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Disney+ Brings ‘Hamilton’ to the People
Independence of the colonies and what it should mean to the people is a touchy subject these days. But as the forth of July 4th once again rolls around, Disney+ offers a unique opportunity to revisit the founding of the country with its cinematic version of Hamilton, as it originally appeared on Broadway. History doesn’t often…
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Movie Review: The Goldfinch
The Goldfinch‘s Strength Relies on the Intangible The Goldfinch follows Theo Decker and his tragic (a frequently stupid) road to unstable adulthood. When Theo was 13 years old, his mother died in a bombing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her death leaves Theo temporarily without a guardian. A school friend’s family takes him in…
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Ro Reviews: “Before You Know It”
Before You Know It, co-written by Jen Tullock and Hana Peral Utt, and directed by Hannah Pearl Utt is a multilayered off-beat dramedy. Set in 1990s New York, it follows a dysfunctional Gurner family living above a small independent theater. Rachel (Hannah Pearl Utt), the level headed sister, is the reluctant stage manager to her…
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This Week In Home Entertainment – “Avengers: Endgame” (Blu-Ray Review)
Watching Avengers: Endgame at Home Avengers: Endgame is the conclusion of ten+ years of stories about some of the most iconic superheroes in the Marvel pantheon. It’s the end of an era that hints at things to come even as it brings about the inevitable changing of the guard. Its record-breaking run in theaters makes…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: “Dumbo” and “Cinderella” (Blu-ray Review)
Watching Dumbo Marvel At Home This live-action Dumbo has perhaps the most adorable looking pachyderm to be had on screen. Tim Burton brings his signature look and feel to this Disney classic bringing to life the world and Circus that is at the heart of Dumbo with a few twists and macabre turns (what do…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: “Us” (Blu-ray Review)
Watching Us At Home The horror movie genre is in the midst of a renaissance led by Jordan Peele. His follow-up to Get Out more than lives up to the hype and his promise to continue bringing unique horror stories that center Black actors and a decidedly Black perspective in his storytelling. Peele knows how…
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5B: A Timely Reminder That Not All Heroes Wear Capes
5B Documents Compassion During Crisis Through first-person interviews with doctors, nurses, caregivers, survivors (and family members many left behind) and archival news footage, 5B follows the evolution of medical standards of practice for the care and treatment of AIDS patients by members of the medical community. San Francisco General Hospital opened ward 5B to provide…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: “Captain Marvel” (Blu-ray Review)
Watching Captain Marvel At Home Captain Marvel hit theaters early March 219 and immediately turned women in the MCU on its head. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers was brash, bold and quick with a perfectly timed, dry-witted, quip. This wasn’t a 90s flavored origin story that made no bones about putting its complicated superhero front and…
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Movie Review: “The Souvenir”
The official description for The Souvenir is…interesting. It starts, “A shy, but ambitious film student, (Honor Swinton Byrne) begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man (Tom Burke).” Ordinarily, I let it lie but people going in to see this film without looking it…
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Movie Review: ‘Tolkien’ Is Not a Portrait of the Artist
Tolkien is a film covering the early life of J.R.R. Tolkien through his college years and World War I up to the point when he formally begins writing the work that ultimately becomes The Hobbit. For those who know little about Tolkien’s background, director Dome Karukoski’s initial story direction does an excellent job of pulling…
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Disney Announces New “Marvel Rising” Specials At WonderCon
WonderCon attendees were treated to an exclusive screening of the next chapter in the Marvel Rising franchise, Heart of Iron. Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron stars Sofia Wylie as Riri Williams a.k.a. Ironheart, and features Ming-Na Wen as Hala, Kim Raver as Captain Marvel, Dove Cameron as Ghost-Spider, Tyler Posey as Inferno, Chloe Bennet as…
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WonderCon Trailer Release: “Fear The Walking Dead”
WonderCon is always a good time to get a glimpse of what’s coming in new seasons of the shows you just can’t help but watch. For Fear the Walking Dead fans, this year’s WonderCon panel featured series stars Lennie James, Colman Domingo, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Danay Garcia, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, Jenna Elfman, Alexa Nisenson, new crossover character Austin Amelio, along with surprise…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: “Mary Poppins Returns” | (Blu-Ray/DVD)
Watch ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ at Home This past Tuesday, March 12th, Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns hit retail shelves on Digital HD and Movies Anywhere on March 12, followed by a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on March 19. If you’re either an Emily Blunt stan or a fan of all things Disney, now’s…
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The Hummingbird Project Proves Every Second Matters
The market downturn made talking about Wall Street, in films, required more…finesse with the storylines. It was no longer good enough to build the action around the frantic pace of the trading room floor and ignore the backroom machinations that make it all happen. I, for one, appreciated the shift because the trading room floor…
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Priest of Bones by Peter McLean | Ro Reads
I like stories about crime families. I’ve stopped trying to figure out why. So, you can take it as read that I’d be interested in a Grimdark tale about a soldier returning home from war to reclaim his underworld empire. In an early-Renaissance-esque world, Tomas Piety and his band of soldiers head towards home at the end…
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Ruben Brandt, Collector is A True Original
Ruben Brandt, Collector is the animated feature film debut from Slovenian-born writer/director Milorad Krstić. It’s an homage to all the best of noir. It’s a brilliant love letter to the cinema and art of the 20th century. A heist thriller that kicks off with an action-packed “meet-cute” between a PI and jewelry thief that sets the…
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The OA: Part II Trailer | On Netflix March 22
Netflix introduced viewers to Prairie Johnson who took us all on one very esoteric ride on the cutting edge of sci-fi television (alright I admit I’m a genre nut and therefore biased) when it gifted us with The OA in 2016. and it looks like Part II is set to take fans into the great…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: Ralph Breaks The Internet and The Little Mermaid
Wreck it Ralph was a great movie that balanced finely tuned nostalgia elements with a down-to-Earth and heartwarming storyline. Given its success, a sequel was all but a given. Ralph Breaks the Internet picks up with Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) living the simple life of arcade game characters and best friends.…
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“Fighting With My Family” | Ro Reviews
Fighting With My Family is an actual underdog story. One dealing with family legacies, following your dreams, and ultimately finding your way. Loosely based on the true story of WWE Superstar Page, this PG-13 film puts a realistic spin on sibling rivalry, family expectations, and finding fun in the unlikely of places. Written and Directed…
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“The Kid Who Would Be King” | Ro Reviews
The Kid Who Would be King is anything but another redux ala Camelot. Official Synopsis: Alex (Ashbourne Serkis) thinks he’s just another nobody until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now, he must unite his friends and enemies into a band of knights and, together with the legendary wizard Merlin…
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Coming to Netflix: Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse
At noon today (January 10th), Netflix announced that NYT bestselling author Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse will make its way into the ‘Netflix Original’ lineup. Pardon me while I take a moment to scream like a complete and utter fangirl… *ahem* According to the news release, the streaming service greenlighted an eight-episode series based on the author’s…
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‘Little’ Aims to Fill Some ‘Big’ Shoes | Trailer
On January 9th, Universal dropped the first trailer for its upcoming release, Little. In an interview with The Root, Martin shared, the idea for Little came to her at ten-years-old after “falling in love” with Tom Hanks body-swap comedy Big. Martin told writer/producer Kenya Barris (Girls Trip) about her idea at after the Black-ish Season 1 finale. The film grew from…
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Glenn Close and Annie Starke Shine In ‘The Wife’ | Ro Reviews
The Wife is the story of Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) and her husband, notable literary figure, Joe (Jonathan Pryce). The Castelman’s have been married for over forty years. Joe is braggadocious, obnoxious, vain, crass, and self-congratulatory. Joan is softspoken, self-possessed, smart, supportive, and elegant. Joe lauded as one of the ‘literary greats’ and Joan is the diplomatic dynamo keeping…
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Trailer Release: Captain Marvel
Marvel Studios knows how to keep its fandom on the edge of its seat. Which of course means it’s time to tease us about the next installment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second full trailer for Captain Marvel is here and naturally, we’re here to save you a few clicks (that we know we’re…
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At Eternity’s Gate: A Biopic Through The Artist’s Lens | Ro Reviews
Walking in someone else’s shoes is usually just a turn of phrase. But in At Eternity’s Gate, cinematographer Benoît Delhomme merges abstract angles, light, and color into a first-person point of view that converges perfectly with Julian Schnabel’s story about the final years in van Gogh’s life. The “enhanced reality” creates a perspective to drive…
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A Private War | Ro Reviews
A Private War stands as a timely reminder that journalists, unwilling to report propaganda masquerading as legitimate news, are a necessity. Official Synopsis: A Private War Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike) is one of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time. Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit (although I doubt she’d describe herself…
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Instant Family Adopts Just The Right Tone | Ro Reviews
Inspired by the real-life experience of writer/director Sean Anders and his wife when the fostered and then adopted children, Instant Family is part message movie and part broad comedy. But, don’t hold that against it. This is an even-paced, visually contemporary story with plenty of heart and humor appeal. No, that is not what I…
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Giveaway: Win A Copy of The Front Runner
TG Geeks has access to THREE copies of “All the Truth is Out” by Matt Bai; the book that inspired major motion picture release, The Front Runner starring Hugh Jackman. So naturally, we thought of you. To celebrate the film’s opening this weekend, all three copies (The Front Runner movie-tie-in cover) are up for grabs. Starting today…
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This Week In Home Entertainment: Christopher Robin and Incredibles 2 | Ro Reviews (Blu-Ray/DVD)
It’s “new movie” Wednesday in the land of home entertainment and TG Geeks took a look-see at two new releases from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment: Christopher Robin and Incredibles 2. If you didn’t catch these films in the theater, now’s the time to bring them home for private viewing because each feature is worthy of being in your physical…
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Bohemian Rhapsody Leaves Too Much “Bio” out of the Pic | Ro Reviews
Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic based on the legendary band, Queen. This story picks up shortly before Freddy Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara of Parsi descent, joins guitarist/astrophysics scholar Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and drummer/dental student Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) with a parking lot audition engagingly depicted with just the right amount of humor and irony; and…
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Can You Ever Forgive Me? Is a “Must See” this Award Season | Ro Reviews
Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a biopic about biographer, Lee Israel, and her astonishing fall from literary grace and slide into infamy. I say without hyperbole, Melissa McCarthy as the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed and abrasive Lee Israel is her best performances ever. • Lee Israel (McCarthy) is a writer of biographies. She’s a woman with little interest…
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Month at the Movies: October | Ro Reviews
It’s a sure bet that as summer turns to fall, films with awards buzz start hitting theaters and this October was no exception. This is also a good time to discover those surprise gems playing in art house theaters and limited runs. As we leave October, I thought a look back at some of the…
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Neo-Noir is Back in “Bad Times at the El Royale” | Ro Reviews
You’ll either like Bad Times at the El Royale or you won’t; there’s just really no in-between when it comes to neo-noir thrillers like this. At least I don’t think so. But, word of advice: DON’T let anyone try to explain this movie to you. That just takes all the fun out of it. This…
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‘A Star is Born’ Re-Imagines Love and Sacrifice | Ro Reviews
Quick Take: A Star is Born (Star) is a cautionary tale about love, co-dependency, self-image, and one hell of an endorsement for recording film music live. Star’s rolled chemistry, charisma, and heart into an endearing story that puts the right actors together at just the right moment to tell a compelling tale that just never seem…
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Home Entertainment: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” | Ro Reviews
Writers Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and son, Jonathan Kasdan (In the Land of Women), drew on the elder Kasdan’s cinematic knowledge of Han to mesh it with facts and story elements from the Han Solo Trilogy books in order create a script that a cross between a Firefly episode and The Man with No Name. …
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Rhetoric Meets Reality in New Political Documentaries | Ro Reviews
I made more than one bet on who’d win the last election. Trust me, I wanted to lose. After you watch American Chaos and Fahrenheit 11/9 you’ll have a better idea why I knew I wouldn’t. I, personally, am in no way surprised by the current jacked-up state of the union (pun intended people). But…
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In Life Itself, Perseverance is the Point | Ro Reviews
Don’t see Life Itself if you aren’t ready to fully engage and be in your feelings. Seriously. Life Itself is a full-on drama. It’s built on the highs, lows, drama, and unexpected melodrama of introspection played out in three acts; or rather five chapters. It has no “just-for-a-laugh” moments, no throw-away tension breakers, or mere transitions between…
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The Happytime Murders | Ro Reviews
The Happytime Murders is set in an alternative Los Angeles where humans reluctantly live alongside puppets. When someone starts murdering cast members of 90s children program, The Happytime Gang, disgraced former LAPD detective Phil Phillips (voice: Bill Barretta) – puppet and low-rent private investigator living the pseudo-noir life must join forces with his former partner Det. Connie…
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Juliet, Naked: A Romance That Successfully Crosses The Digital Divide | Ro Reviews
There haven’t really been that many romantic comedies this year. At least, not the type that hasn’t felt like they’re faithfully following a formula. Then I saw Juliet, Naked starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris Dowd. Annie Platt (Rose Bryne), a museum curator in a seaside English town, is in a relationship with Duncan Thomas (Chris O’Dowd) a…
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Gift of Griffins by V.M. Escalada | Ro Reviews (Books)
I’ve been on a fantasy kick lately. But too much ‘peopling’ has me craving stories that take the standard genre themes and flip them around in exciting and unexpected ways. So, it was good the second book in V. M. Escalda’s Farman Prophecy, Gift of Griffins arrived at my door. V.M. Escalda drops readers back into…
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Missing the Mark: The Darkest Minds | Ro Reviews
By now, we all know Hollywood is obsessed with adapting young adult dystopia novels into films (blame Hunger Games, I do). So it was with great fanfare – but little surprise – that its latest attempt to (re)secure the YA-franchise bag, The Darkest Minds directed by Jennifer Yuh (Kung Fu Panda sequels), hit theaters this Friday (August…