Category: Movies

FLOP: ‘First Man’ Movie Fails To Top Box Office Amid Flag Controversy

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"First Man"

by Nick Givas   Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” failed to secure the top spot at the box office this weekend and came in third behind Marvel’s “Venom” and Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born.” The film received backlash and criticism, for failing to include a scene of Neil Armstrong planting the American flag on the surface of the moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, played by ‘House Of Cards’ actor Corey Stoll, appeared to voice his displeasure with the film’s omission back in September, when he posted a photo of he and Armstrong plating the flag on Twitter. #proudtobeanAmerican #freedom #honor #onenation #Apollo11 #July1969 #roadtoApollo50 pic.twitter.com/gApIwLzaJw — Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) September 3, 2018 Ryan Gosling, who plays Armstrong and hails from Canada, defended leaving out the flag scene and took a different view of America’s moon landing. “I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that’s how we chose to view it,” he told reporters at the Venice film festival. “I also think Neil was extremely humble, as were many of these astronauts, and time and time again he deferred the focus from himself to the 400,000 people who made the mission possible.” ‘First Man’ failed to recoup even half of it’s…

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‘Gosnell’ Movie Producers Never Trusted Pro-Lifers, but ‘Brutal’ Murder Evidence Changed That

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by Grace Carr   Film producers of “Gosnell,” a movie detailing the crimes of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, never trusted pro-lifers until they pulled together “brutal” murder evidence for the movie that changed their perspectives on abortion. “I never trusted or liked pro-life activists,” film producer Ann McElhinney told Lifesite. “I thought the shocking images they showed were manipulative. I was sure they had been photoshopped,” McElhinney said, recounting how she’d thought prior to producing, “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer.” “The universities of the world are teeming with young people just like that young person I once was,” McElhinney continued. “This story was not orchestrated by the pro-life movement. This was a trial: a murder trial.” The film tells the story of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was sentenced to life in prison after authorities discovered he’d been killing live babies after birth. Gosnell aborted babies after the legal limit of 24 weeks gestation in what became known as the “House of Horrors.” He was also responsible for the death of 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar who died of a drug overdose during her abortion. Gosnell operated the Women’s Medical Society in West Philadelphia starting in 1979, but wasn’t investigated until February 2010 when the FBI and the…

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Iconic Entertainer Jerry Lee Lewis to Rock Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on December 10

Bethany Bowman

Rock ‘n’ roll’s original wild-man and country music stylist, Jerry Lee Lewis, will return to Nashville for the first time since 2014 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on December 10th. Tickets are available for presale here and will go on sale to the general public on August 10 at 10 a.m. “We are honored that Jerry Lee Lewis has chosen the Schermerhorn for his triumphant return to Music City,” said Alan D. Valentine, Symphony president & CEO. “His appearance promises to be one of the highlights of our entire season lineup, and we are thrilled to add ‘The Killer’ — one of the true legends of American music — to the long list of musical icons who have graced our stage.” Few artists in music history can boast a résumé as impressive as that of “The Killer,” now in his seventh decade of an unrivaled career that includes numerous Grammy® Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and an unparalleled impact on countless rock and country artists who have followed in his footsteps. About Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the all-time best singer-songwriters, musicians, and pianists.…

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‘It All Begins With A Song: The Story of the Nashville Songwriter’ Awarded Three Silver Lions at Cannes Lions International Festival

Bethany Bowman
It all begins with a song

It All Begins With A Song: The Story of the Nashville Songwriter, a new documentary that takes an in-depth look at Nashville’s songwriting community, was awarded three Silver Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity recently. “This documentary portrays the strength of Nashville’s creative community and of its music brand,” said Ronnie Smith, Head of Corporate Bank, Regions Bank, and chairman of the NCVC board of directors. “No other city could capture its brand in a documentary of this caliber. It is a unique marketing tool that will prove to be effective, cost-efficient and global in its reach. It certainly goes outside the norm to market a city with a documentary, and this recognition is validation of that effort.” The documentary film was created by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp as a marketing tool. It was produced by the NCVC, along with John Godsey and VML, a global marketing agency. It was directed by Chusy Jardine of Plan A Films and is being shopped worldwide to major buyers. The Cannes Lions are the most established and coveted awards for the creative and marketing communications industry, and the Festival of Creativity is held in the same southern French…

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Dean Cain: People Didn’t Want Us To Release Abortion Film About ‘Most Prolific Serial Killer’ In US History

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by Grace Carr   Actor and reserve police officer Dean Cain sat down with “Fox & Friends” Friday to talk about his new film, “Gosnell: America’s Biggest Serial Killer,” which reveals the horrors that occurred at the hands of America’s most infamous abortion doctor, Kermit Gosnell. “It’s the story of Kermit Gosnell,” Cain said. “Some people call him the most prolific serial killer in the history of the United States … And it was horrible because he was inducing labor and babies were born alive and he was — they were snipping with surgical scissors.” He explained that he and the producers made the film a few years before 2018, but had trouble getting it out because no one wanted to distribute subject matter that was so graphic and terrible. The film is set to hit theaters on Oct. 12. “People didn’t want to talk about it — people haven’t wanted to let us release this film,” Cain said. “Why is it important for this film to be released in your mind?” co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked Cain, to which he responded the “story is so horrendous and so bad” that people should be aware. Most people aren’t aware of Gosnell’s…

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Incredibles 2: Making Superheroes Great Again

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Incredibles-2

by Jordan J. Ballor   I saw Incredibles 2 over the Father’s Day weekend, and just like its predecessor, there’s a lot to ponder beneath the surface of this animated film. In the real world we’ve had to wait 14 years, but the sequel picks up basically where the original left off. As the Rev. Jerry Zandstra wrote of the original, “litigiousness and mediocrity are some of the biggest obstacles in our culture. The propensity to settle every dispute by legal action undermines values, such as trust and forgiveness, that are essential to the maintenance of genuine community. Fear of rewarding or achieving excellence discourages human persons from fulfilling God-given potential.” In the sequel, superheroes are still illegal, for reasons of both litigiousness and social anxiety over “supers,” that is, those who have super abilities. Incredibles 2 has a lot to do with the virtues of a system that allows individuals to find out what they can do well and how those abilities can serve others for their good. In this, it is true to the stewardship mandate at the heart of all superhero tales: with great power comes great responsibility. Or as Jesus puts it, to those whom much is given, much is expected. But the issues…

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Chappaquiddick Film Goes Deeper Than Politics

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Chappaquiddick movie

by Ray Nothstine   It was nearly 50 years ago that an infamous incident finished off the hopes of returning another Kennedy brother to the White House. A film about “Chappaquiddick,” released this month, offers more than a historical retrospective. It reminds us of important truths that lay beneath the tumultuous world of political intrigue. The movie revisits the details: The late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy drove his car off the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, resulting in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old political consultant who had worked on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. Kopechne drowned – or, in the opinion of the diver who recovered her body, probably was trapped in an air pocket in the shallow water and later suffocated. In fact, there is a line in the film where the diver suggests he might have saved her if he had been notified in time. Kennedy, of course, escaped the car but did not report his involvement to authorities until after the scene was discovered by police 10 hours later. Over the decades since, plenty has been said particularly on the political right, about Kennedy’s direct involvement in the abandonment and death of Kopechne. Much of it…

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The Public Tells Hollywood Once More: We Want Faith-Based Films

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Whenever a faith-based film performs well at the box office, many in the industry may be surprised — while the rest of the country is not. This trend continued over the weekend with the release of “I Can Only Imagine.” The movie focuses on singer Bart Millard’s relationship with his father before the elder man passed away when Millard was just 18 years old. The movie embraces the theme of forgiveness, specifically when it comes to family members.

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Bruce Willis’ Reimagining of Classic 1970’s Bronson Thriller ‘Death Wish’ Arrives in Theaters Amid Heated Gun Control Debate

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“The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun.” – Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association Enter Dr. Paul Kersey, devoted family man-turned-ruthless vigilante in “Death Wish.” Director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) reboots the classic 1974 revenge drama with Bruce Willis taking on the lead role embodied by the late Charles Bronson in the original “Death Wish” and its four – yes, four – sequels. With a shift in setting from the mean streets of 1974 New York City to the meaner streets of 2017 Chicago, Dr. Kersey dons a hoodie and vows to take down the thugs who murdered his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and raped his daughter (Camila Morrone).

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‘Game of Thrones’ Creators to Make New ‘Star Wars’ Films

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Lucasfilm announced plans Tuesday for a new series of “Star Wars” films made by the team behind “Game of Thrones,” as it seeks to build on the lucrative sci-fi franchise. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of the smash-hit, Emmy Award-winning television series, will write and produce new films that are separate from the main Skywalker saga and the trilogy being developed by Rian Johnson, writer-director of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

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MOVIE REVIEW: ’12 Strong’ Explodes with U.S.-Afghan War Effort

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“12 STRONG” – 3 stars – Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Trevante Rhodes, William Fichtner; R (war violence and language throughout); in general release Once it gets past a few early stumbles, Nicolai Fuglsig’s “12 Strong” shapes up to be a dramatic and exciting war film. Based on the book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton, “12 Strong” tells the story of the first American troops to fight in Afghanistan after 9/11.

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Why ‘Forever My Girl’ Is Different from Its Hollywood Competition

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“I didn’t want a movie that felt like homework,” producer Mickey Liddell told LifeZette in an exclusive interview about his upcoming film “Forever My Girl,” which hits theaters on Friday. The movie is in the vein of Liddell’s earlier work, through his company LD Entertainment, in that it harkens back to old-school Hollywood work that aims to entertain and inspire. Liddell’s filmography includes everything from the biblical epic “Risen” to true-story dramas like “The Zookeeper’s Wife.”

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The Hype Reawakens: ‘Star Wars’ Stages ‘Last Jedi’ Premiere

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Stormtroopers, droids and celebrities from galaxies near and far hit the red carpet in the shadow of a giant AT-AT assault vehicle Saturday at the glittering world premiere of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — although one star almost didn’t make it. John Boyega, who plays the heroic stormtrooper-turned-rebel Finn, had tweeted that he feared missing the big event because a snowstorm had gridlocked air travel out of Atlanta.

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Director Ridley Scott Alludes to a ‘Few More’ Sexual Predators Lurking in Hollywood

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Following recent sexual harassment and assault allegations against , something unorthodox happened with an upcoming movie starring the performer. An announcement came out about “All the Money in the World,” directed by Ridley Scott, noting that Spacey would be replaced entirely in the movie through reshoots, which would insert actor Christopher Plummer in the role. …

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Review: All-Star Cast Struggles to Keep ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ on Track

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“MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS” – 2½ stars – Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad; PG-13 (violence and thematic elements); in general release “There is right. There is wrong. There is nothing in between.” Hercule Poirot’s clear-cut moral declaration sets the tone for…

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Franklin Theatre to Show ‘The Battle of Franklin’ Sunday

Wendy Wilson

The Franklin Theatre on Sunday will screen the 2007 Emmy-award winning documentary The Battle of Franklin. After the rare showing of the Civil War film, there will be a brief panel discussion on the historic battle, the making of the movie and preservation efforts. Produced and directed by Robert Lee Hodge, the documentary portrays Confederate General John Bell Hood’s struggle to gain control of Tennessee from Union forces. The 1864 Battle of Franklin is related through the actual thoughts and words of the soldiers who experienced the bloody and decisive conflict. The movie was partially filmed on the original battlefield. Ed Bearss, chief historian emeritus of the National Park Service, has said the film is “one of the best, if not the best, documentaries I have seen on a Civil War battle.” “Not since Ken Burns’ monumental PBS production, The Civil War, have I seen better,” Bearss said. Hodge gained famed as one of the Civil War reenactors profiled in Tony Horwitz’s book Confederates in the Attic. A photo of Hodge appeared on the cover. Horwitz first wrote about Hodge for a Wall Street Journal article. At age 9, Hodge already had an idea of what he wanted to accomplish, according to his…

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