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Double Down South successfully chalks up the cue and sinks the 8-ball – even though the play was called well in advance.

Rian Johnson builds a clever mystery with Glass Onion. Yet unlike its predecessor, where the characters were amusingly devious, everyone here is despicable and completely unrelatable. These annoying and immature characters bring down an otherwise enjoyable mystery.

Waitaminute! This is just A Bug's Life with video game action! C'mon, Mr Snyder, you can handle scripts better than this one.

Self Reliance has its moments coupled with some moderate twists and head-scratching weirdness but chills down too quickly with a mellow vibe that spoils any frantic action. Indeed, the movie simmers throughout when it should be boiling.

Wow. This one was boring. Hey - super cool seeing Patrick Wilson directing - and he did a visually good job, too. But the story comes across as a tacked-on - and completely unnecessary - epilogue to shamelessly keep the IP alive.

Godzilla Minus One is a monster mash of the highest caliber. The finale of it all is simply amazing.

Terrible execution. Lousy - and incoherent - characterization. Flimsy dialogue with a head-scratching plot. However... the action and stunt work is all enjoyable. The Mummy certainly does NOT come across as a horror movie at all - save for that one scene of zombie crusaders (which was pretty damn cool). The Marvel-lite action is ridiculously in-your-face, and ultimately forgettable.

The Fantastic Four comic paved the way for Marvel superheroes, and their cinematic children. One would think that bringing the grand-daddy of comics to the silver-screen would present an honor. Instead it felt more like a big-budget made-for-television prologue paving the way for a real FF film.

Resplendent with turn-yer-brain-off action and in-yer-face fisticuffs, Extraction is the perfect prescription for fun escapism this quarantined world needs.

This retrospective gives le Carré much to say, even when guilefully terse. Though, the talk of Cold War dissidents repeatedly falls down one too many rabbit holes. Or pigeon tunnels.

Labeled as an erotic thriller, Fair Play is neither sexy nor thrilling. Fair Play could succeed as a workplace drama but the dissolving relationship is painfully ordinary. Anger and resentment merely result in Millennial-style ghosting; emotions never reach a rabbits-in-a-stew boiling point.

Entertaining. Fun. And oh so incredibly convenient.

Weird, fun, and nicely produced. The problem with El Conde though is that it is all style over substance. The black-and-white cinematography is gorgeous but the narrative never decides if it wants to be all out humorous or horrifyingly shockingly.

Red Cliff elevates John Woo's stylistic filmmaking. Red Cliff can also be patience-testingly slow at times. Woo balances the sword-edge thin difference between the beauty of honorable war and violence for havoc’s sake like a samurai master. With Red Cliff he shows mastery in his craft while maintaining a trademarked style from his shoot ’em-laden beginnings like The Killer and Hard Boiled, such as his frequently-used Mexican standoff image. But for Red Cliff, Tony Leung uses a sword. Similar to cooking basmati rice or Southern-style grits, Red Cliff can be patience-testingly slow at times. Ironically, there are too many action scenes that are overly fantastical stretching the realm of the believable. Woo manages these with a wink, honoring the mythological fiction of story to supersede the events of reality. After all, for a filmmaker that made taking one’s face off believably interesting, throwing in some Shogun Theater

Pirates is a good-natured comedy with fun characters. What should be a simplistic plot becomes unnecessarily directionless at times. Pirates is an easy-going comedy with truly fun characters. But what should be a simplistic plot becomes nearly as directionless as the M25.

Darkly shot and sinisterly silent, DUAL is a spotlight performance for Karen Gillan, the once-upon-a-time companion of The Doctor. DUAL is high on concept, exemplifying the best of sci-fi, but meanders too much as a narrative reducing the movie from a cool “What If” to a shrugging “What Could Have Been.”

For close to thirty minutes, Kimi is a clever, in-the-now show... until it devolves into a cliche chase-movie with heaps of eye-rolling convenience and stupid bad guys.

Deadstream is far from perfect, and is more annoying than not, but is successful in throwing a little life into the Indie Horror stream.

A hard drama with comedic-level misunderstandings about the racial divides and general mistrust that regrettably continue to exist. A Lot Of Nothing starts the conversation, asks critical questions, but cannot seem to come up with a satisfying end note.

An unabashed celebration of the Voyager project team; of their vitality and diversity; of the continuation of work even when approaching the twilight of their programming. Phenomenal.

Jurassic Punk is a warning tale. Jurassic Punk is a head-shaker of regret. And Jurassic Punk is one helluva documentary.

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story documents the Festival’s fiftieth anniversary show from 2019. Filmmakers Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern compile archival footage intertwined with interviews all the while spotlighting the music: Blues, Soul, Cajun, Zydeco, Folk, Gospel, Traditional, R&B, Rap, and good ole Rock & Roll. There is, however, one element almost completely ignored in Jazz Fest. JAZZ! Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story is a steady-as-she-goes rock concert masquerading as an entertaining, if pedestrian, documentary. Albeit one with a rockin' soundtrack.

An uninspired remake, FIRESTARTER is a no-starter.

A mopey love story with a forgettable soundtrack. Any of PRESS PLAY’s charm is all set up and tease. PRESS PLAY has a fun set up. Yet it is all a tease. Greg Björkman and co-writer James Bachelor could have played loose and fun with the temporal proceedings and made a Millennial Back To The Future. Laura’s tampering with past events could have gotten all dark like The Butterfly Effect. Alas, none of that happens. Instead Laura cries about her lost love following every time jaunt and listens to terribly-forgettable pop-music. The dialogue, and the situations themselves, become annoyingly repetitive, disconnecting all intrigue and struggle from her quest. Even Danny Glover, whose talents are wasted as the story’s wise counselor, has his fortune cookie idioms promptly ignored.

At its heart, and yes, there is a lot of heart here, THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER is a fun, action-filled Marvel movie that is one of the better ones to come in this tiresome post-ENDGAME phase. This is a movie where the hero's journey is is purposeful and resolute, not only for Thor Odinson but Jane Foster as well. To get on that road, though, takes a lot of patience. As fun as LOVE AND THUNDER is, the movie is also childish, idiotic, superficial, and features way too many Guns-n-Roses anthems. The first twenty or so minutes, where Thor goofs off with the equally-juvenile Guardians of the Galaxy, would tax even the strongest of Asgardian gods. Once the threat of Gorr, the god butcher, arrives on New Asgard's steps, the heroes' quest begins - and that is a most satisfactory story. Taika Waititi makes use of Chris Hemsworth's generous smile and biceps in a familiar and comfortable manner. Thor takes on the mantle of leader and proves he is quite sufficient in the role. Smashing and thrashing and joking (maybe a touch too much of the levity this time around, though) leads to a successful, and actually unsuspecting, ending where you are craving more. First and foremost, Thor is a hero. Hopefully future appearances of the Thunder God will focus more on this aspect and keep the over-the-top humor in reserve. Maybe for a rainy day.

NEON LIGHTS is a confusing mess – one that could have been avoided with a stronger script. This slow burn fizzles.

PREY is a foundation-building, fast-paced hunt of a film that deserved a theatrical release. PREY is a strong, refreshing entry into scifi canon. In the world of the Predator, strength comes from within, regardless if the blood is red or fluorescent green. PREY provides plenty of both. PREY is a strong, refreshing entry into scifi canon; full of empowerment and of honor and heritage.

FALL is a vertigo-inducing tale that is a fun – if improbable – thriller with killer views that keeps you hanging on.

Clerks III is Kevin Smith’s love letter to Jersey and possibly the most authentic work he has showcased since his previous return to the Quick Stop. This is a celebration of everything Clerks.

Clerks II is full of heart and amusement and a killer dance sequence that has not been seen in a comedy since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Randal’s antics continue in grand fashion, this time joined alongside Rosario Dawson as a further foil. Smith knows his characters are older. He knows that they should move forward. But he also enjoys that Gen X procrastination factor, one that is obviously extended to the Nth degree in his humor. However, Smith’s humor opens into long-winded, expertly-written explorations into adulthood. Randal obviously luxuriates in his social standing. Dante wants more, but is too afraid to jump off whatever plans someone has made for his life. As amusing as this beautiful conflict becomes, Clerks II poorly mishandles what should have been the movie’s emotional climax in a most unfortunate and base setting. That fumble is recovered, however, and totally scores in the next scene where, while incarcerated, Randal fully commits his Philos love for Dante. Friendship restored, and comically full circle, Dante and Randal purchase the Quick Stop and return to a life that made them who they are. The comfort of home while acknowledging their responsibility as adults.

Aside from the **** jokes and drug references and pop-culture nods, Clerks was a testament. Sitcom setups aside, Clerks displayed what being in your mid-twenties and not having a clue about what laid ahead in the big, wide future, especially when the comfortable dysfunction of high school was not too far back in the old rearview, was all about. This was an absolute reflection of a time when all that mattered was having enough money to gas up the car, go to the movies, and hit a diner afterwards. About those moments of levity that punctuated the otherwise long stretches of despair and navel gazing and self-loathing. Clerks hit that Gen X zeitgeist at the right ever-lovin’ time. Immensely quotable, Clerks was all about the long exposition. A diatribe about the strength of Star Wars movies and the weakness of teenaged infidelity. Of friendship, of death, and the relevance of an outdoors hockey game. The fluidness of it all.

Gouda Grief. Starting with that first yodel, Mad Heidi is as crazy as it is, well, cheesy. The self-proclaimed Swissploitation action-splatterfest is all about illegal cheese, fascist rule, warrior nuns, and a madcap Casper Van Dien whose mustache-twirling villainy is as high as the Alps. Yet for all its silliness and over-the-top parodying, Mad Heidi should have been a lot crazier. Mad Heidi is fun and silly. As an indie film in every regard, though, Mad Heidi all-too quickly regresses away from fresh parody and slips into the repetitive pattern that befalls most exploitation flicks. Meta hip becomes standard service.

Weird is charming and hilarious fun; goofy enough that his fans will watch on repeat. As an epic parody, though, Weird becomes too heavy and falls into its own cliche.

The documentary Black Ice is a call to action in confronting the racist patterns embedded within the game while striving for a better, inclusive future. The documentary is a well-told story full of questioning, suffering, and absolutely demands telling. Black Ice also has a difficult time rising out of the negative instances told within, drowning out any triumphant moments worthy of celebration.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever is hip and light until it trips over the heaviness of its own footing in trying to keep pace with the similar path Barry Levison set in Good Morning, Vietnam. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Or simply a good movie about warm beer?

Marlowe might look good with its neon signs and smokey rooms, yet this detective movie is as diffused as its film noir-stylized shadows and as watered down as a cheap margarita. Marlowe does follow through on PI tropes. Jordan and Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan make good use of their cliches as the conventions of fisticuffs and tommy-guns give way.

The continual set ups and feints are exasperating. All creep and no scare makes The Accursed a dull entry to the genre.

The Bunker becomes a dichotomous performance. While the digital camera work makes the flat lighting of the set look like a Colin Baker episode of Doctor Who, the gore and f/x are Mario Bava worthy. Huntsman script is full of “This is war!” cliches, yet bellowed by the incredibly over-the-top style of Patrick Moltane, those lines are pushed to a Jack Torrance “Here’s Johnny!” level of crazy. And those bunkers walls might look like paper mâché, but the Griever creature makes for a uniquely terrifying Cenobite entry. The monster unfortunately provides its own French exit after arriving well too late into the final course. Fans of indie horror will certainly be forgiving and enjoy The Bunker for its originality. And there truly is much to enjoy, from the throwback opening titles to its unexpected shocks. The slow churn of the story is what weakens the fuse as the anticipated explosion fizzles into a bottle-rocket pop instead becoming a howitzer-sized blast.

The documentary King On Screen is a celebration of King’s fiction on the big (or small) screen as told by over twenty different filmmakers who were fortunate enough to adapt a King story. King On Screen tells their story. Of the many different personalities interviewed here (Mick Garris is always a joy) there are some shockingly notable absences. No Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, Misery). And no Brian DePalma, who holds the distinct honor of directing the first Stephen King adaptation, Carrie (1976). There are few gripes or regrets conveyed throughout the interviews. No real discussion of failure be it artistic or box office. Baiwir safely captures a positive exuberance. But make it a little shorter with some clever editing? King On Screen could have been a Blu-Ray special feature extra – or an all-star episode of “The Kingcast” podcast. Whether you’ve always wanted to bike through Derry with the Losers or mistakenly confuse “Christine” for “Carrie”, King On Screen is a delight to watch. Especially when the lights are off.

Watching Still: A Michael J Fox Story can be disconcerting at first. If you grew up in the 80s, the only thing higher on the pop-culture charts than Selleck’s mustache was Michael J Fox’s charming smile. And it was everywhere, too. From Family Ties to Back to the Future to Teen Wolf to Doc Hollywood. He was smooth. He was witty. An all-encompassing joi de vive packed into five-feet-four-inches of energy. Now, after 30 years of battling the crippling effects of Parkinson’s Disease, Michael is bent over. His arms jitter; legs wobble. His speech is slurred. This is not a vibrant Marty McFly at 62. The sight of an unshaven, unkempt Fox is more than a little disheartening. But Still was not made out of pity. This is not a Hollywood tell-all tale of woe. Still is a celebration. Michael remains funny, he is loved, and although known for comedy, is now a determined fighter. Still is a magnificent story of inspiration, vulnerability, and kick-ass determination. This one deserves to be seen.

Shooting Stars has the recipe for a Thanksgiving feast but settles as a comforting fast-food treat: fatty and overly sweet, but the ingredients are right and satisfying. Director Chris Robinson keeps the movie running. The basketball action is over-the-top exciting as title cards are overlaid in a rat-a-tat fashion. He successfully takes a story that offers no real surprises and crafts an amazingly-fun narrative. Similar to the Serena and Venus Williams biopic King Richard, Shooting Stars makes the magnificent understandable, offers insight into a world of wonder, and keeps you cheering at the end.

The documentary Sharksploitation casts a broad net in the surprisingly deep waters of Hollywood’s fin-tastic obsession with sharks. From the blockbuster Jaws to the viral Sharknado, filmmaker Stephen Scarlata leaves no reef unturned. Even when the movie gets a little long in the tooth, Scarlata delivers interviews aplenty backing his thesis that when it comes to shark movies, you are gonna need a bigger boat. Sharksploitation is perfect for anyone to sink their teeth into.