The Longest Ride

My View:  The Longest Ride (2015) PG-13   Luke (Scott Eastwood) is a professional bull rider who is trying to make a comeback and make it to the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) finals. Sophia (Britt Robertson) is an art major who is about to graduate and do an internship at a New York City art gallery. They meet and start dating but only after encountering an old man (Alan Alda) whom they rescue from a car accident. Now their interaction with him will change their lives forever. I liked this film. Yes, it has all the Nicholas Sparks plot points; there is a death, two star-crossed lovers, lovers separated for a time, etc.  What I think is different about this film is the bull riding sequences are well done and exciting. There is good chemistry from Eastwood and Robertson, and Alan Alda makes any film better. I would rank this film third in the Sparks movie list behind A Walk to Remember and The Notebook.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Longest Ride Website  My interview with Nicholas Sparks, Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson

My View:   While We’re Young (2015)  R   A middle-aged couple’s (Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts) lives are overturned when a young couple (Amanda Seyfried, Adam Driver) infiltrate their lives. Their world will never be the same. This is an excellent adult comedy about dealing with aging when your mind says you are still 25, but your body says you’re in your late 40’s. Stiller and Watts work well together and have some terrific scenes. Driver and Seyfried are the perfect young couple, full of energy and stupidity. The strong point of this film is the dialogue, which the cast performs at a quick, very crisp and funny pace. Twenty-somethings will like this film, Fortysomethings (and beyond) will love this film. This was one of my favorite films from the SXSW Film Festival.  My Rating: Full Price  While We're Young Website

Indiefest:   Kill Me Three Times (2014)  R    A professional hit man, Charlie Wolfe (Simon Pegg), is sent to kill the wife (Alice Braga) of a wealthy man (Callan Mulvey).  Wolfe soon realizes that he isn’t the only one trying to kill her.  The start of this film is inventive, and I just wish the plot for the rest of the film was as imaginative, but it isn’t.  Pegg is wasted as a steely-eyed hit-man, as the film never gives him a scene where he can shine. I do like Bryan Brown as the police chief that has his hands in everybody's illegal money. The film jumps too quickly from hard drama to light comedy, making the film seeming disjointed. The ending of the film is easy to predict and doesn’t make a lot of sense.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Kill Me Three Times Website

Indiefest:   The Sisterhood of the Night (2015)  PG-13   A teenage girl (Kara Hayward) says she is the victim of a secret network called, The Sisterhood of the Night. Accusations run rampant, and the girls of the network, led by Mary (Georgie Henley), refuse to talk about their group. The film is based on the Salem Witch Trials, which is an outstanding idea, but, unfortunately, this is another film where the superlative cast is let down by a weak script.  Henley just shines on the screen and dominates every scene she is in. The plot is rather boring, though, and never delivers on the intriguing premise. This isn’t a bad film, but it just isn’t all that interesting.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Sisterhood of the Night Website   My ATLFF Red Carpet interview with the cast

Forgotten Film:   Night on Earth (1991)  R   No one saw this Jim Jarmusch (Only Lovers Left Alive) film back in 1991, and that’s a pity because it’s a cool, well-done film.  It’s five short films that take place around the world at the same moment. The film’s common denominator is each film has a taxi ride at its core. The film is bold and gets better with repeated viewing. The cast is mostly made up of unknown actors with a few notables like Winona Ryder and Gena Rowlands.   My Rating: Full Price  Night on Earth Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Kill Me Three Times: Surf Cinematographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Age of Adaline (2015)  PG-13  I don’t know if this will be any good but the plot, about a young woman (Blake Lively) who after an accident stops aging, looks interesting.  The Age of Adaline Website

Until Next Time!