Sense and Sensibility

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

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

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

My View:  Street Fighter  (2026)  PG-13   Street Fighter follows martial arts fighter Ryu (Andrew Koji) and actor Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are recruited to fight in the World Warrior Tournament. Little do they know the tournament is a trap set by criminal mastermind M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) to take over the world.  Street Fighter Website  The review of the film will be posted Friday night Now playing in theaters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

The Social Reckoning

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weird Credits: From the credits of Animals: Color Scientist 

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

Until Next Time!

Digger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Heart of the Beast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Resident Evil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!