsItLA: thatsitla.com/black-phone-...
'Black Phone 2' Movie Review - That's It LA
"Black Phone 2" is the kind of sequel that reminds you not every successful horror movie needs a follow up.
thatsitla.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Few films capture the chaos of motherhood like Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Rose Byrne delivers a harrowing performance as a mother crushed by caregiving guilt and exhaustion trapped in a system that keeps failing her. #IfIHadLegsIdKickYou #RoseByrne

thatsitla.com/if-i-had-leg...
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Review - That's It LA
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You lingers long after it ends because it denies the audience escape just as it denies Linda.
thatsitla.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Zombie breakfasts. A snarky stuffed giraffe. The Sandman.
#Netflix’s #InYourDreams (Nov 14) turns dream logic into a heartfelt story about siblings trying to keep their parents together.

thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/09/25/i...
‘In Your Dreams’ Director Alex Woo on Family, Fantasy, and Nightmares
“So dreams are where you can break the rules, but the story still has to feel true.” That’s how director Alex Woo sums up the delicate balance at the heart of Netflix’s In Your Dr…
thenerdsofcolor.org
September 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
#MarvelZombies fails to deliver fresh ideas beyond visual shock. The stakes feel abstract rather than emotionally grounded, boiling down to a tired “world ends if we don’t deliver the MacGuffin.” Even the voice acting comes off phoned in. I was left disengaged.
September 23, 2025 at 5:04 AM
From haunting thrills at #Disneyland Park to the soul-stirring traditions at Disney California Adventure’s Plaza de la Familia, see how the Disneyland Resort celebrates #Halloween storytelling. My @disneyland #halloweentime coverage at @TheNerdsofColor

thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/09/02/h...
Halloween Comes Alive at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park
Halloween at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park is one of the resort’s most beloved annual traditions, drawing families, Disney fans, and Halloween lovers from near…
thenerdsofcolor.org
September 3, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Michael Lee
My latest on Weapons and the anti-analytical insistence in some circles that the film is about nothing or only about one thing. #Weapons

www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
Of Course ‘Weapons’ Is About Something
Audiences are arguing over the meaning (or lack thereof) behind Zach Cregger's horror hit — but the truth is there's no such thing as a correct answer when it comes to the film.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
August 12, 2025 at 6:54 PM
#FreakierFriday puts another fun spin on the generational gap and body-swapping comedy. The family dynamic expands in this hilarious sequel keeps its heart w/ Tess & Anna, while making room for some Gen Alpha chaos. Expect nods to its predecessor, fun eater eggs, and great music.
August 5, 2025 at 5:33 AM
I caught up with the cast and crew of The Bad Guys 2 for a round of interviews about unhinged heists, redemption arcs, and tapping into their inner animals. #TheBadGuys2 #DreamWorksAnimation #Animation #VoiceActing #FilmPress #Interviews

thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/08/01/i...
‘The Bad Guys 2’ Cast and Director Interviews: Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Brooks, Awkwafina, Fun Chaotic Folks
The Bad Guys 2 is bigger, funnier, and has totally unhinged heists and action sequences. We got to talk to the cast and crew of the DreamWorks sequel: Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Kitty Kat (Danielle B…
thenerdsofcolor.org
August 1, 2025 at 10:36 PM
#TheBadGuys2 is smart, stylish, and sincere. The stakes are higher. The animation is slick. And the humor is sharper. While story about bad guys reforming themselves amid their reputation catching up to them hits hard, the action sequences are the reason you go to the movies.
July 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM
#FantasticFour blends retrofuturism, chemistry, and a soaring Giacchino score into something fun. Some of the jargon and subplots drags, but the emotion and spectacle deliver. The cosmic action set pieces are out of this world. A true return to form.
thatsitla.com/the-fantasti...
The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Marvel’s Family Adventure Excites - That's It LA
The Fantastic Four: First Steps delivers a refreshing return to form, blending retrofuturism, heart and family into a fun superhero adventure
thatsitla.com
July 22, 2025 at 5:09 PM
#TheFantasticFour is a fun, vibrant intro to Marvel’s First Family. Packed w/ retrofuturism, heart, and family feels, it’s a fresh, crowd-pleasing kickoff fans old & new can celebrate. The score lifts every moment, and the chemistry shines. It’s just a good time. #FantasticFour
July 22, 2025 at 4:05 AM
I Know What You Did Last Summer is more reunion tour than reinvention. Bloody and nostalgic with some fun nods, but not enough bite to stand out. A safe slasher that never quite gets its hooks in. My review
thatsitla.com/i-know-what-...
#IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer #HorrorMovie #moviereview
'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Review - That's It LA
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a safe bet, one that leans heavily on nostalgia without taking the risks like other recent horror reboots
thatsitla.com
July 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
For The Nerds of Color, I got to interview Daniel Chong about his upcoming @Pixar directing debut #Hoppers. We chatted about jumping from tv to film, that Avatar reference and Missy Elliot needle drop, and how the movie was originally about penguins.

thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/07/16/d...
Director Daniel Chong on Hopping from ‘We Bare Bears’ to Pixar Feature Debut
Disney and Pixar have released the first trailer for Hoppers. Written and directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears), the forthcoming animated film stars Piper Curda as Mabel, an animal lover wh…
thenerdsofcolor.org
July 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Michael Lee
Superman is not just an immigrant, but specifically an undocumented immigrant who adjusted his immigration status when he was adopted by an American family. That was his path to citizenship.
July 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Michael Lee
As more journalists are driven out of their jobs, I keep hearing this drumbeat of "it's ok -- they can start their own newsletter or publication." Some can. But becoming your own business is a huge job, and will eliminate many talented reporters from the public sphere. Here's why. (1/5)
July 10, 2025 at 6:49 PM
#Superman isn’t just another reboot. It’s a soulful, emotionally rich reimagining that honors the myth, explores identity and the immigrant experience through a superhero’s lens, and reminds us why the Man of Steel still matters. My review at @thatsitla

thatsitla.com/superman-a-h...
Superman: A Hero's Journey Reimagined with Depth - That's It LA
Superman isn’t trying to be the darkest or the most bombastic superhero movie out there. It isn’t trying to redefine the genre or chase trends
thatsitla.com
July 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
#HowToTrainYourDragon does the impossible and brings Berk to life with emotional depth, breathtaking IMAX scale, and flight scenes that soar. It expands the story without losing what made the original magical. So while it may look familiar, in a way it also feels brand new.
June 10, 2025 at 3:44 AM
#PredatorKillerofKillers is an ambitious, world-building brawl that spans multiple time periods before culminating on the Predator’s homeworld. Each setting adds a layer of depth and nuance to our history while reimagining humanity’s most brutal eras through the lens of the hunt
June 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Now that the reviews are out, I’ll say it: I would’ve loved to see Ving Rhames as the guy always dropping his snow cone. It would have been a perfect way to bring back the original voice cast in the live-action Lilo & Stitch.
May 20, 2025 at 4:53 PM
#LiloandStitch is a cute reimagining that mostly captures the original’s spirit through a modern-day lens. Lilo and Nani’s relationship feels even more heartfelt. It’s still raw, real, and central to the story’s emotional core. Of course Stitch brings hilarious chaos
May 18, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Anna Kendrick & Blake Lively are back—and still dazzling. #AnotherSimpleFavor may not be as sharp as the first, but it’s devilishly fun. Stylish, twisted, and full of flair. My review only at @ThatsITLA
thatsitla.com/another-simp...
Another Simple Favor Review: A Stylish, Suspense-Filled Sequel - That's It LA
Another Simple Favor is yet another devilishly fun noir murder mystery that works thanks in no small part to Kendrick and Lively's chemistry
thatsitla.com
May 1, 2025 at 11:16 PM
The process of selecting a new Pope
April 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Andor S2 is less about myths and more about ordinary people pushed to the edge, fighting a war no one wants to see. It shows us the cost of rebellion—and the price of hope. It honestly doesn’t get better than this. My review at @thenerdsofcolor.bsky.social thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/04/21/a...
‘Andor’ Season 2 Chronicles the Humanity of a ‘Star Wars’ Revolution
Star Wars prides itself on blending epic storytelling with groundbreaking visual effects while exploring timeless themes of heroism and redemption. It’s a galaxy we all know and love — …
thenerdsofcolor.org
April 21, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Michael Lee
#ANDOR S2 is one of the most ambitious pieces of sci-fi storytelling I’ve ever seen. It illuminates many complex aspects of repression & rebellion, while still bringing the adventure and thrills.

It also couldn’t be more timely. It’s a staggering work, brimming with power and emotion. I loved it.
April 19, 2025 at 3:05 AM