The Rocky Horror Show (Broadway) (2026)

Roundabout Theater's production of Rocky Horror at Studio 54 starts from the moment you walk in. The decor of the theater looks like a Spirit Halloween threw up all in there. There are these garish green lights all over. There are mannequins and castles and a working bathroom right next to the sage. It's all in such bad taste, it's the height of camp. It carries into the set and the costumes and everything but it had me snickering before the curtain even went up. 

Even though I wasn't particularly familiar myself, thankfully much of the audience belonged to the cult of Rocky Horror. It's interactive, with some call and response. They bring up audience members to dance the time warp. The show is a lot of fun, a nice reminder what a night at the theater can be. Luke Evans plays transvestite Frank-N-Furter; I didn't know he had it in him but he's fabulous. I know Stephanie Hsu from Everything Everywhere All At Once, but she's a great theatrical musical actress. Rachel Dratch plays the droll narrator in her characteristic way, similar to the maid she played in High Spirits. I really liked the unrecognizable but vocally distinct Amber Gray too. And Juliette Lewis's opening (and closing) number as Usherette is seductive.  The second act is wild nonsense but Dammit Janet, who cares when it's this fun.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

I think Disney actually did an enchanting job with this remake of the (Oscar Best Picture-nominated) original. The acting and casting is spot on. Specifically, Emma Watson is simply divine. She's beautiful and charming and who knew she could sing? Her voice actually sounds very pure. She is helped greatly by the new orchestrations, modernizing the familiar tunes. Emma Thompson is fine as Mrs. Potts but I don't think her rendition of the title song can match the iconic Angela Lansbury. There are some new songs in addition to the old classics. And they're all quite good. There is a noticeable amount of diversity among the villagers and even some interracial couples, though in provincial France they were surely all white. Disney of course had the controversy with Josh Gad's flamboyantly gay Le Fou, but it was actually surprisingly tame. They're making a big deal out of nothing. And Josh Gad is perfect for Le Fou. Besides, shouldn't Le Fou be gay? It's really just reading a little deeper into his character. The one casting I wasn't crazy about was Dan Stevens for beast. I have to admit, I did not recognize him or his name, but it's Matthew from Downton Abbey! His face is only in a small portion of the film, but the big reveal at the end was shocking. He looked to pretty with his golden locks to be taken seriously. It was like a joke ripped from the cover of a romance novel. If Disney was really trying to push boundaries, the prince would've been black.

Visually, the castle and costumes are quite stunning. The Be Our Guest sequence is just like the original. I, personally, had a problem seeing the detail though. I don't know if it was the movie or me, but every time the camera moved, everything looked blurry. I couldn't make out any of the lines. It felt like watching a 3D movie without the glasses on sometimes. Maybe it was filmed in 3D? There are definitely 3D versions being shown, but we had a 2D screening in a large cinema in Dublin.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

A big improvement over its predecessor, but not quite as good as the original trilogy.  I'm still a little miffed that the very thin Hobbit was split into three movies.   This middle movie takes us almost to the end of the book.  And yet, I bet the third installment will be another three hour saga.  For the amount of plot that occurred,  the movie was just too long.

That being said,  there were some exhilarating scenes such as the one in which the dwarves and Bilbo are "barreling" down the river with the orcs and elves in pursuit.  Of course,  what we have all been waiting for was Smaug,  the fire-breathing Sherlock-voiced dragon.   He is certainly an incredible sight to see.   Peter Jackson's higher, realer frame rate shines in these scenes.   The visuals are enough to hold us over till the big Battle of the Five Armies.