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DIVERGENT

This tiresome, facile, tediously long imitation of “The Hunger Games”; the ubiquitously, depressing theme of a post- apocalyptic age, taking place in the decimated shell of the once viable city of Chicago, plummets the viewer with brutal training scenes; creating a weapon of mass destruction out of “Beatrice” a hundred- pound, determined young woman (Shailene Woodley). Handsome Theo James is …

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THE FACE OF LOVE (ON DEMAND AND IN THEATRES)

Annette Benning and Ed Harris give genuinely fine and sensitive performances as middle-aged lovers; the camera’s honesty strokes each well-earned wrinkle, with tenderness. “The Face of Love”, realistically addresses the paralyzing depth of grief; no one ever truly recovers from a sudden loss; a loved one ripped, in a nanosecond, from one’s life, nothing prepares you for the cauterization of …

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THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

The fecundity of director Wes Anderson’s imagination has never been so beautifully luminous, so poignantly poetic as in this enchanting, compelling slice of nostalgia; a pecan of a world and life only treasured,  experienced through the written word and a magical film. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, influenced by the brilliant, prescient autobiography, “The World of Yesterday” by Austrian, Stefan Zweig …

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86TH ACADEMY AWARDS: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Ellen DeGeneres set the tone; the evening shimmered with grace, style, levity, raucous hilarity and sizzling spontaneity. Stunning acceptance speeches coated with humility, pride; resonating with class and respect: Lupita Nyong’o eloquence, Matthew McConaughey’s uniqueness, Jared Leto’s poignancy, Cate Blanchett’s, aplomb, Steve McQueen’s tribute to historical heroes. No one topped Darlene Love’s musical acceptance of her award for “20 Feet …

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Non-Stop Movie Review by Peneflix

Weathered, whiskered Liam Neeson is the archetype of a disillusioned, alcoholic Federal air marshal; “Bill Marks”, running on empty, neurotic about flying, shortly after take off on a New York/London flight, receives a “text”, on a secure line, demanding 150 million dollars be transferred to a numbered  account or someone will die every twenty minutes. Hence the flight takes off …

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Final Chance to Enter Peneflix’s 5th Annual Academy Award Contest

PENEFLIX  5th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD CONTEST It is that time of year, when once again I prove incapable of separating my mind and heart; they are so entwined that an autopsy would prove inconclusive. I vote for the film and nominees that I consider the best in their category. I do not play the odds; so many “winners” do, regardless …

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THE MONUMENTS MEN

Written, directed and starring George Clooney  as  “Fred Stokes” (George L. Stout), Harvard art conservationist, commissioned by the US Army in 1943 to lead “The Monuments Men”; a team of seasoned curators, architects, historians recruited to capture Nazi- looted masterpieces and return them to their rightful owners. A compelling story based on the 2009, “The Monuments Men” by Robert M. …

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Reminder: Enter Peneflix’s 5th Annual Academy Award Contest

PENEFLIX  5th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD CONTEST It is that time of year, when once again I prove incapable of separating my mind and heart; they are so entwined that an autopsy would prove inconclusive. I vote for the film and nominees that I consider the best in their category. I do not play the odds; so many “winners” do, regardless …

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Labor Day Movie Review

Laborious. Talented Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin cannot salvage this poorly written, tremendously tedious tale of star- crossed lovers, “Adele” and “Frank”, bonding over a sweltering Labor Day weekend in 1987; narrated by Adele’s  adult son “Henry” (Tobey Maguire), (child, Gattlin Griffith) approximately twelve years old, at the time. Adele, a depressed, barely functioning agoraphobic, with formidable trepidation, takes Henry …

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PENEFLIX 5th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD CONTEST

PENEFLIX  5th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD CONTEST It is that time of year, when once again I prove incapable of separating my mind and heart; they are so entwined that an autopsy would prove inconclusive. I vote for the film and nominees that I consider the best in their category. I do not play the odds; so many “winners” do, regardless …

Read More »