Last One to Leave the Theatre®

Sense and Sensibility

2026-10-16T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Sense and Sensibility (2026) PG Sense and Sensibility follows sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esme Creed-Miles) as they cope with the aftermath of their father’s death. The two sisters must navigate romance, social expectations, and the need to find a husband to keep the family from falling apart. It’s hard to follow a classic, exquisitely written film with top-notch performances. This is a fine, well-crafted movie, and the performances, especially Daisy Edgar-Jones, are wonderful. So why did I walk away from the theater feeling a little down on this film? I think it lacks the warmth and humor of Emma Thompson's script from the 1995 film. I just never got the joy and lust for life spark this Austen story needs to work. The chemistry between the two sisters is good, but their reconciliation comes too easily and lacks the passion that scene needs. Still, it’s a good movie, but does that justify remaking a classic? I came away thinking it does not. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Sense and Sensiblity Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Whalefall (2026) PG-13 In Whalefall, teenager Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving and is accidentally swallowed by an 80-foot whale. With only 60 minutes of oxygen, he has to figure out how to escape. There have been a lot of films about being trapped in a cave, including the excellent The Descent (2006). Still, I don’t think there are a lot of films (Pinocchio films are the exception) about trying to escape the belly of a whale, unless you want to talk about stories I learned about in Vacation Bible School. So writer/director Brian Duffield brings us Whalefall, based on Daniel Kraus's best-selling book. The film tells two stories: one is about the stormy relationship between Jay and his father, Mitt (played by the always interesting Josh Brolin), and the other is about how he ends up in the whale and his attempts to escape. As Jay tries to escape the whale, we go back into the past and see how tough Mitt was on Jay. Jay seems to disappoint Mitt at almost every turn, never living up to the standards Mitt has set for him. This continues until Jay decides to go to college in Iowa (just about as landlocked as you can get) and leave his family behind. All the while, Jay is in an incredibly claustrophobic and dangerous environment, with a limited amount of oxygen and seemingly an impossible task of escaping. This is a tough film to watch, and you will look forward to the interactions between Mitt and Jay just to get a breather from all the horrible things happening in the whale. It’s a film that you may have to look away a few times, as you would expect, things get pretty grisly. Austin Abrams does a Herculean job of showing us how frightening and difficult it is to survive in the whale. The film is somewhat brought down by the ending, which, for a film about being swallowed by a whale, feels strange and unbelievable. I also struggled to figure out what Jay’s escape plan was, since he never goes into any explanation of what he is doing. Still, if you want to join Jay on a very claustrophobic, scary ride while Mitt lectures you on the wonders of the sea, strap on an oxygen tank, check your gauges, and hold on tight. It’s going to be an icky and bumpy ride. Hope you have a strong stomach. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Whalefall Website Now playing in theaters

My View: You Can See Everything (2026) R You Can See Everything is a documentary where a documentary crew is invited to follow Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes every move, just thirty-four days before she is sent to prison. What starts as a portrait of an embattled executive becomes a three-year journey into manipulation, truth, and reality. When I tell people I see over three hundred new releases a year, they always ask, "Don’t you get tired of seeing films?" You Can See Everything is the reason I see so many films. I rarely walk in hoping that the film will be good, and then I am blown away by the experience. This is one of those films. I think this could be the first documentary to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It’s that damn great. After enduring the 4-hour rambling of the Alex Gibney Musk documentary, I was worried that I was just a few days later, walking into a screening that was almost 3 hours in length. I will tell you, not only did I notice how long the film is, but there really isn’t a place to take a bathroom break, because you don’t want to miss a single minute of this astounding film. You Can See Everything is a movie that leaves you walking out going, “What did I just see?” Most people know about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and how her company swindled a ton of money by promising her machine could test for multiple tasks from a single drop of blood. This documentary doesn’t retell her story; instead, this is about a filmmaker, Nathan Fielder, who goes to the home of Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their two young children to spend time with them as Elizabeth gets ready to serve her time in prison. When Fielder starts to think that Elizabeth and Billy are playing him, he then takes them up on staying in their house full time. It’s an unbelievable look at two people who are either very good at lying or truly believe Elizabeth didn’t do anything wrong. Holmes may be one of the strangest, weirdest people ever profiled so closely in a documentary. And you can see why people fell under her spell. She stares at you with an unnerving, steady intensity, nodding at every word you say. She is either one of the greatest liars of all time (she claims she has never lied in her life) or is so involved in her own little world of reality that she believes everything she says. On the other hand, you don’t like Billy from the start, and his attempts at manipulation begin almost immediately. Billy is definitely the villain in this passion play, but the question is whether Elizabeth is in on the con or being conned herself. At the halfway point of the film, Elizabeth is on her way to prison. I looked down at my watch and thought, wait, there is still more to come? Then one of the biggest twists in documentary history hits you over the head, and for the rest of the film you are just trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Please see this film as soon as possible, because the twist is going to get out, and it won’t have the impact it does if you know it ahead of time. This film feels like a comedy at times, but then, at a moment's notice, it turns into something that makes you angry or can’t believe what you're hearing. This is a magical film that you will walk out of the theater with more questions than answers. It’s also a film you will want to walk back in and buy another ticket right away to experience the thrill ride it provides again. Academy voters: do the right thing and nominate this incredibly original film for Best Picture. It deserves it. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again You Can See Everything Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Street Fighter (2026) PG-13 Street Fighter follows martial arts fighter Ryu (Andrew Koji) and actor Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are recruited to fight in the World Warrior Tournament. Little do they know that the tournament is a trap set by criminal mastermind M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) to take over the world. Video game fans will be disappointed, and people like me, who only have a vague recollection of the game, will be looking at their watches, wondering when this mess of a movie will end. WWE fans will be disappointed by the brief appearances of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. I was especially surprised at how little fan favorite Guile (Cody Rhodes) fought in the movie. David Dastmalchian plays M. Bison, one of the worst bad guys that I have ever seen in a movie. Heck, bad 70s Saturday morning cartoons had better bad guys than M. Bison. In fact, those bad cartoons also had better comedic moments than this film. The film seems to treat the tournament as an afterthought, with very little action in the ring. And the film keeps going and going, dragging on for two hours. Then you have Jason Momoa, in a long line of weird characters, playing a Hulk knockoff with the I.Q. of a Twinkie. I liked the animation sequences (there were quite a few) that tell the origin stories of our two heroes, but they can’t save a film with no idea what its plot is, and that ends with a whimper. There is a bonus sequence after the first portion of credits, but even it’s not worth sticking around for. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Street Fighter Website The review of the film will be posted Friday night Now playing in theaters

My View: Love of Your Life (2026) R Love of Your Life follows Maya (Margaret Qualley), a Boston emergency room nurse who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, falls in love and marries Charlie (Gabriel Basso), only to lose him to the virus. Overcome with grief, Maya decides to become a nomad, traveling around Europe, where she meets Felix (Aaron Pierre), who helps her heal and trust again. I am a big fan of Margaret Qualley, and this is her film as we follow Maya on her journey to find love, lose it, and deal with the feeling of isolation, loneliness, and guilt. This isn't the film I expected. I expected a rom-com or maybe even a rom-drama, but this is more of a plain drama with some romance (early on) thrown in. Qualley gives a moving, captivating performance as a woman who, until she met Charlie, wasn’t interested in finding love. We see how the couple grew into something special, only for COVID to take it away. The rest of the film follows a woman trying not to feel, avoiding the guilt and despair she is hiding from. Then Felix comes along, and Maya starts to feel again, but is she ready, or able, to stay in a relationship? This drama is about loss, friendship, forgiveness, and finding the strength to change, and Qualley takes us on Maya’s journey, showing how life can be cruel, but forgiveness is possible if you work hard enough. My Rating: Full Price Love of Your LIfe Website Now playing on Amazon Prime

Indiefest: Musk (2026) R Musk is a documentary that follows billionaire businessman Elon Musk and his enormous influence on politics and life in America and the world. Alex Gibney, who won an Academy Award for his 2007 documentary Taxi to the Dark Side and gave us the incredible Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015), brings us an extensive look at Elon Musk's life and work. Four hours’ worth. I will admit I saw this at home, where I could take breaks, so I can only imagine seeing it in a theater where, at the 2-hour mark, you get a 10-minute intermission. I think this would have worked better as a doc-series (the film is already broken up into sections) than as a single sitting (where you start to feel overloaded with details about Musk and his changing opinions to make more and more money). If you don’t like Musk, you certainly won’t like him by the end of the film. If you're a Musk admirer, maybe a fan of his SpaceX work, you are going to have a hard time enjoying this film. Almost from the start, the film does not paint Musk in a good light. Well, except for the digital avatar of Musk, which is synced with his past audio quotes. The avatar Musk, in his leather jacket and full head of hair, makes Musk look a little like a movie star. The problem with this film is that, other than a few small tidbits, we learn nothing new about Musk. He is so much in our news cycle, and so many profiles have been done on him; this film feels like a visual look at something we could look up online. One scene tells you everything you need to know about Musk and his investor buddies. A joke is made that only the rich and pompous would think was funny. Everyone else would say it was not only in poor taste but offensive. Did I enjoy watching this movie? No, but I don’t like Musk or his ever-changing agenda. But I expected from a talented documentary filmmaker like Gibney to at least be entertained and learn something about his subject. Instead, I got a rehash of things I already knew or, for that matter, didn’t want to know. Documentaries should be informative and thought-provoking. I got neither from this film, just the feeling that I was tired of seeing Musk tell me how great he is. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Musk Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Misty Green (2026) Misty (Rosalind Eleazar) was once on a hot TV show that made her an icon. However, a few bad breaks and a bad attitude have left Misty staying in her married lover’s condo, on the bottom rung of Hollywood, where she has to audition for even small parts. Add in the fact that her lover has died and his wife wants her out of the condo by the end of the week. Things aren't looking up, and she's burned every bridge she can in Hollywood. Misty then finds out about a part in a musical she would be perfect for, but it’s with a director she had a major conflict with. Chris Rock, who wrote and directed the film, also plays the director Misty caused a major problem for on a film he worked on. There is one thing that Misty can do, and it's sing, and it might be the ticket back to stardom. Misty is a hard character to like, much less root for. She is her own worst enemy, and her ego won’t let her compromise. Rosalind Eleazar is brilliant in the role and makes us believe Misty could be a star if she would learn from her mistakes. It’s a powerful performance that overshadows a script with incredibly shallow, weak supporting characters, including the director Rock plays. Every character, except the director Rock plays, has major problems, which makes his character seem too good to be true and everyone else seem nuts. The film keeps Misty making the same mistakes, and the ending could have come ten minutes earlier, which would have had more impact than Rock's ending. Eleazar gets to sing a few songs, and those are some of the best moments in the film, but overall, the film needed a few more rewrites and more fleshed-out characters to work, despite Rosalind Eleazar’s performance. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Misty Green Website Now playing in select theaters

My View: Tenzing (2026) PG Tenzing centers on Himalayan Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok), who, in 1953, undertook the impossible with Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston). They became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. History often forgets the people who don’t get the spotlight, or the supporting members of a big event. When I learned about reaching the summit of Mount Everest, something that had been tried and failed, it was all about Sir Edmund Hillary, and yes, I knew he had a Sherpa guide with him, but I don’t think I ever even knew his name. This film corrects that oversight for every history teacher who taught this story when I was a kid. Tenzing is a remarkable story about a man who believed in himself and his ability to climb a mountain he'd dreamed of since childhood. The film has some incredible climbing scenes, and we get to know and root for Tenzing because of who he is. What I loved about this film is that it has two big stars, Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary and Willem Dafoe as the expedition leader, John Hunt, but it’s Genden Phuntsok who carries the film with grace and believability as the resilient, positive-thinking Tenzing. This is a beautiful story about never giving up and overcoming the impossible. The film underscores this by using the local name for the mountain, Chomolungma, more often than Everest. I think it’s time to rewrite the history books. My Rating: Full Price Tenzing Website Streaming on Apple TV

Forgotten Film: Since I mentioned this film in my Whalefall review, I thought I would reprint my review (June 2018 of the 2006 horror classic. The Descent (2005) R A caving expedition goes horribly wrong as six women become lost inside a previously unexplored cave. Trapped in the cave, they desperately try to find a way out as a strange breed of predators pursues them. This little-seen horror film was one of the best movies of 2005. The film builds tension almost from the start, and it features first-rate performances from Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, and Alex Reid. The film draws on many adventure films, including movies centered on space travel, and the cinematography uses the caves and darkness to build tension and scares. I will warn you: this film is very gruesome and graphic, but if you are looking for a horror film, you can't do better than this one. My Rating: Full Price The Descent Info Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Whalefall: Special Effects Manipulator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Wicker (2026) R Wicker follows a lonely, ill-tempered woman (Olivia Colman) who is tired of living alone and asks a local basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a wicker husband. His creation comes to life (Alexander Skarsgard) and is everything she could ever want in a companion. However, his presence sparks the close-minded village into chaos. The film currently has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 30 reviews. Wicker Website In theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026

Until Next Time!

The Social Reckoning

2026-10-09T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: The Social Reckoning (2026) R The Social Reckoning centers on Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook engineer who discovers that the company favored corporate profit over user safety and teen mental health. She teams up with reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) to expose what Facebook is doing, while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) tries to find the source of the leak and stop it from getting out. The Social Reckoning is a sequel, of sorts, to the 2010 multi-Oscar-nominated (3 wins) film The Social Network, for which Aaron Sorkin won a well-deserved Academy Award for his screenplay. I say “of sorts” because The Social Reckoning feels very disjointed from the earlier film. The Social Reckoning seems like a film that is too little, too late. Unlike in 2010, when David Fincher directed one of the year's best films, Sorkin both wrote and directed this one. And that, my friends, is the problem with this film. In 2010, we were still learning what a weird, egomaniac Zuckerberg was, and The Social Network showed us who he was and how Facebook began. Sorkin has created a film where he blames Zuckerberg for both the insurrection of 2021 and the death of journalism. Both ideas keep hitting us over the head with rapid-fire dialogue and flashbacks that show us the violence committed that day and its aftermath. If this film had been made in 2021 or even 2022, maybe it would have had more of an impact. But in 2026, with Trump re-elected, it feels hollow and loses any impact Sorkin wanted. I did enjoy the back-and-forth dialogue (in true Sorkin fashion) between the two heroes. Frances, played by Mikey Madison, who proves her Oscar win wasn’t a ‘one and done’, is a woman who slowly realizes she can’t give Jeremy Allen White’s reporter, Jeff Horwitz, a few clues about what is happening at Facebook but must help tell the story. Things move along as the two characters bicker with each other while both conclude the world needs to know what Facebook is doing to make money at the expense of its members' safety (and, for that matter, the nation's). I can see why Jesse Eisenberg turned down returning to a role that got him an Academy Award nomination. Jeremy Strong’s Zuckerberg is so lifeless that they could have used one of those old robots in Disney World’s Hall of Presidents to play the part. I won’t give away the end, but it is so heavy-handed and low-impact that the final shot with Mikey Madison’s character is laughable. This isn’t a bad film; it’s just bland. With this cast and Sorkin as a writer, The Social Reckoning should have been great, but it has no impact on today’s audiences. I’ll sum up The Social Reckoning with a saying my father used to say: “A day late and a dollar short.” Okay, more than a day late. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Social Reckoning Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Other Mommy (2026) R In Other Mommy, Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) is living in a home where her parents (Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass) are barely getting along. One day, a supernatural doppelgänger that looks just like Bella’s mother emerges, which Bela calls “Other Mommy”. This Other Mommy is about to threaten the safety of the family by manipulating Bela against her actual parents. It’s an awful film when the best jump scare you have is wasted in the trailer. This tedious, un-scary “horror” film is boring, stupid, and lacks any imagination. The only hope for this film was if they had camped it up, but it takes itself so seriously that when the family gets together to divide up the kitchen utensils to take on the baddy demon, I had to laugh out loud. “You take the meat cleaver, I’ll take this potato masher and honey, what do you want?” I guess that Jessica Chastain signed up for this drag of film, because she was a fan of the book, Josh Malerman’s 2024 bestselling novel “Incidents Around the House”,which I hear is “keep all the lights on in the house when you read it” scary. This film, sadly, is not scary, shape, or form (mother or demon-wise), even close to being more than an "oh, look, the kid is now on the ceiling" boring. Skip this snooze-fest and go read the book. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Other Mommy Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Animals (2026) R Animals follows a mayoral candidate (Ben Affleck) and his wife (Kerry Washington) as they desperately try to pay their kidnapped son’s ransom and resort to extreme measures to get the money they need, uncovering dark secrets they never intended to confront. With an all-star cast that includes Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun, Ben Affleck stars and directs this thriller about a kidnapping that gets more complicated as the night goes on. Washington and Affleck are believable as a couple whose marriage isn’t as solid as it seems. I liked the scenes between them as the tension grows, and they’re forced to tell each other the truth about their marriage. Yeun is good as the campaign director focused on getting his candidate elected, and, as usual, Gillian Anderson is fun as a mysterious money person who can come up with the money and a plan to get the kid back. As a director, Affleck does an adequate job creating tension, and this is a darker film, without some of the lightness of his past thrillers; except for the always deadpan Anderson delivering some delicious lines, the film is nothing more than an I blame you, and you blame me story. There are some twists and turns, but unfortunately you can see some of them coming before they are played out. The ending feels too effortless to believe, and the film is an unsatisfying thriller that stays too grounded and can’t be saved by its two leads trying to carry the story. My Rating: Cable Animals Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest: Who is Martin Mull? (2026) Who Is Martin Mull? is a documentary that follows his life from his early days in smoky comedy clubs and opening for rock acts to prime-time television like Roseanne and films like Mr. Mom, all while he pursued his true passion: painting. His paintings were hung in major institutions like the Whitney and the Museum of Modern Art. I have been a fan of Martin Mull since I saw his PBS special, 60 Minutes to Kill, in the early 80s, and it was a comedic gem. I love that this documentary gives us so much footage from his early years as a comic. I was going to say stand-up comic, but he spent most of his comedy tours in a worn-out armchair. He mixed incredibly funny songs with an almost asshole demeanor, with stories and jokes that always had a twist and, most of the time, tricked or even insulted the audience to their delight. What the film brings to light is that comedy wasn’t his first love. It was painting, and he used the money he made so that he could paint. His painting didn’t become popular or expensive until his 60s, but he was always painting. It’s funny, but a lot of comics have rough childhoods. Martin declines to talk about it, but his siblings tell us what a horrible dad he had, and it’s amazing how Martin became a nice, sweet man who cared about people, especially his second wife and his daughter. So pull up an easy chair, grab a drink, and sit down to enjoy a man whose comedic talent was vast, but whose passion for painting kept him going. Bob Saget directed most of this film before his untimely death, and Neil Berkeley completed it. Martin, who died in 2024, comments on how many of his friends are dying around him. It’s shocking that so many of the people interviewed in this film also died before this film was completed. My Rating: Full Price Who Is Martin Mull? Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Matchbox: The Movie (2026) PG-13 In Matchbox: The Movie, Sean Walker (John Cena) returns home and reunites with his childhood friends. What his friends don’t know is that Sean works for the CIA and has been kidnapped by a group looking for a nuclear warhead. The CIA accuses his friends of stealing the warhead, and so the group decides to save Sean on their own and re-steal the warhead. I loved Matchbox cars as a kid. My favorite was a white Chaparral 2 car with a cool rear wing. So you would think there would be a whole lot of really cool cars in this film (maybe even one with a tall rear wing). Nope, there aren’t even that many car chases. Instead, we get a lot of Cena beating up bad guys, an incredibly stupid plot, and Jessica Biel being wasted in her first film role in almost 10 years. I have no idea who this film was aimed at; I guess Matchbox kids that have grown up. Too bad we get this unfunny, very generic action film without a lot of cool cars to play with. My Rating: Cable Matchbox: The Movie Info Now playing on Apple TV

Forgotten Film: The Masque of the Red Death (1964) A European prince (Vincent Price), who worships the devil, terrorizes the local peasants during the fatal plague known as the “Red Death”, going as far as burning their villages and stealing women he covets. While the peasants are dying, the prince holds a lavish masquerade ball for the wealthy nobility. The prince soon meets a person in a red cloak and mask who will change his life. This is not the usual schlock film that had made Roger Corman the king of cheap horror films. Instead, the film is lush in its costumes, and the cinematography is incredibly striking (by a soon-to-be director named Nicolas Roeg). Most people today know Vincent Price only for his narration of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller," but Price is incredibly sinister in this film, making his character drip with evil oozing from every pore. This is a fun ride of a Poe short story and worth watching as a taste of the coming Halloween season. My Rating: Full Price The Masque of Red Death Info Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Animals: Color Scientist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: You Can See Everything (2026) R You Can See Everything is a documentary where a documentary crew is invited to follow Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes every move, just thirty-four days before she is sent to prison. What starts as a portrait of an embattled executive becomes a three-year journey into manipulation, truth, and reality. You Can See Everything Website In theaters on Friday, October 16, 2026\

Until Next Time!

Digger

2026-10-02T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Digger (2026) R Digger follows Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), an eccentric oil tycoon who accidentally triggers a catastrophic global ecological disaster. He then embarks on a mission to save the planet and become Earth’s hero. I’ll tell you right off the start that some people will not like this movie. In fact, some people won't even understand this movie. This is a film that, after an hour (we still had more than an hour to go), I would've left if I wasn't reviewing it. I guess it’s a satire, but I’m not even sure of that. I do know that it’s a mess, and except for a couple of quick scenes, it’s not funny or witty. Instead, it's a mess that tries to tell us the message that we are doomed. Thanks, but I already get that from the internet. Before the movie came out, there were thoughts that Tom Cruise might be nominated for an Oscar for this part. Not happening, Tom. In fact, I think it was really easy for Tom to do this part, as he overacts and rebels on and on. And a lot was made about the 6 hours it took to turn Tom into Digger, but he still looked like Tom Cruise, just with a pouch and some grey hair. The only bright spot in this film is John Goodman, who plays the President, a man willing to throw anybody and any country under the rug so that the blame doesn’t come back on him. There is a big twist in this movie, but it's so badly revealed that it took me about five minutes after it happened to figure out what the twist was. Sadly, the most interesting thing I found to watch in this movie was some extras acting during the credit scenes at the end of the film. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Digger Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Verity (2026) R In Verity, Lowen (Dakota Johnson) is a writer desperate for work when she is contacted by bestselling author Verity Crawford’s husband (Josh Hartnett). After a mysterious accident leaves Verity (Anne Hathaway) incapacitated and comatose, Lowen is hired to ghostwrite the final books in Verity’s bestselling series. Lowen discovers a manuscript containing disturbing confessions, making her wonder who to believe and whether she is safe in the house. This is a stupid, fun movie with a few chills and lots of plot twists, but it's sunk by an ending that seems crafted by someone who hasn’t read the rest of the script. Hathaway looks to be having a blast as a writer who crafts books about people doing nasty, evil things and then turns out she does them in real life too. I have become a big fan of Dakota Johnson, but this is not her best work. Her mopey character has almost no charisma and makes it hard for us to root for her, which isn’t great when she is playing the other woman in this weird relationship. The ending is what makes this film fall apart; I wanted to yell at the screen, “But what about…”. Instead, we are asked just to accept it. I will say this: the movie is worth the price of admission to see the house they live in, but like the rest of the movie, it never explains how this strange house came about or why it has giant rocks in the hallways. Maybe the book the film is based on gives us more clues and a better ending. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Verity Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (2026) R Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother follows Latif (Mahershala Ali), a devout Muslim hitman, as he deals with his wife’s unexpected death. He must juggle raising three children, including a newborn who needs breast milk, while he has just been given a contract to kill a local religious leader. Mahershala Ali is brilliant in this film, which is part family drama and part 70s gangster film. This is an action film where people are getting brutally killed or beaten up, all the while our hero cares deeply about his family, and for half the film, he has a baby that he is carrying around. Mahershala Ali trained for almost a year to star in a reboot of Blade, but it fell through, so he put those skills to good use in this film, including some swordplay. Ali goes from killing someone to, in the next scene, talking to his son about proper manners. This is a film where we root for someone who kills for a living but is not over the death of his wife and is struggling to find formula for his baby. Your Mother is a film where the main character has to keep making choices and deciding what is good for his family or for his livelihood. The one thing you don’t want to do with Latif is push him into a corner. The results can be deadly for the people he is dealing with, but they can also make for great action scenes for us. My Rating: Full Price Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother Info Now playing in select theaters

My View: Unabomber (2026) R Unabomber centers on Ted Kaczynski (Jacob Tremblay), who was once a promising student at Harvard University and became the terrorist known as the Unabomber, who terrorized the United States for almost 20 years. This is such a strange movie that doesn’t go anywhere. It jumps back and forth between Kaczynski’s time at Harvard when he was just 16 and the mid-90s, when the FBI was trying to find the Unabomber. The movie shows how isolated Ted was in college and how he was used as part of a psychological experiment (at the behest of the CIA). At Harvard, Ted thinks in the experiment, one of his professors (Russell Crowe) picks him because he is so good at debating. Instead, the experiment aims to break Ted’s will. In the 90s section, Shailene Woodley plays an FBI agent on the trail of the Unabomber who can’t convince anyone the FBI is looking in the wrong places. So she goes out on her own to follow leads. The film feels like it is just going down a list and checking off items it needs to cover. Ted’s smart. Check. Ted has social issues. Check. The professor is tricking him. Check. There isn’t much drama, even when Woodley’s character closes in. In the end, I never cared about Ted, and the movie seems to put the blame for all the people that he hurt and killed on the Harvard experiments. I have a feeling that this format would have worked better as a documentary. As a work of drama, the film takes us down a path that we never feel invested in. My Rating: Cable Unabomber Website Now playing on Netflix

Indiefest: The Incomer (2026) R The Incomer is set on a remote Scottish island, where adult siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) have lived in total isolation for thirty years. The two believe themselves, having been left alone by their parents (who mysteriously disappeared), to be protectors of the island from dreaded “Incomers.” Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson) is one such “Incomer” who has been assigned to evacuate the two to the mainland, and it will not be an easy task, especially because visions of a Finman, a mythical creature, visit Isla. I loved this strange, adult fairy tale movie. The film has amazing back-and-forth dialogue, whether between the two siblings or between Isla and Daniel. This is about three oddball, lonely people finding each other and willing to risk their lives to keep what they love from being taken from them. Gayle Rankin gives a powerful, funny performance as a woman who has lived on an isolated island with her brother for 30 years, then meets Daniel, a man who's interested in her and enjoys her company, even when she goes a little overboard. Grant O’Rourke is perfect as the brother who slowly figures out he might like men and sees the world as one big surprise. Domhnall Gleeson gives us a man who wants to do the right thing but also understands that Isla and Sandy differ greatly from anyone he's ever met. The film is funny, warm, charming, and odd, with the right touch of darkness to make things uncomfortable at times. With outstanding performances and breathtaking Scottish landscapes, The Incomer is a joy to watch. After seeing this film, you just might want to copy Isla’s cry to the gulls. Just be sure to have some birdseed on hand if they get a little too close. My Rating: Full Price The Incomer Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Sparrows (1926) Sparrows shows why Pickford was such a star. She is brilliant and funny as a young woman caring for many children while an evil man keeps them locked up on a small plot of land in the middle of a swamp. We see how evil the man is early in the film when he gets a letter from a mother hoping he is taking care of her child. He takes the doll she has sent her child, crushes its head, and then watches it as it is dropped into the muddy swamp and devoured by the mud. There is some comedy, with Pickford charming the audience as she tries to keep the kids and herself out of trouble, but it isn’t easy, as the evil man’s son is also cruel and makes it his pastime to harass both Pickford and the kids. The cinematography is striking, and the last third of the film is a brilliant piece of cinema, with Pickford’s character leading her kids to safety through a swamp full of rivers, mud, and alligators. And Jesus even shows up. This film still holds up, and I have to believe audiences went wild for it in 1926. My Rating: Full Price Sparrows Info The film is available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Digger: Special Effects Teeth

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Other Mommy (2026) R In Other Mommy, Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) is living in a home where her parents (Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass) are barely getting along. One day, a supernatural doppelgänger that looks just like Bella’s mother emerges, which Bela calls “Other Mommy”. This Other Mommy is about to threaten the safety of the family by manipulating Bela against her actual parents. The film is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 bestselling novel "Incidents Around the House." Other Mommy Website In theaters nationwide on Friday, October 9, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Heart of the Beast

2026-09-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Heart of the Beast (2026) PG-13 Heart of the Beast follows James (Brad Pitt), a former Special Forces soldier who is suffering from residual trauma and has some personal demons. On a flight in his single-engine plane, James and his only companion, Odin, his loyal and retired combat German Shepherd, crash in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Battling a brutal environment, James promises Odin he will get him home if it’s the last thing he does. This film is about perseverance, loyalty, and two kindred souls who have been through hell and back and are there for each other. This is a story of survival, but it’s also a story of two beings in tune and working together as a team. We all know that Brad Pitt is an excellent actor, but his screen partner, Uber (who plays Odin), overshadows him. One of my critic groups used to have an award for Best Dog. If we still had it, Uber would win hands down. In relationship-based films, critics talk a lot about on-screen chemistry. The scenes between Odin and James are amazing and incredibly touching. Heart of the Beast just gives us brief glimpses of the trauma the two share, and instead we see that both the man and dog suffer from PTSD. The action sequences are well done, and the plane crash is rather scary. So go on an adventure with James and Odin; don’t forget Odin's treats. My Rating: Full Price Heart of the Beast Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Primetime (2026) R In Primetime, reporter Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) is at the top of the TV world with a top-ten-rated show, Dateline’s To Catch a Predator. His producer, Andie (Merritt Wever), will do anything to keep the show’s ratings up. Everything is great until the line between reality and ratings brings it all crashing down. Anchored (no pun intended) by outstanding performances by Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, Merritt Wever as his producer, who ties her future to his rising star, and Skyler Gisondo as an actor who takes the job only to get his SAG card and has the job as one of the actors who lures the men to be caught, the film gives us a look at just how far a TV show would go to get ratings. Pattinson is perfect as a man so caught up in getting famous that he even answers a phone call from his wife with “Chris Hansen, Dateline.” The film shows a man who lures men into a setup where their lives are ruined, and America gets to watch it happen. I loved Merritt Wever’s producer,, who loves being in charge and making the calls, all while dealing with the diva that Hansen is. She can’t see the train wreck that is about to happen because she is convinced that this job will get her all the awards and recognition. Skyler Gisondo, as the actor hired and literally thrown into the production, gives us someone we can root for (for a while). Still, even Skyler falls under the spell of being on TV and, at one point, when Hansen has one of his meltdowns, takes over as the host of the show. My problem with the film is that I never felt an emotional pull from it. The ending feels shallow and a letdown, without the shock and horror that the situation should have brought. Having read a lot about this true story, including the 2007 Esquire article the film is loosely based on, I know many people who worked on To Catch a Predator were scared by the experience, especially the actors who lured the men into being caught. We never get that from the film, and that’s a shame. We see what causes the downfall, but not what happens afterward. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Primetime Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

Familyfaire: Forgotten Island (2026) PG Forgotten Island is set in the Philippines, where two childhood friends are at a crossroads after graduating high school. Raissa is about to move to the United States for college, while Jo is trying to persuade her to stay. The two best friends are suddenly transported through a portal to the fantastic island of Nakali. It’s a place where memories gradually fade the longer one remains. I had so much fun with this film. Forgotten Island definitely takes some pointers from Japanese animation, especially whenever the two friends show emotion or excitement; their faces almost explode. The monsters are creative and fun, and the back-and-forth banter between Raissa and Jo is funny and lively. The film is creative and daring, with some great characters that show how important memories are in relationships and life. The animation is colorful and at times explosive, creating a cavalcade of action sequences that bombard you with fun sequences. I loved how the filmmakers included the Filipino mythology, showing how the ‘monsters’ are rooted in their traditions and mores. This is a blast to watch, though I think it may be a little too complicated and scary for very young kids. And while you're watching, don’t let a certain monster steal a memory or two. My Rating: Full Price Forgotten Island Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: You Had to Be There (2025) You Had to Be There is a documentary about the 1972 Toronto production of the stage musical Godspell, from which many cast members would soon make their mark on comedy through projects such as The Second City, Saturday Night Live, and SCTV. This is a funny, delightful look at a time in history when so many future comedy greats were on stage in Toronto at the same time. The cast included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, and Jayne Eastwood, with Paul Shaffer serving as musical director. Everyone but, of course, the late Gilda Radner, was interviewed extensively and, as you would expect, they tell some amazing stories. Even Gilda shows up in audio recordings because Martin Short, barely in his twenties, had a tape recorder he took everywhere. Since there aren’t any video recordings of the production, the film uses animation to show what the interviewees are talking about. The stories are wild; the film keeps revealing more and more stories, and everyone interviewed has a great time. What a brilliant job of casting they did in 1972, and it launched a slew of comedy geniuses who continue to delight and entertain us to this day. What I loved most about this film is that the friendships that started in 1972 are still ongoing, and we see that when, near the end of the film, they throw a party, and the cast sings songs from the production to our delight. And, to top it off, there is a special surprise near the end of the film that brings everyone such joy. My Rating: Full Price You Had to Be There Website Now playing in select theaters

My View: Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (2026) R In Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, Haru (Rinko Kikuchi) loves competing in Tokyo’s ballroom dancing competitions with her Mexican husband Luis (Alejandro Edda). After Luis suddenly dies of a heart attack during a competition, Haru goes into a deep depression. Her sister coaxes Haru back into the dance studio, where she meets a new instructor named Fedir (Alberto Guerra). Life suddenly comes alive again for Haru. I am not a big fan of ballroom dancing or Dancing with the Stars, and this film has a lot of dancing. A lot. Ha-Chan: Shake Your Booty! is a story about grief first and a dance movie second. Haru deals with grief in two ways: she flirts with the dance instructor, and she still interacts with the ghost of her dead husband, who first keeps starting up a record player in the home and then shows up dressed in a giant crow outfit. The film keeps shifting in tone, moving between dance movie, comedy, dark drama, and romance. Rinko Kikuchi is wonderful in the part, sexy, funny, and full of grief and loneliness. The film has some impressive moments, including a dance sequence that goes from a fight to a line dance, but Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! in the end doesn’t get anywhere close to a 10 on my card. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Treasure Planet (2002) PG Teenager Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map promising “the loot of a thousand worlds.” He joins a space galleon, led by the valiant Captain Amelia, to find the treasure. However, someone on board has plans for the treasure and is willing to destroy anyone who gets in their way: the cyborg cook John Silver. This is a long-forgotten Disney film that, along with 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, cost Disney a lot of money. In this film, Disney blended hand-drawn 2-D animation with 3D computer-generated scenes that make it look amazing. Trying to catch on with the Steampunk style that was all the rage, the film mixes 19th-century nautical ships with sci-fi elements. The voice cast is outstanding, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jim, Emma Thompson as Captain Amelia, and Brian Murray as John Silver. The film is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island but adds new, exciting scenes and storylines to the classic story. I mean, who wouldn’t want a robot pal voiced by Martin Short? My Rating: Full Price Treasure Planet Info The film is available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Primetime: Suit FX Artists

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Digger (2026) R Digger follows Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), an eccentric oil tycoon who accidentally triggers a catastrophic global ecological disaster. He then embarks on a mission to save the planet and become Earth’s hero. Four-time Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu co-wrote and directs Digger, his first English-language feature since The Revenant (2015). Digger Website The film opens nationwide on Friday, October 2 2026.

Until Next Time!

Resident Evil

2026-09-18T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Resident Evil (2026) R Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who thinks he has an easy delivery next on his route. Instead, he is headed to Raccoon City, where an outbreak of infected monsters is underway. I’m a fan of Milla Jovovich, but the 6 films in the Resident Evil series were pretty bad, including the last one, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which had major plot holes. And somehow I missed the reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). When I found that out, I rushed right out and saw it (just kidding). Well, I am glad to tell you that Zach Cregger, who gave us the wonderful horror film Barbarian (2022) and the even better horror film Weapons (2025), has brought us a funny, scary, and highly enjoyable film in Resident Evil. Austin Abrams, whom we last saw portraying sad-sack drug addict James, helps, sort of, in finding the lost children in Weapons. This time, Abrams plays a guy trying to make some money delivering medical supplies while his girlfriend tells him she might be pregnant. Abrams is incredibly funny and has a knack for comedic stunts and timing; he can’t get a break, but he keeps trying to make his delivery even when zombies confront him at every turn. From almost the start, the film is both hilarious and incredibly scary. I haven't played the game, but I have a feeling the zombie characters in the film are a great representation of how a gaming zombie would act and look. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, along with some great cameos, including a hilarious Paul Walter Hauser as a slimy employee of the infamous Umbrella Corporation. The action is fast, as our hero doesn’t get a lot of time to stop and think, mostly because everyone and seemingly everything is trying to kill him. Any film that has one of its actors credited as “The Puker” is a film we can laugh at while being scared out of our minds at the same time. Horror fans and gamers are going to love this film because Zach Cregger is a fan of both. And by the way, once you see this film, you will have an admiration for padlocks. I guess those old Master lock commercials I used to see during football games were right. My Rating: Full Price Resident Evil Website Now playing in theaters everywher

Familyfaire: Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026) PG In Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, it’s Halloween time, and everyone is looking forward to the pumpkin patch. When the farmer ruins the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to fix it with science experiments that suddenly get out of control and create a wild beast roaming the woods. I love the films that Aardman puts out, in their distinctive stop-motion animation style. This is a fun, funny film that kids and adults will love, with plenty of sight gags to keep you giggling as our hero, Shaun, makes a mess trying to grow pumpkins fast enough to be ready for Halloween. There is something for everyone,, with a bit of a love story, a monster created by our favorite mad scientist, Shaun, and plenty of action sequences that keep the story moving. And hey, who doesn’t want a Bigfoot story to add to the fun? This charming film is perfect for families to get excited for Halloween, with lots of sheep, a dog, and maybe a few pigs along the way. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Weight (2026) R The Weight is set in Oregon during the Depression, where Samuel (Ethan Hawke) is torn from his daughter and sent to a prison work camp. The camp's warden, Clancy (Russell Crowe), offers Samuel a chance at early freedom if he leads a small crew to smuggle a load of gold through a dangerous, unforgiving wilderness. I am a big fan of Ethan Hawke, and he carries the load of this film like his character carries the load of gold on his back. It’s difficult, but he will get the job done. Hawke delivers a powerful performance, and you root for him from the opening scene, when he is on a joyride with his daughter. The film doesn’t disappoint, with plenty of twists and intrigue, and you'll hope Samuel finds a way out of this mess and gets back with his daughter. Crowe is fun as the warden, but don’t let the poster fool you; he's not in the film for long. This is Hawke’s film, and he doesn’t disappoint, playing a character too smart to be fooled, guided by emotions and common sense that, when pushed to the limits, will push back, but with purpose. The film will keep you on the edge of your seat because there is danger just around the corner, at times unexpected and other times predictable. It’s a tough, gritty, suspenseful film that reminds you of the classic films of the 30s and 40s, but with a needle drop at the end that fits the final frames. My View: Full Price The Weight Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The History of Concrete (2026) The History of Concrete is a documentary in which filmmaker John Wilson, after attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, tries to use the same formula to create a documentary on the history of concrete. I never watched the HBO series “How to with John Wilson,” but after watching this laugh-out-loud documentary and enjoying every minute of Wilson’s off-the-wall humor, I am about to binge it. If the title throws you off, be aware that the film includes footage of Wilson pitching the documentary to investors (all of whom look absolutely shocked that he wants to make a doc about concrete). Sure, there are some facts and footage about concrete, but this is more about the journey of a filmmaker who had a TV series and is now struggling to find something to make his first feature film about. And yes, some of the film is a tribute to a major building block of construction, but it’s also about the people who make up New York City and all its glorious (and sometimes dangerous) concrete buildings and sidewalks. We meet a group of some religious sect that every year has an ultramarathon on the sidewalks of New York that goes on from 6 am to midnight until someone passes over 3,000 miles because the leader of the sect planted a tree in the neighborhood. We meet a guy who apparently makes a living handing out liquor samples in stores while fronting a couple of rock bands. And wait till you find out who his fiancée is. Wilson has a unique sense of humor and a very quirky speaking voice that perfectly blend with his use of constantly changing shots of everything from an empty box moving across a floor to shots of bridges and buildings that look like they are about to collapse. Where else can you find a film where the oldest concrete street in America is in the same city as the shortest street in America? Only in a film titled The History of Concrete. I am going to start a new category of films: Cozy Comedy. This is a perfect example of a film with a low-stakes plot that is just fun to watch. Next time you see a piece of sidewalk that has fallen apart, you’ll wonder if they got the concrete mix formula right and think back to The History of Concrete. My Rating: Full Price The History of Concrete Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Bad Apples (2025) R In Bad Apples, Maria (Saoirse Ronan) teaches at a primary school in Somerset, England. She loves her job, but her class of ten-year-olds keeps getting disrupted by one unruly student, Danny (Eddie Waller). Maria makes some terrible decisions about how to deal with Danny after he pushes another student down a stairway. This is one of those films where you root for someone that you also want to reach into the screen and slap. Saoirse Ronan is such a delight to watch, even when given a part that doesn’t work. She plays a teacher on the verge of losing her job, living in a house that never got past the idea that it’s a “fixer-upper”, having to work with her ex-boyfriend, and having the student from hell, who looks to be disruptive every chance he can get. Ronan’s Maria is on the verge of a breakdown, but instead she starts making one horrible decision after another, with no way out of the predicament she created. I wanted the film to be funnier or darker, but it fails as satire and offers no commentary beyond that Maria could be a good teacher if Danny wasn’t in her class. However, we find out that she has no clue about her students and their abilities or interests until Danny, the distraction, is out of the classroom, making her a crappy teacher to begin with. The film becomes unbelievable about midway through. Bad Apples had a chance to take a much darker turn at that point, but instead kept trying to make Maria the likable hero. I think I would have enjoyed this much more if Maria was more like Miss Trunchbull (Matilda) or Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter) than Mary Poppins. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Bad Apples Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Yellow Submarine (1968) G The Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his yellow submarine to save Pepperland and music from the Blue Meanies. While it's in the style of pop artist Peter Max, he didn't do the animation for the film (though some say he was a consultant). The film uses the premise to cram as many Beatles songs as possible into a plot that makes little sense. In fact, except for the live-action bit at the end, the animated Beatles are voiced by actors, not John, Ringo, Paul, and George (some of whom are uncredited). The film has a lot of puns and bad jokes, but the music and trippy animation make it stand out. I saw this film when it came out in 1968. My dad took me to the old Aztec theater in downtown San Antonio. It was one of those films that my dad took me to because my mom didn’t want to see it. At that age, I was a fan of The Beatles and enjoyed the animation, but I remember thinking it wasn’t as good as some of the Disney animated films. My Rating: Full Price Yellow Submarine Info The film is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV

Weird Credits: From the credits of Resident Evil: Person of Trust

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Heart of the Beast (2026) PG-13 Heart of the Beast follows James (Brad Pitt), a former Special Forces soldier who is suffering from residual trauma and has some personal demons. On a flight in his single-engine plane, James and his only companion, Odin, his loyal and retired combat German Shepherd, crash in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Battling a brutal environment, James promises Odin he will get him home if it’s the last thing he does. Heart of the Beast Website In theaters on Friday, September 25, 2026

Until Next Time!

Practical Magic 2

2026-09-11T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Practical Magic 2 (2026) PG-13 In Practical Magic 2, the Owens sisters (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman) face a new crisis when Sally’s daughter, Kylie (Joey King), uncovers hidden family secrets and develops her own abilities. The Owens women must unite to finally break the curse that has haunted their family line of witches for centuries. This might upset a fellow critic that I work with, but I saw Practical Magic in the theaters when it came out in 1998, mostly because of Sandra Bullock, who was at the height of her stardom, coming off of Speed, While You Were Sleeping, The Net, and A Time to Kill (we will forget, please, Speed 2). So I hated the film because it couldn’t decide if it was a film for kids or adults, with its weird mix of witches making jokes while dealing with abusive boyfriends and assault. But I also know that a lot of people have fond memories of it. So I went into this movie hopeful, but not expecting much. Practical Magic 2 is enjoyable, mostly because of Sandra Bullock, but the film has an incredible weak point: the middle of the film slows to a snail's pace, which is weird because we know what is going to happen at almost every turn and doesn’t need much setup. Bullock dominates the film, and she shines as the kooky Owen sister who has given up magic. Now, we are supposed to believe that her two daughters, played by Joey King and Maisie Williams, have been kept in the dark about their mother and her sister being witches. While Bullock dominates the plot, she even has a new love interest in Lee Pace as a warlock (I never knew exactly what he was), Kidman is there to interact with Bullock, add some humor to the plot, and be a little bit slutty. And yes, we get the whole Practical Magic gang back in Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, but they don’t come off as goofy and fun as they are in the first film. Fans of the first film and Sandra Bullock will enjoy this film, as it brings back some warm memories and a few tears. For the rest of us, it’s a light snack, kind of like the Cool Whip that the Wiest character, Jet, loves. It’s sweet, but it’s not exactly filling. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Practical Magic 2 Website Now playing in theaters

My View: The Uprising (2026) R The Uprising follows a ploughman (Andrew Garfield), who is sick and tired of the King’s tyranny and forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice and freedom. This is a strange film from writer/director Paul Greengrass, who gave us The Bourne Supremacy (2004), United 93 (2006), and Captain Phillips (2013). At the center of the story is the ploughman, played by Andrew Garfield, who is mourning his wife and children, all of whom died in the plague that wiped out half the population of England. The ploughman starts the rebellion when the tax man comes to his town to get money and goods for the war with France. He has had enough and fights back, igniting a crowd to kill the soldiers and send the tax man back to the King with the word that the common people are tired of paying for a war they didn’t ask for (sound familiar?). The Uprising is loosely based on a real peasant revolt that gathered people from across the country to march to London and demand that the King change the rules of taxation and serfdom. What should be a gripping tale gets lost in too much talk and walking. A cast that includes Katherine Waterston, Tom Hollander, Stephen Dillane, and Jamie Bell should create a captivating storyline, but instead the film feels confusing and dull. Garfield stands out only because he is in almost every scene, and we know he will be the center of the story. The ending feels too much like a fairy tale (i.e., Robin Hood), and while those closing scenes give us some of the action we needed throughout the film, they feel too classic Hollywood to have any dramatic effect. Overall, I felt like I was the cow pulling the plow at the beginning of the film, having to work a lot for every little return. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Uprising Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Hope (2026) R Hope is set in a remote South Korean village where the police chief (Hwang Jung-min) and an officer (Zo In-sung) investigate a sighting of a mysterious creature that has caused chaos. At the same time, a group of local hunters starts tracking the beast, only to realize that they are the ones being hunted. Hope is a thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride of a film about monsters that invade a small town and how a few brave citizens, along with a few really dumb ones, try to protect their town from a group of invaders that seem hell-bent on destroying everything in their wake. We first see the police chief investigating the mauling of a cow, and we see how he treats both his staff and other townspeople. The chief is one big blowhard bully. As his day goes along, he slowly realizes that it’s not a tiger that is killing the cows, especially when he is in town with buildings being destroyed, cars start flying through the air, and people being killed in gruesome ways. What is brilliant about Hope is that we don’t see what the monsters look like until nearly 50 minutes into the film, which builds tension and wonder about what kind of creature could be causing this mayhem. All the while, we have a group of hunters, led by the police chief’s cousin (Jung Ho-yeon), who leads the group to find the “tiger” but finds out that there is more than one monster. Beyond the thrills, the film has a lot of humor, including a young female officer (Zo In-sung) who drives like a seasoned NASCAR driver through the streets and is willing to take on the monsters because they pissed her off by destroying her town. Hope has a ton of twists and turns, some of which I didn’t see coming. The cast of characters is fun to root for, as they take on monsters that can’t be stopped. The film is a little too long (I would love to cut a couple of meaningless scenes that slow the film down a bit), but it’s such a thrill ride that you’ll forget those scenes, especially in the last third of the film, which is one nonstop ride of mayhem and killing. This was the most expensive Korean film ever made, and it looks it, with a ton of special effects. So fasten your seatbelts, make sure your guns are loaded, and join in on trying to stop some monsters from killing everyone in sight. If you love monster movies and lots of action scenes, then Hope is for you! Make sure to stick around after the first portion of the credits for a bonus scene that will set up a sequel. My Rating: Full Price Hope Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: American Doctor (2026) American Doctor is a documentary that follows three American physicians as they volunteer in a hospital in war-torn Gaza and their return to the U.S. to lobby Congress. This documentary warns you early on that it is going to be a tough watch. One of the three doctors in the film, Mark Perlmutter, argues with the director of the film, Poh Si Teng, about showing a picture that he took of dead children in a hospital in Gaza. Teng wants to digitize the picture to give the dead some respect, but Mark insists and wins the argument that if you digitize the film, the picture will not have the impact that it needs to get people to see how horrible it is in Gaza. So that picture is the first of many upsetting scenes in the film that follows three American doctors who have practiced in hospitals in Gaza during the bombing and shooting conducted by the Israeli armed services. This film follows three men who volunteer for an incredibly dangerous situation to help however they can, trying to put the injured back together in difficult circumstances, with limited medical supplies but a staff that gives each patient the care and hope they need. This film is not only about what is happening in Palestine but also the politics in the US, including how the media covers the situation. One of the doctors, who was born in America but has Palestinian parents, continually tries to go back to Gaza and is constantly refused permission to cross the border from Jordan by the Israelis, always at the last minute. This is a brutal film to watch, and you keep waiting for the hospital that the doctors are working at to be hit, because one of the doctors lists all the other hospitals that the Israelis have bombed, and you know that it is coming. When it happens, it punches us in the gut, because we have come to care for and respect the doctors and nurses who work there. It’s a horrible sight, seeing a place that is meant for healing becoming another building that bombs have hit multiple times. The scene that shows the result of the bombing of the hospital is sickening and will stay with you for a long time after leaving the theatre. As heartbreaking and brutal as this film is, it is an important film to see as it puts a face to all the utter destruction that is going on in Gaza and how children are dying at an alarming rate. Like the American doctors who have to leave Gaza and go home, when you leave the theater, you will also feel some guilt that you have left those children behind to face this destruction. Like the 15-year-old boy whom one of the American doctors worked on for hours to repair, only to be killed by an Israeli rocket they sent to hit the hospital in an effort to kill a terrorist who was being treated on the same floor. My Rating: Full Price American Doctor Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The Salt Path (2024) A couple, Raynor (Gillian Anderson) and Moth (Jason Isaacs) lose their family home and find out that Moth has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. They decide to follow a travel book’s path along the coast of England, traveling 630 miles to London. You can’t fault Anderson and Isaacs; they both give heartfelt, powerful performances, but the film drags a bit, and there are too many scenes where total strangers give them inspirational quotes. The scenery is beautiful, but how many times are we going to see the couple go down to the edge of the ocean and stare at the horizon? The film is based on a true story (though apparently there are doubts about some aspects of the book written by Raynor), but I never could figure out why they took on the trek in the first place, especially since Moth could barely move more than a few miles at a time. That’s never explained, and we never learn much about their lives beyond the fact that they have a couple of kids and made some bad investment that cost them their home. The movie also has no idea how to end the film. There is a perfect place for the film to end, where Raynor and Moth have a heartfelt talk about the first time Moth told Raynor he loved her. It’s a beautiful scene, perfectly acted, and there is a line that Gillian Anderson delivers that would have been a great place to end the film, but we keep going for another ten minutes. That sums up the film right there. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Salt Path Movie Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Filipiñana (2026) Filipiñana follows 17-year-old Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), who works as a “tee-girl” at an exclusive country club outside Manila. Isabel spends her day at the driving range, where she places golf balls on the tees for wealthy businessmen and tourists. Soon, Isabel discovers that the club has a dark history of exploitation and violence. This film reminded me of the work of French director Jacques Tati and his eye for creating the absurd, with vast patches of silence while something goes on in the background that you can barely make out, or things choreographed with precise timing, all while giving us incredible scenes that play out. Finlipinana has that same quality, as Isabel tries to figure out her place in this strange world she's been dropped into. Her job becomes a quest as the President’s mistress gives her a golf club to give to the President. Still, Isabel can’t find the man anywhere as she goes from one end of the golf club to another, overhearing others talking and observing how the rich live their lives, while she and the other “tee girls” are barely getting paid. This is a film not everyone will enjoy, because not much happens. That is, unless you look closely at the absurdity of it all. I loved the orchestra of blind men and women who keep getting lost in the golf course’s vastness. As the film moves along, we see some of the dark underbelly of this club and how the rich do just about anything they want to do, and the tee-girls and the caddies are at the mercy of the rich. The cinematography is brilliant, and I loved how the camera just stays in one place as things just start happening in front of us. This is a masterful satire of class and society and is a joy to watch. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The Sun Never Sets (2026) R The Sun Never Sets follows Wendy (Dakota Fanning), a 31-year-old construction worker in Alaska, whose life is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, Jack (Jake Johnson), wants to take a break. Just her luck, Wendy runs into her ex-boyfriend Chuck (Cory Michael Smith), and now she must make some smart decisions about where her life is headed. This is a non-rom-com about a love triangle where all three people are wrong for each other, though they just haven’t figured it out yet. Jack, deep down, knows that Wendy isn’t the girl for him. She enjoys the freedom of single life (even though they have been dating for 2 years), loves camping and the outdoors, and is thinking about buying a sailboat. Jack is divorced and has two kids, and he is done having kids and doesn’t want to get married. Chuck is the one that got away (sort of) for Wendy, but is too self-centered to let her into his life or hers. It takes the whole movie to figure this out, and that’s fine because Dakota Fanning gives a brilliant performance as Wendy, who is torn between the two men but also knows that maybe neither one is right. She creates a lovable character, and you want to slap some sense into her. That’s a tough line to walk, with her character showing lots of indecision and some selfishness too. The film has great dialogue, and there are some hilarious scenes, especially between Fanning and Johnson, who have some nice chemestry going between them. So grab a beer, sit down at the bar, and watch the fireworks. Who will Wendy pick? Who knows? Maybe herself. My Rating: Full Price The Sun Never Sets Website Now playing in select theaters

My View: Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026) R Don’t Look Back in Anger is a documentary about the 2025 reunion tour of the English rock band Oasis. The band's two lead brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, had a stormy relationship that ended famously one night before a show, when they got into an argument and quit backstage before the concert even began. They then didn’t talk to each other for fifteen years. So when it was announced that they were going to do a reunion tour, people started making bets on when the tour would fall apart or even if it would start. The documentary by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern follows the tour from the first very strange rehearsal (Liam barely acknowledges anyone and leaves during a song out the door of the rehearsal hall) to (spoiler alert) the last concert of the tour in Brazil. While fans will not get too much information about the breakup or even what the two have been doing for the past 15 years, the film does a marvelous job of letting us slowly see how the two brothers work together to make music on stage. At its core, the film is about the fans. It’s about how the music of Oasis touched so many people and, to the surprise of the brothers, continues to touch people, even fans who weren’t alive when their music was one of the major cogs in the landscape of the 90s. Footage from concert after concert on the tour shows how excited and overcome the fans are to see the band that means the world to them perform again. The film lets you experience what it was like to be in those crowds, as people sang along, sometimes in tears, and had an incredibly moving experience. The film also shows how those crowds affected the band members, with both brothers loving that they could still touch people with their music. Most of their songs are played, though some are shortened, including their big hit Wonderwall, which I would have enjoyed if it had been on screen longer, maybe seeing the fans singing along with it. This is a film about the power of music, how it affects us at the core, and its power to heal. The brothers' forgiveness and joy of discovery make this film so touching at its core. Two things struck me during the screening. One was how the band had the crowds (and they were massive) in the palm of their hands. In fact, at one point during the concerts, Liam asks the audience to turn their backs to the band and put their arms around the people around them. The band then starts up one of their hits, and we see thousands and thousands of people jumping up and down, backs to the band, arm in arm. Second, when the two came on stage each night, they held hands. Right there, it told the concertgoers that this was going to be a great night. The power of music can heal, at least for a few magical hours. My Rating: Full Price Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger Website Now playing in theaters, including IMAX

Forgotten Film: The Mighty (1998) PG-13 Kevin (Kieran Culkin) is a kid who has Morquio’s syndrome, which means that his body isn’t growing, but his internal organs are, stunting his growth. Max (Elden Henson) has learning disabilities and is big for 7th grade, mostly because he's been held back a couple of times and is older than everyone else. The two meet up after Max is accused of throwing a dodgeball at Kevin, knocking his crutches out from under him. They hit it off and team up, with Kevin as the brains and Max as the muscle. Max and Kevin start reading the tales of King Arthur and begin to live by the rules of the Round Table. The film has a great supporting cast, with Sharon Stone as Kevin’s mother, who is determined to have him live as normal a life as possible for as long as he can. Max is being raised by his grandparents, played by Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton, after Max’s father, played by James Gandolfini, is sent to jail. Gillian Anderson even shows up in the film to set off the final scenes. Culkin and Henson are wonderful on screen together and make this film such a joy to watch. The Mighty reminds me of another "Forgotten Film" in My Bodyguard, which is also about two mismatched students who find friendship in their struggles to get along in school. This is a magnificent film about friendship, overcoming our weaknesses by finding our strengths, and how, working as a team, we can find success. And wait till you see the pair play basketball. My Rating: Full Price The Mighty Info Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Hope: Driving Instructor

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: You Had to Be There (2025) You Had to Be There is a documentary about the 1972 Toronto production of the stage musical Godspell, from which many cast members would soon make their mark in comedy through projects such as The Second City, Saturday Night Live, and SCTV. The cast in the production included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, and Jayne Eastwood, with Paul Shaffer serving as musical director. You Had to Be There Website The film will be released in theaters starting Friday, September 18, 2026

Until Next Time!

Onslaught

2026-09-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Onslaught (2026) R Onslaught follows Celeste (Adria Arjona), an army veteran and single mother living in a trailer park. Celeste will have to use her sniper training when a rogue squad of genetically engineered soldiers escapes from a secret military facility and starts killing everyone in sight. This film opens with a mad scientist, Hans Kammler (Dan Stevens), crawling on all fours to kiss (and lick) his wife’s feet (played by a very stoic Rebecca Hall). Has a drugged out government point man (Drew Starkey) whose bondage playtime is interrupted by a job to go cover up any mess that the mad scientist has created, and three former soldiers, who all did horrible acts during wartime, have been turned into killing machines with no conscience and you have a great start to a film that plays homage to both John Carpenter films and the Grindhouse films of the 70s. After a rousing start, the film fails to fulfill its promise by the end. My problem is twofold. First, these super soldiers don’t seem all that super. Sure, they kill a lot of people, but it’s mostly innocent people that can’t fight back. In fact, the only time that people fight back, i.e., our hero Celeste, the super soldiers get their butts kicked. My other problem is that the film builds Celeste up as a troubled former soldier who trained for exactly this kind of confrontation. However, she isn’t the killing machine I expected and depends too much on her fellow residents to do the heavy lifting. Adrian Arjona does a good job as Celeste, but I wanted more from her part in the killing of the super soldiers than there is. I will say, it is fun seeing Reginald VelJohnson on screen as the Vietnam vet, chain-smoking, shotgun-welding old man who seems to be the only one in the trailer park with any sense. I wanted more from this film, and since it seems by its ending that there will be a sequel (and more of Rebecca Hall), I hope they let Adria Arjona kick a lot more butt in that one. Be sure to stay during the credits to read all the news stories and missing reports that are posted. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Onslaught Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Mayday (2026) PG-13 In Mayday, U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) is on a reconnaissance mission over the Soviet Union, and Troy crashes in the Russian wilderness. Nikolai (Kenneth Branagh), a former KGB agent with a deep fondness for American culture, finds him. The two form an unexpected alliance to get Troy rescued, if the two don’t kill each other first. This is an old-fashioned (meaning 70s/80s) buddy comedy action film that harkens back to a day when two oddball men would team up to save the world or each other while making us have fun watching things crash and blow up. The film's co-directors/writers, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, directed Game Night (2018) and the very underappreciated Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023). I had a great time with both films, and this one did not disappoint. Now, if you aren’t a fan of Ryan Reynolds, then stay away from this one, because he is cracking wise about every three minutes. I will say that at one point while watching the film I said to the screen, “Shut up already”; however, most of his jokes are pretty funny, and there are a couple of great sight gags along the way. Branagh is hilarious as the Russian with a soft spot for all things American, and having a “Top Gun” pilot crash into his life is like manna from heaven. I also loved the fact that Branagh, as the former KGB agent, does all the fighting, while Reynolds does a lot of ducking. There are some great chase sequences and a very funny escape from a train full of soldiers that keeps the action going. This is a good-time film you don’t take too seriously (Ryan speaking English all the time while trying to blend in with the Russians doesn’t make much sense), but it moves along and doesn’t dwell on much more than two guys trying to get across Russia without getting caught. So sip some beet juice alcohol and enjoy the ride. And be sure and stay through the first portion of credits to see a funny bonus scene. My Rating: Full Price Mayday Info Now playing on the Apple TV platform

My View: Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026) PG-13 In Fall 2: Deadpoint, Jax Hunter (Harriet Slater) is grieving the death of her sister, Shiloh. Jax agrees to a tribute climb by Shiloh’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas), traveling to Thailand to conquer the treacherous plank walk on Mount Kwan. It’s a climb that will push their limits, and they will have to depend on each other to stay alive. Fall was a hit with audiences who, like myself, watched about 1/3 of the film through their hands in front of their faces as we kept thinking, “That’s really a long way down.” The film had a couple of shocking twists that made it more than just a ‘don’t look’ type of film. Unfortunately, Fall 2: Deadpoint fails to capture the thrills and chills of the first film. One of the standout things about the first Fall film was that you felt the height with the characters, making your stomach churn and creating that great sense of dizziness from being so high up. I never felt those heights or the queasiness in this film. Instead, it was mostly the two women sitting around, waiting for it to be daytime or nighttime, and not doing a heck of a lot. Yes, there is a twist in the film, but it’s right there for you to see almost from the start. I didn’t like either character, and I think one fault of the film is that, in the first one, the two were best friends. In this one, they are strangers, with one of them always pushing the other to do stuff she doesn’t really want to do. Instead of the two daredevils we got for the first film, this one gives us two really stupid people doing stupid stuff they don’t know how to do. So stay off the ledge and see something else. My Rating: Cable Fall 2: Deadpoint Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Dear You (2026) PG-13 Dear You follows Xiaowei, a man deep in debt, as he travels to Thailand to find his long-lost grandfather, rumored to be a billionaire. Instead, he finds that the man died years ago, and he finds decades of correspondence involving his grandmother and a man who never came back to his wife. Instead, may have found another family to love. This is a beautiful, moving, and at times funny look at a couple separated by long distance for most of their marriage. The tale unfolds through the correspondence between the husband and wife, as their lives slowly reveal themselves. This is a film about love, loss, and sacrifice, and how well intentions can hurt rather than help. The film is full of interesting characters that we slowly begin to understand and fall for. This is a film about the power of words, not only through those letters but also how reading and writing can change lives. Dear You is a powerful lesson in love and longing, and how distances, no matter how far, can be conquered with good deeds and love. Be sure to stay through the credits for actual letters written to family members during the time that the film is set in. My Rating: Full Price Dear You Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Safe in Hell (1931) After killing the man who raped her and forced her into prostitution, Gilda (Dorothy Mackaill) is rescued by her sailor boyfriend (Donald Cook). He hides her on a ship and then sets her up on an island. The island has become a home for criminals because of its non-extradition policy. There, Gilda has to try to stay good (she promises her boyfriend she will after they marry themselves in an abandoned church) while avoiding all the men on the hotel’s guest list. But trouble always follows Gilda, and she has to deal with an unwanted guest at the hotel. This very dark drama was made before Hollywood started its Hays Code of industry guidelines. That the film tells us from almost the first frame that Gilda is a prostitute is amazing. Then she kills a man, gets her boyfriend to help her escape, and then is leered at constantly by the men at the hotel. Also, the men and Gilda drink, which, under Prohibition, was illegal. Also, Gilda has to deal with a local police chief who basically wants to make her his mistress. The film is directed by William Wellman (nominated for four Academy Awards and winning one for the screenplay for the 1938 A Star Is Born), and Wellman does a great job of keeping us involved with Gilda’s life, as the storyline keeps twisting as Gilda’s life keeps getting more and more dangerous and complex. The movie works because of Dorothy Mackaill, who took over the part from Barbara Stanwyck because of a contract problem. Mackaill is perfect as a hard-as-nails woman who has had a hard life but keeps going, finding hope in the one man who loves her. It’s a role that makes us love a tough woman who has been pushed down in life but keeps trying to keep her promise to her love. It should be noted that Nina Mae McKinney and Clarence Muse play the only characters in the film that seem to have Gilda’s back, and the two actors avoid the stereotyping of servants during this time in Hollywood. Nana Mae McKinney also sings an incredible song during one of the hotel dinner scenes. The ending is quite shocking and lives up to the rest of the film by keeping us guessing about what will happen next to our unlucky Gilda. My Rating: Full Price Safe in Hell Info The film is available on DVD

Weird Credits: From the credits of Onslaught: Working Trucks

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Practical Magic 2 (2026) PG-13 In Practical Magic 2, the Owens sisters (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman) face a new crisis when Sally’s daughter, Kylie (Joey King), uncovers hidden family secrets and develops her own abilities. The Owens women must unite to finally break the curse that has haunted their family line of witches for centuries. The film is set twenty-five years after the first film. Practical Magic 2 Website In theaters nationwide on Friday, September 11, 2026

Until Next Time!

Dragon Con 40th Anniversary Sept. 3rd - 7th

2026-09-02T12:09:06.313-04:00

Dragon Con 2026: Thursday, Sept. 3 - Monday, Sept. 7

It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means it’s time for Dragon Con here in Atlanta, Georgia! Located in 5 downtown hotels at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand, plus AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

There is a fantastic lineup at this year’s Dragon Con, celebrating its 40th year, hosting some 300 authors, artists, game designers, puppeteers, scientists, engineers, and other experts to lead panels and talk with fans across 38 tracks of programming, from high fantasy to hard science.

Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos will lead a Battlestar Galactica cast reunion while Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, stars of the fan-favorite Firefly television series, anchor an only-at-Dragon Con mash-up of casts from Firefly, Castle, Resident Alien, and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil to meet fans, lead panel discussions, and sign autographs.

Also appearing at Dragon Con: The Goonies’ Sean Astin, Stargate’s Richard Dean Anderson, Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey, Smallville’s Tom Welling and Erica Durance, Wednesday’s Evie Templeton and Isaac Ordonez. Fans of the 1990s cult classic Starship Troopers will get a chance to meet Denise Richards, Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, and Michael Ironside. Along with The Amazing Digital Circus’ Michael Kovach, Lower Decks’ Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome.

While you need a pass to get into Dragon Con, you can watch the famous Dragon Con parade on Saturday morning for free. You will see just about every cartoon, anime, and superhero character, along with a variety of other delightful cosplayers in the procession. The parade’s highlight is the legion of “Star Wars” Stormtroopers that finish the parade. The parade is a fan favorite, with the festivities starting at 10 am. Check the Dragon Con website for details of the parade route. Be sure to get to the parade site early, as the sidewalks along the parade route fill up quickly, and taking Marta to the parade is highly suggested. CBS Atlanta will televise the parade live if you can’t make it downtown. The live coverage starts at 10 am and continues through the entire parade.

The cool thing about Dragon Con is that no matter what your interest is in, there is probably a panel or even a track (panels and events that fall under one subject like Star Wars, Star Trek, or even just Space) that will peak your knowledge of your favorite Sci-Fi subjects.

The Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.

Cosplay is an integral part of Dragon Con, and costumes will always be out and about. There are many costume contests during Dragon Con, including the Bunny Hutch Costume Contest, the Cults of Dragon Con Contest, the Animation/Anime Costume Contest, and the ever-popular Masquerade Costume Contest.

There are a ton of panels throughout the weekend. Some are in enormous halls, while others take place in smaller conference rooms. You can find panels on almost everything you can imagine, covering the gamut of fandom, from your favorite current and past Sci-Fi shows. Gate III.

Legendary comics creator and co-founder of Valiant Comics, Bob Layton, best known for his definitive, industry-revitalizing work on Marvel’s Iron Man, plus author Matt Dinniman and voice actor Jeff Hays, the creative duo behind the massive multi-media franchise Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Gaming runs throughout the con, with some contests running 24 hours a day. No matter what kind of gaming you are into, Dragon Con has it, including Board Games, Collectible Card Games, LAN Gaming, Live Action Role Playing, Table Top Gaming, and of course, all types of Video Gaming.

Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.

If art is your thing, you will want to go to the Comic and Pop Art Alley. You can talk to and buy work from comic book writers, artists, and publishers. Panels and how-to workshops on comics are held throughout the con. You'll also see live performances by bands in just about every genre, including jazz, punk, rock, and folk.

Hope Atlanta, the state’s longest-standing nonprofit committed to preventing and ending homelessness, is Dragon Con’s official 2026 charity. Combating homelessness is one of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ signature priorities, supported by $60 million in public funding to drive a historic public-private investment in dignified housing and supportive services. The city tapped Hope Atlanta to provide one-on-one assistance to individuals and families seeking housing and other basic needs.

In the spirit of the Dragon and with infinite admiration, Dragon Con has created The Dragon Award as a vessel to recognize excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy. These awards will be by the fans, for the fans, and are a chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and movies.

And, of course, the Walk of Fame will be ongoing throughout Dragon Con, where you can get an autograph from your favorite personality.

Dragon Con is in downtown Atlanta, GA, from Thursday, Sept. 3rd, through Monday, Sept. 7th.

For more information, go to dragoncon.org

Coyote vs Acme

2026-08-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Coyote vs. Acme (2026) PG In Coyote vs. Acme, Coyote is tired of using Acme products that blow up in his face or hit him on the head when he is trying to catch the goofy Roadrunner. So he hires a lawyer and sues Acme for all the heartache they have caused over the years. He chooses Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who has never won more than 300 dollars from Acme, to take on Buddy Crane (John Cena), a big-shot lawyer who has never lost a case. When I was a kid, I loved cartoons. I lived for Saturday morning when all the new cartoons premiered, and I studied TV Guide as if I was going to have a big test on it. While I much preferred Bugs Bunny, I still enjoyed Road Runner and the Coyote. I loved the little poof that used to appear at the bottom of some failed attempt to catch the Road Runner, where the Coyote instead fell to the desert floor below the high cliffs he was always projecting himself off of. Well, I am happy to say that there are plenty of “poofs” in Coyote vs Acme, bringing back some fun times from my childhood. Will Forte does a magical job of making us care about a down-and-out lawyer whom The Coyote hires to take on the big-city lawyers representing Acme Manufacturing. It’s a funny idea, and I loved how, even when in the city and living in a hotel room, The Coyote is still putting together machines to hopefully capture the Road Runner or, at the very least, get himself out of bed. The film does a great job of paying homage to the cartoons of the past and brings back a few cartoon characters along the way. As a big fan of the legendary character voice man Mel Blanc, there were a couple of voices of characters that I didn’t think worked, but that’s a minor quibble for a film that was a heck of a lot of fun. Kids will have fun with the film and don’t worry about the PG rating, as I think it’s mostly because of the violence, something that all the Road Runner/Coyote cartoons had. After you see this film, you will have one question: Why, oh why, did Warner Brothers not want to release this film? I have no clue, but I am glad we got to see this film bring back wonderful memories of my childhood, sitting in front of the TV on a Saturday morning. My Rating: Full Price Coyote vs Acme Website Now playing in theaters

My View: The Dog Stars (2026) R The Dog Stars is set after a devastating pandemic that almost wiped out humanity. The film follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former pilot, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a gun-toting former Marine, as they live on an abandoned air base, constantly on watch for roaming scavengers called Reapers. After hearing a mysterious radio voice, Hig flies his plane past the “safe zone” hoping to find a better life. I enjoyed this film, mostly because of the star power of the four leads in Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce. And wait until you see the scene-stealing Allison Janney in just a bonkers role. Because the film is directed by four-time Oscar-nominated Ridley Scott (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian), I have a feeling many critics will not like this film as much as I did. The film has some problems, including a very weird section that feels out of place with the rest of the movie (hence the bonkers role that Janney plays). The film is about a man who is suffering from grief over the loss of his wife and his simple life. All that’s left is his faithful dog, who is his constant companion. Hig flies out every day to scout the surrounding area for danger, as survivors keep trying to raid the small airport that Hig and Bangley have made their home. But Hig really flies to find a place where things are more normal. Where people live without the constant threat of attack. Hig hears someone on his airplane radio trying to contact him, and he starts to believe there might be hope out there. The film has some firefights, but it is more about how people cope with isolation, grief, and loneliness through Hig's eyes. Josh Brolin steals every scene he is in, and I kept wondering if this part was too easy a role for him, because it certainly fit his personality. If you are looking for an action film, this might not fill your quota of action pieces, but for a film that lets its actors work together on screen to develop characters you care about, it fits the bill. The Dog Stars is no way a perfect film and won’t be nominated for many awards, but I enjoyed watching the cast's performances, especially Mr. Brolin. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Dog Stars Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Idiots (2026) R Idiots follows two down-on-their-luck men (Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr.) hired to transport a wealthy teenager (Mason Thames) to a rehab facility. What should have been a routine job goes wildly out of control as the road trip becomes a mixture of drugs, crime, and a series of detours that put the two men in touch with some people you don’t want to make mad. Idiots is a film you'll forget as soon as you leave the theater. And maybe that’s the way it should be about a film where everyone seems to get high. Idiots starts with a simple, promising premise but soon loses momentum it never recovers from. The script lets down a talented cast, including a very funny performance by Peter Dinklage as a menacing leader of a small-town gang. The film starts to fall apart in the second half, as things get a little too complicated for extended laughs. I also felt the film slowed down as soon as Kiernan Shipka, an exotic dancer who gets involved with the trio and brings some life to the 2nd act, left the guys before the last act evolved. I will say that the audience that I saw the film with at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival throughly enjoyed the film but I don't know if they, like the guys in the film, imbided in anything before the screening. Idiots isn’t a bad film; it just seems to have run out of ideas by the final third of the film. Kind of like Franco’s character, who keeps forgetting what he is doing. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Idiots Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Colony (2026) R Colony is about a biotech conference in a Seoul high-rise, where a disgruntled former employee unleashes a fast-mutating, fungus-driven virus that creates zombies that are part of a hive that can adapt and communicate, allowing them to grow like an AI network. Inside the quarantined building, survivors become trapped in a high-stakes slaughterhouse. Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho gave us one of the greatest zombie films ever to grace the silver screen with Train to Busan ten years ago (be sure to check out my review of that film here.) He decided to revisit the genre, but this time the stakes are higher: the zombies can learn and adapt, making them even better hunters and killers. Like Train to Busan, a group of people from different walks of life suddenly must band together to survive what seems like an impossible task: surviving a zombie attack in an enclosed 30-story building, with little hope of rescue. The difference between this film and Train is that this time we know and see who is solely responsible for the attack. Instead of a faceless corporation, this time it is a mad scientist who is pissed off at that faceless corporation and wants to show how smart and great he is. The zombie attacks are brilliantly done and scary as all get out, as they keep adapting to whatever tactics our survivors come up with. I loved all the different ways the zombies adapt and evolve, with coordinated attacks where all the actors playing the zombies had to mimic each other in a gruesome zombie dance. Sorry Michael Jackson, but you have been topped in the zombie move department. This is a fascinating film to watch, with a truly evil mad scientist and a motley group of heroes who are just trying to survive any way they can. While this film doesn't surpass Train to Busan, Colony is still a fun and incredibly scary rollercoaster ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering how our heroes will survive and who will be left in the end. My Rating: Full Price Colony Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Buddy (2026) R In Buddy, a group of children are trapped inside a 1990s-style children’s television show hosted by Buddy, a giant, bright-orange unicorn. Buddy doesn’t like it when they try to escape. Really doesn’t like it. Buddy is a very strange horror film that I wanted to like more, but it never delivers the scares and tries too hard to be gross. The look of the film at the start is spot on for that ‘Barney” knockoff look, with a mix of characters, from the giant stuffed animals like Buddy, to the talking household objects like a mailbox or a chair, to the human characters like a nurse or mailman. All are destined to die horrible deaths, but the film doesn’t make them scary or funny enough to make them stand out. Once the film leaves the kid-show setting, it loses whatever momentum it had. The novelty wears off about 30 minutes in, and it never strikes a chord between comedy and horror, making it a lesson not learned. As Buddy tells us, “It’s time for your hug”. No thanks, Buddy, I think I’ll pass. My Rating: Cable Buddy Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Finding Emily (2026) PG-13 Finding Emily follows 23-year-old Owen (Spike Fearn), a sound engineer at a student union who meets the girl of his dreams, Emily, and, before she disappears, gets her phone number. But the next morning, he discovers the number doesn’t work, and he sets out to find his Emily. Owen is about to go on a quest to find Emily, and with the help of another college student named Emily (Angourie Rice), he is about to become famous in his search for his Emily. What we know, and Owen doesn’t, is that the new Emily has an ulterior motive. To prove that love, as the movie quotes Freud, “is a state of temporary psychosis,” she is going to use Owen to prove her thesis. I am a sucker for rom-coms, and this hit the spot. Is it predictable? Sure. However, it does a nice job of making it a modern-day romance where all forms of our online culture both help and impede finding our true love, or at least our true infatuation. Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice are perfect together as the unlikely duo that teams up to find the forewarned Owen’s Emily. The two play off each other, which makes their attraction feel real and believable. The supporting cast, in true rom-com fashion, is a group of oddball characters, along with the hunky guy who our Emily is attracted to. We know how this is going to end, and it doesn’t disappoint, though I would have loved a bit more to the reveal that our Emily does (spoiler alert, though is it really?) to win Owen back. Be sure to stay through the credits for a song Owen sings that updates where all (and I mean all) the characters are now. My Rating: Full Price Finding Emily Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Union County (2026) Union County tells the story of Cody Parsons (Will Poulter), whom the county placed in a mandated drug court program during the opioid crisis in rural Ohio. The film follows Cody as he tries to put his life back together after years of being a drug addict. Cody’s foster brother, Jack (Noah Centineo), is also in the program, and the court hopes the two will support each other. Almost from the start, though, you can tell that Jack will be a bad influence, taking Cody to a party almost immediately after getting into the program. Jack drinks at the party, but Cody has a ray of hope when he meets Anna (Elise Kibler), a recovering addict, and they connect. This is a film where you cannot predict what will happen, except that the road to recovery is full of potholes. It’s how you deal with those potholes that can make the difference between failure and success. Will Poulter gives a multi-layered performance that touches your heart and soul, expressing almost every feeling through his expressions and body language. This is a film about how difficult it is to pull yourself up from the depths of drug addiction. Union County is both depressing and hopeful at the same time. Made even more real because New York-based filmmaker Adam Meeks, before he even knew he wanted to do this story, went to a meeting of an adult recovery program in Union County, Ohio. That meeting inspired the film, and over 40 of the cast are members or former members of the program, making this film even more heartfelt as we hear their stories. Union County uses real people and their views on life and addiction to help us understand their plight and how a program like this can make a difference. That use of lived experience, combined with Cody's fictional story, makes a lasting emotional impact. My Rating: Full Price Union County Website Now playing in select theaters

My View: The Whisper Man (2026) R The Whisper Man follows Tom (Adam Scott), a widowed crime writer, and his young son (Acston Luca Porto) as they move to a small, quiet town. After the boy is abducted, Tom turns to his estranged father, Pete (Robert De Niro), a retired police detective, for help. They soon discover a connection between the abduction and a decades-old case involving the serial killer known as The Whisper Man. This is another in a long line of films where the book the film is based on is probably much better than what we are watching. Even with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Hamish Linklater, and Michael Keaton, the film feels very one-dimensional and by the numbers. We have a widow and his kid moving to a new city where the late wife grew up, with the dad hoping that this will help the kid get over the loss of his mother, who died in front of his eyes. We have a retired cop who is tortured by a case where one kid taken by a serial killer was never found. And we have a detective who is on the case of a copycat killer mimicking the serial killer’s MO from years ago. It's a film that makes you think, “Hey, haven’t I seen this before?” De Niro is about the only thing that saves this film from being a total slog, as the father of the widower who hasn’t had contact with his son in years and now pulled back in to help with the case because of the copycat killer. It’s the type of film where actors are in parts that seem to involve little more than talking and looking over clues. The almost two-hour time length feels even longer because the film drags until the final third, when we discover who the new serial killer is (and it’s not a shock). Keaton is wasted as the original serial killer whom they keep meeting in prison, so that we see how creepy he is (not so much). The ending is unsatisfactory and predictable, much like the rest of the film. My Rating: Cable The Whisper Man Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: The Dead Girl (2006) R A woman (Toni Collette) finds a young woman dead in a field. The mystery of who killed the woman is told through five connected chapters, focusing on a different woman whose life changes after the body is found. The final chapter gives us the victim’s (Brittany Murphy) last day. The brilliant cast includes Rose Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Beth Hurt, Kerry Washington, James Franco, Giovanni Ribisi, Josh Brolin, Mary Steenburgen, and Piper Laurie. It’s a fascinating way to look at a mystery, and as usual, Brittany Murphy’s performance will break your heart; it’s so good. Few people saw this film, but it was nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards. My Rating: Full Price The Dead Girl Website Available on Amazon Prime and Tubi

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Dog Stars: Double Dog Handler

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Onslaught (2026) R Onslaught follows Celeste (Adria Arjona), an army veteran and single mother living in a trailer park. Celeste will have to use her sniper training when a rogue squad of genetically engineered soldiers escapes from a secret military facility and starts killing everyone in sight. Adria Arjona is best known for her roles in the 2015 season of True Detective, Hit Man (2023), and Andor. Onslaught Website In theaters nationwide on Friday, September 4, 2026

Until Next Time!

Tony

2026-08-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Tony (2026) R In Tony, it’s 1975, and Anthony (Dominic Sessa) hasn’t gotten the writing fellowship he was counting on and has followed a girl from school that he has a crush on, Nancy (Emilia Jones), to the seaside town of Provincetown. With no money and no place to stay, he stumbles upon a restaurant and somehow convinces the chef/owner (Antonio Banderas) to give him a job and a place to stay. Oh, Anthony’s full name. Anthony Bourdain. And this summer will change his life and the culinary world. I am a big fan of the late Anthony Bourdain. I loved his book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and his travel shows. This is the origin story of how Anthony, or as he calls himself in the film, Tony, got his start in the kitchen. Right from the start, the film uses a quote to show Tony is a selfish, pompous asshole. That’s the reason this film works so well. It’s a film about a man lost in his own selfishness who encounters a group of people, most good, a few not so much, that help Tony find his way in life and how to be a better person. This is a magical performance by Dominic Sessa, who burst onto the scene in one of the best films of 2023, The Holdovers. Sessa captures Bourdain's personality, showing his wit but maybe not the wisdom he showed later in life. Sessa's chemistry with the cast is brilliant, especially in his scenes with Antonio Banderas and Emilia Jones. It’s hard to portray a person whom you don’t like, but Sessa can win us over and root for a guy that sometimes isn’t worth rooting for. It’s a raw story about a boy becoming the man that he is destined to become, all because of the love and support of a family of strange and wonderful people in a small coastal town. We get to see that by the end of the film, Tony is worthy of the name Anthony Bourdain, and we are all the better for it. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Tony Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Mutiny (2026) R Mutiny follows Cole Reed (Jason Statham), whose billionaire industrialist boss is murdered right in front of him, and Cole is set up to take the fall for the murder. Cole goes on the run and uncovers an international conspiracy. I usually have fun with Jason Statham films. The Bee Keeper was a blast to watch. But it's not good when a Steven Seagal film (Under Siege) does Die Hard on a ship better than your film. The problem is that we want Statham to bust some heads and break a lot of bones. Instead, for the most part, we get a Statham character who shoots a lot and fights a lot less. You don’t go to a Statham movie for its plot, and that’s part of the problem: it takes forever for the action scenes to happen. And can you guess what is in one of the shipping containers? I did. And the film has an ending so badly developed that I am pretty sure it was written in about 5 minutes on the back of a script rejection letter. I’ll keep going to Jason Statham films, but you really should miss this one. Book a train or a plane and skip this voyage on the choppy seas. My Rating: Cable Mutiny Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Insidious: Out of the Further (2026) PG-13 Insidious: Out of the Further is about Gemma (Amelia Eve), a young mother raising her daughter in the house where she grew up. Gemma discovers she can enter The Further and can bring back what lives there to the real world. Once demons realize she has this power, she becomes a target. The sixth installment of the Insidious series, and while the first one was great, I have a request. Please, please stop making these films. Having Lin Shaye show up as Elise Rainier for three minutes (ok, maybe six) doesn’t make this movie part of the series, just like having Stan Lee show up in Princess Diaries 2 doesn’t make it part of the Marvel Universe. The scares are minimal, although getting stuck in a couch fort has some merit, and some attempts at scares are just stupid (i.e., stuff taking place in a dentist chair). The plot was too easy to figure out, and the big reveal was one of those times when the audience goes “duh!” And don’t get me started on the ending. Gemma’s neighbors will not be too happy with her. I’d make a joke out of the Further part of the movie’s title, but this series just isn’t worth the effort. Note: There is a bonus scene after the first portion of credits. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me To See It Again Insidious: Out of the Further Website Now in theaters

Familyfaire: The Magic Faraway Tree (2026) PG The Magic Faraway Tree follows the Thompson family as they move from the city to the country, dreaming of starting a home-grown tomato sauce business. The kids soon discover a magical tree that leads to a group of eccentric inhabitants and a whole new world of fantasy lands. This is a highly enjoyable family film that leans heavily on whimsy and less on a structured plot. But that’s okay because we have a great time following the kids, especially Fran (Billie Gadsdon), who doesn’t talk and is withdrawn, unlike her older sister Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy), who hates the outdoors, and her younger brother Joe (Phoenix Laroche), whose entire world is gaming. The parents (Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy) are fulfilling the dream that they had long ago. Fran is the first to discover that the woods contain magical worlds where you can visit places where candy is plentiful, or wishes are granted. This film is best suited for a younger audience, who will find the antics of the magical tree's inhabitants funny and colorful. The film isn’t Willy Wonka, but it’s not meant to be. It’s a fun, joyful trip to a magical place where kids can turn off their phones and join in, exploring a world made for having a great time. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Magic Faraway Tree Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: It Ends (2025) R In It Ends, four friends, out of a late-night drive, discover that the road they are on has turned into a never-ending two-lane ride to hell, where they are surrounded by untold horrors and a drive that may never end. We all know that road trips can mess up even the closest of relationships. What if you were stuck in a car forever? Where if you stopped, bad things would happen, and the road you are on never ends? How would you handle it, and how long before you would give up? That is the premise of this film, which I found completely frustrating to watch. It’s an interesting idea, but I kept thinking it would make a great short film (I saw it at the Atlanta Film Festival), but there isn’t enough story to sustain it as a feature. The film is part horror film, but the scares are few and far between. It’s more a character study of four friends and how each one handles the idea that they will never get off this road or get home. In the end, I didn’t care who would be left or whether they would keep going or give up. I kept hoping they would run out of gas, but only the plot did that. My Rating: Bargain Matinee It Ends Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Late Fame (2025) Late Fame follows Ed Saxberger (Willem Dafoe), a New York mailroom worker whose once-forgotten poetry is suddenly discovered and revered. Ed is invited to meet a group of young creatives, The Enthusiasm Society, including actress Gloria (Greta Lee). This is a movie that, because of the cast, should be better than it is. However, the film feels like it has a story worth telling but just can’t find it. And yes, any film with Willem Dafoe in the lead is still a film worth watching, but I never felt fully invested in the film, knowing how it was going to pan out, and I was right. Greta Lee is fun as the actress who winds men around her little finger, including Ed, but we know from the first meeting that Ed will get infatuated with her, and it will not end well. I could see from the start that the friendship Ed makes with the Enthusiasm Society will be a letdown at some point. Late Fame is a story of how fleeting fame can be and how even the smallest spotlight can light that flame again. Unfortunately for us, that spotlight isn’t bright enough for us to care. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Late Fame Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Hot Spot (2026) R Hot Spot is set in the near future, where a sentient A.I. rules society. Jan 623 (Andrzej Konopka) is an investigator sent to solve a murder in a refugee camp. He discovers a rebel group led by Rana (Noomi Rapace) that is plotting to overthrow the digital overlord. The more Jan 623 investigates, the more his identity unravels, and his world soon falls apart. This is one of those films where I walked out of the theater going, “What the heck did I just see?” I have no clue what the plot is beyond the first fifteen minutes, and even then, it’s pretty murky. Everyone is hooked up to a sentient A.I., which allows you to talk to people without a phone, and get this, you see executions of rule breakers in the collective hive mind. Fun stuff. I guess it’s a mystery, but I have no clue if that's really right. I’m just guessing because our “hero” is sent to investigate a murder, but I don’t think he ever solves it, or does he? Noomi Rapace is wasted as a leader of a rebellion group, and she seems to have a connection with Jan 623, but over what, I don’t know. As the film goes along, it just gets weirder and weirder, and that’s saying a lot when we see the family pet in the first fifteen minutes that is some kind of giant grub that apparently has teeth. In the theater I saw it in, two people walked out after about 20 minutes, and we hadn’t gotten to the really strange parts. People die, Jan 623 keeps having visions, and Noomi’s character enjoys wearing a veil that covers half her face. Other than that, I’ve got nothing, other than this movie is just out and out weird for weirdness’ sake. I don’t think you will be singing the song that comes at the end of the film as you walk out of the theater wondering, ‘What the heck did I just see?' My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Hot Spot Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Train to Busan (2016) R A divorced father (Gong Yoo), more interested in his job than his young daughter (Kim Su-an), takes the morning train to Busan to take her to live with her mother. Unbeknownst to them, a virus has broken out, creating zombies, and one is now on their very train. It’s a journey that may never reach its destination. This is one of the greatest zombie films ever made, and it’s a thrill ride that never lets up once we get on the train. This film contains some of the scariest scenes I have ever seen. What I love about this film is the cast of characters, from the high school baseball team to the evil executive to the couple that is going to have a baby; we have a range of people on the train that we get to know and love (except for the evil executive), wanting them to survive this train of horrors. The zombies are scary, and the choreography of their attacks is mind-blowing. There is a scene near the end of the film that you won’t believe how scary and brilliant it is. The ending delivers a perfect callback to an earlier scene. So get a ticket and hop aboard. Don’t get too comfortable in your seat because it’s going to be a bit bumpy. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Train to Busan 10th Anniversary Website The film is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is in theaters.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Magic Faraway Tree: Angry Pixie Stunt Double

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Dog Stars (2026) R The Dog Stars is set after a devastating pandemic that almost wiped out humanity. The film follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former pilot, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a gun-toting former Marine, as they live on an abandoned air base, constantly on watch for roaming scavengers called Reapers. After hearing a mysterious radio voice, Hig flies his plane past the “safe zone” hoping to find a better life.The film is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Peter Heller. The Dog Stars Website In theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Until Next Time!

The End of Oak Street

2026-08-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: The End of Oak Street (2026) PG-13 In The End of Oak Street, the Platt family must band together after a mysterious event rips their ordinary street out of its location and transports it back in time. The family must stick together because some enormous animals are roaming the neighborhood, called dinosaurs. This is a movie that I call “just stupid fun.” Now you want to leave your thinking brain at the door, see it with an audience so you can react with the crowd at all the dino kills (and there are a ton of them), and just have a good time. The film is based on an incredibly flimsy plot, a family dynamic that doesn’t always work, and some just God-awful dialogue. However, it has dinosaurs attacking anything that moves and in very brutal ways. It, in the Spielberg tradition, has stupid kids that somehow stay alive against the odds and a cast of supporting characters that you can’t wait to see get chomped by a dinosaur or two. I had to overlook the dynamic of the parents, played by Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, who fight and bicker through a good two-thirds of the movie. And it has an ending so full of holes you could fit a whole slew of T-Rexes in it. Still, I had fun watching the film, but try to forget about it as soon as you leave the theater, or you might start not to like it. And by the way, watch where you step while on Oak Street; the dinos apparently crap a lot. A bit of a warning for families: the kills are pretty brutal, and there is a scene between two amorous dinosaurs that may take some explaining to young ones. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The End of Oak Street Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Don’t Say Good Luck (2026) PG-13 Don’t Say Good Luck follows 15-year-old Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler), who gets the role of a lifetime, the lead in her high school’s production of the musical Waitress. Just as Sophie has hit the spotlight, she finds out that her mother’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer has returned. The film gets high marks right off the bat because Sophie’s life revolves around her landing the lead in Waitress, one of my favorite Broadway musicals. Add in the always-fascinating Melanie Lynskey as the loving mother of three whose life is being upended, and you have a movie worth watching. Lynskey portrays a parent who has to weigh the heavy burden of knowing her daughter is not well against the constant teen angst of her daughter, who has a crush on the boy playing her co-lead in the musical and doesn’t have the confidence to handle the role or the crush. Sunny Sandler has worked her way up to become a solid actress and is perfect in the role of a girl who might be a little too young for what she is going through, but will figure out by the end of the film that she can handle it with a little help from her family and friends. And yes, the show-stopping song from the musical, Sara Bareilles' She Used to Be Mine, is left for the end of the film, and Sandler knocks it out of the park for an ending that hits all the right notes. So get out some tissues and get ready for a few tears along the way as we follow Sophie as she navigates a time she will never forget. My Rating: Full Price Don't Say Good Luck Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest: Olmo (2025) Olmo follows a 14-year-old boy named Olmo (Aivan Uttapa) who is constantly saddled with caring for his bedridden father, Nestor (Gustavo Sánchez Parra), by his mother and sister. When Olmo is invited to a party by the cute girl in the neighborhood, he has to figure out a way that he can leave his father behind in the house as he attends the party. This is a fine coming-of-age film about a teen who feels overwhelmed by having to take care of a father who he thinks doesn’t care about him, all the while wanting to be next to the girl of his dreams. Olmo is a typical teen who is a little selfish and makes bad decisions, as teens often do. The problem is that he is given the task of taking care of his father, and everything he tries to do to get someone else to take care of his father falls through. Writer/director Fernando Eimbcke does a masterful job of letting us into the family's dynamics, with a mother who must be the breadwinner while relying on her two teenage children to care for their father when she is away. And both kids have issues with their father, who isn’t an easy person to be around, while also depending totally on others even to change his shirt or go to the bathroom. This is a beautiful film about family and how responsibility can be overpowering, especially when you are a teen who is controlled more by his desires than by his brain. My Rating: Full Price Olmo Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) R Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma follows Kris (Hannah Eindbinder), an ambitious indie filmmaker who is hired to reboot the long-running slasher franchise Camp Miasma, which features a killer named Little Death. Wanting her film to be authentic, Kris tracks down Billy (Gillian Anderson), an actress from the original 1970s film, who lives at the rustic campsite where Camp Miasma was filmed. Kris does not know what she has gotten herself into. There has been some talk about how films are cutting sex out of their movies because audiences don’t want it. Well, filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun says “hold my beer!” and gives us a film where sex becomes one of the main elements. As with her earlier film I Saw the TV Glow, Teenage Sex and Death starts fairly conventional, but as it goes along, it gets weirder and weirder. Though an early sign of what we are in for is Kris’s navigation system sending her down a road that doesn’t seem to exist, and there are times when the shots of the scenery seem right out of an illustration. This film is a hodgepodge of genres. It’s an homage to the slasher films of the 70s/80s like Friday the 13th, with flashback scenes from the first Camp Miasma film that fit the 70s slasher films look and feel, along with the blatant teen sex scenes where bad things happen when someone gets romantic. But this is also a satire of Hollywood's search for the next big thing, rebooting old film series with new filmmakers. And we get a relationship film between Kris, who admits that she hasn’t enjoyed sex in a long time, and Billy, who forces Kris to investigate why. This film was a bit hit-and-miss for me. I loved the performances of both Hannah Einbinder as the uptight, full-of-herself filmmaker who falls under Billy’s spell and Gillian Anderson, who radiates sexual chemistry with just a look and a quick laugh. I loved all the flashbacks to the 70s films, which capture the absurdity of those slasher films in all their bloody glory. However, the film gets a little too weird for me to fully enjoy the outcome (though I loved the final scene), and it doesn’t quite work at the dramatic level it aspires to. Still, it’s a film worthy of watching, especially for slasher film fans and for the brilliance of Gillian Anderson. My Rating : Bargain Matinee Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Wrong Girls (2026) R The Wrong Girls follows best friends Frankie (Kristen Stewart) and Molly (Alia Shawkat), who live paycheck to paycheck while getting high as much as possible. The two accidentally gain telepathic powers after taking an experimental drug, and things go downhill from there. This stoner comedy never got going for me, almost from the start. Frankie and Molly's solution to everything is to light one up, no matter what obstacle is in their way. The script tries too hard to make everything funny, and we never get a chance to catch our breath (mostly because of all the pot smoke) to get to know the characters. The plot is so half-baked (pun intended) that I think the writers got into the girls’ stash before the outline was done. Trying to explain the plot is too much for me to handle, but the two get some sort of weird drug that gives them powers to hear each other’s thoughts and also hear what their two beloved cats are thinking. The cats, voiced by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani, constantly commenting on their owners, were the only times I laughed during the film. Dylan Meyer directs the film, and the supporting cast includes several brilliant comedians who are wasted and have almost nothing to do but look puzzled at everything our blitzed-out duo has to say. I guess I should have smoked one before I got to the theater like the guy in front of me must have done, because he laughed at almost every line in the film. My Rating: Cable The Wrong Girls Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Rivals of Amziah King (2025) R The Rivals of Amziah King is about a beekeeper and musician, Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey), who runs his honey empire in the backwoods of Oklahoma. His estranged foster daughter, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), returns after many years and learns the business under his tutelage. Ruthless rivals will threaten that business; Kateri will have to draw on all her strength to protect what Amziah has built. Matthew McConaughey is a force of nature as Amziah, a man who loves his life, his music, his bees, and his vast group of friends. McConaughey is perfect as a man full of love, expressing it through his music and philosophy. As soon as he recognizes Kateri, one of his former foster children, he invites her back into his world with open arms, wanting to share with her the world as he sees it, and of course, his bees. This is one of those performances only McConaughey can pull off. Newcomer Angelina LookingGlass matches him in a dazzling performance in her first feature-film role. LookingGlass keeps up with McConaughey as the wide-eyed, fast-learning Kateri, who loves soaking up Amziah’s knowledge about bees and how their world mirrors ours. This is a strange mix of genres: part coming-of-age film, part revenge film, with a lot of music that brings you joy every time you hear Amziah and his friends perform. The first half is a fast, joyous ride with a group led by the dynamic Amziah. Then the plot turns, and things get very serious, but it never forgets about what happened in the first half. This is a wild ride with plenty of twists and turns, filled with a bluegrass/folk blend of music that will make you want to stay to the end. It’s a film about a group of people filled with hearts of gold who work together to right a wrong. And that gold might come from a bunch of Amziah’s bees. My Rating: Full Price The Rival of Amziah King Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: In the Mouth of Madness (1994) R A famous horror writer’s books are causing the readers to literally lose their minds, as the best-selling book is causing widespread schizophrenia. The writer, Sutter Cane, has gone missing, and the publisher, needing the next book to satisfy the writer’s crazed fans, hires an investigator, John Trent (Sam Neil), to find the writer. Trent is joined by the writer’s editor (Julie Carmen), and they end up in the New England town where Cane’s books are all set. This is a fun horror film that plays on the Stephen King-like author whose work is far more evil than anyone thought. Directed by horror master John Carpenter, has some truly scary moments, and it’s always fun to watch the late Sam Neil work on screen. Watching this film might make you hesitate to read the next horror book by Mr. King or any of your other horror writers. My Rating: Bargain Matinee In the Mouth of Madness Info The film is available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma: Lead Environment Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Never Stop Chasing (2026) Never Stop Chasing is a documentary that follows the career of legendary storm chaser Reed Timmer as he pursues the world’s most dangerous tornadoes with friends and colleagues for the past 20 years. The film is a rollercoaster ride about a job that Timmer loves, but at a price. Reed Timmer was the inspiration for Glen Powell’s character Tyler Owens in the 2024 film Twisters. Never Stop Chasing Website The film comes out in select theaters on Friday, August 21, 2026

Until Next Time!

One Night Only

2026-08-07T00:30:00.000-04:00

My Take: One Night Only (2026) R In One Night Only, Owen (Callum Turner), who has been recently dumped, and Allie (Monica Barbaro), a young woman who wants to finally meet someone, keep crossing paths on a chaotic night when love is in the air. So when I saw the trailer for this film, I thought it was set on Valentine’s Day. Nope, it takes place in an alternate timeline where extramarital sex has been outlawed. Everyone gets a chip that lets the government know when you have sex, and get this, if you don’t wear a condom. The government has set aside one night (a full twelve hours) for everyone to have sex out of wedlock. What makes this film fun is that the filmmakers do a good job of setting up the premise and letting the hijinks begin. I loved that Allie is a singer who sings those TV jingles for all sorts of products. Her best friend abandons her on the night, and Allie sets off on her own to find someone worthy of having sex with. Owen, on the other hand, has picked this night to propose to his longtime girlfriend (played by Maya Hawke), but she has plans of her own. So after Allie and Owen have a not-so-cute meetup, they keep encountering each other throughout the night, even when it seems they have found other people to have sex with. We know better, and that’s part of the fun of this rom-com: watching the two keep meeting throughout the night. Turner and Barbaro have amazing chemistry and play off each other extremely well. They throw barbs at each other with dexterity and abandon. Adding to the fun is Molly Ringwald, who plays Owen’s mother. LaVar Burton appears as her amorous lover who kicks Owen out so that they can join in on the night’s activities. Before leaving, both give Owen some romantic advice on how his night should go. This is a fun, silly rom-com with two beautiful actors who clearly enjoy the roles. We can’t help but root for Allie and Owen to end up together. But will they figure out they are meant to be together in time to have sex? You will have to go on the adventure with them to find out. My Rating: Bargain Matinee One Night Only Website Now playing in theaters

My View: The Last House (2026) PG-13 In The Last House, a family of four finds themselves suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out. They will have to band together to survive, with their resources dwindling and a mysterious, looming threat responsible for their entrapment. The Last House takes forever to get going, giving us what seems like a typical TV drama you would see on cable, with some money troubles and a teen son who is starting to rebel against his parents. I had a few COVID flashbacks, including saying hello to people at a distance (they communicate with their neighbors with writing boards), but it takes a long time for there to be any scares. The film, almost from the start, gives us clues to what is going on, but it takes forever for anything to happen beyond the kids complaining about not having enough to eat or not being understood. When the external threat finally appears, it's underwhelming, and the family suddenly becomes action heroes (all thanks to the father’s workout regimen). The inconsistent CGI and choppy action sequences don’t help make the film work. At least we don’t have to wait for next week’s episode, where the littlest one gets a crush on her teacher. Just a warning. There are a number of animal deaths in this film and all are caused by humans. My Rating: Cable The Last House Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Ice Cream Man (2026) R Ice Cream Man is set in a small suburban town that descends into madness when a creepy, smiling ice cream vendor (Ari Miller) comes to town and serves ice cream to children that turn them into homicidal maniacs. Ice Cream Man, directed by one of the genre’s big names, Eli Roth, doesn’t deliver more than lots of blood and guts without any thought. The kills by the kids become tedious, and the plot, when explained why it’s happening, is just downright boring. I guess some of the kids' kills are funny, but is this a horror film or a comedy? I say neither, as it’s not funny or scary. The dialogue gets worse as the quips keep coming, and some of the acting is right out of a bad 50s horror movie. Add in the fact that director/writer Roth has admitted that he used generative AI for the black-and-white, Fleischer Studios-style cartoons that hypnotize children in the film. And this is a horror film to avoid, unless you are a die-hard Eli Roth fan and even then you might not enjoy it. I have no idea what point Roth wanted to make with this film other than that kids love ice cream and killing adults. There is a very small bonus scene at the end of all the credits of the film. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Ice Cream Man Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026) The Samurai and the Prisoner takes place inside Arioka Castle, where a samurai, Lord Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki), has barricaded himself after rebelling against his lord. As the siege by the lord wears on, a brutal murder occurs within the castle. In response, Araki turns to a man he has imprisoned in his dungeon, Kuroda Kanbei (Masaki Suda), to solve the crime. This is about a man playing the long game to overthrow a ruthless warlord, with a plan that involves winning without killing. This is a man who thinks that he can not only tempt fate, but he can defeat it. The problem is that people die in mysterious ways, and Lord Murashige must use a prisoner to help figure out who is doing the killing and why. Murashige soon learns that Kanbei is not only smart but is wise in the ways of politics, and so Murashige trusts the man with all his secrets. This is a fascinating film that combines political intrigue with a whodunit, slowly allowing us and the Lord to figure out the motive for the murders and who was behind them. The Samurai and the Prisoner is a film that requires a lot of concentration from the viewer to keep up with all the plot twists. With beautiful cinematography and remarkable costumes, the film requires attentive viewing; you will miss a clue or two if you don't. While there are some battle sequences for samurai action fans, the focus remains on the characters’ attempts to unravel the murders. This unique period piece keeps you guessing until the last sword is drawn and the last conversation over tea is finished. My Rating: Full Price The Samurai and the Prisoner Website The film is in select theaters

Indiefest: Cookie Queens (2026) G Cookie Queens is a documentary that follows four young Girl Scouts as they navigate the high-pressure, million-dollar business of Girl Scout cookie-selling season. Be prepared to fall in love with four girls, from vastly different backgrounds, who all want to hit their goals and win prizes. You have Olive, the record-setting Girl Scout who sells her cookies online with commercials that she shoots with her dad. Nikki, who is following in her sister's award-winning footsteps, with a family that orders over 18,000 dollar’s worth of cookies. And her opposite, Shannon Elizabeth, whose parents constantly worry about taking a financial hit if she can’t sell her cookies. And then there is little Ara, a five-year-old diabetic who takes Pilates classes so she can pull her wagon full of cookies through the neighborhood and sell the 55 boxes she has set as her goal. We see how hard the girls work, the pressure that they and their families are under to succeed, and how some of the girls are just born show-stopping sellers. What makes this film such a blast to watch is that it lets us see that all four girls are fun, funny, and just nice little girls with a dream. A dream to sell enough cookies to go on a camping trip, or to Europe, or just to get a pin that they can wear. And I have a feeling, after seeing this lovely, terrific documentary, you won’t pass by a Girl Scout selling her cookies outside your grocery store without stopping to get the sales pitch for a box or two… okay. Maybe three. My Rating: Full Price Cookie Queens Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Best Worst Movie (2009) Documentary on the making of Troll 2, considered one of the worst movies of all time, the cast of characters that made the movie, and the fans who, for the past 35 years, have made the film into a beloved cult classic. Back in 1986, a cheesy horror film called Troll was made. It was a modest success, best known for its stop-motion effects and weird, bad-guy trolls. For some reason, Troll 2 was then made by an Italian filmmaker, Claudio Fragasso, and his wife, and it made almost no sense and had very little to do with the original Troll movie. It doesn’t help that Claudio didn’t speak English, and his wife wasn’t the greatest scriptwriter. The film was barely released, but through the magic of a few old VHS tapes that traveled throughout the country, a fandom started reveling in the weirdness and downright horrible filmmaking. This documentary explores how the film came about and the band of somewhat strange cast and crew that made the film what it is. The documentary is a joy to watch, especially for highlighting the small-town dentist who was one of the stars of the film and revels in the newfound stardom it has created. My View: Full Price Best Worst Movie Info Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of One Night Only: Shooting Medic

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Don’t Say Good Luck (2026) PG-13 Don’t Say Good Luck follows 15-year-old Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler), who gets the role of a lifetime, the lead in her high school’s production of the musical Waitress. Just as Sophie has hit the spotlight, she finds out that her mother’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer has returned. The all-star cast includes Steve Buscemi, Bebe Neuwirth, Max Greenfield, Jack Champion, Jon Lovitz, and Stephanie Beatriz. Don't Say Good Luck Website Premiering on Netflix on Friday, August 14, 2026

Until Next Time!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

2026-07-31T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) PG-13 In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s been four years since Doctor Strange’s memory-erasing spell, and Peter (Tom Holland) lives alone in New York City, dedicated to fighting crime full-time. His love, MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), have no memory of Peter, but a new, powerful villain who can alter their form will force Peter to reconnect with his long-lost friends. It’s been a lonely four years since Doctor Strange did his thing, and Spidey’s love of his life and his best friend, along with a lot of other people, forgot that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The closest thing to a friend Spider-Man has is Detective Jean De Wolff (Liza Colon-Zayas), who is just a working relationship: Spider-Man leaves the bad guys in a web and lets her know where they are. He is still reeling from the loss of his rock, his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), still putting flowers on her grave. To make matters worse, Peter suddenly feels his arachnid side dominating his human side, and it’s not fun, including losing his humanity when under its control. And in walks a new bad guy who can take over anyone’s body and get into their mind. That means that Spider-Man has no clue who this bad guy is and what they want, but it’s not good. In one of the best Marvel films of the past few years (I did like Thunderbolts), our hero is going through a lot, facing an enemy who can’t be figured out. Spidey has to ask for help from one of the most uncooperative super-heroes out there, The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who Spider-Man won’t let you forget he saved his life, and The Punisher owes him. I loved the fact that Marvel has allowed us to get to know The Punisher (in his own series), and so we already know his attitude toward any help. Oh, and by the way, a few other bad guys show up along the way, and a certain big green guy who isn’t happy and wants to smash a few things. And of course, Peter has to find MJ (Zendaya) to see how she is doing. So get ready to swing through New York as Spider-Man tackles a mysterious villain who keeps switching bodies, calling on unlikely allies like The Punisher and encountering familiar faces, both good and bad. The action sequences are visually inventive, showcasing Spider-Man's web shooters and letting Tom Holland shine emotionally and comedically. Don't miss the bonus scene after the credits, teasing Spider-Man's return; hopefully, it won’t be another four years. My Rating: Full Price Spider-Man: Brand New Day Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: I Want Your Sex (2026) R I Want Your Sex follows the adventures of Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), who thinks he has landed his dream job at the art gallery of renowned and provocative artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). Soon, Elliot’s fantasies come true as Erika hires him to become her sex slave muse. However, Elliot soon discovers that his life is now full of obsession, betrayal, and maybe even murder. After seeing this film at the Atlanta Film Festival, my first thought was: did the Intimacy Coordinator go home every night from the set and have a stiff drink? And how much fun did the costume designers have coming up with the outfits that Olivia Wilde wore? Cooper Hoffman is hilarious as Elliot, a young man who at first thinks he has the best job in the world, until things get really strange and then really dangerous because his boss is nuts. Wilde is perfect as the artist who thinks her artwork is so wonderful and artistic that she can get away with anything, and people won’t care because she is so talented. As the relationship between Elliot and Erika gets more and more complicated, we squirm a bit in our seats, wondering just how far Elliot will let himself be dragged into Erika’s strange and kinky world. This is a film about two people who see differently how sexual consent works. It’s also about the insanity of the art world, where one moment an artwork made of chewing gum can be seen as priceless and the next as worthless. This film about sexual attitudes and changing mores wouldn’t work without the fearlessness of its two principal actors, who explore sexuality, desire, and the sometimes absurd world of art with abandon and glee. My Rating: Full Price I Want Your Sex Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Above & Below (2026) Above & Below is about five friends who embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving. During a thrilling caged dive to see sharks, they uncover a stash of cartel cocaine, forcing them to survive both Great White sharks and a ruthless gang of criminals. Above & Below is one of those films where, in the first five minutes, you can pick who will survive and who will die. The only question is, will the kill be by a human or a shark? Antonio Banderas plays the main bad guy in this film, and as always, it’s a fun watch. Banderas whispers about half his lines and has fun playing the mastermind whose drugs are now shark bait. For fans of this genre, the sharks aren’t quite as menacing as I would have liked, as there are only a few times that the sharks really go to town. I will say, one kill is a lot of fun, and Laura Marano does a nice job in her battle with a great white. The ending feels a little too easy to come about, and the plot seems a bit generic. I think it needed a bit more bite. My Rating: Cable Above & Below Info Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (2025) Documentary about Peter Asher, who started as part of the British Invasion of the 60s as part of the duo Peter and Gordon, and when the duo broke up, he became a record producer and manager of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he was in a bunch of British movies as a child, produced records for major stars such as Cher, Bonnie Raitt, and Diana Ross, and is a good friend of Paul McCartney. The film is part concert film from his touring show about his life and music, and part documentary that interviews just about everyone famous in the music industry and beyond (Steve Martin and Eric Idle show up a lot). The film is a delight to watch because Asher is very talented and also seems like a truly nice guy. Someone you would love to spend time at a party or a dinner, talking about music, books, and everything else. And did I mention that when the Beatles were first starting, Paul McCartney dated Asher’s sister, lived in Peter’s parents’ house, and McCartney wrote a bunch of the songs that Peter and Gordon sang, including a throwaway song (that John hated) from McCartney that became Peter and Gordon’s first big hit. The film focuses on Asher’s time with the group, then on his discovery of James Taylor and on how he guided both Taylor and Ronstadt to superstardom. What I loved about Asher was that he was a cool guy who had fun and loved performing. We find out that when Linda Ronstadt toured in the late 70s, Asher was one of her backup vocalists. And by the way, he is probably the model for Mike Myers’ Austin Powers character. So, have a blast going on a musical journey into the 60s and 70s with Peter Asher. You won’t be disappointed, and you might notice how he dresses in the 60s, but don’t expect him to say “Oh Behave!”. My Rating: Full Price Peter Asher: Everywhere Man Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: The Deep (1977) PG A honeymooning couple (Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset) are diving in waters off Bermuda when they discover a sunken WWII vessel. What was once a fun exploration of a sunken vessel becomes entangled with drug smugglers seeking more than a few pieces of gold. This was the follow-up book to Jaws by Peter Benchley, and he co-wrote the screenplay. The underwater sequences are incredible; John Barry's score is amazing, and the supporting cast of Robert Shaw, Louis Gossett Jr., and Eli Wallach helps make this film fun to watch. There is some controversy about this film, as the opening sequence shows Bisset diving in a T-shirt. The marketing department took a still of this without Bisset’s approval, and the wet T-shirt showed too much, making the film seem sexier than it actually was. Bisset was upset that she didn’t get credit for making the film, which was incredibly difficult due to the number of underwater action sequences she had to perform. Producer Peter Gruber claimed that the wet T-shirt made him wealthy, as The Deep was a big hit. Still, this film, along with Jaws, started a long line of underwater thrillers that keep going on today, though The Deep isn’t a shark film, and other than one attack by an eel, the danger comes from man. My Rating: Full Price The Deep Info The film is available on most online formats.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Spider-Man: Brand New Day: Standby Blues

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The End of Oak Street (2026) PG-13 The Platt family must band together after a mysterious event rips their ordinary street out of its location and transports it back in time. The family must stick together because there are some enormous animals roaming the neighborhood called dinosaurs. This is the year of Anne Hathaway, as she stars alongside Ewan McGregor in this film directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows (2014), Under the Silver Lake (2018)) and produced by J. J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek, Star Wars). The End of Oak Street Website In theaters nationwide on Friday, August 14, 2026.

Until Next Time!

The Dink

2026-07-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: The Dink (2026) PG-13 The Dink follows a washed-up former tennis prodigy, Dusty (Jake Johnson), who, to survive, has been forced to teach tennis to children at his father’s (Ed Harris) failing country club. After Dusty is injured, his rehab assignment is pickleball, a sport that he thinks is stupid and beneath his talent. Little does he know, pickleball could save both the country club and his self-respect. The Dink is a funny, goofy movie that makes fun of all the sports-themed movies about the underdog coming back from the brink of defeat. The film is silly and pushes the boundaries a bit in terms of believability. Still, with performances by Ed Harris, Aaron Chen, and Patton Oswalt, it keeps moving along, even when we get a little tired of Jake Johnson’s character. The film is buoyed by the absolutely adorable Mary Steenburgen, who lights up the screen and steals every scene she is in. And there is a great cameo by John McEnroe that gets funnier as it goes along, with some great props that reminded me of Airplane! and Top Secret!. So grab a paddle, have a good time with The Dink, and be sure not to go into the kitchen, or you will be mercilessly razzed! My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Dink Info Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform

Indiefest: Her Private Hell (2026) R Her Private Hell takes place in a futuristic metropolis where a troubled young actress (Sophie Thatcher) searches for her father to stop his marriage, while a man dressed in leather from Hell is going around killing young women, and a soldier (Charles Melton) is on the hunt to find his daughter, whom he thinks has been kidnapped by the Leatherman from Hell. Well, it’s a cool-looking movie, with gorgeous cinematography and set design. The film makes Charles Melton look like a cross between Bruce Lee and a Greek god. Sophie Thatcher wears a lot of very stylish clothes, and the soundtrack is interesting. The rest of the film: an enormous mess from a filmmaker who makes films to please himself and doesn’t care about the audience. Is it a sci-fi movie or a film about making a sci-fi movie? Is it a horror film or a psychological thriller? Heck, if I know. I have no clue what this film was about, other than some guy with lasers for eyes and dressed in all leather was ripping apart women. Why? Not a clue. When does this take place and where? Your guess is as good as mine. If you want to watch pretty people in stunning lighting and mod settings, then this is a film for you. If you want style and dazzling visuals, here you go. If you want a film to make any sense, this isn’t it. Go see something else. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Her Private Hell Website Now playing in theaters

My View: 72 Hours (2026) R In 72 Hours, Joe (Kevin Hart) is a 40-year-old ad executive who has lost his touch with what twenty-somethings do and enjoy. After mistakenly being added to a Gen Z group chat, Joe decides to crash their bachelor party weekend to find out what makes them tick. Not one of Joe's better ideas. I knew we were in trouble from the start when our hero, Joe, packed a bottle of hair dye on top of his clothes in the suitcase. This, of course, ruined the clothes, and now Joe has to steal clothes out of the fancy Airbnb house he is renting with the college kids. Which is, of course, being watched by a mobster’s gang via remote cameras. And we are off to fun and hijinks. If you think projectile vomiting after drinking two bottles of Pepto is funny, then this is a film for you. Everything Joe touches goes badly for himself and the four college kids that he has latched onto by paying for their bachelor party weekend. The laughs keep coming with a mobster thinking Joe is moving into the territory because anytime Joe does cocaine, he becomes a bad imitation of Scarface’s Tony Montana. And oh, by the way, Joe finds out that today’s college kids are all about getting in touch with their feelings and scrapbooking. And the film is constantly concerned with male appendages, including those of whales. There isn’t one scene in this sad tale that is funny, and that includes the outtakes that take place during the credits. It’s sad when a film feels as if it takes as long as its title says it is. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again 72 Hours Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Motor City (2025) R Motor City is about John Miller (Alan Ritchson), who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit, so a local gangster (Ben Foster) could steal John’s girlfriend (Shailene Woodley). Now John is out for revenge, and it’s going to be brutal. If you are a fan of 70s music, don’t like a lot of dialogue but love action films with lots of guns and blood, then this film is for you. Motor City is a film that tells its story through action and music, with little dialogue (I think there are a total of 5 lines, plus a few more names shouted out). Does it work? Sometimes, but not for a full hour and forty minutes. Former White Stripes frontman Jack White picked the needle drops in this film, and I loved most of the music, which fit the film's mood and setting (1970s Detroit). But the storyline isn’t strong enough to sustain, and the characters seem stuck in archetypal roles, such as the evil cop, the gangster, and the down-on-her-luck girlfriend. This makes the film feel like those music videos that used to be on MTV in the 80s, starring a Hollywood star or two as a song plays about a guy and a girl who are down on their luck. Alan Ritchson does kick some butt in the film, but it takes a long time to get to the revenge sequence and then tacks on an ending that doesn’t fit the rest of the film. I give director Potsy Ponciroli and screenwriter Chad St. John the props for trying something outside the norm, but the film takes too long to get to the action and then goes overboard with the violence. My Rating: Cable Motor City Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Reading Lolita in Tehran (2025) Reading Lolita in Tehran is about a Literature professor, Azar Nafisi (Golshifteh Farahani), in post-revolutionary Iran, who continues to teach in secret to six devoted female students about Western literary classics, giving them the freedom to find a world beyond Iran. This film is based on a book that spans 19 years, starting with Azar’s return to Tehran with her husband, who has gotten a job. The film is broken into four sections, each named after a famous Western novel, all of which are still banned in Iran. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a film where the acting far outshines the script. Golshifteh Farahani is extraordinary as the bold and brave Azar, who continues to teach Western literature despite constant threats to conform. I loved that the women who make up the group come from different backgrounds and have vastly different experiences with the government regime. The film, even in the early part of the story when some students are suffering in horrible conditions in jail, never hits home hard enough, making its impact feel less. Every time I felt the film was going to have a greater emotional impact, it seemed to back off and move on to the next chapter. We spend a lot of time with Azar and her followers, but we seem to get only brief glimpses into their lives because there is always another meeting with the professor and the gang. The film is like Azar’s nightmares. We see her suffering from them through the years, but we never get an idea what they are about other than a few repeated phrases that we have heard earlier. Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who portrays Sanaz, a young student who is the shyest of the six women, both live in exile in Paris, which makes their performances in the film even more heartfelt and poignant. I wish there were more emotional impact in the story to make the film more compelling. Ultimately, while the performances are powerful, Reading Lolita in Tehran never quite delivers the emotional depth it promises, leaving its message feeling muted and not memorable. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Reading Lolita in Tehran Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film (updated from March 2012): Jason and the Argonauts (1963) G Jason and the Argonauts is a film that tells the story of Jason, the legendary Greek hero, as he seeks the Golden Fleece to reclaim the throne from the king. Jason assembles a crew, including Hercules, to aid him on his quest. Their voyage takes them through encounters with mythical creatures: harpies, a giant bronze warrior, a many-headed hydra, and, finally, an epic battle with an army of animated skeleton warriors. Master special effects artist Ray Harryhausen used stop-motion animation for these scenes, notably showcasing his skill in the memorable skeleton fight, in which live actors battle animated skeletons. The film is widely regarded as Harryhausen’s masterpiece. At the Academy Awards, Tom Hanks, presenting Harryhausen’s Lifetime Achievement award, famously said: “Some people say Casablanca or Citizen Kane. I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film ever made.” Harryhausen spent three months animating the skeleton battle, which remains a landmark in cinema history. My Rating: I Would Pay to See the Film Again Jason and the Argonaunts Info Available on Tubi, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Dink: Pickleball Gameplay Designer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: I Want Your Sex (2026) R I Want Your Sex follows the adventures of Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), who thinks he has landed his dream job at the art gallery of renowned and provocative artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). Soon, Elliot’s fantasies come true as Erika hires him to become her sex slave muse. However, Elliot soon discovers that his life is now full of obsession, betrayal, and maybe even murder. In addition to Hoffman and Wilde, the cast features Mason Gooding, Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX, Johnny Knoxville, Chase Sui Wonders, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, and James Duval. I Want Your Sex Website In theaters on Friday, July 31, 2026

Until Next Time!

The Odyssey

2026-07-17T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: The Odyssey (2026) R The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, who goes on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), before Penelope succumbs to a nefarious suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson). Christopher Nolan is one of our best and most prolific filmmakers today. I mean, who else could get people to buy IMAX tickets a year before the film is released, without seeing a trailer or even footage? First, go see this film in a theater; the bigger the better. You may not be one of the lucky ones who live near an IMAX that is showing the movie on IMAX film (there are only 24 IMAX theaters in the US that are), at least see it in a theater that is showing it with 70 mm digital, or if you are lucky, a theater showing it on 70mm film. Do not wait to see this film on a computer or home screen. You need to see this film in a theater where the screen and its cinematography can immerse you in a world that is part horror, part fantasy, and a fantastic, mind-blowing epic journey. While this isn’t a full-out horror film, it has a cyclops that tears off men’s heads, giant armored men that can throw a man off his feet, and a witch that tricks men into eating unspeakable things, dragon-like monsters, sirens that can drive a man mad with their songs, plus numerous bloody battles that are incredibly violent. However, this is the story of Odysseus, a man who so believes in himself and his abilities that he can defy the Gods and make his own way home without their help. Odysseus is a man driven to return home but burdened by his past and his doubts about his ability to get back. He is a man who thinks he can’t be defeated and believes he is almost God-like, but because of this, he is prone to making very human mistakes, some of which he seems never to learn from. Nolan does a masterful job of turning a complex, long tale into a story. I suspect some will be scared off by the three-hour runtime, but the film moves at a pace that keeps the adventures of Odysseus and his men moving from one roadblock to another. The highlight of the film is the Trojan Horse portion (which surprised me by not being at the beginning of the film but about a third of the way in), which Nolan shows us with incredible flair and tension-building. Nolan also gets the most out of his cast, with Matt Damon carrying most of the heavy load of the hero of the story with energy and bravado. Tom Holland does a brilliant job as Odysseus’s son Telemachus, who is left behind by Odysseus when he was a baby and keeps the faith that his father will return to his rightful place as king. Robert Pattinson is perfect as the weasel Antinous, a man who plans to wed Penelope and become king, as he plots to kill Telemachus along the way. Pattinson’s performance is so good that I expected the audience to boo him at times. While they don’t do that, they did laugh at his attempts to get others to do his dastardly bidding. It’s to Nolan’s credit that there isn’t a bad performance in the cast, and it’s going to be hard to pick out which actors should be nominated for Oscars. I predict that, like Nolan’s Oppenheimer, this film will garner a slew of award nominations and be the frontrunner for Best Picture. The Odyssey is a magical film that combines the wonder of the old Ray Harryhausen films with the drama of Homer, Virgil, and Euripides. So put on your helmet and armor and go on an epic journey where one man tried to defy the gods and get back home. The journey is long but worth every step. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Odyssey Website Now playing in theaters, including IMAX

Indiefest: Romeria (2025) Spanish director Carla Simon gives us a tale of hidden secrets and discovery in Romeria. When Marina (Llucia Garcia) applies for a college scholarship, she learns that her late father never claimed to have a child. The only way she can claim the scholarship is by getting her father’s parents to sign a notarized document stating that she is indeed their daughter. Marina then travels to a seaside town to visit a side of her family that she has never known, as both her parents died when she was a baby, and then she was adopted. Marina soon discovers that her parents' story is a closely guarded secret, and she slowly peels it back through dogged determination to find the truth. This is a film that slowly builds, letting us get to know Marina, and we are along with her on a journey in a new land, guided only by her mother’s diary and a few morsels of information that her relatives reluctantly give. Llucia Garcia gives us a multi-layered performance of a character who is independent, determined, and, while mostly staying in the background at family gatherings, isn’t shy about asking about her parents, especially when alone with a family member. She also isn’t above eavesdropping on conversations about her and her parents when the family members don’t know she is listening. This is a film about how generations deal with grief and shame, trying to keep their troubles hidden behind locked doors, never publicly exposing the truth, and also keeping out any feelings for the deceased. Romeria is a story full of surprises and compassion for lost souls who never found their way back into the light until Marina dug further into their lives. My Rating: Full Price Romeria Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The Python Hunt (2025) Every year, the state of Florida invites the public to hunt pythons in the Everglades. For 10 nights, a group of hunters from across the states and the world travel across the Everglades in search of the gigantic snakes, risking everything from poisonous snakes to boredom to win a cash prize and say they are python hunters. This documentary concentrates on some unique and bizarre individuals from a man from San Francisco who every day shaves another part of his beard, to a hard drinking 82-year-old woman who just wants the thrill of putting a knife into a pythons brain to a former professional snake hunter who has been suspended from hunting and is now a Door Dash deliver who dreams of hunting the big snakes again with his teen daughter. As you would expect from a documentary set in the Everglades of Florida, the people in this film are rather strange and seem more about being in the hunt than actually getting results. As the hunt goes on, we see people losing interest in going out every night (when the pythons are most active) and driving up and down roads, looking with spotlights for snakes that are hard to find, especially when you stay in your truck. The film embraces how ridiculous this hunt is and how little it accomplishes, while allowing the state of Florida to bring in tourists under the excuse of helping local wildlife. I loved the shots of pythons being illuminated by the searchers’ spotlights, but no one sees them as they move along undisturbed. The film does a great job of showing just how hard it is to hunt these reptiles and how the contest (just over 200 pythons killed in the ten days) is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the problem the snakes might pose. Or, as the film points out, that man himself is the problem with the vanishing wildlife and not the snakes themselves. So, grab a spotlight, get into your truck, and go out into the night with a strange and funny group of hunters. You might learn a thing or two; just watch where you walk when you get out of your truck. My Rating: Full Price The Python Hunt Website Now playing in select theaters and available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Forgotten Film: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) G Sinbad (John Philip Law) goes on a quest to find three golden tablets that will give him access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge. Sinbad picks up a slave girl, Margiana (Caroline Munro), and they race against the evil magician Koura (Tom Baker), who will do anything to get the tablets. The film showcases Ray Harryhausen’s incredible stop-motion animation, featuring amazing, fantastical creatures, including a six-armed Kali statue that comes to life and engages in a sword battle with Sinbad. The storyline is a little weak, and John Philip Law looks great but can’t act, but it’s got the Harryhausen magic and one of the most beautiful actresses in cinema at the time, Caroline Munro, who, when I saw it in 1973, I was in love with. I can even tell you which theater I saw this film in. My Rating: Full Price (hey, a Cyclops Centaur, a Griffin, and a six-armed swordsman are worth the rating, don’t you think). The Golden Voyage of Sinbad Info The film is available on most online platforms

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Odyssey: Bambooman

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Dink (2026) PG-13 The Dink follows a washed-up former tennis prodigy, Dusty (Jake Johnson), who, to survive, has been forced to teach tennis to children at his father’s (Ed Harris) failing country club. After Dusty is injured, his rehab assignment is pickleball, a sport that he thinks is stupid and beneath his talent. Little does he know, pickleball could save both the country club and his self-respect. The cast includes Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, tennis great Andy Roddick, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, and Chris Parnell. The Dink Info Premiering on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 24, 2026

Until Next Time!

Moana

2026-07-10T00:30:00.000-04:00

Familyfaire: Moana (2026) PG Moana is about the young, inquisitive daughter (Catherine Laga’aia) of a village chief. Moana has always felt that she was destined to do something great and is summoned by the ocean to undertake a voyage to save her community. She will need help and finds it in Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a legendary shapeshifting demigod who, along with Moana’s dimwitted rooster, Heihei, undertakes a journey that will test her will and belief in herself. I loved the 2016 animated film, saying, “The animation is crisp and gorgeous, taking advantage of the tropical look of the islands,” and loving the message to young girls that you can do anything you put your heart and soul into. So now Disney has decided to bring back the story as a live-action film. Why? I have no clue, other than making money (but with a reported budget of 200 million, that could be in serious doubt). Does this bring anything new to the storyline? No. Unlike the 2025 live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, which did a fantastic job of making changes from the animated film to make it work with live action, Moana is almost a shot-for-shot remake and not for the better. The film feels exactly as if it were shot on a soundstage in front of a green screen. The film fails to capture the beauty, brightness, and fun of the animated film. And it uses animation to bring to life Mona’s pet rooster and piglet, both of which don’t look real and feel like props for the film, rather than bringing fun and life to it as they did in the animated film. And then there’s Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui. I loved his character in the animated film, thinking that, while he can’t sing very well, he is perfect as an animated character, bringing fun and life to the storyline. The problem, like actors like Vin Diesel, Arnold, and Johnson, is that they are larger than life, and you sometimes see them not as their characters but as the actors themselves. The animated film let Maui dance and be a virtual ball of energy, bouncing around as Johnson sang songs like "Your Welcome" to our delight. The problem is that the live-action Johnson can’t match the action of animated Maui, and so the songs become more about Johnson posing than dancing around. Your Welcome song still works, but it’s not as much fun as the animated film song; it just can’t recreate it, no matter how much his animated tattoos move around in this version. The bright light in all this is Catherine Laga’aia’s performance, who shines on screen and has a wonderful, powerful voice that makes her solos worth watching the film for. Kids are still going to like this film, especially watching the rooster do his stupid stuff, but I don’t see them falling in love with it as they did with the animated one. The magic just isn’t there, and that’s a sad thing to say about a Disney film. My Rating: Cable Moana Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026) R Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass follows Gail (Zoey Deutch), who is devastated that her fiancé has slept with his “celebrity pass” Jennifer Aniston. She goes to a fortune teller, who tells her that to make things right and go on with the marriage, she must sleep with her own celebrity pass. Gail, along with her best friend, Otto (Mile Gutierrez-Riley), travels to Hollywood to find her own ‘free pass’: Jon Hamm. This is a wild and crazy film that reminded me of those wonderful Zucker and Abrahams films like Airplane! and Top Secret!, where jokes and ridiculous scenes came at you at an incredibly fast pace. This is a film where lines like “We have three years’ experience between us” and “I can make you sick” are just thrown out at you at a rapid pace. Zoey Deutch, who is on a roll this summer, is amazing as the incredibly naïve and earnest Gail, who is determined to sleep with Jon Hamm to save her wedding plans. Zoey plays her perfectly as she greets everyone she meets with a “Hi, I’m Gail” and is amazed by the big city of L.A., where everything seems wonderful to her, even when it’s not. The film is full of incredibly stupid and funny scenes, like an overzealous concierge who gets out a map and shows Gail and Otto all the sights they need to see, which include 7-Eleven, Starbucks, McDonald's, and a back alley where you can meet a guy for a good time. Then we see the two going to all these places and acting as if they have just discovered the most amazing city in the world. You have to see the film to understand the plot, but just say there is the old luggage switcheroo, a gang of bad guys after Gail and Otto, and the quest to find Jon Hamm. The film is if the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrams took the Wizard of Oz and turned it into a sex quest with martial arts and bloody deaths. There are so many cameos in this film, you could get drunk taking shots of when someone shows up that doesn’t even say a line. And wait till you see what Jennifer Aniston does in the film! Can Dorothy, I mean Gail, find her celebrity pass and get her long-awaited marriage ceremony back on track? Not without a lot of help and a few dead bodies. My Rating: Full Price Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Evil Dead Burn (2026) R In Evil Dead Burn, Alice (Souheila Yacoub) has just lost her husband. Seeking comfort, she visits his family at their secluded home. But grief turns to terror as her in-laws morph into Deadites, monstrous creatures bent on her destruction. Trapped and hunted, Alice’s only hope is a makeshift scrapbook containing the forbidden Book of the Dead. I am a big fan of the original trilogy starring the man, the myth, the legend, Bruce Campbell. The series is now going on without Mr. Campbell, and it loses some of its mojo because of it. This film appears to be using the Evil Dead moniker and the ‘Book of the Dead’ as an excuse for making a film that is incredibly violent (mostly towards women) and almost pointless, other than a knife that the Deadites want to destroy or have (I never quite figured that part out). Not only do the Deadites take a lot of hits (or gunshots), so do the humans they are trying to kill, with an incredible amount of damage that professional wrestlers take fewer hits. The film is worth seeing for one scene in the final ten minutes (kind of right out of the Terminator films) that makes up for most of the mess it is. And yes, by the way, there is a mid-credits scene that is kind of fun. Just wish the rest of the movie was as much fun as its predecessors. My Rating: Cable Evil Dead Burn Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Isolate Thief (2026) R The Isolate Thief is set in a snowbound Civil War-era outpost, where a young caretaker, Ada (Mackenzie Foy), isolated from the nearest town, finds a hidden stash of stolen gold. She must use her wits and perseverance to survive both a deadly winter and a gang of ruthless outlaws who want their gold back. I am a big fan of westerns, a genre that dominated the early days of film but is rarely seen in today’s marketplace. Ada is barely coping with running the outpost because her father, a military man who was in charge of the outpost, has died. This is a film about survival, and Ada uses both her skills and her wits to survive a gang that has come to find a stash of gold. Sean Bean plays the leader of the gang, who at first pose as soldiers, but Ada soon figures out that they aren’t who they say they are. This is a film about surviving in a brutal world where danger is just around the corner, and it takes guts to do so. The story goes on a little too long, but it’s worth seeing for Mackenzie Foy’s performance as a woman who defies the odds to stay alive and Sean Bean as a crafty gang leader who is willing to play the long game to get what he wants. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Isolate Thief Info Now playing in theaters

My View: The Invite (2026) R The Invite starts at a point where Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela’s (Olivia Wilde) marriage is going quickly down the drain. When they invite their mysterious neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penélope Cruz), over for a dinner party, the night quickly spirals into chaos in very unexpected places. I am not a big fan of films where I don’t like the main characters, and when this film starts, I hated Joe and Angela. They don’t like each other and aren’t interested in each other at all. They are just one big fight that starts the moment they see each other. Into this mess of a marriage come Hawk and Pina, a beautiful and cool couple that Joe and Angela have been hearing having deafening sex almost on a nightly basis. At first, only Angela seems to want the other couple in their lives, but as the night goes on, Joe becomes intoxicated by this dynamic couple. This is a hilarious film that continues to push boundaries, making Joe, Angela, and us very uncomfortable as the evening progresses. I loved the performances in this film, with Rogan as the combative Joe, who at first just wants them to leave but slowly comes around to enjoying their company while still trying to push his wife’s buttons. Wilde is hilarious as the overeager hostess who sees every slip-up (like serving ham to the vegan Pina) as a crashing ruin to her night. Edward Norton is so much fun as the overly attentive Hawk, the former “firefighter” who seems overly amused at how uncomfortable the other couple seems, especially Joe. And Penélope Cruz is amazing as the almost overly sexy Pina, who, it turns out, is a sex therapist and is willing to analyze everything at a moment’s notice. This is a sex farce as we find out more about both couples, and as the evening becomes more than just a dinner party. So get ready to laugh a lot and squirm a bit in your seat because it’s going to be a bumpy but highly enjoyable night. My Rating: Full Price The Invite Website Now playing in theaters

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see when it first came out but have seen recently): Chris & Martina: The Final Set (2026) TV-MA The story of two tennis legends, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who met in tournaments 80 times, with both winning 18 major titles in their careers. Chris was the All-American girl who broke on the scene at age 16 and started winning tourneys right away. Martina was the outsider, having defected in 1975, when she was just 18, from communist Czechoslovakia to the US. Chris was cool, determined, and loved by the media. The media saw Martina as reckless, combative on the court, and sometimes as the villain when they faced each other. What is fascinating about this documentary is that it is not just about their careers but also about their friendship. Chris took Martina under her wing early on, even teaming with her in doubles, and they were friends. Then Martina got serious about winning, and their friendship became combative. Both spent years as the world's number one women's tennis player, and often the other was number two. Then, later in their careers, they became friends again. And then both women had battles with cancer, and that made their bond even stronger. What I enjoyed about this film was watching the two of them together, their matches, and how they get carried away by the emotions of the time. This is a wonderful film about not only two great athletes who changed the face of women’s tennis, but also about friendship and overcoming the obstacles life throws our way. My Rating: Full Price Chris & Martina: The Final Set Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: The Evil Dead (1981) R Five college students (Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly) go on an outing to a remote cabin in the Tennessee mountains. They find in the cellar a book, “The Book of the Dead,” and a tape recording of an archaeologist. When one of them plays the tape, a legion of demons and spirits are released, and the group starts to suffer from demonic possession. Will anyone survive? Shot on location in Tennessee by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire), the film was shot with almost no money and took over a year to complete, with the cast/crew shooting on weekends and the director turning 20 during the shoot. The film made over 30 million worldwide and spawned a film franchise that is still going today. The film was part horror film, part gore-fest, with a bit of the Three Stooges thrown in. It’s one of my favorite horror films, with some truly stunning scenes and lots of blood splattering everywhere. The Evil Dead is a film that set the standard for the low-budget horror genre with its intense scenes and terrific special effects. The film continues to inspire and amaze film fans and filmmakers worldwide. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Evil Dead Info The film is available on most online platforms

Weird Credits: From the credits of Moana: Tattoo Artist Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Odyssey (2026) R The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, who goes on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), before Penelope succumbs to a nefarious suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson). The film is written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who shot for the first time completely with IMAX 70mm cameras. The Odyssey Website In theaters and IMAX on Friday, July 17, 2026

Until Next Time!

Minions & Monsters

2026-07-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Minions & Monsters (2026) PG Minions & Monsters takes place in the 1920s, when the guys, who have stumbled into stardom, are going to make a monster movie in Hollywood. To make a movie, they need a monster, so the guys decide to summon an actual monster. Not their best idea! I am not a fan of the Minion movies and can’t remember much about them, but I know that my experience with them is that a little of them goes a long way, and they are better suited to supporting roles in the Despicable Me films. This is why I was surprised by how much I was laughing during the first third of Minions & Monsters. Now, some of this is because the Minions find themselves in the middle of Hollywood filmmaking during the silent film period, and I loved all the references to the classic films of the time. In fact, even the opening credits give a nod to the early days of filmmaking when shots of dogs or even elephants were being filmed, and somehow the minions got to join in. Unfortunately, when we get to the main plot of the Minions trying to save their Hollywood careers by creating an actual monster, things slow down. The film is further dragged down by a group of Minions who have abandoned Hollywood and have found an alien robot to follow. The robot subplot serves no purpose in the film other than bringing it to an end. And, at least in this film, Minion talk is a combination of gibberish and Italian, which seems a little off from what they have done in the past. Still, kids will enjoy the Minions' antics, and parents will have fun during the first 30 minutes. While there are some funny moments in the closing credits, you won't miss much if you leave early. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Minions & Monsters Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Enola Holmes 3 (2026) PG-13 Enola Holmes 3 follows Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), the youngest of the Holmes siblings, who is about to marry Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). However, there is a problem. Enola’s more famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), has been kidnapped and, of course, Enola is on the case. I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and will watch anything that involves the brilliant and eccentric sleuth. I have enjoyed the Enola Holmes series as we have watched Enola grow up from a flighty girl to a young woman who is sure of her talent and her ability to gather clues. Millie Bobby Brown is always fun to watch in this role, as a boundless bundle of energy who gets excited by trying to top her older, more established brother. I just wish that this time the mystery was better. The film tends to lag, letting Enola go off to ponder the ocean or watch so many people get shot without doing much about it. As always, the film gets a boost from Helena Bonham Carter playing Enola’s firecracker of a mom, who is, in fact, a loose cannon. The film feels a little too much like Millie Bobby Brown fan fiction, with much of it centered on Enola’s wedding rather than the mystery. Still, I had fun with Enola, talking to us about her clues and desires, and taking down the bad guys with a stiff roundhouse kick. The film feels like it’s the end of the Enola Holmes series, but I wouldn’t mind going on another mystery or two. Just make sure there are more than just a few clues to follow. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Enola Holmes 3 Website Now playing on the Netflix platfor

Indiefest: Lockbox (2026) R In Lockbox, after her mother’s death, Ellen (Carla Gugino) moves to a small town with her cousin, Winthrop (Lou Taylor Pucci). Trying to put their lives back together, Ellen soon realizes that something evil is in the house, threatening Winthrop. Ellen will have to risk everything to defend her cousin against an otherworldly entity. The storyline takes so long to develop that you lose interest, sapping any intrigue or scares. Carla Gugino gives the film a bit of a boost just by her presence, but the story takes forever to get going, and then when we find out the stakes, it ends with a bit of a letdown. There isn’t enough suspense in the first half of the film, other than a few jump scares and Winthrop just being creepy. By the time we reach the last third of the film, it loses itself in a complex, overly long final act that feels unworthy of the time we put into it. It’s a frustrating and unsatisfying experience that never finds the momentum that it needs. My Rating: Cable Lockbox Info Now playing in select cities

Forgotten Film: The Conversation (1974) PG Directed by Francis Ford Coppola at the height of his directorial powers, the film is about a surveillance expert, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who uncovers a possible assassination plot, which takes him on a journey of secrecy and paranoia. Harry is a very private man who has devoted his life to electronic surveillance. He is hired to do the impossible: record a conversation between a couple (played by Cindy Williams and Fredrick Forrest) while they walk through the open, noisy Union Square. When Harry hears the woman say, “He’d kill us if he had the chance,” it sets Harry on a mission to stop the killing. Harry’s past affects his actions, as we find out that a past assignment resulted in murder. As the film progresses, Harry and the audience can’t tell whether he is now the object of surveillance, and he begins a path that can only lead to madness. The film uses cutting-edge sound design by Walter Murch, which earned him an Academy Award nomination and hit a nerve with the moviegoing public when wiretaps were at the heart of the Watergate scandal that shook the White House. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Conversation Info Available on Amazon Prime and for rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of Enola Holmes 3: Daftperson

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026) R Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass follows Gail (Zoey Deutch), who is devastated that her fiancé has slept with his “celebrity pass” Jennifer Aniston. She goes to a fortune teller, who tells her that to make things right and go on with the marriage, she must sleep with her own celebrity pass. Gail, along with her best friend, Otto (Mile Gutierrez-Riley), travels to Hollywood to find her own ‘free pass’: Jon Hamm. The film features a large cast of cameos, including “Weird Al” Yankovic, Henry Winkler, Elizabeth Banks, and, of course, Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Website The film is in theaters on Friday, July 10, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Supergirl

2026-06-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Supergirl (2026) PG-13 In Supergirl, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), aka Supergirl, is a jaded young woman whose only friend is Krypto, known as Superdog. She was sent to Earth by her parents to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Supergirl is about to go on an adventure that will test everything she believes in, and she is out for vengeance when her loved ones are threatened. Here is what I liked about Supergirl: Milly Alcock. We have a star in Milly, and she carries this movie on her back from start to finish. It’s a funny, smart, and impressive performance that keeps the movie moving, even as the storyline keeps putting up roadblocks for her to overcome. Alcock does a fine job in the battle sequences, though they use the green sun/Krypto storylines to make her vulnerable. What I didn’t like about this film: Jason Momoa as a character named Lobo. I have no idea why this character is in the film or why so much screen time is given over to him. I never quite figured out why he was there (something about a bounty that he never collects on), but it’s a character that you don’t like from beginning to end and just takes up space. Not enough Krypto! I hate to tell you, but the main storyline is that our favorite troublemaker, Krypto, gets hit with a poison arrow early in the film, and that’s the rescue mission that Supergirl is on: find the bad guy who did it and get the antidote from around his neck. Instead of Krypton, we get a newly orphaned young girl, Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is out for revenge but mostly just gets in Supergirl’s way. And finally, we spend way too much time on Supergirl’s origin story. Sure, her story differs from Superman; she knew her parents, unlike Superman, and misses her family and homeworld, but the story goes on for far too long. Supergirl is kind of like seeing a band with a great lead singer but without the songs to set them apart. I enjoyed Supergirl, but only because I had fun watching Milly Alcock in the role of a pissed-off, loner girl who can beat up a bunch of bad guys while still drunk. I just wanted more and a whole lot less of Momoa smoking what I guess is an outer-space vape. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Supergirl Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Jackass: Best and Last (2026) R Jackass: Best and Last follows Johnny Knoxville and the gang as they once again do stunts that most of us would never do. In my review of Jackass Forever (which I gave a rating of Full Price), I stated that I was sure that would be the last Jackass Knoxville would do after almost dying shooting that one. Well, maybe he should have quit, as this is a weak addition to the series. Now, diehard fans are going to love seeing some of the old shows and some stunts that never made it to air (including one of the first ones that got them into real trouble with the police), but the new stunts are, for the most part, pretty tame and at times way too gross even for Jackass standards. I wasn’t happy that Rachel Wolfson, the first woman to join the cast in 2022, is mostly on the sidelines, only laughing and not participating in the stunts. I will say the film starts with a stunt from back in 1998 that I don’t know how Knoxville had the guts to do, involving a handgun, because he should be dead. However, most of the new stunts don’t deliver the laughs that the old ones do, I think, because the guys can’t afford the hospital bills anymore. There are a bunch of outtakes during the closing credits, but there isn’t anything new or memorable. Overall, while longtime fans may enjoy the nostalgia for the old days, this entry doesn’t deliver the same punch as the past films. My Rating: Cable Jackass: Best and Last Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Couture (2025) R Couture is about an American filmmaker, Maxine (Angelina Jolie), in town to make a film for Paris Fashion Week, who gets a phone call from her doctor that shatters her world. Couture is a film that spreads itself too thin, trying to tell too many stories without giving us much in return. We have Maxine, a soon-to-be-divorced mom who is a struggling indie horror film director. Ada (Anyier Anei), a Sudanese refugee who is getting her big break as the new fresh face to open a fashion show, is going to star in a short film that Maxine is directing to open Fashion Week. Anele (Ella Rumpf) is a makeup artist who wants to be a writer, and Christine (Garance Marillier) is a designer who is getting her big break to create the dress Ada will wear to open the show. Both Anele's and Christine's characters could easily be background characters, as they bring almost nothing to the storyline beyond being hardworking and creative. The real story is Maxine’s journey, as she is away from her daughter, going through a continuous divorce, and we soon find out that she has cancer and will have to put everything on hold, including her daughter, to fight it. Jolie has the star power that makes you want to keep following her character, but instead, we keep going back to Ada trying to fit in with her fellow models, Christine falling asleep on the dress that she is working on, and Anele getting discouraged over her writing. The only real drama in this entire film is whether Maxine will come to terms with the cancer diagnosis; the rest seems slight compared to that, including Ada hiding that she has sprained her ankle, and whether it will affect her runway walk. The film also squanders some scenes between Jolie and Louis Garrel, who plays Maxine’s grumpy cinematographer and becomes a friend and love interest to Maxine as they work together on the film. I think filmmaker Alice Winocour, who gained unprecedented access to Paris Fashion Week, tried too hard to give us an overview of the event rather than focusing on the one story we most want to explore. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Couture Website Now playing in select theaters

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see when it first came out but have seen recently): Swapped (2026) PG Swapped is about Ollie, a woodland creature called a Pookoo, who is constantly being hunted by Ivy, a Javan, a carnivorous bird. After Ollie sets a trap for Ivy, they both fall into a magical plant and accidentally swap bodies, forcing these two natural enemies to work together to survive and find a way to change back. This is one of those Netflix films I wish had been released in theaters because the animation is so beautiful. All the animals look as though a mad scientist has designed them (in a good way), and Ollie is adorable, especially with his Conan-like coif. I also loved the world-building, with ecosystems being destroyed by a truly evil bad guy in the form of a wolf that is part fire. The voice cast works well with some chemistry between Michael B. Jordan as Ollie and Juno Temple as Ivy. Tracy Morgan steals the movie, standing out as a lovable but rather dumb fish that helps our two heroes out, with always hilarious results. While its narrative is pretty simple in the body-swap genre, the film will keep kids interested, and adults won’t mind the amazing scenery and fast-paced storytelling with the emphasis on understanding and family. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Swapped Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: Seven Days in May (1964) An unpopular President, Jordan Lyman (Fredric March) has entered the United States into a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Air Force General, James Scott (Burt Lancaster), is a vocal opponent of the treaty and is convinced that, as soon as the U.S. disarms, the Soviet Union will attack. A Joint Staff member, Colonel Casey (Kirk Douglas), discovers that General Scott and others are planning to take over the government. This is a brilliant and intense film directed by John Frankenheimer, whose poster even suggests that not only could this happen in the 1960s, but it could happen in the future. It’s a film where egos clash, dirty tricks are unleashed, and democracy is on a time limit, where no one knows who to trust. There are some outstanding performances, including Fredric March as the overwhelmed President who is convinced he is right. There is an amazing scene near the end of the film when the two adversaries go at it, both convinced their view is the right one. Seven Days in May is a sit on the edge of your seat, thrill ride of a film, written by Rod Serling, that outdoes just about any Twilight Zone episode because, unlike most of his science fiction TV shows, this could actually happen. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Seven Days in May Website Available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of Supergirl: Flight Arranger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Minions & Monsters (2026) PG Minions & Monsters takes place in the 1920s, when the guys, who have stumbled into stardom, are going to make a monster movie in Hollywood. To make a movie, they need a monster, so the guys decide to summon an actual monster. Not their best idea! The film introduces two new Minions, James and Henry and is directed by the franchise co-creator, Pierre Coffin. Minions & Monsters Website The movie opens in theaters on Wednesday, July 1st

Until Next Time!

Toy Story 5

2026-06-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Toy Story 5 (2026) PG In Toy Story 5, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang meet LilyPad, a chatty electronic toy, and their connection to playtime is put to the test. The Toy Story magic works again, and you will love going back to the world where toys not only talk but also care about you. This time, Jessie (voiced by the brilliant Joan Cusack), the cowgirl with the lovable horse, is the main character. We learn that not only has Buzz become smitten with Jessie, but he wants to marry her, but can’t find the courage or the right time to pop the question. However, there are bigger things going on in the household. Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) is having a tough time making friends. Her parents are concerned and finally bite the bullet, buying her a LilyPad (voiced by Greta Lee), an electronic device that Bonnie, along with all her classmates, becomes obsessed with, ignoring Buzz, Jessie, and the gang, for games and chat with others on the device. Soon, it becomes a war between Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of the toys, with Lily vying for Bonnie’s attention. This is a film about losing oneself to the electronic world and missing out on the world that kids create with their own imagination. It’s also about the isolation that kids feel, even when the electronic devices they are glued to promise friendship and connection. There are some new characters that we get introduced to, with a character voiced by Conan O’Brien who makes this Toy Story one of the funniest in the series. There is also a wonderful subplot involving a new version of Buzz Lightyear that I am sure kids will want. This is a remarkable film franchise that keeps hitting the movies out of the park, being able to find humor, warmth, and bittersweetness that both kids and adults will love, and yes, bring a few tears to an eye or two. Here’s to the wonderful group of toys that make us feel like kids again, even if only for a couple of hours. Note: You will want to wait until Taylor Swift finishes singing during the credits before you leave because there are some bonus scenes that you won’t want to miss. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Toy Story 5 Website Now playing in theaters

My View: The Death of Robin Hood (2026) R The Death of Robin Hood follows the legendary Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman), who, unlike the tales about him, has lived a life of crime and murder. Fighting in a battle that he assumes will be his last, Robin Hood is gravely injured. A mysterious woman (Jodie Comer) finds him, offering him healing and a chance at salvation. The Death of Robin Hood is set in a time when no good or bad deed goes unpunished. This is a film about legends and the tales that are told to make heroes out of villains and give hope to people who need something to hang onto. Robin isn’t a hero, and he will tell you himself. We find this out from the beginning, when a man who is weary of living has to keep his wits about him because it seems during his life he has killed many people, and their families want vengeance. The first half of this film is a brutal bloodbath that is incredibly disturbing to watch, and in no way should any child see this film. In fact, I will warn you in advance that there is a scene with a child that is bone-chilling to watch. This is the story of a man living in a kill-or-be-killed world, and he knows his time is just about up. The Death of Robin Hood is a film in two parts: the first shows us Robin as the man who doesn’t hesitate to fight and kill, and the 2nd part is a man who is struggling with what he has done in the past and trying to come to grips with that, wanting to slowly fade into obscurity, but the past won’t let him. The second part of this film is incredibly slow (especially compared to the violent first half, and the friendship that develops between Jodie Comer’s healer character and Jackman’s Robin takes a long time to develop. If you are expecting a big finish to the legend of Robin Hood, you will be disappointed, because that isn’t the idea behind the film. It’s about a man who is ready to fade into the past, not realizing that his story will be continued, right or wrong, to be told long after his misdeeds are forgotten. The film’s two parts are so shockingly different that the second half feels like a letdown, even with some outstanding performances. Sometimes you want the legend and not the truth. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Death of Robin Hood Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Girls Like Girls (2026) R Girls Like Girls takes place in rural Oregon, where Coley (Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old, is dealing with the death of her mother. Things look up when she meets the ever-popular Sonya (Myra Molloy), and the two quickly become friends. Coley realizes she is having stronger feelings for Sonya than Sonya will admit. The teen years are hard enough, but dealing with a now deceased mom who was probably had bipolar disorder, a father that she doesn’t know, and someone you have fallen for but is giving you mixed signals, and you get what Coley is dealing with. Maya da Costa carries this film with flair, delivering a performance that is both sweet and heartbreaking. Girls Like Girls perfectly depicts what it is like to find someone you care about, but having to deal with a person who isn’t ready to go on that journey with you. The film is set in the early 2000’s, when AOL was the norm, and everyone had a Sidekick for messaging. Girls Like Girls is silly, funny, and full of tears and thoughts about a teen’s world crashing down and never being fixed. Until it is. My Rating: Full Price Girls LIke Girls Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Leviticus (2026) R Leviticus is set in a remote Christian community, where Naim (Joe Bird) has just moved in. He strikes up a friendship with a local boy, Ryan (Stacy Clausen), and it is evident that the two want more than just friendship. Little do they know that there is evil in the community, and if the two boys act out their forbidden desires, there will be deadly consequences. What do you do when the person you love is the person you cannot trust? How about the mother who you thought cared about you, but turns on you? How about the religious community that you thought would give some comfort and appearance, but instead sees you as evil? That is what Naim faces in the terrifying story of a young man whose choice of whom to fall in love with will harm him. This is a combination of a horror story and a love story. It’s about a first love and wanting to be the one. However, it’s also about a community that can’t tolerate other lifestyles and will punish those who stray from their ideas of what is normal. Even if the consequences are deadly. My Rating: Full Price Leviticus Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Color Book (2024) R Color Book is about Lucky (William Catlett), a widower, who is dealing on his own for the first time with his 11-year-old son Mason (Jeremiah Daniels), who has Down syndrome. Lucky wants to give Mason a day he won’t soon forget: an Atlanta Braves baseball game. It’s a journey that will test their bond. This is about a parent who is still grieving and is overwhelmed at taking on the duty of being a single parent with a child who constantly needs attention and love. It’s a slice-of-life film presented in stark black-and-white photography as the two navigate their relationship and their place in the world. The chemistry between Catlett, as the patient father who has one setback after another, and Daniels, who plays his son, who misses his mother but is ready to go on a journey to be with his dad. This is a remarkably touching film that is at times heartwarming but ultimately heartbreaking, as the obstacles the two encounter are just too big to overcome. Color Book is a remarkable work that will make you frustrated and proud in the same film. My Rating: Full Price Color Book Info Premiering on Netflix and in select theaters on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Indiefest: Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul (2026) Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul is a documentary on the life and origins of one of the founding members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group, The Allman Brothers Band. I am a big fan of a couple of James Keach’s documentaries: the fantastic Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me and the film about the fitness guru who gets ALS in Augie. Unfortunately, this documentary feels shallow and spends too much time on Gregg’s last few years. The film never captures the magic that was Gregg or the Allman Brothers Band performing live. The film seems to barely scratch the surface of a man who was incredibly complex and was a very troubled soul for most of his life. The man was married six times and had lots of kids, but we really only get glimpses of his marriage to Cher, and then spend a lot of time with his last wife, Shannon. Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul's last 20 minutes is about his last few years overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, reconnecting with some of his children, and featuring extensive songs played during an all-star tribute to Gregg. I wanted more and got what seemed like a liner notes type film about his life. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul Website Now playing in select theaters.

Indiefest: Rose of Nevada (2025) Rose of Nevada is set in an almost abandoned fishing village in Cornwall, UK. Thirty years ago, the loss of the fishing vessel Rose of Nevada and its crew rocked the community. One day, the fishing vessel reappears, tied up in the harbor. It’s decided that a crew will man the ship in search of fish. When the crew returns, they find something amiss: they are back where they started, but from 30 years ago. This is a strange and wonderful film about what it would be like if you could go back into the past and heal old wounds. Shot on grainy 16mm film and featuring a soundtrack that seems to be fed through a speaker from 30 years ago, this is a magical film where two fishermen go back in time. One, Liam, played by the always-interesting Callum Turner, is happy in this new world, finding a home and family. Whereas Nick (George MacKay) is now Liam’s opposite, having lost his wife and child in the present, and is now part of a family that isn’t his. Nick, in fact, keeps getting back onto the ship, hoping that at some point he will return to his life in the present. This is a fascinating film about time travel and its effects on the men sent back to the past to start their lives over. A life that isn’t their own, but fate has made it theirs anyway. My Rating: Full Price The Rose of Nevada Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Unidentified (2025) PG-13 In Unidentified, the body of a teenage girl is found in the desert. When no one claims the body, Nawai (Mila Al Zahrani), a divorced woman who recently lost a child of her own and is a true crime aficionado, gets involved in trying to solve the girl’s senseless death. It is rare to find a film that shows another culture through a woman’s point of view, with her as the hero of the story. This is one woman’s fight to find the truth, as she battles both her culture and her bosses to doggedly uncover what happened to a woman nobody wants to claim. Mila Al Zahrani gives a magical performance as a woman who loves listening to and watching true crime stories (which are also done while the host shows makeup tips), and takes on a case that most feel is unlovable. The film slowly reveals the secrets that everyone wants to keep buried. We get immersed in Nawai’s life, a mother who is on her own after divorcing her husband and losing her newborn daughter. She finds purpose in finding out who the dead woman is and why there is a cover-up about her death. It’s a film with lots of twists and turns, many that seem to be dead ends, but Nawai keeps at it, against the odds and her culture. It’s a fascinating film that keeps you guessing until the very end. My Rating: Full Price Unidentified Website Now playing in select theaters

My View: Voicemails for Isabelle (2026) TV- 14 In Voicemails for Isabelle, Jill (Zoey Deutch) is leaving voice messages for her sister, detailing her life in the big city. Unbeknownst to Jill, the phone number is now for Wes (Nick Robinson), a real estate agent who becomes intrigued by this mysterious woman on his voicemail. I am a fan of rom-coms, but the good ones are hard to find. Voicemails for Isabelle, while hitting your usual rom-com tropes, works thanks to an inventive storyline and Zoey Deutch's charisma and charm. Deutch gives us a multilayered performance that combines humor, warmth, and goofiness, with a solid layer of grief over missing someone who was a huge part of Jill’s life. There is some nice chemistry between Nick Robinson and Zoey Deutch, but this is Zoey Deutch’s film, and she delivers. And yes, the plot is easy to predict, but Deutsch makes it so enjoyable to watch that we follow along just to see how she will react to each scenario. And I have to say that no one has danced to Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” with such joyful abandon as Deutch. This is a rom-com with heart, setting it apart from most of its genre. Plus, who doesn’t want a dessert taco? My Rating: Full Price Voicemails for Isabelle Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: The Long Goodbye (1973) R Set in 1973 Los Angeles, private eye Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) investigates a friend’s suicide that he is convinced is a murder. The more Philip investigates, the more the plot thickens, as the mob, money, and a missing novelist all become part of the mystery. This is not your typical Marlowe mystery, with Robert Altman directing and Leigh Brackett adapting the Raymond Chandler novel originally set in the 50s. This is more of a commentary on L.A., the people who will do anything to make money in a world where truth, loyalty, and friendship are worthless. Gould is fine as the down-on-his-luck P.I., but it’s Sterling Hayden that steals the show as the missing novelist who is the key to everything going down. The casting is eclectic, with Gould nowhere near the ideal Chandler Marlowe and a bunch of character actors filling out the cast, including Nina van Pallandt, Mark Rydell, Henry Gibson, David Arkin, and Jim Bouton, and a very small (blink and you'll miss it) appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Long Goodbye Info The film is available to rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Death of Robin Hood: Snow Effects Technician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Invite (2026) R The Invite starts at a point where Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela’s (Olivia Wilde) marriage is going quickly down the drain. When they invite their mysterious neighbors (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) over for a dinner party, the night quickly spirals into chaos in very unexpected places. The film is directed by Olivia Wilde and written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. The Invite Website In theaters on Friday, June 26, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Disclosure Day

2026-06-12T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Disclosure Day (2026) PG-13 Disclosure Day follows Daniel (Josh O’Connor), a cybersecurity expert who has access to long-held government secrets about extraterrestrial life. As it becomes evident that an alien presence is on Earth, Margaret (Emily Blunt), a local TV meteorologist, starts speaking an alien language during a live telecast. Steven Spielberg has always been fascinated by the possibility that aliens have been visiting Earth for quite some time. Daniel is our hero, a man who decides that the world should know that we are not alone in this universe, and he has proof that the government has known for over 75 years. Like Close Encounters and E.T., this is a film about one person who goes against big government and feels it’s his duty to the world to let everyone know that extraterrestrials are real. The government and a secret organization are convinced that if this information gets out, the world will go into chaos, and our lives will fall apart. What Spielberg does so well is get us to back Daniel and want him to succeed against all odds. This is a wonderful cat-and-mouse chase film, filled with car chases, big brother constantly just around the corner, and our hero, along with his loyal girlfriend and a new recruit in a shell-shocked weather caster, tries to find a way to broadcast their findings before being caught, or worse, being killed. The best thing about this film is Emily Blunt's performance, who once again shows she has the acting chops to play comedy and drama in the same film. It’s a brilliant performance (though I have some trouble with her choice of voices for Margaret, who sounds 20 years younger) and brings a lightness to the story sorely needed when things seem hopeless. This is a film that doesn’t feel anywhere close to its almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime. The film moves constantly from scene to scene as Daniel and, soon, Margaret are on the run, barely escaping the big bad government bad guys, led by a creepy performance from Colin Firth. I think anyone who has an interest in the possibility of alien life will absolutely go nuts for this film. Everyone else will be just on board for a great time. You don’t have to believe in aliens to enjoy Disclosure Day, but you do have to believe in the goodness of humanity to enjoy its ending. My Rating: Full Price Disclosure Day Website Now playing in theaters everywhere

My View: The Furious (2025) R Set in Hong Kong, The Furious follows Wang Wei (Xie Miao), a mute tradesman whose life is shattered when he witnesses his daughter, Rainy, being kidnapped by an international human trafficking syndicate. He goes on a one-man rescue mission to save her and then finds an ally in an undercover journalist who is trying to find his wife, who is also missing from the same gang. I became a fan of Kung Fu films when, as the newest member of the film department of a TV station, I was given the job of editing for time and content our weekly Kung Fu Theater films. The genre has gone from campy and exploitative to films like The Raid or John Wick, where the action sequences are so well done that they dazzle you with speed and sequences that seem to go on forever. Along comes The Furious, which starts out as a father/daughter film and soon becomes a quest to utterly destroy an entire network of badges. Our hero Wang Wei (played by the incredibly athletic Xie Miao) is joined by a chain-smoking reporter, Navin (Joe Taslim), who is Wang Wei’s equal in martial arts. There is an extensive scene in a nightclub where, unbeknownst to each other, both men have gone to find a way to get information from the bad guys and locate their loved ones. The two separately fight countless attackers and then end up inside the bowels of the club, and start fighting each other until the reporter sees the picture of Wang Wei’s daughter and realizes that the two are out for the same thing. This is an incredibly violent film (I saw a father and young son leave very early in our screening) where bones are constantly being broken, and heads are being smashed with sledgehammers. The fight sequences are off-the-wall amazing, and there is a scene where Wang Wei fights what seems like a never-ending group of bad guys in a mixed martial arts ring, as he continually climbs above the bodies that are piling up beneath him. The audience at the screening I saw the film at was cheering and screaming with glee at some of the action sequences, including a huge bad guy who keeps showing up and fighting anyone within reach. If John Wick or The Raid films are your sweet spot, then this is a film you don’t want to miss. For action fans, this is a smorgasbord of flying bodies and bones being broken by the ton, and is not to be missed. My Rating: Full Price The Furious Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Stop! That! Train! (2026) R Stop! That! Train! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses facing unruly passengers, snooty first-class attendants, and a catastrophic storm. Together with the President (RuPaul), they must stop a runaway, high-speed train, all while keeping their mascara from running. It is very obvious that the cast was having a blast while making this film. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the audience. Although the jokes come fast and furious, the humor is lacking throughout. Most of the jokes fall incredibly flat, and the attempts at physical humor just fall, or should I say fail. I am sure fans of RuPaul and the Drag Race TV show will have fun for a while watching a ton of drag performers cascade across the screen, but I just wanted it to be funnier. There are a couple of funny running gags, one of which features Sarah Michelle Gellar and one where one of the flight attendants keeps having fantasy moments about the hunky pilot of the plane, which work really well. I just wish the rest of the script had kept that momentum going. The comedy runs out of steam long before the end. There are some outtakes and a few surprises during the credits.My Rating: Cable Stop! That! Train! Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Lady Snowblood (1973) In order to place blame on tax collectors, 5 people from a small village attack a family. They kill the father and daughter and then rape the mother. That mother, while in prison, then gives birth to a daughter and curses her to get revenge on the 5 people who attacked the family. The daughter, Yuki (Meiko Kaji), trains for twenty years with an assassin and then sets out to find and kill the 5 people responsible for the deaths of her parents. After the success of the Lone Wolf and Cub samurai series, the studio decided to make a samurai film with a female lead. Like the Lone Wolf films, the violence is filled with arms being chopped off and blood spurting everywhere. Yuki uses the idea that she can go just about anywhere without worrying that people will figure out she is on a mission to kill. The film’s action sequences are not quite up to par with the Lone Wolf films, but they are still fun to watch, and it is filled with some outrageous characters. The film has a bit of a surprising finish. This was definitely a film that not only inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill series, but Tarantino also featured the music from Lady Snowblood (sung by the lead actress Kaji) in the films. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Lady Snowblood Info Lady Snowblood is available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Furious: Washroom Attendants

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Girls Like Girls (2026) R Girls Like Girls takes place in rural Oregon, where Coley (Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old, is dealing with the death of her mother. Things look up when she meets the ever-popular Sonya (Myra Molloy), and the two quickly become friends. Coley realizes she is having stronger feelings for Sonya than Sonya will admit. The film is co-written and directed by Hayley Kiyoko, adapted from her best-selling book, which was an adaptation of a song with the same title she recorded in 2015. Girls Like Girls Website In theaters on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Masters of the Universe

2026-06-05T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Masters of the Universe (2026) PG-13 In Masters of the Universe, a boy named Prince Adam was sent to Earth for his own safety. Two decades later, the now young man (Nicholas Galitzine) uncovers the legendary Sword of Power and is suddenly hurled into the extraordinary world of Eternia, where he must rally his long-lost allies and engage in battle to defeat the menacing, evil Skeletor. I enjoyed watching this film, though it takes a heck of a long time for our hero to discover the sword and then even longer to become “He-Man.” The film is an ode to the 80s cartoon series, using the backdrop of Adam leaving his home and living on Earth as a kid. While growing up, he constantly drew pictures of his life on Eternia, and, because he was a kid, he gave nicknames to everyone he knew, including himself (i.e., He-Man). While I felt the film went too far into Adam being a human resources worker and trying to use the same skills in talking to employees as he does when talking to people he is trying to lead into battle, or even trying to talk the bad guys out of killing him and his allies. However, the film is a fun watch, and the battle sequences are well done. I especially enjoyed Camila Mendes's performance as Teela, a warrior who knew and liked Adam when he was a kid and is now willing to follow him because he has the sword that could save her world from the evil Skeletor. I also enjoyed Jared Leto voicing Skeletor, the evil lord who seeks the Sword of Power to become even more powerful. The performance is done with a ton of tongue-in-cheek lines, including a couple of times when Skeletor does an evil laugh and doesn’t get the response he needs. The film is greatly helped by an incredibly supporting cast ,including Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn (the name says it all), Idris Elba as Teela’s father and disgraced former guard in charge of Adam’s family safety, and Kristen Wiig as the voice of a once mighty warrior robot who is now a maid. Kids are going to have fun, though the two-and-twenty-minute run-time may test their patience a bit (I know it did me). Adults reliving their childhood are going to love this, with a ton of Easter eggs and a few cameos from the past. Overall, it’s a fun ride; I just wish the big muscle blond guy had shown up a bit sooner. And be sure to stay for both a mid-credit and an end-credit scene. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Masters of the Universe Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Scary Movie (2026) R Scary Movie follows Cindy (Anna Faris) and Brenda (Regina Hall), who have reunited and must gather the rest of their friends, as the masked killer from 26 years ago returns. So we get to see some of the original cast return, including Anna Faris and Regina Hall. Add in every member of the Wayans family appearing, a running joke in itself, and this should have been funnier than this film is. In fact, I saw the film with about 20 other people, and I think I was the only one laughing at the few bits that worked. Sure, they mock Weapons, Sinners, Nope, Get Out, and a bunch of newer horror films, almost all miss the mark, making almost every joke fall incredibly flat. I will say that both Anna Faris and Regina Hall are game for just about anything and seem to have fun playing these incredible idiots. There are a bunch of cameos from the early films that I won’t give away, so fans of the series will have some fun with that. For the rest of us, Scary Movie just feels like the Wayans wrote this in about 1 week, throwing everything they could against the wall, not to see if the jokes would stick, but to see if they would just bounce back to them. Unfortunately, most of them did. There are two bonus scenes, one after the first portion of credits and a another extended scene during most of the remaining credits. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Scary Movie Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Office Romance (2026) R Office Romance follows Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez), a high-powered, no-nonsense CEO of an airline, known for its rigid anti-fraternization policy for all employees. When lawyer Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein) is hired, suddenly sparks are flying between Jackie and this new, hot-shot hire. Will Jackie risk losing everything she’s built and drag Daniel down with her in pursuit of love? Look, I really like Jennifer Lopez and loved Brett Goldstein in Ted Lasso; this film made me dislike their characters. For two characters who are in very important jobs, they are two really stupid people who are having an affair without thinking that a very famous person would be seen out with someone else. Instead, we are to believe that these two keep their romance hidden from anyone with an iPhone, while only a private detective discovers them. The film wants us to love Daniel because he has come from a rough childhood in England and is now a successful lawyer. The film also wants us to love Jackie because, despite the board and her father challenging her every move, she has created a successful airline. To say this isn’t your usual rom-com would be an understatement. It’s crass and foul-mouthed, with the F word being used with abandon, often for no reason. Office Romance then wants us to believe that Lopez is so beautiful that our lawyer (hero?) gets an erection when they first meet, so much so that Jackie can’t notice. That was my first sign that this film would keep going for cheap, shocking jokes. This cheap, shocking humor continues, as when Jackie's determined-to-work assistant goes into labor in Daniel's office, and the camera lingers twice, on a close-up of the baby's head crowning. The so-called fun continues as we see a man almost die choking on a breakfast burrito, a woman get so drunk she breaks a tooth falling over on a date, and the HR head (Tony Hale) is shocked when Daniel continually keeps using an obscene word that goes on way too long. Some may find Office Romance funny or charming, but for me, it just left me reaching for the airsickness bag. And to make matters worse, there is a series of very unfunny scenes during the credits in which the beleaguered HR person endures a parade of office romance confessions. My Rating: Cable Office Romance Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest: Carolina Caroline (2026) R In Carolina Caroline, a young woman working at a gas station, Caroline (Samara Weaving), meets a charismatic drifter, Oliver (Kyle Gallner), and impulsively embarks on a journey to master the art of the con. The pair will blaze a trail of deceit and deception until their luck inevitably runs out. This is a Bonnie and Clyde-type cross-country crime spree film that, like that 1967 film, you know won’t be ending on a happy note. The film works because of the sparks between Samara Weaving, as the waitress who wants to escape her life, and Kyle Gallner, who is willing to show her how to hit the road and live an endless life of con jobs. What starts out as a game for Caroline soon becomes real as their con jobs become more and more dangerous, as the couple wants more and more thrills. Caroline soon learns that people get hurt and cons can go bad, but must decide if it's worth it to stay with a man who only knows how to lie for a living. What makes Caroline interesting is her connection to home and a father who cares about her and insists on keeping in touch as she travels across the country. Caroline is also on a mission to find her long-lost mother. While I won’t reveal the story, Kyra Sedgwick gives a brilliant performance as Caroline’s mother, rounding out the film's strong cast. This is a tale of star-crossed lovers that is sure not to end well. Or does it? My Rating: Full Price Carolina Caroline Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: Silent Friend (2025) Silent Friend revolves around a majestic Ginkgo biloba tree as it watches humans over the course of a century, observing their lives marked by longing, belonging, and consciousness. The story follows three storylines, set in 1908, 1972, and 2020, set in a university town in Germany. The three stories are: the university’s first female student, in 1908, who is challenged by her professors and fellow students, finds solace through the lens of a camera, studying plants through her pictures. An awkward student in 1972 meets a woman whose project is a geranium she is studying to see if it can be proven to bond with her. He is tasked with caring for the plant while the young woman is on vacation, and his life is changed when he connects with the plant. And a neuroscientist who is stuck alone on campus when Covid hits, and he decides to find out whether he can see the same type of brain waves humans have in the giant tree that has been on the university grounds for all this time. The film follows how each person tries to connect with nature, and we see how the tree responds, even if the people don’t know it’s happening. The three people undergo their own metamorphoses as they attempt to connect with nature, each in their own way. This is a fantastic journey of discovery, seen from the tree’s quiet perspective on how nature reacts to us, even as we often ignore it. Silent Friend is about trying to belong when you don’t feel part of the group, but if you let yourself be open to new ideas and feelings, you might find the bond with nature you have been missing. My Rating: Full Price Silent Friend Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: After Life (1998) After Life follows recently deceased people who arrive in a mysterious place, where they have three days to choose the single memory they will bring with them into eternity. A group of counselors, including Takashi (Arata lura) and Shiori (Erika Oda), are on hand to help new arrivals pick their memory, helping them go over what was most important to them. The counselors will then create a film that will allow the people to relive their memory and move on. The film is by Japanese writer/director Hirokazu Kore-eda, known for his recent award-winning films Shoplifters (2018), Like Father, Like Son (2013), and Monster (2023). This is a beautiful, warm, and funny film that explores not only the lives of the people trying to pick a memory but also the counselors working hard to help each person pick the perfect memory. One of the fascinating things about this film is that Kore-eda filmed over 500 hours of interviews with ordinary people about which memory they would want to remember. He then used some of those interviewed for the film, so some of the people are actors, and others are ordinary people telling their own stories. This is one of those films that, while watching it, you are invited to reflect on your own life and pick which memory you would choose, joining the film’s journey of wonderment and self-discovery. My Rating: Full Price After Life Info Available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime

Weird Credits: From the credits of Masters of the Universe: Pig Boy Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Toy Story 5 (2026) PG When Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang meet LilyPad, a chatty electronic toy, their connection to playtime is put to the test. New characters join the fun, including one voiced by Conan O’Brien. Toy Story 5 Website The film will be released in theaters everywhere on Friday, June 19, 2026

Until Next Time!

Power Ballad

2026-05-29T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Power Ballad (2026) R In Power Ballad, Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a past-his-prime musician singing in an Irish wedding band. Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band star who is desperate to put his old image behind him, joins Rick and his band on stage at a wedding for one song. The two musicians bond, get drunk, and spend the night jamming. Months later, Rick discovers that a song he wrote has been stolen by Danny and has become his breakout hit. Rick is about to go on a quest to reclaim his song and restore his reputation. This film is from John Carney, the Irish writer-director behind Sing Street, one of my favorite films of the past 15 years. This time, instead of a romance, we get a bit of a bromance, with Rick and Danny having a great time late at night playing and discussing music. The film does a brilliant job of giving us two characters who love music: Rick, who left a big-time music career because he fell in love, and Danny, a man desperate to prove he isn’t just a boy band member but a true musician. When Rick shares a song he wrote long ago, it’s the song that Danny has been looking for to make his solo career take off. The problem is that Danny stole the song from Rick, and now Rick wants Danny to admit it. This is a funny, fun look at how music can change lives and mean so much to so many people. It’s also about how personal songs can be, and how sometimes the music world isn’t fair or just. Paul Rudd gives a winning performance as the wedding singer who loves playing music but also loves his family life. We want Rick to win in this war between a small-time player and the big music machine that Danny is a part of. Rudd carries the film as its heart and soul, though Nick Jonas does a fine job as Danny, a man who wants to be a big star on his own and is willing to screw someone to get it. The film has a terrific soundtrack, and the song that Danny steals is incredibly moving and catchy. My only quibble is that I wanted more original songs, but I guess when your main character is a wedding singer, he’s kind of stuck singing the old standards. Power Ballad is an incredibly enjoyable film that will leave you with a song or two stuck in your head. And in this case, it’s a good thing. My Rating: Full Price Power Ballad Website Now playing in select theaters and releases everywhere nationwide on June 5, 2026

My View: Tuner (2025) R Tuner is about Niki (Leo Woodall), an apprentice to master piano tuner Henry (Dustin Hoffman). Niki has a hearing condition that allows him to hear incredibly well. When Henry has huge medical bills to pay, Niki starts working for a mob boss (Lior Raz) who uses Niki’s talent to hear the mechanisms inside a safe, allowing him to open almost anything. But crossing into this dangerous world soon puts everything Niki values at risk. Leo Woodall gives a mesmerizing performance in this film that artfully blends the conventions of a buddy movie, a romance, and a crime thriller. Woodall is perfect as Niki, a man who was a talented pianist but then developed a condition in which his hearing is incredibly sensitive; he constantly wears earplugs to function, but his hearing has perfect pitch, allowing him to master the job of piano tuner. The chemistry between Dustin Hoffman and Woodall is so much fun to watch as they have a grandfather/grandson type of back and forth that allows Hoffman’s character to tell stories and sleep while Niki does all the heavy lifting in the piano tuning business. The strongest scenes are the ones with Hoffman and Woodall as the two go from job to job, with a running joke that they get asked to do things like fix a toilet while tuning a piano. Niki soon discovers by accident that he has a talent for safe-cracking and is soon involved with a mobster, Uri (Lior Raz), who uses Niki to crack safes in rich homes. Along the way, Niki meets student composer Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), and soon they are in the midst of a romance. The film does an artful job of mixing the new romance with the crime heists, as Niki makes money to pay for Henry’s hospital bills. The film develops into a thriller when Niki realizes he needs to sever his ties with Uri, but we know Uri isn’t going to give up his cash cow without a fight. This storyline keeps you wanting more and engaged in the lives of Niki, Henry, and Ruthie as we worry about how things will turn out. The ending may surprise you. My Rating: Full Price Tuner Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Backrooms (2026) R Backrooms follows Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a furniture store owner who discovers that his store has an otherworldly dimension full of rooms that seem to go on forever. When Clark goes missing, his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), sets out to find him. The first two-thirds of this film, directed by YouTuber and first-time director Kane Parsons, are scary as heck. Clark isn’t a character that we like (he has a lot of problems, anger being one of them), and we can see why he is seeing Dr. Kline. However, once Clark discovers the secret world inside his store, with endless rooms filled with stop signs and chairs that seem to be stuck in the floor, the tension builds and doesn’t let up. Parsons has an eye for creating a world in which each room Clark explores becomes more puzzling and, at times, menacing. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are both compelling in their roles, with Ejiofor shifting back and forth between wonder and fright, and Reinsve as the curious, headstrong woman who soon realizes that Clark wasn’t lying or imagining this bizarre world. This is an unnerving film that keeps throwing more and more at you, without ever explaining anything. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t sustain the tension, and the final third lets us down. It’s as if Parsons didn’t know how his film would turn out, making it feel unresolved and flat. Which is a shame because the first two-thirds of Backrooms is scary. Maybe it was just one too many rooms to go into. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Backrooms Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Pressure (2026) PG-13 Pressure takes place 72 hours before D-Day, with the invasion of Europe days away, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) has to decide whether to launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history. Eisenhower calls in meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott) to deliver a forecast that could win or lose the war. The film tries very hard to keep the tension going throughout, though, spoiler alert, we know that the weather broke and the invasion went on the 6th of June. I liked Scott, the British meteorologist who went against almost everyone else on his team, telling Eisenhower that the weather would be too severe to mount the invasion successfully. Fraser is fine as Eisenhower, but isn’t given much to do beyond showing up and demanding answers. Kerry Condon puts some life into the film as Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s right-hand woman who keeps everyone on track. The film feels rather slow and spends significant time explaining weather maps to both Eisenhower and us. Ultimately, since most of the action is confined to a single room, the story’s tension and character driven focus seem better suited to the intimacy and immediacy of stage performance than to film. Though I will admit, it is fun to hear Ike talk about kicking some Nazi ass. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Pressure Website Now in theaters

My View: The Breadwinner (2026) PG The Breadwinner takes place when Nate’s (Nate Bargatze) wife, Katie (Mandy Moore), lands a Shark Tank deal, but only after Nate stumbles into an agreement on national TV to switch roles with her and become a stay-at-home dad to their three daughters. What could go wrong for the month his wife is on a business trip? The movies have a tradition (TV too) of putting stand-up comics in situations they have talked about in their comedy. This idea has been done before, with Michael Keaton giving a hilarious performance in Mr. Mom. So, they throw Nate into this mix. They tried to help Nate out by surrounding him with some comic talent in Colin Jost as another stay-at-home dad, Kumail Nanjiani as a car salesman rival, and Will Forte as a bumbling roofer, but they stumble badly due to such a poor script and Nate’s constant deadpan delivery. In fact, Nanjiani looks incredibly uncomfortable in his role as a trying-too-hard, jealous salesman. The storyline just keeps adding on how badly Nate is handling everything to the point where you just want it to stop. I mean, the man never tried to Google a damn thing on how to do anything. The kids aren’t funny at all, and the situations that they put them in are so predictable that you know what is going to happen before it does. I looked at my watch, thinking I had about 30 minutes left in the 90-minute film, and instead I had an hour to go. And if you are a fan of Nate’s standup, no need to see this film, since during the credits they show him doing his standup, and a bunch of the stuff in the movie he talks about in his comedy. Let’s put it this way: Nate is no Michael Keaton, Moore can’t compare to Terri Garr, and Nate and fellow screenwriter Dan Lagana don’t have John Hughes wit and heart. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again The Breadwinner Website Now in theaters nationwide

My View: Miss You, Love You (2026) Miss You, Love You follows Diane (Allison Janney), a grieving widow forced to plan her husband’s funeral with a total stranger, her estranged son’s assistant, Jamie (Andrew Rannells), who has been sent in place of the son. This collaboration will reveal old family secrets and long-buried resentments. Allison Janney delivers a tour de force performance as a grieving widow who is hurt that her only son is not showing up to help with the funeral preparations of his stepfather. She instantly takes it out on Jamie, an assistant to her son, who is game to try to help Diane any way he can. The first scene where Jamie shows up at her doorstep is a master class on how to demand the screen by Janney, who, in the course of just a few minutes, makes it very clear that while she will tolerate Jamie staying at her home, she will not lift a finger to help him in any way (including pouring him a drink of water). Rannells holds his own in his scenes with Janney, but she gets all the funny or cutting lines and has “side eye” down to perfection. As the two spend time together, the multiple layers each person has put up around themselves are slowly revealed, and we get to see why both are very hurt and fragile people who constantly deny their pain. The film is often funny thanks to Diane's wit, but its core explores grief and long-buried past issues. Miss You, Love You is a film of impactful moments with both actors making each count. My Rating: Full Price Miss You, Love You Info Now playing on HBO Max

My View: Propeller One-Way Night Coach (2026) Propeller One-Way Night Coach is about aviation enthusiast Jeff (Clark Shotwell) and his mother, Helen (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett), who embark on a cross-country overnight flight in 1962 from New York to L.A. that will be filled with unexpected moments. Based on a children’s book that John Travolta wrote 30 years ago, Mr. Travolta decided it was time this story was made into a movie. Now, someone should have told writer/director/narrator John Travolta that in order to be eligible for the Academy Awards, a short film has to be shorter than 40 minutes. Oh, if only someone had given him that information. Instead, this film drags on and on for just over an hour. If you didn’t know, John in real life is an aviation nut and used to own a Boeing 707 (which was 145 feet long and 130-foot wingspan). This film is an ode to when plane travel was still about wearing a suit and tie, being served full-course meals, and kids being able to go up to the cockpit and talk to the pilots. I am guessing that since it’s based on a children’s book, Mr. Travolta thinks this is a family film. Well, we find out right away, through the kids’ narration (voiced by John as an adult looking back on the trip), that his mom was on the prowl and, at one point in the movie, has a one-night stand. The film, through the narration, goes on and on about the plane that they are flying on. And I mean in detail. The story goes nowhere, and the narration is excessive. Hey John, next time, let the kid tell us instead of your voice-over that drones on and on. Nothing much happens (other than Mom trying to pick up every man she meets), and the ending tries too hard to be cute. About the only fun you can have is with a drinking game for spot-the-Travoltas, because there are a bunch of them in this film. I’m sure that Apple gave John the green light to make this vanity piece so that he would star in something else. I hope he hasn’t talked them into a return flight. Oh, stewardess (sorry, it’s 1962), I’ll have another drink now. I think I see another Travolta. My Rating: Cable Propeller One-Way Night Coach Info Now playing on the Apple TV+ format

Forgotten Film: Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) I hadn’t seen this movie since I saw it at a midnight screening while in college. While I remembered that the film was incredibly violent, with blood spurting out with abandon and limbs being whacked off, I had forgotten about the nudity and the sex scene. Lots of women’s breasts, which I am sure got a hearty R rating in Japan (probably wasn’t rated in the States since it was mostly shown in art houses and college campuses. What makes this work is that the samurai is a savage killer, but he loves his wife and son. One of the best scenes in the film is when he asks his one-year-old to choose between a samurai’s life and being killed to be with his mother, having to choose between a sword and a colorful ball. The fight sequences are fun and action-packed, and watching the Lone Wolf outsmart everyone is a blast. The film is a must for any exploitation film fan. My Rating: Full Price Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengance Info Available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of Tuner: Stunt Pre-Visualization

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Office Romance (2026) R Office Romance follows Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez), a high-powered, no-nonsense CEO of an airline, known for its rigid anti-fraternization policy for all employees. When lawyer Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein) is hired, suddenly sparks are flying between Jackie and this new, hot-shot hire. Will Jackie risk losing everything she’s built and drag Daniel down with her in pursuit of love? The film was written by Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly while both were working on the Ted Lasso TV series, specifically for Jennifer Lopez. Office Romance Website Premieres on Netflix on Friday, June 5, 2026

Until Next Time!

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

2026-05-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) PG-13 Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu follows Din Djarin/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu after the fall of the Galactic Empire. As the remaining warlords threaten the galaxy, the New Republic enlists Din Djarin and Grogu to rescue Rotta the Hutt in exchange for information on a New Republic target. If you are an avid watcher of the Mandalorian TV series, then you will enjoy this film. If you are a Star Wars fan but know little about the Mandalorian series, you will enjoy the Easter Eggs that are rampant in this film. If you are a child, regardless of whether or not you are a Star Wars fan, you will enjoy this film because of all the monsters that show up, with a lot of them fighting each other. If you aren’t a viewer of the series, I am guessing you won’t think much of this film, other than that Grogu is cute and there sure are a lot of ugly monsters. This film is much like the series; it’s enjoyable, but other than the relationship between the Mandalorian and Grogu, there’s not much there. The film feels very much like two or three episodes of the series being patched together. Fans of Pedro Pascal who have never seen the series will be disappointed to learn that, for most of the film, he wears a helmet (there is a reason for it, very poorly explained in this film). Grogu is damn cute and fun to watch, but cuteness only gets you so far in an overly long film that exceeds two hours. I liked the film, but I am a fan of the series, though I was disappointed by how little they let Sigourney Weaver on-screen. And yes, Martin Scorsese voices a very funny character of a food vendor that the Mandalorian keeps coming back to, buying information off the multi-armed cook. I enjoyed the airborne battles and the monster fights, but the film doesn’t bring much to the Star Wars canon and is way too long to rest on the little wrinkled guy’s shoulders. My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Mandalorian and Grogu Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026) R In Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) has been out of the game for a few years and is enjoying life as a civilian. He is then asked to rejoin the team and complete one last job for his country. Jack reunites with his team to stop a renegade Black Ops team that seems to know every one of Jack’s team’s moves. And that’s because they were once the good guys. I will admit that I have never watched the John Krasinski series, but I have seen all the theatrical films based on the Jack Ryan character and read a couple of the early books. So I know enough about our hero that I could walk into this by-the-numbers action film and have a reasonably fun time. I like Krasinski in the role, giving Jack a bit more of a sense of humor than the performances of Alec Baldwin or Harrison Ford gave the role. The film also does a good job of letting us in on Jack's relationships with his CIA pals. And I had fun with the new addition to the cast in Sienna Miller’s tough-as-nails, cynical MI6 agent who figures out quickly how to trigger Jack’s buttons. The film doesn’t take many chances but does plug along with a few twists and turns, and I wish I could have seen it on the big screen for the big car chase, which is exciting on the streets of London. Is it worth a watch on the Amazon streamer? Sure. Did it make me want to go back and watch the series? No, but hey, if Krasinski gets the idea to make another one, I’ll watch it. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War Website Now on the Amazon Prime platform

Indiefest: I Love Boosters (2026) R In I Love Boosters, an “outlaw trio” of shoplifters (Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige) target a high-end designer (Demi Moore), aiming to make fashion accessible by stealing her clothes and reselling them at lower prices, calling it “fashion-forward philanthropy.” I really liked Boots Riley’s first film, Sorry to Bother You, which I described as a “one-of-a-kind film that starts out being funny, then turns into a weird sci-fi film that you never quite know where it will end up.” I can say the same thing for this film, with the exception that I didn’t find it very funny at all. I may be the exception to the rule, because at the sold-out closing night of the Atlanta Film Festival, the crowd was on the floor laughing at almost everything in this very strange film that wants to be a commentary on class warfare, consumerism, and how the fashion industry is bloated and self-important. The film is all over the place and keeps you guessing where it is going to go (I quit trying to figure that out about a third of the way in). The film is off the chain weird and doesn’t bother with much of a plotline, but bounces around using fantasy, sci-fi, and even a bit of horror to keep the audience from knowing where the heck it is going next. I am not a big fan of avant-garde filmmaking, and this film was just too weird for me to find it funny or enjoyable. But as I saw with the ATLFF audience, your mileage may vary, and consider this a blast to watch. There is a bonus scene after the final credits that is worth sticking around for. My Rating: Cable I Love Boosters Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Passenger (2026) R Passenger follows a couple (Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell) on a road trip who witness a deadly accident. They soon realize that they did not leave the crash scene alone. A demonic presence that is impossible to outrun follows the couple wherever they go. This is a film that could have used a few more drafts, as the cast is let down by a script that can’t sustain the thrills throughout. The film is a play on the old wives’ tale that says never stop for an accident at night. The film has a few good scares, but doesn’t live up to the excellent opening sequence (most of which can be seen in the trailer). I think one of the problems is that we just don’t care enough about the couple to bring up the stakes of the film. A couple of scenes stand out. One takes place in a nighttime parking lot where every time Maddie turns her back on their van, it gets further away. And there is a cool scene using a movie projector out in the woods. However, most of the scares are the usual ‘jump out of the dark’ type, and we never truly get a reason why the “passenger” picks the couple or what its mission is. My first clue that there was a problem with this film was that the couple constantly brought up PBS staple Bob Ross. I guess this film didn’t have enough “happy little trees.” My Rating: Cable Passenger Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: El Mariachi (1992) R The film that launched Robert Rodriguez’s career is a blueprint for anyone shooting on a shoestring budget. Rodriquez wrote the script while in a two-week stay at a facility testing drugs on willing participants. The film is about a young Mariachi singer who stumbles into a town looking for work and is mistaken for a hitman. A mob boss has put out a hit on a man in black with a guitar case, and our hero is now in deep trouble. The film is action-packed and has the typical Rodriguez humor in spots to keep the movie moving. The film, shot for around 7,000 dollars, puts many action films of the 80s and 90s to shame, with a hero to root for and action sequences that work incredibly well. Rodriguez directed a sequel to the film, Desperado (1995), starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, in which the mariachi returns to the town to finish what he started. My Rating: Full Price El Mariachi Info Available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Mandalorian and Grogu: Unreal Engine Support

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Masters of the Universe (2026) PG-13 In Masters of the Universe, a boy named Prince Adam was sent to Earth for his own safety. Two decades later, the young man (Nicholas Galitzine) discovers the mythical Sword of Power and is suddenly transported to Eternia, where he must unite with his allies to defeat Skeletor. The all-star cast includes Jared Leto as Skeletor, Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, James Purefoy as King Randor, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, Camila Mendes as Teela, and Kristen Wiig as the voice of Roboto. Masters of the Universe Website The film will be released nationwide on Friday, June 5, 2026.

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Obsession

2026-05-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

My View: Obsession (2025) R In Obsession, Bear (Michael Johnston), a record store employee, has a longtime crush on his childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette), who has no interest in Bear as anything more than a friend. Bear impulsively buys a supernatural toy, and on it, wishes for Nikki to fall in love with him. Sometimes wishes come true, and we are sorry that they do. Obsession is the best horror film we have seen this year, with an incredible storyline and a groundbreaking performance by Inde Navarrette that has to be seen to be believed. Based on the old phrase “You get what you wish for”, Obsession tells the story of a man who is in love with a fellow worker, but she sees him only as a good friend, the kind that you call to complain about your life or a bad boyfriend. Bear is given a chance to tell Nikki how he feels, but he blows it, saying nothing. Instead, he takes an item he bought at a crystal store, a strange stick called One Wish Willow, that promises that it will make your wish come true. So Bear makes a wish, and at the start, it's everything he ever wanted, until it isn’t. This is an incredibly wild, scary, and violent film that, as soon as the wish is granted, becomes increasingly creepy, then goes beyond creepy to horrific, as Bear’s life becomes a curse he can’t get rid of. Inde Navarrette is jaw-droppingly great as Nikki, the young woman who, through a wish, becomes totally devoted to Bear. Unfortunately, things go bad almost from the start, and I don’t want to ruin this film, but let’s just say things go from lovey-dovey to crazy in the matter of just a few hours. What is interesting in this film is that the hero of the story isn’t Bear. In fact, the longer the story goes, the more you come to hate him and feel for Nikki. Obsession is full of surprises that are both funny and shocking. This is one of those films that, when something happens, you go, “What did I just see?” Obsession is a hard-hitting horror film, full of incredibly scary situations that carry a ton of complex feelings, making you talk about this film for a long time. Remember, many a tale has been told about asking for a wish that has consequences. So maybe don’t throw that coin in the fountain or make a wish on a wishbone. We see in this film how that can turn out, and it’s not good. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Obsession Website Now playing in theaters

My View: In the Grey (2026) R In the Grey is about a covert team of elite operatives who live in the shadows. This team, led by Sophia (Eiza González), is called in when mistakes are made and you need insurance. A ruthless despot has stolen a billion dollars, and the team is sent in to do the impossible: recover the money. This is a film that wants to be cool like Ocean’s Eleven, but takes too long for the action to happen to keep you interested. It’s a lot of setup for the last third that delivers a few thrills but no surprises. Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill have some cool little exchanges, but Gonzalez is left to do the heavy lifting of the plot, and it just gets a little too complicated to keep up with. Carlos Bardem doesn’t do a lot as the bad guy, but chews a lot of scenery, and Fisher Stevens plays his lawyer, whom I kept waiting to die; he was so inept. I thought there would be more to the plot, but it’s here: the villain, we trick him into revealing everything, and we get out of dodge. There’s a bit more to the plot than that, but the other problem is that the film goes into so much detail on all the escape routes that we know what is going to happen, even when the bad guys throw a few wrenches into the chase. Given the cast, I expected more and got a film that could have easily been called In The Jet Black instead. My Rating: Bargain Matinee In the Grey Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Marty, Life is Short (2026) Marty, Life is Sort is a documentary about legendary funnyman Martin Short, who has blazed a hilarious path across television, film, and theater. If you are a fan of Martin Short, you will love this film that gives us an inside look at the hilarious man who has had a lengthy career without ever really being a star. If you aren’t a fan, you will be by the end because not only is Marty a very funny, quick-witted man, but he is a wonderful person, a loving husband who had a perfect marriage and a family that adores him. We get to know Marty, from his childhood to his early performing days to his films (some of which weren’t hits), to his stage work and his work on TV. The film is filled with home movies, some of which contain some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, because everyone wants to be around Marty. As his great friend Steve Martin says, “You're going to host a dinner party, and you invite Marty. And then it turns out Marty can’t come. You cancel the party.” Well, you don’t have to cancel the party with this film because Marty is in it, an energizer bunny that doesn’t stop making us laugh. My Rating: Full Price Marty Life is Short Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest: Is God Is (2026) R Is God Is follows twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Ana (Mallori Johnson), who were badly disfigured by burn scars when they were children. When they learn their long-lost mother is alive but bedridden, they visit her. On her deathbed, she gives them a final, urgent task: avenge her by killing their abusive father, the man responsible for burning them all. When I first watched this film, I had a hard time with the tonal shift it makes about halfway through, from comedy to revenge film. It’s an abrupt change that hits you over the head with violence, very different from the first half of the film, which is filled with absurdist comedy. However, thinking more about this film, I realize that is the point. We take two characters, who have had a rough life but are full of life, and then are given a quest that they feel they are chosen and maybe even destined to complete, and they won’t let anyone or anything get in their way to complete the job that they were entrusted to do. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are brilliant as the twin sisters who can communicate without speaking aloud. What makes this film work is that the two characters are vastly different in their approach to life and to the job they have been given, but both are driven to keep going, even when things get rough. These are passionate characters who feel everything that they experience and are willing to be fiery, menacing, and do the dirty work. It’s a film that will make you laugh, maybe shed a tear or two, and shock you with certain events you will not see coming. The sisters will mesmerize you and will root for them to win in the end. My Rating: Full Price Is God Is Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Steal This Story, Please! (2025) Steal This Story, Please! is a documentary on the life and career of investigative journalist/activist Amy Goodman, whose award-winning work continues on the news program Democracy Now!. This film is a joy to watch because Amy is such a dynamic personality who believes in democracy and in the press's ability to show us what works and what doesn’t. Amy has been doing this for a long time, and we get to see her in the early years and then, up close and in detail, the work she does for Democracy Now! There is an amazing and funny section where, at a conference, she doggedly follows a Trump administration official for over 3 minutes as he tries to dodge her and her questions, until he finally finds a place to hide behind a locked door. The film shows us how hard Amy has worked to get the story and how many times she has faced danger without backing down. Amy never loses sight of the fact that the most important part of democracy is the people it helps and protects, all the while she tirelessly fights the good fight to show just how easy it is to let it slip through our fingers. Amy is someone to celebrate and support as she fights for everyone. My Rating: Full Price Steal This Story, Please! Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The Wizard of the Kremlin (2025) R In The Wizard of the Kremlin, a young Russian TV producer, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), becomes an unlikely advisor to the new President, Vladimir Putin (Jude Law). Between the two of them, they will create a persona that has ambitions beyond anyone’s dreams. A film that drags every time Jude Law isn’t on the screen, this is an overly long film that follows the ascension of Vadim Baranov, from college student to TV producer to the man who guided Putin to the presidency and took Russia from a democracy to a country run by one man with a plan to make Russia great again. The film is dull and lifeless, with a sleepwalking performance by Paul Dano. The film is somewhat saved by Jude Law as Putin, who perfectly depicts a man whose lust for power and information merge to control a nation. Law creates tension on the screen, seemingly just by breathing, as Putin is a cobra always ready to strike his enemies or anyone who doesn’t believe in his values. The Wizard of the Kremlin is a film that just keeps going, making it feel as if it is much longer than its 2-hour and 15-minute runtime. The problem is Dano, who is on-screen the whole time and seems to be slowly reading his dialogue while about to fall asleep. We don’t care about Baranov from the start and only care about what Putin is going to do next. Too bad, the film is about the wrong man. My Rating: Cable The Wizard of the Kremlin Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Blue Heron (2025) An immigrant family of six moves into a home on Vancouver Island. There are two young boys, a young girl, and a much older teen. As the family moves in, the two young boys are boisterous and playing together. The young girl, Sasha (Elul Guven), is curious about where everyone will have their bedrooms, but the tall teen boy, Jeremy (Edit Beddoes), is aloof and doesn’t interact with the others. Our first clue that something is wrong with the family's dynamics is when the Mom (Iringó Réti) and the children are going off to explore the island, while the dad stays behind and works on his computer. The rest of the family is waiting in the car, and Jeremy is bouncing a ball against the outside wall (Dad (Ádám Tompa) can hear it where he is working). Jeremy ignores the mom's pleas to join them, keeping the ball bouncing on the wall until the last minute, when the car starts to pull away, and he joins the family. This is our first sign that Jeremy does not fit in with the rest of the family, and we are now on alert that he could be trouble. This is a brilliant look at a family that tries to do everything they can to help Jeremy, but the social system has continually failed them, and his constant getting into trouble is disrupting the family to its core. The family is being held hostage by Jeremy, but he never helps the situation or seems to know how badly he is affecting the family. There is a constant building of tension, and you keep waiting for something horrible to happen. I will not ruin the film, but there is a point in Blue Heron at which it becomes something completely different, setting it apart from other troubled teen films. It’s a scintillating shift that takes you completely out of what you have established as real in the first half of the film. It allows us to see through the eyes of one of the other children how Jeremy’s actions affected them. Blue Heron is a mesmerizing piece of cinema from filmmaker Sophy Romvari that has to be seen to be believed. This is an extraordinary film that forces you to experience the storyline in a way that is both vast and incredibly moving. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Blue Heron Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: The Accountant (2001) An amazing bit of filmmaking, worthy of its Short Narrative Academy Award in 2002. Star/writer/director Ray McKinnon is brilliant as an accountant who is brought in to save a family ranch. The PBR-drinking man isn’t afraid to guide the farmer into setting his farm on fire, killing his livestock, and even more. And this accountant is on a mission to save one farm at a time from the government and corporations. This film is funny from start to finish with incredible performances by McKinnon, Walter Goggins and Eddie King. I wish all short films were this creative and funny. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Accountant Info The film is available for rent on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Wizard of the Kremlin: Company Sparks

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Supergirl (2026) PG-13 Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) aka Supergirl, is a jaded young woman whose only friend is Krypton, known as Superdog. She was sent to Earth by her parents to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Supergirl is about to go on an adventure that will test everything she believes in and she is out for vengeance when her loved ones are threatened. James Gunn, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of DC Studios, has decided that Supergirl will be grittier than Superman. Supergirl Website In theaters on Friday, June 26, 2026

Until Next Time!

Mortal Kombat II

2026-05-08T00:30:00.003-04:00

My View: Mortal Kombat II (2026) R Mortal Kombat II takes place when champions, including newcomer Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), battle to end Shao Kahn’s savage rule, which threatens Earthenrealm’s existence. The first film, 2021’s Mortal Kombat, I felt was short on plot and heavy on blood and gore, making it one long video game. This is more of the same, with one exception: this film has Johnny Cage, played by the master of the cool look, Karl Urban. If you aren’t a fan of the game or didn’t see the first film, you are in good hands with Johnny, because he doesn’t have a clue (for most of the film) about what is going on and doesn’t want to be there. Urban is perfect as a former karate champion who went into the movies and is now barely making it by attending fan expos to sell autographs. Johnny is basically kidnapped to participate in the tournament and doesn’t really commit to the team until near the end of the film. Urban is funny, getting his butt kicked in almost every fight, trying to talk his way out of everything, until Johnny figures out that he really belongs in the fight. The plot is pretty simple, and the fighting sequences are just okay, but Urban makes this film what I like to call ‘stupid fun’. It’s a film that you think is dumb in plot and execution, but knows what it is and has fun with it. So put on your Ray-Bans and join in the fight. You just might have a good time. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Mortal Kombat II Website Now playing in theaters

My View: The Sheep Detectives (2026) PG In The Sheep Detectives, every night, a sheepherder (Hugh Jackman) reads a mystery novel to his herd before they bed down for the night. When one morning they find he is dead, the sheep realize that his death is under mysterious circumstances, and they set out to solve the crime. If you are looking for a film to take your family on Mother’s Day weekend, we have a winner. This is a delightful film that the whole family will enjoy. Book clubs and mystery fans will enjoy how the sheep use what they have learned listening to the mystery novels to solve the crime. Fans of the book by Leonie Swann, Three Bags Full, are going to be happy with the adaptation. Kids are going to love the sheep, especially the two teen sheep, Ronnie and Reggie (voiced by the hilarious Brett Goldstein), who just want to butt heads all day long over any subject. The voice cast is led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily, who takes the lead in solving the mystery, Patrick Stewart as the grand old man of the herd, Sir Richfield, and Bryan Cranston as an outsider sheep known as a winter lamb who slowly becomes Lily’s accomplice in solving the crime. When I saw the trailer, I was a little worried the film would be too cutesy, but it pulls off the talking sheep brilliantly, letting us fully understand the herd's characters and dynamics. The Sheep Detectives is a funny, warm, and quick-paced movie, making it a joy to watch. And when’s the next time you are going to get to watch a herd of sheep solve a murder? Maybe not until there is a sequel. My Rating: Full Price The Sheep Detectives Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (2026) PG-13 Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is a concert film from Eilish’s seventh headlining tour. Right away, you see something different when James Cameron (yes, that guy) tells Billie that she is directing the film and that his name will appear in small letters below hers. While primarily a concert film from her latest tour, more than an out-and-out documentary, it does feature conversations between Cameron and Eilish and behind-the-scenes footage of her preparing on the day of the concert. I saw the film in 3-D, but I don’t think you need to see it that way, though I would try for the best theater sound system you can find so you can be swept up in the concert’s vibe. Eilish is a dynamo on the stage, performing on an enormous stage in the center of the arena. She doesn’t have backup dancers, and her band and backup singers are primarily in open areas below the stage. Eilish talks about aspiring to be like the rappers that she loved. How they commanded the stage and got the audience jumping to their music. It is amazing how in sync the audience is with her performance, often taking cues from her to shout out lyrics or sing along, taking the chorus lines while Eilish is singing the main lyrics. The film is shot so we feel part of the crowd, though we do get to see what happens when Eilish steps offstage to set up the next song. My only quibble is that there are far too many reaction shots of the crowd singing along, almost always in tears. However, you will understand why she means so much to her fans when you see Hit Me Hard and Soft. If you aren’t a fan, you'll be soon! My Rating: Full Price Hit Me Hard and Soft Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) PG-13 Remarkably Bright Creatures follows Tova (Sally Field), an elderly widow who works the night shift at a local aquarium. She forms an unlikely bond with Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina), a grumpy Giant Pacific Octopus, who helps her solve the mystery of her son’s disappearance. We all fell in love with octopuses when we saw the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher. Now we get an octopus that talks (voiced by Alfred Molina). Marcellus is an octopus that watches humans pass by his tank at the aquarium. The only person with whom he enjoys interacting is Tova, who is the night cleaning woman. She is the only person who talks directly to Marcellus, though only we can hear his replies. Into Tova’s life comes Cameron (played by Lewis Pullman), a musician down on his luck who is trying to find his long-lost father to collect what he hopes will be a bunch of money. The two of them don’t know it, but somehow, someway, Marcellus sees that the two are meant to be in each other’s lives, and he is determined to figure out a way to make that happen. This is a wonderful, kind movie that studios in the 70s and 80s regularly put out. Field is wonderful as always, as the headstrong Tova, who is trying to avoid going to a retirement home and continues to mourn the loss of her son, who died as a teenager. Cameron is another lost soul whose hopes of becoming a musician are fading. Pullman and Field have a nice chemistry, and the supporting cast is outstanding, with stalwarts such as Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, and Colm Meaney filling out the film with colorful characters. Still, this is a film that features an octopus that you believe will somehow, someway get Cameron and Tova to see that they are meant to know each other. This is an enjoyable film that works because of the cast and will make you wonder what those aquatic animals are thinking the next time you visit your local pet store or aquarium. My Rating: Full Price Remarkably Bright Creatures Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: That Evening Sun (2009) PG-13 An absolute masterclass in acting from Hal Holbrook, playing a man who has had his farm taken away from him and wants it back. This is a wonderful look at rural life in the South, with great supporting cast performances by Ray McKinnon, Carrie Preston, and Walton Goggins. The cinematography is beautiful, and the dialogue hits to the core. The reason to see this film is Holbrook, a man past his prime but still ready to fight for what he feels is his birthright, and will not let anyone tell him otherwise. This is a moving tale of an imperfect man standing up and making his voice heard. I saw this film recently at the Atlanta Film Festival as part of their 50th anniversary celebration, and it is still an amazing piece of acting. My Rating: Full Price That Evening Sun Info Available to rent on Amazon Prime

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mortal Kombat II: Fabricator Hand

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: In the Grey (2026) R In the Grey is about a covert team of elite operatives who live in the shadows. This team, led by Sophia (Eiza González), is called in when mistakes are made and you need insurance. A ruthless despot has stolen a billion dollars, and the team is sent in to do the impossible: recover the money. The cast includes Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kristofer Hivju, Fisher Stevens, Emmett J. Scanlan, Jason Wong, and Rosamund Pike, and is directed by Guy Ritchie. In The Grey Website In theaters on Friday, May 15, 2026

Until Next Time!