For their 87th episode, two grizzled film critics, two mad-bomber dads, and two disco-dancing school teachers Will Johnson and Don Shanahan welcome back Lauren Knight of L.A. Knight Consulting for a back-to-back Sylvester Stallone love fest. Last time, it was new Sly for Samaritan. This time, they dig back to 1981's Nighthawks where a Stallone beard and Rutger Hauer, in his American debut, steal the show. Listen to wear this terrorist thriller ranks for our gathered talkers.
Read MoreFor their 86th episode, two heroic film critics, two tinkering dads, and two gravel-voiced school teachers Will Johnson and Don Shanahan welcome back previous guest Lauren Knight of Phoenix's L.A. Knight Consulting for the first of a Sylvester Stallone double. This week, the ardent Sly fan encourages Will and Don to see the merits of his new streaming superhero vehicle "Samaritan." Lauren has the unique experience of seeing the film more than once for early test screenings and compares the final product with our hosts.
Read MoreFor their 85th episode, two grizzled film critics, two stunt-performing dads, and two subtitle-reading teachers Will and Don Shanahan welcome you to the recording from a special in-person event. Will and videographer Aaron Hudson recently hosted a screening and talkback for the classic Jackie Chan vehicle “Police Story” at the Majestic Theatre in Phoenix. Forgive the low volume audience participation gaps for the hearty appreciation for “Police Story” and its do-it-all actor, director, and co-writer.
Read MoreEven now at 76 years old, long past his own peaks and valleys, Sly remains a proven talent and beloved favorite. Nothing will probably break that or ever take that away. Nonetheless, this writer feels like “You still got it!” respect towards Stallone, as a complete performer, is still worth acknowledgment. Thanks to the Rocky and Rambo series, most go straight to the muscles. The special thing is Samaritan shows how much Sylvester Stallone still offers as an actor that has nothing to do with the ripped physicality that made him famous.
Read MoreTHEY'RE BACK! I've been meaning to fire up my "Movie Classroom" series again after a few years off. Enjoy my YouTube review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! I've improved the tech/apps used to build them. Give me a few films and tries to get my voice and cadence together!
Read More“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2” is an brazen explosion of Crayola-sheened special effects wonder mixed with invisible grays of magnetic character growth and depth. Just as with the first film, Marvel and company have taken a D-list roster of obscure also-rans and created new superstars and household names that you actually care about. True to the unwritten rules of sequels, the core is bolstered and improvements have been made.
Read MoreThrough several editorial features, here is my analysis to formulate my official Academy Award predictions. In this sixth post, we look at the races for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Stick with me and I will win you your Oscar pool!
Read MoreAs with any year, there are hot topics being debated immediately stemming from snubs and surprises. Here are my reaction and takeaways, consisting of five snubs and five surprises, coming out of this morning's nominations announcements.
Read MoreThe 88th Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow morning, January 14, 2016, hot off of the weekend's 73rd Golden Globe awards. I've been following the full awards season over on my Awards Tracker page. Using that data as the tea leaves and a truckload of hunches, I'm going to attempt to closely predict the Oscar nominations for the "Big 8" categories for the third year in a row.
Read MoreMore and more each year, the Golden Globes have become more an a popularity contest than a true precursor to the Academy Awards. What you're watching on TV is a party thrown by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and hosted by Ricky Gervais in an effort to be loved and share some love. To its credit, the awards show still garners legitimate attention and ratings. The winners do get a pretty positive rub and the marketers gain a few more "Winner of..." graphics to put in the newspapers next to their films.
Read MoreTake away every rooted piece of cheesy disconnect and disdain you have calcified in your hearts and minds for whatever bloated quality you remember or assigned to the six-film "Rocky" series and shelf it immediately. The spin-off film "Creed" is a new tangent that gracefully and respectfully builds from the nostalgic anchor that comes with the "Rocky" territory, but grows to never be bound by that history for a second. Ryan Coogler's film successfully strives to be its own bold and rousing saga fitting of the shared connection.
Read MoreSometimes, the best documentaries aren't about stirring victories, historic successes, or heroic people. Sometimes, the best documentaries are about losers, accidental stardom, hubris, and horrible people. We are equally fascinated by a trainwreck as much as we are a space shuttle launch, maybe even more so. The captivation and interest factor doesn't wain. That's the draw of the new documentary "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films." It makes a trainwreck fascinating.
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