Onslaught

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

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

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

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

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

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Onslaught:  Working Trucks

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

Until Next Time!

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information, go to dragoncon.org

Coyote vs Acme

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Tony

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!