We caught up with the director of LOCKED David Yarovesky (Brightburn, Nightbooks), just before we screened the film with no spoilers. The film took nineteen days to shoot. Watch our quick interview. Synopsis: No escape. No …
It was an enjoyable screening with two of the grandsons. The five year old said it was happy and sad at the same time. And he loved it! The twelve year old who has read …
Unstoppable is the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams. With the …
“Sonic 3 will beat out Mufasa, for sure!” — JimmityCritic (12) Sonic the Hedgehog 3, what a fun evening with the grandkids it was. When you have a 12, 10 and 5 year-old clap their hands at the end …
Mufasa: The Lion King was entertaining and the production value was amazing to watch. Set in Africa, all-new film blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery. My 12 year-old grandson thought it was one …
Jennifer Lopez stars as New York detective (and single mother) Harlee Santos in Shades of Blue, NBC’s provocative new drama, which premieres on January 7, 2016.
It follows detective Santos relationship with a tight-knit group of dirty cops, who take bribes and protection money that she uses to provide the best life for her honest and talented daughter. She’s trapped by the FBI, and forced to inform on her own “brothers,” she’ll have to walk the fine line between love, loyalty, honor and betrayal, and try to keep it together for her daughter’s future.
Starring Ray Liotta, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Laresca, Warren Kole, Dayo Okeniyi, Hampton Fluker, Sarah Jeffrey, and Santino Fontana.
We came across this beautiful Student Academy Award Gold Medal winner short film of 2013. And we had to share it and for me, it has a feel of The Book of Life, which I loved.
The film is by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds and Lindsey St.Pierre.
On Halloween, the Starz network premiered Ash vs Evil Dead, a 10-episode half-hour series. It’s the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise, The Evil Dead, and it’s worth the wait.
There were many promotional events building up to the premiere of the show, and one super-fun one was a screening of two of the original movies, The Evil Dead 1 and 2, at the Beyond Fest. The festival took place at the Egyptian theater in Hollywood in front of a packed house.
One of the highlights of the evening was listening to director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) q&a with director Sam Rami and Bruce Campbell. It was a long and fun evening for all.
Now the series has premiered, and Starz is so high on it potential it’s already green-lighted a second season. And the fans—like our roving reporter Mari Ortiz—are happy too:
“It was cheesiliciously funny. There were so many face palm worthy moments that were intentionally placed and the whole comedy horror vibe definitely trumps its predecessors pure horror and gore journey.” — M.O.
The series is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers of the franchise. The cast is led by Bruce Campbell as Ash, Ray Santiago as his sidekick Pablo, Lucy Lawless as Ruby, Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell, and Jill Marie Jones as Amanda Fisher. — A.O.
During our conversation about his role in Spotlight, we couldn’t let three-time Tony nominee James (Something Rotten!, Shrek the Musical, Sweet Smell of Success) go without talking about his theater background, especially his role as King George in the early version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit, Hamilton. Sit back and Listen in. —A.O.
Spotlight is an intense movie with an amazing cast that focuses on the journalists who broke the first stories about abuse in the Catholic Church, and I had a chance to sit down with a few of the film’s creators to talk about the story behind the story. One of the running statements through all the conversations was that investigative journalism is still important, and that we need to save our local papers by supporting them.
We got to hear how writer Josh Singer and director Thomas McCarthy worked together to tell the best story they could about a very complex subject. Actor Brian D’Arcy James (Matt Carroll) shared a lot about his role and how honored he felt to be part of the film.
Tom McCarthy
Josh Singer
Another highlight of the conversations was meeting some of the real Boston Globe journalists that broke the story: Mike Rezendes, Ben Bradlee Jr., Walter Robinson, and Sacha Pfeiffer.
Spotlight tells the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions, the Catholic Church. When the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters delved into allegations of abuse in the church, their year-long investigation uncovered decades of cover-ups at the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and government establishments.
Rezendes, Bradlee Jr., Robinson, & Pfeiffer
Brian D’Arcy James
The film has some great performances and has the potential to influence dialogue to continue supporting local journalism. It stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci.
To listen in on the conversations just click on the audio boxes. —A.O.
We thought we would share a few on our list for you to choose from.
Peanuts Movie in 3D YES! I’m a Peanuts fan, and I enjoyed watching Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang make their big-screen debut. In it, Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis The Red Baron, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest.
It’s straight from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the Ice Age films, and now a new generation of young ones will get to enjoy these wonderful characters too. —A.O.
Spectre The latest entry in the blockbuster espionage franchise begins with a cryptic message from the past that sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually back to Europe. There he infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organization known as SPECTRE.
Directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig, Stephanie Sigman, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Dave Bautista.
This was not one of my favorite Bond movies; I felt like something was missing. Maybe I needed more action and less dialogue. Who knows? But I’m sure it will do fine in the theaters while I go back and check out some of my old favorites. —A.O.
The House That Jack Built Henry Barrial’s The House that Jack Built is a drama about the love of familia/family and the ups and downs it can also bring.
The story: Jack Maldonado (E.J. Bonilla) is a hot-blooded, ambitious young man who’s fueled by misguided nostalgia; he buys a small apartment building in the Bronx and moves his boisterous family into the apartments to live rent-free. His parents, sister, brother and his sister-in-law, Grandmother (aka Abuela) and a couple of cousins all converge under one roof. Tension quickly builds as Jack imposes his views on everyone around him, including his fiancée Lily (Melissa Fumero). All the while, he hides the fact that his corner store is a front for selling marijuana.
The cast includes Leo Minaya, Judith Delgado, Rosal Colon, Fidel Vicioso, Flor De Liz Perez, Desmin Borges, John Herrera, and Javier Muñoz.
I enjoyed this film very much. It makes you think of what’s important in the long run.
Also available on iTune and VOD. —A.O.
Spotlight Spotlight tells the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions, the Catholic Church. When the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters delved into allegations of abuse in the church, their year-long investigation uncovered decades of cover-ups at the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and government establishments. The story touched off a wave of revelations around the world.
There are some great performances in the film and it reminds you why your local hometown newspapers need to be supported.
Directed by Thomas McCarthy and co-written with Josh Singer. Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Brian D’Arcy James and Stanley Tucci. —A.O.
Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara is set against the glamorous backdrop of 1950s New York. The film is an achingly beautiful depiction of love against the odds. Acclaimed director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, I’m Not There, Mildred Pierce) and the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley creates a powerful drama about a married woman who risks everything when she embarks on a romance with a younger department store worker.
One of my favorite movies of the year is available now on Blu-ray, and with the holidays on the horizon I think it should be on your list, too. Come along and meet Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
It was created and directed by Pete Docter (Monsters Inc., Up—both Oscar winners) and features the voice talents of Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Lewis Black (Anger), Amy Poehler (Joy), Bill Hader (Fear), and Phyllis Smith (Sadness). —A.O.
Shelby: A Magical Holiday Tail(Anchor Bay)
Christmas is coming, and notorious stray pup/escape artist Shelby (voiced by Rob Schneider) is once again locked up in the dog pound. But when a spoiled rich kid tries to adopt him for all the wrong reasons, Shelby runs away and hides in the suburban basement of 10-year-old aspiring magician Jake Parker (John Paul Ruttan). Other stars in the film include Chevy Chase and Tom Arnold. —A.O.
Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet (Disney)
Doc McStuffins opens a new veterinary practice in her backyard clinic where she treats stuffed animals and toys in Doc McStuffins: Pet Vet. The DVD includes 5 themed episodes of the Peabody Award-winning animated series.
The cast: Kiara Muhammad and Laya DeLeon Hayes (Doc McStuffins), Loretta Devine (Hallie), Lara Jill Miller (Lambie), Robbie Rist (Stuffy), Jess Harnell (Chilly), Jaden Betts (Donny McStuffins), Kimberly Brooks (Mom McStuffins), and Gary Anthony Williams (Dad McStuffins). —A.O.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World storms onto digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on April 15, before making its triumphant debut on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD May 13.
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)–who now wields the shield of Captain America after events in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier–meets with newly elected U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and soon finds himself in the middle of an international incident. In a race against time, Sam must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
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Tombstone 4K Blu-ray, UHD/BD Combo + Digital + Steelbook arrives on April 22.
Synopsis: Every town has a story—Tombstone has a legend. Experience the explosive, action-packed battle on 4K Ultra HD. U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), his brothers (Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton) and the outrageous Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) band together to bring law to the lawless in a notorious showdown at the O.K. Corral. The star-studded cast also includes Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, and Michael Biehn in an epic story of Wild West justice. Directed by George P. Cosmatos.
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Abbott Elementary: The Complete Third Season on DVD is available now!
From Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. Follow the lives of the staff we have grown to know and love working at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School, and go down memory lane with all 14 hilarious, wholesome and “educational” episodes from the third season.
Synopsis: It’s the season for change for the teachers of Abbott Elementary. Janine leads ambitious growth initiatives for the school while navigating personal and professional challenges. Gregory embraces his role as the “cool” teacher. Ava surprises with moments of unexpected leadership. From Career Day to a heartfelt end-of-year celebration, the Abbott staff prove that with teamwork- and Janine’s relentless drive-they can handle anything.
The cast includes Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard.
Favorite Shot of the Day
Podcast
You can also listen to any episode of all of the podcast at thebradmunson.com
