11 February
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JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Director: Shaka KingStarring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Martin Sheen, Lil Rel Howery, Ashton Sanderson, Dominique Thorne, Algee Smith, Darrell Britt-Gibson Daniel Kaluuya is one of those actors you can’t get take your eyes off of. He followed up his Oscar nominated role in Get Out with Black Panther and Widows. In his new film Judas and the Black Messiah, he takes on Black Panther revolutionary Fred Hampton. FBI director J.Edgar Hoover had it out for the Black Panther party. He sees them as a massive threat to national security. It’s 1968 and 21 year old FredRead More →

11 February
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In Interviews

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Interviews – Honoring the Legacy of Fred Hampton The powerful new film Judas and the Black Messiah is not to be missed. Director Shaka King has made a vital film shining a new light on the work and death of Fred Hampton and the Black Panther party. I sat down with Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Ashton Sanders, Dominique Thorne, Algee Smith, Darrell Britt-Gibson, and Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. to talk about the film. Kaluuya has received a Golden Globe and SAG nomination for his work. Judas and the Black Messiah is out February 12 on HBO Max andRead More →

10 September
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In Movie Reviews

I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS Writer/Director: Charlie KaufmanStarring: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis, Guy Boyd  Charlie Kaufman seems to confound moviegoers with each of his movies making us question what’s real, what’s fictional, and what it all means in the end. These Kaufmanisms are on full display in his latest, I’m Thinking of Ending Things. The phrase “I’m thinking of ending things” is mentioned multiple times in voiceover from Jessie’s Buckley’s character. She’s credited as Young Woman but is also referred to as Lucy and Louisa. She’s on a road trip to meet her boyfriend’s parents despite the fact she’s thinking of ending thisRead More →

21 November
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In Movie Reviews

THE IRISHMAN Director: Martin ScorseseStarring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Harvey Keitel, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (De Niro) was a teamster who was taken under by the Bufalino crime family out of Pennsylvania. He could do their dirty work, which led to his working relationship with Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) and this film charts the rise and unexpected fall between the two of them. The robust script by Steven Zaillian is based on the book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt who interviewed Frank Sheeran and wrote this as his confessional to killing JimmyRead More →

29 August
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In Special Series

NETFLIX ANNOUNCES RUN TIMES AND RELEASE DATES FOR “THE IRISHMAN” Netflix alerted audiences this week that Martin Scorsese’s new epic, The Irishman, will run 210 minutes. That’s 3.5 hours. And you thought Avengers: Endgame was long. Scorsese is no stranger to making long movies, so this should come as no surprise. It marks his longest film to date, but does it really even matter? When you have one of the greatest living directors reteaming with his trusted company of actors including: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel, you let the master do his thing. It’s not just his cast that shouldRead More →

31 July
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In Movie Trailers

THE IRISHMAN Director: Martin ScorseseStarring: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Jesse Plemons Martin Scorsese became synonymous with gangster movies with films like Goodfellas and Casino under his belt. He returns to that environment with The Irishman, named after Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. Steven Zaillian’s script is adapted from the book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt. Brandt’s work is an epic look at Sheeran’s rise to power under Jimmy Hoffa and his eventual involvement in Hoffa’s death. It’s a FASCINATING story, which will no doubt be accurately brought to life by Scorsese and his trusted partnershipsRead More →

01 January
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In Movie Reviews

VICE Writer/Director: Adam McKayStarring:  Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Tyler Perry, Jesse Plemos, Lisa Gay Hamilton Writer/director Adam McKay is best known for comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers. In 2015, he surprised audiences and critics with The Big Short, a “dramedy” about the housing market crash. That film led him to an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. He’s back with the same approach to tell the Dick Cheney (Bale) story. The film starts with his early days as a rowdy, trouble-making partygoer in Wyoming and his wife Lynne (Adams) threatening him to get his act together. The first half jumps back andRead More →

22 February
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In Movie Reviews

GAME NIGHT Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Danny Huston When I think of game night, I think of a rousing game of Settlers of Catan with friends where I inevitably never seem to get the right resources and lose to my husband. Cocktails may be flowing, but that wouldn’t make for a lively movie. Lucky for us, it never reaches the height of what occurs in Game Night. Serious gamers Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) met at trivia night at their local bar and fell in loveRead More →

11 January
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In Movie Reviews

THE POST Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon, Sarah Paulson, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys, Jesse Plemons, David Cross, Zach Woods Director Steven Spielberg has spent the recent part of his career making historical dramas with Munich, Lincoln, and Bridge of Spies, not to mention all of his war-based films. He wants to hold a mirror to our past so we can learn from history and apply it to our present day political environment. The Post uses the Vietnam War as it’s starting point with Matthew Rhys as Daniel, a vet who witnesses government officials lyingRead More →

19 October
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In Movie Reviews

BRIDGE OF SPIES Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell, Jesse Plemons, Billy Magnussen, Will Rogers Steven Spielberg has tackled many war stories before with Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, and War Horse. His latest film, Bridge of Spies, focuses in on the height of the Cold War in 1957. Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who is asked to defend Rudolf Abel (Rylance). He’s a Soviet spy who’s been captured and arrested for conspiracy to commit espionage. While most people would like to see him found guilty, Donovan believes he deserves a fair defense.Read More →