I was looking very forward to “Empire of Light” based on its poster alone! It’s a solid visual of two people quietly celebrating the glory that is the event, the bringing about of fantastic fireworks in the sky. It turns out it’s just 1980 turning into 1981, but it looks like something more unique, as did the movie when I first saw the trailer.
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“Spoiler Alert” is a love story for this modern age. I mean it carries over from the 1970 movie “Love Story”, starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw. That is the one about star-crossed lovers who fall for each other and then one of them succumbs to a fatal disease. The story that says “love means never having to say you’re sorry”. This new movie is a true-life version, but with two gay man as the lovers. Read more
“I am DB Cooper” is a documentary about DB Cooper, the only unsolved case of a skyjacking in US history. The events of November 1971 have been painstakingly researched by the FBI and local police. There was no trace of a passenger called ‘Dan Cooper’ after he had gotten ransom money and a parachute. The man disappeared off the plane over the Columbia River in Washington. No trace, until maybe now? Read more
“2nd Chance” is a look at a guy who shot himself 192 times. But he had a good reason, I guess. His purpose was to test out a very advanced bullet-proof vest. He created a company that became legendary for the way that it protected police officers and saved lives. But, there were some speed bumps on his journey. Many of them were self-inflicted. Just like the rounds that he aimed at his own chest… Read more
“A Piece of Sky” shows that Switzerland is not just for travelogues and documentaries. This is a slow-moving drama about life in a small village in the Swiss Alps. The movie is one that might be considered for a Foreign Film nomination at the Academy Awards. At the Berlin Film Festival 2022, this received ‘special mention’. The sad story is told at a meandering pace, and it never quite leaves the valleys far below the peaks. Read more
“The Eternal Daughter” is labeled a mystery, thriller and, through the trailer, sold as somewhat of a ghost story. Imagine my surprise when halfway through the hour-and-a-half movie, I hadn’t received a storyline matching either of the descriptions I had been expecting. I was perplexed. However, I do acknowledge that what I saw was spectacular beauty. I also witnessed one of my favorite actresses make it impossible for me to turn away from the screen.
I liked “The Inspection” but found it regurgitated a lot from “An Officer and a Gentleman.” There were several scenes that dealt with similar themes and others that looked and felt like a carbon copy of the Taylor Hackford film. Of course, there is one big difference, and that difference is what ultimately makes “The Inspection” worth seeing. It’s somewhat autobiographical as director Elegance Bratton relives his own experience in boot camp as a gay Black marine in the mid-2000s.
This movie will be remembered by some, possibly hanging around for a while for its a new spin on an old tale. I can’t stress enough that it’s only for some. Based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis, it isn’t a horror movie. It lies somewhere between horror and a heavy drama where it may have trouble finding an audience where the book didn’t.
Everyone who loves movies remembers the film that pushed them toward their passion. Whether that passion led to watching every movie you could, reviewing or making films, that movie was special. For some, it was “Jaws,” created by Steven Spielberg, the subject of this film.
