Obsession

My View: Obsession  (2025)   R  In Obsession, Bear (Michael Johnston), a record store employee, has a longtime crush on his childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette), who has no interest in Bear as anything more than a friend. Bear impulsively buys a supernatural toy, and on it, wishes for Nikki to fall in love with him. Sometimes wishes come true, and we are sorry that they do. Obsession is the best horror film we have seen this year, with an incredible storyline and a groundbreaking performance by Inde Navarrette that has to be seen to be believed. Based on the old phrase “You get what you wish for”, Obsession tells the story of a man who is in love with a fellow worker, but she sees him only as a good friend, the kind that you call to complain about your life or a bad boyfriend. Bear is given a chance to tell Nikki how he feels, but he blows it, saying nothing. Instead, he takes an item he bought at a crystal store, a strange stick called One Wish Willow, that promises that it will make your wish come true. So Bear makes a wish, and at the start, it's everything he ever wanted, until it isn’t. This is an incredibly wild, scary, and violent film that, as soon as the wish is granted, becomes increasingly creepy, then goes beyond creepy to horrific, as Bear’s life becomes a curse he can’t get rid of. Inde Navarrette is jaw-droppingly great as Nikki, the young woman who, through a wish, becomes totally devoted to Bear. Unfortunately, things go bad almost from the start, and I don’t want to ruin this film, but let’s just say things go from lovey-dovey to crazy in the matter of just a few hours. What is interesting in this film is that the hero of the story isn’t Bear. In fact, the longer the story goes, the more you come to hate him and feel for Nikki. Obsession is full of surprises that are both funny and shocking. This is one of those films that, when something happens, you go, “What did I just see?” Obsession is a hard-hitting horror film, full of incredibly scary situations that carry a ton of complex feelings, making you talk about this film for a long time. Remember, many a tale has been told about asking for a wish that has consequences. So maybe don’t throw that coin in the fountain or make a wish on a wishbone. We see in this film how that can turn out, and it’s not good.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Obsession Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  In the Grey  (2026) R In the Grey is about a covert team of elite operatives who live in the shadows. This team, led by Sophia (Eiza González), is called in when mistakes are made and you need insurance. A ruthless despot has stolen a billion dollars, and the team is sent in to do the impossible: recover the money. This is a film that wants to be cool like Ocean’s Eleven, but takes too long for the action to happen to keep you interested. It’s a lot of setup for the last third that delivers a few thrills but no surprises. Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill have some cool little exchanges, but Gonzalez is left to do the heavy lifting of the plot, and it just gets a little too complicated to keep up with. Carlos Bardem doesn’t do a lot as the bad guy, but chews a lot of scenery, and Fisher Stevens plays his lawyer, whom I kept waiting to die; he was so inept. I thought there would be more to the plot, but it’s here: the villain, we trick him into revealing everything, and we get out of dodge. There’s a bit more to the plot than that, but the other problem is that the film goes into so much detail on all the escape routes that we know what is going to happen, even when the bad guys throw a few wrenches into the chase. Given the cast, I expected more and got a film that could have easily been called In The Jet Black instead.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  In the Grey Website   Now playing in theaters 

My View:  Marty, Life is Short  (2026)  Marty, Life is Sort is a documentary about legendary funnyman Martin Short, who has blazed a hilarious path across television, film, and theater. If you are a fan of Martin Short, you will love this film that gives us an inside look at the hilarious man who has had a lengthy career without ever really being a star. If you aren’t a fan, you will be by the end because not only is Marty a very funny, quick-witted man, but he is a wonderful person, a loving husband who had a perfect marriage and a family that adores him. We get to know Marty, from his childhood to his early performing days to his films (some of which weren’t hits), to his stage work and his work on TV. The film is filled with home movies, some of which contain some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, because everyone wants to be around Marty. As his great friend Steve Martin says, “You're going to host a dinner party, and you invite Marty. And then it turns out Marty can’t come. You cancel the party.” Well, you don’t have to cancel the party with this film because Marty is in it, an energizer bunny that doesn’t stop making us laugh.  My Rating: Full Price  Marty Life is Short Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform

Indiefest:  Is God Is  (2026)  R  Is God Is follows twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Ana (Mallori Johnson), who were badly disfigured by burn scars when they were children. When they learn their long-lost mother is alive but bedridden, they visit her. On her deathbed, she gives them a final, urgent task: avenge her by killing their abusive father, the man responsible for burning them all. When I first watched this film, I had a hard time with the tonal shift it makes about halfway through, from comedy to revenge film. It’s an abrupt change that hits you over the head with violence, very different from the first half of the film, which is filled with absurdist comedy. However, thinking more about this film, I realize that is the point. We take two characters, who have had a rough life but are full of life, and then are given a quest that they feel they are chosen and maybe even destined to complete, and they won’t let anyone or anything get in their way to complete the job that they were entrusted to do. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are brilliant as the twin sisters who can communicate without speaking aloud. What makes this film work is that the two characters are vastly different in their approach to life and to the job they have been given, but both are driven to keep going, even when things get rough. These are passionate characters who feel everything that they experience and are willing to be fiery, menacing, and do the dirty work. It’s a film that will make you laugh, maybe shed a tear or two, and shock you with certain events you will not see coming. The sisters will mesmerize you and will root for them to win in the end.  My Rating: Full Price  Is God Is Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Steal This Story, Please!  (2025)  Steal This Story, Please! is a documentary on the life and career of investigative journalist/activist Amy Goodman, whose award-winning work continues on the news program Democracy Now!. This film is a joy to watch because Amy is such a dynamic personality who believes in democracy and in the press's ability to show us what works and what doesn’t. Amy has been doing this for a long time, and we get to see her in the early years and then, up close and in detail, the work she does for Democracy Now! There is an amazing and funny section where, at a conference, she doggedly follows a Trump administration official for over 3 minutes as he tries to dodge her and her questions, until he finally finds a place to hide behind a locked door. The film shows us how hard Amy has worked to get the story and how many times she has faced danger without backing down. Amy never loses sight of the fact that the most important part of democracy is the people it helps and protects, all the while she tirelessly fights the good fight to show just how easy it is to let it slip through our fingers. Amy is someone to celebrate and support as she fights for everyone. My Rating: Full Price  Steal This Story, Please! Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  The Wizard of the Kremlin  (2025)  R  In The Wizard of the Kremlin, a young Russian TV producer, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), becomes an unlikely advisor to the new President, Vladimir Putin (Jude Law). Between the two of them, they will create a persona that has ambitions beyond anyone’s dreams. A film that drags every time Jude Law isn’t on the screen, this is an overly long film that follows the ascension of Vadim Baranov, from college student to TV producer to the man who guided Putin to the presidency and took Russia from a democracy to a country run by one man with a plan to make Russia great again. The film is dull and lifeless, with a sleepwalking performance by Paul Dano. The film is somewhat saved by Jude Law as Putin, who perfectly depicts a man whose lust for power and information merge to control a nation. Law creates tension on the screen, seemingly just by breathing, as Putin is a cobra always ready to strike his enemies or anyone who doesn’t believe in his values. The Wizard of the Kremlin is a film that just keeps going, making it feel as if it is much longer than its 2-hour and 15-minute runtime. The problem is Dano, who is on-screen the whole time and seems to be slowly reading his dialogue while about to fall asleep. We don’t care about Baranov from the start and only care about what Putin is going to do next. Too bad, the film is about the wrong man.   My Rating: Cable   The Wizard of the Kremlin Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Blue Heron  (2025)  An immigrant family of six moves into a home on Vancouver Island. There are two young boys, a young girl, and a much older teen. As the family moves in, the two young boys are boisterous and playing together. The young girl, Sasha (Elul Guven), is curious about where everyone will have their bedrooms, but the tall teen boy, Jeremy (Edit Beddoes), is aloof and doesn’t interact with the others. Our first clue that something is wrong with the family's dynamics is when the Mom (Iringó Réti) and the children are going off to explore the island, while the dad stays behind and works on his computer. The rest of the family is waiting in the car, and Jeremy is bouncing a ball against the outside wall (Dad (Ádám Tompa) can hear it where he is working). Jeremy ignores the mom's pleas to join them, keeping the ball bouncing on the wall until the last minute, when the car starts to pull away, and he joins the family. This is our first sign that Jeremy does not fit in with the rest of the family, and we are now on alert that he could be trouble. This is a brilliant look at a family that tries to do everything they can to help Jeremy, but the social system has continually failed them, and his constant getting into trouble is disrupting the family to its core. The family is being held hostage by Jeremy, but he never helps the situation or seems to know how badly he is affecting the family. There is a constant building of tension, and you keep waiting for something horrible to happen. I will not ruin the film, but there is a point in Blue Heron at which it becomes something completely different, setting it apart from other troubled teen films. It’s a scintillating shift that takes you completely out of what you have established as real in the first half of the film. It allows us to see through the eyes of one of the other children how Jeremy’s actions affected them. Blue Heron is a mesmerizing piece of cinema from filmmaker Sophy Romvari that has to be seen to be believed. This is an extraordinary film that forces you to experience the storyline in a way that is both vast and incredibly moving.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Blue Heron Website  Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film:  The Accountant (2001)  An amazing bit of filmmaking, worthy of its Short Narrative Academy Award in 2002. Star/writer/director Ray McKinnon is brilliant as an accountant who is brought in to save a family ranch. The PBR-drinking man isn’t afraid to guide the farmer into setting his farm on fire, killing his livestock, and even more. And this accountant is on a mission to save one farm at a time from the government and corporations. This film is funny from start to finish with incredible performances by McKinnon, Walter Goggins and Eddie King. I wish all short films were this creative and funny.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Accountant Info  The film is available for rent on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Wizard of the Kremlin:  Company Sparks

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Supergirl (2026)  PG-13 Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) aka Supergirl, is a jaded young woman whose only friend is Krypton, known as Superdog. She was sent to Earth by her parents to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Supergirl is about to go on an adventure that will test everything she believes in and she is out for vengeance when her loved ones are threatened. James Gunn, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of DC Studios, has decided that Supergirl will be grittier than Superman.  Supergirl Website In theaters on Friday, June 26, 2026

Until Next Time!

Nightbitch

My View:  Nightbitch  (2024) R  Nightbitch is about a woman (Amy Adams) who has paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but it’s not what she wanted in life. Soon, she feels different, and her life begins changing. She starts to transform into a dog. Does she actually become a dog or is it just her imagination? Do the local dogs worship her? I have no clue. Nightbitch is a film that needed to go further into the bizarre. Sure, there are a lot of strange scenes where she goes out into the yard and digs like a dog or goes for runs in the middle of the night, but the film never pushes the boundaries that it needs to. Amy Adams gives a stellar performance but is let down by a script that sometimes seems too conventional. How often have we seen a main character go off on someone who is being stupid, and then we realize that it’s only in her mind, with the character retreating without saying what she is really thinking? The film has a lot of say about motherhood and how society in America makes mothers almost second-class citizens with limited maternity leave and childcare that makes it too expensive for women to do part-time jobs until their kids are in school. All that is great, and the film hits us over the head with those thoughts. Unfortunately, Nightbitch leaves a lot to explore. It should have been a little weirder and more out there. It’s kind of like the scraps left in a dog bowl. It's tasty, but not enough to make a meal or a movie.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Nightbitch Website   Now playing in theaters.

My View:  Flow  (2024)  PG   In Flow, when a cat’s home is devastated by a great flood, it goes on an adventure to find a new home. Along the way, the cat must team up with other species to find this new world. One of those species is a dog. The best way to describe Flow is Homeward Bound in an alternate universe, where the cat and its friends don’t know where they are going; they just know that they have to do this together in order to survive. While this is Latvia’s nomination for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category of the 97th Academy Awards, there aren’t any spoken words in the film, only animal sounds (all recorded with real animals). You will fall in love with the plucky cat, who is living a good life in an abandoned house with a ton of green space for the cat to explore and find food. Other than having to hide from a pack of local dogs, things are good until a flood that makes it impossible to stay turns the cat’s world upside down. The cat (we never know if it is male or female) finds a boat to climb aboard, and wouldn’t you know it, a dog is also on the boat. The adventure then starts from there, as we follow the cat and the boat, finding more friends along the way to join on in the journey. Flow is a magical film with animation that must be seen in a theater to appreciate its beauty. As we root for the cat to survive, your heart will beat a little faster at some of the troubles the cat gets into, and a few tears will be shed along the way. Flow is a film not to be missed, and though it is animated, I’m not sure small kids will be as interested as the teens and adults as the adventures go on with our cat and its rag-tag friends. I was stunned by how quickly this film moved and was sad that it ended. I wanted more with the cat. And I’m not a cat person. There is a small bonus scene at the end of all the credits. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Flow Website   Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Queer (2024) R Queer is about William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat living in Mexico City in the 1950s, struggling to survive on part-time jobs and the GI Bill. Along comes Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a former soldier, and William starts to believe that having an intimate connection with someone might be possible. If you have read any of William S. Burroughs’ work, you know he can be a little (ok, a lot) trippy. I loved the first two-thirds of this film, with a performance by Daniel Craig that might be his best ever. Craig plays William Lee, a man who is happy being a barfly who picks up a man from time to time but stays a loner for the most part. In fact, he seems to revel in going from bar to bar, conversing with his friends, and then going home to sleep until it’s time to do it again the next day. Into his life comes Eugene, a man who becomes Williams’s obsession. I loved Craig, portraying a man who, at the film’s beginning, is sure of himself, then falls head over heels in love with Eugene, even before they sleep together. William is a flawed man, but Eugene sees something in William, which allows him to hang around and occasionally sleep with William. Then comes the part that I didn’t enjoy when William and Eugene go off to South America to find a mysterious plant that might have the ability to allow you to do telepathy. This is where Burroughs’ work turns weird (the film is based on a novella he wrote in the 80s), and I felt the film gets too far off the tracks to ever recover. Still, Queer is a film to be seen to show us that Craig is an outstanding actor who I hope keeps making interesting choices like William Lee.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Y2K (2024) R    Y2K takes place on New Year’s Eve in 1999 when everyone is told that because of Y2K, the world might end. Two best friends, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), go to a party to have fun. Little did they know that when the clock strikes midnight, the party is over. Y2K is a film that might have made a funny 10-minute short to show at the midnight screenings at a film festival. The problem is that the material can’t sustain an hour-and-a-half film. Heck, it can’t even make it to the half-hour mark. Since Y2K was twenty-five years ago, who is your audience for this film? The couple of times that I laughed while watching this film was because I lived through this time of dial-up modems and downloading pictures that took what seemed like days. SNL alum Kyle Mooney co-wrote and directed the film, and Y2K feels like it was a leftover idea from a pitch he did five years ago. The film wants to be a teen horror comedy film, but the deaths are creative enough to be funny, and the plot gets old way too fast to sustain any interest in any of the characters. If you remember video stores and Billy Blanks, you might find a funny joke or two, but that’s about it. Frankly, I don’t want to be reminded of my AOL days with that saying, “You’ve Got Mail.” Not anymore.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Y2K Website  The review will be up Friday night. 

Familyfaire:  That Christmas  (2024)  PG  That Christmas is about the small town of Wellington-on-Sea when a snowstorm for the ages threatens to shut the town down, altering everyone’s plans, including Santa’s. This is a fun family movie based on the children’s books by Richard Curtis, who wrote the screenplay for the mainstay Christmas movie Love Actually. The film is greatly helped by the voice cast, including Brian Cox as Santa, Bill Nighy as Lighthouse Bill, and Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams. Kids will love this film, which is full of action, where the town's children are the ones who save Christmas and a life or two. The film touches on many subjects, from loneliness to young love and how parents underestimate their children on how much they understand, especially when it deals with families in trouble. I loved that Santa not only delivers gifts, but he also knows when a town needs some special help and guidance. That Christmas is a fun and enjoyable addition to the animated Christmas fare that gives us a warm ending to take into the season.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  That Christmas Website  Now playing on Netflix. 

My View:  The Order  (2024)  R  The Order takes place in 1983 when a series of bank robberies and car heists were frightening communities in the Pacific Northwest. Law enforcement was baffled, not knowing who or why the robberies were being committed. One man, an FBI agent (Jude Law) in Idaho, began putting the pieces together and was out to prove he was right. The Order is a taut thriller that, while based on actual events that happened in the 80s, could easily be set in 2024. Jude Law plays an FBI agent, Terry Husk, who drinks too much, is an outsider to life in Idaho and has a past that keeps haunting him. He does make one friend, a local police officer, Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), who wants to help Terry in investigating a local White Supremacist group that may be involved in some local bombings and bank heists. Terry, with the help of Jamie, discovers that a splinter group may have started up under the direction of Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), who has shown his dissatisfaction with the leader of the White Supremacist group. The Order is an intense film where the stakes keep getting higher as Bob convinces more of his followers that now is the time to strike against the government. Things get serious when the violence and bank heists escalate, and Terry is convinced that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The film is buoyed by an incredible performance by Nicholas Hoult, who has the charisma and charm to make Bob a character that we can believe would make men (and women) follow him down a rabbit hole they won’t return from. It’s a film filled with fantastic performances, including Marc Maron as a radio DJ who plays an integral part in raising the stakes in the fight. The Order is a film about good versus evil and how evil can hide in the weeds before striking, often with only a few brave people to oppose it.   My Rating: Full Price  The Order Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  Wilde (1997) R  The story of Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry), who was a playwright, a poet, and a genius. He was in a straight relationship with his wife (Jennifer Ehle) and was the toast of the town because of his wit and his plays. Then, he met Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law), who wanted to be famous and seduced Wilde. Wilde's world then crumbled as he accepted his homosexuality, but the law and the public didn't. Stephen Fry is brilliant as the witty and tormented Wilde, who just wanted to live his life, having fallen for a man who didn’t really care about him. The supporting cast is a dream with Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Wilkinson, Ioan Gruffudd, and Gemma Jones. Jude Law is perfect casting for the man who brings Wilde down. In my opinion, Stephen Fry should have been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. My Rating: Full Price  Wilde Info   Available on streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Nightbitch: Decorator Gang Boss

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim  (2024) PG-13  The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of the legendary King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. The King and his family must defend their kingdom against an army of Dunledings led by the clever and ruthless Wulf. Peter Jackson, who made The Lord of the Rings film series, produced this animated film. The film takes place 180 years before The Lord of the Rings.   The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Website  In theaters on Friday, December 13, 2024. 

Until Next Time!

The Rhythm Section

My View: The Rhythm Section (2020) R   Stephanie (Blake Lively) will go at any length to seek revenge against those who orchestrated a plane crash that killed her family. I enjoy films about bad ass women that can fight and hold their own against all the odds. One of my favorites in this genre is the Luc Besson 1990 film La Femme Nikita, where a drug addict is kidnapped and is turned into an assassin. Like Nikita, Stephanie, reeling from the death of her family, has become an addict/prostitute who is trained by an ex-MI-6 agent (Jude Law) so that she can wipe out the terrorists responsible for the plane crash. The problem is Stephanie is no Nikita; she sucks at being an assassin, and it gets old very quickly watching Stephanie blunder her way through her attempts to kill people. Why Blake Lively, who I think if given that right part, can be outstanding, along with top-notch actors like Law, Sterling K. Brown would ever take on this project is beyond me. The stops and starts so many times that it seemed much longer than its hour and forty-nine minute run time. The Rhythm Section is meant to be the start of a film series, but I have great doubts that another film will ever be made for us to see Lively as Stephanie gets her butt thoroughly kicked again.   My Rating: Cable    The Rhythm Section Website

My View: Gretel & Hansel (2020) PG-13   A young girl, Gretel (Sophia Lillis), leads her little brother, Hansel (Sam Leakey), into the woods in search of food and shelter. They come across a woman named Holda (Alice Krige) who claims that she wants to help the children, but Gretel senses that there is something evil about the woman. This is a movie that once you have seen it (and I hope you never do), you will go ‘what the heck was that and what happened?”. So, there is a witch, and I guess that she wants to train Gretel to be her replacement (?), while all the while wanting to eat Hansel (I think). The film never delivers any scary moments, and there is a lot of sitting around a table while the witch lectures Gretel on how to be a woman/witch. To say that I hated this film would be an understatement as I had flashbacks to the awful European horror films from the 60s and 70s that I saw as a kid.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again     Gretel & Hansel Website

My View: 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films (2020) The live-action and animated shorts that are nominated for the 2020 Academy Awards.     2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films Website

   

        Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films: There are five films nominated: A Sister (Belgium), Brotherhood (Tunisia/Canada), Nefta Football Club (France), Saria (USA), and The Neighbors’ Window (USA). The two that stood out for me were A Sister, a taut, suspenseful film about a 911 operator that gets a mysterious call and The Neighbors’ Window, an exciting take on mild voyeurism about a happily married couple with two kids and one on the way, who have a young couple move into the apartment across the street that do not have any blinds on their windows. Both films have nice twists that make the movies a smart and clever watch.   My Rating (for all five films): Full Price

       Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films: There are five films nominated: Daughter (Czechia), Hair Love (USA), Kitbull (USA), Memorable (France), and Sister (USA). Note: There are four other excellent animated shorts that fill out the Animated program. I love that three of the films nominated are stop-motion and one, Kitbull, was hand-drawn. The two that stood out for me were Hair Love, a lovely tale about a father trying his best to style his daughter’s seemingly unmanageable hair and Kitbull from Pixar, about a friendship that develops between a homeless kitten and a poor, mistread pitbull.   My Rating (for all five films): I Would Pay to See it Again

Forgotten Film: The Great Mouse Detective (1986) G   Basil (voiced by Barrie Ingham) is a detective in the vein of Sherlock Holmes, and he is on the case of a kidnapping of a toy-maker by Basil’s arch-enemy, the evil Professor Ratigan (voiced by Vincent Price). I love the character Sherlock Holmes, and this film is a treat for fans of the master detective. The animation is beautifully done, back when animation was hand-drawn, and the plot is fun to watch as we see Basil solve a crime that just might even save the Crown. Sadly, this film has long been lost in the vaults of Disney, as it is worth watching if to hear Vincent Price create one of the great villains in the annals of animation.   My Rating: Full Price     The Great Mouse Detective Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Rhythm Section: Storeman

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Times of Bill Cunningham (2018) Documentary on the legendary NYTimes photographer Bill Cunningham who took some of the most iconic pictures in newspaper history and kept shooting pictures until he died at age 87.     The Times of Bill Cunningham Info

Until Next Time!

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

My View:  King Arthur: Legend of the Sword  (2017)  A young Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) runs with his crew on the back streets of Londinium, unaware of his royal lineage. He then draws the sword Excalibur from the stone. With the sword and a mage (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey), he is ready to take on the tyrant Vortigern (Jude Law) – the man who murdered his parents and stole his crown. The director of this film, Guy Ritchie, also directed the two Sherlock Holmes films starring Robert Downey Jr. This movie feels like Sherlock Holmes goes to the Middle Ages. It has modern dialogue, fast quips and big action sequences that are done in slow motion, with the hero avoiding arrows “Matrix” style.  There is a lot of flash in this film but very little substance. I hated the performance of Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey who plays the mystical mage like she is a geek girl in high school. Hunnam does well in the action sequences, but the star of the film is Jude Law, whose scenes are fun to watch because he just goes over the top with his performance.  Overall, this retelling of the legendary tale just doesn’t work.    My Rating: Cable   King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Website

Indiefest:  Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer  (2016)  Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is a small time operator who befriends a young Israeli politician (Lior Ashkenazi) at a low point in his life.  Little did the two friends know that the young politician was bound to become the Prime Minister of Israel. This is a fascinating tale and Gere, as the well-worn small time “fixer,” is brilliant. You feel sorry for Norman almost as soon as he appears on screen due to Gere making himself almost disappear before our eyes in his frumpy suit. It’s an enjoyable tale of a man who, by accident, gets what he has always wanted and then loses it, mostly due to his past transgressions.  This isn’t a perfect film as it gets bogged down toward the end, but it’s worth seeing to experience Gere in this role.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Norman Website

My View:  Snatched  (2017)  When her boyfriend dumps her before their exotic vacation, Emily (Amy Schumer) talks her ultra-cautious mother (Goldie Hawn) into taking the vacation with her. They will go on a trip of a lifetime if it doesn’t kill them.  I was surprised by how much I laughed during this film because I hated the trailer, but the film is saved due to the great chemistry between Schumer and Hawn. Amy Schumer threatened to leave the project if Goldie Hawn wasn’t hired as her mother in the film, and thank goodness the studio listened. Hawn perfectly plays off of the sarcastic alcohol-fueled Schumer. Christopher Meloni is hilarious as an American adventurer who vows to help the women get back to the U.S. There is a scene in this film with Meloni that I thought a fellow film critic was going to die because he was laughing so hard. There are a few dumb gags, and the film does justice to its R rating, but overall this is a funny movie.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Snatched Website

Indiefest:  Citizen Jane: Battle for the City  (2016)  A documentary about the writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs, who fought to save historic buildings in New York City in the 1960’s. This is an intriguing film about the little guy being able to take on and win against big government. The film moves at a brisk pace and never becomes dull, using extensive archival footage to show what was happening in the battle to shape a city. Jacobs was an accomplished strategist who studied the streets of New York City and its people. The film does an excellent job of giving us both sides of the story; a battle between a very smart woman and a government who thought it could solve its urban problems with bigger and newer buildings. After seeing this film, you will come away with a feeling of respect for old neighborhoods in big cities and you might be inspired to fight for them.  My Rating:  Full Price   Citizen Jane Website

Forgotten Film: Smashed (2012)   (I reviewed this film back in 2012, but after talking to some friends, I realized that not many people have seen this film.)  Married couple Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul), whose love is built on their drinking habits, are tested when Kate decides to get sober. This is one of those films that is very hard to watch, just because the characters go through so much pain. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is outstanding as Kate, who lies at the drop of a hat to cover up her drinking but realizes, after waking up too many times in strange places, that she must change her life. Aaron Paul doesn’t do a bad performance as her husband, but this is Winstead’s movie, and she runs with it. You sincerely hope that she can get her life together, but you also know that it’s going to take some significant changes and sacrifices, including, probably, the sacrifice of her marriage.    My Rating: Full Price   Smashed Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Snatched:  Textile Breakdown Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   The Mummy (2017)  Universal Studios is attempting to redo their lineup of classic monster movies, and this film looks like it could work. A stellar cast, including Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, could go a long way to making this film special.   The Mummy Website

Until Next Time!

Finding Dory

Family Faire:  Finding Dory  (2016)   PG  It’s been six months since the gangs last adventure, and suddenly Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) remembers stuff from her childhood. She remembers something about “the Jewel of Morro Bay. Dory takes off on an another adventure with Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) in tow, this time, to find her family. While not as perfect as Finding Nemo was, it’s still a beautiful, funny and touching film that has an incredibly meaningful message about overcoming disabilities by having faith in yourself and your ability to persevere. Both kids and adults are going to fall in love with this film, and the 3-D animation is worth the extra bucks. There is a whole host of new characters in this movie with Ed O’Neil as a crusty octopus being the standout. This film has lots of heart, and you just might find yourself seeing it more than once. There is a small bonus scene after all the credits, and I really enjoyed the short film, Piper, about a baby bird learning to eat on his own that played before the feature film.   My Rating: Full Price    Finding Dory Website

Indiefest:  Genius  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Max Perkins (Colin Firth), who worked for the famous publishing house Scribner, oversaw  some of the greats writers of all time, including Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West)  and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce.) Now a new author is on the scene, Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), and Max is going to be challenged like never before. I enjoyed this film about the close and sometimes contentious relationship between brilliant writer and his equally brilliant editor. It’s a unique partnership, and Firth and Law are up to the task. Law portrays Wolfe as a man who is so full of life that he can’t contain himself, Firth portrays Max as an almost the exact opposite, a man who is fully in control of himself and his surroundings, his only quirk is that he rarely takes off his hat. Both men are brilliant in the roles. Law chews up scenery like it’s his passion and that ok for this part, as Wolfe was a larger than life personality that commanded and demanded attention. Firth is perfect as the restrained Max, who only wants his writers to produce their best work and is willing to give it his all to see that they do. My only quibble with this film is the part that Nicole Kidman plays. She portrays the lover and benefactor of Wolfe, and it seems that her part is there only to move to plot along at times or to show what the future of Max’s relationship with Wolfe will be, but that’s a minor aspect of the film. What this movie does the best is show us the incredible talent that Thomas Wolfe had, letting his words just flow on the screen. If you love books and reading, this is a film that you will want to explore. My Rating:  Full Price   Genius Website

Indiefest:  De Palma  (2016)  R  This is a documentary about the writer and director, Brian De Palma, who directed some of the greatest films of the Twentieth century including Carrie and The Untouchables.  I have never been a big fan of Brian De Palma’s movies, though I do like The Untouchables and Sisters is one of my Forgotten Films, but I enjoyed this documentary and found it fascinating as De Palma goes through his entire career. He is extremely frank and probably hurts quite a few filmmakers and especially, some actors feelings. De Palma has always been accused of ripping off the work of Alfred Hitchcock and in this film he basically says, “yeah, so what?” The film goes back and explores this concept throughout his career, and we do see how much he was influenced by Hitchcock, especially what many consider his masterpiece, Vertigo. I have much more respect for De Palma and his craft because he never sold out to Hollywood but always stayed true to his work. Even if you aren’t a movie buff, you will thoroughly enjoy this documentary about a fascinating man who loved his work.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   De Palma Website

Forgotten Film:  The Last American Hero  (1973)  PG  Junior (Jeff Bridges) is a bootlegger who works alongside his brother (Gary Busey)  for their father (Art Lund).  When Junior’s dad is arrested, Junior decides to go on the racing circuit to make some money. There are some thrilling races in this film and Bridges gives a sizzling performance as the brash Junior.  The supporting cast works well in this movie, especially Valerie Perrine, who plays a girl that’s never met a stock car driver she did like.  It’s a fun story that works because of the winning performances of the cast.  My Rating: Full Price    The Last American Hero Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Finding Dory: Music Copyist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Legend of Tarzan (2016)  PG-13  Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) is called back home to Africa when he hears of natives being treated unfairly by a mining company.  As a kid, I read every book that Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator of Tarzan) wrote, so I am looking forward to this film. Plus, the film has a killer cast including Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Djimon Hounsou, and Jim Broadbent.   Legend of Tarzan Website

Until Next Time!

A Most Violent Year

My View:  A Most Violent Year (2014)  R  The winter of 1981 was the most violent year in the history of New York City.  Under that backdrop, a businessman (Oscar Isaac) and his wife (Jessica Chastain) struggle to keep their business against all the odds. This is a gangster film about a man who isn't a gangster but is forced to do what he must do for his family and his business to survive. Isaac gives a memorable and believable performance of a man who gets pulled further and further into the seamy world of New York City. Chastain, as usual, is perfect as the woman who knows how the gangster life works and helps her husband in his quest. I didn't enjoy this movie as I was watching it but, after further thought, I have changed my mind and now think this film works on all levels.   My Rating: Full Price   A Most Violent Year Website

My View:  Black or White  (2014)  PG-13  A grieving widower (Kevin Costner) is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter in Black or White.  Costner plays Elliot, a father whose daughter died in childbirth. He and his wife were raising dead mom's daughter when his wife suddenly dies.  The father of the young girl is a drug addict.  His mother (whose mother? (Octavia Spencer) wants her granddaughter to spend more time with her side of the family and, after several incidents with Elliot, she decides to file for custody. I like Costner in this role as he gives a very nuanced performance as the grandfather who can't get over the losses of his wife and daughter. The young, talented Jillian Estell is the best part of this film, giving a winning and touching performance as the granddaughter and focus of the custody battle. I didn't like Octavia Spencer as the fiery matriarch who bullies her family to get what she wants. She just kind of missed the mark for me as I never believed her in the part. It's not a bad (better word?) film, and Costner is excellent in it, but I just never got the big emotional moment that I wanted from this type of film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Black or White Website

Indiefest:  Black Sea  (2015) R  A submarine captain (Jude Law) takes a job to find a World War II Soviet sub that may be full of gold at the bottom of the Black Sea.  I really liked this taut suspense film that is a new take on the classic submarine film. Law, in a strong performance that is fun to watch, really commands the screen as the rough and tumble sub commander who has always placed his work over his family. The film has some vibrant and fascinating underwater sequences and has very few special effects shots, making the film feel realistic and slightly claustrophobic. Besides Law, I loved Ben Mendelsohn in the role of the menacing sailor who challenges Law's command decisions at every turn. This film is enjoyable for both its performances and strong storyline.   My Rating: Full Price  Black Sea Website

Indiefest:  Two Days, One Night  (2014)  PG-13  A young Belgian mother (Marion Cotillard) has a weekend to convince her fellow workers to give up a bonus so that she can remain with the company.  This film features a brilliant performance by Cotillard, who has become one of the best actors out there. She is perfect in the role, and we root for her to succeed right from the start. It's an outstanding story that slowly builds the tension until the end of the film. Cotillard could be a dark horse to win Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards. Her portrayal is just that good.   My Rating: Full Price   Two Days, One Night Info

Indiefest:  Oscar Nominated Shorts: Live Action and Animated  (2015)     The Academy Award nominated shorts, both Live Action and Animated films for this year’s Oscars. This year's nominees are an outstanding group of films from around the world. Highlights include:  Aya, a fantastic live action film about strangers connecting on a car ride discussing their lives. The Single Life, the most fun animated film of the bunch, about a woman who discovers a record that allows her to travel through time. The Dam Keeper, a brilliant and touching animated film about a young pig in charge of a windmill that keeps pollution from reaching his town. The Phone Call, a live action short where Sally Hawkins plays a crisis center worker who receives a phone call from a man who is trying to kill himself and won't give his name or location.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See It Again   Oscar Shorts Website

Forgotten Film:  Fearless  (1993)  R  Max (Jeff Bridges) is on an airplane that has lost its hydraulics and is going to crash. He spends what he thinks will be his last moments comforting a little boy.  Against the odds, Max survives the crash and now has to deal with the after-effects.  This is an moving film, with outstanding performances by Bridges and Rosie Perez, who plays a fellow survivor who seems to be the only person who knows how Max is thinking and feeling. This film also has one of the strongest supporting casts, including Tom Hulce, John Turturro, Benicio Del Toro and Isabella Rossellini. This is a magical film that has one of the truly greatest endings.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Fearless Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Black Sea:  underwater best boy

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  What We Do in the Shadows  (2015)    I am hearing great things about this comedy.  It’s about three vampires trying to live in modern society.  I mean, how do you keep up with your appearance when you can’t look in the mirror?   What We Do In the Shadows Info

Until Next Time!