The Handmaid's Tale series review (Hulu)

This episode Alicia and I jumps on the Hulu bandwagon and watches the new series "The Handmaid's Tale" based on the book by Margaret Atwood (a Canadian author).  A crazy alternative society that enslaves women and have a certain set of women used to bear children for the rich oligarchy.  We wanted to see this series because of the strangely relevant way we see this can happen due to the disrespect women are receiving from men in power.  Whether its the business sector or the government. 

Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, this series is set in Gilead, a totalitarian society in what used to be part of the United States. Gilead is ruled by a fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state, and is faced with environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate. In a desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred, is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from her.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

On this episode, Alicia and I check out the second installment of The Kingsman: The Golden Circle.  We enjoyed the first one so much as well as a lot of other people that they made second one.   Previews show how exciting this one was going to be so we prepared for another thrill ride.

With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.

Stephen King's IT (Movie/TV mini series)

Today Alicia and I went to see the theatrical release of the Stephen Kings novel It.  We also went back and watched part one of the 1990 mini series.  Very interesting differences between the two movies as well as sticking to the same story line but in a modern way with updated special effects and a more sinister crazy ass clown.

Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare -- an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town's children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise

Logan Lucky Movie Review

On this episode of Urban Lifestyle Cafe, Alicia and I get to see the once retired Steven Soderbergh new movie "Logan Lucky".  Most people know Steven from his "Ocean" series (11, 12, 13).  With this movie goes back to his robbery, heist days with a new twist with different people.  I do like Steven's movies.  

Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway

Girls Trip (2017)

This episode Alicia and I go see the movie Girls trip.  Not top on my list but we heard a lot of critical pluses about the movie and it did have some great veteran female leads.  so we took the chance and went to see it.  Yup I went too.  What we found was something that wasn't what the trailers totally represented or what the normal raunchy buddy trip normally shows us.

Best friends Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina are in for the adventure of a lifetime when they travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival. Along the way, they rekindle their sisterhood and rediscover their wild side by doing enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.

Atomic Blonde Review

Sensual and savage, Lorraine Broughton is the most elite spy in MI6, an agent who's willing to use all of her lethal skills to stay alive during an impossible mission. With the Berlin Wall about to fall, she travels into the heart of the city to retrieve a priceless dossier and take down a ruthless espionage ring. Once there, she teams up with an embedded station chief to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.  It is based on a graphic novel by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart called The Coldest City

Alicia and I went to this movie ready for some kick ass spy stuff and really trying see what this movie was all about.  We saw some pretty good major actors in this movie along with Charlize Theron that help her along her trip to find the proverbial spy list with all the agents in the whole wide world.  

Detroit (the Movie)

Amidst the chaos of the Detroit Rebellion, with the city under curfew and as the Michigan National Guard patrolled the streets, three young African American men were murdered at the Algiers Motel.

This episode Alicia and watch another one of the best directors working today (Kathryn Bigelow ) The director of the previous two blockbusters The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty.  Since we didn't have much history of what went on in the city of Detroit during this era.  We weren't sure if this was worth going to see  But when we found out Kathryn was director it, I knew we had to see it.  This is a very intense and contemporary movie of what is going on in our society right now.

Dunkirk Movie Review

In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated.

If you don't know Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors.  His vision and story telling ability has fascinated me since "memento".  But he proceeded that film with the Batman trilogy, "Inception", Interstellar, the Prestige and Insomnia the sleeper of the group. He has now made the epic true story Dunkirk (The battle of Dunkirk). I'm not a big fan of war movies but this was something I knew I would enjoy since Nolan had his hands on it.  He not only directed the film, he wrote the script as well.

War for the Planet of the Apes

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

Alicia and I were excited to see the new movie from the new Planet of the ape series that are very very good.  Its the prequel before the classic 1968 Planet of the apes movie with Charlton Heston.  The emotional, exciting and very humanistic view of the movie is what keeps you engaged throughout this new edition of the series.  It also fills in some gaps of the 1968 version.  Worth seeing but here is our take.

Nocturnal Animals

A successful Los Angeles art-gallery owner's idyllic life is marred by the constant traveling of her handsome second husband. While he is away, she is shaken by the arrival of a manuscript written by her first husband, who she has not seen in years. The manuscript tells the story of a teacher who finds a trip with his family turning into a nightmare. As Susan reads the book, it forces her to examine her past and confront some dark truths.