Michael

My View: Michael  (2026) PG-13  Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson’s journey from child star of the Jackson Five to the “King of Pop”. It would have been really easy to rename this film “Saint Michael.” Other than some very slight hints that Michael might develop a drug problem, this film does nothing to help us understand Michael as a person and never attempts to show him in a bad light. If you want to sing along with the hits and see recreations of Michael performing, then go ahead and buy a ticket. If you want to know anything at all about Michael other than he didn’t have any friends (except his animals, his bodyguard/driver, and his lawyer), this isn’t the film for you. The film keeps hitting us over the head with what a horrible person Joseph (Colman Domingo), Michael’s father, was. How his mother, Katherine (Nia Long), loved Michael, but other than being Michael’s TV-watching pal, did little to keep Michael from being constantly abused by Joseph. As for Michael’s brothers, I feel for the actors who portrayed them, because they had only a few lines and were used as background scenery. Oh, and by the way, Janet, I guess, was just a figment of our imagination because in this film, she doesn’t exist. Colman Domingo gives us his all, but the character is such a cardboard cutout of a horrible dad that it wears out its welcome very quickly. Both Juliano Valdi, as the young Michael, and Jaafar Jackson, as the teen/adult Michael, do a great job of re-creating the dance moves of Michael, but so does every Las Vegas impersonator. We learn almost nothing about Michael other than that he got the name of his hit album Thriller from old horror movies and that he studied Gene Kelly and Little Richard for dance moves. If you want to spend over two hours watching what I am calling “The Michael Jackson Musical Experience,” then this film is for you. If you want a film that explores the man, the myth, the legend, and tries to understand what made him the musical genius that he was, then this isn’t your movie. And by the way, the film ends with a title card that says "His Story Continues." News flash: I don't care.  My Rating: Cable  Michael Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Mother Mary  (2026)  R   Mother Mary is about the world-famous pop star Mary (Anne Hathaway), who is on the eve of a comeback tour and is in need of some costumes. She reaches out to reconcile with her estranged best friend, Sam (Michaela Coel), which triggers a terrifying look into their complicated, messy past. This is a film where the music and costumes dominate a story that struggles to keep up with its visuals. Hathaway has a beautiful voice and a stage presence that fully convinces you that her character is a huge music star. And that’s one of the problems with this film, those scenes with Mother Mary on stage are incredible, and the music is beautiful, so much so that you want more of that and less of Mother Mary and Sam talking in riddles to each other. The visuals in this film are stunning, from the set designs to the costumes that fill the movie. The problem is that the more the two talk, the more confusing what they are talking about becomes. And I'm not taking anything away from Michaela Coel’s performance, which she delivers with a steely flair that perfectly spares with Hathaway’s Mother Mary. Filmmaker David Lowery, who gives us A Ghost Story, where we watched someone eat a pie for 10 minutes, and the breathtaking The Green Knight, tells us at the start that “This Is Not a Love Story” and “This Is Not a Ghost Story”. Fine, all I know is that it is a stunningly beautiful film without much of a story.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mother Mary Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Apex  (2026)   R   In Apex, Sasha (Charlize Theron) is in the Australian Outback to conquer riding down a notorious river. She soon discovers something far more dangerous than a roaring river: a man (Taron Egerton) who wants to hunt her for sport. Besides Tom Cruise (because he is nuts), I always wonder what makes an actor take a job that will require very strenuous action sequences and working under very uncomfortable conditions, like Liam Neeson in The Grey, or Ed Harris in The Abyss. Now we have perineal Oscar contender Charlize Theron, white-water rafting and rock climbing, and doing an outstanding, convincing job that makes us believe she is a thrill-seeker extraordinaire. I enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game between a fit, fearless woman, Sasha, and a crazy outback man, Ben, who is excited that he finally has a prey that will give him a good chase. The action sequences are thrilling, the scenery is amazing (wish it was shown on a big theatre screen), and Theron is a force of nature, making me believe she could scale enormous cliffs free solo. Taron Egerton makes an adversary, and I will warn you that his character’s secret is pretty horrendous, but this is Charlize’s film, and she deserves a climber's congrats with a hearty shout, “Project Sent!”   My Rating: Full Price   Apex Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Over Your Dead Body  (2026) R  In Over Your Dead Body, a married couple on the brink of divorce, Lisa (Samara Weaving) and Dan (Jason Segel), have gone to a secluded cabin by a lake to try to patch up their marriage. Instead, they find out that they have plans to kill each other. The best way to describe this is War of the Roses with a whole lot of blood and gore. The first third of the film is the couple trying to out-duel each other in ways to kill your spouse. Then some unwanted guests drop in, and the madness starts flowing with body parts flying and blood spewing. This is a dark comedy with tones of cartoon-like violence that keeps you guessing as the beatings and guns hitting body parts start piling up. I found the film hilarious in parts, but it seemed that director Jorma Taccone wanted to see how much an audience could stomach and then go a little further. Weaving and Segel play off each other well, and it’s fun to see their war of words continue as the stakes get higher. If you can stand the sight of blood and body parts coming off while laughing, then pull up a seat. Just don’t sit too close to the screen. You might get some blood splatter on you. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Over Your Dead Body Website  Now playing in theaters 

My View: I Swear (2025) R  I Swear follows the true-life story of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), who wanted to be a soccer player, but life had other plans, as John had a rough childhood, being diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. John eventually finds people he can trust, including a mentor named Dottie (Maxine Peake), who helps him deal with a world that doesn’t understand him or his condition. This is one of the best films of the year, and in it is an amazing performance by Robert Aramayo. Aramayo is a joy to watch as you see John struggle through life, taking what seems like one step forward to seemingly be pushed back two steps. However, through a group of friends and co-workers, he finds a home where he can be himself without feeling pressured to fit in. The film does a remarkable job of letting us into John’s life, from when he was a kid who had a bright future as a soccer goalie to being bullied at school, being arrested when he wasn’t the cause of the incident, or being hurt, both mentally and physically, by people who didn’t understand his condition. It’s a brilliant, astonishing performance full of life, warmth, and humor. This is a rare film that gives us a person, not as a saint (looking at you, Michael), but someone who shows us who he is and doesn’t back down on how hard it is to cope. It’s a film that shows us not only how John deals with his life but also how some beautiful people accepted John into their lives, not judging him by his words but by his actions and intentions. It’s a tightrope act that writer/director Kirk Jones navigates with a light touch, letting us understand John and where he comes from. There is a scene near the end of the film that will have you reaching for a tissue or two. I Swear is a journey you want to take, and you will be a better person for walking along with him, because he has made this a better world for us all, not just for people with Tourette’s.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  I Swear Website    Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film:  The River Wild  (1994)  PG-13  Gail (Meryl Streep) is a former Montana river guide who, in an attempt to mend her family differences, takes her husband (David Strathairn) and son (Joseph Mazzello) on a rafting trip. As they travel down the raging river, a group of three men begin to follow them. It turns out the three men, led by Wade (Kevin Bacon), are on the run from a robbery gone bad and need help escaping down the rapids. The film has some major plot problems, but it’s fun to watch Streep and Bacon play together on-screen. The river scenes are exciting, but the film tries too hard to make David Strathairn’s character the hero and not letting Streep’s character do it all. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The River Wild Info The film is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Mother Mary:  Red Woman Electrician

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Mortal Kombat II  (2026)  Champions, including newcomer Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), battle to end Shao Kahn’s savage rule, which threatens Earthenrealm’s existence. This is a sequel to the 2021 film.  Mortal Kombat II Website  In theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026

Until Next Time!

Reminders of Him

My View:  Reminders of Him  (2026) PG-13  Reminders of Him is about Kenna (Maika Monroe), who, after a perfect date, makes an unbearable mistake that lands her in prison for 7 years. She has returned to her hometown, hoping to rebuild her life and reunite with her young daughter. It’s a reunion that may never happen because of her past. I am a fan of Maika Monroe (who has a bit of a resume as a ‘Scream Queen’ in It Follows and Longlegs), but she is let down by a script that tries to tug the heartstrings at every turn but fails each time. Throughout the film, we are led to believe that Kenna has done something horrible to cause the death of her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow). When it is revealed, I said to myself, “That’s it?” Kenna gets involved with a former pro football player, Ledger (Tyriq Withers), who owns a bar that she wanders into one night. We find out that Ledger was Scotty’s best friend forever, but Ledger never met Kenna. I guess being a football player means you don’t go to your friend’s funeral or her killer’s trial. That’s what the entire film feels like one setup after another, just there to create emotional pull. Reminders of Him is all about second chances, but I don’t think I’ll give the film that second chance look.  My Rating: Cable  Reminders of Him Website    Now playing in theaters

My View:  undertone  (2025) R   undertone follows the host of a popular paranormal podcast, Evy (Nina Kiri), who is sent a series of mysterious and terrifying audio recordings that somehow become real in Evy’s world. I thought the trailer for this film was amazing, making me want to see this film, ready for a frightful experience. Instead, I got a lot of buildup that never delivered any scares until the very end. This is a very frustrating film to watch, as the camera shot placement and often panning to open spaces imply that we are about to see something. Instead, all you get are empty spaces, except for one very predictable jump scare. The buildup at the start is well done, and we are all in for listening to scary recordings, but most aren’t all that scary, and to say the ending is incredibly disappointing would be an understatement. I won’t get into some of the very strange plot devices that stand out like a sore thumb. It’s fine to create tension in a film, but at some point, you have to reveal the creation of that tension, and this film never does. Instead, we get a mishmash of earlier scenes that are a complete letdown. If I were a listener of this podcast, I would have turned it off after just a few minutes. Instead, I was stuck in the theatre for an hour and a half.   My Rating: Cable undertone website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Slanted  (2025)  R    Slanted follows Joan (Shirley Chen), an insecure Chinese-American high school student, who, hoping to be voted prom queen, undergoes ‘ethnic modification surgery’ to appear white. Life will not become what Joan had hoped it would be. Slanted is born from a radical idea, but it never delivers the punch that it needs to be provocative, funny, or decisive. It needed to be bolder and delve more into satire to work as either a comedy or a drama. Instead, it seems to tiptoe around the topic of being white in America and never delivers the killer blow this film needs. Slanted’s heart is in the right place, but the storyline never delivers more than a tale about a teen being really selfish and turning her back on her friends and family. It's disappointing because the premise suggested that it could have been much more.  My Rating: Cable   Slanted Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Scared to Death  (2025)    In Scared to Death, a movie crew and its actors decide to enhance their upcoming horror film by experiencing a real seance. They chose a 70-year-old abandoned children’s shelter to conduct the seance, and they become trapped by the murdered orphans who were found ‘scared to death’ in 1942. This is a campy horror film with a few intentional laughs thrown in that is low on scares but is more a tribute to low budget horror films than anything else. I think fans of low budget horror will enjoy it, especially with legendary scream queen Lin Sheye playing it up as a ego maniac film director that gets processed early on in the film. The effects are pretty weak and some of the acting is a little too campy for my taste but it would do nicely at a midnight showing at a horror film festival.  My Rating: Cable   Scared to Death Website    Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Seeds  (2025)  Seeds is a documentary that explores the lives of Black generational farmers. This black-and-white film gives you the feeling of Black farmers at the end of their rope, trying to survive in a system that throws up roadblock after roadblock. This is a document about a vanishing way of life: a small farmer's ability to survive in a system that favors large, corporate-run farms. The film shows us the connection that these farmers and their families have to the land and to each other. Seeds give us insight into how the government has promised help but never delivered to these families and their farms. Seeds follows three families throughout their daily lives, offering insight into a way of life that may soon be forever gone.  My Rating: Full Price  Seeds Website   Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film: The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe  (1972) PG  In this French farce, an orchestra musician (Pierre Richard) is picked out in an airport to be an unwitting pawn decoy by the French Secret Service, all because he has (because of a prank) one brown shoe and one black one. The man has no idea what is happening, just that things keep happening to him, like being seduced by a beautiful woman, and people being shot near him. Fans of Jacque Tati and Buster Keaton will love this film. And please, do not check out the 80s English language remake The Man With One Red Shoe, which is one of the worst movies Tom Hanks ever made.  The Blond Man with One Black Shoe Info  My Rating: Full Price  The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits: From the credits of Reminders of Him: Miniature pigeons by

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Michael  (2026) PG-13  The story of Michael Jackson, from child star of the Jackson Five to the “King of Pop”. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, known for his films Training Day, The Replacement Killers, Brooklyn’s Finest, Olympus Has Fallen, and The Equalizer. I have high hopes for this film because Fuqua got his training in directing music videos for Usher, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton, and Coolio.  The film will be released in theaters and IMAX on Friday, April 24, 2026

Until Next Time!

Logan

My View:  Logan  (2017)  R  Logan (Hugh Jackman) is tired of all the battles he has fought. He is holed up with Professor X (Patrick Stewart) on the Mexican border when a young mutant (Saber Bankson) being pursued by dark forces arrives. Logan is the X-Men/Wolverine movie that you have always wanted. It’s gritty, bleak and incredibly well done. A bit of a warning, this is a hard R rated film with a ton of very gory violence and quite a bit of cussing, so do not take young kids to see this movie. I loved the action sequences in this film, as its fast paced and doesn’t use a lot of “shaky cam.” Hugh Jackman puts everything he can into the role of the world-weary Logan. While there isn’t a closing credit sequence, don’t be late to the theatre because there is a great opening sequence that is not to be missed.   My Rating:  Full Price   Logan Website

My View:  Before I Fall  (2017)  PG-13  Samantha (Zoey Deutch) is a high school student who keeps reliving the same day over and over. If you had one day to do all over again, how would you do things differently?  This is a “groundhog” type of movie which doesn’t work because the main character keeps doing the same things. This film wants us to root for Samantha, but the problem is she isn’t a likable person. She is part of a “mean girls” group of friends who are self-centered and only concerned about having a good time.  The storyline is boring and predictable with an ending that is too simple to work.    My Rating: Cable   Before I Fall Website

Indiefest:  Table 19  (2017)  PG-13  Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick), after being dumped by the best man who is the brother of  the bride, Eloise decides to attend the wedding anyway and is assigned to the losers table, table 19.  This is an entertaining movie that is smart and whimsical. The film starts out like it’s your normal, big cast funny event movie, but soon the tone of the film changes and gives us clues to why each member has ended up at the table of people the wedding party invited but hoped wouldn’t show.  Kendrick is her usual dorky, adorable self. The rest of the cast is outstanding with June Squibb as the bride’s former nanny, giving a dazzling performance.  I loved the ending which is as brilliant as the rest of the film.   My Rating:  Full Price   Table 19 Website

Indiefest:  Kedi  (2016)  Istanbul is famous for its cats, most of which live on the streets. The film focuses on seven cats and how people interact with them. On the surface, this documentary looks like it would be boring and stupid, but it’s just the opposite. It’s a fun look at the lives of cats that roam the streets of a very colorful city. Using unique camera angles and close-ups, we get to know and love seven very different cats and the unusual people that interact with them. Each cat profiled in the film has a distinct personality. There is the polite cat that never begs for food, the bully cat that is always protecting her turf and her man. Some cats in the film love to be petted, others almost disdain any contact with humans. All the cats profiled in the movie are “homeless,” but each have marked territories that they frequent. This is a funny and fascinating film that even a person who doesn’t like cats will love.    My Rating: Full Price    Kedi Website

Forgotten Film:  Michael  (1996)  PG  Three reporters (Robert Pastorelli, William Hurt, Andie MacDowell), working for a tabloid newspaper, are sent to Iowa to investigate reports that an angel is living at a small, remote motel. They discover that yes, an angel named Michael (John Travolta) is living there, soaking up earth on his last visit ever (angels can only visit a set number of times).  Travolta is the reason to see this film, as he plays an angel who is living it up, sometimes at the expense of others. He’s there to help these reporters rediscover love and a reason for living. Michael is an enjoyable and charming film that is just fun to watch.    My Rating: Full Price   Michael Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Logan:  Stunt Pre-Viz

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Zookeeper’s Wife  (2017)  PG-13  During WWII, the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo helped save hundreds of people and the animals during the German occupation.  You had me at “starring Jessica Chastain.”   The Zookeeper's Wife Website

Until Next Time!