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"Since 2009, special guest contributor Felix Albuerne Jr. has been reviewing new films in theaters for podcasts, terrestrial radio, and TV outlets. In 2023, he launched a YouTube channel and the latest iteration of his review site, "Film Buff Unplugged," on Substack. Subscribe for free at https://fbunplugged.substack.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@filmbuffunplugged." and follow him on social media here: https://linktr.ee/felixfilmbuff.

The second installment of Nintendo's flagship animated film franchise is a wild ride full of colorful action and more clever nods to classic games, but it's much more for the kids than the first film.

"When my father smells oil, nature repents! And there'll be oil; when it flows - and flow it will - my father will be right here with a bonus for everybody! It'll be Saturday night in a few hours, and I've only one more duty - to see our Mexican workers and wish them a safe journey 'home'. You all have a happy weekend and wish me one; we've labored hard and we deserve the happiness that all Americans know to be their birthright!"

It was Sam Spiegel who first saw the potential of the Horton Foote novel and play The Chase back in the 1950's. It was suggested as a vehicle for Clift Mongomery but the rights languished for almost 10 years. Spiegel finally got the film off the ground and lured a pretty solid cast into the fold. Marlon Brando was a huge star but the futures of actors like Robert Redford and even Robert Duvall hadn't quite risen yet. He brought on director Arthur Penn who was a year away from his break-out film Bonnie And Clyde. He also gave John Barry his very first film score. John Barry would go on to compose one of the most familiar themes in movie history. He went on to compose the scores for 11 James Bond films, more than any other composer and his tangy electric guitar theme has taken center stage on every official Bond film no matter who writes the score.  And just to eventually top off his career he composed scores for Out Of Africa and Dances With Wolves. It wasn't exactly clear at the time but The Chase was packed with both stars of that time and stars of the future in all areas. It never did well at the box office and it's one of those gems most of you have never seen. Now's your chance with the release of the film on Blu-ray in high-definition. It's a keeper.

It's Planet Of The Apes meets Cujo, and it sure isn't pretty. Part of me actually loves this kind of thing, but it has more to do with when the film is than how good or bad the film happens to be. For a lot of critics, we have just spent the better part of our holiday season being inundated by awards bait in one form or another. Everyone wants your attention right now. I have to vote in two guilds, and honestly by the time it's over and I've managed to cram 60-70 films or more into my Holiday activities, I'm honestly more than a little burned out. So after that little break as January begins, I always welcome that first film that asks nothing more of me than to sit there and soak it in. There aren't going to be any Best Picture nominations here. No one is going to be buzzing about Primate when we start talking Best Actors and Cinematography. Johannes Roberts isn't expecting me to remember a dang thing about his work when next year's Best Director choices come up. The screenplay is (thank God) completely forgettable, and all I will remember, if I remember anything at all about Primate when the 2026 awards season rolls around, is that it was mindless and that's exactly what I needed in that first week of press screenings in January. I hope you guys had a blast making the film, because you gave me exactly what I was looking for ... absolutely nothing. And you got me in and out in UNDER 90 minutes. I love you guys, but I'll forget I said that in a few months. Is that OK? This is going to be a really short love affair. It's the perfect one-night stand of movies. But that doesn't mean that I really didn't love you guys for 89 minutes. Thus ends the sermon. Can I get an Amen?

Hears what I remember from a memory already getting a little fuzzy. Fuzzy? Oh, right. There's a chimpanzee named Ben. Perfect name. When I was a kid there was this rat named Ben, and I think he hung out with a young Michael Jackson. That was likely the beginning of the whole Neverland thing. So Ben is the pet chimp of the film's title. Give the folks some credit here. They used a little bit of puppetry and CGI mixed in with some practical makeup f/x, and Ben actually looks pretty lifelike. But the film is always rather dark. Now that could have been a lens issue at our screening. That has been known to happen, or it might have been Roberts using the shadows to get away with more than he might have in the cold light of day. But for the most part, I'll say that watching this chimp go through a rabies infection was more interesting than watching a dog in Cujo. A chimp was actually a pretty brave choice here and added a few points to the film's interest and entertainment value here.

“Man, I just deliver packages for a living. What the f—k am I doing here? What a day…”

Donald Faison’s quote during the opening scene of Next Day Air sums up the film for the most part; a delivery blunder lands Leo (Faison) in the middle of a drug deal gone wrong in Philadelphia.

 "Everybody deserves a second chance."

In some parts of the country there's a saying. If you don't like the weather wait a few minutes. It'll change. That's exactly how I felt by the time my two hours watching M3GAN 2.0 was through. It was entertaining, to be sure, but I felt like I had been through about five movies before it was finally over. It's hard to imagine that is has been three years since we first met the robot/children's toy gone berserk, but it really has. It was my hope that everyone was just waiting until they had a great new idea before they trotted the killer doll out again. Most of the characters and actors who survived their first encounter with M3GAN returned for the sequel, with at least one of them being somewhat of a surprise appearance, and just like that first movie, you really have to be careful who you trust, because killer dolls aren't the only things that are dangerous here. The humans can actually be a lot worse, and that just might be the point, as M3GAN 2.0 gets a head start in the upcoming heated competition for the coming summer blockbuster season. We're just weeks away from a DC and Marvel one-two combination, but will M3GAN 2.0 survive the punches? Not likely, I'm afraid.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra has been a director I’ve been following for some time now. For me he just consistently puts out films that are in my wheelhouse that I just know I’ll have fun with. His films just remind me of what it was like to watch the action films of the 90s, and I kind of feel he’s like the new Renny Harlin, and I say this with love. If you compare the two filmmakers’ resumes the similarities are pretty incredible. Both have a shark film, both have an adventure film involving a boat that sadly was a commercial failure despite being fun, both have an action film at an airport during Christmas, and now come to find out Collet-Serra is remaking Cliffhanger, which happens to be a Renny Harlin film. I mean, seriously, what are the odds of that happening? The moment I found out that Netflix released the new Jaume Collet-Serra film, I couldn’t be more excited to check this film out and take a break from the awards season films and just enjoy some popcorn-friendly cinema. Was it a hit, or did it crash and burn?

Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) has just found out that he’s about to become a dad. He should be happy, but he hates his job working for the TSA, and he’s worried about supporting his family. His girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson) also works at the airport, and she sees how miserable he is at his job and wants him to follow his dream of becoming a police officer … This conversation is had before they are both going in to work on Christmas day, and they both know they are about to have a stressful day, only they don’t realize just how bad their day is about to get.

“There’s an ounce of truth in every myth.”

Why am I not surprised? It is true to form that the sixth and final film in the Sony Spiderman Universe (SSU) would be my favorite. I’m sure that will be a unpopular opinion, as Venom has the popular vote, and while I did enjoy Venom, it is tainted by the sequels, which in the end left me with the opinion that the franchise should have just been the a one-and-done like the other installments in the SSU are fated to become. Ironic, as Kraven The Hunter served as a very good origin story, and the story set up what could have been a very interesting future confrontation in a sequel. However, Sony’s decision to pivot away from the SSU essentially means that this Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led film will be the only film to follow the character. Pity, as Taylor-Johnson gave a great performance, and the story quality was well executed. As I said, I expect my opinion is an unpopular one as Kraven The Hunter falls victim of the fruit of the poisonous-tree stigma. Because of the disappointing execution of the films set in the same universe, Kraven The Hunter is fated to be painted with the same brush. So my advice to anyone interested in seeing this film is that you have to put the others out of your mind and see this as it was intended to be: a standalone film.

Paramount has been getting into the Halloween horror spirit each October. Last year they released a group of horror films on UHD/4K and called it Paramount Scares. I didn't get a chance to check out that set but they're back again with a Paramount Scares Vol. 2 and we got a look at it here at the Upcomingdiscs ranch. The set includes both a Blu-ray copy of each film along with the featured UHD Blu-ray in 4K. You get some nice gifts along the way. There are patches that represent each film. There's a glow in the dark Paramount Scares pin along with an issue of Fangoria Magazine that contains just articles on the films in the set. There's a big sticker and a mini-poster. It all comes in a rather stylish box covered in a ghoulish collage. The films have their own case in coordinated slip covers. The movies offered this year are Friday The 13th Part 2, Breakdown, World War Z and Orphan: first Kill. Pick it up and invite some friends over for a Paramount horror marathon.

Here are the films:

“I will not accept a life I do not deserve.”

In 2022 writer and director Ti West gave horror fans the gift of the one/two horror punch of the films X and Pearl. From those two films came the rise of Mia Goth, who has since become horror royalty, and since the rumors began to rumble about a third film in this horror series, it has been hard to not get excited. Ever since the announcement of MaXXXine and hearing the cast of the film, it’s been the horror film I’ve been most looking forward to. I’ve been a big fan of Ti West ever since 2009 when I saw The House of the Devil. I adore that film, to the point where I have a Mondo poster of it hanging in my living room, and then he did The Innkeepers, which for me cemented his awesomeness, and that he wasn’t simply a fluke. When you look at his filmography and you watch his films, you can see the man has talent, but for some reason he’s not a bigger name in the industry. But I feel like that’s going to change soon, and it seems like A24 knows that West can deliver the goods, especially when you consider that they are releasing the film over 4^th of July weekend, typically a spot meant for huge tentpole movies … or am I just being delusional?