Connect with us

Rocketman A Fascinating and Daring Look at Elton John’s Life

Published

on

This film lives up to what one might expect from a biopic about Elton John, although if you are expecting a drama like Bohemian Rhapsody, don’t! This is a musical plain and simple.

Almost from the opening there is a song and dance number which, admittedly, kinda took me right out of the film, especially because of dramatic lead in regarding his family dynamic.

Elton had, what has become an increasingly normal family situation, that is dispassionate parents (mom having checked out a while back and Dad, being military, not being around too much), where mom and dad only speak to each other if they have to. His saving grace, however, is his grandmother who is the only really affection one in the house.
It is discovered early on the Elton is a musical prodigy being able to learn don’t on the piano just from hearing them played. Her is given lessons which ends him up at a totally academy for music. The movie shifts direction again when young Elton finds his mom having an affair, and when I can expect say “finds” I mean he LITERALLY found his mom in the front seat of a car fooling around with another man. This was definite turning point for Elton as his father takes this opportunity to leave in a vocal fashion with his mother remaining as indifferent as always.
After the dust settles he warms up to his mom’s new fella, even to the point where he take the opportunity for a new haircut.
His music career really starts to take off as he starts playing small venues which leads to him running into his dearest friend and songwriting colleague Bernie.
The film does go into his early years of playing backwater clubs and does this somewhat in the form of a music number (all of the music numbers are set to his music, of course), however his team up with Bernie become legendary as they become inseparable. Ben Bernie and Elton they write hit after hit after hit.
Don’t get me wrong, the film is not all sugar and plumage, they do go into the darker side of him struggling with his identity, drug use, abusive relationships, and struggling in the business. Which does bring up a necessary note. That brings up the point that there is a rather bawdy love-making scene. Now before anyone gets in an uproar, I personally don’t like overt sex scenes in any movie. I think they’re completely unnecessary and can be shot a myriad of different ways.
I did appreciate how they kept to the times, traveling through his career which spanned many decades. As I said previously I’m not a big fan of musicals oh, so the fact that they were so many musical numbers in film took me out of the film on many occasions, however I do understand why they were put there, and why the film was shot that way. Elton John is entirely musical.
It’s in his blood, it’s in his bones, it’s in his soul so it does make sense that they make a film that shows that in a typical Elton John fashion. I can say this that the audience definitely loved it, so if you’re into musicals and want to see kind of a fantastical rendition of his history then I can recommend this phone.
Continue Reading

Streaming

Finally, the Cinderella story of the Richmond Greyhounds has come to an end.

Published

on

We are now in a new season for the team, and they have started off on the wrong
foot. The team is broken up and Ted has his work cut out for him. The team goes
through a slump, and Ted is now doubting his coaching ability. Ted’s personal life
has also gotten out of control, and he discovers his ex-wife Michelle has started a relationship with their therapist. The wonderkid, Nathan Shelley, the former manager of West Ham has had a change of heart and leaves his job to be with his one true love, the waitress from his favorite restaurant.

She convinces him to return to the Richmond team he started out in and it’s quite evident that
everyone wants him back and held no hard feelings. All of Lawrence’s series he has worked on with others have just that right balance of slice-of-life drama with a little bit of ridiculous comedy that reality dishes us, normal folks, every day.


This all comes to a head in the potential series finale where Ted announced to
Rebecca that he will be returning to the States to his family after his mother tells
him that his son misses him. This puts the Richmond owner into quite a state of denial; doing everything from offering Ted the position of being the highest-paid coach in the league to selling the team after he leaves. The team is also affected by this decision as they perform a number from the musical The Sound of Music that is a more than touching farewell to this family.

This bleeds into their playing as in the final title match the first half is met with
bumbling and possible injuries to their star player Jamie.
After an energizing pep talk and a circle back to the first motivator in the
beginning, a sign Ted made up that said “BELIEVE”, the team dominate the second
half and win with a rousing closing scene that is reminiscent of any 80’s party
movie. It’s a fitting end for this pandemic darling that emotionally carried us through. It is
a must-see series even if you don’t like soccer (football).

Continue Reading

Movie

No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters

Published

on

If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago. 

It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced. 

 Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game. 

From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.

Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.

The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.

What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?

And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Back to the movie. 

Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.

Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.

The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!

Continue Reading

Events

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023

Published

on

Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).


Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 That's My Entertainment