Film and Music Reviews and Suggestions
TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: On Demand.
Genre: Action, thriller
Writer: Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, Colin Hanks, RZA, Colin Salmon, Christopher Lloyd, Sharon Stone
Synopsis: Suburban dad Hutch Mansell, a former lethal assassin, is pulled back into his violent past after thwarting a home invasion, setting off a chain of events that unravels secrets about his wife Becca’s past and his own.
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TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters.
Genre: Suphero, black comedy, comedy, action
Writer: Macon Blair
Director: Macon Blair
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood
Synopsis: When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.
Review: I am very happy that this movie was finally released. It was shelved a few years ago after premiering at one film festival. I never thought that I would get the chance to see it, but I am glad that I did.
While I didn’t love it, I did see really enjoy it. The movie still hold ups a lot of the campiness of the original. It also holds up to the original when it comes to over-the-top violence and gore, costumed bad guys, and taking on the major corporations. Just like this was relevant back when the original came out, the storming with the little people overthrowing the people in charge that are screening them over.
Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, and Elijah Wood are great in this movie. Elijah Wood essentially plays the penguin. Kevin Bacon plays a douchebag CEO. His hair in the movie just made me hate his character even more. And Peter Dinklage shines as Toxie. A innocent, shy guy who learns to finally fight for what is right after he becomes toxic.
Trailer:
TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Included with subscription MGM+ Kanopy. Rental on most other platforms.
Genre: Psychological thriller
Writer: Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Director: Guillem Morales
Cast: Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer
Synopsis: Follows Heather and Carla, they will meet after having not spoken in years. Heather is about to present a very unexpected proposition that could change their lives forever.
Review: I had my eye on this smoothie for a couple of months. I love the actresses, and I thought that it seemed like a pretty tense thriller.
I finally sat down to watch it, and I am so glad that I did. I’ve suggested it to a few people since then. The movie is definitely a psychological thriller. They’ll keep you guessing throughout the movie. Leading up to a wild ending that you could not predict. I don’t wanna say much about this movie. But it is well written, meticulous, and truly wild. I am very interested now in somehow checking out the play that it is adapted from. It is the same writer for both which is cool!
Trailer:
Tour: Old Friends
Venue: TCAN
Date: Saturday, August 23rd
Opener: Trey Sheehan
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://www.stephenkellogg.com/
Merch:
Review:
Images: The venue doesn’t allow any pictures or videos, which is pretty awesome. It makes for a much more intimate show. See if you can find some on any of the accounts below.
Follow TCAN for images from the show and upcoming shows
https://www.facebook.com/NatickArts
http://instagram.com/natickarts
http://www.youtube.com/user/natickarts
https://www.bandsintown.com/v/10001510-center-for-arts-in-natick
Follow Stephen Kellogg
https://www.stephenkellogg.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/794GTZkztMS29PO7cTOnmY?si=dxks76c0R3KZB9A3E4B8Fw
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/stephen-kellogg/476434620
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKosQHbMvO3unfcoq2V_Wg
http://instagram.com/stephen_kellogg
http://www.facebook.com/stephenkelloggmusic
https://x.com/stephen_kellogg?s=21
Follow Javier Colón
https://www.facebook.com/javiercolonmusic
Follow Trey Sheehan
https://instagram.com/tsheehanmusic
Tour: The Richest Man in the World
Venue: MGM Music Hall
Date: Friday, August 15th
Set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ben-rector/2025/mgm-music-hall-at-fenway-boston-ma-b5e192e.html
Band Members:
David Besonen – keyboards & saxophone
Austin Goodloe – guitar
Ian Martin Allison – bass
Jared Kneale – drums
Opener: The National Parks
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://www.benrectormusic.com/home/#tour
Merch:
Review:
I got my girlfriend and I tickets to see Ben Rector for our anniversary. We are both a big fan and he makes sappy love songs.
Ben Rector put on a phenomenal show. Playing everything you would want him to. Some songs from the new album and all of the hits from the previous ones. He played my favorite song, “Old Friends” second.
Every song felt like an encore. It wasn’t a showy type of concert. No screen with videos were needed. The five piece band played so well together and Ben didn’t something that I really appreciated. He introduced his band before a new song started. He said his band was much funnier and talented than him and introducing them during a song wasn’t enough.
Ben Rector was very modest and very fun. He talked with the audience about his days in Boston and shared his golf scores with the crowd. He played some songs with just one other band member as they were very intimate.
There was a cover or two.
Images:
TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters
Genre: Comedy
Writer: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, Akiva Schaffer
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand.
Synopsis: Only one man has the particular set of skills – to lead Police Squad and save the world.
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TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters
Genre Horror
Writer Zach Cregger
Director Zach Cregger
Cast Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, plus supporting roles
Synopsis When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
Review: I have been a big Zachary Cregger fan for a long time. It started with Whitest Kids U Know, then I followed him and the late great Trevor Moore to Miss March, a funny comedy with Craig Robbinson. I watched him in Wrecked, the TBS parody of Lost. And then I watched the breakout hit Barbarian and have been following his horror journey ever since.
I have been looking forward to Weapons for a few years now. It’s gone through some major delays, but it is finally here. And I know this sounds like a first world problem, but I was on vacation and I had to wait four days to see it. I know. And I avoided all spoilers.
The movie has a slower build up to a wild third act. Like Barbarian. The jump scares throughout are pretty terrifying.
The third act goes pretty nuts in this movie. It is not a predictable movie by any means. There is talk about a possible preque, which I would be onboard for.
Austin Abrams is one of my favorite newer actors and he crushes it in this movie. He stuck with Cregger throughout the whole production and is now starring in his next movie, Resident Evil!
Trailer:
TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters
Genre: Horror
Writer: Michael Shanks
Directors: Michael Shanks
Cast: Allison Brie, James Franco
Premise: Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country. With tensions already flaring, an encounter with an unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love and their flesh.
Review: I really enjoyed this body horror movie. After the success of The Substance last year, it seems that so many body horror movies are getting green lit and distributed which I am all for.
This movie stars real life married couple Dave Franco and Allison Brie as a couple who move out to the country. They are on the brink of collapse and this new job opportunity for Brie’s character could be something that saves them.
After falling into a hole, weird things start happening to them.
The last ten minutes are pretty wild. I loved the contortionist work done in this movie. There is very obvious foreshadowing throughout the moving using a popular song from my childhood and I, somehow, didn’t pick up on it. But hey, that’s the point and how movies get away with that stuff.
This movie has a buildup that continuously gets stronger and more intense until all hell breaks loose.
I dug the ending. There are a few ways they could’ve gone and I liked this one.
Trailer:
TV Show or Movie: Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters
Genre: Horror
Writer: James DeMonaco, Adam Cantor
Directors: James DeMonaco
Cast: Pete Davidson, John Glover, Bruce Altman
Premise: Follows Max, who realizes that the residents and caretakers in the retirement home he started working at hide sinister secrets.
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Tour: Summer Slammer
Venue: Roadrunner
Date: Thursday, July 16th
Set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bilmuri/2025/roadrunner-boston-ma-7345c2e1.html
Band Members:
Johnny Franck – Vocals, guitar
Gabi Rose – Saxophone, flute, vocals
Reese Maslen – Guitar, vocals
Xavier Ware – Drums
Opener: John Harvey, Driveways
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://www.bilmuri.com/
Merch:
Review: I got into BilMuri within the past year. I had heard the name in the scene, but just never heard him. Once I did, there was no going back.
I love innovative music. I love genre bending music. And he is those things. Emo, country, hardcore, it’s all of those and more.
American Motor Sports has got to be one of my favorite albums. It’s one of those albums where you can’t skip one track.
Bilmuri, well Johnny Franck and his band are absolute powerhouses. At another concert recently, I was talking about how much I love a band that has one guitarist, one bass, one drummer, a singer. Maybe the singer does a little guitar. Look at Blink-182, Alkaline Trio – they are just a band of three with no bells and whistles because they don’t need them. They even tour just the three of them.
Well, BilMuri live impressed the hell out of me. Johnny on vocals and occasional guitar, Gabi on saxophone, flute and background vocals, Reese Maslen on guitar and screaming vocals, and Xavier Ware rocking the hell out of the drums.
There are a few songs that really showcase the talent of each member of the band where they get a chance to shine.
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