Per the usual, slow start to the new year...
Recapping the first half of January:
1. Vice (Regal Belltower Stadium, Ft. Myers, FL)
2. Bumblebee (Regal Belltower Stadium, Ft. Myers, FL)
3. Escape Room (Kenwood Theater)
4. King In the Wilderness (HBO on Demand)
5. On The Basis of Sex (Mariemont Theater)
6. If Beale Street Could Talk (Esquire Theater)
7. Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher (HBO on Demand)
I went to see Bumblebee only because its critical acclaim has been massive. Turns out, I quite enjoyed it. Basically "ET-meets-Herbie".
If Beale Street Could Talk is the new movie from Oscar-winning director Barry "Moonlight" Jenkins. There are many good elements in the movie, but sadly it is also irretrievably flawed by depicting all white people, yes I said ALL white people, as thieves, liars and racists. "They haven't met anyone they won't lie to or steal from" (the main character's dad talking about white people). Last Fall's "The Hate U Give" went with more or less the same generalization. The mere fact that I mention all of this probably makes me a racist <sigh>
Bright Lights is an unexpectedly enjoyable documentary about the relationship between (mother) Debbie Reynolds and (daughter) Carrie Fisher. The fact that they both passed away within 24 hrs. of each other at the tail end of 2016 makes this even more poignant.
King in the Wilderness is an excellent documentary about MLK's last 18-24 months, with a lot of rare or never before seen footage.