Do you have what it takes to triumph in one of our inspirational competitions?
Show off your skills and talent in one of the competition categories below.
Do you have a penchant for patchwork and a passion for quilting? Would you love to show your skills off to the world? Then you are invited to enter your work into one of our competitions, to be displayed and judged at the show, with the chance of winning prizes worth up to £350. All competitors will receive acknowledgment of their entry, plus a Competitors Badge, which gives free access to the show on all days.
There are five categories to choose from:
Deadline for competition is Friday 12th January 2018.
Glimpses of the Movies
This year we are challenging you to create an embroidered piece of work inspired by the Movies – Capture a kiss in classic black and white a’ la Casablanca or an explosion of light and colour in a moment inspired by Star Wars or Blade Runner. Recreate a childhood favourite or an unforgettable frame. There’s no end to what you can create – show us your Glimpse of the Movies in a beautifully embroidered piece that could WIN one of our fabulous prizes!
Designing for a Sustainable Future
More details following shortly.


Ewan doesn’t know if Silas ‘liked’ him back (Picture: Lucasfilm Ltd/Disney Plus)
Remembering the scene in Episode III when he takes baby Luke Skywalker to live with his aunt and uncle in Tatooine, he recollected: ‘I had to just sit on it and pretend to be [rocks from side to side].’
He explained that he had friends on set that day, as he’d encouraged them to come and watch the ‘big moment’ of the last scene.
‘And there’s a blue gym horse. I’m like, “Are you kidding?” I had to pretend to lope in on it, take the baby over, and then get back on the other way around,’ he stated.
More: US TV news
WWE legend Edge reveals new short hairstyle after chopping off long locks for fresh look
Jesse Williams talks getting naked on stage after his anatomy sends fans into meltdown
WandaVision post-credits scene may be more tragic than you think after Doctor Strange 2
While it may have been almost two decades since Ewan played Obi-Wan in live-action, he recently admitted how his time in Star Wars influenced his real life, confessing how he sometimes pretends to use the Force to open automatic supermarket doors.
‘I always do a little Jedi move for the doors and I have occasionally been caught doing it,’ he said. Haven’t we all?
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Friday May 27 on Disney Plus.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us firstname.lastname@example.org, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer: Who is the Grand Inquisitor and who plays him?
MORE : Obi-Wan Kenobi official trailer finally released on Star Wars Day – with first-look at Kumail Nanjiani’s mystery character


I am so excited. I found an old movie on DVD that my Mom and I used to always watch together (it was an old movie then, even older now!!!). The title is "I Remember Mama". My Mom used to let me stay up to watch old movies with her. This "special" treat started when I was very sick and had to take medicine at regular intervals. Instead of making me go to sleep, then waking me up for the last dose, she would let me stay up and watch TV with her. At that time, there were late night movies on. (Sometimes I wonder if it really was very late, or if in my child mind it just seemed very late!) This movie was always one of our favorites. I ordered it from WalMart, online. The suspense of waiting for it to arrive grew each day. Finally today, my copy came. I have not told Mom that I found and ordered it yet. I plan on having her out for a special viewing, with treats and snacks. I can still remember my favorite parts of the movie and can't wait to share watching it with Mom again. I think we will probably look through family photos while watching. We are always multi-taskers around this house! haha.
I thought about saving the movie until Mother's Day, but I know I can not wait that long to watch it with her. So-- time to check the calendar and set up a movie day! Because you know " I Remember Mama"


PORTSMOUTH — Oscar nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced Monday and two of the films which made the cut have New Hampshire connections.
“The Lighthouse” was nominated for Achievement in Cinematography. The psychological thriller was written and directed by Robert Eggers, who grew up in Lee and is known for his critically acclaimed feature, “The Witch.”
“The Lighthouse” was one of the featured films at this fall’s New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth.
Critics have praised the movie, which stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse keepers who drive each other mad on a remote island in 1890s New England.
“The Cave” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. It is about the Syrian war and features female doctors who work at an underground hospital and treat besieged civilians.
The National Geographic film was called “a moving, beautifully humanistic story whose inevitable hardships are laced with real hope and levity” by Entertainment Weekly.
Matt Renner, who grew up in Durham, is vice president of production at National Geographic and was part of the team behind “The Cave.”
Renner was awarded the Van McLeod Award prior to a special screening of “The Cave” during this fall’s New Hampshire Film Festival.
The Van McLeod Award is an annual award given to New Hampshire natives and residents who have made significant contributions in film and television and is named after a former commissioner of the state’s Department of Cultural Resources. Past recipients include Ken Burns, Ernest Thompson, Mike O’Malley, Lisa Muscat, Paul Lazarus and Gordon Clapp.
Nicole Gregg, executive director of the New Hampshire Film Festival, said on Monday that they are “honored and humbled” to be able to show Oscar worthy movies during their four-day event which draws thousands of people to Portsmouth every year.
“It’s a treat for us to be able to celebrate these artists, and filmmakers, and films, and bring them to New Hampshire as part of our program. It’s the most we could ever hope for in our program, to showcase talent like this and when it is connected to New Hampshire, to be able to celebrate that as well,” Gregg said.
Adam Sandler’s movie “Uncut Gems” did not receive any Oscar nominations. It was also a featured film at the New Hampshire Film Festival and so many people came out to see it that some had to be turned away during the screening at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.
Sandler, who grew up in Manchester, invited “60 Minutes” into his childhood home as part of a segment where he talked about taking on the serious role in “Uncut Gems,” where the famous comedian played the role of a diamond dealer with a gambling addiction.
Sandler told correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi he had reservations about playing the character of Howard Ratner.
“I was like, I don’t know, man. I don’t like him very much,” according to a transcript of the interview.
That “60 Minutes” segment aired last month.
Sandler reacted publicly on Monday to the news of getting no nomination for his work in “Uncut Gems” by writing on Twitter:
“Bad news: Sandman gets no love from the Academy.
Good news: Sandman can stop wearing suits.
Congrats to all my friends who got nominated, especially Mama.”
Sandler posted a photo of Kathy Bates, who starred in “The Waterboy” as an overprotective mother to Sandler.
Bates responded by Tweeting:
“I love you my Bobby Boucher!!! You was robbed!! But Mama loves you!!! I learned a new urban slang word for you! You da GOAT!! Not the one we eat at home, Son.”
Bates was nominated for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in “Richard Jewell.”The Oscars will air live on Feb. 9, starting at 8 p.m. on ABC.


A Broadway fairy tale comes to Munich’s Prinzregententheater. Celebrated stage director Philipp Moschitz uses up-tempo slapstick to project Once Upon a Mattress into the here and now. The modern parody of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, composed by Mary Rodgers, premiered on Broadway in 1959.
“No one may wed ’till the prince shares his wedding bed”. In vain, the citizens of a distant kingdom therefore strive to find a ‘true’ princess for Prince Dauntless. Yet nobody is able to satisfy the absurd and unrealistic demands of the Queen Mother – until Princess Winnifred turns up. This resolute young lady breaks with conventions and wins the hearts of the locals. Together, they raise their voice and outsmart the scheming queen.
- Sunday, 19.11. at 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, 21.11. at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, 23.11. at 11 a.m.
- Saturday, 25.11. at 15 p.m.
- Saturday, 25.11. at 7:30 p.m.
Organized by the August Everding Theater Academy and the University of Music and Theater Munich (HMTM), together with the study course Musicals (headed by Professor Marianne Larsen) and the collaborative study course in Dramatic Composition at LMU.
Tickets: 10 - 39 Euro/ 8 Euro (concessional rate). For more information, please visit the August Everding Theater Academy website.


Hello Ebi! Hello Fam!
I saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Friday, which was everything I expected. It was poignant and full of power and majesty. The soundtrack of course, was killer! I will not share spoilers because it just came out. However, I will share my POV of the movie, the Black Panther universe, and some of the drama that occurred before the new film was released.
Our Beloved Chadwick
The first Black Panther came out in 2018. It was incredible on every level. I re-watched it how many times? So unexpectedly, when we lost our Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, many of us mourned him like a family member. It was heartbreaking to know that we lost such an exceptional man and actor. Not to mention the strength it must have taken for him to power through, even while Cancer ravaged his body. The new saying is, “You have no excuse not to succeed in anything you want to do. Just look at Chadwick Boseman!”
Chadwick passed away when COVID was in full swing. Many of us wondered if the second movie would come to fruition. A number of issues emerged before and during Ryan Coogler’s film development. Letitia Wright, aka Shuri, rubbed many people wrong when she commented on the vaccine. Petitions that went out stated that she should be fired from the movie and not become the next Black Panther under any circumstances, even though Shuri had already taken the mantle in the comic book. She was also injured during production. Check out this timeline that broke down the film’s delays: https://www.vulture.com/2022/11/black-panther-2-release-date-delays-timeline.html
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Drama
It was implied that Marvel used Chadwick’s death to promote the film, and some felt his role should be recast. Black Panther was the first BLACK superhero to be recognized and respected globally. The late Mr. Boseman and the Black Panther franchise were an international phenomenon. It needed a future, and many believed a new actor should be brought in.
Marvel has dived feet-first into multidimensional (the Multiverse) storylines with Loki, Dr. Strange, Antman, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and Spiderman: No Way Home. There is no reason to believe that Black Panther could not return (perhaps as another version of himself) in the future—but not right now. It is almost like replacing Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man with someone else. It’s hard to accept.
As we got closer to premiere day more rumors started, implying that Ryan Coogler was still making changes. Then the preview came out for the new movie, and it was awesome. I teared up and everything! I could not wait for November 11. Videos even went out on Tik Tok discussing the appropriate attire to wear to acknowledge the ancestors: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxoP7vb/ You know I wore white!
No matter what, there will always be those who will “find fault” with what we do. Regardless of all the nonsense, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was worth the entire two hours and forty-one minutes I spent in the theater. I will see it again, and if you haven’t already seen it, I implore you; what better way to acknowledge the mark that Mr. Boseman left on this world than to see this movie?
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! If you are interested in reading my earlier content, please visit www.sharonlmitchell.com


Practice essay questions for hamlet
This Hamlet essay write a simple calculator program in java sample was written by one of our writers for you to have an understanding how academic papers on popular topics should be written. Practice Projects. Teaching Hamlet Teacher Pass includes: Assignments & Activities; Reading Quizzes; Current Events & Pop practice essay questions for hamlet Culture articles; Discussion & Essay Questions; Challenges & Opportunities; Related Readings in Literature & History; Sample of Discussion & Essay Questions. The ghost is a character who rarely appears, but offers Hamlet the significant life long question, Hamlet …. For instance, Hamlet's relationships both of. doctoral dissertations australia 30. This Hamlet essay sample was written by one of our writers for you popular biography editing sites uk to have an understanding how academic papers on popular topics should be written. Take the free quiz now! 1. In practice essay questions for hamlet Hamlet, Polonius interacts in very different methods with the different characters. A Character Study of Hamlet The play begins with Hamlet as a university student that is often intrigued and drawn to questions and issues that are difficult or impossible to answer. Uncategorized May 21, 2020. whilst Horatio and the watchmen convey Prince. Course.
Shakespeare hamlet essay questions. Hamlet’s passion regarding the issue of death wants to increase awareness to the reader regarding uncertainties when a person dies (Shakespeare, 1598) A page of essay questions on Hamlet. Jul 17, 2009 · Labels: free Hamlet essays, Hamlet essay examples, Hamlet essay help, Hamlet essay topics, Hamlet essay writing, Hamlet essays, sample Hamlet essay. Useful for students to think about and prepare essay plans on. Instructor: Clio Stearns. Favourite / most dramatic scene. Sure, plenty of scholar-types have tried to answer that, but maybe they've missed something. Eng 4u hamlet: http://thomlancaster.com/modernist-essay nature of a passage set is absolute and why shakespeare play, no information to be, truth hamlet 1 This Hamlet essay sample was written by one of our writers for you to have an understanding how academic papers on popular topics should be written. For example: there is honesty but also practice essay questions for hamlet dishonesty, faithfulness and infidelity, love and hatred, honour and dishonour, revenge and forgiveness. Practice using sample essay 1. 4. A set of notes - jottings, links, thoughts and quotations to prompt discussion. coating engineer resume 3 Does the text hold up to a Freudian reading of Hamlet's relationship with his mother? Directions: Click on https://justcapital.com/news/how-to-write-a-good-dbq-essay the correct answer. Revenge is a constant theme throughout the plot Hamlet spends the vast majority of the play ruminating over philosophical questions related to the typical themes of revenge tragedy; action, murder, revenge, but also the purpose of theatre, philosophical questions of practice essay questions for hamlet life, family relationships and the importance of rituals (such as funerals) The big question of all of English literature: why does Hamlet drag his feet so long to avenge his father's murder? Katelyn Canei English 102 7 July 2017 Hamlet and the Ghost In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is a very interesting character in this play because he’s the prince of Denmark that is a very loving person to a character of rage and going mad because of his fathers’ death Hamlet Sample Answer: Claudius. A conversation takes place between Hamlet and the ghost of his dead father where the ghost openly accuses Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, of having been the murderer by stating that “The serpent May 21, 2020 · Sample princeton application essays; Contact Us; Black plague essay topics; Fear in cry the beloved country essay. Papers on Hamlet can consist of the outline of the play, and its writing, the character of Denmark’s prince and …. Throughout the novel an eerie and dark tone is used to depict characters and interactions.
2011 HL Paper IIBased on a student essay“Claudius can be seen as both a heartless villain and a character with some redeeming qualities in the play, Hamlet”. 2)How do Hamlet's seven soliloquies reveal his character? 1582 - 1592: William Shakespeare's Marriage, Parenthood and Early Occupation This section contains some practice essay questions on Hamlet by William Shakespeare You might consider writing an essay in which you compare Hamlet's relationships with Claudius and with Laertes. People want to be a violation of the, after those first contacts. Each answer should be anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs long. Michigan essay questions; Capitalism vs socialism essay; Public management dissertation; Find practice essay questions for hamlet out more about mosquitoes on the NYC Health website. Hamlet's Madness Essay Questions. Further Study Study Questions. Hamlet represents a tragic play authored by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. May 10, · AP English Literature: ACT, Hamlet, you missed the scoring of two student essays to the Tagged discussion, Essay Practice, Hamlet, Open Question. When talking along with his daughter Ophelia, he appears very concerned Tragedy Hamlet, demonstrates how humans have to answer one question throughout their life, “To be, or not to be.” This question can apply to anything and anyone and asks if a person should act or not.
Suitable for GCSE and practice essay questions for hamlet A level students Hamlet Discussion Questions, Act 1 Act I, Scene 1 1) The play begins on a dark winter night outside Elsinore Castle in Denmark as a few watchmen (Bernardo and Marcellus) and a fried of Prince Hamlet (Horatio) have a conversation. A conversation takes place between Hamlet and the ghost of his dead father where the ghost openly accuses Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, of having been the murderer by stating that “The serpent Introduction. Although all of the sample essays were handwritten by students, they are shown typed here for ease of reading. Free response questions require close reading, thoughtful rhetorical analysis, and purposeful argumentation, and include a synthesis question that tests your ability to effectively. Hamlet and his attempt to act crazy towards Ophelia might have been an attempt to see how others would react Suggested Essay Topics. Read the scenes where Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship is mentioned. He states that the question of life is “To be, or not to be…”. Practice using sample essay 2.. Humanist philosophy appears when Hamlet asks what made the person an individual. These negative connotations help establish mood and show true feelings of main characters such as Horacio, Claudius, Hamlet, and Fortinbras. Discuss both aspects of… Continue Reading. All these questions present humanistic ideas, depicting distinctiveness and amazing abilities of the individual mind In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, several characters attempt to lure their foes into their death as payback for any wrongdoing. Hamlet Essay Questions Mr.


Give me a 'T'!
Quick, think of a movie where the Devil possesses someone and it's up to 2 priests, one suffering from a crisis of faith, to exorcise it. You're probably thinking The Exorcist, right? That's the problem with just about every possession/exorcism horror movie; they all sound like The Exorcist. It's almost unfair to compare anything that came after The Exorcist because they're just not going to come close. People were convinced that Satan was actually imprinted onto the film and people legitimately fled theaters in horror. You can't beat press like that. It's up to newer movies to set themselves apart and be special, not just rehash the same old thing. It helps to have Anthony Hopkins.
The Rite is a 2011 horror movie starring Colin O'Donoghue (The Tudors, Proof) as Michael Kovak and Anthony Hopkins (Silence Of The Lambs, Thor) as Father Lucas Trevant. Michael is disillusioned as a mortician, following in his father's (Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner, Hobo With A Shotgun) footsteps and decides to go to seminary school. He does not feel a true connection with God and even questions his existence. After being ordained, Michael writes a letter of resignation that is rejected by his superior. He is warned that his scholarship would be revoked and he would owe $100,000 in loans. After giving last rites to a woman dying after an accident, Michael is sent to Rome to study exorcisms in exchange for loan payments. In class, he meets a reporter named Angelina (Alice Braga, City of God, Predators) who is writing about exorcisms. Still an unbeliever, Michael is sent to see Father Lucas, a Welsh priest experienced in exorcisms. They meet with a young pregnant girl named Rosaria who appears to be possessed. Despite witnessing strange events, like Rosaria coughing up nails, Michael remains skeptical. A possessed Rosaria beings to address Michael and ask him very specific questions about his father and his faith. Her condition worsens and she is committed to a hospital where she eventually dies. Father Lucas is distraught and begins to act strangely. Michael learns that his father has had a stroke. He speaks to his father on the phone, but it interrupted by a doctor saying his father died earlier in the day. Michael begins to hear various voices torturing and testing him. Along with Angelina, Michael goes to Father Lucas only to find that he himself has become possessed. Will Michael be able to save Father Lucas and himself?
"Made in China"? What the Hell?!
The Rite is based on “actual events” from the book The Making of a Modern Exorcist. I'm not really sure what their definition of actual events are, but it gives an interesting perspective to the movie. Like I said, it's hard to not compare The Rite to The Exorcist. Both movies are very similar with the main difference being which character has a crisis of faith. This is your standard exorcism movie with very little in the way of actual horror. The spiritual journey of the characters is fine, if not a tad bit predictable. Sure, there's a few jolts here and there, but nothing particularly scary. If you're the religious type, you may find yourself frightened and affected with all the demon talk, but your average horror fan won't find much terror. The cinematography is very eerie and the shots of Rome give the movie an air of authenticity not seen in some other religious-heavy horror movies.
Anthony Hopkins really carries the movie. He can't act in a McDonald's commercial and make it compelling. He essentially plays two roles in the movie, one as Father Lucas and one as a demonic possession. He does both well, but some of the lines he is given as the demon are unintentionally hilarious. I almost feel bad that Sir Anthony had to say some of these ridiculous things. It's not the content that's bad, it just sounds like a 15 year old wrote them. Colin O'Donoghue gives a tepid performance, almost unsure of what he should be doing or feeling. Rutger Hauer is only briefly in the movie, which is a shame, but he does well enough. Despite some very good acting, the movie is way too long at almost 2 hours and the pace is far too slow. There's some action, but it's not enough for such a long movie. The effects and makeup are good, but I could have used more.
Does this collar make me look fat?
Based on the story, The Rite is very similar to The Exorcist. The Rite tries to become it's own movie with a more polished Hollywoodification of the whole exorcism genre. It's stylish and looks pretty, but lacks any real action or horror. Anthony Hopkins is great, but can only carry a movie so far. It's too long and the pacing is off, muting any real sense of dread. The Rite is by no means a bad movie, it's just OK and could have been much better. If you want to see a good acting performance, The Rite worth your time. Otherwise, no need to rush out and see it.


I have a love-hate relationship with Game of Thrones and the books that inspired it. For one, when I read the books, I had a rather nasty experience that is better told in another blog post. For another, the show is one of those shows you don’t really enjoy watching in large spurts, but rather on short YouTube clips.
Game of Thrones was a live-action morbid fantasy series based on the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin. It covers a succession claim to a throne that leads to a bloody civil war, a family of nobles whom the war separates, and a mysterious girl in the East learning to tame dragons. The series is dense, covering multiple viewpoints, and has a lot of death. The television adaptation does its best to abide by the plotlines, but they had to improvise their ending because the books have not finished yet. George has no deadline as far as we know to finish books six and seven.
Kit Harington plays Jon Snow, one of the Stark children. He’s illegitimate and decides to seek his fortune by volunteering for guarding a Wall in the North. While there he has to hear of his family getting embroiled in war and can never leave his post. Eventually, he finds a loophole, but things get so bad that by the end of the series the Wall’s shenanigans seem like mercy compared to Westeros politics.
In addition, Kit has also lent his voice to Eret son of Eret in the How to Train Your Dragon film series. Before the third movie came out, he did a green screen “audition” video with Toothless. During it, he lampshades some of the Game of Thrones inconsistencies and gets love tackled by Toothless. It’s a bit harder to watch knowing Kit had those complaints in real life about the show.
Kit Harrington and all of the Game of Thrones cast have been good sports about the nonsense they have to portray. We’ve had dignified and undignified death, rape and pillage, onscreen torture, and worse. Sophie Turner had to sacrifice her dignity before her character could get some revenge. That’s why it hurts a lot to learn that Kit has entered rehab due to the stress of filming the last season and that he needs some peace and quiet.
The man gave us his all. Game of Thrones was a stressful show to watch, and it must have been worse for the stage crew and actors that had to deal with the plot holes, inconsistent characterization, and ultimately depressing deaths that would follow. When you act, you have to make sure your characters are convincing. Many actors in real life and fiction reference how playing characters can affect them off-camera, like the late Bob Hoskins hallucinating after portraying Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where he had to interact with “animated characters” that were added later. It’s depressing how fiction and reality can blend.
Game of Thrones fans en masse have shown their love by raising money for Kit’s favorite charity, as well as the foundation that co-star Emilia Clarke created for brain-injury rehabilitation. It’s a way to show solidary in the face of all the scriptwriting nonsense. Even if we dislike where the show went, the actors gave their all.
I hope you feel better, Kit. There will be nicer, 3D animated dragons waiting for you.


OK, technically, it's not Joss' it's Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, but you can clearly see the director's hand in this version and I think Joss deserves a little credit. :)
I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, in fact, the only version of Much Ado I've seen before, which was a live open-air production was truly awful, so I wasn't in any pains to see this version, until my sister mentioned it was on at our local art house theatre and I thought I'd give it a try. Admittedly, what tipped me over the edge into watching the film in the first place was the fact that I think The Avengers was a stunning movie directorially speaking and I also love quite a lot of the cast from Much Ado.
So, my expectations weren't that high when I sat down to watch, in fact, I was keeping an eye on my phone for the announcement of the new Doctor Who. I did turn the phone off before the titles rolled and then had my first, ugh! moment - the movie was in black and white. I wasn't quite sure what the point of that was, still am not sure, but after the first scene, I'd forgotten about it, so I won't hold it against the movie.
So, about the actual play itself. I mentioned above, the only other version I had seen was dire, a comedy had become a farce due to lack of timing and, IMO, lack of understanding of the text. That is something I can't accuse Joss of, he clearly understood what he was about when he adapted Much Ado to a modern era. There were a few anachronisms, always will be with Shakespeare bumped into the 21st Century. Conrad was as I've never seen him before as well - a woman - but she worked very well in the role - confidante and lover to Don John.
The setting was a large, rich house, the house of Leonato, father of Hero, uncle to Beatrice, played brilliantly by Clark Gregg. In fact, many of the performances were noteworthy without upstaging the other cast members. Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof were fantastic as the quick-witted, acerbic Beatrice and Benedick, both bantering their way through life until the hysterical moments when they are convinced by eavesdropping that the one is in love with the other.
I have to say, I was watching patiently up until this point, mostly interested in the plot, but the wonder of the sheer slapstick comedy of the two scenes where first Benedick is hiding and over hearing his friends talk of Beatrice's love for him and then Beatrice is belied the same way by her friends, had me hooked after that. I belly-laughed my way through those scenes and then chuckled my way through most others.
The exception to the laughter was the whole plot where Don John (boo hiss) trick the lovey dovey Claudio into believing that his true love, Hero, is unfaithful to him with another man. Women fainting and dying because they are accused of being 'not a maid' is, shall we say, a stretch for modern audiences, but this is Shakespeare, one has to accept this kind of thing like light sabres in Star Wars, so I won't dwell. However, that whole scene was played with tension and had me wanting to throttle Don John and smack Claudio up side the head, which I think was the intent :). And so I was grinning all over my face by the end when everything is resolved. :D
So, some fine performances and some fine directing that actually made me fall in love a little bit with a Shakespeare play (no mean feat, I can now list the ones I actively like on one hand). It was well paced, well acted and well adapted. I laughed, I cried and I left the cinema uplifted by the devoted love of Hero and Claudio and the almost anarchic love of Beatrice and Benedick - two very different pairs of lovers.


Let me get this straight out: Jojo Rabbit is a sharp masterpiece of satire, hiding its mastery in the appearance of some disneyfied, Wes Andersoniac comercial flick. To understand why this, is so mastery we have to remind ourselves of one of the basic of communications: the coding of the message has to be completely understandable to reach the broader audience possible. And this film is NOT trying to be an Oscar winning panflet, but it is trying to wake up its audience about our actual Zeitgeist in 2019 and beyond.
With that in mind, the first master stroke by Waititi comes in the opening… cool titles with a german version of The Beatles “I want to hold your hand” underlines this movie is not talking only a story set in the 40s nazi Germany, but wants its audience to relate and also to notice that this is a mirror into which we must look to ourselves… Waititi describes nazi Germany as a nation infatuated by the spell of an iconic Adolf Hitler, a leader that used a hate speech to arrive to power, helped by a huge marketing campaign, and that would be today having paralels like Trump or the Brexit (even if sharper minds would also recognise the mechanisms on the idolization of Obama or the Clintons in the USA or Putin in Russia or so many others… the need of an all powerful, charismatic leader that would get away with anything, with people never realizing what they are doing at their backs or even in plain daylight, but sold as “necessary”). Remember that Waititi is not American, but from New Zealand, which has a broader political system that bipartidism. He introduces right away Jojo as this 10 years old kid, who has idealized Hitler so much (with posters at the walls of his room everywhere) that has reached the point of going the extra mile and have Hitler as his imaginary friend, offering him advice and being the avatar of the propaganda that brainwashed Germany for over 10 years, impossible to resist for most, specially the younger minds. It was cool to be in the Hitler Youth… with a great montage, Waititi presents to us the glamourized version through the eyes of a 10 years old child of what that meant… a military training and brainwash that was appealing and exciting, because it was telling children, they were men (and women… but women were destined to be servants and breeding devices, as Rebel Wilson’s character proudly points out, telling us she is probably the most fanatic character on screen, along with the Gestapo bunch leaded by Stephen Merchant).
Waititi walks the tightrope between comedy and subtlely reminding us the horror behind that, specially with Sam Rockwell and Alfie Alden’s characters. We think, as they are on the lead of the Hitler Youth program, they are going to be as fanatic as Wilson’s. Big mistake… Waititi humanizes them immediately (he actually does this with EVERY character no matter how fanatic they may be, he reminds us that these monsters were humans, able to sincerely laugh or appreciate beauty or an achievement, even the Gestapo ones, completely in delight when they see Jojo’s überfanatism in his room and with the book… they change their intimidating attitude inmediately, and only a few minutes after, you discover that it wasn’t a random check but they already had captured Jojo’s mother, probably tortured and even hang her… which makes Jojo’s appreciation even more twisted and heartbreaking the second time you will see the film.
Because of that, Waititi has one of this really important messages in the film… GERMANS WERE HUMAN AND NOT EVERYONE WAS A FANATIC. Actually most were not, but just too scared to do anything, in the reigns of terror and paranoia. Jojo’s family has suffered and would througout the film, but Rosie’s attitude, despite losing her daughter, and probably her husband, and having to face the horror of her only son becoming a fanatic is to love, to dance out fears, to enjoy and embrace every moment of life, and to do her little she can, at the risk of her life… helping a jewish teenager to survive, spreading little pieces of paper to remind people there is hope and they have to wake up… she is a heroine, as millions of germans were, so many of them paying with their lives the fight for their future. It is important also that Rockell’s Lt is clearly shown to be gay, and that Finkel is his partner. Some would say that it was not done in a subtle way, but I think it is important to underline so many people HAD to join the nazi party to defend themselves from accusations (more on this, if you rewatch the wonderful Swing Kids, a totally underrated film). At the end of the film, Captain Kienzendorf has his moment of glory and redemption by first leading an attack again, then saving Jojo from death. What could we say about Yorki? Yorki, like Jojo, is the inocence of Germany being swept away. We want Yorki to survive, and he does… or does him? When I ended the film, I had serious doubts if Yorki DID survive, or replaced Hitler as Jojo’s new imaginary friend… I tend to think he survived, and that Jojo substitutes his imaginary friendship, with a real friendship with Elsa.
Waititi has made a brilliant, vibrant masterpiece. In less capable hands, the scene when Jojo discover his mother has died would have drowned into an out of tone melodrama, and the movie would have become bleaker than it actually is. Jojo wakes up from his fantasy, but not inmediately. He becomes lost, clueless, even lies to Elsa about the liberation in a desperate attempt to keep things as normal as possible and refusing to face the death of his mother, and Elsa leaving free, so he would become completely alone. That Elsa merely slaps his face, he replies “I probably deserved that”, and they start dancing with a german version of David Bowie’s “Heroes”, is probably one of the most beautiful, haunting, infectious endings I could think of… all in once.
Jojo Rabbit is a masterpiece. And the one we NEED, right now. While if I was going to say which one is the best film of 2019, I would probably go for 1917, Jojo is a close, so close 2nd, and the one that I think should win the Oscar, so as many people as possible decides to check it out… and with a bit of luck, learn something about themselves, before is too late.
Throughout the years, the decades, we’ve assisted to the growth of a young, queer punk outsider, copycating the early John Waters work, into one of the most accomplished masters of visual – and spoken – storytelling the world has ever seen. Make no mistake: I am not a Pedro Almodóvar fan, at all, at least of his real-life persona (more on that, later). Neither Antonio Banderas or Penélope Cruz rank among my favorite spanish performers. But “Pain & Glory” is undisputably, the masterpiece of a lifetime, as summarized in its final shot, which probably is, one of the best of film history (and that’s saying a lot, and I will discussed on the spoilery part of the review).
The plot is confident… while a film director in creative crises, and assaulted by the various pains of body and soul, reconnects with an actor from his early films, thanks to a tribute being made for the film they made together 30 years before, on a parallel edit, memories from the childhood at a village in La Mancha (of course, Almodóvar’s homeland) come back again and again. The film is undeniably, autobiographical, and probably the only fault, is the positive – if flawed – look that Almodóvar has on his very own persona, indulgent and basically softer than it should be.
Banderas is, simply outstanding in this role. He’s been knowing Pedro Almodóvar for 40 years, they’re besties, and also owes 70% of his career to him and the international spotlight his work received. One can only guess who’s who in real life, out of the film characters… who was a drug addict – and still is. Who was Almodóvar’s romance back then. The film referenced, is more than obviously, one of Almodóvar’s masterpieces, “Law of Desire” and the very first Banderas performance that could be considered Oscar worthy (he steals the whole film, with passion), and it is an irony of destiny, that a film about that film’s production, may take him to his long awaited first Oscar nomination (as he has pointed out, after winning Cannes’ Best Actor, he’s been nominated for almost anything but Oscar, yet never won anything in competition, till this year).
Penélope Cruz, Julieta Serrano, Asier Etxeandía and Leonardo Sbaraglia complete the central core of the film characters, out of the more known performers, but also newcomers César Vicente and Asier Flores round this core, with a collaboration of “All about my mother”‘s Cecilia Roth. All of them rank from the competent to the outstanding (Cruz, Etxeandía) but neither steals the flame of Banderas’ completely nailed walk of tightrope between creating a character and bringing out some of Almodóvar’s most characteristic gestures, reminding the audience it’s him that we’re talking about, but not “really him”. Banderas feel natural, humble, lets his costars breathe and create, and hasn’t been this good in a long, long time. As he pointed out, he’s reborn after his heart scare a couple of years ago, making him go back to embrace more dramatic and challenging roles, away from action and popcorn flicks. That’s good news for all film lovers, as he’s a capable actor that has been wasted for so long.
But back to why this film is so outstanding… SPOILERS from now on.
Almodóvar cleverly stablishes a subtle separation between past (Salvador’s childhood in La Mancha) and present (as an adult in creative crises). The past is shown in naturalistic light and settings, strong nature, while present is mostly comprised of urban environment, predominantly interiors… that are quite obviously sets, with a clear intention to make it feel more “fake” than the nature of the past… the reds of the present are so bright as the whites from the past. He’s purpousingly making you feel that reality is the past, while the present is just kind of fake, as urban life vs. the more naturalistic, simple country life. This yuxtaposition comes again and again, specially when Salvador talks with his mother in the final scenes of the film… nostalgy explodes all over the audience, which yearns of a simple past as Salvador’s while not watering down how hard that life was, versus the commodities of the urban present – specially health-wise. That is slowly building upon the film’s mesmerizing, groundbreaking, final shot. Almodóvar patiently builds the whole film into crash collision course with that.
There are three moments that Almodóvar reaches filmmaking legend status in this film (talking only after one viewing… probably I could increase them after repeated ones).
The phone conversation between drugged up Banderas and Etxeandía on one side, and the audience at the filmotheque on the other side… the comedy, drama, depth is completely balanced, each delivered line and gesture building into a mix of emotions that becomes basically an extremely enjoyable rollercoaster. Banderas is specially sublime delivering his performance here.
The bath and then drawing scene of the past. Audience holds its breath with the shadow of seduction and possible pedophilia involved. The resolution is always walking the tightrope and ends in a naturalistc and satisfying way. Pedophilia is also pending on the film on an earlier sequence involving priests, but Almodóvar cleverly skips the issue while subconsciously reminding you, he touched that issue in “Bad Education” which is the middle chapter of his autobiographical trilogy, started with “Law of Desire” which he uses as reference in “Pain and Glory”.
Finally, that final shot. Wow. Before it comes, it has already been stablished when Penélope Cruz’s character has to spend the night at a train station with young Salvador, and also the final sequence before this shot, is older Salvador explaining that he knows, finally, what his next film will be… so then, this shot enter and we see Cruz’s character caressing young Salvador, and we think it is a flashback… then gently, the camera draws back and expands the frame to reveal the crew around the shot and that what we always thought it was the past, it was actually the future and that Almodóvar reconciles past, present and future with just one subtle camera movement, exceptional lighting and composition. Exquisite, and with nothing else to add, because it is not required, the film ends, with my jaw dropped, thinking how long has he run from those early punk days of queer cinema, to become one of the biggest visual and writting masters of film history.
Picture: Green Book – nailed
Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma – nailed
Actress: Glenn Close, The Wife – failed, surprise win by Olivia Colman so The Favourite wouldn’t end emptyhanded
Actor: Remi Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody – nailed
Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, Vice (upsetting Regina King, which is supposed to be the frontrunner) – didn’t happen, Regina won
Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Green Book – nailed
Adapted Screenplay: A Star is Born (upsetting BlacKkKlansman, the frontrunner) – thankfully, it did not happen
Original Screenplay: Green Book – nailed
Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse – nailed
Score: If Beale Street could talk – wrong, I really understimated Black Panther
Song: Shallow, A Star is Born – nailed (easiest call of the night)
Film Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody – nailed
Cinematography: Roma – nailed
Production Design: The Favourite – wrong, Black Panther upset
Costume: The Favourite – wrong, ditto
Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody – nailed
Sound Editing: A Quiet Place – wrong, they REALLY liked Bohemian Rhapsody
Visual Effects: First Man (switching as I always thought Avengers: Infinity War was the frontrunner and should win) – nailed
Make Up: Vice – nailed
Foreign Language Film: Roma – nailed
Documentary Feature: Free Solo – nailed (some called it a surprise!)
Live Action Short: Skin (tempted of still say “Mother”, the spanish candidate) – nailed
Animated Short: Bao – nailed
Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence (really CLOSE call between all 5 nominees, there are strong reasons for everyone to prevail) – nailed
17/24, nailing the 3 shorts and Animated, Foreign and Documentary features. Not that bad for one of the most open years I remember
The No Guts, No Glory picks for surprise upsets are: 1. Bohemian Rhapsody in Best Picture. 2. Spike Lee at Best Director (and the film earning 4 Oscars: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing) and 3. Yalitza Aparicio upsetting Close, Gaga and Colman at once and crowned Best Actress, in a Roma almost clean sweep
Before thinking twice, these were my picks…
Picture: Green Book (alt. Roma… but anyone can really win)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (alt. Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman)
Actress: Glenn Close, The Wife (alt. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma)
Actor: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (alt. Christian Bale, Vice)
S. Actress: Amy Adams, Vice (alt. Regina King, If Beale Street could talk)
S. Actor: Mahershala Ali, Green Book (alt. Richard E. Grant, Can you ever forgive me?)
Adapted Screenplay: A Star is Born (alt. BlacKkKlansman)
Original Screenplay: Green Book (alt. The Favourite)
Score: If Beale Street could talk (alt. Black Panther)
Song: Shallow, A Star is Born (alt. I’ll fight, RBG)
Film Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody (alt. Vice)
Cinematography: Roma (alt. Cold War)
Production Design: The Favourite (alt. Black Panther)
Costume: The Favourite (alt. Black Panther)
Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody (alt. A Star is Born)
Sound Editing: A Quiet Place (alt. Bohemian Rhapsody)
Visual Effects: First Man (alt. Avengers: Infinity War)
Make Up: Vice (alt. Border)
Foreign Film: Roma (alt. Shoplifters)
Animated Feature: Spider-Man: into the Spiderverse (alt. Isle of Dogs)
Documentary: RBG (alt. Free Solo)
Live Action Short: Mother (alt. Fauve)
Documentary Short: Lifeboat (alt. End Game)
Animated Short: Animal Behavior (alt. Weekends)
*** on the shorts, just guessing as usual, haven’t followed those races. I don’t recall any given year, that so many races (Picture, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Film Editing, both Sound, Visual Effects…) were so wide open, in which hardly any winner would shock me.
“The Irishman”, Martin Scorsese. Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin.
On paper, maybe the Oscar frontrunner for most categories. 4 Acting Oscar winners, a previous Director winner, and a candy story (Hoffa!). I’m so there.
Oscars perspectives: unless disaster, your multi-nominee, probable winner.
Once upon a time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino. Leonardo di Caprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell and many others.
The Charles Mason murders, retold in Tarantino style? It could go SO wrong. Unless he pulls an “Inglorious Bastards” twist, of course. Oscar will probably pass on this one, unless huge surprise.
Oscar perspectives: Margot Robbie in Supporting, probably. Maybe Screenplay.
Avengers: Endgame: Joe & Anthony Russo. Everyone in the MCU, including deceased characters.
The most awaited film of all time? I’m so there, too.
Oscar perspective: if they passed on Infinity War to promote Black Panther, they might probably pass on this one, too, unless Disney has no other contender. Still, probably Visual Effects only.
Captain Marvel, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck. Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Clark Gregg.
It really looks fun. It’s MCU so unsure it might be a mistep. Looking forward to it.
Oscar perspective: hardly anything beyond VFX
Dolor y Gloria, Pedro Almodóvar. Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz, Julieta Serrano.
A filmmaker, successful in the 80s, tries to make a comeback. The trailer looks amazing and an Oscar-worthy role for Banderas (who probably is overdue for a nom… he should have won for The Skin I live in, and wasn’t even nominated!).
Oscar perspective: Foreign Film snub, if any good, it might be a strong contender for Score, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Cruz), Lead Actor (Banderas) and Director. It may sneak in, in Picture, if stars allign (odd, I think Almodovar is waaaay overdue for having a film nominated for the big one: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All about my mother, Talk to Her and Volver probably were top 10 in their years, at the polls, so it is probable that now, with up to 10 films nominated, he can).
J’Accuse, Roman Polanski. Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean Dujardin
A december release in France, and in french… probably will arrive too late for Oscar consideration. But on paper, looks amazing.
Oscar perspectives: unless they do a qualifying run on time and also release it in Cannes/Toronto/Telluride first… think of 2020. But if smart, strong contender.
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Montara, Steven Spielberg. Mark Rylance.
Been in pre-production since 2017, IMDB says. A quick check to the story, it is pure Oscarbait. Jewish boy raised as catholic in the XIXth century Italy. Given how fast Spielberg can shoot, I’d say he will have it on time, specially if Dreamworks SKG does not have other card in the Oscar game…. talking about which…
West Side Story, Steven Spielberg. Rita Moreno
Talking about suicidal Oscar projects, a remake of one of the biggest winners, with one of the original stars in it? Can Rita Moreno win a 2nd Oscar for playing in the remake of the film that gave her the 1st?
Oscar perspectives: a master remaking a masterpiece. This can go either way. If finished on time, that’s it.
Us, Jordan Peele. Lupita Nyong’o, Bill Duke
From the trailer, it seems a twist on Invasion of Body Snatchers. Looks amazing.
Oscar perspective: unpredictable. Will lightning strike twice?
Mientras dure la guerra, Alejandro Amenábar. Eduard Fernández, Karra Elejalde.
A spanish civil war film by Oscar winner Amenábar. Expect this one to do well…
Oscar perspectives: Foreign Film likely submission, probably contender.
Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi. Taika Waititi, Scarlett Johanson, Sam Rockwell, Stephen Merchant.
Waititi has still to fail. He has also still to make a huge awards breakthrough (which he deserves). This could be potentially awesome.
Oscar perspectives: more like “Life is beautiful”, less like “The Clown that cried”. Original screenplay frontrunner?
Almodóvar comes back with his closure to a cinematic trilogy started with “Law of Desire” and continued with “Bad Education”, in which he basically makes a partial autobiography (obviously he shows us what he wants to show, this is a soft version of Almodóvar himself), that is closed by one of the very best shots of his career. This is Almodóvar as a master of cinema, and Banderas is amazing portraying him, even if with a different name. Cruz’s role is small but she gives another great performance, as Julieta Serrano does, playing the same character in her later years. One of the films of the year.
The Irishman ***** / A+
Just imagine if the 3 Godfather films were comprised into one. Yes, that is The Irishman. A total masterpiece. Awesome cast, specially Pesci, Paquin (in a limited but essential role and performance) and De Niro. Pacino is great, but mostly doing his stuff, Stephen Graham needs vindication. If this does not win Best Picture, it will be a travesty, most likely.
Parasite ***** / A+
2019 is an embarrassment of riches. Bong Joon-Ho just delivered a masterpiece of social and political satire, that starts as a comedy and surprises you with every twist and turn. The only minor flaw, the ending.
Us ***** / A+
Jordan Peele does it again, and even improves the results of the already masterful “Get Out”, with a sharp satire about the American Dream (but that works in whatever culture you may translate it), that blends horror, social commentary and comedy, to perfection. Everyone is excellent, but specially Lupita N’yongo and Elizabeth Moss.
Midsommar ***** / A+
The Lighthouse ***** / A
Atlantics ***** / A
Don’t f**ck with cats: Hunting of an Internet Killer (Netflix) ***** / A
Toy Story 4 **** / A
I lost my body **** / A-
Joker ***** / A-
A bit overrated, but a must see, undoubtfully. Phoenix shows off in a role that allows the actors to create without bounds. He will be probably winning the Oscar, despite Banderas deserving it way more.
Avengers: Endgame ***** / A-
There’s nothing like this. Probably, comparisons with both The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part II are in order, but no… this is a whole completely different game. While both “Rings” and “Potter” franchises faithfully adapted the book series, the MCU has constructed through inspiration from it s source, something different and built a pay-off that is simply like nothing we’ve ever seen before, at this scale. While Helm’s Deep battle and the battle of Hogwarths, and even the battle from Wakanda in Infinity War were cinematic achievements that automatically landed on film history, what we see in Endgame is the same, but pumped up to 11. Not only achieves juggling with an even bigger cast but also redefines the whole MCU and opens the door to cinematic uncharted territory in Phase 4 (and yes, subtlely opened the door for mutants, Deadpool and Fantastic Four to join… and technically, even transform into canon, all Fox films that have been already done… I won’t spoil, how). Color me amazed. And yes, it is Best Picture worthy.
Shadow ***** / A-
. Zhang Yimou’s latest, it is aesthetically on par with his total Masterpiece (Hero), and the film is fascinating from beginning to end. I found it lacking a better pacing, though, but otherwise would be an instant masterpiece. Odd how this one went unnoticed. Maybe some fatigue of all these wire-fights martial arts sequences?
Knives Out ***** / A-
Clue mixed up with Death on the Nile. Fantastic ensemble, glorious twists and turns, but in the end, just a entertaining (hugely) film without real substance beneath the surface.
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part ***** / A-
Almost on par with the first one, and an exemplary sequel / continuation on the original. “Catchy Song” deserves an Oscar nomination (maybe win?)
Tiempo Después (Some Time Later) **** 1/2 / B+
Spiritual sequel – and closing of a trilogy started by “Amanece que no es poco” and followed by “Así en el cielo, como en la Tierra”, master José Luis Cuerda juggles with symbolism to portray a magnificent and surreal and depressive critique on Spain’s zeitgeist. It’s like Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy” but with more intelectual charm, and with some pacing problems that prevent it, from being a masterpiece. Earns a lot with repeated viewings, I don’t discard that it may end higher on my year’s end list.
Glass **** 1/2 / B+
The Laundromat **** 1/2 / B+
Shazam **** 1/2 / B+
Rocketman **** / B
It, Chapter 2 **** / B
Uncut Gems **** / B
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker **** / B
Klaus **** / B
Spider-Man: Far from Home **** / B
So, again, Marvel does it again… a hugely, massively entertaining flick that closes Phase 3 and the first 10 years of the MCU. Everybody is charming and Jake Gyllenhaal is a great addition to the franchise… the post credits scenes, specially the middle one, priceless… and the last one gives a hint of where the MCU phase IV seems to be aiming, which is quite exciting. Extremely recommended, even if nothing groundbreaking. Oh, yes, and Marvel acknowledges which is probably the finest casting of a Marvel character ever… to say more, is to give away a huge spoiler and ruin one of the best surprises, the film has in storage.
Everybody Knows **** / B
. Superb acting all around, specially Cruz, and gripping story, partially a whodunnit, that somehow, doesn’t really hold together as it should. But maybe, that was the point, all along.
Little Women **** / B
Ad Astra **** / B
The Lion King **** / B
Ready or Not **** / B
Das Perfekte Geheimnis **** / B
The German version of Perfecti Sconutti (already 10 versions and counting) is perfectly acted and well shot and edited. Still, I can’t really recommend it to anyone that already saw any of the other versions, save from the ending, which has been changed, probably for the better, even if it did not convince me.
Captain Marvel **** / B
A good, if somewhat “middle of the road” MCU entry, with a couple of exciting twists on the original Marvel mythos (some fans may be upset!) and a cat that steals the show.
Bad Times at the El Royale **** / B-
Dolemite is my name *** 1/2 / C+
A personal project of Eddie Murphy, made possible by Netflix, reveals itself as mostly an Oscar vehicle that overall, is like the lesser and less artistically or intelectually ambitious version of Ed Wood and The Disaster Artist. I was never fully entertained, nor impressed by Murphy’s portrayal, to be honest. I can see why people love it, I can’t see why people think it is an important, award-worthy film (beyond costumes, that department is amazing)
Cats *** 1/2 / C+
Yesterday *** 1/2 / C+
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot *** 1/2 / C+
The Two Popes (Netflix) *** 1/2 / C+
The Perfection *** 1/2 / C+ – Netflix
Slightly flawed in execution, but performances and writting – full of twists and turns, and a full allegory of the #MeToo movement – elevate this one over the usual Netflix-produced fare. Recommended.
How to train your Dragon: The Hidden World *** 1/2 / C+
Wolkenbruch *** 1/2 / C+
Cute comedy about a young orthodox jewish man, pressured by his mother to marry a jewish girl. And what a mother. Fun, harmless, kind of predictable. Switzerland’s submission to Oscar 2019, on paper, pales with the competition. Still, kind of recommended for a harmless fun film for a bored afternoon.
Happy Death Day 2U *** 1/2 / C+
One of the few cases in which the sequel continues and expands the original in an interesting new direction. More comedy than horror this time, as the original, a hugely rewatchable and entertaining horror comedy (and whodunnit).
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile *** 1/2 / C+
See you Yesterday
Scary Stories to tell in the Dark
The Great Hack *** / C Netflix
Fascinating documentary about Cambridge Analytics and how it has influenced two of the key events in recent years, Brexit and Trump’s victory. Still, it never addresses, this is just an iteration of the mass manipulation, corporations and governments have always been doing. Unsurprising, given that thid doc is produced by a media corporation.
Eli *** / C – Netflix
I am Mother *** / C – Netflix
Velvet Buzzsaw *** / C – Netflix
After “Nightcrawler”, hopes for what Dan Gilroy would do next, were high… regretfully, despite Netflix’s artistical freedom to shoot, Gilroy delivered a predictable, horror satire about the world of art, that at core is mostly puerile and by the numbers, playing too much the main characters as caricatures, which leads the audience to disconnect with them. Flawed, if somewhat interesting and with an stellar cast.
In the Tall Grass *** / C-
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ** 1/2 / D +
The Silence ** 1/2 / D+ – Netflix
Sometimes it feels like a crossover between “Pitch Black”, “A Quiet Place” and “Bird Box”… and it’s only better than the last one of them. Still, not boring and not too stupid (beyond the unreasonable amount of electricity and internet network, working after the apocalypse). Stanley Tucci and the rest of the cast are solid, but this isn’t neither John Krasinski’s masterful tension, neither David Twohy’s tale of redemption and survival.
The Dirt ** 1/2 / D+ – Netflix
Certainly, no “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “The Dirt” follows the shennanigans of Mötley Crüe, full of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, with, dare I to say?, some underwhelming style. Not my fave band, exactly, and not the best of the music biopics out there. I wasn’t specially bored, though.
The Dead don’t Die ** / D
X-Men: Dark Phoenix ** / D
Brightburn ** / D
Godzilla: King of Monsters ** / D
Mamma Mia! Here we go again ** / D
Unicorn Store ** / D – Netflix
OK, let me get this straight. It is really nice, Netflix is opting specially for original material rather than remakes, reboots and sequels. It’s really nice, Brie Larson is curious about expanding her career beyond acting. It’s extremely nice, she convinced two icons as Samuel L. Jackson and Joan Cusack, to join her. What’s not nice, is that I can’t say the results were specially significant, nor interesting enough, to justify to say I’ll be looking, what Larson will direct next. Too naive, and so many oportunities wasted, in a material that, in other hands, could have been memorable… Tim Burton, Spike Jonze, Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee… could have made wonders with this material.
Fractured ** / D – Netflix
Padre no hay más que uno (Father there is only one) ** / D
Io ** / D – Netflix
A mess. It really doesn’t know if it wants to be “The Martian” or “Gravity”, “Solaris” or “Silent Running”, and in the end, it becomes boring and all over the place.
Rim of the World * 1/2 / E – Netflix
A shameless americanized rehash of “Attack the block”, that goes nowhere close the british original. Shamelessly rips off scenes from other films (the most embarrassing, probably, the kitchen scene from “Jurassic Park”). Avoid.
Steven Spielberg is a master of filmmaking, there’s no doubt about it… still, he’s a director that almost never convince me with his offerings. Only a few of his titles are among my favorite films list (“The Color Purple” is the only one that is pretty solid in my top 40 faves of all time, with “Jaws”, “Duel”, “Lincoln” and “Close encounters of the Third Kind” being the other ones that I love, no questions asked).
But wait a minute, does it mean I hate “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “E.T.”, “Schindler’s List”, “The Post”, “Minority Report”, “A.I.” or “Bridge of Spies”? At all, Spielberg is a master of filmmaking and my problems with those films are more conceptual, thematically or screenwritting wise, with abuse of some tropes or blandness / cheesiness galore… There are only a few films by Spielberg, that I consider directly BAD… well, only one, “Hook”. I haven’t seen “The BFG” or “The Terminal”, for the matter (only some scenes of the later, caught on TV and that did not attract me enough to see the full feature). My biggest problem with Spielberg, is political. He’s a director for the elites.
Not only he’s speciallized on blockbuster entertainment, but his work, his Amblin brand is the direct sucessor of Disney’s design to promote rightwing thinking and capitalism. There’s no better example of this, than “Ready Player One”.
“Ready Player One”, while visually fascinating and baroque, plays more like a videogame in which the audience is encouraged to rewatch the film again and again to find all easter eggs, rather than a serious approach to its interesting sociopolitical premise (a distopy that seduce the masses into escapism to the extreme) desguised as a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory reimagination (which basically, is this story, not only at core, but also at basic structure). Spielberg and his writting team avoid any kind of critique to that society with its only moral being “you spend too much time out of reality”, while mantaining unquestionable the whole structure of the distopy depicted in the film.
It’s nothing new on his filmography, to manipulate the audience into right wing politics. In “Amistad”, Spielberg simplified the whole issue of slavery, blaming it on Spain (which wasn’t even the bigger slave trader). In “Saving Private Ryan” demonizes and dehumanizes germans, conveniently erasing the reality that most of the german soldiers were not nazis and as much scared as the allies of the horrors of war (there are a couple of extremely good analysis in youtube about that, and how Spielberg uses some tricks, to achieve that manipulation… not only that, but it even manipulates the events to trick the audience to think that D-Day was US troops merit only). In “Hook” blandness goes galore to put family first and front (a traditional right wing message). In “Lincoln” he deliverately skips portraying all events that have induced historians to think Lincoln was bisexual or homosexual, plus does not go into core of the real motivation of the civil war, which was economy, not racial justice. In the Indiana Jones series, he creates a series of events that not only are not historically accurate, but sometimes directly create a new history (Nazi troops in the greek islands and in Egypt, BEFORE the war started! And people complain about aliens and nuking the fridge in “Crystal Skull”… or the inherent racism in “Temple of Doom” or the geography in “Last Crusade”). I could go on and on, but basically Spielberg films are better and more enjoyable when earlier in his career and with less pretentions. I’d take “1941” and its sillyiness any day over “Ready Player One”… both are dumb, over the top, but “1941” has a bigger heart and sincerity… “RPO” has Simon Pegg and that’s it.
Predictable to the extreme in its plot, the only interest throughout the film is basically how the situation is going to be resolved, and where the next easter egg is. The screenplay’s few strenghts are coming so obviously from the novel itself, but so are some of the film’s biggest failures, which I wonder how were not corrected when adapting the source material, unless I realized the biggest worry of the team was to introduce as many references as possible, to justify rewatchability. A huge disappointment and one of Spielberg’s worst films, which of course it’s not saying it’s bad. Just mediocre and good for a bored afternoon.
When THIS happened, many thought it was a minor chance, and a possibility, but Fantastic Four might really be referenced in Avengers: Infinity War… why so?
Fantastic Four aren’t Fox’s propierty, but Constantin. Fox only had the distribution rights for the films Constantin would produce on the characters the german production company… so Marvel never did have to wait to talk with Fox to get them, for starters. They needed to talk with Constantin. Which would not have raised any big media attention at any point, so it could have been done months or even years ago… more exactly…
When “Fant4stic” bombed so horribly, the credit of Constantin to fund a Fantastic Four movie was over for enough time to let the contract expire without an obliged new production rolling. It was too late for a 4th reboot that would demand a huge, bigger budget that Constantin wouldn’t be able to fund on its own without seriously facing bankrupt if anything would failed again, and there was no reason to think it wouldn’t, given their track record. They were completely forced by need, to reach a deal with Marvel, and fast.
Because Marvel’s contract with the studios that bought their heroes and villains, clearly stated they couldn’t resell to other studio, but to Marvel. Fox could not get their hands on the First Family, nor Doom, nor Silver Surfer, nor Galactus… while technically, it was said that Fox was allowed to change Negasonic Teenage Mutant Warhead’s powers for “Deadpool”, in exchange for Ego and the Skrulls, when you think twice about it, it really does not make sense at all… it really sounds like bullshit. So, for changing a completely obscure character’s powers, they actually gave two of the biggest villains? It sounds more like Marvel did not mind a change that had no effect on comics continuity – they could just retcon/expand her powers, as they did with Mystique’s looks in the comic books, after the first X-Men film was released – but that the Constantin deal with Marvel was already done and under huge secrecy.
There’s the now legendary tweet, actual meaning and exact words. “That’s a FANTASTIC idea!. Done”. “FANTASTIC” in capital letters… Not exactly subtle, and difficult to think Marvel ignored the implications of that tweet, for fans. Yes, it could have been done to just have people discussing in the internet and launch and even bigger expectation on the film itself, however, think twice of the misfire if people is disappointed on April 27th and there’s nothing related to the “Fantastic Four”, “Silver Surfer” and “Galactus” in the actual film.
Metacritic is a serious webpage, the actual reference to follow the quality of the films reviewed by serious critics… the fact they updated the film’s cast with Silver Surfer would be either a hack – for which Metacritic hasn’t apologized, corrected or explained – or an official submission by Marvel (that may have happened by mistake or on purpouse as a foreshadowing of the actual shocker that may lead into “Avengers 4”. Which, by the way, it would be a self-explanatory title.
To summarize, even being possible and even likely it won’t happen, there are enough signs and foreshadowing to “smell” there’ll be a “fantastic” or at least “silvery” surprise coming on April 27th. And that Avengers 4 may be a mix of “Secret Invasion” and the storyline where Galactus ate the Skrulls planet, courtesy of the Fantastic Four (indirectly)


During the early days of World War II, with the fall of France imminent, Britain faces its darkest hour as the threat of invasion looms. As the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces advance, and with the Allied army cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the leadership of the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Academy Award nominee Gary Oldman). While maneuvering his political rivals, he must confront the ultimate choice: negotiate with Hitler and save the British people at a terrible cost or rally the nation and fight on against incredible odds.
Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael Garca Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
The story of a giant bull with a big heart. After being mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. Set in Spain, Ferdinand proves you can't judge a bull by its cover.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash - it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
In Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger, the Incredible Hulk!
In Sony Pictures Animation's The Star, a small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a loveable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told - the first Christmas.
What starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, "Murder on the Orient Express" tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone's a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
In this raucous comedy, Duke (Freeman) is the freewheeling manager of a luxury Palm Springs retirement resort known as Villa Capri. It's Christmas in the desert, and living is easy for Duke - his days are spent golfing, playing poker with pals, and entertaining his pick of the lovely single ladies. Duke's the big man on campus, until charming former military man Leo (Jones) arrives and threatens to become the new alpha male. When regional director Suzie (Russo) also shows up to look into some improper finances, both men turn on the charm to assert their status as top dog. But what starts as a friendly rivalry to date Suzie turns serious when men from Duke's past come back to haunt himkidnapping Suzie in the process. Putting their rivalry aside, can Duke and Leo come together to rescue Suzie, stop whoever is trying to kill Duke, and save Christmas at Villa Capri?
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS follows our three under-appreciated and over- burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn't hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms will redefine how to make the holidays special for all and discover a closer relationship with their mothers.
Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) have joined forces to provide their kids with the perfect Christmas. Their newfound partnership is put to the test when Dusty's old-school, macho Dad (Mel Gibson) and Brad's ultra-affectionate and emotional Dad (John Lithgow) arrive just in time to throw the holiday into complete chaos.
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a terrifying journey across hundreds of miles of wilderness, pushing one another to endure and igniting an unexpected attraction. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee Hany Abu-Asad and stars Academy Award winner Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.
This film tells the story of humble London businessman Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love -- his teenage daughter -- is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan is forced into a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official (Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.
THE SHAPE OF WATER - an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment.
Based on Greg Sestero's best-selling tell-all about the making of Tommy Wiseau's cult-classic disaster piece THE ROOM ("The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made"), THE DISASTER ARTIST is a hilarious and welcome reminder that there is more than one way to become a legend- and no limit to what you can achieve when you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.
In a career spanning 50 years and almost as many features, Woody Allen has periodically refined, reinvented, and redefined the terms of his art, and that's exactly what he does with his daring new film. We're in Coney Island in the 1950s. A lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop. Allen and his cinematographer, the great Vittorio Storaro, working with a remarkable cast led by Winslet in a startlingly brave, powerhouse performance, have created a bracing and truly surprising movie experience.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell costars as the ambitious, monied lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm.
Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys in the Midwest United States between 1978 and 1991 before being captured and incarcerated. He would become one of America's most infamous serial killers. This is the story before that story. Jeff Dahmer (Disney Channel's Ross Lynch) is an awkward teenager struggling to make it through high school with a family life in ruins. He collects roadkill, fixates on a neighborhood jogger (Vincent Kartheiser, Mad Men), and copes with his unstable mother (Anne Heche) and well-intentioned father (Dallas Roberts). He begins to act out at school, and his goofball antics win over a group of band-nerds who form The Dahmer Fan Club, headed by Derf Backderf (Alex Wolff, "Patriots Day"). But this camaraderie can't mask his growing depravity. Approaching graduation, Jeff spirals further out of control, inching ever closer to madness.
The relationship comedy stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine McPherson, a rebellious student at a conservative Catholic Sacramento high school who wants to escape her family and small town constraints to go to college in New York.
Performing art troupe members each face their own trials and tribulations; from escaping a family scandal to dealing with unrequited love, each experiences rejection that shapes their lives in this coming-of-age tale selected to play at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Chinese helming legend Feng Xiaogang.


"Raising funds to produce non-commercial media can be a challenge," stated Brian Tinger, Newbury Film Series board member. "With our tax-exempt status, we are able to help project attract donors by offering a 100% tax deduction on all contributions." Newbury Film Series supports the creation of independent film and is dedicated to creating opportunities for filmmakers to screen their work, engaging new audiences in the appreciation of local independent film, and empowering the next generations of filmmakers.
Newbury Film Series, a 501©3, is the fiscal agent for "Waste?" Please click on the donate button to make your 100% tax deduction contribution through PayPal, our secure transaction service.


In Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup, a photographer takes a roll of shots of a woman and a man, in a park outside London, from a distance. In Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, a sound expert records a couple's whispered exchange in San Francisco's busy Union Square for a client. These men are left with a record of an event, one visual and one aural, from which they piece together a mystery and are sucked into the lives of their targets.
I love this dramatic premise. The lonely voyeur reconstructs a situation out of what he observes and realizes he must act, lest someone get hurt. Think Rear Window, though Hitchcock's masterpiece of voyeurism is cute and classic in its storytelling. Blowup and The Conversation are not.
The first is a product of the mod '60s (which Austin Powers sends up), the second of the bitter '70s (tainted by Watergate). Blowup was Antonioni's first English-language feature, his second in color. It's revered. But it doesn't add up for me. There is one stunning, fascinating sequence in the middle, when the suave, swinging photographer (David Hemmings) begins to blow up the faraway photos he's taken to look for clues for a possible murder. But the film siphons away any sort of build-up and payoff soon after, taking the allegorical route. If the film arrives at a conclusion, it's an abstract one. Was it a murder? Is anything really real, or is one person's reality another's fantasy?
The Conversation came in between the first two Godfathers, when Coppola had some down time. It's Coppola's best. It forgoes the flexing typical of a major filmmaker (The Godfathers, for me, are all muscle) and gets back to the arthouse maverick style Coppola probably exhibited as a film student. He did write the script as a student at UCLA, and it shows in the simplicity and directness of the story. A shy, paranoid man (Gene Hackman, in his finest performance) slowly refines the recording of a private conversation, word by word, until he thinks he's uncovered a murder plot.
Just like Blowup, right? The characters go deeper into their media to come to some sort of clarity or reality or truth, and this journey is commentary on the filmmaking process, naturally. Now that we know what we know, we have power and must act. But is it the right thing to do, and will people believe us and stand by us when we do it?
Again, wonderful premise. But I like where The Conversation takes it, from its exquisite opening sequence to the thrilling climax, the story propelled by a wonderful character who must break his own shell and, in the process, breaks his whole self. Blowup mopes through self-concious self-examination and is deliberately opaque, keeping us at a cold distance. It's very much "cinema of the cool." I resist that.
But side by side, Blowup and The Conversation engage in a nice tug-of-war over the same idea. Hemming's playboy photog and Hackman's introverted soundman. Both exposed by the expertise they hide behind. Like Antonioni and Coppola.


Then, every group (4/4/3) is assigned a show and must create the following for the show: slogan, target audience, promotional poster, marketing idea (like handing out masks for phantom), commercial text, scenes to show, and songs to highlight, including rationale for each.
Marketing Campaign Presentations
Warmup: Discussion- Why is it important for the cast members to thank the directors (musical, creative, choreographer, stage manager) involved in a musical? Have you been involved in a production where you gave a thank you gift? Had a cast party? Why or why not? How might a cast T-Shirt be an integral part of the show?
Classwork: In their groups, have them create a cast t shirt. Present to class.
Classwork 2: The Budget. Come up with gifts for your show- Director, SMs, MD, TD if applicable. (Budget- how much will each cast member give? How will you collect it? What will the deadlines be? What will you do for a member that cannot afford to pay? When will you give the gift? Etc.) Plan the cast party. (Again, budget, when; where, it has to accommodate 70 people including the pit orchestra, directors, and ALL cast members)
Warmup: “Walk This Way” Walk around the space. Pretend you’re wearing a ball gown. How would you act? Corset, Heels, Hippie clothes, army uniform, poodle skirt, leather jacket, etc. How do you interact differently? Walk? Talk? Debrief. Why do you think Halloween is such a popular holiday? What is your favorite outfit? How do you feel when you wear that outfit? How does what you’re wearing contribute to you feel (or does it?)? Have you ever been in an outfit that made you uncomfortable? How do costumes add to a show- explore how costumes affect the acting, the visuals, etc.
Classwork: “Toilet Paper Costumes” Each group is given a character to find a costume for. For example, Annie, Tevya, Maria, Conrad Birdie, King Arthur, Guinevere, Maria (nun) from Sound of Music, etc. From any part of the play that they want, they must create a costume for this character from the pile they have in front of them.
Homework: You are in charge of the chorus from Bye, Bye, Birdie. You must create a handout to give to the chorus telling them what to bring in to wear. You should try and help them find things from their wardrobe so they don’t necessarily have to buy anything. The artistic director wants the color scheme to be primary colors. The scenic designer is creating the sets to be a small town in the middle of a cornfield. Type up what you would send the cast.
F 10/19 OR M 10/22
Warmup: Students will watch a clip from Whose Line is it Anyway where the actors find different uses for props. How do the actors find different uses for the props? Could you think of any that they didn’t think of? How do props add to a scene?
Classwork: “This is Not a Chair." In a circle, pass around a prop and each person acts with the prop to signify a different thing. (Chair, umbrella, hanger, and real props).
Classwork 2: “How to Make a Prop Table.” After talking to the stage manager, they will go through the script and make a list of every prop needed and what scene they are needed for. They are also in charge of the prop table. Handout “How to make a prop table”. Students will then demonstrate on their own desks.
Warm Up: Discussion: Why do we use light?
Classwork: - “Sound Bingo” and “Monologue Scoring”
Warm Up: “Pilobolus Charades”
Classwork:: - “Set Dressing” and “Flats”
F 10/26 OR M 10/29
Warmup: "Walking the Grid" game. Learning stage directions.
Classwork: Discussion of the role of stage managers (AKA- most important person in any production). Students will take down blocking while Ms. Malecki directs a scene with half the class. Then switch. Then demo of calling cues.
Warmup: Portraits game
Classwork: Discuss the importance of makeup and its purpose. Then makeup demo- old age and bruises if time.
Homework: Begin to brainstorm your Production Project (options: 3-D set design, 3 lighting designs for a show, 3 costumes for a show, sound underscoring a scene, or 5 pages of a script out of a stage manager's book). DUE Thursday, 11/1
Classwork: Work on Production Project
PRESENTATIONS of Production Projects


Movie No Limit is a musical comedy directed by Monty Banks and starring George Formby. It was shot on location at the TT motorcycle race on the Isle of Man. The film was one of Formby’s eleven films for Associated Talking Pictures. The film is one of the best Formby movies, with good songs, funny scenes, and many stunts. Despite its low budget, the movie has become a classic.
The story revolves around a motorcycle race, where George Shuttleworth attempts to break the lap record in the TT, but is prevented from participating by jealous riders. As one might imagine, this is an early George Formby movie, and the best one. There’s nothing like a George Formby film to make one laugh so hard. And No Limit is no exception. It’s a fast paced, thrilling adventure. And the scenic backdrop of the T.T. Races adds a charming touch to the film.
In addition to offering pirated movies and web series, the Movie NO Limit website is also well worth the trip. It has been in business for years and continues to gain popularity. However, it’s important to note that the Movie NO Limit website is illegal according to cyber law and has been blocked in various parts of the country. However, the website still manages to stay on the web, and it’s even expanding its domain name list. That’s a good sign, as it shows that the website is still going strong.
Here you can visit to know about the scenerynews.
You should visit this site scenerymagazine to get more information about it.
Here you can find out the majesticnews the world best latest news around the world.
4Movierulz Watch Latest Online Movies Free Download Website 2022


Monday, May 11, 2015
Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell #2) by Hilary Mantel
In Mantel’s novel I often got the notion that Cromwell directed the King’s attention towards Jane Seymour. That Cromwell mistrusted Anne Boleyn, I don’t think there can be any doubt, though he supported her until her jealousies and scheming became too much for even Cromwell to stomach. It doesn’t make any sense for Cromwell to put Henry and Jane together unless he suspected all along Anne’s tendency to plot would be her epitaph.
In the BBC production starring Mark Rylance, however, we get a slightly different interpretation: in Rylance’s performance we see Cromwell’s surprise, uncertainty, fear, and a growing knowledge that Henry would throw off the yoke of marriage once again, and entreat Cromwell to "fix" a divorce for him. Cromwell himself had always been attracted [either sexually or simply as a father figure] to the young, silent Jane Seymour and notes with consternation how Jane drew the King’s eye. With his knowledge of the King, he surely fears for anyone coming unprepared into the King's orbit.
Either interpretation deepens the character of Cromwell, though one is far more scheming and less attractive. I think Mantel meant us to recognize the humanity in Cromwell, though she has him serving up the coldest dish of long-held revenge we have perhaps ever seen. Cromwell hates the young Master of the Privy Chamber Harry Norris for his role in a play which humiliated the memory of Cromwell’s beloved Cardinal Wolsey. Cromwell bides his time but eventually finds a way to unseat Norris.
The title, Bring Up the Bodies, refers to the trial of five court regulars who were thought to be intimates of Anne Boleyn: Harry Norris, George Boleyn, Mark Smeaton, Francis Weston, and William Brereton. There is still an open question as to whether the queen slept with them while she reigned. Hard as it is to believe, it may not be out of place today, which is why we even entertain the notion. Anne Boleyn was married to King Henry only three years. It seemed to have been a trial for both of them.
Mantel did meticulous research so we can assume the portrait of a petulant monarch who does not deal well with failure or challenges has basis in fact. Certainly looking at his decisions alone might lead one to think in that direction. But it is Cromwell that is the central character in this drama, and Mantel does not let our eyes or thoughts stray far from the man. Mantel's chapter headings toll the years, and if the reader already knows Cromwell lived only four years beyond the death of Anne Boleyn, each chapter heading rings sonorous, ominous.
At the end of this novel we are treated to how his contemporaries view him, and it is not a flattering portrait. They wonder Cromwell won’t go after the King next. We’d like to be able to defend him, but know he is simply doing what is necessary for himself—he has an unquenchable appetite for the hand to hand combat that is his life.
I look forward to how Mantel deals with the end of Cromwell and the story she has made her own.
You can buy this book here: Tweet


A native of Burnsville, Minnesota, Chris Gegax graduated from Minneapolis Community College's Filmmaking Program then moved to Los Angeles to work for RB Davies, a production company that makes electronic press kits for movies.
Gegax went on to work in development at Orion Pictures under Director David Anspaugh ("Hoosiers," "Rudy"). Upon returning to Minnesota he began making videos and in 2001 he founded Signal Video Productions.
His short film, “Forgotten,” was awarded best film in Screenwriters’ Workshop’s ScreenLabs Challenge. Gegax lives in Minneapolis.
SIGNAL VIDEO PRODUCTIONS • MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA • USA • TEL: (612) 965-9760


Shivaay Full movie will be the most searched for the year Because of the most awaited movie of the year 2016 Shivaay Movie is going to release on 30 September 2016. Shivaay Full Movie will be available in HD prints after the release of the Shivaay Movie. Shivaay Movie Directed and Acted by the Super Star of Bollywood Ajay Devgn. Ajay Devgan is making Shivaay Movie under his banner; Ajay Devgn Films Pvt. Ltd. Shivaay Movie is one of the most awaited movies of Bollywood in the year 2016. The Trailer and the first look of Shivaay Movie Already out of the box and people like these things of Movie. The Trailer of the Shivaay Movie already breaking the records of Internet in popularity and still growing very Fast. Because of it, people are eagerly waiting for the Upcoming movie of Ajay Devgan. With This Movie, Ajay Devgan is the first time doing direction of a movie. So this is like a dream project movie for Ajay Devgan, and people and Bollywood experts think that Shivaay Movie will be a big hit for Ajay Devgan.
Shivaay Full Movie Hd MP4 Watch Online
Shivaay Full Movie is going to release in the year 2016. I know that people were the search for the Shivaay Full Movie Online, Shivaay full Movie Hd for watching it online. Shivaay Full Movie will be only available after the release of the Movie. The release date of Shivaay Movie is 30 September 2016. Here we are writing because we will provide all the format of Shivaay Full Movie for watch this movie online on the Internet. If you want to watch Shivaay Movie online on the Internet in HD Print, then You Should have to connect without website We will Provide you the Shivaay Full Movie Hd-print links here.
As I have already that we will provide the Shivaay Full Movie details and the links for Watch Shivaay Full Movie online on the Internet. We have already shared many another movie on the Inter for our loyal Readers. You can Watch Jagaa Jasoos Full Movie, Ms Dhoni the untold story Full Movie, Banjo Full Movie and also Tubelight Full Movie Watch online.
Also Visit Varun Dhawan Upcoming : Street Dancer 3D Full Movie
This Website is deadly dedicated to the entertainment field. We have already provided many movies here. If you want to get Notification about when the movie will be available on our website, then you will have to stay connected with our website or if you share this article with your friends on facebook and twitter. If you share this article with your friends on the Internet we will share the details when Shivaay Full Movie will available on Our Website in Hd and MP4 Prints. And also your friends also will know about the website and they can also download the latest movies from our website. This is one the best website on the internet for watch Bollywood Movie online on the Internet.
Also Visit for Best SEO in Vadodara
Also Visit here for Find Apple Iphone 11 pro Max Cases https://www.iphone11promaxcase.com/


Post with 2 notes
Keita Ohara 3/1/11
At some point this year the ultra violent Japanese film Battle Royale will finally see a US release eleven years after the original movie. In a post Columbine world, kid on kid violence has become a very touchy topic. The movie focuses on a group of kidnapped Japanese high school students brought to an island to kill each other as part of the government’s brutal Battle Royale Act. If the media ranted over Skins’ US remake, imagine their reaction when Battle Royale comes out here.
An incredible film, famed director Quentin Tarantino’s favorite in fact, nonetheless, many wonder how American audiences will handle a movie this graphic involving fifteen year olds committing murder. That being said, the film received an R15 rating in Japan, meaning that no one under the age of 15 can watch the film. If fifteen year olds in another country can watch it, why shouldn’t we? After seeing the movie, I can see why some people were concerned, but honestly, far more violent and disturbing movies have come out here without any problems.
New Line Cinema even wanted to do a remake in 2006; unfortunately the Virginia Tech massacre occurred in 2007, causing New Line to cancel the movie. While I’m glad that American producers didn’t have a chance to mutilate and cash in on the movie, it’s disappointing that US audiences have been deprived of such an incredible film.
Though one might argue that US audiences could watch the movie online, they’d not only have to know where to look, but also what to look for. Without mainstream exposure, this hidden gem would stay undiscovered.
Not for the faint of heart, this is still a must see for fans of action and horror flicks alike.


Film Screening and Talk-Back
“Before the Trees Was Strange,”is a personal documentary about race, love and forgiveness within a family in The Bahamas. Derek’s film looks at his family in an intimate portrait of what it was like to grow up White in The Bahamas and being perceived as Black when he arrived in the United States. This film is an exploration of his racial identity, his mother’s difficulty of her own identity, and the revelation of the truth about the family.
We can provide screenings of the film accompanied by a talk-back with the director, Derek Burrows, where he encourages the audience to tell their own stories about race, family, and identity.
We have screened the documentary for many audiences, including universities and community groups, and it has proven to be an effective tool to stimulate constructive and personal discussion about race.