Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this unbelievable true story follows Mark Hogancamp, played by Steve Carell, in an original story about a man who fought back from his fears after a devastating attack. Only Zemeckis can helm this miraculous story of one broken man’s fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit.
The terrible attack entirely wipes Hogancamp memories of his life. There is no chance of ever recovering from this torment. Through art, he puts together pieces from his old and new life, and Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. He builds a world of art that protects him from his own worst memories of his attack. The movie focuses on the testament to the most powerful females he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.
Here are some more movie clips that show how the brilliance of this movie and story. I saw some of the behind the scenes footage of them shooting the doll scenes, amazing.
The featurette explains the story and the premise behind what Mark, Carell’s character does to keep his sanity, healing by using his imagination.
The stellar cast includes Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monáe, Eiza González, and Gwendolyn Christie, Leslie Zemeckis, and Neil Jackson.
The third trailer is much better and tells the real story.
The second trailer tells more of the story and shows how Hogancamp relates to each character in this true story.
Watch the trailer, and you will visually see how Zemeckis creates a world so unique and prolific for all to see and understand how art and imagination can save a soul.
The featurette explains how Marwen built his imaginary world, and from there is a story.
Written and directed by David Lowery, The Old Man & the Gun is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public.
Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, and Sissy Spacek with Elizabeth Moss and Danny Glover as co-stars.
Lowery works as both writer and director on his films. He tends to work with Casey Affleck. His credits include A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon, and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
A great featurette about the director who also wrote the screenplay.
The “The Sundance Kids Reunited” is a great featurette. It is so cool to see a story like this in the film business.
The “Playing Icons” featurette is fun to watch because it tells the story and shows how fun the movie is to watch.
The movie trailer shows more of what will happen in the movie. The cast list is stellar.
The movie trailer tells the story pretty well, and I love the scenes with Redford and Spacek.
Directed by Chris Weitz, Operation Finale is a thrilling true story that follows the 1960 covert mission of legendary Mossad agent Peter Malkin, played by Oscar Isaac, as he infiltrates Argentina and captures Adolf Eichmann, played by Ben Kingsley, the Nazi officer who masterminded the transportation logistics that brought millions of innocent Jews to their deaths in concentration camps.
Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel.
The atrocities of the Nazi regime is forever in our minds. We will never forget how crazy and mad a group of evil men and women can become if they are allowed to dramatize freely without being stopped.
The latest poster image communicates so much better. We must be vigilant and never let such atrocities happen again.
The rest of the cast include Lior Raz, Melanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, Joe Alwyn, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Aronov, Ohad Knoller, Greg Hill, Torben Liebrecht, Mike Hernandez, Greta Scacchi, and Pêpê Rapazote.
The feature below offers details of how Weitz works with the actors. The actors speak about working with him and how he directs.
“The Extraction” movie clip is intense.
The movie clip tells us how they plan to get Eichmann out of Argentina.
The featurette tells more about the difficulties of capturing one of the evilest men during the Nazi regime. Kingsley tells us why he wanted to play this man.
The movie clip is directed and edited to keep the fast pace of the story moving – also known as suspense and thrilling.
The movie trailer is intense and Ben Kingsley is fantastic, as usual.
Directed by Yann Demange, White Boy Rick takes place in the 1980s in Detroit. During this time, the city’s crack epidemic was at its height with a War on Drugs.
Starring Matthew McConaughey as Rick’s dad, the movie is based on the true story of a blue-collar father and his teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr., played by Richie Merritt.
Rick became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison.
The movie also boasts a talented cast, including Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, Rory Cochrane, RJ Cyler, Jonathan Majors, Eddie Marsan, Bruce Dern, and Piper Laurie.
The movie clip is about what was happening in the drug work. It’s not a box office appeal but a lesson on the importance of doing the right thing and not breaking the law.
The movie clip is fantastic. It is a well-written and directed movie with some talented actors.
Demange is a French director who directed a darn good movie called ’71. Both movies are similar in storytelling, with the camera placed exactly in each.
The second poster has a white background with the image of the father and son.
The movie trailer shows a wacky and hectic life on a dwindling spiral.
Written and directed by Bart Layton, American Animals is a hard-to-believe but entirely true story. The movie follows four young men who attempt to execute one of U.S. history’s most daring art heists.
The movie focuses on two friends from the middle-class suburbs of Lexington, Kentucky. Spencer, played by Barry Keoghan, is determined to become an artist but feels short on the fundamental element that unites all great artists – suffering.
Spencer’s closest friend, Warren, played by Evan Peters, grew up thinking like Spencer. He believed that his life would be extraordinary and he would become unique somehow. But as they leave the suburbs for universities in the same town, the realities of adult life begin to dawn on them, and with that, the realization that their lives may, in fact, never be meaningful or unique in any way.
They are still unwaveringly committed to living out of the ordinary. Hence, they designed a barefaced theft of some of the world’s most valuable books from the special collections room of Spencer’s College Library.
The recruit has two more friends: accounting major Eric, played by Jared Abrahamson, and fitness fanatic Chas, played by Blake Jenner. Together, they modeled the heist from movies about heists where the gang methodically plots the theft and later fence of the stolen artworks.
Even though some of the guys start having second thoughts, they discern how the plan has taken on a life of its own. Layton’s skill comes into play by unfolding from multiple perspectives and innovatively incorporating the real-life figures at the heart of the story.
The movie trailer shows the silliness of the young men’s plan, but I am curious if they pull it off.
Here’s a featurette with director Bart Layton.
This featurette tells you about the character Chas.
Co-directed by Dexter Fletcher and Bryan Singer, Oscar-nominated Bohemian Rhapsody is a movie I am ecstatic I saw in a movie theater. The band’s songs will rock you about somebody to love. The film is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen.
The final trailer shows how spectacular the film is. It reveals why I am so impressed with this movie—as corny as it is, tears, tears, and tears.
Queen fans around the world united as the movie won awards. Here is an interview with two of the band members. Do you recognize them?
The title, Bohemian Rhapsody, is the band’s song that revolutionized the music industry in the late 1970s. Lead singer Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek, wrote the song, mixing rock and classical music, which was unheard of then. The song hit the top of all the music charts and praised Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and notable music publications.
If you are unfamiliar with the band’s music, stream it now on Amazon or Spotify. Queen’s music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. Their music is more than upbeat. The tunes take you into the stratosphere of life. Freddie Mercury’s song raises your tone. You can’t help but get up and dance as you hear Queen’s music.
The movie follows the band’s spectacular rise through their recognizable songs and innovative sound—the band struggles because Mercury’s lifestyle spiraled downwards and lost to oblivion.
But, the movie shines on the triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the most outstanding performances in the history of rock music.
To this day, the band’s legacy shines like a family, inspiring fans, dreamers, and music lovers with the availability of streaming music forever.
Singer’s breakout movie The Usual Suspects in 1995 set the pace for a productive career directing X-Men movies, Superman, and Valkyrie. Fletcher is known more for his acting career which began in the late 1970s. He’s been in movies like Three Musketeers, Kick-Ass, and Stardust. He has also been in many episodic television shows and is easily recognizable.
The movie’s casting includes Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers.
The movie clip shows their hard work, and the outcome is brilliant.
The second movie trailer shows us more about the story behind Queen. I hope you find it as fulfilling as I do – excellent music.
The movie trailer will rock you, and you will recognize some popular tones.
Rami Malek, winner as best actor in a motion picture drama for “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Makeup Artist Jan Sewell
I interviewed the movie’s makeup and hair designer, Jan Sewell, who is amazing. “They completely shoot out of sequence. I have to write down all the continuity. So if they jump around, I know, what everybody looks like. I write down in the whole script what everybody should look like. And you know, based on your meetings with the director, producer, and actors, I know what they look like.”
The movie is now available as streaming, Blu-ray, or DVD. I am getting my copy because this is a movie to own for any fan of Queen or Bohemian Rhapsody. The Blu-ray/DVD package offers an exclusive first look at the “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” performance not previously seen in theaters. The video includes side-by-side, scene-for-scene recreations next to Queen’s original Live Aid 1985 performance and interviews with Rami Malek, who plays Freddie Mercury. The clip showcases how the actual Live Aid performance influenced both the filmmakers and cast when recreating what many consider the most incredible live performance of all time.
Fans can experience the full version of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and an additional never-before-seen performance of “We Will Rock You.”
Bohemian Rhapsody received a Best Picture Oscar nomination and craft nominations, including Achievement in Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing.
“I am profoundly honored by this nomination on behalf of Bohemian Rhapsody. Working on this film has been a tremendous experience in paying proper tribute to the legend of Queen. I am thrilled the film has become such a phenomenon and grateful to the Academy for recognizing our work,” John Ottman / Achievement in film editing.
“We are deeply humbled by this nomination. It has been such an incredible experience working on Bohemian Rhapsody. All of us are overjoyed that the film has resonated with moviegoers everywhere. Queen’s music is timeless: ” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali / Achievement in sound mixing.
John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone won the Oscar for Achievement in Sound Editing. Massey, Cavagin, and Casali won, too, for sound mixing. I am excited that Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor. He’s won his Golden Globe and SAG awards.
Co-written and directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman was formerly called Black Klansman. The movie is based on the book by Ron Stallworth called Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime. The true story is a memoir of Stallworth, played by John David Washington, being the first black officer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1978, he went undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.
The Stallworth and his partner, played by Adam Driver, penetrate into the Klan. They reach the highest levels and are able to stop a takeover of the city. During his undercover work, he even managed to disruption and stop several cross burnings and other activities of the disreputable hate group.
I watched the movie last night with my family. We were entertained and enlighted on the craziness of bigotry and injustices in the late 70s.
The fact that Jones won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, he wove a skillful story with talented actors playing real people in a messed up system.
Driver, as a non-practicing Jewish cop going undercover in the Ku Klux Klan, is a story in itself. Washington, as the Black man in a world of bigotry even in the police force, holds an even keel to the harshness of his culture.
Jones takes the movie further at the end with clips of contemporary riots in the South. Though I understand his purpose of these final clips, their congruity with the original story is not comforting.
The Blu-ray and DVD hit the street and is available for streaming. If you didn’t get a chance to see the movie yet, you can watch it in the comfort of your own home, and I recommend it.
The cast also includes Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, and Harry Bellefonte. Bellefonte’s seen is heartwrenching as he tells the story of the brutality of the South.
The movie clip shows the comedic undertones.
Interesting movie clip shows how Spike Lee directed a serious comedy. The poster above is silly as well. The movie trailer shows how the movie was filmed in a 1970s style. Obviously, it is a comedy with a strong message.
Directed by Kevin Connelly, Gotti stars John Travolta as John Gotti, Sr. and Kelly Preston as Vicky, Gotti’s wife. The movie follows the father and son, John Gotti, Jr. played by Spencer Lofranco. Gotti, Sr. lived and perished by the mob code of ethics. His son was raised to continue a life of crime. He decided to leave the mob and atone himself and the Gotti name.
The movie is an inside look at the Gotti family and Gotti, Sr. as the head of the Gambino crime family. The largest and most dominant crime organization in the country.
Kevin Connelly has a long list of acting credits from Entourage to The Notebook. He’s directed a few episodic television shows like Entourage and Unhappily Ever After. Gotti is his first major movie with megastars like Travolta and Preston.
The movie is written by both Lem Dobbs and Leo Rossi. Dobbs credits include The Company You Keep and Haywire. Rossi is also an actor with a long list of credits like Sinatra Club and Gotti, playing Bobby Boriello. As a writer, Rossi only has two other screenwriting credits.
The movie trailer and clip so Travolta at his best. His wife, Preston, holds her own as well. Both the trailer and clip so very little of Lofranco. I am sure more movie trailers and clips are on their way. Lofranco will get his chance to show his acting chops. Lofranco movie credits include Unbroken and King Cobra.
Co-written and directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, Mary Shelley tells the story of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, played by Elle Fanning. She is the author of the well-known Gothic novel “Frankenstein.”
Godwin goes through a fiery, tempestuous relationship with celebrated romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, played by Douglas Booth. Both are outsiders constrained by polite society but bound by a natural chemistry and progressive ideas beyond their age and time.
Mary and Percy declare their love for each other, and much to her family’s horror, they run away together, joined by Mary’s half-sister Claire, played by Bel Powley.
A growing tension within their relationship builds during their stay at a friend’s house on Lake Geneva. The friend is Lord Byron, played by Tom Sturridge. Godwin conceives the idea of Frankenstein because all houseguests write a ghost story.
The author created an incredible character, which looms large in popular culture for centuries to come, but society at the time put little value on female authors. At age 18, Mary must challenge these preconceptions, protect her work and forge her identity.
Mansour is from Saudi Arabia and is the first female filmmaker in her country. Her work is controversial.
The movie trailer shows the love and tension between Mary and Percy. There are some quick references to Mary declaring authorship for “Frankenstein.”
Directed by Baltasar Kormakur, who directed 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Walberg and has produced several movies, is an actor, is from Iceland, Adrift stars Shailene Woodley, who started in Fault in Our Stars, and Divergent films, and Sam Claflin, who starred in The Hunger Games.
The movie is based on a true story of carefree spirits with a love for adventure. They essentially two free spirits whose chance encounter leads them first to love and then to the dangers of a hurricane.
The story follows their early romance and a commitment as two enthusiastic sailors embark on a journey across the ocean. Tami Oldham, played by Woodley, and Richard Sharp, played by Claflin, had no idea they were in a straight line into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.
In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope for rescue, Tami must find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.
Kormakur has tackled similar true stories about the spirit coming face to face with natural disasters and overcoming them or ending tragically. The Deep won Kormakur awards in Iceland and Everest. Both of these movies he produced.
Adrift appears to be a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Watching the resilience of the human spirit and the transcendent power of love is the only hope imaginable.
The movie is scripted by Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell, and David Branson Smith. Kandell twins worked together on Moana, and Branson has worked on episodic television such as Enlightened and the feature film Ingrid Goes West.
The Blu-ray and DVD are hitting the streets, so now is the time to see the movie again. Unless, you haven’t seen the movie, nows your chance to see what is so special about the movie. With that, I am adding some movie clips and behind the scenes clips of the production.
I saw this movie on a flight from Tampa Bay to Denver. The acting was great and the movie seemed slow at times. I did cry at one point toward the end realizing what this young woman went through to survive. I think some of the audience missed the point of Richard’s spirit being on the boat helping her survive and navigate the boat to Hawaii. The movie called him a mirage but it’s more than that if you read Tami’s book.
The second movie trailer is so much better. The music is exuberant and daunting. You can get a feel for what Woodley’s character is going through.
The movie trailer is super intense and explains how you will be on the edge of your seat as you watch this movie.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this unbelievable true story follows Mark Hogancamp, played by Steve Carell, in an original story about a man who fought back from his fears after a devastating attack. Only Zemeckis can helm this miraculous story of one broken man’s fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit. 
