[ By DAN DEMING ]

[ ENTERTAINMENT CONTRIBUTOR ]

There’s an exceptionally good historical movie playing in Wichita that’s worth the trip and helps people better understand the significant contributions of Harriet Tubman. Especially during the pre and civil war days in helping slaves travel to Northern states where they could be free. If you have forgotten your history, Tubman engineered  the “underground railroad” which found hiding places, pathways and people willing to risk death to smuggle slaves out of the south.

Actress Cynthia Erivo delivers an Academy Award nomination deserved roll as Tubman who also became one of the few women to lead civil war soldiers into a battle freeing slaves. “Harriet” is the one-word title of this 3.5 star movie that did a respectable 12 million dollar box office last weekend when opening in limited theaters.

Two new movies at the B&B Theatre at the Hutchinson Mall this weekend are “Dr. Sleep” and “Last Christmas.” The latter tells about a woman taking a Christmas season job as an elf in a department store, who meets a man who turns her life around. This romantic comedy is PG-13 rated because of language and sexual content. So don’t take the kids expecting to see a seasonal story they will enjoy because they probably won’t.

Dr. Sleep is another Stephen King psychological thriller filled with horror and mystery. It features a man struggling with alcoholism who meets a teenager that shares his extra-sensory gift of “the shine.” It brings back features from Jack Nickelson’s classic, “The Shining,” also a King written movie. However, this time features battling a cult while one of the characters works to become immortal. Dr. Sleep is R-rated.

 

 

“Movie news you can use” is a weekly feature submitted by Dan Deming. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Hutch Post or its affiliates.