It has been said that the American dream has to do with home ownership. Being a home owner is the goal of many of our citizens. Yet the housing crisis of 2008 changed the landscape of the dream. Set in…
‘The Martian’ is an ode to science and the will to live
The Martian, based on the novel by Andy Weir, spins a tale of how an astronaut is left for dead on the hostile red planet we know as Mars. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) must find a way to survive for…
‘Straight Outta Compton’ reveals plight of African-American men in U.S.
All musical bio-movies seem to follow the same script. A group or an individual rises from poverty to the heights of fame. Along the way they get taken advantage of by a manager and end up casting said manager aside….
‘Fantastic Four’ delivers a plateful of stink
I wasted over an hour and half of my life. How did I do it? Sadly, I did it watching an attempt to bring one of my favorite comic book series to life on the movie screen. Fantastic Four is…
What a pastor learned at Comic Con
Going to Comic Con International is like drinking from a fire hose. There is so much going on and you want to be part of all of it. But like drinking from that fire hose, you eventually end up being…
‘Inside Out’ asserts children are stronger than we think
There is a wonderful line in To Kill a Mockingbird. After Atticus and Jem return from a visit to the Robinson home, where Atticus is called an ugly name, Atticus looks at his son, Jem and says, “There’s a lot…
Tragedy of abuse is manifest in ‘Love & Mercy’
Brian Wilson has a tortured soul. Much of his life had abuse from one source or another. His greatest tormentor was his father, Murry. The backdrop of an abusive father informs Love & Mercy, a powerful biopic on the life…
It’s slow, but ‘ Tomorrowland’ offers antidote to doom and gloom
There was a time when the world believed the future would be better. That view held to the promise of better days within reach. But when that future arrived we found not a promise but what many saw as a…
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ resonates with desire for hope and redemption
Mad Max: Fury Road is like much summer fare and looks to be a reboot of an old franchise. The first “Mad Max” movie was made in 1979. Many summer movies are just that: an old movie, an old story,…