Alien at the Movies

Fear Street Part One: 1994

Here comes another teenage slasher flick. Shadyside, Ohio, seems to be plagued by an usually high number of murders over the years. A couple has a bad breakup & there is bad blood between rival schools. This leads to attacks on some teens so they must uncover the cause & stop it before they become victims. This is text book classic for this genre, right? I️ never find this type of film very scary, but I’m just curious about who will be the next victims & how they will meet their fate. As always, it’s never over until it’s over. However, in this case, we can be assured of prequels since Part Two is labeled 1978 & Part Three is labeled 1666. Based on R.L. Stine books, Netflix plans to release a new part on each subsequent week. 

Alien gives it 2½  “Sarah Fier” stars out of 4.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

Peter Rabbit: Mischief Maker or Bad Seed?

The gang is all back for the wedding of Thomas & Bea (Domhnall Gleeson & Rose Byrne) & they all must now adjust to living as a family. Peter, unable to cope with his naughty label, decides to runaway & falls in with a dodgy gang of thieves who are planning a big heist. David Oyelowo plays a publisher interested in commercializing Bea’s rabbit books.  It’s slapstick humor for the kids & verbal jokes sailing over little kiddie heads for the adults. The importance of family & friends is the theme here.

Alien gives it 3 “dried fruit” stars out of 4.

12 Mighty Orphans

During the America’s Great Depression & Dust Bowl, an optimistic motivator Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson) takes a job teaching & coaching football at the Masonic Home for Orphans in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the classic inspirational underdog story. Russell attempts to remold the minds & bodies of these young boys who have anger & abandonment issues as well as the lack of self worth. Martin Sheen, Robert Duval, Wayne Knight, & Treat Williams are among the supporting cast. Undersized & outmanned, Russell manages to rebuild their confidence & a sense of camaraderie. With a stiff defense & a newly devised spread offense, these Mighty Mites end their season at the Texas State Championship. It’s a emotionally heartbreaking & heartwarming tale based on a true story. During the credits, see the real faces of the characters portrayed along with their summaries.

Alien gives it 3 “horse piss & vinegar” stars out of 4.

F9 The Fast Saga

Dom & family are back for more outlandish shenanigans to thrill their Fast & Furious fans. Who dreams up these crazy wild stunts? Is it the NOx fumes or the desire to surpass the last over-the-top action thrill scenes that pushes all sense of believability to ridiculous. So just sit back & enjoy the fun. See some familiar family faces from the past & look for cameos. As always it is about family so they introduce Dom & Mia’s MIA brother Jakob and toss in the backstory about their race car driver dad. The plot is transparent & the villain is weak but who care cuz it’s the Fast & Furious mythology. If you bought into the show for this long, you are probably in it for the long haul, so you’ll be hanging in there for 10 & 11. Be sure to stay buckled into your seat for the mid credit hint to the next for La Familia.

Alien gives it 3 “movie magic with magnets & duct tape” stars out of 4.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

It was the summer of 1969. The US lands a man on the moon. A music concert in New York draws 30-40 thousand people... but it’s not Woodstock. It’s the Harlem Cultural Festival featuring Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, BB King and many more performers representing the sounds of the black & brown artists of the day. After 50 years tucked away in someone’s basement, the tapes of these amazing performances were recovered, restored, & digitized. Director Questlove has done a fabulous job of relating the music to political & cultural aspects of the day. This is a unique nostalgic piece of history that most people never even heard of. Stay until the end of the credits for one more Stevie Wonder moment. At 18 then, that summer brings back my memories of tare weights, aggregates, & belly dumpers in Los Banos. 

Alien gives it 4 “musical roots” stars out of 4.

Lansky

Aging mobster Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel) hires writer David Stone (Sam Worthington) to write a book telling his “true” story. With the FBI breathing down his neck, the very savvy numbers man/accountant for organized crime with ties to Ben “Bugsy” Siegel & Charles “Lucky” Luciano tells his side of story that we see though flashbacks. Annasophia Robb & Minka Kelly play love interests. The FBI suspects Lansky has hundreds of million dollars stashed away somewhere so they pressure Stone with “where’s the money?”

Alien gives it 3 “businessman/outsider” stars out of 4.

Fatale

It’s “Fatal Attraction” meets “Strangers on a Train” when Derrick/Darren from Seattle takes some bad advice from a friend, only to regret his bad decision after a one night stand with Val in Vegas. Michael Ealy & Hilary Swank play Derrick & Val in this wild thrill ride with many twists & turns. Swank is brilliant as the very scary psychopathic cat who seems to relish in torturing her guilt-ridden mouse caught in her claws. Director Deon Taylor keeps us guessing where the plot is going as poor Derrick digs himself deeper & deeper into this dark hole. Although it’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen, the fun is in how they get there.

Alien gives it 3 “infidelities & fatal flaws” stars out of 4.

Mary J Blige’s My Life

See how a young girl from the hood, who fears her environment but loves to sing, catches her big break. This is a highly entertaining documentary on the rise of a rhythm & blues hip hop star. Find out what others saw in her raw talent & helped to mold & shape her career. Hear from her fans. Hear from her own lips about her insecurities & struggles to gain her amazing success today. Of course, hear some of her wonderful songs that are an inspiration to many who grew up like her.

Alien gives it 3 “ghetto fabulous” stars out of 4.

The Little Details

Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) joins forces with LA’s Sgt. Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) to search for a serial killer. An extremely creepy Jared Leto plays the possible suspect. It’s a agonizing cat & mouse game as the cops try to nail their just too clever suspect. As the investigation proceeds, a dark secret is revealed as the plot takes a surprising turn. These 3 actors are exceptional as they keep you guessing at the outcome.

Alien gives it 3 “catch me if you can” stars out of 4.

Surviving the Silence

This documentary is about the true story of 3 women, Pat, Barb, & Grethe, and their impact on the issue of gays & lesbians in the military. Col. Pat Thompson presided over the board that dismissed Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer for being a lesbian, forcing her to confront her own secret & moral dilemma... that she too was a lesbian. Hear their stories told in their own words about their search for happiness, their love of duty, & their fears of society’s judgement. 

Alien gives it 3 “Executive Order 10450” stars out of 4.

The Birthday Cake

On the 10th anniversary of his father’s mysterious death, Gio (Shiloh Fernandez) dutifully delivers the annual celebratory cake prepared by his mother to his Uncle Angelo’s (Val Kilmer) house for a memorial gathering. Gio is a young Italian-American who doesn’t fit in with his crime mob connected family. This tribute to the Mafia gangster genre features a stunning supporting cast including Ewan McGregor, Lorraine Bracco, Ashley Benson, Vincent Pastore, William Fichtner, Luis Guzman, Aldis Hodges, & Paul Sorvino. It becomes a eye opening evening for Gio as the FBI & opposing gangs put the squeeze on in their search for missing Cousin Leo. 

Alien gives it 2½ “vengeance” stars out of 4.

The Sparks Brothers 

Meet Ron & Russell Mael of Sparks, a highly successful but yet underrated & overlooked band. Filmmaker Edgar Wright tells their story in a fascinating documentary about their creativity, reinvention & cult-like following. From the early 60s to the present, Sparks have managed to survive all of these years based on their dedication to their unique style of music without commercializing themselves just to make money. Hear the many celebrity comments on their uniquely odd musical performing style. Look for one more odd bit from the brothers mid-credits.

Alien gives it 3 “musical perversion” stars out of 4.

Queen Bees

It’s “Mean Girls” of the geriatric generation when an independent grandma (Ellen Burstyn) reluctantly agrees to temporarily move into a retirement community while her home undergoes major house repairs. This bittersweet rom/com uses humor to highlight the issues concerning growing old. Perfectly cast is a wonderful group of older familiar faces including Jane Curtin, Ann-Margret, Loretta Devine, Christopher Lloyd, & James Caan. This is an entertaining lighter side look at making friends, dealing with growing old & finding love.

Alien gives it 3 “never too late” stars out of 4.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

From the files of paranormal investigators Ed & Loraine Warren (Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga) is another real life case involving demon possession, exorcisms, & a satanic curse. When your 8-year-old son exhibits demonic behavior, who are you gonna call? The demon busting Warrens. This film follows more of the murder mystery formula as the Warren attempt to discover who is behind a curse marked by satanic totems. The film isn’t that scary although it does incorporate the typical paranormal horror elements. The focus here is more on Warrens trying to connect to the evil spirit, but they find that it is a two-way street making them vulnerable targets. Typical of this genre, your mind will anticipate what’s lurking behind every dark corner or strange sound. It’s not to difficult to visualize the climatic moment. Near the beginning of the credits, comparison images of the real life subjects & this film’s counterparts are put up side by side.

Alien gives it 2½ “invitation to murder/suicides” stars out of 4.

Ammonite

In 1840s England, a fossil collector & paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) makes a meager living selling her sea shore finds to tourists & interested parties. When convalescing Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan) comes to town & subsequently falls ill, their lives take a dramatic change. This fictionalized romantic love story was inspired by a speculated relationship between 2 real life people. This is a detailed period piece with some sensual sex scenes that may be uncomfortable for some to watch. You may see more than you want to see. Winslet & Ronan give emotional performances as 2 lonely women searching some happiness that speaks to forbidden attraction. This type of film will find more popularity with critics than the general public. It’s well made & acted but slow moving & controversial.

Alien gives it 2 “Ichthyosaurus” stars out of 4.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard 

It’s Deadpool, Nick Fury, Ajax, & Crossbones from the MCU meets God & Puss in Boots. Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) & Hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) are back for more shoot’em up hilarious hijinks in this action/comedy sequel to “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”. With Reynolds & Jackson, you pretty much know what to expect. Now expand the role of Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) as Darius’ wife & she becomes a real wild card. Rated “R” for extreme violence & extreme language (not just from Jackson’s mouth). Bryce has lost his professional bodyguarding license & is on sabbatical when he & the Kincaids get mixed up in a plot to destroy the European Union. It’s a toss up on whether the bullets or the jokes come flying in faster. Learn some backstories about this bickering trio. Frank Grillo, Antonio  Banderas, & Morgan Freeman round out the cast. If your taste in humor leans towards the deliciously dark & over the top, you may have a fun time. Look for final funny film clip near the beginning of the credits & one last photo image joke at credits end.

Alien give it 3½ “gelato” stars out of 4.

Sweet Tooth

A new Netflix fairytale-like series about a deer boy growing up in a post-apocalyptic world is making its debut. After the “Big Crumble”, mankind is thrown into complete chaos. Mother Nature has sent a virus & hybrids (half human/half animal creatures) into world. No one is sure which came first but fear drives the hunt for these freaks of nature. It’s a story of innocence & coming of age as father & hybrid son struggle to survive in isolation from the outside world until that fateful day when deer boy must leave his sanctuary. Poachers bait a trap with candy bars in attempt to capture him, thus the title “Sweet Tooth”. And so the adventure begins. The story is based on a graphic novel. 

Alien gives it 3 “Colorado” stars out of 4.