Scream 7

My View: Scream 7  (2026)  R   In Scream 7, Sidney (Neve Campbell) has retreated to a quiet new town with her daughter, Tatum (Isabel May). But peace shatters when a new Ghostface emerges, targeting Tatum. Now, Sidney must confront a relentless evil that’s closer than ever. The first Scream was a great horror film, with incredible writing and some fun kills that kept you guessing until the end. However, the franchise has gotten progressively worse as it has gone along, including the last couple that just defied any sort of logic, even for horror films. So after Neve got lowballed by the studio and didn’t appear in 6, I had high hopes with her coming back and Kevin Williamson, the writer of the first film, at the helm. I enjoyed the opening of this film, with two idiots visiting the Scream BNB, but after that bit of fun, the film goes downhill fast. The kills are unimaginative; there isn’t any of the Williamson wit in the script, and the movie seemed to go on forever. The film even tries to make Sidney/Neve guilty for not appearing in Scream 6. Really, Kevin? I think it’s time to retire the black gown and the Ghostface mask and move on to something new. My Rating: Cable   Scream 7 Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Pillion  (2025)  R  Pillion follows Colin (Harry Melling), who 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. This is a romantic love story in which we join Colin on his journey into a relationship in which one person dominates the other, and they both enjoy it. What makes this film work is that we are clueless about where this relationship is going, as Colin is, so we see everything, every new experience, through his eyes. And we are often as surprised as he is about where the relationship goes. My favorite scene is very early in the film, when Colin is allowed to visit Ray’s apartment. Nothing is explained to Colin; he must figure it out on his own, and we see where he fits in when Ray sits on the couch and pats the seat next to him. Instead of it meant for Colin, it’s an invitation for Ray’s dog, and Colin is left to stand behind the couch, as we wonder what the heck he has gotten into. The film does a magical job of keeping us as unbalanced as Colin is. In fact, at some point, you go along as Colin does, allowing the film to take you on a ride into a strange love story. The film works because of the chemistry between the two actors, and we get the feeling that Ray will not make Colin do anything he isn’t willing to do. I will warn you that this film shows quite a bit of the sexual nature of this relationship and may not fit everyone’s taste. That being said, I loved this strange, unconventional, heartwarming story with a bit of humor that works thanks to the performances on screen, which feel real. Strange, but real.  My Rating: Full Price  Pillion Website  Now playing in select theaters

My View:  Man on the Run  (2025)  R   Man on the Run is a documentary about Paul McCartney forming his new band, Wings, after the breakup of the Beatles. The film features home videos and photos of Paul and Linda from the band’s formation in the 1970s and its tours through the years. This documentary from Morgan Neville does an outstanding job of showing how difficult it was for McCartney to continue his career after the Beatles. The film is a treasure trove of home movies, recording sessions, and interviews with both Paul and Linda, as well as numerous band members who made up Wings over the years. What surprised me was the songs I had forgotten from those early post-Beatles McCartney albums. Some great, some good, and a few were pretty bad, but it was an artist discovering his voice again without his partner in crime. This is a film not about an ex-Beatle but about an artist finding his way into adulthood and bringing us along for the ride through his music, including his love for Linda. It’s an amazing journey into a life that the world thought it knew but really didn’t.   My View: Full Price   Man on the Run Website     Now playing on Amazon Prime

My View: The Bluff  (2026)  R  The Bluff is set in the 19th-century Caribbean, where former pirate, Ercell “Bloody Mary” Bodden (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is forced to protect her family from a past that she wishes she could erase when her former captain, Connor (Karl Urban), shows up seeking revenge. I enjoyed this action romp that revisits the pirate motif with lots of action and some rousing fight sequences. Priyanka Chopra Jonas gives the action sequences her all and, after a slow start, is believable as a feared and formidable bloodthirsty pirate. The last third of the film is a blast (no pun intended) as Bloody Mary fights for her family against seemingly overwhelming odds, but she has a few tricks (and bombs) up her sleeve, along with a knife or two.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Bluff Website   Now playing on Amazon Prime

Indiefest:  Dreams  (2025) R  In Dreams, Jennifer (Jessica Chastain) is a powerful American socialite who is in charge of a foundation that supports the arts. She meets Fernando (Isaac Hernandez), an undocumented Mexican ballet dancer, with the idea of helping him get work. Their friendship starts a secret affair that could destroy everything Jennifer has worked for. The film is directed by Michel Franco, known for his award-winning films Heroic (2023), New Order (2020), and After Lucia (2012). I am a big fan of Jessica Chastain, but this is not one of her best. She seems somewhat uncomfortable in the role, and some of the dialogue she is given sounds as if it were written in another language and then poorly translated into English. The film is dull, except for the ballet sequences, and Isaac Hernandez is magnificent in those scenes. However, the rest of the film is filled with Chastain wearing incredible outfits, and that’s about it. The film feels cold, and what little heat it provides is just in those dance sequences.  My Rating: Cable  Dreams Website   Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film:  Urban Legend  (1998) R  Like the original Scream (1996), this is a film where the victims are very aware of what could happen to them, which makes it all the more fun. It takes place on a college campus where a group of students have taken an Urban Legends class, and then students start dying from being killed like the legends that they learned about. Like Scream, the cast is what makes this film work, with Jared Leto, Tara Reid, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Michael Rosenbaum, Rebecca Gayheart, and Alicia Witt as our heroine who figures out why the killings are happening. Added to the mix is our old horror friend, Robert Englund. While not as good as the original Scream, it's still a fun horror film with some grisly kills and a few twists to keep you guessing. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Urban Legend Info  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+

Weird Credits: From the Credits of The Bluff: Leading Helpers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Hoppers  (2026) PG  Hoppers takes place after a group of scientists invent a way to “hop” a human mind into a lifelike robot-animal body. Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda), an animal-loving teen, ‘hops’ into a robotic beaver to thwart a construction company from destroying an animal habitat. Mabel discovers that the animal world is full of surprises, including her unwitting role in an animal uprising. The film was inspired by scientists using robotic animals to study their behavior without a human being present.  Hoppers Website  In theaters on Friday, March 6, 2026.

Until Next Time!

People We Meet On Vacation

My View:  People We Meet on Vacation  (2026)  PG-13   People We Meet on Vacation follows Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), best friends and almost exact opposites who live far apart, but for a decade, they have spent one week of summer vacation together. Will the two ever realize that they were meant to be more than vacation buddies? I am a fan of rom-coms, and this one works because the storyline is fun and the chemistry between the two leads works. Emily Bader is perfect as Poppy, the woman who is a writer who travels for a living, which fits her because she never aspires to be tied down to anything, especially the small town that she is from. Alex is the opposite as he loves their small town and wants order in his life. They have a meet-cute as both are off to college (reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally), and things do not go as planned, but both realize that maybe, just maybe, they have found a friend in each other. As usual in this type of film, the two don’t know they are meant to be together, but of course, we figure out that they are from almost the first few scenes. The film is fun and light and follows your usual will-they, won’t-they type of romance, with lots of breakups along the way to show the two that they just might be right for each other.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  People We Meet on Vacation Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

My View: Greenland 2: Migration  (2026)  PG-13   In Greenland 2: Migration, it’s been five years since the Garrity family found safety in the bunker in Greenland when the world was being destroyed by an interstellar comet. Unfortunately, the bunker is becoming unsafe, and the family will have to travel across the vast wasteland of Europe to find a new home. I didn’t like the first one, and this one has even less action and therefore is incredibly slow, with a lot of meeting new people who help the family out. The action sequences are few and far between, and when they happen, they aren’t even close to the scenes in the first film, which was its only saving grace. I will say that, unlike the first film, which made the son feel like an addict by making insulin a constant source of drama, this film only mentions it at the start of the escape and never brings it up again. This time, the family is in search of Eden, in a crater that somehow wasn’t affected by the comet. So, if you want to hear Gerald Butler cough a lot and Morena Baccarin cry a lot, go ahead and watch this one. At least in this film, they find little pockets of humanity, and in this day and age, that’s something.  My Rating: Cable  Greenland 2 Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Primate  (2025)  R  Primate is about a family living in Hawaii who have a chimpanzee named Ben as a pet. Left alone for the weekend, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) invites her friends over for a pool party. Unbeknownst to the partygoers, Ben has been bitten by a rabid animal, and the once lovable, gentle chimp has become a killing machine. Primate is a movie that deserves an R rating, and even though it has a pretty and young cast, it’s not because of sex or language. It’s because it is bloody and grisly as heck. Most of the scares are not your usual jump-out-of-the-dark horror bits, but an evil presence that is just as horrific as Jason or Freddy. The action sequences are a little weak, but the horror aspect is ramped up as this is one scary and smart chimp that isn’t having a good night, unless you count all the dead bodies he racks up. For a January horror film, this isn’t a bad way to spend some time with a not-so-cute, pissed-off chimp.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Primate Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  All That’s Left of You  (2025)  All That’s Left of You starts with a Palestinian teen getting swept up and hurt during a protest on the West Bank. As she waits to see if her son will recover, she tells the story of their family and their relentless struggle to survive through the years of Israeli occupation. This is a heartbreaking, emotional look at what has happened to the Palestinians throughout the years and how continuing violence can bleed through the years into generations as a three-generational family goes from having a home and business, to living in settlements that are constantly being taken away, and moving to another country is always on the table. The film is a bit too long, and the timeline gets a little confusing, but at its heart are some beautiful moments that show that the love of family can be a comfort in a time of unrest. This is a film of bravery, of loss of both homes and lives, and of how family sometimes is your only hope in tough times.   My Rating: Full Price  All That's Left of You Website  Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)  R  Father Mother Sister Brother follows three families from three different places around the world. Each family is reunited when estranged siblings are forced to confront unresolved feelings and strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents. To say that this film is low-key would be an understatement. The movie is three stories about parents and their adult children, all of whom don’t know each other very well and, for the first two stories, don’t make any effort to improve the relationship. The movie is from Jim Jarmusch, a filmmaker that I am not a huge fan of, though I enjoyed his 2016 film Paterson. I'm just not a big fan of watching three people sit around, not talk about anything for 20 minutes, and then leave. Even with acting talents like Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, and Vicky Kreips, I found the film boring and unamusing. Only the third section, about two adult twins (Luka Sabbat, Indya Moore) paying their last respects to their late parents' apartment in Paris, was where there was any life to this film, mostly because of the back-and-forth chemistry the two actors displayed in some touching moments. Fans of Jarmusch’s style of filmmaking will, I’m sure, adore this film and find it warm, funny, and moving. I found it boring, somewhat cold, and strange. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Father Mother Sister Brother Website Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  The Chronology of Water  (2025)  The Chronology of Water tells the story of Lidia (Imogen Poots), haunted by memories of an abusive father and an alcoholic mother. Her journey is one of raw loss, fragile love, and painful self-discovery, as she struggles to heal old wounds through her art and the vulnerable relationships she forges. This film, written and directed by Kristen Stewart, is based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir about her journey through life. I had a hard time with the first half of the film, especially the voiceovers during Lidia’s early years. For a first-time director, this was a major undertaking, but it doesn’t always work. Stewart’s storyline in the first half of the film feels like a writing exercise Lidia would later give her students. It’s very arty, stream of consequence scenes, which feel taped together, that don’t always flow or work. Once Lidia puts her life together, the film follows a more traditional sequence, starting with her studies with author Ken Kesey. Imogen Poots gives an incredible performance as a woman searching for a way to deal with her past, and she finds it through writing. It’s not an easy journey to recovery, and this film isn’t an easy watch. However, watching Poots take her character down a long, very dark, winding road is a fascinating ride worth tagging along on.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Chronology of Water Website Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  Panic (2000) R  Alex (William H. Macy) has a secret; he kills people for a living. The only person who knows this is his therapist (John Ritter), whom he is seeing because Alex isn’t a happy man. He is married to Martha (Tracy Ullman), and they have a kid, Sammy (David Dorfman). Alex doesn’t want Sammy to follow in his footsteps as Alex did with his dad (Donald Sutherland). Alex doesn’t know what to do and, to make matters worse, he is fixating on a fellow patient from his therapist's office, Sarah (Neve Campbell). And to complicate things even more, dear old dad has given Alex his latest hit…his own therapist. This is a fun, strange, and at times very funny movie, carried by a great cast and Macy's amazing performance. I loved every character in this film, and it’s worth seeing for Barbara Bain’s performance as Alex’s mom. What will Alex do? Watch and find out.  My Rating: Full Price.  Panic Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits: From the credits of Greenland 2: Migration: Wire Supervisor

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Scream 7 (2026). Sidney (Neve Campbell) has retreated to a quiet new town with her daughter, Tatum (Isabel May). But peace shatters when a new Ghostface emerges, targeting Tatum. Now, Sidney must confront a relentless evil that’s closer than ever. Neve Campbell returns to the series that won’t die. This is the first film in the saga directed by Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 4 (2011).   Scream 7 Info  The film slashes into theaters on Friday, February 27, 2026

Until Next Time!