The Accountant 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twisters

My View:  Twisters  (2024)  PG-13  Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a meteorologist who used to love chasing tornadoes until she encountered one that had deadly results. Kate is lured back into the open plains by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), who has developed a groundbreaking new tracking system that, if it works, could save thousands of lives. She soon meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a reckless storm chaser with a huge social media following. Think of this as not a sequel to the 1996 film Twister directed by Jan de Bont. Twisters is part of the same universe, but only slightly related (although there might be a connection between Tyler and Helen Hunt's character, but that's pushing it). Twister worked so well because of the writing (co-written by Michael Crichton), and it had an outstanding cast that wasn’t just led by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, but had a supporting cast that included Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Alan Ruck, Lois Smith and constant scene-stealer Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film does have Glen Powell, whose screen presence dominates every scene he is in. Powell, a native Texan, walks the walk (perfect ex-cowboy walk) and talks the talk as a former rodeo performer who fell in love with weather events when he was eight. Unfortunately, unlike Helen Hunt’s pairing with Bill Paxton, Daisy Edgar-Jones can’t match Powell’s firepower on the screen, and her character is always seemingly in the shadows. It doesn't help that Edgar-Jone's character, Kate, has PTSD from a horrific incident that happened while chasing tornadoes in college. Kate is a tornado whisperer who can pick the storm that will sprout a tornado, but she is gun-shy and has to be constantly saved from freezing up at the worst possible times. That being said, this is still a perfect, fun-filled action film that puts you not only alongside a tornado but often right inside it. My screening was in a Dolby theater, and the experience of being inside the twisters was so much fun. So much so that I kept waiting for the wind effects to start. Twisters is a fun ride, helped by the star power of Glen Powell and his monster (with an emphasis on monster) truck. So climb aboard, strap in, and hold on.  My Rating: Full Price  Twisters Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Skywalkers: A Love Story  (2024)  R  Skywalkers: A Love Story is a documentary about a couple, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, who have made a career in climbing the highest buildings in the world. Their next destination is Malaysia to scale the 118-story mega-tall skyscraper Merdeka 118, the last super-skyscraper to be built in the next few years. Their goal is to rekindle their careers and relationship. If there was ever a couple destined to be together, it would be Angela and Ivan. Two people who think it’s fun to climb to the tops of buildings and then, without any safety equipment, pose on top of antennas or scaffolding. The couple are called rooftoppers, not climbers, because, other than climbing antennas or scaffolding, they rarely climb but use elevators or stairs to get near the tops of buildings. The footage is jaw-dropping, and you constantly worry about the two, as they think nothing of sitting on top of a building and having their feet over the edge to get a good view. Ivan, Russia’s top rooftopper, invites Angela, a woman who has made her mark on the sport by posing in dance/ballet moves atop buildings, to join him. There are parts of the story that seem staged, particularly when they discuss their relationship and goals. There is a dark side to this story that isn’t fully explored. I felt that the two often took chances, not because they loved what they do, but because they needed to get hits on their social accounts. A couple of times, the film shows the two reacting to fellow friends who have died or had accidents while doing the sport. The film glosses over these moments and returns to the relationship between the two lovers as Ivan slowly learns to trust Angela and support her. Throughout the film, I also had the feeling that what they were doing was wrong. Unlike rock climbing or skydiving, what they do is against the law, and I am afraid this film will inspire others to try this sport out. Still, this is a film that grabs you as the last third of the film is the two planning and then actually attempting to go to the top of the 118-story skyscraper, something that no one had been able to do before. Remember, while you are watching this film, there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that said: Do not attempt to imitate. Don’t worry, filmmakers, I won’t.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Skywalkers: A Love Story Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Oddity  (2024)  R  In Oddity, it has been a year since Dani (Carolyn Bracken), home alone, opened her door to a stranger named Olin (Tadhg Murphy) and was murdered. A year after Dani’s death, Darcy (also Bracken) arrives with a large wooden mannequin at her late sister’s husband’s door. Darcy is convinced she can discover why Dani opened that door to a stranger, or did she? Oddity is a masterfully crafted mystery and horror story that gradually unfolds. Darcy is blind but sees more than most people, especially when dealing with death and the afterlife. Darcy is a unique character that filmmaker Damian McCarthy gives us, and Carolyn Bracken gives us a very strange hero to root for. There is a sense of dread almost from the film’s first frame, and after Dani’s death, we meet her sister, and from there, it’s just a matter of time before the mystery is solved. Oddity has a few jump-out-of-the-dark scares, but mostly it’s the building of the tension that makes this horror film stand out. Plus, there is that really creepy wooden figure that Darcy has brought along.  My Rating: Full Price   Oddity Website Now playing in theaters.

My View:  My Spy: The Eternal City  (2024)  PG-13  JJ (Dave Bautista) and Sophie (Chloe Coleman) are back in My Spy: The Eternal City. This time, Sophie convinces JJ to chaperone her school trip to Rome. Just their luck, there is an international terrorist plot that is targeting CIA Chief David Kim (Ken Jeong) and his son, Colin (Taeho K), on the trip. I enjoyed the first My Spy movie (against my better judgment) because Dave Bautista was goofy, and there was great chemistry between Bautista and Chloe Coleman. Plus, it was fun watching the giant Bautista deal with the adorable and very cute Coleman. It’s four years later, and the plot has worn out its welcome. My Spy: The Eternal City is a film that goes for the cheap laugh every time and seems to have lost any idea of how the first film worked its magic, blending in the action sequences with some humor. Even Anna Farris can’t save the lousy plot and even lousier attempts at being funny. With a run time of almost two hours, the film never seems to end. Even the credits are long, as Ken Jeong and Craig Robinson do some very unfunny attempts at improving some songs. Watch the first film or any of the Robert Rodriguez Spy Kids movies and skip this one.  My Rating: Cable  My Spy: The Eternal City Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime

Indiefest:  Widow Clicquot  (2023)  R   Widow Clicquot is the story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot (Haley Bennett), who, at age twenty-seven, after her husband’s death, took over the family vineyard and revolutionized the champagne-making process, creating a world sensation against the odds. Widow Clicquot is a film where the performance of the lead and the cinematography try to carry the load but are both let down by a screenplay that can never find its footing. The film utilizes the magnificent beauty of the French countryside to its advantage, with some stunning shots. Haley Bennett gives a multi-layered performance as a woman determined to create a wine worthy of her late husband. The film wanders back and forth between before her husband's death, as we see him slowly descend into madness, and afterward, when she is trying to keep the vineyard afloat. It’s a strange film meant to celebrate a woman who fought against the system to invent the way Champagne is made today. Near the end of the film, we see the big moment when the widow Clicquot discovers the secret to great Champagne, but it’s glossed over so quickly that you don’t realize how important that moment is until you see it mentioned in the credits. It’s a weak storyline that is only elevated by Haley Bennett’s performance and the fantastic scenery.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Widow Clicquot Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Find Me Falling  (2024)  In Find Me Falling, John (Harry Connick Jr.) is a rock star whose big comeback album was a disaster. Licking his wounds, he buys a cliff-side home in Cypress, a place he once knew before becoming famous. His dream of keeping a low profile is shattered with constant interruptions, including an old love, long-lost, who has resurfaced. Find Me Falling is not a typical romantic comedy, primarily because of the interruptions I mentioned in the plot description. The interruptions are caused by people committing suicide. John seems to have acquired a house on a cliff where people like to commit suicide. That’s in the first five minutes, and it’s a plot point that helps turn John’s life around. The songs (written by Connick Jr.) don’t work, except for a Greek song, used to woo a lover, which is terrible when the story is about a singer. During the opening credits, we hear the song that catapulted John into superstardom, and I initially thought it was the song that had ruined his career. The scenery in Cyprus is breathtaking, and the supporting cast is enjoyable to watch, especially Ali Fumiko Whitney, who plays a spunky local singer that John befriends. The plot, though, is slow, the reveals are telegraphed miles ahead, and while Connick looks good in his swimming scene, he has a hard time with the comedic elements of the story. The ending is a little too forced to generate any sort of emotion. Like the rest of the film, the final shot misses the mark. It shows a handmade sign, and all I could think was, shouldn't it be in Greek and not English?   My Rating: Cable  Find Me Falling Website    Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film:  Quills (2000) R  After years of being locked away in prisons, the Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) is sent to the Charenton Insane Asylum run by Abbé du Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). The Marquis de Sade establishes a friendship with a maid (Kate Winslet) and, with her aid, is able to continue writing and publishing his work. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is furious that Marquis de Sade’s work is still getting out and sends Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to the asylum to shut De Sade down, in any way necessary. It’s a battle of wits and wills that the two men will wage, and only one can win. Quills is a film that is at times funny and then, at a moment’s notice, becomes very scary. Rush is brilliant as the Marquis and Winslet gives a bawdy performance as the maid who intrigues de Sade. Add Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine, and you have a movie that keeps you interested until the very end.  My Rating: Full Price  Quills Into  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV+.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Twisters:  Stunt Trolly Drivers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Lee  (2023)  R  The story of Elizabeth ‘Lee’ Miller (Kate Winslet), a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II. Kate Winslet has been developing this film for a few years, when a friend told her she resembled Lee.  Lee Info The film will be released in theaters on Friday, September 27, 2024.

Until Next Time!

Where the Crawdads Sing

My View: Where the Crawdads Sing  (2022) PG-13   Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is an outsider in her community. Kya is called the ‘Marsh Girl’ by the locals since she was abandoned in the marshlands of North Carolina and raised herself to adulthood. Kya begins exploring outside her marsh's world when a young man she befriended is found dead and is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. Kya’s life will be under the microscope, and many secrets of the marsh are about to be revealed. I have a feeling that this is one of those movies where the book is much better than the film. I liked this film, primarily due to the performance of Daisy Edgar-Jones, but the film feels very slow in its storytelling and the core of the story, one of mystery and romance, feels a little forced, with a love story that feels too much like a bad Young Adult novel. I had trouble liking either of the two men whom Kya becomes romantically involved with, and that’s a problem with a film that is part romance. The film also tries hard to bring in feelings from past movies such as Nell and To Kill a Mockingbird, especially with the nice Southern lawyer, played by David Strathairn. So much so that I kept waiting for Scout to show up in any scene Strathairn is in. Still, I enjoyed the film, I just wish there had been more to it than a lot of scenes where Kya looks longingly at the marsh, thinking thoughts about a past love.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Where the Crawdads Sing Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) PG   Ever since Hank (voiced by Micael Cera), as a young pup, was saved from bullies by a mysterious samurai, he has wanted to become a samurai himself. Hank is hired to become the samurai of a small town being threatened by an evil overload. The only problem, Hank is a dog, and the townspeople are cats. You know this is a bad film when the audience I saw the movie with, filled with kids, only laughed when there was a farting scene. The film is a takeoff of samurai films and the Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles (hence the fart scene). In fact, Mel Brooks (who wrote some of his own lines) voices one of the characters, The Shogun, reminiscent of his performance as Governor Lepetomane in Blazing Saddles (‘work, work, work’). The film is a bore (kids at my screening were more interested in the whoopee cushions that were handed out before the film), the animation is flat and lifeless, and the storyline quickly becomes old. I had high hopes when I found out that Samuel L. Jackson was doing a voice, but unfortunately, he isn’t given much to work with a character that gets drunk on catnip (once again, think Blazing Saddles). Skip this one and let the older kids watch Spaceballs instead.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Paws of Fury Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)  PG   A widowed cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in 1950s London inherits a pile big of money, falls madly in love with the dresses of Dior, and decides to fly to Paris and buy one for herself. It’s a tale of adventure that will change her life and possibly the very future of the House of Dior itself. We all need a bit of Mrs. Harris in our life. Lesley Manville is a positive force for good in this film about a woman who follows her dream and won’t let anyone put her down on her way. You will fall in love with Mrs. Harris as she strives to put together the money to not only go to Paris but buy a Dior dress. This is a feel-good film that is funny, sweet, and has a bit of romance thrown in. The film gives us a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most fabulous couture houses in the world, seen through the eyes of someone who wouldn’t usually be welcomed to a place that relies on the rich and the privileged. It seems that everywhere Mrs. Harris goes, she spreads her love for life and adventure, even in a stuffy and class-oriented climate. I love that Mrs. Harris visits Paris during a strike where the garbage collectors are protesting low wages by not collecting the refuse of the city, making one of the most beautiful and iconic cities of the world a little dirty and smelly, one that only someone like Mrs. Harris could turn into a lesson of learning and acceptance. And by the way, even a guy like me knows that the classic Dior dresses look fantastic. So, pinch a few pennies and save up to take a journey to Paris with Mrs. Harris, and you are guaranteed a smashing good time.   My Rating: Full Price   Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Gone in the Night (2022) R  Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher, Jr.) are going on a weekend trip to a remote cabin in the wilderness. However, when they arrive, they find that the cabin has been double-booked, and a young couple (Brianne Tju, Owen Teague) has already moved in. The two couples decide to share the cabin, and after a night of partying, Kath wakes up to discover that both her boyfriend and the other woman have disappeared. When Max doesn’t show up, Kath goes on the hunt to find him with the help of the owner of the cabin (Dermot Mulroney) and discovers that the truth is stranger than she could have ever imagined. I enjoyed the first part of this film, but by the 2nd half of the film, I got tired of how the plot was being revealed in a series of flashbacks that gave away too much information, and I figured out the mystery way too early in the film. I always enjoy Winona Ryder’s performances, but she isn’t asked to do much in this film other than being bewildered and scared. I wasn’t shocked at the ending (the film wants us to be), and I wish it had lived up to the promise that the first 20 minutes had, but it doesn’t.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Gone in the Night Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Persuasion (2022) PG   Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) has never gotten over the man she was persuaded not to marry eight years ago due to his humble origins. Now that man, Captain Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), is back in her life. However, there is a new suitor for Anne’s heart, the dashing Mr. Elliot (Henry Golding), and Anne is torn between an old love who got away and a new one who promises to give her the world. I liked this film a lot, but I wonder if my judgment has become a bit murky because I have become such a fan of Dakota Johnson. She is delightful in this adaptation of a Jane Austin novel. Throughout the film, Anne narrates the film, giving us direct asides, like letting us see her reaction to something she told us would happen. This is a story of a love lost and the regrets of both parties. In typical Austin fashion, there is a lot of dancing around the two lovers' true feelings, miscommunications, and of course, another suitor who causes a bit of a problem or two. Does this have the biting wit of a film like Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility? No, not even close but Johnson and Jarvis gives us a couple that we can root for and a heroine who has a wicked sense of humor.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Persuasion Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: The Deer King (2021) R  Van is the last of a group of soldiers fighting for their lands against an evil empire. After becoming the lone survivor of a slave camp, Van meets a young girl, and they go on an adventure that may save the universe. This fantasy epic gets lost in its attempt to build a world that is too complex to be told in one film. This is not a film for young kids as there is quite a bit of violence and bloodshed, though anime and fantasy teens may enjoy the epic tale of revenge and finding a purpose. Besides a highly complex storyline (that gets confusing at times), the film has an animated look that is bland and doesn’t deliver the wonder and beauty it needs. There are sub-plots among other sub-plots, and I never quite got which side was the good guys and which were the bad ones. The ending feels weak and almost too quick, making it seem as though the story isn’t finished, and maybe it's not, but I don’t think I will care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Deer King Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

Indiefest: Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down (2022) PG-13   Documentary about the former congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her battle to overcome the effects of an assassination attempt in 2011 that left her partially paralyzed and with a language impairment. This is a film where you are going to experience a range of emotions as you watch it. You will cry, get angry, but also laugh as you follow the life of Gabby Giffords, a woman whose spirit and love of life wasn't shut down by an assassin's bullet. The film gives us an intimate look at Giffords and her journey to get not only her ability to walk but also to talk. Due to her husband, Mark, we see the highs and many lows of her recovery, as Mark was determined to let his wife and us see just how far she had to come back from death’s door. It’s a fantastic film about a remarkable woman and the man who believed in her recovery. This is not a film about outlawing guns but does have a message of how we can make gun ownership safer and keep them out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. Gabby was and is a gun owner; there is even a scene of her recently firing a handgun at a gun range. My favorite scene of the film is during the closing credits as we follow Gabby as she peddles a recumbent bike around her neighborhood while joyfully singing a John Denver song. By the film's end, you won’t feel sorry for Gabby but will be happy that she is still around to make us smile.    My Rating: Full Price   Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View: Don’t Make Me Go (2022) R  Max (John Cho) is a single father who discovers he has a fatal brain tumor. Straightaway, Max decides to take his daughter, Wally (Mia Isaac), on a road trip. This is Max’s last chance to try and teach his daughter everything she might need to live her life on her own. At the start of the film, Wally tells us, ‘You’re not gonna like how this story ends, but I think you are going to like this story.’ Well, Wally, you would be wrong. I liked this film for the first two-thirds of the movie, mainly because the relationship between Max and Wally feels natural, and the chemistry between the two actors is delightful. A few scenes seem a little forced, and it tries a bit too hard for us to love Wally from the start, but I can overlook this film’s early faults due to the winning relationship between the father and daughter. However, without giving away the ending, I hated the last 15 minutes of this film. I mean, I really hated it. It soured the whole movie for me, a real punch in the gut. Let me make it clear; I hated the ending.   My Rating: Cable   Don't Make Go Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform. 

Forgotten FIlm: Shoot the Moon (1982) R   This is a film about a long-time marriage falling apart. George (Albert Finney) is unhappy and wants out of his marriage to live with his new love, Sandy (Karen Allen). Faith (Diane Keaton) feels abandoned by her husband, having left her and their four children for another woman. Faith finds a way to get back at George by having an affair with a young man (Peter Weller), and the fireworks begin. This movie is about unhappy people who don’t care who gets hurt, as long as their spouse gets hurt the most. Keaton and Finney play people you won’t like, and we never quite know why the marriage fell apart after so many years. Shoot the Moon isn’t about why they fell in or out of love; it’s about the pain and destruction a failed marriage can cause.   My Rating: Full Price   Shoot the Moon Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Toad in the Hole Prepared By

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Invitation (2022)  R  Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) knows nothing about her family’s past, so she sends off her DNA to find out more. Through the test, she meets a cousin (Hugh Skinner) who invites her to a family wedding in England. Evie goes but soon learns that her newfound family has a secret, one that may cost Evie her life. The Invitation looks like it could be a fun watch.    The Invitation Info  The movies is scheduled to be released in late August, 2022.

Until Next Time!

The Batman

My View: The Batman  (2022) PG-13  The Batman is about the Caped Crusader, Batman (Robert Pattinson), in his second year of fighting crime, uncovering corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while battling a criminal known as The Riddler for control of his city. When I was a boy, my favorite comic book character was Batman because he wasn’t a person with superpowers, but he used his gadgets and mind to solve crimes. Like the other hero of my childhood, Sherlock Holmes, Batman solved crimes using his intellect. What filmmaker Matt Reeves has brought us a Batman who is fighting a losing battle for control of a city that he loves. Pattinson is brilliant as the brooding crime-fighter trying to figure out who is killing the city’s most important and influential powerbrokers, as each gruesome killing is left with a riddle in a greeting card. Zoë Kravitz lights up the screen as Selina Kyle, Catwoman, who enlists The Batman to help her find her missing lover/roommate. Even so, it’s Paul Dano, who steals the film with his performance as The Riddler. For most of the film, we only see The Riddler in videos he releases, as he hides behind an odd bit of masking. Dano is scary as the mad, evil Riddler, who leaves clues for Batman at every murder he has committed. The Batman is not an origin story. We don’t get the usual flashback to when Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered before his eyes; instead, this is a Batman that we already know, a crime-fighter battling his own demons as he takes on the worst of humanity. And know this: you will not recognize Colin Farrell as The Penguin. It is a fantastic bit of screen magic with The Penguin looking more like a gangster than the quacking cartoon character of other Batman films. I will warn you that you will want to hold off on drinking anything before or during the film as the running time is almost 3 hours in length, and you won’t want to miss anything on the screen to take a pee break. And yes, the film sets up another Batman film, and of course, there is a tiny surprise at the end of the final credits. So go on a journey with the Batman to solve crimes and defeat the criminals that threaten his beloved Gotham City.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Batman Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Fresh (2022) R    Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is tired of the dating scene and has given up trying to find a good guy until she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), a charming guy who seems to be perfect. However, Noa is about to discover that dating can be horrible, even horrific. With an opening credits scene that doesn’t start until 30 minutes into the film, you know you are in for something different. Let’s just say that Steve isn’t who or what he says he is and that Noa is in a lot of danger. To say that this film has a big twist in it would be an understatement, and some viewers will give up when they encounter that twist. Still, if you have the stomach for it, the rewards are worth it. With two outstanding performances by Sebastian Stan, as the ever-charming Steve and Daisy Edgar-Jones as the down on dating Noa, who becomes our fearless hero, Fresh is a strange and wonderful film full of surprises. It is more commentary on dating and the power of relationship dynamics than a horror film. But don’t kid yourself; it can be pretty horrific. You may never look at a ‘meet cute’ get-together the same way again.   My Rating: Full Price  Fresh Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View:  The Weekend Away  (2022)   Beth (Leighton Meester) is on a weekend vacation, far from her husband and baby, to visit her best friend Kate (Christina Wolfe) in Croatia. After a night of partying, Beth discovers that Kate has been murdered. Consequently, Beth is in a foreign country with no friends, the main suspect for Kate’s death, and no way of knowing what happened. The Weekend Away is a standard murder mystery that is helped by an excellent performance by Leighton Meester, playing a woman who is taking a break from her family to party with her best friend. Meester is the only thing that saves this from becoming your ordinary basic cable mystery. The story is as old as Lifetime has been making movies, with a plot of a woman who can’t remember what happened after a night of partying and her friend disappearing. Add into the plot with your usual fear tactics thrown in about our hero all alone in a foreign country, having to trust a stranger, and the deck continually stacking against her. There are a few twists to the story, but anyone who has seen any number of true crime stories on TV can figure out who the killer is by the time our hero does. Is it worth an afternoon on a weekend to watch? Sure, but don’t expect much.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Weekend Away Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Lucy and Desi    (2022)  PG  This documentary explores the life and love of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who became one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment and changed TV forever. I will admit that I have never been a fan of I Love Lucy. I didn’t enjoy the characters, the wacky situations, and the constant mistrust between Lucy and Desi. While I admired Lucille Ball’s ability to make any scene funny, I just never was a big fan of the series. Having watched this outstanding documentary from Amy Poehler, my admiration for Lucille Ball has grown. Poehler utilizes home movies and tape recordings that Lucy made during her lifetime to give us an inside look at a couple that changed the way TV was produced and had such an impact on network television. So much so that it is still using the model that Lucy and Desi created, both in front and behind the camera. Lucy's fans will go nuts with all the behind-the-scenes photos and home movies (in glorious color the see that flaming redhead)  along with the amazing bits of publicity photos and films that were made during their careers. The film doesn’t just concentrate on Lucy but gives Desi a much-needed run in the spotlight, letting us see the man who was a driving force behind the scenes of what became a TV-producing machine that dominated the TV landscape for years. The film doesn’t put the blame on one person for the marriage falling apart. The film makes it clear that both parties had faults that made the marriage doomed from the start. That’s made even more evident when both Lucy and Desi found a second love that they spent the rest of their lives with. Lucy and Desi is a brilliant documentary about a couple whose love and partnership changed how people watched television. It is also a love story that will bring you much laughter and a few tears, just like their groundbreaking show did.    My Rating: Full Price   Lucy and Desi Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: After Yang   (2021) PG  In the near future, a family deals with the breakdown of their A.I. helper named Yang (Justin H. Min). Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to get Yang repaired, who has become an integral part of their family and Jake’s daughter’s beloved companion. Jake will soon discover that this life is full of wonder and revelations. This is a film about love, loss, and what it means to be a parent. Jake goes on a quest first to find a way to get his A.I. helper Yang repaired. Finding roadblocks after roadblocks, he gives up in his quest to restore Yang, and instead, discovering a secret memory chip in Yang, Jake goes on a journey to find out what made Yang who he was. After Yang is a film about a family and how its dynamic is threatened by the loss of a loved one, even if that person is a robot. Yang is an essential part of the family; part teacher, part nanny but most of all, a friend who helps the family discover things about themselves. After Yang is a powerful and meaningful film about a family that learns how to reconnect with each other after depending on someone else to do the connecting. Incredibly, this film is being released the same week that Colin Farrell gives an entirely different performance as The Penguin in The Batman. In After Yang, Farrell provides us with a man in Jake who has lost his way but finds his place back in his family by discovering what made Yang so unique. And by the way, the opening credits of the film make it worth the price of admission by itself.   My Rating; Full Price    After Yang Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Huda’s Salon (2021)  PG  Reem (Maisa Abd Elhadi) is a Palestinian woman with a newborn and an abusive husband. Reem's life changes forever on a routine visit to her hairdresser, Huda (Manal Awad). This is a film about two stories. One is the tale of a woman who is being blackmailed, and the other is the story of the blackmailer. In both cases, the two women are stuck in impossible situations, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Both women are tools of a system that keeps feeding on itself in a war that no one can win. Huda's Salon is a psychological thriller where you have no idea if or when these women can escape from their predicaments, and you realize that even if they do escape their present situation, their lives will never be the same. Of the two actresses, Abd Elahid, as Reem, the innocent mother who finds herself in an impossible situation, gives the better performance of a woman who looks for help but can only find that help from within.   My Rating: Full Price   Huda's Salon Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film:  Paperhouse   (1988)  PG-13   A lonely young girl (Charlotte Burke) draws a house with a young boy in a window. She then has a dream where she visits the boy, a boy who is disabled. The more she draws and dreams, the more she becomes immersed in a world that she may never escape. Paperhouse is a fascinating and lovely film about imagination and dreams and how they can come true and is one of those films that once you see it, it will stay with you a long time.   My Rating: Full Price    Paperhouse Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Batman: Virtual Reality Illustrator  

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Umma (2022) R  Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter (Fivel Stewart) live on an isolated farm, raising bees without modern technology. Their world is shaken when Amanda receives the cremated ashes of her estranged mother, and their lives are taken over by a restless, evil spirit that will stop at nothing to come back. Sandra Oh in a horror film? Count me in!    Umma Info

Until Next Time!