Ed's Review Dot Com

Coup d’Etat Films, Sandbar Pictures, Abandon Pictures,

Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby, Logan Miller, Ezra Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Michael Angarano, Keir Gilchrist, Jesse Carere, Miles Heizer, Gaius Charles, Nicholas Braun, Brett Davern, Benedict Samuel, Callan McAuliffe, James Frecheville, Ki Hong Lee, Moises Arias, Matt Bennett, Johnny Simmons, Harrison Thomas, Billy Crudup, Jack Kilmer, Thomas Mann, James Wolk, Chris Sheffield

In 1971, a Stanford University professor began an experiment, selecting 24 college students to participate in a study of the effects of incarceration on both the inmates and the guards. The participants were divided into two groups, guards and inmates, and the inmates were arrested by the local police force and brought to the “jail” that was setup in the basement of the psychology building on the university. What followed was a horrid experience for the nameless “inmates” who were psychologically tortured by the mock guards. The study was expected to last for 14 days, but did not make it near that long as the professor was urged to stop it after less than a week due to the horrifying impact on the kids who volunteered for this study. Much of what we know today is known from this infamous experiment, and many laws were put in place to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. This docudrama tells the story extremely realistically and is one of the most amazing stories of psychology gone awry.

This is similar to “The Experiment” that was released in 2010 which was loosely based on the same events, but this one is more like a documentary than fiction. The realism of the events are told in a straight forward “in your face” style that will surely shock you as well as educate you. Not much was known about whether your nature and background makes you more of an inmate or a guard, but in this experiment we found that the role you are “assigned” has a lot to do with how you act. There is a great deal of psychology included, and be sure not to miss the two special features on the DVD if you can. One covers the science of the experiment and is told by the actual professor who conducted this test. The second is about how they brought this experience to life in the video. It seems very close to the real story, as close as possible from an event from 1971, but that is probably because it is based on the book written by the professor who conducted the experiment and he plays a big role in advising and supervising the movie. This is a harsh story, and is filled with a lot of torture and very bad language. Not for the faint of heart or for the young folk, but this is one of the classic psychology studies that students today still learn about in school. This is a hard hitting and powerful film that is sure to affect you for a long time.

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Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday January 19, 2016

• The Diary of a Teenage Girl
• Everest
• The Intern
• Jem and the Holograms
• Learning to Drive
• Straight Outta Compton
• Woodlawn

Double Eagle,

Liev Schreiber, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Joelle Carter, Louise Fletcher, Katie Carr, Renée Soutendijk, Huub Stapel, Michael Pas

Nina (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and James (Liev Schreiber) are a couple who love each other, but Nina is afraid James is a serial cheater. After a birthday party she catches him out with another woman and decides to call him pretending to be someone else. The two build a friendship over the phone without James knowing he’s really talking to his wife. Nina is simply determined to find out why he would cheat on her in the first place, but the two build a friendship that is hard to get out of when he falls in love with the voice over the phone.

Liev and Jeanne are cast pretty well in this romance drama, and are relatively good together. The film is lacking some depth though and the relationships are not very complex, nor are the possibilities or characters really developed very deeply. This is the main flaw with this film. It’s interesting enough and not really bad, and it does have a few, not totally unexpected, twists in the plot a few times, but for the most part, it’s a little too simple for my tastes. Fans of a good romantic drama, especially with a cheating husband at the center who gets what he deserves will like this, for for me masses it’s probably more of a miss. But it’s able for streaming on NetFlix, so if you’re willing to give it a shot, go ahead.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Lucasfilm, Bad Robot, Truenorth Productions,

Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow

It’s some time since the last part of the story, and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is missing, gone off to seek solace and to try to understand what has happened. The resistance is in hiding and trying to rebuild. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is now a General in the resistance, and with the help of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca they set out to try to follow the trail of Luke to get his help. Darth Vadar is long gone, but a new dark lord Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) has risen to power and will do anything to stop them, and the empire has a new secret weapon that is well hidden and will make the death star look like a firecracker.

This long, long awaited sequel to Star Wars continues the story far into the future and is the seventh in the series. As everyone remembers parts 4,5,6 were first, then years later Lucas brought the warmth of Jar-Jar Binks to the world in the parts 1 – 2 – 3. I am not a Star Wars fanatic, nor do I hold the harsh view on parts 1, 2, and 3 that some people have. I find myself in the middle. I thought all 6 of the films were not all that bad, although I do nod to the originals and I do feel George Lucas went a bit overboard with the special effects in the prequels that left the meat of the story in the dust with all the sparklies and explosions. Now the world was waiting with baited breath to find out if Disney was going to be able to handle the pressure after purchasing the rights to the Star Wars franchise and their first attempt to finish the story with 3 more films. I think most people were hoping for the best, but secretly expecting Disney to screw up big time. Well, they did, in my opinion, a very good job of staying true to the original series, and though I thought a few things were a little strange in the first viewing, as time passed and with additional exposure to the new film, I’ve really come to the conclusion that they really nailed it. I am anxious for the next film and the one after that. This is a must see film, whether you’re a fan of the original films or not. This is a worthwhile story with lots of fun and action, but with lots of serious life issues as well. There is plenty to talk about after seeing this film, and it’s going to be another big part of the world’s culture for years and years to come.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Gary Sanchez Productions, Good Universe, Paramount Pictures,

Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church, Hannibal Buress

Brad Whittaker (Will Ferrell) is a happily married man, working at a smooth jazz station, and step-dad to his wife’s (Linda Cardellini) kids. But Brad has one concern. Due to a freak dentist accident he cannot have children of his own. When the children’s biological father, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) shows up though, Brad feels threatened. As Dusty tried to weasel his way back into the family, the competition keeps escalating until everyone life is threatened by these two. This Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg family comedy is just what you’d expect from these two.

I must say this is one of the best Ferrell movies I’ve seen in a long time. I found this one really pretty funny. The whole concept is rather clever, and it shows Will at his finest. All 5 of the main characters (Brad, Dusty, Sara, and Thomas Haden Church as Brad’s boss Leo, along with Hannibal Buress as Griff, the handyman who also moves right into the family are classic together. These are a group of wonderful characters that all shine. The two kids are pretty good as well, and all in all it’s a perfect cast for this type of rip-roaring comedy. The jokes and slapstick moments keep on coming from start to end, and the time flew by. This was a very well done little film, and I enjoyed it very much. My wife and her sister had tickets for the LA Lakers – Golden State Warriors game at Staples Center, and, being the designated driver, I got to kill some time watching this film at the Regal Theater at L.A. Live, right underneath the Staples Center. I am really glad I chose this film, as it was a very enjoyable evening. That is a really nice theater, and that added a lot to the experience. Loved it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog