When, with little notice, my movie companion was free for the evening for a film, I scrambled to find something suitable for both of us (said companion has displayed great patience in the past with my leanings toward less-than-blockbuster-esque films). Enter Black Mass—a decent enough crime drama with some violence, a lot of mobsters, and…
“I feel like I ambushed you,” said my vegetarian movie companion at the end of watching Unity. But I didn’t feel that way. Sure, the movie uses over-the-top images to promote against cruel treatment of animals (which I too am against), but as the writer and director noted during the Q&A after the film (the…
I remarked after finishing Revival this may be my least favorite Stephen King novel. On further reflection, I’m sure that it is. It’s not that this is a bad novel. It’s not. And it’s not that there isn’t something keenly Kingesque involved. There is. But for me, the story drug on with only a promise…
Paper Towns is an easy read and a fine enough book. It’s not great. It’s not deep. It’s not much of anything remarkable. But fine enough, that it is. As I continue blending genres of books, it is nice to return every so often to a quick read that doesn’t hide much and doesn’t try…
This will surprise those who know how many movies I see, but I have never seen the movie, The Color Purple. I know, right? (But to be fair, that was a great movie long before I sought out great movies. And now that I know more about the story, I can admit that I missed…
While We’re Young is a pleasant, easy movie, good for some relaxing and enjoyable laughs. Set as a movie regarding a couple in their early 40s at the crossroads of watching a carefree youth set sail over the horizon while they settle down into the stable, shored life they’ve built for themselves, the film rings…
Horror. For the most part, this isn’t my typical genre I prefer when seeing movies. As much as I loved the original Halloween, Friday the 13th, and I’m sure others (although I *still* have never visited Elm Street or played with Chucky), at some point, everything became too formulaic and predictable. The fright was less.…
I cannot say that The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is an excellent movie. But I can say that it was a wonderful pleasure to watch. Sure, it’s contrived and predictable and not deep enough. But it’s also gentle and sweet and full of love and life. It’s not as fresh as the first, as…
The trailer for Inherent Vice made it seem that this movie would be a fun, quirky (albeit a little dark) movie with a fantastic cast. At the end of the film, the only word I really came up with, though, was “bizarre.” And bizarre is too far from quirky for me. Not that the movie…
First, I should note that I did not read the book Unbroken. And unlike my norm, I heard a bit too much about the film before seeing it. Whether that colored my perception of the movie, I’ll never know for certain, but it is a factor to consider in understanding the various views of the…
If you know me, then you probably could guess that I had fun watching Into the Woods. And you’d guess correctly. Others might want more of the movie than mere fun, but to me, that’s what I expected. And I enjoyed the time watching the film. I’d not seen the stage production or any other…
The Hundred-Foot Journey is a delightfully charming film that brought warmth and smiles. It’s cliché, sure, but it’s done with enough heart that I wasn’t bothered by the repeated-time-and-again story in the least. And Helen Mirren, of course, shines, from haughty to heartwarmingly enchanting. As a student of cooking, as a person who nurtures through…
Families are complicated. They’re often messy. Those messes can devolve and destroy and devour some. Too often people stay in a bad relationship with family members simply because of shared genetics, allowing abuse and hurt to fester and spoil. But sometimes those bad moments are misunderstood and need to be worked out. Sometimes time does…
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is a charming film that showcases the later life of Elaine Stritch, Broadway actress. The show focuses on Elaine at age 86, including her times of ebbing health as age and life catch up with her. So although she discusses her past many acts on Broadway (five Tony nominations (one win)),…
I rarely see a movie on opening day, so to see one three days *before* opening day was quite a treat. We had yummy Corner Taco before hand. We had a pitcher of local pale ale poured and cold. We had a large bowl of the best popcorn in Duval County. And we had two…