C2E2 2020: Panels to Attend

This weekend marks yet another C2E2 taking place at the South Building of the McCormick Place in Chicago so here are some recommended panels to attend. Before I get into the panels, it’s going to be cold for the first two days of the weekend.  As such, you might not want to lug your heavy jacket all over the show floor and panel rooms.  The South Building of the McCormick Place will have a coat…

"C2E2 2020: Panels to Attend"

Wendy: There’s No Pixie Dust Here

Wendy seeks to tell the classic story of Peter Pan by way of a contemporary retelling but Benh Zeitlin’s first film in years just happens to fall short. The basic ideas behind J.M. Barrie’s classic novel appear in the film.  However, this is about it.  With rare exception, most of the film adaptations take place around the time that the novel was sit.  This film happens to move things up by several decades.  It may…

"Wendy: There’s No Pixie Dust Here"

Burden: Can Love Win Over Hate?

Burden tells the story of how one man made the decision to walk away from the KKK with the help of a local religious leader and social activist. Let’s paint a quick picture.  The film takes place in Laurens, S.C. in 1996 where racism was very much alive and well.  Honestly, it’s brutal to watch at times as there are more than enough moments of discomfort.  There are racial slurs throughout the film so I’m…

"Burden: Can Love Win Over Hate?"

Knives Out: Bring Home The Best Film of 2019

Knives Out, the Solzy Award-winning film of the year, is now available for audiences to bring home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital. Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is discovered dead on the morning after his 85th birthday party.  We don’t know whether he was killed or whether he did the deed himself.  What we do know is that members of the Thrombey family are being questioned by Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and…

"Knives Out: Bring Home The Best Film of 2019"

Frozen 2: Now Available To Bring Home

Following its theatrical release, Frozen 2 is now available for audiences to bring the movie home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. Bonus Features (may vary by retailer) Blu-ray & Digital: Sing-Along Version of the Movie – Sing along with your favorite songs as you watch the movie. Song Selection – Jump to your favorite musical moments, with on-screen lyrics. Songs include Oscar®-nominated “Into The Unknown,” “All Is Found,” “Some Things Never Change,”…

"Frozen 2: Now Available To Bring Home"

Standing Up, Falling Down: A Familiar Story

A stand-up comedian moves home after four years of struggling to find success in Los Angeles in the recently released Standing Up, Falling Down. The story told in this film is one that is all too familiar.  While stand-up opportunities are all over New York City, the biggest opportunities are almost always in Los Angeles.  Take it from this improviser who weirdly became a film critic (I haven’t given up on comedy for what it’s…

"Standing Up, Falling Down: A Familiar Story"

D. Wade: Life Unexpected profiles NBA star

D. Wade: Life Unexpected presents an unfiltered look at NBA star Dwyane Wade as the future Hall of Fame enters his final year in the NBA. Filmmaker Bob Metelus and Wade are long time friends.  It’s because of this that we’re getting a look into the ballplayer’s life that is so raw and unfiltered.  Could another filmmaker be able to do this?  Maybe but what Metelus is able to do is present a side of…

"D. Wade: Life Unexpected profiles NBA star"

Hunters: This Series Isn’t For Everyone

Amazon’s newest television series, Hunters, follows a team of Nazi Hunters–led by Meyer Offerman–living in New York City in 1977. To say that the first half of the series didn’t sit well with me would not be an understatement.  The tone is somewhere closer to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds than Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.  Don’t even think about comparisons to Best Picture nominee Jojo Rabbit because the two couldn’t be more different in tone. Where…

"Hunters: This Series Isn’t For Everyone"

Miracle Revisits the Miracle On Ice

Miracle revisits the Miracle on Ice, when the United States defeated the Soviet Union to get a step closer to the Gold Medal during the 1980 Winter Olympics. “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” Then-ABC sports broadcaster Al Michaels captured the moment rather well with the now-iconic line.  Forty years to the day, the game remains one of the best moments in sports history.  One that most Americans thought aired live on television but ABC…

"Miracle Revisits the Miracle On Ice"

Onward: An Emotional And Magical Journey

Onward takes viewers on an emotional journey by way of the Lightfoot brothers in a world where magic has been long forgotten. Pixar has a way of making magic.  Sometimes, this magic comes by way of a world that’s long forgotten how to use it.  In this case, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Tom Holland and Chris Pratt)–a pair of elves–attempt to bring their father, Wilden Lightfoot (Kyle Bornheimer), back if only for a day.  Unfortunately,…

"Onward: An Emotional And Magical Journey"