Snow White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!