Despicable Me 4

Familyfaire:  Despicable Me 4  (2004)  PG In Despicable Me 4, Gru (Steve Carell) and his family have a new addition, Gru Jr., who seems to have a mission to torment his father. Gru faces a new adversary, Maxime Le Mel (Will Ferrell), and his girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara). Maxime Le Mel aims to make a name for himself by destroying Gru. Gru, his family, and a few Minions enroll in a protection relocation program that entails moving to a new neighborhood. What could go wrong? Everything. What could go wrong in the latest Illumination animated film? Everything. Let’s start with the addition of a new villain, Maxime, voiced by Will Ferrell. Who at Illumination asked, 'Hey, what are the kids into these days?' What about cockroaches? Cool! So the new villain turns into a giant cockroach, and he has a ton of cockroach followers (they kind of disappear about halfway through the movie, so someone figured out that might be a problem). Will Ferrell and Sofia Vergara as his sidekick/wife (I never could figure out what her purpose was) didn't bring anything to the film at all. Attempting to make a giant cockroach morphy thing funny must have been challenging. The film is a mess as it has three stories going on at once: Maxime trying to kidnap Gru’s baby, the family trying to fit into a new neighborhood, and Gru gets sucked into a caper by the next-door neighbor’s daughter Poppy (voiced by Joey King). By the way, some of the Minions have been transformed into extremely unfunny versions of the Fantastic Four. Look, a Mega-Minion can shoot a laser with his one eye and melt an igloo on the other side of the earth. Hilarity ensues. I liked the first two Despicable Me films, but since then, these films have been lazy, unfunny films that show no sign of originality. What made the first film work was Gru was genuinely evil. He was a guy who delighted in causing problems like freezing everyone in the coffee line, and he was a tough guy, beating up the shark from Jaws. Then, he had to deal with three kids who were too cute for him to be horrible. The second film worked because we got a love interest for Gru, and the minions were funny. Now, with the Minion movie offshoots and these sequels, they have run out of ideas. What’s the next villain to take on Gru in DM5? Maybe Illumination will come up with Boogerman! Just know, we will keep getting these because they can make Minion popcorn buckets and that makes money. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Despicable Me 4 Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F  (2024)  R  Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to his old haunt, Beverly Hills. After his daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is threatened, she and Axel team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and uncover a conspiracy that could shake up the town. Axel calls on some old pals in Billy (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) to help bring down the bad guys. We forget how good and what a bit of fresh air Beverly Hills Cop was back in 1984. Murphy was so much fun as a fish-out-of-water Detroit cop who finds himself in the surreal world of Beverly Hills. Playing off of Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as two uptight cops, Murphy had a field day making fun of everything he encountered while trying to bring down a bad guy. The film even received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The two sequels, released in 87 and 94, were not up to the same standard, with Cop III being a disaster. This fourth film has been in the works since the late 90s, and scripts have been bouncing around for the last 20 years. Is this film as good as the first one? No, but it will make you forget the bitter taste of BHC3. Axel F is a fun ride of nostalgia, as 30 years later, Axel goes back to the 90210 zip code to help his estranged daughter, now a public defender, who has taken a case of a young man who has been wrongly accused of killing a cop. Murphy's performance as the wiseass Foley is still enjoyable, and it's a delight to see some of the familiar characters from the previous films. I did get a bit tired of some of the retread moments in this film. While the theme song (named Axel F) is warranted, the film uses quite a few of the first film’s soundtracks to try and bring back those fond memories. The same holds true for the action sequences. Instead of a big eighteen-wheeler crashing through cars from the first film, we get a combo trash truck/snow plow doing the same thing. There is a big shoot-out that seems to steal quite a few shots from the shoot-out sequence in the first film. The film also tries to push a few plot points that don't hold up, including Jon Ashton's Taggert (who retired in the third film), who is now, somehow, the Beverly Hills Police Chief. The film also tries very hard to capture the magic of Bronson Pinchot’s Serge appearance (one of the highlights of BHC I), but that falls incredibly flat. New additions to the cast, including Taylour Paige as Foley’s daughter and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the new Beverly Hills cop, are fine editions. Bringing in Kevin Bacon as a flashy, Rolex-wearing detective is a nice touch. The plot gets a little too complex, and I started feeling the almost two-hour length near the film’s end. Nevertheless, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F may be the perfect Netflix film. It's a film that feels nostalgic and, at times, funny, with some big car chases to keep you awake when things get slow.My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  MaXXXine  (2024)  R  Maxxxine takes place in 1980s Hollywood, where adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) is about to get the big break she has been dreaming about. Maxine’s bloody past could be catching up with her as a mysterious killer stalks Tinseltown’s streets. Ti West has made two good horror films for this series, both starring Mia Goth in X (2022) and Pearl (2022). X was a take on slasher films with a heavy influence from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Pearl, a take on the crazy slasher genre, is a story about a young woman who dreams of stardom but starts killing to get her freedom. Now comes MaXXXine, a film that doesn’t fit the horror film genre like the first two West films. MaXXXine is a film that focuses on suspense rather than horror. I'll admit that my initial reaction after watching the film was that it was a bit disappointing. Yeah, there are a few gruesome deaths (and one really gruesome take down by Maxine on a bad guy), but most of the killings take place off screen and we only see the results as the police investigate the crimes. However, after further reflection, I think this fits perfectly with the other two films. It’s a twist that I didn’t see coming, but it’s one that still satisfies me. MaXXXine is more about a young woman who, against the odds, is trying to make it in Hollywood and will let nothing get in her way, including a copycat serial killer. It’s funny that we have two films about Hollywood being released this week, with the other being the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. In that original BHC film, we saw Hollywood’s fun and kooky side. That’s not Maxine’s Hollywood. Hers is full of sex workers, sleazy peep shows, and desperate women trying to make it in a world full of desperate people. The film centers around whether Maxine will fulfill her dreams of becoming a successful star or whether her violent past will bring her down. You will have to go and visit Maxine Minx’s world to see if she succeeds. My Rating: Full Price  MaXXXine Website  Now playing in theaters. 

My View:  Kill (2023)  R   In Kill, Army commando Amrit (Lakshya) discovers that his true love, Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), is engaged to be married against her will, so Amrit boards a train on a quest to stop the marriage. But first, he has to stop a gang of forty thieves who are terrorizing passengers on his train. If you are a fan of the brutal action film series John Wick and The Raid, then this film is for you. I will warn you, this film has some of the most bloody and goriest kills that I have seen, some of which would make a slasher horror film fan jump out of their seats. The film takes its title seriously, as very few people survive in this almost non-stop fighting fest that makes use of the very tight spaces of a train that keeps speeding along as the kill count keeps moving up. Although the film depicts close-quarter fighting brutally, it is also a film about love and family. Our hero is in love with a woman who has been promised to another. He wants to run away with his love, but she is worried that if they try to run away, her family will use violent means to get her back. Little does she know what is in store for her love, her family, and everyone else on the train, as a gang of thieves plan on taking over the train to rob everyone on it. Our hero, Amrit, played by the ultra-charismatic Lakshya, and his best friend, Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan), are on the train and are highly trained commandos, ready to take on all the bad guys. The family aspect is the reason why this film works. Amrit is defending not only his true love but also her family, who do not want him to be with her. Adding to the mix are the story’s villains, a group of related thieves, one big family of bad guys. In the mix is the son of the leader of the group, a young man named Fani (Raghav Juyal), who delights in killing in the most psychotic ways and has a lot of daddy issues. Kill is a film that once the battle is on and the fighting ramps up, it doesn’t slow down to take a breath, and you almost become overwhelmed by the violence and mayhem. For action fans, this is a film that will keep you interested until the end. Just don’t bet on anyone surviving. Remember the title of the film. My Rating: Full Price  Kill Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film:  The Last Supper  (1995) R  A group of idealistic, liberal students who live together in a house, invite a truck driver who gave them a ride to dinner. It turns out the truck driver is a racist and bonkers. When the truck driver goes nuts, the students kill him and bury him in the backyard. Then, the group comes up with an idea. Why don’t they invite right-wing people whose beliefs they hate to dinner and poison them? This is a fun film with an important idea at its core: would you kill an evil person if you disagreed with them? The cast is outstanding, with the students comprising Cameron Dia, Annabeth Gish, Ron Eldard, Jonathan Penner, and Courtney B. Vance. The dinner invites are equally enjoyable, including Charles Durning, Mark Harmon, Ron Perlman, and Jason Alexander. The film loses its way in the end but it's still a fun watch.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Last Supper Info The film is available to rent/buy on Apple TV+ and Amazon. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of MaXXXine: Biscuit Stunt Driver

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Twisters  (2024) PG-13  Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a meteorologist who used to love chasing tornadoes until she encountered one that had deadly results. Kate is lured back into the open plains by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), who has developed a groundbreaking new tracking system that could save hundreds of lives. She soon meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a reckless storm chaser with a huge social media following. Let’s see if Mr. Powell can keep his winning streak going and if the film will meet the expectations of the fans of the 1996 film Twister, which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.   Twisters Website The film will be in theatres on Friday, July 19th. 

Until Next Time!

Challengers

My View: Challengers (2024) R   Challengers tells the story of Tashi (Zendaya), who was a tennis prodigy about to set the tennis world on fire before she suffered a devastating injury she couldn’t recover from. Now, years later, she is a coach and married to a former champion (Mike Faist) who is on a losing streak, and the question is how far Tashi is willing to go to get him back on his winning streak with her husbands best friend (Josh O’Conner). Challengers is a movie that appears to focus on sexual relationships, but actually revolves around who has the upper hand and how they can maintain it. This is a film that has so many twists and turns that you almost become dizzy as the three leads vie to land that winning serve, only to have someone else return the serve just as hard. If Zendaya wasn’t a lead in a film before this, she is now. Zendaya is breathtaking as a woman who was at the top of her game, only to have it taken away in an instant, and now is playing through her husband (and he’s not dominating as he should be). It’s a powerful performance that gives you chills it’s so good. I hope this film isn’t being released too early for Academy Award members to forget about this performance because it deserves to be nominated. This is a film in which you will not like any of the characters (ok, maybe the daughter), and you will still be enthralled by all the head games that are being played (keep an eye out for a certain t-shirt that makes a few appearances as an example). For a film that is based on sex, there isn’t a lot in it, which surprised me. Instead, this is about three people who act as they are caring but inside they are all out for themselves. How fragile they are when the stakes are so high, and all the participants are there to win. So take a few practice swings with your racquet and be sure to do some stretching because you will need to be warmed up and limber to handle this film.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Challengers Website Now playing theaters nationwide

Indiefest: We Grown Now (2023) PG  We Grown Now is set in 1992 Chicago, where a mother named Dolores (Jurnee Smollett) is raising her 12-year-old son Malik (Blake Cameron James) in one of the most crime-infested parts of the city. Malik must grow up fast, but he has help from his best friend Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) and his grandmother Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson). Dolores will have to make some tough choices if Malik is going to survive in this environment. We Grown Now is a beautiful and moving film about friendship, family, and how children see the world in a different light from adults. First, the performances of the two best friends are magical and, at times, a little breathtaking. We Grown Now is their film as we see what is happening to their neighborhood through their eyes. From the ever presence of violence to the clamping down of the rights of the people who live in the housing community, the world of these kids is filled with danger and the feeling of being almost caged by their surroundings. The two kids try to stay positive and hopeful, even taking a day to skip school and go on an adventure to an art museum because they are bored at school. I can’t tell you how much I loved this film, going on adventures with Malik and Eric while knowing that their parents are dealing with some tough times and hard choices that will affect their children’s future. We Grown Now is a film that is full of kids being kids, but like life itself, it's also about injustice and heartbreak. The kind of heartbreak that won't leave you. So, join the two best friends and maybe join in when they do some shouting from time to time.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again We Grown Now Website  Now playing in select theaters. 

Indiefest: Boy Kills World (2023) R  Boy (Bill Skarsgård) saw his family murdered, and he was rendered deaf and mute. Since then, Boy has been training with one mission: to kill the person responsible, Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the evil leader of a televised game of survival called The Culling. They saw Boy coming, but could they stop him? When I saw the trailer for this film, I thought, ‘This will be a fun ride.’ However, sometimes the trailers are better than the actual film; in this case, this is one of them. Fans of tight combat will enjoy the plethora of fights in this film. And Mr. Bill Skarsgård does a fine job as an action hero. But, the film never can find the story it wants to tell, relying too much on lame jokes and over-active camera moves during the fight sequences. The plot twists of the film are excessive, as the script assumes it's more clever than it actually is. Boy Kills World loses steam about halfway through and never quite recovers. Anyway, can we go back to that trailer?   My Rating: Cable  Boy Kills World Website    Now playing in theatres. 

Forgotten Film: Conversations with Other Women (2005)  R   A man (Aaron Eckhart) and a woman (Helena Bonham Carter) start flirting with each other at a wedding reception. They are getting along so well that they decide to carry the conversation to a hotel room. They will soon learn about each other and may have known each other when they were younger. While some reviewers have compared this film to the Before Sunrise/Sunset films, this is very different because the whole movie is shot on a split screen. Sometimes, it’s just to show the two reacting to things simultaneously, but it also gives us the characters’ perspectives on what is being said or what they thought was said. This is a film to watch for the performances, and Carter and Eckhart are brilliant in this film, where the characters go from flirty to serious in a matter of minutes and then back again. Conversations with Other Women is one of those films you will want to talk to someone about after seeing it.   My Rating: Full Price  Conversations with Other Women Info   The film is available on multiple streaming platforms. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Boy Kills World: Second Unit Sparks

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: IF   (2024)     Bea (Cailey Fleming) has gone through some tough times but has discovered a secret power: She can see everyone’s imaginary friends. With help from Cal (Ryan Reynolds), Bea embarks on a magical journey to reconnect forgotten ‘IFs’ with their long-lost kids. Written and directed by John Krasinski and with a voice cast that includes Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Awkwafina, and more, this will surely be a film that people will want to see. The film releases on Friday, May 17th.

Until Next Time!

Irresistible

My View: Irresistible (2020) R  Gary (Steve Carell) is a Democratic strategist who was responsible for the Hillary Clinton campaign loss to Donald Trump. He discovers a retired veteran named Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) and persuades him to run for mayor in his small, conservative Midwest town. Things look good until Gary's political rival, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), rolls into town, and democracy in this tiny town will never be the same. I was disappointed in this film as it goes too many times for the cheap laugh. I knew we were in trouble when early on, Steve Carell’s character leaves a press conference to go move the cows in the background into a better photo opportunity. I think the film missed its mark by going for an all-out comedy instead of going the satire route, which would have made the storyline work. Instead, the film never finds its footing and goes the easier route.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Irresistible Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.

My View: My Spy (2020) PG-13   A legendary CIA agent, JJ (Dave Bautista), has been demoted and is sent undercover to surveil a 9-year-old, Sophie (Chloe Coleman) and her family. Sophie is a tech genius, and she discovers where JJ's operation is set up. She blackmails him into letting her hang out with him and learn what it means to be a spy. While not a great film and I am not sure exactly what the target audience is as it has a strange PG-13 rating due to some language and violence, I still found myself enjoying the film. I think it is because Dave Bautista is so likable and is willing to have the movie make fun of himself. He has some nice chemistry with Chloe Coleman and also the adorable Kristen Schaal, who plays Bautista’s nerdy tech partner. My Spy is predictable, and you can see the ending from a mile away, but it’s still a fun ride.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    My Spy Website   Available on the Amazon Prime website and in drive-ins around the country.

My View: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) PG-13  Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) have been dreaming since they were kids to representing Iceland in the world's biggest song competition, Eurovision. Their dream just might come true. Oh, how I wanted this film to be good, but it's not. Instead, it's long, the comedy is weak, and some of the songs are downright grating to watch. This is Ferrell’s movie as he co-wrote the film, inspired when he watched the real Eurovision contest with family and friends a few years ago. The problem is that Ferrell’s character is the weak link to the film, a (no pun intended) one-note character who is clueless about everything, including how silly he and his songs are. The film wastes the comedic talents of Rachel McAdams, who plays the lovestruck Sigrit. McAdams is used mostly to make Ferrell’s character look even stupider. Some of the songs are fun, and I will say there is a rousing song that takes place at a party where all the contestants sing a mash-up of several songs that is fun and enjoyable. I just wish that the film had captured that fun and enthusiasm throughout the storyline. Instead, we get a lot of bad songs and unfunny dialogue, like a horrible night at a karaoke bar.   My Rating: Cable   Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Indiefest: The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018)   In 1973, Peter Sellers was the biggest comedy actors of his time, and he embarked on a comedy for Columbia Pictures. Sellers, notoriously temperamental and difficult to work with, lost confidence in the film and got the producers of the film fired. This is a documentary about a movie, Ghosts in the Noonday Sun, that never should have been made because it was doomed almost from the start. Peter Medak, a young director, was coming off a hot film, The Ruling Class, that got star Peter O’Toole an Oscar nomination. Peter Sellers was an international star of the Pink Panther films, and Spike Milligan was a comic genius who, with Peter Sellers, had become famous in Britain on the radio show The Goon Show. They came together to film a movie about 17th-century pirates to be filmed almost totally on a fully functional sailing ship off the coast of Malta. The documentary tells the behind the scenes stories of a shoot that went from bad to worse, with Sellers acting up so much, he caused a movie crew mutiny, a shooting schedule that was wrecked by rotten weather, faulty equipment and a script that was being re-written as it was being shot. The film suffers a bit because the original director of Ghosts, Peter Medak, also shot the documentary, so the story is one-sided, with Medak making himself the forlorn hero. There are quite a few shots in the documentary where we see Medak actually directing the shooting, and there are some interviews that he does with friends that seem to be in there only so they can commiserate with his experiences on the Sellers film. Ghosts in the Noonday Sun was such a disaster, it was never released and seeing footage from the film, I can see why as the comedy looks forced and downright stupid. I got bored about 3/4 of the way through the film, and like Medak’s experience shooting Ghosts, I just wanted the experience to end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Ghost of Peter Sellers Website    Available for rent on participating on-demand services.    

Indiefest: Disclosure (2020)  Documentary that looks at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact those stories had not just on the American culture but the lives of transgender people. Watching this documentary was quite fascinating and made me go back and think about films/tv shows that I have watched with transgender characters in them. So often in our culture, a person that is depicted as trans is either the but of a joke or seen as a degenerate, often times a maniac or a disturbed person. Using interviews with trans contributors makes the film feel personal and impactful. Laverne Cox, a three-time Primetime Emmy nominated actress, is one of the main interviews in the documentary and is also the executive producer of the film. This is a critical and groundbreaking film that looks at a subject that has rarely been even talked about, much less explored. The film uses extensive clips from tv shows and moves giving the film quite an impact on what it is saying. I will tell you that some of the clips contain full-frontal nudity, so be warned. I think this documentary is an outstanding addition to the history of cinema and will be shown in film classes from now on.   My Rating: Full Price    Disclosure Website   Available on the Netflix website.

Familyfaire: One Small Step (2020)   A collection of family-friendly animated short films including the Academy Award-winning Bear Story. Every year I look forward to the release of the Oscar-nominated Animated Short films. It is always fun to see some of the world’s best animation up on the big screen. While not on the big screen, the company behind those releases have a new short film compilation, One Small Step, and it is a blast to watch. The incredible, inventive, and touching Bear Story is worth the price of the rental alone, but you get ten other incredible animated shorts to boot. Some are silly like Gopher Broke (think Looney Tunes), and others are a little bit sad like Borrowed Time, but all are worth watching. My favorite is One Small Step, a 2018 nominee for the Academy Award about a young girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. The film is beautifully told, and you will need a couple of tissues by the end of the short film. Do yourself a favor and rent this visit with animation from around the world. This is the first of a series of feature-length compilations of the best short films that will be released every two weeks and will be available to consumers in partnership with at least sixty independent theatres across the US and Asia.  My Rating: Full Price    One Small Step Website     Available for rent on participating on-demand services. 

Forgotten Film: The Eagle Huntress (2016) G   Documentary that follows a 13-year-old Mongolian girl named Aisholpan, as she trains to be the first female eagle hunter. The cinematography of this film is striking and remarkable as time after time, we see scenes of ravishing beauty that at the same time are overwhelmingly isolated, as Aisholpan and her family seem to be the only people on that planet. The scenes of Aisholpan and her father traveling across snow-packed mountains and frozen streams are both beautiful and terrifying as you wonder if they will ever make it back alive to their home and family. The Eagle Huntress is a film filled with bravery, determination and the human spirit filled with confidence that nothing can stop someone who knows she will succeed. That Aisholpan succeeds is not the question, it’s how well this 13-year-old girl does might surprise you, and then again, once you get to know her, it just might meet your expectations for her.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     The Eagle Huntress Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Eurovision Song Contest: H O D Plasterer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Desert One (2019)   Documentary on the daring and failed mission in 1980 to rescue the 52 hostages being held in the American Embassy in Iran. The story up to now hasn’t been fully told, and legendary two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple brings us a documentary that will explore both sides to the story. I can’t wait to see this.      Desert One Info

Until Next Time!

Aquaman

My View:  Aquaman  (2018)  PG 13  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Now he must step forward to lead his people and become a hero to the world. So you can say that this is better than Suicide Squad or Justice League but not by much. This film is way too long (two and a half hours), has one too many villains and a plot that doesn’t always work. If it weren’t for the charisma of Jason Momoa, this film wouldn’t be watchable. Momoa does have excellent chemistry with Amber Heard, who plays his love interest and allay. I will say that the film looks incredible and the special effects are well done.  There are bonus scenes in the credits at the end. To tell you silly this film is, there is a giant octopus playing drums before a big fight.    My Rating: Cable   Aquaman Website 

My View:  Mary Poppins Returns  (2018)  PG  Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. If you are a fan of the Julie Andrews Mary Poppins, you will like this one. This is a sequel to the original film, and they have captured the spirit and look of the original. There are a couple of surprises in the film, and yes, there are dancing penguins. Emily Blunt can sing and dance with the best of them. There are some great original songs, and it helps when you have Lin-Manuel Miranda in your cast. I was smiling all the way through the film.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Mary Poppins Returns Website

My View:  Welcome to Marwen  (2018)  PG  Mark (Steve Carell) was savagely beaten outside a bar and had to relearn how to walk and talk. He lost the ability to draw (he was an illustrator) and to deal with what Mark has gone through he takes pictures of dolls in the make-believe town of Marwen. I enjoyed this sweet film about a very troubled man. Steve Carell gives a very complex performance, playing Mark and his alter-ego Captain Hogie. The supporting cast is phenomenal with Janelle Monae and Leslie Mann standing out.   My Rating: Full Price    Welcome to Marwen Website

Indiefest:  Ben Is Back  (2018) R  Much to the unhappiness of his mother (Julia Roberts) and his step-father (Courtney B. Vance), Ben (Lucas Hedges) has left rehab and come to visit his family on Christmas Eve. This isn’t the Oscar bait movie everyone thought it was going to be. It’s not to say that Julia Roberts performance isn’t powerful and moving. I just didn’t like the storyline, and the movie seemed too long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Ben is Back Website

Forgotten Film:  Black Christmas (1974)  R  During the Christmas breaks, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a killer. It’s hard to believe that the guy that directed A Christmas Story directed one of the first slasher movies. This is a pretty darn good slasher film. The great thing about this film is it is relatively scary.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Black Christmas Info 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Aquaman: Special Makeup Effects and Creature Sculptor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Destroyer  (2018)  R  A police detective (Nicole Kidman) goes undercover, and she explores her past to make peace. Many critics feel Kidman could win another Oscar for this performance.    Destroyer Website

Until Next Time!

El Angel

Indiefest:  El Angel  (2018)  Carlitos (Lorenzo Ferro), a baby-faced serial killer becomes an overnight sensation in Argentina because of his looks. The film is all look and no substance as we never get a feel of why Carlitos kills without remorse and feels that robbing businesses is his right. The film is beautiful to look at with those early 70s colorful fashions on full display, and the soundtrack of Latin rock works well within the film. The problem is the film feels empty, we never care about any of the characters, especially Carlitos.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   El Angel Website

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):   Blindspotting (2018)  R  Collin (Daveed Riggs  and Miles (Rafael Casal) have been friends since their childhood. Colin has three days left on his probation, three days to stay out of trouble. The problem is that trouble just seems to follow everywhere Miles goes. The film moves defy between humor and seriousness. This is about friendship, race and the changing landscape of neighborhoods. Diggs and Casal have great chemistry on screen making this film work so well. This is a film that you will be thinking about long after you see it.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again    Blindspotting Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   The Upside  (2018)  PG-13  Story of a relationship between a wealthy man (Bryan Cranston) who is a quadriplegic and an unemployed man (Kevin Hart) with a criminal record who is hired to help him. The trailer looks horrible. Go watch the 2011 french version of this film, The Intouchables, which was one of the best films of that year.   The Upside Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Cornbread, Earl and Me  (1975)  PG  Cornbread is a star high school basketball player who is a few weeks from going to college. The neighborhood kids idolize Cornbread, including Wilford (Lawrence Fishburne) and Earl (Tierre Turner). The police mistake Cornbread for a shooting subject and gun him down in front of Wilford and Earl. The police attempt to intimidate the kids to stay silent about what they saw, but Wilford is determined to seek justice for his hero. Fishburne, in his feature film debut, gives a strong and moving performance as Wilford and Rosalind Cash gives an outstanding performance as Wilford’s mother. This is an excellent movie whose subject matter could be taken from today’s headlines.   My Rating: Full Price    Cornbread, Earl and Me Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of El Angel:  Stunt Soldier

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Vice  (2018)  R  The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) who rose from poverty to become a Washington insider, ultimately become the Vice President under George W. Bush. Besides Bale doing another chameleon appearance as Cheney, the cast includes Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, Bill Camp as Gerald Ford and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. The film is written and directed by Adam McKay, who gave us the 2016 Oscar-winning film The Big Short.   Vice Website

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Hunter Killer

My View:  Hunter Killer  (2018) R   An untested American submarine captain (Gerard Butler) teams with U.S. Navy Seals to go on what could be a suicide mission that could start World War III, rescuing the Russian president, kidnapped by a rogue general. I went into this film thinking I wouldn’t have a good time but I quite enjoyed myself. Now the plot is pretty unrealistic, and there is some horrible, but the action sequences are well done and exciting. Butler doesn’t have to do too much, other than be stoic and commanding so that works in the film’s favor. I think most critics are going to kill this film, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Hunter Killer Website

My View:  Johnny English Strikes Again  (2018)  PG   After a cyber attack exposes all of the undercover agents in Britain, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) comes out of retirement to find the hackers and bring them down. I have never been a big Rowan Atkinson fan because he mugs for the camera too much. This is a one-note film, as Johnny messes things up repeatedly due to him being incredibly stupid. I think that is the biggest problem with this film because you never believe that Johnny could ever be a Jame Bond-like secret agent. I laughed a couple of times, but for the most part, the jokes and stunts fell flat.   My Rating:  Cable    Johnny English Strikes Again

Indiefest:  Beautiful Boy (2018) R   A husband and wife (Steve Carell, Maura Tierney) deal with the downward spiral of their son (Timothée Chalamet) into drug addiction. Heartbreaking and moving, Beautiful Boy is full of brilliant performances by Chalamet and Carell. The two have great chemistry on screen, and it never feels that Chalamet is acting as the raw nerve of a teenager who wants to be clean but can’t because he wants to escape life. This is a film that is going to be hard for parents to watch, as Carell’s character tries everything he can to help his son. Based on a true story, the film is a little too long (almost 2 hours in length), the film’s pace is slow, and that hurts the emotional impact that you should have, especially at the end of the film. Still, this film is another chance to see Timothee Chalamet work his magic on the screen and that’s a good thing.  My Rating: Full Price   Beautiful Boy Website

Indiefest:  Mid90s  (2018)  R   Stevie (Sunny Suljic) lives in a troubled home in 90s L.A. with a mother (Katherine Waterston) that is never there, and an older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) that takes out his frustrations on Stevie. Stevie’s life changes when he finds new friends at the Motor Avenue Skate Shop. This is a film that is not for everyone. There are some disturbing scenes involving Stevie drinking, smoking, doing drugs and even having sex. Also, there is a ton of cursing, some of it done by Stevie, who looks much younger than his age. There is also quite a bit of violence, most of which is committed by Ian on Stevie. The film does have some humorous scenes and at times is quite enjoyable, but it’s hard to overlook the sex scene where an older teenage girl seduces Stevie at a party. I will say this that Sunny Suljic gives an incredible performance as the kid who just wants to fit in with his idols, the skateboarders. Written and directed by Jonah Hill and shot on 16mm film, Mid90s captures that time period so well that at times I thought I was watching a documentary.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Mid80s Website

Indiefest:  Studio 54  (2018)   Documentary by Matt Tyrnauer about the New York dance club sensation Studio 54, that led the disco craze in the mid-70s. The film is told in three acts; the creation of Studio 54, its unbelievable success, and the downfall of its two creators, Steve Rubell, and Ian Schrager. Rubell died in 1989, so the film uses Ian Schrager to tell the story, along with news reports and the tons and tons of pictures taken of celebrities that used to go to be seen. It’s a fascinating look at a club that we will never see the likes of again.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Studio 54 Website

Forgotten Film:  The Escapist  (2008)  Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is in prison for life without parole. When his daughter falls ill, he conceives a plan to ingenious plan to break out of prison. This small film by Rupert Wyatt was little seen at the time of its release but is worth viewing, especially for the lead, Brian Cox. The plot has a bunch of twists that you won’t see coming and has an outstanding cast including Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, and Dominic Cooper.    My Rating:  Full Price   The Escapist Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hunter Killer:  Crowd Marshall

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Boy Erased  (2018)  R  The son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-sponsored gay conversion after being forcibly outed by his parents (Russel Crowe, Nicole Kidman). This is one of the most talked about films coming out in time for Oscar nominations.   Boy Erased Website

Until Next Time!

Insidious: The Last Key

My View:  Insidious: The Last Key  (2017)  PG-13  Parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) is used to battling the paranormal bad guys. This time it’s personal; they are taking over her childhood home.  As this series progresses (this is the fourth one), the filmmaking becomes sloppier. The dialogue in this film is horribly written with lines that seem to be created by a ten-year-old. The scary parts of the film are your ordinary jump-out-of-the-dark variety. I did enjoy a rather interesting twist to the story but feel the ending was rushed and didn’t give me much satisfaction. The tension never builds, and I never sensed that Dr. Rainier (the hero of the story) was ever in any real danger (a problem for horror films). Let down by a weak script and even weaker plot, this series should probably be put to bed or at least hidden in a corner with the ghosts.  My Rating: Cable   Insidious: The Last Key Website

My View:  Hostiles  (2017)  R  In 1892, legendary Army Captain and Indian Fighter, Capt. Blocker (Christian Bale), reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne Chief (Wes Studi) back to his native lands so that the Chief can die in peace.  I enjoyed this western (a genre that I love), especially the performance of Christian Bale, who plays the rough and tumble Captain. Writer/Director Scott Cooper wrote this film with Bale in mind, and you can tell because it plays to Bale’s strengths as an actor who uses silence and small gestures to communicate what he is thinking and feeling. Wes Studi gives a moving and intense performance of the Cheyenne Chief who wants to go home to die. I also enjoyed the performance of  Rosamund Pike who plays a widow that the Captain agrees to transport to the next fort. The action sequences are plentiful and realistic, making the scenes very powerful. The message of the film is that you might not know your enemy as you think you do, as there are always two sides to every battle.    My Rating:  Full Price   Hostiles Info

In Case You Missed It (Movies just released on DVD/BluRay): Battle of the Sexes  (2017)  PG-13  This film is loosely based on the 1973 tennis match that all America watched between Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), an aging huckster who used to be a great tennis star, versus Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), the best woman tennis player of all time. This is two films in one; the story of how the most watched tennis match happened, and the slow realization by Billy Jean King that she is a lesbian. I enjoyed this film because I am old enough to remember the match, and the look and feel of the early 70s is perfectly captured. The film does a superlative job of mixing in actual footage from the match, including showing Howard Cosell on-screen with Natalie Morales, who plays tennis player Rosie Casals. Steve Carell is brilliant as the bombastic Bobby Riggs, who was a man who lived and loved to gamble. In contrast to Carell’s over-the-top Riggs (warranted because that’s how Bobby Riggs acted), Emma Stone gives a quiet but convincing performance of a woman who dared to take on the world to get women’s tennis the prize money and notoriety it deserved. The film feels long because it spends so much time on King’s awakening to her true feelings. There are too many scenes of her exchanging glances with the hairdresser (Andrea Riseborough) with whom she eventually falls in love. Overall, buoyed by the spectacular cast, Battle of the Sexes is an exciting look at a time when a tennis player changed her sport through her toughness and determination.    My Rating:  Full Price   Battle of the Sexes Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Fifty Shades Freed  (2018)  R  The third installment of the Fifty Shades of Grey series. I have somehow managed to avoid the first two films…I think I will keep this streak alive.   Fifty Shades Freed Website

Forgotten Film:  A Slipping-Down Life  (1999)  R  Evie (Lili Taylor) is a lonely young woman living in a small town. One evening, she hears a small-time rock star, Drumstring Casey (Guy Pearce), interviewed on the radio promoting a local gig. She goes to the gig and instantly becomes obsessed with the singer, and it changes her life forever. Lili Taylor gives a breathtaking performance as Evie, who restarts her life with one shocking act (I won’t tell you what it is, but it is brutal to watch). The film feels real, helped by a supporting cast including Tom Bower, John Hawkes, and Veronica Cartwright. It will be a long time before you forget Evie.    My Rating:  Full Price   A Slipping-Down Life Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Hostiles:  Virtual Instrument Designer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Proud Mary  (2018)   Mary (Taraji P. Henson) is a hit woman for hire whose life is turned around when she meets a young boy during a hit gone wrong.  Taraji P. Henson shooting guns and taking names, sign me up!    Proud Mary Website

Until Next Time!