Cinderella (2015)

"I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind."

Ella (James) lives an idyllic life and is beloved by her parents (Hayley Atwell and Ben Chaplin).  Her world starts to unravel when her mother dies.  Her grief-stricken father marries the Lady Tremaine (Blanchett), a widow with daughters Anastasia (Grainger) and Drisella (McShera).  Tremaine and her daughters hate their new home and look down on Ella.  After the death of her father, Ella is forced to work as a servant in her own home.  Despite he harsh treatment of her Tremaine and her stepsisters, who call her "Cinderella", she continues to heed her mother's advice to "have courage and be kind."

One day she meets Kit (Madden), the Prince, who hides his true identity.  Their interaction is brief, but both are interested.  Kit and his father, the King (Jacobi) are throwing a ball for all the kingdom.  The ball is meant to rally the spirits of the people, while also securing a princess for Kit to marry.  Ella is not allowed to attend the ball and her mother's gown is ruined, will she find a way to the ball?


In 1950, Disney Animation released Cinderella.  The character and story have taken on a life of their own with countless adaptions and satires of this story.

The story originated in folklore, with different countries having different versions.  The first recorded version was written in 1634 by Giambattista Basile and called "Cenerentola" and based in Italy.  In 1697, French writer Charles Perrault wrote "Cendrillon", this is one of the most popular versions of the story and is the base for Disney's version.  The other most popular version is the Brothers Grimm's "Aschenputtel", which is more violent than the other versions.

For this live-action version, screenwriter Chris Weitz and director Kenneth Branagh chose to stick closely to Disney's 1950 film, keeping the character names (including the names of the mice).  Their characters are true to the animated film, with a little more personality and motivations.

The cast is incredible.  Almost everyone involved is British (Cate Blanchett is Australian and Stellan Skarsgard is Swedish).  Lily James is enchanting as Ella, who is good and kind without the film mocking her.  Cate Blanchett is icy as Lady Tremaine, while still showing other sides to her character.  Helen Bonham Carter is the slightly off-beat fairy godmother, without making her a caricature.  The men are all good... the only issue is the step sisters.  They are one note and annoying.  There isn't any personality there and their voices are grating in large doses.

The setting is beautiful and the costumes are perfection.  The costumes (and costume designer Sandy Powell) are nominated for an Oscar.  This is a beautiful film that will please fans of Disney's animated film, and children who are experiencing the magic for the first time.

Cinderella (2015) 105 minutes
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Lily James as Ella
Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine
Richard Madden as Prince "Kit"
Helena Bonham Carter as Fairy Godmother
Stellan Skarsgard as Grand Duke
Nonso Anozie as Captain of the Guards
Holliday Grainger as Anastasia
Sophie McShera as Drisella
Derek Jacobi as King

Mr. Holmes

"There seems to be an outbreak of mortality."

In 1947, Sherlock Holmes (McKellen) is retired and living in the country.  He lives alone, tending to his bees.  He is aided by his housekeeper, Mrs. Munro (Linney) and her inquisitive son Roger (Parker).  It has been 30 years since his last case, and he is unsatisfied with Dr. John Watson's (Starkey) fictionalized versions of their cases.  He is trying to remember the particulars of the case, but his memory is fading.

As he tries to remember, he starts to bond with Roger.  Roger helps with the bees and asks questions about the case.  Holmes tries a new memory treatment from his recent trip to Japan.  Can Holmes remember the case and solve the mystery?


The character of Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887.  In addition to the novels and short stories written by Doyle, other authors have written for the character.  In 2005, American author Mitch Cullin wrote the Holmes novel "A Slight Trick of the Mind."  This film is an adaptation of "A Slight Trick of the Mind."

This Holmes is older (93) and declining.  His memory is failing and he is forced to rely on other people.  It is interesting to see Holmes this way.  He is still brilliant, but has given up his hobby of detective work.  He is also more humble (and at times heartbreaking) than previous versions.

Ian McKellen is excellent in the role.  He presents an intelligent and loner Holmes, but also shows the deterioration and pain in his life.  Milo Parker works well with McKellen and is a charming lead.  The leads are great... the story is a little slow.  It is an interesting premise (I have not read Cullin's novel), but the writing could be better.  Good, but not great.

Mr. Holmes (2015) 104 minutes
Director: Bill Condon
Starring: Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes
Laura Linney as Mrs. Munro
Milo Parker as Roger Munro
Hiroyuki Sanada as Tamiki Umezaki
Hattie Morahan as Ann Kelmot
Patrick Kennedy as Thomas Kelmot
Roger Allam as Dr. Barrie
Phil Davis as Inspector Gilbert
Frances de la Tour as Madame Schirmer
Colin Starkey as Dr. John Watson

TV: Slings and Arrows

"It's not that heavy at all!"

"It's much lighter without the ego."

The New Burbage Theatre Festival is well-known for it's Shakespeare performances.  Geoffrey Tennant (Gross) was a rising star, until he had a nervous breakdown on stage during a performance of Hamlet.  Seven years later he is called back to New Burbage when his mentor, Oliver Welles (Ouimette) dies unexpectedly.  Oliver was the artistic director of the festival, and Geoffrey is asked to fill the position until an official replacement can be found.

Geoffrey is haunted by Oliver, which further complicates his relationship with the diva leading lady Ellen Fanshaw (Burns), who is Geoffrey's ex.  He also has to contend with the money-conscious general manager Richard Smith-Jones (McKinney), long-suffering secretary Anna (Coyne), prickly stage manager Maria (Fitch), Nigerian director turned security guard Nahum (Gray), his nemesis director Darren Nichols (McKellar), and the egos of the cast.  Can Geoffrey maintain his sanity and keep the vision for his show?


I discovered this show by accident through Netflix.  I started watching the first season and completely fell in love and ended up buying the entire series.  The series is from Canada and is set in the fictional town of New Burbage.  The creators, Susan Coyne, Bob Martin, and Mark McKinney, also act in the show.  Coyne is a Shakespeare performer and member of the Startford Festival, she plays Anna the secretary.  Martin is a Tony award-winning writer (for the musical The Drowsy Chaperone which he co-starred in), and appears in the first season as Terry.  McKinney was a member of the sketch group The Kids in the Hall, and plays Richard.

The cast is comprised of Canadian actors, many of whom were also involved in the Stratford festival.  The series is a satire of Shakespeare companies, while still treating the subject and characters with a lot of love.  Paul Gross is perfect as Geoffrey Tennant, the brilliant but possibly insane director.  Stephen Ouimette is endearing and quirky as the ghost of Oliver Welles.  And Martha Burns (who is married to Gross in real life) skates the line between grating and broken as Ellen.  Every character, including the minor members of the group, is rounded and gets to have fun.  In addition, they wrote great songs for the show.  Each season has a different opening theme song that relates to the show and the closing credits play over the song "Call the Understudy."  The songs are performed by Graham Harley's Cyril and Michael Polley's Frank, who are in every production and get the best lines (often spoken under their breath).

Each season focuses on a different Shakespeare play and brings in a few new characters for each:

Season 1 is Hamlet.  Geoffrey has to direct the show that drove him crazy years before.  The lead actor is American movie star Jack Crew (Luke Kirby).  Apprentice Kate (Rachel McAdams) is poised to break out as Ophelia.  And Ellen is Gertrude.  And Richard is seduced by their biggest sponsor.  The opening credits song is "Cheer Up Hamlet".

Season 2 is Macbeth.  Geoffrey is asked to follow Oliver's vision for Macbeth, complete with boxes of notes about the characters, set design, and costumes.  Veteran actor Henry Breedlove (Geraint Wyn Davies) is Macbeth and refuses to listen to any of Geoffrey's direction and Ellen is his Lady MacBeth.  Darren directs Romeo and Juliet with Patrick (David Alpey) and Sarah (Joanne Kelly) in the leads.  Richard tries to rebrand the theater with the help of the off-beat Sanjay (Colm Feore).  The opening credits song is "Mackers".

Season 3 is King Lear.  The theater is in the black and Geoffrey is allowed to direct King Lear.  He casts aging actor Charles Kingman (William Hutt) as Lear, who clashes with everyone in the cast.  Ellen is Regan, her best friend Barbara (Janet Bailey) is Goneril, and rising actress Sophie (Sarah Polley) is Cordelia.  Richard and Darren team up to direct a new musical, and Anna is left in charge of everything else.  The opening credits song is "A Walk in the Rain".

I love each season for different reasons... and with a running time of 45 minutes, every episode has good and memorable moments.  I especially love the relationship between Geoffrey and Darren, and the fight in season 1 had me on the floor.  Definitely worth checking out.

Slings and Arrows (2003-2006)
Created by: Susan Coyne, Bob Martin, Mark McKinney
Starring: Paul Gross as Geoffrey Tennant
Martha Burns as Ellen Fanshaw
Stephen Ouimette as Oliver Welles
Susan Coyne as Anna
Don McKellar as Darren Nichols
Mark McKinney as Richard Smith-Jones
Oliver Dennis as Jerry
Graham Harley as Cyril
Michael Polley as Frank
Catherine Fitch as Maria
Rothaford Gray as Nahum

Finding Normal

Lisa Leland (Bure) is a Los Angeles doctor.  She offered a dream job in the Hamptons in a private practice, run by her boyfriend Dr. Steve (Bongiorno).  Despite the distance and the pile of unpaid tickets, she decides to drive.  She gets pulled over in the town of Normal for speeding.  That violation plus her tickets gets her an audience with the town judge, Doc Shelby (Beatty Jr.).  She doesn't have cash and cannot pay her $2,000 fee and is sentenced to community service: 3 full days of house calls.

Life in Normal is different from Lisa's life in L.A.  The town cafe does not accept credit cards and closes before dinner time, the ATM is broken, cell reception is spotty, and there isn't a hotel.  She immediately clashes with Shelby's son Lucas Craig (St. John), who sees her as a snob and she sees him as a hick.


The plot is reminiscent of the 1991 film Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox.  Like Doc Hollywood, the main character is a surgeon traveling across the country for a bigger and better job and ends up serving community service in a small town.

The cast are likable and work well in their roles.  Candace Cameron Bure is a compelling lead, but the real star is Lou Beatty Jr. as Doc Shelby.  Beatty lights up every scene and is a joy to watch.  Mark Irvingsen is funny as Lester and Trevor St. John is a strong male lead.

It is a quiet film that doesn't preach but knows what it wants you to feel.  It is well-written and acted (especially for a Christian film).  It won't appeal to everyone, especially with the talk about God, but it is a sweet little film and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Finding Normal (2013) 90 minutes
Director: Brian Herzlinger
Starring: Candace Cameron Bure as Lisa Leland
Trevor St. John as Lucas Craig
Lou Beatty Jr. as Doc Shelby
Andrew Bongiorno as Dr. Steve
Valerie Boucvalt as Mandy
Isabel Myers as Kimberly
Mark Irvingsen as Lester Toole

The Man Who Never Was (1956)

"It's the most outrageous, disgusting, preposterous, not to say barbaric idea I've ever heard, but work out full details and get back to me in the morning!"

"Thank you, sir!"

In 1943, British Navy Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu (Webb) wants to find a way to feed false information to the Germans about an upcoming attack.  The Allied forces are planning to attack Sicily, but want to convince the Germans that Greece is their real target.  Montagu and his assistant, Lieutenant George Acres (Flemyng) devise a plan: plant information on a body that can be easily found by German spies to convince them to send all of their forces to Greece.

With the help of their trusted secretary Pam (Griffin), they get permission from the upper brass and set the plan in motion.  They need a body, a fake identity complete with military credentials, and a personal life that can all be traced if necessary.  With the invasion date in sight, can they pull-off this deception?


In 1953, Ewen Montagu wrote the book "The Man Who Never Was: The Story of Operation Mincemeat" about his top secret mission during World War II.

A few years later Hollywood wanted to turn the story into a film.  The script, written by Nigel Balchin, is mostly faithful to the book, while adding some fictional elements to aid the film.  Montagu was happy with the film and had a small cameo.

The cast is good, with the exception of Gloria Grahame.  Grahame over-acted and doesn't connect with the audience or any of her co-stars.  Clifton Webb is good as Montagu.  Peter Sellers provides the voice of Winston Churchill but is uncredited for the part.

It is a fascinating historical story, and worth checking out.

The Man Who Never Was (1956) 103 minutes
Director: Ronald Neame
Starring: Clifton Webb as Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu
Gloria Grahame as Lucy Sherwood
Robert Flemyng as Lieutenant George Acres
Josephine Griffin as Pam
Stephen Boyd as Patrick O'Reilly
Laurence Naismith as Admiral Cross
William Russell as Joe
Geoffrey Keen as General Archibald Nye

Amy (2015)

Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse was just 27 when she died from alcohol poisoning.  She only released two albums, but her name and songs are a part of pop culture.

Winehouse started writing songs at the age of 14 and was signed to her first contract at 16.  Her first album was released in 2003 and was a success in Britain.  As her star began to rise, so did her problems with drugs and alcohol.


Amy Winehouse has had an undeniable mark on music.  Despite her popularity following the release of her second album and all of the media attention, she still remained a mystery.  Director Asif Kapadia, best known for the award-winning documentary Senna, was approached to make a documentary about her life.  With the full cooperation from her family and friends, Kapadia and his team conducted over 100 interviews about Winehouse.  They were given hours of videos of Winehouse since childhood, in addition to all of the hours of media footage and paparazzi photos.

The film focuses on her music career and substance abuse, specifically from 2001 to 2011.  The interviews with Amy's family, closest friends and co-workers play over images and videos of her.  Many of the videos are unseen performances or recordings.  They also show the lyrics to her songs on screen to show the progression of her songwriting ability.

She is a charismatic performer and well-loved, and that shines through the documentary, along with her musical ability.  But it is also a sad story, with a tragic outcome... but the filmmakers choose to end on a happier note.  This documentary is nominated for Best Documentary for the 2016 Academy Awards.

Amy (2015) 128 minutes
Rating: R for language and drug material
Director: Asif Kapadia
Starring: Amy Winehouse (archive footage)
Mitch Winehouse
Janis Winehouse
Ray Cosbert
Nick Shymanksy
Blake Fielder-Civil
Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)
Tyler James
Juliette Ashby
Lauren Gilbert
Salaam Remi

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

In November 2013 Ukraine was on the brink of joining the European Union (EU).  Students from around the country gathered in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (the central square of Kiev) to show their support for the plan.  But negotiations between the EU and the Ukraine government were suspended when President Vikor Yanukovych secretly made deals with Russia.  The people in Maidan were outraged and began a protest.

Their initial anger and frustration is increased when their protest is met with violent beatings by the police force, known as the Berkut.  The revolution becomes about more than just joining the EU, and lasts for 93 days.


"They gave us corruption, we gave them revolution."
This documentary is told from the perspective of the men and women that were there.  It starts with a brief history of the events leading up to the Euormaidan, including the last Ukrainian protest that in many ways influenced this one.  Featuring raw footage from the protests and a map to show the movement within Kiev.  The dates are displayed on screen, along with the day of the protest.

It is a difficult documentary to watch.  The footage is brutal and filled with violence and blood.  But the blood and violence are never glorified or used for shock, it is an honest portrayal of the conditions the protesters suffered.  The footage is interspersed with testimonies from the men and women who involved, from all walks of life and religions.  Their stories are brimming with emotion, sometimes too powerful to contain, but it is the best way for them to remember and honor the people they lost.  It is a powerful story that stays with you afterward, it is sobering.

Before the credits roll, it tells you the ultimate outcome - what happened to Yanukovych, what happened next, and numbers of casualties / injuries  and people still missing.  While it is a powerful story, the fighting isn't done in Ukraine and a little more information (or a follow-up) would be helpful for people that aren't familiar with the whole story / history (like me) to better understand.

This documentary is nominated for Best Documentary for the 2016 Academy Awards.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015) 102 minutes
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Nina Simone was a classically trained piano prodigy with dreams of being the first black woman to play at Carnegie Hall.  She spent a year at Julliard but was denied admission to Curtis Institute.  To pay the bills she started playing at clubs and developed her jazz style and voice.  She started writing songs, and with her husband Andrew Stroud as her manager, her popularity rose.

In 1963, four little girls were killed in a church bombing in Alabama and Simone channeled her anger into song.  She joined the Civil Rights Movement and dedicated her life to civil rights.  This decision defined and hurt her career, but did not stop her.


Nina Simone died in 2003, but that doesn't lessen the impact of her life or this documentary.  Made with Simone's daughter Lisa Simone Kelly (who served as an executive producer), this film uses interviews with Simone and extended concert sequences to paint a full picture of this extraordinary performer.

Simone had a captivating stage presence that shines through the film.  Excerpts from interviews (both film and radio), recordings of conversations with Stephen Cleary (who co-wrote her autobiography I Put a Spell On You), along with portions of her diary, are featured throughout to give her a voice in her own story.  Director Liz Garbus also interviewed Kelly and people who knew Simone (her musicians and friends) along with archival interviews with her husband Andrew Stroud.  Garbus does not shy away from exploring the difficult parts of Simone's story: abuse and mental illness.

The title comes from an article written by Maya Angelou for Redbook Magazine in 1970.  This documentary is nominated for Best Documentary for the 2016 Academy Awards.  That along with it's position on Netflix's instant streaming should garner it lots of attention.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) 101 minutes
Director: Liz Garbus
Starring: Nina Simone (archive footage)
Lisa Simone Kelly
Al Schackman
Andrew Stroud
Gerrit de Bruin

Minions (2015)

"Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?"

The Minions have been serving the biggest and baddest creatures since the dawn of time.  When their actions disappoint one of their bosses, they are forced to run and hide in a cave in Antarctica.  They are happy, but without a master to serve they grow depressed and unmotivated.  Kevin has a plan, he will leave the cave and find them a new master.  He takes along guitar-playing Stuart and friendly Bob.

Eventually Kevin, Stuart, and Bob end up at Villain Con in Orlando in 1967.  At the convention they are impressed with Scarlet Overkill (Bullock), the first female supervillain, and they become her minions.  Scarlet wants them to steal St. Edward's Crown from Queen Elizabeth (Saunders), and her husband Herb (Hamm) gives them his latest gadgets to accomplish the feat.  Can they steal the crown for Scarlet, or will they need to find a new boss?


When Despicable Me premiered in 2010, audiences with the characters, especially the minions.  The minions popularity grew with Despicable Me 2 in 2013, and several short films.  It was inevitable that the characters would get a larger role or spin-off somewhere down the line.  Pierre Coffin, who directed the Despicable Me movies (with Chris Renaurd), returned to the directors chair for this film.  In addition to directing, Coffin also voiced most of the minions.

Unlike the other films in the franchise, this one does not feature Gru and the girls.  They are replaced by Sandra Bullock's Scarlet Overkill and Jon Hamm's Herb Overkill.  Both are entertaining but don't have the heart of Gru (and you know that the partnership doesn't last too long since the minions end up with Gru).  For characters that have a language all their own, they still convey a range of emotions and it is still pretty easy to understand what they are talking about.

It is a cute and funny film, but the Despicable Me films are a better place for the characters.

Minions (2015) 91 minutes
Director: Kyle Balda & Pierre Coffin
Starring: Sandra Bullock as Scarlet Overkill
Jon Hamm as Herb Overkill
Michael Keaton as Walter Nelson
Allison Janney as Madge Nelson
Jennifer Saunders as Queen Elizabeth
Geoffrey Rush as Narrator
Pierre Coffin as The Minions

Shakespeare Uncovered: Series 2

After the success of the first series, PBS made a second season of Shakespeare Uncovered, looking at 6 more of William Shakespeare's plays.  Once again, each episode is hosted by an actor or actress with a tie to the play they are discussing.  They look at the play (showing clips from live and film versions), the historical context, legacy, etc.
I hope there is a third series to further explore Shakespeare's plays, although most of the popular ones have already been covered (the man wrote 37 plays, there are still plenty to go).

Part One: A Midsummer Night's Dream with Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville looks at one of Shakespeare's most accessible comedies: A Midsummer Night's Dream.  It is a romantic comedy, that was first performed at a wedding feast.  The story has many elements and characters and every production chooses which aspects to highlight.

Bonneville's acting career began with the play A Midsummer Night's Dream.  The play is considered a gateway to Shakespeare, the first of his plays that you should see.  It is funny and heartbreaking, with wonderful roles and a terrible play within the play.  The film versions are good, but nothing compares to a live performance of this play.


Part Two: King Lear with Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer played King Lear at the age of 70.  King Lear is a difficult play that challenges the actors and subverts audience expectations.  Plummer explores the historical basis for the character, how theatres depict the play, and the alternate ending that was created in the later 1700s ran for almost 150 years.

I read this play in college and wrote a paper about it, although I have never seen the play performed.  The alternate version of the play is called The History of King Lear and was written by Nahum Tate.  Tate's version makes many significant changes to Shakespeare play (in some cases removing characters and changing the person delivering Shakespeare's lines).


Part Three: The Taming of the Shrew with Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman talks about The Taming of the Shrew, one of Shakespeare's first plays.  Freeman starred in The Taming of the Shrew in 1990 at the Delacorte Theater.  He explores the culture and women's role in the time period and tries to find out why the play was written.

I've never read The Taming of the Shrew, but I am familiar with two film adaptations of it: Kiss Me Kate and 10 Things I Hate About You.  It is a complex play that can make modern audiences uncomfortable


Part Four: Othello with David Harewood
David Harewood played Othello is 1997.  He looks at the role of prejudice, race, and jealousy in the play, and the history of the men who have played Othello (and how they were received).

I've never read Othello or seen any film or theater versions of the play.  It is a difficult play to perform or read / watch, it is brutal and the villain never explains himself (adding to the mystery of who he is and why he is making the decisions that drastically affect so many lives).


Part Five: Anthony and Cleopatra with Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall looks at the love story and politics surrounding Anthony and Cleopatra.  She played Cleopatra in 2010.  The play looks at the destruction of the relationship between Marc Anthony, one of the rulers of Rome and Cleopatra, the ruler of Egypt.  She compares the history of the characters with Shakespeare's version, including brief scenes from Julius Caesar that feature Marc Anthony.

Like most people, I know the basic story of Cleopatra (her name and relationships with Roman rulers), but I've never read Shakespeare's play (although I have read Julius Caesar).  These are strong characters, that are best portrayed by middle-age (age appropriate) actors, with iconic speeches that live beyond the play.


Part Six: Romeo and Juliet with Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes looks at one of the most performed and adapted of Shakespeare's plays.  Fiennes played William Shakespeare in the film Shakespeare In Love which is about Shakespeare writing Romeo and Juliet.  What is it about this play that inspires and captures young hearts and is re-made every generation?

I first read this play in high school (and saw a live performance) and then more in-depth in college.  I have also seen Shakespeare In Love and 3 of the film adaptations of the play.  I love the commentary and the in-depth look at the language (and how it changes throughout).

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

"Whose side are you on?"

Thomas (O'Brien) and his friends have escaped the Maze and WCKD.  They are taken to a facility run by Janson (Gillen) before they can start normal lives.  The facility contains teens from other Mazes.  Thomas befriends Aris (Lofland), who has been at the facility the longest.  They discover that Janson and his team work for WCKD and no one really leaves the facility.  Thomas, Aris, Teresa (Scodelario), Minho (Lee), Newt (Brodie-Sangster), Frypan (Darden), and Winston (Flores) escape the facility and head toward a rumored safe haven.

The world is devastated by solar flares and a sickness called the Crank.  They run to stay ahead of Janson, to avoid the Crank, and to limit their exposure to the harsh flares.  Along the way they team up with Jorge (Esposito) and Brenda (Salazar), who know how to survive the elements and know how to find the safe haven.  Can they find the group Right Arm and find the safe haven?


I loved James Dashner's Maze Runner series (Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and the prequel The Kill Order).  In 2014, The Maze Runner was adapted into a film, directed by Wes Ball.  The script was mostly faithful to the books, and I was excited to see the sequel.  Ball returned as the director and the sequel was written by T.S. Nowlin, who was one of the screenwriters on the first film.  This film did not live up to my expectations.

My main problem with the film is how far they diverted from the source material.  The characters are mostly the same, but most other things are changed.  The Crank is completely different... what it does to the body and how it affects the characters (which is incredibly important in the next book and the prequel).  They also change the reason the group is in the scorch and what WCKD wants from them.  Apparently Ball acknowledged that the script is vastly different from the book, but claims that the sequel will return to the source material (although I'm not sure how that is even possible now).

Despite my disappointment over the plot, the characters are still good.  Only a few cast members returned, but they all have names and personalities (more so than the first film).  Aidan Gillen is a good choice as Janson.  Jacob Lofland is fine as Aris, although he is nothing like the character from the book.  GIancarlo Esposito and Rosa Salazar are good as Jorge and Brenda, and get a great introduction.  The best scene from the film is when they join the group to outmaneuver Janson.  Barry Pepper, Lilli Taylor, and Alan Tudyk are wasted in small roles that don't give them enough to do.

I still encourage you to read the series before watching the films.  In this case, it isn't really necessary, but it does help you understand the first film.  I still plan to see The Death Cure in 2017, but also a little nervous.  And I am excited for Dashner's newest prequel The Fever Code which comes out in September 2016.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) 132 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for extended sequences of violence and action, some thematic elements, substance use and language
Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien as Thomas
Ki Hong Lee as Minho
Kaya Scodelario as Teresa
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt
Dexter Darden as Frypan
Alexander Flores as Winston
Jacob Lofland as Aris
Rosa Salazar as Brenda
Giancarlo Esposito as Jorge
Aidan Gillen as Janson
Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige

Daddy's Home (2015)

"Let's all just be grateful nobody got hurt, okay?" 

"I got hurt!"

Brad Whitaker (Ferrell) loves being a dad.  He is the step-father to Dylan (Vaccaro) and Megan (Estevez), who slowly accept him into their lives.  When Dylan turns to him for advice and Megan invites him to a father-daughter event, Brad could not be happier.  But his happiness is short-lived when his wife, Sara's (Cardellini), ex-husband Dusty (Wahlberg) shows up.

Dusty is charismatic and cool and the kids adore him.  Soon Brad is competing with Dusty for the kids affections.  Dusty passive-aggressively undermines Brad at every turn, and ends up moving into their home.  Can Brad keep his happy home, or will Dusty walk away with everything.


This is the second on-screen pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg: in 2010 they starred in The Other Guys.  Both are game for whatever is thrown their way and seem to be having a great time together.

This movie is funnier than I was expecting it to be.  It's not a great film, but it is funny.  Thomas Haden Church and Hannibal Buress are standouts.  Church's character is Brad's boss, who tells inappropriate stories.  Buress is the handyman they hire and fire in a short amount of time, and then moves into the house as well.  Both are ridiculous characters, but everything they say kills.  Linda Cardellini doesn't get to do much, other than look pretty and react to the men, which is a shame.  She is a talented comedic actress and could definitely do more to help the plot...  The kids are cute and get some funny and heartwarming moments.

It's funny, it's sentimental, Wahlberg is shirtless several times, and there is a big dance toward the end, what more could you ask for?

Daddy's Home (2015) 96 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, crude and suggestive content, and for language
Director: Sean Anders
Starring: Will Ferrell as Brad Whitaker
Mark Wahlberg as Dusty Mayron
Linda Cardellini as Sara Whitaker
Scarlett Estevez as Megan Mayron
Owen Vaccaro as Dylan Mayron
Hannibal Buress as Griff
Thomas Haden Church as Leo

Shakespeare Uncovered: Series 1

The PBS miniseries Shakespeare Uncovered is a fascinating look into some of William Shakespeare's plays.  Each episode is hosted by an actor or actress that has a connection to the play(s) they are discussing.  I appreciated the detail they provided on the plays and it inspires me to read / experience more Shakespeare plays.  I loved the series and hoped PBS would explore more of his plays.
The first series aired in February 2013, and a second series aired in February 2015.

Part One: Macbeth with Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke wants to play Macbeth and dives into the story and history of the play.  He talks to historians about the Shakespearean time frame and the story of the real Macbeth.  He also watches film and theatrical performances of the play to see how different actors interpret the story, and visits the set of "Sleep No More" a silent performance of Macbeth where the audience interacts with the story and the actors use dance and interpretive movement.

Despite being an English major and a Shakespeare fan, I have never read Macbeth.  I know the basic story and the iconic lines.  It was interesting to hear the history and to see excerpts from the various film versions of the play and to see the Royal Shakespeare Company rehearsals.  In 2013, Ethan Hawke played Macbeth on Broadway, but was not considered a critical success.


Part Two: The Comedies with Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson talks about the strong female characters found in Shakespeare's comedies, specifically "Twelfth Night" and "As You Like It."  The main characters in these two plays are women, and women that dress as men for part of the play.  With some help from her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, she looks at the women in these comedies and how Shakespeare's life is reflected in his comedies (twins are a common theme, and he had twins).

I first discovered Twelfth Night in college, and fell in love with the story (although I have not loved the film versions of the play).  I want to read As You Like It, because Rosalind sounds like a fascinating character and Shakespeare comedies are so interesting.  I enjoyed the discussions of the strong female characters found in Shakespeare's plays.  Vanessa Redgrave starred in As You Like It in 1961 and is considered one of the notable performances of the play.


Part Three: Richard II with Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek Jacobi explores the play and the history of King Richard II.  Jacobi starred in Richard II as part of the BBC Television Shakespeare adaptations.  He studies the history of Richard II and how his life is portrayed in the play, using his own performance and the Royal Shakespeare Company rehearsals.

I am least familiar with Shakespeare's histories, having only read Julius Caesar.  I also am not familiar with the history of King Richard II.  It is interesting that the actions of Richard II mirror the events occurring when the play was performed.  It is also interesting that there are no straight film versions of the play.  The play has been filmed or staged by BBC Television, but it has never been a stand-alone film.  This episode features clips from the BBC's The Hollow Crown: Richard II (which is the reason I found, watched and wrote about The Hollow Crown films).


Part Four: Henry IV & Henry V with Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons discusses the enduring appeal of the history plays about King Henry IV and King Henry V.  He focuses on the father-son relationship at the core of these plays, along with the sources Shakespeare used to write some of the iconic speeches in these plays.

Irons starred in Henry IV in the BBC Two's The Hollow Crown: King Henry IV, Part I and King Henry IV, Part II.  Like the Richard II episode, this featured clips from the BBC's The Hollow Crown series and is the reason I discovered that miniseries.


Part Five: Hamlet with David Tennant
David Tennant starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Hamlet in 2009.  He interviews other actors who have portrayed Hamlet to discuss the challenges of playing the character.  They also explore the enduring quality of the play and how is continually resonates with audiences and is considered one of the best Shakespeare tragedies.

Like most people, I read Hamlet in high school (and in college) and I have seen 2 of the film versions of the play (along with a theater production).  It is a play that is often discussed and quoted, and this is a fascinating discussion of the play and what it means to the actors that step into Hamlet's shoes.


Part Six: The Tempest with Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Nunn is an acclaimed director who has directed 30 of Shakespeare's 37 plays.  He looks at Shakespeare's last play The Tempest, which is seen as an autobiographical play as Shakespeare bid farewell to the stage and his life drew to an end.  Nunn looks at the supernatural story and the role of special effects in the story.  It also features clips from the 2010 film The Tempest and interviews with it's director, Julie Taymor, and star Helen Mirren.

I read The Tempest for a class project, but have never seen any of the film or theatre productions of the play.  Unlike the other entries in this miniseries, Nunn approaches the story as a director and focuses more on the theatrical elements of the play (while the other episodes were narrated by actors and focused on how to portray the characters).

Ball of Fire

"That man talked a living language; I embalmed some dead phrases."

A group of professors in New York are dedicated to writing an encyclopedia that covers all human knowledge.  They live and work together, and their research is funded by Miss Totten (Mary Field).  She is getting impatient with their progress and threatens to cut their funding.  The youngest professor is Bertram Potts (Cooper), a grammarian, and is obsessed with mastering slang.

He takes a day off to observe regular people speaking and is entranced by performer Sugarpuss O'Shea (Stanwyck) and her quick wit.  O'Shea isn't interested in helping the professors, but she needs a place to hide from the police.  She is dating gangster Joe Lilace (Andrews) and the police want to question her involvement in his activities.  She moves in with the professors and turns everything upside down.


The script is based on a short story by Billy Wilder, which was based on the fairy tale of Snow White.  Wilder did not direct the film, but worked closely with director Howard Hawks.  This is the last film Wilder wrote that he did not also direct.  This film is considered one of the last great screwball comedies of the "Golden Age."

This film has a lot going for it: the script is strong and funny, and the cast is phenomenal.  This was the second on-screen pairing of Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.  They previously starred in Meet in John Doe.  The rest of the main cast are well-known character actors.  Richard Haydn, who would later appear in The Sound of Music as Max, plays the oldest of the professors despite being younger than most of his co-stars.  Haydn also plays the most eccentric and entertaining of the professors.  The professors are well-known character actors who each get a moment to shine and some eccentricities.  Dana Andrews was a smart choice for the gangster.  Later in his character he excelled at playing noir detectives and is clearly in his element here.

In 1948 the plot was reimagined as a musical, A Song is Born, starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, with Hawks as the director.  In 1951, it was turned into a TV film starring Franchot Tone and Wendy Barrie.

Stanwyck was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Joan Fontaine won for Suspicion).  The film was also nominated for Best Writing (Original Story), Best Sound Recording, and Best Music (Music Score of a Dramatic Picture).  The film was a success and is considered a classic (it was #92 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs list).

A fun and funny movie with a great cast, definitely worth checking out!

Ball of Fire (1941) 111 minutes

Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: Gary Cooper as Bertram Potts
Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O'Shea
Oskar Homolka as Professor Gurkakoff
Henry Travers as Professor Jerome
S.Z. Sakall as Professor Magenbruch
Tully Marshall as Professor Robinson
Leonid Kinskey as Professor Quintana
Richard Haydn as Professor Oddly
Aubrey Mather as Professor Peagram
Dana Andrews as Joe Lilac
Dan Duryea as Duke Pastrami
Ralph Peters as Asthma Anderson
Kathleen Howard as Miss Bragg