Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “The G” (2025)

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The insanely versatile and always authentic Dale Dickey is an actress who can express more in one stare than many can with heavy direction and pages of dialogue. She has always been a captivating screen presence, often playing gritty and menacing characters while at other times conveying an unvarnished Southern charm. Her performances are often subtle yet they’re almost always memorable.

Dickey gets a terrific lead role in “The G”, a gripping crime thriller from Canadian writer-director Karl R. Hearne. The film premiered two years ago at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and since then has been making its rounds across the globe. Now it’s getting a wide distribution courtesy of Dark Sky Films, hopefully followed by the kind of audience the movie deserves.

Image Courtesy of Dark Sky Films

Dickey plays Ann Hunter, a leathery and tough-minded 72-year-old who spends too much of her day smoking cigarettes and swigging vodka. She has no family outside of her ailing husband Chip (Greg Ellwand) and his granddaughter from his first marriage, Emma (Romane Denis). Emma admires Ann and the two have gotten close. But Ann has a dark past that she has kept hidden from Emma. And she’s forced back into that past after a vile chain of events threatens those closest to her.

Everything turns when a group of men arrive at their home with a court order to move Ann and Chip to a care facility. The court puts them under the care of a man named Rivera (Bruce Ramsay). As their legal guardian, Rivera immediately gets control of their assets. It goes something like this – the “guardians” target isolated elderly people who they believe may have money. They then get diagnoses from corrupt doctors who say the patients are incapable of caring for themselves. It then goes before the courts where judges give the “guardians” control.

Image Courtesy of Dark Sky Films

But Ann is no normal target and she’s certainly not the helpless old woman they assume she is. Rivera and his cronies find it out once Emma is put in danger while trying to help her grandparents. The gritty Ann turns grittier and Dickey captures it with striking authenticity. Her quiet stoicism turns menacing as she slowly peels back some of her character’s layers. But the best quality of her performance is in how Dickey is able to have us rooting for Ann and fearing her at the same time.

While it may sound as if “The G” turns into a prototypical violent payback thriller, the film actually has much more going on than that. Hearse takes his time developing his story. Much more of a slow-burn than an edge-of-your-seat nailbiter, the story earns our investment and rewards our patience. It does so on the back of the fearless and formidable Dale Dickey, who remains an actress deserving of more recognition than she gets. “The G” releases June 27th in theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

A24 Releases New Character Posters for Ari Aster’s “Eddington”

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A24 has released six new character posters for Ari Aster’s upcoming neo-Western, black comedy hybrid “Eddington”. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where it received an array of mostly positive but still somewhat mixed reactions. The film features a stellar cast that includes Oscar winners Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone along with the seemingly ever-present Pedro Pascal and the always compelling Austin Butler.

“Eddington” hits theaters July 18th. Check out the six new character posters below and let me know if you’ll be seeing Ari Aster’s latest.

New on Home Video: “The Minecraft Movie” on Blu-ray + Digital

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Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures are bringing one of 2025’s highest grossing BLOCKbusters to home video. Based on the best-selling 2011 video game “Minecraft” (developed by Mojang Studios), the simply titled “The Minecraft Movie” has made just under $1 billion at the global box office. Now it’s available to own which should please the legions of loyal fans who made it such a financial success.

This new Blu-ray edition of “The Minecraft Movie” comes with a digital copy and will be available to purchase on June 24th. See below for a full synopsis of the film as well as release info including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2025

Runtime: 101 Minutes

Director: Jared Hess

Screenwriters: Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, Chris Galletta

Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hanson, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel House, Jemaine Clement, Jared Hess, Matt Berry

Rating: PG for violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.

“A Minecraft Movie” has taken the box office by storm, earning more than $872 million worldwide and is the largest domestic opening for 2025 and the largest movie based on a video game.

Special Features:  

  • Building the World of Minecraft: Block Party – featurette (14:19)
    • Grant Major’s team brings Minecraft’s Overworld to life with blocky textures, vibrant biomes, and square props. Through practical effects and digital art, they craft a cinematic Minecraft world!
  • Creepers, Zombies, and Endermen Oh My!  – featurette (13:14)
    • Explore the unique mobs in A Minecraft Movie, including Creepers, Piglins, and Zombies. The featurette features live action looks and onscreen performances, with expert designers and artists contributing.
  • A Minecraft Movie: Block Beats – featurette (9:01)
    • Music brings A Minecraft Movie to life! Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Danielle Brooks created fun tunes like “I Feel Alive.” Fans will love behind-the-scenes clips and insights into the film’s music.
  • A Minecraft Movie: Pixel Pals – featurette (14:02)
    • Jack Black and Jason Momoa pour boundless energy into A Minecraft Movie, from Jack’s gaming breaks to Jason’s wardrobe design. Their chemistry and behind-the-scenes fun bring joy to this film!
  • Marlene + Nitwit – featurette (5:07)

REVIEW: “28 Years Later” (2025)

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Danny Boyle put his own unique spin on the zombie genre with his acclaimed 2002 horror gem “28 Days Later”. He stepped aside for the 2007 sequel, “28 Weeks Later” – a movie that wasn’t as well received as its predecessor but that I personally enjoyed just as much. Now after 18 years, Boyle has returned with “28 Years Later”. And joining him again is the first film’s screenwriter, Alex Garland. The two make for a captivating creative pairing.

Much of “28 Years Later” delivers the bleak and visceral experience teased in its trailers. Boyle creates a dark, gruesome, and forbidding hellscape where any notion of hope hangs by a thread. It’s also helped by four rock-solid performances from Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and young Alfie Williams. But despite its ability to fully immerse us, the storytelling is hampered by plot holes, glaring questions, and a bonkers cliffhanger ending that feels yanked from an entirely different movie.

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

After a horrifying opening set in the Scottish Highlands, we’re introduced to the world 28 years after the second outbreak of the Rage Virus. It turns out the virus, which instantly turns anyone infected into a ravenous zombie, has been contained throughout much of Europe. Yet a ravaged England remains under a strict quarantine. Just off the coast, a group of people have built a community on a small island that’s only connection to the mainland is a heavily fortified causeway that can only be accessed during low tide.

Taylor-Johnson plays Jamie, a father who is preparing his 12-year-old son Spike for the community’s rite of passage ritual. It’s where a father accompanies his kid to the mainland for the first time – acquainting them with its dangers and guiding them to their first “kill”. For Spike (who is two years younger than the normal age), the ritual is especially trying, not just because of the perils he will face, but because he hates to leave the side of his ailing mother, Isla (Comer).

Once on the mainland, Jamie leads Spike deeper inland, showing him how to use his training to navigate the treacherous landscapes. Spike eventually gets his first kill, but soon after the pair is forced to flee after a violent zombie horde appears. They seek refuge in the attic of a dilapidated house where they find safety from the zombies. But it causes them to miss their window to return home by crossing the causeway.

As they spend the night in the attic, Spike notices the glow of a large fire in the far distance. Jamie tells him it’s probably Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes), a reclusive survivor dismissed by the community as a savage crazy man. After a few harrowing encounters – one with a hulking mutated zombie called an Alpha – Jamie and Spike make it back to the community. As the town celebrates his return, a frustrated and disillusioned Spike is more interested in his mother. Defying his father, Spike sneaks Isla out of the community and across the causeway in hope of finding Kelson and potentially a cure for her sickness.

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

From there “28 Years Later” turns into a perplexing mix of harrowing survival horror and coming-of-age drama. Some scenes are raw and genuinely unsettling and will leave you rattled. Other scenes are surprisingly tender, specifically between Spike and Isla. Boyle and Garland manage to create a number of truly captivating sequences. The problem lies with the connecting narrative tissue (or lack thereof). Things don’t always sense and there are holes in the story that are too big to simply look over.

“28 Years Later” is the first of a two-part story which becomes aggressively obvious in the film’s final scene. Without spoiling anything, let’s just saying the movie ends on a rather preposterous note that doesn’t really help cover its other shortcomings. Still, Boyle delivers several scenes fueled by in-the-moment tension to make the movie worth seeing. The world he creates is a fittingly grim representation of a society collapsed, and the pure horror of the zombie attacks is undeniable. If only there was more connecting its big moments. “28 Years Later” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “The Naked Gun” (2025) Full Trailer

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You can consider me a proud and unapologetic fan of “The Naked Gun” movie trilogy. The intentionally silly crime spoofs took their inspiration from the 1982 television “Police Squad!” which embraced the absurd humor of the comedy classic “Airplane!”. A key reason for the trilogy’s success was the late, great Leslie Nielsen who so effortlessly channeled Lieutenant Frank Drebin’s idiocy and charm. Now some thirty years later we’re getting a fourth film and the first trailer isn’t very encouraging.

Simply titled “The Naked Gun” (again), the newest installment has Seth MacFarlane producing and Akiva Schaffer directing. It sees Liam Neeson playing Frank Drebin Jr. and Paul Walter Hauser playing Frank’s partner, Captain Ed Hocken Jr. – the son of the character originally played by George Kennedy. Pamela Anderson, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder, and Busta Rhymes also star. Unfortunately the attractive cast can’t overcome the remarkably dull attempts of humor and complete lack of charm. Granted, it’s just a trailer, but it’s not a great first impression.

“The Naked Gun” lands in theaters on August 1st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “The Unholy Trinity” (2025)

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Revenge fuels “The Unholy Trinity”, a new Western from Australian director Richard Gray. Set high in the scenic Montana Territory during the late winter of 1988, “The Unholy Trinity” takes place in and around the small town of Trinity. Its story (written for the screen by Lee Zachariah) follows a number of characters driven by their own personal vengeances and the upright local lawman trying to keep order among the growing chaos.

Sadly, Westerns have had a tougher time resonating with modern audiences, especially Westerns that might fall into the more traditional category. In many ways “The Unholy Trinity” is very much a traditional Western, embracing an assortment of familiar tropes, character types, and themes. Its story doesn’t break new ground or reshape the genre. Yet the storytelling is solid and efficient. And there is enough mystery and intrigue to keep us involved.

Image Courtesy of Saban Films

Gray leans on the star wattage of Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson. Both deliver the kind of sturdy performances you would expect in portraying two dramatically different characters. But it’s actor Brandon Lessard who begins as the centerpiece. He plays Henry Broadway, a young man who is intent on avenging the death of his father (Tim Daly). Henry’s father was imprisoned and executed after he was framed by Saul Butler, the corrupt sheriff of a small Montana town called Trinity.

Henry travels to Trinity where he plans to spread his father’s ashes and kill the town’s sheriff. But those plans hit a snag when he arrives and discovers that Saul Butler is dead and buried. Butler’s trigger-happy war buddy Gideon (Gianni Capaldi) believes he was murdered by a young Blackfoot woman (Q’orianka Kilcher) hiding out in a nearby grove. Gideon wants revenge which he masks as a call for justice. But the new sheriff, Gabriel Dove (Brosnan) refuses to act without proof of guilt.

Through a near fatal misunderstanding, Henry is introduced to Gabriel who has sympathy for the boy. But Henry’s stay in Trinity is complicated after he kills a local thug in self-defense, making him the target of the hombre’s revenge-obsessed brothers. Henry escapes from the town with the help of a former slave who goes by Saint Christopher (Jackson). The mysterious Christopher claims to have once ran with Henry’s father. But his motivations are unclear and his intentions are even murkier.

Image Courtesy of Saban Films

As the story plays out we’re treated to shifting allegiances and unexpected alliances. And there are several decent plot twists that keep things interesting. The action we get is decent, especially during the inevitable final showdown. But the shootouts are not the movie’s chief focus. Gray and Zachariah are more interested in unfolding the characters through their ever-changing circumstances. Some fare better than others, but overall it makes for a mostly entertaining feature set firmly within a classic Western framework.

“The Unholy Trinity” may not change the minds of those with no affection for Westerns. But it’s plenty appetizing for those hungry for more from the nearly forsaken genre. From start to finish, the movie plays out much as you would expect, and for some that seemingly lack of originality may hold it back. But its classic style, which may be viewed as a weakness to some, may be seen as a strength to others. And that will make “The Unholy Trinity” a welcomed treat for genre fans. “The Unholy Trinity” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3 STARS