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Flash Movie Review: Last Breath
THE FIRST TIME I EVER STEPPED on a boat was when I was five or six years old. Well, not actually stepped on but carried on because I was kicking and crying. It was a ferry that went between two populated islands and the ride, though I did not know at the time, was only twenty-five minutes long. I had it in mind if I stepped on the boat, it would cause it to sink; I was a chunky kid at the time. My relatives kept telling me I would love the boat ride, and I kept saying to them I did not want to go. Finally, after I tried getting out of line for the second time, a relative lifted me up and held me until we were seated by a set of large picture windows in the covered area of the ship. Once the ropes were untied from the dock, the ferry’s engines gunned louder, churning the water up behind and we started moving towards open waters. I was still teary eyed and sniffling. When the ferry arrived in open waters, it picked up speed. The shore and skyline grabbed my attention. Seeing tall skyscrapers from a unique perspective sliding away from me grabbed my attention to the point where I stopped thinking about the boat sinking. Soon the shoreline curved away from us and we began to go even faster across the water. I did not realize this whole time a relative had stepped away to buy snacks at the concession stand set up at the back of the boat. With a cookie and carton of milk in hand, I started enjoying the ride. And by the time we arrived at our destination, I started crying again because I did not want to get off the boat. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS LATER that I found myself stepping on board an ocean seafaring ship again. My childhood fears had been left behind many years ago. We were taking a cruise on a ship that held nearly three thousand passengers. Maybe because I was a decent swimmer my fears were negligible. Granted, I was a little agitated during the ship’s safety meeting we were required to attend, but nothing dramatic. Since we had a few hours before we were to set sail, we explored the ship. I quickly acclimated to the surroundings, learning where the fitness center, theater, restaurants, and snack shops were located. By the time we were ready to leave port, we went back to our room to get ready for dinner. I did not pay attention to the view out our balcony window, so I did not realize the water was choppy. As we left the cabin and started walking down the long hallway to the elevators, I realized I was not able to walk in a straight line; I had to place a hand on the walls to steady myself a couple of times. My stomach started to gurgle and moan. I made it to the restaurant but was not feeling good. We were seated and as each of us was looking over the menu, I realized I was getting seasick. Just seeing the printed descriptions of the entrees made my stomach churn. For the next 24 hours, I remained in bed until medication calmed my stomach and I was able to once again navigate around the ship. Even knowing the waters we had traveled were nowhere near as rough as the ones depicted in this dramatic adventure thriller, I still do not know how no one in this film appeared, even queasy for a moment. DESPITE HAVING ONE OF THE HARDEST jobs on the planet, a group of deep-sea divers encountered an even more challenging assignment when they had to dive in the middle of a violent storm to repair an underwater pipeline. With Woody Harrelson (Champions, Fly Me to the Moon) as Duncan Allock, Simu Liu (Arthur the King, Jackpot!) as Dave Yuasa, Finn Cole (Locked In, Animal Kingdom-TV) as Chris Lemons, Cliff Curtis (Risen, The Meg franchise) as Capt. Andre Jenson, and Mark Bonnar (The Kid Who Would be King, Catastrophe-TV) as Craig; this film based on a true story surprised me. Though the script was kept direct and simple, the story was still riveting. Even after a couple of days viewing this picture, I still could not stop thinking about this amazing story. With a steady hand directing, the tension was consistent throughout the picture. I would have appreciated more depth for the characters, and for the script to have taken more risks so as not to have been predictable, but I still was entertained throughout the story. I will say having seen this movie has given me a whole new appreciation of the sea and the people who work in and on it.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS I WAS at the beach five times a week on average. It was a couple of blocks away from where we lived. My favorite thing to do at the beach was to build sandcastles. I had a small collection of various sized buckets I would bring with me to create castles, forts, mazes, walled cities, and swimming pools. I had an active imagination. One of my earliest memories is standing with a relative in the water, close to shore. I was holding onto her bathing suit to steady myself. A large wave suddenly came up and knocked me over which caused me to rip her bathing suit because I would not let go. During the summer, the neighborhood parents would always make a point of taking their children to the beach, so I rarely had to play by myself; there were a lot of kids in my neighborhood. Another reason I liked going to the beach was because from that vantage point, I could see the entire outline of our city’s downtown skyline. The tall skyscrapers fascinated me and though I tried reproducing them in sand, I never got past the second floor before the sand would cascade down into a heap. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE STARTED studying geography in elementary school, where I discovered the lake I played in was an important part of a whole ecosystem in the Midwest. Up until that point, though I knew oceans were bigger than lakes, the only difference I could see between my lake and the Atlantic Ocean was my lake did not have saltwater in it. Otherwise, our lake had big waves, seaweed and when I looked out to the horizon, all I saw was water no land mass. In class, I discovered my lake was part of a group of five lakes that were known as the Great Lakes. The combination of lakes contained one fifth of the earth’s freshwater supply. All this time I had no idea how important my lake was; but, once I found out about all these facts, I certainly felt a sense of pride that I was lucky enough to have it walking distance from my house. As I got older, I started exploring more of the lakefront, even doing a road trip that went around the lake into other states. There was only one period of time when I avoided going to the beach and I totally forgot all about it until I saw it being discussed in this fascinating documentary. HAVING BEEN THE LIFEBLOOD AND ECONOMIC engine to so many people and businesses, a mystery began to unfold that would be a threat to every single living thing associated with the Great Lakes. Written and directed by Lindsey Haskin (Freshwater Seas: The Great Lakes) and narrated by J.K. Simmons (Red One, Saturday Night), I found this film more than just entertaining, it was informative and literally a walk back through time. Growing up and hearing only about the sensational news around the lakes, like one newspaper headline that read Lake Erie is dead and another one about the amount of dead Alewife fish coming onto shore, I enjoyed hearing about the history and impact of these and other events in this picture. I wondered if it mattered if viewers without any history to the Great Lakes would care about watching this movie and I think it would still be interesting to non-lake viewers. A lot of information was given in this film, but it was done in such a way that it was not tedious or overwhelming. Plus, the use of archival films and photographs made the information entertaining. For those who have a curiosity about such things, I feel they will appreciate watching the unfolding of a century of history in the middle of our country.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: My Old Ass
THE INDIVIDUALS LOOKING AT ME IN the photos I have in my hand are related to me, but I do not know how. They all have been deceased for a long time and there is no one alive in my family who is old enough to remember them. I wished I had seen the photos years ago and had the foresight to ask about the people in the photos, to learn how they were related to me, what they did in life, and any other bits of information that would provide me with a clearer picture about my family roots. Now, they will be framed and hung on a wall as a mystery for our family. My other thought is maybe these deceased relatives have descendants who might like photocopies of their ancestors. I cannot say I have regrets; it is the first time I have seen these photos and there is nothing I can do about it. Besides, I already have a variety of memories I can dwell on and determine if there would have been a different outcome if I had only done “such and such.” I certainly do not want to go through life having regrets, but if I could have pressed a magic replay button, there may have been a few times I would have liked to alter the outcome. WHEN I THINK BACK TO ALL the people I have dated, I have no regrets about having dated them. There might be one or two that I could have done without, but if I think hard about it, I gained something by knowing each person, even if it did not turn out to be a long-term relationship. When it comes to events, there are a few I wish I could have managed differently. For example, I wish I had not sped my way through a national park that resulted in me being pulled over and given a speeding ticket. In my defense, I thought the park had a closing time. When I mentioned this to the officer, he chuckled and said it is a national park, there is not a closing time. At that point, I knew I was going to get a ticket. Of all the things I have done in my life there are a few that come close to me, having regrets about how I acted. One was a relative’s funeral I did not attend because I had just started a new job and was afraid to immediately ask for a day off. Looking back, I should have talked to my boss and explained the situation; if they said no, at least I would have known I tried instead of making the decision on my own. Imagine if we had a way to get advice about upcoming events in our life; we could avoid having any regrets. It is an interesting proposition and one that is skillfully handled in this dramatic comedy romance. AFTER GETTING HIGH ON MUSHROOMS FOR her birthday, a young girl is introduced to her older self who comes with a warning. The question is, should the younger self really believe her older self. With Maisy Stella (Nashville-TV, Spirit Riding Free-TV) as Elliott, Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West, Safety Not Guaranteed) as Older Elliott, Percy Hynes White (Cast No Shadow, The Gifted-TV) as Chad, Maddie Ziegler (The Fallout, The Book of Henry) as Ruthie, and Kerrice Brooks (Feeling Randy, The Prom) as Ro; this might appear like a typical story about an older and younger self meeting. However, this script put a twist on the genre and created a sweet, thoughtful, touching story about family and coming of age. I thought Aubrey and Maisy were a perfect match; they had good comedic timing and easily expressed their emotions with their face and body. The writers also took the story and created mini stories to work in conjunction with the main one which allowed more space to let the stories evolve. I was entertained by this film and had no regrets having taken the time to sit down and watch it.
3 stars
Flash Movie Trailer: Heretic
ONE DAY AFTER TEACHING CLASS, SEVERAL participants arranged a get together at a local restaurant. I agreed to join them after showering and changing clothes. The restaurant was a couple of miles away in the town’s business district and gratefully it had its own parking lot. As I entered the place, I saw at the back of the room a large table was set up with members from my class seated already. Walking up to the table, a couple of people commented how weird it was to see me in “regular” clothes as opposed to my workout wear. I laughed as I made my way to an empty seat. Though I recognized everyone sitting around the table, I did not know every one of them by name. There were a few who I had had little contact with except for the occasional giving of instructions and encouragement. The waitress came over and took our drink orders along with a few appetizer requests for the table. We then proceeded to cover several topics, such as the music I used in class, our new favorite restaurants, travel plans, and so on. It was not long before the waitress returned with our drinks and appetizers. More times than not at these types of events, someone will comment on how surprised they are that I am eating potato skins or garlic bread, thinking because I teach fitness, I would only eat a pure healthy diet. My usual response is to tell them I am not the type to live off tofu and broccoli. This usually gets a laugh out of people. WHILE I WAS CONVERSING WITH THOSE closer to me, I was aware there were other conversations taking place at the table. One of the groups deep in conversation appeared more animated than the rest of us. I was curious as to what was being discussed but I did not want to be rude and leave my spot so that I could sit closer to them. As it turned out, I was not alone in wondering what was going on with them. Other members started shifting their focus on this group to the point that soon I was drawn in and able to listen to what people were talking about. They were discussing religion which surprised me because everyone in my classes knows I do not allow discussions about religion or politics to take place because I believe both are personal topics and from past history, know they will lead to disagreements or worse, to a fight. It turns out one of the members I was not familiar with had brought up the subject in the context that the member she was talking to would find comfort if she belonged to a church, namely her church. From the comments I was hearing, I was appalled. She was basically trying to convert this member. Before things could escalate, I repeated my rules about not discussing religion and politics and asked the participants to change the subject which was a kinder way compared to what the main character did in this psychological horror thriller. AFTER TWO YOUNG RELIGIOUS WOMEN ARRIVE at the house of the gentleman who showed interest in their belief, they soon find themselves being tested in their own beliefs. With Hugh Grant (Wonka, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Mr. Reed, Sophie Thatcher (The Boogeyman, Yellowjackets-TV) as Sister Barnes, Chloe East (The Fabelmans, Popular Theory) as Sister Paxton, Topher Grace (In Good Company, That 70s Show-TV) as Elder Kennedy and Elle Young (A Score to Settle, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina-TV) as Prophet; I was pleasantly surprised that the story was more of a psychological thriller than horror. There were tense moments throughout most of the film, with most of them being led by Hugh Grant’s amazing acting. He did an excellent job with his character. However, the last quarter to third of the story fell out of favor with me as it seemed it wanted to rush to an unknown ending with a weird mix of scenes that were cliched, nonsensical and bloody violent. It was a shame because up until that point I appreciated the interesting, thought-provoking script that was starting to make me a believer.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Federer: Twelve Final Days
IT STARTS OUT WITH ME NOTICING before it turns into allegiance when it comes to left-handed tennis players. Being a lefty, I have a slightly different view of things. It was challenging the first time I was handed a pair of scissors; they were made for right-handed people. The desks in elementary school were fine; but, in the higher schools of education many desks were simply attached to the right arms of chairs. Some of the college lecture halls I sat in had trays that were stored inside again of the right arm of our chairs. It was an inconvenience at best; however, I was aware since most people were right-handed, us left-handed folks were being grouped into a minority. Because of these early experiences, I have always rooted for those left-handed individuals who have excelled in their field. The first famous lefty I knew was Sandy Koufax. I had a baseball card with his picture on it. In fact, whenever I got the ball when playing bombardment or scatter ball in gym class, I pretended I was him. As it turned out, I had a strong throwing arm and was able to knock out many players on the opposing team. I do not know if my success had to do with being left-handed, but I certainly believed that I had an advantage over the right-handed kids. I THOUGHT MY LEFTY SUPERPOWER WOULD carry me into other sports, like tennis. However, I quickly learned I was a real minority when I was the only lefty in class. The instructor had difficulty teaching me, as a result I was always behind everyone else. The other students liked playing against me because it was an easy win for them. It was not until I had gotten proficient with my ground strokes that the other students had to really work to try and beat me. They could not read my shots as easily as they could with their fellow righties. I started to enjoy the game even more. At the same time, I started watching tennis matches on television. Whenever one of the opponents was left-handed, I immediately rooted for them. My first “crush” was jimmy Connors. He was aggressive and he was left-handed. After him, I was an enthusiastic fan of John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and of course, Rafael Nadal. These were my heroes who reached the top of their sport while being left-handed. I felt if they could do it, I could succeed as well in any field. During my time watching these players, there was one player that caught my eye. Where everyone was grunting and sweating during their matches, he was someone completely different. It looked like he was doing a form of ballet whenever he was out on the tennis court. I grew to admire his skills even though I would still root for the lefty. However, I grew to respect his incredible skill. When I saw this documentary about him advertised, I knew I had to watch it. THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ONE needs to face their future, especially when their work requires physical stamina, strength, and endurance. What started out as private home videos became a record of the last twelve days leading up to the retirement of this illustrious tennis player’s incredible career. Directed by Asif Kapadia (The Warrior, Amy) and Joe Sabia (73 Questions-TV), this documentary was a smooth, and at times, intimate production. I enjoyed the access the viewer had to Roger’s thoughts, home, and work life. This film matched Roger’s cool classiness, which both helped and hurt the story. Everything was so polished and scripted; it would have been nice if the directors could have dug deeper into Roger’s thought process more, to get an understanding of what drove him to be the best in tennis. If one is not a fan of tennis, then there would be little interest in watching this biographical sports picture. I on the other hand enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between fellow players, such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Their interactions in this film created special moments. The term, “a life well lived,” seems appropriate here, for this picture simply celebrates the career and accomplishments of an extraordinary individual, who was not bad for a righty.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Smile 2
I WAS ON THE EXERCISE BIKE, oblivious to what I was doing. All I could think about were those cookies I baked last night. I know, I see the irony with those two statements. There was something about the way the cookies looked that triggered my panic mode. In my brain, the cookies did not look right. The fact is I had never made this recipe before so how would I know what they were supposed to look like? It did not matter; I am a visual and texture eater. If something has a texture I do not like, I will not eat it. The same with looks; if it does not look right, whatever “look right” is supposed to be in my mind, I will not touch it, even if it has chocolate in it. So here I am working out on the bike, fretting whether I can serve the cookies to the company we were expecting. My entire ride was consumed by all the possibilities I had to find my happy place and serve the cookies to guests; should I make another dessert as a backup, buy one at the bakery to save myself time; just stick with the pie I had made and serve nothing else. I settled on the most logical response which is always the last thing I think about after driving myself crazy. I would have a couple of cookies for breakfast. If I liked them then I would serve them and if not, I had already decided I would bake something else. Gratefully, the cookies were good. IT IS HARD BEING ME; I WISH I would not work myself up into a frenzy when something triggers me, like in this case the look of the cookies. It is similar to something else that has been bothering me for a few weeks. I do not know if I dreamt about this conversation or if I really had it with someone about snorkeling. We are planning a trip that involves an excursion to a reef where we can snorkel to experience the beauty close up. I am already concerned about the water temperature; will it be too cold for me, and will I have to stay back in the boat. I am also concerned with sharks and jellyfish; what type of precautions will the excursion provide to protect us from an attack. My anxiety is slowly growing. Now I thought I met someone recently who told me not to worry, that we would be given wetsuits, and the temperature would be warm for the time we were going. She also said we would be handed a rope to hold on to, so that we can always be attached in some way to the boat. I found comfort with this information, but for the past week I cannot think of who told me this recent news. Going over the past few weeks of our social calendar and I cannot figure out if it was a real conversation or a dream. There are times like this where I think I am starting to lose my mind; however, nothing like what was happening to the main character in this mystery horror thriller. WITH THE RESTART OF HER TOUR, a musical pop star’s stress is causing her to question some of the things she is seeing. They seem so real, but are they? With Naomi Scott (Charlie’s Angels, Power Rangers) as Skye Riley, Rosemarie DeWitt (Out of My Mind, Rachel Getting Married) as Elizabeth Riley, Lukas Gage (Assassination Nation, Road House) as Lewis Fregoli, Miles Gutierrez-Riley (I Wish You All the Best, On the Come Up) as Joshua, and Peter Jacobson (House-TV, Fear the Walking Dead-TV) as Morris; this sequel was better than the original film. I was not expecting much; however, the story quickly grabbed me and kept me on the edge of my seat a good portion of the time. I thought Naomi and Rosemarie were excellent and enjoyed their chemistry. The script had some holes in it but with the good direction and cast, things kept moving past scenes that seemed stuck on repeat. What I most enjoyed about this movie was the fact it was more of a psychological horror story instead of just dumping gory scenes on the viewers. Now do not get me wrong, there still were some bloody, graphic scenes where I had to divert my eyes to a different part of the movie screen so as not to see the bloody action head on. And though there were no post credit scenes, I have a feeling we have not seen the last from this budding franchise.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Rebel Ridge
HE WAS A SHORT, SLIGHT MAN with a close-cropped beard and straight brown hair that always looked feathery. This was my first impression of my yoga instructor, who would remain mine through the first year of my training to become an instructor. There was gentleness and kindness about him; he always took the time to work one on one with each of us in class. Whenever he would demonstrate a pose, he moved into it like a cat, slow and determined. Because I was so focused on taking notes and looking at the poses he did, I did not notice him as much if that makes sense. I was looking to see where hands and feet needed to be rather than focusing on the way his body would move into the pose. Around halfway through the year we had a celebratory event where multiple classes would come together. It was part doing yoga and part mingling. I met some of the upper-class students and watched them during our yoga session. They were so smooth as they moved into the various poses. During the break, I went up and talked with them, asking about their experience at the school. At some point, one of them asked me who was my instructor. When I told him, he said I had the best teacher in the school. I was thrilled to hear it. WHAT HE SAID NEXT THREW ME for a loop. He asked if I knew about my instructor’s background. I said no. He told me something that stunned me. My instructor was involved with the military until a tragic event shattered his leg. The story this upper-class student told me was after the event my teacher was sent home for multiple surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation. This student told me to look at the instructor’s body when he moves into a pose. Since he was ahead of me in school, I thought I would see what he was talking about and look at my instructor’s body when he was doing poses. It turned out I had to look more than once because what I saw was fascinating. The fact his leg was shattered, I would never have known. Each time his body moved into a pose I would see his smooth, pliable limbs turn into sculpted, solid muscle. Not like a heavy weightlifter’s muscles, more like a Michelangelo statue. They would rise from his skin and form this rock-solid landscape across his body. I would have been most curious to hear what he used to do in the military because he was nothing what I pictured a military person to be. I was reminded of him because of the main character in this action, crime thriller. MAKING HIS WAY TO POST BAIL for his cousin, a former Marine finds himself in a town that could make better use of his bail money. With Aaron Pierre (Brother, Old) as Terry Richmond, Don Johnson (Knives Out, Book Club: The Next Chapter) as Chief Sandy Burnne, AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer, Bridge to Terabithia) as Summer McBride, David Denman (The Equalizer 3, The Office-TV) as Officer Evan Marston, and Emory Cohen (Brooklyn, Lords of Chaos) as Officer Steve Lann; this drama was slick and to the point, taking me by surprise. I thought the cast, especially Aaron, was excellent. The story is a no-frills good against evil type of story and I fell right into it. The action was intense, and the fight scenes were well done. In a way, it was refreshing to watch an action film without the special effects or wild camera work or a multitude of dead bodies; I felt I was following a simple, story that could have been based in truth. On some level, this movie reminded me of an old-fashioned western film besides reminding me of my past yoga instructor.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
THE RESTAURANT WAS OUR SANCTUARY. IF memory serves me correctly, it was one of the first places, that was not serving fast food, where I went without my parents. The time was my high school years, and my friends and I started going to it because it was in the middle between our elementary school district boundaries. The restaurant was a decent sized place, with parking lots on both sides of the building. The front door and waiting area were in the middle; on one side there were all booths and on the other it was booths along the walls, but the rest of the floor space was filled with tables. I did not realize it then, but I guess the tabled room was used more for lunches, dinners, and larger sized parties. Most of the time my friends and I were taken to a booth. Another reason we liked hanging out at this restaurant, besides the friendly staff and tasty food, was their abundant breadbasket filled with a variety of bread slices, rolls, breadsticks, and crackers. If someone did not have a lot of money to spend on food, they could easily order a soft drink and chow down on the bread items. It was always the first thing the wait staff would put down when people were seated. What I especially liked was the fact the wait staff never tried to talk down to us or try to rush us out after we had eaten. It was in these booths where we could talk about anything and share whatever was on our minds. I AM STILL FRIENDS WITH SOME of the people who sat with me at the restaurant. Not only did we spend time together there through high school, but we also did during our college years. If one of us was attending an out of state university, they were especially eager to meet up at the restaurant anytime they were back home for a visit. I remember how no one would bring their girl or boyfriend around until they were well established in the relationship. It was always overwhelming for the new person to join into our tight knit group, but we did our best to make them comfortable. Some time after college one of the parents of a friend passed away; after the funeral, a group of us met up at the restaurant to have a meal before going back to their house. This restaurant was a vital part of our lives when growing up; it was our therapy, our social life, and our introduction to becoming independent human beings with a strong bond between each of us. Due to these memories, I suddenly felt connected to this comedic drama. THROUGH A LIFETIME, THE BONDS BETWEEN an intimate group of friends gets tested by relationships, prejudices, and love. With Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Ray, Origin) as Odette, Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, Something New) as Barbara Jean, Uzo Aduba (Really Love, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Clarice, Mekhi Phifer (Lights Out, ER-TV) as James, and Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four franchise, FBI: Most Wanted-TV) as Ray; this movie based on the best selling novel, won me over by the strong acting of the main characters. They came across real and had emotional depth. I will say though, it seemed as if some scenes were cut short or appeared to be because of the switching from present to past. I thought the sets and costumes were perfect and appreciated the way the writers did not shy away from events that were prevalent during those times. I can only imagine the book must be even better than this picture. There was a level of predictability to the story, but it did not distract me from being so entertained by the cast. The connections the friends had to each other reminded me of the ones I had/have with my friends; I was left with a feeling of comfort after this movie was over.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
IT WAS A CHANCE ENCOUNTER THAT released long forgotten memories from forty plus years ago. I was walking through a crowded hotel lobby. Trying to make my way amongst the mass of people, I said “excuse me” to a woman I was trying to get around to reach the staircase. She turned and looked at me; we both became motionless as we intently stared at each other. It immediately clicked in my brain, like a spotlight that found its mark on stage, and I uttered her name after all these years. She in turn did the same thing, saying my name, at the exact time. We both asked what the other was doing here, and it turned out we were attending the same event. I could not believe it. Unfortunately, with assigned seating, we only had small chunks of time to communicate with each other. It felt so good to see her and to feel her warmth again because I had been the one who disappeared. I never wanted to stop being friends with her, but the circle of friends around us was becoming too toxic for me; so, I had to remove myself from the situation. Before the end of the evening, we made plans to meet for lunch a week later. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO do as I was walking into the restaurant. Should I hug her or not, should I be animated and wave my hands; I did not know how I would be received. As it turned out as soon as we saw each other we walked up and hugged. Funny, we never did it in school, but I guess being older versions of ourselves made it the thing to do. Once we were seated, we each peppered the other with questions about their current life situation. Memories were flooding my brain; sharing prom together, sitting in her parents’ kitchen while her mother served us cake, using a cuss word to describe someone talking on the television that was playing in the background, hanging out in the park with a group of friends. While talking she used the same phrase as she did back forty years ago. Her no nonsense style of not caring what people thought of her was still as prevalent as it was back then. The only way I could describe my feelings was to say I felt like I had come back home. There was an easy comfort being with her. Whatever differences we had did not require any energy now; I was happy to see her. Some of these things I have been talking about could easily describe what I was feeling while watching this comedic horror fantasy. EMBARRASSED AND DISMISSIVE OF HER GHOST believing mother, a daughter unwittingly causes something to happen that could change her opinion about her family. With Michael Keaton (The Protégé, The Founder) as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder (Destination Wedding, Mermaids) as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara (A Mighty Wind, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Delia Deetz, Jenna Ortega (Scream franchise, The Fallout) as Astrid Deetz, and Justin Theroux (The Girl on the Train, False Positive) as Rory; this sequel transported me right back to the time when I saw the original movie. The cast, both new and veterans, were all in to create a madcap, zany fun film. Granted, since having seen the original the level of impact was less and the script for this picture was more convoluted. As with the first one, the music soundtrack was perfect for this story. I think the viewer would still be entertained with this movie even if they had not seen the first one; though I believe it would be of help. Overall, I was entertained throughout and felt no one could do this character justice except Michael Keaton.
3 stars
MoviePass, MovieCrash
AS I WALKED INTO THE LUNCHROOM, two fellow employees were sitting and talking at a table. When they saw me, one of them asked me if I had ever heard of MoviePass; they knew I was an avid movie goer. I told him no and both employees immediately uttered, “What!?!?” From the look on their faces, you would have thought I had just revealed my secret identity as a superhero or told them I was a former gold medal winning Olympian. I asked them what was MoviePass and they both started talking in unison, telling me about paying a monthly fee and being able to see any movie, anywhere, at any time. I listened intently, but part of me was waiting for some kind of catch or joke to be played on me. They described what they had to do to see the movie and I was still skeptical. It sounded too good to be true and frankly, it sounded strange. At the time they were telling me about this, I was working two jobs which took up most of my time. I did not know if this thing they were talking about would be worth it to me. I also could not understand how the company was making money off this idea. MY PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYING FOR movie tickets was using gift certificates, I would get for my birthday and holiday, and discount certificates I would purchase at the warehouse club where I belonged. Buying a ten pack of certificates would average out to a little less than $8.00 a movie ticket. During the holidays, when the certificates would go on sale, I would buy up to a dozen packs and use them throughout the year, sometimes into the next year even. After listening to the employees’ pitch about this new movie service, I went home after work and did some investigating online. Granted it sounded like a great idea, but there was something inside of me that said something was not right about the company. I had read a multitude of customer comments; they ran the gamut from glowing reviews to irritating ones. Some people complained the screen would freeze up on their phone when they were trying to pick a film; others commented how much they hated trying to reach the customer service department. Honestly, I was surprised by the amount of people taking the time to write down their grievances and their praises. After spending a couple of weeks researching the company and its offerings, the pessimistic side of me prevailed and I chose not to get involved. Having now seen this documentary movie, I am glad I made that decision. FROM TWO MEN’S REVOLUTIONARY IDEA ABOUT a new way to see a movie at the theater, a phenomenon was born. If only they had stuck with their original plan. Directed by Muta’ali (Cassius X: Becoming Ali, Life’s Essentials with Roby Dee), this comedic crime drama was an easy watch. I was fascinated with how the story was unfolding; despite the obvious inequity that filtered through the company. I appreciated the way the director wove news clips, videos, and an array of personal interviews from employees, media, and investors. It created a well-rounded take on the various events and stages that were happening at the company. The thing I found the most interesting about this movie is the way it allows the viewer to expand their thinking to other public companies. After finishing my viewing, I found it ironic that I wound up signing up for a service like MoviePass’ operation except mine is through a movie chain.
3 stars
moviejoltz 