Film

HOLLYWOOD—Ever since “Bridesmaids” arrived in theaters, there has been this trend of comedies attempting to match that magic that was captured by Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and the rest of the gang. The latest flick to jump into that realm is “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” starring Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick and Aubry Plaza. Before we get...

BEVERLY HILLS—We have been patiently waiting, but at long last the granddaddy of all award shows, the Academy Awards released the contenders for 2019, and to say there were a few surprises was an understatement. The nominees were announced by actor Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross. The banter between these two as they delivered the nominees was hilarious;...

HOLLYWOOD—Actress Olivia Mary De Havilland died Sunday, July 26, at her home in Paris, France where she lived for almost 60 years. She died at the age of 104 of natural causes making her the last major surviving star of the Golden Age Era of Hollywood. She was the longest living cast member of the Oscar-winning film, "Gone With...

HOLLYWOOD—I was a huge fan of the “The Maze Runner” when it exploded onto the screen in 2014. The movie came out of nowhere and was absolutely thrilling and fun to watch. Less than a year later, we have its sequel “The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.” Unfortunately, that feverish intensity, unique narrative and character growth that the first...

HOLLYWOOD—I will say it now: Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell are comedy gold. At first it may not seem like it, but if you saw “The Other Guys,” it was the first time the actors partnered together for the 2010 comedy. I honestly cannot recall the last time I laughed so hard in the theater that my stomach hurt....

HOLLYWOOD—While channel surfing something hit me, as a movie marathon of all Alfred Hitchcock classics were playing for like 2 days. As a film student, I deciphered, ripped apart and overanalyzed so many films by Alfred Hitchcock it took the fun out of the flicks for me including the films “The Birds” and “Rope” America. However, it hit me...

HOLLYWOOD—It’s amazing how powerful an animated film can be, particularly on adults. The new Pixar flick “Inside Out” tackles an issue that affects many youngsters as well as adults: our emotions. Emotions are aren’t always easy to describe, however we all have those core emotions that are integral to our daily lives. The film revolves around Riley Anderson (voice of...

HOLLYWOOD—Oscar nominations came out this past week, but that will unlikely have little impact on the winners for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The SAG Awards are a major predictor of where Oscar could be headed. Why is this interesting? There were people nominated for Oscar who were not nominated for a SAG Award. In addition, some people nominated...

SANTA MONICA—Well awards season continues to be a whirlwind. The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards were held on Saturday, February 27, one day before the Academy Awards and the night’s big winner was “Spotlight” taking home a total of four awards including Best Feature. It was also a good night for Tom McCarthy who won the award for Best...

HOLLYWOOD—Who knew that nearly 20 years later, the film arena would receive another installment in “The Matrix” universe. I mean when this movie hit theaters in 1999 it changed filmmaking as we know it. It was a visual masterpiece, game changing and absolutely fun people. It is the only movie till this day that I can recall when it...