Category: Movie Reviews

The Arch and St. Louis at the Movies

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Being a native of St. Louis, it’s always a kick to see your hometown in the movies. That moment when you smile at the sight of the Arch, Laclede’s Landing or perhaps Grand boulevard. It’s a small proud moment. Sometimes, films don’t actually film there but basically show an air shot that they put into their movie without actually shooting a single take there. Movies like the Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy comedy, Identity Thief. Parenthood, the 1989 Ron Howard film, was set in St. Louis but shot in Orlando.

Due to St. Louis’ high tax rate for film crews, a lot of films aren’t actually shot in St. Louis but the coverage is basically taken for a location device. Sometimes, a film uses exteriors and shoots in The Lou. Here are a few.

American Flyers(1985)-This Kevin Costner bicycle riding flick opened its film with a moving shot of Laclede’s Landing and the Arch. Before he became a star with No Way Out and his numerous baseball titles, Costner shot a movie in St. Louis with director John Badham.

White Palace(1990)-This James Spader-Susan Sarandon romance shot in numerous locations across St. Louis, including Duffy’s Restaurant, Laclede’s Landing, The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and Lemp Mansion. They shot at a diner called White Knight(a place that still stands today at 18th Street and Olive) several times, renaming the diner in the film “White Palace”. I visited this place numerous times with my dad before school as a kid. A poster of the film hangs in the place.

Planes Trains & Automobiles(1987)-The John Hughes film starring Steve Martin and John Candy shot briefly at Lambert International Airport and featured a shot of the Arch.

National Lampoons Vacation(1983)-A scene where Clark Griswold drives lost through East St. Louis asking for directions and having his car vandalized was actually filmed on a Hollywood backlot and not in East St. Louis, which sparked a controversy. Only exterior shots were used for this film. The infamous scene where Chevy Chase utters the words “Excuse me homes” was not shot in St. Louis.

Manhunter(1986)-The Michael Mann classic with William Petersen chasing a serial killer shot at Lambert International Airport in a brief scene.

Up in the Air(2009)–The George Clooney film is the most recent and notable St. Louis film because it didn’t just show the Arch but shot in many locations in St. Louis. They shot at Afton High School, Cheshire Inn in Clayton, and at Lambert as well. They shot many scenes at business buildings right next to KSDK on Market Street off 7th, 8th and 9th street.

Escape from New York(1981)-The Kurt Russell adventure film shot scenes at Union Station, Chain of Rocks Bridge and the Fox Theater as well as featuring the Arch.

King of The Hill(1993)-Steven Soderbergh’s indie shot set in the Depression Era in Soulard’s Market as well as other locations around St. Louis.

Mississippi Grind(2015)-The Ryan Reynolds gambling film features several locations in St. Louis but has a long single take where Reynolds talks with Sienna Miller on a boat going down the Mississippi River and the Arch and Riverfront are in the background.

Showing the Arch is one thing but it’s extra special when actual famous locations in St. Louis are used in films. Sometimes a film just wants exterior shots but sometimes they want both. I hope you enjoyed this list as much I did bringing it to you.

Now Playing: What Movies NOT to watch

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As a film critic and natural lover of cinema, I see a lot of movies. In doing so, I can help others avoid some of the bad ones on the market and steer their hard working cash into the right theater. If they are at home, I can help them not waste their time, because sometimes that’s as bad as a movie burning a hole in your wallet. Here, I will present what to AVOID in theaters, on demand, on DVD or soon to be released. Take it or leave it.

Vacation(November 3rd on DVD)

Don’t waste your time on this film because it’s plain stupid and the laughs run out. Ed Helms is the Griswold patriarch trying to enliven his family by taking them to Wally World and the truth is I didn’t make it through this film. There comes a time where the light shining outside the theater is worth exploring more than the cinematic world you are sitting in. The old National Lampoon films were glorious and wickedly fresh. Instead of dishing Chevy Chase a cameo here, they should have sent seniors on a road trip. They were funny. This is not. Unless you adore Chris Hemsworth, who has a cameo, skip this one.

Selfless(November 10th on DVD, now playing On Demand)

Ryan Reynolds and Ben Kingsley swap bodies. No, this is not a drill but a real life movie idea that got green-lit because hundreds of people needed work. Kingsley is an old rich guy who is dying and wants to stick around so he takes the body of Reynolds and likes it a bit at first before predictable side effects enter. Suddenly, halfway through, an action film breaks out and the film tries to tie a bow on things at the end instead of being remotely edgy. Do yourself a favor and watch Reynolds’ other new flick, Mississippi Grind instead.

Tomorrowland(available On Demand and DVD)

George Clooney and the director of The Incredibles!!! What could go wrong? The reveal is a lot. The early hype on this fantasy space land, aliens, and superpowers starts off intriguing enough and has a few dazzling action sequences but in the end when the big reveal happens, it’s flat and bland. My wife fell asleep and I picked up my phone and checked college football scores and I don’t even like college football. Clooney and a young girl team up to escape to this magical place where dreams come true and there’s an ultimate meaning to it all and…well I just yawned. Moving on.

Paper Towns(available On Demand and on DVD)

The writer of The Fault in Our Stars, John Green, penned this tale about a shy kid who falls for the wild girl who suddenly runs away, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for loverboy to follow. Nat Wolff is a compelling 20 year old actor and Cara Delevingne is a edgy enough cohort with killer eyes, but the supporting ingredients lack real juice. The kid’s friends are a drag played by bad actors, belonging on a Nickelodeon series and not a feature film. The chase across the country isn’t exciting and the ultimate message about the end of innocence is as tired as a McDonalds commercial. Skip it and watch Fault instead.

Knock Knock(On Demand and In Theaters)

Eli Roth torturing Keanu Reeves didn’t sound cool or nice in the trailer and premise and the execution didn’t prove my initial theory wrong. This is a movie about a happy husband and father who is alone one rainy evening before a couple of mysterious pretty women show up at his door. When he lets them in, the audience knows bad things will happen. The ensuing torture sessions, intentional yet irritating humor and terrible performances plays like a bad joke from a respected horror mind in Roth. Reaves just got back on his horse playing John Wick and doesn’t help his cause here. He is bad and so is the rest of this trashy flick.

That’s it. If you need a movie to see in theaters, check out The Walk or The Martian. If you are staying at home, check out Fury Road or Pitch Perfect 2. Until next time, enjoy your next flick.

“Mississippi Grind” is a cinematic royal flush

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Mississippi-Grind-1Special movies know their identity and goal. They may not aspire to win the Oscar gold or the top spot at the box office but instead just register long enough for the viewer to smile at the credits and feel like their time wasn’t wasted. Mississippi Grind, about a pair of Gamblers working multiple joints up and down the famous riverfront, is a special treat because it aims to please and features original characters.

You may think you know Ben Mendelsohn’s Gerry and Ryan Reynolds’ Curtis from previous cinematic stories, but the truth is they are two of a kind. A pair of jokers working the clubs until the queens demand they return home. Two imperfect souls who are very good at being “the guy from nowhere who can play poker” and not very good at being a regular person. Gerry is down on his luck and owes everybody in the Midwest when he runs into Curtis, a good luck charm in the flesh at a game. Gerry loses all his money but finds a partner in crime in the younger Curtis. They hit the road and work the Mississippi River and all the highs and lows it has to offer. St. Louis, New Orleans, Alabama and Little Rock shine a light on our anti-heroes and give the film a beautifully gritty backdrop to deal off for its sharp 108 minute running time.

Writing/Directing tandem Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck basically toss the audience in the backseat of this guy and let them watch Gerry and Curtis ride the wave that every gambling junkie knows well. Big wins followed by little losses and the impulse to keep playing and the desire to withstand the greed that lurks inside any human soul. It’s all about knowing when to get out and run away clean and Gerry doesn’t know that mark at all. Curtis is the smarter player but that doesn’t make him any more even keeled. Gambling is a drug and it’s treated more honestly here than in other gambling movies. The tale is unpredictable without being depressing.

While there are other actors collecting a paycheck here, Mendelsohn and Reynolds own the road here. Mendelsohn, the ruffled feather of a character actor whose face you will know from films like Killing Them Softly and A Place Beyond The Pines, officially arrives in a leading role he has long deserved. With eyes carrying miles upon miles of sadness, the Aussie thespian makes you want to get to know him.

Reynolds easily gives his best performance to date and that’s saying something because he’s been good before. Here he settles into a role that fits all his abilities and pushes a few buttons audiences haven’t seen before. The fast talking comic maestro can fly back many roles on the seat of his charm but here he unveils a depth previously unreleased. You won’t be quick to trust Curtis and that’s because Reynolds snake eyes gaze keeps you guessing about where he truly comes from and his motives. It’s a real performance, similar to the one Fleck and Boden pulled from a yet unnoticed Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson.

Mississippi Grind does build to a huge final bet and while the climax is predictable, the resolution of the film is where is the cold center of a career gambler is revealed. The final few shots are just perfect. They leave you wanting more, having a will to spend a few more hours with these roughneck sinners who can’t quit the thrill.

It won’t win awards or be in theaters for long, but if you are needing a homemade batch of cinematic pleasure without the bells and whistles of a big budget showy flick, pay this movie’s tab and take it on for a stretch.

“The Walk” is a bittersweet and breathtaking ride

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Two towers. One man. One wire.

On August 7th, 1974, a charismatic Frenchman named Philippe Petit saw his imagination and ambition collide with reality when he laid a wire between New York City’s World Trade Center Twin Towers and walked across it. He did it a few times. The crowd 110 stories below gathered by the thousands. The police who ran to the rough to arrest him stood in awe as he walked back and forth, bounced, laid down on the wire and spent more time defying the laws of gravity than millions of civilians would dare to do in their lifetimes. It was a spectacle and Director Robert Zemeckis and star Joseph Gordon-Levitt bring it to vivid life onscreen.

In the beginning of the film, Levitt is standing on top of the Statue of Liberty with the beaming Towers behind him as he tells the audience his amazing tale. The storytelling tool here is simple. Picture a circus performer or magician explaining to the audience his greatest trick in grand detail and you have this film. The movie treats the audience like a spectator passing through a museum and stopping to stare in awe at one of history’s greatest hits. A shy if curious viewer, you fall prey to this spectacle because it is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

JGL is fantastic here as the wild thrill seeking yet diligent “walker”. He’s come a long way from Third Rock from the Sun and the innocent loverboy in 10 Things I Hate About You. He is a kinetic force as Petit, transforming body, voice and soul to pay the right amount of tribute to the real fella. What many of us would think of as sure death, Petit merely called “the void”.

When Gordon-Levitt first wields his French accent on you, it may hint at first as too much or over the top but it grows on you on the film stretches from France to America with Petit and his friends planning “the coup”. Yeah, it wasn’t legal to walk between the towers, which weren’t even opened yet and nearing the end of construction as well as being stuck in controversy with the locals. After Petit’s stunt, the towers were beloved and looked upon as mythical statues in the city’s skyline.

It’s impossible to not think about 9/11 while you watch this film. Any time the Towers come on screen, a feeling of sadness and nostalgia will strike you but Zemeckis had this in mind. He wants you to yearn for the day when these Towers dominated the skyline and inspired people like Petit to dream big.

The visual effects are outstanding and sure to command awards attention. The moment Gordon-Levitt steps out onto the wire with both feet, the uneasiness in your stomach will creep up and grab your throat. The filmmakers complete the trick of making you think that you are right there with Petit as he is achieving his goal. It’s a front seat to the greatest daredevil act of all time.

The end of the movie involves a subtle touch to the demise of the Towers without blowing away the good feeling the film provides. Petit(who trained Gordon-Levitt for the film) commented on Twitter that it was a great sensitive ending and you have to see it to understand the effect. Without being overly dramatic, Zemeckis and co-writer Christopher Browne tip the hat to the memory of the majestic buildings and the role they played in this man’s life.

The Walk is a bittersweet yet breathtaking ride that feels just right as the winter season of Oscar heavyweights commences before moviegoers eyes. The jazzy score, underlying humor and child like gaze of the camera allows the film to sweep over the viewer and guides you through a moment in history that seems too good to be true. With a strong performance from his renegade leading man, Robert Zemeckis has created some special for audiences to partake in. A serious adventure film with a cool sprinkle of history.

The Martian: Powered by Matt Damon and a sense of humor

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The-Martian-2015The premise of The Martian is Matt Damon trying to survive on Mars but in reality, Mars couldn’t survive without Damon. He breathes fresh air into the survival genre and adds a new ingredient and it’s called humor and the signature placing of it in this movie.

Together with director Ridley Scott, Damon helps enliven Andy Weir’s groundbreaking novel about an astronaut stranded on the one planet you don’t want to get lost on. A place where nothing grows, lives or wants to exist. 50 million miles away, Damon’s Mark Watney has to somehow survive for years before a rescue mission can even be prepped. Like Castaway, the viewer will immediately put themselves in Watney’s shoes. Being one of the best botanists on the planet and Macgyver when it comes to figuring out thermodynamics, electronics and physics, can Watney survive? The movie isn’t unpredictable yet keeps you on your toes.

The greatest tool Scott and Damon swing here is using Weir’s wonderful slices of comedy and fish out of water theatrics to keep the proceedings light. There are parts of the novel that were left out due to the book being extremely detailed and thick, so I don’t blame the filmmakers for cutting corners here and there. No one wants to see a 20 minute exposition where Watney explains how he turned his own feces into usable soil to grow food and how he hooked this thing to that thing. It’s science, big budgets, big actors, directors and you gotta move! A three and a half hour film about a guy surviving on Mars isn’t going to work. This two hour and 22 minute cut is kinetic, quick on its feet and doesn’t slow down. Out of all the things left out, the humor and strangeness of Watney’s situation isn’t forgotten. It’s one of the best parts of the movie.

The goods also exist in seeing Watney figuring things out on the move and running into constant trouble. This is a geek experiment that even someone who hated chemistry and physics in high school found enthralling. Watney takes the viewer on all kinds of rides and you won’t forget it because it’s Matt Damon doing it.

For this role, Scott needed a special breed of actor. One who can engage and captivate at the same time and keep an audience hooked during one long expanded science experiment. Damon is perfect for the job because he wears the role like a spacesuit he has been fitted for. Nothing rings false or doesn’t seem right because of the actor. From the moment we see Damon wake up alone on Mars after the mission goes bad, we are connected to his every move. It’s his show and he dominates. This isn’t the kind of part someone else could have slipped into and tried to be good. This is full throttle transformation. Damon goes through a physical change as well and doesn’t skip a beat. He never forgets to keep things light and but shows the ability to instantly switch to a powerful moment.

The film hinges on Damon and his ability to transcend pages to the screen. He’s a marvel here, carrying the film on his shoulders and functioning as a balancing stick between wide eyed action and unexpected humor. This isn’t the first time people have went looking for Damon(Saving Private Ryan and Interstellar) but this is the first time the mission has actually involved some comedy and not just a pack of tissues. If it got too heavy, The Martian loses half its value.

The supporting cast is an elite group. All the roles fit the players like a glove. Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Kristen Wiig especially fit their parts to a tee. Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Pena and Donald Glover are also great. No one overplays the roles or underplays the script. Everyone is right where they need to be.

The soundtrack is full of fun hippy disco music(that will be explained in the movie). The running time feels like 45 minutes less due to the superb editing. Harry Gregson-Williams’ score doesn’t overpower or seem distant. It adjusts to the action at hand and is seamless. The technical achievements are superb, with the space action sequences packing a punch and the desolate pieces on Mars(aka Jordan) streaming well without being distracting.

Is this an Oscar caliber film? Yes. It fits the criteria of taking a best selling novel and bringing it to vivid life. Instead of being gloom bin like Gravity, this film combines different genres and is a feel good ride. The Martian is an original piece of work, bringing a fresh coat of paint to a genre that people have forgotten about or didn’t think could find coherence away from Earth. Damon is Oscar worthy because a good portion of the film is him talking to a webcam and dealing with the hardships of a chaotic planet. And no, he doesn’t have a volleyball or Tom Hanks to talk to. It’s all Damon and it’s a special kind of performance.

The Martian is a special kind of film. Powerful, funny and easy to connect with and be engaged by. A geeky feel good thrill ride that will leave you talking about it afterwards. It may force you to see it again. It is the first film in 2015 that truly made me leave the theater thinking, “Wow, I could watch that again right now.”

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead takes you back to “Lampoon” humor

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maxresdefaultBack in the 1970’s, a little magazine changed the way people viewed comedy and how to make or take a joke. The magazine was called The National Lampoon, and for many people that means the movies. That’s the end of the story and not the beginning. Before the movies were derived from the source material, this magazine gave readers a blunt look at the world and didn’t hold any punches. In other words, it held up a finger at the establishment and said, “we aren’t going to be brainwashed anymore”.

A couple of Ivy League scholars named Doug Kenney and Henry Beard formed the original brain trust and when they connected with publishing wise guy wizard Matty Simmons, the sky wasn’t even the limit. The depth of their raunchy gaze was their limit. In the new documentary, Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon, youngsters like myself get to experience the rise and fall of this juggernaut.

Think of the Rolling Stones effect on rock n’ roll and music in general and you have the connection struck by the National Lampoon. Through brash humor, nudity, filthy comics and other devices, it held a microscope to all the protected parties that didn’t want their dirty laundry put in public. Through a series of interviews with the likes of Simmons, Beard, Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton, Chevy Chase, Christopher Guest, Martha Smith and others, we are given a back stage pass to this madness.

It all started with Kenney and Beard, two smart punch drunk kids who told it like it was and didn’t hold back. Kenney, the more self destructive brilliant dirty poet who was this close to the edge of doom and the more level headed yet just as sharp Beard. They were a team unlike any other and they became millionaires. The magazine became a radio show that brought in the talents of Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Belushi. Movies were spawned and even a Grammy nominated political satire infused album. Saturday Night Live was fired up by what this magazine started. Belushi’s talents were first put on display in the magazine, radio shows and eventually the hit film, “Animal House”.

As the old adage reminds us, all good things come to an end. Kenney’s self destructive nature caught up to him. The majority of the writing crew and performers went on to bigger things once Hollywood opened its doors. The magazine got too raunchy and lost some advertisers. The ride couldn’t go on because you are only as great as your last perfect idea.

What should be remembered and appreciated about this magazine and its original idea is the fearlessness it showed with its humor. They didn’t take 200 dollars in passing “Go”. They held up the bank and took everything with its outlandish yet hard to avoid style. At a time where the world’s identity was changing, it used the greatest drug of all and that’s humor. Kenney and Beard swung it like a sword at the audience and demanded their attention. One magazine cover simply said, “Buy this magazine or we will shoot this dog”. Okay, so maybe they did get a little personal but for years it worked and spiked a new brand of comedy. The not messing around kind of funny that is slowly becoming lost these days because nobody wants their tiny bubble invaded.

Co-writer/director Thomas Tirola gets some candid words from original members and honesty from others in telling this story through the finest documentary devices. For someone like myself who can only look at stock footage and wonder what the first page read was like, seeing this documentary was a kick to the head. A reminder for when original humor was a weapon of mass destruction and not an alibi.

When it arrives this weekend at the Tivoli Theater on the Delmar loop, give it a look. Take your mom or dad. Relive something that simply doesn’t exist anymore. When other movie theaters are showing comedies that are so safe and based in a place where real humor doesn’t exist, choose this ride instead. For all the kids who love Old School and Superbad, remember that it all began with Animal House, which came from The National Lampoon’s Magazine. There’s lots of goods in this documentary.

Johnny Depp is the devil in “Black Mass”

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You make a deal with the devil. The devils breaks that deal and when you ask him why, all he can do is smile at you. It’s very bad if the devil you are dealing with is short, has slicked back snow white blonde hair, bad teeth and looks as creepy as the Grim Reaper. That’s Johnny Depp in Black Mass. He gives you a glimpse of the devil.

FBI agent and South Boston native John Connolly(Joel Edgerton) opened Pandora’s box when he made an “alliance” with The Winter Hill gang member James “Whitey” Bulger(Johnny Depp). The original deal/plan was to rid Boston of the ruthless Italians but in the process Bulger used the protection of the FBI to fill his pockets and his tighten his grip on the city. He went from a low level hood to a crime lord in a few years. People ended up in jail, sworn confidants leaked info on Bulger and the alliance crumbled like a house of cards.

That is the basis of Scott Cooper’s take on Bulger, adapted from Black Mass, a book written by a group of Boston reporters on the shady brokerage between the FBI and a gangster. While effective and full of good acting and signature moments, Black Mass never ascends to greatness because it’s a pretty straight forward tale and familiar to film-addicts. Watching it unfold, you can tell what’s going to happen way before it happens. Since there have been at least 50 different gangster films made before it, fact or fiction, the details of Black Mass and Bulger’s rise and fall isn’t shocking, thrilling or incredibly fascinating. It plays out like a Greek tragedy, but lacks the oommpph of a polished Scorsese flick.

Here’s how it goes. Someone gets into a car with Bulger, and starts to explain and Bulger seems to understand. Suddenly, that person gets shot, stabbed or strangled. This happens four different times in the movies. It becomes redundant and makes the entire movie seem a bit less fresh. The overflow of Boston accents also distracts but that is less of a flaw than a by product of the story picked.

The real spark plug here is Depp, back where he belongs taking swings at heavyweight roles. Depp finally found his way back to the right side of the playground, next to the sharper rocks in the sandbox. Showing shades of his work from his two best dramatic adventures, Blow and Donnie Brasco, Depp easily slips into the skin of Whitey Bulger. The man may have had a heart, but it was half full of venom. Bulger was a man driven by power and a need to numb the tragedies of his personal life. Cooper goes out of his way to show us the man as well as the monster, and Depp makes them both work very well. Is it Oscar worthy work? Yes, because of how complete of a performance it is and how chilling Depp can make you feel watching him work. While it may not land in the top 5 performances when 2015 is all said and done, Depp’s Bulger demands your attention.

As much as Cooper aims this picture to be something special, it’s not Oscar worthy. The directing and script are decent if not stand alone worthy. The supporting cast is game if not memorable, with good work from Benedict Cumberbatch(as Whitey’s brother Billy) and Edgerton, as the doomed agent who can’t find a different between ally and user. The pacing of the film allows slower scenes like a dynamic dinner table scene where Depp freaks out an FBI agent over a recipe to be fully realized. The score is rightfully moody and the editing doesn’t allow the film to run away for too long.

Is Black Mass worth your hard earned money at the cinema? Yes, because you need to see Depp’s performance as Bulger to remind audiences what the actor is capable of when the right role comes along. Sometimes source material doesn’t translate as wickedly from the ground to the book to the screen. While Cooper’s movie is far from perfect, Depp’s performance is right on the money and therefore makes Black Mass a trip worth taking.

Blythe Danner is Oscar worthy in “I’ll See You In My Dreams”

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For the first time in 2015, I can say I’ve seen an Oscar worthy performance. Sure, there have been fine performances and a few strong ones, but Blythe Danner’s work in the indie darling I’ll See You In My Dreams is something that will make you stop, think and recognize. You know her work well, flailing behind Robert DeNiro in Meet the Parents and its relentless sequels and many TV shows like Will and Grace, Huff and several other supporting roles. For the first time, at the ripe age of 72, Danner has a movie all to herself and it’s a beautiful sight.

Danner’s Carol is alone. In every sense of the word. At the beginning of this film, Carol loses her dog and this follows the loss of her husband and her daughter lives on the East coast. She has a circle of friends(including Rhea Perlman, June Squibb and Mary Kay Place) to play cards with and a pool man(Martin Starr) who she can talk to, but she is starting to count the layers that make up her life and what it means. When told by her daughter that she’s lived a full life, Carol doesn’t seem to like to the pretense. She doesn’t want her life to be over or wrapping up. She’s got living to do and it starts with meeting Bill(Sam Elliott, as good as ever). When she starts to fall for and have some fun with this new man in her life, everything else starts to slide around in new directions. Of course everything doesn’t go as planned.

The great thing about independent films is they move at their own pace, like an extended guitar solo that isn’t being watched over by a production studio head. You can feel the freedom in co-writer/director Brett Haley’s storytelling, dialogue and pace. There’s no rush here in telling Carol’s story and it’s 0ne of the ways this film works so well.

Another is the acting. The supporting cast all provide good work here, especially Starr in a role that could have been easily forgotten if played a touch heavier or lighter. The most honest scenes in the film involved Danner and Starr talking about bookends of life, a young man trying to make an older woman feel a little better. Elliott is always a pleasure to watch work. The film world will be a lot less cool the day he decides to step away.

However, The film belongs to Danner(who shares a birthday with me). There are two scenes that will nearly move you to tears. An early scene involving Carol and her dog is heartbreaking, and the impact registers due to the lack of music and dialogue. The look on Danner’s face could speak novels of emotion and expressive acting. Another scene towards the end runs the gauntlet of emotions and Danner handles it like a pro. Every actor is born to play one signature role and while it took 100 films and 47 years, Danner has found her best performance.

I’ll See You In My Dreams doesn’t reinvent the way movies or told and may not be recognized for many awards, but it’s a heartfelt soulful look at how someone sums up a life and when is it okay to stop “living”. With Danner’s assured work at the heart of this story, this indie may have you looking at things a bit different than you did before it came on.

As the summer season transitions to the fall, get under a cozy blanket, whip up some tea and enjoy the confidence of a true indie gem.

Why Bull Durham is my favorite baseball movie

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Great baseball films can be cherished over decades. They are steak and eggs in a saloon located in the middle of the desert. All a person needs to fall in love with the sport and its cinematic glaze. However, there are a couple of films that if I turn on cable and see them, the next 45-90 minutes are spoken for.

Bull-DurhamBull Durham is easily my favorite baseball and sports movie of all time. I’ll break it down into a variety of reasons.

Ingredient #1-Kevin Costner. The wicked Casanova of sports films. Costner stroked a 7 iron well in Tin Cup as Roy McAvoy, and played a great General Manager in Draft Day, but his sweet spot is baseball stories. Field of Dreams, Durham and For Love Of The Game. In Durham, playing the unforgettable Crash Davis, Costner got to really tear into a role and show something few other movies show. The tragic facade of a career minor league ballplayer, who is way too smart for the sport and knows his days of making it to the show are long gone. In Dreams, he was man searching for clues. Here, as the dynamic coach/catcher/master of great speeches Davis, he was a man searching for a shred of dignity and credit in a cutthroat area of the sport.

The minute he shows up at the bar challenging Tim Robbins’ clueless pitcher to throw a fastball at his chest or demanding him to be more “democratic”, Costner set the screen on fire. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be on top of him. He was the coolest wisest man with a bat in his hands and a mask on his head. While Susan Sarandon and Robbins hold up their ends of the tripod, Costner is the heart and soul. His speech about what separates a hitter from a minor league graveyard (25 hits!!!) reverberates to this day about the common hustle of these guys making minimum wage. His speech about love, Lee Harvey Oswald, Christmas morning, and the sweet spot still plays well. Costner is an underrated actor in general and an award winning director, but he deserves a lifetime achievement award for his work in the world of sports films.

Ingredient #2-The honest depiction of the minor league struggle. I’ve always said if I had the time, I’d love to follow around a minor league team for a month. Talk to these guys waging their lives to play a game they love and get that shot. Live and die by the luck of a team need. The smells, the highs, the lows and the indie action at the ballparks. Well, Bull Durham was full of those moments. The low moments for a player on a cold streak making $15,000-$18,000 to play the game. The make shift radio broadcast. The factories behind the parks. The eccentric mascots. The big show a call away. Writer/Director Ron Shelton doesn’t pull punches with his sports films (the underrated college basketball film starring a never better Nick Nolte, Blue Chips) and here he didn’t bat an eye with his camera and direction of the Durham Bulls. Crash Davis was his muse and he sprayed the paint all over. The clothes, the depravity and the dialogue was all spot on. A film less known for its brutally honest portrayal of the minor leagues.

Ingredient #3-The Humor. The movie is full of one-liners about stewardesses, free steaks, hitting the bull, breathing through your eyelids and how to properly sing a classic rock song. Nobody handles it better than Costner. Whether he’s telling Nuke (Robbins) about not wearing disgusting flip-flops, telling him about not shaking him off and how “a ground ball with eyes” can help someone out. Oh yeah, and lollygagging. Bull Durham will make you laugh, cry and then laugh again. The script is full of different flavors but the humor is never forgotten.

Bull Durham makes me feel whole again. Watching it and listening to that saxophone powered number in the finale as Costner’s Davis drives to the next job because as Sarandon’s Annie says, “A baseball player is always looking to finish the season.” It’s such a rich experience every time. The film endures and has a quiet power that only grows more powerful as you get older and learn to appreciate the minor league part of baseball. Field of Dreams and The Natural are magical. For Love of The Game is a guilty pleasure. Eight Men Out and Cobb are brutally authentic. Major League is a riot. Bull Durham is a little of everything with Costner at his best.

Jason Statham: Furious 7 Game Changer

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Jason Statham is the epitome of badass. The Fast and Furious film franchise is the epicenter of ridiculously thrilling action. It’s about time these unstoppable forces met.

In case you have been stuck in an art house film gallery for the past 13 years, The F&F films have taken Hollywood and its audience by storm, turning improbable stunts into a viciously kinetic artform. People try writing them off as childish, hollow and pointless, and they miss all the fun in the game. These are action showcases and if you don’t mind a little family values with your hot rod cars and testosterone packed punches, you may be “furious” enough for Dominic Toretto(Vin Diesel) and his adventures. Jason Statham walking into this pleasure town of chaos is icing on the cake and could make Furious 7 the best in the series.

The 47 year old action star made a blood thirsty cameo appearance at the tail end of Fast & Furious 6 as Deckard Shaw, the revenge seeking older bro of Luke Evans’ crippled baddie Owen Shaw. I don’t know about you but the moment Owen spouted off to Dom about “my brother said you live by a code”, I immediately thought of Statham and his Transporter films. That was the cookie crumble hint being dropped at your feet.

Statham’s cameo also tied the franchise together, placing the Tokyo events in their proper spot and lighting a match on the seventh edition, which takes matters back to Los Angeles before jumpstarting the engine to luxurious places like Abu Dhabi. Director James Wan,taking over for Justin Lin after four films, walked into a treasures chest of action heroes. A buffet of kickass lethal enough to challenge the Persian army(minus the skirts, add tank tops). Why Statham? Well, why the hell do you drink coffee every morning? A dose of Statham is perfect for this world.

Let’s look at the prerequisites to enter the Furious world:

*Bald.

*Badass.

*Muscle bound.

*Good in a fight.

*Cool voice full of one liners.

*Looks good in a suit and tank top

*Very Bald.

Statham passes all tests with flying colors and adds something else. An authentic action star. With no offense to the Rock and Diesel, Statham does this shit for a living and can throw a kick with a smile as fast as he hosts Saturday Night Live or growls for the fans. Statham is the guy who works out with stunt crews in an LA gym and has a framed bullseye in his kitchen. Statham is working out while you are thinking about working out. He is working out while you eat donuts and while you gobble up fast food. He is working on his martial arts when you are thinking about enrolling for a green belt at the local karate class. He lives, breathes and shits action hero bravado. His head is the shape of a bullet and his voice is charming yet sinister.

The juiciest part of his dive here into the fast cars zone is he has never played a villain before. His characters have been far from gracious good souls, but he’s always fought the good fight on film….until now. Statham steps into the action in a big way here. Judging from the eye watering trailers, he gets to tangle with Dwayne Johnson in an office and Diesel on a roof with steel car parts. He also gets to walk into a party in a high rise building and fire a gun into the air ala The Joker in The Dark Knight. Statham is a show stopping presence on film. When I left a Statham film last year and had to use the restroom, I ran into an older film fan as I washed my hands. I asked him about the action banger we just watched in the same auditorium and regarding the British actor, the man simply said “He is something else”. You’re damn right he is. Statham is a special member of the No Bueno Crew.

Furious 7 is special for many reasons, many of them surrounding the late star, Paul Walker. “Pablo”, as Diesel calls his deceased friend, has starred in all seven films. Losing him was the equivalent of a heart losing a fair amount of blood. The engines running dry without as much oil and the transmission failing a few times on a Nissan Skyline. Walker wasn’t the guy you left the movies talking about, but he was also something the films couldn’t live without. The innocent action hero at the center of chaos who also happened to be a great guy in the real world. This film will be a celebration of his work on the film and his life in general. It will also be a celebration of glorious action hero nostalgia, with Statham walking around kicking over trash cans of lighter fluid and lighting the streets with mayhem.

The specialty of the franchise is getting bigger with each film. This stunt crew goes big or stays home. The Fast Five entered Johnson’s hulking agent, Hobbs. Statham was teased in the following film and makes a grand entrance in Friday’s clash. When fanboys talk about wet dreams and cinematic collisions, Jason Statham and Fast/Furious franchise ranks near the top of the list. This is the thing that rolls off the tongue at 130 in the morning as you finish an order of tacos and blurt to your friend, “Bro, it would be mad sick if that Statham did one of these movies.” The Furious team is fearless and turns dreamy scenarios into realities.

Show some self respect and check out Furious 7 this week on Blu Ray or DVD. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen the previous six films. This about true action appreciation. If you want realism, turn on the Sundance Channel. If you want balls out visually wasted cinema, buy a ticket for this movie. This is a stand alone adventure and will be given the proper tasting when Toretto answers that phone on his porch and hears a familiar British voice.

“Dominic Toretto. You don’t know me..but you’re about to.”

Jason Statham has arrived, ladies and gentlemen. He was born fast and is furious when he sleeps. Jason Statham. Those two words alone should get your ass in a seat.