28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

My View: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple  (2026) R  28 Years Later: The Bone Temple takes place after the events of 28 Years Later. Spike (Alfie Williams) has joined Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) gang as they go on a killing spree. Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) forms a new relationship with one of the undead, setting in motion something with world-changing consequences. I loved our return to the world of zombies in 28 Years Later, calling it “a zombie tale that has incredible cinematography, a bombastic soundtrack, and an ending that you will not see coming.” I can say almost the same thing for this film, with the exception that this film has quite a bit of humor to it as the film centers on two people, Spike, who finds himself part of a gang led by an absolute nut, and Dr. Kelson, who starts up (are you ready for this?), a friendship with one of the bad guys from the first 28 Years film, the zombie he has named Sampson. This time, Spike is in the most trouble, as the gang he has unwillingly become a part of is led by a man, Sir Lord Jimmy, who thinks he is a direct descendant of Satan (known as Old Nick). Spike is just trying to survive without getting killed himself as the gang travels across the country, killing both zombies and regular people. In fact, they get more pleasure out of killing people than killing zombies, which they do with a striking matter-of-fact ease. Our other hero has tired of this life and takes a chance, trying to connect with Sampson. Ralph Fiennes gives us a remarkable performance as a man curious about how the zombies see the world and, by drugging Sampson into a stupor, has very one-sided conversations with him. This is an outstanding film that keeps the thrills and kills abundant, with a plot that you can't predict where it’s going, and a slice of humor found in unexpected places. It’s an incredible mix of just how bad people can be, while others can find humanity in the smallest interactions. Plus, did you ever think you would see a zombie film that features the playlist of Duran Duran? I sure didn’t, but I’m glad I did. I can’t wait to see what happens next! And yes, from the ending we see that there will be another 28 Years film in the future.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Dead Man’s Wire  (2025) R   Dead Man’s Wire follows Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), who, in February 1977, enters the office of a mortgage company, taking the president of the company hostage with a sawed-off shotgun wired with a ‘dead man’s wire.’ All Tony wants is some respect and the money that he feels is coming to him. Based on a true story (stay during the credits to see the real Tony Kiritsis in news reports), Bill Skarsgård gives a tour de force performance of a man who feels that his only move is to kidnap an executive of the mortgage company that he feels destroyed his dream of building a shopping mall. The film is buoyed by a performance by Coleman Domingo as a radio DJ who becomes the go-between the cops and Tony. I can’t say the same for Al Pacino’s performance as the head of the mortgage company that Bill wanted to be the one with the dead man’s wire attached to him. It’s a performance that is way too much Pacino and takes a lot of the air out of the film. Luckily, that conversation is pretty short, and the film picks up again quickly. Dead Man’s Wire is a captivating look at how a man's dreams can turn into a nightmare when the world is against him. My Rating: Full Price  Dead Man's Wire Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  The Rip  (2026) R   In The Rip, a team of Miami cops turn on one another after finding over $20 million in a stash house. Unsure whom to trust, tension escalates when outsiders get wind of the score, turning the night into a relentless nightmare. At the start of The Rip, we see the head of a police task force being hunted by two masked men. She sends a text message to someone, knowing that she is about to be killed. We find out that the message was sent to Lt. Dane Dumars (Matt Damon), the dead cop's second in command of the unit, who is incensed that there seems to be so little investigation going on in the killing of his boss. Thus begins a story full of twists and turns. It’s a story where you don’t know who to trust, including Dane’s best friend and fellow task force member JD (Ben Affleck), who we find out was having an affair with the slain cop. As you would expect, Affleck and Damon play off each other incredibly well. It’s disappointing that they couldn’t find a better part for Teyana Taylor, who is part of Dane’s team but is mostly in the background for most of the film. I found the action sequences a bit lacking, especially the night firefights, which are hard to follow. However, The Rip does a great job throughout most of the film, keeping you guessing just who to believe. Unfortunately, the film lets us down in the final scenes, which are both predictable and somewhat disappointing. It’s too bad that they couldn’t come up with a better ending and keep us in the dark until the end. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Rip Website  Now playing on Netflix

My View: All You Need is Kill  (2025) R  All You Need is Kill is about a young warrior named Rita who is trapped in a time loop after an alien invasion. She is forced to relive her death over and over until she meets another looped warrior named Keiji, and they team up to try to break the cycle. Based on the same novel as the Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow, the film is more about how Rita confronts her life as a loner who has to trust another person with her life, making it a very different experience to watch. The animation is outstanding, and the action sequences are fun and thrilling. This Japanese animated film is an electrifying and enchanting tale of courage, resourcefulness, and learning to believe not only in yourself but in another.  My Rating: Full Price  All You Need is Kill Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  The Voice of Hind Rajab  (2025) R  The Voice of Hind Rajab follows Red Crescent volunteers during a day when they receive an emergency call from a 6-year-old girl, Hind Rajab, pleading for help as she is trapped in a car under IDF fire in Gaza. While they try to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. This is a heartbreaking, tense film. I will warn you, it will be a tough watch, especially for parents. Based on a true story, the film uses actual recordings of the 6-year-old girl’s calls to the emergency call center. Using only Palestinian actors in the roles of the Red Crescent volunteers, the film lets us get to know some of the volunteers before the call comes in. Once the girl calls, it’s a cat-and-mouse game to get permission from the authorities to send an ambulance to rescue her. It’s a film full of tension as the pace increases, the longer the girl is stuck in the car, as each phone call becomes more frantic and the danger ramps up. This is a film full of courage, humanity, and sorrow, one that will be with me for a long time. While I am giving this film my highest rating, I don’t think I could ever watch it again. And I have a feeling that many parents that start watching this film may leave the theater before it end.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Voice of Hind Rajab Website   Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  State of Play  (2009) PG-13  A nationally known reporter, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) for a D.C. newspaper, discovers a series of deaths that are tied to a congressman (Ben Affleck) and a powerful company. With the help of the plucky newspaper blogger, Della (Rachel McAdams), they discover just how far the corporation will go to keep their secrets, and it could mean Cal and Della’s lives. This is one of those films where the star power is far more fun than the actual plot. The cast is impressive, with Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren in important roles. The storyline is a little messy, but it’s fun watching Crowe bully everyone around, and McAdams is great as the newspaper’s blogger that Cal takes under his wing to show her how to break a real story.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  State of Play Info  The film is available for rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits:  From the credits of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: Dr. Kelson Fire Performer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Send Help (2026) R Linda (Rachel McAdams) has the boss from hell in Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who tells her she has one last chance to impress him on an upcoming trip, or she is fired. When their plane crashes and the two find themselves stranded on a deserted island, things have changed. Now Linda is in charge, and Bradley is close to being fired or dead. When I saw the movie poster in a theater lobby, I didn’t recognize Rachel McAdams.  Send Help Website   In theaters on Friday, January 30, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Mr. Malcolm's List

My View: Mr. Malcolm’s List (2022) PG   Mr. Malcolm’s List takes place in 1800s England when a young woman helps her friend to get revenge on a man who has rejected her because she didn’t meet the requirements on his list for a bride. Fans of Jane Austin and Bridgerton will be happy with this romantic comedy, though the film is not quite as witty as Austin’s work or as steamy as the Netflix hit. This is an enjoyable tale of trickery and finding love in the most unexpected places (though you can see what will happen from almost the first frame). The film is helped by a winning cast led by Freida Pinto as Selina, the friend who reluctantly helps her best friend, Miss Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), get revenge when Miss Thistlewaite is quickly rejected by England’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm (Sope Dirisu). Of course, plans turn into romance and betrayal, as with any period romance of this time. It’s up to fate and maybe a little meddling to help everyone figure out who loves who and achieve that happy ending we all want. While it might not meet all your ‘Bridgerton’ needs, Mr. Malcolm’s List is a fun romp that just might tide you over until the next season appears.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Mr. Malcolm's List Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide

My View: The Forgiven (2021) R  A wealthy London couple (Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain) are on their way in the Moroccan desert to a lavish weekend party when their car strikes and kills a local teenage boy. Consequently, the couple, with the help of their friends, cover up the incident. However, trouble arrives when the boy’s father arrives seeking justice. This is a dark tale about the rich, where they are proud of their lack of morals if only to give them something to do because they are so bored with life. Fiennes and Chastain are a couple that can barely stand each other. She is a failed children’s book writer who hasn’t written a thing in eight years, and he is a doctor whose practice is falling apart due to his alcoholism. They are on their way to a party in a remote location in the desert hosted by a gay couple, Richard (Matt Smith) and Dally (Caleb Landry Jones). Along the way, the doctor and his wife hit and kill a young man with their car. Once the couple finally arrive at the party, with the dead body in their backseat, the story branches off into two stories; the seduction of the doctor’s wife by a wealthy American playboy (Christopher Abbott) and the doctor’s journey to go with the dead boy’s father back to their home to bury his son. This is a story full of people you don’t like, making shallow and self-serving choices, with the only question being, will the father of the dead young man get his revenge, or will somehow the doctor talk/will his way out. I enjoyed the dance of seduction that Chastain and Abbott have, but I got tired of the bashing over the head that the rich are horrible, ugly, and shallow. The ending can be seen from a sand dune away, and the film gives one a bit of a feeling like the aftereffects of a party that didn’t quite meet your expectations.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee   The Forgiven Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Princess (2022) R  A young princess (Joey King) refuses to marry a man she does not love and is locked away in her father’s castle. Now the man she spurned is hell-bent on taking her father’s throne, and the Princess must escape and fight back to save the kingdom. They have no idea who they are messing with because she is The Princess. Let me say that I was surprised, almost shocked at the start of this film, when little Joey King, star of The Kissing Booth series, killed 7 or 8 bad guys in very bloody ways in the first five minutes of the film. Kind of a ‘The Raid’ in reverse, The Princess must escape from the very top of the castle and fight her way down to the ground to rescue her family from the evil wanna-be King, played by Dominic Cooper. Little does this man, who is trying to steal a kingdom, know that our heroine has been training her whole life for this occasion. The Princess fights her way, killing and maiming numerous soldiers until she meets her match in the evil wanna-be King’s lead assassin, Moria (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who wields a deadly whip with the best of them. I love sword fights, and this film has plenty of them, with a bit of martial arts thrown in. The action is fast and heavy, and King makes a nimble and fun action hero kicking bad guy butts all over the place. Fans of King will have fun with The Princess as she fights through a gauntlet of bad guys on her way to a showdown that won’t disappoint.   My Rating: Full Price   The Princess Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Doula (2022)   When a couple’s (Troian Bellisario, Arron Shiver) midwife suddenly dies, the couple decide to hire the late midwife’s son, Sascha (Will Greenberg), to replace her. It’s a decision that could change all of their lives. This is a film that explores relationships and how the trials and tribulations of pregnancy can affect them. Deb and Silvio are a couple who found out that Deb was pregnant three weeks into their relationship. Silvio is dealing with an ex-wife and son, while Deb is realizing that her world has quickly changed from being the center of her life to one that will be responsible for another life. Add in that Silvio is pretty spineless when dealing with his ex-wife and tends to forge ahead with plans without consulting Deb. Adding to the tension is Sascha, who seems to just go with the flow, willing to allow Deb to do just about anything she wants, including smoking weed and drinking. Deb is a woman who doesn’t want to give up her very active life, including playing basketball with her friends so close to her delivery date. The film doesn’t always hit the right notes ( there is a bizarre set of scenes where Silvio goes to a party and gets high on mushrooms), but it does a great job of giving us a look at all the emotions and stresses that pregnancy can provide us with, making a mess of things until a certain someone makes an appearance and changes their outlooks forever.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Doula Info Now available on most digital platforms.

Indiefest: Accepted (2021)   Accepted is a documentary about the students of the TM Landry Prep School, a learning institution where a remarkable 100% percent of its students go on to college, most to some of the elite and prominent colleges in the nation. However, an explosive NY Times article exposes the controversial teaching methods of the school and the possible cheating that the school fosters. This is three documentaries in one. The film starts as a documentary about an unlikely success story of how a small school, using unconventional methods, is getting students into college at an astounding success rate. Then the documentary turns when a NY Times report (along with some other red flags) tells a different story of not only the possible fabrication of records but also abuse. When the documentary crew is no longer given access to the school, the filmmakers then turn to the students who were left behind to deal with the mess of a school that begins to fall apart at the seams. This is an exploration of the college admissions scandal from not the rich and privileged side of the story but from those who don’t have the resources or the money to make it into the top schools. This is a film that gives us a look at just how hard it is to get into ‘the best schools’ and how the early success of a small school may have bred a culture of immense pressure to live up to an almost impossible standard to keep. The film is full of heroes and villains, but sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. All we learn from this emotional and powerful film is that the children are the victims.   My Rating: Full Price  Accepted Website   Now playing in select theatres and On-Demand.

Forgotten Film: 28 Weeks Later (2007) R  Six months after a virus that made people into zombies moved across England, the US Army has secured a small area of London to allow people to start living their lives again. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans can’t anticipate the ruthless march of the zombies. Rare is it that a sequel matches the original, but in this case, 28 Weeks Later matches the glory of 28 Days Later (2002). The two films do feel different (Danny Boyle directed the first film with built suspense slowly), as this film, directed by Juan Carlos Frenadillo) right from the start hits you hard with zombies attacking a farmhouse and then doesn’t let up. The film is aided by a great cast, including Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Rose Byrne, and Idris Elba. You can see this film without seeing the first one (though it does help a bit), and the action is both scary and thrilling as the zombies seem to be multiplying in both their population and their determination. However, a warning; this film may create a few nightmares for you.   My Rating: Full Price    28 Weeks Later Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Princess:  Phantom Camera Operator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Beast  (2022)  R  A father, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), and his two daughters (Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley) are on vacation in Africa. They soon find themselves hunted by a massive lion that has gone rogue and is on a killing spree. Nate and his daughters encounter a lion that is hell-bent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator. I think all I need to know is in the trailer. I’m in!  Beast Website

Gimme Shelter

Indiefest:  Gimme Shelter (2014) PG-13   Apple Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens) has lived a hard life, living in foster homes while her-drug addicted mother (Rosario Dawson) is in jail. Fed up with her living conditions, she decides to try and find her father (Brendan Fraser), a man whom she has never met.  Hudgens, who is almost unrecognizable in the role, is the reason to see this film.  She is brave in her portrayal of a young woman who is trying to find her place in a very tough world.  Hudgens gives everything she has to the role but is let down by a script that never can quite capture the subject matter.  The film has a good supporting cast with James Earl Jones playing a priest who helps Apple and Ann Dowd playing Kathy, the woman who runs the shelter where Apple ends up.  This film is an earnest film that just doesn’t quite hit the mark, which makes it seem more like an “afterschool special” from the 1970’s.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Gimme Shelter Website

Indiefest:  The Invisible Woman (2013) R  Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), during his time, is the most famous person in the world. His books are best sellers, and his book tours sell out every time. It all could come crashing down when the married Dickens meets Nelly (Felicity Jones), a young actress with whom he becomes romantically involved. Will Dickens risk scandal to be with the love of his life? This is an extremely slow moving film, as it takes forever for Dickens to finally bed Nelly.  I thought that Jones was perfect in the role of the feisty girl who wants to be independent in a time that looked down on that thought.  I didn’t like Fiennes in the role of Dickens.  Dickens was a rock star of his time, someone who was instantly recognized and was known for his book tour performances.  Fiennes plays him as a rather restrained person, and I never got the Dickens charisma from Fiennes’ performance.  It’s an interesting film but doesn’t quite have the passion that it should have for the romance between two strong individuals.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Invisible Woman Facebook page

Forgotten Film:  Sisters (1973) R Brian De Palma directs this film which plays like a horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.  Grace (Jennifer Salt) is a reporter with a reputation for being tough on cops in her articles.  She witnesses, from her apartment window, a murder of a man by a woman in an apartment across the street.  Grace calls the cops, but they can’t find any trace of the murder.  With the help of a private investigator (Charles Durning) she tries to find out if there really was a murder and, if so, who did it.  This murder mystery has so many twists and turns, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what is happening, but Salt is so good in the role of Grace that you will want to stay and help her figure out what really happened.  My Rating:  Full Price  Sisters Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)  Sequal to Planes (2013), which made many critics bottom ten lists.  Disney, please quit releasing to theatres movies that were meant to be direct to video films!  Planes: Fire & Rescue Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Captain Phillips (2013)  PG-13 Based on a true story, the American ship, Maersk Alabama, captained by Richard Philips (Tom Hanks), becomes the first U.S. ship in two hundred years to be hijacked by pirates.  The Somali pirates want millions of dollars to return the ship and its crew.  Can Capt. Philips and his crew stall long enough for help to arrive? This is Tom Hanks' best performance in years as he plays the New Englander Capt. Philips to perfection.  The last five minutes of the film show why Hanks Oscar snub for Best Actor is so wrong.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  Captain Phillips Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Invisible Woman:  Hair coordinator: crowd

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Godzilla (2014)  The film has really excited the fan-boys because of a killer trailer where you only get glimpses of the monster.  The film had me at “starring Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston.”  Godzilla Website

Until Next Time!