Pick of the Litter


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 81 Minutes
From: IFC Films
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  December 4, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

Sure, you might notice them, guide dogs for the blind. And sure, you might marvel at how well-trained they are. What is easy to forget, though, is that they start as puppies, cute puppies, with various personalities that will hopefully lead them to being great, guide dogs.

“Pick of the Litter” tells the story of five puppies, Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet, and Phil, and their respective journeys to determine if they have what it takes to be the most trusted companion for the blind. It is a story filled with joy, struggle, and touches of sadness, oddly, when the destiny of a few of the puppies ends up that they just get to be dogs.

The documentary takes you through the entire guide dog cycle. It begins with the puppies being born, through the process of foster families who start the initial training and development of the puppies, and into the advanced training the little ones must go through to eventually graduate to their new life as a guide dog. Through the process the dogs, and the foster families, are observed and assessed sometimes with surprising evaluations and heartbreaking realities for the foster families, but the folks at Guide Dogs for the Blind (guidedogs.com) have their goals, to develop the best companions for the blind and find those dogs who might be better as breeding dogs rather than guide dogs, so tough decisions must be made.

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Fleetwood Mac

To the Review….

Excitement of a concert experience can come from a variety of ways. You can engross yourself in the people-watching, with your pre-show critiquing of concert-going attire and wondering if someone is a rebel or an ass for wearing a “No F%^#s Given” t-shirt (with the %^# being the actual “uck”). You also might notice a younger woman, in a sea of elders, sitting by herself, in a chair on the floor section, and wonder, “Why is she here by herself?” Don’t forget the groping couple, seemingly to never separate for two-plus hours, and you also might find yourself sometimes distracted by the drunk guy who can’t seem to understand the security folks simply trying to explain to him that his seats are on the other side of the floor, eventually resulting in his flipping-off said security folks, and the subsequent ending to his night as they lead him away.

Gosh, and don’t forget the concert, itself, as Fleetwood Mac filled the United Center in Chicago with hits everyone knew, some songs that had many wondering, “Is this a Fleetwood Mac song?”, and a touching tribute to Tom Petty.

Yup, just another evening at a concert!

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Warning Shot


Rated: R | Running Time: 87 Minutes
From: Seafoam Pictures and SDS Pictures
In Theaters and VOD: September 14, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

The press release read, “David Spade’s first Dramatic Role in the new film thriller, “Warning Shot”… Sure, that was interesting news, and I skimmed over the rest of the press release, but it wasn’t until the opening credits rolled that I blurted, “James Earl Jones? How in the hell did this movie get James Earl Jones?” Guess I missed that name in the release.

And so I was off, watching Mr. Spade in his first dramatic role, and waiting for Mr. Jones to grace the screen.

The gist of the story is that a family wants the water rights from a neighboring land owner. This family feud has been going on for years. David Spade is Bobby, the grandson of Calvin (Bruce Dern). Bobby is trying to make his granddad proud by finally getting the water, and he’s got a plan – He’s going to send two goons to convince the other granddad to sign over the rights.

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Deadpool 2


Rated: R | Running Time: 119 Minutes
From: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
On Digital Platforms:  August 7, 2018
On DVD and Blu-ray: August 21, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

Every time I’ve watched a Deadpool movie, I can’t decide if the self-healing superpower would be a good thing, or maybe the worse thing in the world. I suppose if you have the attitude Deadpool has, it’s not that bad, but at the end of the day, after being riddled with bullets or having your body torn in half, might it be better just to die?

In “Deadpool 2” said hero gets the chance to find out.

As a sequel to, well, “Deadpool,” Ryan Reynolds is back as the hero with sass, and as opening scenes go, “Deadpool 2” will quickly remind you why you loved the first one as much as you did. Immediately you are bombarded with sarcastic whit, lots of people getting their due by Deadpool, in that special Deadpool kind of way, and adult, comic-book humor abounds.

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Dead Night


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 82 Minutes
From: Dark Sky Films
In Theaters and VOD/Digital: July 27, 2018
Get it via : iTunes

You know there is going to be trouble when a movie opens, set years ago in a vintage car, with a guy and a girl alone. One of them says something similar to, “Did you hear something?”

Why don’t these people just leave? Nope, the guy will try to be the hero, and things won’t go well for either of them.

Thus is the opening for “Dead Night.” Yup, the movie opens with the proverbial flashback to badness that will impact the folks of today.

As we get to those folks of today, enter the Pollack family. They are heading out on vacation to a cabin in the woods that supposedly has healing powers. Why? Because Dad, James (AJ Bowen), is dying. Mom, Casey (Brea Grant) seems kind of normal, and hey, why not bring Becky (Elise Luthman), the daughter’s friend, along with the rest of the family. She seems nothing like the outdoorsy type, so she will be perfect!

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The Cage Fighter


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 81 Minutes
From: IFC Films
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  June 12, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

“The Cage Fighter” is kind of a weird movie. First let’s get to the story.

Joe Carman is older, he’s got a family, and normal people struggles. He’s also a fighter, a mixed martial arts fighter for that fact, and most would consider him past his prime. Joe, however, doesn’t want to be past his prime and has a few demons he must work through, or as Joe puts it, “Closure.”

As the movie plays out, we see Joe with his family, him working in a boiler room, and his trying to find time to work out and train during any free time he can find. At issue, though, is he has told his family he won’t fight any longer. How long can he keep the secret?

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Chokeslam


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 102 Minutes
From: MVD Entertainment Group
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  February 27, 2018
Get it via : Amazon

Chokeslam movie reviewPoor Corey (Chris Marquette). In “Chokeslam” he is what one might classify as a loser, still living with mom, and going nowhere in his job at the deli. Enter a thief, Rocket, (Michael Eklund) hellbent on robbing the deli, only this is also a small town so Corey knows it’s a dude from high school. Wouldn’t you know it, now it is time for them to be best buds.

Also, wouldn’t you know it, it is time for Corey’s tenth year high school reunion, and Sheena (Amanda Crew) will be there. Sheena, it seems, is the pride of the town, if you want to call a gimmicky, female wrestler with a violent streak, a pride of a town. It seems that in senior year Corey and Sheena were best buds, and Corey proposed to Sheena in front of the school. What is a girl to do? Say, “No” of course, which also led to Corey’s tailspin into loserdom.

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Dealt


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 86 Minutes
From: IFC Films
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  February 13, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

“I’m Richard Turner. I represent why you should never play cards with strangers.”

You got that right! Holy crap, I thought my buddy, Aquaman, was great with a deck of cards, and I never wanted to play cards with him. Richard Turner, however, is one bad-ass card magician, or “card mechanic” as he is wont to call himself. Why? He can “fix” the cards like most no one else out there.

The thing is, as the documentary “Dealt” opens, we see Richard doing the normal things many people might do, things like doing push-ups, answering the phone, getting ready for a gig, and practicing manipulating cards in his hands. What you don’t see when the documentary opens is that Richard is trying to keep a secret – He’s blind.

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Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 118 Minutes
From: IFC Films
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  February 6, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

There was one point during “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton,” when I just felt like such a schlub. It was during a scene showing Laird training. With his being 53 as I type this, and the footage not looking that old, he was probably about my age now, me being 50, or a little older. There he was, training in the gym, in the water with weights, and just being all healthy and stuff. Laird was able to love life, even with his aches and pains, and here I am struggling to get my ass out of bed most days just to get on a treadmill. I’m sure living in Hawaii kind of helps, but now I’m just making excuses.

Maybe I should let Laird’s life inspire me, even at 50, to live life instead of not let life go by, because as you watch the documentary, Laird never lets life go by.

I first heard of Laird, and that he was married to Gabrielle “Gabby” Reece, on the Tim Ferriss podcast. During the podcast they touched briefly on Laird’s past, but most of the talk was of exercise, marriage, and life in general. I found him interesting, but after watching “Take Every Wave,” I now find him fascinating. And I miss Kauai.

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Victor Crowley


Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 82 Minutes
From: Dark Sky Films
Available on DVD and Digital Platforms:  February 6, 2018
Get it via : Amazon | iTunes

Poor Sue (Kelly Vrooman). She was having the most wonderful of nights, and possibly the best reactions to a wedding proposal, ever. Then Victor Crowley had to show up. I don’t believe severed limbs and spraying blood is what she had in mind when she dreamt of being proposed to as a little girl. I suppose at least is was memorable for her!

It was also a fantastic way to open the movie “Victor Crowley.”

So, yea, the movie starts with exactly what one would want from a slasher film. First you get the bloodbath from many, many years ago, and then you get a quick summary of the history of said slasher, in our case, Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).

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