Moana 2

Familyfaire:  Moana 2  (2024)  PG   Moana 2 takes place when Moana receives a message from her wayfinding ancestors and must go on a journey to the far seas of Oceania. Moana and her friends will sail into dangerous, long-lost waters to seek out an island that could unify all the people of Oceania. I really liked Moana (2016). I thought it had a great message, some cool songs, and Auli’i Cravalho, who was delightful in the title role. Even Dwayne Johnson was fun in the role of the demigod. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about Moana 2. Despite Auli'i Cravalho's excellent performance and top-notch singing, the plot and rest of the film are lacking. The film was originally conceived as a series, and that's what it feels like. It’s a bunch of 15-minute stories woven together, with some very forgettable songs and a plot that is incredibly hard to follow. The film has an ending that seems rushed and all too easy to happen when the rest of the movie was leading up to this breakthrough point. And don’t get me started on how Johnson’s demigod character has become annoying and bland. Add in Johnson once again trying to sing, and it makes for a long film to watch that only young kids will have fun with, mostly due to the stupid chicken that keeps popping up everywhere. A bonus scene at the end of all the credits explains what happened to one of the main characters in the film and sets up a Moana 3. Let’s hope they get better songs and a better plot.  My Rating: Cable  Moana 2 Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Maria  (2024)  R  Maria is about Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie), who was at one time the world's most famous opera singer with a voice that thrilled the masses. Now Maria has retired and has retreated to Paris, where she is attempting to mount a comeback but cannot escape the past. Maria is a film where the lead's performance lifts a meandering and weak script and makes it watchable. The film follows Maria during the last week that she was alive. She has been retired for five years but wants to mount a comeback. Her problem is twofold: she has a strong addiction to drugs, and her voice, once one of the world's greatest, has become a shadow of her former self. Jolie is brilliant in the role, playing a character who was a huge star whose every move was documented by the paparazzi. Jolie reveals the agony of realizing that Maria will never have that voice back, but she still believes she is a star. The film, though, lets Jolie’s performance down, mired in a series of weird flashbacks and drug-induced fantasies that don’t give you the emotional punch you need. The film never gives us in the flashbacks the big moments in her life, just glimpses of them as Maria stumbles through her last days. Still, Maria is a film to see because Jolie is spectacular in the role. I just wish it had been a different film that showed us why she was the star who captivated the world with her voice.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Maria Website  Now playing in select theaters and on the Netflix platform on December 11, 2024. 

My View:  Dear Santa  (2024)  PG-13   In Dear Santa, every year, tons of kids send letters to Santa. This year Liam (Robert Timothy Smith) sent his letter to someone else because he is a crappy speller: that man, Satan (Jack Black). Who the heck thought that giving Bobby Farrelly, one of the brothers behind films such as Shallow Hal and There’s Something About Mary, the reigns to a Christmas movie for kids would be a good idea? It is rated PG-13, so "it may not be suitable for children." I have no clue who this film is for. I just know that Dear Santa isn’t funny, has Jack Black making some pretty raunchy jokes, jokes that a kid Liam's age shouldn't be hearing and has an incredibly lazy ending. I wasn’t happy with this film almost from the start, as Liam isn’t a crappy speller (as I put in the description). Liam has dyslexia because that’s so funny. And the film goes downhill from there. Liam agrees to a deal with the Devil, granting him three wishes in exchange for his soul, and there are still more ha-ha moments to come. Maybe the kids will enjoy Post Malone being goofy but even that isn't funny. It's just kind of sad. If you find Jack Black dancing around in a leotard hilarious, go ahead and watch Dear Santa; otherwise, watch any other Christmas movie out there. They have to be better than this. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Dear Santa Info     Now playing on the Paramount+ platform.

Indiefest:  All We Imagine as Light  (2024)   All We Imagine as Light is about Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), nurses who work at the same Mumbai hospital and are roommates. Prabha and her husband, who is currently away in Germany, have not seen each other in a year, and the phone calls have stopped coming. Anu is younger and in a relationship with a Muslim boyfriend, which is challenging because of their conflicting religious beliefs. Prabha and Anu take a trip to a coastal town to get away, and there, they learn about life and love. All We Imagine as Light is a beautiful and touching story of love told from the perspective of two women. They are opposites in their lives, yet they are connected by a marriage custom that removes love from the picture. Anu is a young woman in the first stages of love, where you will do just about anything to steal time with that special person. Anu is blinded by love in the moment, not knowing or wanting to care about the future. All she wants is to be with the man she loves. The issue is that her parents won't approve of the relationship. In actuality, they are already preparing candidates for her to wed. Prabha is older, and she never had the chance to find love. Her marriage was arranged, and her husband is off in Germany, seemingly having forgotten her. There is a doctor who she likes and who is interested in her, but it can never happen because she is married. I loved the performances of the two leads. Kani Kusruti, as the sad and lonely Prabha, is brilliant in the role, letting us see Prabha’s true feelings in those small moments when she is alone and her thoughts take over. Divya Prabha, as Anu, is like a breath of fresh air when she is on the screen, making Anu someone who can contain herself when she is in her loved ones’ presence. This is also a love story about Mumbai, the city where they live. We are constantly shown the city as a warm and lively place where romance can happen, with the possibility of getting lost in the crowd on a train or in a restaurant. All We Imagine as Light is a story about love, loneliness, and the hope a city can bring you if you look hard enough. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  All We Imagine as Light Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Beatles ’64  (2024)  Beatles ’64 is a documentary about the Beatles US debut, which created a frenzy that changed the world of music forever. Beatles ’64 is an inside look at the tour of America that the Beatles did in 1964, just months after President Kennedy had been assassinated. Two brothers, Albert and David Maysles, were given unprecedented access to the tour, as we join the Beatles in hotel rooms, trains and backstage at their legendary concerts. We get to experience what it was like for the four lads to tour America for the first time and experience the madness of how America’s teens went nuts over them. The footage includes interviews, both past and present, that detail the experience of being on that tour. And we get to see some of their legendary concert footage, not just the songs they sang on the Ed Sullivan Show, but also concerts in Miami and Carnegie Hall. You will fall in love with the four young men from Liverpool who are just as mystified by the mania that they inspired as the press is. Beatles ‘64 is a Beatles lover’s dream, but it’s also a way to understand how something like the Beatles coming to America could start the healing process of a country that had just lost a leader. My Rating: Full Price  Beatles '64 Info Now playing on the Disney+ platform. 

Forgotten Film:   A Hard Day's Night  (1964) G  Two days in the life of The Beatles as they prepare for an important live TV broadcast. Richard Lester directed this fantastic and fun look at The Beatles in a fictional look at what it was like to be them in England in 1964. The film allows the guys to have fun and showcase their personalities. While the plot is incredibly thin, and the boys mostly do a lot of jokes and winking at the camera, we do get to see how much fun they had at the time being together. Plus, we get a ton of their music. What is forgotten about this film is that it garnered two Academy Award nominations: Best Original Screenplay and Best Score.  My Rating: Full Price A Hard Day's Night Info The film is available to stream on Max and buy/rent on Amazon. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Moana 2: Environment Lighting

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Babygirl  (2024) R  A high-powered CEO (Nicole Kidman) has everything she's ever desired except one thing. She finds it in a torrid affair with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Nicole Kidman has won a couple of awards from film festivals for this role. Could an Academy Award nomination be coming next year?  Babygirl Website  The film will be in theatres on Christmas Day. 

Until Next Time!

Kung Fu Panda 4

Familyfaire: Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)  PG  Po (voiced by Jack Black) has been picked to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, meaning he must find a new Dragon Warrior. Meanwhile, a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains Po had vanquished and get her revenge. I’m not a huge fan of the Kung Fu Panda films and this is probably the weakest of the bunch. Po is on his own this time with the exception of a new sidekick, a fox named Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina), who is a thief who tags along with Po on his latest adventure. The kids will enjoy all the colorful action sequences but the adults are going to be very bored by the constant attempt to make a joke or two or three. The pacing seems off and I think the film misses all the Kung Fu masters that Po is used to dealing with. So fans of the big Panda will probably enjoy the film but the rest of us, it’s a miss with that round house kick, even with the ‘skadoosh’ finish. My Rating: Cable   Kung Fu Panda 4 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Ricky Stanicky (2024) R   Ricky Stanicky is about three best friends who, when they were kids, invented the imaginary Ricky Stanicky as a handy alibi to get them out of trouble. Now, as adults, the three (Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler) continue using the nonexistent Ricky anytime they need to get out of immature behavior. Unfortunately, their friends and spouses have grown suspicious of Ricky and demand to meet him. So, the three hire a washed-up actor (John Cena) to play the part of Ricky. What could go wrong? Well, a lot, and I’m not talking about the plot but the overall mess of this film. If you think John Cena dressed as Boy George and singing a song about masturbation is funny, then you will enjoy this film. I don’t, hating this film almost from the first appearance of Cena. John Cena has a talent for comedy, but this film always goes for the low bar, with the easy, crass joke. I also have a problem with three guys always lying to their significant others so they can have a good time without their ‘loved ones.’ I think I laughed once, and it may have been laughing at how many weird little cut-downs on pop culture the film enjoys doing for no reason at all. As expected, the film’s plot goes from stupid to incredibly stupid, where we are asked to believe way too much that would never happen, even in a bad movie. And yes, this is one.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again.   Rickey Stanicky Website Now playing on Prime Video. 

My View: Damsel (2024) PG-13   Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown), a young noblewoman, has agreed to marry a handsome prince. Elodie discovers that the marriage has only happened so that she can be sacrificed to repay an ancient debt. Elodie is now trapped in a deep cave with a dragon bent on killing her. She will need all her strength and wits to survive and get out to get her revenge. I have become a fan of Millie Bobby Brown, enjoying her work on Stranger Things and the Enola Holmes films, so I was looking forward to this film of Brown’s character taking on a dragon. After a lengthy setup of how bad Elodie’s kingdom is doing and how the new kingdom she is marrying into is right out of a fairy-tale, the film takes a turn where it's a cat-and-mouse game of Elodie evading the dragon. And keeps evading the dragon. I am guessing half the film is about the trials that Elodie goes through in the caves with the dragon (who talks, by the way). From her work in Enola Holmes and Stranger Things, we know that Brown can hold her own in action sequences, but all she does is a lot of falling, running, and crying out. It’s not until the last 15 minutes of the film that we get Elodie actually taking on the dragon, with an ending that is too quick and too much of a letdown. That revenge I mentioned earlier in the review is over in the blink of an eye. Even if it is still a large dragon eye, it’s still a blink.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Damsel Website   Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: Imaginary (2024) PG-13  Jessica (DeWanda Wise) has returned to her childhood home with her daughters. Jessica is shocked when she discovers that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and is targeting Jessica’s youngest daughter because he is unhappy that she abandoned him so long ago. Imaginary is a fun, but not any sense, great or even really good horror film. There are too many ‘jump out of the dark’ scares in the film's first half, but the second half makes up for that a bit with some nice twists and turns and a few horrifying moments. Still, it's a fun premise to have an imaginary friend who isn't so friendly when you get to know them better. I am a fan of Betty Buckley, but she is wasted in a role that brings some of the film down with a couple of downright silly plot twists. Imaginary is one of those movies you see just because you're in the mood for a horror film, not because you think it will be great, but because you can have fun with it. I mean, a stuffed bear with a really creepy song that plays when you pull his string has to be a little evil, right?   My Rating: Cable   Imaginary Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: House of Games (1997) R  A psychologist, Margaret (Lindsay Crouse), wants to help a patient escape a gambling debt. She visits a bar where Mike (Joe Mantegna) runs a poker game. Mike convinces her he will forgive the debt if she helps him look for ‘tells’ in the gamblers to get an edge in the game. What seems to be an easy way out becomes much more complex. House of Games is a film by David Mamet (The Verdict (1983), Glengarry Glen Ross (1993), and Wag the Dog (1998)) about con artists and gamblers. It’s how there is always one more con in the game, and nothing is as it seems. I love the dialogue in this film, and the appearance of one of the greatest magicians/con men of all time in real life, Ricky Jay, as the Vegas man. Jay was also a consultant on the film and helped with staging all the con jobs in the movie. It’s a fascinating film with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested till the end. My Rating: Full Price  House of Games Info  The film is available on multiple streaming services. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ricky Stanicky: Dog/Duck Trainer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Immaculate (2024) R   Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) is a woman who believes that God has a plan for her. Cecilia is warmly welcomed to her new convent with open arms. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that the convent is not what it appears to be, harboring dark and horrifying secrets. Sydney Sweeney is having a good run in her career, with her breakout role on The Handmaid’s Tale, getting Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV series The White Lotus and Euphoria, and a hit in the rom-com Anyone But You. Now, let's see what she can do, headlining a horror film.  Immaculate Website  In theaters March 22nd. 

Until Next Time!

Monday

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 63 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. 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.

My View: Monday (2020) R   Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough), two Americans on vacation in Greece, meet by chance and have a great weekend together. When it's time to go back to her boring world, Chloe decides to give up her job back home and find out if this passion for Mickey can turn into something real and lasting. This is a film that begins light and fun, as many romances do, especially ones that start as one extended, sex-filled date. Like romances that start fast and quick, reality soon makes itself known in the relationship, as the two lovers discover more about each other. We learn that Mickey has a son from a messy relationship and that Chloe is hiding a secret on why she wanted to leave Greece. I enjoyed the first half of the film, but the second half drags a bit as problems start developing in the relationship, some of which are major, some seem very minor, but all are seen by the two characters as almost deal-breakers, as we have two characters that are just not meant to be in a long-term relationship with each other. I found that I had very little interest in Mickey and Chloe staying with each other because the film never makes it evident that they should be together. Yes, life is messy, and relationships are complicated, but sometimes it is a better result if both parties figure out they shouldn’t be together and cut their losses. Unfortunately, the film never quite figures this out, and we are left as Monday ends with the couple continuing their downward slide on their own. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Monday Website   Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: Vanquish (2021) R   Victoria (Ruby Rose) is a former drug courier for the Russians known for doing anything to get the job done. When retired cop Damon (Morgan Freeman) kidnaps Victoria’s daughter, she must go on five courier jobs, or her daughter will be killed. You know you are in trouble with a film when the filmmaker takes the point of view of a rat, not just for a quick glance but for multiple shots while the dialogue is trying to set up the storyline. Speaking of storyline, there is a scene near the beginning of the movie where Damon (Morgan Freeman) is in a church confessing his sins to a priest. I have not a clue what Damon tells the priest or why, but we get it; Damon is a dirty cop. The action sequences are horrible, and the car chase scenes are so dull I thought I was watching a traffic cam from a local highway. There are some genuinely mind-numbing scenes where Victoria is on her way to do another pick-up, and we see flashbacks to scenes we just saw a minute ago, along with a closeup of her daughter crying out for her mother. The ending is predictable from almost the beginning of the movie and has one of the worst special effects I’ve ever seen in a film or TV show. I kept flashing back to when I was younger and would go into a video store and rent a straight-to-video movie with some action star whom I barely knew; only those films had some fight sequences that I wanted to watch…this one, not so much.     My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    Vanquish Website   Now playing in select theatres and available for rent on participating on-demand services on April 20th.

Indiefest: Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts   (2020)   Bill Traylor was born into slavery on a cotton plantation in rural Alabama. After the Civil War, he worked as a sharecropper, then moved to Montgomery, where he did odd jobs until in his 80s, he started drawing and painting. This documentary looks at the man and the remarkable drawings and paintings Bill did between 1939 to 1942 that took on the art world and shook it to its core, with Traylor being recognized as one of America’s greatest self-taught artists. This is such an interesting film about a man I knew very little about other than he was some sort of folk artist. Traylor did most of his art in the last decade of his life and mainly used scrap pieces of cardboard that he found on the street. The film uses a mix of interviews with art historians, relatives, and people who knew Bill, along with actors reciting works by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston and a performance by tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith to illustrate Bill Traylor’s life and work. Bill was a fantastic artist, capturing his past life on the farm and his life living on Montgomery's streets, with drawings that seem almost to move because they are filled with his energy and life. I am so happy that I got to experience Bill Traylor’s art and come to understand what was behind those beautiful, brilliant pictures.    My Rating: Full Price     Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts Website    Available for rent on virtual cinema through Kino Marquee  which benefits local theatres. 

Indiefest: In the Earth (2021) R   The world is in ruins as a dangerous virus is plaguing the world. A scientist, Martin (Joel Fry), and a park scout, Alma (Ellora Torchia), venture deep into the forest for a routine equipment run. Their journey soon becomes a terrifying trip through the unknown as the forest comes to life around them. This is one of those films that I wished I had seen at a film festival (preferably at a midnight showing) with a big crowd wanting to be scared. The film needs that energy from the crowd to create creepiness and ramp up the scares. Watching this at home, I know I didn’t have the same experience. I enjoyed that Alma is the stronger of the two, the leader, and Martin is a weak, meek follower who is way out of his element. The first two-thirds of the film are creepy as hell, as we get introduced to just how dangerous and mysterious the forest is. The film tries to build toward an ending that it doesn’t quite pull off. For all the fun and scares of the first portion of the film, the end feels lackluster as it becomes slowed down by its attempt to create a mythology about the forest and then justify that mythology as truth. For such a promising start of a film, the ending becomes a confusing and unsatisfying conclusion that makes you feel that the film could have been much more.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     In the Earth Website     Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: melvin goes to dinner (2003) R Melvin (Michael Blieden) makes dinner plans to meet an old friend, Joey (Matt Price), who then invites an old friend, Alex (Stephanie Courtney), to come along. Alex runs into a friend of hers, Sarah (Annabelle Gurwitch), and invites her to the dinner. The four then over a lot of wine, discuss everything from death to dating to sex, all while waiting for their menus. Directed by Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), this funny and charming film is like you are allowed to tag along and be at a table with four strange and hilarious people. The dialogue is real and witty, the camera work makes you a part of the dinner, and the stories they tell will have you laughing out loud. melvin goes to dinner is a film that deserved a bigger audience when it was released, winning a bunch of awards on the film festival circuit but never made it on the map. Grab a glass, or maybe a whole bottle of wine, and have fun with four people discussing life. Be sure to watch for all the soon-to-be well-known actors playing bit parts in the film like Jack Black, David Cross, and Jenna Fisher.    My Rating: Full Price    melvin goes to dinner info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Vanquish: Hair for Morgan Freeman

Where Have I Seen You Before?: Ellora Torchia, who plays Alma in In the Earth, was in the 2019 Indie hit Midsommar in the role of Connie.

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Eat Wheaties! (2021) Sid lives an under-the-radar life when it begins to unravel after he claims that he was friends with actress Elizabeth Banks in college. This looks like so much fun, and the cast includes Alan Tudyk, Sarah Chalke, Robbie Amell, Elisha Cuthbert, Paul Walter Hauser, Danielle Brooks, and David Walton.     Eat Wheaties! Website

Until Next Time!

Kung Fu Panda 3

Family Faire:  Kung Fu Panda 3  (2016)  PG  Po (Jack Black) finds out he has a father (Bryan Cranston) and that there are more of his kind in a far-away land. When Po travels with his father to find this magical land, the world is threatened by a new evil one, Kai (J.K. Simmons), who wants to destroy everything. Now Po must train his new-found family and take on the evil Kai.  I enjoyed this film, and its 3-D animation is some of the best I’ve seen. There are some beautiful scenes up in the mountains, and the final fight sequence is a wonder to watch. It’s a fun and funny film that adults will enjoy just as much as the kids. The plot moves quickly and has some commendable life lessons for anyone watching. Kai is an enjoyable villain, and J.K. Simmons is delightful in the performance. This is one kid’s film that adults won’t mind seeing.  My Rating: Full Price   Kung Fu Panda 3 Website

My View:  The Finest Hours  (2016)  PG-13  An oil tanker off the Cape Cod coast is destroyed by treacherous winter winds and waves, splitting the ship into two pieces.  It’s up to the Coast Guard to try and save the tanker’s crewmen. First, do not see this film in 3-D. It was not shot in 3-D, and the process adds nothing to the viewing of the movie. The action sequences are the best part of this film. Chris Pine is Bernie Webber, the Coast Guard sailor who attempts the rescue in a tiny four-man motorboat. His performance, though, is not given a lot to work with, and he has absolutely no chemistry with his love interest, Holliday Grainger. Grainger plays Miriam, a determined and head-strong woman who works at the telephone company.  The best part of this film is the performance of Casey Affleck, who plays the sinking ship’s engineer. Affleck gives a strong and powerful performance as the man who leads by example and comes up with a way to slow the ship’s sinking.  The film is weighed down by the love story and the fact that this is a Disney produced movie that tries too hard to keep the movie rating at PG-13. The film, based on a true story, is set in 1952, and even though the film deals with a very stressful situation, there isn’t any cursing or, more amazingly, any cigarette smoking. I might wait and see this film when it comes out on DVD so you I fast forward through the love story and get to the action.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Finest Hours Website   

Indiefest:  Lazer Team  (2015)  PG-13  A 1980s style sci-fi comedy about four misfits who stumble upon alien technology, a mysterious suit made up of two boots, two arm pieces, and a helmet.  Each guy puts on a piece of the equipment, which attaches to their bodies with no way of getting them off. They are then forced to work together to save the planet.  If you are a fan of the Sci-Fi films of the eighties, you will enjoy this crazy, and sometimes nutty take off of the superhero films.  This is a fun film, which, while not all the jokes and gags work, there are enough scenes that do work to make this such an entertaining film. The cast, made up of relative unknowns, is enjoyable to watch and work well with each other on camera. Burnie Burns, as the picked-on small town sheriff, and Gavin Free, as a stoner who suddenly becomes smart when he puts on the alien helmet, stand out, both showing some exceptional comic timing. I love when the stoner puts on the helmet, he starts talking with a British accent because “that’s what stupid people think smart people sound like.” The best part of this film is the band of characters who must work together to save the earth but can’t quit arguing and feuding long enough to learn how to operate the alien equipment.  Their back and forth banter is quick-witted and laugh out loud funny. The special effects are well done, the action is fast, and the plot is well developed. Overall, Lazer Team is a blast to watch.   My Rating: Full Price   Lazer Team Website

Forgotten Film:  Primal Fear  (1996) R  A big time lawyer, Martin Vail (Richard Gere), takes on a case that no one thinks he can win when an altar boy, Arron (Edward Norton), is accused of murdering a priest. Gere is extraordinary as the lawyer who takes the case, not because he thinks his client is innocent, but because this case will get him the most publicity. Edward Norton is even better as the teenager who has been accused of the crime, caught running caught the scene, covered in blood. Norton was so good in this, his first feature film role, that he got an Academy Award nomination. The movie has a brilliant cast including Laura Linney, a former girlfriend of Vail’s who is the prosecuting attorney, John Mahoney as the hard-nosed DA, and Frances McDormand as the psychologist hired to profile Arron and Alfre Woodard as the presiding judge.  The plot has a number of great twists which makes this film enjoyable court genre film to watch.   My Rating: Full Price   Primal Fear Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Finest Hours:  Photo Double For “Tiny”

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Witch  (2015) R   Audiences at Sundance and Toronto were raving about this horror film about a family in the 1630s torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic, and possession.  We don’t get enough good horror movies.   The Witch Website

Until Next Time!

Hot Pursuit

My View:  Hot Pursuit  (2015)  PG-13   A by-the-book cop (Reese Witherspoon) and a widow of a drug kingpin (Sofia Vergara) are on the run as they race through Texas trying to avoid mobsters and crooked cops.  Let me say that this film is guaranteed a spot on my Bottom Ten Films list for 2015. I kept thinking, why would Reese Witherspoon, hot off an Oscar nomination, make this crappy film?  The movie is full of bad jokes with a script full of loopholes. Vergara’s acting is horrible, and Witherspoon’s isn’t much better. It’s sad when even the outtakes (shown during the credits) are unfunny.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Hot Pursuit Facebook Page

My View:  Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)  PG-13  In Victorian England, a beautiful, headstrong, independent woman named, Bathsheba (Carey Mulligan), is courted by three suitors.  Carey Mulligan is exceptional as the self-sufficient woman who holds her own. There are some superb scenes between Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts, who plays the sheepherder who falls in love with Bathsheba. The film is beautifully shot, showing off the glorious English countryside. The problem with the film is the story, itself. It has this strong woman who falls for a guy because of his looks alone, which makes her seem very shallow.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Far From the Madding Crowd Website

My View:  The D Train (2015)  R  The head of the high school reunion party, Dan (Jack Black), is worried that no one will come. So he decides to travel to Los Angeles to track down the most popular guy, Oliver (James Marsden).  Dan knows if Oliver attends, everyone else will too.  Be careful what you wish for!  There is a huge twist in this film and, while I didn’t mind the twist, itself, I hated everything that happened after the twist. I rarely laughed at the jokes, and I thought the plot was downright stupid. Black and Marsden do work well together on screen, but the film wastes the talents of the supporting cast of Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor. The ending of the film is just awful and insults the audience. There will be some critics who will love this film, but I am not one of them.  My Rating: Cable   The D Train Website

Indiefest:  5 Flights Up  (2015)  PG-13  Alex (Morgan Freeman) and his wife, Ruth (Diane Keaton) have been living in the same apartment for forty years. They decide to move to a more convenient neighborhood, but is it worth giving up the place where they have made so many good memories?  The film follows the couple for a few days as they try to sell their home and buy a new one. Keaton and Freeman have a nice rapport, but the film has few dramatic moments and feels very slow moving. I did like Carrie Preston and Cynthia Nixon as two real estate brokers. Both are very funny in their roles. This isn’t a bad film, but you just want it to be more with the cast it has.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   http://www.focusfeatures.com/5_flights_up       

Indiefest:  Noble  (2014)  PG-13  A woman, Christine Noble (Deirdre O'Kane),  overcomes her harsh childhood to help orphans in Vietnam.  Noble is a moving, heartfelt true story, and O’Kane shines as Christine as an adult. She is insanely likable in the role and works well with the children in the film. This is a film that celebrates a woman who refused to be told she couldn't succeed. Instead, she kept moving forward and spread her love to the children of Vietnam, making a real difference in their lives. You will come away from this film inspired and hopeful, a rare feat these days.   My Rating:  Full Price   Noble Website  

Indiefest:  The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2013)  R  After traveling the world and experiencing the most unbelievable things, Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson) finds himself stuck in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday, he climbs out his window and starts a new adventure.  This film is supposed to be a comedy, but the humor falls flat, and I have misgivings about a film that mixes violent death with comedic elements.  The film jumps back and forth between when Allan was a young man and present day, which never lets the film pick up steam.  The film is a poor man’s version of Forest Gump without the humor or the heart as Allan interacts with a number of famous people in flashbacks from the past. The film has an interesting premise but never delivers its potential.   My Rating: Cable   The 100-Year Old Man Website

Indiefest: Maggie (2015)  PG-13   A zombie outbreak has hit the U.S. hard, and society is hanging on by a thread. Humans bitten by a zombie do not turn right away, but take weeks, sometimes months before they become fully controlled by the virus. Maggie (Abigail Breslin) has become infected, and her father (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has brought her home so she can be with her family before she turns. Breslin is dazzling as the headstrong girl who wishes she had treasured her family before all this happened. As good as Breslin is, it's Schwarzenegger who makes this movie so moving and heartfelt. In an incredibly restrained portrayal, Arnold gives possibly his best performance of his life. He is brilliant in the role of the father that holds out hope that his daughter will survive. I loved everything about this film, and especially it's touching finale.    My Rating: Full Price    Maggie Website

Forgotten Film:  Cactus Flower  (1969)  A dentist (Walter Matthau) pretends to be married to avoid a long term commitment. He falls for his girlfriend (Goldie Hawn) and proposes.  The only problem is that his girlfriend thinks he is still married. So he needs a wife to divorce…enter in his long-time nurse (Ingrid Bergman).  This film is so much better than the remake (Just Go With It) that starred Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Goldie Hawn, in an Oscar-winning role, is brilliant as the loveable, slightly goofy girlfriend. Matthau is outstanding as the playboy dentist, and Ingrid Bergman shows a real talent for comedy (I wish she had done more).  Cactus Flower is an excellent film that still holds up 45 years later.   My Rating: Full Price   Cactus Flower Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hot Pursuit:  Dialect Coach: Pre-production

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Tomorrowland (2015)  PG   George Clooney and Britt Robertson in Sci-Fi film? Yes, please.   http://movies.disney.com/tomorrowland/

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Until Next Time!