Forever My Girl

My View:  Forever My Girl  (2018)  PG  A big country music star (Alex Roe) returns home after being gone for ten years and rediscovers his true love, a woman named, Josie (Jessica Rothe). This is your ordinary romance film about a jilted-at the-altar girl who stayed in her hometown when the man who left her returns. It’s precisely what you think it would be, a little schmaltzy and too sweet, at times. What makes this film watchable is the excellent group of songs that Alex Roe and others (including one by Travis Tritt) that are preformed in the film and the performance of Abby Ryder Fortson, who steals the spotlight from the rest of the cast. She is adorable as Josie’s headstrong and precocious daughter, Billy. You instantly fall in love with Billy as Ryder Fortson delivers lines like a seasoned pro. This isn’t a bad date movie if you like romantic films and country music.    My Rating:  Cable   Forever My Girl Website 

Indiefest:  Small Town Crime  (2017)  R  An alcoholic ex-cop (John Hawkes) finds the body of a dead young woman and decides to find her killer. This is an old-fashioned hard-drinking murder mystery from writer/directors Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms. Small Town Crime is the kind of story where the hero isn’t above breaking a few laws to solve the case. Part dark comedy, part private eye film, it’s a look into the sleazy life of the world of dive bars, boozy patrons and prostitution with a little bit of backstabbing thrown in for fun.  This film is a trip you will want to take because of John Hawkes. Hawkes is one of those rare actors that, as soon as he appears on the screen, we are already rooting for his character, no matter how many flaws his character has.   This is a film that someone like old pulp fiction writer Mickey Spillane or even any character that the Coen brothers have created would be happy to be in. It’s a world of booze, dead bodies, and bad intentions; thank God we have John Hawkes to lead us through it!    My Rating: Full Price   Small Town Crime Website

Indiefest:  The Final Year  (2017)  Documentary on President Obama’s last year in office where Filmmaker Greg Barker was given unprecedented access to the last year of President Obama’s foreign policy team.  The film focuses on Obama and his team made up of Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice, American Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, and Deputy National Security Adviser/speechwriter Ben Rhodes.  The film follows the President, Kerry, and Powers as they travel around the world visiting 21 countries. At times the film feels like a puff piece for the Obama administration, but you do catch moments where there are personal glimpses with just the right bit of humanity, like a young woman asking the President how to balance a successful marriage. Best moment of the film, which was also one of the saddest, was when speechwriter Ben Rhodes, on election night, is sitting outside on some steps trying just to say, "I have no words" into the camera and tries at least ten times to say it.  A guy who writes speeches for a living was speechless.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Final Year Website

In Case You Missed It (Movies just released on DVD/BluRay):  Loving Vincent  (2017)  PG-13  The complicated life and controversial death of one of history’s most celebrated artists, Vincent Van Gogh. This film took six years and used more than 125 artists to animate this movie using oil paints and more than 65,000 panels. The movie takes 120 of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and incorporates them into the scenery and the characters. It makes his paintings come to life right before your eyes. The film is told through the travels of a Postmasters son, Armand (Douglas Booth) who is given the task of taking a letter Van Gogh wrote on the day of his death to Vincent’s brother. As Armand travels, he begins seeking information on why Vincent committed suicide making the film more of a mystery than just your typical biographical picture. The animation is gorgeous, and fans of Van Gogh will love how his paintings fill the screen. To fully appreciate the wonder of this film, it has to be seen on the big screen as this movie creates a love letter to Van Gogh’s magnificent, stunning paintings. Van Gogh produced works that continued to bring joy to a world, even if that world didn’t understand him at that time. As Vincent used to sign his letters to his beloved Theo with the saying, Loving Vincent, you, too, will be loving Vincent if you see this film.   My Rating:  Full Price   Loving Vincent Website

Forgotten Film:  Soapdish  (1991) PG-13  An up-and-coming actress (Cathy Moriarty) on a daytime drama plots with her producer (Robert Downey Jr.) to get the longtime star (Sally Field) of the soap off the show. Like the soap TV show itself, Soapdish has tons of plot twists, backstabs and outlandish affairs that make this film so much fun to watch. The outstanding cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Shue, Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall who is hilarious as the put-upon network boss. Everyone looks to be having a great time on screen as you will be, too, watching Soapdish.   My Rating: Full Price   Soapdish Info

Weird Credit:  From the credits of Small Town Crime: Crafty / Production Assistant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The 15:17 to Paris  (2018)  PG-13  Based on a true story where American soldiers discover a terrorist plot on a Paris-bound train. Clint Eastwood has been uneven in his films lately, but I have hope for this one.   The 15;17 to Paris Website

Until Next Time!

Blade Runner 2049

My View:  Blade Runner 2049  (2017)  R  A new Blade Runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), discovers a dark secret that could bring an end to the human race. Along the way, he meets Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former Blade Runner who disappeared 30 years ago. First, let me say that you do need to have seen the first film for this film to make sense. It would also be helpful, but not necessary, to see the three short Blade Runner shorts that were recently produced. I think this is one of those rare occasions where the sequel is better the original movie. The film did not feel it’s two hours and forty minute length as the storyline is fast moving and complex, keeping you guessing until the very end. There isn’t a bad performance in this film but make no mistake that this is Gosling’s film as he is in almost every scene. I think this could be a big Oscar winner, as the film looks and sounds stunning and Gosling gives another brilliant performance. I loved this movie, and I highly recommend that you see this remarkable film on the biggest screen you can find.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Blade Runner 2049 Website

My View:  The Mountain Between Us  (2017)  PG-13  After their small plane crashes in the mountains, two strangers (Idris Elba, Kate Winslet) must work together to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain.This is a strange movie which mixes genres of disaster films with romance films and doesn’t quite work. This is the story of two strangers who spend a lot of time thinking that they are going to die, and eventually fall in love, despite of their differences. Two of the best actors in the business, Idris Elba and Kate Winslet, make the film watchable until the end when it turns into a Hallmark of the week movie. If not for the ending I could probably recommend you seeing this but unless you are a big Elba or Winslet fan, I have to say it’s just not worth the time.    My Rating: Cable   The Mountain Between Us Website

FamilyFaire:  My Little Pony: The Movie  (2017)  PG  In order to stop a threat to Equestria, Twilight Sparkle and her friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike must travel to far-away places to save their home.This is exactly what you think it is, an sickly sweet film that only the very young will enjoy. I did appreciate a couple of the seven original songs in the film, including the credits song by Sia. The plot is simple, the animation is nothing out of the ordinary and it’s about a group of ponies, some of them unicorns that have names like Fluttershy. There is even a singing pony, played by Sia, called Songbird Serenade, so you just know what this film is about, ponies, butterflies and rainbows. Unfortunately, there isn’t a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of this film, just more cutely named ponies.   My Rating: Cable   My Little Pony: The Movie Website

Indiefest:  Loving Vincent  (2017)  PG-13  The complicated life and controversial death of one of history’s most celebrated artists, Vincent Van Gogh. This incredible film took six years and used over 125 artists to animate this film using oil paints and over 65,000 panels. The movie takes 120 of Van Gogh most famous paintings and incorporates them into the scenery and the characters. It makes his paintings come to life right before your eyes. The film is told through the eyes of a Postmasters son, Armand (Douglas Booth) who is given the task of taking a letter Van Gogh wrote on the day of his death to Vincent’s brother. As Armand travels he begins seeking information of why Vincent committed suicide making the film more of a mystery than just your typical biographical picture. The animation is gorgeous and fans of Van Gogh will love how his paintings fill the screen. To fully appreciate the wonder of this film, it has to be seen on the big screen as this movie creates a love letter to Van Gogh’s magnificent, stunning paintings. Van Gogh produced works that continue to bring joy to a world, even if that world didn’t understand him at that time. As Vincent used to sign his letters to his beloved Theo with the saying “Loving Vincent,” you too will be loving Vincent if you go see this film.   My Rating:  Full Price    Loving Vincent Website

Indiefest:  Dolores  (2017)  Documentary on Dolores Huerta, who, in the 1950’s, went from a working-class wife and mother of eleven to helping establish the first farm workers union. This is a fascinating film about a women most of don’t know but should. Dolores is a woman who stood up to irate farmers, strong-armed unions and local police forces with a determination and will that never quit. Her sheer presence would gather crowds and promote change, all of which is expertly shown in this film. This film isn’t also afraid to show that Dolores, as powerful and inspirational as she is, has flaws; several failed marriages, placing the union in front of the needs of her children (most of which are interviewed in the film), and a fiery temperament that often got her in trouble with her co-workers. The film brings to light what an extraordinary individual Dolores is and continues to be, fighting for the rights of people. It’s a phenomenal film about an exceptional woman who the whole world needs to know and follow her example.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Dolores Website

My Rating:  Cold Moon  (2016)  The Larkin family has suffered a terrible tragedy in their sleepy Southern town. The town starts exhibiting strange things such as traffic lights blink an eerie warning; a ghostly visage prowls in the streets and graves erupt from the local cemetery. Soon, beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form to seek a terrible vengeance. If you are a fan of horror films, then this one is for you. I especially enjoyed the stellar special effects and the score that was reminiscent of any of John Carpenter’s films. The stellar cast that includes Christopher Lloyd, Candy Clark, Josh Stewart and Frank Whaley helps make this film fun to watch. For the Tommy Wiseau (The Room) fans out there, he does make a very brief appearance in the film. If you are looking for a fun scare for the coming Halloween season, you can do worse than this movie.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Cold Moon Facebook Page

Forgotten Film: Stir of Echoes (1999)  Tom (Kevin Bacon) is an ordinary guy who works as a telephone lineman and plays in a band. At a party, his sister-in-law (Illeana Douglas) convinces him to undergo hypnosis. This awakens something that Tom never knew about himself, he is a Receiver, someone able to see ghosts. He is visited by a little girl ghost that tells Tom “dig.”  Tom discovers that the little girl has been missing from the neighborhood for months and Tom goes on a mission to find out what happened to her. This film is part mystery and part suspense film that uses a clever plot and interesting characters to tell a story that becomes more complex as it goes along. Kevin Bacon has never been better as the ordinary man who is being driven mad by a talent he didn’t know he had. I loved the finish to this film, making it a cliffhanger to the very end.  My Rating: Full Price   Stir of Echoes Info

Weird Credits: From Blade Runner 2049: Contact Lens Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  78/52  ( 2017)   Documentary on the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1960 film Psycho. It gives us a detailed look at the director and the on-screen murder that continues to influence filmmakers to this day. I am a huge Hitchcock fan, so you know I will see this one.   78/52 Infor

Until Next Time!

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