Dustin Chase

If you like sarcastic, campy humor, Todd Haynes' latest “May December” might be the indie entertainment you have been waiting for. Haynes has never been a “general audience” kind of director. His films are specific, layered and better enjoyed if you know exactly what he is trying to pull off. For instance, when he collaborated with Julianne Moore in “Far From Heaven” (2002), it was to make a modern interpretation of a film by the master of Technicolor director Douglas Sirk. He would redefine the boundaries of a musical biopic with “I'm Not There” where everyone from Richard Gere to Cate Blanchett portrayed a version of Bob Dylan. “May December” is one of his most audacious when considering themes, taboos and his deliberate sarcasm. Debating and working out exactly what the film is saying, is half the fun.

Bradley Cooper is again all hands on deck for his sophomore feature film. Cooper said “A Star is Born” was about Lady Gaga’s voice, and “Maestro” about Leonard Bernstein’s music.

One of the most audacious films of the year might also be one of the most nominated this season. Director today, auteur tomorrow, Yorgos Lanthimos has a reputation for pushing the envelope both in his cinematic choices with what the audience can and will accept. “The Killing of a Sacred Deer," “The Lobster” and “The Favourite” were all divisive in nature and lacking mainstream appeal. While “Poor Things” is ironically his most ambitious film, it's arguably also his most accessible. It's wickedly funny, shocking at times, even grotesque, as it blurs the lines between science fiction (think "Frankenstein") and a Wes Anderson film (an insane attention to detail and nuance). Yet it's Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone's performance that nearly overshadows everything else.

If you like your Christmas films sick and twisted, “Eileen” might be the Hitchcockian film noir you didn’t know you were looking for. From director William Oldroyd, who gave actress

Not sure we needed another “Wonka” film reboot. Although, like chocolate itself, need and want are often confused. Paul King, the director of the adorable “Paddington” films, brings his whimsical

It's that time of year again, the week before Christmas when Hollywood unleashes some of its best films all at once. Except right now you have no time to hit the cinema with Christmas shopping and holiday travel. Both the Golden Globe nominations and Critics Choice Award nominations (to which I vote and belong) have revealed their contenders for the award season, providing additional help on what you should see this weekend.

Unless you live under the Causeway, you've probably noticed or heard something about the 96th Annual Academy Award nominations. Summer films like “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” raking in the nominations along with film festival and critics' darlings “Poor Things," “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Maestro” betting on a boost from all the awards buzz. Buried in the headlines of who got nominated and who didn't, is the infusion of international cinema into this year's lineup.

For better and usually worse, sequels have always been a byproduct of the Hollywood eco system. “The Fall of a Nation” became the first film called a sequel in 1916, following the success of “The Birth of a Nation”. Director Tim Burton's long, and I mean long, anticipated sequel to the 1988 scrappy, weird “Beetlejuice”, ties “Top Gun” with 36 years between the original and “part 2”. A sequel is more of “let's do that again” replication, than say “The Two Towers” or more recently “Dune: Part Two”, which are continuations of one predetermined story. Nostalgia is the latest sequel fad, bringing beloved films from the '80's and '90's back from the dead. Burton and his collaboratives understand the nostalgic selling point, as much from the original film is recreated, built upon and extended, yet it doesn't feel the same. Is “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” just not as good as the original, or is it because we are not pre-teens anymore?

As the fall season creeps in, so do the early award contenders. The end of September offers changing tea leaves for studios and award campaigners, as major film festivals come to a close. Which films got great early reviews, had the most buzz, or won audience awards? The downside to those questions is which films didn't fare so well. That's what the end of September signals. On the one hand, the final Fridays of September can be the last chance for films, that say, are right on the edge. Will dropping them in theaters or on streaming services during a time when there isn't much happening at the box office (unless you are headed to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” again), push them back into the “maybe” category?

Not since “Hell or High Water” or before that Christopher Nolan’s “Insomnia” have we gotten a crime film so equally balanced with suspense, performances and cinematic quality. It should come