Category Archives: true stories

“The Upside” Trailer, Movie Clips, & Poster

comedy, drama, true stories, , , , ,

Directed by Neil Burger,  The Upside is a  “heartfelt comedy” about a convict, played by Kevin Hart, is recently paroled. He begins a friendship with a paralyzed billionaire, played by Bryan Cranston. Clearly, the friendship is unusual and unlikely.

Still, the relationship builds and the two men form a union and help each other. The film also stars Nicole Kidman, Aja Naomi King, and Julianna Margulies.

Burger credits include The Illusionist, Divergent, and Limitless.

Inspired by a true story, The Upside is written by Jon Hartmere, based on the hit 2011 French film The Intouchables. All I can imagine is Hart is a not so serious man playing a  serious role.

With his recent roles in Night School and The Secret Life of Pets 2, Hart is taking a chance at drama. That is a good thing because he is talented. We just need to see him stretch a bit with Cranston and Kidman.

Here are three movies clips that show the banter between Hart’s character and Cranston’s character. The whole time I am watching these trailers and movie clips I am thinking how tough it must have been for this man to live like this. It is based on a true story. It’s tough to watch. In the “Identity Theft” movie clip, Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, is mentioned in their banter. You click on her name to find out why she is so special and talented as a singer.

“Vice” Trailer, Movie Clips, Featurettes

comedy, drama, true stories, , , , , , , , , ,

It is absolutely uncanny how Christain Bale looks so much like Dick Cheney in Vice.  Bale takes a role and literally becomes the character. This will garnish him another Oscar nomination.

Amy Adams stars as Cheney’s wife with Sam Rockwell as President Bush and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld.

Directed by Adam McKay who is known for writing and directing comedies with Will Ferrell, who also is one of the producers of Vice, takes on this more serious parody movie about a businessman who grew more powerful as the Vice President to George W. Bush.

There are two movie clips. One shows Cheney as a young drunk and the other as a cunning politician.  Each clip captured my attention and the acting is incredible.  I only posted the cunning Cheney because the young drunk clip is not embedding to the site, right now, but  you can click on the young drunk movie clip at the end of movie clip. 

Here are two powerful featurettes describing Lynne Cheney and the influence of Dick Cheney’s realm. With that, it is unbelievable how much Christian Bale looks like the real Cheney.

I saw Vice this week and my first impression is joking and degrading of an ignorant, evil man, who is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of people. Not to mention, he changed laws that now influence news and social media. Cheney was sneaky and worked his way into power to destroy so many lives. Sure, the movie twists with liberal influence, but those liberals in office at the time are just as responsible for the evil doing.

Christian Bale is fantastic as Cheney. Hats off to the makeup and costume designers. Amy Adams is good, but I will be surprised if she wins the Oscar. I enjoyed the cameos by Naomi Watts and Alfred Molina. Adam McKay wrote a clever screenplay, and he might when an Oscar.

The movie is hitting the streets with Blu-ray and DVD combo packs as well as streaming. The movie is filled with shocking information about our government. It’s wild and crazy to think this actually happened. Cheney is truly evil.

The special features available are worth getting the Blu-ray or DVD including Deleted Scenes, Making of the Movie, and Gallery.

“Bigger” Trailer and Poster

drama, true stories, , , , , , , , , , ,

Co-written and directed by George Gallo, the movie Bigger follows Joe and Ben Weider. They were brothers who originated the muscle. The bodybuilding contests launched several careers. Not only did they discover Arnold Schwarzenegger, but they inspired female empowerment. They promoted championing diversity and started a fitness movement that literally changed how the world viewed men.

If you think about it, how did bodybuilding and muscle start and become so popular? We all know Schwarzenegger led the way in building more enormous muscle mass. But who was the impetus behind the craze? This movie is supposed to answer that question.

The ensemble cast includes Tyler Hoechlin, Aneurin Barnard, Julianne Hough, Victoria Justice, Colton Haynes, Max Martini, Tom Arnold, Steve Guttenberg, Calum Von Moger, DJ Qualls, with Kevin Durand, and Robert Forster.

Gallo wrote the screenplay with Andy Weiss, Ellen, and Brad Furman. Gallo is known more for his screenwriting credits for movies like Midnight Run and Bad Boys.

“Maria by Callas” Trailer, Movie Clip, and Poster

documentary, drama, true stories, , , , , , ,

Directed by Tom Volf, Maria By Callas is a documentary about one of the world’s greatest opera singers that ever graced the stage and performance halls. What is unique about this documentary is that it is a compilation of the life of Maria Callas. Nothing is made up or slanted as documentaries do today. No. This is her life story. The story of the legendary Greek/American opera singer completely in her own words.

The compilation is told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, nearly all of which have never been shown to the public.

The movie shines a light on the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

Google Maria Callas and you will discover her life was riddled with negative press and marriages as well as love affairs. She died of a heart attack at the age of 53, which is tragic in itself, because her confidant, a woman, at the time swindled her trust and spent Callas’ money freely without helping young singers as promised but finally established a foundation.

Notable artists and well-known personalities star in the documentary including Fanny Ardant, Aristotle Onassis, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Luchino Visconti, and Omar Sharif.

The movie clip shows Marie Callas in an interview describing how she is two people, interesting.

https://youtu.be/g61K1-Mc7ok

I am not quite sure, but I believe, Volf is French and holds two acting credits in French films. Marie By Callas won the best Documentary in Music and Dance at the Master of Art Film Festival 2018.

“The Front Runner” Trailer, Featurette & Posters

based on a book, drama, true stories, , ,

Directed by Jason Reitman, The Front Runner is based on a true story starring Hugh Jackman. Jackman plays the charismatic politician Gary Hart in a movie that might prove to be a  thrilling drama.

The movie focuses on the rise and fall of Senator Hart, who captured the imagination of young voters and was considered the overwhelming front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination when his campaign was sidelined by the story of an extramarital relationship with Donna Rice.

American experienced its first taste of tabloid journalism while political journalism merged for the first time. Senator Hart was forced to drop out of the race – events that left a profound and lasting impact on American politics and the world stage.

The movie is available on Blu-ray/DVD and is streaming as well. So, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, nows your chance or you can see it again.  I recommend seeing the movie because Hugh Jackman is such a brilliant actor.

Also starring Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, and Alfred Molina, The Front Runner is written by Matt Bai & Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, based on the book “All the Truth is Out” by Matt Bai.

The featurette captures the feel of the movie.

The movie trailer depicts the era when Gary Hart’s fiasco occurred. Today, this type of situation seems to happen once a month. When in fact, Hart’s is the first ever for ruining a political career.

The second poster shows more of the story behind the movie. Jackman looks to the side and tries to avoid being hounded by the press or the situation that is out of control.

Watching the trailer and knowing Reitman, I sense a bit of wit and sarcasm.

“Schindler’s List” 25th Anniversary Remastered Trailer and Poster

classic, drama, legend, true stories, , , , , , ,

I just watched this movie with my daughter about three weeks ago when Schindler’s List became available on Amazon Prime—my daughter’s first time seeing the movie. She loved it. I don’t blame her because I loved it just as much as I did the first time, or perhaps more.

Now, the stark, black-and-white movie is being remastered to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the movie directed by Steven Spielberg. I am sure Spielberg views this movie as one of the most significant endeavors in cinema history. The re-release of the movie with picture and sound digitally remastered includes 4K, Dolby Cinema, and Dolby Atmos. The commemorative continues with a limited theatrical engagement on December 7, 2018, in theaters across the United States and Canada. Universal Studios meticulously restored the movie from the original film negative in pristine high definition and supervised by Spielberg.

The only color in the movie is the little girl with a red coat. A symbol of Shindler’s connection and realization of his necessity to save the lives of Jews is his only desire to build pots and pans.

Winner of seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, this fantastic true story follows the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, who personally saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.

So many stories are told about the Holocaust. Stories about brave people like Schindler are the triumph. Schindler made a difference for those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Schindler’s List is an overwhelming story about a man who learned to change his flamboyant lifestyle and take the courage and faith to be strong enough to save the lives of Jews.

Some highlights of technical and artistic achievement are composer John Williams, screenwriter Steven Zaillian, and director of photography Janusz Kaminski, including art directors Allan Starski and Ewa Braun and editor Michael Kahn.

The cast alone is impressive, including Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagalle, and Embeth Davidtz.

Whether you sat in the dark theater and watched this movie, on your flat TV screen at home, or not at all, watch this trailer and see if you do not shed a tear for the visual and musical impact.

“A Private War” Trailer, Movie Clips & Poster

action, adventure, true stories, war, , ,

Directed by Matthew Heineman, A Private War is a true story based on Marie Colvin, played by Rosamund Pike, life as a war correspondent. Some consider her one of the best war journalists of our time.

I watched the movie on DVD and amazed at how much Pike looked and sounded like Colvin. We hear Colvin talk at the beginning and see her at the end of the movie. The comparison is easy.

It is not a positive story, but about a foreign news correspondent who truthfully reported the atrocities of war in the middle east. Her life was not a healthy life or a happy life, but she lived how she wanted to live, dangerously, reporting about the victims of war.

I encourage you to see the movie or, at least, look at the trailer and movie clips within this article. I hope you come to understand this woman’s crazy plight.

The movie follows Colvin as Pike plays her as an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the front lines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless, while constantly testing the limits between bravery and bravado.

After being hit by a grenade in Sri Lanka, she wears a distinctive eye patch and is still as comfortable sipping martinis with London’s elite as she is confronting dictators. Colvin sacrifices loving relationships, and over time, her personal life starts to unravel as the trauma she’s witnessed takes its toll. Yet, her mission to show the true cost of war leads her — along with renowned war photographer Paul Conroy, played by Jamie Dornan of Fifty Shades movies.

They embark on the most dangerous assignment of their lives in the besieged Syrian city of Homs.

Heineman is a celebrated Oscar-nominated and Emmy winning documentary filmmaker and A Private War is his feature debut.

The movie clip “I Gotta Go Back” is intense.

The movie clips show different points in Colvin’s life and the toll it took from her well-being.

“It has been a deeply personal journey sharing the extraordinary story of Marie Colvin in A Private War,” stated filmmaker Matthew Heineman. “We are so thrilled to be able to finish the film in time to premiere at TIFF and honored to share with the audiences there.”

Watch the trailer, and easily you will see the documentary style of Heineman. It should be noted that Heineman and actress Charlize Theron are among the producers of this movie.

“Lizzie” Trailer, Movie Clips, and Poster

horror, mystery, suspense, thriller, true stories, , , , , , ,

Directed by Craig William Macneill,  Lizzie is about the notorious woman Lizzie Borden, played by Chloe Sevigny. You might remember the famous or not-so-famous skipping-rope song about the woman who was accused of chopping her mother and father to bits.

“Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one.”

Still, there is a mystery to the true story that endures throughout American history. Many writers speculated in their own versions and books about what happened on that deadly day.

The movie follows Lizzie after a lifetime of loneliness. She finds a kindred spirit in housemaid Bridget Sullivan, played by Kristen Stewart. Their secret intimacy sets off an unthinkable act – while the movie explores the days leading up to the savage crimes in a dark tale of repression, exploitation and thwarted dreams.

The two movie clips below show the story’s dark and sinister aspects. Unfortunately, one of the movie clips is blocked, but the studio may lift the block in the near future.

The two movie clips below show some fine acting chops. I am impressed. Notably, the scene in the barn is worth a look. It is an excellent acting scene for student actors because the undertones are deep.

The movie clip helps you understand how the movie is presented. You will notice a date at the bottom of the right-hand corner of the screen. These are actual events that happened.

“Green Book” Trailer, Movie Clip, Featurettes

drama, true stories, , , , , ,

Directed by Peter Farrelly, Green Book is a road trip movie that follows Tony Lip, played by Viggo Mortensen. Tony is a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. He is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali. Dr. Shirley is a world-class Black pianist on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South.

Together, they must rely on The Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were safe for African Americans at the time. Based on a true story, they confronted racism, danger, unexpected humanity, and humor. They are eventually forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

I first saw Mortensen in The History of Violence and thought he nailed it as the former hired killer, Tom Stall, now a happily married father who is forced to return to violence to save the life he nurtured and created in a small town. Now, he seems to capture a Bronx bouncer magically and effectively.

Ali recently won an Oscar for his role in Moonlight. The role of Dr. Shirley is much different from that of Juan in Moonlight.

Farrelly made a name for himself by directing two hilarious comedies, Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber.

The featurette is over five minutes long. It goes into great detail about the story. This is a powerful movie and a lesson in dignity.

The featurette tells us about the Green Book itself.

The featurette tells us the story and how it will affect us when we watch it in the movie theaters. The story has impeccable rhythm.

The movie clip is adorable.

The movie trailer seems fitting for a road trip movie.

Watching these two actors work together is authentic entertainment and a lesson in acting. I hope you get a chance to see the movie.

“The Happy Prince” Trailer, Movie Clips, Featurette, and Poster

drama, legend, true stories, ,

Directed by and starring Rupert Everett, The Happy Prince sheds light on the tragic life of Oscar Wilde. Everett is an excellent actor. I sense this direction is just as good. I hope there are enough highs in the movie to appreciate the lows.

Everett also surrounds himself with a delightful and gifted cast, including Colin Firth, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkerson, and Colin Morgan.

The featurette focuses on the actor and directing himself surrounded by very talented people.

The two movie clips show the obvious ostracization Wilde underwent after his arrest for an indecent relationship with another man.

The movie trailer shows the lives Wilde influenced while he was alive. Yet, his signature and wit still rest in our culture.