15 June
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In Movie Reviews

INCREDIBLES 2 Writer/Director: Brad Bird Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Huck Milner, Eli Fucile, Isabella Rossellini Pixar has had varying success with their sequels ranging from unnecessary (Cars 2) to innocent fun (Monsters University, Finding Dory), to making you downright cry uncontrollably (Toy Story 3). Incredibles 2 has that quintessential Pixar touch where they ease you for a fun adventure and then packs a punch by its end, but this time without the tears. The Incredibles have to be careful, as being super heroes is considered unlawful in the city. When the Underminer wreaks havocRead More →

11 June
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In Special Series

SECRET MOVIE NIGHT AT EMAGINE WILLOW CREEK You may remember back in September that Emagine Entertainment invited me to their Willow Creek location in Plymouth, MN to host “Secret Cinema”. They’ve renamed it to “Secret Movie Night” and they’ve asked me back to host in this month. It’s always the second Thursday of each month and the theater invites local critics, cinephiles, and other celebrities to host each month. The audience has no idea what movie they’re seeing until it starts to play, which is half the fun. It’s also worth noting that there will be a Q&A following the movie with the host answeringRead More →

08 June
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In Movie Trailers

HALLOWEEN Director: David Gordon Green Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Nick Castle, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, James Jude Courtney I can’t get begin to express my excitement for the latest Halloween movie. You may know that the original 1978 John Carpenter classic is my favorite scary movie of all time. I’ve done reviews and ranking of all ten films, and I have faith that this new one is the best sequel to date. Director David Gordon Green (Stronger) has teamed up with Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) to pen the screenplay. They may not have horror backgrounds, but Carpenter is also on boardRead More →

07 June
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In Movie Reviews

OCEAN’S 8 Writer/Director: Gary Ross Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Richard Armitage, Dakota Fanning It’s been a few years since I watched the Ocean’s 11 trilogy from director Steven Soderbergh. 12 and 13 may have seemed excessive, yet I welcome 8 with open arms. How can you not given its fierce cast with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, and Helena Bonham Carter to name just a few. Bullock leads the way as Debbie Ocean who has followed in the footsteps of her big brother, Danny Ocean, the George Clooney character from Ocean’s 11.Read More →

24 May
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In Movie Reviews

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Director: Ron Howard Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Joonas Suotamo, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Ever since Disney aquired Lucas Film and gained the rights to Star Wars, they’ve promised new movies every calendar year with the new trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and 2019’s Episode IX) and standalone features (Rogue One) in between those movies. The latest is Solo: A Star Wars Story, which gives the backstory to fan favorite character Han Solo, previously played by Harrison Ford. Young Han is now under the capable hands of Alden Ehrenreich, primarily known forRead More →

21 May
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In Movie Reviews

DEADPOOL 2 Director: David Leitch Starring: Josh Brolin, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz, Brianna Hildebrand, Julian Dennison, Stefan Kapicic, Leslie Uggams The 2016 release of Deadpool changed the game for superhero movies by presenting an R-rated, ultra-violent character. It wasn’t the first time Ryan Reynolds played Deadpool, but this was the approach fans wanted after the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. It raked in massively at the box office and proved to be the best role for Reynolds to date. In Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson has seen better days being his foul-mouthed mercenary alter ego Deadpool. The job never ends, but it won’tRead More →

17 May
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In Movie Reviews

BOOK CLUB Director: Bill Holderman Starring: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn I’m presently in a book club with a few of my gal pals. It started off with us reading young adult fiction, but we’ve progressed into slightly heavier fare. I hope that in forty years we’re still reading and drinking champagne much like the characters in Book Club. The opening montage calls us back to the younger days of Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Sharon (Bergen), and Carol (Steenburgen) as college friends. It’s a reminder of how iconic and legendary theseRead More →

15 May
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In Interviews

“BOOK CLUB” CAST INTERVIEWS Book Club opens in theaters Friday, May 18th, and you don’t want to miss out on this movie. Having Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen playing off each other is a treat. A few weeks ago I had the honor to interview this phenomenal cast, and it was a truly unforgettable experience. I’m a huge Godfather junkie, so I had to bow down to Keaton and Andy Garcia. Jane Fonda said something that left me speechless, and Candice Bergen dished about the Murphy Brown reboot. Here are all of the interviews. Don’t forget to check out my YouRead More →

10 May
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In Movie Reviews

LIFE OF THE PARTY Director: Ben Falcone Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Molly Gordon, Maya Rudolph, Gillian Jacobs, Luke Benward, Julie Bowen, Heidi Gardner, Debby Ryan, Jacki Weaver, Stephen Root Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone frequently collaborate on a variety of projects. They’ll write the script together while he directs it and she stars as the lead. Life of the Party is their third movie together following 2014’s Tammy and 2016’s The Boss. I’d rank this film as the best of the three. In it McCarthy plays Deanna who is heartbroken after waiving goodbye to her daughter, Maddie (Gordon), who’s entering her freshman year ofRead More →

07 May
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In Interviews

“LIFE OF THE PARTY” CAST INTERVIEWS I recently sat down with the cast of Warner Bros’ Life of the Party, directed by Ben Falcone and starring Melissa McCarthy. It’s a funny mother-daughter story, and we get to see McCarthy in a different light than we’re used to from films like Bridesmaids or Tammy. Here are the interviews and make sure to head to my You Tube channel and click SUBSCRIBE for more reviews and interviews. Melissa McCarthy, Molly Gordon, and Gillian Jacobs   Debby Ryan, Heidi Gardner, and Luke Benward   Julie Bowen and Matt Walsh click HERE to find my You Tube channel andRead More →