Movie Review: "Nebraska

This black and white drama/comedy centers around a nuclear, but dysfunctional Midwest family. Bruce Dern, who plays Woody, the family’s alcoholic elderly father, is convinced he has won 1 million dollars in a contest by a Lincoln Nebraska magazine clearing house. Despite not having a valid driver’s license, he is determined to get to Nebraska to claim his prize. His younger son, played by Will Forte, volunteers to take him to Lincoln from their home in Billings Montana. On the way, they stop in his tiny hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska. There he reunites with his extended family and old friends. June Squibb expertly plays Woody’s shrew of a wife. Through a series of domestic conflicts, the family discovers the presence of true affection and mutual self sacrifice. The wonderful black and white cinematography is reminiscent “Everything is Illuminated.” Dern and relative newcomer Squibb’s performances are superb. Story development is slow, but sophisticated. There was a lot of unnecessary profanity and innuendo- otherwise it would not have earned an “R” rating.

Movie Review: Gravity

This recently released movie is about two astronauts, George Clooney as Matt Kowalski and Sandra Bullock as Ryan Stone. They are set adrift in orbit after disaster strikes a shuttle mission. Initially, they are tethered together and tumble out of control. After regaining their composure, they try to conserve oxygen and find the resources to survive their ordeal. Clooney plays a seasoned space veteran with a great deal of composure, quick wit and the ability to calm Bullock’s character. Sandra Bullock plays a biomedical engineer who is new to space and somewhat reluctant to be in her position. The performance of both is over the top. The plot is well developed and appropriately suspenseful. The cinematography and special effects are breath-taking and innovative. I viewed it without the benefit of the 3D format. Probably one of the finest movies I have seen this calendar year.

Review: Broad Avenue Arts District

The stretch of Broad Avenue starting at Parkway has undergone quite a renaissance in the paste year or two. Several fine eateries are now located on the south side of the street. Memphis longtime favorite, Broadway Pizza, serves up custom pizzas with Elvis memorabilia along the booth lined walls. The owner of Midtown Bari Ristorante recently opened the Three Angels Diner. They serve an eclectic mix of plate lunches, sandwiches and spicey daily soups. T. Clifton Art is a gallery specializing in art glass pieces and custom framing. Stop by and visit with the friendly proprietors, Tom, Pat and their friendly giant St Bernard Argus. Their website is: www.tcliftonart.com. Metalworks creates custom furniture, yard art and banisters. Some of their work can be seen lining Broad Avenue. Jerry Couillard is the designer and metalsmith in residence. Their website is: www.mtlwriks.com My personal favorite is the gallery of local artist, Nancy Judy Woods. An Orange Mound native, she frequented her grandparents home outside Byhalia, MS while growing up. While working in a daycare and as a home nursing assistant, she started painting pictures of her childhood experiences in Mississippi. Despite any formal art training, her acrylics bring to life the joy and excitement of a young girl growing up in a Southern rural setting. It’s worth the stop at her gallery to see her work and meet her. Her website is: http://www.njwoods.com.

Review: Picturing America: Signature Works from the Westmoreland Museum of American Art

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is located in Greensburg, PA. For over 50 years, this museum has collected works from American artist from the mid 18th through mid 20th century. The exhibit is fairly well organized. The first group on display is representative portraits- including a famous portrait of George Washington by Rembrandt Peale. A large exhibit of still lifes included some by John Singer Sargent and members of the Hudson River School. About a third of display included bird prints by John Audubon. This showing will end Sunday, October 6.

Movie Review "RED 2"

This the 2nd installation of the adventures of retired clandestine operatives that are (R)etired (E)xtremely (D)angerous. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reunites his unlikely team in a worldwide pursuit of a portable nuclear device. This film splendidly mixes great comedy, action, special effects and plot. Anthony Hopkins, normally cast in dramatic roles, plays the part of an absent minded scientist. Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren did a great job extending their roles from the 1st movie in the series. The film runs a little under 2 hours. Aside from from a few mild profanities, it could have rated a G rating.

Movie Review: "Pacific Rim"

This latest action Sci-fi movie is about man’s fight for survival against alien monsters that rise from a break in the earth’s crust at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Gigantic robots are employed to battle the aliens. Because of the robots’ size, two humans are required to join their brains digitally to pilot the robots. The plot is painfully thin- kind of Iron Man meets Godzilla. The acting is at best mediocre. No stars of merit were in the movie. The volume of the sound track was barely below ear-damaging 120 decibels. Several times I found myself covering my ears for comfort sake. The running time was a painful 2 hours and 10 minutes. Without question, one of the worse movies I’ve seen in recent memory.

Movie Review "World War Z"

This story revolves around UN investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) who travels the world in an attempt to discover the cause of cure of a disease that is rapidly turning the world’s population into zombies. It’s a combination of “I am Legend” and “Zombieland”- without the humor. Because of the nature of the film, there is some gore, but not excessively so. This film has no sex and a minimal amount of profanity. The special effects are quite good. The story line is modestly developed. Surprisingly, the scientific notions of disease, population and cure are surprisingly sound. Brad Pitt’s acting talents outclass this type of movie. It was of appropriate length.