What to Watch.

Naughty or Nice (2012) Rated TV-G

Posted on April 28, 2016 by laurarachel4

Krissy Kringle isn’t too fond of Christmas until she comes upon Santa Claus’ naughty or nice list. Starring Hilarie Burton, Matt Dallas, Danneel Ackles, Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross.

This movie is one of the many from Hallmark that is a feel good film about changing your ways to be a better person. It’s cute but it lacked in story, and I struggled with the relationship between Burton and Dallas’s characters. They seemed an odd fit; even though they tried, the chemistry wasn’t there. The movie’s only highlights are Baxter and Gross, who easily portray loving parents to their daughter who hates Christmas. This isn’t one of the best Hallmark films, but it isn’t the worst. If you are a Hallmark movie fan, this one is certainly worth a watch.

Posted in 2012, Christmas Films, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, films, Hallmark Movies, Movie reviews, movies, Rated TV-G, reviews | Tagged best, characters, chemistry, Christmas, christmas films, christmas movies, Danneel Ackles, daughter, film, film reviews, films, hallmark, hilarie burton, list, Matt Dallas, Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, movie, movie reviews, movies, Naughty or Nice, parents, relationship, Santa Claus, story, trailer, worth | Leave a comment

Time Traveling Bong (Comedy Central) Rated TV-14

Posted on April 27, 2016 by laurarachel4

Two cousins discover a bong that causes them to travel through time. Starring Ilana Glazer, Paul W. Downs

I’m sure you’ve already guessed that this show is stupid. A couple of slackers get high and time travel. I think that’s been done before, and this show doesn’t improve on the theme. It’s full of jokes about getting high and having sex, none of which are funny. Mostly, it makes fun of each time period they are transported to each time they smoke. I thought it might end up all being an illusion at the end, since they are high throughout the show, but I really don’t care to find out. This show is a pass.

Posted in 2016, Comedy, Comedy Central, Miniseries, Rated TV-14, reviews, Tv Shows | Tagged bong, Comedy Central, couple, cousins, high, Ilana Glazer, illusion, jokes, not worth, Paul W. Downs, sex, time, time period, Time Traveling Bong, trailer, travel, two | Leave a comment

The Last Panthers (Sundance) Rated NR

Posted on April 26, 2016 by laurarachel4

As an independent claims specialist, Naomi’s job is to recover stolen diamonds. Also on the case is police officer Khalil. The trail takes them across Europe and into an underground group. Starring Samantha Morton, Tahar Rahim, John Hurt, Goran Bogdan, Igor Bencina, Nikola Djuricko, Yann Ebonge, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Moussa Maaskri, Adama Niane, Natasha O’Keeffe, Farida Rahouadj.

This show is amazing. The complexity of both the characters and the storyline is riveting, with all the twists and turns they take in pursuit of stolen goods. Morton is at her best as a woman who does everything she can to find those diamonds. The show takes on the gritty feel of the crime mob, as each character is taken through a series of mistakes and mishaps and dangerous situations. This series is worth the watch.

Posted in 2015, Action, British Films, Crime, Drama, Miniseries, Rated NR, reviews, Sundance, Tv Shows | Tagged Adama Niane, case, character, characters, claims, crime, diamonds, disasters, europe, Farida Rahouadj, Goran Bogdan, gritty, group, Igor Bencina, independent, job, John Hurt, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, mistakes, mob, Moussa Maaskri, Natasha O'Keeffe, Nikola Djuricko, police officer, Samantha Morton, series, show, specialist, stolen, story, Sundance, Tahar Rahim, The Last Panthers, tone, trail, trailer, twists, underground, woman, worth, Yann Ebonge | 3 Comments

New This Week on DVD, April 26, 2016

Posted on April 26, 2016 by laurarachel4

Backtrack (R)

Psychologist Peter Bower’s life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers a strange secret about his patients. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right. Backtrack is a spine-chilling story from the acclaimed writer-director, Michael Petroni. Starring Adrien Brody, Sam Neill, Robin McLeavy

The Driftless Area (R)

A bartender comes back to his hometown after his parents die, and finds himself in a dangerous situation involving a mysterious woman and a violent criminal. Starring Anton Yelchin, Zooey Deschanel, John Hawkes, Alia Shawkat, Frank Langella

Jane Got a Gun (R)

A woman asks her ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from a gang out to kill him. Starring Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro, Noah Emmerich

Krampus (PG-13)

A boy who has a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a Christmas demon to his family home. Starring Emjay Anthony, Adam Scott, Toni Collette

Ride Along 2 (PG-13)

As his wedding day approaches, Ben heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James to bring down a drug dealer who’s supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product. Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Ken Jeong, Sherri Shepherd

Son of Saul (R)

In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival upon trying to salvage from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son. Starring Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár, Urs Rechn

Hot in Cleveland: Season Six (TV-PG)

Three 40-something best friends from Los Angeles are flying to Paris when their plane makes an emergency landing in Cleveland. Realizing that all the norms from Los Angeles don’t apply anymore, they decide to celebrate a city that values real women and stay where they’re still considered hot. Starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, Betty White

Synopsis by IMDB.

Posted in 2016, DVDS, films, Lists, movies, Tv Shows | Tagged 2016, Adam Scott, Adrien Brody, Alia Shawkat, anton yelchin, April 26, backtrack, Benjamin Bratt, betty white, Emjay Anthony, ewan mcgregor, Frank Langella, Géza Röhrig, Hot in cleveland, Hot in Cleveland: Season Six, Ice Cube, IMDB, Jane Got a Gun, Jane Leeves, Joel Edgerton, john hawkes, Ken Jeong, kevin hart, Krampus, Levente Molnár, Michael Petroni, Natalie Portman, New This Week on DVD, Noah Emmerich, Olivia Munn, Ride Along 2, Robin McLeavy, Rodrigo Santoro, sam neill, Saul fia, Season Six, Sherri Shepherd, Son of Saul, The Driftless Area, Tika Sumpter, toni collette, Urs Rechn, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Zooey Deschanel | Leave a comment

All Mine to Give (1957) Rated NR

Posted on April 25, 2016 by laurarachel4

An immigrant family faces tragedy in 1850s. Based on an article The Day They Gave Babies Away by Dale Eunson and Katherine Eunson. Starring Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, Rex Thompson.

This is one of the saddest films I’ve ever seen. It is based on the true story of the Eunson family, who immigrated to Wisconsin and faced many hardships but ultimately prospered, until tragedy struck. It is a great film about frontier life and the strength of family love and promises. Get your hankie; this one’s a tearjerker, but definitely worth a watch.

Posted in 1957, Drama, Family, films, Movie reviews, movies, Rated NR, Romance | Tagged 1850s, all mine to give, based on an article, based on the true story, cameron mitchell, Dale Eunson, eunson, Family, film, film reviews, films, frontier, glynis johns, hardships, hightlights, immigrant, Katherine Eunson, kleenex, life, love, movie, movie reviews, movies, promises, rex thompson, The Day They Gave Babies Away, tragedy, wisconsin, worth | 1 Comment

The Last Witch Hunter (2015) Rated PG-13

Posted on April 24, 2016 by laurarachel4

The last witch hunter is there to protect humans from the magic of the witches. Starring Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood, Michael Caine.

Predictable but charming, this film has some merits but not quite enough to recommend it. Leslie’s performance was enjoyable, but there was no suspense to Wood’s character or Diesel’s outcome. Caine added a small element of surprise, but even that was not enough to make this worth a watch. It is a pass for me.

Posted in 2015, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, films, Movie reviews, movies, Rated PG-13, reviews | Tagged best, character, elijah wood, film, film reviews, films, humans, magic, Michael Caine, movie, movie reviews, movies, not worth, performance, Rose Leslie, The Last Witch Hunter, trailer, twist, vin diesel, witches | 2 Comments

The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (2006) Rated PG-13

Posted on April 23, 2016 by laurarachel4

Jackie Dorsey, the daughter of Kate Moseley and Doug Dorsey, is on her way to the Olympics when an injury forces her to become a pairs skater. Starring Christy Carlson Romano, Ross Thomas, Scott Thompson Baker, Stepfanie Kramer, Oksana Baiul, Ryan Hansen.

This film was cute and reminiscent of the original Cutting Edge. In fact, it’s basically the same story, only with the daughter. Still, it didn’t quite capture the essence of the first film. First, I thought that Kate and Doug should have exhibited more of the playfulness and chemistry they had in the original. Sure, they are parents now, and there were different actors portraying them, but it would have been a nice touch to connect the two films. Also, I thought it was odd that they never mentioned the similarity of their daughter’s situation to their own experience. Finally, the music they chose for the skating performances didn’t seem to fit the routines at all. These things aren’t enough to make it a pass, but I can only marginally recommend it as worth a watch.

I also wondered why they never had any chat with their daughter about the comparison to their own life. That always scratched my head. To make it worst the music that they chose for the skating routines didn’t seem to match the skating. All that doesn’t make it not worth a watch but it’s not the best watch.

Posted in 2006, Comedy, Drama, films, Movie reviews, movies, Rated PG-13, reviews, Romance, Sport | Tagged actors, characters, chat, chemistry, Christy Carlson Romano, comparison, daughter, film, film reviews, films, Going for the Gold, injury, life, movie, movie reviews, movies, Music, Oksana Baiul, Olympics, original, pairs, plans, Ross Thomas, routines, Ryan Hansen, Scott Thompson Baker, skater, skating, Stepfanie Kramer, story, the cutting edge, The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold, trailer, two, worst, worth | Leave a comment

Wedding Band (TBS) Rated NR

Posted on April 22, 2016 by laurarachel4

A group of lifelong friends play in a band. Starring Brian Austin Green, Peter Cambor, Derek Miller, Jenny Wade, Kathryn Fiore, Harold Perrineau, Melora Hardin.

I caught this show mainly because I’ve enjoyed Cambor on NCIS: Los Angeles. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. There is no deep story line, just a fun show depicting a group of friends who play for various venues. The soundtrack is catchy, and all the actors are enjoyable to watch. They each play their own instruments and sing their own songs. I guess because it lacked depth and sustainable interest, it was eventually canceled. Despite that, I still think it was worth a watch.

Posted in 2012, Comedy, Drama, Rated NR, reviews, TBS, Tv Shows | Tagged actors, band, Brian Austin Green, Canceled, Derek Miller, events, friends, group, Harold Perrineau, instruments, Jenny Wade, Kathryn Fiore, lifelong, Melora Hardin, NCIS: Los Angeles, Peter Cambor, songs, soundtracks, story, TBS, trailer, Wedding Band, worth | 2 Comments

New This Week in Theaters, April 21, 2016

Posted on April 21, 2016 by laurarachel4

The Huntsman: Winter’s War (PG-13)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt

As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna and Freya escalates, Eric and fellow warrior Sara, members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna’s wicked intentions.

Elvis & Nixon (R)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer

The untold true story behind the meeting between the King of Rock ‘n Roll and President Nixon, resulting in this revealing, yet humorous moment immortalized in the most requested photograph in the National Archives.

Compadres (NR)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Eric Roberts, Kevin Pollak, Hector Jimenez

As former cop Garza seeks revenge on Santos, the crime lord who framed him, he forms an unlikely team with a young hacker who successfully stole $10 million from Santos.

Precious Cargo (R)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani, Mark-Paul Gosselaar

A crime boss tries to make off with loot that belongs to another thief.

A Hologram for the King (R)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ben Whishaw, Sarita Choudhury

A failed American businessman looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his idea to a wealthy monarch.

The Meddler (PG-13)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Rose Byrne, Susan Sarandon, Lucy Punch

An aging widow from New York City follows her daughter to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away.

I’m Not Ashamed (NR)
Opens on Wednesday, April 20
Starring: Masey McLain, Emma Elle Roberts, Bella Robertson

Based on the inspiring and powerful true story and journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott- the first student killed in the Columbine high school shooting in 1999.

Men & Chicken (NR)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Mad Mikkelsen, David Dencik, Nikolaj Lie Kass

Men and Chicken is a black comedy about two outcast brothers, who by getting to know their unknown family also discover a horrible truth about themselves and their relatives.

Tale of Tales (NR)
Opens on Friday, April 22
Starring: Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, John C. Reilly

From the bitter quest of the Queen of Longtrellis, to two mysterious sisters who provoke the passion of a king, to the King of Highhills obsessed with a giant Flea, these tales are inspired by the fairytales by Giambattista Basile.

Synopsis by IMDB.

Posted in 2016, films, Lists, movies, New in Theater | Tagged 2016, A Hologram for the King, Alex Pettyfer, April 21, Bella Robertson, Ben Whishaw, bruce willis, Chris Hemsworth, claire forlani, Compadres, David Dencik, Elvis & Nixon, Emily Blunt, Emma Elle Roberts, eric roberts, Hector Jimenez, I'm Not Ashamed, Il racconto dei racconti, IMDB, jessica chastain, John C. Reilly, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, Lucy Punch, Mad Mikkelsen, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Masey McLain, Mænd & høns, Men & Chicken, Michael Shannon, New This Week in Theater, New This Week in Theaters, Nikolaj Lie Kass, Precious Cargo, rose byrne, Salma Hayek, Sarita Choudhury, Susan Sarandon, Tale of Tales, The Huntsman, The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Meddler, Toby Jones, tom hanks, Vincent Cassel, Winter's War | Leave a comment

New This Week in Theater, April 21, 2016