Barnstormer Productions

Downton Abbey - 9/10
Go See It!
My Rating 91%
Story 95%, Humor 80%, Originality 90%, Humanity 100%,
I hate the king/queen/princess trope, never mind really kings/queens. I did not think I’d like this film, and I didn’t know any of the characters. But, there was a short in the beginning that catches you somewhat up to speed despite being somewhat overwhelming. I was slow to buy in, but by the end of the movie I was all about it. There were some good laughs for me throughout. I was fascinated by a number of the storylines especially the gay and the baby ones, who would have thought that going on an African safari would be a bad thing until you’re going to miss the birth of your first born. The most interesting thing for me was that I’ve heard many times in writing seminars that you don’t want to tie-up everything too neatly at the end of a film. I’ve always disagreed with this, and this film certainly ties up everything!

Only Happy Talk about a great life lived.

Screen legend Doris Day has passed away. I watched "South Pacific" on the big screen 6 months ago, and I was amazed at how I was still entertained by a movie I hadn't seen since I was a kid. She brought sunshine to every one of her roles. She will be remembered and missed!

Creed II
See it!
I know, I know… what new could they possibly come up with in the Rocky franchise. I even liked Creed (2015), but it was only a sense of duty that I went to see Creed II. And… it was good! It not only has a heartfelt believable story and excellent acting, but it has some hard laughs throughout the film. I know it’s not on your list (and I’m probably just talking to the guys here), but it’s definitely worth a watch. One of the most interesting things is that the next night at my favorite San Diego burrito shop JC’s, they were running the original Rocky film where Apollo dies (Rocky IV). I was amazed at how they were able to bring so many of those people back for this film (a few have died remember) 33 years later.

Filmmaker Insights- Spoiler Alert
1.) I am always curious about the length of films. I used to run a short film festival and saw hundreds and I’ve seen hundreds aka thousands of full length films. I know they say the 90-minute format has to do with turnover and popcorn sales (which I’m sure is true), but this film really shows how a feature needs to build… over time. Creed’s first fight was almost a film of sorts, but a very dissatisfying one.
2.) We are taken on a long story journey to get to the payoff. There is a great one here. It is more than a surface deep one, and it nicely explores the Drago family’s struggles. Yes, when the payoff comes, it is cut short. I feel that when Creed finally succeeds that he the audience emotional reward is cut way too short. We need some time to bask and feel good. This is especially true since the film then makes us feel bad or at least brings us back to earth.