Saturday movie PREview—and giveaway: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

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The last time my husband and I went to see a movie at the theater, we did as we always do: Jim headed off for the popcorn while I made my way to the theater to nab our seats. As I sought out the correct theater, a middle-aged couple walked just ahead of me. Suddenly the woman stopped in her tracks as her hubby kept walking. The woman was mesmerized by the movie poster in the hallway.

As I got closer, I realized what had caught her eye... and I joined her in front of the colorful, oversized promotion for THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL.

second best exotic marigold hotel

"I can't wait to see this! Did you see the first one?" she asked in dreamy tone.

"Oh, yeah," I said in an equally smooth voice as we...

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Saturday movie review: McFarland USA

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My oldest daughter ran cross-country for a bit in high school, and she and her two sisters all enjoy running events of various sorts still as adults. Which means I knew a little something about the cross-country sport going into MCFARLAND USA, based on the true story of one of the most incredible teams in cross-country history. You need not know a single thing about the sport, though, in order to enjoy and appreciate—as well as root for—MCFARLAND USA.

mcfarland usa movie

MCFARLAND USA is set in 1987 and stars Kevin Costner as the real-life Jim White, a down...

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Saturday movie review: Chef

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My advice to you regarding the subject of this week's movie review: Eat before watching!

Heck, it won't really matter, I suppose, for even if you watch this film on a full stomach, the culinary delights in CHEF will have your tummy growling in no time.

chef movie

Food is the star of the comedy CHEF, written and directed by Jon Favreau, but there's a...

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Saturday movie review: Birdman

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I just might be the only movie reviewer in the country that doesn't think BIRDMAN should be included on the list of Best Picture nominees for this year's Academy Awards. A quick Google of the film results in endless accolades for the movie. Sure, I thought the acting was fabulous, the filming genius. But Best Picture? Nah... not in my mind.

Birdman movie

BIRDMAN—subtitled OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)—is a black comedy starring Michael Keaton as...

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Saturday movie review: Two to avoid

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If you've read my Saturday movie reviews very long, you likely know that offbeat films and those that, despite fabulous writing and acting, somehow flew under the radar of average movie-goers are my favorite sorts of flicks.

Third Person movie

Because of those preferences, I thought for sure the following two films would thoroughly intrigue and garner raves from me. Oh, how much more wrong could I be? I typically share movies reviews on films I'd love for you to see; today, though, I'm compelled to tell you what to not see. I watched through to

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Saturday movie review: 'The One I Love'

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Trying to encourage folks to see a film when you can't tell them anything about the plot or you'll completely ruin the film is a tough thing to do. But that's exactly what I'll attempt here with the quirky, completely unpredictable THE ONE I LOVE.

See this film. The end.

the one i love movie

No, really, you should see THE ONE I LOVE despite my inability...

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Saturday movie review: 'Unfinished Song'

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Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp star in a lovely, poignant film that deserves far more attention than it's been given. UNFINISHED SONG is a 2012 movie that never played in my town, possibly never played in yours either. It's now playing on Netflix Streaming, though, and I urge you to add it to your queue. Heck, don't just add it to your queue — watch it this weekend!

 Unfinished Song

UNFINISHED SONG was originally titled "Song for Marion," which seems a far more appropriate title. Vanessa Redgrave brilliantly plays Marion, the terminally ill...

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