"June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own."

The directorial debut of Scarlett Johannson.

Maybe June Squibb might get a Oscar nomination for this.

I assume it will hit Netflix in the near future since it is a Sony release.

Red One - Prime

i actually liked this film quite a bit, and the end showing how Santa gets into everyone’s home/apartment to deliver presents was well done.

The Snowmen were awesome along with Santa’s reindeer.

Hardcore Poisoned Eyes (2000) — Amatourish horror movie even by indie standards, this one was rather boring with bad dialogue and bland, forgettable characters. Heck the movie as a whole was forgettable. Simple premise that could have worked but there's nothing about this that worked. *½/***** (Blu-ray)

Guns & Moses Amazon Prime
Mark Feuerstein. Directed by Salvador Litvak. 2025
A beloved rabbi in a high desert town becomes an unlikely gunfighter after his community is violently attacked.

Back in The Eighties I went to the bookstore (many bookstores, actually) every week, and I'd often browse through the "Detective" or "Private Eye" novels. There were all kinds, and every Sleuth had a gimmick, whether they were a Thief, or an Alcoholic, or a retired Boston Cop. Same thing with all the Television "Whodunnits" over the years, though the characters were usually distinguished by the actors who played them. At the end of the day "Guns and Moses" is a "Murder She Wrote" episode with a Rabbi as its "Jessica Fletcher.

All and all, "Guns and Moses" turned out to be an unexpected treat. It's a slickly told Crime Story and Rabbi Moishe Saltzman makes a great lead character. "Rabbi Mo" is played by "always the bridesmaid" supporting actor Mark Feuerstein who finally gets a lead because when you add a beard he makes a convincing Rabbi. The film gives the Rabbi a strong wife (of course!) and five kids and an ex-soldier friend who knows how to handle her weapons. All this added texture makes the film feel like the pilot for a series. The cast includes Dermot Mulroney, Christopher Lloyd, Alona Tal, Jake Busey, and Craig Sheffer.

The story begins with what appears to be an Anti-Semetic Hate Crime, -sadly making it very Contemporary, -but it evolves into something more. On the downside, there's a "Third Act" twist that makes Rabbi Mo a hunted man: the Rabbi finds this out he's a target when the manhunt is announced at a Televised Press Conference, which he is watching from his home. It feels a bit contrived. Also, the film includes an actor who is always cast as The Villain no matter how pious he seems, and so I was just waiting for the big reveal (I wasn't wrong). Nevertheless, "Guns and Moses" is a fun little film with a surprising amount of gunfire and a hero that really knows how to wear a black hat.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

1962

TCM

Written by Rod Serling

Fictional aging heavyweight Louis Mountain Rivera (Anthony Quinn) is felled by young Cassius Clay, the future Muhammad Ali, and finds his professional career over. His manipulative manager (Jackie Gleason) owes money on bets placed against Rivera, and convinces him to become a wrestler. Humiliated by the notion, Rivera examines the few options available in the afterglow of a boxing career."

The ending was kin of odd but maybe fitting for how the story goes in real life.

This was good and the Blu-ray is only $7.99 and it will be mine.

2025. Way better than most of what gets fed us as horror these days. This was good enough to be a major studio release.
In the aftermath of the LA wildfires, hungry coyotes begin wandering into an exclusive Hollywood Hills neighborhood in search of food. Attacking humans and dogs. Because of the Santa Ana winds, the residents are trapped by fallen trees and the power is out. At one point a character mentions "this is like the movie The Birds". That's exactly what this is.

2025

Showtime

It was ok though I liked most of it was set at night.

I don't believe Ricci who is 45 would be married to James who is 60 and she should be his daughter.

2025

Amazon Video on demand rental

"Hit by a blizzard, a grief-stricken loner (Emma Thompson) gets lost among backroads near a Minnesotan lake and stops for help at a remote cabin in the woods. Here she discovers a young woman (Laurel Marsden) kidnapped by a desperate couple (Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca) who are armed and intent on murder."

Emma Thompson maybe her first movie doing action scenes.

Judy Greer was the villain which was a surprise.

House of Darkness Hulu or Amazon Prime
Justin Long, Kate Bosworth. Directed by Neil LaBute. 2022
Driving home to her secluded estate after meeting at a local bar, a player out to score thinks his beautiful, mysterious date will be another casual hook-up. While getting acquainted, their flirtation turns playful, sexy and sinister.

Playwright turned filmmaker Neil LaBute started out back in The Nineties writing and directing angry little films like "In the Company of Men" and "Your Friends and Neighbors". There was a certain amount of twisted fun watching the filmmaker reveal the nasty side of his characters, skewering them along the way. He had a real bead on Toxic Masculinity before it was a common term. Much like David Mamet, his clever scripts made him an Indie darling and a talent to watch out for. Lately he seems to be churning out low budget films for streamers like the Home Invasion Drama "Fear the Night" with Maggie Q and the Horror Film "House of Darkness", which features husband-and-wife Kate Bosworth and Justin Long (which I imagine pre-dated their film "Coyotes").

Actually, "House of Darkness" bears some resemblance to LaBute's early work. It's a low budget effort that feels like a one-act play shot in an existing mansion. The film is one long double-edged conversation between would-be Lothario Justin Long and femme fatale Kate Bosworth, who teases something wild but might just be leading him on. And then her equally attractive, -and equally baffling, -sister shows up. It's pretty obvious where the story is going once the names of the women are revealed. Unfortunately, there's only about one hour of material in this 90-minute film, and it seems to be spinning its conversational wheels a lot. After a certain point I was just waiting for the payoff for what rapidly became a fairly dull movie. While the first 89 minutes are very dry, I was surprised at how awash with blood the finale is. It's really not worth the wait, though.

2004

Showtime

It was universally panned but there are some LOL moments but the ending is weak.

Jim in Rochester maybe a former forum member or he has a new name said he would watch this every Christmas

Hulu

2025

I liked it but did not love it and did not have the same impact on me as other viewers.

Maybe need to revist in a few years to appreciate it more.

The Devil Wears Prada Disney+
Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep. Directed by David Frankel. 2006
As assistant to impossibly demanding New York fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, young Andy Sachs has landed a job that "a million girls would die for." Unfortunately, her heaven-sent appointment as Miranda's personal whipping girl just might be the death of her!

I heard a "Fun Fact" today that the year's most viewed movie trailer is for "The Devil Wears Prada 2". I wouldn't have figured that. It's a sequel to a film I've never bothered with, so I thought I might as well improve my odds at "Pop Culture Jeopardy" and give the original a spin.

"The Devil Wears Prada" is a charming well-constructed film, and I can see why it appeals to its target audience. The story unfolds predictably, but in a way that satisfies its audience. Sometimes predictability is comfort food, and the film goes about its business with a light touch and a likeable cast. I appreciated that the film empowered its heroine without emasculating the men in her orbit.

Re-watch

​​​​​​

Re-watch

​​​​​​

Re-watch

​​​​​​

First time view

​​​​​​

Bugonia Peacock
Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. 2025
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

Yorgos Lanthimos likes to make weird, off-putting motion pictures. He's not comfortable unless you're uncomfortable. He's responsible for films like "The Lobster" or "Poor Things" and the rambling "Kinds of Kindness", which indulge or perhaps over-indulge in quirkiness and sudden whiplashes of Drama. That's fine, but it makes it hard to tell what you're going to get with him. I couldn't figure out "Bugonia" from the trailers, and I sure couldn't make heads-or-tails of the artsy-fartsy poster. I could say that it's Sci-Fi Horror with a side of Camp, or I could just as accurately describe it as a Paranoid Thriller with a slice of Black Comedy.

Emma Stone has become Lanthimos's muse (she's been featured in his last several films, often in exploitive ways) and while she's fine as a kidnapped CEO negotiating for her life, it's a surprisingly trim and intense Jesse Plemons who grabbed my attention throughout. He's just terrific and he kept me guessing if he's the hero of this film or just a deranged fanatic. The film has many intense confrontations and suspenseful moments, but the director is so determined to be offbeat that he sometimes gets in his own way and kills a great moment. There are several scenes of extreme gore that are so cartoonishly over-the-top that it's more surprising than shocking.

One thing is for sure, "Bugonia" is a visually stunning film. Lanthimos shoots it in an odd aspect ratio (1:50:1) with narrow bars on each side, and his precise compositions always pull your eye to the middle of the screen just like Kubrick liked to do. The color pallet is dazzling.

"Bugonia" can be a baffling film because it changes tone so often and without any warning. The film definitely has a cruel streak with regard to its characters. I never quite knew where the film was going, which I suppose is refreshing, but it certainly doesn't reward casual viewing.

The Amateur Hulu
John Savage. Directed by Charles Jarrot. 1981
A CIA analyst goes rogue to avenge the murder of his wife.

When I first saw the trailers for the Rami Malek Thriller "The Amateur" earlier this year, I was reminded of a film with the same name from 40 years ago. I saw that film in theaters in 1981 and hadn't given it a thought since. I didn't realize they were both adapted from the same Robert Littell novel.

The 1981 version of "The Amateur" was a Canadian film that starred John Savage, best remembered as the third POW along with Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken in "The Deerhunter". Savage had a minute back in The Eighties, with leads in films like "Hair" and "The Onion Field". He was one of those intense actors who was always a bit twitchy in the eyes. He eventually faded into supporting roles and is still kicking around.

Though released in 1981, "The Amateur" is very much a Seventies Espionage Thriller, competently executed with a measured pace. Christopher Plummer shows up as an older and wiser antagonist for Savage, and he adds all kinds of Actor-y mannerisms and business with props to steal every scene he's in. Marthe Keller, Ed Lauter, and Canadian stalwart Nicholas Campbell also drop in, all with characters that are slightly more than two-dimensional (and I mean that as a compliment). Of course, the biggest change between the two films is the role of computers. The 1981 film uses Old School keyboards and blocky readouts and for fun throws in a coin-operated computer Astrology machine.

Netflix

It was ok and did not see the twist coming in the end



Bullet Train (2022) — Fun action-thriller with a solid cast that makes it a good time to sit through. Good stunt work that would expect from David Leitch. Nothing memorable and the finale had some wonky CGI but all in all I enjoyed it. ***¼/***** (4K Ultra HD)

Ulysses Kino Lorber Blu-Ray
Kirk Douglas. Directed by Mario Camerini. 1954
Ulysses and his men seek to return home after the ten years of The Trojan War, but face many obstacles. Meanwhile, Ulysses' wife struggles to fend off suitors who assume Ulysses is dead and vie to take his widow and usurp his kingdom.

With Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" six months away and a grim teaser just released, I thought I'd check out this version of the Homer's story from seventy years ago. "Ulysses" is an Old School Italian Sword-and-Sandal film. Kino presents both the Italian version and the English Language version (my choice), which maintains the voices of Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. Vibrant and angry Kirk Douglas is the perfect choice for the lead, and he is just instantly credible as the legendary hero. Silvano Mangano is Penelope, and while she was much heralded for her beauty and presence, the English dubbing takes something away from her.

"Ulysses" is a bit dated in many regards. A "Physically Fit" physique looks a bit different in 1954 than it does today. The film has great production value for its time. The sequence where Ulysses and his men face a Cyclops scared me as a little kid and still maintains some creepy charm even though the monster's make-up is fairly primitive. Unfortunately, the combat in the film is a bit sloppy and lacks sharp choreography.

I'm certainly curious to see what Christopher Nolan will do with the property. Matt Damon plays "Odysseus", (aka "Ulysses"), and Anne Hathaway is his wife "Penelope". Nolan likes grounded films, -even if everyone is moving in reverse, -and I wonder how he'll treat the supernatural aspects of the tale. While "Ulysses" is good for what it is, in this category I prefer the more boldly fantastical "Jason and the Argonauts".

Bloody Creek (1993) — This is probably one of those so good it's bad if not for scenes that drag on for far too long (stretching its 92-minute running time that was too long for these shot-on-shiteo movies). Bad acting, direction, gore effects, sound design, and practically everything else. You might find entertainment watching MST3K style with friends. */***** (Blu-ray)