Friends: The Reunion (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Ben Winston
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry
Running Time: 104 minutes

 

In a reunion special hosted by James Corden, the cast members of the sitcom Friends got together again, on set, to discuss the show with each other, with the creators of the show and with various other guests.

This reunion special had more meat on the bone than the Fresh Prince one, but it might have had to many. First off, seeing James Corden is never a fun experience. And there were too many pointless guests just to get a reaction. I wished they would have focused more on the main cast members, and a few special guests. The parts with the main six just talking were awesome.

Rating: «««

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Running Time: 108 minutes

 Five years after saving New York City from its supernatural enemy, The Ghostbusters have been sued for the property damage and then have disbanded. But, with another ghostly threat on the horizon, they have to spring back into action.

While most critics will not agree with my tastes, I much preferred this sequel to the first film. I fought the script more interesting and the lines funnier. While it is still silly to me and while supernatural material has not become my cup of tea, this was still to me. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Rating: «««

The Comeback Trail (2020)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: George Gallo
Cast: Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman
Running Time: 104 minutes

 

Max Barber is a grindhouse movie producer who is heavily indebted to the mob. Hoping to save his skin and his company, he starts producing a Western with a suicidal aging movie star, hoping to kill the actor off and cash in on the insurance money.

It is nice to see so many talented actors of yesteryear still working it and having fun together on screen, with some younger talent in the mix. This is a fun little movie, with a nice comedic storyline. It is nothing extraordinary, but it not bad either. It is a good piece of entertainment while it lasts.

Rating: «««

The Flowers of War (2011)

Genre: Historical / Drama
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi
Running Time: 146 minutes

 

Inspired by the true events of the attack on the Chinese city of Nanking by the Japanese Army, in 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, this film tells the story of John Miller, an American mortician that takes refuge in a Nanking church with a group of young escapees, mostly girls, and a group of prostitutes. Acting as a priest, Miller tries his best to protect the other people in the church from the Japanese.

In spite of the fact that this movie relied a whole lot on young inexperienced actors and actresses, the acting here was superb. Beyond the language barrier, the emotions carried through. Christian Bale, as usual, is absolutely convincing as John Miller. This is a very difficult film to take. The war scenes are well done. The violence of some of the acts perpetrated are shocking. This film stayed with me long after it was done. I even had to take a break at one point to catch my emotional breath.

I could nitpick and find faults here, but, really, I love this film for what it is.

 Rating: «««««

Rolling Stone: Life and Death of Brian Jones (2019)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Danny Garcia
Cast: Terry O’Neill, Zouzou, Dick Taylor 

Running Time: 96 minutes

 

Former founding member of the blues/rock band The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones, lived quite the life before he was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool, in 1969, at the age of 27. This documentary looks at the talented but troubled man’s life and at the mysterious circumstances surrounding his passing. Various people who knew him and who studied the case discuss the matter, but surviving members of the band were not involved.

As a huge Rolling Stones fan, I was quite interested in this documentary. I found it compelling. It rehashed some of the stuff that was well known, but it also dug a little deeper in some matters. Overall, I quite enjoyed it.

Rating: ««««

Ghostbusters (1984)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Running Time: 105 minutes

 

A group of three parapsychology professors at Columbia University start noticing that some paranormal activity is happening around New York City, so they form the Ghostbusters, a specialized team whose mission is to battle these ghostly presences.

As a movie buff, I felt it was weird that I had never seen this particular film. It just was not my thing. Maybe I am not the right public for it. I love most of the cast involved, but I am not big on the paranormal thing. I found the humor here silly and unfunny. I dig Bill Murray. Here, he basically played his usual schtick, but without the jokes. I also appreciate Aykroyd. Though many associate him with this particular title, he will always be Elwood Blues in my book. Rick Moranis made me chuckled a few times, but I was pretty bored with Ghostbusters.

Overall, I know this is considered a classic. It is simply not one I intend to revisit over and over.

Rating: ««

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

 Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Morgan Spurlock
Cast: Morgan Spurlock
Running Time: 93 minutes

 

Over a decade after making his first film on the fast food industry and more precisely McDonald’s, Morgan Spurlock is back. Now, he digs into how the fast food industry evolved to look more virtuous than it actually is. In the process, the filmmaker gets involved in the poultry business and opens his own chicken fast food restaurant.

This is a fascinating documentary. While the subject matter is not one that I am particularly interested it, Spurlock manages to make it something I want to keep on watching. With a good dose of humor and humanity, he pulls you in. He gets a little preachy at times, but it is a documentary, so an agenda comes with that. Overall, a good follow-up to the first film.

Rating: ««««