Alien at the Movies

Run

At the beginning of this psychological thriller, we see a worried mother, Diane (Sarah Paulson) at the hospital with her newborn baby, Chloe, in the operating room & next in ICU. Skip ahead 17 years, Chloe (Kiera Allen) is in a wheelchair & has symptoms of asthma & type 1 diabetes. She is on lots of meds & has an inhaler. Diane is the doting mother doing everything she can for her baby girl. Chloe is smart & trying to get into a good college. Everything seems pretty normal for a single parent with a child with some disabilities. However one day, Chloe becomes suspicious about her meds & her mom’s always intercepting the mail. Here’s where the story takes that sinister turn & this loving mother is revealed to be a delusional obsessive mom. She is a manipulative nightmare. Now, it becomes the cat & mouse game of each trying to outwit the other. Things go from bad to worse for Chloe & every escape plan seems to get roadblocked. There’s another plot twist before we get to the big showdown & a surprise ending that I️ didn't foresee. Paulson is scary evil & Allen is desperately scared. I enjoyed the thrill ride of this smart script & especially the film’s conclusion.

Alien gives it 3 “Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy” stars out of 4.

Road House

In the Florida keys near mile marker 77, you’ll find a roadhouse named Road House. Because of escalating trouble at this bar, the owner, Frankie, has hired a new bouncer, Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal). Dalton is an ex-UFC fighter; a quiet, polite, calm, seemingly peaceful man, but don’t get him riled. He can be deadly lethal with his skills & quickness if pushed too far. His reputation seems to precede him. He also harbors something dark from his past. It seems a corrupt entitled rich kid, Ben Brandt, has big plans for Glass Key & he has hired goons to terrorize & intimidate the local businesses. This is a remake of the 1989 classic with Patrick Swayze; since I️ have never seen it, I️ can’t make any comparisons. This R rated film is ultra-violent with mixed martial arts style fighting & bar fight scenes. It’s an entertaining thrill ride as a lone stranger comes to town & tries to tame the lawlessness before riding off into the sunset. Gyllenhaal is terrific.

Alien gives it 3 “anger management” stars out of 4.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Gentlemen, start your engines…

It’s War Boys & War Rigs from the Green Place of Many Mothers to the Citadel to Gastown to the Bullet Farm as the prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road” details Furiosa’s origins. Anya Taylor-Joy takes over Charlize Theron’s role as the younger Furiosa. See how she is kidnapped to be a gift to Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), leader of the Biker Horde, & eventually traded to Immortan Joe.  See how she survives using wits & developing skills so she can reek revenge on Dementus. See how Dementus seizes opportunities to grab power & an advantage. Hemsworth & Taylor-Joy are both outstanding in what they bring to the plate of this epic George Miller outrageous fantasy world of lawlessness in a beautiful vast wasteland. This is an homage to the Mad Max film series with bigger & wilder amazing stunts while racing through the desert terrain. Fans won’t be disappointed in this two & a half hour thrill ride. Will there be any tales to be recounted by the History Man?

Alien gives it 3½ “maggots & peaches” stars out of 4.

Heaven Is Waiting

Widower/single dad, Ned, has trouble moving on after the death of his wife, Kate, 3 years ago. He is still grieving. In times of difficulties, he often has conversations with her spirit. When his daughter, Liz, comes home from college, she asks if it is ok to bring a friend along with her. Her friend happens to be her boyfriend, David. In this family comedy, dad goes automatically into daughter overprotection mode because she has never mentioned him before & he sounds too perfect. The daughter also thinks dad should start dating again & tries to steer him towards a lady named Carol. So these basic facts should pretty much point you in direction this comical jnonsense storyline will take us. This story is about family & finding love on this emotional ride.

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

Atlas

It’s shades of Skynet when “Terminator” meets “Pacific Rim”. A rogue AI robot called Harlan (Simu Liu) uses his reprogramming abilities in a misguided attempt to destroy most of humanity & rebuild a better world. Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) is a brilliant analyst who has a distrust of artificial intelligence. She joins the mission to capture this renegade robot & prevent possible world destruction. This sci-fi action thriller becomes kind of a buddy cop story when Atlas must sync with her AI mech suit, Smith. Expect lots of CGI special effects & explosive battle scenes. The fight between Atlas & Harlan becomes a chess game, each trying to predict each other’s moves. Sterling K. Brown & Mark Strong co-star. 

Alien gives it 3 “trust me” stars out of 4.

Back to Black

This is a biopic of the British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse who made an iconic impression on the music world during her too brief lifespan. I️ didn't know much about her nor heard any of her songs before this film. I️ read that her true fans may have issues with movie with its accuracies & not telling the whole story. I️ do know the filmmakers will take some liberties with the facts to make the story flow better & the fit time constraints. This film is a sobering portrait of her addictions, fame, & troubles which will give audiences some insights to her & her songs. Marisa Abela does a fantastic job playing Amy. Abela studied hard to sing & play the guitar like Amy. The eyeliner, the beehive hairdo, the tattoos & gestures/mannerisms complete the transformation. We see how the loss of her grandmother & her rocky relationship with her boyfriend/husband shaped & inspired her music. The film captures the spirit of Amy on her rollercoaster rise to fame, with her struggles, & with the invasive paparazzi photo attacks. She was only 27 years old when she died.

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

The Garfield Movie

It was a dark & stormy night when Jon Arbuckle was dining out & first met stray kitten Garfield. Thus begins the latest adventure of Garfield & Odie. It’s been 20 years since we saw them on the big screen in “Garfield: The Movie”. This animated tale of the famous lasagna loving fat cat includes an abandonment, some rescues, family ties, a big heist, henchmen, a double cross, revenge, romance, some twists, & a reunion. It’s great family fun that will entertain the kiddies as well as the adults. Cartoon humor & action for the children & for others’ inner child. There are also funny jokes that will just go over the heads of the young ones. Lots of quirky characters & zany situations with shades of Mission Impossible. Will there be a sequel?

Alien gives it 3 “Mamma Leoni’s Italian Restaurant” stars out of 4.

Miller’s Girl

A smart & talented young writer, Cairo Sweet (Jenna Ortega) & her BFF Winnie take a high school creative writing class from teacher Jonathan Miller (Martin Freeman). He assigns Cairo a writing project that takes them both on a steamy journey entangling & intertwining their lives in a complex web that blurs the boundaries lines between teacher & student/protégé. He was a published writer, now settling for teaching. Cairo & Winnie are playing a dark game of seduction with their teachers. I️ love the literary prose & references used throughout the film. Miller’s wife, Beatrice, is an alcoholic & emotionally unavailable. Ortega & Freeman play their roles perfectly. This story may be too cringy for some due to the age gap between these two as well as the teacher/student relationship here. This film is a semi erotic drama with a manipulator flirting & seducing their way to get they want; with a plan b in case of rejection & having all bases covered. I️ found this film salaciously appealing to my darker side. 

Alien gives it 3 “Lolita/Henry Miller” stars out of 4.

The Vampire Next Door

Cameron is a lovable loser slacker who has taken a gap year after high school. He works at an ice cream shop & he still has a crush on Diane from high school. After a mysterious girl, Victoria, begins house sitting next door, she blackmails Cameron into being her driver for some suspicious nightly missions. As Cameron begins to bond with Victoria, a quirky romantic quadrangle develops between Cam, Di, Vic, & this idiot named Martin. Add in Cam’s coworker, Lucy, as a 5th wheel. Love is complicated. In this horror/romance story with a sense of humor, Diane & Victoria are out-of-his-league gorgeous. You should have caught on from the title that this is a vampire movie, but it is more about the personal relationships rather than killing of individuals & it has got a few twists to it. Will Cameron finally figure out what he wants in life? Will the vampire hunter successfully claim total revenge? Will there be a sequel?

Alien gives it 3 “love bites” stars out of 4.

Babes

This is the story of Eden & Dawn, 2 inseparable BFFs since childhood & New Yorkers. One is a yoga instructor & one is a dentist. One is single & one is married with soon-to-be 2 kids.They are there for each other in their times of need. However, life becomes more hectic for Dawn now struggling after the birth of her second child. When Eden discovers she is now pregnant after a one-night stand, she must get through her new challenge without the guidance of Dawn. This funny comedy reveals the other side of pregnancy, gestation, childbirth, female body functions, & parenting that no one wants to talk about & may be too much information. The two lady stars are hilarious, quirky, & over-the-top. It portrays the complexities of a female relationship through laughter, tears, & labor pains. But in the end, friends always come through to take care of you. This R rated movie is an original & not quite like anything that I️ have seen before.

Alien gives it 2½ “The Omen” stars out of 4.

IF

Bea is a young girl going through some tough times. After the loss of her mother & with her dad (John Krasinski) in the hospital, Bea has been staying with her grandmother. Bea is worried about losing her dad too. Then she meets one of  her grandmother’s neighbors, Cal (Ryan Reynolds) who is harboring IFs “imaginary friends”. IFs are the childhood invisible characters that comforted us when we were little & feeling troubled or lonely. Apparently, Bea has recently developed the ability to see these invisible creatures. Thus begins her magical journey of joining Cal in reassigning IFs to new kids after their former kids outgrew them. Krasinski also wrote & directed this whimsical & touching film about growing up & remembering forgotten childhood memories. The CGI & special effects are terrific. There is a nice twist to the story. This movie caught me off guard, not being anything like I️ thought it would be. Kids may be attracted to it because of the cute animated creatures, but it may not have enough kid action & humor to hold their attention. Its message is more adult themed & may be way over the heads of the very young. Adults may ignore or overlook this film because it looks like it is just a kiddie film. At the end of credits, there it a still shot in memory of one of the voice actors.

Alien gives it 2½ “Blue & company” stars out of 4.

The Iron Claw

This film is about the Von Erich wrestling family set in Texas during the 1980’s. The family patriarch is Jack “Fritz”, a professional wrestler chasing his dream of winning a national heavyweight title. His wife Dottie bears him 5 boys. Fritz is a tough & demanding father who pressures his boys to fulfill his unsuccessful dream. The Iron Claw is the family’s signature wrestling move. While professional wrestling is the main background, this movie is really about this family, their tragedies, & the alleged family curse. For wrestling fans, the movie starts out highlighting the crowd pleasing theatrics of professional wrestling, but then shifts gears to focus on the darker side of this family’s path of unfortunate events. Zac Efron play Kevin Von Erich, one of the older brothers. Lily James & Maura Tierney are in the supporting cast. This film is based on a true & sad story. At the end, there are photos & a summary about this real family. 

Alien gives it 3 “The Von Erich Curse” stars out of 4.

Mother of the Bride

After spending a year abroad in London, Emma (Miranda Cosgrove) returns home to her mother Lana (Brooke Shields) & announces her engagement to RJ (Sean Teal). The wedding is next month at a fancy resort in Phuket, Thailand. Emma is a social media entrepreneur & this lavish destination wedding is being sponsored through her business contacts. Lana has a very controlling personality & feels left out of the wedding planning process. If things couldn’t get worse, it turns out the husband-to-be’s father Will (Benjamin Bratt) is Lana’s ex from college who broke her heart. From there, it’s a comedy of errors & misunderstandings in this typical romantic comedy setup. Because there is little real chemistry between the characters, the romance portion didn’t sell very well for me. Therefore, the film is more of a goofy silly romp in an exotic locale. This story follows the rom/com ups & downs and finishes as many would expect.

Alien gives it 2 “pickle ball” stars out of 4.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

This is 4th film in the recent Planet of the Apes reboot series; following Dawn, War, & Rise of the Planet of Apes. The original 1968 film stunned audiences with its surprise twist ending. This film takes place about 300 years after War. The original Caesar (let’s call him patient zero where the virus first mutated & created this mixed up dystopian world) has long passed. A new tyrannical leader Proximus Caesar has risen to power to lead his gorilla masses & by force, enslave the chimpanzees. He rules by might & corrupts the first elder’s (the original Caesar) words of wisdom towards his own favor. Noa is a chimpanzee & hunter in his village. When Noa’s village gets raided & taken, he sets out to rescue them alone. Along the way, he is aided by an orangutan & a human woman he names Nova. In this battle between good & evil, it’s the rebels against empire with the questions about who can you trust & what motives are the real driving force. Who will end up on top? Will there be another sequel in this reboot Planet of the Apes saga? The special effects & CGI are amazing. The apes are outstanding. They seem so real, selling the story. This almost 2½ hour film seemed to whiz right along in no time.

Alien gives it 3½ “Eagle Clan” stars out of 4.

FOE

A young couple, Henrietta “Hen” (Saoirse Ronan) & Junior (Paul Mescal) are living a quiet isolated life on their Midwest farm until an uninvited visitor Terrance (Aaron Pierre) arrives one late night with a surprising proposal. It’s 2065. Fresh water & habitable land are scarce. Cities are overpopulated, leaving rural areas slowly abandoned. Hen & Junior have been having some marital problems when Junior has been called into service for a 2-year experiment in outer space due the critical conditions on earth. While Junior is away, Hen will get an exact synthetic replacement of Junior to see to her needs, for her protection, & care for her well being. This is an ominous disturbing psychological thriller with a sci-fi backdrop. The film sets up a very uneasy mood. There is something very unsettling about Terrance’s polite demeanor. There’s a strained tension between Hen & Junior. Something just feels so wrong here & suspicions arise. Is there an ulterior motive here hidden under the agenda of saving humanity? Is this couple just caught up in an elaborate lab experiment? I️ could not seeing where this plot was headed as little twists & turns presented themselves. Will there be a happy ending for Hen & Junior by the conclusion? Deep down, this a story about a couple’s struggle to find happiness in their lives. The acting is superb & the atmosphere is bleak. This one is for those looking something challenging odd.

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

 Tarot

A group of seven friends rent a mansion in the Catskills to celebrate one of their’s birthday. When their liquor supply runs dry, they search the premises for any hidden stash of  alcohol… only to find an old wooden box containing a vintage tarot card deck behind a locked door with a keep out sign on it. What could go wrong? This is starting to smell like your typical teenage horror slasher film. The gang unwittingly unleashes something evil trapped within this cursed deck of tarot cards. One by one, they come face to face with their fate as predicted during each of their tarot readings. Are they all doomed? Can they cheat their fate & death?

Alien gives it 2½ “Astrologer’s spirit” stars out of 4.

Turtles All The Way Down

Sixteen year old Aza Holmes struggles with her own demons. She has obsessive-compulsive disorder & anxiety attacks which frequently manifests itself as obsessing about germs & infections. She is in therapy & is on medication. She was traumatized by the death of her father & is being overprotected by her mother. Her BFF is Daisy. They practically do everything together. She becomes reacquainted with Davis, a rich kid she met in summer camp years ago, & romantic feelings for each other begin. She has self doubt issues. Will her mental illness become too much & destroy all of her friendships/relationships? Will it prevent her from finding love & happiness? 

Alien gives it 3 “spiral painting” stars out of 4.

The Idea of You

Age is just a number. Love is intoxicating. Love hurts. People can be cruel.

Solène Marchand (Anne Hathaway) is a 40-year-old single mom with a 16-year-old daughter Izzy & has been divorced from her husband Daniel for 3 years. Izzy loves the boy band August Moon so Daniel manages to get Backstage VIP passes for her to see her band play at Coachella. However, at the last minute, Daniel must leave on a business trip so Solène ends up chaperoning the trip. There, Solène accidentally & awkwardly meets 24-year-old lead singer Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) & thus begins a budding romance that neither can resist. They try to hide their romance but eventually the paparazzi exposes their secret & this has a disastrous effect on the couple & those close to them. This romantic comedy is an emotional rollercoaster. Solène & Hayes are a cute & charming couple together that you will want to root for. It is heartbreaking to watch their world collapse around them. Hathaway & Galitzine give amazing performances. Will this have a fairy tale ending or is their breakup inevitable?

Alien gives it 3½ “The Watch” stars out of 4.