Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER Season Seven 2019

     Dr. Susan Kellher and her staff treat all forms of exotic animals at her hospital in Deerfield Beach Florida.  This series is shown on the Nat Geo Wild network.  It premiered on October 4, 2014 featuring the veterinarians and staff of the Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital.  This season is a separate series that premiered in 2016 and has enhanced episodes of the original series.

     Dr. Kelleher, D.V.M. is originally from Buffalo NY.  She received her Bachelor’s degree with a dual major in Chemistry and Biology from Alfred University in 1990.  She went to veterinary school at the University of Tennessee College.  She fulfilled her dreams of being warm in the winter by moving to Florida in August of 1995.  She spent her first 3 ½ years in small animal practices in South Florida.  During this time, she began seeing more avian and exotic pets.  She decided to start her own practice treating exotic animials. 

     Dr. Veronica Pardini, D.V.M. is originally from Sao Paulo Brazil.  She graduated from veterinary school in 2012.  She has always loved the USA and exotic animal medicine.  She pursued different externships in zoos and aquariums all around the country. She relocated to Florida in 2017 for her internship at Broward Avian and Exotic Hospital.  She came back as an associate vet in 2018. 

  

Eight seasons, 3 discs in this season, each episode with Drs. Susan Kelleher, Veronica Pardini, Lauren Thielen, Matt Grootenboer, Santiago Diaz, Amelia Gessner, Sara Stoneburg, Fara Wychoff and narrated by Art Edmonds, Josh Goodman. 

Note:  Imdb 8 out of 10, Common Sense Media Melissa Camacho age 11+, 1* positive role models 3* violence, 1* sex, 1* consumerism, Rotten Tomatoes 100% audience, Amazon 4* to 5*.

Special Note:  There are a LOT of graphic scenes of surgical procedures on exotic animals.  Shown are blades, blood and organs.  Some viewers that are more squeamish may find some scenes difficult to watch.  There is a lot of information about different types of pets, their care, medical attention and treatments.  There is also some controversy about exotic pets in homes and not out in the wild.  Some doctors are against this practice. 

Ancient Skies 2019

     This film has very good CGI, beautiful landscape footage and some of the world's most important astronomical artifacts are shown.  The cosmos is looked at through the eyes of our ancestors.  Some of their beliefs were very accurate especially for a time period without telescopes.  The views of people about the cosmos have changed over the years with the input of more accurate information.  Their changing views are charted over many years.  The time span is from the start of human civilization to the information sent back from the Hubble telescope.

     I thought this was very thorough and informative.  There are also examples of the written languages of the early years of civilizations and countries.  The first episode is about the different versions of the sky before the birth of science.  The second is the expansion of knowledge from a flat earth to a round planet. The third episode looks at the progress of scientific development from earlier years to the dawn of the Big Bang.  5* (I really liked this movie)   

     180 min, TV mini-series, three episodes narrated by Jason Alan Carvell, directed by Adam Luria and produced by Adam Luria.  A PBS production and shown on local PBS stations. 

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, Amazon 5* with one review.

Special Note:  Filmed in Harvard Univeresity, Cambridge (Harvard Museum), Massachusetts; Mojave Desert, California (Fort Irwin); Prague, Czech Republic (Astronomical Clock); Munich, Bavaira, Germany (ESO Supernova); Palm Springs, California (Rancho Mirage Observatory). 

Episode Titles:  (1) Gods and Monsters, (2) Finding the Center, (3) Our Place in the Universe.

Captain Marvel 2019

     Air Force pilot Carol Danvers crash-lands an experimental aircraft.  She is recruited by Kree and trained as a member of the elite Starforce Military.  The Commander is her mentor Yon-Rogg.  Six years later, she escapes to Earth while under attack by the Skruls.  Danvers discovers that there is more to her past than she remembers?  With the help of Agent Nick Fury and the S.H.I.E.L.D., they unravel the truth.

     This is the first female led superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is an origin story and a prequel to The Avengers.  It tells the story of how Air Force pilot Carole Danvers became Captain Marvel.  She is one of the most powerful superheroes ever.  There is a LOT of CGI and maybe too much?  There are positive messages about perseverance, integrity and more.  Captain Marvel is fearless, confidant and a good role model.  She sees herself as capable, she’s not objectified, she has intelligence and strength plus a strong sense of integrity.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

     I thought it was a very good idea to have a woman as Captain Marvel this time around.  She can beat down and take names as well as the men!!  There are funny moments too. Of course, there are two sides to every story and some viewers have trashed this as a disappointment?   4 1/2* (I really liked this movie) 

123 min, Action directed and written by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck with Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Clark Gregg, Rune Temte, Algenis Perez Soto, Mckenna Grace, Akira Akbar, Matthew Maher.

Note:  Imdb 7* out of 10*, Rotten Tomatoes 78% critic 54% audience, 2 ½* Christy Lemire, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara age 10+ 4* out of 5*, 4* positive messages, 5* positive role models, 3* violence, 3* language, 2* consumerism, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 1697 reviews, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 56 critics (positive 32, mixed 23, negative 1), 3.5* out of 5* with 4769 user scores (1295 positive, 674 mixed, 2827 negative), Letterboxd average 3.4 out of 427 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at Shaver Lake, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Los Angeles, Rosamond, Mojave, Sony Pictures Studios, California and New Orleans, Louisiana.  Four different very professional cat actors, Reggie, Rizzo, Gonzo and Archie play the cat named Goose.  Brie Larson is allergic to cats and her scenes with Goose were filmed with a puppet or computer-generated VFX.  In the comics, Capitan Marvel’s cat is named Chewie after Chewbacca from Star Wars.  Goose is after Goose Bradshaw from Top Gun 1986.  Stan Lee passed away while film editing was going on and the people at Marvel put together a special opening logo to honor him.  Project PEGASUS stands for Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States.  It was previously mentioned in The Avengers 2012.

Ladies in Black 2018

     This film is based on a novel with the same title by Madeleine St John.  The setting of this film is in Sydney in the summer of 1959.  Australia is becoming more awakened culturally, there is a breakdown of class structures and more liberation of women.  Lisa is a suburban schoolgirl and she wants to go to University of Sydney if she can get a scholarship.  Her mother wants Lisa to remain and young girl.  Lisa’s real name is Lesley but when she starts her new summer job at a department store, she tells everyone her name is Lisa.  She thinks Lesley is a name for a boy.  Lisa works side-by-side with a group of saleswomen and she sees there is a world beyond her sheltered existence.

     I liked everything about this movie, the time period, the clothing, hairstyles and the mannerisms of the people.  The music and cinematography are also good.  I can see both sides of Lisa’s dilemma.  She wants to grow and spread her wings but her mother wants her to remain at home and a little girl.  This is a piece about Sydney and Australia that doesn’t exist anymore!!  4 ½* (I really liked this movie)  

   

109 min, Comedy directed by Bruce Beresford with Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Alison McGirr, Ryan Corr, Vincent Perez, Susie Porter, Shane Jacobson, Noni Hazlehurst, Nicholas Hammond, Luke Pegler, Celia Massingham, Genevieve Lemon, Danny Adcock, Deborah Kennedy.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 87% audience, Metacritic 65 out of 100 with 4 reviews (3 positive 1 mixed), Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 235 reviews, Letterboxd average 3.2* out of 5*, The Sydney Morning Herald Jake Wilson 4*.
 

Special Note: Filmed in Sydney, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Downing Centre, Loftus, Penrith, Granville, Neutral Bay, Bondi Beach, Mrs Macquaries Road, New South Wales, Australia.  Department store scenes were shot on the 7^th floor of the David Jones building.  This floor and not be used for may years and still looked just as it was in 1959.  Exterior shots of the store were taken at the Downing Centre courthouse complex in Sydney.  Prior to use as a courthouse, this building was home to Mark Foy’s Limited a major Sydney store from 1885 until 1980.  Whilst Goodes department store is a fictional business loosely based on the Australian department store chain David Jones Limited.  Mr. Ryder as the concierge of the department store was Freidrich Von Trapp in the Sound of Music 1965.  Angourie Rice in the role of Lisa was Betty in the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies.  Nicholas Hammond in the role of Mr. Ryder was Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the live action Spider-Man series in the 1970’s scenes.

Secrets of the Dead: World War Speed 2019

     It is well known that German soldiers used a methamphetamine called Pervitin in WWII.  It was also known as a “super-drug” created in the 1930’s.  The tales about the German soldiers by 1941 may have hidden the massive use of stimulants by British and American troops?  The Allied commanders referred to these drugs as “force enhancers."  Historian James Holland has dug deeper into this subject to reveal the truth.  One in three Allied soldiers were incapacitated without a physical scratch on them.  Modern weapons and warfare were so much more terrifying.  Almost as many men were felled by combat fatigue and shell shock as those who were killed.  It is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  The continual firing of bullets, the noise and the flying shrapnel caused PTSD but this diagnosis was unknown during this period.  Benzedrine is an amphetamine similar to Pervitin.  Benzedrine was used to fight sleep deprivation, anxiety and fear among the troops.  How this drug affected the course of WWII is an ongoing controversy and debate.

     Secrets of the Dead is produced by WNMET 13 New York and it is an ongoing PBS television series beginning in 2000.  The programs incorporate primary source material, first-hand accounts, dramatic reenactments and computer-generated images to tell the stories.  James Holland is an English historian, author and broadcaster specializing in the history of WWII.  He set out to learn from experts about the use of drugs by the Germans and Allied troops.  Some of these drugs and the packaging have been preserved as evidence of their use.  Using modern science they can reconstruct some of the battle scenarios such as driving and being inside a tank.  4 ½* (I really liked this episode)   

60 min, Doc, directed and written by Steven Hoggard with James Holland, Rasmus Svihus, Peter Steinkamp, James Pugh, Edgar Jones, Astrid Ley.

Shadows in the Sun 2005

     Jeremy works for a publishing company and he is asked to travel to rural Italy.  The company wonders why the writer Weldon has not sent anything to be published in a long time.  Jeremy is told that Weldon was contacted before and he was not receptive.  Jeremy is over his head with Weldon!!  His daughter Isabella says he hates visitors and especially those from his publisher?  Despite help from Isabella, he can’t seem to have any influence on Weldon?  Oh, well, Jeremy is enjoying the countryside and the people.  Maybe he will start doing some of his own writing now that he has some time?

     I thought this movie was good.  I knew right away that it was going to be a tough assignment to get Weldon to write again!!  Tough to even have Weldon talk to him!!  What will be Jeremy's fate in rural Italy?  This film reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun 2003 (4.6* out of 5* with 1547 reviews on Amazon).  Diane Lane is in the role of Frances Mayes and she goes to Tuscany to change her life.  She is a San Francisco based literature professor, literary reviewer and author.  She is struggling to finish writing her latest book.  Frances impulsively ditches a tour to purchase an aged villa.  It turns out to be a fixer-upper with many obstacles in the path!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

101 min, Drama directed and written by Brad Mirman with Harvey Keitel, Claire Forlani, Joshua Jackson, Giancarlo Giannini, John Rhys-Davies, Armando Pucci, Valeria Cavalli, Silvia De Santis, Bianca Guaccero, Ken Drury, Anna Lelio, Bernardino Mili, Leiva Nanzi, Stomy Bugsy, Albert Dray.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 43% critic 61% audience, Letterboxd average 3.1* out of 5*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 205 reviews.  

Special Note:  Filmed in Siena, Tuscany and Lazio, Italy.  London, England, UK.  None of the main three actors are of the nationality of the character they play.  Harvey Keitel plays an Italian but he was born in Brooklyn, NY.  Claire Forlani also plays an Italian and she was born in England.  Joshua Jackson plays a Brit but he was born in Canada.  There is another film with the same title from 2009.

A Dog’s Journey 2019

     This film and also A Dog’s Purpose are based on books by W. Bruce Cameron.  Ethan has a beautiful Australian Shepherd dog named Bailey and they live on a Michigan farm with Ethan’s wife Hannah.  Bailey is not a young dog anymore.  Ethan realizes he will soon have to let Bailey go.  He asks Bailey to take care of his granddaughter CJ.  Gloria (CJ’s mom) and CJ have been living on the farm with Ethan and Hannah.  Gloria’s husband was Ethan and Hannah’s son but he died in a car accident before CJ was born.  Gloria doesn’t feel comfortable at the farm and she takes CJ to live with her in another city.  Gloria isn’t a very good mom but CJ meets Trent and CJ gets a dog she names Molly. 

     CJ wants to play and sing music but she's afraid to get up in front of an audience.  Trent is her best friend and he has one of Molly's litter mates.  Molly is a comfort for CJ when her mother stays out late.  Later, Molly meets Big Dog at a roadside convenience store and she gets a special feeling about him?  Then, Molly is adopted by Max.  She is the only person he has been able to get along with?  CJ is now in New York and she's really thinking about her career.  4* (I really liked this movie)

            

109 min, Adventure directed by Gail Mancuso with Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Kathryn Prescott, Marg Helenberger, Betty Gilpin, Henry Lau, Abby Ryder Fortson, Ian Chen, Emma Volk Johnny Galecki, Jake Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Conrad Coates, Arlene Duncan, Kevin Claydon. 

Note:  Imdb 7.4* out of 10*, Roger Ebert 2* Tomris Laffly, Rotten Tomatoes 51% critic 92% audience, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen age 10+ 3* out of 5*, 4* positive messages, 4* positive role models, 2* violence, 2* sex, 1* language, 2* consumerism 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 154 reviews. 

Special Note:  This film is a sequel to A Dog’s Purpose 2017 also with Dennis Quaid.  This is the second movie with Marg Helgenberger and Dennis Quaid playing husband and wife.  The first was In Good Company.  The first trailer for A Dog's Journey was released the same week as the film A Dog’s Way Home 2019 had it's release in theaters. 

Mission of Honor 2019

     This film is the story of Hurricane Squadron 303.  These airmen were brave pilots who fought in the skies of England in WW2. They fought for England but also for their home countries.  The men were all from Poland and Czechoslovakia and they fought to keep alive the idea of their own countries.  These men flew the almost-obsolete Hurricane and they wore RAF blue uniforms.  While they fought, in their minds Poland and Czechoslovakia lived.

     There was a lack of enough funding to turn this movie into something other than a television type film.  The pilots have escaped from Europe after the Nazi invasion of their countries.  They pilots are angry and often maligned even though they know how to fly.  There are also language and cultural differences.  Many are still haunted by their grief over the loss of loved ones that have been killed.  3 ½*( liked this movie)

107 min, Action directed by David Blair, written by Robert Ryan and Alastair Galbraith with Iwan Rheon, Milo Gibson, Stefanie Martini, Krystof Hadek, Marcin Dorocinski, Manuel Klein, Raphael Desprez, Rosie Gray, Emily Wyatt, Robert Portal, Andrew Sweet, Marc Hughes, Graham Padden, Teresa Mahoney, Jamie Langlands.

Note:  Imdb 5.9 out of 10, Amazon 3.6* out of 5* with 64 reviews, moviemovesme.com 2* out of 5*, Letterboxd average 2.8* out of 5*, The Guardian 3.5* out of 5* Leslie Felperin.

Special Note:  Also titled Hurricane, filmed in Maidenhead, Berkshire; Uxbridge, Middlesex; Aldershot, Hampshire; Broadstairs, Kent and London, England, UK.  Air battle sequences were shot using a combination of replica cockpits, life-size replica Hurricanes on a gimbal (pivoted support), real Hurricanes (there are only nine in the world) and visual effects.  RAF Northolt, the home of 303 Squadron, was replicated at White Altham airport west of London.  Northolt had very few period buildings and no longer had a grass runway.  Filming at the battle of Britain bunker was a couple of miles from the Polish war memorial at RAF Norholt.

Public Figure 2019

     This film features several men and women with a social media presence.  This is how they make a living and they are depending on their number likes for their salaries.  They have turned their lives into influencers and they have become enterprises.  They talk online about their concerns about this addiction but why would they change anything because this is their bread and butter?  Society today is increasingly obsessed with social media.  In any restaurant or public place, you can see people dining or surrounded by other people but they are on their cell phones.  Can this be their reality or is it just a habit, addiction or delusion? 

     Mateo Sun has a music subscription service on YouTube.  Chris Cox is a Facebook presence and he was a computer scientist and the former chief product officer at Facebook; Emma Rose is a health, lifestyle, fitness, beauty and fashion blogger; Donterio Washington is a comedian who had 370 thousand followers on Instagram but his account was hacked and he is in the process of rebuilding; Gregory O’Gallgher has a multimillion dollar Kinobody business through YouTube and Instagram marketing fitness, diet and lifestyle brand; Emmett Sparling is a outdoor adventurer and outdoor professional photographer with a huge amount of popularity;  Gregory Remmy and Rebecca West Remmey are reviewers and photographers of restaurants in New York City; Bonang Motheba is a reality star sharing her looks for fashion events on Twitter; Rianette Leibowitz is a cyber safety activist, TV& Radio presenter, Brand South Africa Ambassador, accredited PR Professional and writer of Child of God; Rose McGowan is one of the most prominent women to speak out against Harvey Weinstein; Sebastian Tribbe a New York comedian.

66 min, Doc directed by Brian Corso with Mateo Sun, Chris Cox, Emma Rose, Donterio Washington, Gregory O’Gallagher, Emmett Sparling, Gregory and Rebecca West Remmey, Rose McGowan, Bonang Matheba, Rianette Leibowitz, Sebastian Tribbe.

Note:  There are also interviews with clinical psychologist and counselors informing us about the short-term and long-term effects of social media and real-life interaction. 

After 2019

     This film is based on the book After written as here first novel by Anna Todd.  Tess Young goes to college.  She is a dedicated student dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart.  She is entering her first semester and she has grand ambitions for her future.  She meets dark and mysterious Hardin Scott.  He is a magnetic, brooding rebel.  Everything she believes is in question after meeting Harden.  Tess’s mother Carol comes to visit and she’s not happy to find that Tessa has changed.  Carol was worried about this because Tessa’s roommate was not a person Carol would have chosen to live with her daughter.

     I have not read the book this film is based upon.  In a review comment, supposedly completely butchers the book and not convincing enough? Tess begins to grow and change now that she is away from her controlling mother.  Tess’ father left them and Carol has struggled to be on her own.  Carol is happy that Tess is dating a local boy Noah.  Carol thinks they are perfect for each and Carol does a flip-out when she learns about Hardin.  This relationship is everything Carol doesn’t want for Tess!!  I didn’t know how this film was going to end and I also didn’t know there was a five part series.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

105 min, Drama directed by Jenny Gage with Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Khadijha Red thunder, Dylan Arnold, Shane Paul McGhie, Samuel Larsen, Inanna Sarjkus, Selma Blair,Pia Mia, Swen Temmel, Meadow Williams, Peter Gallagher, Jennifer Beals, Michael Hull, Sarah Jorge Leon. 

Note:  Imdb 5.4* out of 5*, Rotten Tomatoes 17% critic 72% audience, Roger Ebert 1* Mark Dujsik, Metacritic 30 out of 100 with 8 critics (0 positive, 4 mixed, 4 negative) user score 5.1 out of 10 with 61 reviews (27 postive 4 mixed, 30 negative), Amazon Video 3.8* out of 5* with 260 reviews, Common Sense Media Jennifer Green age 15+ 3* out of 5*, 3* positive messages, 2* role models, 4* sex, 3* language 4* drinking, drugs smoking.

 

Special Note:  Filmed in Atlanta and Emory University, Georgia.  Anna has had the novel Wuthering Heights since she was a teenager.  Hardin’s copy is the same one.  Originally the film rights were sold to Paramount.  Anna Todd wanted more freedom in the adaptation of the novel to film.  The rights were returned and then sold to Aviron.  Josephine Langford had only about a week to prepare for her role as Tessa Young.  She read the books and the script while on a plane.  The full After series includes After, After We Collided, After We Fell, After Every Happy and Before.  There is a cameo appearance of Anna Todd waling ot of Vance Publishing as Tessa is entering.

The Tomorrow Man DVD 2019

     Ed Hemsler and Ronnie Meisner live in the same small town.  Ed has a bomb shelter and he spends his life preparing for a disaster that may not happen?  Ronnie spends her life shopping for things she may never use?  Ed notices Ronnie in the grocery store and he invites her out for coffee.  They seem to hit it off but how can they get beyond the things that are consuming them at their homes?

     A lot of times people become afraid of what might happen?  They are so busy preparing for this “might happen” that they aren’t living life in the right now?  Both Ed and Ronnie are in their 60’s and if they want to have love between them, they need to let go of the what if?  Ed doesn’t get along with his son because he’s always telling him what to do?  Will his son ever listen, probably not? This is a slow and quiet movie with old people with a LOT of eccentricities!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

94 min, Drama directed and written by Noble Jones with John Lithgow, Blythe Danner, Derek Cecil, Katie Aselton, Sophie Thatcher, Eve Harlow, Wendy Makkena, Isabelle Boni.

Note:  Imdb 5.5 out of 10, Roger Ebert 2 ½* Nell Minow, Rotten Tomatoes 43% critic 45% audience, Commen Sense Media Tara McNamara age 13+ 3* positive, 1* role, 1* violence, 3* sex, 4* language, 3* consumerism, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, SF Chronicle G. Allen Johnson sit up in seat, Letterboxd average 2.9* out of 5*, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 10 reviews.

Special Note:  This is the directorial debut for Noble Jones.  The world premiere was at the Sundance Film Festival January 30, 2019.  Filming in Rochester, New York, Lithgow’s hometown.

Reinventing Rosalee 2018

     Rosalee Glass is a former Holocaust survivor taken as a prisoner to a Siberian gulag during WWII.  Lillian Glass is Rosalee’s daughter and she is an American interpersonal communication and body language expert, media commentator, a litigation consultant, author of self-help books, she is also a film director and producer.  Rosalee was born in 1917 in Warsaw Poland and she married her husband Abraham Glass at the age of 18 years old.  They were taken across the Polish border into Russian territory and then to northern Poland for safety.  Russian soldiers kidnapped them in the middle of the night and took them to Siberia.  Then Russian solders took them to Kazakhstan.  Eventually, they were taken to a Displaced Person’s camp in Germany.  They managed to immigrate to the United States.  Over time and losses Rosalee was able to move forward in her life with a positive attitude.

     Rosalee and Lillian have traveled the world together and they both try to motivate other people after all they have been through. Rosalee is now 102 years old but she doesn’t slow down and she loves living.  She wants to go on more adventures and meet new and wonderful people.  She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter Lillian and her beloved golden doodle.  This film is very inspiring!!  After much loss, Rosalee is always looking to the future.  At the age of 94 she won Miss Congenialtiy in a contest.

 

80 min, Doc directed by Lillian Glass and written by Lillian and Rosalee Glass with Daniel Bouchet, Nancy Caballero, Rob Huizenga, Douglas James, Elke Jeinsen, Clay Lee, Eric Lintermans, Miamon Miller, Neda Nehouray, Joyce Sharman, Joe Solo, Uki Solo, Robert Stradley.

Note:  Imdb 8.3 out of 10, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 4 reviews, Irish Film Critic.com 2 1/2* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles, Big Bear, California; Fairbanks, Alaska; Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland; Sochi, Russia; Vatican City; Beijing, China; Tsavo National Park, Kenya; Cairo, Egypt; Poland.  This film is one of the 2019 Oscar feature documentary submissions.  It has also won awards for 2018 at 8 film festivals. 

The Kid 2019

      Rio Cutler is a young boy and he kills his father with a gun because he was beating Rio’s mother to death.  Rio and his sister Sara go on the run across the American Southwest.  They are afraid their villainous uncle Grant will come after them and exact a price from them for his brother's death.  They encounter Sheriff Pat Garrett and he is on the hunt for Billy the Kid.  Initially, Rio believes he can trust Billy the Kid?  Then he believes he should trust Pat Garrett?  This is an adult decision and he's not sure?

     This film mixes fact and fiction into the legend of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.  There is a lot of brutality and this is a rough movie.  It also shows Rio making a difficult decision about Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett.  It’s easy to be in awe of both these men because of their reputations and the stories told about them.  They are on two sides of the fence, one an outlaw and the other a Sheriff.  I thought this movie was good and I could see all three sides of the story.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)   

          

100 min, Bio directed by Vincent D’Onofrio and written by Andrew Lanham with Jake Schur, Leila George, Chris Pratt.

Note:  Imdb 5.9 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 46% critic 50% audience, Roger Ebert 1 ½* Arielle Bernstein, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 15 critics (6 positive, 7 mixed, 21 negative) 6.7 out of 10 with10 user scores (6 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative), Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 17+, 2* positive 1 role, 5* violence, 2* sex, 4* language, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking. Letterboxd average 2.8* out of 5*, Amazon 3.5 out of 5* with 74 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Dane Dehaan in the role of Billy the kid was 31 years old during filming.  The real Billy the Kid was shot and killed at the age of 21 years.  Vincent D’Onofrio directs and costars with his real life daughter Leila George in the role of Sara.  D’Onofrio has the role of Sheriff Romero.

Five Feet Apart 2019

     This film is based on a book by the same title written by Rachael Lippncott and published November 20, 2018.  Stella is seventeen years and she spends most of her time in the hospital.  She has cystic fibrosis and her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control.  Stella needs to be six feet apart from another person to reduce the risk of cross-infection.  She could also contract bacterial infections from other cystic fibrosis patents.  This situation can be dangerous and even life threatening.  She meets another CF patient, Will Newman and also Poe.  Will is at the hospital and he also has cystic fibrosis but he is on a medical trial.  It is hoped that the trial will get rid of the bacterial infection (B.cepacia) he has in his lungs.  Stella and Will begin to fall in love.  Stella gets the news that lungs have become available for her transplant. 

     This is tough film because both Stella and Will are friends with Poe and he also has cystic fibrosis.  He is found unresponsive in his room and he can’t be revived.  Stella feels terrible that she was never able to hug Poe.  The Cystic Fibrous Foundation is worried about the use of five feet in the title instead of the recommended six feet rule?  Infection control is a serious issue and not a topic that allows any room for creative license?  3 ½* (I liked this movie)  

   

116 min, Drama directed by Justin Baldoni with Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse, Moises Arias, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Parminder Nagra, Claire Forlani, Emily Baldoni, Gary Weeks, Cynthia Evans, Brett Austin Johnson, Ariana Guerra, Sophia Bernard, Evangeline Hill Ivy Dubreuil, Kristopher Perez.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, Roger Ebert 2 ½* Nell Minow, Rotten Tomatoes 55* critic 79% audience, Commono Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen age 13+ 3* out of 5*, 3* positive messages, 4* role models, 2* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 1* consumerism, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Mike Mcahill, Indiewire.com 3* out of 5* David Ehrlich, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 27 critics (11 positive, 14 mixed, 2 negative, 7.6 out of 10 with 67 user scores, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 502 reviews, Amazon gives the book 4.7* out of 5* with 188 reviews.

Special Note:  A real life couple, Dalton and Katie Prager, inspired this film.  They both suffered from cystic fibrosis.  Director Justin Baldoni first became involved with cystic fibrosis when he directed the documentary My Last Days.  He met Claire Wineland through YouTube and he hired her as a consultant for this film.  The six foot rule is a guideline from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which states that patients should be kept at lease six feet apart from each other to lower the risk of cross-infection. 

 

A Star is Born 1954

    Norman Maine’s career as a movie star is winding down because of his over the top drinking.  He meets singer Esther Blodgett and he drunkenly stumbles into her act one night.  Esther decides not travel to the next location for the band and she hasn’t seen Norman.  He promised to get her a singing role in a film?  Norman is also looking for Esther because she made an impression on him even in his drunken state.  Esther’s name is changed Vicki Lester and her star is rising.  Norman has no acting roles at all now.

     This film follows some of the same pattern of the other releases from 1937, 2005 and 2019.  I do think the best release is the 2019 version.  Judy had a fantastically identifiable voice.  She is best known for her roles at MGM Studios but also for her extensive catalogue.  Her voice was  warm and rich with an incredibly velvety quality.  Judy also had a personality on the grand scale.  She was tender and endearing but she could also be wild and turbulent.  A domineering stage mother and a series of paternalistic caretakers overprotected her.  Judy died at the age of 47 in 1969.  She battled obesity, alcohol and drugs.  She went from triumph to disaster and back.  3 ½* (I liked this movie. 

      

181 min, Drama directed by George Cukor with Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford, Tommy Noonan, Lucy Marlow, Amanda Blake, Irving Bacon, Hazel Shermet, James Brown.  

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 97% critic 82% audience, Common Sense Media Renee Schonfeld age 13+ 4* out of 5*, 1* positive 2* violence, 1* sex, 4* drinking, drugs & smoking, Metacritic 89 out of 100 with 9 critics 8.1 out of 10 with 16 user scores, Amazon 3.4* out of 5* with 420 reviews, Letterboxd average rating 3.9* out of 5*.

Special Note:  George Cukor offered Marlon Brando the role of Norman Maine.  Brando turned the offer down and said he was in the prime of his life.  If Cukor wanted an alcoholic has-been, he should ask James Mason?  Cukor was an expert on pushing actresses to an emotional brink.  Judy’s breakdown scene in her dressing room was because he drove her so hard that she threw up?  He was also an expert at easing tension on the set through humor.  The film was re-edited several times.  The premier was 181 minutes but Warner Bros. cut the film by 30 minutes despite the objections of George Cukor and Sidney Luft.  In 1983 all but 5 minutes of the cut footage was found and re-instated.  Some footage has to be reconstructed using production stills.  Groucho Marx called Judy Garland’s not winning an Oscar in 1954, “the biggest robbery since Brink’s.”  Columnist Hedda Hopper reported that Judy’s loss was the closest Oscar vote up until that time that didn’t end in a tie.  Just six votes separated the two actresses and it was a heartbreak that Judy never really recovered from and a matter of controversy ever since.   

An Acceptable Loss 2018

     Elizabeth “Libby" Lamm is a former top U.S. security adviser.  Libby’s current problem is that associates from her past including President Rachel Burke are threatening her.  Rachel Burke is a steely, commanding politician with a knack for achieving her goals.  Helping Rachel is Adrian and he is an unyielding and patriotic chief of staff.  Martin and Libby were more than friends but that relationship doesn’t exist anymore.  Libby is now working as an adjunct professor of foreign policy at Grant University. Rachel and Adrian’s biggest fear is that Libby may be writing a book about the Homs, a attack on Syria approved by the previous President.  Intel believes five leaders of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the word plus a nuclear scientist will be meeting together in Homs.  An atomic bomb was sent to target this area by the United States and collateral damage included 150,000 civilians. 

     Martin Sali is a graduate student at Grant University.  His parents and his siblings were killed in the nuclear strike.  Martin is determined to find out as much as he can about Libby.  He wants to understand “the face of evil” that killed his family.  Libby asks him to read her notepads with all the true information about the Homs incident.  Libby knows there will be a mental and physical backlash from the President and Adrian if they suspect her story may be published.  There is a lot of intrigue and suspense in this film!!  Complaints by critic are the cast is strong with a weak script, thrives on pulpy thrills, resembles TV fare, lacks style and substance and some scenes are flabbily written.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)             

102 min, Drama directed and written by Joe Chappelle with Tika Sumpter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Tavassoli, Jeff Hephner, Deanna Dunagan, Alex Weisman, Ali Burch, Clarke Peters, David Eigenberg, Alysia Reiner, Rex Linn, Carmen Roman, Henry Godinez, Tim Hopper, Rashaad Hall.

Note:  Imdb 4.9 out of 10, Roger Ebert 1 ½* Tomris Laffly, Rotten Tomatoes 13% critic 90% audience, Slant Magazine Wes Greene 2 ½* out of 4*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 15+ 2* out of 5*, 1* positive messages, 3* violence, 4* sex, 4* language, Metacritic 40 out of 100 with 11 critics.

Special Note:  Filmed in Chicago, Illinois.  Joe Chappelle also directed Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers 1995 and Jamie Le Curtis starred in the original film Halloween 1978. 

Finding Steve McQueen 2019

     Part of this film is based on the true story of Ohio thieves who attempted in 1972 to steal from President Richard Nixon.  A gang of close-knit thieves from Youngstown, Ohio set out to steal $30 million from bank in Laguna Niguel, California.  A safety deposit in the United California Bank is supposedly filled with money from illegal contributions and blackmail money from President Richard Nixon’s secret fund.  The character of Mark Felt is better known as ‘Deep Throat.”  He was the source for Woodward and Bernstine about the Watergate events.  The investigations about Watergate lead to President Nixon’s resignation.  Harry Barber was one of the bank robbers, a getaway man and Steve McQueen was his idol.  Also, along for the crime is professional-criminal Enzo Rotella and Steve McQueen's brother.  The FBI launches its biggest manhunt when clues found about the robbery. 

     I was at a loss for a while about the Steve McQueen role?  It must be because the criminal Harry liked him so much?  I really liked the cars in this film and I liked Steve McQueen’s driving!! Cars included in the line up are a 1971 Cadillac Sedan Deville, 1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, 1973, 1986 and 1978 Caprice and 1975 Caprice Classic, 1968 Corvette, 1965 El Camino, 1965 and 1973 Impalla, 1968 Dodge Monaco, 1965, 1967, 1968 Mustangs, 1973 Lincoln Continental 1968, GTO 1968 and 1969 and many more.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

91 min, Crime directed by Mark Steven Johnson and written by Ken Hixon and Keith Sharon with Travis Fimmel, Rachael Taylor, William Fichtner, Jake Weary, Forest Whitaker, Lil Rabe, Rhys Coiro, John Finn, Louis Lombardi, Molly McQueen, Jill Jane Clements, Kelly Johns, Joy Libardoni, Ric Reitz, Tess Malis Kincaid.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10, Roger Ebert Sheila O’Malley 2 1/2* out of 5*, Rotten Tomatoes 52% critic 73% audience, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 9 critics (positive 4, mixed 5) 7.6 out of 10 with 5 user scorers. SF Chronicle clapping, Amazon 3.8* out of 5* with 36 reviews, Letterboxd average rating 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Youngstown, Ohio; Marietta and Dallas, Georgia.  The actress who plays Polly is the actual granddaughter of Steve McQueen.

The Secret life of Pets 2 2019

     Max the dog faces some major changes in his family group.  Katie gets married and she now has a baby boy.  Now that the boy is older the family is going to visit an uncle's farm.  Max meets farm dog Rooster and they work together to overcome Max's fears.  Max has left his favorite toy in the care of Gidget.  The toy is now in an apartment packed with cats?  Snowball is on a mission to free a white tiger named Hu from a circus and the cruel owner.

     There are a LOT of funny moments in this film but I think the first Secret Life of Pets was better.  Max has anxiety now about keeping his own toddler safe.  When he goes to the farm, Rooster questions Max’s helicopter parenting style.  One good point in this film is the message to go along with the changes that life brings.

   

86 min, Animation directed by Chris Renaud and Johathan del Val, written by Brian Lynch with the voices of Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Tiffany Haddish, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, Chris Renaud, Ellie Kemper, Pete Holmes, Henry Lynch, Nick Kroll.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of10, Roger Ebert 2* out of 4* Christy Lemire, Rotten Tomatoes 60% critic 90% audience, Metacritic 55 out of 100 with 26 critics, 10 positive, 15 mixed, 1 negative, 6.1 out of 10 with 57 user scores, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara age 7+, 3* out of 5*, 3* positive 3* role, 3* violence & scariness 1* sexy, 3* language, 1* consumerism 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, The Washington Post 2 ½* out of 4* Kristen Page-Kirby, Amazon Video 4.6* out of 5* with 109 reviews, Letterboxd average 2.* out of 5*.

Special Note:  The first Secret Life of Pets is from 2016.  Filmed in New York City.  The white tiger’s name, Hu is pronounced the same as the name tiger in Mandarin Chinese.  This is Illumination’s first sequel other than Despicable Me.  Patton Oswalt replaces Louis C.K. as the voice of Max. 

Under the Silver Lake 2018

     The date of the story is 2011.  Sam tells his mother that he’s working but he is not.  His landlord has warned him that he will be evicted if his overdue rent is not paid.  Sam sees a mysterious woman swimming in the apartment swimming pool.  She vanishes and Sam embarks on a quest across Los Angeles.  He wants to decode the secret behind her disappearance.  He becomes in the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal and conspiracy. 

     I didn’t understand this film from the beginning to the end?  I know that it’s overly long and I feel like I wasted valuable time that I can’t get back on a bad film!!  Instead of working or looking for a job, Sam plays Nintendo, talks on the phone to his mother and spies on other people with binoculars?  His car is keyed and then towed away for not paying the bill.  He beats up two kids for doing the keying.  1 ½* (I really didn’t like this movie!!)

139 min, Drama directed and written by David Robert Mitchell with Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace, Wendy Vanden Heuvel, Deborah Geffner, Riki Lindhome, Jeannine Cota, Chris Gann, Callie Hernandez, Jessica Makinson, Sky Elobar, Stephanie Moore.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, Roger Ebert 3* Brian Tallerico, Rotten Tomatoes 58% critic 56% audience, Rolling Stone 2* out of 5*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 17+, 3* out of 5*, no positive messages, no positive role models, violence 5*, sex 5* language 4*, consumerism 2*, drinking, drugs & smoking 3*.

Special Note:  The scenes with Riley Keough in the swimming pool are almost exact recreations of scenes from Marilyn Monroe’s last film, Something’s Got to Give 1962.  The film was not completed due to her sudden death.  Footage from that film can be found online.  The mansion of the songwriter is the same location as the estate in The Neon Demon 2016.  Box office is 1.9 million in the US.  All the viewers should ask for their money back or free tickets to see something else!!    

Trial by Fire 2018

     The setting of this film is in the state of Texas.  The movie is based upon David Grann’s article “Trial by Fire” published in the New Yorker in 2009.  Cameron Todd Willingham is accused of the murder of his three daughters.  They died in a fire at their home and Todd claims he is innocent of the crime.  The court does not agree and sentences him to death.  Elizabeth Gilbert is a playwright and she becomes interested in Todd’s case.  She believes he did not commit this crime.  She works very hard to get enough evidence to support Todd’s claim of innocence.

     I did not know until the conclusion how this story would end? The New Yorker article asks, “Did Texas execute an innocent man?”  Todd was executed February 17, 2004 for the arson crime that occurred in 1991.  Todd never pleaded guilty and he said he never would.  He was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea but turned this down and still insisted he was innocent.  The investigation was shoddy, the trial was rushed and his appeals were denied.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)     

127 min, Bio directed by Edward Zwick with Jack O’Connell, Laura Dern, Emily Meade, Jade Pettyjohn, Chris Coy, Jeff Perry, Joshua Mikel, Jason Douglas, Carlos Gomex, Rhoda Griffis, Elle Graham, Tinsley Price, Blair Bomar, Darren Pettie, Wayne Pere.  

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 61% critic 72% audience, Roger Ebert 2* Sheila O’Malley, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 11 reviews, Seattle Times 2*, San Francisco Chronicle a clap by the little man.

Special Note:  Filmed in Atlanta and Douglasville, Georgia.  

The Madness of Max 2015

     This film is about the making of one of the most influential movies of the past thirty years.  It features forty cast and crew interviews, hundreds of behind the scenes photographs plus unseen film footage of the shoot.  There is everything that you didn’t know about the behind the scenes story.

     The basis of the plot is following the adventures of Max Rockatansky.  He is a police officer in a future Australia and there is a societal collapse.   This is due to war and critical resource shortages.  A vicious biker gang kills Max’s wife and child.  This sets him on a path of revenge against the bikers.  I thought the names of some of the characters were very interesting.  Broken Victim, The Humungus, Gyro Captain, Jedediah the Pilot, Glory the Child, Bubba Zanetti, Johnny the Boy, The Feral Kid, Warrior Woman, Pappagallo, Pig Killer, Imperator Furiosa, Splendid Angharad, The Dag, Cheedo the Fragile for examples.  The only thing I didn’t like about this film is the obvious cuts during the interviews.  They are very fast but you can see them as an interruption.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)  

      

157 min, Doc directed and written by Gary McFeat and Tim Ridge with Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Bertrand Cadart, David Cameron, Howard Eynon, Nic Gazzana, Mel Gibson, John Hipwell, Paul Johnstone, Hugh Keays-Byrne, John Ley, Steve Millichamp, Geoff Parry, Joanne Samuel, Roger Ward.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 73% critic, Letterboxd average 3.5* out of 5*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 22 reviews, Microsoft.com 4* out of 5* with 26 reviews.

Special Note:  The Mad Max franchise films are Mad Max 1979, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 1981, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 1985 and Mad Max: Fury Road 2015.  Miller and McCarthy found during the writing process for Mad Max: Fury Road that they had enough story material for two additional scripts.  There is a possibility that Mad Max: Furiosa and Mad Max: the Wasteland could be future films.

The United States of Detroit 2017

     Detroit is the biggest city in the United States to file for bankruptcy.  There is a lack of resources in the city and the infrastructure is broken.  There are many vacant lots and many deteriorating buildings that used to be nice homes.  The downtown area has recovered but that has not spread outwards to the communities.  The people of Detroit are trying to turn things around.  They are using many of the vacant lots to grow food to share with the local people.  Churches are tying to help the young men.  There is a high incidence of crime and murder in that age group.

     The gasoline crises of November 1973 affected Detroit and the US auto industry.  Buyers chose smaller and more fuel-efficient cars made by foreign makers.  Thousands of employees were now without jobs in auto industry.  Major stores and hotels closed and many large office buildings were left vacant.  There was criticism of too much of a focus on downtown development.  The feeling that nothing is being done about the high crime rate and lack of city services.  Detroit’s peak population was in the 1950 census with 1.8 million people.  In the 2010 census the city had just over 700,000 residents and the population has declined each year.  The city has a high proportion of poor, a reduced tax base, depressed property values and a high demographic imbalance.  4* (I really liked this movie)

86 min, Doc directed and written by Tylor Norwood (also written by Dana Schwartz).

Note:  Imdb 5.3 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 84% critic 79% audience, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 16+ 3* positive 2* role models, 4* violence, 3* sex, 4* language, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, screenrant.com 31/2* out of 5* Sandy Schaefer.