Long Shot

My View:  Long Shot  (2019) R  Fred (Seth Rogan) is a writer, Charlotte (Charlize Theron) is Secretary of State and is about to run for President. Fred and Charlotte used to know each other, and they have a chance meeting at a party. Charlotte decides to hire Fred to punch up her speeches.  Can love be far behind? I had so much fun watching this movie. It reminded me of the goofy romcoms of the 80s with the difference is that the man is the shy, goofball and the woman is that smart one that is in control. Rogan and Theron have a blast, and they have incredible chemistry right from the start, making their attraction seem real. You will have to leave your brain at the door for a couple of sequences (especially the final ending which we see in the credits) but that doesn’t detract that this film is funny, warm and surprisingly sweet. I could have done without the drug sequence but it’s a Seth Rogan production, so it’s kind of a given. As with any Rogan comedy, it gets a little raunchy but it fit into the storyline, so it works. Go see this winning comedy. By the way, I believe this is Charlize Theron’s first comedy, and she hits it out of the park. Let's hope she gets to do more like this one.  My Rating: Full Price    Long Shot Website

My View:  The Intruder  (2019)  PG=13  A young married couple (Meagan Good, Michael Ealy) buy an isolated house on several acres of land only to realize that the man that sold it (Dennis Quaid) does not want to give it up. First let me say that the audience that I saw this film with thoroughly enjoyed the film, reacting every time Quaid made an appearance in the shadows or when the main characters made bad decisions that we knew would cost them.  That being said, this is a horrible movie that doesn’t bring anything new to the bad guy is in your house genre. Dennis Quaid gives one of his worst performances as he goes so over the top that the audience, which wanted to believe him as a villain starting laughing at some of his antics. The film is incredibly predictable and follows all the genre’s rules, including the wife that just can’t see the possibility that she could be in danger until it’s too late. Unlike the audience I saw it with, I wasn't ever scared, just annoyed by how badly the film was written.   My Rating: Cable    The Intruder Website

FamilyFaire:  UglyDolls  (2019)  PG  The UglyDolls have been content to live in their little world until a group decides to go exploring. They encounter a world that seems to be perfect and where the UglyDolls don’t fit in. However, soon the UglyDolls learn that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With a bunch of forgettable songs (that waste the talents of singers like Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Janelle Monáe and a plot, while its heart is in the right place, just is boring and slow. Parents are going to be looking at their watch a lot (as I did) wondering when this film will stop, and kids are not going to be entertained by a bunch of characters that are badly thought out. Unless your kid is a big UglyDoll fan, just skip this film that doesn’t work on any level.   My Rating: Cable     UglyDolls Website

Indiefest:  Red Joan  (2018)  R  Joan is a young brilliant student at Cambridge in 1938. She meets the love of her life, Leo (Tom Hughes), the leader of the university Communist student group. When World War II breaks out, Joan is asked to work on a top-secret project, one that could change the world, but she will also be asked by her former lover to betray her country. The question is will she?  If you are going to see this film because Judi Dench (she plays Joan in 1990) is in this film, you will be disappointed. Dench is merely a supporting player, used to bring the flashbacks of Joan’s life in the 30s and 40s. Dench does a lot of staring off into the distance, as we then travel back to see the 1940s Joan trying to decide to betray her country. The story is hurt by the constant back and forth of 90s Joan and Joan in the past storylines, making the storyline progress in sprits instead of flowing along if they had just stayed with the more interesting plot. I got to the point in the film, where I didn’t care what happened with either Joan, both deserved whatever fate they got.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Red Joan Website

Indiefest:  Ask Dr. Ruth  (2019)  Documentary chronicling the amazing life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who overcame almost insurmountable odds to become the world’s most famous sex therapist.Brilliant documentary on the long and sometimes tragic life of a dynamo of a woman, Dr. Ruth. Dr. Ruth was orphaned at age ten, though she didn’t fully know what happened to her parents until she visits a Holocaust museum in Israel late in the film. Her childhood experiences are told through animation, which helps soften the blow of such a difficult childhood where basically by age 13 she was an indentured servant at an orphanage in Switzerland. Sr. Ruth constantly fought against the odds to get as much education as she could, whether it was being taught by an orphan boy at night or going to graduate school as a single parent, Dr. Ruth was on a constant drive to better herself and get as much information as she could absorb. I loved this film and we get to know Dr. Ruth, though you get the feeling that she is always holding back a bit about her troubled childhood. Go see this year's RBG, you are going to fall in love with this smart woman who fearlessly talks about sex, making us re-examine the way we see ourselves.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again     Aks Rr. Ruth Website

Forgotten Film: The Wrecking Crew  (1968)  PG  Super secret agent Matt Helm (Dean Martin) is set to see if he can stop a crime boss from cornering the world’s gold. Unfortunately, the British send in their own agent Freya (Sharon Tate) who just keeps making this worse for Matt. In the 60s, the secret agent craze hit movies and TV. Brought out mostly by the success of James Bond, not only were there serious attempts to dethrone Bond but also a number of films went the other route and made fun of the super slick agent that could bed any woman. At the top was the Matt Helm movies, which not only made fun of (in a cool way) the James Bond films but also made fun of Dean Martin’s reputation as a drinker and womanizer. The Austin Powers films took a lot from the Helm movies, all in good fun. This film is distinguished from the other two Matt Helm movies because of a brilliant performance by Sharon Tate. Her portrayal of the bumbling agent Freya is so good, you don’t want the movie to stop. These aren’t great films and are incredibly dated but they are still fun to watch.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     The Wrecking Crew Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Intruder:  16mm Film Projection

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Tolkien  (2019)  PG-13  J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) was an orphan who had to work hard to get anywhere. He falls in love with a fellow orphan, Edith (Lily Collins) and just when he finds his calling, language, he is swept away in the horrors of WW I. Tolkien has always been one of my favorite authors, so to see what influenced his “Middle Earth’ writings will be fascinating.    Tolkien Website

Until Next Time!

Avengers: Endgame

My View:  Avengers: End Game  (2019)  PG-13  After the disastrous results of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), where Thanos turned the world’s population to dust, the Avengers must assemble what is left of them and try to undo Thanos’ actions. This film exceeded my expectations. It is everything I wanted. First off, the film has a lot of humor in it, very similar to Thor: Ragnarok. They did an excellent job of not letting one of the three leaders of the group, Ironman, Capt. America and Black Widow, dominate the scenes, all are important to the story. Yes, the film is over three hours long but it didn’t feel that way. The film never lags and moves a great pace. Brie Larson does an incredible job with Captain Marvel, even more, amazing performance considering she shot this film before Captain Marvel. Yes, you are going to shed a few tears, and you are going to be thrilled with the final battle sequence between Thanos and the Avengers. Marvel did an amazing job with this film and the films leading up to this ending, setting pieces up in those other films that get resolved in this one. Go have a blast and see this brilliant film.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Avengers: Endgame Website

Indiefest:  Sunset  (2018) R  A young woman named Irisz (Jul Jakab) shows up at a famous hat shop in pre-WW I Budapest, wanting a job. She is hiding a secret that  may get people killed. After we saw the film, I asked another critic whom I really respect, do you have a clue what we just saw and he said ‘no’. All I can tell you is the plot, and the character motivation are incredibly unclear. I can tell you every time Irisz leaves the house something bad happens, but she keeps doing it. This film directed by Laszio Nemes, the Oscar-winning director of the intriguing  Son of Saul (2015), which I loved, so I was disappointed by this film. The film was shot from the point of view of Inisz, and I got incredibly tired of the camera following her from behind, so we see scene after scene of us looking at the back of her head and neck. The film is 2 hours and 22 minutes but it felt like a four-hour film at least.    My Rating: Cable     Sunset Trailer

   

Indiefest:  Wild Nights with Emily  (2018)  PG-13  The little known life of writer Emily Dickinson (Molly Shannon), in particular, the great love of her life, a woman named Susan (Susan Ziegler) her brother’s wife.  Much lighter in tone than the Cynthia Nixon starring film A Quiet Passion (2016) which took the traditional route that Dickinson was a recluse and was never in love. This film takes a very different view of Dickinson, both her life as a spinster and her love life. In this film, Dickinson has a sense of humor, is in love with her brother’s wife and that Dickinson wrote almost all of her poems for Susan. I am not a fan of poetry, and there is a lot of it in this film, so at times I was a little bored. If you are a fan of Dickinson, then this is a must see to see a different take on her life.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Wild Nights with Emily Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Family  (2018) R  Kate Stone (Taylor Schilling) is focused on her career. She really doesn’t get along with anyone and doesn’t care. Her life changes when she has to baby sit 12-year-old Maddie (Bryn Vale), her brother’s misfit daughter. I loved this sweet and funny film about two very strange people connecting as a family. Kate is only focused on her career, that is all she does. She gets to the office before anyone else and is the last one to go home. She sees weakness in everyone and is fully confident that she is the one that will always come out on top. When her brother’s mother in law is near death and must be put into hospice, he and his wife are desperate to find someone to take care of Maddie. After much browbeating, Kate reluctantly agrees to take Maddie for one night. When she goes to find Maddie at her ballet class, she sees Maddie, in a tutu next door doing karate. Schilling and Vale have great chemistry together on the screen,  and I really enjoyed Vale as the peculiar Maddy. I loved the running gag as Kate’s life starts getting more and more complicated, the break room coffee performs less and less. Go see this warm film about family, and where you can find it in unexpected places. Just a bit of a warning, the Insane Clown Posse is a big part of the film and so you hear a lot of cussing, both in song and spoken.   My Rating: Full Price    Family Info

Forgotten Film:  Saint Jack  (1979)  R  Jack Flowers  (Ben Gazzara) plays an American hustler in the 70s Singapore. He dreams of opening a brothel so he can make some money to make it back to the states. The film gets a little slow but Gazzara gives a performance of his lifetime.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Saint Jack Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Avengers: Endgame:  Senior Fur Groomer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:    The Biggest Little Farm   (2018)  PG   A Documentary cameraman and his food blogger wife, decide to leave the city and become farmers of a failed 200-acre farm. This documentary was shot over seven years and was one of most talked about films of the 2019 Atlanta Film Festival.        The Biggest Little Farm Website    

Until Next Time!

Penguins

Family Faire:  Penguins   (2019)  G  The documentary follows the adventures of Steve the Penguin, as he tries to find love and raise a family. Film over 900 days, the film explores the life in Antartica from the viewpoint of a penguin who is a little small and is rather clumsy. Steve does succeed in finding a mate and they have two chicks, with Steve doing most of the raising. This is a fun film to watch and you will fall in love with Steve and his little family.  My Rating:  Full Price    Penguins Website

My View:  Teen Spirit  (2018)  PG-13   A young girl (Elle Fanning), against the wishes of her mother (Agnieszka Grochowska), enters a singing competition with the help of an ex-opera singer (Zlako Buric). First off, Elle can sing and the songs are catchy. I enjoyed the chemistry between Fanning and Buric whose character becomes both her manager and her father figure. The film has a couple of twists and turns and it moves at a nice pace If you are a fan of singing competitions, then this film is for you.    My Rating: Full Price    Teen Spirit Website

Indiefest:  Little Woods  (2018)  R  Ollie (Tessa Thompson) is just days away from getting off probation. Her sister (Lily James) has become homeless and now Ollie must bring drugs across the Canadian border in order to help out her sister.  Thompson gives a powerful and moving performance of a young woman trying to do the right thing but seemly insurmountable obstacles keep getting in her way. Thompson works well on screen with James who plays her sister who keeps messing up, making everything incredibly complicated. You will be on the edge of your seat until the end of the film, hoping that Ollie doesn’t get caught.    My Rating: Full Price    Little Woods Website

Indiefest:  Fast Color  (2018)  PG-13  After years on the run, a woman, Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) with supernatural abilities returns to her family. While it is about a woman who can cause earthquakes, it is more about family and how decisions from the past can influence the present. Lorraine Toussaint is magnificent as Bo, who Ruth abandoned along with Ruth’s daughter (Sanlyya Sidney).  This is a beautiful film full of meaning and deep emotions. Ruth and Bo will have to work hard to mend the fences in their troubled relationship, that is if Ruth can’t keep the government from taking her away.  My Rating: Full Price    Fast Color Info

My View:  Peterloo  (2018)  PG-13  The story of the 1819 Peterloo massacre where British troops attacked a peaceful pro-democracy rally in Manchester, England. Way too many speeches in this film making the 2 hours and thirty-four-minute film seem much longer. The film takes forever to get moving, as we meet a ton of different characters on both the pro-democracy side and the side of the government. The massacre is hard to watch as not only men were hurt and killed, but also women and children. I also would have liked some sort of graphic at the end of the film to tell us how many died and how many were injured, plus did this incident help or hurt the pro-democracy movement. It is an interesting subject that is brought down by the length of the film.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    Peterloo Website

Forgotten Film:  Niagara, Niagara  (1997)  R  Marcy (Robin Tunney) and Seth (Henry Thomas) meet in a store that both are shoplifting from. Marcy has Tourette’s Syndrome but Seth is too shy to acknowledge it. The two misfits start a love affair that is certain to go bad. Both don’t have good home lives, so they decide to run away to Canada. Henry Thomas gives a fine performance as the troubled Seth but this film is Robin Tunney’s and she gives an amazing performance as the girl who is just trying to survive in her world.   My Rating: Full Price     Niagara, Niagara Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Penguins:  Head of Music Preparation

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Long Shot  (2019)  R   Fred (Seth Rogan) is a writer, Charlotte (Charlize Theron) is Secretary of State and is about to run for President. Fred and Charlotte used to know each other and they have a chance meeting at a party. Charlotte decides to hire Fred to punch up her speeches.  Can love be far behind? The trailer looks really funny and is directed by Jonathan Levine, who wrote and directed one of my favorite films, Warm Bodies (2013).      Long Shot Website

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!

Shazam!

My View:  Shazam!  (2019)  PG-13  Billy Baston (Asher Angel), a newly foster kid, s picked to become a superhero named Shazam (Zachary Levi). All Billy has to do is say the word ‘Shazam’ and he becomes the world’s greatest superhero. This film is a blast to watch as the makers of the movie decided that they were just going to have fun with these characters. The film is hilarious and you may have to see it twice because you will be laughing so hard you won’t hear some of the dialogue. Zachary Levi is perfect in the role of Shazam, who throughout the film, keeps learning new powers he has. Mark Strong, as the evil Dr. Sivana, makes a good bad guy who wants to take Shazam’s powers for his own. The film is a little slow at first but really gets going once Shazam shows up and then it just takes off for plenty of thrills. The action is fast paced and the fight sequences are well done. But it’s the humor that makes this film work and boy, does it ever. Be sure to stay through all the credits as there are two bonus scenes.    My Rating:  Full Price   Shazam! Website

My View:  Pet Sematary  (2019)  R  A family relocates from Boston to rural Maine. They soon discover that their house is located near a pet cemetery that has a mysterious past. This was a highly disappointing film. Almost all the scary stuff is the jump out of the dark category. It is a very violent movie and there are a couple of gruesome scenes. This film fails as a horror film, in fact, several times, the audience laughed at scenes that were not meant to be funny. It’s sad when the best performance in the film is by the cat, though I will say that I also liked Jete Laurence, who plays the daughter. This is one of those films that after you see it, you wonder why they even bothered to make the movie because it feels like they were just going through the motions.   My Rating: Cable   Pet Sematary Website

Indiefest:  The Mustang  (2019)  R  Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a violent convict who has just come out of isolation. His prison trains wild mustangs to sell to the public. Roman is assigned to work with the Mustangs and he becomes attached to a very wild, maybe un-trainable Mustang. This experience will change Roman’s life. I loved this movie about a troubled, flawed man who falls in love with a wild mustang and creates a bond with the horse that few people have. Schoenaerts gives a dazzling performance as Roman, who because of his anger issues, made a horrible mistake that he will be paying for the rest of his life. His only hope is to find some healing hope from the wild, unruly mustang. What I love about this film is that it is based on an actual program that takes place in four states. Do yourself a favor and go see this wonderful film about hope and redemption.  My Rating: Full Price     The Mustang Website   

Forgotten Film:  Terms of Endearment  (1983)  PG  The life of Emma (Debra Winger) and her controlling mother Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) as Emma grows up, gets married to Flap (Jeff Daniels) and has kids. The mother/daughter dynamic between Emma and Aurora is a difficult one and their relationship will be tested many times over the years. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Shirley MacLaine and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson, who plays an astronaut that lives next door to Aurora. This is a smart, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply moving film that has some brilliant performances. Winger is amazing as the headstrong daughter who wants to live her life on her own terms. MacLaine gives one of her best performances and there is one scene she is in that will break your heart. Nicholson is hilarious as the hard-drinking, womanizing astronaut who becomes interested in Aurora. The movie is worth all its Oscar wins.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Terms of Endearment Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Pet Sematary:  Wikipedia Article Creator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Missing Link  (2019)  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 amazing stop motion animation.     Missing Link Website

Until Next Time!

Dumbo

My View:  Dumbo  (2019)  PG  A retelling of the timeless story of the baby elephant that has ears so big he can fly. I have liked the recent films of Tim Burton. While the film isn’t bad, it’s not great. I don’t know who this movie is for. The first half of the film is definitely aimed at kids but when the villain of the story, V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) shows up, the film goes really dark. Vandevere owns Disney like park called Dreamland and recruits the owner of a small circus, Max Medici (Danny DeVito) to bring his circus and his flying baby elephant to Dreamland. The is probably Michael Keaton’s worst performance of his career. I have no idea what he was trying for, but Keaton is way over the top and it does not work. Other than two kids (Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins) there isn’t a likable character in the film, including the kid’s father, Hoit (Colin Farrell), a wounded soldier coming back from WW I. The CGI mostly works but there are a couple of flying sequences that don’t look quite right. Fans of the classic Dumbo film may be upset by how much different this film looks and feels. A fellow film critic, FanBolt’s Emma Loggins, hated this film and found it creepy. A bit of warning, young kids may get scared a couple of times when Dumbo is flying around.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Dumbo Website

My View:  The Aftermath  (2019) R  A few months after WW II has ended, Rachael (Keira Knightly) joins her husband, (James Clarke) who is still in the British army, in Hamburg, Germany. They stay at a German’s (Alexander Skarsgard) home who is still grieving for his wife that died in an Allied bombing. With a tired plot and no chemistry from Keira Knightley and her two love interests, this film never gets off the ground. I was really glad when the film ended because the dialogue was hurting my ears it was so bad. And this film has an ending that is just plain stupid. There is more believable romance in Us, a horror film, than this film.    My Rating: Cable   The Aftermath Website

Indiefest:  Hotel Mumbai (2018)  R  The film recalls 2008 siege of the famed Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai. A chef (Anupam Kher) and a waiter (Dev Patel) risk their lives to protect their guests. This taut thriller will have you on the edge of your seat. The film does a great job of letting you get to know the main guests and staff, so we start rooting for them as soon as the attacks start. The action (and there is quite of bit of it) is well done, The tension builds throughout the film and after seeing this film I can guarantee that you will be drained by the emotion tugs this film creates. You will also admire the courage of the staff, most of which stayed to protect their guests. It’s a film the shows the brutality of man but also the goodness of people helping people in a deadly situation.   My Rating: Full Price   Hotel Mubai Website 

Indiefest:  Ash is Purest White  (2018)  The story of the rise and fall of the love between a small time local hood named Bin (Fan Liao) and his lover, Qiao (Tao Zhan). So, let me tell you, the director, Ahangke Jia, loves to do long takes and has his actor pause for long times before replying to another character. The film centers on Qiso, played by the amazing Tao Zhan, who is headstrong and willing to do anything for her man. We go on a journey with Oiao that lasts 20 years as Bin comes in and out of her life. Zhan is a remarkable actress and Jia uses her talents to the utmost. This is a long, slow film that is worth seeing because of the performances of the two leads.  My Rating:  Full Price      Ash is Purest White Website

Forgotten Film:  Dave  (1993)  PG-13  Dave (Kevin Kline) is an ordinary guy who just happens to look exactly like the President of the United States. When the President wants to spend time with his mistress, Dave is recruited by the White House to fill and be seen. The problem is that while the real President is with his mistress, he has a stroke, making Dave’s impersonation of the President permanent. This is a funny and smart film which puts its main character is really funny and sometimes touching situations. The film has an outstanding cast with Sigourney Weaver as the First Lady, Frank Langella as the chief of staff, and great actors like Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, and Charles Grodin. Kline is hilarious in the role and so much fun to watch.  My Rating: Full Price

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Dumbo:  Drapes Master

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Amazing Grace  (2018)  G  Documentary showing Aretha Franklin backed up by a choir giving a concert at a Baptist church in Los Angeles in 1972. This is going to be amazing!     Amazing Grace Website

Until Next Time!

Us

My View:  Us  (2019)  R  A family is threatened by a group of doppelgängers who begin to terrorize them. Writer/director Jordan Peele has done it again. While not on the level of his first film Get Out, this horror film is still brilliantly done. One of the best things about his film is the score which uses some incredibly creepy original music along with some classic hip hop, rap, and rock songs. There is quite a bit of humor in this film, mostly provided through Winston Duke’s performance as the father playing a big, kind of a nerdy goofball.  Lupita Nyong’o is absolutely amazing playing two parts, the fierce mother, Adelaide,  who will do anything to protect her family and the horrific doppelgänger who wants to destroy Adelaide’s family. The tension builds almost from the start and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. I will warn you that there is quite a bit of blood spilled in this film but the violence, for the most part, is done off-screen. This is a film that you may have to see a couple of times to let it all sink in. My fellow critics and I talked for about an hour after we saw the film, trying to figure everything out. If you are a fan of intelligent horror films, this is a must for you.    My Rating:  Full Price     Us Website

Indiefest:  Gloria Bell  (2019)  R  A free-spirited woman (Julianne Moore) in her 50s is living her life, going to dance clubs alone until she meets a man (John Turturro) and falls in love, but that man might not be right for her. This is a remake of the writer/director’s 2012 Spanish film Gloria. The reason to see this film is the performance of Julianne Moore, who is a force of nature in the role. She portrays Gloria as a free-spirited woman who is kind but won’t put up with any relationship that doesn’t give her respect. This moving and sometimes heartbreaking film treats its subject with a loving look at a woman who discovers who she is.    My Rating:  Full Price    Gloria Bell Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Giant Little Ones  (2018)  R    Two popular boys (Darren Mann, Josh Wiggins) lives are turned upside down by an incident that happens on one of the boys 17th birthday. The film centers on Josh Wiggins character, Frankie, whose life gets turned upside down by the incident. This is a lovely film about dealing with all the crazy things that you go through as a teenager. I really loved this film about a young man trying to find his way in the world. Wiggins gives a dazzling and moving performance in the movie. I also liked the performance of Taylor Hickman, who plays a former friend of Franky’s who comes back into his life. Give this warm and tender film a chance, you won’t regret it.     My Rating: Full Price    Giant Little Ones Facebook Page

Forgotten Film:  Cherish  (2002)  R  After a martini-induced rampage, a young woman (Robin Tunney) is placed under house arrest. She figures out how to defeat her ankle alert in order to break the monotony of her confinement. Robin Tunney is amazing in this little-seen film. Part mystery, part comedy with a little romance mixed in Cherish is such a fun film to watch. Give this film a chance, I think you will enjoy it.    My Rating: Full Price    Cherish Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Us:  Stunt Pre-viz

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Avengers: Endgame  (2019) After the events that happened in Avengers: Infinity War.  With the help of Captain Marvel, the remaining Avengers are going to undo what Thanos did. Lots of rumors are flying around for this film.    Avengers: Endgame Website

Until Next Time!