“Neighborhood Watch” : Suspense on Snooze Patrol
Director Duncan Skiles taps into the buddy pic genre for his feature debut in “Neighborhood Watch” from RJLE Films. Simon (Jack Quaid) is a young man grappling with mental illness who becomes convinced that he has witnessed an abduction. When he reports it to the police, and they refuse to believe him, he reluctantly seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a jaded, retired security guard with a troubled past. As the unlikely duo delves deeper into the mystery, their pursuit of the truth forces them to confront the disappearance’s dark secrets and the unspoken wounds that haunt them.
“Havoc delvers the action goods”
Gareth Evans, one of the most underrated action directors of modern times, has teamed up with Academy Award nominee Tom Hardy for the high-octane thriller “Havoc”. Netflix produced the film, for which Evans also wrote the script. His last film for the streaming giant was the eerie folk horror tale “The Apostle.” While he hasn’t strayed far from his action roots—evident in the television series “Gangs of London”—I was thrilled to learn he’s working on a new film.
“The Accountant 2” is a sequel audiences shouldn’t write off
Ben Affleck reunites with director Gavin O’Connor for the third time in “The Accountant 2.” Bill Dubuque, who wrote the script for the first film, also returns for the sequel. When we last saw Christian Wolff, a.k.a. The Accountant (Affleck), he was driving down a country road with his Airstream after completing his latest mission.
“Mob Cops” is a Cinematic Badge of Dishonor
Director Danny Abeckaser continues to explore the actual crime and mob genre in his ninth film, “Mob Cops,” from Lionsgate, which reunites him with screenwriter Kosta Kondilopoulos. If you follow my writings, then you know I’m a sucker for a true story.
Slow Jam Saturday: Raheem DeVaughn, “Mo, Better”
Today, my wife and I celebrate seventeen years of wedded bliss. I wanted to highlight the song I almost chose for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday for our first dance. My wife is an uber fan of Ne-Yo, and I’m a huge New Edition fan, but we couldn’t compromise. So, in the end, we decided to go with “Give My All To You” from Myron.
“The Wedding Banquet” is a sharp and tender dramedy that does the original justice
Director Andrew Ahn presents an insightful and heartfelt comedy in his updated version of Ang Lee’s classic 1993 film “The Wedding Banquet.” Ahn co-wrote the film with James Schamus. The 2025 remake maintains the original film’s spirit while investigating themes of cultural identity and queerness through the lens of chosen family dynamics. Through humor and grace, the film, led by Bowen Yang alongside Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran, examines themes of love, tradition, and self-discovery.
Slow Jam Saturday: Jagged Edge, “All Out of Love”
One of the great things about buying a soundtrack when I was in my DJ prime was discovering a slow jam that I could put on my mix CDs. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight one of the songs: Jagged Edge’s cover of Air Supply’s, “All Out of Love.”
Second Listen Sunday : Jagged Edge, JE Heartbreak
After twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge is currently on the road celebrating the anniversary of their magnum opus sophomore album, “J.E. Heartbreak,” with a tour titled “An Intimate Evening With Jagged Edge.” To kick off our seventh wedding anniversary celebration, my wife and I will be the D.C. date on the tour this coming Wednesday.
“Screamboat” is bloody & badly acted low budget fun
Director Steven LaMorte takes advantage of copyright expiring for an iconic character in his latest film, “Screamboat” from Sleight of Hands Productions. LaMorte pens the screenplay with Matthew Garcia-Dunn. Opening with a traditional slasher film kill, “Screamboat” introduces us to Selena (Allison Pittel), a tour guide from the Gopher state who has moved to the Big Apple to chase her fashion designer dreams.
“Your Friends & Neighbors” explores the dark side of trying to keep up with Joneses
After being fired in disgrace and still dealing with a messy divorce from his wife Mel (Amanda Peet), who cheated on him with his former best friend Nick Brandes (Mark Tallman), hedge fund manager Andrew Cooper (Hamm) resorts to stealing from his neighbors’ homes in the affluent Westmont Village, only to discover that the secrets hidden behind the wealthy facades might be more dangerous.
Second Listen Sunday: Amyth, The World Is Ours
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to travel back to 1999 and show some love to R&B group Amyth, which was initially signed to LL Cool J Rock the Bells Records. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the group was formed in 1995 while the members were students at Southern University.
Slow Jam Saturday : Keith Martin, Never Find Someone Like You
As the weather warms up, I wanted to take a trip back to 1995 for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday and pay tribute to the late Keith Martin and his elegant ballad “Never Find Someone Like You.” The song initially appeared on the spring box office hit “Bad Boys” soundtrack and was written by Danny Sembello and Marty Sharron.