It’s been 25 years since Trans-Siberian Orchestra began touring — starting with just seven shows during December 1999, including a date at Detroit’s State Theatre (now the Fillmore Detroit).

The orchestral rock troupe had a hit single, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” and two multi-platinum albums to its credit, but guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli acknowledges that: “We didn’t know if people would come out to see us or not. Records are one thing, selling tickets is another. It was a brave new world.”

Any concerns were quickly dispelled, however, and TSO — founded in 1996 by the late Paul O’Neill and members of the band Savatage — is now a holiday season monolith with two companies that cross-cross North America each November and December presenting pyrotechnic-laden spectacles twice daily in most cities. Last year, the group sold 920,000 tickets and grossed $66.7 million, with $1 per ticket donated to local charities.

And on Nov. 16, meanwhile, the group celebrated its 20 millionth fan in Denver.

For this year’s trek, TSO is commemorating the 20th anniversary of “The Lost Christmas Eve,” the double-platinum third album in its Christmas trilogy, by playing it in its entirety for the first time since 2013, along with other TSO and Savatage favorites. “We like to change it up,” Pitrelli, 62, explains. “The people we see every year — I consider them ‘repeat offenders.’ They’ve made (TSO) a part of their holiday tradition. They love the stories and they want to come in and be comfortable and familiar, but we want to keep them on their heels as well and do something different.

“So we change it up enough, musically, to make it interesting, and with the advances in technology, what the crew can do now is unbelievable compared to the last time we did it. It’s new but very familiar, which is the balance I like to keep.”

The year’s TSO tour wraps up on Dec. 30, and Pitrelli says ideas for next year’s production are already being discussed. Meanwhile, there’s the perennial question of new TSO recordings, as O’Neill had begun work on several projects before he died in 2017.

“It’s the biggest punch in the gut ever when you lose a family member like that,” Pitrelli explains. “We’re still catching our breath and continuing his legacy. Paul left us a lot of demoed work, half-started things we want to kick the tires on and bring to life.

“We’ll get to it. I wish I could tell you, ‘There’s these three songs that are gonna come out’ but, no, not yet. All of us … the question we always ask is ‘What would Paul do?’ We were all fairly well trained by him, but at the end of the day, it’s about him and honoring his vision, so we’re taking our time to make sure it’s right.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit.  313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

• Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley will be back in the Detroit Rock City groove at 7:30 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• Poor Player celebrates the release of a new album at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Joe Serrapere and Mike Galbraith also perform. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Sidepiece, Botex and Sillygirlcarmen man the decks in Building 6 at the Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay St, Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 248-434-7699 or paxahau.com.

• The Beastie Boys tribute Imposters in Effect hosts a “Fake Ass NYE Party” at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.

• Drummer Jeff Canady and his band hold forth through Saturday, Dec. 28 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.

• Trumpeter Karim Gideon and his Quartet play through Saturday, Dec. 28 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Virtual: Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros — including Detroit native Don Was — livestream at 7:30 p.m. from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and also on Saturday, Dec. 28 as well as Dec. 30-31 via nugs.net.

• Virtual: Kitchen Dwellers play at 8 p.m. from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, for subscribers to nugs.net.

• Virtual: “Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs,” hosted by Mickey Guyton and Gayle King and spotlighting award-winning tunes by Adele, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, the Doobie Brothers and more, airs at 9 p.m. on CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit) and Paramount+.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

• Homegrown rock favorite Sponge will plow through at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Bane, Koffin Cats, Throw Rag and Bill Kozy and His Rising Force are among nearly three dozen acts playing as part of a Black Christmas festival at 3 p.m. throughout the Majestic complex, 4120-4140 Woodward Ave. 313-833-9700 or majesticdetroit.com.

• Michigan favorite Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers bring a joyful noise to the Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.

• Rapper Jahshua Smith celebrates the release of his new album, “But I Do,” at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Joe Serrapere and Mike Galbraith also perform. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Jim McCarty & Mystery Train keep the blues rockin’ at 8:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Turner Porter, 800cc and four others play a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• Tribute acts The Nightmare (Alice Cooper) and Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin) rock at 8 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• Crossroads Celli offers a night of between-holidays Celtic fare at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Virtual: Twin Atlantic’s “Meltdown: Live in the Studio” documents the Scottish alt-rock band during the recording of its latest album, in Glasgow, at 3 p.m. Tickets via veeps.com.

• Umphrey’s McGee plays at 10 p.m. and again on Sunday, Dec. 29, from Denver, for subscribers to nugs.net.

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

• MJ Live pays tribute to Michael Jackson at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• RJ Spangler and James O’Donnell’s All-Stars play a 3 p.m. matinee, followed by the Leftovers Jaxx Sextet at 7 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• The In The Tradition ensemble blends styles at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Virtual: Icelandic singer Laufey hosts “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” at 3 p.m. Tickets via veeps.com.

• Virtual: The Decemberists hold a Veeps Watch Party at 8 p.m., via veeps.com.

• Virtual: Billy Strings livestreams at 8:30 p.m. from New Orleans, for subscribers to nugs.net.

• Virtual: “Grammy Greats: The Most Memorable Moments,” hosted by Jimmy Jam and Gayle King and featuring performances by Dua Lipa, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Keith Urban, St. Vincent and more, airs at 9 p.m. on CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit) and Paramount+.

• Pianist Jon Cleary performs at 10:30 p.m. from the legendary Tipitina’s in New Orleans, for subscribers to nugs.net.

Waterford Township may have a new supervisor but Anthony Bartolotta has promised to continue a path set by predecessor Gary Wall over the last 12 years.

In 2024 alone, the township debuted a new master plan, saw growth in the business community and received the most requests for permits to raise backyard chickens since the ordinance was approved.

Residents approved a 21-year $36.4 million bond for a new community center. The township purchased part of the former OCC Highland campus for the new site. Community center planning included a deal with the school district for the township to take charge of the senior center.

New community center is in Waterford Township’s future after voters approve 21-year bond

Public transit, first introduced with routes by the Western Oakland Transit Authority in 2020, now includes multiple SMART bus trips on weekdays and Saturdays.

The business climate also looks bright: By June, for example, four of the township’s six approved marijuana shops had opened. The other two requested extensions and were denied. In September the township reached a milestone of 12 approved short-term rentals, after a regulating ordinance was passed in 2023.

Waterford Township marijuana licensee asks for more time

DTE Energy opened its new service center on part of the former Summit Mall site.

The township’s director of development, Jeffery Polkowski told The Oakland Press earlier this year that he expected more than 70 business applications in 2024, which would exceed 2023 figures.

Four Waterford businesses get special approvals

The township’s master plan, updated this year, includes a long-term strategy to revitalize the Drayton Plains community to create a walkable Main Street-style area along Dixie Highway.

A master plan helps township officials determine best places for future development, including transitional areas between neighborhoods and business, and is a guide for best land-use practices related to environmental issues, transportation, public services and facilities.

Management change planned at Waterford Township senior center

Today is Thursday, Dec. 26, the 361st day of 2024. There are five days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami with waves up to 100 feet (30 meters) high, killing an estimated 230,000 people.

Also on this date:

In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first Black boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.

In 1941, during World War II, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

In 1966, Kwanzaa was first celebrated.

In 1990, Nancy Cruzan, a young woman in an irreversible vegetative state whose case led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the right to die, died at a Missouri hospital.

In 1991, the USSR was formally dissolved through a declaration by the Supreme Soviet.

In 2006, former President Gerald R. Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93.

In 2021, South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu died at 90; the retired archbishop had been an uncompromising foe of apartheid and a modern-day activist for racial justice and LGBTQ rights.

Today’s Birthdays:

• “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh is 79.
• Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 77.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 70.
• Humorist David Sedaris is 68.
• Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 61.
• Actor-musician Jared Leto is 53.
• Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 45.
• Actor Beth Behrs is 39.
• Actor Kit Harington is 38.

CLARKSTON – Nothing could have been a better holiday present for Clarkston than getting a win over one of the top teams in the state, Detroit U-D Jesuit, on its own hardwood last Saturday.

And for at least one half, it seemed totally plausible.

Call it a consolation stocking stuffer then that hanging around with a D1 frontrunner could provide the gift of belief.

“We talked to our guys about that,” Clarkston head coach Tim Wasilk said after the 65-52 defeat, which was just a two-point game midway through. “If we can do it for two quarters, we should be able to do it for four.”

That didn’t necessarily make the loss any easier in the moment.

“The message is that we can play with at team like that,” said Clarkston senior John Kaul, who poured in 24 points just several days prior in a win over West Bloomfield, but finished with only four against the Cubs. “Like me, I’ve got to hit shots. That’s my fault. And we’ve got to take care of the ball. That’s kind of the problem in the second half. It led to them getting ahead, and we couldn’t really get back. It’s hard to come back against a team like that down 10-plus in the fourth.”

It’s that first part, though, that proves the big picture isn’t long amongst players even in the face of immediate disappointment.

In that big picture, Kaul is a major piece of this year’s bunch that began 6-0, the best start for Clarkston since it won a state title back in 2016-17.

With more games like that one against the Lakers, there’s a chance Kaul cracks the program’s top-10 for career 3-pointers made, one that includes Foster Loyer (first with 272), Dugan and Dane Fife, and Waslik himself. He has size around him with 6-foot-6 senior Quinn Rosenberg, who had 15 points himself in that West Bloomfield win, and 6-8 junior Hayden Flavin, who is bound to post a few double-double stat lines before the year is through. There’s production throughout the rest of the lineup as well in Hayden Barrow and Cole Charter (team-high 17 pts. against Jesuit).

There appears to be some nice complementary pieces on the bench developing, too.

“We only lost one game in the summer, two in the fall, so our kids gained a lot of confidence,” Waslik said. “Our six-through-eight guys are sophomore (Ace Walters), freshman (Shane Dasuqi), sophomore (Max Harmon); we didn’t have those guys last year. They’re three new pieces bringing really good minutes.”

Since winning that Class A title, the Wolves have had some good teams, though probably none better than when they went 21-1 before COVID cut their run short of a district championship. They’ve won four in as many years between then and now.

“We’ve had some good teams, and we could have made a run that COVID year, which was tough,” Waslik said. “We’ve had three regionals where, we’ve lost to St. Mary’s right in the last possession, Catholic Central in the last minute, Adams in the last three minutes. We’re right there knocking on the regional door and haven’t been able to break through. We’ve been in those battle, it’s been good, and now we’ve kind of regrouped here.”

Tradition that dates back even further than those district titles continues to fuel these Clarkston players. “That was my childhood, going to those games,” Kaul said. “I think it’s inspirational to all of us. When we were little, seeing those teams going that far, seeing Foster, CJ (Robinson), our assistant coach, and how they played. They’re just an inspiration to us to do the same thing and work hard.”

Photo gallery from Clarkston vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit boys basketball action

There's another more immediate goal Clarkston has in mind as well: a league title. Everyone is well-aware that the last time the Wolves added one to the banner was 2020, the 14th they had won in a row.

"We want more than just a district this year," Kaul said. We want to win the league. We haven’t done that in a while, since I’ve been here. One of our biggest goals is to win the Red."

Wins over Ferndale and West Bloomfield have the Wolves 2-0 to begin their slate of games in the Red. And though it may have spoiled the unbeaten start, last weekend's loss should help prepare them in the long run to try and add a "25" or two to that banner in Dan Fife Fieldhouse.

"Credit to Ferndale, North Farmington, West Bloomfield; there's been some really good teams in the league, and the talent level's been good," Waslik said. "But it's something we've talked about, we'd like to compete for a league title. We know it's gonna be tough, but we think we've got a team that can do it."

DETROIT (AP) — At the beginning of November, the Pittsburgh Panthers were 7-0 and dreaming of finishing the season in the College Football Playoff.

Instead, they were spending their Christmas in Detroit.

Pitt went 0-5 in November, losing to SMU, Virginia, Clemson, Louisville and Boston College before accepting an invitation to the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Thursday at Ford Field, where they face Toledo.

The Panthers have made this trip before, beating Mid-American Conference opponents in Detroit in 2013 (30-27 over Bowling Green) and 2019 (34-30 over Eastern Michigan), but this trip is a little different. More than a dozen players have left the program to enter the transfer portal, and the Panthers will be missing one of their top offensive weapons.

Konata Mumpfield, who caught 52 passes for 813 yards and five touchdowns, is preparing for the NFL draft and won’t be participating in the bowl game. Pitt expects to have quarterback Eli Holstein back after he missed the BC game with an injury sustained against Louisville. Holstein threw for 2,225 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for three more.

Even with the missing players, coach Pat Narduzzi was not treating the game as an afterthought.

“I’m always looking forward, not backward,” he said. “Every win is important, and we want to play the best possible football game.”

Home for the holidays

For Toledo, playing at Ford Field is practically a home game. The drive is only about an hour, and whatever name the bowl game at Ford Field goes by, it often draws some of its biggest crowds when the Rockets are representing the MAC.

“It’s a great opportunity for our fan base to support the team in our last game of the season,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “We could have been out of the country or in one of many distant cities, some of which aren’t easy to get to, but this is accessible and I think our fans are excited.”

One-man attack

With Mumpfield gone, the Pitt offense is fairly simple. Desmond Reid is the team’s leading rusher, with 794 yards and four touchdowns, and he’s now the leading receiver, with 564 yards and four more scores. He didn’t reach 100 yards rushing in any of the five losses to end the regular season, but he did reach triple figures in total yards in three of them and had 99 against Virginia.

There’s not much behind him — Holstein (328) is the only other rusher with more than 250 yards, and wide receiver Kenny Johnson (520) is the only other player with more than 400 yards receiving.

Not much of a ground game

While Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason threw for 2,457 yards and 22 touchdowns, including 949 yards and 11 scores to wideout Jerjuan Newton, they don’t pose much of a threat on the ground.

Connor Walendzak led the team in rushing with 457 yards but scored only once, and Gleason is second with 330 yards. He did score six times, but the Rockets were likely to struggled badly against a Pitt defense that allowed only 3.1 yards per carry and held opponents to 17 rushing touchdowns in 12 games.

Not a heated rivalry

Although Pitt and Toledo are separated by only 230 miles, the football rivalry has never taken off. The Panthers and Rockets have faced each other three times, all between 2002 and 2006.

Pitt won twice at home, including a 45-3 victory in 2006, but Toledo pulled off a 35-31 victory at the Glass Bowl in 2003.

Climbing the record books

If Toledo beats the shorthanded Panthers on Boxing Day, Candle will tie Gary Pinkel’s school record of 73 career victories.

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

Caitlin Clark raised the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA, and Tuesday she was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court.

After leading Iowa to the national championship game, Clark was the top pick in the WNBA draft as expected and went on to win rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers tuned in to follow her journey. Clark’s exploits were far reaching, casting a light on other women’s sports leagues along the way.

A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25 and boxer Imane Khelif was third, getting four votes.

Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to be honored as the female athlete of the year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).

“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honored in this way, is super special and I’m thankful,” Clark said in a phone interview. “It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”

Shohei Ohtani won the AP Male Athlete of the Year on Monday for the third time.

Clark broke the NCAA Division I career scoring record for both men and women finishing her career with 3,951 points while guiding Iowa to its second consecutive national championship game. After her Hawkeyes lost t South Carolina for the title, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley took the mic during her team’s celebration and said, “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport.”

For all the success Clark has had and the attention she has brought to women’s basketball, she is often the centerpiece of debates and online toxicity towards her and other players in the league.

For her part, Clark has disavowed the toxic discourse.

Lobo also has been impressed with the way the 22-year-old Clark has handled the pressure and attention that has come her way.

“I would say she’s navigated it almost flawlessly. she hasn’t had an big missteps or misspeaks at a time you’re under constant scrutiny,” Lobo said. “She’s seemed to say and do all the right things. That’s just incredible at a time when it’s constant attention and scrutiny. She has not done anything to tarnish this sort of mild persona she has.”

As Clark handled the praise — and the backlash — during the heat of competition, it was hard for her to appreciate just what she was able accomplish over the past year. But after having time to reflect on the whirlwind tour, she appreciates those who were there alongside her for the ride.

“I’m thankful for the people I got to do it with,” Clark said. “A year ago I was still in the early part of my senior year in college. … How fast things change, and now I can see how great a college season it was.”

Iowa sold out all of its games at home and on the road with Clark as the main attraction. That momentum continued into the pros. Her No. 22 jersey was prevalent wherever she played during her rookie season and will be retired at Iowa.

“You’d be remiss not to acknowledge how crazy her fan base is and the eyes she gets with everything she does,” said Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was often spotted courtside at Clark’s Indiana Fever games. “It’s a different type of popularity, she’s one of the most popular athletes in the world. It’s not just women’s sports anymore.

“It’s really cool to see and she just handles it with such grace.”

Clark said she enjoys spending time with fans at games, usually taking a few minutes before and after games to sign autographs.

“For me it’s still really fun,” she said. “Whether it’s 15 seconds or 10 seconds or 5 seconds can be very impactful in a young girl and young boys life. Seeing the fans going crazy an hour before tipoff, I never take that for granted. That’s super cool and I never want that to go away.”

After a slow start to her WNBA career, Clark eventually found her stride there too. She set the single-game assist record with 19 and also had 337 assists on the season to break that mark as well. Clark, known for her logo-distance 3-pointers, was the fastest player to reach 100 3’s when she did it in 34 games which helped Indiana reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Lobo, who won the AP female athlete of the year award after lifting UConn to its first national championship, was on the court for launch of the WNBA two years later. The ESPN analyst sees Clark’s ascension as something different.

“She’s brought unprecedented attention both in the building, but also viewership to the sport that was worthy of it but didn’t have it yet,” Lobo said. “There’s never been anything like this.

“That timeframe from 1995-97 was a baby step in the progression of it all. This is a giant leap forward. I’ve never seen anything like this. There’s more attention then the sports ever had.”

The numbers have been record breaking when Clark is part of a broadcast:

— TV viewership in the WNBA was up 300% thanks in large part to Clark with ABC, CBS, ION, ESPN, and ESPN2 all having record viewers when Fever games were on.

— The NCAA women’s championship game outdrew the men on TV for the first time in the sport’s 42-year history with 18.9 million viewers tuning it to watch the event. It was the second most watched women’s sporting event outside of the Olympics in the history of U.S. television.

— The 2024 WNBA draft was the most-watched in league history with 2.4 million viewers.

Clark credits the community of women athletes for the popularity increase of women’s sports, saying “we” did this or “we” did that when asked about it.

“It’s fascinating, you don’t always appreciate how many people 18 million is,” Clark said. “You see that number against a college football game or the Masters or whatever it is as far as the biggest sporting events in our country and it puts it in perspective. We outdrew the men’s Final Four.”

— By DOUG FEINBERG, Associated Press

By Myesha Johnson

The Detroit News

The Madison Heights Police Department is investigating the death of a 60-year-old man found unresponsive on Christmas Eve.

Officers found Robert Cavanaugh on the ground near the 26000 block of Dequindre Road around 7:39 pm Tuesday, the department said in a release.

Police said the city resident appeared to have suffered from blunt force trauma and was transported to Henry Ford Hospital in Madison Heights, where he was pronounced dead.

“Because of the suspicious circumstances, responding officers began an on-scene investigation,” officials wrote.

Officers located and arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for Cavanaugh’s death, according to the release.

The investigation is pending the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office determining the cause and manner of death. The case will be presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family during this tragic time,” police said.

One person is being held in custody following a Christmas Eve shooting that left three people suffering from gunshot wounds in Oxford Township in what investigators called a “major incident.”

One of the victims has died, officials report, in what appears to be a random attack that involved a convicted felon involved in violent confrontations in multiple locations.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said gunfire broke out about 6:32 p.m. Tuesday on Ray Road, between Lapeer and N. Oxford roads.

Responding deputies found three people injured from gunshots. All three were transported to area hospitals.

“Deputies have the suspect in custody and have recovered a gun,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.

Early Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office updated the situation, reporting that one victim had succumbed to their injuries.

“One of the victims of the shooting last night has passed away,” the sheriff’s office stated on its Facebook page. “The other two should be on the road to physical healing.”

In anticipation of coming criminal charges, officials also addressed the nature of the attack while not yet revealing details of the circumstances.

“At this point, it appears that the terrible events of last night were completely random with the suspect just passing through the community when he went off on a violent spree at multiple locations,” the sheriff’s office said. “He is a convicted felon with multiple past weapons offenses and we intend to seek every possible charge against him. He is being held in our jail pending formal charges.”

No further information was released on the suspected shooter or the ages and hometowns of the three victims. Also unknown is the specific motive in the attack.

At 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, investigators said: “We are asking that people stay out of the area while the major incident is being processed. The area is an active crime scene. It is believed there is no further danger to the public.”

Deputies used their patrol vehicles to block access to the scene on Tuesday night. The road has since been reopened.

The shooting scene is just north of Oxford High School, where four students died and seven people were injured in a mass shooting in November 2021. There was no immediate indication the school was in any way involved in Tuesday’s incident.

WDIV-TV (Channel 4) reported a heavy police presence at a nearby Meijer store, but authorities say the shooting did not happen there, and it was just the staging area for first responders.

Neighbors told WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) they heard at least four gunshots

“Well, we were just sitting inside watching a holiday program and we heard four very quick gunshots; I mean it’s pretty distinct when you hear gunshots,” Tom Binkowski, who lives in the area, told the TV station. “It’s Christmas Eve. What are people thinking?”

Binkowski and other neighbors believe the victims may have been helping the shooter, who was off the road in a vehicle, when the shots rang out.

It was unknown when the accused shooter will be arraigned or when further information on the incident will be released.

 

Four Farmington Public Schools teachers were surprised in their classrooms on Friday, Dec. 20,  by Superintendent Kelly Coffin to inform them they were named the district’s Teachers of the Year in their respective levels.

The 2024/25 FPS Teachers of the Year are Joseph Lazzarino of Farmington High School, Susan Kim of Power Middle School, Laura Orlowski of Beechview Elementary School and Lara Ligerakis at Farmington Early Childhood Center.

Lazzorino was nominated as High School Teacher of the Year for his calm demeanor, caring for his students, and having a genuine interest in helping his students succeed.

He is the auto technology teacher at the high school and began teaching at Harrison High School as the Vocational/Auto teacher in 2011. He moved to Farmington High School in 2020 where he currently teaches ninth through 12th grade.

Lazzorino graduated from Siena Heights University with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, and a Masters of Arts in Education/Teacher Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

“He is not only a great teacher but a great person,” said student nominator Jason Kazensky. “It’s always easy to ask questions and you never have to feel worried about falling behind.”

Kim was nominated as Middle School Teacher of the Year for her kindness, respectfulness, welcoming demeanor and desire to help anyone in need.

“I would just like to add that Susan Kim truly is a pillar within Farmington Public Schools and deserves to be honored for her dedication and work done to help students succeed in mathematics and in life,” said nominator Alexandra Borseth.

Kim is an 8th grade math and algebra teacher at Power Middle School.

She started off her career in FPS in 2000 as a third grade teacher at Longacre Elementary and was there until 2009 and then headed to East Middle School as a math teacher. From there, she became a traveling teacher between Power Middle School, Warner Middle School, and Beechview Elementary School until 2018 when she landed solely at Power.

She graduated from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Art degree. She earned her teaching certificate from Eastern Michigan University and continued on to get her Master of Arts in Teaching from Oakland University.

Orlowski was nominated for her enthusiasm while teaching and providing a warm and approachable environment for all of her students.

She teaches fourth grade at Beechview Elementary and has been there her entire teaching career. Laura began subbing with FPS in 1997, and became a full-time teacher at Beechview after earning her Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University, obtaining her Teaching Certificate from Madonna University, and earning her Masters in the Art of Teaching from Marygrove College.

“Laura is truly a wonderful, caring, person deserving of this honor,” said nominator Allison Jesiel.

Ligerakis was nominated for her compassionate, engaging, and over the top dedication to her students.

She is a preschool special education teacher at Farmington Early Childhood Center.

Lara started with FPS in 1998 when she was hired as an SXI teacher at Cloverdale (now closed). She went back and forth as an SXI and SMI (both meaning Severely Mentally Impaired) teacher until 2009, and in 2010 she became an Early Childhood Special Education teacher at the Farmington Community School. She transferred to Alameda, which is now the Farmington Early Childhood Center, in 2016 where she has been ever since.

She graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She then graduated from Oakland University with a Master of Education in Early Childhood.

“Her dedication, patience, and unwavering commitment have touched the lives of students every day,” said nominator Eva McDermott. “She has gone above and beyond to make every child feel valued and showed kindness in every moment. Her impact is truly immeasurable.”

 

 

 

One thing’s for sure about this year’s Planet Antics variety show — you won’t get bored.

The fourth annual celebration of the creative community built around the Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck features a diverse night of entertainment on Saturday, Dec. 28.

Live music? Check, from Detroit favorite Duende and Alison Lewis. Improv? Check, from the Planet Ant Home Team and Soul-Prov’s blend of “R&B, Soul & Fun.” Performance art? Yes, from Hot Talent Buffet. There will be more comedy from the Planet Ant Farm Team and the Independent Comedy Club, videos by Aaron Johnstone and Big Big Baby, and performances from Rouge Reveal, Lilith’s Big Ol’ Golden Show and Midnight Garden.

The evening also includes special episodes of Planet Ant’s monthly blind-dating show Match Made on Stage and the Tapes only live VHS movie-watching series, while Devin Jetski and DJ PP Girlfriend host an after-party.

Festivities begin at 8 p.m. at the theater, 2320 Caniff St. 313-403-1814 or planetant.com for tickets and other information.

Successfully navigating a desire for altruism and maintaining a career is not an easy task, but Oakland University graduate Nicholas Kristock has been doing it for the last eight years.

Kristock is the founder of Fleece and Thank You, a non-profit organization created in 2015 and based in Farmington Hills. Their 6,000 square-foot facility is packed with brightly colored fleece patterns, which are packaged into blanket kits destined for children in hospitals throughout Michigan.

Friends, parents and even corporate groups tie the two-yard kits into fleece blankets and can create their video message for a patient, and ship the kits back to the nonprofit.

Workers then look over each blanket, washing and drying them to meet hospital standards, before sealing and shipping them to area hospitals. Patients receiving the blankets can then respond to the blanket-maker with a video of gratitude.

The organization has grown and adapted over the past eight years, services every children’s hospital in Michigan and employs three full-time staff, 10 part-time and hundreds of volunteers.

HOW IT STARTED

Kristock began volunteering while at OU after he and his soccer teammates started a non-profit to pay to transport young Mormons  for mission trips.

After graduating in 2014 with his master’s degree in Business Administration, Kristock traveled to Australia to continue his soccer career and began working with children’s charities and hospitals there, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I used a ton of my free time to volunteer,” he said of his time in Australia. “How you spend your time is where your heart goes and I started volunteering regularly with kids in the hospitals and serving homeless people on the street.”

He returned to Michigan a year later with hopes of continuing his work with Make-A-Wish but no other plans. Then he talked to his sister, Tara Kristock, a pediatric oncology nurse at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor.

“She asked me if I could make a blanket for one of her patients while I was trying to figure out what to do with my life,” said Kristock.

“I told him that one thing the patients loved when I worked on that unit was the fleece blankets,” said Tara. “Kids would have scheduled chemotherapy appointments and really look forward to being able to take a blanket and make their bed and brighten up their room.”

He made the blanket for her and realized the scope of how many children needed blankets in hospitals around the state and the seeds of Fleece and Thank You were planted.

“I became obsessed with the journey of how you build something from scratch,” he said.

He started in a 2,000 square-foot building in Novi donated by a landscape company and in 2016 signed his first lease for a bigger building, also in Novi.

The owner of that building saw how fast the non-profit was growing and offered Kristock a chance to double his space with a move to their current building in Farmington Hills.

“He was a one-man show at that point. He was running around doing everything on his own, driving all around the area and even storing them at my parents house,” said Tara, now a nurse practitioner working out of a private practice.

Not long after he started the 501(c)3 non-profit, Kristock got the call he had been waiting for since returning from Australia.

Make-A-Wish Michigan CEO Jennifer Connery offered him a position and Kristock was forced to decide between the non-profit he had just created or joining an established non-profit he wanted to work for.

“It was a fork in the road,” he said. “I took the weekend to think about it and called back on Monday and said I feel like I am building what I am supposed to build and turned them down.”

GAINING EXPOSURE

Their first big break in September 2019.

Kristock created a plan to set a world record for the most no-sew fleece blankets made at one event as part of their third annual “Make a Blanket Day.”

When he arrived at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester, he brought enough material for blankets to set the record, but was not sure how many people would participate.

“We anticipated maybe 500 people, but we had over 1,000 over the course of the day,” he said of the eight-hour event. “We had a storm come through that took out some tents, but the skies cleared and the sun came out and we did it.”

After seven hours, Guinness Book of World Records representative Brittany Dunn confirmed the total of 2,107 fleece blankets. All the blankets created that day were later donated to 21 southeast Michigan hospitals.

“Coming out of that, more people knew about us than ever before,” said Kristock. “It was national exposure.”

A CHANGE IN THE MODEL

A few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic altered the non-profit’s trajectory. It was outgrowing the in-person delivery system and had just started an e-commerce model and website when the pandemic hit.

“Every hospital said no more in-person, no more hand-made goods,” said Kristock. “Everyone looked at us and wondered how we were going to make it through at that point.”

They acquired a hospital-grade washer and dryer system, began shipping finished blankets to children in hospitals and holding virtual events.

“Like any good journey, sometimes the detours teach you the most,” Kristock wrote in the May 2020 organization newsletter. “Once things in person started to be shut down or canceled, we immediately switched our model to be able to accommodate remote events.”

BioGreen Michigan deep-cleaned the facility monthly and other safety measures were taken as the non-profit soldiered on.

“All other donations had been cut off (to hospitals),” he said. “We were the one thing that could get to kids that was colorful and safe.”

They emerged from the pandemic with a stronger system and shipped over 14,000 blankets in 2023.

BY THE NUMBERS

Blanket kits are available for a $30 donation on its website. The cost includes purchasing raw materials ($10.20), cutting the fabric to size ($4), plastic bags to package the materials ($0.06), storage ($1.96), labor ($5.79), washing and drying completed blankets ($0.90), a video message patch ($0.75), video message hosting ($0.40), and delivery ($5.94).

In addition to kit sales, the non-profit generates money from an e-commerce site selling its Grateful Human apparel, sponsors and several fundraisers throughout the year.

Requests for blanket kits spike throughout the year, especially around Christmas, during National Volunteer Month in April and Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in January.

“Every single place a kid can go and stay overnight, we are giving blankets to them across the state of Michigan,” said Kristock. “But we work year round and there is always something in the works.”

They also participate in a workforce development program for young adults and adults with various cognitive and physical impairments.

Since it began, Fleece and Thank You has delivered 120,000 blankets, raised over $6 million and held over 5,000 events since Kristock created his first blanket for his sister.

He remains focused on Michigan hospitals, where 80% of blankets made by volunteers are shipped. His goal is to ship 30,000 blankets annually for all pediatric beds in the state.

“I am having a blast. I am living my purpose. I am where I’m supposed to be,” said Kristock. “I have amazing people on my team and it is an honor to work with everyone who is a part of this.”

For more details visit fleeceandthankyou.org.

The following list includes movies available at local theaters, and movies that are available to watch through online streaming and video on demand services including: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu, FandangoNow, Apple TV+, YouTube, Disney+, HBO Max and more.

Showing at theaters

• “A Complete Unknown” (R): Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, the film follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts. Also starring Elle Fanning, Scoot McNairy, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook and Monica Barbaro. In theaters, Dec. 25.

• “Babygirl” (R): A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins an affair with a much younger intern. Starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas. In theaters, Dec. 25.

• “The Fire Inside” (PG-13): Based on the true story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, who trained to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Starring Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Jessica Grossi and Judy Greer. In theaters, Dec. 25.

• “Nosferatu” (R): American gothic horror film remake of the 1922 German film of the same name about an obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her. Written and directed by Robert Eggers, starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon, McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. In theaters, Dec. 25.

• “Mufasa-The Lion King” (PG): New Disney CGI-animated film in “The Lion King” franchise, “Mufasa-The Lion King” is told in flashbacks. The story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. Featuring the voices of Aaron Pierre, Blue Ivy Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

• “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” (PG): Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to fight Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. Starring Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves and Krysten Ritter.

• “Homestead” (PG-13): A former green beret and other survivors take refuge inside an elaborate compound when an attack on America leaves the world in chaos. Starring Neal McDonough, Dawn Olivieri, Bailey Chase and Olivia Sanabia.

• “Kraven the Hunter” (R): Origin story of how Marvel Comics supervillain Kraven the Hunter came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose relationship with his gangster father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance. Also starring Ariana DeBose and Alessandro Nivola.

• “The Lord of the Rings-The War of the Rohirrim” (PG-13): Set nearly 200 years before the events of the original “The Lord of the Rings” films, this prequel tells about an attack on the house of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. Animated, featuring Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto, Christopher Lee and Brian Cox.

• “Y2K” (R): On New Year’s Eve of 1999, two high school juniors crash a party, and then must fight for their lives when Y2K becomes a reality. Starring Rachel Zegler, Kyle Mooney, Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison.

• “Werewolves” (R): Two scientists work to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves. Starring Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ilfenesh Hadera.

• “Queer” (R): Set in 1950s Mexico City, the film follows an outcast American expat who becomes infatuated with a younger man. Starring Drew Starkey, Daniel Craig, Omar Apollo and Jason Schwartzma. In select theaters.

• “Pushpa 2-The Rule”: Pushpa and Bhanwar Singh continue their rivalry in this conclusion to the two-part action drama. Starring Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna and Sritej.

• “Moana 2” (PG): Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated musical reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers.

• “Gladiator II” (R): Years after witnessing the death of hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. Directed by Ridley Scott.

• “Wicked” (PG): Film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, about the untold story of the witches of Oz. This is the first film of a two-part series. Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang.

• “Red One” (PG-13): When a villain kidnaps Santa Claus from the North Pole, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative helps to find him and save Christmas. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Liu.

• “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (PG): Based on the book of the same name, the film centers on the Herdmans, who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. When the six siblings take over their local church pageant, they might unwittingly teach the community the true meaning of Christmas. Starring Lauren Graham, Judy Greer, and Pete Holmes.

• “Venom-The Last Dance” (PG-13): The final chapter of the “Venom” trilogy. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom must make a devastating decision as they’re pursued by a mysterious military man. Also starring Juno Temple, Peggy Lu and Rhys Ifans.

Streaming movies

• “The Six Triple Eight”: (PG-13): Inspired by the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in WWII. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers. Starring Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Susan Sarandon, Sam Waterston, and Oprah Winfrey. Directed by Tyler Perry. Available on Netflix.

• “Carry-On” (PG-13): Action thriller film about a young TSA agent who tries to outsmart a mysterious traveler who has blackmailed him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. Starring Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Tonstiuh, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, and Dean Norris. Available on Netflix.

• “That Christmas” (PG): Animated Christmas fantasy based on the trilogy of children’s books by writer/director Richard Curtis. The film follows a series of tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake. Featuring the voices of Bill Nighy, Brian Cox, Guz Khan, Jack Wisiewski, Zazie Hayhurst, India Brown, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Freddie Spry, and Ava Talbot. Available on Netflix.

• “The Wild Robot” (PG): DreamWorks Animation adaptation of Peter Brown’s #1 New York Times bestseller of the same name. The adventure follows a robot named Roz that is shipwrecked on a deserted island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the native animals, forming a parental bond with an orphaned gosling. Featuring the voices of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, with Mark Hamill, Matt Berry and Ving Rhames.

• “Heretic” (R): Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). Starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East.

• “Juror #2” (PG-13): A juror for a high-profile murder trial finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma that could influence the verdict and potentially convict, or free, the accused killer. Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch, Toni Collette, Gabriel Basso, Francesca Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland, Leslie Bibb and Chris Messina.

• “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” (PG-13): A family gathers on Christmas Eve for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. Starring Sawyer Spielberg, Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher and Lev Cameron.

• “Smile 2” (R): Global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is about to embark on a world tour when she begins experiencing terrifying and inexplicable events, and is forced to face her dark past. Also starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo and Ray Nicholson.

• “Conclave” (PG): Mystery-thriller film based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with participating in the secretive process of selecting a new pope. Surrounded by other religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers secrets that could shake the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church. Also starring Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Carlos Dietz, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto and Lucian Msamati.

• “Terrifier 3″: Third installment in the “Terrifier” horror film franchise with Sienna and her brother struggling to rebuild their lives after surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. Starring David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Samantha Scaffidi and Elliott Fullam.

• “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (R): A Black artist’s path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict. Starring Andra Day, André Holland, John Earl Jelks and Dan Nainan.

• “Here” (PG-13): A generational story about the comings and goings in a house over the course of a century. Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Kelly Reilly and Paul Bettany.

• “The Piano Lesson” (PG-13): A battle between brother and sister over an heirloom piano. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins, Michael Potts, Skylar Aleece Smith, Stephan James, and Erykah Badu. Available on Netflix.

• “Spellbound”: Animated tale that follows the teenage daughter of the rulers of Lumbria as she goes on a quest to save her family and kingdom after a spell transforms her parents into monsters. Featuring the voices of Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane, Tituss Burgess, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman. Available on Netflix.

• “Joy”: Based on the true story behind the ground-breaking birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978, the world’s first ‘test-tube- baby’, and the tireless 10-year journey to make it possible. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Bill Nighy, Charlie Murphy, James Norton, Douggie McMeekin, Rish Shah, and Eoin Duffy. Available on Netflix.

• “Blitz” (PG-13): In World War II London, a 9-year-old boy is sent to safety by his mother. Determined to return home, the boy embarks on the journey, only to find himself in immense peril. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clémentine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman and Sally Messham. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Beetle Juice Beetle Juice” (PG-13): Sequel to the 1988 horror comedy, “Beetle Juice.”  After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River, where Lydia’s rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. Starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, with Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe. Directed by Tim Burton.

• “Transformers One” (PG): Animated prequel to the “Transformers” film series, origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, featuring the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi.

• “We Live in Time” (R): Romance/Comedy film about Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) who are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives.

• “Saturday Night” (R): Comedy/Drama that follows producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and the cast of young comedians and writers as they prepare for the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 11, 1975. Also starring Ella Hunt, Cory Michael Smith and Rachel Sennott.

• “Absolution” (R): An aging gangster attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes of his past. Starring William Xifaras, Josh Drennen, Chanel Rose Connor and Ian Dylan Hunt.

• “Weekend in Taipei” (R): A former DEA agent and an ex-undercover operative rekindle their romance during a weekend in Taipei. Starring Luke Evans, Sung Kang, Gwei Lun-mei and Patrick Lee.

• “Emilia Pérez” (R): Musical/Comedy follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. Starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramírez, and Mark Ivanir. Available on Netflix.

• “Super/Man-The Christopher Reeve Story” (PG-13): The story of Christopher Reeve, from unknown actor to iconic movie star in four “Superman” films and other roles, before a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 left him paralyzed from the neck down. He then became a charismatic leader and activist to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, and an advocate for disability rights and care. Starring Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon and Jeff Daniels.

• “Your Monster” (R): A romantic-comedy-horror film about an actress whose life falls apart. She recovers her voice after finding a terrifying but charming monster living in her closet. Starring Tommy Dewey, Melissa Barrera, Edmund Donovan and Meghann Fahy.

• “Piece by Piece” (PG): Animated documentary about the life of singer/songwriter and record producer Pharrell Williams, told with LEGO animation. Featuring the voices of Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z and Snoop Dogg.

• “White Bird”: A coming of age story, based on R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel, “White Bird: A Wonder Story”. Starring Bryce Gheisar, Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt and Helen Mirren.

• “Joker: Folie À Deux” (R): “Joker” sequel with Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur finds his true love, Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. Also starring Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Zazie Beetz, (Thriller/Musical)

• “Time Cut” (NR): A teenager travels back to the early 2000s to stop a vicious killer from murdering her sister. Starring Michael Shanks, Griffin Gluck, Madison Bailey, Antonia Gentry, Summer H. Howell, Rachel Crawford and Megan Best. Available on Netflix.

• “Megalopolis” (R): A Roman fable set in an imagined modern America with a conflict between Cesar, an artist who seeks a utopian, idealistic future, and Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to the status quo. Starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

• “Here After” (PG-13): Claire is overjoyed when her daughter, Robin, is revived after a nearly fatal accident, yet soon starts to suspect that something dark has followed her daughter back from the brink of death. Starring Connie Britton, Giovanni Cirfiera, Tommaso Basili and Giorgia Trasselli.

• “The Substance” (R): Horror/Sci-fi film that follows Elisabeth Sparkle, (Demi Moore) renowned for an aerobics show, as she is fired on her 50th birthday. A laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself. Also starring Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid and Tiffany Hofstetter.

• “Speak No Evil” (R): When an American couple and their daughter are invited to spend the weekend at a British family’s idyllic country estate, what begins as a dream holiday soon becomes a nightmare. Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough and Scoot McNairy.

• “The Crow” (R): Reboot of the 1994 cult classic of the same name, based on the comic book series by James O’Barr. Soulmates Eric Draven and Shelly Webster are brutally murdered. Eric is given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, and sets out to seek revenge, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead. Starring Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs, Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Karel Dobrý, and David Bowles.

• “Luca” (PG): Animated feature set in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera, about a young boy experiencing a summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. However, the fun is threatened by the secret that he is a sea monster from another world. Featuring the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Giacomo Gianniotti and Emma Berman. Previously released direct-to-streaming on Disney+.

• “Stree 2”: The town of Chanderi is being haunted again with women being abducted by a headless entity. Horror/Comedy film starring Shraddha Kapoor, Tamannaah Bhatia, Rajkummar Rao and Amar Kaushik. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “Deadpool & Wolverine” (R): New superhero film with Marvel Studios characters Deadpool and Wolverine teaming up to defeat a common enemy. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Matthew Macfadyen.

• “Woman of the Hour” (R): Based on the true story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer, whose lives intersect during an episode of The Dating Game. Starring Anna Kendrick, Tony Hale, Jedidiah Goodacre, Kelly Jakle, Daniel Zovatto, and Max Lloyd-Jones. Available on Netflix.

• “Lonely Planet” (R): A young man goes with his girlfriend to a prestigious workshop for writers in Morocco. As their relationship becomes strained, he engages in a romance with a famous, reclusive writer. Starring Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers, Ben Youcef, Bellina Logan and Dillon Lane. Available on Netflix.

• “The Apprentice” (R): Biographical drama about young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) when he started his real estate business in New York in the 1970s and 1980s.

• “My Old Ass” (R): An 18th-birthday mushroom trip brings Elliott face-to-face with her 39-year-old self. Starring Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler and Percy Hynes.

• “Monster Summer” (PG-13): When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their summer fun, a group of friends team up with a retired police detective to save their island. Starring Mel Gibson, Kevin James, Lorraine Bracco and Mason Thames.

• “The Outrun” (R): After living on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past and returns to Scotland’s Orkney Islands where she grew up. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Saskia Reeves and Stephen Dillane. In select theaters.

• “Azrael” (R): Years after the apocalypse, a cult of mute zealots hunts down Azrael, a young woman who escaped imprisonment. Starring Samara Weaving, Vincent Willestrand, Victoria Carmen Sonne and Sebastian Bull Sarning.

• “Cabrini” (PG-13): Based on a true story, an Italian immigrant, Francesca Cabrini, arrives in New York City in 1889, and is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off to convince the mayor and fight to secure housing and health care for immigrant orphans.

• “Hold Your Breath” (R): Set in Oklahoma during the dust storms of the 1930s, a woman (Sarah Paulson) is convinced that a sinister presence is threatening her family. Also starring Amiah Miller, Annaleigh Ashford, Alona Jane Robbins, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Available on Hulu.

• “Never Let Go” (R): Psychological thriller/horror film — as an evil force takes over the world beyond their front door, the only protection for a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons, is their house and their family’s protective bond. Also starring Anthony B. Jenkins, Percy Daggs III and Percy Daggs IV.

• “Alien-Romulus” (R): New sci-fi/horror-thriller of the “Alien” franchise. While scavenging a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers face the most terrifying life form in the universe. Producer Ridley Scott, starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.

• “It Ends With Us” (PG-13): Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) moves to Boston to chase her lifelong dream of opening her own business, and meets a charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). As the two fall in love, she begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. Also starring Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer.

• “Reagan” (PG-13): Drama based on the life of Ronald Reagan, from his childhood to Hollywood stardom to becoming the 40th president of the United States. Starring Dennis Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller, Scott Stapp and Darci Lynne Farmer.

• “Average Joe” (PG-13): Based on a true story, high school football coach Joe Kennedy (Eric Close) finds himself in a fight for religious freedom after he’s fired for publicly taking a knee in prayer after each game. Also starring Amy Acker, Jimmy Gonzales and Paul Rae.

• “Someone Like You” (PG): After the tragic loss of his best friend, a grieving young architect launches a search for her secret twin sister. Starring Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Scott Reeves and Robyn Lively.

• “Lee” (R): Drama based on the true story of photographer Elizabeth `Lee’ Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II. Starring Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard.

• “God’s Not Dead-In God We Trust” (PG): Drama with Rev. David Hill (David A.R. White) running for Congress against an opponent who wants to erase religion from policy. Also starring Dean Cain , Isaiah Washington , Scott Baio and Samaire Armstrong.

• “The Forge” (PG): A young man with no plans for his future, is challenged by his single mom and a successful businessman to start charting a better course for his life. Through the prayers of his mother and biblical discipleship from his new mentor, he begins discovering God’s purpose for his life. Starring Priscilla Shirer, Aspen Kennedy, Jerry Shirer and Karen Abercrombie.

• “It’s What’s Inside” (R): A group of college friends gather for a pre-wedding party that descends into a nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets. Starring Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey and Devon Terrell. Available on Netflix.

• “Wolfs” (R): George Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high-profile crime. But when a second fixer (Brad Pitt) shows up, the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together. Also starring Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Twisters” (PG-13): A former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years, is lured back to the open plains by a friend to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney and Brandon Perea.

• “The Killer’s Game” (R): Top hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and decides to take take a hit out on himself. But when the hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella), he must fend off assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life. Also starring Terry Crews and Scott Adkins, with Pom Klementieff, and Ben Kingsley.

• “Rez Ball” (PG-13): The Chuska, New Mexico high school basketball team is rich in Native American heritage. After the loss of their star player, the team must face their greatest challenge to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. Starring Jessica Matten, Kauchani Bratt, Cody Lightning, Dallas Goldtooth, Ernest David Tsosie, Kusem Goodwind, Zoey Reyes, Amber Midthunder and Julia Jones. Available on Netflix.

• “His Three Daughters” (R): Bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Jovan Adepo and Jay O. Sanders. Available on Netflix.

• “Uglies” (PG-13): In a futuristic world that imposes a mandatory cosmetic surgery at 16, a teen awaiting her turn leaves to search for her friend who ran away. Starring Joey King, Chase Stokes and Laverne Cox. Available on Netflix.

• “Rebel Ridge” (TV-MA): Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) enters the town of Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin. But when Terry’s life savings is unjustly seized by law-enforcement, he’s forced to go head to head with local police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an ally in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb). Available on Netflix.

• “Blink Twice” (R): A young waitress in Los Angeles meets a tech entrepreneur who invites her to vacation with him and his friends on his private island. When strange things start to happen, Frida must uncover the truth to make it out alive. Starring Channing Tatum, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan and Adria Arjona.

• “Borderlands” (PG-13): Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter returns to her home planet and forms an alliance with a team of unlikely heroes. Based on a video game franchise. Also starring Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Florian Munteanu.

• “Despicable Me 4” (PG): Sequel to “Despicable Me 3” with a new member of the family, Gru Jr. The family is forced to go on the run when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru. Animated, featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Madison Polan.

• “My Penguin Friend” (PG): A heartbroken fisherman rescues a penguin drifting alone in the ocean. Starring Jean Reno, Adriana Barraza, Rocio Hernandez and Nicolás Francella.

• “Ryan’s World the Movie-Titan Universe” (PG): When Ryan’s twin sisters Emma and Kate get trapped in a comic book world, he enters the realm to rescue them. Starring Ryan Kaji, Albie Hecht, Shion Kaji and Kate Kaji.

• “Cuckoo” (R): Horror film about a 17-year-old girl who reluctantly leaves her American home to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick and Kalin Morrow.

• “How To Come Alive with Norman Mailer”: Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org, ticket prices vary.

• “Kneecap” (R): Biopic film about the rise of the Irish hip hop act, Kneecap. Starring Naoise Ó Cairealláin “Móglaí Bap”, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh “Mo Chara”, JJ Ó Dochartaigh “DJ Provaí”, Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds, Adam Best, with Simone Kirby and Michael Fassbender.

• “Kalki 2898 AD”: Indian Sci-fi/Action film. A modern avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu is said to have descended on Earth to protect the world from evil forces, subtitles. Starring Prabhas, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan.

• “Sound of Hope-The Story of Possum Trot” (PG-13): Donna and Reverend Martin ignite a movement of compassion in their East Texas church for 22 families to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system.

• “Bad Newz”: Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Anand Tiwari. Starring Tripti Dimri, Vicky Kaushal, Ammy Virk and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

• “The Front Room” (R): Horror/thriller film that follows a newly pregnant woman whose mother-in-law moves in and tries to get her claws on the child. Starring Brandy, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap and Neal Huff.

• “Slingshot” (R): A trio of astronauts aboard a years-long, possibly compromised mission to Saturn’s moon Titan must attempt a slingshot maneuver that will either catapult them to Titan or into deep space. Starring Casey Affleck, Tomer Capone, Laurence Fishburne and Emily Beecham.

• “Strange Darling” (R): A twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree. Starring Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Giovanni Ribisi and Barbara Hershey.

• “Between The Temples” (R): A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his former grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly De Leon and Madeline Weinstein.

• “City of Dreams” (R): A young Mexican farmer travels to Los Angeles with the promise of training at a soccer camp. Soon he realizes he’s really been sold to a sweatshop, and plans his escape. Starring Ari López, Jason Patric, Renata Vaca and Diego Calva.

• “Afraid” (PG-13): Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a new digital assistant device which begins to anticipate their needs and makes sure nothing gets in the family’s way. Also starring Katherine Waterston, Lukita Maxwell and Havana Rose Liu.

• “1992” (R): Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) is trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amid the turbulent Los Angeles riots in 1992, following the Rodney King verdict. Meanwhile, another father and son put their own strained relationship to the test as they plan a heist where Mercer works. Also starring Ray Liotta, Scott Eastwood and Dylan Arnold.

• “Inside Out 2” (PG): Disney and Pixar’s sequel to “Inside Out” with Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) now a teenager with a new set of emotions. Animated comedy featuring the voices of Maya Hawke, Amy Poehler, Ayo Edebiri, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith.

• “You Gotta Believe” (PG): A group of underdog youth baseball players make it all the way to the 2002 Little League World Series. Starring Patrick Renna, Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear and Sarah Gadon.

• “Harold and the Purple Crayon” (PG): Animated fantasy comedy film, based on the children’s book of the same title by Crockett Johnson. Starring Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel, Tanya Reynolds and Lil Rel Howery.

• “Didi” (R): In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. Starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, and Chang Li Hua.

• “Trap” (PG-13): A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, featuring performances by his daughter, rising music star Saleka Shyamalan. Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill.

• “The Fabulous Four” (R): Lifelong friends travel to Key West, Fla., to be bridesmaids in the wedding of their college girlfriend. Starring Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Susan Sarandon and Megan Mullally.

• “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” (PG-13): Lifelong best friends Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean share an unbreakable bond from decades of weathering life’s storms. Now, as heartbreak and illness stir up the past, their bond is put to the test. Starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, Uzo Aduba, Mekhi Phifer, Julian McMahon and Russell Hornsby. Available on Hulu.

• “The Union” (PG-13): Mike (Mark Wahlberg), a construction worker from Jersey, gets recruited by his high school sweetheart Roxanne (Halle Berry) to serve on a high-stakes US intelligence mission. Also starring J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, and Jessica De Gouw.

• “The Instigators” (R): Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners thrown together to rob a corrupt politician. When the heist goes wrong, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their getaway, and must put aside their differences and work together. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Bad Boys-Ride or Die” (R): Fourth installment of the “Bad Boys” action comedy franchise with the Miami detectives on the run as falsely accused fugitives. Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Paola Núñez, Jacob Scipio and Vanessa Hudgens.

• “Fly Me to the Moon” (PG-13): Sparks fly between a marketing executive and a NASA official as he makes preparations for the Apollo 11 moon landing. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson and Anna Garcia.

• “Longlegs” (R): FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Starring Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt and Kiernan Shipka.

• “Gunner”: A father tries to save his sons from a dangerous drug gang. Starring Luke Hemsworth, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Baena and Grant Feely.

• “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1” (R): Families, friends and foes discover the lure of the Old West as the Civil War divides the country. Starring Kevin Costner, Abbey Lee, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone and Danny Huston. Directed by Kevin Costner.

• “Beverly Hills Cop-Axel F” (R): Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. Also starring Kevin Bacon.

• “The Fall Guy” (PG-13): As a stuntman, Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) gets blown up, shot, crashed, and thrown through windows. After an almost career-ending accident, he must spring back into action to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life, while still doing his day job. Also starring Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham and Stephanie Hsu.

• “Oddity” (R): After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items to exact revenge. Starring Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Tadhg Murphy and Steve Wall.

• “Disciples in the Moonlight” (PG-13): In the not-too-distant future, the United States bans the Bible and replaces it with a government-approved version. A small group of Christians tries to smuggle the true Word of God to underground churches throughout the Midwest. Starring Brett Varvel, Micah Lynn Hanson, Sharon Oliphant and Myles Clohessy.

• “Kinds of Kindness” (R): Three stories: One follows a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; Another is about a policeman whose wife went missing at sea and returns seeming like a different person; and a woman who searches for someone with a special ability. Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer.

• “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (PG-13): Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global franchise set several generations in the future, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. Starring Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.

• “The Garfield Movie” (PG): New Garfield movie with Garfield being reunited with his long-lost father, a scruffy street cat, who draws him into a high-stakes heist. Animated, featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Nicholas Hoult, Ving Rhames and Samuel L. Jackson.

• “Daddio” (R): A young woman jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi at JFK airport. As the driver takes off into the night toward Manhattan, she gradually tells the driver about her unfortunate decisions that led to an affair with a married man and  the driver also reveals about his life. Starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn.

• “The Abandon” (R): A wounded U.S. soldier awakens trapped in a strange cube that tests his physical and mental limits as he struggles to find a way to escape. Thriller/sci-fi film starring Jonathan Rosenthal, Tamara Perry, Mezi Atwood and Priscilla Avila.

• “A Quiet Place-Day One” (PG-13): Prequel to “A Quiet Place,” the day the world went quiet. Starring Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou and Lupita Nyong’o.

• “Touch” (R): A romantic adventure that spans several decades and continents; following one widower’s emotional journey to find his first love who disappeared 50 years ago. The film is based on the 2022 Icelandic best-selling novel by Olafur Johann Olafsson. Starring Egill Olafsson, Kōki, Pálmi Kormákur, Masahiro Motoki, Yoko Narahashi, Ruth Sheen, María Ellingsen, Meg Kubota and Charles Nishikawa.

• “The Exorcism” (R): A troubled actor begins to unravel while shooting a horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Chloe Bailey and Sam Worthington.

• “Ghostlight” (R): When a construction worker joins a local theatre’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life. Starring Dolly De Leon, Keith Kupferer, Katherine Kupferer and Tara Mallen.

• “MaXXXine” (R): Horror film set in 1980s Hollywood about an adult film star/aspiring actress who finally gets her big break, but a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles. Starring Mia Goth, Halsey, Elizabeth Debicki and Lily Collins.

• “Babes” (R): Pregnant from a one-night-stand, Eden leans on her best friend and mother of two, Dawn, to guide her. Starring Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Hasan Minhaj and Stephan James.

• “The Bikeriders” (R): During a rebellious time in America, a Midwestern motorcycle club transforms from a gathering place for local outsiders into an underworld of violence. Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist, Michael Shannon and Norman Reedus.

• “Summer Camp” (PG-13): Comedy about childhood best friends Nora, Ginny and Mary who used to spend every summer at a sleep-away camp together. Years later, they’re given the opportunity to reunite. Starring Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Josh Peck and Victoria Rowell.

• “The Dead Don’t Hurt” (R): Western/Romance film about star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who must fend for herself when Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) goes to fight in the Civil War. Also starring Solly McLeod and Jason Clarke.

• “Dandelion” (R): A struggling singer-songwriter falls into an intoxicating romance that leads her to a deeper appreciation of her artistic journey as she discovers a voice that is authentically her own. Starring KiKi Layne, Thomas Doherty, Melanie Nicholls-King and Cliff Cash.

• “IF” (PG): From writer and director John Krasinski, “IF” is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends – and what she does with that superpower to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. Starring Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell.

• “Godzilla x Kong-The New Empire” (PG-13): Latest film in the Monsterverse franchise following “Godzilla vs. Kong,” pitting Kong and Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden deep within the planet. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle and Nicola Crisa and Dan Stevens.

• “Young Woman and the Sea” (PG)  Based on the true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel. Starring Daisy Ridley, Stephen Graham and Kim Bodnia. Available on Disney+.

• “Dragonkeeper” (PG): A young orphan ventures across ancient China to save the last surviving dragons from extinction. Animated.

• “Sting” (R): Charlotte, a rebellious 12-year-old girl finds a tiny spider in her rundown apartment building. She keeps it in a jar, but it soon starts to grow at a monstrous rate and neighbors begin to disappear. Starring Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell and Jermaine Fowler.

• “Treasure” (R): A music journalist accompanies her father, a charmingly stubborn Holocaust survivor, on a journey to his homeland. Starring Lena Dunham, Stephen Fry, Sandra Drzymalska and Zbigniew Zamachows.

• “Thelma” (PG-13): A 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone gets help from a friend and his motorized scooter to travel across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. Starring June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey and Clark Gregg.

• “Tuesday” (R): A mother and her daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of a talking bird. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Arinze Kene and Ellie James.

• “The Strangers-Chapter 1″ (R): First entry of horror film series. After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. where they are terrorized by three masked strangers. Starring Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso and Rachel Shenton.

• “Challengers” (R): Tennis player turned coach Tashi (Zendaya) has transformed her husband, Art (Mike Faist), from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion.

• “Furiosa-A Mad Max Saga” (R): Fifth installment in the Mad Max franchise, and prequel to “Mad Max- Fury Road,” a young Furiosa falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Quaden Bayles, Tom Hardy and Anya Taylor-Joy.

• “Divorce in the Black” (R): New Tyler Perry movie. After her husband deserts their marriage, a woman gets a chance to find true love. Starring Meagan Good, Cory Hardrict, Joseph Lee Anderson and Richard Lawson. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

• “Hit Man” (R): A professional killer breaks protocol to help a woman trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her. Available on Netflix.

• “The Watchers” (PG-13): An artist gets stranded in a forest in western Ireland and becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are stalked by mysterious creatures every night. Starring Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Siobhan Hewlett.

• “Sight” (PG-13): Based on the true story of Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant who defies all odds to become a world-renowned eye surgeon. Starring Greg Kinnear, Terry Chen, Ben Wang and Mia SwamiNathan.

• “Fancy Dance” (TV-MA): Following her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) and her niece Roki hit the road on a journey to the Grand Nation Powwow in Oklahoma City. Starring Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Shea Whigham, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, and Audrey Wasilewski. Available on Apple TV+.

• “I Am-Celine Dion” (PG): Celine Dion highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit as she struggles with a life-altering illness. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “Unsung Hero” (PG): Based on a true story that follows David Smallbone, his pregnant wife Helen, and their seven children as they leave Australia to rebuild their lives in America. David and Helen realize the musical talent of their children, who become two of the most successful acts in Inspirational Music history. Starring Joel Smallbone, Rebecca St. James, Candace Cameron and Daisy Betts.

• “Ezra” (R): Divorced stand-up comedian Max Bernal struggles to raise his autistic son, Ezra. Forced to confront difficult decisions about the boy’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both of their lives. Starring Robert De Niro, Tony Goldwyn, Bobby Cannavale and William A. Fitzgerald.

• “Back to Black” (R): The story of Amy Winehouse’s rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black, that catapulted her to global fame. Starring Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville.

• “In A Violent Nature” (NR): Horror film where a group of teens take a locket from a collapsed fire tower in the woods, and unwittingly resurrect the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime. Starring Ryan Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Charlotte Creaghan and Lauren-Marie Taylor.

• “Firebrand” (R): In Tudor England, Katherine Parr reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII. Her predecessors were either vanquished or dead. Starring Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, Junia Rees and Anna Mawn.

• “Tarot” (PG-13): A group of friends unwittingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within a cursed deck of tarot cards. Starring Avantika Vandanapu, Jacob Batalon, Larsen Thompson and Harriet Slater.

• “The Beach Boys” documentary: A celebration of the band that revolutionized pop music and the harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream. Available on Disney+.

• “Atlas” (PG-13): Sci-fi action film about a data analyst with a deep distrust of AI who finds it may be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Strong, Sims Liu, Lana Parrilla, and Lesley Fera. Available on Netflix.

• “Monkey Man” (R): A young man ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where he is beaten bloody by popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution. Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala and Adithi Kalkunte.

• “The Strangers”-Chapter 1 (R): First entry of horror film series. After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. where they are terrorized by three masked strangers. Starring Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso and Rachel Shenton.

• “Not Another Church Movie” (R): Taylor Pherry (Kevin Daniels), is given a mission from God to tell his family’s stories and inspire his community. What he doesn’t know is that the devil has other plans. Also starring Jamie Foxx, Tisha Campbell and Vivica A. Fox.

• “The First Omen” (R): When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith. Starring Nell Tiger Free, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson and Bill Nighy.

• “Abigail” (R): A group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure. All they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom, is watch the girl overnight in an isolated mansion. Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito.

• “Civil War” (R): In a dystopian future, a team of military-embedded journalists race to reach Washington, D.C. before rebel factions descend upon the White House. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny and Jesse Plemons.

• “Ghostbusters-Frozen Empire” (PG-13): The Spengler family returns to the New York City firehouse to team up with the original Ghostbusters. When an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect the world from a second ice age. Starring Mckenna Grace, Emily Alyn Lind, Bill Murray, Finn Wolfhard, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Paul Rudd.

• “Kung Fu Panda 4” (PG): After three death-defying adventures defeating villains with his courage and martial arts skills, Po the Dragon Warrior is called upon to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Animated, featuring the voices of Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.

• “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” (R): Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, this action-comedy tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII. The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis. Starring Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusamokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, with Henry Golding and Cary Elwes.

• “Jeanne du Barry”: Historical drama about Jeanne, a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder. She becomes one of the favorites of King Louis XV and falls madly in love. Against all convention, Jeanne moves to Versailles. Starring Johnny Depp, Maïwenn, Pauline Pollmann and Diego Le Fur.

• “Boy Kills World” (R): Boy (Bill Skarsgård) trains to become an instrument of death and assassinate Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty who murdered his family. Also starring Jessica Rothe and Andrew Koji.

• “Mother of the Bride” (PG-13): Lana’s daughter Emma returns from abroad and drops a bombshell: she’s getting married. Things get worse when Lana learns that the man who captured Emma’s heart is the son of the man who broke hers years ago. Starring Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, and Chad Michael Murray. Available on Netflix.

• “Unfrosted” (PG-13): Imaginative tale set in Battle Creek, Michigan, 1963, about Kellogg’s and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that changes breakfast forever. Starring Jerry Seinfeld in his directorial film debut, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Max Greenfield, and Hugh Grant. Available on Netflix.

• “Dune 2″ (PG-13): The sci-fi epic continues with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) uniting with Chani and the Fremen, while seeking revenge against those who destroyed his family. Adaptation of Frank Herbert’s bestseller “Dune,” with returning and new stars, including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and Florence Pugh. Directed by Denis Villeneuve.

• “The Image Of You” (R): Zoe becomes skeptical when her twin sister, Anna, falls for Nick. As Zoe digs into Nick’s past, they all get pulled into a dangerous game where honesty could prove fatal. Starring Sasha Pieterse (as Anna and Zoe), Parker Young, Mira Sorvino and Néstor Carbonell.

• “We Grown Now” (PG): In 1992 Chicago, best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city of Chicago, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing. They soon find their unbreakable bond challenged when a tragedy shakes their community. Starring Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday, and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett. Available on Apple TV.

• “Arthur the King” (PG-13): Based on a true story, pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. Over the course of 10 days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between Light and a street dog named Arthur. Also starring Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, with Bear Grylls as himself, and Paul Guilfoyle.

• “The Long Game” (PG): In 1955, five young Mexican-American caddies are determined to learn how to play and create their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert. Starring Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Cheech Marin and Julian Works.

• “Imaginary” (PG-13): A woman moves back into her childhood home with her family, and her youngest stepdaughter develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear that she finds in the basement. Starring DeWanda Wise, Pyper Braun, Tom Payne and Taegan Burns.

• “The American Society of Magical Negroes” (PG-13): Comedy about a young man who gets recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to making white people’s lives easier. Starring Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, Nicole Byer and Rupert Friend.

• “Wicked Little Letters” (R): Set in a 1920’s seaside town, the residents of Littlehampton start receiving letters filled with obscenities and hilarious profanity, and blame Rose, a rowdy Irish immigrant. Starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan.

• “Tillu Square”: Indian Telugu-language romantic crime comedy, starring Anupama Parameswaran, Siddu Jonnalagadda, Madonna Sebastian and Fish Venkat. Available on Netflix.

• “Spy × Family Code-White”: A spy and an assassin keep their double lives to themselves while pretending to be the perfect family. Anime film.

• “Sasquatch Sunset” (R): Comedy/Drama Deep in the woods in North America, a family of Sasquatches find themselves on a collision course with the ever-changing world around them. Starring Riley Keough, Nathan Zellner and Jesse Eisenberg.

• “Arcadian” (R): In the near future on a decimated Earth, Paul and his twin sons find tranquility by day but terror by night when ferocious creatures awaken and consume all living souls in their path. Starring Nicolas Cage, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall and Jaeden Martell.

• “They Shot the Piano Player” PG-13: A New York music journalist goes on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Brazilian piano virtuoso Francisco Tenório Júnior. Animated docudrama, featuring the voice of Jeff Goldblum.

• “Blood for Dust” (R): Travelling salesman Cliff (Scoot McNairy) is drowning under the weight of providing for his family and finds himself on a dangerous path after a chance encounter with a colleague who has a dark past. Starring Kit Harington, Josh Lucas and Ethan Suplee.

• “Rebel Moon-Part Two-The Scargiver” (PG-13): The continued science fiction/fantasy saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to fight alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. Starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Charlotte Maggi, Staz Nair and Anthony Hopkins. Available on Netflix.

• “The Greatest Hits” (PG-13): Harriet (Lucy Boynton) discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives romantic memories of her former boyfriend, her time travelling collides with a new love interest in the present  Also starring David Corenswet, Justin H. Min, Retta, Jackson Kelly, and Robert Keane. Available on Hulu.

• “Housekeeping for Beginners” (R): Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters. The three butt heads yet become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together. Starring Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, Samson Selim and Vladimir Tintor.

• “Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp”: After getting kicked out of the forest, Woody thinks he’s found a forever home at Camp Woo Hoo, until an inspector threatens to shut down the camp. Available on Netflix.

• “Girls State” (TV-MA): A political coming-of-age story that follows young female leaders from different backgrounds across Missouri participating in an experiment to build a government from the ground up. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Argylle” (PG-13): Reclusive author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) writes a series of best-selling espionage novels about secret agent Argylle. The plot thickens when Elly’s fictional books about Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate begin to mirror reality. Also starring Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson.

• “Ordinary Angels” (PG): A struggling hairdresser meets a widowed father working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, the woman rallies the community to help. Starring Alan Ritchson, Hilary Swank, Nancy Travis and Skywalker Hughes.

• “Bob Marley-One Love”: (PG-13): Celebrates the life of Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley, who overcame adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita.

• “Migration” (PG): Animated tale about a family of ducks who decide to leave their New England pond for a family adventure trip to Jamaica, but wind up in New York City. Featuring the voices of Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal and Danny DeVito.

• “One Life” (PG): Based on a true story, London broker Nicholas “Nicky” Winton helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia, before the Nazi occupation closes the borders during World War II. Fifty years later, Winton is still haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to rescue. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin and Helena Bonham.

• “Late Night with the Devil” (R): Horror-comedy set in 1977, about a live television broadcast that goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Starring David Dastmalchian, Ingrid Torelli, Laura Gordon and Georgina Haig.

• “Immaculate” (R): An American nun joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. She soon discovers her new home has a sinister secret with unspeakable horrors. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Benedetta Porcaroli, Simona Tabasco and Álvaro Morte.

• “The Beekeeper” (R): One man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after it is revealed that he is a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.” Starring Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, with Phylicia Rashad and Jeremy Irons.

• “Love Lies Bleeding” (R): A reclusive gym manager falls for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who’s heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence due to Lou’s criminal family. Starring Kristen Stewart, Katy M. O’Brian, Jena Malone and Anna Baryshnikov.

• “Knox Goes Away” (R): After being diagnosed with a rapidly evolving form of dementia, a contract killer gets the chance to redeem himself by saving his estranged son’s life. Starring Michael Keaton, Al Pacino, James Marsden and Joanna Kulig.

• “Madame Web” (PG-13): Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a New York City paramedic who develops the power to foresee the future. She must protect three young women from a deadly adversary. Also starring Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Emma Roberts.

• “Irish Wish” (R) When the love of her life gets engaged to her best friend, Maddie (Lindsay Lohan) puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland. Before the wedding, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love, and wakes up as the bride-to-be. Also starring Alexander Vlahos, Ayesha Curry, Elizabeth Tan, Ed Steelers and Jane Seymour. Available on Netflix.

• “Drive-Away Dolls” (R): Comedy that follows Jamie and her demure friend Marian who take an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla., but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon.

• “Night Swim” (PG-13): A former baseball player, forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for himself. But a dark secret in the home’s past will unleash terror. Starring Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren.

• “Anyone But You” (R): Despite an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s initial attraction quickly turns sour. However, when they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Darren Barnet and Alexandra Shipp.

• “Mean Girls” (PG-13): When new student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls ruled by the queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp), Cady makes the misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend. Musical comedy adapted from the Broadway musical, based on the 2004 movie of the same name. Also starring Bebe Wood, Avantika, Christopher Briney, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Jon Hamm, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows.

• “American Fiction” (R): Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. Also starring Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams and Adam Brody.

• “Damsel” (PG-13): A damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince and then finds the royal family has made her a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson and Shohreh Aghdashloo. Available on Netflix.

• “Spaceman” (R): Astronaut Jakub (Adam Sandler) is on a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system. Six months into the voyage, he realizes that his marriage back home is in trouble. A mysterious creature that he finds hiding in the ship offers to help him fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan). Available on Netflix.

• “Lisa Frankenstein” (PG-13): A horror comedy about a misunderstood teenager and her high school crush, a handsome corpse who comes back to life. Starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest and Carla Gugino.

• “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (PG-13): Having failed to defeat Aquaman (Jason Momoa) in the first film, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, and will stop at nothing to take down Aquaman, his family and Atlantis. Also starring Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren and Randall Park.

• “Wonka” (PG): Prequel to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book, “Wonka” tells the story of how the inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, and Olivia Colman.

• “No Way Up” (R): Survivors of a plane crash into the ocean must find a way to escape as sharks circle the wreckage. Starring Sophie McIntosh, Colm Meaney, Will Attenborough and Jeremias Amoore.

• “The Zone of Interest” (R): A commandant of Auschwitz, strives to build a dream life for his family in a house and garden next to the concentration camp. Starring Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel.

• “Land of Bad” (R): A Delta Force team is ambushed in enemy territory, and their only hope lies with an Air Force drone pilot as the eyes in the sky. Starring Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth and Ricky Whittle.

• “The Boys in the Boat” (PG-13): A sports drama that follows the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. Starring Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner. Directed by George Clooney.

• “Suncoast” (R): Story of teenager (Nico Parker) who, while caring for her brother along with her mother (Laura Linney), strikes up a friendship with an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time. Available on Hulu.

• “Orion and the Dark” (NR): Animated adventure about Orion, an average elementary school kid who is confronted by his worst fear-the Dark. Featuring the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, and Werner Herzog. Available on Netflix.

• “I.S.S.” (R): Sci-fi thriller set in the near future aboard the International Space Station. When a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth, the U.S. and Russian astronauts each receive orders from the ground to take control of the station by any means necessary. Starring Ariana DeBose, Masha Mashkova, Chris Messina and Costa Ronin.

• “The Book of Clarence” (PG-13): A man struggles to find a better life for his family while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah, he risks everything to carve his own path and discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out. Starring LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, James McAvoy and Teyana Taylor.

• “The Iron Claw” (R): Based on the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980’s. Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney with Holt McCallany and Lily James.

• “Ferrari” (R): During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. Enzo decides to wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy. Starring Penélope Cruz, Adam Driver, Patrick Dempsey and Shailene Woodley.

• “The Jungle Bunch 2: World Tour” (PG): A vicious beaver covers the jungle with a dangerous pink substance that explodes when coming into contact with water. With the rainy season approaching, a group of animals hurry to find the antidote. Animated, featuring the voices of Emmanuel Curtil, Céline Monsarrat, Jérémie Covillault and Mark Camacho.

• “Wish” (PG): Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new musical-comedy taking audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force. Featuring the voices of Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino.

• “Turning Red” (2022) (PG): Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), is a 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the urges of adolescence, plus whenever she gets too excited, she “poofs” into a giant red panda. Her mother is Ming (voice of Sandra Oh).

• The Underdoggs (R): When Jayden “Two Js” Jennings, a washed-up former pro football star is sentenced to do community service coaching an unruly pee-wee football team in his hometown, he sees it mostly as an opportunity to rebuild his public image. Starring Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter and Mike Epps. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “Masters of the Air” ( TV-MA): Limited series based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, the film follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany. Starring Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, Elliot Warren and Ncuti Gatwa. Available on Apple TV+.

• “The Hunger Games-The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (PG-13): Prequel set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as a tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. It follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from District 12. Also starring Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.

• “Trolls Band Together” (PG): After two films of friendship and flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now a couple, and Poppy discovers that Branch and his brothers were once part of her favorite boy band. Animated musical comedy, also featuring the voices of Camila Cabello, Eric Andre and Amy Schumer.

• “The Color Purple” (PG-13): Musical/drama remake of the 1985 film, based on the novel and the Broadway musical about the extraordinary sisterhood of three women. Directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins and Halle Bailey.

• “Lift” (PG-13): An international heist crew races to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. Starring Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio and Úrsula Corberó. Available on Netflix.

• “The Marvels” (PG-13): Sequel to “Captain Marvel” with Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel teaming up with two other super heroes to save the universe as “The Marvels.” Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Seo-Jun Park, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson. Available on Disney+.

• “Next Goal Wins” (PG-13): Sports comedy that follows the American Samoa soccer team, known for its brutal 2001 FIFA loss. With the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team around. Also starring Oscar Knightly, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Taika Waititi.

• “Rebel Moon-Part One-A Child of Fire” (PG-13): An epic science fiction/fantasy film. When a peaceful settlement on a moon on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, their best hope for survival is Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers. Also starring Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins. Available on Netflix.

• “Good Grief” (R): An artist grieving the loss of his famous writer husband takes his two best friends on a trip to Paris. Starring Dan Levy, Luke Evans, Ruth Negga, and Himesh Patel.

• “The Family Plan” (PG-13): Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) lives a quiet suburban life as a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman. But when enemies from his past life as a government assassin track him down, he packs his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan), and children into their minivan and takes off on a cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Silent Night” (R): A man witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in the crossfire between warring gangs on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that took his voice, the father goes on a bloody quest to punish those responsible for his son’s death. Starring Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Harold Torres.

• “Chicken Run-Dawn of the Nugget” (PG): Sequel to the stop-motion animated film, “Chicken Run” of 2000.  After escaping from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger and Rocky have found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But they must return to the mainland, because chicken-kind faces a terrible threat. Featuring the voices of Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, and Lynn Ferguson. Available on Netflix.

• “Maestro” (R): Love story about the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. Starring Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman and Josh Hamilton. Directed by Bradley Cooper. Available on Netflix.

• “Dream Scenario” (R): Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. Also starring Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker.

• “Thanksgiving” (R): An axe-wielding maniac terrorizes residents of Plymouth, Mass., after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy. Starring Addison Rae, Rick Hoffman, Nell Verlaque and Milo Manheim.

• “Journey To Bethlehem” (PG): A musical retelling the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. Starring Milo Manheim, Fiona Palomo, Joel Smallbone and Antonio Banderas.

• “The Holdovers” (R): An instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Tate Donovan and Carrie Preston.

• “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (PG-13): Horror film based on the video game series of the same name. A troubled young man caring for his 10-year-old sister Abby, and haunted by the past disappearance of his younger brother, takes a job as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Starring Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Kat Conner Sterling, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson and Matthew Lillard. Also available streaming on Peacock.

• “Killers of the Flower Moon” (R): An epic western crime saga, based on a true story and told through the romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), about the suspicious murders of members of the Osage Nation after oil was discovered underneath their land. Also starring Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, and Brendan Fraser. Written and Directed by Martin Scorsese.

• “Eileen” (R): Set in 1964 Massachusetts, a young secretary becomes enchanted by Rebecca, the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their friendship soon takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret. Based on a novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Sam Nivola and Owen Teague.

• “Waitress-The Musical” (NR): A new musical comedy-drama film consisting of a live stage recording of Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s 2015 musical of the same name, based on the 2007 film of the same name written by Adrienne Shelly.

• “Priscilla” (R): The story of Elvis and Priscilla’s long courtship and turbulent marriage, as seen through Priscilla’s eyes. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi.

• “Leave the World Behind” (R): A family’s vacation is upended when two strangers arrive, seeking refuge from a cyberattack. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon. Available on Netflix.

• “Candy Cane Lane” (PG):  A man makes a deal with a mischievous elf who casts a magic spell that brings “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to life. Starring Eddie Murphy, Jillian Bell, Tracee Ellis Ross and Thaddeus J. Mixson. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “May December” (R): Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actor arrives to do research for a film about their past. Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton. Available on Netflix.

• “Family Switch” (PG): A chance encounter with an astrological reader causes a family to wake up to a full body switch on the morning of an important day in each of their lives including landing a promotion, a college interview, sealing a record deal, and soccer tryout. Starring Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers and Brady Noon. Available on Netflix.

• “Leo” (PG): Animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school –– as seen through the eyes of a class pet, a 74-year-old lizard named Leo (Adam Sandler) who has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). Also featuring the voices of Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler and Rob Schneider. Available on Netflix.

• “Best. Christmas. Ever!” (PG-13): Charlotte’s friend Jackie sends a boastful holiday newsletter every year. A twist of fate lands Charlotte and her family on Jackie’s doorstep just days before Christmas. Starring Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Matt Cedeño and Jason Biggs. Available on Netflix.

• “It’s a Wonderful Knife” (R): After saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie (Jane Widdop) wishes she was never born and finds herself transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. Also starring Cassandra Naud, Justin Long and Jessica McLeod.

• “What Happens Later” (R): Snowed-in at a regional airport overnight, ex-lovers Willa and Bill meet again and realize they’re still attracted to each other, yet also still equally annoyed with each other. Starring Meg Ryan, David Duchovny and Eric Parkinson.

• “Dumb Money” (R): Comedy-drama film based on the true story about regular people who flipped the script on Wall Street with GameStop stock. Starring Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen and Pete Davidson.

• “Oppenheimer” (R): IMAX-shot thriller about the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon.

• “The Creator” (PG-13): Epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. Starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles and Allison Janney.

• “The Persian Version” (R): Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila attempts to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. Also starring Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet and Bijan Daneshmand.

• “The Kill Room” (R): A hit man teams up with an art dealer for a money-laundering scheme that unwittingly turns him into an avant-garde sensation. Starring Uma Thurman, Maya Hawke, Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Morgan.

• “The Retirement Plan” (R): A woman turns to her estranged beach bum father for help to escape a ruthless crime boss. Starring Nicolas Cage, Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman and Jackie Earle Haley.

• “Outlaw Johnny Black” (PG-13): Cowboy Johnny Black vows to gun down the man responsible for the death of his father. He soon becomes a wanted outlaw while posing as a preacher in a small mining town. Starring Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, Anika Noni Rose and Tony Baker.

• “Back on the Strip” (R): Comedy film starring Spence Moore II as Merlin, a young man who moves to Las Vegas to pursue work as a magician, only to get hired as the frontman for the notorious Black male stripper crew, the Chocolate Chips. Also starring Wesley Snipes, Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart.

• “Landscape with Invisible Hand” (R): When an occupying alien species’ leaves most of Earth impoverished and unemployed, two teenagers hatch a risky plan to save their families. Starring Asante Blackk, Brooklynn Mackenzie and Kylie Rogers.

• “Shortcomings” (R): Ben, a struggling filmmaker in Berkeley, California, lives with his girlfriend, Miko, who works for a local Asian American film festival. When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben begins to explore what he thinks he might want. Starring Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki and Debby Ryan.

• “The Miracle Club” (PG-13): Set in 1967, three women of Ballygar, Ireland, get their ticket of a lifetime to escape domestic life and make a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, a place of miracles, with help from their local priest. Starring Laura Linney, Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates.

• “Past Lives” (PG-13): Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are torn apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York in this heartening modern romance. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro.

• “After Death” (PG-13): Scientists, authors and survivors of near-death experiences discuss mortality and the afterlife. Directed by Chris Radtke and Stephen Gray. Starring Doug Lito.

• “Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow” (PG): Fired from his detective job after a mission goes awry, Inspector Sun boards a seemingly normal plane for a much-needed vacation. Starring Ronny Chieng, Jesús Barreda, Vicente Gil and Fernando García Cabrera.

• “Freelance” (R): A former special forces operative reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to provide private security for a washed-up journalist as she interviews a ruthless dictator. When a military coup breaks out, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle and make it out alive. Starring Alison Brie, John Cena, Alice Eve and Juan Pablo Raba.

• “Rustin” (PG-13): The architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. Starring Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Audra McDonald. Available on Netflix.

• “The Killer” (R): Thriller that follows an assassin who, after a near-miss, battles his employers on an international manhunt. Directed by David Fincher. Starring Michael Fassbender, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton. Available on Netflix.

• “PAW Patrol-The Mighty Movie” (PG): After a meteor strikes Adventure City,  the PAW Patrol pups gain superpowers in this new PAW Patrol computer-animated film. Featuring the voices of McKenna Grace, Marsai Martin, Iain Armitage, Christian Convery, Ron Pardo, Finn Lee-Epp, Christian Corrao, Luxton Handspiker, Nylan Parthipan, Callum Shoniker, Kristen Bell, James Marsden, Serena Williams, Taraji P. Henson, Kim Kardashian and Chris Rock.

• “Saw X” (R): New installment in the “Saw” franchise, set between the events of “Saw I” and “Saw II”, a sick and desperate John Kramer (Tobin Bell) travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure to cure for his cancer – only to discover it is a scam. He turns the tables on the con artists through a series of traps. Also starring Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Renata Vaca and Steven Brand.

• “The Exorcist-Believer” (R): After a single father’s daughter and her friend Katherine disappear in the woods for three days with no memory of what happened, they start showing signs of demonic possession. Terrified and desperate, he seeks out Chris MacNeil, (Ellen Burstyn) who reprises her iconic role from the 1973 film, “The Exorcist”. Also starring Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum.

• “Fingernails” (R): Science fiction film set in a near-future where couples can use a new technology to test their love. Starring Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White and Luke Wilson. Available on Apple TV+.

• “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (PG-13): Members of the Portokalos family reunite in Greece for a new adventure. Starring Nia Vardalos, Lainie Kazan, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor and Elena Kampouris.

• “The Equalizer 3” (R): Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), takes solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he learns his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses and becomes his friends’ protector. Also starring Dakota Fanning, Sonia Ammar, Gaia Scodellaro and David Denman.

• “Blue Beetle” (PG-13): When Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) finds an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab, he becomes its symbiotic host, and is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor with extraordinary powers. Also starring Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez and Belissa Escobedo.

• “Barbie” (PG-13): Barbie and Ken, (Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling) are living in the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land, but then decide to join the real world. The all-star cast includes: Greta Gerwig, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, singer/songwriter Dua Lipa, and Helen Mirren as narrator.

• “Expend4bles” (R): The Expendables are back in the fourth installment of the action movie franchise with invincible veteran mercenary Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his entourage, armed with every weapon available. Also starring Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Megan Fox.

• “NYAD” (R): Based on the true story of Diana Nyad, (American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer), who swam from Cuba to Florida, at the age of 64. Starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans, Ethan Jones Romero and Luke Cosgrov. Available on Netflix.

• “The Blind” (PG-13): Byopic based on “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson’s troubled past and road to redemption. Starring Aron Von Andrian, Amelia Eve, Matthew Erick White and Aaron Dalla Villa.

• “The Nun II” (R): Horror film sequel follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with a demonic force. Starring Bonnie Aarons, Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell.

• “A Haunting in Venice” (PG-13): Supernatural thriller based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie’ and directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as retired detective Hercule Poirot. Poirot attends a Halloween séance at a haunted palazzo, where one of the guests is murdered. Also starring Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh.

• “Pain Hustlers” (R): Liza Drake (Emily Blunt), a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job, has a chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans). Out of desperation, she takes a job at the pharmaceutical startup, which helps her financially, but she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Also starring Andy Garcia and Chloe Coleman. Available on Netflix.

• “Vindicta” (R): A seasoned detective and a young paramedic are forced into a deadly game of vengeance with a masked serial killer, who  remains on the loose. Starring Sean Astin, Elena Kampouris, Jeremy Piven and Daniel Cudmore.

• “She Came to Me” (R): A composer has a creative block and is unable to finish the score for his big comeback opera. His wife, who was formerly his therapist, suggests he search for inspiration. Starring Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Joanna Kulig. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Old Dads” (R): Comedy about three middle-aged fathers who struggle to keep up with changing times. Starring Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale, Bokeem Woodbine and Katie Aselton. Available on Netflix.

• “The Pigeon Tunnel” (PG-13): Documentarian Errol Morris tells about the storied life and career of former British spy and author David Cornwell, known by the pen name of John le Carré, author of classic espionage novels. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Mission Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One” (PG-13): Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. Also starring Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff.

• “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (PG): New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated film. After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers. A new friend helps them take on a  crime syndicate, but they are soon under attack by an army of mutants. Featuring the voices of Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon, Shamon Brown Jr., John Cena and Ayo Edebiri.

• “Fair Play” (R): When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, a newly engaged couple’s relationship is pushed to the brink. Starring Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer and Sebastian De Souza. Available on Netflix.

• “Reptile” (R): A hardened detective attempts to solve the case of a brutal murder of a young real estate agent, where nothing is as it seems. Starring Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, Eric Bogosian, Alicia Silverstone and Domenick Lombardozzi. Available on Netflix.

• “Haunted Mansion” (PG-13): Film inspired by the Disney theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion”, about a woman and her son who enlist so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto. Available on Disney+.

• “The Inventor” (PG): Animated biographical film about famous inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci, when he leaves Italy to join the French court, to experiment, invent machines and study the human body. Featuring the voices of Daisy Ridley, Jim Capobianco, Stephen Fry and Marion Cotillard.

• “Jawan”: A man driven by a personal vendetta to rectify the wrongs in society, comes up against a monstrous outlaw. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Atlee Kumar, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi.

• “Meg 2: The Trench” (PG-13): Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean where they are forced into a battle for survival against prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers. Also starring Able Wanamakok and Li Bingbing.

• “Gran Turismo” (PG-13): A player wins Nissan-sponsored video game competitions and then becomes a real-life professional race car driver. Starring Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and Darren Barnet.

• “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (PG): A rich man learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill to cheat at gambling. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Sir Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade. Available on Netflix.

• “Flora and Son” (R): At a loss about what to do with her rebellious teenage son, single mom Flora tries to occupy him with a beat-up acoustic guitar. With the help of a washed-up LA musician, Flora and her son, Max, discover the transformative power of music. Starring Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Spy Kids-Armageddon” (PG): When the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful game developer unleash a computer virus, they become spies themselves to save their parents and the world. Starring Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla and Connor Esterson. Available on Netflix.

• “Sound of Freedom” (PG-13): After a federal agent rescues a boy from ruthless child traffickers, he learns the boy’s sister is still captive and embarks on a dangerous mission to save her. Starring Jim Caviezel, Eduardo Verástegui, Mira Sorvino and Bill Camp.

• “Love at First Sight” (PG-13): After missing her flight from New York to London, Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) meets Oliver (Ben Hardy) in a chance encounter at the airport that sparks an instant connection. Available on Netflix.

• “Golda” (PG-13): Biopic of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren), set during the 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Also starring Liev Schreiber, Camille Cottin and Jaime Ray Newman.

• “Talk to Me” (R): A group of friends discover how to conjure spirits by using an embalmed hand, and find it thrilling until one of them unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou.

• “Strays” (R): When Reggie (Will Ferrell), a naive Border Terrier, is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug (Will Forte), Reggie falls in with a Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), a stray who loves his freedom. Also starring Isla Fisher, Randall Park and Josh Gad.

• “Bottoms” (R): PJ and Josie start a high school fight club to meet girls and lose their virginity. Starring Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Nicholas Galitzine and Havana Rose Liu.

• “Retribution” (R): While driving with his two children, a man ( Liam Neeson) receives a phone call from an unknown assailant who claims there is a bomb in the car. Also starring Noma Dumezweni, Lilly Aspell, Jack Champion and Emily Kusche.

• “The Hill” (PG): Sports drama based on the true story of Rickey Hill who overcame a physical handicap to play professional baseball. Starring Dennis Quaid, Colin Ford, Scott Glenn and Joelle Carter.

• “Elemental” (PG): New Disney and Pixar animated film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. Featuring the voices of Leah Lewis as Ember and Mamoudou Athie as Wade.

• “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (PG-13): Harrison Ford returns as archaeologist Indiana Jones for the fifth installment of the franchise. Also starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

• “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” (R): Based on a chapter from Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula”, about the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry 50 unmarked wooden crates from Carpathia to London. Starring Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham and David Dastmalchian.

• “Attack of the Flies”: Sci-fi thriller produced and directed by August Leo of Detroit, filmed in 2021 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, set in the 1920s Prohibition Era, focused on the despair and isolation of the time, and a bizarre infestation of insects. Starring Jet Jandreau, Kyle del Santo and Marlon Morton. Available on Amazon.

• “You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah” (PG-13): Comedy about Stacy and Lydia, best friends who’ve always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. Plans go awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threaten their friendship. Starring Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Dylan Hoffman and Sarah Sherman. Available on Netflix.

• “The Monkey King” (PG): Computer-animated action comedy film inspired by an epic Chinese tale, about a monkey and his magical fighting stick battling demons, dragons and gods. Starring Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee and Stephanie Hsu. Available on Netflix.

• “Heart of Stone” (PG-13): Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) is an intelligence operative in a global peacekeeping organization who must protect the organization’s most valuable and dangerous weapon. Also starring Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Jing Lusi. Available on Netflix.

• “Happiness for Beginners” (TV-14): Newly divorced, Helen (Ellie Kemper), joins a quirky group of strangers on a survival course for the “adventure of a lifetime”, with hope of learning how to live and love again. Also starring Luke Grimes, Nico Santos and Blythe Danner. Available on Netflix.

• “Insidious- The Red Door” (PG-13): Fifth installment of the Insidious horror franchise, with Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) heading east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton’s college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the demons of his past return to haunt them both. Also starring Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye and Joseph Bishara.

• “Theater Camp” (PG-13): Comedy about how the staff of a rundown theater camp in upstate New York band together when their founder falls into a coma. Starring Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Jimmy Tatro and Ayo Edebiri.

• “The Beanie Bubble” (R): The tale of the Beanie Baby empire in the 1990s. Starring Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook and Geraldine Viswanathan. Available on Apple TV+.

• “They Cloned Tyrone” (R): Science fiction/mystery film about an unlikely trio on the trail of a government conspiracy. Starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx, with Kiefer Sutherland. Available on Netflix.

• “Spider-Man-Across the Spider-Verse” (PG): Brooklyn’s neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse where he encounters a team of Spider-People. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Shameik Moore, Oscar Isaac and Daniel Kaluuya.

• “Jules” (PG-13): A UFO crashes into a man’s backyard in rural Pennsylvania. As he befriends the extraterrestrial, things get complicated when two neighbors discover it. Starring Ben Kingsley, Jade Quon, Jane Curtin and Harriet Sansom Harris.

• “Joy Ride” (R): Comedy that centers on four unlikely friends who embark on an international adventure. When Audrey’s business trip to Asia goes awry, she enlists the help of Lolo, her childhood best friend, Kat, a college friend, and Deadeye, Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu.

• “The First Slam Dunk” (PG-13): Japanese animated sports film with the Shohoku High School basketball club in a match against Sannoh High School.

• “Transformers-Rise of the Beasts” (PG-13): New Transformers film will take audiences on a ’90s globetrotting adventure with Optimus Prime and the Autobots teaming up with a new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the battle for Earth. Starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy and Pete Davidson.

• “Stephen Curry-Underrated” (PG-13): A documentary about Stephen Curry’s rise from an undersized college basketball player at a small town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion with archival footage and on camera interviews. Available on Apple TV+.

• “The Flash” (PG-13): Warner Bros. superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to save his family, but inadvertently alters the future. He becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation and there are no super heroes to turn to, unless he can coax a very different Batman out of retirement. Starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Michael Keaton and Ben Afleck.

• “Asteroid City” (R): World-changing events disrupt a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in a fictional American desert town, circa 1955. Science fiction comedy film directed by Wes Anderson. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Hope Davis, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Matt Dillon, Margot Robbie, Willem Dafoe and Scarlett Johansson.

• “Every Body” (R): Documentary focusing on three individuals who overcame shame, secrecy, and unauthorized surgery throughout their childhoods. Starring River Gallo, Sean Saifa Wall and Ruth Deibel.

• “No Hard Feelings” (R): On the brink of losing her childhood home, a desperate woman agrees to date a wealthy couple’s introverted and awkward 19-year-old son before he leaves for college. Comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti and Natalie Morales.

• “The Blackening” (R): A group of Black friends reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize it isn’t a game. Starring Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, Dewayne Perkins and Sinqua Walls.

• “The Little Mermaid” (PG): Disney live-action remake of the animated “The Little Mermaid,” based on the fairy tale written by author Hans Christian Andersen about a beautiful and spirited young mermaid who longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea. Starring singer and actress Halle Bailey as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric; Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian; and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.

• “The Boogeyman” (PG-13): A horror-thriller based upon the short story by Stephen King about a high school student and her younger sister who are reeling from the death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families. Starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, Marin Ireland and Madison Hu.

• “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” (PG): DreamWorks Animation action comedy about a shy teenager who discovers that she’s part of a legendary royal lineage of mythical sea krakens. Animated film featuring the voices of Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Liza Kosher and Jane Fonda.

• “Bird Box Barcelona” (R): From the producers of “Bird Box” comes an expansion of the 2018 film. After a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, Sebastian must navigate his own survival journey through the desolate streets of Barcelona. Starring Mario Casas, Georgina Campbell, Diego Calva and Alejandra Howard. Available on Netflix.

• “The Out-Laws” (R): Owen Browning (Adam Devine) is a bank manager about to get married to the love of his life, Parker (Nina Dobrev). When his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin), who just arrived in town, are the outlaws. Available on Netflix.

• “Beau is Afraid” (R): A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to go home to his mother. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Hayley Squires.

• “Showing Up” (R): A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends in this funny portrait of art and craft. Starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro and Andrè Benjamin.

• “Spinning Gold” (R): Neil Bogart launched Casablanca Records in the 1970s, giving rise to musical acts including Donna Summer, Parliament, Glady Knight, The Isley Brothers, The Village People, Bill Withers and KISS. Starring Jeremy Jordan, Michelle Monaghan, Jay Pharoah, Casey Likes, Tayla Parx, Dan Fogler and Jason Issacs.

• “Nimona” (PG): When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teen who happens to be a shape-shifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. Also starring Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy and Lorraine Toussaint. Available on Netflix.

• “John Wick-Chapter 4” (R): New film in the franchise where hit man John Wick (Keanu Reeves) takes his fight against The High Table global, facing off against a new enemy with alliances in the underworld across the globe. Also starring Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård and Laurence Fishburne.

• “Fast X” (PG-13): The 10th film in the Fast & Furious saga. Now Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family confront their most lethal opponent, emerging from the shadows of the past fueled by blood revenge. Also starring Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Alan Ritchson, Scott Eastwood, with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno.

• “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” (PG-13): New Marvel Studios’ superhero film where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. Also starring Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan.

• “About My Father” (PG-13): Comedy about a man who is encouraged by his fiancée to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and eccentric family. Starring Robert De Niro, Sebastian Maniscalco, Leslie Bibb and Kim Cattrall.

• “Extraction 2” (R): Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is back in a second movie as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster. Also starring Golshifteh Farahani, Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili. Available on Netflix.

• “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (PG): Computer-animated film based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. video game franchise. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Seth Rogen.

• “Evil Dead Rise” (R): Horror film about two estranged sisters trying to survive and save their family from demons in a Los Angeles apartment building. Starring Alyssa Sutherland, Lily Sullivan, Mia Challis and Gabrielle Echols.

• “You Hurt My Feelings” (R): A novelist’s long-standing marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michaela Watkins, Owen Teague and Tobias Menzies and Arian Moayed.

• “Chevalier” (PG-13): Inspired by the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), rises in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and champion fencer. Also starring Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, and Minnie Driver.

• “The Machine” (R): Comedy adventure about a man’s past coming back to haunt him, when a murderous mobster tries to kidnap him to atone for his crimes. Starring Bert Kreischer, Jimmy Tatro, Stephanie Kurtzuba and Mark Hamill.

• “Book Club-The Next Chapter” (PG-13): Sequel to “Book Club”, the new film follows the four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Giancarlo Giannini, with Andy Garcia and Don Johnson.

• “It Ain’t Over” (PG): The story of Lawrence Peter, “Yogi Berra”, the beloved New York Yankees baseball legend who became famous for his championship rings and funny proverbs. Granddaughter Lindsay Berra tells his story along with his sons, former Yankee teammates, players he managed, writers, broadcasters, and admirers (such as Billy Crystal).

• “Flamin’ Hot” (PG-13): The story of Richard Montañez, the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry. Starring Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Tony Shalhoub, Dennis Haysbert and Emilio Rivera. Directed by Eva Longoria. Available streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

• “Shooting Stars” (PG-13): Based on the book by LeBron James and the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger, is the inspiring origin story of a basketball superhero. Starring Marquis “Mookie” Cook, Caleb McLaughlin, Avery S. Wills Jr., Khalil Everage and Wood Harris.

• “Still-A Michael J. Fox Movie R: Recounts Fox’s story in his own words – the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to stardom in 1980’s Hollywood, and his diagnosis at age 29 with Parkinson’s disease. Available on Apple TV+.

• Guy Ritchie’s “The Covenant” (R): Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film follows Sergeant John who on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan is teamed with local interpreter Ahmed. After John is injured, Ahmed risks his own life to carry John across miles of grueling terrain to safety. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Beecham and Anthony Starr.

• “Dungeons & Dragons-Honor Among Thieves” (PG-13): The roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons comes to the big screen in an action-packed adventure with a charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers who undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic. Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page,  Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Daisy Head and Chloe Coleman.

• “Hypnotic” (R): When a detective learns that his missing daughter and a string of high profile bank robberies might be connected, he goes on a gripping search for his daughter. Starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, William Fichtner and Hala Finley.

• “Love Again” (PG-13): Coping with the loss of her fiance, Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra) sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number, not realizing it was reassigned to journalist Rob Burns (Sam Heughan). When Burns is assigned to write a profile of superstar Celine Dion, he enlists her help to figure out how to meet Mira in person. Starring Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan, Celine Dion and Sofia Barclay.

• “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (PG-13): Adaptation of author Judy Blume’s book of the same name about 11-year old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) who has a Christian mother and a Jewish father. Margaret is moving to a new town and beginning to contemplate everything about life. She relies on her mother (Rachel McAdams) who offers loving support but is seeking her own footing in a new place, and her grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates).

• “Sisu” (R): During the last days of World War II, a prospector crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-Earth retreat in northern Finland. When the soldiers decide to steal his gold, they quickly discover they just tangled with no ordinary miner. Starring Jorma Tommila, Mimosa Willamo, Onni Tommila and Aksel Hennie.

• “Rally Road Racers” (PG): Animated comedy about a rookie race-car driver who gets the opportunity to compete against the reigning champion of the rally car circuit. Featuring the voices of Chloe Bennet, Jimmy O. Yang, J.K. Simmons and Lisa Lu.

• “Big George Foreman” (PG-13): The film tells the story of world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, who retired from boxing, became a preacher, then stepped back in the ring to regain the championship at age 45. Starring George Foreman, Khris Davis, Jasmine Mathews and Sullivan Jones.

• “Mafia Mamma” (R): Action comedy film about a mild-mannered suburban mom who unexpectedly inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci, Giulio Corso and Livia De Paolis.

• “Air” (R): A biographical sports drama that follows the history of former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, and Nike’s partnership with basketball rookie Michael Jordan to create the Air Jordan brand. Directed by Ben Affleck. Starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Chris Tucker.

• “Polite Society” (PG-13): Action comedy film about martial artist-in-training Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), who believes she must save her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) from her impending marriage. Also starring Ella Bruccoleri, Shobu Kapoor, Nimbra Bucha and Rachel Kwok.

• “Scream VI” (R): Sixth installment in the “Scream” film series. Four survivors of the original Ghostface killings attempt to leave Woodsboro for a fresh start. Starring Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, Melissa Barrera, Samara Weaving and Courtney Cox.

• “The Pope’s Exorcist” (R): Horror film based on the memoirs of Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), chief exorcist for the Vatican. Also starring Laurel Marsden, Franco Nero and Alex Essoe.

• “Renfield” (R): Dracula’s loyal servant, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding. After centuries of servitude to Dracula (Nicolas Cage), Renfield is ready to see if there’s life outside his boss’s shadow. Also starring Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez.

• “Peter Pan and Wendy” (PG): Based on the classic tale, Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Starring Alexander Molony, Jude Law, Ever Anderson and Yara Shahidi. Available on Disney+.

• “Creed III” (PG-13): Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed must face off with childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian, who resurfaces after serving in prison. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors and Tessa Thompson.

• “Avatar-The Way of Water” (PG-13): Set more than a decade after the first film, “Avatar”, the new film centers on the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their children) and their battles to stay alive. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.

• “Ghosted” (PG-13): Cole (Chris Evans) falls head over heels for Sadie (Ana de Armas) – but then finds out that she’s a secret agent. Before they go on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world. Also starring Adrian Brody, Amy Sedaris and Lizze Broadway. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Quasi” (R): A hapless hunchback finds himself in the middle of a murderous feud between the Pope and the king of France when each orders the hunchback to kill the other. Starring Adrianne Palicki, Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Gabriel Hogan, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, and Paul Soter. Available on Hulu.

• “Murder Mystery 2” (PG-13): Four years after solving their first murder mystery, Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston) are now full-time detectives struggling to start up their private eye agency, when they’re invited to the wedding of the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island. Trouble ensues when the groom is kidnapped for ransom. Available on Netflix.

• “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (PG-13): The story continues about teenager Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. Starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren.

• “A Thousand and One” (R): Free-spirited Inez kidnaps her 6-year-old son, Terry, from the foster care system and they set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity and stability in a rapidly changing New York City. Starring Temana Taylor, William Catlett, Don DiPetta, and Lia Lando.

• “65” (PG-13): After their spaceship crashes on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth, 65 million years ago. Mills and the only other survivor, Koa, (Ariana Greenblatt) must traverse an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures. Also starring Chloe Coleman and Alexandra Shipp.

• “Ant-Man and The Wasp-Quantumania” (PG-13): New adventure of Marvel Studios superhero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Also starring Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors and Kathryn Newton.

• “Paint” (PG-13): Carl Nargle, a Bob Ross-inspired painter, hosts his own painting show on Vermont public television in this comedy starring Owen Wilson, Ciara Renée, Wendi McLendon‑Covey and Michaela Watkins.

• “Jesus Revolution” (PG-13): Based on the book of the same name about a pastor who opened his congregation in California to welcome youth and hippies in the 1970s. Starring Jonathan Roumie, Kelsey Grammer, Joel Courtney and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

• “Cocaine Bear” (R): Dark comedy inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it. Starring Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Christian Convery-Jennings.

• “Tetris” (R): Based on the true story about how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, and then travels to the Soviet Union during the Cold War-era where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov). Available on Apple TV+.

• “Champions” (PG-13): Woody Harrelson stars in the story of a former minor-league basketball coach who, after a series of missteps, is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that this team can go further than imagined. Also starring Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin, Matt Cook, and Kaitlin Olson.

• “Inside” (R): A high-end art thief becomes trapped inside a luxury, high-tech penthouse in New York’s Times Square during a heist. Starring Willem Dafoe, Eliza Stuyck, Josia Krug and Gene Bervoets.

• “A Good Person” (R): Film about a woman whose life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. Starring Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman and Celeste O’Connor.

• “Moving On” (R): Two estranged women reunite to seek revenge against the husband of their recently deceased best friend. Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Richard Roundtree and Malcolm McDowell.

• “80 For Brady” (PG-13): Inspired by the true story of four best friends who take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. Starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field and Tom Brady.

• “A Snowy Day in Oakland” (PG-13): A psychologist from San Francisco decides to end a stalled romance with her high-profile psychiatrist boyfriend and business partner, and open her own practice in Oakland, California. Starring Loretta Devine, Kyle Bary, Michael Jai White and Nicole Ari Parker.

• “Luther-The Fallen Sun” (R): Continuation of the television series featuring detective John Luther (Idris Elba) who sits behind bars, haunted by his failure to capture the serial killer who is terrorizing London. Also starring Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis and Dermot Crowley. Available on Netflix.

• “Operation Fortune-Ruse de Guerre” (R): Elite spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Also starring Aubrey Plaza and Josh Hartnett.

• “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” (R): Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) reprises his role as Magic Mike in this third installment of the franchise. He takes to the stage again when a business deal that went bad leaves him broke and bartending in Florida. Then he is lured to London with a wealthy socialite. Also starring Salma Hayek, Juliette Motamed and Matthew McConaughey.

• “M3GAN” (PG-13): Sci-fi horror film about a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s companion. Equipped with artificial intelligence, the doll can listen, watch and learn as she becomes playmate, teacher and protector for a child. When the creator of the doll becomes the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, she gives the girl a M3GAN prototype. Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng and Brian Jordan Alvarez.

• “Knock at the Cabin” (R): While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers. Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and Nikki Amuka-Bird.

• “A Man Called Otto” (PG-13): A grumpy widower named Otto (Tom Hanks), has his life turned around when a lively young family moves in next door. Based on the New York Times bestseller, “A Man Called Ove”. Also starring Mariana Treviño, Manuel Garcia‑Rulfo and Rachel Keller.

• “Puss in Boots-The Last Wish” (PG): DreamWorks Animation new adventure in the Shrek universe where daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that he has burned through eight of his nine lives and sets out to restore his nine lives. Featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Olivia Colman.

• “Missing” (PG-13): When her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June searches for answers from her home in Los Angeles. Starring Storm Reid, Nia Long, Megan Suri and Ken Leung.

• “The Whale” (R): A reclusive English teacher tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins and Hong Chau.

• “Plane” (R): Pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island. When most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI.

• “Shin Ultraman”: Japanese superhero Kaiju film starring Masami Nagasawa, Akari Hayami, Takumi Saitoh and Hideaki Anno.

• “Of an Age” (R): Set in the summer of 1999 as a 17-year-old Serbian born, Australian amateur ballroom dancer experiences an unexpected and intense 24-hour romance with a friend’s older brother. Starring Thom Green, Toby Derrick, Hattie Hook and Elias Anton.

• “The Amazing Maurice” (PG): Maurice is a streetwise ginger cat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of talking rats. Animated film with voices of Emilia Clarke, Hugh Bonneville, Gemma Arterton and Himesh Patel.

• “Marlowe” (R): Detective Phillip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) becomes embroiled in an investigation with a wealthy family, in the late 1930s in Bay City, California. Also starring Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange and Daniela Melchior.

• “Emily” (R): Imagined story about English novelist Emily Brontë, author of “Wuthering Heights”, and her journey to womanhood as a rebel and a misfit. Starring Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson‑Cohen, Fionn Whitehead and Amelia Gething.

• “Living” (PG-13): The story of an ordinary man, worn down by years of office routine, who makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful. Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp, and Tom Burke.

• “Black Panther- Wakanda Forever” (PG-13): Marvel Studios’ new superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Black Panther with the Wakandans fighting to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. Starring Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Danai Gurira.

• “Sharper” (R): Motivations are suspect and expectations are turned upside down in this thriller set in New York City. Starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith and Brianna Middleton.

• “Your Place or Mine” (PG-13): Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) are best friends and total opposites, who decide to swap houses for a week. Also starring Jesse Williams, Tig Notaro, Zoe Chao and Steve Zahn. Available on Netflix.

• “Infinity Pool” (R): A couple on vacation venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence and horror. Starring Mia Goth, Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman and Thomas Kretschman.

• “Fear” (R): A weekend vacation becomes a nightmare for a group of friends in this horror film. Starring King Bach, Joseph Sikora, T.I. and Terrence J., Annie Ilonzeh and Ruby Modine.

• “Maybe I Do” (PG-13): With their relationship at a crossroads, Michelle and Allen invite their parents to finally meet. As it turns out, their parents already know each other. Starring Emma Roberts, Richard Gere, Luke Bracey and Diane Keaton.

• “Alice Darling” (R): Pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Alice rediscovers herself and gains perspective while on vacation with two close girlfriends. Starring  Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick and Wunmi Mosaku.

• “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (PG-13): Musical drama about Whitney Houston, (Naomi Ackie) as she rises to fame in the 1980s. Also starring Stanley Tucci and Ashton Sanders.

• “House Party” (R): Comedy film about aspiring club promoters and buddies Damon and Kevin who are broke and in need of a huge windfall. Their solution is to host the party of the year at an exclusive mansion owned by NBA superstar LeBron James. Starring LeBron James, D.C. Young Fly, Jacob Latimore and Andrew Santino.

• “The Fabelmans” (PG-13): A semi-autobiography based on Steven Spielberg’s own childhood growing up in Arizona, from age 7 to 18. Starring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

• “Shotgun Wedding” (R): Darcy and Tom gather their families for a destination wedding, but the ceremony gets put on hold when gunmen take everyone hostage. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge and Lenny Kravitz. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

• “She is Love”: A divorced couple unexpectedly cross paths at a country inn and rekindle a long-lost love. Starring Haley Bennett, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley and Rosa Robson.

• “Babylon” (R): A tale of ambition and excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva.

• “You People” (R): Comedy about a new couple and their families who find themselves examining modern love and family dynamics amidst clashing cultures. Starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy. Available on Netflix.

• “Pamela, A Love Story” (NR): An intimate and humanizing portrait of one of the world’s most famous blonde bombshells, Pamela, a love story follows the trajectory of Pamela Anderson’s life and career from small town girl to international sex symbol, actress, activist and doting mother. Starring Pamela Anderson. Available on Netflix.

• “Ticket to Paradise” (PG-13): George Clooney and Julia Roberts star as a divorced couple who team up and travel to Bali to stop their lovestruck daughter from making the same mistake they made 25 years ago.

• “The Son” (PG-13): The film centers on Peter (Hugh Jackman), whose busy life with his infant and new partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby) is upended when his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) appears at his door to discuss their son Nicholas (Zen McGrath), who is now a troubled teenager. Also starring Anthony Hopkins.

• “Strange World” (PG): Walt Disney Animation Studios’ adventure about a family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures. The voice cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White and Lucy Liu. Available on Disney+.

Theaters

• AMC Theatres: AMC Forum Sterling Heights, 586-254-1381; AMC Star Gratiot Clinton Township, 586-791-2095; AMC Star Great Lakes Auburn Hills, 248-454-0314; AMC Star John R Madison Heights, 248-585-4477, amctheatres.com

• Cinemark Southland Center, Taylor, 734-287-0629, www.cinemark.com/theatres

• Emagine Theatres: Birmingham 8, 248-723-6230; Emagine Palladium in Birmingham, 248-385-0500; Canton, 734-787-3002; The Riviera in Farmington Hills, 248-788-6572; Hartland, 810-207-5757; Macomb, 586-372-3456; Novi, 248-468-2990; Rochester Hills, 248-378-2991; Royal Oak, 248-414-1000, emagine-entertainment.com

• Farmington Civic Theater: 248-474-1951, thefct.com

• Milford Independent Cinema: 248-529-6774, Milford, milfordcinema.org

• MJR Theatres: MJR Chesterfield, 586-598-2500; MJR Universal Grand, Warren, 586-620-0200; MJR Troy, 248-498-2100; MJR Marketplace, Sterling Heights, 586-264-1514; MJR Partridge Creek, Clinton Twp., 586-263-0084; MJR Waterford, 248-666-7900, MJR Southgate, 734-284-3456, mjrtheatres.com

• Oxford GQT Theater: 248-628-7101, gqtmovies.com/theaterinfo/x01tk-gqt-oxford-7

• Regal UA, Commerce Twp.: 844-462-7342, regmovies.com/theatres/regal-ua-commerce-township

• Romeo Theatre, Washington: 586-752-3455, romeotheatre.com

• Trillium Cinema, NCG: Grand Blanc, 810-695-5000, ncgmovies.com

Beats

• Imposters In Effect: The Beastie Boys Tribute-Dec. 27, The Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, www.themagicbag.com, doors at 7 p.m., all ages, $16+ adv.

• Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers: 7 p.m. Dec. 28, The Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac, https://thecrofoot.com/events, $25+.

• Turner Porter, Libby DeCamp: Dec. 28, The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-820-5596, thelovingtouchferndale.com, all ages, doors at 7 p.m., ACLU fundraiser, $10+.

• Crossroads Ceili: 8 p.m. Dec. 28, The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, https://theark.org/event, $25+.

• Trans-Siberian Orchestra: 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28, “The Lost Christmas Eve”, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, 313Presents.com, ticket prices vary.

• SPONGE: 8 p.m. Dec. 28, The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester, 248-453-5285, www.theroxyrochester.com, doors at 6 p.m., ages 21+, $40+.

The Killer Flamingos: 9 p.m. Dec. 28, Blind Owl, 511 South Main Street, Royal Oak, cover charge.

• MJ Live, Michael Jackson tribute: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 29, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, Detroit, 313Presents.com, ticket prices vary.

• Lloyd: 8 p.m. Dec. 31, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, Detroit, 313Presents.com, ticket prices vary.

• George Michael Reborn tribute: Dec. 31, Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, New Year’s Eve dinner party, doors open for dinner guests at 8 p.m., andiamoshowroom.com, $99 tickets include dinner stations, $69 tickets for the show only, both include a champagne toast at midnight.

• The Crasherz: 9 p.m. Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve party, Younger’s Showroom, 120 S. Main, Romeo, www.youngersromeo.com, $50+.

• New Year’s Eve Bash! 90s vs 80s: Dec. 31, The Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, www.themagicbag.com, doors at 8 p.m., ages 21+, $30+ adv.

• NYE Party-Sunset Blvd.: Dec. 31, District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, district142live.com, $12.50+.

• Joe Stanley Trio: 9 p.m. Dec. 31, Blue Goose Inn, 28911 Jefferson Ave., Saint Clair Shores, www.facebook.com/tthebluegoose2023.

• Mike Leslie Band, DeeJay Gene: 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. Dec. 31, Blind Owl Royal Oak, 511 S. Main St., cover $25+. To ensure seats, call for reservations at 248-216-1112, www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563477175520.

Comedy

• One Night Stans: Dave Landau- Dec. 26-28; NYE with Dave Landau-Dec. 31; Melvin Bender-Jan. 2-4; at 4761 Highland Road, Waterford Twp., www.onenightstans.club, 248-249-1321, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.

• Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle: Brad Wenzel-Dec. 26-28; Zach Martina-Dec. 31-Jan. 4; at 310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak, www.comedycastle.com, 248-542-9900, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.

• Remember That One?: 7 p.m. Dec. 29, The Berman Center for Performing Arts, 6600 W Maple Road, West Bloomfield Township, an evening with Larry Joe Campbell and Friends live show, https://tickets.thejdetroit.org/remember-that-one-time, $35-$65+.

Expos/Shows

• Jurassic Quest: Dec. 27-30, dinosaur event, Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, (noon-6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday), lifelike, scientifically-accurate dinosaur herd, fossil exhibits, dinosaur shows, dino rides, inflatables, Advance purchase online at www.jurassicquest.com, use Promo Code-Quest15 online for 15% off, or tickets are available on-site, ticket prices vary.

Holiday activities

• Cirque du Soleil ‘Twas The Night Before”: Through Dec. 31, Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313Presents.com, ticket prices vary.

• Deck the Halls with Ologies: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, noon-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 26-29, and Jan. 2-5, https://science.cranbrook.edu/explore/programs/events, festive exhibits and hands-on workshop.

• Winter at The Station: Fridays and Saturdays, through Dec. 28, Michigan Central, Detroit, festive global winter traditions, winter lights, innovative technologies, art, live performances, shopping. Parking is $5+ at Michigan Central’s Bagley Mobility Hub parking garage, 1501 Wabash, Detroit, tickets at https://michigancentral.com/winter-at-the-station.

• Glenlore Trails-Aurora: Thursday-Sunday evenings, through Dec. 29, at 3860 Newtown Road, Commerce Twp., one-mile walk through experience, www.GlenloreTrails.com.

• Holidays at Meadow Brook: Through Dec. 30, outdoor evening light show, Winter Wonder Lights, Meadow Brook Hall, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, on the campus of Oakland University, ticket prices vary, www.meadowbrookholidays.com.

• Magic of Lights: 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday, through Dec. 30, (5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), Pine Knob Music Theatre, Independence Twp., www.313presents.com/events/detail/magic-of-lights, purchase tickets online, ticket prices vary.

• Holly Dazzle: 5-10 p.m. (5-9 p.m. on Sundays) Friday-Tuesday Dec. 20-31, at 12600 Dixie Hwy., Holly, winter wonderland stroll along a three-quarter mile outdoor trail, adorned with Christmas scenes, 248-634-5552, www.hollydazzles.com.

• “It’s All Magic” party: 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec 31, Detroit Foundation Hotel, The Apparatus Room Experience, 250 W Larned St, Detroit, featuring the artistry of the future with dancers paired with mesmerizing Afro-futurism projection art by Norwest Gallery and street art by All Motion Studio,  complimentary champagne toast at midnight. gen. sdm., $50+, https://detroitfoundationhotel.com.

• Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo: Through Jan. 5, (5-9 p.m. select weeknights and Sundays and 5 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays), outdoor event limited to the front half of the zoo, no access to animal habitats, adv gen advance tickets are $17-$25+ each, children younger than 2 are admitted free, parking is $8, https://detroitzoo.org/events/wild-lights.

• Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm: Holiday House Tours & All Aboard! Model Railroad Exhibit are noon-4 p.m. on select Saturdays, Sundays and weekdays in December and January, 1005 Van Hoosen Road Rochester Hills, buy tickets at the door, $5/adults, www.rochesterhills.org/musprograms.

• Holiday Lights at Innovation Hills: The City of Rochester Hills invites the community to enjoy holiday lights at Innovation Hills Park, 2800 W. Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, 5-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 5-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through Jan. 15, www.rochesterhills.org/news_detail_T9_R385.php.

• The Big, Bright Light Show: 5 p.m.-midnight, nightly through Jan. 19, downtown Rochester, www.downtownrochestermi.com/the-big-bright-light-show.

• The Rink at Royal Oak: Open through Feb. 17, at Centennial Commons Park, festive lights, royaloakholidays.com, weather permitting.

• The Rink at Stine Community Park: Open daily through March 16, (closed New Year’s Day), 241 Town Center, at the corner of Town Center and Civic Center Drive at the City of Troy Civic Center Campus, free admission, skate rentals are $3 residents, $5 non-residents, https://rec.troymi.gov/parks___facilities/the_rink/index.php, weather permitting.

• Riley Park Ice Rink: downtown Farmington open through February, 23600 Liberty St., Farmington, www.downtownfarmington.org, open daily, weather permitting, free admission, https://farmgov.com/Community/Parks-and-Recreation/Riley-Park-Ice-Rink.

Theater

• “Planet Antics”: A Variety Show Celebrating the Planet Ant Community is Dec. 28, Planet Ant Theatre, 2320 Caniff St., Hamtramck, live music, improv, planetant.com/events, $15.

• “A Beautiful Noise”-Neil Diamond musical: Through Jan. 5, Fisher Theatre, Detroit, www.broadwayindetroit.com, ticket prices vary.

• “SIX”: Jan. 7-12, Fisher Theatre, Detroit, www.broadwayindetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• “Footloose”: Jan. 8-Feb. 2, Meadow Brook, at Meadow Brook Theatre, on the campus of Oakland University, 248-377-3300, www.mbtheatre.com, ticket prices vary.

• “Farce of Habit”: Jan. 10-25, Avon Players, 1185 Washington, Rochester, for tickets, call 248-608-9077 or visit www.avonplayers.org, $28+.

Art

• Drop In Workshop: Paper Snowflakes is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 26, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Dec. 27 and noon-4 p.m. Dec. 28-29, Detroit Institute of Arts, Art-Making Studio, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org.

• “The Art of Dining-Food Culture in the Islamic World”: Through Jan. 5, Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org.

• “Fields-Color & Fiber”: Art exhibit by Denise Gonzalez: Exhibit Jan. 7-Feb. 1, reception is 5-8 p.m. Jan. 10, Northville Art House 215 W. Cady St, Northville, https://northvillearthouse.org/exhibitions/gonzalez, free event.

• Centering Toshiko Takaezu: Book signing and presentation by Glenn Adamson, 6 p.m. Jan. 9, Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/events/centering-toshiko-takaezu-glenn-adamson-with-ian-mcdonald-laura-mott.

• Sukanya Ramakrishna: Exhibit Journey Collection of landscape painting and photography at Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W 11 Mile Road, through Jan. 10, featuring Novi artist, non-holiday hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

• “Grace Under Fire”: Through Jan. 11, the Shepherd, 1265 Parkview St., Detroit, lscgallery.com, open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.

• Watercolor Painting: 7-8 p.m. Jan. 13, at Springfield Township Library 12000 Davisburg Road, Davisburg, www.springfield.michlibrary.org/news-and-events/events-calendar#/events/JIuciZ24m4/instances/4jWbUycRl7

• How We Make the Planet Move: Through March 2, The Detroit Collection Part I, Detroit-based artists and designers, featuring Subtleism” Neha Vedpathak with Agnes Martin and Toshiko Takaezu “Worlds Within,” cranbrookartmuseum.org, general admission-$10, free for ArtMembers.

• Tiff Massey-“7 Mile + Livernois”: Exhibit through May 11, 2025, Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org.

• Thursdays at the Museum: 1 p.m. Thursdays, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, self-guided visit of our collections for adults 55 and older. Groups of 25 or more in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties can receive free bus transportation, www.dia.org/events/thursdays.

• The Hawk Makerspace: The Hawk – Farmington Hills Community Center, featuring craft space, specialized equipment including a laser cutter, 3D printer, and sewing lab. Makerspace users may purchase passes to use the equipment during Open Studio hours. Classes are also offered, fhgov.com/play,-explore-learn/the-hawk/amenities/makerspace.

• Drop-in Design: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, self-guided art-making activities in the Cranbrook Art Museum, Art Lab, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, cranbrookartmuseum.org, general admission-$10.

• University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 South State St., Ann Arbor, 734-764-0395, umma.umich.edu, ticket prices vary.

Auditions

• Motown Museum’s AMPLIFY auditions: The Sound of Detroit 2025 singing competition is Jan. 11, starting at noon at Motown Museum Hitsville NEXT. Interested participants must pre-register by Jan. 8, for a spot to audition at https://forms.office.com/r/PyELywWsPP. The competition is open to solo vocalists and vocal groups from Metro Detroit ages 16+, www.motownmuseum.org.

Beats, continued

• The Ultimate Doors- tribute band: Jan. 3, District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, district142live.com, $18+.

• The RFD Boys: 8 p.m. Jan. 3, The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, https://theark.org/event, $16+.

• Grand Funk Railroad: 8 p.m. Jan. 9, Music Hall Center, 350 Madison St., Detroit, www.musichall.org, ticket prices vary.

• A Night With Elvis dinner and tribute show: Jan. 10, Canterbury Village, 2325 Joslyn Road, Orion Twp., www.canterburyvillage.com, doors at 5:30 p.m., ticket prices vary.

• Luke Winslow-King: 8 p.m. Jan. 11, at 20 Front Street, Lake Orion, 248-783-7105, www.20frontstreet.com, doors at 7:30 p.m. all ages, $20+.

Choruses

• Troy Community Chorus registration: Troy Community Chorus seeks new members to join its 2025 Spring Season. Registration is 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, at Troy Athens High School, 4333 John R. Road, Troy, in the choir room, followed by full rehearsals from 7:30-9:30 p.m. $45/individual or $80/couple. Interested singers should enter through the East entrance on John R Road, www.troycommunitychorus.com.

Classical/Orchestra

• Saxophone and Piano Recital: 2 p.m. Jan. 12, Jeffrey Heisler and I-Chen Yeh Saxophone and Piano Recital at Orion Township Public Library, 825 Joslyn Road, Orion Twp., https://oriontownship.librarycalendar.com/event/jeffrey-heisler-saxophone-and-i-chen-yeh-piano-8754.

• Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”: Jan. 16-18, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dso.org, $20+.

Film

• AMC Theatres holiday fan fave films: “Elf” on Saturdays and Wednesdays, “The Polar Express” on Sundays, “Love Actually” on Tuesdays, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” on Mondays, “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” on Fridays and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on Thursdays. At least one public showtime will be available for each title weekly through Jan. 2, at participating theaters, purchase tickets at www.amctheatres.com/fan-faves. AMC Forum Sterling Heights, AMC Star Gratiot Clinton Township, AMC Star Great Lakes Auburn Hills, AMC Star John R Madison Heights.

• Cinemark Southland Center, Taylor, 734-287-0629, www.cinemark.com/theatres.

• Detroit Film Theatre at Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org, ticket prices vary.

• Emagine Theatres: Birmingham 8, 248-723-6230; Emagine Palladium in Birmingham, 248-385-0500; Canton, 734-787-3002; The Riviera in Farmington Hills, 248-788-6572; Hartland, 810-207-5757; Macomb, 586-372-3456; Novi, 248-468-2990; Rochester Hills, 248-378-2991; Royal Oak, 248-414-1000, emagine-entertainment.com.

• Farmington Civic Theater: 33332 Grand River Ave., Farmington, www.theFCT.com.

• Milford Independent Cinema: 945 E Summit St., Milford, milfordcinema.org/tickets, $5+.

• MJR Theatres: MJR Chesterfield, 586-598-2500; MJR Universal Grand, Warren, 586-620-0200; MJR Troy, 248-498-2100; MJR Marketplace, Sterling Heights, 586-264-1514; MJR Partridge Creek, Clinton Twp., 586-263-0084; MJR Waterford, 248-666-7900, MJR Southgate, 734-284-3456, mjrtheatres.com.

• Oxford GQT Theater: 248-628-7101, gqtmovies.com/theaterinfo/x01tk-gqt-oxford-7.

• Redford Theatre: 17360 Lahser Road, Detroit, redfordtheatre.com, ticket prices vary.

• Regal UA, Commerce Twp.: 844-462-7342, regmovies.com/theatres/regal-ua-commerce-township.

• Romeo Theatre, Washington: 586-752-3455, romeotheatre.com.

Misc.

• Mitch Albom and Bernie Smilovitz: Radio personality/author Mitch Albom and TV personality Bernie Smilovitz on stage together, Jan. 6, at Emagine Royal Oak, 200 N. Main St., Royal Oak, tickets at www.Emagine-Entertainment.com, $15 per person, a portion of all ticket sales will be donated to S.A.Y. Detroit and Have Faith Haiti charities.

• Main Street Pontiac opens applications for vendors through 5 p.m. Jan. 17, for the Saginaw Green Maker’s Village, at Saginaw Green Park (111 N. Saginaw Street) from March through December 2025. Cost is $150 per month, plus a $50 monthly fee for electricity and other shared amenities. Mandatory operating hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Eligible to Pontiac-based startups and small businesses without an existing storefront in Pontiac, mainstreetpontiac.org/saginaw-green-makers-village.

Museums

• Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm: Holiday House Tours & All Aboard! Model Railroad Exhibit are noon-4 p.m. on select Saturdays, Sundays and weekdays in December and January, 1005 Van Hoosen Road Rochester Hills, buy tickets at the door, $5/adults, www.rochesterhills.org/musprograms.

• Christmas with the Monroe County Museum: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 29, at 126 S Monroe St., Monroe, monroemi.gov.

• Holidays at Meadow Brook: Through Dec. 30, outdoor evening light show, Winter Wonder Lights, Meadow Brook Hall, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, on the campus of Oakland University, ticket prices vary, www.meadowbrookholidays.com.

• Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci): 5020 John R St., Detroit, 313-577-8400, www.mi-sci.org. Regular museum gen. adm. is $17+. Standard Mi-Sci films are available as a $6 add-on to general admission tickets. Mi-Sci is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and until 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. “Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family” exhibit is open through Jan. 12.

• Bank of America customers receive free admission: Jan. 4-5, and the first weekend of each month to museums and cultural institutions across the country, including Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History, Michigan Science Center, Arab American National Museum, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, and Motown Museum, bit.ly/2NvmECM.

• Royal Oak Historical Society Museum: Hours are 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 1411 W. Webster Road, Royal Oak, royaloakhistoricalsociety.com, 248-439-1501, $10+ suggested donation. Unveiling Hidden Stories of African Americans in 19th Century Royal Oak speaker event is 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at the museum. The Underground Railroad in Oakland County traveling exhibit grand opening at the museum is 2-4 p.m. Jan. 12.

• Westin Book Cadillac at 100 Exhibition: Westin Book Cadillac, 1114 Washington Blvd., Detroit, presented with Detroit Historical Society, exhibit explores the 100-year history of the Book Cadillac hotel, https://detroithistorical.org.

• Cranbrook Institute of Science, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://science.cranbrook.edu/explore/programs/events, general admission: $14, $10.50 for ages 2-12 and seniors 65+, free for children under age 2.

• The Zekelman Holocaust Center: 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, www.holocaustcenter.org, 248-553-2400.

• Motown Museum, 2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, motownmuseum.org, 313-875-2264.

• The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village: 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Ford Rouge Factory Tours Monday-Saturday, purchase tickets online, prices vary, thehenryford.org.

• Ford Piquette Plant Museum: 461 Piquette Ave, Detroit. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10-$18. Optional guided tours take place daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., www.fordpiquetteplant.org, 313-872-8759.

• Ford House, 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, 313-884-4222, fordhouse.org.

• Dossin Great Lakes Museum: 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit, detroithistorical.org.

• Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum: Seeks volunteer groups from veteran and military groups to assist with restoration. The museum is also seeking building materials and equipment to support the ongoing restoration of its vintage industrial space at 19144 Glendale Ave., Detroit, including floor grinders, clear epoxy and Thinset products for floor repairs, www.detroitarsenalofdemocracy.org.

• Pontiac Transportation Museum: 250 W. Pike St., Pontiac. Admission to the museum is $10, $8 for seniors and veterans, $6 for children ages 6-12, free for children ages 5 and younger. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, www.pontiactransportationmuseum.org.

• Detroit Historical Museum: 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, detroithistorical.org. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” the Gallery of Innovation, Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City and The Glancy Trains, regular museum general admission is $10. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. “Detroit Lions: Gridiron Heroes,” exhibition featuring the history of the Detroit Lions, detroithistorical.org.

• The Wright: The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit, 313-494-5800, open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, closed on Mondays, reserve timed tickets at thewright.org, $30+ gen adm., $20 for seniors 62+, $15 for youth, ages 5-17, free for under 5.

• Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society: Open 1st/2nd/4th/5th Sundays of the month and 3rd Fridays, 1-4 pm, (holidays excluded) with exhibits including “Four Communities” exhibit at The Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road, Orchard Lake. Admission is free, donations are welcome, www.gwbhs.org, 248-757-2451.

Submit events online at https://bit.ly/40a2iAm.

Rep. Brenda Carter devotes the last weeks of each year to helping people struggling to meet basic needs.

The Pontiac resident said she will never forget her middle-class family falling into poverty after her parents divorced when she was a little girl. Though her mother made sure they had a home, Carter recalled days without heat or water because her mom’s income couldn’t cover all the bills. She blames that poverty for her mother’s cancer death, too, because they could not afford health insurance.

That’s why she and her husband, Randy Carter, collect necessities to donate to local organizations between Nov. 1 and Dec. 20 each year.

“We have 62,000 people in Pontiac. Not everyone is having a Merry Christmas,” Carter said.

On Dec. 6, they provided warm clothes and blankets to Pontiac-based Hope Shelters, which provide food and other resources, including temporary shelter and warm clothes, to people who are homeless.

Brian Wright, Hope’s executive director, said the donations help serve the immediate need of keeping people safe when they’re outside and assist people with getting reestablished when they are able to find more-permanent homes.

Employees at Orion Township-based Premium Distributors hosted a collection drive for winter coats and donated those at the same time.

“This will ensure that every guest has a warm coat this winter. We serve a lot of people in the winter — including people in the local community,” Wright said.

The warm hats, waterproof gloves, scarves, and coats are given to the people Hope serves along with bedding for those who have found more-permanent shelter.

“These items serve as a nice housewarming gift to help them get reestablished with keeping house,” Wright said.

The Carters also provided Thanksgiving turkeys for area military veterans, handwritten holiday cards and stuffed animals to 68 people in hospice care, toys for children in low-income families, and, in honor of her late son Bryan and her brother Claude, who were miliary veterans, gifts for Pontiac’s American Legion Post 20’s holiday party for veterans.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 25, the 360th day of 2024. There are six days left in the year. This is Christmas Day.

Today in history:

On Dec. 25, 1776, Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War.

Also on this date:

In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.

In 1818, “Silent Night (Stille Nacht)” was publicly performed for the first time during the Christmas Midnight Mass at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

In 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted unconditional pardons to “every person who directly or indirectly” supported the Confederacy in the Civil War.

In 1926, Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Yoshihito.

In 1989, ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu (chow-SHES’-koo) and his wife, Elena, were executed following a populist uprising.

In 2009, passengers aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 foiled an attempt to blow up the plane as it was landing in Detroit by seizing Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO’-mahr fah-ROOK’ ahb-DOOL’-moo-TAH’-lahb), who tried to set off explosives in his underwear. (Abdulmutallab later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.)

In 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope, rocketed away from French Guiana in South America on a quest to see light from the first stars and galaxies and search the universe for signs of life.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka is 78.
• Country singer Barbara Mandrell is 76.
• Actor Sissy Spacek is 75.
• Former White House adviser Karl Rove is 74.
• Actor CCH Pounder is 72.
• Singer Annie Lennox is 70.
• Country singer Steve Wariner is 70.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is 66.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is 53.
• Actor Jeremy Strong is 46.

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions.

Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.

“Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!”

Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.”

He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden.

Is it a plan in motion or more rhetoric?

On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens.

“Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.”

Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation.

“I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said.

Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007.

Death row inmates are mostly sentenced by states

Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states.

“The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said.

A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty.

Could rape now be punishable by death?

Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape.

“That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said.

Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line.

What were the cases highlighted by Trump?

One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before.

The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings.

Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision.

Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

The Oakland County Chapter of The Links Inc. hosted its annual Festival of Giving, Dec. 11, at The Pontiac Middle School.

Nearly 600 middle school students participated in the holiday event which featured face painting, arts and crafts, and a holiday “store” where students could gather a gift or two for family and friends. The event included a photo booth, holiday photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, DJ Steve Coleman and refreshments. Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel and Pontiac School Board President Anisha Hannah and Oakland University tutors and mentors were in attendance.

Throughout the year, Oakland County Links sponsors programs for Pontiac Middle School students, including STEAM activities, tutoring and field trips.

For more information, visit www.oaklandcountylinks.org.

AA Van Elslander Foundation awards $2.5 million grant to New Day Foundation for Families

The A.A. Van Elslander Foundation recently awarded a $2.5 million grant to the nonprofit New Day Foundation for Families, for cancer support services.

The announcement was made by Gina Kell Spehn, co-founder and president of Rochester Hills-based New Day Foundation. It is the largest grant received in the nonprofit’s history.

“The A.A. Van Elslander Foundation recognizes New Day Foundation as a leader in helping people who are facing cancer-related financial toxicity, and they recognize that our ‘family-focused’ approach is innovative and critical to the healing process,” said Kell Spehn.

“No family should make unthinkable choices between cancer treatment and basic necessities,” said A.A. Van Elslander Foundation board member Debra Van Elslander.  ““We are making this investment in New Day because we know the funding we provide will be put to the best possible use to help Michigan’s communities in need.”

New Day Foundation for Families provides financial and emotional resources to Michigan families facing cancer. For more information, visit www.foundationforfamilies.org.

For more information about the A.A. Van Elslander Foundation, visit www.vanelslanderfoundation.org.

Huron Valley State Bank hosts holiday gift giving programs

Huron Valley State Bank hosted two holiday giving programs. The Highland Township branch hosted a toy drive Nov. 18-Dec. 13, in which customers and staff donated toys. The collected toys were delivered to the Community Sharing Outreach Center in Highland Twp., Dec. 16.

The Milford branch partnered with the Milford Village Elves program, collecting donations of more than $1,000 to purchase gifts and gift cards.

In November, Huron Valley State Bank also hosted its annual Thanksgiving food drive, collecting canned and boxed non-perishable goods.

For more information, visit www.hvsb.com.

Christmas gifts, decorations and other holiday-related items often come in large cardboard boxes.

Recognizing there is more cardboard discarded this time of year, the city of Troy is providing recycling dumpsters at several locations through the end of January.

Dumpsters will be located in the parking lots at these locations:

– Boulan Park, 3671 Crooks Road

– Firefighters Park, 1800 W. Square Lake Road

– Raintree Park, 3775 John R Road

– Department of Public Works, 4693 Rochester Road (available year round).

Break down cardboard boxes as best as possible and only dispose of cardboard; no trash or other materials are accepted.

Troy residents may also place cardboard in their curbside recycling receptacles.

Call the Department of Public Works at 248-524-3392 with any questions or visit troymi.gov/refuse.

Residents of 12 south Oakland County member communities may also recycle cardboard and other materials at SOCRRA, 995 Coolidge Highway in Troy. Appointments are required; go to socrra.org/.

Member cities are Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Troy.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, household garbage in the United States can increase by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

 

Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News

Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact.

But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request.

The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation.

Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9.

To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison.

Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds.

But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational.

Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered.

Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.”

Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12.

Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility.

Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon.

Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years.

“Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.”

The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool.

It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten.

“Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.”

Political Moves

Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded.

While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show.

The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights.

“Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform.

Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000.

Tuition Costs

Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.”

“I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.”

Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.”

“I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.”

With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson.

©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.