The Strangers: Chapter 3

My View: The Strangers: Chapter 3  (2026)  R  In The Strangers: Chapter 3, it’s time for Maya (Madelaine Petsch) to go from victim to attacker, as she seeks a final, brutal confrontation with the masked killers that have made her life a living hell. I didn’t like the first film (Chapter 1), feeling that all the scares were ‘jump out of the dark’ ones, though I like Madelaine Petsch (she was great in Riverdale as the stuck-up Cheryl Blossom that could shoot a mean bow and arrow). I saw but didn’t review Chapter 2, which mainly was Maya running around, almost getting killed, though we got a bit of the Strangers’ origin story (it’s pretty weak). So, on to the finale, Chapter 3. I’ve been reviewing films for fifteen years now and seen a ton of movies. This is the first film that I almost walked out on. Not once, but twice. To have to sit through three films, rooting for Maya to escape or maybe even get revenge, and be rewarded with a piece of crap writing that had to be ghostwritten by 15-year-olds who thought “wouldn’t it be cool if” kind of plot, is inexcusable. Please don’t bother seeing this, because I don’t want the filmmakers even to think, hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we did another one? No, no, it wouldn’t! Instead, watch the 2008 film The Strangers, written and directed by Bryan Bertino, starring Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler. It won’t make you want to scream at the screen.My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Strangers: Chapter 3 Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Dracula  (2025)  R  Dracula is about a 15th-century prince who, after his beloved wife dies, denounces God and, in turn, inherits an eternal curse: he becomes Dracula. Condemned to wander the centuries, he defies fate and death, searching for his lost love, killing all who get in his way. This is more of a gothic romance than a horror film. The film is helped by Caleb Landry Jones’ portrayal of a man who has been haunted by the death of his beloved, cursed to live forever teaching for his one true love to return. However, the film never delivers the heat that the romance needs, and is hurt by Christoph Waltz playing a weird vampire-hunting priest who talks way too much and does very little else. The ending is a big letdown, but if you get a chance, it’s worth a watch to see the Gargoyle henchmen that Dracula has in his castle. My Rating: Cable  Dracula Info  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Solo Mio  (2026)  PG  Solo Mio is about Matt (Kevin James), who is left at the altar at his destination wedding in Rome. Matt decides to continue the trip alone and is about to discover friendship and love in unexpected places. I am not a huge Kevin James fan because he always overplays his comedy hand. So, it’s nice to see James try to take it down a notch and not go overboard in this lovely, harmless romantic comedy film. Nowhere on my cinema bingo card did I expect James to legitimately sing an aria with the legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli. The film has some heart (not a lot, but some) and tries hard. James is helped out by Nicole Grimaudo, who plays his love interest. Grimaudo is delightful in the role and does much of the heavy lifting in the film. They have a nice, easy chemistry that helps make the love connection believable. I could have done without all the high jinks the supporting cast does, including the constant mugging that Kim Coates displays, but the Italian scenery is gorgeous, and the music is fun. I will say that the ending did pack a few surprises, making this film, while not great, satisfying. And hey, did I mention Andrea Bocelli? My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Solo Mio Website   Now playing in theaters 

Indiefest:  The President’s Cake  (2025)  PG-13  The President’s Cake is about 9-year-old Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef), who in 1990s Iraq is tasked with baking her class’s cake to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s birthday. Lamia sets out alone in the big city to find the ingredients for the cake in a country in the midst of the Gulf War, where sugar and other baking ingredients are almost nonexistent. A beautifully told tale of a young girl's quest across a city during a dangerous time when an iron fist ruled the country and corruption was the norm. Your heart goes out to Lamia, who knows that if she fails to bring a cake to school, she will bring shame to her family and possibly face an even worse outcome. Her allies on this quest are her grandmother, her best friend Saeed, who doesn’t always follow the rules, and her pet rooster, Hindi. You will fall for Lamia, and your heart will race on her many close calls as she reaches against all the odds for ingredients that seem more like searching for gold than cake ingredients.   My Rating: Full Price  The President's Cake Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest: The Moment  (2026)  R  The Moment is a mockumentary following a pop star (Charli XCX) as she gears up for her first headlining tour. I didn’t know much about the singer Charli XCX other than that she had something called ‘BRAT summer' and had some big hits singing with other stars like Iggy Azalea. So I didn’t really know much about her or her music. The great thing about this movie is that you don’t have to know anything about Charli XCX other than that she is having a moment in the spotlight, where she and her team are desperate to keep it going so she can headline a big tour. What I enjoyed about this movie is that we don’t like Charli all that much. She’s kind of a jerk and is willing to throw people under the bus to keep her career going. It’s not to say that Charli is a bad person, just someone who wants to succeed. The film is helped by the fact that Charli is playing herself, so all she has to do is react to what is happening to her. The film is helped by a great supporting cast, including Rosanna Arquette as a clueless record executive who only wants the ‘BRAT’ summer to keep going, and Alexander Skarsgard as a movie director hired to film Charli’s tour but sees it as his project to take over and mold to his vision. Skarsgard is perfect as a man who insults people while pretending to get along with them. It’s funny that this is a movie about a music star and her tour, but there isn’t a whole lot of music in it. I will warn people who have a hard time with flashing lights, because director Aidan Azmiri uses them and quick full-screen text to comment on what is happening to Charli and her tour. I will say that some scenes don’t work as well as they should, such as one where Charli goes to a high-priced resort and has an experience with a woman who cleanses the skin with words rather than facials. I think fans of Charli XCX will enjoy The Moment more than someone like me or a casual fan, but there are enough funny, memorable moments to make it a fun time.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Moment Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Scarlet  (2025)  PG-13  Scarlet is an animated film about a medieval-era princess who has trained all her life to handle herself in any situation. After failing to avenge the death of her father, the king, Scarlet finds herself injured in a surreal world. Desperate to return to the real world, she meets a young man who helps her understand that revenge isn’t always the best path forward. I often have trouble with Japanese animated films because they are often based on TV shows or manga books, and knowledge about the characters is needed to fully enjoy them. This is not the case with Scarlet, a standalone animated film loosely based on Hamlet with a little bit of Joan of Arc thrown in. It’s a gorgeously animated revenge film that takes our heroine to an underworld where she tries to find a way back to the living to get her revenge. Scarlet is ruthless on her journey, but along the way, we see that learning about life and forgiveness is beautifully told.  My Rating: Full Price  Scarlet Website  Now playing in IMAX and will be playing in other theaters starting Feb. 13th.  This is a review from Dec 2025 that I decided to repost due to the film going into wide release.

My View:  Whistle  (2025) R  Whistle is about a group of unwitting high school students who come across a strange object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. The group doesn’t realize what they have until people in their group start dying. This is your typical young high schoolers (and their teacher, sorry, Nick Frost) doing something stupid, like blowing into a scary Aztec whistle they know has the word 'death' on it. The scares aren’t bad; the deaths are grisly and inventive, and you don’t know how our young, sometimes really stupid, heroes are going to get away. I also liked the romance between our main character, troubled Cyrys (Dafne Keen), and the smart, cute, and seemingly out of Cyrys’s league, Ellie (Sophie Nelisse). The ending isn’t horrible, and there are a couple of cool settings in a Halloween-type maze and a steel mill. And by the way, stay through the first part of the credits for a bonus scene. And remember, don’t blow into any ancient Aztec whistle that looks really creepy.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Whistle Website   Now playing in theaters

                                                               

Forgotten Film: Dracula (1979) R A ship is wrecked off the coast of England, and a lone survivor is found on the beach. That man is Count Dracula (Frank Langella), and a family takes him in, where he meets Lucy (Kate Nelligan), and the Count sets his sights on making Lucy his bride. Little does Lucy know that the Count has a secret: he is a vampire. Langella caused a huge commotion in the stage play on Broadway, and his performance in this film shows how comfortable he is in the role of a man who has lived a long time and wants to find someone to share it with, even if it means she will become undead. What sets this film apart from other Dracula films is that, unlike most Dracula films throughout time, it was directed by a top-flight director, John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames), and features a cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasance, and Trevor Eve. My Rating: Full Price  Dracula Info  The film is available on Apple TV and Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dracula:  Fake Weapons

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Pillion  (2025) R  Colin (Harry Melling) lives at home with his parents and works as a parking enforcement officer, a job he hates. The only thing he seems to love is singing in a barbershop quartet. One night, while singing with his group in a bar, he meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), a man Colin feels is way out of his league, and Ray asks him out. Soon, Colin is swept off his feet by this motorcycle-riding, incredibly handsome man. Just one catch: Ray wants Colin to be his submissive. The film has been a tremendous hit on the film festival circuit and is up for three BAFTA Awards.   Pillion Website The film will be in select theaters in late February.

Until Next Time!

Ella McCay

My View: Ella McCay  (2025) PG-13 Ella McCay follows Ella (Emma Mackey), who is juggling life as a 34-year-old lieutenant governor with a family that is falling apart. To make matters worse, the state’s longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks) has suddenly accepted a cabinet position in the upcoming administration, leaving Ella as the new governor. Writer/director James L. Brooks has won 3 well-deserved Oscars and has brought us some great films, including writing my favorite Burt Reynolds film, Starting Over. Add in Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News (a huge favorite of mine), As Good as it Gets, and another favorite of mine, Spanglish. So I was excited when it was announced that after 15 years, he was writing/directing a new film. So after walking out of the screening of his new film, Ella McCay, I was incredibly sad. I couldn’t believe how bad the film I had just seen was. With a plot that makes little sense, side stories that just lay there and do nothing to move the story along, and a lead character that you just want to slap and say the old “Moonstruck” line, “Snap out of it!” The film is dead on arrival from the first scene, with a couple that you can tell right away is destined to fall apart. Almost nothing is funny in this film, and that’s saying a lot when you have talent on the screen like Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, and the legendary Albert Brooks. The film feels much longer than its almost 2-hour runtime, and I wanted it to be over about 30 minutes in. Ella spends half the movie worrying about her brother (Spike Fearn) and trying to avoid her estranged father (Woody Harrelson), who wants to make amends for being such a crappy husband/father. All the while being announced as the Governor, a role she seems to avoid for most of the film. This is a film with tone-deaf dialogue, characters you don’t care about, much less want to spend time with, and an ending that feels slapped together after Brooks realized he had put his main character in a corner with no exits. If I wasn’t a film critic, I would be looking for the exit to the movie theater. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Ella McCay Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Merv  (2025) PG  In Merv, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) have broken up after living together. The problem is that they share a dog named Merv, and he has become depressed over the breakup. Will a trip together with Merv help mend their relationship? Or perhaps bring them back together just in time for the holidays? I am a big fan of romcoms, though I try to avoid most of the Christmas ones put out this time of year. While this takes place at Christmas time, most of the film takes place at a resort in Florida that caters to dog owners who want to vacation with their beloved furry friends. Merv (played by a lovable dog named Gus) is cute but depressed after his two owners break up. The film features two likable characters who broke up after receiving bad news, and Russ tried to make up for it by proposing. Now, they share a dog, trading him off every week. Unfortunately, much like Merv for most of the movie, the film just lies around. There isn’t much spark between Deschanel and Cox, including a very awkward dance between the two that is not fun to watch. When we watch a rom-com, we want some fun, some romantic moments, and an ending where the two characters finally figure out they are right for each other. I got little from this film, other than Merv/Gus is a very cute dog.  My Rating: Cable Merv Website Now playing on the Amazon Prime format

Indiefest: Scarlet  (2025)  PG-13  Scarlet is an animated film about a medieval-era princess who has trained all her life to handle herself in any situation. After failing to avenge the death of her father, the king, Scarlet finds herself injured in a surreal world. Desperate to return to the real world, she meets a young man who helps her understand that revenge isn’t always the best path forward. I often have trouble with Japanese animated films because they are often based on TV shows or manga books, and knowledge about the characters is needed to fully enjoy them. This is not the case with Scarlet, a standalone animated film loosely based on Hamlet with a little bit of Joan of Arc thrown in. It’s a gorgeously animated revenge film that takes our heroine to an underworld where she tries to find a way back to the living to get her revenge. Scarlet is ruthless on her journey, but along the way, we see that learning about life and forgiveness is beautifully told. My Rating: Full Price Scarlet Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Dust Bunny  (2025) R  Dust Bunny is about Aurora (Sophie Sloan), an eight-year-old girl who is convinced that a monster under her bed has eaten her family. She asks her neighbor, a hitman (Mads Mikkelsen), to help kill the monster. What could go wrong? Well, to answer that question…a whole lot. I loved this quirky movie, a feast for the eyes, as a young girl decides the only person who can save her and get revenge for her parents is a neighbor she discovers is a man who can take on anything. I love that the film takes a story that we all know, about the child who claims monsters are underneath her bed, and turns it on its side when we discover the monster isn’t a figment of a child’s imagination but is real and deadly. The film works because of the chemistry between Sophie Sloan, who plays Aurora, a child with determination and guts, and her not-so-friendly neighborhood hitman, played by the sullen and magnetic Mads Mikkelsen. It’s a fun relationship between a world-weary killer and a young, wise, and confident girl. Aurora goes as far as stealing money from the collection plates of a church to buy the hitman’s services. What I loved about this film is that nobody believes Aurora until it’s too late, with the exception of the hitman, who slowly realizes that there may be more here than meets the eye. Dust Bunny is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen, as the fight sequences are spectacular and the apartment Aurora lives in is off-the-wall nuts, especially when the monster that no one but Aurora thinks is real actually shows up. Just heed Aurora’s warning and stay off the floor, or you will regret it!  My Rating: Full Price Dust Bunny  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Lone Samurai  (2025) R  Lone Samurai follows Riku (Shogen), a 13th-century samurai who, after successfully defeating an invading fleet, finds himself shipwrecked on a deserted island. As despair sets in, he contemplates ritual suicide. However, his plans are abruptly interrupted when a tribe of cannibals arrives, making him their next intended meal. I saw this film at the Rome International Film Festival and had a blast watching it. It’s a film that takes its cue from the gory Samurai films of the past, with a little Tarantino thrown in. The first third of the film is about a Samurai who has completed his mission, is on what he thinks is a deserted island, and is ready to end his life. Then a group of cannibals shows up, and Riku decides he will go out on his terms and not by the hand of someone who wants to eat him for dinner. The last third of the film is thrilling, and the fight on a beach between our lone samurai and a horde of angry cannibals is an outstanding bit of fight choreography. It’s an amazing piece of fighting (mostly by the stunt crew that worked on The Raid films) and swordplay, which is thrilling and bloody. If you like Samurai films or want to see more after seeing the Kill Bill extravaganza, then get ready for a bloody fight to the end. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Lone Samurai Website  Now playing in select theaters

My Rating: Silent Night, Deadly Night  (2025) R  Silent Night, Deadly Night opens with the scene of a child witnessing the murder of his parents by a man in a Santa suit. That child is now grown, dons the Santa suit, and embarks on a violent quest for revenge. This is a new version of the 1984 film of the same name. In fact, this film uses four songs written for the 1984 film. This time, Billy (Rohan Campbell) talks to someone inside his brain who tells him who to kill and how to find them. Now, Billy kills only during the Christmas season and only kills people who have done horrible things. This is a stupid but fun film that has no scares but plenty of bloody deaths and a whole lot of surprises (you will not believe one of his victims). The original film wasn’t great and had some controversy because of the violence in the film, but this one does a nice job of adding humor and some really fun twists. If you like your Santa impersonator with a little blood on his suit and maybe an axe handy, then this is your film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Silent Night, Deadly Night Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Gorillas in the Mist (1988) PG-13  Gorillas in the Mist is the story of Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver), a woman with no formal training, who ventured into the jungle to study the mountain gorillas of central Africa. She was instrumental in expanding our knowledge about the gorillas and became famous through a number of TV specials. The film’s first half is brilliantly done, as we, along with Dian, discover the wonders of gorilla life, and we see how deeply she cares about them. There are some amazing scenes between Fossey and the gorillas as she slowly earned their trust. The film is magical in the first half, and Weaver’s brilliant performance gives us a glimpse into a complicated woman who found her calling alone in the jungle. The film falls apart in the 2nd half, with a romance that Fossey has with a photographer (played by Brian Brown) and Fossey’s attempts at stopping the killing of gorillas, which eventually (spoiler alert) cost Fossey her life. I came away from the film thinking that I knew more about the gorillas than I did about Fossey.  My Rating: Full Price Gorillas in the Mist Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits: From the credits of Scarlet: Stunt Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Housemaid (2025)  R  In The Housemaid, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a young woman with a troubled past who, against her instincts, takes a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar) and their young daughter. The seemingly perfect life of the family unravels as Millie discovers dark secrets hidden just below the surface. Fans of the McFadden book are really looking forward to this film. The Housemaid Website  In theaters on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Until Next Time!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

My Take: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) PG-13 Noah (Anthony Ramos) and Elena (Dominique Fishback) are swept up in the ongoing conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons for control of Earth. Optimus Prime and the Autobots face a terrifying new nemesis named Scourge, who has vowed to destroy the Autobots. However, Scourge doesn’t know a new ally has joined the fight, Maximals. To say that I am not a fan of the Transformers films would be an understatement. I have never entirely understood the enthusiasm over a series of films that do nothing more than celebrate some toys based on a cartoon of the mid-80s. Though, I did like the Bumblebee film, but that was mostly because I am a fan of Hailee Steinfeld, and the Bumblebee character has some personality. I am happy to say that the latest film is better than the Michael Bay films that seemed to always be about how much he could fill the screen with giant machines and lots of destruction. This is an origin story going back (like Bumblebee (2018) to before all the Bay Transformer films. Unlike those films, this film lets the humans, played by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, take important parts in the battles. Both actors do an excellent job of keeping up in the action sequences with the machines and bringing some life to the stodginess of the plot. This is Transformers, so the plot is still silly; the movie takes too long to explain everything, and Optimus Prime makes too many speeches. However, two fan favorites, Bumblebee and Mirage, take prominent roles, and both are full of wisecracks that help keep the movie moving. It also helps that you have some new welcome voices added to the Transformers cast with Ron Perlman and Michelle Yeoh. The last battle sequence is a mess and ends too easily, but overall, I had a good time watching giant machines battle each other. And the audience that I saw it with had a blast. Several times the audience almost came out of their seats yelling and clapping so hard at what was happening on the screen. So if you are a fan, you will have a blast. If not, you might still have a good time.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My Take: Flamin’ Hot (2023) PG-13   Flamin’ Hot is the story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a janitor at a Frito Lay plant that is about to close due to slow sales. Richard develops a novel idea channeling his Mexican heritage into Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now, he has to convince the company that his concept will change the snack industry. A lot has been made in the press recently if the story is based on truth, but I won’t go into that and just base my review on what is up on the screen. The film is an enjoyable tale of rags to riches story but told in a unique style of a man who grew up in the barrio, didn’t finish school, and did a lot of bad things in his early life to survive. When asked to change his ways by his wife (Annie Gonzalez) because he now has kids. Richard goes straight and talks his way into a job at Frito Lay, the makers of Cheetos and Lays potato chips. Richard isn’t book-smart but has a talent for repairing machinery and making friends. With the help of his wife and kids, he survives working as a janitor for the company but wants more. One day, inspired by a video talk that the chairman of Frito Lay (played by the always fun Tony Shalhoub) makes and his own culture’s enjoyment of putting spicy hot sauce on everything, Richard comes up with the idea that could save his factory and serve the Latin culture in the U.S. Flamin’ Hot is a fun story that lets Richard tell it in his own words (sometimes he allows us to see two versions of the story, one he embellishes and then what really happened). I enjoyed watching this film and how one man believed in himself and his culture so much that he took on a corporation and won.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Flamin' Hot Website Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

Familyfaire: Heroes of the Golden Mask (2023)   Charlie is a wisecracking orphan who lives on the street. He is magically transported to the ancient Chinese kingdom of Sanxingdui. Charlie is asked to take on the powers of the Golden Mask and help defend the city from a brutal conqueror. Charlie didn’t pick the mask; the mask picked him to save this kingdom. This is a film that young kids will enjoy, though I must caution that some bad guys are quite scary. Adults might enjoy some of the voice actors in the movie, including Patton Oswalt, Ron Perlman, and the late, great Christopher Plummer. However, adults and some children will be slightly bored by the plot with a few holes in it and an animation style that doesn’t always flow. The film doesn’t always make much sense, but kids will enjoy the band of heroes, all of which have some sort of flaw, and Charlie is always good for a wisecrack or two.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Heroes of the Golden Mask Website  Now available On Demand.

Indiefest: Scarlet (2022)   Juliette (Juliette Jouan) has been brought up by her woodworking carpenter Raphael (Raphaël Thiéry), who raised his daughter alone after he returned from war and found that his wife had died. Juliette has grown into a strong, independent woman with a talent for toy making and music. Juliette dreams of someday being taken away from her village on a ship that sails into the sky. Her dream may come true when a charming ship’s pilot (Louis Garrel) arrives in her village to have his boat repaired. This beautiful-looking film slips in and out between a romance, a musical, and a fairytale. And that’s the problem that I had with the film, as it could never decide what type of movie it was. I loved the use of colorized films from the 1920s and 30s to give us a bit of transition to different timelines as the film follows the growth of Juliette from a baby to a woman. We see that Juliette and her father are not accepted in the town, seen as outcasts, tormented, and sometimes even attacked. Still, Juliette and her father keep their heads high and believe in each other. There are some amazing shots in the film, with one magical sequence where Juliette sings in a river while her voice lures her future lover. Scarlet is a film that, at times, is fantastic and other times, feels slow and disjointed. Despite all her singing, we never know what Juliette wants from the world, and the film has an ending that feels rushed and not at all satisfying.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Scarlet Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Blue Jean (2022)   Set in England in 1988, Jean (Rosy McEwen) is living two lives: one as a P.E. teacher and the other as a gay closeted woman who has a girlfriend. This is when the government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians. The arrival of a new girl at Jean’s school will start a crisis that will threaten her job and identity. Rosy McEwen gives us a powerful and touching performance of a woman caught between two worlds. The lesbian world where she can be herself, live, and love. The hetero world where she has to play a part that not only the students expect her to play, but also her fellow teachers and even her family. Jean is constantly worried about being caught as a lesbian, as it seems both politicians and the media keep talking about keeping homosexuals out of schools. Into Jean’s world comes a student who is being picked on because she is different and is suspected by other students of being a lesbian. Jean has to decide soon when her hand is forced between sticking up for the student, which would out Jean, or going with the flow and letting the school deal with the student. Blue Jean is a smart, compelling film that has a deeply flawed main character, not because of who she loves but because of being afraid of the unknown. Jean is a woman who must decide how to live her life. Will she can remain in the closet in a culture that has trouble accepting her or will she break free and live her life that will make her happy?   My Rating: Full Price  Blue Jean Website  Now playing in theatres.

Indiefest: It Ain’t Over (2022) PG   It Ain’t Over is a documentary about Yogi Berra, best known for his brand of sayings like ‘It Ain’t Over till it’s Over,’ but he was much more, including a great catcher for some of baseball’s legendary teams, a D-Day veteran and a loving husband and father. An excellent documentary that captures the magic of Yogi both as a personality and as one of the greatest baseball players in the sport's history. Baseball fans will love all the footage combined with current and past interviews. I loved the radio calls with the newsreel footage combined with interviews of the announcers and the players. Berra is a man who was known for his wonderful use of creating catchphrases like ‘When you come to a fork in the road. Take it.’ and many others. Berra has more quotes in Bartlett’s than any President. For every chapter in Yogi’s life, there is a quote from a famous person and then a quote from Yogi on the same subject, but in Yogi’s unique way of looking at things. The film does a beautiful job of showing us that not only was Yogi a lovable and funny guy, but he was an incredible baseball player. It Ain’t Over gives us plenty of stats (something that baseball is excellent at) that show how Yogi’s career stacks up with other greats of the game. The Berra family was deeply involved with the documentary, so you get a lot of inside stories from his own family. I especially loved the recent interviews with players and managers who loved Yogi and knew how great of a player he was and how he was even a better teammate, friend, and family man. As Yogi said, “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.’ Well, Yogi, you were close.   My Rating: Full Price  It Aint' Over Website  Now playing in theatres and On Demand.

Indiefest: Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023)   Documentary on Mary Tyler Moore, who went from being a pixie in a TV commercial to America’s favorite housewife to a TV icon who won not only seven Emmy Awards but also was nominated for an Oscar. This is a smartly done profile of a woman who, from almost the start of her career, broke through barriers with a career that kept forging new paths but always had that wonderful smile and acting talent to back it. It’s a fascinating look at an actor who kept looking for roles that were not only groundbreaking but also entertaining. And who would have thought that after coming off two brilliant, beloved roles as Laura and Mary, would Mary Tyler Moore take on a role in Ordinary People (1980) of a woman that is so unlikeable and hard? I loved this look of one of my all-time favorite TV performers. The film has a ton of interviews with both Mary and her colleagues through the years, plus tons of home movies, giving us an inside look at ‘America’s Sweetheart.’   My Rating: Full Price   Being Mary Tyler Moore Website The film is now playing on the HBO and Max platforms.  

Forgotten Film: The Perfect Storm (2000) PG-13  The story of a fishing boat named the Andrea Gail, captained by Billy Tyne (George Clooney), caught by three storms colliding in the Atlantic. This is the story of not only the crew and how hard they had to fight to stay alive but also their loved ones back on land who are left behind to worry. The film is the story of not only Andrea Gail but also a high-priced sailboat, as both must survive a storm so strong no one is expected to survive. The Perfect Storm is full of action that centers on the men and women who must make quick, sometimes heartbreaking decisions to save not only themselves but others. Remember, these brilliant special effects were created way before everything was done with a computer and a green screen.. The cast is impeccable, spearheaded by Clooney and supported by Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, John Hawkes, Karen Allen, Mark Wahlberg, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Ironside, and Cherry Jones.  My Rating: Full Price  The Perfect Storm Info  The film is available to rent or buy on both Amazon and Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Background Casting

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)  PG-13 Archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is near retirement and feels the world has gone by him. But evil returns in the form of an old rival, and Indy must don the hand and pick up his whip one more time to keep a powerful artifact from falling into the wrong hands. This may be the last time we see Harrison Ford in the role, so they are pulling out all the stops with a cast that brings fresh additions like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and old standbys like Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies. Let’s hope Indy goes out with a bang!   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Website  The film comes out in theatres nationwide on June 30th.

Until Next Time!