​Finding that perfect project, especially for someone in the movie industry has to be painstaking. Needing to find that story that will capture people’s imagination, along with getting them into the theater for the opening weekend has to be stressful. Needing to make sure that the cast is right, the story is strong and that the ending will leave everyone in awe could make even the most talented folks shutter and fold.

Alfred Hitchcock has done well for himself but is approaching the age of sixty and starting to succumb to the industry standard that it is time for retirement. Not wanting to hang up his director's slate just yet, he is looking for a way to make his next film even better than his recent release of North by Northwest. With studios sending him scripts left and right, Hitch is not feeling any of the stories coming into his office and needs something that will wow the audience once again.

When reading the newspaper, Hitch discovers a little-known book called Psycho that is getting terrible reviews, not for the writing, but for its disgusting content. This piques the old director’s interest, and he decides to read it and gather his own opinion. With his wife trying to point him in a non-thriller direction, Hitch has fallen in love with the novel and will do everything in his power to get the movie made. With no studio willing to back this project, Hitch is forced to put up his own money and will only make it back if the movie plays well. 

Believing in his vision, Hitch is able to get the movie cast with America’s boy and girl next store, Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh who seem to understand what he is wanting. Although everyone is concerned about nudity in the shower scene, Hitch is convinced that it will need to stay in the film, and he will do it as tastefully as possible. As his feelings for this movie get stronger and stronger, Hitch starts to have dreams about Ed Gein, whom Psycho was loosely written about. Following what Gein tells him and starting to discover that his wife is no longer on his side when it comes to being married, Hitch’s world starts to crumble and he needs to make sure that his movie will do what it is intended to do, scare people.

More of a biography about Alfred Hitchcock’s life than an overall movie and this is just fine for me. I have been a fan of his television show for many years and love his movies and watch them whenever I see them on. Trying to see what is actually happening in Hitchcock’s mind should have been more disturbing than what was put on the screen but wanting to focus more on his relationship with his wife and the troubles they have gone through together makes you gain just that much more respect for the icon. With great acting from the key players, along with the disgust that some of the film industry has thrust upon him, this is a great look at the inner workings of how movies were made against what the studios wanted in the 1950s. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Happy Viewing.

​Often times, when we head out to eat at a particular establishment, we give little thought to how exactly that company or chain came to be, and all the work that went into creating it… and with good reason. After all, we are in this for the meal and nothing more. But sometimes, if we love the place and all they offer, curiosity revolving around the genesis of our new favorite eatery is piqued and we search out more information.
 
Once our search for knowledge begins, the kind of story that presents itself to us can either be as vanilla as it comes, or downright fascinating, but we pay attention none the less because regardless of how ownership got there, they dedicated many hours of blood, sweat and tears to see their business come to life and while these stories usually speak to ingenuity and the power of hard work, like anything in life…there is a dark side and from time to time, some businesses find their way to success in the most cutthroat way imaginable and recently, I stumbled upon a motion picture that chronicled that darker rise to power in The Founder.
 
Now this movie simply put, tells the tale of how McDonald’s came to be the national and international force that it is today and how Founder Ray Kroc guided the franchise to unparalleled success. Which, quite frankly, sounds like quite the uplifting story. After all, McDonald’s is about as American as it gets and it’s a company whose product, specifically the Happy Meal, is something many of us enjoyed growing up and heck…even the trailers for this film seemed to advertise a focus on the conflict and struggles that come with creating a business so imagine my surprise when I came to discover all the dark things that this film had to offer.

For starters, let’s talk about that uglier side of business that I made mention of earlier because holy cow… does this film feature some ruthless business practices, all of them exhibited by the film’s main character, the founder in question…Ray Kroc. Ray is a man desperate to be a part of something special and socially relevant in his life and he will do anything and everything to achieve that and his actions to wrest ownership and power away from the brothers who actually started the business is downright heartbreaking because Ray is only focused on his vision and the opportunity to build something massive and anyone who stands in his way when it comes to that, will pay the price dearly.
 
But all of the ugly that Ray brings forth in this story, is nothing compared to the sheer tragedy it portrays and the philosophical places that it goes as well. Because this motion picture focuses heavily on America’s love affair with Americana and how being as American as apple pie matters more than anything else, and well, I loved the fact that this film delivered a realistic and angry twist to that notion. Because in many ways, before McDonald’s, Ray was a man who was left behind by this concept and therein lies the tragedy. By not getting his share of the American Dream, he schemes it to his own liking and despite the success he enjoys because of this…the audience is left feeling a touch uncomfortable with how the man got everything he wanted because let’s be honest…Ray cheated his way to success.
 
However, despite the dreary (albeit genius) road this film takes, there is a lot to like about this movie simply because of casting choices that went into it. Michael Keaton is completely and utterly brilliant as Ray Kroc and his subdued and powerful performance allows for us to enjoy a complete journey when it comes to this story since we watch Ray go from a failed salesman without an ounce of confidence… to CEO of a major corporation with nothing but self-satisfaction flowing through his veins. It’s a poignant story, one that gives you pause when it comes its twisted portrayal of the American Dream and it’s a motion picture that you need to see as soon as possible, if by chance you missed it.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Introducing Jodea’.
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The moment we discover what we truly want to do in life, what calls to us if you will… our friends and family make it clear to us that if we want it, we are going to have to work hard to get it. To the point where sacrifices will have to be made and distractions will have to be ignored because this is what we were meant to do, and we must stop at nothing to get our hands upon it and there is a lot of merit to this particular line of thinking. After all, we hear story after story about how someone created a mega empire or made it in Hollywood because they kept their head down and focused on becoming the best at what they do and while that does inspire us to work harder for what we want, there is one big problem in regard to this bravado-based mantra.
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In that, we don’t talk about all the roadblocks that we will run into when we do indeed go chase after our dream. Because sadly, we’re not the only one this particular profession calls to, nor are we the only one who is talented at it. Which means that when we truly dig in and go for it, we will be passed over for someone that others believe to be the right person for the job, and we will experience failure and hear the word ‘no’ an unhealthy number of times before we hear that yes. And that long trek forward will break some and send them packing and leave a great deal of others wondering why they are fighting for this future in the first place and well, it is understandable as to why so many ignore or overlook that darker side to chasing the dream, in storytelling for that matter as well. Because we want the pursuit to feel magical and inspiring over anything else and that’s why you have to respect people and stories that don’t hold back in explaining or exploring what this quest actually looks like.

Because those are the folks and the movies and shows and books that will use their journey to separate the dreamers from the folks who are ready to go the distance, and really this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because there is a brand-new movie out, that works hard to make it to clear to all, that chasing our dreams is no walk in the park and that makes Introducing Jodea a hearty and meaningful watch. One that hammers home this harsh reality by plunging us into the search for what is perhaps one of the hardest dreams of all to achieve… making it in Hollywood. For Jodea Maxwell wants to be a star in the movie biz and well, her search for stardom isn’t going well. In fact, her only real claim to fame at this point… is being fired from a Zac Kawalsky film. But when Zac accidentally runs into the back of her car on his way to an urgent meeting to save that exact same film, Jodea is going to use this opportunity to try and seize the moment and get her shot at stardom and well… that decision is going to change her life in ways she never thought possible.

Now, at first glance, that is a plot that really doesn’t seem all that grounded in the struggle. In fact, it resembles something straight out of a romantic comedy and that would be a correct assumption/assocation. For there is an underlying love story to be found here between Zac and Jodea as the film rolls along and for that matter, this is also a movie that is a grand love letter to Hollywood as well. Since it also focuses heavily on our fascination with stardom and the wonder and the thrill of filmmaking in general. Plus, the great debate as to which era of filmmaking is even pondered upon here, something that fans everywhere discuss in this day and age and well… all of those elements do indeed leave one wondering, exactly where is the message in this movie? And as it turns out, the devil is in the details that take place right before our eyes… which makes the message in question quite organic in nature. 
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Because we are watching all the tough parts of chasing one’s dreams play out in real time with Jodea. For not only is she at her lowest when we meet her here, since she’s living in a trailer in the driveway of a good friend, but her car is busted down… she’s feeling lost and trapped and even when her big break arrives… she’s got to work for it. Which is where the blood and sweat and tears come into play since she fails before she gets in front of the camera and even on set and even after finding some measure of success… she faces new challenges by way of others that are eager to manipulate her career and relationship with Zac. But despite getting knocked down time and time again, the support she finds from her friends and Zac and the dedication to her craft eventually brings her to where she wants to be and that really does make for a supremely realistic and fulfilling story… one that manages to inspire the audience for certain.

For it makes it crystal clear to the viewer, that if you want the dream, you are going to have to want it more than anything else in life and you’ll need to be prepared to take a beating on your way to get there. But the reward will be worth the effort and while that doesn’t sound inspiring at first, it is to those that want something more. Because this is the kind of story that ignites that internal fire, the one that motivates a person to clench that jaw and mutter ‘bring it on’ and that really does make this a special film. Because it offers more than inspiration. Since the other elements we discussed a moment ago, appeal to cinephiles and general audiences and as an added bonus, there’s some solid performances to be found here. Since Chloe Traicos is electric as Jodea and Jeff Coppage does a wonderful of playing a tortured Zac and Ryan Pratton deserves a shout out as well, for stealing scenes as the hilarious and awkward Harold and well, in the end, if you’re looking to enjoy an uplifting film that can inspire you whilst putting a smile on your face… then take a moment and give Introducing Jodea a look.  

There can be nothing better than hanging out with your friends over the holidays, especially when you have time to do so. With so much going on every day, it is easy to let days turn into months between seeing them and even though that is how the world tends to work, you don’t have to let it get you down. One of my favorite holidays for getting together with friends is Christmas, mainly because most everyone is in a jolly mood and while I have given up on the holiday from my retail days, I still like to get a little something for everyone. You can choose any holiday that you like to get together with your friends, there is nothing wrong with it, especially when you don’t get to see each other as much as you would like.

At the Greenberg house on Christmas Eve... Eve; Mel, Holly and Cali are looking for something fun to do. After smoking some grass on the back porch and giving into their munchies, Cali wants to do something fun with her friends. Being too young to eat themselves to sleep, she comes up with the idea to hit up her uncle’s house, since he will not be there.  Not being able to say no to their friend, Mel and Holly decide to go along for the ride. But while in the car, Holly breaks the first cardinal rule of the night by inviting her boyfriend to come and visit their special girls’ night out.

Finding the hidden key outside of the massive house, Cali invites her friends in and they get to see how the high class live their lives. With a quick tour and seeing the expensive cars in the garage, the girls have the time of their lives. With the booze flowing and the party not coming close to ending, Holly has to relieve herself. She finds the bathroom in her drunken state, but when she starts looking at the photos in the rooms when walking back to her friends, she sees something unexpected. All of the pictures are of an Asian family, which is a problem since Cali is a valley girl through and through and her friends know full well that none of her family are of Asian descent.

Asking Holly what she has seen in the rooms, the girls are completely shocked that they have just broken into someone’s house. Wanting to leave, the group is surprised by someone else entering the house as well. With their only foolproof plan to run being implemented, Holly gets caught by the man and accidentally pushes him down the stairs. Seeing the man lying motionless by the base of the stairs, the girls are talked out of calling someone for help by Cali, knowing that it will not only destroy their future, but the future of their families as well. Needing to come up with a plan of how to explain what happened, the girls agree on an attempted rape story, but choosing who will be the victim will be difficult, along with finding out that the dead man is not really dead.

This shows a very interesting outlook on life as the three friends discuss their options when killing a man. Knowing that they have left their mark all over the house, they cannot run and are forced to come up with the tough decisions, mainly about what to tell the cops when they finally decide to call for help. I must admit that Cali had some great ideas about how to cover up what actually happened in the house, with all of her C.S.I. viewing and such, even taking it to the next level when she knows something specific that will need to be proven in court. I was a little disappointed with Holly and Mel throughout, for not standing up for what they believe in and when they finally did, it was past the point of no return. Not to take anything away from the characters as they were all great, I just was a little upset with the storyline when it came to that. With best friends, booze, a dead body, a staged attempted rape scene, a living dead man and a girl fight, this was not too shabby of a viewing, it just could have used a little more Santa Claus since it was set in the season of giving. Stay Scared.