Movies Archives - Page 2 of 3

27Jul

When Netflix is a Girl’s Bestfriend

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I've been recovering from an accident for several months and have been home more than usual. At first, I wondered how I'd spend my time. Days came and went. Until I remembered that cozy spot in the basement where I could sit and watch TV. Not just regular TV, but Netflix. So equipped with a blanket, a heating pad, liquids and meds (believe me, I needed plenty in the early days of recovery), I sat down and started flipping through the classic and independent films. At first, I felt inundated by the amount of choice. I have over 100 saved in my queue from Read More

17Mar

A Chat with the Cast of HOME and a Giveaway

Posted by The Culture Mom 63 Comments

When I was invited to view the film HOME and attend a press junket with the creatives involved that included Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin & Director Tim Johnson, I was thrilled. Such talent - such creativity - such legends. First I had to see the film to see for myself. So, on a late Monday afternoon, I ventured into the city for a screening of the film. The film is about Oh, a misfit from another planet who lands on earth and finds himself on the run from his own people. He forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who Read More

15Feb

Fund The Skinny and Get People Talking About Eating Disorders

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece on Jessie Kahnweiler. Her video series called Meet My Rapist spoke to me on many levels. It was a blunt response to her own rape that occurred as a college student while in Vietnam by playing herself being followed by her rapist. She took an extremely bad moment in her life and used it to teach people through storytelling and it was really powerful. Since then, Kahnweiler has gone on to do more great things that wake people up, including me, every single time. Using the power of comedy and video, she produces Read More

09Feb

Highlights from the Athena Film Festival

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This past weekend I had the ultimate experience for a female culture vulture like myself at the Athena Film Festival. Several days prior to the festival, I interviewed Melissa Silverstein, editor of Women & Hollywood and co-founder of the festival, about the event. We were talking about why there is a need for a festival for and about women's equality in 2015 and she told me this: “There is not a lack of talent for women in film, there’s a lack of opportunity.” She and her co-founder, Kathryn Kolbert, weren't the only ones aware of the lack of Read More

25Jan

Up Close and Personal with Paddington’s Nicole Kidman

Posted by The Culture Mom 6 Comments

When I had a last minute opportunity to interview Nicole Kidman a few days ago to promote her new film, Paddington, I was thrilled. A long time fan, I have been following her career of superb performances in some of my favorite films such as To Die For, The Hours, Rabbit Hole, Far and Away, The Portrait of a Lady, Moulin Rouge, The Birthday Girl, Dogville and so many others. She's been in the public spotlight for years, and we all feel like we know her. We've seen her go through a very public break-up, move on to marry a very famous country singer and Read More

20Dec

Annie: A Very Modern Take on a Beloved Story – Does it Work?

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Last weekend my 11 year-old daughter and I headed to NYC to catch a preview of Annie the Movie. She had extremely high hopes about the movie and I was excited to see this seemingly very modern update of a story I have loved all of my life. From the original version starring Andrea McArdle to the 1982 film directed by John Huston to the Broadway show my daughter and I saw last year, the story and songs from Annie have been a staple in my life for just about ever. But after seeing this new film, it's hard to give you a fair opinion on whether it's a Read More

03Dec

My Wild (the movie) Giveaway

Posted by The Culture Mom 90 Comments

I'm a big fan of the book WILD by Cheryl Strayed and I can assure you, I'll see the film. I wrote about the book a few months ago when I was talking about one of my solo trips. I found the book riveting, inspiring, important. Here's what I said: While I’m here, I’m taking inspiration from Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. It’s my main read on this trip and it’s one of strength, courage and reflection. She spent several months hiking on her own in the Pacific Northwest. On her travels, she looked back on her past to come to terms with what had happened to Read More

17Sep

From Book to Screen: A Chat with “This is Where I Leave You” Author Jonathan Tropper

Posted by The Culture Mom 16 Comments

Jonathan Tropper is on a roll. Not only did he watch his novel, This is Where I Leave You, shoot to the top of the best-selling charts, but he optioned it to a film studio. Then they asked him to write the screenplay and he got to keep the story and characters as faithful to its original concept as possible, a rarity these days in Hollywood. After seeing the film, which stars an ensemble that includes Jason Bateman and Tina Fey, I felt even closer to the characters he brought to life on celluloid so vividly, and I was eager to talk to him (along with a Read More

30May

Review: Maleficent, a Feminist Film

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I always worry about Disney movies, as much as I love them. The female characters always seem to need me. Or to be saved by men. Of they need to be kissed by men in order to live. That has been the story of several of their fairytales, including the very popular Sleeping Beauty. In that story, a handsome Prince breaks a spell cast on the Princess by Malifecent and not only are they reunited, she is saved and the palace awakens. Everyone lives happily ever after as a result of the Prince's actions, even though he is a minor character in the story. Oh, Read More

01Feb

The Poetry of 12 Years a Slave

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Sometimes you see a movie that stays with you for a very, very long time. That movie for me is 12 Years a Slave. I nipped into a very empty cinema on a weekday afternoon recently on my own and prepared myself for an afternoon at the movies. To say that it was like therapy is an understatement. From the minute I first set eyes on the eyes of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon, I was smitten. Inside his eyes I felt the weight of the 19th century reality of slavery. The film starts out as his character, Solomon Northup, a brilliant violinist is living in Read More