“God did not want us to play football,” says Bennet Omalu as played by Will Smith in the new film Concussion. The problem of concussions in American football clearly deserves more attention and this film about the doctor who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.) aims to provide it. Although a forensic pathologist discovering brain damage in former football players doesn’t make for the most riveting plot, Concussion keeps the viewer engaged with this important issue through the telling of Dr. Omalu’s compelling life story.
I’ll admit it; when I was younger I loved the first Independence Day movie for what it was. A good old America hoo-ha action flick that I have watched on many Fourth of Julys. Was it a great film? Not exactly, but it was memorable for the special effects, the one liners, and the spirit. Twenty years from the release of the first film, there is now going to be a sequel: Resurgence. Set in 2016 (and slated for a summer 2016 release date), this movie continues down the alternate timeline in which we were invaded by aliens in 1996. And what a timeline that is. The trailer shows how we adapted alien tech to empower our defenses while waiting for the second wave of alien invasion, because like anyone who has ever played Space Invaders knows, there is always another wave coming.
