Hallowarrior (2026)

 

I fell victim to a decent movie blurb that failed to deliver any treats. They could have expanded on the Home Alone homage. The baddies could have been smarter and more fun. Total milk dud. 

Rating: F+

The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

 

Bill Murray at his goofy best, bumbling his way through a fish out of water espionage plot. It’s light and fun. The script is witty. Plenty of physical comedy, culminating in the Russian doll dance. Enjoyed seeing this one again. 

Rating: B

Hope (Hopeu) (2026)

 

A small Korean town is under attack from an unknown creature. There’s a mix of very cool special effects, and some less effective CGI. The film morphs into an alien invasion, of sorts. The pacing and storytelling are inconsistent, yet it’s hard to turn away because the action keeps coming. I’ll probably tune into the sequel to see where they take it. 

Rating: C

Runner (2026)

 

Alan Ritchson is swapped in for Jason Statham as the Transporter; ok Runner, trying to deliver a package from A to B. Lots of people get slaughtered along the way. You know what you’re getting when you take this ride. 

Rating: C

Cube (1997)

 

Liked it less than on my first viewing. The dialog is lacking and characters more annoying. The end isn’t very satisfying. Cool concept though. 

Rating: C

Colony (Gunche) (2026)

 

The Train To Busan folks made another zombie movie, pulling in some ideas from Dawn Of The Dead, The Last Of Us, 28 Days Later, and others. Some cool ideas and scenes, but lackluster as a whole. 

Rating: C

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

 

Rewatched this classic from 1997. I forgot how adorable Minnie Driver was. She really makes the most of her character. Not as good as I remember, but still fun. 

Rating: C+

Heart Of The Beast (2026)

 

A man and his dog try to survive the elements after crash landing in Alaskan wilderness. Mistakes were made that put them in further jeopardy. Borderline realistic. The dog’s eyes will pull you in. A bit of a sad ending. 

Rating: C

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma (2026)

 

Nothing about this slasher within a slasher worked for me. It wasn’t scary at any point, which is the one thing a horror movie should be. The script wasn’t funny. It was definitely weird, but not in an entertaining way. 

Rating: F+

The Rivals Of Amziah King (2025)

 

Honey is at the center of a backwoods community brought together by friendship and music. One could say it’s also a revenge flick of sorts. 

Rating: C+

Idiots (2026)

The setup had merit. Had they committed to it, Idiots could have been a fun screwball comedy. Instead the script had an identity crisis, getting marred down by illogical characters and scenes. The ending fizzled.

Rating: C-

Top 10 Films of 1998

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	Out Of Sight	1998	US	B
2	Saving Private Ryan	1998	US	B
3	Rushmore	1998	US	B-
4	The Truman Show	1998	US	B-
5	Shakespeare In Love	1998	US	B-
6	Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels	1998	England	C+
7	Next Stop Wonderland	1998	US	C+
8	The Red Violin	1998	Canada	C+
9	Playing By Heart	1998	US	C+
10	The Big Lebowski	1998	US	C+

 

The End Of Oak St. (2026)

 

So much could have been done with this concept. I would have loved to see it in a series format, in a prehistoric survival Jumanji situation. Remaining families band together in a tribe to collect food, water, weapons, and defend their stronghold. 

Instead, this dimwitted family made one stupid decision after another until I was begging for them to be taken out. The ending with dual dimensions and apparently multiple versions of themselves was ridiculous. What a waste of a good premise and film budget. 

Rating: D+

Next Stop Wonderland (1998)

I think I originally saw this at Sundance. It’s a pleasant film with a delightful Bossa Nova soundtrack. A lot of familiar faces of actors early in their careers. One of the better films from 1998. 

Rating: C+

The Invite (2026)

One of those films that feels more like a stage production. There are some genuine funny and interesting moments. It’s a deep dive into interpersonal relationships. I wasn’t in love with the third act though. 

Rating: C

Mayday (2026)

 

A serviceable Soviet Cold War film set in the 80s featuring Ryan Reynolds doing his typical deadpan jokes. The early fight scenes are surprisingly slick. Branagh is quite good as the ex-KGB operative. Production value is high. Action sequences are intense. Better than I thought it would be. 

Rating: C+

Toy Story 5 (2026)

 

Toys and imagination versus tech and screen time. A relevant storyline for our times with some good reminders for parents. Cute and fun as usual. 

Rating: C+

Masters Of The Universe (2026)

 

Having watched a lot of He-Man when I was a kid, I decided to devote a couple hours to the feature film as an adult. Expectations were very low going in, which quickly proved to be justified. No depth of characters. Cartoonish fight scenes without any real suspense. I couldn’t make it halfway through.

Rating: F

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

 

Much more crass and unfunny than I remember it being back in 1998. The Farrelly Brothers rely too much on horny teenage boy humor over smart writing. 

Rating: C

The Isolate Thief (2026)

 

Incredibly dumb title. Tense standoff between some really bad men and a couple resilient women. They didn’t quite stick the landing, but the ride wasn’t bad. 

Rating: C

The Dink (2026)

 

I felt obligated to see this one as an avid pickleballer. The opening premise and character introductions were actually pretty good, but it descended into lame tropes from there. 

Rating: C-

Disclosure Day (2026)

 

It’s an interesting take on the revelation that aliens-exist genre. They’ve tried really hard to imagine how our world would react to this knowledge, but I found it unrealistic. The story plays out more like a long episode of The X-Files, with some corny plot holes to boot. 

With Spielberg at the helm, the film is gripping and well crafted. Emily Blunt acts the hell out of it. Just don’t expect any sort of satisfying conclusion.

Rating: C

Backrooms (2026)

 

There’s a great movie tucked away somewhere in those backrooms, but the film we got isn’t it. I loved the idea around secret backrooms that go on forever, with unknown boogiemen hiding behind every door. It’s a mystery that needs exploring. 

Unfortunately, after revealing said mystery, the screenwriter simply gave up. Big letdown from the audience’s perspective. Such is the case with so many high concept films. They never deliver in the third act. 

Rating: D

Enola Holmes 3 (2026)

 

They cranked out this third Maltese turd with a snoozer of a plot and underuse of key characters. Lacked the spark of the first two. Didn’t need to be made.

Rating: C-

Greenland 2: Migration (2026)

 

I loved the first film so much that I wanted to see the sequel, despite poor reviews. As a post-apocalyptic film, it’s not bad. Everyone struggling to survive in a heavily damaged world. Trouble seems to find this family every step of the way on their journey, some more compelling than others. The end is cheesy. 

Rating: C

The Castle (1997)

 

Considered an Australian classic. Moderately interesting characters with a lukewarm plot. I expected more. 

Rating: C-

Power Ballad (2026)

 

I’m a big fan of John Carney films, but this was a miss. The songs themselves weren’t very catchy. The element of fun and joy that is a staple of his other works was missing here. In fact, it was a bit depressing. 

Rating: C-

The Furious (2025)

 

I’ll say it. There were too many fights that never ended. They took so much damage that it became ridiculous they were still alive. Yes, the fight choreography was incredible. But a movie needs more. 

It’s a shame these two weren’t around to infiltrate Trump’s child trafficking ring and mete out justice. Sadly, in real life, the bad guys win and get elected president. We’re living in the most depressing action movie ever conceived–all the deviants escaping justice and rising in power. 

Rating: C

Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

 

Another dangerous mystery for the Holmes siblings to solve. Moriarty is introduced, and at the very end: Dr. Watson. Enjoyed the first one a bit more. 

Rating: C+

Enola Holmes (2020)

 

It’s a shame Millie Bobby Brown’s talents were wasted on Stranger Things rather than an Enola Holmes series. Still, this first film manages to tell a layered story that sets up two sequels, to date. 

Family friendly, yet with sufficient danger and action to make outcomes matter. It’s a fun take on the Holmes universe. 

Rating: B-

Over Your Dead Body (2026)

 

Grim stuff. Despite a few chuckles, there’s nothing to endear the viewer to this film. 

Rating: D+

Blades Of The Guardians (Biao Ren: Feng Qi Da Mo) (2026)

 

Why are Chinese action films always so silly? Weak acting, implausible fight choreography, and convoluted storylines make it impossible to be invested in the characters. Everything is sacrificed at the altar of overlong fight sequences. 

Rating: D

The Last Viking (Den Sidste Viking) (2025)

 

A depressing Danish tale with generally confusing and unlikable characters. 

Rating: D

Lorne (2026)

 

Any fan of Saturday Night Live will enjoy this documentary about the man behind the show. It’s not that Lorne’s life is that fascinating, but SNL and Lorne’s interaction with it, is. 

Rating: C

Normal (2025)

 

I like a good town under siege movie as much as the next guy. Normal had some potential, even with the weird Yakuza angle. The barely there plot and characters made it hard to emotionally invest, and so the carnage didn’t carry much weight when bodies hit the floor. 

Rating: C-

The Big Lebowski (1998)

 

Gave this one a second viewing in case I wasn’t able to fully appreciate it back in the day. To be fair, I think I did like it more this time. Certainly one of the Cohen Brothers weirdest, and that’s saying something. More about the characters than a compelling story, and there are some strange ones. 

Rating: C+

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

 

Local octopus helps mend a cleaning lady’s heart. Lots of feels. Happy ending. 

Rating: C+

Buffet Infinity (2025)

 

Literally an endless stream of commercials and clips stitched together to create some kind of mystery. It didn’t work for me. Waste of time.

Rating: F

The Sheep Detectives (2026)

 

Once you get past the CGI sheep, it’s a cute film that focuses on community and a mystery. Made me miss Babe Pig In The City.

Rating: C

I Swear (2025)

 

How effing stupid is this kid’s family, coaches, and school faculty? It’s painfully obvious he’s not behaving normally, and yet they either pretend nothing is wrong or tell him to stop doing something that is clearly out of his control. It doesn’t matter if they’ve never encountered the condition. Something is wrong and they all behave like assholes. It was infuriating to watch, and honestly didn’t seem credible as a plot device. 

Even after he’s diagnosed, the people around him don’t make necessary accommodations to insulate him from hardship and pain. The film is one depressing scene after another. I gave up before reaching the midway point. 

Rating: N/A

Bookworm (2024)

 

An absent father reconnects with his daughter in the New Zealand wilderness. It’s an uneven film, but there are sweet and fun moments. 

Rating: C