Happy New Years!
Extinction level, a video game adaption, and two period pieces. It's been a busy week!
Intro, Covid quarantine, white Christmas. Worst year in 2020 years. We just hope 2021 doesn't suck. Roger got to do his binge drinking! Chris and his daughters snow experiences. Roger's his his daughter in the head with snowball. Awesome parenting.
0:04:40 - Box-office, upcoming releases
0:07:30 **NEW EGMENT** What's Streaming? AMAZON
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, Dir. Frank Capra (1946). James Stewart and Donna Reed. Relive the classic. In color or Black and white.
TOMBSTONE, Dir. George P. Cosmatos and Kevin Jarre (1993). Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Beihn, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestly, Steven Lang, Thomas Haden Church, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane, John Corbett, Dana Delaney.
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, Dir. Gabriele Muccino (2006) - Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith.
0:22:50 - Trailers - THE LITTLE THINGS and NOBODY
0:30:00 - MONSTER HUNTER, Dir. Paul W.S. Anderson
0:36:35 - THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN, Dir. Farhad Saffinia (as P.B. Sherman)
0:45:40 - GREENLAND, Dir. Ric Roman Waugh
1:17:20 - MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM (Netflix)
MONSTER HUNTER
A video game adaption from Capcom. Milla Jovovich once again with her director husband in yet another movie that does not work. She is Artemis, a leader os a squad dispatched in the Middle East to locate Bravo team and a sand storm whips them away into another world where monsters are huge and plentiful making there weapons useless. She meets the Hunter (Tony Jaa) and, together learn to navigate a harsh and very unforgiving land. Oh! Ron Pearlman is a boat captain with the BEST 80's wig and mullet. So there's that. (3/10)
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN (On Netflix)
Mel Gibson and Sean Penn are absolutely the pull in this one, along with Eddie Marsan. Following the birth of the Oxford dictionary- finding the meaning and etymology of every word recorded through history up to current date. Gibson's James Murray is the self taught brilliant mind behind this push and Sean Penn's William Minor is a mentally unwell brilliant man who can help the academic community but needs to be treated and cured. There are at least 2 different movies placed together, possibly three. Well acted, but uninspired otherwise (5/10)
GREENLAND (VOD)
Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin are the leads in this extinction level film with emotion. This is an emotional drama with a disaster baked around the center. As a nine mile wide comet comes towards Earth, John Garrity (Butler) and his family have been chosen to be sheltered in a classified U.S. military base in Greenland. The selection brings somewhat needed tension among others not selected and certainly helps the plot device problem these films always have. What's different in Greenland is it's not so much style over substance. The substance and heart is there, as well as dazzling special effects that, in 2020, look as real as ever. (7.5/10)
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM (Netflix)
This is another one of the wonderful and much celebrated August Wilson's plays to shoot in Pittsburgh. Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman are absolutely at their best in this, electrifying to say the least. Other members of the cast who also really shine are Coleman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts and Jeremy Shamos. This very much an adapted stage plat for the screen. More than a few monologues and one location stays for 10-15 minutes at a time, which never seem as long because of how wonderfully this is directed. Ma Rainey "The Mother of Blues" and horn player Levee are at odds when it's discovered that Levee is using Ma's music to elevate his won status and strike out on his own. If you watch ONE movie this week, let it be Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (9/10)
Hosted, produced and mixed by Grayson Maxwell and Roger Stillion. Guest appearance by Christopher Boughan. Music by Chad Wall. Quality
