Category Archives: drama

“Backtrace” Trailer and Poster

action, drama, , , , , , , , ,

Directed by Brian A. Miller,  writing about movies with a low-budget and former box office draw actors is an interesting proposition. Sylvester Stallone and Matthew Modine are legends in their own right. Yet, I ponder the worth of producing a movie that, most likely will go straight to On Demand, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Backtrace follows MacDonald, played by Modine, after suffering a brain injury from a bank heist gone wrong.  He develops amnesia and is put into a prison psychiatric ward, any psychiatric ward needs to be closed down,  The system doesn’t work.

Following his seventh year in an evaluation, he is coerced by an inmate, played by Ryan Guzman,  and a doctor,  played by Meadow Williams, to break out of prison. After breaking out they coerce him into taking an injection of serum that forces him to relive the life he’s forgotten.

MacDonald must now elude a local detective, played by Sylvester Stallone, a toughened FBI agent, played by Christopher McDonald, and the drug’s dangerous side effects in order to recover the stolen money all while confronting his past.

Modine is best known for the current Netflix hit – Stranger Things.  Stallone is making a name for himself in the Creed movies.

“American Hangman” Trailer and Poster

drama, thriller, ,

Written and directed by Wilson Coneybeare, American Hangman is a thriller starring Donald Sutherland and Vincent Kartheiser.

The story is focused on a relentlessly ticking clock and a rapidly approaching deadline and verdict. A kidnapping, broadcast live on social media, turns into the trial of a judge, played by Sutherland, who presided over a botched criminal case.

This time, however, the audience gets to play judge and jury, deciding if the judge himself gets to live or die.

Coneybeare is best known for writing episodic television in the early 2000s.

It is a low-budget movie, and the screenplay is written with that in mind. The story is centered on three locations – elementary sets. Watch the trailer, and you will see what I mean.

“Stan & Ollie” Trailer, Movie Clips, Featurettes & Poster

comedy, drama, true stories, , ,

Directed by Jon S. Baird,  Stan & Ollie follows Laurel and Hardy, played by John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan.  Some consider them the world’s most famous comedy duo.

The two comedians take a stab at reigniting their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song – a grueling theatre tour during post-war Britain.

Baird is best known for directing episodic television.  The screenplay is by Jeff Pope who also wrote for many episodic television shows and the movie  Philomena,  which he won BAFTA Best Adapted Screenplay 2015 with Steve Coogan.

Watch the trailer and if you are familiar with the comedy duo, then you will see some great acting, and it’s uncanny how both actors look like Laurel and Hardy.

The movie also stars Stephanie Hyam and Shirley Henderson.

Watching the following movie clips and featurette, I honestly say these Reilly and Coogan created Laurel and Hardy. Sure, the make-up and hair designers along with the costumes and set designs are instrumental as well. 

Watching Laurel and Hardy’s wives play off each other is fun. I hope the rhythm of the scenes performs better within the movie. 

In the featurette, Reilly mentions how much Laurel and Hardy loved each other, so he and Coogan became friends and truly love each. They remain good friends to this day. 

The featurette about Stan and Ollie’s relationship covers more than what went on between them. It is about the relationship they have without culture at large. They are an iconic comedy team forever embedded in our minds.

“Mary, Queen of Scots” Trailers, Featurettes

based on a book, drama, true stories, ,

Directed by Josie Rourke, Mary, Queen of Scots, is based on the book by John Guy called “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart”. Mary Stuart’s, played by Saoirse Ronan, attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, played by Margot Robbie. Stuart finds herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.

The second trailer shows how fierce each woman gets over winning the throne.  I posted some behind the scene clips on My YouTube Channel. The clips show details in the costumes, amazing.

Watch the trailer and clips. You will see some fine acting.

Mary, Queen of Scots appears to be Rourke’s first movie, but her theatrical experience is quite extensive. She is the Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, and her productions have transferred to Broadway, the West-End and won Olivier Awards.

The two featurettes are put together showing how the two women interrelated with each other and their times. Rourke shares the difference between the two queens while Ronan talks about Mary Stuart as a dynamic woman. Robbie talks about how the two women were influenced by men who influenced and ruled the culture at the time.

“The Intruder” Trailers, Clips & Posters

drama, suspense, thriller, , ,

Directed by Deon Taylor,  The Intruder follows a young married couple, played by Michael Ealy and Meagan Good. They buy their dream house in the Napa Valley.

They found the perfect home to start a family and live happily together. But, the former homeowner, played by Dennis Quaid, is a bit strange. He continues to infiltrate their lives. It becomes obvious he is out to do some wacky stuff to the couple.

The screenplay is written by David Loughery, who wrote Lakeview Terrace and Tom and Huck. Taylor holds many directing credits, including Traffik and Meet the Blacks.

Dennis Quaid looks pretty creepy in this next trailer. I like how he transforms – becoming more and more deranged.

The second poster is pretty simple and shows the couple in danger and distress over Quaid’s presence.

The movie clip is called “He’s Cutting Our Grass” but should be called “It’s Hard to Let Go.” Quaid is doing an excellent job of being creepy.

This is looking intense, and having an intruder like Quaid is nerve-wracking. It is hard to communicate with people like this because they have an agenda. His agenda is to get them both.

Watch the informer, great story.

“The Informer” Trailer and Poster – Revolutionary and Monumental

based on a book, drama, ,
Take a look at this poster, so cool.

Based on a book by Börge Hellström and directed by Andrea Di Stefano, The Informer follows an honorably discharged Special Ops soldier, played by Joel Kinnaman. Pete Koslow’s world turns upside-down when he is jailed after a fight to protect his wife, played by Ana de Armas.

He’s given a chance for early release by becoming an informant for the FBI agents, played by Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen. He uses his covert skills in an operation to take down The General. I believe, played by Sam Spruell. He is the most powerful crime boss in New York.

An FBI sting meant to finally earn Koslow his freedom results in the death of an undercover NYPD cop. Koslow was caught in the crossfire between the mob and the FBI.

The General insists Koslow takes the heat and sends him back to prison to spearhead a drug operation from inside, and the FBI affirms that going back to jail to do The General’s bidding is the only way for Koslow to keep his deal with them alive.

Caught in a world of impossible choices, Koslow must return to prison, where he formulates a plan to escape the clutches of three of New York City’s most influential organizations –the mob, the NYPD and the FBI –to save himself and his family.

Di Stefano is best known as an actor. He also directed Escobar: Paradise Lost  and Last Night of Amore.

Play hard wheelchair basketball for recognition

Wheelchair Basketball Struggles for Survival in “Rebound”

documentary, drama, sports, true stories,

Directed by Shaina Allen, Rebound follows the Miami Heat Wheels and their quest for their first-ever National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Championship.

Allen helms a story that offers an insider’s look at the struggling wheelchair basketball team following a defeat at the national championships. Each player pushes their way physically, mentally and emotionally through each season. They play hard even though they receive no recognition or resources from mainstream sports. Money plays a factor in their game because, without it, they might not win the national title.

“Never Look Away” Tormented Story of Oppression in Europe

drama, foreign movie
Roger Ebert

Written and directed by award-winner Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Never Look Away is a foreign film that won two awards at the Venice Film Festival 2018. 

The movie follows young artist Kurt Barnert, played by Tom Schilling. Barnet fled from East Germany to West Germany. Yet, he is still tormented by his childhood experiences as a boy during the Nazi years and the GDR regime. The German Democratic Republic began in 1949 and ended in 1990. The period when the eastern portion of Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, with the Berlin Wall in place.

He meets a student named Ellie, played by Paula Beer. He is positive he has met the love of his life. He begins an artist journey, creating paintings that mirror not only his fate but also the traumas of an entire generation.

The movie tells the story, or at least part of the story, of the oppression these Europeans experienced, which is appalling. Even though the film is filled with abuse, the colorful scenery and well-defined sets indicate hope for the people.

“On the Basis of Sex” Trailer, Movie Clips & Poster

drama, true stories, , , ,

Directed by Mimi Leder and written by her nephew, Daniel Stiepleman. On the Basis of Sex follows the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, played by Felicity Jones, and her struggles for equal rights. Her life as a wife and mother, whose husband, played by Armie Hammer, entirely supported her.

The first movie clip shows what is going on during the time of Ginsburg’s career and family life. It hits heartstrings because we know her daughter is telling the truth.

Watch all the movie clips and trailer because this is a dynamite movie.

The second clip shows us how Ginsburg started to formulate her process of getting equal rights for all sexes.

The movie follows Ginsburg, and we discover what she overcame to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

I am excited to see Leder directing a movie. I admire her work and hope to see more films directed by her.

The movie clip shows how strong and straightforward Ruth Bader Ginsburg confronted human rights.

This movie clip says it all.

The movie also stars Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, and Kathy Bates.

After seeing a movie clip blocked by the studio, so I can’t show it to you, I am convinced Felicity Jones makes this movie strong. The trial or other issues in the film are just part of the story, but this is about Ginsburg. She is a fantastic person and is lucky Jones plays her in the movie.

“Capernaum” Trailer and Posters

drama, foreign movie, independent, ,

Directed by Nadine Labaki, Capernaum is a unique story about a young boy named Zain, played by Zain Al Rafeea. Zain is a Lebanese boy, and he sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life.

Capernaum means Chaos, which offers some insight into the movie’s theme.

The second poster shows Zain with the toddler, walking away from the camera this time—an interesting choice. The perspective is effective in showing a future for the two boys. All in all, this movie hits my heartstrings, a beautifully filmed story.

The movie focuses on Zain as he journeys from a gutsy, streetwise child to a hardened 12-year-old “adult” fleeing his negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, taking care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil, played by Yordanos Shiferaw and her baby son Yonas.

Zain is jailed for a violent crime, and finally, seeking justice in a courtroom, he sues his parents.

The movie won three Cannes Film Festival 2018 awards.  Labaki took home the Jury Prize, Prix de la citoyenneté, and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.