Greetings! We got back from London Wednesday evening after a painfully long 11-1/2 hour flight. There were at least a dozen other international flights in the process of clearing passport control and immigration when we arrived in San Francisco. Thank goodness for Global Entry! It is worth every penny if you travel outside the country often.
Scan your passport at any Global Entry kiosk, answer a few questions electronically, push a button for your pass, show it to an immigration officer (even ahead of flight crews!) and off you go. That’s it!
Now…off to the movies! In London we were a bit surprised with the slim pickings for films we had not already seen. Nonetheless, sleuth John managed to find two, both in very limited release apparently due to the awards season. Nonetheless, we found both worthy of a look. Let us know what you think if you are able to see these.
Cheers! J&J
They Shall Not Grow Old
This incredible Documentary by the acclaimed Director Peter Jackson was a collaboration between the Director and London’s Imperial War Museum. The film used 100 hours of actual WWI footage, much of it damaged or in poor condition.
Nonetheless, the result is a magic carpet ride into the past. Be warned, this feels like a real flashback. The unbelievable conditions, the raw reality of warfare at the time and the incredible conditions that characterized the era are stunning and heartbreaking.
This film is nominated as Best Documentary in the upcoming BAFTA Awards. If you are a history buff or student of WWI you may still view this film at limited venues. Check FATHOM EVENTS.COM for information about Pay for View locations.
Parents should be cautioned. There are numerous lifeless corpses in various states of decay and disfigurement. The narrative parallels the horrific images.
US markets have rated this film R. It is listed as a History/War Documentary running 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Rating: 
The Old Man & The Gun
If Clint Eastwood can be a drug runner at his age, why can’t Robert Redford be a bank robber? In this film there is a lot less angst and a lot more admiration for the character Redford portrays. The story is a biography of bank robberies spanning decades. It is based on Forrest Tucker, a real bank robber, and a San Quentin escapee.
The cast is impressive. Robert Redford is the headliner, Forrest Tucker. Sissy Spacek plays the love interest. Casey Affleck, Keith Carradine, Elisabeth Moss, Danny Glover and Gene Jones along with a dozen more actors round out the cast.
The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language. It is listed as a drama with a run time of 1 hour, 34 minutes.
Rating:
Escape Room
This was our first film after our return from London this week. We were so glad this was still in the theaters.
Six strangers show up as contestants to participate in an “escape room” contest only to discover it’s way more than they bargained for. It’s a test of survival in several different environments designed like a game but with only one way out. Pick the wrong path…
It’s an interesting and intriguing twist. The acting is pretty good featuring Canadian Taylor Russell, Adam Robitel, Debra Ann Woll, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani, Dutch actor Yorick van Wageninggen and Jessica Sutton.
All in all, an interesting concept that keeps your attention with some thought provoking twists. It’s not ground breaking but it skillfully negotiates its subject matter.
It is rated PG-13 for terror/perilous action, violence, language and some suggestive material. We do not recommend this film for children. The genre is listed as Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery/Drama & Suspense. Reviews have been mixed. The run time is 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Rating:
Happy to have you home in one piece. Cheers