YESTERDAY

Imagine there’s no Beatles. It’s easy if you try.

Well, actually, it’s almost impossible to imagine world where the Beatles were never formed, but that’s exactly what the filmmakers did with Yesterday. Suspend your disbelief and you will be fine. A wanna-be singer/songwriter named Jack (Himish Patel) has a freak accident, hits his head and wakes up in a whole new world- one without cigarettes (yay!), Coke or, gasp, the Beatles. He then proceeds to play Beatles songs and everyone believes he wrote them. He skyrockets to fame, winning the admiration of fans world-wide, including Ed Sheeran, who appears as himself in the film. Of course, his manager -a very Zoey Dechannel looking chick (Lily James) and he fall in love, turning the picture into a full-blown rom-com. The movie is absolutely “G” rated. You can even take your mother to see it! Of course, the best scene in the entire movie comes when Jack is told to go out to a remote island to visit someone who gives him the advice of a lifetime. Yesterday is a fun filled romp set to a backdrop of great Beatles songs.

Four out of Five Stars

-Michael Buffalo Smith

JUDY

Rene Zellweger will no doubt be a front runner in the Best Actress category at the next Oscars for her performance as the legendary actress Judy Garland. Zellwegar does a lot more than just pretend to be Judy, she becomes Judy Garland, body and soul, and ever does her own singing.

I was thinking going in that it would be Judy's life story, and we'd see recreations of her role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. What it turned out to be is the story of Garland during the last years of her life, when she was broke and addicted to drugs. Kind of depressing, but very well acted. The film shows what it's like when a star is born and then burns out. Apparently, this happens a lot in Hollywood.

For me, the big payoff comes at the end of the movie when Judy gets real and honest with her audience, and closes her show with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." No spoilers here, but the scene is quite heartwarming on multiple levels.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS

-Michael Buffalo Smith

Return to the Trailer Park

As if I don't have enough on my plate already, I decided it was time to resurrect Buffalo's Trailer Park, the blog where I have fun reviewing the latest movies in my own, totally Southern voice. You may remember I had the blog going back around 2009 or so, then I went through a series of health setbacks and it, like many other projects, fell by the wayside. Well, fellow babies, I'm back and I promise I will try not to steer you wrong.

Please let me know if you agree, disagree or have no darn opinion at all! E-mail me at michaelbuffalosmith@gmail.com

See you at the movies!
Buffalo