Movies of a Petite Aspie

There's still time to catch up on the nominees for this year's Academy Awards, set to air this Sunday, March 4, 2018, at 8 p.m. (a half an hour earlier than in years past; perhaps there won't be a snafu this year if everyone goes to bed earlier) on ABC. Granted, if you've only seen a few (or none) of the Best Picture nominees, then you'd probably best not concern yourself about getting caught up in time.   Fortunately, many of the nominated films and performances are available on streaming services, on DVD/Redbox, and/or in theatres. And, if you're like me and you've cut the cord and can enjoy shows and movies [primarily] commercial-free -- via the likes of Amazon, Netflix, etc. -- then it's easier than ever to watch the Oscar-nominated films from the comfort of your couch.  Or bed.  Or toilet.  (I won't/don't judge).   Amazon Prime  (Free for members) Abacus: Small Enough to Jail The Big Sick Amazon Rent  (Not free) Baby Driver Be...

Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman Director: Wes Anderson Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton Genre(s): Comedy; Drama; Romance DVD Release Date: October 26, 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Typically, when you see that a certain film has a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, you assume that movie will be fantastic; you expect it to wow you.  But Wes Anderson's latest, Moonrise Kingdom , is just...okay.  There is really nothing particularly innovative about the movie.  There's nothing particularly interesting about the movie, nothing that makes you want to brag about it to your friends.  However, it is not terrible either, which makes it all the more disappointing, because it could have been so much more than mediocre. Moonrise Kingdom has the feel of a comedy, but there are few -- if any -- laugh-out-loud moments.  Additionally, it is occasionally difficult to discern when one is meant to laugh; moments that ma...

Emily Watson and Ryan Reynolds Director: Dennis Lee Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Julia Roberts, Hayden Panettiere Genre(s): Drama Theatrical Release Date: October 14, 2011 DVD Release Date: February 7, 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20% What is perhaps most painful about David Lee's semi-autobiographical drama, Fireflies in the Garden , is that it was released five years after it was filmed.  While some films, like the upcoming well-reviewed horror-comedy The Cabin in the Woods , age well after being left on the shelf for longer than usual, this is not the cast for Fireflies , a drama that fails to live up to the trailers' implications of the film being a reinvention of the genre. Ryan Reynolds ( Green Lantern ) plays a best-selling novelist who is returning to his hometown for his mother's (Julia Roberts, Larry Crowne ) college graduation.  After an unexpected tragedy occurs, Reynolds' characters is left to attempt to make peace wit...