Pete (Bradley Gosnell) is a scruffy young guy who is as down on himself as Cindy (Mia Marcon) is upbeat. She is the young woman he meets at a seedy Chicago hotel bar and marries six months later. When he discovers she continues to see another man regularly at that same hotel, he checks in, carrying a backpack with a gun in it. But already present in his room is the fast-talking enthusiastic Gid (Daniel Floren). He’s been there, he... Read more
Recently I had an email exchange with the award-winning filmmaker Frank Frost, president of Frank Frost Productions on the topic of film criticism, specifically on the task of Catholic film reviewers and critics. While some reviews will note content problems (language, sexuality, violence, etc.), it is often offered as guidance for parents for what may be appropriate for children. Our conversation, however, dealt with context, expectation, scope, and concerns of the Catholic film critic. While our conversation did not cover... Read more
A beautiful new film about the story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe premieres tomorrow, Sunday, December 13, on television: Univision (free) and Galavision (Pay TV) at 12noon IN SPANISH. The film opened in 200 theaters in Mexico two days ago and is opening today in the following theaters in Nevada and Texas IN ENGLISH: America Cinemas Houston – 535 Sharpstown Center, Houston, TX 77036 America Cinemas La Gran Plaza Ft. Worth – 4200 South Fwy #1095,... Read more
When Voices of Fire, a six-part documentary series from Netflix opens we see a panel of five people listening to a singer audition for a new Gospel choir, a new kind of Gospel choir that is inclusive, diverse and multi-cultural. They are the judges, Bishop Ezekiel Williams (Grammy Award winning singer and producer Pharrell Williams’ uncle), choir master Patrick Riddick, Gospel singer Peggy Britt, music director Larry George, and Pharrell. They will choose from thousands of applicants who have come... Read more
Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) is an inventor of wonderful and whimsical imaginary technology and toys in the Victorian village of Cobbleton. His young apprentice Gustafson (Miles Barrow; Keegan-Michael Kay) is very bright and wants to be an inventor, too. But he betrays his benefactor and steals a mechanical toy, Don Juan Diego (voice of Ricky Martin), and runs away hoping to sell it and make millions. Jeronicus is disappointed and loses his zest for inventing. He becomes grumpy. His relationship... Read more
Every four years I start watching my favorite films about the U.S. president. These include All the President’s Men (1976), Lincoln (2012), the miniseries John Adams (2008) and my favorite The American President (1995.) In “The American President” Michael Douglas plays widowed Democratic President Andrew Shepherd and Martin Sheen is A. J. McInerny, his long-time friend and chief of staff. The film is writer Aaron Sorkin’s romantic-comedy take on the drama of a White House dealing with legislation on... Read more
From the same team that brought us the compelling docudrama “Love and Mercy: Faustina” comes a new docudrama about the life of Franciscan priest and martyr, St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941). It will show on one night only, Monday, October 26, 2020 as a Fathom Event at participating theaters. A streaming date for online viewing, and DVD sales, has not yet been determined. See the website for tickets and theater locations: CLICK HERE. Written and directed by Michael Kondrat, we are... Read more
I am a little short on time so I am posting relevant portions of the press release with the news about the release of the new film FATIMA. Click HERE for my review of FATIMA at the National Catholic Reporter and Click HERE for my interview with Andrea Bocelli about his musical role in the film. ________________ ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE HARVEY KEITEL AND GOLDEN GLOBE® NOMINEE SÔNIA BRAGA ARE FEATURED IN THE POWERFUL AND UPLIFTING STORY INSPIRED BY MIRACULOUS... Read more
The release of HBO’s documentary On the Record could not be more timely. Directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Hunting Ground, The Invisible War), the chilling accounts of three black women in the recording industry who alleged to have been abused by African American hip-hop music mogul Russell Simmons, coincides with the outrage at the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by white policemen. Why? Because men in power abuse others because they can. Plus, they often get away with it or... Read more
Eric Schaal/Life Magazine, via University of Wyoming I cry so easily these days. I am on day 33 of quarantine in this time of the Corona-19 virus. Watching movies like “Jump Shot” moved me greatly and made me sob. Maybe its because of the innocence of the story, and the humility of the man who “invented” the jump shot as a 13 year-old kid in 1933 in Wyoming, playing hoops with his much taller brother. It was a basketball... Read more
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