The Beanie Bubble (2023)

Made for Apple TV+, released on instant streaming July 28th in the US.

Filmed entirely in Georgia.

Based on truths.

The story: In 1983, struggling toy salesman Ty Warner met, by chance, struggling Robbie (AKA Patricia Roche).

Ty was the child of a toy salesman, and Robbie was a mechanic who had many childhood aspirations.

The two became quick friends and decided to go into business together, selling stuffed animal cats...

After some time, they attended a toy convention which helped their business take off.
By 1993, Ty and Robbie's business became Ty Inc., and that's when they began manufacturing what is known to the world today as Beanie Babies.

Ty and Robbie, by now, were an off-again/on-again couple, as well as business partners.

After the 5 years that college student Maya (AKA Lina Trivedi) was on board at Ty Inc., she introduced Ty to internet sales, which really helped the business.

While having windows put into his new house, Ty met and fell in love with saleswoman/single mother Sheila (AKA Faith McGowan).

By now, Ty had a complicated relationship with Robbie, mostly because of him trying to oust her from Ty Inc. and his commitment to Maya, as his right-hand man was also beginning to dwindle.

Sheila wanted to just live her life single and raise her two daughters the best she could.

Ty convinced her, while allowing her children to fall in love with him through his stuffed animals, that he was the one for her.

It didn't hurt Ty Inc. that Sheila's daughters were the ones to create some of the very first/top-selling Beanie Babies.

But it all came crashing down around Ty when he began using and manipulating the ones who helped him soar.

Stars Zach Galifianakis , Elizabeth Banks , Kurt Yaeger , Tracey Bonner , Jeff Schine , Geraldine Viswanathan , Sweta Keswani , Ajay Friese , Arjun Dhillon , Sarah Snook , Madison Johnson , Delaney Quinn , Carl Clemmons Hopkins , Jason Burkey , Callie Johnson , Brian Troxell , Veanna Black

Directed by Kristen Gore & Damien Kulash

Rated R
HISTORY/DRAMA/COMEDY

Nosferatu (2024)

Released December 25th in the US.

Filmed Czech Republic, Romania, and Canada.

The story:  Germany, 1838.

Young newlyweds Ellen, who has a need to be close because she has been plagued by nightmares since childhood, and Thomas, who loves Ellen more than life itself and will do anything for her, are to be separated for some time.

Against the lovers wishes, of course.

Thomas' employer needs him to secure a real estate deal that will send him into the Carpathian Alps.

Thomas needs to go because it will promise his job position.

While Thomas is away, Ellen begins having episodes and becomes ill.

When she is not sick, she yearns for her husband's return.

Thomas arrives at the home of his client to sign papers, but almost instantly also becomes sick.

So sick, that many days and nights go by, keeping Thomas prisoner and unable to return to his bride.

When the deal is done, the new homeowner leaves his castle and makes his way to his new home, killing off almost everyone around him.

Then bringing plague to his new hometown.

When Thomas finally arrives home, he isn't well. 
Ellen nurses him until he is able to function on his own once again.

But soon, everyone they love and care about is dying.

It is up to Ellen and Thomas to stop the evil upon them all.

Stars Lily Rose Depp , Bill Skarsgard , Nicholas Hoult , Simon McBurney , Aaron Taylor Johnson , Emma Corrin , Adela Hesova , Milena Konstantinova , Ralph Ineson , Claudiu Trandafir , Katrina Bila , Gherghina Bereghianu , Robert Russell , Curtis Matthew , Jordan Haj , Willem Dafoe

Directed by (& story partly written) Robert Eggers

Rated R
Some Dacian, Romanian, and Romani w/English subtitles

REMAKE/HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Crumb Catcher (2023)

Released September 24th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Shane and Leah have just been married.

While they talk through their wedding photos being taken , Leah's mother interrupts.

This upsets Shane , and he takes off in a huff.

Fast forward , it's the next morning.

Shane wakes up rough after apparently getting drunk last night.

He checks his pocket for an envelope of money, but finds it empty.

He has no idea what happened to it.

Leah arrives with wedding gifts , eager to get on the road to their honeymoon destination.

In their car now in the parking garage , the car wont start just yet.

While waiting , a pesky waiter from their wedding party dashes to talk with them.

Leah is annoyed by him. 

The man talks and talks , apologizing for their wedding cake topper and hands them a bottle of champagne.

Soon the couple are off.

When they arrive at the home they will be spending their honeymoon at , Shane begins getting texts from someone named Rose , saying they need to talk about last night...

Shane has no idea who Rose is or what she means by that , but keeps it to himself.

After not too long , Leah sees headlights in the driveway.

Next a knock on the door startles the couple , only to find it is that pesky waiter , now holding their wedding cake with its topper intact.

They dont want to let him in , but they do , and that single action makes for a very long night.

Stars Rigo Garay , Ella Rae Peck , Rebecca Watson , Eddie Castillo , David Macke , Kyle Mumford , John Speredakos ,  Lorraine Farris

Directed by (& story partly written) Chris Skotchdopole

Not Rated

MYSTERY/THRILLER 

Beastie Boys Story (2020)

Released on Apple TV+ through instant streaming , April 24th in the US.

Filmed entirely in New York.

The story : In early 2020 , Michael Diamond AKA Mike D and Adam Horovitz AKA Ad-Rock take the stage in Brooklyn , New York at The King's Theatre , without their friend Adam Yauch AKA MCA.

There , the longtime friends of over 40 years , tell the long windy story of the Beastie Boys.

The story they adapt from their book of the same name.

Mike and Adam tell us how the Beastie Boys met and came to be a music group.

Their transition from a punk group , with friends Kate Shellenbach and John Berry, to a rap group without them but finally being signed to Def Jam , who marketed the trio as giant stars.

They tell of their love for music and what they turned that love into.

Filled with many ups and downs , Mike and Adam pour their hearts out , always paying tribute to their beloved friend/band founder Adam Yauch who passed away in 2012 , while showing us videos and clips of themselves , along with friends , through the years.

Stars Michael Diamond , Adam Horovitz , David Cross , Ben Stiller , Steve Buscemi , (voice) Spike Jonze , (voice) Bill Hadar

Directed by (& story partly written) Spike Jonze

Rated TV MA

DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/MUSIC/TV

"In memory of Adam Yauch."

Drowning Mona (2000)

Released March 3rd in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: In the small town of Verplanck, upstate New York, everyone has a vanity plate.

A vanity plate identifying themselves.

Verplanck is a town infamous for the car company Yugo testing its cars there...

Anyway, everyone who lives there knows each other, and most things that go on around town are just a bit off.

One morning, unlike any other around Verplanck, Mona Dearly sets off to work.

But instead of taking her car, she takes her son Jeff's.

On her way, things take a turn for the worse when she tries to apply the brakes, heading straight for a guardrail, and the brakes do not work.

Mona goes straight over a cliff and into the river below, killing Mona.

Quickly, the news hits everyone in town.

When the police begin investigating the crash, they start believing that Mona's crash and death were no accident.

Mostly because Mona wasn't a very nice person to anyone who knew her.

Stars Bette Midler , Tracey Walter , Casey Affleck , Marcus Thomas , Danny DeVito , Peter Dobson , Paul Ben Victor , Paul Schulze , William Fichtner , Kathleen Wilhoite , Robert Arce , Neve Campbell , Jamie Lee Curtis , Mark Pellegrino , Raymond O Connor , Will Ferrell , Lisa Rieffel , Brittany Peterson

Directed by Nick Gomez

Rated PG13

DARK COMEDY

"You know, you're my brother...can't you just do a brotherly deboning or something?..."

Nonnas (2025)

Released May 9th in the US.

Filmed entirely in New Jersey.

Based on truths.

The story: As a child, Joe Scaravella had a great love for his mother and grandmother.

He also, along with everyone else in their big family, loved their cooking.

It always brought everyone together, and Joe fondly remembers that time in his life as a really happy time.

Fast forward to present day.

Joe has just lost his beloved mother.

She left him some money and a letter, a letter Joe doesn't want to open because it will mean it is the last thing his mother will ever say to him...

After his best friends try talking him into doing something he would never do before with the money she left him, Joe goes out on his own and decides to buy a restaurant.

But not any restaurant.

Joe's vision is to hire as many "Nonnas" as possible, who love to cook and will cook their most beloved dishes for all who will love and appreciate them.

It's a great idea, but it will cost a lot of money, as well as being quite the task, because Joe and his friends know absolutely nothing about owning and running a restaurant.

Stars Theodore Helm , Jamie Eddy , Jack Casey , Kate Eastman , Karen Giordano , Adam Ferrara , Tammy Pescatelli , Lorraine Bracco , Drea de Matteo , Joe Manganiello, Brenda Vaccaro , Susan Sarandon , Talia Shire , Linda Cardellini , Michael Rispoli , Quincy Dunn Baker , Jimmy Smagula

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Rated PG
DRAMA/COMEDY/HISTORY

I Care a Lot (2020)

Released February 19, 2021, in the US.

Filmed in Massachusetts and England.

The story: Marla is a confident woman.
She has made a career as a professional, court-appointed legal guardian, typically for the elderly whose doctors claim they can no longer care for themselves.

But instead of doing what is right, Marla is trying to get rich.

She schemes, with many people working along with her, to take these elderly people out of their homes and put them in assisted living facilities.

Then, while those people are safely locked away from what they know, Marla makes sure to sell off all of their belongings.

When Marla is informed by her doctor friend of a well-off elderly woman who is in the early stages of dementia and has no living family, it seems like a very easy gig.

Big problems arise though when the woman's son, who no one knew about, comes looking for his mother.

Stars Rosamund Pike , Eiza Gonzales , Macon Blair , Damian Rice , Alicia Witt , Dianne Wiest , Nicholas Logan , Isiah Whitlock Jr , Peter Dinklage , Chris Messina , Liz Eng , Georgia Lyman

Directed by (& story written) J Blakeson

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER/DARK COMEDY