Review: ‘The Founder’- Witness the creation of the McDonald’s empire

The fastest way to get to the top is by standing on the backs of others, Ray Kroc discovered this and used it to become one of the most successful businessmen this country has ever known. John Lee Hancock (Saving Mrs. Banks) directs Oscar nominated actor Michael Keaton as the man who brought McDonald’s to every hometown in America.

Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a traveling salesman who currently specializes in selling Prince Castle brand milkshake makers. Life on the road has been a struggle for Ray, each day he visits restaurants and drive-ins across the Midwest finding more resistance to his sales pitch than enthusiastic buyers. He has a comfortable life back home in Illinois with his wife Ethel (Laura Dern) and a simple but comfortable living, but success to do something great keeps driving Ray back to the road to find his legacy. A chance order from the McDonald’s brothers in San Bernadino, CA will change his life forever.

Ray meets with the two brothers who own and operate the establishment, Maurice “Mac” McDonald (John Carroll Lynch) and  Richard “Dick” McDonald (Nick Offerman), who have created an innovative way of supplying hamburgers to the public. Awestruck by their creation, Ray convinces the brothers to let him take their McDonald’s idea nationally, and this is where the real story begins. Through all the struggle, the persistence of Ray Kroc leads to success and his control of the franchise’s present and future. The evolution into one of the most powerful men in business was paved with betrayal, cunning and ingenuity, which makes the story dramatically unfold.

Michael Keaton’s enthusiasm and delivery bring Kroc’s persona to life in a near perfect way. Throughout the film, we witness the transformation of a person starved to prove himself to a person drunk on success and whether you love him or hate him, he got there his way.  John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman are wonderful as the McDonald’s brothers. Each step of their rise and fall is felt in their portrayal of the characters and you can’t help but cringe as their decimation unfolds. The story centers around the tense relationship between the brothers and Kroc and these actors bring a wonderful mix of humor and drama to help make this story as mesmerizing as it is.

Overall, The Founder is an interesting tale of the rise of McDonald’s and men who brought the “Golden Arches” to the country. It’s a sad look at the glutton of success and repulsive effects it has on those in the way. The performances make this film worth the journey.

Stars:

3 out of 5

Trailer:

Official Trailer for ‘Big Stone Gap’ is Now Online

Big Stone Gap

Picturehouse has released the trailer for the  upcoming all-star ensemble film Big Stone Gap and we have it for you above! The film is written and directed by Adriana Trigiani (The Shoemaker’s Wife) and is based on her best-selling novel of the same name.

Big Stone Gap , shot entirely on location in Trigiani’s hometown, is the story of proud working people and their lives in a coal mining town nestled in the southwest corner of Virginia, deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd), the town’s self-proclaimed spinster, has resigned herself to a quiet life of singlehood and being useful. She works in her family’s pharmacy, delivers the prescriptions herself, and directs the town’s annual outdoor drama until one day she learns of a long-buried family secret that changes the course of her life forever.

The film also stars Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Benjamin Hickey, Jane Krakowski, Anthony LaPaglia, Jenna Elfman, Jasmine Guy and Judith Ivey.

Picturehouse will release the film nationwide on October 9th

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Twitter: @BSGmovie, #BigStoneGapMovie

 

RLJ Entertainment Acquires the Kurt Russell Western ‘Bone Tomahawk’

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RLJ Entertainment, Inc. has acquired all U.S. & Canadian rights to the Caliber Media western Bone Tomahawk.  Written and Directed by S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk stars Kurt Russell (Tombstone, Hateful Eight), Patrick Wilson (Insidious, TV’s “Fargo”), Matthew Fox (Alex Cross, TV’S “Lost”), Lili Simmons (“True Detective”, “Banshee”), and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Olive Kitteridge). Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer, made the announcement today. Bone Tomahawk marks the first title acquired under the RLJ Entertainment brand. RLJ Entertainment, Inc. previously released its theatrical titles under the Image Entertainment brand, which RLJE purchased in 2012.

“We are proud to be bringing this thrilling film to US audiences this year,” said Ward.  “With S. Craig Zahler’s uncompromising vision and the raw performances from the incredible cast, there is no doubt that Bone Tomahawk will be an instant classic.”

When a group of cannibal savages kidnaps settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Russell), sets out to bring them home. But their enemy is more ruthless than anyone could have imagined, putting their mission – and survival itself – in serious jeopardy.

Produced by Dallas Sonnier, Jack Heller, and Gregory Zuk of Caliber Media (Dark Was the NightSome Kind of Hate) and executive produced by the Fyzz Facility’s Wayne Marc Godfrey (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Robert Jones (The Usual Suspects) and David Gilbrey (Red vs. Dead).

Picturehouse Debuts Poster for the Upcoming Film ‘Big Stone Gap’

Big Stone Gap

Picturehouse has released the poster for the  upcoming all-star ensemble film Big Stone Gap and we have it for you above! The film is written and directed by Adriana Trigiani (The Shoemaker’s Wife) and is based on her best-selling novel of the same name.

Big Stone Gap , shot entirely on location in Trigiani’s hometown, is the story of proud working people and their lives in a coal mining town nestled in the southwest corner of Virginia, deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd), the town’s self-proclaimed spinster, has resigned herself to a quiet life of singlehood and being useful. She works in her family’s pharmacy, delivers the prescriptions herself, and directs the town’s annual outdoor drama until one day she learns of a long-buried family secret that changes the course of her life forever.

The film also stars Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Benjamin Hickey, Jane Krakowski, Anthony LaPaglia, Jenna Elfman, Jasmine Guy and Judith Ivey.

Picturehouse will release the film nationwide on October 9th

Facebook.com/BigStoneGapMovie

Twitter: @BSGmovie, #BigStoneGapMovie

Jeremy’s Review: Patrick Wilson Kills It in Anthony Burn’s ‘Home Sweet Hell’, But the Rest of It Leaves Much to Be Desired

home sweet hell poster

It makes sense that Home Sweet Hell was released on Friday the 13th. Chock full of bad luck, and playing out like an Ozzie and Harriet version of Very Bad Things, the film capitalizes on familiar horror tropes with a touch of humor. It’s very clear throughout the film, by its script as well as how director Anthony Burns directs it, that the film has pulled from other great films. But does that make it good? Well… Read More →