Journey’s End recounts the British side of a climactic four-day span from March 18-21, 1918 in the stalemate “No Man’s Land” trenches of Aisne in northern France in the lead-up to Operation Michael. Every month, each British company is required to serve six days on the front line where casualties are gravely high. Gambling with death sentences, both trooper and officer alike pray that their six days are not the ones where an offensive is being amassed or defended.
Read MoreMarch is Women’s History Month, so for Episode 3, Aaron White of Feelin' Film and I researched some of the best female performances of all-time and found the perfect film to discuss on the AFI's Top 100 10th Anniversary list. We didn’t have to go far because slotted at #16 on their original list and #28 on their anniversary the list is Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve. Before this podcast, this was a “blind spot” for both of us. That’s the beauty of this “Connecting With Classics” series. We all can find new greats to enjoy, even the hosts.
Read MoreThough measured as a small independent film, Flower is an undoubted showcase platform for the soaring talent of Zooey Deutch. Clad in her plain tank-tops and empowering a character with all kinds of obscene confidence, not even the worst behaviors on display can take away the magnetism of her frank and jarring performance. For most of the film, she shines repulsiveness with unmatched charisma.
Read MoreI know I love a good gambling film. The anticipation and setup of a clever bet, con, or rouse can crack with cinematic excitement. If I had to add one to this list, it would the football skybox scene in 2015's Will Smith vehicle Focus. Here are some other winning moments. Enjoy this fun infographic from vegasslotsonline.com!
Read MoreStanley Tucci is a cinematic treasure of sarcasm. What that man can shell out in a throwaway line, a raised eyebrow, or a pause of bated breath is on another level to most of his peers and contemporaries. When Stanley cranks that mockery up with profanity, it only gets sharper. It would take quite the rug pull to disrupt that man’s mojo. Tucci meets that tumultuous turmoil in Submission
Read MoreHot damn, you know your satire is magma-level hot when you offend the powers-that-be of a country enough to ban your film from playing on their soil. Labeled as “extremist” and a “provocation” enough to spark tabloid headlines like “the film Hitler could have made,” Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin wears a giant badge of pride next to a tiny medallion of shame on its cinematic uniform on being banned in four nations: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.
Read MoreThe melodramatic preposterousness of Colors of the Wind is two-fold. The first layer is good old-fashioned stage magic, everything from card tricks to disappearing acts. The second comes from the notion of doppelgangers, the fanciful term for doubles, ghostly counterparts, and alter egos that have been a storytelling trope before in film. Both elements create spirited and soapy intrigue in the film when combined with the romantic destiny of star-crossed lovers.
Read MoreWith Black Panther showing no signs of slowing down, what films coming in 2018 can make similar dents in our wallets? What blockbusters could put up big time numbers? Can anything catch Black Panther? I know the oddsmakers and informative websites like Sports Betting Dime can be a great resource for answering those questions and examining the field. In a quick list and editorial, let’s handicap and predict 10 contenders that could rule the 2018 box office.
Read MoreThe Wilmette Theatre is excited to announce a new, curated film series for children and families starting this spring. KIDS KLASSICS is a themed film series screening some of the most beloved classics. Each screening will be followed by a fun and educational talkback to engage young audiences to think about films in a new way. Hosted by Chicago film critic for Every Movie Has a Lesson and educator Don Shanahan, who will lead an interactive discussion.
Read MoreMany internal and external situations can cause feelings of desperation. Straits get so dire that horrible choices become the only choices. For Angie in Beauty Mark, played by emerging TV actress Auden Thornton, the burdensome weights (and they are sure plural) around her neck are overbearing. When those burdens and stresses pile on at the same time, the desperation of her situation becomes overwhelming in this excellent and hardscrabble family drama from writer-director Harris Doran.
Read MoreEvery Movie Has a Lesson joined Ian Simmons and his "Kicking the Seat Podcast" to travel nine billion miles across the universe in the blink of an eye alongside David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel! Our destination was Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time, the blockbuster adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved children's science fiction novel. Ian continues in his show to talk about the Music Box Theatre's upcoming "Sci-Fi Spielberg" retrospective.
Read MoreCheck out this fun infographic on the real-life costs of some popular movie cars. The folks over at NerdWheels have done some "movie math" and put proof to their math (see below after the graphic). I don't know who can foot the bill on some of these price tags, but, boy am I tempted to start buying lottery tickets. Enjoy the fascinating information and thank you for sharing, NerdWheels!
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