A Minecraft Movie

My View:  A Minecraft Movie  (2025)  PG   In A Minecraft Movie, four misfits suddenly find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal, landing in a strange, cubic world that thrives on creativity and imagination. To return home, they will need help from a peculiar resident, Steve (Jack Black), to master this bizarre world. I am not a gamer, and I only have knowledge of Minecraft from advertisements and Twitter/X. Having seen this film, I have no clue what Minecraft is or what the game is like. All I know is that I had to endure three songs sung by Jack Black and a plot that probably only makes sense to a six-year-old who has played the game their whole life (ok, maybe their last year or so). For a world that constantly talks about imagination, very little was applied when writing the script. My father, the playwright, always said avoid films with more than two writers, more means the script had troubles. This one had five. I get that the four humans that have been sent to the Minecraft world want to get back, but I have no idea why anyone else would want to be a part of this world like Steve. I am guessing kids will enjoy all the battles and the weird animals, but adults will be bored and looking at their watches to see when this film will end. And what was Jennifer Coolidge's role (she plays a school vice president) in the plot? It's such a throwaway part that has so much wasted screen time.  So many questions and so little desire to know any of the answers. And yes, there is a bonus scene at the end of all the credits that, I guess, sets up the next film. I am guessing gamers will know why that scene is worth waiting for. I certainly don't. My Rating: Cable  A Minecraft Movie Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Hell of a Summer  (2024) R  Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason (Fred Hechinger) getting ready for his summer at Camp Pineway; he thinks his biggest challenge will be connecting with his teenage co-workers. Little does Jason know that will be the least of his worries as there is a masked killer on the campgrounds, and counselors are dying off one by one. Hell of a Summer is a take on the slasher films of the 70s and 80s, with a group of camp counselors being killed one by one by a mysterious killer. I had fun watching this film, especially the performance of Fred Hechinger, who plays a man who loves summer camp so much that he can’t seem to let it go, even in his mid-20s. Hechinger is hilarious in the role of someone who desperately wants to fit in, but try as hard as he does, he can’t seem to do or say the right thing. Written and directed by two of the cast, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard, who are funny as best friends who continually screw up but somehow stay alive, at least for a while. The story goes on a little too long, the killer is pretty easy to figure out, and the film goes for humor much more than scares, something that it could use to keep the film moving along. Still, the cast has a great time, and the film ends on a funny and very bloody note. So, if you are in the mood for revisiting those summer camps where not everyone came back alive, then pack your duffle bag, sunscreen, and maybe a knife or two and join the gang around the campfire. Don't be alarmed if a few people don't show up for the weenie roast.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Hell of a Summer Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Friend  (2024) R  Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer whose life is falling apart. She isn’t happy with her students, her latest writing project isn’t going anywhere, and her best friend and mentor, a fellow writer, Walter (Bill Murray), has just committed suicide. Then Iris finds out that Walter has left his dog, a Great Dane named Apollo, to Iris. Apollo is going to change Iris’s life, even if she doesn’t want it changed. Naomi Watts continues to prove that she is among the best actresses out there. Watts gives a virtuoso performance of a writer dealing with her best friend’s death while trying to teach students who are too involved in themselves. To top it off, she is struggling to put together a book of Walter’s letters, and now, she has a giant dog to care for in an apartment that just might kick her out because of their no-pets policy. The Friend is a film about dealing with grief and how pets can help us heal. Bing, the Great Dane that plays Apollo, is perfect in the role, as Apollo is grieving too, and it takes Iris a while to figure this out. What I love about this film is that Apollo is exactly what Iris needs, and Iris is exactly what Apollo needs, too. Two fellow beings are trying to figure out how to go on and realize that they can do it if they lean on each other. So, hang out with Iris and her buddy Apollo as they go on this journey together. You won’t be sorry you did.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Friend Website  Now playing in theaters.  

My View:  Freaky Tales  (2024) R   Freaky Tales is a collection of four interconnected stories that takes place in Oakland in 1987. You will meet punk rockers, Nazi skinheads, female rappers, shakedown artists, and even Gold State Warrior legend Sleepy Floyd as he battles a crime lord. Freaky Tales is a fun ride that has trouble at times keeping the stories moving and their connection to each other is flimsy at best, but if you like the films of the 80s with a splash of exploration films of the 70s, then this is a film for you. The battle sequences, and there are quite a few, are bloody messes done with a tongue-in-cheek flair for slow-motion. There is a story for everyone, including punk rockers deciding to take on Nazi skinheads, a rap duo who get their big break, an enforcer who wants to retire, and then there is a basketball star who grabs a few samurai swords to take revenge. So, just go on a ride to 1980s Oakland and have fun with a few tales that may involve some magic and lots of blood spilled. Make sure to stay through the first part of the credits for a bit of a bonus scene or two.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Freaky Tales Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View:  A Nice Indian Boy  (2024)   A Nice Indian Boy is about Naveen (Karan Soni), a doctor who dreams of having a big wedding like his sister (Sunita Mani), but he can’t meet the right guy. It’s love at first sight when a photographer named Jay (Jonathan Groff) enters Naveen’s life. Now, if Naveen can get his traditional Indian family to accept this white boyfriend, maybe, just maybe, he can get the wedding he has always wanted. A Nice Indian Boy is a funny, warm, and uplifting rom-com that explores what happens when you fall in love with someone who meets everything you need in a person, but one thing: your family won’t approve of them. I loved the romance between Karan Soni’s Naveen, a man who thinks he will never find love, and Jonathan Groff’s Jay, who fits everything that Naveen is looking for, except that he is not of Indian descent. Naveen is convinced that he will never get the wedding he wants, and that life isn’t like those Bollywood musicals, with couples singing and dancing to express their love. Jay is a man who thinks it’s possible to have it all and wants it to be with Naveen. But can they overcome Naveen's family and their cultural norms? You will just have to stay to the end to find out. My Rating: Full Price  A Nice Indian Boy Website   Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Luckiest Man in America  (2024)  R   The Luckiest Man in America is about Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser), an unemployed ice cream truck driver who, in 1984, went on the game show Press Your Luck and won a ton of money. However, Michael had a secret: he knew there was a flaw in the game show and how to exploit it to his advantage. The film is based on a true story and features an exceptional performance by Paul Walter Hauser. Unfortunately, the story can’t sustain the tension it needs and lets the story go on way too long. It’s fun to watch the game show and network officials squirm when their low-stakes game show suddenly starts bleeding money on the screen. However, the film lost me when Michael’s mind begins to go, and he wanders off onto a talk show (hosted by an out-of-place Johnny Knoxville), making the film feel as if it all was a figment in Michael’s mind. The movie ends up running out of steam with an ending that feels out of place with the rest of the film. It's interesting that the filmmakers didn't give us a postscript on what happened to Michael and his winnings. From what I know of the real Michael Larson, the story was just starting, but the film seemed to feel like Michael was already out of luck.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Luckiest Man in America Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Real Genius (1985)  PG  A teenage prodigy, Mitch (Gabriel Jarret), is thrust into the world of college as he enters a top engineering school. His roommate, Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), used to be the smartest kid in the school until Mitch got there. Now, Mitch must perform under the pressure of a professor (William Atherton) who has put Mitch in charge of a top-secret project that involves lasers. Mitch will soon learn from Chris that life is more than school and work. It's about living in the moment and having fun. Real Genius is one of my favorite films of the 80s, and Val Kilmer is brilliant as the incredibly cool and funny Chris, who has a quip for every moment and is all about trying to have fun every waking moment. The supporting cast is amazing, and I love all the characters in this film. The film has one of my favorite lines from a movie, said by a huge crush of mine, Deborah Foreman. It's I line I can't print because this is a family review, but I die every time she says it to Val Kilmer's character. This is one film I can watch over and over again. Plus, it has one of the great final scenes of a movie.  My Rating: Full Price   Real Genius Info  The film is available on DVD/Blue Ray. 

 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hell of a Summer:  Mask Fabricator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Sinners  (2025)  R  Trying to leave their troubled past behind, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown and open a dance hall. They soon discover that their hometown has changed, and a greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Written and directed by two-time Oscar-nominated Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Judas and the Black Messiah) and starring Michael B. Jordan in a duel role, this is one of the films on everyone’s must-see list.  Sinners Website The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 18, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

Last Breath

My View: Last Breath  (2025)  PG-13   Last Breath is about a group of seasoned deep-sea divers who battle a rough sea and the odds to try to save a diver stuck hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface with only 10 minutes of oxygen left. Early in the film, Chris (Finn Cole) tries to reassure his fiancee (Bobby Rainsbury) by telling her that deep sea diving is like astronauts taking a spacewalk. She tells her soon-to-be husband, ‘Why would that make me feel better?’ and we, as the audience, agree. Like Gravity or Apollo 13, this is a movie about beating the odds, where the audience is holding their breath as a rescue goes on and the clock is counting down. Last Breath is a well-done thriller as we follow three divers on a mission to repair an oil pipeline, and things go wrong fast. Our three divers are Duncan (Woody Harrelson), the smart-aleck veteran, Dave (Simu Liu) who is called The Vulcan (like Spock in Star Trek), a no-nonsense diver, and the young buck on the dive, Chris (Finn Cole), who is a protégée of Duncan. We quickly learn that this is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, where the divers have to go into a special container on the ship to get their bodies ready for the dive and then go into a diving bell that is subject to the swells underwater, just like the boat they are connected to on the surface of the ocean. Last Breath does an outstanding job of letting us get to know the characters and how they deal with this perilous job. The underwater sequences are amazing, revealing the difficulty of walking a few feet without becoming lost in the dark waters. The underwater action scenes are exhilarating and keep you on the edge of your seat as the probability of returning decreases throughout the film. The story of Last Breath is a thrilling one of perseverance, skill, and the determination to overcome what appears impossible. You might have to catch your own breath by the end of the film.  My Rating: Full Price  Last Breath Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View:  Riff Raff  (2024)  R  In Riff Raff, Vincent (Ed Harris) is an ex-con who just wants to spend the holidays in his secluded getaway home with his wife Sandy (Gabrielle Union) and her son DJ (Miles J. Harvey). Instead, everyone is coming to the house with a grudge to bear, including two hitmen (Bill Murray and Pete Davidson) who are on a killing spree that won’t stop until they get what they want. Riff Raff is a film that, on paper, looks to be a winner, but when filmed, it never quite fits together into a plot that never delivers its promise. The highlight of the film is the pairing of Murray and Davidson, who play a couple of hitmen who keep changing the rules on who they can or will kill. Regrettably, the two are not the main focus of the film, and the rest of the plot/characters do not deliver what our two killers do. The film puts too much effort into creating multiple backstories that don't provide enough value to justify the storyline. It would have been great if the first hour and a half of the film had been as fascinating and intense as the final fifteen minutes. I am just not sure it’s worth meandering through the rest of the film to get to the end.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Riff Raff Website Now playing in theaters.

My View:  My Dead Friend Zoe  (2024) R  In My Dead Friend Zoe, Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) is a former U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran whose best friend is fellow vet Zoe (Natalie Morales). The only problem is Zoe is dead, and only Merit can see and hear her. Now Merit has to help her estranged grandfather, Dale (Ed Harris), who is holed up in the family lake house. Dale has begun to lose his way and needs the one thing Merit has a hard time giving: help. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, which is part comedy/part drama as a vet deals with two things: she must comply with group therapy, and she has to deal with her grandfather, also an Army vet, who is having a hard time dealing with living alone after his wife has died. Adding to these problems, Merit is not dealing with life very well, as it seems her only friend is someone who isn’t alive and only she can see. Merit refuses to participate in the court-ordered group therapy led by a Vietnam vet (Morgan Freeman). Although she shows up, she never contributes to discussions and is more interested in hearing what her dead friend has to say than what is happening in the group. Merit is also dealing with her grandfather, wonderfully played by Ed Harris, who has exhibited signs that he might be developing Alzheimer’s. We have seen the returning soldier dealing with PTSD problems in films before, but rarely is it where the problem is that the lead character refuses to tell her story of grief because Merit feels if she does, she will lose her best friend, someone who Merit feels she can’t live without, even if she isn’t real. Because Zoe is real to Merit. I loved the conversations between Merit and Zoe, both in flashbacks to their time in the Army and in the present, as Merit deals with her current life. My Dead Friend Zoe is a warm, funny film that cares about its characters, including all the vets in Merit’s therapy group. Sonequa Martin-Green gives us a powerful performance of a woman who is lost and doesn’t see a way to find her way out. As the feisty Zoe, Natalie Morales is brilliant as the wild and wonderful Zoe, always ready to make a snappy comment and be there for Merit, both in the living past and the ghostly present. And then we have a remarkable performance by Ed Harris, as a tough-as-nails Army veteran who knows his world is changing but doesn't want anyone to help him. My Dead Friend Zoe is an emotional journey of a film that will make you laugh but also make you shed a few tears because sometimes life is hard and it’s harder still to ask for help.  My Rating: Full Price  My Dead Friend Zoe Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Lilith (1964)   A war vet turned occupational therapist (Warren Beatty) starts working at a mental institution when he meets and starts falling for a patient named Lilith (Jean Seberg) The ex-soldier has all sorts of problems of his own, including lots of mommy issues because his mother took her own life after years of mental problems. Lilith is a seductive woman who has schizophrenia. She is a woman that seemingly everyone, including some women, wants to sleep with. Lilith is a film that was based on a best-selling book that, at the time, was shocking in its dealing with sex. The problem is that this movie was made in the early 60s before studios and censorship were dealing better with issues like sex and mental illness. So, a lot of what goes on in the film is implied. At the time, Beatty was Hollywood’s new Golden Boy, and Seberg was hot off her films made in France, which made her a massive star. What I like about this film is that you get to see how talented an actress Seberg was. Plus, the supporting cast is filled with some very young stars just starting out, including Peter Fonda, Gene Hackman, and Jessica Walter. Although the ending is a bit bizarre, it's worth watching Jean Seberg and all those incredibly young, soon-to-be stars.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Lilith Info  The film is available to buy/rent on Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Last Breath: Scaffolding Manager

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Death of a Unicorn  (2025)  R   A father, along with his daughter, 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. Some at the retreat want to kill it, and some want to save it. No one knows how much danger each one of them is in. The film stars Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant.   Death of a Unicorn Website  The will be in theaters on March 28,, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

My View: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) R  As the world falls, a biker horde led by the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) takes a young Furiosa. Years later, Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) tries to escape and find her way home as two tyrants wage a war. Having been a huge fan of the Mad Max franchise since I saw the original film at a midnight screening when in college, falling in love with the action and Mel Gibson (even with his voice dubbed because the studio thought American audiences wouldn’t be able to understand Gibson’s Australian dialect). I consider Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior) (1981) one of the great action films of the 80s, and I picked Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) as one of the best films of that year. I am happy to say that while not as good as Fury Road, Furiosa is still an excellent action picture that gives us a ton of backstory on the origin of Furiosa, a character we all fell in love with in the 2015 film. A lot was made of the decision by filmmaker George Miller to not cast Charlize Theron again in the role, but Miller, after seeing how badly CGI did de-aging De Niro in The Irishman, Miller went with Anya Taylor-Joy for the role. It must be said that Taylor-Joy is only in the 2nd half of the film, as the early days of Furiosa use a much younger Alyla Browne in the role, as we learn she was kidnapped as a child by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and used as a kind of good luck charm as he terrorizes the world with his biker gang. The film is divided into segments, each telling an essential part of Furiosa’s life. When Anya takes over the role, she shows us she can kick butt with the best of them. I loved her in this role, and she showed she can handle the action sequences. There is an excellent sequence in the middle of the film as Furiosa has become the sidekick of the best rig driver, Praetorian Jack (played by a very charismatic Tom Burke), as he drives a massive war rig across the desert delivering precious gas while Furiosa and Jack fight off a seemingly endless group of attackers who are trying to highjack the rig. It’s a fantastic bit of stunt work that goes on for at least ten minutes of high-octane action. Chris Hemsworth dominates the screen every time he is on it, as the mad as a hatter warlord who loves to cause as much trouble as he can. Hemsworth chews scenery with the best of them, and it’s always fun to see just how nuts his character is in each chapter of the film. While not a great film like Fury Road, Furiosa is still a rousing action film filled with characters you will keep thinking about long after the last scene leaves the screen.   My Rating: Full Price  Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

Familyfaire: The Garfield Movie (2024) PG  Jon (voiced by Nicholas Hoult) rescued Garfield (Chris Pratt) after finding the cat abandoned in a restaurant. Now grown, Garfield has a sudden reunion with his long-lost father, an alley cat named Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson). Now Garfield and his dog pal Odie (voiced by Harvey Guillen) are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a high-stakes heist. The bar is pretty low for any Garfield movie. I mean, Bill Murray sleepwalked doing the voice of Garfield for two movies in the early 2000s. So, how does this film stack up? It’s ok, which in Garfield movie-land means it’s watchable. Kids are going to enjoy the film. There is plenty of action, Garfield gets into lots of trouble and still saves the day, and the cast of characters are at least interesting and colorful. I was bored by most of the film, even with many movie references, but the kids in the theatre with me seemed to enjoy the antics of the fat cat. Chris Pratt does a fine job as the voice of the cat with an attitude. Unlike Mr. Murray, he at least sounded like he was having fun. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Garfield Movie Website Now playing in theaters. 

My View: Atlas (2024) PG-13   Atlas Shepard (Jennifer Lopez) is a data analyst who deeply mistrusts AI technology, even though her mother is responsible for creating the technology that gave AI robots their power. Atlas decides to join an anti-terrorist mission to stop an AI from destroying Earth. After an attack, Atlas is marooned on a planet, and her only ally is an AI robot named Smith. Together, they will have to succeed, or the Earth is doomed. I’ve always felt that Jennifer Lopez could have been a bigger film star if she hadn’t gone off to become a pop star. She had a successful run in the late 90s with Selena, U-Turn, and an outstanding performance in Out of Sight. Even Anaconda is fun to watch, and The Cell is so weird that it is extremely watchable. Then she went with the rom-com route, and we got Gigli, among others. I had hope when she got great reviews with Hustlers (2019), but then she went back to the rom-com route again with stuff like Marry Me and Shotgun Wedding. So now we have Jennifer as a tough-as-nails woman who is determined to stop an AI named Harlan (played by Simu Liu) from destroying the world, an AI that her mother created and set loose on the world. Jennifer spends most of the film inside a giant robot-like war machine that, to work properly, must sync with Atlas so that they both share each other’s thoughts. I liked the action sequences, and the ultimate battle between Atlas and the AIs is fun to watch, but it takes a long time to get there, and that’s what slows this film down. We slowly get the real reasons Atlas is so determined to defeat Harlan (besides his desire to kill humans). This isn’t a bad film; in fact, I enjoyed it for what it is: a sci-fi action film with not enough action in it. I am hoping that Jennifer will find the right role again in the near future. Just stay away from the rom-coms for awhile.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Atlas Website  Now playing on Netflix. 

My View: The Blue Angels  (2024)  The documentary The Blue Angels delves into the selection and training of the Navy/Marine Corps Flight Demonstration Squadron, called The Blue Angels. I grew up in San Antonio, TX, which is a big Air Force and Army town. So, I didn’t know much about the Blue Angels, but this film has corrected that. This film will amaze you with how skillful these Navy and Marine pilots are. The aerial photography is mind-blowing, and you will be thrilled at the precision it takes to fly these planes like the Blue Angels do. We get to know the pilots and, to a lesser extent, their families as the camera spends a year following the pilots as they crisscross the country, bringing their air show to crowds that sometimes are larger than a Super Bowl. What I loved was the behind-the-scenes training that these pilots do, showing us all the classwork and study sessions that go on throughout the year to try and achieve perfection in their flying. Like their airshows, I have a feeling that this film will inspire a few kids to want to become pilots and someday fly with The Blue Angels.  My Rating: Full Price  The Blue Angels Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime. 

Indiefest:  Babes  (2024) R  In Babes, Eden (Ilan Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) have been friends forever. They grew up in NYC and experienced everything together. Eden, carefree and single, has a one-night stand and becomes pregnant. She decides to have the baby and will need all the help that her best friend can supply. This film is a hilarious and touching depiction of friendship and family. It's also about the family you create through friendship, and sometimes that bond is stronger than your real family. When we meet Dawn and Eden, they are getting together for their annual watching of a movie in a theater on Thanksgiving, and they will not stop for anything, even if Dawn is having a baby. We instantly see the dynamic between the two as they decide to leave the movie and get something to eat before Dawn has to suffer for ’25 hours like last time. ’ They are best friends, and nothing can get in the way of that. Except for life, especially after a great one-night stand, Eden finds out she is preggers, and Dawn is having trouble managing a new baby, a job, and a toddler. Glazer and Buteau's comedic timing is incredible, as the chemistry between the two women is off the charts. Their banter is laugh-out-loud funny, and the situations they are in seem based on real-world experiences. The film is helped by a great supporting cast, including John Carroll Lynch, who plays both women’s baby doctor. Every time he is on camera, there is a running gag that just made me lose it. While men are going to have a great time, and by the way, Marty (Hasan Minhaj), Dawn’s husband, is a saint, women are going to fall in love with Babes, and its observations on motherhood, pregnancy, birth, and friendship. Go see this film. You will laugh (with a few tears in between) from beginning to end.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Babes Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: Clean and Sober (1988) R  Daryl (Michael Keaton) is a successful real-estate salesman who has seen better days. He is a drug addict and is in trouble with his job for taking some money and investing it (badly) in the stock market. Oh, and a woman he picks up at a bar dies from a heart attack due to all the drugs they did together. He decides to escape and enroll in an anonymous drug rehab program. His thinking is he can hang out until things cool down. Little does he know this program is run by a counselor who has seen guys like Daryl a hundred times before and will make Daryl work at his recovery. The movie is helped by a supporting cast that includes Morgan Freeman as the counselor, Kathy Baker as a fellow addict whose life is as big a mess as Daryl, and the great M. Emmet Walsh as Daryl’s AA sponsor. Keaton is perfect in the role of a guy who thinks he can either charm or BS anyone into believing anything. The film lets you know at the end that it will be a long and bumpy road for Daryl. We don’t know if he will succeed in staying sober, but at least he has a chance.   My Rating: Full Price  Clean and Sober Info The film is available on streaming services.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Earthworks Manager

Coming Soon to Screen Near You: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)   After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family have come home to Winter River and the house we all know so well. Lydia (Winona Ryder) is still haunted by Beetlejuice, and to make things worse, her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), has discovered that mysterious model of the town. It’s only a matter of time before someone’s name will be uttered three times. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton have returned to bring us the magic back. As someone in a dirty, black-and-white suit says, “The Juice is loose!”  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Website The film is slated for release in early September.

Until Next Time!

Drive-Away Dolls

My View: Drive-Away Dolls (2024) R   Jamie (Margaret Qualley) regrets her breakup with her girlfriend and needs to get away to forget her troubles. Her best friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) just wants to get away. The two embark on a road trip to Tallahassee in search of a fresh start. They rent a car intended for a group of inept criminals, and now the chase is on, but the girls don’t know that. I am a huge fan of the Coen brothers movies, especially Fargo. So I was excited when I saw the trailer for this film. Boy, was I disappointed. I wanted this film to end almost as soon as it started. It feels as if it is half a film (maybe brother Joel has the rest of the plot) with storylines that seem to end without any result, characters talking on and on without any rhyme or reason, and an ending that felt too easy. The film is full of stunt casting, so be warned that some actors are on screen for just a few moments. There isn’t a lot of heart in this film, and it feels almost like a parody of the sex romp films of the 80s with a lesbian slant, but that would be giving it too much credit.   My Rating: Cable  Drive-Away Dolls Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View: Ordinary Angels (2024) PG   Sharon (Hilary Swank) is a hairdresser known for getting involved in people’s lives. She finds out about a critically ill young girl whose widowed father, Ed (Alan Ritchson), is in over his head trying to get her treatment. Sharon does what she does best and single-handedly rallies an entire community to help pay for an operation. It will take a miracle, but that’s what Sharon does. Ordinary Angels is a touching story with a bit of Christian overtones that gets a little schmaltzy at times but works because of the message that if we work together and show some human kindness, miracles can happen. Swank has fun as the heart-of-gold hairdresser who has a troubled past and wants to right a few wrongs, primarily through her ability to talk anybody into anything. There are plenty of tears along the way, but it’s a story that loves a good miracle or two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Ordinary Angels Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: lo Capitano (2023) lo Capitano is about two teenage boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar in Senegal to go on an epic journey to the greener pastures of Europe. Little do the young men know the hardships and dangers they will encounter along the way. This powerful film takes you on an unbelievable journey of two boys who are forced to become men along the way. lo Capitano is a film that treats its characters with tenderness as they endure horrific times. You are given insight into why the two boys want to go to Europe, but you also see why, once they have left, they miss their families and home. Seydou Sarr gives an incredible performance as a young man who is good at heart, loves his best friend, and is horrified at what he has to deal with and endure. It’s a brilliant performance that hits you in the gut and keeps punching because that's how bad this journey of two teen boys trying to find a better life. lo Capitano is a film about dreams and the journeys we travel to make them come true, no matter the hardship.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  lo Capitano Website Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest: Stopmotion (2023) R  Stopmotion is the story of Ella (Aisling Franciosi), a stop-motion animator working under the demanding, legendary animator Suzanne (Stella Gonet), who happens to be her mother. When her mother dies, Ella hopes to finally make the films she has always dreamed of. Unfortunately, those dreams may become nightmares when a character she is filming suddenly comes to life. I am a huge fan of stop-motion animation, and this film is packed with incredibly creepy and scary animation. Ella is a frustrated animator who has lived under the shadow and thumb of her mother. When Ella finally starts working on her own creation, it’s actually a story from a neighborhood kid that takes a life of its own. Stopmotion is a story of a woman who doesn’t know what is real and what is made up. The storyline is a little light, but the melding of stop-motion animation with live-action makes this horror film stand out and gives you plenty of scares.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Stopmotion website Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: Heartaches (1981) R   A young wife (Annie Potts) is pregnant, and she doesn’t want to tell her husband (Robert Carradine) because of one little problem: it’s not his. So she leaves home to get an abortion and meets up with Rita (Margot Kidder). Though the two are opposites, they decide to pair up and soon find they have much more in common than they realize. While not a great movie, the performances of Margot Kidder and especially Annie Potts make this film worth watching. While Kidder’s character is the more outrageous, Potts dominates the film as a woman who has finally realized that she is far more capable than her worthless husband ever lets her be.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Heartaches Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Drive-Away Dolls: Chief of Zoss

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) The Spengler family has returned to where it all began, the iconic New York City firehouse, to team up with some of the original Ghostbusters. Their mission is to stop an evil force unleashed by an ancient artifact that threatens to turn the world into a second Ice Age. This is the first movie in the Ghostbusters franchise that the late Ivan Reitman won’t be involved in. The film was going to be a Christmas release but was delayed by the actor and writer’s strikes.  Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Website   The film is out on Friday, March 22nd. 

Until Next Time!

The Adams Family 2

Familyfaire:  The Adams Family 2  (2021)  PG   Your favorite family of ghouls are back! Gomez (voiced by Oscar Isaac) is concerned that the kids are growing up too fast. Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Pugsley (Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton) are skipping family dinners and are always on their iPhones with ‘scream time.’ Gomez decides the kids need a change, so the family goes off on vacation to see the sites of America. America may never be the same again. Charles Adams is one of my favorite cartoonists, and he created the weird and morbid family headed by Gomez and Morticia. The problem with making a movie about these characters is Charles Adams’s family in the cartoons think fun is spilling a vat of molten tar from the heights of their mansion on Christmas carolers, something that a ‘family animated’ picture would never show. So what we get is watered-down characters and cause mayhem primarily by accident and only scare people by mistake. The family goes on vacation and visits such landmarks as Niagara Falls, where Gomez puts each family member in a barrel to go over the falls or the Grand Canyon that Pugsley blows up (why I have no clue). The film isn’t much fun, and I kept wanting to put the family members into the guillotine that in the Adams cartoons, Wednesday used to put her dolls in just to end this film. Kids might find some fun in the action sequences, but adults will be as bored as Gomez is at a play that doesn’t have any dead bodies in it.   My Rating; Cable   The Adams Family 2 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and On Demand.

My View:  The Many Saints of Newark  (2021)  R  Young Anthony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini) is growing up fast, under the influence of his uncle, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who is struggling to keep his hold on his power as rival gangs are rising up and challenging the powerful DiMeo crime family. What Anthony learns now will serve him later when we know him as Tony Soprano. I was not a regular viewer of The Sopranos, having watched enough episodes that I know the characters, and like most people, I know how the show ended. So I was interested to see the origins of Tony Soprano, especially since James Gandolfini’s son was playing a young Tony in the film. I was severely disappointed by this film as it is more about Anthony’s uncle, Dickie, played by Alessandro Nivola, and less about Anthony himself. In fact, for most of the film, Anthony is a bystander in the actions of his family and the mob. He stumbles across a few things but is left on the sidelines for most of the film, a secondary character that we get to see do some really stupid crimes like running numbers at his elementary school or hijacking an ice cream truck. In fact, all the publicity of the film made it seem like Michael Gandolfini would be a prominent point of action in the movie, but the actor is in maybe half of the film, with the rest of the film taking place when he was a kid in elementary school, played by William Ludwig. Sure we get to see his home life with his sister, his thug of a father (played by Jon Bernthal), and his crazy mother (played by always impressive Vera Farmiga), but even this home life is a background for interaction with Dickie, who while Tony’s father is in prison, becomes a surrogate father to Tony. I was disappointed that one of my favorite actors, Ray Liotta, was somewhat wasted in the duel role of Dickies father and imprisoned uncle. There are a bunch of scenes between Dickie and his uncle where the uncle spouts wisdom from Buddhism and his love of jazz that do nothing to move the plot along. Maybe if I was a rabid fan of The Sopranos, I would enjoy seeming all the characters as they were in their younger days, but for me, it was one long trip of mob life that I never really cared enough about to feel anything when a character (or two) dies. Maybe filmmakers of The Many Saints of Newark should have taken the advice given in the first Godfather film ‘Leave the gun - take the cannoli.’   My Rating; Bargain Matinee    The Many Saints of Newark Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide and on the HBO Max platform.

My View:  Venom: Let There Be Carnage  (2021)  PG-13  Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has learned to live with the alien symbiote inside him named Venom, but they haven’t met Carnage, a fellow alien living inside the body of Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a dangerous criminal who understands who and what Eddie is and wants to destroy him and Venom. I liked the first film, and they have taken what worked the best in that film, the interaction between Venom and Eddie, and made it even funnier. The action is fun, and it looks like Tom Hardy is having a great time playing this character (he co-wrote the story for the film). The ending is a little haphazard, with the final battle result feeling a little weak. Still, overall, this is a fun film that fans of Venom won’t be disappointed and yes, make sure to stay through the first section of the closing credits to see a big, and I mean big, bonus scene that is going to have everyone talking. I can’t wait to see what Eddie and Venom get into next!   My Rating; Full Price    Venom: Let There Be Carnage Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:  I’m Your Man  (2021)  R   Desperate to obtain funds for her studies, a scientist, Alma (Maren Eggert), agrees to participate in an unbelievable experiment; live for three weeks with a humanoid robot (Dan Stevens) designed to make her happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The casting of the two leads is terrific, and they make you believe that a robot and a human are having conversations. There is a lot of humor in the film, but it isn’t a film that is played for laughs but for the romance that develops between the two despite the fact that Alma doesn’t want a relationship with anyone, much less a robot who has been created for her. The writing is incredibly well done, and the characters feel real (even the robot) and are richly drawn. I was afraid that the film would put itself into a corner that it couldn’t get out of, but I was blown away by how this film ended. I can see why Germany has nominated this film to be their selection to this year’s Academy Award Best International Feature Film. I can’t recommend this film more as itt gave this hopelessly romantic a thrill.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    I'm Your Man Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Falling for Figaro  (2020)   Millie (Daniele Macdonald) seems to have everything; a great job, a good-looking but stuffy boyfriend, and a love for opera. Millie decides to chuck everything to pursue a career as an opera singer and leave her boyfriend behind to go to the Scottish Highlands to be taught by the legendary Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley). This decision will change Millie in more ways than she could ever have thought. Macdonald, who wowed film festival audiences with her performance in Patti Cake$, has a fabulous presence on the screen, and I loved her in this role, except when she sang, mainly because it was annoyingly obvious that she wasn’t singing at all. Falling for Figaro is a film for opera lovers and anyone who wants a crash course in the big hits of the genre. While under the tutelage of the former opera diva played by Joanna Lumley, Millie slowly falls for the only other student that Meghan has, the surly, handsome Max, played by Hugh Skinner. The two have a nice chemistry together, and from the first meet, you know they are destined to be with each other. I usually like Joanna Lumley’s performances, but the film never gives us a reason to think that her unconventional methods would ever take a novice singer like Millie to become a success so quickly.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Falling for Figaro Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  Old Henry  (2021)   Henry (Tim Blake Nelson) is a widower, working a farm with his teenage son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis), when a badly hurt man, Curry (Scott Haze), shows up on Wyatt’s farm with a satchel full of cash. When three men who claim that they are lawmen show up looking for the injured man, Henry must decide who to believe. The men and Henry’s teenage son will soon discover that Henry has hidden a past that he wishes had never happened. I am a big fan of westerns, and this one did not disappoint. The history of western films has many a reluctant hero, but Henry may be one of the most reluctant ever on the silver screen. A farmer who is happy in the hard work and is constantly being disappointed by his son’s lack of enthusiasm for the work. Into their lives comes a man Henry instantly dislikes and wants him gone as soon as possible, but fate has brought trouble to Henry and his son, and there is nothing that Henry can do to avoid it. Time Blake Nelson gives us a powerful but restrained performance of a man who just wants to work his land and be left alone. Nelson is brilliant in the role of the gruff Henry, who sees things very clearly for what they are, having lived a life that has seen many things. Old Henry has a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and a compelling and potent ending. Like its title character, this film packs a punch that you just might not see coming.   My Rating: Full Price     Old Henry Website  Now playing in select theatres

Indiefest:  The Jesus Music  (2021) PG-13  From its humble beginnings at the Calvary Chapel in California to a multi-billion-dollar industry, the story of Christian Contemporary Music is a story that needs to be told about the soundtrack of a movement. I am a big fan of CCM and groups like Barlow Girl, Bethany Dillon, and Everlife, so I was really looking forward to this film. I enjoyed the insight into the early days of ‘The Jesus Revolution’ of the 60s and the look back at one of the vast music festivals of the 70s, Explo72, which brought contemporary Christian music to the forefront. The film is a good starting point for anyone interested in the genre, though they barely touch on some of the big acts, such as Point of Grace and Sandi Patty. The film is a little too close to the subject matter (it's from the directors who gave us the Christian movie I Can Only Imagine), so they only touch on a few subjects that aren’t positive (the backlash when mega-star Amy Grant got divorced and how the CCM music is dominated by white artists). Still, I enjoyed the stories from the early years, the fact that Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant are still close to this day, and that the music continues to inspire.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Jesus Music Website    Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Forgotten Film: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou  (2004) R  When a shark kills his partner, world-famous ocean explorer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) sets out with his team to get revenge. It will be an expedition that the world will soon not forget. The film is co-written and directed by Wes Anderson, and the outstanding cast includes Owen Wilson, who plays his long-forgotten son, Anjelica Huston as his estranged wife, Cate Blanchett as a reporter sent to chronicle the expedition, Willem Dafoe as Steve’s troubled right-hand man, and a few more characters played by Jeff Goldblum, Bud Cort, and Matthew Gray Gubler. This is a strange film to watch, and unlike a lot of Murray films recently, this one he is in almost every scene, but sometimes you feel that he is bored with the plot, which at times feels almost non-existent. Why do I want you to watch this film? Because Willem Dafoe is hilarious as Zissou’s weird German servant. I almost wish that he was the featured character of the movie instead of Steve Zissou. I will also say that the cinematography during the underwater sequences is stunning and breathtaking. So if you are a fan of Bill Murray or just have an afternoon to kill, watch this film and relish the Dafoe antics. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage: Lead Face Modeler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: A Mouthful of Air (2021) R   Julie Davis (Amanda Seyfried) is a best-selling author who writes children's books that deal with unlocking your fears. She is warm, kind, and loving to her husband and her child. However, when her second child is born, she discovers that her past is catching up to her, and there is a secret which will reappear that will take everything Julie has to overcome.    A Mouthful of Air Website

Until Next Time!