Encanto is good old fashioned Disney Magic
The 60th animated film from Walt Disney Studios arrives in the form of Encanto. Byron Howard and Jared Bush direct the movie with some co-direction from Charise Castro Smith.
Second Listen Sunday : New Kids On The Block, Face The Music
Arriving in stores on January 25, 1994, Face the Music was led by the single “If You Go Away,” which initially appeared on the group’s 1991 greatest hits album. John Bettis, Trey Lorenz, and Walter Afanasieff, with Afanasieff also serving as producer, wrote the song, which is a lush ballad.
Slow Jam Saturday : New Edition, Rewrite The Memories
“Re-Write the Memories” from One Love is available on all streaming platforms.
While the first half of the album focuses on up-tempo radio-friendly material, New Edition gets their grown man on in the album’s second half. NE reunited with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for track number fourteen, “Re-Write the Memories.”
Lin Manuel Miranda makes an impressive directorial debut with Tick, Tick… Boom!
Musician Lin Manuel Miranda makes a heartfelt directorial debut with Netflix’s Tick, Tick….Boom! The film is an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by the late Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a love letter to the franchise
Director Jason Reitman breathes new life into an eighties franchise with Columbia Pictures, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. After being evicted from their home, Callie (Carrie Coon), a single mother, and her two children Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) are forced to move to a decayed farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, left to them by the children’s late grandfather, Egon Spengler.
Michael Shannon elevates Heart of Champions above mediocre sports drama
The genre of inspirational sports drama receives its latest film with Heart of Champions, from Vertical Pictures. Michael Mailer helms the film while Vojin Gjaja handles the screenplay which throws dabbles of sports and coming-of-age tropes.
C’Mon C’Mon guides by on the rapport between Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman
After a five-year hiatus, Academy Award Nominee Mike Millis returns with his latest drama, C’Mon C’Mon from A24. Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) is a radio journalist living in New York working with his team Roxanne (Molly Webster) and Fernando (Jaboukie Young-White) on a project where they interview kids across the country about their thoughts on the future.
Slow Jam Saturday : PJ Morton, Please Don’t Walk Away
Since 2012, PJ Morton has served as one of the keyboardists for pop/rock band Maroon 5. However, he also has a successful solo discography that includes seven solo albums, four live albums, two EP’S, and one mixtape. Morton is currently working hard on his eighth solo album and recently released the first single, “Please Don’t Walk Away.”
Second Listen Sunday : Omarion , 21
In early 2005, former B2K front man Omarion enjoyed a US Billboard number one debut and eventually a gold-selling album with his first solo album, O. Omarion’s debut featured three hit singles, and he could have easily gone on tour for the album for at least another year. Chris Brown was still months away from breaking into the industry, so the lane was there for Omarion.
Will Smith delivers a royal Award worthy performance as King Richard
Will Smith makes a stunning return to the world of biopics in Warner Bros. Pictures, King Richard. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs the film from a script by Zach Baylin. Armed with a clear vision and a brazen 78-page plan, Richard Williams (Will Smith) is determined to write his daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), into history as world-renowned tennis players.
Home Sweet Home Alone is a travesty of a reboot
Disney+ continues the trend of uninspired remakes/reboots in Home Sweet Home Alone. Dan Mercer steps into the director’s chair for the sixth film in the franchise while Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell pen the script. In this Home Alone reboot, we meet Max Mercer (Archie Yates), who is a mischievous yet resourceful young boy that is left behind while his family is in Japan for the holidays.
Red Notice is clichéd but worth a one-time watch
Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot bring their talents to Netflix in the global comedic adventure Red Notice. Rawson Marshall Thurber, who previously worked with Johnson on the enjoyable popcorn flicks Central Intelligence and Skyscraper, writes and directs the film with the stylish globe-trotting game of cat-and-mouse (and cat).