Riverside Welcomes The Rooster
“Collateral Beauty” Review
Will Smith is back in the most dramatic role yet as a man at the top of his game in the industry, whose life begins to crumb at the sudden death of his six-year-old daughter, Olivia due to brain cancer. His friends and partners at his work, played by Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, and Michael Pena, see the devastation, and try to let him cope but when they all fear losing their jobs, that fear takes place and they enlist three local actors to play death, time and love, in order to discredit Smith, but will that be the best thing for the struggling father in order to cope with his daughter’s death?
At an hour thirty-seven minutes, Collateral Beauty will have you deep in thought about how three very different elements work together in mysterious ways in order to see a collateral beauty in everything.
Collateral Beauty also stars Helen Mirren, who beautifully captures the role of death for Howard, Kiera Knightley portrays love in more ways than one, beginning with the weepy heartfelt moments to the love as a strong threshold and Jacob Latimore encompasses time in the raw, edgy type that will leave you wondering how one could ever forget about time.
All in all, Collateral Beauty, came out December 16, 2016 and thus has brought in well over 30 million at the box office. It’s still playing in a theater near you.
“Dog” Battles for Number One
Universal Picture’s latest movie about the many lives of one dog is bringing controversy as a video surfaced more than a week prior to its world premiere that caused the company to cancel it and spark protests for its opening debut weekend.
Despite the bad press, the author and producer assured the dog was never in any danger and A Dog Purpose opened in theaters this weekend, with packed to nearly packed audiences as everyone came out to see Bailey transform and touch hearts. The film stars the voice talent of Josh Gad as one dog, living the lives of Bailey, Ellie, Tino and Buddy as he discovers the meaning of life as a dog. Throughout he learns lessons along the way that ultimately helps him reunite with his original owner, Ethan, played by Dennis Quaid and helps him to be happy once again like he was when Bailey first came to him as a puppy.
A Dog’s Purpose will have you laughing, crying and ultimately sitting on the edge of your seat not knowing what will happen next. At an hour and forty minutes, it’s a movie that the whole family can enjoy as they watch each dog transform each human’s life in the most common way possible.
It’ll be interesting to see who takes the number one spot at the box office this week as two Universal films, one of which Split that took number one last weekend, will be going up against each other this weekend. A Dog’s Life is rated PG and is currently playing in a theater near you.
“Resurrection” Reaches Audiences
It’s the classic story about a child star who hits rock bottom when Gavin Stone, played by ‘ABC’s Agent of Shield’s’ Brett Dalton, is given a second chance through community service at a local church in his childhood home. Though clearly not a Christian, Dalton accepts and takes on the task of manual labor until a meeting with the pastor’s daughter, Kelly Richardson, (played Anjelah Johnson- Reyes) leads Dalton to audition and take up the charade of ‘Christian’ in order to land the part of Jesus Christ.
But will Dalton be able to successfully pull of such a powerful part without letting Kelly know that it is all an act especially when his two hundred hours of community service are up prior to show time?
At roughly an hour and thirty-five minutes, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a feel good movie about the power of faith that can change anyone’s life and make them actually want to live a better life. Overall, it’s a movie unlike any other Easter story with a bit of good tasting comedy at the heart of what truly matters. People will be laughing, crying and cheering what is said to be ‘the greatest story of all time’.
The Resurrection of Gavin Stone came out January 19, 2017 and has thus earned roughly over one point five million domestically. It’s currently playing at a theater near you.
“Split” Breaks Records
M. Night Shyamalan‘s latest suspense thriller is taking the box office by storm with a record 40 million opening weekend making it the fifth largest January opening to date.
Universal Pictures Split follows the story of the multi personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb in a struggle to survive amidst himself. Otherwise known has Dissociative Identity Disorder, Crumb played by James McAvoy finds himself wrestling with his own identities which ultimately leads him to kidnapping three young girls and holding them hostage for what is to be his newest identity which has yet to be unleashed, called ‘the monster’.
Overall, the movie will have audiences sitting on the edge of their seats trying to figure out just which personality will come out next as the three girls race to find an escape through one of the many identities of Mr. Crumb. McAvoy’s portrayal of each identity is seamless as you truly see the real struggle of someone with this rare disorder.
Additionally, Shyamalan holds true to his own distinct style by using hidden easter eggs to further give dept to his story, including his always subtle cameo as well as his use of the color yellow to stimulate the current hysterical and personality change that our character goes through.
Split also stars Anya Taylor Joy as Casey, Haley Lu Richardson as Claire, Jessica Sula as Marcia and Betty Buckley as Dr. Karen Fletcher who tries to cure Crumb though the personalities ultimately get in the way.
Split came out in theaters, January 20, 2017 and is currently playing in a theater near you.
XXX Returns
Vin Diesel is back as Xander Cage in the latest installment of the Triple X trilogy, this time to recover “Pandora’s Box” and save the world. The team consists of the same cast including Samuel L. Jackson as Gibbons and Ice Cube as Darius Stone and is a high energy action thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat with excitement as action after action is coming your way to bring you to the end in hopefully one piece.
It’s the typical XXX movie, where to coin a line, “You kick some ass, get the girl and try to look dope while you’re doing it.” Overall, there’s not much to the movie, however if you like heart pounding action, triple X is the movie for you.
It came out in theaters Thursday January 20th and is playing at one near you. It’s expected to bring in at least 20 million its opening weekend according to box office mojo as it has a little competition with M. Night Shyamalan’s Split.
“Seventeen” REVIEW
Hailee Steinfield is showing her dramatic side in the latest high school film that ultimately received her first Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a comedy or musical.
Steinfield shines throughout The Edge of Seventeen as the movie opens with her confronting her favorite teacher Mr. Bruner, (played by Woody Harrelson) with confessions of wanting to kill herself. Ultimately the audience is drawn into this witty humor adolescent teenage coming of age story as we travel with her back to when all her troubles began. Nadine (Steinfield) is a 7-year old twin, living in the shadows of her outgoing brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) who barely shows any concern over his sister’s moodiness, her mother (Kyra Sedgwick) cares more for her brother than for her and her only two friends are her father (Eric Keenleyside) who gives her the attention that she lacks from her mother until she witnesses his death as she enters teenage years at thirteen, and a little girl named Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) who she also meets when she’s seven and instantly forms a bond, but will that bond be broken when loves gets in the way?
At a hundred and four minutes run time, The Edge of Seventeen will have you caught up in all the drama of what goes on in the heads of teenagers, everything from school, to dating and adolescence in its purest forms. Though slightly graphic at times, it is a movie to thoroughly enjoy and watch as Steinfield’s performance, both acting as well as narrating her life, is exceptional. Though not a Golden Globe winner, she has already been nominated for 38 awards over the course of her short acting career and received 24 wins for both this film as well as her breakthrough performance in True Grit.
The Edge of Seventeen is rated R and may not be suitable for all ages but it is a performance by a young actress that is worth seeing. It’s still playing in select theaters and is scheduled for Blu-Ray and DVD release on February 14. It’s a great Valentine’s date night movie to remember adolescent years.
“Patriots” Stand Strong
Lionsgate’s historical drama thriller is expanding to theaters this weekend as other new movies are coming out. Despite its slow start of bringing in just under 1-million dollars at the box office, it is a movie that is worth seeing on the big screen.
Patriot’s Day stars Mark Walberg, a paramedic/ first responder, who saw first hand the devastating impact of the Boston Marathon Bombing including the aftermath, where the entire city of Boston pulled together to find the terrorists that planted the series of bombs in April 2013.
Overall, Patriots Day combined real life footage with that of the actors, in order to put together a film that truly captures the heart of the matter and showed the strength of one city and state that bounced back and survives today as Boston Strong.
Patriots Day also features, John Goodman as Commissioner Ed Davis, Michelle Monaghan as Walberg’s wife and Kevin Bacon as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, as they worked together with the real life heroes to make this a movie to fully honor the fallen.
Patriots Day came out in theaters Dec 21 of last year and is expanding its reach this week for even more to see and remember. See it in a theater near you.
Celebrating 5 years of Pets in Pomona
74th Annual Golden Globes RECAP
Hosted by Jimmy Fallon and airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and exclusively on NBC, the opening scene of the 74th Annual Golden Globes paid tribute to one of the best picture nominees, La La Land, with a satire skit intro, by Fallon. The following list of awards and who took them home are below.
- Ryan Reynolds and Emma stone presented the first award, for best actor in a motion picture drama, awarded to Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal Animals.
- The best actor in a TV series drama went to Billy Bob Thornton for his role in Goliath.
- Hugh Grant introduced his movie and the first nominee for best picture, Florence Foster Jenkins.
- Drew Barrymore and Timothy Elephant presented the Best Actress in a TV Series Musical or Comedy, won by Tracee Ellis Ross for Black-ish. and the Best TV Series Musical or Comedy went to Atlanta accepted by writer, actor and director Donald Glover.
- Vince Vaughn introduced the first movie nominated for Best Picture, Hacksaw Ridge.
- Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon presented the award for Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie and Sara Paulson won for her performance O.J. Simpson American Crime Story. The People vs. O.J. Simpson also won for best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
- Annette Bening introduced Twentieth Century Women which is nominated for Best Picture as well.
- The Best Actor in a Limited Series or Made for TV Movie went to Hugh Laurie for his role in The Night Manager.
- Sting and Carrie Underwood presented the award for best original score to Justin Hurwitz for La La Land as well as the best original song to “City of Stars” from La La Land.
- John Legend introduced the best picture musical or comedy nominated, La La Land.
- Michael Keaton presented Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Drama to Viola Davis for her role in Fences.
- Kristen Bell and Cuba Gooding Jr presented the award to Olivia Coolman for best actress in a TV Limited Series or Made For TV Movie, though she wasn’t able to appear to accept the award.
- Dev Patel introduced his movie nominated for best picture, Lion.
- Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer presented the award for best actor in a motion picture comedy or musical to Ryan Gosling for his stunning performance in La La Land.
- Damien Chazelle won the best motion picture screenplay for his latest movie La La Land.
- Kristin Wigg and Steve Carell presented the best animated motion picture to Zootopia.
- And jimmy Fallon also introduced a touching film montage tribute for mother daughter team Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds who passed away just days before the end of 2016.
- Casey Afflict introduced his film nominated for best picture, Manchester by the Sea.
- the Best foreign language motion picture is Elle, from France.
- Tom Hiddleton won for best actor in a limited tv or made for tv movie.
- The Crown took best tv series, drama.
- Viola Davis awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Maryl Streep as she intro a video tribute to before she took the stage to accept the honor.
- Chris Pine introduced the next nominated best picture, drama, Hell or High Water.
- Damien Chazelle won best director for La La Land.
- Danny Glove won Best actor in a TV series comedy or musical for Atlanta.
- Emma Stone received the Best Actress for a motion picture, comedy or musical for La La Land.
- Pierce Brosnan introduced the last nominee for best picture, in a musical or comedy, Sing Street.
- And Brad Pitt introduced the last nominee for best picture, drama, Moonlight.
- And Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmaine awarded the best motion picture, musical or comedy to La La Land.
- The best actor in a motion picture drama goes to Casey Afflict for his role in Manchester By the Sea.
- Leonardo DiCaprio awarded Isabelle Huppert the best actress in a motion picture drama for the French movie, Elle.
- And Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone awarded the best motion picture, drama to Moonlight.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards. The Golden Globes are determined by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association prior to the awards show.