What to Watch This Weekend: In The Heights, Third Murder, Getting To Know You, Chasing Comets, The Racer, Wish Dragon, Alone, Amusement Park

For Bright Musical Celebration of Life: In The Heights (Theaters and HBO Max)
In The Heights is a celebration of life, love, family, community, and hard work with a bright, colorful style and catchy and impactful music.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Tense Legal Drama: The Third Murder (Film Movement Plus)

The Third Murder is a gripping legal drama with Oscar-worthy acting, a complex, realistic story, and a beautiful soundtrack.   For more information, check out the review!

For An Unearthed Unsettling Classic: The Amusement Park (Shudder)

The Amusement Park uses horror to tell an interesting story with a deeper message, one that is sadly still relevant even after half a century since the film's completion.  For more information, check out the review! 

For An Unconventional Sports Drama: Chasing Comets (Digital)

Chasing Comets has a positive overall message, good rugby camaraderie, and a measured faith-based message that feels genuine and never preachy.  For more information, check out the review!

For the Sports Enthusiast: The Racer (TubiTV)

The Racer tells an honest sports story, with inspirational moments, plenty of interesting insights into conflicted athletes, and a story that paces itself nicely before a photo finish.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Kids: Wish Dragon (Netflix)
An Asian Aladdin, Sony Pictures animated film hits Netflix with plenty of beautiful animation, heart, and an Asian flair!

For A More Adult, Realistic Romantic Comedy: Getting To Know You (Amazon Prime)

One of my favorite films of last year, Getting To Know You is a wonderful, understated drama / comedy featuring two fantastic leads with amazing chemistry and a realistic, decidedly more adult story about love and life.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Horror Fans: Alone (Hulu)

Alone is a tense survival horror film with great performances by Willcox and Menchaca, a slow burning story, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.  For more information, check out the review!

Chasing Wonders Review: A Wine-Based Coming-of-Age That Takes A While To Age

Release date: June 4, 2021 (U.S. Digital)
Running time: 83 minutes
Director: Paul Meins
Writer: Judy Morris (screenplay)
Stars: Paz Vega, Edward James Olmos, Jessica Marais, Quim Gutiérrez, Carmen Maura, Antonio de la Torre, Francesc Orella

A coming-of-age story set across the lush wine country of both Australia and Spain, a young man explores the nature of father-son relationships and the pathway toward understanding and forgiveness.

Chasing Wonders, like a fine wine, is a complex endeavor with many different flavors contributing to it.  The film has a great cast, with a lot of interesting characters living under this roof and contributing to the family.  Like many families, they are so very different but all contribute to the overall family unit.  I liked the wildly divergent personalities though some of them are much more abrasive than others.  And I liked the varied styles that each member of the family used to try and impart knowledge and growth into the young man.  It shows the many different influences that can help to raise a young man.  And the film has a really good cast, headlined by Paz Vega and Edward James Olmos, both of whom are relatable.  Olmos especially is fun to watch as the grandfather who is looking out for his young grandson and making sure he has some fun and wonder in his life.  And, as you would expect from a film titled Chasing Wonders, the movie does strike a nice balance between childhood wonder and cold reality.  

But Chasing Wonders, also like a fine wine, takes a while to age.  The movie has plenty of dramatic elements, but it doesn't lay the groundwork early enough.  The film tries to keep the story mysterious until the end, but in doing so really alienates a character for the audience.  By the time the reveal happened, I just did not care much for that character regardless of the explanation.  And the film is slow to develop in other respects, which is a mixed bag.  It has some fun scenes to highlight the family dynamics but overall it felt like the movie piled on the drama without progressing the story.  I'm fine with a measured pace if the destination is worth the journey, but this one just didn't seem to arrive there.  I will say that the end of the film is very well done.  It has some beautiful scenery and tugs at the right heartstrings, but the time and effort to get there made the film feel more like a slog and less like a journey.  

Chasing Wonders, like wine, has a mix of different elements and takes a while to age, but leads to a beautiful, complex end product.

Rent it.

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Chasing Wonders is available digitally on June 4, 2021.  

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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Chasing Comets Review: For God and Rugby

Release date: June 11, 2021 (U.S. Digital)
Running time: 100 minutes
Director: Jason Perini
Writer: Jason Stevens
Stars: Dan Ewing, Isabel Lucas, George Houvardas, Kat Hoyos, Bjorn Stewart, Deborah Galanos, Laurence Brewer

Wagga is a country town that loves its sport but is divided over its loyalty for the rival codes, AFL and NRL. It's in this setting that we find our hero Chase "daylight." Chase's dream to play in the NRL is falling by the wayside, just like his relationship to Brooke. At his lowest point, Chase takes a leap of faith to sort out his life. But living this out is a far greater challenge than he imagined, especially among team mates who won't let him give up his partying ways without a fight. Chase's leap of faith might possibly be the worst decision ever he has ever made.

Chasing Comets is a combination of a lot of different types of films, all of which come together in a mixed bag.  It has sports drama and some light-hearted comedy.  It has debauchery from the rugby side of it but it also has a faith forward message.  It has a really bright style and an irreverent tone at times, but also serious subject matter other times.  And this tone leads to some interesting aspects of the film.  I initially didn't realize that faith would play a pretty prominent role in the movie, and even when it was introduced the movie didn't feel preachy or in your face.  The characters who shared their faith were more internalized than I am used to and not pushy.  And they were flawed, either presently or heavily in the past, which led to characters that felt more realistic and less like paradigms of virtue.  

And although the cast is mixed, there are some very good performances in this film.  I liked Dan Ewing as Chase, though I enjoyed his character much more in the second half of the film than the first.  But George Houvardas as the reverend was a welcome surprise.  His character was a good listener and offered advice, but never felt like he was being too forceful.  And this led to the development of a great relationship between him and Chase.  And Isabel Lucas as Brooke was quite good, though she had far too few scenes.  And what kind of sports drama would be complete without some good sports action.  Chasing Comets doesn't have as much in the way of actual gameplay as I would have liked, but there is plenty from practice and some good camaraderie between the teammates.  There is some fun ribbing, some boisterous personalities, and some genuine care.  And it also has some really good locker room pep talks that make sports movies so much fun.

However, Chasing Comets does have its flaws, and first is the hit or miss humor.  Maybe it was a cultural thing but some of the jokes just didn't land for me.  There were some funny moments and genuine laughs, but the humor sometimes was off .  Also, some of the characters were very toxic and seemed to make bad choices almost intentionally.  It was strange because later those character become ones you root for, but it led to an overdramatic, unrealistic start to this otherwise enjoyable drama.  And I also couldn't tell how much of the movie was a true story.  It had some hints that it was based on real experiences, but the movie was always coy when it was approaching this.  

Chasing Comets has a positive overall message, good rugby camaraderie, and a measured faith-based message that feels genuine and never preachy.  

Rent it.

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

Chasing Comets is available digitally on June 11, 2021.  

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

This site contains affiliate links. //Commerce or this site may be compensated when you click through links on our site.  

In The Heights Review: A Musical Celebration of Love, Life, and Community

Release date: June 11, 2021
Running time: 143 minutes
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Lin-Manuel Miranda

A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

In The Heights keeps all of the aspects of the musical but transfers it to the big screen.  It really is an accomplishment to keep the high energy and songs from the Broadway show but translate it to a film format.  In The Heights uses a ton of extras and some great camera angles to reproduce the spectacle of a Broadway show from your living room.  Some of the dance numbers are truly impressive, songs that seem to use the entire neighborhood as extras.  It also helps to showcase the energy by having a bright, colorful style.  This leads to splashes of color from clothes, people, and the general set design.  There are also little colorful effects that are used for emphasis, just to add additional splashes during some scenes.  

But what will really strike you is the story of In The Heights.  It tells a relatable story about struggling with life and staying true to your dreams.  It looks at how hard life is but also looks to the positives of it: of love, of community, and of a shared experience even in struggle.  And the movie also highlights the beauty in everyday life.  I loved when the characters would stop and just listen to the sounds of the block, a reminder for everyone to occasionally stop and appreciate what you have (an urban stop and smell the roses).  It also feels just as relevant now as when the musical debuted a decade ago: it deals with the immigrant experience, discrimination, and how to assimilate into America while still staying true to your heritage.  

And although In The Heights is an impressive accomplishment, the movie does have a few relatively slow areas; probably where linking scenes were added to the Broadway show.  It's not bad, just not as high energy in those areas as I had hoped.  This also results in the songs being a little more spaced out than I expected them to be, but it just makes you anticipate the songs more.  But one aspect of the film that is fun to experience is the influence that In The Heights had on Hamilton.  Some of the song feelings, the expressions, and general musical style feel like a precursor to the later show, which is a fun experience for fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda.  

In The Heights is a celebration of life, love, family, community, and hard work with a bright, colorful style and catchy and impactful music.  

Watch it.

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In The Heights is available in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11, 2021.  It will leave HBO Max after July 11, 2021.  For tickets to see it in theaters, click here. 

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Screening: See Summer of Soul Early And Free

Beat the summer heat and check out a documentary about the never before televised Harlem Culture Festival, a series that was filmed over six weeks in the summer of 1969.  The film is coming to theaters and Hulu on July 2, 2021 but you can see it early and free!  Details and entry form are below.

Synopsis:

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park).  The footage was never seen and largely forgotten–until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach and more. Summer of Soul premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.

Summer of Soul:

Tuesday, June 29^th

AMC Potomac Mills 

7:00pm 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, screenings are first-come, first-served so please arrive early to ensure you get a seat.

12 Mighty Orphans Review: An Inspirational Texas Football Story

Release date: June 18, 2021
Running time: 118 minutes
Starring: Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Martin Sheen, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Robert Duvall
Director: Ty Roberts

12 MIGHTY ORPHANS tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell, a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty's secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn't beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

I'm a sucker for inspirational sports movies and 12 Mighty Orphans has that in spades.  It probably caught my interest for the same reasons the original story caught the nation's interests, a team of underdogs fighting against all odds and giving it their all.  And 12 Mighty Orphans tells this story in an entertaining and relatable way.  The film uses a nice balance of comedy and drama to keep the tone light-hearted despite some serious subject matter.  The movie deals with dramatic subjects, but is always able to pivot and rely on the comedic aspects as well as a whimsical, Texas-inspired soundtrack.  Every time something terrible happens, the orphans can make a joke or the film will introduce some funny moment to lighten the mood.  And the music also ensures that the tone never stays too serious, maintaining the right balance for an inspirational drama.

The film has an impressive cast of characters, but Luke Wilson takes the cake for his portrayal of the legendary coach Rusty Russell.  Wilson changes completely, adopting different mannerisms, ticks, and speech to play this character.  Martin Sheen is another stand out, who as you would expect, does a great job as the orphanage's doctor and defensive coach.  He is a father figure to these boys and is a great addition to the coaching staff.  And Vinessa Shaw does a wonderful job as Juanita Russell, Rusty's wife and another influential teacher at the orphanage.  I wish she had more screen time but the movie was already almost two hours long so I understand focusing on the team and the coaches.  And despite Wayne Knight's character not being one I liked, he did a great job as the tough and corrupt orphanage headmaster.  But the true stars of the film are the boys in the orphanage, and they are a fun group to get to know.  They feel like they have a natural chemistry and are fun to follow, and get into the antics you would expect from boys this age.  Some of their acting was a little rough, but I couldn't tell if that was the actors or the characters they portrayed, but altogether they are a fun group.  

And although the tone of 12 Mighty Orphans is enjoyable, the film does feel a little over dramatic at times.  Now granted, the movie deals with some serious subject matter, but it also felt like the drama was not earned given the tone of the movie.  And this overdramatic aspect also means that some characters are essentially caricatures; they seem to be so obviously transparent in their motivations that it leaves nothing to surprise the viewer when they later turn out to be terrible people.  The corrupt characters are so obviously corrupt and the good characters are saints; there is very little nuance in this story.  And in that respect, this movie feels like it would be right at home in the Disney inspirational sports camp, yet it was made by Sony.  I can't tell if that is a complement or a negative, but overall the movie's generally positive tone and overly telegraphed characters feels like something that would be more child appropriate.  And the film should be fine for most young adults; there is very little objectionable material.  There is some blood at one point, some overly harsh discipline, and a few instances of young boys being rowdy, but nothing that should cause much concern.

But hey, despite these flaws, who doesn't love an inspirational sports drama.  The movie tells a true story with some Hollywood embellishments, but also seems to focus on a lot of the important aspects.  Nearly every character we meet has some sort of post mortem during the credits, showing their real life counterpart and letting the viewer know what happened to them.  These touches are the things I love because it really completes the journey you just took.  If you are looking for an inspirational feel good film, then you can't go wrong with 12 Mighty Orphans.

12 Mighty Orphans scores with its blend of comedy and drama, interesting characters, and truly inspirational story of sports and life. 

Watch it.

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12 Mighty Orphans is in theaters on June 18, 2021.  For showtimes, click here.

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The Paper Tigers Interview: Bao Tran (Director) Ken Quitugua (Choreographer) Al’n Duong (Producer)

Bao Tran (Writer and Director), Ken Quitugua (Action Choreographer and Star), and Al’n Duong (Producer) discuss making this film, the inspiration, and what it as like to choreograph this unique martial arts movie. We also discuss how the great home movies in the film were made and who would win in a fight between them! So give it a watch and make sure to check out The Paper Tigers on demand now, or on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 22, 2021! Written and Directed by: Tran Quoc Bao Starring: Alain Uy (True Detective), Ron Yuan (Mulan), Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Undisputed III), Matthew Page ("Enter the Dojo" - Master Ken), Andy Le (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Yuji Okumoto ("Cobra Kai" & Karate Kid II) Synopsis: As teenagers, kung fu disciples Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were inseparable. Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring—and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. But when their old master is murdered, the trio reunites, soon learning that avenging their sifu will require conquering old grudges (and a dangerous hitman still armed with ample knee cartilage) if they are to honorably defend his legacy.

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