I was never much of a big fan of the animated series or books featuring “Paddington” and it never quite crossed my path as a kid as much as Dr. Seuss or Curious George did. It’s a shame because “Paddington” is such a pure and wholesome hero whose good intentions always reward him time and time again. Too often do we see good intentions repaid with disaster, but in “Paddington” it’s refreshing to see a hero like Paddington attempt to do good and fall in to love, appreciation, and a bonafide family.
Evolution of Evil (2017)
A couple looking to escape from it all goes camping off the beaten path in the Pacific Northwest. Once there, they encounter a family hell-bent on making them regret this decision.
Hostages (2017) [Toronto True Crime Film Festival 2018]
In 1983, a group of Georgians from well-educated families try to leave the Soviet Union at all cost. Their solution to hijack a place quickly turns bad and the surviving members get tried and executed, with the exception of one member.
Abominable (2005): Special Edition [Blu-Ray/DVD]
It’s pretty tough to find a good Bigfoot horror film these days, and whenever one really good title for the subgenre comes along, you have to hold on to it and appreciate it. Ryan Schifrin’s “Abominable” is a fantastic entry in to the sub-genre that takes Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” injects a little lunacy, and rather than Raymond Burr, we have a hairy, vicious, super strong abominable snowman terrorizing a group of girls. While on paper that sounds like the formula for a potentially silly movie, “Abominable” is stellar. It’s creepy, darkly funny, gory, and has one of the best final scenes I’ve ever seen in a horror movie, barnone.
Judy Garland Forever!
What can be said about Judy Garland that hasn’t been said already? Well, wait until Facebook cut-up Anthony “The Kingfish” Vitamia returns to offer his distinctive and insightful – not to mention hilarious – celebration of the greatest musical star in film history.
Hamlet (2018)
Sarah Frankcom’s 2014 production, staged at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and now being offered in a filmed recording, is a bare-bones, modern dress, multicultural interpretation of “Hamlet” that included gender reassignment in a few key roles.
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The Bootleg Files: Minstrel Days
BOOTLEG FILES 639: “Minstrel Days” (1941 musical short film starring Bud Jamison and Willie Best).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: This is one film that Warner Bros. is not eager to re-release.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Really?
Earlier this week, Starbucks closed down its U.S. cafés for an afternoon and gave its workforce a training session in racial tolerance. Several short films were shown to the Starbucks team that highlighted the insensitive treatment that many African-Americans experience in public spaces and retail settings.
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