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Terms of Endearment (1983)
Terms of Endearment (1983)
1983 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

"I love the movies of James L. Brooks because he risks showing cruel characters, capable of horrible things, while making them worthy of our sympathy."

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Terms of Endearment (1983)
Terms of Endearment (1983)
1983 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

"James L. Brooks, amazing writer/director. That’s just a tour de force performance by Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger. Jack Nicholson when he takes her on that date. It’s just phenomenal."

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Lena Dunham recommended Broadcast News (1987) in Movies (curated)

 
Broadcast News (1987)
Broadcast News (1987)
1987 | Comedy, Drama

"No one writes a complex woman like James L. Brooks, and no one embodies her like Holly Hunter. When we wrapped shooting on This Is 40, Judd Apatow gave me a photo of Brooks directing Hunter that I hung above my desk, and I can hear them drawling and stammering and just being who they are."

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How Do You Know (2010)
How Do You Know (2010)
2010 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
6
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
How Do You Know? is a heartfelt comedy about a woman who thought she had her whole life planned out and had answers to all the questions except for the most important, what she really wants in life.

Reese Witherspoon plays Lisa a former athlete who recently was cut from her team and is left to wonder what she will do with her life. Lisa has always been a confident woman who dated only athletes like herself. Matty (Owen Wilson), is her current love interest and also an athlete who does not really understand women, their feelings and the importance of monogamy.

Knowing this, Lisa still decides to stay with Matty and try and make things work as a couple.

At the same time, George (Paul Rudd), is being investigated by the FBI for wrong doings within the company that his father Charles (Jack Nicholson), owns. In the same day, George learns he is not only being investigated by the FBI, but his girlfriend breaks up with him because of his problems.

Lisa and George’s paths crossed earlier when a friend decides that it would be a great idea for Lisa to go on a date with a corporate type of guy rather than continue with her current athlete fixaton.

Lisa decides to meet George for dinner, but this sadly does not go well for either of them. Matty decides to be spontaneous and asks Lisa to move in but only ends up pushing her away. As a result, Lisa ends up getting to know George more and they become great friends during the on and off again relationship she has with Matty which leads to Lisa trying to find what she wants in life.

Director James L. Brooks did not allow the film to flow very well due to a slow beginning and middle and Jack Nicholson seemed out of place with such a small part for an actor of his status.

I was not a fan of the cinematography in some scenes and I wish the story would have flowed a little better and while this was not my favorite Reese Witherspoon role, Paul Rudd stole the show with his funny dialogue and silly antics.
  
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
The legendary King Kong returns in an all new adventure that gives the classic tale a much needed update and new setting. Unlike Perter Jackson’s retelling of the original Black and White film, “Kong: Skull Island” eschews the old for the new and in doing so breathes a much needed new life and vitality into the franchise.

The film is set in 1973 when William Randa (John Goodman), informs the government that they have detected a previously unknown island and need to investigate it before the Soviets learn of it and beat them to whatever the island my hold.

William recruits a team which includes a former British officer named James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and Photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), to assist his team lead by Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), in mapping the island.

William also asks for a military escort and the government enlists Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), and his team to accompany the mission. Packard is trying to find his place in the world as he and his helicopter combat team are dealing with the recent end of the Vietnam War. His men are looking forward to going home and resuming their lives, but a dour Packard jumps at the chance for another mission over the uncertainty of the future.

Upon arriving on the mysterious island and starting their survey mission by using seismic charges, the team attract the attention of Kong who is not at all pleased with the intrusion on his island. Kong makes short work of the copters and the team finds themselves scattered about the dangerous island. They soon learn that Kong is not the only danger on the island and must find a way to rejoin each other and make it to their extraction point alive.

Naturally some of the characters have a hidden agenda and there are dangerous and action around every corner. Further complicating matters is the appearance of Marlow (John C. Reilly), a downed WWII pilot who has been stranded on the island for 23 years and warns of dangers far greater than Kong that are ahead of the team.

The film combines a solid cast with state of the art special effects to take a new twist on the standard adventure fare. While many parts of the film remain silly Popcorn entertainment, the quality of the assembled cast allows the film to move beyond being just an assembly of potential victims for a menagerie of CGI creatures to dispatch.

While the story is more in lines with the linear and thin plots of adventure films of old, the sum of the parts does add up to an enjoyable film experience for those who like the giant creature films. You will want to make sure to stay after the credits as there is a very good scene that shows a setup for a future film that had those in attendance at our press screening cheering.

The film may be a bit intense for younger viewers but if you are looking for a touch of nostalgia and action, you may find the film just what you need.

http://sknr.net/2017/03/08/kong-skull-island/