Turning Red

Familyfaire: Turning Red  (2022) PG   Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) is a 13-year-old who has her best friends always at her side, and unfortunately, her overbearing mother, Ming (voiced by Sandra Oh), watching her every move. It’s bad enough to be a teenager, but suddenly, Mei Lee is turning into a giant Red Panda every time she gets excited. What’s a girl to do? I am a huge fan of Pixar, as they constantly bring us films that are funny warm and make you think about your place in the world. Turning Red is about puberty, an event that, when growing up, no one ever warns you about but hits everyone with a bang. In this case, Mei Lee is hit with a curse that turns her into a big Red Panda when she gets overly excited, something hard to avoid when your body and mind are put into overdrive by puberty. This is a beautiful, brilliant, and laugh-out-loud film that gives us a profound look at a young woman who survives the heartbreak and stress with the help of her family, friends, and maybe just a little help from a boy band. Filmmaker Domee Shi gives us a tale that, like Mei Lee, is both unique and relatable at the same time, one that will be treasured.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Turning Red Website  Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

My View: The Adam Project  (2022) PG-13   A time-traveling pilot (Ryan Reynolds) teams up with his 12-year-old younger self (Walker Scobell) and his father (Mark Ruffalo) to stop time travel and save the Earth from destruction. First, let's give Netflix some props for putting together one of the most likable casts ever with a group including Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Ganer, Catherine Keener, Zoe Saldana, and Walker Scobell. The film lets Reynolds riff like we know he can, but he has met his match in Walker Scobell, who plays Reynolds's younger self as the wise-cracking young Adam, a kid who makes up for his lack of size with his wit and humor. Scobell is perfect in the role of the young Adam and is able to keep up with Reynolds, making their interactions the best part of the film. Keener is a bit wasted as the villain of the piece, and it’s never quite clear what her master plan is, but the film moves a such a quick pace, with quips flying across the screen, that you probably won’t notice it. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the film constantly makes fun of sci-fi tropes like the multiverse, and the sacred timelines from the future can’t intersect with the past. It helps that Zoe Saldana comes in to kick some butt while giving us a romantic partner for Reynolds to pine after. While not a great film due to its rather flimsy plot, it's a blast to watch because Reynolds and Scobell are having such a fun time trying to save us from the evils of time travel.   My Rating: Full Price   The Adam Project Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: All My Friends Hate Me  (2021) R  Pete (Tom Stourton) reluctantly goes on a birthday weekend trip with his old college crew. Soon, Pete notices that his friends are slowly turning against him. Is he being punished, paranoid, or is this some sort of sick revenge for something he did in the past? This is one of those films that will take me a while to figure out if I liked it, but I'm glad I did watch it. Part horror film, part dark comedy, it's a film that you, like Pete, are trying to figure out if Pete’s friends are just out and out mean, or is it all in Pete’s mind? All My Friends Hate Me is a film that plays on our expectations of how things should go versus how things turn out. Is it Pete’s fault for feeling his friends don’t like him, or are they truly turning against him? You won’t find out until near the end, but it’s worth the experience the get the answer.   My Rating: Full Price   All My Friends Hate Me Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: Tyson’s Run (2022) PG   Tyson (Major Dodson) is a teen with autism who, up to now, has been home-schooled by his mother (Amy Smart). He decides to go to the high school where his father (Rory Cochrane) is the football coach. To try to be close to his father and with the help with a fellow student (Layla Felder) and a professional runner (Barkhad Abdi), Tyson decides to run a marathon. It’s a decision that will change Tyson and his family forever. I have a soft spot in my heart for films like this, a movie that doesn’t quite deliver but is so earnest in the attempt. Tyson’s Run is a story that never get the tug on the heartstrings that it needs and a plot that is incredibly thin in its story. The film is helped by a strong performance by Amy Smart, as the mother who believes in her son, and a welcomed performance by Barkhad Abdi, who plays a former professional runner who takes Tyson under his wing. The film has an ending that pushes reality to almost a breaking point, but it’s a movie with a good heart. I just wish the writing was better.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Tyson's Run Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

Indiefest: Compartment No. 6 (2021) R  An archeology student from Finland, Laura (Seidi Haarla), is taking a train all the way up to the arctic circle in Russia to visit an archeological site. Unfortunately, on this long train trip, she has to share a tiny sleeping compartment on the train with a gruff Russian stranger, Ljoha (Yurly Borisov), with whom she has nothing in common with. Hollywood has been making this story for as long as movies have been around; the two strangers, who have no common ground, and against the odds, find love and friendship with each other. Except, in this case, the two characters, unlike most Hollywood tales, aren’t very likable and at no time during this film do we believe that they should be together. What makes this film worth watching is just that; two characters that shouldn’t be together stuck on a long train ride in cramp quarters and through their time together, find out that maybe, just maybe, they have something in common that they can share with each other. Hollywood would have turned this into a rom-com, a film full of laughs and a happy ending. However, Finnish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen gives us a more realistic movie, with two unhappy, ordinary people finding common ground to connect with long enough to survive a brutal trip into the unknown. My Rating; Full Price   Compartment No. 6 Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: Ironweed (1987) R   In 1938 Albany, New York, two lost souls, Francis (Jack Nicholson) and Helen (Meryl Streep), find each other, and for a time, that is enough until the sins of the past come back. This is a hard film to watch as Streep and Nicholson, at the height of their acting profession, play two alcoholics who use liquor to hide from their past. Francis is haunted by the deaths he has caused, and Helen is tormented by what she could have become. It’s a film filled with two performances that will astound you and make you shake your head in despair. Streep’s performance is one of her best, and her entrance, thirty minutes into the film, is jaw-dropping. Ironweed is a film that you probably will only watch once, but it is one that will long stay with you.   My Rating: Full Price   Ironweed Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Turning Red: Sweatbox Manager

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Twin (2022) A mother (Teresa Palmer) is still grieving for her dead son when the surviving twin starts acting strange around her. She must now confront the unbearable truth about her surviving son. I am a fan of Teresa Palmer, and I hope that this horror film will give us a scare or two.   The Twin Info

Until Next Time!

Missing Link

Family Faire:  Missing Link  PG  Mr. Link (voiced by Zack Galifianakis) is a Bigfoot who dreams of finding more like him. He convinces explorer Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman) to take Mr. Link to the fabled lost valley of Shangri-La, where it is rumored that it is inhabited by Yetis. With the help of a former flame of Sr. Lionel, Adelina Fortnight (voiced by Zoe Saldana), the three go on a trip halfway across the world. The animation studio, Laika Entertainment, who did Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Coraline (2009), do some brilliant stop-motion animation and this film looks amazing. The stop motion is so smooth it looks drawn. The story is warm and funny and Mr. Link, who later decides his first name is Susan, is just plain fun. It’s a silly movie but there is nothing wrong with that. Take the kids, they will have a blast and you just might end up having fun too.  My Rating: Full Price   Missing Link Webste

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Vice  (2018) R   The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) who rose from poverty to become a Washington insider, ultimately become the Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell). Bale gives an incredible performance, becoming Cheney right before your eyes. This is from Adam McKay, who gave us the Oscar-winning The Big Short, and like that film, there is quite a bit of humor, including a running gag throughout the film that will have you rolling on the floor. I enjoyed this film, but the big problem with the film is that the main character holds everything very close to his vest, so it’s hard to know what this character is thinking. I found Sam Rockwell portrayal of George W. Bush was just a little too cartoony for my taste. The actor, besides Bale, that stands out is Steve Carell, who is brilliant as the fiery Donald Rumsfeld. Amy Adams doesn’t have a lot to do as the wife of Cheney, Lynne.    My Rating: Full Price    Vice Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Aladdin  (2019)  PG   A street urchin and a Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has a genie in it that will give its owner incredible power. The Disney animated was good but is terribly dated. The trailer for this film looks horrible and Will Smith as the genie looks uncomfortable, the rest of the cast is 2nd rate.    Aladdin Website

Forgotten Film:  The Transformers: The Movie  (1986)  PG  Considered by most Transformer fans the best Transformers film (including the Michael Bay films), this animated film has the Autobots fighting on two fronts: against a colossal planet consuming robot and of course, the Decepticons. The film has a very strong voice cast, including Orson Welles in one of the last acting jobs he did before he died. This film is really dark and well made. I just wish the Michael Bay films had this kind of writing.  My Rating:  Full Price    The Transformers Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Missing Link:  Hair and Fur Fabricator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Avengers: Endgame  (2019) PG-13 The question is not who will be resurrected but who will die?  After this movie, the Marvel Universe will never be the same.     Avengers: Endgame Website

Until Next Time!

Star Trek Beyond

My View:  Star Trek Beyond  (2016)  PG-13  The USS Enterprise is halfway into their five-year mission. The ship is attacked by an unknown alien force and, after having to abandon ship, the crew finds their lives are hanging in the balance. This is the first for the reboot series not to be directed by J.J. Abrams, so no more lens flare in every shot. What I liked about this film is that this series is no longer the Kirk and Spock show as this movie allows the rest of the cast to share the spotlight, especially Zoe Saldana, who plays Uhura, whose character is just as important to the plot as Kirk and Spock. Idris Elba is everything you want in the bad guy, strong and powerful with a great screen presence. The film moves at a fast pace, the action sequences are well done, and the film deals well with the passing of Leonard Nimoy, who was such a vital cog in the first two reboot films. You will love how they battle the bad guys near the end of the film. Overall, even a mild Star Trek fan is going to thoroughly enjoy this movie. Beam me up Scotty!  My Rating: Full Price   Star Trek Beyond Website

Family Faire:  Ice Age: Collision Course  (2016)  PG   Manny (Ray Romano), with the help of Buck (Simon Pegg), must lead his family and friends on a journey to try and find a way to stop an asteroid from hitting the earth.  Can Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox please stop making these films?  The series wasn’t the strongest of animated ideas, to begin with, but now it’s downright annoying.  The film features the weakest of the Ice Age characters, Scrat, the acorn-addicted squirrel. This movie isn’t fun or funny, and the kids that were at my screening couldn’t care less about the film. You know it’s a bad film when you look at your watch two hours into the movie, and it’s really only been thirty minutes.    My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again   Ice Age: Collision Course Website

My View:  Lights Out  (2016) PG-13   Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) and her brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) are being tormented by a spirit that is only visible in the dark.  I normally don’t like the “jump out of the dark” kind of scary movies, but this is the exception to the rule. The bad guy in this film is some sort of Demon who lives in the dark and can’t stand the light. Teresa Palmer is perfect as the strong-willed and slightly flawed Rebecca.  Maria Bello, as Rebecca’s mentally unstable mother, is ablaze on the screen, giving a frenzied performance of a woman on the hinge of insanity. There are plenty of screams built into this rollercoaster ride of a horror film.    My Rating: Full Price   Lights Out Website

My View:  Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie  R  Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) are having to hide out in the south of France after causing a worldwide incident by knocking Kate Moss into the River Thames.  I was a big fan of the TV show so I’m sorry to say that the Ab Fab girls should have stayed away from the big screen.  The laughs are too few and far between, and the humor is very broad, which most of the time lands with a thud. The film feels as if it was only made for a British audience.  I didn’t recognize some of the countless cameos in the movie that maybe were lost on me.  I guess we just can’t revisit the 90’s, at least not with these two.  My Rating: Cable   Absolutely Fabulous Website

Indiefest:  Captain Fantastic  (2016) R  Ben (Viggo Mortensen) is raising his family of six kids “off the grid” in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. His wife suddenly dies while she was away in an institution for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Ben, against the wishes of his wife’s parents, decides to take the family on a road trip to his wife’s funeral.  Mortensen is a force of nature on the screen as the father who is trying to keep his very unusual family together. Right from the start you know this is not a normal family, as we see the kids hunt down and kill a deer with only a knife. We see the family dynamic at work as the family returns to their home out in the wilderness.  Some of the kids are dressing the deer as others read or make art, all the while the father tells them they have training in an hour. This film is a treat to watch, mostly due to the kids in the cast.  Each one of them has great chemistry with Mortensen, making this strange family seem real. This is part a coming of age film and part travel film, as the family experiences things like junk food for the first time. This movie is a joy to watch, and you will root for this family to succeed in its “mission.”    My Take:  Full Price   Captain Fantastic Website

Indiefest:  Microbe and Gasoline  (2015)  R  Daniel (Ange Dargent) and Theo (Theophile Baquet) are two misfit kids who decide to build their unique car and travel across the country.  I enjoyed this coming of age adventure which explores two boys trying to figure out their place in the world. Microbe comes off as the much more serious of the two, with his several perceived problems always weighing him down. Theo is more of a fun-loving kid with a devil-may-care attitude. What I liked about this film are the conversations that the two boys have as they are on their adventure.  The chemistry between Theophile Baquet playing Theo and Ange Dargent playing Daniel is spectacular. The two share a bond on the screen that makes this film entertaining and work so well. Microbe & Gasoline is an adventure with two boys on their way to manhood.   My Rating: Full Price   Microbe & Gasoline Info 

Forgotten Film:  The New Centurions  (1972) R  Roy (Stacy Keach) is a rookie cop who has joined the LAPD to make ends meet while he finishes law school. His partner is a gruff veteran (George C. Scott) who breaks all the rules to keep the streets of L.A. safe.  This is a gritty look at what it looked and felt like being a cop in a big city in the early seventies.  Scott is brilliant as the vet cop. I especially enjoyed the performance of Rosalind Cash, who plays the love interest for Keach. The film has a few flaws, feeling especially dated from time to time, but Scott and Cash make it worth a watch.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The New Centurions Info   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Star Trek Beyond: Off Camera Singer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Suicide Squad  (2016) PG-13  A secret government agency turns to a group of super-villains to stop a black ops mission.  If the movie is half as good as its trailers, it’s going to be astonishing. I think this will make Margot Robbie a superstar.    Suicide Squad Website

Until Next Time!

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Ant-Man

My View:  Ant-Man (2015)  PG-13  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a car burglar who is hand-picked by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to become Ant-Man.  Ant-Man can decrease in size but, also, can increase in strength. I enjoyed this film that is more in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy with the amount of humor in it and the hero of the story who is dependent on his wits, rather than a superpower. I liked Rudd in the role, as he has a smart-ass quality to him, but not so much that you don’t like him. He plays off of both Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly (who plays the daughter of Dr. Pym), and there are some real sparks between Lilly and Rudd. Corey Stoll plays the villain well, bringing just enough menace to the role to make it enjoyable to watch. The action sequences are fast moving and exciting, with some creative scenes that make the film a blast to watch. Once again, I think you can save some money and see it in 2-D. There are two bonus scenes worth staying for; one after the first portion of credits and one at the very end of all the credits.    My Rating: Full Price   Ant-Man Website

My View:  Trainwreck (2015)  R  Amy (Amy Schumer) has spent her whole life thinking that monogamy was not for her. Then she met Aaron (Bill Hader), and her world changed.  I loved this romantic comedy with a twist. Usually, it’s the guy who is a cad and whose life is changed when he meets the girl. This film turns that idea on its ear as Amy Schumer plays a woman who doesn’t want commitment, and, in fact, she wants the guy to leave as soon as sex is over. Cuddling to Amy is like a death sentence, and spending the weekend together is her idea of hell. Then she meets Aaron and, against every fiber of her being, she starts falling for him. Hader is exceptional as the straight man in the film, and he and Schumer work well together on-screen. Lebron James is funny as himself, playing Aaron’s best friend. James delivers lines with a comedic touch that a lot of current comedians can’t do. John Cena is brilliant as Amy’s go-to sex partner who develops feelings for her. This is Schumer’s film, and she is outstanding in the role, and she dominates the screen with her staggering timing. This is a film that delivers from start to finish, making it breathtakingly funny and touching at the same time. That’s something you rarely see in today’s comedies.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Trainwreck Website

Indiefest: Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)  R  A manic-depressive father (Mark Ruffalo) agrees to take full-time responsibility for his two daughters while his wife (Zoe Saldana) is out of town at business school.  It’s hard to make a successful film when your lead character is so erratic in his mood swings. I have always liked Ruffalo as an actor, but he struggles to find a voice in this film. Saldana isn’t given much to work with either, and her screen time is spent mostly being mad at Ruffalo’s character. What made this film watchable at times was the performances of Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide, who play the couple’s two daughters. They lend both a vitality and somewhat stable presence to the film, counteracting Ruffalo’s over-the-top performance as the manic father. The film is based on the real-life childhood of director Maya Forbes, and I think this story was just a little too personal to work on the screen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Infinitely Polar Bear Website

Indiefest:  Lila & Eve  (2015)  R  Two mothers (Jennifer Lopez, Viola Davis), distraught over the deaths of their children gunned down by a drive-by’s, decide to get their revenge when the authorities decide not to pursue the crimes. Viola Davis gives an impressive performance as the mother who is devastated by the death of her college-bound son. I wasn’t as impressed by Jennifer Lopez’s role as the tough as nails mom who becomes Davis’s mentor. I just felt never fully committed to the role. The film is an interesting look at how death affects people different ways and how grief can overcome even the most rational thoughts. The film takes a very strange turn near the end, which I did not like. Overall, the film is worth watching for Davis’s performance but the plot is somewhat lacking in reality.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Lila & Eve Website

Indiefest:  Do I Sound Gay? (2014)     Filmmaker David Thorpe attempts to change his voice and explore the stereotype of the “gay voice. This documentary is funny at times and maddening at other times, as Thorpe explores why gay men are so aware of how they sound in public. Thorpe interviews some notable gay icons such as Tim Gunn and George Takei about how they feel about how they sound. Thorpe makes this film a little too personal to be totally effective and enjoyable, but the film does move at a quick pace and keeps the subject matter interesting.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Do I Sound Gay? Website  

Forgotten Film: Crumb (1995)  R  Documentary about the legendary underground comic artist R. Crumb. Crumb is a rather strange guy whose comic books are equally bizarre and touching. It’s a haunting world where we see how deeply an artist feels for his work and makes it his lifeblood. It’s not a world you would want to live in, though, but it’s fascinating to visit.   My Rating: Full Price   Crumb Info   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ant-Man: Musician; Oboe & Cor Anglais  

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Fantastic Four  (2015) I    want to see this superhero film not because of the subject matter (all the other Fantastic Four films have been pretty bad) but because of two of the lead actors, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan. I think that Jordan and Teller are some of the best young actors working today.    Fantastic Four Website

Until Next Time!