20 February
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In Award Ceremonies

Unleash Your Inner Foodie: FOR YOUR OSCAR PARTY CONSIDERATION I am once again honored to have DeeAnn McArdle publish one of my articles for her wonderful foodie and entertaining website “Unleash Your Inner Foodie”. She asked me for my annual article regarding all things Oscars! We throw an Oscar party each year with many friends so I thought this was a perfect idea for her website. Don’t forget to check out the rest of her website for fabulous recipes and cocktails for your Oscar party! Here’s the beginning of the article: “We’re delighted our favorite Movie Critic – Paul McGuire is back to share hisRead More →

18 February
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In Movie Reviews

AMOUR Writer/Director: Michael Haneke Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert The opening scene reveals how the film will end, but there is never a moment of boredom or wandering thoughts throughout Michael Haneke’s latest film. Anne (Riva) and Georges (Trintignant) are retired music teachers. They are both in the eighties and live a simple life in their cozy apartment. After returning home from a piano recital, their back and forth banter is pure evidence of the love and joy they have for each other. They are a beautiful couple that have grown old together and have never lost that initial love they originally hadRead More →

13 February
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In Award Ceremonies

AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG GOES TO… Unlike last year with only two nominees, this year we have a full category with five composers and lyricists vying out for the Best Original Song Oscar. All five songs are vastly different which makes for some interesting voting. My vote is pretty obvious if you read my blog. I would love to see the sultry songstress Adele win for “Skyfall”. I know some people may be on Adele overload, but I think it is one of the best Bond themes ever written. I think the Academy will feel the same way I do. It hasRead More →

11 February
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In Movie Reviews, Uncategorized

SIDE EFFECTS Director: Steven Soderbergh Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vinessa Shaw, Mamie Gummer Steven Soderbergh has tackled such diverse subjects as airborne viruses, male stripping, casino heists, and drug trafficking. In his latest, Side Effects, he and frequent screenwriter Scott Z. Burns tackle the world of pharmaceutical companies. Emily (Mara) is thrilled that her husband Martin (Tatum) has been released from jail. Martin was taken away on their glorious wedding day for insider trading. At first life seems to be getting back to normal, but Emily’s past bout with depression and anxiety seems to creep back into her life. ARead More →

08 February
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In Movie Reviews, My Criterion Collection

GREY GARDENS Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer Starring: Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, Edith Bouvier Beale, Jerry Torre, Brooks Hyers In the current era of watching reality television when it seems normal to watch the lives of trashy people, drunk people, or rich snobby people, one would not bat a lash at watching a documentary about two crazy cat ladies. In 1975, a cult classic was born as documentarians David and Albert Maysles stepped onto the estate of Grey Gardens located in East Hampton. From the rundown, decrepit appearance on the outside one would think it was abandoned but inside livedRead More →

28 January
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In Award Ceremonies

THE 19th SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARD WINNERS As an actor, I love watching the Screen Actors Guild Awards. I am not a member of SAG/AFTRA so I am not an actual voter, but I have some friends that are members so it was fun hearing them talk about the movies they have gotten in the mail to watch. Actors love getting these awards as they sometimes mean the most to them as they are being awarded by their fellow actors and peers. Here is a list of the winners from the 19th SAG Awards: OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE The CastRead More →

24 January
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In Movie Trailers

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES Director: Derek Cianfrance Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Dane DeHaan, Eva Mendes If you saw Blue Valentine in 2010, you know the work of director Derek Cianfrance. He reunites with Ryan Gosling to bring you another intense character study. Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stunt rider that turns to bank robbery in effort to provide for his son and ex-girlfriend Romina (Mendes), who is the mother of his child. Luke’s actions come to the attention of rookie cop Avery (Cooper) and the even more corrupt Detective Deluca (Liotta). The film premiered at the Toronto FilmRead More →

15 January
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In Movie Reviews

ZERO DARK THIRTY Director: Kathryn Bigelow Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton “When you lie to me, I hurt you.” I always applaud movies that are based on actual historical events that still manage to keep you completely engrossed and on the edge of your seat. Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film after winning the Oscar for The Hurt Locker is just that kind of movie. Fellow Oscar winner Mark Boal’s screenplay takes off early on as the torture scenes paint the picture for the kind of story about to be told. These scenes open the movie as Dan (Clarke) is aRead More →

14 January
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In Award Ceremonies

THE 70th GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNERS It was a big night in Hollywood as the 2013 Golden Globes were handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. While it usually is a precursor to the Oscars, there is no overlap in members of the Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Ben Affleck won for Best Director and he was completely left off the Oscar nomination list. Here are the winners of the Motion Picture portion of the evening: Best Motion Picture-Drama ARGO Best Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy LES MISERABLES Best Director BEN AFFLECK Best Actor-Drama DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, Lincoln Best Actress-Drama JESSICA CHASTAIN, Zero Dark Thirty BestRead More →

07 January
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In Movie Reviews

PROMISED LAND Director: Gus Van Sant Starring: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook I will be honest. I had never heard of the term “fracking” untilPromised Land came around. I am assuming that many people do not know what that term is. Fracking is the slang term for hydraulic fracturing which is the core debate in the latest Gus Van Sant/Matt Damon reunion. Steve Butler (Damon) and Sue Thomason (McDormand) work for Global, a natural gas company that is interested in buying farm land in order to drill for gas. Steve and Sue visit a small rural town in hopes toRead More →