21 December
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PITCH PERFECT 3 Director: Trish Sie Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hailee Steinfeld, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Kiggins, Matt Lanter, John Lithgow I don’t think anyone seeing Pitch Perfect back in 2012 would expect it to end up as a part of a trilogy. I caught bits of it again last night on NBC, and boy was there a ton of charm and glee there. Three movies in and it’s hard to find that same zest now that we’ve gotten to know the formula. The Barden Bellas have graduated college and are now living separate lives,Read More →

19 November
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THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 Director: Francis Lawrence Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin It’s all come down to this for Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) who was given the title of the Mockingjay. She is seen as the face of the Panem’s rebellion against President Snow (Sutherland) and the Capitol. When we last saw our heroine, she was being strangled by her friend, Peeta (Hutcherson). He is now currently being held in solitary confinement to regain his memory after being brainwashed by Snow. This along with other personal losses along theRead More →

03 July
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In Movie Reviews

MAGIC MIKE XXL Director: Gregory Jacobs Starring: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodtriguez, Kevin Nash, Jada Pinkett Smith, Amber Heard, Andie McDowell, Elizabeth Banks, Gabriel Iglesias Apparently it’s hard to write a good stripper movie with a strong plot. When Magic Mike hit theaters in 2012, it divided the audience. It received a strong applause from the critics for director Steven Soderbergh’s filmmaking choices and its dark approach to the story. Fans were less than impressed by the story and wanted more dancing. They wanted to see Channing Tatum and crew get down and dirty. When Magic Mike XXL got greenlit, Tatum andRead More →

12 June
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In Movie Reviews

LOVE & MERCY Director: Bill Pohlad Starring: Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Jake Abel, Kenny Wormald, Bill Camp If you love movies that delve into your favorite singers or musical groups, you’ll want to check out Love & Mercy starring Paul Dano and John Cusack who both play Brian Wilson, the lead singer of The Beach Boys. The movie goes back and forth between two different time periods in his life. Dano plays Wilson in the 1960s as he was coming off a successful tour with the group. After suffering a panic attack, he wanted to take time off to work onRead More →

14 May
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In Movie Reviews

PITCH PERFECT 2 Director: Elizabeth Banks Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Adam DeVine, Skylar Astin, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks Back in the summer of 2012, Pitch Perfect came out and became a sleeper hit. It continued to do gang buster sales once the DVD/Blu-Ray was released and Anna Kendrick’s single “Cups” was constantly being played by radio stations. It should come as no surprise that a sequel would follow. The Barden Bellas have the opportunity to have their biggest performance to date when they get to perform for President Obama and the First Lady at The Kennedy Center.Read More →

21 November
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THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 Director: Francis Lawrence Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Stanely Tucci, Natalie Dormer Leave it to the studios to split up the finale of another young adult book into two films. We’ve seen this before with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. The real question is whether there is enough material in Suzanne Collins’ book Mockingjay to warrant the split. Having read the series, I can safely say there isn’t enough to fill four hours worth ofRead More →

20 November
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In Movie Trailers

PITCH PERFECT 2 Director: Elizabeth Banks Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Hailee Steinfeld, Katey Sagal, Elizabeth Banks, Adam DeVine       How can you watch Pitch Perfect and not want to get up and sing along with the Barden Bellas? The first film became a surprise hit and Anna Kendrick’s version of “Cups” became a Top 40 hit on the radio. Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, and Brittany Snow are all back as their a capella group head to the world championship competition. Elizabeth Banks is making her directorial debut, and the sequel looks just as much funRead More →

19 June
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In Twin Cities Live

TWIN CITIES LIVE June 18, 2014         It’s a day of sequels, animated movies, and Jonah Hill.  It’s the first time one actor has been a part of all three movies I’ve talked about.  Here they are: 1. 22 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Ice Cube 2. How to Train Your Dragon 2, starring Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Craig Ferguson 3. The LEGO Movie, starring Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, and Will Ferrell Here’s the video: Video courtesy of Twin Cities Live/KSTP You can find all of my past segments HERE. As always, thank you so muchRead More →

12 February
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In Movie Reviews

THE LEGO MOVIE Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Starring: Chris Pratt, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Alison Brie, Will Forte, Jonah Hill, Dave Franco Yes, it is true. The Lego Movie is AWESOME. Eyes may have rolled when it was first announced that there would be a movie based on Legos. The trailers looked pretty funny, so I had hope that it would actually exceed the low expectations that were originally set in place. Boy, did it ever. Emmet (Pratt) wakes up every day as excited as he can be. Everything is awesome in life. He is just your ordinaryRead More →

27 November
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THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Director: Francis Lawrence Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Lynn Cohen, Donald Sutherland I have seen enough of these movies adapted from young adult books to know that the majority of them are crap. I love that The Hunger Games series has set a high bar which others in a post-Harry Potter era will have to compete with when it comes to gaining a wide audience base outside of screaming teen girls. The second film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, kicks itRead More →