30-for-30: Four Days in October

October 31, 2016May 28, 2017 / Tom / 8 Comments

Release: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 [Netflix] Directed by: Gary Waksman In October of 2004 the Boston Red Sox became the first team in major league baseball to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series at the championship level. In that famous set they sent their BFF's the New York Yankees packing, eking out two desperate wins at … Continue reading 30-for-30: Four Days in October

Denial

October 28, 2016May 28, 2017 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, September 30, 2016 (limited) [Theater] Written by: David Hare Directed by: Mick Jackson There's no denying the spectrum of emotions Deborah E. Lipstadt experienced during her days in the Royal Court of Justice, recounted in her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (upon which this film is based), deserves the … Continue reading Denial

Keeping Up with the Joneses

October 26, 2016May 28, 2017 / Tom / 15 Comments

Release: Friday, October 21, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Michael LeSieur Directed by: Greg Mottola For those who have been keeping track, Keeping Up with the Joneses is the second Zach Galifianakis film to be released in as many months, and it too is terrible. It too is a silly film, a very, very silly film. What's worse is that … Continue reading Keeping Up with the Joneses

Dream Theater’s The Astonishing — Live

October 23, 2016May 28, 2017 / Tom / 8 Comments

On Wednesday, October 19, 2016 the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark hosted Dream Theater for 'An Evening With' as the progressive-metal giants played in its entirety their brand new album, the sprawling odyssey that is The Astonishing -- an epic tale of betrayal, loss, hope and redemption set in a dystopian future circa 2285 in an … Continue reading Dream Theater’s The Astonishing — Live

Kevin Hart: What Now?

October 21, 2016May 28, 2017 / Tom / 6 Comments

Release: Friday, October 14, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Kevin Hart; Joey Wells; Harry Ratchford; Brian Buccellato Directed by: Leslie Small; Tim Story Kevin Hart: What Now? isn't quite as groundbreaking as the marketing may have you believe, but if you're a fan of his stand-up it remains a must-see event. While the venue itself suggests the next phase in the evolution of this hyperkinetic ball … Continue reading Kevin Hart: What Now?

The Accountant

October 17, 2016May 27, 2017 / Tom / 11 Comments

Release: Friday, October 14, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Bill Dubuque Directed by: Gavin O'Connor In Gavin O'Connor's new film Ben Affleck plays a small-town certified public accountant with a keen interest in some very private accounts. Sure, he's good with numbers but he's even better with bullets (and belts, seemingly). This is a guy who doesn't sleep with … Continue reading The Accountant

Paul G — #9

October 12, 2016May 27, 2017 / Tom / 8 Comments

Last time we were here, Paul was brought in as a psychological consultant on a top-secret government project involving an artificially intelligent being named Morgan. All two of us who saw that movie know how that turned out. Now this month we're going to find out what happens when you take Paul and shove him … Continue reading Paul G — #9

The Birth of a Nation

October 10, 2016May 26, 2017 / Tom / 16 Comments

Release: Friday, October 7, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Nate Parker Directed by: Nate Parker It's all but inevitable making comparisons between Steve McQueen's 2013 Oscar-winning adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir and the debut feature from Nate Parker. Some have even gone as far as to regard the latter's work as the 12 Years a Slave of 2016, which, … Continue reading The Birth of a Nation

Masterminds

October 6, 2016May 26, 2017 / Tom / 13 Comments

Release: Friday, September 30, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Chris Bowman; Hubbel Palmer; Emily Spivey Directed by: Jared Hess Masterminds didn't need to be masterfully made to be effective, but a little discipline could have gone a long way. Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite; Nacho Libre), the film is a comedic dramatization of the October 1997 Loomis Fargo bank robbery that … Continue reading Masterminds

Queen of Katwe

October 5, 2016May 25, 2017 / Tom / 15 Comments

Release: Friday, September 23, 2016 (limited) [Theater] Written by: William Wheeler Directed by: Mira Nair Despite the illusion of diversity and the notion that films are now being tailor-made for niched audiences, director Mira Nair's latest feels like a rarity, one that's not only good for the soul, but good for Disney. Here is a work of substance … Continue reading Queen of Katwe

Thomas J

My Journey Through Film

Month: October 2016