You, Me & Tuscany

My View: You, Me & Tuscany  (2026)  PG-13  You, Me & Tuscany follows Anna (Halle Bailey), who finds out that a Tuscan villa is empty all the time, goes to Italy, and is mistaken for the owner’s fiancé, Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). Anna is about to become tangled in a mess of lies, romance, and a whole lot of trouble. You, Me & Tuscany is a cross between While You Were Sleeping and any Hallmark movie you have seen that doesn’t involve a small American town. Halle Bailey is very cute, and her love interest, Regé-Jean Page, playing Matteo’s brother (sort of), Michael, is very handsome and has a British accent. Like the explanation for why Matteo has a British accent, the rest of the film is built on very flimsy plotlines that ask you not to think about them too much. Now, you get a lot of the Tuscany scenery, but the film was disappointing in its kitchen sequences, where I expected to be dazzled by Anna (who had to quit culinary school when her mother got sick), but got very little flair, and, like the rest of the film, a questionable outcome. I think the other problem was that Page and Bailey didn’t radiate the chemistry we needed to root for them. In fact, there was more chemistry between Anna and her taxi driver/confidant than there was between the two love interests. There are a couple of blooper takes during the credits, where two actresses with minor roles in the film keep yelling out one quip after another. That’s about as much fun as I had through the entire film.  My Rating: Cable  You, Me & Tuscany Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Outcome  (2026)  R  Outcome is about Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), a major Hollywood star, who is about to make his comeback after disappearing for a few years due to “personal problems”, i.e., a drug habit. His life is upended when a mysterious, potentially career-ending video is threatening to be released. To identify the blackmailer, Reef sets out to make amends with everyone he has wronged. It’s a big list. Co-written and directed by Jonah Hill, this is a comedy? Or maybe it’s a satire? I don’t have any idea. All I know is that it is rarely funny, seems much longer than its brief one hour and twenty-three minutes run time, and has an incredibly miscast, notable nice guy in real life, Keanu Reeves, as a Hollywood pretentious asshole who has pissed off everyone throughout his career as the biggest star in Tinseltown. It took me about 30 minutes in to recognize Jonah Hill as Reef’s egomaniacal lawyer, whom Reef always uses to get him out of trouble. Hill’s character spends too much time on camera, mostly because almost everything he says or does isn’t funny. Reeves isn’t asked to do much in the role. In fact, he does a lot of listening to people tell his character what a jerk he was, then asking for forgiveness, or, with his friends, yelling at them for moral support. The supporting cast is huge, with lots of cameos, the best being Marty Scorsese, who plays Reef’s first manager, discovering Reef when he was just a kid. It’s a fun part as Scorsese plays a man whose office is in a personalized booth at a bowling alley. I wish the rest of the cast had put as much heart into their performances as Scorsese did. Even the blackmail video is a letdown, and the film's resolution is as unfulfilling as the rest of the film.  My Rating: Cable  Outcome Info  Now playing on Apple TV+

Indiefest:  Exit 8  (2025)  PG-13  Exit 8 is about a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) who is having a horrible day when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station with an endless maze of hallways. The “Lost Man” will have to solve the puzzle and identify subtle anomalies if he is ever to escape. I understand that this film is based on a video game, but unlike the Mario Brothers film, it doesn’t feel like one. The film has a few horror elements, but for the most part, it builds tension with every hallway turn our hero takes. The “Lost Man” gets stuck in a maze of subway halls that continue in a loop. If the man doesn’t turn back when he sees an anomaly, the exit count goes back down to 0. This is a problem because you are looking for exit 8. This mystery to solve is fascinating and at times frustrating, because just when you think you have figured out how our hero can solve the maze, something new is thrown in his path. This is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing where it’s going. For anyone who has gotten lost in a mall or a parking garage, this is a movie full of nightmares that keep playing over and over with no end in sight. At least not Exit 8.   My Rating: Full Price Exit 8 Website Now playing in select theaters 

Indiefest:  Hamlet  (2025)  Hamlet is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet but set in contemporary London. Haunted by his father’s ghost, Prince Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) leaves elite London society and descends into the city’s underground, seeking to avenge his father’s murder. If you are someone who loves Shakespeare and can quote multiple plays, then this film isn’t for you. This is like reading an abridged novel, where only the highlights show up, and a lot is left on the editor’s desk. We get all the big scenes, but they are all in a modern setting, with the most unusual being the famous ‘To sleep: perchance to dream' speech given while Hamlet is speeding down a highway in a sports car contemplating suicide. For newcomers to Shakespeare, especially in this day of iPhones and YouTube, this is a perfect way to enjoy Hamlet without having to figure out too much of the dialogue. The film is carried by a brilliant, fiery performance by Riz Ahmed, who puts the film on his back and, through his charisma, makes this very stylized film work. The second half of this film is where the movie takes off, and the dance sequence when the King realizes Hamlet knows he was behind Hamlet’s father’s death is a magical moment in the production. This is not your parents’ or grandparents’ play, but a film that is gritty, bloody, violent, and heartbreaking, as Hamlet grapples with grief and his journey into madness and revenge.  My Rating: Full Price  Hamlet Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: Faces of Death  (2026)  R In Faces of Death, a content moderator, Margot (Barbie Ferreira), is tasked with removing violent content on a website. She discovers a group reenacting murders from the original Faces of Death film. She must determine if the acts are real or staged. Back in the 70s, when every town had a drive-in and Hollywood figured out that there was an audience for cheaply made films that promised a lot of shocking scenes, a very small film called Faces of Death came out, which claimed that it was so shocking, it had been banned in over 40 countries. While yes, some scenes had actual deaths, most involving animals or scenes where it was hard to see exactly what was going on, much of the film was staged, and the deaths were not real. The film was a hit, made a ton of money when VHS tapes hit the scene, and became a staple of many a high school and college overnight party experience. Margot discovers that someone is sending videos to the web content company (think YouTube) that recreates the scenes from the 70s film. The filmmaker uses mannequins to carry out the killing, but Margot is convinced that the person being attacked is really being killed. She breaks her company protocol and finds out who is doing the killing. Little does she know that by doing the sleuthing, she alerts the killer, and the cat-and-mouse chase in on. What makes this film interesting is that Margot has a history of being on YouTube with a horrific accident. So horrible that people recognize her in stores. While not a true horror film, it is horrifying to see how the internet has made us numb to the horrors of the world and how commerce has found a way to profit from showing us those horrors. Faces of Death, for fans of this genre, gives us a lot to think about while also shocking us with a few horrific deaths by a slasher who brings to life what was once fake, and a hero who is flawed but wants to make a difference and is willing to die trying.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Faces of Death Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Beast  (2026)  R  Beast is about MMA legend Patton James (Daniel MacPherson), who is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in trouble. Patton reunites with his old coach, Sammy (Russell Crowe), as he commits to fighting the brutal champion Xavier Grau (Bren Foster). This is a run-of-the-mill Rocky-like film (it even has the wife telling Patton to fight after not wanting him to) that is pretty bland and tells a tale that's been told many times before. Fans of Russell Crowe will be disappointed as, even as the co-writer of the script, his part is purely off to the side and doesn’t even show up for the final fight (his character lets his daughter do the training). The fight sequences are well done, but the film has almost no surprises, and Daniel MacPherson struggles when he has to show any emotion other than yelling his grief. And Sammy and Patton have the stupidest mantra that they chant to fire him up. I kept wondering what the heck they were talking about and why they were getting so excited. The final fight is predictable, and you can see the sequence of events coming from a mile away. MMA fans might get some enjoyment out of this film, but for the rest of us, it’s a bit of a slog to get through.  My Rating: Cable  Beast Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: Thrash  (2026) R  Thrash is about a group of people trapped in a coastal town during a Category 5 hurricane. Not only has the town been cut off from any rescue attempts, but the storm surge is bringing more frightening than rising water and crashing waves: hungry sharks. We all know that Sharknado is stupid fun. Thrash is just stupid. Filled with characters you don’t care about, not even to root for the sharks to eat them, and some terrible special effects, you have a movie that just isn’t fun to watch. Instead of being on the edge of my seat, working if the pregnant woman (why are you in this Phoebe Dynevor?) is going to save her just-born baby with a stick, I was thinking how horrible it must have been to be an actor on this film where you were wet and swimming while dodging furniture. There is one glorious Sharknado moment in the film, and unfortunately, it’s near the end of the movie. I just don’t think you want to sit around watching actors play “The Floor is Lava,” jumping on floating breakfast tables while waiting for a shark to show up.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Trash Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: Cannonball!  (1976) This is a perfect example of a 70s drive-in movie. A group of car nuts get in a bunch of exotic cars and go on a race across the country, from L.A. to New York, as cars crash, people get hurt, and cars crash again, all really crashing, sometimes bursting into flames. This was another legendary filmmaker, Roger Corman’s doing, taking the same format and some of the same actors, including David Carradine, from the highly successful Death Race 2000, and this time set in present-day. What makes this film different and worth watching is that not only does the director, Paul Bartel, co-star, but it also features six other directors, including Joe Dante, Roger Corman, and Martin Scorsese. Even Sly Stallone appears uncreated in the film. While not even close to Death Race 2000 or the Ron Howard-starring Eat My Dust, and shouldn't be lumped in with the big budget Hollywood Cannonball Run movies, Cannonball! is a great example of the 70s drive-in movie staple people would go and see on a Saturday night, when not making out or going to the snack bar.  My Rating: Cable  Cannonball! Info  The film is available on Amazon and a few other streaming services

Weird Credits:  From the credits of You, Me & Tuscany:  Crowd Marshall Rome

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: #Skyking  (2026)  #Skyking is a documentary about Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell, a troubled 28-year-old ground service agent with no pilot experience, who made an impulsive decision to hijack and pilot a commercial plane, shocking a nation. I remember thinking when I first saw this on the news, how did this happen? Now, we just might find out.  #Skyking Info   Premiering on the Hulu platform on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Final Destination: Bloodlines

My View:  Final Destination: Bloodlines  (2025)   R   Final Destination: Bloodlines is about Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), a college student plagued by a recurring violent nightmare. She returns home to find the only person who knows how dangerous the nightmare is and what it means. Final Destination movies are always interesting, as the deaths pile up like logs on the back of a truck, only to be spilled across the highway, mauling us along with the on-screen victims. The film's villain is death, so it's hard to root against him or her. Instead, you want the deaths to be creative and, at times, funny because people are going to die inevitably. It’s been since the summer of 2011 that a Final Destination opus has been in theaters, and now we finally have FD: Bloodlines. If you like the series or like just bat-crap crazy deaths, then this latest installment is right up your alley (be sure to watch out for that semi that made a wrong turn and is heading right for you). Skip the blood bath if grisly deaths that kill people in extraordinary and sometimes creative ways are not your thing. I enjoyed this film, mainly because the deaths were creative and gruesome and because the storyline actually has some heart to it, as a family tries to band together to survive. Also, the opening sequence is making up for lost time, as there are so many deaths in a short amount of time that I lost count. This film gives you a few twists and turns in how the deaths occur, teasing you with items that could be the cause of death, only to use something else. Also, this is the last film of the late, great horror actor Tony Todd, who was in a slew of Final Destination films, as the only one who had cheated death, and he gets to make a swan song appearance in this film. So, don’t be late. Get your popcorn early and settle in for a death or two or a hundred. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Final Destination: Bloodlines Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View:  Hurry Up Tomorrow  (2025)  R   In Hurry Up Tomorrow, a musician (The Weeknd) suffering from a horrible bout of insomnia is on the verge of a mental breakdown. A mysterious stranger pulls him into a journey, leading to an odyssey that challenges everything that he knows about himself. Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye stars as a singer on an area-filled tour. He is going through a rough patch as his girlfriend has just broken up with him, and he is having trouble with his voice. Add to that drug and alcohol by a ton, a manager (played by Barry Keoghan) who keeps feeding him drugs to keep him going, and our singer is a mess of a man. He has a breakdown on stage and meets a young woman who we have seen setting fire to a house out in the middle of nowhere and has somehow gotten floor seats to our singer’s sold-out show. Maybe fans of The Weeknd will enjoy this film, but at my screening, most of the audience pulled out their phones about a third of the way through the film, looking for something that made more sense than the plot of this film. Trey Edward Shults, who directed and co-wrote the film, gives us a meandering tale of a person breaking apart, but we never feel bad for the person. In fact, in the first few minutes of the film, we hear a phone message that The Weeknd’s girlfriend leaves him, telling him and us that she thought he was a good person but has realized that he isn’t. And by the end of the film, we feel the same way. The film is being sold as a psychological thriller, but the thrills are never there. There are just a lot of shots of The Weeknd in closeups, shedding tears or singing emotionally as we are being asked to feel sorry for him. The story tries to become a trip into the mind of a tormented person (by what we are never clear what, bad childhood maybe?) but instead becomes one long music video that seems to never end. Look, I love Jenny Ortega as much as anyone out there, but having her sing and dance to The Weeknd’s songs for what seemed like forever was just too much to take. Instead of Hurry Up Tomorrow, I want the title to be Hurry Up One Hour and Forty-Five Minute Film.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Hurry Up Tomorrow Website     Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Deaf President Now!  (2025)  Deaf President Now! is a documentary about a student protest in 1988 at Gallaudet University, an over 100-year-old institution that was the world’s first university for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The Gallaudet students, backed by alumni, faculty, and staff, shut down the campus in protest of picking a hearing candidate to become President of the university. Deaf President Now! is one of the best documentaries of the year. I found the way they told the story captivating, allowing the three students and a dean to share their involvement as leaders of the movement. It’s a fantastic tale of a student body that was tired of being told that just because they were deaf, they had to shut up and take what the university board told them. Instead, they fought back and wouldn’t take anything other than a deaf president for their university, something that had never happened in 124 years. The story is right out of a Hollywood drama: young students fighting against the establishment. The bad guy, in this case, bad person, is the head of the board of directors, a white, 60-ish prim and proper woman who was not deaf, nor had ever even bothered to learn sign language. She is right out of central casting, the kind of person who thinks she can say a few words and everything will get back to normal because of who she is and what she stands for. In fact, I almost believe that she is a villain from a animated Disney film. Instead, the students held their ground, and there is a brilliantly put-together part of the film that has one of those moments in a movie when you cheer at the screen. I loved the students who tell the story to us, which is told with passion, insight, and, very often, humor. Deaf President Now! is a film that we need right now, where the little guy, fighting the good fight, wins and makes a difference.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Deaf President Now! Info  The film is now on Apple TV+ and was shown at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival. 

Indiefest:  Lilly  (2024)  PG-13   Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson) endured constant mistreatment from her male coworkers while working at the Goodyear factory for 19 years. As she approaches retirement, she learns that the company has been paying her almost half what men in similar jobs are receiving. While outside forces attempt to keep Lilly quiet, she continues to pursue her case all the way to the Supreme Court. I wanted to like this film, especially since the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is basically the narrator of the film, but the film is so ham-fisted put together that it becomes frustrating to the viewer. Ginsburg’s narration is from an interview she did about Lilly and the case that Lilly brought up to the Supreme Court. I kept thinking about films that told stories of women fighting the system, like Norma Rae (1980) or Silkwood (1984), but this film has no idea how to tell the story to make Lilly stand out. Patricia Clarkson's performance is wasted, and there isn't a stand-alone moment in the film to make the message of this film have an impact. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack feels like a YouTube collage, and the film’s bad guy, a politician who turns to dirty tricks to stop Lilly from continuing her fight, played by Josh McDermitt, is right out of a bad 50s Perry Mason episode. Add in the first third of the film, which tells Lilly’s years at the Goodyear plant, is shot in a weird sepia tone look that I almost went into the lobby to complain that the screen didn’t look right. Add in some strange family drama with Lilly’s son (that takes years to resolve), and the film feels flat, never giving us that moment to bask in the glow of the triumph. Lilly Ledbetter deserved more.   My Rating: Cable  Lilly Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: Summer of 69  (2025)   Abby (Sam Morelos) is a high school senior who has had a crush on Max (Matt Cornett) since they first met in elementary school. The only problem is Max has always had a girlfriend. Until now. Abby finds out that Max is newly single, and Abby sets her sights on him with the goal of having sex with him. The only problem: Abby is a virgin and knows nothing about sex and doesn’t have enough experience to make a move, much less know what the heck Max’s rumored favorite sexual position is. To help guide her to her ultimate goal, she hires a stripper named Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman) to teach her the ways of seduction and the bedroom. Summer of 69 is a fun and, at times, raunchy comedy that brings back memories of all those teen sex comedies of the 80s and 90s. While a little too long and a bit haphazard in its plot, Summer of 69 works because of the outstanding chemistry and comedic chops of Sam Morelos and Chloe Fineman. Sam Morelos is hilarious as the nerd with a side job of people watching her play games online (with a monster mask on) and who, from time to time, when things get overwhelming, goes into a fantasy mode in her mind. Chloe Fineman plays a stripper who wants to save her strip club from a mobster (played by the always-funny Charlie Day). Fineman is having a blast as the stripper who puts Abby in a boot camp for sex to get her ready for Abby to not only get Max into bed but know what to do when there. The film has some funny cameos from the likes of Nicole Byer, Alex Moffet, and Natalie Morales that keep the film moving. Summer of 69 falls apart a bit in the 2nd half, but it’s a fun romp led by two winning performances that will brighten your summer.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Summer of 69 Website Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Indiefest:  Caught by the Tides (2024)   Years ago, Qiao Qiao (Zhao Tao) was working as a successful model and dancer. Her boyfriend and her manager, Guao Bin (Li Zhubin), left her for the big city with the promise that he would bring her there after he’s settled down. After waiting for word that never came, she sets out on a journey to be reunited with him. Director Jia Zhangke combines footage from his past films with newsreel footage from over the years to tell the story. The film is in three parts, with the start of the story told with almost no dialogue as we follow the life of Qiao Qiao as she goes from job to job, interspersed with dates, sometimes miserable ones, with her boyfriend. Part two is the journey that Qiao Qiao takes to find her lost love, a travel log that ends with a very unhappy reunion for the two. The third part of the story is about the two reuniting years later; their lives have not turned out how they thought they would, and the years have taken their toll. I had a hard time following the storyline and the sometimes very surreal storytelling. What I found fascinating was how the film shows us in the past twenty years how much China has changed from a country that was trying to keep the past prevalent to the present day where China is modern and bustling. Caught by the Tides is a slow-moving film that is, at times, beautiful and, at other times, shows the ugliness of the world. It is a testament to how time moves along, even when we aren’t aware of it.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Caught by the Tides Website  I saw the film at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival. Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted  (2024)    Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is a documentary that chronicles the legendary musician Swamp Dogg and his eccentric lifestyle that he continues to lead. And by the way, his pool is being painted during the film. I was unaware of Swamp Dogg, Jerry Williams, or his initial recording name, Little Jerry Willams. He had a minor hit under the name Little Jerry when he was eighteen. This documentary is about the man, the myth, and, depending on who you talk to, the legend Williams and his alter-ego Swamp Dogg. Swamp Dogg may not be famous, but he is a lively and interesting character with lots of friends, the respect of the music world, and lots of opinions about everything. He lives in a house with two roommates, a performer named MoogStar and a legendary guitar player named Guitar Shorty. Swamp Dogg is content with who he is now and what he used to be. The film wanders a bit, especially when the focus of the film is given over to MoogStar and his trip to Evel Knievel’s grave. The film has animation, lots of music, and some strange poems (songs?) that Swamp Dogg composed. All the while, people like Johnny Knoxville, Tom Kenny, and Mike Judge drop by to have some conversations with Swamp Dogg. We see Swamp Dogg perform his magic when singers Jenny Lewis and John Prine show up to work with him. And yes, Swamp Dogg is getting his pool painted, and it's worth watching just to see how it turns out. But while you’re waiting for the paint to dry, you will have a good time getting to know Swamp Dogg as he tells us about his life, music, love for his family, and the nine cars he used to own. You won’t be bored, and you might enjoy the music. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The film played at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival. Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted Website   Now playing in select theaters.

Forgotten Film:  Bad Company  (1972)  PG   Drew (Barry Brown) is sent away from the strife of the Civil War by his parents out west, having already lost their oldest boy to the conflict. Out west, he meets a young man, Jake (Jeff Bridges), who at first cons him and then lets Drew join his band of young men on a trek through Indian country. Bad Company is a tale that takes the romanticizing of the old west and turns it inside out, as the boys, set on becoming outlaws, often become victims of what they were hoping to become. Instead of becoming a gang of feared outlaws, they turn on each other, with only Jake and Drew staying true to each other. The film was written and directed by the late Robert Benton, one of my favorite filmmakers, who, among other films, won Oscars for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984). Benton wrote, along with the legendary Bonnie and Clyde (1968), one of my favorite comedies, What’s Up, Doc? (1972). Bad Company, while a flawed film, was part of a movement in Hollywood to make films grittier and real. The film is at its best when Benton gives the cast dialogue that transcends time.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Bad Company Info  Bad Company is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hurry Up Tomorrow: Barricade Supervisor 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina  (2025) R Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) was lost and alone when she lost her father to an assassin. She is found by a man who takes her to a ballet school. However, the school is a facade, and Eve is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. The film takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). And yes, Keanu Reeves returns as our favorite kick-ass, dog-loving action hero, John Wick. Also returning is Ian McShane as Continental manager Winston, and Anjelica Huston as the ballerina assassin instructor, The Director.  Ballerina Website   The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Mufasa: The Lion King

FamilyFaire:  Mufasa: The Lion King  (2024) PG In Mufasa: The Lion King, Mufasa is a cub who is lost and alone. He meets another cub named Taka, heir to a royal bloodline. They become fast friends, and with Taka’s help and some new friends, Mufasa might survive in this savage and beautiful world. Lately, it seems Disney has given up on new ideas and is just remaking all their classic animated films with live-action ones. So, when it was announced that Barry Jenkins, Academy Award-winning filmmaker (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) would be directing, and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights) would write original songs for it, I had great hope that this would break the streak of bland musical remakes. Unfortunately, it's not even close. We have a story that no one was asking for: the origins of Simba’s dad, Mufasa, and his rival, Scar.One is how Mufasa and Scar first met, became friends, and then became enemies. The original animated 1994 movie was nominated for four Oscars, three of which were nominated for Best Song (Elton John (music), Time Rice (Lyrics), with ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ winning. Nothing in this film comes even close to any of the songs from the original film. There is one song, ‘Tell Me It’s You,” when (small spoiler alert) Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) profess their love for each other that is catchy and works in the moment. The rest of the songs are instantly forgettable, and there is one song, ‘Bye Bye,’ where the villain of the film, Krios (Mads Mikkelsen) sings about killing all his enemies, that is possibly the worst song that has ever graced the Disney movie screen (and that includes all those family musicals that Disney did on the cheap back in the 60s) with our bad guy constantly singing the words Bye Bye to his soon-to-be victims. Although there are some glimpses of what Barry Jenkins wanted to achieve with this film, he is hindered by the fact that the film has two storylines. The other storyline, which brings this whole film down to almost unwatchable, is Rafiki, with the help of Timon and Pumbaa, babysitting a young lion cub by telling him the story of Mufasa. I am guessing that Disney told Jenkins, hey, can you throw in the comic relief guys every ten minutes to keep the kids interested? It will help with our toy lineup. These interruptions to the story are grating and full of horrible jokes, most of which only a 3-year-old will find funny. While the lifelike animation is an improvement over the 2019 The Lion King remake (where every animal had faces that showed no emotion), this film would have worked much better as a traditional 2-D animated film. One of the great things about the Disney animated films of the 90s was that they had some incredibly beautiful shots, something this live-animated film is sorely missing. I guess I’m old school, but having lifelike animated animals singing just seems a little weird to me. The film feels longer than the two-hour runtime, with too many songs, too much Timon/Pumbaa, and an ending that seems very anti-climactic. By the movie’s end, I just wanted to say “Bye Bye,” and I sure wasn’t singing or humming any of the songs from this overly long and dull film.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mufasa: The Lion King Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

FamilyFaire:  Sonic the Hedgehog 3  (2024) PG Sonic the Hedgehog 3 begins with Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails facing their most powerful foe ever, Shadow. If they have any hope of defeating Shadow, they will need help from a very unexpected source, Dr. Robotnik. As a film critic, I see about two-thirds (sometimes more) of the films I review with an audience. Sometimes this helps (seeing a children’s movie with kids in the audience lets me know if they are engaged with the film). Sometimes, it hurts (audience members pulling out their iPhones and distracting my vision while a key scene is being played out on screen). With horror, comedies, and Marvel films, seeing a movie with an audience can help significantly with the experience, sharing in the screams, laughs, or cheers. When I saw this film, it was evident that the audience I saw it with were fans of the Sonic games. They cheered when Sonic or Shadow showed off their powers, and when new characters were revealed, the audience would erupt. So, from those reactions, I feel that if you are a fan of the games, you will enjoy this film. I am not a fan of the film series. I barely liked the first film, mostly because of Jim Carey going nuts on screen, and I hated Sonic 2, mainly because Jim Carey’s Dr. Robotnik took a backseat to Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in the film, taking away from the joy of the first film. Luckily, the studio figured out we wanted more Jim Carey, not less, so we get two Jim Carey roles: Dr. Robotnik (who has been watching a lot of Telenovelas) and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, who is also an evil bad guy but even more so. And then we have Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves, who is a character who is determined to get his revenge for killing a friend of his and imprisoning him for 50 years. Carey has a blast playing two evil and weird bad guys, including several dance numbers he does as both characters. Shadow is a much better villain than Knuckles was in the second film, with a backstory that helps you understand why he is so pissed off all the time. The film is fast-paced, and even better yet, there is less interaction with the weak points of all three films, the husband and wife team of Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), mostly seen at the beginning and end of the film. Of the three films, this was the one that I enjoyed throughout, and I think you will enjoy it too. And by the way, there are two bonus scenes, one in the middle of the credits that the audience went nuts over and one at the end of all the credits.Both set up the next film in the series.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Website Now playing in theaters nationwide. 

My View: The Six Triple Eight  (2024) PG-13  The Six Triple Eight takes place in 1943 during the height of WWII, when priorities changed, and a huge backlog of undelivered mail was overflowing warehouses. The 6888th Women’s Army Corps’ all-Black battalion was tasked with sorting years’ worth of mail and raising the spirits of soldiers and their families worldwide. This film is directed and co-written by Tyler Perry, a filmmaker not known for his subtle touch. The Six Triple Eight is based on a true story about an all-Black battalion that not once but twice did what others before them failed to do: finding a way to get the mail to the soldiers fighting the war and getting their letters to their loved ones back home delivered. Perry, unfortunately, makes this film about what these soldiers endured and not about the incredible accomplishment they were able to achieve against all the odds. The film constantly hits us over the head with how badly these women were treated and how they were set up for failure. It’s a constant theme throughout this film, and the repetition gets old after a while. Add in that the dialogue in this film is horrendous, with lines that felt hollow and out of place, making the film hard to watch. Their commanding officer, Major Adams (played by Kerry Washington), is constantly surprised by the racism she encounters. Every ten minutes is another scene where Capt. Adams stands up for her troops and is shot down by a racist military man. Her reaction is always of surprise and shock. The film never achieves any of the power and emotion that this story richly deserves. Instead, we get scene after scene that has little impact on the story or the great accomplishment that this battalion did. The film’s final scenes are with some of the surviving members of the battalion, who finally got recognition for their outstanding service to our country in the last few years. I wish the feeling I got from those few moments had carried over into the rest of the film. My Rating: Cable  The Six Triple Eight Website  Now playing in select theatres and on the Netflix platform. 

Forgotten Film:  The Taylor of Panama  (2001)  R  Andy Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) is a British spy for MI6 who has a habit of sleeping with women that can get him in trouble. Andy is given one last assignment to redeem himself. Go to Panama and find out if the Panama Canal is going to be sold to a foreign government. Andy needs someone who can supply him with information. He meets Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), a tailor for the rich in Panama. Andy finds out Harry has a past that could ruin his career, making a perfect patsy from which Andy can mine information from. Harry also has a beautiful wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) whom Andy can hit on. The Taylor of Panama is a film based on a novel by John Le Carre and is directed by five-time Oscar nominee John Boorman (Hope and Glory, Deliverance). It's a brilliant spy film where no one is a hero and has one of my favorite lines from a spy film: 'Welcome to Panama-Casablanca without heroes.'   My Rating: Full Price  The Taylor of Panama Info  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Sports Therapist to Mr. Carey

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Last Showgirl  (2024) R  Shelly (Pamela Anderson) has been part of a Las Vegas revue show for over 20 years. Shelly has given up everything to be a part of the show and is told that in two weeks, the show will close forever. Pamela Anderson hasn’t headlined a movie since her 1996 film Barb Wire. Anderson playing the aging showgirl that has gotten a lot of attention recently from film critics and the Golden Globes, and could possibly garner an Oscar nomination for the role. The film contains an outstanding supporting cast, including Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman, and Jamie Lee Curtis.   The Last Showgirl Website  The film is in theaters on Friday, January 10, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

John Wick: Chapter 4

My View: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) R  Your favorite butt kicker, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), is back, and he has uncovered a path to defeat The High Table. However, before he can get back to earning his freedom, there is a new enemy that Wick must defeat. An enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and has ways to make old friends into foes. Well, it isn’t very often that a sequel is better than the original. It’s almost impossible for the 4th film of a series to be better than the first one, but John Wick: Chapter 4 does it. With brilliant fight sequences and a fun and not-too-complicated plot, this film is better than the first, which was damn good. Don’t wait to see this on your home TV. See it on a big screen to let the stunts and the gunfights wash over you with abandon. I love how Reeves has perfected the invincible Wick, making him an everyman you root for. Added to the cast are some fun additions, including Shamier Anderson as a new assassin (with a dog sidekick) and the villain of the story, the man driving the plot, and the Marquis de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgard. Along the way, we still have Ian McShane and the late great Lance Reddick as your helpful hotel guides. The film is long but moves at such a quick pace that you won’t notice the length, which the final action sequence starting around 45 minutes to go until the end. There are a ton more fun and exciting characters, but I don’t want to ruin all the surprises. And yes, stick around through all the credits to see a bonus scene. So put on your Kevlar suit, load up your trusty sidearm, and join John Wick in a battle to end all battles. Or is it?   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again.  John Wick: Chapter 4 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: A Good Person (2023) R  Alison’s (Florence Pugh) life has fallen apart after being involved in a fatal accident. With the help of her mother (Molly Shannon) and her would-be father-in-law, Daniel (Morgan Freeman), Alison slowly turns her life around, but not before a lot of pain is dealt with. Florence Pugh rises above a script that takes too long to develop and gives us a too-good-to-be-true ending. Pugh is perfect in the role of a woman full of guilt and wants to stay numb so that she doesn’t have to deal with anything. In one of his best performances of the last few years, Morgan Freeman is terrific as the father-in-law who now has to deal with a granddaughter (Celeste O’Connor) who has lost her parents. Through a chance encounter at an AA meeting, Alison and Daniel help each other heal, but it’s not an easy road to go down for either of them. I also loved Molly Shannon as Alison’s mom, who loves her daughter but does not know how to deal with her daughter’s addiction or pain. I loved that in both of Alison’s relationships, there isn’t an easy way to heal, and with Daniel, it’s a rough road with plenty of potholes. Maybe we, along with Alison, should have had to work a little harder to understand her pain and how damaged she is. Instead, it’s all kind of laid out for us.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Good Person Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Rodeo (2022)   Julia (Julie Ledru) is a young woman who has a troubled life, living in social housing and having almost no relationship with her mother. She loves motocross and will do anything, including stealing bikes, to ride. She becomes part of a bike theft ring when an accident jeopardizes her ability to fit in. Ledru plays a character in Julia that is hard to like. Julia is a tough-as-nails woman trying to fit in with a rough crowd and therefore doesn’t let anyone near her. She rejects most people, constantly has a scowl on her face, and is ready for a fight at a moment’s notice. However, Julia has a flaw. She is way over her head in with the biker crowd and thinks she can bluff her way out of anything. Unfortunately, she doesn’t always figure out when to run or stop bluffing, which gets her into trouble. Rodeo is a film in that we never get to know the characters that well, and when the movie ends, it is very abrupt, much like Julia herself.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rodeo Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Lost King (2022) PG-13  An amateur historian, Philippa (Sally Hawkins), learns that no one knows where King Richard III’s remains are buried. Philippa goes on a quest to find where King Richard’s remains are, defying the stodgy academic establishment. She has a little help; the ghost of King Richard III. Based on a true story, Sally Hawkins is perfect as Philippa, a woman determined to find Richard’s grave and won’t give up, no matter the odds. Hawkins is utterly charming as she battles bureaucracy and her fragile health. Working on a feeling, lots of research, and an occasional visit from King Richard himself, Philippa is convinced she has found the final resting place. Now if Philippa can convince the world. I really liked this film about beating the odds and believing in yourself and, maybe, a five hundred-year-old king.   My Rating: Full Price  The Lost King Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) R  It’s 1949 in a small town in California, and Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is the 2nd barber in a two-man shop. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning and decides to blackmail the man (James Gandolfini) who is having an affair with Ed’s wife, Doris (Frances McDormand). Things, of course, go wrong, with double and triple crosses, jail, and lots of bad luck. The film is shot in black and white by masters of the modern-day film noir, the Coen brothers. While not their best work, this is still a marvelous film to watch with a cast that knows how to make every scene work.  My Rating: Full Price  The Man Who Wasn't There Info     The film is available to rent or buy on iTunes and Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the Credits of John Wick: Chapter 4: Horse Team Translator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Paint (2023) PG-13  Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) is Vermont’s number-one public television painter, adored by his fans. He has it all with a signature perm, a custom van, a rocking studio, and a TV show where everyone watches his every stroke. Then a new painter comes to town, a woman named Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), and it all comes crashing down. The legendary PBS painter Bob Ross inspired Owen Wilson’s character, Carl Nargle.  Paint Website   The film opens nationwide on Friday, April 7th.

Until Next Time!

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

My View: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) PG-13  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is adjusting to being a recognized superhero and is still figuring out where he stands with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and his daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). When Cassie investigates Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) work with the Quantum Realm, she inadvertently opens a door into that multiverse. Now, Scott and the gang face an unknown threat, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who will do anything to get out of the Realm. I have liked all three Ant-Man films, mainly because Scott knows he isn’t your typical superhero, but someone who got lucky getting these powers and knows he doesn’t fit the superhero mold. The problem with this film is that it is the start of the next wave of Marvel stories, and it buckles a bit at trying to give us insight into where the story will go from now on. I am a huge fan of comic book artist legend Jack Kirby, who created a ton of Marvel characters. Kirby had a unique look to his artistry, one which, up to now, Marvel films haven’t been able or maybe even tried to capture. This is the first Marvel film where I felt some of Kirby’s influence is shown on the screen, especially in a character named MODOK, and that thrilled me. While Jonathan Majors is absolutely brilliant in the role of bad guy Kang the Conqueror, the film seems in a hurry to get to the end and let us know more of this world is coming. So much so, that Evangeline Lilly’s character, whose name is in the title, seems like she is barely in the picture. Overall, this is the weakest of the three Ant-Man films, which doesn’t bode well for the future of Marvel films. Still, it is a beautiful-looking film with some fantastic action scenes and a very complex villain. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania needed more story and less talking.  And yes, as usual, stay through all the credits for a bonus scene.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Of an Age (2022) R   Set in the Australian summer of 1999, 17-year-old Kol (Elias Anton) moved with his family from Serbia when he was a kid. Kol dreams of leaving it all behind, and his only escape is attending a dance school with his best friend, Ebony (Hattie Hook). When Ebony gets stranded in a nearby town, Kol enlists Ebony’s older brother Adam (Thom Green), to help him get Ebony in time for a dance recital. Thus starts a relationship that the two men won’t ever forget. This film is about first love and how that first love can hit you at your core. This film has two charismatic leads that allow this relationship to slowly develop with a bit of a sizzle underneath. Of an Age is a romantic tale about love found and lost on a day that the two don’t want to end. I wanted the film to end at a certain point, but it continues on a little too long, making the film give us too much information about the characters and where they end up in life. I would have preferred to make up my own ending about the two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Of an Age Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: Marlowe (2022) R Set in the 1930s, private detective Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) is hired by a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger) to find her ex-lover. It’s a job that is guaranteed to get messy. I would try to explain the plot in more detail, but that would take a book. Oh wait, this film is based on a book, and it feels like we see every chapter on screen. There are so many twists to the plot that I didn’t care what happened to the ex-lover and all the other characters that pop up in this attempt to bring back the Philip Marlowe character. With a cast that includes Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Danny Huston, and Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, along with the usually reliable Liam Neeson, I was hoping for more but got a mess of a plot and a Philip Marlowe character without any charisma.   My Rating: Cable    Marlowe Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey (2023)  After being abandoned by Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet go rogue and start a killing rampage, seeking revenge on someone they thought was their everlasting friend.  I will not spend too much time writing about this mess of a bad horror film. Needless to say, the low-budget shows on the screen with the bad guys in horrible Pooh and Piglet masks, along with a cast that has trouble reciting the insipid dialogue. I’ve seen better horror films on student night at a local film festival than this mess of a movie that even fails to gross out the audience with very unimaginative killings. The sad thing is that this film has become big enough to warrant a sequel, one I won’t be looking forward to.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey Website  Now playing in Fanthom Events theatres

Indiefest: The Other Fellow (2022)   Author Ian Fleming created the ultimate alpha male in 007, James Bond. What people don’t know is that he took that name from a real person, a British Ornithologist named James Bond. This documentary explores the impact on men who, throughout the world, share the same name with the world’s most famous secret agent. From a Swedish 007 super-fan to a New York theatre director, the film explores and examines the role of masculinity, gender, and race in living in the shadow of such a famous name. The Other Fellow is a fascinating and enjoyable movie about people living with this famous name. Some accept it, some hated it so much that they have changed it, and others love it so much that they have continued the family tradition of naming their sons James Bond. I enjoyed the stories they tell, some of which are kind of horrifying (don’t tell a cop your name is James Bond if you can’t prove it), and there is a brilliant story near the end of the film that makes this documentary worth watching.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Other Fellow Website  Now playing in select theatres and available On Demand.

Forgotten Film: Queen of Hearts (1989) PG  Eddie (Ian Hawkes) is the youngest son of a family of Italian immigrants who moved to London. Eddie’s parents left Italy to run away together and now, through some luck and determination, own a small cafe. Their life is threatened when an old enemy comes into their neighborhood, bent on getting revenge on Eddie’s family. I love this film as it is told from the viewpoint of Eddie, an eleven-year-old boy with a vivid imagination. He loves his family and believes the stories that they tell (no matter how impossible). Eddie is convinced that he can save the day when his family is in trouble. And maybe, just maybe, he can.   My Rating: Full Price  Queen of Hearts Info  The film is available on several online platforms including TUBI.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Physical Assets Assistant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)  Your favorite butt kicker, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), is back, and he has uncovered a path to defeating The High Table. However, before he can get back to earning his freedom, there is a new enemy that Wick must defeat. An enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and has ways to make old friends into foes. I love the John Wick series, but the running time of over two and a half hours scares me.  John Wick: Chapter 4 Website In theatres mid-March.

Until Next Time!