One Battle After Another

My View:  One Battle After Another  (2025) R  In One Battle After Another, a notorious enemy named Steve Lockjaw (Sean Penn) has resurfaced after 16 years, broken into Bob’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) home, and kidnapped his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). Bob, a civil rights activist, must team up with an anti-government group to locate and rescue his daughter from an alt-right white supremacist group. It's not often that a September movie rises to the top of the Oscar ranks, but Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another manages to do just that. This film combines the laid-back hippiness vibe of The Big Lebowski with the political satire of Dr. Strangelove, while featuring a villain reminiscent of those in '80s and '90s action films—although this character might be the funniest bad guy ever portrayed on screen. One Battle After Another is (I hesitate to tell you this because some of you may want to stay away) the fastest two-hour and forty-minute film you will ever see. The film is a joy to watch and keeps surprising you with both bouts of violence and humor that keep you off-kilter (in a good way), which keeps coming. This is a fast-moving and witty look at America and its political system, but it’s done in such a way that it’s brilliantly executed, and I suspect many won’t realize what hit them until the end. It is going to be fascinating to see if Leo gets an Oscar nod, because it’s such a brilliantly understated performance, one that few actors could do. This is one of those performances that is so expertly crafted that you almost underestimate how good Leo is in the role. Sean Penn is hilarious as the ultra-rigid Colonel, who has a huge flaw (which I won’t reveal) and feels that his place in the history of the world is set in stone. Teyana Taylor as Perfidia is a force of nature as Bob’s partner and the leader of the revolutionary group. Her performance and the essence of her character are brilliantly captured in a scene where she fiercely fires an AK-47 while heavily pregnant. Perfidia is all about the cause, and it consumes her entirely. While she loves Bob, her passion for the revolution takes precedence over everything else. I could go on and on about every performance in this film, but I would be remiss without mentioning how much fun it is to watch Benicio Del Toro as a partner in crime whose character is every bit as cool and laid-back as Leo’s Bob is a bag of nerves. The hero of the story isn’t Bob but his daughter Willa, played with poise and style by Chase Infiniti. Infiniti portrays Willa as a young woman who has had to live with the legacy of a mother who was a radical and a father who has spent most of her years as a paranoid pothead, but has instilled in her a willingness to survive and the guts not to back down. One Battle After Another is a film that puts its foot on the gas from almost the first frame and doesn’t let off until its hilarious and satisfying end. I had a blast watching this film, and it’s not very often that the hype matches the worthiness of a movie. Please see this in a theater with an audience on the largest screen you can find; it will be worth the price of admission. Any film that pays homage to one of my favorite films, Bullitt, is a film that I want to see again as soon as possible. And you will too. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again One Battle After Another Website  Now playing in theaters, including IMAX

My View:  Eleanor the Great  (2025)  PG-13   In Eleanor the Great, Eleanor (June Squibb), after a devastating loss of her best friend Bessie, decides to move from Florida to New York City to live with her daughter and grandson. Feeling more alone than she imagined, Eleanor unexpectedly forms a friendship with a 19-year-old journalism student, Nina (Erin Kellyman). Unfortunately, through a misunderstanding, Nina believes Eleanor is a Holocaust survivor, but it’s Bessie’s story, not Eleanor’s. A lot of attention has been given to the fact that this is Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, and her direction is the weak link in this film, as it’s very bland and unimpressive. Johansson isn’t helped by a script that creates a character who seems to have no sense of shame or conflict. Luckily, Johansson is saved by an outstanding cast that can do the heavy lifting, making the film, despite its flaws, still enjoyable to watch. June Squibb, a long-time character actor with over 100 IMDB listings, has recently emerged as a leading actress, following her Oscar-nominated role as the feisty, swearing wife of Bruce Dern’s character in Nebraska. Squibb easily commands the screen with a laid-back grandmother approach that isn’t afraid to use her charm to get what she wants. Squibb is helped by an outstanding performance by Erin Kellyman, a student who befriends Eleanor to get her to tell her Holocaust story, and in return gets help from Eleanor dealing with the recent loss of her mother and a father (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who has checked out of parenting. Kellyman gives us just the right person for Eleanor to impart wisdom and support to. Some of the heavy emotional parts of the film are handled by Rita Zohar, who is the real heroine of the film that tells her story of the Holocaust. There are some powerful scenes between Squibb and Zohar that provide the background for why Eleanor wants to tell Bessie’s story. Unfortunately, those scenes are undercut by a script that gives Eleanor no moral compass or foresight, leaving her unaware that what she is doing is wrong. So watch Eleanor the Great for the performances, which more than outshine the plot and its direction.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Eleanor the Great Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

Indiefest:  The Summer Book  (2024)   The Summer Book tells the story of nine-year-old Sophia (Emily Matthews), who is spending the summer at her family’s seasonal home on a remote island in the Gulf of Finland. It’s the first summer without Sophia’s mother, and it will take the beauty of this special place and the nurturing support of Sophia’s grandmother (Glenn Close) to mend the grief that Sophia and her father (Anders Danielsen Lie) are experiencing. The Summer Book is a film that may be too slow and character-driven for some moviegoers to enjoy. However, if you love beautiful cinematography and leads that know how to fill a space without saying a word, then this film is for you. Glenn Close delivers another masterful performance as the grandmother who helps a lost child find her way back. The Summer Book a film about dealing with grief, finding a way to cope, and navigating the complexities of growing up and growing old. The Summer Book is about a time in a life that will be remembered not for what happened but for how much changed within. My Rating: Full Price  The Summer Book Website Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: All of You  (2024) R  All of You is about Simon (Brett Goldstein) and Laura (Imogen Poots), who are best friends and have always joked about dating each other, but have never pursued a romantic relationship. Simon secretly believes that Laura is his one true love, but things change when Laura takes a test that identifies another man as “her one true love.” Will the two ever end up together after all the years of friendship? There is tremendous chemistry between Goldstein and Poots, and we feel the connection, love, and heat between the two characters every time they are on the screen. The repartee between the two makes the film enjoyable to watch, particularly in the first 30 minutes. However, no matter how much chemistry two stars give to each other, they can’t overcome a script that takes too long for there to be conflict, and then the consequences and the problems they cause seem too easily swept away. It’s a frustrating film that aspires to be a romance, but without ever getting to know the two people, other than the fact that they love each other’s company too much. Despite the strong start to the film, I became frustrated and sometimes bored by a script that prefers to give us slices of life instead of the whole pie.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee All of You Info  In select theaters and on Apple TV+.   

Indiefest:  Adulthood  (2025) R  Adulthood is about adult siblings Megan (Kaya Scodelario) and Noah (Josh Gad) who, when their mother is sick in the hospital, discover a dead body in the basement of their family home. That discovery will send the two down a rabbit hole of crime and murder that they may never recover from. Not harsh enough to be a black comedy and not funny enough to be a farce, Adulthood doesn’t know what it is, and that is the problem. The idea is that when the two siblings try to cover up that their mother may have killed a neighbor, that cover-up gets out of control, and bodies start piling up. However, the film never finds its footing, and what could have been funny is never delivered. Instead, we get two actors who have no chemistry together, and the story starts to bog down almost from the start. Scenes that are meant to shock us aren’t staged very well and lack the punch they need to hit the mark. The film has a lot of wasted space that slows down the story. I kept saying as it was playing, ‘Pick up the pace.’ Sadly, it never did.  My Rating: Cable Adulthood Website  Now playing in select theaters and available on Digital. 

Indiefest:  Dead of Winter  (2025)  R  Dead of Winter is set in northern Minnesota, where Barb (Emma Thompson) is fulfilling a last wish of spreading the ashes of her late husband on an isolated lake in the middle of nowhere. While there, she witnesses the kidnapping of a teenage girl (Laurel Marsden) and realizes, with no phone service and too far to get help, she is the girl’s only hope. I have always loved Emma Thompson, and once again, she delivers a remarkable performance as a character that is right out of a particular Coen Brothers movie, also set in Minnesota. Channeling a bit of Bruce Willis or Liam Neeson, Thompson portrays a grieving widow who has to outsmart and outfight a husband-and-wife team (Marc Menchaca and Judy Greer) who, for some nefarious reason, have kidnapped a young woman. I had a great time watching Thompson clop around in the snow in oversized winter overalls, muttering things like ‘oomph’ and ‘geez’ while doing some clever tricks that would make MacGyver proud. Although the film is set in northern Minnesota, it but actually filmed in Finland. Take a sweater to the theater, because I was cold just watching the characters as they dealt with the ice and snow. Dead of Winter is an entertaining thriller with an unconventional hero that you can root for from the start, and hate the bad guys as soon as they appear on the screen. Afterall, who doesn’t want to see Judy Greer and Emma Thompson fight in the snow, wrestling over a rifle? Just don’t mess with Barb, don’t cha know.  My Rating: Full Price  Dead of Winter Website  Now playing in theaters 

Forgotten Film:   The Hot Rock (1972) PG Robert Redford plays Dortmunder, a convicted thief who, upon his release from prison, is convinced by his brother-in-law (George Segal) to go on one last big score and steal a precious diamond from a museum. They hire a crew to do the job and plan an elaborate scheme to make the diamond heist. However, things don’t go as planned and become very complicated very quickly. The Hot Rock is a hilarious film with lots of twists and turns that have hilarious results, and Redford is perfect as the thief who, as things get more complicated, masterminds a break into not one, but two prisons.  My Rating: Full Price (Reprinted from March 2012 to honor the late Robert Redford). The Hot Rock Info Available to rent/buy on Amazon.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of One Battle After Another:  Dishwasher

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Anemone  (2025) R   Anemone centers on a man (Sean Bean) who ventures into the isolated woodlands of Northern England to find his estranged brother (Daniel Day-Lewis). They haven’t seen each other in 20 years, and the brother has been living alone in the forest. As they reconnect, they will confront the personal and political traumas that have long been buried between them. This is Daniel Day-Lewis’s return to acting after announcing his retirement in 2017. Anemone Website  In limited release on Friday, October 3, 2025, and wide release on Friday, October 10, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Ballerina

My View: Ballerina  (2025)  R   In Ballerina, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) was lost and alone when her father was cut down by an assassin’s hand. She is found by a man who sees she is in trouble and takes her to a ballet school. However, the school is a facade, and Eve is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. I am a huge fan of the John Wick films and felt that John Wick 4 was a successful and satisfying ending to a character that we loved to see kill and maim bad guys while getting the crap beat out of him. John Wick was a character who took more punishment than anyone could survive, much less stand up immediately afterward. I mean, how many times can a guy get run over by a car or two or three? So when you watched the Wick films, you had to suspend quite a bit of believability, but you were constantly amazed by the staging of the fighting and the ability of Wick to keep going. In Ballerina, we meet Eve Macarro, who has been trained since childhood in both ballet and combat, with an emphasis on no-mercy-style fighting. Wick was a legendary assassin/fighter who spent years perfecting his craft. Ballerina wants us to believe that Eve is on the same level as Wick after one assignment. The film feels like one long fight sequence with battles that make little sense and action that feels like trying to top itself with each new fight. There is a sequence with two high-powered flamethrowers that is laughable in how badly the fight is produced. Ballerina is what my father would call an all-hat-and-no-cowboy film. It attempts to make everything flashy and shiny but fails to deliver a coherent storyline. Look at all the fancy moves and forget about any plot item we throw out the window with a hand grenade or two. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ana de Armas. She was great in Knives Out, and I thought her performance in No Time to Die was worthy of giving her the mantle of Jane Bond. However, in this part, she is asked to maintain one emotion at all times. Pissed off and not much else. And yes, Mr. Wick shows up (this takes place before John Wick 4), but even his actions don’t make this film believable, even in the John Wick universe.   My Rating: Cable  Ballerina Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  The Phoenician Scheme  (2025)   PG-13   The Phoenician Scheme is about wealthy businessman Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), who has survived plane crashes and attempts on his life by rivals, so he knows his days are numbered. He appoints his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as the sole heir to his vast estate. As Korda embarks on one last venture, he and his daughter will have to deal with scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, assassins, and a few distraught family members. I am a huge Wes Anderson fan, with his Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and The Royal Tenenbaums battling out to make my Top 25 Films of the Past 25 Years list. I love Anderson’s use of deadpan dialogue and scenes that slowly develop into madness. Unfortunately, I left the theater feeling that this film is one of Anderson’s lesser works. There are some outstanding performances in the movie, including a love-struck odd tutor played magnificently by Michael Cera, and I loved Mia Threapleton as the nun who finds herself an heir to a man she has just met. Threapleton is incredibly funny in a very deadpan way, as Liesl, who wants to remain a nun but will bend a rule or two to keep close to her father. The cast is extensive, including a Bill Murray role that fits perfectly in the oddball world that Wes Anderson has created. I didn’t find the film as funny or as enjoyable as Anderson’s past films, feeling that it sometimes went too hard into the jokes and at other times not hard enough. Del Toro is fun and is up for anything that Anderson wants to put him through, though I did get a little tired of his delivery. I enjoyed a couple of running gags that appear throughout the film, but I came away from it ultimately feeling a bit disappointed. Unlike most of Anderson’s films, I didn’t want to see it again right away. If you are a fan of Wes Anderson, then you might enjoy this film. If you disliked Asteroid City (2023) or particularly The French Dispatch (2021), you may want to steer clear of this one.      My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Phoenician Scheme Website    Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Dangerous Animals  (2025)  R  Dangerous Animals takes place off the coast of Australia, where surfer Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) has traveled to ride the waves. She encounters Moses (Josh Heuston), who falls for the girl almost instantly and is upset when she suddenly goes missing. Little do the two know that there is a captain of a local “swim with sharks” tour boat (Jai Courtney) who plans to feed the sharks with more than just chum. Sharks in films are often portrayed as scary and perceived as threats, almost always seen as evil. Well, how about a serial killer that uses sharks to do his dirty work? I’m not giving away too much (that fact is shown in the first minute of the trailer and in the first ten minutes of the film itself); instead, this is a film about a battle of wills and wits between the serial killer captain, played a wonderfully creepy Jai Courtney and our heroine, played by Hassie Harrison, who gives us a view of a woman who has been through a lot, doesn’t want ever to settle down, and this serial killer has picked the wrong woman to mess with. The film offers plenty of thrills, a few twists, excellent pacing, and a memorable performance by the two leads, along with some rather gruesome kills and an ending that must be seen. Dangerous Animals is a film for horror fans who love a bit of blood, and it sure makes you rethink going out on a boat with a stranger, especially to look up close at a shark.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Dangerous Animals Website  Now playing in theaters.   

My View:  Predator: Killer of Killers   (2025)  R  Predator: Killer of Killers is the story of three warriors throughout history, a Viking, a Samurai, and a World War II pilot, who take on Predators who have hunted humans for sport. This is an animated look at the world of the Predators that have visited our Earth through the years. They come to our Earth to take on our warriors, seeking them out in battle to prove just how mighty a warrior they are. The story is told across different time periods, focusing on a Viking warrior mother and son seeking revenge against another Viking outpost, a pair of samurai brothers battling each other, and a World War II pilot struggling to make his mark as a Navy pilot. All three stories are about their encounters with a Predator, who has selected them to prove that the Predator, by besting them, is the greatest warrior. I loved this film and its storytelling, concentrating on giving us backgrounds on each person who is going to battle the Predator and then showing how each fare in the battle against a warrior that has superior firearms and armor but is an even match for humans who use cunning, luck and skill to even the odds. Dan Trachtenberg, who gave us the incredible Prey (2022), does it again with a story that is thrilling, fast-moving and has incredible fight sequences that make this film work from beginning to end. And by the way, there is a cool surprise at the end before the credits roll.    My Rating:  Full Price  Predator: Killer of Killers Website  Now playing on the Hulu platforms.

Indiefest:  White with Fear  (2024)   The documentary White with Fear explores the quest of America’s conservative political machine by exploiting racial fault lines and fueling the flames of white victimization. This is an unflinching look at how conservatives have, throughout the history of this country, used white victimization, made-up or distorted facts, and racial prejudice to marshal votes and support. The interviews from both sides of the political spectrum provide an eye-opening perspective. White with Fear is a documentary that reveals this is nothing new, as Nixon employed similar tactics in the 1960s and 1970s to instill fear and bring voters to the voting booth. White with Fear is a documentary that doesn’t pull punches but gives us insight into who is behind the movement and why. It’s an insightful film that will bring chills and maybe a few nightmares.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  White with Fear Website  Now available On Demand. 

My View:  Wick is Pain (2025)  Wick is Pain, which comes from a saying on the set, is a documentary on the making of the John Wick films, focusing on how the first film came about, overcoming funding and creative problems, using first-time co-directors to become a massive franchise that has generated over one billion dollars globally at the box office. This is a fascinating and illuminating documentary on the John Wick films, focusing mainly on the first film and how, by a surprising last-minute financial Hail Mary by a Hollywood star, the film was saved days away from not being shot at all. This film gives credit to not only its star Keanu Reeves, its co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, and screenwriter Derek Kolstad, but also all the stuntmen/women, the art directors, and line producers who also gave their blood, sweat, and tears to a film franchise that is one of the best action films series out there. With plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and a ton of stories about all four films, it makes you realize filmmaking is not for the weak or the passionless. The John Wick series was created and nurtured by action film lovers who know their movies and want the audience to feel the passion they had for making the films to be up on the screen for everyone to see. Fans of Keanu are going to eat this film up, as we get to see him in a massive amount of behind-the-scenes footage of Keanu practicing for hours on end the moves for the film. What’s thrilling is that Keanu was willing to change things up with the stunts once they were on the set, and we see time after time Keanu and the stunt people practicing and coming up with moves that they had just figured out would work better in the scene. I loved the back-and-forth discussions that director Chad Stahelski (David Leitch dropped out of the series after the first film) and Reeves have as they riff back and forth on each other. The passion the two have for the films comes through whenever they talk about what they went through to get them made. This is a film that will be studied by action film fans for a long time. Wicked is Pain is a brilliant look at how movies are made and the people who make them.   My Rating: Full Price  Wick is Pain Website  Now available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV+, and other streaming services. 

Forgotten Film:  Parenthood (1989) PG-13  Gil (Steve Martin) is trying to be a great father, and a good husband to his pregnant wife (Mary Steenburgen) and three kids while also juggling a job that doesn’t give his due and a relationship with his father (Jason Robards) that has never given him respect or love. Add into the mix Gil’s three siblings (Dianne Wiest, Harley Kozak, and Tom Hulce), all of who have kids, and it’s a big mess of a family that has lots of problems and also lots of love. I recall not liking this film when I saw it in theaters, but on a recent rewatch, I enjoyed it immensely, especially the performances of Dianne Wiest and Tom Hulce. Parenthood has some hilarious moments, some incredible lines, and at its heart, it's a story about family, love, and acceptance.   My Rating: Full Price  Parenthood Info  Available to rent/buy on most online platforms. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Phoenician Scheme: Helping Hands

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  How to Train Your Dragon  (2025)  PG  How to Train Your Dragon is a tale about Vikings and dragons, who are mortal enemies on the isle of Berk. That is until Hiccup (Mason Thames) meets a hurt Night Fury dragon that he names Toothless. Little do the two know that their future together means that they will save the lives of both species. This is a live-action adaptation of the 2010 animated film.  How to Train Your Dragon Website  In theaters nationwide on Friday, June 13, 2025.

Until Next Time!

The Creator

My View: The Creator (2023) PG-13 The Creator depicts an ongoing conflict between humanity and artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington) is recruited to hunt down and kill The Creator, the architect of the advanced AI. The Creator has made a mysterious weapon with the power to end the human race, and it might be the little girl that Joshua has just rescued. I liked this film, but I can’t say I loved it. It’s a big, sprawling film meant to be seen on the big screen. This is a film that covers a lot of ground, and that is why I didn’t connect with it as much as I wanted to. The film deals with AI and how we will treat the robots we create once they start thinking for themselves. With overtones of the Vietnam War, big government gone wrong, and immigration, the film tries to bring all this together in one story told over two hours, and it seems to lose its focus along the way. The film is also about love lost, the guilt of not being truthful, and the actions of the present to make up for the mistakes of the past. I think that sci-fi fans will enjoy the film, but if you aren’t a fan, this film and its complicated plot may be too much to overcome. For this fan, I liked it, but I don’t know if I will ever revisit it.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Creator Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: Dumb Money (2023) R   Keith Gill (Paul Dano) has a Reddit channel about stocks. He tells his followers to buy GameStop, and it goes viral, taking the stock into the stratosphere and making Keith a millionaire almost overnight. However, Keith has made a lot of big-time hedge fund investors mad, and they are out for revenge. This is a film about the little guy who tries to make some money honestly and has the guts to back it up. Dumb Money is a fun film that takes a complex story and makes it enjoyable to follow along. What I love about this film is that it lets us see the stories of other small investors, like the guy working at GameStop and the couple of college students who fall in love while on this investing journey. Paul Dano is perfect as the guy who spoke to a small group of people on his webpage and, somehow, became a crusader who battled the big investors and beat them at their own game. I am not a Pete Davidson fan, but he is perfectly cast as Keith’s brother, who keeps everything real, even much to the annoyance of Keith himself. And I love America Ferrera’s performance as a nurse who invests her money in GameStop and lets it ride on the roller coaster that is the stock market. Dumb Money is a film that is a blast to watch, especially when the big boys start squirming.   My Rating: Full Price  Dumb Money Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: Saw X (2023) R  Saw X occurs in the past when John Kramer (Tobin Bell) had cancer and was desperate for a cure. He travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure for a miracle cure, only to discover that the entire operation is a scam. They have tricked the wrong person, and it’s time for John to get revenge. A review of the film will be up tomorrow night. The Saw franchise has always been interesting, with a character torturing people while having a strange sense of morality. This is the tenth film, but it occurs between the first and second Saw films. We know who John Kramer is and what he does. And we also know that he doesn’t work alone. This film is a bit different, first with an outstanding performance from Tobin Bell, as our mad torture designer. This film has bloody and gruesome deaths, as you would expect. Interestingly, in this film, John is the hero, not the villain. Oh sure, he still puts people in horrible situations where they have to maim and torture themselves to live, but John is dealing with some very bad people. The latest Saw movie is great for Saw lovers and horror enthusiasts. However, if you didn't enjoy the previous Saw films, this one may not be for you. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Saw X Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Reptile (2023) R Reptile is a story of a real estate agent’s murder. Detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro) tries to find the truth, but everyone he meets is a suspect, and nothing is what it seems. I liked this detective movie about a man who can’t let things go. Everyone thinks Tom is a hero, but he still feels that there is something more to the story, and he keeps digging. I loved the chemistry between del Toro and Alicia Silverstone, who plays his wife. The two have a great rapport going, and it’s fun when his wife keeps giving him facts she has learned from true crime stories. The mystery is a little too easy to solve, and the ending is too tidy, but it is the journey to get there that is the fun part, and del Toro, who co-wrote the script, brings us along on his way to solve a crime that is more complicated than anyone would guess.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Reptile Website Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest: Radical Wolfe (2023)   Documentary on the life and writing of Tom Wolfe, the bestselling author of groundbreaking books The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, and The Bonfire of the Vanities. I am a big fan of Tom Wolfe, and I was pleased with how much of Wolfe’s personality and writing style came across in the film. Tom's life and the impact of his writing are well depicted in the movie, starting from his articles in magazines and newspapers to his successful books. Wolfe was a man whose public bought his books in droves even before the reviews came out, making him a household name and favorite of late-night talk shows. He was a writer with his own style, which captured a nation for almost as long as he wrote his stories. I hope that people who see this film will discover the beauty of his writing and how he expertly captured the people and time he wrote about.   My Rating: Full Price  Radical Wolfe Website  Now playing in theatres. 

My View: Fair Play (2023) R  An unexpected promotion at a hedge fund is given to Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), who is in a relationship with another employee, Luke (Alden Ehrenreich). The couple is newly engaged, but this job will test their relationship to the brink and may threaten to unravel far more than their love for each other. I admit that sometimes I have trouble with films where I don’t like any of the characters. This is the case with Fair Play, where I was not too fond of either character from the start of the film. That being said, that’s not my problem with this film. It’s that the character of Luke, who starts as, at least in Emily’s eyes, the perfect boyfriend, quickly goes from that to the rails guy who can’t handle that he isn’t the golden boy he thought he was. I will not give away too much, but I hated two scenes in the film: one that takes place in a bathroom, where Emily succumbs to, I guess, lust or loss, and then the ending, which I found almost comical. The characters are flat and shallow, and the plot becomes ludicrous (how a couple living together can hide that fact from their employer is beyond me). Fair Play wasn’t a film that ever connected to me, and I felt the running time of almost 2 hours was too long to spend with two people I couldn’t care less about.   My Rating: Cable  Fair Play Website  Now playing in theatres and premiering on the Netflix platform on Friday, Oct. 6th.

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently): Honor Society (2022)   Honor (Angourie Rice) is determined to survive her senior year at high school and get accepted in Harvard, and nothing is going to stop her. When Honor discovers she has three rivals for that Harvard spot, she plans to take all three of them down. Honor might be her name, but she isn’t about to be honest, fair, or have integrity when getting her way. I loved this film from the first frame, where Honor talks directly to us, giving us the layout of her life, including her parents, friends, and teachers. If Ferris Buller and Tracy Flick had a kid, it would be Honor. Honor will let nothing or anyone get in her way, and she is a master of concocting schemes to accomplish her goals. Angourie Rice (The Nice Guys, The Last Thing He Told Me) is perfect in the role of Honor, a teen who plays everyone like a master puppeteer, getting them to do exactly what she wants while acting like she is their best friend. Honor Society is if John Hughes had written a film for the TikTok/YouTube gang. It’s full of fun and unique characters, from jocks to nerds, with a dash of not-quite-so-mean girls, making the film a blast.  My Rating: Full Price   Honor Society Info Available on Amazon or Apple TV. 

Forgotten Film: King Creole (1958) PG  Danny (Elvis Presley) has flunked graduation for a second time and needs money to support his father (Dean Jagger). Danny finds a job as a singer at the King Creole nightclub, the only club in the city not run by mobster Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau). How long will Danny and the club’s success be ruined by the mobster who can’t stand anyone making money other than himself? Though I enjoy Viva Las Vegas more (because of the chemistry between Elvis and Ann-Margret), this is the film that shows that Elvis could act if given the right material and a director who knew what to do with him. Legendary director Michael Curtiz, whose career included Casablanca and The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed the film. Elvis was in brilliant company with actors including Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger, Vic Morrow, Paul Stewart, and Carolyn Jones, who plays the woman Maxie sends to seduce Danny over to the wrong side and falls in love instead. I have a feeling the setting reminded Elvis of the small clubs that he used to hang out in Memphis, and that setting meant that he was comfortable in the role, something that wasn’t always the case (i.e., most of the late ‘60s Elvis films). With last year’s Elvis, this year’s documentary Reinventing Elvis, and the upcoming bio-pic Priscilla, now would be the time to see some Elvis magic.   My Rating: Full Price   King Creole Info   The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dumb Money: Standby Prop

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Priscilla (2023) R Teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) meets rock and roll superstar Elvis and begins a romance that the world followed until his death. Priscilla tells the one woman who knew Elvis the best in private moments: a thrilling crush, an alley in loneliness, and a vulnerable best friend. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the film won Cailee Spaeny the Best Actress Award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.   Priscilla Website  In theatres on Nov. 3rd. 

Until Next Time!

The Revenant

My View:  The Revenant  (2015)  R  A frontiersman, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), are scouts for a trapping expedition that is hit by Indians. Glass leads the men to an escape path when he is attacked by a bear and left for dead. Glass must now battle the elements to survive.   “The Revenant” is a brutally violent movie, but that violence is not exploited like a "campy" horror film and is shown to illustrate how harsh the world was in that time. The bear attack is horrific and goes on so long it becomes very uncomfortable to watch. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu has created action sequences that are stunning to watch, especially since that scene was done with minimal amount of CGI special effects (mostly to animate the bear) and without “green screens.” Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most powerful and captivating performances of his career. If he does win the Oscar for this role, it won’t be because of the dialogue as DiCaprio has more lines in Pawnee than in English. DiCaprio gives this part his all, and we can see it in his face and eyes as he fights for survival.  Overall, this is a film that, on one hand is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also is a brutal movie to watch as we see men pushed to their very limits in a world that does not forgive. This film is a difficult journey the audience, but the performances of DiCaprio and Hardy make it worth the effort      My Rating: Full Price   The Revenant Website

My View:  The Forest (2015)  PG-13  The Aokigahara Forrest is at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan.  While a beautiful place, it’s known for one thing…where people go to commit suicide. Sara Price (Natalie Dormer) is in the area to search for her missing twin sister.  Sara must now enter the forest to try and find what happened, and it could be the last thing she ever does. Unfortunately, this is another of a long line of your run-of-the-mill horror films. It is rarely scary, relies on  “jump out of the dark” devices to produce the scary scenes. The storyline is simple and too predictable with an ending that you see coming a mile away. Natalie Dormer does a lot of screaming/running but isn’t asked to do too much more. Skip this film and rent “It Follows” instead.   My Rating: Cable   The Forest Website

Forgotten Film:  Places in the Heart (1984) PG   In 1930’s Texas, a sheriff’s widow (Sally Field), with the help of her kids, a black hobo (Danny Glover) and a blind boarder (John Malkovich), attempt to raise, then harvest that season’s first cotton crop. If they can succeed, the widow can save the family farm. The film features three astonishing performances by Glover, Malkovich and especially Field. It’s a story of perseverance and overcoming the odds, and the theme of the importance of family makes this film work so well.   My Rating: Full Price   Places in the Heart Info

In Case, You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):   Sicario  (2015)  R  An FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is sent to join a task force to aid Mexico in the war against the drug cartels.  As she gets deeper and deeper into the mission, she starts to question the methods used to take down the cartels. Blunt gives a masterful performance in the film, making us root for her FBI agent character. Benicio Del Toro is perfectly cast as a mysterious, menacing consultant who just might be a C.I.A. agent with an agenda of his own. I liked the action sequences which were fast moving and well-choreographed. I just wish the script had been a little tighter, as there are a few plot holes that never get addressed. The film does have a scintillating score that helps create tension. This movie, due to its subject matter, that is hard to watch, though I enjoyed the film, yet it’s not one that I will want to revisit anytime soon.    My Rating: Full Price   Sicario Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Revenant:  Makeup Effects Lab Technician: Beaver Fabricator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The 5th Wave  (2016)  PG-13  Four waves of increasingly savage alien attacks have hit earth and have devastated the planet. Cassie (Chloe Grace Moretz) is trying to save her younger brother from the aliens and may be the key to defeating them. I love Chloe Grace Moretz and think she is one of the better young actresses in films today. Count me in for this one.   The 5th Wave Facebook page

Until Next Time!