Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “The Glass Castle”!

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Denise

Ooh, a glass castle sounds pretty!  But I’m sure folks would see way too much of me than anyone in their right mind would be comfortable with…so why don’t we just focus on the film The Glass Castle, shall we? Synopsis!

Chronicling the adventures of an eccentric, resilient and tight-knit family, THE GLASS CASTLE is a remarkable story of unconditional love. Oscar® winner Brie Larson brings Jeannette Walls’s best-selling memoir to life as a young woman who, influenced by the joyfully wild nature of her deeply dysfunctional father (Woody Harrelson), found the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Family!  Unconditional love!  Brie Larson!  Woody Harrelson!  C’mon!

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From NPR: Feeling ‘Young, Scrappy And Hungry’? Have A ‘Hamilton’-Inspired Meal

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Denise

Because food + Hamilton = amazeballs. 

“There’s nothing like a fandom to encourage innovation, and the devotees of the Broadway hit Hamilton: An American Musical are no exception — whether they’ve actually seen the show in person or have memorized every lyric of the 46 songs on the soundtrack album. So it was only a matter of time before enthusiastic fans were going to search out culinary tributes to their most treasured folk hero…. 

You’ll find plenty of suggested menus on Ye Olde Internet, from “Aaron Burr-gers” to “Hercules Mulliga-tawny Soup” — and who wouldn’t want a trio of Schuyler Sisters cakes adapted from classic Barbie Doll cake recipes?

Of course, if you’re a purist — and Hamilton would love a purist — then history has its eyes on you.”

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/07/24/538393424/feeling-young-scrappy-and-hungry-have-a-hamilton-inspired-meal?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Kidnap”!

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Denise

Halle Berry is gearing up to save her son…and I’m gearing up to give you passes to see her do it.  In the movie Kidnap, that is.  Synopsis!

A typical afternoon in the park turns into a nightmare for single mom Karla Dyson (Academy Award winner Halle Berry) when her son suddenly disappears. Without a cell phone and knowing she has no time to wait for police help, Karla jumps in her own car and sets off in pursuit of the kidnappers. A relentless, edge-of-your seat chase ensues, where Karla must risk everything to not lose sight of her son. In this tense, action-fueled thriller, directed by Luis Prieto and from the producers of SALT and TRANSFORMERS, one mother’s heroic attempt to take back her son leads her to ask herself how far she will go to save her child.

Ready to take an adrenaline ride?  C’mon! Continue reading →

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Pony News: #BronyCon #BronyPalooza schedule announced! 

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Denise

It’s almost time, mah ponies! Time for another glorious weekend of brohoofs, sing-alongs, and general awesomeness! That’s right, BronyCon is coming!

And since we’re close to The Weekend, BronyCon has released the full schedule for BronyPalooza 2017!

Personally, they all sound terrific… But I really can’t wait to hear Michelle Creber & Black Gryph0n Saturday night! Read on for the full list of fun! FUN!

Keep on reading!

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“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” – beautiful, messy

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Denise

Nutshell: Dazzling, beautiful, uneven.  The lightning-in-a-bottle that was Besson’s The Fifth Element doesn’t strike twice here, even though the visuals and world-building magic is definitely present and accounted for.  It’s as if with Valerian, Besson focused more on the universe he was creating, rather than the characters that were meant to live in it and what they’re supposed to achieve. Which makes it a beautiful, fascinating, mess. Grade: C+

“I’m not asking you to die for me. I’m asking you to trust me.”

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TrailerWatch: Fassbender and Ferguson hunt “The Snowman”

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Denise

“The only thing we know for sure, is that he’s playing games with us.”

Can I say that a thriller titled The Snowman looks…chilling?  Because it does.  Synopsis!

When an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Rebecca Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.

Fassbender and Ferguson are a draw, but there’s even more to the cast than that. J.K. Simmons, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Chloë Sevigny…

If you’re looking for a thriller to cool you down at the beach, maybe the book this movie is based on would fit the bill? I’m adding it to my queue. The Snowman rolls into theaters October 20, 2017.

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Detroit”!

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Denise

It’s really hot outside.  So why not head into the air-conditioning, and learn a little something while you’re at it?  I’ve got passes to Detroit, a film based on the 1967 Detroit/12th Street Riots.  Synopsis!

From the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the most terrifying moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ’67.

I loved Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, and I expect the same sort of gritty realism here. (In fact, the trailer is absolutely gripping.) Ready to get your historical drama on?  Well, let’s do this!

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TrailerWatch: Guillermo Del Toro’s monstrously beautiful “The Shape of Water”

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Denise

“You don’t think that’s what the Lord looks like, do you?”

Love story time!  But of course, with director Guillermo Del Toro, there’s gonna be a spin.  Think Hellboy (or rather Abe Sapien from the comics) meets Planet of the Apes meets Romeo and Juliet.  But why am I writing?  Synopsis!

From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER – an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.

Sounds incredibly sweet.  And the CGI/motion capture of “the creature” is amazing.  Seriously, it’s so Abe Sapien I just want to love him and hug him and call him George.

The Shape of Water hits theaters December 8th, 2017.

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TrailerWatch: “Professor Marston & The Wonder Women”

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Denise

“The world can’t stop us.”

I’ll watch anything that Connie Britton is in.  She’s absolutely amazing.  Toss Wonder Woman into the mix, and that movie’s a no-brainer y’all.  So herewith, the first trailer for Professor Marston and the Wonder Women! Synopsis!

In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940’s. While Marston’s feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her ‘sexual perversity’, he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him. Marston’s muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research — while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises. Starring Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, and Connie Britton.

With Bella Heathcote (The Man in the High Castle,), Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona) and the absolutely wonderful Luke Evans, who was so lovely during the press junket for The Raven, this looks like a great mix of indie talent.

Professor Marston & The Wonder Women hits theaters October 27, 2017.

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“Girl’s Trip” is a dirty, sweet, first-rate look at friendship

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Denise
Sometimes I’m too lazy for a full-out piece. Sometimes everything I’ve got to say about a film can be summarized in a few sentences, or stream of consciousness. So herewith, a quick-n-(DEFINITELY) dirty on…Girl’s Trip!

Nutshell: Friendships can be a whole lotta things all at once.  So’s Girl’s Trip; a hilarious, sweet, raunchy, gal-fest of friendship, and reconnecting after those solid bonds of college friendships come undone. Chick flick clichés abound, but the cast . Definitely not for the faint of pervy heart, but those who are down for some dirty will have a blast.  Grab your gal pals, down a few drinks, and get to it. Grade: A-

“I think my liver is broken.” Continue reading →

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