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Archives for : August2019

Interview: John Travolta talks “The Fanatic”


John Travolta and Devon Sawa star in the new film, “The Fanatic”. Trust me when I say, you’ve never seen Travolta like this! It’s a psychological thriller that will have you questioning the difference between fan and stalker.

I got a chance to sit down with John Travolta and discuss when it’s appropriate to walk up to celebrities, who is his guardian angel, his favorite Travolta dance move, and more!

“The Fanatic” opens in select theaters on August 30 at the AMC Mesquite 30 and Studio Movie Grill Colleyville in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. It will be on Video-On-Demand and digital release September 6.

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Movie Review: “Good Boys” Delivers More than a Good Time

Do you remember your best friends from elementary school? Maybe you’re still friends with them, or maybe the extent of that friendship has come down to rare Facebook notifications? Whatever it may be, those friendships probably still hold a special place in your heart. For most of us, it was a time of discovery, curiosity, and tears; which is exactly the kind of relationship we see in the new raunchy, tween comedy, “Good Boys”.

Three sixth grade boys from an Illinois suburb find themselves conflicted when they get invited to one of the cool kid’s kissing party. The problem is, none of them know how to kiss. Love-sick Max (Jacob Tremblay) wants his first kiss to be with his crush/supposed future wife, Brixlee (Millie Davis). Straight-laced Lucas (Keith L. Williams) wants to help Max, but is going through his own struggles at home. And musically inclined Thor (Brady Noon) wants so badly to impress the popular kids, even if it means skipping a desired musical audition.

After an unsuccessful attempt at trying to look up “how to kiss” on the internet, Max and his friends foolishly decide to use his dad’s (Will Forte) drone to spy on the girl next door in hopes that she will be kissing her boyfriend. Unfortunately, Hannah (Molly Gordon) is hanging with her best friend (Midori Francis) and they aren’t happy when they discover they are being spied on. This leads to a domino effect of one disaster after another.

“Good Boys” comes off as a junior version of “Superbad”. Produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the two include the raunchy, laugh out loud comedy we’re so used to seeing. But their comedies always have something a little extra than just bathroom humor. They give their characters depth and relatability. Watching these three very innocent kids who have deemed themselves “The Bean Bag Boys” almost feels nostalgic. Whether they remind us of the short-term crushes, how naive we were to all sexual references, or how drinking a sip of beer was just about the wildest thing you could do; there’s something in this film that will be reminiscent of your childhood.

While the movie is 90 minutes of pure fun, there’s also the bittersweet reminder that friends can grow apart, especially when hitting a new stage in life (like middle school/high school). Different interests can lead you in new directions, and towards new friends that you have more in common with. It’s a harsh reality for “The Bean Bag Boys” face. Even if their friendship is short-lived, watching the bond between these boys is a joy that’s everlasting.

Rating: 4/5

“Good Boys” opens in theaters August 16.

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Interview: Eugenio Derbez talks “Dora and the Lost City of Gold”

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” Production Still

The popular animated series, “Dora the Explorer” is now a live action big screen movie!

I sat down with one of the stars of the film, Eugenio Derbez (Overboard, Instructions Not Included), to discuss why it’s hard to make friends in high school, which celebrity he would want to dress up as, and more!

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” opens in theaters August 9.

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Interview: Garth Stein talks “The Art of Racing in the Rain”

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” is the new comedy/drama, based on Garth Stein’s bestselling 2008 novel. The film is told from the point of view of Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner), who watches his owner, race-car driver Denny’s (Milo Ventimiglia) life unfold. Enzo witnesses Denny get married and have a child; along with the hardships of losing loved ones and dealing with criminal charges.

It’s a journey through life that makes us wonder just how much our pets are taking in, and what would they say if they could talk? And like almost every dog movie, this one will have you reaching for all the tissues. 

Author Garth Stein visited Mutts Cantina in Dallas this week for a fan event, and I sat down with him to chat about the film which is based on his own personal experiences.

Garth Stein, Author of “The Art of Racing in the Rain”

I haven’t seen an audience react so strongly to a film like this one in a long time. There was cheering, there was laughing, and of course, crying. What do you think it is about this story that has people so emotionally invested while they watch?

Well it’s a good old fashioned family story that’s told by a dog. So there’s the endearing quality of Enzo, who’s a really keen observer and he studies human behavior and that’s his goal. But he also doesn’t get everything right. It’s a very black and white world for him, in a sense. You’re either a good guy or a bad guy. And though he may not always be right, we’re invested in him. When something happens that’s funny or exciting, we’re going to be especially responsive.

There’s a really great scene between Denny and Eve (Amanda Seyfried) when they’re discussing if loving the race is enough to keep doing it, since it’s clearly a huge obstacle for them. Do you think loving a job is enough to keep pursuing it?

Yes! I mean there’s a point where you have to have a gut check. There’s a point where you have to say, “Okay am I really with this?” And if the answer is, “Yes”, then you have to make the sacrifices. You have to do the work. I mean that’s what happens with Denny in the book, and that’s what happened with me when I was writing the book. You know I wrote the book and I sent it to my agent and he said that, “you can’t do this, no one can sell this book, throw it away.” And I fired him. I did a gut check, and I had to sit with myself and meditate on it. And if I had listened to him, no one would have ever met Enzo.

I think it’s great that Enzo knows how to distract Denny when he’s down. One of those ways is by making him watch TV. When you’re upset and you need a good distraction what do you like to watch or do?

You know it’s interesting, I do meditate and I do play tennis. There’s nothing like a good hard work out to get your mind off all your troubles. But I think that’s the idea.  To go to something that does not need much conscious mind input, and therefore can alleviate any anxieties one might have.

I really like watching movies. Movies are my medicine. When I’m down I watch either a comedy or horror flick. (i.e. “Tommy Boy” or “Scream”). What movies do you like to watch to clear your mind?

So my go to movies would be, “The Godfather” movies, “Alien”. Yeah so there are some movies that make me go, “You know what, I don’t want to think about anything right now, so I’m going to watch Alien 2” (Laughs).

My youngest kid is 12 years old and this summer we’re doing “The Summer of Horror”. So he wanted to see like more scary movies. We’ve been doing like “Halloween”, “Friday the 13th”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, and we started with “The Shining”, which freaked him out a little bit. And then we watched “The Babadook”…at some point I looked over at him and said, “You know what we’re going to stop right now.” And he was okay with it (Laughs). That one might have been too soon to watch (Laughs).

It’s interesting to see people’s lives from a dog’s perspective in this film. It reminds us of what all dogs are able to see and listen in on. If you could be any person’s dog in this world for a week and get insight into their lives, who would you choose and why?

That’s tough. Honestly, I have to be with Enzo on this and be with one of the great drivers. Well with the actors, Steve McQueen or Paul Newman would be fun. But you know, what about someone like Louis Hamilton? He just won his seventh Grand Prix of Hungry. That would be pretty awesome to be with one of the great Formula One drivers.

There’s a great line in the film while Denny is fighting for custody of his daughter, “There’s no dishonor in losing the race, there’s only dishonor in being afraid to race.” Metaphorically speaking, what has been your most challenging race?

You know there’s been a lot of challenging races. My father died 10 years ago. Obviously that’s pretty challenging. It was an interesting transition, and it took me a while to get use to the change in the family dynamic when that happens. There is an accommodation that has to happen. My mother and I got through the difficult part and now were cruising.

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” hits theaters August 9th

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Movie Review/Interview: Directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz talk “The Peanut Butter Falcon”

Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen star in “The Peanut Butter Falcon”

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a modern Mark Twain style adventure story. The film follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down Syndrome, who runs away from a residential nursing home and the employee who cared for him (Dakota Johnson) so that he can follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Along the way he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), and the two form an unlikely brotherly bond during their exciting and, at times, dangerous travels.

This is writers/directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz’s debut feature, and it’s one of the best films of the year. A simple premise with a lot of heart. This is due in great part to the fantastic performances by Gottsagen, LaBeouf, and Johnson. 

I got a chance to sit down with Nilson and Schwartz while they were in Dallas to promote their film. It was entertaining to say the least. They are very cool dudes, who are passionate about this already critically acclaimed movie. We chatted about LaBeouf and Gottsagen’s chemistry, pro-wrestling, meeting your heroes, and much more.

Rating: 4.5/5

All hands in with Michael Schwartz (Left) & Tyler Nilson (Right)
Full Interview with Director/Writers Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” opens in select theaters on August 9.

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