This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "The Plague" and "Viva Verdi!", as well as a Windie Awards recap and a review of the best and worst movies of 2025, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the website of The Good Media Network.
Enjoying Life’s Third Act on The Cinema Scribe
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday February 10, 2 pm ET.
‘Viva Verdi!’ celebrates the joy and power of creation
One of the most inspiring messages I’ve run across in my life maintains that “The greatest joy is in creation,” a message that, ironically, came my way via a Chinese fortune cookie just as I had begun work on my first book. The timing couldn’t have been better, as this sentiment fed directly and abundantly into my writing. It proved to me at the time – and ever since – that creativity is essential to help keep us feeling young, fulfilled, prolific and vital. And, not surprisingly, that notion has also been crucial in the lives and well-being of a remarkable group of seniors who reside in a truly special retirement community in Milan, Italy, one that celebrates the joy and power of creation.
Wrapping Up the 2025 Chicago Film Festival
With this year’s 61st edition of the Chicago International Film Festival in the books, I’ve completed my screenings for 2025. Here’s what I screened and what I thought.
Wrapping Up Reeling 2025
The 43rd annual edition of Chicago’s Reeling International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is now in the books. I managed to catch 10 films during the festival’s 10-day run. Here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought.
This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "The Penguin Lessons," "Becoming Katharine Graham," "Final Vows," "Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story" and "The Assessment," along with tips for alternate summer movie viewing, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network.
Three documentaries about remarkable women
At a time when women have come under increasing infringement on their rights and their ability to be themselves, it’s encouraging to see filmmakers rising to the occasion to counter those misguided initiatives, to make it clear that they have much to offer and should not be prevented from doing so. Those contributions take various forms, and they’re now being showcased in three excellent new documentaries, all available for streaming online.
February Movies Rewind
For those who may have missed the most recent movie review edition of The Good Media Network's Frankiesense & More video podcast, the recorded version is now available for viewing on Facebook (Facebook.com/thegoodradionetwork) and YouTube (youtube.com/c/TheGoodMediaNetwork). Join show host Frankie Picasso and yours truly as we review four new movies and look back at what we predicted at the Oscars. Tune in for all the fun and lively discussion!
New Movies for February
Join yours truly and show host Frankie Picasso for looks at four new films and our Oscar predictions on the upcoming movie review edition of the Frankiesense & More video podcast, to begin airing Thursday February 27 at 1 pm ET on Facebook and YouTube.
New Movies for January: The Sequel
For those who may have missed the most recent movie review edition of The Good Media Network's Frankiesense & More video podcast, the recorded version is now available for viewing on Facebook and YouTube.