E. Nielson

A documentary film by Dinesh D’Souza and Bruce Schooley was a film I didn’t want to see let alone review feeling it was going to be nothing more than a hack job trying to destroy Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the Presidency. And for the most part that’s true, however what I found was a film that for at least 60 minutes of it’s 107 minute running time was more a history lesson on what the Democratic Party was during the 18th and 19th centuries. Yes, I will admit that th

Woody Allen’s film from his original screenplay is perhaps not one of his best but is nevertheless a good film and worth seeing. Recreating New York City and Hollywood in the 1930s has been beautifully done with a witty script, gorgeous sets and costumes with a wonderful cast led by Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Jeannie Berlin, Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll and Ken Stott. Detailing the story of a young man who goes to Hollywood to work for his uncl

Meera Menon directed this fascinating film from an original screenplay by Amy Fox (Story by Amy Fox, Alysia Reiner & Sarah Megan Thomas) and has done herself proud. A story of the inner workings of Wall Street and how a successful internet start-up (ie. FACEBOOK) is taken public is both brutally and highly disturbing is what the characters are willing to resort to to succeed. An excellent script delivered by some of the best actors working today, includes Anna Gunn (BREAKING

James Schamus made his directing debut with this film from his own screenplay from a novel of the same name by Philip Roth. Beautifully written and acted it details the story of a young working class Jewish student, Marcus Messner who leaves his home in Newark, New Jersey to attend a small liberal arts college in Winesburg, Ohio. There he encounters a life outside of the Jewish community he grew up in and questions the role of organized religion in the academic life of the co

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer based on the novel of the same name by Jeanne Ryan is an effective film detailing the lives of teenagers dominated by social media and an online game called NERVE. This game challenges viewers to be either Players or Watchers. Watchers pay a fee to watch the Players as they are dared to do acts which become life threatening as the game proceeds. Well cast with Emma Roberts, Dave Franco, Juliette L

This documentary directed by Morgan Neville (Oscar winner for FIFTY FEET FROM STARDOM) profiles cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, an eclectic group of musicians taken mostly from countries that intersect the legendary trading route of the Silk Road. The point of what they are doing is to say that music is the universal language that can unite differing people from a wide array of cultures while producing beautiful music together. Many of the musicians and artists h

David F. Sandberg’s film from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer is a supernatural horror film that is genuinely frightening a good part of the time and based on a 2½ minute film he made a few years ago. However in expanding the short film into feature length and giving the characters all backstories including the ghost, it loses some steam in the overall execution. A very effective cast that includes Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman (an excellent child actor), Maria Bello and Bill

Justin Lin’s film from a screenplay by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung and based on the series STAR TREK by Gene Roddenberry is an enjoyable but far from a great film in the franchise. This is the thirteenth film in the STAR TREK film franchise and the third film in the reboot series. Very much in the “Star Trek” mold, I couldn’t help but feel that I’d seen this film before. Having been an original fan of the series when it first aired on NBC from 1966-1969 I have to confess I enjoy

Luca Viotto directed this magnificent documentary produced in conjunction with Vatican TV, detailing the history of Rome’s four major Basilicas, St. Peter’s, St. John (in the) Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls and the magnificent art which is enshrined in each of them. Since the buildings themselves are works of art with magnificent frescoes, moldings and sculptures as part of the structure of each, you are given unique points of view rarely seen by the

Paul Feig directed this re-make (re-boot) of the original 1984 GHOSTBUSTERS film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Katie Dippold but this time with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones replacing Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. Chris Hemsworth replaces Annie Potts as a most dimwitted receptionist and acquits himself quite well as a light comedian. A story of three paranormal scientists joined on their journey by a New York Ci