Film reviews

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Breaking Away’: As Stirring as It Is Whimsical

PG | 1h 41min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 20 July 1979 (USA) Films about underdogs that are sports-oriented, particularly ones that relate to the American Dream, can be tricky ...

February 13, 2021BY Ian Kane

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’: 6 Versus 600

"Benghazi's" based on a true story about the 6 hired-gun, ex-spec op, private security operators (made of ex-SEALS, ...

February 13, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Pray: The Story of Patrick Peyton’: The Country That Prays Together…

PG | 1h 11min | Documentary | 9 October 2020 (USA) You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase “The family that ...

February 12, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’: The Power of Faith

A wealthy sheik falls in love with cold-water fly-fishing on his Scottish estate and decides to construct a ...

February 10, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Eddie the Eagle’: Living Your (Olympic) Dream

PG-13 | 1h 46min | Biography, Comedy, Drama | 26 February 2016 (USA) Olympic ski jumping. That insane, ...

February 5, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Ford v Ferrari’: Delivers Right Up to the Final Checkered Flag

PG-13 | 2h 32min | Action, Biography, Drama | 15 November 2019 (USA) I’ve never been a huge ...

February 4, 2021BY Ian Kane

Film Review: ‘The Little Things’: Maybe Wait for Bigger Things

R | 2h 7min | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 29 January 2021 (USA) This review of “The Little ...

February 2, 2021BY Mark Jackson

‘The Sun’s Still Shining’: The Courage of Sophie Scholl

Right now, millions of patriotic Americans are apprehensive about the sea change in our federal government. Many regard ...

January 30, 2021BY Jeff Minick

3 Classic Regency Era Movies: From Timeless Novels to Code Films

Millions of eyes have turned to London's Regency era because of “Bridgerton.” This Netflix original series, based on ...

January 29, 2021BY Tiffany Brannan

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘The Verdict,’ About a Down-and-Out Lawyer Fighting for Justice

R | 2h 9min | Drama | 17 December 1982 (USA) When a director slows the action down ...

January 29, 2021BY Ian Kane

Film Review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’: A Sequel Less Wonderful

PG-13 | 2h 31min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy | 25 December 2020 (USA) “Wonder Woman” (2017) was one ...

January 28, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Film Review: ‘Let Him Go’: Should Have Been a Jack Reacher Movie

R | 1h 53min | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6 November 2020 (USA) Neo-Western thriller “Let Him Go” ...

January 26, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Michael Clayton’: Big Corporation Kills Its Own Lawyer

R | 1h 59min | Crime, Drama, Mystery | 12 October 2007 (USA) Hollywood gets significant cinematic mileage, ...

January 23, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Fearless’: A Rousing Drama for Today

R | 2h 2min | Drama, Thriller | 5 November 1993 (USA) When I first recalled director Peter ...

January 22, 2021BY Ian Kane

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Fugitive’: Running From the Law, Following the Truth

PG-13 | 2h 10min | Action, Crime, Drama | 6 August 1993 (USA) In “The Fugitive,” Harrison Ford ...

January 22, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Infidel’: Muddled Messages in a Sorry Script

R | 1h 48min | Action, Adventure, Thriller | 18 September 2020 (USA) When I first heard about ...

January 16, 2021BY Ian Kane

Film Review: ‘The Croods: A New Age’: Sequel-itis Sets In

PG | 1h 35min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 25 November 2020 (USA) The original “The Croods” (2013), ...

January 15, 2021BY Mark Jackson

‘The Voice of the Turtle’: Finding Happiness in Winter

In January 2021, the World War II era is especially relatable: separations, shortages, fears of death, and threats ...

January 14, 2021BY Tiffany Brannan

Finding Truth, Finding Compassion, Finding Courage

Imagine being jailed, persecuted, and tortured for more than a decade. Imagine having your tortured sister’s lifeless body ...

January 13, 2021BY Mark Lentine

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Conspirator’: An Excellent Example of Examining Conspiracy Theories

In The Conspirator, Robert Redford's courtroom drama about President Lincoln's assassination, it became clear to me that as ...

January 13, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘The Truman Show’: A Fascinating Look at Privacy and Reality

PG | 1h 43min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi | 5 June 1998 (USA) I’ve never been a huge ...

January 8, 2021BY Ian Kane

Film Review: ‘Soul’: Consistent Pixar Quality But Not Entirely Harmless for Kids

PG | 1h 40min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 25 December 2020 (USA) Pixar would appear to have ...

January 6, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Platoon’: Soldiers Agree—Most Realistic War Movie Ever Made

R | 2h | Drama, War | 6 February 1987 (USA) I used to tend bar near Bedford ...

January 3, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Stray Dog’ Review: Harley-Davidson Culture Is Therapy for U.S. War Vets

A documentary about an American war veteran and the PTSD therapy he receives from biker culture and caring ...

January 1, 2021BY Mark Jackson

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Intouchables’: A Heartwarming Biopic About Togetherness Despite Differences

R | 1h 52min | Biography, Comedy, Drama | 2 November 2011 (France) As we head into 2021, ...

December 31, 2020BY Ian Kane

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Joyeux Noël’: A Modern Classic That Celebrates Our Common Humanity

PG-13 | 1h 56min | Drama, History, Music | 9 November 2005 (France) Christmas is the time of ...

December 24, 2020BY Ian Kane

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Erin Brockovich’: A Reminder of Massive Coverups

R | 2h 11min | Biography, Drama | 17 March 2000 (USA) “Spotlight” and “Erin Brockovich” are both ...

December 23, 2020BY Mark Jackson