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Dig Two Graves

March 27, 2017

The Chinese proverb, ‘When you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves,’ is where the title for the film comes from. I had never heard it before and now don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Dig Two Graves is set in the 1970’s and partly told in well-established flashbacks. It’s an award-winning thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for most of the time. It was written, produced and directed by Hunter Adams, he wrote it with Jeremy Phillips, stars relative newcomer Samantha Isler, from last years Captain Fantastic, and also stars the fantastic Ted Levine from Silence of the Lambs. Adams, relatively new himself, only has five directing credits to his name, two of them shorts, so if this film is an indication of what’s to come, I’d have to say it won’t be long before his resume doubles.

In this creepy mystery, you’ll fear for the life of an innocent young girl who may or may not be so innocent by movies end. Beautifully shot in a location scouted by the director himself, it takes place in a remote town where siblings, Jake (Isler) and Sean (Ben Schneider) are, essentially, one another’s best friends. In the beginning of the film, an assumed accident happens and Sean vanishes after jumping off a cliff into a quarry below. Devastated and feeling somewhat abandoned, Jake, who witnessed the leap, is filled with guilt for having not jumped herself. Unable to truly move on from his disappearance she retreats from life, eventually believing she’d do anything to get her brother back.

If someone has passed away it’s a silly notion to think it’s possible to bring them back to life but she meets a man who convinces her it’s not such a crazy idea. Her anguished young heart comes across the dark and intimidating vagabond, Wyeth (Ruptash), and his two nomadic pals, who have a history with her grandfather, Sheriff Waterhouse. The sheriff is played devilishly well by Levine who won Best Actor at the Beaufort International Film Festival for his role. He’s not channeling Buffalo Bill in this tale but his voice is still penetrating nonetheless. Waterhouse is carrying guilt regarding the former sheriff that’s eating him alive; consuming his spirit. If you only know Levine from Silence, this is the film to see and watch him spread his wings.

As if stalking prey, Wyeth pops out of nowhere and zeros in on exactly what Jake needs and promises to deliver if she does something for him. She must retrieve an item that was taken from him; a medallion. The medallion summons the power that’s needed to bring her brother back. Agreeing to help him if he helps her, she is now contractually obligated to oblige and fulfill her end of the bargain, however, as often happens in a deal made with the devil, the medallion is only one part of her obligation.

I loved the acting in this film and not just by Levine. Ruptash invokes a Jack the Ripper type feel in his character of Wyeth, as he is so solidly played it was hard to tell if he were human or from the spirit world. Also, this was a great film for Isler to launch her career and deciding to cast her was a brilliant decision by Adams. Of choosing her he told me, ‘She had great instincts. She was smart and understood the subtext… had a real intention behind the words which is pretty rare to see in someone of that age and still have that innocence, you know, that wide-eyed look that we needed.’ So, with this substantial combination of weighty script and successful casting, Adams claimed the Best Director award at the 2015 Beaufort International Film Festival and the Director’s Choice Independent Spirit Award at the Sedona International Film Festival in 2015. If you didn’t catch the film during its festival run, you can catch it now at a theatre near you and on iTunes.

Here is the link for you to view it. https://goo.gl/ONiZ6s

‘We played the festival circuit and then the last year or two has just been trying to figure out the wild wild west of independent film distribution. We finally go that sorted out. It’s now releasing in theatres and on VOD. It’s been a long journey. We’re doing an iTunes exclusive for the first four weeks and then it’ll be available on all VOD platforms; Amazon, Playstation, VooDoo… all of those. That’ll be April 21st. All VOD platforms. Just search Dig Two Graves on iTunes and it’ll pop up.’ -Hunter Adams

Enjoy the film and if you’d like, please come back and share your thoughts.

Tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 now available!

March 27, 2017 (updated March 27, 2017)

Fasten your seat belts! Tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are now on sale! http://fandan.co/2nsOMaS

Follow Marvel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marvel‬‬
Like Marvel on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/Marvel‬‬

*Marvel Studios’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is in theaters in 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D May 5, 2017!

T2 Trainspotting Movie Review

March 24, 2017 (updated April 24, 2017)

Director Danny Boyle made the movie “Trainspotting” 20 years ago, and has gone on to make many superb movies. The original cast of the movie has also done well, especially Ewan McGregor. With a script that updated the original main characters after twenty years, Boyle is back with “T2 Trainspotting”. This new sequel has all the characters back for a new visit to the Scottish underclass, with an updated look at their lives.

“Trainspotting” introduced the heroin-addicted characters who made up the 1996 movie. There was Mark (Ewan McGregor) a de-facto leader of companions. “Spud” (Ewen Bremner) was along for a fun time, as was Simon (Jonny Lee Miller). The tough guy in the group was Begbie (Robert Carlyle) who was always in a fight. The last story ended with a bad drug deal where Mark took all the money. Spud knew and never let on, and Simon and Begbie wanted revenge. Begbie was the fall guy and was jailed.

“T2 Trainspotting” brings the group back into the present day, where Mark has been in Amsterdam for 20 years. After a medical scare, he comes back to Edinburgh – but he has other issues. His wife has kicked him out and the job he had is now gone. He has kicked the heroin habit and replaced it with exercise. Spud has never left heroin behind, and is about to end it all, but Mark saves him. Simon now runs a dumpy bar near the docks, but he cannot kick cocaine. Begbie finds a way to escape prison so he can raise more mayhem.

Simon is not pleased to see Mark return. Simon has a girlfriend named Veronika, who is planning to become a high-class Madame when Simon turns the bar into a brothel. The local crime boss has a say in that, so it never gets off the ground. Simon and Veronika instead go about trying to blackmail some locals in compromising positions.

Begbie tries to get back into the breaking and entering game, and he gets his son involved. When that does not work out too well, he goes to see Simon. Simon does not let on that Mark is back in town, but Begbie is still looking for revenge. Getting put back into prison would be enough for Begbie, as long as he can kill Mark.

Simon and Mark have a night out at a local pub, trying to grab some extra wallets. Mark and Begbie have a run-in where Mark is able to narrowly escape. Spud finds a new hobby in his quest to fight off addiction. But they all notice that the world around them has changed in the past 20 years, but they have stayed the same.

Danny Boyle burst onto the scene with “Trainspotting” all those years ago. He found some very talented actors, and he was able to bring them back for another go. Boyle’s style and camera flourishes are always on display, in many clever and noticeable ways. The acting is all-around terrific, because these actors have lived these lives before.

But the nagging feeling is that you cannot bottle lightning twice. Everything that was fresh and new and exciting in the first movie has a less of an edge here. The setup is not exactly the same of course, but the lovable loser group will always end up with the short end of the stick. Mark’s 20 year escape from the poverty and lowlife of Edinburgh might have made a better story just by itself.

“T2 Trainspotting” is a familiar ride for those who know the original film. And the returning cast and crew do their best to make the journey enjoyable. But when this train pulls into the station, you might feel that the return trip was a little rough going down the tracks…

Raw Movie Review

March 24, 2017 (updated June 13, 2017)

In a word, Raw is… raw. A movie about cannibalism might frighten you away but keep reading before you make your final decision. It’s an unquestionably unique film, from the opening shot to the final moment. Cinematographer, Ruben Impens (The Sky Above Us), approaches the film by seeing it as a blank canvas in which to paint a bold piece of art; one that so intrigues you that you’re unable to look away. He’s able to extract elegance from a world of complete ugliness and if your first instinct is to not see this due to the content; I hope to change your mind.

Raw will be an uncommon guilty pleasure but you’ll have to experience it to know what I mean and watching with others is the best way to go for this particular trip. There will be moments where trying not to think about the cannibalism will be futile but just sit back and watch the story unfold. Masterfully, director Julia Ducournau, keeps your interest in the character development and you don’t focus so much on the disgusting thought of a human wanting to eat another human… cooked, let alone raw! But I assure you, if you like the abnormal and unconventional, Raw is the film for you.

Justine (Marillier), a young student new to veterinarian school, who is also a vegetarian, ends up devouring plenty of meat throughout the film once she gets a taste for it. This happens after she goes through a hazing ritual where she’s commanded to eat raw rabbit kidneys. Wanting to fit in like her big sister, Alexia (Rumpf) who’s very popular at the school, she does as ordered. After that and a Carrie-style blood soaking, something inside her awakens; a thirst and hunger for more. You’d think behavior such as this wouldn’t take part in a vet school but alas, that’s where we find ourselves, however, it isn’t animal flesh she now craves. A situation arises where she can consume human flesh and as much as she tries to fight against the urge, her animalistic lust kicks in and she gives in to it.

If you get sick at the idea of this happening, the film might not be for you. If you’re worried the film is going to be too graphic and that’s your only concern, don’t be. It may be hard to believe but Raw is a magnificent piece of cinema. Ducournau uses makeup, paint, effects, animals and fantastic music to force us to peek into the macrocosm that is Justine’s life. Alexia loves to watch as her innocent baby sister gets her personal boundaries pushed to the breaking point but she goes beyond the point of breaking and snaps completely in two. Once she does, she’s much stronger than she thought she’d ever be and Alexia and the audience catch a glimpse of a devil once believed to be an angel. However, when you think the story is all Justine, give Alexia another look. What once might be thought of as a sibling rivalry might just be one sister following in the others footsteps… and perhaps just a little too closely. The scenes Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf are in together are outstanding, believable and realistic even though the situation they’re in isn’t quite so much. Their performances alone are worth the ticket price.

Getting you to see his on the big screen is my goal because I think the artistic nature for which the film was made will be appreciated fully at theatre but I can’t say much more without giving too much away. Yes, this is ultimately a gory movie but at its core, it’s the story of a girl becoming a woman and this is one way I can guarantee you’ve not see the subject tackled before. So, for an unimaginable look at a story told a million times before, see Raw this weekend at Harkins Valley Art in Tempe or wherever you can near you. I can assure you of one thing… you’ll never look at your sister the same way again, especially if she eats Steak Tartare.

Car Dogs Movie Review

March 24, 2017 (updated March 24, 2017)

Most of us have been through buying a car, am I right? What works so well about Car Dogs is the writer, Mark Edward King, used to work in a dealership and used his knowledge of the process and of what salesman do behind the scenes, to make the story more believable and more compelling.

In Car Dogs, Malcolm, the dictatorial business owner of the car dealership which employees his son, Mark, takes advantage of him and his other employees by expecting them to do “Whatever It Takes” to meet a certain number of car sales by end of day, all to make himself look good as he closes a deal behind the scenes. He has promised Mark the next dealership and works him hard with very little reward. There’s a powerful struggle going on between father and son which at times gets very intense. Malcolm often pulls other salesmen into the situation which proves he’s even more ruthless than Mark ever thought. Mark is currently the sales manager at Chamberlain Auto but can Mark meet the demands of his father to get the prize he so deeply covets, the prize of having a dealership of his own? Will his ambitions lead him to delude his team and possibly cheat buyers who walk in, making him become more and more like his father? With his marriage on the rocks, he doesn’t have a lot of time to look for the answers to these questions.

Mark is played beautifully by Patrick Adams and Chris Mulkey is a very frightening Malcolm. Similar to the theme of Glengarry Glen Ross, the film gives us a rare glimpse at what happens behind the salesroom floor and from what I learned by interviewing director, Adam Collis, the sales motto of doing whatever it takes to sell a car makes me question whether or not to buy one at a dealership again. You will feel sorry for Mark to a degree as he tries to balance work life with home life but the film more focuses on the goings on in the store. It’s an exciting and often miserable place to be and looking back on it, it’s surprising we’re only seeing one day of it. Other characters, played by Octavia Spencer, George Lopez, and Nia Vardalos, move in and out during the film (not to mention all the local Arizona talent the filmmaker used), and they top off the story. One Local actor, in particular, Drew Moore, was hysterical as a buyer who wasn’t going to be taken advantage of. Some tricks of the trade are revealed by how the salesmen approach a difficult sale, but he was walking out of that dealership with a good deal and anything else he could get his hands on.

Outside of Moore, many other local Arizona actors provided depth to the narrative as the clock moves closer to closing time. Quick cuts and fast talking keep you in the story but it’s a treat watching Adams and Mulkey. They nail their characters as they spar, however, the real meat of the story is Mark. You’ll appreciate the closing shot when you see the boy become a man. His wife feels he’s choosing the store over their marriage. Is he and if he is, what can he do to change the situation? Watch Car Dogs at your nearest Harkins Theater, today, and let me know what you think he’s willing to do.

See CAR DOGS exclusively in Harkins Theaters around Arizona NOW!

Visit www.HarkinsTheatres.com for show times and to purchase tickets.

Harkins Avondale

Harkins Casa Grande

Harkins Chandler Fashion

Harkins Flagstaff

Harkins Superstition Springs

Harkins Christown

Harkins North Valley

Harkins Prescott

Harkins Shea

Harkins Arizona Mills

Harkins Tempe Marketplace

Sneak previews of SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE taking place Saturday, March 25th at theater near you!

March 24, 2017

You and your family can check out the special sneak previews of SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE taking place Saturday, March 25^th at theaters across the country.

You can find more information on tickets and show times at http://www.smurfsmovie.com/.

Opening Date: Friday, April 7, 2017

Rating: PG for some mild action and rude humor

Synopsis:

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!

Cast:

Demi Lovato

Rainn Wilson

Joe Manganiello

Jack McBrayer

Danny Pudi

with Mandy Patinkin

Kid’s Day at the Phoenix Film Festival

March 23, 2017

SATURDAY IS KIDS DAY AT THE 2017 PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL!

PHOENIX (March 22, 2017)- Saturday is Kids Day, at the 2017 Phoenix Film Festival. Kids Day will be taking place on Saturday, April 8^th beginning at 9am and continue until 2pm.

Kids’ Day at the Phoenix Film Festival give children of all ages the chance to learn about the art of film. Younger-festival patrons can color a movie poster also participate in a craft and story time event. Older film fans can try their craft at acting, editing, and creating their own short films. And everyone can feel like a Hollywood star when they get their picture taken on the red carpet and get transported into their favorite movie via a green screen, and spark their creativity as they explore books as movies.

The best part of Kids’ Day? Kids will receive a flash drive so they can take home their creations!

These age-appropriate stations allow kids to explore the filmmaking process from beginning to end, and every part in between!

Kids Day is presented by Steele Foundation, IFP Phoenix, Bookmans, University of Advancing Technology, Phoenix Public Library, and Valley Youth Theatre.

The 17^th Annual Phoenix Film Festival occurs this year from Thursday, April 6^th to Thursday, April 13^th. Continually breaking attendance records since its inception, last year’s festival saw over

25,000 attendees and there are hopes to pull in even more film enthusiasts this year. The week-long Festival will be held once again at Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre located at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054.

For movie lovers, this is an event that is not to be missed. Tickets and passes are on sale now and available through the Phoenix Film Festival website www.PhoenixFilmFestival.com. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Phoenix Film Festival Ticket Center next to the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre. Tickets range in price from $13 for a single screening to $300 for a platinum pass. For more information call 602-955-6444 or visit www.PhoenixFilmFestival.com.

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri – Red Band Trailer

March 23, 2017 (updated March 23, 2017)

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh (IN BRUGES). After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated.

Connect with THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Online:
Visit THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI on our WEBSITE: https://www.threebillboardsthemovie.com
Like THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ThreeBillboa…
Follow THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/3billboards
Follow THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/threebillbo…

#ThreeBillboards

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In Theaters 2017

http://www.fandango.com

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

March 22, 2017 (updated March 23, 2017)

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE

Release Date: June 2, 2017

Director: David Soren

Writer: Nicholas Stoller (Based on the Epic Novels by Dav Pilkey)

Producers: Mark Swift, Mireille Soria

Cast: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Thomas Middleditch, Jordan Peele, Kristen Schaal

SYNOPSIS

Based on the worldwide sensation and bestselling book series, and boasting an A-list cast of comedy superstars headed by Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, DreamWorks Animation brings audiences the long-awaited global movie event, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. This raucously subversive comedy for the entire family tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters named George and Harold, who hypnotize their principal into thinking he’s a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE Official Channels

SITE: http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainUnderpantsTheFirstEpicMovie

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DWAnimation

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dreamworksanimation/

#CaptainUnderpants

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In Theaters June 2nd

http://www.fandango.com

Baywatch – Trailer

March 22, 2017

BAYWATCH follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.

Director: Seth Gordon

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Jon Bass, Kelly Rohrbach, Ilfenesh Hadera

#BeBaywatch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaywatchMovie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/baywatchmovie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baywatchmovie/

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