Nightbitch

My View:  Nightbitch  (2024) R  Nightbitch is about a woman (Amy Adams) who has paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but it’s not what she wanted in life. Soon, she feels different, and her life begins changing. She starts to transform into a dog. Does she actually become a dog or is it just her imagination? Do the local dogs worship her? I have no clue. Nightbitch is a film that needed to go further into the bizarre. Sure, there are a lot of strange scenes where she goes out into the yard and digs like a dog or goes for runs in the middle of the night, but the film never pushes the boundaries that it needs to. Amy Adams gives a stellar performance but is let down by a script that sometimes seems too conventional. How often have we seen a main character go off on someone who is being stupid, and then we realize that it’s only in her mind, with the character retreating without saying what she is really thinking? The film has a lot of say about motherhood and how society in America makes mothers almost second-class citizens with limited maternity leave and childcare that makes it too expensive for women to do part-time jobs until their kids are in school. All that is great, and the film hits us over the head with those thoughts. Unfortunately, Nightbitch leaves a lot to explore. It should have been a little weirder and more out there. It’s kind of like the scraps left in a dog bowl. It's tasty, but not enough to make a meal or a movie.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Nightbitch Website   Now playing in theaters.

My View:  Flow  (2024)  PG   In Flow, when a cat’s home is devastated by a great flood, it goes on an adventure to find a new home. Along the way, the cat must team up with other species to find this new world. One of those species is a dog. The best way to describe Flow is Homeward Bound in an alternate universe, where the cat and its friends don’t know where they are going; they just know that they have to do this together in order to survive. While this is Latvia’s nomination for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category of the 97th Academy Awards, there aren’t any spoken words in the film, only animal sounds (all recorded with real animals). You will fall in love with the plucky cat, who is living a good life in an abandoned house with a ton of green space for the cat to explore and find food. Other than having to hide from a pack of local dogs, things are good until a flood that makes it impossible to stay turns the cat’s world upside down. The cat (we never know if it is male or female) finds a boat to climb aboard, and wouldn’t you know it, a dog is also on the boat. The adventure then starts from there, as we follow the cat and the boat, finding more friends along the way to join on in the journey. Flow is a magical film with animation that must be seen in a theater to appreciate its beauty. As we root for the cat to survive, your heart will beat a little faster at some of the troubles the cat gets into, and a few tears will be shed along the way. Flow is a film not to be missed, and though it is animated, I’m not sure small kids will be as interested as the teens and adults as the adventures go on with our cat and its rag-tag friends. I was stunned by how quickly this film moved and was sad that it ended. I wanted more with the cat. And I’m not a cat person. There is a small bonus scene at the end of all the credits. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Flow Website   Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Queer (2024) R Queer is about William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat living in Mexico City in the 1950s, struggling to survive on part-time jobs and the GI Bill. Along comes Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a former soldier, and William starts to believe that having an intimate connection with someone might be possible. If you have read any of William S. Burroughs’ work, you know he can be a little (ok, a lot) trippy. I loved the first two-thirds of this film, with a performance by Daniel Craig that might be his best ever. Craig plays William Lee, a man who is happy being a barfly who picks up a man from time to time but stays a loner for the most part. In fact, he seems to revel in going from bar to bar, conversing with his friends, and then going home to sleep until it’s time to do it again the next day. Into his life comes Eugene, a man who becomes Williams’s obsession. I loved Craig, portraying a man who, at the film’s beginning, is sure of himself, then falls head over heels in love with Eugene, even before they sleep together. William is a flawed man, but Eugene sees something in William, which allows him to hang around and occasionally sleep with William. Then comes the part that I didn’t enjoy when William and Eugene go off to South America to find a mysterious plant that might have the ability to allow you to do telepathy. This is where Burroughs’ work turns weird (the film is based on a novella he wrote in the 80s), and I felt the film gets too far off the tracks to ever recover. Still, Queer is a film to be seen to show us that Craig is an outstanding actor who I hope keeps making interesting choices like William Lee.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Y2K (2024) R    Y2K takes place on New Year’s Eve in 1999 when everyone is told that because of Y2K, the world might end. Two best friends, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), go to a party to have fun. Little did they know that when the clock strikes midnight, the party is over. Y2K is a film that might have made a funny 10-minute short to show at the midnight screenings at a film festival. The problem is that the material can’t sustain an hour-and-a-half film. Heck, it can’t even make it to the half-hour mark. Since Y2K was twenty-five years ago, who is your audience for this film? The couple of times that I laughed while watching this film was because I lived through this time of dial-up modems and downloading pictures that took what seemed like days. SNL alum Kyle Mooney co-wrote and directed the film, and Y2K feels like it was a leftover idea from a pitch he did five years ago. The film wants to be a teen horror comedy film, but the deaths are creative enough to be funny, and the plot gets old way too fast to sustain any interest in any of the characters. If you remember video stores and Billy Blanks, you might find a funny joke or two, but that’s about it. Frankly, I don’t want to be reminded of my AOL days with that saying, “You’ve Got Mail.” Not anymore.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Y2K Website  The review will be up Friday night. 

Familyfaire:  That Christmas  (2024)  PG  That Christmas is about the small town of Wellington-on-Sea when a snowstorm for the ages threatens to shut the town down, altering everyone’s plans, including Santa’s. This is a fun family movie based on the children’s books by Richard Curtis, who wrote the screenplay for the mainstay Christmas movie Love Actually. The film is greatly helped by the voice cast, including Brian Cox as Santa, Bill Nighy as Lighthouse Bill, and Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams. Kids will love this film, which is full of action, where the town's children are the ones who save Christmas and a life or two. The film touches on many subjects, from loneliness to young love and how parents underestimate their children on how much they understand, especially when it deals with families in trouble. I loved that Santa not only delivers gifts, but he also knows when a town needs some special help and guidance. That Christmas is a fun and enjoyable addition to the animated Christmas fare that gives us a warm ending to take into the season.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  That Christmas Website  Now playing on Netflix. 

My View:  The Order  (2024)  R  The Order takes place in 1983 when a series of bank robberies and car heists were frightening communities in the Pacific Northwest. Law enforcement was baffled, not knowing who or why the robberies were being committed. One man, an FBI agent (Jude Law) in Idaho, began putting the pieces together and was out to prove he was right. The Order is a taut thriller that, while based on actual events that happened in the 80s, could easily be set in 2024. Jude Law plays an FBI agent, Terry Husk, who drinks too much, is an outsider to life in Idaho and has a past that keeps haunting him. He does make one friend, a local police officer, Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), who wants to help Terry in investigating a local White Supremacist group that may be involved in some local bombings and bank heists. Terry, with the help of Jamie, discovers that a splinter group may have started up under the direction of Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), who has shown his dissatisfaction with the leader of the White Supremacist group. The Order is an intense film where the stakes keep getting higher as Bob convinces more of his followers that now is the time to strike against the government. Things get serious when the violence and bank heists escalate, and Terry is convinced that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The film is buoyed by an incredible performance by Nicholas Hoult, who has the charisma and charm to make Bob a character that we can believe would make men (and women) follow him down a rabbit hole they won’t return from. It’s a film filled with fantastic performances, including Marc Maron as a radio DJ who plays an integral part in raising the stakes in the fight. The Order is a film about good versus evil and how evil can hide in the weeds before striking, often with only a few brave people to oppose it.   My Rating: Full Price  The Order Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Wilde (1997) R  The story of Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry), who was a playwright, a poet, and a genius. He was in a straight relationship with his wife (Jennifer Ehle) and was the toast of the town because of his wit and his plays. Then, he met Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law), who wanted to be famous and seduced Wilde. Wilde's world then crumbled as he accepted his homosexuality, but the law and the public didn't. Stephen Fry is brilliant as the witty and tormented Wilde, who just wanted to live his life, having fallen for a man who didn’t really care about him. The supporting cast is a dream with Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Wilkinson, Ioan Gruffudd, and Gemma Jones. Jude Law is perfect casting for the man who brings Wilde down. In my opinion, Stephen Fry should have been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. My Rating: Full Price  Wilde Info   Available on streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Nightbitch: Decorator Gang Boss

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim  (2024) PG-13  The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of the legendary King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. The King and his family must defend their kingdom against an army of Dunledings led by the clever and ruthless Wulf. Peter Jackson, who made The Lord of the Rings film series, produced this animated film. The film takes place 180 years before The Lord of the Rings.   The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Website  In theaters on Friday, December 13, 2024. 

Until Next Time!

Disenchanted

My View: Disenchanted (2022) PG  Ten years after her happily ever after, Giselle (Amy Adams) and her family have moved to the suburb of Monroeville. However, the community isn’t as ideal as it seems, and soon Giselle wishes that their lives were the perfect fairy tale. Be careful what you wish for. Can it really be since 2007 that we all fell in love with Amy Adams playing Giselle, the young maiden from the fairy tale land of Andalasia, who an evil queen sends to New York City, where she falls in love with a lawyer? The film was like a breath of fresh air as Adams dazzled us with her charm and singing. Now we revisit Giselle, ten years after her happily ever after happened, and it’s not everything she thought it would be. Her husband (Patrick Dempsey) isn’t happy commuting from the suburbs to the city, they have a daughter who is now a surly teen in Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), and Giselle is finding that it’s hard to figure out how to get along with the suburban homemakers, led by Malvina (Maya Rudolph). What made Enchanted such fun was it took the Disney fairy tale story and turned it on its ear, with a character in Giselle, who was used to talking to animals and breaking out in song. It’s hard to capture the magic twice, and Disenchanted tries very hard to, with a few memorable songs, one thanks to Idina Menzel, who has married the prince (James Marsden). One of the problems with this movie is that in the first film, the wicked queen was played by Susan Sarandon, and now the villain of the story is played by Maya Rudolph, who can’t give us that dripping with evil regality we need. Adams is once again the star of the film, and she delivers, but the film overall doesn’t have that same charm and whimsy that the original movie had. The magic has died a bit in this tale, though it's not the star's fault.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Disenchanted Website Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

My View: She Said (2022) R  Two reporters at The New York Times, Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), break the story of Harvey Weinstein and his years of sexual assault in Hollywood. She Said is told through the eyes of two reporters, both women, who can’t believe the stories they hear about a man who for decades terrorized women who worked for him, using his power to cover up his crimes by using lawyers and intimidation. The film does a brilliant job of letting us see how the story unfolds slowly as the two reporters start peeling back the facts and learn that this wasn't something that happened once or twice but continually happened over decades. She Said is a powerful story of two women who kept after the story, even when it seemed that no one would come forward. I loved the dynamic of Kazan and Mulligan, two very different reporters in their style. The two have incredible chemistry on the screen and work off each other to make us understand how deeply they felt about the story and how much they wanted to bring Harvey Weinstein down.   My Rating: Full Price  She Said Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Slumberland (2022) PG  A young girl named Nemo (Marlow Barkley) is missing her late dad. Nemo discovers in her dreams the land of Slumberland, and with the help of a magical man named Flip (Jason Momoa), Nemo hopes to see her late father again. I am a massive fan of Windsor McCay, who was a cartoonist and ground-breaking animator who created some of the earliest animation for motion pictures and drew a magical comic strip called Little Nemo in Slumberland. So I was excited to see this attempt to bring that magical world of McCay to life. Unfortunately, other than a breathtaking scene very early in the film (where Nemo is atop her bed as it grows very long legs and travels through the city), the film disappoints on almost every level. One of the great things about McCay’s Little Nemo was the sense of danger that always seemed to be present. A dream could become a nightmare at a moment's notice, but this film never gives us that sensation. Instead, we get a lot of comedy, which Jason Momoa carries off with broad strokes that are fun to watch, but the problem is the storyline never seems to get going and becomes predictable, something that a film that takes place mostly in dreams should never be. I never felt a connection to Nemo, and the film takes too long to get fully into the Slumberland world. Kids in the audience were sometimes bored because the film jumped back and forth from Slumberland to the real world. Someday, someone will figure out a way to make McCay’s Nemo come to life, but unfortunately, this isn’t it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Slumberland Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: The Menu (2022) R  An obsessed foodie (Nicholas Hoult) and his girlfriend (Anya Taylor-Joy) are a last-minute addition to a trip to a secluded island, where a world-famous chef (Ralph Fiennes) is to serve them the meal of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it just might be their last. This black comedy sendup of the food-obsessed culture is a delight. Ralph Fiennes is perfect as the ‘Chef’ who considers his artistically crafted food a work of art and thinks of himself as a storyteller. The patrons of this dining experience are people you would never want to dine with, except Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), who isn’t impressed by the food or the ‘Chef.’ Anya Taylor-Joy again shows why she commands your attention when she is on the screen. Her timing is perfect, and she gives us a person we can root for in this horrible group of wealthy, pompous diners. The film takes a while to get going, but once you figure out what is going on and why it’s fun to see how far this film will go. And I thought the ending was picture-perfect or maybe i should say it deserves a ‘Chef’s Kiss.’    My Rating: Full Price    The Menu Website Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Bad Axe (2022)  Documentary about an Asian-American family smack dab in the middle of Trump’s rural America as they fight to keep their restaurant in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars for the “Killing Fields.’ This is a brilliant look at a close-knit family who, like the rest of us, was dealt with the blow of the pandemic, threatening their livelihood and, at times, their lives. It would be hard to find another documentary that covers so much ground, showing us an inside look at a fantastic group of people who love, fight and try to survive in a community that isn’t always welcoming. Not only that, but the group's father is a survivor of the Killing Fields of Cambodia, which still haunts him in the present. This is an unflinching look at a family that survives through tough times by not only hard work and strong convictions but the support of each other. The film is from David Siev, the son of Chun and Rachel. This allows us access that an ordinary filmmaker wouldn’t get, and we see that even David, behind the camera, is sometimes the story's focus. The main focus, though, is on Chun, who came to this country with his mother and his fellow brothers and sisters, escaping the horrors of Cambodia, and on the oldest daughter, Jaclyn, who has come back to help her family survive the pandemic. Bad Axe is a beautiful and touching story about a family that will inspire you and, at times, makes you angry. But wasn’t that life in 2020 when the world came to a stop? My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Bad Axe Website Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

My View: The Wonder (2022) R  Lib (Florence Pugh) is a nurse who has been brought to the countryside to watch over a young girl named Anna (Kila Lord Cassidy). Lib has been given strict instructions not to interfere with Anna’s life, only to observe because Anna hasn’t eaten anything in four months. Is this the work of God, the Devil, or a trick? Florence Pugh gives a spellbinding performance as a nurse who is asked to confirm that a young woman is surviving without food but is flourishing on just her faith in God. Pugh’s Lib is a determined woman who is given a thankless job but will do her best to ensure that what Anna claims is the truth. This is a slow-developing story that lets you try and figure out if Anna is a fake or really is a miracle. We get to know Anna and Lib as they interact with each other and start to bond as a nurse and a patient. The mystery is secondary to our understanding of Liv, getting to know her as we watch her interact with both Anna and the townspeople. Is Anna’s condition a miracle or a sham? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure. Lib will never be the same after her experience.  My Rating: Full Price  The Wonder Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film: A Small Circle of Friends (1980) R   Set in the late 1960s, three students start college with their futures bright and set. Leo (Brad Davis) is determined to accomplish big things, including being the editor of the Harvard student newspaper. Jessica (Karen Allen) is just as relentless and becomes Leo’s girlfriend. Nick (Jameson Parker) is a premed student who becomes the two’s best friend, though Nick is secretly in love with Jessica. As they go through their college years, they learn the world is very different than what they thought it was, and it is changing before their eyes. I love Karen Allen in this film, full of fire and passion, as Jessica becomes aware that her sheltered world wasn’t real life. A Small Circle of Friends is an excellent look at the late 60s and what it was like to go through an America that seemingly was coming apart.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Small Circle of Friends Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Slumberland: Swamper

Coming Soon to Screen Near You: Spoiler Alert (2022) PG-13  Michael Ausiello (Jim Parsons) is a famous and successful media critic but has never had success with love. He meets Kit (Ben Aldridge), a man who falls for Michael, even his rather large Smurf collection. Then Kit comes down with cancer, and everything changes. Michael Ausiello (Ausiello to his fans) is one of my favorite TV critics, and I can’t wait to see this movie.    Spoiler Alert Website  In theatres in mid-December.

Until Next Time!

Army of the Dead

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View: Army of the Dead (2021) R   Following an outbreak of zombies in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries venture into the quarantine zone to pull off the heist to end all heists. Let me tell you upfront; this is a bloody, gory, brains flying everywhere, bodies being destroyed in every way possible type of movie. The film has possibly the bloodiest credit sequence in the history of cinema but make no mistake; I loved every minute of it. The film does a magical job of giving us background on the story's main characters, showing us how their lives were before Zombies and then how good they were at killing the Zombies once the invasion had commenced. Dave Bautista is the leader of the gang sent in to recover 200 million in cash from the vault of a Las Vegas casino. It seems to be an impossible task, but it seems that most of the gang that Bautista gathers is either bored with their post-zombie life, or they have nothing to live for after losing most of their loved ones via Zombies. The music is a blast, making some of the scenes funnier and helps give us a bit of hope from a rather bleak foregone conclusion that most of the gang isn’t going to survive. Army of the Dead is a little too long, coming in at almost two and half hours, but once the action starts, it doesn’t let up until the end, or does it?   My Rating: Full Price   Army of the Dead Website    Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) R   A teenage murder witness (Finn Little) turns for help from a forest firefighter (Angelina Jolie) in the Montana wilderness as he is being pursued by two assassins who are determined to kill him, even if it takes burning down the whole forest to do it. This is a film that met my expectations, which weren’t very high. It’s fun to watch Jolie do a few action sequences that remind you that it used to be her genre, but the film is very weak in plot, with the few twists and turns the script does being seen a mile away. Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen play the bad guys (I think they are brothers, but it never was quite clear about that), and for professional assassins, they kind of suck at their jobs. They seem to mess up just about everything, letting the kid escape from what should have been an easy target, and the chase is on. There is a nice turn of events about halfway through the film that made the ending feel a bit better but still, this is one of those films that feels it was put together from the parts of other movies. As my first film coming back into the theatre, I wanted more of a spectacle with the forest fire, but as with much of the film, I was a bit let down by it.    My Rating; Bargain Matinee    Those Who Wish Me Dead Website   Now playing in select theatres and on the HBO Max Platform.

Indiefest: Profile (2018) R   An undercover British journalist named Amy (Valene Kane) uses the Internet to bait and hopefully expose a terrorist recruiter (Shazad Latif). Things start to get real when she begins to be sucked into the world by her recruiter and soon must decide whether she will be lured into becoming a militant extremist herself. The film is an interesting watch because it takes place all on the computer of Amy, as we see just how she creates a false identity to try to become a recruit of a terrorist. It’s a well-done premise, letting us experience Amy’s point of view from the birds-eye of the computer, as she juggles her real-life (can she pay the rent, should she move in with her boyfriend, is that dress the right one to wear out to dinner) with her fake life of a young, impressionable woman who is unhappy with her life and wants more, just the type a terrorist recruiter is looking for. The problem I had with this film is that very quickly, Amy starts making more and more unreasonable decisions. We are supposed to believe that Amy is falling for the recruiter, but the problem is Amy is not a naive, young high-school student but a seasoned freelance journalist who has a good support group of friends and a loving boyfriend. I just didn’t believe that this woman would, in just a series of days, turn from an intelligent, level-headed, careful woman to one who is willing to risk her life making horrible decisions.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Profile Website  Now playing is select theatres. 

My View: The Woman in the Window (2021) R   Anna (Amy Adams) is a woman confined to her apartment by her agoraphobia. She befriends a neighbor, Jane (Julianne Moore), who tries to help Anna overcome her fear. One night, Anna looks out her window and sees Jane being assaulted. She calls the police to report the crime, only to discover that everything she knows about her friend Jane is not true and worse, Jane could be a figment of her imagination. I love Amy Adams, but boy, she is asked to do a lot with very little. I had more fun trying to figure out all the old movies that Anna watched then working out the plot in this film. The biggest problem is that Anna fears open spaces, limiting what your main character, the hero of the story, can do. This film is being compared to Hitchcock’s Rear Window because both characters are housebound and witness a crime looking out through a window into someone else’s home. The difference (besides the superior filmmaking of Hitchcock) is that we never doubt that Jimmy Stewarts' character witnessed something terrible; wherein this film, we question if anything Anna sees is real or a figment of her imagination. The plot is razor-thin, with so many twists that it becomes a joke that something else has been added to the storyline to make us doubt Anna. The Woman in the Window is one case of murder that I really didn’t care if it got solved or not.   My Rating: Cable    The Woman in the Window Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: The Djinn (2021) R   Dylan (Ezra Dewey) is a mute boy who has just moved into an apartment with his father (Rob Brownstein). When his father leaves him alone to work the overnight shift, Dylan discovers a book that promises to give him his greatest desire. However, that wish is granted only with a price. This film is an interesting little horror film that loses steam about halfway through. The setup is well done. We know that Dylan is troubled by the loss of his mother and is forced to do what all kids dread doing, stay at home at night in a new house alone. The film has a few good ‘jump out of the dark’ scenes once Dylan decides to use the book, but the film starts dragging as Dylan is forced to battle the Djinn in the apartment. I loved the 80s feel score of the film, and Ezra Dewey is excellent as the strong-willed Dylan; I just felt that the film could have been a much better short film than trying to drag out the storyline for a feature.    My Rating; Bargain Matinee    The Djinn Website  Now playing in select theatres and is available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Killing of Two Lovers (2020) R   David (Clayne Crawford) is a father who is struggling to keep his large family together. He is separated from his wife Nikki (Sepideh Moafi), and things get complicated when Nikki starts up a new relationship. I can’t express just how good Clayne Crawford (who I loved in the TV series Rectify) is in the part of David, so torn up about his broken marriage that he is questioning if he can let it continue. This is a film that pulls you in from the start, and you want to stay to the end to see just how it will turn out. Crawford gets everything out of every scene, when in loud, angry arguments with his wife Nikki, or just his silence when on a date gone wrong. This is a film about love and how it changes over time, as relationships and people age and learn. We see the pain and anguish in the couple's faces as they try to figure out if what they once had is worth reviving or are they just in it for the love of their children. The Killing of Two Lovers is a film that makes you understand that relationships aren’t easy, that they take work, and sometimes things are just too overwhelming to deal with.   My Rating: Full Price    The Killing of Two Lovers Website   Now playing in select theatres and is available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: A Woman Under the Influence (1974)    When alone, Mabel (Gena Rowlands) and Nick (Peter Falk) have a fun and loving marriage. However, when in public or around other people, including kids, Mabel shows a different side, suggesting that Mable is dealing with a mental illness. This film was written and directed by John Cassavetes, stars his real-life wife Gena Rowlands, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Rowlands is brilliant in the role of Mabel, a woman who has problems but so does her husband; it's just that Mabel is expected to be one way and Nick another. When Nick brings his work crew home to have dinner at 7 in the morning, he is seen as funny and spontaneous. When Mabel has trouble relating to other people or acts like a kid, she is seen as troubled. I have always felt that as good as Ellen Burstyn was in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Rowlands was better in this film and deserved the Oscar that Burstyn won.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    A Woman Under the Influence Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Djinn:  No Fish Were Harmed in the Making of this Film

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: P!nk: All I Know So Far (2021)   Documentary that gives us a behind the scenes look at Pink as she balances her family life with her performing life as she prepares for her first Wembley Stadium appearance on the 2019 Beautiful Trauma tour. I love Pink and can’t wait to see this doc.    Pink: All I Know So Far Info

Until Next Time!

Zack Snyder's Justice League

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 63 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2017) PG-13   Batman (Ben Affleck) is inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act in Batman vs. Superman and decides to enlist Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to form a team of superheroes to face an enemy that threatens humanity. Having once, when in film school, thought about making a career as an editor, I have always held the editor’s job in the filmmaking process a key role. I have usually do not like ‘Director’s Cuts’ of films because usually the film gets added footage that can make the film feel bloated or drag the film down. Well, not this time. Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League is a far better film than the one that Josh Wheadon took over control of five years ago. Yes, the film is a little over four hours old, but it doesn’t feel like it (and by the way, it is made up of sections, so you can pause it if you like to take a break or two). Now in no way, shape or form is it a great film but is it an improvement? Yes, yes, it is. I think the difference is the time we get with each superhero, getting to understand why they do what they do and also, more importantly, why they are willing to become a team when each hero is used to being their own one-man or woman army. I’m still not convinced that Snyder fully understands the Superman character and what he stands for, but I came away enjoying this film, and it’s been enough time since the first version came out that the film felt almost new to me.   My Rating: Full Price (up from the Bargain Matinee that I gave the first version on Nov. 17th, 2017).   Zack Snyder's Justice League Website    Now playing on the HBO Max platform.

Indiefest: Last Call (2021) R    Mick (Jeremy Piven) comes back to his old Philly neighborhood and must decide to help raze the area for a new casino or kiss the big opportunity good-bye and resurrect his family’s bar. This is obviously a passion project for director/co-writer Paolo Pilladi. You can see that he cares about this neighborhood and the characters that inhabit it. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a story in the plot. The film follows Mick as he goes from one drinking session to another with a bunch of pals from his neighborhood that he left behind to make it good. Mick works for a real estate boss who wants Mick’s help in bringing a casino to the neighborhood. Mick has come back to bury his mother and possibly put his father (Jack McGee) in a home. While back in the neighborhood, Mick rekindles an old romance with the girl next door, Ali (Taryn Manning). There is absolutely no chemistry between Piven and Manning, with their scenes feeling like the two actors who didn’t really want to be in the same scene with each other. The plot is razor-thin, and the ending is so quick and sloppy that you almost get whiplash from it. If you want to watch a film about a bunch of guys ripping on each other and drinking a lot, this is your film; otherwise, you will have a better time going down to the corner bar yourself and having a drink or two.     My Rating: Cable     Last Call Website     The film is currently playing in select theatres and is available to rent on participating on-demand services

Indiefest: Quo Vadis, Adia? (2020)   Aida (Jasna Djuricic) is a translator for the UN in a small town in Bosnia. When the Serbian army takes over the town, Aida and her two sons take shelter in a UN refugee camp. Soon Aida must decide to use her inside information to stay or try an escape with her two sons before it is too late. It is just a heartbreaking story about the love of a mother and wife who tries as hard as she can to save her family against the odds and the bureaucracy of war. Jasna Djuricic is a force on the screen, and her performance is why this film has an Academy Award nomination. The film is filled with sadness and a feeling of lost hope, but Aida never gives up, never stops pleading for the lives of her loved ones to be saved as the clock ticks down to a precious few. Quo Vadis, Adia? is one of the best films of the year and deserves to be seen by everyone.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (2021) R   This is a documentary that uses reenactments to investigate the mastermind behind the scam to sneak kids of the rich and famous into top U.S. universities. Interesting concept on how to do a documentary, with Mathew Modine playing Rick Singer, the man who set up the scam, using the actual wiretaps to provide Rick’s dialogue. I enjoyed this documentary because it shows how Singer started up this idea to beat the system and just how far the privileged were willing to go, to make sure that their kids could get into the most prestigious schools. This is a strange but fascinating film, giving us a look at an almost fatally flawed system. What is sad is like their parents at a fancy restaurant, the kids in this film could have sat at a table and been just fine; they had to sit at the best table money could buy.   My Rating: Full Price   Now playing on the Netflix platform.

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Hot Water (2021)   A young kid thinks he has what it takes to compete on the pro jet ski tour. With a cast straight out of Baywatch comes a movie with a horrible tag line: ‘The Funniest Ride of the Summer.’ I’ve watched the trailer, and the only thing funny about this film is that it got made.    Hot Water Website

Forgotten Film: Love Jones (1997) R Darius (Larenz Tate) is a young poet in Chicago that meets the love of his life, Nina (Nia Long), a talented photographer, and they have to figure out if their relationships is real and just how deep. What I love about this film is that the couple have real conversations about what they want in life and in other people. They have ups and downs, but you have to trust that someday, someway, they will end up together. Anchored by a great cast, a very cool city, and incredible chemistry between the two leads, and you have one of the better romantic films of the 90s.   My Rating: Full Price    Love Jones Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Drapes Master

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Shoplifters of the World (2021)   In the summer of 1987, four friends get together to party and mourn the break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths. Simultaneously, a Smiths fan takes a radio DJ hostage and makes him play nothing but Smiths songs all night. Hey, The Smiths were a great band, and the casting of Joe Manganiello, Nick Krause, Elena Kampouris, James Bloor, and Helena Howard is pretty cool, so I have hope for this one.     Shoplifters of the World Website

Until Next Time!

The Croods: A New Age

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 62 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

Familyfaire: The Croods: A New Age (2020) PG   Your favorite prehistoric family, the Croods, are back! There is a new family in the neighborhood, the Bettermans, led by Hope (Leslie Mann) and Phil (Peter Dinklage), who claim to be better and more evolved. Can Grug (Nicolas Cage) and Ugga (Catherine Keener) keep their family on the right track, or will their kids lose their way when shown how the Bettermans live? I liked the first The Croods film, immensely enjoying the antics of Grug, voiced by Nicolas Cage, who as the dim but caring caveman made the film seem fun and enjoyable. This time around, there isn’t much to add to the story other than the Bettermans, a modern-like family that makes the Croods seem like, well, cavemen. The Croods: A New Age isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t bring much more to the storyline. Kids will enjoy the movie, and there are plenty of colorful, wild animals to keep the smaller kids involved.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     The Croods: A New Age Website    The film is currently playing in select theatres.

My View: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) R   In 1927 Chicago, tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player, Levee (Chadwick Boseman), and the management determined to control the headstrong Ma Rainey, the ‘Mother of the Blues.’ It’s hard to take a stage play and make it work on the screen, but boy, this film makes it work. Boy, does it! The late Chadwick Boseman gives us one last performance, and it is one for the ages. Using all his energy and charisma, Boseman provides us with a man who has talent and lets everyone know it, but there is something wrong with Levee, a man who is haunted by his past. Not to be outdone, Viola Davis, almost unrecognizable behind all the makeup and costume padding, is powerful and commanding as the demanding Ma Rainey, a woman who knows she has a gift and is willing only to share that gift when her demands are met. This is a film that will move you and, at times, will shock you. It is a fitting tribute to a man who we will all miss, and once the movie ends, is filled with the sadness of knowing that a great career was cut way too short.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Website   The film is playing exclusively in the Atlanta area at Landmark Midtown Art.

Indiefest: Stardust (2020)   A young David Bowie (Johnny Flynn) comes to America for the first time in 1971 on a trip that inspires the invention of Bowie’s iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust. It’s hard to make a film about a legendary musician like Bowie without playing his songs, but that’s what we get with Stardust. Johnny Flynn does a fine job playing Bowie, and his singing voice is a nice copy, but the problem is that we never get the feeling from the film why Bowie was such a magnetic force on stage. The movie just slowly moves along, as we get depressed as much as Bowie does when he realizes that his dreams of becoming a big star are crumbling away. The film never finds its footing, and while we get a short vision of Bowie’s creation of an alien rock star named Ziggy at the end of the film, it has nothing of the impact that it should have. David and Ziggy deserve more than what this film gives them.    My Rating: Cable     Stardust Website     The film is currently playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Last Call (2020)   Before there were rock stars, there was writer Dylan Thomas (Rhys Ifans). In 1953, Dylan Thomas is on his final tour, where he was captivating audiences with his poetry and stories. In New York City, Thomas walked into a Tavern and pondered his life as he downed eighteen doubles scotches. This is not an easy film to watch as a man slowly before our eyes drinks himself to death. I’m not a big fan of Thomas’s work and therefore didn’t enjoy the constant reciting of his work as we flashback to his performances before an audience on his tour. The film feels somewhat like a stage play, as most of the action takes place in the bar as Thomas downs each shot, giving the bartender and the other fellows at the bar his thoughts of love, life, and death. It’s a mesmerizing performance by Rhys Ifans, but it's not enough to keep the film moving at even a slow pace. The film becomes almost repetitive as we watch Dylan keep downing his drinks. The film moves from the bar to flashback to happier or sad times in his past, along with imagined appearances by his wife, Caitlin (Romola Garai). The film slowly moves along, and like Dylan Thomas, it very quickly wears out its welcome.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Last Call Info      The film is currently playing in select theatres.

My View: Uncle Frank (2020) R   In 1973, college professor Frank Bledsoe (Paul Bettany) and his Eighteen-year-old niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis), journey back to South Carolina to attend Frank’s father’s funeral. Frank has many secrets that he wishes would remain hidden, but this trip home will be painful, and those secrets will spill out. Uncle Frank is an interesting film because even though Beth is the narrator of the film and the first third of the film is from her viewpoint, the main story and character is her Uncle Frank. Frank has a secret, one he has kept hidden and is ashamed of. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed Beth and her view of the world. The switch to focus on Frank is a bit sudden, and we never quite get the focus back on Beth. Instead, it’s Frank's story for the rest of the film. Bettany shines as the likable but troubled Frank, and his journey back home brings back memories that he would like to forget. It’s a complex performance that is full of passion and pain. Because of the performances in the film, it’s worth taking a road trip with Beth and Uncle Frank.   My Rating: Full Price    Uncle Frank Website     Available on the Amazon Prime platform.

My View: Happiest Season (2020) PG-13   Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are in love, so much so that Abby is going to propose to Harper when they go to Harper’s childhood home for Christmas. The problem is that Harper’s family doesn’t know Harper is a lesbian, and now Abby will have to pretend that she and Harper are just roommates. What could go wrong? This is a nice addition to the ‘home for the holidays’ genre with a wonderful twist on the romantic comedy to spice it up. Davis and Stewart have brilliant chemistry on screen together, and while a few of the comedy pieces are a bit too broad, the film is still fun, sweet, and a blast to watch. Mary Steenburgen is funny as the high-strung mom trying to coordinate not only a Christmas holiday but also her husband's (Victor Garber) bid to become mayor. The cast that stand out are Dan Levy as the gay best friend of Abby, who is more interested in his problems until he realizes Abby’s world is crashing down and Mary Holland as the odd, overeager younger sister Mary. Both bring an energy to the storyline and are a delight to watch. So grab some cocoa, put up the stockings, and watch Abby and Harper try to survive the holidays.   My Rating: Full Price     Happiest Season Info    Available on the Hulu platform.

My View: Hillbilly Elegy (2020) R    The story of J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), who goes back to his Appalachian home to revisit his childhood and the two women, his strong-willed grandmother (Glen Close) and his troubled mother (Amy Adams). What a colossal waste of talent. The film moves back and forth from when J.D. is a kid and in the present where J.D. is in law school. The biggest problem is while the younger J.D. is somewhat enjoyable as a kid who needs guidance and love, the adult J.D. is a stupid jerk who is mad at the world and doesn’t deserve his loyal and loving girlfriend. The film feels like one of those movies that can’t live up to the book's complexity. The storyline seems skimpy as we never get enough depth to understand why the characters are the way they are. Sure, there are some flashbacks, but the film seems like just trying to throw as much stuff on the screen as it can without a lot of substance. I was bored by this film, didn’t care about its characters, and wanted it to end as soon as possible.   My Rating: Cable     Hillbilly Elegy Website   Available on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  Zappa (2020)   Documentary that looks at the life and work of legendary rock musician and composer Frank Zappa. Zappa was a very complex man who put out an incredible amount of music in his lifetime, which makes tell his story so hard to do. Filmmaker Alex Winter, who has already had a good year with his documentary Showbiz Kids and starring as Bill in Bill & Ted Face the Music, tries to give us the life story of a man who was a rock legend but considered himself a composer. Using vast amounts of previously unseen home movies, concert footage, and behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, the film is a treasure trove of sights and sounds for any Frank Zappa fan. The film using past interview recordings, let’s Frank tell his own story because if there was one thing that Frank liked to talk about, it was himself. The documentary interviews  band members, fellow musicians, and Gail, Frank's long time wife. The film doesn’t pull punches as we find out that Frank considered only his immediate family as his close friends, and that he wasn’t shy about sleeping with other women while on the road. I learned a lot about Frank from this film; his strange childhood (he liked to make bombs), that he never studied music but was self-taught (impressive for a man who composed for orchestras), and while Frank loved his family, he wasn’t close to them. In fact, his daughter Moon Unit made Zappa’s only hit Valley Girl with him just to get him to pay attention to her. The film is packed in its little over two hours run time with information, but it doesn’t seem like enough time as his early career is given the bulk of the film, and what some consider his best work in the late 70s into the 80s is barely talked about. Frank Zappa wasn’t for everybody; in fact, often, he pissed off audiences at his concerts as he played what he wanted to, not what they wanted him to. This film also isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan or want to know more about a fascinating musician whose work is vast and impressive, this is a movie for you.    My Rating: Full Price    Zappa Website     The film is currently playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Columbus (2017)   Jin (John Cho) is a Korean-born man who finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, because his father is in a coma. He meets Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), a young woman who is staying in Columbus because she has to support her mother, who is a recovering addict. Writer/director Kogonada brings us a magical film about family, relationships, and dreaming of things that you think can't come true. The film takes place in Columbus, Indiana, the “Midwest Mecca of Architecture,” and it's magnificent buildings are the backdrop for this film. Every shot utilizes these brilliant buildings, making you feel a part of the landscape. What I love about this film is that the two characters slowly peel back the layers of Jin and Casey as their conversations continue. The characters become part of the architecture, interacting with it and exploring it. Casey has even-numbered her favorite buildings like a film lover would rate movies. Columbus is a movie that will hold you spellbound as it explores the importance of relationships, the ones we honor, and the ones we have to leave to better ourselves.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Columbus Info  

Weird Credits: From the credits of Stardust: Intimacy Coordinators

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Let Them All Talk (2020) R   A famous author (Meryl Streep) is having trouble writing her latest book. She decides to go on a cruise trip with her two best friends (Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen) and her nephew (Lucas Hedges). On it, she hopes she finds inspiration, reconnects with her friends, and maybe even come to terms with her troubled past. The film is directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich) and stars Meryl Streep. I think that is all I need in a movie.       Let Them All Talk Info

Until Next Time!