Battlefield Earth Movie Review

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Battlefield Earth on Amazon Video
Written by: Corey Mandell and J.D. Shapiro (screenplay), L. Ron Hubbard (novel)
Directed by: Roger Christian
Starring: John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Barry Pepper, Kim Coates
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
It's the year 3000 A.D. and the Earth lost to the alien race Psychlos. Humanity is enslaved by these gold-thirsty tyrants, who are unaware that their "man-animals" are about to ignite a rebellion.

Verdict
It's amazing how many poor creative decisions were made. In every scene you will see something that makes you wonder how someone saw or did that and then thought, "This is good." That, and no one stopped them. The story is boring and underdeveloped, the characters are flat, and it's impressive just how bad all of the actors are. The director managed to get absolutely terrible performances from everyone. It's unintentionally comedic, but that doesn't make it worth watching.
Skip it.

Review
This is based on the 1,050 page book by L. Ron Hubbard, published in 1982. Hubbard is the founder, or writer of, Scientology which he crafted in 1952.

Famed Scientology supporter John Travolta wanted to make this movie for years, taking a pay cut and putting in millions of his own dollars. He hoped this would be the first of two movies. He originally was going to play the part of Johnnie Goodboy but aged out of the role. Travolta wanted Quentin Tarantino to direct, but Tarantino declined.

Almost every scene is at a Dutch angle because the director wanted the movie to look like a comic book.

It's one of the biggest flops ever. At the 2000 Golden Raspberry Awards it received seven "Razzies", including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Travolta), Worst Supporting Actor (Pepper), Worst Supporting Actress (Kelly Preston), Worst Director (Christian), Worst Screenplay (Mandell and Shapiro) and Worst Screen Couple (Travolta and "anyone sharing the screen with him.").

I watched this on Sony Crackle, a free streaming service with commercials. Crackle's descrition is,  "John Travolta's dreadlocks colonize earth in this adaptation." That seems about right.

This screen wipe appears far too often.

I'm not sure I've seen a movie make so many poor creative decisions. It's like this movie set out to be bad. This kind of stuff doesn't just happen. Someone meant to do this. From the amateurish screen wipes to the Dutch angles, frequently slow motion shots, and strange color changes. All of the acting is bad. The dialog is ridiculous.

Barry Pepper plays Johnnie Goodboy. (Note the slight angle of the image.)

The first few scenes seem to be missing. We have no context for Barry Pepper's character Johnnie Goodboy riding a horse in a canyon. This movie avoids any action and just tells us what's going on. It would be more powerful if it showed us how Goodboy and his tribe live. The opening is B movie garbage. The first scene could be Goodboy searching for medicine.

There are numerous lapses in logic. How did people maintain language but lose knowledge of everything else? How did they never encounter the ruins of civilization? The only explanation I can come up with is that all the adults were killed when the Psychlos invaded. Only children were left, devoid of mankind's knowledge and afraid to venture into the world. Who knows.

The majority of this movie is framed at a slight angle. I don't see how that made the final cut, through the director, cinematographer, camera operators, and anyone else on set. This entire movie is baffling. Since Travolta had such a big stake did he force everyone to succumb to his vision of this movie?

It turns out after one thousand years cities are intact. With that how was knowledge no retained? One thousand years is a long time. I think the city would be much more ruined.

I'd give this movie a pass if was a low budget B movie, but it isn't. The music is obnoxious, the movie changes colors when the alien Psychlos are introduced and there is more than one big "Noooooo!" from characters.
I don't know if Travolta is over-acting or under-acting. His acting is terrible, but he delivers his lines so over the top. Most of his dialog is fake maniacal laughter.
Forest Whitaker is a good actor, but if I had only ever seen him in this I would assume they pulled him randomly off the street. The dialog is boring. It's the most obvious responses every time.
And there is just so much slow motion.

The orchestrator of the on screen madness, Travolta/Terl (Note the angle of the image).

The plot of this is middling. Travolta plays Terl, an alien that wants to get back to his home world and resorts to deceit and bribery to do it. We get a lot of painful exposition about his plan, an explanation almost as unnecessary as this movie.
Terl didn't count on Johnnie Goodboy, humanity's savior. He's only a hero because the movie wants him to be. He's forced into stupid situations where he has to win.

Why do the Psychlos covet gold? If it was fuel or a mineral unknown to man I could buy that, but we don't even know what the Psychlos do with gold.

Terl's plan involves giving Goodboy all of humanity and Psychlo's knowledge. Terl is an idiot. He thinks humans are incapable of anything but manual labor despite how many times Goodboy has proven him wrong. Watching this on Crackle, I've never welcomed commercials before, but in this case they weer a welcome distraction.

Goodboy and his friends are forced by Terl to mine gold, but instead learn how to fly planes by a simulator that still has power despite no functioning power stations and no infrastructure. Even better, the fuel is still good.

How did anybody get work after this movie? What is wrong with everyone involved in this movie? This movie is interminable. This movie is so stupid.  It's a plot ripped from a twelve year old's fever dream with stupid dutch angles, annoying screen wipes, and terrible dialog.

Watching this as an unintentional comedy 

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Book to TV Adaptations

Welcome back, welcome if you are new, to Thursday Movie Picks, the wonderful series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. This being the last Thursday of the month, we are picking TV series, specifically those adapted from a book. 

Orange is the New Black (2013- )

It follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a rich woman in her 30s, as she serves a sentence of a year and a half for transporting drug money to an ex-girlfriend (Laura Prepon). I still haven't read Piper Kerman's memoir but I love this show. It's not as good as it used to be and they killed one of my favourite characters but I still love this. Damn, I named my PokemonGO account after this.

The Handmaid's Tale (2017- )

Set in a dystopian future ruled by a fundamentalist regime, it follows June/Offred (Elizabeth Moss), one of the few remaining fertile women who is forced to live as a concubine. I really liked the book by Margaret Atwood but, although I still haven't finished this because I keep starting new stuff, the show is even better. The atmosphere is fantastic, but it's the acting, especially Moss's, that won me over.

Sharp Objects (2018)

A reporter (Amy Adams) returns to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls and she ends up confronting the demons from her past. I still haven't read Gillian Flynn's novel but Jean Marce-Vallee and Amy Adams really did an outstanding job as the main character is just as fleshed out like any other female character Flynn has written. 

Period. End of Sentence. (2018)

Earlier this year, I watched PadMan, an Indian featuring film focusing telling the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, the Indian man who invented the machine to make cheaper sanitary pads for women. Netflix's short documentary Period. End of Sentence. deals with the same subject, which still is one of the most taboo topics in India.

Set in the rural village of Hapur, outside of Delhi, India, the documentary follows a group of women as they band together to install and use sanitary pad-making machines in hope to make feminine hygiene supplies easily available to all women as only 10 percent of women in India, as stated as the beginning, have access to affordable sanitary products.

Why is that so? The reasons are many, probably the most important being the lack of information. As I said above, menstruation is one of the most taboo topics in India, nobody talks about it, not even a mother with her daughter or the other way around —which is crazy because the first thing I did after watching this was talking with my mother about it. Young men don't even know what exactly menstruation is —one describes it as some sort of illness that mostly strikes women— and young girls feel too embarrassed to talk about it. Women menstruating are seen as "dirty", they can't even enter the temple during their time of the month —their prayers wouldn't be heard anyway, say the men, which is crazy considering it's a goddess they pray to.

The other major reason is economic. If you are a woman, you know how expensive pads, tampons and other feminine hygiene products are. If to that, you add the fact that most of these women are forced to drop out of school as soon as they begin menstruating as there's no way for them to change their dirty cloth since men are everywhere, they therefore have very little career prospect, and become brides and mothers, it's difficult if not impossible for them to buy these products.

Netflix

Although I was aware of this already, I found Period. End of Sentence to be an interesting, compelling documentary that does a really good job at showing the taboo surrounding menstruation and highlighting the work a group of students from Oakwood High School in Los Angeles, California and Girls Learn International, a Feminist Majority Foundation who banded together and started The Pad Project, which not only is aiming to inform women of the dangers of using dirty cloths, but to give these women more freedom as making pads themselves give them the chance to generate an income.

romeo akbar walter movie release date,cast & teaser/trailer,john abraham upcoming movies

john abraham upcoming movies Written and directed by Robbie Grewal, Romeo Akbar Walter is an upcoming 2019 Indian detective thriller film, in which John Abraham, Mauni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Suchitra Krishnamurthy are in the lead roles. Initially, Sushant Singh Rajput was supposed to star in the film as the protagonist, but left it due to his prior commitments. His first specialty was also released before leaving them. After that he was replaced by John Abraham. This movie has been shot in Kashmir. The film was supposed to be released on March 15, 2019. With its teaser released on the occasion of Indian Republic Day, the film is going to be released worldwide on April 12, 2019.After facing the difficulties and issues in the release of 'Romeo Akbar Walter' alias Raw, the makers have now got the date of the final release. The film which was about to be released earlier this year, finally got the release date and this year will hit theaters on April 12 this year. The movie of stars like John Abraham, Maunie Roy, Jackie Shroff, Suchitra Krishnamurthy and Sikandar Kher are based on the true events in India during the 1970s.

The film which will be shot in front of John, was initially offered to Sushant Singh Rajput, although the actor of Kedarnath had to reject the proposal considering his prior commitments. Immediately after which John was implanted to play the lead role in the film. John Abraham had good 2018 because he gave some performance-oriented films like 'Paramanu' and 'Satyamev Jayate'. The interesting thing is that the film will return to Suchitra Krishnamurthy.This Spy-trailer that is ready to be released on April 12, is directed by Robby Grewal and produced by Dhiraj Wadhawan, Ajay Kapoor, Vanessa Walia and Gary Gravey

This is where John Abraham starrer Romeo Akbar Walter  movie will be shot

John Abraham's movies can not work well between the audience, but the intriguing plot of his films always win the hearts of critics. Although his next project 'A Paramanu: The Story of Pokhran' is surrounded by controversies, the film has finally gone ahead and will be released on May 25. Shooting of her upcoming film, Romio Akbar Walter, will be reportedly in picturesque Kashmir. The beautiful city has been at the top of the list of many film makers late when it comes to choosing a shooting location.  From ‘Race 3’, to ‘Raazi’, to ‘Manamarziyaan’, Kashmir has again become the last shooting spot for Bollywood movies. According to the latest reports, Robi Grewal, production head of Bunty Walia's company is already doing it in the valley. Repetition for 'Romeo Akbar Walter' Along with Robby, there are members of other rescue teams who will be in Kashmir for some time to finalize the locations for the film. At the same time, Chetan Hundu mentioned that he has detected two places. He is currently in Gulmarg to finalize another place for the film. To be massively shot at more than three different places, the team recently completed the recurrence of the film for Gujarat. It appears that as part of Rickes, Grewal has spent hours exploring the inner parts of the state and even talking to the local people. This film is covering parts of Gujarat, Kashmir, Delhi and Nepal. In addition to John, Jackie Shroff also plays an important role in  RAW.

more links

---

> arjun patiala movie ,arjun patiala release date,star casting Diljit Dosanjh and kriti sanon new movie .
> Batla House bollywood movies of 2019 ,batla house cast and reviews,batla house relese date .

---

External Links
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8550208/  

URI HD Leaked

In this article we will provide you details about the leak of film URI : The Surgical Strike . 

URI HD Leaked

On 26 February 2019 , latest Bollywood 'All Time Blockbuster ' film "URI : The Surgical Strike " was leaked on various illegal movie downloading sites . 

URI the surgical strike

Just the leak , is'nt a sign of concern . Each and every movie gets uploaded on such illegal sites a day or two after the release of the movie in the theaters . But this print is generally the camera recorded and is therefore not a pleasant experience to watch it .

But this time , what has changed is that the print is full HD with clear audio and visuals .
Though it is also common to find even BluRay prints of all movies on the web , but it is generally after the movie has been released either on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video , Netflix , Zee5 , Hotstar or once DVD/Bluray of the film has been already launched . But nothing of this sort has happened yet . Zee5 , the exclusive streaming partner of URI : The Surgical Strike has not released it for streaming on their website . And there is no point of release of DVD/Bluray , since the movie is still running exceptionally well in the theaters . 

So , how did the movie's HD print made way to such streaming sites ?

It is being sad that the print which is available on the websites is the same one which was used for the screening of the film . The video has a logo of  "For Screening" along with the timer as it is used to be in all screenings of the films . Since the same video was used for the screning , pretty obviously it was the full fledged version of the film. 2hrs 18mins . 

URI the surgical strike

Though it has already been 45 days of the release of the film , that's why it would not much impact its box office collections . But what if the print had made way earlier ?

That's the point of concern for the makers of URI and even other Bollywood producers who generally have a tendency to organize pre-release screenings of the film .  

URI : The Surgical Strike has proved to be a huge success at the box office , collection over 235 crores and gained the "ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER" tag . 

Leaking of films on illegal websites is not a new thing . Back in 2016 , films like "UDTA Punjab" and "Great Grand Masti" were leaked even before the release of the film. Udta Punjab got leaked just 2 days before the release , therefore did'nt get much impacted from it . Though , Great Grand Masti got leaked 2 weeks before and was severly affected . 

Bollywood Film Industry which is booming nowadays which various big budgeted upcoming projects needs to investigate properly and should take strict actions , so that it does not happen again in the future. 


To follow us on Instagram - CLICK HERE


To like us on Facebook - CLICK HERE

The Towering Inferno Movie Review

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Buy The Towering Inferno on Amazon
Written by: Richard Martin Stern (novel), Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson (novel), Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)
Directed by: John Guillermin
Starring: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, O.J. Simpson
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
At the opening party of a colossal, but poorly constructed office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

Verdict
This is one of those movies that was  hit at the time, but it's a genre that's been improved. You're only going to watch this if you're interested in film history. While this does have a great cast, it's long. The impressive effects don't make up for the slow action.
Looking at this in the context of 1974, it is a landmark movie. It had the production, cast, and was the right genre.
It depends.

Review
Based on two novels "The Tower" by Richard Martin Stern, and "The Glass Inferno" by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, competing studios joined together to make one movie.

The disaster genre was in after the 1972 film The Poseidan Adventure, and this movie won the box office in 1974. Certainly helped with both Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in leading roles, it's the grandfather of disaster movies, but it's a genre that quickly faded from prominence in the '70s.

This movie isn't easy to find. It's not streaming anywhere or available for DVD rental. The cheapest way to find it is to pay $15 for the physical copy, but I luckily found it at a local library.

This definitely takes it's time getting started. It's a simple setup with a big event, lots people, and a brand new high tech building that can't fail until it does. While this setup may have been novel in '74, I've seen this before. Granted I've only seen that in movies that came out after this. This sets up various characters, bug drags out the action.

This has to be the slowest fire in a movie. It's been burning all day and isn't' even out of the utility room. Part of what slows this down is all the characters, and unfortunately they are filler. The action is the draw and this has good action, it's just not enough or too delayed. It's a long wait to get to that point, but when this kicks off a lot of people die. This had to be crazy at the time. It's crazy watching it now.
Newman and McQueen's characters work together to save everyone. I like that this tries to develop some characters, there are just a lot of them.

This is ripe for a remake. It's a great concept, and while the action is good it's dated. The effects are really good, and CGI would absolutely kill what makes the effects good. My only concern is that a remake would come out looking like Skyscraper (read my review).

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

As I'm yet to read James Baldwin's work —hopefully I'll get to read something soon— and I was not a fan of Moonlight when I first saw it —I rewatched it recently and it definitely worked better for me the second time—, I didn't care about Barry Jenkins's If Beale Street Could Talk. It getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination is the reason I watched it anyway. 

Set in 1970s Harlem, the story follows a young African-American couple, Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James). Shortly after Fonny is falsely accused of the rape of a Peurto Rican woman (Emily Rios), Tish learns that she's pregnant with Fonny's child. As childbirth approaches, Tish and her family try to prove that Fonny is innocent.

The plot is simple and straightforward, yet complex as the story is about love, tragedy, hope and sacrifice thick with social commentary on race relations, police brutality, racial discrimination and the United States' unjust system that targets minorities. Unfortunately, while the non-linear narrative makes it more compelling, the story itself isn't particularly interesting, it unfolds very slowly, there are some subplots that feel forced, and it didn't have any emotional impact on me.

The characters are the film's saving grace. In the second part of If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins dives deep into characterization which results in complex, compelling characters that are likeable, sympathetic and, although there was something off about the young couple —I felt like there wasn't a lot of chemistry between Layne and James—, I couldn't help but be invested and root for them.

Chemistry aside, the performances are good, Kiki Layne being the stand out as her voice-over narration is absorbing and her portrayal of Tish is believable and carefully and slowly constructed. She is the glue that holds the characters and the film together. Stephen James, unfortunately, never goes past the pity case. Regardless of her small screen time, Regina King shines as she gives a passionate and convincing performance as Tish's mother and gets to deliver some of the film's best lines. It's simply impossible to take you eyes off of her when she's on screen.

Annapurna Pictures

As with Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk has a wonderful cinematography, with beautiful, atmospheric long shots and intimate close-ups of the young lovers that add to the film's poeticality. The musical score is also beautiful.

Overall though the film didn't convince me. It felt cold and detached, the pace is too slow, many scenes are dragged on too long, and it just feels like it goes on for 3+ hours when it's almost 2 hours long.

arjun patiala movie ,arjun patiala release date,star casting Diljit Dosanjh and kriti sanon new movie

India's upcoming movie Arjun Patiala is a romantic and comedy film directed by Rohit Jugraj, and co-produced by Bhushan Kumar and Dinesh Vijan under T-Series and Madok Films. In this, Kriti Sanon, Diljeet Dosanjh and Varun Sharma is playing the role.

The central plot of the film is the romance between a long woman and a little man, in which the difference in height is the reason for the comic difficulties. Rohit Jugraj's film Arjun Patiala is going to be released on May 3, 2019.In this film, a longtime female journalist (Kriti Sanon) and a small Punjabi man (Diljeet Dosanjh) begin a love affair, but the difference in their stature becomes the cause of comic difficulties.

Shooting of this film began from February 2018 and ended in July 2018. The film was shot in some areas of Chandigarh and Punjab. [Chandigarh] The story is written by Ritesh Shah. The need for a better source was to release it on 13 September 201, but was postponed to May 3, 2019.arjun patiala release date .

Ban on distribution in Pakistan

In retaliation of airstrikes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in Pakistan, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has urged the Indian film industry to limit content and also through advertising and television purposes. Due to the Pakistani talent in the film, the Pakistan government has limited it to release it all over the country. Hypothatically, if the relationship is better at the time before May 3, 2019, then it may be imminent that the ban should be removed.

Sachin-Jigar have composed the film's music.

Kriti Sonon and Diljeet Dosanjh starrer Arjun Patiala who has been discussing a lot for a long time has finally got the date of release. Played by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan, under the banner of Madanakok Films, co-produced by Dinesh Vijan. Recently, the master took on his social media and unveiled the first poster of the Diljit Dosanjh and kriti sanon new movie.

More Links

---

> badla movie 2019 ,badla trailer ,badla full movie‎ Amitabh Bachchan‎ and ‎Taapsee Pannu, amitabh bachchan upcoming movies .
> Batla House bollywood movies of 2019 ,batla house cast and reviews,batla house relese date .

---

External Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arjun_Patiala .

badla movie 2019 ,badla trailer ,badla full movie‎ Amitabh Bachchan‎ and ‎Taapsee Pannu, amitabh bachchan upcoming movies

badla movie 2019 The upcoming Indian film badla (English: Revenge), directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is starring Amitabh Bachchan and Tapi Pannu. The film is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment with Azure Entertainment. It has been released on March 8, 2019. The film is the official conversion of the 2017 Spanish film Controversy the Invisible Guest.
Filming

Principal photography of the movie, which began in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 14, 2018.

Marketing and release

On February 11, 2019, Shahrukh Khan, whose production house Red Chillies Entertainment Film is producing, tweeted two of the film's first look posters, in which one is Bachchan's character and the other is Pannu. The film is expected to be released on March 8, 2019, on International Women's Day.

badla trailer

Red Chillies Entertainment posted an official trailer on YouTube on February 12, 2019. The trailer reached 250K views within 1 hour and collected 24.9 million views from the day of release.

The sound

The music of the film has been composed by Anupam Roy, Clinton Cerezo and Amal Mallik.

Amitabh Bachchan and Tapi Pannu's upcoming movie Badla has finally set a release date. The film directed by Sujoy Ghosh will be screened on March 8, 2019. The director of Badlah and Tapasi shared the release date of the movie on his related Twitter handle. "It will kick me up in 2019," hours wrote by Pannu, while director Sujoy Ghosh read the post, "Badla released on March 8, 2019. Come on, it will be a lot of fun." The film went on floors last month and has been shot extensively in London and Scotland. Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment has co-produced the upcoming movie of Mr. Ghosh, which is a crime thriller. The producers have not yet told anything about the film's plot.

Billa, actress Tapi Pannu's second collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan Actors have worked together in the 2016 PINK. Tagesi, who is excited to share the screen with his PIC co-actor, told the news agency IANS again, "When you are in the safe hands of a superb filmmaker and an Ace co-actor, It does not matter. "

Taapsee had revealed in an interview to IANS that his upcoming movie Badla would be a thriller and he is going to find himself a "new side" with this character. "This is going to be an exciting thriller, it's a favorite style of Suzy and I am coming out of my comfort zone, which I really enjoy the most," IANS quoted IANS.

Amitabh Bachchan was shooting for Glasgow last month, where he disclosed how the film was a savior. Actor tweeted, "Confident, Conscious and Content." Until the film is released, it's the life of creativity, the badge goes on every day, and eventually the prosthetics and the heavy costume gets away from the armor. " Prior to the badge, Amitabh Bachchan was working on Brahmastra, for which he had to undergo prostatic make-up trials.Amitabh Bachchan shared two pictures of himself, in which he looks like a badge). Just look:

Next time Amitabh Bachchan will be seen in the Thugs of Hindostan, which includes Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Katrina Kaif. She is currently shooting for Brahmaastra directed by Ayaan Mukherjee starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy. The first part of the fantasy trilogy is expected to be released in August next year.

In the meantime, Tapi Pannu was last seen in Sports Biopic Sorma, directed by Shad Ali. The actress is currently ready for the release of the courtroom drama nation, which also includes Rishi Kapoor, Rajat Kapoor, Pratik Babbar and Nina Gupta.

Badla is Amitabh Bachchan's second collaboration with actress Taapsee Pannu. The actors have worked together in 2016's PINK. Taapsee, who is excited to share the screen with her PINK co-actor yet again told news agency IANS: "When you are in safe hands of a brilliant filmmaker and an ace co-actor there is nothing to fear."

Taapsee in an interview IANS had revealed that her amitabh bachchan upcoming movies badla will be a thriller and that she is going to explore a "new side" of herself with this character. "This is going to be a riveting thriller. It's Sujoy's favourite genre and I am yet another time out of my comfort zone which I actually enjoy the most," IANS quoted Taapsee as saying.

More Links

---

> Batla House bollywood movies of 2019 ,batla house cast and reviews,batla house relese date .

> Thadam :The upcoming Indian Tamil drama thriller film,thadam cast,trailer,release date .

---

External Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badla_(2019_film) .

PODCAST 348: Dead Hooker in a Trunk, Raw & A Night to Dismember [Women In Horror Edition]

This week the Horror Crew take a look at three films made by and about women, to celebrate Women in Horror Month. Forest takes a look at the Soska Sisters' earliest feature Dead Hooker in a Trunk. Rhiannon weighs in on being a vegetarian with Raw. Cory rounds things out by discussing the strange films of Doris Wishman with A Night to Dismember - the LOST version.

CONTINUE READING

O.G. Movie Review

O.G. (2018)

Rent O.G. on Amazon Video
Written by: Stephen Belber
Directed by: Madeleine Sackler
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Theothus Carter, William Fichtner, Boyd Holbrook
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
A maximum-security prison inmate named Louis finds himself on the cusp of release from prison twenty four years after committing a violent crime. He faces an uncertain future on the outside and dangerous politics on the inside.

Verdict
This is an interesting look at a man that's been in jail for a long time. This explores all the influences pulling him in different directions. Will he make parole or will old habits pull him back in? Does he really want to be in a world that's passed him by when he lives with a certain level of respect? Jeffrey Wright delivers an amazing performance, communicating all of these swirling emotions in man that has to be tough, and has been a person to be feared.
Watch it.

Review
This feels very real. Louis has been locked up a long time, and this focuses on his daily life. That narrow focus makes this very effective.

Louis is close to getting out, and he begins to mentor a newly incarcerated man. This could prove to be his downfall. He's walking a fine line and the warden pressuring him for information doesn't help. Whether he talks or not, the fact he enters the office raises suspicions.

Louis is potentially jeopardizing his freedom, but we don't know if he's trying to help a young man or stay in jail. He has a place in prison due to his longevity and respect he's earned. He has a routine. On the outside, he has no source of income, not even a place to stay.

There's an intense scene where he meets with the sister of his victim. That interaction influences how we perceive Louis. Is that guilt, pressuring him to make sure he stays in prison? While Louis wonders if he should get out, a telling detail is that he used to run the prison, but no longer desires to smuggle in contraband. Maybe it's age, maybe it's maturity, but he has changed.
This has an almost documentary feel to it. Jeffrey Wright's performance is stellar. It really helps this movie.

End Game (2018)

I don't know why since I like documentaries —and shorts are right up to my alley as I don't have a lot of time lately—, but I skipped all the Oscar nominees this year and I started watching them only last week. Netflix's End Game was my first pick because of its sensitive subject. 

As you probably guessed either from the title or the poster, this documentary follows a few terminally ill people in the last days of their lives as they and their loved ones decide under what circumstances they'll leave this world, whether in a hospice, at home, or somewhere else. 

It mainly focuses on Mitra, an Iranian woman dying of a terminal illness. We see her husband and mother struggle with the decision to keep fighting for her or let her go. We see their options reduce as Mitra's illness worsens. We see the pain of a mother who is going to survive to her daughter, the pain of a husband losing his lover, and the pain of a child losing his mother too soon. 

End Game also put under the spotlight a team of visionary doctors that try their best to make the departure as comfortable and peaceful as possible. While they make clear to the patients that they are going to die, they try to give them hope and peace. The charismatic Dr. BJ Miller, Executive Director of the Zen Hospice Center, stands out as he shares his personal story, how he went through his own grief after losing both of his legs and his left arm at the age of nineteen. He has so much strength and the way he shares his positive attitude with others is both heartwarming and inspiring.

Netflix

End Game is heartbreaking, so painful to watch you will think you won't be able to sit through its 40 minutes —I couldn't help but think of my grandpa who passed away in 2011 after a long illness—, and yet you do because the sensitive subject is handled with so much heart and respect, because the painful moments are balanced with light and humorous ones. It's a tough watch but it's worth watching. 

Netflix NEWS 02.26.2019

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week. You can always read more about what's coming out this week and in the future on our Upcoming page.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Unsolved: Tupac & Biggie (February 27)

Netflix Distributed Series

Ride along for a dramatized version of the real-life investigations into the murders of rap icons Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Experience the controversial and high-stakes investigations across multiple timelines.

Budapest (March 1)

Netflix Distributed French Movie

Two friends quit their boring jobs to start a company that plans bachelor parties in Budapest. Their wives, however, have mixed feelings about this.

Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians Season 1 (March 1)

Netflix Distributed Series

Follow Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians through the 2018 season in this series featuring insider insights and intense cricket action.

Larva Island Season 2 (March 1)
Netflix Original Animated Korean Language Series
Larva Island brings back Larva's beloved characters, Red and Yellow, who, with the help of some new friends will enthrall audiences of all ages in new adventures.

Losers Season 1 (March 1)

Netflix Distributed Documentary Series

We live in a winner take all society where losing is laughed off, dismissed and shamed. But what do we miss when we turn our back on the lessons that failure gives us?
Watch the trailer

Northern Rescue Season 1 (March 1) - Excludes Canada

Netflix Distributed Series with CBC Canada - 10 episodes

A heartwarming family starring drama William Baldwin (MacGyver) and Kathleen Robertson (Murder in the First). After the death of his wife Sarah, John West (Baldwin) packs up his three children and moves from their home city to the local search and rescue service. Once there, the family struggles with their new surroundings, new friends, and accepting Sarah's death. The children's aunt (Robertson) helps him and the children cope. Production began June 2018.
Announcement
Casting Announcement 
Watch the trailer


River's Edge (March 1)

Netflix Distributed Japanese Movie

High schooler Haruna befriends loner Yamada, then is drawn into the tangled relationship between him, a model and the girl who loves him unreasonably.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (March 1)

Netflix Distributed Movie

Based on the bestselling book of the same name written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, this is Chiwetel Ejiofor's director debut. He also wrote the screenplay.
Thirteen year old William Kamkwamba (Maxwell Simba) is thrown out of the school when his family can no longer afford the fees. He finds a way, using his father Trywell's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) bicycle, to build a windmill which then saves his Malawian village from famine. William’s tale captures the incredible determination of a boy whose inquisitive mind overcame every obstacle in his path.
Announcement
Watch the trailer

Your Son (March 1)

Netflix Distributed Spanish Movie

After his son is brutally beaten outside a nightclub, a surgeon takes the law into his own hands and seeks vengeance against the perpetrators.

Netflix Trailers
Most Beautiful Thing [Coisa Mais Linda] Season 1 trailer - March 22
The Dirt trailer - March 22
Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 1 trailer - March 8
The Highwaymen trailer - March 29
Losers Season 1 trailer - March 1
The Order Season 1 trailer - March 7
After Life Season 1 trailer - March 8

Netflix Previews & Videos

Strong Black Leads - Ruth Carter

Sharkey the Bounty Hunter Comic Book trailer -  February 20

Roma - Beck: Tarantula Lyric video

Roma - Billie Eilish: When I Was Older Lyric video 

Russian Doll - Best Lines 

New to Netflix U.S. - March 

The Umbrella Academy - The Human Algorithm Podcast

Paris Is Us - Manifesto

Altered Carbon Season 2 - Cast Announcement - Anthony Mackie

Umbrella Academy - Netflix Umbrella Academy Wedding

Russian Doll - Every Sweet Birthday Baby 

The Irishman Announcement - Fall

Netflix News & Announcements

Medical Police Season 1 from Creators of Children's Hospital Announced

Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 1 Coming March 8 

The Order Season 1 - March 1 

Orange is the New Black Season 7 - Alicia Witt Recurring Role

Arrested Development Season 5 Part 2 Returns March 15 

Moxie - Amy Poehler Directing Punk Rock Movie

The Wandering Earth - Sci-fi Movie Announced 

Haunting of Hill House Anthology Gets Second Season - The Haunting of Bly Manor

The Old Guard Acquired - Starring Charlize Theron 

Altered Carbon Season 2 Cast Announcement 

Chris Hemsworth to Play Hulk Hogan in Biopic 

Spinning Out Casting News 

Firefly Lane Season 1 Announced

Blood & Water Season 1 - South African Series Announced 

Hollywood Season 1 - Ryan Murphy's Third Netflix Series 

Roma Wins Best Cinematography & Best Foreign Language Film Oscars

Locke & Key Season 1 - Michael Morris to Direct First Two Episodes 
Locke & Key Season 1 - Casting News

Budapest - March 1

Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians - March 1

Larva Island Season 2 - March 1

Northern Rescue - March 1

River's Edge - March 1

Your Son - March 1

Secret City: Under the Eagle Season 2 - March 6 

Bangkok Love Stories: Hey You! - March 8

Bangkok Love Stories: Innocence - March 8

Immortals Season 1 - March 8

Lady J - March 8

Shadow Season 1 - March 8

Jimmy Carr: The Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits - March 12

Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 6 - March 12

Burn Out - March 15

Dry Martina - March 15

Girl - March 15

If I Hadn't Met You Season 1- March 15

Las muñecas de la mafia Season 2 - March 15

Paskal - March 15

Robozuna Season 2 - March 15

YooHoo to the Rescue Season 1 - March 15

Green Door Season 1 - March 16 

Carlo & Malik Season 1 - March 21

Charlie’s Colorforms City Season 1 - March 21

Delhi Crime Season 1 - March 21

Historia de un crimen: Colosio Season 1- March 21

Mirage  - March 21

ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre  - March 21

Selling Sunset Season 1 - March 21

Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid - March 26 

Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey Season 2 - March 28 

15 August - March 29

Bayoneta - March 29

Osmosis Season 1 - March 29

Traitors Season 1 - March 29

El sabor de las margaritas Season 1 - March 31 

Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series Season 1 - March 31 

On My Block Season 2 - March

Hype List

Black Mirror Season 5 (2019)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020) 
Stranger Things Season 3 (2019 July 4)
The Umbrella Academy Season 2 (2020?)
Disenchanted Season 1 Part 2 (2019)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (2019, projected)
Dark Season 2 (June 2019, projected)
Bojack Horseman Season 6 (2019, projected)
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Mindhunter Season 2 (2019, projected)

Wildlife (2018)

I really like Paul Dano as an actor and Zoe Kazan is really growing on me, so the two of them co-writing a script and Dano directing the movie is definitely something I cannot overlook. If you have Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, you get a movie one an idiot can pass. So yeah, I had huge expectations for Dano's directorial debut, Wildlife. 

Set in 1960, the story follows the Brinson family, Jeanette (Carey Mulligan), Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) and their teenage son, Joe (Ed Oxenbould), as they move to Great Falls, Montana. When Jerry loses his job and refuses to take it back out of pride, he decides to join a group of volunteers to fight fires. As soon as Jerry leaves, something awakens in Jeanette and Joe is suddenly forced into the role of an adult. 

Based on Richard Ford's novel of the same name, Dano's Wildlife has a simple and yet gripping story that is both a coming-of-age drama as Joe is forced to grow up way before his time and a portrayal of a woman's existential crisis as Jeanette realises she doesn't know who she is outside of the perfect 1950s housewife. 

As you probably guessed, it's not a plot-heavy film. On the contrary, it's one of those movies that entirely relies on the characters and that's the film's greatest strength as the characters are complex and quite fascinating. Joe isn't just a kid witnessing his parents' marriage falling apart, as the film is described on any major movie website; he is a 14-year-old boy who is forced to step up and be the man of the house when his father leaves, forced to get a job and leave education and teen experiences —like having a girlfriend— behind; he is a boy who helplessly watches his mother fall apart. Jeaninne is the typical loving, seemingly happy but actually bitter, unhappy (house)wife subservient to her husband. She feels trapped in her life and when her husband leaves, she sees her opportunity to reinvent herself. At first, she comes off as a self-absorbed, selfish, cold bitch —pardon my langauge— but, as the film moves forward, we learn who she really is, a lost woman who is so used to being lost, unhappy that she doesn't recognize herself nor happiness when it's right in front of her. Jerry loves his wife and son; he is a good-natured man but he just doesn't seem to be able to keep a job and he is too proud to take low-paying, humiliating —according to him— jobs such as bag boy. 

IFC Films

As for the performances, they are very compelling. Carey Mulligan truly conveys her character's psychological breakdown and delivers a performance filled with genuine emotions. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as usual as the hard-working father. Bill Camp provides solid support as the man Jeanette has an affair with. It's Ed Oxenbould that steals the show though with a subtle and yet intense performance as Joe.

In addition, Wildlife features a stunning cinematography and a score that fits the story incredibly well. As for Dano's direction, I think he did pretty well. While at times the film is a bit melodramatic, the characters' actions don't always make sense —Jerry's behaviour towards the end—, the film is overall gripping and telling the story from the boy's perspective is a winning choice as it allows you to experience the story as Joe does. 

A Star is Born Movie Review

A Star is Born (2018)

Rent A Star is Born on Amazon Video
Written by: Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters (screenplay by), Moss Hart (based on the 1954 screenplay by), John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion and Frank Pierson (based on the 1976 screenplay by), William A. Wellman and Robert Carson (based on a story by)
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Starring: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Alec Baldwin
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A musician helps a young singer find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.

Verdict
I wonder what this movie is ultimately saying which is ironic for a movie that preaches having your own voice. It alludes to conforming to what's popular to gain success, the self destruction that follows being a star, and that's wrapped up in this relationship between Jack and Ally that's part jealousy. It's uneven at times, but it raises a lot of interesting questions. I don't like the ending, and the lack of context made me wonder how famous Ally really was. That and at times this seems to be a statement on how hard famous people's lives are, which is a hard sell. Does it have it's moments? Yes, but this could have been much more.
It depends.

Review
The beginning is uneven, moving very fast from Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovering Ally (Lady Gaga) in a small bar to them starting a relationship. I wasn't sure who this movie was about. It seems mostly about Jackson and the destructive path he's already on. The big question is, did Ally curb his impulses or exacerbate them? He's definitely jealous of her fame at points.

Maybe this movie is about about fame's self destructive power. Ally seems to lose who she is. Her songs became much more pop, a contrast to the early songs that impressed Jackson, though we never see that transition. I never had a context for how famous Ally became. I didn't know if she was headlining a tour or was merely an opening act. Ally and Jackson have a weird relationship and the movie never touches on the predatory nature of how many celebrity men use their fame to prey on women and girls. Jackson assumes Ally will follow him wherever after their first encounter, leading me to believe he's done that before. Most girls would follow him anywhere at the promise of fame. Many times those same girls are exploited and abandoned.

As Ally's star rises, Jackson's ebbs. When her fame first began, with the first time she walked on stage, that was an amazing moment. We knew what was running through her head and we saw her decide to go for it. I wish the movie had more moments like this.

Is this movie a plea for celebrities and how difficult their lives are with people clamoring after them? This could be a cautionary tale about fame, but those same cautions come from a drunk Jackson that is lashing out due to his own insecurities. Is fame destructive? Does it change who you are?

The ending makes Ally's manager a bad guy for the sake of the plot. I won't spoil the ending, but the manager wouldn't have done as depicted in the movie. The result is extreme, and the ending I hoped for is the ending from the 1976 rendition. I didn't realize that until I looked it up to compare how this movie was done before.

There are a lot of questions in this movie, and it should have answered more of them. The performances are great and the production is great. I am surprised Shallow is the main song from this, there were a couple I liked more.
Part of the draw for this movie is living vicariously through Ally. She's discovered by accident, and despite her perceived shortcomings she has what it takes to succeed. It's a rags to riches story with more than a few cautions thrown in.