FRIDAY FAMILY FILM NIGHT

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (2025), from a screenplay by Roland Joffe, the film is directed by Edward Berger.  Based on Lawrence Osbornel's novel, BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER follows "Lord Doyle" (an absolutely stunning performance by Colin Farrell), a high-stakes gambler in the neon-soaked underworld of Macau who is drowning in massive debt.  His...

In which the Kid 1 joins me in reviewing HAMNET (2025), from a screenplay by Chloé Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell, the film is directed by Chloé Zhao.  Based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel, HAMNET, the film follows the passionate and unconventional marriage between Agnes (an incandescent performance by Jessie Buckley), a mystical healer and falconer, and her husband William (equally outstanding, Paul Mesc...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing STAND BY ME (1986), from a script by Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans, from a novella by Stephen King, the film is directed by Rob Reiner.  In the late summer of 1959, four young friends in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon, set out on a weekend trek through the woods to find the body of a missing boy hit by a train.  As they follow the railr...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing GREMLINS (1984), from a script by Chris Columbus, the film is directed by Joe Dante.  When a struggling inventor (Hoyt Axton) buys a mysterious, adorable creature called a Mogwai as a Christmas gift for his son Billy (Zach Galligan), he is warned of three strict rules: keep it away from bright light, don't get it wet, and never feed it after midnight. ...

In which Kid 2 joins me in reviewing FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2 (2025), from director Emma Tammi and writer Scott Cawthon, the film is currently in theaters.  One year after the original nightmare, the survivors of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza find their trauma turned into a local spectacle as the town hosts its first "Fazfest" celebration. When young Abby (Piper Rubio) sneaks away to reconnect with her...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK (2025), from a screenplay by Lester Cole and John Wexley, a play from Ladislas Fodor, Jeffrey Dell and Bernard Merivale ("Blondie Wthe), the film is directed by Lloyd Bacon.  Francis Warren (Errol Flynn) is a wealthy, respectable stockbroker who secretly leads a double life as a successful writer of mystery novels under a pseudon...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2025), from writer/director Rian Johnson.  Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for a third time and travels to Upstate NY to solve the murder of Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin).  As the details of the crime are revealed, Blanc must navigate a series of twists and hidden motives to unravel a myster...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955), from a story by Edna L. and Harry Lee, screenplay by Peggy Thompson, the film is directed by Douglas Sirk.  Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), a wealthy widow living in affluent New England suburbia, begins a scandalous affair with Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), a significantly younger and unconventional gardener who lives a simple, natural...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 joins me in reviewing GIGI (1958), from directors Vincente Minnelli and Charles Walters (uncredited) with a screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner and based on the novella by Colette.  In turn-of-the-century Paris, the young, spirited Gigi (Leslie Caron) is being groomed by her grandmother (Hermione Gingold) and sophisticated great-aunt (Isabel Jeans) to become a successful co...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing A REAL PAIN (2024), from writer/director Jesse Eisenberg.  Estranged cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Ben (Kieran Culkin) reunite on a flight to Poland after the death of their beloved grandmother to take part in a Holocaust heritage tour intended to honor her memory.  The trip forces the perpetually anxious David and the confidently detached Benji to c...

In which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing UNCLE BUCK (1989), from writer/director John Hughes.  When their parents must unexpectedly travel out of town due to a family emergency, the three Russell children are left in the reluctant care of their father's black sheep brother, Buck Russell (John Candy). Buck, who is known for his unconventional habits and general unreliability, must...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (2025), from a screenplay by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote director Chris Columbus, and based on Richard Osman's book.  At the luxurious Cooper's Chase retirement village, four sharp and witty retirees—Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), and new member Joyce (Celia Imrie) — meet weekly...

In which the Mister and Kid 2 join me in reviewing NONNAS (2025), from writer Liz Maccie and director Stephen Chbosky, and based on Jody Scaravella's life story.  The film follows Joe (Vince Vaughn) who decides to open a restaurant after his mother's passing.  To honor his mother's memory  he decides to take a chance on a group of wise, outspoken Italian grandmothers, or "Nonnas,&...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing FIELD OF DREAMS (1989), from W.P. Kinsella's book and writer/director Phil Alden Robinson.  An Iowa corn farmer named Ray Kinsella (Keivn Costner) hears a mysterious voice in his cornfield telling him, "If you build it, he will come."  Inspired by the message, Ray risks financial ruin to plow under his crops and build a pristine baseball diam...

In which Kid 1 joins me in reviewing BULL DURHAM (1988), from writer/director Ron Shelton.  The film centers on the minor-league baseball team, the Durham Bulls, where veteran catcher Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) is assigned to mentor Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), a talented but wildly undisciplined pitching prospect.  Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), a local baseball groupie who chooses one play...

In which the Mister joins me in reviewing HELLBOY (2004), from a comic by Mike Mignola, a script by Guillermo del Toro and Peter Briggs, the film is directed by Guillermo del Toro.  Hellboy introduces the world to Anung Un Rama, a demon infant rescued from Nazis by Allied forces during World War II and raised by Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor/John Hurt) to become Hel...

In which the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing FRANKENSTEIN (2025), from a story by Mary Shelley, the film is directed and has screenplay credits to Guillermo del Toro.  The film follows the driven and egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who, to conquer death after a childhood tragedy, assembles and brings to life a monstrous Creature (Jacob Elordi).  Victor immediately re...

It's a wrap! On the thirty-first night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing THE THING (1982), from the master, director John Carpenter, the film has a screenplay by Bill Lancaster , from a short story "Who Goes There?" from the author, John W. Campbell Jr.  A team of American researchers at a remote Antarctic outpost encounters a sled dog fleeing a Norwegian hel...

On the thirtieth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing THE HOWLING (1981), from director Joe Dante, the film has a screenplay by Gary Brandner, John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless.  Scarred after a terrifying encounter with a serial killer, Los Angeles television news anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace) is sent with her husband to "The Colony," a secluded, New Age...

On the twenty-ninth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing EVIL DEAD 2 (1987), from director Sam Raimi, the film has a screenplay by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel.  Continuing his gruesome ordeal, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is left alone and trapped at a remote cabin after his terrifying encounter with the evil forces unleashed by the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis.  He spends a...

On the twenty-eighth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister and Kid 1 join me in reviewing GOOD BOY (2025), from director Ben Leonberg, the film has a screenplay by Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg.  This horror film is uniquely told from the perspective of Indy, a loyal Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, who moves to a secluded family home with his ailing owner, Todd.  While Todd hopes to recove...

On the twenty-seventh night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing GRETEL & HANSEL (2020), from director Osgood Perkins, the film has a screenplay by Rob Hayes based on the Grimm fairy tale.  Separated from their desperate mother, teenage Gretel (Sophia Lillis) leads her younger brother Hansel (Samuel Leakey) through a desolate, distant fairytale countryside in a desperate...

On the twenty-sixth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister and KT join me in reviewing TUCKER AND DALE vs EVIL (2010), from writers Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson, the film is directed by Eli Craig.  Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine), two kind-hearted but stereotypical-looking "hillbillies," head to their newly purchased vacation cabin in the woods for a relaxing fishing tr...

** This review was recorded in September ** On the twenty-fifth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing WEAPONS (2025), from writer/director Zach Cregger.  When seventeen children from the same elementary school class suddenly vanish from their homes at the exact same time one night, their small community is thrown into a state of panic and suspicion.  The mystery is explo...

On the twenty-fourth night of our #31DaysToHalloween the Mister joins me in reviewing TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016), screenplay from Park Joo-suk and Yeon Sang-ho, the film is directed by Yeon Sang-ho.  A busy, divorced fund manager, Seok-woo, reluctantly agrees to take his young daughter, Su-an, on the KTX bullet train from Seoul to Busan for her birthday, unaware that a deadly zombie virus has just begu...