Interstellar....a disappointment

In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race. Written by Warren D'Souza

Rated PG13

The bad part of living in the middle of nowhere is having to drive about an hour to participate in a movie "experience" - meaning 3D/Imax stuff.  Since I am not a sci-fi fan, this doesn't usually present much of a problem. It's not like I needed IMAX to see Ben Affleck's package in Gone Girl...(wait maybe I did because I TOTALLY missed it)

Anyway - it took me a while to get to Interstellar because of my geographic challenges.  I was listening to all the advice about - YOU MUST SEE IT IN 3D etc.

Fast forward to a free Saturday and a willing date (daughter Tawni) and yesterday I found myself  all settled in at  the beautiful AMC Barrywoods IMAX Theater.

Maybe I am just not smart enough.  I didn't understand Inception - what made me think I would be able to follow Interstellar?   I just thought it was was too deep - I needed a notepad to keep track of everything.  

My apologies to everyone who is going on and on about this film - to all those folks who are buying the ticket that allows a person to see it as many times as they want. Seriously?  But Why?

I did enjoy all the previews in IMAX though - especially the Exodus God & Kings  trailer....so it wasn't a complete loss.

Turbine - 2011 - available @ Amazon & Netflix

As I sat down this morning to review "Mud"(Matthew McConaughey/Reese Witherspoon/Tye Sheridan), my mind kept wandering. It took me a few minutes, but I finally realized why. My affection for this movie stems from my passion for another little movie about life near another little river....and that movie is TURBINE.



There are many reasons I love Turbine. The main reason is this one:

I have known Mike Burg forever. We went to High School together - he now lives in New York City, I am still in Missouri. I live vicariously through him and his acting life; he comes to me for 'news from home'. It's a great relationship. Mike plays Darius Clemens Jr. in Turbine...

 

Turbine was shot in the countryside of Rock Port, Missouri where Mike and I grew up. The film tells the story of a New York couple - played by the gorgeous actors Isaak James and Anne Marie Nestor - and their move to the Midwest. Nick heads to rural America for a career in the wind turbine industry, Anne Marie goes along hoping to make a fresh start and start a family outside the confines of a big city. It doesn't take long for a wealthy local farmer (played with perfection by Burg) to become intriqued with the young couple.... it's a story of lust & deception & trying to outrun the demons in one's soul.

Here are the other reasons I love Turbine.

~ I am personally invested. You saw me in the trailer, handing Nick a ball cap. Mike blessed me beyond measure when he asked me to help scout locations for the movie. The cherry on top was a small role in the movie. It is one of the highlights of my life.

~ Nick and Sarah's cabin is actually a little shack along the banks of the Missouri River that Jay and I took care of and spent many, many weekends. It is (was) one of my favorite places in the world. The filming took place in the Spring of 2011. That summer, the Missouri River flooded and destroyed the cabin (not completely - but damn close). It will never be the same. I will forever be indebted to Turbine for capturing on film this magical little place.

~ I met some wonderful people, such as this beauty, Miss Eva James, who co-produced this movie. I really, really like her. I really do.

~Lastly, Rick DeBuhr, who plays the trucker in the movie, was killed in a motorcycle accident a few months after the movie premiered. While I have also known Rick my whole life, I didn't know him on a very personal level. But my heart tells me that being in this movie was also a highlight for him.

You can rent Turbine on Netflix or purchase it from Amazon.  You will especially enjoy the movie if you are from the midwest - the scenery and backdrop are brutally honest.

I promise to get around and review MUD in the next couple of days....but I wanted to share this little gem, since somehow I hadn't thought to until today.

Cheers!

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My Review of 42

Long before we ever knew of Hank Aaron or  Ken Griffey, Jr.  there was Jackie Robinson.

Any baseball fan knows who Jackie was - the first African-American to play Major League Baseball, but very few can understand exactly WHAT he was. Until now.   Chadwick Boseman - whose resemblence to Jackie Robinson is uncanny - delivers an award winning performance.  His ability to show all facets of this incredible man was spot on.  Minority, Athlete, Lover, Father, Teacher, Forgiver.  It's raw emotion - which is my cup of tea when it comes to great movies.

You don't have to be a baseball fan to fall in love with this movie.  It's mostly a movie about how much the human spirit can endure - at times, I felt sick to my stomach with the epitaphs he had to endure.  This prideful man - always impeccably dressed and absolutely gorgeous (you know me - it's all about the eye candy) - was constantly tested.  He faced more ridicule and injustice than any person should have too - always turning the other check.  It's hard to say if he would have stayed so focused, if not for the promise he made to his manager, Branch Rickey:

"Jackie Robinson: You want a player who doesn't have the guts to fight back?

Branch Rickey: No. I want a player who's got the guts *not* to fight back.

Jackie Robinson: You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, I'll give you the guts. "

Branch Rickey was a man of great morals who believed the game of baseball - as well as the America it represented- should offer opportunities to people with talent - no matter the color of their skin.  He was 65 years old when he met Jackie Robinson and put it all on the line.  I fell in love with this man.  But I wasn't in love with Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey.  There was just something that was off for me - I can't put my finger on it.  (Side note - my husband; a HUGE baseball fan, thought Ford was SPOT ON.  He knows the story of Branch Rickey - so if Jay says he did a great job, than who am I to argue?)

Lastly, this movie was a love story.    Nicole Beharie plays the love of Jackie's life, Rachel.  Nicole mentioned in an interview how thrilled she was to be able to consult with Rachel Robinson during the making of this film.  She is convinced, as is everyone who actually knew the couple - that this was a story of "WE" not "I".  They truly faced this journey together - she was his biggest fan, his counselor, his lover and his best friend.  She was a very beautiful, very strong woman who continues to work towards the greater good.  She is quoted as saying "I want young people to know you can go through terrible times, but if you form strong relationships...you can make a difference."   Great stuff.

This strong cast also included one of my favorite actors, Lucas Black (of Slingblade fame); TR Knight (Grey's Anatomy) and Andre Holland who plays the African American baseball writer hired by Rickey to guide Jackie through his newfound fame.   One of my favorite lines is delivered by Holland, I can't remember it exactly but it goes something like this:  "You aren't the only one with something at stake here.  Haven't you ever wondered why I sit in stands with my typewriter in my lap instead of sitting in the press box?"

Jackie Robinson is the heart and soul of Baseball, of America, of tolerance and change.  We should all take a page from his book, a book that "42" does a fine job of sharing with us all.