Category: movies

spotting Orcas

On By Rick McIn ethics, movies, travelLeave a comment

San Juan Island was a long day on the bike. At least 70 miles.

Late in the day, however, I stopped at Lime Kiln State Park where folks were gathered for a fun evening. The park is considered one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas.

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I’ve seen many rare animals: Red Panda, Himalayan Bear, 2 Snow Leopards. But I’d somehow managed to miss seeing Orcas on any of my many, many trips around the Pacific N.W. coast. Until now. 🙂

The Blackfish crew was there.

Click PLAY or watch the documentary trailer on YouTube.

Blackfish is a 2013 American documentary. It concerns Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld and the controversy over captive killer whales.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 98% based on 119 reviews.

DiCaprio, The Revenant both excellent

On By Rick McIn moviesLeave a comment

I’ve always like DiCaprio as an actor. But wasn’t particularly keen on seeing this film even though it was partly filmed in Alberta.

But it was much better than I expected. Especially the cinematography.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

The Revenant is a 2015 American survival drama film directed, co-produced and co-written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

The screenplay by Iñárritu and Mark L. Smith is based in part on Michael Punke‘s novel of the same name, inspired by the experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823, in what is now Montana and South Dakota.

It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass, and co-stars Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter. The film follows Glass’s quest for revenge after one of his men betrays him, kills his son, and leaves the severely wounded Glass behind.

I’ve got no problem with Leo winning the Oscar for best actor.

Revenant

As of May 1, 2016, The Revenant has grossed $183.5 million in North America and $343 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $526.5 million, against a budget of $135 million.

Hateful Eight – Tarantino now dead to me

On By Rick McIn dead to me, ethics, movies, product complaintsLeave a comment

The Hateful Eight (informally titled The H8ful Eight and The Hateful 8 in some marketing materials) is a 2015 American western mystery film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.

It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern as eight strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in a stagecoach stopover some time after the American Civil War.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

I’ve liked all previous Tarantino films. And liked Samuel Jackson in 6 of those eight.

But Tarantino relies too much on ultra-violence. Hateful Eight seems to have no purpose other than violence.

I’m boycotting all future Tarantino films.

Creed

On By Rick McIn moviesLeave a comment

I hate boxing. But love the Rocky franchise, especially Rocky IV.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

There’s no way anyone from Creed should have been nominated for an Academy Award, by the way. It was fun. But lightweight. 🙂

Spotlight – Best Picture 2016

On By Rick McIn ethics, moviesLeave a comment

The film follows The Boston Globe‘s “Spotlight” team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States and its investigation into cases of child sex abuse in the Boston area by Roman Catholic priests. It is based on a series of stories by the “Spotlight” team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. …

Quite good, I feel. Definitely worth seeing.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

As much as I admire the new reform Pope, he’s done very little (so far) to protect children and make criminals under his watch accountable. 😦

Read the Washington Post – The Catholic Church’s defiance and obstruction on child sex abuse

Restricting people from marrying is a mistake. Some day the Catholic Church will start to allow Priests to wed.

Red Rising trilogy – Pierce Brown

On By Rick McIn books, movies1 Comment

Red Rising is a 2014 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, the first of hisRed Rising trilogy.

A sequel, Golden Son, was released in January 2015, and the third novel, Morning Star, was released in February 2016.

Set on Mars, the novel follows lowborn miner Darrow as he infiltrates the ranks of the elite Golds.

In February 2014, Universal Pictures secured the rights for a film adaptation, to be directed by Marc Forster. …

Red-Rising-Pierce-Brown

I did like book 1. And have now downloaded book 2.

Black Mass – Johnny Depp

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Black Mass is a 2015 American film … based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill.

The film has an ensemble cast including Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, Rory Cochrane, Adam Scott, Dakota Johnson, and Corey Stoll.

The film follows the criminal career of infamous Irish-American mobster Whitey Bulger (Depp). …

Depp’s pretty good as Bulger.

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On June 22, 2011, Bulger was arrested outside an apartment in Santa Monica, California. Arrested with him was his long-time girlfriend Catherine Greig. Bulger was 81 years old at the time of his arrest.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

actor Jesse Plemons

On By Rick McIn movies, TVLeave a comment

I’m astonished at the career this guy has already enjoyed.

breaking bad

Jesse Lon Plemons (born April 2, 1988) is an American actor.

He is best known for playing Landry Clarke in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights, Todd Alquist in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad, and Ed Blumquist in the second season of the FX anthology series Fargo.

Plemons is also known for his film roles, including Like Mike (2002), Battleship (2012), The Master (2012), and as mobster Kevin Weeks in Black Mass (2015). …

The Girl on the Train

On By Rick McIn books, movies1 Comment

The Girl on the Train (2015) is a psychological thriller novel by British author Paula Hawkins. …

The story is a first person narrative told from the point of view of three women: Rachel, Anna and Megan.

Rachel Watson, a 32-year-old alcoholic, is the most central. And most fascinating of the three.

It’s a a complex thriller with themes of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, betrayal and … perhaps murder. It kept me going right to the very end.

cover

Amazon

A huge hit, the film version (set in USA rather than London) is on the way.

 

 

Tomorrowland

On By Rick McIn moviesLeave a comment

Silly escapism. Still … I can’t recall a Clooney movie I didn’t like. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Tomorrowland (subtitled A World Beyond in some regions) is a 2015 American science-fiction mysteryadventure film directed and co-written by Brad Bird. …

… the film received mixed reviews from critics; earning praise for its visuals, original premise, and themes, but criticism in regards to the screenplay’s uneven writing and tone …