ikjirstin

What could be better than a whole new set of Christmas movies starring two of our favorite people, directed by the guy who did the first two and arguably best directed Harry Potter movies, with some AWESOME sets, special effects, and just plain old-fashioned fun times?

The combo of traditional and modern is woven well into this adventure-packed romp of a movie that includes scenes stolen from some of the best films ever made. See if you can spot them!

I can hear my grandson laughing (even though he's 8,000 miles away from us) at the scene where the bad boy has his pants set on fire before finding a pile of snow to safely extinguish himself.

Time travel, family ties, naughty and nice with redemptive values not often seen anymore in Hollywood, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed both films.

It's one of those movies made for kids, but parents can watch again and again, too. I'm sure it will become a staple in our home for every holiday now.

Hopefully the public will embrace these movies enough to encourage producers to keep making many more for years to come.

UNACKNOWLEDGED should be nominated as Best Documentary by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

I had an alien encounter at the age of seven, so I have always known the truth. My father said to never tell anyone, but I had a best friend, and it was a secret. Of course I told her and made her promise to keep it a secret, but it was all over the playground by lunch time. I spent the next 13 years dodging milk cartons, hate speech and even had a couple of death threats. I honestly don't know if I developed PTSD from the alien encounter, or the people in my hometown. The aliens were nice, and they invited me. I wasn't abducted. I went willingly. They only came three nights, in June of 1961, and I never saw them again. Not even when I turned 23, when they said they would come back for me.

Somehow, I learned to keep my mouth shut and my head down. I changed my name, and moved far away. I taught myself to hate sci-fi, and wouldn't even watch Star Trek. (Today, I have a family member who writes for JJ Abrams. Ha! The irony.) I told my husband about my experience before we married, (38 years ago!) not wanting him to be surprised at a reunion or something, and he was very supportive. One day, though, in 2007, he asked me to talk about it with a co-worker who had also had ET visitors. I refused. He kept asking me to talk to the man. One night, he called our home and my husband handed me the phone. We talked for two hours.

The man had me watch a two-hour YouTube video of the May 9, 2001 Disclosure Project National Press Club Conference presented by Dr. Steven M. Greer. Later that year, Greer came to our state for a technology convention, and my dh and I attended. We ended up going to lunch with Dr. Greer, and have become friends. I drove him up to Park City to show a trailer of his first film, Sirius, at Sundance. We have our differences. Greer thinks I was taken by disguised military personnel, but even though I lived near GAFB, I kinda doubt it. Turning my bedroom window into something like a waterfall? Plus, I never saw any zippers on the aliens, and one of them looked quite human, so why bother dressing up?

UNACKNOWLEDGED is a very well-edited documentary highlighting speakers from the original press conference that occurred exactly 16 years ago today. Added material, including footage of alien craft I've never before seen, and spelling out just WHY keeping these things secret from us, and spending TRILLIONS in taxpayer dollars with no congressional oversight for nearly seventy years is wrong, and absolutely damning.

EVERY American NEEDS to see UNACKNOWLEDGED, if for no other reason than to know some people, like me, should never have been ridiculed. We were only telling the truth.

Trolls is one of those animated features you may think you've seen already, and don't want to see again...but, hold on; it's funny. If you can hark back to your own childhood, you'll remember this, and want to find a piece of it again.

Releasing it at the start of the holiday season is a smart box office move, but if families actually take their children, a good time will be had by all. I promise you'll be happily humming this soundtrack for days before you break down and buy it because, well, you liked the songs, too. They won't drive you nuts like some purple dinosaur music you may recall with disdain, and you may find them creeping up on your own "most played" list.

The story is good, with relatable characters and situations, and some you'll be thankful can't happen in real life. Yes, there is bathroom humor. Get over it. Kids love it. Children have so little actual power, living vicariously through the antics of Branch (aptly voiced by Justin Timberlake) is the least you can allow. His singing, along with Gwen Stefani and the others make this musical journey a joy to behold, and one you'll want to see on the big screen with the whole family.

ARRIVAL delivers on so many levels it's impossible to describe without spoilers. The book is out there, so if you really must know before you see a film, read, "The Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang...but I highly recommend you see the movie first. Honestly. You want it to unfold as a warm, fresh croissant on a chilly morning, and melt in your mouth.

From visually stimulating scenes to an unexpected score masterfully composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson you recognize at once this is a thinking film you'll long remember.

One scene in particular features a cloud that took my breath away. Sure, the extraterrestrial vehicle was amazing, but that cloud... As a photojournalist of nearly fifty years, I was stunned at the lifelike character of the cloud and suspected it was real, though I knew that was impossible; you can't cue Mother Nature when it's time to roll. I wanted to praise the CGI team for the effect, but Shawn Levy confirmed it was natural. They had set up to shoot this wide shot, worried about impending rain, or too much wind, or the lighting being too dark for the right effect, but the cloud wanted to become a star that day, and it rolled into frame with absolute perfection. This scene alone is worth a nod to Bradford Young for best cinematography.

The special effects team delivered, too.

Amy Adams performance was stunning. Sci-fi is largely disregarded when awards are passed out, but if the Academy neglects to acknowledge Adams work in this film, I may boycott them forever. Adams is Oscar-worthy for a Best Actress nomination for her character of linguist Dr. Louise Banks in this one, though Meryl Streep will most likely take it for Florence Foster Jenkins.

It is clear the five years taken to bring this story to the screen were well worth the work.

Ten well-deserved stars for ARRIVAL. I wish it a huge success at the box office so this team will continue to make more films of this caliber.

This is one of those films I must watch every year, because I find so much in it at each viewing. I still remember the first time, back in 2001 at the theater, when I heard it had something to do with a real CIA program, but it had me from the first scene, long before the espionage arrived.

As a photojournalist myself, I was captivated by the opening scenes, so well-acted by David Morse. Like most Stephen King novels, the reality factor seems high, and each scene is important in moving the story forward. The young Mika Boorem was so me at that age, she was easily relatable, and Anton Yelchin was an actor beyond his years even then, as a boy. We all knew would continue as a fine actor, even Tony Hopkins. He is so missed.

You can see this fine film for just $2.99. A great way to get started, but you will want to own it. One of those great ones to show friends who may have missed it.

At last, a film that stays true to the facts while moving the story along in a way that keeps you glued to the screen. I seriously had to pee, but couldn't leave.

Russia in 1998 was a wild frontier. Filled with people used to living under a communist system that had fallen less than a decade before, they were now fending for themselves. There was not enough of anything, and people were desperate. Hearing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was "rich" two Russian men (well played by Alex Veadov and Nikita Bogolyubov) decided kidnapping and ransoming a couple of Mormon boys would be no big deal, and lead them to Easy Street.

Elders Tuttle and Propst (aptly acted by Corbin Allred and Macclain Nelsen) became their unwitting targets.

We see young men like these every day, usually riding bicycles, two by two. They were portrayed as they are; clean-living guys dedicated to serving others for two long years, at their own expense, giving arguably the best years of their lives to try to make the world a better place. They certainly didn't expect something like this to come along to shake things up.

This film is different from previous sermonizing Mormon movies. It has a gripping story to tell that is a lesson for not only all religious groups, but for any company, family or tourist who may find themselves taken for ransom. With over 20 million people currently being held captive against their wills throughout the world, it's a lesson to contemplate. Do you pay, and make it easier for more kidnappings to take place? Do you fight for your freedom? Do you have faith God will hold you in the hollow of His hand, or do you allow yourself to be sacrificed for the good of others?

Sure, you could go research this online to find out what happened (the film is remarkably exact) but I suggest you go see it yourself this weekend. It is showing in theaters throughout the state of Utah first, to hopefully propel it nationwide. I hope they make it. It's one you really don't want to miss.

Holy Crap. (May I say "crap" on IMDb?) I did it again. I listened to reviewers, and stayed away from the theater for this one. Mistake. HUGE mistake. Now I want to see this on the big screen in full sound, color and Special FX, but it's too late. This was a redbox rental, I am ashamed to say. At least I got it on blu-ray. (We kept it two nights...does that help, Disney? Of course it doesn't help.) This was a flop because it wasn't given a proper introduction or chance. People needed to be told the back-story a bit more to understand the concept of a turn-of-the-LAST-century, sci-fi before-it-was-called sci-fi, EPIC ADVENTURE story...and that may be the key: STORY. It actually HAD one.

My husband and son were constantly finding parts of their favorite films throughout the production: Avatar, Gladiator, Indiana Jones, The Outlaw Josie Wales, MIB, Somewhere In Time, The Wizard of Oz, K-PAX, Superman-even Sherlock Holmes and Gone with the Wind. John Carter is ALL of these, and something more...it was written in 1917...it pre-dates ALL of them. Edgar Rice Burroughs was a genius, and I really wish Disney would release this one again...maybe wait five years, until people are REALLY sick of the sixth installment of Transformers or something, and want to THINK for a change. Meanwhile (and I know this won't happen, because EVERYTHING is decided by bean-counters these days, and technically, this film failed) I wish Disney would pick up where this left off, and do John Carter 2, 3, 4...etc.

Hopefully it's not too late to qualify for a few awards. It deserves many.

Last night, my husband and I rented the latest Sherlock Holmes film, Game of Shadows, and it reminded me of this movie, so I came back to say this film was ahead of its time in the use of special effects.

Saints and Soldiers had a lot of clever filming techniques I'd never seen utilized in Independent films, particularly in this genre. (Sometimes horror films use these FX.)

I thought Corbin Allred did a fine acting job, and since I know the true story upon which this is partially based, I think they did well.

A film worth watching, and owning. I'm looking forward to seeing the second, Airborne Creed, which was recently released.

It's been awhile since a comedy actually made me laugh, but Unicorn City is the happy exception. Each character is almost painfully real, and brought to life so well, you'll feel an instant spark of recognition, and like you know them intimately before the credits roll. (Stick around after they do; the show is not quite over.) Jaclyn Hale is wonderful as Marsha, the wallflower brought to life through her LARPing character, RaShanna. Her heart yearns for Voss, who, like many male game-players, can't quite fathom a reason for flesh-and-blood women.

You'll never think of a centaur the same after watching what Clint Vanderlinden does with his Rhubarb, and the rest of the cast doesn't even have to say anything; one look and you're erupting in fits of giggles. A Jon Gries pose alone elicits laughter in this film, but the surprise is just how well the ensemble cast works together, while having their own voices heard.

The story is good, the screenplay works, and filmmakers have brought to the screen something worth seeing, and enjoying, each time you watch it. A future classic.

I saw this at an early screening in a packed theater, and it was the only time I can ever remember hearing applause and cheers in the middle of a movie. Soon, I was joining in, because, well, it's just Ferris Bueller fun!