Review: ‘Elizabeth Blue’ is Gold!

Elizabeth Blue

Theatrical Release: September 22, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Recently released from a psychiatric hospital, Elizabeth (Anna Schafer) returns to her Los Angeles apartment where she lives with her fiancé, Grant (Ryan Vincent). With the guidance of her new psychiatrist, Dr. Bowman (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and the unfaltering support of Grant, Elizabeth works at regaining control of her mental stability and her life as she begins to plan their wedding. Struggling to navigate daily voices, hallucinations, anxiety, failing medications and her judgmental, unsupportive mother, Carol (Kathleen Quinlan), Elizabeth fears that Grant will leave her as she clings to hope that love will truly conquer all – even mental illness.

Wow… Give Elizabeth Blue all the awards. For Vincent Sabella’s first film, he absolutely nailed it! Mental illness is no joke and Elizabeth Blue shows you that. This is an intimate look into struggling with a mental illness like never seen before. We always see/hear stories about people not taking their medications because they “feel fine and healthy” and this brings us face to face with that struggle through the eyes of Elizabeth. It was very powerful and left us moved by the performances. Anna Schafer as Elizabeth was excellent! She had us completely caught up in her story and her struggle with schizophrenia and OCD. This movie will definitely put her on the map. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Kathleen Quinlan were also great in their selective roles! Everyone knows someone who is, or is themselves, affected by mental illness so this movie will impact everyone in a different way. There are a few scenes we felt could have been cleaned up a bit because they were dragging on, but all in all, that is just nit picking for complaints. It is a must see for everyone. Our jaws are still on the ground! Elizabeth Blue is GOLD!

*Anyone can experience mental health problems. Friends and family can make all the difference in a person’s recovery process. If a friend or family member is showing signs of a mental health problem or reaching out to you for help, offer support.*

Reel ROB Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

Netflix Ultra HD 4K Lineup in 2016 – 15 of 25 new releases are in the new format

NetflixJust two years ago, a 60″ Ultra HD 4K was around $5,000. Today, it’s closer to $1,000. But what is Ultra HD 4K? Think of it in pixels. Ultra HD 4K is four times high definition. If you think it doesn’t make much of a difference, just go to Target or Best Buy and check one out. It’s breathtaking.

From: http://4k.com/resolution/

But before people buy TVs, there needs to be content. And for content, people need a way to watch. So amidst all the new releases on Netflix, 5 of the 6 films and 10 of the 19 series are in Ultra HD 4K. Amazon is not far behind, but more on that soon. Here’s what’s coming:

FILMS

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Sword of DestinyCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny – February 26th

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny tells an epic story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption, set against breathtaking action in an epic martial arts battle between good and evil that will decide the fate of the Martial World.

Directed by the renowned martial arts choreographer (The Matrix Trilogy and Kill Bill 1& 2) and director (Tai Chi Master) Yuen Wo-Ping, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Lady) as Yu Shu-Lien and Donnie Yen (Ip Man 1&2, Monkey King 3D) as Silent Wolf.

Based on the acclaimed novel, Iron Knight, Silver Vase, by Wang Dulu (book 5 in the Crane-Iron Pentalogy) and written by John Fusco (Marco Polo) the new film is produced by Harvey Weinstein (Academy Award winner – The King’s Speech, The Artist) and Peter Berg (Emmy Award winner – Friday Night Lights; Lone Survivor, Hancock) and Sarah Aubrey (Friday Night Lights; Lone Survivor, Hancock) and executive produced by Morten Tyldum (Headhunters, The Imitation Game), Ralph Winter (X-Men franchise), Anthony Wong and Bey Logan (The Medallion).

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny also stars Harry Shum Jr (Glee, Revenge of the Green Dragons), Jason Scott Lee (Seventh Son, Hawaii Five-O), Roger Yuan (Bulletproof Monk), Eugenia Yuan (Revenge of the Green Dragons) and newcomer Natasha Liu Bordizzo.


Jadotville

New war thriller Jadotville, starring Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey) and Guillaume Canet (Tell No One), across all its territories in 2016. Netflix acquired Jadotville at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival.

A gripping true story of incredible bravery against impossible odds, the film thrillingly depicts the 1961 siege of a 150-strong Irish UN battalion under Commander Patrick Quinlan (Dornan) by 3,000 Congolese troops led by French and Belgian mercenaries working for mining companies. Canet plays a French commander who sought to defeat Quinlan and his men.

Directed by Richie Smyth, a well-known commercial and music video director (U2, Bon Jovi, The Verve) and written by Kevin Brodbin (Constantine), Jadotville will film in Ireland and South Africa. Alan Moloney will produce for Parallel Films (Haywire, Albert Nobbs, Byzantium).

The story of how Pat Quinlan led his troops against an overwhelming force without losing a single man is one of the great stories of the 20th century, and we are proud to be working with such a talented and committed team to bring it to life,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “This film will be an amazing addition to our global original films initiative.”

“As filmmakers, we are constantly looking for new ways to bring a movie to the largest possible audience. Netflix has already reinvented the TV market and is now moving front and center into the film business. We are proud and excited to be part of their story and innovation,” said Parallel Films’ Alan Moloney.


Mascots - Christopher Guest NetflixMascots

Welcome to all the drama, intrigue, and occasional excitement of The 8th World Mascot Association Championships, where a group of “unusual” men and women, with big heads and furry suits, compete to win the prestigious gold fluffy award and be crowned best mascot in the world.


Pee-wee-NetflixPee Wee’s Big Holiday

In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny. Judd Apatow (Anchorman, Bridesmaids) and Paul Reubens (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Pee-wee’s Playhouse), worked together to bring the project to fruition and produced the film. It was written by Reubens and Paul Rust (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Arrested Development), and is directed by John Lee (Wonder Showzen, The Heart She Holler).


War Machine

Inspired by the best-selling book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by the late Michael Hastings,War Machine concerns a four star, “rock star” general whose lethal reputation and impeccable track record vaults him to command the American war in Afghanistan. Determined to win the “impossible” war once and for all with a radical new approach, the general and his motley staff of commanders and press advisers race across the globe navigating delicate international alliances and troop requests, the charged battlefield of Washington politics, the voracious appetite of the media, and the day-to-day management of the war itself – all the while struggling to stay connected to the lives of men and women out in the field.


SERIES

Chelsea Does – January 23rd

Chelsea Does Marriage– In this funny and personal documentary, Chelsea Handler examines modern romantic relationships by interviewing experts, kids, an ex-boyfriend and even her own family members. The film also features appearances by Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Colin Cowie and former Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman, among others.

Chelsea Does RacismHandler explores a serious, hot-button topic the only way she knows how: by being outspoken and unwaveringly honest. Highlights include a roundtable discussion with experts from the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League and other civil rights organizations; a sit-down conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton; a trip to a South Carolina plantation; and Handler’s eye-opening journey to Israel where she has an intimate conversation with former president, Shimon Peres.

Chelsea Does Silicon ValleyIs technology making us better or worse? What are the consequences of Internet shaming? How does Netflix work? In this doc, Handler, a self-proclaimed technophobe, seeks answers to all of these questions. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Khloe Kardashian, Jon Ronson, and other notables help her adapt to a tech-savvy world.

Chelsea Does DrugsHandler embarks on several long, strange trips in this documentary, from Willie Nelson’s tour bus all the way to Peru, where she takes the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca. Whether she’s dining on a marijuana-infused meal or mixing alcohol and Ambien (under a neurologist’s supervision), Handler’s sharp sense of humor is matched by her repeated willingness to “go there” on camera.

https://youtu.be/bcIAMiH6bIE



Cooked – Docu Series February 19th

From best-selling author Michael Pollan (The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food), Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room), and an all-star cast of directors and cinematographers comes the Netflix Original Documentary Series Cooked, which examines the primal human need to cook and issues a clarion call for a return to the kitchen in order to reclaim lost traditions and restore balance to our lives.

Each of the series’ four episodes examines one of the physical elements used throughout the ages to transform raw ingredients into delicious dishes: fire, water, air, and earth. Cooked takes viewers on a visually stunning journey to meet, among others: an Aboriginal tribe in Western Australia that fire-roasts Australian monitor lizards, a Connecticut Benedictine nun and microbiologist who makes traditional French cheese, Peruvian brewers who use human saliva to ferment a traditional beverage, and an ancient Moroccan granary powered by rivers. Each episode also returns to Pollan cooking in his Berkeley, California, kitchen, appetizingly delivering his core message that, surrounded as we are by fast food culture and processed foods, cooking our own meals is the single best thing we can do to take charge of our health and well being.

“Fire”
With help from Aboriginal hunters and a barbecue pit master, Pollan shows how fire shaped human gastronomy, and weighs our duty to the animals we eat.

“Water”
Pollan looks to the kitchens of India for a lesson in the value of pot cooking and examines the consequences of eating highly processed food.

“Air”
Visit food labs and Moroccan fields as Pollan delves into the science of bread-making and the nature of gluten.

“Earth”
Discover how microbes help turn raw ingredients into delicacies like chocolate and cheese as Pollan tackles the mysterious process of fermentation.

The series is a co-production of Netflix and Jigsaw Productions. Michael Pollan, Alex Gibney, Stacey Offman, Caroline Suh, Lisa Nishimura and Adam Del Deo serve as executive producers.


LOVE

LOVE

Love – Season 1 February 19th

Created, written and executive produced by Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin, Love follows nice guy Gus (Rust) and brazen wild-child Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment, love and other things they were hoping to avoid.  Love is an unflinching, hilarious and excruciatingly honest take on modern relationships.
Brent Forrester and Dean Holland also serve as executive producers of Love.

https://youtu.be/Ym3LoSj9Xj8


Fuller House – Season 1 February 26th

In Fuller House, the adventures that began in 1987 on Full House continue, with veterinarian D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron Bure) recently widowed and living in San Francisco. D.J.’s younger sister/aspiring musician Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) and D.J.’s lifelong best friend/fellow single mother Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), along with Kimmy’s feisty teenage daughter Ramona (Soni Nicole Bringas), all move in to help take care of D.J.’s three boys — the rebellious 12-year-old Jackson (Michael Champion), neurotic 7-year-old Max (Elias Harger) and her newborn baby, Tommy Jr (Messitt Twins).

Guest appearances by John Stamos (Jesse Katsopolis), Bob Saget (Danny Tanner), Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone), Lori Loughlin (Becky Katsopolis) and Scott Weinger (Steve Hale).

Fuller House is from Miller-Boyett Productions and Jeff Franklin Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television for Netflix. Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Jeff Franklin are the executive producers of the series, which was created by Franklin. John Stamos is a producer.


House of Cards – Season 4 March 4th

An uncompromising exploration of power, ambition and the American way, the series orbits Francis Underwood, the House Majority Whip. Underwood is the politician’s politician – masterful, beguiling, charismatic and ruthless. He and his equally ambition wife Claire stop at nothing to ensure their ascendency.


Flaked – Season 1 March 11th

Flaked is the serio-comic story of Chip, a celebrated long-time resident of the insular world of Venice, California who falls for the object of his best friend’s fascination. Soon the tangled web of half-truths and semi-bullshit that underpins his all-important image and sobriety begins to unravel. Will Arnett plays Chip, a man doing his honest best to stay one step ahead of his own lies.


Marseille – Season 1 May 5th

As the municipal elections approach in Marseille, Robert Taro, the city’s Mayor for the last twenty years, prepares his last coup: push through the vote for the construction of a casino in the historic center of the Marina featuring many of the games casino played by locals at mega888 download. Nothing has been left to chance, and his successor, Lucas Barrès, is already designated. But the latter’s all-consuming ambition and the secret interests of the city’s leaders, whether they come from its opulent villas or from the cities of the northern suburbs, impede the Mayor’s plans. The race for Mayor becomes a power struggle where no holds are barred. Only one question arises: how far will they go? The cast includes Gérard Depardieu (Robert Taro), Benoît Magimel (Lucas Barrès), Géraldine Pailhas (Rachel Taro), Nadia Farès (Vanessa d’Abrantès), Stéphane Caillard (Julia), Jean-René Privat (Cosini), Guillaume Arnault (Eric), Hedi Bouchenafa (Farid), Carolina Jurczak (Barbara), and Nassim Si Ahmed (Selim). Marseille is written by Dan Franck who serves as Executive Producer. Florent Siri (‘Cloclo’), director of episodes 1-4, also serves as Executive Producer. Thomas Gilou is the director of episodes 5-8. Marseille is produced by Paris-based Federation Entertainment, led by Pascal Breton, producer of the hit French series Dolmen and Sous le Soleil.


Sam Waterston, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen in the Netflix Original Series "Grace and Frankie". Photo by Melissa Moseley for Netflix.Ê

Sam Waterston, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen in the Netflix Original Series “Grace and Frankie”. Photo by Melissa Moseley for Netflix

 

Grace and Frankie – Season 2 May 6th

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as Grace and Frankie, two women whose lives are suddenly turned upside down when their husbands, played by Martin Sheen (“Robert”) and Sam Waterston (“Sol”), reveal they are gay and leave them for each other. Both sparring partners and partners-in-crime, they form an unlikely bond to face an uncertain future together and discover a new definition of “family,” with laughter, tears and plenty of mood enhancers along the way. From executive producers Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (Home Improvement), the hilarious and heartbreaking comedy takes on aging with gusto – from joint pain to joint rolling and blind dates to night blindness – and offers a poignant look at how life’s turning points show us who we really are. The series also stars Brooklyn Decker, Ethan Embry, Baron Vaughn and June Diane Raphael. In addition to Kauffman and Morris, the series is also executive-produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross from Skydance Productions, along with Paula Weinstein and Fonda and Tomlin.


The Crown – Season 1 2016

The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world — Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown.


The OA – Season 1 2016

The OA, a new drama series starring Brit Marling. Zal Batmanglij (Sound of my Voice, The East) will direct, and Marling and Batmanglij will co-write The OA. Eight hour-long episodes of the series will premiere exclusively across all Netflix territories in 2016.

“We are thrilled to be the home of the first  television series Brit and Zal create together,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. “Whether in front of or behind the camera, or both, their creative voice is always uniquely captivating.”

“Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij are singular innovators who are looking to push boundaries in new ways and embrace this incredible moment of opportunity in television. We are so excited to be a part of this project,” said Plan B Entertainment.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Netflix and Plan B to help bring to fruition Brit and Zal’s extraordinary vision,” said Michael Sugar, executive producer and partner, Anonymous Content.

Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B (Oscar winning producers of 12 Years a Slave) and Michael Sugar from Anonymous Content (True Detective, The Knick) are executive producers of the series, along with Marling and Batmanglij. The OA is a Netflix production.

Brit Marling is an actor, writer and producer. She has starred in films including Arbitrage, and the recent I, Origins, and stars in the upcoming The Keeping Room. Previous credits include The East and Sound of My Voice, which she also produced and co-wrote with Batmanglij, as well as Another Earth, which she also produced and co-wrote with Mike Cahill. Director and writer Zal Batmaglij made a splash at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival with his feature debut Sound of My Voice, which was released by Fox Searchlight. The studio went on to make his next film The East, which they released in 2013.

Tribeca Film Festival review: ‘Autism in Love’ puts faces to preconceived notions.

Autism In Love

Lindsey and Dave

Love is something we cannot explain. It is like magic. Isn’t is difficult enough to find love for two average people? What if you were not considered to be average? It can be torturous to express how we feel. What if you add autism into the mix? Autism is on a wide spectrum. Autistic adulthood is not a common topic of conversation. Director Matt Fuller brings us into the world of 4 extraordinary people; Lenny, Stephen, Lindsey and Dave in the new documentary Autism in Love. 

Autism in Love- Lenny

Lenny

Lenny is an unemployed young man, living with his immensely supportive mother. He has a fondness for video games and longing for a girlfriend. He is extremely aware of his autism and believes that it impedes him from finding love. Highly emotional, Lenny’s struggles have a visceral affect on even Fuller. In a moment of breaking the wall, even with the director out of sight, Lenny is visibly upset and tells Fuller not to cry. He says, “I would rather be a normal man than an autistic person with a million dollars.”

Geeta and Stephen

Geeta and Stephen

Stephen is a middle aged savant who knows every answer on Jeopardy before we’ve even finished reading the clue, makes hot dogs for his parents every Sunday, and has a distinct cadence reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. Married to a lovely woman named Geeta, he has a routine that he lives by that has only recently been disrupted by the fact that after 17 years with Geeta, she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While Stephen’s autism is much more obvious, you can see the adoration in his eyes even if he is unable to express it verbally.

Dave and Lindsey

Dave and Lindsey

Lindsey and Dave have been dating for years. Labeled “High-functioning”, the two are an endearing match. Both are ready to take the next step, with Lindsey being the more verbal on the subject and Dave taking a seemingly more intellectual route. You instantly fall in love with this couple and cheer them on from the get go. The juxtaposition of these four individuals is a beautifully crafted story. The added struggle of being on the spectrum is something not many of us consider when searching for a mate. I think that Autism in Love is an important doc that let’s us gaze into a world often fraught with misconception, without gawking.

 

Here is a clip from Autism in Love

‘BROKEN HORSES’ takes your heart strings on an extraordinary ride.

BrokenHoresesPoster

Your parents teach us right from wrong. What if your parents aren’t around? What if we’re molded from something evil instead? In Vidhu Vinod Chopra‘s new film BROKEN HORSES we meet two very different brothers at a pinnacle time in their life. When a manipulative man strolls into their lives, each brother takes a path of his own. 15 years down the road, simple minded and gentle soul Buddy works and does a little too well for himself, while younger brother Jake, now living in the city, is the successful music prodigy from his youth. Buddy reaches out to the newly engaged Jake to give him his wedding gift. Jake is hesitant to return to his desolate, Mexican border hometown, but understands that the love of his brother wills him to do so. Upon arrival, he learns that Buddy is being used as a deadly pawn in a drug lord’s chess match. Jake has no choice but to dedicate himself to saving his brother. 
BrokenHorsesAntonStillThe script takes some truly unexpected turns. I was constantly on my toes, especially emotionally. This engrossing story is only amplified by the stunning character development by Chopra’s writing and the outstanding and moving performances by Anton Yelchin and Chris Marquette as Jake and Buddy. Yelchin, in yet another film in a long line for 2015, plays a caring and protective role. It’s slightly more challenging than his usual boyish, all American vibe. Vincent D’Onofrio is manic in the role of evil puppeteer, Julius. There is very carefully crafted back story that we only get a glimpse of, and frankly it’s just enough.BroeknHorsesChrisVincentStillThe profoundly magnificent acting award, hands down, goes to Chris Marquette. There is a fine line when portraying a person that is not of average cognitive function . It can so easily read disingenuous and forced. Marquette gives us a performance of a career as Buddy. Every beat is perfection. This is one that must not be overlooked. Even if the film were not as great as is, Marquette blows everything out of the water. BrokenHoresesStillBroken Horses is enchanting and thrilling all in one. A game of sick manipulation is slowly built into a war for the soul. The acting is top notch and the scenery is breathtaking. Heart-pounding and gut-wrenching, Broken Horses is a story of undying love and devotion that will resonate with everyone.

Synopsis: Having left town as a child after the death of his father, young music prodigy, Jacob Heckum (Anton Yelchin), returns to his desolate hometown after years only to discover that Buddy (Chris Marquette), the child-like brother he left behind now works for a drug gang. The gang’s ruthless leader (Vincent  has twisted his simple mind and manipulated him into a killer… a surrogate son who blindly does as he is told. He is unable to convince Buddy to leave his new fraternity. Drowned in guilt for having abandoned him, Jacob quickly realizes the only way to save Buddy is from the inside out.

BROKEN HORSES comes to theaters in limited release Friday, April 10th