Snow White

Familyfaire:  Snow White  (2025) PG  Snow White takes place when exiled into the dangerous forest to escape the clutches of the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot), Snow White (Rachel Zegler) finds refuge with seven dwarf miners. With their help, Snow White will attempt to liberate the kingdom from the rule of the Evil Queen. In the last decade, we have been disappointed by live-action remakes of some of Disney's most loved films, including Aladdin. Now we have a live-action version of the film that started Walt Disney on his way to dominating the animated feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. First, let me say that the dwarves, all CGI-animated, are creepy as hell and will give some children and adults a few nightmares. They aren’t at all lovable or fun, just downright strange-looking. It’s the biggest thing that doesn’t work in the film. Well, that and Gal Gadot, while making a striking-looking Evil Queen, can’t sing or act well enough to make the Queen seem all that scary. Though I must say, she wears a sparkly gown and crown well. Now for the good news. The film works because of the new songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the songs for La La Land (2016), The Greatest Showman (2017), and the Tony award-winning Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” and because Rachel Zegler has the star power to make the role of Snow White her own. Zegler is magnificent in the role, with a voice that fits the songs perfectly and the charisma that, like Snow White, makes you fall in love with her as soon as she appears on the screen. The film retains some of the original songs, but the new ones are what make it so compelling for this retelling. Although it's a retelling of the old story, there are some changes that work well. While this isn’t an out-of-the-park home run, it’s a film that gives us a new take on an old classic, keeping some of its parts and bringing the movie into its own. I just wish they hadn’t given us the nightmares to come with the faces of the dwarves.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee Snow White Website Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

Indiefest:  O’Dessa  (2025) PG-13  O’Dessa takes place in a world where civilization was almost destroyed. In the ashes, a new city was born, ruled by a man named Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett), whose reign is filled with sorrow and hatred. A farm girl named O’Dessa (Sadie Sink) leaves home to make her mark. What she doesn’t know is that her music is destined to take down Plutonovich and restore order. O’Dessa is a musical that never finds what its voice is. It’s not for trying, but most of the songs are instantly forgettable, and the storyline meanders much like its main character does. Characters are thrown at us without much thought or background. We never find out why or how evil Plutonovich controls the people, and the savior in Odessa does nothing more than sing a few songs. I enjoyed Sadie Sink’s performance and singing; I just wish the film had given her better songs and a plot with some thought behind it. O’Dessa was an idea for a movie that was never fully developed and not given the music that it needed to be a movie that made you care about the people who needed a leader and a leader who needed a reason to rebel.  My Rating: Cable  O'Dessa Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Indiefest:  On Becoming a Guinea Fowl  (2024) PG-13   On Becoming a Guinea Fowl starts when, on a deserted road in the middle of the night, Shula (Susan Chardy) finds the body of her dead uncle. As funeral proceedings begin, Shula and her cousins discover a dark secret that her uncle was hiding, one that they all share. This film grabs you from the opening scene and doesn’t let go until the end. From the outstanding cinematography that takes you from dreams in a strange world to the stark reality of being stuck in a claustrophobic atmosphere that you can’t escape, the film takes you on a wild ride through the eyes of a woman who knows the truth and it haunted by it. This is a film in which women are expected to fulfill their duties as wives, mothers, and servants to men. And where women use their standing to control and take down other less fortunate women. Susan Chardy gives a powerful and multifaceted performance of a woman trapped by her family and her culture, where she has to abide by her family’s wishes even though she knows it is wrong. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a film about secrets. Secrets that are whispered about but never brought to light, because it would bring shame and that would bring the entire system tumbling down. The truth is something that only a few people desire and Shula is one of them. My Rating: Full Price  On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Website Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  Bob Trevino Likes It  (2024) PG-13  In Bob Trevino Like It, 20-something Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) needs to contact her self-centered father (French Stewart). She attempts to contact him online but gets in touch with another man with her father’s name, Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo). Due to that chance encounter, a relationship develops where the new Bob Trevino gives Lily encouragement, help, and guidance, something her own father has never given her. Bob Trevino Likes It is a sweet and enjoyable film that is based on a true story and is wonderfully told. Leguizamo is perfect as Bob, who works long hours so his wife can be a scrapbooking queen. Barbie Ferreira is adorable as Lily, who has a lot of issues, mostly with the fact that her mother died and her father is a horrible, self-centered jerk. So, by accident, Bob and Lily start up a friendship, where Lily gets the fatherly advice and help she has been looking for her whole life, and Bob becomes needed and paid attention to. Their friendship fills a void that neither one of them knew was missing. Bob Trevino Likes It is a magical film that shows you just how far a little kindness can make a difference in a person’s life. You are going to love this film, and you will hate Lily’s father. Just keep a tissue or two handy.  My Rating: Full Price  Bob Trevino Likes It Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  Misericordia  (2024)  R  Misericordia begins when Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) returns to Saint-Martial for the funeral of his former mentor and boss. Jérémie’s stay in town soon becomes entangled with disappearances, threats, and shady dealings. Jérémie shows up for a funeral and decides to spend the night at the home of the widow (Catherine Frot), who is more than happy for the company and, to the dismay of the grieving son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), who feels that some reason, Jérémie might be interested in his mother. At first, we take Jérémie’s side, but we soon learn that he likes to cause trouble and stir things up. Jérémie is a strange character who is hard to figure out, played beautifully by Félix Kysyl. Do we root for this man who keeps pushing buttons, or do we want him to get caught up in the intrigue he has started? It's an interesting question for the audience as the plot gets more involved and Jérémie gets deeper and deeper into the community's core, whether or not they want him. Misericordia is a film that as you get to know the characters and as the plot thickens, the more you enjoy just how complex a world Jérémie was built for himself. It's one he may never get out of. And wait until you see the last scene. My Rating: Full Price  Misericordia Website Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  The Assessment  (2024) R  The Assessment takes place in the near future, where parenthood is strictly controlled, and prospective parents must go through a seven-day assessment. Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) are not ready for the psychological nightmare that Virginia (Alicia Vikander), their assessor, is about to put them through. How many times have you wondered that we have to take a driver’s test to get a license, but anyone can be a parent? In The Assessment, the world went to hell, and strict rules were applied to where you have to go through a seven-day total amercement trial to determine if you are worthy of getting a child. In walks Virginia and Mia and Aaryan’s life will never be the same as Virginia tests the couple’s ability to adapt and cope with all sorts of trying circumstances. Alicia Vikander has fun playing the role of Virginia, who acts like a four-year-old at one moment and the next time a sixteen-year-old, all the while testing the limits of what she can get away with and how the couple will deal with a demanding child who is looking to cause trouble. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat as you learn more about the couple (they have kept secrets from each other, which may or may not help decide if they are to be parents). The Assessment is a dark film that, at times, is funny and, at other times, is hard to watch, as the couple starts to fall apart under pressure. Olsen and Patel work well together, and I love Olsen’s character as a working woman who wants to always be in charge but can’t in this situation because Virginia holds all the power. Will the couple pass or will they fail? What will be the tipping point? To discover, you'll have to endure a lot.   My Rating: Full Price  The Assessment Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest: Borderline  (2025) R   Borderline is set in Los Angeles in the 1990s. Sofia (Samara Weaving) is a famous pop star whose home is broken into by Duerson (Ray Nicholson), an obsessive fan who believes they are getting married. It’s going to be a wedding that they both will never forget. If I saw this film with an audience at a midnight film festival screening, I might like it a bit more than I do now. The film has a few funny bits, but I tired of Ray Nicholson’s character almost from the start, as his character tends to do a lot of mugging for the screen. The film tries to make sense of the situation, but there are gigantic holes in the plot that we are just supposed to forget, along with characters that seem to be written by two different people, as they change back and forth from one idea to the next. I liked the performance of Yasmeen Kelders, who plays Duerson’s sidekick. Kelders has a blast playing a nutty Frenchwoman who thinks nothing of singing a duet with Sofia and trying to kill her ten seconds after the song is over. But her performance doesn’t make up for a plot that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and a main character that gets on your nerves from the first frame of the film.   My Rating: Cable  Borderline Website  Now playing in select theaters and On Demand. 

My View:  Locked  (2025) R  Locked is about Eddie (Bill Skarsgård), a two-bit thief looking for a car to steal an item or two from to make a quick buck. Upon finding an unlocked luxury SUV, he believes his luck has changed. Once inside the SUV, he realizes he is trapped inside and has begun a game of psychological horror. Two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins plays the man who has set the trap for Eddie. Locked is a film that begins with an intriguing premise but gets stuck, much like Eddie, with a plot that has very little room to move or breathe. The problem I had with this film was that I didn’t like either character. And, yes, we get, bit by bit, reasons why the characters are behaving the way they do, but we end up despising both, not caring who wins in the battle of wits and endurance. The writing puts the film into a corner it can’t really get out of, making the ending feel unsatisfying and silly. Overall, I was ready for the film to end by about the one-hour mark; it had exhausted all its gadgets and all of my patience. My Rating: Cable  Locked Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Alto Knights  (2025)  R  The Alto Knights follows two of New York’s most notorious crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Once best friends, the two are on a collision course to control the city’s streets. With its constant use of old photographs and newsreel footage, The Alto Knights feels like one of those bad syndicated one-hour documentary TV shows from the 80s, promising an indie look at gangsters, but all you get is boring interviews and profiles. The Alto Knights is a film with its only merit being Robert De Niro's dual roles as the two crime bosses. While it’s fun for a while to watch De Niro try to top himself, the film is all talk and very little action. And while De Niro uses his voice and a few mannerisms to make the two different, you are still very aware that it’s De Niro playing two roles on the screen. What is interesting is how the film portrays Frank as the good guy and Vito as the bad guy. Frank is the smarter of the two, a married man who has a deep affection for his wife and their dogs. Frank is a man of honor and thinks he can outplan his fellow mobsters and outsmart even Congress. Vito is impulsive and doesn't consider the consequences before taking action. The film keeps talking about their past together, but we never see it, which makes the characters seem shallow and one-dimensional. So much so, you forget that Frank is a notorious mob boss and not a doting husband right out of 50's TV show, who works a little too hard. The film’s pacing is slow, and there is a seemingly endless amount of meetings that all start just blending into each other. With an ending that takes forever to come and is a massive letdown, the film concludes with a whimper. Much like Frank’s beloved dogs who go out on walks in mink overcoats, The Alto Knights is a dog of a film that tries to be classier than it is. My Rating: Cable The Alto Knights Website  Now playing in theaters.

Forgotten Film:  Land of the Dead  (2005) R  From the master and, some say creator, of the zombie film, George A. Romero, comes a new take on living in a world full of zombies. In a world where the living dead have taken over most of the world, a small group of humans are living in a walled city, just trying to survive. The city is in turmoil as a group plans to overthrow the city leadership. Meanwhile, the zombies are becoming smarter and bolder. Land of the Dead isn’t as fun as the other Romero zombie films as this film has a lot of political overtones (think Bush administration), but it’s still a fun trip and a whole bunch of zombies are killed.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Land of the Dead Info  Available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV+.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Snow White:  Stilt Walkers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Thunderbolts* (2025) A group of antiheroes are pulled together by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) after CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) forces the team into a dangerous mission. Only if they work as a team and survive can they achieve redemption. The cast includes Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen.   Thunderbolts* Website  The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 2, 2025.

Until Next Time!

The Electric State

 My View:  The Electric State  (2025)  PG-13  The Electric State takes place after a robot uprising. Following their defeat, robots were sent to a fenced-in area known as The Electric State in the American West. Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) is determined to find her long-lost brother in The Electric State and is helped by a low-rent smuggler (Chris Pratt) and a wisecracking robot named Herman (Anthony Mackie). The duo are about to discover that maybe the world was mistaken about the robots. This film might have half-way worked on the big screen, with all the robots milling around, either in a mall or in the big, what was meant to be a big, spectacular battle scene at the end. However, as a streaming movie, it fails because we don’t care about any of the characters, including the robots. Ok, maybe I cared a little about Mr. Peanut (yep, that one), the leader of the robots, who is voiced by an almost unrecognizable Woody Harrelson. The Electric State is an alternate past movie, where Walt Disney created robots for Disneyland, which became a thing where the robots started doing all our grunt work, got fed up, and rebelled. This two-hour and eight-minute film directed by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game) shows what happens when you get an unlimited budget where none of the money went into making the script or the characters work. The three main human characters are all such one-dimensional cartoon characters that we never get to know them; only they are full of quips that don’t work and a storyline that expects us to understand their relationships without giving us a way to do that. Pratt looks ridiculous, and his character is such a throwback to his Guardians character that he must have gotten whiplash. Brown is asked to carry the emotional aspect of the film, first with her long lost younger brother, who she tearfully remembers at almost every moment, so much so we want to shake her to snap her out of it. Then there is the evil scientist/Musk-like character played by Stanley Tucci, who is right out of a DC comic book from the 50s; so wooden and way too easy to figure out that he is evil and behind everything. Oh, and the message of the film? Robots are people, too. Boy, they spent a lot of money to get over that notion. Regrettably, it wasn't spent on the script.  My Rating: Cable  The Electric State Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Black Bag  (2025) R  In Black Bag, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) and her husband, George (Michael Fassbender), have a perfect marriage. Except for the fact that they are both intelligence agents that can’t talk about their jobs. When Kathryn is suspected of betraying her nation, George faces the ultimate test: loyalty to his loving wife or his country. Steven Soderbergh gives us a spy caper that lets two extraordinary actors perform at their finest. Black Bag is not your ordinary spy film, full of action sequences, but a film filled with smaller moments that are clever and exquisitely done, keeping you guessing on just who is guilty and who is innocent. It’s a game of cat and mouse, reminiscent of the great spy novels of Le Carre and Herron. Blanchett and Fassbender work together so well on screen that you believe that these two spies could save the world just by their charisma and wit. Black Bag is a polished, almost silky smooth spy caper where you don’t know who to trust or who to even suspect; you just know that George will figure it out. The only question is whether George’s love for his wife means that he will have to betray his country. The great thing about Black Bag is that you will find out in the end and thoroughly enjoy the mystery all along the way to that end. Black Bag is one of the best spy films of the past ten years, and anyone who loves watching a spy film that isn’t easy to figure out will love this film as much as I did.  My Rating: Full Price Black Bag Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Novocaine  (2025)  R  Novocaine is about Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), who has finally found the courage to ask Sherry (Amber Midthunder) out, and their date was incredible. Now, right in front of Nathan’s eyes, the bank that she works at is held up, and she is taken hostage. What’s a guy to do but go to her rescue? What her kidnappers don’t know is that Nathan has a condition where he is incapable of feeling pain. To bring her back, he will need it. I want to warn you that this film is filled with broken bones, blood splatters, gunshot wounds, and people getting hurt in horrible and also amusing ways. And most of those things happen to our hero, Nathan. I had so much fun watching this film, though I will admit I had to look away a few times because of the savage and cruel ways that Nathan gets the crap beat, shot, stabbed out of him. Jack Quaid is perfect as the everyman who isn’t quite one because he can’t feel pain. That means Nathan has to be careful, even confining himself to a liquid diet because just about anything could be deadly, including biting his own tongue. There is a great running gag that his watch alarm goes off every 3 hours to remind him to pee, because he can’t feel the pain that we all feel when we have to go. I loved the chemistry between Quaid and Amber Midthunder, and the film sets up why Nathan is so quick to go to her rescue, even though he knows he could get hurt. Now I will admit the story does paint Nathan and Sherry into a corner that it doesn’t quite figure out how to get out of, but the film has a great time putting Nathan into situations where he can get really hurt and still survive to keep going on the chase. So get ready to advert your eyes a few times and go on adventure with Nathan as he slowly, surely falls apart as his body takes a beating and a few, ok, a lot of broken bones, to save the girl of his dreams.  My Rating: Full Price  Novocaine Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Familyfaire:  The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie  (2024) PG   In The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, who does Earth turn to when there is an alien invasion? Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, of course. Looney Tunes cartoons have always been a favorite of mine, having grown up watching them. While I feel that The Day the Earth Blew Up isn’t up to the standard of the cartoons of the past, it still is better than many of the weak animated films of the past few years. I kept waiting for a few other characters to show up from the Warner Brothers vault, but it’s solely the pig and the ducks’ picture, with some help from Petunia Pig. The plot is fun, with a couple of cool scenes that were right out of the old Superman animated films of the 40s, and the film moves along with the two getting into lots of trouble. I had a good time and laughed out loud a few times, but I felt like I needed more sight gags and jokes that had some wit. Still, kids will have fun, and adults will enjoy seeing a couple of old friends to go down memory lane with.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Day the Earth Blew Up Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  Opus  (2025)  R  Opus is about Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), who has been picked to attend the first concert by iconic musician Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich), who is going to perform for the first time in thirty years. The only problem: Ariel may have to join Alfred’s cult before he will perform. Opus is worth a bargain matinee ticket to see John Malkovich have so much fun in the part, playing a whacked-out musician. Unfortunately, the rest of the film isn’t worth even that price after a fun 30-minute start, as the film never feels scary, and the plot starts advancing at a too-quick pace, leaving us gasping for breath that never comes. Opus is one of those films where you question whether you have seen a movie with a plot like this or even the movie itself. About halfway through the hour and forty-three-minute runtime, I felt trapped just like Ariel does. And Opus has an ending that feels just too smug, but then again I guess Alfred Moretti was too.  My Rating: Cable  Opus Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Parenting  (2025) R   In The Parenting, Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn) are hosting their respective parents in a weekend country house rental. Things go downhill quickly when they discover the presence of a 400-year-old evil entity. The Parenting doesn’t know what it wants to be: a horror film that’s a comedy or a comedy that’s a horror film. Either way, it doesn't work, which is too bad with a cast that includes Brian Cox, Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, and the always amazing Parker Posey. The movie seems like a bad Saturday Night Live skit, which is not unusual given that the screenwriter is a long-time writer of the late-night show. The Parenting never finds its way unless you think prolonged vomiting is funny or a dog being crushed by a cabinet is hilarious. Along the way, there are horrible jokes about parenting, slurs about homosexuality, and an ending that feels like the writer decided to take an easy way out of a plot that wasn’t working. So, along the way, you won’t laugh at the comic bits, and you won’t get scared by the horror bits. So what do you have left? A movie that fails from the outset. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    The Parenting Website  Now playing on the Max format.

My View:  Control Freak  (2025)   Control Freak revolves around Val (Kelly Marie Tran), a motivational speaker whose TED talks have become legendary for inspiring thousands to take control of their lives. Val’s fans are unaware that she is a tangled mess of anxiety that has caused her scalp to itch constantly. What Val at first chalks up to stress, the constant itching becomes something evil, an evil that will take Val onto the edge of madness. Val is a woman who, on the surface, appears to be in control but is actually losing control on the inside. I liked Kelly Marie Tran’s performance, but the film takes too long to establish that there are possible forces other than stress that are getting a hold of Val. It’s hard to tell from the storyline if all of this is in Val’s head or if there really is an evil force that has been living inside of Val since her birth. The film starts with an interesting idea of a woman who tells the world how to fix their problems by taking charge of them but can’t/won’t take charge of her own problems. However, the film goes too far into the horror aspect and blames everything on that evil being. By the end of the film, I just wanted it to be done with, but even with the film’s last shot, we see it will continue. I am just glad that it didn’t.  My Rating: Cable  Control Freak Info  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View:  Chaos: The Manson Murders  (2025) The documentary Chaos: The Manson Murders is a look into alternative theories surrounding one of the world’s most famous murder cases. Could there be unexpected connections to government agencies involving mind control experiments or a major coverup? The film is from Earl Morris, who won the 2004 Academy Award for his documentary The Fog of War, and is based on CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, a 2019 nonfiction book written by Tom O’Neill. This is a documentary that throws out a lot of theories against the wall of true-crime, hoping some of them will stick long enough for you to think that they might be true. The film is mostly O’Neill being interviewed by Morris, with one theory after another being presented in front of us. The most significant theory of the film is that Manson was part of the CIA mind control experiments and that he was allowed to carry on because he either knew too much or was part of their continuing experiment. What Morris gives us are just guesses and very flimsy ideas, which O'Neill presents to us as facts. At no time does anyone say that Manson wasn’t behind the killings, and in fact, a few of the facts show he was behind even more. Are you going to learn more about Manson and the reason for the murders? It will depend on whether you want to go down a deep, very sketchy rabbit hole of even sketchier facts or just go with the fact that Manson was a deeply troubled person who was able to brainwash young men and women with lots of drugs and paranoia. You choose. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Chaos: The Manson Murders Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna  (2025)   Last Take is a documentary that looks at what happened on that fatal day when Alex Baldwin accidentally shot and killed celebrated indie cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in 2021. Last Take is a thoughtful and touching tribute to an up-and-coming cinematographer who had not only a promising career but a family, both of her own and of the people she worked with. Sadly, all was lost on that film set that day, and while the film doesn’t give you all the answers you want, it shows how talented Halyna was and how much she was loved. Last Take shows just how badly mistakes were made and kept being made up to the shooting, things that could have been prevented, including disharmony on the film set. We see that the accident didn’t have to happen, but most of the camera crew left the shoot short-handed after they voiced concerns about safety and working conditions. The film does an excellent job with behind-the-scenes photos, footage, and interviews with all except Baldwin and the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The movie they planned to make was doomed from the beginning, including the fact that Gutierrez-Reed was a last-minute choice after two more experienced armorers refused the job. Last Take does an excellent job of letting us see what it is like working on an Indie film, where everyone is overworked, sometimes having to do two or three jobs at once, and always worried about costs and if the money will hold out. While part of the title is ‘the Story of Halyna’, I wanted more about the woman and a little less about the movie she was making. I wanted it to be more of a tribute to someone who didn’t deserve to die because of negligence. The film doesn’t give answers to why live ammunition was on the set or why the gun went off, things we may never know, and that’s a frustrating part of this film. However, maybe that’s the point. We don't always get the answers we want, and even if we did, it wouldn't change a life that was lost. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Last Take Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Forgotten Film:  Hunger  (2008)  The story of the Irish republican inmates of a prison in Northern Island who go on a hunger strike to protest the conditions and the belief that they are political prisoners, not criminals. The strike is led by Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), who believes that the only way he can get the world to pay attention is to die from hunger. This was the first feature film from filmmaker Steve McQueen, who has since created an incredible body of work, including the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave. Hunger is the film that put both McQueen and Fassbender in the spotlight, as Fassbender gives a stellar and moving performance of a man whose body and mind are pushed to the limits. Sands, along with nine other prisoners, died for the cause, and we are given an inside look at how horrible life was in the prison both before and during the hunger strike. Hunger is an unforgettable film that will stay with you long after the last scene. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Hunger Info The film is available on BluRay/DVD disc. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Novocaine:  Breakdown Trainees

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  A Working Man  (2025)  R  Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is a man who left his profession to work a simple construction job and take care of his daughter. But when his boss’s teenage daughter vanishes, Levon uses his skills as a former legendary figure in the world of black ops to go on the hunt. Levon soon learns that his search for the missing college student will take him deep into a sinister criminal conspiracy. The film is directed by David Ayer, who also directed Statham in the fun and bold 2024 film The Beekeeper.  A Working Man Website  The film will be in theaters on Friday, March 28, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Mickey 17

My View:  Mickey 17  (2025) R  Mickey 17 is about Mickey (Robert Pattinson), who is unhappy with his life, and so he signs up to be an ‘expendable’, a disposable crew member on a space mission. As an expendable, Mickey is given dangerous tasks because he can be ‘renewed’ if he dies. Two problems: He renews with his memories intact, and something has gone wrong, and now there are two Mickeys. I have been a fan of Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho for quite a while. His films like The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017), and Parasite (2019) were imaginative, creative and always had a biting sense of humor that combined with a lot to say about the state of the world, politics, and class. So it’s no surprise that Mickey 17 combines all of those factors and more into a delightful film that goes on too long to keep the film from feeling bloated and a bit out of control. Pattinson is enjoyable in the role of the sad-sack Mickey, who, while he gets the girl, keeps getting killed in lots of horrible ways. It’s a brilliant performance that Pattinson milks for everything he can, especially when the 2nd Mickey shows up, giving us two different takes on what we might have thought would be the same person but aren’t. There are some hilarious moments, mostly because of Pattinson’s way of making Mickey go along with his fate, no matter how bad it’s going to be. The film takes too long to get to the end, and it seems that Bong seems to lose the focus of the film, throwing out too many ideas at us, including some retreads of subjects from his previous films like Okja and Snowpiercer. Still, I had fun watching Mickey keep dying, and while watching Naomi Ackie as Nasha, Mickey’s girlfriend, have a blast playing a woman who loves Mickey but wants a little bit more. I wish the film had kept its focus on the subject and gotten to a conclusion sooner.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mickey 17 Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View: In the Lost Lands  (2025) R  In the Lost Lands, a powerful witch named Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) and a hunter named Boyce (Dave Bautista), who journey into a dangerous landscape known as the “Lost Lands” to retrieve a magical artifact for a queen. Gray is the only one who knows that every spell she casts has unimaginable consequences. I have become a big fan of Dave Bautista, and while I don’t think Milla Jovovich is a great actress, she has a charisma that bursts off the screen. Add in that this film isn’t based on a video game but a short story by George R.R. Martin, and it should have been at least watchable. However, it’s not. The dialogue is so bad that it is laughable, and while the action sequences are fun, there isn’t enough of them to make the film work on that level. Instead, we get a film with too many working parts, a couple of big scenes that end way too easily, and an ending that is pleading for a sequel or two. In the Lost Lands reminded me of those straight-to-video sword and sorcerer films of the 80s, and we have gone too far to go back to those days. My Rating: Cable    In the Lost Lands Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Familyfaire:  Plankton: The Movie (2025) TV-PG  In Plankton: The Movie, tired of being taken for granted, Karen the Computer is going to do what Plankton has failed to do over the past twenty-five years: Take over the world. Plankton now has to stop her with the help of a few friends, including one named SpongeBob. SpongeBob fans will have fun with this film, as two of the supporting characters, Plankton and his ‘wife’ Karen the Computer, are featured in this film about Karen quitting being in Plankton’s shadow and taking over the world herself. There are plenty of songs in the film, and small kids will love all the hijinks that Plankton and Karen get into. No fear, SpongeBob fans, as he will help defeat Karen’s attempt at taking over the world, and everything will return to normal.  Well, normal for the world of SpongeBob and his friends.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Plankton: The Movie Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  There’s Still Tomorrow  (2023)  There’s Still Tomorrow is set in postwar 1940s Italy, where Delia (Paola Cortellesi) is in an unhappy marriage and the mother of three. She sees that her oldest daughter is about to repeat the same mistake that Delia did by going into a bad marriage, and plots to stop the marriage in any way she can. There’s Still Tomorrow is a film about love lost, domestic violence, trying to make up for mistakes of the past, and sacrifice. Directed by Paola Cortellesi, she also stars as the film’s central character, a woman who is in an unhappy marriage with a man who hits her for any little mistake she makes, all the while she struggles to keep her family together in a post-WWII Italy. Cortellesi commands the screen, and we root for her character as we follow her on a quest to help her daughter get out of under the control of her husband. This is a usual film, as some scenes where Delia is abused are shown as musical dance numbers. It’s a surreal look at a serious subject and takes a bit of getting used to. Shot in beautiful black and white, as an homage to the films shot in Italy after the war, the film makes a case for Delia to leave and find happiness with an old love she broke up with long ago. The film is worth watching because of Cortellesi’s performance and for the last ten minutes of the film, which gives us an ending that you will not expect. There’s Still Tomorrow is an incredible film that covers a lot of subject that isn’t beautiful at all but has a character at its center that you will fall in love with.  My Rating: Full Price  There's Still Tomorrow Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Picture This  (2025)   In Picture This, Pia (Simone Ashley) is a struggling photographer who receives a prediction: true love and career success await her on her next five dates. The only problem is her ex (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) has reappeared, throwing her love life and career into a big mess. Picture This is a rom-com that has more comedy than romance, mostly because the romance part doesn’t start until near the end of the film, in a very Hallmark way. The film works because of Simone Ashley, who has a knack for comedy, and the camera loves her. The film has our heroine trying to make a go of it as a portrait photographer while telling the world and her parents that she may never get married or have kids. We all know what will happen, but it’s fun to see Pia go on the four dates, all of which end in one disaster or another. Picture This is an enjoyable film that, while predictable, works because the lead is so funny and captivating. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Picture This Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

My View:  The Rule of Jenny Pen  (2025)  R  In The Rule of Jenny Pen, a former judge (Geoffrey Rush), after having a stroke, is sent to a secluded rest home, confined to a wheelchair. He becomes the target of a fellow resident (John Lithgow), who torments the residents at night with a child’s puppet, abusing them with deadly consequences. I had high hopes for this film due to the pairing of Lithgow and Rush, two actors who, when given just about anything, are at the top of their game. Unfortunately,, the two are let down by a script that starts strong but can’t sustain the suspense and takes itself into a corner it can’t escape. From the trailer, I was expecting a horror film mixed with a psychological thriller. I wanted a film where the two characters were in a war of wits, but instead, it was the strong taking advantage of the weak. Like the doll that Lithgow’s character carries around, the plot is hollow and short on any sort of scares. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Rule of Jenny Pen Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: Becoming Katharine Graham  (2025)  This is a documentary on Katharine Graham, who went from being a housewife to running The Washington Post during a time when the Vietnam War and the dirty tricks of the Nixon administration were tearing the country apart. This is a brilliant documentary on an amazing woman who became CEO of a publishing company when women were seen as only secretaries in the workforce; Katherine worked for a few years until they could get married and then take care of the household, their bread-winning husband, and raise a few kids. We see that Graham, who took over the reins of the Post when her husband committed suicide, had to learn very quickly how to survive in a ‘man’s world,’ but she soon put her mark on the company. The film focuses on key moments in Graham’s life: her marriage that ended so tragically, the release of the Pentagon Papers, which cemented the opposition to the Vietnam War, the Watergate break-in and coverup, which to the Washington Post, ultimately brought down a President, and then a crippling union strike at the Post. It’s an amazing story, one that, when both the book and Oscar-winning movie All the President’s Men came out, ignored her courageous role in the continuing coverage of the Watergate break-in. I learned just how alone the Washington Post was when they started and continued the coverage of Watergate. Graham, even when Nixon and his associates tried to ruin Graham, stood fast and kept fighting. Becoming Katharine Graham is a film that needs to be seen in our current times, showing how important a free press is to democracy, keeping us safe from those who would rather only let one side of the story be told.  My Rating: Full Price   Becoming Katharine Graham Website Now playing on Amazon Prime. 

Forgotten Film:  Memphis Belle  (1990) PG-13  In 1943, a crew of a B-17 airplane based in the UK prepares for its 25 mission. If they come back from this bombing mission over Germany, they get to go back home to the US. It’s going to take all the skill and luck that the crew has to get back to base. Based loosely on a WWII documentary of the same name, the film shows us just how dangerous their bombing raids were and how it took the crew right to the edge to complete their mission. The cast is full of young actors from the late 80s and ‘90s who were either stars or about to be, including Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D. B. Sweeney, Billy Zane, and Sean Astin. This is a well-made war film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with some outstanding performances.  My Rating: Full Price  Memphis Belle Info  Available to rent/buy on Apple TV and Amazon. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mickey 17:  Standby Property Hands

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: A Minecraft Movie  (2025) PG  Four misfits suddenly find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal, landing in a strange, cubic world that thrives on creativity and imagination. To get back home, they will need help from a peculiar resident to master this bizarre world. The cast includes Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen. In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Mike’s Fearless Oscar Picks for 2025

As always these are who I think are going to win on Sunday night, not who I think should win.  If I have a Spoiler listed, it's a film that I think has a chance to win

Winners in Green.

Best Picture:  Anora                                              Spolier:  Conclave

Best Director:  Sean Baker - Anora                                  Spoiler:  Brady Corbet - The Brutalist

Best Actress:   Demi Moore - The Substance

Best Actor:  Adrien Brody - The Brutalist                Spoiler:  Timothee Chalamet - A Complete Unknown

Best Supporting Actress:  Zoe Saldana - Emilia Perez

Best Supporting Actor:  Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Conclave

Best Original Screenplay:  Anora                                   Spoiler:  A Real Pain

Best Cinematography:   The Brutalist

Best Costume Design:  Wicked

Best Film Editing:  Conclave                                               Spoiler: Anora

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:  The Substance            Spoiler:  Wicked

Best Production Design:  Wicked                                   Spoiler:  The Brutalist

Best Score:  The Brutalist

Best Song:  El Mal - Emilia Perez                                       Spoiler:  The Journey - The Six Triple Eight

Best Sound:  Dune: Part Two                                             Spoiler:  Wicked

Best Visual Effects:  Dune: Part Two

Best Animated Feature:  The Wild Robot                     Spoiler: Flow

Best Documentary Feature:  Porcelain War                 Spoiler: No Other Land  

Best International Film:  Emilia Perez                           Spoiler:   I’m Still Here 

Best Animated Short:  Yuck!                                            Spoiler:  Wander to Wonder

Best Documentary Short:  I Am Ready, Warden     Spoiler:  The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best Live Action Short:  The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent         Spoiler:  A Lien