Columbia Screening Pass-palooza: “Second Act”!

Hey, you ready for the December holidays? ME NEITHER. So why not grab yourself some passes for a bit of pre-Chrismakwanzyulekkah fun? Yeah, it’s not close calendar-wise, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve got passes for Second Act, starring Jennifer Lopez! Synopsis!

SECOND ACT is an inspirational comedy starring Jennifer Lopez as Maya, a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations of not having achieved more in life. As an experienced, quickwitted, perceptive employee, she is passed over for a promotion solely because she doesn’t have a college degree. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a Second Act.

Let’s go!

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Baltimore’s Christmas Village is coming back – starting this weekend!

I love a German Christmas Village. But my passport is out of date. So? I wander to the Inner Harbor to get my gingerbread on.

What, you haven’t heard of the Christmas Village? It’s awesome! I was lucky enough to check it out last year before the grand opening, and I’m not ashamed to say I went back four more times. (What can I say – I love a good currywurst.)

Shopping, music, and of course lots of lovely German feels – can’t go wrong! Plus, this weekend? Totally free! (Okay, so it’s free on weekdays, but typically it’s $5 on the weekends…)

Read what they’ve got to say:

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The Horror! – “Overlord”!

Not the gory bloodbath that I’d been “warned” about, but gorehounds will be pleased at the amount of red in this horror tale set during WWII. A story that combines war thriller with body horror in a way that kept my eyes firmly on screen, not wanting to miss a moment.

There’s plenty of suspense as the group of American soldiers try to figure out what’s turning their mission into something much more sinister, thanks to stellar performances by Jovan Adepo as newly minted Private Boyce, Wyatt Russell as Corporal Ford (Kurt’s son does his poppa’s snarl proud) and GoT’s Pilou Asbæk as baddie Wafner. Combined with excellent direction by Julius Avery and stellar cinematography by Laurie Rose and Fabian Wagner, this means Overlord is one helluva fun, engaging ride.

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Columbia Screening Pass-palooza: “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald”!

Hey fellow Hufflepuffs!  Okay, all y’all.  I’ve got passes for Tuesday night’s advance screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald!

Now, either you’re all in or you’r not. So, let’s go get our wizard on! Accio Passes!

What: ADMIT TWO passes for the Columbia, MD screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald!
When: Wednesday, November 14
Where: AMC Columbia
Why: NAGINI!
How: Clicky! http://www.wbtickets.com/lVBKa04273

REMEMBER- SEATING FOR SCREENINGS ARE FIRST COME FIRST SERVED AND NOT GUARANTEED. SO GET THERE EARLY TO GET YOURSELF A SEAT.

Good luck, everyone!

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Widows”!

Ready to get your awards season thrills on? I’ve got passes for the B’more screening of Widows! Synopsis!

From Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. “Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. “Widows” also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry.

Ready? Let’s go!

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“Rescue Me” gets a collector’s set Blu-Ray release

Rescue Me was one hell of a compelling show, and comedian Dennis Leary more than proved his acting chops as firefighter Tommy Gavin. Now Mill Creek Entertainment gathers the entire series into one super-deluxe Blu-Ray set, and I’ll admit I’m drooling. Okay, I’m also setting aside Kleenex, as this show runs the gamut of emotions. Plus, who doesn’t want a Dennis Leary commentary track? You know that’s gonna be gold.

If you haven’t seen it yet, go forth. And if you’re a fan? Well, you’ve probably already ditched my page and hopped over to Amazon. I’m not mad.

Read on for the full details!

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“Bohemian Rhapsody” will definitely rock you

Nutshell: let’s let Freddie do it, shall we? “I feel alive/And the world—I’ll turn it inside out/Yeah/I’m floating around/In ecstasy”.  Yep, that sums it up. The bar has been raised for the musical biopic. Good luck to future films in this genre, this film is damn near perfect. It’ll be tough to top Rhapsody‘s blend of storytelling and pulls-you-in performances. Grade: A

“There’s no musical ghetto that can contain us.”

Story: Rock band Queen starts as a group of lads trying to make it big, ends up performing at Live Aid in 1985. Mercurial (ahem) lead singer Freddie Mercury serves as their frontman, and as the band’s popularity increases, an intensely private Freddie tries to shield his life from the world.

Genre I’d Put It In: Top-Shelf Biopics Continue reading

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#31in31 2018: “Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts”

This collection of Vertigo comics by chef, traveler and late great foodie delves into ghosts, monsters and other sorts of creepies, all tied in with a food theme. A man who loves (to eat) horses, a chef who picked up a hell of a parasite, and more, there’s plenty of strange and unusual tales to paw through on this lovely Halloween.

Some stories end abruptly, and left me wanting a fuller, more fleshed-out story that let things linger a bit longer. “Deep” could have been teased out to a more substantial issue length, but drops the twist with unsatisfying suddenness. “Cow Head”, “The Pirates” and “Salty Horse” also felt wrapped up too soon. Give me more creepy! But seeing so many incredible comic artists – including one of my personal favorites, Francesco Francavilla – gave me plenty to drool (and shudder) over. And the stories, even the ones that are all too quickly wrapped, are definitely shudder-worthy. Continue reading

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“Maria by Callas” – a beautiful tribute

I would like to be Maria, but there is the Callas I that have to live up to.”

Called” La Callas” and “The Tigress”, opera singer Maria Callas was known for her powerful, beautiful voice. Complied from historical footage, filmed and recorded performances, interviews, as well as personal photos and letters, this documentary is a loving tribute to the lady and the star.

There’s an equal hand with highs and lows in Callas’ life, and letting her own words tell her story. Director Tom Volf shows his inner Callas fanboy (judicious editing could have made this film a bit more fluidly), but doesn’t shy from moments where Callas sound petulant and diva-esque. But her words (in voice-over spoken by Joyce DiDonat) paint a more forgiving picture. For example, her well publicized walkout in 1958 during her performance of “Norma” was vilified in the press, but she was dealing with bronchitis and with her voice “hanging by a thread”, she finished the first act, but didn’t want to “insult” the opera by continuing to perform after her voice gave out. Continue reading

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “The Outlaw King”!

Good morning everybody! I’ve got passes for The Outlaw King, a groovy new history-based movie coming to Netflix…but why not see it on the big screen? Bigger is better, especially when it comes to awesome historical battles! Synopsis!

The untold, true story of Robert the Bruce who transforms from defeated nobleman to outlaw hero during the oppressive occupation of medieval Scotland by Edward I of England. Despite grave consequences, Robert seizes the Scottish crown and rallies an impassioned group of men to fight back against the mighty army of the tyrannical King and his volatile son, the Prince of Wales. Filmed in Scotland, OUTLAW KING reunites director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) with star Chris Pine alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh and Billy Howle.

Ready? Let’s go!

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