The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

About Blake Meadowcroft

Blake Meadowcroft was born and raised in Washington state and he’s too lazy to move to another one. He graduated from Charles Wright Academy in 2014, and then Central Washington University in 2018 majoring in Film and Video Studies with an emphasis in critical studies. He was a DJ for two years at 88.1 The ‘Burg, his college radio station, and has some experience in stand up comedy.

In layman’s terms, he’s really good at watching movies and saying if they’re good or not. His parents didn’t really put a cap on how many or what kind of movies he was allowed to watch when he was growing up, so he kind of……went crazy. He is passionate about film history and filmmaking, and approaches his reviews with both a critical mind and a witty sense of humor. He doesn’t like to pick favorites in terms of genre (although if you were to twist his arm, he’d probably go with fantasy). He’s willing to give any kind of movie a chance and doesn’t judge it based on what kind of film it is, but how well it’s made.

Blake has volunteered and interned for multiple film festivals including the Ellensburg, Gig Harbor, and Tacoma film festivals. He lives in Lakewood, and is currently a film critic for Lakeside Living Magazine.

The Blob (1958) – Film Review

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Here’s an interesting piece of trivia for you: What do “The King of Cool” Steve McQueen and six-time grammy award winning songwriter Burt Bacharach have in common? Well, both of these special individuals got their starts in the 1958 sci-fi horror B movie, The Blob. McQueen played the hero of the picture, while Bacharach supplied the tongue-in-cheek title track to the movie “Beware the Blob.” They … [Read more...]

Men in Black: International – Film Review

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I had high hopes for Men in Black: International. For the first time in this film series’ history, we have a different director contributing their vision to a Men in Black movie. Instead of the usual Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black 1, 2 and 3), we have F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job, Law Abiding Citizen) taking the helm. … [Read more...]

Faust Film Review

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The Deal with the Devil motif is a cultural staple that has endured for centuries. We’ve seen this story play out in multiple ways across multiple mediums such as books, music, paintings and films, of course. The Picture of Dorian Grey, Rosemary’s Baby, Phantom of the Paradise, Bedazzled and even Disney movies like The Little Mermaid have pulled from this motif. It’s so ingrained in our cultural … [Read more...]

Pokemon Detective Pikachu Film Review

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I felt a bit awkward seeing Pokémon Detective Pikachu in the theater. It’s the first piece of Pokémon material that I’ve willingly seen since I parted ways with it in 2007. Don’t get me wrong, I was obsessed with Pokémon just like every other gullible kid in America. We all danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight, let me tell you. … [Read more...]

Film Review: Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966)

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I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Why Blake, you look incredibly handsome and buff today, as if your face and abs were blessed by the Gods themselves.” Thank you, my good readers. I appreciate all of your compliments relating to my perfect Chris Hemsworthian form, and I expect to hear more on the morrow. But I believe there is another thought weighing on your mind, and it likely … [Read more...]

Cutthroat Island: Film Review

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Whatever happened to pirate movies? There was a time when pirate movies were everywhere. From the 20’s to the 50’s, we got gems like The Black Pirate, Captain Blood, The Black Swan and The Sea Hound. Not only have these films been well received, but there was a lot of money, star power and effort put into these films. … [Read more...]

Alita Battle Angel: Film Review

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Alita: Battle Angel is a fascinating beast to dissect, especially concerning its production hell history. The manga that the film was based on was introduced to James Cameron by Guillermo Del Toro in 2000. Cameron became enamored with it and tried to get the motor running on adapting it into a movie. But thanks to Avatar, its apparent sequels and multiple other factors, Alita: Battle Angel was in … [Read more...]

Film Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

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This may sound especially sacrilegious coming from me, a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but hear me out. Spider-Man has never been perfect, especially in terms of cinematic portrayals. I have a soft spot for the Sam Raimi trilogy, and I thought his recent addition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming was especially entertaining. But each … [Read more...]