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August 9, 2018

Triple feature: three thumbs up

You may or may not have noticed I missed the last two editions, for a variety of reasons. Now that I am back in the saddle, there is a little catching up to do.

Double feature: one thumbs up, one thumbs down

Michael Chrichton was a prolific author; his books have sold over 200 million copies. Arguably one of his best was Jurassic Park, published in 1990, an instant best seller, a book I could not put down, and if you read it you probably couldn’t either.

Hereditary – I lasted forty minutes

I never ever, ever, ever (and I mean never) go to horror films. I’ve been writing reviews for nine years, and have yet to see or comment on one during that time. Nonetheless, I do have (some) history with scary movies. The first one I can recall seeing was Psycho, the classic Alfred Hitchcock film starring Anthony Perkins, released in 1960. The climactic scene had my heart humming for days. The second was The Exorcist, released in 1973. The special effects were limited but so very effective.

Solo stands on its own as a Star Wars movie

How many of you remember what was going on in June 1977? I, for one, can’t forget, that’s the month my wife Annamarie and I were married. And coincidentally that was the month of the premiere of the first and (most assuredly the best) Star Wars movie. That my new wife and I saw it while on our honeymoon may or may not be ironic, but it was special.

Avengers: Infinity War – When will I ever learn?

I never read anyone else’s reviews about the movie I am going to see, lest I be tempted to plagiarize or form opinions ahead of time. I do, however, see the headlines and brief outtakes from others who have seen the film, many on twitter etc. “I have never left a film this awestruck,” was one comment, “legendary” was another, and “jaw dropping” another.

Isle of Dogs – Pawsitively well done

This is an unusual, unique and a “one of a kind” movie. On the other hand, what Wes Anderson production isn’t? He and his technical crew just took the art of “stop-motion animation” to a new level with this exceptional film.

Double feature: the good news, the bad news

This has been in the theater for several weeks now, and some of you may have already seen it. It’s an uplifting true story about the number one Christian song of all time, and how it came to be written. Prior to seeing this I had never heard of Bart Millard, the singing group Mercy Me, or the song “I Can Only Imagine.” Wow, where have I been?

7 Days In Entebbe — great story, terrible movie

In 1967, with their survival at stake, Israel launched attacks on three fronts against an Arab coalition, which included Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Those nations were intent on the total destruction of the Jewish state. It only took Israel six days to win a decisive military victory.

Memorable movie moments

If you’re a movie fan you have your list of favorites, and most likely some or all of them contain unforgettable moments, which may endure long after the details of the movie have escaped your mind. Below I’ve listed a few of mine, although there is not enough space in the Sun Day News for all of them. If you have a favorite moment or two, email them to me at the address below. I’ll be anxious to hear.

The 15:17 to Paris: A slow build

As I commented in my last column, we are in the “death valley” days of new movie releases. Last weekend there were two new films out, one was Black Panther, the newest super-hero on the scene. Despite plenty of accolades from the highly paid professional movie critics, this was not my cup of tea, and (I could be wrong) probably not for most of the Sun Day News readers either. The other was Samson, a remake of the biblical story. After seeing the trailers on TV, I’m not sure anyone would pay to see it, certainly not me.

Hostiles: a somber story

Here we go another time. Two years ago and then again last year I complained about the lack of decent new releases hitting the theaters this time of year. Perhaps a columnist from the Los Angeles Times described it best, “For decades, spring was largely considered a kind of dead zone in Hollywood’s release calendar, an island of cinematic misfit toys lacking a coherent identity or much inherent appeal for film distributors. In everyone’s minds there’s the holiday season, there’s awards seasons, there’s the summer movie season – and then there’s spring.”

12 Strong – a gritty reminder

No one reading this can forget where they were or what they were doing when 9/11 hit. It was like a bullet between the eyes for all of us. On the other hand, few if any of us remember the date October 16, 2001, the date when the first combat teams from our military began the fight in Afghanistan. This is the true story of a group of twelve Special Forces warriors who began the fight and paved the way for the rest of our troops.

Merry Christmas to all!

This is our last publication of the year, and due to a scheduling issue my next column will not be published until the January 25 edition. During that time, there will be some “highly anticipated” films making their appearance, with of course no assurance they will live up to the hype preceding them, which sadly is often the case.

The Man Who Invented Christmas – worth a watch

A quick heads up before starting. For the first time in ten years Netflix made a mistake and sent me the wrong DVD. Instead of what I ordered, I got Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016, PG-13. I thought “what the heck,” I’ll take a look. That was the second mistake. I lasted ten minutes and that was it. If you are a Harry Potter fan you might enjoy it, otherwise forget it.

Murder on the Orient Express – derailed by the accent

It may surprise you to learn that Agatha Christie is the best- selling author of all time. Her novels have sold over two billion copies so far, and still going strong. Her books have been translated into more languages than any others, save the Bible and the works of Shakespeare.

Suburbicon: What goes around comes around

American filmmakers the Coen brothers have a long list of movies they have written, and in some cases directed. They have won and/or been nominated for a number of Oscars and may be the best known team of writers in Hollywood. I have not seen all of their films by any stretch, but those I have left a lasting impression.

I’m either desperate, fed up, or both

I go to dozens of movies every year. I go for three reasons.

Battle of the Sexes – tennis match or soap opera?

The evening I saw this was a first for me in a number of ways. 1) First time I ever sat through a movie as the only person in the theatre. 2) First time I ever phoned anyone during a film. 3) First time I ever watched a football game while the movie was playing, (Bears-Packers), which actually many of you would prefer to forget. 4) First time I ever took my antacids during the movie rather than wait until I got home.

American Assassin – acceptable at best

Once again, your neighborhood movie columnist was between a rock and a hard place.

Coming attractions

For the first time in a long while, there were no new releases in our area theaters last weekend. As a result, any movie I chose to comment on would already be at least two, more likely three weeks old by our publication date. That would be like finding a loaf of stale bread in your pantry; no interest.

Thank you Willy Horton for bringing peace to Detroit

I served six years in the military and had never seen anything like this. I was standing in a war zone, surrounded by armed troops, hundreds of police and two U.S. Army tanks, their cannons aimed at the buildings in front of them. There were no fires at the moment, but smoke still hung over the streets, a grim reminder of the arson which had taken place the past few days.

Logan Lucky – not today

I’m still debating whether it was a bigger mistake paying to see this movie, or laying out $8.09 for a bag of popcorn, half of which I left behind. So, it was a $20 evening, and I’ll no doubt take a long hard look in the mirror when I get up, looking for the “stupid” lines in my face.

A Ghost Story – hauntingly bad

My original choice for this week’s column was the compelling documentary Detroit, the story about the dreadful 1967 riots that took place in the city where I was born and raised. I was there when they happened, and for a short time I was in the middle of it all, but lived to tell about it. At the last minute I decided I didn’t want to experience it again.

Bad choice Tom.

Dunkirk: Phenomenal

I left the theater exhausted. Despite the comfort offered by the recliners, I was literally on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Spider-man Homecoming: High school hi-jinks

The movie screens have been filled all summer with a glut of special effects “blockbusters.” I’ve seen enough in the last several months to last me a lifetime. I will say again, Wonder Woman was worth the trip; the rest range from mediocre to downright bad. This latest Spiderman sequel passes the “mediocre” test, but not much more.

Skip the theater and go straight for the DVD rentals

This week’s column will offer some rental recommendations. These are all excellent films and if you missed any of them the first time around you might consider checking them out. Several of them have appeared on HBO recently, but they are all available through Netflix or any other source you may use.

Wonder Woman – we don’t need Superman anymore

A Chicago Tribune editorial writer said it best, “If you’re ever in trouble, forget Superman – get in touch with Wonder Woman.” After seeing the movie, I know I would.

Not much treasure in Pirates 5

Tough choices (sometimes) abound when trying to pick a movie worth seeing and writing about. You, dear reader, stay home until there is a film you want to see. I don’t have that option, as my column deadline comes every two weeks, like it or not. I worked hard to narrow the choices and ended up with two possible picks.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are back

First things first. Why would an old (very old) codger like me go to a movie like this one, designed exclusively for millennials and younger? The answer is simple: grandchildren, three of them in their teens.

Polar opposites

Two movies this week, one a scary look at California style liberalism spreading like wildfire around the world. The other is an earthy look at the real world.