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Uncut Gems: It’s About to Pay Off

December 12, 2019 by Julie Levac Leave a Comment

Image result for uncut gems

The comedic powerhouse that is Adam Sandler has yet again flexed his dramatic skills in the new film by Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems.  Some will recall Adam Sandler previously playing the strong dramatic role of Charlie Fineman in the 2007 film, Reign Over Me. 

In Gems, Sandler completely embodies the lead role of Howard Ratner, an eccentric jewelry store owner with a severe gambling addiction. When his bets don’t pay off, he gets himself into very risky and often dangerous situations in order to make a buck and pay off his debts. Fueled by greed and consistent harassment by a trail of creditors, Howard doesn’t seem to be able to keep his head above water.

Image result for uncut gems

Right from the beginning of the film, we get an overall sense of chaos. It begins with chaotic music and over top of the dialogue, to the point where you can’t fully understand everything being said. We follow Howard as he hops from one location to the next, smooth-talking his way through business and personal dealings. The Safdies use the hectic and claustrophobic nature of New York City, mixed with Jewish jeweler culture, to their advantage as it only heightens the chaotic nature of the film.

Image result for uncut gems

Howard is quite a selfish character who will do whatever is necessary to get what he wants. After being caught cheating with his girlfriend, Julia (Julia Fox), he becomes separated from his wife, Dinah (Idina Menzel). As he gets caught up in numerous distractions, he seems to have less involvement with his children, From work to gambling to chasing Kevin Durrant for a diamond, Howard essentially has no time left for what’s most important. To top it off, the safety of his family becomes at risk after Howard’s numerous shady actions.

As more and more weight piles on top of Howard’s shoulders, he quickly begins to unravel.  Always sly, he soon begins to show his many vulnerabilities and becomes increasingly desperate to fix the trouble that he’s got himself into by doubling down on some of the same behaviours that got him into that place to begin with.

On top of it all, it seems that Howard just longs to be loved. He doesn’t seem to know what he has until it’s gone. He shows remorse, but it’s often too little, too late.

Aside from the incomparable Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems was blessed with a dominant supporting cast, including one of my personal favourites of the film, LaKeith Stanfield, who plays the very convincing plug, Demany. We also see some unsuspecting talent in Kevin Garnett and The Weeknd, who play themselves.

Overall, this is a film that should not be missed, and I would not be shocked to see a number of award nominations for Uncut Gems in the future.

Uncut Gems is scheduled for a limited release in the United States on December 13, 2019, and will be released nationwide on December 25, 2019.

Filed Under: Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Adam Sandler, Benny Safdie, Gambling, Idina Menzel, Josh Safdie, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, LaKeith Stanfield, New York, New York City, The Weeknd, Uncut Gems

3.25 Coming Home to SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING

July 20, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/3.25-Spiderman-Homecoming.mp3

This week, Steve teams up with Peter Percival (YouTube’s Bearded Movie Guy) and Jeff Baker (Geek Orthodox podcast) to talk about SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING!  Peter Parker has swung back into theatres (and the Marvel Cinematic Universe) with his 6th film in the last 15 years.  Have his web-fluid gotten stale?  Or should our spider-sense be tingling to get to the theatre?  In a fun conversation, the guys get to talk about coming-of-age, the importance of the ‘small’ and their favourite ‘Spider-Moments’.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.25 Spiderman Homecoming

A special thanks to Peter and Jeff for coming on the show!

 

Spider-Man theme song composed by winner Paul Francis Webster and Robert “Bob” Harris.  Copyright 1967

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Action, action film, film, Kevin Feige, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU, Michael Keaton, New York, spider-man, Spider-Man: Homecoming, superhero, The Vulture, tom holland

GIVEAWAY! Girls: Season Six!

June 13, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

 

ScreenFish is thrilled to be giving away a digital copy of Girls: Season Six!

Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), Girls is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their mid-20s. In many ways, Girls became an essential series for the millennial generation, exploring themes of sexuality, relationships and family in a post-modern context. Dunham wrote and directed the pilot of the series, which she executive produces with Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner. The cast also includes Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Shot in New York, the series finale aired on April 16, 2017.

In order to enter, simply like or share this post.  The winner will be selected on Friday, June 16th, 2017.

Good luck!

Filed Under: DVD, Giveaways Tagged With: Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Allison Williams, Andrew Rannells, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, girls, Jemima Kirke, Judd Apatow, lena dunham, New York, Zosia Mamet

Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Giveaway!

November 13, 2016 by Steve Norton 3 Comments

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Are you excited about Warner Bros. magical movie, Fantastic Beasts (and Where to Find Them)?  So are we!

To help get you ready to journey with Newt Scamander and friends, we have a great giveaway opportunity for you!  (And YES, this one is open to BOTH residents of Canada and the US…)  This prize pack includes a t-shirt, posters, stickers and a bookmark.

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To enter, like or share this contest and then comment on this Facebook post, answering the following two questions:

  1. If you could have any magic power, what would it be?
  2. What would you do with it?

Comments MUST be received by 11:59pm on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 EST.  The winner will be announced via. ScreenFish’s Facebook page and contacted via messenger for delivery details.

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Filed Under: Film, Giveaways Tagged With: Alison Sudol, contest, Craig Johnson, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, J. K. Rowling, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, magic, New York, Newt Scamander, poster, Voldemort, Warner Bros.

Captain America: Civil War — Conflict Breeds Catastrophe

May 5, 2016 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

#TeamCap FightsLet’s get the basic questions out of the way before we begin the review.

Is Captain America: Civil War any good?  You bet it is!
Is it a perfect film? 
Nope.
Is there lots of fighting? Oh yes. And then some.
How’s Spider Man?
Well . . . He needs some practice.
Does the film leave the door open for future movies?
I think you know the answer to that one.
So who wins the Civil War?
Uh . . . I’m not going to tell you that. Why are you asking me?

Feel better?  No? Okay, then let’s review the film (with minor spoilers, if that).

If you’ve been under a rock for the last few years, Marvel Studios has been building a comic book-based empire on the strength of The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America. Captain America: Civil War adds to and builds on the previous movies, offering moviegoers a rollicking, fast-paced thrill ride that may take more than one viewing to adequately enjoy.

The story begins with the Avengers attempting to ward off a potential crisis in Nigeria.  However, something goes awry and innocent lives are lost.  This seems to be a theme of past films (New York and Sokovia, for example), so the governments of the world have decided it’s time for those with superpowers to have limits. Thus, the Sokovia Accords are drafted, giving the Avengers a choice: submit to governmental control or retire.

Avengers at Headquarters

If you’re a fan of the comics, you know there will be disagreements as to what should be done. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) feels that limits will only breed more limits and make their jobs more difficult. Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) says that without limitations, they’re “no better than the bad guys.” Both are stubborn and won’t budge on their positions, gathering various Avengers to their separate points of view. Your favorite characters are all here: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Vision (Paul Bettany), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Ruud), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and War Machine (Don Cheadle).  The addition of Black Panther/T’Challa (Chad Boseman) makes the situation more difficult (but man, is he an incredible character to watch on screen).

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is dealing with a lot of things that spin the other part of the plot in motion. Captain America has a tie to him and this comes into play as the film advances to an inevitable clash held at the airport in Berlin. There’s lots of fighting, lots of gadgetry, and a few surprises along the way. But as Vision notes, “Conflict breeds catastrophe.” The question is whether the Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man will figure this out before it’s too late.

Captain America Meets Spider-ManOh yeah, and there’s Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland).  He has a role in the fight in Berlin, but seems more in awe of the others than anything.  He’s also learning about his superpowers—with mixed results. One part of the film that irked me involved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei)—don’t go in expecting her to be old like in the comics. In fact, guys might even be smitten by her.

In the end, the themes of vengeance, love, family, and loyalty come into play, though I’ll leave it to you to figure out how and in what manner it happens. Suffice it to say that the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 mean something in Civil War.

The film is nearly 2 ½ hours long, but it doesn’t feel that way due to the hyperkinetic pacing by directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Fight sequences are everywhere, surprises abound, and details are peppered throughout that help drive the plot forward. I do wish the villain (played by Martin Freeman) had been fleshed out a little bit more, but that’s nitpicking when events are unfolding so rapidly. The music isn’t overpowering but adds little to the whole scheme of affairs.  You’re there for the action, so that’s what you’re going to get.

And you’re going to like it.

(PS – Stay for the credits, as there are not one but two additional scenes that will leave you talking on the way out of the theater.)

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Ant-Man, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Russo, Aunt May, Avengers, Berlin, Black Widow, Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Falcon, Family, Government, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Joe Russo, Love, Loyalty, Marisa Tomei, Martin Freeman, New York, Nigeria, Paul Betteny, Paul Ruud, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Witch, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Sokovia, spider-man, tom holland, vengeance, Vision, War Machine, Winter Soldier

Who Wants An Apocalypse? – The Story of God (Ep. 2)

April 10, 2016 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

ExplosionIn his poem “Fire and Ice,” Robert Frost offers a brief discussion about how the end of the world will occur. In the end, he seems content with either fire or ice, but the end of planet earth is a topic many people discuss and debate today: How’s it going to happen?  Who’s going to set the pieces in motion? Are we going to be around to see it happen with our own eyes?  In tonight’s second episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (National Geographic Channel, 9P/8C), he takes a closer look at what faith has to say about the end of days. The findings are worth taking a look at for yourself.

While Freeman takes trips in the episode to Mexico (Aztec), India (Buddhist), Jerusalem (Jewish), and New York City (Islam—and a fascinating discussion with a gentleman who was part of the group that would later become Al Qaeda), the episode has a significant focus on the Christian belief of how the world will meet its demise.  Freeman talks with Jodi Magness, a professor at UNC, as she takes him to Qumran and shows him where the Dead Sea Scrolls were located.  The location is pretty breathtaking, as the caves built into the rock formations offer a glimpse of where the Battle of Armageddon would supposedly take place. The folks who occupied the caves—known as the Essenes—believed the impending war would bring them redemption lasting for eternity. They got their battle, all right—but it was with the Romans, who dropped by for a visit in 68 AD and destroyed the sect.

This concept of war has always been part of the canon of Christianity—all it takes is a quick read of the book of Revelation.  With all its symbolism and heavenly preparations for God to usher in a new heaven and new earth, a major focal point has involved the 13th chapter of the book.  It includes a massive beast rising out of the sea, a second beast giving orders to worship the first beast, and the imposition of a mark on all people—the number 666. Horror movie directors love it and devoted followers of Jesus today are scared to have it anywhere in their sight, whether it be on a license plate or their number of Facebook friends.

Morgan Freeman and Kim Haines-Eitzen
ROME – Morgan Freeman examines ancient documents with Cornell University Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions Kim Haines-Eitzen at the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome, Italy.

 (photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Seth Nejame)

Freeman visits the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome, a centuries-old library filled with ancient texts, for a discussion with Cornell professor Kim Haines-Eitzen. She shows him some writings and talks about who Revelation 13 may be referring to (hint: it didn’t involve any political candidates in America during the 21st century). Using numerology, the writings seem to show the Antichrist was Emperor Nero, a wild ruler from Rome in the first century who persecuted Christians intensely, killing them or using them as human torches. There was even speculation the number in the Bible was actually 616, not 666. But nevertheless, people of that time supposedly knew exactly who the text was talking about—and lived their lives appropriately.

If there is one point the second episode of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman seeks to make, it’s that the end of days allows people an opportunity to renew their lives.  He references Hurricane Katrina’s visit to New Orleans in 2004 and talks to people who started their lives over as a result—particularly in the Ninth Ward.  The apocalypse may not happen today, tomorrow, or even five years from now, but it provides us the opportunity for introspection and a chance to be renewed as we consider God and are reminded that He’s ultimately in control of the winds, waves, and the end of the world. 

Filed Under: Reviews, Television Tagged With: 666, Al Queda, Bibloteca Casanatense, Christianity, Dead Sea Scrolls, Essenes, Faith, Hurricane Katrina, India, Jerualem, Jesus, Jodi Magness, Mark of the Beast, Mexico, Morgan Freeman, Nero, New Orleans, New York, Ninth Ward, Numerology, Qumran, Revelation, Robert Frost

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