“Whiplash” (2014). Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Nate Lang, Austin Stowell, Damon Gupton, April Grace. Director: Damien Chazelle. Screenplay: Damien Chazelle. Web site. Trailer.When do we cross the line between ambition and fixation? That can be a difficult call, especially for those of us who are decidedly motivated to achieve highly prized aspirations. It’s a struggle rife with challenges, most notably finding out what’s behind those aims. Those dicey issues are among the key considerations that get played out with gripping intensity in the compelling new drama, “Whiplash.”Jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) wants to be one of the greats. As a freshman at a fictional New York conservatory, Andrew may be just starting out, but [...]

“Pride” (2014), Cast: Ben Schnetzer, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Joseph Gilgun, George MacKay, Andrew Scott, Dominic West, Faye Marsay, Paddy Considine, Jessica Gunning, Menna Trussler, Lisa Palfrey, Liz White, Nia Gwynne, Russell Tovey, Rodri Meilir, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave, Jack Baggs, Kyle Rees, Freddie Fox. Director: Matthew Warchus. Screenplay: Stephen Beresford. Web site. Trailer.Are we truly pleased with the lives we lead? Or do we let self-doubt, the expectations of others or the pressures of authority figures get in the way? How we answer those questions depends on how much we value our efforts – and ourselves – in the creation of our realities, no matter who we are or where we come from. These are among the issues brought [...]

Please tune in this Thursday, October 2 at 12 pm Eastern, when I'll be a guest on the "Full Power Living" radio show with host Ilene Dillon. Tune in for a lively conversation about conscious creation in the movies and my writings about the subject. The broadcast is available by clicking here. And, for further information about the show, visit the program's home page by clicking here.

“The Skeleton Twins” (2014). Cast: Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Joanna Gleason, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Sydney Lucas, Eddie Schweighart. Director: Craig Johnson. Screenplay: Mark Heyman and Craig Johnson. Web site. Trailer.When life doesn’t work out as hoped for, disappointment is sure to set in. But, when that disappointment gets to be more than we can bear, it can easily turn into despair. How we respond to those circumstances, however, is what ultimately matters most, as a pair of confused siblings discover for themselves in the quirky new comedy-drama, “The Skeleton Twins.”What choices do we have when we believe our lives suck and we can’t fathom why? That’s a question a disillusioned brother and sister have been asking themselves [...]

Please tune in this Thursday, September 25 at 8 pm Eastern, when I'll be a guest on the VividLife Internet radio show "It's All About Relationships." Join me and host Edie Weinstein for a lively conversation about conscious creation in the movies, especially as it relates to the relationships we have with ourselves. To hear the broadcast, click here.

Anyone who’s an artist—regardless of the medium in which one works—knows that getting into the flow of one’s consciousness is essential to successfully create finished works. Tapping into this rich resource of inspiration and knowledge provides access to the makings of all sorts of completed materializations. To find out more, read "The Flow of Consciousness," my latest Smart Women's Empowerment blog, available by clicking here.

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014). Cast: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Amit Shah, Farzana Dua Elahe, Dillon Mitra, Aria Pandya, Michael Blanc, Clément Sibony, Juhi Chawla, Shuna Lemoine, Rohan Chand. Director: Lasse Halström. Screenplay: Steven Knight. Book: Richard C. Morais, The Hundred-Foot Journey. Web site. Trailer.When we embark on the journeys of our lives, we seldom know what awaits us. Yet, if we leave ourselves open to the range of possible experiences available, we enable the potential for a wealth of rewarding and wondrous opportunities for creative fulfillment, many of which are unexpected yet ever so satisfying. Such are the sorts of personal odysseys profiled in the entertaining new comedy-drama, “The Hundred-Foot Journey.”When an attacking mob destroys [...]

Please tune in this Friday, September 12 at 2 pm Eastern, when I'll be a guest on the Writers' Voices radio show on KRUU FM in Fairfield, IA. Tune in locally at 100.1 FM or over the Internet by clicking here. Join me and host Monica Hadley for a lively conversation about conscious creation in the movies. And, for further information about the show, visit the Writers' Voices web site.

“The Giver” (2014). Cast: Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgård, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Taylor Swift, Emily Tremblay. Director: Phillip Noyce. Screenplay: Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide. Book: Lois Lowry, The Giver. Web site. Trailer.Like an enormous dam holding back a huge reservoir, efforts aimed at intentionally quashing the essence of human nature pose quite a challenge for those seeking to implement them. And, should the occasion arise when those metaphorical floodgates need to be opened, those in charge of monitoring those relief mechanisms had better be prepared for what flows through them. The consequences of mishandling such an important task could be devastating for those seeking to maintain control. But, then, perhaps control isn’t [...]

Look for my new author and book profiles on BookDaily.com! Just click here. And, while you're at it, check out the site's many other fine author and book posts!And, if you haven't seen it yet, check out my book trailer video on YouTube.