I’ve been holding onto this for the last few days, but I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper as a contributing film critic with my first review printing as early as next Friday. As a result, any review of mine that publishes in the paper won’t be visible on this site until the day of printing. So a handful of potentially early reviews may get pushed back a couple of days to meet my exclusivity agreement with the paper. And look for me to share links to each of my published reviews (hope you’ll check them out).

I’m really excited as this is a step I’ve often thought about but never really pursued. I’m grateful for the opportunity and thrilled to join such a talented group of critics. See you in the papers…..(and on here, but you know what I mean).

The sheer number of movies that Nicolas Cage churns out has made him a cultural sensation of sorts. But as a friend of this site recently pointed out to me, even though Cage puts out a load of forgettable straight-to-VOD fodder, he still surprises with the occasional unexpected gem (look no further than this summer’s “Pig”). His latest is the Sundance hit “Prisoners of the Ghostland”. And if you thought some of Cage’s past work has been bonkers, wait till you see the first trailer for this one.

“Ghostland” is a gonzo samurai neo-western from director Sion Sono. In it Cage plays a bank robber who is let out of prison to rescue the daughter of a wacky character called the Governor (Bill Moseley). The problem is the granddaughter is trapped in a mystical and violent wasteland known as Ghostland. Much bloodshed and hilarious Nic Cage hijinks ensue. The trailer looks absolutely gonzo which is probably the only way to handle material like this. Either way it’s crazy enough to grab my interest.

“Prisoners of the Ghostland” will release in theaters and on VOD September 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

“Dear Jordan, just take one look at your mother. That will tell you what I think beautiful is.” That’s a line from the upcoming movie “A Journal for Jordan”. Based on a true story, the film is an adaptation of Dana Canedy’s memoir “A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor”. The story has an interesting hook, but the biggest draw may be the names attached to the film. It’s directed by Denzel Washington and stars Michael B. Jordan. And they’re joined by an intriguing new face Chanté Adams.

The new trailer gives us a brief glimpse of what Washington is going for. The story (written by Virgil Williams) follows 1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King (Jordan) who pens a journal for his newborn son telling him how to live and love the right way. The movie looks sweet, heartwarming, and poignant with Jordan and Adams showing off some sparkling chemistry. I’m in.

“A Journal for Jordan” opens December 10th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Yesterday Netflix dropped the trailer for their upcoming biographical drama “Worth”. The film is directed by Sara Colangelo and debuted way back at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It sports a compelling cast led by three Academy Award nominees – the always great Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan.

“Worth” tells the story of attorney Kenneth Feinberg (played by Keaton) who was assigned to head the Victim Compensation Fund following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Feinberg was tasked with making the decisions on how much each family of a 9/11 victim would receive. The drama unfolds as Feinberg puts together an imperfect formula to help figure benefits. But it quickly sparks the ire of families who see it as unfair and insulting. As movies like “Spotlight” and “The Founder” have shown, Keaton is a terrific fit for this kind of material. Adding Tucci and Ryan is icing on the cake.

“Worth” drops on Netflix September 3rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Clint Eastwood is more than an on-screen legend. He’s also a prolific filmmaker who still steps in front and behind the camera even at 91-years-old. His latest film is “Cry Macho”, an adaptation of N. Richard Nash’s 1975 novel of the same name. It’s the 40th film Eastwood has directed and his first since 2019’s “Richard Jewell”. The first trailer reveals what looks like a heartfelt redemption story set around the United States/Mexico border.

Eastwood plays a former rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who is approached by his old boss (Dwight Yoakam) to go into Mexico and bring back the man’s son. The dangerous job turns into a trip of reflection and mentoring as Eastwood’s character forms an unexpected bond with the youth. Eduardo Minett and Fernanda Urrejola also star. I’m anxious to see where Eastwood goes with this and whether he can capture this material in a fresh and compelling way.

“Cry Macho” premieres September 17th in theaters and on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

John Wick inspired action movies are popping up everywhere these days and Netflix has another one just around the bend. “Kate” has all the kinetic blood-soaked markings of a Wick flick. And while I’m always up for a stylish hyper-violent romp, the real draw here is the film’s lead, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. After getting back-burnered in her last film “Birds of Prey”, here she takes center stage and judging by the first trailer she’s relishing every second.

In “Kate” Winstead plays an assassin (of course) assigned to kill a prominent Yakuza leader. But the hit goes south after she discovers she has been poisoned. With roughly fifteen hours to live Kate sets out to find who’s responsible, leaving a trail of carnage in her wake. Speaking of “carnage”, Woody Harrelson pops up as her handle/contact/mentor…something like that. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits in with everything. I like the look of this and I love seeing Winstead get a meaty action role.

“Kate” premieres September 10th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.