Sinners

My View:  Sinners  (2025)  R  In Sinners, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) are trying to leave their troubled past behind and return to their hometown to open a dance hall. They soon discover that their hometown has changed, and a great evil is waiting to welcome them back. Back in 2013, filmmaker Ryan Coogler hit us right between the eyes with the outstanding Fruitvale Station, starring an up-and-coming young actor named Michael B. Jordan. Since then, Coogler has given us Creed and the two Black Panther films. In what is his most original and best film to date, we now get a vampire thriller that has roots in everything from legendary blues singers, prohibition, and Jim Crow to even Irish folk music. With a huge nod to Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino’s 1996 film From Dusk Till Dawn, the film follows twins Smoke and Stack, played by the brilliant Michael B. Jordan, as they come back from spending time in Chicago, where they may have stolen a whole lot of money and booze from the mob.They are back to open a blues joint with some locals’ help. Along the way, they gather a cast of characters to make their endeavor a success, including a local blue legend in Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), their cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton in his feature film debut), a budding blues singer/guitarist, and a couple of former flames of the twins in Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), a love of Stacks that ended badly, and Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Smoke’s one true love. Both relationships with the twins have history and baggage that hangs over the two couples like a huge dark cloud. Coogler spends the first hour giving us a clear understanding of the history that follows each of the characters, giving us insight into how they function in this world of gambling, song, stolen whiskey, and even religion. The film’s second half is the opening of the juke joint, which is a rousing success, until a trio of white musicians want to join the party, and the twins tell them to find somewhere else to party. However, we already know that these musicians aren’t there to make music but are to turn everyone they can into vampires, and it’s up to the twins and a few of their friends to stop them. Coogler uses this backdrop to tackle everything from lost love to race in America while making an entertaining and bloody horror film where the odds of the twins and their friends surviving the night look pretty grim. Sinners is a film that explores the strength of family, religion, and music and how the monsters that show up in the middle of the night might be worse than you ever thought. The action sequences are fast, bloody, and sometimes humorous, as the body count keeps rising.  Something has to be said about the performance of Miles Caton as Sammie. His singing and blues guitar playing is joyful, brilliant and moving. When he plays and sings, he commands the screen and you can't take your eyes off of him. Don’t be afraid of the two-hour and seventeen-minute run length, as the film moves at such a fast pace and instantly puts you in the middle of the Twins world that you will be sorry that the film has ended as soon as it does. So grab a beer, sit down to listen to some great blues music, and maybe get up to dance a bit. But here’s a bit of advice: if anyone asks if they can come in to join you, maybe see if they like garlic or have trouble with holy water. Just a suggestion that might come in handy. Catch it on the biggest screen you can, and stay through all the credits, as there are a couple of bonus scenes worth staying for, including a tremendous cameo. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Sinners Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View:  The Wedding Banquet  (2025)  R The Wedding Banquet is the story of two couples: Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-chan), Angela (Kelly Marie Tran), and Lee (Lily Gladstone). Min needs a green card and strikes a deal with Lee, who is trying to get pregnant via the costly IVF procedure. Min will be responsible for paying for the IVF procedure if Lee marries Min. Things are going great until Min’s grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) unexpectedly comes to the U.S. to throw a lavish wedding for her grandson. What seemed so simple is now one big lie that could fall apart at any minute. The Wedding Banquet is a remake of the 1993 Ang Lee Oscar-nominated film of the same name, and I think I enjoyed this film more than the original. What makes this film work so well is the relationship between Angela and Lee. Angela is trying to get pregnant via IVF, and they are running out of time and money to make it happen. The chemistry between Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran is off the charts as a couple that is totally in love, but Angela has trouble expressing it, along with a lot of other feelings. Angela’s best friend, Chris, is also in a relationship that has a few problems of its own. Chris and Min are in love but are also running out of time, as Min’s visa is about to expire. To make matters worse, Min’s family wants him back in Korea to take over the family business. All this sets up the wedding between two people who love other people. Can they pull the wedding off when Min’s grandmother comes to oversee the wedding of her only grandson? The movie was warm, funny, and unexpected, with a predictable ending that still surprised me.  My Rating: Full Price  The Wedding Banquet Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Ugly Stepsister  (2025)  The Ugly Stepsister is about Elvira (Lea Myren), who has enrolled in a finishing school to get her ready for the ball, where she is her family’s hope to meet a young prince and marry into wealth. The problem is that Elvira is competing with her beautiful stepsister (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) in a society where beauty is to be achieved, even if it means extreme measures to attain it. The film's focus is not on Cinderella, but on the ugly stepsister who will do anything to get the Prince of her dreams. Unfortunately for her, it’s one long nightmare as her mother puts her down right and left while financing a nose job (done with a chisel and hammer). Elvira does go through a metamorphosis, but it’s all done with surgical tricks and other nasty procedures to make the ugly duckling look good (even if it seems it will be temporary). This Norwegian film alternates between grossness and a sense of pity for Elvira. The Ugly Stepsister is a very graphic and sometimes very uncomfortable look at what a price beauty plays in both the physical and psyche of a woman’s well-being. I have a feeling that the original tellers of this tale would be thrilled with this version and not the Disney sugar and spice version we know better. This tale, which is sometimes amusing but always disturbing, belongs in the body horror hall of fame. Although I enjoyed the film, it requires a strong stomach to handle it, and I won't likely watch it again. The clock has stuck twelve, the coach has turned back into a pumpkin, and Elvira is not doing well. And Cinderalla, once again, gets her prince.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Ugly Stepsister Info Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Eephus  (2024)  An adult men’s recreational baseball game is played for the last time on a field that is about to be bulldozed and turned into an Elementary school. Having played many rec softball games in my adulthood, I could relate to this film, which perfectly pictures what it’s like to play a game where the stakes are if you can make it through a whole game without anyone getting hurt or too drunk. Eephus is a film in which not a lot happens as the game keeps going, even when it gets dark, but we get to know the cast of characters and are there for all the talk and sometimes dramatics that can go on in a game between adult men who want to spend a couple of hours playing a game. And that’s all this film is: a loving look at a game between two groups of men who spend some time playing baseball and complaining about their lives or celebrating them. Hey, any film that has legendary weirdo baseball pitcher Bill 'Spaceman' Lee in its cast is all right with me.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Eephus Website  Now playing in select theaters and is available On-Demand. 

Indiefest:  The President’s Wife  (2023) The President’s Wife is about Bernadette Chirac (Catherine Deneuve), who has always stayed out of the spotlight as her husband’s political career always took precedence. Now that her husband is President of France, Bernadette decides it’s time to change her image, and she is about to take the country by storm. Based loosely on a true story, Catherine Deneuve shines in a role that fits perfectly, much like the outfits she wears in the 2nd half of this film (Bernadette has a makeover, courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld). The film showcases Deveuve’s ability to create a character that has both charisma and a sense of humor that comes out every time Bernadette is allowed to speak her mind. The film plays on the notion that being popular with the press and trendy can make a difference in politics. Deveuve makes Bernadett a woman who knew more than she let on, someone who became tired of staying out of the spotlight and decided to make a difference, even if her husband didn’t know she could. Deveuve's performance makes the film feel like a fine French wine, with a bold flavor that grows stronger as it is savored.  My Rating: Full Price  The President's Wife Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently):  Bad Shabbos  (2024)  Bad Shabbos is about an engaged interfaith couple who are about to have their parents meet for the first time over a Shabbat dinner. The only problem is that there is a dead body in their apartment, and the parents are due any minute. Bad Shabbos is a fun movie that needs a few more laughs to push it over the top. The film starts out with a bang and ends with a whimper with a conclusion that seems a little too easy and pat for all the trouble the film puts its characters through. There are some funny setups, one with a piece of bread that needs to be seen. The cast works hard at making the film funny, with some outstanding scenes with David Paymer as the Dad who thinks he can solve any problem with a self-help book and Method Man as an ever-helpful doorman who really wants to be part of the family, maybe too much so. I wish Bad Shabbos had a few more laughs and didn't have an ending that falls flat (that’s a pun you will get if you see the film). Even so, it's an enjoyable time with a family that is more than a little eccentric.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Bad Shabbos Website The film will soon be available to rent/buy. 

Forgotten Film:  Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)  Chu (Sihung Lung) is a master chef and widower with three adult daughters who all still live at home. The eldest daughter, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei-Yang), is a chemistry teacher who hasn’t dated for 9 years after a horrible breakup. Middle daughter, Jia-Chien (Chien-lien Wu), is an airline company executive who is driven and hard-working. The youngest Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), is twenty and works at a Wendy’s who has her sights on a young man who is dating a friend. The film uses the elaborate dinners that the family has together to explore the dynamics of the three daughters and their relationships with each other and the men in their lives. It’s a fascinating film that is, at times, a love letter to food while also a funny and warm film that explores how people see the world in different ways.   My Rating: Full Price  Eat Drink Man Woman Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Sinners:  Twins Consultant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Another Simple Favor  (2025) R  Another Simple Favor takes place five years after the events that put Emily (Blake Lively) in prison. Now out, Emily and Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), who is now a successful author and part-time private detective. The two travel to Capri, Italy, for Emily’s wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. As usual, trouble finds the two, including murder and lots of intrigue. This is a sequel to the 2018 film A Simple Favor, which was also directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids (2011), Spy (2015)).  Another Simple Favor Website    Premiering on Amazon Prime on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

Until Next Time!

The Amateur

My View: The Amateur  (2025)  PG-13  The Amateur is about Charles (Rami Malek), a cryptographer who works for the CIA. When terrorists brutally kill his wife, Charles asks to be trained for field work so he can hunt down the people who killed her. When turned down, Charles goes rogue and begins a quest to find everyone responsible and exact vengeance and revenge. This film attempts to combine a Jason Bourne thriller with everyman elements and a quest for revenge, but it ultimately fails in every aspect. Rami Malek tries hard to overcome a sloppy script with a plot that has so many holes in it that I was worried that our hero would fall to his death in one of them. Malek plays a super-smart CIA cryptographer who apparently has skills that are so amazing that it reminded me of that scene in The Net where Sandra Bullock’s character does stuff on a computer that would be impossible even today. Add into the plot that the bad guys chasing after Charles are CIA officials who are being blackmailed by Charles so that they will train him in three days to become a killer. The Amateur is one of those films where you keep asking 'how did he do that?' without any answers. Add in a finale that is such a letdown, bad guys that are right out of a bad ‘70s drama, and you get a film that doesn’t know what to do with an actor as good as Malek. Maybe Charles can find a Tandy computer to find a plot that works better than the one the writers came up with.  My Rating: Cable  The Amateur Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Drop  (2025)  PG-13   In Drop, Violet (Meghann Fahy) is a widowed mother who has finally found the courage to go on her first date in years. The date takes a terrifying turn when she receives messages on her phone, “drops,” threatening the death of her child if she doesn’t kill her date (Brandon Sklenar). Drop is a fun and, at times, thrilling mystery that gives Meghann Fahy a showcase to show us she can carry a film. Fahy does a superb job portraying Violet, who is on her first date after recovering from a domestic abuse relationship that ended badly. Drop has so many twists and turns that makes it feel you are on a roller coaster as the person doing the drops keeps upping the stakes, and Violet has to pull it together long enough to figure out how to survive the night. The fun of this film is trying to figure out who is doing the drops and whether Violet will find a way to stop the madman. The ending pushes the boundaries of logic a little, but that's okay because watching Violet go all out to save her child is worth it. Don’t mess with a single mom out on a date; you won’t like the result.  My Rating: Full Price  Drop Website  Now playing in theaters.  

My View:  Warfare  (2025)  R  Warfare is a film that takes place in real-time as a Navy SEAL team goes on a mission through insurgent territory during the 2006 Iraq War. The team becomes under attack while occupying a house, and it looks like they have only a slight chance of escaping. Warfare is a film that, for an hour and thirty-five minutes, gives you a ringside seat of what it was like to be in Iraq with a company of Navy Seals, from the boredom of watching for possible enemy combatants to the building up of the tension of a buildup of a confrontation, to the firefight that happens, where there looks to be no way out, Warfare is a punch to the gut that will stay with you for a long time after you leave the theater. Warfare is a film about a real firefight, told by a co-director, Ray Mendoza, who was there for the battle. The film was made by Mendoza and co-director Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina) to tell the story of one of the Navy Seals who was in the fight and was so badly injured that he has no memory of what happened that day. The film is told in real time and uses actors in the age range of the soldiers they are portraying. We hear and see the actors portraying exactly what the soldiers communicated, what they did when the battle started, and how each one dealt with the fight and carnage that came. What you see is happening in real-time, so when someone yells three, there are three minutes before something will happen. You feel like you're right there with the Navy Seals as they fight their way out due to the film's use of camera work, cinematography, and sound. I will warn you, this is not a film for the timid. You are going to see and hear horrible things that happen to these courageous individuals who work as a team to ensure that everyone that can get out, will get out. What makes this film seem different from past war films like Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down is the realism of the film. While there are up-and-coming actors like Michael Gandolfini, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Will Poulter in the cast, there isn’t a Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks to center on. Each soldier in the movie is equally important as the one they are fighting next to. Warfare is a true film about brotherhood and the horrors of war. Battles nowadays are fought by teenagers who are trying to survive from day to day to do the job they have been given. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Warfare Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Sacramento  (2024) R  Sacramento is about Glenn (Michael Cera), who is married to Rosie (Kristen Stewart) and about to have their first child. Who shows up in their backyard one day, hanging from a tree? Glenn’s long-time free-spirited friend, Rickey (Michael Angarano), has shown up to spend time with Glenn. That hang turns into a road trip to Sacramento that will change their lives. We just don’t know if that change will be for the best. Glen, played by the always interesting Michael Cera, is starting to freak out about becoming a father for the first time. Adding to the mix is that he has just learned that he has lost his job. Glen is married to the coolest mom-to-be in the history of cinema, Rosie, played by Kristen Stewart, who takes everything that Glenn does and says with a smirk and a knowing acceptance that this will pass. Rickey shows up, with the excuse that his father has died and he needs Glenn to go on a road trip to Sacramento to scatter his father's ashes. Sacramento is a charming and enjoyable road trip story that explores friendship, fatherhood, and how we handle life's problems in different ways. It is obvious that Cera and Angarano (who directed the film) have great chemistry together, working so well on camera you feel as if they have known each other, like Glenn and Ricky, all their lives. So, hop in the back seat of their convertible and take a road trip to self-discovery. Just be aware that you may sometimes have to share the back seat with Glenn because he may need to lie down for a while.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Sacramento Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  Secret Mall Apartment  (2024)  Secret Mall Apartment is a documentary about eight friends who, in 2003, created a secret apartment inside a busy mall and lived there for almost four years. It’s funny that when you first hear about this, you think it must be just a couple of high school or college kids doing something stupid. However, almost from the start in watching this documentary, you discover that the 8 friends are doing this as an art project, something to create that they know won’t last but will be fun and make a statement for a little while. The friends are all artists, and what is really cool about this group is they have done, on their own time and money, art projects all over the US, including projects for the Oklahoma City bombing, a Children’s hospital, and a project that honored all the first responders that died on 9/11. It is amazing what they did to make the area (a long-forgotten storage space that was incredibly hard to get to) into a functioning living space mainly used to hang out or meet about upcoming projects. What I loved was that they had plans to make the living space permanent, with a mailing address, a wooden floor, and a kitchen. All that ends suddenly, but they knew that it would. The group didn’t know it would be four years before they were discovered. My Rating: Full Price  Secret Mall Apartment Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  One to One: John & Yoko  (2025)   One to One: John & Yoko is a documentary set in 1972 New York as John Lennon gets ready for his last full-length concert, a special-needs children fundraiser called the One to One Charity Concert. This is a fascinating inside look at the life of John and Yoko during a time in America when the Peace and Love generation realized that they weren’t going to change the world. President Nixon was on the road to a massive reelection win, the Vietnam War was still going on, and John was being asked to perform at fundraising concerts on an almost daily basis. We hear phone calls between John and/or Yoko with friends, family, and reporters. John recorded the calls because he was convinced (rightly so) that his phone was bugged. As the documentary goes on, we see John perform in concert at the One to One event, the last full-length concert that John gave. I loved this film because we saw how committed John and Yoko were to trying to make things better in the world. All the while, John and Yoko are trying to get custody of a daughter of Yoko and are battling their possible deportation back to England by the US government. There is a hilarious running conversation between an assistant for Yoko and others, trying to find somewhere they can get 1,000 live flies for an art installation that Yoko is doing. The One to One concert came about because of a documentary on TV about a home for intellectually and developmentally disabled children (horribly called “a home for retarded children”), where children were left alone without supervision for most of the day in horrible conditions. John and Yoko organized a concert that raised 1.3 million dollars to help make the children’s lives better. Sean, John and Yoko's son, has remixed the concert footage to showcase John's dynamic performance. Fans of The Beatles and of John will love this film, as will anyone who loves great songwriting. I just wish John had performed live more before he was murdered on the streets of New York, a city that he loved. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   One to One: John & Yoko website   Now playing in IMAX theaters and soon will be in other theaters nationwide. 

My View: G20  (2025)  R  In G20, 20 of the most powerful leaders gather in Cape Town, South Africa, for the G20 summit. U.S. When terrorists attack and take over the summit, President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) has no choice but to defend her family and rescue her fellow leaders. G20 is as you would expect it to be. It’s a plot that wobbles from time to time but is buoyed by a star in Viola Davis, who can make any role better just by charisma and acting chops alone. With The Woman King and this role under her belt, Davis makes a convincing action hero who gives it to the men right between the legs. Yes, the plot gets a little silly, especially with the rebellious daughter suddenly a computer wizard who can connect via a…never mind, just know Davis is kicking butt right and left as a President who practices judo and is a former army hero. So let the President kill about 30 bad guys and save her family and the world. It's all in a day's work for this President.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  G20 Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest:  The Ballad of Wallis Island  (2025)  PG-13  In The Ballad of Wallis Island, Charles (Tim Key) is an eccentric millionaire who won the lottery twice and bought an island where he lives alone. He has invited his favorite performer, folk musician Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), to play a gig for a few hundred fans on his island. What Herb doesn’t know is that the concert is just for Charles, and he has also invited Herb’s old singing partner and former girlfriend, Nell (Carey Mulligan), to perform. It was a partnership that did not end well. The Ballad of Wallis Island is a lovely film about lost loves, hurt feelings from long ago, and the healing power of music and friends. Tim Key is hilarious as the host of the concert, which turns out to be a concert just for him. Alone, on a beach. As Herb McGwyer, Tom Basden plays a continually pissed-off musician who has lost his mojo and is only there for the money to try to resurrect his career, which has been flailing since their breakup. Carey Mulligan, Herb's former muse and singing partner, is there with her husband, much to Herb's surprise. Mulligan is lovely as Nell in her role as a woman who has put the past behind her and is looking forward to a different future. What I love about this film is that the characters seem real, and the emotions that they have are felt by the audience, especially when the two sing together. Charles may be a bit of a fool, but the film never treats him that way. Instead, we get a man with a great heart who wants to hear the music from a time when he was happy. Wouldn't that be something everyone would love?  My Rating: Full Price  The Ballad of Wallis Island Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: Frequency  (2000) PG-13 John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) is a police officer who has broken three generations of family tradition of being a firefighter. His father, Frank (Dennis Quaid), died in 1969 trying to save someone in a fire. John finds an old trunk containing his dad’s ham radio and decides to plug it in. Wandering around the dial, he discovers he can talk to his father from 30 years ago with the radio. John soon realizes that maybe, somehow, he can prevent his father’s death while Frank is helping John solve a serial killer that is terrorizing the city. Frequency is a well-done thriller where it asks: If you could go back to the past, would you change something that could also affect your future? The chemistry between Caviezel and Quaid is outstanding, and while the storyline asks a lot for you to go along with the plot, it’s still a fun ride between two fine actors.  My Rating: Full Price  Frequency Info  The film is available on most online platforms. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Amateur:  Webbings Dresser

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning  (2025)  Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), an IMF agent and leader of a team of operatives, is on the hunt for Gabriel (Esai Morales), a rogue operative who’s after control of a powerful AI entity that can destabilize the globe. Ethan’s strength has always been his loyalty to his team. This time, it may be his downfall. Rumored to be the most expensive film ever made, will this be the last mission for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt?  Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Website  In theaters nationwide on Friday, May 23, 2025.

Until Next Time!

A Minecraft Movie

My View:  A Minecraft Movie  (2025)  PG   In A Minecraft Movie, four misfits suddenly find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal, landing in a strange, cubic world that thrives on creativity and imagination. To return home, they will need help from a peculiar resident, Steve (Jack Black), to master this bizarre world. I am not a gamer, and I only have knowledge of Minecraft from advertisements and Twitter/X. Having seen this film, I have no clue what Minecraft is or what the game is like. All I know is that I had to endure three songs sung by Jack Black and a plot that probably only makes sense to a six-year-old who has played the game their whole life (ok, maybe their last year or so). For a world that constantly talks about imagination, very little was applied when writing the script. My father, the playwright, always said avoid films with more than two writers, more means the script had troubles. This one had five. I get that the four humans that have been sent to the Minecraft world want to get back, but I have no idea why anyone else would want to be a part of this world like Steve. I am guessing kids will enjoy all the battles and the weird animals, but adults will be bored and looking at their watches to see when this film will end. And what was Jennifer Coolidge's role (she plays a school vice president) in the plot? It's such a throwaway part that has so much wasted screen time.  So many questions and so little desire to know any of the answers. And yes, there is a bonus scene at the end of all the credits that, I guess, sets up the next film. I am guessing gamers will know why that scene is worth waiting for. I certainly don't. My Rating: Cable  A Minecraft Movie Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Hell of a Summer  (2024) R  Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason (Fred Hechinger) getting ready for his summer at Camp Pineway; he thinks his biggest challenge will be connecting with his teenage co-workers. Little does Jason know that will be the least of his worries as there is a masked killer on the campgrounds, and counselors are dying off one by one. Hell of a Summer is a take on the slasher films of the 70s and 80s, with a group of camp counselors being killed one by one by a mysterious killer. I had fun watching this film, especially the performance of Fred Hechinger, who plays a man who loves summer camp so much that he can’t seem to let it go, even in his mid-20s. Hechinger is hilarious in the role of someone who desperately wants to fit in, but try as hard as he does, he can’t seem to do or say the right thing. Written and directed by two of the cast, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard, who are funny as best friends who continually screw up but somehow stay alive, at least for a while. The story goes on a little too long, the killer is pretty easy to figure out, and the film goes for humor much more than scares, something that it could use to keep the film moving along. Still, the cast has a great time, and the film ends on a funny and very bloody note. So, if you are in the mood for revisiting those summer camps where not everyone came back alive, then pack your duffle bag, sunscreen, and maybe a knife or two and join the gang around the campfire. Don't be alarmed if a few people don't show up for the weenie roast.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Hell of a Summer Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Friend  (2024) R  Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer whose life is falling apart. She isn’t happy with her students, her latest writing project isn’t going anywhere, and her best friend and mentor, a fellow writer, Walter (Bill Murray), has just committed suicide. Then Iris finds out that Walter has left his dog, a Great Dane named Apollo, to Iris. Apollo is going to change Iris’s life, even if she doesn’t want it changed. Naomi Watts continues to prove that she is among the best actresses out there. Watts gives a virtuoso performance of a writer dealing with her best friend’s death while trying to teach students who are too involved in themselves. To top it off, she is struggling to put together a book of Walter’s letters, and now, she has a giant dog to care for in an apartment that just might kick her out because of their no-pets policy. The Friend is a film about dealing with grief and how pets can help us heal. Bing, the Great Dane that plays Apollo, is perfect in the role, as Apollo is grieving too, and it takes Iris a while to figure this out. What I love about this film is that Apollo is exactly what Iris needs, and Iris is exactly what Apollo needs, too. Two fellow beings are trying to figure out how to go on and realize that they can do it if they lean on each other. So, hang out with Iris and her buddy Apollo as they go on this journey together. You won’t be sorry you did.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Friend Website  Now playing in theaters.  

My View:  Freaky Tales  (2024) R   Freaky Tales is a collection of four interconnected stories that takes place in Oakland in 1987. You will meet punk rockers, Nazi skinheads, female rappers, shakedown artists, and even Gold State Warrior legend Sleepy Floyd as he battles a crime lord. Freaky Tales is a fun ride that has trouble at times keeping the stories moving and their connection to each other is flimsy at best, but if you like the films of the 80s with a splash of exploration films of the 70s, then this is a film for you. The battle sequences, and there are quite a few, are bloody messes done with a tongue-in-cheek flair for slow-motion. There is a story for everyone, including punk rockers deciding to take on Nazi skinheads, a rap duo who get their big break, an enforcer who wants to retire, and then there is a basketball star who grabs a few samurai swords to take revenge. So, just go on a ride to 1980s Oakland and have fun with a few tales that may involve some magic and lots of blood spilled. Make sure to stay through the first part of the credits for a bit of a bonus scene or two.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Freaky Tales Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View:  A Nice Indian Boy  (2024)   A Nice Indian Boy is about Naveen (Karan Soni), a doctor who dreams of having a big wedding like his sister (Sunita Mani), but he can’t meet the right guy. It’s love at first sight when a photographer named Jay (Jonathan Groff) enters Naveen’s life. Now, if Naveen can get his traditional Indian family to accept this white boyfriend, maybe, just maybe, he can get the wedding he has always wanted. A Nice Indian Boy is a funny, warm, and uplifting rom-com that explores what happens when you fall in love with someone who meets everything you need in a person, but one thing: your family won’t approve of them. I loved the romance between Karan Soni’s Naveen, a man who thinks he will never find love, and Jonathan Groff’s Jay, who fits everything that Naveen is looking for, except that he is not of Indian descent. Naveen is convinced that he will never get the wedding he wants, and that life isn’t like those Bollywood musicals, with couples singing and dancing to express their love. Jay is a man who thinks it’s possible to have it all and wants it to be with Naveen. But can they overcome Naveen's family and their cultural norms? You will just have to stay to the end to find out. My Rating: Full Price  A Nice Indian Boy Website   Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Luckiest Man in America  (2024)  R   The Luckiest Man in America is about Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser), an unemployed ice cream truck driver who, in 1984, went on the game show Press Your Luck and won a ton of money. However, Michael had a secret: he knew there was a flaw in the game show and how to exploit it to his advantage. The film is based on a true story and features an exceptional performance by Paul Walter Hauser. Unfortunately, the story can’t sustain the tension it needs and lets the story go on way too long. It’s fun to watch the game show and network officials squirm when their low-stakes game show suddenly starts bleeding money on the screen. However, the film lost me when Michael’s mind begins to go, and he wanders off onto a talk show (hosted by an out-of-place Johnny Knoxville), making the film feel as if it all was a figment in Michael’s mind. The movie ends up running out of steam with an ending that feels out of place with the rest of the film. It's interesting that the filmmakers didn't give us a postscript on what happened to Michael and his winnings. From what I know of the real Michael Larson, the story was just starting, but the film seemed to feel like Michael was already out of luck.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Luckiest Man in America Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Real Genius (1985)  PG  A teenage prodigy, Mitch (Gabriel Jarret), is thrust into the world of college as he enters a top engineering school. His roommate, Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), used to be the smartest kid in the school until Mitch got there. Now, Mitch must perform under the pressure of a professor (William Atherton) who has put Mitch in charge of a top-secret project that involves lasers. Mitch will soon learn from Chris that life is more than school and work. It's about living in the moment and having fun. Real Genius is one of my favorite films of the 80s, and Val Kilmer is brilliant as the incredibly cool and funny Chris, who has a quip for every moment and is all about trying to have fun every waking moment. The supporting cast is amazing, and I love all the characters in this film. The film has one of my favorite lines from a movie, said by a huge crush of mine, Deborah Foreman. It's I line I can't print because this is a family review, but I die every time she says it to Val Kilmer's character. This is one film I can watch over and over again. Plus, it has one of the great final scenes of a movie.  My Rating: Full Price   Real Genius Info  The film is available on DVD/Blue Ray. 

 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hell of a Summer:  Mask Fabricator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Sinners  (2025)  R  Trying to leave their troubled past behind, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown and open a dance hall. They soon discover that their hometown has changed, and a greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Written and directed by two-time Oscar-nominated Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Judas and the Black Messiah) and starring Michael B. Jordan in a duel role, this is one of the films on everyone’s must-see list.  Sinners Website The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 18, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

A Working Man

My View:  A Working Man  (2025)  R   A Working Man is about Levon Cade (Jason Statham), who left his former profession to work a simple construction job and care for his daughter. Levon uses his skills as a former legendary figure in the world of black ops when his boss’s teenage daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), disappears. Levon discovers his search for the missing college student will lead him to a sinister criminal conspiracy. So why, if you do, do you go to Jason Statham films? It’s for the body count and the action sequences where Jason does what he does so well. Beat the crap out of bad people who deserve what Jason deals out. While not as much fun as Statham’s last film, The Bee Keeper (2024), the film still has plenty of fight sequences where Jason, as the former special ops Levon, fights what is an amazing amount of tough guys, along with a few women as well (he is an equal opportunity fighter). Sylvester Stallone co-wrote the film, and it has Sly’s ham-fisted paws all over it, including the Russian mob (including two brothers in matching tracksuits), a biker gang drug dealer who sits on a motorcycle throne, a millionaire who gets his outfits at a theatrical costume rental place, and a couple who I never could figure out if they were brother and sister or married. Add in a plot that involves kidnapping young women so rich guys can have their fun with them and a couple of cops on the take, and you have everyone for Levon to beat up or kill. Oh, yeah, and add in an ex-soldier buddy (played with gusto by Harbour), who, while blind (he was rescued in a battle by Levon), has a stockpile of weapons and military gear. While we are at it, the plot also involves Levon being a single dad battling for custody of his little girl (Isla Gie) with his late wife’s father and this one bad guy he can’t beat up because of, darn it, lawyers. I really enjoyed the idea that the kidnapped daughter, Jenny, isn't just a woman who needs to be rescued. Jenny, played with a bit of bravado by Arianna Rivas, is a Renaissance woman who can play the piano but also knows karate and fights back at every chance. The final fight sequence has to be seen to be believed (think Stallone throwing the kitchen sink of bad guys at the script he was writing), and just when you think it’s over, more stuff happens, and Levon’s kill count goes on and on. A Working Man ends with a few loose ends, with a few bad guys ploting revend, so a sequel is probably in the works. I would love to see Rivas and Statham team up in A Working Man 2, with Levon taking on Jenny as a sidekick to take on more of the world’s Russian mobs and biker gangs. Maybe Sly can write a part for himself in the next one. How about a retired Marion Cobretti from Cobra or Ray Quick from The Specialist? I’m game if you are Sly.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Working Man Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Woman in the Yard  (2025)  PG-13  In The Woman in the Yard, a mysterious woman dressed in black repeatedly appears in Ramona’s (Danielle Deadwyler) yard. No one knows who she is, but when confronted, she has a chilling message for the inhabitants of the house. One of the rules (at least in my mind) in horror films is that you have to have somebody to root for, even if it's the bad guy. The Woman in the Yard is a film that I didn't want anyone to win. I disliked Ramona, her kids, and the stupid woman sitting in black in the yard. We are supposed to feel sorry for Ramona because she is getting over the loss of her husband in a car accident. However, she treats her kids horribly, especially her teenage son, who is keeping the house going while Ramona can barely function. Don't get me started on how she treats the dog when the house is under threat. I loved how her character can barely move around with crutches because of some sort of knee surgery, but later on in the film, she is able to get around fine without the crutches. The film never finds a pace that creates any tension, except for the tension Ramona creates between herself and her kids. The film moves at a snail's pace, and what few scares are mostly in the final act, which is incredibly disappointing in its attempt to scare us. The Woman in the Yard should have just stayed there, or maybe next time, she should bring a few friends to help scare up a few more frights.  My Rating: Cable   A Woman in the Yard Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Death of a Unicorn  (2025)  R  Death of a Unicorn is about a father (Paul Rudd), along with his daughter (Jenna Ortega) who visit his billionaire boss on a retreat which is on a wildlife preserve. During their stay, they come across a sight they never imagined was alive: a unicorn. At the retreat, there are those who wish to destroy it and those who wish to preserve it. No one knows how much danger each one of them is in. Death of a Unicorn is a horror/comedy that never quite works as a comedy, a horror film, or a satire of the rich, despite its impressive and game for anything cast. I did like the father/daughter dynamic between Rudd and Ortega. They have a nice chemistry between them. Rudd plays a dad who is desperate to impress an ultra-wealthy family so that he can ensure his financial success, and he is willing to go along with just about everything the family wants him to. Ortega portrays the rebellious teen who doesn't want to be used as a prop by her father for the wealthy's approval. Ortega, playing the only character who not only has a conscience but also is aware that they are in danger, gives her all in the role. The rest of the cast isn’t given enough leeway to make the film broader in the satire aspect, making the film never reach any level of humor or parody that the movie desperately needs. There are a few funny scenes, mainly involving some rather gruesome deaths, but the film feels much longer than its hour and forty-five-minute run time. Death of a Unicorn asks if you believe in unicorns. What it really should have asked for was a better script.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Death of a Unicorn Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Holland  (2025)  R  In Holland, Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) is living a perfect life in Holland, Michigan, with her husband Fred (Matthew Macfadyen) and son, Harry (Jude Hill). However, Nancy suspects something is wrong in Holland and that it might be her husband. To say that this film is strange is putting it mildly. As always, Nicole Kidman is fun to watch as a housewife who thinks she is living in a perfect world until she suspects her husband is cheating. With the help of her best friend and fellow schoolteacher, Dave (Gael Garcia Bernal), Nancy starts playing detective, trying to find evidence her husband is a cheater. The plot tries to be a satire of small-town idealistic life, but other than a somewhat creepy husband, the story never delivers the biting wit it needs. Instead, it’s about as bland as the meals that the family shares or the sex that Nancy and Fred have. For about the first third of the film, it’s fun watching Kidman play the mousey wife, but the story becomes boring with a twist that you see coming from a mile away. The ending is unsatisfying, and it takes an incredibly long time for anything to happen, and when it does, it’s almost a relief. That is until you realize that the film has ended without a whole lot of explanation. Holland comes off as a rather boring suspense film, much like life in the small American town of Holland itself. My Rating: Cable   Holland Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

My View:  The Penguin Lessons  (2024)  PG-13   The Penguin Lessons is about Tom (Steve Coogan), a British man teaching English to privileged teen boys in 1976 Buenos Aires while a military coup is happening. Tom reluctantly rescues a Magellanic penguin stranded on a beach because of an oil slick. Little does Tom know that the penguin is going to change his life. The Penguin Lessons is a funny and touching film about a man who is aloof and seemingly uncaring who teaches English to rich kids who don’t respect him. Tom is a man who seems to be trying to get as far away from England as he possibly can. He is there to do a job; if the students don’t want to pay attention, so be it. When a military coup takes over the country, Tom goes to Uruguay to ‘drink, meet a couple of girls, and go dancing.’ What Tom meets is a penguin that he can’t get rid of, no matter how he tries and takes him back to the prep school. Slowly, Tom becomes attached to not only the penguin but also the people he works with. The film works because Coogan is so good at being the aloof and cool man who puts up a front but his facade is slowly brought down by a penguin, who everyone falls in love with. The Penguin Lessons is a film that slowly lets us understand Tom as he lets his guard down bit by bit. While the film suffers a bit when it tries to be too serious, but overall it’s a warm and funny film where we keep going back to the cute penguin and his ability to make anyone, including Tom, let their guard down. And by the way, this is based on a remarkable true story, with footage at the end of the film to prove it.  My Rating: Full Price  The Penguin Lessons Website     Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Life List  (2025) PG-13  The Life List is about Alex (Sofia Carson), whose mother (Connie Britton) has just died and, in a last wish on a DVD, has given Alex a list that Alex made of life goals when she was a teenager. Whenever Alex completes a task on her list, she is given another DVD with a message from her mother, by a rather cute lawyer (Kyle Allen). It’s a journey where lifelong dreams take Alex to unexpected places. The Life List is an enjoyable romance film that follows the usual rules for this type of film. Alex has lost her way, and her mother, sensing that Alex would continue to drift in life, has decided that Alex has to get out and explore the world. The film works as well as it does because Sofia Carson is a joy to watch on screen, and it doesn’t hurt to have Connie Britton show up from time to time as her concerned mom with videos she recorded before she died. ‘The other guy’ shows up and starts dating Alex, played by a sort of boring Sebastian De Souza, but since we know the rules of romance films, Alex won’t end up with him. The Life List is a type of film that you can have fun with on a Sunday afternoon, as it feels like a warm blanket on a cold day. So, go on a journey of fun and discovery with Alex. She is a lot of fun and won’t mind you tagging along.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Life List Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Forgotten Film:  24 Hour Party People  (2002)  R  In 1976, a Cambridge-educated man named Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan) went to a sparsely attended concert and saw The Sex Pistols perform, and the music business wasn’t the same (at least for a few years). Wilson and a few friends decided to start a record label, Factory Records, and along with a weekly TV show Wilson hosted, started the Punk movement that took over England with bands like Joy Division (soon to be New Order), Happy Mondays, and The Durutti Column. Like the music that it features, this film is irreverent, doesn’t mind breaking the fourth wall, and makes up a few things along the way. Steve Coogan is hilarious as the man who had a vision and didn’t mind that it all fell apart in the end. The film has a bunch of concert footage that gives you an idea of what it was like during those times with bands that didn’t always play great music but always had attitudes that didn’t care. 24 Hour Party People is a joyous and funny look at a time when England’s established music industry was stuck in a rut and Wilson went around it to create a music and an attitude that didn’t give a damn.   My Rating: Full Price  24 Hour Party People Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon/Apple TV/Google Play. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of A Working Man:  Child Licenses

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Accountant 2  (2025)  R  Our favorite math wizard is back in The Accountant 2. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant who gets along better with numbers than people. He works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. This time, Christian is using his unique mind and a few illegal methods to find out who killed an old acquaintance. It’s going to get messy, so Christian has called in someone he hasn’t worked with in a long time, his brother Brax (Jon Bernthal). That’s if Brax takes his phone call. This is a sequel to the 2016 film The Accountant, which I thoroughly enjoyed because Affleck’s character is so strange.   The Accountant 2 Info  The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Until Next Time!