With an end to the 2017 summer movie season, it’s time to round up my favorite films of this summer. While I was credentialed for both the Chicago Critics Film Festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival, and remotely covered a few films selected for the Flyover Film Festival, I am not including any of those films unless they’ve been released in theaters, video on demand, or Digital HD. I’ll start with the documentaries. I’ve seen…
"My Favorite Films of Summer 2017"Tag: Logan Lucky
Another winner this summer was original summer content that came in the form of Baby Driver, The Big Sick, Dunkirk, and Girls Trip. 47 Meters Down also makes the list given how much it made at the box office against its budget. Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver opened in late June to an opening of $20.5 million. Wright’s film used a musical soundtrack in ways that the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise may never reach. The…
"Summer Winner: Original Summer Content"
The next summer loser was the entire month of August. In a month packed with so many independent films fighting for an audience, it was the studios that failed to offer a film that could appeal to the entire family or at least a few of the movie-going quadrants. The month started off with the release of The Dark Tower from Sony Pictures and Aviron’s Kidnap starring Halle Berry. Nevermind the fact that Sony had…
"Summer Loser: The Month of August" With the release of Logan Lucky, director Steven Soderbergh is back in a big way with a very funny heist caper. Directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by first-time screenwriter Rebecca Blunt, the heist film stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Brian Gleeson, Jack Quaid, with Hilary Swank, and Daniel Craig. Logan Lucky was produced as a test to see if indie filmmakers…
"Logan Lucky: Steven Soderbergh is Back!"
Actor Jim O’Heir spoke to me early this afternoon in a phone call lasting nearly 15 minutes. Our conversation covered Parks and Recreation, Middle Man, and baseball. He is currently starring in Middle Man, playing in select theaters this weekend. Thanks for joining Solzy at the Movies today. How are you doing? Jim O’Heir: Good. When I last interviewed you two years ago, you were starring in the final season of Parks and Recreation and…
"INTERVIEW: Jim O’Heir talks Middle Man, Parks and Recreation"