Life

My View:  Life  (2017)  R  Six astronauts aboard a space station discover that life on Mars is a reality. They find a single-celled organism that will have unintended consequences for the astronauts.  I enjoyed this horror movie that takes place in the worst place ever to be terrorized by an alien, a space station. The action sequences are exciting, and the tension keeps building throughout the film.  I especially enjoyed the performances of Jake Gyllenhaal as the pilot of the space station and Rebecca Ferguson, as the security officer.  My only problem with this film is that the ending is too predictable and easy, but the film is a lot of fun to watch. You need to see this on the big screen; I’m afraid that some scenes will lose their claustrophobic feel on a TV screen.  My Rating: Full Price   Life Website

Indiefest:  Personal Shopper  (2016)  R  Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is a lonely personal shopper who starts communicating with ghosts, especially her deceased twin brother. Kristen Stewart has become quite the accomplished actress (having suffered through the Twilight series, I never thought I would make that statement), and she shines in this film. The problem is that this is such a weird movie, full of paranormal stuff, with an ending that will leave you with your head scratching. I have talked with four different film critics, and we all have no earthly idea what exactly happens at the end.. I look forward to seeing more of Stewart’s work, just not in such a strange, tangled film such as this one.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Personal Shopper Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Miss Sloane  (2016)  R  Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is considered the best and most formidable lobbyist in Washington D.C. She decides to take on the most powerful opponent of her career, the “gun lobby.” Just how far is Elizabeth willing to go to win? This is a satisfying political thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Chastain commands the screen as the tough-as-nails lobbyist, and it’s her outstanding performance that makes this film worth watching. I especially enjoyed John Lithgow, who plays a slimy senator and Sam Waterston, head of the lobby group who represents the gun lobby. While not Oscar material like All the President’s Men, this film is still an excellent suspenseful movie with a sterling performance by Jessica Chastain.    My Rating: Full Price   Miss Sloane Website

Forgotten Film:  Living in Oblivion  (1997)  R  A well-known A-list actor called Chad Palomino (James Le Gros) has agreed to be in a low-budget film being made by a grizzled director (Steve Buscemi).  Everything that can go wrong does, and Chad plays every power trip a star can make.  It’s a delightfully goofy movie that will have you wondering how any film gets made.  The cast is outstanding, with Catherine Keener playing the leading lady and Dermot Mulroney as a cameraman who thinks he is a genius (he isn’t), both are brilliant in their roles.    My Rating: Full Price   Living In Oblivion Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Life:  Special Effects Teeth

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Free Fire  (2016)  R  Two rival gangs meet in a Boston warehouse in 1978. When a deal goes bad, the two gangs start a shootout that they will be lucky to survive.  This was one of the most buzzed about films at the SXSW Film Festival. I hear it’s ten minutes worth of setup at the start and then eighty minutes of gunfight.   Free Fire Website

Until Next Time!