In romantic relationships, we always assume that true love prevails and conquers all…right??!! That’s what Samuel (Robert Pattinson thought until things go terribly awry. Taking place in the Wild, Wild West circa 1870, Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson), an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). After picking up a drunk Parson named Henry (David Zellner) and a miniature horse called Butterscotch, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel. Writers/Directors David and Nathan Zellner have outdone themselves with this one. The manner in which they seamlessly blur the lines between comedy and drama is stunning.…
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- AFI Film Festival, Coming Attractions, Documentary Film Review, entertainment, Film Festivals, Film Reviews
AFI DOCS: Deportation of 1917 Bisbee Arizona Revisited in Riveting Documentary
News reports of thousands of immigrants being deported after their contribution to making America great again dominate on a daily basis. As annoyed or shocked as we are about these actions brought about by our current administration, nothing compares to the 1,200 immigrant copper miners snatched from their homes and left to die in the middle of the Bisbee, Arizona desert. Directed by Robert Green, Bisbee ’17 follows the 21st century community of this small mining ghost town as they reenact the 100 anniversary uncovering personal stories and complex family histories along the way. Watching this town put themselves in the shoes of these immigrants, who some of which had…
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Ellis Haizlip’s Niece Pays Tribute in Audience Winning Doc Mr SOUL!
A graduate of Howard University, Haizlip set the vibe of the times and changed the minds of what and how Americans viewed what Black American culture was really all about. It was the first time we saw the likes of Nikki Giovani, James Baldwin and even the famed leader of the Nation of Islam - Honorable Elijah Mohammed.
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Paul Rudd is Perfect in The Catcher Was a Spy
I’m always down for a good tale of espionage, especially when it involves Baseball. Doesn’t make sense right? Let me break it down for you. The Catcher Was A Spy is the true life story of Boston White Sox player Moe Berg. Not only did was this dude a real spy, but her spoke seven languages – fluently. Oh, and did I mention he was also bisexual. You can’t say he didn’t live his life to its fullest. As an intelligence operative, he interviewed physicists about the Nazi nuclear program and played an instrumental role in the U.S. effort to defeat Germany, later transferring to the CIA. Paul Rudd is…
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Filmstruck Celebrates The Best of Blaxploitation, LGBTQ and Dads in June
Funk. Soul. Ultra-hip. This month, FilmStruck is highlighting Blaxploitation cinema, a group of films made specifically for African American audiences in the 1970s just as black filmmakers were finally allowed to make Hollywood features.
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What’s it Like to Be a Superhero? Incredibles 2 Cast Spills the Beans
Today is the day!!! Incredibles 2 hits theatres and is already breaking records becoming the biggest animated film opening EVER beating Finding Dory!!!! It’s rumored to open with $170M. I was fortunate enough to attend the press junket and came away with some humorous and juicy details from the cast and director Brad Bird (who also voices the fantabulous Edna Mode). Here are some excerpts from that event… Question: Not a second goes by between Incredibles and Incredibles 2. What was behind the decision to pick it up right away instead of having like an older Violet, an older Dash, an older Jack-Jack. BRAD BIRD: I just thought it was…
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Childhood Games Never Looked More Fun than in TAG
Remember those kids from the neighborhood? You know the ones that you spent every waking day with over the weekends bike riding all over the city or grabbing a showing of the latest hot flick with or the ones you cried with when that one boy you were completely in love with had his arm around someone else? Of course you do. So, imagine taking one of those games you loved as a kid to a whole new level for more than 30 years? Well, that’s exactly what Shawn, Chris, Brian. and Mike from Spokane, Washington did and it garnered enough national attention to be made into a feature…
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Elastagirl and Jack Jack Steal the Show in Disney*Pixar’s Incredibles 2
Disney has done it again! Incredibles 2 surpasses the excitement of its predecessor totally entertaining the adult children like myself. When we catch up with Elastagirl, Mr. Incredible, Violet and Dash – superheroes have been deemed illegal and are underground. When their best efforts to convince society that superheroes being needed and relevant aare thwarted, their superhero program is being shutdown and they have to find new digs in just a few short weeks. Elastagirl comes to the rescue with the help of cool techno-geek villain Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keaner) and her overly enthusiastic brother Winston (Bob Odenkirk). Let me just say that Elastagirl is a total badass when…
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Hardwick and Good Scorch The Screen in A Boy…A Girl…A Dream
There was a man I once met whose chemistry was so strong that when he held my hand, it felt like electricity shooting through my body. Our entire relationship was electric. However, eventually when the light bill doesn’t get paid the lights go out…so did our relationship. Have you ever met someone who sees you exactly for who you are and wants to be with you anyway. Someone that challenges you and makes you challenge them right back? A Boy (Omari-Hardwick/Cass) meets A Girl (Meagan Goode/Frida) and they shared A Dream. A dream that would’ve seen our country elect its first female President. A dream that put caution to the…
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Family, Race, Class and Triumph of Human Spirit Examined in QUEST
For his debut documentary, QUEST, director Jonathan Olshefski spent nearly a decade chronicling the daily triumphs and tragedies of the Raineys, a working class African-American family in North Philadelphia. The father, Christopher “Quest” Rainey, is a local music producer and promoter who hosts a popular freestyle session for aspiring rappers in his home basement studio; the mother, Christine’a “Ma Quest” Rainey, works night shifts at a homeless shelter; and their spirited adolescent daughter, Patricia “PJ” Rainey, is a daddy’s girl who loves to play basketball. QUEST, directed by Olshefski and produced by Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, features original music by Christopher “Quest” Rainey. QUEST has its national broadcast and streaming debut on…
