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[moviepasstor]

June 2018 Movies Reviewed from Just Their Trailers

Great news: The $9.95/month all-you-can-eat one-movie-a-day MoviePass plan is back, along with a new snack-sized version -- $7.95 for three movies a month. If you don't have time for more than three trips to the local multiplex, go for the "lite" plan and save $2. You'll still be saving money with just one single use per month. As for me, I'm on the original plan and I'll definitely be checking out more than three flicks in any given month. Nevertheless, even I don't want to sit through every movie that comes out. So once again, here's my monthly look at the new offerings, and which ones I’m most likely to MoivePass, based solely on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

ADRIFT (June 1) @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin play a young couple stranded in the middle of the ocean after sailing into a hurricane. I've never sailed, but I became fascinated by stories like this when teen solo circumnavigator Abby Sunderland made headlines after a rogue wave dismasted her vessel in 2010. I read her book and have since been drawn to survival films of this sort, such as All Is Lost and last year's The Mountain Between Us, plus I've been a fan of Woodley's since The Descendants, so I'll definitely be seeing this.

LEAVE NO TRACE (June 29) @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

When a father and his young daughter are discovered living off the land in the wild, they are forced to adapt to a more "normal" lifestyle. When I first saw this trailer in a theater, I wished I could see the whole movie right then and there. And that was before it got to the part where it said "from the writer and director of Winter's Bone," a movie I've re-watched many times. Debra Granik seems to have a real knack for finding interesting stories set in off-the-grid parts of the U.S. we don't normally see.

HEARTS BEAT LOUD (June 8) @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

A father and daughter with nothing in common jam together and their track goes viral. Now they gotta go on tour to save Dad's record store before his little girl goes off to college. Looks hella charming. Can't believe it's not based on a YA novel.

AMERICAN ANIMALS (June 1) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

MoviePass Ventures presents a heist movie involving a group of inexperienced young men pulled into their crime out of sheer boredom. The trailer cleverly tells us that it's not "based" on a true story but that it actually "happened." Not a huge fan of heist movies, but piques my interest far more than Ocean's 8, which opens the following week.

UPGRADE (June 1) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A computer chip lets a quadriplegic walk again, but of course comes with some fucked up superhero side effects. Looks like a good midnight movie. From Blumhouse Tilt and the director of Saw.

TAG (June 15) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A group of friends has been playing the same elaborate game of tag for 30 years. Now Jeremy Renner is getting married, and he's never been "it." Will anyone be able to tag him before he officially retires from the game? Based on a true story. This could either be really, really stupid or a new comedy classic.

BOUNDARIES (June 22) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

When her father (Christopher Spacey, erm, I mean Kevin Plummer, they're interchangeable, right?) is kicked out of a senior living facility, a single mom (Vera Farmiga) is stuck taking him and her son on a cross-country drug run. Looks like the sweet, indie, festival-friendly version of We're the Millers, mated with The Leisure Seeker.

OCEAN'S 8 (June 8) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Women can do anything men can do. So after three hit heist movies about a bunch of men robbing casinos, we get a bunch of women robbing a fashion show. Because, you know, women, they just want nice dresses, right? #MeToo! #TimesUp! To be clear, my disinterest in this genderswapped sequel is not a Lady Ghostbusters bias thing. I literally have no memory of seeing Ocean's 11 and I'm certain I skipped parts 12 and 13. This is just the same shit with different genitals. And none of these actresses are Elle Fanning (or Taissa Farmiga, or Liana Liberato).

HEREDITARY (June 8) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I had to watch this trailer several times to figure out what story the movie might be trying to tell. Here's what I came up with: Ancestral spirits haunt a family after the death of their secretive and private matriarch. That vagueness tells me it will probably look cool but will be all style over substance.

HOTEL ARTEMIS (June 8) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Los Angeles. Ten years from now. Jodie Foster is a Nurse. In a secret Hospital. For Criminals. It's up to her to enforce The Rules. Jeff Goldblum wants to break those Rules. I have No Fucking Clue what's supposed to be cool about any of this.

INCREDIBLES 2 (June 15) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I know I'm in the minority, but I'd rather return to Sky High than The Incredibles.

LOVING PABLO (June 15) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

If you liked last year's American Made (I didn't), here's another look at the 1980s' war on drugs, focusing more on Pablo Escobar this time around. Starring Javier Bardem and the former girlfriend of the previous movie's homonymly-surnamed star, Penelope Cruz.

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (June 22) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Let me guess. The dinosaurs from four movies ago are still around. Hell will break loose, again. Some characters will die, but our favorites will heroically survive. Am I missing anything? No? Good. Pass. Next!

UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (June 22) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Mysterious clues lead a man on a strange journey to find the beautiful next door neighbor who disappeared the day after they hooked up. Plot sounds similar to Paper Towns, which I liked a lot because it was character driven and I liked the characters. This seems to be driven by hip weirdness and I'm simply not dying to find out where it goes.

And the rest...

ACTION POINT @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

A Jackass movie. 'Nuff said.

SUPERFLY (2018) @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

The classic blaxploitation flick from the 70s is turned into a generic-looking 21st-century gangsta drama with no soul that takes itself super seriously. Sad.

SICARIO: DAY OF THE SODALDO @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

More drug war violence. Same amount of disinterest that kept me away from the first Sicario.

UNCLE DREW @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Basketball comedy about some old player who for some reason schools some young players, and hijinx ensue. Reminds me of the excruciatingly unfunny baseball comedy Mr. 3000. Not a sports fan, so I can safely skip this one.

And finally...

A KID LIKE JAKE @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Claire Danes and Jim Parsons struggle with parenting a pre-school boy who seems ready for gender reassignment surgery in this super-woke, feel-good indie afterschool special from IFC Films and Transparent’s first trans director, Silas Howard. Also wokely blessed by super-woke co-stars Ann Dowd and Octavia Spencer.

[moviepasstor]

May 2018 Movies Reviewed from Just Their Trailers

If you haven't signed up for MoviePass yet, you may have missed your golden opportunity. Last summer, they dropped their price to $9.95 a month for one movie a day, with only premium formats like IMAX and 3-D excluded. But starting at some point in mid-April, the same $9.95/month gets new subscribers only four movies a month. While existing subscribers have not yet been moved over to such a limited plan, something like that might happen in the future, in which case I'll have to be more selective about which movies are worth of a MoviePass swipe, as the card's usefulness as "bad movie insurance" will be significantly reduced. Here, then, is a look at this month’s new releases, and which ones I’m most likely to MoivePass, based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

BAD SAMARITAN @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Killers and robbers get caught up in a cat-and-mouse game when two would-be burglars break into a house that happens to belong to Killgrave. Okay, he's not really the Purple Man from Jessica Jones, but he's played by the same actor, David Tennant, and he has a woman tied up in his house, and that's a pretty cool complication. (Postponed from an April 27th release date, probably in hopes of debuting with a piece of the drop-off from Avengers: Infinity War.)

REVENGE @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Rape/revenge thriller in the vein of I Spit on Your Grave (2010), but this time they seem to be selling it as a #MeToo flick with review blurbs that call the heroine a “badass” and say the movie “gouges the male gaze out of your eye balls” (is there a reason the reviewer spelled eyeballs as two words?)

OVERBOARD (2018) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Eugenio Derbez is a wealthy Mexican snob who humiliates poor white working-class single mom (Anna Faris), then gets amnesia, so she convinces him he's her blue-collar husband and he bonds with her kids while struggling to do manual labor for the first time in his life, and wouldn't you know it, they fall in love! There, the trailer tells the whole story of this gender-swapped, culture-clash-infused remake of a 1987 Goldie Hawn comedy I never even saw. Now I don't have to see either, but I've enjoyed Derbez's last few outings, and this does look like it will be funny despite its formulaicness (formularity?).

ON CHESIL BEACH @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Young love blossoms on the 1962 English countryside for upper crust Saiorse Ronan and commoner Billy Howle, but then the music gets more dramatic and the only hint we get is that it has something to do with the sexual revolution of the time. My first thought was I doubt I'll be able to stay awake long enough to learn the film's dark secrets, but a second viewing of the trailer made me a bit more curious. From a novel by the author of Atonement, the film that gave Ronan her first Oscar nod but which, for me, built up to a big nothing burger.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

In the original Star Wars, Han Solo was a gunslinger straight out of a Western. Here, his earlier adventures are more in the mold of the sci-fi action-based fantasy that the rest of the franchise is built around. Since these Star Wars Stories are allowed to exist as one-offs outside the main continuity, I would have rather seen a Solo movie that was more true to the spirit of the original character the same way Logan was allowed to be a different kind of X-Men movie from the rest of its franchise. But I'll still see this one at some point before it leaves theaters.

SUMMER 1993 @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A newly orphaned six-year-old girl is sent to the country to live with relatives. While this looks "touching" and is based on the filmmaker's own childhood, the trailer gives no hint that anything story-worthy actually happens. It's listed as a drama, but how can that be without conflict? From Spain.

HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

I love Elle Fanning, but I generally don't care for John Cameron Mitchell or Neil Gaiman. I can't tell what's going on from the trailer, which leads me to suspect the film will be narratively just as uninspiring to me as Shortbus and Hedwig. But Elle's moments in the trailer make this hard to pass up. This is where MoviePass earns its "bad movie insurance" reputation.

And the rest...

TULLY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

The first trailer tells us, in text and a wordless montage of vignettes, that Tully is about the drudgery of motherhood, then teases that someone named Tully enters the life of the put-upon mom. I literally have no clue what this movie is really about. I had to look up the plot description on IMDb, where I learned it's about a mother who is "gifted a night nanny" and they form "a unique bond." Great. I still have no idea even what kind of a movie it is. Is the nanny a psychopath, like the one in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle? Is she magical and practically perfect in every way, like Mary Poppins? Is she Tully's ex-husband in drag, like Mrs. Doubtfire? All I can tell, even from the longer trailers, is that it will show me how tough it is to be a mom. I don't need a uterus or a movie to tell me that. I already believe it. I need to know that something goes on in this movie other than diaper changing. The only other thing I have to go on here is that it's from the writer/director team that made Juno, which is promising, and Young Adult, which cancels out the Juno points (along with Ricki and the Flash and Labor Day).

LIFE OF THE PARTY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

While brushing her teeth one night, Melissa McCarthy decides to trash a bunch of her personal belongings, set them on fire, and go back to college where she joins her daughter's sorority and tries to be young again. It's hard to believe they actually put such a nonsensical setup in the trailer. Makes it look like no thought was put into the movie. From the writer-director team that failed to wow anyone with Tammy. On the other hand, I’ve twice seen a trailer for McCarthy’s next movie, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, due out in October, and it’s probably one of the movies I’m most looking forward to this year.

BREAKING IN @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Panic Room. The House at the End of the Street. The Strangers. The Strangers: Prey at Night. Straw Dogs (2011). The Purge. And so on. Somehow this one just doesn't seem to have that extra something that made me want to see, say, last month's Traffik.

BOOK CLUB @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Four of the most famous women in AARP navigate easy and obvious laughs trying to prove senior citizens can do raunchy Viagra comedy when their libidos are reignited by turning off The View and reading Fifty Shades of Grey. Not a match for the genuinely funny elderly raunch found in Dirty Grandpa.

DEADPOOL 2 @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Round two for the self-parodying superhero. I found the first one just as tiring as all the other Marvel movies, but with the occasional quip to break up the monotony. Never got wrapped up in the character's journey. (But I do love the Flashdance-inspired poster.)

FIRST REFORMED @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Ethan Hawke is a troubled preacher wallowing in the grief of losing his son until a parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) comes to him with a bigger problem. Apparently her husband might be some sort of terrorist, and at one point two people levitate. Writer/director Paul Schrader hasn't exactly been fulfilling the promise, in this century, of his early career, and here he's decided to shoot in 1.33:1 and cast Cedric the Entertainer in a supporting role. Normally I'd just wait to see this on TV, but I don't own a 4:3 television set anymore.

BEAST @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A slow cooker about a young woman who falls for a dangerous outsider. Looks impressive, but seems to be missing some key plot ingredient to hold it all together.

ANYTHING @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

A widower falls in love with a transgender person, and if you dare not find this intensely heartwarming, you’re so not woke.

THE SEAGULL @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Based on the Chekhov play, looks like something that was pulled off a dusty shelf due to the recent rise in popularity of Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale). Also features Billy Howle, who hooks up with Ronan again this month in On Chesil Beach (scroll up), which looks more promising.

SHOW DOGS @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

I feel like time was stolen from me just from watching the trailer.

[moviepasstor]

April 2018 Movies Reviewed from Just Their Trailers

Here’s a look at this month’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

I FEEL PRETTY @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

A hit on the head makes fatty Amy Schumer think she’s as beautiful on the outside as she feels on the inside. While this high concept, reverse Shallow Hal may seem like a just a string of fat jokes, at least it’s using them in an attempt to address body image issues and self confidence. I’ve never found Schumer all that funny before, but there were a lot of laughs in the trailer.

TRAFFIK @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Paula Patton and Omar Epps are a city couple in thrilling-but-formulaic danger in the rural mountains. Will they survive against the crazed biker gang out to kill them? Lots of movies like this, and I usually enjoy them.

KINGS @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

A look back at the 1992 Rodney King riots from a different perspective from what was seen on TV. Here we get to live through it with Halle Berry struggling to keep her family safe in the middle of it all with the help of her neighbor, Daniel Craig. I hope this one's as good as it looks.

A QUIET PLACE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

One family survives in complete silence in a post-apocalyptic world in fear of unspecified monsters attracted to man-made sounds. In one trailer we see that they sign because they don't dare speak aloud, but a child's toy makes a noise and all hell breaks loose. But what about their footsteps through the dead fall leaves in that same scene? It doesn't feel like the logic will work, and once the whatever comes after them, the premise of silence will probably go out the window anyway, but it looks like it might be a bit of creepy fun.

LEAN ON PETE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Lonely teenage boy befriends retiring racehorse and steals it as the two go on a journey across America. Trailer takes its time getting to the runaway part, which I suspect is the bulk of the movie, and I almost bailed on the trailer waiting for a real complication. Even with that, doesn't look like anything I haven't seen before, but it does look sweet and sometimes that's what I'm in the mood for. Reunites Steve Buscemi and Chloe Sevigny from Trees Lounge, replacing the ice cream truck with the horse, I guess.

TRUTH OR DARE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Not the 1991 Madonna documentary of the same name. In this Blumhouse slasher, twenty-somethings play a spooked-up edition of Truth or Dare where some supernatural force compels the players to do horrifying things to themselves or their friends, or DIE! Sounds a little stupid and in the vein of last year’s Wish Upon. Not expecting anything great, but might be worth a MoviePass swipe for PLL’s Lucy Hale.

10x10 @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Stalker kidnaps a woman and locks her in a cell which I'm guessing is about ten feet by ten feet. Okay. I'll try it if it plays somewhere close by and fits in with my schedule.

And the rest...

BLOCKERS @@ (I probably won’t see this)

When adults discover their teenage daughters have vaginas, they become cock blockers. The concept actually does sound like it could be fun, but the over-the-top execution exhibited in the trailer just looks awful. The rooster cock logo on the poster is clever, but they lose points for not having the guts to make “Cock Blockers” the film’s official title.

THE MIRACLE SEASON @@ (I probably won’t see this)

From the director of Soul Surfer, another true story of girl athletes struggling to persevere in the face of tragedy. A high school volleyball team losing its star player is devastating, but it doesn’t stack up dramatically to a girl re-learning to surf with one arm after a shark attack.

RAMPAGE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Giant animals loose in the city. With lots of weapons, destruction, and The Rock.

THE RIDER @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A cowboy recovers from a head injury. And? The trailer makes it look like not much will happen in this movie.

BEIRUT @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Jon Hamm tries to rescue a hostage in war-torn Lebanon. Ordinarily not the kind of movie I want to subject myself to, but it does look intriguing.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Another mindless comic book super orgy from Marvel.

DISOBEDIENCE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams as Hasidic lesbians! That's right, two Rachels in one movie! Steamy girl-on-girl action and davening! From the director who won this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (A Fantastic Woman). But this one's in English!

BORG VS. MCENROE @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Not into tennis. Definitely not into McEnroe (though Shia LaBeouf is a good choice to play the hothead). Unlike Battle of the Sexes (my first MoviePass movie, you never forget your first), this doesn't have some other thing that it's about that would make me want to see it.

SGT. STUBBY: AN AMERICAN HERO @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Not another crappily computer-animated World War I doggie flick!

SUPER TROOPERS 2 @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Who laughs at this crap? Not me.

And finally...

CHAPPAQUIDDICK [no trailer review, already saw advanced screening]

A woman dies in a car driven off a bridge by Senator Ted Kennedy. I’d heard of this incident but never knew the details, so I was curious to @@@@ the movie. I actually saw an advance screening and found it to be a little slow, too just-the-facts, and afraid to have a point of view.

[moviepasstor]

March 2018 Movies Reviewed from Just Their Trailers

Here’s a look at this month’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

DEATH WISH (2018) @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

I like vigilante movies and Death Wish is the hallmark, but it’s old and could use an update. One difference I noticed in the trailer: Bruce Willis is going after the people who killed his family, whereas Charles Bronson never caught those bad guys so went after all bad guys with a vengeance. Seems like they’re trying to play it safe and make Willis more sympathetic, which misses the point of the original. Still, I can’t wait to see it.

SUBMISSION @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Stanley Tucci is a college professor tempted by an attractive student whose work seems to reveal her erotic fantasies about him, but when he doesn’t respond the way she hopes, she accuses him of sexual harassment. What will he have to do to make the charge go away? Looks like a contemporarily relevant update of David Mamet’s Oleana.

THOROUGHBREDS @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Dark teen comedy that may have something to do with a girl trying to bump off her stepfather. The trailer doesn’t give away much plot, but it does contain some clever writing and characters I want to know more about. I was already on board before the late great Anton Yelchin shows up in the trailer; the chance to see one more performance from this gifted artist whom I’ve never seen in a bad movie, other than The Beaver, who left us way too soon, makes this an absolute must-see.

FLOWER @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Zoey Deutch stars as a snarky teen trying to entrap a teacher in a sex scandal, I think. I'm not totally clear on the plot, but at least I can tell stuff happens. Like Lady Bird, but with a story.

UNSANE @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

A small psycho-thriller from Steven Soderbergh. A stalking victim somehow ends up stuck in a mental hospital and the shit hits the fan. Looks way more cool than the same old CGI end-of-the-world tentpoles.

READY PLAYER ONE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Gamers enter a VR world in search of “Easter eggs” as if they were Willy Wonka’s golden tickets, hence the omnipresence of “Pure Imagination” in the trailers. Loaded with pop-culture references, this is Spielberg’s first sci-fi outing since War of the Worlds. On the other hand, I’m not a gamer, so I don’t think the movie was really made for me and, likewise, I don’t need to be one of the first to see it.

A WRINKLE IN TIME @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

To be honest, I tried reading the book once and couldn’t get into it. I don’t expect I’ll become a fan of this movie, but as long as I’ve got MoviePass buying the ticket, I’ll give it a chance.

STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this) Home invasion thriller sequel. Don’t remember much about the previous installment with Danielle Panabaker, other than it was acceptably entertaining, so I’ll probably see this new one, especially since Bailee Madison is in it.

JOSIE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A teenage girl moves to a white-trash town and shakes things up in this dark erotic thriller. Seems intriguing but the trailer’s ambiguity could be a sign of poor storytelling.

MIDNIGHT SUN @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A teenage girl who’s allergic to sunlight starts a nights-only relationship with the hot boy next door. Feels like a YA novel, and not the best kind, but if I have the time and I’ve seen everything else that’s out that I want to see, I’ll give this the old MoviePass try.

SHERLOCK GNOMES @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

I admit it. I had fun watching Gnomeo and Juliet. I wouldn’t rush out to see this sequel opening night, but I can think of worse ways to spend time than to laugh at these cute little gnome puns again.

ISLE OF DOGS @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

I’m cautious about going to this one because I’ve never liked a Wes Anderson movie, but I like dogs and dog movies, so I’m hoping this will deliver more than The Secret Life of Pets did (which I guess we’re not allowed to watch anymore anyway because Louis CK).

And the rest...

RED SPARROW @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Jennifer Lawrence plays a Russian whore forced to become a Nikita-like kick-ass chick spy. I used to like J-Law, so there’s a slight chance I’ll see this one.

LOVE, SIMON @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A closeted gay teen struggles with his sexuality. And?

TOMB RAIDER (2018) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Video game heroine Lara Croft reboots for an all-new adventure with Oscar winner Alicia Vikander picking up the torch.

PACIFIC RIM UPRISING @@ (I probably won’t see this)

There are a lot of shots in the trailer that look really cool. However, I don’t make a habit of seeing movies that are just about looking cool. A movie like this still needs to have a clear and interesting premise to hook me.

GRINGO @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Judging from the trailer, this movie looks like a mess. All I can tell is it’s supposed to be an action-comedy that has something to do with drugs and crime as an excuse for a story, and isn’t the least bit funny.

THE HURRICANE HEIST @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

High-octane heist movie set during a hurricane, from the people who brought you xXx and Fast and the Furious. Guns, cars, special effects upgraded from Twister. If that’s what you want to see, looks like this movie will deliver. It’s just not what I’m looking for.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Faith-based story behind the creation of a hit Christian song I never heard of by a Christian rock band I never heard of.

ACRIMONY @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

An angry divorced woman turns psycho against her ex-husband, and the trailer suggests the movie wants us to side with the villain. I don’t want to go anywhere near this movie. I almost want to avoid entering a multiplex that's showing this even if I'm going to see something else.

[moviepasstor]

February 2018 Movies

Here’s a look at this month’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

EVERY DAY @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

My favorite of the new releases planned for this month is an inventive twist on the body-switching genre of the 80s. This time, a teenager wakes up every day in the body of a different classmate. Based on a YA novel.

GAME NIGHT @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Love this premise. At a home murder-mystery game night, a group of friends are promised the game will be so realistic that when someone breaks in and murder one of them for real, the rest assume it's part of the game and laughingly play along trying to catch the dangerous crooks. Not only do I love this premise, but I laughed at many of the bits in the trailer. Hopefully those won't be the funniest parts.

NOSTALGIA @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

This is one of those multiple storyline movies like Crash, so it's hard to tell where it will go. The theme seems to be about what "things" are really important to us, and the trailer hooks us in right from the start by having Ellen Burstyn basically ask us to think about what we would grab from our house if it were burning down.

LOVELESS @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Straight old-school drama as a fucked up divorcing couple fight so much they fuck up their 12-year-old son who goes missing. The trailer's music and editing make this look very compelling. Nominated for an Oscar this year in the Best Foreign Film category (from Russia).

ANNIHILATION @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Has the cool potential of films like Arrival, Interstellar, and Transcendence, all of which failed to live up to expectations for me. The plot is purposely being kept shrouded in vagueness, but it has Natalie Portman and parts of the trailer appear to have an Alien-like horror going on. I'm curious to see this one, unless I hear it sucks once it opens.

WINCHESTER @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Like Best Picture nominee Get Out, we might have another February release of a highbrow horror movie with a message, one that managed to attract Oscar winner Helen Mirren in a lead role. The haunted house trailer gives no hint of the political premise (a firearm heiress is haunted by the people killed by her company's rifles, according to the plot description in IMDb). Are they afraid of pissing off the 2nd Amendment crowd? Going by the trailer, it looks rather generic.

THE PARTY @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Woody Allen-esque black & white British indie farce for old people. It takes 40 seconds in the trailer to get to the first sign of conflict and another 45 seconds for another plot point to come around. The Newsroom’s Emily Mortimer is my favorite in this fine cast, and she's almost completely shut out of the trailer. Really on the fence between @@@ and @@. We’ll see what happens when the release date rolls around.

And the rest...

A FANTASTIC WOMAN @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Trailer makes this look sad and directionless. The Oscar nomination (Best Foreign Film, from Chile) is almost the only reason I’d consider seeing it.

FIFTY SHADES FREED @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I read the first 10 pages of the first book, never went anywhere near the movies, but now that I got MoviePass I gotta admit it doesn’t look like it would be a total waste of time.

BLACK PANTHER @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A superhero has superpowers and fights and chases supervillains and things blow up. Pass.

EARLY MAN @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A claymation romp set during the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Not a bad premise, but I didn't laugh at any of the jokes in the trailer. I think I'd rather re-watch Quest for Fire.

THE 15:17 TO PARIS @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

The old guy who talked to an empty chair at the 2012 Republican convention makes a ripped-from-the-headlines movie with the gimmick of casting the actual passengers who stopped a terrorist attack on a train as themselves so he can tell the rest of us what a "hero" is. You can bet if the film worked as a film, it would have been released during awards season. Pass.

PETER RABBIT @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

A retelling of Peter Rabbit at the level of Chipmunks movie where they think it's hilariously original to point out that an anthropomorphic animal wearing clothing usually doesn't wear pants. The headlight gag at the end of the trailer made me laugh, though.

SAMSON @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Old Testament action with Billy Zane, Rutger Hauer, the Bionic Woman, and lots of swords and sandals, from the incompetent filmmakers at Pure Flix.

[moviepasstor]

With The Weinsteins out of the game and Amazon backing off of indie films, look who’s at Sundance now: MoviePass Ventures!

[moviepasstor]

January 2018 Movies

Here’s a look at this month’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

THE COMMUTER @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

What kind of action-packed pickle has everyman Liam Neeson gotten himself into this time? I'm glad he's not just redoing Taken again, and I'm excited to board a vehicle with Bates Motel’s Vera Farmiga. With Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks too!

THE LEISURE SEEKER @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

An old couple on a road trip, but one of them has dementia. Interested in seeing this for personal reasons as I have a relative on a similar journey.

INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Haven't seen any previous Insidious movies. Trailer gives a sense the movie will have a lot of scares and creepiness but no sense that there is an interesting narrative reason for them.

IN BETWEEN (Bar Bahar) @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A Palestinian woman moves in with some Israelis in Tel Aviv. Interesting premise, but if I came across this on Netflix it would be a long time before I'd check it out with so many other entertainment choices.

PROUD MARY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Looks like blaxploitation taken seriously and co-opting a classic soul song for no good reason.

12 STRONG @@ (I probably won’t see this)

More patriotic glorification of war.

DEN OF THIEVES @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A heist movie with deliberate ambiguity between the good guys and the bad guys, and a fuckload of guns.

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I read the first novel in the series and saw the first movie (at a free screening) and wasn't impressed with either, so, yeah, I already broke out of this maze.

FOREVER MY GIRL @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Country music star returns to his home town, discovers he has a daughter. Looks like a made-for-TV movie that belongs on the country music channel, which is where it’s destined to end up.

PADDINGTON 2 @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

I sure would like to see Hugh Grant in something good again someday.

So it looks like my MoviePass card will get a chance to cool off in January, but at least I still have a few award-season leftovers to catch up on.

[moviepasstor]

My Favorite 2017 Movies

In the first 9 months of the year, before getting MoviePass, I saw 15 movies in theaters. Nine of those were at a second-run house on bargain day. Total spent: $71.74, or $4.78 per movie.

In the last three months, I spent a total of $29.85 on my MoviePass subscription ($9.95/month) and saw 26 movies in theaters, for an average of $1.15 per movie. I saved $241.

I don't believe in ten-best lists. Art is subjective. There is no such thing as a "best" movie, and if there were, it sure as hell wouldn't be Moonlight. Here are the movies I enjoyed the most in 2017. Half of them I wouldn't have seen if it weren't for MoviePass.

A DOG'S PURPOSE

This fun, feel-good movie that plays like a two-hour ad for the joys of owning a dog as a pet was unfairly overshadowed by a targeted smear campaign from PETA, an organization that believes no animals should be kept as pets, using behind-the-scenes footage that was proven to have been misleadingly edited. The dog was NOT forced into the water. His reluctance to perform for one brief moment out of several hours was no more stressful for the animal than when you're trying to get your dog in the car to go to the vet and he don't wanna get in. It's life. Dogs just fucking deal with it. The movie was a joy. PETA can suck it.

WONDER

Another wonderful family-friendly film, this one dealing with bullying in a very touching way. I fucking cried through half of it. (And normally I can’t stand Julia Roberts!)

LAST FLAG FLYING

Funny and moving unofficial sequel to THE LAST DETAIL, with overlooked top-of-their-game performances from Fishburne, Cranston, and Carell, and newcomer J. Quinton Johnson holds his own with these veterans. Don't get why this movie was overlooked.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

A new musical from the same songwriters involved with LA LA LAND, but far more upbeat with more memorable songs. A lot more fun than I expected.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Pretty messed up characters, great plot, unexpected ending. It's this year's FARGO.

GET OUT

From earlier in the year, this twisted GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER into a horror movie, and somehow it works as both genuinely funny social satire and genuinely scary horror.

MY FRIEND DAHMER

A coming-of-age flick for serial killers, with a very different take on the anti-bullying theme of WONDER.

THELMA

The Citizen Kane of Norwegian lesbian horror flicks.

[moviepasstor]

December 2017 Movies

Here’s a look at major new releases for December and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

THELMA @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Carrie meets Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Trailer tells less story than I normally look for, but I'm guessing the US trailer-makers were trying to limit the use of subtitles. Plus, the visuals really sell this puppy, and that opening is a real grabber.

I, TONYA @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

The trailer for this is hilarious. Looks like the filmmakers found the exact right tone to re-tell the weird Tonya Harding story.

DOWNSIZING @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Love this premise. Totally wish I could live in that world. Can’t wait to see where this movie goes with it.

THE SHAPE OF WATER @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Pan's Labyrinth was okay, but I didn't love it enough to make something like this an automatic must-see. Looks intriguing and mysterious to be sure, but with a chance of not living up to the hype. I do like Michael Shannon and movies with deaf characters, though.

NOVEMBER CRIMINALS @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Already streamable on Amazon but getting a small theatrical window, Ansel (TFiOS) and Chloe (If I Stay) return to YA adaptationland to solve a classmate’s murder. Looks as good or as bad as any other movie in the genre, which I usually enjoy.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Sure, I’ll see this. But not because of that thing sitting next to Chewie.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

There already was a musical about Barnum, called Barnum. Not sure why we need one with new songs by the La La Land lyricists, since La La Land itself was so overrated. This looks like it won’t be much more than over-the-top spectacle, though probably entertaining enough for a MoviePass swipe.

FATHER FIGURES @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Funny brothers Owen Wilson and Ed Helms on a zany quest to find their real father. This looks dumb enough that it might actually be fun.

THE POST @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Spielberg, Hanks, and Streep aren't enough to automatically get my butt in a seat. Government secrets about Viet Nam doesn’t really interest me. A woman running a newspaper is old news to me. The only part of the trailer that pulled me in was First Amendment fight between the press and the White House, especially now.

And the rest...

THE DISASTER ARTIST @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Looks funny, but I feel like I’d have to see The Room to be in on the joke, and I haven’t, so I’ll wait on this one.

THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Happy people. Pretty scenery. Sad people. Melancholy music. And it’s about what? Trailer doesn’t tell. Not compelled to find out. Sorry.

WONDER WHEEL @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Woody Allen directs another all-star cast and, meh. Face it, without the names (including Woody’s), the trailer would not be at all enticing.

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

The Rock and a generic horror movie cast upgrade the Robin Williams classic with a whole different take that would have seemed more creative if it had been released as a new, original thing rather than branded entertainment.

PITCH PERFECT 3 @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Haven’t seen the first two, so unlikely I’ll see this, but now that I have MoviePass and it doesn’t look like I’ll need to catch up with the other two to be able to follow this, I have to admit that it doesn’t look all that bad.

CROOKED HOUSE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

2nd Agatha Christie adaptation in as many months, this one looks more faithful to its source material tonally, but Julian Fellowes tends to bore me. Has some possibilities but not in any big hurry to see it.

HOSTILES @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Super serious western from the writer-director of three movies (as listed in the trailer) I didn’t care all that much for. Starring Christian Bale.

MOLLY'S GAME @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Jessica Chastain stars in writer Aaron Sorkin's directing debut. I wish him luck, but this feels too much like last year's Chastain vehicle Miss Sloane, which was just okay.

DAISY WINTERS @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

To say this little-girl/single-mom drama starring Brooke Shields looks like a TV movie is an insult to what TV is capable of producing with material like Gilmore Girls.

JUST GETTING STARTED @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

If you liked Last Vegas you might like this. (PS: I didn’t.)

FERDINAND @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Kiddie cartoon with the official tagline "You Will Bullieve." To be fair, there were a couple funny lines in the trailer, but overall I’m too old for this one.

PHANTOM THREAD @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Paul Thomas Anderson once again sets out to prove he has irrevocably jumped the shark with The Master.

And finally...

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

If the movie advertised in the trailer were being released, I would have given it @@@. Since it’s not, I refuse to see the quasi-remake that is coming out using all the same footage as the original unreleased version except for the scenes with Kevin Spacey, which have been re-shot with Christopher Plummer, on the grounds that this reshot version is an extreme and absurd overreaction. Ridley Scott should stick to recycling his old franchises. Maybe he can have Thelma & Louise teach Kevin Spacey a lesson.

[moviepasstor]

I Can’t Believe MoviePass Just Got Better

MoviePass has already saved me $106.04 in just two months. Even if I never go to a movie again in the next year I will still have come out ahead with the new one-year subscription price.

*Their claim is a little misleading. It’s actually $6.95/month (times 12) plus a $6.55 processing fee. Seems odd that it costs more to process one annual payment than 12 monthly payments, but the end result is $7.49/month, or about $30 less than paying $9.95/month, or like getting three months free.

[moviepasstor]

November 2017 Movies

Here’s a look at major new releases for November and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

MY FRIEND DAHMER @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Finally, a coming-of-age movie for serial killers. I've been waiting for this one for a long time.

LBJ @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

HBO did the serious version of this last year and I never saw it. The trailer for Rob Reiner’s version feels like it could have been written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Looks MoviePassworthy.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

The second Woody Harrelson movie I'll be seeing this month. Saw the red band trailer first time I took my MoviePass card for a spin. Funniest thing I’ve seen in a theater in a long time. Can’t wait.

THE MAN WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Kevin Spacey, erm, I mean Captain von Trapp as the Christmas muse of Charles Dickens. Although I had no interest in the story behind the writing of Winnie the Pooh last month, this one looks different. This one looks fun.

WONDER @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Kiddie version of Mask with anti-bullying theme. Seems like a safe, warm hug of a movie.

COCO @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A boy who wants to be a singer gets trapped in Día de Muertos and has to form a band with his dead ancestors, I think. Trailer tries to tell too much story, to a negative effect. Definitely looks interesting, but I was more sold on the trailer for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, a short that will play with this feature.

And the rest...

A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS @@ (I probably won’t see this)

What’s worse than a comedy whose best lines are given away in the trailer? A comedy without enough funny lines for a trailer that can make you laugh even once.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Despite the heavy-duty marketing effort, this seems like too much spectacle and action for what’s supposed to be a contained, locked-room sort of mystery. I probably won't be boarding, not even with my MoviePass.

JUSTICE LEAGUE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I agree with the trailer when someone says, “The world needs Superman.” So where is he? Is he even in this movie? I can’t tell. Zack Snyder sucks.

DADDY’S HOME 2

@ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Confused. No recollection of the first movie. Watching the trailer, I would have guessed it was a sequel to Step Brothers. They’re all so interchangeable. And Mel Gibson? Really? It’s okay start laughing at Mel "Jews Started All The Wars" Gibson again -- Mel “I Hope You Get Raped By A Pack Of Niggers” Gibson -- but Kevin Spacey is gonna be edited out of every movie he ever made?

[moviepasstor]

MoviePass by the Numbers

In my first month of being a MoviePass subscriber, I've been to movies 9 times, successfully using my card at 9 different theaters in 4 different cities in two different states, since I happened to be traveling.

For my $9.95 monthly subscription fee, I got $97.44 worth of movie tickets for free, saving $87.49, with each movie ultimately costing me an average of $1.11.

That's NINE movies in theaters for just $9.95, or roughly $1.11 each.

Most expensive ticket: $16.49 at an AMC theater.

Almost all the shows I went to had LESS THAN TEN people in the theater. The only exceptions were Flatliners, at a showing where regular ticket prices were $11, and American Made, which I happened to see on "family bargain night" where the regular ticket price was just $5.50.

In addition to the American Made showing I went to, only two other screenings had tickets regularly priced below $10. Tickets cost $9.50 where I saw It, but in that case the theater was empty because the Stephen King thriller was already in its (It's) fifth week. I caught The Snowman at a $9.70-priced showing in its opening week, which was empty because word had gotten out how much the movie SUCKED.

Loved The Snowman's trailer. Found out later the director publicly confessed he didn't have time to film all the scenes in the script that the story needed in order to make any sense. Bad-movie insurance or not, Universal Pictures needs to be brought up on consumer fraud charges for knowingly releasing an unfinished movie and advertising it as if it were a finished movie that told a complete story. Shame on Universal.

But shame also on theaters charging $16.49 for a movie showing to an empty house, then complaining that MoviePass is actually bringing them business. AMC is the reason consumers, exhibitors, and the movie studios need a service like MoviePass.

[moviepasstor]

New Releases 10/27/17

Here’s a look at this week’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

JIGSAW @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

I liked the first two Saw movies. Didn't catch the third until a marathon screening for the 4th movie's opening. 3 & 4 were stupid, so that was it for me. The trailer for this 8th installment (7 years after #7) looks like it’ll be a fun revisit to the franchise, but really only because I have a MoviePass. I'm in.

SUBURBICON @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

I have to see this only because I've read the 2007 Coen Bros. draft of the script and I want to see what improvements Clooney made and how he apparently made it worse, according to early reviews. Well, and also because I have a MoviePass.

ALL I SEE IS YOU @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Trailer's not giving me enough to decide. We have a blind woman regaining her sight, which seems to happens a lot in movies, and this leads her to reexamine her marriage. Just in case that's not enough, things appear to move backward and there's some unspecified danger lurking. Listening to the director's trailer commentary made me even more bored.

NOVITIATE @@ (I probably won’t see this)

I was looking forward to this because Liana Liberato is in it, but then she's barely visible in the trailer. That aside, this trailer needs to answer one question: Why should I watch this movie instead of staying home and watching The Magdalene Sisters? It doesn't.

And finally...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

A 108-minute commercial for the US military. The trailer presents an environment, not a story. Of course I support our troops, but that doesn't turn a storyless advertisement into feature film. This does not look like a movie.

[moviepasstor]

New Releases 10/20/17

Here’s a look at this week’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

THE SNOWMAN @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Good old fashioned serial killer flick with some serious style. Hope the movie lives up to the trailer. This is where I'll be taking my MoviePass card this weekend.

ONLY THE BRAVE @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

These men are brave and deserve the recognition a major motion picture with Jeff Bridges will bring them. The trailer does a shitty job of selling this movie and leaves me a little on the fence about honoring the heroes by seeing it.

GEOSTORM @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Whatever the film’s politics might be, it’s one of them dumb Roland Emmerich type disaster movies. Might see it one day for a laugh.

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Same kind of different as all other faith-based movies.

TYLER PERRY'S BOO 2! A MADEA HALLOWEEN @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Do I really need a reason to not see this?

[moviepasstor]

New Releases 10/13/17

Half of this week’s new releases are based on true stories. That must mean awards season has begun.

Here’s a look at this week’s new releases and which ones I’m most looking forward to seeing based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

MARSHALL @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Here’s a piece of history with obvious present-day relevance that really intrigues me.

PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Not such a Wonder Woman fan, but curious about the backstory. The trailer sure makes it look interesting.

HAPPY DEATH DAY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

On the heels of Before I Fall, a college girl in a slasher gets in a Groundhog Day type time loop to solve her own slashing and become a final girl. Not a horrible premise, but the trailer doesn’t thrill me.

THE FOREIGNER @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Jackie Chan gets his own Taken franchise. Good for him. Pass.

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (limited release) @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Looks exactly as exciting as Finding Neverland. Goodbye.

[moviepasstor]

Adventures with MoviePass

I've had my MoviePass card for one week now and have used it four times already. Combined face value of the four tickets was $43.75. I only paid $9.95, saving $33.80, bringing my average cost per movie to $2.49. And as of yesterday's close of business, my MoviePass stock (HMNY) has gone up over 1000% since I bought it. Woo hoo!

First use also brought the first problem: At the theatre, I had to re-enter my long email address and hard-to-remember password into the MoviePass app. But once I passed that hurdle and activated my card, I was in.

The theater was an arthouse where the "bargain" price is $9 for the first show of the day. Normally I'd only go to this place on Sundays, the only day the parking meters are free for the first show of the day. But now I can hit the evening shows. Meters are free after 6pm and the $12 ticket is free with my $9.95/month MoviePass card.

The movie: Battle of the Sexes. Mostly lived up to my expectations. The script focused too much on Riggs's gambling addiction and marital difficulties at the expense of exploring his attitudes toward feminism and motives for the match. Other than that, it's definitely worth taking your MoviePass card to this battle.

For my second MoviePass outing, I tried it out at a second-run theater. This is the closest cinema to my house, but I'd never been there because they show second-run movies at first-run prices. Why pay $10.75 to see a month-old movie that's playing at another second-run house three miles away for just three dollars? No wonder this place was empty on a Friday night. Boy were THEY happy to see my MoviePass card.

The movie: Wind River. This one was more disappointing. While there was a woman (Elizabeth Olsen) in a position of authority over the male lead (Jeremy Renner), the story kept her a passive damsel in distress to the male hero. Ultimately, except for a tense climactic standoff, the movie wasn't very involving. But since I got in with MoviePass, which some people consider "bad movie insurance," it wasn't a total waste of time.

For movie #3, I went to a theater that has reserved, luxury reclining leather seats, like Arclight, but not at Arclight's riduculous prices (starting at $16.75, even MoviePass refuses to deal with them). Here, Tuesdays are $6.50 all day, first shows of the day are $7.75, and later afternoon shows are $8.50. My MoviePass card got me an $11 evening ticket for nothing.

What'd I see? Flatliners. Didn't expect it to be good, but had to see how they would update this classic. I was not disappointed. It was as dumb a redo as I expected. Pass on this one, even with a MoviePass card. Unless, like me, you just gotta see another dumb remake. At least with MoviePass, it won’t cost you anything.

Finally, I tried out another theater near me that I'd never been to, this time because it was in a sketchy part of town. The top 2D non-MoviePass ticket price here is $10, with shows starting before 4 running $7.50. Again, the MoviePass app made me re-enter my login credentials. This is easily the most annoying problem with MoviePass that needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

The movie: The Mountain Between Us. Cast Away on Valium. Could have used a few moments of levity, but ultimately this was a satisfying, if forgettable, experience. If only they'd had a volleyball.

Best trailer I saw out of all four outings: