Project Hail Mary

My View: Project Hail Mary  (2026)  PG-13 In Project Hail Mary, science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no idea who he is or how he got there. He soon figures out that his mission is to somehow stop a mysterious substance from killing the sun. Ryland is not alone up there and discovers unexpected help from an alien. There are some films that you enjoy from beginning to end, and this is one of them. You are going to fall in love with the alien that Ryland names Rocky. Project Hail Mary is such a wonderful film, from brilliant and jaw-dropping effects to a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously laughing, that it is a wonder to behold. Gosling is perfect in the role of an everyman who isn’t trained to be an astronaut, much less a hero, but who is smart and willing to meet an alien life form not only halfway but become that life form's friend. While the running length may seem daunting at over two and a half hours, you never feel its length, as the story keeps you interested, excited, and joyful. There are some amazing space sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat, but the heart of this film is the friendship and trust that develops between Ryland and Rocky, as they try to save their worlds while feeling the weight of not wanting to fail. Project Hail Mary is a film full of wonder, humor, and suspense, and one you just might go see again.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Project Hail Mary Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Ready or Not 2: Here I Come  (2026)  R Ready or Not 2: Here I Come begins after surviving the game where the family Grace (Samara Weaving) was marrying into tried to kill her. She has now been kidnapped by four rival families, vying for a throne by killing her. To raise the stakes, Grace’s sister (Kathryn Newton) is now her partner in the new game. I loved the first film, Ready or Not, which I said was a perfect example of the definition of a ‘dark comedy,’ a film that makes light of a subject that is generally considered taboo, and I loved the gutty and fiery performance of Samara Weaving. While I enjoyed this film, as you would expect from a sequel, it doesn’t quite deliver the thrills of the original. Kathryn Newton’s addition to the cast as the estranged sister of Grace, who has a chip on her shoulder for being abandoned by Grace when she was 15, is a boon, as their interplay throughout is a lot of fun. There are still some fun kills, and yes, people do still blow up, getting blood everywhere (kind of a running gag in this one). I did enjoy the new characters, including the twins, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy, who have a very strange relationship. I will say that I was thrilled with the ending, so if you liked or loved the first film, go on another escape the nutty family with Grace, and this time you have her sister to help deal with all the blood. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Ready or Not 2 Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Tow  (2025)  R  Tow is about Amanda Ogle (Rose Byrne), a homeless woman in Seattle who has been living in her car for the past few years. Her world comes crashing down when her car is stolen and is found in a tow company's holding yard. To get her stolen car back, she will have to sue the company after receiving a bill that she can never afford to pay. Rose Byrne and a stellar supporting cast, including Demi Lovato, Dominic Sessa, Octavia Spencer, Ariana DeBose, Simon Rex, and Elsie Fisher, try to overcome both a script that tends to wander and a direction that never can find a place to concentrate on. We get a cast of characters that don’t help the storyline and are asked to say lines like, “No porn on the Lord’s Wi-Fi.” We get a lot of scenes of phone calls and texts between Amanda and her daughter, Avery (Elsie Fisher), that amount to a lot of feeling guilty and Avery feeling abandoned, all of which could be shown in one or two conversations, instead of every five to ten minutes. The final courtroom scene falls flat, making Amanda’s victory feel hollow and powerless. It’s a long way to go on a journey that never really gets started.   My Rating: Cable  Tow Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  André Is an Idiot  (2025)  André Is an Idiot is a documentary about a self-proclaimed ‘idiot’, André Ricciardi, who learns that, after skipping the colonoscopy that could have saved him, he is dying of colon cancer. He decides to go out with how he has always lived his life: with irreverence, humor, and curiosity. I really enjoyed this documentary, but man, I am glad that I never knew the guy because he would have driven me crazy. To say that André’s view of the world is a little off-kilter would be an understatement. However, if you are going on a journey with a man who is going to die of cancer, you might as well go on that journey with a guy who sees the world as his playground, and we are all just there for him to mock. There is a ton of animated scenes that illustrate Andre's kooky ideas, including a game show where contestants vie to kill him. André fights as long as he can and does it on his terms, and no one else is going to change his mind. My Rating: Full Price  Andre is an Idiot Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film: Cold Souls  (2009) PG-13  Paul (Paul Giamatti) is an actor preparing for his Broadway role in “Uncle Vanya”. However, Paul isn’t feeling it, and he learns that there is a doctor who can put his soul in storage, giving him a new outlook. When losing his soul doesn’t work, he asks for someone else’s and is given a new one, one of a Russian poet. It improves his performance but ruins everything else in his life, and he is desperate to get his old soul back. This is a very strange comedy that is worth seeing because of Paul Giamatti, who is brilliant in this strange, deadpan comedy that wonders if you really need a soul. My Rating; Full Price  Cold Souls Info  The film is available on Amazon Prime

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Project Hail Mary:  Royal Navy Logistics

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice  (2026) R   In Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Nick (Vince Vaughn), a mobster, must use a time machine to travel back in time to save his friend, Mike (James Marsden), from being murdered. To complicate matters, Nick has just found out that Mike has been having an affair with Nick’s wife (Eiza González). I love the tagline of the film, “A time-traveling, double-crossing, ass-kicking comedy.”  Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice Website  Premiering on Hulu on Friday, March 27, 2026.

Until Next Time!

How to Make a Killing

My View: How to Make a Killing  (2026)  R  How to Make a Killing is about Becket (Glen Powell), who was told by his mother when he was a child that he would someday be rich. That’s true, but unfortunately, there are seven people in his way to a 28 billion dollar inheritance. What would you do? I am a fan of Glen Powell, but this is not his best work. He is let down by a script that wants to be a dark comedy but forgets to be dark or comedic. Instead, it’s a bland attempt to redo the perfect 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets, and it doesn’t succeed (look for the very small credit in the closing credits for this film). Something that could have saved this film (besides some actual comedy) is Margaret Qualley, who tries her hardest to bring some life to the storyline as a childhood friend who is married (unhappily) to one of the heirs to the fortune. I wanted more of Qualley’s character in the film, but she only shows up occasionally to create tension. Most of the supporting cast is wasted, including Ed Harris, who doesn’t show up until near the end of the film. The tagline of the film is “Heir today, gone tomorrow.” Well, I wish tomorrow had come much sooner.  My Rating: Cable  How to Make a Killing Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Kokuho  (2025) Kokuho takes place in post-war Japan as Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa), the son of a yakuza mobster leader, sees his father gunned down. Years later, Kikuo is taken in by a renowned Kabuki actor, Hanai, and Kikuo becomes his apprentice. Despite life’s challenges, Kikuo becomes a gifted performer, but jealousy and the past may become too much to overcome. This is a visually stunning film that has all the intrigue of a Shakespearean drama, with family squabbles, a son who is overlooked, an outsider who reaps the rewards until things go bad, and redemption, but with a cost. The Kabuki scenes are beautiful and fascinating. The story goes on a little too long (it spans many years and runs three hours), but the performances are strong, and the plot keeps giving us twist after twist. My Rating: Full Price  Kokuho Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  This is Not a Test  (2025) R  This is Not a Test is about Sloane Price (Olivia Holt), a teen girl who has had a rough life, abused by her father, abandoned by her sister, and who contemplates suicide. Sloane’s life changes when Sloane and four other students are forced to take shelter in their high school during a zombie apocalypse. I enjoyed this high school drama meets horror film because of Olivia Holt’s performance as Sloane, a teen who has already experienced horror in her own household by an abusive father, only to be attacked by zombies. Her only refuge is her high school, where she finds a few other students to hang out with and survive the trauma of zombies showing up, even as old teachers. Holt is what makes this film work, as she tries to find solace among her fellow students but is always confronted by her status as a loner. We know some students won’t survive, but we hold out hope that Sloane will. The zombie attacks are ok, though very low-tech, but it’s the high school kids trying to survive and get along that make this film work.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   This is Not a Test Info  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Midwinter Break  (2026) PG-13  Midwinter Break follows a long-term couple, Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciaran Hinds), as they take a holiday in Amsterdam. Their trip is filled with unresolved tensions, past memories, and a secret that could destroy their relationship. This had all the hallmarks of an outstanding film, thanks to the two lead actors. Regrettably, I never felt a connection with either character. From the first shot of them eating dinner, you could tell that whatever they had in their marriage was long gone. The concept is interesting, with Stella wanting a more spiritual life, but it comes across almost as if Stella had planned all along to leave Gerry there in Amsterdam. Gerry comes across as a man who loves his wife but doesn’t respect her. While Stella has a breathtaking moment telling the story of her pregnancy, there is never the poignant moment we need between Gerry and Stella to hit us. Instead, we get what feels like a feeble scene in an airport near the end of the film, leaving us disappointed to have gone on this journey with the two of them, and neither the two nor the audience has learned a thing.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Midwinter Break Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  We lost one of my favorite actors of all time this week, Robert Duvall. In his honor, I am re-running one of my Forgotten Films from Dec. 25, 2012. Tender Mercies (1983) PG  Robert Duvall plays Mac Sledge, a legendary country singer who has fallen on hard times due to his drinking. He finds himself abandoned in a small West Texas motel run by a widow, Rosa (Tess Harper), and her young son (Allan Hubbard). Through the kindness of Rosa, Mac slowly gets his life back on track, falling in love with Rosa, and he begins to write songs again. But life is complicated, and his ex-wife, Dixie (Betty Buckley), a big country star herself, comes back into the picture to mess things up possibly. Duvall gives one of his best performances, bringing depth and warmth to a deeply flawed character. Everyone in this film did their own singing, with Duvall and Buckley lighting up the screen with their vocal talents. This is almost a perfect film with an incredible script by the Texan writer Horton Foote, whose talent for finding the right words for his characters shines throughout. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Tender Mercies Info   Available to rent on Amazon and Apple TV+  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of How to Make a Killing:  Map Welfare Inspector 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Project Hail Mary (2026) PG-13  Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no idea who he is or how he got there. He soon figures out that his mission is to somehow stop a mysterious substance from killing the sun. Ryland is not alone up there and discovers unexpected help; from an alien. The film is from the team of Lord and Miller, responsible for bringing us The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.  Project Hail Mary Website  The film is in theaters on Friday, March 20, 2026. 

Until Next Time!

The Fall Guy

My View:  The Fall Guy  (2024)  PG-13   Colt (Ryan Gosling), a former stuntman, comes out of retirement after discovering his ex, Jody (Emily Blunt), is directing a big-budget movie. It’s not a joyful reunion, but Colt is needed when the enormous star of the film has gone missing, and he must find him before the picture is shut down. Sometimes a movie works because an actor’s star power elevates it beyond what the script or the director can provide. This is the case of The Fall Guy, as Ryan Gosling shows us why he has become a major star who has charisma to burn. Gosling is perfect as the burned-out and battered Colt, who was injured doing a stunt on a movie, just as his romance with Jody, a camera person in the film, was just blooming. He takes the job because he finds out that Jody has asked for him and wants to see her again, possibly making amends for disappearing and leaving her behind. Gosling does an outstanding job of playing the lovesick stuntman who will do anything to try to get Jody back, even if it means becoming a bounty hunter, trying to hunt down a missing lead actor, one whom he doesn’t like or respect. Blunt is perfect as the headstrong woman who is getting to do something she has dreamed of for so long, directing a major motion picture, and is still hurt by Colt’s actions, so much so that she is willing to torture him a bit on the set. There is a great scene where, in front of everyone, Jody, using a bullhorn, lets everyone know just how angry she is with Colt while making him do a stunt that sets him on fire, over and over again. The film flies by as the action is fast and the stunts are out of this world amazing. There are shootouts, car chases, fights, and explosions, and those aren’t from making the movie but from Colt’s adventures of trying to find the missing actor. You will have a blast (pun intended) as Colt tries to stay alive long enough to win Jody back, or at least apologize to her. By the way, stay through all the credits. You will see that almost all the stunts in the film were actually done and not through green screens. Also, there is a bonus scene you will not want to miss at the end of all, and I mean all, the credits.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Fall Guy Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Unfrosted  (2024)  PG-13  It’s 1963, and bitter rivals in Battle Creek, Michigan, Kellogg’s, and Post are rushing to create a breakfast cake that could change how the world eats breakfast. While watching the Seinfeld TV series, you knew Jerry wasn’t a very good actor, but that was some of the series’ charm. He was a guy who was really a standup, moonlighting as an actor on a series where he was playing himself. I had high hopes for this film, primarily because the cast was a who’s who of comedy. I mean, you get actors like Rachael Harris, Christian Slater, Hugh Grant, Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, and more, and it’s got to be good. Right? Right? Sadly, this film is already in the running for the worst film of the year. Painfully unfunny, with a script that keeps throwing jokes up against a wall where nothing, and I mean nothing, sticks. Put Hugh Grant in a Tony the Tiger outfit as an out-of-work Shakespearian actor who has to moonlight as a breakfast cereal mascot, and that’s funny? Nope, as the jokes lay there like the flop sweat of Grant’s character in the costume. Halfway through this film, I just wanted it to end. Instead, we get an hour and a half of unfunny jokes after unfunny skits. I swear I thought the film was over two hours long and was shocked when writing this review that it was only 93 minutes long. That’s 93 minutes, and I will never get back.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Unfrosted Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

Indiefest:  I Saw the TV Glow  (2024)  PG-13  Two teenagers, Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brighter Lundy-Paine) who bond over a TV show called The Pink Opaque. As their bond grows, things start getting weird. This is a film that you will either fall in love with or hate it. I don’t think there will be a lot of opinions in the middle. It’s a film where, almost from the start, you question what is real and what is imagined. The blending of real and imagined continues throughout the film, keeping you off center and guard as we follow Owen as he grows up. He meets Maddy in a chance encounter. Owen doesn’t fit in with his fellow schoolmates and sees that Maddy might be someone who doesn’t either. She tells him about the TV show and begins secretly giving him tapes of the show. He becomes a huge fan of the show and wrangles an invitation to see the show with her in her house. I won’t give any more of the plot away, but let’s say it gets stranger and stranger as we follow Owen into adulthood, with Owen’s first thought almost always to run away. The film reminds you of how TV shows can become incredibly important to you, even in this day of binge-viewing and streaming. The film got me thinking of past shows like Buffy and Stranger Things, but also shows that I fell in love with and were canceled, sometimes heartbreakingly so. I guess I’m in the fall in love with side on this film, because this was such an interesting and complex film to watch.   My Rating: Full Price  I Saw the TV Glow Website  Now playing in theatres 

My View:  The Idea of You  (2024)  R   The Idea of You takes place after a chance encounter at the Coachella Music Festival, Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. It’s not long before Solène discovers that life in the spotlight might be more than she bargained for. I am a big fan of Anne Hathaway, and she doesn’t disappoint in this winning rom-com that pares a 40-year-old single mother who owns an art gallery with a 24-year-old who has been in a huge boy band since he was a teen. This is a fun rom-com that has two dynamic leads with tons of charisma and sparks that fly every time they are on screen together. The film puts together two people who are looking for love and have been burned before. I thought that by making Hayes a vet of the boy band scene, where he has been in the spotlight for years, was wise. Yes, he is 24, but because of his life in the spotlight, it’s an old 24, making the attraction between the two seem natural and not at all creepy. I was surprised by the amount of music in the film, as we get a lot of songs that Hayes is singing with his bandmates, as well as his exploring creating music on his own. I enjoyed this film and wanted the two to enjoy their time together, even if it, like a good song, will eventually end. Although, there is always that 'repeat' function.   My Rating: Full Price  The Idea of You Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest:  Wildcat  (2023)  R    Flannery O’Connor (Maya Hawke) is determined to be a writer. We follow her as she works on her craft and commits to deeply personal writing, so personal that it will haunt her until she can get the words on paper. I saw this film last year at the Rome International Film Festival, right here in Georgia, the birthplace of Miss O’Connor. Ethan Hawke was at the festival and told us he wrote the film because his daughter, Maya, wanted to play Flannery before she got too old for the role. The film takes place as Flannery is visiting her mother (Laura Linney) when she finds out she has Lupus, the same disease that took her father’s life. As Flannery struggles to become a writer, she starts writing stories that blend reality with fiction. Wildcat is a film where we see the day-to-day struggle of Flannery trying to become the writer that she knows she can be while we are transported into her stories, with Maya playing a character and her mother another character, as Flannery tells tales that weave her experiences in the south with her fiction. This film doesn’t always work, as Flannery’s real life and fiction blur too much, and it’s hard to tell where reality ends and the fiction starts. I like Maya Hawke as O’Connor, but we spend too much time in the fictional stories and not enough time in the real world, where we would get to see what makes this interesting writer tick.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wildcat Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:  The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed  (2023) R The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is about Ann (Joanna Arnow), a woman going nowhere fast. She is stuck in a low-level job she hates, has been in a long-term BDSM relationship with a man who barely remembers her name, and her family loves to argue at the drop of a hat. It’s time to change things, but that won’t be easy. This is one of those films that will never be a big hit, so when you see it, you feel like you are part of its fan club. It’s a very funny and sometimes a little strange, centering around a mid-thirties woman who loves being a sex slave to an older man, is good at her job even though it looks as though she isn’t even trying, and loves her parents, who happened to be some of the most boring people on the face of the earth. Joanna Arnow, who not only stars in the film but wrote and directed it, spends about half the film naked, mostly lying on a bed with one of her lovers, who are also her master, as Ann gets off by being made to do repetitive things or just being made to wait for a command that may never come. Ann is a woman who seems to be happy just being in the moment, whether it’s with a lover or with her parents. The film is little slices of life, as we go from her naked on the bed being ignored by her ‘master’ or sitting with her parents as her mother complains that Ann isn’t spending enough time with them. This film reminded me a bit of some of Woody Allen’s films, where we just got little slices of life, bits of weird and funny moments that suddenly move on to the next moment. The sum of the moments makes for an enjoyable film that stars a very strange but lovable character who we want to be happy, just not too happy.   My Rating: Full Price The Feeling That The Time Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film:  The Indian Runner  (1991) R  Joe (David Morse) has made a good life for himself and his family as the deputy sheriff in a small country town. His younger brother, Frank (Viggo Mortensen), has decided to return to town after having had some bad times. Frank tells his brother that this time will be different, and he just wants a fresh start. However, Frank is a man with a temper, and seemingly, his only skill is getting in trouble. Sean Penn directs the film and has an outstanding cast that includes Patricia Arquette, Sandy Dennis and Charles Bronson, who gives one of his best performances of his career. The Indian Runner is a film where the good guy isn’t always good, and the bad guy has some good qualities. We don’t know until the end if good will win out over bad.   My Rating: Full Price  The Indian Runner Info Available on various streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Fall Guy:  Art Runner

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Dead Don’t Hurt  (2023) Right before the Civil War, Vivienne (Vicky Kreips) meets a Danish immigrant, Holger (Viggo Mortensen), who convinces her to follow him to his ranch outside of a small town in Nevada, where they start their life together. The outbreak of the Civil War happens, and Olsen joins the Union Army to fight for his newfound country, leaving Vivienne to fend for herself on their homestead. It’s a decision that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The film is written and directed by Viggo Mortensen. The Dead Don't Hurt Info  The film will be in theaters on Friday, May 31st.

Until Next Time!

Barbie

My View: Barbie (2023) PG-13  Barbie is about living in Barbie Land, which is the perfect place for a perfect person in a perfect world. That is until you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken. I am a big fan of both Margot Robbie and filmmaker Greta Gerwig, so I was looking forward to this film. Plus, this has become one of the most hyped summer films and will be a big box-office draw. I liked the movie but didn’t love it, and I think some people will be disappointed by the fact that Barbie goes back and forth between Barbie Land and the ‘real world.’ It’s partly a musical, and the film has some brilliant numbers, including a wonderful number called ‘I’m Just Ken’ that Ryan Gosling does that just might bring the house down. I found the film funny but not hilarious, though there is one line the narrator (Helen Mirren) says that was on the floor funny. It’s a strange film where the narrator talks to us but also speaks to the characters. The set design of Barbie Land is brilliant, and the opening sequence of letting us see a day in the life of Barbie is one of the film’s highlights. Some of the ‘real world’ scenes disappointed me, and Will Ferrell is a dud as the Mattel CEO, never giving us the laughs we want from him. There are a couple of fun cameos in the film, and Simu-Liu as the rival Ken is a lot of fun. As the often-forgotten Allan (Skipper’s boyfriend), Michael Cera is hilarious as the character that everyone ignores. Margot Robbie has the tough part of playing the perfect Barbie, and she does a nice job, but it’s hard to play someone who has the time and doesn’t have emotions. I enjoyed some of the cast-off Barbie and Ken dolls (all based on real failed Mattel toys) and how they worked them into the film’s plot. Overall, Barbie is fun, and if you owned a Barbie or two (and Ken), you will have a good time seeing them come to life. I had a good time seeing Barbie, but I wanted more in Barbie Land and a lot less of the ‘real world.’ I guess I’ll always be a G.I.Joe (original size) guy.  My Rating; Full Price   Barbie Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Oppenheimer   (2023) R  The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), who, at the urging of a desperate U.S. government wanting to end WWII, developed the atomic bomb. You will want to find a theatre showing the film in 70 mm film or on IMAX (the film was shot entirely with IMAX cameras) because there are scenes that will only have their full impact on a big screen. Oppenheimer is, behind the Dark Night trilogy, the Christopher Nolan film that will speak to the most people, with still a few Nolan touches (including an interesting sex scene that happens in an unexpected place). Based on the best-selling Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus, this is the story of a man who was driven by solving a problem and couldn’t or wouldn’t see the ramifications of what he was about to unleash until it was too late. Cillian Murphy is brilliant as Oppenheimer, a man who hid behind a mask of almost cool indifference while battling demons inside himself and friends that turned foes. Robert Downey Jr. delivers an exceptional performance as Lewis Strauss, who used Oppenheimer's brilliance to achieve his own goals. I think the Downey Jr. is the front runner with this performance to win the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. The cinematography is fantastic, with incredible shots that will dazzle and, sometimes, horrify you. The film uses black-and-white scenes to up the tension of scenes as we go back and forth in the life of Oppenheimer, a man who was convinced he knew more than anyone else, even if that confidence untimely cost him dearly. I loved Emily Blunt as Kitty, Oppenheimer’s long-suffering wife, and Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, the love of Oppenheimer’s life and a woman he could never totally turn his back on. Oppenheimer is a long film (just over 3 hours), but you get swept up in the story about a man who leads the race to create a bomb so destructive that it would stop a World War and create something even scarier than a mad dictator who wanted to take over the world. So find a theatre with the biggest screen in your area and immerse yourself in a story about a man who stopped a war and created a new demon to deal with. And just a warning, if you see it in 70 mm film or IMAX 70 mm film, know to be on time. There will be little to no trailers shown before the film starts.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Oppenheimer Website Now playing in theatres nationwide, including IMAX and theatres equipped with 70 mm projectors. 

My View: The Deepest Breath (2023) PG   Documentary about the sport of free-diving, focusing on champion free-diver Alessia Zecchini and diving trainer/safety diver Stephen Keenan. The two are destined to be a couple, and the film focuses on their relationship and how such a dangerous sport affects their friends and family. This beautiful, moving film will have you on the edge of your seat for the underwater dives. The Deepest Breath is a story about two people who will meet and fall in love. Alessia is a young woman determined to break barriers and records, no matter the danger. And Stephen, who, at an early age, wanted to explore the world and then found his love for the ocean and diving. The film follows the two, using interviews with family and friends, along with home movies and footage of their diving events. The Deepest Breath shows us how they became who they were when they met, setting up how hard they fell for each other. There is underwater footage that is strikingly beautiful as the divers are seen not only competing but also enjoying the underwater world they seem to want to live in. I will warn you that this is a dangerous sport in which death is not uncommon, and you will need tissues. At its heart, it is a love story about following your dreams, no matter the obstacles life puts in your way. The story tells us you can succeed if you can find that one person to support you and help you learn.   My Rating; Full Price  The Deepest Breath Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: They Cloned Tyrone (2023) R  A series of eerie events pushes an unlikely trio, a drug dealer, Fontaine (John Boyega), a prostitute, Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), and a pimp, Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) onto the trail of a government conspiracy that involves illegal cloning. These are three heroes that aren’t cut from the superhero mold, and other than Yo-Yo, they don’t seem to have any idea on how to investigate anything other than go into unknown spaces with guns drawn and, occasionally, a song. The characters in this film would be at home in many Quentin Tarantino films with a splash of 70s Blaxploitation. The three principal actors are fun to watch as John Boyega is the reserved and quick to use his muscle to make his point. Foxx has a blast playing the pimp, who is too cool to do anything but talk a lot until he is pushed too far. And Teyonah Parris as the prostitute who plays the game with everyone she meets. However, we soon see that there is more to her than meets the eye, much like the film her character is in. The storyline is entertaining and progressively absurd, but it may not satisfy the cravings of certain Internet conspiracy theorists. Let’s just say that the three uncover something much bigger than they could ever conceive. And you may never look at grape drink and fried chicken the same way again. So get in the back seat and join this unique Scooby Doo gang and find out what is happening in their small corner of the world. It’s a lot bigger than you think.   My Rating: Full Price  They Cloned Tyrone Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: Cobweb (2023) R   Peter (Woody Norman) is an eight-year-old who starts hearing knocking noises coming from inside the walls of his home. His parents don’t believe him, blaming his imagination. Peter soon learns that his parents are hiding a dark secret; something is in the walls. Cobweb is your ordinary build-up with scary sounds, parents that might not be right, and a voice in the wall. Then it proceeds to do a few jump scares and has an ending that seems much too easy and very unsatisfying. It’s a lot of fuss without much to back it up. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Cobweb Website Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: War of the Buttons (1994) PG   Set in 1960s Ireland, the children of two neighboring towns engage in battles against each other to capture their opponents and cut off their buttons, shoelaces, and underwear, all in order to get the losers in trouble with their parents. This is a much nicer and funnier film but has roots in Lord of the Flies in that the battles symbolize the troubles going on with the adults in their towns. You will need to turn on the subtitles, as the Irish accents are rather thick and sometimes tricky to understand. Overall, a delightful film based on a classic French story (that has been done a few times in French cinema). My Rating: Full Price  War of the Button Info  The film is available to buy/rent on both Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Oppenheimer: Train Coordinator

Coming Soon to Screen Near You: Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) R Based on a single chapter from Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, this is the story of the Russian schooner Demeter, which is chartered to carry a private cargo from Carpathia to London. On board are twenty-four unmarked wooden crates. There is something or someone in one of those crates that means that no one will survive this voyage. The director, André Øvredal, who directed the fabulous Troll Hunter (2010), has described the film as ‘Alien on a ship.’  Last Voyage of the Demeter Website  The film will be in theatres on August 11th.

Until Next Time!

First Man

My View:  First Man  (2018)  PG-13    The life of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), the American astronaut who was the first man to walk on the Moon. The film is technically a marvel, with the space scenes some of the most amazingly shot films of all time. The lunar landing is amazing to watch, and you really feel that you are apart of the experience. This is a great film, but I came away from this film feeling that the subject of the film, was a joyless man who couldn’t show (and maybe feel) emotion, other than sadness and that makes the film feel a little flat. The film does a great job at showing just how amazing and complex it was to get a man on the moon.   My Rating: Full Price   First Man Website

My View: Bad Times at the El Royale  (2018) R    Seven strangers meet at the El Royale, a hotel with a dark past. In one night, all seven will have a shot at redemption before things go to hell. I enjoyed this film which is reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino film. I loved how the film slowly reveals the story and the background of each character based on their room numbers. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and it will keep you guessing how it's going to turn out until the final credits. By the way, I did not recognize Chris Hemsworth who must have lost 40 pounds of muscle for the role. The film is a little long but well worth the time.    My Rating: Full Price   Bad Times at the El Royale Website

My View:  The Old Man & the Gun  (2018)  PG-13      Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who escaped from San Quentin and then went on to rob over 80 banks while in his seventies. If this is genuinely Redford’s last acting performance, then he goes out on a high note. It’s a brilliant, understated performance that only someone with skill like Redford can do. Redford’s performance is bolstered by the performances of Casey Affleck, the world-weary cop trying to catch Forest, and Sissy Spacek, who slowly falls in love Forest. The film is based on a true story, and I loved the ending of the movie where they used old photos and footage of Redford to illustrate the 16 prison escapes that Forest did over the years.   My Rating: Full Price   The Old Man & the Gun Website

Family Faire:  Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween  (2018)  PG    On Halloween night two boys named Sammy (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) find a manuscript written by R>L. Stine (Jack Black) in an abandoned house. When they open the manuscript, it releases Slappy (Avery Lee Jones) an evil ventriloquist doll. Slappy plans to create a Halloween Apocalypse with the help of his Halloween monster allies.  While not quite as fun as the first Goosebumps film, it’s still an enjoyable film to watch. Slappy is still really creepy, and the monsters that he unleashes are imaginative. I loved the unconventional ending to this film, and I am guessing that we will meet up with Slappy again. A word of caution: some of the monsters are quite scary, so very young children should probably not see this film.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Goosebumps 2 Facebook Page

Indiefest:  22 July  (2018)   The story of Norway’s worst terrorist attack in which over seventy people, mostly children,  lost their lives. The first third of this film is compelling and scary as we see the killer prepare and then carry out the attack, far more terrifying than any horror film that I have seen. The next two-thirds of the film are quite as interesting, as the government tries to figure out how the attack happened and if it could have been prevented, along with the trial of the attacker. The film bogs down in the 2nd half as the debate on whether the attacker can use the insanity defense in his trial. The film is extremely long and it just drags on as we focus on one of the kids that was shot by the attacker goes through his rehab. I am going to give this an excellent rating because of that first third was so well done and horrifying as hell.    My Rating: Full Price   22 July Website

Indiefest:  Tea with the Dames  (2018)  Documentary where Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith talk about their careers and friendship that goes back more than fifty years. A fascinating documentary with four legendary actresses talking and laughing with each other. The film does a great job of giving us background on the four women, and we get to see plenty of their performances on stage and screen. The film also does a great job showing us old interviews that the women did earlier in their careers. I loved the ending of the film when it showed footage of the women receiving all the awards they have gotten during their careers.   My Rating: Full Price   Tea With the Dames Website

Forgotten Film:  Coming Home  (1978)  R   Sally (Jane Fonda) is married to a captain (Bruce Dern) in the U.S. Marine Corps who is fighting in the war in Vietnam. With nothing to do, she decides to volunteer at a veterans hospital. There she meets Luke (Jon Voight), a former soldier who was wounded and paralyzed fighting in Vietnam. Sally slowly changes her outlook on the war and falls in love with Luke. Excellent film about dealing with the aftermath of the war in Vietnam and how we treated the soldiers that fought there. What I love about the film is the opening scene which was filmed with actual Vietnam war vets and was unscripted. This was one of the first films that openly dealt with the conflicts about the war in Vietnam. The film won three Academy Awards and probably should have won more.       My Rating:  Full Price   Coming Home Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween:  Slappy Lead Puppeteer 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Halloween  (2018)  R   Michael Myers comes back to get revenge on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) four decades after their first confrontation. All I needed to know was that John Carpenter was doing the score for this film that I knew I wanted to see this film.   Halloween Website

Until Next Time!

Blade Runner 2049

My View:  Blade Runner 2049  (2017)  R  A new Blade Runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), discovers a dark secret that could bring an end to the human race. Along the way, he meets Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former Blade Runner who disappeared 30 years ago. First, let me say that you do need to have seen the first film for this film to make sense. It would also be helpful, but not necessary, to see the three short Blade Runner shorts that were recently produced. I think this is one of those rare occasions where the sequel is better the original movie. The film did not feel it’s two hours and forty minute length as the storyline is fast moving and complex, keeping you guessing until the very end. There isn’t a bad performance in this film but make no mistake that this is Gosling’s film as he is in almost every scene. I think this could be a big Oscar winner, as the film looks and sounds stunning and Gosling gives another brilliant performance. I loved this movie, and I highly recommend that you see this remarkable film on the biggest screen you can find.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Blade Runner 2049 Website

My View:  The Mountain Between Us  (2017)  PG-13  After their small plane crashes in the mountains, two strangers (Idris Elba, Kate Winslet) must work together to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain.This is a strange movie which mixes genres of disaster films with romance films and doesn’t quite work. This is the story of two strangers who spend a lot of time thinking that they are going to die, and eventually fall in love, despite of their differences. Two of the best actors in the business, Idris Elba and Kate Winslet, make the film watchable until the end when it turns into a Hallmark of the week movie. If not for the ending I could probably recommend you seeing this but unless you are a big Elba or Winslet fan, I have to say it’s just not worth the time.    My Rating: Cable   The Mountain Between Us Website

FamilyFaire:  My Little Pony: The Movie  (2017)  PG  In order to stop a threat to Equestria, Twilight Sparkle and her friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike must travel to far-away places to save their home.This is exactly what you think it is, an sickly sweet film that only the very young will enjoy. I did appreciate a couple of the seven original songs in the film, including the credits song by Sia. The plot is simple, the animation is nothing out of the ordinary and it’s about a group of ponies, some of them unicorns that have names like Fluttershy. There is even a singing pony, played by Sia, called Songbird Serenade, so you just know what this film is about, ponies, butterflies and rainbows. Unfortunately, there isn’t a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of this film, just more cutely named ponies.   My Rating: Cable   My Little Pony: The Movie Website

Indiefest:  Loving Vincent  (2017)  PG-13  The complicated life and controversial death of one of history’s most celebrated artists, Vincent Van Gogh. This incredible film took six years and used over 125 artists to animate this film using oil paints and over 65,000 panels. The movie takes 120 of Van Gogh most famous paintings and incorporates them into the scenery and the characters. It makes his paintings come to life right before your eyes. The film is told through the eyes of a Postmasters son, Armand (Douglas Booth) who is given the task of taking a letter Van Gogh wrote on the day of his death to Vincent’s brother. As Armand travels he begins seeking information of why Vincent committed suicide making the film more of a mystery than just your typical biographical picture. The animation is gorgeous and fans of Van Gogh will love how his paintings fill the screen. To fully appreciate the wonder of this film, it has to be seen on the big screen as this movie creates a love letter to Van Gogh’s magnificent, stunning paintings. Van Gogh produced works that continue to bring joy to a world, even if that world didn’t understand him at that time. As Vincent used to sign his letters to his beloved Theo with the saying “Loving Vincent,” you too will be loving Vincent if you go see this film.   My Rating:  Full Price    Loving Vincent Website

Indiefest:  Dolores  (2017)  Documentary on Dolores Huerta, who, in the 1950’s, went from a working-class wife and mother of eleven to helping establish the first farm workers union. This is a fascinating film about a women most of don’t know but should. Dolores is a woman who stood up to irate farmers, strong-armed unions and local police forces with a determination and will that never quit. Her sheer presence would gather crowds and promote change, all of which is expertly shown in this film. This film isn’t also afraid to show that Dolores, as powerful and inspirational as she is, has flaws; several failed marriages, placing the union in front of the needs of her children (most of which are interviewed in the film), and a fiery temperament that often got her in trouble with her co-workers. The film brings to light what an extraordinary individual Dolores is and continues to be, fighting for the rights of people. It’s a phenomenal film about an exceptional woman who the whole world needs to know and follow her example.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Dolores Website

My Rating:  Cold Moon  (2016)  The Larkin family has suffered a terrible tragedy in their sleepy Southern town. The town starts exhibiting strange things such as traffic lights blink an eerie warning; a ghostly visage prowls in the streets and graves erupt from the local cemetery. Soon, beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form to seek a terrible vengeance. If you are a fan of horror films, then this one is for you. I especially enjoyed the stellar special effects and the score that was reminiscent of any of John Carpenter’s films. The stellar cast that includes Christopher Lloyd, Candy Clark, Josh Stewart and Frank Whaley helps make this film fun to watch. For the Tommy Wiseau (The Room) fans out there, he does make a very brief appearance in the film. If you are looking for a fun scare for the coming Halloween season, you can do worse than this movie.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Cold Moon Facebook Page

Forgotten Film: Stir of Echoes (1999)  Tom (Kevin Bacon) is an ordinary guy who works as a telephone lineman and plays in a band. At a party, his sister-in-law (Illeana Douglas) convinces him to undergo hypnosis. This awakens something that Tom never knew about himself, he is a Receiver, someone able to see ghosts. He is visited by a little girl ghost that tells Tom “dig.”  Tom discovers that the little girl has been missing from the neighborhood for months and Tom goes on a mission to find out what happened to her. This film is part mystery and part suspense film that uses a clever plot and interesting characters to tell a story that becomes more complex as it goes along. Kevin Bacon has never been better as the ordinary man who is being driven mad by a talent he didn’t know he had. I loved the finish to this film, making it a cliffhanger to the very end.  My Rating: Full Price   Stir of Echoes Info

Weird Credits: From Blade Runner 2049: Contact Lens Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  78/52  ( 2017)   Documentary on the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1960 film Psycho. It gives us a detailed look at the director and the on-screen murder that continues to influence filmmakers to this day. I am a huge Hitchcock fan, so you know I will see this one.   78/52 Infor

Until Next Time!

SaveSaveSaveSave