American Sniper **** Short Take: Solid but not spectacular. Clint Eastwood’s straightforward adaptation of Chris Kyle’s autobiography benefits from his no-nonsense direction and quality performances from Bradley Cooper & Sienna Miller. REEL TAKE: What is one to make of American Sniper? When I watched it as a potential Oscar contenderContinue Reading
Some have said that 2014 wasn’t a great year for the movies. Box office receipts on certain intended blockbusters disappointed the bean counters. And I have to admit, this year’s Oscar nominations do not generate quite the excitement that other years have. However, for movie buffs like us at ReelContinue Reading
Married independent filmmakers Tom Anton and Sandi Russell are screening their second feature film, The Pardon, a 1930s and ’40s crime drama, on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. The Pardon exemplifies our universal need to be loved and to be forgiven, portrayed in the unlikely but true story of Toni JoContinue Reading
Happy New Year! We scaled back this month to enjoy the season with our families, but we’ll be back in February with our Best Films of 2014 and our predictions for the Oscars. If you wondering what’s worth seeing, there’s a fairly decent array from which to choose. Unfortunately there’sContinue Reading
Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ****1/2 Short Take: In an effort to be taken seriously a former movie star, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, attempts to launch a dramatic play on Broadway. REEL TAKE: Talk about art imitating life. The casting of Michael Keaton, twenty yearsContinue Reading
The holiday season is upon us. by Chip Kaufmann & Michelle Keenan That means Hollywood will be rolling out some big-budget mainstream crowd pleasers and Oscar contenders. Whether it’s wholesome family fun, a CGI action-fest, or art house fare, there’s something for everyone at your local theatres. Here are someContinue Reading
Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Rather than offer up another Holiday themed movie for the December issue, I decided that it would be nice (and different) to offer up my favorite title of 2014 now that’s it available on DVD. Actually it’s been out for a littleContinue Reading
Here’s your chance to VOTE for your favorite Classic Movie Monster for the cover of Rapid River Magazine’s October 2015 issue! Asheville artist Al Ramirez will create an original illustration of the movie monster with the most votes. Keep checking in to see which monster will win! The Dirty Dozen ofContinue Reading
Asheville Cinema Festival 2014 The Asheville Cinema Festival, founded by Tom and Sandi Anton in 2011, takes place November 6-9 in various locations in downtown Asheville. Highlights include the festival’s opening night film, The Imitation Game, a highly anticipated drama about Alan Turing, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly. TheContinue Reading
