Moana

Familyfaire:  Moana (2026) PG  Moana is about the young, inquisitive daughter (Catherine Laga’aia) of a village chief. Moana has always felt that she was destined to do something great and is summoned by the ocean to undertake a voyage to save her community. She will need help and finds it in Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a legendary shapeshifting demigod who, along with Moana’s dimwitted rooster, Heihei, undertakes a journey that will test her will and belief in herself. I loved the 2016 animated film, saying, “The animation is crisp and gorgeous, taking advantage of the tropical look of the islands,” and loving the message to young girls that you can do anything you put your heart and soul into. So now Disney has decided to bring back the story as a live-action film. Why? I have no clue, other than making money (but with a reported budget of 200 million, that could be in serious doubt). Does this bring anything new to the storyline? No. Unlike the 2025 live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, which did a fantastic job of making changes from the animated film to make it work with live action, Moana is almost a shot-for-shot remake and not for the better. The film feels exactly as if it were shot on a soundstage in front of a green screen. The film fails to capture the beauty, brightness, and fun of the animated film. And it uses animation to bring to life Mona’s pet rooster and piglet, both of which don’t look real and feel like props for the film, rather than bringing fun and life to it as they did in the animated film. And then there’s Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui. I loved his character in the animated film, thinking that, while he can’t sing very well, he is perfect as an animated character, bringing fun and life to the storyline. The problem, like actors like Vin Diesel, Arnold, and Johnson, is that they are larger than life, and you sometimes see them not as their characters but as the actors themselves. The animated film let Maui dance and be a virtual ball of energy, bouncing around as Johnson sang songs like "Your Welcome" to our delight. The problem is that the live-action Johnson can’t match the action of animated Maui, and so the songs become more about Johnson posing than dancing around. Your Welcome song still works, but it’s not as much fun as the animated film song; it just can’t recreate it, no matter how much his animated tattoos move around in this version. The bright light in all this is Catherine Laga’aia’s performance, who shines on screen and has a wonderful, powerful voice that makes her solos worth watching the film for. Kids are still going to like this film, especially watching the rooster do his stupid stuff, but I don’t see them falling in love with it as they did with the animated one. The magic just isn’t there, and that’s a sad thing to say about a Disney film.  My Rating: Cable  Moana Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass  (2026)  R   Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass follows Gail (Zoey Deutch), who is devastated that her fiancé has slept with his “celebrity pass” Jennifer Aniston. She goes to a fortune teller, who tells her that to make things right and go on with the marriage, she must sleep with her own celebrity pass. Gail, along with her best friend, Otto (Mile Gutierrez-Riley), travels to Hollywood to find her own ‘free pass’: Jon Hamm. This is a wild and crazy film that reminded me of those wonderful Zucker and Abrahams films like Airplane! and Top Secret!, where jokes and ridiculous scenes came at you at an incredibly fast pace. This is a film where lines like “We have three years’ experience between us” and “I can make you sick” are just thrown out at you at a rapid pace. Zoey Deutch, who is on a roll this summer, is amazing as the incredibly naïve and earnest Gail, who is determined to sleep with Jon Hamm to save her wedding plans. Zoey plays her perfectly as she greets everyone she meets with a “Hi, I’m Gail” and is amazed by the big city of L.A., where everything seems wonderful to her, even when it’s not. The film is full of incredibly stupid and funny scenes, like an overzealous concierge who gets out a map and shows Gail and Otto all the sights they need to see, which include 7-Eleven, Starbucks, McDonald's, and a back alley where you can meet a guy for a good time. Then we see the two going to all these places and acting as if they have just discovered the most amazing city in the world. You have to see the film to understand the plot, but just say there is the old luggage switcheroo, a gang of bad guys after Gail and Otto, and the quest to find Jon Hamm. The film is if the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrams took the Wizard of Oz and turned it into a sex quest with martial arts and bloody deaths. There are so many cameos in this film, you could get drunk taking shots of when someone shows up that doesn’t even say a line. And wait till you see what Jennifer Aniston does in the film! Can Dorothy, I mean Gail, find her celebrity pass and get her long-awaited marriage ceremony back on track? Not without a lot of help and a few dead bodies.   My Rating:  Full Price  Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Website   Now playing in theaters

My View:  Evil Dead Burn  (2026)  R   In Evil Dead Burn, Alice (Souheila Yacoub) has just lost her husband. Seeking comfort, she visits his family at their secluded home. But grief turns to terror as her in-laws morph into Deadites, monstrous creatures bent on her destruction. Trapped and hunted, Alice’s only hope is a makeshift scrapbook containing the forbidden Book of the Dead. I am a big fan of the original trilogy starring the man, the myth, the legend, Bruce Campbell. The series is now going on without Mr. Campbell, and it loses some of its mojo because of it. This film appears to be using the Evil Dead moniker and the ‘Book of the Dead’ as an excuse for making a film that is incredibly violent (mostly towards women) and almost pointless, other than a knife that the Deadites want to destroy or have (I never quite figured that part out). Not only do the Deadites take a lot of hits (or gunshots), so do the humans they are trying to kill, with an incredible amount of damage that professional wrestlers take fewer hits. The film is worth seeing for one scene in the final ten minutes (kind of right out of the Terminator films) that makes up for most of the mess it is. And yes, by the way, there is a mid-credits scene that is kind of fun. Just wish the rest of the movie was as much fun as its predecessors.  My Rating: Cable    Evil Dead Burn Website Now playing in theaters 

Indiefest:  The Isolate Thief  (2026)  R   The Isolate Thief is set in a snowbound Civil War-era outpost, where a young caretaker, Ada (Mackenzie Foy), isolated from the nearest town,  finds a hidden stash of stolen gold. She must use her wits and perseverance to survive both a deadly winter and a gang of ruthless outlaws who want their gold back. I am a big fan of westerns, a genre that dominated the early days of film but is rarely seen in today’s marketplace. Ada is barely coping with running the outpost because her father, a military man who was in charge of the outpost, has died. This is a film about survival, and Ada uses both her skills and her wits to survive a gang that has come to find a stash of gold. Sean Bean plays the leader of the gang, who at first pose as soldiers, but Ada soon figures out that they aren’t who they say they are. This is a film about surviving in a brutal world where danger is just around the corner, and it takes guts to do so. The story goes on a little too long, but it’s worth seeing for Mackenzie Foy’s performance as a woman who defies the odds to stay alive and Sean Bean as a crafty gang leader who is willing to play the long game to get what he wants.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Isolate Thief Info Now playing in theaters

My View: The Invite  (2026) R   The Invite starts at a point where Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela’s (Olivia Wilde) marriage is going quickly down the drain. When they invite their mysterious neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penélope Cruz), over for a dinner party, the night quickly spirals into chaos in very unexpected places. I am not a big fan of films where I don’t like the main characters, and when this film starts, I hated Joe and Angela. They don’t like each other and aren’t interested in each other at all. They are just one big fight that starts the moment they see each other. Into this mess of a marriage come Hawk and Pina, a beautiful and cool couple that Joe and Angela have been hearing having deafening sex almost on a nightly basis. At first, only Angela seems to want the other couple in their lives, but as the night goes on, Joe becomes intoxicated by this dynamic couple. This is a hilarious film that continues to push boundaries, making Joe, Angela, and us very uncomfortable as the evening progresses. I loved the performances in this film, with Rogan as the combative Joe, who at first just wants them to leave but slowly comes around to enjoying their company while still trying to push his wife’s buttons. Wilde is hilarious as the overeager hostess who sees every slip-up (like serving ham to the vegan Pina) as a crashing ruin to her night. Edward Norton is so much fun as the overly attentive Hawk, the former “firefighter” who seems overly amused at how uncomfortable the other couple seems, especially Joe. And Penélope Cruz is amazing as the almost overly sexy Pina, who, it turns out, is a sex therapist and is willing to analyze everything at a moment’s notice. This is a sex farce as we find out more about both couples, and as the evening becomes more than just a dinner party. So get ready to laugh a lot and squirm a bit in your seat because it’s going to be a bumpy but highly enjoyable night.  My Rating: Full Price  The Invite Website Now playing in theaters

Sorry I Missed It (A film that I didn’t see when it first came out but have seen recently): Chris & Martina: The Final Set  (2026)  TV-MA  The story of two tennis legends, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who met in tournaments 80 times, with both winning 18 major titles in their careers. Chris was the All-American girl who broke on the scene at age 16 and started winning tourneys right away. Martina was the outsider, having defected in 1975, when she was just 18, from communist Czechoslovakia to the US. Chris was cool, determined, and loved by the media. The media saw Martina as reckless, combative on the court, and sometimes as the villain when they faced each other. What is fascinating about this documentary is that it is not just about their careers but also about their friendship. Chris took Martina under her wing early on, even teaming with her in doubles, and they were friends. Then Martina got serious about winning, and their friendship became combative. Both spent years as the world's number one women's tennis player, and often the other was number two. Then, later in their careers, they became friends again. And then both women had battles with cancer, and that made their bond even stronger. What I enjoyed about this film was watching the two of them together, their matches, and how they get carried away by the emotions of the time. This is a wonderful film about not only two great athletes who changed the face of women’s tennis, but also about friendship and overcoming the obstacles life throws our way.   My Rating: Full Price  Chris & Martina: The Final Set Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform 

Forgotten Film:   The Evil Dead  (1981)  R  Five college students (Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly) go on an outing to a remote cabin in the Tennessee mountains. They find in the cellar a book, “The Book of the Dead,” and a tape recording of an archaeologist. When one of them plays the tape, a legion of demons and spirits are released, and the group starts to suffer from demonic possession. Will anyone survive? Shot on location in Tennessee by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire), the film was shot with almost no money and took over a year to complete, with the cast/crew shooting on weekends and the director turning 20 during the shoot. The film made over 30 million worldwide and spawned a film franchise that is still going today. The film was part horror film, part gore-fest, with a bit of the Three Stooges thrown in. It’s one of my favorite horror films, with some truly stunning scenes and lots of blood splattering everywhere. The Evil Dead is a film that set the standard for the low-budget horror genre with its intense scenes and terrific special effects. The film continues to inspire and amaze film fans and filmmakers worldwide.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Evil Dead Info  The film is available on most online platforms

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Moana:  Tattoo Artist Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Odyssey  (2026)  R  The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, who goes on a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), before Penelope succumbs to a nefarious suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson). The film is written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who shot for the first time completely with IMAX 70mm cameras.  The Odyssey Website   In theaters and IMAX on Friday, July 17, 2026

Until Next Time!

Moana

My View:   Moana  (2016) PG   On a mystic island called Motunui Island in Polynesia, a 16-year-old girl named Moana (Auli’l Cravalho) teams up with the legendary demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on a journey to save her people. I loved this film! First, Carvalho has a robust and beautiful singing voice. While Johnson doesn’t have a Broadway singing voice, he does have fun with his songs and plays well off of Carvalho in their duets. Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda co-wrote the songs in the film, and you can hear his style, especially in “You’re Welcome” that Johnson sings. The animation is crisp and gorgeous taking advantage of the tropical look of the islands. I loved the message of this film for girls that you can do anything you put your heart and soul into. And, by the way, stay through all the credits, as there is an amusing bonus scene at the end of the film.    My Rating:  Full Price   Moana Website

My View:  Rules Don’t Apply  (2016)  R  The film follows the romantic relationship in 1958 Hollywood between a young actress (Lily Collins) and her driver (Alden Ehrenreich), a relationship that is forbidden by the driver’s boss, world famous millionaire Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). This film has the look and feel of an old-time Hollywood classic, unfortunately, while it looks stunning, the film is let down by its slow moving plot and a love story that takes forever to get started. The best part of this movie is Beatty’s performance as he plays the at times the brilliant innovator and at other times, the crazy off his loon Howard Hughes. There are a few comic relief moments, and those are supplied by Beatty, as the unpredictable Hughes had enough money that he could do just about anything he wanted. There aren't enough sparks between Collins and Ehrenreich for us to care about their romance. I will say that Collins sings a song in the film that I think could get an Academy Award nomination - it’s that good. I just wish that the rest of the film was as good as that song.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Rules Don't Apply Website 

Indiefest:  Nocturnal Animals  (2016)  R  An art gallery owner, Susan (Amy Adams), is in an unhappy marriage. She unexpectedly receives a novel written by her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal). As she begins to read the story, we see a family of three (Jake Gyllenhaal, Isla Fisher, and Ellie Bamber) get terrorized by several men on a lonely Texas highway. As Susan flashbacks to her first marriage, she also continues to read the shocking book. My biggest problem with this film is that it jumps around so much, into the past, the present and then the world of the book, that it just becomes really confusing, especially since Gyllenhaal plays both the ex-husband in the flashbacks and the husband in the book. The saving grace of this film is the always intense Michael Shannon, who plays a tough, over the hill detective. Shannon is so commanding on the screen, he overshadows everything in this film. I wanted to love this film but I only just like it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Nocturnal Animals Website

My View:  Allied  (2016)  R  During World War II Canadian intelligence officer Max (Brad Pitt) meets and then marries French Resistance fighter Marianne (Marion Cotillard). While they are living in London, Max is told that Marianne is a German spy. The movie an homage to the old WWII films, but while it looks like a classic film, it’s just ordinary. The plot is slow and predictable, and I figured out the twist almost from the start. Pitt and Cotillard try to save this film, and they do have great chemistry on screen, but it’s just too much to ask them to overcome the static script.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Allied Website

In Memory of Ed Wood ( A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Office Christmas Party  (2016)  When a boss (Jennifer Aniston) threatens to shut down a whole division, a branch manager (Jason Bateman) decides to give a client the ultimate office Christmas party.  What could go wrong? Just about everything. When a trailer, which is supposed to show you some of the best parts of the film, isn’t funny, then you just might have a crappy movie on your hands.   Office Christmas Party Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Finding Dory  (2016)  PG  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.    My Rating:  Full Price   Finding Dory Website

Forgotten Film:  One Eight Seven  (1997) R  Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is a high school teacher who is attacked by a student, severely stabbing Trevor. Fifteen months after surviving the attack, Trevor goes back to teaching at a different high school, and his world starts unraveling due to a gang in his classroom.  This was the first lead role for Jackson, and he is intense and brilliant in this movie as his character, Trevor, slowly starts to descend into madness. The film has some flaws, and the last third of the film isn’t as coherent as the rest of the movie, but it’s Jackson’s performance that isn’t to be missed.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   One Eight Seven Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Rules Don’t Apply:  Photo Double

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Harry Benson: Shoot First  (2016)  Documentary about the legendary British photographer who has shot everyone from The Beatles to the Queen of England.  \The man is 86 and still taking amazing pictures.   Harry Benson: Shoot First Info

Until Next Time!

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