Monthly Archives: February 2026

2025 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You-2025

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If I Had Legs I’d Kick You-2025

Director Mary Bronstein

Starring Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Christian Slater

Scott’s Review #1,521

Reviewed February 25, 2026

Grade: A-

Not being a parent myself, nor ever having the desire to be one, I was nonetheless enthralled by the subject of stressed parenting explored in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025).

Examining our frazzled lead character, Linda’s, descent into madness after enduring day after day of adult chaos and kid problems, the role is wonderfully played by Rose Byrne.

The actor, though memorable in 2011’s classic Bridesmaids, is usually associated with one-note or throwaway roles throughout her long career.

It’s inspiring to see her finally get her due by playing a complex role with so much chops and receiving an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2025.

With her life crashing down around her, Linda, ironically a psychotherapist, attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness amid pressure from her therapist, her absent husband, a missing client, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her own therapist (Conan O’Brien), also a colleague.

After her living room is destroyed by water damage, she is reduced to renting a dingy motel for an extended period, where she encounters hostile motel workers.

Her saving grace is her late-night solitude, when she can peacefully indulge in wine and pot while sitting on the beach, contemplating her life.

Director Mary Bronstein, who also appears as a therapist, cleverly doesn’t show Linda’s daughter or husband for nearly the entire film, revealing them only through their grating voices. They irritate and stress Linda out to no end.

Undoubtedly, Bronstein either wanted to keep the focus on Linda and her daily peril or to leave it uncertain whether they even existed outside Linda’s mind.

The plot mostly involves a medical situation where Linda’s daughter, Delaney, has a pediatric feeding disorder that necessitates nightly supplemental feeding through a tube and participation in a day hospital program.

Her husband, a ship captain, is away, presumably at sea. This leaves Linda to handle everything.

Linda trudges through her days, arguing with a parking attendant and a contractor, while having misunderstandings with her therapist, patients, and a bitchy girl at her motel.

The supporting characters are well cast and add leverage to Linda’s peril by being completely unsympathetic and sour. O’Brien is excellent as the self-absorbed therapist, while Danielle Macdonald is good as a needy patient who ditches her baby.

But the film belongs to Byrne.

From the first scene, she wears a weary look, and her close-up facial expressions speak volumes about her peril. Linda looks washed out and exhausted while things spiral out of control. Nearly dozing off as a patient chatters away, she finally has had enough.

On the other hand, she is constantly on the brink of losing her shit.

Thanks to Byrne, we are treated to fist-pumping scenes where she lets loose on both therapists and the bitchy motel girl, instantly making Linda the only rootable character in the lot.

Still, she’s not exactly likable herself and incessantly makes poor choices. Her irritation with everything grows tiresome until the final sequence, when the film parleys into a message about mental illness.

If I should have found the film depressing, I didn’t.

Sprinkled with macabre humor, the film must have been influenced by the 1970 masterpiece Diary of a Mad Housewife, starring Carrie Snodgrass as a woman emotionally tortured by her selfish family and on the brink of a breakdown.

Bronstein, also the screenwriter, makes Linda the only character the audience should focus on, and all events are told from her perspective, which makes the film a winner.

Never knowing where events are headed, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025) is a sheer delight in comedic/dramatic insanity. Though it carries a strong central theme of mental wellness, it also promotes the important message that it’s also okay not to have kids who will ruin your life.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Rose Byrne

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Director-Mary Bronstein, Best Lead Performance-Rose Byrne (won)

1960 Films, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy

Let’s Make Love-1960

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Let’s Make Love-1960

Director George Cukor

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Yves Montand, Frankie Vaughn

Scott’s Review #1,520

Reviewed February 22, 2026

Grade: C+

Let’s Make Love (1960) is a mediocre musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe in one of her last film roles.  It would be her final musical film performance before she died in 1962.

Ironically, the iconic star plays a strong character, too frequently known for playing dimwits or money-hungry women. While refreshing, her role is almost a supporting turn for the star, playing a love interest to an uninteresting character portrayed by Yves Montand.

A very wealthy businessman, Jean-Marc Clement (Montand), has all the material possessions money can buy, but he has no love life. He seeks someone who loves him for who he is, not for his fortune.

One day, Clement learns that he is the subject of a satirical theater production and visits the set during a rehearsal. Unrecognized, the show’s unwitting producers offer him the part as himself, and he takes the gig to be close to the gorgeous yet down-to-earth actress Amanda Dell (Monroe).

This leads to a series of hijinks, misunderstandings, and, finally, an unfulfilling, predictable conclusion.

Monroe is terrific, of course, playing a character rich with honesty, integrity, and support for her theatre company. Amanda is not looking for a sugar daddy or a meal ticket and is content to while away the days doing what she loves on stage.

The film’s highlights occur when Monroe performs in showy outfits sparkling with glitter and color, oozing with sex appeal. Visually, she does not look as good as she did five years prior, appearing washed out and tired, but this can be attributed to knowing the personal turmoil she was in.

Numbers like the Cole Porter song “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” and the title track, “Let’s Make Love,” are moderately memorable and, because Monroe performs them, are worth hearing.

It’s also cool to see exterior shots of New York City in the early 1960s grace the screen, and the backdrop of a low-key theatre is appealing.

I couldn’t help but find Clement’s character harshly unlikable and incapable of sympathy. We are asked to root for a rich man who wants a loving woman but doesn’t treat others very well.

When female staff who take dictation are called into his office, he isn’t particularly warm to them. His assistant, Alexander Kaufman, played by Tony Randall in a tepid performance, caters to Clement’s every whim but isn’t treated kindly in return.

In fact, the irritation is increased because the character of Tony Danton, Amanda’s boozy co-star, is very likable and a perfect match for Amanda.

Why the writers decided Clement and Amanda were better suited for each other is a mystery we’ll probably never figure out.

The biggest mistake is the lack of chemistry between Clement and Amanda, who have none. On the other hand, in the few scenes they share, Tony and Amanda have a tremendous connection.

What a missed opportunity.

Besides the main storyline, there is a silly side story about financing the production and a pissing match over who controls the theatre and its show. This was terribly unnecessary and would have been better if Amanda had been given her own side story, or better yet, a triangle between Amanda/Clement/Tony.

Troubles surrounded the production with various starts and stops, restarts, and proposed reshoots. This affects the film’s look and feel, and it’s apparent that the pacing is terribly uneven.

Even the incorporation of big stars like Milton Berle and cameos by Gene Kelly and Bing Crosby does nothing for the film.

It’s hard to believe that, aside from the outfits and musical numbers, George Cukor directed the film, since he would direct the sensational My Fair Lady in 1964.

Since I adore Marilyn Monroe, I desperately wanted to like Let’s Make Love (1960), but didn’t. The misplaced characters, the lukewarm pacing, and missed opportunities for a better story led to boredom and disappointment.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Score

2025 Films, Comedy, Drama, Sports

Marty Supreme-2025

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Marty Supreme-2025

Director Josh Safdie

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’Zion

Scott’s Review #1,519

Reviewed February 19, 2026

Grade: A

At a mere thirty years old, Timothée Chalamet has already amassed some terrific film roles in Call Me By Your Name (2017), Wonka (2023), and A Complete Unknown (2024).

Portraying unique and offbeat characters is his sweet spot. 

Playing Marty Mauser in the film Marty Supreme (2025) is his best performance to date. He seamlessly turns a character the audience should dislike into an instant fan favorite who we laugh with, cry with, and root for to overcome life obstacles.

He is a nobody who desperately wants to be a somebody.

While Chalamet leads the charge, he is aided by strong supporting performances from Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, and Fran Drescher as characters who weave into Marty’s web of adventures.

Even actors appearing in only a few scenes are flawlessly cast, providing an authentic look at working-class and affluent white Jewish people in New York at the time.  A racial harmony is also set by including a handful of black characters as dear friends of Marty’s.

Set in 1950s New York City, Marty is a young man with a dream of becoming the world’s best table tennis player, despite setbacks and a lack of respect for the sport.

With a needy mother (Drescher), two different on again off again girlfriends who are both married, one a childhood buddy and one twice his age (A’zion and Paltrow), a pathway to a dull career as a shoe salesman, and a tumultuous relationship with a successful businessman (played by Kevin O’Leary), the cards in life are stacked against him.

Yet, Marty consistently manipulates his way to a free trip to London and Tokyo, and several get-rich-quick schemes to get what he wants and to fulfill his lifelong dream.

Acting is only a part of the overall success of Marty Supreme. Thanks to Josh Safdie’s (Good Time, 2017; Uncut Gems, 2019) superior direction, all technical capabilities are flawlessly executed, and an unpredictable story is achieved.

The pacing is quick and organized, leaving never a dull moment in nonstop Marty adventures. Sequences like the search for a lost dog portray perilous moments of danger as the dog becomes a more prominent character than expected.

The editing is superior, making the fast-paced table tennis sequences both thrilling and exhausting. The quick dialogue, whether during phone conversations, in a dusty theater, or in an exquisite hotel room, all add up to a tight package of filmmaking.

Finally, the costumes and art direction more than adequately showcase a period when a few Americans were affluent. At the same time, the rest struggled to make ends meet while pursuing their own version of the American dream.

I’ve been a fan of Safdie since he was an up-and-comer making the independent film Good Time with his brother Benny, and he has since come into his own with the grizzled crime thriller Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler.

Seeming to enjoy the New York setting in his films, just like director Paul Thomas Anderson prefers sunny California, he is steadily making his films highly recognizable.

Continuing on the theme of good film balance, Safdie incorporates naughty scenes like Marty’s humiliating bare bottom spanking in front of snickering businessmen, and a daring scene where he goes down on an aging film actress (Paltrow) in Central Park.

This ensures some humor is present.

The haves and have-nots support Marty’s journey. Wanting more than the life his depressed mother or shady friends have, Marty aspires to be in the big leagues. He will lie, cheat, or steal from whomever he needs to to achieve this.

And yet, Marty is kindhearted and humorous in his pursuits. He giggles when he can lounge in a lavish hotel and order room service or shmooze among rich theater types at a grandiose party.

Class distinctions are an important part of the character’s motivation for a better life.

Deservedly recognized with many awards-season accolades, Marty Supreme (2025) is an example of a young director coming into his own, with ample resources to make a gem of a film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Josh Safdie, Best Actor-Timothée Chalamet, Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design

1976 Films, Comedy, Sexploitation

Up!-1976

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Up! -1976

Director Russ Meyer

Starring Raven De La Croix, Robert McLane, Janet Wood

Scott’s Review #1,518

Reviewed February 15, 2026

Grade: B+

A follow-up to the masterpiece Supervixens (1975), sexploitation guru Russ Meyer released Up! (1976), a film in a similar vein with enough bare skin and sexual acts to make even the sexually open-minded blush just a bit.

Ridiculous and titillating beyond belief, the film is meant to be enjoyed for what it is rather than analyzed. Still, despite the sexual escapades of large-breasted women and taut young men, the film achieves a measure of female empowerment through its characters.

As far as Meyer films go, Supervixens, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) are my favorites, but Up! deserves credit for its outrageous and wacky nature alone.

The plot is quite thin, but it kicks off with a man named Adolf Schwartz (Edward Schaaf), who lives in a Bavarian-style castle in Northern California. After an orgy in the dungeon with three women and a man, he is murdered when someone places a deadly piranha fish in his bathtub.

Some time later, Margo Winchester (Raven De La Croix) hitchhikes to the nearby town of Miranda, where she is raped. With assistance from a horny sheriff (Monty Bane), she finds work at a local diner owned by Alice (Janet Wood) and Paul (Robert McLane).

Subsequent hijinks ensue like another rape in a dive bar, countless nude chase scenes and sex in the woods, and a revenge tale involving the child of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun.

Up! and most other Russ Meyer films are for a specific audience only and are not recommended for fans of mainstream cinema. Prudish, uptight individuals, or those expecting a tight story or professional acting will not be satisfied.

However, for an eye-opening or eye-popping experience, sure to leave your mouth agape at some of the raunchy sequences, you will find Up! rather endearing.

Amid the sexuality and chesty scenes are some laugh-out-loud wooden performances, mostly from the lead, De La Croix, though she is also wonderful to watch in her debut film. And considering she had no acting experience when cast, she’s not all that bad.

The best scenes are when she charges through the forest, naked, of course, fleeing a character, Alice, out for revenge. The women trade barbs while playing cat and mouse and occasionally engaging in sex.

A separator from other Meyer films is the incorporation of bisexuality in nearly all circles.

Handsome lead actor, Robert McLane, gets it on with nearly everyone, including Adolf Hitler, who, in hilarious and satisfying form, desires some rear entry.

While hardly a message movie, the inclusion of Hitler and Nazi references reinforces the hypocrisy of the entire movement.

The Paul, Alice, Margo triangle is good fun, especially as the trio briefly lives an idyllic lifestyle serving up hash at their diner, led mostly by Margo and her low-cut uniform.

This harkens back to a similar theme in Supervixens, during a happy sequence involving the central characters.

A Meyer film wouldn’t be a Meyer film without an appropriate dose of gore. A sharp ax comes into play during the latter part of the film after a gang rape goes awry.

The full frontal nudity, both male and female, is rampant and includes The Greek Chorus (Kitten Natividad), who appears nude except for long black boots, and boldly opens the film and appears between scenes to provide narration, plot details, and updates.

Up! (1976) is a fine addition to the Russ Meyer viewing collection and showcases the Pacific Northwest of the United States in an atypical way. It’s fun, silly, and quite refreshing.

2025 Films, Documentary, Independent

The Perfect Neighbor-2025

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The Perfect Neighbor-2025

Director Geeta Gandbhir

Starring Various 

Scott’s Review #1,517

Reviewed February 13, 2026

Grade: B+

The Perfect Neighbor (2025) is an enthralling documentary that will surely please fans of crime scene investigations. Those familiar with the case in question, as I was, will benefit greatly from engagement.

On the other hand, those unfamiliar may be equally mesmerized, having no knowledge of the outcome.

The bottom line is that the project, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, is excellent work across many aspects, including camerawork, story, and raw video footage, most of which was captured on police body cams.

A seemingly minor neighborhood squabble between a white woman named Susan and a black neighbor named Ajike in rural Ocala, Florida, escalates into a fatal shooting, with Susan ultimately killing Ajike.

The film chronicles the lead-up period from 2022 to June 2023, when the shooting occurs. We see from repeated 911 calls and complaints that Susan regularly reported neighborhood kids being noisy or playing on or around her property.

Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews are largely used throughout the documentary to show the progression of the incident and questioning by the police detectives following the shooting.

Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law, which allows someone who is fearful for their life to defend themselves using a firearm, is showcased in the final segment since it was used as a defense.

The case was high-profile in the United States.

As a disclaimer, Gandbhir is the victim’s sister-in-law’s best friend, so the perspective is from Ajike and her family more than Susan’s.

Emotional sequences, such as when Ajike’s kids are told that their mother has died, are heartwrenching and tremendously effective. Later, anger erupts when Susan is allowed to return home amid shouts from Ajike’s family members.

Susan, who is heavily featured, is not meant to elicit sympathy, though once or twice I did feel sorry for her. Yes, she is the neighborhood nuisance and inexplicably calls the cops unnecessarily, but is she lonely, or does she feel left out?

Would Susan have accepted an invitation to a neighborhood barbecue?

Gandbhir might have delved a bit more into Susan’s personal life, but the intention feels more like making it clear she is a piranha.

At one point early on, Susan proclaims to be a doctor, but the claim is never confirmed or denied.

I would have liked to have known more about Susan. At one point, a female friend briefly appears.  Was Susan married? Did she work? Was she actually a doctor? If so, what led her to a poor neighborhood?

Despite the filmmakers’ slanted viewpoint, whether justified or not, the end product is visually exceptional. The use of police cams and raw footage makes the viewer feel like an observer in the action, almost as if they are there in real time, standing alongside the cops and hearing witness accounts.

The production, direction, and editing are the documentary’s sweet spot and are technically excellent.

Beginning with a brief snippet of the fateful night, we then go back to the first complaint, and the documentary is henceforth chronological.

Most scenes are interviews with the participants, which makes it interesting to determine who is right or wrong and for the viewer to assess who is to blame. Or are multiple parties to blame? We merely see the aftereffects of the altercations, not the altercations themselves.

The message of The Perfect Neighbor (2025) is to question the systemic failures and uncertainties of the American legal system and to determine whether racism was a factor in a horrific small-town event or in the Florida stand-your-ground law itself.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Documentary (won)

1970 Films, Horror

Savage Intruder-1970

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Savage Intruder-1970

Director Donald Wolfe 

Starring Miriam Hopkins, John David Garfield, Gale Sondergaard

Scott’s Review #1,516

Reviewed February 9, 2026

Grade: B+

A cult subgenre of horror, disparagingly called hag-horror, made a modest name for itself throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s.

Thanks in large part to the surprise success of the cult classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? starring Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in 1962, this encouraged other stalwart actresses, well past their prime, to seek a sliver of career rejuvenation, or at least to keep themselves in the game.

Savage Intruder (also known as Hollywood Horror House) is a 1970 American psychological horror film that is clearly influenced by Baby Jane, borrowing its central plot point and a similar setting.

Unclear why the little-known film warrants two separate titles, my preference is for the latter, though the former seems to be the main title.  Hollywood Horror has a more dramatic flair and is more true to the storyline than the more generic-sounding Savage Intruder.

The film also has similarities to the 1950s film Sunset Boulevard, which features an aging actress oblivious to Hollywood’s harsh realities and enamored with a younger man.

An injured, alcoholic movie queen who uses a wheelchair, Katharine Packard (Miriam Hopkins), lets a mutilator named Vic (John David Garfield) move into her Hollywood mansion as her personal assistant and nurse.

Vic intends to insinuate himself into Katharine’s good graces and take control of her estate. Katharine’s other staff, secretary Leslie (Gale Sondergaard), housekeeper Mildred (Florence Lake), and cook Greta (Virginia Wing), become suspicious of Vic and try to thwart his devious efforts.

But will any or all of them fall victim to his schemes?

The main attraction is Hopkins, who was a relatively big star in the 1930s and 1940s, even receiving an Oscar nomination for 1935’s Becky Sharp. She was also a rival of Bette Davis.

A similar role to Crawford’s disabled Blanche in Baby Jane, Hopkins is believable as a vulnerable woman who has battled alcoholism but is wise enough to know it is her undoing. After all, falling down the stairs while drunk is the reason she needs care at all.

In Katherine’s case, she also desires a man’s affections and hopes against hope that Vic likes her for who she is, not just her money. Hopkins channels this emotion well, as many older women can relate to her predicament.

She is also a good enough actress to portray fear and vulnerability convincingly, without making the character a nitwit or too melodramatic.

John David Garfield, while not a terrific actor, is convincing enough to make the audience half believe that, as a kid, watching his mother participate in an orgy was enough reason to chop her partners to bits.

The statuesque mansion high atop the Hollywood Hills is grandiose and a perfect setting for this type of film. Shots of characters peering from window to balcony or tiptoeing up or down a stairway ooze mystery and danger at every turn.

We know that Vic will try to off Leslie, Mildred, and Greta in no particular order, so the fun is in the whodunit vein. A fan of chopping off body parts, we wonder who will lose limbs.

Donald Wolfe, a director I am unfamiliar with, is careful not to make the film too campy and ridiculous, and he largely succeeds. With a good blend of suspense, mostly involving when Vic will jump out at Katherine or one of the supporting characters, there is a perilous feeling.

Of course, some hokey moments transpire, as when a mannequin is believed to be Katherine despite a waxy shape and a different hair color. Or, when Vic makes it appear that Katherine is in her room when she really isn’t, and nobody has the wherewithal to check on her.

There’s also an amateurish quality to the amputation scenes that reminds me of H.G. Lewis’s gore-horror films.

But enough fun is incorporated into the film to make it a success, and the ridiculously juvenile appendage-chopping sequences are humorous enough not to be taken too seriously.

Savage Intruder (1970) is a forgotten relic that has superior acting, a good pace, and nice Los Angeles elements, making it an enjoyable entry into the hag horror genre.

2025 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama

Train Dreams-2025

Train Dreams-2025

Director Clint Bentley

Starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy

Scott’s Review #1,515

Reviewed February 4, 2026

Grade: A-

Train Dreams (2025) offers a character-driven approach to filmmaking that is also wonderfully cinematic, thanks in part to Clint Bentley’s direction.

Bently also wrote and produced 2023’s Sing Sing, but I think Train Dreams is the superior effort in terms of visuals alone. Adolpho Veloso is the film’s lead cinematographer and deserves major praise for the gorgeous look the film achieves.

The tone is often serene and quiet, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the scenes’ tranquility without making the film drag. Landscapes, forests, and luminous sunsets are featured, providing an environmentally ubiquitous experience.

Will Patton narrates the film.

Train Dreams begins around 1917 and recounts the life of Robert Grainier, fantastically portrayed by Joel Edgerton, an example of an actor/director who continues to choose quality projects.

This may be his best role yet.

Robert begins life as an orphan, arriving in the desolate town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, where he works aimlessly as a logger until he meets Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones). They marry, build a log cabin along the Moyie River, and have a daughter, Kate.

When tragedy strikes, Robert must reassess his life and purpose as he grows older and the years pass aimlessly by. Through the elements, he recognizes both beauty and brutality during his life-altering events and the redundancy of everyday life.

The scenes featuring Edgerton and Jones are the warmest and most touching. The pair shares a strong chemistry made more palpable because Robert is forced to leave his family for a portion of the year for work. Their joy at each reconciliation is apparent, with golden sunsets enveloping the happy couples’ most memorable moments.

Years later, Robert meets another woman named Claire (Kerry Condon), a Forest Service worker who is nearly a doppelganger for Gladys. We tenderly see the progressive, fearless woman Gladys might have become decades later, had she not been in a terrible accident.

Edgerton, the standout performer, easily displays his emotions on his face. Though tortured, he is also a dreamer and a kindly man, as proven when he is disturbed by an immigrant who is shot and killed, and an older man who has dementia.

There is an overall intimacy to Train Dreams that the audience can grasp. Robert’s frequent visions of Gladys, Katie, and the immigrant both disturb and comfort him as he evaluates his usefulness over his decades on Earth.

For a viewer like me who lives in a city, Train Dreams was an important reminder to appreciate the small, silent things in life, such as birds, grass, and trees. So easily overlooked, these elements remain long after the self-important human beings pass through.

I asked myself when the last time I was in a forest was, and I couldn’t come up with an answer.

Intricate sequences of spinning trees, with shifting focus, further enhance the creativity of the cinematography and production design.

The message Bentley creates also appears to be a comparison of the peace America once had, now tarnished by political discord, corruption, and chaos, which has destroyed most of its serenity.

But that’s a different conversation.

Above all, Train Dreams (2025) taught me not to get so hung up on stress and the rat race, but to put the brakes on from time to time to appreciate what really matters.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, “Train Dreams”

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 3 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Director- Clint Bentley (won), Best Lead Performance- Joel Edgerton, Best Cinematography (won)