I Know What You Did Last Summer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

28 Years Later

My View:  28 Years Later  (2025)  R  28 Years Later takes place almost three decades after a virus was unleashed on the world. A group that has survived has been housed on a small island connected to the mainland by a causeway. A father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and son, Spike (Alfie Williams), leave the island on a mission to go into the heart of the mainland, and there they discover the secrets, wonders, and horrors of the outside world. Back in 2002, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland unleashed 28 Days Later, a horror film that gave us zombies created from a virus that weren’t your old-fashioned slow-moving, leg-dragging creatures but one who could move with speed and had intelligence. In other words, a nightmare that unfolds before our eyes on the screen. Now that directing/writing duo has come back with a new film to explore what has happened since the original film. Unlike the first film, where we, along with the main character, slowly figure out what is happening to the world, 28 Years Later puts us in the middle of a small settlement that has flourished because of its isolation and strict rules. The film follows Jamie and Spike as they leave for a rite of passage for Spike. He is about to go to the mainland to kill his first zombie. They leave the safety of the island and travel inward, where Jamie cooly guides Spike into killing a zombie, but soon, they are confronted with a group of zombies that the two can’t handle, and it’s now a race for life or death. And that’s just the first 30 minutes of the film. 28 Years Later is a very different film from the 2002 film. This is more of a coming-of-age film about Spike and what he will do to save his family. The film is centered around courage, love, and the decision of someone to put their life on the line to save a loved one. I don’t want to give too much away, as the plot makes this a very different type of film from your ordinary zombie apocalypse movie. It is scary, though I will admit I was expecting more scares than it actually delivers. However, it more than makes up for that with a storyline that is moving and rich in feeling. Alfie Williams is outstanding as Spike, who is determined to do whatever he can to help his family, even if it means defying his village. Williams gives us a hero to follow, one who makes mistakes but whose heart is in the right place and makes the best decisions he can. So go and get engrossed in a zombie tale that has incredible cinematography, a bombastic soundtrack, and an ending that you will not see coming.      My Rating: Full Price  28 Years Later Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide.  

Familyfaire:  Elio  (2025)  PG   Elio is about an 11-year-old orphan named Elio, whose love for space is so strong he dreams of being abducted by aliens. One night, his wish comes true when he is taken aboard an alien ship and transported to the Communiverse, a place inhabited by intelligent life from across the galaxy. Mistaken for Earth’s leader, Elio must navigate through a crisis that threatens to destroy the new friendships he has just formed. When adults go to see a Pixar film, we expect to see imaginative storytelling, brilliantly done animation, and a plot that will move you (and possibly make you cry). Elio works on the first two points but misses badly in the emotional department, as we never achieve the impact we needed to create the desired emotional impact. I liked the storyline, as Elio is a fun kid who, while he is in over his head, is still willing to help his newfound friends against an evil warlord who wants to take over the Communiverse. Youngsters are going to love the action and all the trouble that Elio gets into. The cast of characters are fun and the evil warlord, Lord Grigon, is impressive looking in his armor but isn’t scary for young kids to be afraid of. I loved the meeting between Elio and his soon-to-be best friend, the giant-worm-like blob named Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). Elio instantly realizes that Glordon, though weird-looking and with lots of teeth, is someone he can not only be friends with but also understands what Glordon is going through with his father, Lord Grigon. The animation is visually stunning and brilliantly executed.   However, I never got that catch in my throat from any emotional impact in this film that I wanted. I think the writers missed the boat by not emphasizing Elio’s life with his parents, who he lost recently and is now being taken care of by his aunt (voiced by Zoe Saldana), who apparently has had to sacrifice her dreams to take in Elio. We get glimpses of how hurt Elio is, but those are brief and miss that emotional point that we needed to make the final scenes have more impact. While much better than, say, Lightyear, Elio isn’t up there with the classic Pixar films that we all shed tears at, and that’s too bad. I could have used a bit of a cry. There is a bonus scene after the first portion of the credits and a rather strange promo trailer at the end of all the credits.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Elio Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Bride Hard  (2025)  PG-13  In Bride Hard, Sam (Rebel Wilson) is serving as the maid of honor at her childhood best friend Betsy’s (Anna Camp) destination wedding. When a mercenary group takes the extravagant wedding hostage, chaos ensues. However, what the mercenaries don’t realize is that Sam is actually a secret agent, ready to unleash hell on anyone who threatens her best friend’s special day. I have already added this movie (in pen) to my list of the worst films of 2025. The plot is devoid of anything remotely funny, and it absurdly suggests that Rebel Wilson is the agency's top spy. If you think that using hair curlers like nunchucks is entertaining, or if you find it hilarious when Sam kills another bad guy and then takes a piece of wedding cake, saying “peace of cake,” then you won’t mind the hour and forty-five-minute runtime that feels much longer. I couldn't tell if this film was intended as a parody of action films (and perhaps wedding films) or simply a poorly executed comedy. I know it was painful to watch, almost as painful for the guy in the fight with Sam, who kept getting burned by the hair curlers. My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Bride Hard Website Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  The Queen of My Dreams  (2023)   The Queen of My Dreams is about Azra (Amrit Kaur), a Pakistani Canadian woman who has had a fractured relationship with her parents since coming out as a lesbian. Azra travels to Pakistan after her father’s passing, guided by memories of her mother’s youth, her love of Bollywood films, and her own experience in rural Canada. The Queen of My Dreams is a film about how, in the blink of an eye, a relationship can change, in this case, when a mother realizes that her daughter is interested in girls and not boys. Through Bollywood fantasies Azra has, flashbacks to her childhood, and scenes from her mother’s past life in Pakistan, we see how the two, mother and daughter, are so alike.  We see how Azra’s mother (played in these flashbacks by Amrit Kaur) was a fiercely independent modern woman who, like her daughter in the future, rebelled against what was thought a woman should be like in the Pakistani culture, eventually breaking away from her parents, just like Azra in the present is doing. I loved the interweaving of the Bollywood musicals into the film, often with Azra taking over a role to show us how she is feeling and experiencing life. The Queen of My Dreams is a lovely tale of two women who blazed their own trail and followed their dreams and not the dreams of their parents.  My Rating: Full Price  The Queen of My Dreams Website   Now playing in select theaters.  

My View:  Surviving Ohio State  (2025)  Surviving Ohio State is a documentary based on Sports Illustrated reporter Jon Wertheim’s cover story on the decades-long abuse scandal of male athletes by a doctor, Dr. Richard Strauss, at Ohio State University. The film features extensive interviews with members of the wrestling team that first brought the scandal to light and then goes into detail on how the abuse wasn’t just concentrated on the wrestling team but on other male athletes and even students who weren’t on scholarship but sought treatment at the student medical center. The film highlights how the university was aware of the doctor’s misconduct yet took no action for ten years, allowing him to have significant freedom. This included taking long showers with teams, conducting full-body exams during every visit with male athletes, and even making inappropriate advances in the showers alongside referees.  Surviving Ohio State has gotten some publicity because Ohio congressman Jim Jordan was an assistant coach on the team while the abuse was going on and claims he knew nothing about the allegations. The first half of this film is a shocking first-person tale through interviews of how the abuse started with each person and how they reacted at the time. It’s a sickening tale of abuse of power and taking advantage of teenagers who don’t have a way to fight back. The second half of the film explores how the university has handled the allegations over the years and how it still has not taken full responsibility for its lack of action. Surviving Ohio State is a film that will sadden you to think how many lives were ruined, how many young men suffered in silence, and how a university kept quiet.My Rating:  Full Price  Now playing on the HBO Max platform. 

Forgotten film:  I Am a Hero  (2015)  TV-MA  Hideo (Yô Ôizumi) is an artist who works on Japanese-style comic books called Manga. He once had a promising future, with a girlfriend and an award for “newcomer of the year” from his employer. However, his life has gone into the dumps, working as an assistant on other people’s work, his girlfriend has thrown him out, and now the world is being attacked by zombies. Hideo is an unlikely hero, though he fantasizes he is, and more often than not, he cannot pull the trigger (literally, in most cases during the film, he fails to shoot his shotgun at critical times). All Hideo wants in life is to be a man of action and courage, but he is more a man of indecision, often freezing when he should act. Yo Ôizumi is pitch-perfect as the ineffective Hideo. He seems to show every emotion broadly on his face, so we are aware of what he is thinking without having to have it explain it to the audience. The reason that this film is a blast to watch is the zombies. The zombies keep some of the characteristics of who they were when they were alive. A gifted athlete is still capable of performing fantastic feats as a zombie. Someone who like to shop, in zombie form, will attempt to enter stores with a determined purpose. The zombies can also talk, so very often they are muttering phrases that they often said while they are alive, like a zombie barista to kill Hideo while also trying to take his order. I Am a Hero is a brilliant, action-packed film that will make any zombie lover want to see this film repeatedly, hoping that if the zombie apocalypse happens, we can also say, “I Am a Hero.”    My Rating: Full Price   Surviving Ohio State Website  Available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Elio:  Additional Sweatbox Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)  Five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident and cover it up, keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, they are confronted by a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did and is out for revenge. The friends discover this has happened before and ask for survivors of the Southport Massacre of 1997 for help. This film features Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., two of the stars of the 1998 film.   I Know What You Did Last Summer Website  The film will be in theaters on Friday, July 18, 2025.