JP Spence

JP Spence is a writer, screenwriter, and improviser living in Los Angeles. He previously served as the media critic for the Topanga Messenger and as Editor-In-Chief for the LA Valley Star. You can find Josh @JP_Spence on twitter or at any press screening.

First Man Is a Failure to Launch

Movie based on Neil Armstrong tries to do too much with too little. It’s equal parts missed opportunity and left-handed compliment to say that Damien Chazelle has delivered a film as astounding,…

Stone and Parker Unleash the Whole Nine Yards

Season 22 of South Park is out for blood. “I hate conservatives,” said South Park co-creator Matt Stone. “But I really hate liberals.” With that ethos in mind, and in this political…

No Bad Reputation Here

Joan Jett documentary, like the artist, has more hits than misses. “Joan didn’t want to be Joni.” We are in a golden age of documentary. The Netflix boom has given everything an…

Deus Ex-Kill-ina

Predator reboot is light years away from good. It is a full-stop miracle to get a movie made these days so that only “bad” films are the ones where they didn’t try.…

Ghosts of Seattle

Grunge legends return home for a vintage Alice in Chains album  We know the deal with Second-Act acts. It’s not if the album is good or not, it’s just great that they…

Miseducation Still Offering Lessons

A first-time review on the 20th anniversary classic. Time to go into the way-back machine.  Go back 20 years. I had a $20 gift certificate to Best Buy, a self-edict to make…

7.7

Cobra Kai Has Extra Bite

Revised IP packs a surprising punch. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our first guilty pleasure of 2018. Happy to introduce YouTube’s “Cobra Kai.” The series completely stands on its own. It is…

Fallen Kingdom is Exactly That

Director Bayona is great but can’t completely fix a problematic script. There is a scene in “Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom” that is emblematic of the current state of the franchise. As molten…

Chvrches, by Danny Clinch

Chvrches’ Baby Steps

Not much is alive on Love is Dead. Growing pains are always a killer. Glasgow-based Chvrches’ third album, Love is Dead, shows a band in transition. An album that isn’t particularly great…

Barry is Killer

The lucky few who get a new platform post Saturday Night Live, tend go one of two ways: Bank their career on playing a character type (Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Fred Armisen)…