XX

Four reasons to watch this movie; 1) Your kids wont eat their dinner, 2) Your life is miserable and you would rather drink than attend your own daughters birthday party, 3) You and your friends feel like hiking this weekend, 4) You have babied your son and now he is a dick!  Well, the ploy to market this film as a compilation of horror films directed only by women and casting only female roles was unnecessary as the film was actually quite good.  I am a fan of the anthology movies and the horror genre of course so I enjoyed all of this film.  The stories were not so obvious and left a lot to the imagination.  There were some disturbing parts that weren't so in your face that kept you thinking all the way through.  Although it was a tad low budget, it is definitely worth the watch.  One review I read said it was the biggest waste of time with no actual sense behind anything the stories told.  I say go back to watching The Fast and the Furious, and stay out of the thinkers world.  The acting was all pretty good, especially the birthday party segment which was darkly comical.  If you are a fan of the genre and like storied movies like Creepshow, and 4 Rooms give this a shot.

FYI:  During the filming 2 of the original female directors dropped out reducing it to only 4 stories.

***1/2

The Founder

Who knew???  The title also could have been, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun, with a side of a knife in the back of the Actual founders!"  I think the studio execs probably thought that was too long though.  Wow, what a movie!  Coming to you from the most well known restaurant brand in the world, you get the movie telling the true story behind McDonalds.  We all know its the greasy, fast food chain that changed the 5 minute meal in America, but how did it get to be a giant?  I mean, seriously have you eaten there in the last 20 years?  My kids aren't even huge fans!  The story is incredible, telling the tale of an underdog, down on his luck salesman, Ray Kroc who happens upon a pair of brothers in California running a burger joint.  Not just any burger joint, McDonalds!  They orchestrated a methodical system serving only a few items at perfection each and every time.  Kroc saw it, and wanted it, bad!  So he partners with the brothers and begins to strategically screw them out of everything taking over franchise and land rights until he buries them as innocent naive puppets.  Forget the reviews and the snub at the Oscars, this movie is excellent and highly recommended.

FYI:  Tom Hanks turned down the role of Kroc, just as Keaton turned down Hanks role in Philadelphia.

****1/2

Passengers

Ahhh, the future!  Where nothing can go wrong, and apparently engineers have the ability to configure and fix a busted up technological monster of a spaceship!  Sounds good to me, but wait, I am only an insurance agent.  Amidst the horrible reviews of this film, I must say I don't agree in the slightest!  This movie was outstanding!  Sure it took from the lonely, secluded, last person alive playbook such as Castaway or I am Legend but did so with the witty charm or Chris Pratt.  Basically the setting of this story is on a passenger ship traveling over 100 light years away to a new planet for select earthlings.  Unfortunately something goes wrong and one of the sleeping chambers opens 90 years early.  From there you can guess what type of psychosis destruction happens with a single passenger alone on the ship sure to be alone until his death.  There were many references in this film such as the robot bartender who was awesome, with a direct feel for "The Shining".  Jennifer Lawrence is actually really hot in this film and I usually don't like her too much.  There is tension, action, romance, and a great story.  I highly recommend.

FYI:  Andy Garcia is in the movie for approx 15 seconds with no speaking lines.

****