Under the Sea 3D is an IMAX film showcasing the vibrant aquatic life in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Filming in beautiful blue areas that are densely populated by a variety of species makes for an amazing visual treat. I appreciated that they did not only pick the most familiar types of animals to show and instead chose to find the most unique creatures and was able to capture some incredible moments. Most of the voice over are facts…
I love Zach Galifianakis’ videos online “Between Two Ferns” because they are awkward and hilarious, so I wanted to see more of Zach’s stand up. In 2005 when he performed at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, his routine was recorded (the filming of which seemed a bit scrambled), and Michael Blieden directed this feature including a scene involving Zach playing his own twin brother Seth being interviewed. This show was originally produced by Netflix and I watched it on…
Martin Landau was born on June 20th, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, was a cartoonist at age 17, and got into the Actors Studio drama school in New York at age 27. There he studied with Steve McQueen, was best friends with James Dean, and after several tv appearances was seen in North by Northwest (1959 mystery directed by Alfred Hitchcock). He appeared in the films Cleopatra (1963 drama with Elizabeth Taylor), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965 drama with…
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a super hero film with solid actors, lots of eye candy, plenty of easter eggs, and is a fun movie from start to finish (including the credits). Portraying Spider-Man for a second time after being introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016 with Chris Evans), is Tom Holland. He plays a high school aged Peter Parker who tries to balance his normal life with the thrills and danger that come with wearing spandex in public. And fighting…
Will Ferrell is a comically talented actor who has been making people laugh on screen for over 20 years. I first saw Will on Saturday Night Live, where for 140 episodes (primarily between 1995-2002) he owned some of the biggest laughs by adding more cowbell or by portraying characters such as Alex Trebek, James Lipton, George W. Bush, Robert Goulet, a Spartan cheerleader, and the bearded half of “The Luvahs.” He is skilled at developing characters with funny sets of…
Forest Whitaker is a deceptive actor, who is talented playing a supporting role or a leading one, and has also won an Oscar for Best Actor. I first saw Forest in Good Morning Vietnam (1987 comedy starring Robin Williams), where he played a character named Garlick who was supporting a new DJ serving in Vietnam in 1965. His role included him to appear naive, give Robin a reason to make a difference for people like Forest’s more by the book…
The new releases in theatres for Friday July 14 include War for the Planet of the Apes (sci-fi action), Wish Upon (horror), and expanding to more theatres is The Big Sick (romantic comedy). Currently in theatres, the top 5 films based on box office grosses are Spider-Man: Homecoming (action/adventure), Despicable Me 3 (animated adventure), Baby Driver (action crime), Wonder Woman (action/adventure), and Cars 3 (animated action). War for the Planet of the Apes is the 3rd part of the rebooted…
For the 29th year, the Freewill Shakespeare Festival is playing outdoors at the Heritage Amphitheater in Hawrelak Park in Edmonton. Each year they perform a tragedy and a comedy on alternating nights for over 3 weeks, rain or shine, for crowds up to 1000 people. This year they are performing Merchant of Venice (tragedy) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (comedy), and I saw the comedy. I have seen a handful of shows over the years, my wife has seen…
Harrison Ford is a charming actor who excels at being relatable, funny, and is no stranger to leading blockbuster level action adventure films. I first saw Harrison in Star Wars (1977), where he played one of his iconic roles, Han Solo. He was quick witted, mischievous, and set a standard for future action heroes as he flew across the universe saving the day. Ford doesn’t need to say much to develop a character and when he does speak, if you…
Baby Driver is musically inspired, has a number of sketchy characters, and is a lot of fun with an uncommon level of style. Written and directed by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is about a getaway driver with a cute name, flawless driving skills, and a good heart. Populating his world are a variety of not so nice criminals and he finds himself wrapped up in a world where nice, law abiding citizens do not belong. Distinctive to this film is…