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Kill The Messenger

Pandora — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 15:39:18 +0000

Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (“The Bourne Legacy”) leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets…and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. – and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.

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Kill The Messenger

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Kill The Messenger

Jeremy Renner

Rosemarie DeWitt

Ray Liotta

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Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return

Peter Oberth — Mon, 12 May 2014 12:40:04 +0000

Dorothy wakes up in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man and Glinda from a devious new villain, the Jester. Wiser the owl, Marshal Mallow, China Princess and Tugg the tugboat join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City.

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Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return,

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return

In Theatres:

May 09, 2014

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Studio(s):

Clarius Entertainment,

Summertime Entertainment,

Prana Animation Studios

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Distributor(s):

Clarius Entertainment

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Genre:

Family,

Producer(s):

Jim Roberts Rene Torres

Running Time:

1 Hour, 32 Minutes

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for some scary images and mild peril

Fargo (Preview)

AJ Garcia — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:45:20 +0000

Fargo

Malvo flips the script on the blackmail operation, Molly sets a trap, and Gus debates whether he should come clean. Lester’s return to work has complicated repercussions. Written by Noah Hawley; directed by Randall Einhorn.

Air Date:

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Regular Air Date:

Tuesdays @ 10PM E/P

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Fargo,

FX,

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Network(s):

Studio(s):

FX Productions

Director(s):

Randall Einhorn

Running Time:

60 Minutes

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Official Facebook

Chinese Zodiac

Paul Arca — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:05:40 +0000

Chinese Zodiac

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On Blu-Ray:

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

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Running Time:

109 minutes

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PG-13

The Big C: Season 2

Maria Jackson — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:47:23 +0000

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TV on DVD

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I've been a big fan of The Big C since its 2010 debut. The heavy subject matter is deftly delt with by using dark humor through characters who engender true and deep feelings in the viewer. Lara Linney (Catherine Jamison), Oliver Platt (Paul Jamison), John Benjamin Hickey (Sean Tolke), Gabourey Sidibe (Andrea Jackson), and Hugh Dancy (Lee) all turn in fantastic performances for this second season of this critically acclaimed series.

Cathy is still dealing with her melanoma in secret. She doesn't want to burden her friends and family and more importantly, she doesn't want to be treated like sick and dying person. She doesn't want the sweet syrupy sympathy, she doesn't want people to make allowances and feel sorry for. Nor does she want people to exalt about her strength to keep on living. Cathy just wants to live and to be treated like any other person.

Last season Cathy finally accepted treatment and let her husband know that she was sick. However, keeping the secret from her best friend, her son, and her brother is beginning to weigh on her. She wants to share and connect, but is afraid how they might react. Will they become so scare of their own mortality that they will abandon her? Will they treat her with pity?

It turns out hiding her illness from her brother was one of the worst decisions Cathy made. Sean (Cathy's brother) had been doing well. After spending the first season not treating his mental illness and living on the streets, he was now in a relationship with Cathy's best friend, living in the house across the street from his sister, employed with a baby a on the way. Sean becomes unraveled when he's told what Cathy's going through. He feels betrayed and is unable to cope with the idea of losing his sister. He starts living on the streets and eventually goes missing.

Cathy enters into a clinical trial with a doctor who has an incredible reputation for successful treatments. There she meets Lee and they become great friends. Hugh Dancy as Lee has one of the best story lines of the season. Through his brilliantly acted character Cathy learns what she really wants and needs from life and as they both deal with this deadly disease. Dancy delivers a wonderfully funny and touching performance that will stick with you after the season is over. Halfway into season 3, I find myself still thinking about him.

Andrea (Gabby Sidibe), a student living with the Jamison's finally gets a storyline of her own. She falls in love with the very attractive, eastern European Myk, who is just as crazy for her. He loves everything about her and really works to win her heart. As a fat, black lady myself, I loved this storyline like candy. Myk & Andrea quickly get serious and become engaged, however, Myk isn't everything he appears to be.

The second season finale is so very good at hitting high notes of success and depths of sorrow, you can't miss it. The balance of emotions is handled very well by the writing staff and I can't say enough about the calibre of talented actors. The only flaw in The Big C is that the episodes are so short! However, I am constantly surprised at what they can make you feel in short 30 minute span.

The Big C

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The Big C Season 2

Maria Jackson — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:47:23 +0000

The Big C

Season: 2

Starring:

John Benjamin Hickey,

Oliver Platt,

Laura Linney

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John Benjamin Hickey,

On DVD:

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Discs:

The Big C: The Complete First Season

Patty Miranda — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:24:04 +0000

Review:

TV on DVD

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Grade:

3.82

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The Big C

Laura Linney

Oliver Platt

Laura Linney won a Golden Globe in 2010 for her role in The Big C, and with good reason. Her turn as Cathy Jamison is fearless, vulnerable, delicate and assertive all at once. A cancer diagnoses inspires many emotions, all of which Linney touches on beautifully. It gives her the courage to command the presence of onions in her life, which were embargoed as per her husband's assessment of them as "stinky poo-poo." Between her husband's juvenile indiscretions, her son's cruel pranks on her, her brother's middle-class guilt and subsequent homelessness, her ornery widowed neighbor, and a mouthy student, Jamison has had enough and is taking her life back, one telling-off at a time.

Linney isn't the only actor who shines. Oliver Platt as Cathy's husband Paul is true to the character: an overgrown man-baby. Platt brings a levity, lovability and youthfulness to all the roles I've seen him play (see him as closeted television producer Freddy Prune in Nip/Tuck), a quality that makes Paul so believable. And it's that way with every character; each one is distinct, original, has strengths, flaws, and is fully fleshed out. It sounds obvious, but it's hard to come by these days. Gabourey Sidibe and Idris Elba also steal their scenes on a regular basis.

It's easy for a show about a cancer patient to pander to the cancer community in a cloying, borderline insincere way. Luckily, the producers realized that in order to avoid this, flawless casting was key. The show never goes the corny route or patronizes the community it's targeting. It's one of the most realistic, non-condescending portrayals of a cancer patient (I'm looking at you, Lifetime) I've seen tackle the disease in all its confusing, terrifying, liberating, heartbreaking glory.

The Big C

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The Big C Season 1

Patty Miranda — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:24:04 +0000

The Big C

Season: 1

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On DVD:

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Discs:

The Big C

Patty Miranda — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:24:04 +0000

The Big C

Tags:

The Big C,

Laura Linney,

Oliver Platt

On DVD:

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Starring:

Oliver Platt,

Laura Linney

Studio(s):

Sony

Genre:

Drama,

Comedy

Discs:

Official Website

X-Men: First Class

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:26:39 +0000

X-Men: First Class

Review:

Theatrical

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Grade:

4.40

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Over the years we’ve come to recognize Patrick Stewart as the wheelchair bound mutant Charles Xavier and Sir Ian McKellen as the powerful Magneto, bitter rivals until the very end. That wasn’t always the case, however, as the two were best friends when they first met, brought together by the one thing that united them; mutation.

While World War II may be over, its effects still linger in 1962. At the beginning of the war, a young Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) was forced to use his magnetic powers to assist the Nazis. Since then, he has been hunting down those responsible for turning him into this monster. Meanwhile, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has just published his graduate thesis on genetic mutation. His paper quickly attracts the attention of the CIA who is trying to track down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a powerful mutant capable of harnessing immense energy. They decide to fight fire with fire and establish the first team comprised entirely of mutants led by Charles and Erik. They are the X-Men.

X-Men: First Class introduces us to the origins of the most famous mutants, before they became the heroes and villains we recognize today. There’s a young Mystique, Beast before he was blue, and a load of new mutants who fans will instantly recognize from the Marvel universe. That’s the thing about First Class. While the film is full of action and mutant powers, it’s the little hints and references to the other films or the mythology of the franchise that really solidifies First Class as the best X-Men film yet.

Whether it’s watching Azazel, Nightcrawler’s father, use his teleportation abilities to decimate an entire army or Xavier jokingly talk about getting his head shaved, fans will no doubt have a good time scanning the film for any little reference. There’s also one of the best cameo appearances ever in film but I won’t spoil the fun for you. Don’t worry if you’re not too familiar with the X-Men either because there’s plenty of action interesting mutants to excite you.

Another fascinating aspect of the film is its 1960’s era. Mutants and real world events are intertwined seamlessly together into a story that appears both plausible and real. Events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and footage from around the same time are used as source material for the inevitable friction between humans and mutants.

X-Men: First Class is hoping to be the first in a new trilogy of films. Questions have been answered (ever wonder how Xavier came to be in his wheelchair?) but more questions arise as well. Sure, we may not see any of the more popular mutants such as Cyclops, Storm, and the rest of the traditional X-Men but that’s what makes the film so great; it’s new and fresh yet still familiar. No doubt we’ll be seeing more of Professor X and Magneto in the future as they fall into their respective roles as mutants. X-Men: First Class is clearly the next evolutionary step for the franchise.

Follow me on Twitter @Majiesto

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