Alien at the Movies

Marty Supreme

Meet Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a table tennis hustler from New York’s Lower East Side. It’s 1952 & Marty is a slick shoe store salesman working for his uncle, but he has big ping pong champion dreams. He is a manipulator who can convince people to do things for him. He’s a ladies man who can charm women, young & old. He is a schemer who always has a plan to solve his problems. He’s is arrogant & goes after what he believes should be his. Once he sets his goal, he perseverses to make it happen. By hook or crook, Marty heads off to London to prove himself to be the best, but he runs into a snag. Next, he sets his sights on Japan for another shot at fame & glory, but financial troubles continue to plague him so he must hustle, con, & humiliate himself to get there. Will Marty get to play for the big table tennis championship? Chalamet gives an outstanding performance & takes us on a wild ride. Fran Drescher & Gwyneth Paltrow are among the supporting cast. This film is inspired by a real life person.

Alien gives it 3½ “reward for Moses” stars out of 4.

Becky

Becky (Lulu Wilson) is a rebellious 13-year/old daughter who lost her mom to cancer a year ago. Her dad Jeff (Joel McHale) trying to reconnect with Becky takes her to their lakehouse house, but she is still grieving & traumatized, When a woman & her son, Kayla & Ty, show up & Jeff announces his engagement to this woman, Becky is upset & runs off to her fort in the woods. Meanwhile, 4 convicts escape from their transport vehicle & come to the house. Their leader Dominick (Kevin James) is trying to retrieve something he hid there. The next thing you know, Becky goes R-rated Kevin Macallister on these killer cons. She is a stubborn & smart little girl who will use violence to fight violence. This is a bloody gory David versus Goliath underdog story. If this wild thrill adventure doesn’t quench your thirst mayhem & curiosity about little Becky, look for the sequel “The Wrath of Becky”.

Alien gives it 2½ “red fox beanie & the key to unknown treasure” stars out of 4.

Anaconda 

BFFs Griff (Paul Rudd) & Doug (Jack Black)  reunite at Doug’s surprise birthday party.They reminisce about their 13-year-old selves’ experience videoing their homemade big foot horror film. They dream up the wild idea doing a remake the 1997 “Anaconda” film. Unable to secure proper financing, they set out anyway for 3 weeks in the Amazon with their other childhood friends, Claire (Thandie Newton) & Kenny (Steve Zahn), on a shoe string budget. Of course, it’s a comedy of errors as everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. If you are a fan of Rudd & Black, you’ll pretty much know what you’ll be getting. It’s over-the-top zany humor as the film pokes fun at the original Sony picture & the horror genre. This action comedy also slips in an illegal gold smuggling plot into the storyline. Look for a surprise cameo or two. 

Alien gives it 3 “movie rights” stars out of 4.

Friendship

Craig (Tim Robinson) is a socially awkward marketing executive. His wife Tami (Kate Mara) runs her flower business out of their home. Craig meets his new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd) when Craig returns an mis-delivered package to Austin. Austin is a local TV weather reporter. Later, Austin invites Craig over for a beer. Austin spontaneously takes Craig on some unusual outings. Craig begins to be obsessed with his new friend & desperately tries to fit in with Austin’s buddies. However, things start to go wrong & quickly spirals out of control in this supposed black comedy. Maybe, this film’s humor crossed the line & was just too dark for me to find funny. Craig’s ill attempts to be like his playful neighbor just digs himself deeper in his awkward hole. I️ just felt more & more frustrated with each pathetic attempts by Craig. It felt watching a slow-mo car wreck while I was strapped into the passenger seat. I️ was expecting some Paul Rudd style humor but he was basically a straight man here. If you are in the mood for something sad & depressing… or maybe your sense of humor is strangely very dark… I️ was just glad it was over with a wink.

Alien gives it 1 “sewers & wild mushrooms “ star out of 4.

Song Sung Blue

Mike (Hugh Jackman) was a Vietnam War veteran, a recovering alcoholic, & an auto mechanic. But now, he is struggling to be a Neil Diamond interpreter singer. When he meets Claire (Kate Hudson), a hairdresser/Patsy Cline interpreter singer, they team up as “Thunder & Lightning”, the Neil Diamond Experience. This is their story as they rise to popularity in the Milwaukee area beginning in the 1980’s. This film is based on a real couple’s love story. If you are a fan of Neil Diamond’s music, you’ll enjoy the musical numbers. Jackman is in his element here singing & entertaining as his showman personality clearly excludes from his performance. Hugh & Kate have great chemistry together. This story is an emotional rollercoaster as life can be complicated & messy. It’s not always “Sweet Caroline” & “Cracklin’ Rosie”. Sometimes it is a “Song Sung Blue”. If you know the lyrics, you’ll be singing along with your favorite tunes (at least in your head). This film will make you sing, laugh, & cry. There were 2 moments that surprised & startled me (grasp). Look for a photo of the real Mike & Claire during the credits.

Alien gives it 3½ “lightning strikes twice” stars out of 4.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron is back for Round 3 of the tremendous Avatar series… and it does not disappoint. Be prepared to be totally re-immersed in the world of Pandora. Filmmakers has again magically transported audiences into the Na’vi environment while capturing those powerful emotional human feelings. The first two films introduced the elements of land, air, & water… and now comes fire. The Sully family is still trying to find their place on Pandora. Old & new enemies are on the attack. A Na’vi volcanic ash tribe is introduced. We discover a hybrid. There is pregnant warrior. The battle between good & evil continues. It’s modern technology versus traditional ancient ways. The film is action packed with stunning visual effects. Emotions run strong in this sequel with the great passions of grief, guilt, love, & hate. You get two villains to boil the blood in your veins. Will these bad guys perish in a blazing ring of fire or will they miraculously return in another sequel (rumored to be a 4th & 5th coming?). Will the Sully family manage to stick together & never give up? Not only is the motion capture fantastic but you can almost feel the emotions looking into the eyes of these strange looking Pandoran animal creatures. Like the Force in Star Wars, their is a strong spiritual energy flowing though all things on this planet. At 3 hours 17 minutes, this is the longest runtime in the series yet.

Alien gives it 4 “pray to the Spiitual Mother” stars out of 4.

The Housemaid

It was a dark & stormy night… Millie and… oops, I’m getting ahead of myself…

Are you looking for a twisted psychological thriller? Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is trying to look presentable for a live-in housemaid job for a wealthy family. Prim & proper Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) is interviewing. Millie is hiding some secrets & is desperate for this job. Of course, she is hired but there something not right about this household & the family who lives there. Audiences will soon learn this may be a house of crazies but you’re not sure who the lunatic(s) is/are. Everyone is a bit weird & a suspect. From the beginning, I️ felt like I️ was being played as my sixth sense started to tingle.. I️ was never sure where the plot was taking me. It is twistedly dark & sadistic. The final scene will make you wonder even more & may hint to a possible sequel. Oh… and see Sweeney naked twice in the shower & in a few sex scenes.

Alien gives it 3½ “the attic room & there are consequences” stars out of 4.

SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants

It’s SpongeBob SquarePants meets “Pirates of the Caribbean” in “Curse of the Flying Dutchman”. Our silly hero, SpongeBob, awakes to his “big guy” day & goes to Booty Beard’s Fun Park. There, he is unable to face his fear so he sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs. SpongeBob & Patrick search out the legendary Flying Dutchman Ghost. However, SpongeBob will regret the deal he makes. Follow these zany antics on this pirate adventure. This is goofy family fun for kiddies & SpongeBob fans. It seems like every 10 years, SpongeBob & company resurfaces for another oceanic journey in silliness. This makes number 3.

Alien gives it 2½ “curse pipe” stars out of 4.

Rental Family

Philip (Brandon Fraiser) is an American actor living in Japan for the past 7 years. He is a stranger in a strange land. He originally found quirky fame doing a Japanese toothpaste commercial but these days he struggles to find real acting jobs. One day, he is offered an opportunity at Family Rental Inc. to play stand-in roles for strangers. He becomes their token white male character. He is reluctant at first. He gets hired to be a groom for a bride with a secret, a journalist interviewing an aging actor with oncoming dementia, & an estranged father to a young daughter. This is a little movie with a big heart. Philip starts to build strong emotional bonds with those he is supposed to be helping, but knowing eventually he must sever their bond & disappear from their lives. He starts to question if his pretend lie will do more harm than good. Is this agency crossing the line with their charades? This comedy/drama is a  bittersweet story.about the search for purpose, human connection, fulfillment, & happiness.

Alien gives it 3 “pinky swear & kidnaping” stars out of 4.