Hunter Killer keeps you on the edge of your seat.
​
Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is put in charge of a top secret mission to rescue any soldiers who survived after a nuclear sub goes missing just on the edge of Russian territory. But things aren’t what they seem. At the suggestion of a member of the NSA, RA John Fisk (Common) sends in a SEAL team to get eyes on what’s going on in the area. Then all hell breaks loose. A rogue Russian military officer kidnaps the Russian President and sets about to start World War Three. And it’s up to Captain Glass and his men on the sub as well as the SEAL team to rescue the Russian President and avert a war.

​This movie was based on the book “Firing Point” by George Wallace and Don Keith and feels very much like a John Clancy novel. The action is pivotal to the plot as viewers hold their breath as life and death decisions are made which leave the characters in peril. The title, Hunter Killer, is the name of the class of submarine, not necessarily a plot point.

​Butler serves as executive producer on this project and held on to the script for years until the tensions rose again with Russia, making this story more plausible. He also spent about three weeks on a US Navy nuclear class submarine, with the director observing the training and running simulations in order to make the story more realistic. The movie highlights the often frightening and tense situations on a “floating tin can”.

​Gerard Butler is good as Captain Glass but it’s the other characters who shine brighter. Michael Nyquist plays a Russian submarine captain who must work with Butler in order to avert a world war. Common’s character remains calm in the face of verbal abuse from his commanding officer, yet keeps silent and ends up being right. No “I told you so’s needed.”

​Fans of military and action movies will really enjoy Hunter Killer. The big screen only immerses the viewers deeper into the action. The best part though is the hope you leave the theater with…maybe some people will do what is right, putting not only their lives on the line but their careers in order to make the world safe. And we need to know in these times more than any other that people make a difference.

Forty years after the first Halloween movie, Michael Myers returns to finish the one person who got away.
​
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) walked away decades ago after Mike Myers started his killing spree in his hometown. She’s wished for a chance to end him since then and has prepared for the day she’ll get the chance. She’s become a paranoid, alcoholic who has lost her daughter and hides behind locks and walls.

​Mike Myers has been silent since his capture. He’d been serving time in a mental facility under the supervision of a new doctor but is finally being sent to a maximum-security prison, labeled the Hellhole. When two investigative reporters show him the mask, they hope he’ll say something…anything…but the mask sets the inmates on edge. Mike escapes during a transfer and cuts a bloody swath through his hometown again on his way to Laurie’s house.

​With many nods to the original movie, as well as the other movies in the series, Halloween is a treat for fans of the original. It wipes out the movies after the first and re-sets the timeline. Nick Castle returns to the role of Mike Myers, giving the character the original feel but this movie is more of a redemption than a horror movie. There’s suspense and gore but not the jump out and scare you frights. And sets up the rematch between Laurie and Michael with both appearing to have nine lives.

​With John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis serving as executive producers as well as musical director and lead actress, the movie leans heavily on the past nostalgia of the first movie. Unless you are a fan of the original though, you probably won’t enjoy this movie. With the many spooky offerings such as Lore, The House on Haunting Hill and even the Conjuring series, Halloween seems tame in comparison. 

​Disappointed that we never learn more about why Mike set off on his killing spree or how the town picks up the pieces after this latest massacre, the ending leaves it open for a sequel (and the director, writers and actors are on board- contracts were set in place when this movie was being made, just in case). 

​A good movie for fans but not one you have to spend your money on. J

Cancel any reservations at the El Royale. The place is murder.
​
Set in the 1960’s, the El Royale was a popular tourist destination which attracted Hollywood stars and celebrities. With the loss of its gambling license, the hotel which straddles Nevada and California has become a ghost town. When four strangers, each with a secret, check into the hotel one rainy night, all hell breaks loose and bodies will fall.

​The hotel itself has secrets from hidden microphones to one-way mirrors where unsuspecting guests are filmed. This night, a priest (Jeff Bridges), a black singer (Cynthia Erivo), a vacuum salesman (Jon Hamm), and a hippie woman (Dakota Johnson) walk into the hotel but none are who they seem. Some of the guests are searching for redemption while others are trying to escape their life but on this one night, things will never be the same.

​Bad Times at the El Royale is a twisted suspense-filled movie with plenty of twists and turns. Viewers see a variety of perspectives as the movie unfolds, sometimes from two differing points of view. Each of the seven people who arrive at the El Royale are dangerous and aren’t afraid of killing to get what they want.

​Jeff Bridges is both devious and sad in the role of Father Daniel Flynn as a former convict who is facing memory loss. Even with his criminal past, he’s a righteous man who is troubled by his choices. Another strong character is Miles Miller, the bellboy/hotel clerk/cleaning staff (Lewis Pullman). His choices aren’t always his own but when push comes to shove, he finds his backbone. 

​However, the arrival of Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) which sets in motion the explosive ending. Chris’s character seems to be a blend of Charles Manson and Jesus—as a cult leader who seeks to teach his followers about life. His ability to be cut and dry about death will leave you shaken and more than a little frightened. 

​Written and directed by Drew Goddard, who wrote The Cabin in the Woods, which also starred Chris Hemsworth, set out to create a movie in the same vein of Quentin Tarantino with the non-linear storytelling and shocking violence, Bad Times at the El Royale will keep you on the edge of your seat but doesn’t have to be a movie seen on the big screen to grab you. With plenty of surprises and nods to bigger historical events, this is a movie you might need to see a few times to put all the puzzle pieces together.

It’s all fun and games until aliens try to take over the world.
​
When a wealthy entrepreneur decides to bring back some specimens from outer space in his quest to create a better human being, he doesn’t realize the havoc they will cause.

​Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a hard-hitting journalist who isn’t afraid of pushing to find answers. But when he sneaks into his girlfriend’s (Michelle Williams) computer and finds evidence against Life Foundation founder, Carlton Drake and sets out to expose his undercover dealings. Sadly, all it does is get his girlfriend and himself fired, and destroy their relationship. Fast forward and one of the Life Foundation doctors develops a conscience after tests run on the outer space specimens ends up killing people. She reaches out to Eddie who breaks into the lab and ends up with a specimen inside him. 

​Venom is a “nerd” on his planet but on Earth and connecting with Eddie, he decides to go against his own people who set out to destroy the planet. With Venom inside him, Eddie is unstoppable as Carlton Drake sends his paid killers out to get the specimen back.

​While originally seen as a villain in the third Spiderman movie (with Toby Mcguire), Venom gets his own movie and origin story. Both silly and violent, Venom is more like Deadpool than Captain America. The wise cracks and unsuspecting surprise of the symbiote provide more than a little humor. Who wouldn’t end up thinking they are going crazy when their body suddenly changes in front of their face? 

With a Stan Lee cameo, Venom sets itself as a part of the Marvel Universe but not in the main group. The two extra after credit scenes give viewers a sneak peek at the bag guy for Venom 2 as well as a special scene from the new upcoming comic Spiderman movie.
​
Certainly a must for fans of the Marvel superhero franchise and one worth seeing more than once, if only for the quirky smile of Tom Hardy.