#Middlebury #DVDs
“Ma” (R) – Kids do stupid stuff, like asking perfect strangers who happen to be adults to purchase alcohol for them. Well, when a group of kids approach loner Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) to be their 21-plus hookup, they get much more than they bargained for: access to Ma’s place, where copious amounts of alcohol flow. It’s a secluded basement crash pad for teens, and the host offers a whole lot of personal attention. Few rules apply; just never enter the upstairs area. But when some of the kids try to pull away, Ma gets progressively possessive and vindictive. Billed as a psychological thriller, it’s from Blumhouse, so it’s funny in parts, too – especially Spencer. All in all, a fine rental for a Friday night.
Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever in “Booksmart” (Annapurna Pictures photo)
“Booksmart” (R) – Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein star as Amy and Molly, two hyper-driven academic types who realize, on the eve of graduation, that their tendency to skip the social life to hit the books has left them underachievers in high-school fun. So, they attempt to make up for it all at once by living up their partying dreams in a single night – a hilarious combination of fails, near-misses and triumphs that’s endearing and quite hilarious. The whole experience feels funny and fresh, and is a real coup by actress Olivia Wilde in her feature directorial debut.
“MIB: International” (PG-13) – A young woman (Tessa Thompson) self-recruits to the famed alien-regulating police force Men in Black, where she’s deemed Agent M. She’s sent to prove her mettle in the London office, with High T (Liam Neeson) and the handsome, devil-may-care Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). They set off to uncover a plot involving a couple of extraterrestrial hitmen, a teeny-tiny warrior-knight and a double cross leading back to a DNA-hijacking a group of planetary invaders called “the Hive.” I’m a fan of Thompson, Hemsworth and the MIB franchise. That said, this movie was frivolously fun but ultimately forgettable. In fact, my teen daughter couldn’t recall major plot points only a few months after seeing it in the theater.
“Mary Magdalene” (R) – Rooney Mara steps into the title role of Mary Magdalene, follower of Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix), who left her family and home to join an enigmatic man who was called the son of God. Pretty brave stuff. The rich source material of an early feminist who unabashedly follows her heart despite the suffocating gender restrictions of her day, particularly a historic woman as maligned as Magdalene – mischaracterized as a prostitute, a disciple who was left out of the historical record – should have been compelling, but I was underwhelmed. It’s beautiful and all the players do the things they should, but it never materializes into the powerful piece it could have been.
New TV Releases
“The Goldbergs” Season 6
“Bull” Season 3
“NCIS” Season 16
“True Detective” Season 3
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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