Category Archives: biography

“Midway” Posters and Trailers Heroic Feats of Fearless Men

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Directed by Roland Emmerich, Midway focuses on the historic Battle of Midway as a critical part of the Pacific Theater during World War II. The movie shows the clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy, which marked a pivotal turning point during WWII. The film is streaming on Amazon. 

Wes Tooke wrote the story based on the real-life events of heroic feats. The leaders and soldiers used their wits, instincts, courage, and bravery to overcome the odds and defeat the Japanese.

The movie’s huge cast is stellar.

Some of the top brass in the movie are Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky, played by
Luke Evans, Edwin Layton, played by Patrick Wilson, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, played by Dennis Quad, and Admiral Chester Nimitz, played by Woody Harrelson. The rest of the cast includes Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Luke Kleintank, Jun Kunimura, Darren Criss, Keean Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, and Mandy Moore.

Emmerich directing credits are rich with grandiose movies like The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day. Tooke writing credits include episodic TV shows like Colony and Jean-Claude Van Johnson.

The next trailer tells more about the story. Historically, the story is impressive. Doolittle and his crew perform an unbelievable mission.

“The Current War” Posters, Clips, Trailer & Images

biography, drama, historical, , , , ,
The cast brings a whole new dimension to the story.

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejoin, The Current War follows three brilliant visionaries set off in a charged battle for the future hold on electricity. The epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world told in hush tones is now a motion picture.

Tom Holland as Samuel Insull and Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison

Benedict Cumberbatch is Thomas Edison, the celebrity inventor on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan with his radical new DC technology. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse, played by Michael Shannon, who believes he and his partner, the upstart genius Nikolai Tesla, played by Nicholas Hoult, have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America using AC current.

The poster is like the first one, but this poster says “Director’s Cut,” and that is fascinating. The movie has not been released, and there is a new version of the movie.

As Edison and Westinghouse grapple for who will power the nation, they spark one of the first and greatest corporate feuds in American history, establishing for future Titans of Industry the need to break all the rules.

Michael Shannon as Westinghouse

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is best known for directing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Michael Mitnick wrote the screenplay and is also one of the producers of the movie. Mitnick adapted The Giver and scripted the episodic Vinyl.

The movie also stars Katherine Waterston, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen, and Tuppence Middleton.

The next group of movie clips tells the tale of the war between Westinghouse and Edison. From the looks of it, Edison was a greedy man who only wanted fame and money.

Tesla’s vision surpassed any person at this time.

“Heavy Wave” Trailer and Poster

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Directed by Michael Oblowitz, Heavy Wave arrives at the movie theaters as a Fathom Event, so audiences have limited time to see this movie. The movie explores why surfing is so dangerous and why people like the Fletchers tackle the heavy waves worldwide.

I viewed the movie and interviewed Nathan Fletcher and Oblowitz, though I barely spoke with the director. I am mesmerized by the sheer extreme sport of surfing. I flooded Fletcher with questions about surfing.

The documentary follows the lives of several surfers. It’s a culture, a way of life that few get to adventure. Some pass away while living their dream of surfing the big one. I spoke with Fletcher about the spiritual aspect of surfing because it’s mentioned in the movie a lot. “You go to the water, and you see the sun, magnificent ocean, you’re right there. Then you get to see the fish and the birds and all the beauty…, obviously swells come from across the world, these magnificent pulses of energy, and you go out there, and you ride them. So, if that’s not spiritual…, or somehow connected to the water, and then you’re waiting for a wave, all of a sudden, your mind is somewhere else. And you’re totally in the moment because you’re totally concentrating on what’s happening right there.”

Watch the trailer and see how dangerous and unbelievably surreal surfing the heavy waves can be.

“Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” Poster & Trailer

biography, documentary, true stories, ,

Directed by Nick Broomfield, the documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is Broomfield’s personal and romantic film of his multi-level career.

The documentary starts on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, where Leonard Cohen, then a struggling and unknown fiction writer, and Marianne Ihlen, a single mother with a young son, became part of a community of expat artists, writers, and musicians.

Never-before-seen footage shot by documentarian Broomfield brings to light a unique portrait of an idyllic 1960’s bohemia. It was a time that left a lasting imprint on both Marianne and Leonard, whose friendship would last another fifty years before their deaths in 2016.

The movie trailer is bleak with out of focus shots and undefining frames of a woman and a man. I never heard of these two people. I sense this documentary is for a limited audience. An audience who knows these individuals and can relate to them on a personal or fandom level.

I saw a clip of Cohen talking about the love between a man and a woman. I am not sure how it relates to promoting the movie, but it offers insight into his psyche – who this being is and how he feels about his relationship with Ihlen. The clip blocked, so you cannot see it. I have it posted below in hopes they will release it soon. At least, you can see an image of Cohen and how he looks, in the interview, an older man.

“Judy” Trailers, Clips, & Poster

biography, drama, legend, music, true stories, , , ,

Directed by Rupert Goold, Judy begins during the Winter of 1968. The showbiz legend Judy Garland, played by Renee Zellweger, arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town.

It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through.

The movie derives from the play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter and the screenplay adaption by Tom Edge. On the IMDB website, Quilter says Edge’s screenplay is more edger than the imaginative play.


Judy is available on Amazon Prime or wherever Blu-rays and DVDs can be purchased. 

Goold directing credits include True Story, King Charles III, and The Hollow Crown, which won Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for Best Single Drama. Goold works with executive producer Sam Mendes, who directed a couple of James Bond 007 movies. Mendes is not involved with the production of Judy.

The movie looks promising with Zellweger as Judy. We come to find even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans, played by Finn Wittrock, her soon-to-be fifth husband. Featuring some of her best-known songs, we celebrate the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer.”

The next trailer shows more of the movie with is flashbacks and Garland’s drug dependency and separation from her children because she needs to go to London and make money. We see more of the other actors in the movie, including Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon.

Buckley is making quite a name for herself with her starring role in the award-winning Wild Rose.

Zellweger becomes Judy Garland, and she embodies her. She makes the movie.

Judy Garland is an endearing soul who understood the hardships that life can bring. She lived tragically in the end. But I am sure she is doing well.

In this clip, I can see Judy Garland as Dorothy when she comforts the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. Zellweger is brilliant, and I hope she gets nominated for both the Golden Globe and Oscar.

It’s heartbreaking to watch this scene because of Judy Garland’s life rollercoaster. Here she is on an upswing when we know it will be tragic again.

“Brian Banks” Trailer, Clips & Poster

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Directed by Tom Shadyac, Brian Banks is a true story about an injustice made right. The studios are calling it “inspirational true story” when in fact I feel treachery.

The true story follows Brian Banks, played by Aldis Hodge, an All-American high school football star verbally committed to USC. His life is upended when he is unjustly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

Despite lack of evidence, Banks is railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks, played by Greg Kinnear, and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL.

Shadyac impressive credits offer encouragement for this movie to rock and entertain. He’s directed Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, and The Nutty Professional. Over the past decade or so, he’s involved himself in documentaries as director and producer. In 1983, he became the youngest staff writer for Bob Hope.

The cast also includes Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd, and Morgan Freeman.

The injustice of what Banks went through is tough to face. The young woman lied and destroyed his life. The movie clip is a scene where Banks played the tap of the young woman confessing she lied.

The featurette tells what the story is about through the eyes of those who were there from Brian Banks as executive producer and Justin Brooks as executive producer to the actors who play the people who went through this tragic story about injustice.

The story is real, and injustice happens, unfortunately. In this clip, I understand what Banks mother is saying because I am a mother. I want nothing but good for my daughter.

“The System” movie clip sets the pace for going to trial.

“Bolden” Man Who Invented Jazz: Trailer, Clips & Poster

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Directed by Dan Pritzker, Bolden follows the tragic life of Buddy Bolden, played by Gary Carr, an unsung inventor of jazz. The movie is filled with compelling images. It’s a story worth telling since his life ended up in a mental asylum. They were placed under their tragic and brutal treatment, never released, and died twenty-five years later.

According to production notes, little biographical information is known about Bolden, and no recordings of his music are available anywhere – tragically gone.

Pritzker uses fragmented memories of Bolden’s past against the political and social context in which his revolutionary music was conceived. The movie is about passion, greed, and a musical genius in the early 1900s in New Orleans.

Wynton Marsalis, who is also one of the producers, wrote, arranged, and performed the movie’s original music. The dance scene in the sweatshop looks promising.

The movie co-stars Erik LaRay Harvey, Yaya DaCosta, Ian McShane, and Michael Rooker. You can also see McShane in Hellboy. He plays men who are outraged in both movies.

The next run of movie clips shows how the movie is not linear but told in flashbacks. My favorite is the “Seamstress Dance” clip. The “Clapping Out” clip is my next favorite. Though there is not much information about Bolden, the movie is told as if Bolden is a mythical character, a legend.

Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti: Genius Is Forever” Trailer, Featurettes, Clips & Poster

biography, documentary, legend, music, true stories,

Ron Howard brought together the same filmmaking team that forged the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years. Pavarotti takes the opera star’s talent, personality, and forbearance by lifting the curtain on the icon. We understand how he brought opera to the people.

The Oscar winner Howard trailer puts us in the front row for an “exploration of The Voice… The Man… The Legend. Luciano Pavarotti gave his life to music and a voice to the world. This cinematic event features history-making performances and intimate interviews, including never-before-seen footage.”

They all brought Dolby ATMOS technology into production, a fancy way of saying a whole new technology that makes the presentation even better.

The movie clip shows Princess Diana in the audience, outside in the pouring rain. She looks delighted and spectacular—a memorable moment in this extraordinary documentary.

The following featurettes show Pavarotti’s ambition and desire to spread opera worldwide. He wanted to give it to the people, as he felt opera was for the people.

The following two movie clips are about Bono’s relationship with Pavarotti and how he was a master at developing relationships with anyone.

“The White Crow” Movie Clips & Poster

based on a book, biography, drama

Directed by Ralph Fiennes, The White Crow follows the life of Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, played by Oleg Ivenko, and his defection to the Western world in 1961. The story is told in flashbacks with distinguishable ballet scenes.

Ralph Fiennes also stars in the movie as Pushkin. The movie is based on the book by
Julie Kavanagh called Rudolf Nureyev: The Life and the screenplay by David Hare. Hare wrote the screenplays for The Hours and The Reader, which Fiennes starred in the latter.

The three movie clips show scenes from the movie but the movie trailer is not available yet. It is hard to tell what is happening in the clips. I am guessing, Nureyev is not happy, and he defects from Russia. Pushkin is a prominent male ballet teacher, and Nureyev and him do not get along.

“Rocketman” Poster, Elton and Taron Duet, Clips, Trailers & Featurettes

biography, drama, fantasy, music, , , ,
Notice the poster says “based on a true fantasy.”

Riding on the heels of Queen’s bio-pic, Bohemian Rhapsody, Dexter Fletcher takes on another British icon, Elton John, played by Taron Egerton. Rocketman is promoted as an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years.

Following the fantastical journey of morphing from the icon from a shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. The studio is calling it an inspirational story with plenty of Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by Egerton. You might recall Egerton dazzling us with his great archery skills in the recent Robin Hood.

The movie brings us to the familiar story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. The movie includes stars Jamie Bell as Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as Elton’s first manager, John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother Sheila Farebrother.

Take a look at the movie trailers and see if it suits your fancy. The first one is brief, and the second one offers more details about movie. The featurette talks about Egerton’s singing. He sounds like Elton John for real.

First trailer released .
Second trailer has more of the fantasy aspect of the story.
It’s amazing how much Egerton sounds like Elton John.

The next featurette is about the costumes. Costumes are all about Elton John.

The following clips tell us more about the movie and the life of Elton John. He definitely had his highs and his lows. Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother is smooth and flamboyant as his mother would be. She looks like she is having fun playing this role.

A poignant moment in music history is when Elton and Taron sing together in front of a huge audience at an Elton John’s concert. A magical moment for all of us, this clip compels me to see the movie.

The featurette is about the song Elton John’s lyrists Bernie Taupin wrote for the movie called “Love Me Again.” Egerton does vocals with John and John comments of Egerton’s vocal skills.