Month: September 2025

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of September 1, 2025

The Conjuring: Last Rites
Rated R for terror, and bloody/violent content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: None at the time of writing
In Theaters
In this fourth and final chapter of the Ed and Lorraine Warren saga, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) are happily retired, giving a lecture here and there, but convinced that they are done forever with investigating paranormal activity. But when they discover a link between a family being terrorized in Pittsburgh and their daughter, they find themselves compelled to jump back into the fray to face a demon that would officially end up being their final fight. For over a decade, this franchise and its spinoffs have had some hits and misses, but for the most part, the actual series featuring the Warrens have managed to be some of the scariest movies I can recall. Based on real cases the Warrens investigated through the years, the stories are that much more frightening due to their authenticity. While the third film didn’t really cut it for me, director Michael Chaves was given a second chance at bat here, and it really pays off. So many horror films nowadays rely on jump scares to get their audience worked up, but this one is filled with slow, chill-inducing frights that last nearly the entire length of the film. There’s relatively little gore, but there is a lot to be afraid of here. Much of this could have been solved if the characters would just learn to turn on a light switch, but where would be the fun in that? One of the things that is most creepy is the fantastic lighting where you can almost see the figure looking back at you, but it’s just dark enough that they are mostly hidden. I find their use of this trick to be masterful here and I laughed many times during the tension relief caused by a light finally destroying the darkness. I’ve been fascinated with the Warrens’ work for years, and am convinced that what they did was real and not a gimmick to build a career. Since the first film came out in 2013, Wilson and Farmiga have given us carefully thought-out characters, handled with respect in regards to their real-life inspirations. And while I’m sure the films are highly embellished versions of the actual events, I’m very satisfied with what they’ve done here, and I really enjoyed having the living crap scared out of me again. A-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 25, 2025

Caught Stealing
Rated R for strong violent content, brief drug use, some sexuality/nudity and pervasive language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81% at time of writing
In theaters
From writer/director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream), comes this crime dramedy about a young bartender (Austin Butler) in New York City who once had a shot of becoming an MLB star until a car wreck ruined his knee. One day as is coming home, his neighbor (Matt Smith) asks him to watch his cat while he heads to London to look after his dad who just had a stroke. In the litter box, he finds a hidden key that apparently a lot of people want their hands on. All is good until first a team of Russians come to look for the neighbor and instead almost beat our hero to death. To make matters more complicated, a team of Jewish assassins (Lieb Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio) come looking for the key also. The two worst movie weekends of the year, traditionally, are Labor Day weekend and Super Bowl weekend. If you see a film opening on one of those days, it is likely a stinker and not worth your time. But this is also a self-fulfilling prophecy as every once in a while, a film surprises you. While this is not a great film, it is way better than a Labor Day film. Fresh off directing literally the biggest movie of all time (Postcard from Earth at the Sphere in Las Vegas), Aronofsky keeps changing his style and tone from project to project. This one has a Guy Ritchie/Coen Brothers feel that should make audiences happy if that’s what they are expecting. It’s at times really funny, sometimes scary, all with a heavy dose of action and disturbing violence. The cast, for the most part, is solid, especially Butler, Smith, Schreiber and D’Onofrio. I did find Regina King rather distracting and out of place, but for the most part, the characters were fun and frightening at the same time. I did find some of the writing to be a little lazy and confusing, especially the major plot hole of the key being found in a rubber poop in the litter box. There was a good chance that if he didn’t find it, he might have accidentally thrown it in the trash with the scoop. But I digress. Overall, it’s an entertaining crime thriller with a great cast and some memorable moments. B

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 18, 2025

Nobody 2
Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
In Theaters
Bon Odenkirk is back as Hutch Mansell, your average looking, mild-mannered husband and father who just happens to be a highly successful close-quarters assassin. But he’s tired and wants a vacation. So he and the family pack up and head to the small tourist town of Plummerville, which holds happy memories for him since it was the only place his father ever took him on vacation as a child. Once there, he comes to the quick realization that the town is a hotbed of criminal activity, and while seeking out a little revenge for some disrespect shown at a local arcade, he accidentally finds himself the target of a major crime boss (Sharon Stone). While not a huge franchise for Universal, these low budget action films have managed to create quite a following. Just the thought of Bob Odenkirk cast as John Wick (that’s how I imagine them selling the project) is hilarious, and the idea seems even better once you see it on a screen. With a new director at the helm (Timo Tjahjanto), the action is bigger and faster than what we saw in the first, which is really saying something. The film is less than 90 minutes, but it is packed full of ridiculous violence which ends in a showdown that should leave fans mostly satisfied. I was a little distracted by Sharon Stone here, partially because I couldn’t figure out who she was, and partially because she is way too over-the-top. I didn’t care for her character and I found the way she played it very annoying. Luckily she’s a relatively minor part of a short film. Also, don’t expect much story-wise. This film, as with the other, is about a man with extreme, but odd, fighting skills who takes out his frustrations on bad people who probably deserve what they get. Everything from the setup to the takedown is silly and hardly relevant to the action taking place. But the action is fun and a good release for those wanting a mindless break in a dark theater. B-

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of August 11, 2025

Weapons
Rated R for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
In Theaters
Hot off his 2022 studio debut Barbarian, writer/director Zach Cregger has another potential horror hit on his hands here with his new mystery/thriller Weapons. The story follows a room full of kids in elementary school who one day just didn’t show up to class. And the town and its police have no clue what has happened to them. One night, all at the same time, the children ran out the door and simply disappeared into the darkness. But not everyone disappeared. The teacher (Ozark’s Julia Garner) and one student (Cary Christopher) show up, apparently not having a clue what is going on. Of course, the parents of the missing kids blame the teacher, which begins to ruin her life, but her own curiosity of the mystery keeps her living there trying to put together the pieces. And while many parents have accepted their fate, one angry dad (Josh Brolin) is not willing to accept the detective work of the police and begins to sort out the clues himself. Weapons is being sold as one of the scariest films of the year, but personally, I found it way more interesting than horrifying. I really loved how the film is packaged into several different parts, all according to a particular character’s point of view. This allows the audience to try to piece together the mystery until there is no mystery left. And while the film isn’t particularly scary, it is super creepy at times, with some decent jump scares to keep you engaged and swallowing down your popcorn. The performances here are excellent, with a really good cast of actors to pull them off. Much of this is due to a terrific script by Cregger which uses a Tarantino approach to pull off what could have been mishandled by any other linear method of writing. By the end we get a harrowing two hours at the movies that will leave most audiences uniquely satisfied. B+

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of July 28, 2025

Together
Rated R for language, graphic nudity, brief drug content, sexual content, violent/disturbing content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
In Theaters
From the twisted mind of brand-new filmmaker Michael Shanks comes this horror film starring real-life spouses Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a stressed couple who move from their fairly comfy life in the big city to a new environment in the country in order for her to take a job as a school teacher. Even though there is a lot of tension between them, and growing more every day, they attempt to put their troubles aside to make it work. One day as they are on a hike near their new home, they fall into a hole in the ground where they are stuck for the night. When they finally escape, they discover a new, scary attraction towards each other, like something is trying to make their bodies actually join together. Normally I wouldn’t think a movie like this could be such a hit, but it has truly turned some heads, and audiences and critics alike have become quite taken with it. It helps that Dave and Allison have incredible chemistry, as would be expected for a young married couple like this. But it is also fearless in its attempts to gross the audience out while creating a macabre sense of humor at the same time. While it falls firmly into the horror genre, it is quite funny and even romantic at times. At other times, it does push boundaries and I had to turn my head more than once. But I still found it to be enjoyable, even amongst all of the violence and disgusting drama. A special kudos goes to the makeup and special effects teams for their artistic and seriously disgusting creations. While I didn’t lose my dinner while watching at the Alamo Drafthouse, there were many moments when I wondered how I could possibly keep the food down while taking in such horrific sights. B

Happy Gilmore 2
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material, partial nudity, crude/sexual material, and strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%
Streaming on Netflix
It has been almost thirty years since the original Happy Gilmore propelled Adam Sandler into notoriety, and now Netflix is showing us what happens to Happy all these years later. After accidentally killing his wife (Julie Brown) in a tragic golf accident, he goes on an epic drinking spree while trying to take care of his multitude of rowdy children. But when he runs out of money and his daughter needs tuition to attend a prestigious ballet school, he enters the golf world again to earn the necessary income to make that happen. But the golf world has evolved as a tech bro has created a new style of gameplay called Maxi Golf that threatens the traditional world of golf, much like Happy did decades ago. Most of us who grew up with Happy understand that it is a stupid yet lovable movie that you can enjoy tremendously, as long as you don’t take it seriously, and maybe down a few cocktails while taking it in. And this second one is just more of the same – and that ain’t bad. It is extremely funny at times, and insultingly dumb at others, but the dumb never gets you down if you’re willing to put up with it. I’m not sure why this couldn’t have been a theatrical release first, as it doesn’t feel like a straight to streaming affair. But it’s also not a perfect idiotic comedy either. While they successfully go over the top many times, they do a lot of really bad flashbacks to make sure we remember old Happy moments to give relevance to the cameo of the minute. While those script elements are a bit irritating, what does truly work are some of the bigger casting surprises like Bad Bunny, John Daly and Travis Kelce, who all turn in some unexpected great performances. Overall, I really enjoyed the new Happy and was glad to share in another golf adventure with him. B+

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of July 21, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Rated PG-13 for some language, action/violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
In Theaters
In this fourth attempt to bring a big-budget Fantastic Four to theaters, Marvel itself is giving it a go, within the MCU, with a new cast and fresh vision. This time out we get Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. The four are essentially a big family who went up into space and came down with superpowers. Choosing wisely not to do this as an origin story, this part of the narrative is quickly glossed over, giving the audience enough information to get into the meat of the new film while also giving the newbies enough information to move forward without questions. The first act finds our super family in a strange new earth (at least for us), which looks like a future designed by Mad Men. And in this world, they are the saviors, taking on low-level bad guys and strange aliens that occasionally attack the public. But then The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), a metallic alien who flies around on a surfboard, pops up to announce that Galactus would soon come to Earth to devour it and end all of mankind. Galactus, a classic comic villain, is a giant space being who consumes planets and Earth is his new menu item. Finding themselves incredibly underwhelming against his power, they must use their brains to find a way to stop him, rather than their special abilities. There is a lot to like with this new Fantastic Four, especially when compared to the horrific attempts made before this. First and foremost is the new look. It’s weird and ultra-campy, but it really works, both on screen and in all of the advertising for the picture. Even the score by Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino (Up) enhances the look and feel of the film. It’s a creative bright spot that at least gives the film something to really like and hold on to when the story gets dull, which it most certainly does for huge chunks of time. While the classic Galactus battle works here, the movie is quite boring leading up to it. Part of this is due to an unreasonable amount of exposition and explanation, but this could have been easily avoidable if they had just made the characters more fun. The world around them is thrilling, but the four of them have no life. They all just look nervous to be there, and I don’t think I cracked a smile once. You would think that with a director like Matt Shakman, who directed over 40 episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, that there would be a huge sense of humor pervading the project. But you’d be wrong. The characters all play it straight and the film really suffers from this. So don’t get too excited that the reviews are looking better than the previous three attempts. A high Rotten Tomatoes score doesn’t mean that the film is spectacular. It sometimes means that a majority of critics found it to be at least okay, which reflects my thoughts here. B-