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Flash Movie Review: A Minecraft Movie
FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS who do not have my ability, some say gift, I can help them see what I am seeing. From my earliest memories, i always had this ability to see something more than what the object was made for. A whisk broom (do they even make those anymore?) in my hands became a missile or rocket ship, where the bristles were the flames coming out from the engines. A strainer covering a turned on pocket flashlight was a device that sent stars onto the ceiling of my bedroom. With a spatula in my hand, I would pretend I was chopping through enemy castles’ gates which were really closet doors. I did the same thing with clouds. Sitting out in the backyard, looking up to the sky, I could show my friends all the things the sky contained, from an automobile to a vampire bat to a man’s face. When school started for me, i would do the same thing in the classroom, seeing the chalkboard eraser as the enemy’s secret weapon that would wipe out fields of letters. There were a few times the teacher would call me out for not paying attention, because I was either staring out the window or at the art supplies stacked on a shelf, anywhere but where i was supposed to be looking, namely the teacher showing us something on the blackboard. EVEN TO THIS DAY, I CAN find something hidden or unique in something else. I especially like paintings or photographs of floral landscapes because usually I can find a face or animal hidden in the way the shadows mingle with the sunlight on blooms and leaves. If memory serves me correctly, some time ago I mentioned how a raccoon ate a hole in my roof. One day I walked up into the attic which I used for storage and saw a beam of sunlight shining down like a spotlight. Instead of thinking about who can I call to repair it, I stared at the hole and imagined it being a skylight, seeing how more light coming in would brighten the darkened space that only had one little window at the very back of the attic. As you can see, my imagination has always been overactive and quite vivid. I remember how much I used to enjoy rainy Saturdays when I was a kid because it meant I could play in the living room all day with all the things our household contained. As I sat and watched this action, adventure fantasy; I thought the creators of the video game this film was based on were some very creative individuals. PULLED UNEXPECTEDLY INTO A WORLD WHERE one needs to have an imagination to survive, a small group of individuals will need to work together if they ever want to see their homes again. With Jason Momoa (Aquaman franchise, Fast X) as Garrett, Jack Black (Dear Santa, The Big Year) as Steve, Sebastian Hansen (Just Mercy, Mozart in the Jungle-TV) as Henry, Emma Myers (Family Switch, Wednesday-TV) as Natalie, and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Dawn; this comedy’s filled with imaginative scenes. I have never seen or played the video game, so I was a little unclear about what was taking place at first. However, things soon began to fall in place and I tried to get into the story. Not being a big fan of slapstick, there were scenes that were filled with it, which makes sense when Jack Black is cast in a fantasy picture. My attention kept going in and out of the story, but at least I was enjoying the visuals and special effects. To a gamer or young child, this film will probably be a bit hit for them. As for me, I think I was just too old to play along with it. There were two extra scenes during the closing credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Working Man
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR it, just ask anyone who knows me. When it comes to determination, where I have my mind set, I do not give up. A perfect example just happened last week. I had to call a government agency since I was not getting the answers I needed online. After going through multiple automated prompts on my telephone call, I was given the option to wait for customer service. I agreed to wait by pressing “one” on the keypad and the auto attendant said the wait would be one hundred ten minutes. I was prepared for such an outrageous number since I tried the week before and the message said since the wait time was over one hundred twenty minutes, no more calls were being accepted, to try back later in the week. So, with the clock counting down, I turned on the speakerphone option on my phone and exercised for an hour. Through the hour I heard repeats of various recorded messages that did not require me to do anything except wait. After I finished exercising, I showered while keeping the phone on the floor next to the shower stall in case I heard a human voice; but, I was not expecting to hear it. When I finished showering, drying off, and dressing; I decided to have lunch. And after I finished eating and washing the dishes, I sat and read for a bit. At three hours and five minutes, I finally heard from a live human voice. I ask you, how many of you would have waited that long? I was not going to give up until I spoke to someone. THIS TYPE OF DETERMINATION IS SOMETHING I believe I was born with. I can remember when I was a little kid playing with building blocks; I could sit for hours until I used every block to build a castle or some type of large building or fortress. Depending on what I was doing, my determination would remain strong even if I had to step away from what I was doing for a couple of hours or days; however, my mind remained active in trying to solve whatever I wanted to accomplish, and come back to the task refreshed and just as determined as when I first started. Though aging and maturity showed me not everyone had my level of determination, it did not stop me from pushing the members in my class to keep going and not give up. I would break down my movements into parts, allowing the members to choose the level of intensity that was best for them. Next, I would encourage them to try to go an extra thirty or sixty seconds the closer we got to the end of a song. I felt I was fortunate, because the members who attended my classes always gave 100% of themselves to their exercising. That type of determination, which I greatly appreciated, was similar to the determination I saw from the main character in this dramatic, action thriller. A CONSTRUCTION WORKER’S QUIET LIFE IS shattered when his boss’ daughter goes missing. With the training he received from his previous career, the worker makes a promise to his boss that he will get his daughter back. By making that promise, he knows he can never give up and he will not until the daughter is returned safely home. With Jason Statham (The Meg franchise, The Beekeeper) as Levon Cade, Jason Flemyng (Black Dog, Touchdown) as Wolo Kolisnyk, Merab Ninidze (Conclave, Without Remorse) as Yuri, Michael Pena (Unstoppable, A Million Miles Away) as Joe Garcia, and David Harbour (Black Widow, Violent Night) as Gunny Lefferty; this script with one of the writers being Sylvester Stallone, was a bare bones, no nonsense fight fest. There were no surprises as everything followed a typical Jason Statham movie model. The fight scenes were well orchestrated and I felt the main story line helped greatly to keep audience members engaged as long as they were in the mood to witness such battles. There was no humor, fun, or deep drama within any of the scenes; it was strictly a bloody violent film that was made for Jason’s well known persona—a tough guy who can beat the crap out of anyone.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hot Frosty
SHE SAID SHE COULD NEVER LOVE again, but I knew better. My friend had recently come out of a bad breakup, where her boyfriend had been cheating on her. They had been dating for five years, the last two living together. He moved out and she made sure he took not only all his stuff, but other things that she did not want around that would remind her of him. I was her emotional support through her anger and grief periods. Presently, she was working her way out from the bottom of her emotions, coming to terms with moving forward in life alone. She expressed how she could not go through such pain again and wanted to start focusing on things that would not only occupy her mind but if possible, bring her happiness. I understood how she was feeling because I had been in the same situation a couple of times, where I thought everything was going well until it was not. I was in two love relationships where I was cheated on, and let me tell you, it does a real number on one’s ability to trust anyone again. Just like my friend was beginning her period of rebuilding, I have done the same thing. My way was alternating periods of solitude with busy social activities. The hardest thing for me, which I believed would be the same for my friend, was breaking up the old routines I shared with my past partners. It took introducing new activities, new ways of thinking to get to a point where I would feel twinges of peaceful comfort. THE NEXT TIME I MET UP with my friend, she was in a better place. It had been a few months after her horrific breakup. It looked like she had lost some weight which she confirmed when she said she had been working out regularly. We were standing in line to place our order, she was in front of me. Besides those standing in line, there were customers walking in to look at the menu chart before getting in line. A guy who had been standing off to her side, turned and asked if she had ever tried their salads. She politely said yes and offered up her top two favorites. A couple of more words were exchanged before he thanked her and got into line. We soon placed our orders and sat down at a table. Not long after, the man who asked her about the salads chose a table near us. By the time we started on our dessert, after eating our main course, the guy came over to thank her for the suggestions for the salads; he enjoyed it. They chatted about the food as I detected a bit of flirting was taking place. Hopefully, he saw my wedding ring and she eventually introduced me to him as her best friend. Before I knew it, he asked her if she would like to have dinner later in the week. I waited to hear her answer and was happy she said yes. Such a random moment led to a dinner date. I think it is one of the best ways to meet someone, but this romantic comedy fantasy has a different spin on it that I was curious to see. STILL MOURNING THE DEATH OF HER husband, a restaurant owner unknowingly magically brings a snowman to life. Would there be time to get to know each other before he melts, though? With Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls, Lost in Space) as Kathy Barrett, Dustin Milligan (Running on Empty, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Jack Snowman, Chrishell Stause (Staged Killer, Selling Sunset-TV) as Jan, Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models, Superbad) as Deputy Sheriff Ed Schatz, and Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine franchise, My Spy the Eternal City) as Sheriff Nathaniel Hunter; this film knew what it was and did not make any apologies for it. The story followed a simple template, but the sweetness and magical holiday spirit made for an easy viewing experience. The acting was okay, though I thought Craig’s character was out of place because of the cartoonish take on it. Outside of that, the writers wanted and for the most part created a fantasy that had a warm message wrapped inside of it. There was nothing fancy about this production; all it wanted to do was to touch people’s hearts.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Red One
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME BEFORE, but I believe everything you want to learn about humanity can be found in a store and its parking lot. Before you decide I must have gone off the deep end, please hear me out. I will start with the parking lot or any large busy parking lot. Humans can be competitive when looking for a parking spot. There have been so many times I have seen people waiting for a spot when suddenly another driver swings around them and grabs the space that was being vacated. Sadly, humans are selfish, and you can see it when an able-bodied person parks in a handicapped parking spot. I have seen people getting out of their cars to physically fight over a parking place. Now one of the two worst things I have experienced in a parking lot happened on New Year’s Eve Day. I pulled into a parking spot, shut my car off and sat there looking at my grocery list. Suddenly, my car took a lurch forward. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the back end of a car up against me. Getting out of the car, I quickly glanced at the car’s license plate as I walked up to the driver. She offered her insurance information; I took it and got back into my car to call my insurance company. Long story short, I filed a claim and her insurance company, I assumed with her prompting, accused me of backing up into her. After explaining my car was turned off and providing the photo I snapped as I was walking away from her at the time of the accident, they finally agreed to pay for the damage done to my car. THE OTHER WORST EVENT I WITNESSED in a parking lot was at a grocery store’s parking lot. I was walking down the row of parked cars towards the store’s entrance when a driver ahead backed out of their space and hit the back of a parked car across the lane, breaking its rear lights. The driver did not even get out to look at the damage they caused when I saw their car’s reverse lights go off. I got up to their driver’s door as they started to pull away. Rapping on the window, they stopped and looked up at me as their window rolled down. I told them about the damage they caused, and they needed to go inside the store to find the owner of the car. Their response stunned me; they said they should not have to because there have been times it has happened to them. I told them that it does not make them right and they need to park and inform the owner. Reluctantly they pulled back into their spot, got out of the car and walked into the store. As I said before, one can see all aspects of humanity in a crowded parking lot. And none of the events I wrote about except for New Year’s Eve took place during a holiday. So, imagine what people might do when they are under stress during their holiday shopping. It would not surprise me if someone tried to act like the villain in this action fantasy, adventure holiday comedy. WHEN SANTA CLAUS IS KIDNAPPED JUST before the start of Christmas, it is up to the North Pole’s Chief of Security to track him down and save the holiday. The first thing he will have to do is work with an infamous computer hacker. With Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam, Red Notice) as Callum Drift, Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers, The Gray Man) as Jack O’Malley, Lucy Liu (Carlie’s Angels franchise, Kill Bill: Vol. 1) as Zoe, J.K. Simmons (Saturday Night, Whiplash) as Nick, and Bonnie Hunt (Jumanji, The Green Mile) as Mrs. Claus; this film had a story that did not know what it wanted to be. It was part superhero, part drama, part satire, part fantasy, and part comedy. Truthfully because I like superhero movies, I did not mind this as much as others in this genre. For me, it has to do with Dwayne Johson. He is such a bankable screen presence, though this role was one of his typical ones. It was obvious the cast was having fun with the silly script, playing off each other well. As for the special effects, they were a hit and miss; some were good, and others were not. Overall, this film was like watching a beautiful Christmas tree that had several strands of its lights out. If one focuses on the good parts and ignores the others, then this can be an agreeable viewing experience for the holidays.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Venom: The Last Dance
MY VERY FIRST FRIEND WAS A boy who lived in the apartment building where I was born. He and his family lived in the apartment below us. With both sets of parents being friends, we would get together often. He was one year older than me, but it did not make any difference to us. Our apartment building was our playground. Being an “L” shaped building with two separate entrances, our entrance was on the side street side of the building. On the main street side there was a family on the third floor who had a daughter that was our age; she would play with us occasionally. Our backyard being “L” shaped was the mirror image of the building, together they formed a perfect rectangle. We would make up a variety of games that used both sets of backstairs and porches. And with our backyard right off the alley, you could find us running from the backyard to the front of the building, to the other side of the building to its back porches. I especially liked hiding in the laundry rooms that were hidden behind the back stairs, four steps down. During the summer months, we would be together almost every day. It was not until I was seven years old that my parents told me my best friend and his family were moving far away to the northern suburbs. I was devastated. Who would be an astronaut with me while we explored the backyard and alley? IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO get over the loss of my friend. Though our families tried to stay in touch, as school became the primary focus, it got harder to visit each other. Eventually, I became friends with a boy who had moved into our neighborhood over summer break from school. He was assigned to my classroom. During recess, I included him with my classmates in whatever game we were playing. Having similar interests and liking the same type of board games and baseball cards, we would get together after school. His family was nice, and his mother always had a snack for us. During summer, we signed up for the same day camp. At some point, we would have sleepovers at each other’s house. All through elementary school we were best friends until the year before graduation, when his parents decided to move to a different school district. I was sad but at least we were able to see each other periodically. However, by the time we entered high school, we started seeing each other less. There was a sense of sadness, but on the other hand, having best friends through school was the best experience. It is just harder and comes with a deeper loss when the two grow apart. I cannot imagine what the main character in this superhero, action adventure, dealt with in his situation. BEING HUNTED BY THE AUTHORITIES AND alien beings, the only thing that mattered to Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy (The Bikeriders, The Revenant), was to keep himself and his symbiote friend alive. But would it be enough to save the world? With Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Old Guard, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind) as Strickland, Juno Temple (Killer Joe, Fargo-TV) as Dr. Teddy Paine, Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, House of the Dragon-TV) as Martin, and Stephen Graham (Boiling Point, Young Woman and the Sea) as Detective Mulligan; this science fiction sequel had a built in appeal due to Tom and his alien friend. I enjoyed their performances and humor; however, the script had a weak storyline along with a general blandness that turned me off from enjoying myself. The special effects were not perfect, and the mix of humor, sarcasm and danger never fully committed to themselves. The production just seemed tired to me. I do not imagine this character will be gone from future productions, but it does need a rest and reboot, which might have been the reason for the two extra scenes during the ending credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hold Your Breath
IF I AM NOT READING A BOOK or listening to music, I always have the television turned on, even if I have no plans to watch it. I use a TV as background noise because I am uncomfortable being in silence. There is a reason for it. There was a television show that debuted when I was a small child of six or seven years of age. I probably was too young to watch it, because I always dreamt of a horrible nightmare when I went to sleep after having watched the show. Every episode started out with the television screen going black and a single white dot would appear in the center. A voice would come on and tell us not to adjust our television sets, there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the next thing the announcer said was they were taking control of our sets and that is when that white dot turned into a wavy line, getting smaller and bigger at times. I can remember snippets of the different episodes, but each week there was always a “monster” or alien being since the show leaned more towards science fiction as opposed to something like The Twilight Zone. I would be terrified of the monsters; some with extra powers or wanting to do experiments on humans. Even if I closed my eyes during a scene, I still would wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. THAT SHOW WAS THE START OF me not liking silence. As I grew older and no longer needed a babysitter, I could not handle being in a quiet space. Any little sounds coming from the house or outside would cause me to jump. One time there was some noise I heard coming from the back porch. I quickly turned off all the lights and hid in the kitchen pantry. Not because I was hungry, but because from there I could sneak peeks at the back door, to see if a human shadow loomed up. I would stand in there for 15-20 minutes before I thought it was safe to come out. Through the years, past my college graduation and moving out into my own apartment, I was the same when it came to hearing noises. Imagine living in a big courtyard apartment building; there were always various noises sounding off; my television and music player were my constant companions. It is as if my mind is always ready to take a pessimistic view when it comes to hearing an uncommon sound that I cannot explain. I do not know if it is a good or dreadful thing, that I understood what the main character was going through in this dramatic, horror thriller. WITH HER HUSBAND AWAY FOR WORK, a wife had to take care of the house and their children during the Oklahoma dust storms that ravaged the state. The fact that there might be something else bad outside made raising their kids all the harder. With Sarah Paulson (Run, American Horror Story-TV) as Margaret Bellum, Amiah Miller (The Water Man, War for the Planet of the Apes) as Rose Bellum, relative newcomer (Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie Bellum, Annaleigh Ashford (American Reject, B Positive-TV) as Esther Smith, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear-TV, No Hard Feelings) as Wallace Grady; this movie was beautifully filmed. I enjoyed the atmospheric scenes mixed in with the starkness; they helped with creating the bleakness of the environment. Sarah and Amiah were especially strong with their characters; Sarah was especially riveting. However, my interest periodically faded at times because the script created this series of repetitive scenarios that did not build up the tension or move the story forward. There needed to be more tension that would have led to a stronger ending. Even if I did not like hearing unfamiliar sounds when I am alone, after seeing this picture, I am amazed at the people who survived these storms back in the 1930s in Oklahoma.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Lisa Frankenstein
A GOOD PORTION OF THE INDIVIDUALS I dated; I did not like it at first. I cannot explain it. Upon either meeting or getting introduced to them, I got a negative reaction to them. One person I met at a house party. They were slightly tipsy while they tried telling these crazy stories about various members of their family. At the end of the evening, they did not have a ride home and the host asked if I would please get them home safely. I was hesitant because I did not want them to get sick in my car and I also felt we had nothing in common, so the ride home would be uncomfortable with us either sitting in silence or me listening to their family drama. As it turned out, they must have sobered up quick or had been putting on an act for most of the evening because we had a friendly conversation. There was more to them than I imagined; they came from a troubled home, learning to use humor to mask their pain. For a first-time conversation, it was not your usual small talk kind about the weather or sports teams. We each talked about growing up with a colorful extended family, and by the time I pulled up in front of their place, we made plans to see one another again. It turned out to be a fun and caring relationship. ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP I HAD STARTED WITH us meeting at a charity event. We were guests in a large ballroom of a downtown hotel, both looking over the items on display for the silent auction. They were standing next to me and made a satirical comment about one of the items; I chuckled and agreed with them. From there we continued making our way together, commenting and joking about the assorted items and guessing what they would go for during the auction. Throughout the evening, we always managed to be near one another. At the close of the evening, we exchanged phone numbers and wished each other well. The following week I got a call and was invited to a party they were hosting. After having a pleasant evening with them at the charity event, their party was something completely different. I found them to be obnoxious as they relished pushing people’s buttons. Granted some of the things coming out of their mouth were quite funny, but the difference I was seeing was drastically different from our last meeting. I was turned off by it. However, after the party they were persistent in their reaching out to me. I discovered who they were when guests were around was so different from when they were by themselves; I could not get over it. As a few weeks went by, they were able to change my opinion and I found myself becoming attracted to them. My relationship with them was like being on a roller coaster and that is why I could understand the main character in this comedy, horror romance. A TEENAGER STRUGGLING TO FIT INTO a new school, meets someone who might understand her, except for the fact he is dead. With Kathryn Newton (Freaky, Ben is Back) as Lisa, Liza Soberano (Everyday I Love You, Forevermore-TV) as Taffy, Jenna Davis (Stay at Home, Treehouse Detectives-TV) as Lori, Trina LaFargue (Five Feet Apart, My Perfect Wedding) as Tricia and Paola Andino (Sno Babies, Every Witch Way-TV) as Misty; I enjoyed the idea for this story. It had a retro vibe to it, like films from the 1980s. Kathryn did an excellent job with her character, and I enjoyed the rest of the cast as well. The beginning started out slow for me and it took awhile before I felt the story starting to come together. There was a small layer of sharp humor that I felt could have been expanded on and the directing needed to be stronger. I did appreciate the way female empowerment, loss and love were managed; but I felt the script could have been so much stronger, delivering a complete knockout of a story. I took a chance on this film and though I did not love it, I found it okay.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Greatest Hits
WHILE LISTENING TO THEM, I WAS getting excited. Having dinner with younger relatives, a couple were talking about their experiences recently at a popular arena concert that had stopped in the city. Every show had sold out in minutes, and they just happened to be lucky enough to get tickets. They told us what they wore then had to explain to the rest of us that it was proper concert attire. Back when I was going to concerts, my standard outfit was jeans and comfortable shoes because many times we would be standing through the entire show, and let me tell you, it is not easy wearing new cowboy boots while standing on a folding chair for over two and a half hours. The two relatives took public transportation down to the stadium. It seemed as if everyone on the train and bus was going to the concert because all the way down into the city the riders were singing the artist’s songs. I experienced the same thing with a couple of the shows I had seen in the past, so I could easily relate to what they were feeling. Inside the stadium, my relatives’ first line of business was to buy concert T-shirts. This was my thing at all the concerts I attended, getting a T-shirt was like getting a badge of honor; I loved wearing my T-shirts when I was out and about. AFTER LISTENING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AT the concert, I was recalling mine as I was driving home from the restaurant. The thing that moved me the most about concerts was feeling connected to so many people who were all there for the same thing. It was like an electric current that we all tapped into at the same time that kept us on a steady high through the performance. There was a sense of belonging that was nurturing to me. When I would tear up to a song, the people around me were doing the same thing; collectively we were all of one heart and I loved that feeling. Music has always had a special effect on me. The way a song plays and can immediately transport me to a different time and place; it is like magic. For every breakup I experienced I have a song, along with every loving relationship. Seeing myself sitting in the restaurant booth, with a fake stained-glass ceiling above us, listening to what became our favorite song over the speaker system and you telling me for the first time you loved me, is a memory that is always with me whenever I hear that song. Hearing how music had an affect on the main character in this romantic music drama intrigued me enough to sit down and watch this movie. AFTER A TRAGIC LOSS HARRIET GIBBONS, played by Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express), hears a song, and gets transported back to the time of a memorable event where she had heard the song originally. When she meets a man who shows interest in her, how could she explain her situation. With Justin H. Min (Shortcomings, The Umbrella Academy-TV) as David Park, David Corenswet (Look Both Ways, The Politicians-TV) as Max Enders, Austin Crute (Booksmart, They/Them) as Morris Martin and Retta (To the Bone, Parks and Recreation-TV) as Dr. Evelyn Bartlett; I liked the idea behind the story. Unfortunately, I felt the script could have done a better job of offering something new and fresh in a theme that is familiar. Lucy did a respectable job and I enjoyed how she related to the other characters. With a great soundtrack, there were times I really enjoyed this film, but as I said, it kept close to a standard easy format without delving deeper into the characters and surprising the viewer more. For a lazy afternoon, where one is undecided whether to listen to music or watch a movie, this picture could fill both needs.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Anyone But You
THROUGH THE ENTIRE DINNER, I PRAYED a fight would not break out at my table. Two of the seated guests had dated for a brief time; their relationship ended badly. I was friends with both and heard each of their complaints about the other. There was no way I was going to get in the middle, so stayed neutral without voicing an opinion. Anytime one of them asked me a loaded question, I deflected and answered with a question back at them. This was their battle and there was no reason for me to be a part of it. The hosts for this dinner party did not know the two guests were not on speaking terms. However, most of our table guests knew as we shot side glances at each other whenever the vibe neared a hostile state. Instead of keeping their mouths shut for the sake of the other guests, these two former partners would make snide remarks about the other one, who happened to be seated directly across. I wanted to just tell them to be adults for one evening and not spoil things for the rest of the guests, including the hosts. Some of us tried to ignore this former couple’s antics, but it still was uncomfortable and made eating the meal stressful, as if a ticking timebomb was about to explode in front of us. Once I finished the last course, I excused myself and went to talk to a few friends who were seated at another table. MY EXPERIENCES WITH BEING IN THE same space as an ex were less dramatic. Gratefully, most of the relationships I was in ended amicably; and the ones that did not, attitudes softened as the years went by. The only uncomfortable meeting I had was at a funeral service, of all places. My ex and I were both friends with this person whose mother had died. We both knew we would see each other at the memorial service. When I arrived, they were already in the room. Since this was the first time seeing each other after our rough breakup, I really did not want to have a conversation. It turned out neither did they. I quickly figured out they were watching me because wherever I walked in the room, they would move away to maintain us being on opposite sides of the room. Yes, I know it sounds and probably is ridiculous, but I was fine with it. There was nothing to say to each other and frankly I was there for our mutual friend, to support her in her time of sorrow. Since the service lasted around one hour, it was easily doable. If it was an occasion that would have taken longer, such as the one in this romantic comedy, then it might have been a different story for me. AFTER HAVING A FANTASTIC FIRST NIGHT together, a couple’s morning spirals down to a new low for each of them. Angry and bitter, they never see each other again, until by a rare coincidence, they are each invited to the same wedding. With Sydney Sweeney (Americana, Euphoria-TV) as Bea, Glen Powell (Hidden Figures, Top Gun: Maverick) as Ben, Alexandra Shipp (Shaft, tick, tick…Boom!) as Claudia, Hadley Robinson (Little Women, Moxie) as Halle and Dermot Mulroney (The Getback, The Family Stone) as Leo; this film had the appearances of a fun time. The two main stars had appeal and were equally matched. There were a few fresh moments; but overall, the writers stuck to a formulaic pattern. Much of the story was predictable, though there were a few tender scenes that had a little more oomph to them. What kept me interested in this film were certain parts of the dialog and some of the antics, which by the way, I hope I never find myself in such situations, where I would have to deal with such things.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Asteroid City
IT WAS THE CLOSEST I HAD ever been to another planet and I did not want it to end. After seeing Jupiter and Saturn, I quickly lost my amazement over the moon and Mars. I even got to see a shooting star; there was always talk about one, but I had never seen it before. No pun intended, but my mind expanded in a new way while I leaned back in one of the cushy chairs there in the dark auditorium of the planetarium. It was my first time and seeing the solar system come “alive” above my head was exciting. The only reference I had to the other planets in our solar system had been movies and children’s books. I do not think we had studied the system yet in elementary school. So, you can see how stunned I was to see crystal clear images of the planets floating in the air, or at least it certainly seemed that way. One of my favorite television shows was Flash Gordon; at one point, I wondered if during the show I would get to see the planet, Mongo. Alas, it was never shown. I left the planetarium with a stronger fascination about outer space and the possibilities that were out there. THIS FEELING WAS SUCH A STRONG contrast to what took place in school. When I tell you what took place, there might be a chance you will not believe me. The reason I say this is because recently I was talking with a group of people, some of them educators, who shared their school’s protocols for safety. I was stunned when they said they must perform “active shooter” training with their classes. We discussed the horrors that are attached to it. For example, one teacher said they have a couple of students who were traumatized by a shooting in their town, and they must be excused because the training was too intense for them. I expressed my horror that we now live in a time where “active shooter” training is the norm. When I was in first grade, we periodically would have air raid drills. I surprised the educators because they had never heard of such a thing. I told them an alarm would sound and we would all have to leave our classrooms and go into the hallway, to sit down with our backs up to our locker, then cross our legs and try to get our heads down to our laps. I always wondered who would harm us in an air raid in the Midwest. It was a similar wonder to what happened to the junior stargazers in this dramatic comedy romance. COMING TO A SMALL SPOT IN the desert, a group of strangers encounter something unworldly that changes their perceptions of the world. With Jason Schwartzman (The French Dispatch, Big Eyes) as Augie Steenbeck, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, JoJo Rabbit) as Midge Campbell, Tom Hanks (A Man Called Otto, Elvis) as Stanley Zak, Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, The French Dispatch) as General Gibson and Bryan Cranston (The One and Only Ivan, Jerry and Marge Go Large) as the Host; this Wes Anderson film had all of the same trappings as his previous films. It had a great and diverse cast, quirky and colorful sets, multiple story lines and odd characters in the story. What was missing for me was the fun factor, along with a better cohesive script. Things felt forced to me. It seemed various scenes were tossed in to keep the audience entertained, but they did not offer much. I found myself being bored at times and not really getting a sense of where the story wanted to go. There was an element of humor and silliness, but it did not help to get me into an excited mood to sit and enjoy the rest of the film.
2 ¼ stars
moviejoltz 