Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

My View: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery  (2025)  PG-13  In Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back, and this time it’s to crack a murder case that seems to be unsolvable. A charismatic priest has been killed in a manner that makes it appear impossible for anyone to have committed the crime. I am a big fan of the first two films in the series, Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022). While I liked this film, the first two had a much more intriguing mystery. This time, I figured out who the killer was early on and did not have as much fun watching Benoit solve the crime in his extraordinary and fascinating way. Unlike the first two films, which featured standout performances by Ana de Armas in the first and Janelle Monae in the second, there wasn’t a character I enjoyed watching in this one, aside from Josh Brolin as the overbearing priest whose murder must be solved. Instead, it felt like writer/director Rian Johnson gave out too many parts to a whole lot of famous actors that he didn’t always know what to do with them. Kerry Washington and Thomas Haden Church are wasted in characters who don’t bring a lot to the plot, other than to throw us off a bit. I still enjoyed Daniel Craig in a role that is very evident he enjoys with relish. I hope the next Knives Out film will be more of a mystery and less of an exercise in padding the cast with as many actors as possible.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Website Now playing in theaters and on the Netflix platform on Friday, December 12, 2025

My View: Hamnet  (2025) PG-13  Hamnet is a historical drama that follows the relationship between Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), and the impact of the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, on their lives. This tragedy ultimately inspires Shakespeare to create his most iconic play, Hamlet. I have always wondered where Mr. Shakespeare got his ideas from, and Hamnet offers a few clues. When we first meet William, he is a disappointment to his father and is not thought much of by anyone else in the area where he lives. In fact, when he meets Agnes, a fiery independent woman who is rumored to be a witch, the only way he can get permission to marry her from her family is by getting her pregnant. I loved their early meetings, where William is a bit of a tongue-tied idiot around Agnes, but she sees something in him I don’t think he quite sees in himself. Hamnet isn’t really the story of William; it’s the story of Agnes, who was his rock, holding down the family while he was off becoming the playwright whose works drew crowds to the theater. And this is Jessie Buckley’s film. In fact, they can go ahead now, even before the nominations are out, and etch her name on an Oscar, because Buckley gives a groundbreaking and powerful performance that has to be seen. It’s a performance that is filled with passion, humor, and, yes, also grief. While William was known for his words, Buckley’s performance is shown through her body language and her incredibly expressive face, giving us insight into a complex woman who saw the world differently than the rest of us and inspired a writer to create works that captivated a world thirsty for drama. Hamnet is a heart-wrenching tale of two people who love each other deeply but know that they belong to different worlds. Hamnet is a film that will break your heart but make you love Shakespeare’s work even more. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Hamnet Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Eternity  (2025)  PG-13  Eternity is about what happens after death. In the afterlife, souls have one week to decide where they want to spend eternity. When Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) dies, she has one week to make the impossible choice between the man she spent her life married to, Larry (Miles Teller), and her first love, Luke (Callum Turner), who died young and has been waiting for decades for her to arrive. Who will Joan choose to be with for all eternity? I love Elizabeth Olsen, and she works really hard to make this film work, but her best efforts can’t overcome a script that lacks the wit and charm that it sorely needs, along with a few badly needed laughs. I think the biggest problem is that Olsen, who is trying to carry the film all by herself, doesn’t have the badly needed chemistry with either Miles Teller or Callum Turner. My other problem is that I didn’t like either choice that Joan was being forced to make, as I think both men are a bad match for her to spend eternity with. By the end, I didn’t care who Joan picked. In fact, I hoped she would pick something where she could finally be on her own, even if it was for an eternity.  My Rating: Cable Eternity Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Familyfaire:  Zootopia 2  (2025)  PG Zootopia 2 follows Officer Judy Hopps, a rabbit, and her partner and friend, Nick Wilde, a fox, as they investigate the first snake ever to infiltrate Zootopia. However, they soon discover that there is more to this snake than meets the eye, and Hopps and Wilde are determined to uncover the truth. The first Zootopia film came out in 2016, and I thought it was funny, with some fantastic messages for kids about racism and profiling, and a ton of inside jokes that made it enjoyable for adults. I am happy to say that this sequel is equal to the first film, though I miss the evilness of the Jenny Slate-voiced character as the bad guy. This time, our favorite odd couple are out first to catch a snake that has somehow made it into Zootopia, but our pair soon learn that Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan) is on a mission to prove that snakes have been given a bad rap and deserve to be allowed back into Zootopia. Once again, kids will love all the action scenes, and adults will enjoy the dialogue and a few fun Hitchcock references that the film puts in from time to time. The comedy portions are aided by a beaver named Nibbles Maplestick, who makes a lot of hilarious observations while chewing on anything that is wood. So go on another adventure with Hopps and Wilde as they figure out another mystery and save the day again. Oh, and be sure to stay through all the credits for a bonus scene that sets up the next film.  My Rating: Full Price Zootopia 2 Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Sentimental Value  (2025) R  In Sentimental Value, after the death of their mother Sissel, estranged sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve), an actress, and Agnes Borg (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), a housewife and mother, are compelled to confront their distant father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård). Gustav, a once-famous but now almost forgotten film director who abandoned the family when the girls were still young, now wishes to produce a play based on his mother. He wants Nora to take on the lead role, something she vowed never to do. A lot of films that are made about actors, directors, and filmmakers feel just like that: actors portraying actors. I just reviewed a film that felt like that in Jay Kelly, where I knew it was George Clooney portraying a character. Then you get films like Sentimental Value, where the characters feel real, and while acting and filmmaking are part of the plot, they’re not what the film is about. Instead, Sentimental Value is about broken promises, childhood heartache, and making your profession more important than that of your family. Sentimental Value is about love, finding your passion, and how just because a house is called a home, it isn’t necessarily a home to everyone. This is a powerful film that follows four people on a journey to explore the past, how it affects them now, and if they can find and possibly handle the answers that they are searching for. Led by Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, the cast is brilliant, offering performances that are incredibly rich in depth and impressively revealing the pain and grief the past has dealt them and how it has driven each person to a breaking point. Sentimental Value is one of the best films of the year, moving, painful, and at times inspiring. Exactly what kind of film both Gustav and Nora would be proud to make.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Sentimental Value Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Same Time, Next Year (1978) PG  It’s 1951, and an accountant named George (Alan Alda) and a housewife named Doris (Ellen Burstyn) have a night of passion that they will never forget. Just one problem: it’s the 50s, and they’re both married to other people and have families to get back to. The two decide to meet on the same date every year, keeping their marriage vows except for that one weekend. We follow the relationship of the two over the years as we see them meet in five-year gaps. As the times change, so do their relationships, jobs, and families. What remains is their love for each other and their commitment to meet every year. Alda is fine in the role, but it’s Burstyn who proved again that she is an amazing actress. I find the script slightly weak, and the production is a little stagy (it’s based on a play), but Burstyn makes this film work, and it’s worth seeing to see how good she was as a lead.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Same Time, Next Year Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery: Nail Technician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Song Sung Blue (2025)  PG-13  Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) are both struggling singers when they meet. They decide to start performing together as Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute band, and they suddenly find success. However, life isn’t as sweet or easy as a Neil Diamond song. The film is from Craig Brewer, the award-winning director of Hustle & Flow (2005) and Dolemite is My Name (2019). Song Sung Blue Website The film is in theaters on Christmas Day. 

Until Next Time!

Wicked: For Good

My View: Wicked: For Good  (2025) PG   In Wicked: For Good, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the Good Witch of the North, begin to embrace their roles, and a rift begins to develop between the two friends as their lives move down a path of confrontation. Oh, and a certain young woman from Kansas is about to come onto the scene. I love musicals, both in cinema and on the stage, and I loved the first film and felt that the Jonathan Bailey dance sequence in the library was incredible. Does Wicked: For Good capture the magic again? Not quite. First, the second film is much darker than the first, exploring betrayal, sorrow, and lost friendships. So this film doesn’t have the feel-good moments that the first film had. Second, there is a rift between the two friends, Elphaba and Glinda, and what was so much fun and touching was the on-screen chemistry between Erivo and Grande. Unfortunately, the two characters aren’t on the screen together for a good deal of the film, as they have separated, living isolated, opposing lives. Ariana Grande gets a bit of the short straw in the film, as her numbers aren’t as dynamic or memorable as Erivo’s. Erivo has the big power number in the middle of the film to herself, and it’s the highlight of the film. I also think that splitting what should probably have been one 3-hour film into two was a mistake, as the storyline isn’t as strong as the first film’s. There also isn’t a big musical number in this film that rivals that library dance scene in the first one. Wicked: For Good is still a fine, enjoyable film; it’s just not on the level of emotion or spectacle as the first one. And while, yes, a young girl from Kansas does show up, the film makes it very clear that this isn’t her story. I walked out of the screening thinking, I just saw a good film. The problem is that I didn’t see a great one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Wicked: For Good Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Rental Family  (2025) PG-13  Rental Family is about an American actor, Phillip (Brendan Fraser), who lives in Japan. His roles have recently dried up, and he takes a job at the Rental Family agency, where Phillip will play ‘stand-in’ roles in other people’s lives. Through this unique experience, Phillip discovers surprising connections and unexpected joys within his new families. Rental Family isn’t a film that explores or answers big questions. However, it does handle how connecting with someone else is essential to mental health and well-being. Brendan Fraser is lovable as an American actor who is having a tough time making a living in Japan and takes on the job of being a rental for people who need a friend, someone to blame, or even someone to stand in for a parent or a loved one. It’s also about trying to understand a different culture other than your own. Rental Family is a predictable film, but I never felt it was too sappy or wasn’t sincere in its portrayal of people who need to feel less lonely or want to experience something important from their past. Rental Family is a feel-good movie, if only to watch Fraser be kind and work his magic on-screen. And sometimes that’s all we need in a film. My Rating: Full Price Rental Family Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Sisu: Road to Revenge  (2025)  R  Sisu: Road to Revenge is about Aatami (Jorma Tommila), “the man who refuses to die,” as he returns to the home where his family was murdered during the war. He dismantles the home and loads it on a truck, intending to rebuild it. When the Red Army commander (Stephen Lang), who killed Aatami’s family, returns, it sets off a cross-country chase where the body count will be high and revenge will be on the mind of Aatami. The first film, Sisu (2022), was a surprise hit, with brutal action, a good guy who seemingly can’t be killed as our hero kills what seems like a thousand Nazis, often in really creative ways. Our hero is back, and all he wants to do is take lumber from his home and bring it back to Finland. This time, our man is battling Russians, led by a sadistic officer who was so bad the Russians even had him in jail, but let him out to hunt down Aatami. I have a feeling that with the success of the first film, the budget was higher because everything from motorcyclists in armor to fight planes to a bomber is after our man and his trusty dog. The action is almost nonstop, and the deaths are gross and spectacular in an outlandish way. I had a great time watching this film and shrieked with glee a couple of times at the incredible kills. Sisu: Road to Revenge isn’t a film for everybody, but man, if you love creative ways to kill a bad guy and want to go on an adventure with Aatami, it’s worth the ride. Just be sure to duck a few times. You might lose your head. My Rating: Full Price   Sisu: Road to Revenge Website   Now playing in theaters.

My View:  Selena Y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy  (2025)  PG  Selena y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy is a documentary that shows Selena Quintanilla’s journey from playing at local events in South Texas to filling stadiums with the family band Selena Y Los Dinos, becoming the ‘Queen of Tejano Music.’ Living in San Antonio, Texas, for a long time, I got to see Selena perform several times live, and they were always so much fun. She and her band always gave a great show, and she was such a charismatic and talented singer. Most people now know Selena through Jennifer Lopez’s career-making performance in the 1997 film of the same name. While that film centered on Selena and the romance between her and her future husband, Chris, this documentary lets the whole family tell the story of the band and what it was like to be a family traveling on an old bus from small town to small town. Through the vast number of interviews Selena did and new interviews with members of her family and her husband, Chris, we get to see how they got started and the slow rise to fame that changed quickly when the band changed the type of music they were performing. One thing I found interesting was that Selena, her brother, and sister spoke very little Spanish when they started performing, and that they received a cool reception when Selena and the band first toured in Mexico, where they were seen as outsiders. Selena y Los Dinos is a fun and fascinating look at a family that loved to perform, and it wasn’t just Selena who had musical talent. Fans of Selena will love revisiting a talented performer who we can only guess would have become a major force in the music industry if her life had not been cut short so soon.  My Rating: Full Price Selena y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform 

My View:  Jay Kelly  (2025) R Jay Kelly (George Clooney) is one of the world’s biggest movie stars, but is starting to reflect on his life and career. He decides to go on a trip with his daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards), but it’s never simple living the life of Jay Kelly, movie star. Jay Kelly is a film you might think would be picture-perfect for George Clooney, one of our last true Hollywood superstars and someone who has taken over the mantle of the older heartthrob from Cary Grant. The problem is that Clooney is almost always likable on-screen, while Jay Kelly isn’t. In fact, Jay Kelly is a self-righteous jerk who puts his own well-being above everyone else and has no clue he is doing it. Jay is a part that Clooney could literally phone in, and to his credit, he doesn’t. However, the script treats Jay like such a great guy, even though he can’t even take the time to connect with his grown daughter. Writing this review, I kept thinking how the part that Adam Sandler plays, his manager Ron, would have been a better character to center the film around, and let Clooney’s character be in the background. There’s a better story there, and we certainly like Ron more than Jay. It’s not that Ron is a saint; in fact, I think Ron has a lot of baggage to deal with, but it would have made a far more interesting film. By the end of the Jay Kelly, I didn’t want to spend one more minute with Jay, and neither did anyone else in the film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Jay Kelly Website  Now in select theaters and on Netflix on Friday, December 5, 2025.

Forgotten Film:  Twenty Bucks  (1993) R  The story follows the journey of a twenty-dollar bill as it interweaves with the lives of different people. The first person to encounter the 20 dollars is Linda Hunt, a street person who is convinced that the 20 bucks will bring her good luck and win the lottery. Others get the twenty, including Brendan Fraser, who receives it as a wedding gift, and a stripper (Melora Walters), who gets it at a bachelor party. Everyone from Christopher Lloyd to Elizabeth Shue (my favorite story) show up in the stories. Some are better than others, but each tells an interesting story about how 20 dollars can change a person’s life, for better or worse. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Twenty Bucks Info  Available on Tubi and Amazon

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Wicked: For Good:  Dance Tutor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Hamnet  (2025) PG-13  Hamnet is a historical drama that follows the relationship between Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), and the impact of the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, on their lives. This tragedy ultimately inspires Shakespeare to create his most iconic play, Hamlet. The film is from Chloé Zhao; the filmmaker known for her two-time winning 2020 Academy Award-winning film Nomadland, and is expected to get multiple Academy Award nominations. Hamnet Website   In theaters on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

Until Next Time!

The Running Man

My View:  The Running Man  (2025)  R  The Running Man follows Ben Richards (Glen Powell), a man in desperate need of money to save his sick daughter. He participates in “The Running Man” TV show as a contestant, where Runners must survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. The survivors, if there are any, have the chance to win up to one billion dollars. For an action film, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of action. Ben Richards spends a lot of time talking with everyone, including a network executive (played by a very bored Josh Brolin), and doesn’t spend a whole lot of time running. The action sequences are not what I expected from an Edgar Wright film. There is none of the biting humor of Shaun of the Dead or the great chase sequences of Baby Driver. Instead, we get Powell taking on bad guys with minimal style or flair. The Running Man attempts to convey a message about corporations deceiving the public, the high cost of healthcare, and workplaces that prioritize profits over people. Unfortunately, it misses the mark and fails to deliver the fun escape film it could have been, filled with exciting chases and opportunities for Glen Powell to showcase his star power. It feels as though Ben was given a pair of running shoes that are ill-fitting and have slippery treads, resulting in painfully slow split times for both Ben and the man who played him, Glen Powell. My Rating: Cable  The Running Man Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View: Now You See Me: Now You Don’t  (2025) PG-13  In Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher) reunite and recruit three new illusionists to help them in a high-stakes heist involving the theft of a giant diamond from a powerful crime family.  I loved the first film in the series, which kept me guessing and featured some impressive magic tricks that looked like they were actually being performed. I found the second film a bit of a bore, as it seemed as if the actors were going through the motions. Unfortunately, other than a fun villain in Rosamund Pike, who looks like she is relishing playing a bad guy, the cast once again looks bored. Worse yet, almost all the magic tricks don’t seem to be magic tricks at all but simple movie CGI effects, something the first film avoided. The dialogue at times is laughable, and though it’s fun seeing the gang back, the film’s big caper takes way too long to get going and then is more about escaping than creating an impressive final trick. In fact, like watching a bad magician, I figured out how they were going to do the final trick, and for a magic fan like me, that is always disappointing. There is a hint that another film will follow, but I hope that idea disappears in a puff of smoke.  My Rating: Cable   Now You See Me: Now You Don't Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Keeper  (2025) R   Keeper is about a couple, Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), who head to a secluded cabin for their anniversary. Their happiness is interrupted by a sinister presence that reveals itself, forcing the couple to confront not only their relationship but also the property’s haunting past. It takes so long for anything to happen other than Liz hearing weird noises and a few jump scares because she seems to be losing her mind. Unfortunately, Keeper is quite disappointing in terms of scares, and the eventual payoff doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. You spend a good deal of your time, along with Liz, trying to figure out what the heck is going on, and when you do find out, you wish you didn’t know. I have a feeling that Tatiana Maslany was thinking the same thing when she saw the finished product.  My Rating: Cable  Keeper Website   Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Come See Me in the Good Light  (2025)  TV-MA   Come See Me in the Good Light is a documentary that spends a year following Colorado’s Poet Laureate, Andrea Gibson, and their partner, Megan Falley, during Gibson’s fight against cancer. It’s hard to say that a documentary about someone fighting terminal cancer is uplifting, but this remarkable film is. At the heart of the film is a love story, not only between two people who seemed destined to find each other, but also about loving life. Andrea Gibson is a magical person you just want to be around. That magic is evident when she is on stage performing her poems or when she is alone with Megan, just talking about everything from cancer results to laughing about silly phone messages. Gibson has learned to live every day as if it’s her last, and her life story is one of ups/downs and self-doubt about who Andrea was and her place in the world. Come See Me in the Good Light is a documentary full of passion, love, and tears. Mostly though, it is about how to live a life full of love.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Come See Me in the Good Light Website  In select theaters and on Apple TV+ on Friday, November 14, 2025.

Indiefest:  Left-Handed Girl  (2025)  R   In Left-Handed Girl, Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai), her daughters I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma) and I-Jing (Nina Ye) move back to Taipei to make it in the big city on their own. However, life is never simple, and it seems the world is set against them. Left-Handed Girl is an enthralling story about three members of a family, all trying to find their way in a world that moves at an incredible pace and grows more complicated by the second. Shu-Fen is trying to start a new life, juggling running her small noodle shop while raising two daughters, one an out-of-control teen and the other a young child who is just as independent as her sister. We see this all through the eyes of I-Jing, who is convinced that the Devil possesses her left hand and does bad things on its own. All three actresses do brilliant work in this film, especially Janel Tsai, as the young single mom, who isn’t liked by her family and has a checkered past that catches up to her. Left-Handed Girl is a film that follows the three women as they figure out how to survive in the big city, while navigating a world that isn’t always kind. It’s a powerful, moving, and sometimes funny film that makes you root for the three women, even when they make mistakes along the way.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Left-Handed Girl Website    In select theaters and on Netflix on Friday, November 28, 2025.

Indiefest:  Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk  (2025)  The documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is about filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, who, through video chats, talked to Fatima Hassouna, a Palestinian woman who shared her life living in Gaza for 200 days under constant threat of bombardment and firefights. Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is a film that will rip your heart out, but you are glad you got to know such a beautiful person, both inside and out, who made a horrible situation relatable and gave the world an insight into what life in Gaza was really like. Sepideh Farsi, a documentary filmmaker, was trying to make her way into Gaza but was turned away. Through a few contacts, she called Fatima one day and started a conversation that developed not just into a friendship but also into a bond between two people living very different lives. Fatima shows not only bravery but also a love of life and someone who cares about her fellow man. What struck me was how good a photographer Fatima is. She has a great eye and captures on camera what she cannot show in conversation. Those photographs and the conversations that Fatima has with Sepideh give us insight into just how horrible the conditions she was living in were, even though most of the time, you wouldn’t know that she was suffering. Through the conversations, we get to know Fatima, her family, and just how great a person she is, full of humor, strength, bravery, as someone who, no matter how bad things were, was always trying to look to the future. A future she hopes will one day go back to normal.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Trifole  (2024)  Trifole is about Dalia (Ydalia Turk), a young woman living in London, who is sent to check on her Italian grandfather, Igor (Umberto Orsini), who lives alone in a remote village with his pet dog, Birba. Dalia learns Igor leads a simple life but has forgotten much about his past. The two will learn about each other and how to survive in this world. Trifole is a bittersweet, melancholy film about a life being forgotten. The movie, for the first two-thirds of the film, moves along like you would expect it to. With Dalia learning about her grandfather and his way of life, and Igor slowly accepting the help that she offers. However, this story doesn’t always go where you expect it to, sometimes with shocking results. I came away from the film thinking the Italian scenery is beautiful, Igor’s dog, Birba, is a star, but the film’s ending left me wondering if the trip was worth it. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Trifole Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  The Carpenter’s Son  (2025) R  The Carpenter’s Son tells the story of a family hiding out in Egypt. The son, known as ‘the Boy’ (Noah Jupe), has met another mysterious child and is questioning everything he has learned from his guardian, the Carpenter (Nicolas Cage). As “the Boy” discovers his inherent powers, he grapples with a fate that is beyond his understanding. Nic Cage is always an interesting watch. Sometimes, though he just doesn’t fit the part, and in The Carpenter’s Son, he stands out, though that is saying something when your co-star is FKA twigs as ‘The Mother.” The Carpenter’s Son is part horror film, part drama that never comes out and says Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but by the first scenes in the movie, you know it’s them. It’s not a bad film, just strange, with overtones of The Wicker Man and a bit of zombie film thrown in. In addition, there is the Devil in the disguise of a young woman (Isla Johnston from The Queen’s Gambit fame) who gets Jesus to question who he is, plus, the big question, who is his real dad. Lucky for you and me, he figures that out by the end of the film. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Carpenter's Son Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Natchez (2025)   Natchez is a documentary that visits a small Mississippi town that was once home to the most millionaires in America. Its wealth was based on cotton and slavery. The town continues to celebrate antebellum times with a twice-yearly celebration that deeply divides the community over its past. The film starts with what appears to be a picture-perfect view of a small town whose grandiose homes are open to the public in a celebration of a bygone past. However, we quickly learn that this town is torn about how to celebrate and confront the past, especially its ties to the plantations and the slave trade that, before the Civil War, made so many in the town rich. Now, some continue to celebrate the past, while others in the community are willing to show both sides of the story. Natchez is a fascinating look at a town struggling to survive in changing times while seeking to keep certain ideas and traditions alive. Natchez comes alive in the last fifteen minutes of the documentary, when true feelings and thoughts come to the forefront. Natchez is a documentary that slowly reveals itself to form a picture of a town that, from the outside, is pretty but is hiding quite a bit in its closets.  My Rating: Full Price  Natchez Movie Website  Now playing in select markets. 

Forgotten Film:  The Illusionist (2010)  This is a noteworthy animated film based on a screenplay written by the great French filmmaker Jacques Tati (Mon Oncle, Mr. Hulot’s Holiday). A French magician is out of work and travels to Scotland for a job. There, he encounters a young woman and allows her to travel with him. He takes a fatherly approach to their relationship and tries to provide for the young woman. As in the tradition of Tati’s films, there is almost no dialogue, which allows the picture to tell the story. It’s a loving tribute with the typical bittersweet ending that are in so many of his films.  The Illusionist Info  My Rating:  Full Price  

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Carpenter’s Son: Renderfarm 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Sisu: Road to Revenge  (2025)  R Sisu: Road to Revenge is about Aatami (Jorma Tommila), “the man who refuses to die,” as he returns to the home where his family was murdered during the war. He dismantles the home and loads it on a truck, intending to rebuild it. When the Red Army commander (Stephen Lang), who killed Aatami’s family, returns, it sets off a cross-country chase where the body count will be high and revenge will be on the mind of Aatami. The film is a sequel to the 2022 surprise box-office hit Sisu.  Sisu: Road to Revenge Website  Coming to theaters on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Predator: Badlands

My View: Predator: Badlands  (2025)  PG-13  Predator: Badlands is set on a remote planet where Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Predator who is an outcast from his clan, embarks on a solo mission in a perilous territory inhabited by other Predators. Along the way, he forms an unexpected alliance with an android named Thia (Elle Fanning) as Dek seeks the ultimate adversary. I loved the previous Predator movie Dan Trachtenberg directed, Prey, and I am happy to say this film is just as fun. What is different is that a Predator, Dek, is not only the hero of the story but also learns to work with others to defeat his adversaries, something that is foreign to a proud warrior. The action is fun, bloody, and at times a bit gory. What makes this film different is the android Thia, played perfectly by Elle Fanning. You don’t expect a Predator movie to have a bit of comic relief, but that is just what Thia is: an android that makes Dek understand that they have a common goal and that if they work together, they can defeat anyone or anything. Fanning is a delight as Thia, making this film work so well. We finally get to see what makes a Predator do what they do and what their motivations are, some of which are surprisingly relatable. I had a great time watching this film, which is a standalone part of the Predator franchise (though I have a feeling it may not be alone for long), and loved every high-stakes, bloody fighting minute of it. Fans of the Predator franchise are going to go nuts over this film, but it’s for the rest of us action lovers who want to root for a somewhat lovable alien fighter and a sidekick android that doesn’t mind speaking her mind. Oh, and by the way, there is a third addition to the duo that you guys are going to fall in love with, but I don’t want to say too much. Just see it to find out!  My Rating: Full Price  Predator: Badlands Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Nuremberg  (2025)  PG-13  Nuremberg is a historical drama focusing on U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who is responsible for determining whether the captured Nazi leaders, including Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), are mentally fit to stand trial for war crimes. Nuremberg is a film that, with its cast and the story, should have been much better than it is. It’s not a bad film, but it doesn’t have a clue how to manage pacing or how to instruct the audience without making us feel the filmmakers think we are idiots. There is one reason to see this film, and it’s Russell Crowe. Crowe is superb in the role of the man who was second in charge of the Nazi regime, right behind Hitler. Crowe plays Göring as a man who thinks he is the smartest man in the room and can play the cat-and-mouse game better than anyone. Russell Crowe uses his charisma to overpower anyone else on the screen, as he dares you, much like the man he is portraying, to take your eyes off of him. I wish Rami Malek had the same energy and screen presence that Crowe brings, but Malek can’t match the intensity and seems to be almost sleepwalking through the role, which is too bad since the film is centered on his character. The script takes forever to get going, as I felt like the writing was laying brick after brick to the story, just like the construction crew shown in the film, restoring the bombed-out courtroom. There are a few parts of the storyline that are almost laughable, especially Kelly’s storyline, which tries to pull out all the stops to make everything more dramatic. Nuremberg is still an interesting film about a moment in history that needed to be told. I just needed a better script to tell that story.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Nuremberg Movie Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Train Dreams  (2025)  PG-13  Train Dreams follows Robert (Joel Edgerton), a man who drifts from job to job in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest until he meets Gladys (Felicity Jones), whom he quickly loses his heart to and marries. Robert immerses himself in his work on the land and explores nature's wonders, all while navigating the challenges of love and loss. Train Dreams needs to be seen in theaters as the scenery is not only crucial to the story but is one of the main characters. Joel Edgerton does a masterful job playing a man who didn’t want much in life, other than to be out in the woods, until he met Gladys, and then all he wanted was to share his life and his woods with her. This is a film with intense highs and lows, some of which Robert never recovers from. He is a man who wonders if his work is worth being away from his family and if what he is doing is hurting the very fabric of the place he deeply loves. Train Dreams is a haunting film that gets under your skin, so much so that you think you can smell the trees and feel the sawdust alongside Robert as he works to fell tree after tree. The supporting cast is outstanding, with Felicity Jones playing Gladys, a woman who saw Robert and knew he was the one; Alfred Hsing as a man who works alongside Robert; and William H. Macy as a demolition man who tells nonstop stories and gives advice at a moment's notice. Train Dreams is a moving and incredibly beautiful film that, like Robert’s dreams, will stay with you for a long time. My Rating: Full Price  Train Dreams Website     In select theaters and on the Netflix platform on Friday, November 21, 2025.

My View:  Die My Love  (2025)  R  Die My Love follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson)  as they leave New York City to move to Jackson’s rural childhood home in Montana, seeking a quieter life. As they navigate the challenges of becoming new parents and try to adjust to their new environment, Grace begins to feel increasingly isolated and stressed. This emotional turmoil leads her to slowly slip into madness, raising concerns about whether she will ever find her way back. Die My Love is a journey into madness, seen from the eyes of a woman who is struggling with a newborn baby, an often absent husband who seems lost himself, a family and friends who keep telling Grace she is doing the best she can, and a puppy that Grace didn’t want that won’t stop barking. Lawrence gives a performance that is raw, sometimes shocking, heartfelt, and real. It’s an astounding  and brave performance, where she is on screen almost the whole time and switches emotions with just a look or a turn of her body. Lawrence plays a mother who cares little about anything other than her newborn child but can’t sway the madness that keeps overtaking her, causing her to do everything from destroying a bathroom to jumping into a pool full of neighborhood kids in just her bra and panties. Robert Pattinson isn’t asked to do much as the husband who seems to know that his wife isn’t doing well, but would rather ignore her or shout right back at her. I can’t fault Lawrence for my feeling that the movie doesn’t deliver any message beyond the fact that motherhood is tough. As much as Grace howls at the moon, crawls through the weeds like a cat, or attempts to have sex with her husband at strange moments, we never know what Grace is thinking or feeling. I felt like I was watching an actress trying everything in her acting book to please a director who kept asking for more without giving any reason why.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Die My Love Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Little Amelie or the Character of Rain  (2025)  PG  In Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, Amelie is a Belgian child living with her parents in Japan. She is cared for by a Japanese companion named Nishio-san, who teaches Amelie about life. Turning three marks the beginning of transformative events that will shape her understanding of the bizarre and incredible world around her, filled with both happiness and tragedy. Little Amelie, or the Character of Rain, is an absolutely beautiful and moving film about a little girl living in Japan whose world suddenly becomes a vibrant and colorful expanse of exploration and learning. The film is told through the eyes of Amelie as she explores what it means to live, love, and lose someone. It is a fascinating film that constantly surprises you and fills you with joy as you watch a child learn what it means to be alive. My Rating: Full Price  Little Amelie or the Character of Rain Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Christy  (2025)  R  Christy tells the story of Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney), who becomes the world’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s. Christy’s struggles in life were much more dangerous than anything she faced in the ring. Christy is a film that you hoped for more of. It is very evident that Sydney Sweeney was dedicated to this role and wanted to deliver a powerful performance, but the script let her down. Christy is too much like a film we have seen before, with our heroine striving to conquer obstacles that are too simple to overcome. It’s a by-the-book boxing movie and features stereotypical characters, leaving Christy as the only fully developed character. There isn’t anything in this film that we haven’t seen before, except for Christy herself, and that’s the film’s main problem. The plot is just one scene after another of Christy reacting to something, but we never truly get to know her, her thoughts, or her beliefs. Sweeny shows she has the acting chops to carry a drama like this, but the story never lets us see Christy as she saw herself. It’s as if Sweeney has been put in the ring with one hand tied behind her back.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Christy Website    Now playing in theaters 

My View:  Love+War  (2025) R   Love+War is a documentary that follows photographer Lynsey Addario covering the war in Ukraine while reflecting on her Pulitzer-winning career.  Love+War is about a woman who is constantly doubting where she should be at any time. When she is home, she wonders why she isn’t in a foreign country covering a breaking story. When she is away, she wonders why she isn’t at home with her husband and her two children. Even when she is on the job, she wonders whether she should get closer to the war or stay in a safe place. All the while, she is taking some of the most impressive and vital photographs the world has seen. Love+War is the story of one very talented and passionate woman who wants to impact and possibly change the world, speaking through her pictures to those who can’t speak to the world themselves. You will fall in love with Lynsey, her family, and the people that she photographs, including a young woman who has given up her job to pick up a gun and fight the Russians in Ukraine. At times a tough watch, as we see Lynsey witness first hand an attack on civilians in Ukraine, Love+War is also a loving tribute to a woman who cares about her family and about the plight of women in a world that is sometimes not caring at all. My Rating: Full Price   Love+War Website Now streaming on Disney+, Hulu, and National Geographic platforms.

Indiefest:  I Wish You All the Best  (2024)  R   I Wish You All the Best follows Ben DeBacker (Corey Fogelmanis), a non-binary teenager who, after being kicked out of the house by their parents, embarks upon a journey of self-discovery that teaches them about love, friendship, and family. I Wish You All the Best feels a little like an after-school special for non-binary teens.  The film feels somewhat like an after-school special for non-binary teens; while it has its heart in the right place, it doesn't fully deliver the emotional impact necessary to convey the isolation and, often, the trauma of being someone who feels different. The film is heartfelt, and there are some good performances, like lead Corey Fogelmanis and Alexandra Daddario, who plays the very supportive sister. However, it struggles to develop the relationships Ben engages in, and the insights we do gain often come through clunky scenes. The most effective moments occur during Ben’s interactions with their art teacher, played beautifully by Lena Dunham, who gradually helps Ben open up. Overall, I enjoyed the film and Ben’s journey, but I wish it hadn't left me feeling like an outsider constantly trying to connect.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  I Wish You All the Best Info  Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film:  I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With  (2006)  James (Jeff Garlin) is a 39-year-old actor who has a regular gig with the Second City improv group in Chicago. James lives with his mom and is obsessed with getting the title role of a new production of the 1950s film Marty. He just wants to make people laugh and maybe find someone he can hang out with. Into his life walks Beth (Sarah Silverman), but is she the one he wants to spend his time with? I enjoyed this film because its stakes aren’t too high and we get to see Jeff hang out a lot with his friends (most of whom are Second City alums). It’s a fun look at life in the world of small-time comics. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With Info  Available on most streaming platforms. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Predator: Badlands:  Stickies Technician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Is This Thing On? (2025) R  Alex (Will Arnett) is going through a marriage that is unraveling. He is separating from his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), and their two kids, getting a small apartment in the city. Alex wanders into a comedy club and decides to try his hand at standup. It seems that the only place he can feel alive and make sense of his life is doing standup. The film is co-written by Will Arnett and is directed by twelve-time Academy Award-nominated Bradley Cooper.  Is This Thing On? Website  The film will be in theaters on Friday, December 19, 2025.