FRIDAY FAMILY FILM NIGHT

In which the Mister and I check out DREAM SCENARIO (2023), which is streaming on Max and to buy/rent on Prime Video.  Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the film tells the story of Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage), a remarkably, uncharismatic, bland man who finds himself at the center of the world's attention after he unexpectedly begins appearing in people's dreams. This film clocks i...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017), from writers Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon, the film is directed by Michael Gracey. A poor young man grows up to become the famed P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman ) in this musical biopic on the man who crafted the art of the spectacle through his sensational presentations of oddities.  Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Rebecca...

In which the Mister and I check out THE BIG SHORT (2015), which is streaming on MGM+ and Paramount+ and to buy/rent on Prime Video but we caught this on the Hoopla App.  From a script by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay; this is based on Michael Lewis' novel of the same name. Adam McKay directs an all star cast in this funny, entertaining and incredibly frustrating look at the true story behind...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing ROAD HOUSE (2024), from writers Anthony Bagarozzi, Chuck Mondry and R. Lance Hill, the film is directed by Doug Liman. A former MMA fighter named Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) with a dark past becomes the bouncer at a violent roadside bar in Florida and has to face off with some bland baddies in this poorly conceived remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayz...

In which the Mister and I check out A SIMPLE FAVOR (2018), which is streaming on MGM+ and Prime Video and to buy/rent on Prime Video.  From director Paul Feig and a script by Jessica Sharzer, this is based on Darcey Bell's novel of the same name. After her son's playdate with the child of the neighborhood's most impressive and intimidating mom (Blake Lively) a woman (Anna Kendrick) fin...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing NO HARD FEELINGS (2023), from writers Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips, the film is directed by Gene Stupnitsky.  In this somewhat raunchy comedy, a 30-something year old woman, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) is desperate to save her childhood Montauk home and answers an online ad from a pair of concerned parents who will give her a car if she can...

In which the Mister and I check out ANATOMY OF A FALL (2023), which is still in theaters, coming soon to streaming and to buy/rent on Prime Video.  From director Justine Triet and a script by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, the film follows Sandra (Sandra Hüller) who at the start of the film is being interviewed by a student but then has to reschedule because of her husband.  Shortly after, her p...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing ROBOT DREAMS (2023), from writers Pablo Berger and Sara Varon, the film is directed by Pablo Berger.  The film follows Dog, who while living in New York in the 80s, decides to purchase a Robot to offset some of the loneliness in their life.  Once they connect, the two get to know each other and have adventures and a lovely friendship blossoms. ...

In which the Mister and I check out MAY DECEMBER (2023), which we caught on Netflix.  From director Todd Haynes and a script by Samy Burch and story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, the film is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau story from the 1990s.  In this version, actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is going to spend time with a couple who endured in spite of the scandal that their relat...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing ELEMENTAL (2023), which we caught on Disney+.  Written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh; the film is directed by Peter Sohn.  The film follows Ember (Leah Lewis) a resident of Element City where fire/water/earth and air live together.  Her parents came from abroad for a better life for themselves and their baby to be (Ember).  She gr...

In which the Mister and I check out NAVALNY (2022), which we caught on the Max.  From director Daniel Roher, the film tells the story of the late Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, lawyer and political prisoner.  The documentary follows the events a little before the lethal nerve agent poisoning during August 2020.  Having the plane he was on diverted may have led to his surviving the...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing MARRY ME (2022), which we caught on the Starz app but you can buy/rent from several platforms.  Written by John Rogers, Tami Sagher and Harper Dill; the film is directed by Kat Coiro.  The film follows Kat Veldez (Jennifer Lopez) who on the day of her wedding to fellow popstar, Bastian (Maluma), finds out that he's been cheating on her so K...

In which the Mister and I check out HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971), which we caught on the TCM app.  From director Hal Ashby and writer Colin Higgins, the film tells the story of Harold (Bud Cort), a rich, young man who is obsessed with death and creating macabre scenes to elicit a response from his mother (played by Vivian Pickles).  He meets with a shrink regularly and indulges in his favorite pastime,...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004), which we caught on the TCM app but you can buy/rent from several platforms.  Written by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth and winner of the 2005 Original Screenplay Oscar, this film is directed by Michel Gondry.  The story follows Joel (Jim Carrey), a painfully shy man who meets a fr...

In which the Mister and I check out RUSTIN (2023), which we caught on Netflix.  From director George C. Wolfe and writers Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, the film tells the story of Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo, who is in contention for the Best Actor Oscar at this year's Academy Awards), the main architect and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.  While battling racism and homoph...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing THE HOLDOVERS (2023), which you can find for streaming on Peacock.  Written by David Hemingson and directed by Alexander Payne, the film follows Paul (Paul Giamatti), who's asked to watch the holdovers, kids with nowhere to go over the Christmas break.  The group of kids diminishes when a parent comes to pick up their child and offers the o...

In which the Mister and I check out QUIZ LADY (2023), which we caught on Hulu.  From director Jessica Yu and writer Jen D'Angelo, the film follows Anne Yum (Awkwafina) a young, introverted woman whose mother has run away and is being shaken down to pay off her mother's debts.  Anne enlists the help of her estranged sister Jenny (Sandra Oh) to help with the mother's gambling debts and t...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing FROZEN (2013), which you can find for streaming on Disney+.  Written and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and loosely based off Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," the film follows sisters, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) who from tragedy grow apart but rediscover the other after their parents deaths an...

In which the Mister and I check out AMERICAN SYMPHONY (2023), which we caught on Netflix.  From director Matthew Heineman, the film follows musician, Jon Batiste, through a period in his life where he's approaching the Grammy awards where he happens to be nominated 11 times and is working on a new music project to be entitled AMERICAN SYMPHONY while also dealing with his wife's, Suleika Ja...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987), which you can find for streaming on Disney+.  Directed by Rob Reiner, from a script by William Goldman from his 1973 book of the same name, the film follows a young boy (Fred Savage) who is home sick in bed getting a visit from his grandpa (Peter Falk) who comes bearing a gift - a book!  In the book is a tale of heroe...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing WINGWOMEN (2023), which you can find for streaming on Netflix.  Directed by Mélanie Laurent, from a script by Mélanie Laurent, Christophe Deslandes and Cédric Anger; the film is based off the comic, "La Grande Odalisque," from comic creators Jérôme Mulot, Florent Ruppert and Bastien Vivès.  Much like the comic, the film focuses on Car...

In which the Mister and I check out THE KILLER (2023), which we caught on Netflix.  From director David Fincher, from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker, the film is based on the graphic novel series "The Killer" by Alexis Nolent that was illustrated by Luc Jacamon.  The film follows a nameless assassin (Michael Fassbender), who we see at the start, already on a job and who is killing time...

In which the Mister and I check out MOONSTRUCK (1987), which we caught on the TCM app but you can also find on PlutoTv, Roku Channel and to buy/rent on Prime Video.  From an Academy Award winning script from John Patrick Shanley, the film is directed by the legendary Norman Jewison.  The film follows Loretta Castorini (Cher, in an Oscar winning turn) a straightlaced, bookkeeper from Brooklyn who&#...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing WHISPER OF THE HEART (1995), which you can find for streaming on Max.  Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô, from a script by Hayao Miyazaki and Aoi Hiiragi (comic), the film follows Shizuku Tsukishima, a young girl who loves reading books and writing stories as she discovers through the library cards in her books, that a certain someone had previously...

In which the Mister and I check out AFTER YANG (2021), which we caught on Prime Video.  From the short story "Saying Goodbye to Yang" from the book "Children of the New World" by Alexander Weinstein, the film is directed by Kogonada, from a script by Alexander Weinstein and Kogonada.  The film follows as a family has to deal with the aftermath of the breakdown of a beloved AI h...