Peppermint

My View:  Peppermint  (2018)  R  A young mother (Jennifer Garner) is hellbent on getting revenge on her enemies who stole her life from her. Her husband and daughter are killed by a drive-by shooting and are let go on a technicality. I liked this film, and I really don’t know why. Maybe it’s me wanting to relive Garner’s Alias TV past, but I thought she did a great job The story is little unbelievable but think a female John Wick. Like John Wick, this film is very violent and there is a lot of blood shed. This won’t be for everybody, and I am guessing that not many film critics will like it, but I did.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Peppermint Website

Indiefest:  The Wife  (2017)  R  A woman (Glenn Close) questions her life choices and what she gave up when she became the wife of a famous author (Max Irons), who is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Glenn Close gives a fantastic performance in this film, but I was often bored with the very predictable storyline. There isn’t a happy person in this film, and the movie makes sure that you know that. It’s an unhappy film about miserable people who feed off of each other’s misery. The film is made worst by really gross flashbacks as we see how she met her husband, who was her professor who hit on her. Close may get an Academy Award nomination for her performance but this film won’t.  My Rating: Cable   The Wife Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Adrift  (2018)  PG-13  A young couple, Tami (Shailene Woodley) and Richard (Sam Clafin)  who are avid sailors, head out on a small boat for the ride of a lifetime. What they don’t know is that they are about to head directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history  Part romantic movie and part survival film, Adrift successfully melds the two together, mostly due to Woodley and Clafin. The movie moves back and forth, between their courtship in Tahiti, and the storm and its aftermath. Woodley and Clafin have spectacular chemistry and their characters falling in love seems real and beautiful. Woodley has to do the heavy lifting for the wake of the storm, and as usual, Woodley is masterful in her performance. Shot in Tahiti and New Zealand, the landscapes are spectacular, and the storm sequence is riveting. There are some nice twists and turns along the way, and the film moves at a quick pace. You are going to enjoy this film, going on an adventure of a lifetime with Tami and Richard.   My Rating: Full Price   Adrift Website

Forgotten Film:  The Brave Little Toaster (1990) Five household electric appliances have been waiting for 2000 days for ‘The Master,’ a thirteen-year-old boy, to return.  They decide to go to the big city to find their friend. The film feels like a classic Disney film which holds up well in repeated viewings. This is a film that both adults and kids will enjoy and should be a staple in your animation collection.  My Rating: Full Price   The Brave Little Toaster Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Peppermint: Biscuit technician 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  First Man (2018)  PG-13  A look at the life of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. The film is directed by Damien Chazelle, who directed Whiplash (2014) and La La Land (2016).   First Man Website

Until Next Time!

The Meg

My View:  The Meg  (2018) PG-13  Jonas (Jason Statham) must protect his ex-wife and fellow workers from a 70-foot shark while in a sunken submersible. I wish I could say that this was at least a fun movie to watch but it really isn’t. The biggest problem with this film is Jason Statham, who continually mugs for the camera, letting us know that he, the actor knows this is a stupid movie. The film is made for the Chinese audience. The lead actress is Chinese, the film takes place off the coast of China, about a fourth of the dialogue is in Mandarin, and even the controls of the subs are written in both English and Mandarin. The special effects are dull, and at times the giant shark seems like almost a cartoon character. The movie feels as long as it’s nearly 2 hours length and takes forever to get started. A fellow critic almost walked out of the film because it was so poorly done. That says a lot because this critic has watched his fair share of Adam Sandler films and never felt like walking out on them.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Meg Website

My View:  Dog Days  (2018)  PG  A group of interconnected people in Los Angeles are brought together by the dogs that fill their lives with love and hope. This very bland movie has a few cute dogs in it, but that’s about it. The film is made up of a bunch of stories about people and their dogs. A morning TV hosts (Nina Dobrev) gets a new on-air partner, and their dogs get along better than they do. A husband (Rob Corddry) and wife (Eva Longoria) adopt a young girl who seems unhappy until a dog enters their life. All the stories are dull and lifeless, and worse yet, highly predictable. Go walk your own dog around the block rather than going to the theatre to see this film.   My Rating:  Cable   Dog Days Website

My View:  BlacKkKlansman  (2018)  R  Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American police officer in Colorado Springs. With the help of a white police (Adam Driver), Ron infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan, becoming a confidant of the Imperial Wizard himself, David Duke (Topher Grace) and eventually becoming the leader of the local pack. A young woman (Vanessa Hudgens) starts volunteering at a rescue center when she finds a dog wandering on its own on the street. This is one of the best films of the year and probably director Spike Lee’s most mainstream movie he has made. The amazing thing about this film is that almost everything that happens in the film actually happened to Ron Stallworth. I loved the performance of John David Washington, and he and Adam Driver have fantastic chemistry that makes this film a joy to watch. Do yourself a favor and go see this brilliant gem of a movie.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    BlacKkKlansman Website

My View:  Slender Man  (2018)  PG-13  Teens are disappearing across the United States at an alarming rate. Could it be to the legend of Slender Man, a tall, thin, horrifying figure with long arms and a featureless face? If you are looking for a scary film, this isn’t it. The film fails to be scary and takes forever to get going in the plot. Director Sylvain White gets too cute with the camera movements and angles which don’t contribute anything to the feel and the look of the film. I am always up for a good horror film, but this isn’t one of those, it’s just dull.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Slender Man Facebook Page

Indiefest: Three Identical Strangers  (2018)  PG-13  This documentary showcases the story in 1980 New York, three 19-year-old men meet accidentally and discover that they are brothers. This incredible story is so fascinating to watch. Just when you think that nothing else could be revealed in the story, another twist in the story suddenly shows up, and some of the mysteries in the story may never get solved. Go see this fantastic film about a story that just seems so strange that if it were to be made into a fictional work, no one would believe it.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Three Identical Strangers Website

Forgotten Film:  Body Heat  1981)  R  In the midst of a Florida heat wave, a woman (Kathleen Turner) persuades her lover, Ned (William Hurt), a small town lawyer (William Hurt) to kill her wealthy husband (Richard Crenna). Turner is dazzling in the role of the seductress, a woman who is so sexy you believe that Hurt’s character would do anything to please his lover. The film is filled with exciting, fully fleshed out characters such as the one that Ted Danson plays brilliantly, the best friend to Ned, who also happens to be the D.A. in the small town and fMickey Rourke, as an arsonist and client of Ned’s. Body Heat is reminiscent of the old film noir pictures of the 40s and 50s with a slightly modern touch. The film has one of the greatest first kiss scenes of any movie.    My Rating: Full Price   Body Heat Info

Weird Credits: For the credits of The Meg:  Pre-visualization Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Wife (2017) R  A woman (Glenn Close) questions her life choices and what she gave up when she became the wife of a famous author (Max Irons), who is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. I hear from other critics that Close is a shoe in for an Academy Award nomination for this role.    The Wife Website

Until  Next Time!