Resident Evil

My View:  Resident Evil  (2026)   R  Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who thinks he has an easy delivery next on his route. Instead, he is headed to Raccoon City, where an outbreak of infected monsters is underway. I’m a fan of Milla Jovovich, but the 6 films in the Resident Evil series were pretty bad, including the last one, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which had major plot holes. And somehow I missed the reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). When I found that out, I rushed right out and saw it (just kidding). Well, I am glad to tell you that Zach Cregger, who gave us the wonderful horror film Barbarian (2022) and the even better horror film Weapons (2025), has brought us a funny, scary, and highly enjoyable film in Resident Evil. Austin Abrams, whom we last saw portraying sad-sack drug addict James, helps, sort of, in finding the lost children in Weapons. This time, Abrams plays a guy trying to make some money delivering medical supplies while his girlfriend tells him she might be pregnant. Abrams is incredibly funny and has a knack for comedic stunts and timing; he can’t get a break, but he keeps trying to make his delivery even when zombies confront him at every turn. From almost the start, the film is both hilarious and incredibly scary. I haven't played the game, but I have a feeling the zombie characters in the film are a great representation of how a gaming zombie would act and look. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, along with some great cameos, including a hilarious Paul Walter Hauser as a slimy employee of the infamous Umbrella Corporation. The action is fast, as our hero doesn’t get a lot of time to stop and think, mostly because everyone and seemingly everything is trying to kill him. Any film that has one of its actors credited as “The Puker” is a film we can laugh at while being scared out of our minds at the same time. Horror fans and gamers are going to love this film because Zach Cregger is a fan of both. And by the way, once you see this film, you will have an admiration for padlocks. I guess those old Master lock commercials I used to see during football games were right.  My Rating: Full Price  Resident Evil Website  Now playing in theaters everywher

Familyfaire:  Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom  (2026)  PG  In Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, it’s Halloween time, and everyone is looking forward to the pumpkin patch. When the farmer ruins the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to fix it with science experiments that suddenly get out of control and create a wild beast roaming the woods. I love the films that Aardman puts out, in their distinctive stop-motion animation style. This is a fun, funny film that kids and adults will love, with plenty of sight gags to keep you giggling as our hero, Shaun, makes a mess trying to grow pumpkins fast enough to be ready for Halloween. There is something for everyone,, with a bit of a love story, a monster created by our favorite mad scientist, Shaun, and plenty of action sequences that keep the story moving. And hey, who doesn’t want a Bigfoot story to add to the fun? This charming film is perfect for families to get excited for Halloween, with lots of sheep, a dog, and maybe a few pigs along the way.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  The Weight  (2026) R The Weight is set in Oregon during the Depression, where Samuel (Ethan Hawke) is torn from his daughter and sent to a prison work camp. The camp's warden, Clancy (Russell Crowe), offers Samuel a chance at early freedom if he leads a small crew to smuggle a load of gold through a dangerous, unforgiving wilderness. I am a big fan of Ethan Hawke, and he carries the load of this film like his character carries the load of gold on his back. It’s difficult, but he will get the job done. Hawke delivers a powerful performance, and you root for him from the opening scene, when he is on a joyride with his daughter. The film doesn’t disappoint, with plenty of twists and intrigue, and you'll hope Samuel finds a way out of this mess and gets back with his daughter. Crowe is fun as the warden, but don’t let the poster fool you; he's not in the film for long. This is Hawke’s film, and he doesn’t disappoint, playing a character too smart to be fooled, guided by emotions and common sense that, when pushed to the limits, will push back, but with purpose. The film will keep you on the edge of your seat because there is danger just around the corner, at times unexpected and other times predictable. It’s a tough, gritty, suspenseful film that reminds you of the classic films of the 30s and 40s, but with a needle drop at the end that fits the final frames. My View:  Full Price  The Weight Website  Now playing in select theaters 

Indiefest:  The History of Concrete  (2026) The History of Concrete is a documentary in which filmmaker John Wilson, after attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, tries to use the same formula to create a documentary on the history of concrete. I never watched the HBO series “How to with John Wilson,” but after watching this laugh-out-loud documentary and enjoying every minute of Wilson’s off-the-wall humor, I am about to binge it. If the title throws you off, be aware that the film includes footage of Wilson pitching the documentary to investors (all of whom look absolutely shocked that he wants to make a doc about concrete). Sure, there are some facts and footage about concrete, but this is more about the journey of a filmmaker who had a TV series and is now struggling to find something to make his first feature film about. And yes, some of the film is a tribute to a major building block of construction, but it’s also about the people who make up New York City and all its glorious (and sometimes dangerous) concrete buildings and sidewalks. We meet a group of some religious sect that every year has an ultramarathon on the sidewalks of New York that goes on from 6 am to midnight until someone passes over 3,000 miles because the leader of the sect planted a tree in the neighborhood. We meet a guy who apparently makes a living handing out liquor samples in stores while fronting a couple of rock bands. And wait till you find out who his fiancée is. Wilson has a unique sense of humor and a very quirky speaking voice that perfectly blend with his use of constantly changing shots of everything from an empty box moving across a floor to shots of bridges and buildings that look like they are about to collapse. Where else can you find a film where the oldest concrete street in America is in the same city as the shortest street in America? Only in a film titled The History of Concrete. I am going to start a new category of films: Cozy Comedy. This is a perfect example of a film with a low-stakes plot that is just fun to watch. Next time you see a piece of sidewalk that has fallen apart, you’ll wonder if they got the concrete mix formula right and think back to The History of Concrete.  My Rating: Full Price  The History of Concrete Website   Now playing in select theaters

Indiefest:  Bad Apples (2025)  R   In Bad Apples, Maria (Saoirse Ronan) teaches at a primary school in Somerset, England. She loves her job, but her class of ten-year-olds keeps getting disrupted by one unruly student, Danny (Eddie Waller). Maria makes some terrible decisions about how to deal with Danny after he pushes another student down a stairway. This is one of those films where you root for someone that you also want to reach into the screen and slap. Saoirse Ronan is such a delight to watch, even when given a part that doesn’t work. She plays a teacher on the verge of losing her job, living in a house that never got past the idea that it’s a “fixer-upper”, having to work with her ex-boyfriend, and having the student from hell, who looks to be disruptive every chance he can get. Ronan’s Maria is on the verge of a breakdown, but instead she starts making one horrible decision after another, with no way out of the predicament she created. I wanted the film to be funnier or darker, but it fails as satire and offers no commentary beyond that Maria could be a good teacher if Danny wasn’t in her class. However, we find out that she has no clue about her students and their abilities or interests until Danny, the distraction, is out of the classroom, making her a crappy teacher to begin with. The film becomes unbelievable about midway through. Bad Apples had a chance to take a much darker turn at that point, but instead kept trying to make Maria the likable hero. I think I would have enjoyed this much more if Maria was more like Miss Trunchbull (Matilda) or Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter) than Mary Poppins.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Bad Apples Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Yellow Submarine (1968) G  The Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his yellow submarine to save Pepperland and music from the Blue Meanies. While it's in the style of pop artist Peter Max, he didn't do the animation for the film (though some say he was a consultant). The film uses the premise to cram as many Beatles songs as possible into a plot that makes little sense. In fact, except for the live-action bit at the end, the animated Beatles are voiced by actors, not John, Ringo, Paul, and George (some of whom are uncredited). The film has a lot of puns and bad jokes, but the music and trippy animation make it stand out. I saw this film when it came out in 1968. My dad took me to the old Aztec theater in downtown San Antonio. It was one of those films that my dad took me to because my mom didn’t want to see it. At that age, I was a fan of The Beatles and enjoyed the animation, but I remember thinking it wasn’t as good as some of the Disney animated films.  My Rating: Full Price   Yellow Submarine Info The film is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Resident Evil:  Person of Trust

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Heart of the Beast  (2026)   PG-13   Heart of the Beast follows James (Brad Pitt), a former Special Forces soldier who is suffering from residual trauma and has some personal demons. On a flight in his single-engine plane, James and his only companion, Odin, his loyal and retired combat German Shepherd, crash in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Battling a brutal environment, James promises Odin he will get him home if it’s the last thing he does.   Heart of the Beast Website In theaters on Friday, September 25, 2026

Until Next Time!

Abominable

FamilyFaire: Abominable (2019) PG   Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet), a young girl, finds a friendly Yeti that longs to go back to his mountain. Yi and two other friends make it their mission to help ‘Everest’ return to its homeland. The gang will have to avoid a wealthy man named Burnish (Eddie Izzard) who wants to put Everest in his collection. While very predictable and at times a little slow, the film is warm look at friendship and how those friends will try their best to make their friends dreams come true. This is a sweet film that families will enjoy and kids will love the action sequences. Sure the plot is a little too paint by numbers kids film, but Everest and his buddies may just make you forget that.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Abominable Website

My View: Judy (2019) PG-13   A penniless and considered washed-up Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) arrives in London to restart her career with a series of sold-out concerts. She must deal with the demons of the past while battling her ex-husband over the custody of her children. The film is let down a bit by its storyline that centers on Judy’s self-destructive behavior but it’s the performance of Renne Zellweger, who stunningly brings Judy Garland back to life with an incredible performance. Zellweger is brilliant in the role and her singing a ton of Judy’s hallmark songs brings this film to life. I loved the flashbacks to when Judy (played by Darci Shaw) is in the middle of filming The Wizard of Oz. We see that the young Judy just wanted to spend a day or two being a normal kid but the Hollywood system wouldn’t let her. I just wish there had been a few more flashbacks in the last third of the film when Judy’s downward spiral becomes almost too much to watch.   My Rating: Full Price    Judy Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray): Yesterday (2019) PG-13   A musician, Jack(Himesh Patel) who realizes he’s the only person to remember The Beatles. He then starts performing their songs and becomes a big star. Patel has a fine voice and what I like about this film is Patel puts a new take on some of the Beatles songs. His version of Help near the end of the film is a perfect example of this; it’s full of anger and angst. I loved Lily James, who plays Ellie, Jack’s manager, who at times is the only one that believes that he can succeed as a musician. I enjoyed the music in the film, seventeen songs of The Beatles are sung, showing just how prolific they were. This is a sweet film that doesn’t always work. The film never quite finds its footing and I hated the ending. You get the feeling that screenwriter Richard Curtis didn’t quite know how to get his characters out of the predicament they find themselves at the end of the film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Yesterday Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Playing with Fire (2019)   A crew of wild-land firefighters, led by tough as nails Jake Carson (John Cena) meet their match when they rescue a trio of rambunctious children. Why does every action star feel the need to make a movie where they get bested by children that ultimately teach the action hero a lesson on how to let people into your heart?  Playing with Fire Info 

Forgotten Film:   The Big Country (1958)   A New Englander (Gregory Peck) arrives in the old west, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families who both claim a piece of land. This film is one of those big, larger than life films with a huge all-star cast that only someone like William Wyler could direct. Two reasons to see this film, Burl Ives, who won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance and the amazing shot after shot of the ranch lands in the film. While a good movie, it’s more known for how Wyler pissed off almost the whole cast, including Peck who would never talk to Wyler again after making the film.   My Rating: Full Price    The Big Country Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Judy: Immigration Consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Doctor Sleep (2019) R   Years after the events of The Shining, a now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a young girl (Emily Alyn Lind) who has similar powers as his. Dan takes the girl under his wing and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot. Their mission is to find and prey on children with powers so that their members can remain immortal. The words ‘based on a novel by Stephen King’ is enough to get me to see this film.    Doctor Sleep Facebook Page

Until Next Time!