The Huntsman: Winter's War

My View:  The Huntsman: Winter’s War  (2016)   PG-13   As two rival Queens and sisters, Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and Freya (Emily Blunt), expand their empires, two warriors, Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain), try to keep their forbidden love alive. After seeing this film, all the critics sitting next to me said “Well, it was better than the first one.” And, while it’s true, that isn’t much of an endorsement. At least this film didn’t try to convince us that Kristen Stewart is more beautiful than Charlize Theron.  While there were things that I did like, especially the fun banter between Eric and Sara, I thought that most of the action sequences were badly done, utilizing quick cuts and jumpy camera work, to mask the fact that Hemsworth and Chastain don’t do action sequences well.  Halfway through this film I really wanted Emily Blunt to play Chastain’s part because we know she can do action films extremely well.  Any film with Blunt, Theron and Chastain can’t be all bad, and this film isn’t horrible, in fact, the middle section of the film is quite good. Unfortunately, the first and last portions of the film don’t work.  Even with that, “it was better than the first one.”      My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Huntsman: Winter's War Website

Indiefest:  Elvis & Nixon  (2016)  R   Elvis, the “King,” (Michael Shannon) decides that he needs a Federal Agent at Large badge.  He travels to Washington D.C. in 1970 to get one and meets President Nixon (Kevin Spacey) along the way. This film is as wacky and crazy as that meeting surely was. It’s interesting that Shannon doesn’t do a full-on portrayal of Elvis.  While he does Elvis’s mannerisms, he doesn’t attempt to do the voice. Spacey, on the other hand, goes all out in his impersonation of Nixon, voice and all. This is a fun film to watch and Shannon, as usual, dominates every scene (which is hard when you have Kevin Spacey playing a dead=on Nixon). The film is touching, and, at times sad, but mostly, it’s a blast to watch.    My Rating: Full Price   Elvis & Nixon Website

Indiefest:  Miles Ahead  (2016)  R   Legendary jazz musician Miles Davis (Don Cheadle) hasn’t been heard from in the five years. Wannabe Rolling Stone reporter Dave Brill (Ewan McGregor) connives his way into Miles’ apartment and his life. As Davis and Brill talk, Miles flashes back to his meeting and falling in love with his first wife, Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi). Don Cheadle is amazing in this film, giving a performance that is worthy of an Academy Award.  Unfortunately, he is let down by his own script (co-written by Steven Baigelman), as the film is part bio-pic and part buddy adventure film. I would have loved to see a more in-depth storyline, in particular on the early years as Davis was developing his sound.  Instead, we get a film that moves back and forth in time. The timeline in the 70s is this film’s weak point, as Davis and reporter Brill go off on a quest to get back a stolen item. Too often the humor in that part of the movie is forced and there is almost no chemistry between Cheadle and McGregor. This would have been a much better film if it had just been the rise and fall of the love of Davis and Taylor.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Miles Ahead Website

Indiefest:  Too Late  (2015)  Private investigator Mel Sampson (Academy Award nominee John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone,” “The Sessions”) is tasked with tracking down the whereabouts of a missing woman from his past. Too Late takes the spine of the classic private eye genre and tears it to pieces, weaving it back together into a tapestry of Southern California and the menagerie of eccentric personalities and lost souls who inhabit it. This is a highly inventive film that was shot in five 20 minute continuous segments. The storyline is fascinating, and it kept me guessing where it was going to go next. Hawkes, as a world-weary P.I., is brilliant and stunning. He is in almost every scene, and I just didn’t want the film to end. The film has an impressive supporting cast including Rider Strong, Joanna Cassidy, Dichen Lachman, Vail Bloom, Jeff Fahey and Robert Forster.  The film is being shown around the country in select theatres in 35mm, and it’s worth seeing in all its grainy glory.  My Rating:  Full Price   Too Late Info

Forgotten Film:  Blue Crush  (2002) Three young woman (Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriquez, and Sanoe Lake) struggle with their day jobs as maids in a hotel, as they prepare for a big surfing competition. This film will surprise you with its heart and its intelligent storyline. Of the three actresses, it’s Rodriquez that steals the movie, playing the tough Hispanic woman with dreams of surfing stardom. The surfing sequences are exciting, and the film moves at a quick pace.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Blue Crush Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Huntsman: Winter’s War:  Standby Contact Les Optician

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Papa Hemingway in Cuba  (2016)  In 1959 a young journalist (Giovanni Ribisi) travels to Cuba to meet his literary idol, the legendary Hemingway (Adrian Sparks). Any film about one of my favorite writers is a film that I want to see.   Papa Hemingway in Cuba

Until Next Time!

The Jungle Book

My View:  The Jungle Book  (2016) PG  Retelling of the classic tale of an orphan boy, Mowgli (Neel Sethi), raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther. This is not a film for younger children. The animals are too realistic and scary. I loved this film as it captured the magic of the first Disney film and made this classic story even better. There are still two memorable songs from the first film in this one: One sung by Bill Murray as Baloo and one sung by Christopher Walken as King Louie. Murray, as you would expect, steals the film as the lovable but slightly grumpy bear. Neel Sethi is captivating as the strong-willed Mowgli. The film follows the standard storyline but adds a few new things that make the film feel complete. The CGI is amazing, and the animals move fluidly, making the action sequences exciting and colorful. This is a breathtaking film that has humor and warmth and does not disappoint. The film was shot in 3-D and is worth seeing on as large a movie screen as you can find.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   The Jungle Book Website  

My View:  Criminal  (2016)  R  The memories and skills of a dead CIA agent are implanted into a career criminal, Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner), to complete a mission.  With a cast of Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones and Gal Gadot this should have been a better movie. Instead, it's a mess of a film, with so many plot holes that you just shake your head at. The film is extremely complicated and at some point in the movie I just gave up trying to figure it out. Costner isn’t the problem as he gives a winning performance. He is just let down by the script and the sloppy direction. My Rating: Cable    Criminal Website   

Forgotten Film:  Ladyhawk  (1985)  PG-13  In medieval France, a young pickpocket (Matthew Broderick) makes friends of a knight (Rutger Hauer) who has fallen under a curse. The knight was a hawk, who turns into a beautiful woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) each night just as the knight turns into a wolf. The two lovers have been cursed by an evil Bishop, whose men are hunting the knight and his lady. Can the thief find the cure and reunite the two lovers?  While not a great film, it is an enjoyable escapist film that is a blast to watch. Pfeiffer is the one to watch in this film, and she dominates every scene she is in.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Ladyhawke Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've only seen in Trailers but just looks like a bad idea): Alice Through the Looking Glass  (2016)  PG   Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Wonderland to save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).  I didn’t like the first film, so I don’t think I will like this one.  The film didn’t do well in the U.S. but did extremely well in Europe, so they made a sequel.   Alice Through the Looking Glass Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Jungle Book:  Animatics Sequencer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Elvis & Nixon  (2016)  R  The story behind one of the weirdest meetings ever held in the Oval Office. Elvis traveled to Washington D.C. on a mission to get a Federal Agent at Large badge. Along the way he met with President Nixon and a photograph was taken.  That photograph is the most requested photo in the National Archives.  Michael Shannon is Elvis, and Kevin Spacey is Nixon.   Elvis & Nixon Facebook Page

Until Next Time!

Demolition

My View:  Demolition  (2015)  R  Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal) has it all. He is a successful investment banker with a beautiful wife and a great home. It all goes away when his wife is killed in a car crash. Now he has to figure out how to put the pieces of his life back together. I have seen this movie twice and can’t totally put my finger on why this film doesn’t quite work. The cast, which includes Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, and Chris Cooper, is first rate and Watts stands out on screen as a single mom, Karen, who works for a snack machine company.  Gyllenhaal is stellar as the man who wants to figure out what to do with his life now that his wife is gone. Gyllenhaal has great chemistry with Judah Lewis, who plays Karen’s son, a troubled young man who Davis takes under his wing. The film never quite finds its footing, trying too hard at times to be profound and meaningful.  I enjoyed some of this movie, especially the scenes involving Judah Lewis but the film never found a way to make its point, if it ever had one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Demolition Website

My View:  Hardcore Henry  (2015) R  The film is a first person action film in which the audience is the main character.  Henry is a cyber-solider who is trying to rescue his wife from an evil warlord. Right off the bat, if you easily get motion sickness, this film isn’t for you but if you love or like first person video games, see this wild ride of a film. The main character is the camera, so it’s a first person point of view film. This is a movie that doesn’t really care about plot or character development, it just cares about action and this film is full of smash-mouth, in your face, pedal to the metal action sequences. There is one action sequence involving moving cars, trucks and motorcycles that I am still wondering how they shot it. Most of the film was shot with Go-Pro cameras mounted to stuntmen’s heads, so we see what the main character see’s. I had fun seeing this film, several times shouting out with the rest of the audience as the character jumps from one motorcycle to another. It’s not for everyone, but if you want to jump on, it’s one heck of a ride.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Hardcore Henry Website

Indiefest:  Everybody Wants Some!!  (2016)  R  It’s 1981 in a small Texas college town where most of the sports teams of the college suck, all but the baseball team. The team rules the campus and just about the whole town, living in two old houses off campus, where there are only two rules laid down by their coach; no girls upstairs and no alcohol. Needless to say that both rules will be broken within in a few hours of the house manager laying down the law. Into this environment walks freshman pitcher Jake (Blake Jenner), a likable but sometimes too smart for his own good 18-year old who must quickly find his place in this new world of booze, manliness and baseball.  Everybody Wants Some !! is a blast to watch, sort of a sequel to Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater’s 1993 classic film about a bunch of Texas high school students experiencing their last days of high school. While not the same characters as in “Dazed,” the baseball team does inhabit the same small town Texas world, just a little older but certainly not the wiser.  Linklater has created a film, which while a little shallow at times, is so much fun that you are willing to overlook it's few flaws. While a welcome addition to Dazed and Confused,this is a film that deserves its own place in the Linklater film repertoire. As with Dazed and Confused, which gets better with each viewing, you will want to revisit the baseball team from the small Texas college town for years to come.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Everybody Wants Some !! Website

Forgotten Film:  Serpico  (1973)  R  Serpico (Al Pacino) is a good cop who has never wavered in his duty. When he can no longer stand the rampant corruption in the police department, he blows the whistle on them. His life is now in danger, and it’s not from the bad guys. Pacino gives one of his better performances and the film perfectly captures the New York City of the early 70s. It’s a film that explores how hard it is to fight a system that in so entrenched in its corruption. Serpico is a film that hits hard, and it’s Pacino with director Sidney Lumet that delivers the heavy blow.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Serpico Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hardcore Henry:  Additional Voices

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Sing Street  (2016)  PG-13  A boy growing up in Dublin in the 1980’s stars a band to escape his broken family life.  This was one of the films that people kept talking about at the SXSW Film Festival. It looks like a film that I can get into.   Sing Street Website

Until Next Time!

Midnight Special

My View:  Midnight Special  (2016)  PG-13   A father (Michael Shannon) and son (Jaeden Lieberher) go on the run after the father finds out his son has special powers. When I watched this movie, I kept flashing back to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Firestarter,” with a little “E.T.” thrown in. Just how far will Roy go to protect his son and what kind of powers does Alton possess that would make both a cult-like religious group and the government want him so badly? It is to the credit of Nichols’ writing and Shannon’s acting ability that we get this feeling from the start of the film, and there is never a time in the movie where Shannon’s character has to explain fully how deeply he cares for his son. Nichols lets Roy show how much he loves his son through his actions rather than his words. I was a little disappointed in the ending, and without giving anything away, I would have liked the ending to come just a little sooner than it did. I feel the ending would have been more impactful and moving if Nichols would have left some things to the imagination. However, the ending doesn’t take away from the idea this is an exquisite movie that touches you immensely. “Midnight Special” is a film that places the love of a father for his son above everything else.        My Rating: Full Price   Midnight Special Website

Indiefest:  I Saw the Light  (2016)  R   The story of the country-western superstar singer Hank Williams (Tom Hiddleston), whose short life is the stuff of legends.  This is another one of those films where the performances outweigh the script. Hiddleston gives a moving and intense performance of the troubled singer who never met a woman he didn’t want to sleep with and beer he didn’t want to drink. Hiddleston sounds and looks like Williams, especially in the scenes where he is on-stage. Elizabeth Olsen plays Hank’s wife, Audrey, a woman whose drive, ambition and spunk do not match her level of talent in the singing department. But the movie doesn’t give us much explanation behind why Williams is such a tormented soul other than he has a bad back. I also would have loved to have more of a back story of Hank and Audrey, but when the film starts they are already together.  We also never really get the impact that Williams and his songs had on the music world. The film feels much longer than the 2-hour running time.  Maybe, someday, we will get a movie that is worthy of Hank Williams music and talent, unfortunately, this isn’t the one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   I Saw the Light Website

Indiefest:  My Golden Days  (2015)  R   Paul (Mathieu Amalric) is about to leave Tajikistan while he reflects on his adolescent years and the girl who got away.  This is a love story about two tortured souls who are attracted to each other, even though both know they are wrong for each other. Paul starts out as the pursuer of the unattainable girl, Esther (Lou Roy-Lecollinet). Soon, Paul has gotten the girl, but it’s a love/hate relationship that goes hot and cold at a moment’s notice.  The first 1/3 of the film is not about Paul and Esther but centers around Paul’s earlier unhappy home life and an adventure that Paul takes to aid a Jew in Russia. The last two-thirds of the film are about Paul and Esther, and the focus of the movie shifts from them to a 16-year-old girl who goes from being a confident young woman to someone who feels their whole world revolves around someone else. Amalric and Roy-Lecollinet are magical together, and their scenes can be fun, sad and tormenting all in a matter of minutes.  While I did not enjoy the ending, it is probably the only way to wrap up this love story of two people who will never be happy.      My Rating: Full Price   My Golden Days Website

Forgotten Film: I Capture the Castle  (2003) R  This is a surprisingly marvelous film about a family in 1930’s England who moves into an ancient and dilapidated castle. Most of the family is made up of characters who are unique and charming in their own way. The film centers around the life and loves of Cassandra (Romola Garai), and Garai gives a performance that makes you root for her right from the start of the film. I also loved Bill Nighy as the father of the family who is a writer suffering from a bout of writer’s block.  You will love this family and their kooky ways.    My Rating: Full Price   I Capture the Castle Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've only seen in Trailers but just looks like a bad idea):  Angry Birds  (2016)  PG  “Find out why the birds are so angry” is the phrase they use in the promo copy. How about because they are in this stupid movie based on a simple game? How about a film based on Candy Crush or Farmville?   Angry Birds Website

Weird Credits:   From the credits of Midnight Special:  Pre-visualization Artist

Coming to a Theatre Near You:  Elvis & Nixon (2016)  R   The meeting that still makes people wonder what the heck that was about. The casting is what is going to make this film a must see; Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Hanks.    Elvis & Nixon Info

Until Next Time!

  

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

My View: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)  PG-13   The Gotham City-based Batman (Ben Affleck) travels to Metropolis to take on Superman (Henry Cavil), whom he feels has become an endangerment to humans. Little do the two superheroes know another person in Metropolis is plotting their deaths, the mysterious Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).  What a big mess of a film. I had no clue what was going on in the first hour of this movie. We didn’t get any backstory on Lex Luthor, so we have no idea why he hates Superman, and I guess Batman too. Batman has a dream sequence that I don’t know what the heck it was about. The film wastes great talent, like Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane, who is used as Superman’s rescue (multiple times). Holly Hunter plays a senator who is questioning if Superman is a good guy or a bad guy, but that never goes anywhere.  The brilliant Diane Lane is wasted as Superman’s adopted mom, Martha, who also is just in the movie to be rescued. Cavil as Superman does a lot of posing in his suit but gives out very few lines. Affleck as Batman is given a bit more to do, but the feud between Superman and Batman is just stupid, and their big fight just sort of peters out. The only saving thing about this film is Wonder Woman, played excellently by Gal Gadot. Gadot give’s life and energy to the movie’s big finish and makes me want to see a Wonder Woman movie. Gadot also looks like the only one in this film who is having a good time, and she looks the part of the warrior princess. This is a very dark film with daddy issues and death hanging all over it. It’s a film that never has any fun, which makes this film feel much longer than its 158 run time.   My Rating: Cable   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Website

My View:  My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2  (2016) PG-13   Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have been married for a while and have a daughter (Elena Kampouris) who is about to go off to college. A family member is about to be married in even a bigger Greek wedding, and family secrets are about to come out.  I liked the first Big Fat Greek Wedding, mostly due to the great chemistry between Vardalos and Corbett, and the fact that Vardalos’ character was adorable. What I didn’t like about the first film was her family and how stereotypical they were portrayed. It’s hard to get lightning to strike twice, and this sequel is a big disappointment, mostly due to the film centering around Toula’s family and not about Toula and Ian. The jokes aren’t funny, some of the scenes with the family are insulting (especially to women), and Ian/Toula’s relationship takes a backseat to her parents’ impending wedding plans (her parents find out that they aren’t married). The film just doesn’t have the wit or charm that the first film had. So skip this film and go back and watch the first movie instead.    My Rating:  Cable   My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Website

My View:  Eye in the Sky  (2016)  R  Colonel Powell (Helen Mirren) is leading a secret drone mission to capture a terrorist group living in a building in Kenya. 2nd Lieutenant Steve Watts (Arron Paul)is given the task of flying the drone.  Things change when they find out that one of the world’s most deadly terrorists is in the building with bombs that could do massive damage.  This is an intriguing film about modern warfare and how we are now fighting our battles via long distance. Mirren is compelling as the Colonel pushing for the air strike, and Paul is riveting as the drone pilot who has to carry out the mission. The film brings us some intriguing questions about how far should we go to fight terrorism around the world.  It’s a topic that you will be discussing long after you see this film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Eye in the Sky Website

Indiefest:  Remember  (2016)  R  With the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor (Martin Landau), Zev (Christopher Plummer) goes on a cross-country trip to track down an Auschwitz prison commander who is living in the U.S. The only problem is that Zev has early symptoms of dementia. This is a fascinating film that takes a number of twists and turns, some of which will shock you. Plummer gives another in a long line of excellent performances. His Zev is going to break your heart as he struggles with his dementia while trying to fulfill his promise to a dying man. I was totally engrossed in this film and rooted for Zev to find his man. I highly recommend this moving and touching film.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Remember Website

Indiefest:  Krisha  (2015)  R  Krisha (Krisha Fairchild) is returning home for Thanksgiving after being away for ten years.  Not everyone will be glad that she has returned, as the past will likely be revisited.  This is a very moving but uncomfortable film to watch about a “black sheep” of the family, Krisha, returning home to cause mayhem and trouble, sometimes unintentional and other times just because she can. We don’t like Krisha from almost the first frame of the film, and that’s the beauty of this movie. Her character causes us, the viewer, almost as much pain as she inflicts on her family members, including the son she hasn’t seen in ten years. It’s a masterful performance by Fairchild, and she dominates almost every frame she’s in. This is a film you will want to see, but you will be glad in the end that Krisha isn’t a part of your family.   My Rating:  Full Price   Krisha Website

Indiefest: City of Gold  (2016)  R  Jonathan Gold is one of the world’s most influential food critics, writing for the Los Angeles Times. He is leading a food revolution that is inspired by the pen but driven by the palate.  I loved this film, and if you are even close to being a foodie, you will want to see this funny and informative film about an interesting critic who just happens to love L.A. and its vast food scene. Gold is a former music critic turned into a food critic, but instead of visiting the latest French hotspot, he visits strip malls looking for interesting takes on mom and pop restaurants, mostly run by recent immigrants who bring their native cuisine to be discovered by Gold. One of the great scenes in the film is where Gold is driving around L.A. in his pickup truck, talking about all the restaurants that he is driving by, giving us a crash course in what foods they serve and how good they are. This film will make you want to explore your city and, like Gold, find small, family-owned restaurants that serve unique and tasty food.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   City of Gold Website

Forgotten Film:  Departures (2009)  Daigo (Mashiro Motoki) is a cellist in an orchestra that is about to go under. To make a living, he sells his cello and moves with his wife (Ryoko Hirosue) back to his childhood home. He applies to work at what he thinks is a travel agency.  When he is hired, he realizes that the job is actually for a “Nokanshi,” a person who prepares the deceased body for burial with the family and friends of the dead person in attendance. This is a poignant and impressive film about life, death, and the human condition. While it sounds like it might be a depressing film, Departures is actually a joy to watch and has some quite funny moments. Motoki is sensational as a man who learns he is more than just a musician, he is a human being who has a talent for helping people say good-bye to their loved ones. This little-seen film won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Departures Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Witness Camera Operator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2016)  Do we need another Pirates movie? Does Johnny really need the money? And why is Paul McCartney part of the cast?   Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Info  

Until Next Time!

Miracles from Heaven

My View:  Miracles from Heaven  (2016)  PG  Set in a small Texas town, a 12-year old girl named, Anna (Kylie Rogers), gets sick, and only her determined mother (Jennifer Garner) believes that she is more ill than any doctor thinks.  Finally, the mother find a doctor who determines Anna has a pseudo-obstruction motility disorder, which means Anna will never live a normal life and may die soon. It will take a miracle to save her.  Jennifer Garner gives a strong performance as the mom who is determined to find out what is happening to her daughter and if there is a cure. We can see the worry on her face and the kindness in her actions as Garner portrays a woman whose faith is challenged by her daughter’s illness. Rogers, as the sick Anna, doesn’t have to do much but look sickly. If you are someone who likes faith-based films, then you will enjoy this movie. If your idea of a perfect Sunday is brunch rather than church, you might want to skip this film as its message of faith and belief in God’s hearings is a little strong, in my opinion.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Miracles from Heaven Website

Indiefest:  Hello, My Name is Doris  (2015)  R  Doris (Sally Field) is an ordinary office worker in her sixties. She is set in her ways, living in the house where she grew up and wearing the same style clothes she wore in the 70s. Her life changes when a new manager (Max Greenfield) takes over and takes an interest in Doris. The reason to see this film is Sally Field, as I can only think of Meryl Streep as the only other actress who could play this role as well as Field.  Field makes us instantly like Doris, even though she is a little strange and very delusional that she has any chance for romance with the new manager. Field plays Doris with conviction and never makes us feel sorry for her. Instead, we admire her tenacity and her ability to trying new things. It’s an honest performance that makes this film work as well as it does.   My Rating: Full Price   Hello, My Name is Doris Website

Indiefest:  The Bronze  (2015)  R  A foul-mouthed former gymnast, Hope (Melissa Rauch), has made a living on the fact that she won an Olympic bronze medal. Now she is asked to put her ego aside and help mentor a new up-and-coming star. I wanted to love this film, but I just like it. Melissa Rauch is very different than her spunky role on “Big Bang Theory.”  In this film, she is a surly, entitled jerk who treats everyone in her small town, including her father, like they are beneath her. While I enjoyed Rauch’s performance, the script comes up a bit short in making the film well rounded. Too often the characters in the film are one-sided and easy to predict. I did enjoy the performance of Thomas Middleditch, who plays the owner of the local gym who sees potential in Hope, believing that she will overcome herself and become a decent person. The film is funny at times, but the script lets down the performers, not giving them fully formed characters they can work with.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee     The Bronze Website

Forgotten Film: The Namesake  (2006)   PG-13  This is brilliant film about an Indian family living in New York. Ashram (Tabut) and Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) have an arraigned marriage and they move to New York from Calcutta.  The have two children, which is Gogol (Kal Penn) and a daughter named Sonia (Sahria Nair), who grow up American but still living under their parents Indian ways. When Gogol gets a white girlfriend, things really get interesting. This is a wonderful story of parents who while stuck in their traditional ways, want more for their children, for them to fulfill their dreams of their own.    My Rating: Full Price     The Namesake Info  

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Mother’s Day  (2016)  PG-13  If you liked the Gary Marshall movies New Year’s Eve  (2011) and Valentine’s Day (2010), you probably will like this one.  For the rest of us, I think we will just send flowers or maybe make a phone call, rather than see this film.   Mother's Day info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Bronze:  Swing Gang

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Hardcore Henry  (2016)  R  The talk of SXSW Film Festival is a first person action film where you the viewer are the hero of the story. The camera shows your perspective as Henry attempts to save his wife from an evil mastermind. Critics are still trying to figure out how they filmed it   Hardcore Henry Website

Until Next Time!

10 Cloverfield Lane

My View:  10 Cloverfield Lane  (2016)  PG-13   After surviving a car accident, a young woman, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up in an underground cellar. She was rescued by a man, Howard (John Goodman) who claims that a worldwide chemical attack has left the Earth’s surface uninhabitable. I enjoyed this suspenseful film that slowly builds the tension as we learn, along with Michelle bits and pieces of information that may mean things aren’t what Howard told us had happened. There are plenty of twists and turns in the film that will keep you guessing until the very end. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is superb as the headstrong woman who keeps questioning what is going on in the outside world. John Goodman gives a smart and multilayered performance as the good Samaritan that may or may not be holding on to a secret. The film is brilliantly written, and I loved the ending to the movie. Think of this film as more of a Hitchcock type genre film then your more typical Sci-Fi movie.    My Rating: Full Price   10 Cloverfield Lane Website

Indiefest:  Knight of Cups  (2016)  R  A writer (Christian Bale) travels around L.A. and Vegas in a search for love. Let me say right off the bat that I am not a fan of Terrence Malick. I just don’t get his films, and this one is not the exception. Don’t get me wrong, his films are always interesting to look at and beautifully shot (cinematography on this film was done by three-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki). I just don’t know what the point of this movie is, other than rich people like houses with lots of windows and they like to swim with their clothes on. Until I read the IMDB synopsis, I only knew that Christian Bale’s character worked in Hollywood, but I had no idea he was a scriptwriter (we never see him work). Bale’s character likes to meet beautiful women, sleep with them and then break up with them (after swimming with them at some point). There isn’t any dialogue spoken by the characters on screen; the whole film is done in voiceover, once again making it hard to figure out what’s being talked about. The film felt like it was a two-hour ad for some sort of perfume or cologne, so much so, I kept waiting for Julia Roberts to show up or for Johnny Depp to bury some jewelry in the desert while wearing lots of eye makeup. If you enjoyed Mallick’s Tree of Life, you might like this one, but for everyone else, I would skip it.  That is unless you like watching pretty people playing for hours on the beach.  My Rating: Cable   Knight of Cups Website

Indiefest:  Only Yesterday (1991)  PG  Taeko is a 27-year old office worker who travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo. This is a reissue of the Studio Ghibli classic animated film in celebration of its 25th anniversary. The film, directed by Isao Takahata, was never released in North America until now. The film is a beautiful and touching tale of a young woman who visits relatives and friends in the country as she thinks about her life as a schoolgirl. As she works happily out in the fields with her relatives, she remembers incidents in her childhood that made her the woman she is today. While all this is going on, she strikes up a friendship with a young local farmer. As they traipse around the countryside, discussing their hopes and dreams, their attraction goes stronger. This is an animated film for adults, and it is as good as any modern day romantic film. The film treats its main subject with a loving respect that gives us insight into a woman who is still trying to understand and discover just who she is and how she fits in this world. The love story between the farmer and the girl is brought along slowly, as you see their relationship building naturally throughout the film. I loved this movie, a timeless classic that is as enjoyable today as it was 25 years ago.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Only Yesterday Website

Forgotten Film:  Dark City  (1998)  R  John (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a strange hotel room with no memory. He gets a phone call from a Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) that a group of beings known as The Strangers are about to capture him. John escapes only to be in a world that he doesn’t understand, and he only knows he must try and stop The Strangers from taking over the city. Much in the genre of Blade Runner, Dark City is part Sci-Fi, part film noir with a few horror undertones. John must make his way in a very dark and dangerous world that seems to be threatening his existence at almost every turn. The film takes a detective story and makes it its own, keeping you guessing until the end. It’s a film that you will want to watch multiple times to understand exactly what transpires (and even then you might still not get everything).   My Rating: Full Price   Dark City Info 

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   God’s Not Dead 2 (2016)  PG  Didn’t we prove this already in the first film? The film is something about a high school teacher discussing Jesus in class and getting sent to the principal’s office.   God's Not Dead 2 Website   

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Knight of Cups:  Source: Harinezumi Camera Footage

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Miles Ahead  (2016)  R   Don Cheadle stars, writes and directs this film about the legendary jazz pioneer Miles Davis. Davis created jazz music that was groundbreaking but was also one of the weirdest cats out there, so this movie should be fascinating.  Miles Ahead Facebook Page

Until Next Time!