Aloha

Wow, I remember when Cameron Crowe made good films. Hell, the man wrote "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and directed "Singles" and "Jerry Maguire". He was my god for a while. However, his last few films have been bad, and this was downright awful. Everything you've read about how offensive it is to native Hawaiians is absolutely true, and I have no idea why Emma Stone was cast in the role she was in. This was really a miss for me, and I wish Cameron Crowe could just find his way again. 2/5

Aloha on Netflix

Concussion

Before I say anything, I want to make it clear that, taken simply as a movie, this film is quite good. The script was tight and explained dense medical knowledge well, and the direction was solid. Will Smith was quite excellent and certainly deserved an Oscar nomination for his work. My problem here is personal and beyond the movie. As a life-long professional wrestling fan, I have spent the last two decades watching great men and woman die tragically because of concussion trauma. I have met many who have lost their lives to CTE, including Chris Benoit, who tragically killed his whole family and then himself. Omitting the part pro wrestling played in this story is just strange and sad to me. In point of fact, Christopher Nowinski from the WWE was the person who sent the case of Andre Waters to Dr. Omalu, but that is omitted in the film. The fact that pro wrestling and the WWE were very active in the fight to get CTE recognized and were among the first to institute concussion protocols is something I would have loved to hear about that. This is not the fault of the film itself, but rather what was, I think, a poor decision on the part of who designed the film. So, despite my personal reaction, this is a very fine film. 4/5

Concussion on Netflix

Blue Jasmine

This is the first Woody Allen movie I've truly loved - darkly poignant & beautifully acted - tragically lovely. 5/5

Blue Jasmine on Netflix

Rock of Ages

Tom Cruise is transcendent in this perfectly casted but oddly edited adaption of the hit musical. So much fun. 4/5

Rock of Ages on Netflix

Hick

This movie is SO much darker & sinister than I expected - brilliant acting & a tense plot. I wasn't expecting this at all 4/5

Hick on Netflix