Tim joined Tom Barnard and the crew on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM Thursday to review the sci-fi adventure “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Click to listen below. Then on Friday, Tim reviewed “The Rise of Skywalker” and more with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. The segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
Tim Lammers explains why “1917” is his pick for the best film of 2019 in his review of the World War I epic with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. The segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Read Tim’s entire Top 10 list for 2019 below:
No. 10: “Blinded by the Light” – A film that didn’t get the attention it deserves follows the unlikely path of a Pakistani teen who is inspired to pursue his love of writing via the music of Bruce Springsteen. Get ready to see Springsteen’s poetry in a whole new light.
No. 9: “Uncut Gems” – Adam Sandler gets serious for the best performance in his career as a fast-talking jeweler and gambling addict in New York City’s Diamond District who is feeling the heat from loan sharks as an uncut opal he hopes to cash in on goes missing. NBA star Kevin Garnett is impressive playing a heightened version of himself as a member of the Boston Celtics, and Idina Menzel shows she has the dramatic chops apart from the magical singing voice that elevates “Frozen II.”
No. 8: “Avengers: End Game”/”Star Wars: Episode IThe Rise of Skywalker” (tie) – Two epic stories, two emotional conclusions and the end of two eras. “Avengers” ends with a powerful, emotional punch that will leave you in a puddle, while “Skywalker” delivers a satisfying conclusion and assures that The Force will be with us … always.
No. 7: “Joker” – It’s not a comic book movie but instead a deep psychological thriller that will hang with you for days after you see it. Joaquin Phoenix is a shoo-in as this year’s Best Actor Oscar winner as the deranged title character, while writer-director Todd Phillips challenges the Batman story canon with a notably different take on Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen), the father of the future Bat Man, Bruce Wayne.
No. 5: “The Peanut Butter Falcon” – This indie drama about an unlikely friendship between a man with Down syndrome (newcomer Zak Gottsagen) and a damaged troublemaker (Shia LaBeouf) on the lam is the year’s biggest surprise. Gottsagen is phenomenal in the lead and LaBeouf shows while he may have his share of off-screen troubles, he puts it all behind him on the big screen. Dakota Johnson, Thomas Haden Church and Bruce Dern are also impressive in key supporting roles, as the film delivers on all levels.
No. 4: “Toy Story 4” – Just when you thought Disney/Pixar’s marvel couldn’t produce anything to surpass the original film trilogy, Woody, Buzz and the gang come back with a smart, entertaining and sensible end to the world’s greatest toy story.
No. 3: “Ford v. Ferrari” – An incredible look at the Ford Motor Company’s resolve to beat Enzo Ferrari’s race cars at the 24 Hours of LeMans race in the mid-1960s. Matt Damon delivers as usual as race car designer Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale is brilliant as drive Ken Miles, but the true winner of this race car movie is director James Mangold, who straps you into the race cars right along with the drivers risking their lives on the track.
No. 2: “The Irishman” – It took forever to get here, but Martin Scorsese’s gangster opus “The Irishman” – a detailed look at the rise and fall of former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), told from the point of view of hitman and Hoffa confidant Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro) – was worth the wait. The prospect of starting this 3 1/2-hour film is daunting, but you’ll also be glad you carved out the time to see it. It’s cinematic storytelling at its very best.
No. 1: “1917” – Director Sam Mendes’ stunning World War 1 epic that follows two British soldiers (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) on foot on a six-mile trek behind enemy lines trying to head off an ambush of 1,600 troops catapults the war film genre to a whole new level. What places the film among such modern war film greats such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Hacksaw Ridge” is how Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins present the film as one long, continuous shot, literally making you a first-person witness to the horrors the soldiers encounter over the course of one day in April 1917.
Honorable mentions: “Rocketman,” “Bombshell,” “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” “Richard Jewell,” “Yesterday,” “Missing Link,” “Dumbo,” “The Two Popes,” “Dolemite is My Name,” “Fighting with My Family.”
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
Christmas is less than a week out and you’re in panic mode, wracking your brains over what to get family members and friends. But if you think for a minute and realize the people you love are big movie fans, then there are plenty of reel cool ideas, so to speak, right within your reach.
That’s because Christmastime is about toys, and when you combine the passion of moviegoing with the inner child of said moviegoers, there are plenty of cool movie toys that shoppers can find. There’s plenty to pick from out there, whether they’re based on classic characters with cult followings that appeal to adult collectors or those with a broader appeal appropriate for all ages.
So, as you prepare your last-minute lists, here are a few options for the movie lover in your life:
Simply put, specialty toy and collectibles company NECA is a movie lovers dream, producing action figures of characters you never thought were possible. Being a fan of horror films and fantasy, the company this year finished up their Guillermo del Toro Signature Series (more, please?), which produced 6- to 7-inch characters from the Oscar-winning filmmakers’ most acclaimed works. This year’s offerings include Amphibian Man from the director’s best picture Academy Award-winning film “The Shape of Water,” and the Faun from his Oscar-nominated film “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
On the horror film side, the company produced figures this year from the classic “Halloween” films and 40 years-in-the-making sequel (including a butt-kicking Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode figure) and more figures based on Stephen King’s “IT” and “IT: Chapter Two”; and from the Conjuring Universe, the title character from “The Nun” and most recently, the Crooked Man from “The Conjuring 2.”
Also, the company has taken the creative route and given several iconic horror characters with their Toony Terrors line with animated, stylized versions of Freddy Kruger from “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Jason from “Friday the 13th and the 1990 and 2017 versions of Pennywise the Dancing Clown from “IT.” The second wave includes Pinhead from “Hellraiser,” Michael Myers from “Halloween,” Chucky and Tiffany from the “Child’s Play” films and Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
On the sci-fi side, NECA has just released new versions of the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) based on their appearances in the latest film in the series, “Terminator: Dark Fate” and more aliens and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from “Alien: Resurrection.”
According to “Alien” movie legend, “in space, no one can hear you scream,” but that hasn’t prevented Hasbro from making big noise with its “Star Wars” line as the final film in the Skywalker saga, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” makes it hotly anticipated debut in theaters Friday.
New in the company’s Black Series line (collector-friendly 6-inch scale action figures) from the film are Rey (Daisy Ridley), KyloRen (Adam Driver) and a Sith Trooper (a red version of a Stormtrooper) and Jet Trooper; as well as figures from the hit new Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” including the title character (Pablo Pascal) and Cara Dune (Gina Carano). Sorry, kids, no Baby Yoda figures and toys are available until spring.
The company also has new versions of the film’s iconic lightsaber and motorized versions of the droid D-O, which makes its debut in “The Rise of Skywalker.” Also, on the kid-friendly side, Hasbro has its Galaxy of Adventures line, which includes droids and characters from all films in the saga presented in a stylized, animated form. And speaking of animation, you can’t browse a toy aisle for too long before finding Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and other characters from “Frozen II.”
If dinosaurs are your thing, Mattel has you covered with its “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” line, featuring characters and dinosaurs from the classic trilogy and new films. The company’s latest offering is a 6-inch figure of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from his appearance in the original films.
Lastly, Mego, which made a splash in the 1970s for its stylized, 8-inch doll line, continues its renaissance with new several new releases based on Universal Monsters characters, “Star Trek” movie greats and characters from Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
