Amsterdam

My View: Amsterdam (2022) R  Set in the tough times after WWI, three friends (Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie) witness a murder. They become suspects and, in the attempt to clear their names, uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American History. For a film that boasts 3 Academy Award winners (Christian Bale, Rami Malek, Robert De Niro) and three Oscar nominees (Michael Shannon, Margot Robbie, and writer/director David O. Russell), you would have thought this would be a film for the ages. However, it's a bit of a mess, an enjoyable mess, but still a mess. Based very loosely (and that’s being kind) on a true story, the film tries to show us that history has a way of repeating itself. With a cast this big, it’s hard to stand out, but I must say that Margot Robbie tends to dominate every scene she is in, in a good way. Robbie plays a nurse who gets involved with two soldiers during WWI as they are both recovering from injuries. They become great friends and pledge to always have each other's back, in good times and bad. Fast forward, and the two former soldiers (Bale, Washington) are set up to look like they have murdered a woman. What the two discover is a plot that could have far-reaching consequences, and oh, by the way, that nurse is involved in some way too. Russel seems to have tried to give every actor in this impressive cast something significant to do, that there is the problem. The film gets bogged down in letting every cast member have a moment in the sun. Now, is it worth seeing? Yes, just because everyone looks to be having a great time, including Christian Bale as the soldier who now tries to help his fellow vets, sometimes in unconventional ways. Amsterdam is a film that could have used a few more rewrites and maybe a few less scenes. Disappointing but still watchable.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Amsterdam Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Luckiest Girl Alive (2022) R   Ani (Mila Kunis) has everything going for her, with a great job and a wedding just around the corner. Despite appearances, Ani is harboring a secret. Something in her past could threaten everything she has worked for. It could all unravel before her eyes. When I first started watching this film, I thought it might be going down the horror angle because we constantly see Ani either having flashbacks to some sort of traumatic event or she fantasizes about knives (either bloody ones or her stabbing somebodies hand). However, the film is about dealing with trauma and how people reinvent themselves to deal with their past. In Ani’s case, she is someone who has figured out how to play the rich, even though she isn’t. I think this is the case of where a book (a NY Times best-seller) is probably better left as the written word. The film does a horrible job with the traumatic events that Ani suffers, showing us in too graphic detail what she went through, making those scenes feel like we are a voguer looking on and not someone sympathetic to Ani’s plight. I can’t fault Mila Kunis for the mistakes of the film, as she gives us another one of her multifaceted performances, playing a woman who is sharp, witty, and trying to deal with her ugly past. I just wish the script (written by Jessica Knoll, who also wrote the book) and the director would have taken a more sensitive approach to the subject and not made it feel like another night of watching a true-crime story on TV.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Luckiest Girl Alive Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Hellraiser (2022) R  A young woman named Riley (Odessa Z’zion) is struggling with addiction, and she comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box. Riley is unaware that if she solves the puzzle, she will unleash an evil that could destroy her and everyone around her. The original Hellraiser came out in 1987 when slasher films with bad guys like Michael and Freddie ruled the horror landscape. Hellraiser was different because the bad guys weren’t some troubled, wronged man from the past but some sort of explorers. Clive Barker, who wrote the book that he then turned into the film, created one of the iconic looking horror icons of all time, Pinhead. I like horror films, and that film was a new take, though an incredibly bloody one, and was worthy of joining the hallowed halls of past scary movies. After numerous sequels, this is a relaunch of the series, and it doesn’t work. The film takes too long to get going, and other than Riley, we don’t care about the people the evil box is targeting. I found that Hellraiser wasn’t scary, just gory, and it never gave me the chills I wanted. Fans of the original, I think, will be disappointed in the new ‘Pinhead’ and its world of blood and guts.   My Rating: Cable  Hellraiser Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View: Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) PG-13  Craig (Jaeden Martell) befriends an older man named Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland). When Mr. Harrigan dies, Craig has Mr. Harrigan’s phone in his procession. Soon after, Craig is beaten up by a classmate, and Craig calls Mr. Harrigan’s phone just to vent. Then people start dying, and Craig thinks he knows how and why. Based on a Steven King novella, I liked this film, though if you are looking for a movie to scare you, this isn’t one. It reminded me a bit of the Ray Bradbury story Something Wicked This Way Comes, in how the two main characters bond over their love of books and the stories they tell. Craig is a kid who tries to keep a low profile in school, but there is a bully (Cyrus Arnold) who delights in tormenting Craig. When Craig asks Mr. Harrigan how he dealt with bullies, he tells Craig ‘Harshly.’ A foreboding line if there ever was one. Though I was disappointed that it wasn’t scary, I enjoyed this film due to the chemistry between Jaeden Martell and Donald Sutherland, whose character, Mr. Harrigan, reluctantly and slowly takes Craig under his wing. After Mr. Harrigan dies (spoiler alert, not really, the poster has Craig lying on Mr. Harrigan’s grave), things get weird, and the film loses a bit of the momentum it had earlier. Still, Mr. Harrigan's Phone is an enjoyable film about a young man wishing for things that maybe he shouldn’t wish for.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Mr. Harrigan's Phone Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Family Faire:  Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile  (2022)  PG  Lyle the Crocodile (voiced by Shawn Mendes) lives in New York City. He grew up under the care of a wannabe entertainer, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem). After Hector has to get out of town, Lyle is left with the Primm family, helping out with chores and taking the Primm’s young son, Josh (Winslow Fegley), under his wing or should I say, stumpy arm. However, not everyone is happy with Lyle living in the city, and Lyle’s neighbor, Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), feels Lyle belongs in a zoo. Lyle will do his best to prove to Mr. Grumps that he isn’t as bad as others might think. This is a fun and charming tale of a crocodile who can sing but can’t talk. All Lyle wants to do is belong to someone while doing his favorite thing, singing, and dancing. The songs are a mixture of original and some pop favorites, with the best one a rousing duet between Lyle and Hector, as Hector tries to get Lyle to perform in a theatre. Kids will enjoy Lyle, a ham at heart, and the songs, sung by Shawn Mendes, are catchy. The film falls a bit in the second act, when the bad guy, Mr. Grumps, gets involved with putting Lyle away from his new family, but the big number near the end makes up for it. Overall, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a good time; parents will enjoy the music, and the kids will enjoy a rather large crocodile singing his heart out. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) PG   The life of singer Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek), who grew up poor, married when she was 13, and had, by age 18, four children. Her husband, Doolittle (Tommy Lee Jones), gave her a guitar, and Loretta began singing songs she wrote about her life. Those songs would propel her into a career that would make her a superstar and one of the country's greatest singer/songwriters. Loretta Lynn died this week, and I thought of this movie where Sissy Spacek gives the performance of a lifetime and an Oscar-winning one to boot. Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as the country-bred man who saw greatness and believed in his wife's talent. Beverly D”Angelo is magical as the legend Patsy Cline, who takes the raw talent of Loretta Lynn under her wing and shows her how to handle fame both on and off stage. Full of beautiful songs, most of which are sung by Spacek, this is a tale of grit, determination, and love. Coal Miner's Daughter is one of those rare films worthy of the great artist it depicts.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Coal Miner's Daughter Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Hellraiser: Gender and Sexuality Consultant 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Menu (2022) R  An obsessed foodie (Nicholas Hoult) and his girlfriend (Anya Taylor-Joy) are a last-minute addition to a trip to a secluded island, where a world-famous chef (Ralph Fiennes) is to serve them the meal of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it just might be their last. The film is from two-time Emmy Award winner Mark Mylod (Succession) and is getting great word of mouth from its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.    The Menu Website  Scheduled to be released in Mid-Nov. 2022.

Until Next Time!

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 63 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View:  Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (2021) R   After a mission that went wrong, Navy SEAL John Clark (Michael B. Jordan) is attacked in his home, and his wife is murdered. Realizing that he and his fellow SEAL team are being targeted, he goes on a mission to pursue the assassins at all cost. I had high hopes for this film because it’s Michael B. Jordan, and yes, he does some serious ass-kicking and looks good doing it, but man, is he let down by a script that could have been a reject from a straight to video Stallone film of the 90s. There is a ton of gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, so action film fans will be somewhat happy. The problem is that the plot is hard to understand, something about the Russians wanting to start a war with the US, or just make us look bad, or the CIA is bad, or heck if I know. I know that this character is a favorite of Tom Clancy fans, but we never quite get a feel of why that is with this film. Also, it reminded me of those Stallone films, where Sly would get hurt, be on death’s door, and then in ten minutes be back to super-soldier like nothing had ever happened. Michael, do us all a favor and go back to the Creed movies or maybe some other superhero, just not this one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Without Remorse Website  The film is available on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Limbo   (2020) R   Omar (Amir El-Masry) is a promising young musician who has fled Syria and is looking for asylum. He is located to a remote Scottish Island to wait with some fellow refugees, all awaiting their fate for their asylum request. I enjoyed this strange, funny, but also dark little film about a bunch of refugees stuck together on an island in a country that doesn’t know what to do with them. The film starts with Omar landing in this tiny, remote town and being thrown into a living situation with a cast of oddball characters. This is a small, slow-moving film about Omar and his experience as a refugee, far from home, guilty about leaving his family and dealing with the depressing existence of being a man without a country and having the prospect of being sent back hanging over his head like a death sentence. El-Masry gives a beautiful and moving performance of Omar, a man who doesn’t like showing his emotions on the outside but inside, we know that he is hurting, mostly because he doesn’t even touch his musical instrument, other than to carry it around everywhere in its case. Sometimes funny, as with a great sequence where two instructors show how to treat a woman through dance, and sometimes incredibly sad, as when Omar talks to his mother on the phone, this film will pull you through the emotional ringer. Limbo is a loving and touching look at the refugee situation that is happening throughout the world as seen through the eyes of people just looking for a better life, one filled with hope, love, and freedom.    My Rating: Full Price    Limbo Website    The film is currently playing in select theatres.

My View: Things Heard & Seen (2021)   A couple, Catherine (Amanda Seyfried) and George (James Norton), moves from Manhattan to a historic home in the Hudson Valley. Jane soon learns that not only does her new home have a sinister past, but her husband also may not be the nice guy she thought he was. The film never delivers the scares that it needs to make this horror film work. The plot is pretty easy to see where it’s going; it's laid out for you in the first thirty minutes as Catherine finds clues to the mysterious and possibly murderous past that the house they live in has. I kept flashing back to Rosemary’s Baby, because like the husband in that film, George is hiding something from his wife, and it’s more than just what happened to the former inhabitants of the house. Most of the scares are the ‘jump out of the dark’ kind, and the film does try to throw you off the path a few times, but by then, you have the plot already figured out. Catherine comes off as being pretty stupid about her husband (hint, he’s not all that great of a guy), and the ending is incredibly frustrating. Thing Heard & Seen is an attempt at a gothic horror story that just never delivers.    My Rating: Cable    Things Heard & Seen Website  The film is available on the Netflix platform.

Familyfaire: The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) PG   The Mitchells are a quirky, weird, and, yes, slightly dysfunctional family whose road trip is suddenly upended by a robot invasion that is about to overtake the world. Can the Mitchells ever get it together enough to save the world? Oh, how we need this film and what a joy to watch as the film literally blows up on screen in front of you. I wish I could have seen this film in a theatre because I am sure I missed some things, as it is so full of jokes and visual pranks that you can’t see them all in one viewing. The hero of the story is Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a young filmmaker who hasn’t always fit in with her fellow classmates but is hopeful and excited about going off to college. In one last attempt to reconnect with his daughter, her father decides that the family is going to drive across the country to take Katie to college, something that Katie does not want to happen. Unfortunately, they pick a time when the world is being taken over by robots who are unleashed upon the world by an unknowing Steve Jobs-like tech guru (voiced by Eric Andre). The film uses Katie’s filmmaking experiences to add to the fun, and I don’t want to let too much out of the bag, but let’s just say that those films are incredibly funny. This is an excellent film for both young kids (who will enjoy the colorful animation and the fast-moving action) and adults, who will understand that the parents want what is best for their kids and for them to be happy. Film lovers will go nuts over the visuals and the inside jokes as the film uses Katie’s knowledge of film to make fun of everything from Zombie films to the latest Indie hits. And I haven’t even mentioned that Olivia Coleman does the voice of the leader of the robot insurrection. Why does she start it? Well, you will just have to go on a little road trip with the Mitchells to find out.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Mitchells vs. the Machines Website  The film is available on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: The Outside Story (2020)   Charles (Brian Tyree Henry) is having a bad day. After breaking up with his girlfriend, he has decided to live a solitary life by staying inside his apartment. His plan has been working until one day, he locks himself out and must now interact with the outside world and his neighbors. Before the pandemic, there were people that chose to stay inside their apartments and not deal with the world. Charles is one of those guys, a video editor, who likes the fact that he doesn’t know his neighbors, can get food delivered to his door, and can work from home as a video editor. One day, Charles gets locked out of his apartment and is what he considers hell; he is outside and has to deal with people. This is a small film that uses the talents and like-ability of Brian Tyree Henry to make this film work. Charles is a good guy at heart, and he deals with the people of his neighborhood with a wiliness to help people out, even when it seems that he will never get back into his place. Charles becomes the glue that makes the neighborhood function on this day, and he soon realizes what he has been missing by being stuck inside. The Outside Story isn’t a perfect film (there is a sequence where Charles is mistaken for a burglar that becomes very uncomfortable because of recent events with the police). Still, Brian Tyree Henry is so lovable, and the characters in the film are so broad and fun that we can just enjoy our time out on the street with Charles and his new found friends.    My Rating: Full Price    The Outside Story Website  The film is  available for rent on participating on-demand services. 

My View: Four Good Days (2020) R   Molly (Mila Kunis), a long-time drug addict, has to stay clean for four days before she can enter a life-saving drug program. She asks her mother (Glenn Close) to help her work through those four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse and the scars they have created, both emotionally and physically. This is one of those films that if you are a fan of Close or Kunis, you might have an ok time with this film, but if you are hoping for something other than seeing the two work together on the screen, you can just skip this film. The plot, based on a true story, isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. A mother who wants to believe this time is when her daughter will go clean and a daughter who is so strung out that she will do anything to appear willing to go through with it. I thought that did a good job of giving us an inside look at the torturous relationship of an addict and her mother, but when the film goes outside the house, it feels a bit of manipulation to get our hopes up before possibly dashing them. This film has its heart in the right place but can’t quite figure out how to end the movie, making it feel a little hollow in the attempt.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Four Good Days Website   The film is currently playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Wet Season (2019)   Ling (Yann Yann Yeo) is a teacher who is in an unhappy marriage where they have become even further apart, brought on by their fruitless attempts at becoming pregnant. Ling becomes slowly drawn towards a promising student (Koh Jia Ler), who his parents have seemingly abandoned. Anytime I hear or read about another teacher/student romance, I wonder just how did that happen. Wet Season attempts to show us just how and why this might happen as two lonely people, who have been abandoned by their loved ones, might turn to each other for kindness and solace. The film shows us slowly just how these two people are drawn to each other, and the film does a masterful job of building up the relationship between the two in small stages. We see how alone the teacher feels as she struggles to get pregnant while being ignored by her husband. The film doesn’t over-romanticize the relationship, and I give points to the movie for doing that. Wet Season is a slow slide down in a relationship that we see coming and dread that it is going to happen. It doesn’t matter the teacher, along with us, knows that the union is doomed before it starts. I found the ending a little disturbing and abrubt but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the film.    My Rating: Full Price      Wet Season Website    The film is currently playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Music Within (2007) R   Richard (Ron Livingston) comes back from the Vietnam War deafened and discovers that the government is not going to help him find or train for a job. He meets Art (Michael Sheen), a wheelchair-bound man with cerebral palsy, and they instantly hit it off, becoming fast friends. Richard meets other people in the disabled community and realizes that the government isn’t doing enough, and he becomes a disability rights activist. The film has a few flaws, mostly due to making Richard the sole reason the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act passed (watch the incredible documentary Crip Camp to get more on this subject) but what I love about this film is the friendship that Richard and Art have. Their friendship is a joy to watch, making this film enjoyable that you can forgive its flaws.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Music Within Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Webbing Master

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Dream Horse (2020) PG   Jan (Toni Collette) lives in a small Welsh town, working two jobs, dreaming of doing something different. She decides to breed a racehorse and get her neighbors to chip in, raise the horse and race it. Against all the odds, this small band of neighbors take a horse called Dream and try to make it to the big race. The film also stars Damian Lewis (Homeland, Billions) and is based on a true story. Hey, Toni Collette and horse racing, what more do you want in a movie?    Dream Horse Website

Until Next Time!

Fifty Shades Freed

My View:  Fifty Shades Freed  (2018) R  Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Doman) are married, but their marriage is threatened by Jake Hyde (Eric Johnson). For a movie that has a ton of sex scenes, this is one unsexy film. With a plot that makes very little sense, the film moves from one sex scene to another; sometimes there is almost no space between them. The dialogue is laughable. Early on Anastasia says, “Boobs in Boobland” to give you an idea of the sparkling wit this film displays. The two leads have absolutely no chemistry on screen, and the sex scenes feel like two actors doing a sex scene instead of two passionate people in love. You can almost hear the director off camera giving them cues on what they should do to each other next. If you took out all the sex in this movie, you would have a beautiful travelogue about some very rich tourist spots, but it would still be a very dull movie.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again   Fifty Shades Freed Website

Indiefest:  Spilled Milk  (2017)  A documentary about two lifelong friends, Omar and Jaqai (the director of the film), and how Omar’s Sickle Cell Disease affects both of their lives. Using animation and humor, the film explores what Sickle Cell Disease is, the effects that it has on the people who have it, and the possible cure for it. We get an inside look at just how devastating this disease is as it continually puts Omar in the hospital when he experiences so much pain. The film also spotlights just how little doctors and nurses know about the disease since they rarely encounter someone who has it. Spilled Milk is an imaginative and fascinating look at a disease that I knew very little about, but this isn’t just a documentary about a disease, it’s also about friendship.   My Rating:  Full Price   Spilled Milk Website

In Case You Missed It (Movies just released on DVD/BluRay):  A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)  R   The bad moms (Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Kathryn Hahn) are back, and they are tired of creating the perfect Christmas, so they plan to rebel like the bad moms they are. I liked the first film, but this one misses the mark. I only laughed once and giggled a couple of more times, but that’s it because most of the material just isn’t funny. I love the three leads, but they are let down by a very skimpy plot that you can see coming from almost the film’s first frame. I also missed Christina Applegate, who was the villain in the first film but only makes a cameo in this one.   My Rating:  Cable    A Bad Moms Christmas Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Acrimony (2018)  R  A faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) tires of standing by her cheating husband (Lyriq Bent) when she discovers that he is leaving her for another woman. Now it’s time for revenge. Look, I love Taraji P. Henson, but all I have to say about this film is that it’s written and directed by Tyler Perry.    Acrimony Info

Forgotten Film:  Zathura: A Space Adventure  (2005)  PG  Two brothers (Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson) began playing an old board game, and suddenly their home is hurled through space. Think Jumanji in space, but a whole lot more fun. As the brothers play the game (they figure out that the only way they are going to get back to earth is to finish the game) their actions become more dangerous. The film is a blast to watch, and the two kids work well with each other on the screen. I enjoyed the performance of Dax Shepard who plays an astronaut they pick up along the way.    My Rating: Full Price   Zathura: A Space Adventure Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Fifty Shades Freed:  Truck Costumer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Deadpool 2 (Untitled Deadpool Sequel)  (2018)  I have no clue what this film will be about (read the IMDB summary, it’s hilarious). All I know is I loved the first one and can’t wait to see this one.   Untitled Deadpool Sequel Website

Until Next Time!

Jupiter Ascending

My View:  Jupiter Ascending  (2015) PG-13   Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) has always felt that she was destined for something better than her job as a janitor. But it’s much to her surprise when an interplanetary warrior, Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), shows up and informs her that her destiny is to be part of a royal family who rules the solar system.  "The Matrix" was a fun movie that took a little effort to understand. This film, also directed by The Wachowskis, is complicated, but I could see it forty times and still not understand it all. The film is a big mess, with special effects so horrible that, at one point, I thought I was watching an old Claymation movie from the 60's. The dialog is incredibly stupid as in, "Bees know royalty." There is absolutely no chemistry between Kunis and Tatum, with Kunis acting like a 16-year-old girl around Tatum's character (who, by the way, is part wolf). The movie uses the same plot device twice, making me think; "Didn't I already see this?" And Oscar nominee, Eddie Redmayne, chews up scenery like he is channeling a 90's version of Nicolas Cage. By the end of the film, your biggest question will be: "Why does Channing Tatum have Spock ears?"  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Jupiter Ascending Website

FamilyFaire:  The SpongeBob Move: Sponge Out of Water (2015)  PG   Someone has stolen the Krabby Patty secret formula. Life in Bikini Bottom turns to chaos, and it’s up to SpongeBob and his friends to catch the culprit and return the formula.  If you are a kid and a fan of the TV show, you will love this film. If you are an adult, you probably won't have a good time, even if you are a fan. The movie is aimed at kids, with lots of color and stupid comedy bits. I did like the animation during the live-action parts with Antonio Banderas as the bad-guy pirate. It's an okay kid’s movie that will probably bore adults.   My Rating: Cable  The SpongeBob Movie Website

Indiefest:  Still Alice  (2014)  PG-13  Alice (Julianne Moore) is a high respected linguistics professor who gets the shock of her life – she is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She and her family must deal with her rapid decline. Julianne Moore gives an Oscar worthy performance as we see her struggle with her diminishing faculties. She is truly dazzling on the screen, running the gamut of emotions. Kristen Stewart gives the best performance of her career as the black sheep of the family who understands how Alice is feeling. I just wish the script was better at giving us the big emotional moments, but it rarely does, and lets down the amazing cast performances.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Still Alice Website

Indiefest: Love, Rosie (2014)  R  Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been best friends since they were five years old. But, life took Rosie and Alex in different directions. They reconnect, and now they must decide…is it just a friendship or is it something more? I enjoyed this British rom-com, especially Lily Collins, who has a nice comedic touch. Sam Claflin makes a perfect romantic partner for her, and there are some sparks between his character and Rosie. It's a fun film that says that it's never too late to find love.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Love, Rosie Facebook page

Forgotten Film: Dead Calm (1989)  R   Sam Neil and Nicole Kidman play grieving parents who are trying to get over the death of their son. They go on a sailing vacation to reconnect with each other. Out in the middle of the ocean, they encounter a charming young man (Billy Zane) who is sailing alone on another boat, but there is more to his story than he lets on. This is a tense thriller with three excellent performances, especially by Kidman. The story centers around her and to watch her character evolve before our eyes is almost magical. The film has a great plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.   My Rating: Full Price   Dead Calm Info   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Jupiter Ascending: Movement coach

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Last Five Years  (2014) PG-13  A musical with Anna Kendrick? Yes, please!   The Last Five Years Website 

Until Next Time!

The Boy Next Door

My View:    The Boy Next Door (2015)  R  High school teacher Claire (Jennifer Lopez) has just come off a messy divorce. She has a one-night stand with a young neighbor (Ryan Guzman) who then develops an obsession with her. I was looking for the door about five minutes into this film. The idea that Jennifer Lopez's character, who looks like Jennifer Lopez and therefore, could get any man out there, would lust for and have a one-night stand with a nineteen-year-old is laughable, but then again, so is the dialogue. The plot holes in this film are about as wide as the empty theatres.  My Rating: Cable   The Boy Next Door Website

Indiefest:   Cake (2014)  R   Claire (Jennifer Aniston) suffers from constant pain. Not only does Claire have physical scars, she also has mental ones. She has driven away everyone, including her chronic pain support group. Now she only has her housekeeper (Adriana Barraza). Claire’s world is shaken when a fellow group member commits suicide. This film was written, it seems, to give Aniston every advantage of getting an Oscar nomination. Make her look slightly ugly but still look like Jennifer Aniston. Check. Make her character slightly unlikable but not so much that she isn't redeemable. Check. Have a bunch of well-respected actors show up for bit parts so we can put their names on the poster. Check. Have something in her past that we don't talk about for two-thirds of the film and then finally reveal what we already knew happened. Check. The one thing the producers missed to get Aniston her Oscar?  Write a good script.  My Rating: Cable  Cake Website

Familyfaire:   Song of the Sea (2104)  PG  Saoirse is a child who is the last of the selkies, a legendary group that can transform from seals into people. Now she is on a journey to free fairy creatures who are trapped in the modern world. This is one of the best-animated movies I have seen over the past five years, and it will become a classic, I believe. The film is beautiful and moving. The classically done animation is a joy to watch, and the storyline is original. Great blending of classic Celtic folk tales and a modern setting make this film one of the most inventive and imaginative films I have seen.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Song of the Sea Website

Indiefest:   The Humbling (2014)  R   Simon Axler (Al Pacino) is an actor whose world is turned upside down when he starts an affair with Pegeen (Greta Gerwig). This is Al Pacino playing Al Pacino with an insecurity complex. For most actors, the amount of scenery chewing scenes would be overwhelming and tedious, but Pacino pulls it off. There is great chemistry between Pacino and Gerwig. Their scenes together are the best moments in the film. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and watching a esteemed actor in an impressive part was the reason.  My Rating: Full Price   The Humbling Website

Forgotten Films:   Martin (1977)  R   An awkward, teenage boy (John Amplas) has a secret; he thinks he is an 84-year-old blood craving vampire. He has just moved into a new town to live with his cousin and doesn’t know anyone. Trying to make new friends isn’t easy, especially when you tend to kill the people you meet and drain their blood. With an unusual and interesting take on the vampire movie, this film, directed by horror legend George a. Romero, never lets you know if Martin really is a vampire or just nuts. The directors of current horror films could learn a lot from watching this film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Martin Info

Weird Credits:   From the credits of The Boy Next Door: cat trainer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Jupiter Ascending (2015)  PG-13  Not sure exactly what this film is about other than Channing Tatum has a dye job but it got him, Mila Kunis and Eddie Redmayne, so I will watch it.   Jupiter Ascending Website

Until Next Time!

   

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

My View:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) PG-13 It’s been ten years since a virus was unleashed and wiped out most of the human population.  Caesar (Andy Serkis) is leading a group of apes when they come in contact with Malcolm (Jason Clarke) and his small group of survivors.  A fragile peace between the two groups is threatened when a group of humans led by Drefus (Gary Oldman) wants revenge on the apes. Outstanding special effects, great scriptwriting and a lead performance by a man (Serkis) who could get an Oscar nomination for a role done on screen by CGI highlight,t this sequel which is better than the first film. The action sequences are incredible and the details in the special effects, such as close ups on the chimps, are just incredibly detailed.  The film moves at a nice pace, and the storyline is engaging with plenty of twists and turn.  I think it’s worth shelling out the extra money for the 3-D screening as there are plenty of scenes that use the effect. It’s a film I thoroughly enjoyed, and I look forward to more in the future.  Now if we can just get that Oscar nomination for Mr. Serkis, that would be great!  My Rating: Full Price  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Website

Indiefest: Third Person (2013) R  Three  stories that take place in Paris, New York and Rome.  Paris; Michael (Liam Neeson) has left his wife (Kim Basinger) and has taken up with his old flame, Anna (Olivia Wilde).  New York; Julia (Mila Kunis) has been accused of attempting to kill her son and now is in a custody battle with his father (James Franco).  Rome; Sean (Adrien Brody) falls for an Italian woman (Moran Atias) who may be involved with the Mafia.  A dreary film about very unhappy people.  The film is full of couples making each other unhappy, which has the effect of the audience not caring what happens to them.  Most of the cast sleepwalks through the film, with the exception of Mila Kunis, who gives the best performance of what should have been an outstanding ensemble.  If you want to be bored and depressed for over two hours, then be my guest and see this film. My Rating: Cable  Third Person Website

Forgotten Film: Hearts of the West (1975) PGIn the 1930’s a farm boy (Jeff Bridges) wants to be a cowboy, so much so that he sends off for a correspondence course on how to be one.  He decides to take off for the west and, by accident, becomes a part of a movie company making “B” movies.  He’s not the brightest guy around and starts doing stunts that no one else will dare do.  This is not a great film, but it’s a blast to watch and Bridges, as the naive stuntman, is perfect in the role.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Hearts of the West Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  My Man Is a Loser (2014)  R   Two married men (Michael Rapaport, Bryan Callen) get a playboy (John Stamos)  to help them save their marriage.  I couldn’t even make it through the trailer, so I don’t know how I would make it through the whole film.  My Man is a Looser Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blue Ray):  Bad Words (2014)  R  )  I liked this movie about a guy (Jason Bateman) who has never gotten over his bad experiences in school and decides to enter a national spelling bee.  What made this film is the chemistry between Bateman and the young kid he befriends at a contest, Rohan Chand.  Chand shows real comedic timing, and the film is full of funny and interesting characters. My Rating: Full Price  Bad Words Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes:  Fur Groomer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Happy Christmas (2014)  R  The writer / director of Drinking Buddies (2013), Joe Swanberg, a film about a young married couple (Joe Swanberg, Melanie Lynskey) who have a two-year-old son.  The husband’s younger sister (Anna Kendrick) comes to live with them but isn’t what you would call “responsible."  Anna Kendrick and Melanie Lynskey in the same movie?  Can’t get any better than that.  Happy Christmas Website

Until Next Time!

Oz The Great and Powerful

My View:   Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)  PG    A small-time touring magician (James Franco) dreams of being a huge success. Little does he know that he is about to travel to a magical place called, Oz, where he will have to decide if he is of legend-making material. I liked this film because of its great cast with Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams playing the witches, three very distinctive striking actresses who can act. Franco is a proficient con man in Oz and uses his good looks and his Cheshire Cat style grin to get by when he can’t talk his way out of a sticky situation. This film does a great job of giving us background on the characters who make up the Land of Oz. It’s a beautiful film and well worth seeing in 3-D as the director, Sam Raimi, uses the technology to gives us a sense of  wonder and adventure that fill the screen. It’s a film that both children and adults can enjoy, though both (just like in the original Wizard of Oz) might be just a little afraid of the flying baboons.     My Rating: Full Price   Oz The Great and Powerful Website

The 50 (A Movie from My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#8 Worst Film

Howard the Duck (1986)  PG   A live action film produced by Lucas films (George Lucas of Star Wars fame) starring Lea Thompson and Tim Robbins (he isn’t Howard). The main star of the film is a cigar smoking, foul (no pun intended) mouthed duck about 3 feet tall based on a series of best-selling comic books. The film is filled with bad jokes, horrible dialogue, crappy special effects, and what makes this film almost unwatchable is the sexual attraction the Howard the Duck and Lea Thompson’s character develop.    Howard the Duck Info

Forgotten Film:   The Hunger (1983)  R The beautiful Catherine Deneuve plays Miriam, a vampire who lives on the blood of her lovers, lovers that are promised eternal life. David Bowie plays Miriam’s lover, John, who discovers that he may receive eternal life but not eternal youth. John finds Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon) who specializes in the study of aging, in hopes that she can slow or stop his older appearance. This is a lush, seductive horror film where sex is a weapon and a tool for controlling people. Sarandon is amazing in the role of the doctor who gets pulled into this complex world, a world that she may never escape.    My Rating: Full Price    The Hunger Infor

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  The Master (2012)  R  This is a film that you want to see, not because of the storyline, but because the performances in the film are so great, with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix giving it their all. Be warned though, the film is extremely long (137 minutes), and some scenes feel like they are way too drawn out.    My Rating: Full Price     The Master Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Tyler Perry’s Temptation (2013)  PG-13 A film about a marriage counselor whose own marriage breaks apart as she becomes obsessed with another man. All I have to say about this film is Kim Kardashian has a supporting role.    Tyler Perry's Temptation Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Oz The Great and Powerful : Carnival Choreographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   Admission (2013)  PG-13  Tina Fey stars as a Princeton admissions officer who goes on a recruiting trip to an alternative school and meets its innovative director (Paul Rudd). The part looks perfect for Tina Fey, and Rudd is always good as a love interest.     Admission Website

Until Next Time!