Toy Story 5

My View:  Toy Story 5  (2026)  PG   In Toy Story 5, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang meet LilyPad, a chatty electronic toy, and their connection to playtime is put to the test. The Toy Story magic works again, and you will love going back to the world where toys not only talk but also care about you. This time, Jessie (voiced by the brilliant Joan Cusack), the cowgirl with the lovable horse, is the main character. We learn that not only has Buzz become smitten with Jessie, but he wants to marry her, but can’t find the courage or the right time to pop the question. However, there are bigger things going on in the household. Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) is having a tough time making friends. Her parents are concerned and finally bite the bullet, buying her a LilyPad (voiced by Greta Lee), an electronic device that Bonnie, along with all her classmates, becomes obsessed with, ignoring Buzz, Jessie, and the gang, for games and chat with others on the device. Soon, it becomes a war between Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of the toys, with Lily vying for Bonnie’s attention. This is a film about losing oneself to the electronic world and missing out on the world that kids create with their own imagination. It’s also about the isolation that kids feel, even when the electronic devices they are glued to promise friendship and connection. There are some new characters that we get introduced to, with a character voiced by Conan O’Brien who makes this Toy Story one of the funniest in the series. There is also a wonderful subplot involving a new version of Buzz Lightyear that I am sure kids will want. This is a remarkable film franchise that keeps hitting the movies out of the park, being able to find humor, warmth, and bittersweetness that both kids and adults will love, and yes, bring a few tears to an eye or two. Here’s to the wonderful group of toys that make us feel like kids again, even if only for a couple of hours. Note: You will want to wait until Taylor Swift finishes singing during the credits before you leave because there are some bonus scenes that you won’t want to miss.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Toy Story 5 Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  The Death of Robin Hood  (2026)  R The Death of Robin Hood follows the legendary Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman), who, unlike the tales about him, has lived a life of crime and murder. Fighting in a battle that he assumes will be his last, Robin Hood is gravely injured. A mysterious woman (Jodie Comer) finds him, offering him healing and a chance at salvation. The Death of Robin Hood is set in a time when no good or bad deed goes unpunished. This is a film about legends and the tales that are told to make heroes out of villains and give hope to people who need something to hang onto. Robin isn’t a hero, and he will tell you himself. We find this out from the beginning, when a man who is weary of living has to keep his wits about him because it seems during his life he has killed many people, and their families want vengeance. The first half of this film is a brutal bloodbath that is incredibly disturbing to watch, and in no way should any child see this film. In fact, I will warn you in advance that there is a scene with a child that is bone-chilling to watch. This is the story of a man living in a kill-or-be-killed world, and he knows his time is just about up. The Death of Robin Hood is a film in two parts: the first shows us Robin as the man who doesn’t hesitate to fight and kill, and the 2nd part is a man who is struggling with what he has done in the past and trying to come to grips with that, wanting to slowly fade into obscurity, but the past won’t let him. The second part of this film is incredibly slow (especially compared to the violent first half, and the friendship that develops between Jodie Comer’s healer character and Jackman’s Robin takes a long time to develop. If you are expecting a big finish to the legend of Robin Hood, you will be disappointed, because that isn’t the idea behind the film. It’s about a man who is ready to fade into the past, not realizing that his story will be continued, right or wrong, to be told long after his misdeeds are forgotten. The film’s two parts are so shockingly different that the second half feels like a letdown, even with some outstanding performances. Sometimes you want the legend and not the truth.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Death of Robin Hood Website   Now playing in theaters

My View: Girls Like Girls  (2026) R  Girls Like Girls takes place in rural Oregon, where Coley (Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old, is dealing with the death of her mother. Things look up when she meets the ever-popular Sonya (Myra Molloy), and the two quickly become friends. Coley realizes she is having stronger feelings for Sonya than Sonya will admit. The teen years are hard enough, but dealing with a now deceased mom who was probably had bipolar disorder, a father that she doesn’t know, and someone you have fallen for but is giving you mixed signals, and you get what Coley is dealing with. Maya da Costa carries this film with flair, delivering a performance that is both sweet and heartbreaking. Girls Like Girls perfectly depicts what it is like to find someone you care about, but having to deal with a person who isn’t ready to go on that journey with you. The film is set in the early 2000’s, when AOL was the norm, and everyone had a Sidekick for messaging. Girls Like Girls is silly, funny, and full of tears and thoughts about a teen’s world crashing down and never being fixed. Until it is. My Rating: Full Price  Girls LIke Girls Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: Leviticus  (2026)  R   Leviticus is set in a remote Christian community, where Naim (Joe Bird) has just moved in. He strikes up a friendship with a local boy, Ryan (Stacy Clausen), and it is evident that the two want more than just friendship. Little do they know that there is evil in the community, and if the two boys act out their forbidden desires, there will be deadly consequences. My review of the film will be posted Friday night.  Leviticus Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Color Book  (2024)  R  Color Book is about Lucky (William Catlett), a widower, who is dealing on his own for the first time with his 11-year-old son Mason (Jeremiah Daniels), who has Down syndrome. Lucky wants to give Mason a day he won’t soon forget: an Atlanta Braves baseball game. It’s a journey that will test their bond. This is about a parent who is still grieving and is overwhelmed at taking on the duty of being a single parent with a child who constantly needs attention and love. It’s a slice-of-life film presented in stark black-and-white photography as the two navigate their relationship and their place in the world. The chemistry between Catlett, as the patient father who has one setback after another, and Daniels, who plays his son, who misses his mother but is ready to go on a journey to be with his dad. This is a remarkably touching film that is at times heartwarming but ultimately heartbreaking, as the obstacles the two encounter are just too big to overcome. Color Book is a remarkable work that will make you frustrated and proud in the same film. My Rating: Full Price  Color Book Info  Premiering on Netflix and in select theaters on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Indiefest:  Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul (2026)  Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul is a documentary on the life and origins of one of the founding members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group, The Allman Brothers Band. I am a big fan of a couple of James Keach’s documentaries: the fantastic Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me and the film about the fitness guru who gets ALS in Augie. Unfortunately, this documentary feels shallow and spends too much time on Gregg’s last few years. The film never captures the magic that was Gregg or the Allman Brothers Band performing live. The film seems to barely scratch the surface of a man who was incredibly complex and was a very troubled soul for most of his life. The man was married six times and had lots of kids, but we really only get glimpses of his marriage to Cher, and then spend a lot of time with his last wife, Shannon. Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul's last 20 minutes is about his last few years overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, reconnecting with some of his children, and featuring extensive songs played during an all-star tribute to Gregg. I wanted more and got what seemed like a liner notes type film about his life.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul Website Now playing in select theaters.

Indiefest:  Rose of Nevada  (2025)   Rose of Nevada is set in an almost abandoned fishing village in Cornwall, UK. Thirty years ago, the loss of the fishing vessel Rose of Nevada and its crew rocked the community. One day, the fishing vessel reappears, tied up in the harbor. It’s decided that a crew will man the ship in search of fish. When the crew returns, they find something amiss: they are back where they started, but from 30 years ago. This is a strange and wonderful film about what it would be like if you could go back into the past and heal old wounds. Shot on grainy 16mm film and featuring a soundtrack that seems to be fed through a speaker from 30 years ago, this is a magical film where two fishermen go back in time. One, Liam, played by the always-interesting Callum Turner, is happy in this new world, finding a home and family. Whereas Nick (George MacKay) is now Liam’s opposite, having lost his wife and child in the present, and is now part of a family that isn’t his. Nick, in fact, keeps getting back onto the ship, hoping that at some point he will return to his life in the present. This is a fascinating film about time travel and its effects on the men sent back to the past to start their lives over. A life that isn’t their own, but fate has made it theirs anyway.   My Rating: Full Price  The Rose of Nevada Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Unidentified  (2025)  PG-13  In Unidentified, the body of a teenage girl is found in the desert. When no one claims the body, Nawai (Mila Al Zahrani), a divorced woman who recently lost a child of her own and is a true crime aficionado, gets involved in trying to solve the girl’s senseless death. It is rare to find a film that shows another culture through a woman’s point of view, with her as the hero of the story. This is one woman’s fight to find the truth, as she battles both her culture and her bosses to doggedly uncover what happened to a woman nobody wants to claim. Mila Al Zahrani gives a magical performance as a woman who loves listening to and watching true crime stories (which are also done while the host shows makeup tips), and takes on a case that most feel is unlovable. The film slowly reveals the secrets that everyone wants to keep buried. We get immersed in Nawai’s life, a mother who is on her own after divorcing her husband and losing her newborn daughter. She finds purpose in finding out who the dead woman is and why there is a cover-up about her death. It’s a film with lots of twists and turns, many that seem to be dead ends, but Nawai keeps at it, against the odds and her culture. It’s a fascinating film that keeps you guessing until the very end. My Rating: Full Price  Unidentified Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  The Long Goodbye  (1973) R  Set in 1973 Los Angeles, private eye Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) investigates a friend’s suicide that he is convinced is a murder. The more Philip investigates, the more the plot thickens, as the mob, money, and a missing novelist all become part of the mystery. This is not your typical Marlowe mystery, with Robert Altman directing and Leigh Brackett adapting the Raymond Chandler novel originally set in the 50s. This is more of a commentary on L.A., the people who will do anything to make money in a world where truth, loyalty, and friendship are worthless. Gould is fine as the down-on-his-luck P.I., but it’s Sterling Hayden that steals the show as the missing novelist who is the key to everything going down. The casting is eclectic, with Gould nowhere near the ideal Chandler Marlowe and a bunch of character actors filling out the cast, including Nina van Pallandt, Mark Rydell, Henry Gibson, David Arkin, and Jim Bouton, and a very small (blink and you'll miss it) appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Long Goodbye Info  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Death of Robin Hood:  Snow Effects Technician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Invite  (2026)  R   The Invite starts at a point where Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela’s (Olivia Wilde) marriage is going quickly down the drain. When they invite their mysterious neighbors (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) over for a dinner party, the night quickly spirals into chaos in very unexpected places. The film is directed by Olivia Wilde and written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack.  The Invite Website   In theaters on Friday, June 26, 2026.

Until Next Time!