Where You’ve Seen Them Before: The Cast of “Jurassic World”

Posted on June 13, 2015 at 3:55 pm

Of course the dinosaurs and the geniuses at ILM who created them are the real stars of “Jurassic World.” But the highest compliment we can pay the human performers is that they can hold their own next to the CGI dinos. If they look familiar, it may be because you’ve seen them before.

Nick Robinson plays Zach, a teenager visiting the Jurassic World theme park. I first noticed him in the hilarious Cox commercials, but he also starred in the terrific independent film, The Kings of Summer and on Melissa & Joey.

Chris Pratt starred in two of the biggest movies of 2014. He was the voice of Emmett in The Lego Movie and he was Peter (also known, at least to himself, as Star-Lord) in Guardians of the Galaxy. But before that he was often seen playing comic relief best friend type roles in movies like “Delivery Man” and “The Five-Year Engagement.”

Bryce Dallas Howard played a mean, racist socialite in The Help and she played Victoria in the “Twilight” series. And she wants you to know she is not Jessica Chastain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhRIKwMp0c4

Vincent D’Onofrio is familiar to fans of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” But he has had a remarkably varied career, in films from Adventures in Babysitting to The Judge, and Full Metal Jacket.

Judy Greer plays the mother of the two boys and the sister of the woman who runs the park. She has been in pretty much everything, playing best friends in rom-coms and on television shows like “Arrested Development” and “Archer.” She even wrote a book about it: I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star

Irfan Kahn plays the billionaire whose company owns Jurassic World. He appeared in “The Life of Pi” as the title character and in “Slumdog Millionaire” as the game show host. His lovely film “The Lunchbox” is well worth seeking out.

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Actors Where You’ve Seen Them Before

AMC’s New All-Horror Movie Streaming Service

Posted on June 13, 2015 at 8:00 am

Uproxx reports that AMC has a new all-horror movie streaming service called Shudder with over 200 titles from the classics to international spook-fests, slashers, urban dread, supernatural scares, and more. You’ve been warned, but if you’re ready to be disturbed, terrified, and possibly haunted, sign up here!

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VOD and Streaming

New on DVD: Biblical Archeology of Israel

Posted on June 12, 2015 at 4:34 pm

Alden Films presents “Biblical Archeology of Israel,” including:

ANCIENT ROOTS — a compilation of recent discoveries in archaeological research in Israel

THE BOOK AND THE IDOL — Israel through the ages, from the stone age to biblical times

EXPLORERS OF THE HOLY LAND IN THE 19th CENTURY — a docudrama about the opening up of Israel to exploration in the 1800s

TREASURES OF THE HOLY LAND — religious sites in Israel from ancient times

The complete set of BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF ISRAEL is $189.95, plus $10.00 for shipping and handling. Individual DVDs are $24.95 each.

For orders, call 800-832-0980 or email: info@aldenfilms.com

What Book Would You Like To See Made Into a Movie?

Posted on June 12, 2015 at 8:00 am

The Chicago Tribune asked actors and filmmakers what books they would like to see adapted for the screen. “Selma” director Ava DuVernay picked Octavia Butler’s time travel story Kindred. Ethan Hawke picked the provocative Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille. Felicity Jones suggested Lady into Fox, by David Garnett. What book would you pick?

The Farewell Party

Posted on June 11, 2015 at 5:36 pm

Israeli filmmaker Sharon Mayman says that the idea for “The Farewell Party” came from the time that his boyfriend’s grandmother, age 92, was dying, and paramedics prolonged her suffering by “fighting for her life like she was 16 years old.” Her son, in frustration, said to the paramedics, “If you bring her back, you’re taking her with you.” In Israel, as everywhere else, new conversations, long overdue, are beginning about the end of life. This bittersweet story of love, friendship, and loss takes place in an assisted living facility where those who are still healthy spend a lot of time visiting those who are not. We first see Yeheskel (Ze’ev Revach) literally playing God. He is on the phone with a frail friend, pretending to be God, telling her to stay strong. And then he and his wife Levana (Levana Finkelstein) go to visit their closest friend, who is suffering terribly and dying slowly. His wife, frantic and furious, tells Yeshekel he must use his skill as an inventor to help them. And so Yeshekel does, working with a new arrival who has some experience in gentle and peaceful death — a veterinarian — and his friend, a cop.

The machine works, and they think they are done. But word has gotten out and the loved ones of people who are in great pain keep coming to Yeheskel to ask for his help, sometimes so desperate they will threaten blackmail. Levana gets increasingly uncomfortable with what they are doing until her own health issue makes her see things differently. As she struggles with dementia, her friends respond with grace and one of the most simultaneously funny and heartwarming moments in any movie this year. Growing old is not for sissies. But this movie shows us that we do not be afraid to be honest about it, and to smile through our tears.

Parents should know that this movie deals with end of life issues and assisted suicide and includes some nudity and sexual situations.

Family discussion: What can we do to make end of life issues easier for people who are dying and their families? Do you agree with the characters in this film?

If you like this, try: “A Matter of Size”

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Drama Movies -- format