See You Yesterday

Now streaming on Netflix, the movie's main character is Claudette, a brilliant young high school student who is a math and science wiz, and is bound for greatness at MIT, or whatever school she chooses.

Claudette and her best friend Sebastian are working on a project that should take the upcoming STEM category by storm: time travel.

The film is set in modern times, and includes current issues in the United States, namely violence against communities of color by the police.

The movie is a bit like "Groundhog Day", with Claudette and Sebastian jumping back in time on several occasions.

While the premise is exciting, the film is upsetting, and it needs to be. While upsetting, the film leaves the viewer wanting more.

A poignant movie with a stellar cast, including a surprise cameo by "Back to the Future" star Michael J. Fox, produced by Spike Lee, now on Netflix. Two stars.

Mission of Honor

This movie tells the true story of pilots from Poland who flew missions with the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) in England in World War Two as the "303 Squadron."

The movie follows the lives of the pilots flying the bombardier missions, the women plotting the locations of the planes in the R.A.F. offices, and their commanders.

"Mission" is of course a war movie, so it does have some graphic scenes of war violence. It reminded me of "Catch-22", which I saw recently on Hulu; thankfully, this movie is much less graphic. However, there are scenes of airplane crashes, blood, fire, etc.


The pilots of the 303 Squadron made up 20% of the missions of the Royal Air Force.

To read more about the 303 Squadron and their service to the R.A.F., please consult the link below.

Now streaming on Netflix, available on Vudu, Google Play, YouTube, 2 stars.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-polish-pilots-who-flew-in-the-battle-of-britain

Life Overtakes Me

This documentary features the lives of refugees who have found asylum in Sweden.

Having fled their home countries because of war, famine, pestilence, there is a strange phenomenon in several refugee families-the body shuts down.

Resignation Syndrome is the name for this shutting down of the system. Patients with this affliction remain in a sleep state, similar to that of a coma. It's as if everything they've seen, everything they've endured has sent their system into a state of shock. Once finally in safety, their bodies shut down, from all of the trauma they have endured. Those that have the syndrome can be in this coma-like state for a matter of days, weeks, or years.

This documentary shows the strength of the human spirit, and the fortitude that comes with fleeing your country to live in a land of safety.

Now streaming on Netflix, 3 stars.

Rim of the World

This film is set in the not too distant future. When a pilot stranded in outer space finds her way back to Earth, she inadvertently brings back an alien life form, which creates havoc on the planet.

Conveniently near the crash site lies a sleep away camp for kids and teens. Part "Stranger Things", part "Tremors", part "It", part "Project X", 4 teenagers have the task of saving the day, and the planet.

A thrill ride from stop to start, "Rim of the World" is funny, scary, exciting, terrifying, all of the above.

Now streaming on Netflix, 3 stars.

Bathtubs Over Broadway

This movie tells the strange true life story of musical productions that were made for corporate events.

In America's heyday of big corporations and big finance, jingles became king. Companies and corporations would also have national conventions around the country. Singers, dancers, scenic designers, and directors from Broadway were hired to perform in shows written to highlight company products. Some musical productions recorded albums of the performances, which has a niche collection market.

This movie tells the story of Steve Young, a former comedy writer for David Letterman, and his love for these little known musicals. He then follows his passion to research these corporate musicals, and to collect vinyl recordings from the productions.

Now streaming on Netflix, available on Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, Amazon Prime, two stars.

https://www.bathtubsoverbroadway.com/

The Flat

One of the hardest things to do when a loved one dies is to pack away their material possessions. It's difficult when there is a room of things to go through. But, how about an entire apartment? That's what the film maker and his family had to face in this documentary, "The Flat."

The film tells the story of Gerda Tuchler, who with her husband Kurt, fled Germany in the 1930s and fled to Palestine.

When the film begins, Gerda has just died, and the family is meeting at the flat to begin to box up her belongings. Some items are precious to the family and are kept. However, the majority of items, about 95% of what is in the flat, is thrown in the trash or donated to charity. 

While going through Gerda's belongings, her family members find pictures of her and Kurt with another couple, vacationing. Who is this other couple? They then find Nazi propaganda in the apartment. Why would Gerda keep Nazi propaganda? What is the link?

The mystery that unfolds in this film is stranger than fiction. What began as a task to empty out his grandmother's flat shortly turns into investigating ties to the Nazi party.

Heartbreaking, riveting, thought provoking, "The Flat", now available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. Three stars.

Good Ol' Freda

Before the days of the internet, before the 24 hour news cycle, before cell phones, before cable and streaming entertainment, the Beatles were a global phenomenon. 

There are few within the inner cyclone that remain to tell the story of their success. Yes, Sir Paul and Ringo are still alive, and can tell their story. Yet, there is one who can tell of their experience with the Fab Four: Freda Kelly.

You may not know her name, but she held one of the highest positions in the Beatles organization-she was their secretary. Every piece of fan mail that came to the band, she had to sort through it and answer it. What at first was a few pieces from fans from the Cavern Club soon became millions of pieces of correspondence.

Freda worked for the band from their beginning to the end of the road with Let it Be. To her, they were her mates, John, Paul, George and Ringo. To them, she was Good Ol' Freda.

A must see film for any Beatles fan, available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, iTunes. 4 stars.

The Silence

This film is a monster movie in the vein of "Tremors", "Jurassic Park", "Stranger Things", even "Bird Box."

One normal day, two people are spelunking, when they come across a strange formation of rock. Their few seconds of exploration unleashes an unspeakable terror on the world.

The creatures in this film look like miniature demogorgons from Stranger Things mixed with pterodactyls from Jurassic Park. They have no eyes so they hunt by sound, reminiscent of the creatures in Tremors. That is the meaning behind the title-any sound can get you killed.

Starring Stanley Tucci and John Corbett, it's an uncomfortable disaster film where the hunters become the hunted.

Now streaming on Netlfix, 2 stars.

Book Club

"Book Club" tells the story of four friends who come together to read books and discuss them once a month. The club is a grounding factor in each of the women's lives.

Starring Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, and Diane Keaton, the movie is proof that women are talented and funny at any age. Take that Hollywood!


As far as the plot of the film: the women decide to read the "50 Shades of Grey" trilogy to rev up their love lives with their husbands and significant others.

I wish there were more interactions with the women together that didn't concentrate on the issue of sex. But, if that's what you're looking for, this is your kind of film.

Now streaming on Hulu, available on DVD and Blu Ray, Google Play, Amazon Prime, YouTube, 2 stars.

We Are Columbine

The mass shooting at Columbine High School was on April 20, 1999. 

It was the first of its kind in the United States-never before had their been a mass killing in a school. In the twenty years since the shooting, these incidents have unfortunately become commonplace.

Everyone that was there that day has a story to tell about the incident, whether they were injured or not. This documentary shows stories of several who were there that day, and lived to tell the tale. 

The film also shows the efforts of the school to move past that massacre. The incident still defines the school, yet it is not their legacy.

The film was made by a former student of Columbine who was there on that terrible day. The film is an exercise in healing the wounds from the incident. Survivors go back into the school, retrace their steps, and show viewers where they were and what they experienced that day.

Now streaming on Hulu, available on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu. 4 stars. 

The Keeping Hours

The film begins with the preparations for a wedding. Very soon however, we learn that things are not as they seem.

The couple-Mark and Elizabeth, have lost their son, Jacob, in a car accident. The grief from the loss of their son has torn them apart, and they are now living separate lives.

Yet, Jacob remains an ever present part of their lives. Mark discovers that Jacob's ghost resides in the house they once lived in as a family.

Mark confides in Elizabeth that Jacob's spirit is still in their former family home; this news is a nuisance to her, as she is now remarried with children. Yet, the possibility of reconnecting with her son weighs on her, and she returns to their former home to see for herself.

The title of the film comes from the time Mark and Elizabeth stay in the home, babysitting the spirit of their son, keeping him close.

Part ghost story, part love story, partly a story of loss, partly a story of reconciliation, "The Keeping Hours." Now streaming on Netflix, available on Blu Ray and DVD, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon Prime, YouTube. Two stars.

The Rebound

This film is a documentary about a wheelchair basketball team, the Miami Heat Wheels.

The film features several members of the team, and shows their fight to compete and advance to the championship.

Here's a bit about the film, from the film's website:

"About the film: The Rebound is an award-winning independent documentary (76 min) following the underdog journey of the Miami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team in their quest for their first NWBA National Championship. The cameras don't stop when the players leave the court: the film follows the athletes through daily life with a disability as they reach for new heights."
https://www.reboundthefilm.com/


A inspiring film that shows the unvarnished truth of life, and the desire and need to compete. Now on Netflix, available on the iTunes Store, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and digital download. 3 stars.

Christopher Robin

Some time ago I watched "Christopher Robin" starring Ewan McGregor as a grown up Christopher Robin who had grown up to forget all about Winnie the Pooh and all of his childhood friends in 100 Acre Wood.

The thing I noticed in the film, and loved about the film, was that the characters we know and love-Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Eeyore, Owl, Tigger-are all as they appear in the books, not a modern cartoon version of the animals. Yet, there is a sad aesthetic to the film, and to these characters, as they've been neglected and forgotten by Christopher Robin.

The movie made me think of "Hook" with Robin Williams. The movie was meant to evoke fond memories of the past, as "Hook" did for its main character, Peter Banning, AKA Peter Pan. This movie, however, failed to bring the childhood wonder. The joyous ending felt manufactured, and anything but joyous.

Quite frankly, in this film, Christopher Robin was annoyed by his beloved friends, and was a jerk to each and every one of them. If you love the Winnie the Pooh books, or even the modern Disney incarnations, don't watch this film.

I cannot recommend this film at all, to anyone, for any reason.

Now streaming on Netflix, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube, Amazon Prime, DVD and Blu Ray. 2 stars.