Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “September 5”!

Posted on January 4, 2025 by Denise

“You’re Sports. You’re in way over your head.”

Ready to get this new year started? Yeah, me neither…but c’mon, let’s hit the multiplex! Synopsis!

September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows the ABC Sports broadcasting team who quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides an important perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by millions of people at the time. At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), the story focuses on the intricate details of the high-tech broadcast capabilities of the time, juxtaposed against the many lives at stake and themoral decisions that needed to be made against an impossible ticking clock.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →
Posted in Free Screenings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Nosferatu” (2024) – Wouldst thou like to live vampirically?

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Denise


“Dream of me. Only of me.”

Story: Ellen, a young girl, despondent and longing for connection, begs the universe for a companion. The universe answers. “Years later”, newlyweds Thomas and Ellen are starting their lives together. But first Thomas must act as executor to a property sale, traveling from Germany to the Carpathian mountains to visit Count Dracula Orlok, the purchaser of a castle near the lovebirds. But the arrival of the Count – along with the disappearance of Thomas – is a harbinger of bad news for not only Ellen, but the citizens of her town. Coincidence? I think not.

Genre I’d put it in: Beautifully Eerie Horror Remakes
Release Date: 2024
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name. Both are “based” on the book Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Gotta say: Robert Eggers does it again; he takes a story, injects a gothic aesthetic that is at once classical and modern, and delivers a chilling film. Fans of the director will find much to love here, and fans of the original silent film will be pleasantly surprised at how well this remake builds upon the classic tale.

Continue reading →
Posted in In Horror, Movie Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Festive Flicks – “Our Little Secret”

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Denise

“Are you eating random pocket candy?” [WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ME? Oh wait. This is movie dialogue, not an attack. Sorry.]

Genre: Not-So-Secret Exes Holidayness
Release Date: 2024
New Holiday Spirit or Ghost of Christmas Past?: Hey girl – new Lindsay movie!
Where I Watched: Netflix

Synopsis: Avery and Logan grew up together. Childhood friends, teen sweethearts, and then Avery takes a job in London, and moves away after an awkward goodbye between the two. Cut to ten years later, and Avery is back in country, spending the holidays with new boyfriend Cameron. Logan is heading to his girlfriend Cassie’s house…and guess what? You’ll never guess who Logan’s girlfriend’s brother’s girlfriend is. Never. Ever. Wait. You guessed? Dammit.

Worth the Eggnog?: Honey, check out this cast list. Miss Lindsay. Kristin Chenoweth. Tim Meadows. Ian Harding. Judy Reyes. And a pop-in by Chris Parnell. Of course this movie is self-aware, and works this silly boilerplate comedy of manners for all it’s worth. And while yeah, this movie’s plot beats shout at you at least twenty minutes in advance every time? This cast is worth giving this a stream.

Continue reading →
Posted in Holiday-ness, Movie Reviews, Netflix | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Columbia Screening Pass-palooza – “Mufasa: The Lion King”!

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Denise

Ready to get “live” actioned? Synopsis!

“Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, introducing an orphaned cub called Mufasa, a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline—and their expansive journey alongside an extraordinary group of misfits.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →
Posted in Free Screenings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“28 Years Later” drops it’s first trailer, and I need this movie RIGHT NOW

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Denise

Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin’ em/An’ there’s no discharge in the war!

I’ll admit it. I had my doubts that Danny Boyle’s third foray into a UK plagued by the Rage Virus would be the same kind of nail biter as the first two. But y’all. Y’ALL. Give me this movie. Give it to me right into my brainparts immediately. Respectfully. Whoever made this excellent “tells us a lot without spoiling a thing” trailer is not paid nearly enough. And damn Boyle, you got me. You have me, heart and soul.

Apparently, this is just the third installment – a fourth, called 28 Years Later Part 2: The Bone Temple will be coming soon. Meanwhile, there’s so much to unpack with this trailer. Is Jim dead? What happened to the UK after the outbreak reappeared at the end of 28 Weeks? Will I be able to hang in until this film’s next summer’s release date?

This cast looks packed and stacked, especially in the back. And Cillian Murphy is in there so who knows what’s in store? Not me. I want to, though. Keep these mysterious trailers coming, and keep us clueless. Please.

28 Years Later comes to us June 20th, 2025.

Posted in In Horror, Trailers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza – “A Complete Unknown”!

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Denise

Ready to check out a little Bob Dylan? AGAIN? Synopsis!

Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →
Posted in Free Screenings | Leave a comment

Award Season – Washington Area Film Critics Association shares their 2024 nominees!

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Denise

It’s been a busy, BUSY week, but we pulled through. And WAFCA has our list of nominees for the 2024 film season. So very many excellent films this year, we were spoiled for choice.

The Brutalist, Conclave, and Wicked lead the pack, though I’m pleased to see several of my personal faves getting nominations. Looking at you, Anora, Dune: Part Two, Nosferatu, and Will and Harper.

Official 411 after the jump. Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Continue reading →
Posted in Awards, Awards Season | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Festive Flicks – “Meet Me Next Christmas” 

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Denise

“It all makes sense! This is how epic love stories start! This is why I got cheated on three days before Christmas!” [Oh honey…]

Genre: Get There By Christmas Rom-coms
Release Date: 2024
New Holiday Spirit or Ghost of Christmas Past?: Brand new! But riffs on films like 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle and 1939’s Love Affair.
Where I Watched: Netflix

Synopsis: Last Christmas I gave you my hearrrrrt Layla was grounded at the airport. Boo! But she met a hot guy while crashing at the Star Lounge. Yay! He wants to meet her at the yearly Pentatonix Christmas show in NYC…next year. Now it’s that time, and Layla’s ready, but needs one thing; a ticket to the concert. Luckily, concierge Teddy will do whatever it takes to get her that ticket. Cue the mistletoe mayhem!

Worth the Eggnog?: Thinking about catching Christmas? Honey, you better LOVE Pentatonix. Luckily, their “Carol of the Bell”s is one of my December heavy rotation jams, so I dug in. But this is one holiday movie that’s best if you focus on the first twenty minutes, fold laundry for the next hour, and then settle in for the last twenty minutes of cuteness. And honestly? The cast – and the band – deserve better. And I’m not just saying that because our leading lady here is none other than Maryland’s own Christina Milian. (Though hey girl hey! New Netflix Christmas Queen Alert!) Everyone here is obviously having a great time, and there’s plenty of hijinks throughout…but.

Continue reading →
Posted in Holiday-ness, Movie Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza – “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”!

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Denise

Wanna know how that little blue guy is doing? Synopsis!

Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.

Ready? Let’s go!

Continue reading →
Posted in Free Screenings | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Festive Flicks – “The Merry Gentlemen”

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Denise

*insert some boilerplate Netflix Christmas pablum here – I was too busy trying not to fall asleep, so I didn’t take notes*

Genre: Dull Dancing Spirits
Release Date: 2024
New Holiday Spirit or Ghost of Christmas Past?: New, but harks back to better films like Magic Mike and
Where I Watched: Netflix

Synopsis: A Broadway dancer gets canned ages out of her position in a popular Rockettes-esque revue, and “temporarily” moves back to her ol’ hometown. But her parents’ jazz club is 30k in debt, so they may lose the place. What’s a dancer to do? Well, let’s get some dancing started! Make it male only, and shirts definitely forbidden. Happy Holidays y’all!

Worth the Eggnog?: Damn. This movie does the impossible; it makes a movie about holiday strippers boring. They put together a cast of beloved television stars, plopped them into an intriguing premise, and then sucked all the life out of it. Ho ho ho-hum.

Continue reading →
Posted in Holiday-ness, Movie Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment