Ed's Review Dot Com

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday August 9, 2016

• 11/22/63
• Fathers and Daughters
• A Hologram for the King

Caviar, Caviar Films, Cold Iron Pictures,

Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig

Minnie (Bel Powley) is a teenage girl living with single mom Charlotte (Kristen Wiig) in San Francisco in 1974. It was a time of rampant drugs and free love, and Minnie is full of curiosity. She is estranged from her father, and Mom is dating he latest boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard) when she notices he is paying attention to her. Ever the tease, Minnie flirts with him until they are in the midst of a full blown affair, but unable to control herself, once the devil is unleashed, Minnie branches out to anyone who will pay her any attention. Things blow up nicely when Mom figures it all out, and Minnie is out on her own trying to work it all out in this harsh and uncomfortable coming of age story in a strange period of our history.

This film is very uncomfortable. It does not pull punches, and it hits us in the gut from start to finish. Never flinching, it is very difficult to watch this, as we certainly feel like we are intruding. It was a difficult time to be a child in San Francisco during these years, and it was even harder to figure out how to manage to grow up unscathed in this unsettling time. This is a painful story to watch, and you really feel like you’re eavesdropping on something that should not be seen. It’s very bleak and direct to the point. My heart went out to Minnie as she felt ugly and unappreciated, and longing so fast to grow up and become like her Mother which was a very low goal to reach for. The film feels confined and small as it’s shot with very limited locations and settings and is based on the dialog and the events of the story, not beautiful photography and scenery. It almost feels like it is in black and white as it is very stark. Well put together, but it’s not going to suit everyone due to the harsh nature of the story, and it’s very realistic. Be warned that this film does everything in its power to pull the R rating that it well deserved. Critics are harsh, but I understand where they’re coming from, but at the same time I understand that this is based on life in the 70’s in the hippie community, and being a school age person in that time period must have been very disconcerting, especially without a father figure and with friends egging her along. Yes, it’s not the kind of experience I lived through in that period in a small community where drugs were not present, and behavior like this was still rare, and a major scandal, but it’s interesting seeing how a female handles being pushed into this crazy world without any real guidance or assistance. Actually the performances were really good, but it is still an uncomfortable story to tell or to watch. Buyer beware!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Spring Pictures, Mad Dog Pictures, Mountaintop Productions,

Juliette Lewis, Cybill Shephard, Margaret Colin, Lusia Strus

Kelly (Juliette Lewis) is a young mother, former rocker, now struggling with a baby that doesn’t want to sleep, and estranged from her too busy husband, Josh (Josh Hopkins). When she accidentally bumps into a crippled teen who lives nearby, named Cal (Jonny Weston), they strike up a friendship that feels right to her. But as things go a bit too far, Kel has to start thinking about the consequences.

Is it post partum depression, neglect, the feeling that life has passed her by, or just plain and simple loneliness. I’m not sure, but Juliette plays it just right. This is a thought provoking little film that takes us into a place that feels all too familiar. This film gives us moods and feelings, with plenty of angst and emotion, but not any of the real answers. In that respect, it does pull it off very well. The acting is good. Each of the characters is well developed. No one here has any bad intentions, and there is no real right or wrong. Everybody seems to do the wrong things, but it’s only with good intentions. There is a somber feeling like no matter what happens, it can only end up in a bad place. It all feels hopeless. As the story progresses, everything expands and we suddenly get introduced to more characters that add more complexities. This is not a comfortable film, but it is really well done. It’s a very complex story, but very well played. I enjoyed it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday August 2, 2016

• The American Side
• April and the Extraordinary World
• Batman: The Killing Joke
• The Bronze
• Confirmation
• High-Rise
• Keanu
• Last Days in the Desert
• The Lobster
• Louder than Bombs
• Manhattan Night
• Meet the Blacks
• Mother’s Day
• Sniper: Ghost Shooter
• The Trust

Asylum, The, BondIt, Syfy,

Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, Ryan Newman, Gary Busey, Tommy Davidson, Imani Hakim, Cody Linley, Masiela Lusha, Cheryl Tiegs, Cynthia Bailey, Gena Lee Nolin

After Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No ripped up the East Coast with savage wrath, it has been quiet for 5 years. But suddenly “nadoes” are popping up all over the place. There are numerous kinds of storms, sandnadoes, oilnadoes, and more, that are difficult to deal with, but the worst is the nuclear nado that is not able to be stopped with the normal tools, so the world again calls on Flynn to work with his family to quell the giant storm. The whole gang is back in this fourth installment.

Ok, perhaps SyFy doesn’t have a LOT going on, but this Sharknado thing is starting to get old. But, hey, it’s still fun to drag out all the big stars like Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, Gary Busey, and so on, and spend a couple wasted hours watching TV. The story is getting really thin, though, although there are some pretty decent one liners, mostly taking shots at the silliness of itself. The truth is that these folks all realize they are in a campy movie, and the run with it. We feel a little like we’re in on the joke, and as a viewer, you can feel free to take some crack shots too. Everybody realizes this is not Shakespeare, so just enjoy it. I can’t blame you for passing this up, as it is amazingly stupid, but on the other hand, you shouldn’t feel bad if you want to be in on the party, as it’s harmless fun.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog