Cocaine Bear

My View: Cocaine Bear (2023) R  An odd group of people, from cops to criminals, tourists, and teens, all converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a rampage after ingesting cocaine. Rare is a movie where the title tells you everything you need to know about the film. This is a film about a bear who not only ingests cocaine but then seeks it out. I love how the film unfolds, letting us in on how the cocaine got dropped in the forest and the setup of letting us know all the people who will encounter the coked-up bear. But what I really liked was that we never see how the bear initially discovered the coke; we just see the results, and boy, is it bloody. I better use a stronger word. This film is gory. Gory with a capital G. Cocaine Bear is right up there with some of your horror films in gore and violence, with a bear that doesn’t just kill; it’s a bear that destroys. The film is off-the-wall funny, with many great lines and some scenes that will have you on the floor, laughing while also going, ‘that’s so gross.’ The cast is a lot of fun, with Margo Martindale as a horny park ranger, an almost unrecognizable Jesse Tyler Ferguson as the nature environmentalist the park ranger lusts for, and Christian Convery as Henry, a kid who has something to say about everything. We also get to see the late Ray Liotta in his last role as a crime lord who won’t back down to find his missing cocaine in the woods, even though it’s got a bear in it that has gone nuts. The film, directed by Elizabeth Banks, is fast, funny, and a blast to watch. Make sure to see it in a theatre, where the crowd will help you enjoy it even more. The women seated behind me started laughing almost from the title sequence and didn’t stop laughing until the final credits. And by the way, stay through the first bit of credits to see a couple of bonus scenes that will top off your viewing experience. And remember, friends don’t let bears do drugs!   My Rating: Full Price  Cocaine Bear Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: We Have a Ghost (2023)  We Have a Ghost takes place when Kevin’s (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) family moves into a new home that neighbors call ‘The House of Death.’ It turns out that a ghost haunts their new home in the attic named Ernest (David Harbour), a trapped soul from the 70s that Kevin recorded on his phone. When Kevin’s father, Frank (Anthony Mackie), attempts to cash in on Ernest, now a social media sensation, it opens an entire world of attention, including the CIA and a washed-up paranormal scientist (Tig Notaro). We Have a Ghost is a fun, family comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Ernest is a ghost who can’t speak but makes friends with Kevin, who isn’t happy moving to a new home again. He has a father who hasn’t found business success; his businesses are usually bad ideas that fail quickly. Ernest becomes an Internet sensation, and that’s when all the trouble begins. You have added to the mix a possibly evil scientist, a bad guy government, and a girl next door that Kevin is trying to impress. Harbour is fun as the ghost with a comb-over and an ugly bowling shirt, and Jahi Di’Allo is likable as Kevin, who wants to stay in one place and make some friends, even if one of them is a ghost. Ernest is never scary, so kids of all ages can have fun with Kevin and his ghost. Join Kevin, climb up to the attic, and join Ernest in having some fun.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee  We Have a Ghost Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My Take: Jesus Revolution (2023) PG-13  It’s the 70s, and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer) is head of a church that is dying slowly as his congregation gets older. One day, Lonnie (Jonathan Roumie), a long-haired street preacher, comes into Chuck’s church, and his life and community are never the same. Jesus Revolution is a little better than your ordinary Christian inspirational film because of the music (which includes The Doobie Brothers and The Edgar Winter Group) and performances from Kelsey Grammer, the preacher who opens his church and home to the hippie culture, and Joel Courtney, who plays Greg, a troubled young man who has to deal with an alcoholic mother (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). Greg becomes the film’s center as he tries to make his place in the world with the constant fear that wherever he finds a home, it will be taken away from him. Grammer does a great job as the preacher who is open to new ideas to reach more people with the word of God and Jesus. I liked that this film shows a different side to the 60s/early 70s when there was such a significant movement of young people to churches that Time magazine even did a cover story. If you are into this type of film, you will enjoy its message of hope and finding faith in something bigger than yourself.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Jesus Revolution Website Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

Indiefest: A House Made of Splinters (2022)  Documentary about a special kind of home: an institution in war-torn Ukraine for children who have been removed from their homes while awaiting court custody decisions. This documentary will tear your heart out as we follow some of the children while they spend time (up to 9 months) in this kind of holding orphanage. The children here are mostly from families where the parents or, in many cases, a lone parent have lost their rights to their children due to neglect. In most cases, it seems, the parent has given up and spend their time drinking. We get to know children being forced to be the adults in the situation, questioning if their mothers are still drinking or asking to be placed in foster homes rather than returning to their homes. One scene really hit me, where a couple of kids were getting under a blanket fort with a starry light and telling stories. Instead of ghost stories, they told each other the horror stories of their lives where their father beat their mother and was drunk all the time or left them to fend for themselves for days. While it is a hard film to watch, there are some bright spots that the documentary shines its light on, including the loving and kind staff that take an interest in each child and try to give them the love they so desperately want and need. Furthermore, a few children are given to foster parents, and both the new parent and the child seem happy about it. Still, watching some of these kids go through so much and the damage that has been caused is heartbreaking. A House Made of Splinters is incredibly worthy of its Academy Award nomination and should be seen, though you will need a good cry afterwards. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  A House Made of Splinters Website  Now in select theatres and available for rent on iTunes.

Indiefest: Bruiser (2022)   Darious (Jalyn Hall) is a fourteen-year-old boy who always seems angry. His parents, Malcolm (Shamier Anderson) and Monica (Shinelle Azoroh), have sent him to a private school so Darious can get the best education they can afford. The problem is that Darius doesn’t fit in with the rich kids and constantly gets beat up. Darious then meets a charismatic and muscular drifter named Porter (Trevante Rhodes), who promises to change Darious’s life. But Porter is holding on to a secret that will shatter the world of Darious and his family. This is a film where every character has flaws, some out in the open and others hidden away, only to rear their ugly heads when things get tough. This is a film about masculinity, about feeling like you don’t belong and trying to find someone to connect with. Darious seems to have a great life, but that life is built on a very shaky foundation that easily crumbles when Porter shows up in his life. The film constantly questions what it means to be a parent and how that parent should treat their child. Bruiser is a film that makes you wonder who is right and who is wrong, only to understand in the end that only one thing is sure, the child will suffer.   My Rating: Full Price  Bruiser Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Emily (2022) R  The story of Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey), which follows how her life as a rebel and a misfit, full of pain and lost romances, inspired her to write Wuthering Heights. Emma Mackey shines in her portrayal of Emily Bronte and what inspired her to write one of the great British novels. Emily is a complex person who, sometimes, seems incredibly fragile but, at other times, strong and determined. She sees herself as an oddball who doesn’t fit the mold of what others expect from her (especially her father) and hides from dealing with people and situations that she doesn’t want to confront. Emily’s world changes when a new preacher, William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), comes to town and is hired to tutor Emily in French. The two soon start a forbidden romance that will shake Emily’s world to the core. Emily’s life is also filled with both admiration and sometimes hatred for her sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling), who seems to do everything with grace and their father’s constant respect and pride. Emily’s life is also complicated by her brother, Branwell (Fionn Whitehead), who she deeply loves, even though he seems lost in drink and big ideas that never come to fruition. Mackey puts everything on the screen for us to see as Emily strives to make her voice heard while also trying to find love in a relationship that will be doomed. Emily is a film you can get lost in, much like the book her character wrote many years ago.   My Rating: Full Price  Emily Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Juniper (2023)   Sam (George Ferrier) is a young man who has been suspended from his boarding school and has been sent to look after his alcoholic grandmother (Charlotte Rampling) as a way to try to straighten him out. The time they spend together will turn their lives around, or maybe not. Juniper is a film about life, death, and regrets. Lots of regrets. Sam is a troubled young man who has never gotten over the death of his mother or how his father shipped him off to boarding school almost as soon as she died. Into his life comes his grandmother, a woman he knows almost nothing about other than she drinks a lot. As they spend time together, this hurt young man and a feisty, pissed-off, hard-drinking old woman; begin to understand each other and have a relationship. The reason to see this film is Charlotte Rampling, who, as the grandmother who doesn’t seem to give a flip about anyone or anything, provides us with a performance that is far better than the script is giving her. These are challenging people to like, which makes Rampling’s character work; otherwise, this would be a very sappy tale. Juniper goes along, letting Rampling snidely work her way into our hearts. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Juniper Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: My Happy Ending (2023) R  Julia (Andie MacDowell). is a world-famous actress with a big problem: stage 4 colon cancer. She finds herself in a British hospital room, hiding from the press and sharing her cancer treatment in a room with three other women. Three women that will be the only ones who can help Julia deal with the most difficult role she has ever played. Herself. A wonderful performance by Andie MacDowell helps the film, but she can’t overcome a script that is too rooted in its stage origins. The story is about Julia, who is coming off a disaster of a stage performance who is given the news that she has cancer and must get treatment. So she picks an English hospital where she can hide from the press. Used to getting her way, she is upset when she finds out that she must share her treatment with three other cancer patients. So starts a path to discovery for Julia, who learns each of the three other women’s stories. The film takes place mostly in one room, and the dialogue sometimes feels like it needs the energy of a live audience to get the proper response from us. My Happy Ending deals with all the baggage that comes with getting sick, including all the people you have to deal with and still try to stay in the fight.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee  My Happy Ending Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Lady Jane (1986) PG-13  When the death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos and his son Edward on his deathbed, a plot is hatched by minister John Dudley (John Wood) to marry off his son, Gilford (Cary Elwes) to Lady Jane Grey (Helena Bonham Carter), who is then placed on the throne soon after Edward dies. The young couple are thrown together, hostile to the circumstances and each other, but soon realize that maybe their relationship could turn to love. Unfortunately, their love cannot stand during this time of struggle for power. Part Romeo and Juliet, part Lion in Winter, this film is about the romance of two doomed people who cannot escape the intrigue and power-grabbing of the times. Elwes and Bonham Carter have incredible chemistry on screen; their scenes are the film’s highlight. As Lady Gray’s evil father, Patrick Stewart is brilliant in the role, and the cinematography perfectly captures the mood and tone of the times. Break out the tissues and enjoy this all-too-brief romance with two star-crossed lovers. My Rating: Full Price  Lady Jane Info The film is available to buy or rent on Amazon and iTunes.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Cocaine Bear: Bear Performer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023) R   Special agent Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) and his team blackmail one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), into helping them take down an evil arms dealer (Hugh Grant) who has his hands on a deal new weapon that could disrupt the world’s balance of power. From filmmaker Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes (2009), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) comes a new twist on the secret agent game with a cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, Eddie Madsen, Cary Elwes, and Bugzy Malone. Just Aubrey Plaza as a secret agent alone makes this a film to check out.  Operation Fortune Website  In theatres on Friday, March 3rd. 

Mad Max: Fury Road

My View:   Mad Max: Fury Road  (2015)  R  In a world where everything and everyone are fought over, a man called, Max (Tom Hardy), just might be the man to restore order. If you haven’t seen any of the Mad Max films, don’t worry, though this one does reference the past films during the credits. This film gets moving right from the start and never lets up on the accelerator. The film is a blast to watch, and Tom Hardy is brilliant as Max. Even finer is Charlize Theron, who brings a tough, multilevel performance to the screen as Imperator Furiosa, a woman who is trying to escape to a better place. Nicholas Hoult is hilarious as Nux, a sad sack bad guy who can never get anything right. The action sequences are breathtaking, and there is so much going on, you might want to see this film twice. This is a car lover’s dream, as there is an array of custom cars of all types in the film, and it’s a usual world that director George Miller always creates. This world is not a place where you would want to live, but you will definitely want to visit.  Don’t worry about seeing this one in 3-D (the 3-D was added post production), but do see it on the big screen.     My Rating: I Would Pay to See It Again    Mad Max: Fury Road Website

My View:   Pitch Perfect 2  (2015)  PG-13  After a humiliating command performance, the Bellas must enter an international competition that no American group has ever won. The Bellas must win the competition to regain their competition status. I enjoyed this film and feel it is funnier than the original movie. While this sequel doesn’t have the magic moments of the first film (e.g. cup song audition), it does have some phenomenal singing, with Anna Kendrick giving us her usual outstanding performance. In addition, two newcomers, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, and Flula Borg steal the stage as the leaders of a German A-Capella group that becomes the Bellas’ rivals. Rebel Wilson once again steals the comedy spotlight as the very inappropriate, “Fat Amy.” John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks have some of the funniest lines of the movie as the two commentators, back from the first Pitch Perfect. The film does have more songs and cameos to surprise the audience, and, overall, while not as pleasing as the first film, this sequel still delivers some fantastic laughs, music and vocal talent. Be sure and stay through the first bit of credits as there is a very funny and well done bonus scene.   My Rating: Full Price   Pitch Perfect 2 Website

Indiefest:   Where Hope Grows  (2014)  PG-13   Calvin Campbell (Kristoffer Polaha) was a professional baseball player who has to take early retirement due to panic attacks at the plate. He is struggling to raise his daughter (McKaley Miller) and feels as if life isn’t working anymore. Then Calvin meets Produce (David DeSanctis), a young grocery worker with Down syndrome. Calvin is about to make a lifelong friendship.  This is one of the best faith based films that have come out of the last few years, and it’s all due to the winning performance of David DeSanctis. He just lights up the screen with his enthusiasm for life and his great chemistry with Kristoffer Polaha. It’s a tremendous performance and makes this film work. The film has a fantastic supporting cast, including Brooke Burns, Kerr Smith, William Zabka and Danica McKellar. The film gets a little sappy at times but, unlike a lot of Christian-oriented films, the religious aspects don’t hit you over the head. The message is if you stay positive and live life to the fullest, you can find happiness. That happiness is what David DeSanctis delivers throughout the movie.   My Rating: Full Price    Where Hope Grows Website

Indiefest: Iris  (2014)  PG-13  Documentary about Iris Apel, a quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93 year-old style maven who has been on the New York fashion scene for decades. Mrs. Loehmann (yes, that Loehmann) told Iris when she was a young woman “You’re not pretty; you never will be pretty, but you have style!” and she was right. This film by the legendary late documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles is an outstanding film about a woman who has been influencing both the fashion world and the home designer world for over 75 years. The film captures Iris’s style and wit, as she dispenses wisdom to anyone who will listen, and many want to her what she has to say. The movie also documents her love affair with her husband (who near the end of the film celebrates his 100th birthday). If you love fashion and want to be wowed by one of the great fashion collections the world has ever seen, then this movie is for you.    My Rating: Full Price   Iris Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   The Gallows  (2015)   Twenty years after a horrifying accident at a school play, a group of students decide to put on the same play, and people start dying. I don’t need a horror movie about a school play; they are usually horrific enough on their own.  

Forgotten Film: Marooned  (1969)  G  Before there was Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995) there was Marooned. Three astronauts (Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and James Franciscus) are stranded in a capsule orbiting the earth and are quickly running out of air. A rescue mission is hampered by a hurricane at the launch site. This film, while a little slow moving, has some intense acting, and the special effects aren’t bad for their time. I especially enjoyed the performance of Gene Hackman, who gives one of the best preformances of his long career.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Marooned Info      

Weird Credits: From the film Mad Max: Fury Road: Bike cosmetics

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Aloha  (2015)  PG-13  This film is written and directed by Cameron Crowe and stars Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, and Bradley Cooper. I don’t care what the story is; I was in when you said Cameron Crowe and Emma Stone.   Aloha Info    

Until Next Time!

The Lego Movie

Family Faire:  The Lego Movie (2014)  PG  For Emmet (Chris Pratt), every day is awesome. He enjoys his life working in construction until he meets a girl named, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). She is convinced that he is the “Special,” the greatest Master Builder who can save the Lego universe from the evil President Business (Will Ferrell). Now with the help of Batman(Will Arnett), Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), Metalbeard (Nick Offerman) and Uni-Kitty (Alison Brie), Emmett must find the courage to fight President Business from using his secret weapon.  My biggest complaint about animated movies is three years are spent making the film but, then they seem to have scripts that took a weekend to write.  This is not the case with this film as it is one of the best animated scripts in the past ten years and encompasses highly imaginative, extremely creative filmmaking.  In the screening I attended, parents were laughing at times more than the kids because the film packs on the sight gags  and funny lines.  I liked Chris Pratt as the everyman Emmet, but it’s Will Arnett who steals the show as the voice of Batman.  He has the Batman voice down pat, as sort of a cross between Bale and Keaton.  Near the end of the film, the action slows down, but the rest of the film is such a fun, wild ride, you can overlook that part. By the way, there is a theme song in the movie called, “Everything is Awesome,” that shows up in various forms in the film. I predict that you will be singing the song with a smile on your face as you leave the theatre.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Lego Movie Website

My View:  The Monuments Men (2014)  PG-13  An unlikely group of World War II soldiers is put together to create a platoon whose job it is to rescue stolen art masterpieces from the Nazis before they destroy them. The strength of this film is its cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin all making up the squadron that is in charge of trying to rescue the art.  The film does have some very nice moments between some of the characters in the film, especially the relationship of Damon’s character, an art historian who tries to get a key French woman, played by Blanchett, to cooperate in the finding where the Nazis took the art work.  There's a nice chemistry between Blanchett and Damon in the scenes where they are trying to figure out each other’s motives.  There is also a great “bromance” between Murray’s very laid back character and the very stuck up character that Bob Balaban that is probably the best and funniest relationship of the whole film.  The cast is let down by the script as it can never find the right tone for the film, and the film, at times light and funny, never seems to find the right mix to put in the hardships of war.  The film tries too hard to touch on the heartstrings and almost begs us to care before we are given good reason to.  This is not a bad film, in fact, at times, it is very enjoyable, but it’s not the Oscar contender that the studio thought it had.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Monuments Men Website  

Indiefest:  Gloria (2013)  R  Gloria (Paulina Garcia) is a 58 year old divorcee' who is determined not to spend her nights alone. She hits the single scene, but it seems as though she can’t find love. That is until she met Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez), an ex-naval officer who sweeps her off her feet. The question is, will this new romance last?  When people complain that movies aren't made for adults anymore, we should point them to this film. Garcia is a force on the screen as she plays a character who, while is comfortable being single, is still looking for love.  Her character has a love of romantic songs and dancing, which shows us that she is hopeful that she will find love again.  This is an interesting, and at times, delightful film, with a performance from Garcia that makes you want to see her find love again.   My Rating:  Full Price  Gloria Website

Forgotten Film:  The Limey (1999)  Wilson (Terence Stamp) is a recently released ex-con who flies overseas to L.A. to investigate the recent death of his daughter.  Once in L.A. he soon gets involved with the sleazy underworld of L.A. life, including his daughter’s boyfriend, Terry (Peter Fonda), who is a record producer with ties to drug trafficking.  Steven Soderbergh directed this taut crime drama that is told through flashbacks.  Stamp gives a performance of a lifetime as a man on the road to vengeance.  It’s a film where you'll discover new things with each viewing.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Limey Infor

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Need for Speed (2014)  Looks to me like a rip off of the Fast & Furious franchise starring Aaron Paul.  This one, unlike the Fast franchise, looks like it takes itself way too seriously. I know Aaron Paul was in the TV show “Breaking Bad,” but this film just looks like it’s “Breaking Down.”  Need for Speed Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Rush  (2013)  R  I like this movie about the 1976  season of Formula One racing.  The film has great racing sequences (the best I have ever seen), and Daniel Bruhl gives a riveting performance as driving legend Niki Lauda., one, which I thought, was worthy of an Academy Award nomination (alas, he didn’t get one to my dismay).  My Rating:  Full Price  Rush Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Lego Movie:  Physical Objects Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Muppets Most Wanted (2014) PG  I don’t really care what the plot is (something about a Kermit look-a-like jewel thief).  All I care about is that it’s a film where the Muppets interact with Tina Fey and Tom Hiddleston!  Muppets Most Wanted Website

Until Next Time!