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 …
Giveaway! In FIVE CITIES, we have 30 pairs (4 cities) and 15 pairs (1 city) of an advance screening of Ouija: Origin of Evil!
Download a first-come, first-served screening pass by clicking on the link to your city below. Screenings will take place on Tuesday, October 18 (Have your pass ready to show at the door). GIVEAWAY CLOSES MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 at 8A (PT).
Follow the instructions in your pass and share your excitement using #Ouija, #OuijaOriginOfEvil and #SeFijaOnline. ENJOY!
Soraya Machado Powell screened The Birth of a Nation, written and directed by Nate Parker. It isa far different version than D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (originally called The Clansman) from 1915.
Nate Parker and Tony Espinosa The Birth of a Nation
Here is what she had to say: “Set against the antebellum South and based on a true story and part of our American History, it is about Nat Turner, an enslaved Baptist preacher who lived on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of insurrection in the air, a cleric convinces Samuel that Nate should sermonize to other slaves, thereby quelling any notions of an uprising. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. On August 21, 1831, Turner’s quest for justice and freedom leads to a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County.
“I highly recommend this movie. It may not be appropriate for children under 14, as it is graphic and bloody.”
The film stars Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Aja Naomi King, Aunjanue Ellis, Gabrielle Union, Dwight Henry, Colman Domingo, Tony Espinosa, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Esther Scott.
In this thriller, Rachel (Emily Blunt), is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.
Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Édgar Ramírez, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Lisa Kudrow, and Laura Prepon.
GOYA products approached us to do a fun cooking post for Latino Heritage Month. And I thought, why not, I love to cook!
In this, my third and last food post, I’ll describe the new dish I cooked and the products I used. And you can check out my first post on how I got into cooking here and my second post here.
I have one more shout out to make, and it’s to my brother from another mom, Brad Munson, a writer who can write about anything. And who also can whip up an amazing meal. Our friendship goes back thirty-five-years and over those years, I’ve had some great dishes made by him. And of course, many talks about foods and cooking. Check out his website here.
Our third and last dish is based on a typical Panamanian Sunday meal (I forgot the plantains). I made rice and gandules verdes (pigeon peas) cooked in coconut milk and a very tasty curry chicken. A taste of my Caribbean roots in this beautiful city I love, Los Angeles.
I used Goya products and used the IMUSA cooking Caldero pots we got.
You can check out more of IMUSA products at their website, follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Enjoy the images. — A.O.
Masterminds Masterminds, is much funnier than I expected. I truly laugh so many times and I wasn’t the only one.
The actors are so over the top, they are superb. I would watch it again.
Synopsis: In this action comedy inspired by true events, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. The only glimmer of excitement is his flirtatious work-crush Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) who soon lures him into the scheme of a lifetime.
Along with a group of half-brained criminals led by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and an absurdly faulted heist plan, David manages the impossible and makes off with $17 million in cash…only problem is he foolishly hands the money over to this wild group of double crossers and has been set up to take the fall. Now on the lam and in over his head, David must dodge the authorities, evade a hilarious hit man, Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis), and try to turn the tables on the ones he trusted most.
Deepwater Horizon This year’s big disaster movie is based on the true events that occurred on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, the story chronicles the courage of those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and the extreme moments of bravery and survival in the face of what would become one of the biggest man-made disasters in world history.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Kate Hudson, and directed by Peter Berg.
Mrs Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children I think this is one of director Tim Burton’s best film in quite a while. It is based upon the best-selling novel, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” Which is part of a series of books for young adults. In Burton’s film, we get an unforgettable motion picture experience.
Synopsis: When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.
Starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Allison Janney, Terence Stamp, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Queen of Katwe is in theaters nationwide now. Check out our previous post here.
Ash vs. Evil Dead is one crazy, fun ride, and it’s about to enter its second season of bloody good fun on STARZ. It turns out that Ray Santiago, who plays one of Ash’s dedicated (and slightly insane) sidekicks is kind of crazy-fun himself, and we had a chance to talk with him recently about working on with legends on this strange and sensational series.
AvED is a direct continuation (thirty years later) of the horror cult classics Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 (and to a lesser degree Army of Darkness, boomstick notwithstanding), and Ray’s character, Pablo Simon Bolivar, has been on board since Season 1, Episode 1, right alongside Ash himself (Bruce Campbell) and the equally amazing Dana DeLorenzo, not to mention the truly legendary action-actress Lucy Lawless. Yeah, Xena herself who joins the show full-time for Season 2.
Ray Santiago
You can tell in the first two minutes of talking with Ray that he is one smart dude who ‘gets’ the attraction to this more-than-a-little-insane series. He’s also a damn hard worker who clearly loves his partnership with a couple of living legends on one of the most physically demanding action shows being produced today, After all, AvED is almost entirely created with practical effects–masks and models and make-up appliances–not with CGI and green screens. This is hard work, people. It’s also one of the bloodiest and most violent shows you’ll see this season (but in a good way), so all that effort is well worth it.
We had a chance to talk about the filming of the second season in far-off New Zealand, his experiences with the dedicated and surprisingly sweet cast, and got a few hints about all the incredibly cool stuff that’s going to be happening in Season Two. We also got a chance to watch the first couple of episodes of the new season, and seriously: long-time fans and curious newcomers will not be disappointed. This show is hot–if anything, even hotter this season than last.
Ray Santiago
Here’s the conversation we had, between our horror-loving friend Brad Munson and Ray himself. Don’t miss the second season premiere Oct. 2. And you can watch all of the first season for free and without verification on starz.com right now, and even see the Season 2 opener for a limited time.
One lucky winner will win these two items from IMUSA and GOYA in celebration of Latino Heritage Month.
A cloth tortilla warmer makes it easy to serve fresh, warm tortillas at any meal. The tortilla warmer is for microwave use and keeps tortillas or breads warm for up to 1 hour with a built-in insulated pouch.
The perforated food safe PVC barrier inside the pouch allows the moisture to escape slowly, preventing the issue of sweating inside. In addition, the polyester/cotton exterior features attractive and trendy designs, adding to its visual appeal on the table. Having cold tortillas minutes after heating won’t be a problem any longer!
“Goya’s Happy, Healthy Celebrations Cookbook” is a bilingual cookbook packed with 30 healthy MyPlate Latin recipes for every celebration!
Would you like to win these? Then just click here to send us an e-mail with your name and address.
We’ll draw the winner at 12N (PT) on Wednesday, OCTOBER 12.
GOYA products approached us to do a fun cooking post for Latino Heritage Month. And I thought, why not, I love to cook!
In this shorter post I’ll describe the new dish I cooked and the new IMUSA pots that were sent to me. (You can check out my first post on how I got into cooking here.)
I’m not a trained cook, but my love for cooking makes me want to experiment with flavors and techniques to create a tasty meal for my family and friends.
Here is a special shout out to my friend Wendy Osmundson, who is a fabulous cook, and has taught me a few things over the years. I learn the most from her just by watching her and talking with her about the foods we love to eat and prepare. Check out her granola business here.
Our second dish was black beans and rice, made with Goya Foods and using one of the IMUSA cooking ceramic Caldero pots we got. Along with the pots we received from IMUSA, we got these other products to play with: a skimmer, Bamboo tostonera, Bamboo mortar and pestle, citrus squeezer, bean masher, and can opener. IMUSA is a leading ethnic housewares brand with deep roots in Latin America and the United States. You can check out more of IMUSA products at their website, follow them on Twitter and Instagram too.
I enjoyed the glass cover of the red pot I used for the rice and beans. This dish also included yellow and red roasted peppers, garlic, and shallots cooked with the black beans, grilled chicken cooked in a cast iron fryer and a simple green salad. Enjoy the images. — A.O.
We caught up with Alfonso Herrera (Father Tomas Ortega) and Alan Ruck (Henry Rance) of the new FOX series, The Exorcist and we talked about working on the series and what they are looking forward to for the show.
Alfonso Herrera
Now check out the video below with Alan Ruck and listen in on the conversation with Alfonso Herrera. And you can check out my previous interview with Geena Davis and Alfonso Herrera here.
This is my second film this year about chess champions; the first is The Dark Horse and now, Queen Of Katwe. And I enjoyed them both very much.
Queen Of Katwe is the colorful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion.
There was a question and answer session after a screening of the film with director Mira Nair and stars Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, and newcomer Madina Nalwanga. Below is a taste of it and the film is in theaters now. — 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
Giveaway! In FIVE CITIES, we have 30 pairs (4 cities) and 15 pairs (1 city) of an advance screening of Ouija: Origin of Evil!
