Movies for July 2015: Wild Tales and Stand By Me

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 1, at Bill T's house.

Wild Tales (2014)

Six short stories involving distressed people.

Director: Damián Szifrón (as Damián Szifron)
Writer: Damián Szifrón (as Damián Szifron)
Stars: Darío Grandinetti, María Marull, Mónica Villa

Stand by Me (1986)

Available by Netflix streaming and DVD.

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Director: Rob Reiner
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon(screenplay), 1 more credit »
Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

NOTE: this film has not yet released in Portland, so Bill T. has substituted Wild Tales (see above) as his first pick.

High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Writers: Jesse Andrews (novel), Jesse Andrews (screenplay)
Stars: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke

Movies for June 2015: Land Ho! and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The next meeting is Wednesday June 3 and will be hosted by Nic.

Land Ho! (2014)

A pair of former brothers-in-law embark on a road trip through Iceland.

Directors: Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens
Writers: Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens
Stars: Earl Lynn Nelson, Paul Eenhoorn, Daníel Gylfason

Availability: Netflix (DVD), Amazon, Flixster, iTunes, M-Go, Redbox, Vudu

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.

Director: Julian Schnabel
Writers: Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Jean-Dominique Bauby (book)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze

Availability: Netflix (Online/DVD/Bluray), Amazon, Flixster, iTunes, M-Go, Redbox, Vudu

Movies for May 2015: Danny Collins and Locke

We will meet on Wednesday, May 6th at 7:30 at Joe's house. We will review these movies:

Danny Collins (2015)

An aging rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year old letter written to him by John Lennon.

Director: Dan Fogelman
Writer: Dan Fogelman (screenplay)
Stars: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner

Locke (2013)

Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.

Director: Steven Knight 

Writer: Steven Knight 

Stars: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson

Votes on last month's movies:

McFarland, USA:  7.0

Foxcatcher:  5.0

Movies for April 2015: McFarland, USA and Foxcatcher

We will meet on Wednesday April 1, 7:30 at Bill G's house. We will review these movies:

McFarland, USA (2015)

A cross country coach in a small California town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders.

Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Christopher Cleveland (story), Christopher Cleveland (as Chris Cleveland) , 4 more credits »
Stars: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez

Foxcatcher (2014)

The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.

Director: Bennett Miller
Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Stars: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo |

Movies for March 2015: Nightcrawler and Kingsman: The Secret Service

We will meet at 7:30, March 4 at Dean's home and review these films:

Nightcrawler (2014)

When Lou Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Jane Goldman (screenplay), Matthew Vaughn(screenplay), 2 more credits »
Stars: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson

Reserve the Date! 2015 Academy Awards Ceremony

Sunday February 22, 4pm

See event details, including new voting format, on our Special Events page.

Movies for February 2015: The Imitation Game, American Sniper

NOTE CHANGE OF PLAN
We will meet at Joe's house on February 4. We will review the following films:

The Imitation Game (2014)

During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

Director: Morten Tyldum
Writers: Andrew Hodges (book), Graham Moore (screenplay)
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode

American Sniper (2014)

Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Jason Hall, Chris Kyle (book), 2 more credits »
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner