28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

My View: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple  (2026) R  28 Years Later: The Bone Temple takes place after the events of 28 Years Later. Spike (Alfie Williams) has joined Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) gang as they go on a killing spree. Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) forms a new relationship with one of the undead, setting in motion something with world-changing consequences. I loved our return to the world of zombies in 28 Years Later, calling it “a zombie tale that has incredible cinematography, a bombastic soundtrack, and an ending that you will not see coming.” I can say almost the same thing for this film, with the exception that this film has quite a bit of humor to it as the film centers on two people, Spike, who finds himself part of a gang led by an absolute nut, and Dr. Kelson, who starts up (are you ready for this?), a friendship with one of the bad guys from the first 28 Years film, the zombie he has named Sampson. This time, Spike is in the most trouble, as the gang he has unwillingly become a part of is led by a man, Sir Lord Jimmy, who thinks he is a direct descendant of Satan (known as Old Nick). Spike is just trying to survive without getting killed himself as the gang travels across the country, killing both zombies and regular people. In fact, they get more pleasure out of killing people than killing zombies, which they do with a striking matter-of-fact ease. Our other hero has tired of this life and takes a chance, trying to connect with Sampson. Ralph Fiennes gives us a remarkable performance as a man curious about how the zombies see the world and, by drugging Sampson into a stupor, has very one-sided conversations with him. This is an outstanding film that keeps the thrills and kills abundant, with a plot that you can't predict where it’s going, and a slice of humor found in unexpected places. It’s an incredible mix of just how bad people can be, while others can find humanity in the smallest interactions. Plus, did you ever think you would see a zombie film that features the playlist of Duran Duran? I sure didn’t, but I’m glad I did. I can’t wait to see what happens next! And yes, from the ending we see that there will be another 28 Years film in the future.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Dead Man’s Wire  (2025) R   Dead Man’s Wire follows Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), who, in February 1977, enters the office of a mortgage company, taking the president of the company hostage with a sawed-off shotgun wired with a ‘dead man’s wire.’ All Tony wants is some respect and the money that he feels is coming to him. Based on a true story (stay during the credits to see the real Tony Kiritsis in news reports), Bill Skarsgård gives a tour de force performance of a man who feels that his only move is to kidnap an executive of the mortgage company that he feels destroyed his dream of building a shopping mall. The film is buoyed by a performance by Coleman Domingo as a radio DJ who becomes the go-between the cops and Tony. I can’t say the same for Al Pacino’s performance as the head of the mortgage company that Bill wanted to be the one with the dead man’s wire attached to him. It’s a performance that is way too much Pacino and takes a lot of the air out of the film. Luckily, that conversation is pretty short, and the film picks up again quickly. Dead Man’s Wire is a captivating look at how a man's dreams can turn into a nightmare when the world is against him. My Rating: Full Price  Dead Man's Wire Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  The Rip  (2026) R   In The Rip, a team of Miami cops turn on one another after finding over $20 million in a stash house. Unsure whom to trust, tension escalates when outsiders get wind of the score, turning the night into a relentless nightmare. At the start of The Rip, we see the head of a police task force being hunted by two masked men. She sends a text message to someone, knowing that she is about to be killed. We find out that the message was sent to Lt. Dane Dumars (Matt Damon), the dead cop's second in command of the unit, who is incensed that there seems to be so little investigation going on in the killing of his boss. Thus begins a story full of twists and turns. It’s a story where you don’t know who to trust, including Dane’s best friend and fellow task force member JD (Ben Affleck), who we find out was having an affair with the slain cop. As you would expect, Affleck and Damon play off each other incredibly well. It’s disappointing that they couldn’t find a better part for Teyana Taylor, who is part of Dane’s team but is mostly in the background for most of the film. I found the action sequences a bit lacking, especially the night firefights, which are hard to follow. However, The Rip does a great job throughout most of the film, keeping you guessing just who to believe. Unfortunately, the film lets us down in the final scenes, which are both predictable and somewhat disappointing. It’s too bad that they couldn’t come up with a better ending and keep us in the dark until the end. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Rip Website  Now playing on Netflix

My View: All You Need is Kill  (2025) R  All You Need is Kill is about a young warrior named Rita who is trapped in a time loop after an alien invasion. She is forced to relive her death over and over until she meets another looped warrior named Keiji, and they team up to try to break the cycle. Based on the same novel as the Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow, the film is more about how Rita confronts her life as a loner who has to trust another person with her life, making it a very different experience to watch. The animation is outstanding, and the action sequences are fun and thrilling. This Japanese animated film is an electrifying and enchanting tale of courage, resourcefulness, and learning to believe not only in yourself but in another.  My Rating: Full Price  All You Need is Kill Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  The Voice of Hind Rajab  (2025) R  The Voice of Hind Rajab follows Red Crescent volunteers during a day when they receive an emergency call from a 6-year-old girl, Hind Rajab, pleading for help as she is trapped in a car under IDF fire in Gaza. While they try to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. This is a heartbreaking, tense film. I will warn you, it will be a tough watch, especially for parents. Based on a true story, the film uses actual recordings of the 6-year-old girl’s calls to the emergency call center. Using only Palestinian actors in the roles of the Red Crescent volunteers, the film lets us get to know some of the volunteers before the call comes in. Once the girl calls, it’s a cat-and-mouse game to get permission from the authorities to send an ambulance to rescue her. It’s a film full of tension as the pace increases, the longer the girl is stuck in the car, as each phone call becomes more frantic and the danger ramps up. This is a film full of courage, humanity, and sorrow, one that will be with me for a long time. While I am giving this film my highest rating, I don’t think I could ever watch it again. And I have a feeling that many parents that start watching this film may leave the theater before it end.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Voice of Hind Rajab Website   Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  State of Play  (2009) PG-13  A nationally known reporter, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) for a D.C. newspaper, discovers a series of deaths that are tied to a congressman (Ben Affleck) and a powerful company. With the help of the plucky newspaper blogger, Della (Rachel McAdams), they discover just how far the corporation will go to keep their secrets, and it could mean Cal and Della’s lives. This is one of those films where the star power is far more fun than the actual plot. The cast is impressive, with Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren in important roles. The storyline is a little messy, but it’s fun watching Crowe bully everyone around, and McAdams is great as the newspaper’s blogger that Cal takes under his wing to show her how to break a real story.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  State of Play Info  The film is available for rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits:  From the credits of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: Dr. Kelson Fire Performer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Send Help (2026) R Linda (Rachel McAdams) has the boss from hell in Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who tells her she has one last chance to impress him on an upcoming trip, or she is fired. When their plane crashes and the two find themselves stranded on a deserted island, things have changed. Now Linda is in charge, and Bradley is close to being fired or dead. When I saw the movie poster in a theater lobby, I didn’t recognize Rachel McAdams.  Send Help Website   In theaters on Friday, January 30, 2026.

Until Next Time!

The Accountant 2

My View:  The Accountant 2  (2025)  R   Our favorite math wizard is back in The Accountant 2. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant who gets along better with numbers than people. He works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. This time, Christian is using his unique mind and a few illegal methods to find out who killed an old acquaintance. It’s going to get messy, so Christian has called in someone he hasn’t worked with in a long time, his brother Brax (Jon Bernthal). That’s if Brax takes his phone call. I enjoyed the first film, The Accountant (2016), in which I said, “I thought this film was highly entertaining with its unique and unlikely hero, an accountant who probably has Asperger’s Syndrome and is a highly trained killer.” I liked this film even more than the first one because of the comedic aspects of the pairing of the two brothers. The chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal is exceptional, and their timing is impeccable, highlighting their quirkiness, as both brothers are unique in how they perceive the world. The Accountant 2 is a perfect example of the buddy action film, where we have two actors who understand what their characters would do and react. A perfect example in the film is a bar scene where the two go out together to ‘get drunk’ and end up in a western bar with a live band and line dancing. It’s such a fun scene, made even better by seeing the reactions of Bernthal’s Brax as he watches his brother go dancing, impressing a girl, and pissing off a guy who thinks she’s his girl. It’s a great and hilarious scene that makes this film work so well. Also, giving the brothers more to play off of is the reappearance of Federal Agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), who enlists Christina to help her solve a killing and gets more than she bargains for having to work with the brothers, who tend to hit first and ask questions later (if that person is still alive). And for action fans, there is plenty of action packed scenes, with an incredible final battle scene to round out the film. It would help if you had seen the first film as we learned how Christian works and, better yet, how he sees the world. Still, you can have a great time watching this film if you haven’t seen the first one. You just won’t enjoy it as much as viewers who know the quirks of Christian. Just remember, don’t get him started explaining how to maximize your tax returns.  My Rating: Full Price  The Accountant 2 Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Until Dawn  (2025)   R    In Until Dawn, a group of friends visit an old visitor center, looking for clues as to why a relative vanished a year ago. Instead of discovering the mystery, they get trapped inside a time loop. They are chased and killed by mysterious foes, only to come back to life over and over. To escape their fates, the group must survive until dawn. Based on a popular video game, Until Dawn is all show and no story. Additionally, there are very few scares and I was bored halfway through. The characters are very two-dimensional, making them seem like they are part of the video game the film is based on, waiting for someone to move the joystick or push a jump button. We, the audience, figure out very early that these characters all have to survive in order for their deaths to stop. Unfortunately, they don’t figure this out until about halfway through all the dying. Other than a few jump-out-of-the-dark scares, this film isn’t scary at all, and I was disappointed that the film didn’t play with all the slasher killer icons that have shown up in this type of movie before. Instead, we get a few zombies, a clown killer, and other typical horror villains. Most deaths are not very original, and there is a repetitive style of death that I found more amusing than frightening. Apart from the lack of scares, my biggest problem was that I didn't care about any of the characters, who all seemed to only care about themselves. I pity the brave filmgoers who did the dusk-to-dawn marathon of Until Dawn. I can’t imagine seeing this film again, ever.   My Rating: Cable Until Dawn Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Legend of Ochi  (2025)   PG   The Legend of Ochi takes place on the island of Carpathia, where children are taught to not go outside after dark because of the dangerous and reclusive creatures known as the Ochi. When a girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) finds a lost and injured baby Ochi, she sets off on a journey to return the baby to its family. Let me say, right off the bat, that the visual look of this film is magical, and the puppetry is jaw-droppingly amazing. The film used a mix of puppetry, animatronics, computer animation, and matte painting to bring the Ochi to life, and the baby Ochi looks and acts incredibly real. The film is, at times, breathtaking, with wide shots of the magical island where the film takes place. Even the smallest things, like the caterpillars Yuri keeps in a terrarium, are full of color and life in almost every shot. The Legend of Ochi is a film that I think kids will enjoy much more than adults. While I loved the film's visuals, the plot is scattershot and requires us to fill in many blanks in the storyline. I also had a tough time understanding Helena Zengel’s dialogue, as she always seemed to talk in such low tones it was difficult to follow along. Still, her interaction with the baby Ochi is fun and heartwarming. The ending seems a little rushed, but I think kids will be enamored by the baby Ochi and the adventures Yuri and the baby go on. Plus, this could be a gateway film for children to those classics like The NeverEnding Story or The Dark Crystal. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Legend of Ochi Website Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  On Swift Horses  (2024)   R   On Swift Horses begins when Muriel’s (Daisy Edgar-Jones) fiancé, Lee (Will Poulter) comes back from the Korean War, and are starting a new life in California. Their lives are uprooted when Lee’s brother, Julius (Jacob Elordi), shows up and starts causing problems. Julius is always in trouble, which causes Muriel and Lee to have more problems than they can handle. On Swift Horse is a film that looks beautiful but doesn’t pay enough attention to the storyline or its character to make this film’s plot match its cinematography. The film wastes a brilliant performance by Daisy Edgar-Jones, a woman who gets married but isn’t happy or fulfilled in the marriage. At first, horse race betting was her source of happiness, but then she met someone else and her world was transformed. On Swift Horses is the story of two people, Muriel, who got married but isn’t happy having the husband make the decisions and the money, and Julius, who is a gay man in the world of the 1950s where he has to hide who he is, while he lives for the big score from gambling that may never come. Watching the film, you never feel you know these characters and who they are. We only see them, especially in Muriel and Julius, in relationships that seem only about attraction and infatuation rather than genuine feelings that are never explored. This film is like the opening credits, where we see photographs showing us only the surface of what the camera captures, but we don’t know what went on before or after that picture is taken, so we only get what is on the surface, with no depth.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  On Swift Horses Website   Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Havoc  (2025)  TV-MA  Havoc is about Walker (Tom Hardy), a hard-nosed detective who investigates a drug deal that went bad. Walker must fight his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son. Walker may have to take on the entire city, as the busted drug deal is part of a dark web of conspiracy and corruption. Havoc has been on action film fans' radar for quite a while, as the director/writer of the film, Gareth Evans, was responsible for two of the most incredible action films of the past 15 years, The Raid: Redemption (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014). Those films were a precursor to the John Wick series, with almost non-stop action, including some amazing close combat fighting scenes and it's taken over 4 years to get this film on the screen. So, in walks Tom Hardy, an actor I greatly admire, who looks like he could take on a Chinese mob and some crooked cops all by himself. The film starts off with a bang, as cops are chasing an 18-wheeler. This isn’t an Eddie Murphy movie, and people are getting seriously hurt in this chase that I wish I had seen on the big screen. It’s a thrilling start and shows us how high the stakes are in this film. Unfortunately, the plot and the dialogue get in the way of some incredibly violent and brilliant action sequences. Jessie Mei Li is wasted as a beat cop who somehow gets partnered with homicide detective Walker. The plot is messy, and the ending comes off as one big battle royale, where everyone shows up for the big shootout. As an action hero, Hardy carries the film, and his fights, especially one scene in a club, are right up there with some of the action sequences in the Raid movies. However, the film has too many twists and turns, most of which you can see coming, and too many characters feel as if they have come right out of a bad comic from the 60s. Action fans will have fun with all the fights/shootouts, and it’s entertaining to watch Hardy beat the crap out of the bad guys. But Havoc sometimes feels like what one of the characters, Mia (played by a very convincing action star in Quelin Sepulveda), does when she shoots someone. She shoots twenty rounds almost point-blank into a bad guy when one or two rounds would have done the trick.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Havoc Website  Now playing on Netflix.

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently):   Grand Theft Hamlet  (2024)  R   Grand Theft Hamlet is a documentary about two struggling actors, Sam and Mark, who, during the 2021 Covid lockdown, decided to try to put on Hamlet inside the Grand Theft Auto Online game. I enjoyed the first half of this film when the two actors explored the idea, scouted locations, and casually met people who might want to either watch the production or be in it. I started losing some interest in the film as we got closer to the actual performance, as it’s a lot of talking about trivial things while watching game characters move in that strange back-and-forth that they do while waiting for commands. You get to see what I would call a ‘highlight reel’ of performing the play, but by that time, the novelty had worn off, and I was ready for the curtain call. In this case, the curtain call was an after-party at one of the games clubs. The concept of Grand Theft Hamlet is amusing, but it could have been a better short movie.To paraphrase a line from the play: “Alas, poor Hamlet! I knew him well.”  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Grand Theft Hamlet Website   Now available for rental on MUBI. 

Forgotten Film:  Basquiat  (1996)  R  The story of Jean Michel Basquiat (Jeffery Wright), an artist who went from going graffiti on the streets of New York City and living in a cardboard box to the toast of the NYC art world, where his work was sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jeffery Wright is brilliant as an artist who saw the world differently and expressed it through his art. Sadly, Basquiat was a troubled and self-destructive soul who spent his years doing drugs, dying at age 28. The cast is outstanding, including an incredible performance by David Bowie as a friend of the famous artist Andy Warhol, who sees that Basquiat is a person who has immense talent but may burn out very quickly. Basquiat is a look at a troubled man whose talent was great, but what was greater was the trouble inside that man. My Rating: Full Price  Basquiat Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon. It's just been announced that this film is going to be part of the Criterion Collection! Basquiat Criterion Info Here 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Legend of Ochi:  Primate Choreographer 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Life of Chuck  (2024)  R  I am going to quote IMDB, “A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.” This is a film from the mind of Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep) and is based on a Stephen King short story. The cast includes Tom Hiddleston, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Nick Offerman, Carla Gugino, Molly C. Quinn, Jacob Tremblay and Mark Hamill.  The Life of Chuck Website  The film opens in theaters on Friday, June 6, 2025. 

A Working Man

My View:  A Working Man  (2025)  R   A Working Man is about Levon Cade (Jason Statham), who left his former profession to work a simple construction job and care for his daughter. Levon uses his skills as a former legendary figure in the world of black ops when his boss’s teenage daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), disappears. Levon discovers his search for the missing college student will lead him to a sinister criminal conspiracy. So why, if you do, do you go to Jason Statham films? It’s for the body count and the action sequences where Jason does what he does so well. Beat the crap out of bad people who deserve what Jason deals out. While not as much fun as Statham’s last film, The Bee Keeper (2024), the film still has plenty of fight sequences where Jason, as the former special ops Levon, fights what is an amazing amount of tough guys, along with a few women as well (he is an equal opportunity fighter). Sylvester Stallone co-wrote the film, and it has Sly’s ham-fisted paws all over it, including the Russian mob (including two brothers in matching tracksuits), a biker gang drug dealer who sits on a motorcycle throne, a millionaire who gets his outfits at a theatrical costume rental place, and a couple who I never could figure out if they were brother and sister or married. Add in a plot that involves kidnapping young women so rich guys can have their fun with them and a couple of cops on the take, and you have everyone for Levon to beat up or kill. Oh, yeah, and add in an ex-soldier buddy (played with gusto by Harbour), who, while blind (he was rescued in a battle by Levon), has a stockpile of weapons and military gear. While we are at it, the plot also involves Levon being a single dad battling for custody of his little girl (Isla Gie) with his late wife’s father and this one bad guy he can’t beat up because of, darn it, lawyers. I really enjoyed the idea that the kidnapped daughter, Jenny, isn't just a woman who needs to be rescued. Jenny, played with a bit of bravado by Arianna Rivas, is a Renaissance woman who can play the piano but also knows karate and fights back at every chance. The final fight sequence has to be seen to be believed (think Stallone throwing the kitchen sink of bad guys at the script he was writing), and just when you think it’s over, more stuff happens, and Levon’s kill count goes on and on. A Working Man ends with a few loose ends, with a few bad guys ploting revend, so a sequel is probably in the works. I would love to see Rivas and Statham team up in A Working Man 2, with Levon taking on Jenny as a sidekick to take on more of the world’s Russian mobs and biker gangs. Maybe Sly can write a part for himself in the next one. How about a retired Marion Cobretti from Cobra or Ray Quick from The Specialist? I’m game if you are Sly.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Working Man Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Woman in the Yard  (2025)  PG-13  In The Woman in the Yard, a mysterious woman dressed in black repeatedly appears in Ramona’s (Danielle Deadwyler) yard. No one knows who she is, but when confronted, she has a chilling message for the inhabitants of the house. One of the rules (at least in my mind) in horror films is that you have to have somebody to root for, even if it's the bad guy. The Woman in the Yard is a film that I didn't want anyone to win. I disliked Ramona, her kids, and the stupid woman sitting in black in the yard. We are supposed to feel sorry for Ramona because she is getting over the loss of her husband in a car accident. However, she treats her kids horribly, especially her teenage son, who is keeping the house going while Ramona can barely function. Don't get me started on how she treats the dog when the house is under threat. I loved how her character can barely move around with crutches because of some sort of knee surgery, but later on in the film, she is able to get around fine without the crutches. The film never finds a pace that creates any tension, except for the tension Ramona creates between herself and her kids. The film moves at a snail's pace, and what few scares are mostly in the final act, which is incredibly disappointing in its attempt to scare us. The Woman in the Yard should have just stayed there, or maybe next time, she should bring a few friends to help scare up a few more frights.  My Rating: Cable   A Woman in the Yard Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Death of a Unicorn  (2025)  R  Death of a Unicorn is about a father (Paul Rudd), along with his daughter (Jenna Ortega) who visit his billionaire boss on a retreat which is on a wildlife preserve. During their stay, they come across a sight they never imagined was alive: a unicorn. At the retreat, there are those who wish to destroy it and those who wish to preserve it. No one knows how much danger each one of them is in. Death of a Unicorn is a horror/comedy that never quite works as a comedy, a horror film, or a satire of the rich, despite its impressive and game for anything cast. I did like the father/daughter dynamic between Rudd and Ortega. They have a nice chemistry between them. Rudd plays a dad who is desperate to impress an ultra-wealthy family so that he can ensure his financial success, and he is willing to go along with just about everything the family wants him to. Ortega portrays the rebellious teen who doesn't want to be used as a prop by her father for the wealthy's approval. Ortega, playing the only character who not only has a conscience but also is aware that they are in danger, gives her all in the role. The rest of the cast isn’t given enough leeway to make the film broader in the satire aspect, making the film never reach any level of humor or parody that the movie desperately needs. There are a few funny scenes, mainly involving some rather gruesome deaths, but the film feels much longer than its hour and forty-five-minute run time. Death of a Unicorn asks if you believe in unicorns. What it really should have asked for was a better script.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Death of a Unicorn Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Holland  (2025)  R  In Holland, Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) is living a perfect life in Holland, Michigan, with her husband Fred (Matthew Macfadyen) and son, Harry (Jude Hill). However, Nancy suspects something is wrong in Holland and that it might be her husband. To say that this film is strange is putting it mildly. As always, Nicole Kidman is fun to watch as a housewife who thinks she is living in a perfect world until she suspects her husband is cheating. With the help of her best friend and fellow schoolteacher, Dave (Gael Garcia Bernal), Nancy starts playing detective, trying to find evidence her husband is a cheater. The plot tries to be a satire of small-town idealistic life, but other than a somewhat creepy husband, the story never delivers the biting wit it needs. Instead, it’s about as bland as the meals that the family shares or the sex that Nancy and Fred have. For about the first third of the film, it’s fun watching Kidman play the mousey wife, but the story becomes boring with a twist that you see coming from a mile away. The ending is unsatisfying, and it takes an incredibly long time for anything to happen, and when it does, it’s almost a relief. That is until you realize that the film has ended without a whole lot of explanation. Holland comes off as a rather boring suspense film, much like life in the small American town of Holland itself. My Rating: Cable   Holland Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

My View:  The Penguin Lessons  (2024)  PG-13   The Penguin Lessons is about Tom (Steve Coogan), a British man teaching English to privileged teen boys in 1976 Buenos Aires while a military coup is happening. Tom reluctantly rescues a Magellanic penguin stranded on a beach because of an oil slick. Little does Tom know that the penguin is going to change his life. The Penguin Lessons is a funny and touching film about a man who is aloof and seemingly uncaring who teaches English to rich kids who don’t respect him. Tom is a man who seems to be trying to get as far away from England as he possibly can. He is there to do a job; if the students don’t want to pay attention, so be it. When a military coup takes over the country, Tom goes to Uruguay to ‘drink, meet a couple of girls, and go dancing.’ What Tom meets is a penguin that he can’t get rid of, no matter how he tries and takes him back to the prep school. Slowly, Tom becomes attached to not only the penguin but also the people he works with. The film works because Coogan is so good at being the aloof and cool man who puts up a front but his facade is slowly brought down by a penguin, who everyone falls in love with. The Penguin Lessons is a film that slowly lets us understand Tom as he lets his guard down bit by bit. While the film suffers a bit when it tries to be too serious, but overall it’s a warm and funny film where we keep going back to the cute penguin and his ability to make anyone, including Tom, let their guard down. And by the way, this is based on a remarkable true story, with footage at the end of the film to prove it.  My Rating: Full Price  The Penguin Lessons Website     Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Life List  (2025) PG-13  The Life List is about Alex (Sofia Carson), whose mother (Connie Britton) has just died and, in a last wish on a DVD, has given Alex a list that Alex made of life goals when she was a teenager. Whenever Alex completes a task on her list, she is given another DVD with a message from her mother, by a rather cute lawyer (Kyle Allen). It’s a journey where lifelong dreams take Alex to unexpected places. The Life List is an enjoyable romance film that follows the usual rules for this type of film. Alex has lost her way, and her mother, sensing that Alex would continue to drift in life, has decided that Alex has to get out and explore the world. The film works as well as it does because Sofia Carson is a joy to watch on screen, and it doesn’t hurt to have Connie Britton show up from time to time as her concerned mom with videos she recorded before she died. ‘The other guy’ shows up and starts dating Alex, played by a sort of boring Sebastian De Souza, but since we know the rules of romance films, Alex won’t end up with him. The Life List is a type of film that you can have fun with on a Sunday afternoon, as it feels like a warm blanket on a cold day. So, go on a journey of fun and discovery with Alex. She is a lot of fun and won’t mind you tagging along.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Life List Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Forgotten Film:  24 Hour Party People  (2002)  R  In 1976, a Cambridge-educated man named Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan) went to a sparsely attended concert and saw The Sex Pistols perform, and the music business wasn’t the same (at least for a few years). Wilson and a few friends decided to start a record label, Factory Records, and along with a weekly TV show Wilson hosted, started the Punk movement that took over England with bands like Joy Division (soon to be New Order), Happy Mondays, and The Durutti Column. Like the music that it features, this film is irreverent, doesn’t mind breaking the fourth wall, and makes up a few things along the way. Steve Coogan is hilarious as the man who had a vision and didn’t mind that it all fell apart in the end. The film has a bunch of concert footage that gives you an idea of what it was like during those times with bands that didn’t always play great music but always had attitudes that didn’t care. 24 Hour Party People is a joyous and funny look at a time when England’s established music industry was stuck in a rut and Wilson went around it to create a music and an attitude that didn’t give a damn.   My Rating: Full Price  24 Hour Party People Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon/Apple TV/Google Play. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of A Working Man:  Child Licenses

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Accountant 2  (2025)  R  Our favorite math wizard is back in The Accountant 2. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant who gets along better with numbers than people. He works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. This time, Christian is using his unique mind and a few illegal methods to find out who killed an old acquaintance. It’s going to get messy, so Christian has called in someone he hasn’t worked with in a long time, his brother Brax (Jon Bernthal). That’s if Brax takes his phone call. This is a sequel to the 2016 film The Accountant, which I thoroughly enjoyed because Affleck’s character is so strange.   The Accountant 2 Info  The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Air

My View: Air (2023) R   The story of shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who convinced Nike and its chairman Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) to sign and develop a shoe for a new up-and-coming basketball player, Michael Jordan. Before Nike became the force of sneaker-dom, they were a company known for good running shoes, and that was about it. Nike’s weren’t fashionable. That was Adidas, with shoes a part of the rap music scene. Converse made the shoes that your basketball heroes wore. And Nike had a few stars, but the basketball line was doing so poorly that Phil Knight was considering shutting the line down. In walks Sonny, who comes up with a way to save the Nike basketball line. Develop a shoe around Michael Jordan, a college player who wasn’t even the number one draft choice. The big problem was that Jordan hated Nike shoes and wanted to wear Adidas. This is a fun, exciting film about the shoe industry. You heard me right. A movie about the shoe industry and where Nike is the little underdog: that’s what makes this film work so well, as it takes all your expectations and turns them upside down. From the brilliant direction of Ben Affleck to the winning performances of the cast, this is a film that could easily win next year’s Academy Award Best Picture. As Michael Jordan’s mother, Viola Davis alone is worth the admission price. From Sonny’s first meeting with Mrs. Jordan to the make-or-break scene with her on the phone to Sonny, it’s a performance that makes this film go from good to great. The rest of the cast is excellent and makes this enjoyable to watch from start to finish, including Jason Bateman as Sonny’s boss, Chris Tucker as the company closer, and Matt Maher as the shoe designer who came up with the first Air Jordan design. And I couldn’t go on without talking about a soundtrack that is maybe one of my favorites of all time. Whether you are a sneakerhead, a sports fan, or just a movie fan, you will love this film.   My Rating: I Would Pay To See it Again  Air Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) PG  A Brooklyn plumber named Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) finds himself in the world of the Mushroom Kingdom, where he is searching for his brother Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day). Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) will help Mario in his quest. However, an evil force in the world threatens to take over the entire kingdom, a ruthless, fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser (Jack Black). I am not a big gaming fan and have only played Mario Kart, so watching this film was like watching one of those Japanese animated films that are part of a TV series and expects you to know who are all the characters and get all the in-jokes. Some of my fellow film critics that have grown up on Nintendo and the Mario Brothers world had a much better time than I did. That being said, this movie is for kids, and they will love it. The film is one long video game, with the characters constantly having to do tasks taken directly from video games, like riding supped-up go-karts or having to go through elaborate obstacle courses. I found the film boring, the plot almost pointless, and most of the characters are one-dimensional. I enjoyed Jack Black as the evil Bowser, who is doing all his evil things just to get Princess Peach to marry him. Bowser is pretty funny as the love-sick bad guy who likes to serenade anyone while playing the piano. I was a bit disappointed by the voice performance by Chris Pratt, who brought nothing to the role and is only saved by his character’s interaction with tough-as-nails Princess Peach, voiced by the Anya Taylor-Joy. The film is from the Illumination studio, which gives us the very unfunny Minion films (I find them funny for about a minute, then they wear me out), and The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels like just one of their usual let’s throw everything up on the screen and hope some of it’s funny. Fans of Nintendo games and young kids are going to love this movie; the rest of us are searching for the cartridge on our Nintendo 64 to put in our GoldenEye 007 game. There are two bonus scenes in the credits, one at the very end of the final credits.   My Rating: Cable  The Super Mario Bros. Movie Website Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Praise This (2023)   A group of students at a performing arts school find that their love of music brings them together to compete for the chance to perform at a legendary music festival. The best way to describe this film is its Pitch Perfect for the Hip-Hop crowd, with lots of God and Jesus thrown in. The reason to see this film is Chloe Bailey, who plays Sam, who is sent by her father from LA to her relatives in Atlanta after one too many times acting out and getting into trouble. Sam is taken in by her cousin Jess (Anjelika Washington), who immediately gets her to join the church praise team gearing up for singing competitions. Sam figures out this could be her ticket out of Atlanta to become a singer. Like Pitch Perfect, there is a ton of singing, both in competition and in public, like when a DJ goads Sam in a club to prove she can make up lyrics to popular songs. The film does an excellent job of not pushing the religious angle too much, letting the songs do most of the message. Chloe Bailey dominates the movie with a singing voice that blows you away and a fabulous stage presence. That being said, I found that the film spent a lot of time on the performances (it has three or four competitions; I lost count) and very little time on character development. Still, Praise This a fun ride for the Hip-Hop for Jesus crowd.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Praise This Website   Now playing on the Peacock platform.

My View: On a Wing and a Prayer (2023) PG  Doug White (Dennis Quaid) and his family are flying back home on a small airplane when the pilot dies during the flight. Now Doug must fly and land the plane, with only the help of a fellow pilot on the radio (Jesse Metcalfe). This is a faith-based movie that throws just about everything it can at our hero. Doug is a likable guy who, in the opening scene, can’t come close to landing a single-engine plane, all while his brother is in the backseat egging him on. Doug’s life goes bad when his brother dies, and the family has to fly to the funeral. On the way back, the pilot dies of a heart attack, and now Doug has to fly the plane by himself, with his family on board, no less. I won’t go into what more can go wrong; just know that it does. Doug’s faith is wavering even before the flight, and now he has to put his faith in God to get his family back safe and sound. The film never finds the right tone and no matter that it is based on a true story, it feels fake, with the film never making us scared that Doug won’t be able to land the plane. It’s sad because during the credits, we see the real Doug giving a speech about the flight, and it’s much more entertaining than the film it follows.   My Rating: Cable  On a Wing and a Prayer Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Familyfaire: Chupa (2023) PG  Thirteen-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) is visiting his grandfather (Demián Bichir) and his cousins in Mexico. There Alex learns of the legendary mythical creature named El Chupacabra. Alex soon discovers that the legend is true as he finds a young chupacabra cub living under his grandfather’s shed. Alex finds out that the family has a secret history with the chupacabras, and some people are hunting the misunderstood creature to harness the power of the chupacabra. I liked this family film mainly because it combined two things I love about Mexico; the legend and lore of the Chupacabra and Mexican wrestling called Lucha Libre. Chupacabras are mythical beasts that are a combination of a mountain lion with a bird, who come out at night and drink the blood of goats. Alex learns about not only the legend of Chupacabras, but also that his grandfather was a legendary wrestler who had to retire because of a ring accident that damaged his brain. Chupa is a film for kids, and they will fall in love with the little adorable ‘Chupa’ hiding in the family barn. They will also enjoy the wrestling antics Alex, his cousin, and his grandfather go through. Adults will have fun with the evil scientist (Christian Slater) who wants to find and capture a Chupacabra due to the legend that their blood has magical healing powers. Slater chews up the scenery in his scenes as he threatens to take Chupa away from Alex and his family. So put on your wrestling tights and get ready to go on an adventure with Alex and Chupa.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Chupa Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: Paint (2023) PG-13  Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) is Vermont’s number-one public television painter who is adored by his fans. He has it all with a signature perm, a custom van, a rocking studio, and a TV show where everyone watches his every stroke. Then a new painter comes to town, a woman named Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), and it all comes crashing down. If only the film had half as much personality as the PBS painter Bob Ross that Owen Wilson’s character is based on, it might work, but sadly it doesn’t. I was looking forward to this film based on the cast, which includes Stephen Root, Michaela Watkins, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Lusia Strus, Denny Dillon, and Lucy Freyer. Unfortunately, this film is a one-joke pony that goes downhill after the first five minutes and never recovers. The film can never decide if it is a satire or an out-of-the-box comedy, and it fails at both. Paint isn’t funny, flat from the start, and doesn’t like its subject. This painting doesn’t contain any ‘happy little clouds’ and feels more like a paint-by-the-numbers canvas with the numbers all faded out.   My Rating; Cable  Paint Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: One Day as a Lion (2023) R  Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a terrible hitman. When Jackie is sent to take out a local rancher (J. K. Simmons), he misses the target, only pissing off the rancher, kills the cook by accident, and takes a bored waitress, Lola (Marianne Rendón), as a hostage. Things then get complicated. This is a fun little film about a guy who gets in way over his head, involving a power play between a local tough guy rancher, played by J. K. Simmons, and a mobster, played by Frank Grillo. Scott Caan is likable as the sad sack wanna-be killer who botches the hit and then tries to figure a way out with the help of the waitress he has kidnapped. It turns out Lola, played by the fantastic Marianne Rendón, has another idea to get Jackie the money he needs to bail his son out of jail and help Lola out, too. It’s fun to watch J. K. Simmons and Frank Grillo try to out bravado each other. The reason to see this film is Marianne Rendón, who gives life to the scenes between her and Caan, as the spunky and sarcastic woman who wants to get out of Oklahoma any way she can. Caan is fine as the everyman Jackie, bringing a bit of humor to his role of a man who can’t get a break. Will Jackie and Lola escape, or will they be part of the battle brewing between the rancher and the mobster? My Rating: Bargain Matinee  One Day as a Lion Info  Now playing in theatres and available On Demand.

My View:  Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023)   Documentary on actor, model, and icon Brooke Shields who, from a very early age, became a sex symbol appearing at age 12 as the child prostitute in the film Pretty Baby (1978). Living in the spotlight so young was not a simple life, but Shields survived to let the world know the dangers of too much too soon. I was never a big fan of Brooke Shields, the actor, but I have always been a fan of Brooke Shields, the person. This two-part documentary lets you into the life of Shields, who, from her first appearances in ads as a baby, grew up before our eyes and, at one time, was the most famous model/actress in the world. The film does a wonderful job of letting Brooke tell her own story, giving us insight into what she was experiencing and thinking as she went from a young model to the center of controversy, starring as a young 12-year-old prostitute in an award-winning film. We thought we knew her, and how could you not believe it because her every move was documented in the tabloids and on the news? We didn’t realize, or even have a clue, that Brooke was dealing with an alcoholic mother, one with which she had to, at times, become the adult in the relationship. I came away from this fascinating film about the pressures of being constantly in the public eye a bigger fan of Brooke Shields the person. I loved the end of the film, where she sits around the dinner table discussing her movies and seeing the interactions between Brooke and her daughters. Remarkably, she made it out of the media spotlight alive, and against the history of child actors, she became the outstanding person/wife/mother that she is today.   My Rating: Full Price  Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields Info  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Forgotten Film: Affliction (1997) R  Wade (Nick Nolte) is a small-town sheriff who doesn’t like himself or his job. He drinks and smokes pot on the job, is despised by his father (James Coburn), hated by his ex-wife (Mary Beth Hurt), and his daughter wants nothing to do with him. He is forced into action when a friend returns from a hunting trip with blood on his clothes and a story that makes little sense. This film is about a murder mystery that gets so complicated that Wade will question his sanity, especially when more dead bodies start showing up. The cast is top-notch, with Sissy Spacek as Wade’s girlfriend and James Coburn as Wade’s horrible, alcoholic father, making this film one to watch. Nick Nolte gives one of his best performances of a man who doubts himself at every point of his life and can’t escape the fact that his life has been wasted until now.   My Rating: Full Price  Affliction Info  Available for rent or buy on Amazon and iTunes.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Air: Floor Coverer Foreman

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Master Gardener (2022) R A horticulturist, Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton), is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate owned by a wealthy dowager, Norma (Sigourney Weaver). When Norma’s estranged grandniece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) shows up unexpectantly, Norma decides Narvel should take on Maya as his apprentice, something that Narvel does reluctantly. Maya doesn’t know that Narvel has a past about to rear its ugly head and everyone is in danger. Directed by legendary director Paul Schrader (America Gigolo, Cat People), who of late has been hit (First Reformed, The Card Counter) and miss (Dog Eat Dog). Master Gardener Info  Releasing in Mid-May 2023.

Until Next Time!