Alpha: The Battle for Survival

Alpha may be about man’s best friend but because of the plot at hand, the film is going to draw well-deserved comparisons to The Black Stallion. There are some great visuals in this story set 20,000 years ago but they don’t play so well in 3D.  I had no issue in watching this film play out on the IMAX screen but it doesn’t need to be in 3D.  The were no big fights or anything…

"Alpha: The Battle for Survival"

Minding the Gap: A Coming-Of-Age Documentary

Minding the Gap starts down one path while the cinema verite documentary heads toward an entirely different goal altogether. Set in Rockford, Ill., filmmaker Bing Liu’s first feature documentary seeks to examine the past.  Liu follows a few young men from his hometown, Zack and Keire, in hopes of seeking answers from his own past.  The filmmaker had grown up in the same town but escaped to Chicago in search of a better life.  This…

"Minding the Gap: A Coming-Of-Age Documentary"

Crazy Rich Asians Injects Life In Rom-Coms

Crazy Rich Asians is the big screen flick that injects some new life so desperately needed in the romantic comedy genre.  If Netflix had their way, you wouldn’t be seeing the film in theaters.  This means that my Netflix-free parents wouldn’t see it at all.  Thank G-d a studio wanted to release this film in theaters because it’s a lot of fun. NYU economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) had no clue what she was getting when…

"Crazy Rich Asians Injects Life In Rom-Coms"

Songwriter: An Ed Sheeran Documentary

Murray Cumming’s documentary, Songwriter, is able to capture Ed Sheeran as he puts together his third studio album, ÷. With director Murray Cummings also being a cousin of the singer, it makes this documentary extra special.  Because it’s a family affair, Cummings goes behind-the-scenes as Sheeran puts together a new album with producer Benny Blanco.  Sheeran writes whenever he has the time–be it on the bus, a Malibu estate, or even while on a cruise…

"Songwriter: An Ed Sheeran Documentary"

Clueless holds up 23 Years Later

Amy Heckerling’s satirical Clueless manages to hold up some 23 years after it’s theatrical release.  Yeah, the film is pretty dated given the technology but it doesn’t matter. We are introduced to Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) as a montage of scenes play out to The Muff’s “Kids in America.”  The stereotypical Valley Girl is one of the most popular girls in school, no doubt helped by her litigator father, Mel (Dan Hedaya).  She is also…

"Clueless holds up 23 Years Later"

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood reveals a fascinating history for those of us not familiar with the story of Scotty Bowers. Scotty Bowers moved to Hollywood after serving as a U.S. Marine during World War II.  The rest as they say is history.  Unbeknownst to America at the time, Bowers became a lover to our favorite stars.  He did all of this while running a business at a gas station just on the…

"Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"

The Meg: You Won’t Need A Bigger Boat

The Meg offers a fair share of humor and suspense but comes off as just a bit more than the typical SyFy B-movie of the week.  At least I think it does.  When you get misgendered in the bathroom before seeing a film, it absolutely kills your mood and kick-starts a depression.  Just going off of my notes during the press screening, I can say that I appreciated the commentary with regards to shark poaching. There…

"The Meg: You Won’t Need A Bigger Boat"

Dog Days: A Crowd-Pleasing Comedy

Dog Days is the type of ensemble comedy that will chew and tug at your heart’s emotions. This is a very large ensemble cast.  There’s always a worry when it comes to a film of this nature that someone’s going to get considerable more time than others.  This does not appear to be the case.  Everyone gets what appears to be an equal amount.  In the vein of so many other ensemble films, many of…

"Dog Days: A Crowd-Pleasing Comedy"

The Most Dangerous Year: A Battle for Trans Rights

The Most Dangerous Year is an important documentary with a focus on families fighting against anti-transgender rights legislation. This documentary is personal for director Vlada Knowlton.  Her youngest daughter was five years old upon coming out but started showing signs of being transgender two years earlier.  The director comments in the film that “it was a terrifying time for us.”  Struggling to accept their child’s gender identity was one thing but the next year proved to…

"The Most Dangerous Year: A Battle for Trans Rights"

Pretty Bad Actress: How Far Would You Go?

Inspired by a true story, Pretty Bad Actress is a satirical look at how far talent will go to save their careers. Gloria Green (Heather McComb) is a former child star, best known for playing Trudie, and she’s been struggling ever since.  There’s a lot to take in during the opening, which introduces the former child star through magazine clippings.  This also helps to introduce Dawnee Von Bummell (Stephanie Hodes).  The teenager is obsessed with…

"Pretty Bad Actress: How Far Would You Go?"