Category: MAIN

By Laurie Coker Rating: D- When Kick Ass premiered at SXSW a couple of years ago, it surprised me. I never thought I would get in to such a wild, farfetched film, but I did – for good reason. The story, the cast, the excitement of SXSW all worked to enhance the experience and it… Continue reading Review: KICK ASS 2

By Laurie Coker Rating: B+ It is easy to love a film, in spite of a sometimes heavy handed director, if for nothing more than an exceptional cast. Scripted by Danny Strong, Lee Daniels’ civil rights era film meanders perhaps a bit too much in places, but because of the talents of Forest Whitaker and… Continue reading Review: THE BUTLER

By Laurie Coker Rating: C- In a season of sci-fi thrillers, like Oblivion, World War Z, in my book, Eyslium fails to deliver.  An over bearing soundtrack, limited character connections and poor pacing makes Mat Damon’s newest venture a dull, misadventure.  Having loved District9, another film from director/writer Neill Blomkamp, I hoped for better. I… Continue reading Review: ELYSIUM

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+   Sex, seduction, booze, debauchery and strangeness all take place aboard Peninsula Flight 2549 as it heads to Mexico City from Spain. An interesting group of first class passengers, three flamboyant fight stewards and an unusual cock pit team get into all sorts of odd and sometime sexual situations, as… Continue reading Review: I’M SO EXCITED

By Laurie Coker   Rating: F   I’ve grown too old, I think, especially as a parent and as a teacher. As I sat through To Do List, I cringed at almost every scene. When I watched Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza), the class valedictorian graduating from high school, spend her last summer before college checking disgusting… Continue reading Review: To Do List

By Laurie Coke Rating: B+ There is one phone call parents never want to receive. Fruitvale Station brings to life one mother’s nightmare, a daughter’s loss and the story of a life cut short. After celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends in 2009, Oscar Grant III died when a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police… Continue reading Review: FRUITVALE STATION

By Laurie Coker Rating: A- Everyone who knows me knows I am NOT a fan of horror films. Very few actually scare me and most just gross me out. Still, a friend of mine, who loves to hate horror, really wanted to see The Conjuring, starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farminga, Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor,… Continue reading Review: THE CONJURING

By Laurie Coker Rating: C- My guest nailed it when he said that RIPD is like Ghostbusters, but it feels and looks a good deal like Men in Black too. Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Louise Parker and Kevin Bacon star in RIPD, a rip-roaring, wild, CGI adventure ride taking place somewhere between Heaven and… Continue reading Review: RIPD

By Laurie Coker Rating: B Dream works Animation might actually catch up with the quality of Pixar. Their newest offering pleases young and old, with a tiny hero and his big dream. In this highly engaging tale, we find ourselves cheering for the little guy in a big way. My guests for this fun film… Continue reading Review: TURBO

By Laurie Coker Rating: A I’ve said in again and again. A perfectly preformed character-driven film trumps most other films. Rich, well-imagined characters are what make What Maisie Knew a beautiful film. While I am familiar with author Henry James, I knew nothing about the movie before seeing it, except that I had seen a… Continue reading Review: What Maisie Knew