FRIDAY FAMILY FILM NIGHT

In which the Mister and Kid 2 join me in reviewing THE MONKEY (2025), from a short story by the legendary Stephen King, the film is written and directed by Osgood Perkins.    In this dark comedy horror, estranged twin brothers Hal and Bill (Theo James) are forced to reunite decades after discovering a vintage, drum-playing toy monkey in their childhood attic that unleashed a trail of horrific, ine...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing KEEPER (2025), from a screenplay by Nick Lepard, the film is directed by Osgood Perkins. In this psychological folk-horror film, an artist named Liz (Tatiana Maslany) travels with her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) to his family’s isolated, glass-walled cabin in the woods for a romantic anniversary weekend. Soon after arriving, Malcolm unex...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing RESIDENT EVIL (2002), from writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson.  In this sci-fi action horror film, an amnesiac security operative named Alice (Milla Jovovich) wakes up in a deserted mansion with no memory of her past before a heavily armed commando squad breaks in and takes her captive.  The soldiers lead her underground into the Hive—a massive, top-secret...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing RESIDENT EVIL (2026), from writers Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten, the film is directed by Zach Cregger.  In this horror-action film, an ordinary medical courier named Bryan (Austin Abrams) accepts a last-minute high-paying delivery to transport a package to a hospital in the snowy mountains.  Little does he know, his route leads straight into Racco...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026), from writers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, based on characters created by George Lucas, the film is directed by Jon Favreau.  The seasoned bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his diminutive, Force-sensitive foundling Grogu take on a high-stakes mission for the fledgling New Republic to track d...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing TOY STORY 5 (2026), from writers Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, the film is directed by McKenna Harris and Andrew Stanton.   Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the gang face an unprecedented challenge to traditional playtime when their owner, Bonnie, receives a high-tech smart tablet named Lilypad.  As Bonnie becomes increasingly engro...

TRIGGER WARNING In which the Mister joins me in reviewing THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING (2018), from writer/director, Karen Gillan. A sharp-witted young woman named Liusaidh (Karen Gillan) living in the Scottish Highlands spirals into a reckless, self-destructive mid-twenties crisis as she struggles to process the tragic suicide of her best friend. Numbing her profound grief and deep isolation th...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing SIMPLE SIMON (2010), from writers Andreas Öhman and Jonathan Sjöberg, the film is directed by Andreas Öhman.  In this Swedish comedy-drama, an 18-year-old man with Asperger’s syndrome named Simon (Bill Skarsgård) relies heavily on strict routines, predictable schedules, and the constant support of his older brother, Sam (Martin Wallström).  When Sam’s girl...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing THE DRAMA (2026), from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli.   In this dark romantic comedy, a seemingly happy engaged couple - Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) - see their upcoming wedding thrown into complete chaos just one week before the ceremony.  During an intimate gathering with their closest friends where everyone shares deeply buried sec...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026), from a script from Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers and Stan Lee, the film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. An isolated Peter Parker (Tom Holland) lives completely alone and fully anonymous in New York City, having chosen to stay out of the lives of those he loves to keep them safe.  As he dedicates every waking moment to...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing HIDDEN FIGURES (2016), from the book  Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race  by Margot Lee Shetterly, a script by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, the film is directed by Theodore Melfi. Three brilliant African American mathematicians—Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Oct...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing THE PRINCESS DIARIES (2001), a coming-of-age romantic comedy from a script by Gina Wendkos, based on Meg Cabot's novel with directing credits to Garry Marshall.   An awkward and socially invisible San Francisco teenager named Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) discovers her life turned upside down when her estranged grandmother visits and reveals she is t...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing STRICTLY BALLROOM (1992), from a script by Baz Luhrmann, Andrew Bovell and Craig Pearce, the film is directed by Baz Luhrmann.   An ambitious young competitive dancer named Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) shocks the rigid ballroom dancing establishment by performing his own unauthorized, flashy steps instead of following the strict rules.  After...

In which Christina D and Kid 1 join me in reviewing THE ODYSSEY (2026), an epic action-fantasy film from writer/director Christopher Nolan and based on "The Odyssey" by Homer.   The cunning Greek king Odysseus (Matt Damon) fights through a harrowing, decade-long journey to return to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) after the conclusion of the Trojan War.  Plagued...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing TROY (2004), an epic historical drama  from director Wolfgang Petersen, from a script by David Benioff and based on the poem "The Iliad" by Homer.   The forbidden love affair between Prince Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom) and Queen Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger) sparks an international war when they flee to the fortified Trojan city together.  Seek...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing THE NIGHT COMES FOR US (2018), an action thriller from writer/director Timo Tjahjanto. A high-ranking elite enforcer for the Southeast Asian Triad named Ito (Joe Taslim) undergoes a crisis of conscience during a brutal mission and decides to spare a young girl's life. By turning his back on his former syndicate, Ito triggers an unrelenting man...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing THE FURIOUS (2025), from director Kenji Tanigaki, a high-octane action thriller from a screen story by Tin Shu Mak, Zhilong Lei, Kwan-Sin Shum and Frank Hui. A quiet handyman named Wang Wei (Xie Miao) watches in horror as his visiting daughter is abducted by a ruthless human trafficking syndicate.  When local authorities refuse to help due to deep...

In which the Kid 1 and 2 join me in reviewing THE FALL (2006), from director Tarsem Singh, a visually breathtaking fantasy drama based on Valeri Petrov's 1981 screenplay "Yo Ho Ho," the film has screenplay credits to Dan Gilroy, Nico Soultanakis and Tarsem Singh. A injured silent-era stuntman named Roy Walker (Lee Pace) recuperates in a Los Angeles hospital bed in 1915 after a nearly...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing MIRROR MIRROR (2012), from director Tarsem Singh's fantasy adventure from a screen story by Melisa Wallack and screenplay credits to Marc Klein and Jason Keller. A vain and ruthless evil queen (Julia Roberts) rules over a once-prosperous kingdom, keeping her beautiful stepdaughter, Snow White (Lily Collins), locked away in the palace while bleeding the...

In which the Kid 1 joins me in reviewing PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004), director Joel Schumacher’s 2004 cinematic adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, with screenplay credits to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher, and based off Gaston Leroux's novel "Le Fantôme de L'Opéra". A disfigured, musical genius known only as the Phantom (Gerard Butler) haunts the catacom...

In which the Mister and Kid 2 join me in reviewing LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986), a musical horror-comedy from director Frank Oz, with screenplay and musical play credits to Howard Ashman, and based off 1960s screenplay by Charles B. Griffith and Roger Corman's film.   A timid and down-on-his-luck floral assistant named Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) working in a dilapidated Skid Row flower s...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing NEXT GOAL WINS (2023), a biographical sports comedy from director, Taika Waititi, with writing credits to Taika Waititi and Iain Morris.   A hot-headed, down-on-his-luck football coach named Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) is sent to American Samoa to lead their national team, widely considered one of the worst squads in the world. Facing the daunting t...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001), from a screenplay by Stephen Chow, Kan-Cheung Tsang, Min-Hun Fung and Chih-Chiang Fung.  The film is directed by Stephen Chow.    A former Shaolin monk struggling to make ends meet in modern-day society reunites his estranged, martial-arts-trained brothers to form an unorthodox soccer team.  By combining their mystical, s...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (2026), from director Travis Knight, from a script by Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee and Dave Callaham.   A young Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) finds himself stranded on Earth for fifteen years after being separated from his home planet of Eternia and his magical Sword of Power during a brutal attack.  When he finally recovers...

In which Kid 2 joins me in reviewing THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026), director Kyle Balda's mystery comedy, from a script by Craig Mazin and based on Leonie Swann's novel, "Three Bags Full".   A lonely shepherd named George (Hugh Jackman) spends his evenings reading murder mysteries to his flock, unaware that his woolly companions have become highly intelligent students of the genre....