The End of Oak Street

My View:  The End of Oak Street  (2026)  PG-13  In The End of Oak Street, the Platt family must band together after a mysterious event rips their ordinary street out of its location and transports it back in time. The family must stick together because some enormous animals are roaming the neighborhood, called dinosaurs. This is a movie that I call “just stupid fun.” Now you want to leave your thinking brain at the door, see it with an audience so you can react with the crowd at all the dino kills (and there are a ton of them), and just have a good time. The film is based on an incredibly flimsy plot, a family dynamic that doesn’t always work, and some just God-awful dialogue. However, it has dinosaurs attacking anything that moves and in very brutal ways. It, in the Spielberg tradition, has stupid kids that somehow stay alive against the odds and a cast of supporting characters that you can’t wait to see get chomped by a dinosaur or two. I had to overlook the dynamic of the parents, played by Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, who fight and bicker through a good two-thirds of the movie. And it has an ending so full of holes you could fit a whole slew of T-Rexes in it. Still, I had fun watching the film, but try to forget about it as soon as you leave the theater, or you might start not to like it. And by the way, watch where you step while on Oak Street; the dinos apparently crap a lot. A bit of a warning for families: the kills are pretty brutal, and there is a scene between two amorous dinosaurs that may take some explaining to young ones.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The End of Oak Street Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  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 film gets high marks right off the bat because Sophie’s life revolves around her landing the lead in Waitress, one of my favorite Broadway musicals. Add in the always-fascinating Melanie Lynskey as the loving mother of three whose life is being upended, and you have a movie worth watching. Lynskey portrays a parent who has to weigh the heavy burden of knowing her daughter is not well against the constant teen angst of her daughter, who has a crush on the boy playing her co-lead in the musical and doesn’t have the confidence to handle the role or the crush. Sunny Sandler has worked her way up to become a solid actress and is perfect in the role of a girl who might be a little too young for what she is going through, but will figure out by the end of the film that she can handle it with a little help from her family and friends. And yes, the show-stopping song from the musical, Sara Bareilles' She Used to Be Mine, is left for the end of the film, and Sandler knocks it out of the park for an ending that hits all the right notes. So get out some tissues and get ready for a few tears along the way as we follow Sophie as she navigates a time she will never forget.  My Rating: Full Price   Don't Say Good Luck Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest:  Olmo  (2025)  Olmo follows a 14-year-old boy named Olmo (Aivan Uttapa) who is constantly saddled with caring for his bedridden father, Nestor (Gustavo Sánchez Parra), by his mother and sister. When Olmo is invited to a party by the cute girl in the neighborhood, he has to figure out a way that he can leave his father behind in the house as he attends the party. This is a fine coming-of-age film about a teen who feels overwhelmed by having to take care of a father who he thinks doesn’t care about him, all the while wanting to be next to the girl of his dreams. Olmo is a typical teen who is a little selfish and makes bad decisions, as teens often do. The problem is that he is given the task of taking care of his father, and everything he tries to do to get someone else to take care of his father falls through. Writer/director Fernando Eimbcke does a masterful job of letting us into the family's dynamics, with a mother who must be the breadwinner while relying on her two teenage children to care for their father when she is away. And both kids have issues with their father, who isn’t an easy person to be around, while also depending totally on others even to change his shirt or go to the bathroom. This is a beautiful film about family and how responsibility can be overpowering, especially when you are a teen who is controlled more by his desires than by his brain.  My Rating: Full Price  Olmo Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma  (2026)   R  Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma follows Kris (Hannah Eindbinder), an ambitious indie filmmaker who is hired to reboot the long-running slasher franchise Camp Miasma, which features a killer named Little Death. Wanting her film to be authentic, Kris tracks down Billy (Gillian Anderson), an actress from the original 1970s film, who lives at the rustic campsite where Camp Miasma was filmed. Kris does not know what she has gotten herself into. There has been some talk about how films are cutting sex out of their movies because audiences don’t want it. Well, filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun says “hold my beer!” and gives us a film where sex becomes one of the main elements. As with her earlier film I Saw the TV Glow, Teenage Sex and Death starts fairly conventional, but as it goes along, it gets weirder and weirder. Though an early sign of what we are in for is Kris’s navigation system sending her down a road that doesn’t seem to exist, and there are times when the shots of the scenery seem right out of an illustration. This film is a hodgepodge of genres. It’s an homage to the slasher films of the 70s/80s like Friday the 13th, with flashback scenes from the first Camp Miasma film that fit the 70s slasher films look and feel, along with the blatant teen sex scenes where bad things happen when someone gets romantic. But this is also a satire of Hollywood's search for the next big thing, rebooting old film series with new filmmakers. And we get a relationship film between Kris, who admits that she hasn’t enjoyed sex in a long time, and Billy, who forces Kris to investigate why. This film was a bit hit-and-miss for me. I loved the performances of both Hannah Einbinder as the uptight, full-of-herself filmmaker who falls under Billy’s spell and Gillian Anderson, who radiates sexual chemistry with just a look and a quick laugh. I loved all the flashbacks to the 70s films, which capture the absurdity of those slasher films in all their bloody glory. However, the film gets a little too weird for me to fully enjoy the outcome (though I loved the final scene), and it doesn’t quite work at the dramatic level it aspires to. Still, it’s a film worthy of watching, especially for slasher film fans and for the brilliance of Gillian Anderson.   My Rating : Bargain Matinee Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: The Wrong Girls  (2026)  R  The Wrong Girls follows best friends Frankie (Kristen Stewart) and Molly (Alia Shawkat), who live paycheck to paycheck while getting high as much as possible. The two accidentally gain telepathic powers after taking an experimental drug, and things go downhill from there. This stoner comedy never got going for me, almost from the start. Frankie and Molly's solution to everything is to light one up, no matter what obstacle is in their way. The script tries too hard to make everything funny, and we never get a chance to catch our breath (mostly because of all the pot smoke) to get to know the characters. The plot is so half-baked (pun intended) that I think the writers got into the girls’ stash before the outline was done. Trying to explain the plot is too much for me to handle, but the two get some sort of weird drug that gives them powers to hear each other’s thoughts and also hear what their two beloved cats are thinking. The cats, voiced by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani, constantly commenting on their owners, were the only times I laughed during the film. Dylan Meyer directs the film, and the supporting cast includes several brilliant comedians who are wasted and have almost nothing to do but look puzzled at everything our blitzed-out duo has to say. I guess I should have smoked one before I got to the theater like the guy in front of me must have done, because he laughed at almost every line in the film.  My Rating: Cable  The Wrong Girls Website   Now playing in theaters 

Indiefest:  The Rivals of Amziah King  (2025)  R    The Rivals of Amziah King is about a beekeeper and musician, Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey), who runs his honey empire in the backwoods of Oklahoma. His estranged foster daughter, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), returns after many years and learns the business under his tutelage. Ruthless rivals will threaten that business; Kateri will have to draw on all her strength to protect what Amziah has built. Matthew McConaughey is a force of nature as Amziah, a man who loves his life, his music, his bees, and his vast group of friends. McConaughey is perfect as a man full of love, expressing it through his music and philosophy. As soon as he recognizes Kateri, one of his former foster children, he invites her back into his world with open arms, wanting to share with her the world as he sees it, and of course, his bees. This is one of those performances only McConaughey can pull off. Newcomer Angelina LookingGlass matches him in a dazzling performance in her first feature-film role. LookingGlass keeps up with McConaughey as the wide-eyed, fast-learning Kateri, who loves soaking up Amziah’s knowledge about bees and how their world mirrors ours. This is a strange mix of genres: part coming-of-age film, part revenge film, with a lot of music that brings you joy every time you hear Amziah and his friends perform. The first half is a fast, joyous ride with a group led by the dynamic Amziah. Then the plot turns, and things get very serious, but it never forgets about what happened in the first half. This is a wild ride with plenty of twists and turns, filled with a bluegrass/folk blend of music that will make you want to stay to the end. It’s a film about a group of people filled with hearts of gold who work together to right a wrong. And that gold might come from a bunch of Amziah’s bees. My Rating: Full Price  The Rival of Amziah King Website  Now playing in theaters 

Forgotten Film:  In the Mouth of Madness  (1994)  R  A famous horror writer’s books are causing the readers to literally lose their minds, as the best-selling book is causing widespread schizophrenia. The writer, Sutter Cane, has gone missing, and the publisher, needing the next book to satisfy the writer’s crazed fans, hires an investigator, John Trent (Sam Neil), to find the writer. Trent is joined by the writer’s editor (Julie Carmen), and they end up in the New England town where Cane’s books are all set. This is a fun horror film that plays on the Stephen King-like author whose work is far more evil than anyone thought. Directed by horror master John Carpenter, has some truly scary moments, and it’s always fun to watch the late Sam Neil work on screen. Watching this film might make you hesitate to read the next horror book by Mr. King or any of your other horror writers.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  In the Mouth of Madness Info  The film is available on most streaming services

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma: Lead Environment Artist

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Never Stop Chasing  (2026)   Never Stop Chasing is a documentary that follows the career of legendary storm chaser Reed Timmer as he pursues the world’s most dangerous tornadoes with friends and colleagues for the past 20 years. The film is a rollercoaster ride about a job that Timmer loves, but at a price. Reed Timmer was the inspiration for Glen Powell’s character Tyler Owens in the 2024 film Twisters.  Never Stop Chasing Website  The film comes out in select theaters on Friday, August 21, 2026

Until Next Time!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

My View:  Spider-Man: Brand New Day  (2026)  PG-13 In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s been four years since Doctor Strange’s memory-erasing spell, and Peter (Tom Holland) lives alone in New York City, dedicated to fighting crime full-time. His love, MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), have no memory of Peter, but a new, powerful villain who can alter their form will force Peter to reconnect with his long-lost friends. It’s been a lonely four years since Doctor Strange did his thing, and Spidey’s love of his life and his best friend, along with a lot of other people, forgot that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The closest thing to a friend Spider-Man has is Detective Jean De Wolff (Liza Colon-Zayas), who is just a working relationship: Spider-Man leaves the bad guys in a web and lets her know where they are. He is still reeling from the loss of his rock, his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), still putting flowers on her grave. To make matters worse, Peter suddenly feels his arachnid side dominating his human side, and it’s not fun, including losing his humanity when under its control. And in walks a new bad guy who can take over anyone’s body and get into their mind. That means that Spider-Man has no clue who this bad guy is and what they want, but it’s not good. In one of the best Marvel films of the past few years (I did like Thunderbolts), our hero is going through a lot, facing an enemy who can’t be figured out. Spidey has to ask for help from one of the most uncooperative super-heroes out there, The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who Spider-Man won’t let you forget he saved his life, and The Punisher owes him. I loved the fact that Marvel has allowed us to get to know The Punisher (in his own series), and so we already know his attitude toward any help. Oh, and by the way, a few other bad guys show up along the way, and a certain big green guy who isn’t happy and wants to smash a few things. And of course, Peter has to find MJ (Zendaya) to see how she is doing. So get ready to swing through New York as Spider-Man tackles a mysterious villain who keeps switching bodies, calling on unlikely allies like The Punisher and encountering familiar faces, both good and bad. The action sequences are visually inventive, showcasing Spider-Man's web shooters and letting Tom Holland shine emotionally and comedically. Don't miss the bonus scene after the credits, teasing Spider-Man's return; hopefully, it won’t be another four years.  My Rating: Full Price  Spider-Man: Brand New Day Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  I Want Your Sex  (2026)  R   I Want Your Sex follows the adventures of Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), who thinks he has landed his dream job at the art gallery of renowned and provocative artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). Soon, Elliot’s fantasies come true as Erika hires him to become her sex slave muse. However, Elliot soon discovers that his life is now full of obsession, betrayal, and maybe even murder. After seeing this film at the Atlanta Film Festival, my first thought was: did the Intimacy Coordinator go home every night from the set and have a stiff drink? And how much fun did the costume designers have coming up with the outfits that Olivia Wilde wore? Cooper Hoffman is hilarious as Elliot, a young man who at first thinks he has the best job in the world, until things get really strange and then really dangerous because his boss is nuts. Wilde is perfect as the artist who thinks her artwork is so wonderful and artistic that she can get away with anything, and people won’t care because she is so talented. As the relationship between Elliot and Erika gets more and more complicated, we squirm a bit in our seats, wondering just how far Elliot will let himself be dragged into Erika’s strange and kinky world. This is a film about two people who see differently how sexual consent works. It’s also about the insanity of the art world, where one moment an artwork made of chewing gum can be seen as priceless and the next as worthless. This film about sexual attitudes and changing mores wouldn’t work without the fearlessness of its two principal actors, who explore sexuality, desire, and the sometimes absurd world of art with abandon and glee.  My Rating: Full Price  I Want Your Sex Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Above & Below  (2026)   Above & Below is about five friends who embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving. During a thrilling caged dive to see sharks, they uncover a stash of cartel cocaine, forcing them to survive both Great White sharks and a ruthless gang of criminals. Above & Below is one of those films where, in the first five minutes, you can pick who will survive and who will die. The only question is, will the kill be by a human or a shark? Antonio Banderas plays the main bad guy in this film, and as always, it’s a fun watch. Banderas whispers about half his lines and has fun playing the mastermind whose drugs are now shark bait. For fans of this genre, the sharks aren’t quite as menacing as I would have liked, as there are only a few times that the sharks really go to town. I will say, one kill is a lot of fun, and Laura Marano does a nice job in her battle with a great white. The ending feels a little too easy to come about, and the plot seems a bit generic. I think it needed a bit more bite.   My Rating: Cable  Above & Below Info   Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Peter Asher: Everywhere Man  (2025)  Documentary about Peter Asher, who started as part of the British Invasion of the 60s as part of the duo Peter and Gordon, and when the duo broke up, he became a record producer and manager of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he was in a bunch of British movies as a child, produced records for major stars such as Cher, Bonnie Raitt, and Diana Ross, and is a good friend of Paul McCartney. The film is part concert film from his touring show about his life and music, and part documentary that interviews just about everyone famous in the music industry and beyond (Steve Martin and Eric Idle show up a lot). The film is a delight to watch because Asher is very talented and also seems like a truly nice guy. Someone you would love to spend time at a party or a dinner, talking about music, books, and everything else. And did I mention that when the Beatles were first starting, Paul McCartney dated Asher’s sister, lived in Peter’s parents’ house, and McCartney wrote a bunch of the songs that Peter and Gordon sang, including a throwaway song (that John hated) from McCartney that became Peter and Gordon’s first big hit. The film focuses on Asher’s time with the group, then on his discovery of James Taylor and on how he guided both Taylor and Ronstadt to superstardom. What I loved about Asher was that he was a cool guy who had fun and loved performing. We find out that when Linda Ronstadt toured in the late 70s, Asher was one of her backup vocalists. And by the way, he is probably the model for Mike Myers’ Austin Powers character. So, have a blast going on a musical journey into the 60s and 70s with Peter Asher. You won’t be disappointed, and you might notice how he dresses in the 60s, but don’t expect him to say “Oh Behave!”.   My Rating: Full Price  Peter Asher: Everywhere Man Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  The Deep  (1977)  PG  A honeymooning couple (Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset) are diving in waters off Bermuda when they discover a sunken WWII vessel. What was once a fun exploration of a sunken vessel becomes entangled with drug smugglers seeking more than a few pieces of gold. This was the follow-up book to Jaws by Peter Benchley, and he co-wrote the screenplay. The underwater sequences are incredible; John Barry's score is amazing, and the supporting cast of Robert Shaw, Louis Gossett Jr., and Eli Wallach helps make this film fun to watch. There is some controversy about this film, as the opening sequence shows Bisset diving in a T-shirt. The marketing department took a still of this without Bisset’s approval, and the wet T-shirt showed too much, making the film seem sexier than it actually was. Bisset was upset that she didn’t get credit for making the film, which was incredibly difficult due to the number of underwater action sequences she had to perform. Producer Peter Gruber claimed that the wet T-shirt made him wealthy, as The Deep was a big hit. Still, this film, along with Jaws, started a long line of underwater thrillers that keep going on today, though The Deep isn’t a shark film, and other than one attack by an eel, the danger comes from man.   My Rating: Full Price  The Deep Info  The film is available on most online formats.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Spider-Man: Brand New Day:  Standby Blues

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The End of Oak Street  (2026)  PG-13  The Platt family must band together after a mysterious event rips their ordinary street out of its location and transports it back in time. The family must stick together because there are some enormous animals roaming the neighborhood called dinosaurs. This is the year of Anne Hathaway, as she stars alongside Ewan McGregor in this film directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows (2014), Under the Silver Lake (2018)) and produced by J. J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek, Star Wars).   The End of Oak Street Website In theaters nationwide on Friday, August 14, 2026.

Until Next Time!

The Odyssey

My View:  The Odyssey  (2026)  R  The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, who goes on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), before Penelope succumbs to a nefarious suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson). Christopher Nolan is one of our best and most prolific filmmakers today. I mean, who else could get people to buy IMAX tickets a year before the film is released, without seeing a trailer or even footage? First, go see this film in a theater; the bigger the better. You may not be one of the lucky ones who live near an IMAX that is showing the movie on IMAX film (there are only 24 IMAX theaters in the US that are), at least see it in a theater that is showing it with 70 mm digital, or if you are lucky, a theater showing it on 70mm film. Do not wait to see this film on a computer or home screen. You need to see this film in a theater where the screen and its cinematography can immerse you in a world that is part horror, part fantasy, and a fantastic, mind-blowing epic journey. While this isn’t a full-out horror film, it has a cyclops that tears off men’s heads, giant armored men that can throw a man off his feet, and a witch that tricks men into eating unspeakable things, dragon-like monsters, sirens that can drive a man mad with their songs, plus numerous bloody battles that are incredibly violent. However, this is the story of Odysseus, a man who so believes in himself and his abilities that he can defy the Gods and make his own way home without their help. Odysseus is a man driven to return home but burdened by his past and his doubts about his ability to get back. He is a man who thinks he can’t be defeated and believes he is almost God-like, but because of this, he is prone to making very human mistakes, some of which he seems never to learn from. Nolan does a masterful job of turning a complex, long tale into a story. I suspect some will be scared off by the three-hour runtime, but the film moves at a pace that keeps the adventures of Odysseus and his men moving from one roadblock to another. The highlight of the film is the Trojan Horse portion (which surprised me by not being at the beginning of the film but about a third of the way in), which Nolan shows us with incredible flair and tension-building. Nolan also gets the most out of his cast, with Matt Damon carrying most of the heavy load of the hero of the story with energy and bravado. Tom Holland does a brilliant job as Odysseus’s son Telemachus, who is left behind by Odysseus when he was a baby and keeps the faith that his father will return to his rightful place as king. Robert Pattinson is perfect as the weasel Antinous, a man who plans to wed Penelope and become king, as he plots to kill Telemachus along the way. Pattinson’s performance is so good that I expected the audience to boo him at times. While they don’t do that, they did laugh at his attempts to get others to do his dastardly bidding. It’s to Nolan’s credit that there isn’t a bad performance in the cast, and it’s going to be hard to pick out which actors should be nominated for Oscars. I predict that, like Nolan’s Oppenheimer, this film will garner a slew of award nominations and be the frontrunner for Best Picture. The Odyssey is a magical film that combines the wonder of the old Ray Harryhausen films with the drama of Homer, Virgil, and Euripides. So put on your helmet and armor and go on an epic journey where one man tried to defy the gods and get back home. The journey is long but worth every step.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Odyssey Website   Now playing in theaters, including IMAX

Indiefest:  Romeria  (2025)  Spanish director Carla Simon gives us a tale of hidden secrets and discovery in Romeria. When Marina (Llucia Garcia) applies for a college scholarship, she learns that her late father never claimed to have a child. The only way she can claim the scholarship is by getting her father’s parents to sign a notarized document stating that she is indeed their daughter. Marina then travels to a seaside town to visit a side of her family that she has never known, as both her parents died when she was a baby, and then she was adopted. Marina soon discovers that her parents' story is a closely guarded secret, and she slowly peels it back through dogged determination to find the truth. This is a film that slowly builds, letting us get to know Marina, and we are along with her on a journey in a new land, guided only by her mother’s diary and a few morsels of information that her relatives reluctantly give. Llucia Garcia gives us a multi-layered performance of a character who is independent, determined, and, while mostly staying in the background at family gatherings, isn’t shy about asking about her parents, especially when alone with a family member. She also isn’t above eavesdropping on conversations about her and her parents when the family members don’t know she is listening. This is a film about how generations deal with grief and shame, trying to keep their troubles hidden behind locked doors, never publicly exposing the truth, and also keeping out any feelings for the deceased. Romeria is a story full of surprises and compassion for lost souls who never found their way back into the light until Marina dug further into their lives.  My Rating: Full Price  Romeria Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  The Python Hunt  (2025)   Every year, the state of Florida invites the public to hunt pythons in the Everglades. For 10 nights, a group of hunters from across the states and the world travel across the Everglades in search of the gigantic snakes, risking everything from poisonous snakes to boredom to win a cash prize and say they are python hunters. This documentary concentrates on some unique and bizarre individuals from a man from San Francisco who every day shaves another part of his beard, to a hard drinking 82-year-old woman who just wants the thrill of putting a knife into a pythons brain to a former professional snake hunter who has been suspended from hunting and is now a Door Dash deliver who dreams of hunting the big snakes again with his teen daughter. As you would expect from a documentary set in the Everglades of Florida, the people in this film are rather strange and seem more about being in the hunt than actually getting results. As the hunt goes on, we see people losing interest in going out every night (when the pythons are most active) and driving up and down roads, looking with spotlights for snakes that are hard to find, especially when you stay in your truck. The film embraces how ridiculous this hunt is and how little it accomplishes, while allowing the state of Florida to bring in tourists under the excuse of helping local wildlife. I loved the shots of pythons being illuminated by the searchers’ spotlights, but no one sees them as they move along undisturbed. The film does a great job of showing just how hard it is to hunt these reptiles and how the contest (just over 200 pythons killed in the ten days) is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the problem the snakes might pose. Or, as the film points out, that man himself is the problem with the vanishing wildlife and not the snakes themselves. So, grab a spotlight, get into your truck, and go out into the night with a strange and funny group of hunters. You might learn a thing or two; just watch where you walk when you get out of your truck.  My Rating: Full Price   The Python Hunt Website  Now playing in select theaters and available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Forgotten Film:  The Golden Voyage of Sinbad  (1973)  G  Sinbad (John Philip Law) goes on a quest to find three golden tablets that will give him access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge. Sinbad picks up a slave girl, Margiana (Caroline Munro), and they race against the evil magician Koura (Tom Baker), who will do anything to get the tablets. The film showcases Ray Harryhausen’s incredible stop-motion animation, featuring amazing, fantastical creatures, including a six-armed Kali statue that comes to life and engages in a sword battle with Sinbad. The storyline is a little weak, and John Philip Law looks great but can’t act, but it’s got the Harryhausen magic and one of the most beautiful actresses in cinema at the time, Caroline Munro, who, when I saw it in 1973, I was in love with. I can even tell you which theater I saw this film in.  My Rating:  Full Price (hey, a Cyclops Centaur, a Griffin, and a six-armed swordsman are worth the rating, don’t you think).  The Golden Voyage of Sinbad Info  The film is available on most online platforms

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Odyssey:  Bambooman

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Dink  (2026)  PG-13   The Dink follows a washed-up former tennis prodigy, Dusty (Jake Johnson), who, to survive, has been forced to teach tennis to children at his father’s (Ed Harris) failing country club. After Dusty is injured, his rehab assignment is pickleball, a sport that he thinks is stupid and beneath his talent. Little does he know, pickleball could save both the country club and his self-respect. The cast includes Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, tennis great Andy Roddick, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, and Chris Parnell.   The Dink Info  Premiering on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 24, 2026

Until Next Time!

The Devil Wears Prada 2

My View: The Devil Wears Prada 2  (2026)  PG-13  In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Miranda (Meryl Streep) is nearing retirement, and the sharks are circling around. In walks Andy (Anne Hathaway) to help Miranda, and is forced to take on her former assistant turned rival: Emily (Emily Blunt). Ever go back to your hometown and go out for a night with friends that you used to stay out until 4 am? And you realize around 10 pm that it’s not as fun as it was back then, and there is no way you are staying until 4 again. That’s what it’s like seeing The Devil Wears Prada 2. It’s fun and enjoyable, but it’s not the same feeling you got from the first film. The problem is, it’s been 20 years, and Andy is no longer naive, young, and eager to please. Well, maybe still eager to please. There isn’t anything wrong with this sequel, and all the actors are giving their all to the roles, but it’s hard for lightning to strike twice, and it never quite hits the mark like the first one. The saving grace of this film is the chemistry between Andy and Emily, making this film more about the two of them than about Andy and Miranda. Yes, there are dazzling fashions, and Miranda is still snarky with Streep giving great looks, but the film doesn’t have the bite or the charm of the first film. You will still have a good time, but you won’t want it to keep going (like those old parties you used to go to), and you'll be ready for it to be over.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Devil Wears Prada 2 Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Hokum  (2026)  R  Hokum follows Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), a horror writer, who travels to a remote part of Ireland to spread the ashes of his deceased parents, unaware that his rental property is haunted by a witch. Ohm is a person whom you don’t want to be around. He is self-righteous, hates interruptions, and people who want him to do anything, even sign a book. He goes to Ireland because he is tired of seeing his parents’ urns on the mantle, and we get the feeling that he hates his father. While staying at a hotel his parents loved and always wanted to return to, he encounters some strange people who believe the witch is real. Hokum is a very scary, well-made horror film that does a superb job of building tension while feeding us a few scraps of clues about the mysterious hotel and its past. Scott does a fabulous job of making us hate the man from the start, then root for him to uncover the hotel's hidden mysteries. It’s creepy, with only a few jump scares, as the fear factor keeps ramping up the longer Ohm is in the hotel, and keeps us guessing on what is going on until the very end. Does Ohm solve the mystery, and does he get out alive? You will have to wait until the last chapter to find out.  My Rating: Full Price  Hokum Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Omaha  (2025)   PG-13  Omaha follows a widowed father (John Magaro) who takes his two young children (Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis) on a sudden, mysterious cross-country road trip. This is a film that, at times, is heartwarming and funny, and at other times, it just rips your heart out. The film puts you in the car with the family (dog included) on a road trip; we don’t know where it’s going, or even whether the family will get there, since the car only starts with a running push from the father and daughter. The kids are a treat to watch as they go on this roller coaster of a trip, full of many highs and lows. This is a film you know will probably not end well because the father won’t give up on where the family is going, and we see throughout that the family is in trouble. John Magaro gives us a performance in which we only see glimpses of what he is going through, but we can feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. I loved Molly Bell Wright as the older of the two, who keeps trying to figure out what is going on and makes every effort to be as supportive to her dad as she can. There is a reason the family is traveling to Omaha, and it is masterfully revealed in the film's last frames. Omaha is a slow-moving, engaging look at a family that loves each other, but sometimes that isn’t enough. John Margaro’s performance is going to stay with you long after you leave the theater.   My Rating: Full Price  Omaha Website  Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: My Summer of Love  (2004)  R  In the Yorkshire countryside, two young girls from very different backgrounds, a tomboy, Mona (Natalie Press), and a rich girl, Tamsin (Emily Blunt), meet and start a friendship that will help both survive the summer of chaos and change. This is Emily Blunt’s feature film debut, and she is amazing as the exotic, rich girl with some hidden secrets. Natalie Press is equally brilliant as the girl who knows that she can’t stay in Yorkshire and be happy. The cinematography perfectly captures the summer countryside. While it’s a romance, the film is more about finding your way among the trouble and tribulations of being young and unhappy with your life.  My Rating: Full Price  My Summer of Love Website  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Devil Wears Prada 2:  Helium Balloon Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Disclosure Day  (2026)  PG-13  Disclosure Day follows Daniel (Josh O’Connor), a cybersecurity expert with access to long-held government secrets about extraterrestrial life, as it becomes evident that an alien presence is on Earth, including Margaret (Emily Blunt), a local TV meteorologist who starts speaking an alien language during a live telecast. The film is from Steven Spielberg, who gave us two of the classic extraterrestrial movies of all time: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).   Disclosure Day Website  The film will be in theaters on Friday, June 12, 2026

Until Next Time!

Michael

My View: Michael  (2026) PG-13  Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson’s journey from child star of the Jackson Five to the “King of Pop”. It would have been really easy to rename this film “Saint Michael.” Other than some very slight hints that Michael might develop a drug problem, this film does nothing to help us understand Michael as a person and never attempts to show him in a bad light. If you want to sing along with the hits and see recreations of Michael performing, then go ahead and buy a ticket. If you want to know anything at all about Michael other than he didn’t have any friends (except his animals, his bodyguard/driver, and his lawyer), this isn’t the film for you. The film keeps hitting us over the head with what a horrible person Joseph (Colman Domingo), Michael’s father, was. How his mother, Katherine (Nia Long), loved Michael, but other than being Michael’s TV-watching pal, did little to keep Michael from being constantly abused by Joseph. As for Michael’s brothers, I feel for the actors who portrayed them, because they had only a few lines and were used as background scenery. Oh, and by the way, Janet, I guess, was just a figment of our imagination because in this film, she doesn’t exist. Colman Domingo gives us his all, but the character is such a cardboard cutout of a horrible dad that it wears out its welcome very quickly. Both Juliano Valdi, as the young Michael, and Jaafar Jackson, as the teen/adult Michael, do a great job of re-creating the dance moves of Michael, but so does every Las Vegas impersonator. We learn almost nothing about Michael other than that he got the name of his hit album Thriller from old horror movies and that he studied Gene Kelly and Little Richard for dance moves. If you want to spend over two hours watching what I am calling “The Michael Jackson Musical Experience,” then this film is for you. If you want a film that explores the man, the myth, the legend, and tries to understand what made him the musical genius that he was, then this isn’t your movie. And by the way, the film ends with a title card that says "His Story Continues." News flash: I don't care.  My Rating: Cable  Michael Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Mother Mary  (2026)  R   Mother Mary is about the world-famous pop star Mary (Anne Hathaway), who is on the eve of a comeback tour and is in need of some costumes. She reaches out to reconcile with her estranged best friend, Sam (Michaela Coel), which triggers a terrifying look into their complicated, messy past. This is a film where the music and costumes dominate a story that struggles to keep up with its visuals. Hathaway has a beautiful voice and a stage presence that fully convinces you that her character is a huge music star. And that’s one of the problems with this film, those scenes with Mother Mary on stage are incredible, and the music is beautiful, so much so that you want more of that and less of Mother Mary and Sam talking in riddles to each other. The visuals in this film are stunning, from the set designs to the costumes that fill the movie. The problem is that the more the two talk, the more confusing what they are talking about becomes. And I'm not taking anything away from Michaela Coel’s performance, which she delivers with a steely flair that perfectly spares with Hathaway’s Mother Mary. Filmmaker David Lowery, who gives us A Ghost Story, where we watched someone eat a pie for 10 minutes, and the breathtaking The Green Knight, tells us at the start that “This Is Not a Love Story” and “This Is Not a Ghost Story”. Fine, all I know is that it is a stunningly beautiful film without much of a story.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mother Mary Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Apex  (2026)   R   In Apex, Sasha (Charlize Theron) is in the Australian Outback to conquer riding down a notorious river. She soon discovers something far more dangerous than a roaring river: a man (Taron Egerton) who wants to hunt her for sport. Besides Tom Cruise (because he is nuts), I always wonder what makes an actor take a job that will require very strenuous action sequences and working under very uncomfortable conditions, like Liam Neeson in The Grey, or Ed Harris in The Abyss. Now we have perineal Oscar contender Charlize Theron, white-water rafting and rock climbing, and doing an outstanding, convincing job that makes us believe she is a thrill-seeker extraordinaire. I enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game between a fit, fearless woman, Sasha, and a crazy outback man, Ben, who is excited that he finally has a prey that will give him a good chase. The action sequences are thrilling, the scenery is amazing (wish it was shown on a big theatre screen), and Theron is a force of nature, making me believe she could scale enormous cliffs free solo. Taron Egerton makes an adversary, and I will warn you that his character’s secret is pretty horrendous, but this is Charlize’s film, and she deserves a climber's congrats with a hearty shout, “Project Sent!”   My Rating: Full Price   Apex Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Over Your Dead Body  (2026) R  In Over Your Dead Body, a married couple on the brink of divorce, Lisa (Samara Weaving) and Dan (Jason Segel), have gone to a secluded cabin by a lake to try to patch up their marriage. Instead, they find out that they have plans to kill each other. The best way to describe this is War of the Roses with a whole lot of blood and gore. The first third of the film is the couple trying to out-duel each other in ways to kill your spouse. Then some unwanted guests drop in, and the madness starts flowing with body parts flying and blood spewing. This is a dark comedy with tones of cartoon-like violence that keeps you guessing as the beatings and guns hitting body parts start piling up. I found the film hilarious in parts, but it seemed that director Jorma Taccone wanted to see how much an audience could stomach and then go a little further. Weaving and Segel play off each other well, and it’s fun to see their war of words continue as the stakes get higher. If you can stand the sight of blood and body parts coming off while laughing, then pull up a seat. Just don’t sit too close to the screen. You might get some blood splatter on you. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Over Your Dead Body Website  Now playing in theaters 

My View: I Swear (2025) R  I Swear follows the true-life story of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), who wanted to be a soccer player, but life had other plans, as John had a rough childhood, being diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. John eventually finds people he can trust, including a mentor named Dottie (Maxine Peake), who helps him deal with a world that doesn’t understand him or his condition. This is one of the best films of the year, and in it is an amazing performance by Robert Aramayo. Aramayo is a joy to watch as you see John struggle through life, taking what seems like one step forward to seemingly be pushed back two steps. However, through a group of friends and co-workers, he finds a home where he can be himself without feeling pressured to fit in. The film does a remarkable job of letting us into John’s life, from when he was a kid who had a bright future as a soccer goalie to being bullied at school, being arrested when he wasn’t the cause of the incident, or being hurt, both mentally and physically, by people who didn’t understand his condition. It’s a brilliant, astonishing performance full of life, warmth, and humor. This is a rare film that gives us a person, not as a saint (looking at you, Michael), but someone who shows us who he is and doesn’t back down on how hard it is to cope. It’s a film that shows us not only how John deals with his life but also how some beautiful people accepted John into their lives, not judging him by his words but by his actions and intentions. It’s a tightrope act that writer/director Kirk Jones navigates with a light touch, letting us understand John and where he comes from. There is a scene near the end of the film that will have you reaching for a tissue or two. I Swear is a journey you want to take, and you will be a better person for walking along with him, because he has made this a better world for us all, not just for people with Tourette’s.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  I Swear Website    Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film:  The River Wild  (1994)  PG-13  Gail (Meryl Streep) is a former Montana river guide who, in an attempt to mend her family differences, takes her husband (David Strathairn) and son (Joseph Mazzello) on a rafting trip. As they travel down the raging river, a group of three men begin to follow them. It turns out the three men, led by Wade (Kevin Bacon), are on the run from a robbery gone bad and need help escaping down the rapids. The film has some major plot problems, but it’s fun to watch Streep and Bacon play together on-screen. The river scenes are exciting, but the film tries too hard to make David Strathairn’s character the hero and not letting Streep’s character do it all. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The River Wild Info The film is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Mother Mary:  Red Woman Electrician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Mortal Kombat II  (2026)  Champions, including newcomer Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), battle to end Shao Kahn’s savage rule, which threatens Earthenrealm’s existence. This is a sequel to the 2021 film.  Mortal Kombat II Website  In theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026

Until Next Time!

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

My View: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy  (2026)  R   Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is about a young daughter (Natalie Grace) of a journalist who disappears without a trace in the desert. Eight years later, the daughter suddenly appears, but what should be a joyful reunion is quickly shattered by a nightmare that may never end. I liked Cronin’s Evil Dead Rises, calling it ‘one of the better horror / possession films of the past few years.” I can’t say the same thing for a film that I am calling “Evil Dead Rises for Mummies”. And because moms take center stage in this gore fest, you can say mommies, too. The first problem with this film is that it’s incredibly, butt-numbingly long at two hours and thirteen minutes. The second problem is that I didn’t like the parents, who are the most irresponsible pair I have ever seen in a film. They apparently don’t know that their kidnapped daughter, missing for eight years, was found inside a three-thousand-year-old sarcophagus wrapped in ancient wrappings. And while the mom (Lala Costa) is a nurse (I think), they aren’t set up for the 24-hour care that their catatonic, twitchy, old as heck looking daughter, who has a tendency to projectile vomit, spit, and crush hands. Your first clue to their incompetent parenting is dragging the child up what seems like 20 flights of stairs in a wheelchair (which I kept waiting for the child to fall out of). The father (Jack Reynor) was a rising news anchor before the kidnapping, but he misses all the clues that this film hits us over the head with, and takes almost two hours to figure out that something is wrong with his daughter. The film tries to outgross itself at every opportunity, including a toenail-clipping scene that drags on for what seems like ten minutes. I could go on about how stupid this family is, including a grandmother who keeps getting close to the girl, even though every time she does, it seems she gets the crap beaten out of her. Or the Mummy’s two siblings, both of whom, even though the girl is weird as crap, get fooled by the old “cute voice through the door” trick. The tagline for this movie is “Some Things Are Meant To Stay Buried.” I sure wish the script had been one of those things. Well, at least with the director/writer putting his name in the title, we know who to blame for this mess of a film.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Lee Cronin's The Mummy Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Normal  (2025)   R  In Normal, Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) has come to the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota, to become the temporary sheriff after the passing of the long-time sheriff in the town. Not only did the sheriff die under suspicious circumstances, but things get really weird after the local bank is robbed, and Ulysses suspects that the town might be hiding a huge secret. I find it very enjoyable that Bob Odenkirk has gotten into the action-hero game, and this film certainly delivers a lot of action. Odenkirk plays a flawed hero who is just passing through as a caretaker for a few weeks and then moving on to the next town. However, this town isn’t what it seems, and it has some very serious connections (which we see right from the start), and Ulysses is in for a mess of a fight. I had fun with this film for a while, but I had trouble keeping up with who had been killed (the kill rate in this film is incredibly high) and how. I did enjoy how Ulysses finds allies in very unexpected places while the whole town is out to kill him. Then the film kind of became more of the same, and I started wanting it to resolve itself (which it does, unconvincingly). I have a feeling critics will compare this film to Fargo (because of the small-town weirdness) and to John Wick (the nonstop violence), and I will admit that, about halfway through, I kept thinking I had seen this film before. Then I realized Odenkirk had just done the Nobody films. But hey, we have plenty of history with action heroes doing the same version of their films over and over, and we have continued to see them. So go ahead, Bob, and become the next Liam Neeson. I won’t mind. Just don’t become the next Steven Seagal. We don’t have the stomach to go through that again.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Normal Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Lorne  (2026)  R  Lorne is a documentary about Lorne Michaels, who created Saturday Night Live in 1975 and is still the driving force behind the legendary late-night comedy show. I have been a fan of SNL since it started. I still remember sitting with my dad watching the first episode back in 1975 (yes, I’m that old), when the first host was George Carlin (his first monologue bombed so bad he asked the audience if they had heard the jokes before). So I was excited to see a documentary about the man who created the show. This is a film that, while I really enjoyed at the time, the more I think about it, the less I like it. Award-winning director Morgan Neville, who brought us the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and the delightful Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, tells us right from the start that this is about a man who not only doesn’t enjoy being interviewed, he also doesn’t like being filmed at all. And that’s the problem. It’s about a man whom even his close friends know little about. So we get a film more about how the show is put together, and we get a ton of highlights on how the show has impacted comedy and the nation with its continued look at what is happening in America at any given time. There are a ton of clips from old shows and even more interviews with cast members (most of the interviews seem to be from casts from the last ten years). Looking back at this documentary, my enjoyment came from watching the vast array of comedy gems the show has given us, along with interviews with (surprise) very funny people who know how to tell a story or deliver a quip. I came away with the idea that this man does have an eye for talent, knows what is funny and what works on TV, but I already knew that. The problem is that this is a film about one man, Loren Michaels, not his show or the sketches, and we learn almost nothing about him. Lorne is like going on a blind date and realizing at the end of the evening, while you had a great time, you did all the talking.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Lorne Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: #Skyking  (2026)   #Skyking is a documentary about Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell, a troubled 28-year-old ground service agent with no pilot experience, whose impulsive decision to hijack and pilot a commercial plane shocked a nation. I vaguely remember a pilot taking a plane out for what I thought was a joyride that went wrong. I don’t remember learning that it wasn’t a joyride but a suicide. Director Patricia E. Gillespie does a masterful job of giving us a look at Beebo and why he did what he did. It’s an amazing story that gives us insight into why someone without any piloting experience would do what he did. The film does a brilliant job of letting us get to know both Beebo and his family and friends, and how shocked they were when he did this. Suicide is always a tricky subject, mostly because a lot of times we don’t know why they felt their only choice was to take their own life. We listen to Beebo’s flight recordings as his friends and family also listen in, many for the first time. It’s a gut-wrenching watch to see how many people cared about him and didn’t know the extent of his hurt. #Skyking gives us the reasoning why Beebo felt that maybe his suicide would make an impact and wake up the company he worked for on how they treated their employees. The film is moving, mostly because Beebo seems like a guy you would want to know. It’s horrible that we will never get that chance.   My Rating: Full Price  #Skyking Info    Now playing on the Hulu platform

Indiefest: The Christophers  (2025) R  In The Christophers, the grown-up children of a once-famous artist, Julian (Ian McKellen), hire a forger, Lori (Michaela Coel), to complete some of his unfinished and long abandoned paintings so they will have an inheritance when he dies. This is one of those rare films where I was having such a good time that I looked at my watch and said, “Crap, only fifteen more minutes of this.” I want more, much more. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are an absolute delight to watch. McKellen, as you would expect, spouts lines so effortlessly that you wonder if he even breathes. Coel, on the other hand, is the perfect foil, allowing McKellen to spout those lines while keeping us wondering what her character is thinking and whether there will be any sort of reaction. The Christophers is a fascinating film about lost youth, lost faith in your talent, and how life can knock you down, and you just might never get back up. This is a funny, moving film with witty, meaningful dialogue and, surprisingly, warmth. This is a film that captures what it must be like to see McKellen on the stage, as he seemingly floats along, with witty lines coming fast and furious, as Julian has an opinion on everything and everyone. Go for the absolute blast of seeing McKellen duel with Coel, but stay for the wonderful feeling you get as you leave the theater. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Christophers Website  Now playing in theaters 

Indiefest:  Bunnylovr  (2025)  Bunnylovr follows Rebecca (Katarina Zhu), a Chinese American webcam model, as she navigates a toxic client relationship while reconnecting with her dying, estranged father (Perry Yung). Rebecca is the type of person who is always late, shows up to meet friends, leaves ten minutes later with an excuse, and has an assistant job she is horrible at. She makes extra money by doing webcam chats. Nothing too dirty, but she wears skimpy clothes and will do some slightly risqué things to keep the chats going. She encounters a client who wants some private time but doesn’t want to be seen. Rebecca is also trying to reconnect with her father, with whom she hasn’t been in contact for a long time. As her father tries to keep up with her, she becomes more and more involved with the client, who gives her lots of money to be at his beck and call. Writer/director Katarina Zhu has a winning style on camera, and we like Rebecca at first. However, the film’s biggest problem is that it meanders, touching many storylines without giving us much depth. There are only a few times when you really connect with Rebeca, as she spends a lot of time on the screen walking from one acquaintance to another, never spending too much time with anyone, as she seems to commit only to a few moments. This gives the film a shallow feel, never letting us connect with Rebecca, not caring whether she succeeded or not. The film ends as it starts,, with Rebecca alone in bed listening to a self-help recording, making us feel that we never really knew her. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Bunnylovr Website Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film: The Omen (1976) R  An American ambassador (Gregory Peck) to Britain and his wife (Lee Remick) deal with a series of increasingly deadly ‘accidents’ that always seem to happen around their son Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens). This 70s film distinguished itself from most horror films of the 60s and 70s by the stylish work of its director, Richard Donner, and its cast, which included Academy Award winner Peck and Oscar-nominated Remick. The film has one of the creepiest performances by a child and some shocking deaths, some of which come out of the blue. Even the ending sets this film apart from the run-of-the-mill horror films that came before. By the way, the horror that Lee Remick shows when the car is attacked by baboons (has to be seen to be believed) was real because they had an actual baboon in the car with her.    My Rating: Full Price  The Omen Info  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Fandango

Weird Credits: From the credits of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy: Hurdy Gurdy

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) PG-13  Miranda (Meryl Streep) is nearing retirement, and the sharks are circling around. In walks Andy (Anne Hathaway) to help Miranda, and is forced to take on her former assistant turned rival: Emily (Emily Blunt). If anyone can pull off a sequel, it’s Meryl.  The Devil Wears Prada 2 Website  Coming to theaters nationwide on Friday, May 1, 2026

Until Next Time!