Category: MAIN

By Laurie Coker Rating: A My sister lived on a boat of some kind for well over twenty years, more than ten of those she spent with her co-captains sailing or motoring down the Pacific coast, through the Panama Canal at one point, and eventually, she ended up in Florida, after longs stints in Mexico,… Continue reading Review: KON-TIKI

By Laurie Coker Rating: A- Once in NYC, I fell prey to a street magician and since then I have a bit of an aversion to the trade, but not the talent. I remember loving David Coppefield and sat in awe at one of his shows, years ago. Like many magic tricks, perhaps all in… Continue reading Review: NOW YOU SEE ME

By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ New York City, a place like no other, and one I have visited every year for over fifteen years now. I love it! In spite of these annual visits, Bergdorf’s of New York has never been on my must see list. In fact, to be honest, while I have made… Continue reading Review: SCATTER MY ASHES AT BERGDORFS

By Laurie Coker Rating: A Few films can sustain characters like Richard Linklater’s films Before Sunrise (1994), Before Sunset (2004) and now, nine years later, his newest in the series Before Midnight, but because they are richly drawn and immensely engaging, we follow along in their lives with interest and curiosity. We can find comfort… Continue reading Review: BEFORE MIDNIGHT

By: Laurie Coker Rating: F Notably, as my male critic friends pointed out at the screening, I am NOT the target demographic for the new Hangover film, starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Ken Jeong, reprising their roles and proving some men never learn. I went in whining from the start, convinced the… Continue reading Review: HANGOVER PART III

By Laurie Coker Rating: A- Not every film released warrants me driving over 40 miles round trip for a 9:00 PM screening (I have done such for some real stinkers), but a Star Trek movie does fuel my desire, if not my car. Since my youth, I religiously watched the first run series with a… Continue reading Review; STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS

By Laurie Coker Rating: C- Broken people make for extremely interesting stories to watch.  Like a train wreck, their lives, dysfunctional and desperate, are difficult to turn away from. Colin Firth and Emily Blunt star in Arthur Newman, and their powerful performances make up for a dreary tale, one with little going for it and… Continue reading Review: ARTHUR NEWMAN

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 3.5 (Out of 5 Reels) Believe it or not, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY was not required reading for me in high school, so I went into this film with an open mind and no expectations. Mr. Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), is an eccentric millionaire who throws extravagant party’s every weekend… Continue reading Review: THE GREAT GATSBY

By Laurie Coker Rating: B- “Old dead white guys – that’s all we read!” These words have come from countless students of mine over the past 25 years. While we have worked to change that, some “old white guys,” will always be on high school reading lists. Thousands of teens across the nation read F.… Continue reading Review: THE GREAT GATSBY