Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

My View: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) This documentary brings the phenomenon to the big screen as Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to the cinema, bringing us this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience that made this a history-making tour. This film has already sold over 100 million dollars worth of tickets. The concert tour that caused parents to take a second mortgage on their house so that they could buy a ticket to Taylor's concert tour has been put on film. Is this film worthy of that devotion? Well, I don't know about a 2nd mortgage, but it's worth the price of a movie ticket. The film gives Swifties, who couldn't see Taylor live, the next best thing in a concert film that packs a punch with hit after hit done in spectacular fashion. This film makes you feel like you're right up on stage with Taylor as she sings your favorite songs. Taylor Swift knows how to work an audience. And that goes for the audience sitting in the movie theatre seats, too. She masterfully interacts with her dancers, backup singers, and band, giving each a share of the spotlight. The stage is massive and interacts with Taylor and the dancers as they move across it, changing its structure and lights as they dance across the floor. The sets change as the albums do so that, in one song, Taylor is singing in a multi-layered office setting and then later is lying on top of a moss-covered roof of a cabin. I'm not a huge fan of Swift's music, but I came away thinking she is a great performer and a brilliant storyteller through her songs. So buy a ticket and dance in the aisle as Taylor sings about a boyfriend who has done her wrong. Maybe you should think about that 2nd mortgage thing the next time Taylor decides to tour again. My Rating: Full Price My Rating: Full Price  Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Burial (2023) R  Jeremiah (Tommy Lee Jones) is about to lose his family-owned funeral home business to a corporate behemoth known for ruthlessly taking over small businesses. Jeremiah turns to the only lawyer with the guts to take the big guys on, the one and only Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx), who feels he can’t lose when the truth is on his side. Based on a true story, The Burial is a crowd-pleasing courtroom drama that depends on the characters’ personalities to make this a film to watch. Jamie Foxx is a lot of fun as the larger-than-life Willie Gary, who is so successful as a lawyer that he has appeared on the TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. However, Willie only takes cases of personal injury, which can make his clients and him big money, and more importantly, cases he feels he can’t lose. That’s important because Willie hasn’t lost in 12 years. Into Willie’s life comes Jeremiah, who is being cheated out of his family business. Willie, at first, doesn’t want to take the case but is won over by Jeremiah, played expertly by Tommy Lee Jones, and his story. This is a story of David vs. Goliath if Goliath has a luxury yacht with a helipad, and David wore expensive suits and had his own 737 plane. The Burial is an enjoyable film that lets Foxx and Jones run with what they do best. Foxx playing the splashy good guy, and Jones playing the down-home everyman who you wish was your grandfather. There is a pivotal scene in the film’s latter half that only an actor like Tommy Lee could carry off, and he does it so well the audience will be prone to applaud. Be sure to stay during the first portion of the credits to see the real Willie Gary make an appearance in the film. My Rating: Full Price  The Burial Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest: Joan Baez I Am a Noise (2023)  Documentary on legendary singer and activist Joan Baez, who, after a 60-year career, goes on one last concert tour. In this film, you will learn about Joan Baez and her life, but for the first time, Baez will share her personal struggles she has kept secret for all her years in the spotlight. Joan Baez has been in the spotlight since she burst onto the scene as a folksinger in the sixties and dated Bob Dylan right when he became a huge star. Baez has always been known for her beautiful voice and has always made it her mission to be in the thick of things such as protesting the Vietnam War, women’s rights and being in the thick of things during the Civil Rights movement in the sixties. What we didn’t know is that throughout her life, Joan Baez has battled anxiety and depression. Through home movies and Baez’s own writings and drawings, we see how she saw herself and her life during both good times and bad. Through years of therapy and self-discovery, Joan Baez has determined that something happened to herself and her sister in their early years that deeply affected how Joan dealt with life and her mental well-being. Joan Baez I Am a Noise explores the journey of an artist who struggled with self-worth but now embraces the love and hope she has given to the world.  My Rating: Full Price  Joan Baez I Am a Noise Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Just Peck (2009)   Michael Peck (Keir Gilchrist) is a sophomore in high school who has overbearing parents and struggles to fit in at home and school. His parents force him to join the Science Club when he is kicked out of band. After skipping school with his best friend Geiger (Kyle Kaplan), he meets Emily (Brie Larson), who is way out of his league. Somehow, Peck makes friends with Emily and soon realizes that Emily’s world isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks it is, and Peck is going to figure out a way to make sure that everyone sees her the way he does. Just Peck is a fun coming-of-age film with a great cast and vastly helped by a script that doesn’t go for the easy laughs. Instead, it gives us a kid with actual problems that can’t be fixed, but he can figure out a way to cope with some help from his friends.   My Rating: Full Price   Just Peck InfoThe film is available to buy or rent on Amazon and is on Freevee.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Burial: Drone Observers

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Marvels (2023) PG-13  Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is an astronaut working for S.A.B.E.R. and Nick Fury. While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica’s powers become entangled with Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Ms. Marvel, Kamala Kahn (Iman Vellani). The trio will have to team up together to defeat a new enemy while trying to figure out why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. I am a big fan of Brie Larson and hope this film does her justice.  The Marvels Website   The film will be in theatres on Friday, November 10, 2023.

Until Next Time!

Project Power

 

My View: Project Power (2020) R     A pill that gives its users superpowers for five minutes hits the streets of New Orleans. A teenage dealer (Dominique Fishback), a local cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and an ex-soldier (Jamie Foxx) team up to get the drug off the street before people start dying. The film asks, would you take a pill that could give you a superpower, if you didn’t know what that superpower would be and oh, by the way, can kill you, sometimes instantly? The film moves at a quick pace as the lives of the three principals merge together (sometimes pretty awkwardly), and the action becomes at us at an almost blinding speed. Foxx and Gordon-Levitt are fun to watch, doing their badass bits but its Fishback, as a quick-talking, wannabe rapper, who deals in the pills that give the superpowers. Fishback, who delivers wisecracks with a rapid flurry, has excellent chemistry with both Foxx and Gordon-Levitt, making up for the shaky plotline that stretches incredibly thin to keep Fishback’s character involved in the attempt to find the source of the super-pills. So, sit back and go on a ride with quite a few thrills and spills, just don’t take the pill because you might blow up.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Project Power Website    Currently available on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Boys State (2020) PG-13    Every year, a thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas come to Austin to build a representative government from the ground up, culminating in the elections of their government. This is one of those films that takes what could have been a boring subject and makes it into magic, holding your attention and suspense until the end. The program takes boys, separates them into two political parties, then the boys must decide party platforms, create legislation, and nominate boys to run against each other for various statewide offices, including the most significant office of all, governor. The film centers on four boys; the first two are running against each other in the same party. Steven, an underdog candidate who is earnest and willing to talk about issues, Robert, Steven’s primary opponent who is all about being popular and talking about what he thinks his voters want to hear. We also meet Rene, who has the charisma and the speaking ability to go far, and Ben, a double-amputee, whose run for governor dies before it even starts and realizes he can do more behind the scenes with a dirty tricks campaign to get his conservative ideas across. The film has you rooting for Steven, who is just marvelous as someone who wants to make a difference in the world, contrasting with the almost Darth Vader villain in Ben, willing to do anything to get his party elected. It’s a brilliant and compelling film that will give you hope for our political future.     My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Boys State Website    Available on the Apple TV+ platform.

Indiefest: Sputnik (2020)    During the height of the Cold War, a lone survivor (Pyotr Fyodorov) of a Soviet spaceship accident has returned home, but he didn’t come back alone; inside, his body is a parasite, and a scientist (Oksana Akinshina) is charged with separating the two. An enjoyable and sometimes quite scary film that reminded me of the classic Sci-Fi horror films of the 70s and 80s. Taking place in the 1980s, this Russian film, perfectly sets the tone from the start, with a harrowing trip home by two astronauts. We don’t know exactly what happened, but we know it wasn’t good, with one of the astronauts killed and the other barely hanging on to life. The hero of the story is a headstrong scientist who is brought to a remote location, not told anything about her subject other than he is an astronaut who doesn’t remember what went on when his fellow spaceman died. As the film continues, a sense of dread and suspense starts building as we learn, along with the scientist, that there is something sinister going on. The film is more suspenseful than horrific, though there are a few killings that are quite graphic and bloody. The film will keep you guessing until the end, filled with outstanding performances by the two leads, which will keep you on the edge of your couch.    My Rating: Full Price      Sputnik Info      Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959)   Legendary documentary on the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. The film is considered the first concert film ever made and was named to the National Film Registry in 1999. The film has been newly restored funded by the Library of Congress in time to celebrate the film’s 60 anniversary. The film is a classic jazz lover’s dream with performances by some of the greatest jazz masters of the 20th century, most at the height of the artistic genius. The lineup includes Chico Hamilton, Anita O’Day, George Shearing, Jack Teagarden, Thelonius Monk, and even Chuck Berry. The film splendidly captures the sights of the Newport jazz fest scene, with plenty of closeups of people enjoying the performances. The highlights are a brilliant set by Gerry Mulligan, several songs by the wonderful Louis Armstrong, and a powerful performance by one of the greatest gospel singers ever, Mahalia Jackson, who closes out the film and the night as Saturday turns into Sunday morning. The film is a marvelous trip back to a time when jazz was the music of its time. Now, through the magic of cinema, we can experience one of the greatest music documentaries of all time.     My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Jazz on a Summer's Day Website      Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Martin Margiela: In His Own Words (2019)    Influential fashion designer Marin Margiela has been called the ‘Banksy of fashion,’ as he has famously avoided publicity and interviews throughout the years. Now through this documentary, Margiela has decided to come from behind the curtain and share his drawings, notes, and personal items in this intimate profile of his vision. I’m not big into fashion or clothes, but I have always been fascinated by the spectacle of the Paris/New York fashion scene. This film gives a fashionista and insiders look at a legendary designer who, for twenty years, created groundbreaking designs that people are still talking about. Margiela was a mysterious man at the time (and still is), as his face has never been seen by the public, hence the Banksy reference. I will admit, at times I got a bit bored by all the clothes that we see before our eyes, but the film does a brilliant job of giving us the look and feel of what Margiela’s almost mythical runway shows were like and while we don’t get to see the man, we do get to see inside the mind that created fabulous and storied creations year after year.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Martin Margiela: In His Own Words Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services and on the Plaza Theatre Atlanta Website.

Forgotten Film: French Postcards (1979) PG   A group of exchange students from America come to Paris to study the language and the culture for a year. The film centers on three students; Alex (David Marshall Grant) who is in love or is it lust with his instructor (Marie=France Pisier), Joel (Miles Chapin) who falls for a cute assistant at a bookstore and Laura (Blanche Baker) who misses home and her boyfriend. Add in a very young Debra Winger, and this is a highly enjoyable film about Americans in one of the world’s most romantic cities. The film feels a little dated, but the performances are delightful, and the film feels more like a romance than one of those quirky Americans going nuts in a foreign country kind of film.   My Rating: Full Price     French Postcards Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Project Power: Phantom Technician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Words on Bathroom Walls (2020) PG-13   Adam (Charlie Plummer), halfway through his senior year, has a breakdown in his chemistry class and is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Adam doesn’t just hear voices, he sees the people talking to him. Adam transfers to a new school, with thoughts of graduating and going on to cooking school. He then meets Maya (Taylor Russell), and she gives him hope that together he can make it in the world. The trailer looks fantastic, and the supporting cast includes Molly Parker (Lost in Space), Walton Goggins (Justified), and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven).       Words on the Bathroom Walls Website

Until Next Time!

1917

My View: 1917  (2019) R   Two young British privates (Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay) during the First World War are given what most likely is an impossible task: to deliver a message deep behind enemy lines that will stop a massacre of 1,600 British soldiers. One of the best films of just 2019 but one of the best films of the decade. Shot and edited as if the film is one long take, the film is a masterpiece in film editing. It’s a roller-coaster ride as we follow the two young soldiers on what very quickly looks to become either an hopeless task to complete at the least and, more than likely, a suicide mission where both men will die in vain. You are immersed rapidly into a deadly and rotten war as our two heroes are given almost impossible hurdles to overcome, all the while the clock is ticking. The film is breathtaking in its scope as we see up close the horrors of WWI and the effect it had on the men who had to fight it. The film will keep you on the edge of your seat, and it’s almost two-hour length will fly by. Please go see this in a theatre, as both the score and the cinematography are breathtaking. The two lead actors, Chapman and MacKay, are outstanding, giving us an everyman feel to their portrayals of two British boys trying to save their fellow soldiers from a horrible death. I gave 1917 my top vote in all three of my critic groups end of the year voting over some other incredible films of 2019.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     1917 Website

My View: Like a Boss (2020) R   Two friends, Mel (Rose Byrne) and Mia (Tiffany Haddish) start a beauty company together. The problem is that Mel is the practical one, and Mia can only see the lavish lifestyle that she thinks she deserves. In walks Claire (Salma Hayek) who wants to invest in their company and make all their dreams come true, that is, until it turns into their nightmare. The only thing I can say positive about this film is that it is mercifully a short 83 minutes long. I felt sorry for Byrne and Haddish as they gamely gave it everything they had, but the story is so bad, there is no way that they could save this horrible film. The plot is paper-thin, and the two lifelong friends turn on each other in a blink of an eye. Salma Hayek gives an incredibly horrific over-the-top performance, and she is not helped by an overacting Karan Soni, who plays her gofer / yes man. The ending seems to have written by a group of 8-year-olds, and if I ever hear the classic song 'Proud Mary' sung by Byrne and Haddish again (it's their go-to Karaoke tune), I know that I have been sent to hell and not heaven.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    Like a Boss Website

Indiefest:  Just Mercy  (2019)  PG -13  A young Harvard grad lawyer, Bryan (Michael B. Jordan), could have the pick of any job in the country. Still, he picks Alabama to set up a law firm specializing in advocating for death row inmates he feels to have been wrongly condemned. He meets and defends Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx), a man convicted of a notorious murder of an 18-year-old-girl. Led by powerful performances by Jordan and Foxx, this earnest film, while not quite the home run you want it to be, is a good film with the message that every person deserves a chance at justice. The film tugs at the heartstrings but never feels overpowering, letting its message and plot slowly develop to its conclusion. Fans of Brie Larson will be a little disappointed as she isn’t given much to do, other than play the cheerleader for Jordan’s determined lawyer. The film doesn’t break any new ground, but the fact that this film is based on a real story brings home enough of an impact to make it an interesting movie to watch.   My Rating: Full Price    Just Mercy Website

My View: Underwater (2020) PG-13   A crew of aquatic researchers are 7 miles underwater on the Ocean floor when an earthquake devastates subterranean laboratory. They soon discover that they have more than the ocean seabed to fear. A great deal of this film takes place in very dark and murky water with the cast in very bulky, outer-space style diving suits. This means that a great deal of the action is tough to see, and the cast, speaking into their suit’s communication system, are at times incredibly hard to understand. I have a feeling that the film was much longer, and the studio made the filmmakers cut about 30 minutes because some of the transitions from one scene to another are almost unexplainable. Divers complain about not have enough oxygen, and then, in the next scene, they are fine, and sometimes we seem to time travel a bit, as the crew, walking on the ocean floor, moving at incredible speed and distance, while at other times they struggle to go a few feet. Other than a few newspaper clippings in the opening credits, there isn’t much setup, so we never really get to understand what the crew was doing in the laboratory and what their relationships between each other are. The ending feels rushed, and all the scares in this film are the ‘jump out of the dark’ style, which gets old very quickly. I hope Kristen Stewart got a big paycheck for this film, because she looks uncomfortable throughout the film, almost as uncomfortable as I was watching the movie.   My Rating: Cable    Underwater Website

Indiefest: Days of Rage: The Rolling Stones’ Road to Altamont (2020)   At the end of the 60s, the Rolling Stones had become the voice of the new era. It all came crashing down at a rock concert that changed their lives forever. Days of Rage is an excellent and informative documentary on what led to a death at a free rock concert. I loved all the news footage as the film shows us how and why this concert was almost doomed to fail from the start. People remember The British invasion, but what this film points out is that the Stones were, at the time, almost the anti-Beatles, striving to be something new and different from all the other British bands to tour the states in the late 60s. The film gives us great insight into why and how the outlaw biker gang, the Hells Angels, became the security for the concert and just how things got so quickly out of hand. The film has some tremendous classic Stones live concert footage that fans of the group will want to see. I thought I knew about what happened at Altamont but, because of this film, I have a new understanding of what went down that fateful night.   My Rating: Full Price    Days of Rage Info

Forgotten Film: The Others (2001)  PG-13  Grace (Nicole Kidman) moves to a mansion on Jersey with her two children while waiting for her husband to return from the Second World War. Her two children have a disease that means they cannot be exposed to sunlight. Due to her children’s affliction, she has created a series of rules that must be followed, or the children could be harmed. The home and her children become too much for her, so she hires a group of servants who soon learn that breaking the rules will have some unexpected consequences. I love this film, how it slowly, darkly builds the tension without having to resort to tricks or easy scares. Kidman gives one of her best performances as the mother who finds herself in a highly disturbing situation, one that she may not be able to handle. I can’t give away much more of the plot without ruining the movie, but let me say this, it’s one of the best uses of suspense in a film and will probably shock you a few times with the twists and turns the plot takes.   My Rating: Full Price    The Others Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Underwater: Legacy Suit Lighting Technician

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Mulan (2020)   A young Chinese maiden (Yifei Liu) disguises herself as a male warrior when her ailing father is called into the army to protect the country from the Huns. I loved the animated film, and this live-action movie looks terrific.    Mulan Website

Until Next Time!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

My View:  Godzilla: King of the Monsters  (2019)  PG-13  The Titans have awakened and the three-headed King Ghidorah is taking over. It’s up to Godzilla to save the world from Ghidorah and the army of titans. So the fights between Godzilla and the Titans are cool but there is just too little fighting and too much human talking. The film feels longer that it’s two hours and eleven minutes in length. The film wastes the talents of Vera Farmiga and Sally Hawkins. Millie Bobby Grown is given almost nothing to do in the film other than hug people and scream. The plot has holes as big as Godzilla himself and much of it doesn’t make sense. Do stay through all the credits as there is a clue for the next Godzilla film.   My Rating;  Cable   Godzilla Website

My View:  Rocketman  (2019)  R  The life and music of Elton John (Taron Egerton). This is one of the best films of the year and Egerton gives one of the great performances I’ve ever seen. Egerton perfectly captures the magic of Elton John’s performances and you get to see John and lyric writer Bernie Taupin create their greatest songs. This is a different type of biopic as the music tells most of the story. My only complaint about this film is the last third of the film lags a bit as Elton John goes down a dark hole of drugs and alcohol, cutting off everybody he was close to. All your favorite Elton John songs are in this film making it a trip down memory lane. If you are an Elton John fan this film is a must but really it is a must for any film lover.   My Rating: Full Price    Rocketman Website

Indiefest:  All is True  (2019)  PG-13  William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) retires from writing and goes home to his family. I liked this film because I felt that I got to know the man behind the legend. Branagh is perfect in the role of Shakespeare, bring the man to life in front of our eyes. I loved the look of this film, as all the interior scenes were shot only using candlelight. Fans of the bard are going to love this movie.  My Rating: Full Price    All is True Website

Forgotten Film:  Collateral (2004) R   Max (Jamie Foxx) is a cab driver who picks up a passenger, Vincent (Tom Cruise) who gives Max 600 dollars to take him to five stops. What Max soon learns is that Vincent is a contract killer and is going to kill someone at each stop. What I enjoy about this movie is not the action sequences, it’s the conversations that Max and Vincent have in the cab and at a nightclub that Vincent makes Max go to. Their conversations are interesting and meaningful, as Vincent is constantly thinking about the meaning of life, even though his occupation is taking life away.  My Rating: Full Price    Collateral Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Rocketman: Facial Hair

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near Your:  Late Night  (2019)  R  Molly (Mindy Kaling) joins the staff of a late night talk show hosted by Katherine (Emma Thompson) who is told that her show is in its last year. Could Molly be the one to save the show? The trailer looks amazing and I love Mindy Kaling, so I’m really looking forward to this one.    Late Night Website

Until Next Time!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

My View:  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) PG-13 Peter (Andrew Garfield) it seems, has a great life.  His girlfriend is the beautiful and smart, Gwen (Emma Stone), and he’s a superhero.  But Peter’s world is getting complicated quickly.  As soon as he takes on a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx),  bad guys from his past start popping up.  And it seems that all his enemies have something in common –  a corporation called Oscorp.  The best thing about this film is the chemistry between Garfield and Stone, as they play off each other so well, and Emma Stone is my pick for the perfect Gwen Stacy.  But this film fails in comparison to some of the better Marvels films like The Avengers or Iron Man, as it never sets a clear tone on what the film wants to be.  Some of the actors seem to feel as if they are in a “comic book” film, hamming it up and over-acting each line.  Others, like Stone, take the film seriously and give excellent dramatic performances.  I like the action sequences and the major battle scenes. Some shots of Spider-Man traveling through the city are absolutely spectacular.  The storyline lets us down, as, at times, I was bored with parts of the film.  There is too much of a rather boring Electro character and not enough of the Green Goblin character that Dane DeHaan plays.  The emotional points in the film were not impactful enough for me, and I also did not like the ending. Unlike other Marvel films, there are no additional scenes during or at the end of the credits.  It’s been said that there aren’t any current plans to mix the Spider-Man world with the rest of the Marvel universe, and I am fine with that.  Spider-Man would just look silly interacting with Ironman and Capt. America.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Website

Indiefest:  Decoding Annie Parker (2014) R  Annie (Samantha Morton) is a young woman who comes from a long line of family members who died from cancer.  Dr. Marie-Claire King (Helen Hunt) is a researcher who specializes in cancer.  The two, Annie and Dr. King, embark on a remarkable journey to prove that some forms of cancer are hereditary. This is a smart, moving, inspiring film that also is very funny, mostly due to the outlook and dialogue of Annie Parker.  Samantha Morton gives a brilliant performance as the quirky Annie, whose quest to not only beat cancer but also understand why she got the disease dominates the film.  Helen Hunt isn’t given as much to do, mostly because she is seen mostly in scenes of doing very dry research, but Morton is a breath of fresh air and makes this film work.  It’s not often that in a scene where a patient is being told they have cancer, you are laughing.  My Rating:  Full Price  Decoding Annie Parker Website   For a full length review of the film click here  

Indiefest:  Blue Ruin (2014) R   Dwight (Macon Blair) is basically a beach bum, living out of his car and depending on trash cans and strangers for meals. Dwight discovers that a long time family rival is going to be released from prison.  Now Dwight will go back home to Virginia and try and get his revenge. This is an unconventional suspense film about a man who gets in way over his head and just tries to survive.  Blair is impressive in this tour de force performance, where he says very little, but through his body language and facial expressions, gives us so much information. The world that we see in this film is one where violence is met with violence, and Dwight is pulled further and further into it. The film is written extremely well, creating tension in even the most normal of scenes.  It is a stunning film to watch and experience.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  Blue Ruin Website  For a full length review of this film click here

Forgotten Film:  Me and You and Everyone We Know (2004) R Richard (John Hawkes), a shoe salesman, has just recently been thrown out by his wife (JoNell Kennedy) and is now living with his two sons in a small apartment.  He meets Christine (Miranda July) and a budding romance slowly blooms between the two.  This is a quirky, funny film that has a number of subplots, all which come together at the end of the film.  Miranda July is delightful as a woman who desperately wants to be an artist, and the chemistry between her and Hawkes is magical.  This is one of those films that you will want to see several times to catch all the dialogue and drink in all the brilliant scenes.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  Me and You and Everyone We Know Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)  Dusty, the racing plane, gets injured and now is a fire fighter.  Why Disney insists on releasing these films in the theatre, when it's obvious that were meant to be direct to DVD films is beyond me.  Planes: Frie & Rescue Info

In Case You Missed It:  The Legend of Hercules (2014) PG-13  Retelling of the Hercules legend.  It’s a big mess of a movie where I had trouble understanding what the actors were saying.  I still don’t know what happened at the end of the film.  Stay away from this film and wait for The Rock’s Hercules film that will be released this summer.  My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  The Legend of Hercules Website  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Amazing Spider-Man 2:   eco intern

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Edge of Tomorrow (2014) PG-13 A soldier (Tom Cruise) fighting aliens begins to relive the day he dies over and over.  Cruise isn’t a favorite of mine but the trailer looks like the film could be a blast and it’s got Emily Blunt as a soldier who holds the key to winning the battle.   Edge of Tomorrow Website

Until NextTime!

  

The Heat

My View:   The Heat (2013)  R  FBI agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) has made it her life’s work to take down the bad guys, and, to the point where she has no social life. Now she’s hot on the trail of a ruthless drug lord, and her investigation takes her to Boston. But, her worst nightmare happens when she gets partnered with a local Boston cop, Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), who hasn’t had a partner in years for good reason - no one can get along with her.  The film is directed by Paul Feig, who directed the 2011 comedy hit, Bridesmaids.  Melissa McCarthy is brilliant as the tough Boston cop whose own police force even fears her.  Bullock holds her own with McCarthy and is able to keep up with her in every scene, which is amazing as McCarthy, in this film, is a bulldozer in a china shop.  The storyline is one we have seen before, but because of the talents of the two leads, the film seems fresh and moves at an incredibly quick pace.  This is one of those films you will have to see twice because you will be laughing so hard, you won’t hear all the lines.  One bit of warning - McCarthy says the F word about every other line (that’s part of a gag near the end of the film), so be warned the language in this film is filthy.  But it’s so much fun, I just want to know how much of McCarthy’s lines were scripted, and how much did she just make up on the set.   There is a bonus scene right after the first of the closing credits.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Heat Website

My View:   White House Down  (2013)  PG-13  A capitol policeman, John Cale (Channing Tatum), with dreams of someday working in the Secret Service, is on a White House tour with his daughter (Joey King) when it’s attacked by a terrorist group. Now Cale may be the only thing between the terrorists and the President (Jamie Foxx).  This is a film that goes way over the top, but in a good way.  It’s as if when the idea for the film was created, the director said “we could do this as a serious picture or we could just say screw it and have fun with it."  There is more comedy in this film than some of the recent Adam Sandler films (I know, that’s not saying a lot), as the characters spew out lines that are meant to be outrageous and possibly repeated by the audience as they leave the theatre.  The action is fast and well done, with each explosion getting bigger as the film goes on (so do the weapons).  The film doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, though.  You can see where the film is going from the start as it really doesn’t try and hide its villains, but it’s a blast (no pun intended) to watch and Foxx /Tatum are fantastic playing off each other in their bromance.  Don’t expect much from this film, but do expect to be entertained.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   White House Down Website

Indiefest:  Fill The Void  (2013)  PG  An 18-year old girl named Shira (Hadas Yaron), who lives in a Tel Aviv ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community, is about to meet her potential husband in this world of arraigned marriages. But Shira’s life changes when her older, married sister dies giving birth to her first child. Suddenly, Shira is pressured by friends and family to marry the husband of her late sister. If she doesn’t marry him, he may move with his newborn to another country.  This is an interesting film about a world we know little about.  Hadas Yaron gives a moving and complex performance as she tries to decide between her happiness and her family’s wishes.  It’s a well done film about a complex world where religion rules over people’s lives.   My Rating:  Full Price   Fill the Void Website

Forgotten Film:  Election  (1999)  R  A high school civics teacher (Matthew Broderick) decides that he will teach his students about the democratic process.  So, he enlists the school’s star football player (Chris Klein) to run against Tracy (Reese Witherspoon), an overachiever who is determined to win at any cost.  Reese Witherspoon has never been better as the student who sees the election as a life or death moment.  Broderick is funny as the teacher who doesn’t like Tracy and will do try, at all costs, to see her defeated.  But it’s Jessica Campbell as the football player’s sister who steals the movie when she decides to run as well and gives an incredible speech about government being a sham in front of the student body.  This film is funny with incredibly quick dialogue and brilliant performances by the cast.  My Rating:  Full Price   Election Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Quartet  (2012)  PG-13  Directed by Dustin Hoffman, this film stars Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay as residents of a retired musician's home. The annual fundraising concert is disrupted by the arrival of Jean (Maggie Smith), an Opera diva who is the former wife of one of the residents. Think The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but set in Great Britain and with music.  It’s an enjoyable film where the actors are far better than the script.  My Rating:  Full Price   Quartet Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of White House Down:  Pre-visualization artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  20 Feet from Stardom  (2013)  PG-13   A film about the world of backup singers,  like Merry Clayton and Darlene Love, who, while in the background, really shape the music we fall in love with.  The film features interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and others while featuring old performance clips from TV and concerts.    20 Feet from Stardom Website

Until Next Time!

Django Unchained

My View:  Django Unchained (2012) Set in the South in 1858, Django (Jamie Foxx), a former slave who has turned bounty hunter, with the help of his partner, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), look for Django’s long lost wife, Hildy (Kerry Washington). They find her on Calvin Candie's (Leonardo DiCaprio) plantation, where the main sport is slaves fighting to the death. I loved the first 45 minutes of this film, which is part comedy, part spaghetti western (western films made in the 60’s/70’s in Italy). Waltz and Foxx play off each other extremely well, as Dr. Schultz teaches Django the finer points of bounty hunting. But the film bogs down when DiCaprio’s character enters the picture, as there is quite a bit of sitting around dinner tables and porches, talking about slavery. Samuel L. Jackson, in a part that only he could play, is the butler Stephen, who is Candie’s right-hand man, and helps with the rest of the slaves, looking out for his master. I did enjoy the ending, but I just wish the film was about 20 minutes shorter. Be warned that there is an incredible amount of violence with lots of bloodshed, whipping, raping and other really savage.   My Rating: Full Price   Django Unchained Website

My View:  Les Miserables (2012) Based on the Broadway hit, this musical takes place in 19th century France where Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), has been running from the law for decades after breaking parole. Valjean agrees to take care of Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), the illegitimate daughter of Fantine (Anne Hathaway), after Fantine can no longer afford to take care of her. But by doing this, Valjean may be discovered by the police inspector, Javert (Russell Crowe), and his life could take a turn for the worse. Anne Hathaway is amazing in this film as the mother of Cosette who loses her job and has to sell herself to make sure her daughter survives. Hathaway’s song, "I Dreamed a Dream", is the highlight of the film, and the use of live recording as they were filming is displayed at its best with her performance. The other notable performance is Samantha Barks, who plays Cosette’s rival, Eponine.  Barks solo song, ”On My Own”, is an extraordinary bit of singing and is probably the best song in the film.  But, 99 percent of the dialogue is sung, and I found that the constant singing was a little tiring. Microphones were mounted under the cameras to catch all vocals, so there are quite a few close ups in the film, and this also gets very old during the film's 157 minutes. Jackman has the most to sing, as he is in almost every scene, and, as expected, does a superb job. While I found Crowe’s voice enjoyable, it is a performance that you will probably either love or hate. Overall, while there were some enjoyable performances, and a couple of amazing songs, the film was not the experience that I felt it should have been and, by the final scene, I was just ready for it to end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Les Miserables Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Film of All Time)

#10 Worst Film

Gigli (2003) Ben Affleck plays Gigli, a mob hit man who has been hired to kidnap the brother of a district attorney. Jennifer Lopez plays Ricki, a lesbian hit woman who is assigned by the mob to make sure Gigli doesn’t screw up. Affleck and Lopez were a couple in real life when this stinker was made, but there isn’t any evidence on film, as their isn’t an ounce of chemistry between the two. The plot is as dumb as the hit man that Affleck plays, and Lopez keeps claiming to be a lesbian (she tells just about everyone in the film this), but she is about as believable as Christopher Walken is as the detective trying to solve the case. Lopez and Affleck were paid a combined 25 million dollars for this film.  I think they should pay us every time we see it.   Gigli Info

Forgotten Film: Tender Mercies (1983) Robert Duvall plays Mac Sledge, a legendary country singer, who has fallen on hard times due to his drinking. He finds himself abandoned in a small, west Texas motel run by a widow, Rosa (Tess Harper) and her young son (Allan Hubbard). Through the kindness of Rosa, Mac slowly gets his life back on track, falling in love with Rosa, and he begins to write songs again. But life is complicated, and his ex-wife Dixie (Betty Buckley), a big country star herself, comes back into the picture to possibly mess things up. Duvall gives one of the best performances of his career, bringing depth and warmth to a very flawed character. Everyone in this film did their own singing with Duvall and Buckley lighting up the screen with their vocal talents. This is almost a perfect film with an incredible script by the Texan writer Horton Foote, whose talent for finding the right words for his characters shines throughout.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Tender Mercies Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Total Recall (2012) Not really a remake of the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger but more like a total retooling. I liked Kate Beckinsale in this film but found it way too long and very confusing.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Total Recall Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): The Last Exorcism Part II (2013) Should it really take two films to perform an exorcism? I think one was enough.    The Last Exorcism Part II Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Les Miserables: Petty Cash Buyer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: 42 (2013) The life story of Jackie Robinson. Trailer looks amazing. Just hope the film lives up to the man himself.   42 Info

Until Next Time!