Year: 2017

“Blade Runner 2049” (2017). Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Hiam Abbass, Lennie James, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Loren Peta. Director: Denis Villeneuve. Screenplay: Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. Story: Hampton Fancher. Book Source: Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Web site. Trailer. Our love of freedom is undeniable. But, if we consider it so important, then why do we continue to shackle ourselves and our peers to various forms of enslavement? Some of these permutations may not be readily obvious, but their impact invariably serves that very purpose. And, when we imbue our existence with elements reflective of the foregoing, we have to ask ourselves what kind of reality are we manifesting and what does it really mean to be “human” (even if we dress up their associated manifestations in seemingly palatable packaging)? Those are among the questions raised in the long-awaited (and long-overdue) sequel to a legendary 1982 sci-fi classic, “Blade Runner 2049.” Set 30 years after its predecessor, “Blade Runner 2049” continues the story begun in its forerunner in which renegade artificial life forms known as “replicants” ...

Reviews of “Lucky,” “Blade Runner 2049” and “Life, Animated,” as well as book, web site and radio show previews, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio today, October 4, at 12:45 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear it live, catch it later on the podcast! ...

“Victoria and Abdul” (2017). Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Michael Gambon, Olivia Williams, Paul Higgins, Fenella Woolgar, Simon Callow, Ruth McCabe, Sukh Olja, Kemaal Deen-Ellis. Director: Stephen Frears. Screenplay: Lee Hall. Book: Shrabani Basu, Victoria and Abdul. Web site. Trailer. Friendships are one of the most precious, enjoyable and special elements of life. They’re especially prized when they take on magical qualities, those that involve acquaintances who are seemingly unlikely, perhaps even mismatched. So it was when a humble Indian servant met a powerful but lonely, aging monarch trapped by the rigidity and responsibility of her title, a fable-like tale depicted in the new biographical offering, “Victoria and Abdul.” When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a clerk at a local prison in Agra, India, is unexpectedly called upon to present a ceremonial coin to long-serving Queen Victoria of England (Judi Dench), he’s both intimidated and overwhelmed at the prospect. Having been chosen largely because he meets the physical requirements dictated by royal protocol, he’s plucked out of his civil servant job and whisked off to London with his new friend and cohort, Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar), for what is supposed to be a short trip and ...

Reviews of “Victoria and Abdul” and “I Smile Back,” as well as looks at a new book and web site, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

Join host Frankie Picasso and me this Thursday, September 28, at 1 pm ET for the next edition of Frankiesense & More radio. In addition to our regular Movies with Meaning segment in which we talk about new film offerings, we’ll also discuss the upcoming release of my new book, Third Real: Conscious Creation Goes Back to the Movies, as well as the impending launch of my new web site and my Project Bring Me 2 Life Crystal Chalice Award nomination for Writer of the Year. Tune in for some lively movie talk or listen to the on-demand podcast, available by clicking here ...