We Review – Dallas Buyers Club. Hands down Best Actor AND Best Supporting Actor! MR

Dallas Buyers Club

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Dallas Buyers Club
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jean-Marc Vallée
Produced by	Robbie Brenner Nathan Ross Rachel Rothman
Screenplay by	Craig Borten Melisa Wallack
Starring	Matthew McConaughey Jennifer Garner Jared Leto
Music by	Danny Elfman
Cinematography	Yves Bélanger
Editing by	Martin Penza Jean-Marc Vallée
Studio	Truth Entertainment Voltage Pictures
Distributed by	Focus Features[1]
Release date(s)	September 7, 2013 (TIFF) November 1, 2013(United States)
Running time	117 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5.5 million
Box office	$6,450,000[2]

Dallas Buyers Club is a 2013 American biographical drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto,Jennifer Garner, and Steve Zahn. The film is based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, who was the subject of a lengthy 1992 article in The Dallas Morning News written by journalist and author Bill Minutaglio.^[3] The film was released on November 1, 2013.

Plot

In 1985 Dallas, homophobic, drug addicted rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof is diagnosed with AIDS and is given 30 days to live. He begins taking theFood and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved AZT, the only drug legally available in the U.S, which brings him to the brink of death. To survive, he smuggles anti-viral medications from all over the world, which were still unapproved and unavailable in the U.S. Other AIDS patients seek out his medications forgoing hospitals, doctors, and AZT. With the help of his doctor, Eve Saks (Garner) and Rayon, a fellow patient, Ron creates the Dallas Buyers Club, one of the dozens which form around the country, providing its paying members with these alternative treatments. The clubs, growing in numbers and clientele, are brought to the attention of the FDA and pharmaceutical companies, which wage an all out war on Ron.

Cast

• Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof
• Jennifer Garner as Dr. Eve Saks
• Jared Leto as Rayon
• Steve Zahn as Tucker
• Dallas Roberts as David Wayne
• Michael O’Neill as Richard Barkley
• Denis O’Hare as Dr. Sevard
• Griffin Dunne as Dr. Vass
• Jane McNeill as Francine Suskind
• James DuMont as Rayon’s father
• Bradford Cox as Sunny, Rayon’s lover^[4]
• Kevin Rankin as T. J.
• Lawrence Turner as Larry
• Matthew Thompson as Effeminate Man
• Adam Dunn as Neddie Jay

Our Thoughts:

McConaughey and Leto are superb, and this movie will at least be nominated for Best Picture. I don’t see how anyone could outdo Matt. He emaciated himself to play an AIDS victim and it was no wasted effort. My only complaint is the release timing of this movie. It is a sad depressing story about a bunch of people with HIV fighting ignorant FDA men. I mean they have AIDS. There is no magic cure and we know that from the beginning. This is not a “Holiday Film.” BUT, it is a great film that I recommend everyone take the time to see.  I say: Hands down Best Actor AND Best Supporting Actor! MR

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We review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire “Great action, cliffhanger ending!” MR

We review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Francis Lawrence
Produced by	Nina Jacobson Jon Kilik[1]
Screenplay by	Simon Beaufoy Michael Arndt
Based on	Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Starring	Jennifer Lawrence Josh Hutcherson Liam Hemsworth Woody Harrelson Elizabeth Banks Lenny Kravitz Phillip Seymour Hoffman Jeffrey Wright Stanley Tucci Donald Sutherland
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Jo Willems[1]
Editing by	Alan Edward Bell[1]
Studio	Color Force
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date(s)	November 11, 2013(London premiere) November 22, 2013(United States)
Running time	146 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$140 million[3]
Box office	$6,300,000[4]

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an American science-fiction adventure film based on Suzanne Collins‘ novel, Catching Fire, the second installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. The film is the sequel to The Hunger Games, and the second installment in The Hunger Games film series, produced and distributed by Lionsgate. Francis Lawrence directed the film, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (credited as Michael deBruyn). Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen along with Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, Paula Malcomson and Willow Shields also reprising their roles.

Months prior to the first film’s release, Lionsgate greenlit the second film and Gary Ross, director of the first film, was expected to return as director. However, on April 10, 2012, he announced his departure from the project due to the tight and fixed production and on May 3, Francis Lawrence was hired as the film’s director. Throughout July and September 2012, the film’s supporting cast was filled out, with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Lynn Cohen, Meta Golding, Amanda Plummer, and Jeffrey Wright brought in to portray key roles. Filming began September 10, 2012 in and around metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Hawaii. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released on November 15, 2013 in Brazil, November 20, 2013 in Norway, and in IMAX on November 22, 2013 in the United States.

 

Plot

After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home to District 12. On the day Katniss and Peeta are to start a victory tour of the country, she is visited by President Snow, who explains that when she defied the Capitol by breaking the rules so that she and Peeta both survived the last Hunger Games, she inspired rebellions in districts and now must continue to pretend to be in love with Peeta or her family will be killed.

The first stop of the tour is in District 11, home of Katniss’ friend Rue, the 12-year-old who competed in the 74th Hunger Games. Peeta offers to read the speech from a script Effie provides them, but throws it away and voices his thoughts instead. As they leave, a sorrowful Katniss delivers an inspiring speech that causes a man to whistle the tune Katniss used during the 74th Hunger Games to inform Rue she was safe, and provides the three-finger salute. Everyone follows the man until Peacekeepers shoot him dead, causing Katniss to scream in panic. Fearing for their safety, Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta they have become a political target. The two youths proceed to visit the other districts. To solve disputes between Katniss and Snow, Peeta proposes to Katniss in public.

When they return to District 12, they find Gale has been punished and is being publicly whipped because he defended an old lady when the Commander and his troops were destroying the Black Market. Peeta, Katniss and Haymitch try to save Gale. Snow, watching them, reads out that the 75th Hunger Games will be the Quarter Quell, an event taking place every 25 years in which existing champions must compete once more. Katniss is devoted to allowing Peeta to become the champion of the Quarter Quell and makes a deal with Haymitch that whatever he does he must make sure Peeta is safe and will win. When they draw the tributes for the Quarter Quell, it turns out the tributes will be Katniss and Haymitch, but Peeta volunteers and Haymitch has no power to avoid him from joining.

The games are set around a saltwater lake, during which Katniss becomes an ally of Mags and Finnick Odair, both from District 4. Mags sacrifices herself when they are attacked by fog that causes their skin to swell, allowing Finnick, Katniss and Peeta to escape. The trio rests in the middle of the forest where they are attacked by baboons. After they escape the baboons and rest at the beach, they are met by Wiress and Beetee from District 3, who are extremely smart, and Johanna from District 7, who is cunning and violent. Wiress soon learns the saltwater lake is arranged like a clock and that every hour, lightning will hit upon a tree where it marks an hour has passed and the start of another attack will come—the first being the fog, and the second being the baboons. After Wiress dies, Beetee suggests a plan that requires them to direct the electricity from the lightning to the lake to electrocute the remaining two tributes from District 2. When the wire snaps, Katniss attaches the remaining wire to an arrow and shoots it at the force field to destroy the arena, causing her to black out.

She awakens in an aircraft with Beetee, who is unconscious. Entering the cockpit she finds Haymitch, Finnick and Plutarch the gamemaker, who is actually their ally and a rebel against Snow. She learns Johanna and Peeta were taken away by the Capitol, causing her to attempt to attack Haymitch because he did not fulfill his promise. He sedates her before she can do so. She awakens days later with Gale by her side and learns her family is safe but that District 12 has been destroyed.

 

Our Thoughts:

Katniss Everdeen has HGPTSD (That’s Hunger Games Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…lol)  To make things worse President Snow is forcing the winners of the previous contests to play the 75th games.  There is tons of action and drama, and a tad of romance thrown into Katniss’s love triangle. The acting is well done and the imagery top notch. If I have a gripe it is that we were forced to suffer through too much pre games build up. All in all I highly recommend this flick. – MR

Saint Elm’s Deep Releases November 20th + A cover peek of Book Four!

The Legend of Vanx Malic Book Three – Saint Elm’s Deep Releases

November 20th Order/Pre Order from Amazon Here!

And as promised here is a sneak peek at the cover mock up over the finished art for

The Legend of Vanx Malic

Book Four – That Frigid Fargin Witch

Due January 8th 2014.

As always you can find out more about M R Mathias and

his bestselling fantasy adventure books by visiting:

www.mrmathias.com

Or follow his tweets

@DahgMahn

We review “Ender’s Game” IMAX. A badass character, in a badass film! 5 stars – MR

Ender’s Game

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ender’s Game
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gavin Hood
Produced by	Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman Gigi Pritzker Linda McDonough Robert Chartoff Lynn Hendee Orson Scott Card Ed Ulbrich
Screenplay by	Gavin Hood
Based on	Ender’s Game  by Orson Scott Card
Starring	Asa Butterfield Harrison Ford Ben Kingsley Viola Davis Hailee Steinfeld Abigail Breslin
Music by	Steve Jablonsky
Cinematography	Donald McAlpine
Editing by	Zach Staenberg
Studio	Chartoff Productions Taleswapper OddLot Entertainment K/O Paper Products Digital Domain
Distributed by	Summit Entertainment Lionsgate
Release date(s)	October 24, 2013 (2013-10-24) (Germany,[1] Austria) October 25, 2013 (2013-10-25) (United Kingdom[1]) November 1, 2013 (2013-11-01) (United States[1])
Running time	114 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$110 million[3]
Box office	$2,744,146 [4]

Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin in a screenshot from film’s official trailer

Ender’s Game is an American science fiction action film based on the novel of the same name by Orson Scott Card. Directed and written by Gavin Hood, the film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future alien invasion. The cast also includes Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, and Harrison Ford.

The film was first released in Germany October 24 followed by the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 25.^[5] It was released in the United States, Canada and India on November 1 and many other countries from October 30 throughout mid-January of 2014.^[1]

Plot

After an alien race called the Formics (also known as the “Buggers” in the book) attacks Earth in 2086, the International Fleet prepares for the next invasion by training the best young children to find the future candidate to lead the International Fleet and fill the shoes of the legendary war hero Mazer Rackham. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is pulled out of his Earth school to join the International Fleet and attend the legendary Battle School, located in Earth orbit. He progresses rapidly through a series of increasingly complex war games while simultaneously gaining the respect of his peers. As a result, Ender is soon chosen by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) to be the military’s next Mazer Rackham. The boy progresses to Command School, where he receives training from Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) himself. After a series of grueling battle simulations, Ender leads his peers into a war that will determine the future of Earth and the human race.

Our Thoughts:

Ender’s Game was pretty much straight from the book. There are minor differences; Ender’s age for one, and there is a bit more excitement in the film than I remember from the book. Please take into consideration that I haven’t read the book in twenty years. I think this is one of the better film from novel adaptations in Sci-Fi and I hope to see more great renderings of sci-fi awesome into future movies. The acting was superb, the story thrilling, and most of all the effects and action were top notch. All in all, Ender is a badass character in a badass film! 5 stars – HIGHLY RECOMENDED – MR

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