The Drama

My View:  The Drama  (2026) R   In The Drama, a happily engaged couple, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), are about to get married. However, their relationship is about to be put to the test when an unexpected, shocking, and explosive crisis sends their plans all to hell just days before their wedding. I will not spill what the crisis is, but it is shocking and would test any relationship. This is a film that starts out as a rom-com with a ‘meet cute’, a funny first date, and even a funnier first kiss. Then writer/director Kristoffer Borgli takes us on a trip to a very dark comedy that will make you squirm in your seat and maybe even gasp out loud a few times. You will be on the edge of your seat for every scene as things go further and further down a very rough and rock-filled rabbit hole. I think I even tried to look away at one point, but couldn’t. I loved Zendaya's and especially Robert Pattinson's performances, though you might not like their characters by the end of the film. Pattinson is brilliant in the role of a man whose world is shaken to the core and who puts too much faith in other people’s opinions. And I want to point out that Alana Haim’s performance is outstanding as the Maid of Honor who turns very quickly on Emma and doesn’t let up in her utter contempt. This is a film that you will talk about for days, and if you are like me, you may never want to see The Drama again. Not because it’s bad; in fact, it is amazing. It’s just darn uncomfortable to watch. And please, please don’t take anyone to see this on a first date. If you do, you may never see them again.  My Rating: Full Price  The Drama Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

Familyfaire:  The Super Mario Galaxy Movie  (2026)  PG   The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues the adventures of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. The gang is joined by Yoshi as they travel across the galaxy, exploring cosmic worlds as they face off against Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr. I did not like the 2023 film, and I found this one was even worse. My afternoon screening was filled with more adults than kids, which means its audience is full of fans of the games and that this film will make a boatload of money. Like the first film, I think only young kids and those video game fans will enjoy this film. Like the first film, it feels like the writers did one of their usual let’s throw everything up on the screen and hope some of it’s funny, which the Illumination studio is famous for. What I liked about the first film was the interaction between Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (voiced by the Anya Taylor-Joy) but sadly, Peach doesn’t have much to do after the opening sequence as this she is held in Bowser Jr.’s castle, with Mario, Luigi, Toad and new addition Yoshi on a mission to save her. The animation is colorful but unimaginative, and the storyline is one long video game, and once again, we don’t have any controllers to make the film move along. Now, gamers are going to love all the Easter eggs the film has and a few new characters that will delight some of the crowd. I found the film boring, unfunny, and stupid, with little thought given to character development or plot. However, I realize I am not the intended audience, and others may have a good time with the characters. I certainly didn’t. And once again, there are two bonus scenes, one mid-credits and the other at the very end of the film, that may make some gamers happy.  My Rating: Cable The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Fantasy Life   (2025)  R   Fantasy Life follows Sam (Matthew Shear), a law school dropout who has just lost another job. His psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch) gives him a job babysitting the psychiatrist’s three granddaughters, and Sam soon falls for Dianne (Amanda Peet), the mother of the girls, who just happens to be in a bad marriage. Amanda Peet hasn’t been in a movie in ten years, and boy, have we missed her. Peet is perfect as Dianne, a woman who is dealing with mental health issues, along with an absent husband and a career as an actor that she thinks has forgotten about her. In walks Sam, a mess himself, who has anxiety attacks and needs a job. The two find they can quietly and lovingly support each other as they navigate life's ups and downs. With a brilliant, quirky supporting cast, the film slowly unfolds as we spend time with Sam, Dianne, and her family. Fantasy Life is a film you let wash over you, enjoying the performances that capture everyday life in a chaotic world that sometimes gets the best of us. My Rating: Full Price  Fantasy Life Website  Now playing in select theaters

My View: Pizza Movie  (2026)  Pizza Movie is about two college roommates, Jack (Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), who take an experimental drug called M.I.N.T.S and must go on a dangerous journey to pick up the only thing that will bring them down: a pizza. That dangerous journey? They have to travel two flights of stairs to their dorm lobby. Pizza Movie is a film where you question what drugs filmmakers Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney were taking when writing the script. The film is out of this world nuts, with some incredibly funny situations and others that are just out and out stupid and don’t work. However, the film never stays too long on one aspect and keeps throwing obstacles the guys have to overcome to get to that pizza. The great thing about this film is that it just keeps trying to outdo the last scene, and it does many times. Matarazzo and Giambrone have incredible chemistry on the screen and make this film work, along with the addition of Lulu Wilson as someone who fits better with the two roommates than the group she is trying too hard to fit into. And hey, any film where Daniel Radcliffe voices a rogue butterfly is a movie you just might have fun with. Just don’t take a mint if it’s offered to you while watching this film. It would be a mistake. Unless you have pizza nearby!   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Pizza Movie Website    Now playing on the Hulu platform

Forgotten Film:  Monsoon Wedding (2001) R  The Verma family of Delhi is coming from far and wide to see Aditi (Vasundhara Das) marry Hemant (Parvin Dabas), a computer programmer from Houston. Hemant is considered somewhat of an outsider, but in this arranged marriage, that’s not the only problem with this wedding. This is a fun and delightful movie where secrets are to be kept, romances blossom, and a wedding might just fall off its wheels before the couple can say their vows.  My Rating: Full Price  Monsoon Wedding Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie:  Head of Render Wranglers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Sheep Detectives (2026) PG  Every night, a sheepherder (Hugh Jackman) reads a mystery novel to his herd before they bed down for the night. When one morning they find he is dead, the sheep realize that his death is under mysterious circumstances, and they set out to solve the crime. This is truly one of the weirdest trailers I have seen in a theater. The voice cast is outstanding, so let’s wait and see what happens.   The Sheep Detectives Website The film will be out in theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026.

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!

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!

Spider-Man: No Way Home

My View:  Spider-Man: No Way Home  (2021) PG-13   Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has been unmasked, and now everyone knows who he is, making it hard to separate his private life from being a superhero. He turns to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell that everyone will forget who he is, only that spell has lasting consequences, including bringing back an old enemy. First, if you have never seen a Spider-man film before, this is not where you should start. In fact, even for fans, it might be wise to go back and watch a few of the films from the past (just skip the Toby Maguire Spider-Man 3 film with Spidey tap-dancing away, I will never be able to get that scene out of my brain). 2nd, pack a lunch to take with you because it’s two and a half hours long. The bad: it tries to make every fan out there in the MCU happy, bringing back villains from the past packing way too much into the film. The problem is if anyone out there is really asking for the Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) to come back (besides Church’s agent)? Or the Lizard-man from what every Spider-Man movie that was from? Probably not. Now the good. The film has a lot of heart, and it’s because of the winning performance of Tom Holland. Holland is allowed to give depth and meaning to a character that always has had a side of pathos to his makeup. From the comics on down to the movies, Spider-Man is a character that has felt the pain of loss and the heavy burden of responsibility, trying to live up to a code that few can live by. This is a Spider-Man character trying to live in a world where his father-figure is gone (Ironman), and half the population has turned on Spider-Man, blaming him for a death of a person that some people feel was a hero. And now Peter can’t hide behind the mask, as he has been outed. Peter not only has to deal with how this impacts him but also that his actions have had an impact on his friends and loved ones. The film’s core message is one that has been preached to Spider-Man by his family, and his mentor’s “With great power comes great responsibility.’ That underlying theme of this Spider-Man film makes it stand out from the past films and makes it work seeing. There are two post credit scenes; one after the first section of credits that may set up the next Spider-Man film and a trailer at the end of all the credits.    My Rating: Full Price   Spider-Man: No Way Home Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest:  The Lost Daughter (2021) R   Leda (Olivia Colman) is on a beach vacation where she wants to be left alone to write. But her past keeps coming back to haunt her as she becomes involved with a local (Ed Harris) and a young, troubled mother (Dakota Johnson) who is part of a loud and large family that is also on vacation. Maggie Gyllenhaal has brought us a story about a woman whose past rears its ugly head when she interacts with a family that constantly interacts with Leda, even when it’s evident that she wants to be left alone. Colman gives a fantastic and impressive performance of a woman who you probably won’t like and possibly won’t understand. Leda is a woman who has made choices in her life, about her life as a wife and mother, that most people would see as selfish, and she makes decisions while on this vacation which seem reckless and almost ugly, even when you understand that most of what she does is deeply seeded from her past. One of the best films of the year and certainly one of the great performances of 2021, The Lost Daughter is a journey into the mind of a woman who, as her vacation goes on, gives us insight into her psyche and why Leda acts the way she does. Her actions may make you uncomfortable and not like her, but Leda is not regretful; it’s something that she feels she had to do.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Lost Daughter Website  Now playing in select theatres and will be available on the Netflix platform on Dec. 31st.

Indiefest:  Swan Song (2021) R   Cameron’s (Mahershala Ali) life is filled with love as a father and as a husband, married to a wonderful woman (Naomie Harris). All that is about to end because Cameron has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. At his lowest point, Cameron is presented with an alternate solution by his doctor (Glenn Close), which could change his and his family’s fate. Cameron must confront just how much he is willing to sacrifice for love. If you were given a death sentence but were told there was a way that you could go on living your life, with your loved ones never finding out about that death sentence, you would take that offer, wouldn’t you? What if I told you that you will still die, but a clone, enhanced with not only your likeness but all your feelings and memories, will replace you, would you still do it? That is the dilemma that Cameron is faced in Swan Song. Mahershala Ali gives another one of his nuance and brilliant performances as a man who loves his life but must give it over to someone else so that his family doesn’t suffer. Swan Song is a film about death and how much pain we can take as people. The film is a slow burn as we go on this journey with Cameron, but the last thirty minutes has quite an impact as Cameron decides which path he will take.    My Rating: Full Price    Swan Song Website  Now playing in select theatres and is available on the Apple TV+ platform.

My View:  Fortress  (2021) R   Robert (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent living at a secret resort in the woods. Robert’s estranged son, Paul (Jesse Metcalfe), has tracked down his father but little does either one of the men know that Paul has been followed by a criminal named Balzary (Chad Michael Murray), who is hell-bent on revenge. Now father and son must band together to defeat Balzary’s band of mercenaries as they defend Robert’s high-tech bunker called The Fortress. The premise is interesting, but the film makes too many easy choices, most of which can be seen from a mile away, to make the film worth watching. I will say this; Bruce Willis is in this film a lot more than I thought he would be, though it’s pretty evident that he shot all his scenes in just a few days. The script is lazy with a bad guy that Chad Michael Murray can’t quite get a handle on, as he chews up the scenery to the very last shot. The action sequences are pretty bland, and the ending seems too quick and easy. Fans of Willis will be disappointed in that most of his scenes are him either getting beat up or sitting in a comfortable chair, spouting dialogue that no one cares about. Fortress is the type of movie that used to be on the shelves of a Blockbuster in the 80s, waiting to be rented when all the current movies were gone on a Friday night.     My Rating: Cable    Fortress Info  Now playing in select theatres and available On Demand.

Indiefest:  The Novice (2021) R  Alex (Isabelle Fuhrman) has succeeded in everything on which she has set her mind. Now, as a college freshman, Alex is ready for a new challenge, something she has never tried before, rowing. She decides to join her university’s rowing team as a ‘novice,’ but she is determined to make it to the varsity boat, no matter the cost. To say that Alex is obsessive would be an understatement. Alex is a character who, at the start, we root for because she is an underdog, someone who is willing to put in the hard work to succeed. But, soon, very soon in the film, you realize that Alex is taking this want to succeed beyond what people would see as normal. She pushes herself to go beyond what anyone else is willing to do or even should do. Fuhrman gives us a performance of a woman who is wound so tightly that Alex sees the littlest offense as an attack on herself and her goals. It’s scary how Fuhrman lets us see just how intense Alex is and how much she is willing to risk to succeed. It’s a performance that will stay with you for a long time, and don't be surprised if never again go near that rowing machine at the gym.   My Rating: Full Price    The Novice Website  Now playing in select theatres and for rent online.

Familyfaire:  Rumble  (2021) PG   In a world where monster wrestling is a huge global sport, and its monsters are massive stars, a teenager named Winnie (voiced by Geraldine Viswanathan) decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and turn a lazy, mild-mannered oaf named Steve (voiced by Will Arnett), who loves sleeping and dancing, into a champion. Kids who love monsters (the fun kind) or wrestling will enjoy this film because it is filled with both. Arnett is hilarious as the monster who doesn’t want to become a star; he would rather take the easy road and be comfortable with losing all the time. Winnie sees that Steve has the potential to be a good wrestler and believes in him, now if only she can get Steve to believe in himself. Rumble is a fun ride, helped by Arnett’s humor and wild wrestling monsters that kids will fall in love with. So go and get in the ring with Steve, Winnie, and a few fellow monster wrestlers.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Rumble Website  Now playing on the Paramount+ platform.

My View:  Nightmare Alley  (2021) R    Stanton (Bradley Cooper) is a grifter, a man trying to hide from his past. After working at a traveling carnival and learning the tricks of the trade, Stanton and a fellow sideshow performer (Rooney Mara) run away and start a successful mentalist act. Using the skills he developed as a grifter, Stanton becomes involved with a psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) and sees her as a way to con some of the most powerful men in the city. It's a dangerous game that Stanton is playing, and it may be his last. This is a stylized film noir filled with interesting characters that don’t often show their true feelings or motives, as everyone in this movie seems to be out for themselves. It’s a cruel world, a world controlled by greed and by crook. We meet a few honest people along the way, but they are few and far between in this film filled with carnival people and the suckers that they will hustle for their few dimes and quarters. Into this world comes Stanton, a man with a troubled past but someone who quickly learns how to play the game. He has a talent for reading people and getting to know their weaknesses in a short amount of time. Cooper is perfect in the role of a guy who gets by on his looks and his brains. The film perfectly reflects the film noir films of the forties with its editing style, lighting, and set design. The film tells a story of greed, want, and a need to get one up on someone else. Rooney Mara plays the love interest of Stanton, a woman who doesn’t give in to men easily but is seduced by Stanton, the woman who has a heart of gold, only to be corrupted by the man she loves. Blanchett plays the woman who seduces Stanton, someone he thinks he can use to get money and information. As the cool, calculating blonde, Blanchett fits the bill of the film noir temptress who corrupts a man and takes him away from someone who truly loves him. A masterwork at storytelling, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a tale of horror, greed, and fate. Stanton learns early on not to tempt fate, but he can’t help himself, it's in the cards. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Nightmare Alley Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film:  Mad Love (1995)  PG-13  The story of two young people (Drew Barrymore, Chris O’Donnell), both living in broken homes, who find each other and fall in love. Matt is a young man whose mother left, and his family is in disarray. Casey is a young woman who, on the outside, seems funny and carefree, but she is hiding a problem. When threatened with being separated, the two go on the run to escape and leave their lives behind. The reason I like this film is Barrymore gives one of the best performances of her career. Yes, at first, she is the usual Barrymore cute girl, but as the film goes along, we see a depth from her character that Barrymore rarely was let to explore with most of her characters. Some of the characters are a little too broadly portrayed in the film, but I love the relationship between Barrymore and O’Donnell and how it treats someone with a problem with not an easy fix, but one that takes work and love.    My Rating; Bargain Matinee   Mad Love Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Spider-Man: No Way Home: Special Thanks: Mack Trucks

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Scream  (2022) R   Twenty-five years have passed since Woodsboro was torn apart by a series of gruesome murders. Now a new killer has emerged, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned to stop the murderer again. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette are back in this film and have played the same characters in four separate decades; 90s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s.    Scream Website

Until Next Time!