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Christmas Day. Winter Break. After all the office parties, the opening of presents and enduring relatives, the holidays scream for one thing - movies! And this holiday week has no shortage of some amazing movies that celebrate cinema, the art of moviemaking, never before seen stunts, practical sets as opposed to CGI and a return to film in the grandest of fashion. Obviously, for those who still haven’t experienced “the Force” of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, that should be at the top of your...
Dust off the cobwebs boys and girls! We're going back to school for a refresher course in literature along with some actual history which many may or may not know. Over the decades, Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" has proven to be either a life changing piece of literature or the bane of one's existence when given the title as a reading assignment in school. But no matter what, it stays with you. Maybe not all of the words ("Call me Ishmael"), but the themes, the emotions, the life lessons, all...
Thanksgiving is all about family, and what better way is there to celebrate family than to see one of the best family films of the year - THE GOOD DINOSAUR. A rare treat to have two Pixar films released in the same year ("Inside Out" being the other in 2015), THE GOOD DINOSAUR makes its mark on your heart thanks to themes that ring true for every generation of families, parents and children, punctuated by a story filled with adventure, friendship and love and complemented by the beauteous...
We may be in the midst of the holiday season but that also means we are in the midst of the movie awards season aka “studios bring out their best and brightest Oscar hopefuls.” And while some national and regional awards have already been handed out, with many more to come, and nominations for other awards like the Film Independent Spirit Awards announced, many of the names and titles being bandied about haven’t yet made it to most theatres; they are playing in New York and LA for what are k...
Beyond the Wall: Art and Artifacts from the GDR, The Wende Museum's TASCHEN publication, was awarded First Prize in Books by the American Alliance of Museum's 2015 Museum Publications Design Competition. https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20151119/289614 This encyclopedic volume with more than 900 pages and illustrations of some 1800 objects from the Museum's East German collections will be featured in the November/December issue of Museum, AAM's bi-monthly publication. For more than 26 years the AAM has recognized and encouraged excellence...
In what I can only describe as an epic end to a cinematic legacy, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 is the final film in what has been a global phenomenon over the past decade, as moviegoers (and readers) the world over felt like they too, were citizens of the fictional Panem. Little girls now dream of being adventurous and strong like Katniss Everdeen or confident powerful fashionistas like Effie Trinket. We have watched alliances, friendships and trusts form, only to sometimes break. We...
Stand up and cheer for TRUMBO! Under Jay Roach's direction with an Oscar-worthy script from John McNamara, and thanks to an Oscar caliber performance by Bryan Cranston, TRUMBO celebrates the 1st Amendment and the conviction of one man, with dignity, integrity, courage, bravery and intelligence. The Blacklist. Hollywood Ten. House Un-American Activities Committee. Dalton Trumbo. For many, these are just words, names. There is no historical sense of reference or context, let alone cinematic. But...
It’s a political powerhouse this week at the theater as we are treated to David Gordon Green’s “fictional” OUR BRAND IS CRISIS based on the 2002 Bolivian presidential campaign, plus a documentary that strikes a chord on a global scale, INDIA’S DAUGHTER. A documentary from Leslee Udwin (now an advisor to the United Nations Human Rights Commission on the “Equality Studies Global Initiative” and recipient of the 2015 Anna Lindh Human Rights Award), the latter goes beyond the world shattering 20...
ROOM When Emma Donoghue’s emotional telling of the story of a boy named Jack and his Ma hit the bestseller list in 2010, Donoghue already had a screenplay in the works. Wanting to challenge herself, and feeling the emotion that leaps off the page and into one’s very soul in reading the heart wrenching, gripping and ultimately joyous tear-jerker, Donoghue was at the ready when Hollywood came calling. Initially set completely within the confines of a tiny, windowless (but for an unreachable skylig...
You had me at Michael Almereyda. For those unfamiliar with writer/director Michael Almereyda, he is a creator who thinks outside the box. With an eclectic mix of documentaries and short films to his credit as both writer and director, as well as countless articles and criticisms for some more erudite publications, possibly his most well known works are “Hamlet” in 2000 and then last year’s stunning “Cymbeline.” Almereyda sees words and their applicability to different times, different worlds an...
Now in the heart of “awards season”, as the cinematic cream starts to rise to the top and the wheat separates from the chaff, the annual definition of “best” becomes clearer and the race for Oscar begins. But one category of film always seems to stand alone out of the fray and limelight and is quite often overlooked by not only distributors and theatre owners, but moviegoers - foreign language films. Each year, countries from around the globe chose one film from their country to submit for Osc...
As comes as no surprise, writer/director Ramin Bahrani breaks down the door of our collective moral compass with this cat and mouse thriller of corruption versus conscience - 99 HOMES. The very title of the film is enough of a nod to the unending debate over the 99/1 percent nomenclature describing the monetary imbalance in the US today, such that if you know nothing else going into this film, you know thematics will include this economic disparity at its core. With 99 HOMES, Bahrani focuses on...
Some terrific movies to bite into this weekend at the box office. Bloody, violent, pushing the envelope in every direction, directors Eli Roth and Denis Villeneuve fascinate with strong story, spectacular imagery and in the case of Villeneuve’s SICARIO, Oscar-worthy performances starting with Emily Blunt. THE GREEN INFERNO Eli Roth returns to the director’s chair for the first time since “Hostel” and it’s not a moment too soon. As producer of the acclaimed “Aftershock”, Roth shifted focus...
It’s a powerhouse of cinema this weekend with social commentary, activism, action and an historical biopic all brought to life thanks to riveting, well-crafted and intelligent filmmaking. From the mind-blowing, blood letting mutilation and government manipulation in SICARIO to the eye-opening wonders of this beautiful world and man’s need to take responsibility for his own actions to save ourselves from extinction as eloquently shown in RACING EXTINCTION to a kick ass young adult dystopian post-...
The Oscar race just got real with the release of Oren Moverman’s TIME OUT OF MIND. Boasting a tour de force performance by Richard Gere that is arguably the finest of his career, and one which should potentially garner him a Best Actor nomination, and unparalleled cinematography by Bobby Bukowski, TIME OUT OF MIND should be assured not only recognition comes awards time, but secure a place in the annals of cinematic excellence. TIME OUT OF MIND is masterful. George is lost; lost to society and l...
It's Game, Set, Match for BREAK POINT! For many, the game of tennis can be as boring as watching paint dry, or a ball endlessly bounce. For others, it’s an exciting, riveting, emotionally charged sport with nuance, intelligence and skill. What that means is that making a film set in the world of tennis is pretty much going to align with one of those perceptions. In the case of BREAK POINT, it’s definitely the latter as co-writers Jeremy Sisto and Gene Hong together with director Jay Karas del...
I can’t remember the last time there was a weekend with two action films opening that had me this excited. The first, NO ESCAPE, solidifies what I first suspected back in 2001; that Owen Wilson does some of his best work when he goes “behind enemy lines”. The second, UNSULLIED, marks the directorial debut of former NFL star, Simeon Rice, and proves he is a winning force to be reckoned with both on and off the gridiron! NO ESCAPE Stepping out of their known comfort zone, with NO ESCAPE the Broth...
A big summer for horror fans as the “Summer of Blumhouse” continues with SINISTER 2! Already providing us with “Insidious Chapter 3", “The Gallows” and “The Gift”, Blumhouse continues to terrorize us with genuine jump in your seat fright with SINISTER 2. And as we know from other Blumhouse banner franchises, one need not have seen the first film to appreciate and understand the sequel. However, just to bring you up to speed, 2012's “Sinister” introduced us to Bughuul, a demon of imposing physi...
With the big summer blockbusters behind us, now is the time to sit back and take a look at some little gems you might ordinarily miss in your movie-going adventures. The past few weeks, I’ve shared some engaging and insightful “Must See” documentaries with you as well as a variety of narrative and animated features. This week I continue that path with a look at the inspiring and visually arresting documentary MERU and a lovely little indie which premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival now makin...
It’s a mix and match weekend at the movies with something for everyone’s taste. And while there is some sweetness to be had, some of the tastes are proving a bit bitter. KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET A soulful and contemplative film of real beauty is the animated KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET. Based on nine of Gibran’s 26 philosophies set out in the best selling “The Prophet”, director Roger Allers taps into the talents of nine different animators, each with a different style, to create a mont...
It’s a big week for documentaries! Although showing on perhaps only one screen within a multiplex theatre and in specialty theatres like The Landmark which cater to these indie gems, each of this week’s documentaries are more than worth your attention. Informative, educational, eye-opening and entertaining, all are high on my “Must See” list for the year. BEST OF ENEMIES The 1968 presidential race forever changed the way television would provide election coverage; not to mention saving a lagging...
These are the weeks when tentpoles are out, you’ve seen them at least once, and now you have a chance to see some new and overlooked gems. Not to be missed (and we’ll talk about them on my weekly show “Behind The Lens” and in my online reviews) are gems like the masterful and exquisitely crafted MR. HOLMES starring Sir Ian McKellan, Woody Allen’s IRRATIONAL MAN which is one of his most satiric, funniest and delightful romps to come around in a long while with a cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix...
It’s long been said that the best gifts are the ones in little packages; uh, or for the ladies out there, those little “Tiffany Blue” boxes (you know what I mean!). Well, Marvel has now joined the ranks of giving one of its biggest and best gifts in the smallest power-packed package ever - ANT-MAN. The film may be smaller scale than what we’ve seen in recent years from Marvel/Disney with “The Avengers”, “Iron Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchises, but it has the biggest heart I’ve...
In an effort to identify and nurture new talent, Richard Clar recently announced a $1000 award to help support young artists who are striving to further their careers as professional jazz musicians. The Mimi Melnick Double M Award for Young Jazz Talent has been established to honor Clar’s sister. In 1996 Mimi began hosting intimate jazz salons at her Encino home to support L.A.’s jazz community. Since her passing, this tradition has continued at the Mayme Clayton Library & Museum in Culver City. Mr. Clar said, “Mimi loved jazz more than anyth...
With summer in full swing and the kids out of school and parents looking for some entertainment for not only the kids, but themselves and something they can do as a family, movies are a traditional respite. The problem becomes, however, finding that family friendly entertainment beyond the guaranteed awesomeness of Disney and Pixar which, by the way, is in top form this summer with “Inside Out.” (If you haven’t seen “Inside Out” yet, run to your nearest theatre as fast as you can). But this...
