One Night Only

My Take: One Night Only  (2026)  R   In One Night Only, Owen (Callum Turner), who has been recently dumped, and Allie (Monica Barbaro), a young woman who wants to finally meet someone, keep crossing paths on a chaotic night when love is in the air. So when I saw the trailer for this film, I thought it was set on Valentine’s Day. Nope, it takes place in an alternate timeline where extramarital sex has been outlawed. Everyone gets a chip that lets the government know when you have sex, and get this, if you don’t wear a condom. The government has set aside one night (a full twelve hours) for everyone to have sex out of wedlock. What makes this film fun is that the filmmakers do a good job of setting up the premise and letting the hijinks begin. I loved that Allie is a singer who sings those TV jingles for all sorts of products. Her best friend abandons her on the night, and Allie sets off on her own to find someone worthy of having sex with. Owen, on the other hand, has picked this night to propose to his longtime girlfriend (played by Maya Hawke), but she has plans of her own. So after Allie and Owen have a not-so-cute meetup, they keep encountering each other throughout the night, even when it seems they have found other people to have sex with. We know better, and that’s part of the fun of this rom-com: watching the two keep meeting throughout the night. Turner and Barbaro have amazing chemistry and play off each other extremely well. They throw barbs at each other with dexterity and abandon. Adding to the fun is Molly Ringwald, who plays Owen’s mother. LaVar Burton appears as her amorous lover who kicks Owen out so that they can join in on the night’s activities. Before leaving, both give Owen some romantic advice on how his night should go. This is a fun, silly rom-com with two beautiful actors who clearly enjoy the roles. We can’t help but root for Allie and Owen to end up together. But will they figure out they are meant to be together in time to have sex? You will have to go on the adventure with them to find out.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  One Night Only Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  The Last House  (2026)  PG-13  In The Last House, a family of four finds themselves suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out. They will have to band together to survive, with their resources dwindling and a mysterious, looming threat responsible for their entrapment. The screener did not arrive in time for review. Film will be reviewed on Saturday night.   The Last House Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View:  Ice Cream Man  (2026)  R  Ice Cream Man is set in a small suburban town that descends into madness when a creepy, smiling ice cream vendor (Ari Miller) comes to town and serves ice cream to children that turn them into homicidal maniacs. Ice Cream Man, directed by one of the genre’s big names, Eli Roth, doesn’t deliver more than lots of blood and guts without any thought. The kills by the kids become tedious, and the plot, when explained why it’s happening, is just downright boring. I guess some of the kids' kills are funny, but is this a horror film or a comedy? I say neither, as it’s not funny or scary. The dialogue gets worse as the quips keep coming, and some of the acting is right out of a bad 50s horror movie. Add in the fact that director/writer Roth has admitted that he used generative AI for the black-and-white, Fleischer Studios-style cartoons that hypnotize children in the film. And this is a horror film to avoid, unless you are a die-hard Eli Roth fan and even then you might not enjoy it. I have no idea what point Roth wanted to make with this film other than that kids love ice cream and killing adults.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Ice Cream Man Website   Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  The Samurai and the Prisoner  (2026)   The Samurai and the Prisoner takes place inside Arioka Castle, where a samurai, Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki), has barricaded himself after rebelling against his lord. As the siege by the lord wears on, a brutal murder occurs within the castle. In response, Araki turns to a man he has imprisoned in his dungeon, Kuroda Kanbei (Masaki Suda), to solve the crime.  The Samurai and the Prisoner Website  Review of the film will be up Friday night

Indiefest: Cookie Queens  (2026) G  Cookie Queens is a documentary that follows four young Girl Scouts as they navigate the high-pressure, million-dollar business of Girl Scout cookie-selling season. Be prepared to fall in love with four girls, from vastly different backgrounds, who all want to hit their goals and win prizes. You have Olive, the record-setting Girl Scout who sells her cookies online with commercials that she shoots with her dad. Nikki, who is following in her sister's award-winning footsteps, with a family that orders over 18,000 dollar’s worth of cookies. And her opposite, Shannon Elizabeth, whose parents constantly worry about taking a financial hit if she can’t sell her cookies. And then there is little Ara, a five-year-old diabetic who takes Pilates classes so she can pull her wagon full of cookies through the neighborhood and sell the 55 boxes she has set as her goal. We see how hard the girls work, the pressure that they and their families are under to succeed, and how some of the girls are just born show-stopping sellers. What makes this film such a blast to watch is that it lets us see that all four girls are fun, funny, and just nice little girls with a dream. A dream to sell enough cookies to go on a camping trip, or to Europe, or just to get a pin that they can wear. And I have a feeling, after seeing this lovely, terrific documentary, you won’t pass by a Girl Scout selling her cookies outside your grocery store without stopping to get the sales pitch for a box or two… okay. Maybe three. My Rating: Full Price  Cookie Queens Website  Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film:  Best Worst Movie  (2009)  Documentary on the making of Troll 2, considered one of the worst movies of all time, the cast of characters that made the movie, and the fans who, for the past 35 years, have made the film into a beloved cult classic. Back in 1986, a cheesy horror film called Troll was made. It was a modest success, best known for its stop-motion effects and weird, bad-guy trolls. For some reason, Troll 2 was then made by an Italian filmmaker, Claudio Fragasso, and his wife, and it made almost no sense and had very little to do with the original Troll movie. It doesn’t help that Claudio didn’t speak English, and his wife wasn’t the greatest scriptwriter. The film was barely released, but through the magic of a few old VHS tapes that traveled throughout the country, a fandom started reveling in the weirdness and downright horrible filmmaking. This documentary explores how the film came about and the band of somewhat strange cast and crew that made the film what it is. The documentary is a joy to watch, especially for highlighting the small-town dentist who was one of the stars of the film and revels in the newfound stardom it has created.  My View:  Full Price  Best Worst Movie Info  Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of One Night Only:  Shooting Medic

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:   Don’t Say Good Luck  (2026)  PG-13   Don’t Say Good Luck follows 15-year-old Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler), who gets the role of a lifetime, the lead in her high school’s production of the musical Waitress. Just as Sophie has hit the spotlight, she finds out that her mother’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer has returned. The all-star cast includes Steve Buscemi, Bebe Neuwirth, Max Greenfield, Jack Champion, Jon Lovitz, and Stephanie Beatriz.  Don't Say Good Luck Website  Premiering on Netflix on Friday, August 14, 2026

Until Next Time!