Here is a fun list of romantic movies mixed with dramatic and some comedic. Some of these are classics and some are more modern. Hopefully it's a list with something for everyone.

Grab your popcorn and a date and have fun watching a few of these romantic movies.

1. Roman Holiday
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2. Love Story
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3. Pretty Woman
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4. Ghost
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5. La La Land
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6. The Notebook
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7. Sweet Home Alabama
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8. Sleepless in Seattle
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9. Message in a Bottle
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10. You've Got Mail
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11. Breakfast at Tiffany's
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12. The Bridges of Madison County
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13. The Way We Were
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14. Love Actually
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15. An Officer and a Gentleman
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16. A Walk to Remember
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17. P.S. I Love You
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18. Titanic
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19 Notting Hill
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20. Phenomenon
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21. City of Angels
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22. The Lake House
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23. Serendipity
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24. The Way We Were
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25. The Vow
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26. Somewhere In Time
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27. When Harry Met Sally
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28. Casablanca
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29. Red, White & Royal Blue
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30. The Idea of You

The Hustler (1961)

Billiard player and hustler Eddie Felson, along with his partner, operates on a well-established scheme. Eddie initially lets his opponent win, then raises the stakes and strips the opponent of everything. Soon, Eddie decides to challenge one of the country's top billiard players known as "Minnesota Fats."

Bluff (1976)

Belle Duke has old scores to settle with Phillip Bang, who is serving time in prison. To get back at Phillip, Belle Duke conspires with another con artist named Felix to organize Phillip Bang's escape from jail. The escape is successful, but Belle Duke and her money disappear right under her nose. It turns out that Phillip Bang, in turn, is eager to get revenge on Belle Duke. To do this, he plans an elaborate hoax, similar to a poker bluff.

House of Games (1987)

Margaret Ford is a successful psychiatrist who has written a best-selling book and enjoys a comfortable life. However, she increasingly feels unsatisfied. A chance encounter introduces her to con artist Mike, an intriguing and philosophical figure. At her request, he begins revealing the secrets of his trade. Margaret plans to write a book using this material and gradually falls in love with him.

Croupier (1998)

Ambitious writer Jack Manfred is struggling to finish his new book. To overcome his creative block and make a living, Jack takes a job as a croupier in a casino. He hopes that this job will provide him with interesting stories. Immersed in the world of gambling and luck, Jack decides to become the protagonist of his future novel. He writes about a cynic who manages the roulette wheel and watches people gamble away their fortunes. One day, Jack meets a young woman named Jani, who suggests he participates in a casino heist.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Four young men each save up £25,000, allowing one of them to play cards with the experienced card sharp and notorious gangster known as "Hatchet" Harry. The young man ends up losing half a million pounds, and they are given one week to pay the debt. Otherwise, both him and his "sponsors" will lose a finger every day, and then... To escape the dire situation, the guys decide to rob the gangsters who planned to rob three "weed growers" cultivating marijuana for a local drug baron. But the adventures of this quartet are far from over...

12 more casino movies in this article: Thrilling Reels:12 Casino Films for Edge-of-Seat Entertainment! | Africa Bet

LONGDALE, OK - Iconic actor and country music singer, John Schneider, is bringing his extravaganza show on the road to Oklahoma! All weekend, Bo’s on the Road, will have live music, Hazzard Nation Car Show, celebrity autographs, craft and food vendors, rides & attractions and racing. Also, they are filming the movie Fiona The Fiero in Fearless.

Activities will begin on Friday night, June 11 with a VIP meet and greet, followed by a concert featuring Schneider and his band, which includes Cody McCarver of the band Confederate Railroad. After the concert, fans will get to watch Schneider's movie “Stand On It” a tribute to Smokey & The Bandit.

On Saturday, June 12, there will be a car show, autograph signing, stunt show and a concert. Before race time, Schneider will speak about the meaning of the National Anthem and then he will sing the National Anthem before he hops in his General Lee racing car and participates in the actual racing.

On Sunday, June 13, Schneider will hold Cowboy Church services along with a local pastor.

Longdale Speedway is located in Longdale, Oklahoma, 1/4 Mile South of City, on Hwy 58.

Scheduled Celebrity Line-up & Featured Guests:

John Schneider – Bo Duke, Dukes of Hazzard and his Stars ’N Bars Band
Cody McCarver,- Country Music Star
Jason Kirkpatrick – Walking Dead
Byron Cherry – Dukes of Hazzard
Jimmie Dormire – Stars ‘N Bars Band
James Craigmyle - Live PD
Quinton Aaron - The Blind Side

For more information visit BosExtravaganza.com.

SCHEDULE

**FRIDAY - VIP ONLY 4:00 PM - Gates open 5:00 PM - VIP Meet & Greet w/ John Schneider 5:30 PM - On-stage Music: Jimmy Dormire and Local Artists 8:00 PM - Stand On It Movie

**Saturday - All Entry 8:30 AM - VIP Gates Open 9:30 AM - General Admission /Car Show - Gates Open 11:00 AM - Celebrity Autograph Signing 1:00 PM - On-stage Music: Local Artists, Keith Burns, Cody McCarver, John Schneider 6:00 PM - Hot Laps on racetrack 6:30 PM - National Anthem w/ John Schneider 7:00 PM - Racing Begins

**SUNDAY - All Entry 8:30 AM - VIP Gates Open 9:30 AM - General Admission/Car Show Gates Open 10:00 AM - Cowboy Church 1:00 PM - Enduro Race / Filming of Fiona The Fiero in Fearless.

DISCLAIMER: You may be filmed/photographed during the Longdale Race and filming of Fiona The Fiero in Fearless.

ABOUT JOHN SCHNEIDER - Johnschneiderstudios.com

It would be impressive enough for an actor to star in a single show that changed the course of television history with iconic characters and cross-generational appeal, but the fact that John Schneider’s done exactly that on a consistent basis for at least four decades makes him nothing short of legendary. Whether it’s currently playing Jim Cryer on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots, previously immortalizing Jonathan Kent on Smallville and Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, or showing off his own fancy footwork Dancing with the Stars, the man of many hats is synonymous with success and one of most ubiquitous faces in all of pop culture.

Add in a simultaneous career as a four-time chart-topping country artist with over 20 albums to his credit, including a whopping 72 tracks within the last year alone, alongside a burgeoning movie career with executive producer Alicia Allain under their own John Schneider Studios/Maven Entertainment banners, and he could quite realistically be counted amongst the most prolific and recognized entertainers of all time. And it turns out his heart is just as huge as the fame that follows thanks to his co-founding of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals at the genesis of this extraordinary career that’s accompanied by his tireless work with ongoing fundraising efforts to this very day.

“The balance of careers really takes care of itself,” he insists of the delightfully crazy calendar he and Allain keep. “We spend time recording an album and then there’s time spent mixing the album, which gives me time to be off either touring with music or working on a movie. When the movie is finished filming, there are many aspects of postproduction that need to be done, and if I am not doing them myself, then naturally so I don’t get bored, I am out on the road. I guess the moral to the story is that Alicia and I are both hard, hard workers who don’t really, at this point anyway, seem to need any downtime!”

That’s certainly the case in Schneider’s recent musical outpouring after spending all of 2018 releasing one song a week as part of an ambitious project called The Odyssey, which was produced by longtime friend, personal champion, superstar session man and fellow Dukes collaborator Paul Leim, in addition to Greatest Hits…Still! (featuring acoustic re-recordings of several smash hits), plus the holiday EP Merry Christmas Baby. The unstoppable streak continued into 2019 with the release of the Southern Rock-inspired album Redneck Rebel, and a deeply personal inspirational album, Recycling Grace, which expands upon his remarkable crossover ability into a wide array of artistic territory.

“Coming from a musical theater background, I naturally gravitate toward many different aspects of entertainment. Personally it just seems like the right thing to do. I couldn’t imagine being locked into one area,” he explains of the desire to stay equally involved in music and acting. “The inspirational album is jam packed with a few standards, but also new songs whose intention is to make you think and feel something. The music itself is intentionally more raw, bluesy and edgy. I believe these inspirational songs especially should elicit some sort of physical reaction from the listener. These will do that for sure!”

Longtime fans and newcomers alike can catch Schneider starring on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots, not only a flagship series of OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), but also the #1 primetime cable series on Tuesday nights. “I hope The Haves and Have Nots will show people that there is a versatility to my storytelling through acting that is much brighter than they suspected,” Schneider observes of his widely embraced Jim Cryer character. “Of course it’s always fun to play the bad guy, but it also takes a little more for thought. One of the best things about it is it gives me an opportunity to really stretch, explore and take chances. I have loved every minute of it!”

Schneider has also been hard at work on his new holiday film, Christmas Cars, which was released the day after Thanksgiving, or “Orange Friday” as he likes to call it. Schneider wrote, directed and stars in this semi-autobiographical film, which is sure to be a hit with Dukes fans of all ages.

Schneider spent a whopping ten years on The WB turned The CW’s Smallville, which sent him flying straight into the epicenter of Superman hysteria and prompted his constant demand to appear at themed conventions and special events with massive crowds from all over the globe. “Playing Jonathan on Smallville was a huge honor,” he confirms. “I believe that that character is quite possibly the best father figure on television. Ever. I’m also proud to be part of what I believe is the crown jewel of the entire Superman legend. I don’t believe there was a bad episode of that show. One amazing adventure after another!”

And then of course there’s his pioneering presence on CBS’ The Dukes of Hazzard for seven stratospheric years where Schneider was so immensely popular, he was the subject of an elaborate but ultimately resolved pickpocketing scheme where his stolen driver’s license was bootlegged and sold in staggering quantities at $50 a pop for decades until it was returned to its rightful owner (though the now comical tradition continues being available on Schneider’s website with a personally signed certificate of authenticity). There’s also the annual “Bo’s Extravaganza” at the 58-acre John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana where nearly 10,000 fans from every corner of earth come on an annual basis to swap stories, score autographs, browse memorabilia, take in a classic car show featuring the program’s actual vehicles and catch concerts by the most enormous names in music, such as longtime Schneider admirer Kid Rock in 2019.

“The great thing about Dukes is there were no cell phones in those days so people’s heads were not buried in them,” he recalls of it impenetrable run from the late 1970s through the mid-‘80s. “We actually depended upon our relationships, friendships and family in order to get through whatever the weekly issue was. I do think that people who are fans of The Dukes of Hazzard are more likely to pay attention to one another rather than ignore one another in favor of those who may call or text at any second.” Continues Schneider: “The number one thing I hear about people’s memory of The Dukes of Hazzard is that they remember spending time with love ones watching it. Of course they remember specific episodes, but more than that, they remember their lives every Friday night as they gathered together as a family and watch this great show. Because of that, I actually feel as if I’m a part of their family and not just someone who is in a box in their living room.”

That sense of personal connection and such a widespread appeal in general caused ABC's Dancing with the Stars to come calling in 2018. For seven weeks, Schneider had an incredible run with pro partner Emma Slater, and despite being eliminated on the dance floor, was requested back for the season finale to perform his single “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.”

“There’s a very small club of people actually who have done Dancing with the Stars,” notices Schneider. “I took away friendships from that show as well as friendships with people I have met after who went through the experience. Just the other day, I met a fellow who had been on Dancing with the Stars a couple of years ago and we had an immediate bond because of our experience on that show. Finally, what I took away from Dancing with the Stars was that dancing is hard work!”

As if TV, films, music and touring didn’t keep him busy enough, 2019 saw the release of Schneider’s first-ever memoir, My Life, My Way. The autobiography explores how a lonely, overweight boy from New York transformed himself into a modern-day cowboy, American heartthrob, and the South's favorite son. The new book includes never-before-heard stories covering his film debut in Smokey and the Bandit, his iconic role in The Dukes of Hazzard; playing Superman’s dad on Smallville, finding chart-topping success as a country singer and moving in with Johnny Cash, competing on Dancing with the Stars, his tabloid-friendly divorce, the floods that destroyed his home and film studio and so much more.

Though Schneider definitely deserves a day (or a decade) off given that unceasing work ethic, he fills in any free time with the completely selfless efforts of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, which he co-founded in 1983 and has since raised more than $7 billion dollars (with over $409 million in 2018 alone) for medical research and community awareness of children's health issues, which is distributed directly to a network of 170 children’ hospitals.

“All of us at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals are working toward the goal of being able to raise $1 billion a year,” he boldly proclaims. “I think we will reach that goal in the next five years. The biggest change I’ve seen in children’s healthcare over the past 36 years is that premature birth, especially extremely premature birth and very low weight babies, was far more of a death sentence in the old days. Now when a child is born weighing only a pound, they are expected to live and almost always do, whereas 36 years ago, that was definitely not the case. Medicine has also made great inroads in childhood diabetes and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is directly related to that research.”

The idea of setting specific goals still appeals to Schneider on the professional front as well, who rather than coasting on his ever-increasing list of countless of accomplishments, keeps on dreaming of the next field he’d like to cultivate. “We would like to have one of our films take off and sell over 100,000 units. Same thing with the music,” he says matter of factly. “Once we get into the area where we are fairly certain we can sell this number, we will be able to continue to make movies, music and other forms of entertainment without having to seek outside funding. Then we will truly be independent and have autonomy.” -Andy Argyrakis

When the holiday season arrives, we often revisit familiar and beloved Christmas movies. However, the world of cinema is filled with hidden gems that hold the magic and warmth of the holiday season, yet remain underrated and relatively unknown. In this article, we invite you to explore seven remarkable Christmas films that have, quite possibly, escaped your notice. Let's embark on a journey through the world of unconventional and captivating Christmas stories that truly deserve your attention.

Christmas Vacation (1989)

A comedy of errors, "Christmas Vacation" follows the misadventures of Clark Griswold, a typical calamity-prone individual. When he decides to create the perfect old-fashioned Christmas for his family, the holiday transforms into a series of catastrophic mishaps. From a turkey explosion to a Christmas tree engulfed in flames, every step is an unpredictable disaster. The final straw comes when Clark's boss cancels the traditional Christmas bonus for all employees. In a fit of desperation, he contemplates criminal activity.

Joyeux Noel (2005)

Despite its peaceful title, this film is a wartime drama. Set on the eve of Christmas in 1914, at the outset of World War I, the story unfolds on a remote section of the Western Front. A Scottish priest, a French lieutenant, a German tenor, and his beloved are stranded in the midst of the conflict. Celebrating the most important family holiday in the trenches, amidst active warfare, and surrounded by enemies, the soldiers make an unprecedented decision. They lay down their weapons and extend holiday greetings, breaking the boundaries of the battlefield.

Christmas Angel (2009)

Ashley is feeling down as she struggles to find work while living alone in her apartment with only her loyal dog for company. With the holiday season approaching, her loneliness becomes increasingly palpable. Unexpectedly, her elderly neighbor, Nick, comes to her rescue. As a Christmas gift, he offers Ashley a job at an unconventional organization. Once Ashley accepts, her life takes a swift turn.

Christmas in Arabia (2010)

Florian, a seasoned Agrotechnician who has recently lost his spouse, embarks on an unconventional journey by embracing the eccentric proposal of a woman. She envisions the ambitious project of cultivating fir trees in the heart of the desert, all at the request of a prominent sheikh.

Crown for Christmas (2015)

By a twist of fate, Ellie (Danica McKellar) loses her job as a maid in a luxurious New York hotel. However, destiny has a surprise in store for her - a position as a governess in a real royal castle! Here, Ellie must adapt to new circumstances, find common ground with a grumpy housekeeper, and her new employers...

Snowed-Inn Christmas (2017)

Jenna (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Kevin (Andrew W. Walker) are two journalists who find themselves competing for a job position. As the company faces impending layoffs, they are sent on a business trip, where they check into a small inn. The question is, which one of them will succeed in writing the best Christmas-themed article? The couple is in for a series of remarkable adventures...

A Palestinian Christmas (2017)

When a Muslim American experiences his first Christmas celebration with his American girlfriend, he grapples with an internal struggle surrounding his identity and cultural background.

Christmas Under the Stars (2019)

On the eve of Christmas, Nick (Jesse Metcalfe), a successful banker, loses his job and plunges into a deep depression. Soon, he lands a job as a salesman at a Christmas market, where he meets a woman named Julie (Autumn Reeser). As it turns out, Julie has also lost faith in life and the joy of the holiday season..."

Best movies to watch in Christmas by Arabicbet.

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Top 13 Scary Movies To See

by Jeff Owens
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The Collector (2009).  Imagine if Jigsaw from the Saw franchise made house calls.  How would you like to come home to a house booby-trapped with gruesome devices of death and torture?  Better yet, how would you like to be an “innocent” bystander: an ex-con who plans a robbery of the house and unknowingly stumbles into the trap?  The story is a little contrived and logistically makes no sense, but if you suspend your disbelief from the very beginning, it's hard not to sit on the edge of your seat, cringing with every potential explosion of gore.
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The Eye (2002).  Although reminiscent of "The Sixth Sense", this amazing thriller stands on its own, rising above and beyond the now unoriginal ideas first presented in that late summer blockbuster.  This movie has a style all its own, especially when dealing with a story that seems like you've probably seen a million times.  The filmmakers have created an atmosphere that is creepy, unsettling, and often, downright scary.  Like most American remakes of J-Horror movies, this original is much better, even though I do kind of like the 2008 version starring Jessica Alba.
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Frankenstein (1931).  Until I re-watched it recently, I would have told you that the "monster" in Frankenstein was simply misunderstood, a mere victim of circumstance.  However, I'm now reconsidering that assessment and am willing to argue that the creature stitched together from dead bodies and brought to life by science was, in the absolute sense of the word, a true monster.  From its abnormal brain to its lascivious growling at Elizabeth on her wedding night, this Universal Monsters classic is full of subtext that makes it timeless.
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Frankenweenie (2012).    Based on Tim Burton's 1984 live action short film of the same name, Frankenweenie is entertaining for movie goers of all ages.  To fill a full-length movie, a simple subplot was added: a science fair at school that drives young Victor Frankenstein's friends to steal the secret he used to revive his dog that was hit by a car.  During this midsection, the movie pays tribute to classic movie monsters with stand-ins for Dracula, The Wolfman and The Mummy that include a Vampire Cat, a Were-Rat and a Mummy Hamster.  It's hilarious and, at times, sweet.
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Halloween (1978).  Any list of my favorite movies will always include the original Halloween.  After all these years, it still has the power to scare.  I'm too familiar with the story and its outcome to really be shocked by it; however, the suspense of him stalking Laurie Strode is something I'll never stop feeling when I watch it.  Technically, the way director John Carpenter crafted these scenes is flawless.  It's like he's wired into our brains and knows exactly what's going to make us scrunch down in our seats and kick our feet, mentally yelling at Jamie Lee Curtis to get out of that closet.
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House of Dark Shadows (1970).  In 1970, a theatrical version of the television soap opera, Dark Shadows, was released in theaters.  It remains to this day a creepy, atmospheric and frightening movie.  Even if I were not a Dark Shadows fan, I would love this movie. I wholeheartedly recommend it as a classic horror movie of the 70’s. It doesn’t hurt that Barnabas Collins is portrayed almost completely as sadistic and evil, with little of the romantic pining he did later in the series. He’s not really a “reluctant vampire” at all in the movie, which makes him (and it) all the more terrifying.
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The Loved Ones (2009).  Very rarely does a horror movie come along that truly raises the bar.  Its various components may not be entirely original, but they are masterfully combined into a gory, scary classic.  The movie has a little something for nearly every horror subgenre fan: action, mystery, psychological horror, splatter, suspense, thriller and, just perhaps, a tiny hint of zombie horror.  Most movies claiming the same do not also have the additional characteristics of interesting characters and development, a smart, no-nonsense script and authentic, emotional revelations.
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Magic (1978).  "Abracadabra, I sit on his knee. Presto, change-o, and now he's me! Hocus Pocus, we take her to bed. Magic is fun...when you're dead."  It's definitely dated by specific content, but not by the overall story, so Magic is not only an entertaining movie, but also a nice time capsule of the mid-to-late 1970s.  It's a timeless tale of split personality or, since it's never actually explained in the movie, possibly demonic possession of an inanimate object.  It's dark and it's scary and you're not sure what exactly is going to happen in the end.
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Sound of My Voice (2011).  This is a movie that enthralled me from beginning to end and stuck with me for a long, disturbing time.  It is effective because it provides so few answers for what’s happening.  I don’t just mean that the ending is left open to interpretation; I also mean that there are little details sprinkled throughout that seem to have nothing to do with the story, but may really be important pieces to solving a puzzle.  Part of the experience of watching Sound of My Voice is deciding which questions to ask.  And depending on the part of the story that interests you, you may or may not get answers.
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The Stepford Wives (1975).  Urban Dictionary defines “Stepford Wife” as a term “used to describe a servile, compliant, submissive, spineless wife who happily does her husband’s bidding and serves his every whim dutifully.”  If you’ve never seen the original movie (and I pray you’ve never seen the awful remake), you may not really understand this definition.   Even though the movie has a downer of an ending, I love its dark sci-fi outcome.  Overall, the movie isn't that serious, it's just a seriously fun movie that's also a brilliant suspense thriller.
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The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014).  The remake/sequel/reboot of The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) takes the bare bones of the original movie and turns it into a surprisingly strong exercise in self-aware meta film making.  Sort of a movie within a movie, it's about a killer inspired not by actual 1946 murders, but by the 1976 movie depicting those murders.  It's full of fast, dynamic scenes of bloody gore.  Add to that flashbacks from both the original movie and the characters’ back stories, and you have one of the most creatively-filmed movies of any genre.
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Triangle (2009).  British writer/director Christopher provides a top-notch thriller with a challenging plot and creative cinematography.  What Triangle does better than most other complex thrillers of its kind; i.e. time travel, is to make the material seem like it makes complete sense.  Well-written, well-directed and well-acted, Triangle works on all levels to challenge, then satisfy.  The final reveal is somewhat heartbreaking; I realized I was more invested than even I knew during everything that preceded it.  I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Twins of Evil.  I've got to include representation from Hammer Films, and this one is my current favorite.  Following his wife's illness and eventual death, actor and horror legend, Peter Cushing, returned to movies with Twins of Evil.  Whether he's still grieving for her or simply performing an acting tour de force, he is amazing to watch.  This retelling of the lesbian vampire tale, Carmilla, has a distinct style and a surprisingly lush musical score.  Director John Hough went on to helm some of my 70s favorites, The Legend of Hell House and Escape to Witch Mountain among them.

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

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ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
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You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: The Nightingale

by Jeff Owens

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Parts of The Nightingale are extremely difficult to watch and, although it’s not a horror movie, it has moments of pure terror worse than any found in writer-director Jennifer Kent’s debut film, The Babadook (2014). While evil manifests as an imaginary creature from a pop-up storybook in the latter, it’s demonstrated by the real-life actions of man in the former.
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In 1825 Tasmania, a British officer named Hawkins (Sam Claflin) is as rotten as they come. He rapes a young Irish convict, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), and that’s the least of his sins. Events escalate among him, his cronies, Clare, her husband (Michael Sheasby), and their infant child, leaving Clare to pursue him through the wilderness seeking revenge.
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On the surface, Hawkins doesn’t look bad. In fact, he’s more handsome than most cinematic villains of the kind, which probably makes his atrocities even more unexpected (at first) and horrendous. His journey ahead of Clare, racing to secure a promotion to Captain, provides additional opportunities for him to perform despicable acts.
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If there’s one disappointment in The Nightingale, it may be that the movie spends so much time depicting the evil things Hawkins does, that I’m not sure he ultimately meets the fate he deserves (and we want to see delivered.) Without spoiling what happens, you have to consider that Clare’s revenge may not be the point of the story.
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It’s not that she doesn’t have a much-needed catharsis, but as she goes through it, she must experience something profound about herself… about life… about good vs. evil; I’m not sure which or if it’s all of them. This confirms that the story is more about her and what happens to her than it is about anyone else and what happens to them.
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Hawkins’s figurative ugliness is equaled by the literal ugliness of his travelling companions. They’re a band of misfits, for sure, more overt with their bad behavior. Hawkins doesn’t necessarily encourage them, but neither does he discourage them. It’s almost as if he’s too exhausted to exercise any control over them, even though he’s their superior.
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So, all that is one thing. The other thing is that the story is set against a backdrop of prejudice and racism, a particularly sensitive subject once again in the here and now. The British have invaded the land, displacing the natives and using (and abusing) them when necessary. For example, they’re hired as trackers when they need to travel through the wilderness.
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Hawkins and his men have a tracker, and so does Clare. There’s a heavy focus on the relationship that develops between her and Billy (Baykali Ganambarr). Yes, it’s part Green Book, but it’s also more substantial than that. Again, it’s not about his character, but hers, and the way she evolves as a human being as he subtly influences her on their adventure.
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Everything about the production of The Nightingale is exquisite. Never does its 136 minutes drag. If you’re uneasy with the violence, I’d argue that it’s necessary to demonstrate the evil that devastates Clare and how much she must overcome to achieve any semblance of peace. If you can overcome that, you might achieve some understanding of yourself, as well.
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Buzz Score:

The Nightingale = 4 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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Friday, June 21

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1937's A Star Is Born
The Commons Chapel, 201 S. Oakwood
Silver Screen Classics at The Commons
Free popcorn, entry by donation.
6:00pm
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If you church or organization is having a movie night please send your information to buzz@enidbuzz.com and we'll get it listed on this page.
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ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
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You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Shazam!

by Jeff Owens

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Boys and girls, believe it or not, comic books used to be fun. Before dark knights, crises, and civil wars, you could read a self-contained story within a single issue and simply have a good time. No angst, no breakdowns, no continuity. And the pages used to be printed in bright colors, not dark inks. Reading them would leave you with a smile on your face, not a break in your heart.
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I’m not saying all movies based on comic book movies are depressing. Many are a lot of fun. However, I don’t recall one that better represents the actual experience of reading a classic comic book than Shazam! It’s bright, it’s fun, and it plants a smile on your face that remains until the obligatory post-credits scene rolls. Watching it was one of the most consistently entertaining movie experiences I’ve had this year.
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This is not to say that Shazam! is old-fashioned. Just because it’s a throwback in style doesn’t mean it’s out of date. It feels fresh and modern, while still believing, despite all contrary evidence, that people exist in this day and age who are pure of heart. It may be harder to find them, and just because young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a little rough around the edges, he’s still a good person.
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Best of all, it represents the wonder we might actually experience if we suddenly found ourselves inside the body of a superhero. Imagine exploring your new powers. Can you fly? Let’s try it (maybe several times). Your suit is bulletproof, but how about your body? Let’s invite a convenience store robber to shoot you in the face. Can you turn invisible? If not, let’s create an opportunity to play a prank.
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I’ve heard early reviews describing Shazam! as “goofy fun.” I’d argue that there’s nothing goofy about it. It’s good-natured, sure, but it’s also realistic when depicting children that find themselves in incredible circumstances. These children want to have fun, first; then realize their powers might force them into being responsible, second.
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Billy Batson learns something about himself. In a way, he’s thrust into an early adulthood; he has to grow up. In another way, though, he never forgets he’s still a kid. Might that remind audiences there are still kids inside them? It did me. It also works in reverse because in many ways, as a foster child, he’s had to be an adult earlier than most kids. Being in an adult body actually allows him to act like a child.
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This is risky material and I’m not sure the trailers have done a good job of selling the quality of Shazam! This is one movie for which I can really credit the director for putting it all together in such an effective manner. David F. Sandberg handles it brilliantly. After making horror films like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, he may have found his true calling within a different genre.
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What he’s able to produce on screen had to come from a story first, though, and Henry Gayden wrote a great screenplay for Shazam! I don’t remember his one previous theatrical movie, Earth to Echo (2014), but this has me wanting to watch it. The story is framed by the origin, if you will, of the villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), who has a compelling reason for being the bad guy.
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Starting with Aquaman, the popular trend in themes for superhero movies seems to be “home:” going home, discovering your true home, etc. Captain Marvel did it better. Shazam! does it best, with the additional layer of “family.” Again, deftly handled, it’s not shoved down our throats. We know the outcome, but I wouldn’t call the road leading to the outcome “predictable.”
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I honestly can’t think of anything to criticize about Shazam! If I was held hostage by one of the seven deadly sins come to life, I’d have to say it’s a little less special when the climactic battle ensues. Even then, though, something so marvelous happens that it becomes unique. There’s real suspense. There are real thrills. There are real laughs. There’s a real chance this could be DC’s biggest comic book movie yet.
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Buzz Score:

Shazam! = 4.5 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

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See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Dumbo

by Jeff Owens

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If I'm being honest, the last live-action version of an animated Walt Disney classic I saw was 101 Dalmatians (1996). It was enough to swear me off of them... and that was before the current trend that started 14 years later with Alice in Wonderland (2010) and continues to this day with the likes of Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), Beauty & the Beast (2017), and now Dumbo. (Lest you think I forgot a year, we got a sequel to Alice in Wonderland in 2018, Alice Through the Looking Glass.)
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It’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing. After Dumbo, we get two more this year (Aladdin and The Lion King) and at least one in 2020 (Mulan). If you can’t tell, it’s also a trend that I don’t much like. Take that for what it’s worth; I just admitted I haven’t seen most of these movies. However, if Dumbo is any indication, I may have to reconsider. As much as I fought it, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Primarily, the original Dumbo (1941) runs only an hour and three minutes. The new Dumbo runs ten minutes shy of two hours. My first reaction was, “Oh my gosh; what in the world is director Tim Burton going to do to the beloved story?!?” What he ends up doing turns out to be pretty clever. He doesn’t stretch a 1-hour story to 3 hours. He creates a larger story into which the story of Dumbo can be placed. This equates roughly to the same movie we know and love, plus almost an hour of new… “stuff.”
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Actually, I don’t know that we have Burton to credit for that. Ehren Kruger wrote a screenplay that feels fresh while hitting almost every beat from the original film. He’s had some winners and losers over the years, but does an exceptional job here taking elements of a movie with anthropomorphic animals and translating them to a “real-world” fantasy. No, in this Dumbo a stork doesn’t belatedly deliver her baby elephant to Mrs. Jumbo. However, a flock of the white birds flies across the sky and Mrs. Jumbo watches one from her train car before she gives birth.
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The connections like this are subtle. Late into the movie, I was disappointed that it didn’t seem there were going to be any pink elephants on parade. Then later they appeared in an entirely different way than I expected. With moments like this, if the original holds a special place in your heart, you will like the new one. The only things missing are the crows, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of “magic” feathers. In fact, they become integral to the story from nearly the beginning, as well as adding some comedic elements.
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This leads to one point that I can’t decide whether is positive or negative. In the context of the movie, Dumbo flies relatively early. In the original, it was only near the end. In this Dumbo, there are actually three climaxes… three times when you think he’s going to crash, then at the last minute, he swoops and soars. That’s OK because we all know Dumbo can fly; that’s not going to be a spoiler for anyone. And his belief that he has to use a magic feather to fly is involved only in the third climax. On the other hand, it still lessens the pure thrill and excitement of him flying for real for the first time.
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Back to Burton, this is actually the perfect movie for him. Within the circus setting, he’s able to create a cast of colorful characters. He’s also familiar with the outcast character; here, a flying elephant ridiculed because he’s different. While he’s blessedly restrained with these aspects, he’s able to let loose in the second part of the story when Max Medici (Danny DeVito) sells his circus to V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), a tycoon who’s opening a giant theme park.
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Intentional or not, I love the subversive notion that Burton is biting the hand that feeds him. You can’t ignore a connection between Vandevere’s fictional “Dreamland” and Disney’s factual “Disneyland.” If it’s intentional (which, it just has to be), it’s great that Disney is being a good sport about it. I don’t want to go off on a rant here, but in a day and age when Disney seems to want to own everything and have all the money, it’s reassuring to know they will give an artist like Burton creative freedom.
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While Burton’s touch may be what prevents Dumbo from becoming overly sentimental, the cast is exceptional at selling it. Nearly all of them are perfect in their roles. I can’t remember the last time I actually liked Colin Farrell in a movie. Eva Green is lovely and amazing. DeVito is perfect, a Bizarro World version of Frank Reynolds who’s ultimately kind and compassionate. Alan Arkin is impactful in his brief appearances. Even the kids aren’t annoying stereotypes. Newcomers Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins as siblings Milly and Joe Farrier are smart and… well, don’t do stupid things.
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I won’t say much else about the plot. You already know half of it, so enjoy the experience of discovering the other half for the first time. It’s not that it’s earth-shatteringly original, but it works and contributes to a cumulative effect of feeling like you’ve just seen a really good movie. And heard one, too. As with other plot elements, the songs of the original are updated and woven seamlessly into Dumbo. Burton regular, Danny Elfman, doesn’t necessarily provide a memorable new theme, but transforms the original songs into a special score… kind of like the movie itself. It’s not memorably new, but transforms the original into something unique.
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Buzz Score:

Dumbo = 4.5 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

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See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
- - - - - - - - - - -

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Movie Review: Captain Marvel

by Jeff Owens

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Marvel Studios has finally dipped into a tier of superhero characters about which I know nothing. Ignorance is sometimes bliss and this time it allowed me to watch the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with no expectations. As I’ve written many times, when you have no expectations, it’s harder to be disappointed. All I wanted from Captain Marvel was to sit back and enjoy it. That’s exactly what I did and the rewards were plenty.
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Academy Award winner Brie Larson fills the role, and her multi-colored rubber suit, quite well. She’s both familiar and mysterious, down to earth and exotic. She’s serious when she needs to be; but, with a grin always threatening to emerge from the side of her mouth, never too serious. Since so much of the movie revolves around the search for her true identity, I don’t want to spoil surprises. Let’s just say I found the “going home” theme more emotional and effective here than it was in Aquaman.
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Marvel, with its uncanny ability to mix the right formula, pairs a possibly obscure character with a beloved one: Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). When you think about it, we don’t know much about him, and Captain Marvel serves largely as his origin story. The two actors generate dynamite chemistry and, since the movie is part of a shared cinematic universe, establish a previously-unknown relationship that seems to be key for the upcoming Avengers: Endgame. In fact, it answers a pretty big question about the post-credit scene in Avengers: Infinity War.
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Does that mean you have to be fully invested in previous MCU movies to get full enjoyment out of Captain Marvel? No. That’s just icing on the cake… Easter eggs, if you will, for longtime fans. Since it takes place in the mid-1990s, this could even be a starting point for newbies. I’m pretty sure when we’re one day looking back on all these films and someone suggests watching them in chronological order of events instead of release dates, this will be the first one recommended to watch. In other words, it’s never too late to jump on the Marvel bandwagon.
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The only thing that even slightly bothered me about Captain Marvel was the appearance of Jackson as a Nick Fury at least 20-years younger than we’re used to seeing him. That means he has hair. I still don’t think the technology has been perfected to successfully alter a familiar actor’s face. It doesn’t look completely real. However, the more time you see him on screen, the easier it becomes to accept. Another familiar actor/character suffers from the same effect, but I don’t know if it’s a spoiler, so I’ll let you guess who that might be.
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Every hero needs a villain, but here, the definition is a little fuzzy. Again, I’m not familiar with comic book lore, but I know there’s a “thing” called the “Kree-Skrull War.” At least some part of this larger war is depicted during Captain Marvel, with the hero stuck in the middle. With some plot twists and turns, the roles of good guy and bad guy change places. I’m not sure who the real bad guy is meant to be, and maybe there’s not supposed to be one. It works without a specific definition.
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For the sake of argument, let’s say the “bad guy” is represented by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). He’s a Skrull, a shapeshifting alien that, in its native state, has a slightly bulbous head and long pointy ears. I say “native state” because a Skrull can assume the appearance of anyone it sees. Another level of intrigue is automatically added when a movie creates uncertainty about the true identity of its characters. Who can you trust? The “tests” to identify a Skrull are simple and fun; there’s nothing as complicated as burning a drop of blood in a petri dish.
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Another ambiguous character with a big part to play is Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), the Kree mentoring our hero when the story begins. As far as I know, he hasn’t been featured in a superhero movie (unless you count Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow), so his presence is probably overdue. With Annette Bening also in the cast, I think we can safely say there’s no longer a stigma about celebrated actors appearing in a comic book movie. It’s now almost a box to check off on a Hollywood star’s to-do list. Captain Marvel demonstrates the value of employing demonstrated thespians. You have to be able to sell these unbelievable characters and situations. They really can’t be left to just any famous celebrity anymore.
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And what about behind the camera? One of the reasons Marvel has been so successful is that they’ve swallowed a big pill and realized that it’s not an easy task to bring a comic book to life. Comics and movies share the same stories, but the movies don’t work if they’re told in the same way as the comics. That’s why you find directors and writers like Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet, talented people who have no comic book experience, but who can first and foremost create and develop compelling relationships.
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Some people have even argued that there’s no such thing as a “comic book movie” genre. What, then, is Captain Marvel? It’s an epic science-fiction adventure to thrill us. It’s a drama to engage us. It’s a mystery to challenge us. It causes us to sit on the edge of our seat one minute and laugh the next. In other words, it has a little bit of everything; and, more than most movies, should appeal to a wide variety of audience members. The less you know about it the better, because discovery of something new in a world of the familiar can be, well… marvelous.
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Buzz Score:

Captain Marvel = 4.5 out of 5
 

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
- - - - - - - - - - -

-

Movie Reviews: Aquaman

by Jeff Owens

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Watching Aquaman, DC's latest attempt to Marvel-ize its cinematic universe, was an exhausting experience that left me dead inside. Everything for which I'm about to criticize the movie would have been forgivable had I felt the slightest bit of joy as a result. I'm hard pressed to recall a film that accomplished so little with so much. It pains me to say that not only did I not enjoy it, I also actively disliked it.
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Aquaman is not as inconsistently bad as Suicide Squad; however, its non-stop assault on the senses (and intelligence) is just as offensive. I loathe to discredit a movie for having too much story, but here, the action can hardly keep up with it. It's as if there was even a momentary pause, the entire plot would collapse under its own weight. By the way, when I say, "action," I mean fighting and explosions. There's no suspense or thrills otherwise.
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Let's start with the half-breed mongrel himself, Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman), played by Jason Momoa. During his first appearance on screen, he stands with his back to the camera, bows his head and snaps it back to toss his wet locks of wavy hair behind him. Then he turns his head slowly over his shoulder as the camera zooms in. Wow, that demonstrates some self-importance, as well as indulgent filmmaking. Once is OK, but not every time he makes an entrance.
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I get it; this is the Modern Age version of Aquaman, the one more likely to have a hook for a hand than an octopus for a sidekick. While the movie depicts his birth origin, son of a human lighthouse keeper, Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) and the queen of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), it quickly shifts focus to his reluctant struggle to reclaim the throne from his evil half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson).
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The screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall wants to use the back story as emotional glue for the plot, but it doesn't stick. It's simultaneously unoriginal and heavy-handed. More importantly, it doesn't ring true. Back to the character of Aquaman, Momoa isn't a good enough actor to successfully pull it off. The only thing he's good at pulling off is his shirt, and there's no doubt that he's got a body built for the job.
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In most respects, Aquaman isn't really a superhero movie at all. Aquaman (the character) has no secret identity, so repeated news reports speculating the existence of the character, who was already made a public figure in Justice League, conflicts with scenes of him downing some brews with the locals at a neighborhood pub. While there is a threat above land, the movie consists mostly of family drama and political intrigue under water.
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Likewise, the undersea settings, several kingdoms including Atlantis, make Aquaman more an out of this world fantasy than an earthbound adventure. In this respect, it may as well take place in space on some faraway world. That's interesting, because a lot of the movie reminded me of a Star Wars film… and not one of the "good" ones; instead, one of the prequels, particularly Attack of the Clones.
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It also reminds me a lot of Green Lantern. If it says anything about Aquaman, Green Lantern is a masterpiece when compared to it. Part of the reason may be that Ryan Reynolds's human Hal Jordan character was an alter ego to his superhero, Green Lantern. The dual personas within one human is a staple of comic books and comic book movies. Aquaman relies on only one persona, and with Momoa, it's actually only half of one.
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Aquaman is full of contradictions. For example, I could swear part of Orm's goal is to unite three kingdoms. We see more than that, though, each one characterized by… ways different groups of people evolved after the technological marvel of a city, Wakanda Atlantis, sank into the ocean? That's a subject that swam by so fast, I couldn't grasp it. Also, the main characters can breathe on land, yet supporting cast members have to wear water suits or they die gasping for air.
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Part of the convoluted plot has Aquaman and Mera (Amber Heard) going on Indiana Jones-like expeditions to retrieve a powerful trident that will help him reclaim the throne. One of these mini-adventures takes place in… the Sahara. The filmmakers took a man with "aqua" in his name and dropped him (literally) into the desert. Even if it's an attempt to prove he's a hero out of the water, it just seems dumb to me. Instead, take better advantage of where he works best.
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So let's talk about the water. It's a world so teeming with fast-moving activity that an aspect of the movie that should be unforgettable, ends up being unmemorable. I can't claim it utilizes "bad CGI;" however, I can claim that the sheer nature of what's happening with live action actors and characters is so impossible, that it doesn't seem real. I know, I know… you have to suspend disbelief, but Aquaman may just as well have been a fully-animated motion picture.
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I haven't mentioned the hopes for Aquaman that director James Wan brought for me. I don't feel like I can credit him entirely for this mess. He makes an admirable attempt to string all the pieces together; however, I can't fight the feeling that while he was directing scenes with real people, someone else in one of a number of different special effects houses, was creating disparate action scenes that would overpower his efforts.
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I have no particular loyalty to the character of Aquaman or his comic book adventures. I don't feel disappointed in or betrayed by a motion picture adaptation. I wonder if people who are fans will be so thrilled to see a movie that was once a running joke on Entourage become a reality, that they mistake it for a good movie. (I understand; I was so thrilled to have Dark Shadows return 46-years later that I didn't hate the Tim Burton remake.) This is not a good movie.
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Ultimately, I feel that the DC movies, in their continuing effort to stop doing what makes them unique so they make more money, are still struggling to find a voice. Aquaman uncomfortably straddles the line between light and dark that Marvel walks with such agility. Unfortunately, this means that Wonder Woman may have been a fluke. At this point, I'm not sure I trust DC to not screw up the sequel to their biggest hit.
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Buzz Score:

Aquaman = 2.5 out of 5
 

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

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See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

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December 19, 2018

* Limited Release
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Read The Latest Enid Buzz Movie Reviews Here!

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Movie Theaters Near Enid

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AMC Oakwood Mall 8
4125 Owen K. Garriott, Enid, OK 73703
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89'er Theatre
304 N. Main, Kingfisher, OK 73750 | 405-375-3489
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Carmike North Park Four
800 E. Prospect Ave, Ponca City, OK 74601 | 580-762-4852
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Carmike 10
1909 N. Perkins Road, Stillwater, OK 74074 | 405-372-0341
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Kickingbird Cinema
1225 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, OK 73034 | 405-341-7227
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ShowBiz Cinemas
At Covell and I-35, Edmond, OK 73034 | 405-562-6516
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AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
2501 W. Memorial Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73134 | 888-262-4386
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Northpark 7
12100 N. May Ave Ste. G, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 | 405-755-9283
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AMC Penn Square 10
1901 N.W. Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 | 888-268-4386
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Cinemark Tinseltown and XD
6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73111
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B&B Oklahoma City Windsor 10
4623 N.W. 23rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73127
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Harkins Bricktown 16
150 E. Reno Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104 | 405-231-4747
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AMC Crossroads Mall 16
1211 E. I-240 Service Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73149 | 888-262-4386
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Moore Warren and IMAX Theatre
1000 S. Telephone Rd., Moore, OK 73160 | 405-703-3777
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Lakeside Cinema 6
1425 34th St., Woodward, OK 73801 | 580-254-3664
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ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: The Front Runner

by Jeff Owens

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During the first third of its 113-minute running time, I didn't think I was going to like The Front Runner at all. It's deliberate in setting the stage for the three weeks in 1988 that derailed Democratic Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign. In a long sequence that plays like a diluted cross between The West Wing and Spotlight, Hart's election team strategizes while the staff of the Washington Post brainstorms story ideas for their newspaper. Only later did I realize the significance of establishing the baseline for a critical juncture in American political history.
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In fact, the actual plot of the dynamic "young" politician (Hugh Jackman) whose affairs are overlooked by his wife, Lee (Vera Farmiga) and the media, until they aren't, isn't as compelling as the shift in consciousness that emerges in the United States as a result of them. The tagline on the movie poster explains it succinctly: "The week America went tabloid." Until the press got antsy to find a story that would interest the public, politicians and their affairs weren't historically newsworthy. Among their peers, they were even acknowledged and accepted.
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As I'm sure this turn of events put the real Gary Hart in an uncomfortable position, it puts the character of Gary Hart in The Front Runner in a dramatically problematic one. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? On one hand, he's just maintaining the status quo; he hasn't done anything that hasn't been done many times before him. On the other hand, this fact doesn't forgive adultery. Hart is probably a cad, but how important is that in relation to the job for which, in essence, he's applying? Should his ideas be discounted because he cheats on his wife?
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He insists that it's nobody's business and that his private life has nothing to do with his public life. I almost wanted to believe him, then the movie finally, late in the game, addresses why that may not be the right thing to do. A reporter at a press conference in which Hart reluctantly agrees to participate asks what an affair means in relation to telling the truth. Can the country trust a man who keeps a secret and then lies about it? Jackman looks like a deer caught in the headlights when confronted with personal questions.
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In fact, The Front Runner made me believe in one single instant, had Hart been a little less stubborn, he could have reversed the narrative. After nearly two hours of escalation, a reporter bluntly asks him the question everyone wants to know: did he in fact have sex with another woman. He pauses uncomfortably. For someone not familiar with his story, I thought if he right then and there told the truth, history could have evolved differently. He didn't, though. He instead says that the question is out of line.
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Based on the book, All the Truth is Out, by Matt Bai, The Front Runner is written by Bai, Jay Carson, and the director, Jason Reitman. I commend them for staying ambiguous and not creating clear heroes and villains. This perhaps makes it a little hard to like the movie. I mean, you have to think about it and draw your own conclusions. Concluding as matter-of-factly as it begins, The Front Runner is more relevant than ever. Jackman's Hart warns us all that if we go down the road of turning politics into entertainment, you never know who we'll get as President.
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Buzz Score:

The Front Runner = 3.5 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
- - - - - - - - - - -

-

Movie Reviews: Boy Erased

by Jeff Owens

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Following Beautiful Boy, the second "Boy" movie arrives in as many weeks. Don't be confused, Boy Erased is the one to see. While both are subtle and understated, a similar approach to the subject matter is more effective here. Instead of a young man battling drug addiction in the former, we have a young man battling gay conversion therapy in the latter.
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How easy it would have been to turn Boy Erased into a sensationalistic melodrama with clear-cut good and bad guys. Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, though, Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) is his own worst enemy. He wants to change, at first, anyway. He's genuinely a "good" kid, one who believes in the strict religious values with which he was raised.
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Therefore, his parents aren't the bad guys. Yes, Baptist preacher Marshall Eamons (Russell Crowe) makes a production among his church peers of his son's unanticipated coming out, and Nancy Eamons (Nicole Kidman) stands with her husband as arrangements to cure Jared of homosexuality are quickly made; however, Jared voluntarily enters the Love in Action program.
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During his time there, he wrestles with his own feelings and acceptance rather than succumbing to influences of the program. Changes don't come fast enough for him. While this sentiment might seem stereotypical for a generation with short attention spans, here it represents his realization that he's not going to change. He's still God's creation, he just happens to be gay.
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While the general concept of gay conversion therapy is repulsive, Boy Erased doesn’t depict the process as inherently bad, just flawed. Jared is smart enough to realize that blaming others isn't going to solve anything. Each sin he lists causes him deep reflection; how exactly has he sinned? In fact, I wonder if he would have been more receptive if the methods made more sense to him.
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Emphasizing the un-Christian-like backbone of the program, Jared demonstrates true kindness to others at Love in Action… and is reprimanded for it. It's ironic that Jared's father encourages his congregation to look for all of life's answers in the Bible. While the program's leader, Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton) seems to have done that with psychologically destructive results…
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…Jared seems to have done it with psychologically healthy results. For every passage in Leviticus interpreting homosexuality as a sin, there's one in which the accepting actions of Jesus provide a contradiction. Again, it's easy to make one side a villain, but if you take the other side, it would be hypocritical not to forgive it. It's not as simple as it appears on the surface.
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My point is that I appreciate Boy Erased for walking a more complicated path. Instead of damning the program for its intended purpose, it damns the program for its methods. For example, Jared wants to leave, not because of anything that specifically happens to him, but because he's not been privy to the fact that he may be kept there longer than originally intended.
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All this aside, with which I suppose you could disagree, Boy Erased is just a good movie. It's well-directed by Edgerton, who is building quite a resume of favorite movies for me, including The Gift, Midnight Special and It Comes at Night. This one isn't a genre film like the ones I listed; however, it does tell a horror story of a different kind.
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The standout performance is by Kidman, although her Nancy approaches being the one predictable part of the story. I mean, if anyone's going to ultimately stand by her son, it's going to be his mother. The route she takes getting there, though, is compelling. It's as subtle and understated as the rest of Boy Erased. It's also as powerful.
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Hedges is very good as Jared. His performance is mostly internal, meaning he's quietly intense through most of the movie as he suffers in his head. During a final confrontation with his father, though, Jared/Hedges is assertive while remaining emotionally restrained. That's when the tears came for me, something that never happened in that other "Boy" movie, by the way.
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Buzz Score:

Boy Erased = 4 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

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See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: The Wife

by Jeff Owens

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Timing is everything. In the early 1980s, Glenn Close burst onto the big screen and received three consecutive Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominations for The World According to Garp (1982), The Big Chill (1983), and The Natural (1984). Unfortunately, these were particularly good years for Jessica Lange, Linda Hunt and Peggy Ashcroft; they won Oscars instead of Close. In the late 1980s, she graduated to Best Actress nominations for Fatal Attraction (1987) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988). It was then that she started keeping company with Meryl Streep, who had already won two Oscars: Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Best Actress for Sophie's Choice (1983). Streep was also nominated in 1987 (Ironweed) and 1988 (A Cry in the Dark), but both she and Close lost to Cher and Jodie Foster. I'd like to think they perhaps split the votes, allowing someone else to win.
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Finally, in 2012, Close faced Streep at the Oscars. It was her performance in Albert Nobbs versus Streep's performance in The Iron Lady. Streep won. She had received eight nominations between 1988 and 2012; Close had received none. I provide this history because I've always preferred Close over Streep. For me, she's always been more earthy… more natural. Her performances are less mannered and showy. However, I am not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and I did not get to make Glenn Close an Oscar winner. Please don't take this as me disparaging Meryl Streep, but somehow along the way, she was the one who became an Academy darling. Timing is everything. Has Close's time finally come? Her latest movie, The Wife, opens this weekend. Is it the showcase that will finally earn her the gold?
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Well, she's good (as usual) in her role, but I'm afraid the movie itself doesn't quite provide the right spotlight for her. She plays Joan Castleman, who travels to Stockholm with her husband, Joe (Jonathan Pryce), when he wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. While there, she and her son, David (Max Irons), unpack their emotional baggage when uncovering secrets of the past. By witnessing flashbacks to their youth, we learn how Joan came to be married to Joe. By putting disparate pieces together, we learn their honeymoon was short lived and they don't currently have the ideal marriage that the public perceives them to have. The Wife is based on the 2003 novel of the same name, written by Meg Wolitzer. Researching the author, the movie may in part be a bit autobiographical. Young Joan attends Smith College (she's a student of Joe's); young Meg studied creative writing at Smith. Their paths diverge, though, because Joan never pursued a career in writing.
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She couldn't because at the time (1958), women authors were not taken seriously, if they were even published. That's one thing that bothered me about the circumstances of The Wife. I wasn't convinced that a woman like Joan wouldn't chase her dream, anyway. In a scene during which she has a discussion with female author Elaine Mozell (Elizabeth McGovern), the latter discourages her from doing so. She seems to take her advice to heart instead of moving forward anyway. This isn't that kind of movie, I guess. It's not about the underdog achieving fame and fortune against all odds. It's about the woman who supports her husband while he does it. In this way, though, the screenplay by Jane Anderson seems thin. There are many instances when events seem coincidental or pat. It's all structured for the big dramatic moments, which don't feel completely earned. Maybe there's some nuance lost in translation by Swedish director Bjorn Runge.
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Contradicting the shortfalls of the story, the fact that Close matches its style with her mostly quiet, subtle performance is perfectly appropriate. You don't really know what she's thinking at any given time. When she does react or respond dramatically, her emotions organically reveal themselves rather than explode unnaturally. Still, by the end, she's largely a woman of mystery. I couldn't quite reconcile her motivations with her actions. I shouldn't blame the movie for that, I guess. It fine for it leave me wondering, rather than having all my questions answered. Perhaps because I'm not an 80-year old woman who's lived in the shadow of her husband her entire adult life, I don’t fully understand her. Yeah, I certainly would have done things differently if I were her; but… I'm not. Overall, she and the other characters feel like they're in a stage play. It's not that the story is dull or the action is confined to a few locations; it's that I can easily imagine the dialogue being spoken on stage without limiting the plot.
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Glenn Close compensated for a lack of Oscars by taking home two Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe for her role of Patty Hewes in FX television series, Damages. (It's terrific if you've never seen it!) Could this possibly be the year she gets to place an Oscar on the shelf next to her other awards? Well, considering Meryl Streep is appearing in only Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mary Poppins Returns this year, I can't imagine she'll be competition. There could be a technicality. The Wife actually had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017; I don't know if it's even eligible this year. Perhaps the best way to evaluate her performance in this movie is to compare it to last year's nominees. Does it beat Frances McDormand's performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri? I'd say, "No." In fact, with the other nominees' big, high profile roles, I'm not sure she would win over any of them (Sally Hawkins, Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, and, yes, Meryl Streep.) It's definitely good, better than the vehicle that carries it, but, sadly, probably not award winning.
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Buzz Score:

The Wife = 3 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Alpha

by Jeff Owens

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It's been a long time since I've seen a movie in 3D, and even longer since I've seen one on an IMAX screen. I'm telling you, though, that's the only way to see Alpha, a rare example of a movie that takes full advantage of technology to enhance the story, rather than enhancing the technology to take advantage of the story. That's a subtle, yet huge, difference. If you don't understand the distinction, just go see Alpha and, from the very first sequence, you'll know exactly what I mean.
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To be honest, I may not have attended the screening if I had known in advance how it was going to be projected. Such is my disdain for the dark, murky mess to which I'm accustomed with 3D. And size doesn't usually matter; a bigger screen just makes a dark, murky mess that's bigger. Alpha is not like that. It's bright and crystal clear, with each shot composed as if it's meant to be seen in 3D from its conception, not added as an afterthought to create a higher ticket price. (Here, the additional expense would be well worth it.)
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Alpha is a breathtaking experience. Sitting in the middle, center of the stadium seating, I was immersed in the action. At the conclusion of an opening hunt scene, as buffalo tumbled over the edge of a cliff, I felt like I was going to tumble with them. Technology alone can't be responsible for the effect. Director Albert Hughes, one-half of the Hughes Brothers (From Hell, The Book of Eli) and cinematographer Martin Gschlacht (Goodnight Mommy) wield the camera like a paintbrush, creating beauty and wonder with each stroke.
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The problem is, I'm not sure the story is strong enough to sustain a great movie without all the bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong, it's good. It's just not terribly original or unique. Seeing it "flat," I could imagine being underwhelmed. 20,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, a boy is separated from his father during the aforementioned hunt. He's left to survive on his own in the wild until he demonstrates kindness to a canine that's also separated from its pack. Nature made them enemies, but time and compassion makes them friends.
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That sounds corny, huh? The subject matter is handled really well, and there are plenty of "Awwww" moments. However, I didn't ultimately have the same emotional investment in the story as I did in the visual effects of the production. Perhaps the subtitles worked as a barrier to complete connection with the characters. Using what I assume was intended to be authentic language of the time period might have caused a different part of the brain to be working when it should have been relaxing.
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Overall, I recommend that you see Alpha for the spectacle; the bigger the screen, the better. You will probably be invested in the outcome and you'll be awed and thrilled along the way. At only 96 minutes, it doesn't make you linger in any one of its scenes just for the sake of marveling at it. Don't expect an intricate story with narrative embellishments. Sometimes simple is best and this is a movie that doesn't need to rely on the story. It's meant to appeal to the heart, not the head. What you see is what you get, and what you get is terrific.
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Buzz Score:

Alpha = 4.5 out of 5
 

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

by Jeff Owens

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Although it probably won’t be as divisive as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom nevertheless takes a decades-old franchise and spins it in a new direction. You wouldn’t know it until about halfway through the movie, but then you’re suddenly no longer witnessing a wondrous adventure fantasy, but instead, a terrifying gothic horror movie.
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Let’s talk about the first half. As the volcano on Isla Nublar threatens to erupt and destroy the dinosaurs on the island, a worldwide debate continues about the ethical ramifications. On one hand, the “animals” aren’t natural creations. They were never intended to exist, so their extinction should be allowed. On the other hand, well… they’re dinosaurs! They’re cool and (mostly) cute, so they deserve to live.
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This point is where the Jurassic Park/World saga has a wonderful opportunity to evolve. Dinosaurs have been in existence for 25 years in real time, and probably longer in “movie time.” New generations have grown up with them being as common as cats and dogs. The same old stories about an amusement park where things go wrong are redundant. They’re not sustainable.
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Therefore, the perfect plot point is to destroy the island, while somehow allowing the dinosaurs to live. That means they have to go somewhere else. That’s exactly what philanthropist Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) wants to do: rescue them and relocate them to a sanctuary that, in a bit of revisionist history, he has been designing concurrently with events of the previous movies.
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Lockwood is old and frail, though, so his right-hand man, Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) hires returning heroes Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) to lead the recovery mission. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? One thing that won’t change in a Jurassic movie, however, is a bad guy who makes something simple more complex (and dangerous.)
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When everyone arrives on Isla Nublar and the double-cross happens, Owen, Claire and their protégées, Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) and Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda), find themselves with their dinosaur friends in a race against time to escape before the volcano blows. This sequence is perhaps the most action-packed, exciting and entertaining of the entire franchise.
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Now, let's talk about the second half. I kid you not, it takes place in an old, dark house in a remote location… while a storm rages outside. The dinosaur(s) chasing potential victims through its halls may as well be monster(s) that have escaped from a mad scientist's dungeon. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what one of them is, a secretly-developed hybrid known as an "Endoraptor."
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Firmly entrenched in this format, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom unfortunately embraces the cliches of a horror film. First, people make stupid decisions. Granted, that's happened in other Jurassic movies, but a move by one of the bad guys, Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine), ranks among the dumbest. It's set up properly and makes sense to trigger a pivotal event, but it caused the audience to yell at him.
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Next, outcomes are predictable. Just as you know that Michael Myers is going to rise again or that the sun is going to rise to kill Dracula, you can easily predict who or what is going to save the day… and exactly when. Like the stupid decisions, this cliché is earned within the script by Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow; it doesn't arrive out of the blue. But, on the other hand, it's certainly not original.
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Helmed by J.A. Bayona this time around, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom runs a fast 128 minutes and, in a way, contains a combination of themes explored in two of his previous movies: The Orphanage (2007) and The Impossible (2012). It's got the gothic horror of the former and the big-scale disaster of the latter. I like the combination and I like this movie.
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Perhaps the biggest selling point I can share is that by the end, the franchise is ready to spin in yet another direction. It leaves me eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Be warned that Fallen Kingdom is not your parents' old Jurassic Park. It cannily uses elements from the original that we love, while simultaneously updating them and creating something entirely new. This fact impresses and amazes me.
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Buzz Score:

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom = 4.5 out of 5
   

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Solo: A Star Wars Story

by Jeff Owens

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Considering that it's a movie nobody needed and few may have wanted, Solo: A Star Wars Story is an unexpected treat. I walked into it with little desire to see it and even fewer expectations for enjoying it, so I was thoroughly rewarded by every one of its 135 minutes. I not only hope there's a second chapter, but will be disappointed if there's not. Luckily, if the positive reaction of the audience at the screening is any indication, there should be good news about an ongoing franchise.
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For me, the movie's success hinges on the young actor hired to play Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich. To be honest, the trailers portrayed him as a pale representation of the dynamic character portrayed by Harrison's Ford. He didn't come across to me as anything like Han Solo or Harrison Ford… not that he necessarily should. This was Ehrenreich's opportunity to do something new with the role. I told myself going in that if he at least had some charisma that suggested Solo/Ford, but somehow made Solo his own, I would be satisfied.
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I was therefore thrilled that he did just that. It takes a while… the movie starts very dark with a big action scene and it's hard to get an immediate grasp on the character. But he grows on you. By the time the movie ended, I not only accepted Ehrenreich as Han Solo, but embraced him. This is in large part due to small moments and reactions that add layers to what we already know about the character; for example, when he sees the Millennium Falcon for the first time or experiences the sheer joy and wonder of piloting it.
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Solo is a different kind of Star Wars movie. For the first time, we're not dropped into the middle of a battle between the Rebellion and the Empire. Nobody is trying to destroy a weapon of mass destruction. There's nary a lightsabre in sight. Nevertheless, small details sparingly appear that foreshadow the future. Most interesting for me is the idea of the Empire recruiting for the military in an effort to "unite the galaxy." In fact, that's how Han initially escapes from the planet on which he's suffered oppression.
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None of this is to say that Solo doesn't utilize a familiar formula. Instead of a big rescue or sabotage mission, though, there's a big heist, the perfect set-up for the future rogue, scoundrel and smuggler. Three years after his initial escape, Han is ready for another, this time from his post in the Imperial military. In a convoluted way, he manages to convince Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and Val (Thandie Newton) that he's vital to the success of their current mission. He doesn't realize, or care, that this will put him in an advesarial position with the movie's villian…
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…crime lord Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). Vos is after a hot commodity: the fuel that powers starships. Everyone wants some, because whoever owns it has power… and wealth. Beckett and crew want it for the latter; Vos wants it for the former and hires them to get it for him. Han wants the money for a singular purpose that's maintained throughout the movie and is his emotional motivation. He simply wants to buy his own ship so he can return home to the woman, Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), he left behind.
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Along the way, we witness adventures we've only heard about, but never seen. Han meets and befriends Chewbacca. He makes the "Kessel Run" in what he once claimed was "less than 12 parsecs." He gambles with Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) for the fate of the Millennium Falcon. It really plays in Solo's favor that new adventures outnumber "familiar" ones by at least two-to-one. Like The Last Jedi, Solo feels like we're finally experiencing something new in the Star Wars universe. It's now safe to stretch and do something new.
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My only complaints are the cinematography (dark, as mentioned) and the music. Some may consider a movie full of characters you can never trust to be dark, figuratively; but, it doesn’t need to look dark, physically. Then, considering the legacy of scores and themes from the legendary John Williams, the semi-original music used here by John Powell feels watered-down. It could have been more effective to use an entirely original score rather than familiar themes that hover in the background without really feeling integrated into the action.
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These are minor quibbles in a fun, exciting movie. A couple of the action set pieces are spectacular. I was on the edge of my seat for the train sequence… you'll know the one I mean. If Ehrenreich is successful as Han Solo, Glover is a revelation as Lando Calrissian. My favorite character, though, is a new addition, a droid named L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). She perhaps best represents the evolution of not only droids in the Star Wars saga, but of the saga itself. She/it are brave, funny and fearless, paving a fresh path to the future.
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Buzz Score:

Solo: A Star Wars Story = 4 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
- - - - - - - - - - -

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Movie Reviews: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

by Jeff Owens

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It was hard to not be enthusiastic about Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it relaunched the movie franchise in 2015 after a 10-year hiatus. However, as time moved forward and less emotional thoughts prevailed, the shine became dull. In many ways, it was more a remake of the original Star Wars (1977) than it was a fresh beginning. And, in terms of doing something new, Rogue One was disappointing from the moment it was released a year later.
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With what we saw in the last two years, I entered Star Wars: The Last Jedi with my expectations checked at the door. I am thrilled to report, though, that writer/director Rian Johnson has delivered exactly what I want in a Star Wars movie personally and, looking at the bigger picture, exactly what we all need in a Star Wars movie collectively. I have not been this excited after seeing a Star Wars movie since… well, I'm not sure I've ever been this excited.
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The first thing you'll experience is a fresh energy in the filmmaking. Camera movement is more fluid. Close-ups and angles are more varied. It looks and feels like a new kind of Star Wars movie. These technical achievments are even more extraordinary considering they take place during scenes of action where there is already rapid movement. Specifically, when ships exit from hyperspace, the effect is different than anything we've seen before.
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The next thing you'll experience is how the story defies anticipation at every turn. At this point in the franchise, we're trained to expect plot points that will happen next. For example, in the climactic lightsabre battle in The Force Awakens, when the abandoned weapon jiggles on the snowscape, you know it's going to fly into the hands of Rey (Daisy Ridley). In The Last Jedi, when a lightsabre jiggles, you are truly surprised by where it goes.
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This welcome disregard of expectations is consistent throughout the movie and keeps you on the edge of your seat. No scene ends as you might anticipate and, although this is the longest Star Wars yet at 152 minutes, it speeds along faster than a T.I.E. Fighter in pursuit of an X-Wing. Even the plot point regarding the identity of Rey's parents somehow delivers a punch that I would never have imagined.
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After watching The Last Jedi, you may also experience more respect for The Force Awakens. I didn't realize at the time what a good job it did of laying solid groundwork for the characters. I didn't know how much I cared about Rey, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) or Finn (John Boyega) until they're put through the ringer here. And they are really put through the ringer. The circumstances for them and for the Resistance has never been more desperate.
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It's easy to say that The Last Jedi is a dark movie. However, that also makes it one of the most hopeful. By the time it ends, you honestly don't know how the saga could continue in the way we know it. Yet there's a final scene with potential to reinvent the entire franchise. This is definitely a unique direction for the second movie in a trilogy. It almost ends this cycle of films prematurely and sets the stage for something even more original in the the next.
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The standout character is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). He was also good in The Force Awakens, but, like everything else in The Last Jedi, his character arc is unexpected. Just when you think you know where he's headed, there's a twist… several times over. This makes him a complex creation whose inner struggles mirror the other characters' external struggles. Driver is excellent in the role, demanding your attention with his onscreen presence.
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I'm hesitant to share any plot points, particularly those involving Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and General Leia (Carrie Fisher). However, if you're paying attention to anything I've already written, you won't be surprised to learn they both travel unexpected paths. I'm also hesitant to say much about the new characters, Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and DJ (Benicio del Toro). They're there and they're significant, but they are perfectly integrated into the story.
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In fact, I'll just stop here, summarizing by using a sentiment similar to one a character may or may not express in The Last Jedi: Star Wars is dead, long live Star Wars! The time has come to move on. We love the past and we have paid tribute to it for long enough. We're not forgetting it; it's part of anything and everything that happens next. But imagine the possibilities that remain. Star Wars: The Last Jedi gives us hope both onscreen and off.
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Buzz Score:

Star Wars: The Last Jedi = 5 out of 5

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[styled_box title="Movie Buzz Guy" color="black"]

Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
[/styled_box]

-
See The Latest Movie Releases and Top Movies Here.

-

-

- - - - - - - - - - -
ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
-
You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
-

Movie Reviews: Mother!

by Jeff Owens

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During a summer in which I've been trying to process 18 hours of Twin Peaks on television, I'm either well equipped to understand Mother!, Darren Aronofsky's new theatrical movie, or I'm too exhausted to understand it. Both projects attempt to deliver feelings more than they do linear plots, but David Lynch better succeeds. I think I recognize statements Aronofsky is trying to make or opinions he's trying to share, but I don't have the same emotional experience as I do when watching Twin Peaks. Mother! is cold to me.
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The plot of Mother! seems straightforward enough, even though it spins wildly in the direction of an episode of The Twilight Zone. "Mother" (Jennifer Lawrence) is restoring the house of her husband, "Him" (Javier Bardem), that was destroyed in a fire. He is a famous poet suffering from a bad case of writer's block ever since, I assume, the fire. He's distant and grumpy until "Man" (Ed Harris) arrives on their doorstep claiming he thought their home was a bed and breakfast.
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Mother is a little concerned that her husband would invite a stranger to stay with them without first consulting her. However, she's downright stunned when Man's wife, "Woman" (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives the next day. As a bad situation escalates to worse, events happen so fast that Mother can never quite get on the other side of them. Then Younger Brother (Brian Gleeson) and Oldest Son (Domhnall Gleeson) arrive, bringing violence with them. Now the circumstances are so beyond her control, Mother is impotent to do anything about them.
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The couple fights and we learn that they haven't been intimate with each other in quite some time. The emotion of the moment drives them to the bedroom where they make up for lost time. Mother awakens the next morning confident that she's pregnant. Indeed, after a time jump, she is visibly heavy with child. This is when all hell breaks loose and Mother! becomes even more surreal. That's saying a lot in a movie that has already presented the house as perhaps a living, breathing creature that has a beating heart and bleeds.
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I'd better stop with plot details at this point. I will say that what happens from here to the end of the movie is fascinating, and sometimes difficult, to watch. The last part of the movie is filled with such excess that I found myself laughing with each further step into insanity that it takes. Mother is obviously going through a horrible ordeal and Lawrence does a good job expressing that. Again, though, I didn't have an emotional connection. I have to wonder if a woman who has gone through childbirth would have a different experience with it than I did.
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What to ultimately make of Mother! is open to interpretation. I know what I took from it. But it does not deliver a clever twist ending that guides you toward enlightenment about what happened. The whole movie is so full of twists and turns that the final two or three scenes fit within all the rest rather than stand out as a beacon of explanation. Intellectually, I liked it. Emotionally, I didn't dislike it. Do I recommend it? I do. However, I know how the general movie going public takes movies like this and I don’t think it will please them.
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Buzz Score:

Mother! = 3 out of 5

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Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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