Year: 2021

“Love and Monsters” (2020). Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Ariana Greenblatt, Dan Ewing, Ellen Hollman, Tre Hale, Melanie Zanetti (voice). Tandi Wright, Andrew Buchanan, Pacharo Mzemba, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Hero the dog, Dodge the dog. Director: Michael Matthews. Screenplay: Brian Duffield and Matthew Robinson. Story: Brian Duffield. Web site. Trailer. Stagnancy can be a drag, not just in terms of the boredom factor, but also for the detrimental effects it can have on our personal growth and development. It leaves us stuck, watching time pass without any meaningful diversions, insights or hope for the future. But doldrums like these need not remain a fixed, unalterable state; we can transform, becoming more than we were and, perhaps more importantly, more than we thought we could be. Such is the case for a lonely, lovelorn young man in the delightfully entertaining new sci-fi comedy, “Love and Monsters.” When the earth is beset by an environmental and evolutionary disaster, much of humanity is wiped out. That’s because many of the planet’s animals – especially reptiles, insects and crustaceans – undergo radical mutations that turn them into enormous monsters with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. As a consequence, the remaining survivors ...

Reviews of “Quo Vadis, Aida?” and “My Octopus Teacher,” a pair of blog links, and a podcast preview are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

“My Octopus Teacher” (2020). Cast: Craig Foster, Tom Foster. Director: Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. Screenplay: Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. Web site. Trailer. Discovering ourselves is often a challenging process, especially when we feel lost and have no idea where or how to look for answers. However, if we remain open to options – including those that appear to be coming to us from unlikely sources – we may just find the guidance we seek. So it was for a lost soul searching for himself as depicted in the beautiful and moving new documentary, “My Octopus Teacher.” At the opening of this highly personal documentary, South African director and cinematographer Craig Foster confesses to feeling lost and severely burned out. While he doesn’t elaborate on the details, he admits to a lack of motivation for taking on new projects. He also laments that, as the father of a young son, Tom, who was beginning his approach to adolescence, he didn’t feel up to the task of providing the paternal guidance that someone at such an impressionable age generally requires. As a result, Craig says he was spending most of his time adrift, looking for the spark to get himself ...

With theaters back open and awards season wrapping up, it’s an exciting time for movie fans. Find out about some excellent new selections and my predictions for the winners in the top categories in this weekend’s Oscars on Thursday, April 22, on the latest edition of The Good Media Network’s Frankiesense & More video podcast with yours truly and host Frankie Picasso. Tune in at 1 pm ET on Facebook Live for a lively discussion of new releases worth seeing (and some worth avoiding). And, if you don’t see it live, catch it later on demand! ...

“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(2021). Cast: Jasna Djuričić, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrovic, Johan Heldenbergh, Raymond Thiry, Boris Isakovic, Emir Hadzihafizbegovic, Reinout Bussemaker, Teun Luijkx, Juda Goslinga, Jelena Kordic Kuret, Ermin Bravo, Rijad Gvozden, Edita Malovcic, Alban Ukaj, Adi Hrustemovic. Director: Jasmila Žbanić. Screenplay: Jasmila Žbanić. Web site. Trailer. Some life experiences can involve truly hard pills to swallow. In fact, they can be so arduous to undergo that we may wonder why we’re having to endure such ordeals, especially when they involve elements we find unthinkable. Getting through that kind of torment might seem unbearable, and discovering the “reason” for it could be unfathomable. Under such circumstances, we can only hope that some aspect of clarity reveals itself, as is apparent in the chilling new historical drama, “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Aida Selmanagić (Jasna Djuričić) is experiencing an ordeal that no one should have to endure. The Yugoslavian civil conflicts have been raging for several years, spilling from one constituent republic to another as the now-fragile union implodes and dissolves. By 1995, as this story begins, strife has made its way to the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Aida lives with her husband, Nihad (Izudin Bajrovic), and her two adult ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, Tuesday, April 20, at 2 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear the show live, catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...