#Middlebury
“Bad Times at the El Royale” (R) – A quartet of emotionally damaged guests and one enigmatic hotel employee converge at a mysterious motel with a dubious past in 1969. The El Royale sits literally on the state line between California and Nevada, a murky mixture of risk and gambles and lush excess. Each guest weaves his or her own thread of deception into the tapestry – a home-supplies salesman who is an undercover FBI agent, a songbird who is no delicate thing, a noble kidnapper, a priest who is not a priest. All of them are under surveillance by the bellhop, ordered by the “management.” The twists and turns are as delightful as the art direction and soundtrack.
Kevin Hart in “Night School” (Universal Pictures photo)
“Night School” (R) – Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) is a successful grill salesman and a lucky groom to be, with a successful and beautiful fiance. After an accident puts him out of work and prospects, he’s forced to confront the truth: He never finished high school. To find a job that’ll keep his lifestyle, he must secretly go to night school to prep for his GED – along with a cascade of other comedic misfits – led by high-school teacher with a heart of gold Carrie, played by Tiffany Haddish (a comedian, although you wouldn’t know it in this film). The school’s principal (Taran Killam) is a former rival classmate of Teddy, and the group butt heads with him in shenanigans after shenanigans.
“A-X-L” (PG) – The “scientists” have done it again – created a robotic being with dangerous capabilities and intelligent technology that they don’t quite understand and then lose it somewhere to be found by a kind but slightly rebellious and brave individual who bonds with said robot and fights the system. In this instance, it’s a robot dog – whose moniker “A.X.L.” stands for “attack, exploration and logistics” – found by gentle-hearted teen Miles (Alex Neustaedter) while out riding his dirt bike. He “pairs” with the pup, and the two go forth and adventure, at least until A.X.L.’s former owners come calling. Then it’s a race to save themselves and the pooch, whose steel heart is intelligent, loyal and good. The little kids probably will like it. Adults can take a pass.
“Very, Very Valentine” (NR) – Danica McKellar and Cameron Mathison head up this Hallmark Channel Valentine offering. McKellar plays shy florist Helen, whose buddy Henry Hart is a botanist in charge of the New York Botanical Gardens, and he invites her to a masquerade at the gardens. There she meets a masked man who steals her heart and runs away mysteriously – much like a reverse Cinderella. She recruits Henry to help her track down the missing mystery man. It turns out that love can bloom in the most surprising places.
New TV Releases
“Happy Holidays Garfield”
“Frontline: The Pension Gamble”
“SuperWhy: Triple Feature”
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Goes Camping/Tiger Family Trip”
(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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