Month: April 2017

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“China” Review

Nine years ago, Disneynature started their epic journey to explore the unpredictable wilds of nature and this year, their ninth adventure takes audiences into the Wilds of China.

The film documentary, Born In China explores three of the most unusual and never before seen images of the Giant Panda, Snow Leopard and the mischievous golden monkey in their natural habitat.  Overall, the film’s stunning imagery of these three families show audiences the true nature of these creatures as we watch them raise their young, defend themselves from predators and ultimately learn how to walk for the first time without any help from people.

Narrated by John Krasinski, Born in China is inspiring to anyone who loves animals in their natural habitat and as part of Disneynature’s mission, this film which came out on Earth day weekend, donated its profits for opening weekend to the World Wildlife fund to save Giant Pandas and Snow Leopards.  It brought in nearly 4.7 million at the box office opening weekend finishing in 6th place.

See it in a theater near you and see sights that can’t be seen in a regular zoo setting.

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“The Promise” Review

In the midst of WWI, the Armenians faced an unforeseen fate when the Turkish government decided to exterminate their entire race.  Survival Films’ The Promise captures this reenactment on film in order to bring light to one of the darkest times in our history, one that the Turkish Government denies even to this day.

Christian Bale plays the American reporter, sent to cover the outcome of the war in Turkey, when he discovers the truth and almost gives his life for a chance to convenience America that this is real and that one thing still exists in the midst of the war, love, in the form of a love triangle between medical student, Mikael (Oscar Issac), Sophisticated Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) and the journalist, but is it enough to survive in the midst of all the chaos of the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

At 2 hours and 15 minutes, The Promise will have you reliving the fear and devastation of an entire community as children are orphaned, families separated, but one thing remains the same, love.

The Promise came out April 21 in theaters and though it was at the bottom of the box office, it’s a film that all should see as it deals with history especially one that not too many people realize even existed.  The acting is powerful as is the realistic portrayal of the last part of WWI in Europe and Turkey.  The movie is timely for when the genocide of 80 percent of the Armenian population perished beginning in April 1915.

See The Promise before it leaves the theaters.  It will have audiences ravaging over the genocide that happened over a hundred years ago.

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Poppies Bloom in Lancaster

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Bestseller Turns To The Movies

While at the top of his gain at the Chicago Tribune, his young daughter nearly dies if not for the kindness of a stranger, but now Lee Strobel is questioning everything when his wife suddenly becomes a Christian.  Afraid of what will happen to his family, Strobel decides to investigate one of the founding claims of Christianity, the resurrection, but will he be able to disprove or will the facts hold solid for what he feels in his heart.

At an hour and fifty-two minutes, The Case For Christ will take you on the archeological journey with Lee Strobel, played by Mike Vogel, as his wife, Leslie, played by Erika Christensen, patiently waits and prays for her husband to change his heart and mind.  It’s by far one of the best investigative religious movies.  It gives the facts and lets those tell you what to believe, but ultimately the choice is yours.

The Pureflex film also stars Faye Dunaway as one of the professionals that Strobel interviews as well as L. Scott Caldwell as Alfie, the woman who starts the dominoes falling by saving Stobel’s daughter.

The Case for Christ came out in theaters, April 7 and has thus far risen over 5 million to date at the box office.  It’s the perfect movie to watch over the Easter weekend.

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The “Boss” Is In

Alec Baldwin is the Boss Baby in the latest animated movie about what happens when a new baby comes into the picture.

Told from the point of view of seven-year old big brother, Tim the Dreamworks Film follows the creativity of little boy as he discovers the truth about where babies come from in the form of a slick dressing, talking boss baby, who has been sent down from Baby Co to stop their arch rival Puppy Co from unveiling their latest puppy creation.

At an hour and thirty-seven minute run time, The Boss Baby will lead you on the creative adventure of a seven-year old and his baby brother as they face many challenges including the ultimate one that all siblings are forced to face, “how to bond as brothers”.

The Boss baby stars an all-star cast doing the voices including Toby Macguire as the narrator and Adult Tim.  Young Tim is voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi.  Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel voice the tired, overworked parents and Steve Buscemi voice the CEO of Puppyco and former “Boss Baby”, Francis Francis, who wants to do everything in his powers to turn the public’s love from baby to puppy by creating the “forever puppy”

The Boss Baby came out on March 21 and has done far better than expected as it has reached close to 100 thousand since its opening debut and taking number one at the box office for last week.

It’s currently playing in a theater near you.  See it with your siblings and you will be pleasantly surprised.  It’ll show you the power of brother and sister bonding.

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Sony at 3 For Weekend

In the midst of the run for top its opening weekend, Sony’s Smurfs managed to take the number 3 spot behind Disney’s Beauty and The Beast and Fox’s Boss Baby.

The animated sequel goes deeper into the world of the lovable Smurfs by, this time, exploring “Who Smurfette is” as Clumsy (Jack McBrayer), Brainy (Danny Pudi), and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) go on a new adventure with Smurfette (voiced by Demi Lovato) in order to find the “Lost Village” and warn them about Gargamel (Rainn Wilson), the evil sorcerer who wants to use the smurfs powers for his own advantage.

At an hour and thirty minutes, Smurfs: The Lost Village will lead you on an adventure never before attempted by the Smurfs: to venture into the forbidden forest in order to find out that they are not the only smurfs in the area. The fun loving film will instantly have you laughing and cheering on the little blue creatures and Smurfette in particular who finally realizes just who she is supposed to be in a heroic act of bravery that will leave audiences in suspense.

The cast also includes the voices of Julie Roberts as WillowSmurf, Michelle Rodriguez as SmurfStorm, and Meghan Trainor as SmurfMelody as the all female smurfs show Smurfette that she is not alone.

The Sony film came out in theaters April 7 and is currently playing in one near you.

 

 

 

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14th Annual Day of the Horse in Chatsworth

Sponsored by the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council, the Historical Society and Congressman Mitchell Englander of the 12th district, crowds came out to Stoney Point Ranch on Sunday April 9, 2017 from 11-3 for the annual Day of the Horse.

Riders take practice jumps in the field before performing for crowds.
Mustang demonstrations in the center showed crowds maneuvering procedures.
And This Mustang was tame enough to ride in front of crowds.

There were also therapy horses for crowds to understand the proper uses of the horses.
There were 11 different Miniature Therapy Horses at the Day of The Horse in Chatsworth.
A Spotted Mule was showcased in the Parade of Horses so that people could see.
This picture was one of 400 submitted for this year’s festival and took Best of Show

 

Residents could enjoy free hot dogs and hamburgers compliments of the Kiwanis of Chatsworth and there was fun activities for the kids including making their own

Stick Horses to take home as well as

decorating personalized horseshoes.

In the center of the ranch riders showed off their skills with various tricks, jumps and training methods for different breeds of horses including trained mustangs.

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“Gifted” Review

While blockbusters, like Fox’s Boss Baby and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast are still taking the top spots at the box office, there is another heartwarming movie that is bringing light to a challenging question of education vs. being a child in this day of age.

Marvel’s Chris Evans plays single Uncle Frank as he is left to raise his 7 year old niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) after his sister decides to commit suicide.  Frank sees Mary’s gift for mathematics something that his sister possessed, but feels it is more important for Mary to have friends and be a kid, so he decides to enroll her in public education, even though his friend, Roberta (Octavia Spencer), is skeptical.   Mary is instantly bored and her teacher (Jenny Slate) sees more potential and starts the dominoes falling into place to where her grandmother (Lindsay Duncan) finds her grand daughter and sees fulfillment of a life long goal that her daughter had yet to accomplish.

At 1 hour and 41 minutes, Gifted will have you debating over what is more important, love and fun or education.  The Fox Spotlight movie came out on April 7 in select theaters and thus far has brought in just under half a million at the box office.  It’s definitely one to see for the family values and will leave the audience with a profound view of how gifted children should and should not be treated.

Gifted is currently playing in limited theaters near you.

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WWII Review

Focus Features is bringing to light a sensitive matter in the latest Zookeeper’s Wife.  Jessica Chastain portrays a real life Polish woman, Antonina Zabinski, who lives a the Warsaw  Zoo with hundreds of animals  and her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh).  Now as the German’s invade Warsaw and Antonina fears for her life as well as that of her animals and family, she is caught between rescuing both the animals as well as hiding hundreds of Jews in the grounds of the now abandoned zoo.

At over 2 hour run time, The Zookeeper’s Wife will bring you into the war-torn region of Poland as never before seen through the eyes of the camera.  It’s a movie that will have you cheering the courageous heroism of the woman who rescued over 300 people and hundreds of animals from the clutches of World War II.

The Zookeeper’s Wife came out January 31, 2017 to limited theaters and currently has brought in over 4 million domestically at the box office, expanding its theatrical release April 7.

See it in a theater near you.