Category Archives: movies

Stellar Director and Cast Drive “Meadowland”

drama, indie, movies, , , , ,
meadowland

Her directorial debut, Reed Morano’s Meadowland, takes a brave look at two people in deep pain. 

They struggle with the darkness, which captivates one’s attention like crazy.

The first scene sets up the story and the movie’s overall tone.  We meet a married couple, played brilliantly by Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson. They are on a family trip and lose their young son. Abduction is what everyone assumes happened to the child.  The story follows the aftermath of their loss, one year later. Two people who were once in love are now individually alone.  The marriage crumbles from the inside while starting at the edges.  The mother wanders to the subway in the middle of the night, her maternal love feeling empty.  The father is a New York City cop who turns cold, trying to resolve his issues at a support group but failing even to make that work.  They live in the past with only memories barely keeping them awake from the tragedy.

This is a very sad movie, and as a parent, a hard movie to watch.  Yet the performances are beautifully executed and capture the melancholy and carelessness that follow the loss of a loved one. The supporting cast, including Elizabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, and John Leguizamo, offers deep, rich colors of despair.

Reed Morano, who is known in the industry as a cinematographer for such notable movies as Frozen River and The Magic of Belle Isle, takes the viewers on an unbelievable and unforgettable journey as she guides these tormented characters.

Meadowland is beautifully shot and an expertly crafted movie, yet it is sad. Your mindset needs to be ready for a downer because the subject matter will turn your stomach inside out with emotion and fear of losing your own children.

“A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story”

documentary, movies, ,
ABraveHeartLizzieVelasquezStory_3D_DVD

Directed by Sara Bordo, we meet a 26-year-old motivational speaker and author, Lizzie Velazquez. 

She is diagnosed with a rare congenital disease that prevents her body from gaining weight. Soaking wet, she weighs 58 pounds and can only see out of one eye. To make matters worse, she was subjected to bullying in childhood, and even today, she is bullied by random people. 

The best word I can think of is “resilient” because she is powerfully intelligent with an amazing and beguiling sense of humor.  Velazquez turned for the best when she was seventeen. While surfing YouTube, she came across a video titled “The World’s Ugliest Woman” that referred to her.

What could she do? Turn the other cheek and continue avoiding the foreseeable looks and caustic backhanded remarks.  What would you do if you met her for the first time? Normally, people react and reflect on their reaction and correct themselves, so they can see her beyond her ugliness. Yet, there is a hint of guilt and even shame once they recover their humanity.  Under those conditions is exactly the way Velazquez approached her talks and wrote her books. Watching the documentary, one can’t help but admire her rare patience and understanding.

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velazquez Story follows her transformation from a budding victim to an inspiring personality. Bordo weaves the story of Velasquez’s journey, starting with a series of eloquent and expressive posts on her own YouTube channel, an autobiography, and a presentation at TEDxAustinWomen discussing self-image that circulated quickly in discussions and on the Internet.

Bordo garnishes the documentary with interviews, home videos, and footage of her lectures.  We journey with Velasquez as she confronts her health issues, a condition that continued undiagnosed for years, and she proceeds with being directed to never-ending tests and medical exams.

All in all, don’t expect an immediate resolution like a fairy tale. Velazquez still has her plight, though she has notoriety and success. Not all oddities or freaks have such luck. Let’s just love one another, as we are not our bodies but shapeless souls with a common goal – to be happy with who we are and love one another.

Horror Needs Fixing “Little Dead Rotting Hood”

horror, movies, , ,
rottinghood

Directed by Jared Cohn, Little Dead Rotting Hood maintains the idea that some low-budget horror movies are not worth watching unless you are an avid horror movie junkie who needs a fix.

The storyline works on paper, but the production value needs work. The movie is described as a sinister force lurking in the woods, and the residents of a nearby small town are falling victim to its bloodlust. When the town sheriff discovers that the wolves inhabiting the nearby forest are getting more aggressive and even deadly, he soon uncovers a danger beyond his imagination.

Unlike the description, Little Dead Rotting Hood jumps around with ideas, and the plot rarely coheres. Nothing is clear. The story is murky, even the significant twist near the end is awkward, just hard to make sense out of it all. I don’t want to share the key points because you will see the movie, and it is best for you to decide whether you like it.

The movie is filmed well and captures the idyllic life of living in a small town. The surroundings are lush and stunning, and the overall location feels perfect for the story. The acting works, though, with familiar faces Eric Balfour and Patrick Muldoon.

Laura Beth Love did a marvelous job with the cinematography, and I’d like to see her work on a better movie, where she can really shine with a good plot.

Low-Budget Horror “Kill Game”

horror, movies, murder, , , , , ,
Kill Game

Written and directed by Robert Mearns, Kill Game is your typical low-budget, slasher and whodunit horror movie. Jimmy, played by Nathan Ross Murphy, becomes the first victim.

The story meets a small group of close friends, who attend his funeral.  The cast in the small group is Sari Sanchez, Joe Adler, Pierson Fode, Michael Galante, and Laura Ashley Samuels.

They are close because they share a deadly secret that happened five years ago in High School.  They played a prank on a student who died from it.  Covering their tracks by masking the incident as a drowning accident, the group lives with the horrible crime, never realizing that their actions will soon haunt them, with deadly results.

Shortly after the funeral, they come to terms with the fact that any one of them may also become a victim.  The reason they believe they are next is that they not only played a prank that killed the student, but also played some pretty mean pranks on other students and teachers. Yet, they have no idea who the slasher is because they played pranks on so many people.  Then Jimmy’s twin brother shows up from out of town, attends the funeral and tries to uncover what happened to his brother. He has no idea about the deadly prank relating to his twin’s murder.

The movie is hard to follow at times because the clues to the murder are scattered. The sequence of discovery is not linear or easy to follow. For example, a mask was found, but how did the group relate it to the killer? The clues just didn’t add up like a good murder mystery.

It is obvious that this is a low-budget horror movie full of clichés and lacking substance.  I am sure most horror movie junkies will want to see this movie for what it is worth.

Brosnan, Hayek and Alba in “Some Kind of Beautiful”

comedy, drama, movies, romance, , , ,
somekind

Directed by Scottish television and film director Tom Vaughan, the movie follows Richard Haig, played by Pierce Brosnan. Haig teaches the Romantics at Cambridge, where he meets an American student, Kate, played by Jessica Alba. They start a relationship of sorts, and after 6 months, she is having his baby.

Richard is an honorable man and takes his new and young bride to Los Angeles.  He meets Kate’s half-sister, played by Salma Hayek. Now, we have a threesome happening here, and Kate has a baby boy.

Haig discovers his wife is leaving him, and his life is crushed. His entire livelihood is focused on his son while he tries to get a new job.  His situation twists, and he begins to have lustful and romantic feelings for Olivia. The problem is that his Visa renewal is coming up. At this point, Richard needs to find a job, remain in the US, and find love with Olivia, whom he never wanted to find love with in the first place.

The storyline is nothing new, but it is good to see these actors together. Vaughan has done his fair share of romantic comedies, yet this one misses its mark. The movie is way too predictable and not original, with no surprises. Don’t get me wrong. It is funny and easy to watch, but Vaughan holds back the final punch for the knockout of laughs.  The actors do a fine job trying to save the movie from being too cookie-cutter, while the movie holds its own. Some Kind of Beautiful is worth a watch on cable or on a streaming network if you like these actors and can put up with a so-so, funny story.  But watch the trailer… you’ll have a good laugh. Fun stuff.

Martin Sheen Narrates “Baseball Legends”

documentary, historical, history, legend, movies, sports, television, , , , , , , ,
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Baseball is America’s favorite pastime.  We certainly have our fair share of baseball heroes who have become legends in their own time.  Watching the four documentaries in Baseball Legends, I learned so much about four very different athletes.  All special and talented in their own way, some are Gods, and they built the foundation of what we have today.

Co-directed by Josh Oshinsky and Jeff Spaulding, Baseball Legends is narrated by Martin Sheen.  The DVDs offer epic tales of four baseball heroes. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron and Lou Gehrig turned baseball into the National Pastime that it is presently.

Each story is inspiring while bringing a fresh historical and poignant perspective of the lives of these sports icons. Using rare and enhanced archival material and state-of-the-art production techniques, these films are perfect for anyone interested in baseball and history.

Some key points covered in the movies are Babe Ruth, his bat turned him into a household name; Ted Williams, the last player to hit .400; Lou Gehrig, who won 6 World Series before illness ended his career; and Hank Aaron, who rose from adversity to break the record of a king.

DVD Special Features include The Making of American Hercules about Babe Ruth, and his rare player interviews with historic game footage. Ted Williams Hall of Fame induction is included. Saving the best for last, there are several extended interviews with various experts and archival footage from the Major League Baseball Film and Video Archive.

All in all, I discovered information I had never known about these four legends. Babe Ruth cut his teeth as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. He developed into a lethal opponent with both his arm and bat, helping Boston win a couple of World Series titles. Lou Gehrig was an Ivy League student and played baseball while going to school at Columbia. Ted Williams left baseball twice in order to fight for the Marines.  He was a jet pilot during both World War II and the Korean War. Hank Aaron went unnoticed as a player for the Milwaukee Braves, yet he broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record when the team transferred to Atlanta.

Hallmark’s “Ice Sculpture Christmas”

family, holiday, movies, review, romance, television, , ,
Ice Sculpture Christmas DVD-f

Sometimes it is just nice to sit down and watch a new movie that so many others enjoy in Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” program.

More than raising my expectations, I had a wonderful time watching Ice Sculpture Christmas as a whimsical movie. I found viewing the original ice sculptures in the movie was the most enjoyable part.

Directed by David Mackay, the movie follows a young woman, Callie Shaw, played by Rachel Boston. Her unwavering childhood dream is to be an accomplished chef. Trying to get her foot in the door, she nabbed a lowly job at a country club washing dishes with the hope of working her way up the ladder where the real cooking happens – in the kitchen. David Manning, played by David Alpay, is a well-off childhood friend who works for his father. The two meet up again by chance, and the scene is entertaining to watch.

The movie cuts back and forth between their childhood friendship and their present budding romance, which makes it pleasurable and attractive. The well-rounded cast adds more to Callie and David’s story and shows how David lives a very different lifestyle from Callie in terms of money and success. He never abandons his feelings for Callie, even though she struggles with her own financial problems while trying to work her way into the country club kitchen.

Without her consent, David enters Callie in a two-person team competition for an ice sculpting contest. He knows she is more than capable of adding her talents. Her self-esteem is heightened, yet David is not that talented or helpful with sculpting. Callie senses there could be a problem, particularly when she finds out who her direct competition is.

Of course, the ending is predictable, but that makes Hallmark movies so much fun to watch. You can always count on a happily ever after ending.

Cusack, Chan and Brody in “Dragon Blade”

action, foreign films, history, movies, , , , , ,
Dragon Blade

Directed by Daniel Lee, Dragon Blade is a fine example of the materialization of the growing motion picture market in China.

The industry is so dominant in Asia that Western stars are appearing in Chinese productions.  Like Dragon Blade, the movies are cultural dramas on a grand scale of historical epics. Lee’s movie has been a moneymaker, grossing over $120 million in China.  

The storyline is unique and pleasurable with Jackie Chan, John Cusack, and Adrien Brody. Cusack and Brody appear out of place in the empire of men swinging swords and wearing sandals, whereas Chan does a fine job of martial arts and plays a familiar role.

The movie transports the story back to 48 B.C., where Huo An, played by Chan, is a well-intended and compassionate leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. His squad comes across as a dedicated group. Huo protects and fights altruistically to maintain harmony for the sanctioned Road.

Thereupon, Huo and his men are framed for gold smuggling and are banished to Wild Goose Gate. They are required to rebuild an entire city in two weeks or be put to death. Clearly an impossible task, something miraculous happens, and they connect up with a lost Roman army. Commanded by General Lucius, played by Cusack, is a scoundrel. He immediately picks a fight with Huo. After the brawl, they became fast friends with singing, parades, and drinking. Lucius confesses he is trying to avoid capture by the Romans and that he has a sick boy, Publius, played by Joey Jozef. The boy is the lawful heir to the Roman throne, and his evil brother, Tiberius, played by Brody, is out to assassinate him. He recently murdered their father, so we know he is serious. With that in mind, Lucius’ men and other local tribes, along with Huo, turn the city into a symbol of peace. Something Huo has desired for most of his life.

The visuals are not only majestic but also ambiguous. Seeing Chan in a sword fight with Cusack is conflicting. We are in Asia, and here is a Westerner. It is intriguing but unreal for an epic. The $65 million budget funded gigantic spectacles in which Lee effectively created a war-torn China during the Han Dynasty.

This is purely fictional with no regard for historical authenticity. True. The Romans and Asians shared commerce and the Silk Road, but nothing more. The many battle scenes are exceptional, with the combination of Roman fighting techniques and traditional Chinese martial arts. The movie is invigorating to watch as a friendship develops between Huo and Lucius.

Overall, Dragon Blade is a movie worth seeing, with Chan outshining his Western co-stars.

De Niro, Bosworth star in “Heist”

action, drama, movies, police drama, , ,
Heist

Directed by Scott Mann, Heist follows Lucas Vaughn, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who works at the Swan Casino.

The casino is owned by Mafia boss Francis “Pope” Silva, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro. Luke’s young daughter is hospitalized and is seriously ill, in need of expensive treatment. The real problem is that Luke did not keep up with the Medical Insurance payments. His daughter may not be cared for with the correct treatments if he doesn’t pay the medical costs. Luke asks his old friend and employer for a loan. The employer says, “No Favors.”

Along comes fellow employee Cox, played by Dave Bautista, who plans to rob his employer and wants Luke’s knowledge to help pull off the heist. Cox knows Luke has worked there for many years and has the knowledge he needs. Helping Cox is the only way Luke can pay the medical costs, so he agrees to be a part of the heist to save his daughter’s life. He has his own ideas on how the heist should go, and the plan seems to work until security is alerted.

Gunfire ensues as they make a getaway in a bus with hostages. Now, they are pursued by the police. With Cox crazed and ready to kill a victim to get away, Luke tries to keep things under control. The bus is being chased by both Pope’s bodyguards and the police.  Pope is interested in getting the money back before the police make an arrest because the money belongs to the mob, which the casino laundered.

Luke strikes up a rapport with one of the police officers, Kris, played by MMA star Gina Carano. She soon understands Luke is the link to freeing the passengers on the bus without harm.

The whole situation gets very intense before it comes to an end. The movie is well worth watching because the story works well, and the acting matches its spirit. I recommend you catch it on demand or rent it.

 

Multi-Talented Irving Drives Documentary “Pelican Dreams”

animals, documentary, movies, , ,
pelicans

Directed by Sundance and Emmy award-winning director Judy Irving, Pelican Dreams tracks a willful California brown pelican.

The story begins when she is arrested on the Golden Gate Bridge. And, the story continues with her care at a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and after the movie explores the pelicans’ nesting grounds. The documentary shows a rich Pacific coast migration with unbelievable survival challenges. The movie is a visual story about wilderness and how we are encroaching on the wild.  Perhaps we should be concerned about how we are caring for the wild too much. We should just let wilderness take its course, whether tragic or not.

The poignant movie stars Gigi, the pelican named after the Golden Gate Bridge, and Morro, an urbanized pelican with an injured wing, and the wildlife professionals who care for these birds.

The movie is for those who love pelicans and birds alike.  For those who live near the coast and see the birds almost every day, consider it a wonderful introduction and education of the wildlife around you.

Pelican Dreams is not a typical big-budget documentary, but the story still shines through, with Irving also serving as cinematographer and capturing some amazing footage of pelicans in their breeding areas. The majority of the movie covers rescue and release facilities that rehabilitate sick and injured birds. The documentary shows the dedication these people have to save the pelicans.

Edited also by Irving, the movie may seem a bit slow if you are not interested in pelicans. They are such wondrous creatures that the movie is worth watching. I highly recommend the movie for anyone who loves these amazing animals, and my hat goes off to Irving for all her hard work on this brilliant story of the wilderness.