01 July
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HAMILTON Director: Thomas KailStarring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Jonathan Groff, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos Despite Broadway being shuttered until January 2021 and national tours on hold for the foreseeable future, you can have a bit of Broadway history in your very own home as Hamilton will be streaming on Disney+ July 3. Hamilton on Disney+ is being referred to as the Hamilton movie, which isn’t quite accurate as it’s not a traditional movie musical. This is filmed version of the stage production featuring the Original Broadway Cast. This isn’t a reunion special or anything like thatRead More →

25 June
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IRRESISTIBLE Writer/Director: Jon StewartStarring: Steve Carell, Chris Cooper, Rose Byrne, Mackenzie Davis, Will Sasso, Brent Sexton, Topher Grace, Natasha Lyonne Jon Stewart has made his second feature film as a writer/director after leaving The Daily Show with Irresistible. Stewart doesn’t leave politics behind though as the film is set in the real world of Trump defeating Hillary Clinton to become president but then spins this movie into a fictional story. It features Steve Carell as Gary Zimmer, a Democratic strategist looking for his next client. He gathers his team and heads to a small town in Wisconsin after seeing a viral video of a townRead More →

25 June
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WORKING MAN Writer/Director: Robert JuryStarring: Peter Gerety, Billy Brown, Talia Shire, Michael Brunlieb, Marc Grapey, Ryan Hallahan, Gary Houston Back in October I caught the film Working Man at the Twin Cities Film Fest. It opened the Fest and I got to interview actors Peter Gerety, Talia Shire, and writer/director Robert Jury. Peter Gerety leads the film in the title role. His character Allery Parkes has spent many years working in a factory but finds himself out of work when the factory abruptly closes. This doesn’t stop Allery and the very next day, he sneaks his way back into the factory doing the thing heRead More →

18 June
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YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT Director: David KoeppStarring: Kevin Bacon, Amanda Seyfried, Avery Tiiu Essex Blumhouse Productions is known for creating small budget thrillers and scary movies. Their latest You Should Have Left stars Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried. Kevin Bacon stars as Theo Conroy who suffers from nightmares after a life tragedy continues to haunt him and his reputation. His second marriage to wife Susannah, played by Amanda Seyfried, comes with its own challenges given their age difference and her work as an actress. A family vacation with their daughter should be the needed reset button, but the nightmares that plague him also happen toRead More →

17 June
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7500 Director: Patrick VollrathStarring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Passar Hariky, Omid Memar, Hicham Sebiai, Aurélie Thépaut  Even though Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s last screen appearance was in Snowden in 2016, he has had small voiceovers in Knives Out and The Last Jedi. It’s great to see him back on screen again in 7500 which is now streaming on Amazon Prime. The title refers to squawk code 7500 which alerts the crew and other transportation officials of an airline hijacking. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tobias Ellis. He’s an American pilot working a flight out of Berlin, Germany. His girlfriend also happens to be a flight attendant on board. Soon after take-off, the planeRead More →

16 June
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DA 5 BLOODS Director: Spike LeeStarring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Paul Walter Hauser, Mélanie Thierry, Jasper Pääkkönen  Spike Lee finally won his first Oscar for writing BlacKkKlansman back in 2018. In my opinion, he was robbed of Best Picture. Maybe we can reverse some wrongs with his new powerful new film Da 5 Bloods. The film centers on four Vietnam war vets played by Delroy Lindo, Isiah Witlock Jr, Clarke Peters and Norm Lewis. They’ve reunited in Vietnam for the first time in order to reclaim the body of their fallen soldier and brother Stormin’ Norman playedRead More →

14 June
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GET BACK UP Director: Norry NivenStarring: Justin Furstenfeld, Blue October Drugs and rock and roll have been synonymous with each for years. The band Blue October can attest to the long lasting effects addiction has taken on lead singer Justin Furstenfeld in the new documentary Get Back Up. Furstenfeld holds nothing back in this eye-opening film. He’s someone who has battled substance abuse, mental health issues, and suicide attempts. In order to understand the full picture, the documentary takes us back to Justin as a kid. His mother remembers how he was musically talented at such a young age and used his lyrics as theRead More →

10 June
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THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND Director: Judd ApatowStarring: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Maude Apatow, Steve Buscemi, Bel Powley Pete Davidson is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live or for maybe his infamous relationships. He’s front and center for the personal film The King of Staten Island. Early on in the film, Pete’s character Scott says “There’s something wrong with me. Mentally.” Scott’s the kind of guy who’s in his early ‘20s and still lives at home smoking pot in his basement with his friends. We learn that when Scott was young his dad tragically died in the line of dutyRead More →

28 May
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THE HIGH NOTE Director: Nisha GanatraStarring: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Ice Cube, Kelvin Harrison Jr, June Diane Raphael, Bill Pullman A feel good movie with a great cast and good music? That’s what you get with The High Note starring Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross. It’s available OnDemand//Johnson plays Maggie, a budding music producer who spends the majority of her day as the personal assistant to Grace Davis, played by Tracee Ellis Ross. Grace is an 11-time Grammy winner but hasn’t had a new album in a decade. Her team is deciding what’s the next best step for her career. A Vegas residency,Read More →

27 May
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THE VAST OF NIGHT Director: Andrew PattersonStarring: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis  Sometimes those small movies with an unknown cast take you by complete surprise. That happened to me with The Vast of Night. We’re introduced to “The Vast of Night” as an episode of Paradox Theater. Think of it like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” It’s the early 1950s in a small New Mexico town where everybody knows each other. There’s gossip, comradery, and fun as everyone enters the high school gym for a Friday night game of basketball. It’s the perfect time for something to go wrong. Faye (Sierra McCormick) isRead More →