Michael

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Jurassic World: Rebirth

My View:  Jurassic World: Rebirth  (2025)  PG-13  In Jurassic World: Rebirth, scientists are on the brink of a groundbreaking medical breakthrough. The only problem is that they need DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures that are living on an isolated and forbidden island. Zora (Scarlett Johansson), a mercenary-for-hire, is tapped to lead a group of scientists to obtain the samples. I am going to call this film “Island of the Misfit Dinos.” While I think this is a better film than the last two Jurassic World pics (Fallen Kingdom, Dominion), primarily because of the action sequences, the plot is razor thin, with the film telling us that dinosaurs were genetically cross-bred to give the viewing public more exciting and thrilling dinosaurs to stare at (or get killed by when things go wrong) as if Raptors and T-Rex weren’t scary enough! The film blends two groups of people: one, a family out on a sailboat trip (along with one lazy boyfriend) and a group of mercenaries hired to take a paleontologist (Jonathan Bailey) to an island to get DNA samples from three gigantic dinosaurs to make a heart cure that will save millions and make even more money. The two groups come together when some dinos decide that they don’t like boats or people trying to take their DNA. The film makes numerous callbacks to the original film, but the sense of wonderment and stunning visuals we experienced then are not matched by this film. There is a lot of needless setup, mostly to let us know that the pharmaceutical rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) is a bad dude and that some of our heroes have lost people in the recent past. Adding to the fun is a family that, in most films, would be chomped by the dinosaurs in the first few minutes because they keep doing really stupid stuff. And don’t get me started on the dinosaurs, some of which are genetically modified creatures, including the big, bad dinosaur that we are supposed to be terrified of at the end of the film. The problem is that its head looked a lot like Sloth from The Goonies, and it looked to me to keep changing sizes in the last fifteen minutes of the film. There are some fun action sequences, and there is some good chemistry between Johansson and Bailey. However, Jurassic World: Rebirth takes too long to get going and then throws in lots of nostalgic vibes while also introducing numerous dinosaurs that we know nothing about.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Jurassic World: Rebirth Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View:  The Old Guard 2  (2025)   R  The Old Guard 2 is about Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors who continue on their mission to fight evil and protect humanity. They have to face a formidable new foe who threatens the very fabric of the Old Guard and, at the same time, deal with the return of an immortal thought to be long lost. Just one catch.  Andy is now mortal, and so the stakes are much higher. In my review of the first film, I mentioned I wouldn’t mind seeing the gang from The Old Guard make another film. I got my wish, but it would have been nice to have been here sooner. If you haven’t seen The Old Guard film or only saw it when it was released in 2020, I recommend watching it before seeing this film. I didn’t rewatch the film, and I will admit that I was lost for about the first fifteen minutes before I got my bearings and figured out what was happening. The film features two new principal characters: one, played by Veronica Ngo, is from Andy’s past and may be out for revenge, and the other, a new villain in Discord, is played by Uma Thurman. While not as enjoyable as the first film, as it forgets how good the banter and chemistry was between the gang of immortals, the action sequences still are kick-ass, and Theron doesn’t disappoint with her star power in commanding a scene. Add in the fact that we get to see a couple of nasty battles between Thurman and Theron’s characters, and it still makes it an enjoyable film to watch. A bit of warning: there is a setup at the end of the film for a third movie to follow.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Old Guard 2 Website    Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Heads of State  (2025)   PG-13   In Heads of State, the UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and US President Will Derringer (John Cena), who don’t like each other, must form an alliance when they escape from a terrorist attack and are stuck out in the world where they are targets of a powerful enemy. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), they must thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world if they can just get along. This is a fun comedy/action film reminiscent of the buddy cop action films of the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a film where two characters don’t like or respect each other but are forced to work together for the good of keeping the world safe from evil forces. Cena is perfect as Will Derringer, a former action star who, because of his popularity and nice-guy persona, has been elected President of the United States. Idris Elba plays Sam Clarke, a career politician who openly supported Derringer’s opponent, and resents the fact that Will’s idea of politics is what he used to do up on the screen. Added to the mix is Priyanka Chopra Jones, playing a British MI6 agent who shares a past with Sam. I wish I had seen this film on the big screen instead of my TV as the action sequences are fun and thrilling, with a great opening sequence when Noel and her agents take on the bad guys during the La Tomatina festival in Spain, where everyone joins in a tomato throwing battle that turns into a real fight. When President Derringer and Prime Minister Clarke barely escape an assassination plot, they are forced to band together and try to find their way back to safety, but the bad guys aren’t far behind. I will admit the banter between the two leads gets a little overdone, with some lines feeling forced. However, the action sequences are fun and exciting, with an outstanding car chase sequence that is thrilling to watch. Heads of State is a fun action film to watch with the family over a weekend, accompanied by lots of popcorn and maybe a bit of fish and chips for an after-movie dinner.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Heads of State Website   Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

My View:  40 Acres  (2025)  R  40 Acres takes place in a famine-decimated future where Hailey Freeman (Danielle Deadwyler) and her family are the last remnants of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada in 1875. Their descendants survived the first Civil War, and now the Freemans must make their own stand against those intent on taking their home. Danielle Deadwyler gives a spellbinding performance of a single-minded leader of a family who she constantly drills into her family that they can’t let their guard down in order to ensure their safety in a world where the only thing they can depend on is each other. Right from the opening sequence, when we see Hailey and her family take down an invading force with skill and precision, without remorse or hesitation, it becomes clear that this is a very different world in which the family is living in. It’s a world where everyone wants what the Freeman family has: a farm that provides them with food. What sets this film apart from other recent horror films is that the invaders coming aren’t zombies, but ordinary people desperate to take what the Freemans have. The film constantly ups the tension, fueled by Hailey’s constant paranoia as she keeps watch from the outside world invading her beloved farm. 40 Acres features some outstanding twists and turns, some of which I didn’t see coming, culminating in a final sequence that offers heart-pounding action sequences that will have you wondering if you can survive this movie, much less if the Freeman family can.   My Rating: Full Price  40 Acres Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  North Country  (2005)  R  Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) takes her two kids, leaves her abusive boyfriend, and moves back to her hometown in Minnesota. Josey takes a job as a miner, but she is not welcome by the men in the mine, as she has ‘taken a job from a man.” There are other women miners in the company, but most keep their heads down and suffer from harassment and obscenities hurled at them. Josey is picked on because she is new and because she shares a past with her supervisor, Bobby (Jeremy Renner), who wants her to quit. Her only ally is a union rep, Glory (Frances McDormand), who tells her the only way is not to confront the men. Josey can’t take it anymore and hires a local lawyer (Woody Harrelson) to take the owners of the mine to court. Based on a true story, North Country is anchored by two Academy Award-nominated performances by Theron and McDormand. It is a movie that will make you mad and cheer when Josey gets the better of the men and the mine owners. It’s a moving film that packs a powerful punch. My Rating: Full Price  North Country Info   The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Jurassic World: Rebirth:  Personal Hair to Miss Johansson 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Weapons  (2025)  R   One morning, at 2:17 am, every child except one from Mrs. Gandy's class woke up and left their homes, never to be seen again. What happened to the seventeen children, and how can a community discover their fate? The cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, and June Diane Raphael. Weapons is from filmmaker Zach Cregger, known for his award-winning 2023 film Barbarian.  Weapons Website The movie is in theaters nationwide on Friday, August 8, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

F9

 

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View: F9: The Fast Saga   (2021)  PG-13  Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are living on a remote farm with Dom’s young son, happy with their life out of the spotlight, when they get a mysterious call from help from Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Dom assembles the team back together to find out that Dom’s brother Jakob (John Cena) has broken Cipher (Charlize Theron) out of custody and has a plan to take the world hostage. Many films ago, the Fast & Furious filmmakers left the world of reality and decided to make the F&F gang superheroes who can fall 50 feet off a building and land on a car hood without a scratch. I knew we were in a Fast and Furious movie right from the start when the first scene is a stock-car race and a car comes into the pits (while the race is still going on), the driver talks to a bunch of people, a guy makes an adjustment to the car beneath the hood and the car, after several minutes have passed, goes back out on the track and gets on the lead lap. That is the kind of altered reality that the Fast films live in, and I’m ok with that. While the plot is held together by chewing gum and baling wire, and Diesel is spouting dialogue that makes you wince, you will still have a fun time seeing all the crazy, and I mean crazy, stunts that go on in this film. There are plenty of car crashes, cameos, fights, and shootouts to keep you interested. I have no clue why the bad guy has to carry out part of his plot in a giant, caterpillar-like super truck, but who cares. We just know that somehow, someway, the Fast team will defeat the bad guys and maybe, just maybe, bring back people from the dead. I saw this in the theatre, and you will too, as you want to see this on the big screen with a deafening sound system. And be sure to stay through the first part of the credits as there is a bonus scene to set up the next film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   F9 Website   Now playing in a theatre near you.

My View: False Positive  (2021)  R Lucy (Ilana Glazer) and Adrain (Justin Theroux) have it all; great jobs, a loving relationship, but one thing is missing, a baby. Having trouble conceiving, they go to Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan), who promises them they will get pregnant. The couple celebrates when Lucy gets pregnant, but as the pregnancy goes along, she suspects something is wrong and is determined to uncover the unsettling truth about their fertility doctor. I really liked the idea behind this film, wanting to be a ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ type of film for the world of in-vitro fertilization. Pierce Brosnan is perfect as the doctor who spends a little too much time preparing his instruments, giving off just enough a creepy vibe, all the while being charming and reassuring. Unfortunately, the film goes a bit off the rails in the 2nd half of the film, trying too hard to fool us into thinking either our hero, Lucy, is crazy or the rest of the world is. By the time the movie ends, you have no idea what exactly happened, and by then, you may not care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    False Positive Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Werewolves Within   (2021) R   A new forest ranger, Finn (Sam Richardson), moves into a small community during the dead of winter. Finn finds that the town is full of strange and eccentric people, but things get stranger when the town loses power, all the generators break, and he discovers a dead body. I loved this film filled with quirky and nutty characters, like an episode of Northern Exposure on acid. We meet Finn on the road to a new job, listening to a program to boost his confidence while leaving a weak and sad message for his girlfriend. Finn soon discovers that the small town he has moved to has some rather strange residents, including a hunter who doesn’t seem to care who he shoots. Finn quickly becomes involved with the mail delivery person (played by the funny and talented Milana Vayntrub), and they become immersed in a mystery that may involve a werewolf. Werewolves Within is a film that plays off many horror tropes of the last few years and keeps you guessing on who or what the killer is. I had so much fun watching this film and you will too. I never played the video game that this film is based on, but I would be tempted to if it as much fun as this silly, fantastic film is.   My Rating: Full Price    Werewolves Within Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:   Mary J. Blige’s My Life   (2021)   Grammy-winning recording artist and actress Mary J. Blige gives you an up-close and personal look at what inspired her ground-breaking 1994 LP ‘My Life’ as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her work by performing the album live for the first time. For her fans, this may be something that you will want to watch, but I came away from this film only knowing how much Mary means to her fans and not a lot about her. This is a movie about Mary’s early life and the making of the My Life album. It’s a film about where she came from and what was her mindset when she wrote and performed the songs on the album. Sadly, we never quite get the emotional impact that we need from the film, as the concert footage is a lot of her fans in the audience singing the songs and not Mary herself. The film feels that it keeps covering the same ground, and I never felt a real connection to the movie or the artist. For such an important and groundbreaking work that the My Life album is, this film feels like a letdown. I love that her fans feel her emotion and her journey so profoundly, but the film never gets us to feel that with them.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Mary J Blige's My Life Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Summer of 85   (2020)   Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) is a 16-year-old teen who has to soon decide to go back to school or quit and get a job. One afternoon in a seaside resort in Normandy, Alexis takes a sailboat out, and it capsizes. Alexis almost drowns but is saved by David (Benjamin Voisin), a young man from the area. They soon become friends, but that friendship gets very complicated very quickly in the summer of 1985. This is a delightful coming-of-age film about summer love, the kind that is quick, all-consuming, and burns out way too fast. The two leads have incredible chemistry right from the first meeting, where the older David takes Alexis under his wing and opens up Alexis to feelings he didn’t know he had. The story is well told in a series of flashbacks that let us see the relationship through the eyes of Alexis, as he very quickly falls for David. How ever, David has a troubled past and is far more complicated than Alexis can handle. I liked this film, but like many summer romances, once it’s over, it doesn’t stay with you.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Summer of 85 Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation  (2020)   A documentary that looks at two iconic American writers, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, who were at times best of friends and other times the worst of enemies. Both men left their stamp on the American literary scene. Before seeing this film, I knew a lot more about Truman Capote than Tennessee Williams because I loved the book In Cold Blood, and Truman had appeared on a lot of late-night talk shows. The film does a fantastic job of going back and forth between the two men’s lives, letting the writers tell us their stories in their own words. When the film doesn’t have audio from the authors themselves, it uses actors Jim Parsons as Truman Capote’s voice and Zachary Quinto as Tennessee Williams. Both actors do an excellent job of making their voices sound very similar to each of the writers. Both writers found incredible success very early on in their careers, so much so that they were fewer successes later on; in fact, it seems Capote never quite recovered from his masterpiece of In Cold Blood. Truman & Tennessee is a well-done and insightful documentary that tells the story of two gifted writers haunted by demons that they could never entirely escape from.   My Rating: Full Price    Truman & Tennessee Website  Now playing in select theaters and available for rent on participating on-demand services.   

Forgotten Film: Summer of 42  (1971)   R  During a summer vacation on Nantucket Island, a teenager, Hermie (Gary Grimes), finds himself thinking of sex all the time. He befriends a young woman, Dorothy (Jennifer O’Neill), whose husband has gone off to fight in WWII. Hermie develops a massive crush on Dorothy and hopes that some way, someday, she will feel the same for him. This is a warm and almost innocent film about young love. Jennifer O’Neill is just mesmerizing and lovely in this film, the perfect pick for the beautiful, vivacious Dorthy, who may have married her soldier too quickly and too soon. The film treats the relationship between the two with affection. The film gets a little sappy, and there are a couple of scenes about adolescent sex that are a little cringy to look at, but overall, the film is an affectionate look at a coming of age story.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Summer of 42 Info  

Weird Credits: From the credits of F9: Crowd Mistress

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Pig  (2021)  R  A famous truffle hunter, Rob (Nicolas Cage), lives alone out in the Oregonian wilderness, isolated from the world he left behind many years ago. When he is brutally attacked, and his prized truffle hunting pig is kidnapped, Rob returns to his past in Portland in search for her and the people responsible. Big Hollywood has forgotten about Nicolas Cage, but the Indie world hasn’t, and Cage has been busy making interesting and sometimes strange films these past few years, and we are all the better for it.    Pig website

Until Next Time!

The Old Guard

My View: The Old Guard (2020) R   Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a group of mercenaries who cannot die, have fought evil to protect the mortal world for centuries. Now a new recruit (KiKi Layne) has joined the gang, and the gang has to regroup when their identities are exposed to the world they seek to protect. I enjoyed this film, though I will admit the almost two-hour run time made the scenes between the fighting drag quite a bit. I am a big fan of Charlize Theron as an action star ( I love both Atomic Blonde and Mad Max: Fury Road), so anytime I can see Charlize kick butt, it’s a fun film to watch. There are some cool action sequences, especially the close quarter hand to hand fighting, and the plot is creative and has a few nice twists and turns. I wouldn’t mind seeing another film with the gang from The Old Guard.    My Rating: Full Price     The Old Guard Website    Available on the Netflix website.

My View: Greyhound (2020) PG-13  Early in World War II, an inexperienced US Navy captain (Tom Hanks) in charge of keeping an Allied convoy safe crossing the Atlantic must battle the Nazi U-boats that are waiting to attack. There have been a couple of films this year that I wish I had seen on the big screen, and this is one of them. The film begs for a big screen as Hanks and his ship battle a war of wits and skill with U-boats sinking the ships he is protecting. The film’s battle sequences are exciting and full of tension as the big destroyer makes moves to avoid the U-boats torpedos while trying to maneuver into a position to try and sink the German ships. Tom Hanks gives an impressive performance, reminiscent of the captains of vessels of cinema past like John Wayne and Clark Gable, while still giving off those nice guy Hanks vibes where his men are so devoted to their captain that they are willing to die for him. Don’t you dare watch this film on a computer screen, it needs to be seen on as big a screen as you can muster.   My Rating: Full Price     Greyhound Website   Available on the Apple TV+ website.

My View:   Palm Springs (2020)  R  Nyles (Andy Samberg) is at a wedding when he meets the maid of honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) at a Palm Springs wedding. Nyles saves Sarah from making a huge mistake, and they instantly hit it off. Little does Sarah know that she and Nyles are destined to relive the same day over and over. I am not a huge fan of Andy Samberg as he has a tendency to go over the top with his performances, but this time, Samberg is somewhat restrained and is quite enjoyable. He has excellent chemistry with Cristin Milioti, and they play off each other with great timing. Sure this film steals a bit from a few classic movies, but it makes the format its own and does it quite well. It doesn’t hurt that the supporting cast includes J. K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin, June Squibb, and Meredith Hagner. Palm Springs is fun, sometimes a little twisted, and is an excellent addition to the romantic comedy genre.    My Rating: Full Price    Palm Springs Website   Available on the Hulu website.

Indiefest: Parallax (2020)   A young artist, Naomi (Naomi Prentice), wakes up to a life that she doesn’t recognize, and her dreams are haunted by nightmares of drowning in a deep black pool. This makes her question her identity and sanity as her paintings take her to a world that she doesn’t know how to deal with. It took me a while to get into this film, but I wanted to know how it was going to turn out once I did. Parallax is more a psychological film, as we as viewers have to figure out what is real and what is imagined by Naomi. The film slowly peels back the layers as Naomi explores the mystery that is her life, and we journey along with her on the travels through the pictures that she has created. I enjoyed this trip into Naomi’s mind, reminding me of some of the Sci-Fi stories I read as a kid.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Parallax Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Guest of Honour (2019)   Veronica (Laysia De Oliveira) is a high school teacher who has been arrested for a sexual assault that she didn’t commit but is willing to take the fall because she feels she is being punished for crimes she committed at an earlier age. Jim (David Thewlis) is Veronica’s father and isn’t above using his power as a food inspector to get her daughter off. This film tells two different stories; one is Veronica telling the story of her life with her dad to the priest (Luke Wilson), who is helping plan Veronica’s father's funeral. The second story is Jim’s story of his life as a food inspector, which he took to spend more time with his sick wife/mother of Veronica. I had a hard time getting into this film, though I did enjoy the performance of David Thewlis, who is always interesting to watch on the screen. The film has a rather clunky plot that I never quite could get into. I had a hard time figuring out what exactly Veronica was dealing with, both in her present life and in her childhood. The film feels messy almost from the start and never clicked for me.   My Rating: Cable    Guest of Honour Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020)   For decades, Walter Mercado was the world’s most famous astrologer, whose televised horoscopes captivated an audience that reached 120 million Hispanic viewers a day, then one day, Walter mysteriously disappeared. Living in San Antonio until my late 30’s, I was always aware of Walter Mercado, this strange, flamboyant man who gave out advice based on the astrological signs. While I speak a little bit of Spanish, I was mostly just captivated by the spectacle of Walter, which seemed like one big theatrical experience. The film looks at Walter's influence on his audience (though it does blame his manager for some of his shadier deals, like the psychic network he shilled for) and just how much he meant to his fans. The film's highlight is when super fan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, shows up to spend time geeking over Walter. The film does give you a glimpse into Walter’s life after he left TV (mostly due to legal problems with his former manager), and if you grew up watching Walter with your parents and grandparents, it will be a fun trip to the past.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Mucho Mucho Amor Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Indiefest: Inmate#1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019)   Actor Danny Trejo, having spent much of his early life in prison, discusses his career and how he has overcome a life of crime and addiction. It is incredible that Danny Trejo survived his childhood; much less became a movie star. A heroin addict by age twelve, thanks to an uncle, Danny was on a journey that would have ended either with his death or being locked in prison for the rest of his life. Instead, Danny in 1969 went to AA and got clean. He then became a world-renown drug counselor and was happy in the life he had made for himself. As we know, Danny’s story didn’t end there, and that is where the fun of this documentary takes you, as you discover that wonder that is Danny’s life. To say that you will fall in love with Danny, the real person (who still lives in the area he grew up in), is a given. And you will be amazed and astounded by the journey that Danny takes on his road to stardom in Hollywood. This film is so much fun to watch and, if you aren’t already, it will make you a fan of Danny Trejo and his incredible life.   My Rating: Full Price    Inmate #1 Facebook Site    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) R   Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is the envy of her high school; she is a cheerleader, popular and has a steady boyfriend. However, Megan is a little ˜different’; she’s pretty handsy with her fellow cheerleaders, only has pictures of girls up in her locker, and her boyfriend notices that she isn’t really into him. Her parents and friends decide that Megan must be gay, and her parents send her off to a sexual redirection school. The school could just be what Megan needs, especially when she meets a fellow camper named Graham (Clea DuVall). This isn’t a great film, and it takes a while to get going, but once Megan is at the camp, it becomes a lot of fun to watch. The film has a great cast, including Michelle Williams, Bud Cort, RuPaul, Cathy Moriarty, and Melanie Lynskey. Plus, Natasha Lyonne is so much fun to watch get into trouble.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    But I'm A Cheerleader Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Old Guard: Aviation Supplier

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Enola Holmes (2020)   Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown), the great detective Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill) teen sister, discovers her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) is missing and sets out to find her and discovers a mystery that her famous brother can’t solve. Any movie that involves Sherlock Holmes is a movie I am lining up to see.      Enola Holmes Info

Until Next Time!

Military Wives

My View: Military Wives (2019) PG-13   With their partners away serving in Afghanistan, two headstrong women (Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan) form a choir on a military base. The women in the choir form a bond that transforms their lives and gives them a way to deal with the reality of the everyday fear that their loved ones won’t return from the war. This is a good old fashioned feel-good film that doesn’t disappoint and just might have you pull out the tissues a time or two. The plot is relatively predictable, but that’s ok because it’s precisely what we need in this time of chaos and strife. Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan work well together on screen as the two military wives who head of the choir, with Thomas as the officer’s wife who is all about protocol and Horgan, who is more about making sure the wives are getting the support they need, regardless of the rules. The film is based on a true story, and it is quite inspirational in its showing how war impacts not only the soldiers but also the families they leave behind. The film will feed your soul, and you might sing along to a song or two as you watch it.   My Rating: Full Price    Military Wives Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Trip to Greece (2020)   Actors Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan travel from Troy to Ithaca, eating their way across Greece following in the footsteps of the Odysseus. So this is the fourth ‘trip’ movie, and if you haven’t seen the other three, the plot is pretty simple; two British actors take a trip, visiting foreign lands as they stop at historical sites and fantastic restaurants all the while trying to one-up each other with impressions and stories. I love these films and have a great time watching them. Brydon and Coogan are playing themselves, and the plots of the movie don’t matter too much. What does matter is both actors have incredible comic timing and brilliant impressionists. I have a feeling that the scripts are pretty small, as most of their back and forth talks are mostly improved. The film takes you across Greece, and the scenery is magnificent, plus you will be envious of the places the two go to eat at. These films aren’t for everyone, but if you like to travel, be apart of great conversations and are a foodie, you will want to see this film.    My Rating: Full Price    The Trip to Greece Website   Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: The Painter and the Thief  (2020)   Documentary about an artist who befriends the thief who stole two of her most valuable paintings from a gallery in Oslo. When the thief is severely hurt in a car crash, the artist becomes his supporter. This film is the reason why I love documentaries because very often, the truth is much stranger than fiction. With a storyline with more twists and turns than your average movie mystery, this film and its two main subjects will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout the film. Both people are very complex, and the film does an impressive job letting us see their lives both before the paintings are stolen and afterward. I can’t say too much about this film because I want it to be revealed in the movie, but I will say that you won’t be disappointed and probably surprised by how this film ends.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Painter and the Thief Facebook Page    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Lucky Grandma (2019)   Set in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown, a recently widowed 80-year-old grandma (Tsai Chin) is told by a fortune teller that her luck is about to change and she decides to go gamble at a casino. She suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of a local gang and employs the services of a rival gang member as her bodyguard. Grandma is about to be caught up in the middle of a Chinatown gang war. Tsai Chin is a trip as the tough as nails, headstrong, chain-smoking Grandma who gets into a bit of trouble. Chin is superb playing a character that, at times, is hard to love, but you end up rooting for anyway. Hsiao-Yuan Ha is very funny and sweet as the lumbering bodyguard Big Pong. This film reminded me of the buddy cop films of the 80s, with Grandma and Big Pong making a tremendous on-screen team. Join the fun and see what trouble Grandma and Big Pong can get into.   My Rating: Full Price    Lucky Grandma Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: The Lovebirds (2020) R   A couple (Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani) are accused of murder and now have to clear their name. Will they and their relationship survive the night?  I thoroughly enjoyed this funny film with a couple of actors who have such comedy chops they can overcome a plot which is pretty darn weak. Rae and Nanjiani are hilarious as a couple who argue over everything, so much so that they decide to break up. Before they can, they witness a murder, a murder that looks to some bystanders that Jibran and Leilani have committed. The couple decides to go on the run, and with the phone of the dead man, they are determined to clear their name. Throughout the film, Rae and Nanjiani keep up their banter back and forth, sometimes resulting in laughs, often in groans, but it is obvious that the two actors are having fun in the roles. The Lovebirds is one of those films to forget that what the characters are doing doesn’t make a lot of sense and just have fun listening to and watching this couple react to some impossible situations   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      The Lovebirds Website     The film is currently available on Netflix.

Forgotten Film: Eyewitness (1981) R    A Vietnam War vet turned janitor, Daryll (William Hurt) is obsessed with a news reporter, Tony (Sigourney Weaver). When a wealthy Vietnamese businessman is murdered in the janitor’s building, Daryll pretends to know about the murder in order to get the attention of Tony, but little does Daryll understand that the killers think he actually does know about the killing and they want to shut him and his reporter friend up. The supporting is worth the price of admission, with Christopher Plummer as a mysterious Israeli agent, James Woods as Daryll’s friend and fellow janitor and Steven Hill and Morgan Freeman as the cops investigating the murder. The mystery is a fun who-done-it, and the characters in the film are full and rich with interesting storylines. Weaver and Hurt have a nice chemistry that gets stronger as the film goes along. While not a great movie, it's still fun to watch all these actors in their prime act on the screen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Eyewitness Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Lovebirds: Rigging Medic

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Old Guard (2020) R   Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a group of mercenaries who cannot die, have fought evil to protect the mortal world for centuries. Led by Andy and a new recruit (KiKi Layne), they have to regroup when their identities are exposed to the world they seek to protect. Anytime Charlize Theron is a lead in an action movie, I will be first in line to see it.     The Old Guard Website

Until Next Time!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

My View:  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) PG-13   The surviving Resistance faces the First Order in a showdown to close out the final chapter in the Skywalker saga, as both Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) struggle with the power of the Dark Side. I wanted to love this film as I did with The Force Awakens, but alas, I only liked it. The film feels somewhat incomplete and, at times, rushed, especially the ending sequence. I did thoroughly enjoy the fighting sequences that Rey is involved with, and it’s always a blast to watch Driver do anything on the screen. There are some significant plot holes in this film, and I felt terrible for Oscar Issac playing Poe, whose big scenes seem overshadowed by the other characters in the movie. Unfortunately, the film clumsily incorporates the scenes with the late Carrie Fisher (Leia), making them stand out for how badly they were patched together (Fisher died before she could film her part, so they used old footage of her). I am a big fan of the Star Wars saga, but I felt a little let down by this film. It just didn’t deliver everything I wanted in a conclusion to an epic series.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Website

My View: Bombshell  (2019) R   A group of women, including anchors Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman and Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), decide to take on Fox News chief Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) and the toxic atmosphere he created and presided over at the network. The film is a certainty to make the Oscar nomination for makeup, because Charlize Theron, as Megan Kelly is one of the best impersonations of a real person I have ever seen in a film. The film starts a little unnerving as Theron as Kelly gives us a tour of the Fox News building, breaking the fourth wall. The film teeters between drama and comedy, sometimes to the determent of the movie. Bombshell is an interesting film to watch, but I wonder who is the audience this film is meant for. Fans of the Fox Network won’t want to watch it, and people who don’t like the network already know the story of Ailes and his downfall. I thought it was fascinating that the film used a lot of very familiar actors to round out the cast, even in smaller parts, like Jennifer Morrison as Juliet Huddy, a former Fox reporter who was demoted when she spoke up about Ailes plays on women. I enjoyed this film, especially the performances of Theron and John Lithgow as the villain of the film, Roger Ailes himself.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee      Bombshell Website

My View: Cats (2019) PG   A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide every year which one of their clan will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. Ok, if you love the Broadway musical, you will probably like, maybe even love this film. For the rest of us, it is just a bizarre movie-going experience. With the only human character in the film showing up at the beginning to toss a cat into an alley, the movie is populated by singing and dancing cats. There is almost no plot to this film, as we go from song to song, introducing us to the cast of characters in the movie. The most famous song, Memories, is sung several times, by Jennifer Hudson, playing the down and out cat Grizabella and Francesca Hayward as the innocent newcomer, Victoria. At times, the film feels like a bad parody that Saturday Night Live might put on, as some of the songs/dances are just unbelievably campy. There is a lot of talent in this cast, but most, including Idris Elba and Ian McKellen, are given roles that are on the verge of embarrassing. And yes, Taylor Swift sings a song, Golden Globe nominated 'Beautiful Ghosts', as the cat, Bombalurina, where she gets everyone high on catnip. My viewing of this film was not helped by several of the audience members who thought the film was a comedy (it’s not) and were laughing out loud throughout the film. Stay at home and watch a classic musical like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, you will have a much better viewing experience.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again     Cats Website

Indiefest: A Hidden Life (2019) PG-13   Bl. Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), with the support of his wife, Fani (Valerie Pachner) and his children, refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II, even when threatened with execution for treason. I am not a big fan of filmmaker Terrence Malick ( Tree of Life, Knight of Cups). A Hidden Life is another Malick film that takes forever to tell the story as Fraz gets jailed about an hour into the film and spends the rest of the two hours languishing in various prisons. As with most Malick films, he tells his story through a plethora of shots, so many so that it must have taken over a year to shoot this film. I also did not enjoy the fact that sometimes the cast said their dialogue in English, but at other times, especially in times of anger or anguish, the exchange was in German, making us in the dark on what was being said. The film moves at an incredibly slow pace, and because Franz is never going to back down to the Nazi’s, we know how this film is going to turn out. The two leads are outstanding in their roles; I just wished I had seen quite a bit less of them and the numerous shots of the Austrian countryside.   My Rating: Cable    A Hidden Life Website

Forgotten Film: Victor Victoria (1982) PG   A struggling singer (Julie Andrews) in 1934 Paris, with the help of a gay cabaret singer Toddy (Robert Preston), pretends to be a man named Victor and gets a job at a club as a female impersonator named Victor, with his on stage persona named Victoria. Victor becomes the hit of Paris. Things get complicated when Chicago nightclub owner, King (James Garner), falls head over heels for Victoria, only to find out that Victoria is a man, or is he? Andrews is brilliant in the role, and Garner is perfect as the man who has to reconcile his romantic feelings for ‘Victoria.’ Lesley Ann Warren practically steals the movies as King’s very jealous girlfriend, Norma, who is determined to take Victor/Victoria down. A great cast with some beautiful and fun cabaret songs makes this film so much fun to watch.   My Rating: Full Price      Victor Victoria Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Cats: Magic Consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Call of the Wild (2020)   A grizzled explorer (Harrison Ford) finds a dog named Buck, and they go on an adventure of a lifetime in the wilderness of the Yukon. I am a sucker for a movie that features a dog, plus its got Karen Gillan and Harrison Ford, so I am going to make sure I see this one.    The Call of the Wild Website

Until Next Time!