Wuthering Heights

My View: Wuthering Heights  (2026)  R Wuthering Heights is the legendary love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors that follows the intense, sometimes destructive relationship between Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) and Catherine (Margot Robbie). Writer/director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) clarified that she was making a personal version of Wuthering Heights and not a direct adaptation of Emily Brontë’s much-loved novel. Your first clue is a soundtrack mostly composed of songs written and performed by Charli XCX, which gives the film a bit of a modern touch, though not as much as I anticipated. I have a feeling that fans of the book will be disappointed with this rather disjointed telling. The first half, which covers Catherine and Heathcliff’s childhood, is the most interesting part of the film. The dynamic between the two characters as children is interesting and at times riveting. I can’t say the same thing for when Heathcliff and Catherine are adults, especially when Heathcliff leaves for a spell because of Catherine getting married to rich suitor Edgar (Shazad Latif). I didn’t like the chemistry between Robbie and Elordi, as it never gave off the sparks that the film needed. Here’s a clue to this film: anytime it rains, you know Catherine and Heathcliff are going to have sex. And it rains a lot. I also had a hard time understanding Elordi’s dialogue, as he tended to swallow his words, trying to be the illiterate, brooding tough guy. I didn’t like any character in this film, including our two lovers, who seem like spoiled brats, selfish, and unable to keep their hands off each other (especially in the rain). I am surprised the film didn’t end with a rousing remake of “Blame it on the Rain”.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wuthering Heights Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Crime 101  (2026)  R  Crime 101 follows a jewel thief named Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) whose heists along the 101 freeway have made him a legend and have left the police baffled. Mike has set his sights on the ultimate score and finds out that Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry), an insurance broker, wants in on the deal. Can Mike trust Sharon, or is she setting him up for a fall? I am a big fan of the Michael Connelly Harry Bosch book series, and one thing Connelly does is always talk about the traffic in L.A. Writer/director Bart Layton and Cinematographer Erik Wilson do a great job is capturing the look and feel of L.A. with its long line of cars on the freeway and the homes and hotels of the rich, along with the scenes of the homeless on the street, as our hero Mike figures out his next heist. I had fun with this film and its multiple storylines, which keep intersecting throughout. The film has some nice twists, and I had expected that there would be a romance between Hemsworth and Berry, but that’s not the case. Instead, both characters see each other as a tool to be used to get what they want. In fact, there is more attraction between Berry’s character, a woman who keeps bumping up against the glass ceiling and can’t break through, and Mark Ruffalo’s world-weary but by-the-rules cop, as they both are getting screwed by their bosses. Instead, there is a fun romance between Hemsworth’s character, who has a troubled past, and Monica Barbaro’s character, a woman he meets in a strange ‘meet-cute’ moment. I was amazed by how that relationship turned out. The big heist kept me guessing, and I thoroughly enjoyed Barry Keoghan’s motorcycle heist man, who is way in over his head on everything he does. It must be fun to be Keoghan these days, taking parts where he can go nuts. Crime 101 isn’t a brilliant film (comparing it to LA centric movies like Heat or Beverly Hills Cop), but it’s a fun time with a great cast and a city that is always interesting to be in.  My Rating: Full Price  Crime 101 website  Now playing in theaters 

Familyfaire:  GOAT  (2026)  PG  GOAT is about Will, a small goat with dreams of going pro and playing roar ball, the high-intensity, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will is determined to prove he belongs and that “smalls can ball!” I don’t know, maybe kids who love basketball or goats will like this movie, but I was bored almost from the start. I didn’t like the animation style, which at times felt soft and at other times too harsh. The plot was too simple, the storyline wasn’t well thought out, and I didn’t care if the team of misfits ever won a game, much less make it to the championship. The film kept throwing ideas at us, as if it had decided to play dodgeball rather than basketball. Steph Curry, who produced the film and voices one of the characters, needs to stick to winning championships and stay out of the animation chair.  My Rating: Cable   GOAT Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Jimpa  (2025)  Jimpa is about Hannah (Olivia Colman), who, along with her nonbinary teenager, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde), travels to Amsterdam to visit her gay father Jim (John Lithgow), who goes by the term Jimpa, instead of grandpa. When Frances expresses an interest in staying with her ‘Jimpa’, Hannah is forced to re-examine her parenting and her past. Jimpa is a film with its heart in the right place, but it doesn’t know how to convey that message without hitting us over the head. The film features impressive performances by John Lithgow and Olivia Colman, but it feels like it is filled with meaningless subplots, mostly involving Frances and their quest to find a place in the world. The film never hits the mark with its overabundance of sentimentality. It’s funny that Jimpa is about a filmmaker, Hannah, who is told that her next film project doesn’t have enough conflict to make a good drama. I can say the same thing for Jimpa.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Jimpa Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die  (2025)   R   In Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a “Man From the Future” (Sam Rockwell) shows up at a Los Angeles diner and takes the patrons hostage. He claims he is a time traveler and needs their help in stopping AI from eventually destroying humanity. Sam Rockwell has so much fun in this role as the madman who bullies people into joining him in what he knows is likely a suicide mission. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a wild ride with outstanding performances from Juno Temple as a mom grieving the son she thought she knew and Haley Lu Richardson as an angry, depressed young woman who seems set on joining the group because she wants to die. The film is incredibly wacky and doesn’t follow any rules, but its message is timely. How many times have you seen people walking into traffic or running into people because they can’t look up from their phones? That’s the core of this film, how the internet and our technology doesn’t care about us, it just wants our full-out attention. So put down your phone, get ready to see some really weird stuff, and join in on the revolution to stop AI from taking over the world and our lives. The “Man from the Future” will show you the way, though you might want not to go first.  My Rating: Full Price  Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Cold Storage  (2026)  R  Cold Storage is about two employees, Travis (Joe Keery) and Naomi (Georgina Campbell), who work at a self-storage facility built atop a former military base. Their night becomes a nightmare when a rapidly mutating, parasitic fungus escapes from the base. Their only hope is a grizzled bio-terror operative named Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson). Who would have thought that Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, Oscar-nominated actress Lesley Manville, and Liam Neeson would be in a zombie/fungus taking over the world movie and would have some sizable parts to boot. Keery and Campbell are fun as two security guards tasked with saving the world. The plot is pretty simple, and the zombies are really gross, with lots of splatter going on, including a zombie throwing up on a bunch of bikers to infect them. Neeson looks like he is having a blast in the part, along with a chain-smoking Manville. I assume Vanessa Redgrave is a friend of someone involved in the film, because she is there for comic relief and isn’t really important to the plot. This is one of those films that's perfect for a Saturday night, with lots of popcorn and a few drinks. Just don’t get anything green to drink. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Cold Storage Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie  (2025) R  Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie takes place when Matt (Matt Johnson) and Jay (Jay McCarroll) try to book a show at the Rivoli, and it goes horribly wrong. So the guys try to create a time machine, like in Back to the Future, and guess what? It works! Only they are now in the year 2008 and can’t get back home. I didn’t know much about the guys or their show, but judging by the enthusiastic and boisterous audience, fans of their work are going to love this film. The duo takes a bit of getting used to, and their harebrained schemes are outlandish, but that’s the charm of these very Canadian guys, who say hello to almost everyone on the street and often ask where people are from, just to be nice. There is a running joke about copyrights that is hilarious, including stealing a whole lot from the earlier-mentioned Back to the Future films. And beware of anyone afraid of heights; a good deal of the plot revolves around the CN Tower, one of the world's tallest free-standing structures. You might need a parachute, or two.  My Rating: Full Price  Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie    Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film: The Strawberry Statement  (1970) R A college student (Bruce Davison) joins a group of campus organizers, not because he is caught up in the politics of the day but because he hears it’s a great way to meet girls. And he does meet a girl (Kim Darby), but he also realizes the issues that they are protesting are meaningful and worthy. He soon learns that the protests can become scary and violent. This is a film that, while dated by being made during the Vietnam protests of the late 60s, still packs a punch and explores  ideals that are still relevant today. The film is enhanced by a great soundtrack featuring songs by Neil Young, John Lennon, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. This is one of the late Bud Cort's first feature films.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Strawberry Statement Info  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the credits of Wuthering Heights: Candle Wrangler

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Undertone  (2025)  R  A host of a popular paranormal podcast, Evy (Nina Kiri), is sent some mysterious and terrifying audio recordings that somehow become real in Evy’s world. Film critics who have seen the movie are giving it great reviews, and the trailer looks really scary. Plus its from the A24 studio, so you know its going to be a little bit weird.  Undertone Website  In theaters on Friday, March 13, 2026  

Until Next Time!

The Magnificent Seven

My View:  The Magnificent Seven  (2016) PG-13  The small, western town of Rose Creek is under the clutches of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard).  In desperation, the townspeople turn to employing seven outlaws, bounty hunters, and hired guns, to protect them. Against the odds, the seven gunfighters may win this battle, but, at what cost?  This film is a little bit of a letdown.  It’s too long and not enough of the characters, especially Bogue, the villain of the story, are terribly interesting or intriguing. I was disappointed especially in Chris Pratt’s performance which is very low key. I wanted him to be much more fun and over the top. Vincent D’Onofrio steals the movie as a bombastic trapper.  D’Onofrio looks like he is the only one in this film who is actually enjoying his part. I did get into the well-choreographed big fight sequence at the end, but it took way too long to get there.  The title of the film should have been The Ordinary Seven.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Magnificent Seven Facebook Page

Family Faire:  Queen of Katwe  (2016) PG The film follows the life of Phiona Mutesi (Madina Natwanga), a Ugandan chess prodigy from Katwe who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads.  This film works because the film treats its subject with such a loving touch. The fact that this is a true story makes it all the more uplifting and impressive. It’s a charming and inspirational film that will have you rooting for the underdog, a young woman with an extraordinary skill and an impressive drive to be the best. It’s a movie you can take your whole family to (though young kids will be bored at times) and enjoy this extraordinary and moving tale of triumph over unbelievable odds.   My Rating:  Full Price   Queen of Katwe Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Tanna  (2015)  Set in the South Pacific, Wawa, is a young girl from one of the last traditional tribes. She falls in love with the chief’s grandson, but, when an inter-tribal war starts up, she may be wed to a rival group to make the peace.  The young lovers must decide to run away or put their love of their tribe ahead of their love for each other.  This is a beautiful looking film, but unfortunately, the film isn’t a documentary but a fictional work about two star-crossed lovers. The film is slowly paced and spends much of its time following the day to day operations of the tribe, making the film seem almost like a travelogue rather than a touching love story.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Tanna Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Author: The JT LeRoy Story  (2016)  R  JT Leroy was the hit of the literary world. Having lived a life of prostitution, drug addiction, and vagrancy, he hit the literary scene with a series of articles and his first novel, “Sarah.” Then it was discovered that JT LeRoy wasn’t a real person but the creation of author Laura Albert. This documentary explores this fascinating story.  This is an improbable and absurd story that, if you made it into a fictional narrative, you wouldn’t believe that it could happen. The film is greatly enhanced by all the phone calls that Albert recorded (most apparently, without their knowledge), including those with celebrities such as singer Tom Waits, director Gus Van Sant, singer Courtney Love and even U2 lead singer Bono. Through those phone calls, we see just how much everyone that “JT” talked to wanted to believe that he was real. The web of lies that Albert weaves is immense and goes on far longer than you think it could. This is one of the most engaging and engrossing film I have seen in quite a while and should not be missed.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Author: The JT LeRoy Story Website

Indiefest:  Goat  (2016)  R  After getting over a terrifying assault during the summer, 19-year-old Brad (Ben Schnetzer) starts college.  His older brother, Brett (Nick Jonas), is in a fraternity and very popular on campus. Brett talks Brad into pledging to his fraternity and what happens during “Hell Week” will change both their lives forever. I have never been a fan of fraternities and this film just reaffirms my dislike. That being said, this is an intense and scintillating film that explores a young man’s attempt to deal with the attack while all the while enduring the hazing of the frat. Schnetzer gives an impressive performance as the damaged Brad, creating a character that seems to observe more than participate. Nick Jonas, as the protective and much cooler brother, is perfect in the role. Goat is an engaging and thought-provoking film. You might not want to pledge, but you will want to know what happens to Brett and Brad.  My Rating:  Full Price   Goat Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  One False Move  (1992)  R  A trio of criminals (Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Beach, Cynda  Williams) commit a string of murders in L.A. to grab a large batch of drugs.  They intend to sell the drugs in Houston but end up in a small town in Arkansas on the run.  A local Chief of Police (Bill Paxton) is aided by two L.A. cops (Jim Metzler, Earl Billings), and the chief is hell bent on taking the trio down.  Bill Paxton is brilliant as the small town chief who is smarter than he looks. The plot is tense and builds to a violent and well-crafted ending. The film takes plenty of twists and turns with a big one at the end that you won’t see coming.  My Rating:  Full Price    One False Move Info  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Magnificent Seven:  Mechanical Design: Mechanical Horse

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Loving  (2016) PG-13   Richard and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton), an interracial couple are sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for the crime of getting married to each other. The film has been the talk of film festivals and was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.   Loving Info

Until Next Time!