KIN

My View:  KIN  (2018)  PG-13  A recently released con-man, Jimmy (Jack Reynor) and his adopted teenage brother, Eli (Myles Truitt)  who go on the run with a weapon of mysterious origin. The brothers are being chased by a vengeful criminal (James Franco), the feds and a gang of otherworldly soldiers. I wanted to like this film, but it has serious flaws, the most significant being that we are supposed to root for Jimmy, but he is an unlikeable person who makes one selfless lousy decision after another. How can you root for someone that causes every bad thing to his younger brother Eli. I did enjoy the surprise reveal at the end of the film but it much too long to get there.   My Rating: Cable   KIN Website

My View:  Operation Finale  (2018)  PG-13  A group of Israeli secret agents, led by a brash secret agent( Oscar Issac) go after Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), the man responsible for murdering six million Jews,. Eichmann, under a different name,  is hiding in South America among a group of Nazi supporters. I enjoyed this film, though the first half of the film is much better than the second half. Both Kingsley, playing the unapologetic Eichmann and Issac, playing an Israeli secret agent who hasn’t always done the right thing, give convincing performances as they play a cat an mouse game. And anytime I can see Melanie Laurent, who plays a fellow Israeli agent, on the screen, I’m happy.  My Rating: Full Price       Operation Finale Website

Indiefest:  The Little Stranger  (2018)  R  Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson) is a country doctor, who is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, a large estate that his mother once worked at. He begins to visit on a regular basis, and strange things started to occur. This is the type of film that some critics are going to love, but I hated it. Part supernatural thriller, part mystery, the film never worked for me. I found the ending of the film stupid and confusing, but that also sums up the rest of the movie. There is a reason this movie is being released at the end of summer, it’s just not good enough to play anytime else.  My Rating: Cable   The Little Stranger Info

My View:  Searching  (2018)  PG-13  After his 16-year old daughter (Michelle La) goes missing, her father (John Cho) with the help of a detective (Debra Messing) practically search for clues on where she could have gone. This film, if told in a conventional way, might make an OK TV movie, but because it’s told entirely from the view of a computer screen, makes the film exciting and fun to watch. I enjoyed both Cho’s and Messing’s performances, as they desperately search for his missing daughter, and they have good chemistry on screen together (though they are rarely in the same room). While the story was simple, I was entertained throughout the film by the smart and entertaining way the story was told.  My Rating: Full Price   Searching Website

Indiefest:  Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018)  Documentary about Scotty Bowers, who spent decades as a sexual procurer to the stars in Hollywood. This should have been an interesting film because Scotty holds a lot of secrets about Hollywood royalty of the 40s and 50s. Instead, too much time is spent on Scotty and his wife living in a home that should be on Hoarders. The tidbits that you get on people like Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy (Scotty says both were gay and never slept together) are too far between seeing Scotty doing gardening and sorting through trash to make it enjoyable. My Rating: Cable    Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Website

Forgotten Film:  Albino Alligator (1996)  Three robbers (Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner) try to hold up a bar and things go wrong, they take hostages, and they are cornered by police. While the actors are sometimes let down by the script, the performances are top-notch, especially Matt Dillon. While not a great film, if you are interested in characters and how they react to pressure, this is a film to check out.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Albino Alligator Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of KIN:  Tattoo Designer for Mr. Franco

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Lizzie  (2018)  A psychological thriller based on the 1892 murders of the Borden family.  With a cast that includes Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart, who I consider one of the best actresses of her generation, this film should be good. Lizzie Website 

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Until Next Time!