Two East German families make a daring escape to the West via a homemade hot-air balloon. Based on a true story. [ Balloon credits: Dir: Michael Herbig/ Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross/ 125 min/ Action-Adventure, Drama, Family, Foreign, Thriller/ Escape From Socialism/ Germany/ 2020] Now available on Amazon streaming. External Reviews "Balloon revels in … [Read more...]
Mr. Jones | Film
Gareth Jones, a Welsh journalist, tries to warn the world about communist atrocities -- and dies for it. Based on a true story. [ Mr. Jones credits: Dir: Agnieszka Holland/ James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard/ 141 min/ Biography, Drama, Thriller/ Free Press As Hero, Democide, Anti-Socialism/ Poland / 2019] External Reviews "The story of Gareth Jones is such a … [Read more...]
Richard Jewell | Film Review
Security guard Richard Jewell saves hundreds of lives from an exploding pipe bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, only to be railroaded as the prime suspect by an incompetent FBI and cynical press. Based on a true story. [ Richard Jewell credits: Dir: Clint Eastwood/ Paul Walter Hauser, Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell/ 131 min/ Drama/ Incompetent government, Government as bigot, Law … [Read more...]
A Hidden Life | Film
Austrian peasant farmer Franz Jägerstätter, refuses to fight for the National Socialists in World War II despite every manner of pressure, torture, and abuse. Based on a true story. [ A Hidden Life credits: Dir: Terrence Malick / August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon/ 174 min/ Biography, Drama, Romance/ Resistance to Tyranny, Anti-Draft, Anti-War/ 2020] External … [Read more...]
FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers | Film Review
Two romantically-involved FBI agents assigned to “objectively and dispassionately” investigate possible crimes by the Trump presidency privately discuss their loathing of the president and his supporters. [ FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers credits: Dir: Richard Kuhlman/ 82 min/ Written by: Phelim McAleer/ Dean Cain, Kristy Swanson, Bruce Nozick, Christopher T. Wood/ Film (Stage … [Read more...]
Miss Virginia | Film
A young mother (Virginia Walden Ford) fights a pitched, ultimately victorious, battle with educational authorities to create the District of Columbia voucher program. Based on a true story. [ Miss Virginia credits: Dir: R.J. Daniel Hanna/ Nadji Jeter, Matthew Modine, Aunjanue Ellis/ 102 min/ Biography, Drama/ Government Schools/ 2019] External Reviews "A heartfelt ode to … [Read more...]
Pad Man | Film Review
An heroic and independent entrepreneur creates a low-cost sanitary pad for the world’s poor, but must overcome cultural shame associated with menstruation to get his invention accepted. Based on a true story. [ Pad Man credits: Dir: R. Balki/ Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte, Sonam Kapoor/ 140 min/ Biography, Comedy, Drama/ Creator-as-Hero, Individualism/ India/ 2018/ aka Padman … [Read more...]
Lord Jeff | Film Review
An orphan boy is saved from a criminal gang and reformed by a private charity. [ Lord Jeff credits: Dir: Sam Wood/ Freddie Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney, Charles Coburn/ 85 min/ Family, Drama/ Voluntarism/ 1938] No trailer available. Lord Jeff is a delightful, uplifting classic film that also highlights one of the greatest private charities of all time: the “National … [Read more...]
Bitter Harvest | Film Review
A young Ukrainian fights for his freedom, and to survive, as occupying Soviet troops deliberately starve his country into submission during the infamous Holodomor holocaust. [ Bitter Harvest credits: Dir: George Mendeluk/ Max Irons, Samantha Barks, Terence Stamp/ 103 min/ Drama, Romance, History/ Democide, Anti-socialism/ 2017] “Bitter Harvest is both long overdue and a … [Read more...]
Kinky Boots | Film Review
When a young man inherits a failing shoe factory, he discovers that the only way to save it is to abandon its traditional product and manufacture…custom boots for transgenders?! Based on a true story. [ Kinky Boots credits: Dir: Julian Jarrold/ Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Sarah-Jane Potts/ 107 min/ Comedy, Drama/ Creator-as-hero, Individualism, Social tolerance/ … [Read more...]