The Reel Dr. Bob

AUGUST 29, 2013

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND OLDER REVIEWS AT- www.thereeldrbob.com

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) THE SPECTACULAR NOW– At the Theater

2) SPARROWS DANCE– Comcast On-Demand

3) LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER– At the Theater

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

 

1) THE SPECTACULAR NOW– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When high school loner Aimee Finicky finds her classmate Sutter Keely passed-out drunk on a lawn, it marks the start of an unlikely friendship. After deciding to help Aimee raise her social confidence, Sutter finds himself falling for his creation.”7/15/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.

8/2/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/23/13- Overall I enjoyed this movie but I felt that the first 45min. was too long and the second 45min. a bit too short. TRDB.

2) LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker delivers a powerful performance as Cecil Gaines, who served as the White House butler under eight presidents. His three decades of service unfold against a backdrop of unparalleled change in American history.”

8/6/13- Very good reviews. TRDB.

8/16/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/25/13- Although I did enjoy parts of this movie, I was disappointed with the film as a whole. I thought it was a lackluster story about the butler used as a vehicle for a very powerful piece of history and it just didn’t seem to fit for me. The acting carried the movie. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) SPARROWS DANCE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When an overflowing toilet forces an agoraphobic ex-actress to let in the outside world for the first time in months, romance blooms. But making it to her musician-boyfriend’s first professional gig will prove the real test for the shut-in.”8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/23/13- I enjoyed this movie very much. Very good acting and a good depiction of the life of an agoraphobic. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

2) SHADOW DANCER– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Collette, a single mother and career IRA terrorist, is captured after an abortive bombing in London and faces an excruciating ultimatum. She can either turn against her lifelong compatriots or go to prison and be separated forever from her son.”

5/31/13- Very good reviews in general and a very good one in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

8/25/13– The movie was touted as riveting but I didn’t think so. Some good acting by the two leads saved this slow, slogging story about the IRA. TRDB. Netflix.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, SEPT. 3-

 

1) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Luke is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son, but when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer, their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud.”3/28/13- A mixed review in today’s NY Times but  better reviews from other critics. TRDB.

2) EVOCATEUR: THE MORTON DOWNEY JR. MOVIE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Rude, crude and polarizing, Morton Downey Jr. was the profane right-wing prince of talk show hosts during his brief heyday in the late 1980s. This colorful documentary includes archival footage of Downey’s riotous show with revealing interviews.”

6/7/13- An OK, interesting review in today’s NY Times. Other critics have liked it very much. TRDB.

3) BLANCANIEVES– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Shot in black and white and without dialogue, this unusual take on “Snow White” follows the young daughter of a matador who finds fame after escaping the clutches of her evil stepmother to join a band of bullfighting dwarves.”

3/29/13- Very good reviews including the review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) COCKNEYS VS. ZOMBIES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In an attempt to save their granddad’s old age home, slacker Cockneys Terry and Andy team up with three friends to rob a bank. But their caper goes awry when they run afoul of a horde of hungry zombies, who then do battle with the feisty pensioners.”

8/2/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times and OK reviews in general. TRDB.

5) SOMM– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in six countries over a two-year period, this documentary follows four sommeliers as they embark on an all-consuming course of study for the prestigious (and nearly impossible to pass) Master Sommelier exam.”

6/21/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and mixed professional reviews at best. Audiences, however, have liked the movie. TRDB.

6) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As Japan prepares to host the Olympics, Shun, a school reporter, fights to save a clubhouse from progress-minded authorities. He gets unexpected help from Umi, a classmate who’s fallen in love with him.”

3/3/13-Fairly good early reviews.  TRDB.

3/15/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7) THE ENGLISH TEACHER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Devoted small-town English teacher Linda yearns for love. Enter Jason, a former student whose career as a Broadway playwright didn’t pan out. When she persuades him to stage his play at the school before giving up, love — and controversy — arise.”

5/24/13- Weak reviews in general and a poor one in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

8)KOCH– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Former Mayor Ed Koch is the quintessential New Yorker. Still ferocious, charismatic, and hilariously blunt, the now 87-year-old Koch ruled New York from 1978 to 1989-a down-and-dirty decade of grit, graffiti, near-bankruptcy and rampant crime. First-time filmmaker (and former Wall Street Journal reporter) Neil Barsky has crafted an intimate and revealing portrait of this intensely private man, his legacy as a political titan, and the town he helped transform.”

2/1/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

9) THE ICEMAN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This thriller based on a true story follows Richard Kuklinski, who killed more than 100 people for the mob — and his own pleasure — between 1964 and 1986. Despite his prolific violence, Kuklinski was a devoted husband and father of two daughters.”

Early reviews look good for this docudrama including a NY Times review on 5/3/13. TRDB.

5/1/13- A riveting performance by Michael Shannon as the contract killer Richard Kuklinski places this movie at a suspenseful level and keeps it there. TRDB.

 

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, AUG. 23, IN ADDITION TO THE MOVIES I WROTE ABOUT-

 

1) DRINKING BUDDIES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Workmates at a small Chicago brewery, Luke and Kate are romantically involved with others but also the best of friends — on and off the clock. Things get complicated, however, when the couples spend a weekend together at a lakeside retreat.”8/23/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times and very good ones all around. TRDB.

2) THE GRANDMASTER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As the Japanese invasion looms, Chinese kung fu master Ip Man’s world changes when rival master Gong Er and her father arrive in his village. As her father ceremoniously retires, Gong Er finds love with Ip Man, who’s conflicted by his feelings.”

8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times for this martial arts film and positive reviews in general. The Wall St. Journal said that you had to be a martial arts fan to like this movie and sight unseen I would agree. TRDB.

3) PARADICE: FAITH– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Anna Maria is an x-ray technician who spends her free time lugging a statue of the Virgin Mary through Vienna, hoping to convert her fellow citizens. But her mission is derailed by the sudden reappearance of her long-lost husband, an Egyptian Muslim.”

8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and some good reviews all around. TRDB.

4) SAVANNAH– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In post-Civil War America, aristocrat Ward Allen becomes a self-styled renaissance man, taking up life as a hunter and befriending a freed slave. His new rough-hewn style draws the attention of a young socialite who defies her father to be with him.”

8/23/13- Poor reviews everywhere including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

5) THE WORLD’S END– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Twenty years after attempting a marathon pub crawl, a group of friends reunites to give it another shot. Their ultimate destination is the World’s End pub, whose name turns out to be rather literal.”

8/23/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times and very good reviews in general. TRDB.

6) SCENIC ROUTE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When car trouble strands old friends Mitchell and Carter in the California desert, friction surfaces as they try to deal with the situation, and a heated dialogue soon escalates into a violent struggle for survival.”

8/23/13- Mixed reviews in general. Today’s NY Times panned it. TRDB.

7) THE TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Exploring issues of race, religion and wartime conscientious objection, this documentary gives viewers an inside look at Muhammad Ali’s biggest battle: his struggle to overturn a five-year prison sentence after refusing to fight in Vietnam.”

8/23/13- Good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. Audiences have liked this film very much. TRDB.

8)SHORT TERM 12– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, works with her boyfriend and colleague, Mason, to help at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace’s tough exterior begins eroding.”

8/23/13- An excellent review from most critics and the NY Times liked it as well. TRDB.

9) THE UNITED STATES OF FOOTBALL– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sean Pamphilon is a father first, football fan second. Thus, with his 12-year-old son set to play, Pamphilon begins to investigate the sport’s safety. This film documents his sometimes shocking findings about gridiron brain injuries.”

8/23/13- Weak reviews so far in general and from today’s NY Times. TRDB.

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OPENING THIS WEEK (AUG. 30)-

 

1) I DECLARE WAR– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A once-friendly game of war between two groups of 13-year-olds takes on sinister overtones when an enemy soldier goes rogue and kidnaps the best friend of the opposing side’s commander.”

8/14/13– Surprisingly good reviews. TRDB.

2) OUR NIXON– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Nixon himself wasn’t the only one obsessively recording his presidency; three of his top aides were filming it, too, with Super 8 cameras. These home movies — from H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and Dwight Chapin — form the basis of this portrait.”

8/14/13- Some very good early reviews. TRDB.

3) SATYAGRAHA– 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A dynamic and ambitious young man who is poised to take the elevator of corporate success, encounters personal tragedy which exposes him to the shocking on sequences of corruption in India. Joining hands with an idealist, he ignites a people’s protest that soon escalates into a massive movement with a national resonance, battling politicians determined to crush and discredit him.”

8/23/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

1) EUROPA REPORT–  2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this nail-biting thriller, a private space-exploration company sends six astronauts to determine whether Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, can sustain life — and what they find terrifies and transforms them.”6/28/13- Reviews are fairly good for this sci-fi thriller. TRDB.

8/2/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2) CRYSTAL FAIRY– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A self-absorbed young American traveling in Chile plans a journey with his pals to find a legendary hallucinogenic cactus. But when he invites the free-spirited Crystal Fairy along, they find themselves locked in a battle of wills.”7/12/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. Others have liked it as well. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW-

 

1) SPARROWS DANCE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When an overflowing toilet forces an agoraphobic ex-actress to let in the outside world for the first time in months, romance blooms. But making it to her musician-boyfriend’s first professional gig will prove the real test for the shut-in.”8/9/13- Very few reviews but they are good. TRDB.

8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/23/13- I enjoyed this movie very much. Very good acting and a good depiction of the life of an agoraphobic. TRDB.

2) AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After escaping prison, Bob Muldoon begins a search for his girlfriend and young daughter, but their reunion doesn’t go as planned: He took the rap for a crime she committed, but now she’s involved with a lawman from their past.”8/6/13- Mixed reviews with some very good ones and some really poor ones too. TRDB.

8/16/13- A negative review in today’s NY Times saying that the film was unconvincing. TRDB.

3) FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY–  2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “As they push into Germany near the end of World War II, Russian troops discover that the Nazis have used the research of legendary scientist Victor Frankenstein to create monstrous new soldiers that are pieced together from body parts of the dead.”7/16/13- Some good reviews including the review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) PRINCE AVALANCHE–  2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “While repainting traffic lines along a burnt-out stretch of rural highway, a mismatched pair — straightlaced Alvin and his girlfriend’s harebrained brother, Lance — form an unlikely bond that builds upon their differences.”Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “Driven by striking performances from Rudd and Hirsch, Prince Avalanche is an offbeat comedy about two men painting traffic lines on a desolate country highway that’s been ravaged by wildfire. Against this dramatic setting, the men bicker and joke with each other, eventually developing an unlikely friendship. Funny, meditative and at times surreal, Prince Avalanche features a score by Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo, and was shot by frequent Green collaborator Tim Orr was. Loosely adapted from Either Way, an Icelandic film by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson.”

8/3/13- Good reviews all around. TRDB.

8/9/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/15/13- Not really a road movie but these 2 guys were working on a road. A good story about male bonding and I enjoyed it very much. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

5) DRINKING BUDDIES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Workmates at a small Chicago brewery, Luke and Kate are romantically involved with others but also the best of friends — on and off the clock. Things get complicated, however, when the couples spend a weekend together at a lakeside retreat.”8/23/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times and very good ones all around. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

 

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)

 

NEW IN THE BURBS-

 

1) IN A WORLD…- Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Lake Bell (“Children’s Hospital”) stars in In a World…, a hilarious romantic comedy about a struggling vocal coach who strikes it big in the cutthroat world of movie-trailer voiceovers, only to find herself in direct competition with the industry’s reigning king-her father. Written and directed by Bell, who won the Sundance 2013 Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the script.”8/9/13- Good reviews from today’s NY Times and from other critics as well. TRDB.

 

2) CLOSED CIRCUIT– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Martin and Claudia, top-flight lawyers who happen to be former lovers, become targets when they’re teamed up to defend a notorious terrorist. As the trial unfolds, the danger causes the pair to reevaluate their allegiance to justice.”8/27/13- Poor reviews. TRDB.

3) THE GRANDMASTER– Danbury, Clearview 100. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As the Japanese invasion looms, Chinese kung fu master Ip Man’s world changes when rival master Gong Er and her father arrive in his village. As her father ceremoniously retires, Gong Er finds love with Ip Man, who’s conflicted by his feelings.”

8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times for this martial arts film and positive reviews in general. The Wall St. Journal said that you had to be a martial arts fan to like this movie and sight unseen I would agree. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) BLUE JASMINE– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “The high life leads to high anxiety for a fashionable New York City homemaker in crisis who finds herself forced to live a more modest lifestyle in San Francisco. Woody Allen directs an ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin.”7/26/13- A great review in today’s NY Times and excellent reviews all around. TRDB.

8/7/13- Woody is as creative as ever as he constructs another story that most audiences can relate to. Cate Blanchett’s acting was great but after the rave reviews I was a little disappointed. Good but not great. TRDB.

2) LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker delivers a powerful performance as Cecil Gaines, who served as the White House butler under eight presidents. His three decades of service unfold against a backdrop of unparalleled change in American history.”

8/6/13- Very good reviews. TRDB.

3) THE SPECTACULAR NOW– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When high school loner Aimee Finicky finds her classmate Sutter Keely passed-out drunk on a lawn, it marks the start of an unlikely friendship. After deciding to help Aimee raise her social confidence, Sutter finds himself falling for his creation.”

7/15/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.

8/2/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/23/13- Overall I enjoyed this movie but I felt that the first 45min. was too long and the second 45min. a bit too short. TRDB.   

For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com

For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org  

For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB