Producer John Wood spoke with our Gadi Elkon about the wild story behind the documentary, THE SESSION MAN.
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T – A Review by John Strange
First off, I did not see the first film in this series, Now You See Me. Or its first sequel, Now You See Me 2. The first film was apparently a pretty straightforward heist flick with loads of illusions and aspersions of Robin Hood’s loot distribution. The second film was also a heist film, with a twist of illusion.
The Four Horsemen have been “retired” for about ten years. Their images are used by a new set of illusionists to rob a thief of his loot and, like the original Horsemen, distribute the money to everyone who attended the show.
The three newbies, Charlie (Justice Smith), Bosco (Dominic Sessa), and June (Ariana Greenblatt), soon run into the real Four Horsemen: J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher). Instead of slapping down the new kids, they decide to work with them to bring down an evil woman, Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike).
Vanderberg and her family have been using their diamond consortium to launder money for the worst criminals on the planet. Her prize is the Heart Diamond, a heart-shaped diamond weighing several hundred carats. Bringing her down will include the theft of this jewel.
The cinematography by George Richmond is unbelievable! The illusions and special effects are the core of this film. They are worth the cost of your ticket. The banter between the “dream” cast is top-notch.
I was going to point out the outstanding acting talent in this film, but they are ALL fantastic! And seeing the small part that Morgan Freeman played was the cherry on the top of this very delicious film sundae!
If you are looking for a film with a pace that is faster than an F1 race, this one is for you.
As for me, I need to grab the first two films and watch them to correct my error! I will end up owning all three of these films!
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, with Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for some strong language, violence, and suggestive references)
Selig Rating: 5.0 Stars
Runtime: 112 Min.
Release Date: 11/14/20255
Language: English
Genre(s): Crime, Thriller
Trailer: NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T Official Trailer #2
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
Freestyle Releases Christmas Drama feature THE THISTLE IN THE KISS
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, proudly announces the acquisition of VOD rights to the holiday drama THE THISTLE IN THE KISS, which will be available to rent/own in North American territory on digital HD internet, cable, DVD and satellite platforms, on November 25, 2025
THE THISTLE IN THE KISS tells the story of a young nerd who discovers his ex-girlfriend’s affair with his sister, ruining his Christmas and turning his life upside down. Declan has had no luck with the holidays: his girlfriend Stephanie broke up with him on the way to Christmas dinner. He’s managed to keep it secret until New Year’s Day, when his car breaks down in the Scottish countryside and his sister Rachel shows up to help him fix it. Does she already know? How could she have found out? And why does Declan have this feeling that his sister is hiding secrets of her own? Crumbling under each other’s relentless curiosity, brother and sister are now on a crash course to confront the poor decisions of their lives. A coming-of-age tale brimming with sibling rivalry and youthful heartbreak, The Thistle in the Kiss examines the mounting pain that stares you in the face when you look away from the ugly truth.
Directed by Craig Andrew Roberston and co-written by Robertson, C.J. Lazaretti and Leonora Cooke, THE THISTLE IN THE KISS was co-produced by Alison M. Reid, Reece Steel, D.M. Simons, and Kyle Wong. Featured actors include: Leonora Cooke (‘Stephanie’), Sarah Coyne (‘Rachel’) and Craig Andrew Robertson (‘Declan’).
“Christmas in Scotland is all about the three Bs: booze, binge-eating and bickering with your family,” said filmmaker Craig Andrew Robertson. “If you do it right, you wake up on New Year’s Day with a replenished, stronger appreciation for your loved ones. And if not…you’ve still had a bloody fun time, aye? That’s what we’re going for with THE THISTLE IN THE KISS. Happy Holidays, and Sláinte Mhath!”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated a deal to acquire THE THISTLE IN THE KISS directly with the filmmakers and Circus Road Films.
SIGHT – A Review by John Strange
Sight is a true story. Both before and after the film, we get to meet the real Dr. Ming Wang.
Ming Wang was born in China to university professors. While he was a young boy, revolutionaries took over his region and closed all the schools.
Ming’s early life was not one we in America would have recognized as happy. Despite the loving family he had, the revolutionaries were determined to recruit him to their army and used every means at their disposal. Against the odds, Ming survives those times and gets to attend college in China.
He was one of four students sent to America to further their studies. Ming’s ability gets him to MIT (yes, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), where he studies Laser Physics. And through hard work, he was able to attend medical school.
His career allows him to combine his two fields of study to help people see again. The story of his work saving people’s vision is both fantastic and inspiring.
I love biographies like Sight because they show how others faced the trials of their lives and found success in the world. This film is an excellent example of the genre and well worth watching! Sight is an Angel Original film.
Director: Andrew Hyatt
Cast: Terry Chen, Greg Kinnear, Natasha Mumba, Fionnula Flanagan, Mia SwamiNathan, Raymond Ma, Wai Ching Ho, Garland Chang, Donald Heng, Leanne Wang, Jeffrey Pai, Ben Wang, Sara Ye, Kelvin Luo, Natalie Skye
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for violence and thematic material)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 100 Min.
Release Date: 05/24/2024
Language: English
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History
Movie Site: Link to SIGHT (requires Angel Membership)
Trailer: SIGHT Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
THE LAST RIFLEMAN – A Review by John Strange
The men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, are revered in our history as some of the bravest of us. One of those men was Artie Crawford (Pierce Brosnan) with the United Irish of the British Army. Bravery doesn’t protect you from the nightmares of what is now called PTSD, but Artie has dealt with them ever since that day.
Now, at 92 (and a half) years old, he has lost his beloved wife of 68 years and finds that he must get to France to be with the man he fought with to remember that fateful day. But when he talks to the administrator at the nursing home where he lives, she refuses to allow him to go!
The Last Rifleman is the story of Artie’s determination and perseverance to attend the D-Day festivities and see his fellow veterans, if only for one last time. Pierce Brosnan delivers a magnificent performance as the aging veteran.
There are good people in this world, and many of them are responsible for assisting Artie in his quest. Along the way, he also meets other veterans, some not from his side of the conflict, such as Jürgen Prochnow as Friedrich Mueller, a former SS soldier. And from the American Army, John Amos as Lincoln Jefferson Adams, who was in the anti-fighter balloon group.
The Last Rifleman is a moving story about “The Greatest Generation” aging beyond our reach. That is a loss for all of us.
Director: Terry Loane
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Clémence Poésy, John Amos, Jürgen Prochnow, Ian McElhinney, Tara Lynne O’Neill, Samuel Bottomley, Desmond Eastwood, Stella McCusker, Claire Rafferty, Joseph Loane, James Keating, Ali White, Rosie McClelland, Leo McDermott, Maggie Cronin
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for war violence and some strong language)
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Runtime: 95 Min.
Release Date: 11/05/2023
Release Location: Angel Guild (Angel Studios)
Language: English
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, War
Movie Site: Link to THE LAST RIFLEMAN (requires Angel Guild Membership)
Trailer: THE LAST RIFLEMAN Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
Snoop Robinson’s FRIENEMIES set for Tubi debut November 21
SRG Entertainment has announced a streaming deal with Tubi for Snoop Robinson’s limited series drama Frienemies, starring Missy Lee, Sekou Calhoun, Chanté Small, and Alexandria Warfield. The three-part series, which features high stakes intrigue in the fashion world, is set to debut November 21.
Tracy (Alexandria Warfield) deals with the reality of her life in a women’s prison, but she still hasn’t come to terms with what she did to put her behind bars. We flash back to see her life as the right hand woman in a bustling fashion boutique run by talented, but demanding designer John Lovely (Sekou Calhoun). While John’s creations are celebrated, his business is rife with tension, back biting, and complicated relationships that Tracy struggles to keep a lid on as she manages their clients and prepares for the next big show. Feeling overwhelmed, she hires a trusted friend, Samantha (Missy Lee) to take the pressure off of her and help her right the ship. However, Samantha has another agenda which has the potential to undo Tracy’s entire world and bring it all crashing down.
Robinson said, “Frienemies is essentially a feature film split into three parts with cliffhangers that makes for exactly the kind of fun, get into the dirt high drama with big characters that will hopefully inspire people to want to reach for the popcorn and binge or keep coming back to. Tubi is a great home for to platform the series and we couldn’t be more excited for audiences around the country to see it and enjoy the story, our characters, the style, and the oftentimes catty repartee in each episode.”
Kelvin Garmon, Executive Producer of SRG Entertainment Group, added, “After much success in the Dallas Fort Worth market and surrounding areas with our previous films, Frienemies marks an important step for us to not just deliver another entertaining project to Snoop’s and SRG’s fans, but to expand our audience across the country. Tubi’s programming offers a perfect place for those audiences to find Frienemies, watch it, and refer their friends to see it, as we continue to build the SRG Entertainment family.”
FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA RELEASES DRAMA FEATURE “OUT OF TIME”
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has just released the drama feature film OUT OF TIME, which is now available to rent/own on North American digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms, starting on November 7, 2025.
OUT OF TIME, tells the story of a determined mother who faces off against a greedy pharmaceutical CEO in a race against time to save her son. In a high-stakes power struggle, Mona Cress embarks on a harrowing journey through the corridors of corporate greed as she navigates betrayal, deception, and personal redemption. While overcoming insurmountable odds to uncover the truth behind the pharmaceutical industry’s darkest secrets, Mona risks everything as she is forced to confront her own past and the sacrifices she must make to protect her family.
Written, directed and produced by Alison Guessou, OUT OF TIME featured cast includes: Charla Marie Bailey (‘Mona Cress’), Paul Economon (‘Rob McCoy’), and Lori Roovers (‘Lynn Knives’).
“OUT OF TIME is a story about sacrifice and resilience: family, survival, trust, and the lengths a mother will go to when the system fails her,” said filmmaker Alison Guessou. “It shines a light on the human cost of corporate greed while reminding us that love and determination can cut through even the darkest battles.”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated a deal to acquire OUT OF TIME directly with the filmmakers and Alex Nohe and Jeff Dowd of Blood Sweat Honey.
NUREMBERG – A Review by John Strange
At the end of World War II, the US and its allies realized they had to deal with the Germans differently than how they had been treated after World War I. Nuremberg is the story of the tribunal that tried the German leaders for crimes against humanity. This tribunal set legal precedents that were later codified into law.
The story is taken from the book, “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist” by Jack El-Hai. US Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon) fought for the tribunal, warning those he spoke with of how the Germans came back from the beating and humiliation forced upon them by the Treaty of Versailles to come too close to taking over the world.
After the 22 German leaders were brought to Nuremberg to stand trial, the Allies brought in psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) to work with the prisoners. His time with these men, especially Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), was a large part of the film. These scenes helped us see more deeply into the minds of men like the Reichsmarschall.
For students of history, this is an excellent film. The tribunal, everything that led up to it, and its effect on the people involved were fascinating. James Vanderbilt, the writer/director, did a great job on the film. The cast, including Crowe, Malek, Shannon, Colin Hanks, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, and many more, was superb.
Just before the credits is a quote we should all take heed of. “The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.” (RG Collingwood)
Take two and a half hours out of your day and go to see this film.
Director: James Vanderbilt
Cast: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Colin Hanks, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, Wrenn Schmidt, Lotte Verbeek, Mark O’Brien, Andreas Pietschmann, Lydia Peckham, Ralph Berkin, Steven Pacey, Dan Cade
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for violent content involving the Holocaust, strong disturbing images, suicide, some language, smoking and brief drug content)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 148 Min.
Release Date: 11/07/2025
Language: English, German
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Movie Site: NUREMBERG Official Site
Trailer: NUREMBERG Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
Oscar Torre’s award-winning A HOT SUMMER NIGHT debuts on Amazon on November 21
Indie Rights has acquired Noth American rights to the critically acclaimed festival favorite A HOT SUMMER NIGHT, written/directed by Oscar Torre and starring Chuti Tiu (Yellowstone, Expats). Indie Rights and Handle With Care Productions are pleased to announce a release on major streaming platforms including Amazon, Google Play, and You Tube Movies on November 21.
A Summer Night follows the gripping story of Summer (Tiu), a sex worker and recovering alcoholic, who finds herself in a desperate race against time to raise enough money for her mother’s experimental cancer treatment in the course of one night. As the deadline looms, she must navigate the emotional minefield of a past relationship, resist the pull of old addictions. and hold onto hope – discovering unexpected (and even life-saving) moments of compassion along the way.
The film also stars Roberto Sanchez (Palm Royale, Running Point), Oscar Torre (Gaslit, The Hangover III), and Doug Tompos (NCIS: LA).
Director, Oscar Torre said, “The films Chuti and I create often explore characters who live in the gray areas – caught between emotion, sexuality, faith, and survival. With its raw emotional power and timely themes, A Hot Summer Night is a sexy tightrope walk, poised to resonate with viewers around the world. We are thrilled that Indie Rights has decided to take the film under their wing and bring it to a wider audience.”
Linda Nelson, co-Founder of Indie Rights, said, “Indie Rights is pleased to once again collaborate with Director Oscar Torre for the international distribution of his new feature film, A Hot Summer Night. The film is a riveting and immersive story that follows Summer, a sex worker, on a desperate one-night mission to save her ailing mother. Our US release will be followed this Spring with a market debut at the Cannes Film Market.”
The deal was negotiated by Linda Nelson on behalf of Indie Rights and Torre and Tiu on behalf of A Hot Summer Night. High Fliers Films is distributing in the UK.
31 CANDLES – A Review by Jenn Rohm
It is that time of year when many people curl up on the couch in comfy clothes with a warm beverage and a blanket to watch Christmas Movies. Yes, they are usually very predictable, and they don’t always have large budgets. While studios have moved away from big-budget, big-name rom-coms, the fan base is showing it still exists. If you are a fan of the genres, keep an eye out for 31 Candles to be showing at a theater near you.
Leo Kadner is approaching his 31st birthday, lives in New York, is close with his family, and makes Christmas Movies. He claims to be jew”ish” and content in situationships as opposed to relationships. At a family event, he crosses paths with the girl who got away from summer camp, Eva Shapiro. She is moving back to New York and, in addition to trying to get cast on Broadway, she is a Torah tutor, helping prepare teens for their bar/bat mitzvah. When Leo turned 13, other events in his family took over, and he never had a bar mitzvah. He decides he should have one and turns to Eva to tutor him.
There is enough unpredictability, mixed with the predictable, that puts this more in the rom-com than the holiday movie category, making it the perfect first production from Romantical, Jonah Feingold’s new production banner. Not only did he write, direct, and edit the film, but he also played the lead role, Leo. His performance is believable, and while not everyone will want to date Leo, they at least want to be his friend. Sara Coffey was cast as Eva Shapiro. I like that the choice was made to make the leading lady confident and comfortable with who she is. Yes, she wants to make it on Broadway and hasn’t yet, but that isn’t bringing her down. It’s a nice change for a role model.
Other cast members are recognizable and enhance the film’s quality. Jackie Sandler (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Happy Gilmore 2) is Susan, and Caroline Aaron (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Sleepless in Seattle) is Lila.
I will also add that there is something about New York City being a part of a film when it is shot by people who love the city. The decisions to include certain buildings, the angles to take the shot from, and how to light it create a subplot love story for the audience.
I will keep my eyes and ears open to see what Romantical has in store for us next.
Director: Jonah Feingold
Cast: Jonah Feingold, Sarah Coffey, Caroline Aaron, Djouliet Amara, Seth Barrish
MPAA Rating:
Selig Rating: 4 stars
Runtime: 1h 30m
Select Theatres: November 7, 2025
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance
Trailer: 31 Candles trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.