Bros

My View: Bros (2022) R  Bobby (Billy Eichner) is doing well professionally but has always had commitment issues. Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) is a lawyer who likes to go to clubs shirtless and also has commitment issues. The two meet up at a club and start to date. Can these two men make a go of it? I enjoyed this film as a fan of rom-coms, and of course, this isn’t your average heterosexual rom-com, so it pushes the boundaries a bit on the genre. Still, it has the two people who are very different start dating, then there is the breakup, and then the will they or won’t they get back together in the end story. Eichner sometimes goes a bit overboard with the comedy, with a few too many over-the-top jokes, but once the romance starts, the film settles down and becomes enjoyable because of the outstanding chemistry between Eichner and Macfarlane. There is a funny, running gag about Hallmark movies and a few digs at some Apatow films (he produced this film) that are fun. Overall, this rom-com fan had a good time with Bobby and Aaron and their take on a modern-day rom-com with a bit of a throwback or two to ones in the past.   My Rating: Full Price   Bros Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

My View: Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) PG   Three young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters, and boy, are they sorry they did. Basically, they must now figure out a way to get the sisters to return where they belong before the witches wreak havoc upon the world. I am not a fan of the original film, so it’s no surprise I didn’t enjoy this return to seeing the three sisters terrorize kids. Now, you will enjoy this film if you fondly remember the first film or are a big fan who demanded they bring it back for another one. I felt like everyone was trying too hard, especially because there are three songs in the film (one is in the credits, so if you are having a good time, keep watching), all seem incredibly out of place. The storyline pulls the first film in with some guest appearances, but it’s a plot that is about as weak as the idea that two of the witches, after a trip to Walgreens, have to use a Swiffer or a pair of robot floor vacuums to fly over the town. If you think that’s funny, then have at it. I didn’t.   My Rating: Cable  Hocus Pocus 2 Website  Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

My View: Smile (2022) R   After a patient, who claimed she was seeing something that no one else could see, killed herself in front of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), Rose begins to experience frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. Rose must confront her troubled past to survive this new horrifying reality. Creepy is the best word to describe this scary horror movie. It’s a film that does have quite a few 'jump out of the dark' bits, but it also does a brilliant job of taking us down a rabbit hole that we don’t want to explore, and as Rose and we get more and more involved in the mystery, the tension is ramped up. I don’t know if Smile will be a favorite horror film down the line for me, as the plot is razor thin (no pun intended), but it’s still a fun experience if you like to be scared. You might avoid people that smile a lot for a few days after seeing this film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Smile Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) R   One man (Zac Efron) had a crazy idea in 1967 to leave New York and bring beer to his buddies in the Army while they were fighting in Vietnam. It’s hard to make light of a war that tore a country apart, but that's what this film does. It’s an incredible true story about a guy named Chickie, who was egged on by his bar buddies (and a wise bar owner played by Bill Murray) to take a bunch of ‘American’ beer to the young men from the neighborhood that were in Vietnam. Efron is good as Chickie, who has always gotten by his ability to charm his way out of anything, even if it’s not the smartest thing. The fact that this was a true story is amazing, but the film never finds a footing on if it should be a comedy or a drama and never gets the emotional peak that it needs to be genuinely moving or make it more than just a story an ordinary guy who tries to do a foolish thing and learns that war is ugly, horrific and not what you see in the movies.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Greatest Beer Run Ever Info  Now playing in select theatres and on the Apple TV+ platform.

My View: Nothing Compares (2022)   This is a documentary on Sinead O’Connor, who rose to worldwide fame, and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream. I still remember that Saturday Night Live performance of O’Connor, singing a song that I had no clue the history of and then seeing her rip up the picture of the Pope live on air. The film does a great job of giving us background into both O’Connor’s life before that moment and the underlying aspects of her native Ireland and how it treated women during that time. It's an interesting and sad tale of someone who clearly had issues she hadn’t dealt with at the time. It gives you a full appreciation of not just the artist but also the person behind the voice that we all fell in love with. As the film continued, I kept thinking back to the footage of Sinead in an early rehearsal, where she was happy and at home, finding joy in expressing herself through her voice and writing. It’s too bad that we and the press were too quick to judge a woman for speaking her mind. Maybe through watching this film, we can learn to try to understand where artists are coming from before too quickly judging them. By the way, the Prince Foundation owns the rights to the song Nothing Compares 2 U, Prince wrote it, so we never hear the song in the film. But don't worry, we get to see Sinead sing many more.   My Rating: Full Price  Nothing Compares Website  Now playing on Showtime.

Indiefest: The Good House (2021) R  Hildy (Sigourney Weaver) is a New England realtor whose husband left her for another man, her kids sent her to rehab, and she needs a good year in real estate to keep her business from going under. In walks an old flame (Kevin Kline) of hers, and things are about to change. Boy, are things going to change. First, the trailer made it look like this is a rom-com, but it’s definitely a drama dealing with many issues, mainly alcoholism and depression. The film gets a little too dependent on letting Weaver talk directly to the audience to let us know how Hildy is feeling at the time. That being said, it is still a movie with two moving and brilliant performances by Weaver and Kline. They fit together on screen incredibly well, like a well-worn flannel shirt (something that Hildy might never wear). Weaner plays the hard-drinking, quick to put people down while keeping too many balls in the air to keep them all from staying up in the air. The film takes a little too long to get to where Hildy has her moment of clarity, but it's fun to see Weaver take the character with us along for the bumpy ride. My Take: Bargain Matinee   The Good House Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: God’s Creatures (2022) R  Aileen (Emily Watson) is surprised when her son, Brian (Paul Mescal), has returned to their small fishing village. However, things go wrong almost immediately when Brian is accused of a crime, and Aileen lies to keep him safe. It’s a lie that could tear the family apart. Emily Watson gives us a performance that we can once again point to and tell the world that she is one of the best actors on the planet today. It's a powerful and moving role of a woman who loves her son and wants him to succeed but also knows that he isn’t the man she wishes him to be. Aileen is willing to do anything to keep her son safe, even when she knows she is hurting other people. God's Creatures is a film that, right from the start, you feel as though the family you meet is cursed, and you are about to find out just how cursed they are. The performances throughout the cast are just so real, raw, and, at times, hard to watch, as Aileen’s world goes from bad to worse, all because she thought she was doing the right thing for her son. Little did Aileen know how big a cost that would be.   My Rating: Full Price  God's Creatures Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Phone Booth (2002) R Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a publicist who is used to telling people what they want to hear. Stuart stops to use one of the last phone booths in NYC instead of his cell phone. Why? To call his mistress (Katie Holmes) so his wife won’t see the call on his cell. The phone rings and Stuart finds himself trapped in the booth, pinned down by an extortionist’s sniper rifle. Now Stuart must use the skills he learned over the years to stop the sniper from killing him. Phone Booth is an excellent film by filmmaker Joel Schumacher, who gave us St. Elmos’s Fire (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), and Falling Down (1993). Farrell is great in the role, and the film is a master class on building suspense in its short 88-minute run time. My Rating: Full Price  Phone Booth Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Smile: Lead Fire Rigger 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) R Two lifelong friends, Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), have been meeting for years every afternoon to walk down to their local pub and have a conversation. Until one day, Colm refuses to answer the door, claiming he has no more time to have stupid conversations with Padraic. Things go downhill from there. There is a lot of talk from film festivals that this is the performance that finally gets Colin Farrell an Oscar nomination. The film is by Martin McDonagh, the Oscar-winning filmmaker (Six Shooter (2004) of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and In Bruges (2008).   The Banshees of Inisherin Website  The film will be in theatres in mid-October. 

Until Next Time!

NOPE

My View: NOPE (2022) R   A brother and sister (Daniel Kalyuua and Keke Palmer) are working on their family ranch that supplies horses to Hollywood films. Things start getting strange on the ranch as it looks like aliens are flying around, and the duo decides to document these occurrences. Consequently, their actions are to the dismay of the forces behind the flying saucers. See this on the big screen. I mean, see it in a theatre on a screen as big as you can with a sound system to match. A UFO lover’s dream come true, NOPE is a fun, well-done thriller with a few scares along the way that will fulfill your wish for a big blockbuster ride. And I will tell you, this film will also shock you, almost from the start. With a great cast, incredible sound effects, and cinematography that fully utilizes the IMAX camera to its glorious beauty and NOPE is a film that will thrill and amaze you. Like any Jordan Peele film, it is filled with humor, some of which is pretty dark but allows you to release a bit of the tension that builds throughout the film. The film has a lot to say, touching on the entertainment industry, our reliance on electronics, our attempt to train animals against their will, and how hard it is to follow our dreams, especially if it's not your own. So please sit down and get ready to be amazed, and I warned you, shocked.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   NOPE website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: The Gray Man (2022) PG-13  Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), whose true identity is known to none, is the CIA’s man when someone needs to die, the Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. After accidentally uncovering dark Agency secrets, Court is being hunted by Lloyd Hasen (Chris Evans), a former fellow assassin, who has been given the task to hunt Court down and take him out. Now the only person he can count on is Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas), but the odds are against him…just the way that Court likes it. I enjoyed this film, but I am a big fan of action films, especially ones that feature a lot of hand-to-hand combat, and this has a lot. Ryan Gosling plays an assassin with a soul who won’t cross a line, even if it means it will piss some people off. Gosling’s agent six is a superhero, someone who can take on an army single handily, fall off a roof with only a few scratches and take a pounding but keep on fighting. He is up against Chris Evans's antihero, a man who doesn’t mind collateral damage as long as he gets what he wants, and in this case, he wants Agent Six dead. Evans is the surprise of the film, playing a creepy bad guy with a fun flair for the dramatic. Ana de Armas holds her own in the action sequences and makes a good companion for Gosling’s deadpanned Agent Six. The film goes on a little too long, but it's a good time with a ton of action sequences, including a thrilling fight inside a giant transport plane as it slowly falls apart. So join in on the action and enjoy the duel between Evans and Gosling.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Gray Man Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform and in select theatres. 

My View: Anything’s Possible (2022) PG-13  Kelsa (Eva Reign), a confident young woman who is trans, is just trying to survive her senior year of high school. All she wants to do is blend in and get this year over with, but love has another idea. However, when a classmate, Khal (Abubakr Ali), gets a crush on Kelsa, he decides to go for it and ask her out, even though he knows they will be the center of attention. I really like this film, with its take on a teen romance, where instead of the hot guy dating the nerdy girl (or visa-versa) causing trouble within their friends, we get the hot guy dating someone that no one see’s coming, Kelsa. The film does a great job of giving us a young woman who doesn’t want to be a trailblazer; she wants to live her life like anyone else. I loved the relationship between Kelsa and her mother, who have a rule that Kelsa and her mother can only discuss things the average mother would ask her average daughter. The two leads are just what you want in a teen romance; adorable, slightly klutzy and have great on-screen chemistry that makes you want their characters to be together. And yes, Kelsa being trans is a big deal in the film, but it’s handled with compassion and with a character that just wants to be seen as Kelsa, nothing else. As it should be.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Anything's Possible Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Fire of Love (2022) PG  Documentary about scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who fell in love over their research on volcanoes. They were known worldwide as daredevils who brought us some of the most explosive imagery ever recorded. Significantly, they died doing the thing that they loved. Right off the bat, I’m going to tell you that this film is sure to be in my top ten films of 2022, and I predict it will be nominated for the Documentary Academy Award next year. Yep, this film is that good. The film tells the story of two of the world’s greatest volcanologists, Katia and Maurice Krafft, who just happened to be married. This is not only a story about Volcanos but also a love story between two brilliant and interesting people who bonded instantly over their love of volcanoes. Ninety percent of the footage in the film is from the personal archives of the Krafft’s. To say that there are shots of volcanos that are simply breathtaking is an understatement. The film is summed up by an amazing shot of an erupting volcano, with hot, red lava spewing up into the air, as the two scientists, in silver protective suits, almost dance in front of the awesome display of earth’s mighty power. You can see just from that one shot why they both knew that it wasn’t how they would die but when. However, yes, they did die, but it is very evident from this beautiful and moving film that they died doing what they loved, and they died as they wished, together.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Fire of Love Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Alone Together (2022) R  What happens when two strangers (Katie Holmes, Jim Sturgess) book the same Airbnb during the start of the lockdown of the pandemic. Katie Holmes wrote, starred, and directed this film about two people who are in bad relationships, who then find out that maybe, just maybe, their failed relationships aren’t their fault. This is one of many films I’ve seen in the past year where people are stuck together at the start of the pandemic when everything was shut down, and everyone was told to stay home and not go out. This is a very predictable romance between two likable characters, who we know are meant for each other, and it’s only a matter of time before they both realize it. There isn’t anything new in this film, and both actors are fine in their roles. Holmes does let her character express a few feelings and opinions about being allowed when you are in a relationship, to being yourself and following your dream. The film delivers what you think it will, a romance that finds two people in the middle of a worldwide crisis; I just wish that the plot had a few more surprises in it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Alone Together website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Murina (2021)  Julija (Gracija Filipović) lives with her parents on a Croatian island, who she increasingly doesn’t get along with. When a handsome older man, Javier (Cliff Curtis), comes to the island, Julija sees it as an opportunity to escape the boredom of her life and her parents. This is a film about a power of wills between a father, Ante (Leon Lucev), and Julija, a headstrong young woman who wants to get as far away from her father as possible, whether it be overseas or in the ocean. Ante is a man who is controlling and has an overpowering ego that won’t take anyway but his. Julija is happiest when she is in the water, it’s her escape from reality. Ante is driven by a visit from an old friend, Javier, who he hopes will buy his land and he and his family can move to the mainland. Julija sees Javier as her savior, someone who can rescue her from her father and his oppressive rule. Julija’s mother, Nela (Danica Curcic), is caught between her husband, whom she has stood by all these years, and her daughter, whom she is proud of. This is a movie that constantly builds the tension between father and daughter, and we know that the hopes and dreams of both are doomed almost from the start. I loved Gracija Filipovic’s performance of Julija, as she continually pushes the boundaries that her father has set for her, whether it’s wearing an old dress of her mother’s against his wishes or leaving out a line about her father in a poem that he forces her to recite in front of a crowd. Murina is a film where everyone’s dreams are seemingly just out of reach, even when those dreams were in the past.   My Rating: Full Price    Murina Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Murder by Numbers (2002) R A 'by the book' police detective (Ben Chaplin) and his loose-cannon partner (Sandra Bullock) are investigating a murder. Little does the detective know that the murder has been committed by two high school kids (Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt) who only did the killing to see if they could commit the perfect crime. This is a forgotten Sandra Bullock film that is quite good. Bullock plays a character a little different from what our Sandy plays typically, a character that you might not like. In fact, I think you will like Ben Chaplin’s character much more than Bullock’s, but that’s why I like this film. Plus, Gosling and Pitt are creepy as heck, making two terrifying and clever criminals who will not be easy to catch. The film also has one of my favorite unappreciated actors, Chris Penn in it.  My Rating: Full Price   Murder by Numbers Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of NOPE: Mask Maker

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Smile (2022) R   After a patient, who claimed she was seeing something that no one else could see, killed herself in front of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), Rose begins to experience frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. Rose must confront her troubled past in order to survive this new horrifying reality. The trailer looks like it could be terrifying.    Smile Info

Until Next Time!

3 Days to Kill

My View:  3 Days to Kill (2014)  PG-13 Ethan (Kevin Costner) is one of the best Secret Service agents the agency has ever had, but it ‘s come at a price, his family. Ethan decides to retire from the agency to spend time with his teenage daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) before she leaves for college. Before, though, he can leave, he must serve one more mission, a mission to kill the world’s most wanted terrorist. This film is such a strange movie it’s hard to put into words.  Its part father/daughter reconnecting after 5 years apart, and part action film where Costner is trying to kill one of the world’s bad guys. The film goes for every cliche in the book, including having Costner teach his daughter how to slow dance.  The plot is full of holes, including the fact that  if Amber Heard’s character, Vivi, is such a badass spy, why can’t she kill the bad guy herself, instead of putting Costner’s character through the ringer.  Costner, after having taken a few years off from acting, has had quite a little comeback with some good parts this year. This wasn’t one of them.  I guess he just wanted to see Paris.  My Rating: Cable  3 Days to Kill Website   

The 50  (A Movie from My Best/Worst Films of All Time)
#2 Worst Film:  The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)  I don't have to say much more about this film than it's a little people musical western.  What little (no pun intended) plot there is about a bad guy who reigns his “terror" on the townspeople of a western town, is lost in an attempt to have its actors go between a western, a musical and a comedy.  The songs are bad, the acting is worse, and the attempts at comedy are beyond in bad taste (instead of going through the swinging doors of the saloon, our hero walks under them).  The only redeeming thing  about this film is it's only 62 minutes long, but I guarantee you watch this film, and it will be the longest hour of your life. And remember the tag line of the movie, "Little Guys with Big Guns!"  The Terror of Tiny Town Info

Forgotten Film:  Smile (1975) PG This well written satire revolves around the contestants and judges of a beauty pageant called, California 's Young American Miss Pageant.  The film centers around the contestants as they are whipped into shape by a ruthless choreographer (real life choreographer Michael Kidd), who works the young women until they are in tears.  The pageant is run by Big Bob (Bruce Dern) who hits on every girl in the pageant, Brenda (Barbara Feldon), a former winner of the event, and her husband (Nicholas Pryor), who is being driven mad by his wife's unrelenting antics. The film is a satiric look at how we perceive beauty, especially in young women, and how far people will go for recognition.  The film is also helped by a brilliant cast that make up the contestants, including Melanie Griffith, Annette O’Toole, Denise Nickerson and Colleen Camp.  My Rating:  Full Price  Smile Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Think Like a Man Too (2014)  Sequel to the 2012 hit with the cast returning to follow up on the characters from the first film.  I think it's time Kevin Hart slowed down a bit and took his time making his next appearance in a film...how about in 2016?  Think Like a Man Too Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):   Escape Plan  (2013)   R   A world renown security expert (Sylvester Stallone) is asked to test the world’s most secure prison from the inside, as a prisoner.  Now he realizes that he was set up and must gain the help of one of the prison's most notorious criminals (Arnold Schwarzenegger) for help to escape.  When is an action film not an action film?  When your two stars are getting up there in age and can’t handle a full-fledged action film.  The film can’t decide if it wants to be a drama, an action film or a snarky comedy and, therefore, fails at all three.   My Rating: Cable   Escape Plan Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Monuments Men:  snow effects

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Island of Lemurs: Madagascar  (2013) G  A documentary about the wild Lemurs of Madagascar.  It's a doc, narrated by Morgan Freeman with Lemurs as the subject matter. You had me at narrator Morgan Freeman.  Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Info

Until Next Time!