Oct 27 2023

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Years since the mysterious disappearance of his own younger brother, Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is hired on as the night watch security guard at the now defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Fresh on the job, strange happenings and visions set Mike on edge, now it’s only a matter of time before the true horror of Freddy’s past reveals itself with a cacophonous finish. Written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, and Emma Tammi and Directed by Tammi this video game to film adaptation aims to translate much of the game to a somewhat cogent but remarkably tame “horror” tale. In fact, the end result is a film that’s devoid of any major jump scares, something the game is actually big on, and, noticeably blood and gore-less as most depictions of actual violence are performed off screen. For hardened horror and film buffs, this is the equivalent of getting It’s a Small World when you were hoping for the cheap thrills of The Haunted Mansion. Plus, with a runtime of 110 minutes, the overstayed welcome is noticeable around 60 minutes in. The one redeeming quality, animatronics (think Chuck E. Cheese or ShowBiz Pizza Place) by Jim Henson Studios are well crafted and fun to watch, the rest of the lot, meh, save your milk money for something with more firepower. Five Nights at Freddy’s is rated PG-13.


Oct 20 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon

In the 1920’s tribal members of the Osage nation in Oklahoma had the fortune and misfortune of finding oil on their land; a success that would make some of them the wealthiest people in North America but also a highly targeted group just the same. For Osage member Mollie (Lily Gladstone) long time friend of the tribe, William Hale (Robert De Niro) and his Nephew, Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) good guidance and support might be found; then again, the power of greed has the strength to corrupt all, so who exactly can be trusted? Perhaps this would be a matter best left to the newly formed F.B.I., agent White (Jesse Plemons) and crew? Killers of the Flower MoonBased on true events, written by Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, and David Grann, and Directed by Scorsese, this juggernaut of endurance marks the 10th time Scorsese and De Niro have paired up and the 6th time DiCaprio and Scorsese have collaborated, by now it’s hard to imagine there’s much mystery in each other’s process which makes for easy chemistry overall, and, in the always present and familiar Scorsese territory of corruption, this period piece is precision crafted to creep under the viewer’s skin and expose yet another ugly truth to be learned in America’s history. Meanwhile, the beefy runtime of three hours and twenty six minutes is notable and daunting, but, it’s also hard to fathom what could actually stand to be cut from the piece for brevity. End result, a discussion piece with plenty to consider regarding motives, actions, grievances and otherwise post viewing. Worthy of your time with strong performances in all departments, Killers of the Flower Moon is rated R.


Oct 20 2023

Dicks: The Musical

When two successful business rivals, Craig and Trevor (Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson) discover they’re actually identical twins separated at birth, a parent trap plot unfolds to re-unite their folks (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). But, just how successful their re-union turns out hinges on multiple factors significantly out of their control, can/will love ever prevail?Dicks: The Musical Written by Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson and Directed by Larry Charles, this relatively one note comedy attempts to play on played out stereotypes and shock factor with a dash of screwball to mix things up in hopes of creating movie magic in a production that’s probably better left off Broadway. Mustering a few chuckles throughout, the duo certainly seems to be aiming for Matt Stone and Trey Parker territory, but fall far short of the end zone, even with their semi catchy tunes, perhaps most enjoyable are the two supporting females on the cast, Mullally and Megan Thee Stallion. Keep that brow low because we’re nowhere near the high brow side of life in this brief flick; running just 86 minutes this quick romp will probably be quickly forgotten. Dicks: The Musical is rated R.