17 September
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In Movie Reviews

BLACKBIRD Director: Roger MichellStarring: Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Rainn Wilson, Sam Neill, Lindsay Duncan, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Anson Boon Susan Sarandon gives another moving performance with the emotional film Blackbird. Her character, Lily, has been living with ALS. Knowing it’s a terminal diagnosis, she has decided to carry out her final days with dignity on her own terms instead of letting the disease take control of the rest of her life. Her family arrives at their countryside estate for one final family gathering, but Lily’s decision doesn’t sit well with her daughters, Jennifer (Winslet) and Anna (Wasikowska). Their sibling rivalry comes to head ignoringRead More →

15 December
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COLLATERAL BEAUTY Director: David Frankel Starring: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Peña, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jacob Latimore, Naomie Harris, Ann Dowd Sometimes you need those movies that are a little bit schmaltzy to put you in just the right mood for Christmas. It can be a hard time for people who have lost a loved one whether it’s a child, parent, or significant other. This film is for that audience. You could consider Collateral Beauty a Christmas movie as the whole thing is set at that time, yet the script doesn’t directly refer to the holiday as much as you would expect.Read More →

26 February
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In Movie Reviews

TRIPLE 9 Director: John Hillcoat Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Teresa Palmer, Gal Gadot, Clifton Collins, Jr, Michael Kenneth Williams A thrilling bank heist can be the perfect way to start a film. It’s an easy choice, but when it’s done well, it never gets old. The Dark Knight and Dog Day Afternoon utilize this very concept perfectly. Triple 9 kicks things into high gear from the get go with a group of five men (Paul, Reedus, Mackie, Ejiofor, and Collins) pulling off the heist, each one having their own role in the job, asRead More →

18 February
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In Award Ceremonies

OSCAR! OSCAR! REVIEWS OF NOMINATED FILMS We are merely days away from Oscar night, and I still can’t predict who will go home the winner of the coveted Best Picture Oscar. I can’t even predict Best Director at this point. I thought I would share links to my reviews for some of the nominated films for those who may be feeling behind or need to narrow down their “must watch” list. Just click on the film’s title to go to the reviews. Plus, I’ve listed the nominations it received. The Big Short – 5 nominations Picture Director – Adam McKay Supporting Actor – Christian Bale AdaptedRead More →

11 January
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In Award Ceremonies

THE 73rd GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS Here are the winners for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards brought to you by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association BEST MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA The Revenant BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS-DRAMA Brie Larson, Room BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR-DRAMA Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant BEST MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY/MUSICAL The Martian BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS-COMEDY/MUSICAL Jennifer Lawrence, Joy BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR-COMEDY/MUSICAL Matt Damon, The Martian BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Sylvester Stallone, Creed BEST DIRECTOR Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILMRead More →

30 December
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In Special Series

2015: A YEAR IN REVIEW It’s that time of the year again when critics post their best and worst of the year lists. The beginning of 2015 was a big doozy to the point where I thought it was going to be a bad year at the movies. It was one lousy movie after another (Get Hard, Chappie). The summer hit and the year seemed to be turning around especially after long running franchises were brought back to life to thunderous applause (Jurassic World, Mad Max Fury Road). The year ended with some wonderful smaller films packing a punch (Spotlight, Carol) and big studio filmsRead More →

16 October
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In Movie Reviews

STEVE JOBS Director: Danny Boyle Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Seth Rogen, Katherine Waterston After the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, I saw hordes of people reading the book “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson as a way to get inside his head and use it for motivation in their business ventures. I will proudly admit to drinking the Apple Kool-Aid, but I have not dived into that tome yet. Emmy and Oscar winning writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, “The West Wing”) has now used portions of that book as the framework for his script. Instead of doing your standardRead More →

02 July
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In Movie Trailers

STEVE JOBS Director: Danny Boyle Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels         It was only a matter of time after Steve Jobs’ passing that his life and career would get the big screen treatment. Most people have probably forgotten about Ashton Kutcher playing him in Jobs. The second movie is simply titled Steve Jobs, and it has far more going for it than Jobs. Director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) lined up an all-star cast including: Michael Fassbender in the title role, Seth Rogen as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Kate Winslet as a member of the Mac team, and JeffRead More →

20 March
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In Movie Reviews

THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT Director: Robert Schwentke Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Mekhi Phifer Let’s recap the world of Divergent because it can get a bit tricky. Even for someone that read the first book and saw the first movie, I felt a little confused at times. In a dystopian Chicago, the people have been split up into five sections called factions based on their aptitudes. They include: Amity (the peaceful), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Erudite (the intelligent), and Candor (the honest), plus some people that have been shunned away calledRead More →

23 March
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In Movie Reviews

DIVERGENT Director: Neil Burger Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller Big screen adaptations based on young adult book series are a hot commodity in Hollywood right now. Some of them have been hugely successful like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight. Other like Beautiful Creatures, The Mortal Instruments, and Vampire Academy have not left a lasting impression on moviegoers. Divergent is the next film in this sub-genre hoping to have a massive appeal. It is based on the first book in a series of three by Veronica Roth. ItRead More →