Sylvie’s Love: A Charming Period Drama

Sylvie’s Love is a charming period drama making its arrival on Amazon Prime after being selected for Sundance earlier this year. The film starts out in the early 1960s before flashing back to 1957.  Sylvie (Tessa Thompson) wants to work in television but for now, she’s spending her summer working at her dad’s record store.  Meanwhile, her fiancé (in an arranged marriage) isn’t back from the war yet.  Looking at the time period, this is…

"Sylvie’s Love: A Charming Period Drama"

The Midnight Sky: A Modern-Day On The Beach

The Midnight Sky, directed by and co-starring George Clooney, is a modern-day version of Stanley Kramer’s Oscar-nominated On the Beach. Living in isolation is one of the major things to come out of 2020.  To no surprise, one of the biggest film’s of the year is about just that.  No, there isn’t a pandemic but the planet is suffering.  Is humanity heading towards the verge of extinction?  Quite possibly.  And yet, George Clooney does one…

"The Midnight Sky: A Modern-Day On The Beach"

Cast Away Marks 20th Anniversary

Cast Away, which landed Tom Hanks another nomination for Best Actor, is the most 2020 film to be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020. Think about it.  FedEx systems analyst executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) finds himself in the most 2020 position possible: stranded on a deserted island.  The film takes place in 1995 and Noland is in the worst possible position with no food, water, shelter, or company.  His only food comes by whatever…

"Cast Away Marks 20th Anniversary"

Fatale: Thriller Misses The Mark

Fatale, the new thriller from Deon Taylor, misses the mark in one of the final theatrical releases to ring out the dumpster fire. Sports agent Derrick (Michael Ealy) may be successful in life but he’s not so successful in vetting his one-night stands.  Seriously.  How can someone be so foolish enough?  I swear people vet their Facebook friend requests more than they vet their one-night stands.  Seriously.  One thing that is certain about one-night stands:…

"Fatale: Thriller Misses The Mark"

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: A Farewell To A Star

Chadwick Boseman graces the screen and bids fans farewell during an Oscar-worthy performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It was never supposed to end this way.  Chadwick Boseman was our king.  He was never supposed to be taken away from us so soon.  I’ve watched this film twice–the first viewing came before the embargo lifted.  But it is a struggle to pen the words.  What do you say about an award-worthy performance when you’re watching…

"Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: A Farewell To A Star"

Greenland: A 21st Century Deep Impact

Greenland is a thrilling race against time for one family as they hope to get to safety in the bunker before it ends up being too late. The short of it is that Greenland is the modern-day Deep Impact with a lottery system deciding who lives and who dies.  There is a difference between the two films as this film does not focus on the government leaders or news coverage.  Instead, the focus is on…

"Greenland: A 21st Century Deep Impact"

The Last Blockbuster: A Tribute To A Long Gone Era

The Last Blockbuster, standing in Bend, Oregon, is a tribute in and of itself to the long gone era of looking around for something to rent. While theaters are currently fighting for their survival in a world destined for streaming, Blockbuster remains the one of the only places where you can still rent movies.  Okay, so it may just be a single Blockbuster store that’s still standing.  It’s a stark reminder of an era that…

"The Last Blockbuster: A Tribute To A Long Gone Era"

Love, Lights, Hanukkah: A Shanda For Hallmark

Love, Lights, Hanukkah is another failure of the Hallmark Channel’s trying efforts to incorporate Chanukah into its Xmas movies. The gist of the film is that a restaurant owner, Christina (Mia Kirshner), takes a DNA test and learns she’s 50% Jewish.  If the filmmakers knew anything about such tests, they would know that the proper phrasing would likely be Ashkenazi or Sephardic.  Instead, they just go with Jewish because let’s face it–Hallmark doesn’t know what…

"Love, Lights, Hanukkah: A Shanda For Hallmark"

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, directed by Frank Marshall, is a career-spanning documentary on the Gibb brothers. Over 1,000 songs. Twenty #1 hits. Barry Gibb appears in new revelatory interviews but Robin and Maurice Gibb only appear in archival footage.  The film makes great use of the archives including footage from recording sessions, concerts, television appearances, and home videos.  This is in addition to interviews with other musicians and record…

"The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"

Tenet Arrives Home On Blu-ray For Safe Viewing

Tenet is finally making its arrival on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray so audiences can view the film in the safest way possible during a pandemic. I enjoyed this film for what it is but Tenet is not the film to risk your life during a pandemic.  I watched the film for the first time on a 43″ 4K TV.  It is as close to the theatrical experience that I am going to get for…

"Tenet Arrives Home On Blu-ray For Safe Viewing"