#also even if we ignore Michael and Josh and all the side characters

[lesbianfirefightershow]

I've been part of many fandoms over the years—Heck, I have even been a fan of *Riverdale* and *Glee*. But I don't think I've ever been as shocked as I was when I saw people referring to *9-1-1* as 'finally the gay firefighter show' after the BuckTommy kiss. Actually, 'shocked' isn't the right word—'disgusted' is more accurate. That kind of comment is wrong and discriminatory on so many levels. It's truly baffling.

Just had to get that out there. I mean, it also gave me the idea for my thesis so thank you ignorant people of the internet, I guess. 🙃

[alucardens]

Yeah though seriously- you might not ship Buck and Tommy and that's okay- everyone is entitled to their opinion as long as it doesn't harm anyone- what makes it not okay is when you say things like you're being queerbaited- in a show that *literally* has a canon lesbian couple (where one half of the couple is a main character) SINCE the first episode of the show, that, 1) consistently, as a couple, have storylines that get resolved in a way that shows the writers aren't brushing the characters away, and arcs that show character growth.

2) NONE. NONE. Of the canonically queer characters have been harmed in a way that resulted in permanent death. And when they do get in harms way (which is inevitable- this is the nature of the show), it's done in a thoughtful way- their actions and risk of death/ injury WOULD add something to the plot/ storyline. Their loss would have an impact on us as the viewer. They would not be meaningless deaths. And aside from death, even queer characters who 'exit the main storyline of the show' but are otherwise alive, are still done with thought and care. I mean, (and spoilers for the first few seasons of the show,) Michael's storyline lasted (iirc) about 3-5? seasons. (We are not talking about meta events such as why they removed the actor from the show). He and his (named AND on-screen) husband, David, move to help people. His husband is literally a neurosurgeon. There was literally an episode revolving around Michael's proposal to David. Even after they've moved away, they're STILL referenced and talked about. They're not pushed away or ignored like the way some shows treat characters who aren't there anymore.

Josh (my bby fr), who's also been canonically gay since his first appearance, also has a arc that's real and very very relatable to most of us. The show takes it fucking seriously as well. And Josh is GOOD. Even as a side character, he's not reduced to the 'gay best friend'. As I said, he has his own storyline and arc, he has his own opinions, he's good at his job.

Aside from the main characters, imo, 911 also does a damn good job of showing that queer people exist. You might not like it because 'oh they're showing queer people who are in danger/ not happy/ dying.' To which I'd respond by saying that you're watching a show about paramedics. As much as we like to say this is the gay firefighter show (accurate lmao), we need to remember that there's going to be dark themes in this show.

I don't remember every call they've come across that involved queer people, but we for sure remember the 'we ever only wanted to go together' scene, with the elderly husbands. Yes it involves death. That's why we're seeing this scene in the first place- the engine wouldn't have to respond to a call if there wasn't a call in the first place. But it also fucking shows queer people growing old together and making a life for themselves. The opening scene is literally a montage of the husbands' relationship over the years. I don't know how many mainstream shows put that much fucking care in queer characters.

And then there's also the wlw couple in that car accident thing- not as significant as the husbands but like, that's the point, is it not? Not all their calls are significant- we don't even see all of them. The point is that they just show queer people existing as a general thing. It's not strange that the two women who were in the same car in a crash are both gay. There's no weird over-sexualised kiss. There's no show or mention or even hint of homophobia or confusion by the firefighters. It's fucking normal. So yeah. Do I ship endgame Tevan? Not at this moment. Do I like them together as a couple right now? Fucking yes. My personal opinion is that I like Buck and Eddie together more (at least for now), but why would I not ship Tommy and Buck right now? It makes no fucking sense not to. Buck is in a happy (queer) relationship, he's still figuring himself out as a bi man in his 30s, he's dating a masc man, who's past is messy and has since grown (oh look at that, another character arc revolving around a queer person), and they're clearly fucking happy together.

Anyway. I have a lot of feelings about this lmao. You want proper bi representation? Bro. I don't know what to tell you but you're looking at it.

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

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Romance movies are not that different from horror movies. Both are incredibly hard to pull off, are heavily watched during a cold time of year, and hopefully end with every character covered in blood.

With that in mind we present to you a list of the best romantic movies on Netflix. Because romance deserves it, damn it. Virtually every song ever written is a love song but poor romance can’t get a fair shake at the movies. Whether it be a rom-com or just a straight-up soul-enlightening/crushing romance, our list of the best romantic movies on Netflix will get you back in touch with your cold, dead heart.

Set It Up

Set It Up is Netflix’s most accomplished original romantic comedy yet.

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell star as overworked assistants Harper and Charlie. Harper is an assistant to Kirsten (Lucy Liu) the woman behind a sports media empire. Charlie works for finance maven Rick (Taye Diggs). Harper and Charlie realize that their respective workloads might lesson if their bosses were more focused on their love life and less focused on work. So they…set them up.

Set It Up is a fun, novel high-concept romance movie positively filled with chemistry on all sides.

Outside In

We embrace every kind of love on our list of the best romance movies. Sometimes that includes some questionable, and some would say “icky” kind of love. So…Outside In is a teacher-student romance. But don’t panic! It’s ok.

Jay Duplas stars as Chris, a man who was wrongly imprisoned at age 18 and who is relased at age 38. When Chris is released, he immediately meets up with his old high school teacher, Carol (Edie Falco), who was his penpal when he was in prison. He wastes little time before he declares his love for her.

Despite its subject matter, Outside In is a mature, well-handled exploration of love and what it means to love someone for themselves as opposed to what they do for us.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

With a name as long as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, the movie better be good to justify how many times we poor cultural commenters must type it out. Thankfully Guernsey is quite good!

Based on a book by the same name, Guernsey is a historical love story set in 1946. Lily James stars as British writer Juliet Ashton. Juliet begins exchanging letters with residents of the islands of Guernsey, which was under German occupation in WWII (so like two years before the movie starts). While there she meets the dashing Dawsey Adams (Michael Huisman) and romance begins to blossom.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an excellent, watchable classical romance

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Oh hey! Another Netflix original with a long title based on a book. Like the Potato Peel Pie Society, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is another effortlessly enjoyable romantic romp – this time of the teen variety.

Lara Jean Song Covey (Laura Condor) experiences every young person’s nightmare when private love letters to five boys she has or has had crushes on suddenly and mysteriously become public. But fear not. This is a romance movie, not a horror movie. So this sudden reveal has to go well for Lara Jean, right? RIGHT?!?

To All the Boys P.S. I Still Love You

The To All the Boys team returns for a sequel that teaches kids the harsh lesson that there’s no such thing as happily ever after! OK, so that’s a bit harsh, but To All the Boys P.S. I Still Love You does bring back its characters for another round of romantic angst.

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Movies

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Review

By Delia Harrington

Movies

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Review: A Pleasurable Netflix Rom-Com

By Delia Harrington

Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is now officially Peter’s (Noah Centineo) girlfriend. But before they can relax and enjoy their lives together, an old flame of Lara Jean enters the frame. That’s right, John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher) is here and he wants to steal your girl, Noah Centineo.

The Danish Girl

2015’s The Danish Girl tells the story of a kind of love nearly unprecedented for its early 20th century time. Eddie Redmayne stars as artist Lili Elbe, who was born Einar Wegener and is believed to be one of the first individuals to receive sexual reassignment surgery. The film follows Lili’s journey and her love with wife Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander).

When Gerda asks her husband to stand in for a female subject in her painting, Einar does so and quickly comes to terms with the gender identity he’s been suppressing. The newly confirmed Lili and Gerda navigate this new dimension of their relationship and Lili continues her work as a subject for Gerda’s now very much in demand paintings. 

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Beauty and the Beast

2017’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast isn’t the best depiction of the classic fairy tale ever but that’s ok. It doesn’t have to be. All Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast really needed to be was a fun little dip into nostalgia with sumptuous visuals and a believable romance. On that front, everything goes according to plan.

Read more

Movies

Emma Watson on Beauty and the Beast: ‘I’m Very Grateful That This Character Exists’

By Don Kaye

TV

Beauty and the Beast Disney+ Prequel Series Set with Luke Evans and Josh Gad

By Joseph Baxter

Emma Watson stars as Belle and Dan Stevens is her beast. Belle heads off from her small French town to the Beast’s castle to rescue her father. What follows is Stockholm Syndrome: The Movie. But sexier. Beauty and the Beast really does look good and Watson and Stevens have just enough chemistry to make this a worthwhile romantic experience.

50 First Dates

50 First Dates has a somewhat disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score. Ignore that. It’s probably partially due to many critics’ distaste for at least one of the actors in the above screengrab. Not that they can be blamed. The presence of Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider in any comedy is rarely a good sign. In 50 First Dates‘, however, it’s not an issue at all. 

50 First Dates is a legitimately funny and romantic romantic comedy. Drew Barrymore stars as Lucy Whitmore, a woman with short-term memory loss. Due to a car accident, every day she wakes up believing it is October 13, 2002. Sandler’s character Henry Roth meets her in Hawaii and the two must overcome this bizarre condition to establish a lasting relationship.

Carol

Todd Haynes, director of Carol and Far From Heaven knows longing. And if there’s an element that makes for an excellent romantic movie experience its longing. That desperate sense is baked into nearly every frame of Carol. Based on a 1950s romance novel, Carol is the story of a young photographer (Rooney Mara) and an older woman going through a divorce (Cate Blanchette) undertaking a forbidden affair.

Forbidden because, you know, ’50s. And that’s where the longing comes in. Nothing is more romantic or sexier than a forbidden romance. Carol channels that romantic energy into something mature, fascinating and heartbreaking.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook is all about how generally terrible it is to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan. OK, fine – it’s only a little bit about that. This star-studded 2012 film from David O. Russell is more about the challenges in finding love when one isn’t sure they even love themselves.

Bradley Cooper stars as Pat Solitano Jr., a young man with bipolar disorder living with his parents after being released from a psychiatric hospital. Pat is determined to win back his ex-wife and to that end enlists the help of young widower Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence). The two become closer as they train for an upcoming dance competition and share their respective damages with one another.

Silver Linings Playbook works because Lawrence and Cooper have a real crackling chemistry. And they both just happen to be devastatingly, almost supernaturally attractive.

Runaway Bride

From stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts to director Garry Marshall to conspicuous usage of enormous cell phones – Runaway Bride is an intensely ’90s film. And to the rightly organized mind, that just makes it the platonic ideal of a low-stress romantic comedy.

Roberts stars as Maggie Carpenter, an alluring young woman who has made a habit of leaving multiple fiancé’s at the altar. Gere is Ike Graham, a New York columnist seeking to tell the definitive story of this “runaway bride.” Runaway Bride is a charming experience that will make you think long and hard about how you really like your eggs prepared.

Loving

It feels reductive to call Loving a “romance” movie, as its more of a historical exploration of the very real, very tragic legacy of American racism. At its center, however, the film is about love.

Loving tells the story of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga), a mixed-race Virginia couple challenging their state’s law against interracial marriage in the Supreme Court. The details of the Lovings struggle for basic human rights are astonishing. Edgerton and Negga’s empathetic performances make sure the film never loses sight of the humanity at play amid all the legal drama.

Always Be My Maybe

Everyone always talks about “the one who got away”, but what about “the one who was always kind of around”? 2019’s Always Be My Maybe tells of one such story.

Ali Wong (who wrote the film) stars as Sasha Tran and Randall Park stars as Marcus Kim. Marcus and Sasha grew up next door to each other and also embarked on a brief, ill-fated relationship in their teenage years. When Sasha returns to San Francisco to open a restaurant, she discovers that romantic energy remains between her and Marcus. But is that enough to spark love in the busy, chaotic adult world?

Always Be My Maybe has a lot to say about family and growth. It also features a truly winning performance from Keanu Reeves playing…Keanu Reeves.

The Kissing Booth

There’s an interesting dynamic at play in teenage romantic comedies. Oftentimes, the worse they are, the more watchable (and rewatchable) they become. The Kissing Booth is a prime example. Based on a book by the same name from Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth isn’t exactly celebrated for its realistic portrayal of American teenagers.

Thanks to charming lead performances from Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney, however, that doesn’t really matter. The Kissing Booth is all about how one girl’s first kiss turns into an emotional minefield of teen angst. That alone is enough to support 105 minutes of pure high school drama…and two sequels!

The post Best Romantic Movies on Netflix appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kcaruth]

Movie Mania: Top 10 of 2019

Another year of movies, another year a Star Wars film sadly did not make the cut for my list. With 2019′s The Rise of Skywalker, it is absolutely clear that the folks at Disney/Lucasfilm had no roadmap for this sequel trilogy whatsoever, which is an utter shame given their abundance of resources and proven ability to produce quality content as seen with the success of The Mandalorian.

In a rare occurrence, I saw most of the films nominated in the major categories for the Academy Awards. In fact, the Academy nominated seven out of my top 10 films for at least one award. I would say that 2019 was a markedly stronger year for film than 2018, so I have allowed myself a couple of extra honorable mention slots. One quick housekeeping note before I unveil my 2019 list: I’m retroactively moving Game Night and A Quiet Place ahead of Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book on my 2018 list. Now it is time to jump into my favorite films of 2019. (No spoilers!)

Honorable Mention: Joker

Nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars (equaling The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [which swept all 11], The Godfather [Parts 1 and 2], West Side Story, and Saving Private Ryan, among others), Joker should get an award for most divisive film of the year. Directed by Todd Phillips (yes, the same guy who directed The Hangover), Joker is a psychological thriller staring Joaquin Phoenix that provides a possible origin story for Batman’s arch-nemesis. Before becoming the Joker, Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, dreams of becoming a famous stand-up comedian. His gradual descent into insanity, nihilism, and violence mirrors the chaotic anarchy slowly consuming the decaying Gotham City as its citizens revolt against the wealthy and better-off.

Despite the concerns surrounding Joker that it would inspire real-world violence, the film has grossed over one billion dollars, making it the first R-rated film to do so. Phoenix disappears into his role, and Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score brilliantly conveys the inner pain and turmoil in Arthur’s mind as well as the dying light of Gotham. (Guðnadóttir made history as the first solo woman to win a Golden Globe for best original film score.) In an interview with Forbes, Guðnadóttir explained the concept of her turbulent score. “In the beginning, it’s almost just like a solo cello, but in reality, there’s a whole symphony orchestra behind the cello. It’s almost like this hidden force that he doesn’t know about and as he starts to kind of discover what he’s gone through and what’s actually happened to him, the forces become louder and more aggressive. The orchestra takes over and almost eats the cello alive.”

Although Joker is a powerful film and and makes strong statements about mental illness and poverty, its gruesome, unhinged violence can be hard to handle. Everything is shown in graphic, bloody detail, making the thought of a repeat viewing undesirable. I also could have done without a couple of choices that were made involving the Waynes, especially one scene that we have seen over and over again.

Honorable Mention: Ford v Ferrari

As someone who really does not care all that much about cars and their inner workings, this film did the one thing it needed to do for me: It made me come out exclaiming, “Yeah, cars!”

In all seriousness, James Mangold’s sharp direction smartly focuses not on the sport of racing but rather on its big personalities. Those personalities gripped me so much that I immediately started researching their lives after the film ended. The plot follows Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles as they are dispatched by Henry Ford II to dethrone the dominant Ferrari racing team with an American-made car. Along the way, they have to deal with mechanical setbacks and corporate interference to achieve their goal.

This film’s cast is outstanding. Matt Damon and Christian Bale’s deep but sometimes heated friendship as Shelby and Miles is the heart of the film. Tracy Letts as Ford II and Josh Lucas as Leo Beebe, senior executive vice president of Ford, give off the perfect amount of corporate stench to make them unlikable but not unbelievable. 14-year-old Noah Jupe comes off his great performance in 2018′s A Quiet Place to deliver another stellar outing here as Miles’ young son. However, Jon Bernthal felt a bit underused as Lee Iacocca, vice president of Ford, and Cautriona Balfe’s role as Mollie Miles, Ken’s wife, though well-acted, felt like it could have been removed entirely without much consequence to the film overall.

With a moving score and great cinematography, Ford v Ferrari unexpectedly tugged at my heartstrings, and the infectious passion Shelby, Miles, and these other characters have for cars managed to rub off on me, which might be the ultimate testimonial for this film.

Honorable Mention: 1917

1917 has been hyped as “that World War I movie with one continuous take,” but it is so much more than that. World War I was a stark clash between 20th-century technology and 19th-centry tactics. With soldiers largely trapped in trench warfare, conflicts commonly turned into battles of attrition. That does not exactly translate into exciting cinema, which explains why there are so many more films about World War II. Karl Vick acknowledges this in Time magazine, writing, “motion pictures do require a certain amount of motion, and the major accomplishment of 1917...may be that its makers figured out what the generals could not: a way to advance” (Karl Vick. Time. "Escaping the Trench". January 20, 2020. Page 38-41.)

What more can one say about Roger Deakins at this point? What he and director Sam Mendes created with the cinematography of this film is nothing short of fantastic. With its cinematic achievement of what is made to look like one continuous shot, 1917 presents most of its actors with only a small amount of screen time to make an impact, and they are more than up to the challenge. Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Richard Madden, and others all leave a lasting impression with their extremely short encounters with the film’s main characters, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman [Tommen!]) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay). Mendes places the bulk of the weight of the film on Chapman and MacKay’s shoulders, and they luckily carry it with natural ease. Working together with the one continuous take style, Thomas Newman’s riveting score keeps viewers on the edge of their seat and makes them feel like they are part of this life-or-death mission with the lance corporals.

If I had to list a couple of flaws with the film, I would say that one of the characters feels like he has untouchable plot armor. It almost seems like Mendes and company hope that the awe-inspiring cinematography will make viewers forgiving or even ignorant of the amount of times this character should be fatally shot or even injured, but I understand that some artistic license is necessary to convey the story they want to tell. The nature of the cinematography employed here also makes it difficult to get a grasp on distances and positioning because the shot is never really allowed to zoom out or give an aerial view since it is fixed on the lance corporals.

Unfortunately, I experienced this breathtaking film with one of my worst theater audiences of 2019. Much of the film was drowned out by the ladies sitting next to me who felt the need to constantly narrate everything that was happening on screen. “He’s going down into the trenches.” “Look! He’s jumping into the water.” Etc., etc. This is not your living room, people! If people want to talk over a film like this and provide running commentary and narration, they should wait for its home release. Your fellow audience members are not blind, and we would greatly appreciate it if you remained quiet.

#10: Spider-Man: Far From Home

After Avengers: Endgame released earlier in the year, the spotlight promptly shifted to Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home, and he did a tremendous job with this film. Serving as both the epilogue to Endgame and the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home effectively closes out phase three and sets the stage for the next era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Far From Home is the first Spider-Man film to pass the billion-dollar mark, and it is not hard to see how it managed to pull that off. The returning cast led by Tom Holland as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man retains its great chemistry, and Jake Gyllenhaal is the perfect choice to play Quentin Beck/ Mysterio, complete with a great theme from returning composer Michael Giacchino. Fans of Spider-Man have been waiting forever to see this character on the big screen, and I am happy to report the film does him justice. Watts especially knocks his character out of the park with a certain sequence about halfway through the film that I was beyond thrilled to see.

The film is set immediately after the events of Endgame and finds Peter and his high school class taking an international field trip to Europe. The writers do an amazing job explaining the ramifications of Endgame, and the way they weave plot details and character motivations together all the way back from phase one of the MCU is mind-blowing. Watts realizes that there needs to be some levity after Endgame, so this film is full of laugh-out-loud humor and charmingly awkward teen road-trip set-pieces. Oh, and did I mention it has one of the best mid-credits scenes in the entire MCU that dramatically alters the characters’ futures going forward?

#9: Toy Story 4

I have a deep personal connection to the Toy Story franchise. I grew up watching Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on repeat, and Toy Story 3 came out during my senior year of high school. Those who have seen that film know why it especially resonated with me at that age. In my opinion, Toy Story 3 ended the trilogy perfectly; there was no way another film could top its emotional ending. When I heard that Pixar was coming out with Toy Story 4, I was not going to pass up another opportunity to hang out with Woody, Buzz, and the gang, of course, (neither was anyone else, seeing as this is the highest grossing film of the franchise) but I set my expectations to a low, manageable level.

Although I was disappointed that Buzz and the rest of Andy’s old toys were not as heavily involved in the plot and did not have all that much time to interact with Woody, I was impressed overall with the new characters and was happy to see Bo Peep return. In this film, Bo breaks through her porcelain design and exhibits a character with total agency over her choices. Everything about her redesign and the way she carries herself is awesome. Keanu Reeves’ Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom steals every scene he is in, and Christina Hendricks’ Gabby Gabby gave me terrifying flashbacks to Talky Tina from the “Living Doll” episode of The Twilight Zone.

As audiences have come to expect from Pixar, the film delivers stunning animation and a signature big emotional gut punch, which it earns it by building up genuinely heartwarming moments throughout its run time that address themes such as the difficulty of change, the beauty of imperfection, the mystery of creation and the meaning of life, and the importance of serving others. As Matt Zoller Seitz writes for RogerEbert.com, “This franchise has demonstrated an impressive ability to beat the odds and reinvent itself, over a span of time long enough for two generations to grow up in. It's a toy store of ideas, with new wonders in every aisle.”

#8: Doctor Sleep

Writer-director Mike Flanagan took on the unenviable task of pleasing two different parties when Warner Bros. hired him in January 2018: fans of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining from 1980 and Stephen King and fans of his books The Shining and Doctor Sleep. Somehow, he managed to pull it off.

After visiting the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, the location used in Kubrick’s film for the exterior of the Overlook Hotel, this past summer, I decided it was finally time to watch The Shining. I can attest it is just as much a masterpiece as many people say it is. My favorite part: it is a horror movie that does not rely on jump scares. When I heard the Flanagan wanted to chop away at the horror genre’s reliance on jump scares, I was even more excited to see Doctor Sleep. Flanagan said, “When we were developing the project and when we were talking about the metered expectations audiences have about, in particular, jump scares and startles and the pacing of those, which we’re utterly uninterested in this film, I would say, ‘What’s your favorite jump scare in The Shining?’ There isn’t one. The same is true here. We used a lot of the lessons that Kubrick taught us about how to do a psychological thriller, a supernatural thriller, in a way that is more about suffocating atmosphere and tension than it ever is about the kind of traditional scares as we understand them today.”

It is well known that King really disliked Kubrick’s adaptation of his book. He disliked it so much, in fact, that he wrote and executive-produced a new version with the 1997 television miniseries. In his approach to Doctor Sleep, Flanagan first read King’s book, which was published in 2013, and then consulted closely with the author to reconcile the differences between the book and film version of The Shining. After reading Flanagan’s script, King felt like his least favorite parts of Kubrik’s film had been “redeemed.”

Set several decades after The Shining, Doctor Sleep reunites audiences with Danny Torrance, played by everyone’s favorite Jedi, Ewan McGregor. Danny continues to struggle with the childhood trauma he endured at the Overlook Hotel during the events of The Shining, turning to alcohol to numb the pain and his psychic abilities. Meanwhile, the True Knot, a cult of psychic vampires led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), is on the hunt for children with psychic abilities like Danny’s, and they are hot on the trail of young Abra Stone, played by Kyliegh Curran in her feature film debut.

With the benefit of having just seen The Shining a couple of months before this film, I was able to appreciate Flanagan’s careful attention to detail. He is clearly a fan of both King and Kubrick, but he does not let his admiration for them impede his own creative vision. He expertly balances original content with just the right amount of fan service and callbacks to The Shining. Even without jump scares, the film has plenty of horrifying moments, especially one involving young actor Jacob Tremblay that echoed in my mind long after the film had ended. Ewan McGregor is fabulous, as always, convincingly portraying Dan’s fight with his inner demons, and Rebecca Ferguson looks like she is having a devilishly good time as Rose the Hat. Above all, I was surprised to learn that this was Kyliegh Curran’s film debut. She is so comfortable on camera and has painted a bright future for herself out of the darkness of this film.

Doctor Sleep gave me all sorts of chills down my spine, induced by the eerie atmosphere of certain scenes as well as extremely well-timed tie-ins to its predecessor, that left me hungry for even more Stephen King stories.

#7: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Set in 1969 Los Angeles, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film stays true to its name and delivers an alternate version of events that unfolded in Hollywood that year. In addition to Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski, and the Manson Family, the film tells the story of fictional characters Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. Dalton is a veteran Hollywood actor most famous for starring in a Western television series called Bounty Law who believes he is approaching the end of his career. Booth, a war veteran with a shady past, is Dalton’s best friend and longtime stunt double. Together, they attempt to navigate the final stretch of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt work incredibly well together as Dalton and Booth, respectively, with neither star trying to outshine the other. Margot Robbie, on the other hand, does not get a lot of material to work with as Tate. (Do not tell Tarantino that.) Conversely, Julia Butters blew me away as Trudi Fraser, Dalton’s eight-year-old co-star in the pilot of a new American Western series. She more than holds her own acting side by side with DiCaprio.

Although the film moves at a slow pace, leaving me to wonder at times where this story was even going or if I was just watching a day in the life, Tarantino’s usual engaging, snappy dialogue entertains even when there is no real action happening on screen. With this being Tarantino, audiences have to accept his signature peculiarities, like close-up shots of feet, to be treated to another perfectly crafted soundtrack, complete with classic rock and roll, old-time DJ chatter, and period-accurate radio commercials. In the end, the slow pacing of Tarantino’s script actually helps enhance the heart-stopping standoff at the halfway point and the absurd payoff at the end. Clearly, this film is Tarantino’s passion project. In fact, he said it is “probably my most personal. I think of it like my memory piece... This is me. This is the year that formed me. I was six years old then. This is my world. And this is my love letter to L.A.” No wonder he publicly referred to it as Magnum Opus while he was writing it.

#6: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Written and directed by the creator himself, Vince Gilligan, El Camino serves as the epilogue to Breaking Bad, giving fans closure on certain questions and characters. Many favorites from the series return in some form or fashion (shout-out to Jesse Plemons for absolutely crushing his role here), but the focus always remains on Jesse Pinkman. Whereas Breaking Bad was Walter White’s story, El Camino puts Jesse center stage, and Aaron Paul gives one of the best performances of his career, fully tapping into his character’s desperate, damaged psyche.

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are two of my favorite television shows, and I think Gilligan is one of the best show runners in the business. He manages to incorporate the tone and atmosphere from the world of those two shows into this film seamlessly, and he rewards longtime fans with a nice amount of Easter eggs. Cinematographer Marshall Adams deserves so much praise for the jaw-dropping shots that grace the screen, especially the ones that show off the New Mexico landscape. He has an astonishing ability to make every frame look like a detailed painting. Editor Skip Macdonald should also be recognized for his work, particularly for the way his editing of Jesse searching for something in an apartment reinforces Gilligan’s non-linear revelatory style of storytelling.

El Camino does not waste any time with exposition, so someone who has not seen Breaking Bad cannot jump right into this film and understand what is going on. Then again, what rock have you been hiding under if you have not seen Breaking Bad at this point? What are you waiting for? Let this be your motivation to finally watch it, and then once you have made it through the series and El Camino, keep the good times rolling and watch Better Call Saul, which is just as good, if not maybe even a little better than, Breaking Bad.

#5: Jojo Rabbit

Only the whimsical genius of Taika Waititi could have concocted this irreverent, dark satire set against the backdrop of World War II Nazi Germany. Based on Christine Leunens’ book Caging Skies, Jojo Rabbit stars Roman Griffin Davis as the titular Johannes “Jojo” Betzler, a jingoistic 10-year-old German boy enrolled in the Hitler Youth. Jojo lives with his mother, Rosie, played by Scarlett Johansson. As far as Jojo knows, his father is fighting on the Italian Front, so he often turns to his imaginary friend, a wacky version of Adolf Hitler (Waititi), for advice and support as Germany becomes more desperate as the war starts to reach its conclusion.

Jojo Rabbit’s black comedy places viewers in plenty of predicaments in which they want to laugh, are not sure its entirely appropriate, but still end up doing so anyway. The film balances this out by keeping a good amount of heartrendingly emotional and genuinely sweet moments tucked up its sleeve. Waititi and Romanian cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare, Jr.’s visual storytelling is on a whole different level, carefully using ordinary imagery as subconscious foreshadowing, leading to one of the biggest breath-stealing shocks of the entire year that stopped my heart and rocked me to my core. Michael Giacchino seems to have been criminally overlooked by the Academy for his simultaneously jaunty and intimate score that adds yet another impressive layer to the film’s wide range of emotional beats. Living in a world fueled by hate, Davis, Johansson, and Thomasin McKenzie’s characters show how compassion and the willingness to try to come to a common understanding can change, and in some cases save, lives.

#4: Marriage Story

Writer-director Noah Baumbach paints what may be the most brutally honest picture of divorce I have ever seen on screen in Marriage Story. Before Marriage Story, I had never seen one of Baumbach’s films, but I get the sense from this film that he takes a very grounded approach to storytelling.

Marriage Story stars Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson as Charlie and Nicole Barber. Charlie is an acclaimed theater director, and Nicole is his muse. Despite her acting skills, Charlie always receives all the praise, leaving Nicole to congratulate him from the back seat and contemplate what kind of professional movie and television acting career she possibly gave up to be with him. She also misses living in Los Angeles and being close to her family. At the center of this tenuous relationship is the couple’s young son, Henry. As things go from bad to worse in their relationship, Charlie and Nicole start down the path to divorce, initially wanting to approach everything amicably without involving lawyers, but quickly walking back on that as they begin to doubt each other’s motives and end goals, especially in regards to Henry.

Driver and Johansson both put on a masterclass of acting here, but I would have to give Driver my nod in choosing the stronger performance of the two. He is a tour de force in this film, unyielding to the unflinching camera. Alan Alda and Laura Dern keep pace with Driver and Johannson beat for beat as Bert Spitz and Nora Fanshaw, Charlie and Nicole’s lawyers. Baumbach smartly chooses not to wallow in the melodrama of the messy divorce, showing that small, flickering sparks of love still exist between Charlie and Nicole, maybe not enough to reignite the flame that brought them together in the first place, but enough to convince you that they still have a hope for some kind of happiness.

#3: Knives Out

After the Internet firestorm that was Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson did the best thing he could have possibly done—he went far, far away from any established franchises, rounded up an all-star ensemble cast, and wrote and directed his own original murder mystery film. Through some ingenious plotting, Johnson revitalizes the entire genre and turns the classic whodunit on its head, all the while delivering some timely social commentary. Complete with Daniel Craig delivering a monologue about donut holes in a southern gentleman accent, Knives Out is an absolute delight.

The events of the film center around the Thrombey family, with the main mystery beginning after patriarch and rich crime writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in an apparent suicide the morning after his big 85th birthday party with his family at his mansion. An anonymous source informs private detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) of Harlan’s death and hires him to investigate.

A huge fan of classical mystery thrillers and comedies, Johnson’s love of the genre is tangible, but he never allows the narrative to become overly meta, referential, or even reverential, for that matter. I have already mentioned Craig and how much fun he looks like he is having in his role as Blanc, but Ana de Armas breaks out as Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s caretaker, and is the heart of the film. The rest of this high caliber ensemble cast has its moments, and I only felt like a couple of the characters were completely disposable, such as Jaeden Martell’s Jacob Thrombey, for example.

Johnson keeps his audience on its toes for the entire film. Just when the solution seems obvious, he throws another twist at them to throw them off the scent. It is a true shame that Knives Out received only one nomination from the Academy, but Johnson more than deserves that nomination for best original screenplay.

#2: Avengers: Endgame

It has all led up to this, the culmination of phases one through three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Admittedly, I was not the biggest fan of Avengers: Infinity War; I did not care for its overall slow pacing. Avengers: Endgame, however, is everything I wanted in this grand finale of the Infinity Saga. Whereas Infinity War felt overcrowded, Endgame brings it all back home to the original Avengers team for the majority of its surprisingly swift 182-minute run time, allowing them to essentially take a victory lap before the next phase of this cinematic universe begins. In the interest of not giving anything away, I will keep this brief, and trust me when I say that I could go on and on talking about how much I enjoyed this film. I will just end by saying that directors Anthony and Joe Russo and producer Kevin Feige certainly reward the dedication of fans who have watched all 21 films leading up to Endgame, and Robert Downey, Jr. submits one of his best performances as Tony Stark/Iron Man. #ILoveYou3000

#1: Parasite

Far and away my favorite film of 2019 was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a South Korean dark comedy home-invasion thriller about a poor family plotting to improve their circumstances by tricking an extremely wealthy family into hiring them by posing as unrelated, highly skilled individuals.

I came into this film ignorant of its premise, and I was completely floored. This is Bong Joon-ho in total control of his craft. Parasite has a mesmeric rhythm to it that is aesthetically energized, allowing the film’s strikingly bold tonal shifts to work so well. Every act increases the ever-present nail-biting suspense, supplemented by cinematic moments of pure genius like the nearly five-minute long montage towards the end of the first hour. Every single member of the cast knocks it out of the park, and there is enough social commentary to fuel college essays for years. The twists zig when you think they are going to zag; it is a truly wild ride. To put it quite simply, Parasite is a masterpiece.

The following are a list of films I saw from 2019, in no particular order:

·         Glass

·         How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

·         Captain Marvel

·         Shazam!

·         Avengers: Endgame

·         Aladdin

·         Booksmart

·         Rocketman

·         X-Men: Dark Phoenix

·         Men in Black: International

·         Toy Story 4

·         Spider-Man: Far From Home

·         Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

·         Joker

·         Parasite

·         Jojo Rabbit

·         The Lighthouse

·         Doctor Sleep

·         Ford v Ferrari

·         Frozen II

·         Knives Out

·         Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

·         1917

·         The Two Popes

·         The Irishman

·         Marriage Story

·         El Camino

·         Uncut Gems

·         One Piece: Stampede

I somehow completely forgot I saw The Peanut Butter Falcon and absolutely adored it; I definitely recommend checking out this feel-good film.

My 2018 film list: https://kcaruth.tumblr.com/post/182182411291/movie-mania-top-10-of-2018

My 2017 film list: https://kcaruth.tumblr.com/post/171040800751/movie-mania-top-15-of-2017

My 2016 film list: https://kcaruth.tumblr.com/post/156340406236/movie-mania-top-15-of-2016

[tvserieshub]

Fans of the Outlander books know that the Murtagh character dies in Scotland, and therefore, the show has diverged from the books. When shows do this, it can either be disastrous or very successful.  Duncan Lacroix’s portrayal of Murtagh made him such a popular character that the author (who remains highly involved with the show) and the show writers determined to keep him in the series. This required an entirely new story line, involving Murtagh’s relationship with Jocasta (Jamie’s aunt) and the Regulators, a precursor to the American Rebels in the Revolutionary War.

In Between Two Fires, the tension continues between Murtagh and Jamie, who is obliged to continue his “search” for the outlaw on behalf of Governor Tryon. So far, this balance between the book and show seems to be successful, but it does require a certain mental distance from the expectation that the show will be an exact reproduction of the book series. The episode also explores the tension between Roger and Bree regarding their potential choice to return to the present. Spoilers ahead!

Recap

Episode 2, “Between Two Fires,” opens with a skirmish between the Regulators and two unfortunate tax collectors. The Regulators tar and feather the two men. Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) declines to show mercy, as he points out the tax collectors showed no mercy when the settlers couldn’t pay their taxes.

Murtagh watches Regulators Tar and Feather

Bree Sketches Bonnet

Haunted by thoughts of Bonnet, Bree (Sophie Skelton) sketches a picture under a tree, when settler Farrish (Paul Cassidy) is brought into Claire’s office, unable to breathe and suffering severe stomach pains. His wife lists all the ways she tried to help her husband, all of which would currently be considered ineffective, or worse, harmful (like mercury). Unfortunately, he dies, which breaks Claire’s (Catriona Balfe) heart.

Claire Cannot Save Farrish

Captain Knox (Michael Xavier) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) discuss Knox’s opinion of Jamie, and it’s positive. They like each other, which may prove difficult for their future relationship. But, Jamie opposes Knox’s objective of capturing and hanging Murtagh. They pass settlers, and Knox tries to provide some change to help them; however, they are unappreciative. Jamie works at enlightening Knox on his views of “commoners.” Knox concedes that “there is never a convenient time for death and taxes.” So, both Jamie and Knox can see either side.

Knox with Settlers

Bree interrupts Claire performing an autopsy. Bree worries that Claire will get in trouble by using 1900’s knowledge in 1700, when they would view this as witchcraft. Claire looks out the window and sees Marsali (Lauren Lyle) handily butchering a deer. The gears turn in Claire’s mind.

Knox stabs McKinnon

Knox and Jamie arrive where the Regulators attacked the tax collectors. They meet Mr. Fanning (Samuel Collings) who fills them in on the attack. They met one of the collectors who was burned. The “city” crowd wants retribution for the torture. They want to see them hanged. Jamie and Knox are taken to the prisoners, and it relieves Jamie to see Murtagh is not among them. During the questioning, Jamie tries to prevent the prisoners from revealing Murtagh’s whereabouts, but the Regulators would not have revealed it – and they clearly express their disdain for Jamie, because they see him as a traitor. Jamie explains that he is responsible for his settlement. Ethan McKinnon (Josh Whitelaw) enrages Knox, who runs him through, killing him and shocking all!

  Bree Teaches Roger to Shoot

Bree and Roger (Richard Rankin) practice using muskets, and Roger’s dreadful shooting embarrasses him (and Bree knows it). Roger still worries about what Jamie thinks about his religion and his skills. They discuss whether they should stay or go. Bree sees positives in staying, like not having to worry about cars.

Jamie talks to a remorseful Knox. Suddenly, instead of remorse, Knox considers that he gave McKinnon an honorable death that he didn’t deserve. Jamie tries to convince Knox that it’s possible the settlers are fighting for an honorable cause.

Back at the settlement, Roger sings at Farrish’s funeral. Claire, having noticed Marsali’s ability to tolerate gore, shows her Farrish’s body that she has autopsied, and explains they buried rocks. She tells Marsali the value of autopsies and asks Marsali to be her apprentice. Surprisingly, Marsali is more open-minded than one might expect.

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Marsali is Shocked

Marsali is Curious About Autopsies

After people take away McKinnon’s body, Jamie frees the two remaining settlers, even though they were pretty snotty. Jamie explains again that he is bound to the Governor, but he is responsible for the settlers. The settlers tell Jamie that Murtagh was at the tar and feathering. The settlers explain that their movement is large.

The Ladies Make Candles

Claire Publishes Dr Rawlings

Back at the settlement, the women make candles. Claire tries to overcome the bad medical advice she overhears, but the women believe a MALE medical doctor knows more. So, Claire prepares tips for medical care. She borrows “Dr. Rawling” to be able to ensure people will be more willing to accept the medical knowledge.

Knox and Jamie discuss the prisoner’s escape, and Knox wants Jamie to gather his militia to support him. (However, they would be fighting on the “wrong” side.)

Claire tests Roger’s eyesight, but it’s fine – so that is not what is causing his poor aim. He thinks it’s possible his poor shooting is psychological. Roger tells Claire that he knows Bree wants to stay. In fact, Claire encourages Roger to return, even though it would mean missing the family. She discusses how Jemmy could die for lack of a simple antibiotic.

The escaped prisoners and Murtagh meet up and, sadly, they tell Murtagh that Knox killed McKinnon. They ask Murtagh if they can trust Jamie. Murtagh knows that Jamie is “walking between two fires” and he explains that Jamie will do what he must, and so will he.

Claire begins to make Penicillin

Claire begins a campaign to make penicillin, over Bree’s objections that it might change history. Roger sings “Joy to the World” to Jemmy, and he truly has a lovely voice. He brings the laundry inside, and accidentally discovers Bree’s drawings of Bonnet. Bree calls for him to see, Jemmy has learned to walk!

And, speaking of Bonnet (Ed Speleers), we see a fight match being bet upon, and after the fight is over, a squabble breaks out – and Bonnet blinds a man who offends him by accusing him of cheating (“Damn your eyes”).  It horrifies all those who watch. When asked why he didn’t kill the man outright, Bonnet says he must set a better example, because he is a father now. He clearly knows about Bree and Jemmy. The episode ends with Bonnet striding out of the fight space, on a mission.

Bonnet with Resolve

Final Thoughts

Tension built up between Roger’s desire to return to the 1960s, where he feels he can be more useful, and Bree’s desire to have all her loved ones in one spot. Bree feels more at home, and less afraid in the 1700s, even knowing that the Revolutionary War is coming. Ironically, Bree worries more about changing events than Claire does, because Claire recognizes that time seems to be malleable, and has already been changed. Claire is fighting against sexism, and ignorance to try to improve people’s lives. Murtagh and Jamie both are passionate about the people they are trying to protect, and it may come to them fighting each other. The show does an excellent job of demonstrating people seeing the other side of very challenging circumstances. Bonnet is simply a psychopath!

Watch Outlander weekly on Starz (available on cable and through Amazon), Sunday evenings at 9pm E/P.

Outlander (S05E02) “Between Two Fires” Fans of the Outlander books know that the Murtagh character dies in Scotland, and therefore, the show has diverged from the books.

[pointofgeeks]

New Post has been published on https://www.pointofgeeks.com/media-round-up-november-2017-movies-to-see/

Media Round Up – November 2017 – Movies To See

The month of November is here and the movie season is back in full swing! The next few months will rival the summer blockbuster period and most of the action begins this Friday. So get ready for our trademark preview series, known as the Monthly Media Roundup, featuring the most intriguing options coming to your local cinema in the next four weeks. Enjoy!

  November 1st

    A Bad Moms Christmas

  Stars: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Jay Hernandez, Justin Hartley, Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon

Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Official Synopsis:

A Bad Moms Christmas follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers.

By the end of the journey, our moms will redefine how to make the holidays special for all and discover a closer relationship with their mothers.

The first movie was an unexpected hit, however this sequel is flying well below the radar. After the success of Girl’s Trip and the end of the month release of Daddy’s Home 2, it’s curious this doesn’t have more buzz, or at least marketing. It will be interesting to see how the counter-programming against Thor: Ragnarok works out for the new release. We will find out Monday morning…

      November 3rd

    Thor: Ragnarok

  Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Tom Hiddleston, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban

Director: Taika Waititi

Official Synopsis:

In Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok,” Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok—the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization—at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger—the Incredible Hulk!

Judging from the early word, Thor: Ragnarok is Christmas come early for Marvel fans. The irreverent, yet relevant, third chapter of the Thor saga looks to give the franchise a makeover with eccentric filmmaker Taika Waititi at the helm. Getting to see Thor, Hulk, and even some surprise MCU characters in the same movie is like a Saturday morning cartoon dream made in reality. The entire industry will also be watching the unspoken showdown with DC Films’ Justice League which should add to intrigue of the release. This will be such fun!

    LBJ

  Stars: Woody Harrelson, Bill Pullman, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Director: Rob Reiner

Official Synopsis:

After powerful Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Woody Harrelson) loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), he agrees to be his young rival’s running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and one-time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK’s legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.

2017 has taught us a lot of lessons about leadership, abuse of power, and the current state of race relations. Reiner is not a shrinking violet when it comes to his political leanings, so it will be interesting to see what his film has to say about the presidency. Woody Harrelson has long been one of my favorite actors and watching him disappear into the role of Lyndon B. Johnson is a solid dramatic ticket to balance out the whimsy of Thor: Ragnarok.

    Last Flag Flying

  Stars: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne

Director: Richard Linklater

Official Synopsis:

In 2003, 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marine Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. Along the way, Doc, Sal and Mueller reminisce and come to terms with shared memories of the war that continues to shape their lives.

Linklater has been known for making nostalgic movies about growing up and capturing the feeling of historical eras. However, with his latest effort he is dealing with the inherent sadness and bonds that come from old age. The cast is beyond impressive, so it’s hard to imagine how this won’t be the perfect drama for a mellow night.

    November 10th

    Murder On the Orient Express

  Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena, Judi Dench, Tom Bateman, Josh Gad, Penelope Cruz,  Willem Dafoe, Leslie Odom Jr.

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Official Synopsis:

What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, “Murder on the Orient Express” tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. 

It’s hard to dismiss or ignore Murder on the Orient Express’ star power and I am never too good for an old-fashioned caper flick. The first trailer left a lot to be desired, however the latest looks have shown enough of the story and action to get me all into the mystery. Let’s see if there is enough steam behind this freight train of a movie.

    Daddy’s Home 2

  Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, John Cena

Director: Sean Anders

Official Synopsis:

In the sequel to the 2015 global smash, father and stepfather, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) have joined forces to provide their kids with the perfect Christmas. Their newfound partnership is put to the test when Dusty’s old-school, macho Dad (Mel Gibson) and Brad’s ultra-affectionate and emotional Dad (John Lithgow) arrive just in time to throw the holiday into complete chaos.

It’s rare when I get more enthusiastic about a comedy sequel than the original, however the casting of the Daddy’s Home 2 has me eagerly awaiting the upcoming follow-up. The trailer made me laugh out loud and watching Mel Gibson be a jerk…is well…perfect. The premise is standard 80’s fare, but it’s hard to imagine the film not being worth the price of admission. 

    November 17th

    Justice League

  Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons, Amber Heard

Director: Zack Snyder (w/Joss Whedon)

Official Synopsis:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

This is the movie that will decide the entire future of the DC Films…so how could I not be there to find out for myself opening night. I unabashedly like the ambition of the flawed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and I’m eager to see what the Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon have come up with. Behind-the-scenes it will be interesting to see if the two directors have combined their powers to create an unexpected movie. Regardless, the kid in me who watched reruns of Superfriends and the Justice League cartoon can’t wait to see the team realized on the big screen. 

  Roman J. Israel

  Stars: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo

Director: Dan Gilroy

Official Synopsis:

“Roman J. Israel, Esq.” is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell costars as the ambitious, monied lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm.

The premise of the movie speaks to my inner social activist and Denzel is one of the best in the biz. But for some reason the trailer for this doesn’t quite do it for me. However, it’s hard to imagine a bad flick from Mr. Washington and this seems like a movie with the right thing to say for today. 

      November 24th

    Coco

  Stars: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Sofia Espinosa, Luis Valdez, Edward James Olmos, Selena Luna

Director: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina

Official Synopsis:

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

The new upcoming flick, Coco, hasn’t all gotten a ton of advanced hype, however there is little reason for concern. Pixar rarely fails (The Good Dinosaur aside) and is probably the most reliable studio in the entire film industry. Add to the fact that it’s been a slow year for animation along with the colorful Latin flavor and this should be a solid family watch.

  When you see them, let us know what you thought of November’s movies in the comment boards, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Share our stories by clicking below!

Source: ComingSoon

[junker-town]

NHL trade deadline 2017: Grades for every deal made before 3 p.m. on Wednesday

An early start on our hot trade takes.

We’re just days away from the 2017 NHL trade deadline. Rumor winds picked up over the weekend, culminating in two big trades.

So we’re going to get the live grading done early. As we approach the Wednesday afternoon deadline, we’ll grade every single trade made right here. No matter how small. Seriously, there’s a Viktor Loov analysis in here somewhere. We barely remember it, but it exists.

But you’re here for the big moves, and we’ll have those, too. Our takes on Martin Hanzal to the Wild and Ben Bishop to the Kings are here. We love those because they’re an indication of this season’s odd situation: the expansion draft and tight salary cap will make teams create moves with a ton of nuance and thought behind it.

We have a feeling moves will keep coming down over the next 48 hours, meaning the deadline day might be quiet. So read on and bookmark for our grades, and follow our NHL trade tracker right here.

WILD GO ALL-IN FOR HANZAL

I kind of love this trade. I love it for the Coyotes, who squeezed the best possible price out of a decent-but-not-great player in the form of three high draft picks. If you thought their system was stacked now ... yeesh.

I love that the Wild are just deciding to go for it this year. The Western Conference is weak. This is their chance. I love that they can roll a lineup with Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund (or Eric Staal), Martin Hanzal and Erik Haula down the middle. Find me a better quartet of dynamic centers in the West. I’ll wait.

And I love that they didn’t part with any of their best prospects. Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway, Alex Tuch, Kaapo Kahkonen, Luke Kunin ... they’re all still part of the Wild’s bright future. They get to have their Martin Hanzal, playoff run-boosting cake and eat it later, too.

This is good.

Wild grade: A-

Coyotes grade: Eventual A+. Patience, Arizona. Your time will come.

KINGS TAKE BISHOP

I’ve used that chess joke at least five times already.

So ... this trade. There’s a lot of nuance here. More than there would be if he got sent to, say, Calgary or Dallas.

Dean Lombardi essentially confirmed that this is because they want to keep Jonathan Quick from playing all of their remaining 21 games ... but they still want to push for the playoffs. So what better way to do that than carry two elite goalies on your roster?

When the shock wore off, I wrote about how much I appreciate this trade from a logic standpoint. L.A. didn’t give up a whole lot for Bishop, but they’ll get some serious insurance if Quick gets injured again. And don’t count out the idea that they’re taking calls on Bishop already.

As for Tampa Bay ... at least they got something for him. And now they can finally let Andrei Vasilevskiy roam free.

Lightning grade: Knight to E5

Kings grade: Two elite goalies out of two

EAVESY GO

Typical NHL. Wait until the Friday afternoon before the deadline to drop two trades on us in like half an hour.

The first? Dallas sent Patrick Eaves to the Ducks for a conditional second round pick. Ignore the angry Stars fans. Trust the Stars fan writing this thing: this is a good trade for both sides.

Anaheim gets some scoring depth and a guy who can make a difference on the power play if matched with the right teammates. Dallas gets a second round pick for an unrestricted free agent veteran.

It could even turn into a first round pick, but I’m not kidding when I say the conditions attached here are a damn maze:

Based on draft position, Dallas will receive the middle pick of Ottawa, San Jose or Toronto's second-round selections in 2017 per the conditions in which Anaheim acquired the pick from Toronto in a previous trade.

It’s a condition within a condition. Conditional inception.

Ducks grade:

Eaves has seen some shit http://pic.twitter.com/aMO9cc7Sjs

— Josh Lile, TX (@JoshL1220) March 30, 2016

Stars grade:

HUDDLED MASSES JURCO-ING TO BREATHE FREE

What a stretch.

Win-win trade here. Detroit gets a decent draft pick back, and Chicago gets a player with promise and untapped potential in need of a scenery change.

Blackhawks grade: Salary cap wizards.

Red Wings grade: Just the beginning of the sell-off, but not a bad start.

RON HAINSEY GETS A SHOT AT THE PLAYOFFS

So this one kind of came out of nowhere, like many of these earlier deals. Pittsburgh dropped this news on us mid-morning on Thursday, and then revealed why: Trevor Daley is out for awhile after surgery.

Thus, the need for a depth defenseman. And why they ponied up a 2nd round pick. There’s a 10 percent chance that pick turns into an elite player, but if they win a Stanley Cup with this depth it’s worth it.

Also, this is just a great story. Ron Hainsey, 35, has 891 NHL games under his belt without a single trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Penguins grade: Ten thousand NBC playoff broadcast mentions out of ten thousand

Hurricanes grade: A-

MICHAEL STONE ROLLS TO CALGARY

Whether Michael Stone is actually a good top-four defenseman or not is kind of irrelevant at this point. He could be better than Dennis Wideman this year, so it’s worth the Flames making the move.

Arizona got Calgary’s 2017 third rounder and a conditional fifth in 2018 (only if he re-signs with Calgary this summer). Your typical high-upside deadline deal. Arizona frees up room for youngsters like Anthony DeAngelo or Kyle Wood to play more while recouping two picks. Not bad.

Coyotes grade: 16 prematurely announced new arena deals out of 19

Flames grade: [stone pun]

NOW HERE’S A TRADE YOU’LL LOOV

This trade went down two weeks before the deadline and made many of us wonder if this would be the high point.

Toronto traded defenseman Viktor Loov to the Devils. New Jersey traded Sergey Kalinin to the Leafs. A minor league deal. Enthralling.

Leafs grade:

Sergey Kalinin is bad.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 18, 2017

Devils grade:

u could put a horse in a time machine and send it to any era and the horse's life would literally be the same

— chuuch (@ch000ch) June 6, 2016

WE WISH TOM GILBERT WENT TO PITTSBURGH

We had so many Gilbert & Sullivan jokes lined up. Instead, we’ll waste your time with this.

Kings grade: I should go.

Capitals grade: The very model of a scientist salarian.

PAYING FOR FIDDLER THROUGH THE ROOF

The Preds’ second move of the trade season was bringing back veteran center Vernon Fiddler. Cool. He’s 36 years old and an unrestricted free agent, so he shouldn’t be worth more than a ... wait, a fourth round pick this year?

I like Vernon Fiddler a whole lot as a character guy. Veteran presence. Intangibles. Whatnot. But it’s been a month and I’m still not sure why the Predators paid so much for him.

Predators grade: Fiddler’s Kevin Bieksa impression.

Devils grade: Alain Vigneault’s reaction to said impression.

TOMMY WONGELS

It’s nice to see the Senators joining the sellers’ side of the aisle so early this season. And for such a decent player at a reasonable price!

Tommy Wingels is a meat and potatoes player: a hard forechecker with scoring ability who can play center or wing in the bottom six. And he’s been ... okay since joining Ottawa.

San Jose got a rough-and-tumble player for him in Buddy Robinson, a minor league defenseman in Zack Stortini and a 2017 seventh round pick.

Sharks grade: Fine, I guess.

Senators grade: TOMMY WONGELS

BLACKHAWKS TRADE BLAH BLAH BLAH

This was the most inconsequential trade of the year. I’m only bringing it up because Michael Latta is involved. I never pass up this opportunity.

Hey, remember when the Capitals traded Filip Forsberg to the Predators for Latta and Martin Erat? Remember how the two combined for five goals before leaving the Capitals two years later? Remember how lopsided that trade was?

Anyway.

Blackhawks Predators grade: A +++++

Kings Capitals grade: F - - - - -

COLORADO MAKES THE TRADE NOBODY WANTED

What a tease. We all knew the Avs would blow up their core soon. Who would be the first to go? Duchene? Landeskog? Iginla?

Nope. Noted grinder Cody McLeod, sent to Nashville for a forward prospect named Félix Girard. Considering the cost involved in the trade below, that’s ... kind of a steal.

Avalanche grade: Three missing teeth out of five.

Predators grade: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LEAFS JETTISON ENROTH

Jhonas Enroth is essentially a minor league goalie now. Or maybe not! We’ll never know, because nobody will ever give him a starting shot again. So Toronto shipped him to the Ducks for a 2018 7th round pick. Pour one out for Jhonas.

Also of note: this is the third goalie swapped between Anaheim and Toronto this season. (Remember the Bernier-for-Andersen trade?) That’s a 2,500 mile trip. That’s torture.

Leafs grade then: Sure, why not.

Leafs grade now: Perhaps you didn’t hear us the first time: Sure, why not.

Ducks grade then: Cool.

Ducks grade now: A 10-2-0 AHL record? Sure, why not.