Dune: Part Two

My View: Dune: Part Two (2024) PG-13  Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has found love in Chani (Zendaya) and has the Fremen on his side in getting revenge against the conspirators who murdered his family. Paul may have to choose between love and the universe’s fate as he endeavors to prevent a horrible future only he can foresee. Dune by Frank Herbert was one of those books read by ten-year-old Mike that made me love science fiction. It was a magical ride to a world where a hero rode giant sandworms and battled to save a people from a horrible government. I read it thinking that this will never be a movie. Well, David Lynch tried in the 80s and failed, with a performance by Sting that still gives me nightmares. A couple of TV series also tried. Even a crazy director in Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to make one, but it never got off the planning stage. Now Denis Villeneuve has brought us Dune in 2021, and now, Dune: Part Two, and to my surprise and the joy of the 10-year-old Mike inside me, he has succeeded. I loved the first film, though I did have a complaint that the film didn’t emphasize enough in the movie about the prophecy of a Messiah coming to save a people. Well, in Part Two, the film is basically about that prophecy and how it haunts Paul. It’s a future that he doesn’t want to happen, but as the story goes along, he realizes he will have to face the fact that it is his one and true path. The film has some outstanding performances, with Chalamet leading the bunch. He is perfect as the man/boy who proves at every turn that he is the person who will save the planet. Chalamet has the charisma and the charm that makes you believe he could lead a people to do the impossible. Zendaya is wonderful as Chani, the woman who, against her better instincts, falls for Paul, even though she is sure that he isn’t the messiah that everyone thinks he is. I loved Dave Batista as the villain who believes his brute force will win every battle. I don’t think there are a lot of big men (looking at you, The Rock) that could do this role with all its twists and turns. And then we have Austin Butler, as the main villain in this film, Feyd-Rautha. He gives us a bad guy to root against who doesn’t care who he hurts or destroys. It’s an over-the-top performance needed for the part he plays, and he is brilliant in it. The film does not feel at all it's 2 hours and 46 minutes length, with the action sequences filling the screen with incredible battles. Please see this film in a theatre, on as big a screen as possible, so you can be overwhelmed like I was with the spectacle of Dune: Part Two.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Dune: Part Two Website    Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Spaceman (2024) R  Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler) is the first astronaut from Czechoslovakia. He has been isolated in space for six months on a mission to reach a mysterious cluster of space dust. He desperately misses his wife (Carey Mulligan) and begins obsessing over his marriage when he is given an opportunity to see her again. Is this real or all in his mind? I like and admire when Adam Sandler does dramas instead of his Hey, let's make a comedy with my buddies in a vacation spot type of film. My guess is that most people who see this film on Netflix are hoping for some levity in the drama but there isn’t any in this drab film about a man who is on a solo mission and reflects on his life and how he has treated his wife, who is left behind on Earth while she is pregnant. Almost right from the start, the film pushes the boundaries of whether what Jakub is experiencing is real or all in his mind. The film tries and fails to explore themes like loneliness and selfishness, with Jakub slowly realizing the mistakes he has made in his relationship with his wife. By about halfway through, I was bored with the concept and wanted the film to have even a little bit of conflict or action. However, it never arrived, leaving me lost in space.   My Rating: Cable  Spaceman Website Now playing on Netflix

Indiefest: Outlaw Posse (2024) R Chief (Mario Van Peebles) has returned from years of hiding in Mexico to gather a group of outcasts to reclaim stolen gold from the Civil War. It’s a harsh and unfair world, but Chief plans on righting a few wrongs. Outlaw Posse is a film that seems to be made so that Mario Van Peebles could make a western with his son, Mandela Van Peebles, and bring in some fellow actor friends to make cameo appearances to make the film seem filled with stars. Unfortunately, this is a poorly written film with plot holes so badly dealt with that they give you whiplash as the movie jumps around from one concept to another. It’s a film that tries to do too much and give us speeches while almost nothing happens that couldn’t happen in the film's first fifteen minutes. Added to the mess is a villain that seems to be right out of a 60s comic book, played by William Mapother, who chews up scenery like it is going out of style. I love Westerns, but this one is just like Chief continually firing his six-shooters. It’s just shooting blanks.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Outlaw Posse Website  Now Playing in theatres. 

Indiefest: Asleep in My Palm (2023) A father (Tim Blake Nelson) and his daughter (Chloe Kerwin) are living in a storage shed off the grid in rural Ohio, where they hustle to stay alive each day. The problem is the father is hiding from his violent past, and his daughter is no longer a little girl who can accept everything her father tells her. Asleep in My Palm is a small independent film that does exactly what you want it to do: explore characters in an up-close and personal way. The reason to see this film is Chloe Kerwin, who plays the daughter who lives with a father who has raised her off the grid, living in a storage shed and stealing to make ends meet. The problem is that the daughter is growing up, wanting to see what more is out in the world and by her pushing the boundaries, it means that they could be discovered. Chloe Kerwin gives us a magical performance by a young woman who provides us with a character who is much older in smarts and experience than her age. As always, Tim Blake Nelson provides us with a character that is interesting to watch, one who loves his daughter but doesn’t want things to change. The film, directed by Time Blake Nelson’s son, Henry Nelson, lets us see a world we never knew was there because the people who live in it don’t want us to see them.   My Rating: Full Price  Asleep in My Palm Website Now playing in theatres

Forgotten Film: Find Me Guilty (2006) R Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) is a career mobster once shot four times by his cousin. Jackie is arrested and sentenced to thirty years in person for selling drugs. His crime family, the Lucchese mob, is up on charges, and Jackie is part of the trial. Jackie decides to defend himself in what becomes the longest criminal trial in history. 5-time Academy Award nominee Sidney Lumet, known for his movies 12 Angry Men (1957) and Serpico (1973), wrote and directed the film. Vin Diesel is a lot of fun as the wisecracking and loyal Jackie, who thinks he can do a better job than any lawyer can do. Diesel was hot off his roles in The Fast and the Furious, XXX, and The Chronicles of Riddick when he made this film, and it took me a little while to realize who it was (he wears a wig and prosthetic nose). This film is a fascinating look at a court trial system that has gone off the rails, with a supporting cast that includes Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra, Peter Dinklage, and Alex Rocco. Find Me Guilty isn’t a great film, but it’s a fun performance by Diesel, and there are some wonderful and sometimes powerful scenes, including a brilliant scene between Diesel and Annabella Sciorra, who plays Jackie’s wife, that shows us the dynamic that made up their relationship. And by the way, the film is based on a true story, and the real Jackie hand-picked Vin Diesel to play him in the movie. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Find Me Guilty Info   The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon and Apple TV. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dune: Part Two: Tube Rigger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: I Saw the TV Glow (2024) PG-13 Two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brighter Lundy-Paine) bond over a TV show called The Pink Opaque. As their bond grows, things start getting weird. I feel that my description of the film is off a bit because of the buzz it has gotten having just played at Sundance. It’s defiantly a film to keep on the lookout for.   I Saw The TV Glow Website  In theatres in early May. 

Until Next Time!

Fast X

My View: Fast X (2023) PG-13   Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family seem to be at a good point in their lives, but their past is about to catch up with them when they are targeted by the vengeful son (Jason Momoa) of the drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. I have enjoyed this series, especially when they decided they were all superheroes that could fly midair from one car to another and take hits like John Wick only dreams about. I had fun with this film because of one actor, Jason Momoa, but more on that later. The film has Vin Diesel’s thumbprint or, should I say, the entire hand on the script, as his character Dom gets to constantly make speeches about, say it with me, ‘family.’ And he even gets to shed a tear or two. The film has a gigantic cast that keeps getting bigger and bigger, even bringing back a few ghosts from the past. The film brings up the late Paul Walker’s character a few times and how Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Han (Sung Kang) have come back to the gang (one by regaining her memory, the other by coming back from the dead), which should give you a clue as to what is going to happen in this film. Now for the reason to see this film. Jason Momoa. Even with a cast that doesn’t mind overacting, Momoa goes to the extreme and has the time of his life playing the bad guy of the film. In a performance that reminds me of Jack Nicholson as The Joker in Batman, Momoa revels in his role as the crazy, bat-out-of-hell bad guy who wants revenge for Dom and his gang killing his dad. Momoa, wearing outfits that would make Prince jealous, mugs his way through the film, giving Dom a Bronx cheer while passing him going a hundred miles an hour on a motorcycle. The stunts are outlandish, though I didn’t enjoy the fact that they let the cars be the superheroes in this one. The plot has about five hundred subplots, all of which will continue with the next film or two (it’s rumored that there are two more films in the works). Look, Fast X is stupid, but it’s stupid fun, and Jason Momoa gives us a bad guy to delight in. And yes, stay through the first bit of end credits to see who shows up.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Fast X Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Sanctuary (2023) R  A night in a room becomes a cat-and-mouse game between Hal (Christopher Abbott), a wealthy client who has just inherited a fortune, and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), his dominatrix. It’s a night where roles will switch many times, with surprising results. This is one of those films that is such a cat-and-mouse game between two characters that you get lost in what is real and what is make-believe. The film keeps pulling back layers from the start so that you constantly question who to root for and if anyone will get out alive by the film’s end. I loved the chemistry between Abbott and Qualley, as their characters play games with each other, sometimes in love with each other and other times in hate. Sanctuary is a film about desire and how it can take many forms. It’s a film that will keep you guessing until the end, and even then, you will wonder what happens to these characters next.   My Rating; Full Price  Sanctuary Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Master Gardener (2022) R  A horticulturist, Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton), is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate owned by a wealthy dowager, Norma (Sigourney Weaver). When Norma’s estranged grandniece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) shows up unexpectedly, Norma decides Narvel should take on Maya as his apprentice, something that Narvel does reluctantly. Maya doesn’t know that Narvel has a past about to rear its ugly head and everyone is in danger. I enjoyed this film by filmmaker Paul Schrader, which is a film about finding redemption in the simplest things. The film is a little kinky, but what do you expect from a man who gave us Hardcore (1979) and American Gigolo (1980)? I loved the chemistry between Quintessa Swindell and Joel Edgerton, who play two people with pasts that they both want to hide from each other. The film explores just how much a person can be forgiven for and how much that person’s atonement makes up for what they did in the past.   My Rating; Bargain Matinee  Master Gardener Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: The Night of the 12th (2022)  They say every investigator is haunted by one crime. For investigator Yohan Vives (Bastien Bouillon), it is the murder of Clara. And it’s a case that Yohan may never solve. This is a film about the crimes that aren’t cracked and how no matter how hard the detective’s work, some crimes will haunt you forever. The film centers on Yohan (Bastien Bouillon), who has just taken over a homicide squad, and this is their first big case under his command. A young woman has been murdered, and there aren’t any witnesses and too many suspects. The film follows Yohan and his squad as they diligently try to solve the crime, but every time they think they have a clue who the killer is, it slips through their hands. The film shows how we see crime and all the factors that help and hurt in solving those crimes. Not everything can be solved, no matter how hard we try.   My Rating: Full Price  The Night of the 12th Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

My View: Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me (2023)  Documentary on the iconic Playboy and Guess jeans model who became one of the first big reality stars before dying at age 39. The film brings us some new footage of Anna Nicole’s life but doesn’t give us any new answers. In fact, the film seems to take the road that her story is sad, but it’s one that she chose to live. I learned very little from this documentary about Anna that I didn’t already know. Near the end of the film, there is an interview that she gave near the end of her life, where Anna claimed that her mother abused her and that she was sexually assaulted. It turns out the story wasn’t Anna’s; it was the life story of what was her best friend during Anna’s stripper days in Houston. That sums up the life of Anna Nicole Smith; you never knew what was real about her, and this documentary doesn’t help us find that out. Like all the tabloids that followed her every move, the film never scratches more than the surface of who she was.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Monica (2022) R  Monica is about a woman named Monica (Trace Lysette). She returns home to help care for her dying mother (Patricia Clarkson), who suffers from a brain tumor. Her mother does not recognize Monica because she has transitioned and rolls with it. Monica’s showing up causes problems with her brother (Joshua Close) as Monica deals with the ghosts of her past self. Monica is a film about coming home, mending fences that looked like they might stay broken, and the power of forgiveness. Trace Lysette is stunning as Monica, a woman who has fought for everything she has become but still wants more. She comes back home, unsure if she should, and is afraid of what reception Monica will receive when she arrives. Monica isn’t a film with big speeches or ground-breaking moments. Instead, it’s a film where those tiny slices of life become more powerful than any speech could. A small gesture, like a hand being held by another during a picture, tells everything you need to know about what is happening, and that’s the magic of this film.   My Rating; Full Price  Monica Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest:  The Eight Mountains (2022) The story of two friends who, as boys, meet while one is on a summer vacation. Pietro is the city boy, and Bruno is the boy from the mountains. The city boy longs to stay in the wilderness, while the boy from the mountain only wants to leave it. Years later, the two meet again, this time as adults. Pietro (Luca Marinelli) is a lost soul who doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. Bruno (Alessandro Borghi) has changed and wants to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a cheese maker. The two learn in the shadow of the Italian Alps that their friendship will always survive no matter where they are. I loved this breathtaking film that gives us so many astounding shots of the Alps, as the two friends travel on the mountains, Pietro always searching for the deep meaning and Bruno happy with living the moment. The Eight Mountains is the story of brotherly love, who of two men develop a connection early on and keep it alive as their lives change. Both men find happiness, sometimes in very different ways, but they will always have the mountain to return to.   My Rating: Full Price   The Eight Mountains Website Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Shooting Fish (1997) PG Dylan (Dan Futterman) and Jez (Stuart Townsend) are two guys who dream of making enough money to buy the house of their dreams. The only problem is that the two guys are con artists, and not all their schemes work. They hire Georgie (Kate Beckinsale) to be their secretary for a job. Soon the two men are both in love with Georgie, and to make things even more complicated, she is about to get married. Shooting Fish is an enjoyable film with a plot that gets a little complicated, but the cast is so likable that you don’t care. Kate Beckinsale steals the movie in one of her first starring roles before she became a star with The Last Days of Disco (1999). The scams are fun, Beckinsale is charming, and the ending is delightful.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Shooting Fish Info  Available to buy on Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Fast X: Fight Arranger

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: No Hard Feelings (2023) R Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) has had her car repossessed and is on the brink of losing her home. Maddie finds an intriguing job position: parents (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) of a 19-year-old boy (Andrew Barth Feldman) want their shy, introverted son to ‘become a man’ before going to college. This reminds me of all the teen/college films that came out in the late 70s and early eighties, where teen boys were on a mission to have sex. Some were good, like The Sure Thing (1985), directed by Rob Reiner and starring John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, and others were horrible. The Last American Virgin (1982) comes to mind. What a four-time Academy Award nominee and winner of the 2013 Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook is doing in this film, I don’t know. But hey, I’m game for anything Jennifer Lawrence wants to be in.  No Hard Feelings Website   The film will be in theatres in mid-June.  

Until Next Time!

F9

 

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View: F9: The Fast Saga   (2021)  PG-13  Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are living on a remote farm with Dom’s young son, happy with their life out of the spotlight, when they get a mysterious call from help from Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Dom assembles the team back together to find out that Dom’s brother Jakob (John Cena) has broken Cipher (Charlize Theron) out of custody and has a plan to take the world hostage. Many films ago, the Fast & Furious filmmakers left the world of reality and decided to make the F&F gang superheroes who can fall 50 feet off a building and land on a car hood without a scratch. I knew we were in a Fast and Furious movie right from the start when the first scene is a stock-car race and a car comes into the pits (while the race is still going on), the driver talks to a bunch of people, a guy makes an adjustment to the car beneath the hood and the car, after several minutes have passed, goes back out on the track and gets on the lead lap. That is the kind of altered reality that the Fast films live in, and I’m ok with that. While the plot is held together by chewing gum and baling wire, and Diesel is spouting dialogue that makes you wince, you will still have a fun time seeing all the crazy, and I mean crazy, stunts that go on in this film. There are plenty of car crashes, cameos, fights, and shootouts to keep you interested. I have no clue why the bad guy has to carry out part of his plot in a giant, caterpillar-like super truck, but who cares. We just know that somehow, someway, the Fast team will defeat the bad guys and maybe, just maybe, bring back people from the dead. I saw this in the theatre, and you will too, as you want to see this on the big screen with a deafening sound system. And be sure to stay through the first part of the credits as there is a bonus scene to set up the next film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   F9 Website   Now playing in a theatre near you.

My View: False Positive  (2021)  R Lucy (Ilana Glazer) and Adrain (Justin Theroux) have it all; great jobs, a loving relationship, but one thing is missing, a baby. Having trouble conceiving, they go to Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan), who promises them they will get pregnant. The couple celebrates when Lucy gets pregnant, but as the pregnancy goes along, she suspects something is wrong and is determined to uncover the unsettling truth about their fertility doctor. I really liked the idea behind this film, wanting to be a ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ type of film for the world of in-vitro fertilization. Pierce Brosnan is perfect as the doctor who spends a little too much time preparing his instruments, giving off just enough a creepy vibe, all the while being charming and reassuring. Unfortunately, the film goes a bit off the rails in the 2nd half of the film, trying too hard to fool us into thinking either our hero, Lucy, is crazy or the rest of the world is. By the time the movie ends, you have no idea what exactly happened, and by then, you may not care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    False Positive Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: Werewolves Within   (2021) R   A new forest ranger, Finn (Sam Richardson), moves into a small community during the dead of winter. Finn finds that the town is full of strange and eccentric people, but things get stranger when the town loses power, all the generators break, and he discovers a dead body. I loved this film filled with quirky and nutty characters, like an episode of Northern Exposure on acid. We meet Finn on the road to a new job, listening to a program to boost his confidence while leaving a weak and sad message for his girlfriend. Finn soon discovers that the small town he has moved to has some rather strange residents, including a hunter who doesn’t seem to care who he shoots. Finn quickly becomes involved with the mail delivery person (played by the funny and talented Milana Vayntrub), and they become immersed in a mystery that may involve a werewolf. Werewolves Within is a film that plays off many horror tropes of the last few years and keeps you guessing on who or what the killer is. I had so much fun watching this film and you will too. I never played the video game that this film is based on, but I would be tempted to if it as much fun as this silly, fantastic film is.   My Rating: Full Price    Werewolves Within Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:   Mary J. Blige’s My Life   (2021)   Grammy-winning recording artist and actress Mary J. Blige gives you an up-close and personal look at what inspired her ground-breaking 1994 LP ‘My Life’ as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her work by performing the album live for the first time. For her fans, this may be something that you will want to watch, but I came away from this film only knowing how much Mary means to her fans and not a lot about her. This is a movie about Mary’s early life and the making of the My Life album. It’s a film about where she came from and what was her mindset when she wrote and performed the songs on the album. Sadly, we never quite get the emotional impact that we need from the film, as the concert footage is a lot of her fans in the audience singing the songs and not Mary herself. The film feels that it keeps covering the same ground, and I never felt a real connection to the movie or the artist. For such an important and groundbreaking work that the My Life album is, this film feels like a letdown. I love that her fans feel her emotion and her journey so profoundly, but the film never gets us to feel that with them.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Mary J Blige's My Life Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Summer of 85   (2020)   Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) is a 16-year-old teen who has to soon decide to go back to school or quit and get a job. One afternoon in a seaside resort in Normandy, Alexis takes a sailboat out, and it capsizes. Alexis almost drowns but is saved by David (Benjamin Voisin), a young man from the area. They soon become friends, but that friendship gets very complicated very quickly in the summer of 1985. This is a delightful coming-of-age film about summer love, the kind that is quick, all-consuming, and burns out way too fast. The two leads have incredible chemistry right from the first meeting, where the older David takes Alexis under his wing and opens up Alexis to feelings he didn’t know he had. The story is well told in a series of flashbacks that let us see the relationship through the eyes of Alexis, as he very quickly falls for David. How ever, David has a troubled past and is far more complicated than Alexis can handle. I liked this film, but like many summer romances, once it’s over, it doesn’t stay with you.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Summer of 85 Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation  (2020)   A documentary that looks at two iconic American writers, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, who were at times best of friends and other times the worst of enemies. Both men left their stamp on the American literary scene. Before seeing this film, I knew a lot more about Truman Capote than Tennessee Williams because I loved the book In Cold Blood, and Truman had appeared on a lot of late-night talk shows. The film does a fantastic job of going back and forth between the two men’s lives, letting the writers tell us their stories in their own words. When the film doesn’t have audio from the authors themselves, it uses actors Jim Parsons as Truman Capote’s voice and Zachary Quinto as Tennessee Williams. Both actors do an excellent job of making their voices sound very similar to each of the writers. Both writers found incredible success very early on in their careers, so much so that they were fewer successes later on; in fact, it seems Capote never quite recovered from his masterpiece of In Cold Blood. Truman & Tennessee is a well-done and insightful documentary that tells the story of two gifted writers haunted by demons that they could never entirely escape from.   My Rating: Full Price    Truman & Tennessee Website  Now playing in select theaters and available for rent on participating on-demand services.   

Forgotten Film: Summer of 42  (1971)   R  During a summer vacation on Nantucket Island, a teenager, Hermie (Gary Grimes), finds himself thinking of sex all the time. He befriends a young woman, Dorothy (Jennifer O’Neill), whose husband has gone off to fight in WWII. Hermie develops a massive crush on Dorothy and hopes that some way, someday, she will feel the same for him. This is a warm and almost innocent film about young love. Jennifer O’Neill is just mesmerizing and lovely in this film, the perfect pick for the beautiful, vivacious Dorthy, who may have married her soldier too quickly and too soon. The film treats the relationship between the two with affection. The film gets a little sappy, and there are a couple of scenes about adolescent sex that are a little cringy to look at, but overall, the film is an affectionate look at a coming of age story.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Summer of 42 Info  

Weird Credits: From the credits of F9: Crowd Mistress

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Pig  (2021)  R  A famous truffle hunter, Rob (Nicolas Cage), lives alone out in the Oregonian wilderness, isolated from the world he left behind many years ago. When he is brutally attacked, and his prized truffle hunting pig is kidnapped, Rob returns to his past in Portland in search for her and the people responsible. Big Hollywood has forgotten about Nicolas Cage, but the Indie world hasn’t, and Cage has been busy making interesting and sometimes strange films these past few years, and we are all the better for it.    Pig website

Until Next Time!

Bloodshot

My View: Bloodshot (2020) PG-13   Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) was an elite soldier who was killed in battle and is brought back to life by an advanced technology that gives Ray the ability of superhuman strength and almost immediate healing. Ray soon learns that what he thinks is real or knows may not be what is happening to him. I am guessing that Vin Diesel had a lot to do with the script since, at least three times, his character’s sexual prowess is brought up. You can also tell by how much Diesel is on the screen (try in almost every shot). I didn’t care about any of the characters in the film, the action sequences are some of the worst I’ve seen in quite a while, and the plot is just plain silly. Elza Gonzalez, as a fellow recipient of the technology (she can breathe air that has been poisoned), gives a woefully acted performance in a cast full of bad acting. The film seemed long, and it is for this type of action film, almost 1 hour and 50 minutes of dull.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again     Bloodshot Website

My View: I Still Believe (2020) PG   Jeremy (K.J. Apa) goes off to college, where he meets and falls in love with Melissa (Britt Robertson). As Jeremy’s singing/songwriting career starts to take off, the young couple learns that Melissa has cancer. Their beliefs in God and each other will be challenged in this troubling time. If you don’t like faith-based films, then this film isn’t for you. Based on the real love story between Christian superstar singer Jeremy Camp and his wife, I Still Believe works due to the chemistry of K.J. Apa as Jeremy and Britt Robertson as Melissa. The film is greatly helped by the singing of Apa, who, as TV’s Riverdale fans will attest, can belt out a tune and has the charisma of Camp when he is on the stage performing. Unlike a lot of faith-based films that seemingly fill out their casts with players from the local Baptist church community theatre, I Still Believe is helped by Gary Sinise, who plays Camp’s father. I will warn you that you will need to bring a few tissues along when you see this film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    I Still Believe Website

My View: The Hunt (2020) R   Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing and don’t have any idea where they are or how they got there. They are about to find out why they have been chosen, chosen for 'The Hunt.’ I can’t say too much about this film because, right from the start, this wacky and fun gorefest breaks a lot of rules in creating an inventive storyline that I really enjoyed. If you have seen the commercials or the trailer, you may think you know what this film is about, but I am telling you that you are probably wrong. I can tell you that Betty Gilpin, who has shown some spark in the TV series GLOW, is brilliant as a woman who decides that she is going to take charge and survive. My only regret about the film is I wish they had played up the comedy (think absurd plot lines) a bit more. Still, I had such a good time watching this film, that I told one of the critics after the screening, that I wanted it to be longer so I could enjoy the crazy world the film created.    My Rating: Full Price    The Hunt Website

Indiefest: Wendy (2020) PG-13   Retelling of the classic story of Peter Pan, wherein a land that aging and time have become unglued, Wendy (Devin France) must fight to save her family. In undoubtedly one of the biggest disappointments of the 1st quarter of films, two-time Oscar-nominated writer/director Benh Zeitlin, brings us a mess of a movie that felt more like a play put on by a bunch of neighborhood kids, than a film from a filmmaker that brought us the magical Beasts of the Southern Wild. Be warned that this is not a kid's movie, as it tells a muddled story of Wendy and Peter who run around quite a bit but never seem to do anything more than speak dialogue which is painful to hear and a plot that I have no clue what was about. I wanted this film to end ten minutes after I started watching it because I was bored out of my mind. It took eight years for Benh Zeitlin to bring us this movie, maybe he spent too much time with the project and got lost because when I watched it, I was also lost.   My Rating: Cable     Wendy Website

Indiefest: Balloon (2018)   In the summer of 1979, two families plot to escape East Germany to the West by making a homemade hot-air balloon. Based on an incredible true story, this film will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The film perfectly creates the anxiety and fear that permeated everyone under the Communist rule in East Germany, where you couldn’t trust anyone, and your neighbor might be a snitch for the secret police. The film builds the tension throughout the movie and can’t believe how creative the families were in their attempt to find freedom in the West. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and you will be on the edge of your seat, rooting for their escape.   My Rating: Full Price     Balloon Website

Indiefest: Hope Gap (2019) PG-13   An adult son (Josh O’Connor) is caught in the middle when after 29 years, Grace (Annette Bening) learns that her husband, Edward (Bill Nighy), is leaving her for another woman. Grace is caught unaware of her husband's unhappiness, and her life comes apart at the seams. Hope Gap is a film that is about two miserable people who spent too much time in their routines, not to notice their unhappiness. Bening has the toughest part in the movie, as you never like Grace. Bening’s character is selfish, a bully, and not very loving, making Bening’s performance stand out from the other two cast members. Bill Nighy isn’t given much to do with the milk-toast, reserved Edward. The film does turn around a bit near the end of the film as each character seems to right themselves and start living again, but it takes quite a while to get to that part, making the film drag a bit.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Hope Gap Website

Forgotten Film: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2011) R   Tucker and Dale are best friends who are headed to their new vacation cabin (a fixer-upper), but there is something you need to know about them: they are hillbilly rednecks. A bunch of preppy college kids are headed to the same section of the woods near an isolated lake. There is one thing that they all find out once they get to their camps…twenty years ago, five college students mysteriously disappeared there. The two groups encounter each other, and the college kids start dying. The difference between this and other slasher films is this is a comedy, and the deaths are all accidental.  This is a funny film that uses all of the horror stereotypes to play for laughs. Tyler Labine, who plays Dale (from TV programs Reaper and Mad Love), and Alan Tudyk (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), who plays Tucker, are brilliant as the dim-witted hillbillies who don't quite get why anyone could be afraid of them. If you are a fan of films like Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block, you should see this delightful movie.  My Rating: Full Price     Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Hunt: Truck Costumer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Soul (2020)   A musician (Jamie Foxx) who has lost his passion is transported out of his body and must now find his way back, helping an infant soul (Tina Fey) learn about herself. All you have to say is Pixar, and I’m in.    Soul Website

Until Next Time!

The Fate of the Furious

My View:  The Fate of the Furious  (2017)  PG-13  Dom (Vin Diesel) is seduced by a mysterious woman (Charlize Theron) and becomes a terrorist, betraying his friends and family. Now the gang has to get back together to try and defeat Dom.  I have liked this series since Fast Five (2011) when the studio decided the characters were superheroes and could do amazing things like jumping from one car to another while they are dropped from a plane. This film has plenty of action, and I love the start of the movie which is a tribute to the first films of the series when it was all about suped-up cars racing on the streets. In this film, the gang races a submarine in the Arctic, so don’t think the studio is cutting down on the special effects. The stunts are so outrageous in this film I believe the next movie in the series will be in space. If that happens, I can guarantee that it will be fun!  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Fate of the Furious Website

My View:  Gifted  (2017)  PG-13  Frank (Chris Evans) is raising niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) by himself. His mother (Lindsay Duncan) feels that Frank is not fostering the child’s talent for math. His mother decides to sue him for custody of Mary.  I loved this movie about parenting in challenging circumstances and sacrifices we make so that our children have the best opportunities in life. The cast is what makes this film work so well. Jenny Slate is wonderful as Mary’s new schoolteacher who becomes attracted to Frank. Chris Evans is outstanding as the man who is just trying every day to make sure Mary is healthy and happy. It’s Mckenna Grace who makes this film so rewarding to watch. Under a lesser actress, Mary could have come across as overbearing and strange, but Mckenna Grace is brilliant as the smart, cute little girl who knows she is special but sees herself as just an average girl. The chemistry between Grace and Evans is something magical, shown in a scene shot against the setting sun as Mary climbs all over Frank as they talk about God and life. Gifted just might be the “feel good” film of the year.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See It Again   Gifted Website

Indiefest:  Land of Mine  (2016) R  In post-World War II, a group of young German POW’s are forced to clear a beach of thousands of land mines.  Writer/director Martin Zandvliet brings us a taut and tension filled film that is worthy of its Foreign Language Film nomination at this year's Oscars. The film is uncomfortably tense right from the start and continues throughout to build the tension, as we get to know, and in some cases, fall in love with the boys. There are powerful moments in the film that aren't going to leave you soon. Some of the most high-powered scenes surprisingly aren't the deaths that occur, but the small moments when connections are made during this horrible experience. Zandvliet makes use of the brilliant widescreen cinematography of Camilla Hjelm, who makes the beaches seemly, endless and impossible to clear. Land of Mine is a film that dares to make heroes out of villains as the boys are shown to be paying for the sins of a nation and ideology that, due to their young age, they didn't have much to do with.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Land of Mine Website

My View:  Colossal  (2016)  R  Gloria (Anne Hathaway) returns home when her boyfriend kicks her out of their NYC apartment because of her drinking. She soon learns that she is somehow connected to a giant monster that is terrorizing downtown Seoul, South Korea.  Writer/director Nacho Vigalondo brings us an unusual tale of part Science Fiction and part domestic abuse film, with a splash of alcoholism thrown in. It’s strange mix with giant monsters appearing straight from those bad 60’s Japanese larger than life reptile movies. At first used for comic effect and then later as the symbolism of the struggle between good and evil, the monsters appear half way across the world, in Seoul, South Korea. The biggest problem with Colossal is that Hathaway’s character is very one dimensional. We never really know why Gloria drinks so much and never find out what demons she is trying to escape. Hathaway is what I call a pretty drunk, someone we can laugh at, and not be too concerned with because, other than a boyfriend who drops her, her drinking never seems to get her in trouble. Her realization that being intoxicated could cause other people pain seems shallow and too simply realized. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film, but I just don’t think there is as much to it as Nacho Vigalondo wants us to believe. Much like the Japanese monsters, the film is what you see on the surface; there’s not a lot of substance lying beneath the water.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Colossal Website

Indiefest:  Their Finest  (2016) R  This film tells the story of a British Ministry of Propaganda film team making a morale-boosting film during the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz.  Gemma Arterton plays Catrin, a woman in an unhappy relationship who is hired to help write the film. Her job is to help head writer, Tom (Sam Claflin), make his film more relatable to women stuck back at home. Their relationship starts out a little rocky, but soon, as they get to know and trust each other, they begin to work well together. As they work together and their writing and conversation starts flowing, they fall in love. I loved this film which has a feel of the old war films of the 40’s. There is incredible chemistry between Arterton and Claflin, making their relationship seem real. Bill Nighy gives a funny performance as an egomaniacal actor who thinks he invented acting and will let everyone know it. The film bogs down a little in the middle, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film and its look behind the scenes of making a movie during wartime in Britain.  My Rating: Full Price   Their Finest Info   

Indiefest:  Tommy’s Honour  (2016)  PG  The film tells the story of the pioneering Scottish golf champions Old Tom Morris(Peter Mullan) and his son Young Tom Morris (Jack Lowden).  If you are a golfer, you will love this film about the origins of the sport and the two men who shaped it.  The film is based on a true story, and it’s fascinating how far golf has come from its very primitive ancestry.  Most of the film takes place in Scotland at the legendary Royal, and Ancient Golf Club and the scenery is rugged and beautiful. The golf scenes are the best part of the film creating some badly needed tension. The heart of the movie is the father that is set in his ways and his son who is determined to change the way the game is played. While the movie is predictable and went on a little too long, I found the golf games in the film fascinating (that’s how good the games are, they make it fascinating).    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Tommy's Honour Website

Forgotten Film:  Betrayed  (1988)  A woman (Debra Winger) starts working on Gary’s (Tom Berenger) farm. They become friends and fall in love. The problem is that Gary is an anti-government white separatist. Little does Gary know that the woman he has fallen in love with is hiding a past also.  Debra Winger gives another superb performance and has great chemistry with Berenger. The plot is a little thing, but Winger makes this film worth watching.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Betrayed Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Fate of the Furious:  Cultural Advisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Born in China  (2017)  G  Living in Atlanta, I have gotten to see not one but two sets of panda twins born here. This film will show us how pandas live in the wild, along with other animals like snow leopards and monkeys in the forests and tundra of China. I can’t wait to see it.   Born in China Website

Until Next Time!

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xXx: Return of Xander Cage

My View:  xXx: Return of Xander Cage  (2017)  PG-13  Just when you thought Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) was dead, he comes out of exile to help the CIA recover a powerful weapon known as “Pandora’s Box” before the evil villain Xiang (Donnie Yen) can acquire it.  This is the kind of movie that I call “stupid fun.” You know going in that it will be over-the-top, the plot will be there just to do more and more stunts, and Vin Diesel will do some things that even Superman couldn’t do. Have there been better action films? Sure, Fast and Furious 6 comes to mind, but I did enjoy this film where Vin Diesel skis down a mountain that doesn’t have any snow.  There are new additions to the xXx group and a couple of surprise guests that help move the film at a quick pace. The ending seems a little forced, but I had a good time watching all the action sequences.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   xXx: Return of Xander Cage Website

My View:  Split  (2016)  PG-13  After a birthday party, three girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Anya Taylor-Joy) are kidnapped. Their captor Kevin (James McAvoy) suffers from the rare dissociative identity disorder where he has 23 split personalities. The girls must now find one of those personalities to help them escape before the arrival of the 24th and final personality, the “beast.” This is a strange film to watch, mostly due to the 23 personalities that James McAvoy portrays. This is a solid piece of horror filmmaking plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.  It’s a wild ride that makes an excellent thriller. The film’s backstory on Anya Taylor-Joy’s character is well thought out, and her performance is one of the best things in this film. And there is a very big reveal at the end of the film that is jaw dropping. This is certainly more in line with what we expected that M. Night Shyamalan would put out after his groundbreaking The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.   My Rating: Full Price   Split Website

My View:  The Founder  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who turned a small hamburger shop into Mc Donald’s, the biggest restaurant business in the world.  Ray Kroc wasn’t a nice guy, as he would do just about anything to get his way. Michael Keaton gives a scintillating performance of a ruthless, unlikeable man. The film is highly enjoyable in the first half of the film, but it loses its way when the most interesting characters in the movie, the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch), are forgotten during most of the second half of the movie. It’s a hard look at a man who hid behind the American flag and family values to steal a company from two honest to a fault brothers.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Founder Website

Indiefest:   20th Century Women  (2016)  R  Set in Santa Barbara, California in 1979, a free spirit mother (Annette Benning) seeks help from her two housemates (Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning) with raising her son (Lucas Jade Zumann).  Benning has never been better in the role of a woman who seems to be stuck in the 1960s. Her character appears to be constantly trying to figure out each person whom she meets, and her performance is nuanced and never over-the-top. The rest of the cast is outstanding with Greta Gerwig putting in an excellent performance as a photographer who is a cancer survivor. The film is an enjoyable look at a teenage boy and the three women who are collectively raising him.   My Rating:  Full Price   20th Century Women Website

Forgotten Film:  The Dark Half (1993)  R  After writing under an assumed name, writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), decides to write under his own name. Thad’s life is turned upside down when he is framed for a series of murders that he could not have committed. This is one of the better adaptations of a Stephen King work, and while flawed, George A. Romero knows how to open a horror film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Dark Half Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Founder:  Choreographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Lego Batman Movie  (2017) PG   Bruce Wayne as Batman must deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but he also has to deal with a young boy he has adopted. I can’t wait for this film to come out.  The teaser trailer was so much fun.  The Lego Batman Movie Website

Until Next Time!