ALL IS BRIGHT- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Lie, cheat, steal: It’s all part of the holiday spirit for two men when they try to make a quick buck selling Christmas trees. For ex-con Dennis, it’s a chance to go straight, and for charmer Rene, it’s a chance to build a future with Dennis’s ex.”
10/4/13- Mixed reviews, more negative than positive but the NY Times liked it. TRDB.
Add comment October 5th, 2013
GRAVITY- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission embarks on a space walk with a seasoned astronaut, debris strikes their craft and destroys it — leaving the two floating through space tethered together, with no connection to Earth.”
10/2/13- Very good reviews and this film has been well received at festivals too. TRDB.
10/4/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/11/13- Kind of a weak story but the special effects are definitely worth the price of admission. TRDB.
Add comment October 2nd, 2013
THE DEAD MAN AND BEING HAPPY- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In Award-winning Spanish director Javier Rebollo’s third feature, Santos (renowned Spanish actor José Sacristán), a sick, worn-down hired killer, impulsively heads out on one last assignment: a 2,000-mile excursion from his Buenos Aires hospital bed into the vast interior of Argentina.”
10/1/13- A mixed review in today’s NY Times but it sounds interesting to me. TRDB.
Add comment October 1st, 2013
TWO JACKS- 2013. Synopsis by IMDB. “Jack Hussar is a legendary Hollywood director, whose persona commands respect and adoration from his fans. Can his son, Jack Jr. maintain his legacy?”
9/29/13- No professional reviews yet but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
12 YEARS A SLAVE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “The autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted from New York state and sold into slavery in the mid-1800s, serves as the basis for this historical drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, and Brad Pitt plays an abolitionist.”
9/29/13- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
10/18/13- A glowing review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/6/13- Overall I enjoyed this movie as this is clearly a story needing to be told. The acting was wonderful. Throughout the movie I couldn’t help thinking about this as another Holocaust movie with the dehumanizing, the oppression, the splitting of families and the often random nature of the violence inflicted on the victims, in this case Blacks. My only objection was that too many scenes seemed the same to me, each showing the difficult daily life on the plantation in one form or another. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
PARADISE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “The comedy follows a sheltered young woman (Julianne Hough) who loses her faith after a plane crash and decides to go to Las Vegas to experience the wild side of life. On her journey, she meets unlikely companions (Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer) who inadvertently help her find her true self.”
9/29/13- Poor early reviews. TRDB.
10/18/13- Another poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
KILL YOUR DARLINGS- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1944, budding poet Allen Ginsberg falls under the spell of Columbia classmate Lucien Carr, who introduces him to the nascent Beat movement, as well as fellow libertines Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.”
9/29/13- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
I’M IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a tough-minded ex-drug dealer falls for a beautiful but highly devout Christian woman, their mutual attraction takes them both down a twisty path that tests their love — and their faith.”
10/18/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and I could not find one positive review anywhere. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
THE FIFTH ESTATE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Following the working relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Daniel Domscheit-Berg, one of his earliest supporters, this fact-based drama recounts the early days of the revolutionary website and the inevitable conflict it wrought.”
9/29/13- Mostly poor reviews with a few good ones tossed in. TRDB.
10/18/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013
ESCAPE PLAN- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Framed and thrown into an escape-proof prison that he designed himself, structural security expert Ray must use all his know-how to break out. Ray and a fellow inmate dodge the jail’s corrupt warden and guard to track down who’s behind the setup.”
10/18/13- A fair at best review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment September 29th, 2013