www.thecurvyfilmcritic.com
Built with technology from Google, audiences who solve the puzzles will have the chance to win a grand prize trip to Italy* befitting of Langdon himself. Inferno, the highly anticipated suspense thriller from Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, will be released in theaters nationwide on October 28.
Read MoreBased on a true story, on April 2010, the "blowout preventer" failed to engage, hydrocarbons shot up the well at an uncontrollable rate and causing a series of explosions on the Deepwater Horizon. The well was capped on 15 July and it was permanently sealed on September 19,2010 killing 11 people from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. This film couldn't be more timely. It's a perfect example of how corporate greed puts the almighty dollar ahead of preserving the sanctity of human life.
Read MoreEnter Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from the streets of Kampala, Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess by soccer coach and former missionary Robert Katende. As a result, she is encouraged to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. Queen of Katwe is Phiona's story of discovery, love, sacrifice and developing the heart of a lion king while accomplishing a feat even she thought was impossible.
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Spy. Genius. Hacker. Traitor are just a few of the names associated with former NSA computer specialist Edward Snowden.
At 29 years old, Snowden released NSA and FISA files stolen from their database and caused a global panic. The judgements against him were harsh at best and even worse for his girlfriend Lindsay Mills.
So unless you have been under a rock, let me break this down for you. Edward Snowden was a young soldier when a debilitating leg injury forced him into a medical discharge. Enter the CIA. Snowden was sought out, trained and eventually placed in Quantico as a recruit. Ultimately, not being pleased with the method in which our government was violating rights spelled out in our Constitution to justify "spying" via cell phones, computers and virtually anything containing a digital footprint, he blew the whistle setting off one of the biggest scandals in US history regarding a simple thing called privacy.
According to Snowden, who was streamed in live from Moscow a few nights ago, "Privacy is about something to protect...Privacy is the right of self...Privacy is the fountainhead of ALL other rights. Without privacy you don't have anything for yourself. Saying you don't care about privacy is like saying you don't care about freedom of speech."
Directed by Oliver Stone, who seems to be attracted to political, historical and controversial subject matter, Snowden is approached from a humanistic point of view. Often times in these types of situations, we forget that at the end of the day, the accused, the ridiculed and outcast are still human beings with relationships. It is the adversity of these relationships, as well as, the cost of holding secrets that Stone spells out for the audience through the brilliant performances of Joseph Gordon Levitt and Shailene Woodley.
Levitt really put it all on the line for this one...literally. He traveled to Moscow to visit and study Ed Snowden and it paid off. Under the radar and often overlooked, this former television child actor is giving a performance that is so nuanced that you forget he's acting and believe you are watching the real deal. As I said many times when speaking about performances, it is the dialogue not spoken that is intriguing and interesting to watch. Joseph Gordon Levitt is mesmerizing, believable and dead-on. I thought he was great in "The Walk", but that performance pales in comparison to Snowden.
Seen as the star of "Divergent" film franchise, Shailene Woodley is really pulling it all the way down for Lindsay. Her subtle and passion filled performance is marvelous to behold. She embraces Lindsay with every fiber of her being making her empathetic, sympathetic and a free-spirited woman whose strength is beyond measure when it comes to loving and being loved.
The real Ed Snowden even dropped this little kernel about an app called Signal, which uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for EVERY message EVERY time. It uses your existing phone number and address book. There are no separate logins, usernames, passwords or PIN's to manage or lose.
Yes, Ed Snowden broke the law. Yes, he is a fugitive. Yes, he is ridiculously brilliant and Yes, he believes that one's privacy is a right not a privilege.
My jaw dropped open more times than I care to remember during the course of this film. Mostly due to major education received by the Ed Snowden portrayed onscreen and the real Snowden streaming live.
Trust me, this one is well worth the price...Snowden opens nationwide TODAY!
https://youtu.be/X41bfQa7xFQ
As a kid, I couldn't wait to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. What's not to like about a factory full of chocolate??!! What about those Oompa Loompas? What about those iconic roles in the Mel Brooks films, The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which earned him numerous Oscar nominations.
For me, it was his performances opposite comic genius Richard Pryor in Stir Crazy, Silver Streak and See No Evil - Hear No Evil and the many films he Co-Starred in with his wife and SNL Superstar - Gilda Radner that solidified my love of his humility driven comic genius.
Born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee, Wilder began studying acting at the age of 12. After graduating U. of Iowa in 1955, he enrolled in the Old Vic Theater school in Bristol, where he honed his acting technique and fencing.
Wilder caught his first big break playing a small role in the off-Broadway production of Arnold Wesker's "Roots" and followed quickly with his Broadway debut as the comic valet in "The Complaisant Lover" (both 1961), for which he won the Clement Derwent Award. His other Broadway credits included "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1963, with Kirk Douglas), "The White House" (1964, with Helen Hayes) and "Luv" (1966), but it was a 1963 Broadway production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" that altered the course of his life forever. In its cast was Anne Bancroft, who was dating Mel Brooks at the time, and the relationship established between the two men eventually led to Wilder's becoming part of Brooks' most celebrated actors.
With nominations for The Producers with Zero Mostel and Young Frankenstein, it seems Wilder's film career was unstoppable.. However, it was his collaboration with Richard Pryor that makes him unforgettable in my book.
His first association with Pryor had come on Blazing Saddles, when Richard Pryor (co-screenwriter) lost his bid for the Cleavon Little role. Pryor and Wilder first acted together in the commercially successful Silver Streakand Stir Crazy , but their later efforts were mediocre.
Ironically, Hanky Panky, Wilder's first of three films with his late wife Gilda Radner, originally was written to pair him with Pryor again, but Richard Pryor's unavailability necessitated rewriting the part for Gilda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ziyp1hW-Eg
Two years after Gilda's death, Wilder married Karen Boyer.
Mel Brooks spoke on the death of his longtime friend and movie collaborator, who famously worked with Wilder on a long list of films and took to Twitter to remember the movie legend, who died today from Alzheimer’s disease at age 83.
“Gene Wilder-One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship,”
-Mel Brooks
For me, Gene Wilder will always be that unusually handsome, comic genius with the piercing blue eyes and a heart that seemed to be as golden as a ticket from the Willy Wonka Factory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVi3-PrQ0pY
Hope you, Gilda and Richard are having the best reunion ever!
Can you imagine being a young, female African-American partner at a law firm whose associate just can't take no for an answer? Can you imagine that associate turning out to be the leader of the free world? I'm sure Michelle Robinson didn't either. Luckily for America, she said yes and we have been fortunate enough to have a front row seat at one of the most romantic love stories in American history between two beautiful, intelligent and culturally stimulated individuals - who just happen to be the President and First Lady.
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As an avid Disney fan, I was aghast that I didn't remember the 70's version of this Disney Classic starring Grammy Winner, Helen Reddy. Not to mention the fact that I pretty much remember just about every Oscar nominee across categories, but totally missed that the song was nominated.
I'm kinda glad though, because it allowed me to watch the reboot with a fresh heart, mind and eyes. When I tell you, I got so caught up that the "ugly cry" was unavoidable...I do not exaggerate. My own mother was like, "Are you ok"? LOL!!!
Disney has created a new classic with Pete's Dragon for all ages. If you have the heart, curiosity and wonderment of a child residing anywhere in your bones, this film will awake it .
Remember, Pete's Dragon came along way before E.T.,, Gremlins and all those other loveable creatures we have fallen in love with over the years. Yet, I fell for Elliott just as hard. He kinda reminded me of my faithful Maltese Mr. Spanky.. Only difference is Elliott is green, flies and breathes fire. I'm pretty sure Spanky and Elliott would be besties.
So, I ask you...if your buddy, your partner in crime, your loyal furry friend was in trouble wouldn't you move heaven and earth to save him? Pete and his new-found friends go to extraordinary lengths to make sure that Elliott is safe and unharmed. Human beings predictably always attempt to destroy or discredit those entities which we don't understand or fear. and fear is a very powerful emotion that can persuade one to act up and show out.
Even though the 1977 version was basically a film musical, this reboots focuses strictly on the story of a young child who has found a friend in a forest where he has been living an adventure for six years, until a forest ranger and her fiance' invite him to become a family member
Oakes Fegley (Pete) as the orphaned Pete is just yummy! His instincts are spot on and you believe him every moment he is on-screen. His acting ability is to be rivaled by any adult and is eerily reminiscent of a young River Phoenix. Paired up with the perfect Oona Laurence as Natalie, these two are unstoppable.
Bryce Dallas Howard for me can just do no wrong and having her own children gave her the right mindset to pull off inhabiting Grace. The vulnerability displayed will break your heart.. She has somehow been handed down that gene that made America fall in love with her Dad, Ron Howard as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show.
Robert Redford is one of my all time favorite actors and hadn't been on-screen for a while until this year with A Walk In The Woods and now as Meacham. To witness Redford become a child before your eyes as he speaks of the fondness in which he meets the "dragon" is really something special. It takes an exceptional actor to recall that emotion and make the audience take that journey with you. Well done, Sir!
You know there is always that one character that throws a wrench into the Hallmark Family moment and Karl Urban is the perfect guy to do it. As Gavin, he is despicably delicious, comical and handsome all at the same time. I know...right??!! He's easily the chameleon of the crew.
Director, David Lowery performs triple duty, as he is also credited as the editor and screenwriter. As his first foray into the world of Disney he is crushing it. I think he needs to direct ALL DISNEY movies from now to eternity!
I loved this film! Mostly because it reminded of a time when life was not complicated by the hard knocks of adulthood. As a little girl, my biggest issue was what I wearing to school and what boy I had a crush on. Those memories and feelings are irreplaceable, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
Pete's Dragon will take you back to time where life was simple, joyous and uncomplicated. Take the fam, the hubby and have a beautiful family night you all will not soon forget. Pete's Dragon opened nationwide August 12th.
Take the time to download the coloring sheets and activities, Disney has graciously provided for the kids to enjoy. Trust me...I played them and had a ball!!!
