JCast Network: Recent Episodes
JCast Network
In this episode of The JCast Journey, host Darone Ruskay returns for his semi-annual request for support. Have you been listening to JCast Network podcasts for days, weeks, months, years? Well as we say, podcasts are free to listen to, but not free to produce. Darone discusses some the cost of keeping the network afloat, and […]
First off I must say that British actor Tom Holland is my favorite Spider-Man ever and this reboot, directed by Jon Watts, is my favorite film in the Marvel ‘spider’ franchise.
What makes this film work so well, is that it’s your basic coming of age story, filled with all the issues that you’d expect to find in this kind of genre. In case you’ve forgotten what some of those issues are, they include; teen angst, first love, major crushes, and in this case, getting up the nerve to ask the prettiest girl in school to a dance. The only difference is this teen comedy has a super hero and his name is Peter Parker (Tom Holland) aka Spider-Man.
After his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home to Queens to live with his Aunt May (the lovely Marisa Tomei). Peter goes back to high school, tries to be just a ‘normal’ guy, falls for a beautiful senior, Liz (Laura Harrier) and hangs out with his genius schoolmate (Zendaya) and his science nerd buddy, Ned (Jacob Battalion) who at the beginning of the film has no idea that Peter is Spider-Man.
At the same time, Peter is being mentored by Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man (The super funny Robert Downey Jr. ) who becomes a father figure to him. Tony just wants Peter to finish high school and put the Super Hero stuff aside. He sends his right hand man, Happy (Jon Favreau) to make sure he does just that.
But going back to an ordinary life proves impossible for Peter. He winds up putting on the Spider-Man suit and becomes the neighborhood super-hero which doesn’t make Stark very happy. Things really heat up when Peter decides to go after Vulture (The wonderful Michael Keaton), your basic evil dude who wants to destroy the Washington Monument, the Staten Island Ferry and perhaps the world.
I saw ‘Spider-Man: The Homecoming’ in 3D and I highly recommend doing the same. The film which opens July 7th 2017 has everything you could want in a super hero movie. Don’t miss it.
‘The War For The Planet of the Apes’ takes places two years after ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Most of the human race across the globe have been wiped out by the outbreak of the ALZ113 V, aka the Simian Virus, while the ape population has thrived and grown in numbers.
Caesar (the incredible Andy Serkis) the leader of the apes is hiding out with his wife Cornella (Judy Geer) and their new born son along with his fellow simians in Muir Woods north of San Francisco. At first look, their life could be seen as idyllic. Unfortunately that is not the case. They must always be on the lookout for the remaining soldiers, who under the orders of the psychopathic Colonel (Woody Harrelson) want nothing more than to kill them.
As the film begins, the apes are attacked by the soldiers and suffer many casualties including the death of Caesar’s wife. Caesar wanted nothing more than to live in peace with the humans, but now he’s forced to wrestle with his darker instincts and begin his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
When Caesar and the Colonel are finally face to face they are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of mankind.
‘The War For The Planet of the Apes’ directed brilliantly by Matt Reeves is everything a person could want in a the final film of a trilogy. It has a first rate story filled with breathtaking scenery, complex characters (the apes not the humans) and edge of your seat action sequences.
The cast including a simian called Bad Ape (the very funny Steve Zahn), Maurice, (Krin Konoval) the overgrown orgatang with a heart of gold, and Caesar’s youngest son Cornelius (Devyn Dalton) are pitch perfect in their performances.
Lastly, Michael Giacchino has created an incredible score that pushes the film’s momentum forward.
‘War For The Planet of the Apes opens in theaters July 14th, 2017 and it’s a definite must see
I’d Go Riding With This Dude Anytime
‘Baby Driver’ is by far the best film of the summer. I went to the press screening a few days ago and have not stopped thinking about it nor have I stopped playing the fantastic sound track.
Edgar Wright (‘Shaun of the Dead’, Scott Pilgrim vs.the World’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘The World’s End’) has written and directed one of the most exciting, original, explosive awesome films of 2017.
Baby (Ansel Elgort) an innocent looking getaway driver gets hardened criminals from point A. to point B. and he does it with daredevil flair and a personal soundtrack running through his head. That’s because his escape route is plotted to the beat of specific tunes that go from his well-curated iPod straight to his ears, and which translate into expertly timed hairpin turns, gear shifts and evasive maneuvers that leave his passengers and the audience on the edge of their seat.
Wright has given us an action thriller that mixtures killer driving with killer music unlike anything we have every seen. Baby works for Doc (the wonderful Kevin Spacey), a kingpin on a lucky streak of brash daytime bank heists, thanks in part to his faith in Baby’s auto acumen. Doc’s go-to professionals include former Wall Street type turned outlaw Buddy (Jon Hamm), Buddy’s young hot partner in crime, Darling (Eliza Gonzalex) and the impulsive, gun slinging Bats (Jamie Foxx) whose suspicions about Baby begin to create a dangerous rift in an until then smooth running operation.
Of course there’s the good girl, (there’s always one of those) and in this case her name is Debora (Lily James) a waitress at the local diner. It doesn’t take long for Baby to fall for her and question the choices he’s made in life.
‘Baby Driver’ opens on June 28th 2017 and if there’s only one film you see this year, make it this one.
Many people, including myself, weren’t that crazy about Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’. People found it confusing and not up to the original ‘Alien’ film. Well guess what? Mr. Scott has completely redeemed himself with his new film ‘Alien Convenant’ It is absolutely fantastic. and if you’re a fan, you will not be disappointed.
Not wanting to give too much away, the ‘Alien Covenant’ is a sequel to Prometheus which came out in 2012. The film which takes place in 2104 stars the wonderful Michael Fassbender as the android Walter and David, Katherine Waterston (yes she’s the Sigourney Weaver of the film), Billy Crudup, as the reluctant ship’s Captain, and Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez Nathaniel Dean, and Demian Bichir who make up the other members of the crew.
They are responsible for getting their 2000 plus passengers to an uncharted planet which will become their new home. When the film opens everyone, except for Walter, the android, are in suspended animation aboard the colony ship Covenant. Through an unforeseen circumstance, the crew is awaken. Their ship has been damaged and they don’t think they will reach their destination which is still seven years away. Against his better judgement, the Captain decides to land on an uncharted planet. It’s here they meet the android David, sole survivor of the ill-fated Prometheus expedition. Read more…At first, he acts like the perfect host, but soon David and the planet are revealed to be far more dangerous than the crew could every imagine.
‘Alien Convenant’ written by John Logan and Dante Harper is the second installment in the Alien prequel series. There will be one more film which leads up to the original ‘Alien’ film.
‘Alien Convenant’ is exciting, intense, scary as hell and surprising. The film opens Friday, May 19, 2017. Don’t miss it.
Guardians of the Galaxy is back. In case you need a refresher course, they include: Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves called the Ravagers. Because Quill saved so many people in the first film, he is now quite famous and renowned for his fighting abilities. Also back is Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a former bad girl, Drax,(Dave Bautista) a highly skilled warrior who also happens to be extremely funny; Baby Groot, the most adorable tree-like humanoid you will ever meet voiced by Vin Diesel; and finally Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, a genetically engineered raccoon bounty hunter and mercenary.
When the film begins we find out that they’ve been hired by Ayesha, (Elizabeth Debicki) the golden High Priestess and leader of the Sovereign race to protect their valuable batteries from an inter dimensional monster, known as the Abilsk. In exchanged they agree to give them Gamora’s estranged sister, Nebula, (Karen Gillan) who was caught attempting to steal the batteries.
Things go smoothly at first, but then Rocket decides to steal some of the batteries for himself. Not a good move. The Sovereign attacks the Guardians ship with a fleet of drones. Lucky for our super heroes, the drones are destroyed by a mysterious figure, but the Guardians are forced to crash land on a nearby planet.
Turns out their savior is a dude name Ego, (Kurt Russell) who just happens to be Quill’s long lost father…But that’s not all. He’s also one of the Gods known as Celestials and exists in the form of the living planet that the Guardians now find themselves.
Ego assumes human form to travel the universe and interact with other species, eventually meeting and falling in love with “Quill’s human mother. which makes Quill half God.
There is so much more to the plot of ‘Guardians’ which is brilliantly directed by James Gunn, as well as many more characters, including, Michael Rooker as Fondu Udonta, a blue skinned buccaneer who is the leader of the Ravagers and a fatherly figure to Quill, as well as Ego’s pet adorable empath, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) Even Sylvester Stallone makes an appearance as Stakar Ogord, a high ranking Ravager.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2’ shot in 3D is exciting, extremely funny with a killer music score (especially if you’re a fan of songs from the 70’s-80’s) which drives the film.. It also has gorgeous visuals and killer action scenes. Lastly the film is quite touching with its message about friendship and family. The film which opens in theatre May 5th is a must see for fans and non fans alike.
Logan (Hugh Jackman) is not the same superhero that he once was. He’s tired. He’s old, he may be dying and he drives a limo.
That’s right, our super hero mutant is a limo driver. If that’s not bad enough, Logan’s BFF/mentor, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) now 90 years old, is suffering from brain seizures that paralyze everyone around him, making him a major danger to mutants and non mutants alike.
When the film opens the year is 2029 and for Logan is living in El Paso under his original name, James Howlett. He has not aged well and his powers are failing. His deadly razor claws no longer pop out of his hand easily and his ability to regenerate are waning.
When Logan’s not driving inebriated teens to the prom in a beat up limo, he spends his time taking care of Charles, who he has hidden away in an old farm near the Mexican border. Charles only other companion is the albino telepath, Caliban (Stephan Merchant) who plays nursemaid to him.
Logan just wants to live out his remaining days in peace, but what kind of movie would that be. Through a series of circumstances, he winds up being the protector of a 11 year old, mutant named Laura (the wonderful Dafne Keen). She doesn’t speak but her mutant powers, thanks to experiments done by the evil Doctor Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant) are deadly.
Logan discovers that Zander has created kid mutants by using the sperm of other mutants and Laura is not the only one. She is however to Logan’s shock, his daughter. I don’t know why it’s such a surprise to him, considering that, just like Logan, she has razor blades that pop out of her hand at will. This however happens quite often, since Laura has a really bad temper, making her one girl you do not want to mess with.
When the Doctor realizes that the child mutants he created aren’t going to be the killing machines he imagined, he decides to kill every one of them. Luckily before this horrific deed could be carried out, the kind staff at the lab, help the kids escape.
Terrified that his illegal experiments will be revealed, he sends his army of super soldiers led by cyborg, Daniel Pierce (Robert Boyd Holbrook) to round them up, starting with Laura.
After being attacked by Zander’s army and despite trying his best not to get involve, Logan decides to save his daughter. He piles the girl, Charles and Caliban into his limo and they make a run for it.
‘Logan’ directed by James Marigold (‘Wolverine) has given us one of the darkest films in the ‘X Men’ franchise and it works brilliantly. It is ultra violent, very serious and surprisingly, incredibly emotional. This is a very intimate study of a super hero that hasn’t been done before in films of this genre. It absolutely works on every level.
This must see film, written by Marigold along with Michael Green and Scott Frank 0pens in theaters, March 3rd. Don’t miss it.
According to writers, Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Tony Gilroy the wall was built to keep out monsters; big, bad, souless monsters that resemble gigantic prehistoric reptiles, who swarm the wall every 60 years to kill and bring the dead bodies back to their Queen so she can eat. Apparently, her royal majesty has a ravenous appetite.
When the film opens, we meet William (Matt Damon) a mercenary in China during the Song dynasty. He and his crew, consisting of twenty men, are searching for black powder to bring back to Europe and sell for major bucks.
Unfortunately, things aren’t going smoothly for the group. They are pursued by Khitan bandits, who wind up killing everyone except William, his sidekick, Tovar (Pedro Pascal) and two others.
The four men seek refuge in a nearby cave, but are soon attacked by an invisible monster. Even though they didn’t see it, they know it’s a monster because Tovar slashed off the creature’s arm and it definitely did not belong to a human.
The next day, with the creature’s arm in hand, they head out and stumble upon The Great Wall. Before they can take in the beautiful scenery, they are taken prisoner by Chinese soldiers who belong to a secretive military sect called The Nameless Order, led by General Shao (Zhang Hanyu)
When William shows the General the arm, he tells them that it belongs to the Taotie (their name for the monsters) which they believe were originally sent from the gods to punish the Emperor for abusing his authority way back when. Actually a meteorite probably brought them, but why bother with scientific fact.
The Order has been training for the last sixty years in preparation for the Taotie’s return and now the time has come. Luckily, the General’s second in command is a beautiful Chinese woman named Lin Mae (Tian Jing) who speaks perfect english, thanks to a man named Sir Ballard (Willem Dafoe) who they captured some 25 years ago. Otherwise, William and Tovar wouldn’t have a clue to what is going on.
‘The Great Wall’ brilliantly directed by Yimou Zhang (‘House of the Flying Daggers’) is an epic action fantasy with amazing special effects, dazzling visuals, incredible stunts, breathtaking battle scenes and fantastic set pieces. But that’s not all it is. This is a film about people from two different worlds coming together to fight a common enemy and in turn, they come to understand and respect on another.
I saw ‘The Great Wall’ which opens in theaters February 17, 2017 in 3D and I recommend you do the same. I absolutely love this film and for that reason, I gave it five bagels out of five.
The Boogeyman Is Back And He’s Taking No Prisoners
Poor John Wick (Keanu Reeves) All he wants to do is lead a quiet life and play with his dog. Unfortunately, his associates have other plans for him.
‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ brilliantly directed by Chad Stahelski (‘John Wick’) and written by Derek Kolstad (‘John Wick’, ‘The Following’) opens with John retrieving his beloved 1969 Mustang from the Russian mobsters who stole it. Of course this doesn’t come easy. After slaying what seems like every Russian bad guy on planet earth, John is pursued by the remaining ones in a spectacular high speed car chase through crowded New York streets.
Of course John comes out the winner and heads back home. But before he can put his feet up and relax, he gets a visit from Italian gangster, Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who brings with him a gold ‘marker’ which John gave to him in order to take early retirement.
This ‘marker’ means that John is obligated to fulfill Santino’s simple request: to kill his sister, Gianna (Claudia Gerini) the ruthless capo of the Italian Camorra crime syndicate, so he can take her seat on the High Table. a place where all the different organized crime groups from around the world come together.
John refuses (bad move) and suffers the consequences. Santino burns down his house. Distraught after losing the one remaining thing that connects him to his late wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan) John and his dog head over to his home away from home, The Continental, run by Winston (Ian McShane) who also happens to be kingpin of the secret assassin society that John is a part of.
Winston orders him to respect the organization’s accent code and accept the assignment. John realizes he has no choice and reluctantly agrees. He leaves his dog with the Continental’s concierge (the wonderful, Lance Reddick) and flies off to Rome.
Before he can get over his jet lag, John checks in at Il Continentale headquarters, arms himself to the teeth and penetrates heavy Camorra security to surprise Gianna in her bedroom. But before John can commit the deed, Gianna, who apparently is a bit of control freak, helps him out. She sinks into her enormous bathtub and slices her wrists.
So is John free now that he carried out the assignment and fulfilled his marker? Not quite. It seems Santino doesn’t want any witnesses left and sends his army of bad, bad dudes after John.
Of course, our super assassin takes out most of them and flees Rome. Unfortunately, he’s missed a couple, Cassian (Common and deaf, Aries (Ruby Rose) The two happen to be Camorra’s best and brightest killers and they won’t give up until John is dead. So of course they follow him back to the Big Apple to complete their assignment.
Back home John seeks help from the mysterious Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and his shadow army of homeless killers, but in the end, he relies on his own brilliant fighting skills. Remember he’s the guy that can take someone out with a simple pencil.
‘John Wick: Chapter 2 is one of the most violent films I’ve seen in a long time, but the violence is absolutely dazzling. It’s like one big beautiful intense dance and Keanu who does a lot of his own stunts, once again nails it.
What makes’John Wick: Chapter 2’ which opens today, Friday, February 11, 2017, so good is that we see this man trying to preserve his own his humanity despite all the carnage around him. That is why I gave it five bagels out of five and if you’re a fan of this genre, do not miss this film.
I loved ‘Hidden Figures’ so much that I saw it twice and I’d probably see it again. It is one of the most inspiring, touching films I’ve seen in a long time. It’s also a film that reminds us about a time when mankind seemed to forget that we were all created equal.
It’s 1961 when we first meet three incredible women, Kathleen G. Johson (the fantastic Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monal) driving down a lone road in Hampton Virigina when their Chevy Impala breaks down.
Dorothy is in the middle of fixing it, when a sherif pulls up next to them in his cruiser. This being the segregated south, we all know what kind of sheriff this guy is…A good old white boy. The tension is high as he gets out of his car. It’s obvious he’s about to give the ladies a hard time, until he find out that they work at NASA. He’s so impressed, that he escort them personally to the gates of Langley..
Kathleen, Dorothy, and Mary are three of the many black women who worked at NASA in a segregated department known as Colored Computers. Yep, the woman were called Computer simply because they computed. They checked the work of the white male engineers who performed the calculations for future space travel.
These women had their own ‘colored’ bathroom and despite their brilliance they were treated like second class employees..
Dorothy runs the department and every morning her cold, tightly wound boss, Vivian Michael (Kirsten Dunst) hands her the daily assignments to give out to the ladies. When Dorothy inquires about the supervisor job she applied for, since she already does the work of a supervisor, Vivian instantly rebuffs her by telling her in an extremely condescending way not to count on it and to be happy she has a job.
One day, the mathematical genius, Kathleen is promoted to a job that includes working with the Space Task Group, where the head, Col. Al Harrison (the excellent Kevin Costner) is too busy to notice the shabby treatment Kathleen is given.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film has to do with Kathleen running over a mile twice a day so she can use the colored bathroom located in a different building.
Mary Jackson dreams of being an engineer but that would require her taking courses at a segregated high school. Another memorable scene is when she goes before the judge to get his permission.
‘Hidden Figures’ is filled with one powerful scene after another. You leave the theatre realizing that we might never have made it into space if it wasn’t for Kathleen Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.
The movie directed by Theodore Melfi (St.Vincent) who also co-wrote it with Allison Schroeder is based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book of the same name. . I gave ‘Hidden “Figures’ which opens in theaters, friday January 6th five bagels out of five. Don’t miss it.
Once upon a time far far away in another galaxy Star Wars was born.
Well it wasn’t really another galaxy where it was born, but that’s where the action takes place. ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is part one of an anthology. The film is set in a time way before we get to meet the iconic characters known as Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo and Princess Lea.
The film starts with a battle raging between the rebel forces and the Galactic Empire. We meet a young girl named Jyn Erso whose father, Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) is a brilliant scientist. She watches as her mother is killed and her father is whisked away by the Imperial army, but not before daddy tells her to hid. Jyn does just that until she’s rescued by Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), an extremist militant who you may remember from ‘Clone Wars’.
We flash forward to Jyn all grown up and beautifully played by Felicity Jones. She hooks up with renegade imperial pilot (Riz Ahmed), plus a hard-boiled resistance type (Diego Luna), a blind monk (Donnie Yen) who walks around chanting ‘The force is with me. I am the force’ over and over again. Unfortunately he sounds like a informercial for positive thinking and I did find this part of the film kind of cheesy.
Also in the crew is a bearded sword fighter (Wen Jiang) who looks out for the monk. And last but definitely not least is a sarcastic droid voiced perfectly by Alan Tudyk. I mean what would ‘Star Wars’ be without a sarcastic droid?
Now that we met the good guys, we take a walk over to the dark side, aka The Galactic Empire, where Galen unwillingly has invented a weapon known as the DEATH STAR. This weapon can wipe out planets in a blink of an eye. This makes not only the Emperor thrilled, but his super evil, creepy, side kick, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) who prefers to wear white no matter what the season, over the moon joyous.
Okay to summarize, we have a really really bad weapon in the hands of some really, really bad dudes, which of course leaves only one choice for the rebels…steal the design schematics so the weapon will never be completed. What could be easier?
To say anymore would be a SPOILER. But what I will say is that fans of this franchise will not be disappointed. It’s exciting, fun, humorous, with great special effects. I gave ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ four bagels out of five. The film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy opens in theaters Friday, December 16th. Love to know what you think.
When I saw ‘Whiplash‘ I knew I was seeing the birth of a brilliant director and now with Damien Chazelle’s latest film, ‘La La Land‘ he more than proves I was right. This flm is not only a beautiful homage to the musicals of long ago, but it’s a bittersweet love story that you will remember well after the credits roll.
The film opens on a crowded Los Angeles freeway in winter where frustrated drivers break out in song and dance. Sometime I myself have dreamed about doing many times when I’ve been stuck on the 405.
One of the drivers happens to be Mia (Emma Stone) who works as barista on a studio lot . Of course, this being La La Land, she’s also an aspiring actress. Now we all know that every actress/actor does their best preparation for an audition in their car and that is unfortunately the case where Mia is concerned.
She becomes very distrated and this leads to a moment of road rage between her and another lucky driver, named Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) who happens to be a struggling jazz pianist.
Well Mia’s audition doesn’t go too well so her three roommates, in an attempt to cheer her up, invite her to a lavish party downtown, where of course we have more singing and dancing. Bored, Mia leaves the party, and discovers her car is towed. Not a good day for our budding actress. She’s forced to walk home.
Meanwhile, Sebastian isn’t doing much better. He’s playing a gig at a restaurant, a job he absolutely hates, since the owner Bill, (J.K. Simmons) won’t let him play any jazz. He has to follow a song list and from the look on his face, he is anything but happy. So what does he do? Play his own music of course and winds up getting fired, but not before, Emma walks into the restaurant and hears him play. She goes to compliment him, but Sebastian brushes her off.
Months later, Mia is at another party and notices Sebastian again, now a keyboardist for a 1980’s pop cover band. After several more encounters, which includes several more musical numbers, the couple finally connect and yes, they fall in love and move in together.
If I say anything else, it will definitely fall into the SPOILER category, which is the last thing I want to do. But I will say that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are just wonderful and if the film doesn’t get a Best Picture Win, I will be surprised.
I gave ’La La Land’ which opened in theatres Friday, December 9th, five bagels out of five. Do not miss it.
Warren Beatty has wanted to do this film for decades and he finally has. I have to say it was definitely worth the wait. ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ written and directed by Beatty is absolutely wonderful.
The year is 1958. A beautiful young actress wannabe, Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins) has come to Hollywood with her over protective Baptist mom, Lucy (Annette Bening) to be one of Howard Hughes contract players.
She is among 25 other gorgeous young females who get paid $400.00 a week, plus their own house and personal driver. They all share one thing in common. That Hughes will give them a screen test and they will become a star.
Hughes has several rules of course. The hopeful starlets cannot interact with their drivers or have sex with anyone on his primarily Mormon male staff.
As Lily waits patiently for her screen test, she develops a friendship with her driver, Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich) who eventually becomes Hughes close confidant. This becomes a big problem for both of them when their friendship turns into something much more.
What’s the most interesting thing about the film is Hughes himself. During this time, he was very reclusive, extremely eccentric and a drug addict after his almost near fatal plane crash.. His business associates at TWA are starting to think that he is senile since he refuses to meet with them. Hughes prefers to hang outing his bedroom eating ice cream.
One day he does emerge and he meets Lily. The two of them wind up developing a close but odd friendship and she begins to suspect, the promised screen-test will never come. .
‘Rules Don’t Apply’ is funny, sad, romantic and but most important it gives a us a glimpse into a brilliant man who changed aviation forever.
I gave the film which opens in theatre, Wednesday November 23, five bagels out of five. Don’t miss it.
The Aliens Have Landed and They Have Something to Say Unfortunately no one speaks their language.
‘Arrival is based on Ted Chiang’s ‘Story of Your Life’ but I wouldn’t read his short story until you see the film. When the movie begins, it is already established that aliens have landed on 12 different locations on planet earth. Their ships are around 1500 feet tall and look like huge black oval eggs.
Are they friendly? Why are they here? and What do they want?. So many questions, which is a very big problem since no one can figure out how to communicate with these visitors from outer space. That is, until military man Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) brings in brilliant linguist, Louise Banks (played beautifully by Amy Adams).
Louise is happy (more or less) working at a university in the Northeast, and the last thing she wants is to be whisked away by a bunch of military men and taken to one of the landing sites where the aliens have parked spaceships.
What’s so wonderful about ‘Arrival’ is that we experience the film through Louise’s character. We see flashbacks of her life with her daughter, and this gives her a lovely vulnerability and sadness. We experience her going through a mourning process at the loss of her child as she tries harder and harder to connect to the aliens. She must find a way to communicate with them before the world blows them apart. Yes folks, once again, humans want to destroy that which they do not understand.
Louise delves head-on into learning the aliens’ language. To do so, she must get face to face with them, which means boarding their ship, which is no easy task. Luckily, she has physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to help her on her journey. His approach is much different than her’s. He believes mathematics is the way to go.
One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Louise is about to meet the aliens. Amy conveys every emotion her character is going through, and in turn you go through it them with her. There are two aliens on the ship and Louise names them Abbot and Costello. Of course it takes her awhile to get used to their appearance. These guys are no E.T. They are ugly and scary-looking. Turns out Abbot and Costello are Heptapods, which means they have seven long legs like an octopus, with equally long arms that seem to have starfish attached to them.
As Louise visits with the dynamic duo from beyond our galaxy, she slowly learns their language and how to communicate with them. When she finally understands why they are here (plus a couple of other things I don’t want to mention for fear of spoiling the fun), Louise realizes that everything she believed about time is false.
“Arrival,” written by Eric Heisserer, is a emotionally moving, exciting and intense film that asks the question, “If you knew everything that was going to happen in your life, is there anything you would do differently?” You may leave the theater with questions, and even some confusion, but eventually its meaning will become clear, especially when you discuss it other members of the audience.
“Arrival” opens in theaters today, Friday, November 11 and I gave it 5 bagels out of 5. Don’t miss it.
‘Doctor Strange’ is absolutely wonderful and I loved every single second of it. The Doctor, played impeccible by Benedict Cumberbatch (who knew the dude could be so sexy?) is a different kind of superhero. Yes, he can fight but he uses the powers of mysticism to defeat his enemies instead of just brawn.
When we first meet the Strange, it’s obvious that he is brilliant and a complete insufferable narcissist. The dude has a major attitude and one that is not very appealing.
Well it doesn’t take long before Strange finds his perfect, controlled world turned upside down. It comes in the form of a major car crash that Strange survives but at a very big price. His hands are so severly damaged that he may never operate again.
The world Strange knows just might be gone forever. This sends the him into a downward spirial that even his girlfriend, Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) can’t get him out of.
After searching for a cure in traditional medicine and not finding one, he meets a man anmed Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt) who broke his back but somehow learned to heal himself. When Stange presses him for more information, Pangborn tells him to go to Kathmandu in Nepal.
Despite his intense scepticism, he takes Pangborn’s advice he heads to Tibet and finds Kathmandu. it’s here he meets Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who after turning him away, eventually winds up taking Strange to meet his master, The Ancient played by the brilliant Tilda Swinton.
To say Strange thinks this whole thing is one big joke is an understatement, but to his credit, he doesn’t run away. Instead he slowly lets go of all of his baggage and allows The Ancient to become his teacher and through extraordinarily hard work, Strange finds himself on the physical and spirtual journey of his life. One that could mean the end of the earth and mankind as we know it.
For those familiar with the comic, I promise you won’t be disappointed and for those that aren’t, you will definitely NOT be disappointed.
‘Dr. Strange’ directed by Scott Derrickson who also co-wrote the film is a feast for the eyes. I saw it in IMAX 3D and it was one visually wild ride. Cumberbatach’s Strange has perfect comic timing, his wit is sharp and he makes a perfect Dr. Strange.
I gave ‘Dr. Strange’ which opens in theatres Friday, November 5th five bagels out of five. Don’t miss it.
”I have read every single book that Lee Child’s has written and to say I am a huge fan is an understatement. What makes Child so unique is that he only writes about one character – Jack Reacher.
When I first heard that Cruise had the rights to the books, I was really upset. Reacher is over 6 feet 5inches, and weights 250 pounds. Need I say more? Okay I will. Reacher is anything but slick. Tom Cruise no matter what character he plays, always comes off as…slick. So you can understand why I had a big problem with him playing this character.
Jack Reacher is a drifter. He wears his clothes until they get dirty, then he throws them away and buys some more at a thrift store.
He doesn’t live anywhere, doesn’t have a bank account and travels around the country on a bus. People in trouble usually just bump into him and of course he helps. Reacher was a Major in an elite military police unit and still has a few friends in the army.
When the film opens, there’s a shot of several guys lying on the ground. It’s obvious that they were badly beaten up. Inside a diner is Reacher and from the bruises on his face, we know that he’s the one kicked their butts.
When the police go to arrest him, he tells them in two seconds the phone on the wall will ring and you guys are going to be in big trouble. That’s all I’m going to say but it’s a very clever scene and gives great insight into Reacher’s character.
After that opening, it doesn’t take long for Reacher to be drawn back into the life he left behind. His friend and successor, Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is framed for espionage. Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to expose the real perpetrators behind the killings of two former soldiers.
This takes the audience on a really fun ride which includes great stunts (mostly performed by Tom), killer fight scenes, chases, twists and turns, which finally leads us to New Orleans where there’s a very big parade going on celebrating Halloween.
One of my favorite parts of the film is Reacher’s relationship with a fifteen year old girl, Samantha (the wonderful Danika Varosh) who may or may not be his daughter. It’s in Cruise’s scenes with her that he gets to show another side of Reacher and it’s really quite endearing.
There’s also a great character known as The Hunter played by Patrick Heusinger who’s quite good at playing a sociopathic killer who’s determined to take down Reacher and make him suffer big time.
I give ‘Jack Reacher Never Back Down’ directed and co-written by Edward Zwick, which opens in theaters, Friday October 21st, 4 bagels out of five with lox, cream cheese, capers and the works. Don’t miss it.
I have one word for ‘The Accountant’…Awesome…I have one word to describe Ben Affleck’s performance….Freakin Fantastic. Okay that’s two words, but this is one of his best performances in years.
‘The Accountant’ directed by Gavin O’Connor is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the end. I won’t say too much about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away.
Affleck plays (Christian Wolf, who is a math savant with an over the top affinity for numbers. Behind the cover of a small town CPA office, Wolf works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most criminal organizations. Needless to say he assumes many different identities and so for years it has worked perfectly until…
The Treasury Department Enforcement Division run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons) starts to close in. It’s then that Wolfe takes on a legitimate client, a state of the art robotics company where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. The company is run by John Lithgow and his sister, Jean Smart. As Christian gets close to uncovering the truth, bodies start piling up.
There’s much more to the story, with great twists you won’t see coming, but I will say Christian just happens to be a crack shot. What’s wondering about Affleck’s performance is has a profound understanding how each little mannerism shapes who he is. Christin is someone who’s incredibly smart, but the character is also physically imposing and strong. It’s also great to watch him with Anna Kendrick) You could see that he has no idea how to interact with a woman and that makes him even more engaging.
I gave “The Accountant’ which opened Friday, October 14th 5 bagels out of 5. You can also here more of my thought on the film on my youtube channel This is one film you don’t want to miss.
I went to this screening dreading the brutality I knew I was about to witness. Films about slavery and the holocaust always have the same affect on me…They wipe me out emotionally and no many how many times I see movies that deal with these horrific events, it’s still hard to fathom that ‘man’ could commit these atrocities.
Unfortunately, watching ‘The Birth of a Nation’ written, directed by Nate Parker, who also starred in the film, I felt strangely detached. I was not emotionally moved. I don’t know if this was caused by the fact that Parker did too many things and lost his objectivity, but the film just lacked the power that I expected it to have.
Nat Turner was a slave who became a preacher. He told his flock that he spoke with ‘the Spirit’ and his slave owner, Armie Hammer used him to appease other unhappy slaves on neighboring plantations.
In the beginning, his preaching was benign but that soon changes when his wife Cherry Ann (Aia Naomi King) is beaten and raped by several slave catchers, but what finally pushes him over the edge, is when he sees another woman, Esther (Gabrielle Union) get raped with Nat’s owner’s blessing. That’s it for him…Nat’s days of being a peaceful warrior for God are over.
The film is filled with white folks doing the most horrible, vile deeds that you’d expect to find in a movie about slavery, including Jackie Earle Haley, a so called policeman, whose sole job is protecting the slave owners from their slaves and preventing their escapes.
By the time Turner decides to rebel it’s almost anti-climatic. It seems like an after thought. Yes all these monstrous things happened, but Parker seems to be hitting you over the head with it. I kept flashing back to ’12 Years of a Slave’ which was one of the most powerful, moving films on this subject that I’ve seen in a long time; No wonder it won an Oscar.
‘The Birth of a Nation’ opens in theaters today, Friday October 7, 2016 and I gave it 3 bagels out of five.
The first thing you’re probably wondering is if I read the book. The answer to that is yes.
And then you might be wondering, did I like the book? The answer to that is, “No, I LOVED the book.” The novel, in case you don’t know, was a huge success and at the top of the bestseller list in 2015. It was written by Paula Hawkins and I can’t wait for her next book.
Lastly, you might be wondering if I like the film, and the answer to that is a resounding, “NO.” Not only didn’t I like the film, it actually annoyed me.
First problem: The book was set in England, which gave it a certain neighborhood feel, a certain texture…The houses were close together, and small enough that you could easily believe that a person looking through the windows would have no trouble checking out what was going on inside.
For some ridiculous reason, the director Tate Taylor decided to set the story in New York, but I don’t even think it was filmed in New York. It looked more like some place in Canada, but that’s beside the point. The houses were so large, and so far back from the train tracks that our main character, alcoholic Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), would have to have x-ray vision to peer inside and see what was going on. Also, these so-called New York houses were triple the size of the ones in England, so I found it hard to believe that she was able to look inside and see the habitants’ most intimate moments.
Second Problem: Without giving anything away, there was a character in the book who was Rachel’s friend. This character was extremely important in creating tension and giving insight into Watson’s psyche. Their relationship causes a great deal of stress and urgency for Rachel. In the film, they reduced this so-called friend/roommate to one or two lines.
Now that I’ve expressed what bothered me about the film, I should say something about the story. Rachel is an alcoholic, divorced and obsessed with her ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), and his beautiful new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). Since she has nothing better to do, Rachel takes every opportunity to harass the couple. Oh, did I mention the train she rides back and forth on always conveniently stops right outside of her ex’s house so she can spy on the happy couple? But they are not the only ones that catch Rachel’s eye.
She also manages to get a glimpse into the world of ultra-macho Scott Hopewell (Luke Evans), and his beautiful young girlfriend Megan (Haley Bennett), who ironically bears a strong resemblance to Anna, and who used to be her nanny. Sound complicated? Not really. Eventually the film turns into a murder mystery, but by that time, I’m exhausted and craving a glass of wine.
Emily Blunt is quite good as an alcoholic, but for me it was a little one note. The whole film felt rushed and underdeveloped. It would be interesting to see what reaction the people who haven’t read the book will have.
‘The Girl On a Train,’ written by Erin Cressida Wilson, opens in theaters Friday, October 7, 2016. I gave it three bagels out of five.
I was so excited to see the remake of ‘The Magnificent Seven when I heard that the wonderful action director, Antoine Fugua (‘Training Day’, ‘The Equalizer’ ‘Southpaw’) was at the helm. His always takes it a step up when it comes to directing action movies.
The first ‘Magnificent Seven’ was made in 1954 and it starred Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. It was actually a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’ which was set in the 1500’s.
In this version, Denzel Washington, is in the role Yul Brynner originated. He plays Sam Chisolm and you really don’t need to know much about him, except for the fact, that he looks great in black, has a beautiful horse, is a killer shot and has tons of charisma. It’s Denzel after all. Okay so, Sam gets hired by Emma Cullen (the wonderful Haley Bennet)and her brother, Matthew (Matt Bomer to help save their small farming town from a ruthless land baron, Mr. Bartholomew Bogue (the very thin and very slimy Peter Sarsgaard) who according to an article, gave up gluten and lost a ton of weight. Bogue is forcing the farmers to sell him their land so he can mine it for gold. The dude is a classic egomania with a narcissistic personality disorder. (Sound familiar?). For reasons I won’t go into, because it would be a spoiler, Sam agrees to take on the job. He then tracks down several BFF’S to help him with this impossible mission to defeat Bartholomew and his army of evil doers. They include, Chris Pratt (your basic great looking guy, with a charming personality who happens to be a crack shot);; the almost unrecognizable, Vincent D’Onofrio who likes to quote bible versus as he blows away bad guys, Ethan Hawke, who is suffering from PTSD and his sidekick Martin Sensmeier, as the Comanche Red Harvest, who is not only brilliant at face painting, but a master with the bow and arrow. Also in this wonderfully diverse cast is Manuel Garcia-Rulfo a Mexican bandit with a sense of humor almost good enough to play at the Comedy Store in Hollywood.
The film is shot beautifully and I’m sure you’ll be as riveted to the screen as I was.
Check out my video at youtube.com/twojewsonfilm to see how many bagels I gave ‘The Magnificent Seven’. (Hint: more than 4)and to meet my co-host Mango. ‘
‘Hail Caesar’ written and directed by the always interesting, extremely talented (Ethan and Joel) takes us back to the brothers do it in a way that will have you laughing out of your seats. At least I was. This is one clever, funny, engaging film. The Coen Bros have their own unique way of showing the absurdity in any situation and they certainly don’t let us down with their newest outing.
In the days of old in a place called Hollywood, you’d find a studio shooting several different films at the same time on their various sound stages. One stage, there’d be a singing cowboy sitting on his horse (who he’s obviously in love with) while on another, they’re would have a bunch of dancing/singing sailors, right next door to a large pool of water, filled with beautiful synchronized swimmers and a mermaid or two.
Of course there was always some big budget religious epic filled with evil Roman soldiers, slaves and ending with Jesus on the cross being shot.
When ‘Hail Caesar’ opens, we meet studio chief Eddie Mannix (the wonderful Josh Brolin) a man that goes to confession every 25 hours, lies to his wife about quitting smoking which he considers a big time sin and spends his days and nights putting out fires, be it rescuing a starlet from a very risque photo session or locating his missing star, Brad Whitlock, (George Cooney) who’s been kidnapped by communists.
If that’s not stressful enough, Mannix has to take orders from his money man in New York who decides that their singing cowboy star, Hobie Doyle (the very funny, Alden Ehrenreich) should be the romantic lead in a very high society comedy.This happens to be one of the funniest scenes in the film and a really bad idea, since Hobie’s talents extend to twirling a rope, singing and basically not speaking. When director Laurence Laurentz (the terrific Ralph Fiennes) tries to get Doyle to shed his cowboy twang and speak like a proper gentlemen I was laughing so hard tears were rolling down my face.
But that’s not the only funny scene. The film is filled with them including, one featuring Scarlett Johansson as an aquatic musical star DeeAnna Moran (think Esther Williams) who’s pregnant, not married and starting to show in her skin tight mermaid outfit followed by Mannix meeting with a group of clergymen trying to get their okay on his film about Jesus.
Having said all this, the one person that absolutely steals the film is Channing Tatum as a sailor who sings and tap dances in a brilliant a homage to the late great Gene Kelly, who I know would be proud. Last but definitely not least is the wonderful, Tilda Swinton (who I swear is an alien) She plays twin gossip columnists out to dig up dirt on the actors even when there isn’t any.
‘Hail Caesar! is Coen Bros at their best and it is a must see. For that reason I gave this film, which opens in theatres, Friday February 5 bagels out of 6. Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and I’d love to know what you think.
saw this film last night at the Disney Studios. There was more security there than at the airport, but you know what, I didn’t care. It was worth it. The film I saw was ‘Star Wars:The Force Awakens and recommend you do the same. The publicist asked that we all write our reviews without spoilers so I’ll try my best.
When the film opens, we find out through the familiar writing that comes floating up on the screen that 30 years after ”Return of the Jedi’, the Rebellion aka the Resistance and The over the top evil, First Order are still fighting, each one determined to destroy the other. That’s not the only thing they have in common. Both parties are searching for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) the last of the Jedis, Only problem is Luke has been in hiding for years and no one knows where he is.
We then encounter Finn (John Borega) a Storm Trooper in The First Order who has a heart – a big one. He escapes and along the way helps a resistance fighter pilot, Poe Dameran (Oscar Isaac) to do the same. Poe hides a map in the most adorable little droid, BB8 and tells Finn that if something happens to him, it’s imperative that he deliver the droid and the map to the Resistance, as it holds the key to finding Luke.
Only problem is Poe and Finn crash land on Jakku and their plane blows up. Finn thinks the Poe is dead. He makes his way through the desolate desert until he arrives at an outpost. It’s here Finn meets Rey (the wonderful Daisy Ridley) a scavenger, who lives on Jakku waiting for her parents to return. In the meantime, she must have taken some boxing lessons, cause she’s really good with her fists and other body parts. Through a series of circumstance, Finn and Rey join forces and make it their mission to get droid BB8 to the the Resistance.
To say more would ruin it, but I will say that along the way Rey and Finn meet up with Hans Solo (Harrison Ford), the very hairy and extremely lovable Chewie, as well as Princess Leia (Carey Fisher) who has now rose to the ranks of General and in charge of The Resistance. Oh, we also have a character who I like to call Darth Vadar light played by the wonderful Adam Driver. That’s all I will say about him to avoid spoilers.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ directed by J.J. Abrams, and written by him and Lawrence Kasdan is exciting, funny, wonderfully nostalgic and absolutely fantastic and a film you you do not want to miss. Even if you’ve never seen the first three ‘Star Wars’ it doesn’t matter. This film stands on its on.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ opens Thursday, December 17, 2015 and it definitely deserves the five bagels at five I gave it. Check out our video to see my very own Chewie.
It’s 1957 the height of the Cold War. There are spies everywhere in the U.S. and society is suffering from Red Scare fever.
It was a time of great distrust and fear. People were even building bomb shelters to escape the nuclear blast they believed could come at any time. How naive people were then.
‘Bridge Of Spies’ directly brilliantly by Steven Spielberg is a true story about a Brooklyn insurance lawyer, Jim Donovan who believes in the constitution and that everyone, no matter what their political persuasion, deserves justice. When he is asked to defend a Russian spy, Rudolf.Abel (the incredible Mark Rylance) does everything in his power to make sure, that despite being a spy, this man gets a fair trial.
Of course that isn’t going to happen considering the political climate. The trail is all about showing the world how democratic and fair we are. ‘. Along the way the two men develop a mutual respect and friendship with one another ..
As the country turns against Donovan for trying to give Rudolf justice, he finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on a secret unofficial near impossible mission…to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot and arrange a prisoner exchange.
Screenwriters Matt Charman and Ethan and Joel Coen have woven this remarkable experience in Donovan’s life into an exciting, tense, fascinating and at times humorous story about a man who risked everything to do the right thing.
‘The Bridge Of Spies’ which opens in theatre Friday October 16 is definitely an Oscar contender along with Hanks and Rylance. Do not miss it.
Check out my video to see how many bagels I gave this remarkable film…Hint…more than 4 1/2.
‘Steve Jobs’ directed by Danny Boyle and written by the uber talented Aaron Sorkin, is a journey into the mind of a visionary who changed our world. The man, Steve Jobs, brilliantly portrayed by Michael Fassbender could not write code but he had imagination and the smarts to surround himself with geniuses, including his partner tech wizard Steve Wozniack (Seth Rogen)/
The film is written in three acts consisting of a backstage crisis that unfolds in real time right before Jobs launches a new product…The Mac in 1984, the NeXT’s black cube in 1988 and finally the IMAC in 1998.It’s during these tense backstage moments, we get a great insight into Job’s abrasive, cruel, hurtful, selfish personality. We meet his high school girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) and their five year old daughter (the wonderful Makenzie Moss). Jobs denied that he was the child’s father for several years until he realized that Lisa was a genius in her own right.
Jobs was an obnoxious tyrant to practically everyone around him including his software designer, Andy Herzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg) who Jobs threatens to publicly humiliate unless he makes the MAC say hello. Jobs was a self centered control freak and it’s hard not to despise him for most of the film. The only person he treats with respect and at times listens to is Joanna Hoffman (the fabulous Kate Winslett). Joanna is his head of marketing as well as his pseudo wife/mother/friend and at rare times, Jobs’ conscience.
Sorkin writes with an intense musicality that keeps propelling the film forward making it absolutely riveting to watch.. The rest of the cast including, Jeff Daniels as the head of John Scully, the head of Apple and Perla Haney-Jardine, who portrays Lisa at 19, when she was a student at Harvard, are all excellent.
You may leave the theatre hating Steve Jobs but you’ll definitely leave loving this film. ‘Steve Jobs’ opens in theatres, Friday October 9th. Check out my video to see how many bagels I gave it…Hint…more than 41/2. Love to know what you think.
The year is 1973…The place is Paris. Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to the dentist to have a tooth treated. While waiting his turn, he picks up a magazine and reads an article about the soon-to-be-built World Trade Center towers. He forgets about his tooth ache, tears the article from the magazine, goes home and draws a line between the two towers.. It’s at this moment that Petit’s dream is born. He becomes obsessed with one thing…Walking from the South Tower to the North which are 110 stories high..
‘The Walk’ directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by him and his co-writer Christopher Browne is based on Petit’s memoir’s ‘To Reach the Cloud’s and that is exactly what he did.
The film is told in flashbacks and in the beginning Gordon-Levitt’s french accent might be a bit off putting, but eventually you will get so engrossed in this inspiring, exciting and intense story that you’ll forget all about it. Petit was a wire walker. He would walk around Paris finding places to put his wire. It’s here in this city of lights that he meets his girlfriend, Allix (the lovely Charlotte Le Bon) a street singer who gets swept up in Petit’s extraordinary energy and his passion for his art and his fearlessness.
We also get to meet his teacher and mentor, Papa Rudy Omankowsky of the famous White Devils aerial troupe (Ben Kingsley) who despite Petit’s arrogance, he agrees to teach him a thing or two about wire-walking.. Once he makes his mind up to attempt this amazing feat there’s no stopping him. First thing he has to do is gather a group of accomplices to help him pull off this very illegal caper. He recruits people from France as well as New York and working together they come up with a plan to sneak Petit up to the top of the South Tower, then, attach the wire to the North one without being seen by the guards as well as a view other complex and dangerous things in order to make this happen.. The World Trade Center wasn’t even completed when Petit did his ‘walk’.
The film really comes alive in the last third when Petit and his crew try to accomplish the impossible. When Petit finally gets on the wire, that is when the true magic kicks in and that is when Gordon-Levitt really shines. To this master walk back and forth from one tower to the next over and over again in is like watching the greatest prima ballerina dance. It is pure beauty and pure art..
‘The Walk’ which opens in theatres Wednesday September 30th is available in IMAX and 3D and this is how the film should be seen. On a different note, it’s hard to see the World Trade Center without remembering the day that changed the U. S. and it’s people forever…9/11. I don’t think in this climate it would have been so easy for Petit to climb to the top and bring to life his dream. ”I gave the film 4 bagels out of 4 and threw in a crepe. Check out the Two Jews On Video for more of my thoughts and of course to see my reluctant guest star.
‘The Martian’ directed by Ridley Scott and written by Drew Goddard is based on a book by Andy Weir, and it’s a definite must see.
On a mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) gets stranded on the planet when his crew, led by Jessica Chastain are forced to evacuate do to a severe storm. Not only is Watney left behind, but he’s presumed dead. Now most people would just completely freak out under these circumstances, but not this guy. He’s determined to live and luckily for him, he has the skills to survive. Watney is not only brilliant, ingenious, and funny but he’s also a botanist, which really helps when your food supply is dwindling.
Speaking of humor, What makes Matt Damon’s performance so extraordinary as well as compelling, is that he is able to show us the fear that is underneath his very funny, glib remarks. Unfortunately for Watney, eating is not his only problem. He has to somehow find a way to communicate with NASA and let them know that ‘hey guys I didn’t die so please come and get me’.
What’s really beautiful about this film is the way it shows the audience what us humans can accomplish when they work together and that’s exactly what happens. With the whole word watching, NASA and fellow scientists from China unite to bring the astronaut home. ‘The Martian’ is intense, beautifully shot and at times will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
The supporting cast including Kristen Wiig as a communications officer for NASA, Jeff Daniels as her boss, Sean Bean, Michael Pena, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, and Kate Mara add perfectly to the excitment. ‘The Martian’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 2nd, proves that Ridley Scott still has the stuff… He’s created a masterpiece. For that reason, I gave the film five bagels out of bagels with the works.
In the 1970’s, in South Boston, FBI Agent, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades, Jimmy (Whitey} Bolger, head of the Winter Hill Gang, to collaborate with the Bureau to bring down the Italian Mob. To say this wasn’t the best of ideas is an understatement.
‘Whitey Bogler became one of the most feared crime lords in Boston, bringing drugs to the schools and streets of Bean Town.. If that’ wasn’t bad enough, Bolger just happend to be a sadistic lowlife killer who was a border line sociopath. He eluded the FBI until 2011 when he was arrested in Santa Monica. Don’t worry this is not a spoiler. Anyone who reads or watches the news knows this.
“Black Mass” directed by Scott Cooper tells Whitey’s story through a series of flashbacks, that show members of Bolger’s gang squealing to the FBI about his operation and his numerous kills.
It’s an interesting story, but only to a point. What saves the film from being totally boring are the acting performances. Benedict Cumberbatch (Billy Bolger)as always gives an outstanding performance. Billy, who was the exact opposite of his brother was a very powerful political figure for many years in the State Senate. If you wanted anything done, you went through him. He basically closed his eyes to his brother’s criminal operation. Johnny Depp, wearing killer makeup, gives what could be, one of the best performances of his career. Joel Edgerton as a FBI agent and Bolger’s BFF since they were kids, comes very close to stealing the film. Watching him become more and more corrupt is one of the more interesting moments in the film. The women including Dakota Johnson as Whitey’s former girlfriend and mother to his only child, as well as Julianne Nicholson (John Connolly’s wife) are excellent. The members of Whitey’s intimate crew including, Rory Cochrane (Argo) Jesse Plemons as Whitey’s main henchman, Kevin Weeks and Peter Sarsgaard (in a very different kind of role_ all give seemless performances…
The problem with ‘Black Mass’, written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth is the script. We never see Bolger’s drug operation. We just hear about it. What we do get to see is Bolger killing or scaring one person after another. At the end of two hours, you’re left feeling drained. When you think of the great mobster films, Coppola’s ”Godfather 1 and 2′ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Black Mass’ really falls short.. For that reason I only gave the film which opens Friday, September 18th, 3 1/2 Bagels out of 5.
Personally I don’t play chess and couldn’t ever imagine that watching a film about CHESS would be exciting…edge of your seat exciting. Well, I was so wrong. ‘Pawn Sacrifice’directed by Ed Zwick and written by Steven Knight is just that and more.
Tobey Maguire, in an Oscar worthy performance, plays Bobby Fisher, a mentally ill, brilliant chess master.
At the age of six, Bobby was living in Brooklyn, New York and was already at the point where he could dominate anyone that challenged him. By the time he hit his teens, he became an international grandmaster. Unfortunately, Bobby’s meteoric rise is coupled with his unpredictable erratic behavior and his escalating demands which pisses off the conservative chess establishment.
As Bobby travels the globe with manager Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) and coach, Father Bill Lombardy (Peter Saragaard) Fisher crushes the world’s top players in his relentless pursuit of his ultimate opponent, the Soviet chess grand-master, Boris Spasky (Liev Schreiber) who has never lost a match.
In 1972, the match between Spasky and Fisher was called ‘MATCH OF THE CENTURY. This was a 21 game competition held in Reykjavik Iceland and one that could finally end 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Chess Championship. Everyone in both countries were glued to their televisions to see the outcome.
But Fisher’s paranoia and growing obsession with conspiracy theories wind up disrupting the match and unnerves the normally unflappable Spassky. With the competition increasingly mirroring the tense politics of the Cold War era, even Bobby’s closes advisor are unsure if Fisher’s actions are the calculated antics of an antisocial eccentric or a sign that he is truly unstable.
‘Pawn Sacrifice’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday, September 16th is a riveting and revealing portrait of the troubled genius who sparked an international chess craze and captures the imagination of the world. Plus the sound track including music froom the 60’s and 70’s is absolutely awesome.
The year is 1988. The place is Compton in South LA. A group of guys got together and made history. ‘Straight Out Of Compton’ directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Andrea Berloff and Jonathan Herman takes us on their personal as well as musical journey. It’s also a story about the times, when police treated black Americans as if they were garbage. Unfortunately we can’t help but be constantly reminded that things haven’t changed all that much.
N.W.A. was formed by Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.), Easy E (Jason Mitchell), Dj Yella (Neil Brown Jr. and MCRen (Aidis Hodge) in the late 1980’s. They used Easy-E’s drug money to form a record label entitled Ruthless and it’s because of his business sense, the group took off. It’s at this point, they catch the eye of Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) a rock manager who became co-owner of Ruthless. He also got the guys signed to Priority Records. Unfortunately, Jerry however was a bit of a sleeze and only looked out for his interests as well as to some degree Easy E’s. What made the group’s Rap so powerful is that they voiced the discontent that black people were feeling all over the U.S. They’re famous but ultra controversial 1988 anthem, ‘F-k tha Police’ caused them to not only have many confrontations with the police but caught the attention of the FBI as well.
Besides the music, ‘Straight Out Of Compton’ is the story of friendship. These guys really cared about each other despite their falling- outs. We get to meet several familiar faces including the notorious Marion “Suge” Knight (the excellent R. Marcos Taylor) who started out as a body guard and went onto forming on to becoming a musical icon in his own right. Suge formed ‘Death Row records with Dr. Dre, who became disgusted with Knight’s gangsta tactics. Dre went on to form his own company Aftermath and we all know how that turned on.
‘Straight Out Of Compton’ is an explosive, powerful, beautifully acted film, filled with incredible music, and tremendous live performances. The film which received my highest bagel score 5 out of 5, opens in theatres Friday, August 14th. Don’t miss it.
‘The Diary of A Teenage Girl’ is a brilliant insightful film about what it’s like to be a teenage girl discovering for the first time her sexuality and LOVING every minute of it. The film is based on the graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner and was written and directed by Marielle Heller. This is her first film and she kills it.The incredible, Bel Powley plays Minnie, a 15 year old, would be cartoonist. Her style and her inspiration is Aline Kominsky, wife of Robert Crumb. One of the many cool things about this film, is that Minnie’ drawings come to life.
The year is 1976 and the place is San Francisco. Minnie lives with her mom, Charlotte (Kristen Wiig) who spends more time drinking and having sex with, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard) then she does mothering. It’s obvious from the start of the film, that Minnie is very attracted to Monroe and it doesn’t take long before she lets him know it.
In fact, Minnie seduces Monroe and despite a couple of weak protests, he’s more than happy to go along with it. Very quickly, they are in a hot sexual relationship unbeknownst to her mom, Charlotte.
We see Minnie in her most intimate moments. It’s memorizing watching her exploring and studying her body with curiosity and wonderment. Minnie is a girl totally in touch with who she is and it’s hard not to fall in love with her.
‘The Diary Of A Teenage Girl’ opens in theatres, Friday August 7th. It’s definitely a ‘must see’. Check out my review to see how many bagels I gave it…Okay, it’s 5 out of 5, but watch it anyway. Please SUBSCRIBE to our youtube channel and let me know what you think about this excellent film. Thanks everyone. Read more at: http://tr.im/tkbiP
If there’s anyone that fits the expression ‘triple threat’, it’s Joel Edgerton, who not only acts in ‘The Gift’ but wrote and directed it as well. I usually judge how good a thriller is by how many times I jump up from my seat. While watching ‘The Gift’ not only did I jump but to the dismay of the people sitting on either side of me, I let out three loud screams .
Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a married couple who seem to be living the ‘American Dream’ They have just moved from Chicago to sunny Los Angeles, where they have purchased a big beautiful glass house overlooking the city. Simon has a brand new job that he is excited about, especially when he finds out he’s up for a very big promotion. Robyn, a designer, seems content to work from home. One day while out shopping, the couple have a chance encounter with a guy from Simon’s past. His name is Gordo aka Gordon (Joel Edgerton) and he apparently went to high School with Simon. who can barely remember him. Gordo, however, remembers Simon only too well and seems eager to become BFF’S with the couple.
Grodo starts to leave gifts at Robyn and Simon’s house, but that’s not all. He thinks nothing of popping over to visit Robyn when Simon is at work. Robyn is much too sweet not to invite Gordo in for a cup of tea or even a meal. Afterall, Gordo is really going out of his way to bond with them. He even bought fish for the couple’s empty Koi pond. But, after a very strange dinner at Gordo’s house, Simon decides that’s it. He never wants to see his old high school acquaintance again. Unfortunately, Gordo seems to have a very different idea and it doesn’t take long before Robyn and Simon’s life goes into a harrowing tailspin. As a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered, Robyn learns some unsettling truth about what really happened between Simon and Gordo.. Thanks to Joel Edgeton’s tight direction, there is a sense of dread and discomforted throughout the film, as well as a couple of killer twists toward the end.. Edgerton has created a very smart, gripping psychological thriller and for that reason it received five bagels out of five.
‘The Gift’ opens in theatres Friday, August 7th Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and to hear what my guest thought.
”Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation’ is the fifth installment in the ”Mission: Impossible” franchise and is it ever good. No, I take that back. It’s great. The film is everything you want in an action film…Great Plot, Likable and extremely unlikable characters, humor, suspense, surprises, on th edge of your seat car chases, and off the chart stunts performed by the film’s star, Mr. Tom Cruise. Let me just say some of these stunts are truly amazing and he trained for months to be able to perform them.. You can’t help admire that kind of commitment.
”Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation’ is written and directed by Christopher McQuarie, who definitely knows what his doing when it comes to this genre.
The plot is simple. The head of the CIA (the very funny Alex Baldwin) thinks the IMF has become reckless and dangerous. He’s left with no choice but to order them to disband. He thinks Ethan (Tom Cruise) and his buddies, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhimes and Jeremy Renner have gone off the deep end. Ethan believes that there is a group called THE SYNDICATE, a multinational group of ex-operatives, who are doing their best to create world chaos. This includes killing world leaders and setting off bombs whenever they feel like it. The head of the Syndicate is an ex-British spy known as Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) Baldwin think this is one big fantasy and he’s determined to bring Ethan and his guys in. If that doesn’t work, he order Ethan killed. Poor guy not only his the CIA hunting him, but Lane and the syndicate are out to get him as well.. What’s a guy to do? Well for thing team up with a gorgeous double agent, Ilsa Faust) who may or may not be bad. To say anything more about the plot isn’t necessary. Just go see ‘Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation’ which opens in theatres Friday July 31, 2015. You will not be disappointed. I gave the film five bagels out of five because it’s THAT good. Love to know what you think. Check out the Two Jews On Film video to see my guest star.
When Amy (Amy Schumer) and her sister were very young, they are taught by their father (Collin Quinn) that monogamy is totally impossible to achieve and completely unrealistic. He taught them this little lesson, a second before he left their mother.
Apparently her daddy’s words of wisdom has influenced Amy’s life big time. Unlike her sister, Kim (Brie Larson) who has a husband, stepson and a baby on the way, the thought of marriage, intimacy and commitment makes Amy cringe.. Amy’s idea of fun is smoking a lot of pot, getting blitz on alcohol and having one night stands…many one night stands. If a guy calls her more than once, he is deemed a stalker by her and her best friend, fellow co-worker, Vanessa Bayer (‘SNL’) Amy makes it a point to sleep with really dumb guys who are able to follow orders when it comes to pleasing her. Cuddling and sleeping over is totally out of the question. Amy does have one fellow (John Cena)that she sees casually.. He has over sized muscles and a brain the size of a pea.
The scenes between them, especially when Amy tries to get Mr. Muscles to talk dirty to her, are some of the funniest in the film. Amy has fooled herself into believing that she is happy but all that is about to change. Amy works for super cheesy magazine called S’Nuff. ‘Is he gay or just bored with you’? is a perfect example of the kind of stuff you’ll find in S’Nuff. During one pitch meeting, her boss Dianna, played by the unrecognizable Tilda Swinton decides to assign her a story about a very famous sports doctor named Aaron Connors (Bill Hader). Amy is freaked by the assignment. She knows absolutely nothing about sports, but Dianna assists she’s the girl for the job. When Amy shows up at the doctor’s office to interview him, it doesn’t take long for both of them to realize that they have major chemistry. Amy and Aaron start to see each other regularly and to Amy’s shock, she falls for him.
Now she has to question everything she’s ever believed about relationships and intimacy.”Trainwreck’ directed by Judd Apatow is definitely on my list of the top five funniest films I’ve ever seen. Not only will it have you laughing hard, but toward the end, you might even tear up a bit.
Oh, I must mention that one of the standouts in ‘Trainwreck’ is LeBron James. If he ever decides to give up his basketball career, he’ll definitely have a job in film. I gave ‘Trainwreck’ which opens in theatres Friday July 17th, five bagels out of five. Love to know what you think.
What is it to be ‘human?. That’s the issue that ‘Ted 2’ takes on. Of course, they take it on with the edgy, politically incorrect humor of Mr. Seth MacFarlane, who also wrote and directed the film.
At the start of ‘the movie, Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) marries Tami-Lynn, (Jessica Barth) his girlfriend from the first film. The wedding is a joyous affair and Ted’s BFF, Johnny (Mark Wahlberg) couldn’t be happier for him, despite the fact that he still hasn’t gotten over his own divorce from ex.wife of 6 years. Ted and and Tami-Lynn, like most couples start out madly in love, but it doesn’t take long for life to interfere. Ted’ is always complaining about all the money Tami spends on clothes. She defends her purchases but telling him that she’s trying to climb up the corporate ladder and needs to dress for success. Ted is not buying it. Tami is only a cashier at a super market, where Ted also works. The once happy couple is now fighting all the time, and after a year of marriage, things are not looking good, until a friend suggests they have a baby. And that’s exactly what Ted and Tami Lynn try to do. Of course, not having a penis doesn’t make Ted a good candidate. So the couple decide on artificial insemination. They guys go in search of sperm…but not just anyone’s sperm. The donor has to be an incredible athlete, smart, great looking… one that looks like Tom Brady. In fact, Tom Brady is their first choice and this is one of the funniest scenes in the film. Watching Johnny and Ted trying to steal Brady’s sperm.. Even Mark Whalberg contributes, but his little guys just don’t cut it. There’s nothing left for the couple to do except ADOPT. Unfortunately this puts Ted on the government radar and it doesn’t take long for his life to completely fall apart. He’s declared property, not a human, all his credit cards are cancelled, he loses his job, and of course the couples dream of adoption is now off the table. What to do? Find a lawyer of course, who will take on the case Pro Bono. And they find the perfect one..in the form of Samantha (Amanda Seifried) a beautiful pot smoking lawyer. What could be better? Well, there is the fact that she’s never tried a case before, but she is passionate about the case and determined to win Ted his rights.
‘Ted 2’ does tackle an interesting concept…What makes someone ‘human’. There’s lots of references to the ‘civil rights’ movement especially when Morgan Freeman, who plays a very high powered civil rights attorney, comes into the mix. Yes the film is very funny at times, but there’s something forced about the humor. It actually takes you at of the story…You become aware of here comes another Seth MacFarlane joke. For me, the comedy just didn’t feel all that organic to the story. Having said that, I did laugh and I was entertained. Fans of the first ‘Ted’ will definitely run out to see this sequel. I’m sure most of them will not be disappointed.
I gave ‘Ted 2’ which opens in theatres, June 26, four bagels out of five. check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and to see my guest.
‘Insidious Chapter 3′ is the third film in the terrifying horror franchise, created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan. This film which Leigh wrote and directed by himself, takes place several years before the haunting of the Lambert family and Elise’s (LinShaye) battle with the spirits from The Further, which we met in the first two movies.
In this prequel, teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) senses that her late mother is trying to contact her. She seeks out the gifted psychic, Elsie to help her reach her mom.. Even though Elsie feels for the girl, she’s reluctant to use her abilities to contact the dead. Her last visit to the Further almost cost Elsie her life. She sends Quinn on her way.
Soon a shocking accident leaves Quinn recuperating at home with her widowed father Sean (Dermot Mulroney) who’s trying to help her recuperate. It is no easy task considering the fact that an evil supernatural entity is after the girl and has already attacked her several times.
Not knowing how to deal with this (who does?) Sean goes to Elsie’s house and begs her to help Quinn and despite her better judgement, she agrees. Of course, things don’t go exactly her way. To give anymore of the plot away would be a spoiler, but what I will say is, even if you haven’t seen the first two movies in the franchise, don’t let that stop from seeing this one. The film definitely stands on its own. And fans, you will not be disappointed. I promise you will several good scares I know I did.
Rounding out the cast are out favorite ghostbusters, Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell).’Insidious: Chapter 3’ opens in theatres Friday June 5 and because it scared me silly, I gave it 5 bagels out of 5.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and I’d love to know what you think.
‘Spy’ is without a doubt the funniest comedy of the year. This is not surprising considering it was written and directed by Paul Feig who brought us ‘Bridesmaids.
Melissa McCarthy is at her comedic best as Susan Cooper, an insecure behind the scenes CIA agent. She works out of a dreary sub-basement office, serving as the eyes and ears of super agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Fine sees their relationship as purely platonic but no matter how hard Susan tries to hide it, it’s obvious she has deep feelings for him.
Susan’s best friend and co-worker, Nancy (Miranda Hart)feels her relationship with Fine is holding her back and we soon find out how true this is. Without wanting to give too much away, Susan persuades her boss, Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney to let her go into the field. Her mission is to find out what Rayna (Rose Byrne) the rich, beautiful, Oxford educated daughter of a recently deceased arms dealer is up to. Rayna has come into possession of an unusual inheritance: a small tactical nuclear weapon that can destroy a city. Rayna partner in this venture is a well-healed criminal, the egocentric Sergio De Luca (the always wonderful Bobby Cannavale who wants to sell the nuke to the Russians. Added to the mix is the hysterically funny Jason Statham who plays Agent Rick Ford. He is confident, incompetent, clueless, intense and .totally nuts. Back to Susan who against orders, befriends Rayna and gets invited into her inner circle. The brutally direct Rayna feels slightly sympathetic and curious about Susan who reminds her of a ‘sad Bulgarian clown’. ‘Spy’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 5th is a film that will make you laugh from start to finish. Melissa McCarthy has never been better. I absolutely loved this movie and for that reason I gave it five bagels out of five. Do not miss it and I’d love to know what you think.
‘Entourage’ is the big screen version of the hit HBO series and the gang, including, Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny Chase (Kevin Dillion) are back. New cast members include Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment, who play father and son, Larsen and Travis McCredle.. They’re from Texas and big time investors in Ari’s new film. There’s also a couple of new love interests… UFC fighter, Rhonda Rousey who gets the attention of Turtle and model Emily Ratajkowki who Vince pursues..
When the film opens, we find out that Ari has come out of retirement to run a studio, and Vince has informed him he wants to direct as well as star in a $100 million dollar film called ‘Hyde. Vince is at the stage in his career where he gets what he wants.
Unfortunately, our mega movie star goes way over budget, which means Ari has to take a trip to Texas to get more money out of Larsen McCredle (Billy bob Thornton) who’s underwriting the studio’s slate. Before he’ll sign a check, however, Larsen dispatches his vulgar, semi-stupid, obnoxious son Travis (Haley Joel Osment) to Hollywood to get a look at Vince’s so called masterpiece. Vince refuses to show anyone a rough cut, but somehow the little Texas weasel gets a hold of the film and hands Ari a list of edits and inane notes he wants done or he’ll tell his daddy to pull his money. But that’s not all that’s going on. Eric’s on and off again girlfriend, Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui) is about to give birth and Ari’s wife (Perrey Reeves) is two steps away from leaving her self involved, egotistical hubby..
Of course what would ”Entourage” be without girls and sex. The film has plenty of the above which is one of the problems. There’s just too much of everything. The film felt like four half hour television episodes strung together with over-the-top opulence, perfect boobs and flashy cars. There really wasn’t anything new going on. Everything was just bigger.. Having said that, the cameos which included Mark Wallberg, Liam Neeson, Warren Buffett, Rapper T. I., Armand Hammond and several others were great fun. Ari is someone that you just can’t get enough of and in the end, it’s the guys friendship and their unbreakable bond to one another that you’ll remember most.
I gave ‘Entourage’ written and directed by the show’s creator, Doug Ellin 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. The film opens Wednesday, June 3rd.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but this was one of the most enjoyable disaster pictures I’ve seen in a long time. Yes some of the CGI was so unbelievable, but a lot of it really worked and worked well. When it was over, I was exhausted, but in a good way.
Perhaps experiencing my first earthquake right after I moved to L. A. had something to do with it. It was freakin scary.
‘San Andreas’ begins with the best car crash I’ve ever seen. In fact, I felt like I was in the car. From here it just doesn’t let up.
Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock, who has only one facial expression throughout the film plays Ray a fearless helicopter pilot who went from flying missions in Afghanistan to rescuing people here in the states. His divorced from his wife, Emma (Carla Gugino) who is about to marry a very rich jerk, a building developer Daniel (Ioan Gruffudd). You know from the beginning, this dude is going to prove just how jerky he is as the film goes on. We also get to meet Rock’s daughter, Blake (Alexander Daddario) a college student
Needless to say Mr. Muscles is very unhappy that his ex-wife is about to move in with Mr. Rich guy.
Moving along, we meet a Cal Tech seismologist (Paul Giamatti) who is in Nevada trying to prove that he has found a way to predict earthquakes. Before he can say ‘eureka) there’s a big trembler that takes out the Hoover Dam.
I don’t really need to say anything else about the plot, except as we all know from the trailers, Los Angeles and San Francisco has ‘the big big one’ and Blake is caught up in it. Lucky for her she meets two really cool British guys, who just happen to be my two favorite characters in the film…Ben (Hugo Johnstone-Burt and his adorable little brother, Ollie (Art Parkinson) who help her out of a jam.
I gave ‘San Andreas’ directed by Brad Peyton 4 bagels out of five because I really enjoyed the ride and I think you will too.
The film opens Friday, April 30th. Check out my video and let me know what you think of this new disaster movie.
In 1979 an unknown director, with a shoestring budget, cast an unknown actor in a film called ‘Mad Max’. The director was George Miller and the actor…Mel Gibson. The rest is history. No one had seen a film like ‘Mad Max and the franchise became a huge hit. And now, George Miller has done it again. Only this time, it’s bigger and absolutely incredible. Not only is it visually beautiful but the action, except for 5 minutes is non-stop and the story is very timely considering what’s going on in the world today. ‘Mad Max Fury Road’ takes place once again in Australia, 45 years after the fall of the world. There is no law, no power grids, no water, and very few nice people. Civilization is but a memory to a only a few. The world’s economies have fallen and the coastal cities no longer exist. If that isn’t bad enough, food is scarce and the air is poison.
When we meet Max (the wonderful Tom Hardy) he is wandering through the wasteland barely surviving and haunted by his past. He gets captured by these SUB human dudes known as the War Boys. They drag him back to the Citadel, a fortress stronghold in the Wasteland. Max is considered livestock, needed for one thing…his blood. Apparently Max is a universal donor. The War Boys shackle him, lock his face in an iron mask, hang him upside down and drain his blood. In this warped culture ‘fill her up’ means you’re filling up the War Boys with high-octane blood. The head of the Citadel is a diseased, barely human called, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), Besides having a distorted body filled with really disgusting sores, he wears this freaky looking mask over his face so he can breath. Joe’s passion is impregnating woman with his seed. Haven’t sex with this guy, has to be a fate worth than death. Joe is determined to have a perfect child, so at first you don’t succeed…You know the rest.
Anyway, Max’s future really looks bleak, until Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) comes into the picture. Pretending she’s making a gas run, Furiosa is actually escaping the Citadel and taking with her five beautiful half naked women. Two have already been impregnated by this beastly man. She tells the girls about this ‘green place’ and that’s where they are headed. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long, before the war lord finds out about her plan and along with his marshals and war boys head out into the Wasteland to stop Furiosa. Oh, they also bring along a guitar player, who enjoys heavy metal music.
George Miller dropped out of medical school to become a filmmaker and what a great filmmaker he is. ‘Mad Max Fury Road’ opens in theatres May 15, 2014 and is totally deserving of my five out of five bagel score. Don’t miss it. Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and I’d love to know what you think.
‘Pitch Perfect 2′ is obviously a sequel to ”Pitch Perfect 1’ but even if you haven’t seen the first one, it won’t stop you from laughing out loud and enjoying every second of this one.
When the film starts the Barden College, Bellas, an all female a capella group who have won three national titles, are on stage at New York City’s Lincoln Center performing for President and Michelle Obama, who we see in cutaways. It’s the President’s birthday and the Bellas have gone all out. As they sing ‘Wrecking Ball’, one of their members, Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) holding onto a robe, flies high above the stage. (Think really bad Cirque du Soleil) Seems Fat Amy is not quite adept at acrobatic moves. In fact, she’s awful. Not only does she fumble a maneuver, but her latex outfit splits open, revealing her downstairs lady part in front of the whole audience. The fake reaction of Obama and Michelle is priceless.
Fat Amy’s mishap, is the beginning of the end for the Bellas. Not only are they blasted in social media, but the group is suspended from entering any future competitions by the cappella’s ruling body headed by co-presidents Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and outrageously politically incorrect, hysterically funny, John (John Michael Higgins) However, they are given an out…An impossible one of course. If the Bellas win a major global competition held in Copenhagen, they will be reinstated. . Only problem is, no American group has EVER won. But that doesn’t discourage our girls. They are determined to kill it, Everyone except their leader Beca (Anna Kendrick) who has other things on her mind, i.e. her future after she graduates. Beca has always dreamed of becoming a music producer, so without telling her fellow Bellas, she takes an internship with a famous record producer, (Keegan-Michael Key)creating soon creates a rift with the other girls. But that’s not the only obstacle the Bellas have to overcome. They are prohibited from recruiting any new members. Luckily that doesn’t apply to legacies and that’s exactly who, Emily (Hailee Steinfield) is. Emily’s mom (Katey Sagal) was a Bella some 30 years ago so she’s automatically included into the group. Emily though wants to write her own songs which is a big no-no, since a capella singers only perform covers.
‘Pitch Perfect 2’ directed by Elizabeth Banks has definitely taken the franchise up a few notches. The whole cast is back, including Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean Shelly Regner and Kelley Jakle. We also have some new members including Flo (Chrissie Fit) who’s constantly makes very funny references to her horrible life back in Central America where she grew up or escaped from. The guys, Skylar Astin, Adam Devine and Ben Platt are back, but they take a backseat to the ladies, because the film is ALL ABOUT THE GIRLS.
Speaking of the girls, one of the funniest bits is between Beca and Kommissar (Birgitte Hjort Sorensen) the head of the German a cappella group, DAS SOUND MACHINE, who are the front runners. Beca can’t stop complimenting the super arrogant Kommissar’s body, beauty, height, hair and sweat which smells like cinnamon.
‘Pitch Perfect 2’ is not just about great music, dancing and singing. It’s also about friendship, girl bonding, and facing your future. From the beginning to the end, I didn’t stop smiling. For that reason, I gave ‘Pitch Perfect 2’, which opens in theatres Friday, April 15, 2015. five bagels out of five.
The gang is back and thanks to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) they have trouble…Big trouble.
When the film begins, we find ourselves in the Eastern European country of Sokovia where the Avengers: Stark, Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), t Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) raid a Hydra outpost run by Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker, (Thomas Kretschmann), who has been experimenting on humans, using the scepter that Loki once possessed. And as fate would have it, our guys meet two of Strucker’s experiments…twins, Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver, (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) named for his super human speed and his sister, Wanda,The Scarlet Witch, (Elizabeth Olsen) who can MANIPULATE people’s minds and throw these really awesome red energy blasts. The twins blame Stark for their parents death and want him dead, like yesterday. Before you can say sequel, the first big battle erupts between the Avengers and these two pissed off super beings. Of course, the good guys win or we wouldn’t have a movie, right? Well that’s not totally accurate. The twins escape but Tony does capture the scepter.
Back at his lab, Stark and Banner discover an artificial intelligence within the scepter’s gem, and decide to use it to complete Stark’s ‘Ultron’ project. For those who don’t know, this is Tony’s global defense program. He thinks Ultron (voiced by James Spader) is the key to bringing peace to the planet, Without the other Avengers knowledge, Stark and Banner bring Ultron (voiced by James Spader) to life, which turns out to be a very, very bad move. How bad? Well let’s just say that Ultron has slightly different ideas when it comes to this whole ‘peace’ thing. This mega monster robot believes that in order to save Earth, humanity must be wiped out. Big bummer for us humans. It doesn’t take long for Ultron to get down to business. He wipes out Stark’s A. I. buddy, Jarvis/Vision (Paul Bettany) memory and then attacks the Avengers during a victory party, taking place at their headquarters. After another big CGI battle, Ultron escapes with the scepter, uses it to upgrade his body and builds an army of robots. He also recruits the twins who are more than happy to help him out..
Okay, so what happens next you wonder? …Simple…battles, more battles, many more battles, with robots killing people and people killing robots. At the same time, Scarlett Witch uses her powers and gets inside the minds of all the Avengers causing them to have major hallucinations (think really bad acid trip). Our super heroes start to fall apart both physically and mentally. Luckily Hawkeye takes them to a safe house, which just happens to be his home away from home. It’s here we discover that Mr. Bow and Arrow has a house in the country, a wife (Linda Cardellini) and a couple of adorable kids. Unfortunately, even this respite doesn’t help our guys. The Avengers come very close to disbanding. In fact, Banner and Black Widow talk about taking off to an island where they can make mad passionate love and hopefully keep the big green guy asleep forever. Of course, with the help of Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) the Avengers eventually get it together and set out to destroy Ultron and regain the Scepter.
‘Avengers Age of Ultron’ was written and directed by Josh Whedon and he does what we’ve come to expect from him. The film is funny, exciting, with spectacular CGI effects. Spader’s Ultron is both sarcastic and witty, but he sounded too much like his television character, Red from the series ‘The Blacklist’. My main problem with ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ was that it lacked the originality and the freshness of the first one from 2012. Some of the humor will go way over the head of the preteen group which will make up a huge part of its audience. The budget was $250 million dollars and of course with that kind of money, it’s very easy to go overboard with EVERYTHING and that’s exactly what Whedon did. .For those reasons, I gave ‘Avengers Age of Ultron only three bagels out of five.
The film opens in theatres, Friday, May 1 and I would love to know what you think. Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and to see my adorable guest star.
Once upon a time there was a woman named Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) who was born near the turn of the 20th century. Adaline was just an ordinary 29 year old woman, until one night, something incredible happened and Miss Bowman’s life would be changed forever.
Adaline stops aging and gets to experience life in a way that no other human being has before. And we as an audience, share it all with her. Through a series of flashbacks, we travel back in time with Adaline. We see the history that this fascinating woman has lived through…Two World Wars, the Great Depression, the San Francisco earthquake, the 60’s just to name a few.
Unfortunately, having the gift of eternal youth has its drawbacks. After being almost kidnapped by some unnamed government agency in the 30’s, Adaline has lived in fear of being found out. She’s always changing her identity, avoiding intimacy for long periods of time, even though she did manage to give birth to a daughter, (Ellen Burstyn) But eventually, Adaline is faced with a choice…living a life where she’s always looking over her shoulder, or allowing herself for the first time, to experience the love she has always longed for.
This love comes in the form of a charismatic philanthropist, Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) who she meets on New Year’s Eve. No matter how much she tries to avoid him, the inevitable happens. They fall in love. When Ellis takes Adaline home to meet his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) she must make a decision that will change her life forever.
‘The Age Of Adaline’ directed by Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste and Jesse Forever) and written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Pasowitz is a beautiful fantasy love story that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The cast is wonderful, but Blake Lively, who is in every scene, steals the show. Her performance is absolutely riveting.
‘The Age of Adaline’ which is a must see film for all ages, opens in theatres Friday, April 24. Check out my video to see how many bagels it received (hint more than 41/2) and let me know what you think.
We open the door for Elijah during the seder. What does it mean? Are we Jews secure in the world? What are the words we recite as we open the door? How do they reflect our posture, our confidence, our sense of security? Have they changed over time? What words would we write as Jews […]
How many people have experienced this? You find yourself in your 30’s or 40’s and yet you still feel like you’re a kid…You wonder…When did I become so grown-up? And then you do your best to convince yourself, that you’re not ‘all that grown-up’… You can still do the same things, that you did when you were in your twenties…You’re still adventurous…spontaneous, and can take off anywhere at a moments notice..
That’s exactly what married couple, Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are doing when we meet them. These Gen-Xers, are trying very hard to convince themselves and each other, that they’re still young…still ‘cool’. Of course it’s more than obvious that is so not the case.
Cornelia, who works for her father, (the wonderful, Charles Grodin) an award winning documentary filmmaker, hides her disappointment that despite numerous fertility treatments, she hasn’t been able to conceive a child. At the same time, neurotic, insecure,Josh, who has spent 10 years working on a documentary film that is still far from finished, pretends that he’s okay with that. What they don’t know, is that their desire to live their life before they reached middle-age, is about to come true.
As Josh winds up a class he’s teaching at New York City’s New School, he’s approached by Jamie (the excellent Adam Driver) an aspiring filmmaker.in his 20’s, who proceeds to gush all over him. Jamie tells him, that he loves the rarely seen documentary that Josh made years ago. The two go for coffee and after more flattery, Josh is completely won over by Jamie and decides that they’re gonna be BFF’s. He rushes home and tells Cornelia all about his new, super cool, admirer.
The next day, Jamie invites the couple over to his loft, where they meet his free-spirited, ice cream maker, girlfriend Darby (Amanda Seyfried) and to Cornelia and Josh’s surprise, they discover that everything they threw away years ago…electric typewriters, VHS tapes, board games, and vinyl records, fills the young couple’s living space. Oh, and they also have a chicken.
Josh and Cornelia are convinced, this young couple with their hip, ‘live in the moment’ lifestyle, is the way back to their youth. They throw aside their long time friends, including Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz, along with his wife and new mom (Maria Dizzia) and follow the plugged in hipsters all over the city, doing everything they do. One of the funniest scenes in the film, is Cornelia taking her first hip-hop class with Darby and at the same time, Josh is speeding along the streets of Brooklyn on his new bike with Jamie. On an aside, I wish Hollywood filmmakers would stop depicting their version of an Ayawaska ceremony. They always get it wrong and in this case, writer, director, Noah Bombach really got it wrong.
That said, ‘While We’re Young, is a funny, touching film about aging, ambition, success, marriage and what it takes to survive in a world, where thanks to technology, your life is constantly on display for everyone to see and exploit. The film which opens in theatres Friday, March 27, 2015, reminds me of a couple of Woody Allen’s classics. The cast, the dialogue, the story all work and for that reason I gave it four bagels out of five.
If you want to see a ‘killer’ spy movie, this is the one for you. It’s funny, exciting, clever and enormously entertaining.
The film is based upon the acclaimed comic book and is directed by Matthew Vaughn (‘X-Men First Class’).
This is the story of a super-secret spy organization that winds up recruiting a street kid, with major attitude, named Eggy (the excellent Taron Egerton) into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program. He’s father was a member but done when Eggsy was just a young boy. Now to say that The Kingsman, need all the help that can get, would be an understatement. Seems that a billionaire dude, who calls himself Valentine (the hysterical, Samuel Jackson) has come up with a plan to end global warming. Only problem is, this guy is insane, out of his mind…and just plain nuts. Don’t want to give away what his plan is because that will spoil some of the fun. but what I will say is…Wait till you hear Mr. Jackson speak. You will laugh your head off. But that’s not the only laugh you’ll have, the film is funny, with great action, characters you really route for and the always wonder, Colin firth. Colin plays Harry Hart, an impeccably suave spy who owes Eggsy’s father his life. Harry is really upset when he learns about the path his best friend’s son has taken, but he’s also very impressed by his ‘street smarts’. He makes it his mission to help Eggsy turn his life around. Harry gives him, the opportunity to join the Kingsman, a top secret independent intelligence organization. Only trouble is, the physical and mental tests he is put through might just kill him.
‘Kingsman:The Secret Service’ is one great big amusement park ride. Director Vaughn did the comic book proud.
Rounding out the cast is Michael Caine, Sofia Boutella, a chick you definitely do not want to piss off and Sophie cookson as Roxy, Effsy’ s BFF. The film was written by Jane Goldman, along with the director.
I gave ‘Kingsman:The Secret Service’ which opens in theatres, Friday February 14, got five bagels out of five from me.. This is one spy film that could give the Bond series a run for its money.
‘Jupiter Ascending’ directed by the Wachowskis (‘Cloud Atlas’) should be called ‘Jupiter Descending’ into boredom.
This is a really annoying sci-fi adventure movie.
The most annoying thing in the film is Mila Kunis’s eyebrows, eyelashes and lipstick that stay perfectly plastered to her face, even when she’s immersed in water, kicked around by several really ugly creatures, and thrown out of space ships.
If that’s not annoying enough, there’s the plot.
Briefly, there’s this planet called Abrasax far, far, far away. Unfortunately not far away enough.
The rulers of this planet are three Royals…Kalique (Tuppence Middleton), Titus (Douglas Booth) and Balem(Eddie Redmayne, who should be ashamed of himself to do this film after playing Stephen Hawkings) anyway these intergalactic baddies have two things on their mind…staying young (they’re around 30,000 years old, give or take a few thousand( and making lots and lots of money. If you’re wondering how this fun threesome stay looking so young, it’s simple. They create planets, plant people on them, and when the population has grown enough, they harvest the occupants. Apparently, humans have some liquid inside of them, that can keep people looking like 20 forever. Seems that the Earth, which is now overpopulated is the next planet on the ‘harvest’ list. So whoever owns it, stands to make a bundle.
Only problem is, to the Abrasaxian’s shock and dismay, it turns out that a lowly human, names, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is the rightful owner of Earth. If you’re wondering how that happened, seems she share the same DNA as the aliens mama. Yes folks, Jupiter is the reincarnation of an Abrasaxian queen and therefore. the legal heir to our planet. What to do…what to do? Well before Jupiter can finish cleaning one more toilet, several really ugly lizard like creatures descend upon her, with only one thing on their mind…and it isn’t to take her out to dinner. Lucky for our princess, she has a Lycantant on her side. For those of you, who haven’t run across one, it’s a crossbreed of a wolf and man. This Lycantant is played by Channing Tatum, who even with pointed ears, has Jupiter fawning all over him. Seems she’s very fond of dogs.
Okay, so the dog-wolf helps Jupiter excape from the bad guys and whisks her off to his planet. On Abrasax, Jupiter gets a marriage proposal, wears exquisite, sexy gowns, gets a new hairdo, and lastly shares meaningful stares with Channing..
This is a film that does not work…period. The plot is full of holes and the characters are extremely not interesting.
For that reason, I give ‘Jupiter Ascending’ which opens in theatres, Friday, February 6, 2015 1/2 dry bagel.
Love to know what you think if you do go see this.
Do you have a burning question that you have always wanted to ask the Rabbi? Do you enjoy fireside chats on Jewish theology, philosophy and traditions? How about a combination of the two? Join us for this series of thematic discussions led by Rabbi Menachem Creditor. This week, Rabbi Creditor responds to questions about “Chosen-ness […]
The sign of a great actor is his or her ability to completely transform into the character they are portraying. And that’s exactly what Bradley Cooper did in ‘American Sniper’. He gained 40 pounds, which made him almost unrecognizable, changed his voice to sound like he was born and bred in Texas and even changed his walk.. It took me a few scenes to even recognize him. That’s how great he is in this film, masterfully directed by 84 year old, Clint Eastwood.
‘American Sniper’ is a true story about Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal, who survived four tours of duty in Iraq during the the US/Iraqi war. Kyle was a sharpshooter, nicknamed the ‘Legend’ because of his 160 confirmed kills.It’s no wonder he became one of the most important targets of the Iragi insurgency.
When we first meet Kyle, he’s on a rooftop overlooking a destroyed structure in Fallujah, Iraq, taking aim at a local woman who’s walking with her young son in the distance. He sees they are about to throw a grenade at some nearby Marines. We then flashback to Kyle’s early childhood, where he was already on his way to becoming an ace sharpshooter. This is followed by the adult Kyle riding a bronco at the rodeo. This career does not last very long..
After 9/11, Kyle joins the Navy Seals going through their brutal endurance tests known as ‘Hell Week’. But it’s not all ‘hell’ for Kyle. It’s during this time, he meets a beautiful woman named Taya (Sienna Miller) who becomes his wife. However, being a family man is not exactly in the cards for Kyle.
It’s off to Iraq and from his first tour of duty, his life will be forever changed. For those of you who have read the book, you know what happens, but for those who haven’t read Chris Kyles’ autobiography, written with Scott McEwn and Jim DeFelice, I won’t say anything about the plot that would be a SPOILER.
I will say that Kyle, like many vets that have experienced war, wind up addicted to it. The only place Kyle truly feels at home is in Iraq. In one poignant scene his wife says to him…”Even when you’re here, you’re not here’.
‘American Sniper’ is an intense, exciting, edge of your seat, poignant film that takes us inside the war and shows us the mental, physical and emotional toil it takes on Kyle as well as all the men and women that experience its horrors…
I loved ‘American Sniper’ and found it to be film making at its best. Bravo to Eastwood and Cooper for doing such magnificent work.I gave this film, which opens in theaters, December 25, 2014, my highest bagel score… 5 out of 5. Do not miss it.
Check out our video for more of my ramblings.
Once upon a time there was a man named Stephen Sondheim…Well there still is a man named Stephen Sondheim and he is one brilliant composer and my favorite.. Along with his partner James Lapine, he created a beautiful, poignant, funny musical entitled INTO THE WOODS.that played on Broadway for years.
Now thanks to director Rob Marshall, it’s been turned into a film…a film that does absolute justice to the stage version.
The Story: ‘Into the Woods is a modern day twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. In case you’ve blocked out your childhood they are ‘Cinderella, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and ‘Rupunzel’ all tied together by an original story.
A baker (the wonderful, vulnerable James Corden) and his wife (the fabulously funny Emily Blunt) want a child. Only problem is, a witch (Meryl Streep, whose performance alone is worth the price of admission) has put a curse on the Baker’s family. The witch tells them that she.will lift the curse, if they can bring her several items…A Cow as white as milk…a cape as red as blood…hair as yellow as corn…a slipper pure as gold. The Baker and his wife agree and take off into the woods to search for these items.
Along the way, they encounter Jack,of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ “Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Cinderella, (Anna Kendrick) and her handsome, Prince Charming (Chris Pine, who almost steals the film).
Of course a lot more happens…Little Red Riding meets the Big Bad Wolf (Johnny Depp) and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy, who being held in a tower by the Witch, meets her own Prince (Billy Magunssen) who falls madly in love with her. Princes tend to go for the blonds.
As all this happens, the cast get sing beautiful, funny, poignant songs, bringing to life Stephen Sondheim’s story about the consequences of greed and gluttony,,the need for community and family. and in the end and most important,, growing up and taking responsibility.
Everyone in the cast nails their parts, including Christine Baranski as Cinderella’s wicked stepmother.
‘Into The Woods’ which opens on Christmas day December 25, 2015 is a musical for grownups, but kids will enjoy it, as well..
I gave this film my highest bagel rating…5 out of 5. Do not miss it.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act has legally desegregated the South, but you still did not want to be a black man or woman in SELMA Alabama.
For those of you, who weren’t paying attention in History class, George Wallace (the very fine, Tim Roth) was the Governor of Alabama and the dude was a first class bigot. This made it very easy for the police force to behave abusively and violently toward the black population…And that’s exactly what they did every chance they got. But they weren’t the only ones in Selma that behaved in a hateful way.
You see even, though the black population outnumbered whitefolk in Selma, the last thing these ‘good old boys’ wanted, was to give black people the right to vote. With the help of the County Register, along with other voter officials, they made it impossible for any black man or woman to register to vote. One of the most powerful scenes is watching, a black woman, Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey) attempt to register.
But let’s go back to the beginning. The film opens with Martin Luther King (the fantastic David Oyelowo), winning the Nobel Peace prize. At the same time, the excellent director, Miss Ava DuVernay cuts to four children getting blown to pieces in a church in Selma. This sets the stage for the climate that existed in 1965 in this Alabama town and it’s here, that King decides to stage the next battle for equality.
Selma at the time, was run by a fat, dumb as shit, racist sheriff, named Bull Connor and King knows that there will be violent response to a march he’s planning. This is one of the scenes that is so hard to watch. Helpless men, women and children attempting to march from Selma to Montgomery as the police respond with whips, batons and guns.
‘Selma’ not only reminds of a time in history that’s hard to believe existed, but it also shows us the politics that took place behind the scenes in order to pass the Voters Right Law. The scenes between King and L.B.J. (Tom Wilkinson) are fascinating. Johnson tries to convince King that this is not the right time for him to push to get this law passed before congress. Johnson tells King that he’s too busy dealing with Vietnam along with his ‘war on poverty’.and he needs time. But no matter how many times Johnson rebuffs him, King does not give up.
‘Selma’ is a beautiful, powerful, intense and brilliantly acted film about courage, that everyone, no matter what your age, should see. Miss DuVernay has created an emotional, uplifting film that shows us, no matter how many setbacks a person experiences, they should never stop fighting for what is right.
The cast across the board is excellent, including the British actress, Carmen Ejogo who plays Coretta, King’s wife that has to keep it togethe despite knowing about her husband’s infidelities, Cuba Gooding Jr.(civil rights lawyer, Fred Gray) Giovanni Ribisi as Johnson’s aid, Martin Sheen as federal district court judge, Frank Johnson, Dylan Baker (J. Edgar Hoover) Lorraine Toussaint (Amelia Boynton, Common (James Bevel) Wendell Pierce as Reverend Hosea Williams, and the wonderful Nigel Thatch as Malcom X.
Watching this film, one can’t help but wonder how far have we really come in treating all people equally. All you have to do is think about Ferguson, New York City and Florida, and you realize…not far enough.
‘Selma’ written by Paul Webb opens in theatres, Christmas Day, December 25, 2014 and I can’t think of a better way to spend the holiday. I gave ‘Selma’ my highest bagel score..five out of five with the works. Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my ramblings.
I can’t imagine that there is anyone on planet Earth that hasn’t heard of this film. Unfortunately, the news about Sony being hacked and them pulling this film has definitely overshadowed this comedy that Seth Rogan wrote and directed ‘The Interview’ along with Evan Goldberg (‘The End’).
Seth plays Aaron the producer of an hour ‘so-called’ news show entitled ‘Skylark Tonight’ starring Dave Skylark (James Franco).
Apparently Korean Dictator, Kim Jong-un is a big fan and invites Dave and Aaron to pay him a visit. Aaron is thrilled by all the publicity this visit will generate.
But before the guys can fly the friendly skies, they are approached by a CIA operative (Lizzy Caplan) who recruits the pair to knock off Mr Kim. That’s right folks, the CIA hires a producer and talk show host to assassinate the most guarded dictator on the planet. Of course Aaron and Dave agree. The CIA hands them a vile of poison with instructions on how to use it. Piece of Cake right? Not so much.
When Aaron and Dave land in North Korea, they discover that all the US propaganda about the dictator is false. Not only is this self appointed god for all eternity, a sweetheart, but the people of North Korea could not be happier…The stores are filled with clothes, food, anything a person could want. There’s no way that Aaron and Dave are gonna kill such a warm and fuzzy guy…That is until they find out different.
There are some really funny moments and there are some really not so funny moments in the film..
I gave ‘The Interview’ which DOES NOT OPEN on Xmas day, 2 1/2 bagels out of 5. Please check out my video for more of my ramblings.
Once upon a time there was a man named J. R. R. Tolkien, who created a magical, exciting world known as Middle Earth. We discovered this wondrous place, filled with dwarves, elves, dragons, hobbits, wizards, and some really bad creatures, through his four books: ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ trilogy.
Lucky for us, the books found their way to a creative genius named, Peter Jackson, who took us on adventure we’ll never forget.
Sadly, with this last film, ‘The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies’ this journey has come to end. But what a creative, imaginative journey it’s been.
‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ takes place 60 years before ‘The Lord of the Rings’
Here are the cliff notes without any spoilers:
The Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland known as The Lonely Mountain. Good right? Not so much. Seems the Dwarf King, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage has dragon fever. Which translated means…He’s becomes paranoid, delusional and in need of a really good anti-depressant. Even his friend Bilbo (Martin Freeman) who, in case you don’t remember from the last film, has accompanied the Dwarves on their journey, can’t get through to him. Unfortunately, Thorin’s mental state isn’t the only problem. Seems the Dwarves have inadvertently unleashed the terrifying, fire breathing and very talkative dragon, Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch who wants to destroy anything and anyone in his path. This is a dragon with major anger issues. The first thing he does, is wipe out most of the men, women and children of Lake-Town. Luckily, a few manage to escape, including the very hot Bard (Luke Evans). At the same time all this is going on, we cut to our favorite wizard, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who’s been imprisoned by Sauron, the Dark Lord. Good thing Gandalf has friends…And they happen to be sword wheeling, ass kicking elves…aka Elf Queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and the mighty Elvenking Elrond (Hugh Weaving) to help him out.
On top of all this and most important, Sauron, the aforementioned, Dark Lord, has gathered an army of some really ugly Orcs and they are about to descend upon the Lonely Mountain, in order to engulf all of Middle-earth in darkness.. So now, the Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide to unite or be destroyed.
Of course, there’s more…much more, and you’ll just have to go see, ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday December 17, to find out what they are.
Most of the cast is back, including Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, as well as many new ones.
I gave this film 5 bagels out of 5. I absolutely loved it and you will to. Check out the video to see my own little Middle Earth type creature and for more of my ramblings.
The revolution is on!…Well not exactly. This is Hollywood after all and they’re all about ‘the money’. We all know that Suzanne Collins’ trilogy is big money. So the powers to be have decided to stretch out the last book, which means you’re going to have to wait 365 days to see the actual revolution. ‘Mockingjay’ Part One is what I’d call ‘foreplay’.
The film begins with Katniss Everdeen (the always wonderful Jennifer Lawrence) waking up in District 13. For those of you who don’t remember, at the end of ‘Catching Fire’ Miss Everdeen was whisked away from the games and taken to this hidden underground city.It’s here, where the Panem’s rebels have carved out their own ordered society. The President of District 13, Alma Coin (the always interesting, Julianne Moore) who’s so much nicer than the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is looking for a human symbol to lead the uprising against the capitol. Alma is not convinced, despite the assurances of Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), that Katniss is the one to inspire the people to revolt. You can’t blame her really. Our heroine spends her time moping over Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who’s being held at the Capitol along with several other tributes. Because of his videos urging the rebels to give up, everyone has marked Peeta a traitor. After Plutarch convinces Katniss that the people need her, she agrees to shoot her own videos to inspire the folks to stand up to the tyranny they’ve experienced for so long. Unfortunately, these videos show a very stiff and extremely dull Katniss. There’s only one thing to do…Take her to District 12, so she can experience first hand, the destruction that the Capitol has wrought. So along with Effie Trinket, (Elizabeth Banks) who’s in shock that her wigs and flamboyant wardrobe have been replaced with head scarves and dull grey overalls, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and Heavensbee she returns to her home and sees the wasteland it has become. As Katniss walks among the dead rotting bodies, she finally comes alive and the ‘Mockingjay’ is born.
The film directed Francis Lawrence and written by Peter Craig and Danny Strong does have some good moments, but unfortunately I found a great deal of it, slow and even repetitious.
For me ‘Mockingjay’ which opens in theatres Friday November 21, 20014 just doesn’t live up to what I’ve come to expect from this franchise. The most moving moment of the film was at the end, when the credits rolled. ‘Mockingjay’ is dedicated to Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I gave this third installement 31/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
It’s 100 years in the future and things on Earth are bleak. The only crop farmers are able to grow is corn. Seriously…corn. On top of that, there are huge dust storms that occur constantly covering houses, buildings and people. Simply put…the Earth is dying.
The only hope for mankind is to find a planet which can sustain human life or we will go the way of the Snow Leopards and the Polar Bear…We will become extinct.
When ‘Interstellar’ directed by Christopher Nolan, who wrote the script with his brother, Jonathon, opens we meet farmer, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) living with his young, brilliant daughter, Murphy ( MacKenzie Foy), his teenage son, (Timothee Chalamet) and his father (John Litgow). Murphy and her father are extremely close and she shares with him that there’s a ghost in her bedroom. She hears noises and has translated them into Morse code. They realize that someone is sending them some kind of signal. When Cooper and Murphy go to investigate the source of this anomaly, they discover, hidden away, a downsized NASA, led by scientist, Dr. Brand, (Michael Caine) and his daughter, (Anne Hathaway) Turns out Brand is Cooper’s former teacher. Imagine that.
Brand tells them that the only hope for mankind is to find a planet that can sustain life. They discovered a worm hole near Saturn, have sent ten manned crafts into it and received three messages that three planets look promising. Brand convinces Cooper, much to the dismay of his daughter, to jump on one of the ships and check them out. Of course Cooper agrees or we wouldn’t have a film. Brand sends along his daughter, as well as two other astronauts to keep Cooper company.
‘Interstellar’ which is almost three hours long, is a film with big ideas. Perhaps too many ‘ideas’ including black holes, quantum physics, Einstein’s theory of relativity, as well as the theories of Stephen Hawkings and physicist, Kip Thorne, who was an advisor on the film. But it’s not all about science. Nope, in the end, it turns out, it’s all about love. Rounding out the cast is Jessica Chastain plays Murphy all grown up is She’s become a brilliant scientist, with major ‘Daddy’ issues, working with Dr. Brand. Interstellar” which opens in theatres Friday November 7th, 2014 is a film, that in my opinion, takes on too much. I found myself at times bored, at times interested and waiting for the aliens to appear.
Unfortunately, they do not. For that reason, I gave ‘Interstellar, 3 bagels out of 5. Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is the last person you would ever want to piss off. Why is that you ask? Because he is the most lethal dude on planet earth. How lethal is he? Well let’s just say, in any given moment, he can shoot, knife, and.or choke a man quicker than Rachel Ray can break an egg. Wick even has a nickname…The Boogie man.
When the film begins, we see that John is not a happy man. He is mourning his beloved wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan) who we see in a video that John keeps playing. She recently died from leukemia. To say Helen was the love of his life is an understatement. He gave up his extremely successful hit man career for her. Helen knew John was going to be lonely when she was gone, so she arranged for a beagle puppy named Daisy to be delivered to him, along with a note imploring him not to forget how to love. Yes, this is one of those ‘Ah’ movie moments. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for John’s world to be turned upside down. His 1969 Boss Mustang catches the eye of a sadistic Russian creep/gangsta, Josef Tatasov (Alfie Allen). When Wick refuses to sell the car, Josef and his crew break into his house and steal it. They also beat John unconscious and do something so horrific that I had to close my eyes.
After John recovers, he is determined to get his car back and teach these bad boys a lesson they will never forget. His search for his Mustang takes him to a side of New York City that tourists never see…a hyper real, super-secret criminal community which was John’s home away from home.. After learning that his attacker is the only son of a former associate, vicious Russian crime boss, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), John turns his attention to vengence. As word spreads, that the legendary hit man is after his son, Viggo offers two million dollar bounty to anyone who can bring John down.
‘John Wick’ directed by former stuntman Chad Stahelski is a super violent, but super fun film. It’s filled with great fight scenes, interesting characters, including Ian McShane as Winston the owner of a club where the bad boys hang out, and Willem Dafoe (Marcus) and John Leguizamo (Aurelio).
I gave ‘John Wick’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 24, 2014, 31/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
This black comedy, directed by Alejendro G. Inarritu is one of the most brilliant, original films I’ve seen in a long time. It blew me away..
First the acting…Michael Keaton is absolutely magnificent in the performance of his career. He plays washed-up actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), who became famous for playing an iconic superhero in the movies. After doing three ‘Birdman’ movies, Riggan decides he’s had enough and years later, stages a combeback in a Broadway play, that he adapted from a Raymond Carver short story entitled, ‘What We Talk About, When We Talk About Love’. At the same time, our former out comic book hero is dealing with his ‘Birdman’ alter ego who torments him and a daughter, Sam (Emma Stone) just out of rehab. Plus, Riggan has to keep the reins on his co-star, the high maintenance, out of control, alcoholic theatre actor, Mike Shiner (the wonderful Ed Norton) Lucky for Riggan, he has some help from his BFF/lawyer/fellow producer, Zach Galifinakis)
Now for the director, Mr. Inarrita…mostly known for his dark, depressing films, ‘Amores Perros’, ’29 Grams’, ‘Babel’ has written along with his three collaborators, Alexander Dinelans, Nicolas Giacobone, Armando Bo, a biting spot on satire about…Hollywood and showbusiness. Thanks to his amazing cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, who manipulated the camerawork and editing to give the appearance that the film is one continuous long take, the film is absolutely memorizing at the same time.
Rounding out the cast is Naomi Watts as Leslie, an actress in the play who’s about to appear on Broadway for the first time…Amy Ryan (Sylvia) Riggan’s estranged, but loving ex wife…Andrea Riseborough (Laura) Riggan’s sometime girlfriend, also in the play and finally Lindsay Duncan as a NY Times critic, that could destroy a play with a stroke of her pen.
‘Birdman’ was shot in 30 days inside New York City’s famed St. James Theatre. It’s funny, touching, exciting, bizarre and a film you should run out to see. It may just be one of the best films of 2014.
Keaton definitely gives one of the best performances of 2014.
I gave ‘Birdman’ which opens in theatres Friday October 17, 2014 my highest bagel score…5 out of 5.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
‘Whiplash’ and written by directed by Damien Chazelle is definitely my favorite film of 2014. It will definitely go on my list for my top 25 films. I absolutely loved every second of it.
First the performances: J. K. Simmons, a character actor you’d recognize, if you saw him, plays Terence Fletcher, a sadistic, abusive teacher, at the number one music school in New York City, the Shaffer Conservatory of Music. He takes every opportunity to terrorize and bully his students, especially one in particular, drummer, 19 year old Andrew Neyman(the excellent Miles Teller)
Andrew idolizes Buddy Rich but wants to follow in the footsteps of Charlie Parker, who did nothing for a year but practice the sax. He also wants desperately to please Fletcher and become a member of the teacher’s respected jazz ensemble. For this reason, he keeps taking all the insults Fletcher throws at him, as well as going along with of the dude’s over the top insane demands, such as playing until your hands bleed and beyond that. But even that’s not enough to satisfy Fletcher.
‘Whiplash’ is a powerful, beautifully crafted film about what it takes to be a ‘great artist’…Actually, it’s about what it takes to be a great ‘anything’.The closing scene alone, which happened to blow my mind, and which I won’t give away, is worth the price of admission.
I gave ‘Whiplash’ which opens in theatres Friday October 10th, my highest bagel rating…5 out of 5. Love to know what you think.
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a big city, high priced defense attorney who doesn’t know the meaning of ‘losing’. In fact, he’ll do practically anything to win. Hank is a master manipulator of the law and his services are available to the highest bidder…To say he’s a ‘workaholic’ is an understatement. One of the main reasons, his wife is divorcing him.
When the film begins, Hank is just about to win another big case, when he gets a call. His beloved mother has died. Hank has no choice but to return to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana for the funeral. This is something he’s not looking forward to. He hasn’t been home in over twenty years, mainly to avoid contact with his overly critical, disapproving father, Joseph aka THE JUDGE.(the incredible Robert Duvall) But his father isn’t the only one Hank hasn’t spoken to…He’s had no contact for years with his two brothers, Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) an ex high-school football player and his youngest sibling, mentally challenge, Dale (Jeremy Strong) Hank is definitely dreading this homecoming.
Lucky for him, the first person he sees isn’t a family member, but an old love…high school sweetheart, Sam (Vera Farmiga) She’s a big reminder of his past and what could have been.
After the funeral and getting a very chilly reception from his father, Downey can’t wait till return to his life in Chicago. Of course that doesn’t happen. If it did, we wouldn’t have a film. Sitting on the airplane, waiting for it to take-off, Hank gets a phone call telling him that…
The Judge, who has been on the bench for over 42 years, has been accused of murder.
Despite, his father protests Hank takes his case and in doing so, proves that ‘You can go home again’, but it may not be as much fun as you remember.
‘The Judge’ directed by David Dobkin (‘Wedding Crashers’) is based on a story idea he had for Robert Downey. It’s a deeply moving film about family as well as the complexity of relationships between fathers and their sons.
Everyone in the film, including, Billy Bob Thornton as Dwight Dickham, a prosecutor out to defeat Hank, is quite good, but the standout, is Robert Duvall. He gives an exquisite performance…layered…nuanced…and absolutely mesmerizing.
I gave ‘The Judge’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 10th a bagel rating of 41/2 out of 5. Of course Duvall gets a big 5.
There are many reasons to see St. Vincent, written and directed by Ted Melfi. Yes, the script/story is wonderful. It will make you laugh and probably cry. But the main reason to see this film is BILL MURRAY, who gives the performance of his career. I predict he will win the Oscar for this role.
He plays Vincent, an angry, extremely unfriendly alcoholic/gambler living in the not-so-hip part of Brooklyn. Vincent spends his days drinking, betting on horses at the local race track and having sex with a pregnant Russian stripper, Daka (Naomi Watts) whom he pays.
When the film opens, Vincente discovers to his dismay, that he has a new neighbor, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) a single mother going through a bitter divorce. Forced to work long hours, Maggie has no choice but to find a babysitter for her 12 year old son, Oliver (the wonderful Jaeden Lieberher). Her unlikely choice, Vincent, who takes the gig because he desperately needs the money to care for his sick wife.
Despite his best efforts to keep emotionally distance from Oliver, the two of them wind up becoming unlikely friends. Vincente takes Oliver along with with him on all the stops that make up his daily routine…A strip club where Daka performs…The race track, where he teaches the kid how to gamble and what better way to end their day together, then a local dive bar.
Vincent and Oliver’s relationship is the heart of this film. It’s filled with humor and a great deal of ‘heart’. This is a film that will make you laugh and even cry. It’s that touching.
I gave ‘St. Vincent’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 10th 5 bagels out of 5. Do not miss this film.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts
Congratulations are due to Miss Annabelle. After her appearance in the film, ‘The Conjuring’ this over the top evil doll, now has her own movie. Hopefully, Annabelle’s new found stardom won’t go to her head.
Okay so here’s the story…without SPOILERS… Mia Form (the excellent, Annabelle Wallis) is happily married to John (Ward Horton) a medical student and they’re about to have a baby.
It’s the 70’s… Charles Manson and his Satanic cult are flashing across televisions everywhere. As only the media can do, they’re scaring people into believing that devil worship is the rage. Can you blame, Mia for being a bit worried about her safety?
But loving, sweet, kind, caring, hubby John, assures Mia that she’s completely safe. Speaking of John, even though he’s extremely busy studying for his med finals, he still finds the time to bring home a present for his beloved Mia. It’s a beautiful, rare, vintage doll dressed in a pure white wedding dress. The perfect doll to add to his wife’s collection.
Unfortunately, Mia’s joy over Annabelle, doesn’t last long. That same night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Through a set of circumstances that I won’t go into, a drop of blood gets into Annabelle’s eyes and the devil doll, we’ve all come to know and love, is born.
Well, she’s not really a devil, but she is pretty close.
I don’t want to give anything else away so all I’ll say is that…I judge a horror film, by how many times I jump out of my chair. I jumped at least five times. This is a very scary film, but in an intelligent way.
Director, John R. Leonetti who was the cinematographer on ‘The Conjuring’ does an excellent job, at slowly building the tension, so that when it does arrive, watch out. You’ll jump too.
The supporting cast, includes award-winning actress, Alfre Woodward, who plays a neighbor and the owner of a neighborhood book store. She just so happens to know a thing or two about the occult. Tony Amendola plays Father Perez, who knows a guy who knows a guy, who knows an exorcist.
I gave ‘Annabelle’ which opens in theaters Friday October 3, 2014, 4 bagels out of 4. Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts as well as Annabelle’s.
Through a series of flashbacks, we see how these two budding writers, met at a party in New York City, had instant chemistry, fell madly in love and eventually married..
They live in a beautiful New York chic apartment and and have hot sex whenever and the urge hits them…(which seems to be quite often) Life couldn’t be better for the couple, until the recession and illness hits.
Nick’s beloved mother has cancer, and since the recession has hit and they no longer have jobs, the couple decide to move back to Nick’s hometown of Missouri.
It’s hear that Amy starts to feel alone and abandoned and even fears for her life.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
When the film, directed by David Fincher (‘Seven’, ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’, opens we meet Nick entering a bar called ‘The Bar’ and sharing a drink with the bartender/his twin sister, Carrie Coon. It’s Nick’s fifth anniversary and he’s not really looking forward to celebrating.
After a shot of bourbon, he returns to his house and finds a glass table shattered and his wife is no where to be found.
Nick calls the police and it doesn’t take long before the lead detective, played by the wonderful, Kim Dickens begins a full on investigation into Amy’s disappearance.
It also doesn’t take long before the media gets hold of the story. Seems Amy is actually known by the public as, ‘The Amazing Amy’ thanks to her parents successful children’s book series exploiting their daughter’s childhood.
Of course, when ever a wife goes missing, the husband becomes the prime suspect and in ‘Gone Girl’ that’s exactly what happens.
But make no mistake, this is not some ordinary thriller. This is a film that is filled with so many twists and turns that will have you guessing up to the lights come on in the theatre.
Seems Amy kept a diary and as she narrates from this book, we come to discover that Nick is not just a low key guy from Missouri, but someone with a violent streak whom she was terrified of..
It doesn’t take long for the media to turn against Nick, led by a Nancy Grace-esque talk show host (Missi Pyle) as the police investigate.
‘Gone Girl’ written by Gillian Flynn is based on her best seller novel by the same name.
The film is filled with twists and turns and just when you think you have a handle on it, along comes another very unexpected surprise.
‘Gone Girl’ also has a lot of humor, so besides being a mystery thriller it’s also a great social satire.
The supporting cast, including Neil Patrick Harris as Amy’s obsessed ,high school sweetheart and Tyler Perry as a rich lawyer that thrives on defending husbands accused of murdering their wives, work beautifully.
And then there’s Miss Pike, who absolutely steals the film. Every actress over 35 must have dreamed of playing the character of Amy. I love the fact that Fincher went for an actress that is not that ‘well-known. She kills it.
‘Gone Girl’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 3, 2014, is one of the best mystery thrillers to come a long in a very, very long time and for that reason I gave it 4 bagels out of 5..
To write a film that is funny, touching, clever, insightful, quirky and have it work, is incredibly hard to do…Jonathon Tropper has done it brilliantly. Of course, he also wrote the novel.
This dramatic comedy, directed by Shawn Levy is based on Tropper’s hilarious and poignant best selling novel.
The plot: Four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof with their mother for a week after their father dies.
But these aren’t just any siblings and this isn’t just any mother.
The film opens with Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) coming home early from his job as a producer of a popular radio show, to surprise his wife, Quinn (Abigal Spencer) on her birthday. Unfortunately, Judd is the one that gets surprised. He finds Quinn in bed with his boss, Wayne (Dax Shepard)
And that’s the end of Judd’s perfect life. No more beautiful wife…no more job…no more great New York City apartment.
It’s in this dysfunctional state, Judd gets a call that his father has died and he has to return to his childhood home and reunite with his fiercely supportive but bossy big sister, Wendy (Tina Fey), older brother, Paul (Corey Stoll) the responsible member of the family, younger brother/flake, Phillip (Adam Driver) and his mother, Hillary (the wonderful Jane Fonda) who loves to voice her opinions about everything, especially sex and display her newly acquired breasts.
Added to this mix, is Philip’s older, rich fiancee, Tracy (Connie Britton) Horry, (Timothy Olyphant) Wendy’s first love, Paul’s wife, Annie (Kathryn Hahn) who is desperate to have a baby and next door neighbor, Linda (Debra Monk).
Rounding out this eclectic group is Penny (Rose Byrne, a hometown girl who’s carried a torch for Judd since high school and Ben Schwartz as Rabbi Grodner aka boner, a moniker he’s been trying to shake for years.
‘This Is Where I Leave You’ is a film about a family confronting their history…It’s also about the people in our lives that even though they might drive us crazy, in the end, they will always be there for us, because they are…our family.
The film will make you laugh…It will touch and surprise you in the best possible of ways and it will definitely entertain you. .
I gave ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 19th (of course I got the date wrong in the video) 5 bagels out of 5 with the works.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my witty observations.
‘There are three reasons to see ‘The Drop’ They are…Tom Hardy… Tom Hardy..Tom Hardy. He’s in practically every scene and is absolutely awesome. For those of you that may not be familiar with his name, he played the evil masked villian, Hugo Strange in ‘The Dark Knight’.
In ‘The Drop’ is a gripping crime thriller, as well as a profoundly interesting character study. Hardy plays Bob Saginowski, a bartender who lives and works in a low income section of Brooklyn. The bar was once owned by his cousin Marvin (the excellent James Gandolfini, in his last film role) but has been taken over by the Chechen mob, who use it as ‘drop’ a place to launder their dirty money.
Bob spends his days tending bar, sweeping up and staying out of the way of his super nasty crime bosses.But it doesn’t take long before his mundane, dull life changes.
One night the bar is robbed. Even though only $5000 was stolen, Bob and Marv realize that they could be in for an even bigger heist what with Super Bowl Sunday coming up.
But this isn’t the only event, that disrupts Bob’s quiet life. One night walking home, he hears the cries of a dog coming from a garbage can. He opens the lid and pulls out a badly beaten pit bull puppy, that even with his wounds, is so adorable, it would warm even the coldest of hearts. Despite trying not to, Bob falls instantly in love with the little guy and names him Rocco.immediately in love with the little guy and names him Rocco. I should mention there’s a girl involved with this puppy. Her name is Nadia and the dog belonged to her. She also had a very abusive, ex-con boyfriend, Eric Deeds (the wonderful menacing Matthias Schoenaerts) who hurt them both.
She teaches Bob everything he needs to know in order to be a good ‘dog daddy’ and soon the two of them are living in perfect harmony.
There are a couple of problems Bob needs to deal with…One is Deeds demands for $10,000 or something tragic will happen to Rocco as maybe even Nadia. If that’s not stressful enough, Super Bowl Day is fast approaching and there’s a good chance the bar will be revisited by the thieves.
To say anymore would give away some very important twists…the most interesting having to do with Bob’s complex character, which Hardy captures brilliantly.
The film directed by Michael R. Roskam was written by Dennis Lehane (‘Mystic River’ ‘Gone Baby Gone’ ‘Shutter Island’) from his short story entitled ‘Animal Rescue’ is definitely a film you don’t want to miss.
‘The Drop’ opens Friday, September 12, 2014 and I gave it 4 bagels out of 4. I gave Thomas Hardy 5 bagels out of 5.
Have to say, this film was a very happy surprise. Is it silly? At times, over the top? Unbelievable? Of course…But it’s also, thanks to director, Patrick Hughes (‘Red Hill’) and screenwriters, Stallone, Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt extremely entertaining, filled with lots of humor and killer action scenes.
Okay first let’s talk about the cast…
At the beginning of the film, in one of the best edge-of-your-seat, action scenes, we meet what’s left of the original Expendables… founder, Barney Ross, (Sylvester Stallone) his BFF, second in command, knife expert, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunter Jensen, (Dolph Lungren) Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews)
They are about to rescue former team member, Doc (Wesley Snipes) who’s been imprisoned in some country I never heard of, for the last 8 years. Needlessly to say, the mission is a success.
It takes Doc, a mere 24 hours, to be up and running. And I mean RUNNING. Okay, so here’s one of the many places you need to suspend belief, because, personally, I don’t know anyone who, after spending 8 years in a tiny cell, can leap from tall buildings and run across a speeding train, while dodging bullets from several automatic weapons.
That aside…After this amazing rescue, the team is immediately assigned another mission by their CIA handler, Max Drummer (Harrison Ford) Barney and his men, have to find and bring back alive, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson) Barney’s former partner and Expendables’ co-founder.
To say hearing this name shocks him, is an understatement, since Barney thought he killed Stonebridge, over a decade ago.
Not ony is Stonebanks very much alive, he’s also a very wealthy, ruthless, arms dealer, How bad is this dude, you might wonder? Well, The Hague wants to try him for war crimes. That’s how bad.
After their first attempt to capture Stonebanks fails and leaves veteran Expendable, Caesar, gravely wounded, Barney is forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life…
He retires his remaining crew and with the help of mercenary broker, Bonaparte, (Kelsey Grammar) recruits a group of youthful hotshots (Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell and Victor Ortiz) to bring fresh energy and updated skills to the team.
Also along for the ride, is non other than the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarznager, as well as Jet Li, and a scene stealing, Antonio Banderas, who plays Galgo, a former soldier, who talks incessantly and just wants someone/anyone to ‘like him’.
‘The Expendables 3’ in my opinion, is the best of the trilogy and an extremely fun ride. The film opens in theatres, Friday, August 14, 2014.
The Hundred Foot Journey’ directed by Lasse Hallstrom, is a film about food, the senses, cross-cultures and love.
The film, written by Steven Knight (‘Locke’ ‘Eastern Promises’) is based on Richard C. Morais’ 2010 novel which to date, has sold over 100 million copies world-wide.
After an uprising in their native Mumbai, the Kadam family decide to close their restaurant and move to Europe, where they can continue to share their delicious Indian food with the locals.
After a brief stay in England the family, led by the very outspoken and very opinionated father, (Om Puri) wind up settling in a small French village. It’s here that Papa Kadam decides is the perfect place to settle and open their new restaurant, Maison Mumbai. Only problem is, the restaurant is 100 feet across the road from the Michelin starred, Le Saule Pleureur, owned by Madame Mallory (the wonderful Helen Mirren).
To say cultures clash, would be an understatement.
Hot, spicy, Indian food versus expensive classic French cuisine.
Added to the mix, is the very good looking and very talented son, Hassan (Manish Dayal) who is interested in being the best chef in the world even if it means going against his father. But his life isn’t just about cooking. Somehow he makes time to flirt with the Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon) who works for Madame Mallory.
‘The One Hundred Foot Journey’ is a beautiful film about the sensuality of food, the art of cooking, the coming together of two different cultures and realizing they may have one or two things in common after all.
All the actors are wonderful, with Helen Mirren and Om Puri being the standouts.
I gave ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ 5 bagels out of 5. This is a film that everyone, no matter what your age, should see.
It’s also a perfect ‘date night’ film…
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
Once upon a time, a young boy, named Peter Quill, who just lost his mother, is abducted by aliens and taken to a galaxy far, far away.
The boy grows up to become Chris Pratt…Well not really but that’s the actor who plays Peter aka Starlord, a lovable intergalactic thief.
Peter winds up stealing an Orb… We all know what an Orb can do right?
In case you don’t (I certainly didn’t) this Orb is all powerful and can destroy a civilization faster than you can tweet…You must see this film…
Through a series of events, Peter finds himself in prison, where he teams up with some of Marvel’s coolest comic book characters.
Including…Gamora, (Zoe Saldana) who’s a genetically altered assassin…A big tattoo dude, appropriately named, Drax, the Destroyer (Dave Batista), a very opinionated, talking raccoon, (Bradley Cooper) who can drive a spaceship better than Hans Solo, and his BFF, tree beast, Groot (who I want to take home with me) voiced by Vin Diesel, in one of his best roles.
Even though they have different motives and aren’t too fond of one another, these oddball beings agree to work together.
Now all they have to do is…Break out of prison, kill an army of gun toting guards, steal a spaceship and bring the Orb to someplace safe.
If all that seems a wee bit tricky, a super evil, super powerful, super angry alien, named Ronan (Lee Pace) is after the Orb. He basically wants to use it so he can destroy whatever civilization annoys him and become the leader of the free world.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ directed and co-written by James Gunn, shot in 3D and IMAX is one of my favorite comic book films, ever.
It’s funny, exciting, original, clever and in the end, even touching, thanks to the use of 80’s classic rock music and it’s theme about ‘friendship’.
Rounding out this wonderful cast is…Glen Close (Nova Prime), John C. Reilly, who wants to lock up Quill and throw the key away, Benecio del Toro (The Collector) and Michael Rooker, a mean, vicious bandit, who beamed Peter up way back when..
I gave ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, which opens in theatres, Friday August 1st, 2014, 5 bagels out of 5. Don’t miss it.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and of course, to see my guest, Mango the Pek.
‘Lucy’ starring the uber talented Scarlett Johansson, is a sci-fi, thriller that includes a lesson in evolution and the brain….Our brain to be exact and how us humans are not using it to its full capacity.
No kidding….all you have to do is turn on the news and you’ll realize how un-evolved our species is.
First thing to know when watching ‘Lucy’ written and directed by the always interesting Luc Besson, forget logic. Just sit back and enjoy.
When the film starts, we meet Lucy (Scarlett Johansson)a ditzy blonde living in Tapei, whose sleezy boyfriend is trying to convince her to delivery a case to a Mr. Jang (Choi Min-Sik) When she continues to refuse, he handicuffs the briefcase to her arm. Poor Lucy she has no choice but to do his bidding.
In one of the best scenes in the film Lucy goes to Jang’s hotel suite and finds out that not only is he an super evil crime boss involved in drug trafficing, but her life is about to change forever.
CPH4 a highly potent synthetic substance is sewn into Lucy’s stomach and along with several other unsuspecting victims, she’s turned into a drug mule. However, in Lucy’s case something quite unexpected occurs. The drug package explodes inside of her and the CPH4 goes soaring through every one of her cells. As all this is going on, Besson takes us to Paris where Professor/Researcher Norman (Morgan Freeman) is giving a lecture about the human brain and how we only use 10 percent of this organ. Back to Lucy, where thanks to CPH4, her brain power keeps increasing. How do we know this, it flashes on the screen…20 percent, 30 percent…and so on. With each increase Lucy develops new powers. So while the bad guys are shotting everything in site, Miss Lucy is moving objects, and gaining super human strength, among many other very interesting abilities.
‘Lucy’ which opens in theatres Friday, July 25 is a very entertaining, exciting, interesting and really fun film. For that reason, I gave it 4 bagels out of 5 and recommend that everyone sees it.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my witty observations.
Rarely is a sequel better than the original…Of course, there are exceptions, such as ‘Godfather 2’ and now ‘Dawn of The Planet Of The Apes’. This film is absolutely fantastic on every level, starting with…
Andy Serkis as Caesar, the soulful, emotional, kind and fair ape that we met in ‘Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ starring James Franco. Okay right off the bat, I have to say that Serkis is amazing. He gives such a beautiful, nuanced performance that we, as an audience, are able to feel everything that Caesar feels and thinks.
The film, shot in 3D, is brilliantly directed by Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’) from Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver’s script.
‘Dawn of the Planet Of The Apes’ takes place a decade after most of the human race has been wiped out by the man-made Simian virus.
Caesar who now has a wife, Cornelia (Judy Greer) a teenage son, son, and a new born baby, is the well respected leader of thousand of apes, who reside in Muir Woods, outside of San Francisco.
The apes haven’t seen humans for years, and wonder if they are now extinct.
But that’s all about to change.
Into their peaceful home, comes Malcolm (Jason Clarke) a former architect who lost his wife to the virus, his teenage son, Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Ellie (Keri Russell) a former CDC nurse, along with a few not-so friendly companions.
Immediately sides are drawn…Koba, (Toby Kebbell) the ape who spent years in captivity, having to endure horrendous experiments by scientists hates humans with a vengeance. Can you blame him?
Caesar, on the other hand, is conflicted about humanity because of the way he was brought up…He learned all about human belief systems and thought of Will (James Franco) from ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ as his father.
It doesn’t take long for the apes to find out, that there are in fact, a great deal of humans that have survived and they are living close by, in the ruins of San Francisco. Many of them, including their leader, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman)a former law enforcement dude, blame the apes for the virus.
Adding to the tension is the knowledge that the colony will soon be out of power. That was one of the reasons, Malcom and his group were in the forest. They are looking for a source of energy and just happened to find one…unfortunately it’s right next to the apes habitat.
So the question is…can apes and humans co-exist peacefully and put aside their mistrust and blame or…will they do their best to wipe each other out? What do you think?
Well, we all know the answer to that question.
‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ is basically the story of two families – one human and one ape. And it’s through these families, we get to experience their struggle to survive among the ruins of civilization.
The film is beautifully shot thanks to cinematographer, Michael Seresin and the performances, including that of Maurice, the lovable Orangutan and Rocket (Terry Notary) Caesar’s closest allies, are all amazing.
I should mention that the apes have now evolved to a point where they communicate using sign language and Caesar’s vocabulary is better than a lot of people I know.
‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ opens in theatres, Friday July 11, 2014. Do not miss it.
After all, I don’t give just any film 5 bagels out of 5.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
The BOTS are back…The good, the bad, the ugly…And to my surprise not only did I enjoy the robots, I actually liked this film.
Now that’s something, considering I disliked the first three intensely.
The Plot: Although, If anyone sees this franchise for the plot is very doubtful, but here it is…Don’t worry, no SPOILERS.
Even though, the Autobots led by Optimus Prime saved the planet and the human race from extinction (see ‘Transformers 3’) the CIA, led by the super evil, Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer) is out to destroy every single one of them. He wants Earth for us earthlings. Now what does he do with all the Autobots he destroys, you ask? He gives them to, Josha Joyce, (Stanley Tucci)a rich, semi-evil inventor/genius, who uses their various parts to build his own…Transformers, which he believes he can control and sell to the Defense Department for the same amount of money this movie will probably make…Billions.
So these guys along with an Autobot who will remain nameless are the ‘evil doers’.
Now for the Good Guys/Girls…The funny, charming, Mark Wahlberg is Cade Yeager, a struggling, broke inventor, who lives out in the boondocks of Texas with his gorgeous, long legged, blond daughter, Tessa (Nicola Peltz)who he wants to stay a virgin until she dies (well I exaggerate, but only a bit)
Tessa is about to graduate, daddy is about to lose the homestead, when he finds something that will change their lives forever.
Enter, Shane Dyson (Jack Reynor) a killer car driver/racer who just happens to be Tessa’s secret boyfriend. Yeager’s reaction to their relationship is just the beginning of the humor that flows through this film. Yes this 3D, IMAX SCI-FI epic has humor…quite a lot of it.
Some other interesting plot points: We also find out what really happened to the dinosaurs way back when and the Joyce character goes from being semi-evil to a wise cracking, comedian in the fourth half of the film…complete change. In fact, the last 45 minutes of this over-long film is laugh out loud funny…At least it was for me. Not sure if that’s what Bay and writer, Ehren Kruger had in mind. There are way too many car chases and way too many battles. I guess Bay thinks more BATTLES equals more BILLIONS.
Having said all that, in the end, I was extremely entertained by ‘Transformers: Age Of Extinction’ and for that reason, I gave this film which opens, Friday, June 27, 2014, four bagels out of five.
Please check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
I’d love to know what you think.
Do you have a burning question that you have always wanted to ask the Rabbi? Do you enjoy fireside chats on Jewish theology, philosophy and traditions? How about a combination of the two? Join us for this series of thematic discussions led by Rabbi Menachem Creditor. This week, Rabbi Creditor responds to questions about “Death, […]
For me, music is one of the most powerful forms of entertainment. I can be in the worst mood and a certain song comes on the radio and instantly, my bad mood is gone. I’m transported to another place…I think music elevates the moments of our lives.
Having seen the Tony Award winning musical ‘Jersey Boys’ on Broadway and in L. A. and loving it, I was really looking forward to the film, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Oh Clint, I think it’s amazing that you’re still directing and acting at the age of 83. Bravo for that. But Clint, musicals…don’t think that’s exactly your thing…because Jersey Boys’ just doesn’t work.
The music is great…It’s the in-between parts that I had trouble with.
‘Jersey Boys’ is the story of Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) and The Four Seasons.
Frankie, born Frankie Castelluccio was from Belleville New Jersey. In the 50’s he worked as a trainee in a barber shop. Frankie’s neighborhood was filled with low level criminals, as well as a mob boss or two, one of them being, Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken) who took a very special interest in the young singer.
This was a time, when street corners were filled with guys harmonizing and Frankie’s neighborhood was no different.
It’s here that Valli, along with his best friend, guitarist/thief, Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) and bass player/thief Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) formed a band. In between petty heists, the Jersey trio played anywhere that would have them without much success.
That all changed when a local wannabe talent scout named…are you ready?…JOEY PESCI aka Joe Pesci (Joseph Russo) introduced them to singer/songwriter, Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen).
The trio became a quartet and with the guidance of the brilliant producer/lyricist, Bob Crewe (Mike Doyle)The Four Seasons were born and the rest is history…an amazing history.
But unfortunately what’s up on the screen is anything but amazing. It takes 45 minutes before there’s any music at all. What we have are trips to prison, squabbles, hookups with ladies, and the four lead characters, breaking the fourth wall talking into the camera…an annoying technique that rarely works.
I don’t mean to say it’s ‘all bad’. Once the music kicks in, it’s magic. To see the creative process behind many of The Four Seasons hits, including ‘Sherry Baby’, ‘Walk Like A Man’, Rag Doll’ and Valli’s biggest hit, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ is a part of the film that really worked…As did the recreation of their appearances on American Bandstand as well as The Ed Sullivan Show.
But all the good parts, don’t save the film. Characters appear in the
first quarter of the film, including Valli’s wife, Mary (Renee Marino) and then disappear for long periods of time. Plus certain scenes are very stagnant and repetitious.
For those reasons, I gave ‘Jersey Boys’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 20, 2014, only 3 bagels out of 5.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video to see my guest and for more of my thoughts.
Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) is a 16 years old, who loves to read. She also has a killer sense of humor, which comes in handy, since she has cancer and must carry around an oxygen tank at all times.
Her super loving parents (Laura Dern) and (Sam Trammel) worry that Hazel doesn’t have friends. At their urging, she joins a cancer support group, which changes her life in the most unexpected way.
Hazel meets a guy named, Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort) who also has a killer sense of humor, which also comes in handy, since he has a prosthetic leg. His hopes of playing basketball were cut short due to a bout with cancer. He’s in remission but he’s joined the group to support his best friend, Issac, (the wonderful, Nat Wolff) whose cancer caused him to lose an eye.
Now I bet you’re thinking…Who wants to see a film about people with cancer? How depressing is that? The answer…It’s not just about cancer and it’s definitely not depressing.
‘The Fault In Our Stars’ written by the uber talented, Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (‘500 Days Of Summer’, ‘Spectacular Now’) based upon the number one bestselling novel by John Green, is an absolutely beautiful, touching, uplifting film about ‘being alive’.
We follow Hazel and Augustus, as they become really good friends and eventually, fall in love.
But not before, they share their fears, their passions and their love of books, including Hazel’s favorite, ‘An Imperial Affliction’. She has several questions about the book’s ending and has tried many times to get in touch with the reclusive author, Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) but to no avail.
Gus determined for Hazel to get her answers, manages to reach Van Houten through the author’s assistant and it results in an invitation to meet the writer in Amsterdam.
Once there, Hazel is so excited to meet Van Houten and finally get her questions answered…But the answers she’s looking for do not come from the author. They come from living a great adventure, that the teenager shares with someone, she’s not afraid to love, despite their numbered days.
This is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll and that has a lot to do with the extraordinary performance of Shailene Woodley…She is one of those actresses that you can’t take your eyes off. She captures all the qualities that make Hazel one of those unforgetable characters.
‘The Fault In Our Stars’,.directed by Josh Boone, opens in theatres, Friday June 6, 2014 Don’t miss it.
After all, I don’t give 5 bagels out of 5 to just any film.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and witty observations.
‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ starring Tom Cruise, is a sci-fi thriller that takes place in the near future. When the film opens, we find out that an alien race known as Mimics have invaded the Earth, wiping out millions and so far, they are unbeatable.
Cruise plays Major William Cage, a slick public relations officer in the U. S. army, a post he took up after his advertising company went belly up. An alien invasion could do that.
He’s never seen a day of combat. His job is to put a ‘good spin’ on our war with these invaders from space, and get people to join the military and fight.
Because he’s done such a good job, General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) now wants him to report from ground zero, to give people around the world a window onto the battleground. Cage, who can’t even stand the sight of blood, refuses to go, pissing off Brigham who winds up knocking him out.
When Cage wakes up, he finds himself at Heathrow Airport in London, which has been commandeered by UDF (United Defense Force) as military headquarters.
He’s immediately greeted by a Sergeant Farell (Bill Paxton) He explaining to Farell that there’s been a mistake…that’s he’s an officer…and doesn’t belong here.
Farell doesn’t believe him. In fact, he tells Cage that he knows for a fact that he’s a private and a deserter. If that’s not bad enough, Cage also discovers that he is now a member of J Squad, which is made up of six dysfunctional soldiers who are gung-ho to kick some ‘alien butt’.
Cage has no choice but to go along with the Squad’s mission which is basically a suicide one. As soon as Cage lands on the beach where the big battle is to take place, he’s killed.
End of story…Not quite. Cage finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop that forces him to live out the same brutal battle over and over, fighting and dying again and again.
Lucky for Cage, he runs into Special Forces warrior chick, Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) who knows what’s really going on and helps our reluctant soldier to develop the skills he needs to defeat the alien enemy.
‘Edge OfTomorrow’ directed by Doug Liman, is based on a Japanese novel, ‘All You Need Is Kill’ by author Hiroshi Sakurazaka. The film is exciting, funny, with killer action scenes and Cruz and Blunt have great chemistry together.
‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ written by Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects’), with help from, Jez and John-Henry Butterworth opens in theatres Friday June 6, 2014 and I gave it 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
I loved this film and as I said in the video, this is definitely one of my favorite in the ‘X-Men’ series.
Directed by Brian Singer, shot in 3D, the film starts out in the future…an extremely bleak future…not only for mutants, but for humans as well, thanks to these huge killing machines, known as the Sentinels. What are the Sentinels you ask…Basically unstoppable robots which are programmed to not only track down and kill mutants, but murder any human that will give birth to a mutant or is a mutant sympathizer. So to say that mutants and humans are almost extinct, would be an under-statement.
Things are so bad in fact, that Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Professor X (Patrick Steward) once mortal enemies, are now best buddies and holed up together in a hidden fortress, along with mutants, Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), Blink (Fan Bingbing), Bishop (Omar Sy) and Wolverwine (Hugh Jackman) Everyone is trying to find a way to defeat the Sentinels. And of course they do, or you wouldn’t have a movie.
The plan and this isn’t a spoiler: Send Wolverwine back in time to the 1970’s to prevent Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the Sentinels creator, scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Seems when Mystique murders Trask, she’s captured and it’s her DNA that is used in creating the Sentinels. Got all that?
So Kitty using her ability to transport, sends Wolverine back to the past. In a very funny scene, Mister Wolverwine, wakes up in bed and a Roberta Flack song is on the radio. It’s the 70’s for sure. Anyway, his next stop is the Xavier school, where he finds a very young and very depressed, Professor X (played beautifully by James McAvoy) Not only must Wolverine convince the Professor that he’s from the future, but he has to get him to reunite with the young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) so they can stop Mystique from murdering Trask and thereby, change the future. No biggie!. Only problem is the Professor wants no part of the plan and Magneto is locked away in a impregnable, underground prison, inside the Pentagon for killing President Kennedy.
Luckily, a mutant known as Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is around.
Don’t want to give anything else away, but I will say that ‘X-Men Days Of Future Past’ has humor, suspense, action, and a great story line. For that reason, I gave this film, which opens in theatres, Friday May 23rd, 2014, five bagels out of five.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts.
Might as well get right to it. What bothered me about ‘Godzilla’, directed by Gareth Edwards (‘Monsters’) is the following…
‘Godzilla’ is not the STAR of the film. He’s barely a supporting player. When the name of the film is GODZILLA, you expect our favorite fire breathing over grown lizard would be the main character…
Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Who are the main characters you ask? Star crossed lovers – aka MUTOS (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism)…Seriously… that’s the name the scientists way back when gave to these ancient flying creatures.
Okay, so these two MUTOS are in love and and want what everyone in love wants… a family… And miracles or miracles, they are preggers. Big Mama Monster is having lots and lots of babies…You can see them glowing inside her belly…
And as any caring mother would do, she wants to make sure her fetuses have lots to eat, so they’ll grow up to be and strong.
Only problem is the MUTOS food of choice…RADIATION…and they don’t care where they get it…
They gobble up, planes, trains, computers, bombs and that’s just for an appetizer.
Time for a quick back-story…
The film starts with several old stills of the U.S.sending a nuclear bomb down on Japan at the end of WW2.
We then move forward to 1999, where we meet nuclear physicist, Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) who is investigating seismic activity at the Janjira nuclear power plant where he works.
But before he can have his morning coffee, an horrific event occurs, which changes Joe’s life forever.
We then flash forward to the present, where we meet Joe’s now grown up, hunky, son, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who’s a lieutenant in the Navy, specializing in disarming bombs (convenient).
He lives with his wife (Elizabeth Olson) and their 3 year old super adorable son. It’s establish immediately that his estranged from his father and hasn’t seen him in years. But that all changes when Joe, who still lives in Japan gets arrested…Ford flies to his rescue and the rest is cinema magic, which means excellent CGI, showing cities getting destroyed, people being wiped out, huge tidal waves and all kinds of fun disaster, brought on by the two MUTOS.
Our monster couple didn’t find life in Japan to their liking so they said, sayonara and went searching for a more radioactive place to call home, which turns out to be…the City by the Bay.
But of course, such a long trip requires food…and they find it. Unfortunately this means wiping out Hawaii and Vegas.
Godzilla, when he finally appears, got a lot of applause at the press screening I attended…The guy should open a Twitter account. He’s very popular…And that’s why I wanted MORE of him. I just felt cheated at the end and from the lack of applause, I have a feeling others in the audience did as well.
Sally Hawkins, Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn and Juliet Binoche (in a really small part) round out the cast.
‘Godzilla’ written by Max Borenstein from a story by Dave Callaham, opens in theatres Friday May 16, 2014.
I gave the film 31/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and what I imagined John’s score to be.
Kelly (Rose Bryne) and Mac (Seth Rogen) have just bought a house in a quiet neighborhood and have a baby named, Stella, played by twins Elise and Zoey Vargas) BTW…who just might be the cutest babies on the planet. Even though they find it hard to have spontaneous sex, Mac and Kelly are enjoying their life as parents. They still, however, think of themselves as being young hip and spontaneous.
When a fraternity moves in next door, the couple worry about the wild parties that might occur, so they do what any responsible adult/neighbor would do…Bring over a joint and let the frat boys, led by their President, Teddy (Zac Effron) know that despite being slightly older, they’re still totally cool.
They also ask (after practicing this line several times) if the guys could just ‘keep it down’.
Teddy assures them that they will and if ever, his frat bros get to loud, please let him know, instead of calling the cops.
The couple promise and even spend a night partying with their frat neighbors. The next day, our hung over parents return home, satisfied that the frat house was so agreeable.
Wow, did they ever get that worng.
After spending several sleepless nights, due to the extremely loud music coming from the frat house, Mac and Kelly wind up breaking their promise and call the police.
Teddy is deeply hurt by the couple’s betrayal and does what any emotionally wounded college boy would do…He declares WAR on his neighbors.
Of course, where there’s war, there is retaliation and that’s exactly what Kelly and Mac do…Retaliate…Big time.
‘The Neighbors’ is not only laugh out loud funny but clever as well. The whole cast is excellent, but for me, the standout and the surprise was Rose Bryne. I had no idea that she could be so good at comedy.
Speaking of comedy, Zac Efron and Seth Rogen have some really hysterically funny scenes together, including a dance-off.
Dave Franco, as a fellow frat brother is also quite good, along with Brian Huskey and Lisa Kudrow in a cameo.
I gave ‘The Neighbors’ which opens Friday, May 9, 2014,four bagels out of five and if you want to spend two hours laughing, I highly recommend this film.
Do you have a burning question that you have always wanted to ask the Rabbi? Do you enjoy fireside chats on Jewish theology, philosophy and traditions? How about a combination of the two? Join us for this series of thematic discussions led by Rabbi Menachem Creditor. This week, Rabbi Creditor responds to questions about “Israel.” […]
Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, turns our attention to what it meant for individuals and for a community to survive. Let’s use the day’s observance to explore the resiliency of some remarkable individuals, and of the Jewish people as a whole, to inspire us as we face life’s inevitable traumas. Please let us know what […]
The amazing Spider is back….I don’t know…Maybe it’s just me…But I just don’t find this super dude all that amazing.
I love super hero films…’Iron Man’, ‘The Avengers’, ‘X-Men’, ‘Capt. America, Part 2’…Big, big fan…’The Spider Man’…not so much.
Personally I think he’d be much more appreciated by a tween or teen audience…He’s slightly goofy, whiny, mopey, and reminds me of a gawky teenager… which he is.
But I don’t think that’s the only problem with this new ‘Spider Man’ film. It just seems ‘old hack’…Seen it…the car crashes, the monsters, the evil corporation that wants to take over the world…
Marc Webb once again directs. He also wrote the screenplay with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Onci and Jeff Pinkner…Whenever I see more than two writers on a project, I sense trouble.
In any case Spider-Man, (Andrew Garfield).is still madly in love with Gwen (Emma Stone). The problem is that he keeps seeing her dead father (William Dafoe). He promised her dead daddy that he would do everything and anything to protect her, even if it means ending their relationship. Apparently as long as Gwen is with Peter, she’s in grave danger.
So poor Peter is not only dealing with teenage love angst, he has some pretty nasty fellows after him as well.
First on the list of Spider Man’s haters…
Max Dillon, (Jamie Foxx)a brilliant, misunderstood, highly neurotic design engineer who works for Oscorp. Max is obsessed with our super hero and when Spider Man accidentally speaks to Max on the streets of New York city, well the guy is over the moon.
But alas, how soon love turns to hate. After Max misinterprets one of Spider-Man’s actions, he feels betrayed. It hardens him…When Max has an accident at Oscorp, and turns into Electro, he has one purpose…To destroy Spider-Man, along with the whole population of New York City.
And then there’s Peter’s best friend who he hasn’t seen in years, Harry Osborn, aka Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) who is now the head of Oscorp. Harry is dying of the same disease that killed his father and needs Spider’s blood (just a vial or two) to save his life. When the Spider refuses, he becomes the number one guy on Harry’s hit list.. After Harry turns into the Green Goblin, he hooks up with Electro and the two of them set out to end him and anyone who gets in their way.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ shot in 3D, does have some very cool effects, especially when Peter flies across the city, throwing out his web here, there and everywhere.
I also enjoyed Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich, a Russian bad guy turned into The Rhino by Oscorp. Sally Field is back as Parker’s Aunt as well as Campbell Scott (Richard Parker) and Mary (Embeth Davidtz)
I gave ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ which opens in theatres, Friday May 2, 2014 3 bagels out of 5. I’m sure John’s bagel score would have been much less.
Check out our Two Jews On Film video for more of my witty observations..
A friend of mine described ‘The Other Woman’ directed by Nick Cassavetes as a Waspy Estrogen Fest. And that about sums it up.
Except for Nikki Minaj, everyone is so white…Even the background players are ‘white’…Guess they’re the only people living in New York City now.
But that’s not the real problem I had with this female bonding revenge comedy…The real problem…It’s just not funny…not funny enough, anyway.
Okay the story…Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz) a high powered attorney, who goes through men like most people go through a tube of toothpaste, finally meets a guy, Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who just might be a keeper. He’s good looking, successful and sex is extremely hot. So after 8 weeks of dating, Carly decides it’s time for Mark to meet her dad (Don Johnson)
Mark agrees, but then abruptly cancels. Seems the pipes burst in his Connecticut home. Carly is pissed and ready to dump him, but her dad (Don Johnson) convinces her to give him another chance.
So Carly decides instead of being angry at Mark, why not surprise him. Dressed in short shorts, with a plunger in tow, Carly drives to Mark’s house…BYT…I have no idea how she knows where he lives, since men who cheat, don’t usually give out their addresses.
That aside, Carly wounds up being the one surprised…
When she knocks on her lover’s door, she is greeted by…his air head wife, Kate (a very annoying Leslie Mann).
Needless to say, Kate is as shocked as Carly, to discover that Mark, isn’t the guy they thought he was.
Of course, this discovery is much easier for Carly to handle than for Kate. She simply ignores Mark’s messages and calls…What’s harder to ignore is wife, Kate, who with her Great Dane Puppy, Thunder in tow, shows up continually at her law office.
It seems the very freaked out Kate, needs a friend and Carly is it.
After several female bonding scenes, which includes, a lot of drinking, a lot of sex talk, and several panic attacks, the women become BFF’s. (best friends forever)
It’s after that, the ladies decide to go all James Bond on Mark. In the one scene, that I did find very funny, the girls spy on Mark and discover that he’s even more of a creep than they originally thought.
Seems Carly is not his only mistress…Amber (Kate Upton) a gorgeous blonde, with a body to kill for, is another one of Mark’s lovers and in less than a minute after the scorned ladies meet her, Amber becomes their BFF.
The trio now has one goal…to take Mark down!
‘The Other Woman’ which opens in theatres Friday April 26, 2014, is definitely geared toward the female population…
This is a total chick flick with a very old fashion feel to it and for me, that is not a ‘good thing’.
I did like the film’s message regarding friendship and for that reason, I gave it 2 bagels out of 5.
The moral of this film: Don’t buy a mirror that’s more than a year old…or just make sure, it’s not one that houses a malevolent spirit that will infect your mind, body and soul.
‘Oculus’, directed by Mike Flanagan, is based on a short film of the same name, that he wrote and directed in 2005. The film was made for just under $1500 and shot in four days.
This ‘Oculus’ written by Flanagan and his writing partner, Jeff Howard, is definitely an expanded version of his the original idea.
The film is the story of the Russell family…and takes us traveling back and forth into their past and present.
When the movie opens. we meet Tim (Brenton Thwaites) who is about to be released from a mental hospital. He’s deemed cured by the doctors and the dude does look like he could be the poster boy for mental health.
Waiting to greet Tim and help him start his new life, is his sister Kaylie (the wonderfully intense Karen Gillan). After exchanging hugs, she reminds her brother of the promise he made her years ago.
FLASHBACK. We meet the young Kaylie ( Annalise Basso) playing with her younger brother Timbo (Garrett Ryan) as their parents, Alan (Rory Cochrane) and Marie (Katee Sackhoff) unpack boxes and arrange the furniture in the new sprawling house they just moved into.
On top of that, daddy has just started a new in home business. Wow, this guy definitely has a lot on his plate…But despite that, he’s managed to do some antique shopping and one of his purchases is an….
ANTIQUE MIRROR…aka A REALLY SUPER EVIL ANTIQUE MIRROR.
It doesn’t take long, before we discover just how evil this mirror is…
And the grownup Kaylie, is determined to destroy it and she’s equally determined to get her brother to keep his promise….To help her kill the mirror.
‘Oculus’ which opens in theatres Friday, April 11, 2014, is a scary, intense, eerie film that will have you, at times, sitting on the edge of your seat. I even popped out of my seat a few times and for that reason, I gave the film 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and let me know what you think.
First thing I have to say is that…next to ‘The Avengers’, this is my favorite super-hero movie. I absolutely loved every second of it.
Without wanting to give away too much of the plot, here are some of the broad strokes…
The film, brilliantly directed, by brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo (Emmy-winning directors for ‘Arrested Development’) opens with Steve Rogers, aka, Captain America (Chris Evans) living in Washington D.C. two years after being defrosted.
He is still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and is struggling to fit into the modern world. In a really funny scene, we see Rogers jogging, speeding by fellow runners, including war veteran, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who quickly becomes friends with our Super Hero.
Moments later, Rogers is given a mission: Several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are being held hostage aboard a ship that Algerian pirates have taken over. After wiping out several of the bad guys, to Rogers’ surprise, he runs into fellow agent Natasha Romanoff aka The Black Widow (The wonderful Scarlett Johansson) who’s extracting data from the ship’s computers. She’s very vague about what exactly she’s doing, leading Rogers to wonder whether or not he should trust S.H.I.E.L.D.
Back at headquarters, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to calm Roger’s concern, by telling him about ‘Operation: Insight’..a top secret project involving three Helicarriers linked to satellites, designed to spy on the population, in order to eliminate potential threats…Imagine that…The government spying on its citizens to keep us safe…Sound familiar?
Even Fury starts to get suspicious, especially when he’s denied access to information on ‘Operation: Insight’ and is ambushed by assailants disguised as police officers, led by a mysterious assassin called ‘The Winter Soldier’ (Sebastian Stan)
To say anymore would spoil the fun, and this film is total fun, thanks not only to the directors and writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely but to a great cast, including…
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, as a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. member,
The action, car chases and fight scenes are some of the best, especially one that takes place in an elevator.
The film has great humor, twists, turns, surprises and makes us think…How far should the government go to keep us safe?
I gave ‘Captain American:The Winter Soldier’ which opens in theatres, Friday, April 4, 2014, my highest bagel score: five out of five.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and for what I think John’s bagel score would be.
Do you have a burning question that you have always wanted to ask the Rabbi? Do you enjoy fireside chats on Jewish theology, philosophy and traditions? How about a combination of the two? Join us for this series of thematic discussions led by Rabbi Menachem Creditor. This week, Rabbi Creditor responds to questions about “Theology.” […]
‘Noah’ written and directed By Darren Aronosfsky (‘Black Swan’ and ‘The Wrestler’) is the story of Noah. In case you don’t know who he is…Here are the cliff notes: God/the Creator was extremely pissed
off at mankind, so he chose Mr. Noah to build an Arc and rescue two of every species of animal, before he sent an apocalyptic flood to destroy the world. Could you imagine what the Creator would do now, if he saw what us humans have done to his beautiful planet? But that’s another discussion…Back to the film…
Anyway, Noah (Russell Crow) who appears only in a few pages in the Book of Genesis, believes God speaks to him and only him. Sound familiar: Noah is basically a pompous ass, who’s exactly like those self righteous, hateful right wing evangelists of today, who strongly believe that too know what God wants.
Okay, so Noah informs his loving, intensely emotional wife, Naameh, (Jennifer Connelly) and this three sons…Ham, the rebellious one (Logan Lerman), Sham, the one with great hair (Douglas Booth) and his youngest son, Japheth (Leo Carroll) that he’s going to build an Arc, the Creator is going to destroy mankind and only the animals will survive…Big Bummer, but they seem to go along with the plan, until…Sham get the hots for his adopted, barren sister, IIa (Emma Watson) and SPOILER ALERT thanks to Noah’s great grandfather, Methuselah, (Sir Anthony Hopkins) she becomes pregnant. You see, since, Noah thinks that the Creator wants to end mankind, having a baby is definitely not part of the plan
As I mentioned in my video review, there are a few things that were not mentioned in the Bible. Seems Noah had some help in the building of the Arc…He borrowed some Transformers from Michael Bay. Well actually, they just looked like Transformers. These creatures were made from rocks and known as the Watchers. Apparently, they did something to anger God and he turned them into these huge, angry, rock men. Also another little known fact, which would make PETA and the Humane Society quite happy, (as well as myself) Noah and his family were vegans.
They did not consume animals. Only the bad guys did…and Ray Winstone, who plays Tubal-Cain) a direct descendant from that dude Cain who killed his bro, Abel, consumed large amounts of meat, with great gusto I might add.
He knows the storm is coming and is determined to survive at any cost, so Tubal gathers a group of meat eating bad men to storm the Arc. But first there’s a lot of rape and pillaging. What would a film about the Bible be, without a lot of rape and pillaging?
What else can I say about this so called epic, besides the fact that…I just didn’t get it. It just didn’t work for me. For that reason, I gave ‘Noah’ which opens in IMAX, Friday March 28, 2014, 2 bagels out of 5.
I would love to know what you think about this movie. Perhaps I missed something.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video for more of my thoughts and to see my special guest.
A somewhat subtle lesson of the Seder tune is seeing the glass as half full. What are the things that are “enough” in your life? Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our website and on Twitter @JewishConnectiv, hashtag #Tzomet.
‘Divergent’ directed by Neil Burger (‘Limitless’) takes us to the city of Chicago, 100 years in the future, where ‘conformity’ is all the rage. Well actually it’s the law.
After a devastating war, people are divided into five factions…Amity…they’re the folks that like to plant vegetables and dress like 60’s hippies…The Erudites…a group that Mark Zuckerburg and Steve Jobs would definitely belong to…the Candor – Think about the most obnoxious person you know…The one who’ll let you know that your new haircut sucks and you look like you put on a few pounds…Then there’s Abnegation, who run the government, can only look in the mirror no more than 20 seconds a day and have no fashion sense whatsoever….
Last, but definitely not least, are the ‘Dauntless’. Everyone in this group has at least a six pack, can bench press 200 lbs plus, and kick serious butt. These hunky men and women protect the population, from unsavory characters. Yes folks, even the future has unsavory characters.
When they’re not shooting guns, and punching someone out, this group enjoys jumping off of very tall buildings, and running onto fast moving trains.
The good news for the populace is that they still have free will. No matter what faction you are born into, when a person turns 16, they can pick the group they want to spend the rest of their lives with.
To help them with their choice, teens are giving a mind altering serum, which gives them insight into which faction best suits them, but they can ignore the results if they so choose….
Which is exactly what Beatrice (Shailene Woodley – ‘The Spectacular Now’) does. Beatrice was born into the Abnegation faction, but grey, drab clothes don’t work, with her peaches and cream complexion.
Beatrice chooses Dauntless to the dismay of her parents, Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn. Her brother also dishes his birth faction and goes with the brainy Eurdites.
Unfortunately, Beatrice has a little problem. Seems the test she took, shows that she actually can fit into more than one faction. In other words, she is a non conformist…a divergent. Lucky for Beatrice, her tester (Maggie Q) has agreed to hid the results.
So Beatrice happily goes off with the Dauntless crew, goes through rigorous training that would make a Marine cry and…meets a guy. But not just any guy. He happens to be Beatrice’s (who now goes by Tris), trainer.
His name is Four (Theo James) and he’s cute enough to get every teenagers’ heart in the Western and Eastern world beating fast.
‘Divergent’ is based on the first book of Veronica Roth’s young adult, best selling futuristic trilogy. That’s right, there are two more coming.
The film has lots of action, suspense, intrigue and some really cool shots of Tris leaping from tall building and zip lining across the city.
There’s even something for the grownups…Kate Winslet, of the Euridite faction, who when not trying to take over the government from the Abnegation group, is seeking out divergents, so she can kill them. Non-conformity to her, is why the world got so screwed up in the first place. Personally, I think she’s just a power hungry bitch.
I consider ‘Divergent’ which opens in theatres Friday, March 21, 2014, ‘Hunger Games’ LIGHT…but having said that, it still entertained me…Mostly because I’m a Sci-fi junkie…
For that reason, I gave the film 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. John of course would have given it a much lower score.
Check out the Two Jews On Film video (even though there’s only one Jew at the moment) for more of my thoughts and witty observations.
There are times, not many, when you sit in a theatre, the lights go down, the movie begins and you just know that you’re about to see something special and very original. In other words, you know that you are in very good hands.
That’s exactly the way I felt from the first frame of Lars von Trier’s ‘Nymphomaniac-Volume 1.
In my opinion, this is his best film or at least, my favorite. I absolutely loved this movie.
The film starts out with a man named Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) walking home, carrying a bag of groceries. It’s nighttime and it’s raining. He comes across a woman, Joe (the extraordinary, Charlotte Gainsbourg) lying beaten and unconscious in an alley way.
He gently touches her and she opens her eyes. The man asks if she wants to go to a hospital…She doesn’t. Joe wants a cup of tea.
Seligman takes her back to his apartment, put her in bed and gives her a cup of tea.
Joe than proceeds to tell Stellan about her life from childhood to young adulthood and through a series of flashbacks, we see just what kind of life it was.
You see, as the title suggests, Joe is a Nymphomaniac. As a child, (Ananya Berg) she started to pleasure herself on the floor of her bathroom with her best friend by her side.
As she grew older, Joe (played by first time actress, Stacy Martin) would have as many as 15 sexual encounters in one day.
Sex for Joe, was not just about pleasure…It was something she could not do without. It didn’t matter how many people she hurt, how many marriages she destroyed…She was an addict…
Why did Joe have such a profound need for sex? Maybe it had to do with her her cold, distant mother (Connie Nielsen) who would spend hours playing the game of Solitaire. Her father (Christian Slater) seemed nice enough, taking her on long walks in the woods where Joe would smell the leaves and learn the names of trees.
Doesn’t matter really. What matters is that Joe is a woman that is unable to form lasting relationships or any kind of emotional attachment. Joe also also believes that she is a very bad person, even though Seligman tells her over and over again that she’s just confused. He also compares Joe’s sexual encounters with Bach, fly fishing and higher math. In any case, Joe is a woman you can’t take your eyes off of. Her character grabs you and never lets go.
she’s also a profoundly lonely and sad woman…but ‘Nymphomaniac Volume 1 is anything but sad and that’s thanks to Von Trier’s brilliant direction and writing, The film is complex, compelling and highly erotic.
Yes, there is a lot of sex…Oral, anal, shots of genitalia… but the film is not pornography…on any level…
At the same time, it’s not a movie for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend it to my grandmother or my mother…
But then again, I wouldn’t recommend ‘Transformers’ to them either.
Rounding out an incredible cast is Uma Thurman, as a scorned wife…BYT This is Miss Thurman’s best performance in a very long time. In fact, she almost steals the film.
Shia LaBeouf (Jerome) plays Joe’s first sexual partner and despite he’s not so great English accent, he’s kind of interesting.
I gave ‘Nymphomaniac Volume 1’ my highest bagel rating…5 out of 5 and I think if John saw the film, he’d be right up there with me.
‘Nymphomaniac opens in select theatres, Friday March 21, 2014 and if you’re a fan of Von Trier and Art House films, this is definitely a must see.
Right off the bat I have to say that I absolutely loved this film…And if you’re wondering why…well first of all, it’s about cars…But not just any old car…This film is about hot, sexy, super fast, racing cars…
I’m talking…Muscle cars and Europeon super cars….
From America, we have Mustangs, Shelby GT500, 69 Ford Gran Torino, 68 Chevy Camaro…and from Europe…
Some of the most gorgeous cars ever made….
Lamborghinis, Sesto Elemento, a GTA Spano, a Bugatti Veyron and McLaren P1 and a Saleen 57.
Many of these rare cars, were featured in the video game that this film is based on…
But Need For Speed, directed by Scott Waugh is not just about a bunch of magnificent cars being raced around a track. There is a story and it’s a really entertaining and exciting one..
Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul from ‘Breaking Bad’) runs his family’s auto shop and races the underground street circuit with his friends on the weekends.
Even though, he’s struggling financially, life is good for Tobey, but it doesn’t take long for all that to change.
One day, Tobey’s former nemesis, the wealthy, pompous, Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper) stops by his garage and offers him a
once in a lifetime opportunity…To build the fastest Mustang in the world, which would give Tobey financial windfall, that he needs to save his business. So even though Tobey can’t stand Dino, he
agrees to do it.
Following the completion of the Mustang and its subsequent sale, to a big time car broker, via his beautiful, but opinionated British colleague, Julia (Imogen Poots) Dino challenges Tobey to an impromptu race which ends in disaster.
Not wanting to give too much away, I’ll just say that Tobey is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
When he gets out after serving two years, there’s only one thing our guy wants…Vengeance…And boy, does he get it.
‘Need For Speed’ is a story about friendship, loyalty, revenge and ultimately redemption.
The film was written by John Gatins and his brother George who own an auto shop in Van Nuys Califronia, where they restore classic cars and they’ve delivered a screenplay that is a character driven story set against the backdrop of street racing.
The film which opens in theatres, Friday March 14, 2014 is intense and exciting. Even if cars aren’t your thing, the relationship between Tobey and Julia is enough to keep you entertained.
I gave ‘Need For Speed’ 4 bagels out of 5. Check out our video for more of my thoughts.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel on youtube and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page.
Let me know what you think about ‘Need For Speed’
The Hebrew month of Nisan is the beginning of the biblical year. At the beginning of the month, discussed in the book of Exodus, the Jewish people first take charge of their own time. Shouldn’t you take charge of yours? Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our […]
‘300: Rise Of An Empire’ is shot in the same breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster ‘300’ which starred Gerard Butler a few years back.
This film, however, is not a sequel. In fact, it runs parallel to the first one, so you don’t need to have seen the first movie to follow this one.
‘300: Rise of an Empire’ is about an Athenian General, Themistokles (the very well chiseled, Sullivan Stapleton) who leads the Greek Navy against the Persian Navy, commanded by the awesomely fierce, awesomely hot, Commander, Artemisia (Eva Green)
The bloodthirsty, cunning, Artemisia who was born Green, was betrayed by her countrymen as a child, and now her only goal in life, is to wipe out every Greek on the planet. And she has the power to do so.
Besides able to decapitated a small army with one swing of her sword, she also has the help of her brother, the God-King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) who has very good taste in jewelry and doesn’t look to bad in a gold lame loin cloth either..
Added to the mix of warriors…is the Spartan Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) who acts as both storyteller and leader. It’s her voice that guides us through the story.
Guess the writer, Zach Snyder, was afraid the audience was too dumb to figure out what’s going on by themselves.
For me, it was the two women, Eva Green and Lena Headey that elevated the film and kept me interested. These ladies are memorizing.
Yes, the 3D is good, but after awhile, having tons of blood, body parts and heads thrown out you, becomes a bit tiresome.
The film does have some humor that comes in a surprising way…Don’t want to spoil it, but it has to do with a visit Themistokles makes to Artemisia’s ship to talk truce, but they don’t get too much talking done.
‘300: Rise of an Empire’ opens in theatres Friday, March 8th and is based on the graphic novel Xerxes by Frank Miller.
I gave it 4 bagels out of 5 because in the end, I really did find it great fun.
The holiday of Purim is based on the biblical Book of Esther. In the story, things are not what they appear to be on the surface, and people change the realities around them, leading to a better ending. How can you do that in your life? Please let us know what you think about this […]
There are some films that are just plain fun…Whether it’s logical or unique isn’t important. You just go along for the ride…
And NON STOP is one entertaining ride
The film, directed by Jjaume Collet-Serra (‘Orphan’ and ‘Unknown’) stars the always wonderful, Liam Neeson, as alcoholic, Federal Air Marshal, Bill Marks flying from New York to London. It’s obvious from the first scene, that this is one guy struggling with more than a few demons and things are about to get worse for him.
One the plane is in the air, Bill gets a series of text messages informing him that unless 150 million dollars is transferred into a numbered account, every 20 minutes a passenger will be killed.
Bill has to decide pretty quickly, if this threat is real. He also has decide who he can trust. Julianne Moore a fellow passenger seems the likely choice, but as it turns out, nothing is as it seems.
‘Non Stop’ is filled with twists, turns, major action, some great fight scenes and several interesting characters, including Corey Stoll as a NYPD cop, Lupita Nyong’o (’12 Years A Slave’) as a late replacement crew member and Michelle Dockery (‘Downton Abbey’) as a gusty flight attendant
‘Non Stop’ opens in theatres, Friday February 28, 2014 and for an entertaining experience, go see it.
Check out my video for my bagel score and for more of my thoughts.
The Hebrew month of Adar is supposed to bring us happiness. And Hasidic teachings say that it is a mitzva to be happy. Explore some practices to increase your happiness at this time of year. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the […]
2013 was one of the best years in a long time for great films and great performances…They were so great in fact, it was hard to come up with our favorites.
But we did!…Now these aren’t John’s picks, but another ‘Jew’…Marilyn, has opinions are as strong as my wonderful husband’s.
This is the year that reminded us of how cruel and ignorant us humans can be…
’12 Years A Slave’, ‘Mandela’, ’42’ and ‘Philomena’, At the same time, these films. also demonstrated the power of the human spirit, to overcome adversity and in the end, to more than prevail.
2013 was also the year of ‘heroes’. All one has to do is look at ‘Captain Phillips’ and yes. ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ who gave us a different kind of ‘hero’.
And this was definitely the year of ‘the con man’. ‘American Hustle and ‘Wolf Of Wall Street, brilliantly and humoroulsy showed us just how far people will go to ‘make a buck’.
‘Nebraska’ beautifully demonstrated that you’re never too old to dream while…
‘Gravity’ took us into space in such a realistic way that I cancelled my ticket on the space shuttle…and finally there was ‘Her’ which showed ‘Miss Siri’ that she’s not ‘all that’
As for the acting performances…
Well it doesn’t get much better than watching, the ridiculously brilliant, Miss Cate Blanchett have a nervous breakdown, Judi Dench’s pain, as she searches for a child, she was forced to give up as a teenager, Amy Adams use her sexuality to turn men’s minds to mush, the always magnificent, Meryl Streep giving us a delicious take on ‘motherly love’ and finally…
Sandra Bullock, who just wants to go home again.
As for the male performances, we have three different kinds of heroes…
Matthew McConaughley, a man slowly dying from AIDS, as he fights the unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies, and the FDA, who were slowly killing the ‘gay’ community with their deadly drugs..
Bruce Dern, a person nearing the end of his life, who’s not quite ready to pack it all in…
Chiwetel Ejofor, who despite the horrors he suffered, never lost his dignity or his hope, and….
Tom Hanks, as Captain Phillips, a man who kept his cool and saved his crew, after they were attacked by Somali pirates
And as for the aforementioned ‘con men’…Christian Bale demonstrated what we can do with only a few strands of hair and Leonardo DiCaprio, took us back to a time, when no party was complete without a ‘Lemon’ or two.
It’s hard to say, there was a ‘best’ perfromance or even a ‘best’ picture…Personally, I think that title should be replaced with the Academy’s ‘Favorite’…But in any case, it was the audience, that were the true winners. We got to experience, great films, great acting, and great times at the ‘movies’. Hopefully 2014 will be just as good.
The Oscars will air on Sunday, March 3rd 2014…What are your favorites to win?
Jewish mysticism teaches that our souls are “recycled” as, in each lifetime, we try to iron out to problems and challenges endemic to that soul. What do you think you need to work out in this lifetime?. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, […]
There are so many things I want to say about this film and unfortunately, none of them are good.
‘Winter’s Tale’ written and directed by Akiva Goldsman (‘A Beautiful Mind’) is based on a 800 page novel written by Mark Helprin that was published in 1983.
The book is brilliant…The film is NOT.
In fact, ”Winter’s Tale’ is a mess. This is Goldman’s first attempt at directing and he really should stick to writing.
The movie stars Colin Farrell who plays master thief Peter Lake. We first meet him briefly in New York City in 2014.
We then flashback to 1895, where we find Baby Peter being put on a toy boat, called City of Justice, headed for New York Harbor by his immigrant parents.
Next, we flash forward twenty years later to 1918, where Peter is all grown up and on the run from from his one time mentor, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe).
Oh I should mention that Pearly is a DEMON. That’s right folks, a full-fledged demon who apparently is very hurt that Peter doesn’t want to be part of his gang anymore.
I had no idea a demon could be so sensitive.
Anyway Peter gets cornered by Pearcy, a magical white horse with wings appears and whisks him off to safety.
But instead of riding out of town, Peter decides to rob one more house.
The house he chooses belongs to the beautiful Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay) who happens to be dying of consumption.
Instead of robbing the house, Peter winds up having tea with the lovely lady and this being a love story, falls deeply in love with Miss Penn.
How deeply you ask? Well it enables him to time travel, among other things.
What else can I say, except Will Smith plays Lucifer and has very pointy teeth.
I gave ‘Winter’s Tale’ which opens in theatres on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2014, only two dry bagels out of 5. If John saw it, he would give it a half.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and of course to see the magical Mango.
Well maybe not every block, but these super large killing machines, are playing a major part of law enforcement. This makes OmniCorp, the world’s leader in robot technology, very happy.
But that’s not enough for the company’s head honcho, Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton). He wants to bring his Robotic army to the United States. Unfortunately our country isn’t very big on the idea.
That however, changes when a Detroit cop Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) a loving family man with a wife Claire (Abbie Cornish) and son, is almost killed in a car explosion, set by vicious crime boss Antonie Vallon (Patrick Garrow)
Claire gives her consent to Dr. Bennett Norton (Gary Oldman) to do whatever it takes to save her husband. And that’s how Alex becomes part man/part machine…aka Robo cop.
‘RoboCop’ directed by documentary filmmaker, Jose Padilha, is a remake of director Paul Verhoeven’s classic 1987 sci-fi thriller, which was satirical, super violent and really, really good.
This ‘RoboCop’ is just, okay. There are several scenes which stand out, but overall the film felt flat and as I said in my video, why remake a ‘classic’.
The leads and the rest of the cast including, Jackie Earle Haley, who plays Mattox, a very angry, creepy dude, who trains Murphy after his transformation, Jennifer Ehle, OmniCorp’s legal counsel and Jay Baruchel are all fine, although…
…Samuel Jackson, as Pat Novak, a right wing Bill O’Reily type televison personality, is one of the most annoying character I’ve seen on screen in a long time.
I gave ‘RoboCop’ which opens on Friday, February 14, 2014, Valentine’s Day, 2 ½ bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and witty observations.
Simply put, this is a beautiful, erotic, love story…That will give you a very strong desire to eat a piece of pie.
‘Labor Day’ is directed and written by Jason Reitman (‘Juno’, ‘Thank You For Smoking’, ‘Up In The Air’) based on a novel by Joyce Maynard (‘To Die For’)
The film takes place in the 80’s over the Labor Day weekend, hence the title.
Kate Winslet plays Adele, a very lonely divorcee who lives with her teenage son Henry (Gaitlin Griffith). This is a woman that wears unhappiness on her face…She rarely goes out and when she does, it’s usually to the local market….
And this is exactly where Adele and Henry run into escaped murderer, Frank (Josh Brolin)
Frank, bleeding from a wound in his stomach with the police hot on his trail, begs Adele and Henry to help him and of course, they do.
Mother and son take Henry back to their house and to their surprise, the dude can not only bake pies, but he can do repairs, coach baseball, fix cars and yes, he is great in bed.
Needless to say Adele and Frank fall deeply in love and this weekend, will change not only their lives, but Henry’s life as well.
This is a film that I can’t imagine women not liking…That’s reason enough, for guys to see it as well…A perfect date film.
I gave ‘Labor Day’ which opens in theatres Friday, January 31st 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and to meet the fabulous Noodle.
Thanks everyone and let me know what you think about ‘Labor Day’
Welcome to the first episode of Ask The Rabbi with Rabbi Menachem Creditor. In this months episode, Rabbi Creditor answers questions about In-Laws, Slaughter, Purim Drinking, and Denominations. The opening music for this podcast is La’asok: Words: Liturgy, Melody: Rabbi David Paskin.
In the Jewish tradition, as in marketing today, branding was quite important. But it’s about branding yourself as an individual. Your brand is your name. Live up to it. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our website and on […]
Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) the character created by novelist Tom Clancy, is back… Yes folks, you’ve seen him before…
First our super spy was played by Alec Baldwin (‘Hunt For Red October’)… Almost forgot about this one…
Then there was my favorite Jack Ryan, Harrison Ford (‘Patriot Games’ and ‘Clear and Present Danger’) followed by my no-so-favorite, Ben Affleck (Sum Of All Our Fears’)
.
In ‘Shadow Recruit’ directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by David Koep and Adam Cozad, we meet Ryan at the beginning of his career. .It’s September 11th… Ryan, a student at the London School of Economics, watches the destruction of the Towers on television… This is the day that everything changed for him.
The next time we see him, Ryan is a Lieutenant in the Marines, sitting inside a helicopter, joking with two privates, on his way to Afghanistan… The chopper is hit and even though Ryan, sustaines grave injuries, manages to save his fellow soldiers and is declared a hero.
Jack winds up at Walter Reed hospital, where in between intense physical therapy, he meets and falls in love with his future wife, Dr. Cathy Muller (Keira Knightly)…
But it’s his encounter with CIA agent Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) that sets his life in a totally different direction.
Jack is recruited by the CIA, to do undercover work on Wall Street, in order to spot any weird financial transactions that might be connected to terrorists… And guess what folks? That’s exactly what happens..
Ryan discovers that Victor Cherevin (Kenneth Branaugh) a very pissed off Russian, is trying to destroy the US economy, which includes a terrorist attack on our soil.
This leads Ryan to Moscow and that’s where, all the fun starts… Meaning, this is where the film grabbed my attention and pretty much held it till the credits rolled.
Yes, the film has a generic quality… You’ve seen it before and will definitely see it again, but if you’re in the mood for an entertaining spy thriller, then this is the movie for you.
The two standouts for me were Keira Knightley, doing an excellent American accent and Kevin Costner, who created a very interesting, well layerd character.
I gave ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ which opens in theatres, Friday January 17, 2014, 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and how I think John would rate this film.
We all bring new life to the world. It may be as parents, or as founders of a business or for any type of new venture. We need to remember to always add meaning and elevate those trees that we plant. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on […]
Every one of us has literally blocked him/herself into a corner when first learning how to clean house. We also block ourselves into corners in our everyday lives. Here are some examples of how Judaism was flexible enough to let us out of corners and ideas for how to give yourself a way out of […]
Welcome to this episode of Ask The Rabbi with Rabbi Menachem Creditor. In this months episode, Rabbi Creditor answers questions about conversion, Zionism, Life After Death as well as Sin and Redemption. The opening music for this podcast is La’asok: Words: Liturgy, Melody: Rabbi David Paskin.
We’ve all been hurt in our lives. Sometimes the grudges we hold from those hurts keep us removed from family and friends that we really want in our lives. The biblical story of Joseph holds lessons for how to see the hurt in perspective and get back with the people we want in our lives. […]
Do you love Apple’s ‘Siri’? Ever thought about having a relationship with her?
Probably not, but in Spike Jonze new film, ‘Her’ set in the near future, that’s exactly what happens to Theodore Twombly, (played brilliantly by Joaquin Phoenix) a lonely, shy ma, who’s going through a painful divorce from his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara).
Theodore works for BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com, where he hand writes personal letters for his customers in their own handwriting.
He lives a solitary existence in downtown Los Angeles. One evening, while playing a computer game, Theodore discovers a brand new, artificial intelligence, operating system, aka (OS1 ) that promises to give a very personal connection to its user.
Without hesitation, Theodore boots up the OS1 and after filing out a short psychological profile, he’s greeted by a very friendly and very sexy, female voice, named Samantha, (voiced perfectly by Scarlett Johansson).
Samantha is designed to behave exactly like a human female…She feels and expresses an assortment of emotions…wonder, excitement, anger, passion, boredom…and even though Sam doesn’t have a body, this gal definitely has very strong sexual urges.
Samantha also has a great desire to explore the world and Theodore is only to happy to oblige. They start dating, even going on a picnic with another couple and it doesn’t take long before, Theodore and Samantha, fall deeply in love with each other.
And if you think love with a real human is difficult, well try being in love with an OS with an unlimited capacity to learn.
What’s amazing or maybe not so amazing, considering our own love for our various technical gadgets, is how accepting Theodore’s friends, including his gal pal, Amy (Amy Adams) are of his relationship with Samantha.
This unique, wonderful, quirky sci-fi romantic, fantasy, totally won me over, making it my fourth favorite film of 2013.
‘Her’ opened in select theatres, December 25, 2014 and expands nationally, January 10, 2014.
I gave ‘Her’ five bagels out of five…Of course, just like John, my guest reviewer, Marilyn, had a slightly different opinion of the film.
Check out our video to see her bagel score and for more of our thoughts.
We are confronted often by floods of opposition and challenge. When facing those floods, who do we want on the “Ark” with us? More importantly, how do we invest in those people or items now? Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the […]
‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, directed by Martin Scorsese, is the true story of New York Stockbroker, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), who in the late 1980’s goes from selling penny stocks and IPO’s to a life of total corruption.
Jordan found success in his early 20’s, as the founder of the brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont…It’s there that he got the title, The Wolf of Wall Street.
His life was all about money, power, women, sex and drugs…Lots and lots of drugs including Qualudes, coke, and crack.
Jordan became so wealthy that nothing was out of his reach, as long as it had a price tag. But no matter how rich he became, it was never enough to satisfy his insatiable appetite.
Jordan was basically a immoral dude…He didn’t care how many people he hurt…He’d wipe out his own grandmother, if it meant putting money in his pocket….Sound familiar? That’s right. There is absolutely no difference between Belcort and all the Bernie Madoffs that almost destroyed our economy, as well as the lives of so many people.
Speaking of people…The only people Jordan was loyal to were the men in his inner circle, including, his right hand guy and fellow crook, Donnie Azoff, (Jonah Hill, who’s never been better)
Jordan can’t even be honest with his beautiful, hot, sexy wife, Naomi, (Australian actress, the very talented Margo Robbie) who he professes to love more than anything on earth.
The film is outrageously funny…From DeCaprio’s and Hill’s brilliant demonstration of what it’s like to overdose on Quaaludes and to the over the top naked orgies, there’s nothing Belcort and his crew wouldn’t do to have a little fun and spend their millions.
In my not so humble opinion, ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ is one of Scorsese’s best films in a long time.
Yes, it’s a comedy, but ultimately, it’s the story about a man, that becomes so addicted to power, that he actually believes, he’s unstoppable and that no one, especially the FBI, could ever bring him down. In the end, there’s nothing funny about that.
Leonard DiCaprio is absolutely brilliant, capturing all of Jordan’s layers…His charm, his sense of entitlement, and most importantly, thanks to a brilliant scene with Matthew McConaughey, where he learned how to sell anything to anyone.
Rounding out the cast is Rob Reiner as DiCaprio’s father, Kyle Chandler as the FBI agent, who makes it his mission to destroy Jordan and his empire, and Jean Dujardin (‘the Artist’) as a Swiss banker, who is kind enough to help Belcort hide his many millions.
‘The Wolf of Wall Street, written by Terence Winter, (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’) based on Belfort’s autobiography, is definitely my favorite film of the year, with ‘American Hustle’ right behind it.
So of course, I gave ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’, which opens in theatres, Christmas Day, December 25, 2013, five bagels out of five, with everything on them..
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and what I think John’s bagel rating would have been.
He’s back! The He is…Ron Burgundy (Will Farrell) the guy that delivers, big news and perfect hair.
Seven years have passed, since Ron won the heart of his co-anchor and now wife, Veronica Cornigstone (Christina Applegate) The couple, who now have a son, are the top anchors at a local San Diego news station, and they couldn’t be happier.
But it doesn’t take very long for things to change for Ron and his family, when they are called into their boss, Mark Tannen (Harrison Ford) office. Expecting Tannen to announce his retirement, the duo thinks that they will become his replacement.
Well they are half right. Veronica is named as Tannen’s replacement and Ron is fired.
So what do you think this loving husband does? Congratulates his wife on her new gig?
Nope, not our Ron…He gives Veronica an ultimatum…It’s me or the job. She takes the job.
So what’s a former news star to do? Get a job at Sea World of course…Unfortunately, this does not go well. In fact, Ron is so bad as a Sea World announcer, that even the little kids boo him.
However, it doesn’t take long before Ron’s fortunes take a turn for the better.
Freddie Shapp (Dylan Baker) a mid-level producer at GNN, an upstart 24 hours cable news network, owned by Australian multi-millionaire Kench Allenby (Josh Lawson) is offeres him a job.
Ron quickly rounds up his classic news team…sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) man on the street, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and weatherman Brick Tarniand (Steve Carell) and they head for the Big Apple.
Upon arriving, Ron is quickly challenged by his strong female boss, Linda Jackson (Megan Good) which gives Farrell’s character every opportunity to make the most racist, inappropriate jokes.
To make matters worse, Ron is assigned to the grave yard shift…2:00 AM and Jack Lime (James Marsden) the drop dead gorgeous, prime time million dollar anchor, with glistening white teeth, makes it his mission to torment Ron every chance he gets.
But guess what folks, we’re talking about Ron Burgundy, anchor extraordinaire and believe me, nothing ever defeats this guy. Not wanting to give too much away, Ron surprises everyone and changes the face of news forever.
Okay, so one one level, ‘Anchorman 2’ is, at times a very funny satire, about how news has changed..Nightly news is now about car chases, weight loss tips, and what movie star is doing what movie star…You get the idea.
Having said that, a great deal of this of this film, for me, just doesn’t work…Especially the romance between Kristin Wigg and Steve Carrell. Kristin is much too funny a lady to be doing this kind of slock.
The jokes become repetitious and the film goes on for much too long. There is a funny bit towards the end involving some surprising cameos, but even that wasn’t enough to save this movie.
‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ written by Farrell and McKay, opens in theatres, Wednesday, December 17, 2013.
I gave the film 2 1/2 bagels out of 5 and I’m sure John’s score would have been even less.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts on the film
From the first second of the first scene, this film had me hooked. I knew I was in for an incredible ride…and that’s exactly what ‘American Hustle’, directed by David O. Russell (‘Silver Linings Playbook’) is…One fantastic cinematic ride.
The film, which opens with the disclaimer, ‘Some of this actually happened, takes place in the late 70’s and 80’s and is loosely based on the Abscam scandal, which led to the FBI arresting several congressmen for taking bribes.
Christian Bale, besides being brilliant, is practically unrecognizable as con artist Irving Rosenfeld, who is is based on an actual con man, Max Weinberg. Bale gained 40 lbs for the role and wears a balding hair piece.
Irving is the owner of several dry cleaning stores, but he makes his money selling fake art and luring people into loan deals which are total scams..
Even though Rosenfeld is a crook, there is something very likable about him. Just ask Sydney Prosser (the fantastic Amy Adams) a former stripper/con artist, who teams up with Irving.
It doesn’t take long, for the two of them, to fall madly in love with each other.
Of course, this does not sit well with Irving’s wife, Roselyn (Jennifer Lawrence, in her best performance to date) who lives the good life out in Long Island with their young son)
As Irving and Sydney become more and more successful with their schemes, it’s only a matter of time before they attract the wrong people.
The wrong people come in the form of the FBI, led by agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who will go to any lengths to be a superstar agent with perfect hair.
Irving and Adam are forced to go along with an FBI sting involving, a beloved Camden, New Jersey Mayor, Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) and it’s here that things get totally out of control and start to unravel.
‘American Hustle’ written by David o’Russel and Eric Singer is an hilarious journey into a time when disco, coke, and teased hair were the rage.
Rounding out the wonderful cast are Robert DeNiro, as mobster Victor Tellegio, Elizabeth Rohm as Dolly, wife of Mayor Polito, Michael Pena, Louis CK and Michael Hernandez.
The film, which won the New York Film Critics award for best picture of the year, opens nation-wide on Friday, December 20, 2013.
I gave it five bagels out of five and I know John would have given it the same rating.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts.
They’re back….The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who now has the ring in his possession…the Elves, that can do things with a sword that I’ve only dreamed of…the super ugly, super nasty Orcs…the brave dwarfs who just want to go home again…the all wise, all knowing wizard, Gandalf, and the fire breathing, narcissistic, dragon Smaug, (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch) who really likes to hear himself talk way too much.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, shot in 3D, directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, is the second part of ‘The Hobbit’. Btw: there will be one more next year…
After all more Hobbits equals more money, right?
Don’t mean to sound cynical, but personally, I think the whole story could have been told in one movie.
Having said that, I’ll start with the good news…This Hobbit movie is so much better than the last one.
It is the continuation of the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the 13 Dwarves, led by the Dwarf King, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebot.
Love those names.
Along the way, instead of encountering 7 Elevens and Mini Marts, they run into giant spiders, that are nothing like that cool spider Charlotte from ‘Charlotte’s Web’, dangerous Wood-elves, the skin-changer Beorn and the dreaded Orcs, who have some major anger issues.
For awhile, they have Gandalf to help them out. Gandalf, although wise, is your basic control freak wizard, who eventually comes to realize, that there are some things way beyond his power. At least in this film anyway.
And then there’s the Elves led by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the gorgeous Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) who have a slightly different philosophy than the rest of their crew..
You see, most Elves aren’t fond of the Dwarfs…In fact they really don’t want to get involved in anything that’s going on out there in the ‘real world’. They just want to stay at home and smell the roses or whatever Elves do for fun.
‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug’ written by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, along with Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Torois, is filled with great action scenes, excellent CGI effects and wonderful characters created by. J. R. R. Toliken.
I do think the film was too long, especially the battle scenes between Smaug and the Dwarfs. I mean, how many times can you see a dragon blow fire out of his mouth?
For that reason, I gave ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ which opens in theatres, Friday, December 13, 2013, three and a half bagels out of five. I know John would have given it only 2. We all know how much he hates long films.
Check out our video for more of my banter.
What I’ve come to realize, is how a person feels about a particular film, has nothing at all to do with whether it’s good or bad, whether the critics love it or hate it, or what your friends say about it.
It’s your own personal experience. Some films just work for you and others don’t. It’s the same with art, music, theatre and no matter how much you argue with someone over the merits of a certain film, it’s not going to change the kind of experience you had.
Which brings me to the film ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ directed by John Lee Hancock (‘The Blindside’). Simply put: I absolutely loved every second of this movie…from the brilliant performances by Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson and Colin Farrell, to the beautiful story about the creative process, to the relationships between the characters, this film worked for me on every level.
‘Saving Mr. Banks’ written by Sue Smith and Kelly Marcel is the story about two real people and one fictional character. The real ones are Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and P. L. Travers (the brilliant Emma Thompson) and the fictional one that she created, is Miss Mary Poppins, nanny extraordinaire.
For 20 years, Disney tried unsuccessfully to get the rights to the Mary Poppins books from its author P. L. Travers. Miss Travers absolutely hated Mr. D along with every cartoon character his studio ever created. On top of that she despised musicals.
But in 1964, Travers finds herself in dire financial straits and if she doesn’t do something quickly, she will lose her beloved home. The author has no choice, but to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Disney.
‘Saving Mr. Banks’ is not only the story of Travers and Disney’s difficult relationship, but it’s also a movie about making a movie….The Mary Poppins movies which starred Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews.
Oh and besides hating cartoons and musicals, Travers also hated Dick Van Dyke.
Throughout her stay, Travers treated Disney and everyone involved with the production, including Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak, who play the Sherman brothers, who wrote all those wonderful songs for the movie, with utter disdain and disrespect.
The only person, Travers was halfway civil with, was her chauffeur, Ralph (Paul Giamatti) who is also a fictional character. It’s with Ralph, that we finally get to see Travers’ vulnerable side.
‘Saving Mr. Banks’ cuts between Travers’ past and present. She grew up in Australia, where she lived with her mother and her alcoholic father, who she deeply loved and who was always disappointing her.
We come to understand that it because of her traumatic and painful childhood, she was able to write all the Mary Poppins books and why she was so fiercely determined to hang on to them.
This is one of the best films of 2013 and I gave ‘Saving Banks’ which opens in theatres, Friday December 13, 2013 five bagels out of five.
John, believe it or not gave it the same score.
Just as we live in social interactions that are face-to-face or using social media, our ancestors perceived of a world in which life was happening on several levels. Here’s how Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, can shed light on our social interactions in today’s world. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with […]
Some films grab you from the first scene, and ‘Out Of The Furnace’ directed by Scott Cooper, from a script he wrote with, Brad Ingelsby is one of those.
Not wanting to spoil it for you, let’s just say it involves, Woody Harrelson, his girlfriend, a drive in movie and a hot dog.
Woody plays, Harlan DeGroat, a crazy redneck, living in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Besides having an off the charts violent temper, DeGroat is the leader of a gang of thugs, whose collective I.Q points hardly equals 50.
But he’s not the center of the film, even though he plays a very significant part of what occurs.
The focus of ‘Out of the Furnace’ which takes place during Obama’a first Presidential campaign, are two brothers…Russell Baze (Christian Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (Casey Affleck.
When Russel is not taking care of his dad, he works in the local steel mill, that’s about to close..
Rodney, on the other hand, has just returned to the States after serving four tours in Iraq. Too say he’s a little on edge, is putting it mildly.
Even though Russell’s father is dying of cancer, the guy is making the best of it. Of course his drop dead gorgeous girlfriend, Lena, (Zoe Saldana) makes his life more than bearable.
That is, until one night, an unforeseen event, changes everything for him.
‘Out of the Furnace’ is the story what happens when a man has lost everything, except his need for revenge.
The film is extremely violent and depressing…It’s also a story I’ve seen more than once. Yes the performances, including William Dafoe, Forrest Whitaker, and Sam Shepherd are all fine, but in the end, I would wait to see this on Netflix.
For that reason, I gave ‘Out Of The Furnace’ which opens in theatres, Friday, December 7, 2013, three bagels out of five.
Check out our video for more of my thoughts and John’s bagel score.
Ever feel like your back is “up against the wall?” The Israelites at the Sea of Reeds must have felt that way, too. And yet, they found their way through the sea. So can you. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the […]
The thing I like the most about a Jason Statham film is…I know exactly what I’m going to get…lots of action, violence, and Jason kicking major butt.
And that is exactly what happens in his new film ‘Homefront’, written by Sylvester Stallone, based on the novel by Chuck Logan
Statham plays widowed, ex-DEA agent, Phil Broker, who retires to a quiet Southern town, in order to raise his 10 year old daughter, Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) in a quiet, small town environment.
Boy is he surprised, when he finds out this town is definitely not MAYBERRY.
In fact, it doesn’t last long, thanks to a chain of events, involving a little boy seriously in need of Weight Watchers, before Broker is forced to face off with, Gator Bodine (James Franco) the local sociopathc Meth kingpin, as well as some really evil dudes evil dudes from his past.
At the same time, Broker is mourning the loss of his wife, who just recently past away.
What separates, ‘Homefront’ from your every day action film, is that it’s filled with some really interesting characters.
My favorite being, Kate Bosworth, who plays Bodine’s sister, Cassie Klum…Miss Klum is one extremely violatile, irrational and dangerous lady, who just happens to be a meth head. Definitely not a good combo.
Rounding out the cast is Winona Ruder, as Sheryl Mott, Bodine’s drug addict/hooker, girlfriend and Frank Grillo, as someone you do not want to meet in a dark alley or any other kind of alley.
‘Homefront’ directed by Gary Fleder (‘Runaway Jury’) is an edge of your seat thriller and if you’re a Jason Statham fan or a fan of this genre, you won’t be disappointed.
I gave ‘Homefront’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday, November 27, 2013, three bagels out of five.
Check out our video for John’s bagel rating and for more of our thoughts.
Once more we return to the 12th district in the dystopian world of Panem, ruled by the super evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland).
The film begins as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games, along with her best friend and fake soul man, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are about to go out on a ‘Victors Tour’
Life is good for both Katniss and Peeta…They live in comfortable houses, have all the food they could possibly want, nice clothing and are the ‘darlings’ of Panem.
Of course, there is a price for all of these goodies…They have to keep up the charade of being madly in love with one another.
This proves extremely difficult for Katniss, since, as we all know, her true love is, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) who now works in the 12th district’s mines.
That’s not the only thing difficult for Katniss. She’s haunted by all the people she was forced to kill in the Games and it’s hard for her to hide this…All you have to do is look in her eys and you know, this is one pissed off lady.
It’s especially obvious to President Snow who pays Katniss a visit in her new home. He lets Katniss know, that he’s watching her and she better not screw up…Which translates to..If you don’t go along with the program, I’ll kill everyone you’ve ever loved.
Lucky for Katniss, Haymitch Abernathy (the wonderful Woody Harrelson) and Effie Trinket, (the also wonderful, Elizabeth Banks) is by her side as she and Peeta set out to visit all of the districts.
Along the way, Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering…and so does Snow, who blames Katniss and decides this lady must die. The question is…How to do this, without upsetting her many, many fans.
Thanks to Snow’s new Games director, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) they come up with The Quarter Quell, aka The 75th Annual Hunger Games, where all the past Victors have to fight for their life once more.
Little did Snow realize, that this event would change Panem forever.
‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is directed by Francis Lawrence (no relation to Jennifer) and he did a killer job. I absolutely loved this film and enjoyed it so much more than the first one.
It’s filled with surprises, excitement and great performances by the supporting cast, including fellow Victors…Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen (the oldest Victor to fight), Sam Clafin. Lenny Kravitz as Katniss costume designer, Cinna is back as well.
Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn wrote the screenplay based on the novel ‘Catching Fire’ by Suzanne Collins.
I gave ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ five bagels out of five. I promise you, fans of the books will not be disappointed.
Check out our video for John’s bagel rating. HINT: It was definitely very different than mine.
To say that David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) is a ‘Big Daddy’ would be an understatement…Because, he’s the ‘biggest daddy’ of them all.
David has fathered 533 children of which 142 have filed a class action lawsuit to find out the identity of their biological father.
If you’re wondering, how exactly David became the father of all these kids, wonder no more. From 1990 thru 1992, he made multiple sperm donations under the pseudonym of…Starbuck. He was paid $35.00 a pop by a fertility clinic racking up over $20,000.
Apparently, David’s sperm was very popular and all the women wanted it.
‘Delivery Man’, written and directed by Ken Scott, based on his French Canadian film ‘Starbuck’ is the story of what happens when a screw-up is faced with making a very grown up decision.
David is 42 and is one of those guys who never got his life together. He works as a delivery guy for his family’s meat business, is $80.000 in debt to some very nasty guys, and even his pot plants are dying.
When David finds out that his on and off girlfriend, policewoman, Emma (Cobie Smulders) is pregnant with his child and isn’t sure she wants him anywhere near the kid, he decides, it’s time to change.
With the help of his best friend/lawyer, Brett (Chris Pratt) Davids sets out to discover exactly who are 142 kids. In the process, he winds up, unbeknownst to them, becoming their guardian angel.
‘Delivery Man’ is a very sweet, touching film. It’s even funny at times and Vince Vaughn is better than he’s been in quite a while. He makes us really care about David as well as his new found family.
For that reason, I gave ‘Delivery Man’ which opens in theatres, Friday November 22nd, 2013, three and a half bagels out of five. John’s back to his old self and completely disagreed with my opinion.
Check out our video for his bagel score and for more of our thoughts.
Welcome to the first episode of Ask The Rabbi with Rabbi Menachem Creditor. In this months episode, Rabbi Creditor answers questions about hunting, kashrut, conversion, and circumcision. The opening music for this podcast is La’asok: Words: Liturgy, Melody: Rabbi David Paskin.
When you’re a screenwriter, you are told over and over again, that film is all about the visuals. Yes dialogue is important, but it’s the pictures that have the most impact.
That is certainly the case, when it comes to the black and white film, ‘Nebraska’, brillantly directed by Alexander Payne.
Simply put, this film is absolutely exquisite and equally exquisite is, Bruce Dern’s performance. This is the best performance of his career and come Oscar time, his name will certainly be on the Best Actor list.
Bruce plays, Woody a man nearing the end of his life, who may or may not have dementia.
This is a man who doesn’t say much and most of the time, his attention is somewhere far, far away.
When the film starts out, Woody, a life long alcoholic, who lives with his wife, Kate (the wonderful June Squibb) and his son, David (Will Forte) in Montana, gets a flyer in the mail, stating that he won a one million dollars sweepstakes.
All he has to do is travel to the sweepstakes office in Nebraska, to collect the prize.
Even though David and his brother, television.newsman, Ross (Bob Odenkirk) try to convince Woody it’s a scam, he refuses to believe them. He’s going to Nebraska, even if he has to walk there. And wait to you see Woody’s walk…
To appease him, David agrees to drive Woody to Nebraska and what an amazing trip this turns out to be.
‘Nebraska’ brilliantly written by first time screenwriter, Bob Nelson, is a road film, that takes us into the heartland of America and it does this, with incredible images, thanks to the genius of Phedon Papamichael, Payne’s long time cinematographer.
The film also takes us deep into Woody’s life…his past and his present.
We meet Woody’s extended, wonderfully odd family, his childhood friends, including Ed Pegram, (Stacy Keech) and learn who this old, cantankerous, cold man, really is.
We also find out why this money is so important to him.
‘Nebraska’ is a must see for anyone who loves movies in their purest form. There are no special effects…just great characters that tell a story, with their whole being.
I gave ‘Nebraska’ which opens in theatres, Friday November 15, 2013, five bagels out of five and SURPRISE, so did John.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
We all confront (or accept) dysfunction, perhaps in ourselves, our families, our work, our communities. The book of Genesis is full of dysfunction. But it’s also full of promise for how to resolve dysfunction and move ahead. Listen to the lessons for our lives. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect […]
This film, is my humble opinion, is awesome. Of course, if you watched our video, you’d know that the other half of Two Jews On Film, did not think so.
In any case, for those of you who aren’t comic book readers, here are the cliff notes…
Thousands of years ago, a race of really scary looking beings, known as the Dark Elves, led by the equally freaky looking, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) tried to send the universe into darkness, using a powerful weapon known as the Aether.. Guess these dudes don’t like the sun, hence their extremely pale skin.
These evil beings were defeated by the supremely handsome Asgard warriors, led by King Odin (Anthony Hopkins)
The Asgard sent the Elves into exile and hid the Aether in a place where no one would ever find it…Seriously…When did that ever work?
Anyway Malekith escapes and rallies his troupes, determined to find the Aether and send all the 9 realms, including Earth, into complete darkness.
At the same time, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been busy busting heads with his hammer, in an attempt to bring peace to these 9 realms. He’s also pining away for his human love, astrophysicist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman)
Speaking of Dr. Jane, in between, longing for Thor’s godly touch, she discovers an anomaly similar to the one that brought him and his hammer to Earth in the first place.
When the doc and her over the top sarcastic intern (Kat Denning) go to investigate, Jane is sucked into a wormhole.
Meanwhile back on Asgard, Thor’s bro, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been imprisoned for treason and dealing with mommy (Rene Russo) issues.
When Thor, thanks to his buddy (Idris Elba) finds out that Jane has disappeared, he tells his daddy, King Odin, that he wants to return to Earth to find her. Odin says, No way…your place is here and of course, as sons often do, Thor disobeys…
But just as Thor lands on Earth, Jane reappears. Only problem is, during her trip through the wormhole, the Aether entered her body.
This is not a good thing, since apparently us humans, can’t handle its power. So, unless Thor can find a way to get the Aether out of Jane’s body, she will die.
Faster than the speed of light, he whisks his soul mate back to Asgaard to keep her safe until he can find a solution to Jane’s problem.
This turns out to be a not so great idea, since, Malekith senses the Aether on Asgaard and he gathers his forces to attack.
To say anymore would spoil the fun…And this film, shot in 3D, IS fun…a lot of fun and it’s also funny, as well as exciting, with dazzling special effects, and great characters…There’s even a couple of surprises.
The cast is wonderful, with Hiddleston being one of my personal favorites and let’s face it, Chris Hemsworth is quite pleasant to look at.
Also worth mentioning is Chris O’ Dowd, who has a very funny cameo as Jane’s blind date and of course Stellan Skarsgard, who returns as the discredited scientist, Erik Selvig.
‘Thor: The Dark World’ directed by Alan Taylor (‘Game of Thrones’) and written by Christopher L. Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, based on the comic book by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, opens in theatres, Friday November 8, 2013.
I gave the film 5 bagels out of 5…John wasn’t even close with his.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and John’s bagel rating.
I have to say, this movie pleasantly surprised me, since I never read the book, written by Orson Scott Card, that the film is based on.
That might have something to do with the fact, that I’m not a 12 year old teenage boy or girl. Apparently the book and its sequels sold zillions of copies.
So for those of you, who don’t know what ‘Ender’s Game is about…Here you go…
There are these super nasty aliens, known as the Formics, that have attacked Earth. I’d probably be nasty as well if I looked like them. Unless you find humongous insects with lots of arms your idea of beauty, you won’t be wanting to take these guys home to your mother any time soon.
If it wasn’t for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) the Formics would have destroyed the planet and all us humans in a blink of an eye.
But, that’s not what happened. We did major damaged to these creatures and they haven’t been heard from in over 50 years. But that means nothing to the men in charge. They believe that any day these creatures will come back and finish the job, so we must be prepared.
Prepared to finish the job…aka…Destroy every single one of these ugly bugs, so they’ll never again come knocking at our door.
In order to achieve this, The International Military led by Colonel Hyrum Graff (the very stern looking Harrison Ford) are training the best and the brightest guys and girls to find another ‘Mazer’. And I should mention, that the best and the brightest, are all teenagers. Seems grownups aren’t that good at killing…Could have surprised me… So it looks like the saviors of humanity, are kids who never even frenched…
Unfortunately, Graff hasn’t found anyone who he believes could destroy the Formic…That is until he meets…
Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) a shy, but strategically brilliant 12 year old, whose brother and sister both flunked out of the program.
Graff sees something special in Ender and he’s brought into Battle School to begin his training.
Watching Ender quickly and easily master the increasingly difficult challenges and simulations that come up, as well as seeing him deal with the other kids at the school, is what kept my attention.
Butterfield is an intense actor and commands the screen. He definitely holds his own against Ford.
The rest of the cast, including Abigal Breslin as Ender’s sister are all quite good.
The visuals are great, and the finale has a really good twist.
For that reason, I gave ‘Ender’s Game’ written and directed by Gavin Hood, 4 bagels out of 5 and John came pretty close with his score.
The film opens in theatres Friday, November 1, 2013 and it’s definitely a fun ride.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
‘Last Vegas’, directed by Jon Turteltaub (‘National Treasure’) and written by Dan Fogelman (‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’) is what I and many others would call ‘Hangover’ for the geriatric set.
That doesn’t mean, the film isn’t funny, because it is…at times.
This is the story of four guys from Flatbush who form a friendship as kids (they are known as the ‘Flatbush 4’) and remain friends for nearly 60 years.
When we first meet the characters as grown up men, Sam (Kevin Kline) is living in Florida with his wife and bored out of his mind.
Archie (Morgan Freeman) is going crazy living with his overly protective son in New Jersey. Archie, the oldest of the group at 70, has had a little stroke, or episode as he likes to call it, and now spends most of his time, playing with his grandson.
Paddy (Robert DeNiro) is mourning the loss of his wife hardly ever stepping out of his Brooklyn apartment.
When the guys receive a phone call from Billy (Michael Douglas) their rich, overly tanned, lawyer friend who lives in Malibu, announcing that he’s finally getting married at the age of 69, the men decide to reunite in Vegas for a bachelor party.
It’s important to note at this point two things…One, Paddy is tricked into going, since he hasn’t spoken to Billy in over a year. He’s pissed off at him for not attending his wife’s funeral and, two…Billy’s girlfriend is 32 years old.
When the men arrive in town, they realize that this is NOT the Vegas of their youth…But that doesn’t stop them from quickly getting the lay of the land and partying like it’s 1979…or thereabouts.
Along the way, an older, but still beautiful woman, Diana (Mary Steenburgen) who sings the blues at a local lounge decides to join the guys as they storm the town.
‘Last Vegas’ is about the difficulties that come with growing old, especially when you still feel like a kid inside, but more importantly, it is the story of friendship and what binds us to one another.
The film which opens, Friday November 1, 2013 will make you laugh, at times groan at some of the obvious corny jokes, but I promise, you will leave the theatre feeling good.
For that reason, I gave ‘Last Vegas’ 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s rating and more of our thoughts.
First thing I must say is that Matthew McConaughey has become one hell of an actor…
From ‘Killer Joe’ to ‘Paper Boy’ followed by ‘Mud’ and now ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ he gives nothing less than stellar performances.
‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is based on true events and is the story of one man’s determination to survive against all odds.
The year is 1985…The place Dallas Texas.
McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a 35 year old electrician and rodeo cowboy. He lives a life filled with unprotected sex, booze, drugs and hanging out with his homophobic friends.
Except for a few bouts of dizziness, Ron’s life is one big party.
But that soon changes, when he’s diagnosed with the H.I.V. virus and given 30 days to live.
At first, Ron is in denial of his situation. Like most people at that time, he believed that AIDS was a ‘gay’ disease. How could he possibly have it?
But soon Ron’s body gives out and he’s hospitalized, sharing sharing a room with fellow AIDS patient, Rayon (Jared Leto) a beautiful transsexual, who’s on AZT, a drug that was so toxic at the time, it was killing patients faster than the disease.
Refusing to spend his last days in a hospital bed, Ron checks himself out and proceeds to learn everything there is to know about AIDS.
His research leads him to Mexico, where he finds a doctor treating HIV and AIDS patients with alternative medicines, including vitamins and peptides.
Realizing that these treatments are deemed illegal by the FDA, because of pressure from the pharmaceutical lobby, Ron winds up travelling all over the world, smuggling various medicines into the U. S.
He eventually teams up with Rayon and together, they form a ‘Buyer’s Club’ where patients pay monthly dues and have unlimited access to alternative medicines.
With a growing community of friends and clients, Ron goes up against the FDA, fighting for patients rights, their dignity and most importantly, for their acceptance.
‘Dallas Buyers Club’ directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, from an original screenplay by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, is a beautiful, inspiring film about never giving up.
Come Oscar time, I’m sure both McConaughey and Leto will get well deserved nominations for their fantastic performances.
Rounding out the cast is Jennifer Garner who plays Dr. Eve Saks, Ron’s personal physician, who reluctantly becomes his ally.
I gave ‘Dallas Buyer’s Club’, which opens in theatres Friday, November 1, 2013 five bagels out of five.
Check out our video to see John’s score and for more of our thoughts.
”The Counselor’ is one of those films that I really expected to love. After all, it was directed by Ridley Scott and written by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Cormac McCarthy (‘No Country For Old Men’)
If those credentials weren’t enough, the cast included Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, a lot.
Fassbender plays The Counselor. That’s right…The guy doesn’t have a name…Everyone simply calls him, Counselor.
The Counselor, for unexplained reasons, needs to make a great deal of money fast. Maybe it’s because he just got engaged to the love of his life, played by Penelope Cruz and he wants to spend every day in bed with her instead of working.
In any case, he ignores the advice of his good friend/client, Reiner (Javier Bardem) a crooked, larger than life nightclub owner, who brings him into the shady deal and then tries to talk him out of it…
Reiner, in one of his many monologues, tells the Counselor…’If you pursue this road that you’ve embarked on, you’ll eventually come to moral decisions, that will take you completely by surprise. ‘Ones you didn’t see coming at all.’
Yep, that’s how everyone in the film talks…No one just says…’Dude, it’s a bad idea to get involved with the cartel’…Nope it’s one long soliloquy after another.
Even Brad Pitt, who plays Westray, a shady middleman, gets in on the philosophizing, as does Cameron Diaz – Reiner’s malevolent, sociopath girlfriend, who has this thing for sports cars.
Cormac describes the Fassbender character as a classical figure in tragedy. ‘He’s a decent man who gets up one morning and decides to do something wrong…And that’s all it takes’.
I agree…Fassbender’s character makes a very big mistake, but you don’t know enough about him to really care…and for that reason, I gave ‘The Counselor’ which opens in theatres Friday, October 25, 2013, only 3 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and for John’s bagel rating.
Some films are works of art…that you’ll remember for years…Films you’ll want to watch over and over again…’Escape Plan’, directed by Mikael Hafstrom, is not one of them…
However, it is very entertaining, in a predictable sort of way.
Sylvester Stallone plays Ray Breslin, the world’s leading authority on prisons…building them…securing them and most importantly, breaking out of them.
He’s paid big bucks to engineer real life jailbreaks from high security correctional facilities. In fact, Ray has a 100 per cent escape rate.
When Breslin and his associates at B & C Security, Abigail (Amy Ryan), Hush (Curtis ’50’Cent Jackson) and Lester (Vincent D’Onofrio) are offered double their normal rate to evaluate, The Tomb, an off the grid privately run maximum security prison, which is supposedly escape proof, Breslin can’t resist the challenge.
Big Mistake.
Once inside this high tech warehouse, for some of the world’s deadliest felons, Breslin realizes that he cannot communicate with his team on the outside. In other words, he is on his own.
Now this is a very bad thing, since the prison is run by Willard Hobbes (Jim Caviezel) a super sadistic warden, who employs equally sadistic guards, who carry big guns and wear really scary masks.
What’s a guy to do?
Well, lucky for Breslin, one of his prisoner mates, happens to be a very large muscular dude, named Emil, played by California’s ex governor/body builder extraordinaire, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who would like nothing more than to escape this joint.
So will Breslin and Emil put their super sized heads together and escape or will they spend the rest of their days watching reruns of ‘Terminator’ and ‘Rocky 3’.
All joking aside, I do have to admit that I enjoyed ‘Escape Plan’ while I was watching it. And I think you will too, as long as you don’t expect anything else besides a fun roller coaster ride..
For that reason, I gave ‘Escape Plan’ which opens in theatres Friday October 17, 2013, three bagels out of five.
Check out our video for John’s rating and for more of our thoughts about this film.
’12 Years A Slave’ directed by the extremely talented, Steve McQueen, (‘Shame’) is simply put…Brilliant.
Written by John Ridley, based on Solomon Northrup’s best selling memoir, published over 160 years ago, this is a true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom.
Eight years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) a free black man, from upstate New York, is abducted on a trip to Washington D.C.and sold into slavery.
Facing extraordinary cruelty, by a malevolent slave owner, Edwin Epps (the always wonderful, Michael Fassbender) Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. When the film opens, we find Northup, an accomplished musician, living with his wife and children, in a lovely middle class neighborhood in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is surrounded by people who like and respect him. Life is good.
Unfortunately, It’s not long before Northup is drugged, stripped of his papers, shackled and sold to a heartless slave trader,(Paul Giamatti) Are there any other kind?
He is quickly shipped off to Louisiana, where he is at the mercy of a series of plantation owners, including William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the above mentioned, Epps.
While Solomon takes comfort in his friendships with his fellow slaves, Eliza (Adepero Oduye) and Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) his mind and body are pushed to horrific limits at the whims of his captors.
Still, no matter how much brutality he is forced to endure, Solomon never succumbs to hopelessness and holds onto the belief that one day, he will be a FREE man.
’12 Years A Slave’ is powerful, intense, inspiring, and at times, extremely hard to watch…But at the same time, this exquisite film is a testament to the human spirit.
The supporting cast includes:…Alfre Woodard, who plays Mrs. Shaw, a black woman, who was once a slave, but now, she’s married to a white plantation owner, with slaves of her own…
Paul Dano, as a sadistic plantation overseer and Sarah Paulson, Epps jealous, angry wife, who takes her rage out on the slaves and…
Brad Pitt, who’s not only one of the Producers, but also plays a pivotal role in the film as a Canadian abolitionist.
I gave ’12 Years A Slave’, which opens Friday October 18, 2013, five bagels out of 5 and watch our video for more of our thoughts and to see John’s bagel score…HINT: It was the same as mine.
There are many reasons to see this film.
Number One:This is one of the best directed films I’ve seen in 2013 and…
Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips has never been better. If that isn’t enough to convince you, John, the other half of Two Jews On Film…(The super critical half) awarded it five bagels out of 5.
‘Captain Phillips’ directed by Paul Greengrass is an edge of your seat thriller. It’s based on a true story that took place in 2009 off the coast of Africa.
Somali pirates take an American sea captain hostage, while simultaneously exposing the underlying economic divide that sets the events in motion.
The story begins in Vermont where Capt. Phillips (the wonderful Tom Hanks) leaves his wife (Catherine Keener) and family to sail cargo halfway around the world.
At the same time we travel to Somali where pirates led by a former coastal fisherman, Muse (Barkhad Abdi) is planning to overtake one of the high value ships that passes through his coast daily.
The film basically focuses on the intense relationship between Muse and Phillips as the Captain tries everything in his power to protect his crew.
The first time actors playing the pirates are absolutely fantastic and they definitely hold their own against Hanks.
Even though everyone knows how the story turns out, it doesn’t spoil the edge of your seat tension that you will experience.
This film is not only non stop action and excitement, but the ending, thanks to Hanks incredible performance, will bring you to tears. I know it did me.
As I already said, John and I both gave ‘Captain Phillips’ which opens in theatres Friday, October 11, 2013 five bagels out of five and I bet you will too.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
There are a few things that scare me…The thought of being ‘buried alive’…Being locked in a room with snakes and rats, and now, after seeing the brilliant, heart stopping thriller, ‘Gravity’, being stranded in space has now been added to my list.
‘Gravity, directed by Alfonso Curaron (‘Children of Men’) wrote the script with his son Jonas. This film is not only breathtaking, but it’s ground breaking.
When I left the theatre, I definitely felt that I’ve been to deep space. That’s how amazing the visual effects are.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what it’s like up there…There is nothing to carry sound…There is no oxygen and there is no air pressure.
Of course, it’s not all bad…The beauty is astonishing.
But that’s not necessarily the case, when you find yourself stranded in such an environment.
The film opens in the silent abyss 800 kms above the Earth’s atmosphere, where the Shuttle Explorer is in orbit.
Mission Specialist, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who is attached to a robotic arm, is installing a new scanning system on the Hubble Telescope.
Dr. Stone’s obvious discomfort in zero gravity, is in stark contract to the Mission Commander, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) who happily rides around space in his jet pack, while listening to old skool country western music on his radio.
This is his final voyage into space and Matt is having a blast.
At first things are relativity calm, filled with random chit-chat, but of course, it doesn’t take long for all that to change.
A voice (Ed Harris) from Mission Control in Houston, tells Kowalksi, that on the other side of the planet, the intentional demolition of an obsolete satellite has sent sharp fragments hurtling into space, setting off a chain reaction that puts the fast growing debris field on a collision course with the Explorer.
They are told to get back to the shuttle and get the hell out of there. But…that isn’t quite what happens.
The debris comes quick and and the inescapable impact is catastrophic, destroying the shuttle and leaving Stone and Kowalski as the lone survivors.
To make matters worse, all communication with Mission Control, has been lost and with it, any change of rescue.
Kowalksi and Stone are left adrift in the void and the two, must find a way to see past their own limitations and escape their inertia, if they are ever going to get back to earth.
These really nothing else to say about this incredible, innovative film expect this…Sandra Bullock…Sandra Bullock…Sandra Bullock…She is absolutely amazing. She brings out so many shades of Dr. Stone and you can’t help but route for her.
She hits all the right note and in the end, you realize that ‘Gravity’ is a story of a woman’s passage from a place of loss that makes her emotionally numb to a place where she rediscovers her purpose and her passion for life.
Do not miss ‘Gravity’ which opens in theatres, Friday October 4th 2013 and see it in 3D and IMAX if you can.
I gave ‘Gravity’ five bagels out of five and John came pretty close with his score.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and John’s rating.
First I have to say that I love Joseph Gordon Levitt. He is one talented actor and with his new film, ‘Don Jon’, he shows us that acting, is not the only thing he’s good at.
Not only does Levitt star in this film, he wrote and directed it as well.
Levitt plays Jon Martello, (aka Don Jon) an Italian American from New Jersey. Jon is single…Works as a bartender…Loves to hang out with his buddies at the local clubs, loves to pick up girls and have sex with them and…loves to watch internet porn.
In fact, Jon is addicted to porn…Watches it before sex, during sex and after sex. The dude can’t get enough of it…And he just doesn’t watch it…He gets off to it…at least 17 times a day. That’s right, 17 times a day, give or take one or two times.
He’s also a good Catholic boy. Every Sunday, in the confessional, Jon tells his priest, all about his sexual escapades. The priest gives him a bunch of Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s to recite and then Jon, having been absolved of his sins, is free to start sinning, over again.
Jon’s one happy guy…But of course, this being a movie, his contentment cannot last. Conflict is just around the corner…and it comes…
In the form of a gorgeous, bright, extremely high maintenance, New Jersey girl, Barbara Sugarman (the wonderful Scarlett Johansson).
Barbara, who loves Hollywood movies, is determined to find her Prince Charming…Well Jon isn’t exactly her Prince Charming, but that’s not a problem for Babs. She’ll just turn him into one and Jon, thinking he’s in love, is more than happy to oblige.
Jon even returns to school and of course, promises (after he’s caught) to give up watching porn, forever.
Piece of cake, right? Not exactly…
‘Don Jon’ is a funny, touching, romantic film that even has a couple of surprises.
It also has the always excellent, Julianne Moore, who plays Esther, a woman who comes into Jon’s life and turns it upside down.
I liked ‘Don Jon’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 27, 2013 a lot and gave it 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see John’s bagel rating (Hint: He actually liked this one) and for more of our thoughts.
From the moment ‘Prisoners’, directed by Denis Villeneuve (‘Incendies’) began, I knew I was about to see a film that was really, really good. And I was not disappointed.
In fact, by the time the end-credits rolled, I was actually feeling ‘creeped-out (in a good way, if that’s possible) and that feeling stayed with me for several hours.
The film, written by Aaron Guzikowski (‘Contraband’) is a dark, twisted, thrilling ride about a very important subject…Child abduction.
If you’re wondering why you would want to see a movie, about a subject that unfortunately, is in the news practically everyday,…Here are several reasons…
Hugh Jackman, Maria Bello, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Paul Dano and Melissa Leo.
Jackman is Keller Dover, a blue collar carpenter and self proclaimed survivalist. He’s a loving husband to his wife, Grace (Maria Bello) and his two children. He’s a man that is ready for anything…Or so he thought.
When his six year old daughter, Anna goes missing, along with her young friend, Joy (Howard and Davis’s child) he has to decide how far he will go to save her.
Leading the investigation is Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has to deal with his own demons, as he races against time to find the two young girls.
The best lead is a dilapidated RV that has earlier been parked on the families street. Loki arrests the driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano) but due to lack of evidence, he’s forced to let him go.
From here on, the desperate Dover decides to take matters into his own hands and realizes there’s nothing he won’t do to protect his family.
‘Prisoners’ is an edge of your seat thriller, with twists and turns that will have you guessing right up to the end.
I gave ‘Prisoners’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 20, 2013 4 1/2 bagel out of 5 and John, was pretty close in his bagel score. Yes, this is a film he actually liked.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and his rating.
‘Rush’ directed by two time Academy Award winner Ron Howard (‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘Frost/Nixon’) is supposedly, based on a true story.
I say, supposedly because, like many ‘true stories’, there’s a great deal of ‘not so true’ stuff thrown into the mix.
‘Rush’ written by Peter Morgan (‘Frost/Nixon) depicts the intense rivalry between two Formula 1 race car drivers…
The flamboyant, English playboy, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth, ‘The Avengers, ‘Thor’) and his opponent, the overly controlled, Austrian, Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl, ‘Inglorious Bastards)
Hunt was the bad boy of racing. When he wasn’t behind the wheel of a car, he spent his time, drinking, making love and drinking some more. He was all about emotion and impulsive behavior…
Lauda, on the other hand, was disciplined, cold and methodically brilliant.
In the film, these two men are obsessed with beating one another on the track, no matter what the cost.
Apparently, that wasn’t the case. Hunt and Lauda were actually friends, who hung out together and at one time, were even roommates.
But hey, it’s a movie right?
‘Rush’ opens at the German Grand Prix in 1976, a few weeks past the half way point of the season.
This is the year that…SPOILER ALERT…Lauder had his near fatal accident and that’s all I’ll say about that.
From there, the film flashes back to the early 70’s, where we follow Hunt and Lauda, as they begin their career and how they clashed with one another, on and off the track, in their quest to be a Formula 1 champion.
‘Rush’ is all about the ‘rush’ these drivers get, as they push themselves to their physical and psychological breaking points.
Howard captures the excitement, the danger, the tension and the speed in Formula 1 racing. Those scenes are shot so well that, at times, I felt as if I were sitting along side Hunt and Lauda.
For those of you not into car racing, there’s some cool sex scenes and lots of romance.
Olivia Wilde plays a super model who eventually marries Hunt and Alexandra Maria Lara, is Lauda’s girlfriend, who becomes his wife.
I gave ‘Rush’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 20, 2013 four bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see what John thought and his bagel score.
Meet the Manzoni’s. A family no different than your average family…Mother, Father, Two Kids, except…they are in the Witness Protection Program and they like to beat people up, or in the case of Daddy Manzoni, kill people…
Giovanni Manzoni (Robert DeNiro) was a big time mob boss, who like many big time mob bosses, wound up snitching on his former cohorts. Not a good thing at all.
When we first meet Giovanni and his family…his wife, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) daughter, Belle (Dianna Agron) and son, Warren (John D’Leo) they have just been relocated to a small town in Normandy France.
Apparently the Manzoni’s have tempers, causing them to be moved from one town to another, causing havoc wherever they go.
Everyone, except Papa Manzoni has had enough. They want their life back.
Maggie takes out her frustration by burning down a local supermarket…Belle uses a baseball bat on a fellow student and Warren has become the school hustler.
Giovanni however spends his time, writing his biography, much to the dismay of his handler, F.B.I. agent, Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones).
There’s also a major mob boss that would like nothing more than to track Giovanni and his family down and kill them.
‘The Family’ directed by Luc Besson and written by Michael Caleo (‘Sopranos) based on a novel by Tonino Benacquista entitled, ‘Malavita) is in my opinion a ‘farce’ that sometimes works, but most of the time, doesn’t.
There are funny moments, especially when Giovanni is invited to speak in front of the French Cinema Society, after a showing of ‘Good Fellas…But most of it, is filled with silly over the top violence
I gave ‘The Family’ which opens in theatres Friday, September 13, just 2 1/2 bagels out of 5. Definitely a rental.
Check out our video to see John’s bagel rating and an appearance by our special guest star, Mango-the Pek.
For those of you who think your family has problems, wait until you meet the Lamberts.
We were first introduced to them a few years back in the horror film, ‘Insidious’ and things have not gotten any better for them.
To refresh everyone’s memory or in case you missed the first film…Here’s a brief synopsis about what has transpired…Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his Mrs (Rose Bryne) thought their house was haunted and for a very good reason…
Their young son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) who had and still has, the ability to travel out of his physical body, met the spirit of a really scary old woman (aren’t they all?) and a red-faced demon who wanted to possess his physical body. (Can’t really blame him).
Anyway Dalton ends up in a coma and things go from bad to worse for the family, until they bring in medium, Elise (Lin Shaye) to clear out the demons. She performs an exorcism and winds up getting killed, which is an excellent reason not to choose that line of work.
As ‘Insidious Chapter 2’ opens, Dalton has woken up from the coma and the Lamberts, along with their three children, move into a brand new house, only to discover…that it wasn’t their home that was haunted…It is them…
To say any thing else about the plot would be spoiling the fun…And it is fun…It’s also scary, clever and thanks to director James Wan (‘Saw’/’Insidious’/’The Conjuring’) and writer, Leah Whannell (‘Saw’/’Insidious’) all the questions raised in the first film, are answered.
Barbara Hershey is back as Josh’s mother and this time, she plays a more active role. She teams up with Ghost Hunters, Specs (Leigh Whannel) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) and the three of them track down who exactly is haunting her family.
And even though Elise was killed off in the first one, that doesn’t stop her from helping as well. I mean, who’s better to fight demons than a dead person?
I gave ‘Insidious Chapter 2’ which opens in theatres, Friday the 13th (perfect) 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. I think if you’re a fan of the first one or just like to be scared, you won’t be disappointed.
Check out our video to see John’s bagel rating and hear more of our thoughts.
We’re all familiar with the quote, ‘You can never go home again’ . Well, that’s not exactly true…You can go home again, but it may not be the way you remembered it.
That is certainly the case in ‘The World’s End’ directed by Edgar Wright. Wright wrote the script with Simon Pegg, who also stars in the film.
The writers consider this one to be the last in a trilogy…A follow up to,…’Shaun of the Dead’, the zombie movie and the cop buddy pic, ‘Hot Fuzz’.
The film starts out with a flashback. The year is 1990 and five high school friends, living in the English village of Newton Haven, attempt a 12 pub crawl. Unfortunately, they never quite make it, stopping before they reach the last one…The World’s End.
Flash forward 20 years later, Gary (Simon Pegg) contacts his former mates…Andy (Nick Frost) who he’s been estranged from…Steven (Paddy Considine)…Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Peter (Eddie Marsan) to once again reunite and this time…Make it all the way to the end…The World’s End.
Of course, Gary’s mates have changed. They are all family men with careers. Gary however, is the same lost dude he was in high school. So for him, this 12 pub crawl means everything.
What starts out as a reunion, quickly turns into something much different and the guys soon realize, that the fate of humanity is in their hands.
‘The World’s End’ which opens in theatres, Friday August 23, 2013 is not only a very funny movie, but it’s also clever and full of surprises.
In the end, it’s not only a story about how far a man will go for a pint, but how far will he go for his mates.
I gave ‘The World’s End’ 4 1/2 bagels out of 5…John seems to have lost his sense of humor and gave it a much different score.
Check out our video to see what he thought and for more of our rantings.
‘The Butler’ written by Danny Strong, was inspired by Wil Haygood’s article in The Washington Post, entitled ‘A Butler Well Served By This Election’. Haygood served as a butler through 8 presidential administrations.
In this film, we follow the journey of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) who as a boy in 1923, picked cotton on a Georgia farm, alongside his father and mother.
In one of the most heart wrenching scenes, Cecil watches as one of the farm’s overseers, (Alex Pettyfer) rapes his mother (Mariah Carey) and then shoots his father, (David Banner) dead right in front of him.
Lucky for Cecil, everyone down South isn’t a sick, evil bastard…Thanks to the kindness of the plantation’s matriarch (Vanessa Redgrave) he’s taken out of the fields and given a job in the main house as a servant.
It’s here, serving Ms Redgrave, that his education starts…Cecil learns how to be the ‘perfect servant’ to white folks….which translated means…Putting on a mask and smiling…no matter what he hears or sees.
Cecil is a quick learner and it’s not long, before he gets a job at an upscale hotel, where he excels.
This gets the attention of the White House’s black maitre d’… Freedie Fallows (Colman Domingo), who hires Cecil as a butler, after making sure that he has no political affiliations. Fallows informs Cecil that ‘There’s no tolerance for politics in the White House’.
Something Cecil never forgets.
He winds up outshining all the other other butlers on staff, including his two BFFs, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz and becomes the favorite of eight presidents, including…
Dwight Eisenhower (Robin Williams), Richard Nixon (John Cusak), John F. Kennedy (James Marsden), Lyndon B. Johnson (Liev Schreiber) and Ronald Regan (Alan Rickman)
Through Cecil, we get to experience the birth of the ‘civil rights movement’, starting with Eisenhower reluctantly sending in federal troops to Little Rock Ark to desegregate the public schools, and ending with Ronald Regan, refusing to boycott South Africa for their apartheid policies.
Before I say anymore about this film, I must mention the performances by the remarkable cast, starting with…
Miss Oprah Winfrey as Gloria, Cecil’s wife. She gives a beautiful, complex performance, as a woman struggling with loneliness, addiction, the changing times and a son, Louis (David Oyelowo) who chooses, despite his father’s disapproval, to take a break from college and join The Freedom Riders.
The actors, depicting the various presidents, are spot on especially, Liev Schrieber and Alan Rickman.
Rounding out the cast are Terrence Howard as a lecherous neighbor, his wife Adriane Lenox and Elijah Kelley who portrays Cecil’s younger son, Charlie)
And now for Mr. Whitaker…All I can say is Oscar…Oscar…Oscar. The choices he makes as an actor are not big or showy… They are small, subtle, layered, and powerful.
He gives Cecil a profound dignity and grace. His character, especially when silent, says so much.
The Butler’ takes us on a journey…at times it’s a gut wrenching one, through a period in our country’s history, not too long ago, when ignorant men committed some of the most horrific atrocities toward other human beings.
But Daniels doesn’t just saw us the lynchings, the beatings, the violence, we also get to see the courage and the unbreakable commitment of the people involved in the Civil Rights movement. They are the true heroes of the film.
And as for Cecil…He’s a man that doesn’t want to make waves. The civil rights movement and the violence it brings, scares him.
But as our country changes, so does Cecil and he comes to understand how vital it is to stand up to injustice.
And that’s what makes the ending of this film, so very sweet and so very moving…
Don’t worry, this isn’t a SPOILER. I think everyone knows who got elected in 2008)
The film brings us right up to Cecil voting for the first African American President of the United States.
I think it’s obvious how much I loved ‘The Butler’ which opened Friday, August 15, 2013 and that’s why I gave it 5 bagels out of 5. Unfortunately John had the flu and didn’t get to see it, so no bagel score from him.
But check out our video review, he does get a few words in… with a not too shabby British accent.
So what happens when a pot dealer (Jason Sudeikis), a stripper (Jennifer Anniston) a runaway (Emma Roberts) and a virgin (Will Poulter) pretend to be an ‘All American Family’ go on a marijuana run to Mexico in a very big R. V.?
Well, in ‘We’re The Millers’ directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, you have an extremely funny and very clever film.
Especially when you throw in an angry drug lord, a vicious tarantula, a pornographic game of Pictionary, and an impromptu sing-along…
Jason plays David Clark, a small town pot-dealer whose clientele included chefs and soccer moms. David has been dealing pot since college and you can definitely call him an ‘under-achiever’.
We know David has a good heart because early on in the film, he comes to the rescue of a homeless girl, Casey (Emma Roberts) and his teenage neighbor, Kenny (Will Poulter) who are being harassed by some local punks.
For David, this proves to be a very bad move. The punks steal his back pack containing his pot and $45,000 of his drug supplier’s money…
When his supplier (Ed Helms) finds out David has lost his money, he offers him a choice…David could either be killed or he can make a trip across the border to Mexico and bring back a ‘smidgen’ of weed.
Of course the later choice seems much more appealing than death. Now the only question is…How to do this run and not get caught?
Easy…All David needs is an All American Family. Afterall, who would ever think that an ‘All American Family’ would be pot suppliers?
David convinces Rose, Kenny and Casey to pretend to be his wife and kids.
And so ‘The Millers’ are born.
I absolutely loved the film and gave it 4 bagels out of 5. It’s filled with unexpected twists and turns, including a hysterical encounter with another ‘All American Family’ (Nick Offernan, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Quinn.
‘We Are The Millers’ opens in theatres, Wednesday August 7th and it’s a must see for anyone who loves to laugh.
Check out our video for John’s rating…HINT: He actually scored it the same as me!
Neill Blomkamp, writer and director of the critically acclaimed, ‘District 9’, once again brings us a thought-provoking, sci-fi fantasy action film.
‘Elysium’ starring Matt Damon takes place in the year 2154. Earth is polluted, overpopulated and crime ridden. The rich have long ago abandoned the planet for Elysium, an orbital space station, a 19 minute shuttle ride away.
But those 19 minutes, might as well be several light years. The space station is protected by a killer security force run by Jodie Foster who will do anything and everything to keep keep Elysium safe for the wealthy.
Matt Damon (Max) is an ex con on parole who lives and works in Los Angeles which is now a getto. Max is a guy that’s just trying to do the ‘right thing’ trying to put his days of stealing cars behind him.
He works at a Armadyne, a corporation specializing in defense.
Now the company is run by John Carlyle (the wonderful William Fichtner) a man who cares about 3 things…Money, money and more money…
Okay, back to Max, who’s just trying to be a good worker and stay out of trouble. All that soon changes when he gets into an accident at work. Max winds up getting a lethal dose of radiation and finds out he only has five days to live…
However, if he can somehow make it up to Elysium, he can be cured in a matter of seconds.
It seems that every home on the space station, not only comes equipped with a washer and dryer, but also has a machine a machine that can heal any disease. You just have to be a ‘citizen’ of the place.
Now if you’re thinking this is a commentary on our health care system and the haves and have- nots of this world we live in, you’d be right.
But it’s also an exciting, suspenseful film with plenty of great action.
Max has to find a way to get to ‘Elysium which mean making contact, with his criminal associates, including Spider (Wagner Moura) a scary dude, who helps illegal immigrants get to Elysium. He’s also quite adept at turning people into Cybourgs, which comes in handy, but that’s all I’ll say on the subject. Don’t want to spoil the fun.
And ‘Elysium’ is fun… a lot of fun. It also has a great message and for a sci-fi film, that’s rare.
Rounding out the cast is Alice Braga, who plays Frey a childhood friend of Max, who has her own reasons for wanting to get to Elysium. Sharito Copley (District 9′) is excellent as the villaninous, Kruger, Jodie’s pet operative/assassin.
I gave ‘Elysium’ which opens in theatres Friday August 9, 2013, 4 bagels out of 5. John however, had a different take on the film.
Check out our video for his bagel score and for more of our musings.
I really feel for The Wolverine, aka Logan (Hugh Jackman). The poor guy can’t die, doesn’t have any cool people to hang out with, and he’s suffering from major depression…
On top of that, he’s still in love with his ex girlfriend (Famke Janssen. Even though he killed her, their relationship seems to be going well. Of course, Logan can only see her in his dreams.
No wonder our century year old mutant has the blues.
However, we don’t know all of that quite yet.
When ‘The Wolverine’ directed by James Mangold opens, Logan is having a flashback…It’s 1944 and he’s in Nagasaki, just as the atomic bomb is dropped. It’s here that Logan saves the life of a Japanese soldier, who promises to repay him one day.
Flash forward to the present…Where Logan is hiding out in the wilds of the Yukon and it’s obvious that our angry, unhappy, super hero, hasn’t been intimate with a bar of soap for a long time.
After getting into a bar fight, (3 guesses who won) Logan is approached by Yukio (Rita Fukushima) a mysterious Japanese girl…(aren’t they all) with a message from the soldier. He doesn’t have long to live and wants to finally repay Logan.
At first Logan declines the offer…He’s not too big on flying, even if it is in a private plane…but it’s hard to resist a beautiful girl with flaming red hair, who also happening to have killer fighting skills. So off they go…
Once in Tokyo, Logan visits the soldier, (Hal Yamanouchi) who’s now very old and very, very wealthy. It doesn’t take long for him to discover just how the dying man wants to repay him.
It also doesn’t take too long for Logan to find himself on the run with a beautiful heiress, (Tao Okamoto) using his claws to fight Samurai swords, Yakuza guns, black clad Ninjas’ arrows and finally, one very large, very dangerous metal robot.
And if that’s not bad enough, Logan’s encounter with Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) a female mutant with a very long tongue, leaves him…mortal…That’s right folks…Our guy can bleed… and does a lot.
‘The Wolverine’ written by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank is filled with lots of action, stunts, fight scenes, hand to claw combat, great chases, a super fast train ride and even a couple of love scenes.
The film shot in 3D is a mixture of tones…It’s part Samurai, part super-hero, part crime drama, with lots of father/daughter/illegitimate son conflict thrown in. Is that a good thing?
Well yes and no. It is a bit of a hodgepodge, but in the end, I did find it entertaining…For that reason, I gave ‘The Wolverine’ which opens in theatres, Friday July 26, 2013, 3 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s bagel rating and for more of our thoughts about this film.
There are many reasons to see ‘Blue Jasmine’ written and directed by Woody Allen, but the main one is…the stunning, complex, Oscar worthy performance by, Miss Cate Blanchett.
She portrays Jasmine, a one time wealthy New York socialite who has lost her money, her home, her husband, (Alec Baldwin) her son and perhaps… her sanity.
We first meet Jasmine, sitting on an airplane, talking non-stop to her seat mate, an elderly woman, who from the expression on her face, wishes she would just shut up.
From Jasmine’s monologue, we find out that she’s on her way to live with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins) a grocery clerk, in San Francisco.
After the plane lands, Jasmine continues following and talking to her seatmate and it becomes obvious that, this is a woman, on the edge.
At her sister’s place, Jasmine’s fragile mental state becomes even clearer…Actually it’s hard to miss. Jasmine gulps down vodka followed by a xanax chaser every time she’s upset, which is quite often.
First, she can’t stand her sister’s boyfriend, Chili (Bobby Cannavale) who’s always around….Thinks he’s as big a loser as Ginger’s ex-husband, Augie (Andrew Dice Clay)
If that’s not bad enough, Jasmine wants to study interior design online, but has no idea how to use a computer. So now, our stressed out socialite has to go back to school, which means finding some menial job in order to pay for it.
In other words, Jasmine has to learn to survive in the ‘real world’ for the first time in her life. No wonder she’s altering her consciousness.
Yes, Jasmine is a very flawed, troubled character, but you want her to succeed. You can’t help but feel compassion for this woman.
This has a lot to do with Allen’s wonderful use of flashbacks, where we get to see Jasmine’s former life and come to understand why she’s on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.
Watching Cate/ Jasmine, I immediately thought about another iconic, damaged woman…Blanche Dubois from Tennesse Williams ‘Streetcar Named Desire’. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Woody was inspired by Blanche when he created this character.
On a side note, Blanchett portrayed Blanche on the London stage a few years ago.
In any case, like Blanche, Jasmine is a woman you’ll remember for a long time to come….I’m still thinking about her.
I absolutely loved this film which also stars Louis C. K. Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg as a lecherous dentist who hires Jasmine.
I gave ‘Blue Jasmine’ which opens in theatres Friday July 26, 2013, my highest bagel score…five out of five…and John, believe it or not, was right behind with his bagel rating. Yes, this is a film, he actually liked…alot.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and banter.
‘The Conjuring’ is one of the most terrifying films I’ve seen in a very long time and I loved every second of it. Of course I love being scared, but only when I’m seating in a movie theatre.
Based on a true story, the film tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators, Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and his clairvoyant wife, Lorraine (the wonderful Vera Farmiga) find themselves in one of the most horrifying case of their lives.
For those of you unfamiliar with these demonologists, the Warrens have spent years fighting evil forces. One of their most famous cases was made into a movie, entitled… ‘The Amityville Horror’.
Okay, so for those of you who aren’t sure if evil spirits are occupying your home, here’s my version of ‘Demonic Activity For Dummies’…
First stage: Infestation…Whispering, footsteps, the feeling of another presence…
Second stage: Oppression…You feel as if your will is being crushed…(that must hurt) and last, but certainly not least…
Third stage: Possession…Self explanatory…The entity has you, mind, body and soul…
Luckily Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) doesn’t wait for stage three to contact the Warrens.
Carolyn and her husband, Robert (Ron Livingston) live with their five daughters, in a centuries old farmhouse in Harrisville Rhode Island and she realizes that something is not quite right.
The year is 1970, so Carolyn can’t ‘google’…what do you do when you feel your house is haunted?
The Warrens arrive to investigate and immediately agree that there is a very sinister entity occupying the Perron home and the family is in grave danger.
Thanks to director James Wan (creator of ‘Saw’) what transpires is so intensely scary that you’ll be jumping out of your seat. I know I was.
Wan builds the tension slowly and has created ‘set pieces’ that delivers everything you’ve come to expect, but don’t always get, in a horror film.
Also, the script, written by Chad and Carey W. Hayes (‘The Reaping’) makes sure you care about all of these people.
The five Perron daughters played by…Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, MacKenzie Fox and newcomer Kyla Deaver are excellent.
I gave ‘The Conjuring’ which opens in theatres Friday July 19, 2013, five bagels out of five.
Check out our video for John’s thoughts and his bagel rating…HINT: He actually liked this film.
Here’s all the important things you need to know about director Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi, action film, ‘Pacific Rim’…
Planet Earth has been invaded by the Kaiju…Super sized monsters that have risen from a portal underneath the ocean…Millions of earthlings have died and things are not looking good for humanity.
Our only hope for stopping these monstrous creatures are the Jaegers…a special type of robot which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots, whose minds are synched via a neural bridge, called ‘The Drift’.
Unfortunately, the enemy grows more powerful with each attack, so even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.
And lastly, like in most sci-fi action flicks, everything comes down to one or two dudes (or in this case, one dude, one dudess) who will try to save mankind.
So to sum up…It’s monsters vs robots…and that’s it.
Yes, the plot as well as the characterizations are thin…The film is all about the special effects and they are spectacular.
In fact, the visuals are so spectacular that they make it worth the price of admission…Especially if you are a teenage boy/gamer.
However, even though I’m very far away from that demographic, I really enjoyed this film. It was very entertaining and well cast…
Charlie Hunnam, (t.v. show ‘Sons Of Anarchy) Rinko Kikuchi (‘Babel’), Ron Perlman, Idris Elba (‘Thor), Charlie Day (‘Horrible Bosses’), Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini and Clifton Collins, Jr. do an excellent job bringing their thinly developed characters to life.
For that reason, I gave ‘Pacific Rim’ which opens in theatres, Friday July 12, 2013, 31/2 bagels out of 5. Oh and definitely see it in 3D…
Check out our video for John’s bagel rating and of course, for more of our witty banter.
So you can imagine my surprise, when I sat down to watch ‘The Lone Ranger’ and found it filled with one joke after another…and not very funny ones.
That’s right guys and girls, this is an action comedy, at least according to the press notes…And there is plenty of action…Unfortunately, for me, it wasn’t enough to save the film.
‘The Lone Ranger’ actually reminded me of this little ole movie entitled, ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Strange huh?
Not really…Since the director, Gore Verbonski, also directed ‘Pirates’ and the screenwriters, Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott wrote all four movies in the franchise.
And speaking of ‘Pirates, Mr. Johnny Depp (Tonto) appeared to be channeling, Jack Sparrow. But instead of wearing a pirate’s hat on his head…he wears a dead crow.
Now, I love Johnny Depp…I think he is a very fine actor, but as Tonto, I just didn’t buy him…At times, he sounded like like a bad ‘Catskill’s comedian instead of a Native American warrior.
As for Armie Hammer, (The Lone Ranger/lawyer John Reid) was absolutely wonderful in ‘J. Edgar’ and ‘The Social Network’ but here, he comes off as just plain goofy, but I blame the writers more than him.
However, there are several characters in the film that I really enjoyed….Starting with the ‘good guys/girls’…
Silver, the Lone Ranger’s beautiful white horse, did a great job…If there’s such a thing as an Oscar for animals, Oscar, this guy should get one.
Helena Bonham Carter (Red Harrington) a Madam with an ivory leg, that shoots bullets, is a standout, as is…
James Badge Dale, who portrays, Texas Ranger, Dan Reid, our masked man’s brother.
And now for the villains…
William Fichtner (Butch Cavendish) the bad ass outlaw, who’s the Lone Ranger’s archenemy is excellent…Has that whole menacing thing down pat…
Barry Pepper (Captain Fuller) egocentric, Indian killer is spot on…and last but definitely not least…
Tom Wilkinson, (Latham Cole) a ruthless, immoral railroad executive, who loves a good cigar, a nice glass of wine, and destroying anyone who gets in his way.
The film is very long…over 21/2 hours and it isn’t until the last 15 minutes, when the ‘William Tell’ overture kicks in, that I sat up in my seat…
But, by that time, it was too late for me to give ‘The Long Ranger, which opens in theatres, Wednesday July 3, 2013, anymore than 21/1 bagels out of 5.
On paper, this film must have sounded like a great idea…Super Uptight, friendless, socially awkward, FBI Agent has to partner with a foul mouth, crass, Boston cop in order to bring down a vicious drug lord…
Add Oscar winner, Sandra Bullock and Academy Award nominee, Melissa McCarthy to the mix, plus director, Paul Feig (‘Bridesmaids’) and you have a perfect female, ‘buddy flick’. What could possibly go wrong?
Well in the case of ‘The Heat’, written by first time screenwriter, Katie Dippold, a great deal…Mainly the film, which is a comedy, just isn’t funny.
Not funny enough that is…
Melissa McCarthy (Shannon Mullins) plays the trash talking Boston cop and Sandra Bullock, (Sarah Ashburn) is the career driven, by the book, FBI agent.
Now don’t get me wrong…Melissa is one funny lady. She can crack you up with one look or tilt of her head…and Miss Bullock can do uptight, lonely and vulnerable in her sleep.
The problem lies with the script…Not only are you one step ahead of the story, but the film is extremely contrived…
It’s obvious from the get-go, that these two ladies, will wind up being BFF, by the time the credits roll.
Sarah, who is disliked by her fellow Agents, wants a promotion…bad…Her boss, (Demian Bichir) promises her one, if she can take down this big time drug lord, who operates out of Boston.
Faster than the speed of light, Agent Sarah, says so long to New York City and heads to Boston. Nothing is going to stand in her way…
Only problem is, when Sarah arrives at the Boston Police Station, to interrogate one of the drug lord’s dealers, (Spoken Reasons) she comes up against, Detective Mullins, who is anything but happy that this snooty FBI gal is encroaching on her territory.
To make matters worse, these two ladies are forced to partner with each other and well, you can figure out the rest…Let’s just say it includes a BIG girl-bonding moment with lots of drinking and dancing…Never seen that before…
The script tries hard to get the audience to care about these women. They even make Sarah a foster child and throw in a super dysfunctional family for Mullins. Jane Curtin plays her mother and Michael Rapaport is Mullins ex-con drug addict brother.
When I see a comedy, I expect to laugh. Unfortunately, with this film, I only chuckled and not more than a few times. For that reason, I gave’The Heat’ which opens in theatres, Friday, June 28th, 2013, only 2 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts, John’s rating and of course to see Mango, our beautiful Pekingnese.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Transition times provide us with opportunities to make great things happen. But they also are challenging and can lead to failure. Here’s what the Jewish tradition had to say about transitions and what you can […]
First off, I was definitely not looking forward to seeing this film. I mean, I just saw the White House blown up a couple of months ago in a not so great movie entitled, ‘Olympus Has Fallen’…How could this new version be any different? …
Well, I don’t know about different, but ‘White House Down’ directed by Roland Emmerich is definitely better…In fact, it’s really, really good and that has a great deal to do with, Channing Tatum and Jamie Fox.
Tatum plays John Cale, a U.S. Capitol policeman, who is trying really hard to be a good dad to his preteen daughter, Emily (Joey King). John, in the past, had trouble holding down jobs…problems with authority and was your basic screw up.
However the guy wasn’t a complete loser…far from it. Cale completed three tours of duty in Afghanistan and during one of them, he just happened to save the life of a fellow soldier…And not just any soldier…This one is the son of the Speaker of the House (Richard Jenkins)
The Speaker repaid Cale by hiring him as a part of his security detail. However, Cale has higher aspirations…He wants to be in the secret service…and guard, President James Sawyer, (Jamie Fox) In fact, he’s applied for the job.
Which makes his daughter Emily, one very happy girl. Not only is she obsessed with politics, but thinks Sawyer is the greatest thing since i-phones. Well not really, but she really does like the man.
As a surprise, Cale arranges to take Emily on a tour of the White House which turns out to be the same day as his interview for the secret service job. Perfect right?
Not quite. During his interview, led by Secret Service Agent Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal) Cale is told he just doesn’t have what it takes for the job and will never ever become an agent. In other words, she encourages him to aim lower…much lower.
But as the movie gods or in this case, screenwriter, James Vanderbilt would have it, as Cale and Emily tour the White House, all hell breaks loose.
That’s right folks, the Capitol building is bombed, the White House is invaded, and some really nasty men, led by Jason Clark, take hostages, shoot people, and blow things up…
I won’t tell you their motives or who’s behind it all, but I will say, that by the time this movie is over, John Cale won’t ever have to worry about being unemployed.
Channing Tatum and Jamie Fox play off of each other beautifully. They have great chemistry and even though bodies are dropping left and right, there is still plenty of room for humor between the two guys.
The whole cast including James Woods as the head of the President’s detail, Nicolas Wright as the funny White House Tour guide, and Rachelle LeFevre, as Cale’s ex wife are all excellent.
I gave ‘White House Down’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 28, 2013, four bagels out of five, because I was thoroughly entertained and when you see a big budget action movie, that’s exactly what you want to be.
Check out our funny video review to see what John thought and for more of our witty banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The idea of reinvention: of yourself and your world, gives us the opportunity to keep up with the times and to partner with God in creation. Here’s how. Please let us know what you think […]
Nothing scares me more than zombies and that’s why I can’t get enough of them. I’ve seen every George Romero film as well as ’28 Days Later’ many, many times. Plus I own the first two seasons of ‘The Walking Dead’.
Needless to say, I was really looking forward to ‘World War Z’ and I’m happy to report, I was not disappointed…
First of all, the zombies in ‘World War Z’ are not your every day slow moving zombies…Nope, these flesh loving guys and gals can jump so high you think they’re flying. Not only that, they can run…and I mean…fast.
These zombies are definitely what I’d call…new and improved.
‘World War Z’ shot in 3D and directed by Marc Forster (‘Quantum Of Solace’) is an intense, scary and gripping film. The first 45 minutes alone will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
That’s when we meet family man, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), his wife played by Mireilla Enos from the AMC tv show ‘The Killing’ and his two daughters (Sterling Jerins and Abigal Hargrove). Gerry is preparing a pancake breakfast for his family and it’s obvious, he loves being a stay at home dad.
This is one happy family…Of course, this kind of contentment can’t last for too long…Not in this kind of a film.
As Gerry and his wife drive the kids to school in downtown Philadelphia, they notice that something is not quite right. In fact, something is very, very wrong. People are viciously attacking each other and in seconds, those attacked are turning into something unrecognizable…that’s right folks… flesh eating zombies.
Gerry has only seconds to get his wife and kids off the streets and to safety. Lucky for him, he calls his old boss at the U. N. and he hears the words…’Gerry I need you’. Seems Gerry is an ex U.N. investigator who traveled all over the world as a trouble shooter. His boss promises him a safe haven for his family, if he agrees to leave them for a bit and save the world.
Gerry agrees of course. He says bye bye to his family and takes off around the globe to track down ‘Patient Zero’ and hopefully find a cure for this plague before humanity is wiped out for good.
Hey somebody has to do it and why not someone as handsome as Brad Pitt, right?
‘World War Z’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 21, 2013, is loosely based on Max Brooks novel, ‘World War Z an oral history of the Zombie Wars’. I’m sure fans of the book might be a little disappointed with the changes that were made for the movie, but personally I thought they worked.
For that reason, I gave the film 4 bagels out of 5. John however had a very different opinion, but that’s not surprising.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. A comedian once said: Don’t mess with the Jews, they’re still ticked off about events that happened 2000 years ago. The destruction of the ancient Temple though, isn’t about holding grudges. It’s about learning from […]
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is a guy with…angst…a great deal of angst. He wants to fly around the planet and save people, but thanks to his earth daddy, Jonathon Kent (Kevin Costner) he’s afraid to do that.
What? Superman afraid? Yep or maybe paranoid is a better word.
Ever since he was a boy on the farm, Clark was told by Jonathon, that the world is not ready for him. That his super powers would scare people…
And in ‘Man Of Steel’ directed by Zack Snyder (‘300’) and written by David Goyer, that certainly seems to be the case…At least for most of the film….
Which is part of the problem…Who wants to see Superman moping around, even if he is as cute as Mr. Cavill?
When we first meet Clark, he is all grown up and hiding his true self from the world. He travels around the country, working at odd jobs and keeping his powers in check, except for an occasional rescue here and there.
Through a series of flashbacks, we find out what every human on planet earth already knows…i.e. how Kal El’s biological dad, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and mom, Lara Lor-Van, sent him to earth as a newborn baby, when they realized that Krypton was doomed. We also find out why…
The super bad-ass, General Zod (Michael Shannon, doing his usual villain thing) and his evil Kyptonian posse, hate Jor-El and a few other things that I won’t go into here, for fear of spoiling it for those folks unfamiliar with the story.
Anyway here on earth, we continue to travel back and forth to Clark’s youth…meet his mom, Martha (Diane Lane) and get glimpses into his difficult childhood in Smallville. After all, It’s hard being an alien kid, who can burn down a city with a single glance.
Of course, what would a Superman movie be without Lois Lane?. This time, Miss Lane (Amy Adams) is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and right from the start, she knows Clark’s real identity and yes, they’re ‘hot’ for each other.
The Daily Planet’s editor, Perry White is also back and he’s played by Laurence Fishburne.
There are definitely a lot things that I enjoyed about ‘Man Of Steel’ …The scenes on Kyrpton, plus the ones between Clavill, Costner and Lane are among my favorites.
My big problem with the film is how repetitive it is…I mean how many times can you watch Superman throw Zod into a building and vice versa?. According to Snyder, many, many, many times. Guess he wanted to make sure that the audience got their $225 million dollars worth.
I gave ‘Man Of Steel’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 14, 2013 only 31/2 bagels out of 5. I really expected to like it much more than I did.
Check out our video for John’s bagel rating and of course for more of our witty banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. We all know friends who are there for the good times, but vanish when things get rough. The test of a true friendship and of a true community is the commitment to be there for […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Do you make unilateral decision that affect others? We all do at some times. Join in thinking about a better way, involving people who will be impacted in the decisions. And learn how God set […]
I was really expecting not to like this film. I thought it would be the same old Vince Vaughn comedy that I’ve seen hundreds of times before and frankly wasn’t all that crazy about.
So I was really surprised, when I found myself laughing aloud. ‘The Internship’ is a really funny, clever and even touching film, filled with endearing characters and a theme that everyone, no matter what your age, will be able to relate to…It’s never too late to go after your dreams. Unless, of course, you’re 80 years old and want to be an astronaut or prima ballerina.
But that’s not the case in this film. Vince Vaughn plays Billy McMahon, a high energy, verbally dexterous salesman. Along with his partner and BFF, Nick Campbell, a master at soft spoken persuasion, these two can sell anything to anyone.
Unfortunately, their ways are coming to an end, thanks to the digital world. In fact when we meet them, Nick and Billy are informed by a client they’re trying to sell watches to, that their company has closed down. Who needs watches when you have a computer to tell you the time? says their boss, John Goodman.
With no job prospects in sight, Billy and Nick find themselves in a situation that a lot of people in the 40’s and 50’s face…How to reinvent yourself to fit into this new ever changing digital world?
Luckily, Billy discovers that Google is looking for interns and against all odds, they get accepted into the Google intern program.
Here’s where the movie becomes a ‘fish out of water’ story. All the other interns are under 20 and they are super brilliant, especially when it comes to technology. Something our boys are not. Plus only one team of Nooglers (interns) gets to become Googlers (Google’s paid employees)
As the interns are put through a series of tests, Billy and Nick must draw upon their crackerjack salesmanship skills, their life experiences and swagger to lead their team to victory.
‘The Internship’ written by Vince Vaughan and Jared Stern (‘The Watch’) and directed by Shawn Levy (‘Night At The Museum’) is filled with a wonderful cast of characters, including, Rose Byrne as Dana Sims, a career focused high achieving Google executive/love interst for Wilson and Josh Gad, (Headphones) a silent mentor.
I found ‘The Internship’ which opens in theatres, Friday June 7th, 2013 to be a very entertaining and uplifting film for all ages. For that reason,I gave it 4 bagels out of 5.
Of course once again, The Two Jews On Film are split. Check out our video to see what John thought about this movie and for his bagel rating.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Today’s world calls for sharing leadership and even taking on a prophetic voice in the world. Take a listen to learn about a biblical text that set a precedent for shared leadership. Please let us […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The Hebrew word Shalom doesn’t only mean hello, goodbye and peace. The root sh-l-m also means completion. One of our life challenges is to seek that completion and integrate all the elements who who we […]
Every son, whether conscious or unconscious, wants to impress his dad…Wants to gain his father’s respect.
In the year 222 AE (after earth), after a series of cataclysmic events forced humanity to leave earth and settle on Nova Prime, that concept still holds true.
Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) wants desperately to be a Ranger like his dad, General Cypher Raige, (Will Smith). Cypher is not only a Ranger but he’s a super Ranger having saved the humans of Nova Prime from the planet’s fiercest alien threats…The Skrel and their nasty monster creations known as the Ursa.
But that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Kitai. He’s just flunked his Ranger test and is hounded by guilt, from a childhood incident. Kitai doesn’t feel like he’ll ever live up to his father’s expectations.
Of course this being a movie, Kitai will soon get the chance to prove to himself and to his daddy just what kind of stuff he’s made of, when…
A spaceship carrying him and Cypher crash lands on the now quarantined Earth, killing everyone, except the two of them. Their only hope of rescue is a beacon which landed some 50 miles away from the ship.
Cypher is critically wounded so it’s up to Kitai to retrieve it.
With his dad monitoring and directing him from the ship, Kitai must face unchartered terrain, savage animals, a hostile deadly environment, and the unstoppable, Ursa who can sense human fear.
Piece of cake right?
‘After Earth’, directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, along with Gary Whitta from a story by Will Smith works on many levels…
I liked the story, especially the concept of overcoming one’s fear as well as the depiction of a futuristic Earth. The film has a nice tension and at times, is very exciting.
Unfortunately what didn’t work for me and in fact, almost ruined the movie, was the acting of Jaden Smith. The kid acts with his eyebrows, indicates all over the place and pushes way too hard in the emotional scenes.
Having said that, I still gave ‘After Earth’ which opens in theatres Friday May 31, 2013, three and a half bagels out of five as I was entertained.
Check out our video to see what John thought and for more of our banter.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The Hebrew word Shalom doesn’t only mean hello, goodbye and peace. The root sh-l-m also means completion. One of our life challenges is to seek that completion and integrate all the elements who who we […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The movie Lincoln served to remind us that there are characters whose lives inspire us as we create meaning in our lives. Who are the characters that inspire you and how do you use them […]
I judge how good a comedy is, by how much I laugh, as well as how much the audience laughs…or doesn’t, as was the case last night, sitting in the theatre, watching ‘The Hangover Park 3’.
It’s been two years since our guys…Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) have had any encounters with strippers, weird animals, monkeys, gangsters or drugs. In fact they are all happily married and living the good life in suburbia.
The only member of the Wolf Pack who doesn’t have his life together is… Alan (Zach Galifianakis) He’s off his meds…Says and does whatever he feels like, at any given moment, no matter how inappropriate, and is driving his parents, who he still lives with… nuts.
His three buddies decide to do an intervention…which includes a trip to a mental facility in Arizona and that means…ROAD TRIP.
Which also means for our guys that normalcy is thrown out the window, replaced by complete mayhem, kidnapping, bad guys, drugs, breaking and entering, a trip to Mexico and of course to VEGAS.
What ‘The Hangover Part 3’, directed and written, once again, by Todd Phillips, along with Craig Mazin, doesn’t have is anything original or humorous.
The film, except for a change in geography, feels very similar to the first two films in the franchise…only without the laughs.
Heather Graham, Stu’s first wife makes a brief appearance and of course, Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) is back…This time, however, he didn’t bring the funny…only the mean and nasty.
Rounding out the cast is John Goodman and Melissa McCarthy, who is the one character that does bring the comedy.
I gave ‘The Hangover Part 3’, which opens in theatres Thursday, May 23rd, 2013, only two bagels out of five…and John gave it even less.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Yes, it’s hard to believe that this is number 6. Where does the time go?
Well, I’m happy to report that this one won’t let you down.
As the title suggest…The film is fast…It’s furious…and it’s definitely, fun.
The whole gang is back including Vin Diesel (Dom), Paul Walker (Brian), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Ludacris (Tej), Jordana Brewster (Mia), Elsa Pataky (Elsa) and Michelle Rodriguez (Letty).
For those of you who haven’t seen ‘The Fast And The Furious 5’ here’s a brief recap.
After stealing 100 million dollars from a drug kingpin, the group is scattered all across the globe, living it up in style… Brian and Mia even have a newborn baby.
Life couldn’t be better for our guys, except for the fact that they’re all still wanted fugitives and if they ever set foot in the U. S., they’ll be jailed on the spot.
But no worries…that little problem might soon go away.
Enter… Special Agent, Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) who’s been been tracking, super bad guy, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) and his lethally skilled mercenaries across 12 countries, without any success.
Hobbs realizes that the only gang on the planet, capable of taking out Shaw and his men are…
Our favorite group of ex car thieves/racers/good bad guys, that we’ve all come to know and love.
Hobbs visits Dom and offers him and the rest of the group full pardons in exchange for their help.
He also breaks the news to Dom that his soul mate, Letty is still alive and she’s hooked up with Shaw and his brood. (Again for those of you who haven’t seen Number 5, Letty was supposedly killed)
The chance to see Letty again is enough to get Dom back into action. He picks up the phone, calls the boys and girl, and in less time it takes to make an omelet…the group is back together.
‘Fast And The Furious 6’, directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan (‘Fast Five’) has incredible stunts, killer car chases, lots of humor (some intentional, some not so intentional) and edge of your seat action. There’s even a couple of twists you won’t see coming.
In my opinion, this along with the original ‘Fast And The Furious’ ranks among my favorites. For that reason, I gave ‘Fast And The Furious 6’, which opens in theatres, Friday May 24, 2013, 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s thoughts and his bagel score.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Nobody’s perfect, as they say. A somewhat obscure provision of Jewish practice hints at a way of keeping a sense of balance as we weigh the good that we do in our lives with the […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu suggests that leadership contains elements of parenting and elements of being a ruler. Join in reflecting about how you can be a leader who balances both roles of leadership. Please […]
The boys are back…Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana)
The film opens with the USS Enterprise on a observation mission to Planet Nibiru…When they arrive at the planet, the crew finds a volcano on the verge of erupting and wiping out its primitive inhabitants. In the process of launching a dangerous mission to halt the eruption, Spock’s life is jeopardized, forcing Kirk to break the ‘Prime Directive’ and reveal the Enterpise to the inhabitants…
Bad move: Not only is Spock pissed off at his BFF, Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) relieves Kirk of his command and he takes over the Enterprise.
Not a good week for our Captain.
But wait…Things are about to get worse. Starfleet agent John Harrison aka Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs a secret Section 31’ installation in London.
An emergency meeting of high ranking officers is called at Starfleet headquarters, which Kirk attends. The meeting is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison, who winds up slaughtering most of the attendees, including Pike.
Of course Kirk is reinstated and Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) orders him to hunt down Harrison, who is now hiding out in the land of the Klingons, and kill him. This becomes problematic since Starfleet and the Klingon Empire are at war. Remember those days?
To say anymore would spoil the surprises and there are a couple…Unfortunately, even though I enjoyed the relationships between the crew members, especially the love connection of Spock and Uhura, I didn’t find the plot all that original.
The film, directed by J.J. Abrams is very glitzy. Shot in 3D/IMAX, it’s beautiful to look at. But for me the plot wasn’t very original and it lacked the complexities and intensity of some of the other films in the Franchise. Personally, the ‘Borg’ films are my favorites.
It’s for that reason I gave ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ which opens in theatres, Thursday May 16, 2013 three bagels out of five.
Check out our video to see John’s bagel score and of course for more of our witty banter.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. We all have talents that life has given us. Sometimes we use those talents, other times we may hide them. Shavuot gives us a lesson in how we need to accept and use the talents […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. The job of healing is a partnership between us and higher powers: God, DNA. family history. The siddur, the prayer book, reminds us to honor the partnership and to live in healthy ways. Please let […]
Each year the best and brightest showcase their new innovations at Techcrunch Disrupt. Aaron Herman attended Techcrunch Disrupt NY and spoke with Israeli entrepreneurs about their new ventures.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Sometimes dysfunctions in organizations or families become ingrained in the system. Likewise, one Biblical plague struck people and homes. Like the priest in the Torah, we too can purify our homes, families and organizations from […]
Mr. Iron Man neeeds a xanax…He gets panic attacks…How cool is that?
Our super hero has major angst and that’s what makes him so lovable and so very human. That, and of course, Robert Downey Jr., who once again brings the brilliant, brash, billionaire, inventor, Tony Stark aka Iron Man to life on the big screen and he absolutely KILLS it…
What makes ‘Iron Man 3’ so unique is that it’s not only the culmination of the first two films, but it’s also a follow-up to ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’…Making it a sequel to two different movies.
In ”The Avengers’, Stark faced a world-changing event, that not only included seeing the powers of other superheroes, but also, having a portal to another world opened above his head…And to put it mildly…
The dude is extremely freaked out by these events. In fact, the mere mention of New York City sends him into a panic…We’re talking heart palpations, cold sweats and dizziness. It’s hard being a super hero with those symptoms. Luckily Stark hasn’t lost his sense of humor.
Of course, he doesn’t sleep…spends most of his nights tinkering with his Iron Men suits, even though his girlfriend Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) is keeping his bed warm.
It’s more than obvious that Tony is hiding behind his toys…It’s where he feels safe and in control.
But that very quickly changes, when our heroe’s personal world is destroyed by an enemy whose reach knows no bounds and forces Stark, to embark on a harrowing quest to find those responsible.
With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him.
As he fights his way back, Tony discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: Does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
To say anymore would spoil the fun and believe me, ‘Iron Man 3’ directed by Shane Black, is so much FUN. Black wrote the film with Drew Pearce (‘Sherlock Holmes 3’)
and the dialogue is pitch perfect.
As is the rest of the cast including…bad guys, Guy Pearce (Aldrich Killian) and Ben Kingsley (The Mandarin)…Good guys…Don Cheadle (Col. James Rhodey Rhodes, Tony’s BBF) and Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan)and Rebecca Hall as brainy/beautiful scientist, Maya Hansen.
‘Iron Man 3’ is a funny, exciting, thrilling movie, that definitely won’t disappoint fans or anyone else for that matter.
I gave the film, which opens in theatres Friday May 3, 2013, the highest bagel score possible…5 out of 5 and guess what folks?…John was right up there with me with his bagel score…well almost!
Check out our video to see what he thought and of course, for more of our witty banter.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Aaron Herman attended the Tribeca Film Festival and spoke with the directors and cast of the new Israeli revenge film “Big Bad Wolves” What would you do if A vigilante cop and a vengeful father capture and interrogate an accused serial killer. Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado’s brutal follow-up to “Rabies” (TFF 2011) examines a […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. While we look to create meaning in our lives, we also need to remember to celebrate and find joy and fun. Here’s what the recent Passover Seder reminds us. Please let us know what you […]
I am so not a Michael Bay fan. I find everything he does to be way over the top. Bay doesn’t seem to trust his story or the characters and his latest film, ‘Pain And Gain’ is no exception.
‘Pain And Gain’ is the true story of Miami’s Sun Gym gang, which was made up of three super violent, super inept, body builders, who decide the best way to get rich quick is to kidnap millionaires and milk them out of their fortune. Now why haven’t I thought of that?
It’s the 90’s and the three muscle bound jerks are Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), Born again Jesus, coke freak, Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock) and the not so bright, Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie).
In flashbacks we meet Lugo who after being released from prison for committing a white collar crime, gets a job as a personal trainer at Sun Gym in Miami.
He believes however, that he is destined for far greater things.
One day, Lugo attends a seminar, led by inspirational speaker, Johnny Wu (Ken Jeong) and his life is changed forever. Lugo is determined to become a a ‘doer’…(a term coined by Wu)
Now what is Lugo’s idea of being a ‘doer’? For one thing, it doesn’t involve training rich people at the gym. It does involve, kidnapping them.
He enlists Doyle and Doorbal in his scheme and their first target is Lugo’s client, self made millionaire Victor Kershaw. The plan…kidnap Kershaw and get him to sign over all his property, bank accounts, etc.
After several failed attempts at snatching Kershaw, these bubbling idots finally succeed. This leads to lots of torture scenes, over the top violence, and excessive close-ups. The characters, who start out funny, except for Kershaw, quickly become caricatures.
The film, billed as an action comedy, has the action, but not so much the funny and it doesn’t take long for Michael Bay’s B movie style of directing, to wear thin.
Rounding out the cast is Ed Harris, as a retired cop who comes onboard to investigate Kershaw’s claim of being kidnapped, after the police refuse to believe him and the extremely funny, Rebel Wilson as Mackie’s wife.
‘Pain And Gain’ written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeling is based on a series of magazine articles penned by Pete Collins, which appeared in the Miami New Times in late 1999.
The film opens in theatres, Friday April 26th, 2013.
I gave it 2 1/2 bagels out of 5. Check out our video for John’s rating and more of our bantering.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Roberto Clemente, in addition to being a great ballplayer, has inspired generations of mitzvot. Find out what he, the writings of Daniel Pink and your summer travel plans all have in common. Please let us […]
Aaron Herman speaks with Ramaa Mosley Director of The Brass Teapot. John and Alice live in small-town America—20s, married, very much in love, and broke. Once voted “most likely to succeed,” Alice struggles to make ends meet while her friends enjoy the good life. Her husband John, neurotic and riddled with phobias, just wants to […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Transitions are times of challenges and opportunities. How will you use them? The “counting of the Omer” gives us some clues. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Hurricane Sandy has given us new insights into what it means to help as opposed to what it means to fix. While we need to help others, trying to fix others can set unrealistic expectations. […]
After not seeing a movie for almost three weeks, the Two Jews On Film are back and once again, we are disagreeing.
Our first film, since leaving the beach for the moutains, is ‘Oblivion’ directed by Joseph Kosinski based on his unpublished graphic novel.
This sci fi, visually spectacular, action movie stars Tom Cruise as Jack Harper, super pilot, super lover and all round ‘super guy’. The year is 2077 and life on Earth is non-existent. Sixty years ago, some really nasty aliens known as the Scavengers destroyed our moon and you know what that means…No moon…no water…No water…no food. Not a good thing at all.
We retaliated by nuking them which of course made Earth uninhabitable. Not a smart move.
Anyway, the remaining humans were taken to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons where they now live supposedly happily ever after.
When we meet Harper and his partner/lover, Vika (Andrea Riseborough) they are two weeks away from completing a five year assignment on Earth. They reside in a very chic tower thousands of feet above the ravished planet.
When they are not making hot, steamy love, Harper flies around the scorced earth in a hi tech helicopter, hunting down any remaining Scavengers, while Vika directs him from home, with the help of a Titan Commander, Sally (Melissa Leo) who’s southern drawl makes taking order a pleasure. Viki and Jack are a very ‘effective team’
However, Vika can’t wait for their assignment to be over. Jack not so much.
Despite having his memory wiped, he’s having flashbacks and dreams of a previous life, circa the early 21st century…He keeps seeing himself, with a dark haired beauty, on top of the Empire State Building and the two of them are obviously…not in a platonic relationship.
Now, Jack isn’t just a hunky killing machine. He has a thing for nostalgia…Wears a Yankees cap, likes to read poetry and listen to old phonograph records…’He also has a crash pad nestled in the woods surrounded by trees and lakes… Seems Earth still has some life in her.
If I say anymore about ‘Oblivion’ I’ll be headed into Spoiler turf. But I will let you know that Morgan Freeman and the beautiful Olga Kurylenko are a very important part of the surprises that await Harper.
I found ‘Oblivion’ written by Kosinski with help from William Monahan, Michael Arndt and Karl Gajdusek to be an exciting, thoughtful and engrossing sci fi thriller. For that reason I gave it 4 out of 5 bagels.
‘Oblivion’ which opens in theatres, Friday April 19, 2013, could have used some editing, but still if you’re a sci fi buff, I think you will really enjoy it.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and for John’s bagel rating.
Where have they been? If you have noticed that Joan and John have not been reviewing movies for the past few weeks, and wondered why, this short update will let you in on their lives.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. We go through life with the DNA, education and experiences that were part of growing up. Yet, we don’t have to be bound by those experiences; we have the ability to reinvent ourselves for a […]
In Episode Six of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, “Envy”, Hanan and his parents discuss the complicated role that envy plays. Where does envy originate? Does it always have to be bad? Is there anything you can learn about yourself from being envious of others> What is the key to understanding Judaism’s seemingly […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. In the Torah, the Children of Israel are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place as they escape slavery in Egypt. Similarly, we often feel boxed in by our challenges and problems. Like […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. In the Torah, the Children of Israel are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place as they escape slavery in Egypt. Similarly, we often feel boxed in by our challenges and problems. Like […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. In the words of the song by The Who, “Who are You?” Each of us gets to brand ourselves and our lives. In this podcast, we look at the values that define who we are, […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Change is difficult, and also necessary. Sometimes we can be satisfied with small changes, but often our lives demand revolutionary change. Listen to some thoughts about what it means to leave things behind in order […]
How did Jews survive the holocaust? Some were hidden others found innovative ways to hide from the Nazi’s Aaron Herman Speaks with Director Jane Tobias and Caver Chris Nicola about the new movie No Place On Earth. No Place On Earth brings to light the untold story of thirty-eight Ukrainian Jews who survived World War […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. One of the best ways to learn (and to sell) is by telling and hearing stories. What are the stories that you hold and need to pass along to others? How does the Passover holiday […]
Even though ‘Die Hard’ was set in a hotel and ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ is set in the White House, the two films have a great deal in common…Terrorists take hostages…They make outrageous demands and only one man can stop them.
In the former, we have Bruce Willis as our hero…the man who can do what no other human on earth can do…In ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ directed by Antoine Fuqua (‘Training Day’) we have Gerard Butler or Bruce Willis light.
Of course that’s just my opinion…I just don’t find Butler’s acting all that interesting…Although he was fun to watch in the film ‘300’ but I think that had more to do with his body than his acting ability.
In ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ Butler plays Mike Banning, a former presidential Secret Service agent. Mike had guarded the President and his son until an incident made him persona non gratia at the White House.
He now has a boring job at the Treasury Department and longs to return to the Presidential detail. He’s about to get his wish.
A group of Northern Korean extremists, led by super evil, Kang (Rick Hune) takes over the White House aka Olympus and captures President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his staff.
As an intense battle rages on the White House lawn, Banning must find his way into the besieged building to rescue the President, save Asher’s young son…and stop these crazy Koreans from causing WW3.
Sounds like a fun ride huh? Yes and no…On the plus side, the premise is very interesting and makes you think…Is it possible for a small group of terriorists to take over the White House? According to director Fuqua, it is.
The film is very well researched and the replica of the White House is perfect…
Unfortunately after awhile, the film becomes one big shooting fest…Bodies start piling up, while Speaker of the House, now Acting President, Allan Trumball (Morgan Freeman), Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) and General Edward Clegg (Robert Forster) sit around yelling at each other, trying to decide what to do about this little problem.
But they need not worry, because super hero extraordinaire, is about to do what hundreds of police, military, air force pilots, could not do…TAKE THESE BAD GUYS DOWN.
And that’s the story folks…Familiar? Definitely…Exciting? Some of the time…Predicitable…100 percent.
The supporting cast including Melissa Leo as Defense Secretary Ruth McMillan is fine, and she can really take a punch
.
Ashley Judd makes a brief appearance as the President’s wife, Radha Mitchell is Butler’s better half, Cole Hauser and Dylan McDermott are SS agents.
I gave ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ which opens Friday, March 22nd, 2012 a very generous 3 bagels out of 5. John wasn’t as generous.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and let us know what you think.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Much is being written about the idea of scarcity vs. abundance. Increasingly, the view is being promoted that there actually is abundance in our world, when we learn to stop seeking more and to appreciate […]
I love magic..When I watch a good magician, I feel the wonderment of a five year old.
Too bad I didn’t feel that way while watching ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’, directed by Don Scardino and written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (‘Horrible Bosses’).
Unfortunately, the story is one you’ve seen many times before…Superstar is an egomaniac. Treats everyone like dirt. Then overnight, he loses everything…His best friend/partner, his money, his career and hits bottom. It’s here that he develops humility and learns what’s really important in life.
The superstar in this movie is Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) magician/performer extraordinaire. His magic partner is his childhood BFF, Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi). The pair have been headliners at Bally’s Las Vegas for the last ten years…But the casino owner, Doug Munny (James Gandolfini) thinks their act has grown stale and wants them to come up with something new.
That’s not their only problem. There’s a new magician in town and he’s getting a great deal of attention. His name is Steve Gray aka The Brain Rapist (Jim Carrey). Gray has a successful cable show and his in your face, gritty, violent, physical feats appeals to the younger crowd.
Carrey, by the way, is the best thing in the film.
When Wonderstone and Marvelton perform a stunt to prove they still have what it takes to be Number 1, it goes horribly wrong and it’s the beginning of the end for Burt.
First, Marvelton, tired of being abused by Wonderstone, leaves the act. Burt tries to make it on his own, but fails miserably.
Not only does Wonderstone gets fired but he discovers that he’s broke. Yep our guy has hit bottom and now, he has no choice but to start over.
Lucky for Burt, he has Alan Arkin on his side. Arkin plays Rance Holloway, a quintessential 1960’s magician, who’s is the reason Wonderstone fell in love with magic as a young boy.
Oh, and I musn’t forget the girl….There’s always a girl and in this movie, her name is Jane (Oliva Wilde) and she’s Wonderstone’s assistant/love interest/ aspiring magician.
To be fair, I did laugh, but not enough for me to say this is a ‘must-see’ comedy… Although the ending is quite clever and good for several loud chuckles.
As for Steve Carell, I found his performance too much of a charicature…I did enjoy Buscemi and Alan Arkin a lot as well as Jay Mohr as Rick the Implausible.
I gave ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’, which opens Friday March 15, 2012, 2 1/2 bagels out of 5. Check out our video for John’s magic trick and his bagel rating.
Aaron Herman speaks with Avi Angel Director of Here I Learned To Love. Two brothers, three mothers, a saga during the Second World War, shrouded in fog for almost six decades, the unique emotional narrative of a voyage tracing the roots of a shadowy past, unclear and confusing even to those involved. Brothers Avner and […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. In so many cultures, spring seems to be a time for getting rid of excess baggage. Each of us has things (physical, emotional, spritual) that we no longer need for our journeys. How can we […]
In Sam Raimi’s ‘Oz The Great And Powerful’ he’s not exactly wonderful or a wizard.
In fact he’ Oscar Diggs (James Franco) a 3rd rate circus magician/con artist who escapes from Kansas in a hot air balloon, only to land in the beautiful, magical Land of Oz.
There, Oscar meets the beautiful witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) and her older sister, Evanora, (Rachel Weisz) who rules over the Emerald City.
When the sisters mistake Oscar for the wizard that the prophesies said would come one day to save the city, he thinks his struck gold.
Well actually he has. Seems Oz is filled with gold…a lot of gold, enough to make Oscar a billionaire several times over.
Of course nothing is simple for our con man…It doesn’t take long for the sisters to become suspicious of him. So in order for him to claim the riches of Oz, he must solve the epic problems facing the Land Of Oz and its inhabitants.
To do so, our so called Wizard in Training, must find out who is good and who is evil before it’s too late.
Putting his magical arts to use, along with some ingenuity and even a bit of wizardry, Oscar transforms himself, not only into a great wizard but, thanks to Glinda, aka The Good Witch (Michelle Williams) he becomes a better man as well.
‘Oz The Great And Powerful’ written by Mitchell Kapner,and David Lindsay-Abaire imagines the origins of the beloved wizard character first brought to life in author L. Frank Baum’s book ‘The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.
Shot in 3d, the film also introduces new characters including…an adorable porcelain child called China Girl (voice by Joe King) and Finley (voice by Zach Braf ) a winged monkey who accompanies Oscar on his journey through Oz; serving as his sounding board and conscience.
I really enjoyed ‘The Oz The Great And Powerful’ which opens in theatres Friday March 8, 2012 and for that reason gave it 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to for John’s thoughts and his bagel score. Also love to know whom you agree with.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Time is one of the rare commodities that cannot be restored. Back in the day, my teachers obsessed about us wasting time. But, after all, what is youth for? Today, it looks a little different. […]
Where did the Hava Nagila come from? Aaron Herman spoke with Director Roberta Grossman about her new movie Hava Nagila (The Movie) .It is instantly recognizable — musical shorthand for anything Jewish, a happy party tune that you dance to at weddings, bar mitzvahs and even at Major League Baseball games. It conjures up wistful […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. As young children, we constantly ask questions. When we get older, we ask fewer questions. But sometimes it’s the questions that really shape our life journey. See how the Passover Seder sheds light on our […]
For those of you, who managed to get through childhood, without hearing the story of Jack, a farm boy, who sold his horse for some magical beans, don’t worry…director Bryan Singer has recreated the story, with some added touches, in his new 3D IMAX film, entitled ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’.
Once upon a time, a race of giants were exiled from the Earth to a land far, far, in fact, really far away, known as Gantua. Seems these big guys were into ravishing the Earth, instead of living peacefully with us humans.
Anyway it’s been over a thousand years since man and giants occupied the same space, but soon, that’s about to change when…
Jack (Nicholas Hoult) a farmboy unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and the giants, when a monk gives him some magical beans, in exchange for his horse.
The one instruction the monk gives Jack is…’Do not let the beans get wet’.
So guess what happens next? Yep, one of the beans winds up in a pool of water and before you can say ‘a tree grows in Brooklyn,’ a beanstalk shoots up…and up…and up…leading straight to the Giants’ homeland.
Of course there’s more. What would a fairy tale be without a Princess in distress?
In this case, the Princess is Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) who’s being forced to marry her King Daddy’s (the always excellent Ian McShane) right hand man, Roderick (the ever so sleazy, Stanley Tucci).
No matter how hard Isabelle tries to convince her father that Sir R isn’t her soul mate, the King won’t budge.He thinks Roderick is a prince among men and the best match for his daughter.
Boy is King Daddy in for a surprise. But not just yet.
Seems the Princess, when the Princess isn’t arguing with her father about her impending nuptials, likes to sneak out of the Palace and walk among the masses.
Well, one dark and stormy knight, during one of these outings, Isabelle gets lost, comes upon Jack’s farm and before she knows what hits her, she gets swooped up by the beanstalk and winds up in Gantua, aka home of the big guys.
Lucky for Isabelle, she has a band of soldiers, led by Ewan McGregor, as well as Jack (who by now has a mad crush on her) willing to climb the outrageously tall beanstalk and come to her rescue.
‘Jack The Giant Slayer’ written by Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Unusual Suspects’) Dan Studney and Darren Lemke (‘Shrek Forever After’) is a great film for the whole family. And that’s exactly what it is…a family film.
It’s basically a straight ahead story…Giants want to eat humans and take over the Earth. There are no female giants, so parents don’t have to worry about sex and the violence is the usual type you find in cartoons.
There’s also a good amount of humor and the two young leads are charming.
Bill Nighy as General Fallon, the ferocious two-headed leader of the Giant army, is alone worth the price of admission.
I gave ‘Jack The Giant Slayer’ which opens in theatres Friday March 1st, four bagels out of five. Check out our video to see what John thought and for more of our witty banter.
Aaron Herman spoke to Tony Biancha, owner of Halloween Adventure in downtown Manhattan, about his store’s second busiest season — Purim.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Our lives are busy. The technologies we use not only help us to be in touch, but often push us to conduct our business lives 24/7. Over the past few years, a group of young […]
‘Snitch’ directed by Ric Roman Waugh is an action film with barely any ‘action’. At that’s the least of its problems.
The main one: It’s lead…The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson. I know your films have made quite a lot of money at the box office, but you are one ‘wooden’ actor. You had one facial expression throughout the film and delivered your dialogue monotonically. Not good at all.
Johnson can get away with it in comedy, but definitely not in a dramatic piece which this film is.
He plays a businessman, John Matthews who owns a successful trucking company, Matthews is married, has a young child and all seems right in his world. That is until…
His estranged 18 year old son, Jason (Raft Gavron) from his first marriage gets busted for receiving a package filled with MDMA. Jason is going to receive a mandatory minimum 19 year sentence in federal prison.
MORAL: Don’t be dumb enough to let your drug dealing BFF talk you into receiving illegal drugs in the mail.
Anyway after Jason turns down an offer from politically ambitious U.S. Attorney, Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to reduce his sentence by manufacturing evidence against someone else, John begs Keeghan to let him go undercover instead and pose as a guy wanting to buy coke.
Keeghan agrees. Now all John has to do is find an ex con with connection to drug dealers. Lucky for him, he has one working for him…A man named Daniel Cruz. And lucky for us, Cruz is played by Jon Bernthal who brings an authenticity to the part, something Johnson does not.
Okay so John and Cruz hook up with coke dealer, Malik (the excellent Michael Kenneth) and do a trial run…All goes well, so John catches the eyes and ears of the head of the drug cartel, Juan Carlos (Benjamin Bratt) Now our guy is ready for the ‘big, big time’.
As I mentioned, If you’re waiting for some heavy duty action, it doesn’t come…Not until the last 15 minutes of the film. And trust me, it is not worth the wait.
Rounding out the cast is Barry Pepper, as undercover cop, Billy Cooper, Melina Kanakaredes as Sylvia, John’s first wife.
‘Snitch’ written by Waugh along with Justin Haythe opens in theatres Friday February 22.
The film received one of my lowest bagel scores…1 1/2. Check out our video for John’s score and of course, for more of us.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. In our busy lives, the holy and Godly are often hidden from us. This isn’t unique – one book of the Bible has the Godly hidden as well. Let’s think about how to make our […]
2012 was a great year for films.
We had an old fashioned spaghetti western that blended over the top comedy, violence and the horror of slavery from the always exceptional Quentin Tarrantino (‘Django Unchained)…
Several films based on real life events…one that took us on an edge of your seat journey involving the hunt and capture of Osama Bin Laden (;Zero Dark Thirty’) directed by Kathreen Bigelow and the other…
The rescue of 6 American hostages during the Iran 1979 revolution (‘Argo’) directed by Ben Affleck.
And speaking of history…We saw all the manipulations and political intrigue involved in passing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery. Of course the film is ‘Lincoln’starring the amazing Daniel Day Lewis and directed by Steven Speilberg.
2012 was also the year of first time filmmakers…Benh Zeitlin (‘Beasts Of The Southern Wild’) which stars an endearing 8 year old girl (Quvenzhane Wallis) who manages quite effortless to steal our hearts with her brilliant performance.
‘Silver Linings Playbook’ (David O’ Russell) gave us a funny and touching look at love and mental illiness, while ‘Les Miserables’ gave us a performance by Anne Hathaway who is a sho-in for best supporting actress. Of course Hugh Jackman wasn’t too shabby as the French peasant looking for redemption.
Nine Best Picture nominations and only five best directors still perplexes me. How can you have a ‘Best Picture’ without the director being nominated as in the case of ‘Argo’ and ‘Django Unchained’.
John and I usually don’t agree about which movies get our top bagel award, but this year we did agree on our picks for Best Actor and Actress…Naomi Watts for ‘The Impossible’ and Daniel Day Lewis ‘Lincoln’ got our nods.
Even though we disagreed on Best Supporting Actor, we both felt Helen Hunt deserves the Oscar for her work ‘The Sessions’. Too bad John Hawkes her co-star got overlooked. He was amazing as the 40 something year old virgin living in an iron lung. All the guy wants to do (besides write poetry) is experience some hot sex before he dies.
Personally even though I picked ‘Django Unchained’ as my Oscar pick for ‘Best Picture’ I think ‘Argo’ will win. But we’ll have to wait till Sunday February 24, 2012 to find out.
Check out our video to see the rest of our picks and for more of our witty banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. We all try to create “designer lives”, individualized for our needs. At the same time, we strive for purpose and to improve our world. Let’s think about how we find that balance, and how some […]
Bruce Willis reprises his ioconic role as police detective John McClane in ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ directed by John Moore (‘Max Payne’) and written by Skip Woods (‘A Team’) and Jason Keller.
McClane this time around, finds himself in Moscow. Seems his estranged son, Jack (Jai Courtney) has been arrested for murder. McClane isn’t at all surprise. He believes Jack is a total screw-up.
In truth (and this isn’t a SPOILER) Jack is a CIA operative trying to protect a government whistleblower, Komarov (Sebastian Koch) from being killed.
Anyway, before father and son can hook up, they’re involved in an over the top car case through the streets of Moscow that lasts around ten minutes (It felt like ten hours)
After that’s over, the two men, spend some time yelling at each other, followed by a few moments of male bonding, as they try to protect Komarov Russian bad guys. And there’s lots of those.
There’s also lots of shoot outs, fights, a little torture and more car chases.
Get the picture…
I really wanted to love this film or at least be entertained, but unfortunately neither one of those things happened.
‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ has what you’d expect from an action film…It has action. What it doesn’t have is a good script and well defined characters.
Bruce Willis is always fun to watch, but even he couldn’t save this film from being nothing more than two hours of non stop, excessive violence, with a twist you could see coming a mile away.
It’s for those reasons I gave ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ 21/2 bagels out of 5.
The film opens on Valentines Day, Thursday February 14, 2012. If you’re planning on having a romantic evening, this is definitely NOT the movie to see.
Check out our video to find out John’s score and for more of our witty banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Police officers and Fire fighters are life savers. So are doctors. But so are everyday people like you and me. Learn some simple ways to save lives and fulfill the most important of mitzvot – […]
When we meet Emily (Rooney Mara) she is picking up her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum) from prison. He was sentenced to four years for inside trading.
Once living the high life, the couple are now reduced to sharing a small apartment in a not so very fashionable New York City neighborhood.
Martin takes this all in stride. He believes that one day soon, he’ll be back on top.
Emily, on the other hand, is not doing too good. That’s especially obvious when she drives her car into a brick wall and winds up in the hospital.
After her failed suicide attempt, psychiatrist, Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) is called in to consult on Emily’s case. Desperate not to be hospitalized, Emily agrees to a regimen of therapy and antidepressants.
When the first set of pills don’t work, Banks prescribes a new medication that quiets her demons. Unfortunately, the side effects of the drug has chilling consequences for Emily, her husband and even for…Banks.
Side Effects, directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies and Videotape) and written by Scott Z. Barnes (Contagion, The Bourne Ultimatum) is what I’d call a provocative thriller filled with suspense and and twists and turns that you won’t see coming.
You really have to pay close attention to what’s going on. In other words, don’t leave to buy popcorn.
The cast,including Catherine Zeta Jones as Emily’s former shrink are all excellent and the film even manages to get satrical in regards to the harmeuctical industry and our pill popping society.
I gave ‘Side Effects’ 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. The film opens Friday, February 9, 2012 and if you’re a fan of Soderbergh and this genre, definitely see it.
Watch our video to find out John’s thoughts and his bagel score.
TSandy Patterson (the always likable Jason Bateman) is a Denver account rep at an investment firm run by Harold Cornish (Jon Favreau) who delights in telling Sandy that he can be replaced one day by…an APP.
Luckily for Sandy, he has a wife, Trish (Amanda Peet) and two young daughters that love him no matter how much money he doesn’t make.
But Sandy’s fortune is about to change…for the good and the bad.
First the good. A group of fed up investors at his firm decide to start their own company and they want Sandy to join them. Which means, Sandy’s salary has just gone from $50,000 a year to $250,000. With another baby on the way, Sandy and his family couldn’t be happier.
Now for the bad…Unbeknownst to Sandy, his identity has been stolen by a really obnoxious woman named, Dana (Melissa McCarthy) who resides in Florida.
Dana has already maxed at one of Sandy’s credit cards to the tune of 12 thousand dollars. If that’s not bad enough, she’s wanted by the cops for assalt and has jumped bail.
Before the real Sandy can settle in at his new firm, the cops come to arrest him. Seems Dana aka Sandy is also wanted by the Feds. This time it’s for selling drugs and guns.
The real Sandy tries to convince the police and his boss, who wants to fire him, that this is all a mistake..that his identity has been stolen. The cops aren’t very sympathic. In fact, they chide him for having a ‘girl’s name’…A not so funny running joke.
Somehow Sandy convinces them to give him one week to travel to Florida and bring back his imposter.
It doesn’t take long for ‘Identity Thief’ to become a road pic, filled with lots of outrageous, over the top, super vulgar antics, including car chases, gun battles, kidnapping, lots of drinking, and some really gross sex scenes.
What this comedy doesn’t have is COMEDY.
This film is just not funny. It relies on cheap tricks passing as humor and then towards the end, the filmmakers go for cheap sentimentality.
‘Identity Thief’ directed by Seth Gordon and written by Craig Mazin opens in theatres, Friday February 8, 2012. I gave it 2 dry bagels out of 5. And we all know how bagel generous I am, but not this time.
Check out our video for John’s bagel score and for more of our witty banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. n the Hebrew calendar, we’re approaching a month on which we’re supposed to “increase joy.” Maybe it because of the season, or maybe we’re supposed to be proactive in increasing joy in our world. Or […]
How do you fund your big ideas? Aaron Herman spoke to writer/director Jonathan Kesselman about his successful crowd funding campaign on Jewcer to green light Hebrew Hammer VS Hitler. Hebrew Hammer Vs Hitler quick synopsis: Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the synagogue … When Hitler gets his hand on Time Sukkah technologyâ„¢ and begins rewriting Jewish History, Mordechai Jefferson Carver (The Hebrew Hammer) and Mohammed Ali Paula Abdul Rahim set out through time to stop him. Can the Hammer and Mo prevent Hitler from un-inscribing the Jewish people from the book of life?
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. These days, our lives are full of meetings: personal and professional ones. Here are some thoughts about how to ground yourself in values and even in texts to make those meetings meaningful and productive. Please […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. According to scientific reseach, 40% of happiness is determined by things that are totally in control. What are some ways that we can be happier while making a difference in our world? And what does […]
There are many reasons to see this quirky, independent, funny, touching, action, comedy…but the main ones are…Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. They are fantastic. Both of these fine actors give tour de force performances in their respective roles.
Al is Vall, a 60+ year old career criminal who’s just been released from prison after serving twenty-eight years, for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates.
His BFF, Doc (Christopher Walken) picks him up at the prison and the two guys spend the next few hours, talking about their glory days, drinking, popping pills and visiting a whore house.
But that’s not all. They wind up breaking out their old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin).from a nursing home. From there things get even wilder. They guys steal a car and prove that despite their age, their capacity for mayhem is still very much alive and well.
It doesn’t take long before bullets start to fly, as the men make a hilariously valiant effort, to compensate for the decades of crime, drugs and sex, they’ve missed.
But it’s not all fun and games. One of these old friends is keeping a dangerous secret. Not to spoil anything, let’s just say it has to do with a very powerful, very angry, mob boss bent on revenge.
“Stand Up Guys’ which opens in theatres February 1, 2013 directed by Fisher Stevens and written by first time screenwriter, Noah Haidle is a must see for anyone who loves great acting, great dialogue and a great story.
I absolutely loved this film and gave it 41/2 bagels out of 5. Check out our video to see John’s score and for our usual off the wall banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Moderation is a way of enjoying our blessings without gorging ourselves on the blessings in our lives. Please let us know what you think […]
Parker (Jason Statham) is a thief…One of the best around. But he’s not just a thief. He’s a thief with a code…Do what you say…If you don’t…there will be consequences.
Parker demands absolute loyalty and strict adherence to the plan from his crew. Unfortunately that’s not what he gets from fellow thieves, Melander (Michael Chiklis), Carlson (Wendell Pierce) and Ross (Clifton Collins, Jr.)
‘Parker’ directed by Academy Award nomineeTaylor Hackford, (‘Ray’) starts out with a daring robbery at the Ohio State Fair that doesn’t go so well. Thanks to the recklessness of one of his men, someone dies.
This leads Parker very pissed off at his crew and declines their invitation to do another job. He just wants his share of the take and to be rid of them.
His gang however, has another idea. They want to pool all the money and invest it in a major jewel heist.
So when Parker refuses to give up his share, they shoot him and leave him for dead on the side of a deserted road. Lucky for Parker, a very nice couple comes along and saves his life.
Well if they didn’t, there would be a movie right?
Even though Parker isn’t fully recovered, he wants one thing and one thing only…Revenge.
No one can stop him…Not even his girlfriend, Claire (Emma Booth) or her father and Parker’s partner, Hurley (Nick Nolte),
He traces the gang to glitzy Palm Beach where he finds out, they are planning to rob $50 million dollars of jewels.
Needling to discover where the gang is hiding out, Parker poses as a wealthy Texan looking to buy a home.
And guess who’s his real estate agent? It’s Miss J Lo, who winds up being extremely helpful to Parker, thanks to her extensive knowledge of Palm Beach..
You can imagine what happens next. Afterall this is a Jason Statham movie. That’s right…lots of violence, fighting, and of course…lots and lots of…death.
‘Parker’ was written by John J. McLaughlin (‘Black Swan’ and ‘Hitchcock’) based on the novel, ‘Flashfire’ by Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake.
It’s basically mindless entertainment. There aren’t any surprises and the film gives you two hours of escapist fun…Personally I’d wait to see it on Netflix.
I gave ‘Parker’ 2 1/2 bagels out of 5. The film opens Friday January 25, 2012.
Check out our video to find out John’s score and hear more of our banter.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. As we approach the holiday of Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for Trees, take a few moments to think about how trees are important in our world and how they can be a metaphor for […]
How do you become a cellist? Aaron Herman spoke with Elad Kabilio about his music and the American Israel Cultural Foundation/ Keren Sharett.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Whether working or playing, being on the right team is very important. Being surrounded by pessimists can lead to failure, while being with those who have a “can do” attitude allow you to make great […]
The broken city, in this character driven crime thriller is…New York, aka Manhattan, aka The Big Apple.
In this fictitous New York City, The not so honorable, Nicolas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) is the Mayor…He’s as charming as he is corrupt.
When the film opens, we see cop, Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) kill a rapist. According to Taggart, he had no choice…He shot in self defense.
The public is outraged when the court decides that there’s not enough evidence against Taggart to bring him to trial. But even though he beats the murder charge, Mayor Hostetler, has no choice but to ask for the policeman’s resignation.
Fast forward to seven years later.
Taggart is barely getting by as a private investigator, mainly because he never asks for money upfront and then his clients refuse to pay.
But even though the dude is broke, he does have a very beautiful girlfriend, Natalie (Natalie Martinez) who just happens to be an aspiring actress. The couple are so in love and in lust, they don’t even mind living in a broken down apartment.
So life isn’t too bad for Taggart. That is until…
The Mayor, after not seeing the cop for years, calls Taggart out of the blue and hires him to follow his beautiful wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones) The Mayor, supposedly, thinks she’s having an affair.
Sounds like a fun movie? Unfortunately, not that much.
The film directed by Allen Hughes, one half of The Hughes Brothers (‘Menace 2 Society;) is something you’ve seen over and over again. The story and the characters are very familiar and not in an exciting way.
Having said that…There are a couple of interesting twists in the film.
One involves, Councilman Jack Valenti (Barry Pepper) as the newcomer who’s running against the Mayor in the upcoming election, as well as the Police Comissioner (Jeffrey Wright) who seems to dislike everybody.
As far as the acting goes, Russell Crowe is quite good. Zeta-Jones and Wahlberg do what they always do. She looks beautiful and he’s Mister Tough, Vulnerable Guy.
So if you’re curious, wait to see it when it comes to Netflix or cable.
John and I are actually in agreement and gave ‘Broken City’ which opens in theatres, Friday January 18, 2012, a low 2 bagels out of 5 score.
Check out our video for more of our silly banter.
This week, Aaron Herman looks at The Jerusalem House in the Old City of Jerusalem. So you finished your Israel program and looking for a place to stay and continue your Israel adventure? Aaron Herman spoke with Rabbi Ben Parker, Director of the Jerusalem House about how young adults can further explore their Jewish heritage.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Empathy and emotional intelligence are important to our success personally and professionally. They are key elements also in our ability to make a difference in our world. Here’s what I learned about empathy from my […]
The year…1949…The place…Los Angeles…and ruthless, sadistic, meglomaniac, Jewish gangster, Mickey Cohen (the brilliant Sean Penn) runs the show in this town.
We’re talking…drugs, guns, prostitutes, and if he had his way, every wire bet placed west of Chicago would fall under his domain.
The guy is ruthless and a total nut job, completely lacking in charm. He’s definitely, no Michael Correleone.
To get an idea how Cohen’s mind works, at some point in the film he yells to his crew of killers…”You heard of Manifest Destiny? That’s when you take what you can, when you can…And I’m gonna take it all and not just because I can, but because this is my destiny…Los Angeles is my destiny’.
Cohen is a thug. He doesn’t even know which fork to use for the salad. And the guy likes to eat out alot, So what does he do? Cohen hires an etiquette coach (Emma Stone) Of course, she also becomes his unfortunate lover.
So how do you stop a monster who has practically every politician, cop, and judge in his pocket?
Luckily Chief Of Police, Parker (Nick Nolte) has come up with a plan. He recruits ex War hero/LAPD Sgt. John O’Mara, (Josh Brolin) to put together a secret squad to bring Cohen down.
It doesn’t take long for O’Mara to assemble the best of the best…Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) who just happens to be in love with Cohen’s girl…Electronics wiz, Conwell Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi)…Sharp shooter, Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) and his side-kick, Navidad Ramirez (Michael Pena) and Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) who patrols the streets of South Central.
O’Mara’s motto: ‘We’re not solving a case here. We’re going to war’. And it’s guerilla style war. Their unofficial name is…The Gangster Squad’.
‘Gangster Squad’ is directed by Ruben Fleischer (‘Zombieland’) and written by Will Beal based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman and it has all the ingredients you’d expect in this kind of film…
Over the top violence, fully developed characters, a bit of humor, buddy relationships and of course, a few love stories.
As for the production itself, production designer Maher Ahmad and editors Alan Baumgarten and James Herbert, as well as, Academy Award costume designer Mary Zophres, have done a brilliant job in recreating the Los Angeles of 1949.
From the sets, to the elegant night clubs, to the art deco buildings as well as the fabulous cars (why don’t automobiles look like that anymore?) everything is authentic and transports us to the glamorous Golden Age of 1949.
‘The Gangster Squad’ gives us a glimpse into Los Angeles when it was still the wild wild west and Burbank was just over the river.
The supporting cast including Mireille Enos (‘The Killing’) as Connie O’Mara, John’s pregnant and super understanding wife are all excellent.
I really enjoyed this film and gave ‘Gangster Squad’ which opens in theatres, January 11, 2013, four bagles out of five.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Whether you’re part of a sales force, a school, a nonprofit, a family, or a community, starting the day off together by looking back and by looking forward can be a real charge for your […]
How do your harness the power of social media when looking for a job? Aaron Herman spoke with Lavie Margolin about job searching and his new book From Linked Out to LinkedIn. From Linked Out to LinkedIn: Unlocking the power for career success in 2013 You joined LinkedIn because a friend or colleague told you that you must join. Now that you are signed up, you are probably a bit puzzled as to why everyone is raving about the site. You know that it is a resource to advance your professional position, better market your business or find a job but you are not sure how to use LinkedIn to achieve those objectives. Creating your profile, adding connections and joining groups were no problem but now what? This book is the tool that you need to TRULY UNDERSTAND LinkedIn and maximize its power for ultimate career success. Author and Career Coach Lavie Margolin has spent years leveraging his LinkedIn network, building valuable connections and advising businesses on how to use the site. For the first time in one book, Lavie shares his most valuable tips on how to turn your knowledge of LinkedIn from “What Now?” to “Success Now!”
2012 was a great year for films…Studio films as well as indies all scored big.
From the exquisite writing, directing, special effects, I found myself laughing hysterically from a foul mouth, oversex, pot smoking bear, to a bunch of folks freaking out at the prospect of turning 40.
We had cutting edge perfromances from Matthew McConghey (‘Killer Joe’ & ‘The Paper Boy), Nicole Kidman (‘The Paper Boy’), John Hawkes and Helen Hunt (‘The Sessions’) as well as Daniel Day Lewis (‘Lincoln’) Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock) and the whole cast of ‘Django Unchained’.
As usual, John and I didn’t always agree especially in the case of my number 1 and number 2 pick…’Django Unchained’ (#1) and ‘Lincoln’ (#2), but there were some films that surprisingly we were in accord…’The Intouchables’ ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, ‘Killer Joe’, and ‘Life Of Pi…(of course in different order)
One thing is for sure, all the films on our list received at least 4 bagels out of 5 from both of us…And they transported us to some really magical places. The films we picked inspired us, made us laugh, shocked us, informed us and for the most part, definitely touched our hearts and minds. And that’s what a good film should always do.
So check out our video for more of our silly banter, and heres to a New Year that hopefully will have lots and lots of ‘5 bagel films’. It’s always more fun to like something than to hate it.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Our financial advisors (and our spouses) remind us to have an up-to-date will for where our money will go after we’re gone. But what about the values that we want others to inherit from us? […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Our celebration of the secular New Year and of the Jewish Rosh Hashana seem, on the surface, to be opposite models for observing the start of a new year. In the podcast, we look at […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. When we leave any dysfunctional situation – work, relationship, or other endeavor – we can use some time to clear our heads and hearts before moving on. Learn a little about what it might take […]
How are Israeli’s so innovative? Aaron Herman attended the Innovation Road Show and got a firsthand look into the up-incoming Israeli start ups Innovation Road Show The Innovation Road Show was launched by the US Israel Business Council (USI) in 2012. This ground-breaking initiative encompasses a series of spotlight events, showcasing innovative Israeli high tech companies to sources of US investment. The Innovation Road Show events cross a span of High-Tech industries including Bio-Tech, Clean-Tech, Agri-Tech, Media-Tech and more. Having this specialized platform allows for high level, targeted networking.
I absolutely loved the Broadway production of ‘Les Miserables’ created by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boubill and Jean-Marc Natel. I listen to the show’s score in my car whenever I need to feel energized.
So to say I was really, really looking forward to seeing the film, is an understatement.
I couldn’t help but wonder…Would I be disappointed? Would the film version match up to the stage production and would the singers sound as great as the orginal London and New York cast?
No…Yes…Almost.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, ‘Les Miserables’ is based on Victor Hugo’s monumental 1862 novel about a decades-long manhunt, social inequality, injustice, love and redemption.
Here are the clift notes…
Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) has served 19 years of hard labor on a chain gang for stealing a loft of bread for his sister’s child, who was dying from hunger. He orginally got 5 years, but 14 years was added on to his unjust sentance for trying to escape.
Upon his release from prison, Valjean through a series of circumstances, jumps parole and becomes a very successful businessman, as well as a mayor of a small town.
Former prison guard, and now a policeman, Javert (Russell Crowe) is obsessed with finding Valjean and bringing him to justice. In fact the dude is so obessed that he spends 17 years of his life mercilessly hounding Valjean and tracking him from city to city.
Finally the two men meet at the barricades in Paris during the uprising of 1832.
But before that happens, Javier, Valjean adopts a small child, Cosette, the daughter of the dying Fantine (Anne Hathaway)an ex factory worker/prostitute.
As an aside, Anne Hathaway has gotten rave reviews for her performance. Personally, in my humble opinion, I think Miss H. sobs a way bit too much…especially when she sings one of the most beautiful songs in the show…’I Dreamed A Dream’.
Anyway…Valijean must first rescue the girl from an unscrupulous inn keeper and his wife…the very funny, Sascha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter.
Cosette grows up to become Amanda Seyfried and she winds up falling in love with Marius (Eddie Redmayne) a wealthy young man turned revolutionary.
To say anymore would spoil the fun and the film is fun…It’s also exciting, touching, and quite spectacular, especially visually, thanks to Tom Hooper’s brilliant direction, as well Danny Cohen’s cinematography and Eve Stewart’s production design.
‘Le Miserables’ is sung, the music is gorgeous and the melodies haunting. Yes it is three hours long, but for me the time flew by.
One of the biggest surprises is that Russell Crowe can sing. Of course not as good as Broadway musical star Hugh Jackman, but he doesn’t embarass himself.
The supporting cast including Samantha Barks as Eponine, the innkeepers daughter, who secretly loves Maris, is excellent.
I gave ‘Le Miserables’ which opens on Christmas Day, 2012…4 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s score and some of our singing banter.
Quentin Tarantino has done it again with this spaghetti style western. ‘Django Unchained’ is set in the South, two years before the Civil War.
Not only has Tarantino created an over the top funny, graphic, violent film, but he also manages to show the horror of slavery in a way, I can’t ever remember seeing in a Hollywood film.
But then again, Mr. T. doesn’t do Hollywood films. He does Quentin Tarrantino films and this one, in my humble opinion is…a masterpiece.
Jamie Fox is ‘Django’ (the D is silent)…a slave who’s been brutalized by his former owner (Bruce Dern)
One day, Gerrman born, retired dentist/bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (the outstanding Christopher Walz) comes across Django chained to other slaves. Schultz buys him and agrees to give Django his freedom…if Django agrees to help him find the murderous Brittle Brothers.
Only Django knows what they look like and he agrees to help. In exchange, Schultz teaches him everything he knows about tracking, hunting and shooting.
It doesn’t take long for Django to become Schultz’s star pupil. To say the former slave is extremely motivated would be an understatement. Django is determined to find and rescue the his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) whom he lost to a slave trader years ago.
Through a series of flashbacks, we see the sick, cruel, inhumane treatment that Django, his wife, and other slaves endured.
Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to a plantation called ‘Candyland’ owned by the monstrous Calvin Candie (Leonardo Di Caprio in a tour de force performance)
They get into Calvin’s plantation under false pretenses…pretending they are interested in buying a slave for fighting. (think ‘Mandingo’)
It’s here they meet Calvin’s trusted house slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson). Mr. Jackson has never been better as the manipulative, self hating, Uncle Tom. He’s so good in the part, he made my skin crawl. This is a man that would sell out his own mother just to stay in favor with his master.
Too say anymore, would spoil this brilliant, must see film.
The supporting cast including, Don Johnson, James Remar, James Russo, Dennis Christopher, Tom Wopat, Franco Nero, Robert Carradine and Tarrantino are all excellent.
I gave ‘Django Unchained’ which opens in theatres, Tuesday, December 25, 2012…5 bagels out of 5. Check out our video to find out John’s score and for more of our silly banter.
Okay, so here’s the thing. I absolutely love the character of Jack Reacher. He was created by British author, Lee Childs. Lee has written 18 books and they all feature Reacher.
Reacher is one of my favorite fictional characters. The guy is huge…6’5, 250 lbs, blond hair, big hands, big feet, big body…big everything. The dude is like a house…a huge house.
He’s also gruff and not at all slick. He lives off the grid…Buys his clothes and underwear wear from thrift stores…Wears them for a few days, then throws them away and repeats the process…Reacher says…’It’s easier and cheaper than washing them’.
Reacher has no driver’s license, gets a pension from his days as an MP, which gets deposited in some bank. Jack doesn’t own a car, but he sure can drive. If fact, Reacher doesn’t own anything. He travels by bus or hitches a ride, as he wanders aimlessly through the United States.
Of course, in his travels, Reacher always encounters some person in need of his help…Even though they don’t know it at the time. If there’s an injustice taking place, he make it a point, to right the wrong. He can’t help himself. It’s basically what Reacher lives for.
Jack Reacher is what I call ‘an anti hero’…a bigger than life…’anti hero’.
Did I mention, he never loses a fight.
Speaking of fighting…taking on five or six or seven guys at a time, is a piece of cake for him. Rarely does our guy get a scratch…An ocassional broken nose, but that’s about it.
Needless to say, when I heard that, 5 foot 7, Tom Cruise, had optioned Lee’s book ‘One Shot’ and was going to play Jack Reacher, I was appalled. Because…Cruise is no Jack Reacher.
It’s more than just Cruise’s size…It’s everything.
And for that reason, walking into the theatre to see ‘Jack Reacher” directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects’) I was expecting to hate this film.
Thanks to McQuarrie’s script and the brilliant performance of Werner Herzog (yes, the director Werner Herzog) I didn’t hate the film.
The opening shot is riverting…and because of recent events…disturbing. A sniper takes out five people who happen to be walking around on a beautiful sunny day….and we see it all through the sniper’s rifle scope.
From here, the wrong man, James Barr (Joseph Sikora) gets arrested for the crime and when he’s interviewed by Det. Emerson (David Oyelowo) and D. A. (Richard Jenkins) he writes down 4 words…Get Me Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher shows up out of the blue, by bus of course…Meets with Barr’s lawyer, Helen (Rosamund Pike) and informs her that Barr (who’s now in a coma) is 100 percent guilty.
Through a series of FLASHBACKS we see Barr commit a horrible crime. Which makes us agree with Reacher’s assessment.
Despite, Helen’s plea for him to stay and help, Reacher declines and hops on a bus heading…wherever.
But before Helen could put her car in first gear, Reacher reappears and sets to prove to her, that Barr is definitely guilty, but to Jack’s surprise, he finds out…just the opposite.
‘Jack Reacher’, which opens in theatres, Friday December 21, 2012, has action, car chases, hand to hand combat, gun battles…Everything you would expect in this kind of genre.
I’m sure if you’ve never read Child’s books, you’ll probably have a better time with the film, than John and I did.
I gave ‘Jack Reacher’ 3 bagels out of 5 and this time, John’s bagel score was pretty close to mine.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
‘This is 40’ or as Debbie (Leslie Mann) likes to say…38…Yep, she lies about her age…even to her gynecologist.
Debbie and Pete (Paul Rudd) her husband are turning 40, but Deb just won’t admit it…Can’t admit it…
Judd Apatow’s new film ‘This Is 40’ is a followup to ‘Knocked Up’. If you’ve been wondering what happened to those two main characters in that film, here’s your chance to find out.
Debbie and Pete are happily maried with two girls, Sadie (Maude Apatow) and Iris (Charlotte Apatow) The family lives in a beautiful, lavish house that they can barely afford.
Pete’s indie label isn’t doing very well and his next big launch of Graham Parker And The Rumor’s comeback record, doesn’t look too promising.
Plus someone has stolen $13,000 from Leslie’s Lula Lemon type store. It’s either her top salesperson, Desi (Megan Fox) or her pet employee, Jodi (Charlene Yi).
On top of all this, Pete’s father, (the wonderful smarmy, narcissitic, Albert Brooks) is constantly borrowing money him…money Pete doesn’t have, but he just can’t say ‘no’ to his daddy.
Oh did I mention that Debbie, also has a father (John Litgow) but he couldn’t care less about her? All his affections are for his younger, picture perfect NEW family.
‘This Is 40’ is an emotionally insightful, hysterically funny film. It touches on issues everyone can relate to…sex, family, marriage, parents, kids, growing old, and life in general and it does it with Apatow’s brilliant, spot on dialogue.
‘This Is 40’ opens in theatres, Friday, December 21, 2012…a perfect film for the holidays.
‘The Impossible’ starts out on an airplane. A lovely British family, Maria Bennet (Naomi Watts), her husband, Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three young sons are off to Thailand for an idyllic Christmas vacation. What could be better?
When they arrive at their resort, they are even given an upgrade. The family now has a beautiful, luxurious beachfront villa to while away the hours and days.
After presents are exchanged, everyone heads down to the pool where they join their fellow happy holiday tourists.
The scene is serene…absolutely perfect…That is…until there’s a distant rumble. Before anyone can give the noise a second thought…
A TSUNAMI HITS…and Maria and her eldest son, Lucas (the wonderful Tom Holland) are swept away into the rushing water and separated from Henry and the two other boys, Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) and Thomas (Samuel Joslin).
First I must say the CGI effects are absolutely brilliant. The cinematographer (Oscar Faura) and the director, Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) decided to shoot this from the tourists POV.
We see the wave THROUGH their eyes…a dark, brown mass coming toward them, knocking down thick palm trees, hurling cars, lifting buildings and people into the air. . The wave sweeps over everyone and everything.
And then there’s Maria…She’s knocked through a glass wall, then emerges in the middle of swirling debris.
Maria frantically searches for her son…screaming his name over and over again…and finally…miraculously…she sees him in the distance. Somehow they manage to reach each other and from here on out…
We watch, as the two of them, not knowing if the rest of their family is dead or alive, struggle to survive. And believe me, at the end of the movie, you feel as if you’ve been put through the ringer.
Naomi is pitch perfect as a mother who will do anything to make sure her son lives and be reunited with her family.
Ewan McGregor is equally as fine as the father desperately searching for the rest of his family.
The fact that this film, written by Sergio C. Sanchez, is based on a true story, made it that much more intense.
‘The Impossible’, which opens in theatres, Friday, December 21, 2012, isn’t what you’d call ‘entertaining’, but it’s definitely worth seeing and for that reason, both John and myself gave it 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see what happens when John forgets the bagels.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. What are the three things you need from your job or work? How can they make your job and your life more filled with meaning? Please let us know what you think about this podcast. […]
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ directed by the brilliant Kathryn Bigelow and written by her partner, Mark Boals (‘The Hurt Locker’) opens with the horrific voices of people trapped in the towers and those on the ground on 9/11
We then cut to an U.S. facility in Pakistan. The year is 2003. We meet Maya (Jessica Chastain) a recently hired CIA operative. She is being given a lesson on the necessity of water boarding by her mentor, Dan (the excellent,Jason Clark)
When the torture victim begs May for help, she replies…’You can help yourself by being truthful’.
From here on, Maya and her small group of CIA operatives go on a ten year pursuit of Osama bin Laden. The film gives us an in-depth study on all the major events that led up to his capture…Including…
The London bombings, Obama’s campaign, the various extremely dangerous Navy Seals missions in tracking and capturing one terrorist after another.
Many of the images are disturbing…There are a lot of torture scenes…Of course there is a great deal of violence, but believe me, you will never turn away from the screen.
Personally, I forgot I was watching a film. I was so caught up in the painstakingly detail with which Maya pursued Bin Laden. It’s really interesting that even to this day, she’s never got public credit for capturing the number 1 terrorist in the world. Says a lot for the CIA’S good old boy network.
Kathryn Bigelow has assembled an excellent supporting cast, including James Gandolfini as the head of the CIA, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler.
Everything about this film screams Oscar. It has already won many awards and I can see why.
I gave ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ which opens in theatres Wednesday, December 19th, 41/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see John’s score and hear more of our banter.
They’re back…the orcas, goblins, faires, dwarfs, dragons wizards and Mr. Hobbit, Bilboa Baggins (Martin Freeman) and a camero by Hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)
Shot in 48FPS, instead of the usual 24, as well as 3D, Peter Jackson has once again created a visually stunning, exciting, magical film that takes us on a journey through Middle Earth.
The film opens with an aged Frodo (Ian Holm) telling a story. We are instantly transported to the dwarfs’ kingdom known as Erebor. It’s here the little guys are living happily ever after with their gold and gem stones.. That is until they get a visit from a fire breathing dragon known as Smaug. This is one nasty monster.
He not only destroys the Dwarfs home, but Smarf steals the Arkenstone, a beautiful jewel that holds great power.
Okay so after this visually stunning opener, we are then transported to the home of a young Bilboa (Martin Freeman) The little hobbit is living a peaceful, orderly house in Bag End. But his tranquil existence is about to come to an abrupt end.
Out of the blue, Bilboa gets a visit from Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellan) followed by 13 Dwarfs and their leader, the very sexy and very legendary warrior, Thorin (Richard Armitage).
Gandalf uses every trick in his arsenal to convince the super relunctant Bilboa to accompany the dwarfs on a trek to find their stolen treasure and reclaim their homeland.
Little did Bilboa realize that this journey would be an adventure of a lifetime…
One that takes him and the Dwarfs into the Dark Mountain where they encounter treacherous lands swarming with goblins, orcas, deadly Wargs, giant spiders, sorcerers…and of course…
A fellow named Gollum (Andy Serkis) and his Precious..
It’s here, inside an underground lake, after finding a RING, Bilboa must discover the depth of his courage, as the fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance.
For those of you who can’t get enough of ‘The Hobbit’ don’t worry…This is the first in a trilogy.
Did I love this film as much as I did ‘Lord Of The Rings’?…No…At times the comedy was a bit too much and bordered on corny. As for the 48 FPS, I didn’t mind it. But I do know many people who absolutely hated it.
Also I would have liked to see more of Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Hugo Weaving (Elrod) and Christopher Lee (Saruman), but I’m sure their parts will be expanded in future films.
‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opens in theatres Friday December 14, 2012 and I do urge everyone to see it, whether you’re a fan or not. It’s a sensational piece of filmmaking by Mr. Jackson. Not perfect, but really, really good.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. A conversation with a fellow subway passenger led to some insights about how we can make room for others and help guide them as they make their way up the career ladder and in their […]
We had the opportunity to attend Mitzvah day at the Hebrew Institute of White Plains. The Jewish Boy Scouts helped the White Plains community in sending packages to US troops abroad. The mission of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting is to promote Boy Scouting among Jewish youth, to help Jewish institutions and local council Jewish committees to provide Scouting opportunities for Jewish youth, and to promote Jewish values in Scouting through program helps and the religious emblems program.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Many faith traditions and cultures have celebration of lights during the time of year in which darkness is the greatest. Listen to some ideas about how we can spread light for others as we go […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Superheroes are quite in these days. And they’ve changed since we read about them in comic books when we were kids. So, how can YOU be a superhero? And how does that relate to Chanukah? […]
‘Hyde Park On The Hudson’ is the story of a love affaire between FDR (Bill Murray) and his distant cousin, Margaret Stuckley (Laura Linney) centered around the weekend in 1939 when King George V1 aka Bertie (Samuel West) and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman) came to visit.
George is in the United States to ask Roosevelt for financial help with Britain’s impending war with Germany. By the way, this is the same King George that took center stage in ‘The King’s Speech. That’s right…the King who stuttered.
The film was directed by Roger Michell (‘Notting Hill’) and written by Richard Nelson. It’s a very interesting study about a man who was laid back, funny, shrewed and a total player. This guy loved the ladies and apparently, even though he was confined to a wheel chair from contacting polio as a child, he never let his handicap stop him from having several mistresses, including his long time secretary Missy (Elizabeth Marvel)
Unfortunately, Eleanor (Olivia Williams) knew all about his affairs, but like all good and loyal ‘first ladies’ she stayed by her husband’s side and made the best of it. Of course, she accomplished incredible things in her own right, but that’s another movie.
The film opens with Roosevelt summoning Margaret to his vacation home in Hyde Park on the Hudson.. She’s quite surprised by the invite since she hasn’t seen the President in years.
The Commander In Chief starts his seduction by showing Margaret his stamp collection, followed by long drives in the country, and finally, FDR, ever so delicately takes Margaret’s hand and places it on his…Well you can use your imagination to figure out the rest.
The main reason to see this film of course, is Bill Murray’s excellent performance as Roosevelt. Quite a stretch from the guy we first met on Saturday Night Live.
This is also a film for anyone who loves history, which I do and for that reason, I gave ‘Hyde Park On The Hudson’ which opens in theatres, Friday December 7th…31/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s bagel score and for more of our thoughts.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Have you fantasized about how you would spend the millions you’d win from a lottery jackpot? Thinking about it might help you to decide how you want to spend your money and your time today, […]
‘Killing Them Softly’ is a quirky, black comedy about angst ridden hit men dealing with the economic meltdown of 2008.
Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is a very laid back guy. He likes to chat with people…He’s very friendly and…he’s a hitman…But Jackie can only kill people that he’s never met and…he can’t kill them up close…Only from a distance. Doesn’t like to hear his victims beg for mercy. Jackie says he likes to…’kill them softly’.
So when a mob protected poker game is robbed, Jackie is sent in by Richard Jenkins aka The Driver, to restore order.
The mastermind behind the robbery is actually a dry cleaner named…The Squirrel (Vincent Curatola) He hires two airheads, Frankie (Scoot McNary) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) to the job. Squirrel is convinced that Markie (Ray Liotta) who runs the game, will be blamed for the heist.
Seems years ago, Markie, not only robbed his own game, but was stupid enough to brag about it.
Jackie hires Mickey (James Gandolfini) for the job. Poor, poor Mickey. This is one unhappy hitman. He’s addicted to booze, hookers, and super hung up on his ex wife.
If that’s not bad enough, Mickey got busted on a weapons charge and is out on bail. Only problem is, he missed his court date to do this job for Jackie, and now, he’s a wanted man.
‘Killing Them Softly’, written and directed by Andrew Dominik (;The Assassination of Jessie James’) is based on a 1974 crime novel, ‘Cogan’s Trade’ written by George V Higgins.
It’s been updated to 2008 and the TV news plays in the background throughout the film, giving us the voices of Bush, McCain and Obama.
All the hitman in the film are miserable and are constantly complaining about everything. which in a way, makes them all the more human. Whether you like them or not, these guys will definitely entertain you.
Pitt and Gandolfini are outstanding and the scenes they have to together, are the best in the film.
I gave ‘Killing Them Softly’ which opens in theatres, Friday November 30, 2012…31/2 bagels out of 5. John had a different take on the film.
Check out our video for more of our thoughts and his bagel rating.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. We all have stories we want to share: about ourselves, about our work, about our interests. Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant is one of the best examples of storytelling. So are the books of Genesis and […]
As thousands of rockets descended info Israel the New York community came out to show their love and support for Israel and the IDF. We spoke with rally participants and got an inside look into what people feel about the currant conflict with Hamas.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Some recent disasters revealed traits about us that we might not have recognized. What can we learn about racism, classism, and ethnocentrism (and about ourselves) from Superstorm Sandy, rocket attacks on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. This weeks podcasts begins with a few bars of a Rolling Stone hit, followed by a discussion of how we find satisfaction in our lives. Listen to how the Mishna and Torah texts meet Mick […]
Looking back at Hitchcock’s film ‘Psycho’ you can’t help but wonder…What’s all the fuss. Compare to all the violence, gore, torture we see in movies nowadays, ‘Psycho was tame.
But 1959 was a very different time and when ‘Psycho’ premiered in 1960, the film was groundbreaking…A first of its kind and the beginning of a new genre, that has never been seen before.
‘Hitchcock’ directed by Sasha Gervasi (Anvil) stars Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren, plays his wife, Alma Reville, the woman ‘behind the genius’.
The story starts in 1959…Hitchock has just come off the success of ‘North by Northwest’ and he wants to do something different. Something that will blow people away and prove to the critics that ‘he still has the stuff’.
He reads about a man named Ed Gein, serial killer, transvestite, who lived with his dead mother. Hey, nobody is perfect.
Gein’s story inspired Robert Block’s novel…’Psycho’.
Hitch is determined to make this his next movie. It might have something to do with the fact, he carries on numerous imaginery conversations with Mr. Gein.
He brings this idea to the head of Paramount, Barney Balaban (the wonderful Richard Portnow) but even though Alfred has done over 40 movies with the studio, Barney basically says…no way are we making this piece of garbage.
So what does Mr. Hitchcock do? Mortgages his house with Alma’s blessing. He puts up $800.000 of his own money for 40 percent of the profits. And the rest is history,
‘Hitchcock’ is not only about the making of ‘Psycho’ it’s also the story of Hitch’s complex relationship with his wife Alma, a writer and editor in her right. And it’s a really good story. It’s obvious that he loved her, but it’s just as obvious that at times, he acted like Alma didn’t exist. Too say Mr. H was an eccentric narcissist is pretty accurate.
The film was written by John McLaughlin (‘Black Swan’) and is based on the book ‘Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho’ by Stephen Rebello.
The cast is fantastic…James D’Arcy is dead on as Anthony Perkins…Scarlett Johansson is perfect in capturing the sweetness of Janet Leigh…and Jessica Biel is excellent as actress Vera Miles who Hitch had a very contentious relationship with…Also I loved Toni Collette as Hitch’s long time secretary, Peggy Robertson.
Michael Wincott does a great job as Ed Gein as does Danny Huston who plays writer, Whitfield Cook (‘Stranger on a Train’) who Alma, starved for a creative outlet, collaborates with on a project, causing Hitch to go deliciously mad with jealousy.
‘Hitchcock’ gives us a fascinating look into a difficult, complex, visionary man, who changed cinema forever. He also scared the hell out of people and enjoyed every minute of it.
Even though Sir Anthony wears a facial prosthetic, a hairpiece and blue contact lenses to resemble Hitchcock, it’s his acting that shines through in bringing Hitch to life.
Of course, as always Helen Mirren gives a beautiful performance as Hitch’s talented but underappreciated wife.
‘Hitchcock’ opens on Friday, November 23, 2012 and it’s a must see for anyone who is a film buff or just likes to be entertained.
I gave this film 4 1/2 bagels out of 5 and John was just a bagel short of my score.
Life Of Pi’ directed by the brilliant visionary, Ang Lee (‘Broadback Mountain’, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’) is the thrilling and powerful story of 17 year old Piscine Militor, aka Pi (newcomer Suraj Sharma) who grows up in Pondicherry India, a southern french colony during the 1970’s.
Pi lives an idyllic life. His house is located in a beautiful lush storybook setting, surrounded by a zoo filled with tigers, hippos, organgutans, monkies, zebras, just to name a few of the incredible animals that live there.
We meet Pi at the age of 5 (Gautan Belur – age 5) and then at 11 (Ayush Tandon). When not in school or studying, he spends his time these fabulous creatures which leads him to develop his own theories about faith, religion, as well as what he believes when it comes to the true nature of humans and animals..
However, when Pi attempts to befriend a 450 lb Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, his father (Adil Hussain) freaks out and winds up teaching him a very harsh lesson about the true nature of this beast.
Years later, Pi’s father and mother (Tabu) decide to relocate to Canada for economic reasons. This news is absolutely devastating for the 17 year old Pi. He doesn’t want to leave his animal friends or his human ones…especially his girl friend (Shravanthi Sainath)
But there is nothing Pi can do about it. The decisiion has been made. The family packs up their belongings, including some of the zoo animals that they intend to sell once they reach their new home, and set sail on a cargo ship.
It doesn’t take long before a monstrous storm breaks out, causing the ship to sink and killing everyone on board, except for…
Pi, the tiger, Richard Parker, a wounded zebra, a female organgutan, a rat and a vicious hyena, who now find themselves adrift somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, sharing a 27 foot life boat.
Pi has to find a way to keep himself and the animals alive and eventually, he must bond with the ferocious Richard Parker…his mortal enemy.
‘Life Of Pi’ written by David Magee is based on Yann Martel;s award winning novel which spent years on the bestseller list. Lee’s vision, coupled with stunning 3D visuals, including flying fish, a breaching whale and luminous jelly fish that light up the night sky, has turned this beloved novel into a magical, mesmerizing, beautiful film about faith, hope and survival. Plus it’s done with a great deal of humor…Something you better have if and when you’re lost and sea with a Bengal tiger.
Rounding out the cast is Gerard Depardieu, as the ship’s nasty french cook, Irrfan Khan as the adult Pi, Ayan Khan (Pi’s brother) and Rafe Spall as the writer.
The only problem I had was how Lee book-ended the film. It just didn’t fit with the rest of the movie. But despite that, I still gave ‘Life Of Pi’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday, November 21, 2012…4 1/2 bagels and John did the same.
The vamps are back and even though Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson aren’t together…Bella and Edward are and now they have a very magical baby, half human, half vampire, Renesmee ( Mackenzie Foy).
So here’s the good news…Bella loves being a vampire…loves the power, the speed, that it brings her. She loves her husband and her baby. In fact, the Cullen crew including Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz are all living in the country in what can only be described as…bliss. Even wolfman Taylor Lautner has come abroard. Seems he’s imprinted on the baby and now he has no choice but to protect her with his life…
Of course that doesn’t last long. Irina (Maggie Grace) comes for a visit, but before she can even say hi, she spots Renesmee in the woods flying above the trees and thinks she’s an IMMORTAL child…a child who gets bit and becomes a vampire. This is a big no-no.
Irina instantly reports this information to the VOLTURI clan and now Bella and the Cullens have to gather allies to face them or be destroyed.
The whole cast, especially Michael Cullen as the head of the Volituri’s doing an excellent job of bring their super entertaining characters to life. Each one of the vampires have special abilities that make them memoriable.
‘Breaking Dawn Part 2’ directed by Bill Condon and written by Melissa Rosenberg (based on Stephanie Meyer’s bestselling novels) is a fantastic end to the Twilight Saga. It’s exciting, full of surprises, even funny and in my opinion, my favorite of all the films.
It’s for that reason I gave Breaking Dawn-Part 2, which opens in theatres, November 16th, 2012…4 1/2 bagels out of 5 and miracle of miracle, John didn’t hate it.
Check out our video for more of our banter and John’s bagel score.
What’s a Henna? We had an opportunity to speak with Sael Abecassis about this beautiful Moroccan tradition before one gets married. The henna is a mini wedding that showers the bride with gifts and culminates in the henna. The henna is a “mark” which will hopefull bring love, success and wealth.
‘Skyfall’ directed by the super talented Sam Mendes gives us a very different James Bond.
Every so often a film comes along that is original, quirky, poignant and surprising. ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ written and directed by David O’ Russell (‘The Fighter’) is just such a movie.
The film explores the struggles, eccentricities and obsessions of everyday people. In this case the Solantano family.
Pat Solantano Jr, (Bradley Cooper, who’s never been better) has just spent 8 months in a mental hospital for beating up his co-worker and fellow teacher.
Actually he practically killed the guy. Now, I’m not condoning violence, but Pat did find the dude having sex with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee) in the shower. To add insult to injury, Pat and Nikki’s wedding song, ‘My Cherie Amour’ was playing in the background.
Of course, now everytime Pat hears that song playing, he goes absolutely crazy…which becomes problematic.
Anyway Pat is released to his parents, Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro) and Dolores (Jacki Weaver, ‘Animal Kingdom’) custody and moves back into their home.
Pat is determined to live a positive life and to find the silver lining in everything.. He’s convinced that his new attitude will win back Nikki.
While Pat is struggling to keep it all together, into his life walks super dysfunctional, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) a young, depressed widow, who’s policeman husband was killed in a car accidnet. For a long time, Tiffany drowned her sorrow by having sex with everyone in her office, leading to her dismissal.
Pat and Tiffany’s relationship, as well as Pat’s relationship with his father, who has major OCD, is the heart of this film.
DeNiro hasn’t had a part this good in a long time. Yes, Pat Sr. is funny, but he’s also a man terrified of losing control and De’Niro’s brings a rawness to the part that makes you care deeply about his character.
Cooper nails his complex character as well. Pat Jr. is an abrasive, vulnerable, explosive guy, who just happens to be bi-polar. Now that’s alot to deal with.
Rounding out the cast is Chris Tucker as Pat’s friend from the mental hospital, Anupam Kher, Pat’s shrink, Julia Stiles as Tiffany’s uptight sister and John Ortiz as her overly stressed, submissive husband.
I loved ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ which opens in theatres Friday November 17, 2012 and for that reason…I gave it 4 bagels out of 5. Check out our video for more of our banter and of course, for John’s bagel rating.
‘Skyfall’ directed by the super talented Sam Mendes gives us a very different James Bond.
Yes, he’s still the charismatic, super macho male that loves sex, hot women, hot cars, gambling and kicking butt. But this time around, he’s also vulnerable, slightly worn out and much more human. And that’s what makes this film one of the best of the Bond’s.
Don’t want to spoil the fun, so I’ll just talk about the plot with broad strokes.
The film begins in Instabul where Bond (Daniel Craig) finds fellow MI6 agent Ronson, critically wounded and the hard drive of a laptop missing. Bond goes after the thief, hitman, Patrice (Ola Rapace) and we have the standard exciting car chase, motorbike chase and finally the two men wind up fighting on the top of a moving train.
At the same time, fellow spy, Eve (Naomie Harris) who has the bad guy in the cross hairs is ordered by M (Judi Dench) to take the shot. Eve doesn’t want to for fear of hitting Bond. But M is adamant…TAKE THE SHOT. She does…hits Bond who falls into a raging river.
That’s right folks, Bond is dead…Well not really, but everyone thinks he is. And James likes it like that. Why shouldn’t he. He’s on an island somewhere in bed with a hot babe.
However when he finds out that there’s been an explosion at headquarters, he decides it’s time for him to resurface. And it’s a good thing too.
Seems the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) has informed M that the stolen computer disc contained the list of every undercover NATO agent embeded in terrorist organizations around the world and they are being killed.. He tells her that she showed poor judgement in handling the situation and it’s time for her to retire.
Yeah, like that’s going to happen.
‘Skyfall’ is basically a film about revenge. And no one does revenge better than Javier Bardem. He’s absolutely fantastic as Raoul Silva the man determined to bring down M and her organization.
Rounding out the cast is Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw as Q and Berenice Marloe.
‘Skyfall’ which opens Friday November 9, 2012, written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan is an intelligent, exciting and in the end, surprising film that won’t disappoint fans or those new to the genre.
I loved this film and gave it 4 1/2 bagels out of 5. Check out our video to see John’s bagel rating and for more of our thoughts.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Hurricane Sandy gave us new insights into recognizing what he have control over, and what we don’t. Think about how to acknowledge the greater powers and how to take the actions that are within our […]
Okay I know what some of you maybe thinking…A film about Abraham Lincoln…Boring!!! Let me assure you it’s anything but…boring.
Steven Spielberg has directed a riverting, intense, exciting, fascinating film about the President of the U. S. that placed everything to the line to pass the 13th amendent to the consitution ending slavery throughout the country.
And let me tell you…this was no easy task. Thank goodnesdd he had anti-slave Congressman, Thaddeus Stevenson (Tommy Lee Jones. who’s never been better) and Secretary of State William Seward (David Strathairn) on his side. Seward even hires a trio of hooligans (John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson and James Spader) to do whatever they need to do to get Lincoln the votes.
What I found most interesting and apparently forgot from my history classes was that it was the Republicans that were anti-slavery. The Democrats were vehemently pro-slavery and it wasn’t only the Southern democrats…New Jersey, New York, Massachusettes not big on the whole freedom thing at that time.
‘Lincoln’ was written by the award- winning playwright, Tony Kushner ,(Angeles In America) and he does a fantastic job in capturing Lincoln the man, his relationship with his wife, Mary (Sally Fields) and is son, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). He also shows us what a shrewd and clever politican the Lincoln was, willing to make back room deals to get this amendment pass.
The film takes place in 1865…the war is still raging, but the South is losing. Lincoln has just four months to get this passed. Once the war ends, it’s over. No one will care about passing it…This guy is up against the clock.
Daniel Day Lewis has never been better. His performance is absolutly memorizing and I predict, he will get another Oscar for his work.
Speilberg who I felt missed badly with ‘War House’ has redemmed himself with this great movie. And for that reason, I gave ‘Lincoln’ which opens in theatres, Friday November 9th, 5 bagels out of 5.
John wasn’t as passionate as I was about this film, but he did enjoy it…kind of. Check out our video to see his bagel thoughts and more of our banter.
Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) has a secret…He’s an alcholic/coke addict…Whip is also an extraordinary pilot who miraculously crash lands a plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving all but 6 people on board.
After the crash, Whip is hailed a ‘hero’, but he certainly doesn’t feel like one. To avoid the press, he escapes to his childhood farm where he tries to kick the booze.
At first, he’s successful…Even has some help from an exjunkie (Kelly Reilly) who he met during his hospital stay. All goes well at first…No alchol and lots of loving from Kelly. But when National Transportation Board starts to investigate Whip for being high on the morning of the flight (which he was) Whip once again, picks up the bottle and doesn’t put it down until…Well don’t want to SPOIL anything, so I better move on.
The big problem I had with ‘Flight’ directed by Robert Zemckis (‘Forest Gump’, ‘Castaway’) is that the film had a very familiar, ‘old fashion’ feel to it. It’s a story we’ve seen so many times…An alcoholic who won’t face the fact that he is an ‘alcoholic’.
There’s really nothing new here. Denzel does a good job portraying a character in denial, but we never learn what causes him to drink…We never see or understand Whip’s demons and for me, that’s a big problem.
The supporting cast is fine…John Goodman as the comic relief, gives a very entertaining, over the top performance as Whip’s drug dealer…
Don Cheadle, Whip’s lawyer and Bruce Greenwood, head of Pilots union spend most of their time trying to keep Whip sober.
Finally, Brian Gereghty as Whip’s born-again co-pilot was quite good.
‘Flight’ written by John Gatine, opens in theatres Friday, November 2, 2012. I gave it 2 1/2 bagels out of 5 with a schmeer. Check out our video to see John’s rating and for more of our bantering.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. Hurricane Sandy and the accompanying loss of creature comforts – electricity, phones, heat – served as a reminder of what we need vs. what we want. This distinction actually seems to turn up in the […]
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. What would you reflect on if you gave yourself some time? Let’s look at some ways to give yourself a few minutes of quiet reflection each day. Please let us know what you think about this […]
‘Cloud Atlas’ is a film that some people, like myself, will find absolutely brilliant, while others, like John (the other half of ‘Two Jews On Film’) will feel just the opposite.
Some critics have already called it prententious as well as an indulgent mess. All these varying opinions simply prove one thing…When it comes to movies, art, music, culture…it’s all so subjective.. Therefore, my suggestion, is…go see this film and judge for yourself.
‘Cloud Atlas’ directed and written by Lana Wachowski and her brother Andy of the ‘Matrix’ fame along with Tom Tykwe (‘Run Lola Run’) is based on David Mitchell’s best selling novel of the same name.
The film spans five centuries and explores how the actions and consequences of individuals impact one another through the past, present and future. Characters meet and reunite…Are born and reborn. And…everything and everyone is connected.
One soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
‘Cloud Atlas begins in 2346, and in 1849, 1936, 2012, 2144 and back to 2346.
The film is part action, mystery, romance, scifi, fantasy and even at times, a comedy.
There are six stories and the actors including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, James D’ Arcy, Hugh Grant, David Gyasi, Hugo Weaving, Ben Winshaw and the memorizing Doona Baein, play six different characters and they are all extraordinary, transcending genders in some cases.
When the film begins we meet Tom Hanks, a one eyed goat herder living in post apocalyptic Hawaii and then in 1849 as an evil ship’s doctor. In 2012, he’s a balding skinhead who becomes a pop star after he throws a critic off the roof.
Two of Halle’s characters are a crusading San Francisco journalist in 1973 and the last survivor of a lost civilization in 2345.
One of my favorite character that Jim Sturgess plays is a a robot warrior from the future living in New Seoul. He falls in love with a sexy, socially outlawed genetically cloned slave,Sonmi-451 (Doona Baein) who spends her brief existence as a compliant restaurant server. With the help of Sturgess, she starts gains enlightenment and starts a revolution.
I could write pages about this complex, intriguing, fascinating film, but then why would you go see it…And see it, you must.
“Cloud Atlas’ opens in theatres, Friday October 26, 2012 and I gave it 4 1/2 bagels out of 5. Check out our video to see what John thought of this film and what I thought about his critique.and bagel rating.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our youtube channel and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page. Love to hear what you think about this film. Thanks everyone.
Welcome to the latest episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) with Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity. What is your job really? What are the things you are or things you do that you can’t run away from? Look what happened to Jonah, after all. Please let us know what you think about […]
In this episode of Rak Rega- Just A Minute: Teachings and Inspirations From Master Educators, host Darone Ruskay continues his conversation with Rivy Poupko Kletenik— a 2002 Covenant Award Recipient and the Head of School at Seattle Hebrew Academy. In this weeks episode, Rivy discusses Project Shalom, a program she initiated four years ago which […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about wisdom. We all have wisdom that we’ve accumulated over a lifetime. You need to collect it and share it with others. Here’s how and why. Please let us know what you think about this podcast. Connect with us on […]
Every so often a film comes along that lifts your spirits…That makes you feel like anything and everything is possible.
‘The Sessions’ starring John Hawkes and Helen Hunt is just such a film.
This is the true story of a man named Mark O’Brien, who lived in Berkely CA in the 1980’s.
Mark is different from most people. He contacted polio as a child and is confined to an Iron Lung. The only part of his body that isn’t paralyzed, is his head, which he can move slightly to the side. He is also dependent on a breathing tube and a caregiver.
But this isn’t the tale of a disabled dude that lies around feeling sorry for himself.
On the contrary, Mark is a man who defeated the odds and not only graduated college, but went on to become a journalist and a poet.
The story begins in 1988 and as soon as you meet Mark, you can’t help but like him. He’s an intelligent, insightful guy, with a killer sense of humor….Oh and at the age of 38, he’s still a virgin. And Mark wants to do something about that.
You see even though Mark’s body is frail his penis works just fine.
Mark, a devout catholic, confesses to his priest (the wonderful William Macy) that he wants to know a woman in the biblical way.and asks him if this is wrong. After giving it some thought, the Father says GO FOR IT.
So with the Priest’s blessing, Mark sets out to lose his virginity. He finds a sex surrogate, Cheryl (Helen Hunt) who has sexual intercourse with her clients and Mark’s life will never be the same.
There are many reasons why I loved this film, but the two main ones are…John Hawkes and Helen Hunt who are absolutely amazing. Come Oscar time, they will be on everyone’s list.
‘The Sessions’ written and directed by Ben Lewin is a film that will touch your heart. It will make you laugh, cry and definitely…inspire you. It’s one of those movies that stays with you way after the credits roll and the lights come on.
And it’s a film that John and I actually agreed on. That’s right. We both gave it 4 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to find out what else we thought about ‘The Sessions’ which opens in theatres Friday, October 19th, 2012.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Rak Rega- Just A Minute: Teachings and Inspirations From Master Educators, host Darone Ruskay continues his conversation with Rivy Poupko Kletenik— a 2002 Covenant Award Recipient and the Head of School at Seattle Hebrew Academy. In this weeks episode, Rivy discusses the teacher induction program at her school, and the work […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the importance of “Making Meaning Out of the Bad Times and the Good”. We all have ups and downs in our life. What gets us through them is the ability to continue to make our lives meaningful. Listen to […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the importance of “Paying It Back”. Relationships, families, communities are all places in which people both give and receive from one another. But sometimes it goes wrong and we end up giving and not receiving. Listen to some insights […]
Ten years ago, Scott Voss (Kevin James) was an excellent high school biology teacher. He was even voted ‘Teacher Of The Year’.
But ten years is a long time. FLASH forward to the present…Scott couldn’t care less about teaching. He works only to bring home a paycheck and is completely disillusioned with a school system that treats students like ‘cattle’…who’s only interested in moving them in and out, as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
To make matters worse, a budget crisis hits the school and by the end of the year, all extra curricular activites (except footbal, of course) will be cut, including the Music department run by beloved teacher Marty (Henry Winkler). This mean that Marty, whose wife is expecting a baby, will lose his job as well as tenure.
For some reason, this wakes up the apathetic Scott and he tries to rally the other teachers and the staff to help him raise the $48,000 needed to keep the department going.
Unfortunately, the only person interested in helping is Bella, (Salma Hayek) the school nurse, who Scott has been trying to date for over an year, only to get shot down by her over and over again.
Scott even takes a night job, teaching citizenship, to immigrants, for some extra money. It’s here, that he meets ex Mix Martial Arts fighter, Nikko (Bas Rutten). Nikko needs some extra help in learning the finer points of our governemnt, so Scott agrees to tutor him.
When he goes over Nikko’s house for their first lesson, he finds the fighter and several of his friends watching the UFC fight from Vegas on the t.v.
To his amazement, Voss discovers that a fighter can make up to $10,000 just for competing in one of these fights, and that’s if he…loses.
Right then and there Scott, who just happens to be an ex college wrestling champ, realizes that this is the answer to school’s money problems. Scott will become a MMA fighter and win the money. Oh and Nikko will become his trainer.
Piece of cake right?
Not exactly and that’s what makes ‘Here Comes The Boom’ directed by Frank Coraci and written by Kevin James, Allan Loeb and Rock Reuben, a funny and yes, heartwarming film about how, it’s.never to late to go after your dream, even if everyone around you thinks your nuts.
Yes, this film may be a little corny, predicitable and yes…we’ve seen it before with ‘Rocky’, ‘Remember The Titans’ and countless other films.
It’s the classic story of the underdog beating the odds. But so what? The formula still works and in this crazy world, I believe that there’s always room for one more ‘feel good’ movie and for that reason…
I gave ‘Here Comes The Boom’ which opens in theatres, Friday, October 12, 2012…4 bagels out of 5.
John on the other hand, had an entirely different opinion. Check out our video to hear him sing and for more of our thoughts.
In this episode of Rak Rega- Just A Minute: Teachings and Inspirations From Master Educators, 2004 Covenant Award Recipient Barbara Ellison Rosenblit shares a beautiful Midrash about the Sun and the Moon, based on Genesis 1:16. For more information about the Covenant Foundation, please visit CovenantFN.org.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about following your calling. In the story of Jonah, our hero (Jonah) starts by trying to run away from his calling, and only over time does he realize that he is meant to follow his purpose. Please let us know […]
What does one little Shih Tzu named BONNY, Seven Psychopaths and one screenwriter suffering from writer’s block have in common?
Everything…At least in my favorite film of 2012 so far…
Screenwriter, Marty Faranan (Colin Farrel) is way past his deadline on his latest screenplay. If that’s not enough to cause the poor dude major stress, his passive-aggressive girlfriend, Kaya (Abbie Cornish) is about to walk out on him.
Lucky for Marty, his BFF sometime actor/full time dognapper, Billy (Sam Rockwell, in a tour de force performance) is sticking by him…Actually a little too much.
In fact, it’s Billy’s well-intentioned attempts to help his friend get over his writer’s block, that sends Marty’s life spiraling out of control.
You see, Billy is completely NUTS. He’s one of the 7 Psychos. When he’s not pursuing acting jobs, he along with his partner, Hans (the brilliant Christopher Walken in a part tailored made for him) are dognappers.
That’s right folks…The pair steal dogs, keep them for a day or two and then return them to the distraught owners for a hefty reward.
Things are going smoothly for Hans and Billy until…THEY STEAL THE WRONG DOG.
The dog is a Shih Tzu and his name is BONNY. The little guy belongs to an off the wall crazy gangster, aka psychopath, named Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson at his best) Charlie loves Bonny to the point of obsession. You can’t really blame him. The little four legged guy is adorable.
The scene between him and his dog sitter, Sharice (Gabourey Sidibe) who he blames for the kidnapping is absolutely priceless.
Anyway Charlie vows to kill whoever took his dog and he sets out to find those responsible. Suddenly, Billy, Marty and Hans find themselves going on one of the wildest rides of their life and that’s just one of the elements that makes…
‘Seven Psychopaths freaking brilliant. The acting, the dialogue, the twists, the turns, the originality of the story, makes this the MUST SEE film of the year.
It was written and directed by the super talented, academy award winner, Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges’) who is also an award winning playwrite as well.
The cast also includes Tom Waits, as the rabbit loving psychopath, Zachariah and Olga Kurylenko a psychopath groupie who is far from normal as they come.
I gave ‘Seven Psychopaths’ opens in theatres, Friday October 12, 2012 5 BIG bagels with the works. I absolutely loved everything about it and I bet you will to.
John came in pretty close with his rating…which is something, considering how critical we all know he is.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
‘Taken 2’, a sequel to the very highly successful 2008 film, ‘Taken’ which made 230 million dollars, once again stars the very tall, very talented, Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, ex CIA agent extraordinaire.
The film has great action, edge of your seats thrills and many…unintentional, funny moments, that had me LMAO.
For example…(don’t worry this isn’t a SPOILER)…During one very intense scene in the film, Bryan is on the phone with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) who’s hiding from the bad guys in their hotel room. He tells her to…’Grab a couple of grenades, a couple of guns but as you walk through the lobby…LOOK CASUAL’.
Hey, I always look casual when carrying a submachine gun…Don’t you?
Okay so, ‘Taken 2’ written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen (writers of the first one) has some over the top dialogue and several implausible scenes…including…
One where Kim, who’s failed her driving test several times, because she cannot parallel park, drives a taxi, as if she’s Mario Andretti on SPEED, through the streets of Istanbul, evading bullets and bad guys…while her daddy, who’s in the passenger seat, shoots at their evil Albanian pursuers, as he screams…’Go faster Kim…Go faster…faster’.
Get the picture? Anyway if you’re wondering why all this is happening, you have to FLASHBACK to the scene in the first ‘Taken’ when, Bryan tied the sleezy dude who kidnapped Kim, to a chair and proceeded to electrocute him, over and over again.
Turns out, sleezy dude’s daddy, Albanian gangsta, Murad (Rade Sherbedgia) wants big time revenge against Bryan. Can’t really blame him…He was the cutest of his four sons.
So when he finds out that Bryan and his wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) and daughter Kim are in Istanbul, Murad and his band of not so merry men, head for Turkey, to kidnap them and do what angry, hate-filled Abanian bad guys do best.
‘Taken 2’ directed by Olivier Megaton (‘Transporter 3) has car chases, gun battles, and close up hand to hand combat by the very charismatic, Liam Neeson.
Yes, you can spot what’s going to happen a mile away, but it’s still fun…Just don’t think about it too much.
For that reason I gave ‘Taken 2’ which opens in theaters Friday October 6, 2012, 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. John was not so bagel generous.
Check out our video to see what he thought and to see some of my excellent karate moves.
In this episode of Rak Rega- Just A Minute: Teachings and Inspirations From Master Educators, host Darone Ruskay sits down with Rivy Poupko Kletenik— a 2002 Covenant Award Recipient and the Head of School at Seattle Hebrew Academy. In this episode, Rivy discusses her vision for an integrated educational experience, bringing the Jewish Education and […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity asks you to consider what your perfect world would look like. If everything was perfect, what would society look like? The environment? What would people do? Do we have to wait for the Moshiach? Is there even a Messiah to wait […]
In this week’s podcast “What’s it all About?”, Coach Deborah cleverly uses the alphabetical list of prepositions she was made to memorize in fourth grade to create some powerful coaching questions for you to use in work in life.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com.
AND, don’t forget to purchase Deb’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Twenty Five Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the realities of today. How do we all need to restructure our lives given the financial realities of today? The sukkah, the hut that we use on the upcoming holiday of Sukkot has something to teach us in these […]
”Looper’, written and directed by Rian Johnson (‘Brick’) is an intelligent, engrossing, thought provoking, and totally entertaining, sci fi film about time-travel and what a person will or won’t do to save the person they love.
There’s also some kick ass action, great characters, excellent acting and at times, it’s actually, funny.
‘Looper’ stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe and Bruce Willis as…Old Joe aka Levitt’s future self.
The film takes place in Kansas 2042. Time travel has not yet been invented, but 30 years from now, it will have been. Only problem is, it’s illegal…and controlled by a syndicate of gangsters, who basically run the world.
These bad boys use a time travel device to send the people they want eliminated, back to 2042, where men known as ‘Loopers’ kill them and collect a whole lot of silver bars for their work.
Apparently there is absolutely no place for a murderer to dispose of a body thirty years from now…And we think our planet is in trouble, now…
Anyway, because of the illegality of the whole murder thing, eventually the Loopers, themselves, must be eliminated.
So after thirty years of killing people…give or take a couple of months…the loopers must oft themselves….well, their older selves.
This is one of the many cool parts of the film.
The loopers wait in this open field, out in nowhere land, for their future selves to pop in. When they arrive, their heads are covered with a hood. When the hoods come off, the realization that the looper must kill himself really sinks in. Of course, not all of them wants to go along with the plan….I mean. can you blame them?
Well, there’s a lot more to the plot, but I don’t want to spoil the great surprises…
I will say that…Emily Blunt and a wonderful young actor, Pierce Gagnon, who plays Blunt’s very special son, as well as Jeff Daniels, who’s an extremely interesting, bad ass gangsta, all play essential roles in this exciting, orginal film.
Along with the the acting being pitch perfect, the dialogue is clever and witty, raising some very important philsophical issues.
To sum up, ‘Looper’ is definitely a film that will make you think…about the choices you’d make when it comes to love…love of another person…and love of humanity.
‘Looper’ opens in theatres, Friday September 28th. It received 4 1/2 bagels out of 5 from myself. Check out our video to see what John thought and his rating…Hint…He actually liked this film a great deal.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the four fruits of the holiday of Sukkkot, and discusses what they have to teach us. What will you do in the year ahead to bring people in to the work that you do and into your life? Please […]
If you are expecting a super scary horror film, you will be disappointed. If however, you are expecting a lifetime movie of the week, damsel in distress film, you will not be.
Personally, for the first 50 minutes of ‘House At The End Of The Street’ I was kind of bored and then came a ‘twist’ and I sat up in my seat….but not for long.
Okay, so here’s the story…Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) is a divorced mom who moves into an upscale neighborhood to start a better life with her daughter, Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence, ‘Hunger Games’) Only trouble is there are rumors that the nearby woods are haunted by a homicidal killer named Carrie Ann…Seems she murdered her mom and dad…Sounds like one ungrateful kid…
Anyway, Elissa befriends Carrie Ann’s brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot) who still lives in his deceased parents’ house…Poor guy is an outsider thanks to his sister’s little murder spree. But that doesn’t stop Elissa from falling for him. Can’t really blame her…The dude is cute.
To say anymore about this film would be giving too much away. But what I will say is…unfortunately this is a definite DVD/Netflix rental….
Also, if you decide to take an evening stroll in the dark, spooky woods with a homicidal maniac running loose, you may want to consider another form of entertainment.
I gave ‘House At The End Of The Street’ directed by Mark Tonderai (‘Hush’) and written by David Loucka (‘Dream House’) based on a story by Jonathan Mostow (‘Terminator 3’)
2 1/2 bagels out of 5. The films opens Friday, September 21, 2012
Check out our video to see John’s rating and for more of our incredible witty banter.
‘Trouble With The Curve’ is a)corny…b)nothing you haven’t seen before and c) totally entertaining.
Clint Eastwood is Gus, an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gus has more than a few problems…He’s losing his eyesight, has trouble peeing, his contrat expires with the team in three months and might not be renewed.
Oh and did I mention that his relationship with his high powered lawyer daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams) is far from great. In fact it sucks.
Amy and Gus are total polar opposites. Gus hates technology…Thinks computers are a ridiculous way of tracking a players stats and won’t even consider using a cell phone.
Amy, on the other hand, practically sleeps with her laptop. They do, however, have on thing in common…Their love for baseball.
When circumstances arrive that forces Mickey to accompany Gus on a scouting trip through North Carolina, they both get one last chance to heal old wounds and maybe…just maybe, have a real father/daughter relationship.
Yes this film is old fashion, but it works. There’s even a little romance thrown in and a moonlight swim thanks to Justin Timberlake. He plays a former pitcher who’s now a Red Sox scout. Mr. T. does an adequate job at being boyish and charming. His chemistry with Amy isn’t great, but it won’t put you to sleep either.
Rounding out the cast is John Goodman, Gus’s long time bff/co-worker and Matthew Lillard, an obnoxious jerk who wants to be the next…Gus.
‘Trouble With The Curve’ which opens in theatres Friday, September 21st.
The film was directed by Clint’s long time producing partner Robert Lorenz and for a first time director, he does a good job with his cast. Randy Brown, also a first timer, wrote the script.
I gave ‘Trouble With Curves’ 3 bagels out of 5. Check out our video to see John’s rating and for more of our banter.
‘Training Day’ starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke is one of my favorite ‘cop’ movies. It was written and directed by David Ayers and now…once again…Ayers continues his fascination with the ‘Men In Blue’ with his new gritty drama entitled ‘End Of Watch’.
This time his focus isn’t on police corruption, but on the every day life of the men and women who patrol our streets and put their lives at risk on a daily basis to serve and protect us.
‘End Of Watch’, while not completely satisfying on an emotional level, does work for the most part, thanks to the two leads, Jake Gyllenhal and Michael Pena who have great chemistry between them.
Gyllenhal is Brian Taylor, an ex Marine, who comes from a wealthy family in Davenport Iowa. He wants to be a lawyer and attends college at night, where he studies film as well as law. Taylor is a dude that loves to take risks. His sensitive side only comes out when he talks about or spends time with his girlfriend, Janet (Anna Kendrick).
Taylor’s partner, Mike Zavala (Mike Pena) couldn’t be more different.
Zavala joined the force right out of high school. He grew up on the streets of East L. A. and has been married to the same woman, Gabby (Natalie Martinez) since high school.
Sitting in their police car, waiting for their next call, the two cops converse candidly about the risks of the job, including the rush and fear that comes with the territory.
This is juxtaposed with their humorous conversations about women, life and fellow officers.
One thing is always clear…Taylor and Zavala would give their life for each other. They are brothers on every level. This is especially clear when a hit is put out on their lives by the Mexican cartel.
On the other side of the law, we meet the shadowy figures from the Sinaloa Drug Cartel and an L.A. street gang and their members Big Evil, Wicked, La La and Demon, among countless other ‘hoodrats and homies’.
As the action unfolds, it’s seen through handheld cameras shot from the P,O.V. of Taylor, the gang bangers, dash cams, surveillance cameras and the citizens caught in the line of fire. This 360 degree perspective creates an intense portrait of the city’s darkest and most violent streets.
This is a powerful story about family, friendship, love, honor and courage. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s definitely worth seeing.
Rounding out the cast are America Ferrera, Cody Horn and Paul Grillo as fellow cops.
I gave ‘End Of Watch’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 21, three and a half bagels out of five. Check out our video to see John’s rating and for more of our banter.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the end of the information era. In the amidah, there is a statement about Widom, insight and knowledge. What are the differences? What are the areas in which you have knowledge? How about wisdom? Please let us know your […]
Some critics, especially those who have majored in journalism, take great pride in dissecting a film…The story, structure, characters, doing their best to impress us with their knowledge about what works and what doesn’t.
I am definitely not that kind of critic. All I do is share my subjective, emotional reaction to a film and sometimes, call my husband, John, an idiot if he doesn’t see it my way.
With that said, I will now share my emotional reaction to…’The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ …I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. IT’S OUTSTANDING…A PERFECT FILM and…
So far, my favorite film of 2012…
‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ is based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The book and the film was written by Steven Chbosky and he directed it as well. And all I want to say is…BRAVO Mr. C. Well, of course that’s not all I want to say…
The film is about an outsider…a lovable, naive, troubled, high school freshman, named Charlie (the super fabulous Logan Lerman) who is dreading his first day of school…In fact, he’s already counting down the days until the summer break.
Charlie is picked on by the other kids…He’s too scared to raise his hand in English class, even though he knows all the answers…He’s haunted by the death of his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey) as well as the suicide of his best friend.
Charlie is one scared, alienated, lonely dude…
Until…he is taken under the wing, by some pretty extraordinary seniors…
They are in no particular order…
Sam (Emma Watson at her best) and her stepbrother, the flamborantly gay, Patrick (the equally wonderful Ezra Miller).
Angry Buddhist chick, Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) and her bff, Alice (Erin Wilhelm) welcome Charlie into their group, known as…’The island of Misfit Toys’.
It’s through Charlie’s relationship with this fantastic group of eccentric characters, he’s able to step out of his shell, face his demons, deal with his guilt, and eventually step into his true self. Oh, he even gets to perform in a production of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’
‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ is an incredibly moving take on love, loss, hope and the unforgettable people that help us through life.
In Charlie’s case, it wasn’t just his friends, but his supportive teacher (Paul Rudd) who sees his potential to someday be a great writer.
The dialogue is some of the best and every actor is pitch perfect in their performance. The sound track…KILLER!
You will laugh, cry and applaud. This is not just a film for teenagers…It’s a must see film for everyone…Because, when Charlie, in V.O. says…
‘There is this one moment when you’re not a sad story…You are alive and you stand up and see the lights of the buildings and everything that makes you wonder and you’re listening to a song and you’re driving in a car with people you love most in the world and in that moment, I swear we are…infinite’…
No matter what your age, you will understand what he means…Because we’ve all had at least one moment in our life, when we have felt…infinite.
‘The Perks of Being A Wallflower’ opens in theatres Friday September 21st, 2012. I gave it five bagels out of five and John was just a half a bagel away in his rating.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the “baggage” that we could let go of. During Rosh Hashanah there is a tradition of tashlich in which Jews bring bread to the river to throw away their sins. What kind of tashlich would you like to get rid […]
In this inaugural podcast of From Dreams to Deeds: Join the Journey, host Darone Ruskay sits down with Dr. Erica Brown— a 2009 Covenant Award Recipient and Scholar-in-Residence at The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. In the episode they discuss Rosh Hashanah and the theme of repentance. Erica Brown’s most recent book is Return: Daily Inspiration for […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about influence. We all use influence all of the time. In our work, in our families, in our relationships, we are often trying to influence those around us. In the Talmud they say that we each have an area of […]
In this episode of The JCast Journey, host Darone Ruskay talks about the newest podcast to join the JCast Network, a collaborative work with The Covenant Foundation. The new podcast, entitled From Dreams to Deeds: Join The Journey will be an opportunity for Covenant Award recipients and other grantees to tell their stories, tell about their work, […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about Social Media, and the ways in which we can use it in meaningful ways. In biblical times, there were many things that could only be done in public settings, the “social network” of the day. How are you using […]
‘The Words’ written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal (co-wrote story for ‘Tron-Legacy’) is a movie within a movie within a movie.
Yes, it does sound confusing and convoluted, but it’s really a very compelling and entertaining film. I promise.
When ‘The Words’ begin, we meet celebrated novelist, Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid). He’s standing before a crowd of fans including grad student, Daniella (Oliva Wilde) reading excerpts from his bestselling novel, entitled, ‘The Word’.
As Clay continues to read out loud, the story comes to life and we meet the characters from his book, starting with successful writer, Rory Jensen (Bradley Cooper) who is receiving a prestigious award for his debut novel.
Unlike Hammond, Jensen didn’t write the book he’s getting all the credit for. In flashbacks, we discover that Jensen found the manuscript in a weathered brief case that he bought while on his Paris honeymoon with his wife, Dora (Zoe Saldana).
Back in the States, Rory reads the manuscript. It’s the extraordinary story of a young soldier (Ben Barnes) who falls in love with a French girl, (Nora Arnezeder) in post WW11 Paris. Rory realizes that he could never write as deeply and as powerfully as this unknown author.
After receiving rejection, after rejection for his own work, Rory winds up publishing the novel under his name.
All goes well for our adored novelist until…he meets an old man (the wonderful Jeremy Irons) who has a story to tell him.
In a separate flashback, we find out who this mysterious elderly man is and where he came from.
So we have three stories that intertwine and add up to a very powerful story that touches on some very intesting and thought provoking themes…
What happens when a person realizes, that they will never become what they dream of becoming…What happens when someone makes a choice as a youth and has to suffer the consequences of his actions as a grown man, and finally, what happens when ambition is valued above love.
‘The Words’ which opens in theatres, Friday September 7, 2012 is a beautiful, touching, film about creativity and how in the end, everyone…wants to touch something truly, great.,
I thoroughly enjoyed it and for that reason, gave the film, 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
John of course, had a very different experience. Check out our video to see his bagel rating and more of our thoughts.
In Episode Five of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, “Love & Fear (Part Two)”, Hanan and his parents discuss the reasons why people use fear to feel powerful. They discuss the ways that people use fear in order to feel in control. In thinking about fear, Hanan and his parents discuss Adam and Eve, and the fear that they felt after eating from the tree of knowledge. Please let us know your thoughts. What did this animation make you think about? Do you use fear in order to feel more in control?. Jewish Food for Thought is made possible through the support of The Covenant Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Culture.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about self-reflection as we approach the Jewish New Year. People have been struggling with the question of self-determination and free-will in our lives throughout history. We generally assume that we have free-will which is both empowering, but also puts a […]
Coach Deb shares a couple of goosebumpy moments from her personal and professional life where the universe was clearly conspiring in her favor — and tells us what to look out for in our own lives.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com.
AND, don’t forget to purchase Deb’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Twenty Five Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about magical thinking. Magical thining refers to irrational beliefs that lead us to believe that the universe (or God) gives us signs on what we are supposed to do. What are the big truths that guide your life? How many […]
Prohibition, gangsters, brothers, Virginia, moonshine, a sadistic lawman, violence, lust, love and family…That’s some of the things you’ll find in ‘Lawless’ directed by John Hillcoat (‘The Road’) and written by songwriter/musician, Nick Cave (The Proposition), based on Matt Bondurant’s book ‘The Wettest County in the World’ which is his fictionalized account of his family.
The film tells the story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers, Forrest, (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke) and the youngest sibling, Jack (Shia LaBeouf) who made and sold moonshine in the 30’s. They lived in the mountains of Franklin County and were as different as brothers could be.
Jack, the ambitious one, dreams of expensive suits, fast cars, and getting it on with the very pretty and very religious, Bertha (Mia Wasikowka).
His bro, Howard, who survived the Great War, is the more laid back of the three while Forrest, who nearly died of the Spanish Flu, is known far and wide as being immortal. He’s also a guy you don’t want to mess with.
Times are tough and jobs are scarce in these parts, but the Bondurants are entrepreneurs and have built a thriving business by concocting an intense and popular brand of moonshine.
But Franklin County’s bootlegging days are about to end with the arrival of Special Deputy, Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) from Chicago. Rakes is a vicious, sadistic dude with a bad hairdo. He’s determined to bring law to this lawless place, no matter what he has to do…Translation…He’ll kill, maim, torture anyone who gets in his way.
And the Bondorants, who bow down to no one, are not about to let this power hungry sexually conflicted jerk mess with their way of life.
‘Lawless’ is a beautifully shot, edgy, exciting, violent, touching portrait of a time in our history when gangsters ruled the city streets, and outlaws were the stuff legends were made of.
Rounding out the cast are Jessica Chastain as Maggie, an emotionally wounded burlesque dancer who comes to the mountains to find peace and gets so much more than she bargained for and Gary Oldman, a gangster you can’t help but like.
‘Lawless’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday August 29, 2012, received 4 1/2 bagels out of 5. I absolutely loved everything about it and John actually liked it as well.
Check out our video to see more of our thoughts and see me try to convince John that his bagel ratings need some adjustment.
Please SUBSCRIBE to us on youtube and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page. Thanks everyone and let us know your thoughts about this movie.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the many relationships that we have. Some relationships are long-lasting, and others do not. He asks the question of how we let relationships go. There is an ancient text that instructs us to separate ourselves from those who are […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about his memories of the documentary on Woodstock, and the farmer Max Yasgur on whose farm the concert took place. He talks about the important role that farming plays in Jewish tradition. How do you get in touch with nature? […]
Sometimes a film is 100 per cent entertainment…That is definitely the case with “Premium Rush” written and directed by David Koepp (writer of ‘Spiderman’ & ‘Mission Impossible’ etc).
This film is one big roller coaster ride…one that you’ll want to keep riding, right up to the end.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Wilee, ex law student, turned bike messenger, extraordinaire. He spends his days dodging speeding cars, crazed cab drivers and 8 million New Yorkers hurrying to get wherever, and…he loves every minute of it.
To get an idea about who Wilee is…His bike is super lightweight, with only one gear, and no brakes. Wilee had them removed, so now’s he’s the fastest bike messenger in New York City.
Wilee loves to tell fellow bike messenger, Vanessa, (Dania Ramiez) his on-again, off-again girlfriend, that putting on a suit equals death for him. That’s why, he’s decided, for now, not to take the bar exam.
Our speed demon lives for thrills and soon, Wilee will get more thrills than he ever could have imagined. It all starts just like another day for him.
Wilee’s told by his boss to pick up on small envelope in the Village and deliver it across town…The job has to be completed in…90 minutes…It’s a…Premium Rush.
Piece of cake right? Not when you have an over the top crazy, degenerate gambler, crooked cop, Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) on your heels trying to stop you.
I must say that, Shannon is absolutely memorizing in this part. There’s a scene where he’s playing the chinese tile gambling game, Pai Gow and trust me, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of him. He is that good.
‘Premium Rush’ is one of the most exciting films I’ve seen in a long time. The stunts and the action will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The characters, including…
Wole Parks as Manny, a rival messenger with a super expensive bike and a super set of biceps and Jamie Chung (Nima) are all excellent.
I gave “Premium Rush” which opens in theatres, Friday, August 24th 4 bagels out of 5 and John came pretty close with his score. Yes, a film he actually liked.
Check out our video to see more of our thoughts and please SUBSCRIBE to our channel and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page.
Thx much… and let us know your thoughts.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about martyrdom. He talks about the fact that we live in a time, when we don’t really need to be phycial or emotional martyrs. Have their been times in your life when you have felt that you needed to be […]
No matter how hard you try not too, ‘Sparkle’ directed by Salim Akil, based on the 1970’s film of the same name, will always remind you of Miss Whitney Houston’s premature and very sad death. Whitney died just three months after filming this picture.
“Sparkle” takes place in Detroit, Michigan…The year is 1967 and Motown is King.
Houston plays Emma, a strict, church-going, single mother, who lives with her three daughters…Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) an aspiring singer/songwriter…Dee (Tika Sumpter) who dreams of becoming a doctor and…Sister, the beautiful, super sexy, divorced, wild child.
When Emma was younger, she pursued a career as a singer, but never made it. This almost killed her so now, she’s determined that her daughters, never get anywhere near the music business.
That’s gonna be hard, since the girls, have already formed a group called ‘Sister and the Sisters’ and they’ve been sneaking out every night, to perform at local clubs.
It’s at one of these clubs, that the girls meet, Stix (Derek Luke) who jumps on board as their manager.
It’s also at one of these gigs, that Sister meets a local celebrity, black comedian, Satin (Mike Epps) who performs only in front of white audiences and has major anger issues. Can you blame him? His own people won’t accept him.
Anyway, Sister winds up marrying Mr. bad temper guy and as the girls’ career start to take off, her life and her marriage fall apart.
What follows, is the usual amount of heartbreak, regret, anger, redemption and a whole lot of great music and wonderful performances by the cast, especially from…Ms Houston.
She sings ‘His Eyes Is On The Sparrow’, in front of her church congregation, and even though her voice is just a shadow of its former self, her passion brought me to tears and I’m sure it will do the same to you.
Jordin Sparks is wonderful when she sings, but her acting is just okay. Sparks hasn’t developed the skills she needs to give a deep interesting performance as an actress.
As I mentioned in our video, “Sparkle” is what I call “Dreamgirls” light, but it’s still good enough for me to give it 4 bagels out of 5. It opens Friday August 17, 2012
Check out our video to see more of our thoughts and John’s rating. Hint…He actually liked it. Let us know what you think.
We first met the character Marion (Julie Delpy) in the film “2 Days In Paris” along with her real life boyfriend at the time, Adam Goldberg.
Now years later, Marion, a photographer about to have her first gallery show, is living happily ever after in New York City, with her boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock) a journalist/on air radio personality and their respective children.
One day, out of the blue, Marion’s super jolly father, Albert (played by her real life dad, Albert Delpy), her oversexed sister, Rose (Alexia Landeau) and her pot smoking, obnoxious ex boyfriend, Manu, come for a visit.
To say that Marion and Mingus’s world is turned upside down by this eccentric family, would be an understatement.
But for Marion, the timing of the visit couldn’t be worse. Old wounds are opened up. The recent death of her mother plus Marion’s intense love-hate relationship with her super judgemental sister, Rose.
On top of that, Marion is nervous about her show, where she’s planning on aunctioning off her SOUL for $10,000. (It’s a statement) Oh she’s also being driven by loud pipes and her annoying neighbors, but hey, it’s New York, right?
And then there’s Mingus’. He’s having imaginary conversations with Obama, trying to be a good father to his kid and communicate with Marion’s french speaking dad.
Delpy co-wrote “2 Days in New York” with fellow actress Landeau and she directed the film as well.
This is a funny, quirky, touching comedy and it works on every level. I predict you’ll walk out of the theatre thinking…your family is not that much different from Delpy’s. There are times they make you scream, drive you crazy, even make you cry, but in the end, you never stop loving them.
“2 Days In New York’ opens in theatres Friday August 17, 2012 and definitely deserves the 3 1/2 bagels I gave it. John on the other hand, was less generous.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page. Thx everyone…and let us know your thoughts on ‘2 Days In New York’.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity asks the question “what would you do if you had a month?” There was a time when people did get to take time to recharge their batteries, to try something new, and to study, but those days are hard to find […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the complexity of relationships, and creating space for other people. Accoriding to Kaballah, in the beginning, God was everything, and everything was God. During creation, God had to create room for “the other”. Like this, when we get into […]
So what happens when Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass decide that they no longer want to be a part of the super successful franchise known as BOURNE?
Do the producers say fine and walk away from their billion dollar cash cow or find another way to keep it going? Silly question, right?
Which brings us to ‘The Bourne Legacy’ written and directed by Tony Gilroy (writer of the previous Bourne films)and starring Jeremy Renner, as the new super spy, that the evil CIA wants to kill. Sound familiar? Of course it does and that’s the problem.
You’ve seen this same plot before…many, many times, before.
When the film opens, we meet super soldier, Aaron Cross (Jeremey Renner) in the wilds of Alaska, completing a solo training mission. We know he’s a super soldier because he can swim in freezing cold water and punch out a big grey wolf with his bare hands. (Liam Neeson sure could have used his help in ‘The Grey’)
But before you start envying Cross’s super powers, you might want to know that in order for him to stay…super, he needs a daily dose of pills…One blue to keep his brain enhanced and one green to keep his biceps from deflating…And his supply of drugs is rapidly dwindling.
Too make matters worse… The CIA wants Aaron dead.
It seems their little secret program, Outcome, designed to create super soldiers has become infected by the arrival of Jason Bourne in New York City. The guy in charge of Outcome, Eric Byers (Edward Norton) decides that it’s best to kill everyone associated with this claudestine operation.
Personally I find that a little extreme. Anyway…
The CIA being the CIA has no trouble knocking off all of Outcome’s participants, except of course for Aaron and…
Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) a genetic scientist who worked on developing the drugs that turned these everyday dudes into SUPERMEN. One of my favorite scenes is when Dr. Marta gets a visit from some not so friendly peeps at her home.
Lastly, how could you have an action film without the male and female leads hooking up? No way!
So of course, Soldier meets doctor and together, we watch them evade the CIA, while at the same time, figuring out a way for Aaron to keep his super powers.
The film does have some exciting moments. There are plenty of car chases, fight scenes, gun battles and crazy stunts, involving leaping and jumping, but in the end ‘The Bourne Legacy’ lacks originality and except for the brief glimpse we get into Renner’s backstory, interesting character development.
Speaking of ‘the end’…The last 45 minutes of the film is filled with an extremely long motorcycle chase and an ending, that is flat and exists only to let the audience know…There will be a sequel.
I gave ‘The Bourne Legacy’ which opens in theatres, Friday August 10th 2012 only 2 bagels out of 5 and John’s score was even less than mine.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the “Shared Leadership Model.” In exploring this topic, Rabbi Samlan looks at Moses and the Jewish people while they were in the desert, and how Moses welcomes others to share in his leadership. What are the challenges you have […]
In this week’s podcast, coach Deborah Grayson Riegel tells us how to increase our strength, mobility and flexibility in all areas of life – from exercise to finances to career.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com.
AND, don’t forget to purchase Deb’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Twenty Five Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
This is an action thriller about reality and memory. The film, directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld) is inspired by Philip K. Dick’s short story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale’.
The time is the future…And it’s a very bleak one indeed. Most of the earth, thanks to wars, is now unhabitable. There’s only the United Federation of Britain, where the wealthy live and the colony where the ‘have-nots’ reside.
It’s here we meet factory worker, Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) who even though he has a hot wife (Kate Beckinsale) whom he loves, the dude is very unhappy. He feels something is missing from his life.
In other words, he needs a vacation…bad….So one night, he finds himself at Recall, a company that can make any fantasy seem like it’s reality.
Apparently, Doug always wanted to be a super spy. Just as he’s about to be injected with a magic serum, the police burst in with guns blazing and to Doug’s surprise, he takes them all out.
Imagine that…From there, it’s all thrills and spills with our guy becoming a hunted man from a really scary police force made up of synthetics controlled by the evil Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston)
Lucky for him he has the help of rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) who works for the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy). the line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love and his true fate.
‘Total Recall’ is very different from the 1990 version starring the ‘Arnold’ and personally I like this new one much better.
The visuals are stunning and the action, even though at times, repetitive, is fun.
So if you’re in the market for an entertaining film, then go see ‘Total Recall’ which opens in theatres Friday, August 3, 2012.
I gave it 3 bagels out of 5…John, gave it a much lower rating. Check out our video to see what he thought and more of mine.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel and LIKE US on the Two Jews On Film facebook page.
In this months episode of Isabella FreeRadio, host, and Isabella Freedman Executive Director David Weisberg welcomes Danny Fingeroth, Arie Kaplan and Al Jaffee discuss the role of Jews in Comics, as well as the upcoming program at Isabella Freedman entitled “People Of The (Comic) Book” taking place August 10-12th. Stay tuned for information about upcoming Isabella FreeRadio […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity hands the mic over to campers at the BBYO Kallah. They talk about the things that they can do to Michayai HaMaytim, “Revive The Dead”. How do you revive parts of yourself? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, […]
‘This so called comedy, is about four guys who have come together to ‘watch over’ their suburban neighborhood, Glenview Ohio, United States on Planet Earth.
In this serene safe heaven lives Evan Troutwig (Ben Stiller) a dull, civic minded guy who loves his wife Abby (Rosemarie Dewitt), his neighborhood and his mangerial job at Cosco.
After the Cosco night watchmen is murdered, Evan decides to form a ‘neighborhood watch’ to find the culprit and make sure something like this never happens again.
The only problem, only three guys show up at Evan’s house for the first meeting…
There’s…Franklin (Jonah Hill) who still lives with his mom and has a large collection of guns hidden under his bed…Bob (Vince Vaughn, a tough talking dad with an uncontrollable teenage daughter, and the recently divorced and extremely horny, Jamarcus (the funny but underused, Richard Ayoade)
To Evan’s dismay, these dudes are more interested in drinking beer and shooting the breeze then doing any serious ‘watching’.
But that all changes when…
One evening, while out on patrol, the boys vehicle hit something that leaves behind a trail of green goo and they wind up finding a strange bowling ball like device that emits a beam of energy capable of destroying…well…practically anything and everything.
They also find a tentacle and from there, our fellows realize…THERE ARE ALIENS IN OUR MIDST.
Funny right? Hmm…not SO much.
The film is filled with tired sexist bits that we’ve all seen before, unfunny jokes and tired performances from Stiller and Vaughn. Only Ayoade brings to his part a few moments of humor, but definitely not enough to make this movie written by Seth Rogan (along with Jason Stern and Evan Goldberg) worth seeing.
‘The Watch’ directed by Akiva Schaffer opens in theatres, Friday July 27, 2012 and received a very low bagel score from both John and myself.
Wait for the DVD.
‘Killer Joe’ written by the brilliant, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Tracy Letts (based on his play) and directed by the 70+ year old, William Friedkin (Exorcist) blew me away for many reasons…But the main one is…
Matthew McConaughey’s extraordinary Oscar worthy performance as cop/hitman, Killer Joe Cooper. Never has McConaughey been better or more terrifying.
The film is a black comedy…violent, sexual, raw, thrilling and yes…funny in a very dark twisted, sort of way.
The story revolves around a trailer trash dysfunctional family and the killer they hire, to knock off someone, that is definitely NOT near and dear to them.
Sharla Smith (Gina Gershon) a woman who enjoys parading her naked body around her stepson, Chris (Emile Hirsch) shares a trailer with her loser hubby, Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) and his daughter, Dottie (Juno Temple)
Chris borrowed a large sum of money from a group of nasty men and now, they want it back. Trouble is, Chris is broke and can’t pay them. But the dude has a plan…Kill his mother (Ansel’s ex-wife) and collect the insurance money.
Daddy Ansel thinks it’s a super idea and he’s more than willing to help his son execute the plan. Now that’s a good father.
Unfortunately, as creepy as our guys are, murder is not exactly their thing. So they hire a cop/hitman, Killer Joe Cooper to do the job for them.
Problem solved, right? Not quite. Killer Joe won’t do the hit unless he’s paid his fee of $10,000 upfront. Looks like the boys are back to square one and Chris’s days are numbered.
But miracles do happen, even for a low life like Chris. Seems Joe has taken a fancy to kid sister Dottie and he agrees to forgo his $10,000 fee for…one dinner date with the lovely girl. Chris says…no way, but Miss Dottie agrees.
Dinner starts out perfect, but then…well I don’t want to spoil the fun by giving anything a way. But I will tell you that what happens in ‘Killer Joe’ is definitely jaw dropping shocking, making this movie, one you’ll remember for a very long time.
This is also one of director William Friedkin’s best films in years…Which just goes to prove the saying…’some things do get better with age’.
John and I both gave ‘Killer Joe’ which opens in theatres Friday July 27, 2010 4 1/2 bagles out of 5….John’s biggest bagel score in a really long time.
Check out of video for more of our thoughts and…Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film Facebook page.
Let us know your thoughts on this NC17 RATED indie film.
‘Ruby Sparks’ directed by the ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ team of Jonthan Dayton and Valerie Faris was written by Zoe Kazan (Eli’s granddaughter) who also stars in it with her real life boyfriend, Paul Dano.
This is the story of a novelist, Calvin (Paul Dano) who had a mega bestsellar when he was 19, but for the last several years, he’s had major writer’s block.
Poor boy’s is worried that he may be a ‘one hit wonder’. He’s also concerned that his only friend is his dog, Scotty. But Calvin’s not completely alone…He does have his brother Harry (Chris Messina) and his therapist (Elliot Gould) listen to his problems.
Of course, Calvin’s solitary life may have to with the fact that he’s a control freak and Woody Allen neurotic.
But things are about to change for our guy, in ways that neither he or us could ever, imagine.
One night, Calvin dreams about an adorable red headed girl named Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan) He wakes up, heads straight to his typewriter, (no computer for him) and writes about this dream girl.
And to his shock, the girl becomes…real…So real in fact, that one morning, Calvin finds her eating breakfast at his kitchen table.
To say anymore would spoil the fun and ‘Ruby Sparks’ is really…fun. It’s also an original, super-entertaining, off-beat, touching, fantasy love story about…losing control, letting go and taking a chance.
The film has lovely performances by the two leads, as well as a great supporting cast, including Annette Benning as Calvin’s new age mom and Antonio Banderas, as her artistic husband.
‘Ruby Sparks’ which opens in theatres Wednesday, July 25th, 2012 is one of the few films that John and I actually agree on. We both gave it 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see more of our thoughts and please SUBSCRIBE to our youtube channel and LIKE us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page.
LOVE to hear what you think about ‘Ruby Sparks’.
While Stephen Covey passed away, his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will live on forever. Nevertheless, there are more than 7 habits that we need to be effective. In this week’s podcast, coach Deborah Grayson Riegel shares a new set of habits to help us be more effective in work and life.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com.
AND, don’t forget to purchase Deb’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Twenty Five Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
Okay, the bottom line…’The Dark Knight Rises’ directed by the uber talented Christopher Nolan, is not only the very best comic book hero movie ever made, but in my opinion, it’s worthy of an Oscar nod. That’s how good it is.
The film, which was written by Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, with story by David S. Goyer, picks up 8 years after the death of Gotham’s, D. A. Harvey Dent, as well as the death of Bruce Wayne’/Batman’s (Christian Bale) soul mate, Rachel Dawes.
For those of you who may have forgotten, Dent is the dude who went psycho and became the super evil ‘Two Face’. Comissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) convinced Batman to take the fall for Dent’s murder so he could implement extremely harsh anti crime laws.
And it worked. For the last 8 years, Gotham City has been crime free. Problem is…everyone thinks that Dent was a hero and Batman…a villain.
And speaking of the Batman…He’s been hiding out in his mansion, suffering from depression and an assortment of physical ailments. In other words, he is one messed up Super Hero.
But soon everything is about to change…
To quote Selma Kyle, aka Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) as she dances with Bruce Wayne, at a charity ball, thrown by wealthy philanthropist, Miranda Tate (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard),,,’There’s a storm coming’.
And that’s putting it midly. The storm comes in the form of a man known as Bane (Tom Hardy) Bane is a former member of The League Of Shadows. He’s big, bad, brutal and extremely lacking in the looks department…In fact, the dude looks like an alien thanks to a leather tubular mask that covers his face.
Oh and I should mention that Bane sounds a lot like, Darth Vader.
Bane has two goals…Destroy Gotham City and crush Batman…
To say this guy has major anger issues is putting it mildly. You really can’t blame him too much. He spent his formative years in a dark pit and had most of his face has been destroyed.. But hey, no one’s childhood is perfect.
What I really loved about ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ besides the spectacular set pieces (74 minutes of the film was shot with the big Imax camera)) the story hooks you on a deep emotional level, lifting it above your typical ‘comic book super hero’ movie.
Batman/Bruce Wayne is tormented. His heart is broken and he’s lost his direction in life. Even his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) begs him to ‘get out of the house and start living again.
And eventually Bruce/Batman does just that….
The supporting cast, including Joseph Gordon Levitt as policeman John Black who knows Batman’s true identiy and Morgan Freedman, as inventor Lucius Fox are all wonderful
Anne Hathaway, besides looking great in a cat suit, brings just the right of humor to her part.
The stunts, the vehicles, the action are just what you’d expected them to be and more. Plus there are a couple of surprises you won’t see coming.
I gave ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ which opens in theatres Friday July 20, 2012, 5 bagels out of 5 (my highest rated film of 2012)
Check out our funny video for John’s thoughts and his rating.
Please subscribe to us at youtube.com/twojewsonfilm and like us on our Two Jews On Film facebook page. Thanks much.
Also we’d love to know what you think of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the word “innovation.” Arnie asks whether instead of focusing on Innovation, we should think about “sanctification.” What do you think? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our website and on Twitter @JewishConnectiv, […]
In Episode Four of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, “Love & Fear (Part One)”, Hanan and his parents discuss the idea of true love. They discuss what love is really about, and that love is not about the “I” but rather about the other person. Please let us know your thoughts. What did this animation make you think about? What is your concept of love? Please comment below, and begin the conversation. Jewish Food for Thought is made possible through the support of The Covenant Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Culture.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the way we dress, and the ways that what we wear says things about us. What do you think the way you dress says about you? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the numbers that recently came out that indicate that a growing number of Jews define themselves as “Other”. How do you define yourself and your connection to Judaism? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the […]
Conflict at home and in the office can be disastrous — or it can be an opportunity for new learning, rapid growth and improved outcomes. In this podcast, I interview organizational development expert Liz Kislik (www.lizkislik.com) on how to make scuffles a recipe for long-term success.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com.
AND, don’t forget to purchase Deb’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Twenty Five Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
Savages’ directed by the always unpredictable Oliver Stone, has something for everyone…Well almost everyone…Beautiful Califronia beaches, great scenery, beheadings, intense brutal over the top violence, hot sex, three way sex, and…
Some of the best pot grown in the U. S. and her borders.
‘Savages’ is based on the best selling novel by Don Winslow. He, along with Shane Salerno and Oliver Stone wrote this electrifying script.
Ben (Aaron Johnson) is a peace loving Buddist. He likes to spend his spare time helping the children in undeveloped countries. His BFF is quite the opposite to say the least. His name is Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and he is an angry, ex-combat soldier ready to kick ass at a moment’s notice.
These two guys are not only friends, but they are business partners.
The business…Pot…Thanks to the seeds Chon brought back from Afghanistan, they have become extremely successful. Their weed has the highest HGH level in the country.
The guys live in a beautiful house overlooking Laguan Beach along with their shared lover, friend and fellow helper, named ‘O’ (Blake Lively). She loves and makes love to both of them….And there are no complaints from anyone.
In fact, life couldn’t be better for our threesome…Until…
The Mexican Cartel, run by a vicious, drug Queen known as Elena, played by Selma Hayek, in one of her best performances in a very long time decides to join them in their lucrative weed business.
The guys aren’t interested, but unfortunately, Elena can be plenty persuasive when she wants to be…Of course, having a sadistic right hand man, Lado (Benecio Del Toro) makes it quite easy for her to get what she wants.
Lado enjoys cigars, the love of several good women and…chopping off heads. Hey, no one’s perfect
In ‘Savages’ Stone does what Stone does best – He gives us non-stop, over the top, edge of your seat, violence, with a big dash of sexuality and sex.
Yes, the film is gory, with two different endings, but it takes you into a world that most people would prefer not to look at, but just like seeing a car collision, we can’t help but peek.
I must mention that John Travolta gives an extremely entertaining performance as a crooked DEA agent whose wife is dying of cancer..
‘Savages’ which opens in theatres Friday July 6, 2012 received 4 bagels out of 5 from me and John came pretty close in his bagel rating as well. Check out our video for more of our thoughts.
Please subscribe to our youtube channel and like us on our Two Jews On Film Facebook page. Thanks everyone.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the difficult times in which we live, and the ways in which we all respond to these troublling times. His main question is “What’s The Worst That Could Happen?” He then explores Joeb, for whom the worst cast cenario […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about “spirituality.” What does spirituality mean to you? One idea is that it is just aiming for something that you want to reach for. It doesn’t have to be about the supernatural or connect to religion or religious practice. Do […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the need to take some down time. We all are so worried about missing things that we never take some time off. If you take a little time off, you will find that the rest of your life will […]
The Amazing Spider-Man, shot in 3D and directed by Mark Webb (500 Days Of Summer) is an edgy, emotional, action pack, at times, boring, movie. Yes I did use the ‘b’ word.
In this version, which is definitely in my opinion, an improvement over all the ‘Spider Man films that came before, we meet Peter Parker (Max Charles) as a young boy.
His father, (Campbell Scott) a renowned scientist and his mother, fearing that their about to killed or worse, leave their young son with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and his wife, Aunt May (Sally Fields) to raise.
We flash forward years later where Peter (Andrew Garfield) is now a skateboarder/science nerd/photographer filled with major angst. He’s an outcast in school and is constantly getting picked on by the jocks. His only friend, is the gorgeous Gwen (Emma Stone) who he secretly has the hots for.
Peter’s humiliation, however, is about to end….He finds one of his dad’s old research papers, which send him to the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) Parker Sr’s former partner.
At the lab, Peter gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and well…the rest is history.
Watching Peter getting use to his powers is actually one of the more entertaining aspects of the film…That is, until he meets his nemesis…Not wanting to spoil anything, I’ll just call him…A VERY BIG ANGRY GREEN LIZARD MAN…
Unfortunately, the action doesn’t come until the last 40 minutes of the film and watching Peter’s awkardness with Gwen, becomes grating after a while.
But having said that, if you are a fan of this genre, ‘The Amazing Spider Man’ is definitely a ‘must see’ for you.
The special effects are great and I liked Andrew Garfield quite a lot as the high flying/jumping/crime fighting/flawed super hero.
It’s for that reason I gave ‘The Amazing Spider Man’ which opens in theatres, Wednesday July 3rd, 2012, 4 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video for John’s rating and more of our bantering. Oh, and to meet Noodle, our Diva Japanese Chin.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
I love talking animals and I have to admit, I own quite a few. Granted they’re stuffed with a vocabulary of not more than 10 words…which definitely doesn’t even come close to the vocabulary of ‘Teddy’, the foul mouth, boozing, pot smoking, oversexed bear.
Teddy, is one of the stars of Seth McFarland’s new film…’Ted’. McFarland, for those of you who aren’t into animated tv shows, is the creator of ‘Family Guy’ and ‘The Cleveland Show’
And just like these edgy sitcoms, ‘Ted’ is hysterically funny, outrageous and wonderfully politically incorrect.
When the film opens, we meet John, a lonely, awkard 8 year old, who is given a teddy bear for Xmas. Before he goes to sleep, John makes a wish for Teddy to be alive so he can have a real friend for life.
Come morning, Teddy is not only alive, but he walks, talk, eats and becomes an overnight star…Even making an appearance on the Johnny Carson show.
Well, we all know what happens to childhood stars (think Cory Feldman). They grow up and fade away and that’s exactly what happens to Teddy.
Flash forward 20 years. John (Mark Wahlberg) is 35 and still lives with Teddy. They spend their time smoking pot, drinking and watching reruns of their favorite t.v. show ‘Flash Gordon’.
John works in a rental car company while Teddy lounges around the house getting wasted. He couldn’t be happier…
Unfortunately, for him…things are soon about to change…
Lori (Mila Kunis) John’s super gorgeous, super sweet girlfriend has reached her boiling point. She wants John to grow up and get serious about their relationship….which means…
John is going to have to make a choice…Lori or Teddy.
This leads to a series of events that involve a kidnapping, a concert, a break-up and a great deal of LOL moments.
‘Ted’ which has a great supporting cast, including…Giovanni Ribisi, Alden Minchi, Jennifer Barth, Sam T. Jones (Flash Gordon) Norah Jones and a surprising cameo by Ryan Reynolds is one of the most entertaining, original comedies I’ve seen this year.
It’s a must see and that’s why I gave this film, which opens Friday, June 29th, 2012… 4 bagels out of 5…
Check out our video to see our surprise guest (Hint: Ted’s new girlfriend) and John’s surprising ‘bagel’ score.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Most of the time, when you see a film, after you’ve read the book, you feel let down. The movie usually pales in comparison to the novel.
I am happy to report this isn’t the case with ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’
The film, shot in 3D and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (I’ve never heard of him either) is entertaining, exciting, clever and total fun.
We meet Abe Lincoln as a boy…a happy carefree boy, until one dark and stormy night, his mother is bitten by a vampire and dies. Years later, the same fate takes his dad.
Lincoln is pissed…All he wants his vengence…Translation: To kill every single vampire on planet earth…give or take one or two.
Now this proves problematic, since vampires are stronger, and faster than us humans…Plus they can fly, as well as disappear, which makes them really, really difficult to destroy.
But that doesn’t stop our young Abe. He practices and practices and eventually it pays off. Let’s just say, this is one dude that knows what to do with an ax.
We follow him into adulthood. Abe gets a job as a clerk in a General Store and then one day…
He meets a mysterious man, named Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper) Henry hates vampires as much as Lincoln does and agrees to train him. Soon, Abe becomes…one kick-ass vampire hunter.
Because of his hatred of slavery, Lincoln gets into politics to abolish it and in case one or two of you weren’t paying attention in history class…becomes the 16th President of the U.S.
Lincoln also falls in love and marries the beautiful Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and for a while, gives up hunting. You can’t blame him, running a country does take up a lot of ones time.
Of course, due to various circumstances, Abe’s need for vengence come back stronger than ever. And this time, he has the whole Northern army behind him.
‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ was written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the novel. The film has the feel of a comic book/graphic novel…with Lincoln as a Super-Hero.
By the way, these vampires are nothing like the hot, sexy dudes in ‘True Blood’ or ‘The Vampire Dairies’. These bloodsuckers have long, sharp, pointy teeth and when they opened their big mouths, I jumped out of my seat more than once.
I gave ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’, which opens in theatres, Friday June 22, 2012, 4 bagels out of 5 because I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on history.
Check out our video to see John’s rating and his throughts…The guy actually liked it.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about a topic that we often don’t look forward to talking about, loss, and mourning and death. But he focuses on the little things as much as the big ones. Have you taken the time to mourn the loss of […]
Last year, one of my top 3 favorite films was Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight In Paris’…an exquisite homage to the magical city of lights.
Now, I’m happy to report, Woody has done it again with ‘To Rome With Love’.
He’s written and directed a quirky, satirical, funny, and beautiful film about the people who visit, live, work, fall in love and get lost in this enchanting, eternal city.
We meet famed architect, John (Alex Baldwin) who lived in Rome in his youth, and is now vacationing there.
Walking the streets of Rome, he meets a young architect student, Jack (Jessie Eisenberg) a young man, not unlike himself. As he watches Jack fall heard over heels for Monica (Ellen Page) his girlfriend, Sally’s (Greta Gerwig) dazzling, narcissistic actress friend, John relives one of his most romantically painful episodes of his own life.
Then there’s Hayley (Alison Pill) who introduces her dad Jerry (Woody Allen) a kvetching, retired Opera director and her psychiatrist mom, Phyllis (Judy Davis) to her Italian fiancee, Michaelangelo (Flavio Parenti) and his family…
When Jerry hears her father, Giancarlo (renowned tenor Fabio Armiliato) an undertaker, sing arias in the shower. Jerry clutches at the opportunity to promote Giancarlo and rejuvenate his own career.
There’s also a comic, biting, insightful story about, the price of fame, when Leopoldo (Roberto Benigni) becomes famous for…absolutely nothing.
And lastly, we meet Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) and his new wife Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) who have come to Rome so he can take an upscale big city job with his wealthy uncle’s law firm.
Through a series of very funny events, Antonio winds up passing off high class hooker (Penelope Cruz) as his wife and Milly gets to be romanced by a legendary movie star, Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese)
All of these people, before the film ends, will have their lives changed forever and you will leave the theatre smiling. I know I did and for that reason, I gave ‘To Rome With Love’ which opens in theatres Friday, June 22, 2012 4 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see John’s rating and our funny banter.
First, the perks about knowing that planet Earth will no longer exist in 21 days…
At the office, every day is now casual Friday…You can have mindless sex without worrying about disease or incest and…when asked, ‘What are you doing the rest of your life’, you can respond in one sentence or less.
That’s right folks, it’s another ‘end of days’ movie…There were several of them in 2011 as you know. Hope someone isn’t trying to tell us something…
In this new, farewell to Mother earth film, Matilda, a 70 mile asteroid, is headed toward our planet and we have just three weeks to do…whatever the hell we want to do…before it’s all over.
Of course, for Dodge (Steve Carell) an insurance salesman, who’s spent his whole life playing it safe, that means…having some ‘me’ time, trying to fire his cleaning lady and thinking about all the women that got away…including his wife…who just left him.
His neighbor, Penny on the other hand, a spontaneous, extroverted, free spirit seems to be spending her last weeks on earth, fighting with her boyfriend (Adam Brody) and crying over not being able to join her family in England..
‘Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World’, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (‘Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist’) is a funny, disturbing and touching film, about ordinary people dealing with…an extraordinary situation….
Dodge expects to spend the next three weeks alone in his apartment, but then two very unexpected things happen…
He winds up rescuing a dog and Penny knocks on his door with a lost letter…A letter that could alter Dodge’s future: It’s from his high-school sweetheart, Oliva, the love of his life.
When a riot breaks out around their apartment building, Dodge realizes that he must seek Olivia out before it’s too late, while Penny makes the decision to somehow return home across the seas.
Dodge promises to help Penny, (seems he knows a guy with a plane)if she’ll take him in her car to see Olivia. She agrees and off they go…Yes the dog is with them.
On the road, this odd ball couple go on a journey…a physical as well as an emotional one.
They share their personal history with each other…visit old friends…and spend time with people who all have their own unique way of handling this once in a lifetime event.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity looks at the beliefs that we all hold, even when we know that they don’t REALLY make sense. What are your core beliefs? Rambam had his core thirteen beliefs, what are yours? You don’t need to have thirteen, but what are […]
Sometimes, a good actor can make a bad movie worth watching. Sometimes a bad actor, can make a bad film…Really unwatchable.
That is definitely the case with ‘Rock Of Ages’ directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray).
Julianne Hough is a great dancer, but when it comes to acting and singing, not very good. The chick is bland and just plain boring…And…
Unfortunately, so is her co-star…Diego Boneta. Granted he has a good voice, but he doesn’t come across much better in the charisma department.
Of course, they’re not the only problem with this film. ‘Rock Of Ages’ written by Justin Therous, Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb is based on D’Arienzo’s Broadway musical of the same name.
This type of musical falls into the category of a ‘Juke Box Musical’…It’s all about the music…The dialogue, the plot, the struture…falls to the wayside.
Okay, here are the clift notes…
Boy, Drew (Diego) meets girl, Sherrie (Julianne)…They’ve come to the bright lights of the Sunset Strip to make it big in the music biz…And before you can say…’We Built This City On Rock And Roll’…the two of them, fall in love.
You know they are in love, because every 5 seconds, they sing about it, while Julianne’s hair blows in the wind.
Okay, now all this is taking place at The Burbon Room, owned by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand. It’s here that musicians go to get discovered and hot chicks go…to party and nail, whoever.
Catherine Zeta Jones and her hubby the Mayor, Bryan Cranston want to shut the club down because…they sing about it.
Moving along…After looking into each other’s eyes and breaking into song for the first 80 minutes…Drew mistakenly thinks Sherri and burnt out rock and roll super star Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) have had sex.
By the way Mr. Cruise kills in the part. Plus he has a four range octave and sings his ass off…One of his best performances in a long time.
Okay, so our couple breaks up…Sherri gets work as a stripper. where for some reason. Mary J. Blige hangs out…
Drew takes the advice of his sleezy manager, Paul Giamatti, gives up Rock and roll to become a white rapper in a Boy Band…
What happens next? Well believe me, I doubt at this point, you’ll even care. All I wanted was everyone to stop singing.
My recommendation: if you’re into music from the 80’s, skip ‘Rock Of Ages’ which opens Friday, June 15, 2012 and instead, download the songs from I tunes.
I gave the film 2 bagels out of 5 and that was only because of Tom, as well as, Malin Ackerman, who plays a Rolling Stone reporter.
First the good news: ‘That’s My Boy’ directed by Sean Anders, has one of the funniest opening scenes of any Adam Sandler film I’ve seen in a really long time.
The year is 1984…13 year old Donnie Berger, (an excellent Justin Weaver) rises to fame after a hot affair with his gorgeous, super sexy math teacher, Mary McGarricle, (Eva Amurri Martino).
Donnie winds up making six figures for his life story, becomes a national hero and even gets on the cover of Tiger Beat, the premier teen magazine.. Life couldn’t be better for our young stud.
However, life turns out slightly different for his baby-mama. That’s right, the potent Donnie, impregnates Ms. Mary…and she winds up getting sent to prison for 30 years.
Donnie gets custody of his son, whom he names Hans Solo, and raises him…badly…for 18 years.
Which brings us to the present…25 years after Donnie’s five minutes of fame, we find him broke, owing the IRS $42,000 and he’s about to be sent to jail for tax evasion. What is a talentless, loser to do?
Crash his son’s wedding of course.
Randy Morgan (Dan Patrick) a sleezy reality producer promises Donnie $50 grand if he can arrange a reunion between himself, his son and McGarricle, who’s still in the joint and…now looks a lot like Susan Sarandon.
This could be a big problem since…
Hans, has since changed his name to Todd, is a super successful business man, and hasn’t seen Donnie in almost ten years. He tells everyone that his parents died in an explosion. Also…
Todd is about to be married to a beautiful, controlling gold digger, named Jamie (Leighton Meester) and thanks to her charms…
Todd’s boss, Steve (Tony Orlando) has graciously invited the whole wedding party to his estate for a weekend of celebration before the big date.
Okay, so…
Donnie shows up, pretends to be his son’s long time friend and much to Todd’s chagrin…winds up the STAR of the weekend.
Everyone, including Steve’s elderly, but still horny grandma, as well as, Jamie’s straight parents (Will Forte, Rachel Dratch) and her weirdly weird Marine brother, Chad (Milo Ventimiglia)…love him.
‘That’s My Boy’ is filled with outrageous, raunchy, over the top humor…At times, the film is actually funny, in a sophmoric kind of a way…other times it’s silly, but most of the time…It’s really, really stupid.
There is something for everyone: Lots of penis jokes, nudity, sex with the elderly, sex with relatives, sex with stripers…You get the idea.
Humor is subjective and I guess, in the end, Sandler’s humor just doesn’t appeal to me. For that reason, I gave ‘That’s My Boy’ which opens in theatres, June 15, 2012, only 2 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see John’s thoughts and his bagel rating.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks directly to his male listeners. He looks at the ways in which men and women are different. What would be the kinds of things, the traits that may not be characteristically masculine, that you would like to incorporate into your […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the question of what your vision is. When was the last time you checked your Hazon, your vision? When you listen to this podcast, did you hear anything that you have heard before? Was there any musical lyrics that […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the question of what you need to learn to get to where you want to be. What are the places that you want to be and what do you need to learn to get there? Please let us know […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about language, and the ways in which the words we use can impact the life we live. In what ways has language helped and/or hurt you? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our […]
What if you had the chance to meet the people who created you…And by you…I mean the human race. Could you resist such an opportunity?
Two brilliant scientists, the intense, religious Dr. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and the very unspiritual Dr. Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) certainly can’t.
Not after they discover a series of cave paintings, that turn out to be a star map, left by several ancient Earth civilizations, that points to the same location in distant space. They believe that they found the planet that is home to the engineers of the human race. And Shaw and Holloway are determined to pay them a visit.
Luckily, the scientists are able to get the backing of a wealthy, visionary, Peter Weyland (an unreconizable Guy Pearce) head of Weyland Industries.
We meet the super old, Mr. W. as a hologram and not wanting to give too much away, that’s all I’ll say about him…Except for the fact, that he arranges for his ice princess daughter, Vickers (Charlize Theron) to head up the mission.
Now what would the prequel to ‘Alien’ be without an android.
This time his name is David (Michael Fassbender) and just like in the 1979 film, he’s cold, calculating, childlike and personally, I think a bit of a pervert.
For example…While the crew is in stasis, David passes the time rumaging through the mind of Dr. Shaw. Okay, he also watches the film ‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ over and over again so he can learn to mimic Peter O’Toole’s voice.
So after a two year sleep, our space travelers, which include Jarek (Idris Elba) a no nonsense captain wake up and arrive on the planet of our creators. And…
Let’s just say they’re in for a lot of surprises…Most of them are terrifying, twisted, dark and occasionally, super gross. Oh and there’s a good chance that mankind might get obilterated.
‘Prometheus’ shot in 3D is directed by the 74 year young, Sir Ridley Scott and he’s put together a film that is exciting, visually stunning and scary as hell…A film you’ll remember long after the credits roll.
I absolutely loved ‘Prometheus which opens in theatres Friday June 8, 2012 and gave it 4 1/2 bagels out of 5.
Check out our video to see what John thoughts were. Let’s just say we’re on very different planets when it comes to this film.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the idea that a person has to learn to be “selfish”. What does that mean? He expands that in order to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself. This is something that we can learn from […]
Okay folks, ‘Snow White’ is back and this time, she’s mad as hell and ready to kick some butt.
First off, I must ask…Did we really need two films this year about Miss White? Personally, I think one was too many.
In any case, ‘Snow White And The Huntsman’ directed by Rupert Sanders, stars Kristen Stewart as Snow, Charlize Theron, as the super evil Queen, Ravenna and Chris Helmsworth as the hunky Huntsman.
We all know the story, so I’ll be brief…
Ravenna feeds on the souls of virgins in order to maintain her youthful glow…Guess she never heard about Botox. After she kills off her hubby, the King, she locks Snow White up in a damp, dingy, dreadful basement and basically makes her subjects extremely unhappy.
One day, Ravenna’s creepy brother, Finn (Sam Spruell) drops in on Snow and it’s not for conversation. When he tries to put the moves on her, Snow stabs him and escapes…Right into the…
Dark Forest, where all kinds of nasty creatures await…
Meanwhile, back at the palace, the raging Ravenna consults with her mirror…
The mirror oozes this gold liquid which morphs into some sort of weird figure, who sounds very much like Darth Vader. He tells Ravenna that the only way she obtain immortality, is to eat Snow’s heart. Ravenna, not being a vegan, has absolutely no problem with this.
Now, Ravenna’s powers don’t work in the Dark Forest she sends The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) after her. In all fairness, at first he balks at the assignment. But when Ravenna promises to bring back his dead wife, The Huntsman agrees…and…
We all know what happens when a goodlooking guy goes after a hot chick. He falls in love with her of course. So instead of killing Snow…the Huntsman saves her and together…and with the help of…the dwarfts, who are in no particular order…
Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost and Eddie Marsan, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson and Toby Jones as well as an old family friend, the handsome Prince (Sam Claflin) they all band together to take down Ravenna and restore the Kingdom to its glory days.
My problem with the film is that it takes itself way too seriously. It completely lacks humor.
Charlize Theron, who is one of my favorite actresses, is way over the top. Kristen Stewart who is not one of my favorite actresses, is very bland and lacks chemistry with the two male leads.
Plus the film has several different styles going on and suffers from the…It doesn’t know what it wants to be…syndrome.
With that said, I gave ‘Snow White And The Huntsman’ 3 bagels out of 5. The film opens in theatres Friday, June 1, 2012. Check out our video to see John’s thoughts and his rating.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about a question that was asked of him years agim and that has never left him. The question was “What Is Your Legacy?” It is not hard to figure out where your legacy would be today, but what might it […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about a meeting he had with Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay and how at their meeting they talked about the work that both of them do, him at Jewish Connectivity and she at Avodah. This lead to a conversation about how to […]
Okay people…They are back…
Those alien fighting dudes, in their black sport jackets, white shirts, skinny ties, shooting gadgets that can wipe your memory clean, faster than you can say ‘The Martians Are Coming’
Not only are they back, after a fifteen year absence, but…Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith) are better than ever. And that’s…
Thanks to director, Barry Sonnenfeld and the screenwriters, Etan Cohen, and David Koepp, based on the comic by Lowell Cunningham the third in the franchise
The plot, without giving too much away, involves…time travel, a super grotesque alien known as Boris The Animal (Jermaine Clement) who can shoot ugly deadly spider like creatures from his various orifices…
A super adorable fifth dimension alien (aren’t they all?) named Griffin (Michael Stulberg) who is able to see several different futures all at the same time…
Andy Warhol (Bill Hader) a younger Agent K (the wonderful Josh Brolin who does a killer imitation of Tommy Lee) Emma Thomas as the head of MIB, her younger self (Alice Eva) and all sorts of fun and at times…gross things.
On an aside…I don’t think I’ll eat Chinese food for a very long time.
Anyway, to summarize…Boris escapes from his maxim security prison on the moon and he’s really, really pissed. You can’t blame him. His race has been wiped out of existence, and thanks to Agent K, he’s been locked up for over 40 years. Now, he wants one thing…Well maybe two or three…
Travel back in time to 1969, kill Agent K and with the help of his peeps, invade earth.
Luckily for K, J will do anything and everything to stop this from happening. What are partners for, right?
‘Men In Black 3’ shot in 3D, is exciting, super funny, and has exciting action and effects. But what makes this film my favorite in the franchise is that the script focuses on the relationship between Agent K and Agent J and…there’s a really nice reveal toward the end.
By the way’ MIB3 like the first two, is filled with all kinds of important information including…All models are aliens and…Well, you just have to see this film, which opens in theatres May 25, 2012, to find out the rest.
I gave ‘Men In Black 3’ 4 bagels out of 5, Check out our video to see John’s bagel rating and to see him shoot a couple of aliens.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about his love for Karaoke. He talks about the reasons that he enjoys this activity, and then talks about how this is similar to the experience of when the Israelites crossed the sea, like in Karaoke, the Israelites sang what […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the questions that come out when he is coaching people about changes in their lives. He likes to ask whether they are running away from something, or if they are running towards something. During the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites […]
‘Battleship’ directed by Peter Berg (Hancock) has a poorly constructed script, ridiculous dialogue, cardboard charcters and it’s really, really loud.
It does have bad ass aliens and some exciting visual effects, but that is not enough to save this $200,000,000 fiasco.
When the film opens, we find out that a group of scientists in Hawaii, have sent out a signal to Planet G whose atmosphere is similar to ours. They must have been thinking…Wow, another planet we get to ruin…Anyway to the scientists surprise, their signal is heard.
That’s right folks…The extra terrestials are coming to visit and these dudes are not your mama’s aliens.
Unfortunately before our visitors get here…we are subjected to…A really hackneyed plot and slew of boring, bland characters,including…
Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) a bad boy who’s celebrating his 26th birthday in a local bar with his big brother, Stone,(Alexander Skarsgard) a Naval Commander.
Alex overhears a girl…Samantha (the very blond Brooklyn Decker) ordering a chicken burrito…Too bad the kitchen is closed. But not to worry…Hopper is on it.
He breaks into a local convenience store, and returns with…one big fat chicken burrito. Too bad for Alex, he gets arrested before Samantha can see his six pack.
But no worries, once you give a girl food, she’s yours forever…At least according to Erich and Jon Hoeber, the writers of this mess.
Moving right along, Stone tells his brother he has to get his act together and the next thing we know…
Alex is a lieutenant in the Navy, under the command of, none other than Samantha’s father, Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson) and he’s about to participate in the annual international war games which takes place at sea on these super sized ships…(Navy men from all over the world get together to fake destroy each other).
Little did Alex know, that before two long hours are up, it would be up to him to save the world from extinction. Lucky for him, Rhianna is on his crew…and all I have to say is…why? why? why?
‘Battleship’ which got one and a half bagels from me, is based on the Hasbro naval combat game and I’d recommend buying the game and avoiding this movie…Unless you’re an eight or nine year old boy.
Check out our video to see John’s thoughts on ‘Battleship’ which opens in theatres, Friday May 18, 2012
Sacha Baron Cohen…People either love him or hate him. It’s hard to feel indifferent about this outrageous, over the top, and at times, super obnoxious, man. Personally, I admire his chutzpah.
In his new film, ‘The Dictator’ a mock-documentary directed by Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno and Religulous) Sacha plays Admiral General Aladeen, a bearded North African dictator of the oil rich country, Wadiyas.
To get a sense about what kind of man the Admiral General is…His heroes are North Korea’s Kim Jong-il, Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein.
Aladeen has been in power since he was seven years old and he’s an ignorant egomaniac, who thinks nothing about ordering the death of anyone who displeases him…And practically everyone, at some point, displeases him.
Like most dictators, Aladeen has doubles that stand in for him and they usually wind up shot in the head from an assassian’s bullet. This is one General with a lot of enemies…
Including…his right hand man Tamir (Ben Kingsley). Tamir is secretly planning to overthrow Aladeen, take over the government so he can sell off the country’s oil rights. Which brings us to the heart of the plot.
Aladeen and his posse are going to New York City so he can address the U.N…And that’s where Tamir plans on kidnapping Mr. Admiral General and replacing him with this really stupid shepherd dude, (Sacha Baron Cohen)who just happens to look exactly like…Aladeen…
Got it?…Okay. so…Aladeen arrives in The Big Apple and before he can pig out on pizza and pretzels, his so called security chief (John C. Reilly) kidnaps him. This is actually one of the funnier scenes in the film. Reily pulls out his torture items and Aladeen starts to ridicule him about his inferior, outdated equipment.
As Reily becomes unhinged from embarrasement, Aladeen starts a fire and gets away…Unfortunately, he winds up losing his beard and his clothes in the process…And now, no one recognizes him.
Poor, poor Aladeen…all alone…broke, dirty, wandering the streets of New York with not a camel or servant in sight…Karma’s a bitch, right?
Well, apparently not for Aladeen. He winds up at an anti-Aladeen protest, and meets, Zoey (Anna Faris) a vegan/feminist/politically very correct chick who manages The Free Earth Collective. And from there…well, you just have to see the film to find out what happens.
I can tell you that ‘The Dictator’ written by Sacha, Alec Berg, David Mandell and Jeff Schaeffer is funny, at times hysterically funny, politcally very incorrect, sexually bizarre, really gross but it’s also kind of charming…in a weird twisted sort of way.
And for all those reasons, I gave ‘The Dictator’ which opens in theatres Wednesday, May 16th. 3 1/2 bagels out of 5. If you’re a fan of Sacha’s, it’s a must see.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about writing our Fifty Word Jewish Journey. What does your current Fifty Word Jewish Journey look like? What about your Fifty Word Jewish Journey next year? How will you get from one to the other? Please let us know on […]
For those of you, like myself, who aren’t familiar with the television series ‘Dark Shadows’ which ran from 1966-1971, here are the film’s cliff notes…
The year…1750 (give or take)
A wealthy young man named Barnabus Collins (Johnny Depp) gets it on with his maid, Angelique (Eva Green) who just happens to be a witch…She feels the love…He…not so much. Witch gets pissed…Turns Barnabus into a vampire, locks him in a coffin, which she then buries deep in the ground.
Still not satisfied, Angelique kills Barnabus’s one true love, as well as his parents, and then, she spends the next two centuries destroying the rest of his family. This is one witch with major anger issues.
Now, let’s fast forward to 1972. For those of you, too lazy to do the math…two hundred years have past….Thanks to a group of construction workers, Barnabas is released from his coffin. He thanks the workers by eating them…
After quenching his appetite, Barnabus makes his way back home…But his super sized mansion known as Collingswood, is not exactly as he remembers.
The once grandly estate is now dilapated filled with old furniture in need of a good dusting, a dirty chandelier and…the Collins descendents…who are in no particular order…
Matariarch, Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer)…her rebellious teenage daughter, Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz), Roger, (Jonny Lee Miller), Lizzie’s bum of a brother, his precocious 10 year old son, David (Gully McGrath) who has conversations with his dead mother.
This unhappy little group also shares their home with victoria, the nanny (Bella Heathcote) who happens to look exactly like Barnabas’s dead soul mate, a caretaker, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley) and a live in psychiatrist, Dr. Julie Hoffman (the fantastic Helena Bonham Carter).
Okay, so Barnabus arrives home, meets the clan, shares his secret identity with Elizabeth and gets to work restoring the family to its former glory.
Of course along the way, he must deal with televisions, lava lamps, women doctors, mini skirts, pot smoking hippies, and everything else that was part of the 70’s culture…including a Alice Cooper and a happening.
Oh, there’s one other small thing…Angelica, the love sick witch, is not only alive and well and running the town of Collinsport, but she still has the hots for Barnabus and will do everything and anything to make him hers.
‘Dark Shadows’ directed by Tim Burton and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer) is a fun, campy and visually beautiful film.
Does it have some problems?…Yes…I felt Johnny Depp’s performance was one note and at times, the film felt stuck between two or three different genres. But having said that, I still enjoyed it and gave it 3 1/2 bagels out of 5.
John, on the other hand…did not share my opinion. Check out our video to see his throughts.
‘Dark Shadows’ opens in theatres Friday, May 11, 2012.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the ways in which we talk about the things that we would die for, but that we don’t really talk about those things that we live for. In Jewish tradition we talk both about those things that we would […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about this election year, and our desire to find good people to serve as our leaders. He references how difficult it is to find good leaders, and talks about how many of the leaders in the Torah are flawed in […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity thinks about the start of the baseball season. He focuses on the relationship between the players and the teams, which is to say that players can be traded, and thus forced to move from place to place without consideration for their […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity begins to think about Shavuot. The story of Shavuot is that of Moses going up Mount Sinai to receive the torah. Arnie wonders what preperations Moses made for this huge voyage. How did Moses begin to prepare himself for this adventure. […]
‘The Avengers’ written and directed by Joss Whedon (‘Cabin In The Woods’) has not one, not two, but six Super Heroes, who, under the leadership of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. come together to…save the planet of course…
And thanks to the spot on direction of Mr. Whedon and his production team, they do it brilliantly. The film, shot in 3D, works on every level.
Not to spoil anything…Here are the broad strokes…
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) Thor’s bro, who many of us met in the 2011 film entitled…’Thor’, is still up to no good.
After his adorable blond brother, Thor, thwarted his attempt to overthrow the throne of Asgard, the super evil, power hungry Loki, winds up somewhere in outer space and hooks up (not in the biblical sense of course) with these really ugly aliens, known as the Kree Skrull, who would like nothing better than to invade earth.
Perfect fit for Loki, who obviously has a major God complex and won’t be happy until everyone on our planet bows down to him. The boy is in serious need of psychological help…
To make matters worse, Loki has gained possession of the Tesseract…aka…The Cosmic Cube…a device that can multi task…Destroy everything in its path, be used as an unlimited energy source and…can open a portal to outer space.
Lucky for us, Mr. Fury has assembled a team of Super Heroes, that we’ve all come to know and love, to defeat these nasty invaders.
In no particular order, we have…Tony Stark/Iron Man played by Robert Downey Jr., who once again gives us a tour de force performance…Steve Rogers/Capt. America (Chris Evans), the cute guy who emerged from a long deep freeze, sometime last year…
Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)…One minute Banner is this brilliant scientist…the next…a not so jolly green giant with major anger issues…
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johannson) the hot, sexy, super assassin, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his trusted, Mjolnir (no it’s not his exotic BFF…It’s his legendary hammer)
And finally…Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who can shoot a bow and arrow better than some Boy Scouts I know.
‘The Avengers’ not only has spectacular production values, super exciting action, a wonderful script (Zac Penn shares story credit with Joss) but the film is filled with a lot of…humor, making it a must-see for everyone…whether you’ve read the Marvel comics or not.
I gave ‘The Avengers’ which opens in theatres, Friday May 6, 2012…5 bagels out of 5 and…John, came pretty close with his rating, as well. Yes, there are movies he likes, afterall.
Check out our video to see his thoughts and more of mine.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about Yemot Hamashiach, The Messianic Era. While some believe that the Messianic Era will come when the Messiah arrives, perhaps we need to make the Messianic era for ourselves. What is your vision of the messianic era? WHat types of […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about his recent trip to Las Vegas, and how struck he was by the role of gambling in Sin City. While Jewish texts do not forbid gambling, Arnie thinks through how much we all gamble, and not just at the […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the tradition of Shaliach Mitzvah Money. The idea behind this is that when one is traveling to do a mitzvah then they will be protected as they are on a mission to do a good deed. What are the […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the two Jewish holidays between which we find ourselves. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day.) From here, Arnie reflects on why we focus on the times when negative things happen to us more then […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the fact that in the amidah prayer, we say “The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, The God of Jacob, The God of Sara…” We reference each God separately because each of our ancestors had their own relationship […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about Moses who is a great example of a person who has to make huge changes in his life. What do you do when you are forced or motivated to make changes? Please let us know your thougths on our […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the month of Nissan, the start of Spring, and the tradition of going out and giving a Bracha/blessing for the new flowers. Do you “stop to smell the roses”? Take moments to bless the world around us? What are […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about a key element of Judaism, humanity being Betzelem Elohim, In God’s Image. How do you deal with those who seem less “godly” those people who are difficult to deal with? Please let us know your thougths on our Facebook […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the tradition of blessing ones children on Friday night/Shabbat. Why is it that we don’t naturally give blessings to our children, and to the people we love. Do you bless your children? Whose memory would you invoke? Please let […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the chassidic custom of saying special words when we burn our “chametz” that indicates that chametz is haughty, and thus as we take on the “humble bread” we should reflect in order to reclaim a level of humility. tradition […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan discusses the path the Israelites took through the Sinai after leaving Egypt, and explores the question of taking the fastest path in life, or the road less traveled. How do you travel? Let us know on twitter @JewishConnectiv using the hashtag #Tzomet or […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the tradition of linking a persons hebrew name to a sentence from the Torah/Bible. Even if you have not been given a verse, think about what verse speaks to YOU. Please let us know yours on our Facebook page […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the role of Nissan as the start of a new year. What are your mileposts? How do you mark time? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our website and on Twitter @JewishConnectiv, […]
In this episode of Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity talks about the role of Nissan as the start of a new year. What are your mileposts? How do you mark time? Please let us know on our Facebook page Facebook.com/JCastNetwork, in the comments on our website and on Twitter @JewishConnectiv, […]
Welcome to Meet Me At the Tzomet (the Intersection) The newest podcast on JCast Network. In this episode, Rabbi Arnie Samlan, of Jewish Connectivity introduces us to the podcast, and gives us a sense of what you can expect in future episodes. We look forward to having you join us on this journey.
Wait For It… Wait For It! Coming, Monday March 26th, 9AM SHARP (Eastern Time) the newest podcast on JCast Network, Meet Me At the Tzomet (The Intersection) with Jewish Connectivity’s Rabbi Arnie Samlan. We Hope that you will be listening, and if you want to subscribe in advance, please CLICK HERE
This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to attend the 50th Anniversary of Camp Ramah Nyack. Ramah Day Camp in Nyack’s 50th Anniversary Gala was a magical evening with over 300 guests in attendance, time with old friends, lots of reminiscing, dancing and the spirit of Ramah. At the event they honored six amazing individuals:Estelle & Allan Eisenkraft, Sharon Rappaport Yaira Singer & Matthew Binstock, Doron Kenter and made a special presentation to Rabbi Al Thaler.
Do you need to “Take A Day”? How about “Make Things Happen”? In this episode of Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy, Success Solutions for Work and Lifecoach Deborah Grayson Riegel invites you to consider your personal motto. She discusses why mottos are important, shares three different types of mottos, and gives you a quick and easy exercise to create your own motto.
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or @deborahgriegel on her website MyJewishCoach.com and ElevatedTraining.com
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Responsibility by Naomi Less off her album, The Real Me.
This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to attend the Jewish Week Grand Wine Tasting at City Winery. Wine is critical part of passover. You need to have 4 cups of wine during your seder and there are a lot of wines to select from. We attended the Jewish Week’s Grand Wine Tasting at the City Winery and got an in-depth look into the best kosher wines and liquors on the market today. In addition to wine, Aaron spoke with the owner of Skyview Wine and Spirits, and got a little information about what kinds of spirits are available this Passover.
This week, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman took the time to meet with the app developers from Rusty Brick. He has the opportunity to discuss the ways in which mobile technology has entered the educational and personal realm. With projects like their Megillas Esther app, their Siddur app, and similar products… don’t be surprised if you find people with their iPhones and iPads when you are in shul.
In the premier episode of Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy, Success Solutions for Work and Life coach Deborah Grayson Riegel invites the listener to take part in an exercise called “The Wheel Of Your Life.” Through this activity, you will gain a better sense of what areas of your life you are feeling success, and in which areas you may want to focus on making change.
“The Wheel of Your Life” has eight segments, which are listed below, but to learn more take some time to listen to the podcast.
- Finance
- Personal Growth
- Health
- Family
- Relationships
- Social Life
- Physical Environment
- Career
If you would like to contact Deb, she can be reached on facebook at facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel or via twitter @myjewishcoach or on her website MyJewishCoach.com
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Kottke And The Orchids, off Yair Yona’s new album World Behind Curtains.
This week, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman was on vacation. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a new episode for us. Insteard, Aaron gave us a look at what to do when you are on a vacation where there is no kosher food available. He shows us how he prepares La Briute foods, kosher foods that can be prepared on-the-go.
In this preview episode cross-posted with The JCast Journey, host Darone Ruskay sits down to talk with Deborah Grayson Riegel of MyJewishCoach.com and author of upcoming book Oy Vey Isn’t A Strategy: 25 Solutions for Personal and Professional Success (Behrman House, May, 2012) to talk about her new JCast Network Podcast Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy: Success and Solutions for Work and Life, which launches on Monday, March 5th.
Deb and Darone discuss her background in public speaking and coaching, as well as her hopes for this new podcast.
As a special treat, Deb gives us a taste of what she does by giving three tips for starting a new project.
If you would like to reach Deborah, you can reach her at:
- Elevated Training
- My Jewish Coach
- Success Without the Tsuris (The New York Jewish Week)
- Facebook or Linked In
- Twitter, MyJewishCoach or DeborahGRiegel
The opening and closing music in this weeks episode is Kottke And The Orchids, off Yair Yona’s new album World Behind Curtains.
This week, Aaron Heman had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Jewish Week Grand Wine Tasting Competition. In this episode, he explored what it takes to be a judge in a wine competition? How do you judge wines? He also had the opportunity to learn how the judges of the Jewish Week’s Grand Wine Tasting rate wines and pick the finalist for the wine competition.
In Episode Three of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, Hanan and his father discuss the need for gratitude. They discuss what counts as accomplishments, and the difficulty in appreciating the little things in life. Please let us know your thoughts. What did this animation make you think about? What is your concept of gratitude? Are you able to enjoy the little pleasures in life? Please comment below, and begin the conversation. Jewish Food for Thought is made possible through the support of The Covenant Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Culture.
This week, Aaron Heman had the opportunity to attend the ultimate kiddush. He had the opportunity to attend the 2012 Kosher Food and Wine Experience at Chelsea Piers. Hundreds of Jews from around the Tri-State area came to taste wines from all over the world and have amazing kosher food. If you would like to order kosher wine, please visit Skyview Wine, at http://SkyViewWine.com or 888-SKY-VINO and tell them you heard of them from JCast Network.
This week, Aaron Heman had the opportunity to attend the Advancing Jewish Professionals New York City where Alisha Goodman, Executive Director of The Jewish Lens and AJP founder facilitated an engaging session examining what makes for a good elevator speech and how we can write our own, whether for our organization, our job, or ourselves. […]
This week, Aaron Heman had the opportunity to attend the Masa Israel Journey and 3GNY: WEDU Showcase at the Hummus Place in NYC.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis about their new book Pledges of Jewish Alleglance:Conversion,Law and Policy-Making In Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century Orthodox Responsa. Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis probe the challenges to Jewish self-definition in the modern period by examining a wide array of legal opinions on conversion and intermarriage, written by nineteenth- and twentieth-century Orthodox rabbis in Europe, the United States, and Israel, and discover how these rabbinic decisions are, in fact, attempts to define policy for Judaism in the modern period.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman sat down with the Producers of Follow Me The Jonathan Netanyahu Story at it’s premier a the New York Jewish Film Festival.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman talks to the people involved in the Birthright Israel Alumni Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebration program. Birthright Israel Alumuni community gives individuals the opportunity to celebrate their own Bar or Bat Mitzvah with family and friends in just 8 weeks. This program was created in response to the […]
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman talks to a number of people involved in the Jewish New Teachers Project. The Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) is dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of beginning teachers in Jewish day schools and yeshivot. JNTP’s teacher induction model focuses on improving the classroom practices of beginning teachers through high quality, intensive mentoring, resulting in reflective practitioners who are responsive to the needs of all students.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman talks to the creator of Dveykus, the Semitic Keffiyeh.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman lights the candles for Chanukkah and then interviews Jack Abramoff and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. In a stunning fall from public grace, Jack Abramoff went from the halls of power and a major supporter of Jewish charities to becoming America’s most notorious lobbyist and a symbol of Washington corruption. He is now on a journey of repentance and renewal, a subject he will share with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, “America’s Rabbi” in This World’s upcoming “Renewal and Repentance — Earning Personal Redemption & Public Grace” discussion.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended a live performance by the Maccabeats in honor of Chanukkah.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended the Shaare Zedek Medical Center Gala Event in New York City. In celebration of Hanukkah we light the menorah together and give back to the community. We attended the Project Ezra holiday package delivery to elderly of the Lower East Side. Project Ezra is an independent, non-profit grass-roots organization serving the frail elderly on New York’s Lower East Side. We provide a variety of services to a largely homebound population. We are not a member of any Federation or umbrella organization. We do not seek or accept government funds and our existence depends on the tzedakah (justice impulse) of the community at large.
In this months episode of Isabella FreeRadio, host Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, welcomes author, Rabbi David Cooper and Alison Laitcher of the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn to discuss the role of Meditation in Judaism. In addition to the general topic, they discussed theIsabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center retreat The Gift Of Silence that will be taking place […]
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended the Shaare Zedek Medical Center Gala Event in New York City. For more than a century, in Jerusalem, a 500-bed facility located in the center of the city, has been known as the Hospital with a Heart. Patients have consistently streamed to our hospital, seeking top level treatment in a compassionate, supportive and nurturing environment. Today, Shaare Zedek is the most exceptional hospital for health care treatment in Israel. Shaare Zedek has taken its commitment to its patients to the next level by providing industry leading, cutting-edge medical care.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended the Friends of The Israeli Defense Force event in New York City.
In Episode Six of The Jewish Tech Meetup that was held on Thursday, October 27th, Dr. Leil Leibovitz answered questions from the audience and continued his discussion on gaming, Judaism, and the role of gaming in our modern world.
For more information about the New York Jewish Tech Meetup, please visit NYC.JewishTech.net.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended Chabbad’s Children of Chernobyl Event.
In this epsidode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman attended the AJWS Global Circle Event. AJWS is the only Jewish organization working to promote human rights through grassroots development in the most marginalized communities around the world. We believe that local organizations know what’s best for their own communities, and so we support their work to fight poverty, hunger and disease from the ground up.
In the third episode of Isabella FreeRadio, host Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, welcomes Nili Simhai from the Teva Learning Alliance and Yoni Stadlin from the Eden Village Camp to discuss the role of Teva and envrionmental education in transforming youth through Jewish and Environmentalist Education.. Stay tuned for information about upcoming Isabella FreeRadio programs, as well as information […]
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman talks to the attendees of the Beit Issie Shapiro Event in Manhattan. During this episode, Aaron spoke with: •Dr. Ruth Westheimer •Alicia Post •Ruvan Cohen •Hillel Jaffe •Jean Judes, Beit Issie Shapiro’s Executive Director For more information about Beit Issie Shapiro, visit http://www.beitissie.org.il/eng
In this epsidode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman talks to a number of people at the Jewish Hearts for Israel event in New York City.
In Episode Five of The Jewish Tech Meetup that was held on Thursday, October 27th, Dr. Liel Leibovitz discussed the connection between Judaism and gaming, and explored the issue of cheating in video games. Liel is a visiting assistant porrfessior focusing promarily on video game and interactive media research and theory.
For more information about the New York Jewish Tech Meetup, please visit NYC.JewishTech.net.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends
In this epsidode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman visits an event sponsored by Paeel that related to dating and relationships.
In this epsidode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman visits the PresenTense Idea Slam. Aaron watches and explores the ways in which brainstorming can help create innovation.
In Episode Four of The Jewish Tech Meetup that was held on Thursday, September 22nd, Ronen Eidelman, an Israeli Artist, writer, activist and cultural producer shared stories about a variety of his projects.
In this second part of his discussion, Ronen spoke about The Test Protests and Coming Out In Lublin.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends
As we approach the end of the holiday of Sukkot, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman hits the streets of New York to look at a few innovative ideas for Sukkahs. Aaron shows us the first sukkah (booth) he has ever owned, an easy to assemble one-man sukkah made by PopUpSukkah.com as well as the Sukkah on […]
his week Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman returns to Occupy Wall Street to talk to Daniel Siradsky who created the Occupy Judaism project as part of Occupy Wall Street.
As the holiday of Sukkot upon us, host Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman spoke with a vendor to find out more about the shortage of Lulavim this year due to the instability in Egypt and many other Lulavim being stuck in customs this year.
Join Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman in this weeks special addition of Schmoozer as he talks to Daniel Sieradski, the Social Change Agent behind the Kol Nidre Services at Occupy Wall Street.
In Episode Three of The Jewish Tech Meetup that was held on Thursday, September 22nd, Ronen Eidelman, an Israeli Artist, writer, activist and cultural producer shared stories about a variety of his projects.
In this first part of his discussion, Ronen spoke about three of his projects, Medinat Weimar, Nine Days In Av and Six Days in June.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends
In the second episode of Isabella FreeRadio, host Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, welcomes Shamu Sadeh the Director of Adamah, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Director of Kohenet and Rabbi Ezra Weinberg of Mishkan Ha’am to talk about their experiences of Sukkot and their experiences at past SukkahFest retreats at Isabella Freedman. Each of the guests shared what they were looking […]
Join Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman this week at the Red Carpet Premier of 50/50 the new film staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen. In this episode, Aaron gets a chance to talk to star Gordon-Levitt as well as director Jonathan Levine.
In Episode Two of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, Hanan and his father discuss the need to forgive. They discuss what holding on to pain and anger can do to yourself, and why forgiveness is as important for yourself as it is for the other person. This animation asks the question “Why would […]
In this weeks episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman sat down with actor Paul Giamatti to discuss Barney’s Version.
In this inaugural episode of Isabella FreeRadio, host Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, welcomes Ruth Messenger, President of AJWS and Nigel Savage, Executive Director of Hazon to talk about their own personal connection to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, the ways and reasons that their organizations use Isabella Freedman and the ways that the work of the […]
After watching Hanan Harchol and his father discuss Repair, we invite you to use the following Study Guide to deepen your thinking about the topic of remorse, apology and forgiveness.
In Episode One of Jewish Food for Thought: An Animated Series, Hanan and his father discuss the last time you genuinely apologized to someone for something you did. Please visit JCastNetwork.org/JFFT to let us know what you think? What did these animations make you think about? What is your concept of apology? How do you apologize? Please comment below, and begin the conversation.
This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to sit down with Jewish pop-punk band The Groggers.
This is part two of the New York City Jewish Tech Meetup that was held on Thursday, August 18th. The NYC Jewish Tech Meetup welcomed speaker Micah Sifry, the co-founder and Executive Editor of the Personal Democracy Forum and its blog TechPresident. He is a prolific author, most recently the author of WikiLeaks and the Age of Transparency. In this podcast, Sifry took questions from the gathered guests, and a thought provoking dialogue followed.
We apologize for the sound quality of the questions, as the room was not appropriately miked for the Q&A. When questions were unintelligable, they have been restated by JCast Network.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends
We sat dow with Director Jesse Peretz and Writer Evgenia Peretz to get an inside look at Our Idiot Brother.
Isabella FreeRadio will be holding live on-line learning on their website. For information about these live events, please visit Isabella FreeRadio. However, if you miss the shows, fear not, as JCast Network will serve as the syndicator of these sessions in podcast form. Upcoming Shows Include: The Week of September 19th Why We […]
This month, The NYC Jewish Tech Meetup welcomed speaker Micah Sifry. Micah is the co-founder and Executive Editor of the Personal Democracy Forum and its blog TechPresident. He is a prolific author, most recently the author of WikiLeaks and the Age of Transparency. In this podcast, Sifry discusses the changes in “publishing” and the ways that technology have leveled the playing field of public communication. Syfry explores the societal affects of these changes, and discusses how this effects us all on a more personal level.
The opening and closing music on this episode is Amanda French’s All My Internet Friends