Film Friday: The New, "Street Fighter," Movie Looks Wonderfully Unhinged

From the first trailers, I have been quite intrigued by the new, "Street Fighter," movie. It looked like it knew not to take itself too seriously or treat the source material as if it were only a joke. A new trailer recently dropped, and this may be the first flick I want to go see in theaters in quite some time, instead of just waiting for it to hit streaming. There is a strange over-the-top look and feel that I'm vibing with. Give it a view:

This latest take on, "Street Fighter," arrives in theaters on October 16th, 2026. At that point, we shall see if other people are into the wild energy it's giving off. I know I'm legit going to try and get a seat for a viewing!

Film Friday: Superhero Movie Actors Who Did a Good Job With Weak Material

On occasion, I will think of an actor who nailed their role as a superhero or villain but just didn't have the best material to work with. They're great, but everything else around them is just not at the same level. From past to more recent...

Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin in, "Daredevil."

"Daredevil," is a mediocre movie. You are forgiven for forgetting it came out back in 2003. Even the R-rated Director's Cut edition is merely an improvement upon an already, "Meh," foundation. That said, Duncan was always an incredible actor whether being comedic, serious, or coming across as one of the most imposing and intimidating Marvel villains around. A number of amazing actors have shown their skill with the Kingpin, and I'd argue Vincent D'Onofrio deserves his accolades for what he did with great material and Duncan should be applauded for all he did with so little to work with. If we'd gotten a sequel and Duncan were still with us perhaps they could've built on how great he was and had less of Ben Affleck's so-so Mattt Murdock. More on Affleck in a minute, however.

William Hurt as, Thaddeus, "Thunderbolt," Ross in Various Marvel Productions

This one isn't exactly Marvel's fault so much as it is our own human mortality. William Hurt was fantastic as Thunderbolt Ross in one of the decent-but-weaker early Marvel films, "The Incredible Hulk," in 2008. When Edward Norton's Bruce Banner was recast with Mark Ruffalo, a lot of that movie seemed to be disregarded for years. However, eventually Hurt did reappear as Ross in a new role working with the UN during Marvel's, "Captain America: Civil War," and had a small presence in, "Infnity War," "Endgame," and all the way up to the 2021 prequel, "Black Widow." Clearly, Marvel had further plans for Ross, but in 2022, William Hurt passed due to complications from cancer. Hence, when Ross popped back up again with a major role (President of the United States) in, "Captain America: Brave New World," he was now portrayed by Harrison Ford. Ford is an amazing actor, but I wish the slow-burn that had been Hurt as Ross could have truly paid off with him still as Ross all those years later.

Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman in, "Batman V. Superman," "Justice League," and so forth

I did not hate Zack Snyder's take on the DC Universe; I enjoyed it to a solid degree. I also see it had immense flaws, and I look at the so-called Snyderbros who hate anything done with the DC Universe since Snyder left (or was fired, depending on whom you ask) and wonder what they see in these flicks to consider them masterpieces. That said, Ben Affleck did a remarkably solid job with a shaky interpretation of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. He had a good mix of pathos, snark, and calculated rage. He just lacked much to do with it.

Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in Various Marvel Productions

Marvel and the general fandom really did Brie Larson dirty. This woman had won an Academy Award for the superb (but terribly depressing) movie, "Room," and was scooped up by Marvel to star in the first female-starring solo production in the franchise. The movie was fine. Then, besides having a remarkably small role in, "Infinity War," and, "Endgame," plus being relegated to serving as part of a trio with the first MCU box-office bomb, "The Marvels," she hasn't been given much to do. She tried, ya'll. I think between not being given that great of material and the astounding amount of hate and harassment she received from, "Fans," that Larson could very well be ready to wash her hands of any Marvel movie business. I wouldn't be surprised if she requested to be quickly killed off in, "Avengers: Doomsday," so she can go perform where her talents are appreciated.

Film Friday: 3 Bad Scenes in Otherwise Enjoyable Movies

It's Been Some Years

Way back in 2011, I wrote about awesome scenes in two movies that were otherwise terrible. Six years passed, and in 2017, I discussed two movies that contain fantastic scenes, even if the flicks are otherwise merely passable. Four years later, I touched upon three movies that were, "Good," but did have one extra great scene. At the end of that post, I joked that in another four or five years I would possibly make a post talking about strangely bad scenes in movies that are, apart from those scenes, stellar. Well, almost five years later, I was, in fact, thinking about some movies I am a fan of but which have that one scene that threatens to bring the whole thing down. Let's discuss...

The Notebook

Even if it is argued by some to be, "Escapist fluff," I would argue that of any movie made from a Nicholas Sparks story, "The Notebook," is the best, and a damn fine flick in and of itself. The cast is killer, from Ryan Gosling (as Noah) to Rachel McAdams (as Allie), and James Marsden (Lou) as the guy who gets left for Gosling's character and is shockingly mature and understanding about it. Much of the movie has a framing device of an old man telling an older woman with dementia the story of how this couple in the past came together. It is obvious fairly early on he is telling their story, and that's sweet, but not in a cloying manner. Then, the movie has to go and screw it all up with an ending scene so cheesey-yet-kind-of-dark that you're better off going with the book's conclusion. 

Basically, the elder Allie freaks out and attacks Noah, but then calms down, remembers him, and they die at the same time, holding each other in their arms. That is certainly...something. As for how the book ends, Noah telling Allie the story helps give her a flicker of memory, and they spend the night together making love as they did all those passionate years ago despite their age and ailments. I'm not saying the film version of, "The Notebook," had to end with a scene of two elderly folks bumping uglies, but it is just a weird downer of a note to conclude an otherwise great movie.

Showgirls

Look, I am not going to argue that the movie, "Showgirls," is necessarily "Good," but it is extremely silly and entertaining. This summary of it works well if you don't want to sit through its madness. It also takes a hard left turn near the end (you may see a theme forming here) with an extremely unnecessary gang-rape scene. It seems to be in the film so that the protagonist (Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi) can learn her best friend Moly (Gina Ravera) has been sexually assaulted so that she has the motivation to go beat up the perp before leaving Vegas (as she was going to do, but now she also kicks some ass first). It just seems like lazy writing (and something we've seen often in movies/television/etc.) to want to go, "This character is extra evil because they're out here engaging in rape and we need the hero to stop them." Multiple folks involved with the movie continue to have strong feelings about the scene and how out-of-place it feels in an otherwise campy delight. My advice to anyone watching, "Showgirls," who could be triggered by such a brutal scene or who just doesn't want to suddenly go from a fun vibe to feeling like they are watching a horror movie is to fast-forward through that scene.

Pyscho

Yep, we're going to talk about a scene near/right at the end again. This time the studio system is more to blame than anyone involved in the creation of the movie itself, however. Throughout, "Psycho," the director, Alfred Hitchcock, twists and subverts our expectations. The person whom we think is the main character ends up killed before the first hour concludes. The young man who manages Bates Motel, Norman Bates, seems like he is trying to keep his murderous mother in check while guests stay, but it is revealed in a shocking climax that his mother is long dead and he is killing folks whilst dressed as her. Why is he doing this, though? Well, any possible mystery flies out the window when a psychiatrist is called to evaluate Norman after his capture and reveals it is a violent personality disorder where Norman truly thinks he is his mother. 

This moment is in the original book the film adapts, but Hitchcock felt it ground everything to a halt, providing an overly clinical explanation for all the preceding suspense and horror. He kept it in the movie to appease Paramount, however, as he'd already pushed a ton of boundaries regarding censors upset about a variety of the movie's content (from unmarried couples in bed, to the peephole, a toilet flushing, and the now-legendary shower scene). Hitchcock knew how to pick his battles, and if he had to spoon-feed audiences an info-dump at the end of his movie instead of leaving things up to interpretation so he could get it released, he was willing to do so. Damn, the movie biz in 1960 sounds a lot like 2026 in some regards! Debates persist decades later about how useful or unnecessary that scene is. Clearly, I feel the credits could've rolled the moment the cops nab Bates, leaving us viewers in a shocked stupor, but that's just me.

I Love Ya, Flaws and All

Even if "Showgirls," hits a speed bump 3/4 or so of the way through and the other two productions end in a manner that leaves a sour taste in my mouth, I'm still a fan of all these of these. We've got a camp classic, a cozy romance yarn, and a masterpiece of film. It shows that no matter what kind of movie you make, it can be awesome even if somebody made a questionable choice with the flick. Now, I'll think up what the theme should be when I do one of these in another four or five years. Perhaps three hilarious scenes in otherwise serious movies? I dunno, I've got time to mull it over.

Film Friday: "Digger," Looks Intriguingly Unhinged

I've written plenty of times about how I don't much care for Tom Cruise as a person whenever I've read about how he's quite unpleasant, egocentric, and so forth. That said, I will never deny that the man can act. That is quite on display in the trailer for the upcoming dark comedy, "Digger." Cruise plays an elderly and deranged oil tycoon whose company's actions put the safety of our planet at risk, so he's got to save us all from the problem he created. Give the trailer a view:

Cruise is the main attraction, but the supporting cast is nothing to ignore either, with John Goodman as the President of America looking to be a hoot as well. "Digger,' hits theaters October 2nd. Between this, "Street Fighter," and, "Clayface," there are three movies I want to see in theaters that month!

Flashback/Film Friday: "Collateral," is Michael Mann's Best Movie

Michael Mann is a fantastic director/producer. From television's huge, "Miami Vice," to movies like, "Heat," and the modern-day, "Miami Vice," plus, "The Insider,"and more. For my money, his best creation ever is, without a doubt, "Collateral." It is basically the only movie in Tom Cruise's entire career he plays a total and without question villain ("Magnolia," and, "Tropic Thunder," have him as jerks but not true baddies). and it has the insanely talented Jamie Foxx in it as a kind of anti-buddy comedy where Foxx's cab-driving Maxx finds himself hostage of contact killer Cruise's Vincent, driving him to various assassinations whilst trying to stop the violence and/or escape.

"Collateral," is a tightly-plotted crime thriller with some cool twists. If I may spoil one element, the law enforcement agents who've been after Vincent actually suspect Maxx is actually the killer they've been trying to track down, and you think the one person who believes Maxx is innocent will be able to help save him..before that guy ends up dead. Plus, for those who love little easter eggs, this is confirmed as being in the same universe as the, "Transporter" movies, as Jason Statham has a blink-and-you 'll-miss-it cameo as the unnamed person who drops a suitcase full of weaponry off to Vincent early in the flick. Foxx is awesome as a cab driver who is at first terrified but gains the nerve to show some agency and save the day. Cruise is utterly chilling as a sociopath who can be smiling and chatting with someone one minute and emotionlessly shooting them the next. I've discussed on the blog before about not liking Tom Cruise much as a person, but I will always admit the man can act to a wild degree.

"Collateral," came out in 2004, and I did not realize it was that long ago. It remains a classic and is, in the opinion of myself and some other folks online, the best flick Mann's ever directed (there are still disagreements as he's made a lot of great stuff). Give it a watch if you've never seen it and be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat for two hours!

Flashback/Film Friday: Discussing the Forgotten, "Friday the 13th," Reboot/Remake

It is Friday the 13th. As I don't find the number 13 unlucky or anything, this day doesn't feel scary to me, but it does remind me of the fun and scary franchise, "Friday the 13th." I have talked about the best and worst of those movies on multiple occasions, but what about the mostly ignored/forgotten/overlooked remake?

In 2009, a remake/reboot of, "Friday the 13th," hit theaters. It was wholly unremarkable. Outside of an absurdly silly scene where Jason murders someone in a sleeping bag, it has little of note beyond, "Hey, we have a hockey mask a guy named Jason killing teens!" It just lacks...something. There is no spark. Some of the, "Friday the 13th," flicks were a bit snarky and funny. Some were serious and scary, some were hilariously awful. This remake commits the ultimate sin of just being boring. So little sticks out in viewers' minds that is awesome or terrible that I've mentioned the remake to people before who then go, "Oh, I totally forgot that even happened," and we're talking horror-movie afficinados saying this!

Unless you're a huge fan of Jared Padalecki (this movie came out early-ish in the run of, "Supernatural," and would've honestly been better if his character of Sam Winchester fought Jason), or a, "Friday the 13th," completionist, there is little reason to watch the 2009 iteration of, "Friday the 13th." It just comes across as a drab attempt at a slasher film with nothing to say that the over ten or so films featuring Jason in some capacity had said before (it makes the time he fought Freddy Kruger look award-worthy, and that movie was just passably silly). I do hope that upcoming, "Crystal Lake," show which has had development issues but does appear to actually be happening, does the legacy of Jason and, "Friday the 13th," right. Have it be amazing, have it be a wretched, but just, please, don't have it be dull.

Film Friday: I Saw the New, "Superman," Flick

I know it came out a bit ago, but I had the chance this week to see, "Superman," in theaters--so I'm gonna give you my thoughts, now! In short: I quite liked it! I saw a chunk of the twists coming (spoiler: there's a clone), but that did not lessen my enjoyment at all. The casting is spot-on, with every single person doing a stellar job from David Corenswet as Superman to Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. I especially loved Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane as well as Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, plus Edi Gathegi gives us an amazing Mister Terrific. For real though, Krypto (the dog) steals the show.

An interesting thing about, "Superman," is how it emphasizes despite Superman's alien nature, he is one of the most human people around. He gets sad, he struggles, he gets mad, but he keeps trying to do the best he can because he 100% wants to see the best in people. Martha and Jon Kent ( Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince, respectively) are only in the movie a smidgen, but their impact is massive in showcasing just how Clark ended up being the person he is as a grown-up. There are plenty of fights, jokes, and special effects, but the people make this movie special--via Superman trying to be the best example of a person, or Luthor showcasing a lot of our worst tendencies of envy and rage. 

Superman just wants to do good with all his power, which seems crazy in 2025 when we see those with wealth/power/etc. often being terrible. It is funny to think that now it is edgy to tell a story about a person with incredible might not choosing to be a jerk about it. "Superman," does a fantastic job kicking off this new take on the DC Universe. It is a much more optimistic view of the DCU than we previously had with Zack Snyder, and that's okay! I liked some of those movies, and I really enjoyed this one too. I look forward to what comes next from James Gunn (who is the new DC architect as well as this movie's director) and Peter Safran with their take on DC!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Film Friday (on Saturday): M3GAN 2.0

The original, "M3GAN," was a mix of horror and comedy, as I noted in my review back in 2023. I just today saw the latest film, "M3GAN 2.0," which drops almost all the horror vibes and instead is more of an action comedy that is heavy on the sci-fi with some hints of gruesome kills (this is a PG-13 flick, still). It is a bit of a tonal whiplash to go from M3GAN being a creepy murder-doll to a wingsuit-wielding hero who is fighting to save humankind from a new and especially vengeful robot. The closest comparison I and others have had is the lean pseudo-horror of, "The Terminator," and how that led into the scaled-up and action-packed "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," which also, funnily enough, featured the original baddie turning good.

That said, the movie is self-aware and tongue-in-cheek enough it manages to make all the changes work--even as the plot slowly shifts from pushing the realms of reasonable to outright absurd and nonsensical. We're not here for the plot, though. We want to watch M3GAN and the new robot, AMELIA, kill people, fight, and dance. We get that, just in a weird new genre packaging that I still dug, but understand others feeling more soured upon this new entry. I went into, "M3GAN 2.0," expecting something silly but entertaining, and that was delivered to me. Is this a bit of a step-down from the lean horror-meets-dark-humor of the first flick? Slightly. Is it still a good time? Yes, undoubtedly. Go in with reasonable expectations and you'll have fun too.

3.5 out of 5 Stars.

Flashback/Film Friday: I Admit It! I find the First, "Friday the 13th," Relatively Boring

Today is a Friday and the 13th, so I always think of the movies. I have written about the, "Friday the 13th," films on multiple occasions. I've talked about how the flicks vary heavily in tone, touched on which ones are the best for newbies to the franchise, and even asked if Part V deserves some recognition as being a good movie if it didn't have that awful final twist. One thing I should admit, however, is that while some entries are universally agreed upon as being pretty bad (Part VII, the ninth entry of Jason going to Hell, we already touched upon V), I have to confess that the first movie is ostentibly good, but it bores me.

Yes, this is my controversial opinion about how the debut, "Friday the 13th," is a decent enough movie...but boring. I'm not just saying this because Jason is barely in the movie (his mother, Pamela, is the baddie), the flick just meanders a lot between some decent kills and the eventual reveal of Pamela. Part II is a superior movie in every way, and III is mediocre but at least introduces the infamous hockey mask (I already linked to my discussion of adoring Parts IV and VI as well). You can say I'm not a, "Real," fan for this view, and I am not saying I dislike Part I...it just is really slow going. 

Pamela Vorhees (as portrayed by Betsy Palmer)

I am okay with a horror movie being a slow burn, but when a supposedly brisk 90-ish minutes feels like it slogs along at many points...well, there is a bit of an issue. I am not alone in stating this, but few posts or websites share my opinion or go too far and say the whole franchise sucks (some of the flicks are certified bangers). There you go, that's my hot take on the, "Friday the 13th," franchise. I just hope the upcoming, "Crystal Lake," prequel show is exciting!

Film Friday: Giving Props to Movie Trailers That Don't Reveal Everything

I don't mind spoilers. If you tell me how a book/show/movie or such ends, I'm cool with it. That said, I appreciate when movie trailers leave a little mystery, and if I want to be spoiled, I need to seek it out. Sometimes an ad for a movie seems to reveal basically everything there is to know, with little left to our imagination. When a trailer actually reveals very little, it makes me take notice. For example, the movie, "Longlegs," didn't even reveal the titular serial killer in any ads--that's pretty wild--instead, it focused on world-building with little websites and creepy ads. The movie, "Weapons," is coming soon and doing the same thing.

"Weapons," gives us a hook and little else. The poster and trailer lay it out clearly. Every child in one teacher's class woke up in the middle of the night, ran off, and were never seen again. It's a scary concept and raises a lot of questions--questions the trailer refuses to answer any of! Give the poster a look here:

Speaking of not showing everything in a trailer, I was impressed that, "Fantastic Four: First Steps," did not reveal Galactus at all in the teaser trailer and only showed a hint here and there of him in the official trailer. There have been leaks that indicate what he'll look like (similar to the original comic form), but people have to go looking for such things. Piquing my interest in a movie by having me wonder what happens sometimes is a better way to make me interested than just laying everything out. Plus, then the people who do hate spoilers for stuff are pleased too! Everyone wins!

Film Friday: "The Naked Gun," Has a Sequel on the Way

"The Naked Gun," and its sequels were a spoof of serious police movies. For some time parody movies were all the rage with older ones like, "Airplane," eventually giving us, "Scary Movie," and all of its spin-offs. Some satirical flicks have been great and some were little more than derivative, "Let's reference a bunch of movies at once," experiences. The, "Naked Gun," franchise hasn't had a movie in decades and the original star, Leslie Nielsen, has passed. However, it is back with a new legacy sequel featuring none other than Liam Neeson and directed by Akiva Schaffer--a solid choice too. The movie is simply titled, "The Naked Gun."

Neeson being our new star is a clever joke, as Neeson started out in drama, did action movies later in his career, and now is making a flick that will joke about it. There is a teaser for the new movie that doesn't reveal too much beyond a silly action scene and a pretty sharp joke about one unfortunate former casting choice in the series (O.J. Simpson as Nordberg before all the legal troubles).  Here's the teaser trailer:

This newest iteration of, "The Naked Gun," will be in theaters on August 1st. I look forward to it (hopefully) being a good time.

Film Friday: "Moana 2," is a Fun and Serviceable Sequel

"Moana," is a fantastic movie. The plot is great, the songs are superb, and the animation is a treat with the water effects being a feast for the eyes. The sequel, "Moana 2," looks just as beautiful...and has a solid enough plot with forgettable tunes. It's fun and serviceable as a sequel, in other words. It has an amazing foundation with the first flick and gives us something pleasant even if it isn't amazing.

The biggest element missing in, "Moana 2," is without a doubt Lin-Manuel Miranda. He made a number of insanely catchy tunes for the first flick and does not return for this one. Instead, we get Barlow and Bear who have on offer songs that are by no means bad, but besides maybe, "We're Back," I struggle to remember any songs in, "Moana 2," as compared to the original film with a number of great tunes. Miranda is a tough act to follow, without a doubt. The plot is intriguing, with more Gods involved and the idea of finding other cultures out on the ocean. The movie also introduces a younger sister to Moana, Simea, who seems to serve almost no purpose within the story and was created for little reason other than to sell toys (or maybe serve a bigger role in the inevitable, "Moana 3," I imagine we'll be getting).

Everything in, "Moana 2," continues to look gorgeous. From the wave effects to an imposing sea monster, and more. Even if you find yourself zoning out a bit during some of the songs you'll snap back once an assortment of exciting set pieces occur. There are some good zingers as well, with Dwayne Johnson (Maui) well-versed in telling one-liners at this point in his career and Auli'i Cravalho's return as Moana being most welcome as she excels in her portrayal of the character's mix of grit, determination, and a dash of self-doubt (as we all have to some degree). Everyone is doing a stellar job acting and the visuals match, making this an enjoyable sequel overall even if it doesn't amaze as much as the debut film. In summary, if you adored, "Moana," you'll like, "Moana 2."

3.5 out of 5 Stars.

Film Friday: I Would NOT Back This Stan Lee Documentary

When we remember people we tend to try to picture them in a happy way. We don't want to think about when a person was sick with an illness, or fragile and weak from age. We like to remember everyone from loved ones to celebrities when they were in their prime. Stan Lee's physical health has been cataloged as being very poor in his last handful of years, with basically everyone in his orbit taking as much advantage as possible to wring any money from him they could. "Stan Lee: The Final Chapter," contains a bunch of footage regarding Lee's last days and how bad things got. The person behind it is himself surrounded by controversy too, even with the questionable taste of the film aside. I'm not linking to the Kickstarter itself as I do not support it.

I'm not sure I'd want to see Lee in a way besides his energetic, spritely self we all remember. Jon Bolerjack is making a movie all about the terrible ways Lee was milked for money (and sometimes literally blood) but seems to be misrepresenting how important he was to the Stan Lee estate or how much of an effort he made to try to, "Help," Lee as opposed to being with all the handlers, Lee's daughter, and so forth in taking him for everything he was worth. Look, Stan Lee was not a perfect person and screwed plenty of people over, but that doesn't excuse what happened to him in the last years of his life. We should be allowed to live with dignity when we're older and be cared for as opposed to having all the wealth we worked for taken for a ride--specifically out of our pockets. Having this movie as a way to gawk at all the terrible things that happened to Lee as he was in a physical and mental decline already sounds gross, and reading that Bolerjack is by no means the saint he claims to be is making things even worse. I won't be backing this Kickstarter campaign and would advise others to do the same.

Film Friday: "Kirbyvision," To Bring us a Jack Kirby Documentary

Jack Kirby is a person without whom we would not have the comic industry as we know it. A lot of his co-creations are household names, from Captain America (who he made with Joe Simon), to the Avengers, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Silver Surfer, Thor, the X-Men, and even more, those produced with Stan Lee. Let's not forget his epic, "Fourth World," with DC either. The list of his creations go on and on. He also was outspoken for creator rights, proudly opposed to fascism, or bigotry, and generally a fascinating fellow. I and many others have written about how Stan Lee seems to get all the credit for his co-creations (and some credit is of course due), but Kirby gets overlooked by the general populace. Thankfully, we are going to be getting a documentary dedicated to Jack Kirby, titled, "Kribyvision." This is superb news!

Ricki Stern is set to direct with the Estate of Jack Kirby providing ample behind-the-scenes materials from drawings, to notes, home movies, and more. I'm excited to watch, "Kirbyvision," when it is complete and hope it helps to make comic fans and those who only know a bit a comics more aware of the powerhouse of creativity that was Jack Kirby. A detailed history of the man should be fascinating.

Film Friday: The First, "Superman," Teaser Trailer is Out

Yesterday morning the first teaser trailer was released for, "Superman." The latest movie from James Gunn and meant to kick off a whole new DC Cinematic Universe, it looked fun! We get Superman, his dog Krypto, we witness some romance with Lois Lane, get a glimpse or two of Lex Luthor and have some quick cuts of other superpowered beings. It is a teaser, in other words. Perhaps some of the internet was expecting some kind of Earth-shattering revelation to hit the web, but it seems people are pleased with what we've seen. It looks like a movie with Superman and not much of an opinion can be generated from 2 minutes (after all, trailers can be great for bad movies or awful for surprisingly awesome movies). Here is a link to the trailer if you haven't viewed it yet:

This first peek at everything has caught my attention, so mission accomplished. Now, as July 2025 nears we'll get a better idea of just what the future holds for Superman and the rest of the (new) DC film slate.

Flashback/Film Friday: Would, "Friday the 13th Part V," Be Good Without that Dumb Final Twist?

When I discuss movies from the, "Friday the 13th," franchise I discuss how the fifth tries to be a slow-burn and creepy, but fizzles out at the end. I always tell folks to watch the fourth and sixth as those are great, but that the fifth sucks. However, on this latest (actual) Friday the 13th, I wonder...could Part V be good without that last-minute twist where it is revealed the killer is not Jason?

That's right, I won't bore you with the exact plot details but in the last 10 minutes of the flick we get the shocking/stupid climax where we find out a random guy named Roy Burns was pretending to be Jason. His idea was to get revenge for a bunch of barely legal teens getting a character named Joey killed. Joey (unbeknownst to everyone) was Roy's son. Without that reveal, if it somehow were Jason, could Part V be better? It is at times eerie, has some wild kills that, "Jason," commits, and so forth. Heck, even without the real Jaosn is it potentially a fun flick?

NOT Jason.

Maybe everyone is hard on Part V because we don't get Jason despite the, "Friday the 13th," moniker? I mean, "Halloween 3," got a lot of hate for having nothing to do with Michael Meyers and later on was reevaluated as a classic, does Part V deserve a bit more love? Part of me says, "Maybe." The other part of me says, "There's no Jason, I hate it and the ending retroactively makes the rest of the movie suck." It's a, "Two wolves inside of us," sort of situation. I guess hardcore fans of the franchise should watch Part V and could reevaluate it a little, but those just dipping their toes into the franchise should still avoid this entry.

Film Friday: "Hot Frosty," is a Cute Flick

I wrote the other week about how Netflix has been building a subtle cinematic Universe. I mentioned the movie, "Hot Frosty," and how I intended to watch it. Well, I have and it is a really fun little flick. It is a bit like a Hallmark movie but has some extra little elements that make it a tad more snarky than those productions which (from the ones I've seen) tend to be pretty earnest. The general plot is that Kathy (Lacey Chabert) works at a diner and lost her husband to cancer an indeterminate amount of time ago. She puts a scarf on a really jacked-looking snowman and it magically comes to life and is played by a very, very fit Dustin Milligan. Katy Mixon (who I loved on "American Housewife,") is the town doctor and notes how due to some physiological quirks the claims of the man (dubbed, "Jack,") could very well be true that he somehow is a snowman brought to life. Hijinks ensue.

"Hot Frosty," is very cute and has some tropes you'd expect (everyone thinks Jack is incredibly sexy except Lacey who is too in-her-head to notice at first) and some edgier elements that help it really work. Craig Robinson plays the Sheriff named Nate and is so over-the-top at how he chews scenery that you don't even mind he's kind of the bad guy/a huge jerk for much of the flick. Chabert and Milligan have solid chemistry once she warms up to him (pun intended) and the whole production is a nice low-stakes and sweet film. The only thing that bugged me was we never find out who exactly made the snowman that Chabert accidentally brings to life with her scarf. I thought that would be some kind of fun little reveal, but nope, we are left wondering. That note aside, I had a lot of fun watching, "Hot Frosty," and would recommend you check it out should you have Netflix.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Film Friday: People Are Being told Not to Sing at the, "Wicked," Movie--Good!

When you see a musical at a theater do you sing loudly with the actors or do you sit there quietly and listen to the talent (unless it is specifically a sing-a-long show)? You are silent. The new, "Wicked," movie features songs many people know from the Broadway show, but theaters have been telling fans to not sing during the flicks unless they go to a special showing. This is good! I want to hear Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singing when/if I get a chance to see, "Wicked," not some random person who could possibly be quite off-key. Most people agree with me.

Sure, movie-going is a shared experience where we oftentimes laugh together, cry together, and sometimes even yell in surprise at a scary movie together. That said, I don't need to hear a whole theater attempt to stumble through, "Popular," because many of us (including me) do not sing especially well. I love it when people are passionate about a movie, but maybe just tap your foot along with the song or mouth some words, don't scream aloud that you're defying gravity, please. It's just disrespectful to everyone else.

Flashback/Film Friday: "The Terminator," Still Impresses 40 Years Later

The, "Terminator," movies have had so many come out that the timeline is an utter mess with some flicks relatively well-regarded and others dismissed as barely worth a mention. That said, the original, "The Terminator," still is a damn good movie and--I'd argue--even better than the beloved sequel due to how outright intense it is on a small-scale. "T2," goes bigger with some wild setpieces, but the first movie is taut and scary thriller. A lot of credit goes to the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the robotic killing machine both frightening us while also almost seeming like he's equally as liable to crack a smile and wink as if he's in on the gag. Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn make perfect foils as well, however, and this, "Small," movie managed to build quite the franchise whilst showcasing how James Cameron knew how to make a damn good movie--and still does (the, "Avatar," flicks are admittedly good fun to watch, regardless of popular criticisms).

"The Terminator," is 40 years old now, and while some special effects aren't quite as impressive these days, it still stands up quite well in the light of our modern-day computer effects and general tech-wizardry. It's a movie that barely clocks in at an hour and three quarters--with credits--but it crams so much excitement into that lean running time you have nary a chance to catch your breath with all the action and suspense outside of maybe one relatively quiet and sweet lovemaking scene between Hamilton's Sarah Connor and Bieh's Kyle Reese. A scene that actually explains how her son, John Connor, will be born in the future and fight against the robots who want to use time travel to eliminate him from the equation--so we get to see Hamilton and Biehn naked and it serves a plot purpose!

Biehn and Hamilton

Cameron famously claimed that "The Terminator" came to him in a fever dream while he was sick in Rome filming his first flick, "Pirhanna 2." While I would never want Mr. Cameron to be so sick he dreams up an apocalyptic hellscape of a robot-run future, I am glad something amazing came out of his illness. Some of the, "Terminator," movies are a mixed bag, but that first one nailed it and made quite the foundation all the other movies built off of. It just became available on Amazon Prime to stream at no extra cost too, so go watch it!

Film Friday: Those Leftover Redbox Kiosks Post a Big Privacy Risk

Redbox used to be a fantastic way to rent movies. Now, however, it is one big fiasco. You all may recall when Redbox shut down due to its then-owner, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, going bankrupt. Now, those kiosks sit outside stores like big, heavy, useless bricks. That is, except for ones that are supposedly wiped of their sensitive information and sold to whoever wants a machine (people collect random stuff). The problem, however, is that these machines and their data are apparently easily accessed because CSSE did a really crappy job erasing customer information. 

I, for one, don't love the idea that somebody can buy an old Redbox kiosk and get a bunch of credit card numbers among other stuff--especially as a person who used Redbox a decent amount back in the day to rent movies and games. CSSE probably doesn't care much as the company is essentially having a fire sale to try and dig itself out of being nearly a billion dollars in debt. Still, this is sloppy and just serves as a further embarrassment to the company.