Irresistible

My View: Irresistible (2020) R  Gary (Steve Carell) is a Democratic strategist who was responsible for the Hillary Clinton campaign loss to Donald Trump. He discovers a retired veteran named Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) and persuades him to run for mayor in his small, conservative Midwest town. Things look good until Gary's political rival, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), rolls into town, and democracy in this tiny town will never be the same. I was disappointed in this film as it goes too many times for the cheap laugh. I knew we were in trouble when early on, Steve Carell’s character leaves a press conference to go move the cows in the background into a better photo opportunity. I think the film missed its mark by going for an all-out comedy instead of going the satire route, which would have made the storyline work. Instead, the film never finds its footing and goes the easier route.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Irresistible Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: My Spy (2020) PG-13   A legendary CIA agent, JJ (Dave Bautista), has been demoted and is sent undercover to surveil a 9-year-old, Sophie (Chloe Coleman) and her family. Sophie is a tech genius, and she discovers where JJ's operation is set up. She blackmails him into letting her hang out with him and learn what it means to be a spy. While not a great film and I am not sure exactly what the target audience is as it has a strange PG-13 rating due to some language and violence, I still found myself enjoying the film. I think it is because Dave Bautista is so likable and is willing to have the movie make fun of himself. He has some nice chemistry with Chloe Coleman and also the adorable Kristen Schaal, who plays Bautista’s nerdy tech partner. My Spy is predictable, and you can see the ending from a mile away, but it’s still a fun ride.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    My Spy Website   Available on the Amazon Prime website and in drive-ins around the country.

My View: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) PG-13  Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) have been dreaming since they were kids to representing Iceland in the world's biggest song competition, Eurovision. Their dream just might come true. Oh, how I wanted this film to be good, but it's not. Instead, it's long, the comedy is weak, and some of the songs are downright grating to watch. This is Ferrell’s movie as he co-wrote the film, inspired when he watched the real Eurovision contest with family and friends a few years ago. The problem is that Ferrell’s character is the weak link to the film, a (no pun intended) one-note character who is clueless about everything, including how silly he and his songs are. The film wastes the comedic talents of Rachel McAdams, who plays the lovestruck Sigrit. McAdams is used mostly to make Ferrell’s character look even stupider. Some of the songs are fun, and I will say there is a rousing song that takes place at a party where all the contestants sing a mash-up of several songs that is fun and enjoyable. I just wish that the film had captured that fun and enthusiasm throughout the storyline. Instead, we get a lot of bad songs and unfunny dialogue, like a horrible night at a karaoke bar.   My Rating: Cable   Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Indiefest: The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018)   In 1973, Peter Sellers was the biggest comedy actors of his time, and he embarked on a comedy for Columbia Pictures. Sellers, notoriously temperamental and difficult to work with, lost confidence in the film and got the producers of the film fired. This is a documentary about a movie, Ghosts in the Noonday Sun, that never should have been made because it was doomed almost from the start. Peter Medak, a young director, was coming off a hot film, The Ruling Class, that got star Peter O’Toole an Oscar nomination. Peter Sellers was an international star of the Pink Panther films, and Spike Milligan was a comic genius who, with Peter Sellers, had become famous in Britain on the radio show The Goon Show. They came together to film a movie about 17th-century pirates to be filmed almost totally on a fully functional sailing ship off the coast of Malta. The documentary tells the behind the scenes stories of a shoot that went from bad to worse, with Sellers acting up so much, he caused a movie crew mutiny, a shooting schedule that was wrecked by rotten weather, faulty equipment and a script that was being re-written as it was being shot. The film suffers a bit because the original director of Ghosts, Peter Medak, also shot the documentary, so the story is one-sided, with Medak making himself the forlorn hero. There are quite a few shots in the documentary where we see Medak actually directing the shooting, and there are some interviews that he does with friends that seem to be in there only so they can commiserate with his experiences on the Sellers film. Ghosts in the Noonday Sun was such a disaster, it was never released and seeing footage from the film, I can see why as the comedy looks forced and downright stupid. I got bored about 3/4 of the way through the film, and like Medak’s experience shooting Ghosts, I just wanted the experience to end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Ghost of Peter Sellers Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.    

Indiefest: Disclosure (2020)  Documentary that looks at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact those stories had not just on the American culture but the lives of transgender people. Watching this documentary was quite fascinating and made me go back and think about films/tv shows that I have watched with transgender characters in them. So often in our culture, a person that is depicted as trans is either the but of a joke or seen as a degenerate, often times a maniac or a disturbed person. Using interviews with trans contributors makes the film feel personal and impactful. Laverne Cox, a three-time Primetime Emmy nominated actress, is one of the main interviews in the documentary and is also the executive producer of the film. This is a critical and groundbreaking film that looks at a subject that has rarely been even talked about, much less explored. The film uses extensive clips from tv shows and moves giving the film quite an impact on what it is saying. I will tell you that some of the clips contain full-frontal nudity, so be warned. I think this documentary is an outstanding addition to the history of cinema and will be shown in film classes from now on.   My Rating: Full Price    Disclosure Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Familyfaire: One Small Step (2020)   A collection of family-friendly animated short films including the Academy Award-winning Bear Story. Every year I look forward to the release of the Oscar-nominated Animated Short films. It is always fun to see some of the world’s best animation up on the big screen. While not on the big screen, the company behind those releases have a new short film compilation, One Small Step, and it is a blast to watch. The incredible, inventive, and touching Bear Story is worth the price of the rental alone, but you get ten other incredible animated shorts to boot. Some are silly like Gopher Broke (think Looney Tunes), and others are a little bit sad like Borrowed Time, but all are worth watching. My favorite is One Small Step, a 2018 nominee for the Academy Award about a young girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. The film is beautifully told, and you will need a couple of tissues by the end of the short film. Do yourself a favor and rent this visit with animation from around the world. This is the first of a series of feature-length compilations of the best short films that will be released every two weeks and will be available to consumers in partnership with at least sixty independent theatres across the US and Asia.  My Rating: Full Price    One Small Step Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services. 

Forgotten Film: The Eagle Huntress (2016) G   Documentary that follows a 13-year-old Mongolian girl named Aisholpan, as she trains to be the first female eagle hunter. The cinematography of this film is striking and remarkable as time after time, we see scenes of ravishing beauty that at the same time are overwhelmingly isolated, as Aisholpan and her family seem to be the only people on that planet. The scenes of Aisholpan and her father traveling across snow-packed mountains and frozen streams are both beautiful and terrifying as you wonder if they will ever make it back alive to their home and family. The Eagle Huntress is a film filled with bravery, determination and the human spirit filled with confidence that nothing can stop someone who knows she will succeed. That Aisholpan succeeds is not the question, it’s how well this 13-year-old girl does might surprise you, and then again, once you get to know her, it just might meet your expectations for her.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     The Eagle Huntress Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Eurovision Song Contest: H O D Plasterer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Desert One (2019)   Documentary on the daring and failed mission in 1980 to rescue the 52 hostages being held in the American Embassy in Iran. The story up to now hasn’t been fully told, and legendary two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple brings us a documentary that will explore both sides to the story. I can’t wait to see this.      Desert One Info

Until Next Time!

7500

My View: 7500 (2019) R   A young pilot, Tobias (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is faced with a horrible situation, the passenger plane he is flying is being hijacked by terrorists. I immensely enjoyed this taut, suspenseful film that takes place entirely inside the cockpit of the airplane. Levitt gives a tour de force performance as the young pilot who has to make some tough and sometimes horrible decisions to keep his plane and passengers safe. He is on screen the whole movie, and he is up to the challenge, showing a multi-level performance making us care about him and wanting him to figure a way out. 7500 is a roller coaster of tension as Tobias deals with not only the terrorists but having to fly the plane as well. I highly recommend this film as it does a difficult job of making such a confined space into such a theatre of suspense.    My Rating: Full Price     7500 Website   The film is available on the Amazon website.

My View:  Miss Juneteenth (2020)   A former beauty queen and single mom, Turquoise (Nicole Beharie), who dreams that her daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), will win the ‘Miss Juneteenth’ scholarship pageant and go to college. I loved this story of a strong-willed mom who wants a better life for her daughter than the one that she is living. Beharie gives a powerful performance of a woman who keeps getting kicked down, but by sheer willpower is determined that her daughter will succeed where Turquoise failed. There is excellent chemistry between Bahaire and Alexis Chikaeze, and that makes the heart of the story work so well, as the love between mother and daughter shines throughout the film. I enjoyed the sense of pride and community, and how much the Juneteenth holiday meant to the town. The film captures the feel of a small, Texas town and how important local businesses, like the bar Turquoise works in, are, giving people a place to gather and get together. Miss Juneteenth is a warm, intimate look at a woman who wants a better life for her daughter. A mother that will do what she has to do, no matter the obstacle, for her daughter to succeed in life.   My Rating: Full Price    Miss Juneteenth Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services and in participating drive-in theatres.

Indiefest: My Darling Vivian (2020)   Documentary on Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash’s first wife and the mother of his four daughters. The film is narrated by Vivian’s four daughters, including Country superstar Rosanne Cash, which contains numerous behind-the-scenes home movies, giving the viewer an inside look into the life of the Cash family. The Cash daughters bring us the story of their mother, who was mostly forgotten by the fans and the industry after Johnny left Vivian for June Carter, a story we know well from the Oscar-winning 2005 film Walk the Line. We get to see how much Vivian influenced Johnny in both his music and his life, but fame and pills took Johnny away from Vivian, a strong woman who raised four children with almost no help from the ‘Man in Black.’ My Darling Vivian is a must-see for Cash fans, and yes, it might tarnish his image a bit, but it is Vivian’s time to be in the spotlight that she so deserves. My Rating: Full Price     My Darling Vivian Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Babyteeth (2019)   A seriously ill teenager named Milla (Eliza Scanlen) falls for a parent's worst nightmare, a small-time drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace). Milla’s new love gives her the freedom to find things to be joyous about and to take chances on life. Babyteeth isn’t an easy film to watch because Milla and her parents (Essie Davis, Ben Mendelsohn) don’t always make the right decision; in fact, most of the time, they make the wrong one. Including Moses, these are all incredibly flawed people, but that is the point of this film. That throughout all their mistakes and bad choices, they are a family that is dealing with Milla and her fight to live. Milla, through the help and love of Moses, learns to live her life on her terms and the world be damned. All four principle actors give outstanding performances, with Scanlen giving us a meaningful and heartfelt performance that dominates the film. Davis and Mendelsohn are fabulous as the parents who learn to cope with their problems through the love and intersection of their daughter. This isn’t your ordinary cancer kid film, and that is what makes it stand out: it shows how a family deals with life and all its pain and warts.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Babyteeth Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Runner (2019)   Documentary on Guor Marial, who at age eight fled war-torn Sudan to eventually seek safety in the US. He became a nationally known runner and qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Guor wanted to run for the newly formed South Sudan, but because it was not recognized by the Olympic Committee, he had to fight to run as an independent, not as a member of the Sudan team, taking a stand against its years of oppression. You are going to fall in love with Guor Marial (later Guor Marial Marker) has his unbelievable story is told on the screen. Guor had to literals run for his life (not once but several times) as he was sent by his mother and father out into the wilderness to escape the war that was raging in Sudan. I loved the animation the film uses to illustrate Guor’s life in Sudan, and the trials and tribulations that he had to endure to survive. It is a remarkable story of just how he got to America, but then it gets even better when coaches at his high school realize that he had a talent for running. That talent not only took him to college but also the Olympics. The film does an outstanding job of giving us all the insight and troubles that Guor had in his life, including a massive obstacle for him to get into the Olympics. It is a film that will have you cheering for the lone runner from South Sudan.   My Rating: Full Price    Runner Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Jack and Yaya (2019)   Jack and Yaya met when they were toddlers through their shared backyard fence. They spent their childhood together, and both supported each other as they both came out as transgender. The film follows the two for a year as they reunite after moving away from each other, exploring their unique relationship with the help of home videos and interviews with their friends and family. This sweet slice of life film explores the lives of two people, by happenstance, gives us an insight into the world of transgender people, their lives, loves, and how both they and their families dealt with the transition for becoming who they were meant to be. Because of the support system that both Jack and Yaya had, we see two people that have ended up being happy with the lives they created for themselves.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Jack & Yaya Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: Dressed to Kill (1980) R After visiting her psychiatrist (Michael Caine) and talking about her deepest fantasies, a woman (Angie Dickinson) is picked up by a mysterious man at an art museum, and they go back to his apartment to have sex. When the woman leaves, she is brutally killed by a tall blonde woman in an elevator. A high-class call girl (Nancy Allen) has witnessed the killing and now is the next target for the killer. For me, the film is worth watching for the first ten minutes of the film, as we follow Dickinson through her fantasy-filled day. Writer/director Brian DePalma (Carrie, The Untouchables) has always been an Alfred Hitchcock fan, and this is his tribute to the great master. The film is filled with some excellent performances, including Nancy Allen, Angie Dickinson (who’s sex scene was the talk of the town), and Dennis Franz as the investigating detective. The film lets us down a little with its ending, but Dressed to Kill is still an intense, fun thriller of a ride.    My Rating: Full Price   Dressed to Kill Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of 7500: Previz Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018)   In 1973, Peter Sellers was the biggest comedy actors of his time, and he embarked on a comedy for Columbia Pictures. Sellers, notoriously temperamental and difficult to work with, lost confidence in the film and got the producers of the film fired. Sellers then turned on his friend, Peter Medak, who was directing the film, and the scars left from this production are still there after all these years. I have a love/hate relationship with Peter Sellers and can’t wait to revisit this complex man.     The Ghost of Peter Sellers Website

Until Next Time!

The King of Staten Island

My View: The King of Staten Island (2020) R   Scott (Pete Davidson) spends his days getting high and watching cartoons, all the while dreaming of becoming a tattoo artist. His world was destroyed when his firefighter dad died, saving a family from a burning building. Now Scott’s world is rocked again when his mom (Marisa Tomei) begins dating Ray (Bill Burr), a firefighter himself, and Scott’s mom thinks it’s time for Scott to grow up. I enjoyed this film but boy I did not enjoy Scott as a character, and that is the point of the film. Scott is a self-centered 20 something man who feels more like he stopped growing up when his father died, stuck in a teenage mind. Scott lives off the kindness of his mom, played by the always brilliant Marisa Tomei, and seems to think that it is his God-given right to sponge off his mom. It takes a lot for Scott to change and to realize that maybe, just maybe he should grow up. The supporting cast does a great job, including Bel Powley as Scott’s on-again/off-again girlfriend, who somehow sees something in Scott that we can’t see at first and Bill Burr, as the firefighter who falls in love with Scott’s mom. The film is funny, and though the film feels a little long, it is an entertaining film about a guy that you might not like at first but just might root for in the end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    King of Staten Island Website      Available for rent on participating on-demand services

My View:  Artemis Fowl (2020) PG   Artemis Fowl II (Ferdia Shaw) is a 12-year-old who comes from a long line of criminal masterminds. Artemis is on a mission to find his father (Colin Farrell), who has mysteriously disappeared. Artemis is about to discover that the world is full of surprises, including elves, dwarves, and fairies. I would love to read the book to help me understand what the heck I watched. The film is one long setup for a sequel. Almost nothing happens in this film, and when it does, it is met with a yawn. The dialogue is horrible, weak, and insulting, the plot is just plain stupid, and the characters are so thinly created it seems as you can see through them. I am guessing Disney thought they had their Harry Porter series, but instead it created a movie that starts out with a whimper and goes downhill from there. Please don’t waste your time investing in watching this film as I doubt another movie in the series will be made.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again      Artemis Fowl Website    The film is available for viewing on the Disney Plus platform.

My View: Da 5 Bloods (2020) R   Four former African-American soldiers (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the gold fortune that they left behind. Spike Lee’s films are always an interesting experience, and this one has his handprints all over it. I just felt the 2 hour and 36-minute length as the film covers so many things that sometimes the main story gets lost in all the visuals that he puts on the screen. The film covers the effects of the Vietnam War both during the war and the scars of its aftereffects. Like a lot of Lee’s films, the movie breaks the third wall, as one of the character’s talks directly to the audience and Lee uses scenes from prominent Black people in history like Dr. Martin Luther King to make his point about the injustices that have been going on in this country since its beginning. I enjoyed some of the film, especially the action sequences, but the film was dragged down by too many ideas in too long of a film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Da 5 Bloods Website   The film is available for viewing on the Netflix platform.  

Indiefest: You Don’t Nomi (2019) Documentary on one of the legendary flops of all time, 1995s Showgirls. I had a little bit of a hard time with this film because I consider Showgirls one of the worst movies of all time and there are people, including two in this film (David Schmader, who did the DVD commentary on the film and Adam Nayman, who wrote the book ‘It Doesn’t Suck: Showgirls’) who feel that the film is a misunderstood movie that should be appreciated. The film does have quite a few insights on why and how the film was made. Showgirls was directed by Paul Verhoeven, who gave us Robocop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct and was written by Joe Eszterhas, who was paid a lot of money to craft the script after his hits, Basic Instinct and Sliver. A bit of warning, like Showgirls (which went for and got an NC-17 rating), there is a lot of nudity in this documentary. The film does a great job of setting up the scene of making the film, including the casting of Elizabeth Berkley, who up to the time of the film, was known for her role as Jessie on Saved By the Bell. The film was a huge bomb, and it ruined Berkley’s career, who was dropped by her agent weeks after the film was released. I would suggest that if you have interest in seeing this film, to watch Showgirls first, but I warn you, it isn’t a pretty sight.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      You Don't Nomi Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Arkansas (2020) R   Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) are low-level drug runners based in the South working for a man they have never met named Frog. The boys start pushing the boundaries of their job, and when a deal goes wrong, Frog is out for revenge. This isn’t your ordinary crime drama, but you would know that as soon as you saw John Malkovich’s name in the credits. The film feels like a mixture of Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, and a little bit of Blood Simple thrown in. To say that Kyle and Swin are in over their heads would be an understatement when things start going wrong for the two. The film is funny, full of very strange characters and filled with a plot that takes quite a few surprising twists and turns. This is one of those films where the film does a great job of giving us a background of some of the main characters and how they got where they are at. The cast is excellent, including Vince Vaughn, Vivica A. Fox, and Eden Brolin, in a very amusing role as the love interest of Clark Duke’s character. Have some fun, and enjoy your time in Arkansas with Kyle and Swin.   My Rating: Full Price    Arkansas Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services and in participating drive-in theatres.

Indiefest: Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl (2018)  Kate Nash, at age 18, rockets to fame, becoming an Internet sensation and then gets a big recording contract. However, life doesn’t always happen the way you think it does, and in this documentary is shows the struggle that Kate goes through when her label drops her and her luck goes from bad to worse. I will admit that before seeing this film, I didn’t know much about Kate Nash or her music, just that she is on the hit TV show GLOW, where she plays Rhonda Richardson, the British book nerd wrestler. After seeing this documentary, I am both a fan of Nash’s music and Kate Nash herself. The film gives us an up-close and personal look at a really tough time in Nash’s life, where everything seemed to go the wrong way for her. For fans of Nash and her music, there is plenty of concert footage, from both her early days and her more recent tours. Nash is a force of nature both on the stage and behind the scenes, and you will fall in love with Kate and her music.   My Rating: Full Price    Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl Facebook Page     Available for rent on participating on-demand services

Forgotten Film: The Stalking Moon (1968) G  A retired Army scout (Gregory Peck) takes in a woman (Eva Marie Saint) and her half-Apache son, not knowing that the boys father, a notorious renegade Apache is after them. I love westerns, but this is a western with a twist, it is also a suspense film. Peck is outstanding as the man who determined to protect the woman and her son with his life. The film builds to a great showdown and doesn’t disappoint.   My Rating: Full Price    The Stalking Moon Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Da 5 Bloods: Thai Art Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: My Darling Vivian (2020) Documentary on Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash’s first wife and the mother of his four daughters. This should be a blast to watch, and I can’t wait to see it.    My Darling Vivian Website

Until Next Time!

Spelling the Dream

My View: Spelling the Dream (2020)   An Indian-American has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the past 12 years. This documentary explores this trend, which is one of the longest in sports history, highlighting four students as they compete to win the tournament. You are going to fall in love with these kids, and how can you not. They are funny, sometimes a little quirky, and unbelievably smart. All the kids profiled have incredibly supportive families, where not just the parents help the kids study. Still, the whole family becomes involved with the preparation and work to get ready for this incredible feat. What I came away from this film is not only how wonderful these families are but how much the kids participating enjoy the challenge and some, the spotlight. Spelling the Dream is a feel-good film that is helped by interviews with comedian Hari Kondabolu and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Enjoy getting to know the kids and get ready to be on the edge of your seat, rooting for them when they start spelling words that you have never heard of.    My Rating: Full Price   Spelling the Dream Website    The film is currently available on Netflix.

Indiefest: Tommaso (2019)    An American, Tommaso (Willem Dafoe), living in Rome with his young European wife, Nikki (Cristina Chiriac), and their daughter, is preparing for his next film. Tommaso is haunted by his past mistakes, so much so that he begins to question his life and his sanity. I am a huge Willem Dafoe fan, and even in films that I don’t like (The Lighthouse), I always find his performances fascinating. Dafoe doesn’t disappoint as he is on screen the whole time, but I just wish I liked the film more. This is a film where a character is dealing with being sober for the past six years and has a young wife and daughter. Add to the pressure of planning/writing a movie and teaching, Dafoe’s character is being stretched thin, and he begins to experience things that are not part of reality. Tommaso is a film that you never know what you see is happening, or is it just a figment of his imagination, like drinking coffee in his regular hangout, but this time, the barista is naked. I never entirely connected with the movie or with Tommaso, who, for most of the film, isn’t a likable person, someone who can only see his point of view. It’s one of those films that after you see it, you feel exhausted both mentally and physically.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Tommaso Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Shirley (2020) R   Shirley (Elisabeth Moss) is a world-famous horror writer who is as well known for her writing as for her gloom and doom nature. Her writing of a new project is disturbed by the arrival of newlyweds Fred (Logan Lerman) and Rose (Odessa Young). This is a visit that the young couple will never forget. Moss is brilliant as the moody and troubled Shirley, a talented writer whose world revolves around her writing and her husband, played by the bombastic Michael Stuhlbarg, who, at first glance, loves her, but their relationship is far more complicated than we could first imagine. Moss dominates the screen in every scene she is in, though I was also impressed by how Odessa Young, as the headstrong but very young newlywed, holds her own on the screen with Moss. The film is complex, and we slowly, along with Rose, learn that Shirley isn’t the monster that she seems to be at first. The film has a bit of a mystery in it, as a young woman from campus has gone missing, and Shirley starts to write a novel based on what could be behind her disappearance. We never solve the mystery of the missing woman, nor do we ever fully understand the enigma of Shirley, but it’s a captivating and compelling ride nonetheless.   My Rating: Full Price    Shirley Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: And We Go Green (2019)   Documentary on the International Formula E circuit, the world’s fastest-growing Motorsport. The film follows the professional drivers on the circuit as they race for victory across ten major cities. I really enjoyed this film about a sport I knew very little about. The race cars look like formula one cars but are powered by electric motors. The film does a great job of showing us that the handling of the vehicles is very different from any other race car, without a combustible engine to listen to and a braking system that, just like your hybrid cars, uses those brakes to replenish the batteries. The film follows a group of drivers, giving us up close and personal insights to the drivers and their pasts. The racing is fast and furious, with great in-car shots and audio that gives you insight on just how challenging the races are. As I said, I didn't know much about this sport before, but I’m a fan now.   My Rating: Full Price     And We Go Green Website   The film is currently available on Hulu.

Forgotten Film: Stop Making Sense (1984)   One of the greatest rock concert documentaries ever! If you can’t have fun watching this film with The Talking Heads rock group giving one of the great performances of all time, then I don’t have any hope for you. The music is magical, David Byrne is mesmerizing as the lead vocalist, and the band is as tight as they come. This is one of those concert films that is so good, you don’t miss not seeing the performance live.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Stop Making Sense Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Shirley: Historical Magick Consultant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Babyteeth (2019)   A seriously ill teenager named Milla (Eliza Scanlen) falls for a parents worst nightmare, a small-time drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace). Milla’s new love gives her the freedom to find things to be joyous about and to take chances on life. I look forward to this film that cleaned up awards on the international film festival circuit.     Babyteeth Website

Until Next Time!

The High Note

My View: The High Note (2020) PG   Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a superstar singer who is resting on the popularity of her past hits. Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is Grace’s overworked and under-appreciated assistant. When Grace’s push for a new album is shot down by her manager (Ice Cube), Maggie pushes Grace to record songs on her own, but is Maggie overstepping her bounds? I used to not be a big fan of Dakota Johnson, but after her role in The Peanut Butter Falcon and this film, I am warming up to her. Johnson has a pleasant screen presence and is enjoyable as the lovable assistant who dreams of being a music producer. Tracee Ellis Ross plays the diva that is still a big star but thinks her days as a hitmaker are over. Ross is sizzling in the role, and boy, can she sing, making her performance the highlight of the film. The film is predictable, and the big reveal near the end is something that you will see from about a third of the film in. The film revolves around the love story between Maggie and a singer, played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr., she discovers at a grocery store. Maggie convinces the singer that he has the talent to make it, and she is just the producer who can make his dreams come true. Harrison, Jr. has a great singing voice, and I enjoyed several of his songs, but Ross gives us the reason to see this film, with a stage presence that makes us believe she is that legendary singer. While not a great movie, it's still a fun film to watch, and you might sing along with some of the classic songs that Maggie loves.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The High Note Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Vast of Night (2019) PG-13   Set in a small New Mexico town in the 1950s, a young switchboard operator, Fay (Sierra McCormick), and a local radio DJ, Everett (Jake Horowitz) discover a strange audio frequency that a caller claims has origins of a mysterious past. This isn’t your typical Sci-Fi film as it starts with credits like it is a 60s sci-fi television show. That open gives you a clue that this film will be pushing a few boundaries, but that makes the film feel very rich and exciting. The film starts with us following Everett, a quick talking young man who, as the local DJ, is the small-town celebrity. He encounters Fay, who wants to know how to work her new purchase, a portable tape recorder. Fay gets a mysterious phone call about the time she hears an unusual series of sounds coming from Everett’s radio broadcast, and the film takes off from there. Like the opening credits, this film feels like those old Sci-Fi TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, where there isn’t a bunch of significant action sequences, but the tension is built on what the characters experience and find out. There is some inventive camera work in the film, and the two leads are fascinating to watch on the screen. It’s a film that doesn’t need the action sequences to make you feel on the edge of your seat; it just needs a few key scenes and some knockout performances to do that.   My Rating: Full Price     The Vast of Night Info    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Funny Pains (2017)  Documentary featuring the life and times of comedian Wendi Starling, as she navigates the harsh world of a stand-up comic. The film gives us an up-close and personal look at the life of a comic struggling to make her mark. Starling isn’t afraid of discussing her life, whether on the stand-up stage or in her apartment talking to the camera. The film gives us a bunch of conversations that Starling and other comics, including Nikki Glaser, Jim Norton, and Bonnie McFarlane. The film never quite finds its footing, though I think there is a good film in there somewhere. Starling admits to having some problems, but the film never presses Starling into going in-depth into those personal problems, which was desperately needed to keep the movie from feeling so slight. I must admit that I didn’t ever truly enjoy Starling’s stand up routine, and we never see her with an audience that is eating up her material. The film feels flat, much like much of Starling’s material.   My Rating: Cable     Funny Pains Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: Olympic Dreams (2019) PG-13  In the Olympic Athlete Village, a young cross-country skier (Alexi Pappas) meets a volunteer dentist (Nick Kroll), and these two lonely people strike up a friendship as the world gets together to compete in the Olympic games. The film is a must for any fan of the Olympics as almost the whole film was shot in the actual Olympic Village during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. That being said, the film fails to completely overcome the novelty of shooting everything on the site. I liked the initial chemistry between the two, but as the film develops, I just never saw the sparks we needed for us to believe the couple was falling-in-love. The film can’t shake the feeling that most of the scenes are improved, making it seem more like a selection of skits than a fleshed-out film. I did like Alexi Pappas, who, as a former 10K Olympic runner, brings a bit of realism to her role. I wish that the film had a little more substance to it, but still, it is fun to go behind the scenes of the world’s biggest athletic event.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Olympic Dreams Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Banana Split (2018) R   Over the summer, right before everyone is about to take off for college, April (Hannah Marks) and Clara (Liana Liberato) become best friends. One big problem; Clara is dating April’s ex, Nick (Dylan Sprouse). Almost from the start of the film, I fell in love with April, played by the fantastic Hannah Marks. Marks reminds me of a very young Sandra Bullock with a touch of Rachael Leigh Cook thrown in. Marks has incredible comic timing, and like Bullock, anytime she is on the screen, she dominates the scene. Liana Liberato holds her own on the screen as the girl that anyone would be jealous of, and the time the two spend on the screen is magical. I enjoyed the dinner scenes that April has with her single, put upon mom (Jessica Hecht) and her younger sister (Addison Riecke), who sees her sister as competition for the attention of Nick. The film has fun with the unusual friendship (they keep it a secret from Nick), and while a bit predictable, I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.   My Rating; Full Price     Banana Split Info    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film:  Bell Book and Candle (1958)   Gillian (Kim Novak) likes her neighbor, Shepherd (Jimmy Stewart), but feels that his fiancée (Janice Rule) isn’t the one for him. How to win him over? Why, with an enchantment, because she is a witch. Only Gillian plays it a little too real and falls in love with him. This isn’t a great film, but Novak is just mesmerizing, the supporting cast with Jack Lemmon, Elsa Lanchester, and Ernie Kovacs are a scream and Stewart is Stewart at his best. Oh, and I’m not a cat person, but you will love the cat in this film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Bell Book and Candle Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The High Note: Biscuit Tech

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Spelling the Dream (2020)   An Indian-American has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the past 12 years. This documentary explores this trend, which is one of the longest in sports history, highlighting four students as they compete to win the tournament. I am a horrible speller, so this event always fascinates me every year.    Spelling the Dream Website

Until Next Time!

Military Wives

My View: Military Wives (2019) PG-13   With their partners away serving in Afghanistan, two headstrong women (Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan) form a choir on a military base. The women in the choir form a bond that transforms their lives and gives them a way to deal with the reality of the everyday fear that their loved ones won’t return from the war. This is a good old fashioned feel-good film that doesn’t disappoint and just might have you pull out the tissues a time or two. The plot is relatively predictable, but that’s ok because it’s precisely what we need in this time of chaos and strife. Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan work well together on screen as the two military wives who head of the choir, with Thomas as the officer’s wife who is all about protocol and Horgan, who is more about making sure the wives are getting the support they need, regardless of the rules. The film is based on a true story, and it is quite inspirational in its showing how war impacts not only the soldiers but also the families they leave behind. The film will feed your soul, and you might sing along to a song or two as you watch it.   My Rating: Full Price    Military Wives Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Trip to Greece (2020)   Actors Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan travel from Troy to Ithaca, eating their way across Greece following in the footsteps of the Odysseus. So this is the fourth ‘trip’ movie, and if you haven’t seen the other three, the plot is pretty simple; two British actors take a trip, visiting foreign lands as they stop at historical sites and fantastic restaurants all the while trying to one-up each other with impressions and stories. I love these films and have a great time watching them. Brydon and Coogan are playing themselves, and the plots of the movie don’t matter too much. What does matter is both actors have incredible comic timing and brilliant impressionists. I have a feeling that the scripts are pretty small, as most of their back and forth talks are mostly improved. The film takes you across Greece, and the scenery is magnificent, plus you will be envious of the places the two go to eat at. These films aren’t for everyone, but if you like to travel, be apart of great conversations and are a foodie, you will want to see this film.    My Rating: Full Price    The Trip to Greece Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Painter and the Thief  (2020)   Documentary about an artist who befriends the thief who stole two of her most valuable paintings from a gallery in Oslo. When the thief is severely hurt in a car crash, the artist becomes his supporter. This film is the reason why I love documentaries because very often, the truth is much stranger than fiction. With a storyline with more twists and turns than your average movie mystery, this film and its two main subjects will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout the film. Both people are very complex, and the film does an impressive job letting us see their lives both before the paintings are stolen and afterward. I can’t say too much about this film because I want it to be revealed in the movie, but I will say that you won’t be disappointed and probably surprised by how this film ends.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Painter and the Thief Facebook Page    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Lucky Grandma (2019)   Set in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown, a recently widowed 80-year-old grandma (Tsai Chin) is told by a fortune teller that her luck is about to change and she decides to go gamble at a casino. She suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of a local gang and employs the services of a rival gang member as her bodyguard. Grandma is about to be caught up in the middle of a Chinatown gang war. Tsai Chin is a trip as the tough as nails, headstrong, chain-smoking Grandma who gets into a bit of trouble. Chin is superb playing a character that, at times, is hard to love, but you end up rooting for anyway. Hsiao-Yuan Ha is very funny and sweet as the lumbering bodyguard Big Pong. This film reminded me of the buddy cop films of the 80s, with Grandma and Big Pong making a tremendous on-screen team. Join the fun and see what trouble Grandma and Big Pong can get into.   My Rating: Full Price    Lucky Grandma Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: The Lovebirds (2020) R   A couple (Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani) are accused of murder and now have to clear their name. Will they and their relationship survive the night?  I thoroughly enjoyed this funny film with a couple of actors who have such comedy chops they can overcome a plot which is pretty darn weak. Rae and Nanjiani are hilarious as a couple who argue over everything, so much so that they decide to break up. Before they can, they witness a murder, a murder that looks to some bystanders that Jibran and Leilani have committed. The couple decides to go on the run, and with the phone of the dead man, they are determined to clear their name. Throughout the film, Rae and Nanjiani keep up their banter back and forth, sometimes resulting in laughs, often in groans, but it is obvious that the two actors are having fun in the roles. The Lovebirds is one of those films to forget that what the characters are doing doesn’t make a lot of sense and just have fun listening to and watching this couple react to some impossible situations   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      The Lovebirds Website     The film is currently available on Netflix.

Forgotten Film: Eyewitness (1981) R    A Vietnam War vet turned janitor, Daryll (William Hurt) is obsessed with a news reporter, Tony (Sigourney Weaver). When a wealthy Vietnamese businessman is murdered in the janitor’s building, Daryll pretends to know about the murder in order to get the attention of Tony, but little does Daryll understand that the killers think he actually does know about the killing and they want to shut him and his reporter friend up. The supporting is worth the price of admission, with Christopher Plummer as a mysterious Israeli agent, James Woods as Daryll’s friend and fellow janitor and Steven Hill and Morgan Freeman as the cops investigating the murder. The mystery is a fun who-done-it, and the characters in the film are full and rich with interesting storylines. Weaver and Hurt have a nice chemistry that gets stronger as the film goes along. While not a great movie, it's still fun to watch all these actors in their prime act on the screen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Eyewitness Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Lovebirds: Rigging Medic

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Old Guard (2020) R   Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a group of mercenaries who cannot die, have fought evil to protect the mortal world for centuries. Led by Andy and a new recruit (KiKi Layne), they have to regroup when their identities are exposed to the world they seek to protect. Anytime Charlize Theron is a lead in an action movie, I will be first in line to see it.     The Old Guard Website

Until Next Time!