Thunderbolts*

My View: Thunderbolts*  (2025)  PG-13  In Thunderbolts*, a group of antiheroes are pulled together by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) after CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) forces the team into a dangerous mission. Only by working together and surviving can they achieve redemption.  Ever since the magnificent Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has been a little lackluster in their films. Who knew that a ragtag group of castoffs from other films would come together to make a film that is fun, funny, and a joy to watch? While Sebastian Stan’s (hot off his Oscar nomination for his role as Donald in The Apprentice) character, Bucky, is supposed to be the leader of this gang of wannabe (sort of) heroes, it’s really Florence Pugh, as Yelena, the assassin, The Black Widow’s younger sister, who steals this movie from almost the start. Pugh is brilliant as a person grieving over her sister’s loss while on the verge of quitting the business or maybe even quitting life when she gets one last job. On that job, she meets Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and a strange man in a hospital gown named Bob (Lewis Pullman). I won’t go into what happens, but along the way, Bucky pulls the gang together, along with Yelena’s father, Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian (David Harbour). Pugh does the heavy lifting for the film, giving us a hurting, lonely character who wants to change her life but doesn’t know how. Pugh also has superb comedic timing, working incredibly well with David Harbour, who, as the Red Guardian, is hilarious as a man who wants the group to come together and succeed so he can be a superhero again. The film has some outstanding action sequences in the tradition of Marvel superhero films, but unlike some of its films in the past, this is a movie about a group of people who are used to being on their own, and having to learn to work together and trust each other (something everyone has a hard time with). Thunderbolts* is a starting point for a world without the Avengers that we knew from the past. This new group is ready to take on the challenge when the world needs them, even if the world doesn’t agree if they need this ragtag group. I, for one, am ready to follow Yelena and Bucky on all sorts of messy and screwy adventures. Even Bob can come along. And yes, stay for the two post credit scenes. They are worth seeing.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Thunderbolts* Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View: The Surfer  (2024) R  The Surfer starts when a man (Nicolas Cage) and his son (Finn Little) return to the beach of his childhood to go surfing, only to discover that locals have taken over the beach. The father soon is drawn into a conflict with the locals that keeps escalating, pushing him to his breaking point, something no one wants to see. If you are a fan of Nicolas Cage, then you will love this film, as it lets Cage go all-out weird for almost the whole movie. If you aren’t a fan, then avoid it, as a little bit of Cage can go a long way for some moviegoers. The film is about a man coming home and wanting to relive his past. This goes so far as Cage’s character is willing to sell just about everything to buy the home he grew up in. Unfortunately, for Cage, a local group of young men, led by an older man named Scally (Julian McMahon), tells Cage’s character that he and his son can’t surf here. Cage decides to plant his flag (actually, just park his car in the parking lot) and hold his ground. As the film goes on, Cage’s character becomes less and less grounded in reality and becomes obsessed with the group of men who continually terrorize him. Cage gives us a mesmerizing performance, but it’s not enough to elevate the screenplay with too many themes battling for a space in a plot that goes too far into abstract and almost parody. I became bored by the continuing descent of Cage's character into madness. We spend too much time watching Cage’s character spend too much time watching his tormentors for a far before a final confrontation that gets even weirder. Cage is as magnetic as ever. I wish the script for The Surfer had given him a little more to work with and a little less of letting Cage go ‘Cagey.’  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Surfer Website  I saw this film at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival.  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Another Simple Favor  (2025) R  Another Simple Favor takes place five years after the events that put Emily (Blake Lively) in prison. Now out, Emily and Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), who is now a successful author and part-time private detective. The two travel to Capri, Italy, for Emily’s wedding to a wealthy Italian businessman. As usual, trouble finds the two, including murder and lots of intrigue. I loved the first film, A Simple Favor (2018), enjoying the sometimes dark storyline about a mommy blogger (Anna Kendrick) who solves a huge mystery with Blake Lively’s performance as the beautiful and wicked Emily, so good I thought it could get her an Oscar nomination (it didn’t). So we have a return with Stephanie coming out with a book and, somehow, Emily coming out of prison and getting married. I enjoyed the first half of this film, especially the back-and-forth that Emily and Stephanie have when Emily shows up at Stephanie’s book signing to invite her to be her maid of honor at Emily’s wedding. So we go off to Capri, and then people start getting murdered. If you haven't seen the first film, you won't be able to enjoy this film because there are a lot of callbacks to the first film. I enjoyed the play between Kendrick and Lively, but this film’s plot feels more like something out of an 80s TV show and doesn’t have the darkness and humor that the first film had. Still, I had fun watching Lively play the strange and playful Emily, who scares the crap out of Stephanie every chance she can get. I just wish the tone of the first film had carried over to this one. A little less killing and a lot more darkness would have worked better.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Another Simple Favor Website Now playing on Amazon Prime.

Indiefest:  Bonjour Tristesse  (2024) R  Bonjour Tristesse is about Cécile (Lily McInerny) and her widowed father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his new girlfriend, Elsa (Nailia Harzoune), are spending the summer in the south of France. However, the stay is disrupted by the arrival of Anne (Chloë Sevigny), Cécile’s mother’s best friend, who has shown up to bring up old passions from the past. This is a new adaptation of Françoise Sagan's 1954 coming-of-age novel, which unlike the 1958 film directed by Otto Preminger, is set in the present time. Bonjour Tristesse is a film that looks stunning and takes full advantage of the beautiful Mediterranean scenery. While I loved Chloë Sevigny as the icy, controlling Anne, I was left wanting more from Claes Bang, the widowed father who has a wandering eye, and Lily McInerny, who plays the father worshiping daughter who sets out to get revenge on Anne, who has ruined her summer with dad and his lover. The film's pace is so slow that it surprised me when characters suddenly changed their course in their feelings and actions. I hated the ending which doesn’t have the impact that the original film had. For a film with its characters constantly in the water or soaking up the sun, I found  Bonjour Tristesse to be rather cold.  My Rating; Bargain Matinee  Bonjour Tristesse Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  Rust  (2024) Rust takes place in the 1880s Wyoming when the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Alex Baldwin) comes out of hiding to rescue his thirteen-year-old nephew, Lucas (Patrick Scott McDermott), who has been sentenced to hang for an accidental killing. The two go on the run from the vicious bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang (Travis Fimmel) and a group of committed lawmen. For an indie film with a notoriously low budget, this is a stylish-looking western with a relatively simple plot for a movie over two hours long. The film is too long, has too many characters who give too much about their background, and takes too long to get going. Alec Baldwin is fine as the hardened gunfighter who wants to do one last thing before riding off into the sunset. The film’s stunning Western scenery shots are a result of the late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died in a shooting accident while working on the set. Although it’s not a great film, Rust still a stable Western that could have been improved by tightening up the script and focusing less on each character’s past. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rust Info  Now playing in select theaters and On Demand. 

Forgotten Film:  Metropolitan  (1989)  PG-13 Tom (Edward Clements) lives on the West Side and doesn’t have enough money to buy an overcoat, so he wears a raincoat in the dead of winter to cover his rented tux. He is persuaded to share a taxi with a group of young upper-class Manhattanites who have just attended a debutante ball. Soon, Tom becomes part of this group of well-off young people who spend their days sleeping and at night going to balls and then to each other’s apartments to talk about life, books, and how they see the world. Little does Tom know that Audrey (Carolyn Farina) has taken a liking to him. Tom is still obsessed with a prep school girl who he dated, unaware of her previous dating history. Tom fits in because he isn't afraid to speak his mind, especially about the gang's way of life. Metropolitan is one of my favorite ‘indie’ films, made in 1989 for about 50,000 dollars, and most of the cast are in their first film roles, including Carolyn Farina, who was discovered by the wife of the director of the film, Whit Stillman, at a cosmetics counter. The film is a week in the life of this group of young people, as they go from party to party, always gathering at an apartment to play bridge or just talk and drink. Edward Clements' portrayal of the fish out of water kid who manages to fit in with a very cliquey group makes the film sweet, funny, and a blast to watch. In 1991, Stillman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film. As the tagline for the film states, ‘Finally…A film about the downwardly mobile.”  My Rating: Full Price  Metropolitan Info  I just rewatched this film at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival. The film is available on most streaming services. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Surfer:  Rat Puppets

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Clown in a Cornfield  (2025) R  In Clown in a Cornfield, Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father have moved to the small town of Kettle Springs, the once home of Baypen Corn Syrup Factory. It’s a town where the high school kids are counting down the days when they can leave, spending their time making prank videos and causing trouble. Their hi-jinks have awakened Frendo, the old clown mascot of the Syrup factory, and he is out to see that the kids are taught a lesson. A lesson that will end up in a grisly death or two. The film is from Eli Craig, the director of the award-winning cult favorite Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010).  Clown in a Corfield Website  In theaters on Friday, May 9, 2025. 

Until Next Time!

The Batman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until Next Time!

Monday

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 63 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions.

My View: Monday (2020) R   Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough), two Americans on vacation in Greece, meet by chance and have a great weekend together. When it's time to go back to her boring world, Chloe decides to give up her job back home and find out if this passion for Mickey can turn into something real and lasting. This is a film that begins light and fun, as many romances do, especially ones that start as one extended, sex-filled date. Like romances that start fast and quick, reality soon makes itself known in the relationship, as the two lovers discover more about each other. We learn that Mickey has a son from a messy relationship and that Chloe is hiding a secret on why she wanted to leave Greece. I enjoyed the first half of the film, but the second half drags a bit as problems start developing in the relationship, some of which are major, some seem very minor, but all are seen by the two characters as almost deal-breakers, as we have two characters that are just not meant to be in a long-term relationship with each other. I found that I had very little interest in Mickey and Chloe staying with each other because the film never makes it evident that they should be together. Yes, life is messy, and relationships are complicated, but sometimes it is a better result if both parties figure out they shouldn’t be together and cut their losses. Unfortunately, the film never quite figures this out, and we are left as Monday ends with the couple continuing their downward slide on their own. My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Monday Website   Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: Vanquish (2021) R   Victoria (Ruby Rose) is a former drug courier for the Russians known for doing anything to get the job done. When retired cop Damon (Morgan Freeman) kidnaps Victoria’s daughter, she must go on five courier jobs, or her daughter will be killed. You know you are in trouble with a film when the filmmaker takes the point of view of a rat, not just for a quick glance but for multiple shots while the dialogue is trying to set up the storyline. Speaking of storyline, there is a scene near the beginning of the movie where Damon (Morgan Freeman) is in a church confessing his sins to a priest. I have not a clue what Damon tells the priest or why, but we get it; Damon is a dirty cop. The action sequences are horrible, and the car chase scenes are so dull I thought I was watching a traffic cam from a local highway. There are some genuinely mind-numbing scenes where Victoria is on her way to do another pick-up, and we see flashbacks to scenes we just saw a minute ago, along with a closeup of her daughter crying out for her mother. The ending is predictable from almost the beginning of the movie and has one of the worst special effects I’ve ever seen in a film or TV show. I kept flashing back to when I was younger and would go into a video store and rent a straight-to-video movie with some action star whom I barely knew; only those films had some fight sequences that I wanted to watch…this one, not so much.     My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again    Vanquish Website   Now playing in select theatres and available for rent on participating on-demand services on April 20th.

Indiefest: Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts   (2020)   Bill Traylor was born into slavery on a cotton plantation in rural Alabama. After the Civil War, he worked as a sharecropper, then moved to Montgomery, where he did odd jobs until in his 80s, he started drawing and painting. This documentary looks at the man and the remarkable drawings and paintings Bill did between 1939 to 1942 that took on the art world and shook it to its core, with Traylor being recognized as one of America’s greatest self-taught artists. This is such an interesting film about a man I knew very little about other than he was some sort of folk artist. Traylor did most of his art in the last decade of his life and mainly used scrap pieces of cardboard that he found on the street. The film uses a mix of interviews with art historians, relatives, and people who knew Bill, along with actors reciting works by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston and a performance by tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith to illustrate Bill Traylor’s life and work. Bill was a fantastic artist, capturing his past life on the farm and his life living on Montgomery's streets, with drawings that seem almost to move because they are filled with his energy and life. I am so happy that I got to experience Bill Traylor’s art and come to understand what was behind those beautiful, brilliant pictures.    My Rating: Full Price     Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts Website    Available for rent on virtual cinema through Kino Marquee  which benefits local theatres. 

Indiefest: In the Earth (2021) R   The world is in ruins as a dangerous virus is plaguing the world. A scientist, Martin (Joel Fry), and a park scout, Alma (Ellora Torchia), venture deep into the forest for a routine equipment run. Their journey soon becomes a terrifying trip through the unknown as the forest comes to life around them. This is one of those films that I wished I had seen at a film festival (preferably at a midnight showing) with a big crowd wanting to be scared. The film needs that energy from the crowd to create creepiness and ramp up the scares. Watching this at home, I know I didn’t have the same experience. I enjoyed that Alma is the stronger of the two, the leader, and Martin is a weak, meek follower who is way out of his element. The first two-thirds of the film are creepy as hell, as we get introduced to just how dangerous and mysterious the forest is. The film tries to build toward an ending that it doesn’t quite pull off. For all the fun and scares of the first portion of the film, the end feels lackluster as it becomes slowed down by its attempt to create a mythology about the forest and then justify that mythology as truth. For such a promising start of a film, the ending becomes a confusing and unsatisfying conclusion that makes you feel that the film could have been much more.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     In the Earth Website     Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: melvin goes to dinner (2003) R Melvin (Michael Blieden) makes dinner plans to meet an old friend, Joey (Matt Price), who then invites an old friend, Alex (Stephanie Courtney), to come along. Alex runs into a friend of hers, Sarah (Annabelle Gurwitch), and invites her to the dinner. The four then over a lot of wine, discuss everything from death to dating to sex, all while waiting for their menus. Directed by Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), this funny and charming film is like you are allowed to tag along and be at a table with four strange and hilarious people. The dialogue is real and witty, the camera work makes you a part of the dinner, and the stories they tell will have you laughing out loud. melvin goes to dinner is a film that deserved a bigger audience when it was released, winning a bunch of awards on the film festival circuit but never made it on the map. Grab a glass, or maybe a whole bottle of wine, and have fun with four people discussing life. Be sure to watch for all the soon-to-be well-known actors playing bit parts in the film like Jack Black, David Cross, and Jenna Fisher.    My Rating: Full Price    melvin goes to dinner info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Vanquish: Hair for Morgan Freeman

Where Have I Seen You Before?: Ellora Torchia, who plays Alma in In the Earth, was in the 2019 Indie hit Midsommar in the role of Connie.

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Eat Wheaties! (2021) Sid lives an under-the-radar life when it begins to unravel after he claims that he was friends with actress Elizabeth Banks in college. This looks like so much fun, and the cast includes Alan Tudyk, Sarah Chalke, Robbie Amell, Elisha Cuthbert, Paul Walter Hauser, Danielle Brooks, and David Walton.     Eat Wheaties! Website

Until Next Time!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

My View:  Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)  PG-13 The Captain (Chris Evans) is struggling to figure out his place in the modern world. It turns out that he isn’t the only person to time travel – an old acquaintance is back. Now the Captain must deal with an agent from the Soviet Union, The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).  I enjoyed this film so much more than the first Captain America film.  The action sequences are fast and well-choreographed without the dreaded shaky cam that so many of today’s action film directors like to use.  There is a great deal of humor in this film, something the first film sorely needed.  And Scarlett Johansson, as the Black Widow, has almost as much screen time as Chris Evans.  The plot is well thought-out and is very narrow in its range, which keeps the film focused. This film moves quickly, so you won’t notice the 136 minute run time.  Stay through all the credits as there are two bonus scenes, one after the main credits and another after all the secondary credits. They did not screen the film in 3-D for us, so I can't tell you which version to see.  My Rating: Full Price  Captain America: The Winter Soldier Website

Indiefest:  Anita  (2014)  Documentary about Anita Hill, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in the Senate hearings in 1991.  This is the first time that Anita Hill has talked at length about the ordeal she went through not only during the hearings, but also the aftermath.  While this film is very one-sided (neither Thomas or any Senator involved in the hearings as interviewed), it is fascinating to go back and see how things developed.  This film does give you, in detail, what Anita went through and why she decided to come forth with the allegations. As I was watching this film, I kept thinking that a lot has changed since 1991, especially how the workforce confronts the topic of sexual harassment.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Anita Website  For a full length review of this film click here

Forgotten Film:  Scarecrow (1973)  R  Max (Gene Hackman) is an ex-con who likes to fight and has been saving his money to open up a car wash in Pittsburg.  Lion (Al Pacino) is an ex-sailor who is homeless and wants to see his child who was born while he was at sea.  These two men meet and decide to travel together and go on an adventure.  This film is a pleasure to watch just to see Hackman and Pacino interact on-screen together.  The film gets a little too artsy with the lighting making everything very dark at times, but the performances outweigh these slight problems.  It’s a film well worth watching master actors apply their craft. My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Scarecrow Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)  A western written and directed by Seth MacFarlane (Ted).  I think I will go watch Mel Brook’s film Blazing Saddles (1974) instead.  A Million Ways to Die in the West Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray): Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) R  I feel that this sequel didn’t match the comedic standards the first Anchorman set.  It empathizes a character, Brick (Steve Carell), who is really better suited to be a supporting character.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Captain America: The Winter Soldier:  render wrangler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Joe (2013) R I just saw this film about an ex-con (Nicolas Cage) who takes a young homeless man (Tye Sheridan) under his wing to get him away from the boy’s alcoholic father.  It’s Nicolas Cage’s best performance in years.   Joe Website

Until Next Time!