The Prom delivers a message of inclusion … and dancing

What would happen if the no-you-can’t mentality that created the dancing kids back in the days of <em>Footloose</em> took place in a society where social media could spread the word of cloak to a group of repressed-by-the-machine players in the big world? Hold onto your degrees of separation and get ready to pop up from…

Greta Gerwig’s vision was a perfect version for this guy to catch up to Little Women

I will presume to speak for many men of my generation to admit that both my literary and movie resumes contain a whole when it comes to the classic tale originally written by Louisa May Alcott. Yes, when I was growing up and for decades thereafter, <em>Little Women</em>, taken the cue from its title, was…

With the first story as backdrop, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again steps up the game

The joy of ABBA’s music surely lives on with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Watching the 1-hour, 54-minute musical romantic comedy directed by Ol Parker in the comfort of our living room, I laughed. I cried. And, oh, yes, I danced, to no surprise to my dear wife Karen and somewhat chagrin to our…

How awful that Meryl Streep can even act like she can sing like Florence Foster Jenkins

Back in the high society days when newspapers ran popular opinion, soldiers fought and relaxed en masses and something called records were played on a gadget by the name of the radio, there was a woman by the name of Florence Foster Jenkins who lived for music. But the circumstances of her life conspired against…

Growing into a groove with Meryl Streep’s Ricki and the Flash

Meryl Streep and Rick Springfield are on stage in a bar, characters by the name of Ricki and Greg in band named the Flash, covering the song American Girl by Tom Petty. She sounds pretty cool. He sounds fine. Their bandmates (also notable pro musicians in real life, Joe Vitale on drums, Bernie Worrell on…