Coyote vs Acme

My View: Coyote vs. Acme  (2026)   PG  In Coyote vs. Acme, Coyote is tired of using Acme products that blow up in his face or hit him on the head when he is trying to catch the goofy Roadrunner. So he hires a lawyer and sues Acme for all the heartache they have caused over the years. He chooses Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who has never won more than 300 dollars from Acme, to take on Buddy Crane (John Cena), a big-shot lawyer who has never lost a case. When I was a kid, I loved cartoons. I lived for Saturday morning when all the new cartoons premiered, and I studied TV Guide as if I was going to have a big test on it. While I much preferred Bugs Bunny, I still enjoyed Road Runner and the Coyote. I loved the little poof that used to appear at the bottom of some failed attempt to catch the Road Runner, where the Coyote instead fell to the desert floor below the high cliffs he was always projecting himself off of. Well, I am happy to say that there are plenty of “poofs” in Coyote vs Acme, bringing back some fun times from my childhood. Will Forte does a magical job of making us care about a down-and-out lawyer whom The Coyote hires to take on the big-city lawyers representing Acme Manufacturing. It’s a funny idea, and I loved how, even when in the city and living in a hotel room, The Coyote is still putting together machines to hopefully capture the Road Runner or, at the very least, get himself out of bed. The film does a great job of paying homage to the cartoons of the past and brings back a few cartoon characters along the way. As a big fan of the legendary character voice man Mel Blanc, there were a couple of voices of characters that I didn’t think worked, but that’s a minor quibble for a film that was a heck of a lot of fun. Kids will have fun with the film and don’t worry about the PG rating, as I think it’s mostly because of the violence, something that all the Road Runner/Coyote cartoons had. After you see this film, you will have one question: Why, oh why, did Warner Brothers not want to release this film? I have no clue, but I am glad we got to see this film bring back wonderful memories of my childhood, sitting in front of the TV on a Saturday morning.  My Rating: Full Price  Coyote vs Acme Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: The Dog Stars  (2026)  R   The Dog Stars is set after a devastating pandemic that almost wiped out humanity. The film follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former pilot, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a gun-toting former Marine, as they live on an abandoned air base, constantly on watch for roaming scavengers called Reapers. After hearing a mysterious radio voice, Hig flies his plane past the “safe zone” hoping to find a better life. I enjoyed this film, mostly because of the star power of the four leads in Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, and Guy Pearce. And wait until you see the scene-stealing Allison Janney in just a bonkers role. Because the film is directed by four-time Oscar-nominated Ridley Scott (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Martian), I have a feeling many critics will not like this film as much as I did. The film has some problems, including a very weird section that feels out of place with the rest of the movie (hence the bonkers role that Janney plays). The film is about a man who is suffering from grief over the loss of his wife and his simple life. All that’s left is his faithful dog, who is his constant companion. Hig flies out every day to scout the surrounding area for danger, as survivors keep trying to raid the small airport that Hig and Bangley have made their home. But Hig really flies to find a place where things are more normal. Where people live without the constant threat of attack. Hig hears someone on his airplane radio trying to contact him, and he starts to believe there might be hope out there. The film has some firefights, but it is more about how people cope with isolation, grief, and loneliness through Hig's eyes. Josh Brolin steals every scene he is in, and I kept wondering if this part was too easy a role for him, because it certainly fit his personality. If you are looking for an action film, this might not fill your quota of action pieces, but for a film that lets its actors work together on screen to develop characters you care about, it fits the bill. The Dog Stars is no way a perfect film and won’t be nominated for many awards, but I enjoyed watching the cast's performances, especially Mr. Brolin. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Dog Stars Website   Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Idiots  (2026)  R  Idiots follows two down-on-their-luck men (Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr.) hired to transport a wealthy teenager (Mason Thames) to a rehab facility. What should have been a routine job goes wildly out of control as the road trip becomes a mixture of drugs, crime, and a series of detours that put the two men in touch with some people you don’t want to make mad. Idiots is a film you'll forget as soon as you leave the theater. And maybe that’s the way it should be about a film where everyone seems to get high. Idiots starts with a simple, promising premise but soon loses momentum it never recovers from. The script lets down a talented cast, including a very funny performance by Peter Dinklage as a menacing leader of a small-town gang. The film starts to fall apart in the second half, as things get a little too complicated for extended laughs. I also felt the film slowed down as soon as Kiernan Shipka, an exotic dancer who gets involved with the trio and brings some life to the 2nd act, left the guys before the last act evolved. I will say that the audience that I saw the film with at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival throughly enjoyed the film but I don't know if they, like the guys in the film, imbided in anything before the screening.  Idiots isn’t a bad film; it just seems to have run out of ideas by the final third of the film. Kind of like Franco’s character, who keeps forgetting what he is doing. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Idiots Website    Now playing in theaters

My View: Colony  (2026)  R   Colony is about a biotech conference in a Seoul high-rise, where a disgruntled former employee unleashes a fast-mutating, fungus-driven virus that creates zombies that are part of a hive that can adapt and communicate, allowing them to grow like an AI network. Inside the quarantined building, survivors become trapped in a high-stakes slaughterhouse. Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho gave us one of the greatest zombie films ever to grace the silver screen with Train to Busan ten years ago (be sure to check out my review of that film here.) He decided to revisit the genre, but this time the stakes are higher: the zombies can learn and adapt, making them even better hunters and killers. Like Train to Busan, a group of people from different walks of life suddenly must band together to survive what seems like an impossible task: surviving a zombie attack in an enclosed 30-story building, with little hope of rescue. The difference between this film and Train is that this time we know and see who is solely responsible for the attack. Instead of a faceless corporation, this time it is a mad scientist who is pissed off at that faceless corporation and wants to show how smart and great he is. The zombie attacks are brilliantly done and scary as all get out, as they keep adapting to whatever tactics our survivors come up with. I loved all the different ways the zombies adapt and evolve, with coordinated attacks where all the actors playing the zombies had to mimic each other in a gruesome zombie dance. Sorry Michael Jackson, but you have been topped in the zombie move department. This is a fascinating film to watch, with a truly evil mad scientist and a motley group of heroes who are just trying to survive any way they can. While this film doesn't surpass Train to Busan, Colony is still a fun and incredibly scary rollercoaster ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering how our heroes will survive and who will be left in the end.  My Rating: Full Price  Colony Website   Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Buddy  (2026)  R  In Buddy, a group of children are trapped inside a 1990s-style children’s television show hosted by Buddy, a giant, bright-orange unicorn. Buddy doesn’t like it when they try to escape. Really doesn’t like it. Buddy is a very strange horror film that I wanted to like more, but it never delivers the scares and tries too hard to be gross. The look of the film at the start is spot on for that ‘Barney” knockoff look, with a mix of characters, from the giant stuffed animals like Buddy, to the talking household objects like a mailbox or a chair, to the human characters like a nurse or mailman. All are destined to die horrible deaths, but the film doesn’t make them scary or funny enough to make them stand out. Once the film leaves the kid-show setting, it loses whatever momentum it had. The novelty wears off about 30 minutes in, and it never strikes a chord between comedy and horror, making it a lesson not learned. As Buddy tells us, “It’s time for your hug”. No thanks, Buddy, I think I’ll pass. My Rating: Cable   Buddy Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Finding Emily  (2026)  PG-13  Finding Emily follows 23-year-old Owen (Spike Fearn), a sound engineer at a student union who meets the girl of his dreams, Emily, and, before she disappears, gets her phone number. But the next morning, he discovers the number doesn’t work, and he sets out to find his Emily. Owen is about to go on a quest to find Emily, and with the help of another college student named Emily (Angourie Rice), he is about to become famous in his search for his Emily. What we know, and Owen doesn’t, is that the new Emily has an ulterior motive. To prove that love, as the movie quotes Freud, “is a state of temporary psychosis,” she is going to use Owen to prove her thesis. I am a sucker for rom-coms, and this hit the spot. Is it predictable? Sure. However, it does a nice job of making it a modern-day romance where all forms of our online culture both help and impede finding our true love, or at least our true infatuation. Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice are perfect together as the unlikely duo that teams up to find the forewarned Owen’s Emily. The two play off each other, which makes their attraction feel real and believable. The supporting cast, in true rom-com fashion, is a group of oddball characters, along with the hunky guy who our Emily is attracted to. We know how this is going to end, and it doesn’t disappoint, though I would have loved a bit more to the reveal that our Emily does (spoiler alert, though is it really?) to win Owen back. Be sure to stay through the credits for a song Owen sings that updates where all (and I mean all) the characters are now.  My Rating: Full Price  Finding Emily Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Union County (2026)  Union County tells the story of Cody Parsons (Will Poulter), whom the county placed in a mandated drug court program during the opioid crisis in rural Ohio. The film follows Cody as he tries to put his life back together after years of being a drug addict. Cody’s foster brother, Jack (Noah Centineo), is also in the program, and the court hopes the two will support each other. Almost from the start, though, you can tell that Jack will be a bad influence, taking Cody to a party almost immediately after getting into the program. Jack drinks at the party, but Cody has a ray of hope when he meets Anna (Elise Kibler), a recovering addict, and they connect. This is a film where you cannot predict what will happen, except that the road to recovery is full of potholes. It’s how you deal with those potholes that can make the difference between failure and success. Will Poulter gives a multi-layered performance that touches your heart and soul, expressing almost every feeling through his expressions and body language. This is a film about how difficult it is to pull yourself up from the depths of drug addiction. Union County is both depressing and hopeful at the same time. Made even more real because New York-based filmmaker Adam Meeks, before he even knew he wanted to do this story, went to a meeting of an adult recovery program in Union County, Ohio. That meeting inspired the film, and over 40 of the cast are members or former members of the program, making this film even more heartfelt as we hear their stories. Union County uses real people and their views on life and addiction to help us understand their plight and how a program like this can make a difference. That use of lived experience, combined with Cody's fictional story, makes a lasting emotional impact.  My Rating: Full Price  Union County Website  Now playing in select theaters 

My View:  The Whisper Man  (2026)  R  The Whisper Man follows Tom (Adam Scott), a widowed crime writer, and his young son (Acston Luca Porto) as they move to a small, quiet town. After the boy is abducted, Tom turns to his estranged father, Pete (Robert De Niro), a retired police detective, for help. They soon discover a connection between the abduction and a decades-old case involving the serial killer known as The Whisper Man. This is another in a long line of films where the book the film is based on is probably much better than what we are watching. Even with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Hamish Linklater, and Michael Keaton, the film feels very one-dimensional and by the numbers. We have a widow and his kid moving to a new city where the late wife grew up, with the dad hoping that this will help the kid get over the loss of his mother, who died in front of his eyes. We have a retired cop who is tortured by a case where one kid taken by a serial killer was never found. And we have a detective who is on the case of a copycat killer mimicking the serial killer’s MO from years ago. It's a film that makes you think, “Hey, haven’t I seen this before?” De Niro is about the only thing that saves this film from being a total slog, as the father of the widower who hasn’t had contact with his son in years and now pulled back in to help with the case because of the copycat killer. It’s the type of film where actors are in parts that seem to involve little more than talking and looking over clues. The almost two-hour time length feels even longer because the film drags until the final third, when we discover who the new serial killer is (and it’s not a shock). Keaton is wasted as the original serial killer whom they keep meeting in prison, so that we see how creepy he is (not so much). The ending is unsatisfactory and predictable, much like the rest of the film.  My Rating: Cable  The Whisper Man Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform 

Forgotten Film: The Dead Girl  (2006) R  A woman (Toni Collette) finds a young woman dead in a field. The mystery of who killed the woman is told through five connected chapters, focusing on a different woman whose life changes after the body is found. The final chapter gives us the victim’s (Brittany Murphy) last day. The brilliant cast includes Rose Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Beth Hurt, Kerry Washington, James Franco, Giovanni Ribisi, Josh Brolin, Mary Steenburgen, and Piper Laurie. It’s a fascinating way to look at a mystery, and as usual, Brittany Murphy’s performance will break your heart; it’s so good. Few people saw this film, but it was nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards. My Rating: Full Price The Dead Girl Website   Available on Amazon Prime and Tubi

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Dog Stars:  Double Dog Handler

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:   Onslaught  (2026)  R   Onslaught follows Celeste (Adria Arjona), an army veteran and single mother living in a trailer park. Celeste will have to use her sniper training when a rogue squad of genetically engineered soldiers escapes from a secret military facility and starts killing everyone in sight. Adria Arjona is best known for her roles in the 2015 season of True Detective, Hit Man (2023), and Andor.   Onslaught Website   In theaters nationwide on Friday, September 4, 2026

Until Next Time!

Jurassic World: Rebirth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Alien: Romulus

My View:  Alien: Romulus  (2024)  R  In Alien: Romulus, a group of young space colonizers travel to a derelict space station named Romulus to make some quick money stealing equipment. Little do they know they are about to come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. I am a huge fan of the first two films of the series, with the first scaring the crap out of me at a midnight showing that I saw while I was a college student. Since then, I haven’t been much of a fan. Alien: Romulus does something that was lacking in those editions: fear. This is a fun thrill ride with plenty of scares, filled with tension as a clock is set for us and the team of young space raiders as they try to get out of a situation that goes from bad to worse. The film takes place between the first and second films, with a group of young people going to raid a ship without any idea what they are getting into. And that’s one of the cool things. As an audience, we know what they are walking into right when we see what's inside the ship they are raiding. The film centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her android sidekick Andy (David Jonsson), who has a few problems. Rain sees Andy as a brother rather than an android. That relationship is the key to the film, making the stakes higher as terror comes at them from every direction. The film excels in creating its own horror and providing us with a few Easter eggs from the past. There is a glaring weakness in the plot that I won’t go into (which is very apparent when you see it) that brings the film down a bit, but it’s not something that takes away from the overall experience. So get ready and remember: no one can hear you scream in space. But they can hear you scream in a theater.  My Rating: Full Price  Alien: Romulus Website    Now playing in theatres, including IMAX theaters.

My View:  Jackpot!  (2024)  R  Jackpot! takes place in 2030, as a Grand Lottery has been established in California with a giant payout. The only catch is that if you kill the winner (no guns allowed) before sundown, you can claim their prize. Katie (Awkwafina), an out-of-work actress, realizes that she is suddenly the winner and everyone is out to kill her. Her only hope of survival is amateur jackpot protector Noel (John Cena), but can Katie trust him? From the ton of footage accompanying the end credits, I am guessing that much of the film’s dialogue was improvised. While there are some funny scenes, the film feels as if an action film and a comedy film got together to make a movie, but only after each other had filmed their scenes separately. The film wastes the talents of Cena and Awkwafina, who try to right the ship many times, only to put in another action sequence that doesn’t work. I think the film could have done a better job if it had been darker and less slap-sticky. Jackpot! never finds a comic tone and pace to settle on, making it one long adventure to follow Katie around while people try to kill her. There is a bonus scene at the end of all the credits, if you make it that far.   My Rating: Cable  Jackpot! Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime. 

Indiefest: My Penguin Friend  (2024)  PG  My Penguin Friend is the story of a penguin rescued from an oil spill by a heartbroken fisherman, Joao (Jean Reno). Their friendship is so strong that 5,000 miles cannot separate them. Who doesn’t love penguins with their waddle and tuxedo look? Along comes a film about an unusual friendship between a penguin and a fisherman. Saved from near death, Joao, an old fisherman, against the odds, nurses the penguin back to health and is rewarded with a friend who follows him around like a puppy. But everything must come to an end, and one day, the penguin, now named Din Dim, goes back to the ocean and travels back to his breeding grounds, 5,000 miles away. However, what's 5,000 miles between friends? When it's time, Din Dim returns to Joao, and both his friend and the rest of the village are amazed. My Penguin Friend is a charming film that depicts the healing power of friendship and the benefits of showing kindness. Kids will fall in love with the little guy, and parents won’t mind the storyline (though it tries a little too hard to create some problems for the penguin to overcome). Hey, everyone needs a penguin best friend.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  My Penguin Friend Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  Close to You  (2023)  R  In Close to You, Sam (Elliot Page), a trans man, is coming back to his hometown for the first time in years. He will try to reconnect with his family, maybe reunite with his first love, and discover if the world can change or will things remain the same. Close to You, Elliot Page’s first film post-transition, is obviously a way for Elliot to express to the world some of his feelings about his life now and how people see him. The film’s strengths are the performances, especially Page and Hillary Baack, who plays Sam’s old high school best friend, Katharine. Their scenes together are some of the best parts in the film, as Katharine slowly and unsteadily deals with not only Sam’s new life but also the realization that they were each other’s first loves. As the film progresses, their encounters, which become longer, are about two people discovering what they had. We see them feel each other out, figuring out a connection they had forgotten. The film's execution is uneven, with some scenes (with most of the dialogue improvised) feeling choppy and not fully formed, often resulting in an abrupt conclusion to the scene. The film's momentum is lost in the scenes with the whole family because there are too many cooks at the fire. Still, Close to You hits a lot of right notes, and in the end, we feel that we have been on a journey in which Sam has learned a bit more about himself and how to find the happiness that his childhood never gave him.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Close to You Website   Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  The Union  (2024)  PG-13  In The Union, it has been twenty years since Mike (Mark Wahlberg), an ordinary construction worker, has seen his high school ex-girlfriend Roxanne (Halle Berry). Out of the blue, Roxanne returns to Mike’s life, and the girl he has always loved is back in his life. One problem: Roxanne is a member of The Union, a top-secret government agency that does the dirty work that the CIA doesn’t want to do, and she needs Mike’s help on a mission. Anything for love. Right, Mike? So let me get this straight: a highly trained secret organization that does the stuff that the CIA doesn’t want to do picks a guy like Mike, with absolutely no training, because he was once the boyfriend of one of your top operatives and is a good guy? That right there should tell you how bad the plot of The Union is. Boasting a cast that includes two Oscar-winning actors in Halle Berry and J. K. Simmons, three Oscar nominees in Mark Wahlberg, Jackie Earle Haley, and Lorraine Bracco, and two-time Prime-time Emmy winner Dana Delany, how could a film be this bad? By the way, what bet did Dana Delany lose to be cast in such a throwaway role as Mike's old schoolteacher, who he is sleeping with? Truthfully, I was so bored with the plot that I lost track of who had the list of operatives everyone wanted. It’s in a backpack, no, a briefcase, no, a phone, no wait, it’s back in a briefcase. The sequence where they try to train Mike in all that he needs to know how to be a spy is incredibly badly done, but hey, so is the rest of the film. The end of The Union is so abrupt and badly executed that it makes that training sequence look Oscar-worthy. By the way, there is more chemistry between Dana Delany, as the former teacher, and Mark than there is between Wahlberg and Berry. And guess what? Netflix wants to make two more of these films. That’s the reason they give that Mark and Roxanne never kiss in the film. They want us to leave wanting more. I just want to leave.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again. The Union Website  Now playing on Netflix.

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see in theatres but have seen recently):  Snack Shack  (2024)  R  Snack Shack takes place in the summer of 1991, when two best friends, A.J. (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel Labelle), get the chance to run the swimming pool snack shack. In walks a new neighbor, Brooke (Mika Abdalla), who A.J. falls for at first sight. The small town pool and the two best friends will never be the same. It took me a bit to get into this film, as we are bombarded by the make-money schemes that A.J. and Moose are throwing out fast and furious at the beginning. Those scenes include betting at an off-track site across the highway from a zoo field trip from which they have escaped from without the school knowing. Once the idea of taking over a snack shack at a local community pool becomes their money maker (and it is), the film settles down to a fun and enjoyable coming-of-age film with a cast that hits all the right notes. Conor Sherry is just the right portion of geeky awkwardness with a bit of sexiness that you can see why Brooke instantly flirts with him. Mika Abdalla is the find of the movie as she steals every scene that she is in with great charisma and just the right amount of worldliness that her character exudes. Snack Shack is a fun film with some heart and hits a few tender moments as well. Just be warned, the guys smoke, drink (they brew their own beer), and constantly throw out a lot of profanity (sometimes spelled out in ketchup on the hot dogs they sell). So grab some sunscreen and jump in the pool. You’ll need a drink from the Snack Shack to cool down, and the guys will be ready to sell you one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Snack Shack Website  Available for rent on most streaming services.

Forgotten Film:  We Were Soldiers  (2002)  R  The film tells the story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War in 1965. Newly arrived in Vietnam, Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) takes command of a battalion that is given the task of finding a group of North Vietnamese troops that attacked an army base. The army is unaware that the 400 men under Moore will soon be trapped by an army of 2,000 North Vietnamese. The film follows Moore and his men as they have to shift their objective from finding the enemy to defending a portion of the ground. The movie provides us with insight into the North Vietnamese, as we learn how the commander plans his attacks. We go back to the States to check on the well-being of the wives while their husbands are engaged in a war that America will soon hate. The outstanding cast includes Sam Elliot, Greg Kinnear, Chris Klein, Barry Pepper, Madeleine Stowe, Keri Russell, and Do’n Duro’ng. The film got lost at the box office, overshadowed by Black Hawk Down, but is an action film with some heart.  My Rating: Full Price  We Were Soldiers Info   The film is available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Alien: Romulus:  Offspring Application Team

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Transformers One (2024)  PG  The origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, who, when they were young, were friends who bonded like brothers. Little did they know the two would change the fate of Cybertron forever. I’m not a huge Transformers fan, but I do know that this film is based on a blend of the original toys, the first games, and the early cartoons. The voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburne.  Tranformers One Website The film is in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 20, 2024. 

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!

Candyman

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

My View:  Candyman  (2021)  R   The supernatural killer Daniel Robitaille, aka the Candyman, used to terrorize the residents of the Cabrini Green neighborhood. It’s been ten years since the Cabrini towers have been torn down, and Candyman has been forgotten. Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an artist whose career is on the downswing, and looking for inspiration, he unknowingly opens the door to the Candyman, and Anthony’s sanity begins to unravel as a terrifying wave of violence is unleashed. I was excited when I heard that Jordan Peele, who won an Oscar for Get Out (2017), was writing the screenplay for this film. I liked the original 1992 film that starred Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd, thinking it was a creative work on the horror/slasher film. I just wish this film has more of that horror in it and less of trying to make too many points on gentrification and how urban planning has always hurt the low-incoming households. I did love the stick-figure animation that gave us clues to the past of the Candyman, and be sure to stay through all the credits as the animation gives you a history lesson on all the people throughout history that the characters in the film talk about. This Candyman never was scary enough for me; in fact, the scary scenes in the film aren’t due to the ‘’Candyman’ but to the police force, that beat or shot first and asked questions later. And maybe, that is the point of this film, that no matter how scary someone or something like the ‘Candyman’ is, it’s not anywhere close to being as frightening as living in that urban dwelling.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Candyman Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:   Flag Day   (2021) R   When growing up, Jennifer (Dylan Penn) looked up to her father, John (Sean Penn), a man that seems larger than life to her. John taught his daughter about love, joy, and how to make life feel like a grand adventure. However, John had a secret; he was one of the most notorious counterfeiters in American history and always on the run. Now Jennifer must confront her father’s past and reconcile the bond between a daughter and her father. This film felt a bit like a vanity project for Sean Penn, as he lets the film wander all over the place, creating a lot of pretty scenes which looked great in the theatre (but slow down the pace of the film), as his daughter thinks back and idolizes what it was like growing up in her father’s (played by Sean) large shadow. The film is worth watching for the performance of Dylan Penn, who gives a moving and powerful look at a daughter who, until she became an adult, never knew the true nature of her father. At times, Dylan looks incredibly like her mother, Robin Wright, and has that same screen presence that you must follow her, no matter who else is on the screen, ever her real-life dad. Flag Day is based on a true story, one that the realize Jennifer wrote into an acclaimed book, and like a lot of movies based on books, I am betting the story is better told on paper than on the screen.      My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Flag Day Website  Now playing in select theatres.

My View:  Vacation Friends (2021)  R   Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji), while on vacation, meet a couple (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) who are wild and thrill-seekers. Marcus and Emily decide to let loose and have a blast with their new ‘vacation friends.’ Months later, Marcus and Emily are back at home and about to get married when guess who shows up uninvited at their wedding? It seems that what happens on vacation doesn’t always stay on vacation. Look, I like John Cena and Lil Rel Howery. They can be funny with the right material, but this isn’t it. If you think watching two guys walk around a animated forest for two minutes while laughing, high on mushrooms is funny, then this is the movie for you. We have seen this all before. Stuck up couple meets outrageous couple and by the end of the movie, they are best friends and all their lives have been changed for the better. I actually kind of enjoyed the Cena/Hagner couple, as they weren’t as annoying as this type of storyline usually makes that couple out to be, but the Marcus character is so unlikable and the material never lets Lil Rel have fun with the part. The plot is predictable, the laughs are few and far between, making this film feel much longer than its hour and forty-five minute run time. I will say this for everyone that has never been to Atlanta. The film is right, there are Waffle House's on almost every corner.  My Rating: Cable    Vacation Friends Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

My View:   He’s All That   (2021)   Padgett (Addison Rae) is a famous influencer who has just suffered a breakup with a boyfriend that went viral, a boyfriend that she made a star. She decides she can do it again and accepts the challenge of taking loner Cameron (Tanner Buchanan), considered her high school’s biggest loser, and give him the ultimate makeover. Oh, where to start? How about the fact that Addison Rae is not a very good actress (she is mainly known as a Tik Tok personality). You would think she could carry off the role of an influencer, but she can’t. The storyline is a reverse of the 1992 film She’s All That, which starred Freddie Prinze Jr. and Racheal Leigh Cook. Fans of that film (hey, it wasn’t a great film but worth a watch on a Saturday afternoon with a likable cast and some good lines) are going to be disappointed with this update. I lost count on the product placements in the film, though maybe the best line in the whole film is ‘Hey can I have some of that Pizza Hut pizza?’ The loner kid, Cameron, doesn’t seem to be much of a loser, just someone that doesn't try to get along with most of the high school crowd and looks pretty good in the long hair and plaid shirts. The plot is predictable, the dialogue isn’t creative, and the acting is wooden at best. Skip this version and rent the '92 film, or better yet, something else using the Pygmalion formula, like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady or Sabrina.     My Rating: Cable    He's All That Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:   Together     (2021)  R   A couple(James McAvoy, Sharon Horgan) are only together because of their child. Now because of COVID, they are stuck in lockdown and must re-evaluate their relationship and themselves. This is a fun movie to watch, as the two characters, who at times hate each other, are forced to live together while in lockdown. The film takes place over a year, with the characters either talking to us, the audience directly, or to each other. The young son is rarely in the picture, though he seems always to be listening off on the stairs, kind of looking down at his parents as they fight or discuss what is happening to themselves and the world around them. We get to see just how personal the pandemic got as the couple discuss their lives, both in the past and in the present. At times this is a funny film, and at other times, as you would expect, it is painful and sometimes incredibly sad. Still, Together is a wonder to watch brilliant actors in McAvoy and Horgan banter off each other, making us believe in their hate and love for each other.   My Rating: Full Price    Together Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed     (2021)    The untold story of painter Bob Ross, the host of longtime TV series The Joy of Painting, who brought us an appreciation for nature with his kind and gentle demeanor. Beyond the soothing voice, the hair and the nostalgia for his series is a mystery that many have yet discovered. Almost everyone knows who Bob Ross is; that afro-headed guy who talks softly and paints landscapes really fast, but to a lot of us in the 80s and 90s, he was a staple of weekend television on your local PBS station. He always seems like a happy guy, painting his ‘happy little trees,’ but there was also something kind of strange about him that you just couldn’t put your finger on. Well, this documentary gives you all the details of his life and what happened to his painting empire after he died. The filmmakers were hampered by the fact that over a dozen of Bob's closest friends and co-workers did not want to be interviewed for the film (which becomes very evident why as the film goes along), but it does a brilliant job of giving us insight into the man who loved to paint his favorite subject, nature. I don’t want to give too much of the film away because there is some juicy stuff in it, as the filmmakers do interview Bob’s son, his first wife, and several close friends and co-workers to fill out the missing pieces of a man that we knew almost nothing about, other than he loved his ‘happy little trees.’    My Rating: Full Price   Bob Ross: Happy Accidents Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:   Summer Days, Summer Nights   (2018) It's the summer of 1982, and life is good on Long Island. JJ (Pico Alexander) is working for his dad (Edward Burns) at the Beach Club when he falls for Debbie (Lindsey Morgan), while Frankie (Anthony Ramos) reconnects with the girl who got away (Caitlin Stasey). Summer is coming to a close, and will those relationships last or just be a summer fling. The film is a loving look at the summer romance films of the 70s and 80s (without the T&A that those films almost always had). The film is helped by the fact that not all the cast is of high school years; a bunch are in their 20s, including an impressive performance between the two long lost lovers (Ramos and Stasey) who broke up right after high school and now after seven years have rekindled their romance. Summer Days, Summer Nights is a fun, lighthearted film with some great music that captures a time in a youth’s life where the summer seemed like it would never end and romance was always in the air.    My Rating: Full Price    Summer Days, Summer Nights Website  Now available for rent online. 

Forgotten Film: Untamed Heart   (1993)   PG-13   A waitress, Caroline (Marisa Tomei), works at a diner and never notices the shy busboy, Adam (Christian Slater), who never talks. One night, on her way home, she is attacked, and the busboy comes to her rescue. This sparks the relationship (he has been secretly in love with Caroline all this time), but the busboy is hiding a secret, one that could mean disaster for the newly found lovers. Untamed Heart is your typical 90s romance, except that the cast is outstanding. Tomei is a delight to watch on the screen, and Slater is, as always, good as the brooding, silent guy with a secret. The film is also helped by a terrific performance by Rosie Perez, as Tomei’s sidekick, constantly smoking, best friend.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Untamed Heart Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Candyman: Stitcher 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Spider-Man: No Way Home   (2021)    Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has been unmasked, and now everyone knows who he is, making it hard to separate his private life from being a superhero. He turns to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell that everyone will forget who he is, only that spell has lasting consequences, including bringing back an old enemy. I am always up for a Spider-Man movie, and this one promises to be a good one with it setting up some of the next few Marvel Universe films.      Spider-Man: No Way Home Info

Until Next Time!