Film review: “Patti Cake$” (2017)

“Patti Cake$” (2017) Drama Running Time: 108 minutes Written & Directed by: Geremy Jasper Featuring: Danielle Macdonald, Cathy Moriarty, Siddharth Dhananjay, McCaul Lombardi, Patrick Brana, Bridget Everett, Mamoudou Athie Patti: [to Barb] “Act your age.”  Barb: [to Patti] “Act your race.” Firstly, it has to be said upfront that this debut film by music video …

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Film review: “Wonder” (2017)

“Wonder" (2017) Drama Running Time: 113 minutes Written by:  Steve Conrad, based on the novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio Directed by: Stephen Chbosky Featuring: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay Auggie Pullman: [voice over] "I know I’m not an ordinary kind of a kid, I’ve had twenty-seven surgeries. They help me to breathe, to see, …

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DVD review: “A Ghost Story”(2017)

"A Ghost Story" (2017) Drama Written and Directed by: David Lowery Featuring: Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara Houseguest: “We build our legacy piece by piece and maybe the whole world will remember you or maybe just a couple of people, but you do what you can to make sure you're still around after you're gone.” It can …

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DVD review: “LA 92” (2017)

“LA 92” (2017) Documentary Running Time: 114 minutes Directed by: Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin Featuring: George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Pete Wilson, Daryl Gates, Joyce Karlin, Rodney King, Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell Congresswoman Maxine Waters: "This is what you get with video of a killing." This is actually the first of at least two high profile documentaries about the LA …

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DVD & Blu-ray review: “The Circle” (2017)

“The Circle” (2017) Drama/Thriller Running Time: 141 minutes Written by:  Dave Eggers and James Ponsoldt Directed by: James Ponsoldt Featuring: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly, and Bill Paxton Eamon Bailey: “Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better.” This should have been an excellent movie, it had so much going for it, a very …

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Film review: “Victoria & Abdul” (2017)

“Victoria & Abdul” (2017) Drama Running Time: 112 minutes Written by: Lee Hall Directed by: Stephen Frears Featuring:  Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith and Adeel Akhtar Queen Victoria: “Everyone I love has died and I just go on and on. What is the point?” Abdul Karim: “Service, Your Majesty. We are here for a greater purpose.” Twenty …

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DVD & Blu-ray review: “Annabelle: Creation” (2017)

“Annabelle: Creation” (2017) Horror Running Time: 109 minutes Written by: Gary Dauberman Directed by: David F. Sandberg Featuring:  Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Anthony LaPaglia, and Miranda Otto Linda: “Janice says she’s seen your daughter.” Samuel Mullins: “My daughter has been dead for a long time.” I have gone on record to say that 2017 has been a very good year …

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DVD review: “A Monster Calls” (2017)

“A Monster Calls" (2017) Drama/Fantasy Running Time: 108 minutes Directed by: J. A. Bayona Featuring: Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson The Monster: “I know everything about you, Connor O’Malley. The truth you dream, the truth that you hide.” A Monster Calls is a 2016 dark fantasy drama film directed …

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DVD & Blu-ray review: “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017)

“War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) Sci-Fi/Action/Drama Running Time: 142 minutes Written by: Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback Directed by: Matt Reeves Featuring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer and Terry Notary Colonel: “All of human history has lead to this moment. The irony is we created you. And nature has been punishing us …

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Television review: “Louis Theroux: Talking to Anorexia” (2017)

“Louis Theoux: Talking To Anorexia (2017) Documentary Running Time: 60 minutes Presented by: Louis Theroux Louis Theroux: “But that’s part of your illness there should be no shame attached, it’s an illness.” If you enjoy watching Louis Theroux as well as his particular form of documentary, then the recent month has been a blessing for …

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Film review: “A Bad Moms Christmas” (2017)

“A Bad Moms Christmas” (2017) Comedy Running Time: 104 minutes Written & directed by:  Jon Lucas and Scott Moore Featuring:  Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn,  Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon, Jay Hernandez , Justin Hartley and Peter Gallagher Kiki: “I spend months picking out the perfect present for everyone. You know the only thing I get in return? Coupons, free …

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DVD & Blu-ray review: “The Big Sick” (2017)

“The Big Sick” (2017) Comedy Running Time: 124 minutes Written:  Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon Directed by: Michael Showalter Featuring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Adeel Akhtar and Anupam Kher Terry: “Let me give you some advice, Kumail. Love isn’t easy. That’s why they call it love.” Kumail: “I don’t really get that.” Terry: “I know. I thought I could just …

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Streaming review: “Stranger Things 2” (2017)

“Stranger Things 2” (2017) TV Series/Drama/Sci-Fi/Horror Episodes: Nine Created by: The Duffer Brothers Featuring:  Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser When Netflix released the Duffer Brothers created “Stranger Things” in 2016 there is no way in the world that anyone could have known that it would …

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TV review: “Louis Theroux: Dark States” (2017)

“Louis Theroux: Dark States” (2017) Documentary Created, written & presented by: Louis Theroux The last time we saw Louis Theroux was his revisitation to a subject that seems to have haunted him for some time, he obviously felt like he needed to revisit, this was “Louis Theroux: Saville” (2016) – an analysis of himself, something …

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Film review: “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)

"Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) Action Written by: Eric Pearson Directed by: Taika Waititi Featuring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins Thor: “I don't hang with the Avengers anymore. It all got too corporate.” Well its here the third Marvel film to be released this year after “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. …

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Film review: “Maudie” (2016)

“Maudie” (2017) Drama Running Time: 116 minutes Written by: Sherry White Directed by: Aisling Walsh Featuring: Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke Mr. Davis (Shopkeeper): “I don't know why people pay money for these, my 5-year-old could do better.” Everett Lewis: “Maybe. Maybe he could, but he didn't - Maud did.” Films about real people can be routine …

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Film review: “Geostorm” (2017)

“Geostorm” (2017) Sci-Fi/Action Running Time: 109 minutes Written by: Dean Devlin & Paul Guyot Directed by: Dean Devlin Featuring:  Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish, Alexandra Maria Lara, Richard Schiff, Robert Sheehan, Daniel Wu, Eugenio Derbez, Ed Harris, and Andy García Cheng: “There’s potential for catastrophic weather events on a global scale. A geostorm.” There is no doubt in my mind that this has to …

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Streaming review: “Mindhunter – Season One” (2017)

“Mindhunter - Season One” (2017) TV Series/Drama Episodes: 10 Created by: Joe Penhall & Jennifer Haley Featuring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv and Hannah Gross John Douglas: “[Talking about Monte Rissell] ...and like Ed Kemper he was able to convince the psychiatrist he was making excellent progress while he was actually killing human beings. …

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Blu-ray & DVD review: “My Cousin Rachel” (2017)

“My Cousin Rachel” (2017) Thriller/Drama Running Time: 106 minutes Written & Directed by: Roger Michell Featuring: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glen and Holliday Grainger Philip: “Whatever it cost my cousin in pain and suffering before he died I will return with full measure upon the woman that caused it.” If you have never heard of author Daphne Du …

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DVD & Blu-ray review: “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017) Action Running Time: 133 minutes Written by:   Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley Directed by: Jon Watts Featuring:  Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. Peter Parker: “I'm sick of Mr. Stark treating me like a kid.” Ned Leeds: “But you are a kid.” Peter Parker: “Yeah. A kid who …

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