— by ADAM DALE — Nearly 10 years after we have last seen the character, and 13 years since he first appeared onscreen, Vin Diesel is back in the role that was his first lead role in Hollywood: Richard B. Riddick. Continuing on in the “Chronicles of Riddick” franchise, Vin Diesel is prepared to give […][...]
Interview: Filmmaker Katherine Brooks
— by JESSIKA OWENS — Mental illness in film and TV is not uncommon. Mental illness done accurately is not so common. But that’s not to say that there aren’t some brilliant performances caught on film. Edward Norton in “Primal Fear” portrayed an imprisoned man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. In “Fight Club,” he displayed […][...]
The best and worst of 2013 so far …
— by JAMES SHAW — I have been fortunate enough to attend advanced screenings of 100 movies from January through August, and as always, there were several movies that were remarkable, and others that were easily forgettable. As a new writer for It’s Just Movies, I though my list of the best and worst movies […][...]
Review: Out of the Clear Blue Sky
— by BEV QUESTAD and RON WILKINSON — Note to the reader: This review is written by two IJM authors, exchanging decidedly different points of view. Although the format probably is different than you are used to, we hope you enjoy it. Is this a sentimental documentary erring on the side of historical rewrite or […][...]
Review: Money for Nothing
— by BEV QUESTAD — “This is a scary movie and no one should see it.” These are the words of Mary Eterno, economics buff and go-to person for financial matters. Bill Fleckenstein (MSN Money) calls it “a horror movie for smart people.” In this info-doc producer/director Jim Bruce gives a very thorough historical account […][...]
Review: The Otherside
— by RON WILKINSON — Hip Hop has gotten a bad rap (no pun intended). Initially invented as an angry reaction to the police brutality and institutionalized poverty and imprisonment of New York’s Bronx in the 1970s, it has emerged as a viable audio art form that actually appeals to some people of the main […][...]
Review: Best Kept Secret
— by BEV QUESTAD — “Thank you for calling John F. Kennedy, the best kept secret in the Newark Public Schools. How may I help you?” That’s how the secretary is asked to answer the phone. However, there are more kept secrets than one and they’re not all good. But the true best is that […][...]
Review: Instructions Not Included
— by JAMES SHAW — Unlike most films, “Instructions Not Included” is a movie screening I came across where I had no idea what the movie was about or even who the lead actor was. I was going to pass on this movie because it was something that didn’t catch my eye, and I really […][...]
Review: Closed Circuit
— by JAMES SHAW — The Government is essential to our existence internal and external. Can the Government be trusted? The true question is can anybody really trusted? “Closed Circuit” is a British film that addresses those two questions as the film deals with a trial of a man who is accused of bombing a […][...]
Review: Rock N Roll Mamas
— by BEV QUESTAD — The most unfortunate part of this documentary on mother rockers is that no one really seems happy. An obsession with performing drives them in vans, buses and airplanes across town, country and world. One singer tiredly exclaims in the fall, “I’ve been homeless since New Year’s.” Well, so has her […][...]