trunk stubs

Movie: The Greatest Showman

Rated: PG

Genre: Musical, Drama, Biography

Release Date: December 20, 2017

Run Time: 1h 45m

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson

Director: Michael Gracey

Reason We’re Watching It: Michael Gracey delivers some of the most stunning visuals to grace the silver screen with outlandish dance numbers that feature the full-on circus treatment, including elephants and tigers jumping through flaming hoops. The songs and score are catchy and stick in your brain like the trapeze artists stick to their hoops and silks. This is also a family friendly film for all ages, delivering solid entertainment that everyone can enjoy together.

What It’s About: “The Greatest Showman” is a biographical musical about P.T. Barnum (Jackman) and the beginning of show business. Barnum grows up a penniless child and becomes a self-made success thanks to the help of his family, business partner and the fantastical human oddities that fill his center stage each night. It’s a movie with heart, diversity, dreams and hardship.

Whoah! Rewind that!: There is a business meeting scene in a bar between Jackman and Efron that involves shots… lots and lots of shots! It’s as hilarious as it is mind blowing to watch these two drink, sing and dance at the same time. We’re hoping those shot glasses were digital, because if they weren’t… they must have broken thousands trying to slide them back and forth so perfectly.

Watercooler-Worthy Tidbit: Almost all of the performers in “The Greatest Showman” provided their own voices for each song… BUT perhaps even more impressive than singing, Zendaya did ALL of her own trapeze stunts in the film. Keep that in mind when you watch her flipping back and forth or twirling from the ceiling with nothing but a rope.

What? You want another cool factoid? Okay… Both Hugh Jackman and Zendaya have played characters in the Marvel universe!

And that’s why we’re giving it…

Series: Somebody Feed Phil

Where To Watch: Netflix

Episodes: Season 1/Six Episodes

Starring: Phil Rosenthal (And occasionally his parents and brother.)

How Do I Know That Guy?: If Rosenthal is both unfamiliar to you and yet strikingly recognizable at the same time, it’s probably because you were a fan of the long-running sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Rosenthal created the series and it’s clear to see that star Ray Romano was channeling the mind behind it, and in the process, doing a bang up job!

Reason We’re Watching It: Yes, the dishes looks delicious, but there are a million food-meets-travel shows out there. What makes “Somebody Feed Phil” different is the heart of the host being fed. Rosenthal doesn’t only just connect with the food he’s sampling but with the people behind each meal. In a show marketed to be about food, what it ultimately becomes is a show about being human, and for us, that’s a winning recipe.

Our Favorite Episode: Like Rosenthal points out in the episode, the country of Vietnam gets a bad wrap, but between the ear to ear smiles of its people and the delectable food coming out of Saigon, this episode was both eye opening and eye edible.

We’re Inspired!: Thanks in large part to our favorite episode about Vietnam, we hunkered down in the kitchen and attempted to make our own batch of Pho, a popular Vietnamese soup. It’s now even more popular with us. Somebody thank Phil!

And that’s why we’re giving it…

Movie: Kickboxer: Retaliation

Rated: R

Genre: Action, Drama

Release Date: January 26, 2018

Run Time: 110 Minutes

Starring: Alain Moussi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert, Mike Tyson, Sara Malakul Lane

Director: Dimitri Logothetis

Reason We’re Watching It: “Kickboxer: Retaliation” is even more hard hitting than the original relaunch of the franchise, “Kickboxer: Vengeance.” The fight sequences are great and packed with stunning choreography. You get to see Mike Tyson throwing punches, Jean-Claude’s signature kicks, Alain’s great stunt work and Lambert’s iconic voice and screen presence. Oh, and the cinematography is gorgeous in between the kicks to the head.

What It’s About: Kurt Sloan (Moussi) is preparing for a big MMA title shot, but he is abruptly abducted and transported to Thailand, where he is forced to fight a genetic freak that dwarfs any foe you’ve seen Sloan face before. He doesn’t go it alone, though. He receives training from Master Durand (Van Damme) and Briggs (Tyson).

Whoah! Rewind that!: It’s tough to pick a single moment that you’re going to want to watch over and over again, because the jaw-dropping fight scenes are all worth viewing a few times. We loved the comedic elements sprinkled in throughout the punches as well.

Watercooler-Worthy Tidbit: Van Damme was originally supposed to star as Johnny Cage in the “Mortal Kombat” movie alongside Lambert, but the Muscles from Brussels had a scheduling conflict – he was busy playing Guile in the “Street Fighter” flick. “Kickboxer: Retaliation” finally unites Van Damme and Lambert… let Mortal Kickboxing Begin!

And that’s why we’re giving it…