The Reel Dr. Bob

DECEMBER 28, 2017

DEAR FRIENDS:

YOU HAD BEST ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND PAST REVIEWS FROM MY WEBSITE DIRECTLY AT www.thereeldrbob.com AS I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY SENDING OUT THE NEWSLETTER VIA EMAIL

QUICK LOOK AT MY FVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) OF HORSES AND MEN– Netflix Disc.

2) JUMANJI- At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this sequel to the 1995 fantasy epic, four teen pals are in for the adventure of their lives when they stumble on an old video game and are immediately transported to its jungle setting, becoming the game’s avatars.”

12/25/17- Saw this with my grandchildren. An interesting adventure story with some important messages. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) OF HORSES AND MEN- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This action drama lets viewers imagine the world of humans through a horse’s eyes, spotlighting the ancient two-way bond between the species. Deep in the wild, events unreel that will test both the horses and their complex human partners.”

3/12/15- Great reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

12/22/17– I liked this very different type of movie. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JAN. 4-

1) BRAD’S STATUS– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “While touring East Coast colleges for his son’s benefit, Brad Soares bumps into some former college buddies whose success leaves him dismayed by his relative lack of achievement. Increasingly vexed by his failings, Brad begins a redemptive journey.”

9/15/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

9/23/17- Great movie. TRDB.

2) REBEL IN THE RYE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This engaging biopic profiles the brilliant but reclusive novelist J.D. Salinger, from his early years as he resolves to become a writer through the scarring World War II experiences that led him to pen his masterpiece, “The Catcher in the Rye.”

9/8/17- Awful reviews by the critics and OK ones from audiences. I’ll recommend it solely for historical value. TRDB.

3) LUCKY– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This wry character study follows Lucky, a lonely 90-year-old living in a dusty desert town, as he meditates on his inevitable death. Despite his strong belief that God does not exist, Lucky isn’t ready to make the jump into nothingness.”

9/29/17- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

4) THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After bad weather halts their commercial flight, surgeon Ben Payne and writer Ashley Knox hop a charter plane. But it crashes, leaving the strangers injured and alone atop a snow-covered mountain — forcing them to embark on a long journey for help.”

10/3/17- Fair reviews at best. Even some of the positive reviews had several negative things to say. TRDB.

5) MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “A day in the life of undocumented immigrant Luciana provides a harrowing look at the challenges of getting by in the new world as she accepts a high-paying but undefined job, only to find herself involved in a cruel and dangerous game.”

11/3/17– Great reviews by the critics and terrible ones by audiences. TRDB.

6) UNA– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. ‘At age 13, Una ran away with a man in his 30s, but their affair ended abruptly when he abandoned her and was subsequently jailed for abduction and having sex with a minor. Fifteen years later, Una — unable to move on — sets out to confront him.”

10/6/17-  Fair reviews by the critics and poor ones by audiences. TRDB.

7) LOVE BEATS RHYMES– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When aspiring rapper Coco enrolls in a college poetry course, she’s drawn to the alternative possibilities of slam poetry. Challenged by one of her professors to express what she feels, Coco comes away newly inspired by what she’s learned.”

12/1/17- Fair reviews by the critics but audiences have liked this film very much. TRDB.

8) AMERICAN MADE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “To avoid jail time for smuggling drugs into the United States from South America, pilot Barry Seal turns informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration — and soon finds himself in the midst of one of the largest covert operations in U.S. history.”

9/29/17- Very good reviews by most critics. Audiences have enjoyed it as well. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY-

1) THE POST– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the “Washington Post” agrees to publish the leaked Pentagon Papers — which point to a secret escalation of the Vietnam War — the Nixon administration tries to block publication, setting off an epic legal and political battle.”

12/22/17- Very good reviews by the critics and just fair ones by audiences. Also a terrific cast. TRDB.

2) HAPPY END– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living in Northern France near Calais, the well-to-do Laurent family is all-but oblivious to the crisis unfolding a few miles away at the “Calais Jungle,” where thousands of migrants and refugees huddle in misery as they face uncertain futures.”

12/22/17- Fair reviews from  critics and audiences alike. Sounds good to me and I like Isabel Hupert who stars. TRDB.

3) THE GREATEST SHOWMAN– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Behind “The Greatest Show on Earth” was one of history’s greatest showmen, P.T. Barnum. This musical biopic centers on Barnum’s creation of the three-ring circus and his infatuation with Swedish songbird Jenny Lind.”

12/22/17- Poor reviews by the critics but good ones from audiences. TRDB.

4) HOSTILES- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1892, this engrossing Western depicts the animosity between a U.S. Army captain and a Cheyenne war chief whose family the cavalry is escorting back to their Montana homeland — a journey that proves long and perilous for both sides.”

12/22/17- Fair reviews from the critics and better ones from audiences. Sounds good to me. TRDB.

5) A CROOKED HOUSE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the wealthy patriarch of the Leonides family is murdered, the three generations of rancorous kin living under his roof provide ample suspects. Eager to avoid Scotland Yard’s prying eyes, his granddaughter hires a private eye to investigate.”

6) A GERMAN LIFE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “More than 100 years old when interviewed for this documentary, Brunhilde Pomsel tells the story of her long and complicated life, in which she worked inside the Nazi war machine as secretary to propagandist Joseph Goebbels during World War II.”

12/22/17- I’ve seen just 3 reviews and they are all very good. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) DOWNSIZING– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Feeling that their lives are out of control, a husband and wife decide to be reduced to tiny size to make life more affordable and leave a smaller carbon footprint. Unfortunately, after he undergoes the procedure, his spouse backs out.”

12/22/17- Weak reviews all around. TRDB.

2) CROOKED HOUSE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the wealthy patriarch of the Leonides family is murdered, the three generations of rancorous kin living under his roof provide ample suspects. Eager to avoid Scotland Yard’s prying eyes, his granddaughter hires a private eye to investigate.

No reviews noted as yet. TRDB.

3) DRAWING HOME– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Debutante and budding artist Catharine Robb is dating a Rockefeller but sees her plans upended after she accepts fellow artist Peter Whyte’s invitation to visit him in his Canadian Rockies hometown, where she falls in love with him and the landscape.”

12/22/17- Poor reviews from all of the critics. TRDB.

4) HANGMAN– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a creepy version of the children’s game “Hangman,” a serial killer carves an alphabet letter into the bodies of all his victims, producing a new clue — and fresh corpse — each day for the detective and criminal profiler who are chasing him.

12/22/17- Awful reviews. TRDB.

BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) I, TONYA– Jacob Burns Clearview 100. – 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This wickedly entertaining biopic looks at the life and doomed career of ice skater Tonya Harding and her connection to one of the most infamous sports scandals in American history: the assault on rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics.”

12/8/17- Excellent reviews by the critics and very good ones by audiences. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. Very good reviews

2) DARKEST HOUR– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. Good but not great reviews for this historical drama

3) THE SHAPE OF WATER– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. Good reviews but the trailer looked weird

4) THE GREATEST SHOWMAN– Bethel. Weak reviews

THE DANBURY LOEWS AND THE GARDEN CINEMA NORWALK HAVE NOT POSTED THEIR SCHEDULES AT “PRESS TIME”

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix.”In a crime that rivets the American public for months in 1973, members of an Italian paramilitary organization kidnap John Paul Getty III. When his oil-rich grandfather balks at paying the ransom, the bad guys up the stakes dramatically.”

12/20/17- Very good reviews from all sources. TRDB.

2) DARKEST HOUR– Good but not great reviews for this historical drama. I’m looking forward to seeing it

3) THE SHAPE OF WATER- Looked weird to me

4) WONDER WHEEL– I liked it but most did not

5) THE GREATEST SHOWMAN– Weak reviews

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY- See above for reviews

1) MOLLY’S GAME– Very good reviews

2) THE SHAPE OF WATER– Looked weird to me

3) WONDER WHEEL– I liked it but most did not

4) THE GREATEST SHOWMAN— Weak reviews

5) DARKEST HOUR– Good but not great reviews for this historical drama. I’m looking forward to seeing it

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Bill Nye, who’s famous for making science fun and engaging for kids, targets the millennial generation with this illuminating documentary that looks at the dangers and challenges of global climate change.”

10/27/17- Excellent reviews by the professionals and fair to good ones by audiences. TRDB.

2) THE BREADWINNER– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this animated tale based on Deborah Ellis’ best-selling novel, life under Taliban rule in Afghanistan is already hard for 11-year-old Parvana, but with her father in jail, she’s forced to don male clothing and become the family breadwinner.”

11/17/17- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

D)  THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOC RATON-

1) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME– Good reviews and I plan to see it

2) LADY BIRD– I liked it very much

3) WONDER WHEEL– I enjoyed it but most did not

4) THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Syrian refugee Khaled and ex-traveling salesman Wikström have many miles under their belts when they cross paths in Helsinki. Now a restaurateur, Wikström finds Khaled sleeping behind his diner and offers him a job, leading to an unlikely friendship.”

12/1/17- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

5) BIG SONIA– Excellent reviews

6) LOVING VINCENT– Good reviews. Limited screenings

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB