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Trailer: The Hate U Give

In The Hate U Give, Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games) is Starr Carter, a high school girl who tries to balance a life lived between two different worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends.

The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

Directed by George Tillman, Jr, The Hate U Give is based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling novel by Angie Thomas. Also starring  Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae,  Common, and Anthony Mackie.

In Theaters October 19.

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Trailer: A Star is Born

Take a look at the trailer for the remake of A Star Is Born. 

In this new telling on the tragic love story, four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (American Sniper, American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers — and falls in love with — struggling singer-songwriter, Ally (played by multiple award-winning, Lady Gaga).

Jackson Maine for A Star Is Born on TrailerAddict. Bradley Cooper, Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson’s son) and Mark Ronson discuss how Jackson Maine found his voice and his sound. And watch a featurette – Finding Ally’s Voice for A Star Is Born about how Lady Gaga vision for Ally’s character and music.

A Star is Born is playing theaters now. Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality/nudity and substance abuse.
Listen to the A Star Is Born Soundtrack (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)

Are You Watching Timeless?

Why You Should Watch Timeless

The season 2 finale of Timeless aired Sunday evening and fellow Timeless fans like Leslie Jones, Kelly Clarkson,  William Shatner and I were left gasping.

The 2-hour finale led us on a time-traveling chase from South Carolina during the Civil War with Harriet Tubman to Chinatown in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and back to modern times. The episode ended with the possibility of traveling to the future. 

If you haven’t been watching NBC’s Timeless, you have missed one of the best and most original shows on TV.

Yes, there’s been time traveling shows before. Quantum Leap, Time Machine, and others, but Timeless is different. 

Mason Industries and the Mothership

Connor Mason, a British tech genius builds a pair of time traveling pods. Why? Why do tech geniuses do anything? Because they can.

Like all science experiments, something always goes wrong. In this case, ex-CIA agent, Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić) steals the Mothership and takes it on a time-traveling mission to change history for his own nefarious plans. 

The Timeless Team

Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) is a history professor following in her mother’s illustrious footsteps as an expert in American history.  Wyatt Logan,(Matt Lanter) is a special forces military man, still mourning the loss of his wife Jessica. His job is to protect the team and hunt down Flynn.   Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett) is Conner’s protege, the time machine pilot and one of the engineers who helped to design the time machine. They all join forces to find Garcia Flynn. 

This is not your typical cast. Besides having plenty of diversity, the cast has interesting characters. There are smart, intelligent women like Lucy, Agent Christopher and Jiya who can take care of themselves and don’t need a man to save them. People of colors like Mason, Rufus, Christopher, and Jiya have fully fleshed out characters with their own backstories and motivations.

Timeless and Other Stuff You Missed in History

On a Mission to Save History

FBI agent Denise Christoper and Conor Mason put together the team to catch Flynn before he changes history in unknown and catastrophic ways.

Of course, there are lots of unsolved mysteries and secrets…

  • What is Garcia Flynn’s plan for the Mothership?
  • Who or what is Rittenhouse?
  • What is Connor Mason hiding? More secrets.
  • And where the heck did they find all of those gorgeous vintage outfits that Lucy wears on her time traveling trips? The period clothing is great and helps to make each episode feel and look authentic.

Not only does Timeless travel back to well-known dates in history like the explosion of the Hindenburg, the assignation of Abraham Lincoln and the battle of the Adamo, but they also meet some of the interesting people that helped shape history, like Hedy Lamarr, the Lone Ranger, and Ian Flemming.

No.  You don’t have to be a history buff to love Timeless. 

While watching episode The World’s Columbian Exposition the team ends up in H.H. Holmes’ Murder Castle, I thought ‘where have I heard about this before?” Oh yes, on one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff You Missed in History Class. That is not the last time that little-known characters and facts about history are featured on Timeless.

I’m binge-watching Timeless, on Memorial Day (May 28th) starting with episode one. Come along with me and the Timeless time traveling trio on our adventures to save history.

Watch Timeless on Amazon, Hulu, NBC app, and iTunes
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The Iron Orchard: World Premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival

My first movie at the 2018 Dallas International Film Festival was The Iron Orchard, a movie with a true Texas feel because it was made in Texas by Texans.  The Iron Orchard was directed by Ty Roberts and stars North Texas native, Lane Garrison. 

Based on Tom Pennington novel of the same name, The Iron Orchard follows the rise to power and success of Jim McNeely (Lane Garrison).  Jim is a young man thrust into the vibrant and brutal West Texas oilfields in 1939, who works his way through the ranks to become a powerful wildcatter.

Jim leaves everything behind, including his beautiful, young girlfriend Mazzie. He sets off to go seek his fortune in the hot and dusty West Texas oil fields.

Black Gold, Texas Tea

The Iron Orchard movieSpending his days digging ditches and laying out the pipes in the oilfields under the hot Texas sun with the other wildcatters, Jim meets a bunch of rough and rowdy guys who work hard and drink hard. But they all dream of the day when they will make their fortunes in oil.

Along the way, Jim learns the oil business and eventually becomes friends with a few of the locals and an eclectic bunch of wildcatters.

After a chance encounter with Lee, his abused boss’ wife, Jim develops a friendship that will change his life.

Success in the oil business means you have to be a risk taker and a deal maker. Risk BIG the oil comes gushing out of the ground. That is how Jim lives. It doesn’t matter who or what you have to do to make it happen. 

With help from his friend and business partner Dent Paxton (Austin Nichols), Jim’s ambition takes him to the heights of success in the oil business.

Even with the best of luck you never know if the well will be worth all the hard work and money invested. Years pass and Jim learns the art of shady deal-making and his fortune continues to grow. 

But will that be enough? 

Devastating disaster, betrayal, and loss will lead Jim to realize what’s important in his life and what he truly values. 

Will success make you happy?

How much money is enough?

The Iron Orchard was filmed in Big Spring and other locations including Austin. There’s plenty of Texas landscapes, as well as some lovely Art Deco decor, and cute 1950’s fashion.

Rated R (some strong language) Made in Texas, 2018, 110 min., Color + B/W, English

Yeah! It’s Film Festival Time!

New York City has Tribeca and Colorado has Sundance. You’ve heard of these famous film festival, along with Cannes, Toronto, and others. These film festivals are the events where some of the year’s best movies will first appear on the big screen

Even though I am here in North Texas, I can still enjoy a bit of ‘filmfesting’. Here are a few local film festivals that will feature a variety of film genres.

North Texas Film Festivals

Women Texas Film Festival logo
Women Texas Film Festival: August 16 – 18, 2018 at the Studio Movie Grill. This woman-focused film festival showcases a wide variety of range of female filmmakers and storytellers.  The Studio Movie Grill also hosts the Pegasus Film Festival, a fest of films from North Texas high school students.
USA Film Festival: April 25-29, 2018 at the Angelika Film Center. The 48th year of this popular film festival will feature The Last Wave, A Salute to Richard Chamberlain, along with The Gospel According to André, Tully, and loads of short films and documentaries. 

FantasticFest: September 20 -23 in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest is all about horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action, and other scary movies, so you know I’m not going. But if movies like Brimstone & Glory, My Friend Dahmer, and Vampire Clay are your thing, then this is the film festival for you.

Dallas International Film Festival

My favorite is the Dallas International Film Festival. The 8-day fest starts Thursday, May 3 and runs through Thursday, May 10 at the Magnolia Theater in Uptown’s West Village.

This year,  the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), will screen over 110 films from 25 countries. There will also be a  25th-anniversary event for Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning blockbuster,  Jurassic Park at the Studio Movie Grill on Sunday, May 6.

That right! Eight fantastic days and nights of nonstop movie watching fun. Followed by writing back to back movie reviews and maybe even a few interviews with a filmmaker or two.

Seriously! It’s a lot harder than you think. Fortunately, I have a method to my movie madness.

First: Get my festival badge. DONE! You can get yours HERE.
Second: Browse the DIFF film guide to make a list of the movies I want to watch. I try to keep an eye out for chick flicks or any other movies you might enjoy. I have already spotted a few titles that look interesting.

I’m also looking forward to Won’t You Be My Neighbor, a documentary film on the legacy of Mister Rogers by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom).

Third: Charge up my iPhone, wear comfortable shoes, grab a Venti Iced Tea and head to the movies.

Stay tuned for my reviews of these and other movies, from the DIFF. Follow me on Twitter @clarabela #DIFF

Dallas VideoFest presents Women and the Movies They Make

Women Who Made the Movies headerAs The Women’s March, #metoo, #TimesUp and #blacklivesmatter generate new waves of feminist activism, Dallas VideoFest takes a look back at the ways women have used their creativity and passion behind the camera. In this program, they will screen films from the Women Make Movies catalog that highlights the power and persuasion of feminist cinemas across the ages and across the globe. [Read more…] about Dallas VideoFest presents Women and the Movies They Make

5 Chick Flicks to Watch on Valentine’s Day

eh(justchickflicks.com)_1Valentine’s Day is the perfect chance to celebrate all things loving and romantic, and nothing says passion quite like a romantic chick flick. This genre of cinema allows us to relive all of the highs and lows of romance, from desperate heartbreak to the all-important happily ever after.

As February 14th looms yet again, here is a look at five of the best chick flicks available to celebrate the year’s most romantic date.

Love Actually

When it comes to fulfilling the rom-com brief, few movies can top Love Actually. Not only does Richard Curtis’s 2003 flick tug at the heartstrings, it’s also guaranteed to get a laugh out of even the most serious audience.

The film features a huge A-list cast and covers multiple characters in their quest for love, whether it’s a young boy or the Prime Minister in Downing Street. If you’re single on Valentine’s Day this is the perfect flick to watch with a group of friends over a tub of ice cream.

Pearl Harbor 

We all know chick flicks are renowned for wearing their heart on their sleeve. For Valentine’s Day viewing that can be enjoyed with your boyfriend, you need to choose a chick flick that strikes a healthy balance between action and romance.

Are you struggling to find the right man to share your favorite wartime romance flicks with?  Pearl Harbor is a great example, with the World War II plot line perfectly masking a heart-wrenching love triangle subplot. Director Michael Bay also included plenty of excellent action scenes, including the high suspense bombing of Pearl Harbor.

There’s also a heart-warming bromance between buddies Rafe and Danny (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) that’s sure to keep your boyfriend pleased.

Casablanca

Chick flicks aren’t just a modern-day Hollywood creation, but rather as Casablanca shows us a genre that has been well-loved for decades. Casablanca is an iconic classic that’s as swoon-worthy today as it was during its first release in 1942.

Few leading couples can rival the chemistry created between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart and the film’s famous script features iconic lines like “Play it again, Sam.” This traditional flick is one for all the hopeless romantics out there and few films are better suited for Valentine’s Day viewing.

Titanic

With great romance often comes great tragedy, and such was the case for James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster hit Titanic. The story follows wealthy Rose and poor Jack as they discover love on board the ship during its fateful maiden journey.

Sadly their relationship is as doomed as the boat itself, yet the powerful soundtrack and some truly memorable images (the ‘flying’ scene and the steamy window scene come to mind) made for uplifting viewing nonetheless. This is a chick flick that balances out action, suspense and romance, making it ideal to watch with family, friends or even your boyfriend.

Dirty Dancing

Spending this Valentine’s Day solo? Then why not escape reality with the ultimate chick-flick, Dirty Dancing. Enter a world where the rumba was still sexy, frizzy hair was appreciated and nobody ever left Baby in the corner! The tale of young Francis Houseman discovering love with bad-boy dance instructor Johnny is a favorite for all ages.

You can sing along to ‘Time of Your Life’ solo, or invite any single friends to join in on the chorus with you. For any Melbourne singles who really love their chick-flicks, why not head to the ACMI Museum in Australia to explore the latest romance exhibitions?

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Author Bio

This is a guest post by Alice Johnson, a freelance writer who covers dating, relationship, travel and lifestyle issues on behalf of eHarmony Australia among other clients. eHarmony is a website devoted to finding perfect matches for everyone, from Melbourne singles to Sydney singles. Online dating is a great solution for finding someone who loves your taste in films, so to find out more visit:  eHarmony.com.au.