Superman

My View:  Superman  (2025)   PG-13  In Superman, Superman (David Corenswet) must reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his life as the human Clark Kent. As always, Superman embodies truth, justice, and is a force for good, battling forces of evil, including Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). This 2025 Superman is not your Zack Snyder Superman (I am convinced that Snyder hates Superman (the hero), nor is it your old origin story like the 1978 Christopher Reeve film. We don’t see Superman as a baby, his Earth parents (tiny spoiler alert) are both still alive, and he has been working and living as Clark Kent for the past three years. Instead, we are transported to a weak and hurt Superman, who has just lost a battle to a mysterious bad guy, The Hammer of Boravia, who seems to be Superman’s equal. Right from the start, we also see that this film, like director/writer James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, this film will have a lot of humor in it as Superman whistles for the Superdog Krypto, who proceeds to jump and try to play with the hurt Superman. And from that start, we get one of the better superhero films in the past years and certainly one, if not the best, Superman movie. We are given a Superman film that is entertaining, filled with emotion, and features a superb villain in Lex Luthor, played to perfection by Nicolas Hoult. Hoult portrays Luthor as someone who is convinced that Superman is the bad guy and needs to be taken into custody because of his excessive power. To take on Luthor and his band of henchmen (some of which are just computer nerds), Superman has in his corner fellow reporter and girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). I will tell you right now that two characters steal the movie. The first one is Krypto, who is darn cute and always getting into trouble. The second is Mr. Terrific, a character that you might not know a lot about (unless you watched the CW show Arrow). Mr. Terrific, brilliantly portrayed by the cool and calm Edi Gathegi, is a tech wizard who utilizes various gadgets to fight crime.  Rachel Brosnahan is delightful as Lois Lane, the girlfriend of Superman, who has doubts that their relationship can last, especially since she is a tough-as-nails reporter who must cover Superman’s exploits, both the good and bad. I loved the chemistry between Brosnahan and Corenswet, shown in a back-and-forth scene where Lois interviews Superman, and they have to keep turning off the recorder due to arguments. David Corenswet is just what you want in Superman —a believable Man of Steel who perhaps trusts mankind too much and struggles to understand the complexities of living in a world where right and wrong are not always set in stone. I had so much fun watching this film, with a great bad guy, lots of humor, plenty of great action sequences, and a dog that not only flies but also can save the world almost as well as Superman. And yes, there are two post-credits scenes: one in the middle and one at the very end of all the credits.    My Rating: Full Price  Superman Website  Now playing in theaters, including IMAX. 

Indiefest:  Sovereign  (2025) R  In Sovereign, father Jerry (Nick Offerman) and son Joe (Jacob Tremblay) are members of a group of anti-government extremists called the Sovereign Citizens. The two soon find themselves in a standoff with a chief of police (Dennis Quaid) that sets off a manhunt. Buoyed by a riveting performance by Nick Offerman, Sovereign is a slow turn into madness by an anti-government extremist who makes his living giving talks around the country in small groups about how to take on the government. Jerry is raising his son to follow in his footsteps, homeschooling him, and using every moment to underscore how the American government is taking away his money and his liberties. It’s a chilling performance of a man who thinks he is always right and everyone else is wrong. Jacob Tremblay plays Joe as a young man who idealizes his father but wonders if he has gone too far and is tired of being isolated from the world. Sovereign is a film that ramps up the tension and dread as Jerry is convinced that he will win in the end, and his son starts to have doubts about his father’s beliefs and his future. Based on a true story, Sovereign is a tale that is destined to be sad for both the father and son, as well as the lawmen who attempt to force Jerry into something he doesn’t believe in.   My Rating: Full Price  Sovereign Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest:  Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story  (2025)  R   Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story follows Abraham Van Helsing (Titus Welliver), who has relocated his family to America in an effort to escape his troubled past after battling Dracula. However, the past has a tendency to resurface when one least expects it. The film offers an intriguing premise about what happened to Van Helsing after he defeated Dracula, but the pacing is so slow that viewers may find themselves wishing for something—anything—to happen. Abraham’s Boys focuses more on a man who is haunted by his past while he and his wife raise their two sons in isolation. The film hints at the presence of vampires from time to time, but the scares are never there, and this is more a film that promises more than it can deliver. Fans of horror would likely have more fun watching one of the classic Hammer Dracula films from the 1960s or 1970s than spending time with Abraham’s Boys. My Rating: Cable  Abraham's Boys Info  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Daniela Forever  (2024) R  Daniela Forever is about Nicolas (Henry Golding), who struggles to cope with the tragic loss of his girlfriend, Daniela (Beatrice Granno). In an attempt to heal, Nicolas joins a clinical trial of a new drug, which starts delivering a reconstruction of Daniela through lucid dreams. What would you do if you had the ability to bring back a loved one in your dreams that felt real? Would you choose to remain there? That’s Nicolas’s dilemma as he starts dreaming about his lost love, Daniela, and doesn’t want it to end. It’s an interesting premise that never finds its footing in this film. However, the film struggles to engage its audience due to the lack of depth in Daniela's character. We see very little of her before Nicolas begins his dream journey, leaving her almost a blank slate. This makes it difficult for viewers to understand why Nicolas was so madly in love with her in the first place. The film squanders a believable and enjoyable performance by Henry Golding, who once again shows his ability to dominate a scene with his charm and charisma. However, that’s the problem, as his character is far more interesting than Beatrice Granno’s Daniela, and it makes you wonder why someone would want to spend all their time with them. The film drags on, taking too long to come to an ending that, while satisfying, ultimately feels anticlimactic given the emotional journey we experienced for nearly two hours. I doubt I’ll be dreaming about Daniela tonight.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Daniela Forever Website  Now playing in select theaters.

Forgotten Film:  In the Mood for Love  (2000)    Two married couples move into apartments next to each other. Mrs. Chen (Maggie Chueng) and her husband who is always on the road. Mrs. Chen works as a personal secretary for a businessman and spends her free time going to movies.  Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and his wife, who is always working late, leaving Mr. Chow to fend for dinner on his own. In the Mood for Love is an outstanding love story of two people who realize that they aren't happy with their lives and that their spouses are cheating on them. They find solace in each other, but (here's the catch) they don't want to be like their unfaithful partners, so they refuse to cheat, but this doesn't stop them from falling in love. The film is visually stunning, boasting incredible cinematography. The two lead actors have such charisma that it’s almost painful to watch. Their love story theme is Nat King Cole singing in Spanish, and it hits you right in the heart each time you hear the song. It's easy to see why this film consistently appears on many top 50 lists and was recently restored.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  In the Mood for Love Info  The film is currently in some regional theaters due to it’s restoration. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Superman:  Journeyman Sign Writers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Eddington  (2025)  R  Eddington is set in a small town in New Mexico in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is running for mayor against incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal).  As the election unfolds, the town descends into chaos, with mask mandates, conspiracy theories, and a sense of society unraveling in the background.  Eddington Website  In theaters on Friday, July 18, 2025.

Until Next Time!

Nightbitch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

My View: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) PG-13 On Halloween night in 1968, a group of teenagers visit a haunted house, one where the family there kept their daughter in a room in the basement. The teenagers find a book of scary legends and the stories are coming to life to threaten their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed this horror film that while does have a few jump out of the dark scares, build’s the tension to where the third act of the film is truly terrifying. The film is based on a YA book series, so the film is aimed at pre-teens and teenagers. Do not take your young children to this film as all the creatures in this film are just ghastly and horrific. What I really liked about this film (besides all the scares) was it also deals with some subjects that were very relevant for the time period: the Vietnam War, Tricky Dick Nixon getting elected President and racism. So go see this film and get your horror groove on.  My Rating: Full Price   Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Website

My View: The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) PG A dog named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner) shows us the life lessons he learned from his race car driving master, Denny (Milo Ventimiglia). So the unusual thing about this film is that it’s seen through the eyes of Enzo, who believes in reincarnation and is convinced that what he learns in his life as a dog will help when he comes back as a human. This film is a great one but you laugh and yes, cry. I thought Costner did a masterful job as the voice of Enzo. Ventimiglia is fine as the race car driver who falls for Amanda Seyfried’s character. People that don’t like dogs will hate this movie but if love dogs as much as I do it will be an enjoyable film to watch.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Art of Driving in the Rain Website

Familyfaire: Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) PG   Dora (Isabela Moner) was raised by her parents to be an explorer. Now, aided by a fellow explorer (Eugenio Derbez) Dora is on a mission to save her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Pena) and find a lost city of gold. I really liked this film and I think parents will too, but I think your kids will fall in love with Dora. This movie works because Isabela Moner is so charismatic on the screen you can’t help yourself to root for her Dora. Kids will also love Boots, the sidekick of Dora, a monkey that seems almost human in his interactions with Dora. There are a couple of things I didn’t like about this movie: Eugenio Derbez is too over the top in his performance, it just doesn’t fit the rest of the film. Also, there is an animated fox called Swiper (voiced by Benicio Del Toro) that just doesn’t look like he belongs, the animation is too cartoony. By the way, there are a couple of times in the film that the film does give homage to the cartoon series this film is based on. Take your family and go on an exploration with Dora, it will be a blast.   My Rating: Full Price    Dora and the Lost City of Gold Website

My View:  The Kitchen (2019) R The wives of New York gangsters (Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish) in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s decide to continue their husband’s illegal business after their husbands are locked in prison. If I had been one of the other three people that were watching with me at the 7 pm Friday night screening, I would have left after ten minutes. This is one of the worst written films I’ve seen in a long time. The dialogue seems to have been written by a high school student writing a script for his AV class. The film wastes the talents of the three woman that head this cast. I did like the performance of Elisabeth Moss, whose character goes from a meek housewife to a tough, confident person. The audience (if you can call three people an audience) that I saw it with laughed at several plot points that were meant to be serious. This film might have worked as a dark comedy but as a straight drama, it is a bomb.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

Indiefest:  Tel Aviv on Fire  (2018)   Salam (Kais Nashif), a young Palestinian man, through good luck and connections gets a writing job on a popular Palestinian soap opera. What I liked about this film is that it shows you the Israeli occupation from the viewpoint of the Palestinians. The soap opera centers on a woman who is in love with a Palestinian operative who is in charge of her trying to seduce an Israeli general but the trouble is she starts falling in love with the general. While I didn’t laugh out loud, I did chuckle quite a bit. The secondary plot is that Salam is trying to get back with his old girlfriend, who he hurt deeply when they broke up in the past. I really liked the performance of Lubna Azabal, who plays the lead actress in the soap that is somewhat a diva. It’s a fine performance and she plays well off of Kais Nahif. This is a fun film to watch but we also learn how hard it is to live under the occupation of Isreal.    My Rating: Full Price

My View: Brian Banks (2018) PG-13   A football player’s (Aldis Hodge) dreams to play in the NFL are shattered when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. He teams with a lawyer (Greg Kinnear) to try and clear his name and start his football career. Aldis Hodge gives a powerful and moving performance of a man who just wants his name cleared, nothing more. I also enjoyed Sherri Shepherd’s performance as Brian’s mother who never wavers in her belief that Brian is innocent. I found the direction a little lacking in pace and the dialogue a little too preachy. The storyline is predictable but it’s still a remarkable story that needed to be told.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Brian Banks Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray): Tolkien (2019) PG-13   J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) was an orphan who had to work hard to get anywhere. He falls in love with a fellow orphan, Edith (Lily Collins) and just when he finds his calling, language, he is swept away in the horrors of WW I. I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so I was excited to see this film. While not bad, the film is a bit dull and spends too much time during Tolkien’s time in the war. I wanted more about how he came up with the idea of the books and less of his time looking for his best friend in the war.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee    Tolkien Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Ready or Not  (2019) R   A bride (Samara Weaving) is told that she must participate in a game of hide and seek before coming a part of the grooms family. What she doesn’t know is if they find her in the family home, she will be killed. The trailer looks really stupid.    Ready of Not Website

Forgotten Film: Coherence (2013)   During a night where a comet is going to come very close to Earth, a group of friends get together for a dinner party. The eight friends begin to experience problems when their phones all give out and electricity is shut down to the whole street except for a house down the road. The group decides to travel down the road to the house with power and then things get really weird. The tension builds as the film moves on. I would call this a suspense film and not a horror film. What I loved about this film is how natural the dialogue is (actors were not given a script, just a paragraph before each scene from the director, James Ward Byrkit). See this movie and go on a wild ride you won’t soon forget.   My Rating: Full Price   Coherence Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Swamper

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)  PG-13   Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Downs syndrome runs away from his care home to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. On the road, he encounters Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a small-time outlaw that’s on the run that becomes an unlikely coach. They also convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a nursing home worker to join their quest. The film has a great supporting cast including john Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, and Bruce Dern. Everything I have heard about this film is that it is a celebration of life and is incredibly fun to watch.    The Peanut Butter Falcon Website

Until Next Time!

Long Shot

My View:  Long Shot  (2019) R  Fred (Seth Rogan) is a writer, Charlotte (Charlize Theron) is Secretary of State and is about to run for President. Fred and Charlotte used to know each other, and they have a chance meeting at a party. Charlotte decides to hire Fred to punch up her speeches.  Can love be far behind? I had so much fun watching this movie. It reminded me of the goofy romcoms of the 80s with the difference is that the man is the shy, goofball and the woman is that smart one that is in control. Rogan and Theron have a blast, and they have incredible chemistry right from the start, making their attraction seem real. You will have to leave your brain at the door for a couple of sequences (especially the final ending which we see in the credits) but that doesn’t detract that this film is funny, warm and surprisingly sweet. I could have done without the drug sequence but it’s a Seth Rogan production, so it’s kind of a given. As with any Rogan comedy, it gets a little raunchy but it fit into the storyline, so it works. Go see this winning comedy. By the way, I believe this is Charlize Theron’s first comedy, and she hits it out of the park. Let's hope she gets to do more like this one.  My Rating: Full Price    Long Shot Website

My View:  The Intruder  (2019)  PG=13  A young married couple (Meagan Good, Michael Ealy) buy an isolated house on several acres of land only to realize that the man that sold it (Dennis Quaid) does not want to give it up. First let me say that the audience that I saw this film with thoroughly enjoyed the film, reacting every time Quaid made an appearance in the shadows or when the main characters made bad decisions that we knew would cost them.  That being said, this is a horrible movie that doesn’t bring anything new to the bad guy is in your house genre. Dennis Quaid gives one of his worst performances as he goes so over the top that the audience, which wanted to believe him as a villain starting laughing at some of his antics. The film is incredibly predictable and follows all the genre’s rules, including the wife that just can’t see the possibility that she could be in danger until it’s too late. Unlike the audience I saw it with, I wasn't ever scared, just annoyed by how badly the film was written.   My Rating: Cable    The Intruder Website

FamilyFaire:  UglyDolls  (2019)  PG  The UglyDolls have been content to live in their little world until a group decides to go exploring. They encounter a world that seems to be perfect and where the UglyDolls don’t fit in. However, soon the UglyDolls learn that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With a bunch of forgettable songs (that waste the talents of singers like Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Janelle Monáe and a plot, while its heart is in the right place, just is boring and slow. Parents are going to be looking at their watch a lot (as I did) wondering when this film will stop, and kids are not going to be entertained by a bunch of characters that are badly thought out. Unless your kid is a big UglyDoll fan, just skip this film that doesn’t work on any level.   My Rating: Cable     UglyDolls Website

Indiefest:  Red Joan  (2018)  R  Joan is a young brilliant student at Cambridge in 1938. She meets the love of her life, Leo (Tom Hughes), the leader of the university Communist student group. When World War II breaks out, Joan is asked to work on a top-secret project, one that could change the world, but she will also be asked by her former lover to betray her country. The question is will she?  If you are going to see this film because Judi Dench (she plays Joan in 1990) is in this film, you will be disappointed. Dench is merely a supporting player, used to bring the flashbacks of Joan’s life in the 30s and 40s. Dench does a lot of staring off into the distance, as we then travel back to see the 1940s Joan trying to decide to betray her country. The story is hurt by the constant back and forth of 90s Joan and Joan in the past storylines, making the storyline progress in sprits instead of flowing along if they had just stayed with the more interesting plot. I got to the point in the film, where I didn’t care what happened with either Joan, both deserved whatever fate they got.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Red Joan Website

Indiefest:  Ask Dr. Ruth  (2019)  Documentary chronicling the amazing life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who overcame almost insurmountable odds to become the world’s most famous sex therapist.Brilliant documentary on the long and sometimes tragic life of a dynamo of a woman, Dr. Ruth. Dr. Ruth was orphaned at age ten, though she didn’t fully know what happened to her parents until she visits a Holocaust museum in Israel late in the film. Her childhood experiences are told through animation, which helps soften the blow of such a difficult childhood where basically by age 13 she was an indentured servant at an orphanage in Switzerland. Sr. Ruth constantly fought against the odds to get as much education as she could, whether it was being taught by an orphan boy at night or going to graduate school as a single parent, Dr. Ruth was on a constant drive to better herself and get as much information as she could absorb. I loved this film and we get to know Dr. Ruth, though you get the feeling that she is always holding back a bit about her troubled childhood. Go see this year's RBG, you are going to fall in love with this smart woman who fearlessly talks about sex, making us re-examine the way we see ourselves.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Aks Rr. Ruth Website

Forgotten Film: The Wrecking Crew  (1968)  PG  Super secret agent Matt Helm (Dean Martin) is set to see if he can stop a crime boss from cornering the world’s gold. Unfortunately, the British send in their own agent Freya (Sharon Tate) who just keeps making this worse for Matt. In the 60s, the secret agent craze hit movies and TV. Brought out mostly by the success of James Bond, not only were there serious attempts to dethrone Bond but also a number of films went the other route and made fun of the super slick agent that could bed any woman. At the top was the Matt Helm movies, which not only made fun of (in a cool way) the James Bond films but also made fun of Dean Martin’s reputation as a drinker and womanizer. The Austin Powers films took a lot from the Helm movies, all in good fun. This film is distinguished from the other two Matt Helm movies because of a brilliant performance by Sharon Tate. Her portrayal of the bumbling agent Freya is so good, you don’t want the movie to stop. These aren’t great films and are incredibly dated but they are still fun to watch.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     The Wrecking Crew Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Intruder:  16mm Film Projection

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Tolkien  (2019)  PG-13  J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) was an orphan who had to work hard to get anywhere. He falls in love with a fellow orphan, Edith (Lily Collins) and just when he finds his calling, language, he is swept away in the horrors of WW I. Tolkien has always been one of my favorite authors, so to see what influenced his “Middle Earth’ writings will be fascinating.    Tolkien Website

Until Next Time!

Man of Steel

My View:  Man of Steel (2013)  PG-13   Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) has always known he was different and could do what other boys his age could only dream about. In time, Clark discovers that he is from another planet and has been sent by his parents to protect mankind on Earth with his superhuman powers. His adopted world is suddenly threatened by an invasion of men - men who happen to come from his home planet and are bent on destruction.  First, pack a lunch when you see this film.  It's 147 minutes long, and it seems to take that long for any sort of action to happen. This film is almost a total reboot of the legend of Superman, and, much like Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight series, this is a different take on the origin of Superman.  Cavill is impressive in the superhero suit, but he dons the cape with almost no humor to the role as if his real Kryptonite is a smile or a laugh.  As always, Amy Adams is cute as Lois Lane, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of chemistry between Miss Lane and the Man of Steel.  The last 45 minutes is one big punch 'em out fight that goes on so long at one point I thought some of the Transformers were going to get into the action.  The special effects are impressive, but the 3-D wasn't worth the extra price.  Man of Steel isn't a bad movie, and I think action fans will enjoy the last part, but man, it takes it's sweet time getting there.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Man of Steel Website

My View:  This Is The End  (2013)  R  Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel are the best of friends who hangout when Jay comes into L.A.from Canada on a visit. Seth and Jay go to a party at James Franco’s house, but while they are there, it looks as if the world just might be coming to an end. Will anyone at Franco’s party know the difference?  This comedy is not for everybody as it is incredibly raunchy with curse words being thrown about like rice at a wedding, and every scene seems to push the boundaries of the censors.  That being said, it’s also one of the funniest films of recent years.  It’s a film where the actors, who are playing themselves, don’t mind looking like complete jerks or in some cases, complete idiots.  Rogen and Baruchel play off each other extremely well and James Franco steals every scene that he's in.  The film is filled with cameos, some of which are really surprising due to how the cameo stars let the film portray them.  But, be warned.  If the idea of pushing around a gigantic penis sculpture for comic relief isn’t your idea of fun, then this film isn’t for you.   My Rating:  Full Price        This Is The End Website

The 50  (A Movie from My Best/Worst Films of All Time)
#6 Best Film:
The Best Years of Our Lives  (1946)  Three servicemen return to small town America right after the end of World War II.  There is the sergeant (Fredric March), who now must return to his wife (Myrna Low), his kids and his job at the bank after serving on the front lines.  There is the dashing Lieutenant (Dana Andrews), who returns from being an airman and an officer, to a wife (Virginia Mayo), he barely knows, and no job.  And, there is the seaman (Harold Russell) who returns to his family and his girlfriend (Cathy O’Donnell) with hooks where his hands used to be.  This is an incredibly moving film that shows just how hard it was to return to civilian life after serving in the war and also how hard it was on the families to adjust to their men being away and who have to fit the pieces of their lives back together.  Beautifully directed by William Wyler, this film won seven Academy Awards, including an honorary Oscar for Harold Russell, who did lose his hands while serving in the Navy.  The film is filled with moving scenes that are tender and treat its characters as real people.  This is one of the greatest films of all time and a true treasure to watch.    The Best Years of Our Lives Info

Forgotten Film:   7 Faces of Dr. Lao  (1964)  Dr. Lao (Tony Randall) rides into town, at the turn of the century, to change the lives of the people of Abalone with his magical circus.  Dr. Lao’s circus just doesn’t entertain, it teaches valuable life lessons to the town folk, as Dr. Lao says, "The whole world is a circus , if you look at it the right way…”.  Throughout this inventive and funny film, Tony Randall takes the shape of Merlin, the magician, Pan, the God of Love, Medusa, a serpent, a Yeti and a blind fortune teller, interacting with the townspeople with stories and situations that mirror their lives.  This is a George Pal production, and Pal was known for marvelous special effects, especially stop motion animation.  This film has the legendary producer's handy work all over it, including the snakes for hair Medusa.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    7 Faces of Dr. Lao Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Warm Bodies (2013)  PG-13  A teen romance with a twist - she’s (Teresa Palmer) a beautiful human girl, and he (Nicholas Hoult) is a zombie but with feelings and a heart.  I loved this funny, warm film that guys will like just as much as the girls.  I mean, there are zombies and guns.  My Rating:  Full Price    Warm Bodies Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): The Smurfs 2 (2013)    Does Neil Patrick Harris really need the money that bad or is he just doing this for his kid?  Either way, just stop it Neil!  You more talented than this!   The Smurfs 2 Website

 Weird Credits:  From the credits of This Is The End:  Photo Double

 Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Blue Jasmine  (2013)  Woody Allen directing Peter Sarsgaard, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins and Alec Baldwin.  His movies aren’t always interesting, but his casts sure are.    Blue Jasmine Website

Until Next Time!