Emotional performances anchor “His Three Daughters”

Some of the best movies I have seen could have been plays. These are movies with a few characters, usually in one location, and heavily focused on the characters. Think about movies like "The Breakfast Club." It takes place during a Saturday detention, and the characters get to know one another better and grow and change during those hours together. "His Three Daughters" is a movie I would love to see on stage.

When their father is on his deathbed, three women (Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olson) spend time together in his small New York City apartment, waiting for the end to come.

Coon, Lyonne, and Olson deliver Oscar-worthy performances here, and I don't know which one I loved more. As someone who has spent years seeing her as Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch, in countless MCU movies, I find it great to see Olson in something different. She is the youngest of the three, moved the furthest away, and is the step-sister of the other two. She always felt like an outsider in the family because of that. When the other two moved away, he was her and her dad.

There is clearly a lot of history between these three characters, but the movie never gets bogged down in exposition dumps. There are movies with much simpler backstories that have very clunky exposition scenes/lines. These three women are estranged, but as they care for their father, they become closer and understand one another on a deeper level.

"His Three Daughters" is a character piece with three incredible performances. There are not many movies I feel like I can easily recommend to anyone, but this movie is one of them.

"His Three Daughters" is on Netflix

9/10

Rated R for language and drug use

1h 41m

“Rebel Ridge” is worth keeping your Netfix subscription for.

One of my favorite genres is "messed with the wrong person." For example, think about "Taken." These criminals kidnap Liam Nesson's daughter, but what the kidnappers don't know is that he has "a very particular set of skills," and they end up regretting their actions. Or even "John Wick." A criminal kills Wick's dog, not realizing that Wick is one of the most feared assassins in the world. I love watching corrupt people get what's coming to them.

While riding his bike to bail out, his cousin, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), is detained by police, and the bail money is seized. Terry finds himself involved in a small-town corruption scheme and has to find a way to escape.

Terry is a man who wants to bail out his cousin and get out of town, but these corrupt cops get in the way. In his confrontations with the police, he is at a disadvantage. They have the power, and he does everything short of begging to get his cousin back. When the cops, specifically Chief Burnne (Don Johnson), go back on that deal, he has no choice but to fight back. Pierre gives Terry a calm, calculating deminer that is unwavering in the face of extreme injustice. It's rare to see someone become a star, but Pierre does in this movie.

This is where the messed with the wrong guy element comes in. Terry is an ex-Marine, and while he did not see combat, he trained others in close-quarters combat. He is an expert in disarming and incapacitating enemies. There are not a ton of action sequences, but they are great. The cops are trying to kill Terry, but he is using hand-to-hand combat or other less-lethal means to fight back.

Seeing people in power abuse that power(as much in real life as in movies) fills me with rage. The cops can legally take any money they suspect of being involved in a crime, so I started this movie fully on Terry's side. It is always great to see the bad guys get their comeuppance (unlike most of the time in real life). Without a doubt, this will find its way onto my top ten list for the year.

"Rebel Ridge" is currently on Netflix.

9/10

Rated TV-MA

2hrs. 11min.

“Ghostlight” is anchored by stellar performances

I was in exactly one play in elementary school. I don't remember what it was, but I had no lines and can't even remember what part I played. I want to say it was someone who does/doesn't adopt one of the orphans in the play (even then, I am not sure). Anyway, I have always had a massive respect for theater performers.

In "Ghostlight," a construction worker (Keith Kupferer) joins a local theater group's production of Romeo and Juliet.

This movie floored me. My one gripe would be a spoiler, so I'll not mention it here, but just know it was not enough to diminish the power of the movie or the performances.

The family at the center of this movie is still recovering from a tragedy that profoundly impacts them, and they each deal with it differently. Dan (Kupferer) bottles it up and plays the part of the strong one; his wife Sharron (Tara Mallen) is the one really keeping the family together, and Daisy (Kathrine Mallen Kepferer) lashes out at the world. You might notice that all those names you read have similar last names. They are real-life dad, mom, and daughter, which works perfectly with this movie. They have this established relationship, so it did not feel forced.

Dan and Daisy get the most to do, and both Kepferers are incredible. Daisy suspects her dad is cheating when she sees him with a woman from the play, so she follows him one day and gets involved with the production. This is her chance to connect with her father again after what happened.

This is a character piece at its core, and I love those as much as anything released in theaters every week. I would put it up there with "Booksmart," "Short Term 12," or "The Flordia Project," which I keep thinking about years after seeing them.

“Ghostlight: is available to rent on digitaL now.

9/10

Rated R for language

1h 55min

The Juice is back and still having fun

When I saw "The Flash" last year, there was one thing that stood out in that complete pile of dog poo; Michael Keaton. His performance as Batman/Bruce Wayne was surprisingly great. After that performance, I was less worried about the sequel to "Beetlejuice." I thought that if he could bring that to the character of Beetlejuice after so long, the movie stood a chance at success.

After her father dies, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and her stepmother Delia (Cathrine O'Hara) return to Winter River. When her daughter accidentally opens a portal to the Netherworld, Lydia reluctantly calls on Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to help get her back.

I had a ton of fun with this movie. Keaton effortlessly brings the chaotic trickster demon back. Seeing "The Juice" back to his antics is fun, sowing terror and chaos wherever he goes. That being said, the true star of this movie is O'Hara. If you have seen her in the original or her brilliant work as Moria Rose in "Schitt's Creek," you should. She has been a comedy legend for decades, making everything 10 times funnier just by being in the movie. Keaton and O'Hara are having an absolute blast in their respective roles, and that is just fun to watch.

My one problem is that there were too many storylines going on: Beetlejuice's ex-wife, Deloras (Monica Bellucci), is hunting him down; Astrid meets a boy, and they have a whole subplot; Lydia has stuff going on with her boyfriend, etc. It's a lot. You could have excised a few of them and not affected the quality. In fact, it might have been a better movie.

We are in a weird time in Hollywood. A lot of these sequels to twenty- and thirty-year-old movies are doing well at the box office and have been decent movies ("Twisters," "Top Gun: Maverick," etc.). However, the industry will not learn the proper lesson: make it a story worth telling. Instead, I feel like we might be in for sequels to barely remembered movies just to make a quick buck. I am having a blast with them, at least for now.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.

1h 45min

“Romulus” takes “Alien” back to its roots

For such a beloved series, the "Alien" franchise only really has two good movies; "Alien" and "Aliens." The rest have been interesting at best but, more often than not, terrible. Despite all that, this series has had staying power. The original came out in 1979, and now, 45 years later, the tenth film in the franchise.

Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her "brother," an android named Andy (David Jonsson). When they are offered a chance to escape the mining planet they are on, she and the group scavenge a derelict ship for resources and encounter an unknown creature.

I loved this movie, and it is easily the third-best of the franchise (behind "Aliens" and "Alien"). The other movies tend to focus on employees of Wayland-Yutani, but "Romulus" looks at ordinary people suffering under the company's power. Early in the movie, Rain requests passage off the planet because she has worked her contracted number of hours, but the woman tells her that the company has now doubled the number of hours, so she has to stay. This is just one of many glimpses into life under the thumb of this cooperation.

To me, the standout performance is Jonsson. When the movie starts, Andy is malfunctioning. He is an older model of android, and is glitchy. He loves to tell bad jokes and was given the prime directive to protect Rain by her father before he died. When they get to the derelict ship, he gets an upgrade, and a) he has a British accent and b) he becomes colder towards the humans he is with. He is willing to sacrifice them if need be. His new directive is to protect the interests of the company. It is a fascinating transition to watch.

I did not know what to expect from this film. I have not liked an "Alien" movie since I saw "Aliens." While the first two movies set the bar high, the subsequent sequels didn't even attempt to reach that bar. "Romulus" is a welcome change from that. I may have a few issues with it, but nothing that ruins the movie. This brings the franchise back to its roots: a great mix of sci-fi and horror.

8/10

Rated R for bloody, violent content and language

1h 59min

“Sing Sing” finds hope in the most desperate place

"Sing Sing" has been on my radar for some time. It is from A24, a studio that has released some of my favorite movies of the past 10 years (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Midsommar, The Flordia Project), it stars Colman Domingo, an actor who makes everything he is in better and the premise was interesting. I knew about the movie, but it always surprises me when I go to a movie like this and see a substantial number of people in the audience. It gives me hope when a small movie like this reaches a larger audience than people like me: movie nerds.

"Sing Sing" focuses on an acting program for inmates at Sing Sing Prison.

Domingo plays Divine G, a man imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. While in prison, he helps start a program called RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts) that allows prisoners to perform in plays. Domingo is an incredible actor and is given a lot to work with here. If he doesn't get the Oscar for Best Actor, it will further delegitimize those awards.

One of the most shocking elements of this movie is that, with two exceptions, the main actors are previously incarcerated, and they all do a fantastic job. Divine Eye, played by Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, is stunning to watch. He is set up as the antagonist. He is in prison for dealing drugs and is seen doing the same thing in prison. He has an attitude that makes him seem to think that he is too good for this program. He is someone who is so immersed in prison culture that watching him soften and become a better person is one of my favorite parts of this film.

I have now seen this movie twice, once in Philly and once here in Buffalo, and both times, I have left the theater stunned. This is a special movie. "Sing Sing" is, hands down, my favorite film this year; odds are that it will be my No. 1 of the year. It is everything I go to the movies for; incredible performances, inspiring storytelling, and you leave with a different view of the world.

9/10

Rated R for language throughout

1hr. 47min.

“Evil” was a show unlike any other

The final episode of The Best Show You Weren't Watching, "Evil, " aired this past week. The show followed Fr. David Acosta (Mike Colter), Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), and Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) as they acted as accessors for The Catholic Church. Their job was to investigate miracles, possessions, and hauntings to determine if they were real and needed the church to intervene.

"Evil" was as close to "The X-Files" as we have had. Kristen, a former psychologist, played the part of the skeptic, Ben was the tech guy always looking for how things work, and David, the priest, was the believer.

The first season aired on CBS but was moved to Paramount+ for the subsequent seasons. Typically, this would have been a death knell for a show just starting, but this move let them go crazy and tell some of the most exciting and entertaining stories on television.

"Evil" perfectly balanced the "case of the week" with an overarching narrative. Each week, the team dealt with a new case, and many times, that case made connections to the larger story. In the past few seasons, that was focused on Leland Townsand (Michael Emerson), a member of an organization preparing for the anti-Christ.

The show got weird (demon pigs this past season), but one of the more unique things was the demons. Most of the time, these were people in costume or makeup, and the effects looked incredible. I loved the show most when it got weird and embraced that.

In a world filled with "CSIs" and "Law & Orders," "Evil" stood out. It was a procedural that dared to do more than "case of the week" storytelling and had a lot to say about belief vs. skepticism. Not every case they took had a logical, scientific answer. I dare say I don't think we will get a show like it again anytime soon.

Escape (Prologue-Chapter 2)

Prologue

The smell of stale coffee radiated throughout the station from the stand in the corner. The dozen other passengers stood around, staring at their phones or newspapers. Except for the girl with a messy, dark brown, almost black ponytail pulled through her tattered baseball cap. Clarke stood, music playing on her headphones, lost in thought, eyes staring straight ahead, focusing on nothing. Her moment had come; she was finally leaving. Her bags were packed, and she was ready to board a bus to her new start.

She may be leaving a place she loved, but she was also leaving all the baggage it held. She was leaving a crappy job, a stagnant relationship, and a city where everyone she knew had moved away and moved on. While that knowledge made her a little homesick, she knew it was for the best.

As much as she still loved the city, it held too much heartbreak now. Its streets had become filled with sadness and reminders of her failures. She couldn't turn a corner without being confronted with regrets and missed opportunities. As she wandered around the bus station, sipping her coffee, she could see the building where she hadn't gotten her dream job. It was six months after graduation, and she had been applying and interviewing all over the city. She found a job as a marketing assistant at R&P, one of the best firms in the city. There was a lot of room for growth; if she got this job, she would never need to go anywhere else. She knew getting the position would be challenging, and dozens of people were applying. Still, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

She got past the first round of interviews and felt very good about her answers. By the second round, the applicant pool was down to five. This interview would be with some of the company's executives. She left her 90-minute interview feeling good. She stumbled on a few answers and might not have been as experienced as the other, but she felt like there was a chance. About a week later, she got a call telling her they were "going in a different direction." Even though it was a long shot, the rejection crushed her, and she sat in her apartment in shock as she processed the news. It took her a few weeks to recover before she could continue her job search.

It was not all bad; there were a lot of good memories as well. A few blocks down from where she stood now was where she fell in love with the city. It was the summer after her sophomore year when he had gotten a waitressing job downtown. One night after her shift, she stepped outside, and the city was alive. She may have been exhausted, but the city was still buzzing with activity. She saw a couple snuggled on a bench beside the train tracks. The bars were humming with activity as patrons spilled into the patios. As she walked back to her apartment, she saw the audiences from concerts and plays filling out into the warm summer night. It was close to midnight, and there was still so much this place had to offer. It was then, at that moment, that she knew she never wanted to leave this city.

But that seemed like such a long time ago. Sadness infected the joy and excitement the city once held. All her good memories had become tainted by regret and grief. The city had become littered with her failures.

Freshman Year

I

It had not always been that way; she remembered coming here on one of her first college visits. As a girl from the suburbs, she was in awe of the city. She went to college at Franklin University because she wanted to live in the city. She loved that the campus was in the city's heart and was within walking distance of an art gallery, two museums, bars, and some great parks. It made committing that much easier. Then, in late August, she was back for Freshman Orientation. That was when she met Dylan. Like some weird modern fairy tale, they met on move-in day. She was balancing three boxes, and the top one was slipping. Like Prince Charming in jorts and a backward baseball cap, he swooped in to help her.

"Need some help?" a voice behind her asked. She turned around, losing control of the box, which spilled its contents all over the lobby's black and white tile floor. She groaned loudly, put the other boxes on the floor, and started to pick up the contents.

"Sorry about that," he said as he bent down to help pick up the box's papers, pens, and other office supplies.

He put the last few items in and picked up the box. "I got it," he said. Which floor are we going to?"

"Fourth, Room 406," she said as the elevator door opened.

"You can put that one on the bed," she said when they arrived at her dorm room.

"By the way, my name is Dylan," he said, holding his hand out. Thank you for your help, Dylan. I'm Clarke," she responded, shaking his hand.

"Got any more boxes to bring up?" he asked.

"Yeah, one more load."

They returned to the car, where Clarke's mom was waiting with the van in the loading dock on the side of the building. "Mom, this is Dylan. He's offered to give me a hand with this last load. Dylan, this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you," Dylan extended his hand.

"You too," she responded, giving him the classic mom once over. She had done this to every boyfriend Clarke had in high school. She always seemed to have some intuition regarding "the wrong guy." She was never judgmental about Clarke's choices. She was always there with a sappy rom-com and a big bag of kettle corn if the relationship ended in tears. Dylan seemed to pass her initial test. They grabbed the last two boxes and went back to Clarke's room.

"Thanks so much for your help," she said when the last boxes were in the room.

"Happy to help. I'm only a few floors up on 6. Room 628, if you want to hang out later."

"Yeah, sure. I might have time to stop by once I get all this unloaded,"

"I look forward to it, Clarke," he said as he walked out of the room towards the stairwell.

She ran back downstairs to say goodbye to her mom.

"I like him," her mom said, gesturing towards Dylan, who was leaving the dorm.

"Goodbye, Mom," Clarke laughed, wanting to give that comment as little acknowledgment as possible.

She then went about unloading and stashing away all her things. She was starting to make a dent when her roommate came in.

"You must be Clarke," she said, "I'm Becky," she said, putting down the bag she was carrying.

"Do you need help?" Clarke asked.

"That would be great. I still have a few loads down in the car."

They went to the loading dock, where Becky's car was parked. "It's the blue Fiesta," she said. The back seat was filled with two large containers, and the trunk contained a few random boxes and suitcases. When Becky's stuff was in their room, she looked at all her stuff and said, "I don't feel like dealing with this right now. Any chance you want to go get some food from the Union?"

"Yeah, let's go," Clarke said.

When they entered the massive red brick building in the middle of campus, they passed the food court full of fast food places that would be lovingly called "The Grease Pit" and walked up the stairs to the dining hall. Dinner that night was Salisbury steak, a veggie mix, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

"I don't think I have ever had bad mashed potatoes," Becky commented as they sat down.

"Clearly, you haven't had Aunt Tracy's," Clarke said with a laugh. As they ate, the two roommates got to know one another. Becky was from Kentucky and came to college up north because she wanted to be far from her family. A year ago, her grandmother died, and the will reading caused a fracture among some of her family members. She had taken her share and put it into going to college.

"It got scary; it almost came to blows a few times. My dad and his sister were angry when their younger brother's name came up in the will. He had been estranged from everyone else for a few years. He had been in and out of rehab and couldn't hold down a job for longer than six months. They felt they deserved more than him, but they all got an equal share. I got out of there fast. She had always promised to help me pay for college; what she left was enough to get started."

"You think you'll ever go back?" Clarke asked, "Move back, I mean."

"Probably not. I love my family, but they showed me who they really are. I cannot shake some of what they said to and about one another. They were so quick to anger and had no compassion. My uncle is not a bad guy. He had a bad go of it and never recovered," Becky sighed. "But enough about my family drama. What about you?"

Clarke told her about growing up in the suburbs and her ever-growing desire to move to a city. When she applied to colleges, she jumped at the chance to go to a place unlike where she grew up as possible.

"There is something I have always loved about a city. I visited New York City a lot growing up, and I still hope to move there one day. I loved walking down the street, taking a left, and discovering something amazing. I love a nice backyard as much as the next person, but nothing compares to how alive a city feels. In the 'burbs, you have to drive for 10 minutes to see anything interesting. You take two steps off this campus and are in the middle of something."

"You are preaching to the choir here," Becky said. "It's not like I came from a one-traffic light town, but it was damn close."

They spent a long time chatting and laughing, comparing stories and experiences. By the time they left, the Union was going to close. As they headed back to the dorm, she remembered Dylan's invitation. She felt terrible but had only met him and figured she would eventually run into him.

When they got back, they noticed that the door to room 405 was open. They went over to introduce themselves. Courtney and Lilly were locals and had been best friends since Kindergarten when Lilly moved in next door. They were both the babies of the family; Court had two older brothers, and Lilly had an older sister.

"We both relished being the youngest. Our siblings were always there for us, helping us with more than a few scrapes with our parents." Courtney said. "They laughed at our epic failures."

"Like when you were trying to sneak out of the house and ended up twisting your ankle when you tripped over your mom's rosebushes,"

"I was pulling thrones out of legs for days," Court says, laughing.

"It did pay to be the youngest."

"Wouldn't know. Only child," Clarke said.

"And I'm the oldest of two, but my brother is only about a year younger, so I didn't get much of a head start on him. We basically grew up at the same time. We were only a grade level apart. Best I could do is tell him what teachers to avoid."

Courtney and Lilly grew up and attended school in the city; their high school was a few blocks from campus."We will be your guides. "We know all the best places to go and things to do," Lilly said excitedly when Clarke talked about her small-town upbringing.

"The waterfront was a place to avoid a few years ago but has become a go-to destination in the past few years. They have places to bike, and you can rent kayaks and other stuff to go out on the water. It's very nice down there now." Lilly said. "And if you are here during the summer, something is always going on down there: concerts, movies, festivals, stuff like that." They spent the following few hours swapping stories about growing up.

Clarke and Becky headed back to their room after midnight. The first orientation session was at 7:30. Whatever was not already unpacked was put in a corner, and the two of them went to bed.

II

The next morning, at seven, Becky and Clarke entered the quad to sign in for day one of Freshman orientation. They were given the schedule of the day's events, information sessions, and tours. They met with Court and Lilly as they walked to Hammond Hall's auditorium for opening remarks. The remarks were all the usual fare: "Welcome to Franklin," "We are lucky to have you," and "Here is what makes us a special place for learning."

That morning's sessions were financial aid and the college's academic support programs. All the incoming freshmen filed into Smith Hall, where the large lecture halls were. Luckily, Clarke and Becky were assigned the same room and got seats next to one another. It was during that morning session that their bond solidified. In the following years, they would joke that the hours of PowerPoints, drowning presenters, and technical glitches were what "trama-bonded" them. After lunch with Lilly and Court, Clarke met with her advisor, Dr. Tenenbaum.

When Tenenbaum asked if she had a major in mind, she said, "I'm not sure, but I am leaning towards Marketing."

"Why marketing?"

"I have never thought about it, but...it has always fascinated me how much work and research goes into a simple ad."

"If you want to be done here in four years, it's best to declare as soon as possible. Early second semester at the latest. In the meantime, you can focus on your gen ed classes. ENG 100 is a no-brainer; any lower-lever math class will do. How are you at math?"

"I'm okay, I got through pre-calc in high school."

"Great. Then you should take (CLASS). I can give you a few classes that would allow you to dip your toe in marketing and get your foot in the door in the marketing department. Try (CLASS A and CLASS B) and then my last bit of advice is to find a fun class to take, an art or film class, for instance. The first semester can be a bit stressful, so I always recommend finding something lighter to take for the hell of it. A few years ago, someone came in wanting to do PoliSci and ended up majoring in film studies and minoring in communication. It was all because of a throwaway film class he took. He published his second book about the Hayes Code last year. I'm not saying you will completely change your major, but you never know."

"I'll keep that in mind," Clarke said.

Tenenbalm jotted down a few more classes she should consider and handed her the paper. "Thanks for coming in. You would not believe how many freshmen skip these."

"Thanks for your help," Clarke said as she left.

She had about 30 minutes to kill before the afternoon session started, so she returned to her room. Becky wasn't there, so Clarke set the alarm on her phone and lay in bed.

Clarke was jolted awake when the alarm went off. She grabbed her jacket and rushed to Hammond Hall for the afternoon sessions. "I'm on my way." she texted Becky as she raced across campus. "Saving your seat," came the response. She got to the lecture hall before the presentation was starting. "I went back to the room after my meeting and passed out," Clarke whispered to Becky as she sat down. There was only one session, so after another long and mostly pointless two hours, it was time to register for classes. She took Tenanbalm's advice and found a few Gen Ed classes and an Intro to Marketing. She even added an Intro Drawing class as her fun one. She even managed to get into a few of the same Gen Ed classes as Becky. As they were headed back to the dorm, Clarke saw Dylan on the other side of the quad.

Back in their dorm, Court and Lilly were making plans for the evening. "As your official guides to the city, we want to give you your first night out," Courtney said. "Parkway. That street where the main entrance is has many things to do. It's called the 'Park Strip.' Parkway was one of the main arteries radiating from downtown to the city's outskirts. Much of the area near Franklin College had been built up with coffee shops, late-night food spots, and, of course, bars. Everything an 18-year-old college Freshman could want on their weekends free from responsibilities.

"This place never IDs. I have been coming here since I was 16 and only got carded once, and that bouncer doesn't work here anymore," Courtney said as they headed across the street.

"That sounds ominous," Becky said.

"Oh, no. He was overcharging for cover and pocketing the difference," Court said.

Sure enough, the man at the door nodded as they walked up and went right in. The place was narrow but long. The bar took up half a wall in the front, and old arcade machines lined the other wall. In the back were six booths, but most of the customers were sticking to the bar area. They made their way to the crowded bar to get drinks.

"Court! What can I getcha?" the bartender said when he saw the four of them.

"We here here first," someone yelled from the other end of the bar.

"VIP!" the bartender yelled back and turned toward the girls.

"Four gin and tonics," Courtney said, lightly touching his hand.

"Coming right up."

They paid for their drinks and found an empty booth. "So, what's with you and that bartender?" Clarke asked?

"Who? Aaron? It's nothing. He wants to fuck me, and I let him think I will. In return, he adds a little extra liquor to my drinks."

"That's her go-to move," Lilly chimed in. "We've gotten into concerts for free with this strategy. I keep telling her it's going to come back and bite her in the ass one day, but she refuses to listen to me."

"It has a 100 percent success rate, so..." Courtney takes a sip to punctuate her argument.  

After a few drinks, they left the bar and walked further down Parkway. Courtney and Little pointed out other places of interest, some of which would become their go-to spots in later years. After a few more drinks at some other bars, they headed back to campus.

The next morning, feeling hungover, they signed in for day two of orientation. She saw Dylan in one of the front rows as they sat down. She wanted to yell out, but her head was pounding. She took some aspirin and a breakfast sandwich from one of the places in "The Grease Pit."

"No better cure for a hangover than a big, greasy breakfast sandwich," Becky said. "It never fails. Trust me."

"I hope I can eat it without throwing up all over the row in front of us."

"Well, luckily, we have two short sessions this morning and are done."

"How the hell are you so chipper right now? You drank more than I did!"

"There's not much to do in my town other than swipe booze from your parents and drink with your friends in the woods. Last night was nothing. You'll be fine."

Clarke took a bite of her sandwich and put it on the table while waiting for the presentations to start. The presenters talked to them about the study abroad programs, campus safety, and employment opportunities. Clarke pretended to pay attention, but all she wanted was for her headache to go away and for these people to shut up.

Somehow, she kept her breakfast down and made it through the last session. Seeing that Clarke was still in bad shape, Becky helped her back to the room and into bed.

"Take a nap. I have a Communication Department meetup in a few minutes. We can do something after."

Clarke gave her a thumbs up and promptly fell asleep.

When she woke up, Becky was back and sitting at her computer.

"She's alive! How ya feeling?"

"Much better," Clarke said, sitting up. "How was your thing?"

"Good. Got to mingle with other Com majors a bit. You up for exploring the city a bit?"

Clarke looked at her, "No drinking!"

"Coffee count?"

"I'll accept that. Let's go."

Parkway gave off a whole different vibe in the daylight. There were a few small coffee shops and many more restaurants than she had noticed the night before. After stopping to get some coffee, the two walked further downtown. Their campus was about a half-mile from the "heart of downtown," they spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area that would become their home. They took in the sights and sounds of everything around them. The sun was setting when they returned to campus to get food.

"Whatcha wanna do tonight? Lil and I are going to a frat party. Want to come?" Courtney asked when they got back.

Clarke started to say something, but Becky chimed in, "I'm not feeling too well. Mighta been something I ate at the Union."

"I'm going to chill with Becky; make sure she's okay," Clarke added, picking up on what Becky was doing.

"Well, if you feel better, it's over on Oak Street."

"Maybe, " Clarke said. Courtney went back into her room to finish getting ready.

"Thanks for covering for me, " Clarke said. "I have no desire to go to a frat party tonight."

"Believe me. You aren't ready for two nights of drinking. We will get you there, thought," Becky said with a smile.

Streaming services are getting out of control

Two weeks ago, I got an email from Netflix saying they would no longer offer my subscription tier (ad-free, $9.99) and would move me to the lowest tier (ads, $6.99). A week earlier, Disney announced they would raise the price of Disney+ and Hulu. I have hit the wall when it comes to streaming services, and I am utterly exhausted.

I get that things cost money. I am not saying all this should be free. However, I have an issue with introducing the ad-supported tiers on these services. They want you to choose the ad-supported tier because it makes them more money than the ad-free plans. That is why they keep raising the prices of ad-free plans. At its lowest, Netflix costs $8 a month to stream as much as you want with no ads. Now, its cheapest plan is $6.99 with ads, and it offers a Premium plan for a whopping $22.99 a month. Even with that huge number, I can bet they made more of the ad-supported than the others.

When all the services started having ads, it was clear that this was the direction of the market. It's free money for them; these services have millions of subscribers, and subscribers will get ads unless they want to pay a ton of money. For years, having ads was an anomaly; now, it is standard practice. One of the initial perks of streaming was that there were no ads. You paid a premium not to have them- it was one of the reasons people got rid of cable. Now, all major services have an ad-supported tier. We have gone back to cable; services are even bundling together further, making it feel like we are just getting cable again.

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Here's the thing. I knew this day was coming. One was when I would only subscribe to a service when there was something I wanted to watch just to avoid wasting money on services I rarely use. Depending on how I like its ad-supported service, Netflix will be the first to fall into this category. It is the one I use the least, and when I do, what I watch is so rarely great that I question why I keep showing loyalty to a product that disappoints so regularly. I have put a lot of thought into this, and I won't bore you with the details, but I already know which services will make the cut and which won't.

Hartnett shines in “Trap”

Here's the thing about M. Night Shyamalan: He might have more misses than hits on his resume, but he is always trying something with his movies. He is not making big franchises; he has made precisely one sequel and finances his films. His new movie, "Trap," might be one of my favorites of his recent output.

Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) are at a concert. Cooper finds out that there is a large police presence and that they are trying to catch the serial killer known as "The Butcher." Here's the thing...Cooper is "The Butcher."

That is not a spoiler; it is the main crux of the trailer.

I am not a huge Shyamalan fan. He had some early successes, but he hasn't made anything approaching the quality of "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable" in well over a decade. His movies tend to fall apart in the third act, and this one does, too, but what comes before it is compelling enough that I can overlook some of the head-scratching decisions that plague the final third of this movie.

Hartnett is the main reason to see this movie. He effortlessly switches between a dorky dad and a calculated killer. The scenes where Cooper is in the middle of figuring out how to get out of the area, gets interrupted, and has to be a dad are fantastic to watch. You can see Cooper blend into any situation and play the role he needs to at the time, and Hartnett is incredible.

No one is doing what Shyamalan is. He makes mid-budget thrillers for adults and finances his movies himself. I greatly respect him, even though many of his films are half-baked. "Trap" is one of the better half-baked movies he has made recently.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for some violent content and brief strong language

1h 45m

“Deadpool and Wolverine” rewards 24 years of watching movies

Now that Disney has the rights to the X-Men, I knew "Deadpool & Wolverine" would be the swan song for the Fox X-Men universe. To prepare for the movie, I watched all the Fox movies, starting with "X-Men" through "The New Mutants." I didn't realize that the thirteen movies I watched didn't cover everything that "Deadpool & Wolverine" had in store.

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is told that his universe is dying and is offered a place in the MCU. Instead, he tries to save his universe by finding a Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to help him.

When Jackman finished filming "Logan" in 2017, he said he was done playing Logan/Wolverine. It was a genuine shock when it was announced that he was coming back for the third "Deadpool" movie. In many recent interviews, he has stated that he regrets making that statement. This was worth him coming back for. This version of Wolverine lets down his entire universe and spends his days drinking, and this movie is about him learning to reconcile with what happened. There is a scene late in the movie where a character tells this Wolverine, "You were always the wrong guy. Until you weren't." That has been the defining arch of this character. He doesn't see himself as a hero, and he's not, but steps up when it counts.

These are two unkillable characters, so it is brutal when they fight one another and do it a couple of times. The fights between these two take full advantage of its R-rating. One of the great things about "Logan" was that it was the first time we saw Wolverine really be Wolverine. One of his most famous lines from the comics is, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best what I do isn't nice," he has gotten to show that in this and "Logan." When we next see the character, he will be sanded down to a PG-13 version, but we will always have these movies show what he can be.

I get the criticism of this movie. There are a ton of cameos from the last 24 years of comic book movies, and they can be seen as fan service. I can see that for some movies, but there is a purpose behind each of the major cameos. I don't want to spoil any, so I cannot back up what I just wrote. I can give a non-example. Kelly Hu comes back as Lady Deathstrike, but she is only a background character; she gets no lines and has no impact on the story. If you blink, you'll miss her; that is how quick it is. There are a few like that, but some more significant ones were used perfectly.

This is not going to be for everyone. It is crass, bloody, and full of references that only the movie obsessives will get. Basically...me. I loved it and had so much fun that I cannot wait to see it again.

8/10

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore, and sexual references.

2h 27min.

“Twisters,” epitomizes summer movie fun

One movie I watched last week was 1996's "Twister." I hadn't watched it in a long time and would see "Twisters" on the weekend. I don't remember my feelings when I first saw it, but I am sure I loved it. With years of reviews and hundreds of movies behind me, it is fun but flawed. But how about "Twisters?"

Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) was once a tornado chaser, but when she makes a decision that ends with most of her team and friends dying, she stops. Her former teammate Javi (Anthony Ramos) entices her to come back. He and his new team are working to get a full 3D scan of a tornado to understand them better. They run into rival tornado hunters and YouTubers led by Tyler Owens (Glenn Powell).

Like "Top Gun: Maverick" before it, "Twisters" is a better movie than the original. Come after me, "Top Gun" fans. I'm pretty sure I can take ya.

Just like in the first one, there isn't a true antagonist. Owens and his group come off as cocky and fame-chasing, but soon after their initial meeting, Kate sees Owens's group donating food and supplies to victims of a tornado.

One nitpick I have is that we don't really see Kate deal with the fact that she made a decision that killed three people. Yes, she quits chasing tornados and has a minor panic attack when she returns, but for something that made him stop chasing, she sure does jump back into it with no problem.

"Twisters" is one of those movies that needs to be seen on the big screen. The storm sequences are great and impressive to see on a big screen. It is a big summer blockbuster at its best.

7/10

Rated

2hrs. 2mins

Best of the Week: July 15-21

I have been off of work this week. Admin is at a week-long training, so we can't do summer school for some reason--don't get me started; it is idiotic. Anywhoo...I have spent a lot of time this week watching movies. Here are my thoughts on a few of them

Roshamon: On Wednesday this week, I saw Seven Samurai. In preparation, I decided to watch my first Akira Kurosawa movie. In "Roshamon," a crime is told from three different points of view. I liked this movie. It is never clear which version is the correct one. All three people have their motives for the version of the story. It is well worth your time if you have not seen this one.

Seven Samurai: This is hailed as one of the greatest movies ever. When a movie has that moniker behind it, it comes with high expectations, and I always worry that it will not match what everyone says it is. "Seven Samurai" is an absolute masterpiece. A small village hires seven samurai to fight off a band of thieves who keep taking their crops. It may be a long movie (three hours and 27 minutes), but it makes the most of that time. You get to know each samurai and a few villagers, so you are invested in those involved when the attack happens. Everything about this movie is stunning; if you can find the time, see it.

Godzilla: A while back, I got the Showa-Era Godzilla Criterion Collection, and I am finally getting around to watching them. The movies in this collection are the first Godzilla movies ever made. The first one, released in 1954, is excellent. The hardest thing to do in a monster movie is to balance caring about the human characters with monster action, which this movie manages. One thing I love about all the films so far is the miniatures. When Godzilla attacked and destroyed a city, it was built for that purpose and looked spectacular every time.

Godzilla Raids Again: Here is one thing I never knew: the Godzilla in this movie is a different monster. Godzilla dies in the first movie, so this is the same species, just not the same monster. This movie sets the overarching plot of the rest of the films; Godzilla fights another giant monster or kaiju, in this case, Anguirus. Again, this movie is excellent, and the miniature work is impressive.

King Kong vs. Godzilla: This was laughably bad. First, I thought King Kong looked like Lotso from Toy Story 3, a stuffed animal that had spent too many years in a daycare being played with by toddlers. There is a scene where they are transporting Kong to get him to fight Godzilla, and balloons are lifting him, and I burst out laughing. Then there were the fight scenes. At one point, Kong swings Godzilla around by his tail after being powered up by lightning (according to my friend, the original co-star was going to be Frankenstein's monster). It's that bad.

Logan: I have been rewatching all the Fox X-Men movies in preparation for "Deadpool and Wolverine" next weekend. This is, by far, the best of those movies. It was R-rated, so it lets Logan be the vicious best that comic book fans had been waiting for. It is also a beautiful ending for Logan/Wolverine. He goes from someone who actively rejects a found family to dying to protect one.

Nimona: I hate that this is stuck on Netflix. It is a beautiful story of acceptance and the villains we make to feel safer. When I revisited my first review on Letterboxd, I was shocked that I had only given this movie three stars. When I give a movie that rating, it says, "This is good, but not great." On this rewatch, this is a great movie, and it would have been a massive hit if it had been released in theaters.

“Day One” shows a quiet story amidst an alien invasion

"A Quiet Place" was the movie that started me on the path to becoming a fan of horror movies. The franchise has been solid for the first two installments, and the idea of seeing what the initial invasion looked like was a huge reason for my interest in "A Quiet Place Day One."

As the title suggests, this occurs on the first day of the alien invasion. When aliens attack, Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) is on a group trip to New York City.

Here is my biggest gripe with the movie: It does not deliver on the promise of "Day One." The implication is that we will learn how society discovered that the aliens had sensitive hearing or could not swim. Instead, Sam is knocked out, and all that has already been figured out when she regains consciousness. It bummed me out that it didn't add anything to the overall world of "A Quiet Place."

That being said, I liked this movie. Sam is terminally ill and living in a hospice. She is in constant pain and on medication for it. When the world is ending, Sam's focus is getting a slice of pizza from a place she used to go to when she was a kid. Everyone else is trying to escape the city, but she is venturing deeper into it. She knows that, even if the aliens don't get her, the illness will, so she might as well get some pizza. That is what separates this from the other installments: Sam is not trying to survive. That is not a realistic goal for her. She is in pain and dying. When her pain medication runs out, her life is going to be miserable, so she's just trying to stay alive long enough to eat some pizza.

There is a thing on the internet where people describe the plot of a movie badly. As much as I enjoyed this movie, I could not help but wonder how it would look for this movie: a woman goes to get pizza. This is not as good as the first two movies in the franchise, but in the end, it has a different perspective and a story worth telling.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for terror and violent content/bloody images

1hr. 39min.

June Squibb is a nonagenarian action star in “Thelma”

I love my dog; I really do. Adopting Rory was one of the best decisions I have made. But...sometimes we just need some time apart. After spending a solid week with him, I decided we needed a break from each other. I put him in his crate, ran some errands, and then went to a movie. The movie in question was "Thelma," and I can safely say that I was the youngest person in that theater by at least 20 years.

When she is scammed out of 10 thousand dollars, Thelma (June Squibb) embarks on a quest to get it back.

June Squibb is 94 and can still bring it to the screen. Thelma is a lovely woman who loves her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger). Danny is a bit of a screw-up, he didn't go to college and can't hold a job. She falls for the scam because she thinks he has been arrested. Thema is headstrong (her family doesn't like that she lives alone, but she refuses to be put in an old folks home), and when she sets her mind on getting the money back, she will do it no matter what.

What I loved most about this movie was all the action movie moments it had that were modified for 90-year-olds. At the end of the movie, Thelma is about to confront the people who have her money. She and a friend of hers connect their hearing aids to their phones and he waits outside while she goes in. He becomes her "guy in the chair." He guides her through the room, telling her to watch where to step or duck. It's a great scene, and as someone who loves action movies, I appreciate this take on a scene I have seen hundreds of times before.

I knew little about this movie except that it involved an old lady and a scooter. I had an absolute blast with this movie. It was hilarious, at times poignant, and clever.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for strong language

1h 38min

“Inside Out 2” can’t match the original, but still packs a emotional wallup

"Inside Out" remains one of my favorite Pixar movies. It was one of the company's wildest swings: "What if feelings had feelings?" And it worked on so many levels. It was a movie that kids could enjoy because of the colorful characters and silly jokes, and parents could enjoy it for the deeper meaning behind the story. Plus, everyone loves Bing Bong (voiced by the incredible Richard Kind). It was a masterpiece. I was skeptical it could live up to the original when the sequel was announced.

As Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) enters her teenage years, Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) and the rest of Riley's emotions face a new challenge. They must navigate the arrival of new emotions, led by Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), and the ensuing battle for control over Riley's future.

This movie does not hit as hard emotionally as the previous one (pun intended), but the payoff in the end was as good as the first. My other gripe is that the plot repeats the first movie: Joy and other emotions travel back to headquarters before a potential catastrophe strikes Riley.

The heart of the first movie is Joy realizing that memories can be a mix of different emotions. With Riley moving, some of those joyful memories can become tinged with sadness. Now, Joy and the other emotions need to learn how to deal with all that comes with puberty.

Like Joy, Anxiety is there to protect Riley; it's her mind running through all possible outcomes of a given situation. Anxiety is trying to do what is best for Riley's future, even if it means ruining her present. Riley is headed off to high school and will attend a different school than her best friends. Anxiety uses that as an opportunity to try to get in with the older, cool kids at the hockey camp they are at. In doing so, she alienates her friends.

As tends to happen to sequels to original movies, "Inside Out 2" was never going to match "Inside Out." The first film came out of nowhere and was one of Pixar's best. "Inside Out 2" comes very close to accomplishing what the original did. One way this sequel surpasses the original is in the overall lesson that the emotions learn (I won't spoil it, but it's pretty powerful).

8/10

Rated PG for some thematic elements.

1h 36min

“Presumed Innocent” fails to be truly compelling

Prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) is accused of the murder of another lawyer in the Chicago District Attorney's Office.

The show is a decent legal thriller (it's from David E. Kelly, so the pedigree is there), but some things keep me from liking it.

Jake Gyllenhall is great, and is why I have yet to bail on the show. Rusty has done some bad things. He was having an affair with the lawyer who was killed but is a decent family man otherwise. Gyllenhall plays Rusty as someone who finds himself in a constant fight to protect his family from what is becoming a smear campaign against him. Early on, he owns up to the affair with his children (his wife already knew) and is frank with them about what is going to happen as the investigation goes on.

Here is what is keeping me from liking the show more: DA Guardia (played by O-T Fagbenle) and the lead attorney on the case, Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgard), don't have any more depth than "Rusty was having an affair with the deceased and we have Rusty, so clearly he did it. Yes, all our evidence is circumstantial, but who cares? We hate Rusty." One thing I cannot stand in media is bad guys who are evil just because the script says so. Even someone like Michael Myers has more depth in the Halloween movies than these two guys do here. They are jerks just for the sake of being jerks.

The show is three episodes in, and I am not hooked yet. I will give it my usual five episodes, but it has yet to do anything interesting. It relies too much on cliffhanger endings and shocking reveals. At this point, I don't care about figuring out who the killer is; I just want to see the smug DA and prosecutor get what's coming to them, and that is not enough to make me watch the whole season.

Presumed Innocent airs on AppleTV+

How I Would Fix The Box Office “Crisis”

I keep up with movie news, and recently, numerous articles have discussed how every movie this summer is a box office bomb. I haven't read a single one because they will not add anything to what I see as a broken discourse in the film world. The movie industry is not doomed. Sure, there are a lot of problems facing studios and theaters right now, but it is not the end of the movies by any means. The fixes are simple but will take time.

Problem: The public has forgotten how to go to the movies

The pandemic was a very rough time for the movie industry; theaters were closed, and all production was stopped. Streaming services became the place to put movies. HBO Max and Disney+ were the two most prominent services that did this. At the time, it made sense. The main revenue stream has been shut off, so what better way to drive people to your streaming services than giving them hours of new content to watch? Then theaters opened back up, and the studios didn't stop putting movies on their services. "Encanto," "Turning Red," "Soul," and "Luca" were massive hits on Disney+ that never got released in theaters.

One significant change is the shrinking window between theatrical and home releases. 'The Fall Guy' was available for VOD (video on demand) purchase or rental just two weeks after its theatrical release. You used to have to wait four months to watch a movie at home after it left theaters, which also used to be longer.

Solution: Retrain the movie-going public

First and foremost, studios need to hold off on a movie's home release for much longer than they currently are. If I am even putting off seeing a film because I know it will be on VOD in a few weeks, then John/Jane Q Public is not going to the theater to see it. Traditionally, movies make the most money in their first week, but that doesn't mean studios should be so quick to pull them from theaters. Not every movie will make a billion dollars, which brings me to my second point.

Problem: Studios are making too many 100 million dollar (or more) movies.

"The Fall Guy" cost $130 million to make. As much as I love that movie, that is an outrageous number. If studios keep making these costly movies and they keep "flopping," then maybe the solution isn't to make more expensive movies. In some of these movies, the actors and the CGI are the main reasons for the ballooning cost of films.

Solution: Make More Mid-Budget Movies

This one is easy. There was a time when theaters were full of mid-budget movies, movies that cost between 5 and 60 million dollars. You can still have big-name actors and exciting stories and not need it to make $200 million. "Everything Everywhere All At Once" was made for around $25 million and made over $140 million at the box office. It just takes the right story to get people into theaters to see something that isn't a known quantity.

The truth is movies are not going anywhere. This is not the first time movies have struggled, and it won't be the last. I know that I am one of the outliers who sees movies every week, but I will not stop going to the movies. Some have said movies are becoming niche entertainment, something akin to seeing a play or musical. I don't see it this way. Movies are always going to be for everyone. This past weekend, "Inside Out 2" made over $150 million. It is the first "success" of the summer. Movies are not going anywhere; studios need to change their approach, and the audiences will follow.

Powell shines as a “Hit Man” with a secret

Glen Powell rose to fame when he co-starred with Tom Crusie in "Top Gun: Maverick" in 2022. He has become a bankable star in the intervening years. His mid-budget romcom with Sidney Sweeney, "Anyone But You," from last year, was a huge hit based solely on the star power of him and Sweeney.

In “Hit Man” Powell takes on the challenging role of Gary Johnson, a college professor leading a double life as an undercover police hitman. His life takes a dramatic turn when he falls for Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman seeking to have her husband eliminated.

Powell is a movie star, and this movie proves it. Gary is a nerdy guy who takes on different personalities when pretending to be a hitman. When he meets Madison, he meets her as Ron. Ron is smooth, confident, and charming, the opposite of Gary. Ron is the man Madison falls for; that is the persona he has to keep up. Powell does a great job of making these two sides seem totally different.

The movie is a ton of fun to watch. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but his relationship with Madison obviously complicates his life. It is fun to watch him navigate his relationship with Madison while keeping his cover and not letting the police know about said relationship.

This received a limited run in theaters and can now be watched on Netflix. And that is a shame. I watched this by myself on my couch when it just felt like a movie that would have been worth seeing on the big screen with a crowd. I think with Powell's star on the rise, this could have been a huge hit. Sadly, Netflix seems content to leave money on the table just to attempt to drive subscribers to their service.

8/10

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some violence

1hr. 55min

“Furiosa” is a triumphant return to The Wasteland

"Mad Max: Fury Road" was a cinematic masterpiece that left me in awe. I watched it multiple times in theaters and own three different versions of the movie. Last year, my love of the movie led me to read a book about the making of the movie. That was nine years ago, and now George Miller is bringing us back to The Wasteland with a prequel: "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga."

We meet Furiosa (Alyla Brown and Anya-Taylor Joy) moments before she is kidnapped from The Green Place and taken to The Wasteland. There, she meets Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and gets involved in a battle between him and Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme).

George Miller is 79 and making action movies like no one else. His action scenes are not just action for action's sake; his action sequences are character-based. His action scenes tell you more about the characters you are watching. During one of the major action scenes in"Furiosa," the titular hero has stowed away under The War Rig (basically a tanker truck decked out with armor and weapons) in an attempt to escape. The War Rig is attacked, and a part breaks off. The person who goes to fix it is shot, and as he is dying, he sees Furiosa, understands what she is doing, and hands her the part. That small scene tells you as much about these characters as a random dialogue scene would have.

Chris Hemsworth (best known for playing Thor) is almost unrecognizable in this movie. He clearly relishes playing the villain, and I hope he gets more roles like this in the future. As great as he is as Thor, roles like this let him go crazy, and he is better for it. Ana-Taylor Joy had the hardest role in this movie; she had to play a character made famous by Charlize Theron. She nails it. Throughout the movie, she becomes the battle-hardened survivor we meet in "Fury Road."

George Miller needs to take a director under his wing and teach them everything he knows because no one makes movies like Miller. The script for this was written before "Fury Road" was shot. This man knows how to plan out an incredible, epic story. I hope more directors take a page out of his book.

9/10

Rated R for sequences of strong violence and grisly images

2hrs 28min