The film I chose for today wasn’t even a film that I was planning on viewing for today. You see the thing is how can I say no first of all to a film that was based on a Stephen King novel and how could I say no second of all to a film that stars Anton Yelchin (Green Room). The film Hearts In Atlantis follows middle aged Bobby Garfield (David Morse) who attends a friends funeral and starts to recollect his past and one particular year when he was 11 years old (played by Yelchin). Bobby lives with his single mother Liz (Hope Davis) who is hopeless and clueless to what really matters in her life. That all begins to change one day when a mysterious man named Ted (Anthony Hopkins) shows up on their door step as he begins to change their lives to show them what really matters in life. The only problem is that Ted is in trouble and he entrusts Bobby for help against the Low Men. The film also stars Mika Boorem (Blue Crush) as Carol Gerber, Alan Tudyk (Zootopia) as Monte Man, Adam LeFevre (Hitch) as Don Biderman, Will Rothhaar (Kingpin) as John Sullivan, Timothy Reifsnyder (Wide Awake) as Harry Doolin, Celia Watson (Observe And Report) as Alana Files, and the film was directed by Scott Hicks (The Lucky One).
The funny thing about this films is who knew that six years later that Hope Davis and Anton Yelchin would play mother and son again in Charlie Bartlett? She’s not a completely hopeless mother in this film because she’s functional, but she is clueless just like she is in the other film. This film features a young Anton Yelchin and he was just as brilliant then as he was right before he passed away. He was masterful as that young child that is full of hope towards the future that the brilliant Anthony Hopkins character can see it. That is why he gives Bobby the gift of being able to see a bright future. While there is plenty of drama in the film, the mystery part is the most interesting part of the film in my opinion. You see Hopkin’s character is on the run from something and we begin to find out what and who as he let’s Bobby in on it slowly. The premise of it is different and interesting and you wonder if the Government really did try enlisting psychics to find communist spies? I loved the story of the film and I love how the film was set in the 1950’s with the outfits, cars, etc. The 50’s is one of my favorite decades besides the 1980’s because it looked like a simpler time so you know I loved the sets and props in the film. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade because I truly enjoyed it.
First off, I understand that I might have chosen a chick flick for today, but it is a comedy and it features Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect). The other thing is that the film also features the very beautiful Dakota Johnson and with that being said How To Be Single is today’s film. Alice (Johnson) has been dating Josh (
While this film is definitely a chick flick, it has some redeeming qualities to it. It may seem like it bashes guys because it’s all about how their relationships aren’t working or you the fact that you don’t want to get caught as Rebel puts it in the “Dicksand”(dick quicksand). There are some moments when they look absolutely crazy or when the bartender argues that you can’t find chemistry from an online dating app. I love Rebel Wilson because she plays the drunk, crazy, Aussie or Brit very well in every film that she is in and she does have some hilarious moments in the film. The thing I really liked about the film is the fact that it doesn’t just focus on Dakota Johnson’s character, but also on Leslie Mann’s who is trying to deal with the fact that she has put work ahead of her personal life and Alison Brie who believes in using dating apps. The film is kind of like six degrees of the bartender Tom because he is connected to all of them somehow a she tries to figure out his life after a girl wakes him up. So, there is plenty of subplots to drive the story forward and it moves pretty well. It’s just that I am not completely into chick flicks so women may enjoy the film more than me. Having Jason Mantzoukas in the film was definitely clutch by me because his character was hilarious. I am going to go ahead and give the film an B+ for a final grade only because it’s one I probably wouldn’t watch again.
Dirty Harry is a true American Icon of badasses in the world of cinema and sadly I have only seen the first film in the series. So, I figured what better place than here to see the next film in the series Magnum Force which sees Clint Eastwood (The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly) returns as police officer Harry Callahan.Some officers on the force dressed as a motorcycle cops are taking out all of the scumbags in the city of San Francisco vigilante style and that is upsetting the police force including Harry. After being off homicide for a while, Harry is put back on and is tasked with figuring out who they are before they take out any more undesirables. The film also stars Hal Holbrook (Men Of Honor) as Lt. Briggs, Mitchell Ryan (Electra Glide In Blue) as McCoy, David Soul (Starsky and Hutch) as Davis, Tim Matheson (The West Wing) as Sweet, Kip Niven (New Year’s Evil) as Astrachan, Robert Ulrich (Spenser: For Hire) as Grimes, Felton Perry (Dumb And Dumber) as Early Smith, Margaret Avery (Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins) as prostitute, Tony Giorgio (Foxy Brown) as Palancio, and the film was directed by Ted Post (Beneath The Planet Of The Apes). To see the rest of the review, please click 
Before I woke up this morning, I had never heard of the film I watched and reviewed for today, but there was one factor that made me want to watch. I am a huge fan of Michael Pitt and I have been wondering what he has been up to since he had left the show Boardwalk Empire, but I got my answer in I Origin. Pitt plays molecular biologist Dr. Ian Gray whose main line of interest is the human eye. One thing is for sure when it comes to Ian and that is he does not believe in God and is always out to prove that there is more proof in science than in religion. All of that is about to be put to the test when he makes a startling discovery that may prove that there may be something greater than science. The film also stars Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) as Kenny, Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) as Sofi, Brit Marling (Sound Of My Voice) as Karen, 
The film is interesting to say the least and it hits many different genres in one from it starting off as a romance movie that dabs in science to a tragedy movie back to a romance film and back to a science film. The thing that he discovers toward the last half of the film really makes you question whether science is correct or if the religious people had it right all along. What if you could tell if someone was resurrected through the patterns in the eye? Think about that for a second, what if the things you like, don’t like, and the reason you act the way you do is because you were someone else in a past life. Through an eye scan, he discovers that there is someone out there in the world that is a match to his dead wife and I mean an exact match. Wouldn’t you be curious enough to want to see if they reacted to certain things that your past love, brother, or even friend would have. That is the thing I loved about the film was this sense of what if and it didn’t hurt that Astrid Berges-Frisbey was really hot. It’s an honest film that will make you think a little bit, but it can be predictable at times. That was the only bad thing about the film was that you could see certain things happening when they did. Other than that I loved the acting from Pitt and Marling, etc. It was also cool to see them in Delhi, India cause the cinematography was cool. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade. It’s airing on HBO and I’m pretty sure it’s available on HBOGO.
James Franco (Pineapple Express) is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors because he has down a little bit of everything in his career. I am also enjoying his team ups with guys like Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. That is why I chose to watch the film True Story which stars Franco and Hill together in a film that is based on a true story. Michael Finkel (Hill) is a well respected journalist for the New York Times, but after some untruths are uncovered in a recent article, he is fired from his job. He then learns that a man named Christian Longo (Franco) who has been convicted of murder used his identity while he was on the run from the law in Mexico. Curious as to why he did it, Finkel soon starts a correspondence with him in hopes of getting his story out to the public, but things and facts may not seem to appear right with Longo. The film also stars Felicity Jones (The Theory Of Everything) as Jill Barker, Maria Dizzia (Margin Call) as Mary Jane Longo, Ethan Suplee (Chasing Amy) as Pat Frato, Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3) as Greg Ganley, Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire) as Karen Hannen, and the film was directed by Rupert Goold.
I am sincerely super impressed with James Franco which is why I said he is becoming one of my favorite actors. Here is why I enjoyed him in this film and it’s because he is so charming that he fools you like his character fools the public (look him up, he is a real person so I am not spoiling anything). To go along with charming, he is also very witty and convincing which is just downright dangerous because he had me believing that there was a chance he could be innocent. I don’t blame Michael Finkel for taking this on because I probably would have been a sucker for it as well. See that is what I loved about this film and why I would suggest this one to anyone that is a fan of him and even a fan of Jonah Hill. This must have been a difficult thing to live with for Michael who was already facing his own personal trial for what happened over at the New York Times so he was vulnerable. I loved the cinematography to the film as well because the photography matched the overall tone of the film and the story. It was a dark film to begin with so not a lot of happy colors and more dark imagery like the photos of the wife and kids. If you want to find out what is true or not about the film, then visit the website 
April may turn out to be a tough month to pick a clear top 25 with all of the films that are becoming available to watch that I have wanted to see. Today’s film is definitely one that could be challenging for the top spot in the movie Creed. Creed is the latest installment in the Rocky series that follows Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the child of the late Apollo Creed’s infidelity. Throughout his whole life, Adonis has been fighting for what is his, but all he wants to do is prove that he can be like his father int he ring. Adonis decides that he needs to move to Philadelphia to get trained by the great Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). With the guidance of Rocky, can he finally prove himself in the ring as the heavyweight champion comes calling. The film also stars Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) as Bianca, Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) as Mary Anne Creed, Andre Ward as Danny Wheeler, Tony Bellew as Pretty Ricky Conlon, Ritchie Coster (The Dark Knight) as Pete Sporino, Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran (Here Comes The Boom) as Stitch, Graham McTavish (Rambo) as Tommy Holiday, Gabe Rosado as Leo “The Lion” Sporino, and the film was directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station).
I have always been a huge fan of all the Rocky films because not only is there boxing, but there’s drama and their’s the human factor. What I mean by the human factor is that you see the struggle that Rocky went through for every fight in and out of the ring and the same holds true for Adonis in the film Creed. Ryan Coogler did an amazing job taking the franchise into the future in my opinion as he wrote and directed this one. This was also the first film in the whole series that Sylvester Stallone had nothing to do with the writing, he just starred and produced the film. The other thing I love about these movies is that they make you feel like these are authentic fights and that you really are watching them on HBO for HBO Boxing as Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, and Michael Buffer all make appearances in the film. The other great thing about the film is that they don’t forget about the history of the franchise and in fact, it’s a very important piece. I’m not going to spoil the details, but that secret fight behind closed doors that Rocky had with Apollo at the end of Rocky III, well the winner is revealed in this film. If you are a fan of the Rocky franchise or boxing films in general, then take the time an check this one out. The cinematography, fight choreography, set designs, acting, etc. are all amazing in this film in my opinion. This could be the number one movie for the month of April as of this point. There is still 22 days left to the month to decide. With that being said, I am going to give the film an A for a final grade.
For today’s film, I only have one question to ask all of you and it’s are you ready to meet one of the most dysfunctional families ever? The film is called Eulogy and it stars Zooey Deschanel ((500) Days Of Summer) as Kate Collins, a girl who is supposed to give a eulogy at her grandfather’s funeral. The only problem is that she doesn’t know what to say and looks to her father (Hank Azaria), a failed actor turned pornstar and his dysfunctional siblings which include a lesbian, an overbearing bitch, and a sleazeball for some memories of the old man which turns out to be a project. Oh not to mention that she has to help prevent her grandmother from committing suicide in this black comedy. The film stars Debra Winger (Urban Cowboy) as Alice Collins, Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Skip Collins, Kelly Preston (Twins) as Lucy Collins, Rip Torn (Men In Black) as Edmund Collins, Piper Laurie (Carrie) as Charlotte Collins, Famke Janssen (X-Men) as Judy, Glenne Headly (Don Jon) as Samantha, Jesse Bradford (Romeo + Juliet) as Ryan, and the film was directed by Michael Clancy.
I have found in the past that some black comedies can be a little hard to digest only because you are trying to find the humor in the film. I think since I have grown up so much and found how crappy life can be, it’s easier to find it now when your cynical. I thought that I have seen some real dysfunctional families in my time, but nothing tops the Collins family who are in for the biggest surprise towards the end. If you like character driven movies, I think this is a great film for characters because everyone in the film is just so darn unique and the personalities of some while typical are just as interesting too. I was watching this film and I did not realize that Debra Winger was in the movie the whole time. She does an amazing job playing the overbearing, hypocritical, controlling sister while the always beautiful Kelly Preston just looks amazing as she plays the lesbian sister. Ray Romano plays your prototypical bonehead, disgustingly perverted, can’t handle feelings kind of guy. Famke Janssen’s character is very witty as she has to be as the controversial soon to be wife of Kelly Preston in the film. Don’t think by all that that Zooey’s character is the only normal one in the film because she has issues of her own as well. The movie has it all from your drama filled subplots that unfold before your very eyes to those moments that you just laugh with. I honestly had never heard of this film, but I am glad that I caught it on HBO when I did. I am going to give this film an B+ for a final grade.
Stand up comedian Amy Schumer was on the rise in 2015 from getting her own movie Trainwreck to a huge comedy special on HBO. As you can see I chose Trainwreck as the film for today it was directed by the amazing Judd Apatow (Knocked Up). Int he film Amy plays a woman who believes that Monogamy is just not realistic in life. So, it’s safe to say that she sleeps around a lot and she’s more focused on her career thanks to some advice from her dad (Colin Quinn). That is all about to change for Amy when she meets a good guy in the form of sports doctor Aaron (Bill Hader). Will Amy continue on her ways or will Aaron change her for the better? The film also stars Brie Larson (21 Jump Street) as Kim, Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin) as Diana, Lebron James as himself, John Cena (The Marine) as Steven, Dave Attell (Funny People) as Noah, Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin) as Donald, Randall Park (The Interview) as Bryson, Vanessa Bayer (Despicable Me 2) as Nikki, Jon Glaser (Assy McGee) as Schultz, and Evan Brinkman (The Owl) as Allister.
I want to start off by saying that this is quite the movie folks because it sort of matches her brand of comedy. It can be really funny and raunchy at the same time. One of my favorite scenes in the whole film is Amy’s time spent with John Cena. That is some of the funniest material and I have to give it to John Cena, the man is a natural. The film is this wild journey of discovery for Amy who believes that life is all about one thing, but when she meets something great it gets turned upside down. She begins to discover that Love is a possible thing that people can experience when met with the right ones. The film is two hours long, but there is enough going on to keep your attention going the whole time. One thing I also have to say is that I didn’t realize her boss was Tilda Swinton. Tilda did such an amazing job as this bitchy British stereotypical boss of a huge magazine. The movie has all your typical moods of a romantic comedy film where it’s funny, has plenty of drama, and has it’s happy ending where everything turns out OK. This was definitely one of my favorite comedies of the year and it’s actually up for an award on my other blog site which you can check out 
365moviesin365dayschallenge 