Love Strange, but Chopin Marvelous

marisa tomei Saw “Love is Strange” at my favorite theater, The Little in Rochester, New York. I’ve been a fan of Marisa Tomei forever and while I’d like to say this is a knockout performance equal to “Before the Devil Knows Your Dead”, alas, it’s not Oscar season just yet. The best thing about the… Continue reading Love Strange, but Chopin Marvelous

Frank-ly Give a Damn and a Half

Reminiscent of my recent “The Drop” experience, the movie “Frank”, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, leads to a slow boil. And while The Drop’s after effects were more about character and acting appreciation, my post Frank experience carried more emotion, especially when I saw the birth and death dates of the real Frank, Chris Sievey’s (1955-2010).… Continue reading Frank-ly Give a Damn and a Half

Craig Johnson & Ej Manuel, any relation?

I saw Skeleton Twins at an almost empty theater on a freakishly gorgeous Sunday for Rochester, New York. The Bills were going down to the Texans during my film immersion and I wondered after if Craig Johnson, co-writer of Skeleton Twins was fall guy for the oddly paced first half of the movie. I tend… Continue reading Craig Johnson & Ej Manuel, any relation?

“A Trip to Italy”, akin to sorbet; pretty colors, shallow nutrition

I’m a bit of a homebody and that trait tranfers over to my vacation choices as well. Meaning, I like to vacation in the ol’ US of A and think a sojourn to Italy is the equivalent of buying a fine wine when the local varietal is just as palatable. But hold up! Michael Winterbottom’s… Continue reading “A Trip to Italy”, akin to sorbet; pretty colors, shallow nutrition

The Drop

The Drop is directed by Michael R. Roskam, who wrote and directed the Academy Award Foreign Film Nominated Bullhead, which I’ll seek out now that I’ve seen the understated beauty of The Drop, viewed at the always-smells-like-a-swampy locker room Pittsford Cinema near Rochester, New York. The Drop is another in the litter of a new… Continue reading The Drop

In Your Dreams: Documentary The Party’s Over

I rarely remember dreams and when I do, often get a kick out noticing how my day’s reality contributed to the fantasy’s creation. So last night’s doozy came after an interesting concoction of a Netflix political documentary created by Philip Seymour Hoffman called The Party’s Over, found on some sites as Last Party 2000 and… Continue reading In Your Dreams: Documentary The Party’s Over

Labor (Day) of Love, Battle of the Two Indies: Land-Ho and A Short History of DK

For school teachers, Labor Day weekend is the last chance at running with the bulls, before the 40 week long monastery cloister. And while I’m on the topic of ‘get thee to a nunnery’ (Shakespeare’s Hamlet), may I beg anyone in driving distance to Geneva, New York, to PLEASE get to the Smith Opera House,… Continue reading Labor (Day) of Love, Battle of the Two Indies: Land-Ho and A Short History of DK

Second Time Around: Boyhood

Remember that Shalamar song “The Second Time Around”, an adorable ditty from the 80’s? The songs lyric, “It’s better than the first time”…is true for watching “Boyhood”. Club sandwiches come to mind as an apt analogy regarding both the scene breakdown and the soundtrack. This time around, I appreciated the number of scenes during each… Continue reading Second Time Around: Boyhood

Calvary, the Saints Come Marching In

“Calvary” written and directed by John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, Ned Kelly) is definitely worth seeing. In fact, having just finished a screenwriting class, this could be the template given to future writers showing them the ropes: ~make your main character suffer and holy Job, does Brendan Gleeson’s character suffer ~have quirky unique minor characters… Continue reading Calvary, the Saints Come Marching In