How to Train Your Dragon

My View:  How to Train Your Dragon  (2025)  PG  How to Train Your Dragon is a tale about Vikings and dragons, who are mortal enemies on the isle of Berk. That is until Hiccup (Mason Thames) meets a hurt Night Fury dragon that he names Toothless. Little do the two know that their future together means that they will save the lives of both species. The 2010 animated film is one of the best-animated movies of the 2010s, with a story that was touching and filled with thrilling animated scenes that showed the love between a boy and a dragon, all the while exploring the themes of legacy, father/son dynamics and finding out that our enemies are sometimes misunderstood. This live-action film follows the same themes and does it well, but the nagging question is, why do the same movie if it isn’t going to bring anything new to the story? While the performances are good, and the CGI animation of Toothless is fine, this version doesn’t give us anything new; it’s the same story, just in a longer version (beware, parents of young kids, this movie is over two hours long). I will say that I felt the flying sequences weren’t as thrilling as the animated version, and I missed Craig Ferguson’s performance as the bombastic Gobber (played this time by a less enjoyable Nick Frost). Will parents and kids enjoy watching this version? Sure, because it’s a great story. Was the production of this remake worth all the money and effort? Doubtful.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee  How to Train Your Dragon Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Materialists  (2025)  R   In Materialists, Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a famous New York City matchmaker who has always been lucky in making the perfect match for others but has been unlucky in love herself. Lucy may have met her perfect match in suave and rich Harry (Pedro Pascal) until her ex, John (Chris Evans), comes back into the picture. What’s a matchmaker to do? I am a big rom-com fan, and I was excited to see this film after watching the trailer. While I loved this film because of the phenomenal performances by the three stars, this is not your typical romantic comedy. Materialists is a more of a harsh reality romance than a comedy, though there are some laughs along the way. The film is about how hard and sometimes cruel dating can be, as seen through the eyes of someone who deals in the romance game and views marriage as a business agreement. Lucy is not actively looking for a mate, but she admits she will settle for one if they can ‘check all the boxes,’ including being rich. Dakota Johnson portrays a woman who is jaded but enjoys her job of finding matches for men and women seeking love, provided they meet certain requirements. It’s a marvelous performance that immerses us in Lucy’s world and her mindset, giving us a woman who is lovable yet troubled and flawed. Harry enters Lucy's world, and he is convinced that she is the one for him, no matter how many times Lucy tells him she isn't right for him. To make matters more complicated, her ex, John, comes back into her life. Evans, as Chris, portrays a man who is love-struck and has never stopped loving this complicated woman. John knows Lucy better than anyone; they have a connection, and we see that when something happens to a client of Lucy’s. Lucy doesn’t go to Harry, but to John for support and comfort. This is not a movie for everyone because its lead character is not always likable and is frustrating, doesn’t follow the usual romantic playbook and our heroine falls for a man who we know isn’t right for her and she doesn’t care. The title alone tells you a lot about Materialists. It’s a film that gives us the down-and-dirty on dating, matchmaking, and whether someone is truly perfect for someone. You will have to watch until the end to help you decide.      My Rating: Full Price  Materialists Website    Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Life of Chuck  (2024) R  The Life of Chuck explores the life and adventures of Charles Krantz, a man who is experiencing the end of his life while being celebrated by his friends and family. The Life of Chuck is one of those films that’s hard to review because its structure is complicated, and I don’t want to give away any of the surprises (and there are a few). One clue to this film is that it is based on a Stephen King novella, although more in the vein of The Shawshank Redemption or Stand by Me, rather than horror films like The Shining or It. The film is told in three parts and unfolds in reverse to tell us the story of Chuck. I will warn you that the first part is a little off-the-wall strange, and while Chuck makes an appearance, that part of the film is about two exes (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan) who are trying to cope with a world gone off the rails and find support in re-connecting. Part two is about Chuck as an adult (played by ever-charismatic Tom Hiddleston), and part three is about Chuck as a teen (played by Jacob Tremblay) and as a kid (played by the adorable Benjamin Pajak). Along the way, there are some fantastic performances by Carl Lumbly, Mia Sara, and Mark Hamill (which I think is so good it could get him an Oscar nod). While not a musical, the film features some incredible and exciting dance numbers, with Hiddleston performing a thrilling and moving dance alongside the delightful Annalise Basso. The Life of Chuck is a film that slowly reveals its secrets, and while it throws you into a world that doesn’t make much sense at first, it becomes a joyful and life-affirming film that makes you feel glad you experienced the life of a man named Chuck.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See It Again    Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Echo Valley  (2025)  R    Echo Valley revolves around Kate (Julianne Moore), a horse ranch owner in the beautiful and isolated Echo Valley. Her world is shattered when her estranged, drug-addicted daughter, Claire (Sydney Sweeney), shows up at her doorstep in hysterics and covered in someone else’s blood. Echo Valley is a film whose pedigree, with Director Michael Pearce (Beast), Writer Brad Ingelsby (creator and writer of Mare of Easttown), and stars Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, and Fiona Shaw, should have been a slam dunk. Instead, we get a mess of a film that feels like it is two or three different movies pitched separately and put together by the studio to make one ‘Oscar bait’ film. Julianne Moore (who delivers a fantastic performance despite the material) plays Kate, a grieving widow struggling to keep her horse farm afloat. Sydney Sweeney portrays Claire, a troubled, drug-addicted girl who repeatedly returns to her mother for money, only to disappear again without notice. Sweeney’s character doesn’t have much depth; she mostly wanders around moping and runs back to a troubled relatioship. We get our villain in Domhnall Gleeson, who portrays a drug dealer who mostly sneers threats and keeps showing up to make mom Kate's life hell. The film is packed with so many twists and turns that it seems Brad Ingelsby may have drawn inspiration from too many 1970s TV mysteries before writing the script. It's frustrating when the major plot twist is something you can deduce halfway through the film. While I’m no detective like Mannix or Columbo (references to 1970s shows), I realized that Echo Valley desperately needed a stronger script than the one Julianne Moore was given. My Rating: Cable   Echo Valley Info   Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform.

My View:  Deep Cover  (2025) R    Deep Cover is about three struggling London improv actors (Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed) who are hired by the police for a series of sting operations. Can they say their usual improv phrase “yes, and…” and still survive as they find their way into joining a criminal gang? As someone who appreciates improv and had dabbled in it during my acting days, I found the premise intriguing. Little did I know the jokes would be flat, and what improv there is is so poorly done it’s painful. The only character that you have fun watching is Marlon, portrayed by Orlando Bloom, who isn’t exactly known for his comedic chops. He brings life to the film with his portrayal of Marlon, an actor stuck in small commercial roles but dreaming of being like Brando or De Niro. Marlon’s character tends to go over the top, crafting backstories so dramatic they could bring any hardened criminal to tears. Regrettably, the rest of the cast fails to shine, and actors like Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, and Sean Bean are underutilized in a script that recycles every poor cop movie trope without delivering any real comedy. I considered improvising a joke here at the end of this review, but this film took me out of the moment. Can anyone out there say ‘yes, and’ for me?  My Rating: Cable  Deep Cover Info  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

Indiefest:  Prime Minister  (2025)   The documentary Prime Minister chronicles Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister, during which her terms she had to navigate a mass shooting, COVID-19, and giving birth to a first child. Prime Minister is an outstanding documentary about a person who never expected to come into power, but when she did, she went all out, even while having a child while in office. The film commences with Jacinda's leader resigning, resulting in her becoming a top contender for her party's Prime Minister nomination. We then follow Jacinda through the election, which she barely wins, a reeelction in a landslide, putting her in office for five years. Prime Minister is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how leadership can work and how it can just as quickly be undone. We also get to see how she managed a relationship and the birth of a baby while in office. We get personal footage, which I loved because her partner shot a lot of it (they didn’t get married until after her stint as Prime Minister), and we see up close and personal their back-and-forth conversations about everything that is going on in their lives.We gain insight into her decision-making process and the reasoning behind her conclusions. While some of her decisions led to great successes, we also witness her struggles, including the impact of COVID-19 and the influence of Trump supporters reaching all the way to New Zealand. Throughout the documentary, we hear recordings she made during her years as Prime Minister, and we also see what she is doing now—hint: she’s teaching at a university in the U.S., which has been making headlines. Prime Minister is an inspiring film about a political figure who genuinely cared for people, prioritized their needs, and was willing to share her thoughts and feelings on pressing issues. What a novel concept.  My Rating: Full Price    Prime Minister Info  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Titan: The OceanGate Disaster  (2025)  Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is a documentary about Stockton Rush, whose quest to become the next billionaire inventor led to the development of the Titan, a doomed underwater deep-sea sub that he hoped would bring oceanic exploration to the masses.Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is a fascinating and infuriating story about a man who had a vision to take the world down into the sea and share its wonders. Unfortunately, stupidity, ego, and money got in the way and ultimately cost the lives of five people. The film utilizes extensive footage and interviews with most of the principals behind the creation of the sub and its attempts to become a means for the world to see the Titanic’s wreckage up close in person. The film gives you a detailed look at both the lead-up to the accident and the investigation by the Coast Guard into how the deaths happened. I won't use the word 'accident' to describe what caused people to lose their lives because the disaster that happened was going to happen that day or weeks/months later. From the start, the idea of using a carbon fiber hull instead of steel or titanium was destined for failure. Stockton Rush was a man who thought he knew more than anyone else and was convinced, even when the testing told him otherwise, that the hull would stand the pressure. There is some horrifying footage of a dive the sub took that is as scary as what we experienced in the recent theatrical film Last Breath. There is a reason it took so long to discover where the Titanic was because it was resting so deep in the ocean floor. Maybe we should just let the ship stay at the bottom of the sea and stop trying to disturb its slumber. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Titan: The OceanGate Disaster Website  Now playing on the Netlfix platform. 

Forgotten Film:  Safe  (1995)  R  As a well-off housewife, Carol (Julianne Moore) devotes her time to remodeling her home, attending charity events, and gardening. Carol starts experiencing physical symptoms, such as coughing uncontrollably after being exposed to exhaust fumes or getting a nosebleed when getting a perm at her hair salon. Carol's condition continues to worsen, and doctors are unable to determine the cause. She then, encouraged by friends, to go to a retreat that specializes in allergies. There, she continues to get worse, finally isolating herself in a completely sterile environment. The film was directed by Todd Haynes, known for his engaging and sometimes controversial films, including Far From Heaven (2002), I'm Not There (2007), Carol (2015), and Wonderstruck (2017). Safe is a film about a woman who embarks on a path where she is constantly given reasons why the problem is in her head, but the symptoms persist and worsen. Julianne Moore is outstanding as Carol, whose life keeps getting worse and worse. The film can be viewed as a horror film, as for someone like myself who has dealt with severe allergies all my life, not knowing the cause of your problems can be horrifying, especially when everything you do compounds the problems. Critics and the Hollywood establishment saw in her performance in Safe that Moore would become a force to be reckoned with as an actor. My Rating: Full Price  Safe Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of How to Train Your Dragon:  Lock Off PA

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Superman  (2025)  PG-13  Superman (David Corenswet) must reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his life as the human Clark Kent. As always, Superman is the embodiment of truth, justice, and trying to be a force for good while battling forces of evil, including Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). James Gunn, the man responsible for the amazing Guardians of the Galaxy film series, is behind the film.  Superman Website   The film will be out in theaters on Friday, July 11, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Gran Turismo

My View: Gran Turismo (2023) PG-13 Jann (Archie Madekwe) is a gamer who excels at the Gran Turismo video game. Jann beats 90,000 other participants in a tourney and is rewarded with an opportunity to drive a race car for real. It’s up to a failed former race car driver (David Harbour) and an idealistic motorsport executive (Orlando Bloom) to turn Jann from a gamer to a genuine sports car driver. At times, this feels like a giant ad for the game, making the film seem more like a video game and not an actual story (which it is). I liked the racing sequences, but never got the thrill of feeling like I was in the driver’s seat with Jann. The film is greatly helped by David Harbour, who plays a troubled former driver who slowly starts to believe that Jann can be a driver in the big time. Orlando Bloom is wasted as a promotion guy whose idea is all on the hands and head of Jann and his ability to turn video game experience into a real-world one. I think fans of the game will enjoy this more than racing fans, as it always puts us in Jann’s head that this is just a game to him. The problem is, a lot of us have never played the game.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Gran Turismo Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Hill (2023) R  When Ricky (Colin Ford) was a boy, he was told he would never walk without braces because of a degenerative spinal disease. Ricky loved baseball and was determined to play the game. In his teens, he became a baseball sensation and had the chance to try out for the big leagues. Despite what his father (Dennis Quaid) thinks, Ricky is determined to follow his dreams, no matter the cost. The Hill is one of those films whose heart is in the right place but never gives you the big moment you want from the film. I am a huge fan of Dennis Quaid, but he’s not given much to work with as the father who values the word of God over baseball and wants his son to follow in his footsteps instead of the baseball shoes of Mickey Mantle. The film wants to be an inspirational film, but while Ricky’s story of overcoming a huge obstacle of spinal problems to become a baseball player is impressive, the film never finds its way and tends to stay too long in the church and not enough on the baseball field. The film is somewhat saved by the performance of Bonnie Bedelia as Ricky’s grandmother, the one person in the family willing to stand up to Ricky’s father and speak her mind. Unfortunately, it’s too little and too late to make this film tug at any heartstrings.  My Rating: Cable  The Hill Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Golda (2023) PG-13  Golda Meir (Helen Mirren) is known as the ‘Iron Lady of Israel’ during her time as the Prime Minister of a country struggling to stay alive. She will need that iron will to lead her country during the Yom Kippur War. If I showed you a picture of Helen Mirren in her Golda makeup, you would not be able to tell me who she is. It’s a fantastic piece of makeup and, as expected, a stellar performance. Unfortunately, Mirren is let down by a script that makes the war where Israel was on the brink of disaster seem boring and dull. Golda is a film where an aspect of a character becomes almost too much of a crutch for the filmmaker. In this case, it’s Golda’s constant smoking, and it becomes a distraction to the point that during one scene in the film, the smoke fills the screen. Golda is a film that just feels lacking something from almost the start and never finds a way to make us interested in what happens.   My Rating: Cable   Golda Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023) PG-13  Stacey (Sunny Sandler) is trying to survive her teens and her parents (Idina Menzel and Adam Sandler) until it's her Bat Mitzvah. Her best friend, Lydia (Samantha Lorraine), has her back, or at least Stacey thought she did. Things change when Stacy catches Lydia kissing Stacey’s crush, and things go from bad to worse from there. This is a fun film with which everyone in the family will have fun. I’m not a big fan of Adam Sandler’s Netflix comedy films, but this one has very little about Sandler and everything about his younger daughter, played by his actual daughter. Sunny Sandler is delightful as Stacey, a young woman who feels her Bat Mitzvah should be life-changing, while she gets the dreamy boy with her best friend by her side. However, Stacey’s plans get turned upside down when she finds out that her best friend, Lydia, has stolen the boy she wanted for herself. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a film that you will have fun with from start to finish, and maybe, just maybe, want to have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah of your very own.  My Rating: Full Price  You Are So Not Invited to by Bat Mitzvah Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Scrapper (2023)   Georgie (Lola Campbell) is a young girl who lives on her own, spending her time pilfering bikes with a friend and evading family services. Georgie’s mom died, and she is barely surviving. Suddenly, the father she never knew, Jason (Harris Dickinson), appears at her doorstep and wants to start a relationship. This is going to be an interesting pair. I loved this story of Georgie, a young girl determined to live her life on her terms. Unfortunately, Georgie is not an adult, so she is fighting a system she can’t win. In walks her father (actually, he climbs over her fence), and Georgie is dealing with someone she has never known. Jason is in the same boat, dealing with a daughter he has never had the guts to deal with before, but he feels an obligation to Georgie’s late mother to try. Scrapper is a story of two people who learn to trust each other and slowly build that trust through just spending time with each other. Lola Campbell is a delight as the independent and fiery Georgie, who misses her mother terribly and tries to keep her mother’s legacy intact while hoping that no one will take her memories of her mother away. So, go on a few adventures with Georgie and Jason as they try to figure out how their relationship will work out.   My Rating: Full Price  Scrapper Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: The Green Ray (1986) R Delphine (Marie Riviere) is a woman who doesn’t like crowds or people she doesn’t know but is on a vacation where she can’t relax. Possibly getting over a romance that went bad, Delphine is bored by the guys who try too hard to pick her up. She wants to belong to someone but doesn’t want to make the effort to start something. And then she meets Jacques (Vincent Gauthier), who seems to know what she is looking for, or does he? The Green Ray is a strange film that works because of Marie Riviere, who fills up the screen and makes you root for someone who seems to be constantly unhappy. Will Delphine find happiness?   My Rating: Full Price The film is available on Disc.   The Green Ray Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Hill: Hair Interns

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: She Came to Me (2023) A composer, Steven (Peter Dinklage), is having writer's block, and his new opera is due in two weeks. His wife (Anne Hathaway) suggests he take the dog for a walk. Steven finds himself in a bar and meets a tugboat captain (Marisa Tomei), who invites him on her boat. There, he has a one-night stand with the captain and is inspired to write his new opera. The problem is the tugboat captain loves being Steven’s newfound muse. You had me at Marisa Tomei, Anne Hathaway, and Peter Dinklage. I didn’t need to know more.   It is scheduled to be released in late September.   She Came to Me Info

Until Next Time!

The Outpost

My View:  The Outpost (2020) R   A small band of US soldiers in a combat outpost battle against hundreds of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. I wish that more theatres were open and we could see this film on the big screen because, I think to get the full impact of this movie, you need to be immersed in the spectacle of this rough and realistic look at life in a camp that was nearly impossible to defend. Based on a true story, the film looks at life of soldiers in a war zone where their lives can be taken at virtually every moment. This is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s glamorized look at war but a down and dirty view of how hard it is to be a soldier in a country that doesn’t want you there. The film does a great job of letting us get to know the soldiers in the camp and how they deal with a camp that was set up to fail. Scott Eastwood gives one of his best performances as the heroic Staff Sgt. Romesha, Orlando Bloom, is outstanding as the camp commander who has to keep the morale up in the camp while trying to keep the local leaders happy, all the while the Taliban is lurking, always looking at a way to slowly whittle away at his men. The actor that stands out in the excellent cast is Caleb Landry Jones as Specialist Ty Carter, a solider that doesn’t quite fit in, but when the chips are down comes through. Added touch to the real feel of the film is that some of the actors were the actual soldiers in the engagement. The battle sequence takes place during the second half of the film and director Rod Lurie, allows us to experience the horror of war as he uses long, unflinching takes that ramps up the tension and the overwhelming feeling that the lives of the soldiers we have gotten to know just might be doomed. The Outpost is a film that needs to be seen, and I wish it was on the big screen.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Outpost Info    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: Desperados (2020)   Wesley (Nasim Pedrad) hasn’t had a great year, and after a horrible blind date, she meets the man of her dreams, Jared (Robbie Amell). After a month of dating, the couple finally sleeps together, and then Wes doesn’t hear from Jared for five days. Egged on by alcohol and her two best friends (Anna Camp, Sarah Burns), Wes writes a blistering email but learns that Jared got into a car accident and hasn’t been able to reach Wes. Wes decides to travel down to Mexico where Jared is and somehow erase the email before Jared is released from the hospital and can see the document. Let’s start out by saying this film is an hour and forty-five minutes long, and it feels like it’s even longer. The premise of the film is darn thin that it barely can sustain fifteen minutes of plot, much less a whole movie. I never cared about Wes, and it is so apparent from the start that Jared is not the right guy for her. There is a subplot involving Anna Camp, that wastes her comic talents and the cameo of Heather Graham,  that is almost as stupid as the main plot. The film falls flat on its face from the start and never recovers. Sure if you have Netflix, you might think, what can it hurt watching this film…oh it will hurt.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again     Desperados Website    Available on the Netflix website.

My View: John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020) PG   Documentary on the legendary civil rights crusader and Georgia representative, whose career spans 60-plus years of social activism on essential issues such as civil rights, gun control, and voting rights. These days it is sometimes hard to feel good about your elected officials, but that is not the case with John Lewis, a man who stands for the rights of all people. The film tells the story of a son of a sharecropper, who as a young boy, preached to the chickens he was in charge of feeding and was so worried about his appearance, wore a tie in high school. At a very early age, Lewis became an essential cog in the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement of civil rights and the nonviolent protest movement. The film moves back in forth from giving us the history of Lewis’s struggle for civil rights and his battles in the halls of Congress to the present day with the close defeat of democratic governor candidates in Texas and Georgia. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with John Lewis and now, more than ever, admire a man who was willing to risk his life to bring about change in our society.   My Rating: Full Price    John Lewis: Good Trouble Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services and at select drive-ins around the country.

My View: Athlete A (2020) PG-13   Documentary that follows the reporters of the Indianapolis Star who in 2016 broke the story which brought to light the USAG women’s team doctor, Larry Nassar, had been abusing athletes for over two decades and the cover-up that allowed the abuse to thrive. Athlete A is a fascinating film that just when you think the situation it is showcasing can’t get any worse, it does. Looking at the story through the eyes of the investigative team at the Indy Star paper, we get to see how the story kept getting bigger and bigger, as more of the sorted and horrible details came forward. Due to the courageous efforts of some of the victims, especially Maggie Nichols, we see how Dr. Nassar operated under the guise (sometimes in the very presence of parents) that he was doing ‘special adjustments’ to the young women. The fact that this man had his job for so long and that so many officials knew what was going on is a blight on our Olympic past and will make you incredibly mad. Athlete A is a film and a story that needed to be brought forward into the light and those involved should be punished.    My Rating: Full Price     Athlete A Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Indiefest: Homewrecker (2019)   Michelle (Alex Essoe) is a newlywed and an interior designer. Linda (Precious Chong) lives alone and is looking for someone to help her redo her home. Linda coerces Michelle into visiting her home, and it soon becomes clear that Linda has something more sinister in mind than just decorations. This is an odd film that combines horror/suspense with a bit of comedy. Homewrecker a tale of two women who meet by chance or did they. It’s a tale with a few surprises and takes some wild turns but is fun to watch. I will tell you that some of the camera work and a few of the action sequences are not well done, and the dialogue is a little clunky, but I did enjoy seeing where the film was going to go and this would make a great addition to any film festival's midnight movie slot.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      The Homewrecker Info    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: Brassed Off (1996) R   The town of Grimley, a Yorkshire mining town, has had a brass band, made up of local miners, since 1881. The government has decided to go to nuclear power, and the local mine is about to close. Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) is the band's leader and is determined to keep the band going despite the layoffs and get his band into the national finals. In walks Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), a talented flugelhorn player whose late father was a legend in the band. Gloria is the first woman to ever join the band, and there is one problem; she is the former crush of Andy (Ewan McGregor), and Gloria is conducting a study of the mine that might speed up the closing. I love this film, and though you might think that the center of the story is the love story between Andy and Gloria, the film really is about Danny and his determination to keep the band going, convinced that it can keep the town going through the hard times. The music is fun and rousing, but it’s Pete Postlethwaite that makes this film work so well.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Brassed Off Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Outpost: Pashto Voice Actor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Father Soldier Son (2020)   Documentary on a former platoon sergeant and his two young sons spanning over a decade, chronicling his return home after a severe combat injury. The plight of veterans in this country needs to be examined, and I welcome this documentary as it explores just how much our soldiers sacrifice.    Father Soldier Son Website

Until Next Time!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

My View:  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug  (2013)  PG-13  Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the dwarves continue with the quest to defend Erebor, their home, from the Dragon Smaug.  This film moves at a much  brisker pace then the first Hobbit film, and the action sequences are quite enjoyable and well staged.  I loved Evangeline Lily as Tauriel, a new character who is a fierce, butt-kicking elf with an attitude.  She does the action sequences with gusto and flair, making her character very believable.  It is also nice to see Orlando Bloom return as the elf warrior, Legolas.  The scenes with the Dragon Smaug are fun to watch, and Benedict Cumberbatch does an outstanding job as the voice of the Dragon.  This film is worth seeing in 3-D as the many action sequences use the medium to its full effect.  I will warn you that the film is 161 minutes long, so pack a lunch.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Website

Indiefest:  The Armstrong Lie (2013) R  A documentary that covers seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and focuses on the accusations that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and then lied about it.  Filmmaker Alex Gibney was given complete access to Armstrong’s 2009 comeback attempt at winning an 8th Tour, and he developed a rapport with Armstrong that continues to present day.  The film is a fascinating look at a man so driven to be the best, he was willing to do anything to get to the top and then fought dirty to stay there.  Armstrong is shown to be a man whom you support, or you are considered the enemy, and the film really brings this across.  This film gets much more in depth with the subject than the famous Oprah interview did and shows us a man trying to own up to his past downfalls.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Armstrong Lie Website

Forgotten Film:  Zero Effect (1998)  R  Darryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is the world’s greatest detective.  There's just one problem - Darryl won’t leave his apartment for anything.  So he hires Steve (Ben Stiller) to be his right-hand man who manages any activity that requires going out into the world.  The two are hired to investigate a blackmailing case, and, as the case widens, they get involved in a 20 year old mystery.  Pullman, in one of his best acting jobs, is brilliant as the odd Darryl.  Stiller works well with Pullman and is able to convey his wonder for his boss.  The film starts out as a comedy, but it’s a really a fine, well thought out detective film with a very quirky lead character.  It has a lot of twists and turns in the plot to make it a fun film to experience.  My Rating:  Full Price  Zero Effect website

In Memory of Ed Wood ( A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  The Legend of Hercules (2014)  It’s never a good sign when the lead actor in the film, in this case, Kellan Lutz, says only two lines in the 2 min 15 second trailer.  And, this film is directed by Renny Harlin, who hasn’t directed a good film since the 90’s.  The Legend of Hercules Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Fast & Furious 6  (2013)  PG-13  I surprisingly like this film, mostly because the guys in the Furious gang are portrayed as super heroes.  It’s a fun action-filled ride with big stunts and fast cars, plus, the longest runway the world has ever seen.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Fast & Furious 6 Webstite

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:  Horse makeup

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  One Chance  (2013) PG-13 The true story of a shy, bullied shop-worker who sings amateur opera at night.  He tries out for “Britain’s Got Talent” and gets on the show.  One Chance Info

Until Next Time!