The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television during the week of July 14, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week. Televised films may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations while the programs listed have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by OSV News.
Streaming Now
“From Here to Eternity” (1953; Amazon Prime)
Somber picture of life on an Army base in 1941 Hawaii centers on a company whose bugler (Montgomery Clift) is punished for refusing as a matter of conscience to join the unit’s boxing team, with only a hapless private (Frank Sinatra) supporting his obstinacy. Directed by Fred Zinnemann from the James Jones novel, the story also involves an affair between the company’s top sergeant (Burt Lancaster) and his commander’s unhappy wife (Deborah Kerr) as well as the bugler’s romance with a club hostess (Donna Reed), all of which gains tragic dimension from the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor at movie’s end. Sexual situations and stylized violence, including a fatal beating and a knife fight. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
“Get Out” (2017; Hulu)
Clever social commentary adds heft to this thriller from writer-director Jordan Peele. During a weekend visit to the country estate of his white live-in girlfriend’s (Allison Williams) parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford), whom he has never met before, a black photographer (Daniel Kaluuya) becomes increasingly unsettled by the peculiar behavior of those on both sides of the racial divide, including his gal’s aggressive brother (Caleb Landry Jones) and the family’s strangely subdued, zombie-like maid (Betty Gabriel) and gardener (Marcus Henderson). As things turn ever more sinister, Peele adeptly uses horror tropes to comment on slavery, racism and liberal pieties. But late scenes featuring some gory encounters, together with swearing throughout, make his film a rugged ride even for grown-ups. Some harsh and bloody violence, cohabitation, at least one use of profanity, pervasive rough and crude language. The OSV News classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
“Life” (2017; Netflix)
Director Daniel Espinosa and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick adopt a serious tone in this ensemble sci-fi thriller set on board an international space station. Tasked with retrieving an unmanned capsule carrying samples back from Mars, the craft’s crew — Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada and Ariyon Bakare — are thrilled to discover that they are in possession of the first living organism ever discovered beyond Earth. But the initially tiny creature they’ve taken on board turns out to have an incredibly rapid growth rate and a murderously aggressive approach to interacting with humans. Loss of life is treated with an unusual degree of sober reflection in the suspenseful clash of wits and survival skills that follows, while deft performances and some creative camera work serve to offset the familiarity of the premise. But the bloody details of the alien’s rampage are suitable neither for kids nor for the squeamish among their elders. Some gory deaths and gruesome images, a few uses of profanity, numerous rough and several crude terms. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Looking Ahead
Sunday, July 14, 4:45-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956). In Mike Todd’s lavish production of the Jules Verne classic, an English armchair adventurer (David Niven) makes a bet that he can encircle the globe within 80 days and sets off with his valet (Cantinflas) to prove it. Michael Anderson’s direction makes the most of the cultural splendor of the late Victorian period, visits just about every scenic locale worth a postcard and offers an all-star marathon of cameo appearances. The result is a wonderful romp that’s great fun for all. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating was G — general audiences. All ages admitted.
Sunday, July 14, 9-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) “The Sandlot” (1993). An adult recalls how baseball influenced his life in the summer of 1962 when, as a newcomer in town, the 11-year-old boy (Tom Guiry) makes friends with a scruffy gang of youngsters who introduce him to the national pastime’s craft and lore by playing their heart out every day on a sandlot behind whose left field fence lurks a fearsome canine. Director David Mickey Evans’ strained portrayal of the events of that summer rarely measures up to the narrator’s supposed fond memories of them and its packaging of sentimentalized nostalgia is too superficial to provide any genuine insights into pre-teen friendships, fears, anxieties and sexual awakenings. Some fantasy menace, occasional coarse language and a few mild sexual references. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Wednesday, July 17, 6-10:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “National Eucharistic Congress: Opening Ceremony.” Live coverage as all four branches of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage arrive in Indianapolis (TV-G – general audience).
Thursday, July 18, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1:30-3:15 p.m.; and 6:30-10 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “National Eucharistic Congress.” Event coverage continues, beginning with the Opening Mass (TV-G – general audience).
Friday, July 19, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1:30-3:15 p.m.; and 6:30-10 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “National Eucharistic Congress.” Ongoing coverage.
Saturday, July 20, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1:30-3:15 p.m.; and 6:30-10:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “National Eucharistic Congress.” Event coverage concludes for the week.
Saturday, July 20, noon-2:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (1967). Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee whoop it up at the World Wide Wicket Company in a zestful adaptation of the Broadway musical about an ex-window-washer’s schemes to reach the top of a big corporation in the shortest possible time. Director David Swift’s sharp, witty spoof retains most of the original’s running gags and Frank Loesser’s music. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
Saturday, July 20, 8-9:59 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) “The A-Team” (2010). Explosively noisy, stunt-laden, cheesy and somehow engrossing film based on the 1980s TV series without that program’s self-mocking humor. Director Joe Carnahan, who also scripted along with Brian Bloom and Skip Woods, reinvents the story line as a sort of video game, with Liam Neeson, Quinton Jackson, Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley playing four Army Rangers, all specialists in covert missions, framed in Iraq for a crime they didn’t commit, then escaping from prison to clear their names and seize the CIA operative who set them up. Some fleeting crass and crude language, most of it before the opening credits are over, a fleeting reference to premarital sex and abundant explosions and gunfire. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Saturday, July 20, 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. EDT (AMC) “I, Robot” (2004). Science fiction thriller set in 2035 about a technophobic Chicago cop (Will Smith) whose investigation into the apparent suicide of a renowned scientist leads him to suspect that the dead visionary was actually murdered by a member of the swelling robot population he helped create and which is supposed to be programmed to serve and protect mankind. Inspired by the short works of Isaac Asimov, director Alex Proyas underpins dazzling special-effects sequences with philosophical musings about artificial intelligence, our relationship to technology and what constitutes a soul. Intense action violence, two brief shower scenes with shadowy profile nudity and recurring crass language. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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