EXCLUSIVE: Chris chats with Tom Hopper!

 

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The nation’s slow recovery from the 2016 Presidential Election has reminded us about the deep divisions in the United States. But the election and its preceding campaign gave me many thought-provoking conversations with friends, family, and colleagues. One such conversation came with Tom Hopper, star of the new action thriller Kill Ratio.

Kill Ratio is a departure for the English actor, best known for his roles in the the drama Black Sails and the fantasy-adventure Merlin. In the Paul Danter-directed Kill Ratio, Tom takes on the role of James Henderson, a lone wolf protecting a small European country from a military coup as it transitions to a democratic government. Four days before the election, Tom and I discussed the importance of democratic government, his personal political journey, and how he just can’t stop sword fighting. He even clued me in on a new passion project close to his heart. I was captivated by Tom’s insight and wit. I hope you will be, too.

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Review – Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

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by Kevin Muller

Throughout cinematic history, there have been many films that have tried to capture the medical condition known as “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” experienced by returning soldiers.  “The Deer Hunter” is a personal favorite and winner of the Best Picture Oscar back in 1978.  That film completely sold how war deteriorates the mind of many to the point of tragedy.   Many films before it and after give the condition its due through incredible writing matched with equally impressive acting and directing.   Now, two time Academy Award winner Ang Lee proposes to show the effects of the condition by shooting his entire new movie in 120 Frames per second.  Does it work or is it just a gimmick to cover a mediocre film?

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EXCLUSIVE: Chris chats with Charlotte Beaumont!

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It’s Halloween season. Another year of countless horror films hitting theaters trying to become the “scariest movie of all time.” You might also have seen your Video on Demand (VoD) service pushing collections of classics like Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Child’s Play. Horror movies are everywhere this time of year. But Americans’ fascination with the genre has exploded so much, that horror movies are almost ubiquitous all year long. So what makes one of these movies worth seeing? For me, a film in this genre succeeds when it’s filled with psychodrama. Blood and gore are fine, but if you really want to terrorize me, get in my head. It’s  increasingly difficult to pull off psychodrama, since our culture is bombarded with tragedy thanks to 24-hour news cycles and the omnipresence of social media. That being the case, when a film transcends the darkness of everyday life and gets me to invest in the world it creates, I take notice. The Windmill did just that.

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Review – Dr. Strange

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by Old King Clancy

The Marvel Comic Universe has widely considered to be made of three distinct sections, Earth, Comic and Mythical. Earth and Cosmic have already been touched upon in the MCU but Mythical hasn’t until now and with good reason, because of the rule-bending nature a central universe needed to be established first before Marvel brought in its Sorcerer Supreme. As it stands, what Doctor Strange lacks in narrative it makes up for in being arguably the most imaginative MCU movie to date.

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Review – Westworld, Season 1 Episode 1

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by Old King Clancy

“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”

The 1973 movie Westworld was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton and showcased a Western themed amusement park where human visitors were able to interact with android inhabitants and live an Old West lifestyle without fear or consequence. It was a novel idea that nowadays is more famous for its similarities to Crichton’s most familiar work, Jurassic Park, but the idea of artificial intelligence gone rogue has stuck around cinema for decades and shaped science fiction  into what it is today.

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