I Know What You Did Last Summer

My View:  I Know What You Did Last Summer  (2025)  R   In I Know What You Did Last Summer, five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident and decide to cover it up, choosing to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, they are confronted by a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did and is out for revenge. The friends discover this has happened before and ask for survivors of the Southport Massacre of 1997 for help. The original 1997 film had a script by Kevin Williamson (Scream, creator of Dawson’s Creek and The Vampire Diaries) and featured a cast that included Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche, Johnny Galecki, and Freddie Prinze Jr. While not as creative as Scream, it was still a fun movie with a cast that was talented and that knew what they were doing. I can’t say the same for this movie. This version is a re-tread of the original film but without any creativity. We go to these types of films to be scared and for the inventive kills. The only scares in this drab film are the ‘jump out of the dark’ moments, accompanied by loud music to cue us to the scary moment. The killings are unimaginative and poorly done. And don’t get me started on how the accident occurs and why they hide it, which brings down the film from the start. And if you haven’t figured out who the killer is by the first third of the film, you don’t watch a lot of this type of film. The dialogue was terrible (at my screening, some of the lines were laughed at), and none of the cast members had the charisma to carry the film. Fans of the series might enjoy this film, but the rest of us will likely find it a snore. And yes, there is a bonus scene in the middle of the credits, which sets up another film to come, and that one scene was better than the movie that just followed.   My Rating:  Cable  I Know What You Did Last Summer Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Eddington  (2025)  R  Eddington is set in a small town in New Mexico in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is running for Mayor against incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). As the election unfolds, the town descends into chaos, with mask mandates, conspiracy theories, and a sense of society unraveling in the background. I am not a big fan of filmmaker Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau is Afraid). I feel that too often he goes too far in trying to make a point, and his films have a tendency to start strong but falter in their third act, which ultimately brings down the rest of the film. Eddington is the story of a small town grappling with COVID-19 and the Eddie George killing, featuring a Mayor who advocates for mask-wearing and a Sheriff who refuses to wear a mask and dislikes, maybe even hates, the Mayor. I enjoyed the first half of this film, with a cast of characters that are funny and weird. It’s a war of wills between the Sheriff and the Mayor, and we want to see who will win. Unfortunately, the film falls apart in the second half, shifting from being an amusing black comedy and satire to something that feels directionless—perhaps like a roadrunner cartoon? The film, which starts so smartly, devours itself with absurdity that goes overboard. After viewing Eddington, you realize it did not provide any answers to the questions that were constantly popping up in your mind. That’s disappointing, especially in this day and age when we could all use a few answers. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Eddington Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight  (2024)  R Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is about 8-year-old Bobo (Lexi Venter), whose family’s Rhodesian farm and their way of life are threatened by the Bush War. This is about a family that is being torn apart at the seams by a country that doesn’t want them and a mother who refuses to leave. Lexi Venter delivers an incredible performance as Bobo, a young girl who rides a motorcycle, smokes cigarettes, and questions everything around her.  It’s a riveting performance by a young actress that carries the whole film on her shoulders. The narrative unfolds through Bobo’s eyes as her beloved country undergoes rapid change, and her way of life hangs in the balance. Embeth Davidtz, who serves as writer and director, provides Venter with a unique voice that highlights the contrast between the mother, an alcoholic refusing to give in, and the father, who recognizes when the battle is lost.   Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight features a groundbreaking performance by a young actress, Lexi Venter, that has to be seen to be believed. Bobo is a character who will win your heart, even as her family's story may break it.  My Rating: Full Price   Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  Sorry, Baby (2025) R  Sorry, Baby takes place over five years following the life of Agnes (Eva Victor), who is trying to put her life back together after a trauma that almost destroyed her. Sorry, Baby is one of those films that you fall in love with almost from the first frame. This film captivates you from the very first frame. Eva Victor has created a remarkable piece for a first-time director, especially one who also stars in it. Sorry, Baby is a film that deals with a horrible situation, but with such a deft touch that you come away feeling good about the character surviving, especially since she mentions dying a lot. It’s a film that tackles a sensitive subject with humor and compassion. Some scenes will make you cry, and others will make you laugh, and that’s to the credit of Eva Victor, who gives us a performance and a character who is witty, resilient, and warm-hearted, whose sense of humor comes out, sometimes at the strangest times. Additionally, Sorry, Baby highlights the importance of friendships in overcoming difficult times. This is a remarkable film that you won’t want to end, as you’ll find yourself wishing to continue Agnes's journey alongside her friends. You know she will keep moving forward, fighting the good fight, and striving to live fully. Sorry, Baby is definitely destined to be among my this year's top five films directed by a first-time filmmaker.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Sorry, Baby Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Boy (2011) Note: This is my review from 2011 and is a film that I talk about all the time, telling everyone to see this film:   Boy, an 11-year-old, who lives in Waihau Bay, New Zealand with his younger brother, Rocky (who thinks he has superpowers), and his grandmother, is obsessed with Michael Jackson. His mother died giving birth to Rocky, and Boy spends a good deal of his day thinking about what his long-lost father is doing.  Is he a spy, a famous rugby player, or maybe a brilliant artist?  Boy’s world is changed when his father suddenly shows up, and he must come to grips with the realization that his father will never live up to the image he created of him over the years.  The director (who also stars as Boy’s father), Taika Waititi, gives us a wonderful world of interesting characters, where Boy’s fantasies about his father come to life, and cartoon drawings illustrate what Rocky thinks is going to happen when he applies his imagined superpowers. It’s no wonder that this film won the Audience Award at the American Film Institute Festival in 2010. My Rating:  Full Price  Boy Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of I Know What You Did Last Summer:  Marine assistant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Naked Gun (2025) I am just going to quote the press release for the film: “Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. follows in his father’s footsteps.”  The movie stars Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., and the supporting cast comprises Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, and Kevin Durand.  The Naked Gun Website The movie will be in theaters on Friday, August 1, 2025.

Until Next Time!

The Exorcist: Believer

My View: The Exorcist: Believer (2023) R  In 1973, the devil possessed Chris MacNeil’s (Ellen Burstyn) daughter, Regan, and it took a heroic priest to save her. Now, in present day, two girls (Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum) disappear into the woods and then return three days later with no memory of what went on. Something has happened to the girls, and there is an evil presence that only one person alive has witnessed anything like this before: Chris MacNeil. The Exorcist (1973) is one of the greatest horror films of all time. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Ellen Burstyn as Best Actress and William Friedkin as Best Director. There have been attempts to recapture that magic, including the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, which is on many film critics’ lists as one of the worst films in cinema history. Well, now we can add another film to the list with The Exorcist: Believer. Ellen Burstyn, who has resisted appearing in a sequel, is in this one (she got a boatload of money and has used it to set up a scholarship at a university where she teaches acting). I am sorry to say that Miss Burstyn should have stayed away because she is wasted in the minor role she plays in this film. Unlike the first film, this one uses the idea that a community can beat the devil if they just band together. So we get a former wanna-be nun, an evangelist, a Haitian priest, and a reluctant Catholic priest to get the devil out of the two girls. The film is incredibly predictable, including a surprise appearance by someone from the past. The film is laughable in parts because it is so cheesy, and the few scares are only from the jump-out-of-the-dark variety. In the original The Exorcist, a sense of dread started almost from the start and built until the very end, making it one of the scariest films that has met the test of time, and audiences left feeling like they had battled the devil themselves. At my screening, when the movie ended, the audience clapped. I was shocked until I realized they were clapping because it was finally over.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  The Exorcist: Believer Website Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Foe (2023) R Foe is set in the near future, where Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) farm a secluded piece of land that has been in Junior’s family for generations. Their life is turned upside down when a stranger (Aaron Pierre) shows up at their doorstep with a startling proposal. It’s a proposal that will change their lives forever. Foe is a film about love and the choice you make to keep the love alive. The film's attempt to tell a convoluted story leaves the audience feeling unfulfilled. I had trouble with the film from almost the start, not understanding why Junior was picked for a mission that could save humanity. He’s pretty much a dolt, and I had difficulty seeing what Hen saw in him. The film doesn’t give such a fine an actor as Saoirse Ronan much to do other than staring off into space. The film feels like it’s just a bunch of scenes put together, and when it’s time to reveal the ending, it feels like we have been cheated. My Rating: Cable Foe Info  Now playing exclusively in theatres. 

My View: She Came to Me (2023) R  Composer Steven (Peter Dinklage) is having writer’s block, and his new opera is due in two weeks. His wife, Pat (Anne Hathaway), suggests he take the dog for a walk. Steven finds himself in a bar and meets a tugboat captain, Katrina (Marisa Tomei), who invites him to her boat. He has a one-night stand with the captain and is inspired to write his new opera. The problem is the tugboat captain loves being Steven’s newfound muse. I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic comedy about a man full of doubt and neuroses who is married to a woman who has her own troubles (even though she is a therapist) and seems to indulge Steven, even when he doesn’t need it. Entering Steven’s life is Katrina, who is a hopeless romantic who goes too far, too fast. Marisa Tomei makes this film work, and she is terrific as the seemingly opposite of the cold and rigid Pat. Add in the mix is a sort of Romeo and Juliet romance of a couple of teens, and we have one of those romantic comedies that somehow all comes together in the end. And though I am not a big opera fan, the scenes we see of Steven’s compositions make me want to go, primarily when he deals with axe-welding sirens.  My Rating: Full Price   She Came to Me Website    Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Strange Way of Life (2023) R Silva (Pedro Pascal) and Jake (Ethan Hawke) were once more than just friends working on a ranch. After twenty-five years, Silva has ridden a horse across the desert to visit his friend Jake. With friendship and love behind them, Silva wants Jake, now a sheriff, not to hunt down Silva’s son, who is wanted for murder. How far will what happened in the past keep Jake from doing his duty? Strange Way of Life is a short 30-minute film from Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In (2011), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989). This strange film feels too short for the story it is trying to tell. While I loved the performances of Pascal and Hawke, there isn’t a lot of sparks between the two. We are to think that these two former lovers broke up over differences in how they wanted to live their lives. It’s a story about love that has been lost and the choices the two men have made in their lives. One man is driven by his duty to the badge, and his love for his son drives the other. There is a story here to tell; it just needs to be longer and more complex. Instead, the film ends too soon and easily, with both men making choices that don’t feel resolved.  My View: Bargain Matinee   The film is playing with another Almodóvar short, The Human Voice, that stars Tilda Swinton.  Strange Way of Life Website  Now playing in theatres.

My View: Totally Killer (2023) R Totally Killer occurs when the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns after 35 years. The killer attacks Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and is somehow transported back to 1987. Jamie has just a few days to stop the killer from committing his first kill, or she will be stuck in the 80s. Totally Killer is a fun film that uses Kiernan Shipka’s charisma and charm to wow us and maybe forget a few plot points that don’t quite work. But the film succeeds because the fun of the movie is that it’s a great takeoff of the slasher films of the 80s, mocking all the cliches of those films, including killing the teen who has sex, the isolated cabin in the woods (complete with a hot tub) and clueless high school students who can’t see that their lives are in danger until it’s too late. The film’s pace is blindingly fast, so you won’t mind that the ending doesn’t make much sense, but that’s okay. The films that it’s making fun of didn’t either.   My Rating: Full Price  Totally Killer Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest: The Royal Hotel (2023) R Hanna and Liv (Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick) are US tourists backpacking across Australia. In need of extra money, they sign up to work for a few weeks at a remote pub in the outback. The job at first is fun, but soon, they are confronted with a bunch of unruly locals in a situation that snowballs out of control with nowhere to escape. After seeing who was in the cast and a trailer that promised a lot, I had high hopes for this film. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t deliver the tension or danger the trailer seems to hint at. Instead, we get two characters that, as the film goes along, you like less and less, which isn’t good when it’s an us versus them kind of movie. The film ends with a whimper and not the bang you expect, making the film feel flat and never provocative or as daring as it aspires to be. I like the performances from the two leads, but the rest of the cast felt very wooden, and the characters they played were too easy to predict. The Royal Hotel wanted to be a movie about the trials and tribulations of young women working in a bar full of men, but all we got was a lot of drunks bored with life and an ending that left a hangover.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Royal Hotel Website  Now playing in theatres. 

Indiefest: When Evil Lurks (2023) R  Two brothers (Ezequiel Rodríguez and Demián Salomón) hear gunshots in the middle of the night. When they go out the next day to find out what happened, they find a dead person who has been sawed in half. The brothers know that evil has come to their region, and it will take over if they don’t do something. The film is from Argentinian filmmaker Demián Rugna, known for his 2017 award-winning horror film Terrified. I will warn you that When Evil Lurks is a violent and bloody horror film with some extremely disturbing scenes, including one with a child. If you don’t like horror films or can’t stand violence, this isn’t a film for you. Almost from the start, the tension builds, and as soon as we see the body cut into two, we know we are dealing with something evil. Against their better judgment, the two brothers try to stop the evil from infecting their town, but things go from bad to worse as the evil keeps spreading. This is one scary film that doesn’t let up, and you feel as helpless as the two brothers do as they try to fight back. The deaths are sometimes shocking, and the scares are almost overwhelming. When Evil Lurks is a film that has wowed audiences at film festivals, including rave responses from the recent Fantastic Fest, but be warned, it is not a film for the squeamish. My Rating: Full Price  When Evil Lurks Website    Now playing in theatres. 

My View: Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023) R  Pet Sematary: Bloodlines returns to where it all began in 1969, where Jud Crandall (Jackson White) dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow. Jud and his friends find out the town has dark secrets, and he must face his family's connection to an ancient evil that could destroy everything in its path. The prequel that no one asked for. This is the origin story of the 2019 movie Pet Sematary, which was a bad horror movie in itself. So there wasn’t much hope for this one, and it’s another long line of failures that tries to make films out of Stephen King's ideas. The film tries and fails to answer why people stay in a cursed town. Instead, we get a story that is plain stupid from the beginning to the end. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is one of those films when you feel sorry for actors in the movie, like Henry Thomas, Pam Grier, or David Duchovny, who are all better than what they are asked to perform. There aren’t any scares, and the film runs out of ideas almost from the get-go. The ending feels like the filmmakers were thinking, ok, we need to wrap this up, so let’s do this and call it a day. One of the characters tells us, ‘We can never bury that evil.’ Well, I hope we can bury this movie, at least. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again  Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Info  Now playing on the Paramount+ platform. 

Forgotten Film: Boy (2011) Boy, an 11-year-old who lives in Waihau Bay, New Zealand, with his younger brother, Rocky (who thinks he has superpowers), and his grandmother, is obsessed with Michael Jackson. His mother died giving birth to Rocky, and Boy spends much of his day thinking about what his long-lost father is doing. Is he a spy, a famous rugby player, or a brilliant artist? Boy’s world is changed when his father suddenly shows up, and he must come to grips with the realization that his father will never live up to the image he created of him over the years. The director (who also stars as Boy’s father), Taika Waititi, gives us a wonderful world of interesting characters, where Boy’s fantasies about his father come to life, and cartoon drawings illustrate what Rocky thinks is going to happen when he applies his imagined superpowers. My Rating: I Would Pay to See It Again  Boy Info The film is available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Foe: Chicken Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Next Goal Wins (2023) PG-13 Back in 2001, the American Samoa soccer team suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits a down-on-his-luck coach (Michael Fassbinder) to get them back to respectability. It’s going to be a long road back. The film is from Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit (2019), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and Boy (2010)). I am a huge fan of Waititi and can’t wait to see this film. Next Goal Wins Website   The film will be released in theatres in mid-November.

Until Next Time!

Boy

Indiefest:  Boy  (2011)  Boy, an 11 year-old, who lives in Waihau Bay, New Zealand with his younger brother, Rocky (who thinks he has superpowers), and his grandmother, is obsessed with Michael Jackson. His mother died giving birth to Rocky, and Boy spends a good deal of his day thinking about what his long lost father is doing.  Is he a spy, a famous rugby player, a brilliant artist?  Boy’s world is changed when his father suddenly shows up, and he must come to grips with the realization that his father will never live up to the image he created of him over the years.  The director (who also stars as Boy's father), Taika Waititi, gives us a wonderful world of interesting characters, where Boy's fantasies about his father come to life, and cartoon drawings illustrate what Rocky thinks is going to happen when he applies his imagined superpowers.  It's no wonder that this film won the Audience Award at the American Film Institute Festival last year.    My Rating:  Full Price   Boy Website

Indiefest: The Raid:  Redemption  (2011)  A twenty man SWAT team is sent to raid a thirty-story tenement run by a ruthless mob boss. To make matters worse, the whole building is occupied by thieves, murderers and rapists. Soon, it is not about arresting the mob boss…it’s about survival.  This film is non-stop action, with its fast and furious fight sequences so well choreographed that it has quickly become one of the most buzzed-about films on the Film Festival circuit.  But, make no mistake, this is an ultra-violent film where you wonder how many stunt men got hurt during the sequences where you can almost feel bones breaking and necks snapping.  While I did enjoy all the action, the film goes on just too long, and you actually become a little numb to all the violence on the screen.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Raid: Redemption Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#23 Best Film

The Palm Beach Story  (1942)  This is a film that only the brilliant director/writer Preston Sturges could pull off.  It's about an inventor (Joel McCrea) who is in desperate need for an influx of cash to develop his next sure-fire idea.  His devoted wife (played by the beautiful Claudette Colbert) decides the only way that they can raise the money is if she divorces him and marries a millionaire.  This is one of the best of the "screwball comedies" with mistaken identities, fast talking dialogue and numerous twists and turns that come at you at such a  fast pace, the audience is constantly straining to keep up with the each changing plot.  Colbert and McCrea have an easy-going chemistry that makes it easy to believe that these two lovers will eventually end up together.    The Palm Beach Story Info

Forgotten Film:  Time Bandits (1981)  From the creative minds of former Monty Python members Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, this is film about a young boy, Kevin (Craig Wamock), who takes an adventure with of bunch of time-traveling, treasure-hunting dwarves.  The band of adventurers has "borrowed," (i.e., stolen) a map of the Universes' time holes, which allows them to jump from one time period to another and steal treasures.  During their time travels, they meet some of the most important and historic figures in time, such as Napoleon (Iam Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese), and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery).  There is a big problem as a number of people are out to get their map, including the Devil/Evil (David Warner) and the Supreme Being himself(Ralph Richardson).  This film is a magical ride across the universe where we wonder if Kevin will ever get back home to his family, or will evil triumph over our merry band of thieves.   My Rating:  Full Price   Time Bandits Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD):  We Bought A Zoo  (2011)  I liked, but didn't love this family movie about a recently widowed father (Matt Damon) of two who quits his newspaper job to buy a small, rural zoo in hopes of reconnecting with his children.  I especially liked that the romance between Damon and Scarlett Johansson was not the main focus of the film - the healing of a family was.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   We Bought a Zoo Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Battleship  (2012)  All I have to say about this film is that it's based on a board game and in the trailer, singer Rihanna, is shown shooting a heavy artillery gun (insert your own joke here).   Battleship Website

Weird Credits:  From the film Boy:  Goat Trainer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  (2012)  Directed by John Madden (The Debt, Shakespeare in Love), this film is about British retirees who move to India to live at an exotic retirement community.   The cast is what makes me want to see this film, which includes Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson.    The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Website

Until Next Time!