Archive for February, 2017

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday February 28, 2017

  • Allied
  • Chronic
  • Doctor Strange
  • Moonlight
  • Shut In

Author: EdG

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Amazon Studios, K Period Media, Pearl Street Films,

Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, Matthew Broderick, Tate Donovan, Josh Hamilton, Anna Baryshnikov, C.J. Wilson, Heather Burns

Lee Chandler (Casey Afleck) is a lonely guy. He has a long history and has left home in Manchester along the coast to get away to the city where he works as a handyman for a string of apartments. But when he gets a call that his brother has just died from a heart attack, Lee heads home to Manchester to see what must be done. To his shock, his brother has named him as guardian for his teen aged son Patrick (Lucas Hedges) which he is ill equipped to handle. Determined to do the best he can for everyone, Lee is sorely burdened by certain events in his past that have affected his life.

This film is highly honored by the Hollywood Elite, and up for many awards, which is usually a sign of a problem. Then I start seeing FIVE STAR Reviews all over Netflix, and as I read them, they are rather stuffy as well. Then I notice that this is a Sundance film, and that explains why I was so disappointed in this film. There is a class of people who feel they are the true art lovers and who appreciate the nuances and such of a film like this. But I had a really hard time sitting through it. I wanted to be moved, but I couldn’t. Both the young Patrick and the grown version were highly unlikeable. Casey is in one of the worst roles I have seen, and this guy needs some Prozac right away. Flashbacks were all over the place, and very hard to catch on to what was going on. There are several characters in this film, including Michelle William’s character who I have no idea why they are important to the story. Perhaps I am too dumb to get it, but I just felt that this dragged on and on and on, and I was anxiously watching for the final credits when I could finally put this one back in it’s folder and mail it back. I really felt this was not worth the time that I invested in watching it. Watch it if you’re curious about all the awards, but be prepared to be bored to tears.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Broad Green Pictures, Ingenious Media, Miramax,

Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Christina Hendricks, Brett Kelly, Ryan Hansen, Jenny Zigrino, Jeff Skowron, Mike Starr

Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) is back as the drunken no good oaf who’s as broke as always. He’s followed around by Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) who was just a troubled kid in the original movie, but now is a 21 year old loser who won’t leave Soke alone for a second. To further torment him, his mother shows up, Sunny Soke (Kathy Bates) with a plan to crack a safe and rip off a charity event which will make Willie go back to playing Santa one more time. But perhaps the last straw is that he’s going to need the help of his “elf” partner Marcus (Tony Cox) who would really like to kill Soke instead of helping him, although a 2 million dollar payoff helps convince him. The plan is complex, and of course nothing goes right as everyone crashes through this EXTRA raunchy sequel to Bad Santa.

This film doesn’t quite hit the bulls-eye as it is much dirtier and nastier than the first one. This one really goes into the gutter. But that’s what you would expect from Willie Soke from his first film. Is it really possible that is was all the way back in 2003 when we got that Christmas Classic of Disgusting Material? Well, one look at a grown up Thurman will convince you that many years have passed. With a lot of smut, even more silliness and stupidity, over acting galore, and a suite of really goofy characters. Somehow it keeps you entertained and when it’s over, though you might want to hit the shower to wash off the crud, you’ll find that it was kind of funny after all. This crew makes us feel better about ourselves because no matter how badly we screw up, we can never be as bad as this bunch. If you like seeing Moe hit Curly with a sledge hammer, or love to rubber neck when there’s a bad accident on the freeway, and if you don’t mind a constant stream of extremely bad language, you’ll find yourself chucking all the way through. Kathy Bates is exceptional in her role as Willie’s Mom. It’s gross, it’s stupid, and dog gone it, it’s funny.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Cross Creek Pictures, Demarest Media, IM Global,

Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Vince Vaughn

Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) was the son of a man who was severely tested by World War I. His father was an abusive alcoholic who used to beat his wife and children senseless. Desmond was very religious, and swore never to touch a gun, and never to harm anyone. But when World War II broke out, he was touched by the need to defend our country. But he had a different plan. He wanted to serve America as a medic to protect and save his brothers, but without a gun. Desmond ended up in the battle for Okinawa, one of the most vicious and horrible battles of the war, without a gun, where he saved the lives of a great many of his fellow soldiers. This is a true story, based on the real Desmond Doss who not only survived the battle, but lived to tell the story in his humble manor.

This is an intense story of probably the worst battle of WWII. When the soldiers were sent to capture Okinawa in a necessary step to conquer Japan, they had no idea how many Japanese were hiding in an underground bunker. This film was expertly directed by Mel Gibson, and is a wonderful film. Special notice has to go out to Vince Vaughn who plays Sgt Howell, one tough Sergeant, who has a close connection to Desmond in the end. At the end, we get to meet the real Desmond Doss and some of the other major characters who confirm the things in the story. As near as I can tell, the things that are depicted really happened. This film not only covers Desmond’s childhood which shaped his thinking due to the hardships he endured, but also the difficulties in getting though basic training before finally being deployed. There is no way this guy could have survived what he went through, but somehow he did. The battle scenes in this movie will take your breath away. It is very intense and gives the film it’s R rating which it deserves due to the realistic battle scenes, but it’s also very heart warming as well. One minute you’ll want to cry, and the next your heart is bursting with pride. It is such an amazing story and one that had to be told. Typically I’m not a big fan of War Movies, but this particular one is so very well done, that you have to see this one. The fact that it’s true is a huge plus as well. Make sure to see this movie!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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Worldview Entertainment,

Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Dane DeHaan, Mireille Enos, Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas, Stephen Moyer, Alessandro Nivola, Amy Ryan, Robert Baker

This crime story is based on a book of the same name covering the murder of three eight year old boys in the small town of West Memphis, Arkansas. Because it was a very brutal murder, everyone was anxious to find and prosecute the killers as quickly as possible. The teens became the focus because of their penchant for things like wearing black, listening to heavy metal music, and being interested in the occult. But did their rush to nail someone for the crime cause a horrible miscarriage of justice? This film, based on a true story tries to look at that possibility.

This is an interesting story that I had never heard anything about. Being a true story, it was all the more interesting. It’s very appropriate for the current time since there is the same kind of mass fear going around that is often very unfounded. In this time, in this town, there was a concern about the behaviors of the teens of the town that seemed to love heavy metal music, show an interest in the occult, and wear all black. The citizens were all fired up, just like the Salem witch trials of long ago, and is often the case, ready to convict whoever is handy, just to solve such a horrible crime. The moral question of a rush to judgement, and guilt unless proving innocence makes this an intriguing story. But at the same time, the story seems to have taken a side, and been told to uphold the side of the author, so I’m not sure they really pulled off an open minded story. Choosing facts to prove your point is a dangerous method of determining the truth. The performance of the primary actors in this movie is at a very high level. This is a bit of a different role for Reese Witherspoon, but it goes to show what a talented actress she’s become. Very good job. Colin Firth, on the other hand, seems to have been slighted in this film. It appears that he is going to have a major role, and it was really sidelined early on, and he mostly puts in an appearance. He usually has a much meatier role, and this is not one of his best by any means. All in all, though, it’s a good story and an interesting case, and as a fan of courtroom stories, this was an interesting film. I think it’s well worth watching.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

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