Nightmare Alley

 

A drifter finds himself working at a traveling carnival. He quickly picks up on the trade of being a "medium" and leaves the harsh road life of the carnival to go on to bigger and wealthier scores.

Very dark and slowly paced. This is a creepy look at the brutal world of the "carny" in the late 30's/early 40's.  Despite it's bizarre storyline it has great performances, particularly from Cate Blanchett. 

**1/2 Rentable

Rated R (for language, violence and sexual content)

Marry Me

 

A pop superstar is scheduled to get married right after performing her new hit song "Marry Me" - moments before she is to go on she discovers that her fiancé has been cheating on her. In a moment of meltdown she picks a stranger from the crowd and marries him instead. 

For you romcom lovers out there, this is predictable, cheesy, corny and as far fetched as they come. You will love it. For the rest of us. Meh.

** Rentable

Rated PG-13 (for language, crude humor and sexual situations) 

Death on the Nile

 

Based on the Agatha Christie novel (1937) and a remake of the 1978 movie of the same title. This movie follows detective Hercule Poirot's vacation aboard an Egyptian steam boat with a newly married couple and entourage celebrating their honeymoon.

Very fun murder mystery film, and a excellent remake, if you haven't read the book or seen the original - see if you can figure it out!

***1/2 Must See

Rated PG-13 (for violence and sexual situations)

Licorice Pizza

 

A coming of age story that has so much potential but never really hits the mark. 

Extremely lengthy and all over the place, the pacing is uncomfortably slow, almost as if you're reading a novel. Still it has very funny and awkwardly humorous teenage angst throughout the nostalgic 70's setting. 

** Rentable

Rated R (for language, sexual content and some drug use)

American Underdog

The Kurt Warner story is an uplifting feel good movie that had a grandiose story on a grade school budget. 

A fun story that somehow seems contained if not limited by the production design. 

**1/2 Rentable

Rated PG (for mild language)

Spider-Man: No Way Home

 

Spider-Man's identity now revealed, he is no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from life as the superhero. Seeking someway to normalize not only his life but those he cares about, he asks for help from Doctor Strange...

Ok no spoilers what-so-ever...let me just say that this was so completely and unexpectedly fun! Easily the best of Spider-Man series. 

There are two after credit scenes - one mid credit and one post credit so stay for them both.

*** MUST SEE for all you Spider-Man/Marvel/Sony/Comic-book junkies.

Rated PG-13 (for violence, language and suggestive dialogue)

No Time to Die

 

James Bond has left active service, when his old friend Felix Leiter finds him and asks for help. The new mission becomes far more treacherous than anyone bargained for. 

You need to watch Spectre (2015) before seeing the newest installment as it picks up right where it left off and if you don't remember the entire story you might find the new episode a tad confusing. 

Overall I liked the movie, but at the risk of spoilers - not a huge fan of some of the subplots that lead to the somewhat predictable ending. This storyline certainly humanizes our hero... but isn't that why we love James Bond, for his super-human likeness?

Meh.

**1/2 Rentable

Rated PG-13 (for violence, disturbing images, strong language and some suggestive material)

Encanto

 

The Madrigals are an extraordinary family, that live in a secret vibrant Colombian village called Encanto. The magic of Encanto has blessed every child of the family with a unique gift, everyone that is, except Mirabel. 

This is a sweet story about the importance of family and accepting yourself inside that group. Not nearly as memorable as Coco (2017) however as the songs are forgettable and the characters not as endearing. 

**1/2 Must See for Pixar/Disney Fans (rentable for everyone else)

Rated PG (for thematic elements and mild peril)

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

 

A single mother and her two children reluctantly take up residence in her estranged deceased fathers' home. They soon discover ghoulish secrets about their new home and their past. 

This long awaited sequel is fun and nostalgic as it pays homage to not only the original film and cast but it's creator and director, Harold Ramis (1944-2014).

Comical and spooky this reboot is borderline cheesy in it's sentimentality and some of its' carbon copy plots lines but for some odd reason, like the original movie, it totally works.  

*** Must See

Rated PG-13 (for language, violence and suggestive dialogue and situations)

Dune: Part 1

 

A young boy born into a Noble family travels to the most dangerous planet in the universe. His world implodes while the conflict over this planets' exclusive resource turns into a deadly war. 

Could that synopsis be any more vague? I never saw the original movie (Dune 1984) nor have I read the book (Dune 1965) written by Frank Herbert. Which apparently won several awards including the Hugo Award in 1966 and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. What I can tell you is that my brothers had some toys from the movie - and I could never figure out what part of Star Wars they were from.   

So..... that being said I went in with zero expectations.... and was still disappointed. 

The movie is extremely slow and although identified as a science fiction story, it is in fact a political piece. It's about political propaganda, religious dogma, sex and ultimately self awareness and how they all cause a huge mess in the human game of life. 

Again, unfamiliar with the book, this film version while visually stunning is extremely lacking to be defined as a "character piece."  When it was all said and done there was a collective, 'Huh." that rang out from the audience.

If you are fans of the book, the original movie or special effects put it on your Netflix list - otherwise you're not missing out.

** Rentable

Rated PG-13 (for language and violence)