Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Following the big spoiler at the end of No Way Home, Peter Parker is going through some pretty dramatic ch-ch-ch-changes. Meanwhile, he faces off against a powerful adversary who appears to be able to jump into different human hosts at will. It's your traditional comic book story involving heroes struggling to fulfill their purpose while overcoming great adversity, except this time everyone is firing on all cylinders (Punisher included). As always, humanity defines these characters, and at the heart of it, it's a warm, gentle story. I have nothing cynical to add. This is just a great Spider-Man adventure.

4 premature webshots out of 5

Note: Next up for our crew? Avengers: Doomsday, in time for Christmas 2026.

Crime 101 (2026)

An ensemble crime drama about a series of diamond heists committed along the 101 highway in Los Angeles, the plot involves a jewel thief, a detective, an insurance broker and a goon for hire, pinning them against each other's moral grey areas. There's a lot going on here, and little of it engaging to the viewer, despite the enormous star power behind it. It's a slow-moving thriller that only gets interesting when all the pieces fall into place, well over an hour into the film. Despite its attempt to recreate a '90s Michael Mann feel, it's a painfully average flick full of plot holes that is about as generic as the title suggests.

2 encrypted porn links out of 5

Arco (2025)

Remember when rainbows were cool? They were used to express magic and wonder before they got appropriated for other uses. In this French animated film, rainbows indicate visitors from the future. In the year 2075, the family household unit has been replaced by robot help for the most part. A lonely little girl meets a young boy named Arco, who has become displaced from his family through time and needs to recover his flight crystal to get back home. The simple, handcrafted look feels reminiscent of anime, while the slow burn storytelling gives way to a unique experience that lands with the viewer.

3 bird calls out of 5

Note: I saw the English dub, though I expect the original French to be superior.

Now You See Me, Now You Don't (2025)

The Horsemen are back and they're just as showy, obnoxious and improbable as ever. It's your basic diamond heist movie, except with magicians, illusionists and mentalists (oh my!) somehow always pulling one over on each other. It's exactly the same type of shit as the first two films, and this time you can add three more arrogant pricks to the roster. The only thing this film succeeds in doing is creating the title that they should have done for the second movie. 

1½ ace of diamonds out of 5

Note: No, I don't see the Magic Eye image above, either...

Mickey 17 (2025)

Mickey Barnes is an Expendable. Essentially a disposable crew member on a space mission, he serves as a human crash dummy used for test experiments and dangerous missions that usually result in fatality, at which point he gets "reprinted" with all of his prior memories intact, like a video game character. The only rule being that only one clone can exist at a time. It's an intriguing premise for a film, but unfortunately the execution is all over the place. It's a big, sprawling mess that falls disappointingly short of the source material.

3 creepers out of 5

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

What lengths would you go to forget your painful past and wipe the slate clean? Undergo an experimental treatment to surgically remove those memories forever? We view the inside of one such mind as this procedure is being conducted. Past and present blend together as we begin to understand the reasons for such extreme measures. Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry's poignant sci-fi romantic drama explores the nature of love and memory in an intimate fashion, where you feel the loss right along with the characters. It contains all of the ways in which regret, disappointment and baggage weigh us down in life. It's a deeply rich and layered experience, and an absolutely genius example of cinematic achievement that rewards repeat viewings. The world that's created feels real and lived in and it's easy to lose oneself in the smallest details. This is one of those "comfort" films for when you're feeling isolated and disconnected from the rest of the world.

5 trips to Montauk out of 5

Poor Things (2023)

How to condense this film into a concise summary without giving away key plot points? It's the type of film that needs to be seen to be believed, without any prior expectations set. Bella (Emma Stone, at the tip-top of her game) is a Frankenstein-like creation who wants to experience the world for herself and sets out on an epic journey of self-discovery. Yorgos is the perfect filmmaker to handle this weird, sometimes off-putting material, which is both hilarious and tragic. It's a brilliant movie and I hope I haven't said too much or too little.

5 furious jumping out of 5

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 [2016]

Crap director Jon M. Chu takes over directing duties for the sequel to the 2013 surprise hit Now You See Me.  Fortunately screenwriter Ed Solomon (Men in Black, Bill & Ted's)  is still on board to guarantee dumb mindless fun.
This time around The Four Horsemen step back into the spotlight only to find themselves forced by a wannabe James Bond-esque villain to pull off a near impossible heist.
It doesn't do much to improve upon any of the glaring problems of the first film but nor does it really take a step down in quality either.  It more or less just sits exactly in the same position and hopes for the best.  Based on whether or not you enjoyed the first film will depend on how much you get out of the this retread joyride.

3 hats out of a bunny out of 5

Mirror, Mirror 2: Raven Dance (1994)

aka Mirror Mirror II:  Raven Dance

Marlee and her younger brother are residents at an orphanage run by nuns. The old building also houses the titular mirror, stored in a cupboard, easily accessible, just waiting to be rediscovered!
MM2 has a trio of actors that I usually enjoy seeing at work, namely Roddy McDowall, Veronica Cartwright and William Sanderson, so I gave it a try. As expected, the three stars are entertaining. Also, young actress Tracy Wells was likeable and does an okay job, especially during the dance scenes.
The looking glass does very little other than sit in a corner and try to be menacing with its blue filter vision (why blue and not green?). When it does finally get its shit together and does something it's suitably cheesy.

2 chairs on strings out of 5

SPOTLIGHT [2015]

Tom McCarthy was well on his way to becoming one of my favorite film directors but then The Cobbler dropped out of his ass and all that blew to hell.
Fortunately he redeems himself with the biographical drama Spotlight.
Based on the 2001 true story of a group of Boston Globe investigative reporters who struggle to expose a massively buried series of child sex abuse scandals, spanning across decades, within the local Catholic priest community.
It's impressive ensemble cast are fully committed to allowing the story speak for itself making it all the more engrossing with unglamorous believability.  Quite often films like this seem to bury themselves in holier-than-thou self-gratification but Spotlight is just as interested in honest journalism as it is solid story-telling.  It's an engrossing testament to why we can't forget about the blood, sweat & tears put into disappearing newsprint journalism in the digital age of social media.

3½ missing documents out of 5

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON [2015]

Director Joss Whedon returns for his final stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the second full-fledged Avengers film, Age Of Ultron.
Basically it's Earth's Mightiest Heroes, still feeling the repercussions of what their solo films put them through, team up to save the world from an humanity destroying machine known as Ultron.  The concept is simple enough for first time viewers to still enjoy the film without any prior knowledge, yet, like the MCU films & TV series before it, it features just enough back-story to excite fans who know the pieces for the Infinity Gauntlet and Civil War are all falling into place.  It doesn't quite have the same impact of "hey that Whedon guy did a great job" as the first one did but it still manages to pretty damned good fun.  Whedon's at his strongest when he's featuring his ensemble team working (or fighting) together in both dialogue heavy scenes or full all-over-the-map action sequences.  It's front-to-back a modern Hollywood spectacle but it proves Transformers is not how you do popcorn films.

3 drunken excelsiors out of 5

FOXCATCHER [2014]

Director Bennett Miller really lays down the grim and dreary something fierce in his latest biographical drama, Foxcatcher.
Following the story of multimillionaire whackjob John E. du Pont who obsessively finances an Olympic wrestling team to give him a feeling of some sort of significance, the film leads us down some dark passageways.  Funnyman Steve Carell is shockingly very, very creepy as du Pont, so much that it'll be hard to look at him the same again, but one should take note of some very solid performances from Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as well.  It's a quiet, and often distantly slow-paced but rewards with afterthoughts and emotions that haunt, bewilder and disturb for days afterwards.  A chilling character study, so exquisitely shot and unravelled, that you don't realize has dug it's nails deep under your skin until the end credits have long past rolling.

4 heavy duty weight loss programs out of 5

THE NORMAL HEART [2014]

Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) has a way of shamelessly pandering to a specific audience and spoon-feeding them by the truckloads to match exactly what their generic tastes might be.
The Normal Heart is no different as it is handed to the Academy audience on a silver platter.
Based on Larry Kramer's play of the same name, the film follows the rise of the AIDS crisis in the early '80's within the gay community.  With it's heavy subject matter, we're treated to some pretty great performances that never let a lot of the melodramatic speeches get too out-of-hand.  Murphy's direction isn't as flamboyant as it usually is (with the exception of a few distracting sequences), instead he focuses on the human drama that is actually quite compelling for the better half of the film.
Awards season might have swallowed this like honey but don't let it completely scare you away.

3 Rolodex cards out of 5

NOW YOU SEE ME [2013]

Now You See Me is a flawed yet highly entertaining crime caper thriller from Danny The Dog director Louis Leterrier.
Being a film about magic, I was hoping it'd focus more on using camera trickery and slight of hand rather than distractingly bad CGI to create the illusions.  The wrap-up at the end leaves you feeling a bit cheated and makes you wish that the magicians didn't reveal their secrets.  However the rest of the film is so much damned fun I'm willing to forgive the problems and enjoy it for what it is.  Popcorn munching entertainment that isn't a reboot, remake, sequel or comic book adaptation.

3 savage detectives out of 5

ZODIAC [2007]

Director David Fincher tones down the abrasive shocks of his usual crime thrillers and opts for a more quietly thoughtful mood in 2007's unsolved crime-drama Zodiac.

Based on the story of the San Franciso serial killer known only as "Zodiac" in the '60's & 70's, the film fascinates with an age so close to ours yet the technology and ways of approaching such a case is vastly different today.  

With it's long scenes of heavy dialogue, precise attention to detail, flat yet strangely gorgeous photography (particularly the dizzying establishing shots) and slow-burning offering of the puzzle pieces, the film will most likely scare away Fincher fans of Se7en and Fight Club who will be expecting their fanboy needs met with violence, a loud soundtrack and cynical dialogue all of which is thankfully absent.  

4 animal crackers out of 5

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE [2009]

Spike Jonze takes up the near impossible task of turning Maurice Sendak's children's book Where The Wild Things Are into a feature length film.  

Now it was this book and Jim Henson's imagination that molded me into the wreck that I am today, so I went into this film with extreme caution.  So I was happy to come out of it satisfied and in awe of what Jonze did with the story.  It captures the feelings of a child's frustration, rage and imagination quite well, while he is learns to see his own self through the lives of these confused and larger than life monsters.  

Also, there was something in my eye a few times throughout the film.  

3½ owls of nonsensical wisdom out of 5

THE BROTHERS BLOOM [2008]

Director Rian Johnson brings us the quirky and charming caper comedy The Brothers Bloom.

All four leads are fantastic, particularly Rachel Weisz who steals your heart with her social awkwardness  & childlike innocence.  It's a brightly colored & beautifully shot film that had me in awe from start to finish.  

It's not perfect but it's harmless good fun that had me grinning the entire time.

3½ "Brick" bars out of 5

THE AVENGERS [2012]

Joss Whedon's much anticipated comic book spectacle The Avengers (the sixth installment in the MCU series) meets all expectations and more.  The perfect blend of humor, cheesy comic book moments, humanity, character juggling and jaw-dropping action is to die for.  Summer blockbusters haven't been this much fun since Jurassic Park or Men In Black.  Whedon and Mark Ruffalo bring something to the Bruce Banner/Hulk character that's never been done properly before.  

Bravo.  More please.

4 puny gods out of 5

SHUTTER ISLAND [2010]

Director Martin Scorsese takes Leonardo DiCaprio for a spooky ride in Shutter Island. Based on Gone Baby Gone author Dennis Lehane's novel, Scorsese gives it vibrant flair of noir-ish dreamlike creepiness.
DiCaprio is good but it's Sir Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo who turn in subtly superb performances that may go unnoticed upon a first viewing. The morbid surreal atmosphere is so thick here you can cut with a rusted knife. The plot twists and turns with each corner taken but never gets too mind-boggling to detract from the flow of the story.
With each viewing it gets better and better as you notice the extreme attention to careful detail. It's not Scorsese's best film but it's a helluva a lot better than most cinema we're subjected to today.

4 Truth And Lies out of 5