The Vast of Night

October 22, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, film fest, tiff, philly film fest, rosalie kicks

Directed by Andrew Patterson
Written by James Montague and Craig W. Sanger
Starring Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz and Gail Cronauer
Running Time 1 hour, 29 minutes
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

”Can’t waste tape on a tombstone.”

In the film Vast of Night, Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick) are two radio obsessed beatniks that have an admiration for the airwaves. Setting the film in a fictional 1950s sleepy town called Cayuga, New Mexico, it is safe to say that the writers and director are fans of the Twilight Zone. Cayuga being the name of the host and creator of Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s production company.

The Lighthouse

October 16, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, film fest, tiff, rosalie kicks, benjamin leonard

Directed by Robert Eggers
Written by Max Eggers and Robert Eggers
Starring Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
Running time 1 hour, 49 minutes
MPAA rating R - because of the mermaid sex, farts and f-bombs

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy

“Bad luck to kill a seabird.”

There is a lot to unpack in Robert Eggers’ latest feature, The Lighthouse, so it only made sense to have this review be more of a conversational piece. After you view the film, it will most likely make sense how we arrived at this decision. It is one of those movies that immediately upon exiting the theater there is an urge to discuss every frame that was seen, every sound bite that was heard and all the feels that were experience. Sit back, relax and join Moviejawn’s Old Sport and Best Boy on the high seas to discuss this hypnotic tale of adventure about two lighthouse keepers.

Greener Grass

October 15, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, film fest, sundance, rosalie kicks

Written and Directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe
Starring Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett, and Neil Casey
Run time 1 hour 35 minutes

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“Julian just got awesome!”

As the end credits of Greener Grass hit the screen I was left pondering what I just watched. This is not to say that I felt my time was wasted. On the contrary, I found that for a little over ninety minutes, I was treated to a delightfully amusing, somewhat bewildering tale from writer/director/acting team Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe.

Life Lessons from a Joker

September 30, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, tiff, rosalie kicks

Directed by Todd Phillips
Written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images
Running time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“What do you get when you cross a mentally ill person with a society that abandons them?” - Joker

So many damn Jokers.

A Trip to The Morgue via TIFF19

September 26, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in film fest, tiff, rosalie kicks

A compilation of all the dead mothers I mourned at TIFF.
⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

After seeing a few flicks at the Toronto Film Festival, themes will emerge across the various films. At last year’s fest, my Moviejawn pal Jaime Leah Davis, noticed several movies such as Widows, Destroyer and Vox Lux featured bad mothers. This discovery inevitably inspired us and led to our most recent subject matter for the Fall 2019 print edition of Moviejawn.

Judy

September 23, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, rosalie kicks, tiff

Directed by Rupert Goold
Written by Tom Edge (screenplay), Peter Quilter (based on the stageplay End of the Rainbow)
Starring Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell
Run Time 1 hour, 58 minutes
Rating PG-13

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“They hound people in the world, anyone that is different.”

It is impossible for me not to shed a tear when I hear the iconic song, “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz. It is always at the same part too: “...and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true..”.

Ad Astra: Brad Pitt In Search of His Space Daddy

September 19, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, rosalie kicks

Directed by James Gray
Written by James Gray and Ethan Gross
Starring Brad Pitt, Liv Tyler (barely in this), Ruth Negga (underutilized), Tommy Lee Jones (*Astro Dad™)
Running Time 2 hours, 2 minutes
Rating PG-13

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“I will deal with him. I will deal with my father.”
-a quote from BRAD PITT IN SPACE, that induces a thrown back head with eye roll

If Papa Yurasits aka my dad was stranded across town I’d have to take a long hard look at my datebook situation to see if I was free to make the trek. If he was marooned in space… sorry dad, not today.

Chained For Life

September 09, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, rosalie kicks

Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg
Starring Jess Weixler, Adam Pearson, and Charlie Korsmo
Runtime 1 hour, 31 minutes

by Rosalie Kicks, The Old Sport

“We are all blind in certain ways.”

Remember “the kid” from Dick Tracy? I blinked and almost missed him. Honestly, my eyes are on the way out these days, so that could have been the reason he almost snuck past me. Got me nervous frankly. How will I watch movies if I am as blind as a bat?

Classic Coroners: Thelma Ritter

September 03, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in classic coroners, emmi kurowski, rosalie kicks

The CLASSIC CORONERS are Dr. Carruthers & Rosalie Kicks

“Dissecting films of our favorite dead guys and gals from the bygone era.”

For this edition of Classic Coroners, Doctor Ashley Jane Carruthers and The Old Sport, Rosalie Kicks pried open the coffin of America’s sweetheart, Thelma Ritter.

TIFF 2019 Preview

August 28, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in movie preview, tiff, rosalie kicks, benjamin leonard

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy

Making a watch list for TIFF is no easy feat. With four hundred and fourteen films screening at this year’s fest, it is impossible to see every film… even if you are staying for the entire duration. This means that flick picks are a serious matter. There are some flicks that automatically make the cut, such as: Jo Jo Rabbit (better see it before Disney buries it), Knives Out (we are all about Michael Shannon in his sweater) and of course the oddly anticipated (*editor’s note: only Old Sport is excited for this) Joker.

However, the reason to go to a fest like this is to find the diamonds in the rough and to possibly see something that you would not have an opportunity to otherwise. With just a short synopsis, eye-catching photo and cast list, sometimes you take the chance and do the dance. Hey who knows… that movie you took a gamble on could be your next favorite talkie.

Driven

August 13, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, rosalie kicks

Directed by Nick Hamm
Written by Colin Bateman
Starring Lee Pace, Erin Moriarty, Judy Greer, and Jason Sudeikis
Run time 1 hour, 48 minutes
MPAA Rating R

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some *style?*” - Doc Brown

Did you know they make wigs for your eyebrows?

The Kitchen

August 08, 2019 by Rosalie Leonard in reviews, rosalie kicks

Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Moss
Runtime 1 hour, 42 minutes
MPAA Rating R

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“There’s no place for us out there.” - Kathy

I never want to live that mob lyfe.

Mob stories typically provide for an entertaining yarn, but I will always much prefer watching these tales from the outside rather than being “in”. Observing the portrayals of gangsters in many films and TV programs has taught me that the life of a “Tony Soprano” type fella just seems way too high anxiety for me. Although, after watching Andrea Berloff’s The Kitchen, the same could be said for the life of a woman in nineteen seventy eight, Hell’s Kitchen - whether you are living that mob lyfe or not.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

August 02, 2019 by Guest User in reviews, rosalie kicks

Directed by David Leitch (THE ATOMIC BLONDE director, YES!)
Written by A Trio of middle-aged white dudes
Starring: The Rock, Crank, Idris Elba and Vanessa Kirby
Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes (I know!)

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“What’s your skin regimen? You look like Shirley Temple.” -Ryan HEARTTHROB Reynolds

I have seen one and half of Fast and The Furious flicks.

Makes ya kinda wonder why I am writing this review, huh? Welllll…the press screening was in King of Prussia (KOP), which is basically like saying I trekked to East Bolivia. In order to travel to KOP one has to utilize the dreaded 76 westbound strip. Despite the KOP theater only being about twenty miles from Philadelphia, it has at times, taken upwards of two hours to travel there due to the miserable highway. Several MJ contribs lacked interest in experiencing this hellacious journey for this particular flick. Therefore, I was tasked with bringing you (aka grabbed the shortest straw), our dear readers the scoop on director David Leitch’s (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) latest raucous undertaking.

Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood

July 26, 2019 by Guest User in reviews, rosalie kicks

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and a bunch of other Caucasians
Run time: 2 hours, 41 minutes (RIP Sally Menke)
Rating: Seriously? It is Tarantino, of corpse it is R

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“It’s official old buddy, I’m a has been.” - Rick Dalton

Hollywood has charmed the best of us. With its shiny bright lights, the glitz and glamour sometimes it is hard to look away.

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

July 19, 2019 by Guest User in reviews, rosalie kicks

Directed by Pamela B. Green
Written by Pamela B. Green and Joan Simon
Documentary about Alice Guy-Blaché, narrated by Jodie Foster
Running time: 1 hour and 43 minutes

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“There is nothing in motion picture production that a woman can’t do…” -Alice Guy-Blaché

I almost did not watch this movie.

I knew of legendary silent filmmaker, Alice Guy-Blaché from reading one of TCM Host, Alicia Malone’s books. So, there was no question; this documentary flick is right up my alley. The problem is my 9 to 5 gig. My day job often gets in the way of my movie watching and reviewing. I also tend to over-extend myself. I’ve somehow yet to catch on that only three to four hours of sleep is not realllllly healthy. Living that vampire life only leads to a day of fatigue and copious amounts of coffee.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

July 02, 2019 by Guest User in benjamin leonard, rosalie kicks, reviews

Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers
Directed by Jon Watts
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Favreau
MPAA rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments
Running time: 2 hours and 9 minutes

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy

“Does anyone have any neighborhood questions?” - Spider-Man

Best Boy (BB): As a general rule, I’ve never really been a fan of the Spider-Men (Into the Spider-Verse excluded). For the most part, they’ve been portrayed as whiney, mopey teens that I just couldn’t get behind.To quote Rocket, “I don’t care if it’s mean, everyone’s got dead people!” And I never got into the Avengers as comics OR movies. So when I was at my peak of traveling for work, I gave a chance to a lot of movie I wouldn’t normally have bothered with. One of those was Spider-Man: Homecoming and I ended up really enjoying it. This Holland kid was great at playing up his awe of working with the Avengers and leaning into the awkward teen angle rather than the mopey side. I liked it so much that I bought it right when it came out and forced Kicks to watch it shortly thereafter.

Sundance Short Film Festival Tour

June 18, 2019 by Guest User in rosalie kicks

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

Short films have opened doors for many of today’s favorite filmmakers such as the likes of Lynne Ramsay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jennifer Kent, and Wes Anderson. It is also not uncommon for a feature film to first start as a short flick, giving the filmmaker an opportunity to sell their idea to an audience in hopes of securing funding for a full-length venture. The first iteration of Jim Cummings’ Thunder Road was actually a short and the same for the 2019 Sundance sensation, Greener Grass.

Men in Black: International

June 14, 2019 by Guest User in reviews, rosalie kicks

Directed by F. Gary Gray
Written by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum
Starring Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson (ugh)
Run time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“This. This is nonsense.” - High T (Liam Neeson)

Nonsense - an accurate term to describe summer at the movies. For many cinephiles it is the most mundane time to be a cinema goer. It is when Hollywood assaults theaters with all of their precious popcorn flicks and bloated action packed blockbusters that star dudes that use finger guns in conversation. Hey, at least there are some reallllly cool explosions that in three months’ time will be dated (eyeroll). These movies may have short lives, but they do have an important purpose: to provide an F-U-N and mindless time at your favorite movie house. Men in Black: International not only fails to accomplish this mission, but it will regrettably go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities in summer movie history.

The Dead Don't Die

June 12, 2019 by Guest User in reviews, rosalie kicks

Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Starring Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny and a bunch of other people
Runtime 1 hour, 43 minutes

By Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

“Ghouls.” - said in Adam Driver voice is YES.

The world really didn’t need another zombie movie, or as Adam Driver calls them…ghouls. Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die, is comprised of several great scenes but ultimately misses the mark, becoming yet another zombie flick added to the ever-growing pile.

Dark Phoenix: X-People in Space

June 07, 2019 by Guest User in rosalie kicks, reviews

Written and Directed by Simon Kinberg
Starring everybody and the cat
Running time: 1 hour, 53 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport

"You're always sorry, Charles. And there's always a speech. But nobody cares!" - MagNEATO

Question: Why did the Magneto cross the road?

Dark Phoenix was everything that I expected it to be: a bloated, poorly written and executed story with some moments in SPACE. Fortunately, I have not watched any of the previous installments of these X-people flicks, but even without these experiences, I knew what I was in for. The goons of Hollywood have laid the groundwork. They have spent countless hours and money building this X-UNIVERSE to prepare me for this moment and deliver the anticipated pile.