Eden

2025 Vertical

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 9min

Adventure ~ Drama ~ Survival ~Thriller ~ True Story

Starring: Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, and Richard Roxburgh.

Inspired by the accounts of those who survived.

If you go to google maps, wherever you are at, zoom way out until you see the continents. Then locate South America and on the northern left side you’ll see Ecuador and the equator line running through it headed west over the ocean. Slowly zoom in on Ecuador, follow the equator to the left, and they will start to appear, the first name you see will be Puerto Ayora, a city on the Island of Santa Cruz. Followed by the city of Seymour on Santa Cruz, Isla Isabela and then the thirteen main islands of The Galapagos Islands. At the bottom of the Galapagos in the center you will find the small island of Floreana, Isla Floreana. It was here in 1929 that a disillusioned Dr. Friedrich Ritter and his patient turned companion, Dore Strauch came all the way from Germany to escape the rising tide of Fascism, Adolf Hitler and The Nazi Party.

It was here in 2015 that Ron Howard came to vacation with his family and became fascinated with the story of the first eight settlers on Floreana Island and the drama, intrigue and unsolved mystery of what transpired between 1929 and 1934. The Wittmers, Heinz, Margaret and their son Henry arrived in Floreana in August 1932, also from Germany, and Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet and her two lovers, Rudolf Lorenz & Robert Phillipson arrived in October 1932. At the end of 1934 only Heinz, Margaret and their son Henry remained, Baroness Eloise and Robert Phillipson had vanished without a trace, Rudolf Lorenz’s mummified body was found on the northern island of San Cristobal, Friedrich Ritter had died mysteriously of food poisoning and Dore Strauch had fled back to Germany.

It is a mystery to this day what transpired on the island between the seven adults that ended with two dead and two missing. Dore Strauch wrote a book published in 1936 titled Satan Came to Eden: A Survivor’s Account of the “Galapagos Affair”, and Margaret Wittmer wrote a book published in 1959 titled Floreana: A Woman’s Pilgrimage to The Galapagos. Both books have different accounts as to what actually transpired on the island. There is a 2013 Documentary titled The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden that features photos and film footage of the inhabitants of the island. It also includes a 4 minute Silent short film filmed on the island featuring Baroness Von Wagner and Robert Phillipson, titled The Empress of Floreana.

The title alone is a clue to the drama that transpired on the island after the Baroness’ arrival. Dr. Ritter and Dore had come to the island to escape humanity, and did so living like Robison Crusoe, surviving off the island completely isolated from any other human beings. The Wittmer family changed that but Dr. Ritter, Dore and the Wittmer’s managed to keep their distance and co-inhabit the small island. It was the Baroness’s arrival with her two lovers, along with the intention of building a huge luxury hotel for the millionaires in their yachts who frequently passed by the island, that completely changed the dynamic and tore apart Friedrich and Dore’s quiet, isolated Eden.

It is this mystery and dynamic between seven adults isolated on Floreana that Ron Howard has captured in Eden. Well portrayed by Jude Law (Dr. Friedrich Ritter), Vanessa Kirby (Dore Strauch), Daniel Brühl (Heinz Wittmer), Sydney Sweeney (Margaret Wittmer), Ana de Armas (Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet), Toby Wallace (Robert Phillipson) and Felix Kammerer (Rudolph Lorenz), it is a fascinating look at what happened when Satan came to Eden. I think that Ron Howard and the crew did an excellent job bringing this mystery to life. It is a tantalizing, mesmerizing study of man’s desire to be alone, and the temptation and evil inherently bred into man that cannot be constrained, even on a remote island with only eight inhabitants.

Well worth a watch, as is the documentary The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden.

Jurassic World Rebirth

2025 Universal Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 13min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Directed by: David Koepp

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Ed Skrein.

A New Era Is Born

Five years after dinosaurs overran the planet, most species are dying out, except for those surviving on a remote equatorial island where only the toughest creatures remain. Covert ops expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leads a dangerous mission, funded by a big pharmaceutical company, to collect rare dinosaur DNA in hopes of making a life-saving medicine. Zora assembles a skilled team, including her old friend and right-hand man Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), skeptical paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), and confrontational company rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend). Their arrival sparks tension as each brings their own secrets and agendas to the table.

Trouble finds them quickly when a civilian family, the Delgados (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda), become stranded on the island after their boat falls victim to a massive aquatic dinosaur. With the jungle full of both classic predators and wild new hybrid dinosaurs, Zora’s crew and the family are forced into uneasy cooperation—and constant danger. Along the way, young Isabella (Audrina Miranda) forms an unexpected bond with a small herbivore, who becomes a timely ally during tense moments.

The team’s mission pushes them through a gauntlet of close encounters extracting DNA from three different giants, a marine Mosasaurus, a towering Titanosaurus, and a flying Quetzalcoatlus, where not everyone makes it out unscathed. Meanwhile, old secrets and betrayals surface, leading to distrust when Martin’s true motives come under suspicion and a traitor’s actions put the group at risk. Survival means navigating both the deadly prehistoric wildlife and the hidden agendas within their own ranks.

As conditions worsen on the island and dinosaurs begin to mutate, both Zora’s crew and the Delgados race toward the island’s abandoned InGen lab, hoping for rescue. Along the way, they’re stalked by a monstrous new hybrid called the D. rex and threatened by dangerous showdowns between the island’s top predators. Trust is in short supply, with double-crosses and desperate alliances shaping every step of their journey as they battle nature, and each other, in hopes of getting back home alive.

Given the history and the success of previous Jurassic movies, and the star power of Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, I expected more from Jurassic World Rebirth. It fell way short of my expectations quickly. Kudos to Scarlett, Mahershala and the rest of the actors for trying, but this was just too unbelievable, even the dinosaurs themselves were a disappointment. Some of the scenes and situations were just plain silly, there is no way that looked real. I think it was an attempt at humor but it sure didn’t come off that way. Predictable, boring and completely unbelievable……

To be fair I don’t think I have seen any of the Jurassic movies past the second or MAYBE the third Jurassic Park movie. At that time I was like, “Nah, If you’ve seen one Jurassic Movie…you’ve seen them all.” That pretty sums up Jurassic World Rebirth for me, should have been called Jurassic World Regurgitated………..

King Richard

2021 Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 24min

Biography ~ Drama ~ Sports ~ True Story

Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, and Jon Bernthal.

Venus, Serena and a plan for greatness.

King Richard tells the inspiring true story of Richard Williams (Will Smith), a determined father living in Compton, California, who dreams of making his daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) tennis superstars. Richard has a detailed 78-page plan for their success he wrote before they were born. He and his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), who works as a nurse, coach the girls tirelessly while juggling their full-time jobs. Richard works hard to find a professional coach for them, facing numerous rejections from the tennis community skeptical of the family’s background and financial situation.

Eventually, Richard finds coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who agrees to train Venus but not Serena due to costs. As Venus begins to compete and succeed in junior tournaments, Serena secretly enters as well and also impresses. The family faces racism and exclusion in the predominantly white, upper-class sport. When offers from agents come in, Richard fears exploitation and pulls the girls out of the junior circuit, leading to tension with the coach and others who see this as risking their chances of turning pro.

Coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) later takes the family under his wing, leading them to move to Florida for better training opportunities. Richard insists the girls focus on school and training, avoiding early exposure to the pressures of junior competition. Venus expresses her desire to turn pro, causing some family conflict, but Richard eventually supports her. Despite initial struggles, Venus achieves wins in pro matches and attracts attention from major sponsors, with Serena following close behind.

Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) revolutionized women’s tennis and had an enormous impact on the sports world at large. Their achievements include a combined 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, three Olympic golds together, and a legacy as one of tennis’s most dominant sibling duos. Venus reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in 2002, becoming the first Black player to do so, while Serena has held the No. 1 spot for a record 319 weeks, one of the longest reigns in history.

Serena boasts 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and Venus has won seven Grand Slam singles crowns, including five Wimbledons. Their fierce rivalry and partnership broke racial and gender barriers, inspiring countless athletes and transforming the visibility and commercial appeal of women’s tennis globally. Their success symbolizes empowerment, resilience, and excellence, forever altering perceptions of Black women in sport and elevating women’s sports to new heights of public attention and respect.

This is truly an amazing story and movie well acted by Will Smith and the rest of the cast. I have to say that I have had the opportunity to watch this in the past but bypassed it because of the infamous Oscar Slap. I was on my own little Will Smith boycott even though this movie came out before the infamous Oscar affair. When I saw it had just come back to Netflix I decided to give it a watch because of the True Story and Underdog aspect. Those are two of my favorites, the True Stories and The Underdogs who, seemingly against all odds, emerge victorious and come out on top.

Richard had a 78 page plan he wrote out for his two daughters before they were born, detailing every aspect of their lives. How they were going to achieve greatness as tennis players, how they were going to conduct themselves as human beings and he never let doubt or their seemingly insurmountable obstacles of environment, race and gender sway their belief for a second. Even when he battled the violence of the local gangs that threatened his life. Even when everybody told him it couldn’t be done.

Richard Williams, through sheer perseverance, unwavering belief and steadfast determination, raised his daughters to be successful sports prodigies that succeeded beyond anybody’s wildest imaginations, (But Richard’s) and changed the course of Women’s Sports and the world of Tennis forever. It is a testament to the Human spirit and a Prime example of believing in your dreams and willing them into fruition. This is a good one and you should watch it even if, like me, you were on your own Will Smith Boycott.

I saw a video where he was promoting this movie and talked about how he doesn’t make movies anymore to make money. His only objective is to make movies that help and inspire other human beings in some way, it was the reason he made this movie. I personally feel like that is such a wonderful and admirable way of giving back after all his success. After watching this movie and learning that about Will Smith, I have decided to put aside my temporary boycott due to the Oscars fiasco. We all have our moments that we are not proud of, where life forced us to be shown at our worst. Time to let go, live and let live.

Do yourself an inspirational favor and watch this movie, and remember the Will Smith who makes movies like these to inspire and lift us all up………..

The Alto Knights Coming To Amazon Prime Friday November 7, 2025

From Warner Bros. Pictures, “The Alto Knights” stars Academy Award winner Robert De Niro in a dual role, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson.

The film follows two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello (De Niro) and Vito Genovese (De Niro), as they vie for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.

“The Alto Knights” was written by Oscar nominee Nicholas Pileggi (“Goodfellas”) and produced by Oscar winner Irwin Winkler (“Rocky,” “Goodfellas”), Levinson, Jason Sosnoff, Charles Winkler and David Winkler, with Mike Drake executive producing.

De Niro stars alongside Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Cosmo Jarvis (“Shōgun”), Kathrine Narducci (“The Irishman”), Michael Rispoli (“Billions”), Michael Adler (“Peppermint”), Ed Amatrudo (“Till,” “Nashville”), Joe Bacino (“Kick-Ass”), Anthony J. Gallo (“The Irishman”), Wallace Langham (“Ford v Ferrari”), Louis Mustillo (“Cooper’s Bar,” “Mike & Molly”), Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto (“Billions”) and Robert Uricola (“Raging Bull”).

Joining Levinson (“Rainman,” “Dopesick”) behind the camera are Oscar-nominated director of photography Dante Spinotti (“The Insider,” “L.A. Confidential”), production designer Neil Spisak (the “Spider-Man” films, “Dopesick”), Oscar-nominated editor Douglas Crise (“Babel,” “Dopesick”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Bullets Over Broadway,” “Tenet”), award-winning casting director Ellen Chenoweth (“Past Lives”) and composer David Fleming (“Hillbilly Elegy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”).

The Alto Knights streams on Amazon Prime Friday November 7, 2025.

The Unholy Trinity

2025 Roadside Attractions/Saban Films

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 35min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Western

Directed by: Richard Gray

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brandon Lessard.

Three outlaws, one final reckoning.

Justice rides at dawn.

Henry Broadway (Brandon Lessard) arrives in the remote Montana town of Trinity seeking answers after his father is wrongfully executed. Henry’s father was framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and Henry is determined to uncover the truth and clear his family’s name. The town holds secrets that have been buried for years, and Henry quickly learns he’s entering a dangerous web of suspicion and danger.

Sheriff Gabriel Dove (Pierce Brosnan) runs Trinity with a steady but firm hand, trying to maintain order in a rough and lawless town. Meanwhile, a mysterious and menacing figure named St. Christopher (Samuel L. Jackson) stirs trouble, bringing chaos and violence wherever he goes. Henry finds himself caught between these two powerful men as tensions rise and old conflicts resurface.

As Henry digs deeper, he discovers hidden betrayals, a stash of stolen gold, and grudges that threaten to erupt into deadly violence. He must navigate a dangerous path, deciding who to trust and how far he is willing to go to uncover the truth. The stakes grow higher with each secret revealed and each betrayal uncovered. The story builds to a gripping confrontation where Henry’s choices will shape the future of Trinity. The line between friend and foe blurs, and the battle for justice twists and turns up to a suspenseful climax.

The Unholy Trinity combines classic frontier themes with a fresh storyline. Set in the rugged Montana town of Trinity in the 1870’s , the film explores justice, betrayal, and survival through the eyes of Henry Broadway (Brandon Lessard), a young man seeking answers about his father’s mysterious past. The strong performances by Pierce Brosnan as Sheriff Gabriel Dove and Samuel L. Jackson as the dangerous St. Christopher add layers of tension and intrigue, making the conflicts feel personal and real. The film balances action with character-driven drama, offering a modern take on the Western genre. It’s a gripping, atmospheric Western that honors the spirit of the Old West and is well worth a watch!