Films/Shows Discussed
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09/10/2026

BY ANY MEANS (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, David Straitharn, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, Ethan Embry, Giancarlo Esposito
It’s 1966 Mississippi. A Black FBI agent is assigned to investigate a series of murders of civil rights leaders and is teamed up with a brutal mafia hitman. Off the books, of course. Purportedly a true story, this film is one of the most violent and brutal I’ve seen in recent years but the fact that it may be based on a true story makes it very intriguing.

MAYDAY (Apple+; 2026)
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, David Morse, Wendy Crewson
When his reconnaissance mission over Soviet Territory leads to crashing his plane, an American pilot must team with a Soviet citizen who loves America more than his own country. When you think of action flick, the pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branaugh might not come immediately to mind but these two are great together. Reynolds with the one-liners, Branagh with the brute force. It’s light-hearted in the old school action sense and fairly entertaining because of that, too.

THE RUNNER (PrimeVideo; 2026)
Starring Gal Gadot, Damien Lewis
Gadot plays a high-powered attorney who is forced to race though the streets of London and commit a crime in order to save her kidnapped abducted son. Or so says the voice on the that keeps calling her phone. Gadot gets to do a lot of running, if you’re into that sort of thing, while Lewis is wasted in most scenes where you can only see half his face. As you can imagine, all of this gets boring fast and it doesn’t help that it has a ludicrous finale as well..

09/03/2026

COYOTE VS ACME (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Luis Guzman, Bugs Bunny, Charlie Dog, Daffy Duck, Dr. Lorre, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Tweety, Granny, Miss Prissy, Witch Hazel, Tasmanian Devil,
Wile E. Coyote hires an attorney to sue ACME, the biggest manufacturer in the world, for all of the products it’s sold him that malfunction, causing him injury and the inability to catch his arch-nemesis the Roadrunner. Tons of Looney Tunes cameos (and Easter eggs), a hilarious original screenplay, and a couple of beloved actors having a great time make this one a nostalgic, funny and surprisingly heart-warming adventure.

THE WHISPER MAN (Netflix; 2026)
Starring Robert DeNiro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott
When a novelist’s son is kidnapped, he engages his estranged father, a former police detective who worked on the case, to help find the serial killer known as the “The Whisper Man." This grim, murky mystery eventually unravels its tightknit story at the end, but the rock solid performances, and eerie atmosphere may hold your attention. Not for everyone due to its depressing nature, but an interesting film regardless.

SPA WEEKEND (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Leslie Mann, Anna Faris, Michelle Buteau, Isla Fisher
Three friends decide to have a spa weekend all to themselves, leaving their wilder friend at home but, when she arrives at the party anyway, their weekend explodes into chaos. The four lead actors have terrific chemistry and the laughs are out loud funny (especially with Isla Fisher) and, just this once, at least one of them isn’t dying. 97 minutes of pure, escape fun.

08/27/2026

A PRIVATE LIFE (Netflix; 2025)
Starring Jodie Foster, Mathieu Amalric
When one of her patients commits suicide, psychiatrist Lilian Steiner wants to know why. She conducts an investigation that involves the victim’s family, friends and some of her own patients, and gets to the real truth … and finds out some truths about herself as well. A slow-moving mystery film that has been described as Hitchcock-like but I would compare more to Roman Polanski. Almost the entire film is in French, including Foster who I’ve discovered speaks five languages, two of them fluently. Not for the easily bored or those expecting action but an interesting look at a psychiatrist and her patience and how her work might change her as well

MUTINY (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Jason Statham
When his billionaire boss right before him, private bodyguard Cole Reed stows away aboard the escape vessel (a cargo ship) with the intent to kill everyone involved. Of course, the bad guys aren’t too afraid of a private bodyguard. But when that bodyguard discovers a grim secret in the bowels of the ship, all bets are off, and the bad guys discover that Reid is a former Royal Marine Commando, and that their number is diminishing quickly. Standard Statham fare with lots of bullets, blood and explosions—but that’s what I paid for!

DOLLY PARTON/TIM CURRY
Dolly Parton:
Steel Magnolias (1999) with Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis (Paramount +, PlutoTV)

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) with Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Charles Durning, Jim Nabors (currently rentable virtually anywhere)

9 to 5 (1980) with Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Dabney Coleman, Sterling Hayden (currently rentable virtually anywhere)

Tim Curry:
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) with Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf (currently rentable virtually anywhere)
Legend (1985) with Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Billy Barty (currently rentable virtually anywhere)
IT (1990) with Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O’Toole, Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Richard Masur, John Ritter, more

08/20/2026

THE END OF OAK STREET (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor,
When a family wakes up to find their neighborhood has been transported to a prehistoric time, complete with hungry dinosaurs, they must figure out how to not only how to get back home but simply survive. Surprisingly entertaining dinosaur film with real life relationships (between the humans and the dinosaurs, which seem to be scientifically accurate) that is funny, scary and action-packed. A higher-Octane Jurassic Park with a side of family drama.

DON’T SAY GOOD LUCK (HBO; 2026)
Starring Sunny Sandler, Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Bebe Neuworth and Steve Buscemi.  
Genuinely touching and poignant film about a young girl who finally discovers what she wants to do in life while, at the same time, receiving devastating news about her mother. Everyone in the cast here is at the top of their game, but be ready to go through a box of Kleenex as you watch this one.

WOMEN IN BLUE (Original title: Las Azules “The Blue Ones) (Apple TV/Peacock; 2024-2026)
In 1971, four women are given the opportunity to become Mexico's first female police force, and they are thrilled until it was only a publicity stunt to take distract everyone from an active serial killer. Determined to be real police, the woman band together and work on the serial killer case themselves. Interesting characters throughout, although it’s hard sometimes to get through the early 70s haircuts and styles (Women in Blue describes their uniforms, which make the women look like they work at a movie theater). Spanish language originally but available in dubbed and subtitled versions.

08/13/2026

ONE NIGHT ONLY (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Monica Barbara, Callum Turner, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton,  Michelle Hurd. Cameos by: Glen Powell, Syndey Sweeney, Flavor Fav, Pete Davidson, Bobby Cannavale,.
In the near future, Federal law now says that unmarried people must remain celibate every day of the year, except one day when all bets are off. Too lonely people, one a pizza-maker (Callum) and the other a woman who sings commercial jingles, meet each other and, while the chemistry doesn’t start immediately, they share an adventurous night and you can guess the rest. Fun, sexy and surprisingly gentle at times, ONE NIGHT ONLY is a lot of fun.

STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE (HBO; 2026)
Starring Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, features cameos from the other actors from The Big Bang Theory.  
Comic bookstore owner Stuart Bloom, from The Big Bang Theory, now lives in an apocalyptic future but, after a visit from another-universe version of himself, thinks there may be a way to save it. With a cast, a history and creators like Chuck Lorre and Zak Penn, you expect more from this series then you actually get. It seems a little wooden, some of the jokes don’t work and the story doesn’t make much sense—but maybe it will eventually since I’ve only seen one episode and am pretty unfamiliar with the source material.

REACHER (Amazon; 2026)
Starring Alan Richson, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo,
The Big Man returns to Amazon for more of the same: Beating up bad guys who think they’re invincible. Only three episodes have dropped so far and, as far as I can remember, they follow the plot of Lee Child’s book “Gone Tomorrow” pretty closely. Did I mention that it’s more of the same? Works for me. That’s what I signed up for.

08/06/2026

SPIDER-MAN: A BRAND NEW DAY
Pure summer, superhero entertainment.

07/30/2026

MOTOR CITY (2026) (Theaters)
Starring Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schrieber, Ben McKenzie, Jack White
In 1970s Detroit, John Miller, falls in love with a local crime lord’s girl. The crime lord isn’t happy about that and sabotages the man’s life and frames him, getting him sent to prison. His life ruined forever, the man plots and executes an explosive revenge plan. This movie is as much a successful experiment as it is an action film, with very little dialogue (about 50-100 words throughout) and using facial expressions and needle drops to power the story along. The action is intense, brutal and violent; the visuals colorful, stylish and unique, and the cast couldn’t be better. For those who like intense action, muscle cars, and songs from the likes of David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Al Stewart, Donna Summer, Starbuck, The Moody Blues and many more. Two scenes worth mentioning: The elevator sequence with one of the most brutal action scenes ever caught on film and the bar scene, in which the piano player looks suspiciously like Jack White (who is also an executive producer).

THE DINK (Apple TV; 2026)
Starring Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Ben Stiller, Lynne Marie Stewart, Andy Roddick
When a ritzy tennis club is pushed to convert several of its tennis courts into pickleball courts, they stage a tournament to decide the outcome, led by former tennis pro gone bad Jake Johnson. But once Johnson’s character discovers and plays pickleball, he finds himself loving the sport … and the players as well. Okay, so this film isn’t particularly original, but it scores a few laughs here and there and the cast is incredible, especially Steenburgen, Harris and Lynne Marie Stewart, who passed away last year, and was perhaps best known for her role as Miss Yvonne on Pee Wee’s Playhouse.

LUCKY (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Clifton Collins Jr, Timothy Olyphant, William Fichtner
When a reformed criminal decides to take on one more, very lucrative job … and it all goes bad … she finds herself on the run from the FBI and some very unsavory characters. Although the cast is solid, the series is strangely lifeless and just doesn’t hold your interest like it should.

07/23/2026

THE ODYSSEY (2026) (Theaters)
Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, John Lequizamo
Homer’s nearly three-thousand-year-old tale is brought to the screen once again in this truly epic masterpiece from writer/director Christopher Nolan. Everything you’ve heard about it is true, from the cinematography, the acting, the sweeping set pieces. You’ll be so engrossed in this film, you’ll never even realize it’s just shy of three hours long. At the very least, this movie reminds us of why we go to the theaters to see movies. Trust me on this, “The Odyssey” won’t be so captivating on a television screen. In a theater, this film surrounds you, almost inserts you into the action, the drama and the mystique. And don’t let the fact it was made to be seen on IMAX screens hold you back. It’s also been optimized for larger, premium theaters (like XD) and standard screens as well. Special recognition goes out to John Lequizamo, who wears his onscreen role like a well-worn robe. Truly phenomenal.

RIDE OR DIE (Prime Video; 2026)
Starring Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Bill Nighy
We’ve all seen this storyline before. In this case, Octavia Spencer plays a forensic account whose doesn’t know her best friend of twenty years (Hannah Waddingham of Ted Lasso fame) is an international assassin. She learns soon enough, however, when the pair find themselves in the mix of international intrigue and murder. Another example of an excellent cast making a story even better with incredible but believable chemistry between Spencer and Waddingham—who is surprisingly convincing as her James Bond-like character while Spencer, who brings most of the story’s laughs with her surprised facial expressions and shocked responses to the action. Eight easily-watchable episodes that are a lot of fun. I hope there is more coming.

EVIL DEAD BURN (Theaters; 2026)
The latest chapter in the Evil Dead series stays as far away from the initial concept of the films that proceeded as possible. After her husband suddenly passes away, a woman seeks comfort with her in-laws. Of course, they wind up turning into demons and make her life a living hell. Bloody, violent and profane, this series needs to go back to its roots and return to the old school horror and sense of humor that the previous Evil Dead movies, as well as the terrific television show, Ash Vs. the Evil Dead, were best known for.

07/16/2026

ELLE (2026) (Amazon Prime)
Starring Lexi Minetree, June Diane Raphael, Tom Everett Scott, Jacob Moskovitz
Executive Producer Reese Witherspoon
The prequel to Reese Witherspoon’s “Legally Blond” movies, this series tells the story of Elle before she became a hotshot lawyer, as depicted in the films. At first, she’s just another spoiled little rich girl from ritzy Southern California but—when her family runs into financial trouble and they have to escape to Seattle, WA and the grunge scene, she learns a little about mellowing out and befriending people not because of their credit score, but because of who they are. Reportedly, Reese herself chose Lexi Minetree to play the lead, seeing a little of herself in the performance.

THE FIVE STAR WEEKEND (2026) (Peacock)
Starring Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, D’Arcy Carden, Chloe Sevigny, Timothy Olyphant, Judy Greer
Garner plays a woman who suddenly loses her husband in a car accident, and can’t seem to find her way out of the grief. She decides to host a weekend getaway in Nantucket for her four best friends but soon discovers they all have problems of their own, problems they find themselves trying to solve while there. A terrific cast, including one of Garner’s best performances, make this one easily watchable, although, man, do they have to fight so loudly and so often!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981) (Tubi, Fandango, PrimeVideo, Amazon)
Starring Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Matt Craven
Directed by J. Lee Thompson (Guns of Navarone, 1962’s Cape Fear, and many Charles Brosnan movies)
When a group of friends start to disappear at Crawford Academy, Virginia (Anderson) begins to recall a series of horrible events that happened to her as a child around the time of her birthday. Will she be able to stop the killer before all of her friends become victims? Scored a whopping 29%/42% rating on RottenTomatoes but 6.0 on IMDB and has become something of a slasher classic.

07/09/2026

LISA ANN WALTER: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT (Hulu; 2026)
The beloved nanny from THE PARENT TRAP and one of the current stars of the hit TV series, ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, returns to her roots with this stand-up routine which is anything but sanitized. Walter jokes about the younger generations (she's 62), the self-loathing of trying to make it in showbiz, and (of course) politics. She closes the show with a musical number, "It Was an Accident," with her son, Jason Baum, on guitar. Irreverent, hilarious and at times flat-out shocking, you'll get plenty of laughs and insight in this 56-minute special.

LITTLE BROTHER (Netflix; 2026)
Starring John Cena, Eric Andre, Michelle Monaghan, Christopher Meloni,
When a real estate agent finds himself on the verge of success with a reality television show, his life is thrown off-track by his eccentric little brother (no blood relation; "Little Brother" from the "Big Brothers" club). Anything starring Cena and his emphatic characters is worth watching ... except maybe this. Full of wild, vulgar language and stupid, over-the-top slapstick, Little Brother makes the fatal mistake of being a comedy ... that’s not being funny.

VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE (Netflix; 2026)
Starring Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman
A young woman still leaves voice mail messages—about her man trouble, her job, and her disappointment in light—on the phone of her baby sister, who sadly died of cystic fibrosis years ago. Doing so fills a hole in her heart. But when a stranger across the country is assigned her sister's old phone number, he begins to receive the message, and finds himself falling in love with here. Poignant, funny at times and with a very big heart throughout, Voicemails for Isabelle may not be perfect, but it just might fill the hole in your heart, too. Offerman shines as the loud and angry teaching chef who is training her.

07/02/2026

CHRIS & MARTINA: THE FINAL SET (Netflix; 2026)
Documentary
Starring Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova
They were rivals during the eighty matches they played against each other, sixty of which were tournament finals. Now, Chris and Martina are friends, coming together for their love of the sport and the cancer they are both dealing with. It’s fascinating to see their lives as they are today, as they support each other through their difficulties, with the spark of competition still apparent when they watch their matches together on television.

I WILL FIND YOU (Netflix; 2026)
Starring Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Chi McBride,  
Based on the book by Harlen Coben
Worthington stars as a father who’s falsely accused and convicted for the murder of his son but, once shown evidence that his boy may still alive, he escapes from prison not so much to prove his innocence as to get his one back. Entertaining and suspenseful throughout, and not without its flaws, I WILL FIND YOU is perhaps the best of the Harlen Coben adaptations out there.

SUPERGIRL (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Milly Alcock, David Corenswet, Jason Mamoa
The story of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl (who is Superman’s cousin). She’s not every happy with her place in the world, feels alone despite her cousin’s presence, but when bad guys poison her dog, her determination to find the antidote and to make them pay gives her sharp focus. Alcock pulls off the title role perfectly, showing vulnerability and strength all at once, and it’s great to see Corenswet return as Superman. It’s like he was born to play that role. But it’s Mamoa, once again, who nearly steals the whole show as the very colorful and energetic Lobo the Bounty Hunter.

06/25/2026

VACATION!

06/18/2026

DISCLOSURE DAY (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell
The story follows a hacker (Josh O'Connor) and a Midwestern meteorologist (Emily Blunt) who team up to expose a decades-long alien cover-up. They are relentlessly hunted by a shadowy, government-tied corporate contractor led by CEO Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth).

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (Netflix; 2026)
Starring Yannick Bisson, Thomas Craig, Jonny Harris
Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Detective William Murdoch as he pioneers innovative forensic techniques to crack the city’s most gruesome crimes. The award-winning series airs in over 150 countries with a global fanbase of millions, and continues to draw cultural icons and guest stars including William Shatner, Andre De Grasse, Margaret Atwood. A collection of “cozy*” murder mysteries, along the lines of Murder, She Wrote. *media and activities designed to evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and peace. It prioritizes low-stress, relaxing, and open-ended experiences—such as farming, crafting, and exploring—over intense conflict, high stakes, or fast-paced reflexes.

TEACH YOU A LESSON (Netflix; 2026)
Tells the story of students, parents, and teachers. In a society where teachers' rights have fallen due to students who cross the line, parents who don't know the line, and teachers who draw the line, the drama introduces adults who are not afraid of children and tries to properly teach children what they did wrong. Na Hwa Jin is a field supervisor at the Teachers' Rights Protection Agency. He is a hexagonal person with perfect mentality, physicality, and brains, and is the designer of all the plans for the Teachers' Rights Protection Agency. He is also called the 'Grim Reaper' because he is not afraid of absurdity, fear, or compromise, but he is a character who struggles to protect justice and peace.

06/11/2026

OFFICE ROMANCE (Netflix; 2026)
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin, Edward James Olmos, Bradley Whitford, Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale, Michelle Hurd, Will Sasso,  
Lopez stars as Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, a straight-forward leader who demands the most from her employees, especially that they follow the rules. When a handsome lawyer enters her life, that policy is tested. Slightly above-average rom-com, buoyed by a funny, and very raunchy, script by Ted Lasso co-creator Goldstein. Better than most of J Lo’s rom-com attempts.

CAPE FEAR (Apple; 2026)
Starring Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, Patrick Wilson, CCH Pounder
Based on the novel by John D. MacDonald and the screenplay by Wesley Strick
Executive Producers Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese
A television re-telling of the classic 1962 film, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, and the 1991 film starring Robert DeNiro and Nick Nolte. In expanding the storyline here, however, there are huge plot holes and lazy screenwriting that take their toll. You’re too busy asking yourself, “Huh? When did that happen?” to follow the fascinating characters, the above-par acting and the film noir-ish looks.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Most Streaming Services; 1977)
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban.
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Spielberg’s first journey into science fiction tells the story of an Indiana electric lineman who becomes convinced that, as a race, humans are not along. After 50 years, and the opening of yet another Spielberg sci-fi film, CE3K has become an all-time classic worth another look. With strong performances by its cast, special effects that still look as good as anything today, and John Williams score that is utterly engaging. Add to that the effects of this kind of mania on a family, and you will find yourself watching in awe and wonder throughout. Available almost anywhere but, as I’ll always tell you, you should have bought the DVD or Blu-Ray so you don’t have to worry about hunting it down.

06/04/2026

PRESSURE (Theaters; 2026)
Starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon
It’s 72 hours before D-Day and the Allie Forces are waiting for the most important intel of the entire mission: The weather report. If it’s too windy/rainy, the mission will fail. This movie is perfectly entitled because there’s pressure on everyone here: Pressure on Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg, General Dwight Eisenhower and every office and all the troops involved. Surprisingly, this movie is taut and intense despite the fact you know how things are going to work out, and the performances by Scott, Fraser and Condon elevate the entire proceedings (despite the fact that Eisenhower was 5’10” and Fraser is 6’4”)

OUTCOME (Apple; 2026)
Starring Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer, Jonah Hill
Co-written and directed by Hill
Movie superstar Reef Hawk is being blackmailed by someone who has unsavory footage of him during his drug addiction days and tries to make things right. Sadly, every part of this film feels lukewarm and not quite done. A potentially fascinating story just kind of sits there throughout, never going deep enough into any of the characters to make the viewer care. Another strong performance by Bomer, a small part by Martin Scorsese (as a low-budget producer), and a short runtime (83m) helps a little, but not enough.

MISS YOU, LOVE YOU (HBO; 2026)
Starring Allison Janney, Andrew Rannells, Bonnie Hunt
Janney plays a new widow who is dealing with the death of her husband … and the fact that her son can’t get away from work to make the funeral. Instead, he sends his assistant (Rannells) and the two almost act as each other’s therapists, unwrapping the mysteries of how their lives got to where they are today. Tightly written, with spectacular performances (especially Janney, who is an American treasure), this film feels like it was based on the play but that is not the case. Instead, it’s just an intense study of grieving, love, individuality and being true to one’s self. Not for everyone due to its highly dialogue-driven style but an intense watch for those who have no problem with that.

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