Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

My View:  Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere  (2025)  PG-13   Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere takes place just as Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) is climbing into the stratosphere of rock stardom. In 1982, he decided to craft and record an album called Nebraska, which caused him to reconcile his stardom with the ghosts of the past. I am a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and my greatest concert experience was seeing him play for 3 hours in December 1978. So, I was excited to see a film based on the book by Warren Zanes about the troubles Bruce Springsteen faced while recording Nebraska. Two brilliant performances anchor Springsteen: Jeremy Allen White as Bruce and Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s manager and confidant, Jon Landau. White does a fantastic job of bringing Springsteen’s powerful stage presence and charisma to the screen, while also letting us see a personal side of a man haunted by his childhood and depression, which doesn’t always allow him to let people in too close. Strong is brilliant as Jon Landau, a former rock journalist who, after seeing Bruce perform one night, wrote, “I have seen the future of rock and roll and it’s Bruce Springsteen.” Strong gives a nuanced, sometimes reserved performance as a man who cares more about Bruce’s welfare than about albums and top ten hits. The scenes between Strong and White are the film’s best and get to the heart of what Bruce was trying to convey in his music. It doesn’t hurt that we have Paul Walter Hauser to show up from time to time, adding a little comic relief as Bruce’s go-between and somewhat tech guy to help set up Bruce’s recordings from his hideaway home. Springsteen suffers a bit with Odessa Young as the romantic interest, Faye, who starts as just a fun fling but gets serious, much too serious for Bruce at that time to handle. The relationship is pretty shallow and too predictable to make the audience care about how it turns out. The film is also a bit slow, as we spend a lot of time with Bruce walking around by himself or brooding at home, and some scenes showing Bruce as a kid interacting with his father feel slightly overkill. However, the film does a great job of showing how personal the Nebraska album was to Bruce and how much he cared about how he wanted the world to hear what he heard when he wrote the songs. For Bruce Springsteen fans, this will be a great ride down memory lane. For those of you who only know Bruce as an aging rock star, you can see why an album with no hit songs and no publicity did so well at the time and is considered one of the great albums of the 20th century. Hopefully, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere will get you to listen to some of Bruce’s early work, including my favorite, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.  My Rating: Full Price Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Frankenstein  2025)  R   In Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life as part of a horrific experiment. The creation that brought life to the world will ultimately lead to the downfall of both the creator and the creature. There have been hundreds (some estimates exceed 400) of movies about Frankenstein and his monster. Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Pinocchio), a self-proclaimed horror film nut, is the latest to try his hand at the Mary Shelley novel. Does del Toro succeed? In creating a super scary horror film (like I was hoping for)? No. Does he create an engaging, worth-watching psychological drama with a bit of horror thrown in? Absolutely. Unlike some of the films of the past that have portrayed Dr. Frankenstein as misunderstood and somewhat sympathetic, Oscar Isaac’s Doctor is a self-centered, righteous jerk who takes out his bad childhood on everyone he comes into contact with, including ‘the monster.’ We see how horrible the Doctor is as he attempts to steal his brother’s (Felix Kammerer) fiancée, Elizabeth (played by Mia Goth), right under his brother’s nose. However, the Doctor is ‘blocked’ by his own creation, the monster, with whom Elizabeth has a connection. I thoroughly enjoyed Jacob Elordi’s performance as the monster, who transitions from a childlike simpleton to a vengeful creature with more emotion and intelligence than his creator. Christoph Waltz also delivered an impressive, scene-stealing performance as the Doctor’s benefactor, who has his own plans for the monster. The cinematography, set design, and costumes—especially the gowns worn by Goth—are remarkable and effectively set the tone for the film and its characters. However, I wish there had been more focus on the horror elements. Frankenstein opens with an amazing opening sequence that is both terrifying and beautiful, but never delivers the scares I wanted to see in a film like this. Instead, we are presented with a drama centered on a man that we ultimately come to despise and a monster that, while maybe we may not love, we understand better than the Doctor.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Frankenstein Website  Now playing in select theaters and on Netflix starting November 7, 2025

Indiefest:  If I Had Legs I'd Kick You  (2025)  R   If I Had Legs I Kick You focuses on Linda (Rose Byrne), who is increasingly troubled by the burden of all that life has dumped on her. Between her sick daughter, a house that is falling apart, a husband who is always away, and a very hostile relationship with her therapist, Linda is barely holding on. At the center of the film is a gutsy and magical performance by Rose Byrne, about a character that you want to root for but can’t always because she keeps pushing the boundaries of common sense, while we wait for her world to finally crash down around her. This isn’t a film for everyone, as Linda keeps putting herself in situations that you think are not only bad ideas but could get her in major trouble. Linda is a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown with a husband who manages her life from a phone, a daughter who she has to monitor 24 hours a day because of an illness and a therapist who treats her like she isn’t worth his time (kudos to Conan O’Brien for a taking a role that not only isn’t funny but is our right hate-able). Byrne skillfully portrays Linda, a character who, in the hands of less talented actors, could easily become unlikable or a caricature. Instead, she makes Linda someone we want to root for and care about, hoping she receives the help—both physical and emotional—she needs before she collapses under the weight of responsibility, guilt, and motherhood. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You is a fantastic film that combines suspense, black comedy, and heart to tell a story about a woman who is trying to jump through all the hoops and keep in the air all the balls that life has given her but it’s just too much effort to do both simultaneously and Linda in her heart knows it. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Blue Moon  (2025)  R Blue Moon tells the story of songwriter Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke), who was at the top of the Broadway world alongside his writing partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). However, Rogers has left Hart to work on his new hit musical, Oklahoma!. Heartbroken and longing for a woman he secretly loves, Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), Hart decides to attend the afterparty for Oklahoma! in an attempt to drown his sorrows. It’s going to be a night that few will forget. Ethan Hawke gives the performance of a lifetime as Lorenz Hart, who is described at the beginning of the movie as “the saddest man I ever knew.” Hawke portrays one of our greatest lyricist of all time as a man who has no hope with two of the most important people in his life, his former song-writing partner, Richard Rogers (played by Andrew Scott) and a college student, Elizabeth (played by Margaret Qualley), who Lorenz is madly in love with, even though she is over 25 years his junior. Hawke, who is sporting a horrible comb-over (Hawke shaved the top of his head for the role), and through camera and movie magic, has shrunken his height from 5’10 to a little under 5 feet tall for Hart’s appearance. It is a remarkable and commanding performance of a man who has burned too many personal and creative bridges and continues to believe, against all hope, that he has a chance with Elizabeth. It’s a moving performance that makes us root for a man who won’t win any battles, except one of wits. Margaret Qualley is perfect as the beautiful and smart Elizabeth, who sees Hart only as a friend and a way to get into the Broadway world. I loved Bobby Cannavale as the bartender who sees Lorenz not only as a good customer but also as a friend. Who wants to stop Hart from drinking but knows he will always give in to a man he can’t resist. The film is an hour and forty minutes long, but it makes sure we wait, like Hart, for the moments between Elizabeth and Lorenz until the last third of the film. It’s like watching a man who we know is about to be killed by a firing squad, but he thinks he is about to be pardoned. Hawke is a wonder to watch as he is in every scene as Hart weaves his way through story after story, while also figuring out a way to get drinks he shouldn’t be getting. Blue Moon is a film that you are dazzled by a performance of an actor who is playing a man who makes words become songs we will never forget, just as we will never forget this performance that Ethan Hawke has given us. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Blue Moon Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Regretting You  (2025)  PG-13 In Regretting You, Clara (Mckenna Grace) and her mother, Morgan (Allison Williams), worlds are shattered when Chris (Scott Eastwood), Morgan’s husband is killed in an automobile accident with Morgan’s younger sister (Willa Fitzgerald). As Clara copes with this tragedy, she begins to uncover a shocking secret that her father and aunt may have been hiding. Regretting You is another in a long line of films that are probably far better books than the movies they are based on. The big twists in the plot are revealed almost from the start, and the decision to let James Franco and Allison Williams, both playing adults in their 30s, also play themselves in numerous flashbacks as teens, was a horrible idea that is jarring, to say the least. The only saving grace of this tearjerker/romance is the performances of Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames as the two teens who are on a collision course to become involved. The two have great chemistry, and both have some star power that lets you forget at times how badly the script is written, with dialogue that seems almost from a 50s TV soap opera. By the way, an AMC here in Georgia has more screen time in the movie than Scott Eastwood does, which was a little weird, since I saw the screening at a Regal Theater. Maybe if the writer had spent a little more time in that theater, the script would have been better.  My Rating: Cable Regretting You Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Shelby Oaks  (2024)   R Shelby Oaks centers on Mia (Camille Sullivan), whose sister Riley went missing after shooting a YouTube video about hunting ghosts. Now Mia has footage from the day Riley went missing, and it turns out the ghosts Riley was looking for might be real. Shelby Oaks starts with a bang, as we see, through news reports and YouTube videos, what happened to Riley just before she went missing. Then a shocking thing happens to Mia in the present day, and I think, now we have a movie. Unfortunately, the plot, like Riley, disappears, and the rest of the film is a slow, disappointing slog that rarely creates anything more than ‘jump out of the dark’ scares and has an ending that we have seen too many times before.   My Rating: Cable    Shelby Oaks Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arc (2025)  R   Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arc is about Denji, the “Chainsaw Man”, a boy with a devil’s heart, and part of Special Division 4’s devil hunters. Denji’s life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Reze, a mysterious girl who works at a cafe, and he finds himself falling for her. I am not a big anime fan, mostly because I don’t read the manga and don’t watch the endless TV series. Most of the time, I see an anime that isn’t a standalone, I am lost and spend most of my viewing time trying to figure out what is happening, who to root for, and why they are doing what they are doing (which usually involves a lot of fighting). I am happy to say that not only did I greatly enjoy this film, but I was able to figure out pretty quickly not only who was who, but what the storyline was. Some of it has to do with the main character, a superhero guy who is half a human and the other half a demon who can turn into a fighting machine with not only chainsaw arms but one sticking out of the top of his head and as long as he is reaving up (with a pull cord coming out of his chest) he can’t be killed and can regenerate. What makes this film different from some other anime is that it is R-rated, and a good portion of it is about our hero, like many young men, being torn between two young women who are interested in him. The first portion of the film shows our hero going on dates with both women and how conflicted he is about them, suggesting he doesn’t have much experience with dating. Then, just when things are going great, bad guys show up and mayhem ensues. And I mean mayhem, with lots of blood, arms being blown off or cut off, and people dying in some rather gruesome ways. The film is fun, the action sequences are a blast to watch, and I loved our hero and how geeky and uncomfortable he can be, even though he’s half-demon. I saw the film at a screening full of fans of the character, and they were having a great time watching the antics of Chainsaw Man and his friends, as he goes on dates and has bloody battles with demons out to cut out his heart (I never figured out why that was a significant plot point). So if you’ve never seen anime before and you like lots of action with a bit of romance, this might be a great way to start. My Rating: Full Price Chainsaw Man: The Movie Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost  (2025)   Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost is a documentary about the husband and wife comedy team of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Directed by their son, Ben Sitller, this is a loving tribute to two people who were married for over 60 years and, for the first part of their careers, acted together on stage. Stiller & Meara offers a moving and detailed look at a couple who deeply loved each other but were actors, actors who had ambition to be the best they could be. Aided by the fact that Jerry threw nothing away and was always either tape-recording or filming, the documentary provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of two remarkable comedic actors who were also partners in life. At times, the film may come off as overly sentimental or self-reflective from Ben’s perspective, but it effectively conveys how the couple collaborated to become a successful comedy duo. It also explores how their individual careers and the dynamic of their relationship changed due to their working apart, ultimately benefiting their marriage. It’s also a look at how Jerry and Anne’s parenting and working relationship had such an impact on Ben and his sister Amy. For those of you who only know Jerry through Seinfeld and Anne through all her guest star appearances, his documentary sheds light on the significance and humor of their partnership during their early years on stage. My rating: Full Price   Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost Info  Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform

Forgotten Film:  Predestination (2014)  R   A time-traveling law enforcement officer (Ethan Hawke) goes after the one bad guy who has eluded him all these years - the infamous terrorist known as the “Fizzle Bomber.” During his travels, the officer encounters a woman (Sarah Snook) with a significant tale to tell. I loved this film. It’s quirky and full of twists and turns, so you will not see the ending coming. Hawke is perfect in the role, and Sarah Snook is an absolute revelation in a dual role, bringing a complex character to its full potential. If you like mysteries combined with a little Sci-Fi, then this film is for you.  My Rating : Full Price Predestination Info Avaiable on the Roku Channel and for rent/buy on Amazon Prime

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Frankenstein:  Frankenstein Family Portrait By

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Secret Agent (2025) R In 1977, Marcelo (Wagner Moura) is living in Brazil and is a technology expert fleeing from a mysterious past. He moves back to his hometown to be near his son, but he soon realizes that the city is far from the refuge he seeks. The film is getting a lot of buzz as a possible multiple Academy Award nominee, including Best Actor for Moura. The Secret Agent Website The film will be in theaters on Friday, December 5, 2025.

Tron: Ares

My View: Tron: Ares  (2025)  PG-13 Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated program named Ares (Jared Leto), who has been sent from the digital world into our real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. The first film in the series, 1982’s Tron, was an animation wonder, using computer animation combined with live action to create a mind-blowing (at the time) theater experience. Unfortunately, the plot was weak and didn’t make much sense. But the visuals made it a minor hit. It’s been 15 years since the second film in the series, Tron: Legacy, and this film takes place after those events. An evil CEO named Julian (Evan Peters) has developed the Tron technology so that computer programs can come to life, but only for 29 minutes. A program named Ares is sent out into the world, and guess what, he wants to stay. He teams up with the CEO of Julian’s rival company (Greta Lee), and this leads to a whole lot of explosions, chases, and deaths. Fans of the first two films or the video games will likely enjoy this new installment. For others, the impressive action sequences may be the only draw, but true to the Tron legacy, the plot quickly falls apart within the first five minutes. The film drags on for too long, running for two hours, and the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack is overwhelming and intrusive. Tron: Ares is best experienced on a big screen; if you plan to watch it at home, you might find yourself folding a lot of clothes.  My Rating: Cable   Tron: Ares Website   In theaters nationwide, including IMAX

My View:  Kiss of the Spider Woman  (2025)  R Kiss of the Spider Woman is the story of Valentin (Diego Luna), who has been put into prison as a threat to the current government. His new cellmate is Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two bond as Molina retells the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). I am a big musical fan (having been in some local high school productions), so I was looking forward to seeing what the film and Jennifer Lopez could do to capture the old classic Hollywood musical look and feel. Lopez gives an inspired performance as a classic old-school Hollywood musical song and dance performer. This isn’t your typical Lopez song/dance act from her concerts and music videos. Instead, these are set pieces that would be right at home in a 50s musical film. Tonatiuh holds his own with Lopez, putting himself into the role of playing opposite Lopez’s character in the retelling of the Hollywood musical. Tonatiuh has an incredible voice, and the film works when in the dance numbers. The film’s weak point is the character Valentin and Diego Luna’s performance, particularly during the musical numbers. Luna looks and sounds uncomfortable in the numbers, and I had trouble buying the love story between Valentin and Molina. I think this film worked better on the Broadway stage, where Chita Rivera could captivate an audience with her style and charisma. Lopez has both, but can’t save the scenes where she isn’t present, and that’s a lot. My Rating: Cable Kiss of the Spider Woman Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  A House of Dynamite  (2025)  R  In A House of Dynamite, a foreign power has launched a nuclear missile aimed at the U.S. mainland, and government officials have just minutes to make decisions that will have lasting consequences for America and the rest of the world. Any time you make a movie about nuclear warheads heading anywhere, the stakes are high. As it is with A House of Dynamite, a film filled with tension and nail-biting scenes, it somehow didn’t hit the mark for me. It’s not the performances; Rebecca Ferguson and Idris Elba stand out in a huge ensemble cast. It’s not the subject matter, as it seems now more relevant than ever, with some of America’s enemies either having nuclear weapons or being very close to it. I think it was the format of this film. We spend the same 20 or so minutes from the viewpoints of different people in the White House, observing the decisions and possible mistakes made, and gaining insight into why they reacted the way they did during this stress-filled time. The film just never gelled for me as I never connected to it, especially with the retelling of the same time period. A House of Dynamite is a film that will stick with me for a while, but only because I can’t quit figuring out why I didn’t like it more. My Rating: Bargain Matinee A House of Dynamite Website  Now in select theaters and on Netflix on Friday, October 24, 2025.

My View:  Roofman  (2025)  R Roofman follows the exploits of Jeffery Manchester (Channing Tatum), a criminal known for breaking into stores through their roofs, earning his nickname, Roofman. After escaping from prison, Jeffery hides out in a Toys ‘R’ Us store, remaining undetected for several months. However, when he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom who works for the store, his life in the free world could come to an end. I enjoyed this likable film with two winning performances from Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst. Channing gives Jeffery the Roofman Manchester an air of nice guy vibes while also being a bit of an idiot. Jeffery is a nice guy robber (though when confronted, he can become violent) who does things like give up his coat when he is locking a manager into a freezer. Jeffery needs a place to hide after escaping from prison, and he finds a Toys ’R’ Us store that is the perfect hideout. The problem is that he is a good guy robbing businesses, which he is good at, but only for a short time. His kindness allows him to meet Leigh at a church, where they quickly start a relationship. Roofman is a fun, somewhat romantic film about a relationship destined to crash and burn, but not before a lot of funny stuff happens. I thoroughly enjoyed Kirsten Dunst’s performance as a single mom of two who had given up on romance until a handsome guy crashed into her world. This film is based on a true story, and be sure to stay through the credits to see actual interviews with all the people who had interactions with the Roofman. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Roofman Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Predators  (2025)  Predators is a documentary that explores the controversial NBC series “To Catch a Predator,” which used multiple camera sting operations to catch child predators. The TV series was a huge ratings success until it was abruptly cancelled after the suicide of one of the men it profiled. “Understanding is not the goal of the show” is a quote from this thought-provoking documentary that sums up what the show was about. One problem is that while no longer on NBC, it continues in many forms, most with little or no input from law enforcement. The film is in three sections. The first section discusses the NBC show itself, which aired from 2004 to 2007 and was a massive hit for a while. In fact, the documentary highlights how integral the show was to the culture by showing clips of Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, and John Stewart making jokes or skits about it. The second part is about the ‘actors’ in their early twenties who posed as kids to ‘catch the predators.’ The third part discusses To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, how he continues to do this type of show, and how it has destroyed lives that may never recover. This documentary asks a lot of questions, some of which are incredibly complicated. As for why the filmmaker wanted to make this film, the answer is revealed about an hour in. Predators shows some compassion and even hesitation towards the people that are on the screen. And that’s something that the original show never did.   My Rating: Full Price Predators Website  Now playing in select theaters

My View: John Candy: I Like Me  (2025)  PG-13  John Candy: I Like Me is a documentary about the beloved actor who starred in the TV series SCTV and in films that delighted audiences. I was a big fan of John Candy. I loved him on SCTV, and some of my favorite movies of his are Splash, where he stole the movie from Tom Hanks; Uncle Buck, which was probably his best role; and a little-seen movie called Only the Lonely, notable for his scenes with Ally Sheedy that felt real and charming. Directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, John Candy: I Like Me is a touching and insightful documentary about this comedy legend, who was not only immensely talented but also a genuinely nice person who loved people and cherished his wife and family. The film features some excellent interviews with Candy, and what resonated with me was how kind he was even to interviewers who weren’t nice to him. As you would expect, all his SCTV buddies are interviewed, along with Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, and Steve Martin. We see how much they loved and respected the man, but also how much fun they had working with him. I learned a lot about his early years, especially his early SCTV days, and I thoroughly enjoyed going down memory lane with a man who was loved not only for his talent but also for his character. They say, ‘Never meet your heroes; they’ll surely disappoint,’ but man, I wish I had met John Candy. I have a feeling he would have lived up to all my expectations; I know this documentary did.  My Rating: Full Price  John Candy: I Like Me Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime

Forgotten Film: Streets of Fire  (1984) PG  A rock star (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by an outlaw biker gang led by a bad guy named Shaddock (Willem Dafoe). A mercenary named Cody (Michael Pere) and his sidekick, McCoy (Amy Madigan), are hired to bring her back. Directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors, Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs.), this film is a weird mix of 1950s and 1980s cultures, featuring a soundtrack that is a wonder to listen to. While not as good as some of Hill’s other films, it’s still a fun ride, and Amy Madigan as a tough-nosed fighter who smokes cigars and loves to kill bikers is a blast to watch. Even if you just watch the first five minutes of this film, with Lane singing her heart out, you will have fun with this one.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Streets of Fire Info Available to rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits: From the credits of Roofman: Products Used With Permission: Tickle Me Elmo

Coming Soon to A Screen Near You:  Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere  (2025) PG-13  Just when Bruce Springsteen is climbing into the stratosphere of rock stardom, he decides to craft and record an album in 1982 called Nebraska that caused him to reconcile his stardom with the ghosts of the past. Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen and is considered one of the favorites to be nominated for an Oscar. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Website The film will be in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 24, 2025. 

Until Next Time!