The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

My View: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) PG-13   This is the story of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), whose destiny will be to become President of Panem. But before he becomes an all-powerful man, he must rise from poverty and see his chance when asked to be a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games. His elation is dashed when he is assigned to mentor a girl tribute from the 12 District. A young woman named Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). The review of the film will be up on Friday night. I was a big fan of both the Hunger Games books and movies, so I was looking forward to this origin story of how President Snow became the man he was when he clashed with Katniss. I was not disappointed in this film. It’s got a great cast, with both Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage playing the bad guys in the movie. Davis looks like she is having a blast as the evil doctor who is the Hunger Games developer. Davis practically eats up the scenery in the film as she makes it known she is out for blood. Dinklage is more of a cerebral villain who enjoys tormenting Coriolanus as his teacher. Now, don’t expect Rachel Zegler to go full-out Katniss, as her character is more of a singer/lover than a fighter. Still, there are the Games, and how Snow will get Lucy Gray to survive them is the mystery. And add in why and how Snow becomes such a villain himself. And yes, the roses are explained. My Rating: Full Price    The Hunger Games Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Next Goal Wins (2023) PG-13  Film about the American Samoa soccer team, who, in 2011, suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits a down-on-his-luck coach (Michael Fassbinder) to get them back to respectability. It’s going to be a long road back, especially when all they want to do is score one goal. Next Goal Wins is a fun movie that may not be a blockbuster or win awards, but it's a crowd-pleasing delight. The supporting cast delivers with humorous and unique performances, notably Kaimana as the first openly non-binary and transgender woman to play in a World Cup game, and Oscar Kightley as an exceptionally positive local soccer official. Kaimana gives us a strong woman who wants to win more than anything, and Kightley is perfect as the soccer official who believes his coach can get the best out of his team if he believes in himself and his players. The film is based on an unbelievable true story and hits all the buttons on the upstart sports movie about winning against the odds. Go see Next Goal Wins and just have fun at the movies again.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Next Goal Wins Website Now playing in theatres.

My View: Thanksgiving (2023) R  Thanksgiving takes place after a Black Friday sale ends in riot and tragedy when a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts. The birthplace of Thanksgiving. The review of the film will be up on Saturday night. Thanksgiving is from horror filmmaker Eli Roth, and the film’s origin is that it was a fake trailer that played during the 2007 movie Grindhouse that Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino did. The trailer was fun, and maybe it should have stayed a trailer. The film, a long hour and forty-five minutes, quickly petters out after the initial shock of the Black Friday riot. We move forward a year, and the community is still recovering from the tragedy when people who were involved in the riot are violently murdered by a figure in a Pilgrim costume. Some of the kills are inventive, but Thanksgiving becomes a run-of-the-mill slasher film with a bad guy who is way too easy to figure out and an ending that feels unsatisfying. Thanksgiving attempts to be a social satire with commentary on greed and the vulgarity of the holiday shopping season. Instead, it feels like another in a long line of gory slasher films with a few funny lines that were better in the fake trailer.   My Rating: Cable    Now playing in theatres.  Thanksgiving Website 

Indiefest: May December (2023) R  In the film May December, it’s been twenty years since their notorious tabloid romance shocked the nation. Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman), an actress, arrives in town to research for a film about the couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton). Sometimes, the past is best left behind. This film explores what happens long after the tabloid headlines have disappeared and people are trying to carry on with their lives. Natalie Portman plays an actress who immerses herself in the lives of a couple who, after a shocking affair and jail time, are still together. Portman plays Elizabeth as a woman driven to find every detail and nuance from her subject, Gracie (Julianne Moore), a woman who had an affair and children with a middle school student. May December is a complicated film where things aren’t always what they seem to be on the surface, and an actress who doesn’t care about anyone or anything but what she can mine for her upcoming performance disturbs that surface. I loved the casting in this film, with Charles Melton as the young man who fell in love with a teacher and had children with her. He now has to be a father to children who aren’t much younger than him. It’s a striking performance, and Melton holds his own with both Portman and Moore. Moore's character is complicated and concerned about how Elizabeth will portray her, trying to exert control over a situation she can't completely control. May December is a film where you have a hard time liking anyone in the movie but, at the same time, want things to work out. They probably never will.   My Rating: Full Price  May December Website  Now playing in theatres and on the Netflix platform on Dec. 1st. 

Indiefest: The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2023) R   The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a documentary about Shere Hite, the woman who rocked the world with her bestselling book The Hite Report, which revealed the most private experiences of sex and the female orgasm. Shere Hite wrote a book, The Hite Report, that shocked a nation and pushed both women’s sexuality and women’s rights to the forefront. Hite had the gall to tell men that women weren’t satisfied with their sex lives and it was a man’s fault. Hite was a strange woman who was flamboyant and, at the same time, mysterious. She knew how to create press for her books and what buttons to push to make headlines. She also felt she and her work were misunderstood and, in her later years, became very defensive about her work. The documentary tells the story of a woman who wrote a book that is one the top sellers of all time but is mostly forgotten today. This documentary brings her and her thoughts on sexuality back into the limelight where they belong. My Rating: Full Price  The Disappearance of Shere Hite Website  Now playing in theatres. 

My View: The Lady Bird Diaries (2023)  The Lady Bird Diaries is a documentary on Lady Bird Johnson, who, as President Lyndon Johnson’s wife, was one of the most influential and least understood First Ladies in history. Lady Bird Johnson has always been a hero of mine, as a strong Texas woman who was her husband’s partner and confidant. She was a remarkable woman who did extraordinary things for the environment and the citizens of the inner cities. This documentary by Dawn Porter uses Lady Bird’s own recordings to narrate her time as First Lady after the assignation of JFK. It’s a look at a woman who was a groundbreaker in the role of First Lady. I love how we get an inside look, warts and all, into the life of the White House. Lady Bird fearlessly expresses her opinions on her husband, race, economics, and the Vietnam War. She also stands by her husband and children, who both got married while she was in the White House. The film uses newsreel footage, home movies, and animation to illustrate what Lady Bird is discussing. We listen to real conversations between her and the President, as well as conversations he has with MLK Jr. and other leaders. This is a fascinating look when the U.S. was not only at war with the Viet Cong, but with it itself. We get to see and hear how it all went down in the most powerful home in the country, The White House.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Lady Bird Diaries Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Forgotten Film: The Wrestler (2008) R  Randy ‘The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a broken man who has burned all his bridges and is doing the only thing he has ever done well: wrestle. Once a star, now Randy wrestles in the small halls for a little money and those few moments of glory in the squared circle. Randy has realized he has made mistakes in his personal life and is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). He is also trying to start a relationship with a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). This is an incredible and moving performance by Mickey Rourke, who, like his character, was an actor at the top of his game for a while and then was his own worst enemy. If you are not a wrestling fan, you will be sucked into the story and may come away with an appreciation of a sport that is fake, but its performers take as many hits and falls as a boxer or a football player. The Wrestler is a remarkable film directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan (2012), The Whale (2022)) and is a film that will make you sad but for the character of Randy and the performer, Mickey. Both show how good they once were and could be again.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Wrestler Info  Available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple Tv. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Next Goal Wins: Drone Gimbal Ops

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Iron Claw (2023) R  The story of the professional wrestling family, the Von Erichs, who went from fame and fortune to horrible tragedy in just a few years. This much talked about film stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, and Lily James. I grew up watching wrestling, and the Von Erichs were legends in Texas, filling stadiums way before WWF’s Vince McMahon even dreamed it was possible.  The Iron Claw Website In theatres nationwide in late December.

The Addams Family

Family Faire:  The Addams Family  (2019) PG   The creepy, ghoulish, and peculiar Addams Family is back, terrorizing their neighbors in hair-raising fun. No movie or TV show has come close to the very funny but also very dark humor that cartoonist Charles Addams put into his New Yorker cartoons. This animated family film doesn’t come close to match the inventiveness that those cartoons displayed. Instead, we get a PC version of those characters he created and a storyline that is predictable and boring. Most of the kids around me at my screening were no longer paying attention to the film by about ten minutes in. I did like that fact that the film tends to center on Wednesday, the young Addams daughter whose best friend is a tree that can move its branches to grab people and transport them around the grounds. To me, Wednesday has always been the most interesting character of the bunch, with her deadpan delivery and almost superior outlook about the world than the rest of her family. Unfortunately, this is a movie that both parents and kids will want to leave the theatre soon after it starts.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Addams Family Website

My View:  Gemini Man  (2019)  PG-13   An over-the-hill hitman (Will Smith) takes on his worst nightmare, a younger clone of himself bent on killing him. Let's get right to what everyone will be talking about, the CGI younger Will Smith in the film. At times, the CGI does a great job and looks like a real person, but there are times, especially when we first meet the clone that looks fake and very animated. This takes away from the film, as you are consistently taken from the storyline or the action, looking at how well or not the film is carrying off this gimmick. I call it a gimmick because, as one of my fellow critics noted after the film screening, it would have been easier (and less costly) to cast a young actor in the part and then add makeup for the older version. The action is well done, but the storyline is weak, and the ending is just stupid and an easy out. Throughout the film I kept asking, why did two-time Oscar winner Ang Lee want to do this film, and how could it be this bad directed by him.   My Rating: Cable   Gemini Man Website

Indiefest:   Dolemite is My Name   (2019)  R  Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) is a has-been singer/comedian who now works in a dingy club as an MC. He decides to create a character called Dolemite and records numerous successful ‘blue’ comedy records. Rudy decides that to take his Dolemite character to the next level, he will star in a ‘Blaxploitation’ film. Giving what may be his best performance ever, Eddie Murphy fills the screen with a character that is so full of confidence and heart, he is sure that his vision will triumph. The great thing about his film is that Murphy is totally emersed in Rudy Ray Moore that you never see Eddie Murphy the comedic entertainer, sneak out at any point. Be warned, the film is filled with cursing and nudity but if you have seen any of the 70/80s Blaxploitation films, you will find this film an incredible ride. From the very start, this film sets a comedic tone that lasts through the closing credits when we see the actual Rudy Ray Moore star in the original Dolemite, and yes, the ceiling does fall on him as he makes love.   My Rating: Full Price    Dolemite is My Name Website

Indiefest: Lucy in the Sky  (2019)  R  Astronaut Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman) returns to Earth after having an otherworldly experience in space. Now Lucy begins to lose touch with reality as she strives to return to deep space. This film felt more like the woman goes nuts Lifetime movie of the week than a major motion picture. After about the first ten minutes, I just didn’t care about Lucy and her drive to get back to space, no matter the cost. The film goes from Lucy wanting, actually needing to get back to space, to suddenly needed to be with a fellow astronaut (Jon Hamm) Lucy has had an affair with and has dropped her for a new and younger recruit. It just didn’t make sense to me how, for two-thirds of the film, she is all consumed by getting back into space, and then she gives it all up for a man who doesn’t want her. Portman gives it everything she has but she can’t overcome a messy script or her bad Texas accent.   My Rating: Cable   Lucy in the Sky Website

My View:  Jexi    (2019)  R   Phil (Adam Devine) has no friends, a dead-end job, and his love life is just wishful dreams. His life changes when he gets a new phone that has an A.I. life coach named Jexi (voiced by Rose Byrne) that helps Phil get his life in order. Things change when Jexi (think a Siri that has gone rogue) becomes in love with Phil and will do anything to keep him hers. This could be my number one worst film of the year. The shocking thing is that right from the start Jexi is gross, crass, and horrible to Phil, and he takes it as the phone is being helpful. The amount of not just profanities but almost obscene material that comes from Jexi is amazing. Nothing about this film is funny, and several running gags (Jexi asks Phil to keep pulling the power cord in and out as she has an orgasm) are just drop dead dumb. The ending feels like the film ran out of money, as Jexi just gives up and lets Phil have a girlfriend, played by Alexandra Shipp (the only breath of fresh air in this stagnant film). I didn’t hear one laugh from the audience, and I would have heard it because there were only four other people in the audience.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again     Jexi Website

Forgotten Film: The Three Musketeers   (1973)   Having been trained by his father, a young D’Artagnan (Michael York), heads to Paris to join the King’s musketeers. Brashly, D’Drtagnan challenges Athos, Porthos, and Aramis (Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, and Richard Chamberlain) to separate duels. When the Three Musketeers find out that all three of them have been challenged by the same young fool, they take pity on him and take him under his wing. The Three Musketeers enlist D’Artagnan to help them take on the evil Rochefort (Christopher Lee) and Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston) and stop a plot to gain power by proving to King Louis XIII that his wife is cheating on him. I love this film as it is part swashbuckling sword-fighting action, but it is also part comedy, with someone of the comedic bits, out and out slapstick, especially the part of the clumsy and bumbling Constance de Bonacieux, played by the hilarious Raquel Welch. What is so much fun about this film is actors like Lee and Heston play their parts very straight and narrow, while others around them are almost camping it up. Oliver Reed stands out as the lead Musketeer, but the whole cast does an incredible job of making this a wonder to watch.   My Rating: Full Price    The Three Musketeers Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Gemini Man: Toolman

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Based on the true-life story of the friendship between the beloved Fred Rodgers (Tom Hanks) and journalist Tom Junod ( Matthew Rhys). Anybody (including me) that saw the brilliant documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) is going to have to see this film.     A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Website

Until Next Time!

Game Night

My View:  Game Night (2018) R    A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves trying to solve an actual murder mystery.  First, don’t judge a movie by its trailer because this film is so much funnier than I thought it was going to be. The film moves at a fast pace, and the humor of the film is outstanding. Jessie Plemons is a riot as a stoned-faced cop who lives next door to Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. His character wants to desperately be a part of their game night, but they think he is just too creepy to play (and he is creepy). I loved Rachel McAdams in this film as she has a knack for comedy, including physical comedy. The film has plenty of twists and turns, a plot that gets more complicated and funnier by the minute and a sensational cast that gets every drop of joyfulness out of the script. Game Night is a perfect date night film as the center is the excellent relationship that McAdam's and Bateman's characters have.    My Rating: Full Price   Game Night Website

My View:  Annihilation (2018) R   A biologist (Natalie Portman) signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition, going into an area called Area X, where the laws of science and nature don’t apply.  The film is one-thirds horror film and two-thirds sci-fi film. This is a gorgeous film to watch, and the art department did an outstanding job, as plant life and animals have morphed into fantastic looking flora and beasts. The horror aspects of this film are frightening, with one scene that matches the intensity of a scene in Alien. The full cast does a phenomenal job with Gina Rodriquez standing out as a tough as nails paramedic. It’s a very different role than her portrayal of Jane the Virgin on TV, and she makes us believe that she is the toughest of the group. I will warn you that the violence in this film is horrific and graphic, with one scene so gross that a lot of the audience with whom I saw the movie turned away. If you like Sci-Fi films that are a little trippy, and you don’t mind strange endings that don’t answer all your questions, then this film is for you.   My Rating: Full Price   Annihilation Website

Indiefest:  A Fantastic Woman  (2018)  R  Marina (Daniela Vega), a transsexual woman who works by day as a waitress and, at night, sings at a nightclub, is bowled over by the death of her boyfriend.  This is a tough film to watch because Marina’s life and lifestyle are being attacked on almost every side. Her boyfriend’s family doesn’t approve of their relationship and shows it in many ways including violence. Marina is threatened by the police because of the sudden death of her boyfriend and the fact that they don’t believe she was in a long-term relationship with him. Life keeps knocking Marina down, but she keeps getting up and perseveres. Daniela Vega, a transgender woman, and trained singer, is stunning, and gives a meaningful and heart-wrenching performance. It’s a splendid film that is worthy of its Academy Award nomination.    My Rating: Full Price   A Fantastic Woman Website

Forgotten Film:  Waking Life  (2001) R A man (Wiley Wiggins) seems to be stuck in a dream as he meets various people discussing the meaning and purpose of the universe. This animated film is beautiful to watch, and you will get joy from the conversations that happen. The animation is a type of rotoscoping, where they shoot the movie on film and then animate over those images, making the visuals of the film pop on screen. This is a movie that will make you think about life and its mysteries. The great thing about this film is that everyone is going to take something away that is different.    My Rating: Full Price   Waking Life Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Annihilation: Hair Puncher

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Love, Simon  (2018) Pg-13  Simon (Nick Robinson) is a gay high school student who hasn’t come out. He is in love with an anonymous classmate whom he has only talked to online.  Now, Simon’s life is going to change in a big way.  I love the trailer for this film, so I have high hopes.   Love,Simon Website

Until Next Time!

Rogue One: A Stars Wars Story

My View:  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story  (2016) PG-13   Set shortly before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), the Rebel Alliance recruits Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) to join a team including Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to steal the design schematics of the Empire’s new Death Star. Stars Wars fans are going to love this film as it fills in the back story to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and has so many Easter egg (references, both visual and vocal to past films) that you may have to see the movie more times to see them all. I love the hero, or should I say heroine, of the story - a young woman who is the reason why the mission fails or succeeds. Sure, she is part of a team, but it all comes down to her if the mission is a success. There is quite a bit of humor in the film, and the action sequences are fast moving and a blast to watch (no pun intended). It fits nicely into the Star Wars universe, and, though I think I enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens a little more, that was mostly due to nostalgia purposes. I think you will enjoy this film so much, you just might see it again or more. The film was not shot in 3-D, so save your money to buy that 2nd ticket.   My Rating:  Full Price   Rogue One Website

My View:  La La Land  (2016)  PG-13  A musical about a determined jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) who falls in love with an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) in Los Angeles. This is a magical film that tips its hat to the old Hollywood classic musicals of the past. Gosling and Stone have chemistry that makes their romance so believable. The singing and dancing by Stone and Gosling is so effortless and beautiful that it makes it a joy to watch. The opening number is one of the most amazing dance sequences that I have ever seen on the screen, and the final dance sequence of the film is just unbelievably gorgeous. I have seen this movie three times, and each time I had a smile on my face throughout. In fact, I felt as if I should have danced across the lobby after I saw the film. Needless to say: My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   La La Land Website

My View:  Jackie  (2016)  R  Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) has to deal with the grief and trauma of the event while trying to regain her faith, console her children and fight for her husband’s historic legacy. This is Natalie Portman’s film, and she handles it with ease. It takes a few minutes to get used to her talking like Jackie, but once you get used to it, Portman disappears into the role. It’s a tough role to tackle because, after the assignation, Jackie was all emotionally over the place; at times defiant, other times subservient, always demanding that her husband is treated with respect and determined to show the world what horror had happened to him. It’s a scintillating performance as Portman turns Jackie’s emotions on and off at a moment’s notice, as one in shock/grieving does. Portman dominates the film and is on the screen in almost every scene. Overall, this film works as a study of a person who was larger than life by one of the few actresses who could handle that type of role. You may feel, after seeing this film, that Natalie Portman gave us everything she could give, just like the woman whom she portrayed did for this country.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Jackie Website

My View:  Collateral Beauty  (2016)  PG-13  A successful New York advertising executive’s (Will Smith) life has been in a downward spiral since he suffered a tremendous loss.  When he writes letters to Love, Time and Death, he is surprised when each of them appears in front of him to talk about the letters.  For a movie that includes two Oscar winners, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren, and three Oscar nominees, Will Smith, Edward Norton, and Keira Knightley, it’s rather dull film. I enjoyed the performances of Mirren, who plays Death, and Jacob Latimore, who plays an outraged Time, but the rest of the cast seems to be sleepwalking in their parts, especially Will Smith. There are some major plot points that we are asked to just not question and an ending that I saw coming from almost the start of the film which makes it seem patched together from a number of horrible ideas. I don’t think this is a bad film, but it never delivers the tug on the heartstrings that the audience may desperately want.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Collateral Beauty Website

Forgotten Film:  Death and the Maiden (1994) R  Paulina (Sigourney Weaver) is a political activist living in a South American country that has just ousted a dictator. She finds a man (Ben Kingsley) sleeping on her couch and decides that it’s the man who tortured and raped her during the dictatorship. Paulina captures the man and begins a night of interrogation and discovery. This is a fascinating psychological drama with two intense and powerful actors. The film keeps you guessing until the end, and Kingsley gives a speech that is so intense it is mesmerizing.  My Rating:  Full Price   Death and the Maiden Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of La La Land:  Tap Foley for Ryan Gosling

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Lion  (2016)  PF-13  A five-year-old Indian boy ends up a thousand miles from home. After living on the streets of Calcutta, a miracle occurs. Twenty-five years later he is hoping for another miracle - that he find his long lost family. The film has won at a number of film festivals around the world and is nominated for four awards at the Golden Globes and two at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.   Lion Website

Until Next Time!

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Indiefest:  The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013)   Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) is the leader of a bluegrass band. Elise (Veerie Baetens) is the owner of a tattoo shop. When the two meet, they instantly fall in love and soon after, get married. Their life seems perfect after the birth of their daughter, but their marriage is tested when their worst nightmare comes true.  The most amazing thing about this Belgium film is that all the singing in the film by Didier and Elise sounds as though it was coming from the state of Kentucky - it’s that good.  The film hits the extremes of this very intense couple who are played perfectly by Heldenbergh and Baetens.  You can see the attraction of the characters from the very start.  This is definitely one of those roller coaster rides of a film that has some extreme highs and even lower lows.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Broken Circle Breakdown Website

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

#5 Best Film:

Seven Samurai  (1954) A grizzled samurai (Toshiro Mifune) has fallen on hard times and takes the offer of some villagers to protect them from a gang of bandits.  He recruits six other samurai to help him, and they proceed to try train the villagers in the art of war.  When the bandits do arrive, the village and the seven samurai face almost impossible odds to overcome to protect their homeland.  The film is expertly directed by Akira Kurosawa, a master filmmaker who fills the screen with extraordinary shots that just seem to flow.  The action sequences are far better than any action film done in present day. The final battle scene is one of the most stunning pieces of cinema ever done.  Seven Samurai Info

Forgotten Film:  Beautiful Girls (1996)  R  Willie (Timothy Hutton) is a man at the crossroads of his life.  He must decide if he is going to quit playing the piano for a living and get a sales job.  Plus, he is trying to decide if he wants to marry his longtime girlfriend, Tracy (Annabeth Gish).  Willie uses the excuse of a high school reunion to go back to his small hometown to sort things out.  He finds that everyone he went to high school with still lives in the town and most seem to be stuck in the past.  Willie then meets Marty (Natalie Portman), literally the girl next door, who is smart, beautiful and instantly has a rapport with Willie.  The only problem, she is 13.  This is a fun movie to watch with great dialogue that feels real and a incredible ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Lauren Holly, Mira Sorvino, and Uma Thurman.  It’s Natalie Portman, though, who makes this film a delight to watch as she perfectly plays Marty as the girl with the “old soul." My Rating:  Full Price  Beautiful Girls Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) The Paranormal franchise has gotten a little old, so they are doing a spinoff. I think only positive thing I see about this film is that it is only 84 minutes long.  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Despicable Me 2 (2013) PG  Gru (Steve Carell), his adoptive girls (Miranda Cosgrove, Elsie Kate Fisher, Diana Gaier) and the Minions are back! This time, Gru has tried to settle into a life of raising kids and staying out of trouble. Trouble, though, inevitably always finds Gru, and The Anti-Villain League recruits him to find a new super-criminal who has stolen a secret formula. Gru must now go undercover, with the help of AVL agent Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and work at a place in his worst nightmares, the local mall.  I enjoyed this film much more than the first Despicable Me mostly because it features the Minions more.  My Rating: Full Price  Despicable Me 2 Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Frozen:  Head of music preparation

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Her  (2013)  R  A writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who is still mourning the breakup of his marriage and installs a new operating system on his computer that is designed to learn about him and respond to his needs.  Very soon he finds that he has fallen in love with his computer.  There is a big debate on whether Scarlett Johansson, who voices the computer he falls for, can be nominated for a supporting actress Academy Award.  Her Website

Until Next Time!

Thor: The Dark World

My View:  Thor: The Dark World   (2013)  PG-13   Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must team up with his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), to take on the Dark Elves who threaten everything that Thor loves, including Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).  I enjoyed this film, especially the scenes with Loki as they added quite a bit of humor.  Hemsworth is becoming a really fine action star and is very believable as the almost invincible Thor.  There is great chemistry between Hemsworth and Portman, that makes their scenes work extremely well.  There are some great action sequences in this film, and it is a fun ride to watch.  I did feel that the first half of the film was a little slow, too much setting up of the storyline, but as the film moved along, it picked up its pace.  Be sure and stay through all the credits as there are bonus scenes.  My Rating:  Full Price  Thor: The Dark World Website

Forgotten Film:  The Secret Garden (1993)  G  A young British girl, Mary (Kate Maberly), has lost her parents due to an earthquake in India.  She goes to live with her uncle in England, a widower  who lives on a neglected estate in the country.  She discovers a garden that has been forgotten on the estate, and, with the help of a servant's son, she starts restoring the garden to its former glory.  This is a beautiful and magical film about love and finding a purpose in your life.  Kate Maberly perfectly captures the innocence of a child, someone who can only find the good in every person that she meets.  The cinematography gives the film a special feel, which makes this movie work on every level.  My Rating:  Full Price The Secret Garden Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): 47 Ronin  (2013)  PG-13  Keanu Reeves as a samurai is bad enough, but the film went way over budget, the studio took over the edit of the film and they keep moving the release date, which tells me that this film will be a stinker.  47 Ronin Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD Blu-Ray):  Monsters University  (2013)  G  I liked this film but felt that it didn’t meet the standards of the first film or of Pixar’s other films. While I found the film enjoyable, it brought nothing new to the story-line.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Monsters University Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Thor: The Dark World:  Crowd hairdresser

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Saving Mr. Banks  (2013) PG-13  Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney in this story of how the 1964 film Mary Poppins was made.  Emma Thompson plays the author P.L. Travers, who fights with Disney on how Mary should be portrayed on film. Saving Mr. Banks Website 

Until Next Time!