The Odyssey

My View:  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). Christopher Nolan is one of our best and most prolific filmmakers today. I mean, who else could get people to buy IMAX tickets a year before the film is released, without seeing a trailer or even footage? First, go see this film in a theater; the bigger the better. You may not be one of the lucky ones who live near an IMAX that is showing the movie on IMAX film (there are only 24 IMAX theaters in the US that are), at least see it in a theater that is showing it with 70 mm digital, or if you are lucky, a theater showing it on 70mm film. Do not wait to see this film on a computer or home screen. You need to see this film in a theater where the screen and its cinematography can immerse you in a world that is part horror, part fantasy, and a fantastic, mind-blowing epic journey. While this isn’t a full-out horror film, it has a cyclops that tears off men’s heads, giant armored men that can throw a man off his feet, and a witch that tricks men into eating unspeakable things, dragon-like monsters, sirens that can drive a man mad with their songs, plus numerous bloody battles that are incredibly violent. However, this is the story of Odysseus, a man who so believes in himself and his abilities that he can defy the Gods and make his own way home without their help. Odysseus is a man driven to return home but burdened by his past and his doubts about his ability to get back. He is a man who thinks he can’t be defeated and believes he is almost God-like, but because of this, he is prone to making very human mistakes, some of which he seems never to learn from. Nolan does a masterful job of turning a complex, long tale into a story. I suspect some will be scared off by the three-hour runtime, but the film moves at a pace that keeps the adventures of Odysseus and his men moving from one roadblock to another. The highlight of the film is the Trojan Horse portion (which surprised me by not being at the beginning of the film but about a third of the way in), which Nolan shows us with incredible flair and tension-building. Nolan also gets the most out of his cast, with Matt Damon carrying most of the heavy load of the hero of the story with energy and bravado. Tom Holland does a brilliant job as Odysseus’s son Telemachus, who is left behind by Odysseus when he was a baby and keeps the faith that his father will return to his rightful place as king. Robert Pattinson is perfect as the weasel Antinous, a man who plans to wed Penelope and become king, as he plots to kill Telemachus along the way. Pattinson’s performance is so good that I expected the audience to boo him at times. While they don’t do that, they did laugh at his attempts to get others to do his dastardly bidding. It’s to Nolan’s credit that there isn’t a bad performance in the cast, and it’s going to be hard to pick out which actors should be nominated for Oscars. I predict that, like Nolan’s Oppenheimer, this film will garner a slew of award nominations and be the frontrunner for Best Picture. The Odyssey is a magical film that combines the wonder of the old Ray Harryhausen films with the drama of Homer, Virgil, and Euripides. So put on your helmet and armor and go on an epic journey where one man tried to defy the gods and get back home. The journey is long but worth every step.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Odyssey Website   Now playing in theaters, including IMAX

Indiefest:  Romeria  (2025)  Spanish director Carla Simon gives us a tale of hidden secrets and discovery in Romeria. When Marina (Llucia Garcia) applies for a college scholarship, she learns that her late father never claimed to have a child. The only way she can claim the scholarship is by getting her father’s parents to sign a notarized document stating that she is indeed their daughter. Marina then travels to a seaside town to visit a side of her family that she has never known, as both her parents died when she was a baby, and then she was adopted. Marina soon discovers that her parents' story is a closely guarded secret, and she slowly peels it back through dogged determination to find the truth. This is a film that slowly builds, letting us get to know Marina, and we are along with her on a journey in a new land, guided only by her mother’s diary and a few morsels of information that her relatives reluctantly give. Llucia Garcia gives us a multi-layered performance of a character who is independent, determined, and, while mostly staying in the background at family gatherings, isn’t shy about asking about her parents, especially when alone with a family member. She also isn’t above eavesdropping on conversations about her and her parents when the family members don’t know she is listening. This is a film about how generations deal with grief and shame, trying to keep their troubles hidden behind locked doors, never publicly exposing the truth, and also keeping out any feelings for the deceased. Romeria is a story full of surprises and compassion for lost souls who never found their way back into the light until Marina dug further into their lives.  My Rating: Full Price  Romeria Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  The Python Hunt  (2025)   Every year, the state of Florida invites the public to hunt pythons in the Everglades. For 10 nights, a group of hunters from across the states and the world travel across the Everglades in search of the gigantic snakes, risking everything from poisonous snakes to boredom to win a cash prize and say they are python hunters. This documentary concentrates on some unique and bizarre individuals from a man from San Francisco who every day shaves another part of his beard, to a hard drinking 82-year-old woman who just wants the thrill of putting a knife into a pythons brain to a former professional snake hunter who has been suspended from hunting and is now a Door Dash deliver who dreams of hunting the big snakes again with his teen daughter. As you would expect from a documentary set in the Everglades of Florida, the people in this film are rather strange and seem more about being in the hunt than actually getting results. As the hunt goes on, we see people losing interest in going out every night (when the pythons are most active) and driving up and down roads, looking with spotlights for snakes that are hard to find, especially when you stay in your truck. The film embraces how ridiculous this hunt is and how little it accomplishes, while allowing the state of Florida to bring in tourists under the excuse of helping local wildlife. I loved the shots of pythons being illuminated by the searchers’ spotlights, but no one sees them as they move along undisturbed. The film does a great job of showing just how hard it is to hunt these reptiles and how the contest (just over 200 pythons killed in the ten days) is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the problem the snakes might pose. Or, as the film points out, that man himself is the problem with the vanishing wildlife and not the snakes themselves. So, grab a spotlight, get into your truck, and go out into the night with a strange and funny group of hunters. You might learn a thing or two; just watch where you walk when you get out of your truck.  My Rating: Full Price   The Python Hunt Website  Now playing in select theaters and available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Forgotten Film:  The Golden Voyage of Sinbad  (1973)  G  Sinbad (John Philip Law) goes on a quest to find three golden tablets that will give him access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge. Sinbad picks up a slave girl, Margiana (Caroline Munro), and they race against the evil magician Koura (Tom Baker), who will do anything to get the tablets. The film showcases Ray Harryhausen’s incredible stop-motion animation, featuring amazing, fantastical creatures, including a six-armed Kali statue that comes to life and engages in a sword battle with Sinbad. The storyline is a little weak, and John Philip Law looks great but can’t act, but it’s got the Harryhausen magic and one of the most beautiful actresses in cinema at the time, Caroline Munro, who, when I saw it in 1973, I was in love with. I can even tell you which theater I saw this film in.  My Rating:  Full Price (hey, a Cyclops Centaur, a Griffin, and a six-armed swordsman are worth the rating, don’t you think).  The Golden Voyage of Sinbad Info  The film is available on most online platforms

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Odyssey:  Bambooman

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  The Dink  (2026)  PG-13   The Dink follows a washed-up former tennis prodigy, Dusty (Jake Johnson), who, to survive, has been forced to teach tennis to children at his father’s (Ed Harris) failing country club. After Dusty is injured, his rehab assignment is pickleball, a sport that he thinks is stupid and beneath his talent. Little does he know, pickleball could save both the country club and his self-respect. The cast includes Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, tennis great Andy Roddick, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, and Chris Parnell.   The Dink Info  Premiering on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 24, 2026

Until Next Time!

The Drama

My View:  The Drama  (2026) R   In The Drama, a happily engaged couple, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), are about to get married. However, their relationship is about to be put to the test when an unexpected, shocking, and explosive crisis sends their plans all to hell just days before their wedding. I will not spill what the crisis is, but it is shocking and would test any relationship. This is a film that starts out as a rom-com with a ‘meet cute’, a funny first date, and even a funnier first kiss. Then writer/director Kristoffer Borgli takes us on a trip to a very dark comedy that will make you squirm in your seat and maybe even gasp out loud a few times. You will be on the edge of your seat for every scene as things go further and further down a very rough and rock-filled rabbit hole. I think I even tried to look away at one point, but couldn’t. I loved Zendaya's and especially Robert Pattinson's performances, though you might not like their characters by the end of the film. Pattinson is brilliant in the role of a man whose world is shaken to the core and who puts too much faith in other people’s opinions. And I want to point out that Alana Haim’s performance is outstanding as the Maid of Honor who turns very quickly on Emma and doesn’t let up in her utter contempt. This is a film that you will talk about for days, and if you are like me, you may never want to see The Drama again. Not because it’s bad; in fact, it is amazing. It’s just darn uncomfortable to watch. And please, please don’t take anyone to see this on a first date. If you do, you may never see them again.  My Rating: Full Price  The Drama Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

Familyfaire:  The Super Mario Galaxy Movie  (2026)  PG   The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues the adventures of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. The gang is joined by Yoshi as they travel across the galaxy, exploring cosmic worlds as they face off against Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr. I did not like the 2023 film, and I found this one was even worse. My afternoon screening was filled with more adults than kids, which means its audience is full of fans of the games and that this film will make a boatload of money. Like the first film, I think only young kids and those video game fans will enjoy this film. Like the first film, it feels like the writers did one of their usual let’s throw everything up on the screen and hope some of it’s funny, which the Illumination studio is famous for. What I liked about the first film was the interaction between Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (voiced by the Anya Taylor-Joy) but sadly, Peach doesn’t have much to do after the opening sequence as this she is held in Bowser Jr.’s castle, with Mario, Luigi, Toad and new addition Yoshi on a mission to save her. The animation is colorful but unimaginative, and the storyline is one long video game, and once again, we don’t have any controllers to make the film move along. Now, gamers are going to love all the Easter eggs the film has and a few new characters that will delight some of the crowd. I found the film boring, unfunny, and stupid, with little thought given to character development or plot. However, I realize I am not the intended audience, and others may have a good time with the characters. I certainly didn’t. And once again, there are two bonus scenes, one mid-credits and the other at the very end of the film, that may make some gamers happy.  My Rating: Cable The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Fantasy Life   (2025)  R   Fantasy Life follows Sam (Matthew Shear), a law school dropout who has just lost another job. His psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch) gives him a job babysitting the psychiatrist’s three granddaughters, and Sam soon falls for Dianne (Amanda Peet), the mother of the girls, who just happens to be in a bad marriage. Amanda Peet hasn’t been in a movie in ten years, and boy, have we missed her. Peet is perfect as Dianne, a woman who is dealing with mental health issues, along with an absent husband and a career as an actor that she thinks has forgotten about her. In walks Sam, a mess himself, who has anxiety attacks and needs a job. The two find they can quietly and lovingly support each other as they navigate life's ups and downs. With a brilliant, quirky supporting cast, the film slowly unfolds as we spend time with Sam, Dianne, and her family. Fantasy Life is a film you let wash over you, enjoying the performances that capture everyday life in a chaotic world that sometimes gets the best of us. My Rating: Full Price  Fantasy Life Website  Now playing in select theaters

My View: Pizza Movie  (2026)  Pizza Movie is about two college roommates, Jack (Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), who take an experimental drug called M.I.N.T.S and must go on a dangerous journey to pick up the only thing that will bring them down: a pizza. That dangerous journey? They have to travel two flights of stairs to their dorm lobby. Pizza Movie is a film where you question what drugs filmmakers Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney were taking when writing the script. The film is out of this world nuts, with some incredibly funny situations and others that are just out and out stupid and don’t work. However, the film never stays too long on one aspect and keeps throwing obstacles the guys have to overcome to get to that pizza. The great thing about this film is that it just keeps trying to outdo the last scene, and it does many times. Matarazzo and Giambrone have incredible chemistry on the screen and make this film work, along with the addition of Lulu Wilson as someone who fits better with the two roommates than the group she is trying too hard to fit into. And hey, any film where Daniel Radcliffe voices a rogue butterfly is a movie you just might have fun with. Just don’t take a mint if it’s offered to you while watching this film. It would be a mistake. Unless you have pizza nearby!   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Pizza Movie Website    Now playing on the Hulu platform

Forgotten Film:  Monsoon Wedding (2001) R  The Verma family of Delhi is coming from far and wide to see Aditi (Vasundhara Das) marry Hemant (Parvin Dabas), a computer programmer from Houston. Hemant is considered somewhat of an outsider, but in this arranged marriage, that’s not the only problem with this wedding. This is a fun and delightful movie where secrets are to be kept, romances blossom, and a wedding might just fall off its wheels before the couple can say their vows.  My Rating: Full Price  Monsoon Wedding Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie:  Head of Render Wranglers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Sheep Detectives (2026) PG  Every night, a sheepherder (Hugh Jackman) reads a mystery novel to his herd before they bed down for the night. When one morning they find he is dead, the sheep realize that his death is under mysterious circumstances, and they set out to solve the crime. This is truly one of the weirdest trailers I have seen in a theater. The voice cast is outstanding, so let’s wait and see what happens.   The Sheep Detectives Website The film will be out in theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Until Next Time!

Mickey 17

My View:  Mickey 17  (2025) R  Mickey 17 is about Mickey (Robert Pattinson), who is unhappy with his life, and so he signs up to be an ‘expendable’, a disposable crew member on a space mission. As an expendable, Mickey is given dangerous tasks because he can be ‘renewed’ if he dies. Two problems: He renews with his memories intact, and something has gone wrong, and now there are two Mickeys. I have been a fan of Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho for quite a while. His films like The Host (2006), Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017), and Parasite (2019) were imaginative, creative and always had a biting sense of humor that combined with a lot to say about the state of the world, politics, and class. So it’s no surprise that Mickey 17 combines all of those factors and more into a delightful film that goes on too long to keep the film from feeling bloated and a bit out of control. Pattinson is enjoyable in the role of the sad-sack Mickey, who, while he gets the girl, keeps getting killed in lots of horrible ways. It’s a brilliant performance that Pattinson milks for everything he can, especially when the 2nd Mickey shows up, giving us two different takes on what we might have thought would be the same person but aren’t. There are some hilarious moments, mostly because of Pattinson’s way of making Mickey go along with his fate, no matter how bad it’s going to be. The film takes too long to get to the end, and it seems that Bong seems to lose the focus of the film, throwing out too many ideas at us, including some retreads of subjects from his previous films like Okja and Snowpiercer. Still, I had fun watching Mickey keep dying, and while watching Naomi Ackie as Nasha, Mickey’s girlfriend, have a blast playing a woman who loves Mickey but wants a little bit more. I wish the film had kept its focus on the subject and gotten to a conclusion sooner.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mickey 17 Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View: In the Lost Lands  (2025) R  In the Lost Lands, a powerful witch named Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich) and a hunter named Boyce (Dave Bautista), who journey into a dangerous landscape known as the “Lost Lands” to retrieve a magical artifact for a queen. Gray is the only one who knows that every spell she casts has unimaginable consequences. I have become a big fan of Dave Bautista, and while I don’t think Milla Jovovich is a great actress, she has a charisma that bursts off the screen. Add in that this film isn’t based on a video game but a short story by George R.R. Martin, and it should have been at least watchable. However, it’s not. The dialogue is so bad that it is laughable, and while the action sequences are fun, there isn’t enough of them to make the film work on that level. Instead, we get a film with too many working parts, a couple of big scenes that end way too easily, and an ending that is pleading for a sequel or two. In the Lost Lands reminded me of those straight-to-video sword and sorcerer films of the 80s, and we have gone too far to go back to those days. My Rating: Cable    In the Lost Lands Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Familyfaire:  Plankton: The Movie (2025) TV-PG  In Plankton: The Movie, tired of being taken for granted, Karen the Computer is going to do what Plankton has failed to do over the past twenty-five years: Take over the world. Plankton now has to stop her with the help of a few friends, including one named SpongeBob. SpongeBob fans will have fun with this film, as two of the supporting characters, Plankton and his ‘wife’ Karen the Computer, are featured in this film about Karen quitting being in Plankton’s shadow and taking over the world herself. There are plenty of songs in the film, and small kids will love all the hijinks that Plankton and Karen get into. No fear, SpongeBob fans, as he will help defeat Karen’s attempt at taking over the world, and everything will return to normal.  Well, normal for the world of SpongeBob and his friends.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Plankton: The Movie Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  There’s Still Tomorrow  (2023)  There’s Still Tomorrow is set in postwar 1940s Italy, where Delia (Paola Cortellesi) is in an unhappy marriage and the mother of three. She sees that her oldest daughter is about to repeat the same mistake that Delia did by going into a bad marriage, and plots to stop the marriage in any way she can. There’s Still Tomorrow is a film about love lost, domestic violence, trying to make up for mistakes of the past, and sacrifice. Directed by Paola Cortellesi, she also stars as the film’s central character, a woman who is in an unhappy marriage with a man who hits her for any little mistake she makes, all the while she struggles to keep her family together in a post-WWII Italy. Cortellesi commands the screen, and we root for her character as we follow her on a quest to help her daughter get out of under the control of her husband. This is a usual film, as some scenes where Delia is abused are shown as musical dance numbers. It’s a surreal look at a serious subject and takes a bit of getting used to. Shot in beautiful black and white, as an homage to the films shot in Italy after the war, the film makes a case for Delia to leave and find happiness with an old love she broke up with long ago. The film is worth watching because of Cortellesi’s performance and for the last ten minutes of the film, which gives us an ending that you will not expect. There’s Still Tomorrow is an incredible film that covers a lot of subject that isn’t beautiful at all but has a character at its center that you will fall in love with.  My Rating: Full Price  There's Still Tomorrow Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

My View:  Picture This  (2025)   In Picture This, Pia (Simone Ashley) is a struggling photographer who receives a prediction: true love and career success await her on her next five dates. The only problem is her ex (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) has reappeared, throwing her love life and career into a big mess. Picture This is a rom-com that has more comedy than romance, mostly because the romance part doesn’t start until near the end of the film, in a very Hallmark way. The film works because of Simone Ashley, who has a knack for comedy, and the camera loves her. The film has our heroine trying to make a go of it as a portrait photographer while telling the world and her parents that she may never get married or have kids. We all know what will happen, but it’s fun to see Pia go on the four dates, all of which end in one disaster or another. Picture This is an enjoyable film that, while predictable, works because the lead is so funny and captivating. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Picture This Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime.

My View:  The Rule of Jenny Pen  (2025)  R  In The Rule of Jenny Pen, a former judge (Geoffrey Rush), after having a stroke, is sent to a secluded rest home, confined to a wheelchair. He becomes the target of a fellow resident (John Lithgow), who torments the residents at night with a child’s puppet, abusing them with deadly consequences. I had high hopes for this film due to the pairing of Lithgow and Rush, two actors who, when given just about anything, are at the top of their game. Unfortunately,, the two are let down by a script that starts strong but can’t sustain the suspense and takes itself into a corner it can’t escape. From the trailer, I was expecting a horror film mixed with a psychological thriller. I wanted a film where the two characters were in a war of wits, but instead, it was the strong taking advantage of the weak. Like the doll that Lithgow’s character carries around, the plot is hollow and short on any sort of scares. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Rule of Jenny Pen Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: Becoming Katharine Graham  (2025)  This is a documentary on Katharine Graham, who went from being a housewife to running The Washington Post during a time when the Vietnam War and the dirty tricks of the Nixon administration were tearing the country apart. This is a brilliant documentary on an amazing woman who became CEO of a publishing company when women were seen as only secretaries in the workforce; Katherine worked for a few years until they could get married and then take care of the household, their bread-winning husband, and raise a few kids. We see that Graham, who took over the reins of the Post when her husband committed suicide, had to learn very quickly how to survive in a ‘man’s world,’ but she soon put her mark on the company. The film focuses on key moments in Graham’s life: her marriage that ended so tragically, the release of the Pentagon Papers, which cemented the opposition to the Vietnam War, the Watergate break-in and coverup, which to the Washington Post, ultimately brought down a President, and then a crippling union strike at the Post. It’s an amazing story, one that, when both the book and Oscar-winning movie All the President’s Men came out, ignored her courageous role in the continuing coverage of the Watergate break-in. I learned just how alone the Washington Post was when they started and continued the coverage of Watergate. Graham, even when Nixon and his associates tried to ruin Graham, stood fast and kept fighting. Becoming Katharine Graham is a film that needs to be seen in our current times, showing how important a free press is to democracy, keeping us safe from those who would rather only let one side of the story be told.  My Rating: Full Price   Becoming Katharine Graham Website Now playing on Amazon Prime. 

Forgotten Film:  Memphis Belle  (1990) PG-13  In 1943, a crew of a B-17 airplane based in the UK prepares for its 25 mission. If they come back from this bombing mission over Germany, they get to go back home to the US. It’s going to take all the skill and luck that the crew has to get back to base. Based loosely on a WWII documentary of the same name, the film shows us just how dangerous their bombing raids were and how it took the crew right to the edge to complete their mission. The cast is full of young actors from the late 80s and ‘90s who were either stars or about to be, including Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D. B. Sweeney, Billy Zane, and Sean Astin. This is a well-made war film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with some outstanding performances.  My Rating: Full Price  Memphis Belle Info  Available to rent/buy on Apple TV and Amazon. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Mickey 17:  Standby Property Hands

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: A Minecraft Movie  (2025) PG  Four misfits suddenly find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal, landing in a strange, cubic world that thrives on creativity and imagination. To get back home, they will need help from a peculiar resident to master this bizarre world. The cast includes Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen. In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

You're Cordially Invited

My View: You’re Cordially Invited  (2025)  R  In You’re Cordially Invited, Margot (Reese Witherspoon) is planning her sister’s wedding, and Jim (Will Ferrell) is the father of another bride-to-be. They discover their destination weddings are double-booked, so they decide to share the venue. What could go wrong? How about everything? You’re Cordially Invited is a film that, with the cast it has, should be much funnier and happier than it ends up being. The story is about two miserable people who expect too much from others to be happy in the moment. This is more of a raunchy comedy than a rom-com, though it tries very hard to put Ferrell and Witherspoon into the romantic side by the end of the film, but it feels like the film is vastly overstepping that outcome. Most of the comedy falls flat, and the much-anticipated alligator scene (see the poster) is incredibly forced into really bad slapstick. There were too many times in this film that I wanted to go ‘don’t go there’ to director/writer Nicholas Stoller, but he kept pushing the film along with one cringy scene after another. Let’s put it this way, I never want to hear the old Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers song “Islands in the Stream" ever again. By the way, you can stay and listen to Ferrell/Witherspoon and the rest of the cast sing the song again and again during the credits. I wanted to scream 'Please stop singing!"  My Rating: Cable  You're Cordially Invited Info  Now playing on Prime Video. 

My View:  Companion  (2025)  R  In Companion, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) meets a dashing young man named Josh (Jack Quaid) at a grocery store. Josh talks Iris into a weekend getaway on his country estate, but there she learns an extraordinary thing: she is a sophisticated human companionship doll at Josh’s command. If it’s up to Iris, it won’t be for long. I had no idea what I was getting into, other than (spoiler alert, not really, it’s in the trailer) that Iris is a companion robot. I immediately figured out the first twist, but the rest took me for a fun ride. Companion is a suspense film with murder and mayhem, along with a dash of romance. The film paints itself into a corner that it has trouble getting out of, but it’s a twisted, fun story that gets a little bloody along the way. Sophie Thatcher has a blast playing Iris, someone we can root for, while also having a few laughs and a lot of shocks along the way. Just a warning: this film might change how you look at the ‘meet cute’ scenes in movies.   My Rating: Full Price   Companion Website    Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Love Me  (2024) R    Love Me is a post-apocalyptic romance in which a buoy and a satellite start communicating with each other and decide to explore what it would be like to be human. They both pick human forms (Kristen Stewart and Steven Yuen) and find that they are falling for each other. Love Me is a very strange love story that occasionally works, but most of the time, it seems to be a film that can’t find where it wants to go. Part sci-fi film, part romance with characters played first by a buoy and a satellite, then animated characters, and finally by human forms. The film explores the question of how we love, laugh, and experience life. The problem for our two characters is that they only have what was on the internet to help them figure out how to become a couple. I found the first 30 minutes to be the most interesting, as the two machines slowly develop a relationship. Once the two become animated in a weird world where they recreate a date over and over, the film slows down too much. When the two separate and explore how they see life and love on their own, the final third of the movie suffers. The ideas that the characters explore are probably too complex for two machines to find the answers to. By the end of the movie, I was uninterested in what happened to the two characters as I had lost interest in their attempts to become human long before they did.    My Rating: Cable  Love Me Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Valiant One  (2024) R  In Valiant One, a mission goes bad when a U.S. Army helicopter crashes in North Korean territory.  Now, a team of non-combat specialists must try to make it back to the South Korean side before being caught. The team is led by Captain Brockman (Chase Stokes) who isn’t too pleased to be taken off his desk duty to lead a bunch of reservists to fix a monitoring device placed near the DMZ. After their helicopter crashes, the team comes to the realization that they are in enemy territory and that no one will rescue them. It’s up to Brockman and his team to find a way back to the border before the North Koreans can find them. The cast is forgettable, with the exception of Lana Condor, who plays Specialist Selby, who becomes the sounding board for Brockman and is a kind of jack-of-all-trades type of soldier. Condor gives the film a badly needed spark when she is on screen. The film is more of your typical escape from the bad guys while dealing with the inner turmoil of a crew that didn’t think they would ever be in danger.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee  Valiant One Website    Now playing in theaters. 

Familyfaire:  Dog Man  (2025)  PG  Dog Man takes place when a human police officer named Knight and his dog partner Greg are injured together in an accident. A life-saving surgery puts Greg’s head on top of Knight’s body, and Dog Man is born. The film is based on the beloved and popular graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey and is directed by Peter Hastings, best known for writing over 70 episodes of the animated TV show Animaniacs. While not as over the top as Animaniacs was, this is an irreverent animated comedy that fans of the books will love, and parents will find some of the jokes funny, too. I loved the animation, which was lively and colorful. The characters are fun, with Lil Rel Howery’s Chief stealing every scene he is in. The film is fast-paced and features a lot of action sequences to keep small children engaged. Overall, Dog Man is an enjoyable film that kids will love, and parents won’t be too bored. There is a short The Bad Guys film at the beginning of Dog Man which doesn’t do a lot, but is harmless fun. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Dog Man Website  The film is now in theaters.

Forgotten Film: Into the Wild  (2007)  R Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) graduates from college as an honor student. He gives away all his possessions and money and takes off for the West Coast, then heads up to Alaska, armed with a sleeping bag and a few books on how to survive in the wilderness. Along the way, he meets people who impact his life. Directed by Sean Penn and based on a true story, this is a strange film that, while it has some fantastic performances, doesn’t quite tell the story in a way that makes the impact the ending should make. Still, there are some brilliant performances of the people that Christopher meets on his travels, including Hal Holbrook, Kristen Stewart, and Vince Vaughn.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee The film is available to buy/rent on most streaming services.

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Companion: Facial Hair Fabricator 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Mickey 17  (2025)  R  Mickey (Robert Pattinson) is unhappy with his life, so he signs up to be an ‘expendable’, a disposable crew member on a space mission. As an expendable, Mickey is given dangerous tasks because he can be ‘renewed’ if he dies. Two problems: He renews with his memories intact, and something has gone wrong, and now there are two Mickeys. From Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite).  Mickey 17 Website The film will be in theaters on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Until Next Time! 

The Boy and The Heron

My View: The Boy and The Heron (2023)  PG-13   The Boy and The Heron is about a young boy named Mahito who loses his mother in a fire and is haunted by her memory. His father has remarried and moved to a new house in the countryside. Mahito keeps hearing his mother call his name, and he sets out to find her in an abandoned and magical tower that will take him to a world he never knew existed. The Boy and The Heron is a film from legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who has, over the years, given us some of the greatest animated films in history (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises). Now he gives us what may be his last film, a very personal story of a boy trying to find the answer to why his mother left him in a world that is so strange and cold. When I see animated foreign films, I try to see them in their original language, as I did with this one. However, after seeing the voice cast for the English version, including Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, and Christian Bale, I regret that decision. The film is beautifully told as the young boy goes on a journey of discovery, helped along the way by unique characters, including a weird and threatening big heron who initially seems to be the enemy but becomes a friend to help the boy in his quest. This is a magical tale with fantastic animation, a brilliant score, and a storyline that will move you while also delighting you. This is a little more adult than the typical Miyazaki film, like Howl’s Moving Castle, so small kids might sometimes be a bit bored. But older kids and adults will be filled with wonder and awe as Mahito goes on his journey accompanied by a big, talkative bird. If The Boy and The Heron is the last film of Miyazaki, he is leaving us with a masterpiece. This film is a sure bet to be nominated for an Animated Feature Oscar and should be seen in a theatre.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Boy and The Heron Website Now playing theatres nationwide.

My View: Leave the World Behind (2023) R A wife (Julia Roberts) books her husband (Ethan Hawke) and their two kids a getaway to a luxurious rental home. This dream vacation takes an ominous turn when a massive cyberattack knocks out their services just as two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la Herrold) show up at their doorstep, stating that the house is theirs. This is one of those films that should have been better. The film has an outstanding cast, but I felt that, at times, they seemed a bit out of place. The movie is never scary, even though it deals with some terrifying ideas, but the film never finds the tension it needs to make us keep watching. Other than some creepy deer that keep showing up (we don’t know if they are trying to warn the characters or get revenge for murdering Bambi’s mom) and a few attempts of shocking us with a scene or two, the film never finds its momentum. It also feels like director Sam Esmail got a little too in love with the tricky camera shots, so much so that it took me out of the film each time he did something weird with the scene. I also hated that the soundtrack kept jumping in with music, sometimes stopping the movie to a dead stop so we could listen to a selection. I never cared for the people in the film, especially the Julia Roberts character, who we hate from almost the first frame of the film to the last. Leave the World Behind is a film that tried to say too much and make too much of a statement, and it never succeeded in making us afraid or care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Leave the World Behind Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: We Live Here: The Midwest (2023)  The documentary highlights the individual experiences of LGBTQI+ families who faced with discriminatory laws and rising hostility, try to live their lives in the heart of the country, a place that they dearly love. This is a documentary about families trying to live their lives in a part of the country that doesn’t always welcome different lifestyles. We Live Here is about the love of families and acceptance of who you are. One story the film follows is about Minnesota Representative and queer mother Heather Keeler, who uses her political know-how to bring LGBTQI+ rights to the forefront despite ongoing death threats. We Live Here: The Midwest is a film that shows you all sorts of families living in the Midwest, on farms or in cities, who aspire to be a part of their communities and live their lives as best they can. Families that are full of love and support. We need more of that in the world.   My Rating: Full Price  We Live Here Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: The Oath (2023) PG-13  In 400 AD, the last warrior of his people, Moroni (Darin Scott), is trying to survive while being hunted down by a ruthless king named Aaron (Billy Zane). King Aaron has banished his mistress, Bathsheba (Nora Dale), to the wilderness after savagely beating her. Moroni takes Bathsheba in even though she is the enemy, and she’s her a kindness she has never known. Can they survive in the wilderness together as King Aaron sends out his best warriors to find the last warrior? This was a film that was a very confusing experience. The film seems to believe that I know what this story is about and the history of the religion in the movie. The story is boring, with most of the film Moroni teaching Bathsheba about his beliefs and faith. We are teetering on the fine line of the ‘white savior’, saving the savage from a bad belief system to one that teaches how to live. The film ends with the hero finding peace with his beliefs and life. All this made sense when I saw the final credits, which I was not happy with. I won’t go into any more about this film, but to say it is a promotion piece for a religion, and it’s not very well done.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  The Oath Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Waking Life (2001) R Willy has returned to the town he grew up in. However, he has returned in his dreams. As he wanders around the town, he both listens to and engages in conversations with people he encounters. The discussions range from what is reality, whether their free will is really free, what makes up a relationship, and, of course, serious subjects like what our purpose on earth is. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Slacker), this is a beautifully animated film that Linklater uses to make us feel like we are part of Willy’s dream. Waking Life is a beautiful film that celebrates ideas and the exploration of people’s dreams from all walks of life. Note there are a few surprise appearances of characters from other films, so that adds to the fun. So, go on a journey with Willy to discover what makes the world tick.   My Take: Full Price  Waking Life Info  The film is available to rent or buy on Amazon or Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Leave the World Behind: Dental Prosthetics

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Anyone But You (2023)  Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) went on a first date that had sparks at first, but then things happened. Now they have been unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in, of all places, Australia. Their exes are also there, so they do what two mature adults would do: pretend they are a couple. This looks like it could be a fun rom-com to see to get away from the Christmas rush. Sweeney is coming off two Primetime nominations in 2022 for The White Lotus and Euphoria. Powell impressed film lovers with his role as Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick.   Anyone But You Website  The film is in theatres on Friday, Dec. 22th.

Until Next Time!

The Batman

My View: The Batman  (2022) PG-13  The Batman is about the Caped Crusader, Batman (Robert Pattinson), in his second year of fighting crime, uncovering corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while battling a criminal known as The Riddler for control of his city. When I was a boy, my favorite comic book character was Batman because he wasn’t a person with superpowers, but he used his gadgets and mind to solve crimes. Like the other hero of my childhood, Sherlock Holmes, Batman solved crimes using his intellect. What filmmaker Matt Reeves has brought us a Batman who is fighting a losing battle for control of a city that he loves. Pattinson is brilliant as the brooding crime-fighter trying to figure out who is killing the city’s most important and influential powerbrokers, as each gruesome killing is left with a riddle in a greeting card. Zoë Kravitz lights up the screen as Selina Kyle, Catwoman, who enlists The Batman to help her find her missing lover/roommate. Even so, it’s Paul Dano, who steals the film with his performance as The Riddler. For most of the film, we only see The Riddler in videos he releases, as he hides behind an odd bit of masking. Dano is scary as the mad, evil Riddler, who leaves clues for Batman at every murder he has committed. The Batman is not an origin story. We don’t get the usual flashback to when Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered before his eyes; instead, this is a Batman that we already know, a crime-fighter battling his own demons as he takes on the worst of humanity. And know this: you will not recognize Colin Farrell as The Penguin. It is a fantastic bit of screen magic with The Penguin looking more like a gangster than the quacking cartoon character of other Batman films. I will warn you that you will want to hold off on drinking anything before or during the film as the running time is almost 3 hours in length, and you won’t want to miss anything on the screen to take a pee break. And yes, the film sets up another Batman film, and of course, there is a tiny surprise at the end of the final credits. So go on a journey with the Batman to solve crimes and defeat the criminals that threaten his beloved Gotham City.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Batman Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Fresh (2022) R    Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is tired of the dating scene and has given up trying to find a good guy until she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), a charming guy who seems to be perfect. However, Noa is about to discover that dating can be horrible, even horrific. With an opening credits scene that doesn’t start until 30 minutes into the film, you know you are in for something different. Let’s just say that Steve isn’t who or what he says he is and that Noa is in a lot of danger. To say that this film has a big twist in it would be an understatement, and some viewers will give up when they encounter that twist. Still, if you have the stomach for it, the rewards are worth it. With two outstanding performances by Sebastian Stan, as the ever-charming Steve and Daisy Edgar-Jones as the down on dating Noa, who becomes our fearless hero, Fresh is a strange and wonderful film full of surprises. It is more commentary on dating and the power of relationship dynamics than a horror film. But don’t kid yourself; it can be pretty horrific. You may never look at a ‘meet cute’ get-together the same way again.   My Rating: Full Price  Fresh Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

My View:  The Weekend Away  (2022)   Beth (Leighton Meester) is on a weekend vacation, far from her husband and baby, to visit her best friend Kate (Christina Wolfe) in Croatia. After a night of partying, Beth discovers that Kate has been murdered. Consequently, Beth is in a foreign country with no friends, the main suspect for Kate’s death, and no way of knowing what happened. The Weekend Away is a standard murder mystery that is helped by an excellent performance by Leighton Meester, playing a woman who is taking a break from her family to party with her best friend. Meester is the only thing that saves this from becoming your ordinary basic cable mystery. The story is as old as Lifetime has been making movies, with a plot of a woman who can’t remember what happened after a night of partying and her friend disappearing. Add into the plot with your usual fear tactics thrown in about our hero all alone in a foreign country, having to trust a stranger, and the deck continually stacking against her. There are a few twists to the story, but anyone who has seen any number of true crime stories on TV can figure out who the killer is by the time our hero does. Is it worth an afternoon on a weekend to watch? Sure, but don’t expect much.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Weekend Away Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Lucy and Desi    (2022)  PG  This documentary explores the life and love of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who became one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment and changed TV forever. I will admit that I have never been a fan of I Love Lucy. I didn’t enjoy the characters, the wacky situations, and the constant mistrust between Lucy and Desi. While I admired Lucille Ball’s ability to make any scene funny, I just never was a big fan of the series. Having watched this outstanding documentary from Amy Poehler, my admiration for Lucille Ball has grown. Poehler utilizes home movies and tape recordings that Lucy made during her lifetime to give us an inside look at a couple that changed the way TV was produced and had such an impact on network television. So much so that it is still using the model that Lucy and Desi created, both in front and behind the camera. Lucy's fans will go nuts with all the behind-the-scenes photos and home movies (in glorious color the see that flaming redhead)  along with the amazing bits of publicity photos and films that were made during their careers. The film doesn’t just concentrate on Lucy but gives Desi a much-needed run in the spotlight, letting us see the man who was a driving force behind the scenes of what became a TV-producing machine that dominated the TV landscape for years. The film doesn’t put the blame on one person for the marriage falling apart. The film makes it clear that both parties had faults that made the marriage doomed from the start. That’s made even more evident when both Lucy and Desi found a second love that they spent the rest of their lives with. Lucy and Desi is a brilliant documentary about a couple whose love and partnership changed how people watched television. It is also a love story that will bring you much laughter and a few tears, just like their groundbreaking show did.    My Rating: Full Price   Lucy and Desi Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: After Yang   (2021) PG  In the near future, a family deals with the breakdown of their A.I. helper named Yang (Justin H. Min). Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to get Yang repaired, who has become an integral part of their family and Jake’s daughter’s beloved companion. Jake will soon discover that this life is full of wonder and revelations. This is a film about love, loss, and what it means to be a parent. Jake goes on a quest first to find a way to get his A.I. helper Yang repaired. Finding roadblocks after roadblocks, he gives up in his quest to restore Yang, and instead, discovering a secret memory chip in Yang, Jake goes on a journey to find out what made Yang who he was. After Yang is a film about a family and how its dynamic is threatened by the loss of a loved one, even if that person is a robot. Yang is an essential part of the family; part teacher, part nanny but most of all, a friend who helps the family discover things about themselves. After Yang is a powerful and meaningful film about a family that learns how to reconnect with each other after depending on someone else to do the connecting. Incredibly, this film is being released the same week that Colin Farrell gives an entirely different performance as The Penguin in The Batman. In After Yang, Farrell provides us with a man in Jake who has lost his way but finds his place back in his family by discovering what made Yang so unique. And by the way, the opening credits of the film make it worth the price of admission by itself.   My Rating; Full Price    After Yang Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Huda’s Salon (2021)  PG  Reem (Maisa Abd Elhadi) is a Palestinian woman with a newborn and an abusive husband. Reem's life changes forever on a routine visit to her hairdresser, Huda (Manal Awad). This is a film about two stories. One is the tale of a woman who is being blackmailed, and the other is the story of the blackmailer. In both cases, the two women are stuck in impossible situations, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Both women are tools of a system that keeps feeding on itself in a war that no one can win. Huda's Salon is a psychological thriller where you have no idea if or when these women can escape from their predicaments, and you realize that even if they do escape their present situation, their lives will never be the same. Of the two actresses, Abd Elahid, as Reem, the innocent mother who finds herself in an impossible situation, gives the better performance of a woman who looks for help but can only find that help from within.   My Rating: Full Price   Huda's Salon Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film:  Paperhouse   (1988)  PG-13   A lonely young girl (Charlotte Burke) draws a house with a young boy in a window. She then has a dream where she visits the boy, a boy who is disabled. The more she draws and dreams, the more she becomes immersed in a world that she may never escape. Paperhouse is a fascinating and lovely film about imagination and dreams and how they can come true and is one of those films that once you see it, it will stay with you a long time.   My Rating: Full Price    Paperhouse Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Batman: Virtual Reality Illustrator  

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Umma (2022) R  Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter (Fivel Stewart) live on an isolated farm, raising bees without modern technology. Their world is shaken when Amanda receives the cremated ashes of her estranged mother, and their lives are taken over by a restless, evil spirit that will stop at nothing to come back. Sandra Oh in a horror film? Count me in!    Umma Info

Until Next Time!