Preston Barta // Editor
INTERSTELLAR | 169 min | Rated PG-13
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow and Michael Caine
With INTERSTELLAR, Christopher Nolan set out to make his most personal and emotional film about love and time– time being a recurring theme throughout all of his films. However, it’s so much more than that as well. Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, want us to break out of the simple-minded movie comfort level and contemplate vaster perspectives. And like Steven Spielberg (who was originally slated to direct the film with Tom Cruise in the starring role), the brother-duo also want to remind us that “all you need is love.”
The film explores a vast amount of things: space, time, wormholes, and family. But in short, INTERSTELLAR follows a group of space engineers, including Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, as they explore other galaxies to save an Earth that can’t self-sustain.
INTERSTELLAR is a movie disguised as a film for critics, but really made for wide audience consumption. We have already seen that some will find it brilliant and others will condemn the film for its head in the clouds approach to science. Overall, this is a movie that mainstream filmgoers will laud (and for good reason). It’s thought provoking, exciting and has the shirtless wonder (McConaughey) at the forefront. Our advice before watching this is to not over-think INTERSTELLAR— it’s a feel good movie that warrants the attention to every film fan’s attention.
– Cole Clay and Preston Barta
The Blu-ray Combo Pack Extras Include:
THE IMITATION GAME | 114 min. | Rated PG-13
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Tuppence Middleton and Charles Dance
Director Morten Tyldum and (now Academy Award-winning) screenwriter Graham Moore have created something tragically beautiful with THE IMITATION GAME. Amidst some incredible scenes and performances, this remarkably true story of a mathematician who helps crack the Enigma code during World War II is one of the year’s finest.
Benedict Cumberbatch continues to climb the ladder as one of the best working actors today. After his impressive turns in 12 YEARS A SLAVE, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, and THE HOBBIT (voice work as Smaug), his role as Alan Turing will be remembered, even if it doesn’t come with a statue. Cumberbatch hones in on all Turing’s character flaws and good qualities that make him human.
In all, THE IMITATION GAME is wonderfully crafted, immensely lush and moving film that shows, above all, how storytelling can both heal and destroy.
– Preston Barta
Our interview with Academy Award winner Graham Moore, screenwriter of THE IMITATION GAME:
The Blu-ray Extras Include:
WILD | 106 min. | Rated R |
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Gaby Hoffmann, Laura Dern, Michiel Huisman, Kevin Rankin, Thomas Sadoski and W. Earl Brown
It was only in 2013 when much buzz was circling Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée’s DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, which went on to earn wins for two of the major acting categories at last year’s Academy Awards. WILD nearly followed in similar tracks with its leading (Reese Witherspoon) and supporting (Laura Dern) ladies, who were both nominated this year.
Witherspoon completely envelops Cheryl Strayed as this hardened young woman seeking to reinvent herself after a series of personal tragedies. To do so, Strayed goes on a 1,100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mexican border to the mountains of Oregon.
While the subject material is hardly new, and there are far better films that tackle people finding themselves out in nature (INTO THE WILD, THE WAY), WILD is well made follow-up to DALLAS BUYERS CLUB that showcases Witherspoon’s strongest performance in years.
– Preston Barta
The Blu-ray Combo Pack Extras Include:
Get the inside scoop on the series' hilarious jokes and fantastic music selections with creators…
On episode 5 of The Fresh Fiction Podcast's Film & TV talk, we discuss THE…
Nancy Savoca’s film deconstructs misogyny and vulnerability before a solider heads to fight in Vietnam.
On episode 4 of The Fresh Fiction Podcast's Film & TV talk, we discuss Taylor…
Narrated by Paul Rudd and featuring National Geographic Explorer, Wayfinder Awardee, and science communicator Dr.…