Glass

My View:  Glass  (2019)  PG-13   Three men are being held in a high-security mental institution: David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a former security guard who has somehow supernatural powers, Kevin (James McAvoy), a killer that has 24 personalities and a mysterious man named Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson). The film is much too long, and the middle portion of this film slows down, with Sarah Paulson, playing a therapist, that just sits there and lectures the three men, sometimes alone, sometimes at all three together. Samuel L. Jackson’s character Mr. Glass is in a drug-induced haze for much of the film. Bruce Willis looks puzzled and uninterested. As with his performance in Split, James McAvoy is fantastic as he instantly goes from one personality to another. I had hoped that M. Night Shyamalan had gotten back on track, but it proves once again that when given a big budget, he tries to do too much. Glass is a superhero movie that rarely lets the superheroes be heroic.  My Rating: Cable   Glass Website

My View:  Destroyer  (2018)  R   A police detective (Nicole Kidman), seventeen years ago, went undercover and things went horribly wrong. Now she is exploring her past to make peace. I found the storyline a little weak, and it takes a while to get going, but the reason to see this movie is Kidman. She gives a deep, vulnerable performance as a broken woman who is trying to right the wrongs that she created 17 years ago. I liked the ending of the film, which ties everything up, I wish it had gotten to that point a little quicker.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Destroyer Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  The Old Man & the Gun  (2018)  PG-13      Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who escaped from San Quentin and then went on to rob over 80 banks while in his seventies. If this is genuinely Redford’s last acting performance, then he goes out on a high note. It’s a brilliant, understated performance that only someone with skill like Redford can do. Redford’s performance is bolstered by the performances of Casey Affleck, the world-weary cop trying to catch Forest, and Sissy Spacek, who slowly falls in love Forest. The film is based on a true story, and I loved the ending of the movie where they used old photos and footage of Redford to illustrate the 16 prison escapes that Forest did over the years.   My Rating: Full Price    The Old Man & the Gun Website

Forgotten Film:  Control  (2007)  R    Fascinating film about the troubled life of Ian Curtis (Sam Riley), the lead singer of the legendary band Joy Division. The film gives us insight into why at age 23 he decided to commit suicide. The film at times almost feels like a documentary and is based on Curtis’s wife Deborah (played by Samantha Morton) book on Curtis’s life. The photographer Anton Corbin, whose pictures of Curtis, made him the sex symbol of young, like-minded teens, directed the film. The film is shot in black and white, and the cinematography is just gorgeous. I loved the performance of Morton as Ian’s long-suffering wife in the movie. Her performance is almost magical it is so good. Control is a movie about a man who came to the conclusion that he must end his life to stop his misery.  My Rating: Full Price   Control Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Glass:  Prosthetic Makeup Design and Fabrication: Charlayne Woodard's Aging

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Kid Who Would Be King  (2019)  PG   King Arthur’s half-sister Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) is going to take over the world in 4 days in modern times. Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) has found the legendary Sword in the Stone and is able to pull it out. Now Alex and his friends must go on a quest to find the opening of hell and battle Morgana. The guy, Joe Cornish, who wrote and directed Attack the Block, is back with a new film, so you know I’m seeing this one.    The Kid Who Would Be King Website

Until Next Time!

First Man

My View:  First Man  (2018)  PG-13    The life of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), the American astronaut who was the first man to walk on the Moon. The film is technically a marvel, with the space scenes some of the most amazingly shot films of all time. The lunar landing is amazing to watch, and you really feel that you are apart of the experience. This is a great film, but I came away from this film feeling that the subject of the film, was a joyless man who couldn’t show (and maybe feel) emotion, other than sadness and that makes the film feel a little flat. The film does a great job at showing just how amazing and complex it was to get a man on the moon.   My Rating: Full Price   First Man Website

My View: Bad Times at the El Royale  (2018) R    Seven strangers meet at the El Royale, a hotel with a dark past. In one night, all seven will have a shot at redemption before things go to hell. I enjoyed this film which is reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino film. I loved how the film slowly reveals the story and the background of each character based on their room numbers. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and it will keep you guessing how it's going to turn out until the final credits. By the way, I did not recognize Chris Hemsworth who must have lost 40 pounds of muscle for the role. The film is a little long but well worth the time.    My Rating: Full Price   Bad Times at the El Royale Website

My View:  The Old Man & the Gun  (2018)  PG-13      Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who escaped from San Quentin and then went on to rob over 80 banks while in his seventies. If this is genuinely Redford’s last acting performance, then he goes out on a high note. It’s a brilliant, understated performance that only someone with skill like Redford can do. Redford’s performance is bolstered by the performances of Casey Affleck, the world-weary cop trying to catch Forest, and Sissy Spacek, who slowly falls in love Forest. The film is based on a true story, and I loved the ending of the movie where they used old photos and footage of Redford to illustrate the 16 prison escapes that Forest did over the years.   My Rating: Full Price   The Old Man & the Gun Website

Family Faire:  Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween  (2018)  PG    On Halloween night two boys named Sammy (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) find a manuscript written by R>L. Stine (Jack Black) in an abandoned house. When they open the manuscript, it releases Slappy (Avery Lee Jones) an evil ventriloquist doll. Slappy plans to create a Halloween Apocalypse with the help of his Halloween monster allies.  While not quite as fun as the first Goosebumps film, it’s still an enjoyable film to watch. Slappy is still really creepy, and the monsters that he unleashes are imaginative. I loved the unconventional ending to this film, and I am guessing that we will meet up with Slappy again. A word of caution: some of the monsters are quite scary, so very young children should probably not see this film.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Goosebumps 2 Facebook Page

Indiefest:  22 July  (2018)   The story of Norway’s worst terrorist attack in which over seventy people, mostly children,  lost their lives. The first third of this film is compelling and scary as we see the killer prepare and then carry out the attack, far more terrifying than any horror film that I have seen. The next two-thirds of the film are quite as interesting, as the government tries to figure out how the attack happened and if it could have been prevented, along with the trial of the attacker. The film bogs down in the 2nd half as the debate on whether the attacker can use the insanity defense in his trial. The film is extremely long and it just drags on as we focus on one of the kids that was shot by the attacker goes through his rehab. I am going to give this an excellent rating because of that first third was so well done and horrifying as hell.    My Rating: Full Price   22 July Website

Indiefest:  Tea with the Dames  (2018)  Documentary where Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith talk about their careers and friendship that goes back more than fifty years. A fascinating documentary with four legendary actresses talking and laughing with each other. The film does a great job of giving us background on the four women, and we get to see plenty of their performances on stage and screen. The film also does a great job showing us old interviews that the women did earlier in their careers. I loved the ending of the film when it showed footage of the women receiving all the awards they have gotten during their careers.   My Rating: Full Price   Tea With the Dames Website

Forgotten Film:  Coming Home  (1978)  R   Sally (Jane Fonda) is married to a captain (Bruce Dern) in the U.S. Marine Corps who is fighting in the war in Vietnam. With nothing to do, she decides to volunteer at a veterans hospital. There she meets Luke (Jon Voight), a former soldier who was wounded and paralyzed fighting in Vietnam. Sally slowly changes her outlook on the war and falls in love with Luke. Excellent film about dealing with the aftermath of the war in Vietnam and how we treated the soldiers that fought there. What I love about the film is the opening scene which was filmed with actual Vietnam war vets and was unscripted. This was one of the first films that openly dealt with the conflicts about the war in Vietnam. The film won three Academy Awards and probably should have won more.       My Rating:  Full Price   Coming Home Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween:  Slappy Lead Puppeteer 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Halloween  (2018)  R   Michael Myers comes back to get revenge on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) four decades after their first confrontation. All I needed to know was that John Carpenter was doing the score for this film that I knew I wanted to see this film.   Halloween Website

Until Next Time!

The House with a Clock in its Walls

My View:  The House with a Clock in its Walls  (2018)  PG  A young, recently orphaned boy named Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), in 1953, moves in with his magical uncle (Jack Black) in an old, creaky house. Their mission is to locate a clock that has the power to bring about the end of the world. I enjoyed this film though it does drag a little bit in the middle but it kicks back up to a beautiful finish. This is similar to the movie Goosebumps but not quite as funny. I did enjoy the performance of Cate Blanchett, who plays a witch who lives next door and has lost her ability to do magic. I will warn you that there are quite a few scary bits in the film and small kids might get scared. I loved the special effects all the different creatures in the movie, especially a Griffith made out of shrubs that have come to life.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The House with Clocks on its Wall Website

Indiefest:  Life Itself  (2018)  R  The film centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) who go from a college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child. The New York couple go on a journey that spans generations, but these generations are all connected by a single event. You know I didn’t like the film, when I looked at my watch, think we would be about an hour in and the movie has only been going on for 30 minutes. The film is predictable and has some of the worst pacing I have ever seen. This is a Dan Fogelman ((This is Us) film, so you know that the film will move around to different timelines, all somehow connected, and that there will be some critical deaths. Fans of This Is Us are going to be disappointed in this film that moves at a snail's pace and has an ending you can see coming from about halfway through the pictures.   My Rating: Cable   Life Itself Website

Indiefest:  Fahrenheit 11/9  (2018)  R  Documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore on the 2016 United States presidential election and the presidency of Donald Trump. This is a typical Roger Moore documentary. As usual, Moore puts in some funny stuff, but I didn’t like the message that he chose to end the film with. I give away too much but let's just say Moore doesn't have much hope for America. That’s too bad because in the middle of the film there is hope with the Parkland High School teens speaking up and a number of women that are running for office. Moor tries to cover too much in this film including the Flint water problem. If you are a supporter of the President or Hillary Clinton, you might want to skip this film.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Fahrenheit 11/9 Website

Indiefest:  Love, Gilda  (2018)  Documentary on the late, beloved comedienne Gilda Radner. You will fall in love with Gilda Radner all over again, and if you don’t know the talented Radner who was taken from us much too soon, you will want to see her appearances on Saturday Night Live as one of the original cast members. The film looks at Radner with a loving eye but isn’t afraid of showing her faults also. The film is mostly told through Radner’s voice in audio that was just recently discovered and she recorded right before she died. Radner, though taken much too soon, had a wonderful life giving us her unique brand of comedy and the film lets us experience her wit once again.   My Rating: Full Price   Love, Gilda Website

Indiefest: Five Fingers for Marseilles  (2018)  Twenty years ago, the Lion of Marseilles (Vuyo Dabula) and his ‘Five Fingers’ gang fought brutal police opposition. After fleeing, The Lion is now returning to his South African town, which is under a new threat. Not all will welcome The Lion because many see his fleeing as an act of cowardice. I love westerns, and this is a modern day western set in Africa. This film has some classic western undertones; you have the stranger (the Lion) who comes back after to his town because there is a new threat, he is a man alone, against all odds because the town won’t rally around him, and an act of redemption for what he did in the past. There is a little bit of The Searchers in this film, as well as High Noon and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I enjoyed the performance of Vuyo Dabula, the man that comes back to his town to correct old sins. If you like westerns, I think you will love this Five Fingers for Marseilles.   My Rating: Full Price    Five Fingers for Marseilles Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Beyond Rangoon  (1995)  Laura (Patricia Arquette) is trying to recover from her husband and child being murdered and travels to Burma with her sister (Frances McDormand). Laura falls in love with the Burmese people and decides to help them overthrow a ruthless dictator. Arquette is the reason to watch this film as she is spectacular is the determined and compassionate Laura. Arquette gives one of her better performances and is a force to watch:  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Beyond Rangoon Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The House With a Clock in its Wall: Griffith Tamer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Old Man & the Gun  (2018) PG-13  Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who escaped from San Quentin and then went on a spree of robberies. The stellar cast includes Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, and Danny Glover.   The Old Man & the Gun Info

Until Next Time!