Bad Santa 2

Bill Bob Thorton is back at it again in Bad Santa 2 after 13 years. 2016 really is the year of the overdue sequel! There's a new director on board, Mark Waters, who directed the acclaimed Mean Girls.

I was skeptical of a sequel and didn't think it would live up to the raunchiness of the original. But I was definitely proven wrong. Bad Santa 2 is just as raunchy and comical. Billy Bob is trashier and nastier than ever. His life is just as shitty and it doesn't look like he plans on cleaning it up.

Willie's small sidekick, Marcus, is out of prison and has a new heist in store this holiday season. This time they're bringing in Willie's mom, played by Kathy Bates. Willie is headed to Chicago to crack a safe potentially worth millions from a charity collecting donations for the holidays. 

Who knew Willie's mom would be just as soul-less and messed up. Kathy Bates is great in comedy roles and doesn't hold back. She's gives Billy Bob a run for his money as a no-good heartless thief. Things definitely don't go smoothly but that's when all the tricks come out.

The nicest celeb surprise is Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). She's just as flirtatious, but maybe a little more naughty than usual.

I give Bad Santa 2 two thumbs up for some mindless lighthearted raunchy fun. 

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The Crown on Netflix

The new Netflix series The Crown just debuted all 10 episodes of the first season. I was skeptical about it at first but was determined to watch the first episode. Let's just say I was not very productive the rest of the weekend. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, as I finished the season in just a matter of three days.

The Crown tells the real life story of how a young 26 year old Elizabeth becomes the queen of England. Queen Elizabeth is 90 years old today and still rules the monarchy. There has been many controversies and misfortunes along the way. The entire series takes places in the 1940's into the late 1950's. While each episode leads into the other, each one stands on its own. Each episode showcases a different dilemma or scandal the monarchy was faced with in it's early reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Claire Foy is beautifully casted as Queen Elizabeth. Her supporting casts lets her shine. John Lithgow plays Winston Churchill very appropriately. Lithgow humanizes a man which stood out as one of the most stern and brash leaders of the 20th century.

The Crown is dialogue heavy and not a lot of physical action. But at the same time, the series will keep you captivated, as it's stunning to see the inside of Buckingham Palace and other sets. The set and costume designing was done astonishingly also. You can see how much effort and time went into creating each outfit and set design.

The Crown will hopefully be nominated this upcoming awards season. It's best you watch it now.

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Desert Dancer

Desert Dancer is a film based on the true story of Afshin Ghaffaian, an Iranian native who decides to purse his passion of dance in Iran and start an underground dance company in 2009, in the midst of the nation’s highly controversial presidential election.

The film chronicles his real life experiences as he combats oppression from the conservative Iranian regime. His simple freedom of expression, dance, comes at a high price. Afshin must go through leaps and bounds to follow his dreams and become free.

The film has a very artistic element to it. Desert Dancer is not a major studio picture; it was independently made with a $4 million budget. It contains intense edge-of-your-seat moments though that will keep you entranced. Desert Dancer is more than just about dance. It tells the story of the terrible injustices Iranians are facing and the corrupt government’s hold on the younger generation. This story resonates with people all over the world under governmental control and censorship. 

I had the pleasure of the meeting the director, British native, Richard Raymond. Desert Dancer is his directorial debut. As we spoke he told me how this film was very close to his heart and a passion project. He first read about Afshin in the paper and immediately flew out to see him to make this story into a feature film.

Desert Dancer stars Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Reece Ritchie (Prince of Persia), and Tom Cullen (Weekend). Pinto and Ritchie have no formal dance background but they were a magical combination on screen. Ritchie rehearsed for over 8 months prior to production. But beyond his dancing ability, he is an engaging actor with an immense amount of realness and transparency. Pinto immediately jumped onto the project when she read the script. Desert Dancer is truly a labor of love. It is in limited theater release on April 10 and full release on April 17.

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Lucy

If you see any movie this summer make sure Lucy is one of them. Lucy (Scarlett Johanson) is forced into becoming a drug mule for a Japanese drug lord. But things only get worse when the narcotics erupt in her body and spread through her system. She begins to unlock parts of her brain because the drug allows her to access more of her mind over time. She eventually begins to control people's minds and her surroundings. But with great power comes great difficulty as her body cannot take the growth of her mind. Time is of the essence as she fights for her life against two forces, her own brain and drug lords. 

The imagery in this film is amazing and really leaves you questioning what is real and what is fantasy. Lucy is action packed and a great summer film to check out. Scar Jo is badass as ever. The plot is riveting and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Lucy a refreshing blend of Limitless (Bradley Cooper) meets the Matrix. 

Written and directed by Luc Besson, from The Fifth Element. In theaters July 25, 2014. 

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