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: Ben Wheatley
Written & Edited By: Amy Jump & Ben Wheatley
Cinematography By: Laurie Rose
Cast: Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Sharito Copley Noah Taylor, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Jack Reynor, Babou Cassey, Patrick Bergin
Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.
Written & Directed By: Kelly Fremon Craig
Cinematography By: Doug Emmett
Editor: Tracy Wadmore-Smith
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick, Woody Harrelson, Hayden Szeto, Meredith Monroe
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine, who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian starts dating her best friend Krista. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.
Written & Directed By: Sion Sono
Cinematography By: Hideo Yamamoto
Editor: Jun’ichi Ito
Cast: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaido, Shin’ichi Tsutisumi, Hiroki Hasegawa, Gen Hoshino, Tomochika
A renegade film crew becomes embroiled with a yakuza clan feud.
Written & Directed By: Stephen Merchant
Cinematography By: Remi Adefarasin
Editor: Nancy Richardson
Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Stephen Merchant, Olivia Bernstone, Julia Davis, Paul Wight, Stephen Farrelly
A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
Written & Directed By: Ryan Murphy
Based on The Memoir By: Augusten Burroughs
Cinematography: Christopher Baffa
Editor: Byron Smith
Cast: Joseph Cross, Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Annette Bening, Jill Clayburgh, Patrick Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Gabrielle Union, Kristin Chenoweth, Dagmara Domincyzk, Colleen Camp
The story of how a boy was abandoned by his mother and how he, later, abandoned her. The year he’ll be 14, the parents of Augusten Burroughs divorce, and his mother, who thinks of herself as a fine poet on the verge of fame, delivers him to the eccentric household of her psychiatrist, Dr. Finch. During that year, Augusten avoids school, keeps a journal, and practices cosmetology. His mother’s mental illness worsens, he takes an older lover, he finds friendship with Finch’s younger daughter, and he’s the occasional recipient of gifts from an unlikely benefactor. Can he survive to come of age?
Directed By: Bobby Farrelly & Peter Farrelly
Written By: Pete Jones, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly & Kevin Barnett
Story By: Pete Jones
Cinematography By: Matthew F. Leonetti
Editor: Sam Seig
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudekis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, J.B. Smoove, Alexandra Daddario, Rob Moran, Nicky Whelan, Larry Joe Campbell, Stephen Merchant, Lauren Bowles, Richard Jenkins, Tyler Hoechlin, Derek Waters, Alyssa Milano, Joy Behar, Vanessa Angel, Andrew Wilson
A couple of married guys are always looking at other women. Their wives are fed up with their behavior, and grant them a ‘hall pass’: a week off their marriage allowing them to do anything. But the guys take their time and their week is almost up. What they don’t realize is that at the same time their wives make connections of their own.
Written & Directed By: John Michael McDonagh
Cinematography By: Bobby Bukowski
Editor: Chris Gill
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Pena, Theo James, Malcom Barrett, Tessa Thompson, Caleb Landry Jones, Paul Resier, Stephanie Sigman , Keith Jardine, David Wilmot
Two corrupt cops set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Events, however, are complicated by the arrival of someone who appears to be even more dangerous than they are.
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: 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.
