SILENT NIGHT

Taking place in the English countryside, SILENT NIGHT tells the story of a Christmas get together between a group of friends facing their impending demise. The earth is angry and has been abused for far too long and as such, has started to release a toxic gas that will cover the entire globe. Everyone who comes in contact with this gas will die a most painful death; however, the UK government has provided a solution in the form of a pill that'll still kill the recipient, but in a much less painful and quicker way. Featuring a well-rounded cast lead by Keira Knightly, Annabelle Wallis, and Lily-Rose Depp, the story explores a multitude of themes within its 90 minutes time frame such as abortion, the existence of God, and free-choice. For the most part this plays wonderfully as a dark comedy until the final chapter when you know what's already going to happen does indeed happen. While the film begins with plenty of laughs, it does have a lot of heartfelt moments as well and is well balanced between comedy and tragedy. A sleeper of a film that given the opportunity, should be appreciated this holiday season. 6/10

I really enjoyed this movie and hope it continues with a SN2.
Wou;d love to see the ones who did not take pills carry on as Zombies, as hinted to.

I wouldn't hold my breath for a sequel DP but it was enjoyable.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

A new film released this weekend that I never knew existed until a week or two prior to it's release when it's trailer dropped. The premise follows LeMarcus James (played by Stephan James), starting QB for the SEC powerhouse that's in the CFP national championship game. 3 days before kickoff, James along with Emmett Sunday (Alexander Ludwig), stage a players strike, holding the game hostage while simultaneously costing the NCAA millions of dollars if no game is played. At the crux of the strike, James is seeking compensation and health care benefits, not only for himself, but for every student athlete in the country. He's sacrificing potentially millions of dollars if he's selected further down in the upcoming NFL draft (before the strike, he's the consensus #1 pick); however, he believes the sacrifice is worth it not only in the present but for further athletes as well. The film does a good job at balancing all of the vested interests in showcasing the title game: from James' head coach James Lazor (played wonderfully by J.K. Simmons), to the President's of the SEC and Big-12, who each have a team vying for the title, to the NCAA itself. It shows how greed, blackmail, corruption, bullying, and the lengths the NCAA but more importantly, grown adults, are willing to go to against young adults to ensure their job and pockets aren't left any lighter. A decent film, with a good message, that's a day late and a dollar short now that the NCAA has greenlit athlete's NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights. Although the message is still profound and pushes for more than just the NIL. James gives the best performance here alongside Simmons, who's always terrific, no matter what material he's given. 5.5/10

Not to sure about that, somewhat like Carpenter did with Halloween, they continued filming and editing of outtakes from this for sequel to release two years later.

With the idea of Zombies being mentioned in the movie, the sequel will revolve around that of course with the boy waking up after death at the end of movie.

It can work and also take on its own cult following.

INHERITANCE....Director Vaughn Stein..starring Lilly Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen....I'm not good @ giving movie synopsis..so I'll bear u the pain...this is a GREAT movie ..last saw 3 times on HBO...Lilly Collins dad dies & leaves an amaase of fortune 2 younger son / senate wanna be...but older sister Collins has so much more in store by way of a past that dead dad has a secret.....w/out going 2 much further (cause I'm stupid)..Simon Pegg steals the show as a loonybin fuckup who's been in a bunker 4 more than 30 yrs. when dad's daughter finds him...PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!

THE UNFORGIVABLE

Sandra Bullock gives a riveting performance as ex-con Ruth Slater, who's recently released from prison after doing 20 years for murder. Seattle is our setting and Bullock is living in a halfway house, working 2 jobs, and trying to straighten out her life and reconnect with her little sister, who was only 5 at the time Ruth was locked up. However, that proves to be more difficult with the sons of the man she murdered, constantly following her around, unsatisfied with her early release. The film also features a great supporting case with Jon Bernthal, a fellow coworker at one of her jobs, Viola Davis and Vincent D'Onofrio as a married couple who currently reside in Ruth's former home and the site of the murder. D'Onofrio is a lawyer and assists Ruth with reconnecting with her sister through the proper legal channels, as part of her early release is that she has no contact with her. Bullock dazzles as much of her performance is nonverbal, angry, and isolated. A film worth seeking out if for nothing else than Bullock's performance. 6/10

BELFAST

Taking place during the late 1960's, the film follows the story of a family: Pa, Ma, Will, and Buddy that shows the origins of The Trouble in Belfast that lasted roughly 30 years. The film is shot in black-and-white and opens on a beautiful August day in 1969, where young Buddy is playing with his friends, imaging he's fighting dragons. On his return home his world, and those of his neighbors are suddenly shattered as a gang of Protestants target and begin destroying the homes of local Catholics. Once the violence has passed, the residents construct a makeshift wall in order to protect themselves. Ma is left home to raise the children as Pa works in England and comes home every 2 weeks. During one of these visits, Pa is attempted to be recruited by the leader of the Protestants, who gives him an ultimatum: you're either with us or against us. Pa, seeing the writing on the wall, looks for escape routes such as Vancouver and Sydney while Ma is reluctant to pick up her family and move as Belfast is all any of them (with the exception of Pa) has ever known. This is getting a lot of buzz since it's release and while it is a beautifully crafted film, with quite a bit of levity to balance out the harsh reality the family currently finds themselves, it's good but not great. I would hope this goes on to win Best Foreign Film at the Oscars but nothing on the level of a PARASITE. Could be worth a watch once released outside of theaters. 6.5/10

What year is this movie? 2020?

I think I saw this and was really good.

This was very good, filmed almost entirely in my area of LI

Watched the Denzel Washington remake of The Magnificent Seven. While a good movie overall with decent acting, etc., it lacked the outstanding drama and acting of the Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen original. The current version relies heavily (as so many movies do these days) on flash and camera tricks. Of course, the original had none of that; it's quality relied on the acting, script, and, of course, the score.

Based on that, I hope, I hope that noone tries to make a Godfather remake!

Just give it time. Remember, this is Hollywood so they need to rectify all the sins of the past, have a completely diverse cast (because, you know, "representation is important") and they need to "introduce it to a new generation."

Saw the new Spider-Man with my wife last night. Goddamn!! This might be the best Marvel movie ever. I love The Avengers movies, but this is better. My wife is not really into superhero movies but even she was impressed lol

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Believe the hype, this is the best Spider-Man movie ever made and has a claim to be considered the best Marvel movie of all-time as well! The film picks up directly after the events of FAR FROM HOME where Peter's identity is now public knowledge. Having his life and the lives of those closest to him irrevocably shattered, Peter turns to Dr. Strange to summon a spell that'll make the world (except for those closest to him) forget that he is Spider-Man. However, in doing so, the multiverse is opened and a long list of previous Spider-man adversaries make their way into this dimension. Plenty of surprises and cameos abound that'll make any diehard geek out while even the most casual fan will still cheer along in excitement. Funny and emotional, this film takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, very similar to recent entries in the MCU like AVENGERS: END GAME and BLACK WIDOW to name a few. Tom Holland is brilliant as Peter Parker and for my money, he's the best to play him, taking nothing away from previous actors such as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield who've donned the red and blue. The mid-credit scene is a wonderful crumb the audience is left to marinate on and asks more questions than it answers. With the exception of 2 cameo's I was hoping to see, there is nothing more this film could have done to improve itself. I hardly ever give out perfect ratings but this definitely earned it! 10/10

THE KING'S MAN

Serving as a prequel to the KINGSMAN franchise, THE KING'S MAN tells the story of the formation of the organization through Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his son Conrad Oxford. Orlando, having lost his wife and Conrad his mother early in the film, Orlando makes her a promise to watch after their son and to keep him safe. Orlando's a former military man and young Conrad has aspirations of serving his country as well; however, his father rebuffs those overtures whenever the subject is broached, which during the first quarter/half of the film, is rather extensively. No longer requiring his father's permission when he comes of age, Conrad enlists as the first World War begins. To keep his son as safe as possible, Orlando uses the agency to end the war quickly and keep his son out of harms way. I'm sorry to say but the KINGSMAN franchise ran it's course upon its introduction. The sequel was an atrocious mess and this wasn't very far behind. Action scenes that make one yawn, Fieness seemingly channeling more of his inner M than anything fresh, and with a plot were millions of lives are at stake can still feel boring and uncommitted. The constant whining from Conrad during a good portion of the film at his father's insistence he not enlist doesn't help the film's case. Avoid this one. 4/10

BEING THE RICARDOS

Taking place over the course of a week, Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are having a hellacious week: Lucy's accused of being a communist while Desi is accused of cheating on his wife, all set against the backdrop of filming that week's episode of I LOVE LUCY. A peak behind the curtain at the making of the show provides us examples of the infighting that went on behind-the-scenes: Lucy being borderline obsessive-compulsive in her desire for perfection, William Frawley (J.K. Simmons) and Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) constantly at each others throats, and the writer's who are constantly seeking approval and credit for their work. Kidman and Bardem are delightful as two titans who can go toe-to-toe with each other in every scene they're in: whether between themselves or others. Simmons has the best dialogue but for my money, Kidman is now the clear front runner for Best Actress IMO. Aaron Sorkin can add another feather in his cap as this is a wonderful tale of perseverance, love, and fully committing to one's craft. Definitely worth a watch on Amazon Prime! 7.5/10

LICORICE PIZZA

Paul Thomas Anderson strings together an amazing coming of age romance taking place in 1973 in California. The film centers around young breakout star Gary (Cooper Hoffman) and Alana (Alana Haim) who happen to meet while Gary's getting his school picture taken and Alana's working for the photography company. Gary is immediately mesmerized by Alana's beauty; however, he's soon rebuffed when they reveal their ages (Gary's 15 and Alana's 25). Extremely persistent, charming, and confident, Gary doesn't accept Alana's rejection and after a few first couple of awkward meet ups ("they're not dates") they develop a friendship, even becoming business partners later in the film. Their relationship is constantly off-an-on with plenty of tension bubbling to the surface that fizzles before boiling over whereas at other times, they're purposefully trying to make the other jealous by introducing a member of the opposite sex. You already know what the payoffs going to be and when it happens, you're really happy for the kids because the film does use it's full 133 minute runtime. Hoffman really impressed me with his big screen debut; but then again, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised being he's the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Finally, the star of the show is madman Bradley Cooper as Jon Peters. He's only in a few scenes but he chews up Gary while attempting to eat up Alana as they install a waterbed in his home. Great stuff! 7/10

AMERICAN UNDERDOG

The true story of Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) begins with Kurt as a D-II athlete at the University of Northern Iowa, who's been riding the bench the previous 4 years and is in his last year of eligibility with aspirations of being drafted by the NFL. Warner, known as a humble, honest, and straight forward man, finally questions his coach as to why he doesn't get on the field more, especially when he was so heavily recruited out of high school. His coach provides his reasons and they work together to improve Kurt's game. This is happening while Kurt simultaneously meets and falls in love with Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin), who's a single mother with 2 small children with trust issues, being her marriage ended due to spousal infidelity. Once Kurt is out of college and doesn't make it to the pros, the story does an even better job at building the relationship and rock solid bond between Kurt and Brenda. Financially struggling as Brenda is attending nursing school and Kurt working graveyard shift at a local supermarket, Kurt finally takes up an offer that's previously extended to him to participate in the AFL. Kurt at first has difficulty adjusting to the rapid pace of the league but once he does, he dominates it while catching the eye of a NFL team, the St. Louis Rams and his chance to fulfill his childhood dream. This is an important story I'm glad is being told as the world needs more Kurt Warner's nowadays: standup, Christian bound men, who lead with their actions and not empty words. You can tell this was a passion project for Levi as he does a terrific job portraying Warner onscreen while Paquin is equally delightful as Brenda. Kind of surprised the NFL isn't pushing this movie harder as I'm sure they could use some good PR. 6/10

Review it again next year and see if it's still a 10/10

I cant comment as i've not seen and have no intention of seeing it but i think our ratings would differ.

Very well could. I know rating for films change after multiple viewings, so that could very well be the case here. But after a first viewing, I stand by my rating.

Two Truman Capote movies

These two films were released within a year of each other. Both focus on Capote's interest in the gruesome killing of four farm family members in Kansas by two jailhouse buddies, leading to his publication of "In Cold Blood"

Philip Seymour Hoffman gives the performance of his career in "Capote" (2005). He is Capote, gay but not flouting it, scheming, manipulative, charming the rubes with shameless Hollywood name-dropping, so he can win over lawman Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper, always good) and the rest of the rubes to gain access to the killers. Hoffman's Capote is ruthless in gaining the confidence of the killers, paying out just enough to keep their appeals going so he can buy interview time to finish his book, then all but abandoning them (although he does show up for a final farewell just before they're executed).

In "Infamous," Toby Jones is way over the top as Capote--flamboyantly swishing with no qualms about his gay-ness, making the most of it as he inveigles his way into the prison for his interviews. The film spends plenty of time with Capote and his coterie of (mostly female) High Society fans, played by a gaggle of Big Names. A rich vein of humor runs through the first two thirds of the film, but it gets serious near the end as Capote grows closer to Perry S"mith (Daniel Craig in a strong performance),, baring his soul to win over Smith's own confidence--and his confessions. "Capote" is the better drama, but "Infamous" is more entertaining--and dramatic enough on its own.

I recommend the film "Galileo," about his astronomical conflicts with the the Catholic Church hierarchy, of the 1600's. It's available to stream for free through the service "TV Time Feature Films" channel on Roku, for example. It stars Topol.

https://www.tvtime.com/

DON'T LOOK UP

Jennifer Lawrence plays PhD student Kate Dibiasky, who notices a comet hurtling towards Earth. At first fascinated by this discovery, she quickly shares her findings with her professor Dr. Randall Mindy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Once they conclude their calculations, they're horrified to discover the comet will obliterate mankind in 6 months. In an attempt to prepare for the event, Dr. Mindy and Kate meet with President Trump, I mean President Orlean (Meryl Streep), who's a caricature of the former President along with her son Jason (Jonah Hill). Not being taken seriously by the President, Dr. Mindy and Kate begin making the media rounds to notify the world of the situation. Both are passionate about warning the world and incredibly frustrated by not being taken seriously by anyone. As a result, Kate is painted as a lunatic, loses her credibility, and winds up working at a grocery store; whereas Dr. Mindy buys in on his new found popularity while selling out the planet. A satire involving social media, politics, capitalism, and science that feels extremely similar to a satire of the Trump administration and COVID-19 rather than a comet hitting earth. I typically like Adam McKay but this is a miss for him. Outside of the strenuous relationship between Jason and Kate, there aren't many laughs here and if a comedy doesn't have many laughs, it becomes quite dull. Not to mention not being invested in the film within the first 20 minutes, makes for a long payoff that doesn't do just that. Even with the opportunity of viewing this on Netflix I would still advise you not to waste your time on this. 4/10

Good synopsis..just saw it the other nite..I thought it was a black comedy given the way ..they portrayed some characters..

Life of Crime, a documentary on HBO that follows 3 drug addicts from 1984 till now. They let themselves be filmed stealing, doing drugs, and in one scene beating a pregnant girlfriend. It's very depressing. It centers on Newark, New Jersey.

Worth a watch jace or no?

Yes, if you can take graphic drug use and a depressing story. It is great, I had to watch. The surprising part is it was filmed intermeditley from 1984-2020 because the man filming it gave up on it project a few times. The main characters had no problem showing their bad sides, drugs use, and crimes. It's definitely worth a watch. I think HBO is taking it off the schedule any day now so catch it now.

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990br)

Tom Clancy's novels are unsubtle, but he writes with panache and portrays technology convincingly. Not so this movie, which is too long and for the most part boring. Sean Connery plays a respected Russian submarine captain wanting to defect to the US with an extremely dangerous new submarine, but he's so passive that he adds nothing to the drama that could have been at the heart of this action/adventure film. Alec Baldwin doesn't add much, either, as Jack Ryan, ace CIA analyst who somehow manages to convince top government officials, and all-powerful naval vessel commanders, that his hunches are right. The ensemble cast is very good, but overall...meh.