By Dave Montalbono

Compared to the previous year, 2015 has been a consistent year for the box office. As predicted, Disney dominated with their Marvel and Star Wars franchises. While not the Disney Juggernaut, Universal Pictures scored big with 50 Shades of Grey, Furious 7 and Jurassic World. However, 2015 low budget independent fare like Ex Machina produced a high profit margin for investors.

In April 2003, The Observer covered the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) for the first time. Recent Oscar winner Adrien Brody, producer Robert Evans, musician Michael Jackson and the legendary Fay Wray were in attendance at an elegant gala held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

Concurrently in Houston, director/writer Richard Linklater had completed filming the first year of Boyhood, a film that took 12 years to complete. At 2015’s PBIFF, Ellar Coltrane, one of the stars of this ambitious independent film attended.

The film, which was well received at the Academy Awards, also featured Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke.

Tired of being on the sidelines, I invested in a student short subject, Give Me Trouble starring local Blues Legend Joey Gilmore and featuring Robert “Hi Hat” Carter as the bass player. This film details a blues man’s last concert and will hopefully be entered in either the Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale Film Festivals. Gilmore and his band frequently perform in our neighborhood, so check ‘em out!

Best known for playing “Marcy Darcy” on Married with Children, Amanda Bearse found her niche behind the scenes as a television director. A Winter Park native, Ms. Bearse also appears on the soap opera All My Children and the movie Fright Night. Of the many celebrities that I have met this year, Amanda Bearse was a true class act; she asked every individual their name and was generous with her time.

I briefly met Burt Reynolds on the red carpet at PBIFF six years ago. Having just recovered from open heart surgery, Reynolds seemed timid among the paparazzi. Despite walking with a cane, Reynolds appeared “born again” at the Spooky Empire convention. He was chatting with his diverse fan base, fans of films like Deliverance or the Smokey and the Bandit movies.

Reynolds has done much for the film culture in South Florida. The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theater in Jupiter has provided a valuable stepping stone for local talent. At the peak of his stardom, Reynolds was generous to Palm Beach culture and his alma mater, Florida State University.

The film business is a forward-focused culture; however, it would be wise to reflect upon those Florida pioneers who paved the way for our future. Happy New Year!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

[Editor’s Note: Some spoilers (plot points) may be in this article for those avoiding anything Star Wars related. May the force be with you!]

After learning about a big spoiler the day before release, I attended my screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with melancholy. It has been 32 years since Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) redeemed his monstrous father Darth Vader. With help from a community of “teddy bears”, Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) defeated the evil Empire and the Star Wars universe seemed poised to live happily ever after. Did I really need to see that the heroic actions I witnessed in my youth were all for naught? Fortunately, this seventh episode brings freshness to the franchise, while honoring the core fun of the original trilogy from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

The film opens with Darth Vader wannabe Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) seeking artifacts related to the Skywalker family. After witnessing him massacre a small village, a storm trooper named Finn (John Boyega) develops a conscience. He rescues the pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and goes AWOL on the planet Jakku.

As if the pace were not fast enough, Finn meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a scavenger with natural special abilities. When Kylo Ren attempts to retrieve his deserter, Rey and Finn escape the planet and meet the legendary Han Solo and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). The four humanoids, plus droid BB-8, form an alliance to outwit their enemies.

Thus far, I have only mentioned about 25 percent of The Force Awakens storyline and to include any more would take away from the thrill of discovery. Suffice it to say, director J.J. Abrams knows how to manage a fast pace while taking little moments for character development and revelation. In terms of good old-fashioned storytelling, The Force Awakens deserves its success.

Unlike the over-reliance on special effects from the recent Star Wars prequel trilogy (Episodes I-III), Episode VII feels more grounded in reality. While partially shot in Pinewood Studios, this Star Wars film was shot in locations as diverse as Abu Dhabi, New Mexico and Scotland. Even though this film takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, these outdoor locations provide natural realism.

The performances are excellent, with the old and new generations playing off each other with ease and respect. Harrison Ford gives his best performance since his character role as Branch Rickey in the 2013 baseball flick about Jackie Robinson, 42. Daisy Ridley is adorable. Adam Driver has entered the pantheon of rogue villainy reserved for actors like Bruce Dern [for those who have seen the John Wayne movie “The Cowboys”].

Despite my initial depression at having heard a big plot spoiler, I found Star Wars: The Force Awakens to be pure escapist entertainment that is Saturday Matinee popcorn-eating fun. Despite witnessing some PG-13 darkness, I left the theater feeling better than I did when I entered. On that note, Merry Christmas!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Published in the 19th century, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, created a public perception about “killer whales” that lasted over a century, until the Jacques Cousteau television specials of the 1970s, which launched the ocean conservation movement and changed our perceptions of undersea life.

The new movie, In the Heart of the Sea tries to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality. The film opens in Massachusetts, circa 1850. Writer Herman Melville (Ben Wishaw) schedules an interview with a reluctant Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), a solitary husband who is haunted by teenaged memories. With the encouragement of his wife, Nickerson confesses his memory of surviving the sinking of the whaling ship Essex, a victim of the mythical White Whale.

The film flashes back 30 years and we meet young Nickerson (Tom Holland), who is boarding the Essex as a first time sailor. The teenager comes under the wing of Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), the Essex’s first mate and an expert harpooner. Chase had been denied a captaincy and is forced to babysit the neophyte Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), who received the commission due to family connections. This relationship causes conflict between the captain and the first mate.

The objective of whale hunting in the 19th Century was to provide oil for heating and lamps. We witness a successful whale hunt and Owen Chase lives up to his legendary status. Due to over fishing in a Pacific whaling area, the Essex is forced to venture further on into uncharted waters. When making port in South American, Captain Pollard and his crew are met by a crew of amputees who are warned about “the white whale.”

From this point, it is easy to deduce the rest of the plot. One is shocked by the gruesome elements not revealed in the television trailers. Let’s just say that the title In the Heart of the Sea has double meaning.

This film has many good things going for it: a good story, some interesting characters and some dynamic set pieces. Unfortunately, the many fine details do not come together to satisfy the whole viewing experience. It has been proclaimed a box office bomb that is likely to disappear from the big screen before the year is out. After all, Star Wars:The Force Awakens Friday, Dec. 18.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

When I wrote my third book, “The Querulous Nights of Athena Minerva,” I sought to meld elements of a Gothic ghost story with that of contemporary horror. The feedback I received was that it was a good story, but very disturbing. The new movie Krampus also melds ancient folklore with popular culture, resulting in $16 million box office gross.

Krampus opens like a traditional Christmas movie with a Bing Crosby song and vivid cinematography featuring people entering a mall on Thanksgiving evening. Within seconds, it is chaos in slow motion as elvish displays get knocked over and people are hurting each other. The scene concludes with Max (Emjay Anthony) defending the honor of Santa Claus.

After receiving a lecture from his mom Sarah (Toni Collette) and dad Tom (Adam Scott), Max must prepare for the annual Christmas invasion by his redneck family, herded in by Uncle Howard (David Koecher) and Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell). Max’s cousins are the spawn of every negative stereotype ever written about people from rural America.

Frustrated with the antics of his family, Max gives up faith in Santa Claus, rips up his letter to the North Pole and throws pieces of the letter to the North Wind. The pieces of his shredded letter end up in the underworld and Krampus is summoned.

The set-up is good, but the execution is clichéd. The second half of this low-budget film relies on flashing lights, dark cinematography and overly fast-paced editing. The cinematography solidifies the conclusion by returning the family to the land of Currier & Ives. However, this conclusion is as open-ended as an episode of The Twilight Zone.

When I heard the voice of Bing Crosby, I had “high hopes” for Krampus. In German Alpine folklore, Saint Nicholas rewards the nice children, while his opposite, Krampus, punishes the naughty ones. If this film focused on punishing the naughty children and adults of popular culture, Krampus could have become a classic like Tim Burton’s A Nightmare before Christmas.

This is my 17th December writing this column. During this busy season, I have learned the value of seeing a movie that provides escapism from the daily grind. People will leave Krampus wishing to spend more time with Saint Nicholas instead.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Fatherhood is a strong theme of the movie Creed. While this film is the first Rocky movie I saw without my dad, it is also the first Rocky movie Sylvester Stallone has made since the loss of his son, Sage Stallone, who died of a heart attack in 2012.

In this sequel, Rocky Balboa is a supporting character to Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan). A child of foster homes and reform school, young Adonis grew up without his father, who was legendary fictional heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Apollo’s widowed wife, Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad ), takes in the angry boy and raises him as her legitimate son. The lure of the boxing ring remains in his blood, despite the cushy lifestyle he has achieved as a successful business executive.

Adonis seeks out his father’s old rival, Rocky Balboa, who still manages his deceased wife’s restaurant and is lonely since his sidekick, Paulie, died and his son Robert moved to Vancouver. (Note: the picture of Young Rocky and son is that of Sylvester Stallone and his real life son, Sage.) Adonis and Rocky form a partnership that extends beyond the blood, sweat and tears of the boxing ring.

Creed is about growth and passing the torch to a next generation that is willing to receive it. The beauty of this movie is the marriage of old traditions with new ideas. While Rocky may be befuddled by an Apple iPad and the Cloud, the old man can still teach his prodigy the importance of understanding one’s own heart. Creed is a must-see.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is the strongest box office champion since James Bond’s Spectre opened. This Hunger Games sequel is a worthy conclusion to author Suzanne Collins’s young adult novels about a dystopian future. The producers do not skimp on the production values. Mockingjay Part 2 opens slowly, but explodes into breathtaking and violent action.

With the ensemble actor’s participation, The Hunger Games movies will grow in stature thanks to Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. There are political themes within as ancient as Aristotle and echoing lyrics from the classic rock band, The Who – “Won’t get fooled again.” The four movies comprising The Hunger Games are pure literary cinema.

Both Creed and The Hunger Games:Mockingjay Part 2 are serious movies that are pure popcorn-eating entertainment. See these films with family members and friends, for the values presented in both movies are worthy of discussion around the dinner table.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While weary from an intense three-week festival of screenings, red carpets and special events, the volunteers, staff and journalists closed the 30th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30) on a triumphant note at The Ritz Carlton Hotel on A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Given the theme of history emphasized by George Hamilton’s return appearance to FLiFF, it was appropriate to end the festival near the beach where Where the Boys Are was filmed 55 years ago, which Hamilton was in.

FLiFF was only three years old when bassist Jaco Pastorious was beaten to death by a bouncer in a Wilton Manor’s bar. Much like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, [blues singer] Robert Johnson and Amy Winehouse, Jaco’s talent was not truly appreciated until his demise. To acknowledge his life, Cinema Paradiso will present an encore screening of the documentary Jaco this Thanksgiving weekend. Check Jaco out on the big screen with a nuanced sound system; you will enjoy seeing home movies of the Pastorius Family frolicking on Deerfield Beach during the 1970s.

Direct from Italy with English subtitles, The Wonders opens tomorrow. It is a bucolic film about a family of beekeepers in Tuscany. Despite living in a heavenly countryside, the parents struggle to live the simple life as their children become distracted by appearing on a reality television show. With gorgeous cinematography and Italian neoclassic realism, The Wonders is a quiet alternative to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Creed.

In my 16 years of writing a film column for Thanksgiving, this year’s current news headlines make it difficult to find things to be grateful for. Yet, one can find peace in history. During the bloodiest days of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving,” and the United States of America has been celebrating this holiday for 152 years, now THAT is something to feel grateful for. (See more about Thanksgiving history on pg. 6).

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Spectre

Given the horrors we recently witnessed in Paris, the heroism of a fictional character like James Bond should feel false. Yet the Spectre box office has proven the value of movie escapism. Of all the Daniel Craig 007 adventures, Spectre feels like the most typical James Bond flick.

The film opens strong with Bond in Mexico tracking an assassin. From this endeavor, Bond finds a clue to a terrorist organization with links to previous movies, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. The mastermind of crime is Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) who employs Mr. Hynx (Dave Bautista), a huge henchman with a double barreled shotgun. Bond must rescue the beautiful Dr. Swann (Léa Seydoux), whose father was a soldier under Oberhauser.

Spectre raises some great questions about field espionage and computer surveillance, yet the film offers no solutions. After the opening, the best thing about Spectre is the cat and mouse game between Bond and Mr. Hynx. When Hynx disappears, the film limps to its conclusion.

FLiFF this week

This weekend, Amy Madigan and her husband Ed Harris will visit the 30th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and receive their Lifetime Achievement Awards. While the couple has worked as professional collaborators for years, their most critically-acclaimed work together was Pollock, Harris’s award-winning directorial debut.

Harris will attend the Florida Premier of The Adderall Diaries at the Cinema Paradiso- Ft. Lauderdale on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. (Film also showing at the Hollywood location on Saturday at 6 p.m). Harris portrays Neil Elliott, the vindictive father of Stephen Elliott (James Franco), who is a once successful novelist who has become addicted to Adderall.

Thirty years ago, Ed Harris starred in a locally-produced movie which included Blair Brown and Richard Jordan. The film was based on a best-selling John D. MacDonald mystery novel about corrupt small town politics, greedy land developers and Florida’s vanishing environment. Titled A Flash of Green, the film will be showing at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21.

The film was directed by Victor Nunez, a Florida resident, who will be presented the Florida Prize award for his commitment to Florida filmmaking. The award will be given to him by Ed Harris. The awards ceremony and gala will be held at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood at 6:30 p.m.

For ticket information for the gala or any other FLiFF events, call 954-525-FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff.com.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy opens tomorrow at the Living Room Theater on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton. This two-hour documentary observes two children whose fathers were Nazi War Criminals. Now senior citizens, the two live vastly different lives with contrasting philosophies. This film is a serious documentary that asks the question, “Is it character or environment that shapes one’s destiny?”

With a lighter tone, Look Again plays this Friday afternoon at Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood (CP-H) and Sunday evening at the Cinema Paradiso-Fort Lauderdale (CP-FTL) as part of the 30th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30). On the verge of incompetent suicide, Amit (Anand Rajaram) receives special glasses from his guardian angel. These glasses allow Amit to see other people’s good or bad auras. Told with a light touch, Look Again concludes like an Aesop’s Fable about prejudice. Director Daniel O’Connor is expected to be in attendance.

Since he had so much fun last year, George Hamilton returns to party with FLiFF. The actor will be seen in Silver Skies, a dramady about seniors being forced to move from their housing facility. Along with Hamilton, film creators Jack McGee, and Nestor and Rosemary Rodriquez, will attend this centerpiece film to be shown at the Sunrise Civic Center Nov. 13 at 7:15 p.m. (It will also show in CP-H on Nov. 14)

FLiFF’s Volunteer Coordinator Janet Schwartz and Membership Director Irwin Levenstein are sponsoring a showing of the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde, in tribute to Estelle Parsons. Having been awarded a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film, Estelle Parsons will receive the FLiFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Film historian Foster Hirsch will conduct an onstage interview with Parsons to discuss her movie, television (Parsons played Beverly Harris on Roseanne) and academic career (teaching at Columbia and The Actors Studio). The screening begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Sunrise Civic Center with the Parsons-Hirsch interview and party scheduled afterward.

Cinema Paradiso will become Mel’s Drive-in Diner this Saturday night when Candy Clark accepts her Lifetime Achievement Award. Clark portrayed Toad’s (Charlie Martin Smith) love interest in George Lucas’s second film, American Graffiti, which was produced by Frances Ford Coppola. Like Parsons, Clark has an outstanding resume of film and television work. She has worked with Golden Age legends like Robert Mitchum, John Huston and Jeff Bridges, yet has remained viable on contemporary television shows like Criminal Minds.

To get a handle on all the films and festivities at FLiFF 30, call 954-525-3456 or visit the website www.fliff.com.

By Dave Montalbano

The 30th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, which runs Nov. 6-22, opens with three opening night films on Friday, Nov. 6: Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” at 7 p.m. followed by “Jaco” at 9 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, and “Boat Builder” with Christopher Lloyd at 8 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale.

Jaco a one-time screening at the Seminole Hard Rock, is directed by Paul Marchand and produced by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. This documentary examines the short life (36 years) of this Oakland Park resident who was called “The Best Bass Player who Ever Lived.” The Jaco Pastorius Park Community Center is named after him. Marchand, Trujillo and the Pastorius family is expected to attend.

Don’t miss The Boat Builder also on Friday with actor Christopher Lloyd (known for films like “Back to the Future”) in attendance to receive his Lifetime Achievement Award. Since his debut film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he has amassed over 40 years of acting credits. The film is sponsored by make-up artist to the stars, Cyndi Boyar.

Also sponsored by Boyar, and Havana Air, is “3 Days in Havana,” showing on Saturday at the Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood and Sunday at Cinema Paradiso-Ft. Lauderdale. Actor Gil Bellows (known for “Ally McBeal,” “Shawshank Redemption,” etc.) will be here. With overtones of Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir, Bellows (who co-directed with longtime friend Tony Pantages) portrays a man who, while having a drink at a bar, suddenly gets sucked into Cuba’s primitive underground economy. This Spanish film with English subtitles will include a Cuba Libre pre-party on Nov. 8.

On Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, actress Loretta Swit will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at Cinema Paradiso, prior to the screening of the documentary, Never the Same, the Prisoner of War Experience. That evening, there will be a “M*A*S*H”-themed party at Villa di Palma, with some proceeds from ticket sales going to Swit’s charity, Ayla’s Acres, a No-Kill Rescue Organization for Pets. The film is also sponsored by Cyndi Boyar, who is a Hillsboro Beach resident.

More about FLIFF next week. For details, visit www.fliff.com.

The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers debuts at the Regal Shadowood Theatre in Boca Raton tomorrow. The film reviews tensions with Egypt and the 1978 Camp David Accords brokered between Egypt and Israel by President Jimmy Carter. Oscar-winning actors Michael Douglas and Christoph Waltz serve as the voices of Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin, respectively.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Given that Halloween falls on Saturday this year, this will be a big weekend for Trick or Treaters. While this weekend seems devoid of movies featuring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi or Lon Chaney Jr., AMC is bringing back modern classics from the past four decades, including Halloween, Friday the 13th and Chucky incarnations. Only the Hallmark Channel’s Good Witch movies and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown seem to be geared towards family viewing.

Goosebumps has been successful at the current box office because it works as a family motion picture. Based on author R.L. Stine’s series of children’s books, Goosebumps provides plenty of jump scares mixed with humor and teenage character growth.

Dylan Minnette portrays Zach, a new kid on the block who recently lost his dad. His sidekick is Champ (Ryan Lee), who is often nicknamed “Chump” because he is such a goofball. The two befriend Hannah (Odeya Rush), whose weird father speaks with an accent that sounds like a mixture of Alfred Hitchcock and Basil Rathbone. Hannah’s father harbors a secret; he is R.L. Stine (Jack Black) and he has created an army of monsters through his literary creations.

Goosebumps is fun, much like the film Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein. While Jack Black is over-the-top (Black also voices “Invisible Boy” & “Slappy,” the mastermind ventriloquist’s dummy), Ryan Lee steals the show as a scaredy cat.

Crimson Peak, a Gothic romance with ghostly overtones, is not family fare. After losing her mother when she was a child, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) believes in ghosts. Ghosts repeatedly warn her to “Beware of Crimson Peak,” but Edith does not comprehend their meaning.

Enter Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleson) and his serious sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), two English aristocrats in need of American finance. When tragedy strikes her father, Edith goes to live in England in the Sharpe’s mansion, which is sinking into the red clay of the land.

Written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Crimson Peak is similar to his previous productions, The Devil’s Backbone, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and The Orphanage. Sadly, the narrative of Crimson Peak bogs down with dullness, despite some good performances by the stellar cast and some eye-catching cinematography that will be studied by artists for many years to come.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!