The Capitol Hill Film Classic is taking place this Thursday June 13th and includes a unique short film knockout style competition where local entries compete against the best in the world. All submissions are divided into four geographical brackets — American, International, Local DMV and First Time Filmmakers — which …

Did you know the system in place that rates movies is 50 years old? 50! It’s called the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) and we sat down with the wonder woman in charge – Joan Graves – to learn about how our favorite movies get rated before they hit the …

Disappointing, especially since I wanted to like this film. Starring the founder of the “No shirt, no problem” campaign Matthew McConaughey and the universally beloved actress Anne Hathaway, Interstellar leaves the audience saying, “Well, I guess even Christopher Nolan can’t win them all.” The middle 1 hour 45 minutes is a damn good piece of cinema: spectacular, exciting, strong twists, good pacing, and it’s just plain gorgeous. But the first and last 30 minutes will leave you cold and full of questions, like: —If a movie is named Interstellar, then why the hell am I spending more time in the American dirt than a Georgia peanut farmer? —Why does the plot’s conclusion feel so lazy? Like “drunk at noon” lazy? —Wait, so this ISN’T the “I’m a singing French prostitute” Anne Hathaway movie?! Well shit. Running a mind bending 2 hours and 45 minutes, Interstellar is far more SciFi than its trailer suggests. Now I’m nerdy as hell, so I was fine with it. But the SciFi nature of it will turn off a majority of general audiences. If you like SciFi, see it on the biggest screen you can find. It’s worth it. If not, don’t see it at all. Wait for it on Netflix.

The Skinny (No Spoilers) When I was in high school, my U.S. history professor said that the biggest mistake that teachers make is to not teach past World War II. Whether it is from spending too much time on the Civil War or on the outsized personalities of revolutionary presidents, most professors run out of time at the end of the year and are only able to get us to 1945. As a result, we have kids that know what happened at the constitutional convention, but don’t know about those events that still directly impact their contemporary worlds: What caused the first Gulf War? What is the Civil Right Acts? What the hell happened during the Vietnam War? Last Days in Vietnam is a damn good documentary on the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon in 1975. The famous picture of people scurrying to the roof to board a helicopter has been burned into a generation of American memories, rightly or wrongly, as a symbol of the wars futility (even though the roof shown is not actually that of the embassy). Directed by Rory Kennedy, who won an Emmy for the documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, Last Days of Vietnam uses interviews from former embassy workers and soldiers, American and Vietnamese, to paint of rich narrative of those chaotic days. Running a quick 98 minutes, Last Days in Vietnam moves quick as a bunny, while still giving the viewer the necessary context. This is a must watch for those within Generation Y, since it is highly unlikely they have read, or heard, much about these April events.

#NATIONAL Never forget; don’t take your vitamins; A public apology that was actually terrible; male birth control is coming; these fashion models never need to eat; Ricky Gervais already got the new Apple Watch; Ducktales with real ducks; all your favorite movies recreated with stock footage; Schwarzenegger painted over Maria; …

“Expendable” is a perfect description of what the director must have thought of this script. Every sentence that doesn’t exit the mouth of Mel Gibson or Antonio Banderas is just like a drunk freshman at the bar: a god damn train wreck. However, if you 1) are ok with ear-melting dialog and 2) wanna see a tank-load of fistfights, gun play, and explosions, you might just find this film enjoyable. Sometimes you just need an old school, dumb as dirt action movie. You have seen this movie’s trailers. The movie is exactly what you imagine it is like. Unfortunately, there are also no real surprises. Pity. Wait for it on Netflix and then watch only while having a boring Saturday afternoon.

Exhausted. That’s the word that best describes how you will feel after this movie. It is 2 hours and 45 minutes, not including previews. This movie is a chore. The CGI? Same as the last three movies. The acting? Are you kidding me?!?. The lack of Megan Fox? An unmitigated cinematic tragedy.  I’m not going dwell on the plot not making sense. Complaining about the plot not making sense in a Transformers movie is like bitching about the lack of flavor in a Natty Lite. What the else did you expect? There is no compelling reason why 165 minutes are necessary to tell a story about Marky Mark and handful of oversized, malleable Hot Wheels. Hell, the final battle lasted a full 30 (freaking) minutes. The saddest thing: It’s actually better than the last two Transformer movies. Decent step up of the characters, their connection to one another, and the overall plot (No matter how complicated and pretzel-like it might be). In fact, the first 1 and 45 minutes is NOT a complete train wreck. However, after this 45th minute, it’s straight downhill. Stilted dialog, predictable outcomes, and my goodness do the Transformers themselves sound stupid. Do me a favor: Don’t see this movie. Fireworks and beer are expensive. I’m saying you’re better off blowing up your money. Be your own version of Michael Bay.

Sequel. Few words in entertainment hold as much possibility . . . and potential for failure. Without the burden of world building from scratch, the storytellers have the entire two-ish hours to tell their tale: The Godfather II; The Empire Strikes Back; Aliens; The Dark Knight; Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. However they can also try to accomplish too much in too short a time, flooding the zone with characters and plot line to a point where it is becomes one big mess: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; The Matrix Reloaded; Speed II. Hell, even Legally Blonde II feel far below its predecessor in quality. In the end, a lot of right and a helluva lotta wrong can occur in the second movie. It is within this paradigm that we find “22 Jump Street”, the newest installment of the buddy cop genre featuring faux-Chippendales dancer Channing Tatum, and our favorite AARP-version of humpty dumpty, Jonah Hill. It’s hilarious and better than the first one, plain and simple. The two main characters shine, the side characters get a lot more screen time, and the plot is not a carbon copy of the first (a classic flaw that dooms most sequels). However, its self-aware nature really makes this stand out. They “get it”, are in on the jokes, and just wanna have a good time.

Let’s lay our cards on the table, shall we? This is a good movie, but you will not have a good time at this movie. I would say that the movie is an emotional roller coaster, but that would imply that it actually goes up at some point. Everyone in the theatre was sniffling, whimpering, or straight up balling except for me. But that’s not because I’m heartless: I wept like an 18th century French poet during the first 10 minutes of “Up”. The cast makes the characters relatable and sympathetic. It has good pacing and writing that, while not award winning, accomplishes its mission. Buy a ticket or wait for Netflix, either is an acceptable option. Just be prepared to contemplate the mortality of your friends, family, and self for multiple hours after it’s over.

Ladies and gentlemen FamousDC presents Neighbors: The Review. The Skinny (No spoilers) Neverland. That’s the term that one of my former coworkers used to describe D.C., a city full of people who seem to be repeatedly hitting the snooze button on their adulthood. “Just five more minutes…I have a free …

Polanski sex scandal film shakes up Sundance The film tells the untold story of the scandal that caused the Polish–born director to flee America.