We Are Movie Geeks

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of SPOTLIGHT In St. Louis

Go behind the scenes of SPOTLIGHT in this brand new featurette and be sure to check out the newly released clips from the film below.

Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Liev Schrieber, Brian D’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci and Billy Crudup, SPOTLIGHT tells the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions. Directed by Academy Award-nominee Thomas McCarthy, SPOTLIGHT is a tense investigative thriller, tracing the steps to one of the biggest crime stories in modern times.

The film opens in St. Louis, Friday, November 20th.

SPOTLIGHT is now playing in select theaters and expanding across the nation throughout the following weeks. Check out this link for a complete list of theaters, which will continue to be updated: http://www.spotlightmovietheaters.com

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of SPOTLIGHT on Monday, November 16 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

3. No purchase necessary.

Rated R for some language, including sexual reference.

http://SpotlightTheFilm.com

FACEBOOK: http://Facebook.com/SpotlightMovie

TWITTER: http://Twitter.com/SpotlightMovie

INSTAGRAM: http://Instagram.com/SpotlightMovie

Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson Characters Revealed In Photos For Illumination Entertainment’s SING

From Illumination Entertainment comes the teaser poster and characters images for SING.

Opening December 2016, Matthew McConaughey (Buster Moon), Reese Witherspoon (Rosita), Seth MacFarlane (Mike), Scarlett Johansson (Ash), John C. Reilly (Eddie), Taron Egerton (Johnny) and Tori Kelly (Meena) star in a musical comedy about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us.

Illumination has captivated audiences all over the world with the beloved hits DESPICABLE ME, DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX, DESPICABLE ME 2 and MINIONS, now the second-highest-grossing animated movie in history.

Following the release of THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS in summer 2016, Illumination presents SING at the holidays. Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly star in a musical comedy about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us.

Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times.

Buster is an eternal optimist – okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel – who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.

Five lead contestants emerge: A mouse (Seth MacFarlane) who croons as smoothly as he cons, a timid teenage elephant (Tori Kelly) with an enormous case of stage fright, an overtaxed mother (Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon) run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets, a young gangster gorilla (Taron Egerton) looking to break free of his family’s felonies, and a punk-rock porcupine (Scarlett Johansson) struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo.

Each animal arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life.

Featuring more than 85 hit songs, SING is written and directed by Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy.

Released by Universal Pictures, SING arrives in theaters for the holiday season on December 21, 2016.

www.singmovie.com

twitter.com/singmovie

Daniel Radcliffe Talks VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN On Jimmy Fallon; Create Your Own Franken-Friend

Actor Daniel Radcliffe and Jimmy Fallon discussed on Tuesday evening’s show VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN and the special effects in the upcoming film.

Have a listen below.

Mad scientist, Victor Frankenstein, has unleashed his most monstrous and horrifying experiment to date.

He’s created Franken-Friend.com, giving fans the power to create their own monster by stitching together pieces of their Facebook friends’ photos.

Check out the Franken-Friend creation below featuring the VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN cast, Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, and Jessica Brown Findlay.

Create your very own Franken-Friend HERE: www.Franken-Friend.com

James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality.

But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.

The film also features Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott, and Freddie Fox.

Directed by Paul McGuigan, with the screenplay by Max Landis, VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN comes to theaters November 25, 2015.

https://www.facebook.com/FrankensteinMovie
https://twitter.com/Frankenstein
http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/victor-frankenstein

Watch The First Trailer For MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2

Gold Circle Entertainment and HBO present a Playtone production of MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time.

Written by Academy Award nominee Nia Vardalos, who stars alongside the entire returning cast of favorites, the film reveals a Portokalos family secret that will bring the beloved characters back together for an even bigger and Greeker wedding.

Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee, Waking Ned Devine) directs the next chapter of the film that will be once again produced by Rita Wilson and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Paul Brooks and Steve Shareshian return to executive produce alongside Vardalos and Scott Niemeyer.

Universal Pictures will distribute the comedy domestically and in select international territories.

www.facebook.com/MyBigFatGreekWeddingMovie

twitter.com/MBFGreekWedding

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 opens on March 25, 2016

Jennifer Garner And Queen Latifah Star In Trailer For Patricia Riggen’s MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN

From the director of THE 33, Patricia Riggen, comes the first trailer for MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN.

Opening Easter 2016, the faith-based film stars Jennifer Garner, Martin Henderson, John Carroll Lynch, Kylie Rogers with Eugenio Derbez and Queen .

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN is based on the incredible true story of the Beam family. When Christy (Jennifer Garner) discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers) has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter’s healing as she searches for a solution.

After Anna has a freak accident and falls three stories, a miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored and their community inspired.

The screenplay is by Randy Brown, based on the book by Christy Beam.

Look for MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN in cinemas March 18, 2016.

www.facebook.com/MiraclesHeaven

twitter.com/MiraclesHeaven

See The New Trailer For THE FINEST HOURS – Stars Chris Pine, Casey Affleck And Ben Foster

Chris Pine stars as Bernie Webber and Holliday Grainger as Miriam in the heroic action-thriller THE FINEST HOURS, the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Presented in Digital 3D, Real D 3D and IMAX 3D, the film transports audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale.

On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast.

Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.

Disney’s THE FINEST HOURS which is directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Chris Pine, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz and Eric Bana, storms into theaters on January 29, 2016.

Visit the official site: movies.disney.com/the-finest-hours

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER Saturday Morning at The Hi-Pointe

“Well I really wouldn’t care to scratch your surface, Mr. Kralik, because I know exactly what I’d find. Instead of a heart, a hand-bag. Instead of a soul, a suitcase. And instead of an intellect, a cigarette lighter… which doesn’t work.”

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER screens this Saturday morning, November 14th at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117) as part of their Classic Film Series.

One of Ernst Lubitsch’s finest comedies, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER is a 1940 classic which takes places in a Budapest gift shop. The inspiration for the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan vehicle YOU’VE GOT MAIL , the film watches as two employees, Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) and Alfred Kralick (James Stewart), repeatedly bicker. Unbeknownst to both, they’re also madly in love with each other, having been anonymous pen-pals for several months. Things take a sad turn when Alfred is mistakenly believed to be having an affair with his bosses wife, leading to his termination. Devastated, Alfred decides how he can tell his pen pal that is unemployed, while he figures out a way to get his old job back. THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER is a funny and sentimental comedy romance with a great cast and direction – a holiday favorite so don’t miss it when it plays as part of The Hi-Pointe Theater’s Saturday Morning Classic Film Series! Doors open at 10am THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER begins at 10:30! Admission is only $5!!

The Hi-Pointe is located at 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117. Their website can be found HERE

http://hi-pointetheatre.com/

SLIFF 2015 Review – TOUCHED WITH FIRE

Review by Dana Jung

TOUCHED WITH FIRE screens Thursday, November 12th at 7pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of The St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found HERE

Two powerful performances dominate the new film TOUCHED WITH FIRE, which examines the sometimes blurry line between genius and madness. Carla (Katie Holmes, who also co-produced) and Marco (Luke Kirby, seen recently on TVs RECTIFY) are two creative and restless poets who are also bi-polar. They each display an almost obsessive need to write and perform their verse at local poetry bars. After a chance meeting attending group therapy in the mental ward of a hospital, the two find in each other a kindred spirit with a common bond—the burning need to create.

Though not really a film version of the book TOUCHED WITH FIRE, the film is informed by the basic themes of that work. Published in 1993, and subtitled “Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament,” TOUCHED WITH FIRE was written by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. Much of her work shows incredible insight into the condition of manic-depressive behavior (she herself suffered from the disorder, which she details in her other books), and TOUCHED WITH FIRE contains several case studies of famous artists, writers, and other creative people—including Lord Byron, one of the great Romantic poets.

Around these themes, writer-director Paul Dalio has made a thoughtful, touching, and beautifully acted film that asks many questions with no easy answers. What is the relationship between artistic expression and some types of dementia? Can we have true art without the influence of at least some sort of non-normal perception of reality? How responsible are creative people to live a life of normalcy, with the responsibilities of jobs, homes, and families? Almost mirroring the highs and lows of typical bi-polar behavior, the film tells the story from both sides. We see the “manic” exuberance of two people falling in love amid fantastical elements in lovely, visually wonderful scenes at the mental hospital. Later, we witness the depression and dark moods as the realities of parental pressure and the stress of a committed relationship deepen. Holmes is a naturally gifted actress who totally loses herself in the role of Carla. Wearing little makeup, with an almost haggard expression from her terminal sleeplessness, Holmes rides the mood swings of Carla with great depth and passion. From the scene of her first interaction with her mother (Christine Lahti in fine support), when Carla chokingly asks, “When did it start? What caused it?” we are rooting for her to find the answers we know she never will. Kirby is equally impressive, whether he’s spouting the most intellectual yet paranoid rap poetry we’ve ever heard, or trying to fight through his illness for the sake of Carla.

After the highs, when we come to the lows of the love story, the film raises its central question: Is manic-depressive behavior a gift, to be set free and nurtured, or is it an illness, to be medicated and controlled? TOUCHED WITH FIRE seems to see the value in both points of view, and even presents the notion that both may be necessary in some form in order to create lasting works of art. And as both an adult romantic drama, and as a study of the effects of bi-polar behavior on artistic expression, TOUCHED WITH FIRE succeeds admirably.

www.touchedwithfire.com

SLIFF 2015 review: THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

How’s that old 1950’s standard go? “Why must I be a teeeen-ager in love?”. Well, for one thing teen love inspires countless films, from all over the world. Take Lithuania, for example. That’s the setting for THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE, a most magical time of year, indeed. Now, it is a love story, between two 17 year-old girls, set against the backdrop of fashion, photography, and … aeronautics? Tray table up and buckle yourself in…

The film begins at an air show at a small town airport. Lovely, somber Sangaile (Julija Steponaityte) has her head in the clouds, almost bumping into other flying fans, as she stares at the circling prop planes. She catches the attention of a brightly attired show worker, Auste (Aiste Dirziute), who is selling raffle tickets. The prize: a ride on one of the two-seater stunt planes. The friendly Auste gives the shy Sangaile a ticket, assuring her that she has the winning number. But when that number is called (thanks to some chicanery), Sangaile doesn’t step forward, choosing instead to dash home. Auste gazes sadly as she peddles away. At her family house, Sangaile insults her parents and party guests before she retreats to her attic room. There she finds an odd comfort in making small cuts on her arm. Sangaile returns to the airport the next day and discovers that Auste is a waitress in the terminal cafeteria. After sneaking her a special pastry treat, Auste invites Sangaile to join her as she hangs out with some friends after her shift ends. She has fun, but Sangaile’s focus stays on Auste and vice versa. Soon they are spending long days at Auste’s apartment as she creates dresses fo Sangaile. This leads to photo sessions in the nearby woods, as the friendship between the two young women evolves into a passionate love affair.

The freedom of flying connects with the ecstasy and blossoming of love in writer/director Alante Kavaite’s dreamlike portrait of two very different women who somehow connect. The outgoing Auste and the brooding Samsaile do fulfill a deep need in each other. Auste seems to give direction to the drifting, unfocused Samsaile making her feel alive, more so than her destructive “cutting” addiction. The film doesn’t quite reach the sublime heights of BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, but it’s a sweet, sensual story that often soars as high as the planes that the title heroine adores. Like that season THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE is warm and full of fun and frolic.

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac on Friday, November 13 at2:05 PM and Saturday, November 14 at noon as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Purchase tickets here and here

SLIFF 2015 Review: THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Now this makes for an interesting double feature. Recently I looked at the SLIFF feature entry from France, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, a high school drama. Now, here’s another education-inspired film. But it’s much younger, as you can assume from the title THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. And it’s a whole lot…stranger. That’s the word for this character study from Israel. A great deal of scrutiny is place on the preschool levels, since those young minds are still developing along with their social skills. This tale is about a woman in charge of guiding these little ones as she realizes that one of her charges is quite uniquely gifted.

Nira (Sarit Larry) is the title character, devoted wife and mother (her son’s now in the Army), and teacher to a dozen or so kiddos. But one has a unusual talent. Little Yoav (Avi Shnaidman), without warning, will start to pace back and forth, prompting him to go into some sort of trance. He then recites incredibly sophisticated original poetry. Nira is stunned, while Yoav’s nanny thinks nothing of it, calling the boy an “oddball”. His teacher becomes obsessed, hurriedly jotting down this impromptu verse. In the evenings, she passes off Yoav’s gifts as her own at a night school poetry class, earning raves from the other students and her handsome instructor. But soon Nira becomes possessive of the lad, especially when she learns that the nanny has been using the poems for her acting auditions. After getting the nanny fired, Nira pleads with Yoav’s single dad, a rich restaurant owner, to enlist her son into special classes, or to hire a tutor to develop his remarkable talents. Father will have none of this nonsense, his son will not make his living as a poet. When Nira becomes adamant he takes Yoav out of Nira’s school and sends him to an exclusive, gated daycare center. This sets Nira on a dangerous course of action with far-reaching consequences.

Writer/director Nadav Lapid has crafted a riveting tale of obsession, often recalling the themes of AMADEUS, and even FATAL ATTRACTION. He guides wonderful performances from Shnaidman whose Yoav seems as confused about his gift as he is about the attention from his teacher. But Larry is the film’s complex, conflicted heart. Nira has no qualms about claiming Yoav’s verse, but the idea of the nanny reciting his words at auditions sends her into a rage. She’s full of contradictions, enjoying a passionate relationship with her hubby, but plunging headlong into an affair with little remorse. Yes, there are lots of sweet children at the school, but this film is quite adult in its language and sexual situations. You’ve never net a boy like Yoav or a woman like Nira, THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER.

THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas on Friday, November 13 at 4:15 PM and Sunday, November 15 at 4:30 PM as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Purchase tickets here and here

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