Rambo: Last Blood

My View: Rambo: Last Blood  (2019)  R  John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone has been living peacefully and staying out of the man’s gaze. When a friend’s daughter is kidnapped, Rambo crosses the U.S.-Mexico border to bring her back home, but he will find himself up against one of Mexico’s biggest cartels. The cartel has no idea who they are dealing with, but they will soon find out. This reminds me of the days when I would walk into my local video rental store and I would find a straight to video movie that starred an action star that had once been big but now was an afterthought. The big difference between this movie and those has-been pictures of the past is none of those old VHS specials would be this gory. The level of just horrible violence is shocking in this film. Only the die-hard Stallone fans will enjoy this badly written and over the top bad guys filled film. And just so you get the meaning, we get to see the border wall twice right before Rambo kills about 100 bad guys.   My Rating: Cable    Rambo: Last Blood Website

My View: Ad Astra (2019) PG-13  Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) undergoes a mission into deep space to find out the truth about what happened to his father (Tommy Lee Jones) who went on a mission 30 years earlier and apparently is still alive and may have a weapon that can destroy half the solar system. Some critics are going to go nuts over this film, but I found that while the film is incredible looking, reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey, I found the film void of almost any storyline. After the film finished, I had more questions than answers, making me feel that I had seen an uncompleted film, that the writer and director were going to keep working on the film until it made sense. Howeverr, alas, all you get is this mess of a film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Ad Astra Website

My View: Downton Abbey (2019) PG  The continuing story of the Crawley family, owners of a vast estate in the English countryside in the early 20th century. The estate is thrown into a frenzy when the family learns that King George V will be coming to visit. I have never seen an episode of the BBC/PBS television series of the same name and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the storyline but after about fifteen minutes into the film, I pretty much figured out the cast of characters and their relationships with each other. After that first section, I really enjoyed this film about a family dealing not only with a royal visit but all the politics and relationships that a house that size has going on. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the performance of Dame Maggie Smith, who as the feisty Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, is brilliant, funny, bringing a much needed comic relief everything she says a sarcastic line.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I think the fans of the show are going to think this film is everything they could want in a film about their beloved series.  My Rating: Full Price    Downton Abbey Website

Indiefest: Aquarela (2018)   Documentary where the main protagonist is water. Water and ice are captured on screen from around the world, showing just how powerful water is. This is a gorgeous looking film but I got bored with the film after the first twenty minutes. How many shots of water or icebergs can you watch for minutes at a time? There isn’t any narration or titles for the film, so often you have no idea what you are looking at. After an opening sequence that piqued my interest, the rest of the film was an on-slot of shot after shot of water doing what water does, move on, just like I wanted to.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Aquarela Website

Indiefest: Ms. Purple (2019)   A young woman, Kaise (Tiffany Chu) works as a karaoke hostess in Koreatown. She reconnects with her estranged brother (Teddy Lee) when their father is on his deathbed. This is a story about a family that is torn apart not only from the past but also the present. Both siblings are trying to doing right by their father, but it’s not the life that either one envisioned for themselves. Kaise is a woman who is willing to sell her body and soul to provide for her dying father. Her brother, Carey, can’t seem to do the right thing, even when he is trying to. This is a sad and gut-wrenching film about two people trying to come to terms with their lives while being tortured seeing their father waste away in silence.   My Rating: Full Price    Ms. Purple Website

Forgotten Film: Anatomy of a Murder (1959)   In a tiny town in Michigan, an Army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) is accused of killing the man who raped his wife (Lee Remick). A local lawyer (Jimmy Stewart), with a loyal staff (Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden), take on a big city, slick prosecutor (George C. Scott), in an attempt to save his client's life. With a score by jazz great Duke Ellington and directed by Otto Preminger, the film has a feel that it could be set in the present day. Preminger was known as a director that loved to challenge the Production Code, and this film has everything, a possible rape of a wife who loves the attention, a cocksure army man who may be guilty and a lawyer with a lot of doubts about his ability and his client’s innocence. Jimmy Stewart gives a masterful performance as the small-town lawyer, and Scott is perfect as the full of himself lawyer who is confident he will win the case. While the film didn’t win, it was nominated for 8 Oscars, including Stewart, Preminger, and Scott. I love the final scene of the film and you will too.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Anatomy of a Murder Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Downton Abbey: Ballroom Technician

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Irishman (2019) A mob hitman recalls his involvement in the disappearance of Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa. Are you ready for a mobster film directed by Martin Scorsese that lasts 210 minutes and stars Robert De Niro, Anna Paquin, Al Pacino, and Jesse Plemons?     The Irishman Website

Until Next Time!

Don't Let Go

My View:  Don’t Let Go (2019) R   A L.A. police detective (David Oyelowo) discovers the murder of his brother, sister-in-law, and niece. He then starts to get phone calls from his dead niece (Storm Reid). Is he going mad or is this a call for help from beyond? This is one of those films that you just have to ignore the huge plot holes in the film and enjoy the performances of the two leads, Oyelowo and Reid. The film moves at a nice pace and I did enjoy the last third of the film when all the pieces start to fall into place. Like the film Frequency (2000) where Dennis Quaid’s character talks to his son (Jim Caviezel) from the past as they solve a crime together, Reid’s character is calling her uncle from the past via her cell phone and they end up working to together to try and solve her murder. The film gets bogged down in its plot too many times but the performances that Reid and Oyelowo give make up for it.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Don't Let Go Info

Indiefest: The Fanatic (2019) R   Moose (John Travolta) is a big fan of the world-famous cation hero Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa). When Moose feels he is cheated out of meeting his hero, he decides to take things into his own hands and give Hunter a visit to Hunter’s private home. I have never been a big fan of John Travolta and his performance of Moose (who I am guessing is Autistic) makes me doubt he was ever any good at acting. In one of the most bizarre performances I have ever seen on screen, Travolta goes all out in his part and the movie suffers greatly because of it. The film is not helped by a wooden performance of Devon Sawa as a hot-headed actor who plays the tough guy card too many times. Some viewers may enjoy how nuts Travolta’s character on screen is but I just found the film dull and incredibly boring.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Fanatic Info

Indiefest: Love, Antosha (2019) R   Documentary on the much too short life of actor Anton Yelchin, best known for his role of Chekov in the recent Star Trek movie series. Anton Yelchin was an amazing actor, starting out at age eleven and had 69 TV and movie credits by the time he died at age 27 from complications form Cystic Fibrosis. Using an incredible about of home movies (early on Anton was making home movies for his family and friends) we get to see how Anton grew up as an only child of Russian immigrants that were ice skating stars in their early life. Anton always knew that he was living on borrowed time (most children that develop CF don’t make it to their twenties) and he made the most of it, whether it was taking every role he was offered or taking risqué pictures of the strange and magical world of downtown Hollywood and the Valley. The film does a great job of showing us just how big a range Anton had with his acting, being in big box office films like Star Trek (2009) and Fright Night (2011) and then being in critically acclaimed smaller films like Thoroughbreds (2017) and Green Room (2015). You are sure to shed a few tears at the end of the film, because Anton, had he lived, was destined for greatness.   My Rating: Full Price   Love, Antosha Website

Forgotten Film: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)    Animated from the incredible Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli and the great legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki comes a simple tale of two young daughters dealing with moving to the country with their father to be closer to their mother who is in long term care at a hospital. The two daughters, Mei the younger one and older sister Satsuki, discover that there are magical creatures living in the forest next to their house. The two sisters make friends with the creatures called Totoro’s and with the Totoro’s help, they have many magical adventures. This is a rather simple but beautiful film about a family trying to deal with a crisis and two girls that find solace in the forest and its creatures. This is a type of film that we all need, full of joy and hope with its core, the importance of family in times of crisis.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again    My Neighbor Totoro Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Fanatic: Wig Maker for Mr. Travolta

Coming Soon to a theatre Near You: Ad Astra (2019) PG-13   Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) undergoes a mission into deep space to find out the truth about what happened to his father (Tommy Lee Jones) who went on a mission 30 years earlier and apparently is still alive and may have a weapon that can destroy half the solar system. The film just played to rave reviews at a film festival overseas.    Ad Astra Website

Until Next Time!