Category Archives: Cinema releases

Film Friday: Comeback of an Era

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“Any good comeback needs true believers.”  ~ Unknown

drive-in-movie-theaterDo you remember going to the drive-in movies? I love looking back at those nostalgic times of going to the movies with my parents in my pajamas, car packed with snacks, and watching the big screen outdoors, with excitement, till I finally fell asleep in the back seat of the station wagon.

Most drive-in theatres have been demolished. There are only 355 left nationwide according to Las Vegas-based Drive-ins.com, which tracks the industry. In the State of Michigan there has been a resurgence of drive-in theatres. Think about it – with jumbotron screens, like those you see in sports arenas, at concerts, and in Times Square, reviving outdoor movie viewing may make sense in more ways in one!

Reliving a bygone era makes for a fun bonding experience with family and friends. Using land that has been sitting vacant, for drive-in theatres, must be cheaper than building behemoth buildings to house cinemas. Downside is the short season for outdoor movie viewing in some climates.

Zhivago2Imagine watching Dr. Zhivago with snow falling all around you (the real thing) as you watch the ZhivagoDVDmovie!

Interested in rewatching an old classic, Dr. Zhivago? Click for info & ordering

That would be a unique experience. Perhaps there is an untapped niche of people, like the “polar bear club” who would find going to drive-in movies year round fulfilling. Social networking groups, enthusiasts who appreciate the art of the drive-in movie experience, in all conditions, might be the next big thing to spring up. You never know in this creative and interesting economy, perhaps we shouldn’t put drive-in movies in the museum of dying giants yet! http://bit.ly/12GKFTK .

When was the last time you went to a drive-in movie? In Michigan there are people who might answer that question, “very recently.” To read about the comeback of drive-in theatres in Michigan, visit this link. http://on.lsj.com/13QDldB.

Come back on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space for independent thoughts, words and views from CFS (www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com). For information on author Sue Batton Leonard, Click for info on her memoir

Films to Look Forward to in 2014

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“Empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” ~Winston Churchill

Scanning of a human brain by X-raysPhysics, apocalyptic events, abilities of the brain, technology, traveling to places here-to-fore unknown, Western culture, the power of the Universe are themes that run rampant in films set to be released in the year 2014. Success of these films will be  dependent on the filmmaker’s storytelling ability, and visual effects are sure to be a large part of that, along with compelling characters, plot and settings.

Here is a list of movies to look forward to in 2014. http://imdb.to/15yrzQB.

Which of these movies appeal to your interest and which do you think will bring you personal fulfillment? Noah and Transcendence and The Grand Budapest Hotel are at the top of my list.

Happy Film Friday, everyone. Have a good weekend, and do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday! This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Looking for Unity

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 “Place your hands in the sea and you are united with the whole world.” ~ Unknown

So, today, on this day of summer solstice, I place my hands in the sea to celebrate World Handshake Day with others around the globe.

World Handshaking dayA handshake means different things in different countries. Did you know Americans shake hands less than people in other countries? Some say Belgians are a population of people who shake hands most frequently. To learn some interesting facts about extending a hand in good will across the globe, follow this link. http://bit.ly/11r5bYe.

If only the answer to peace and happiness was as easy as clasping hands. Unfortunately, because of diversity of culture, political opinions, racial differences, incongruent ideals, achieving harmony in our own lives and across the lands is not so simple.Unity

There is a documentary film, called Unity, set to be released in September 2013 which focuses on what life’s ultimate goal  for different people is. “Enlightenment,” many say is the answer. Today’s foremost thought leaders, and other notables share their personal philosophy, in this movie, on how to wash our hands of age old indifferences between cultures to achieve a fulfilling life.

Looking for this movie? It is guaranteed to be a thought-provoking.Click here for info & ordering Unity [HD]

All Things Fulfilling is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard.Click here for info on her memoir and www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com . Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Launching from an International Shipping Port

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You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Charming Oxford, Maryland, http://www.oxfordmd.net/ a small waterside town of about 1,000 people is one of the oldest towns in America.  Oxford has a very southern feel with huge, old magnolia trees lining many of its streets. Until the American Revolution, Oxford enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations.

On my way to St Michaels, Maryland, I boarded the Oxford ferry for a scenic fifteen minute ride across the TredAvonRiver to the town of Bellevue, Maryland. The ferry is the longest running privately owned ferry in the country.  Service began in 1683.

People in Oxford live a fulfilling “waterman’s way of life.” Here are a few pictures from my travels to Oxford.

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Above: A Day at Work for Oysterman & Crabbers

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Oxford is enjoying a new resurgence based on tourism and leisure activities. Its quiet environment, fresh air and cooler breezes provide a haven from the hustle and bustle of  the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.  Boaters, weekend visitors, and summer residents find Oxford a welcoming change of pace.

Filmmakers came to Oxford in 2006 when they captured some of their scenes for the movie Failure to Launch, a romantic comedy staring Matthew McConnaughey, Terry Bradshaw and Sarah Jessica Parker. This film can be ordered through the Internet Movie Database http://imdb.to/14ZGByG .

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Photo: The stars of the film Failure to Launch in Oxford, Maryland

Do return tomorrow and I will show you more photos of fulfilling things I found to see and do, when I traveled from Oxford to St Michaels, Maryland.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Red Doors

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 Never lose a holy curiosity ~ Albert Einstein

I am trying to put two and two together, and it has me inquiring. As I have driven around the Mid-Atlantic States, I have noticed a trend that never occurred to me before.

What is it about churches and red doors? There must have been a run on them at some time in history because they seem to be prevalent. Or perhaps, I think, “maybe I am reading  into something that isn’t there.”

As I have come to find out, red doors on churches, apparently, do have historical and meaningful significance. They indicate a place of harbor for those who are facing life’s storms. Physical and spiritual protection is found for many who open and enter into crimson-colored doors.

Did you know there is an award-winning film called Red Doors?

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http://www.reddoorsthemovie.com/story.html. It is not a new release but it still has relevance in the world today and it is worthy of attention. The film is about a family that is trying to communicate its feelings and each member is doing their own soul searching about relationships. Diversity of culture is also a theme that runs throughout the movie.

If you are looking for something to do that is thought provoking this weekend, Red Doors may be the solution. Click for Info & Ordering Red Doors

Before you leave this website, there are photos below of some of the places that  have given me inspiration for this writing.

Come back on Monday, we will share some other independent thoughts, words and views from author Sue Batton Leonard and www.allthingsfulfilling.com , the blog of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

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 Photo Above: Old Trinity Church, Church Creek, Maryland – built between 1686- 1692 http://oldtrinity.net/aboutus.html

Photos Below: Other ” Safe Harbors ” on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

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This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Top Indie Films of Summer 2013

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Indie Wire has released its latest list of top money making independent films so far this summer. Keep your eye on http://www.indiewire.com because the list will periodically be updated.

The top five “indie” films this summer are as follows, along with name of the film production companies and their gross earnings as of June 5, 2013.

1. Mud (Roadside Attractions) – $16,849,451
2. The Iceman (Millennium) – $1,716,661
3. Frances Ha (IFC Films) – $1,556,325
4. Stories We Tell (Roadside Attractions) – $900,464
5. Kon-Tiki (The Weinstein Company) – $897,137

stories we tellMy top pick on this list is Stories We Tell. It was an Oscar nominated film and won awards at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Sundance. To read more about it, follow this link http://www.storieswetellmovie.com/story.html.

To read the full list of top grossing independent films, and a summary of each production, please visit www.indiewire.com.

Please return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

Film Friday: Time Travel Movies

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Once confined to fantasy and science fiction, time travel is now simply an engineering problem. ~ Kaku Michio, Wired Magazine, Aug. 2003

time-machinePeople who have lived 100 years or more have seen vast changes in culture over the course of their life times. I have witnessed, in merely a half  century, so many developments in technology. Over the course of about 125 years, moviemaking has gone through huge transformations from the silent movie era to a time when many visual effects are less often created by man-made stunts.

And imagine it, audio sounds are even created digitally through the use of computer technology. This has allowed for unbelievable creativity; providing the ability to pull things off visually that would be too unsafe, too expensive or not logistically possible otherwise.

Sometimes I feel as if I am living in a world that is alien. Because my livelihood depends upon it, I attempt as best as I can to keep up with new advancements in digital technology. Time travel movies help me realize that although sometimes this world seems to change at too rapid a pace and it is strangely different from the times of my youth, we have yet to go through truly apocalyptic times. That ‘s reassuring.

Feel like taking a trip this weekend to a different time and place? www.totalfilm.com has featured 50 of the best time travel movies on their website. http://bit.ly/12G7DKw .

Take in one of these movies. I’m warning you. Nostalgic feelings may set in when you read the titles of some of the films and you will probably see difference in the way visual effects are produced in this day and age, also. Remember Planet of the Apes from 1968? http://bit.ly/ViZw6F. To rewatch this old movie Click here for info and ordering

For more information on Michio Kaku, mentioned in the Wired Magazine quote, Click for info on his publications

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Beginnings and Endings

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If you stopped by All Things Fulfilling yesterday, you know that the blog post was about how a blank page presents writers with wonderful opportunities for creating good beginnings and endings to stories.

Continuing with that theme, on this Film Friday, here is list a notable films that have storylines with the great starts and finishes.

Movies with the Best Beginnings:
• Raiders of the Lost ArcClick here for info & ordering
• ScreamClick for Info & Ordering
• Contact click for info & ordering
• Jaws click for info and ordering
• Lord of the Rings click for info & ordering
• Sound of Music click for info & ordering
• Saturday Night Fever click for info & ordering
• Pulp Fiction click for info & ordering
• The Godfather Click for info & ordering
• Star Trek Click for info & ordering

Movies with the Best Endings:
• Dr. Strangelove Click for info and ordering
• Places in the Heart click for info & ordering
• Thelma & Louise Click for info & ordering
• Carrie Click for info & ordering
• City Lights Click for info & ordering
• Some Like it Hot Click for info & ordering
• Schindler’s List Click for info & ordering
• One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Click for info & ordering
• The Birds Click for info & ordering
• Blazing Saddles Click for info & ordering

For those of you, like me, who live in climates where conditions prevent you from pursuing your passion of going out and playing in the garden this weekend, take in a movie. Most of these films are available on DVD through www.imdb.com. Make the next couple of days terrific,  from beginning to end.

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. and Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for info on the memoir

Film Friday: Loss of A Film Critic

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“Your intellect may be confused but your emotions never lie to you.” ~ Roger Ebert

Siskel and Ebert, Leonard Maltin, some of the most well-known  film critics of our time.  Yesterday, Roger Ebert passed away at 70 years of age. Leonard Maltin said of Ebert’s  death “The thing I’m remembering now, most, is his bravery,” referring to the health challenges he faced in recent years.

Can you imagine how many hours Ebert spent over the course of his forty-six year career in the screening room? His passion was watching movies and critiquing them. A fulfilling career but, not every production  he watched was worthy of his attention. I’m sure he viewed his fair share of movies that were poorly edited, had holes in the plot, scripts without continuity, casting mistakes, visual effects blunders and acting goofs.

independent spirit awards ebertHis film reviews were highly regarded. Albeit sometimes very spirited and outspoken in his independent thoughts, he was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. Roger Ebert was also author of twenty books, including I Hated, Hated, Hated this Movie.

The 15th annual Ebert Film Festival begins on April 17 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois. What Ebert called “one of the most beautiful films ever made,” Terrence Malick’s 1978 “Days of Heaven” will appropriately open the film festival. It won an Oscar for best cinematography. Click here for info & ordering Days of Heaven

To read more about this man who had a bright mind, a very observant eye and did so much to promote good films and the art of good filmmaking, please visit his website http://www.rogerebert.com/.

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Stories of Faith on Film

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 “Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and  looks out the window which hope has opened” ~ Charles Spurgeon

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To many people around the world, preparing for Easter  means more than shopping for Peeps™ candy, jelly beans, chocolate eggs and other confections. Spring is the season of renewal of spirit. For people of faith, that means remembering the Easter story of biblical times – a tale of crucifiction, death, resurrection and life.

On this Film Friday, I have resurrected a list of the top ten Easter movies of all times. Although Easter is several weeks away, perhaps your family would enjoy receiving one of these films in their Easter basket. I am posting this list early so you can add one of these DVDs to your shopping cart. Many of them are considered to be epic productions and can be located, and your order can be fulfilled through the Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com :

    • Passion of Christ (2004)

Click for info & ordering

    • The Robe (1953)

Click for info & ordering

    • Ben Hur (1959)

Click for info & ordering

    • Holiday Inn (1942)

Click for info & ordering

    • Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

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    • King of Kings (1961)

Click for info & ordering

    • The Easter Parade (1948)

Click for info & ordering

    • Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Click for info & ordering

    • Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Click for info & ordering

    • The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Click for info & ordering

It’s interesting, as I was doing research for this blog I noticed that most of these films were produced decades ago. Is it true that the American people have fallen out of favor with the one of the cornerstone principles that our country was founded upon, faith? Is that why contemporary filmmakers are not approaching religious subjects? I’d like to think not, and Reelz is offering outstanding programming over the Easter Season.

Barabbas: Where the Bible Left off…His Story of Redemption BeganClick for info & ordering, a Reelz Easter Event,  premiers Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26. Part I  of the mini-series, featuring Billy Zane, will be broadcast on the night of March 30 and Part II on March 31. To find out the times and the channel for Reelz in your viewing area, please visit this link . There is also a trailer on the Reelz website .http://www.reelz.com/barabbas/.

I’d like to end this blog with an audio Chapter from my memoir Gift of a Lifetime – Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. It is a short Easter story that the entire family can enjoy listening to together. Have a great weekend!