Stream of the Week- Save the Last Dance

Dancing can save you.




Sara had a promising future ahead of her and was auditioning for Julliard's dance program when tragedy struck- Sara's mom died in a car crash forcing Sara to move in with her estranged father. The neighborhood is tougher and Sara finds herself in the minority of her mostly Black school. Trying to fit in, Sara joins a group of girls on a trip to a local club. Sara is confident in her dancing skills, but she quickly learns that her ballet training is no match for the hip hop culture that her classmates have grown up in. Quickly, one of the brothers of her new girl friend group decides to take her under his wing. Derek, the boy with big dreams to get him out of the slums, begins to teach Sara the basics of hip hop. The two become very close, and Sara tells him that all she wants is to get into Julliard, but she gave up dancing when her mom died feeling that her mother's accident was her fault. Wanting Sara to be happy, Derek offers to help her with her audition. Sara has to get back into shape for the stage, but while she and Derek become official lots of people start to voice their issues with the relationship. They claim Sara is privileged because of her skin tone and accuse her of stealing all the good guys. The relationship between Sara and Derek make many uncomfortable, and the social pressure of the hatred in school towards them makes Sara question her feelings for Derek too.




You know me and my dance films- gotta have em. I was impressed with some of the heavy topics tackled by this film. interracial couples have become more of a normal social practice in our culture now, but 15, 20 years ago they were still fighting to beat the social pressures that they were facing. I also really appreciated the mix of hip hop dancing with traditional ballet shown in Sara's audition piece. That being said, I think they could've showcased more of that style fusion and really amped up the dance side of this flick.

Stream of the Week- Sixteen Candles

Pop Culture Classic Coming Right Up.




It's Sam's sixteenth birthday. It's supposed to be magical and a huge turning point in a girl's life. But, with her sister's wedding the next day, everyone has completely forgotten about Sam's big day. The day goes from bad to worse when school starts. She gets hit on by a freshman, the boy she thinks she loves is completely oblivious to her existence, and when she gets home grandma and grandpa are sleeping in her bed. Sam decides to go to the high school dance to get away from her family for a little while. The freshman from the bus starts to bug her again and it really gets her down. She goes to hide in the shop classroom when he follows her. She explains to him how her day went from bad to worse. The freshman geek sits and listens to her talk like no one else has all day, and gives her some advice for her love life. He boosts her confidence to go and talk to the boy she likes. Ultimately, Sam chickens out and feels full of regret for blowing her chance at talking to the one guy she likes. On the other side of the dance, that senior that Sam is so interested is noticing her too. Through the same freshman, he finds out that she likes him and he begins a plan in his head of how to get her.




I'm a sucker for pop culture teen romance 80s films. This is the quintessential example of such a film. With a jammin' soundtrack, hilarious lines that would never pass for PG-13 today, and a great cast this film is a great point of reference for all films to follow. There are some really innovative shots, framing techniques, and use of sound that could really be implemented in films today to vamp up their style and relate ability.

Stream of the Week- The Holiday

Sometimes you just need a little getaway.




Amanda and Iris have both had it rough in love. On opposite sides of the globe, they both find themselves in situations that they need a break from. Amanda has just broke up with a long time boyfriend and is having trouble dealing with her emotions. Iris has just watched the man she is in love with get engaged. Desperate to get out, they find each other on a renting website and decide to swap houses for two weeks. Amanda goes from her huge LA house to a small English cottage, while Iris moves to the warm sands of California. Quite quickly the two start finding people in their new places that they enjoy. Amanda meets Iris's brother who is charming, funny, and incredibly attractive, while Iris meets Amanda's neighbor Arthur and associate Miles who give her purpose for a few weeks. Iris has to learn how to be independent and proud of herself. Her constant rhythm of putting herself down for others is wearing her down. Amanda has to learn how to loose herself a bit and run with emotions. She's so afraid of getting hurt that she never tries. Between the two of them, they learn how to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.




Rom-com. Need I say more? Yes, it's cheezy. The acting is not the best (neither is the script), but it's everything you expect from a holiday film about finding love and yourself. Jack Black and Jude Law make fantastic romantic leads for the women in this film as they play two totally different characters both suited to their respective ladies. With some interesting motifs, like Amanda's life being narrated like a trailer, this film has enough going for it to be a cozy night in.

Stream of the Week- Erin Brockovich

A mother will do anything for her children.




Down on her luck, out of the job, and with three mouths to feed Erin Brockovich finds herself in the hospital with a broken neck and a lawsuit that didn't get her a check. Fed up, Brockovich walks into the office of her lawyer and says she isn't leaving until she gets a job. A small secretary job gets her set up enough to be able to get care for her kids. While filing paperwork, Erin runs across a file full of medical paperwork and real estate documents. Armed with curiosity, Erin goes to the house of the family filing the paperwork at the firm. Erin soon finds that there is a connection with this family's medical issues and the company trying to buy their land. The water the company uses to cool their machines is putting their runoff into the groundwater. The chemicals in the water are seeping into the water system that everyone in the county is using. These chemicals have serious side effects including all the types of cancer found in the residents of the county. Completely overwhelmed with the amount of people, children included, suffering from serious diseases, Erin attempts to do more research to build a case.  She is fired by her firm due to her absence from the office in pursuing the case only to be rehired when her firm's partner discovers the case she's beginning to build. Together, they attempt to take on the biggest case in the history.




I was enamored by this film. I had heard of it often and heard it was fantastic, but I wasn't convinced until Julia Roberts opened her mouth and blew me away with her performance. The story is powerful to begin with, but her portrayal of this real life superhero is fantastic. She is both likeable and tough because you can see where she is coming from and how determined she is to move forward. This film takes some thinking to understand exactly what is happening, but if you sit back and just watch as Erin Brockovich takes on the system, you'll find yourself with some hope in the power of the little guy.

Stream of the Week- Chicken Little

"Every day is a new day."




A young chicken is dealing with being an outsider in his small community. A year ago, Chicken Little felt something drop on his head. He believed the sky was falling so he alerted the entire town. They didn't believe him. They ostracized him for being different, and he was even more outcast than before. Most of all, his father was disappointed that he couldn't be "normal" like the other kids in town. After winning a huge baseball game and gaining some trust from the community, Chicken Little finds another piece of the sky. He and his nerdy friends end up going on an adventure when that fallen piece of the sky goes back to it's mothership taking their friend Fish with it. The piece that fell from the sky ends up being a panel from an alien spaceship. As they board the ship, Chicken Little and his friends being to believe that the aliens are there to invade the planet. One of the creatures follows them back off the spaceship and gets left behind. This alien being left behind leads to a full force attack on the town which proves everything Chicken Little ever said right.




I love kid movies because as you get older you being to notice the things that were thrown in there for the adults. For example, the message of the film was about communication between parents and children. Chicken Little's father, Buck, even says "You have to be ready to listen to your child even if they have nothing to say." This message is more for the adults in the room who put this film on for the children. The kids just get to be entertained by the story and graphics. There's a science behind making these movies that I would venture to claim takes more skill than making some dramas. Either way, this film is great for all ages and is not limited to one group.

Binge-Worthy: How I Met Your Mother

Because everyone needs something with 9 seasons to watch.


Ted and his group of friends have been living in New York City since they left school. Living with his best friend Marshall and long-time girlfriend, soon to be fiancé, Ted navigates New York looking for "the one". When Ted meets Robin, he thinks that he's found her. Robin, however, proves to be a bit different than what Ted expected and she joins the friend group. Together they all deal with finding dates, getting married, and having children all while Ted tells the story of how he met his children's mother.


Episodes to Watch
Season 1 Ep 1 "Pilot"- Ted meets Robin, and we get introduced to the entire premise of the show. Characters are carefully crafted for the audience to understand right from the beginning.


Season 9 Ep 16 "How Your Mother Met Me"- The story behind the illusive mother to the series is just as interesting as learning about Ted's exploits. The entire show is built up to making the audience fall in love with this woman before we've even met her.


Season 5 Ep 8 "The Playbook"- Barney, one of Ted's friends, explains how he picks up chicks- with elaborate plans, props, and lies. The entire episode is hilarious and a really good sense of the group dynamic.


Season 3 Ep 5 "How I Met Everyone Else"- The dynamic between these characters is great and learning how they all met each other is a fun way to see how they have grown as characters. This also introduces the "Crazy/Hot" scales which is a popular meme from this show.


Season 1 Ep 10 "The Pineapple Incident"- This running gag throughout the series helps define what makes this series fun to watch in the beginning. You feel like one of the characters as they try to figure out what happened to Ted after a alcohol induced blackout.


Season 9 Ep 24 "Last Forever: Part 2"- This is the end that the entire series builds up to. It shows how each of them has each other's backs in every situation. This episode is the most controversial of all. Many people dislike it completely, others find the ending satisfying. Overall, it sums up the entire series bringing it back to how it began.


Characters
Ted- Ted is the main character of the show. His story is the one being told to his children throughout. Ted acts as the glue between all of his friends and always seems to get the short stick in situations.
Marshall- Marshall is Ted's best friend and roommate from college. Marshall, at the beginning of the series, is studying to be a lawyer and plans to do good in the world.
Lily- Lily is Marshall's long-time girlfriend and eventual wife. They met in college when Ted and Marshall were roommates. She is a kindergarten teacher, but no matter how sweet she is she can get rough when needed.
Barney- Barney picks up anything with a pulse at a bar. He is obsessed with his sexual exploits and is constantly trying to prove his worth to everyone by doing terribly stupid acts to get attention. His character greatly develops as we learn more about him.
Robin- Robin is the new addition to the crew. She is highly afraid of emotion and doesn't like people to get the better of her. It takes a long time for Robin to admit to herself what her true feelings are.
The Mother- The Mother is referred to the entire way through the series. According to most people, The Mother is the "ideal woman" and is perfect in every way for Ted. Towards the end of the series their meeting almost happens in several instances drawing the audience in even more towards their romance.


This series made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. I loved every single second of it and took my time watching it so I could make the fun last. Every episode is well written to get a certain response from the audience and hits the mark each time. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for something new to try.

Stream of the Week- Failure to Launch

What happens when the perfect guy lives with his parents? Paula happens.


Tripp has been living in the upstairs of his parents house since he was born. He's managed to get a decent job and a good group of friends, but he's just failed to launch from the nest. After hearing about a couple who had a similar problem, but solved it with a program, Tripp's parents decided to give it a try. The program is simple; a beautiful young woman, Paula, comes into the life of the client making them feel confident and strong. The relationship the client has with Paula should make them ready to leave their parent's house by making them feel independent and ready to move on. Paula's success rate has been fantastic, and Tripp seems like an open and shut case. Unfortunately, things get a little hairy when Tripp blazes through Paula's process and she begins to form feelings for him. Tripp's friends begin to get suspicious of Paula when Ace, Tripp's best friend, sees Paula on a date with another man. Paula has to explain her process and purpose to Ace which starts to unravel the entire process. Tripp soon finds out and feels betrayed because he also began to feel something for Paula. Now both parties feel miserable, and something must be done.


Rom Com. Need I say more? I like the concept of this film because it puts the woman in a more powerful position than the man and almost victimizes the male in the relationship which is the reverse of many a rom com. I appreciate the risks. Though we all love SJP in her role in Sex in the City, it was good to have her outside of that setting, even though she played a similar character. Everyone is different and goes through processes at different rates, but it was an interesting concept to throw around.

Binge-Worthy: 666 Park Avenue

Hitchcock, creepy things, the Devil is your landlord- you may be on Park Avenue.




Jane and her boyfriend Henry have just moved to New York to help move Henry's political ambitions to the next level. They take a job as live in managers of 999 Park Avenue, but the owner of the property, Mr. Gavin Doran, is a bit spooky. He seems to have power of people and trades favors for the deepest desires of his tenants. Jane begins to learn dark secrets about the building they live in and gets dragged into it's deepest parts. The building begins to take over Jane's obsessive nature. Mr. Doran is pushing Henry towards the political life that would get him the pull he needs to have power over even more people. All this tension builds to a boiling point where Jane has the option to trade her soul for what she really wants- the answers to the secrets the building has and safety for Henry.




Episodes to Watch:
Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot
Learning the characters is a very important part of any show. Jane and Henry seem so naïve in the beginning, but learning where they come from really helps with their character development. Also seeing what Gavin is like before meeting Jane and Henry gives more background to his story.


Season 1, Episode 4: Hero Complex
Gavin plans on making a hero out of Henry for political gains. What is important to learn is the relationship between people who are "children of the Drake hotel" interact- look at Jane and Nona.


Season 1, Episode 13: Lazarus Part 1
This is where everything comes to a head. Jane is confronted with her true heritage and job in the Drake Hotel. This shows where everything is going.




Characters to Know:
Jane- Jane is a wholesome character, or at least we're supposed to think so. She's very crafty and curious. Her nature leads her to ask questions that could get her in trouble.
Henry- Henry wants to win the "right way". He wants to do the right thing and reach his goals by getting the upper hand politically.
Gavin Doran- He is supposed to seem devilish. He seems like he steals souls in exchange for what he wants, but he also seems to be more caring than that towards people.
Olivia Doran- She's fierce and on top of her game. She's the ultimate partner in crime for Gavin.


I like the creepy aspect of this show. There's a lot of references to Hitchcock works in this series and other horror clichés that make watching this show a bit more fun rather than so full of scary weight.

Stream of the Week- Charlie St. Cloud

"You hurt because you're alive."




Charlie St. Cloud had it all. He was a top scholar in his class, he had a scholarship for sailing to Stanford. He had a great relationship with his little brother, and he was going places. That was until of the night of the crash. Charlie and his little brother, Sam, were t-boned at an intersection, and Charlie's life was forever changed. Both Charlie and Sam were killed in the crash, but by fate or an act of God, as the paramedic said, Charlie was revived. At his brother's funeral he began to see his little brother's ghost. For the next 5 years, every day at sunset, Charlie runs into the woods at the graveyard to hang out with his little brother. No one else can see Sam, but Charlie's ability to see Sam also allows Charlie to see other people who are stuck in limbo before they pass. Everyone in town thinks Charlie is crazy and has wasted his potential by becoming the groundskeeper at the graveyard where Sam is buried. By a chance encounter, Charlie runs into an old high school classmate who ran in the same sailing circles as he did. Tess made it out of their town and is set to go on a six month long sailing solo race across the globe when she runs into Charlie. For a few days, they have a magical time, but all is not right with Tess, and Charlie has to realize that there is a reason he was saved that night.




Drama, death, romance, and a shirtless Zac Efron? I'm in. despite the obvious draws to this film, it is rather interesting to see how this storyline is put together. Though there are a few very clear twists that occur, film is entertaining and well put together. It's really interesting to see Efron in a serious dramatic role. He can't rely on his looks or physical presence as much in this film, which I think pushes his abilities to prove that he can be a serious actor.

Binge-Worthy: Glee

6 season of unadulterated drama and music. How can you not binge?


As a golden globe winning show, Glee has been ingrained into the minds of this generation. With characters that are overblown and dramatic caricatures of high school stereotypes, Glee attempts to appeal to the underdog in all of us as willing audience members. The collection of ragtag characters in the basic Glee Club cast are constantly dealing with the social pressures of not fitting in and are faced with the constant threat of being torn apart by the cheerleading coach and her plan of world domination. Following the stories of several high school students as they struggle to make it through school and into the world beyond, Glee has made it into binge territory.


Episodes to watch:


Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot
Meeting the characters and getting a feel for the characters is an important part of every TV show. This sets up the whole show. The important characters are highlighted and shown in their most detestable forms to show that they can grow as a group.


Season 1, Episode 22: Journey to Regionals
The mash up of Journey songs has become a hallmark of Glee. It's something everyone recognizes and associates with the characters of the show. They plan to take their competition with their melody and work on their group dynamic.


Season 2, Episode 16: Originals
The students write original songs to perform at their competition. This shows what it would be like to hear the thoughts of the characters without having to structure it around an already composed piece.


Season 2, Episode 18: Born this Way
Each character has flaws, as each person does. In this episode, differences have to be acknowledged as possible strengths. It's a powerful message that brings them together.


Season 3, Episode 22: Goodbye
It's important to see the final completion of the cycle that the students go through.


Characters to look for:
Rachel Berry- She's a star in her own mind. Granted, she has a great voice, but her outlandish and overblown sense of self talent gives her a lot to work on as a character over the series.
Sue Sylvestor- She's the bad guy. Her humor is fantastic, and though she is ruthless it's hard to see her attacks as awful on the students when it's followed with a quick joke.
Will Shuester- He's the choir director and has way more to learn than the students. His arch has to be even more worked on than the students.
Finn Hudson- He's the "hunk" with not much upstairs. He becomes the romantic lead of every relationship and begins to show everyone that you can do both sports and music.


Glee has become a pop culture reference that takes over a generation. It's mindless entertainment if you choose or something to get really deep into.

Stream of the Week- Larry Crowne

French Toast?




Larry Crowne is the ideal employee; he is great with customers, loves his job, and is dedicated to his company. Unfortunately, his company is downsizing and since Larry doesn't have a college degree of any kind they feel that he cannot advance in the company, and they decide to let him go. As a man who has spent most of his life in the Navy and just survived a difficult divorce, Larry has no options. No one is hiring with the economy being as tight as it is, so Larry decides to go to community college in order to make himself appear more recommended for the work force. With the basics, Larry is able to start building a schedule at community college that will help him gain the best abilities for the real world work force. His first class is a speech class designed to help students prepare for interviews and speeches. Ms. Tainot, his teacher, is herself unhappy with her situation. She has a husband who isn't interested in her anymore and a lack of interest in her favorite classes from students on campus. Her job is frustrating. Larry Crowne's ever optimistic personality, however, begins to rub off on her helping her achieve pleasure within her work. Together they seem to find a harmony that helps both of them true their troubles.




Tom Hanks, as always, is incredibly charming. His happy demeanor is a perfect match for Julia Roberts's sarcastic cynical edge as Ms. Tainot. It's a charming film with a feel good vibe, and in an economy like the one we've recently been trying to escape, the subject matter and premise are easy to relate to. It's an easy watch with some interesting side characters and a good mix of feel good vibes. Larry Crowne is a good film to eat popcorn to on a Sunday afternoon.

Capture of Culture- Noma My Perfect Storm

After being named the best restaurant in the world twice in a row, the crew of Noma has some proving to do to get back their title after placing second.


Run by head chef René Redzepi, Noma is a restaurant dedicated to serving food that is limited to the growing seasons and products of the Nordic region. Food must be able to grow in this area and must be in season for Redzepi and his team to make a dish from it. Their food comes in small portions and serves as a full experience of food rather than a meal. After a health code set back due to some food illnesses, Noma was ranked second in the yearly world restaurant ranking. This was a terrible blow to the staff and owners of Noma who had won first the previous two years. Determined to be better, they design a new restaurant work space and become even more creative with their palates of food and flavors. Through their creativity and determination, Rene Redzepi and his crew are able to win back their title and continue to cook their strictly Nordic food.


As a person who enjoys simple flavors and American sized portions, I've always been confused by the amount of attention "fancy" places like Norma get. It sky rockets the price of the meal and the food gets smaller. It serves as an experience rather than a meal. What I do find interesting, however, is the community that places like Norma exist within. They are highly competitive and critical. They find any way to bring each other down rather than help. They live for critical tastings and awards rather than daily customer satisfaction. It has always interested me. Noma's team, however, seems to work like a rather well oiled machine full of disciplines that I can't imagine learning which I believe is a great credit to the art of managing people. So maybe the food is not for me, but the community it's in is vastly interesting.

Stream of the Week- Man Up

Life without hope is death.




In her perpetually single life, Nancy feels trapped and completely void of confidence when it comes to men. On the way to her parents' fortieth anniversary, Nancy runs into a young woman who is on a way to a blind date where she will be recognized based on the book she has with her like in a romantic comedy. They young girl, seeing Nancy in her state, decides to leave Nancy the book in hopes that it will help her. With the book in hand, however, Nancy is mistaken for the young woman by the man she was supposed to be set up with, Jack. Confused at first, but intrigued by Jack's energy, Nancy decides to pretend to be the young woman Jack is looking for. Together they have a fantastical day of adventures in London. From drinking, dancing, and bowling to meeting Nancy's old school stalker, the two seem to be having a lovely time. Nancy's school stalker however sees them while bowling and blows Nancy's cover. Even though Nancy isn't who she said she was, Jack still seems to have some sort of attraction to her. As it comes time for them to separate, Jack has to make a decision. Should he go meet the girl he was supposed to meet or should he stay with Nancy?




Anything Simon Pegg is bound to be fantastic. He must be an utter romantic in his own mind. There is a lack of content about people suffering the single mid life crisis parts of their lives. It's something we tend to glaze over, but even in a super connected world, there is a lack of people to people connection for the middle generation. Things are tough for Nancy and for Jack when they feel they might end up alone. Their chemistry is hilarious, and the story is fun to follow. I'm not just saying that because I love rom coms. Not claiming to be unbiased either though.

Capture of Culture- The Making of "Signs"

Imagine watching your favorite movie. Now imagine watching an hour long documentary showing the making of that movie.


Signs, directed by the infamous M. Night. Shyamalan, was regarded by critics as the beginning of the end for great movies from this once well loved director. It's aliens were confusing to the audience as their weakness was so trivial. The film, however, did very well in theaters and is still talked about today in some circles. In love with practical effects, Shyamalan wrote and directed Signs with hopes that it would give a different twist to the classic story of man who has lost his faith reconnecting with God. Gram, a father of two and widower, has been dealing with loosing his faith and quitting his job as reverend to his small Pennsylvanian town. He begins to find strange things on his land like crop circles and strangers running on his roof at night. It becomes apparent to the family that they are not dealing with humans. As you watch Shyamalan go through his process of writing this film, it becomes clear that this film is not really about the aliens at all, but Gram's journey. The aliens, a product of both special and practical effects, are just a conduit for the story giving the characters life and death situations in which they can discuss the possibilities of a heavenly being. Every aspect of the film is carefully crafted for the viewer. The music is reminiscent of Hitchcock style sound tracks causing suspense in the audience, even though the film was originally going to be without any music. The aliens themselves were gone over and over again as creators had to find a way to making them interesting and scary while still having the ability to blend into their surroundings- a key feature. Shyamalan was a young man when they made this film, and even though he had had much success already, he was still nervous about how much of the film audiences would understand making him very detail oriented in this great film.


I have always loved Signs to my core. All of Shyamalans films, yes all, have some kind of deeper meaning behind them that I think audiences are too quick to judge or miss. This film has been scaring me since I was six years old and will continue to do so until I'm 96 which is why it will always be one of my favorites. That being said, I have always loved to see how they make these things that we love so much, so I was grateful for this "behind the scenes" look of my favorite thing.


Link to Documentary- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7zPmUCuybc

Stream of the Week- The End of the Tour (Prime)

Sometimes you just really need to watch a film where all people do is talk.




David grew up to be a writer, successful in his own little world, when he finds out that another David, David Foster Wallace, has made the next big book. Not only is he incredibly jealous, but also completely intrigued by this author's recluse lifestyle and ultimate insight. As a writer for Rolling Stone, David is able to convince his boss to let him go on the end of David Foster Wallace's book tour to write up a great piece on America's next Salinger. As David begins his journey, he finds David Foster Wallace to be incredibly deep and full of interesting theories on life, people, and the "American" way. Every time that David tries to get close to Foster Wallace's personal life and relations, he pushes away. Somewhere, though, deep down there is a connection between these two writers. One has all the ego of a writer and the love for the attention, the other has the ability to reach people through his work. David finds that he is incredibly enraptured by Foster Wallace's talent and humble attitude even though he is everything that he wants to accomplish.




"The more people think you're great, the more afraid of failure you are." David Foster Wallace is like combining all the deep, philosophical, but totally cool professors you ever had in college and mixing them with great authors. His ideas and brilliance are matched by this sense of immaturity like his constant hunger for processed foods especially candy, his love for his two oversized dogs, and his freedom of wandering thought without realization of responsibility. All they ever do is talk and theorize about the world. It's not a story about the actions of normal people, but of lonely people. Those who are lonely because they are different and those who are lonely because they believe that is the only way to be great. No matter how deep he gets though, David Foster Wallace will always just be Marshall to me with a bandana.

Capture of Culture- Chuck Norris vs. Communism

Not a stable government, but at least they've got Rocky!




During the Communist regime in Romania, all television and films were censored by the government so that they passed the guidelines set up by the regime. People wanted an escape from this and turned to American films. VHS tapes would be smuggled across the border and brought into the house of a Mr. Zamfir. Mr. Zamfir brought in a translator named Irina Nistor to translate each line of the film into Romanian for the public. The films would be sold to distributors and copied before being sold to the public. From there, people who had VCRs would hold "screenings" where anyone who wanted to watch a film would have to pay an entrance fee and then could see the film with their neighbors. It was illegal for these films to be seen by anyone so the stakes were high. Everyone who knew someone with a VCR would bring people to the screenings, but the next day they had to be quiet about what they had seen. This movement swept across the country. They all had seen the films, but no one was allowed to say that they had seen them or take part in the conversations that would follow seeing something that exciting. They grew up listening to Irina Nistor on their television sets and had her voice always on their mind when thinking about films.




As a film lover, I know that films can have great impact on people. What I didn't realize, though, is how grateful  for films people can be when they can't take them for granted. Everyone who had access to these screening parties had a changed experience living in the regime. They felt like they had a small bit of freedom, and that makes me proud to say that I want to make films someday.

Stream of the Week- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Pants=Love.




In a thrift store, four best friends discovered a pair of pants that magically fit them all. Since their summer plans were going to separate them for the first time since birth, they decide to send each other the pants during the summer so they can spread the magic they all believe they must contain. Lena gets them first, as she is going the farthest away, and the pants make it to Greece. While in the pants, Lena meets Kostas a local fisherman. The confidence she gains from the pants help her to realize that she doesn't want to be the scared one anymore, and she gets a chance to chase after what she wants. Tibby is the next recipient of the pants. Staying at home for the summer, the pants get delivered to Tibby by an unlikely character. Bailey is a 12 year old girl who Tibby met at her place of work when she fainted in the isle. Tibby, annoyed by Bailey's constant presence, agrees to let her help with her "documentary of suck", and Bailey helps Tibby to understand that everything happens for a reason. The pants then head to South Carolina where they find Carmen who has just settled in for a very uncomfortable summer. She was planning on staying with her father for the entire summer, but when she gets there, Carmen finds that he is engaged to be married to a woman with two teenage kids. Carmen feels left out and she begins to brew anger as the wedding plans mount sweeping her up in them. The pants finally make it to Mexico where Bridget is participating in a soccer camp. Completely self destructive and reckless after the death of her mother, Bridget uses the magic of the pants to try and snatch a camp counselor named Eric. It is only after she's done everything to get him that she realizes he wasn't what she wanted, but rather the feeling of living so that she can prove she's not her mother. The summer is full of ups and downs, and the pants are right at the center of all the magic.




The thirteen year old girl in me is screaming at the fact that this is on instant streaming (only if for a little while)! It is a summer romance teenage drama flick and the perfect film to snuggle up with Ben and Jerry during. With a cast of great and diverse actors this film lends itself to being very supportive of women as they grow into their roles in society learning that support from their friends can be the most important thing of all.

Capture of Culture- From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues

It is the story of the ultimate underdog.




40 years ago, a broke Sly walked up to some producers at a casting call and told them he had a script. It wasn't a story they wanted to make, but they liked his style. From his back pocket Sylvester Stallone pulls out his boxing project, Rocky. It wasn't a well funded project and no one had high hopes. Their choreographer quit, and they didn't know who to cast for the lead character so Sly Rocky stepped in. Stallone went home a wrote out every fight sequence and helped make the training plans. In the second film, when the director quit Sly stepped in again becoming writer, lead actor, and director. Rocky became one of the most loved franchises and rose up the charts every time a new film was released. Decades after Stallone put Rocky happily to bed a newbie came up to him and pitched his film for the Rocky spin off franchise. After his success with Fruitville Station, Stallone was ready to listen to Ryan Coogler. Creed was born. Stallone had to give up his characters to a new generation and found great success. Creed has helped bring a new generation to the Rocky franchise helping continue the ultimate underdog story.




I was never drawn into the Rocky franchise, but I have been fascinated by the success and love that this franchise has received. I appreciate the amount of talent and thought that went into making Rocky accessible to a new audience. Like the Star Wars revamps, this film has become a continuation of a beloved series in hopes of bringing kids to the older films. So far it appears to be a success, but no matter what happens the amount of love, blood, sweat, and tears that went into Rocky will never be forgotten.

Stream of the Week- Must Love Dogs

It is always the least qualified in love who seem to have the most advice.







Sarah is a divorced woman with a very nosey family who just wants her to be happy again. Jake is a recently divorced man with a romantic soul and an over sexually motivated best friend. This, my friends, is the basis for another rom com. Sarah's sisters decide to set her up an online dating account. Within the first day, Sarah has 18 responses and none of her dates go well. Jake's friend sees Sarah's add and sends her a message pretending to be Jake. He offers that they meet in a local dog park since Sarah's profile states "must love dogs". With a rough start (pun semi intended), the two are intrigued but not enough to make anything out of their chemistry. Sarah is dealing with her own issues when she starts falling for the recently separated father of one of her preschool students. He strings her along, but just like all of her other experiences, he falls flat. Jake continues trying to impress, but the timing just always seems to be off. Sarah just wants someone who loves every piece of her, and Jake doesn't think that's too much to ask- even if she doesn't know it yet.








From the writer of dozens of TV episodes highlighting family interactions, Must Love Dogs is more about the interactions of family members and finding love later in life than being utterly romantic. Like When Harry Met Sally, the film opens and closes with couples talking about their relationships or where to meet other people. Like every John Cusack movie, Jake is a bit on the introspective weird side and Sarah is the type of girl who seems to be too pretty to be down on her luck. But, love always does seem to work in mysterious ways. And, if that's not enough for you, Christopher Plummer reads poetry.

Capture of Culture- Barista

Who knew that there were so many people obsessed with aprons and coffee?




In an industry where artisans are underrated by the people they serve, baristas have to find other ways to hone their craft and show off their skill. Every year thousands of baristas take part in regional and national competitions to show off their creativity and skill. This story of five different baristas vying for the top follows these coffee experts as they prepare and compete in the national championships. There are three rounds which each contestant must compete in- the espresso, the cappuccino, and the signature drink. During each round, they are judged on the flavor of their creations, the presentation of the drinks, and awarded and deducted points based on their use of the machines, their level of cleanliness in the station, and how much product they waste based on spills or coffee ground crumbs. Each contestant is attempting to do something that no one has ever scene before. Some try to make ice cream others even try distilling coffee, all for the glory of making themselves differentiated enough from their competition in order to win.




I don't even like coffee, but I appreciate an art form when I see it. These people spend their entire lives in pursuit of perfection, something that can never be achieved. Their salaries aren't enough to sustain their work so they have to be so driven by passion in order to continue in their pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. They have to know the science behind the beans and the process of forming a drink from them. They must know flavor profiles and understand how to talk to customers. All of this training and preparation so that you can have a nice little doodle on your cappuccino. That's a lot of work for a piece of art.

Stream of the Week- Documentary Now!

7 episodes, 7 stories, 2 comedians and it's fantastic.




With the premise that Documentary Now! is a television series that has been around for 50 seasons worth of classical documentary entertainment, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen come together to produce 6 short documentary spoofs which they examine the weird and entertaining worlds that documentaries find. The first of the series, Sandy Passage, is reminiscent of first person horror films. The camera is in a first person POV, and the characters are incredible ominous. With hints of Blair Witch and The Visit, Sandy Passage sets a fantastic tone for the remainder of the season. The second episode explore investigative journalism documentaries with a trip to Mexico. Hader and Armisen make fun of the different styles of these types of filmmakers by playing three different sets of documentary makers. The third episode, Kunuk Uncovered, examines the beginning of documentary making and the amount of truth that may or may not be in the first documentary style films. The fourth installment spoofs classic crime documentaries while the sixth is a parody of a classic weird traditions of small communities style film. The last two episodes of the first season come together to form one documentary that takes the phenomenon known as a music documentary to a new level.




With little to no knowledge of what I was getting myself into, it was so easy to get swept up in the worlds these films created. Each of them was something that could easily be made into a documentary in this information driven age. Every episode had a distinct flavor and feel, and each film had special guest stars to help give a wink to the audience during the film. I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple performances of Hader and Armisen. Each character was unique and specific to that episode and film. Overall, it was a great satirical series that made me laugh more than I expected to.

Capture of Culture- That Sugar Film

Watch out for Mr. Sugar. Apparently, he's in everything pink.




Actor and filmmaker Damon Gameau went from eating no refined sugars to eating the daily does that the average person- 42 teaspoons a day- consumes hidden in products. All of his foods had to be labeled as low fat and had to be considered "healthy" by the company selling the product. What he found was that even in a "healthy" breakfast of products he could almost spend half of his daily allotment of sugar intake in one meal. The serving sizes listed on packages are so small that the amount of sugar in that serving appears to be far less than it actually is. This then in turn makes you feel less guilty for consuming so much of it when you realize the serving size isn't nearly enough to satisfy your want for the product. Gameau goes through a supersize me like process by taking on the consumption of these products by himself for the allotted time. They physical effects of his study were staggering. After a certain amount of time, Damon's body got used to the intake of sugar and made him constantly fuzzy. Damon's worry with the project is that that is how "normal people feel all the time". They must feel locked in a continuous fuzz that doesn't allow for their body or brain to function at it's highest capacity.




My family went through a diet where we cut all our sugar out of our diet. It was rough and it's not any easy process for anyone. That being said, the health benefits were enough to keep us going in our trajectory to the point where we don't even think about it anymore. Everyone is different and they should be allowed to make their decisions regarding sugar intake. Just be sure to make an informed one.

Stream of the Week- Adult Beginners

Sometimes you just need to start over.




Jake had his life going exactly the way he needed it to be. He had money and friends and a great business, but with one small slip up, Jake lost it all. Lost and confused, Jake goes to his sister's house in hopes having a sofa to crash on for a few months and some free food. Quite quickly, Jake finds that his free crashing is going to be resting on the fact that he will care for his 3 year old nephew Teddy during the days while his sister and brother-in-law are at work. Jake's whole easy going lifestyle has to be shifted so that he can finally grow up and start taking care of people besides himself. Jake finds a rhythm in taking care of Teddy and living with his sister, who is pregnant, and his brother-in-law. It's all going smooth, but then Jake sees something that changes his mind about how happy the lives of his sister and her family are. And he has to mess it up before things can get better.




From the writers of Blades of Glory and the producer of Lost in Translation, this film is about the generational mid life crisis of people in their 30s who have been raised in a self serving world. We don't really know what to do when faced with the task of being there for each other. Jake isn't exactly likeable at the beginning, but you begin to pity him as you realize that he really just wants to do the right thing, and his transformation into caregiver is great. By the end of the film, he really fills the role of being a concerned uncle and loving brother. Not bad for an afternoon watch.

Capture of Culture- A LEGO Brickumentary

There are 100 LEGO bricks for every human on Earth.




LEGOs have had such humble beginnings, but almost every kid knows what a LEGO can do, has played with one, and every adult has stepped on one at some point. They have become a huge part of our culture not only as toys, but also as creative outlets for many people. The community of LEGO builders and appreciators has grown exponentially with the rise of the internet as a sharing medium for artwork and design. Now days there are dozens of gatherings that LEGO fans can attend and an entire set of dialogue to go with their craft. LEGO has become a culture on its own. Fans make LEGO stop action films, build architecture models using LEGOs and open art exhibits dedicated to the exploration of LEGOs limits in creativity- of which they have yet to find. One mathematician even tried to calculate how many possibilities LEGO builders could come up with before they fail to create a new thing. He found that with each new addition of a brick to the set, the possibilities would be virtually infinite. It's easy to see why LEGOs have been so successful.




I was never aware of the fame and popularity of this product until the movie came out. There is so much love for this product and a really strong fan base that has kept it alive and growing. The creators of LEGO have developed so many systems to create dialogue between their designers and the adoring public who want to have even more sets and capabilities shared on a large platform.

Stream of the Week- Contact

Based on a novel by Carl Sagan- now that has a ring to it.




Dr. Ellie Arroway has spent her entire life on the fringe of research hoping to find that she is not alone in the universe. After her research funding is pulled, Ellie goes to an eccentric mogul and asks for the proper funds to continue her research in hopes that she can prove that there is other life out in the universe. Just as everything is about to be taken from her again, Ellie receives a signal from a star system that pulses in prime number patterns. The signal then reveals a video source code which provides Ellie with documents that when put together show the plans for a machine. Unsure of what the machine is or does, the government tries to make Ellie's voice quiet as they examine the plans. They soon discover, however, that the plans make a transport device that would contain a single being and transport them somewhere else. The destination is unknown. Several governments come together to build the machine, but Ellie is not selected at first to be its occupant. With a failure in the first test, a second machine is revealed and Ellie is the only qualified person to take the journey. The problem is, though, that no one will ever believe what she sees.




What I like about Contact is that it talks about religion through the glasses of a scientist. Ellie constantly reaffirms that she does not believe in any ultimate power or being, but as time progresses, she finds the only way to express to other people what her experience was like is by asking them to have faith in her and understand that it was a moment that she didn't feel alone. The build is slow on this film and the end is a bit difficult to swallow, but the overall message is an interesting concept which is why I suggest it to all those out there who like the 1990s science fiction flicks where jargon is used extensively and scientific instruments are cut to like they are part of a car chase full of action.

Capture of Culture- Just Eat it.

Bet you didn't expect someone who dumpster dives to eat better than you do.




Grant and Jenny decide that for six months they are only going to eat food that no one else wants, what they discover is, though, that the food no one else wants is still totally salvageable and eatable. After learning a little bit about food waste, Grant and Jenny decide to try their hand at helping reduce the wasting of perfectly good products that are wasted on farms or sent to landfills adding to the methane gas problems plaguing these areas. At night, Grant and Jenny go to the dumpsters behind grocery stores and discover food that has been pulled of the shelves for simply not looking up to the standard of quality that stores like to have or that is several days away from its "Best by" date. They clean out friends' fridges when they don't want their food and salvage rejected products. Grant and Jenny's fridge soon becomes overfilled with products that they can't eat fast enough. Boxes and boxes of food are just left out while perfectly good products can go to waste. By examining the process of saving this food, they quickly learn how most food goes to waste because consumers and market places don't understand the full potential of these products and are confused by things like sell by dates or use by dates. There's so much that can be done with just a little effort.




I, personally, don't know if I could ever eat something that has been thrown away, but if you look at these products, entire boxes are thrown away with unharmed product still inside. It is amazing to me how well Grant and Jenny were able to eat for that six months. To me, it makes no sense to me that products that are perfectly usable go to waste. So if this documentary just inspires one person to change up their lifestyle, then they're doing something right.

Stream of the Week- Atonement

I gave them their happiness.




After walking in on her sister with a lover, Briony accuses the man that her sister Cecilia happens to love, Robbie, of a terrible crime. Robbie is taken away from Cecilia and sentenced to a life in prison. War, however, breaks out while Robbie is locked away. He is given the choice of staying in prison or becoming a solider. Knowing that he could be free, Robbie agrees to become a solider and joins the army. Cecilia, disgusted by her family's acceptance of Briony's claims, leaves her family and becomes a nurse. Years later, the two are able to meet again. They still love each other and begin sending letters throughout the war. When he is able to come home, Robbie and Cecilia live together away from the rest of the world. Briony learns to hate herself for what she did to her sister's chance at happiness. She quits school and becomes a nurse. Memories start to come back to her of what happened the night she accused Robbie of a crime, and she begins to realize that it wasn't Robbie after all. Too much time has passed and the true criminal cannot be charged because there are no other witnesses who can testify besides Briony. As Briony gets older, she writes novel making her last novel about her sister and the wrong that she had done.




Directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina) takes the timeline of this story and splits it up into pieces so that each sequence can be rewound and shown from a different perspective. The richness of the set pieces and saturation of the colors lead to the film feeling very nostalgic and romantic, though it is rather tragic. The love between Robbie and Cecilia seems sudden, but beautiful as they care for each other on the same level without ever saying a word about it. Though the beginning is rather shocking as Cecilia and Robbie are discovered and the crime occurs, the rest of the film counters it by being very romantic.

Capture of Culture- Amy

"If I could give it back I would."




At a young age, Amy Winehouse was discovered as a talented jazz vocalist. Her style was unlike anything pop musicians and labels had heard before. With her first album "Frank", Amy explored songwriting and stuck to her jazz roots with funky chords and cool rhymes. Amy's popularity was small, but she was well respected on tour for being a "real" musician. She had an emotional connection to the music that no one else could understand. Amy said she wouldn't know how to be famous- it would probably kill her. During the summer when she was supposed to be writing, Amy met Blake Fielder-Civil and fell head over heels for him. By the end of the summer, Blake went back to his girlfriend and Amy had sometime to write. He got her hooked on alcohol and drugs to the point where she couldn't function properly. Everyone tried get her to enter rehab, but her father, her idol, told her she didn't have to go. With these two major events, Amy had two hit songs "Back to Black" and "Rehab". Her album surged to the top of all the charts becoming well recognized at award shows- winning a Grammy for album of the year. Amy's success was beginning to tear at her though. She was unable to control her addictions and fell apart at shows. On July 23, 2011 Amy died of alcohol poisoning in her home.




Amy Winehouse was regarded as one of the most pure jazz/soul singers in the modern age. Her story is a mix of mistakes made by many people as they didn't understand how much of a toll the fame was taking on her. I missed a lot of the Winehouse era, but now that I am older there is so much to appreciate from her career. Her kind of music isn't made anymore by anyone, and it's so sad to think that her life and legacy were cut short by a series of mistaken people who thought they didn't have to step in.

Stream of the Week- Pride and Prejudice

"Can you die of happiness?"




Elizabeth Bennett has four sisters, none of them are married and when their father dies they will all be turned out by an unfortunate entail who shall inherit the estate. Elizabeth's mother is fixated on marrying off all of her girls to wealthy men. When a new tenant takes the largest estate in the countryside, Mrs. Bennett decides to make the most of it. With her husband properly introduced, Mrs. Bennett decides to interest the tenant, a Mr. Bingly, in her eldest daughter Jane. Mr. Bingly has brought with him a wealthy friend, Mr. Darcy, but upon first meeting he slighted Elizabeth turning her family against him and setting her mother's disapproval on any match to him. Jane and Bingly fall into a time period appropriate sort of attraction and love. There is much talk of matrimony, but before any declarations can be made, the Bingly's and Darcy leave the countryside without warning. Elizabeth believes that Mr. Darcy is involved in convincing Bingly that Jane is indifferent to him thus tearing the two apart. While visiting a friend, Mr. Darcy admits to having feelings for Elizabeth despite his attitude in the country. Appalled by his declarations, Elizabeth refuses his proposal and returns home. Elizabeth crosses paths again with Darcy when she is accompanying her aunt and uncle on a tour of the lake district. While viewing Darcy's estate, Elizabeth encounters him again and the two part amiably. What Elizabeth doesn't know is that Darcy will soon do much more for her than she could ever imagine or repay.




This film is one of my favorites, not because of it's accuracy for it does stray quite a bit from the text, but because of it's watchability. I can't always sit down to watch the three hour 1995 BBC rendition of Pride and Prejudice, but I can usually find the hour and a half it takes to get this condensed version. The cinematography is fantastic, and Keira Knightly gave an interesting quality to the character of Elizabeth Bennett. The Darcy is not nearly as desirable as Colin Firth, but he served his purpose. This film is great for anyone who wants to dip their toes into Austen before diving headlong like I did.

Capture of Culture- A Ballerina's Tale

And it ends with the phrase- Dreams Do Come True.




In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to a Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. She has created such a huge appreciation for the art in the general public by making everyone feel welcome at her performances. Young women look up to her as a trail blazer and role model. And no one thought she would be able to do it. After suffering an injury, Copeland thought her career would be over, but her drive brought her back and made her bigger than ever before. Copeland started ballet at age 13 and took to it like a swan to water (get it?!). By age 15, Misty was an award winning dancer and had begun her journey in becoming one of the top dancers in the world. After training with a former ABT dancer, Misty joined the ABT company, and in 2007 she became a soloist for ABT. As her rise to stardom came forth, Misty became the first African American woman to perform as the lead role in the Firebird- a well renowned stage ballet. In 2014, she became the first African American woman in a professional setting to perform as the lead role in Swan Lake, one of the most famous ballets known. Misty struggled through her pain and went on to be a endorser for large brands such as Under Armor and Dr. Pepper.




I have always loved dance documentaries. These beautiful people with fantastic bodies and control have such power in their presence and drive that I can never dare to hope to achieve. I know little to nothing about dance, but I do know what it looks like when someone is doing something they were born to do, and that is why I find Misty's story so compelling. Her struggle to feel like she belonged in the dance world and her issues with self confidence are things that anyone can relate to. And, like all our favorite heroes, she was able to arise triumphant above all adversities. To a young woman, I would say Misty is someone that we can all look up to, and this documentary shows how many already do.

Stream of the Week- North & South

"I believe I've seen hell. It's white. It's snow white."




After uprooting his entire family from the south to the north, Mr. Hale's daughter, Margret, is having a bit of trouble learning the ways of their new home of Milton. Upon her first day in Milton, Margret runs into a Mr. Thornton, owner of one of the many cotton mills in Milton. Her first impression of him is very poor as she watches him beat a worker for smoking on the factory floor, endangering all the other workers. Margret learns that this Mr. Thornton is her father's first pupil in Milton and from there, their stories are intertwined. Margret does not fit into the society of Milton which has the two extremes of classes- Masters and Workers. Margret very quickly befriends one of Thornton's workers named Bessie. Bessie's father is the union leader of the workers, and his plan is to lead a strike against the cotton mills in order to get higher wages and fairer working conditions. The workers spend four weeks on strike before they have to break in order to fill the cotton orders and get enough pay to feed their family. During that time, Margret is on both sides. Her society is in that of the victims of the strike, but her friends are participating. She attempts to get Mr. Thornton to see the other side in hopes that she can secure the jobs that the workers need. The money isn't coming in for either side, and Margret's mother's health is failing fast leaving her in the society of people who do not like her loud opinions and the heart of a woman who does not know her own way.




The last five minutes of this film are worth every second of the four episodes that this story takes. By examining the cotton industry and worker life during this time period and mixing it with a very Pride and Prejudice type of romantic line, North & South is a very well crafted mini series. With fantastic performances by Thorin Oakenshield, Mr. Bates, and Elizabeth Darcy this film is a great way to spend a lazy day with in the comfort of your own Netflix que.

Capture of Culture- Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery

He claims he could paint anyone and anything.




Wolfgang Beltracchi and his wife Helena have been working as a team forging works from great classical artists since the late 1970s. By finding gaps in the work of artists or missing pieces, he adopts their style of painting and creates a work of art that his wife can then give to a dealer to sell for millions of dollars. Soon he was able to afford multiple homes and a fantastic lifestyle all while having the dealers and buyers believing he was caring for an old collection and piecing it out. Wolfgang Beltracchi began painting at a young age watching his father paint. As he became a student, he quickly realized that people wanted copies of the classics and masterpieces not original works from unknown street artists. His plan was set. By buying up old canvases, Beltracchi was able to work with materials that were more time period accurate to the artists he was faking. With one slip, Beltracchi's works were all called into question. On one piece, white titanium paint was used causing a test to show that the painting was not authentic. Beltracchi and his wife were sentenced to 6 years in a German prison while still being allowed to work outside of the prison during the day as artists.




Throughout the film, Beltracchi emphasizes that he distances himself from his work; he is not "passionate" about the work, but does it as a living. Many do not consider the paintings that he did as art because they were presented under false pretenses, but to me they are even greater works of art because they could not be entirely original. They deserve quite a lot of recognition. The documentary, however, does paint Beltracchi as a rebel against the system which many people gravitate towards as a hero. The documentary is extensive and chalk full of excellent interviews from all involved in the discovery of the crime. It's a great watch even for people who don't know much about the art world like myself and who just want a little bit of fun.

Stream of the Week- View from the Top

Never let anything get in the way of your dreams. (Unless that it is Mark Ruffalo).




All her life Donna knew she was born for bigger and better things than her little hometown of Silver Springs Nevada. After being dumped by her high school sweetheart, Donna sees a talk show interview with famous flight attendant and author, Sally Weston. Inspired by Sally's story, Donna decides to become a flight attendant and travel the world even though she's never been on a plain in her life. She gets hired by the local airline and falls in love with the travel. This airline though only goes two places and services only drunks and gamblers. With a few friends, Donna decides to go to a flight attendant program recruitment for Royalty Airlines. Donna is drafted into the program and undergoes rigorous training to become a flight attendant. As they turn in their final exams, Donna is sure that she has aced her tests and is set for a job in New York. The test scores, however, get screwed up sending her to Royalty Express which is based in Cleveland. It's not what Donna wants but it becomes a fun experience for her as she runs into an old flame from Nevada- Ted. Donna and Ted becomes very much in love, but when Donna gets a surprise visit from a friend in the flight attendant school, Donna begins to realize she was meant for better things. Upon reexamining her test, Donna discovers that someone switched her code with theirs ensuring that she didn't get placed where she was supposed to. After retaking the test, Donna is transferred to New York with the international flights she wants. But, it just isn't making her happy. Ted made her happy.




Romantic Comedy. 'Nough said. Eric Wald, the author of this screenplay, wrote this film while in a screenwriting program where it was snatched up and produced. The director, Bruno Barreto directed mostly foreign films prior to View from the top. With a cast of funny women who also have soft sides, this film is a great girls night flick. It's not too heavy and is predictable in a sweet way.

Capture of Culture- Being Ginger

"This has been really good for me, I think."




Scott spent his entire life hating his red hair because it set him apart from all of the people he passed on the streets or all the other kids he had classes with. It made him different, and any attention he would receive would be negative. As a graduate student living in Europe, however, Scott noticed that the red haired stigma was even worse. People did not find red headed males attractive. Scott set out to find why that was true. He started his project with the hopes of finding a woman who would be attracted to a redhead so he could ask her out. With a basic interview setup in a local park, Scott asked girls that he found attractive if they would be interviewed on their thoughts on red hair. Several said yes- only one said she found redheads attractive. With finding a girl being on the top of his list, Scott friended her on Facebook and asked her out on a date which he assumed was successful. The girl, however, did not see it that way and ignored him when asked for a second date. This left Scott feeling worthless and brought up many of the memories he had of being bullied in school for his hair color. After a failed attempt at romance, however, Scott found a convention for red haired people to congregate and enjoy each other's company. Scott sent them part of his documentary and set up a flight. It was here where Scott discovered that redheads can be attractive, and he should be proud to be so rare.




This documentary feels more like a documentary about making a documentary about being a redhead than an actual documentary on being a redhead. Lots of the footage deals with him showing his edited work to audiences and asking their opinions. He shows them the work as he is doing it, which is I'm sure how it is done in "real life", but on screen is a bit confusing. The focus is obviously Scott's low self esteem, but with that there is an entire story about the red hair stereotype. The film brings together all the utterances of those stereotypes and shows how ridiculous they are.

Stream of the Week- We Need to Talk About Kevin

"I used to think I knew, but now I'm not so sure."




When Kevin was born, he screamed in his mother's, Eva, arms. He didn't stop screaming. For his entire childhood, Kevin found ways to manipulate his mother. He was father's golden boy, but he was Eva's frustration and fear. Kevin knew how to get under her skin and torture her while making the rest of the world see him as a "normal" boy. By the time Kevin was a teen, he had habits that seemed out of the ordinary, but Eva had spent so long expecting the worst from him that she didn't know what to see as ordinary or just as Kevin. Unfazed, Eva's husband Franklin doted on Kevin. He taught him archery and spent time with him. Kevin's time with Eva was spent in silence and judgment. When events started to happen around the house that were out of the ordinary or violent in some manner, Eva knew it was Kevin. But if the guinea pig went missing or if drain cleaner got left out and hurt Eva's other child, little Celia, Franklin wouldn't hear her suspicions. At the height of her success in business and happiness in her personal life, Eva gets notified that an event has happened at her son's high school. For the rest of her life, Eva will be persecuted. She will be hated by neighbors and live in a world of constant harassment. He house will be vandalized, her groceries ransacked, her job in jeopardy. Eva can't help but wonder if it is her sins that she is paying for or Kevin's.




That is not an accurate description of this film. I can't put into words how terrified I was of each corner turned or each cut between angles. I can't not explain how it felt sitting on the edge of my seat in fear, shock, and awe while having adrenaline running through me. This is not a film you will enjoy. This is a film you will be afraid of, and for that reason it is fantastic. Without showing anything utterly gruesome and bloody (save for one minor scene used for story completion), this film was able to communicate huge ideas and feelings. From a director of mostly shorts, Lynne Ramsay knows how to make me feel so unsafe even though I'm hiding under the covers in my parent's house with my laptop. The performances by Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller are absolutely haunting. There's no other word for it. Like a reference to Hamlet, Eva will always be washing red from her hands. Like a reference to pop culture, Kevin wants his fifteen minutes. I am in awe of what this accomplished. You will not like it. I did not like it. But like Nightcrawler, I am astounded by the story and visuals to the point of adoration for the films themselves. I won't be sleeping tonight.

Hail, Caesar!

"If something is easy, is it wrong?"




Eddie Mannix runs the Capitol Pictures lot in Hollywood California during the Golden Age of motion pictures. It is his job to make sure the actors and actresses attached to his company's name remain completely flawless in the eyes of the public. He runs the projects in the studio making sure each one is on track and is on call to fix every problem. While attempting to keep his projects on schedule, the lead actor from the studio's biggest production- Hail, Caesar- gets kidnapped by the communist party. Baird Whitlock, the star of the picture, is driven out to a secret location by the ocean and locked up in a house where some of the party members are meeting. A ransom note is sent and Eddie is left to deal with it. Meanwhile, an airplane manufacturing company is looking to hire Eddie to run their staff. The hours would be better and the work less taxing, but to Eddie there is nothing like the rush of being in charge of the big lot full of its crazies.




It's rather difficult to explain the plot of this incredibly complex, well planned, and extremely satirical film. It's chalk full of funny moments, but it's not for everyone. The lead character of Eddie Mannix is a very relatable man who does his best to make everyone happy. He is a good father, a God fearing man, and a hard worker. The people who work with him, however, are all over the place. Actors like Baird Whitlock have very loose lifestyles keeping Mannix on his toes as he is constantly juggling the entire lot. This film, however, has a lot to say about religion in a satirical sense. It examines the hilarity which is the debate between faiths and political practices in a way that is not obtrusive or distasteful. I can't explain this film, but I love every second of it's quirky humor and Hollywood charm.

Stream of the Week- The Very Thought of You

"Iceland, huh?"




After buying a ticket to the cheapest destination, American Martha finds herself going to London. While boarding her flight, Martha runs into Daniel, a record executive flying home. Daniel is used to getting any girl he wants all the time, so when Martha ignores him he falls hard. He offers her a hotel room at the most expensive hotel in London with no strings attached only that she call him in the morning. As she's leaving the airport, she runs into Laurence a bridge teacher who happens to be one of Daniel's best friends who was there to pick him up. Completely enamored with Laurence, Martha finds her way into spending the rest of the day with Laurence. She's the one who has fallen this time. The next day, after Laurence discovers that Martha is staying in a room paid for by Daniel, Martha runs into Frank- the final friend in this band of brothers. Knowing that Daniel is hooked on Martha, Frank attempts to make her fall in love with him, but she's so lost in her thoughts of Laurence who ran after discovering how she got her room. All three have no met and fallen in love with Martha, but none of them know that the others have met her as well. After discovering the connection between all three men, Martha confronts them all with the hopes that Laurence will run after her when she's gone. All Laurence has to do is buy the cheapest next flight out of London to anywhere.




It's a romantic comedy set in London, yes I had to watch it. With an interesting concept at the helm, this film follows a gimmick that is funny to the audience while still being completely too coincidental to be realistic. It is entertaining enough to fill up some time of your nightly Netflix time and does hold some laughs. Plus- they have accents. Real accents. What more could you want?

Capture of Culture- Meet the Patels

The good news that if you don't find anyone after 6 months you get your money back. It's more like a savings account.




Ravi is a first generation, American born Indian. He had only ever had one real relationship and he didn't even tell his parents. He knew that if he told them he had been dating an American girl for two years in secret that they would be disappointed. In December, they broke up and the family went on their yearly trip to India. While in India all anyone could ask Ravi about was when he was going to get married. In their culture, marriages are controlled by a system and often selected by the parents. Patels have to marry Patels. While in India, Ravi decides that he is willing to try their system, and they promise within the year he will have found the one. Using the Americanized system for finding their kin for marriage, Ravi's family sends out his "biodata" or resume for other families to look at, and in turn Ravi gets hundreds of eligible Indian women's biodatas to review. From there, Ravi sets up dates with these women. He travels all over the country and even into Canada during this stage. Then it was wedding season. During wedding season, Ravi's parents encouraged him to go after every Patel at the wedding. When that didn't prove successful, they decided to send him to the annual Patel marital convention where Patel's from across the nation would meet up. A year had come and gone and Ravi still hadn't met the "one". He was feeling like giving up, but that's not the Patel way.




The Indian culture, especially when it concerns marriage, is interesting to view from an inside perspective. Ravi is between wanting the traditional family feeling of an Indian wife without all the restrictions on type when it comes to dating or finding someone to marry. The interesting commentary all comes from him telling his sister, who is one of his closest friends, his whole story and emotions through the process. The entire time he's comparing every girl to his ex which is not helping him move forward with the process but does help him decide what is important- love.

Stream of the Week- Nanny McPhee

When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.




Mr. Brown has lost his wife and has been left with 7 very ill behaved children. They've run off every nanny they've ever had, and it looks like Mr. Brown is out of options. When all hope is lost and it looks like he won't ever be able to handle life without his wife, Nanny McPhee arrives. Armed with her magic and calm demeanor, Nanny McPhee quickly begins to wrangle the children teaching them the five essential lessons. On top of trying to wrangle his children, Mr. Brown must also deal with his aunt who has been supporting him and his large family since his wife's death. She states that if he does not get married by the end of the month, she will cut off all income and the family will have to be split up. The older ones may end up in work houses, and the younger children would have to be sent to new families. While his children are learning their lessons, Mr. Brown is in search of anyone he knows he can marry quickly. He stumbles upon an old client of his, a Miss Quickly, which he knows he can marry in a short amount of time. The children, determined to break them up, are faced with the knowledge that Miss Quickly, even if she is horrid, is the only way their family can stay together. Well almost the only way.




Written by the nanny herself, Nanny McPhee brings together a delightful cast of adorable children all with very bright personalities. Based on the Nurse Matilda books, this film is an easy family film that mixes the importance of family and a bit of magic. As each lesson is learned, the quite ugly looking Nanny McPhee turns a little bit more into the beautiful Emma Thompson whom we all love. And happy endings are always a nice way to end a family movie night.

Capture of Culture- Tyke Elephant Outlaw

I've never been worried about a rogue elephant getting out and running me down within my community. Apparently I should be because it's happened in my community.




Tyke the African Elephant belonged to the Hawthorne corporation, and during a show in 1994, she broke free from her chains and trampled her trainer and groom as well as several audience members before breaking free from the building and running the streets of Hawaii. Prior to this final incident, Tyke had two other events while on the road that prompted her trainers to tell the corporation not to send her out. In Altoona Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from home, Tyke broke free of her bonds before the show and entered the arena building. She broke several doors and frames before getting trapped on the loading bay. She had to be lead back to the barn by her trusted trainer. Later that year in Minot North Dakota, Tyke attempted to kill a groom before a show at a state fair. Her trainer set her aside from doing the show and asked the Hawthorne corporation not to send her on the road anymore. The trainer and his preferred groom had their contracts run out and moved on to The Ringling Brother's Circus. At this time, Tyke's trainers were changed agitating her even more before heading to Hawaii. After she escaped the Hawaii's Circus center, Tyke ran down several main streets which had to be evacuated by cops. She was becoming a danger to the public and was shot down by the authorities. It took 87 shots. After her death, Animal Right's Activists took up her cause and attempted to ban the use of wild animals for entertainment purposes. Since then, many countries, cities, and regions have made the use of animals illegal in shows which has made the art of the circus begin to die out in performers.




I'm not here to take a stand on animals in shows or zoos or anything to that nature. I am here, however, to present you with an interesting piece of work that examines something that I had never heard of before. By presenting ample interviews and justifications for both sides of the debate this documentary gives audiences a chance to pick for themselves while gaining insight into the circus workings of animal entertainment shows.

Stream of the Week- The Wedding Date

Women have the love life they want.




Kat was engaged to the man that she thought was the love of her life until out of nowhere he broke her heart. Now Kat's stepsister is getting married, and her ex is the best man. In order to make him jealous, Kat decides to hire a male escort to be her wedding date. Thus, the attractive and level headed Nick is hired by Kat. Kat is so worried about her appearance around other people; it's important to Kat that everyone thinks she's happy, even if she's miserable. At first, Kat is controlling of the situation. She tries too hard to make everything seem perfect, only to realize that love isn't. Her sister, who loves to be the center of attention, isn't perfect but her fiancé loves her anyway. Somewhere along the line, Kat begins to really fall for Nick, and Nick finds that he'd rather argue and fight with Kat than love any other woman he's been with. It's not simple though, because what Nick knows will break Kat's heart all over again.




It's a romantic comedy with a wedding- of course I Netflixed it. No matter how many times you watch a rom com with actors who have British accents, you can always find time for just one more. This one has little plot, and can be somewhat contrived, but there is an incredibly fun sense of history to this film. All the characters have stories that span before and after the events of this wedding. Like a real family, they're messy and tell stories to strangers that embarrass each other. That part of this film feels real. There are things that they've done together, secrets that they've shared, and stories that they have that really bring together the idea of a fun family. No matter what, they have each other, and that makes up for how entirely screwed up they are.

Capture of Culture- Unbranded

"I wanna leave one mile undone." "He's just being eccentric."




Four college friends have decided to go on one great adventure as they attempt to go border to border on back roads riding wild mustangs. Starting at the Mexican border, these four backwoods boys have a herd of moderately tamed once wild horses that lived on the public land of the west roaming free under government protection. The wild horse population has grown too large on the public land within the designated area and has forced for routine gatherings of wild horses so that they can be contained in government facilities and adopted out. Enamored with their stamina and hardiness, Ben the group leader decides they are the perfect animals for their huge journey. They spend three months before the trip training the horses to be able to carry loads and men through rough terrain. They lose two horses early on in their journey to injuries and are forced to keep going while their horses heal, adding more to their heard as they go. The tensions in the group start to rise as they realize that they have different goals for this journey, and clearly they don't want to talk about it. Throughout their journey, interviews of the great horse debate are dispersed. Many horse activists see the rounding up and adopting out of these wild animals as infringements on their rights. They believe that the horses can regulate their own population issues and take care of themselves without the involvement of the government. Other groups, however, see the rounding up of the mustangs as necessary. Otherwise, the population issue would be even worse than it already is, and they would run out of available resources to feed both the cattle that graze on the same lands and the horses.




This documentary brings up a debate that I didn't even know needed to be addressed. It's a smart mix of adventure, people, and politics. Throughout the journey you can see how powerful and dangerous nature can be while getting the necessary information to make an informed decision on the debate. This is what documentaries are supposed to be like. It also helps that the cinematography is fantastic!

Stream of the Week- Silver Lining's Playbook

Excelsior.




Pat walked in on his wife with another man. He lost it. He's better now though, he promises, and when he gets released from the hospital 8 months later he's going to prove it. Pat starts working out and living by a new motto. He's going to take negative comments and energy and turn it into fuel for his passion- getting his wife back. When he gets home, everyone treats him like he needs special taking care of, and he's sick of it. Then he meets Tiffany who is maybe just as messed up as he is. Tiffany promises to get a letter that Pat has written to his wife if in return he is her partner in a local dance competition. Hesitant, Pat agrees, but only because he thinks helping Tiffany will make his wife see that he's improving. Slowly, Pat gets into a routine, and the dancing is constructive for him. His parents, however worry about him- especially his dad. Pat's father believes that being with Tiffany is ruining the "Eagle's juju". Pat used to be his father's good luck charm when it came to betting on his favorite team the Eagles, but now they are having a rough season and he's losing a lot of money. He blames Tiffany. It all comes down to one last game though, otherwise he'll lose everything. It's on the night of the dance competition. And Pat's wife is going to be there. It all comes down to one moment and one letter.




From the same team of American Hustle and Joy, this film started the Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper team up. It examines something that can be a little difficult for people to deal with watching sometimes and that is bipolar disorder. It's a topic that people don't discuss because they don't understand it, but when you look at characters like Pat and Tiffany trying to find some sort of normalcy in their lives which they can't control, it becomes obvious that it needs to be talked about. You can't just give someone medication and put them in a hospital to get fixed. Someone with any kind of disorder has to live with it their whole lives and need to find ways to cope. Pat isn't something to be afraid of; he's someone who needs help which is why Tiffany is the perfect antidote.

Capture of Culture- Woody Allen: A Documentary

He's worked every day of his life since he was sixteen. I don't think he'll ever stop.




Allan Stewart Konigsberg has directed over 50 projects and has roughly 76 writing credits. He's been considered a comedy genius and has every one convinced he's going to live forever. He is the infamous Woody Allen. His films like Annie Hall and Midnight in Paris have been some of the most influential films on the public during his career and have also been highly awarded. Despite all his success, Woody Allen never seems to notice. He writes a film while directing another every year and always does something new. His mind gets bored of the same old things so he quickly turns to a new topic or subject so that he never gets tired of his work. His colleges are in constant awe of his process, and his actors have no idea what to think of him. "He is an actor's director" claims Naomi Watts while others claim his directing is the most stressful thing they've ever dealt with. He doesn't offer a point to go, he merely says do what feels natural, change the lines I don't care just get it done so I can go watch a game. Actors live in constant fear of being replaced but also remain completely star struck by working with such a legend. He's not a happy person by any means. He dwells constantly on the idea of death and questions how big the universe is. He wants to write tragedies, never comedies. Allen claims that he got to fulfill his every childhood dream- he got to be a movie star, a director, a comedian. But despite all that, he still feels like he got jipped by the universe.




I've been minorly exposed to Woody Allen's films. I've seen his "classics" and have always enjoyed them. What I didn't know, however, was how crazy their writer/director was. He's someone who everyone respects, but he's deeply melancholy. He never seems happy with anything. And maybe that's the point. If you're never completely satisfied with your art, you keep trying. Maybe Woody Allen should never be completely satisfied with his work just so we can get more from him.

Stream of the Week- The Da Vici Code

The answer to all of the world's questions- a woman.




An ancient cult of Christ's followers kept a secret hidden for centuries. They knew the location of the "Holy Grail" and kept it hidden. Their name was the Priory of Sion, and their roots were labeled as satanic by the Church. One of their leaders is murdered in France and leaves a code to be cracked. The code brings together the leader in the field of symbolic studies Robert Langdon and the granddaughter of this leader, Sophie. Because the code is so specific and in his last moments the murder victim wrote the name of Robert, the French police believe Robert Langdon is the murderer. Sophie manages to get Robert out in time before he is arrested, but the two still don't know what the next step is. Following a set of clues laid out by Sophie's grandfather, the duo learns of the Priory's practices and beliefs through a professor named Lee. Lee believes that the Priory was made to protect Mary Magdalene, the bride of Christ. The Priory believed that Mary bore the child of Christ and that his bloodline continued into the modern day. It was their directive to protect this bloodline, and the secret of Mary's burial place where they would come to worship Christ. As they learn more about the Priory, Sophie and Robert come closer and closer to finding the burial place of Mary Magdalene and the identity of her living heir.




Based on the hit novel by Dan Brown, this Ron Howard film takes on the classic adventure mysteries of history format popularized by other films such as National Treasure and Indiana Jones. With a confusing, and some would argue offensive, plot line this film contains a large number of dialogue based scenes that are supposed to drive the plot. The villain is difficult to discern and the character of Robert Langdon is a bit weak, but the concept is an interesting one. It brings into question some of the basis of the Christian faith. The Bible very well could have been limited and reedited by political and religious leaders in it's time which begs the question- what do we believe.

Capture of Culture- Fresh Dressed

It's all about expression. You might not have a dollar, but you had a fresh pair of sneakers.




With the culture of gang life rising in the projects, fashion became an integral part of defining who you were and who you belonged to. Gangs had their own symbols and these symbols were sewn into their clothing-jackets, sweatshirts, hats- in order to identify their allegiance. When the gangs of the New York area began to ban together, they started a new culture based on the music coming out of the area- hip hop and rap. The hip hop and rap culture opened up the way for designer brands and large labels to enter the street fashion market. On the streets, designer brands like Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren were desirable because they had prominent places in the lyrics of rap and hip hop artists. Faced with a demand, street venders would find ways to get their hands on these products and sell them to the public. Whether they stole the products from the high end stores or used the fabric to create their own designs, these vendors and designers focused on a high class brand image. With the rise of a company called Cross Color, hip hop and rap fashion took a turn towards street style made by and for the average street level citizen. Baggy pants and highly labeled clothing were essential to the wardrobe of many. Small business would find their branded shirts on famous rapper's bodies and would suddenly become the "must have" of the season. The market suffered over saturation, however, and slowly started the cycle over again with a resurgence in high style brand lust from the hip hop and rap community.




You don't often think of fashion being so influential in a culture, but street style has become such a prominent part of the industry that it shows the importance of fashion cycles for the average consumer. It's important for many to portray the image of the person they want to be, so they might not have the money to spend, but they will have the branded shoes with the fat laces to show the status they want to have.

Stream of the Week- Ray

He never let anyone or anything make him a cripple.




Ray Charles Robinson grew up in southern Florida as the son of a washer woman. At a young age his brother drowned in a wash basin, and he began to lose his sight. By the time he was seven, Ray lost all of his vision and had to learn how to get around without the use of sight. His mother sent him away to a school where he could learn with other challenged students but she made him promise before he left that he would never let anyone or anything turn him into a cripple. Before he lost his sight, Ray learned the piano from an old man in town and as he continued his education it became a great comfort to him in the darkness. When he was done with school, Ray found places to play. He started out in an old club called the Rockin' Chair. He played weekly and made all the customers get up and dance with his brilliant covers of classic musicians like Nat King Cole and Charles Brown. HE was signed to a record that sent him on tour as a piano player for other great musicians until he was signed to Atlantic Records. It was at this time where he found his sound- R&B mixed with gospel. Ray, taking his middle name as his last, rose in the charts with his first single "The Mess Around". He married a girl from Texas and started a family while he was still on the road and on tour. However, Ray often felt alone in the "darkness" while on the road. He took to drugs and took mistresses while on the road. Nothing seemed to catch up with him as his records kept coming up as hits. After a tour in Montreal, Ray was arrested at a check point for carrying drugs, and in order to wave the sentence he had to get clean. He had allowed his addiction to get in the way of his family and his music. It had such a strong hold on him, but when he kicked it he was finally free. His music continued to top charts and his song "Georgia on My Mind" became the State of Georgia's State Song.




Some of the best stories in film come from real events. The story of Ray Charles Robinson is an excellent example of how real people can overcome their demons. The film depicts the kind of world Ray lived in without sugar coating it and managed to bring in hints of his past and childhood as a motivation for many of his acts. Of all the performances, Ray, played by Jamie Foxx, was right on par with the real Ray Robinson and modeled everything after the great singer.