Dunesday is just a little over a month away and legions of fans are already percolating. The MCU’s next Avengers installment and the final film in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy are easily two the most anticipated blockbuster sequels of the year. But just as high on my own personal list is Takashi Yamazaki’s kaiju epic “Godzilla Minus Zero”. It’s the follow-up to 2023’s phenomenal “Godzilla Minus One” and the 39th film in the enduring Godzilla franchise.

“Minus One” saw the great Toho Studios teaming with director, writer, and visual effects supervisor Yamazaki for a Godzilla movie that was both visually spectacular and emotionality resonant. Its title, “Minus One”, is a reference to the state of Japan in the wake of World War II. After atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the decimated country was essentially reduced to ‘zero’. Godzilla’s devastating attack sent Japan further down to “minus one”. The movie centered on everyday people fighting their way back to “zero”.

For “Minus Zero”, Yamazaki explores some of the same thematic territory by once again effectively rooting his story in the struggles of post-World War II Japan. Set in 1949, two years after defeating Godzilla, the country is still finding its way in the painful aftermath of two atomic bombs and one equally destructive kaiju. The human element has often been front and center in the best Godzilla movies. That remains the case here.

Several characters from the first film return including Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a former kamikaze pilot who was integral in taking down Godzilla. Kōichi is now married to Noriko (Minami Hamabe) who narrowly survived Godzilla’s Ginza attack. Together they are raising their adopted daughter Akiko (Sae Nagatani) with the help of their friend and next-door neighbor Sumiko (Sakura Ando), who now runs the War Orphans Relief Home.

Not far away in Matsumoto City, a massive new threat emerges. An enormous winged creature resembling a dragon lays waste to the city, quickly killing thousands and sending the nation back into a state of shock. As the creature lies dormant, the Disaster Response Bureau, led by its director, Kenji Noda (a returning Hidetaka Yoshioka), immediately begin planning a course of action. Blending the words for “chimera” and “hydra”, they name the new beast “Ghidorah”.

The rest of the story follows the desperate joint efforts by scientists and the military to stop Ghidorah. Noda brings aboard a meteorology prodigy named Makoto (Masami Nagasawa) to track the beast. The Americans offer to provide state-of-the-art weaponry, much to the chagrin of biologist Murakami (Min Tanaka), who lost his family in the bombing of Hiroshima. And Kōichi and Noriko eventually find themselves assisting in Noda’s ultimate plan which includes the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla.

While the movie steadily builds towards its inevitable kaiju climax, Yamazaki makes sure the human toll is always in sight. The haunting echo of the war reverberates throughout his movie, and it can be felt in a number of compelling ways. For example, American involvement reopens old wounds and understandably sparks skepticism and distrust. And the impact of war trauma is once again powerfully expressed through several characters. On a more personal level, Kōichi and Noriko labor over their duties as parents to Akiko verses their call to service which could save thousands of lives. Again, humanity is central.

But Godzilla fans shouldn’t worry. The action-packed payoff to the buildup is well worth the wait. The special effects in “Minus One” were extraordinary, leading it to being the first Godzilla movie to win an Academy Award. Nothing changes in “Minus Zero”. Everything from the spectacular framing of the action to the kaiju themselves will take your breath away. Through Yamazaki’s artistry, every scene involving his monsters feel enormous. And composer Naoki Satō’s simple yet nerve-racking score soaks it all in a steady sense of dread.

One area that could have used a little more attention is the film’s unique spin on G-Cells. It’s not that they’re poorly handled or even shortchanged. It’s that they add such a compelling layer to the story and we’re left wanting to know more. Aside from some occasionally shaky acting, that’s about as close to a criticism as I have. Otherwise, “Minus Zero” had this Godzilla fan in a state of cinematic euphoria. The kaiju are jaw-dropping spectacles to behold. The scale of the action sequences is breathtaking. The human drama is anchored in emotional truth. Yamazaki has once again delivered the radioactive goods, and I can only hope he and Toho have more in store for us.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

It could be called a comedy, a drama, or a romance. But truth be told, “The Graduate” is a little of all those things. More importantly, it’s a sharply conceived and slickly crafted film that in several ways ushered in a new approach to filmmaking. It’s been touted as a highly influential feature and has held high spots on some pretty prestigious movie lists. While I’ve never been as enamored with it as many have, it’s still a good film with its share of memorable moments.

“The Graduate” would go on to receive seven Oscar nominations, winning one for Mike Nichols’ direction. Screenwriters Buck Henry and Calder Willingham penned the script which was an adaptation of Charles Webb’s 1963 novella of the same name. The film was also a massive commercial success, becoming the highest grossing movie in 1967 by a pretty large margin. But what’s more interesting is hearing how it has aged in the minds of fellow critics.

This wasn’t Dustin Hoffman’s first official acting credit. That honor goes to the few seconds he appeared in “The Tiger Makes Out”. But it was “The Graduate” that gave him his breakthrough role. Hoffman plays Benjamin Braddock, a disconnected and isolated recent graduate from an east coast college. His parents throw him a graduation party to celebrate his accomplishments, but it does nothing to dent his general apathy towards grad school and his uncertainty for the future.

Benjamin is a fascinating character whose complexities show themselves in a variety of ways. He’s a bit of a social pariah who can sometimes come across as an irreverent jerk. He can be flippant and impudent, but he’s also a sad and melancholy soul. And we find out early on that Benjamin has a hard time discerning how to approach this new stage of his life. That internal struggle, though muted at times, lies at the core of the story.

Perhaps all of this is why Benjamin is such easy prey for Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). She’s a much older friend of the family who is married for the wrong reasons and is clearly unhappy with her circumstances. She baits Benjamin into an illicit affair which over time adds even more complications to his already muddled life. Much like the movie itself, opinions of Mrs. Robinson have also changed over the years.

Some have argued that Mrs. Robinson is the most appealing and alive character in the film. They praise her for seeing things as they are and pursuing her own happiness. I still see her a little differently. She can just as easily be viewed as shameless, dishonest, and self-absorbed. She too is in a difficult situation. But she goes the route of disgraceful self-indulgence with little to no moral conviction. And her maliciousness shows itself even more when Benjamin unexpectedly falls in love with her daughter Elaine (played by Katharine Ross).

My biggest issue still centers around Elaine. Ross gives a solid performance but her character could really use more depth. At times it’s impossible to understand Elaine’s thinking, and her decision making can be rash and out of the blue. A tighter script might have sold the romance better in the second half by opening up her relationship with Benjamin and upping the stakes. I still love the ending. But things get a little clunky before we get to that unforgettable final scene.

While some views of the “The Graduate” have changed, for me it has maintained its resonance and insight, neither of which has been hurt by the passing of time. The film’s moments of humor are still funny, Benjamin is still a compelling character, and the iconic ending shot is still as potent as ever. Simon and Garfunkel’s perfectly placed songs still give several scenes an extra punch, and the direction from Mike Nichols is still satisfying.

After nearly 60 years, “The Graduate” has proven to deserve the near universal respect it has been given. It may not have the most tight-knit script and some key character relationships may be slightly underwritten. But it’s anchored by some rich themes, terrific performances, and a great soundtrack. It’s also a movie with a significant cultural legacy that still speaks to its many fans both old and new.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

What do you get when you combine a group of flighty friends, a masked ax-wielding psychopath, a backwoods cult, and man-eating alligators? You get a trope-filled horror concoction that stays true to what it wants to be no matter how predictable or preposterous things get. That describes “Gator Face” to a tee. Writer-director Padraig Reynolds pulls from both classic slashers and B-movie creature features to create an unvarnished throwback chiller coated in grindhouse goodness.

“Gator Face” is an independent film in every sense. Reynolds is clearly working with a micro-budget, as evident by his skeleton production crew and a mostly unknown cast. But Reynolds and his collaborators don’t let that stop them. In fact it’s impressive how much they’re able to squeeze out of so little. Reynolds does wonders in working around the limitations. He films on location in the Florida swamps. He teamed with a North Florida sanctuary to use live alligators rather than CGI. And he relied on in-camera practical effects which are cost-effective and more impressive.

As for its story, “Gator Face” isn’t going to surprise anyone who has as least dabbled in these subgenres. The characters are all cut from the same blood-soaked horror movie cloth. They make dumb choices, they spend most of their time running for their lives, and they’re one-by-one creatively slaughtered for our viewing pleasure. Meanwhile the killer stalks them relentlessly, never running out of gas and always popping up just when the audience needs a good jolt. It’s a well-worn formula that Reynolds sticks intimately close to.

But a movie named “Gator Face” clearly isn’t aiming to narratively revolutionize the slasher or creature feature genres. It’s far more interested in paying homage to the exploitation films of the 1970s. When considered that way, it’s even easier to appreciate what Reynolds is able to accomplish. The entire presentation hearkens back to such low-budget grindhouse gems as “Eaten Alive”, “Race with the Devil”, and “Gator Bait”, while still hoping to connect with younger horror audiences of today.

The movie opens with three teen friends enjoying the final day of their summer getaway. Sierra (Ellie Shaddix), Jess (Amariah Dionne), and Nikki (Kiara Mitjans) make their way to a tucked away Florida beach hidden from the big crowds. After a day of swimming and sunbathing the trio pack up and head out. But their vacation takes a twisted turn when they notice the words “3 Dead Inside” crudely written on an abandoned beach house. I don’t know about you, but my first instinct would be to get away and contact the police. Not so with our three brainiacs.

To Jess’s credit she does attempt to call the cops. But Sierra and Nikki dumbly stroll right into the house only to find themselves face-to-face with a trench coat-wearing, ax-toting maniac in a gator mask (Nikolas Kolasinski) and his very hungry alligators. The encounter doesn’t bode well for Sierra and Nikki, but Jess manages to escape into the nearby woods with the killer hot on her heels.

Jess eventually gets help from four other vacationing teens, Claire (Tabitha Brownstone), Andy (Iain P. Smith), David (Barron Regan) and Samara (Ella Mosca). But they quickly find themselves on the run with Jess, chased into the sun-baked swamplands by the relentless ‘Gator Face’. They happen upon a remote old church shepherded by Father Eli (Scot Scurlock). But with a name like The Church of the Old Flesh, it’s pretty obvious that it is no safe haven.

It’s here that “Gator Face” shifts from a straightforward slasher movie with a helping of killer alligators on the side to an utterly bonkers cult thriller that eats up most of the final act. It’s much more silly than scary, and it carries on for far too long. Yet it strangely fits within the movie’s exploitation vibe which Reynolds sees through to the very end. He even tags on a post-credits scene that teases a second movie and adds a new twist to the story he has just told.

In all honesty “Gator Face” isn’t a movie that will have mass appeal. I can even see a certain segment of modern horror fans turning their noses up to it. But if you get what it’s doing and appreciate what it’s paying homage to, “Gator Face” turns into something far more entertaining than any synopsis can make it sound. In fact, I can seeing it feeling right at home on New York City’s once infamous 42nd Street. And for me, that’s a pretty good selling point.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Oscar winner and all-around hoot Sam Rockwell gets a wonderfully offbeat role in “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”, the latest crazy concoction from Gore Verbinski. It’s the director’s first feature film since his 2016 psychological horror film “A Cure for Wellness”. This is a much different movie, and from its earliest frame you can tell Verbinski and everyone else involved is having a blast making it.

You could categorize the film as a lot of things and you wouldn’t be wrong. Science-fiction, comedy, action, horror – it checks all those boxes. But at its core, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” is a blistering satire of our current social media and selfie culture. And make no mistake, society’s all-consuming digital addiction gives Verbinski and screenwriter Matthew Robinson ample subject matter to satirize.

The story begins during a busy evening at Norm’s diner on the outskirts of Los Angeles. At exactly 10:10 PM a disheveled man walks in wearing a wild getup announcing that he is from the future. We never get his name, but he’s played by Rockwell who gives the stranger a snarky wit to go along with his obvious frustration. The stranger informs the startled diners that he has traveled back in time, not only to warn them of impending doom, but to prevent it from happening.

The stranger goes on to explain how society crashed as the planet’s population lost themselves in the digital zeitgeist. As he does, Verbinski and Robinson steadily poke at today’s culture which is shaped more by the screens we hold in front of our faces than the people who hold them. And much like us, the diners ignore his warnings although not without cause, especially as his story gets more and more outrageous.

The stranger claims this is the 118th time he has been in the same diner giving the same speech to the same people. Even more, he’s there to find recruits to save the world. The trouble is he has yet to find the correct configuration out of the 47 people in the diner. Without just the right combination of people, his mission fails.

Among his picks this time are Mark (Michael Peña) and Janet (Zazie Beetz), two teachers who have a creepy encounter at their high school. The suspicious Susan (Juno Temple) who recently lost her son in a tragedy. And a suicidal birthday party princess named Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson) who is allergic to cell phones and Wi-Fi. Each get their own individual flashback that tells their uniquely strange yet equally compelling backstories.

From there the less revealed the better. Just know that “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” goes places you’ll never see coming. Rockwell anchors the craziness with a hilariously endearing eccentricity. Richardson is equally good, embodying a complex yet darkly funny character who deserves a movie all her own. Throw in a planet-killing artificial intelligence, thugs in pig masks, and a mythological-ish beast the size of a skyscraper (among other things) and you have a movie that almost defies a definition.

Yet among all the comedy and chaos is a message we might want to listen to. Verbinski pushes it to the point of absurdity. But the mirror he holds up has a lot to say. The story isn’t always coherent, but it’s wildly entertaining and genuinely funny, from the witty dialogue to the amusing tips of the hat to “Night of the Living Dead” and “The Terminator”. Best of all, Verbinski keeps you on your toes as he takes one wild swing after another. They don’t always connect, but it’s a blast when they do. “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” opens in theaters February 13th.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Let me pose an utterly pointless question. Are we currently witnessing the genesis of “bearsploitation” cinema? Of course I ask that with my tongue firmly lodged in my cheek, but it does seem like there has been a rather noticeable wave of movies featuring man-eating bears, much like we’ve seen with sharks. Either way, “bearsploitation” sounds hilarious so I’m sticking with it.

The latest entry into this potentially made up subgenre is “Grizzly Night”, although in fairness it attempts to be a much more serious-minded movie. This survival thriller is based on a true story as told in John Olsen’s 1969 nonfiction book “Night of the Grizzlies”. In 1967, on the night of August 13th, two 19-year-old girls were killed in separate bear attacks some nine miles apart. Both were mauled to death by grizzlies while camping at Glacier National Park in Montana.

Regardless of how its title may sound, “Grizzly Night” is a sincere dramatization of the deadly attacks and the subsequent search and rescue attempts made by park rangers and fellow campers. On that fateful night, Julie Helgeson (Brec Bassinger) heads off camping with her boyfriend Roy (Matt Lintz) near Granite Park Chalet. Nine miles away, Julie’s friend, Michelle Koons (Ali Skovbye) is camping at Trout Lake with four friends. And that’s when the unthinkable happens.

Despite there being no bear attacks in the park’s 50-plus years of recorded history, two happen on that August night in Glacier National Park. The first attack comes when Roy is mauled by a Grizzly who quickly turns its attention to Julie, dragging her deeper into the forest. A bloodied Roy manages to get help from other campers who are on an overnight hike led by a rookie park ranger named Joan Devereaux (Lauren Call). Thrust into a harrowing position, the young ranger must get Roy medical attention while finding the missing Julie.

Joan finds help from the fellow campers including a doctor (Oded Fehr), a minister (Joel Johnstone), and a wildlife expert (Skyler Bible). The bulk of the movie follows their efforts to save Roy and search for Julie. Screenwriters Katrina Mathewson and Tanner Bean develop a handful of fairly interesting side characters, some of whom shed more light on the details surrounding the true account. Others don’t fair as well, serving more as filler while being peppered with shaky performances.

As for Michelle, she too is attacked by a grizzly bear. But the majority of her story is crammed into the final 20 minutes. Compared to Julie’s, Michelle’s story is strangely rushed and underdeveloped which strips it of any real impact. It’s the same with the film’s clunky and abrupt ending that fails to leave the impression it hopes to. To its credit, “Grizzly Night” sticks close to the real-life events. But dramatically, it limps along without ever delivering the dramatic punch it needs.

First-time feature film director Burke Doeren does what he can with an unbalanced script and a tight budget. He manages to hold our interest, and there’s no shortage of gorgeous Montana scenery to take in. But its wonky narrative structure shortchanges major points of the story. And the lack of a strong punctuation mark at the end keeps us from connecting with the movie’s dramatic ambition or bigger message.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

One of the bigger surprises in recent years was “Greenland”, a survival disaster thriller that released in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. With theaters shut down, the decision was made to bypass the big screen and release “Greenland” on VOD where it became a big success. More importantly, it was also a really good movie, full of nail-biting tension, big action, and a strong family dynamic at its core.

The most welcomed change in “Greenland” involved its star, Gerard Butler. He didn’t play another macho tough-guy who would spray as many one-liners as bullets. Instead he played someone grounded in the real world – a structural engineer caring for his diabetic son while trying to repair his marriage with his wife. It added an unexpected human element to his character and the story as a whole.

With “Greenland 2: Migration”, returning director Ric Roman Waugh seeks to once again capture that nice balance between apocalyptic disaster movie thrills and humanity-fueled domestic drama. He mostly succeeds, delivering an entertaining and swiftly paced sequel that has no shortage of visceral cinematic spectacle and family-driven pathos.

“Migration” begins five years after the events of the first film. For those needing a refresher, 75% of the planet was wiped out when the Clarke interstellar comet crashed into Earth. It sent much of North America scrambling for a bunker in Greenland. Among those who successfully made it was John Garrity (Butler), his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their son Nathan (now played by Roman Griffin Davis).

As society crumbled on the outside, a semblance of it was preserved inside the Greenland bunker. But now five years after impact, the bunker’s inhabitants have reasons to be concerned. Every effort to rebuild has been thwarted by fragments of the Clarke comet still crashing down to earth. Meanwhile the planet remains an unstable place amid volcanic fissures, radioactive electrical storms, and violent tectonic shifts.

The dwellers are forced to flee the bunker after a devastating tremor threatens its integrity. John is able get his family to the coast and onboard an enclosed lifeboat where they and a small group of survivors set a course for the wasteland of Europe. Rumors speak of an oasis at the center of a massive crater in Southern France where the grass is green and the air is breathable. Despite not knowing if it’s real or hearsay, John determines to get his family to the crater. But the journey to get there proves to be a perilous one.

While “Migration” fully embraces its disaster movie status, it’s just as much a survival thriller where mankind rivals nature as the story’s biggest antagonist. Whether it’s murderous marauders, reckless soldiers, or heavily armed insurgents, the dark side of humanity has emerged amid the social chaos. But Waugh, along with screenwriters Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling, don’t lose their story to bleakness. No matter how hopeless things turn, they still find room for moments of empathy and compassion.

As John, Allison, and Nathan push forward on their journey to find a new home, their family dynamic is the glue that holds much of the story together. Butler’s performance is especially crucial in balancing the high-stakes action with the movie’s emotional core. He firmly anchors the film through his blend of courage and vulnerability. Meanwhile Baccarin gets a notably strongly arc, showing her character’s strength and resilience which was missing in the first film.

That said, the family’s relentlessly harrowing chain of unfortunate events almost becomes comical. And too many supporting characters only function to get the family from one point to the next. But overall, Waugh has made a worthwhile sequel that consistently ratchets up the thrills while raising the human stakes higher and higher. With its intriguing world-building and central characters worth rooting for, “Migration” puts you on the edge of your seat and tugs at your heartstrings, all at the same time.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS