FSM (PDXFF 2016) - Movie Review

FSM, an official selection of the 2016 Portland Film Festival, follows the daily struggles of Samantha, a DJ living in Vancouver BC, as she tries to balance a career and a dating scene that hasn't been doing her any favors. Directed by Melanie M. Jones, the movie features acting performances from Vanessa Crouch, Sean Aiken, Georgie Daburas, Daniel Mallinson, Jessica Heafey, Kyla Wise, Hannah Pederson, Nneka Croal, and Garrett Black.

Colin Kaepernick - Self Expression and Leadership

Colin Kaepernick sat down while a song was being sung. That's what happened.

"I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it's supposed to represent...this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to...I'll stand."

The meaning he gave to that action was protest, defiance, respect, compassion, communication, and self expression. The meaning given to it by everyone else is based on how each person feels, what they know, what they don't know, and who they are as individuals all collectively creating a sea of opinion. Our response to an action carries a lot of opinion and that story can easily become what we see as the truth or what happened rather than it being our perception of it.

The following story is meant to share what I have learned over the last couple days about this young man's journey and reflects the meaning I have given to what happened.

Middle Man (PDXFF 2016) - Movie Review

Middle Man, an official opening night selection of the 2016 Portland Film Festival and an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, tells the story of Lenny, a former accountant who takes off for Vegas to pursue a career in stand up comedy only to find himself in the middle of a murderous underworld. The film, directed by Ned Crowley, features acting performances from Jim O'Heir, Andrew J. West, Josh McDermitt, Anne Dudek, Tracey Walter, and Robert Catrini.

The Tunnel - Movie Review

The Tunnel is a film by South Korean director Seong-hoon Kim and tells the story of a man trapped underneath a collapsed highway tunnel along with the efforts of the rescue team tasked with getting him out. The movie features acting performances by Jung-woo Ha, Dal-su Oh, and Doona Bae.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2016 Portland Film Festival

The 2016 Portland Film Festival, one of the "coolest film festivals in the world", is back with a slate of films, events, workshops, and parties that any film fan would fall in love with. After taking a look at this year's lineup, I've put together a selection of movies you won't want to miss out on.

Kubo and the Two Strings - Movie Review

Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop motion animation film produced by Laika Entertainment (Paranorman, Coraline) and directed by Travis Knight. The film, which tells the story of a boy in Japan who must reclaim the lost artifacts and honor of his murdered father, features voice acting performances from Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, Brenda Vaccaro, and Art Parkinson.

Cinerama 70mm Film Festival Announcement

For Seattle movie buffs and cinema fans, the Cinerama 70mm Film Festival is always one of the biggest events of the year as it presents a truly unique theater experience. Nowhere else in the world will you be able to see a collection of films in this format presented with the technical capabilities that the Cinerama has at their disposal.

Suicide Squad - Movie Review

Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer, is the latest installment from the DC Comics Cinematic Universe and features a collection of super powered villains who are forced to work together by taking on missions that are doomed to fail. The blockbuster film features performances by Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Karen Fukuhara, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

Train to Busan - Movie Review

Train to Busan, directed by Sang-ho Yuen, is a South Korean action thriller about a group of people trapped on a high speed train as a zombie infection breaks out across the country. The film features acting performances by Yoo Gong, Me Dong-seok, Choi Woo-sik, Jeong Yu-mi, Kim Soo-an, and Sohee.

The Nice Guys - Movie Review

The Nice Guys, a film by Shane Black, tells the story of how a "Hollywood muscle" and "the world's worst detective" team up to solve a most unusual case involving a dead porn star who might be alive and a missing girl who everyone wants to kill. The film features acting performances by Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Keith Davod, Beau Knapp, and Kim Basinger.

Star Trek Beyond - Movie Review

Star Trek Beyond catches up with the crew of the star ship Enterprise during their five year mission to explore the galaxy and, what starts out as a much needed pit stop, turns into a fight to save the entire Federation. This sci fi sequel features returning cast members Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin along with new additions Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella.

Ghostbusters (2016) - Movie Review

Ghostbusters is a re imagining of the 1980's classic called Ghostbusters and tells a very familiar story about a group of scientists who stumble upon an uprising of the undead. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Karan Soni, and some old guys who were in a similar movie about ghosts a long time ago.

The Secret Life of Pets - Movie Review

The Secret Life of Pets, a film created by Illumination Entertainment, reveals what all of our favorite furry friends get up to when we are away from home. The film, directed by Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, features vocal performances by Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, and Dana Carvey.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates - Movie Review

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a comedy film about two brothers who are forced into bringing a couple of "nice girls" to their sister's wedding to help keep them from getting into trouble. The movie features performances by Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza.

Independence Day: Resurgence - Movie Review

Independence Day: Resurgence is the long awaited sequel to Roland Emmerich's blockbuster alien invasion movie and the aliens have come back to get their revenge. The film stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie T. Usher, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, William Fichtner, Judd Hirsch. Brent Spiner, Vivica A. Fox, Angelababy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Deobia Oparei, and Nicolas Wright.

No More Trailers

I have recently made the decision to no longer include trailers in my movie review posts simply because there are just too many spoilers embedded in them now and, more often than not, they ruin what should be big surprises or climactic moments of the films they are advertising.

The Purge: Election Year - Movie Review

The Purge: Election Year is the third installment in the franchise that has given America one night a year to act out any type of crime imaginable and with no consequences. Frank Grillo returns as Leo Barnes who is now tasked with protecting a Senator, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, targeted because of her opposition to the annual purge night. The film, written and directed by James DeMonaco, also features performances by Mykelti Williamson, Joseph Julian Soria, Betty Gabriel, and Terry Serpico.

The Shallows - Movie Review

The Shallows is a horror thriller about a young woman who travels to a remote beach in Mexico in search of emotional freedom only to find herself literally trapped in the waters just off shore with a deadly threat tracking her every move. The movie, directed by Jaume Collett-Serra, features acting performances by Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen, and Sedona Legge.

Finding Dory - Movie Review

Finding Dory is the latest from Pixar and Disney Studios and continues the adventures of Dory, Marlin, and Nemo who audiences were first introduced to 13 years ago in the highly successful Finding Nemo. The (mostly) underwater animated adventure features the voice talents of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Bill Hader, and Sigourney Weaver.

Warcraft - Movie Review

Warcraft is a Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures release that is based off of the popular video game franchise produced by Blizzard Entertainment. The fantasy adventure film features acting performances from Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Clancy Brown, Daniel Wu, and Ruth Negga.

TwoOhSix Interviews (SIFF 2016) - Sand Storm Director Elite Zexer

After winning both the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and the Best New Director award at the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, Elite Zexer has become a force to be reckoned with in a very short time. During the festival here in Seattle, I was able to sit down with Zexer to talk about Sand Storm, her debut film, and she was more than willing to discuss all aspects of the film making process. If you are a fan of cinema or an aspiring film maker, you will definitely want to check out how she describes what it took to get this movie made.

TwoOhSix Interviews (SIFF 2016) - Tsukiji Wonderland director Naotaro Endo

After spending two weeks in Japan, it was a real treat to watch Tsukiji Wonderland, a documentary about the country's most famous fish market and even more of an honor to have a chance to speak with the director, Naotaro Endo. Tsukiji Wonderland is an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival.

TwoOhSix Interviews (SIFF 2016) - Javier Ruiz Caldera for Spy Time

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with film maker Javier Ruiz Caldera, who was in town from Spain for the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, and we were able to discuss what went into creating Spy Time aka Anacleto: Agente Secreto, his latest action comedy film. At the conclusion of the festival, Caldera was presented with the Best Director award for this year's festival which made the timing of this interview even more special.

Spy Time aka Anacleto: Agente Secreto (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Spy Time, also known as Anacleto: Agente Secreto, is a super spy, action comedy directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and is based off of a classic Spanish comic book character created Manuel Vázquez Gallego. The film, an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, features acting performances from Imanol Arias, Quim Gutiérrez, Alexandra Jiménez, Berto Romero, and Carlos Areces.

Under the Shadow (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Under the Shadow, written and directed by Babak Anvari, is an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival. The movie, which features acting performances from Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshada, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, and Arash Marandi, tells the tale of a woman living in war torn Iraq who must protect her home and daughter from a potential paranormal threat while bombs are literally going off all around.

Ma Ma (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Ma Ma is an emotional drama starring Penelope Cruz about a woman in Spain who struggles to cope with being diagnosed with  breast cancer while helping a new found friend who is going through a tragedy of his own. The film was written and directed by Julio Medem and also featured acting performances by Luis Tosar, Asier Etxeandia, Teo Planell, and Anna Jiménez.

Ma Ma, an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival, is currently playing at the Sundance Cinemas in Seattle. For other locations and more info, visit the film's official website.

Tsukiji Wonderland (SIFF 2016) - Documentary Review

Tsukiji Wonderland is a documentary film about the world famous fish market in Tokyo, Japan and is an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival and the 2016 Hawaii International Film Festival. First time feature director Naotaro Endo takes the audience on a journey through 80 years of the market's history while also looking to the future and some major changes that are about to happen.

Tag (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review

Tag (Real Oni Gokko), a Japenese action, fantasy, horror film, is an official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival. The movie was directed by Sion Sono and features acting performances by Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai, Aki Hiraoka, and Ami Tomite.

TwoOhSix Picks - SIFF 2016 Preview

The 2016 Seattle International Film Festival is finally here and I have scoured the lineup of almost 500 films (features, shorts, and documentaries) to see which movies are the ones I really need to see. My tastes are pretty diverse and unique when it comes to the festival so you'll find quite a wide variety of films to check out.

TwoOhSix Picks - Top 20 Summer Movies of 2016

At this point, you've seen Captain America: Civil War and are now very excited about the prospects of a big time summer at the movies. I mean, if just a couple of the movies on my list come even close to being as good as Marvel's latest release, we could be in for a whole lot of fun.

Captain America: Civil War - Movie Review

Captain America: Civil War, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, completes the trilogy of films that have chronicled the adventures of Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The Marvel Studios release features performances by Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johannson, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Martin Freeman, Daniel Brühl, and Tom Holland.

Keanu - Movie Review

"From the visionary minds of Key and Peele" comes Keanu, a movie about two men who have lost a cat and must enter the world of gangs and drugs to find him. This action packed comedy stars Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Tiffany Haddish, Method Man, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzmán, Nia Long, and Will Forte.

SIFF is Coming

Since 2012, TwoOhSix.com has been providing coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival and this year will be no different. The festival kicks off with opening night gala on May 19th and runs through June 12th and the closing night festivities. Watch closely over the next couple weeks for preview posts and the highly anticipated "TwoOhSix Picks" for 2016.

Captain America: Civil War - Seattle Screen Comparison

For those of you here in the Seattle area who are trying to figure out exactly which movie theater will give you the most bang for your hard earned buck when you head out to see Captain America: Civil War, I have put together some information that I hope will help you make the right choice.

The Huntsman: Winter's War - Movie Review

The Huntsman: Winter's War takes movie goers back to events that took place prior to Snow White and the Huntsman as we see where both the Huntsman and the evil Ravenna first came to prominence. The movie sees the return of Chris Hemsworth in the title role along with Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith, Alexandra Roach, and Sam Claflin.

Tokyo Drifter - Northwest Film Forum's Seijun Suzuki Retrospective

Recently, I had a chance to see Seijun Suzuki's classic stylized thriller Tokyo Drifter at Seattle's Northwest Film Forum as they prepared to show this and other films directed by Mr. Suzuki as part of a Seijun Suzuki Retrospective film series. You can see Tokyo Drifter at the Northwest Film Form's Capitol Hill theaters on Wednesday May 4th at 7:30pm.

Demolition - Movie Review

Demoliton is a film by Jean-Marc Vallée whose previous work includes Wild and Dallas Buyers Club, both of which were nominated for many awards. This movie about a man who needs to tear his life apart before recovering from his wife's sudden death features acting performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, C.J. Wilson, and Polly Draper.

Criminal - Movie Review

Criminal, directed  by Ariel Vromen, is a crime thriller that puts the memories of a murdered CIA operative into a psychopathic killer to help solve a terrorist plot. The film features acting performances by Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Gal Gadot.

Everybody Wants Some - Movie Review

Everybody Wants Some is the latest film from Richard Linklater (Boyhood) and follows the exploits of an early 80's college baseball team as they enjoy their first few days of the school year. The cast of the film includes Blake Jenner, Justin Street, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Glenn Powell, and Zoey Deutch.

Barbershop: The Next Cut - Movie Review

Barbershop: The Next Cut, directed by Malcolm D. Lee, continues the comedic adventures that take place inside a South Chicago neighborhood barbershop where history, race, politics, relationships, and gang violence are all part of daily life. The film features acting performances by Ice Cube, Common, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Eve, JD Smoove, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Nicki Minaj.

The Jungle Book (2016) - Movie Review

The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, is a live action and CGI re-imagining of the classic tale about Mowgli, a young boy raised by animals in the jungle. The film features voice work by Bill Murray, Scarlett Johannson, Idris Elba, Ben Kinglsey, Lupita Nyong'o, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, and Neel Sethi in a live action role as Mowgli.

Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, completes the trilogy of films that have chronicled the adventures of Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The Marvel Studios release features performances by Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johannson, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Martin Freeman, Daniel Brühl, and Tom Holland.