French Exit, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, follows a broke socialite and her son in the new film from Azazel Jacobs. Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer) had plans “to die before the money ran out.” Alas, this was not to be. Insolvent and widowed at the start of the film, the Manhattan socialite decides to move to Paris. The mere premise has all the makes of a comedy but instead, it’s a drama. Frances could…
"New York FF 2020: French Exit"Month: October 2020
Luke Barnett spoke with Solzy at the Movies about his new film, Faith Based, and the controversy that ensued upon the initial announcement. Gravitas Ventures is opening Faith Based in select theaters and VOD on Friday. Can you speak to the challenges of releasing a film during a pandemic? Luke Barnett: It’s strange, to say the least. Faith Based was supposed to be released in theaters, and I think we got a different email every…
"Luke Barnett talks Faith Based"
The War with Grandpa is a cringe-worthy comedy that doesn’t really break new ground on the genre nor offer anything we haven’t seen before. The antics in The War with Grandpa draw along similar lines to Home Alone. A key difference being that the two at war are family members. In spite of the cast, this film simply isn’t good. While Rob Riggle is a natural comedian, Robert De Niro has shown in both Meet…
"The War with Grandpa: Raise the White Flag"
Spontaneous is an explosive coming-of-age comedy where no day is even guaranteed for anyone attending Covington High School. Aaron Starmer’s novel gets the small screen treatment in Brian Duffield’s adaptation. While the novel was first published four years ago, the story being told is very much on brand for 2020. Imagine going to high school and witnessing your friends exploding to death with blood landing everywhere. The amount of clothing that needs to be washed…
"Spontaneous: An Explosive Coming-Of-Age Comedy"
Hugh Jackman turns in a career performance as a superintendent in Bad Education and the film is now available on Blu-ray. My original film review from the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival: Bad Education features a star-studded cast and tells the incredible true story about what transpired in a prestigious Long Island school district. When Hilltop Beacon reporter Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan) looks into some expense reports for an upcoming Roslyn School District project, she…
"Bad Education Available On Blu-ray"
Totally Under Control is yet another documentary arriving before Election Day and among the most damning for the Trump Administration. That the documentary takes its own title from Trump’s very words should not be a surprise. Don’t forget this is the same Donald Trump who downplayed the threat of Covid-19 in public while telling Bob Woodward differently. Secretly filmed during the pandemic, the film was not locked until October 1st. Hours later, Trump would test…
"Totally Under Control Condemns Donald Trump"
George Cukor teams up with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in the classic romantic comedy, The Philadelphia Story. Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart are three of the biggest screen legends of all time. In fact, Stewart won an Oscar for Best Actor. This is in part because of Stewart losing for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington one year earlier. Donald Ogden Stewart picked up an Oscar for his screenplay. In addition to the two…
"The Philadelphia Story: An All-Time Screwball Classic"
Following the announcement of I’m Your Woman and special presentations, AFI Fest Fest 2020 has announced the complete program. The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the films that will play in the World Cinema, New Auteurs, Documentary, Cinema’s Legacy, Short Film Competition, Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST and the AFI Conservatory Showcase sections at AFI FEST 2020 presented by Audi, completing this year’s festival’s program. The complete AFI FEST program includes…
"AFI Fest 2020 Unveils Complete Lineup"
Four years after Warner Archive first issued Drop Dead Gorgeous on DVD, the cult classic finally makes its arrival on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray itself is short on special features. There’s an opportunity to add on some supplemental materials. Instead, all we are left with is the theatrical trailer. No commentary or where they are now features. Aside from this, they use a new 1080 master to present the film. What follows is my full review…
"Drop Dead Gorgeous Arrives on Blu-ray"
Despite the presence of Kathie Lee Gifford, Craig Ferguson, and Elizabeth Hurley, Then Came You is a mostly forgettable film. At first glance upon reading the synopsis, you’d have thought this would be a film for cinephiles. Annabelle Wilson (Kathie Lee Gifford) is a widow following the death of her late husband, Fred. Together, the two of them lived in Nantucket and would go to the movies every week. They also ran a hardware store…
"Then Came You Is Mostly Forgettable"