January | 2019 | Jmunney's Blog

This Is a Movie Review: Mexican Remake ‘Perfect Strangers’ is a Tricky Mix of Farce and Intense Drama

January 10, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Ana Claudia Talancon, Bruno Bichir, Cecilia Suárez, Franky Martin, Manolo Caro, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mariana Treviño, Miguel Rodarte, Perfect Strangers, Perfectos Desconocidos Leave a comment

CREDIT: Noc Noc Films courtesy of Pantelion Films

This review was originally published on News Cult in January 2019.

Starring: Cecilia Suárez, Manuel García-Rulfo, Mariana Treviño, Miguel Rodarte, Bruno Bichir, Ana Claudia Talancon, Franky Martin

Director: Manolo Caro

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Rating: R for Inhibitions Being Lifted

Release Date: January 11, 2019 (Limited)

Honesty is always the best policy, but that does not mean that you need to be completely open all the time about your secrets. It is stunning that in 2019 humanity is still learning that lesson. But alas, sometimes we act foolishly when we should know better, and people alive today keep re-learning the lessons that our ancestors already learned the past several thousand years. Thus, while the premise of the Mexican film Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers in English) sounds like fun (and there are some amusing moments), its participants ought to realize that it is an easy recipe for disaster.

A group of seven best friends are gathered for a dinner party on the night of a lunar eclipse, and they all agree to participate in a game: their cell phones will remain on the table throughout the meal, and any calls must be placed on speaker and any messages received must be read aloud. This is a remake of the 2016 Italian film Perfetti Sconosciuti, which has already been redone multiple times throughout much of Europe and Asia. This is actually the second Perfectos Desconocidos, with Spain’s version having arrived in 2017. It goes to show you that the fear of being found out as a fraud or discovering that those closest to you are frauds is universal.

That insight may not be the most astounding revelation, but its relatability potentially provides the opportunity for a meaningful dramatization. On that score, director Manolo Caro and his ensemble have plenty worthwhile to say, but their approach is a little scattered. There are moments of heavy farce, heartwarming familial bonding, and social commentary that tend to gracelessly crash against each other instead of flowing into each other naturally. Each individual element works on its own merit to a certain extent, at least. One scene of a father offering sage advice to his teenage daughter while she is unaware that everyone else can hear her is especially heartwarming.

Overall, there is a sense that Perfectos Desconocidos has bitten off more than it can chew. Its approach to tackling discrimination is the clearest example (although it is possible that this storyline plays better south of the border). As one character struggles with inadvertently coming out of the closet, there is panic about how gay teachers might influence their students, among other worries. It makes me wonder if mainstream Mexican culture is about ten or twenty years behind the United States on this issue. Indeed, one character even evokes Seinfeld by uttering, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Ultimately, this mix of lowbrow and surprising ambition is enough to give you indigestion, due to ingredients that are not quite compatible or not quite fully cooked. Let’s just chalk up any inconsistencies to the moon making people do crazy things and choose to remember from this night only what we want to remember.

Perfect Strangers is Recommended If You Like: Domestic farce, playing Truth or Dare at any age

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Incoming Messages

This Is a Movie Review: Mary Poppins Returns

January 6, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Emily Mortimer, Joel Dawson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Returns, Nathanael Saleh, Pixie Davies, Rob Marshall Leave a comment

CREDIT: Jay Maidment/Disney

Mary Poppins is fun and all, but before she showed up again, little Annabel, John, and Georgie could have already turned to their Aunt Jane to take care of all the practical matters that their dad is struggling with. Mary Poppins Returns has magic, or at least attempted magic, in its presentation. Whether or not that magic will hit you squarely in your heart and imagination depends a great deal on your mood, I think. Emily Blunt is acceptably grand in fulfilling her Poppins-y duties, but she’s not as singularly ineffable as Julie Andrews. That’s a tough comparison, sure, but even when considered in isolation, Returns is not much more than a perfectly pleasant passing diversion. And anyway, I’m more interested in Jane’s labor organizing. Not every villain is as sniveling as Colin Firth’s bank manager, which is one reason why unions are so important.

I give Mary Poppins Returns 5 Animated Detours out of 8 Misplaced Documents.

Kevin Hart Doesn’t Know How the Internet Works

January 6, 2019

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars, Television Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Hart, Oscars, The Internet Leave a comment

After watching Kevin Hart’s appearance on Ellen on Friday, I’m not sure if he should host the Oscars, but I am sure about one thing: for someone who uses social media as prolifically as he does, he really doesn’t know how the Internet works. He is astounded by how much effort someone put in to dig up something he tweeted eight years ago. But if you know what tweet you’re looking for, it takes about five seconds to locate it. Hart seems to think it’s like finding a needle in a haystack, but when you can ask your favorite digital assistant to find that needle for you, it’s not as difficult as it’s historically been.

I’ll be generous and give Kevin Hart the benefit of the doubt and believe that he really has changed and that he is sincerely sorry for his past homophobic remarks. His apologies have perhaps left something to be desired, but maybe he is having trouble expressing himself (otherwise-decent people often do when asked to atone for their mistakes). The trouble is that he is misunderstanding the context. He has framed himself the victim, thinking that trolls are out to ruin his career. But most of the coverage I’ve seen in response to him being offered the Oscar hosting gig has been LGBTQ people and their allies expressing concern, not vindictiveness. Hart may be frustrated that he is being asked to apologize for something he’s already apologized for, but there are probably people who never heard his original apology in the first place (or found it lacking).

Hart is encouraging people to move on, which is a good idea, so long as the correct lessons have been learned. It looks likely that Hart has decided for good not to host.He is worried that his presence will be a distraction, but there could’ve been (and still could be!) an opportunity for him to change the narrative. Don’t ignore the controversy: address it, and then move into a more celebratory, more inclusive direction. If Hart somehow changes his mind again, he could spend part of his opening monologue spotlighting notable queer films of the past year, invite up-and-coming queer filmmakers to be presenters, and donate part of the money he makes from the gig to LGBTQ-focused charities. Marginalized people could always use more allies and cheerleaders.

This Is a Movie Review: ‘Escape Room’ Makes Immersive Puzzles Fun and Unsettling

January 3, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Adam Robitel, Deborah Ann Woll, Escape Room, Jay Ellis, Logan Miller, Nik Dodani, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine 1 Comment

CREDIT: David Bloomer/Sony Pictures Entertainment

This review was originally published on News Cult in January 2019.

Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani

Director: Adam Robitel

Running Time: 109 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Disorientingly Perilous Action, Traumatic Flashbacks, and Inadvertent Drug Use

Release Date: January 4, 2019

Depending on where you’re coming from, Escape Room is arriving either ten years too late or right on schedule. The real-life escape room craze is still going strong, if TV shows as diverse as Conan and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are to be believed. From that perspective, Escape Room the film is cannily capitalizing on a current trend. But considered from a cinematic context, the Saw series already set the template a decade ago (and now even exists in its own escape room form). But that is not exactly the highest standard. Thus, Escape Room, which renders immersive puzzle spaces actually deadly, has plenty of space to make its mark as a solid piece of entertainment for those who do not have the stomach for torture porn.

That is not to say that Escape Room is a pleasant watch, especially for anyone claustrophobic enough to find the entire concept of escape rooms frightening enough in the first place. It has a cruel streak, though it is tempered by a consistent preference for hope (or at least the illusion of it). Where Saw was often gross and off-putting while occasionally trying to say something about human nature, Escape Room is tightly engineered but also unsettling in just how random it ultimately is. The six people who have been chosen for this challenge all have a past as the lone survivors of deadly accidents, including drunk driving, an IED blast, and carbon monoxide poisoning. While the escape room has been designed with their histories in mind, that concept may have everything or nothing to do with who makes it out alive. The (possibly sequel teeing-up) ending is effective as a gut punch saying that this whole game is actually a “no escape” room. But the whole movie has a feeling of meaninglessness that is somewhat frightening but also the sign of a screenplay with limited subtext.

That said, while Escape Room‘s themes and motivations are never fully clear, it was successful at holding my attention, and I suspect that many audiences will feel the same. The designs of each section of the escape room are ingenious feats of engineering, from a lobby that turns into an oven to an upside-down pool bar. It also helps that each of the characters generally act to the top of their intelligences, making this an engaging battle of wits. We also get at least two different kinds of comic relief, with Tyler Labine as the goofy uncle type and Nik Dodani (best known as Murphy Brown’s new social media director) as the escape room enthusiast who realizes too late how real the threat is. The whole thing is fluffy, but enough to make you think twice about playing any more interactive games.

Escape Room is Recommended If You Like: Actual escape rooms probably, plus the Saw and Final Destination series

Grade: 3 out of 5 Unlocked Doors

2018: A Year at the Movies

January 1, 2019

jmunney A Year at the Movies, Cinema 2018, A Year at the Movies, Jeffrey Malone, movies Leave a comment

Movies are all about the connections we make. (Photo Credit: Kaity Malone)

(Included with the list of titles are grades, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and folks I saw the movies with.)

1. Insidious: The Last Key – C+ (1/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Lincoln Square, New York, NY; myself)
2. Paddington 2 – B+ (1/3, 6:00 PM, WB Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
3. 12 Strong – C (1/8, 6:00 PM, WB Screening Room; myself)
4. The Commuter – B+ (1/9, 7:00 PM, Magno Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
5. Forever My Girl – D+ (1/10, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
6. A Fantastic Woman – B+ (1/12, 2:00 PM, Sony Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
7. The Final Year – B (1/15, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
8. Maze Runner: The Death Cure in RPX – B- (1/16, 6:00 PM, Regal E-Walk, New York, NY; Rob Malone)
9. Den of Thieves – C (1/17, 6:00 PM, AMC A, New York, NY; myself)
10. Like Me – B- (1/25, 7:00 PM, IFC Center, New York, NY; Rob Malone)
11. Nostalgia – C+ (1/31, 10:30 AM, Magno; myself)
12. Winchester – C (2/1, 7:00 PM, Regal Union Square, New York, NY; myself)
13. Peter Rabbit – B- (2/2, 11:00 AM, Lincoln Square; myself)
14. The Party (2018) – C+ (2/7, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
15. Fifty Shades Freed – D+ (2/7, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
16. Early Man – B (2/9, 3:30 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
17. Loveless – B (2/12, 2:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
18. Black Panther – B (2/13, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
19. The Young Karl Marx – C (2/15, 11:00 AM, The Metrograph, New York, NY; myself)
20. Red Sparrow in RPX – B- (2/15, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Michael Stewart)
21. Annihilation – A (2/20, 7:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
22. The Endless – B+ (2/21, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself; also 4/7, 7:20 PM, IFC Center; myself)
23. Thoroughbreds – B- (2/22, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
24. Foxtrot – B (2/26, 11:00 AM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
25. Strangers: Prey at Night – C- (2/26 6:00 PM Magno; myself)
26. Death Wish (2018) – C+ (2/28, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
27. Gringo – B- (3/6, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
28. Unsane – B+ (3/7, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
29. 7 Days in Entebbe – C- (3/7, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
30. The China Hustle – B (3/8, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
31. Tomb Raider (2018) – C+ (3/14, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
32. Isle of Dogs – A- (3/15, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
33. Final Portrait – C (3/19, 10:00 AM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
34. Midnight Sun – B- (3/19, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
35. Pacific Rim: Uprising – C- (3/20, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
36. Game Over, Man – C- (3/22, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
37. Gemini – B+ (3/26, 7:00 PM, Crosby Hotel Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
38. Ready Player One – B- (3/27, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
39. A Quiet Place – B+ (3/29, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
40. Blockers – B (4/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
41. The Rider – B (4/3, 6:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
42. The Death of Stalin – B+ (4/4, 6:00 PM, Alamo Drafthouse, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
43. RBG – B (4/5, 6:00 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
44. Truth or Dare – B- (4/10, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
45. Rampage – C (4/11, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
46. On Chesil Beach – C- (4/12, 6:30 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
47. A Wrinkle in Time – B- (4/15, 6:15 PM, Regal United Artists Court Street, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
48. I Feel Pretty – B+ (4/16, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Marissa Sblendorio)
49. First Reformed – B+ (4/17, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
50. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Disobedience – B (4/18, 9:30 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea, New York, NY; myself)
51. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: The Seagull – B- (4/22, 10:00 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea; myself)
52. Most Likely to Murder – B- (4/24, 7:30 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
53. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Little Woods – B+ (4/25, 9:30 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea; myself)
54. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Little Women (2018) Episode 1 (4/27, 5:00 PM, SVA Theater, New York, NY; myself)
55. Tully – B+ (4/30, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
56. Beast – B (5/1, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
57. Overboard (2018) – B- (5/2, 7:30 PM AMC Empire; myself)
58. American Animals – B+ (5/8, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
59. Breaking In – C- (5/9, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
60. Deadpool 2 – C+ (5/10, 4:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Kaity Malone)
61. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word – B+ (5/14, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
62. Solo: A Star Wars Story – B (5/21, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
63. Damsel – B+ (5/22, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
64. Avengers: Infinity War – B+ (5/28, 9:35 AM; Regal Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; Bob Malone)
65. Won’t You Be My Neighbor – B (5/29, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
66. Adrift – B- (5/30, 7:00 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street, New York, NY; myself)
67. Hereditary – B+ (5/31, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
68. Hotel Artemis – C (6/4, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
69. Ocean’s 8 – B- (6/6, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
70. Blindspotting – B (6/7, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
71. Incredibles 2 – B+ (6/11, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
72. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – B- (6/12, 6:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
73. Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny (6/14, 8:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
74. Sorry to Bother You – A (6/18, 7:00 PM, Magno; myself; also 8/17, 3:00 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
75. Three Identical Strangers – B+ (6/19, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
76. Leave No Trace – B (6/21, 6:00 PM; Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
77. Sicario: Day of the Soldado – C (6/25, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; Chris Regimenti)
78. Ant-Man and the Wasp – B (6/26, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
79. Uncle Drew – B- (6/27, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
89. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot – B- (6/28, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
90. The First Purge – B- (7/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
91. Skyscraper – C (7/9, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Margot Levinson)
92. Eighth Grade – A- (7/10, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
93. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – C+ (7/16, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
94. Never Goin’ Back – B- (7/19, 5:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
95. Unfriended: Dark Web – B- (7/20, 8:20 PM, Regal Battery Park, New York, NY; myself)
96. The Miseducation of Cameron Post – B (7/24, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
97. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies – B+ (7/25, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
98. BlacKkKlansman – A- (7/31, 10:00 AM, Bryant Park Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
99. Christopher Robin – B (8/1, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
100. Mission: Impossible – Fallout – B+ (8/11, 3:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
101. Crazy Rich Asians – B (8/13, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
102. Mile 22 – C- (8/15, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
103. Searching – B+ (8/16, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
104. The Meg – C+ (8/19, 2:10 PM, Court Street; Rob Malone)
105. The Happytime Murders – B (8/20, 7:00 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
106. Monsters and Men – B- (8/22, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
107. Rifftrax Live: Krull (8/23, 8:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
108. The Little Stranger – B- (8/27, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
109. Love, Gilda – B (8/30, 4:00 PM, Digital Arts, New York, NY; myself)
110. The Nun – C+ (9/4, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
111. Lizzie – B- (9/5, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
112. Peppermint – C- (9/5, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
113. The Predator – C+ (9/10, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; Chris Regimenti)
114. The Sisters Brothers – B (9/11, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
115. A Simple Favor – B+ (9/12, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
116. Assassination Nation – B+ (9/13, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
117. Mandy – B- (9/16, 1:25 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; Rob Malone)
118. The House with a Clock in Its Walls – C+ (9/17, 6:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
119. Life Itself – C- (9/18, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
120. Fahrenheit 11/9 – B (9/18, 8:30 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room; myself)
121. The Oath – B- (9/20, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
122. Smallfoot – B- (9/22, 11:00 AM, AMC Empire; myself)
123. Beautiful Boy – B (9/24, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
124. The Hate U Give – B+ (9/25, 3:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
125. Suspiria (2018) – B+ (9/25, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
126. Bad Times at the El Royale – B+ (9/27, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Chris Regimenti)
127. First Man – B (10/1, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; Chris Regimenti)
128. Boy Erased – B+ (10/2, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
129. A Star is Born – B (10/3, 5:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
130. The Old Man & the Gun – B+ (10/7, 3:00 PM, BAM Rose Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
131. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween – C+ (10/9, 5:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
131. Burning – B- (10/11, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
132. Can You Ever Forgive Me? – B+ (10/12, 7:00 PM, Whitby Hotel, New York, NY; myself)
133. Johnny English Strikes Again – B- (10/13, 4:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
134. Halloween (2018) – B+ (10/15, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Rob Malone)
135. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – B- (10/17, 6:00 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room; myself)
136. Bohemian Rhapsody – C (10/24, 6:30 PM, Fox Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
137. Cold War – B (10/25, 6:00 PM, Soho House, New York, NY; myself)
138. Nosferatu – B (10/26, 7:00 PM, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY; Evan Cardona, Maya Bee, Anton Rayn, and Avery ???)
139. Venom – B+ (10/28, 1:45 PM, Court Street; myself)
140. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – B- (10/30, 6:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
141. The Fog (1980) – B (10/31, 7:00 PM, The Metrograph; myself)
142. Ben is Back – B (11/1, 10:00 AM, Digital Arts; myself)
143. The Girl in the Spider’s Web – C+ (11/5, 7:00 PM, Battery Park; myself)
144. The Grinch – C+ (11/6, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
145. At Eternity’s Gate – B (11/7, 10:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
146. Overlord – B (11/7, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
147. Widows – A- (11/8, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
148. Green Book – B+ (11/12, 6:30 PM, Battery Park; myself)
149. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – C (11/14, 7:00 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
150. Creed II – B (11/15, 11:00 AM, Lincoln Square; myself)
151. The Favourite – B+ (11/19, 12:00 PM, Fox Screening Room; myself)
152. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – B+ (11/19, 8:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself; also 12/29, 1:40 PM Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
153. Ralph Breaks the Internet – B+ (11/24, 2:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone and Walt Wojcik)
154. Anna and the Apocalypse – B- (11/26, 11:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
155. Vox Lux – B+ (11/28, 6:00 PM, Technicolor Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
156. Instant Family – B+ (11/29, 7:40 PM, E-Walk; myself)
157. The Front Runner – C+ (12/2, 4:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
158. Mary Queen of Scots – B- (12/3, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
159. On the Basis of Sex – B- (12/3, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88; myself)
160. Stan & Ollie – B (12/4, 8:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
161. If Beale Street Could Talk – B (12/5, 10:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
162. Free Solo – B+ (12/6, 8:15 PM, Angelika Film Center, New York, NY; myself)
163. The Mule – B- (12/10, 2:00 PM, WB Screening Room; myself)
164. Mortal Engines – C+ (12/10, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
165. Vice – B (12/11, 3:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
166. Destroyer – B- (12/11, 7:00 PM, SoHo House; myself)
167. Bumbleebee – B (12/13, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
168. Roma – B- (12/16, 3:00 PM, Cobble Hill Cinemas, New York NY; myself)
169. Aquaman – B- (12/17, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
170. Welcome to Marwen – C (12/18, 6:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; Yasmeen Gholmieh)
171. Second Act – C+ (12/19, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
172. Mary Poppins Returns – B- (12/31, 3:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Claire Dansbury, and Pat Dansbury)