SOBER CINEMA: Twenty Years Later - GREAT EXPECTATIONS and ZERO EFFECT

Twenty years ago on January 30th 1998, two cinematic characters who value their estrangement from the world presented the good and evil aspects of this lifestyle. In a modern retelling of Charles Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Anne Bancroft takes out her heartbreak on two children who will grow up to be Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke, while the world's greatest detective in ZERO EFFECT mainly just annoys his partner, much to our amusement. Maybe its being forced to read the novel in high school but we obviously lean towards the more comedic study of detachment as presented by Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller in Jake Kasdan's forgotten gem, but then again there may be something to The Florida Cinematic Universe starring Chris Cooper. Listen to our latest episode to see if we finally give this Dickens guy a break and follow at the links below:

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Richard Armitage interview on SLEEPWALKER

SLEEPWALKER is the latest film from director Elliott Lester. Troubled by bouts of sleepwalking and disturbing nightmares, graduate student Sarah Foster goes to her university's sleep research center for help. When she wakes up after her first night of being monitored, the world she lives in seems to have changed in subtle, Twilight-Zone-esque ways. In fact, every time she goes to sleep now, she wakes up in a slightly different version of her world. With the help of sleep researcher Dr. Scott White, she tries to work her way back to the reality she started in. But when they finally succeed, it’s revealed that Sarah’s world is not what she thought at all.

Today my guest is one of the stars SLEEPWALKER, Richard Armitage. Tonight we talk about his work on that film as well as his work as Thorin Oakenshiled in The Hobbit Films, as John Proctor in The Crucible, and his upcoming films Ocens 8 and the Julie Delpy directed film My Zoe.

Sleepwalker is Now Available on Digital HD and On Dem…

LAFF Review AND THEN THERE WAS EVE

2017
Directed By: Savannah Bloch
Starring: Tania Nolan, Rachel Crowl, Mary Holland, Karan Soni, John Kassir, and Anne Gee Byrd

Alyssa (Nolan) wakes up to find her home pillaged and her husband missing. The burglars have taken everything, down to the photos of her husband. The police offer little help so she turns to a friend of the family Eve (Crowl) for assistance. The film is less of a "who done it" and more of a "what happened."

The prolonged second act of the film focuses on the relationship between Eve and Alyssa. The suspense of the film lingers in the background while their relationship grows. In fact, clues of what is to come are clearly laid out in a way that allows the viewer to see where the film is headed before it gets there. I'm not sure if this is by design but the effect of having the stories trajectory clearly laid out gives the audience permission to accept this blossoming relationship.

Nolan and Crowl both give stunning performances that anc…

THE GRAND GESTURE: That Awkward Moment

We bring on "The King of Cringe" for THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, something our guest JARED DOTSON of SOBER CINEMA takes issue with. However much to our surprise, he does not take issue with this not so well regarded romcom from 2014 starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller as three guys making a pact to navigate single life together after one friend's marriage ends. And while the romances don't particularly work here (except for the one with the great Mackenzie Davis who makes any role work) this boys club movie ends up having its own particular charms. Like a combination of ice cream and bourbon this one goes down easy in our latest episode you can find here and at the links below:
Listen on iTunes/Podbean
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @grandgesturepod Hosts: Dave @pccasestudy Mike @warmachinehorse Email us your favorite romantic grand gestures in film at grandgesturepod@gmail.com Theme music by Soft and Furious Intro: "Am I Drunk or in Love" Outro: …

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