30-for-30: Fantastic Lies

November 30, 2016May 29, 2017 / Tom / 3 Comments

Release: Sunday, March 13, 2016 [Netflix] Directed by: Marina Zenovich Marina Zenovich's Fantastic Lies establishes one simple truth that cannot be disputed no matter what your feelings are towards Duke University and the air of superiority it cultivates. The scandal that rocked the Durham-based university in March of 2006 and the manner in which it was handled … Continue reading 30-for-30: Fantastic Lies

Hacksaw Ridge

November 11, 2016May 29, 2017 / Tom / 19 Comments

Release: Friday, November 4, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Andrew Knight; Robert Schenkkan Directed by: Mel Gibson Unlike the hero at the heart of Mel Gibson's first directorial effort in a decade I went into battle fully protected by a weapon: my overactive imagination. Turns out, psychological preparation is kind of necessary as you enter the gauntlet of Hacksaw Ridge's … Continue reading Hacksaw Ridge

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

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

Deepwater Horizon

September 30, 2016May 25, 2017 / Tom / 8 Comments

Release: Friday, September 30, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Matthew Michael Carnahan; Matthew Sand Directed by: Peter Berg Peter Berg's dramatization of the BP oil spill in April of 2010 is a decidedly solid account of human bravery but it is an incomplete picture. Curiously, a film that spends time hashing out all the gory details never manages to … Continue reading Deepwater Horizon

Paul G — #8

September 13, 2016May 22, 2017 / Tom / 6 Comments

Last time we were here, Paul had turned to the dark side in the animated wonder The Little Prince, playing the part of a harsh(ly shaped) Academy instructor who enjoyed scaring children into becoming workaholic machines. This month let's turn our attention to . . . well, another role in which he's playing a rather confronting … Continue reading Paul G — #8

Morgan

September 3, 2016May 18, 2017 / Tom / 21 Comments

Release: Friday, September 2, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Seth W. Owen Directed by: Luke Scott No movie, especially one dabbling in the science fiction genre, has an obligation to make the viewer feel all warm and cuddly inside. You can be both the coldhearted bastard and The Year's Best Movie, but if you plan on being as brutally dispassionate … Continue reading Morgan

Free State of Jones

July 8, 2016May 14, 2017 / Tom / 10 Comments

Release: Friday, June 24, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Gary Ross; Leonard Hartman Directed by: Gary Ross In Gary Ross' new film, inspired by the life of Civil War medic-turned-rebel Newton Knight, the firepower has been upgraded from crossbows to muskets and bayonets, but both the fire and the power in the former Hunger Games director are absent in Free State … Continue reading Free State of Jones

Paul G — #5

June 14, 2016May 10, 2017 / Tom / 7 Comments

Last time we were here, Paul was rocking a sweet silver hairdo, the trademark of famed music producer Jerry Heller whom he portrayed in his second collaboration with director F. Gary Gray. Let's actually take a look at his first experience working with him in the excellent crime/hostage thriller The Negotiator, where Paul takes on … Continue reading Paul G — #5

30-for-30: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

April 30, 2016April 25, 2017 / Tom / 12 Comments

Release: Sunday, March 14, 2010 [Netflix] Directed by: Dan Klores When people talk about Reggie Miller, arguably the greatest to ever put on a Pacers uniform, they only seem to focus on two things: the New York Knicks and Knicks superfan Spike Lee. It's never about Indiana, the very state and legacy Miller's cold-blooded three-point shooting was designed … Continue reading 30-for-30: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

Thomas J

My Journey Through Film

#dramatic