Backstage Pass

  Hi Carl and Hi Everyone! I finished the SXSW virtual Film Festival last week in Austin, Texas, and have screened 20 films. Tonight, I’m going to tell you about a few standouts that should be on your radar: First, my favorite film, “Lily Topples the World,” is the true…

“Yes Day” is a family film starring Jennifer Garner, a mom of three kids, and Edgar Ramirez as their dad. Mom remembers her single days as carefree and risk-taking. Her attitude has changed after raising three children, as she’s constantly saying NO. To break the cycle, Mom and dad decide…

“Raya and the Lost Dragon” Podcast “Raya and the Lost Dragon” is an animated family movie by Disney Studios for all ages. The setting is a fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons live together in harmony. Everything was wonderful until—the evil villain Druun (who looks like dark purple…

Hi Carl, tonight I’m going to review a film that could bring an Academy Award nomination for Anthony Hopkins in the Best Actor category. This film played at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020 and is playing in theaters and streaming now. Hopkins plays a father who has dementia…

Hi Carl, many of us know of our racial history here in the United States. The movie “Mangrove” centers on the racial discrimination in London’s Notting Hill area in the 70s. It is a terrific two-hour film that’s part of the “Small Axe” series. Small axe refers to an African…

Hey Carl, I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen Ringo Star and his All-Star Band perform, tonight I’m going to review the film “Rock Camp: The Movie” that was inspired by Ringo’s tour promoter, David Fishof. Fishof had the idea to start Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, where fans would…

February 6, 2021, Cobra Kai- Season 1, 2, 3 (PG-14) Hi Carl, tonight I’m going to review the Netflix Series that everyone’s talking about, “Cobra Kai,” it’s based on the 1984 movie “The Karate Kid,” and the other two movies that followed. You don’t need to re-watch “The Karate Kid,”…

This image released by Netflix shows Carey Mulligan, left, and Ralph Fiennes in a scene from “The Dig.” (Larry Horricks/Netflix via AP) Hello Carl, here’s an old fashioned and charming film with an English coastal countryside setting in 1939. “The Dig (2021)” is a film by Australian director Simon Stone….

Hi Carl, have you ever wondered why there are hundreds of doughnut shops in Southern California? Tonight, I’ll be reviewing the documentary film “The Donut King” that tells the story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee that came to Southern California in the 70s to become the owner of more…

  Hi Carl, tonight I’m reviewing a film that is a dessert lover’s delight. “Love Sarah” is a British romance film centering on a daughter’s dream to open a bakery in memory of her late Mom or Mum. Three women of three generations, along with a male chef, open a…