Focus on Film & Television Reviews and writings about these subjects. As well as Pop Culture at times. With a bit of an edge and some color
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
Written By: Keith Bunin
Based On The Novel By: Joe Hill
Cinematography By: Frederick Elmes
Editor: Baxter
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Kelli Garner, Joe Anderson , David Morse, James Remar, Kathleen Quinlan, Heather Graham
Written & Directed By: Steven Knight
Cinematography By: Chris Menges
Editor: Valerio Bonelli
Cast: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek Vicky McClure, Benedict Wong
Homeless and on the run from a military court martial, a damaged ex-special forces soldier navigating London’s criminal underworld seizes an opportunity to assume another man’s identity — transforming into an avenging angel in the process.
Directed By: Xavier Gens
Written By: Skip Woods
Cinematography By: Laurent Bares
Editor: Carlo Rizzo & Antoine Vareille
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Robert Knepper, Henry Ian Cusick, Eriq Ebounaey
A gun-for-hire “Hitman” is a genetically-engineered, elite assassin known only as Agent 47 hired by a group known only as ‘The Organization’ is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Eastern Europe. But even 47 couldn’t anticipate a “random equation” in his life exactitude: the unexpected stirrings of his conscience and the unfamiliar emotions aroused in him by a mysterious Russian woman.
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
Written By: Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthymis Filippou
Cinematography By: Thimios Bakatakis
Editor: Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Cast: Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Hristos Passalis, MaryTsoni, Anna Kalaitzidou
Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence ‘the sea’ refers to a large armchair and ‘zombies’ are little yellow flowers. Having invented a brother whom they claim to have ostracized for his disobedience, the über-controlling parents terrorize their offspring into submission. The father is the only family member who can leave the manicured lawns of their self-inflicted exile, earning their keep by managing a nearby factory, while the only outsider allowed on the premises is his colleague Christina, who is paid to relieve the son of his male urges. Tired of these dutiful acts of carnality, Christina disturbs the domestic balance.
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Written By: Javier Gullon
Based On The Book By: Jose Saramago
Cinematography By: Nicolas Buldoc
Editor: Matthew Hannam
Cast: Jake Gylenhaal, Sarah Gondon, Melanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini, Joshua Pearce
A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.
Directed By: Zach Braff
Written By: Adam J. Braff & Zach Braff
Cinematography By: Lawrence Sher
Editor: Myron I. Kerstein
Cast: Zach Braff, Joey King, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Mandy Patinkin, Ashley Greene, Alexander Chaplin, Michael Weston, Donald Faison, Jim Parsons, James Avery, Leslie David Baker
‘Wish I Was Here’ is the story of Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He winds up trying to home school his two children when his father can no longer afford to pay for private education and the only available public school is on its last legs. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn’t find.
Directed By: Adam Shankman
Written By: Tina Gordon, Peter Huyck & Alex Gregory
Based on the screenplay “What Women Want” By: Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa
Story By: Jas Waters & Tina Gordon
Based On The Story “What Women Want” By: Diane Drake, Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa
Cinematography By: Jim Denault
Editor: Emma E. Hickcox
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Josh Brener, Aldis Hodge, Erykah Badu, Tracy Morgan, Jason Jones, Max Greenfield, Richard Roundtree, Kellan Lutz, Pheobe Robinson, Tamala Jones, Brian Bosworth, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Pete Davidson
A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.
Directed By: Steven Caple Jr.
Written By: Juel Taylor & Sylvester Stallone
Story By: Cheo Hodari Coker & Sacha Penn
Based On Characters Created By: Ryan Coogler
Cinematography By: Kramer Morganthau
Editor: Dana E. Glauberman, Saira Haider & Paul Harb
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Dolph Lungdren, Florian Munteanu, Brigitte Nielsen
Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, heavyweight contender Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago.
Directed By: Malcolm D. Lee
Written By: Kevin Hart, Nicholas Stoller, John Hamburg, Harry Ratchford, Joey Wells & Matthew Kellard
Cinematography By: Greg Gardiner
Editor: Paul Millspaugh
Cast: Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Taran Killam, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Al Madrigal, Mary Lyn Rajskub, Keith David, Anne Winters, Fat Joe, Ben Schwartz, Yvonne Orji
A group of high school dropouts are forced to attend night school in hope that they’ll pass the GED exam to finish high school.
Written & Directed By: Drew Pearce
Cinematography By: Chung-Hoon Chung
Editor: Gardner Gould & Paul Zucker
Cast: Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Zachary Quinto, Brian Tyree Henry, Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Jeff Goldblum, Kenneth Choi
A woman known as The Nurse runs a high-security, members-only hospital for high-rolling criminals in Los Angeles. When a bank robber brings his injured teammates along with $18 million in jewels there, both mob boss Wolf King and the police follow. With the hospital under siege, The Nurse, her orderly and her other criminal patients have to defend themselves.
Cut To The Chase 