Directed by: James P. Gannon and Matt Ferrin
Rated: NR
Running Time: 95 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

I’ve spent nearly a third of my life living in a small town—about 10,000 people. That’s roughly 4,000 fewer than the population of St. Helens, Oregon, the filming location for the 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown.” While some small towns, like the one I’m from, quietly move on after the credits roll, St. Helens has fully embraced its connection to the Kimberly J. Brown-led cult classic.

“The Spirit of Halloweentown” explores this local obsession by talking with St. Helens residents who count down the days to September, when they can don new costumes, run haunted houses, or dive headfirst into spooky festivities. The film focuses on several town personalities: a new restaurant owner grappling with outsider status in more ways than one, the self-proclaimed Queen of Halloweentown, a cheerleading squad rehearsing a zombie dance, a hometown ghost-hunting crew, and a woman who believes the month-long celebration is basically an open invitation for Satan himself.

There’s plenty to enjoy here, but the film has a scattershot rhythm. These people rarely interact with one another—at least not on screen—and it’s a bit disjointed considering they all live in the same tight-knit town. And for fans of “Halloweentown,” a heads-up: while the movie gets a lot of love at the beginning, it quickly fades into the background. This isn’t a deep dive into the film’s legacy as much as it is a portrait of a town that’s used its connection to the movie as a launchpad for something much bigger.

I mention my own small-town experience because I recognize the elements that made that part of my life feel unique—even if I’m more of a city person these days. There’s a kind of unspoken kinship among the folks in St. Helens, and a shared belief that the celebration, and even the town’s future, are bigger than any one person.cIt’s not Halloween that binds them—it’s the town itself, and the people who make it what it is.

• SNOW WHITE  (2025)
• Starring:  Rachel Ziegler and Gal Gadot
• Directed by:  Marc Webb
• Rated:  PG
• Running time:  1 hr 49 mins
• Walt Disney

Our score: 2.5 out of 5

It’s finally here.  We’ve been beat over the head for the past year about the updated version of “Snow White” which was going to change everything you thought you knew about the story.  Of course there will be dwarves.  Oops, no, sorry, we’re going to have “magical creatures” of all sizes and genders.  Oops, sorry again.  The dwarves are back.

And it didn’t help that the actress playing Snow White told the press:

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a “Snow White” that’s not gonna be saved by the prince, and she’s not gonna be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true. And so, it’s just a really incredible story for young people everywhere to see themselves in.”

These comments, and the whole yes/no dwarves controversy, put this film in the same category of “Twilight Zone: the Movie, where the death of actor Vic Morrow and two children overshadowed the actual film when it was released.  Sometimes controversy pays off.  Sometimes, it doesn’t.

In a land far, far away, the king and his wife are traveling in a blizzard when the queen gives birth.  Since the child was born during a snow storm, she is given the name Snow White.  (sigh)  That’s like saying Batman took his name from the fact that he liked to play baseball.  The new family spend their days wandering the kingdom, meeting and helping out their subjects.  Sadly, the queen passes away and the king, lonely for female companionship, the king takes a new bride (Gadot in all of her epic wickedness), a woman whose vanity forces her to constantly question her magic mirror as to her status as the most beautiful, or fairest, of them all.  She gives young Snow White (Emilia Faucher) a really bad haircut and keeps her locked in the castle, forced to do menial chores.  While scrubbing the floor one day, a now adult Snow White (Ziegler) is surprised by Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a sort of Robin Hood-like figure who came to rob the castle.  He is captured but Snow White, with her heart of gold, helps him escape.  This makes the queen angry.  Very angry!  She orders her huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and cut out her heart (this film is particularly dark for a PG rating).  He lets her go, she finds the dwarves, the end.  Not exactly, but that’s what it felt like.

Where to start?  This is pretty much “Snow White” the way we remember it, meaning someone at Disney must have realized that the recent trend of failing films needed to stop and persuaded the filmmakers to be as familiar as possible.  Ziegler was so good in Steven Spielberg’s updated “West Side Story,” but for whatever reason she doesn’t bring the slight vulnerability needed for the role she showed in “WSS” here.  Sadly she doesn’t make Snow White likable, so you don’t really care what happens to her.  Also, apparently Ziegler was directed to never blink and her constant, wide eyed stare is pretty unnerving at times.

It is good to see the familiar seven dwarves, even CGI ones, and the film picks up every time they are on screen.  The film turns the “magical beings” into Jonathan’s band of men, who spend a lot of time singing and dancing.  “You and Finch are such good dancers,” Snow White tells one of them.  He replies that they’re “just good friends.”  “If you say so.”  Ha-ha.

The songs are ok and the CGI clever, but unfortunately you go into this film looking for the worst and, even though it’s not a bad as it could have been, it may take you a couple of viewings before you find the story you were hoping for.  I’ll never know.  One time was plenty for me.

On a scale of zero to five I give “Snow White” ★★ ½.

Starring: Rick Kain, Helen Laser, and Neal Davidson
Directed by: Douglas Forrester
Rated: NR
Running Time: 98 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

I know I’m getting old when more and more media either taps into my nostalgia or sets its story in the years I actually grew up. “Carry the Darkness” checks several of my personal childhood boxes—it’s set in 1993, features teens playing a video game knock-off of “Mortal Kombat,” and centers on a misunderstood, artsy metalhead named Travis Baldwin (Joel Meyers).

Travis, who’s into thrash metal and photography, gets relentlessly bullied by the school’s jocks. He escapes their torment by smoking weed, playing video games, and taking photos of the local dam and abandoned buildings scattered around his small town. Right from the start, Travis is surrounded by adversity: his father’s out of the picture, his mother scolds him as a pastime, and his best friend’s dad—a local priest—thinks Travis is the antichrist incarnate. To top it off, the town’s police seem eager to pin a string of grisly murders on him. While Travis isn’t the one behind the killings, the actual demonic culprit, takes a keen interest in him.

Blending Satanic Panic vibes with a thoughtful look at teenage trauma and isolation, “Carry the Darkness” offers a serious but fun take on demons and the weird kids like me who grew up on “Twin Peaks,” “The X-Files,” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” The setting, characters, and dialogue feel like they were pulled from a Stephen King paperback: teenagers seen as societal misfits who find meaning while confronting literal evil. And, of course, the adults just don’t get it.

Travis—and the people who stick by him—become more compelling as the plot deepens and the violence ramps up. Jaden Gant plays Jordan, Travis’ best friend and loyal wingman through all the supernatural madness. Jordan doesn’t tick all the “weird kid” boxes, but he’s still an outsider, and his loyalty is what makes him such a strong companion. Then there’s Stacey (Helen Laser), the new goth/emo girl at school, who serves as a potential love interest. But she’s more than that—her backstory ties her meaningfully into the film’s larger mythology. All three characters, while not always fighting side-by-side, each play an important role in confronting the ancient evil festering in their town.

While the finale doesn’t quite stick the landing, the emotional gut-punches that precede it resonate—especially for anyone who’s ever felt like a ghost in their own home, school or town. These characters find meaning through their art and their fragile, but fierce, friendships. And in this case, they also fight evil. That emotional core elevates what might have been a forgettable ending into something worthwhile and heartfelt.

“Carry the Darkness” is a compelling watch for anyone who spent their youth dodging bullies, reading Clive Barker, or blasting Slayer on their bedroom stereo.

• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• Starring: Timothée Chalamet and Edward Norton
• Directed by: James Mangold
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 41 mins
• Searchlight Pictures

Our Score:  4 out of 5

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Timothée Chalamet), “A Complete Unknown” is a superb biopic that can be discussed in the same breath as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Walk the Line”, and “Ray” to name a few. Much credit goes to director and co-writer James Mangold for crafting such an engrossing film even though the central character, while legendary, is not the most likable guy in the world. Chalamet, who already had a great career ahead of him thanks to roles in “The King” and the “Dune” flicks, delivers a nuanced, career-defining performance that cements him as being one of the best cinematic actors alive.

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman, a 20-year-old Bob Dylan (Chalamet) arrives in New York City in 1961 after hitchhiking from Minnesota. With only his guitar and duffel bag, Dylan seeks to visit his musical idol, Woody Guthrie, who is slowly dying from Huntington’s Disease. When he finds the hospital Guthrie is at, Dylan performs a song he wrote just for him in front of Guthrie and fellow folk musician Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). It’s a pivotal moment as Dylan manages to impress both men. Afterwards, Seeger takes Dylan under his wing and helps him get the gigs he needs to start a career.

As his career starts, Dylan meets a girl named Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and charms her enough that they begin a romantic relationship, which falters because of Dylan’s aloofness and his reluctance to share anything about his past. While Sylvie is away in Europe, Dylan encounters fellow folk singer/songwriter Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro, “Top Gun: Maverick”) and a subsequent tumultuous relationship unfolds. The film also delves into Dylan’s increasing feelings of being pigeonholed as one specific type of singer. His sense of diminishing freedom as an artist causes him to rebel against everyone’s expectations, including Seeger, who sees Dylan as the savior of folk music. Encouraged by Johnny Cash, Dylan gets some mud on the carpet by going electric with his music.

Chalamet’s portrait of Dylan is an immersive experience as he displays a similar talent to disappear into a character like the great Daniel Day-Lewis. Whether it was “The King”, “Dune” or “Wonka”, Chalamet has a knack for pulling us into his performances and not letting us go. Of course, the Academy Award-nominated Norton is spot on with his role as he plays Seeger as a man desperate to have Dylan be a folk messiah only to end up driving him away. Barbaro, also an Academy Award nominee, is nothing less than a revelation while Fanning brilliantly infuses her character with a sense of tragic resignation.

“A Complete Unknown” is a lot to take in, but Mangold keeps a steady pace by not doing a lot of jumping forwards and backwards. He ensures the music selection speaks for the times and for what the characters are going through, and the costume designs perfectly capture the period of 1961-67. It’s all part of a grand movie watching experience anyone, especially Dylan fans, are sure to love.

“A Complete Unknown” receives ★★★★ out of five.

• NOVOCAINE
• Starring:  Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson
• Directed by:  Dan Berk and Robert Olsen
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 50 mins
• Paramount

Our score:  3.5 out of 5

One of the greatest bad ass characters in movie history was Mr. Joshua, played by Gary Busey in “Lethal Weapon.”  Willingly holding his arm over a direct flame and not flinching…it still makes me grimace.  Meet Nate Caine (Quaid).  He makes Mr. Joshua look like a wimp.

Packed with humor and over the top violence, “Novocaine” is an ultra violent, ultra funny film ostensibly about a man following his heart.  Nate is a quiet guy who earns his money as the assistant manager of a local bank.  While running a morning meeting he can’t help but notice a new teller named Sherry (Midhunder) as she comes in late.  Afterwards she apologizes and offers to take Nate to lunch.  He finally agrees but is surprised when Nate only orders a milkshake.  She offers him a bite of her pie but he refuses, explaining that he was born with a condition that prevents him from feeling any kind of physical pain.  He can’t eat solid foods because he could inadvertently bite his tongue and bleed to death.  Things are looking up for Nate.  Until they aren’t.

It’s hard to put a label on this film.  Yes, it’s violent.  Yes, it’s action packed.  Yes it’s funny.  But it’s neither a horror, action or comedy film.  It’s the rare combination of all three.  The story moves along quickly, carried on the shoulders of the film’s three leads, two of them (Quaid and Ray Nicholson) the sons of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors Dennis Quaid and Jack Nicholson (their mothers aren’t too shabby either – Meg Ryan and Rebecca Broussard, respectively).  Both have a fine screen presence.  Quaid is quite likable.  Nate would be the perfect “every man” if not for his little issue.  As chief bad guy Simon, Nicholson sends chills down your spine with only a glance and a comment.  As Sherry, Ms. Midthunder is both sweet and sour, hiding a secret that gives the film its genuine tension.

The action scenes are top notch, if not a little over the top.  I mean, sure you can’t feel someone smash your head into a wall but you should at least stumble a little, right?

If you need to jump start your spirits this week then I recommend seeing “Novocaine.”  It’s Pure Adrenaline!

On a scale of zero to five, “Novocaine” receives ★★★ ½        

• FLIGHT RISK
• Starring: Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Dockery
• Directed by: Mel Gibson
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 1 hr 31 mins
• Lionsgate

Our score: 0.5 out o 5

The singular risk about watching “Flight Risk”, is that you may walk out of the theater or switch the channel before it is over. The action, all contained aboard a single engine plane high above the mountains of Alaska, comes across as staged and too choreographed. Its script, which has an interesting concept, is choppy with a minimal amount of suspense. On top of that, the acting is worse than over-the-top, which is surprising considering that Mel Gibson, who has a pretty decent track record, is the film’s director.

The premise of the story takes us to a remote town in Alaska where Winston (Topher Grace, “Heretic”), an always nervous accountant for a crime syndicate in New York City, is hiding to stay alive. His time on the run is short-lived when he is apprehended by Deputy U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery, “The Gentlemen”, “Downton Abbey”), whose shaky career could be redeemed by bagging someone willing to testify against the syndicate.

Before she can haul him back to New York City, Harris must charter a private plane to fly her and Winston to Anchorage. The overly chatty pilot, who calls himself Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), gives himself away as a hitman assigned to kill both Harris and Winston. A fight breaks out between the two, which threatens to kill them all as gunfire and flare guns don’t do well on aircraft.

Dockery is unbelievable as a U.S. Marshal. Her character fails to follow any semblance of law enforcement procedure as Dockery herself gives the impression that she is just going through the motions. Grace adds nothing as plays his character as if he is the grownup version of his role from “That 70s Show”. Last but not least, Wahlberg sneers, glares, and spouts off vaudeville type laughter while trying to play a bad guy. None of it works.

There is a little sense of suspense and mystery generated towards the end as Dockery speaks with her superiors over the radio, and when she tries to land the plane. Otherwise, that’s about all the good there is to say about this wretched waste of time.

“Flight Risk” receives a ½ Star out of five.

• A REAL PAIN
• Starring: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin
• Directed by: Jesse Eisenberg
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Searchlight Pictures

Our score:  4 out of 5

Nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jesse Eisenberg), “A Real Pain” is an intelligent, emotional film with one of the two or three finest individual performances for the 2024 cinematic year. While Eisenberg, who successfully wears three hats for this film, is terrific in his own right, Culkin is nothing less than magnetic in his role as a free-spirited young man who in one moment can be endearing and the next moment be irritating. Great chemistry, superb dialogue and a moving story make for a movie that is a real treasure.

Worried that he is not going to make it to John F. Kennedy International Airport on time, or that his first cousin, Benjamin “Benji” Kaplan (Culkin) may not make it either, David Kaplan (Eisenberg) is more than a little relieved, and perhaps a bit shocked that Benji is already waiting on him. After the recent passing of their beloved grandmother, who was a Jewish immigrant from Poland, the formerly close cousins decided to take a Jewish heritage tour to her ancestral homeland.

Although they were joined at the hip when they were kids, David has become a family man with a career while Benji remains a pot-smoking, free-spirited drifter without a filter. He criticizes David for becoming essentially boring and predictable. This causes friction between the two and several uncomfortable situations within their tour group as Benji’s outbursts become heated at times. Benji is a lot to take for everyone involved, especially for David who feels sorry for him. However, everyone seems appreciative of Benji’s honesty in the long run.

Culkin a whirling dervish of emotions throughout the film and he pulls it off spectacular fashion. Under Eisenberg’s skillful direction, Culkin is as equally endearing and maddening to the audience as he is to David. I was almost thankful for the film’s relative short running time because it proved to be a draining experience, but not in a negative way. Culkin and Eisenberg share great chemistry with one another as believable family members.

Eisenberg’s best work as director comes during a powerful, somber scene when the tour group visits Majdanek, the site of Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The dialogue is scarce as he lets the imagery of the well-preserved site speak for itself. It’s easy to see that the actors at this point are not acting but rather reacting in a very human way to the absolute tragedy that occurred there.

Overall, “A Real Pain” is a fantastic cinematic experience that reminds you how great the artform can truly be.

“A Real Pain” receives ★★★★ out of five.

• THE APPRENTICE
• Starring: Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong
• Directed by: Ali Abbasi
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 2 mins
• Briarcliff Entertainment

Our score: 3 out of 5

Nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading (Sebastian Stan) and Supporting Role (Jeremy Strong), the biographical drama “The Apprentice” is so unflattering that it the current president threatened a lawsuit to stop its release before last year’s election. Its story is as dirty and disgusting as its realistic depiction of a blighted, crime-ridden New York City in the 1970s. What makes it so impactful, though, are the incredible, even transcendent performances by Stan and Strong. If all you thought Stan could do was play a guy with a metal arm, then you are sadly mistaken.

The film takes us on a thirteen-year journey starting in 1973 that spans the rise of a young Donald Trump (Stan, “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”) who we find is struggling to get out from under the thumb of his domineering father, Fred Trump, Sr. (Martin Donovan, “Tenet”). It is in a dimly lit nightclub/restaurant where attorney Roy Cohn (Strong, “The Gentlemen”, “Molly’s Game”) spots an ambitious Trump sitting alone. Cohn, who had a significant role in the 1951 espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and their subsequent execution, has a no-holds barred, take-no prisoner mentality with little patience for anything or anyone he deems unpatriotic.

Cohn takes Trump under his wing and gets his family out of a legal jam involving accusations of racist landlord practices. It’s the start of a partnership and friendship that shapes Trump’s view of himself, business and the world around him for years to come. It also impacts his eventual marriage to his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”), presented as a tragic figure because of the way she is treated by her husband. Trump absorbs three rules from Cohn that become his guiding principles: always attack, never admit wrongdoing, and always claim victory, even if defeated.

While probably still a lightning rod for Trump supporters and non-supporters alike, “The Apprentice” stands out because of its performances by Stan and Strong, with a nice supporting role as well by Bakalova. It exposes the underbelly of New York when it was rundown, corrupt and gangsters had equal notoriety at celebrities. The evolution of the Trump character in the film is a fascinating yet sad thing to watch unfold, even if the camera work is choppy. It’s certainly not a flick for kids and it may leave you feeling kind of gross when it’s over.

“The Apprentice” receives ★★★ out of five.

• CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
• Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford
• Directed by: Julius Onah
• Rating: PG-13
• Running Time: 1hr 58 mins
• Walt Disney Studios

Our score:  3.5 out of 5

After the disaster of the Kang Dynasty saga, which was put to bed in the “Loki” season two finale and verbally reduced to ashes by “Deadpool & Wolverine”, Marvel Studios has moved on with their next phase, kicked off by its newest endeavor “Captain America: Brave New World”. A solid, standalone effort that isn’t about saving the galaxy or planet Earth, “Brave New World” brings multiple loose ends to a close and ties them all together in what amounts to a political thriller. Anthony Mackie solidifies himself as the new Captain America via a good script and supporting cast.

Several months after being elected to the highest office in the land, President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), a former U.S. Army general and U.S. Secretary of State who has had a long-standing hatred of the Hulk and for the Avengers overall, sends Sam Wilson (Mackie), aka Captain America, and U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”), aka The Falcon, to Mexico to prevent the sale of a new element – adamantium.

Although a criminal known as Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) escapes, the mission is successful enough for Wilson, Torres and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) to be invited to the White House. Bradley, who received a dose of super soldier serum before becoming a Korean War hero, spent 30 years in prison where he was experimented on by the U.S. government. So, when he tries to assassinate President Ross, everyone is quick to judge him because of his past mistreatment.

President Ross severs ties with Captain America because he is determined to exonerate Bradley. Captain America and The Falcon are alone in their mission as President Ross’s top security advisor, Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas, “Broken Mirrors”), a child of the infamous “Red Room” where Black Widows were trained, is just as determined to thwart their plans. However, they are all being manipulated by Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson, “The Incredible Hulk”), a cellular biologist who developed super intelligence after being contaminated by Bruce Banner’s blood in “The Incredible Hulk”. It all leads to a climatic confrontation between Captain America and the Red Hulk.

Mackie does a great job portraying his character’s struggles of being the new Captain America, something that happens in the comics. He still doesn’t believe he is worthy enough to fill Steve Rogers’s shoes, but he ends up learning he doesn’t have to. Mackie’s greatest strength is making us root for his character who, unlike Rogers, lacks super strength or speed. He is just a man, albeit one who has fought Thanos. His co-star Ford clearly embraces the character originated by the late William Hurt. It’s easy to see he has fun with the role, and it is a departure from some of his past roles. Ford deftly navigates his character’s complexities as Ross’s overarching goal is to win back his estranged daughter, Betty.

The action is what you would come to expect from a Marvel film, only this time it’s wrapped up in political intrigue rather than in bickering gods from another realm or the attempted takeover by a mad Titan. One of its greatest strengths is that the story ties up loose ends that have been dangling since “The Incredible Hulk” was released seventeen years ago. Not only that, but these threads end up pointing towards how this newest phase will unfold in coming years. The story also ties into events from the much-maligned “Eternals” with multiple references to previous Marvel flicks like “End Game” and “Black Widow”.

Perhaps Marvel fatigue does exist. Perhaps everything prior to and including “End Game” is viewed with rose colored glasses. The secret to the Avengers’ success in the comic world is that it has always been ever-changing. Its membership has changed numerous times over the years, with even Wolverine counted among its members. I get that it’s disappointing to see someone like Chris Evans or Scarlett Johansson move on, but it would get stale if the cast and characters never changed. Furthermore, the physical demands on some of them get harder as they get older and thus, you can’t blame them if they have decided if they have had enough.

With that said, you should give “Brave New World” and Anthony Mackie a chance.

“Captain America: Brave New World” receives ★★★ ½ out of five.

Starring: Jenna Kenall, Hannah Alline and Natasha Halevi
Directed by: Zeshaan Younus
Rated: NR
Running Time: 71 minutes
Ethos Releasing

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

It took me a while to figure out why “The Buildout” wasn’t clicking with me. On paper, it has a lot going for it: two strong lead performances, a mysterious cult with bonus UFO potential, and a vast desert setting filled with existential emptiness—a playground for a horror fan’s imagination. But it’s not that I dislike character studies. It’s that for me to enjoy one, the characters need to actually be interesting.

This low-budget indie follows Dylan (Hannah Alline) and Cameron (Jenna Kenall) on a sort of re-bonding trip into the Southern California desert. Dylan is set on joining a cult, while Cameron tags along as emotional support for the motorcycle-bound pilgrimage into the unknown. The extra bizarre caveat? Despite embarking on this trip together, the two haven’t spoken in years—ever since the death of Cameron’s sister. With a setup like that, “The Buildout” has plenty of backstory to sink its teeth into. But it never really does.

From a setting perspective, we should feel a creeping sense of isolation, of impending doom. Instead, the desert ends up as little more than a silent backdrop, lacking presence or atmosphere. The cult, which may or may not have some otherworldly connection, never feels as ominous as the word “cult” would imply. In fact, when we finally meet them, they’re about as forgettable as the latest conspiracy theory making rounds on social media. And while Dylan and Cameron’s personal revelations feel genuine, they’re overshadowed by the film’s disjointed execution. The result is two stories—one about fractured friendships, one about a shadowy belief system—that feel fundamentally incompatible.

As much as I wanted to enjoy it—especially since it touches on universal anxieties about friendship and how it evolves over time—I just never felt invested. Not because the themes weren’t compelling, but because the film itself didn’t seem invested in telling a fully realized story. The subject matter is fascinating, but “The Buildout” only engages with it on a surface level. And while complex questions don’t always require answers, it’s frustrating when a film doesn’t seem to answer any of the ones it presents. Which makes me wonder if we’ve been handed a sandwich with nothing between the bread.

Starring: Krsy Fox, Jon Sklaroff, and Elizabeth Caro
Directed by: Spider One
Rated: NR
Running Time: 105 minutes
Shudder

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

I’ve been following Spider One’s directorial career since he debuted “Allegoria” at Panic Fest. It’s been an interesting journey, marked by a slow yet confident evolution—not necessarily for Spider One, but for Krsy Fox, who has appeared in every one of his films so far. While she’s been integral to his prior work, “Little Bites” is a tour de force simply for her performance alone. Unfortunately, everything else seems stuck in a rut.

“Little Bites” follows single mom Mindy (Fox), who allows a demon-vampire creature (Jon Sklaroff) to bite, nibble, and drain her of her blood and flesh in an effort to distract him from the fresh meat that is her 10-year-old daughter. The daughter is safely at grandma’s, so most of the film’s runtime is spent with Mindy and an indie-looking Nosferatu. Their interactions aren’t just a series of repeated feastings; the creature mentally and emotionally abuses Mindy on top of the physical harm. The film is a blunt metaphor for parenthood—how parents keep their own personal demons at bay while raising children. But despite all the visual meat being devoured on screen, there isn’t much meat on the script.

For a film that pushes close to two hours, it’s hard to justify some of the vignettes that pop up throughout. A child protective services worker (played by the magnificent Barbara Crampton) makes a visit for no apparent reason, as does horror icon Heather Langenkamp, in a scene that feels equally unnecessary. The only encounter that really works is when Mindy brings a man (Chaz Bono) back to her home to appease the ever-thirsty vampire. But even that scene doesn’t land as well as it could, because the film’s themes are so blunt and obvious that they invite scrutiny. It led me to wonder whether the narrative and direction were akin to a dog chasing a car—running full speed toward something without really knowing what to do once it catches it.

While “Bury the Bride” was a tight thrill ride, “Little Bites” feels more like a bloated episode of “Tales from the Crypt”—without the satisfying twist or payoff. Because the film is so personal to Spider and Fox (it’s literally about raising their daughter), I wondered if it was harder for them to be as self-critical in the editing process as they were with their previous films. Like his prior work, there’s a lot to admire and enjoy, but “Little Bites” is disappointing because it feels like a strong, powerful film is buried within its meandering narrative. It could have been another progressive step forward for Spider, but it never finds its footing.

That said, as I mentioned at the start, Fox delivers a performance that deserves serious attention. Her horror acting chops are on full display, and without her, the film might have been a complete disaster.

• YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED
• Starring: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon
• Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 1 hr 49 mins
• Amazon MGM Studios

Our Score:  .5 out of 5

You are cordially invited to not watch “You’re Cordially Invited”. Released on Amazon Prime Video, this Will Farrell/Reese Witherspoon comedic vehicle is an outright disaster of Hindenburg proportions. Writer/director Nicholas Stoller (“Get Him to the Greek”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) has helmed a comedy that is choppy, poorly acted with a dullish and predictable script, and has characters that are either annoying or are stereotypes from a myriad of other bad comedies. While there are inevitably a couple of laughs to be had, Farrell continues a streak of rather underwhelming comedies. Witherspoon’s effort appears forced at times while having about as much chemistry with Farrell as there is water in the Mojave Desert.

Jim (Farrell) is a widowed father who has raised his daughter, Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan, “Blockers”) since she was six years old. To describe him as overattentive, smothering, and too apologetic would be an understatement. Margot is a never-been-married, childless TV producer in Los Angeles who keeps her family in Atlanta at a distance, emotionally speaking, except for her bubbly younger sister, Neve (Meredith Hagner, “Joy Ride”).

Worlds collide when Jim and Margot, unbeknownst to one another, call a small resort on Palmetto Island, Georgia to schedule Jenni and Neve’s wedding day. The double-booking leads to an uncomfortable circumstance since the venue is too small for two weddings. At first, Jim and Margot are able to work everything out, but personality conflicts, jealousies, and pettiness lead to disaster for both weddings.

The family of Margot and Neve was apparently crafted to appear as a quirky bunch of characters that we are supposed to find amusing. Instead, they are boorish cardboard cutouts. The fake townspeople of Mel Brooks’s Rock Ridge had more personality. Jenni’s wedding party consists of some of the most annoying, idiotic, non-funny characters ever assembled for a comedy flick.

Witherspoon is just not funny, and Farrell is reduced to wrestling an animatronic alligator in a tuxedo to generate laughs, a gimmick that doesn’t work. Their pairing is awkward while the story is about as predictable as knowing the sun is going to come up tomorrow. Cameos by Peyton Manning and Nick Jonas are, for lack of a better word, weird and poorly utilized. Overall, decline this wedding invitation and watch something that is entertaining instead like “Dune 2” or paint drying.

“You’re Cordially Invited” receives a half star out of five.

• THE BRUTALIST
• Starring:  Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce
• Directed by:  Brady Corbet
• Rated:  R
• Running time: 3 hrs 20 mins (3 hr 35 with intermission)
• A24

Our score:  5 out of 5

Budapest.  World War II has recently ended.  We find Erzsabet (Jones) writing a letter to her husband, Laszlo (Brody), reminding him of her love and where he can find her.  An important fact as Laszlo is now living in Pennsylvania, trying to build a new life in a constantly changing new world.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, “The Brutalist” is a beautifully shot film that celebrates one mans desire to be remembered, no matter the cost.  Arriving in America, Laszlo is given work by his cousin, a businessman with a furniture store.  Laszlo is an architect and his skills go well with furniture designing.  He is also a proud Jew, who is upset that his cousin has not only changed his last name but is now a Catholic.  Laszlo battles many demons, from terrible dreams to drug addiction but no matter what, he will fight to achieve the “American Dream.”

Thanks to the amazing cast, the three hour plus run time does not seem that long.  Brody is always at his best when he is playing tortured souls and his performance here is top notch.  Both he and Huffman are Oscar nominated for their work and they are well deserved.  But the stand out performance here goes to fellow nominee Guy Pearce, who owns every scene he is in.  I have loved Pearce ever since his breakout performance in “L.A. Confidential” and he is outstanding here.

The film is beautifully shot and the period settings perfect right down to the smallest detail.  The film is also propelled by it’s Academy Award nominated musical score, as well as the greatest selection of mid-century standards since, well, “L.A. Confidential.”

Please note, I had the opportunity to see the film without and intermission so if you see it in the cinema, add 15 minutes to the run time.  But believe me, it is time well spent.

On a scale of zero to five, “The Brutalist” receives ★★★★★

• CONCLAVE
• Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci
• Directed by: Edward Berger
• Rating: PG
• Running Time: 2 hrs
• Focus Features

Our Score:  4.5 out of 5

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ralph Fiennes), and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Isabella Rossellini), “Conclave” is one of the best films to grace the silver screen this past year. Its dialogue is nothing less than superb and its overall screenplay is almost flawless. The stellar cast rises to the occasion at every mesmerizing moment during this somber, tense drama.

In the wake of the pope’s death from a heart attack, British Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes), the dean of the College of Cardinals with liberal views about the church’s future, convenes a conclave in Vatican City. Cardinals from around the world arrive for the secluded, secretive meeting. Four leading candidates emerge – liberal-minded American Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), socially conservative Nigerian Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), moderate Canadian Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), and staunch traditionalist Italian Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”).

Trembly and Tedesco are both power hungry, although the former is more about subterfuge while the latter wears his feelings on his sleeve. Adeyemi and Bellini are more reserved and humbler about their ambitions. It’s a political minefield that Lawrence, who struggles with his faith and is adamant that no one should vote for him during the process, must make a delicate dance to get through. Further wrinkles include the unexpected arrival, via Afghanistan, of previously unknown Mexican Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), a back-and-forth relationship with Sister Agnes (Rossellini), the headstrong nun who oversees the cardinals’ accommodations, and a suicide bombing.

Watching “Conclave” is like savoring a finely aged red wine. It’s the kind of film that sticks with you long after viewing it. The political intrigue and infighting during the papal election process are mesmerizing to view. Each actor/actress deliver pitch perfect performances as they navigate the story’s twists and turns. While the climax has been enjoyed by some and hated by others, it is certainly something you won’t see coming. Fiennes is unforgettable with a brilliant performance of a man who is resolute yet conflicted. He absolutely deserves to win Best Actor. Overall, “Conclave” is one you should catch on streaming before the Oscar ceremony.

“Conclave” receives ★★★★ ½  out of five.

• SEPTEMBER 5
• Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Jeff Magaro
• Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Paramount Pictures

Our Score:  4 out of 5

Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards’ ceremony, “September 5” is an important and tragic historical drama detailing the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympic games in Munich, West Germany. Told from the viewpoint of an ABC sports broadcast team, “September 5” is a haunting tale, told with quick pacing by director Tim Fehlbaum (“The Colony”), that still resonates today as humanity cannot seem to break the endless cycle of violence caused by terrorism.

Crammed inside a tight control room in Munich, the production staff of ABC Sports attempt to control chaos as split-second decisions are constantly being made to keep up with various sporting events. ABC Sports President Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard, “The Batman”) and control room head Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro, “The Many Saints of Newark”) work tirelessly to ensure its all as seamless as possible. Athletic competition begins to take a backseat during the early morning hours of September 5, 1972, when shots ring out in the Olympic village as a Palestinian terrorist group takes several Israeli athletes hostage.

When it becomes clear that an unprecedented crisis is unfolding, Arledge and Magaro do their best to manage the chaos while broadcasting the situation live to the world. Not only do they have to keep a diverse group of people working together, even though women are relegated to secondary roles, but Arledge and Magaro must also maintain high standards of journalism even if they are just sports people. All the while, a series of mistakes by everyone involved, including the ABC crew, leads to a disastrous conclusion.

Like “Civil War” in which the story of war, albeit a fictional one, is told through the eyes of journalists, this film’s viewpoint is an intriguing one as well. We see the story unfold much like viewers did in 1972 – helpless to do anything about it and yet unable to pull our attention away from it. Archival footage is blended in with rich dialogue, solid ensemble acting, and an accurate depiction of historical complexities to bring back to life a sobering event that, much like the Holocaust, should never be forgotten.

“September 5” receives ★★★★ out of five.