By JESSICA DAMIANO

We tend to think that fall is when the garden winds down, and spring is when the work begins. But there are several chores that, if completed now, will make your spring job much easier.

For starters, pulling up weeds by their roots in the fall will dramatically reduce their reappearance when the weather warms up again. I’m practically addicted to a long-handled tool called Grampa’s Weeder, which makes easy work of the task.

While you’re at it, thoroughly rake beds and borders where fungus, black spot or mildew diseases emerged this year. This will help prevent the pathogens from taking hold in the soil and infecting next year’s plants. Dispose of the leaves and debris in the trash.

Other disease-preventing measures include removing shriveled, “mummified” fruit from tree branches, and disinfecting tomato cages and plant stakes before storing (use a solution made of 1 part bleach and 9 parts water, or spray with a household disinfectant spray and allow to air dry.)

Clean, sharpen and oil tools now so they’ll be ready when you are. There’s little worse than heading out to plant your new seedlings only to find your spade has rusted over the winter.

Protect your trees and property

If you planted new fruit trees this year, install protective guards around them to prevent mouse and rabbit damage. I’m partial to coiled-plastic trunk wraps, but mesh, wire and higher-end metal tree surrounds are also highly effective.

For safety’s sake, examine tree branches now, and remove any that are split, dead or broken, lest they rip off during winter storms and threaten people and property.

Prepare for new beds

If you’re planning to start new beds next year, save yourself the back-breaking labor of digging up the lawn (or the money spent on renting a sod cutter) by smothering the grass over winter.

Define the future bed and cover the area with large pieces of cardboard or thick layers of newspaper, using landscape staples or rocks to hold it in place. Then, cover it with a few inches of mulch or compost.

The cardboard may be entirely decomposed by spring, but if not, just leave it in place and dig planting holes right through it.

Clear out the old beds

Clear out spent vegetable beds, then lightly turn the soil, incorporating compost, well-rotted manure and, if indicated by a low pH test result, lime. The amendments will work their way deeply into the soil by spring, enriching the root zone to give next year’s crops a natural, nutritional boost.

And for an early-spring gift to yourself, don’t forget to get flower bulbs (and garlic!) into the ground. The longer you wait, the bigger the risk of delayed blooms, but you can keep planting them as long as the soil is soft enough to dig.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

Fundraisers/Charitable events

• National Collection Week of gift-filled shoeboxes is Nov. 17-24, to benefit Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. The public is invited to pack gift-filled shoeboxes and deliver to a local drop-off location in Michigan. Drop-off locations and a step-by-step guide, How to Pack a Shoebox are at www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

• Focus: HOPE is hosting The Giving Machine, in collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 19–Jan. 4 at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets at Entrance E (at Nike Store and Bass Pro Shops) in Auburn Hills, and Nov. 18–Dec. 7 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. Visitors can purchase donations to support Focus: HOPE’s mission to help end food insecurity and build equitable opportunities for families in Metro Detroit, www.focushope.edu.

• Meijer announced it will donate the equivalent of one meal to local Simply Give food pantry partners for every Meijer brand, Frederik’s by Meijer, True Goodness, or Purple Cow food item purchased, from Nov. 23-29. Meijer customers can also contribute to the fight against hunger by adding a $10 Simply Give donation card to their order, https://meijercommunity.com/simply-give.

• Southfield Parks & Recreation invites the community to “Skate for a Cause” 5-6:50 p.m. Nov. 24, at the Southfield Sports Arena, 26000 Evergreen Road. Admission and skate rental are free with the donation of a non-perishable food item, to help support local families. A second Skate for a Cause event will also be held 5-6:50 p.m. Dec. 23, (248) 796-4620, www.cityofsouthfield.com/deaprtments/parks-recreation.

• The annual Mighty Gobbler 5K Run/1Mile Walk is 8-11 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, hosted by Lutheran Church of the Master, 3333 Coolidge Hwy., Troy. Pre-registration for the 5K is $37 through Nov. 25 and $32 for the 1M, and then fees increase by $5 November 26 and 27. Portion of the proceeds will benefit Micah 6 Community in Pontiac and Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, two local non-profit organizations serving people in need. Runners are also encouraged to bring canned goods to help stock the food pantry at Troy People Concerned. To register, visit mightygobbler.com or call 248-643-0176 for information.

• “Coats for the Cold” Coat Drive is through the month of November, donations sought of new or gently-used, clean coats at one of the 95 drop-off sites around Oakland County. Look for the box with the “Coats for the Cold” Coat Drive sign on it and place your donation inside. Partners in this effort: Genisys Credit Union, Max Broock Realtors, Real Estate One, Christ Church Cranbrook, @1800SelfStorage.com, McKenzie Moving. For a list of drop-off sites, visit www.facebook.com/OCSOMichigan.

• Rochester and Rochester Hills announce a friendly food drive competition to support Neighborhood House, from Nov. 10 to Dec. 1. Rochester residents should drop off non-perishable food items at 400 Sixth Street in Rochester, while Rochester Hills residents should bring donations to 1000 Rochester Hills Drive in Rochester Hills, ranh.org.

• Easterseals MORC 10th annual Cheers Gala is 7 p.m. Dec. 5, at M1 Concourse Event Center in Pontiac,holiday fundraising event to honor donors and community partners, features strolling dinner, cocktails, a silent auction, a photo station, interactive gaming and casino activities, live entertainment, tickets are $150+ for general admission at www.cbo.io/app/public/bidapp/cheers.

• Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan’s 60th Annual Guild Gala is 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 6, at Westin Southfield, 1500 Town Center, Southfield, www.deturbanleague.org, tickets are $100 for adults, $50 for youth.

• The Bloomfield Township Police Department is hosting Holiday Charity Campaign-Gift Cards for Veterans. The police department is collecting gift cards to any major box stores and grocers to distribute to multiple Oakland County veterans and their families this holiday season. Gift cards can be donated through Dec. 18 at the front desk of the Bloomfield Township Police Department, 4200 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Twp., https://bloomfieldtwp.org/police.

• “Crafted in Kindness,” a handmade hat and mitten drive, at The Hawk Makerspace. Knitters, crafters can donate crafted items from Nov. 29-Dec. 20, which will then be distributed to older adults in need through the City’s Adults 50 & Better Division. Crafters will be entered for a chance to win prizes from The Hawk Makerspace. The Hawk Makerspace is hosting workshops to teach aspiring makers to sew fleece hats and mittens on Nov. 29, www.fhgov.com.

• To fulfill a holiday wish list in the Senior Secret Santa program, contact Teresa at 248-473-1826 or tjergovich@fhgov.com. Wrapped gifts must be dropped off at the Costick Activities Center at 28600 W. Eleven Mile Road in Farmington Hills by Dec. 5.

• Farmington Hills police and firefighter/paramedics are teaming up with Toys for Tots, through Dec. 16, donate unwrapped toys in the lobby of the Farmington Hills Fire and Police Departments on the campus of Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W. Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, www.fhgov.com.

Holiday activities

• Royal Oak Holidays Opening Weekend is Nov. 21-23, in downtown Royal Oak. With its merger with Royal Oak Winter Blast, festivities include The Rink at Royal Oak skating season opening, located in Centennial Commons, visits with Santa, mini carnival rides with a small donation to the Holiday Basket Food Drive. The Rink at Royal Oak is a collection site for The Bottomless Toy Chest. Royal Oak Holidays features five themed weekends of festive activities through Dec. 21, www.royaloakholidays.com.

• Visits with Santa are Friday-Sunday Nov. 21-Dec. 14, and daily Dec. 18-24, during Santa’s hours by walk-up only at The Village of Rochester Hills Outdoor Shopping Center, Festival Park, 104 N. Adams Road, TheVORH.com. Pet Night is 2-6 p.m. Nov. 23, guests are encouraged to bring their furry friends to The Village to take photos with Santa. Visits with Santa’s Reindeer take place 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 29-Dec. 21.

• Annual Lagniappe event and Big Bright Light Show: 6-9 p.m. Nov. 24. Lagniappe, a Creole word for “a little something extra,” embodies the spirit of giving and appreciation, hosted by Rochester merchants. The program starts at 6 p.m. on stage on the crosswalk of W. 4th Street & Main, downtown Rochester. At 7 p.m., The Big, Bright Light Show will illuminate buildings downtown, followed by a fireworks display. Afterward, children can visit with Santa from 7:15-9 p.m. The Big, Bright Light Show will run nightly from 5 p.m. to midnight through Jan. 18. During the Lagniappe event, Main Street will be closed to traffic from Second Street to University Drive from 5-9:30 p.m. For information, visit www.downtownrochestermi.com/lagniappe.

• Holly Dickens Festival lighted parade is 6 p.m. Nov. 28, (includes a sensory-friendly portion). Festival continues 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 29-Dec. 14, downtown Holly. Stroll the streets of historic Battle Alley, visit shops, enjoy strolling Christmas carolers, street performers, holiday lights, roasted chestnuts, hot chocolate, children may visit with Santa in the Tiny Tim Children’s Tent, Run like the Dickens Race is Dec. 6, register at www.hollydickensfestival.org.

• Holiday Walk and Winter Wonder Lights take place on select dates Nov. 28-Dec. 30, Meadow Brook Hall, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, on the campus of Oakland University, annual indoor daytime Holiday Walk, and the outdoor evening light show, featuring music and concessions, meadowbrookholidays.com, (248) 364-6200, ticket prices vary.

• Very Merry Brunch is held Nov. 28 and Dec. 22 in Meadow Brook Hall’s ballroom, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, brunch before exploring the three main floors of the mansion decorated for Holiday Walk, meadowbrookholidays.com, tickets are $75 each.

• Holiday House Tours and All Aboard! Model Railroad Exhibit are noon-4 p.m. Nov. 28-30 and select Saturdays, Sundays and weekdays in December, at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, buy tickets at the door, general adm. is $5/adults, www.rochesterhills.org/musprograms.

• Birmingham Santa Walk: 9:30-10:30 a.m. Nov. 29, walk with Santa, hot chocolate while supplies last 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Santa visits are noon-4 p.m. Nov. 29 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 30. Free horse Drawn Carriage Rides are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 29-30, Small Business Saturday activities, register for Santa Walk at www.allinbirmingham.com. Birmingham Winter Markt is Dec. 5-7.

• Holiday Tea & Tour: select dates Nov. 30-Dec. 21, in Meadow Brook Hall’s Dining Room, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, includes admission to Holiday Walk. Tickets are $85 each.

• Annual holiday lights celebration is 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 2, ceremony, tree lighting and 20-foot candle, carols, and Santa will arrive via fire truck at Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W. Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, followed by free cookies and hot cocoa, and Santa visits inside Fire Station #5 on the campus of City Hall, www.fhgov.com.

• Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony: 6-8 p.m. Dec. 2, on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road, www.cityofsouthfield.com.

• Starlight Stroll: Dec. 3, Meadow Brook Hall’s ballroom, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester, holiday elegance that includes live music, open bar, strolling dinner, and complimentary valet, meadowbrookholidays.com, tickets are $150 each.

• “Holly, History & Harmony”: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 9, at the historic Buhl Estate at Addison Oaks, 1480 West Romeo Road, Leonard, event includes an educational tour, live seasonal music provided by the Twelfth Night Singers, who will sing a cappella selections while dressed in traditional Renaissance attire, and buffet meal, $45/person. Register by Nov. 24. Call 248-858-0916 or reserve at www.oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks/events.

Holiday markets

• Festival of Trees is Nov. 22-23, (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday), The Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow, Rochester, www.downtownrochestermi.com/festival-of-trees. Admission is free, proceeds benefit The Big, Bright Light Show.

• Arts & Greens Market is Nov. 22-23, Bogie Lake Greenhouses, 1525 Bogie Lake Road, White Lake Twp., (10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday), 18th annual event, partnership between Huron Valley Council for the Arts and the greenhouses, www.huronvalleyarts.org, free admission.

• Davisburg Christmas Market: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 23, at Springfield Oaks, 12451 Andersonville Road, Davisburg, thebespokemarkets.com, $2 admission, www.facebook.com/groups/618971923690444.

• Holiday Market Pop-Up: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 23, Friendship Circle’s Soul Gallery, 5586 Drake Road, West Bloomfield Twp., featuring limited-edition, handcrafted items created by artists with special needs, 50% of the purchase price goes directly to the artists, and the other 50% is reinvested into the studio and its mission, shop online through Dec. 31 at https://gallery.friendshipcircle.org.

• 53rd Annual Elf Shelf Arts & Craft Show is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 29, at Troy High School, 4777 Northfield Parkway, featuring over 200 booths of handcrafted gifts, seasonal décor, jewelry, textiles, hosted by the Troy Women’s Association, (248) 988-0426, www.troywomensassociation.org, $3 donation at the door to benefit scholarships and local charities.

Parks/Outdoor activities

• Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers free admission. General park entry fees and vehicle permits have been eliminated for all parks operated by Oakland County Parks, www.oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks.

• Huron-Clinton Metroparks in Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne, metroparks.com. Park entrance fees apply. Annual vehicle passes are $40 for residents or $45 for non-residents. Senior citizen pricing on annual passes are available in-person at toll booths or park offices with ID as proof of age.

• Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas, michigan.gov/dnr. Park entrance fees apply.

Support resources

• For access to local community services, dial 211 (844-875-9211) or text zip code to 898211, for information and referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions, United Way, https://unitedwaysem.org/get-help.

• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 confidential support for people who are suicidal or in emotional distress, or who know someone who is. Calls and text messages to 988 route to a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center, www.fcc.gov/988Lifeline.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-7233, available 24/7.

• Common Ground’s Resource & Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 – call or text 800-231-1127.

• Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 and then press 1 to connect to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.

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

Dorie Greenspan is a James Beard Award-winning author of more than a dozen cookbooks whose latest production, 2025’s “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes,” is a homage to simple but show-stopping baked treats.

Greenspan’s recipe for a citrus loaf cake – which is lovingly illustrated by Nancy Pappas, like other recipes in the book – relies on winter’s bounty of fresh lemons, grapefruits, clementines and other fruits. In other words, it’s timed perfectly for the holiday season. A feature is that it can be made completely dairy-free, thanks to the use of olive oil, which bakes it to a deep golden-brown color.

What citrus should you use? Greenspan adds these notes: “The most play-aroundable ingredient in this recipe is the citrus, of course. See what you like most — maybe it’ll be the sharpness of lemons and limes or the sweetness of oranges, or a mix of both. I like a mild olive oil in this cake, but you might want to play up the olive flavor by using a stronger oil. And you might want to add a little vanilla or maybe a shot of dark rum or an aromatic orange liqueur.”

Mix-It-Up Citrus Loaf Cake

Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup sugar

About 3 citrus fruits (see above note on what to use)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil OR – to make a version with dairy – 1/2 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Citrus marmalade for glazing, such as Korean honey-citron marmalade (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan or coat the interior with baker’s spray and place it on a baking sheet.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend.

Put the sugar in another bowl. Finely grate the zest from the citrus over the sugar – you want about 3 tablespoons of zest – and then reach in and use your fingers to smush and press the ingredients together until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Halve the fruits and squeeze to get 1/3 cup juice.

Add the eggs and honey to the sugar and whisk until smooth, then blend in the juice. Add the egg-sugar mixture to the dry ingredients in three additions, using a flexible spatula to gently mix the batter. Then slowly incorporate the olive oil (or the blend of oil and melted butter). You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a light sheen. Pour it into the pan and gently jiggle the pan to even the batter.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake is tall, dark and handsome and a tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean; check the cake after 30 minutes, and if it’s getting too dark too quickly, tent it lightly with foil or parchment. Transfer the cake to a rack and let sit for 5 minutes, then unmold it and turn it right side up onto the rack. If you want to glaze the cake, do it now; otherwise, just allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

To make the (optional) glaze: Bring a few spoonfuls of marmalade with a splash of water just to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to melt the jam, or do this in a microwave. Brush the glaze over the warm cake.

Storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep for about three days at room temperature. If you have the patience, wrap it and wait a day before slicing and serving. You can freeze it for up to 1 month, but if it’s been glazed, the jam might get a bit watery – not fatal. Thaw the cake in the wrapper.

— Courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes” (HarperCollins Harvest, $28)

Related:

• Thanksgiving for all: Add these five recipes to make your menu more inclusive
• Recipe: Three sisters salad for vegans
• Recipe: High-protein, gluten-free cranberry jalapeño dip
• Recipe: Gluten-free pull-apart dinner rolls that retain their chewy texture
• Recipe: Diabetic-friendly pumpkin pie with maple-ginger crust

Q: We have a question for you regarding our bathroom. We want to convert our bathtub to a shower stall so we do not have to lift our legs so high to get in and out. Will it be harder to sell our house in the future without a bathtub?

A: I wouldn’t worry about it. If making this change allows you to stay and enjoy your home for years to come, then do it for your needs. When you sell, you could change it back to a tub or give an allowance to the buyer if it becomes an issue.

Home maintenance tip

I would like to vent a little here — about clothes dryer venting. I go into many homes, and whether it’s as a buyer’s agent or as a seller’s agent listing a home, I always look at the appliances, including the washer and dryer. When I look at the dryers, I observe what kind of ducting it has. There is flexible (looks like a flimsy accordion style, which is usually white vinyl or foil), semi-rigid (looks like a flexible aluminum tube) and then there is rigid (looks like the sheet metal ductwork you would see on your furnace). According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2014-2018, local fire departments responded to an average of 13,820 home structure fires per year in which dryers were involved in the ignition. These fires caused an average of seven civilian deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in direct property damage annually. The main issue for dryer ducts is that lint goes through them while still containing some moisture, and it sticks to the walls of the ducting.

You might think that the lint trap stops all lint, but it does not. The flexible and semi-rigid ducting, because of the ribs, are more prone to catching lint than the smooth rigid metal ducts. The danger is when the interior of the ducting gets coated with lint and the dryer gives off a spark or high heat that can ignite the lint, causing a fire in the ductwork. If you have a flexible duct, it’s going to quickly melt and possibly allow the fire to spread in your home. A semi-rigid is a little more fire resistant, but it is not as good as the rigid sheet metal type. Not only is it important to have the best ductwork, but it’s also important to have the ductwork cleaned and to have the inside of the dryer cleaned, as well. According to NFPA, one-third of dryer fires were caused by a failure to clean.

Market update

September’s market update for Macomb County and Oakland County’s housing market (house and condo sales) is as follows: In Macomb County, the average sales price was up by almost 5% and in Oakland County, it was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s on-market inventory was unchanged at 0% and Oakland County’s on-market inventory was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s average days on market was 29 days and Oakland County’s average days on market was 25 days. Closed sales in Macomb County were up by more than 2% and closed sales in Oakland County were up by more than 4%. (All comparisons are month to month, year to year.)

By the long-standing historical definition from the National Association of Realtors, which has been in existence since 1908, a buyer’s market is when there is a seven-month supply or more of inventory on the market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers is when there is a six-month supply of inventory. A seller’s market is when there is a five-month or less supply of inventory. Inventory has continued to stay low. In September, the state of Michigan’s inventory was at 2.8 months of supply. Macomb County’s inventory was at 2.4 months of supply and Oakland County’s inventory was at 2.5 months of supply. By definition, it’s still not close to a buyer’s market.

Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at Realty Executives Home Towne in Shelby Township. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or emailed at Steve@MeyersRealtor.com. You can also visit his website at  AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.

A legion of rock fans is still mourning the death of Kiss’ Ace Frehley last month, but few more so than John 5.

The Grosse Pointe-born guitarist considered Frehley both a friend and colleague. 5 (nee Lowery) is a Kiss fan first and foremost. He maintains an extensive (understatement) collection of Kiss memorabilia dubbed the Knights in Satan’s Service Museum, which he displayed publicly in the spring. He also took what’s acknowledged to be Gene Simmons’ final photo in makeup, shortly after Kiss’ farewell concert on Dec. 2, 2023, in New York, and co-wrote a song for Paul Stanley’s “Live to Win” solo album in 2006.

5 played on Frehley’s two “Origins” albums in 2016 and 2020, as well, but says there was much more to the relationship than guitars.

“He was my great friend for, like, 40 years. Very friendly,” 5, 55, says during a tour bus ride through Florida on his way to Georgia. “We would go to movies, go to pawn shops, just run around and things like that — what friends do. I didn’t really talk to him a lot about Kiss or memorabilia or the ’70s or anything like that. We were just good friends. We had a lot of laughs, a lot of fun. He really was my hero — still is, of course. I miss him every single day.

“I mean, he changed the world, he really did,” 5 continues. “Everybody loved Ace. Gene is the face of Kiss, then it was Ace … because he was just cool. He was like Fonzie cool, or James Dean cool or anything like that. Just naturally cool. That’s something you can’t learn or teach, and people just gravitate towards that energy. He’s immortal like that.”

And, 5 adds, Frehley’s playing was equally iconic. “Omigod, he influenced everyone. Everyone that’s playing today pretty much has been influenced in some way from Ace. I could just rattle off a list, but it would take way too long.

“And it’s not just the guitar playing; it goes beyond that. You just see a picture of him and — especially as a kid — you’re like, “Omigod, that is cool!” And then you hear him, and you’re sold. He was one of a kind.”

Not surprisingly, 5 is not playing any of Frehley’s material, even in tribute, during his co-headlining tour with fellow guitarist and bandleader Richie Kotzen. “A lot of people at the shows are like: ‘Play Kiss! Play some Ace songs!,’ he acknowledges. “But to be honest with you, I can’t do it. It’s too emotional for me right now.”

5 has no shortage of other music to play, of course.

Honing his musical chops while growing up on Wellington Street — starting with “Hee Haw” and continuing with his local guitar teacher, Robert Gillespie — 5 moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 and established a reputation as both a player and a writer. Producer Bob Marlette became a supporter, and 5 logged credits on albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Lynyrd Skynyrd, former Journey frontman Steve Perry and many others — even, surprisingly, the likes of Dolly Parton, Salt-N-Pepa and Ricky Martin. 5 also toured with Rob Zombie (as well as playing on some of his film scores), Marilyn Manson and David Lee Roth, and since 2022, he’s been part of Motley Crue — and does include a medley of that group’s songs in his sets.

“All these people come to the show and have Motley Crue shirts on and things like that,” explains 5, who first wrote with Motley bassist Nikki Sixx for his Sixx A.M. band with fellow Michigander James Michael. “They know I’m in the band now, so I thought it would be fun to end the show with a bunch of the songs that are the soundtrack of our lives … ’cause I was a fan first, before I played with them.

“People go crazy for it; they really, really enjoy it. I make ’em sing ‘Home Sweet Home,’ and everybody knows it. It’s like singing ‘Happy Birthday’ or something. It’s really fun.”

And after Motley’s Las Vegas residency in September — which marked frontman Vince Neil’s return after suffering multiple strokes — 5 is ready for more Crue work.

“I’m just waiting, waiting, waiting,” says 5, who was part of recent Motley songs “Dogs of War” and “Cancelled.” “I was so proud of Vince. He was so good. It was like a movie. This terrible thing happened to him. He had to learn to walk again, learn to sing again, and then he comes out like a champion. He just killed it every night. Every show was great. I was so proud of what we did.

“I’ve had just a blast. It’s been three years already. I feel like there will be more, but like I said, I’m just waiting to hear.”

In the meantime, 5 is continuing his own, mostly instrumental, music alongside all the other concerns. His latest, “Ghost,” came out last month, featuring 10 tracks with contributions from Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Kenny Aronoff and brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonnette from Warren, who worked with 5 in Roth’s band.

“I took my sweet, sweet time with this record,” says 5, who includes a cover of the jazz standard “Moonglow” on the set as a tribute to his parents. “When I went into the studio, I wanted to record all the songs as performances. If I messed up, I would start at the beginning again. I think that’s a lost art today. The technology is so incredible, but I really wanted to capture the energy of a single performance, from start to finish.”

5 will be on the road until just before Thanksgiving, and he has an eye towards 2016 already — both with the band and on his own.

“It really is such an incredible pleasure. I love just having a guitar in my hands and being out on stage pickin’ and playing — anywhere,” he says. “I just wanted to be a session musician — go to work and come home. That’s when I was a kid. I never imagined my life would turn out like this.

“I love music. I love it all. I love everybody I’ve played with, and I’m just thankful every day that this is what I get to do. It’s wonderful. It’s just a dream come true.”

John 5 and Richie Kotzen perform Wednesday, Nov. 19 at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. district142live.com. The two also play Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Machine Shop, 3539 Dort Highway, Flint. 810-715-2650 or themachineshop.info. Doors at 7 p.m. for both.

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

• “Now You See Me-Now You Don’t” (PG-13): The third film in the Now You See Me franchise, with the Four Horsemen returning along with a new group of illusionists to try to bring down a worldwide criminal network. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, with Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman. In theaters, Nov. 14.

• “The Running Man” (R): In a near-future society, “The Running Man” is the top-rated show on television, where contestants, known as runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by assassins. Starring Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson with Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin. In theaters, Nov. 14.

• “Keeper” (R): Horror film about a wife who becomes isolated in a secluded cabin and has to fend off an unspeakable evil. Starring Tatiana Maslany, Claire Friesen, Rossif Sutherland and Christin Park. In theaters, Nov. 14.

• “Predator-Badlands” (PG-13): The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning).

• “Nuremburg” (PG-13): The Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson, have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the horrors of the Holocaust while a US Army psychiatrist is locked in a psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring. Starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Lydia Peckham and Wrenn Schmidt.

• “Sarah’s Oil” (PG): Set in the early 1900s, based on the true story of young Sarah Rector who believes there’s oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted in Oklahoma Indian Territory. As greedy sharks close in, Sarah seeks community help to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming one of the first female African American millionaires. Starring Zachary Levi, Bridget Regan, Naya Desir-Johnson and Sonequa Martin-Green.

• “Bugonia” (R): Two young men kidnap the CEO of a major company, when they become convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

• “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” (PG-13): A chronicle of the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 “Nebraska” album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past, based on the book “Deliver Me from Nowhere” by Warren Zanes. Starring Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffman, Marc Maron, and David Krumholtz.

• “Regretting You” (PG-13): Based on the bestselling book, “Regretting You” about a mother and daughter who explore what’s left behind after a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal, forcing them to confront family secrets and rediscover each other. Starring Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Sam Morelos with Scott Eastwood with Willa Fitzgerald and Clancy Brown.

• “Chainsaw Man-The Movie: Reze Arc” (R): Chainsaw Man faces his deadliest battle yet in a brutal war between devils, hunters and secret enemies. Anime film, starring Reina Ueda, Fairouz Ai, Kikunosuke Toya and Natsuki Hanae.

• “Good Fortune” (R): A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist (Seth Rogen). Also starring Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.

• “Black Phone 2” (R): Sequel to “Black Phone” where 13-year-old Finn escaped captivity and killed his abductor, The Grabber. Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, while his 15-year-old sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. Starring Demián Bichir, Arianna Rivas, Miguel Mora and Jeremy Davies.

• “Tron: Ares” (PG-13): Disney film about a highly sophisticated program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. Starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, with Gillian Anderson and Jeff Bridges.

• “Roofman” (R): Based on a true story about Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman. After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months. Then he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom, and his double life begins to unravel. Also starring Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Peter Dinklage, Juno Temple and Jimmy O. Yang.

Streaming movies

• “Jay Kelly” (R): Poignant and humor filled film that follows famous movie actor, Jay Kelly (George Clooney), as he embarks on a journey of self discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler). Also starring Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson and Charlie Rowe. Available on Netflix, Nov. 14.

• “In Your Dreams” (PG): Animated comedy adventure that follows Stevie and her brother Elliot as they journey into their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family. Starring the voices of Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Omid Djalili, Gia Carides, SungWon Cho and Zachary Noah Piser. Available on Netflix, Nov. 14.

• “Come See Me in the Good Light”: Poignant and unexpectedly funny love story documentary about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Available on Apple TV+, Nov. 14.

• “Frankenstein” (R): Director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment. Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery with Charles Dance and Christoph Waltz.

• “The Smashing Machine” (R): The story of legendary mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten.

• “The Conjuring-Last Rites” (R): Sequel to “The Conjuring 3” with paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren trying to vanquish a demon from a family’s home. Starring Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Taissa Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.

• “The Long Walk” (R): Adaptation of Stephen King’s first-written novel, directed by Francis Lawrence about a group of young men in a dystopian future who embark on a life-or-death marathon with no set finish line. Starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Josh Hamilton, with Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.

• “Downton Abbey-The Grand Finale” (PG): Latest movie in the Downton Abbey franchise that follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. Mary becomes the center of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Elizabeth McGovern.

• “Good Boy” (PG-13): A man moves into a new home that has dark supernatural forces lurking. As he begins to succumb to the darkness, his brave dog comes to the rescue. Starring Larry Fessenden, Shane Jensen, Stuart Rudin and Anya Krawcheck.

• “Bone Lake” (R): A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate gets upended when they’re forced to share a mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. Starring Maddie Hasson, Andra Nechita, Alex Roe and Eliane Reis.

• “A House of Dynamite” (R): When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.Starring: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson and Gabriel Basso. Available on Netflix.

• “Stiller and Meara-Nothing is Lost” (TV-MA): Ben Stiller tells the story of his parents, comedy icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, exploring their impact both on popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life and art often blurred. Available to stream on Apple TV+.

• “Anemone” (R): A man sets out to reunite with his brother who has been living in isolation in the woods of northern England for 20 years. The film explores the family bonds between brothers, fathers, and sons. Written by Daniel Day-Lewis and Ronan Day-Lewis. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean and Samantha Morton.

• “Him” (R): Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) is a rising quarterback who suffers a potentially career-ending injury after being attacked by an unhinged fan. He then receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), offers to train him at an isolated compound. Also starring Julia Fox, Guapdad 4000 and Tim Heidecker.

• “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” (R): Through a twist of fate, single strangers Sarah and David who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding, get to relive important moments from their respective pasts. Starring Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Calahan Skogman and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

• “Freakier Friday” (PG): Sequel to the 2003 film “Freaky Friday” with a multigenerational twist starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As the two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. Also starring Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Rosalind Chao, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon.

• “The Lost Bus” (R): A determined bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a deadly wildfire. Available on Apple TV+. Starring Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez and Ashlie Atkinson.

• “Caught Stealing” (R): Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is a New York City bartender. When his punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank gets caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters. Also starring Zoë Kravitz and Bad Bunny.

• “The Bad Guys 2” (PG): New chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s comedy about a crew of animal outlaws, the now-reformed Bad Guys are trying very hard to be good, but find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes heist, by a new team of criminals – The Bad Girls. Featuring the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova and Zazie Beetz.

• “The Fantastic Four-First Steps” (PG-13): Set in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family – Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they are tasked with defending Earth from a space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson), and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

• “Weapons” (R): Horror/Mystery film where all but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night at the same time. Starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Austin Abrams.

• “The Toxic Avenger” (R): Fifth installment in “The Toxic Avenger” film series and remake of the original 1984 film about a janitor who becomes a mutant in a freak accident at a chemical factory. He soon uses his newfound superhuman strength to battle criminals and a corrupt CEO. Starring Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.

• “All of You” (R): When a new test matching soulmates together comes between two best friends, they try to resist disrupting the paths their lives have taken. Starring Brett Goldstein, Imogen Poots, Jenna Coleman and Steven Cree. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Highest 2 Lowest” (R): When a powerful music mogul (Denzel Washington), is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Directed by Spike Lee. Also starring Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice.

• “Relay” (R): A bribe broker facilitates deals between corrupt companies and their threats. He follows an exacting set of rules until a potential client needs protection just to stay alive. Starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald.

• “Trust” (R): A Hollywood starlet retreats to a remote cabin after a scandal, but she’s not alone and soon finds herself trapped in a brutal game of survival, starring Sophie Turner, Peter Mensah, Gianni Paolo and Renata Vaca.

• “The Knife” (R): A family’s life is disrupted when they find a mysterious woman in their new home. When the police arrive, the intruder is lying unconscious on the floor with a knife in her hand. Starring Nnamdi Asomugha, Manny Jacinto, Melissa Leo and Aja Naomi King.

• “Witchboard” (R): A young couple opening a café find an ancient cursed artifact which awakens dark forces. Starring Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez and Mel Jarnson.

• “Superman” (PG-13): New live-action film where Superman, played by David Corenswet, must reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent. It is the first film of the DC Universe Chapter One-“Gods and Monsters.” Also starring Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult and Nathan Fillion.

• “The Naked Gun” (PG-13): Detective Frank Drevin Jr. follows in the footsteps of his bumbling father and must solve a murder case to prevent the police department from shutting down. The film is a sequel to “Naked Gun 33⅓-The Final Insult” (1994) and is the fourth film in The Naked Gun franchise. Starring Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu with Danny Huston.

• “Light Of The World” (PG): Animated story of Jesus as told through the eyes of his friend, the Apostle John. Featuring the voices of David Kaye, Tim Heidecker and Adam Kozlick.

• “Nobody 2” (R): Workaholic assassin Hutch and his wife Becca take their kids on a much-needed vacation to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark where Hutch finds himself in the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator, a shady sheriff, and a bloodthirsty crime boss. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, RZA, Colin Hanks, with Christopher Lloyd and Sharon Stone.

• “F1 The Movie” (PG-13): Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1’s most promising driver in the 1990s until an accident on the track. Thirty years later, his former teammate and owner of a struggling Formula 1 team convinces Sonny to return to racing. Also starring Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia.

• “Jurassic World Rebirth” (PG-13): Five years after the events of the film “Jurassic World Dominion”, Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leads a team to an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park. Their mission is to secure genetic material from dinosaurs whose DNA can provide life-saving benefits to humankind. Also starring Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein.

• “Ne Zha II” (NR): A rebellious young demigod, born to mortal parents, uses his powers to battle an ancient force that’s bent on humanity’s destruction. Animated sequel, featuring the voices of Michelle Yeoh, Yanting Lü, Yu Yang and Deshun Wang.

• “Americana” (R): A waitress and a military veteran find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal as they attempt to retrieve a Native American artifact. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Halsey, Tony Tost and Paul Walter Hauser.

• “Honey Don’t” (R): Comedy/Mystery where a small-town private investigator, Honey O’Donahue, delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church. Starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner and Chris Evans.

• “Sketch” (PG): A widowed father faces challenges when his young daughter’s drawings become real, affecting their town. Starring Tony Hale, D’Arcy Carden, Allie McCulloch and Kalon Cox.

• “Smurfs” (PG): New Smurfs animated musical film featuring the voice of Rihanna as Smurfette. When Papa Smurf is taken by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel, the Smurfs go on a mission to the real world to save him. Also featuring the voices of Xolo Maridueña, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Kurt Russell and John Goodman.

• “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (R): Sequel in the franchise which started with the 1997 movie of the same name. In the new film, five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, then cover up their involvement and agree to keep it a secret. A year later, they learn that someone knows about it, and they are being stalked by a mysterious killer. Starring Madelyn Cline, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

• “Coolie”: Deva, a former gold smuggler seeks to regain his past glory by reviving his old gang with stolen technology hidden in vintage golden watches. Starring Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir,  Shruti Haasan and Aamir Khan.

• “The Thursday Murder Club” (PG-13): Based on Richard Osman’s international bestseller novel of the same name, the film follows four retirees — Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce — who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun. Then their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands. Starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie and Daniel Mays.

• “Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning” (PG-13): Latest film in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and team racing against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind. Also starring Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham and Angela Bassett.

• “Elio” (PG): Disney animated cosmic misadventure about Elio, a young space fanatic with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization, where he is mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader. Starring the voices of Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, and Shirley Henderson.

• “How to Train Your Dragon” (PG): Live action remake of the original movie, (part of a trilogy), based on Cressida Cowell’s book of the same name. A Viking boy named Hiccup breaks tradition by befriending a dragon named Toothless. Starring Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James and Murray McArthur.

• “My Mother’s Wedding” (R): Heartfelt and funny story about three sisters returning to their childhood home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother. Over the weekend, the family and unexpected wedding guests gather to celebrate the new marriage. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller and Freida Pinto. In limited theaters.

• “Together” (R): After moving to the countryside, a supernatural encounter transforms a couple’s lives. Horror film starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman and Melanie Beddie.

• “Oh, Hi!” (R): Iris has met her perfect guy, Isaac, and is enjoying their first romantic getaway until he tells her he’s not interested in a serious relationship. Starring Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds.

• “Abraham’s Boys-A Dracula Story” (R): The sons of vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, Max and Rudy, confront the legacy of their father’s history with Dracula. Starring Brady Hepner, Titus Welliver, Jocelin Donahue and Aurora Perrineau.

• “Eddington” (R): Western/Comedy set during the COVID-19 pandemic, that follows a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor in Eddington, a fictional town in New Mexico. Starring Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Austin Butler.

• “Happy Gilmore 2” (PG-13): Sports comedy film sequel to “Happy Gilmore” about a hockey player turned golfer. Starring Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Travis Kelce, John Daly, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Conor Sherry, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau,. Available on Netflix.

• “M3GAN 2.0” (PG-13): The sequel takes place two years after the original M3GAN AI doll went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed. Its creator, Gemma, has become an advocate for government oversight of AI. Unbeknownst to her, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen by a defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia. Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp and Jemaine Clement.

• “Lilo & Stitch” (PG): Live-action remake of Disney’s 2002 animated film “Lilo & Stitch.” Starring Sydney Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Tia Carrere and Zach Galifianakis.

• “Strange Harvest” (R): Detectives hunt for “Mr. Shiny”, a sadistic serial killer from the past who has returned with a new wave of grotesque crimes tied to a dark cosmic force. Starring Andrew Lauer, Nicole Dionne, Peter Zizzo and Roy Abramsohn.

• “She Rides Shotgun” (R): Action-thriller about newly released ex-con Nate (Taron Egerton), who must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) as they flee to evade the corrupt sheriff and leader of a gang. Also starring Rob Yang, John Carroll Lynch and Keith Jardine.

• “House on Eden” (R): A team sets out to film their next paranormal investigation, and encounter an ancient spirit that resides in an abandoned house in the woods. Starring KallMeKris, Celina Myers, Jason-Christopher Mayer and Carrie Kidd.

• “The Home” (R): Max (Pete Davidson) is assigned community service at a retirement home and discovers a plot which will endanger the lives of the residents and his own. Horror/Suspense film, also starring John Glover, Bruce Altman, Ethan Phillips and Marilee Talkington.

• “28 Years Later” (R): Nearly three decades after the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory, people are still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine. A member of a group of survivors living on a small island decides to venture onto the mainland, and discovers a mutation that has spread. Starring Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

• “The Life of Chuck” (R): Based on Stephen King’s novella about the life of an ordinary man named Charles “Chuck” Krantz. Starring Mike Flanagan, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Sara and Mark Hamill.

• “From the World of John Wick-Ballerina” (R): Fifth film in the John Wick series, taking place during the events of “John Wick-Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in assassin traditions. Also starring Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves.

• “Bride Hard” (R): Action/comedy about Sam (Rebel Wilson), a world-class secret agent but not a good maid of honor. After blowing off bridal duties for an international spy mission, she is demoted to bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding. But when armed mercenaries crash the big day, Sam’s the only one who can save the bride, and hopefully earn back her trust. Also starring Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky and Justin Hartley.

• “Materialists” (R): A young New York City matchmaker’s lucrative business gets complicated when she finds the perfect match for her imperfect ex. Starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans and Dasha Nekrasova.

• “Dangerous Animals” (R): A shark-obsessed serial killer holds a surfer captive on his boat. She must escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks. Starring Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston and Ella Newton.

• “The Unholy Trinity” (R): Western revenge film about a young man returning to an old Montana town to reclaim his legacy, set in the 1870s. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Brandon Lessard, Samuel L. Jackson and Veronica Ferres.

• “Sovereign” (R): Inspired by real events, a father and son who follow the Sovereign Citizen belief system of distrust in government authority, find themselves in a standoff with a chief of police that sets off a manhunt. Starring Jacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid, Nick Offerman and Martha Plimpton.

• “The Phoenician Scheme” (PG-13): Benicio del Toro stars as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe in a story of a family and a family business. Also starring Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed by Wes Anderson.

• “Madea’s Destination Wedding” (PG-13): Brian and his ex-wife Debrah are shocked to learn their daughter Tiffany is engaged to a rapper she met on a yacht — and the wedding is in two weeks. Madea and her crew head to the Bahamas, stirring up chaos and heartwarming fun. Starring Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis Patton, David Mann, Tamela Mann, Taja V. Simpson, Diamond White, Jermaine Harris and Xavier Smalls. Directed by Tyler Perry. Available on Netflix.

• “The Ritual” (Horror film): Based on true events, two priests must put aside their differences to perform a series of dangerous exorcisms on a possessed young woman. Starring Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Abigail Cowen, and Ashley Greene.

• “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (R): A lonely young woman works at a bookshop in Paris while she dreams of being a successful writer, and of experiencing love. Starring Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly and Charlie Anson.

• “Final Destination Bloodlines” (R): Sixth installment in the “Final Destination” horror film franchise. The film follows a college student who experiences a violent and recurring nightmare, and heads home to track down the person who might be able to break the cycle of death and save her family. Starring Tony Todd, Brec Bassinger, Richard Harmon and Teo Briones.

• “Karate Kid-Legends” (PG-13): After moving to New York City with his mother, Li Fong (Ben Wang), a kung fu prodigy, struggles to fit in with his new classmates. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition and gets help from Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso, (Ralph Macchio).

• “40 acres” (R): A former soldier (Danielle Deadwyler) and her family survive on an isolated farm after a series of plagues and wars. Also starring Michael Greyeyes, Leenah Robinson and Elizabeth Saunders.

• “Sinners” (R): A vampire thriller about twin brothers who return to their hometown to leave their troubled lives behind, only to discover that an even greater evil awaits. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo.

• “The Old Guard 2” (R): Sequel with Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors back to protect the world. Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a new threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked toward for thousands of years. Also starring KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngô, Henry Golding, with Uma Thurman and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Available on Netflix.

• “The Last Rodeo” (PG): A 50-year-old man returns to bull riding after a crisis strikes his family. Starring Neal McDonough, Ruve McDonough, Sarah Jones and Daylon Swearingen.

• “Bring Her Back” (R): A brother and sister witness a terrifying ritual at the home of their new foster mother. Starring Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Jonah Wren Phillips and Sora Wong.

• “Thunderbolts*” (PG): Marvel Studios antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker — must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront their pasts. Starring  Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Chris Bauer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

• “Echo Valley” (R): Thriller that follows Kate (Julianne Moore) who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania, and her troubled daughter (Sydney Sweeney) who shows up on Kate’s doorstep, hysterical and covered in someone else’s blood. Available on Apple TV+.

• “DAN DA DAN-Evil Eye” (R): Anime film kicking off the second season of DAN DA DAN series, set to premiere this summer.

• “Friendship” (R): Suburban dad Craig (Tim Robinson) tries to befriend his charismatic new neighbor (Paul Rudd), but it soon threatens to ruin both of their lives.

• “Shadow Force” (R): Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and must go on the run with their son. Also starring Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mark Strong, and Method Man.

• “The Accountant 2″ (R): Sequel film with forensic accountant Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) teaming up with his estranged brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal) to track down assassins. Also starring J.K. Simmons and Daniella Pineda. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

• “Hurry Up Tomorrow” (R): A musician suffering from insomnia meets a mysterious stranger who begins to unravel everything he knows about himself. Starring Jenna Ortega, The Weeknd, Barry Keoghan and Gabby Barrett.

• “Clown in a Cornfield” (R): Horror film that follows a father and daughter who move to the quiet town of Kettle Springs, hoping for a fresh start. They soon learn the community has fallen on hard times after losing a factory in a fire, and a sinister clown has emerged from the cornfields and started killing the town’s teenagers. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Adam Cesare. Starring Katie Douglas, Kevin Durand, Cassandra Potenza and Aaron Abrams.

• “Straw” (TV-MA): A single mother faces a series of unfortunate events that lead her down a path where she finds herself at the center of suspicion. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, Mike Merrill and Glynn Turman. Written and directed by Tyler Perry. Available on Netflix.

• “A Minecraft Movie” (PG): Adventure/Comedy film based on the Minecraft video game. Four misfits — Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) — are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland.

• “HIT-The Third Case” (R): Indian Telugu-language action thriller film, starring Srinidhi Shetty, Rao Ramesh and Nani. Available on Netflix.

• “The King of Kings” (PG): Animated film inspired by Charles Dickens’ short story, “The Life of Our Lord.” Featuring the voice talents of: Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, UmaThurman, Forest Whitaker and Mark Hamill.

• “Fight or Flight” (R): A mercenary takes on the job of tracking a high-value asset known as “The Ghost” on an international flight. Realizing the plane is filled with assassins assigned to kill them both, they must work together in a fight for their lives. Starring Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Katee Sackhoff and Julian Kostov.

• “On Swift Horses” (R): Muriel and her husband, Lee, begin a new life after he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, Sasha Calle.

• “Bono-Stories of Surrender”: A reimagining of Bono’s one-man stage show, “Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…” The film features never-before-seen footage from the tour and Bono performing many of the iconic U2 songs. Available on Apple TV+.

• “The Amateur” (PG-13): Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA. When his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack and his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, travelling across the globe to hunt down those responsible. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez and Laurence Fishburne.

• “Until Dawn” (R): After her sister disappears, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Starring Ella Rubin, Peter Stormare, Maia Mitchell and Rami Malek.

• “The Shrouds” (R): Karsh (Vincent Cassel), a businessman and grieving widower, builds a device to communicate with the dead inside a burial shroud. Also starring Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce and Sandrine Holt.

• “Death of a Unicorn” (R): While driving to a weekend retreat, a father (Paul Rudd) and daughter (Jenna Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn. The father’s billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) tries to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Horror/Comedy film.

• “Sacramento” (R): A comedy film about friends on an L.A. to Sacramento road trip. Directed by Michael Angarano, and starring Angarano, Kristen Stewart, Michael Cera and Maya Erskine.

• “I’m Still Here” (PG-13): The film is based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s biographical book and tells about 1971 Brazil and the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government. Starring Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello and Fernanda Montenegro.

• “The Ugly Stepsister” (18+): Twist on the fairy tale “Cinderella,” this horror film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her beautiful stepsister. Starring Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Naess, Ane Dahl Torp, Isac Calmroth and Flo Fagerli.

• “Inheritance” (2025) (R): When Maya (Phoebe Dynevor) learns that her father was once a spy, she suddenly becomes the center of an international conspiracy. Also starring Rhys Ifans, Necar Zadegan and Ciara Baxendale.

• “Screamboat” (NR): Horror/Comedy film about a late-night ferry ride in New York City that becomes a struggle for survival when a mouse transforms into a monster. Starring David Howard Thornton, Kailey Hyman, Jesse Posey and Amy Schumacher.

• “Rule Breakers” (PG): In a nation where educating girls is seen as rebellion, a visionary teacher leads Afghanistan’s first all-girls robotics team. Based on a true story, starring Ali Fazal, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nikohl Boosheri and Christian Contreras.

• “The Luckiest Man in America” (R): An ice-cream truck driver discovers a secret way to win as a contestant on the game show, Press Your Luck. Starring Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Maisie Williams and Haley Bennett.

• “Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie” (R): Documentary about Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong who discuss their lifelong friendship and popularity as a comedic duo with interviews, sketches and  never-before-seen footage.

• “Sneaks” (PG): Adventure/Animation  about a designer sneaker that finds himself lost in New York City, and must rescue his sister and return to his rightful owner. Featuring the voice talents of Mustard, Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Mackie and Keith David.

• “Fountain of Youth” (PG-13): The film follows two estranged siblings (John Krasinski and Natalie Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. Available on Apple TV+.

• “The Wedding Banquet” (R): A gay man proposes a green card marriage to a female friend in exchange for paying for her IVF treatment. Things get complicated when his grandmother plans an extravagant Korean wedding banquet. Starring Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang and Han Gi-chan.

• “The Legend of Ochi” (PG): A young girl is raised to fear an elusive forest creature known as ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on an adventure to reunite it with its family. Starring Helena Zengel, Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard and Emily Watson.

• “Deaf President Now!”: Documentary about the 1988 protests at Gallaudet University, where students protested for a deaf president for the university. Available on Apple TV+.

• Disney’s “Snow White” (PG): Live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film. Starring Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as her Stepmother, the Evil Queen. Also starring Andrew Burnap and Martin Klebba.

• “Juliet & Romeo” PG-13): Musical romantic drama based on the real story that inspired William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.” Starring Jason Isaacs, Clara Rugaard, Jamie Ward and Rebel Wilson.

• “The Surfer” (R): Psychological thriller about a man who revisits his childhood beach to surf with his son. Starring Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Finn Little and Justin Rosniak.

• “Drop” (PG-13): While on a first date at an upscale restaurant, a widowed woman (Meghann Fahy) receives phone messages from a hooded figure who threatens to kill her young son and sister unless she kills her date, Henry (Brandon Sklenar). Also starring Jacob Robinson, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, Travis Nelson.

• “Warfare” (R): A surveillance mission goes wrong for a platoon of American Navy SEALs in insurgent territory in Iraq. Starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Will Poulter, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Charles Melton.

• “A Working Man” (R): Levon Cade (Jason Statham) left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life working construction. That ends when his boss’s daughter is taken by human traffickers and his search for her uncovers a world of corruption. Also starring Jason Flemyng and Merab Ninidze, with Michael Peña and David Harbour.

• “Nonnas” (PG-13): After the loss of his mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with local grandmothers (nonnas) as the chefs. Starring Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Linda Cardellini, Drea de Matteo, Joe Manganiello, Michael Rispoli, Campbell Scott and Brenda Vaccaro. Available on Netflix.

• “Another Simple Favor” (R): Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) agrees to travel to Italy to be the maid of honour for the devious Emily Nelson (Blake Lively).

• “Havoc” (R): Walker (Tom Hardy), a disillusioned detective, fights his way through the criminal underworld threatening his city. Also starring Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Quelin Sepulveda, Luis Guzmán, Michelle Waterson, Sunny Pang and Jim Caesar, with Timothy Olyphant and Forest Whitaker, directed by Gareth Evans.

• “In the Lost Lands” (R): Fantasy/Action CGI about a witch (Milla Jovovich) who travels to the Lost Lands in search of a magical power that allows a person to transform into a werewolf. Also starring Dave Bautista, Simon Loof and Arly Jover.

• “Ballad of Wallis Island” (PG-13): An eccentric millionaire hires his favorite musician to perform on his remote desert island, and then secretly hires a former bandmate and ex-girlfriend of the musician. Starring Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Tim Key, Akemnji Ndifornyen and Sian Clifford. Available on Apple TV+.

• “Locked” (R): When a thief breaks into a luxury SUV, he steps into a deadly trap. Starring Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins, Navid Charkhi and Michael Eklund.

• “The Penguin Lessons” (PG-13): Comedy drama inspired by the true story of an Englishman who went to work as a teacher in a school in Argentina in 1976, during a turbulent time. He experiences a personal and political awakening after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach. Starring Steve Coogan.

• “The Last Supper” 2025 (PG-13): The film depicts Jesus’ last days. Starring Jamie Ward, Robert Knepper, Daniel Fathers and James Faulkner.

• “Becoming Led Zeppelin” (PG-13): Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the film explores the origins of the group and their meteoric rise to stardom, includes interviews and rare performance footage.

• “Brave the Dark” (PG-13): When a teacher finds out out one of his students has been living out of his car and thrown into jail, he decides to bail him out. Starring Nicholas Hamilton, Jared Harris, Jamie Harris and Rodney Jones.

• “G20” (R): When terrorists take over the G20 summit, US President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) must use her governing and military experience to fight off the attack. Also starring Antony Starr, Marsai Martin and Anthony Anderson. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “Captain America-Brave New World” (PG-13): Anthony Mackie returns as the Marvel Comics superhero Sam Wilson/Captain America. After meeting with the newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must uncover the reason behind a global plot. Also starring Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson.

• “Paddington in Peru” (PG): Third film in the “Paddington” live-action/animated film series. Paddington learns his beloved aunt has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears and he and the Brown family head to the jungles of Peru to find her. Starring Emily Mortimer, Ben Whishaw, Madeleine Harris, Hugh Bonneville, Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.

• “The Day The Earth Blew Up-A Looney Tunes Movie” (PG): A new film from Warner Bros. Animation with Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The pair become Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble-gum factory uncover a secret alien mind-control plot. Featuring the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Wayne Knight, and Laraine Newman.

• “The Friend” (R): New York City writer Iris finds her quiet, solitary life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor bequeaths her a Great Dane. Starring Bill Murray, Naomi Watts, Carla Gugino and Constance Wu.

• “Mickey 17” (R): Sci-fi film about a young worker who signs up to be an “expendable” to colonize the ice world Niflheim, based on Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7.” Starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun and Holliday Grainger.

• “Novocaine” (R): When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, a man turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength as he fights to get her back. Starring Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson and Betty Gabriel.

• “The Alto Knights” (R): American biographical crime drama set in the 1950s that follows New York crime bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Starring Robert De Niro, Cosmo Jarvis, Debra Messing and Kathrine Narducci.

• “The Woman in the Yard” (PG-13): Ramona is grief stricken after her husband dies in a car accident, leaving her to care for her two children alone in her rural farmhouse. Her sadness turns to fear when a woman in black appears on her front lawn, warning her “today’s the day.” Starring Okwui Okpokwasili, Danielle Deadwyler, Russell Hornsby and Estella Kahiha.

• “Hell of a Summer” (R): A camp counselor thinks his biggest problem is feeling out of touch with his co-workers, but he doesn’t know there is a masked killer lurking on the campgrounds, picking off victims. Starring Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Fred Hechinger and Abby Quinn.

• “Ash” (R): A woman wakes up on a mysterious planet to find the crew of her space station slaughtered. Starring Flying Lotus, Eiza González, Aaron Paul and Iko Uwais.

• “Dog Man” (PG): When a police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained life-saving surgery fuses them together creating Dog Man. Animated film, featuring the voices of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Island Fisher, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root, Billy Boyd and Ricky Gervais.

• “Black Bag” (R): The film follows intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George must choose to be loyal to his marriage or his country.

• “The Monkey” (R): When twin brothers find a wind-up toy monkey, a series of outrageous deaths ensue. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree. Starring Oz Perkins, Theo James, Tatiana Maslany and Rohan Campbell.

• “O’Dessa” (PG-13): Rock opera set in a post-apocalyptic future about a farm girl on a quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a city where she meets her one true love. Starring Sadie Sink, Regina Hall, Kelly Macdonald and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

• “The Electric State” (PG-13): Sci-fi film set in the aftermath of a robot uprising in an alternate version of the ’90s. The film follows an orphaned teenager who ventures across the American West with a cartoon-inspired robot and others in search of her younger brother. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, with Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci. Available on Netflix.

• “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.

• “The Unbreakable Boy” (PG): Based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name about the true story of a couple who learn that their son, Austin, is autistic and has brittle bone disease. With the father’s growing faith in God and Austin’s incredible spirit, they find joy, gratitude and courage in the most trying times. Starring Jacob Laval, Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy and Peter Facinelli.

• “Opus” (R): Horror film about a young writer (Ayo Edebiri) who is invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared 30 years ago. Also starring Juliette Lewis and Stephanie Suganami.

• “Last Breath” (PG-13): Based on a true story, the film follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the elements to rescue their crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface. Starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole and Cliff Curtis.

• “Heart Eyes” (R): Horror/Comedy about a masked maniac with glowing red eyes who terrorizes unsuspecting couples on Valentine’s Day. Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa.

• “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.

• “One of Them Days” (R): When her boyfriend takes her rent money, Alyssa and her roommate race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact. Starring Keke Palmer, SZA, Maude Apatow and Katt Williams.

• “Night of the Zoopocalypse” (PG): Animated film about a meteorite falling at a zoo, unleashing a virus that turns zoo animals into zombies. Featuring the voices of Gabbi Kosmidis, David Harbour, Bryn McAuley and Scott Thompson.

• “The Rule of Jenny Pen” (R): A judge who is recovering from a stroke at an assisted living facility encounters a psychopathic patient who uses a hand puppet to abuse fellow residents. Starring John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, Nathaniel Lees and Holly Shanahan.

• “Riff Raff” (R): A former criminal’s life is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion. Starring Emanuela Postacchini, Jennifer Coolidge, Bill Murray and Lewis Pullman.

• “My Dead Friend Zoe” (R): A U.S. veteran keeps seeing the presence of her best friend who died in combat. When her estranged grandfather is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she becomes his caretaker while also trying to heal herself. Starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris.

• “Valiant One” (R): A U.S. helicopter goes down in North Korea during a routine mission, and a group of reserve soldiers must find a way out before starting a war. Starring Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Daniel Jun and Jonathan Whitesell.

• “Flight Risk” (R): In this suspense thriller, Mark Wahlberg plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, directed by Mel Gibson.

• “Companion” (R): A weekend getaway turns bloody when an android that’s built for human companionship goes haywire. Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Megan Suri and Lukas Gage.

• “Love Hurts” (R): Ke Huy Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a realtor working the Milwaukee suburbs. When Marvin receives a crimson envelope from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime whom he had left for dead, he finds himself thrust back into a world of ruthless hit men and double-crosses that turn his open houses into war zones. Also starring Daniel Wu, Sean Astin, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, Marshawn Lynch and André Eriksen.

• “The Gorge” (PG-13): Two highly-trained operatives are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast gorge, protecting the world from a highly classified evil lurking within. Starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver. Available on Apple TV+.

• “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.

• “Presence” (R): A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone. Starring Julia Fox, Lucy Liu, Callina Liang, Chris Sullivan and West Mulholland.

• “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.

• “The Room Next Door” (PG-13): Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends while working together at the same magazine. Years later, they meet up again. Also starring  Alvise Rigo and Esther Rose McGregor.

• “The Brutalist” (R): Escaping postwar Europe, a visionary architect comes to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. Starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and Joe Alwyn.

• “Den of Thieves 2-Pantera” (R): Lawman “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler) gets embroiled in the treacherous world of diamond thieves as he pursues a career criminal to Europe. Also starring Evin Ahmad, 50 Cent and Ciryl Gane.

• “Wolf Man” (R): A family is attacked by an unseen animal and must barricade inside a remote farmhouse. As the night wears on, the father begins to behave strangely and transforms into something unrecognizable. Adapted from “The Wolf Man” (1941). Producers are Ryan Gosling and Jason Blum. Starring Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth and Sam Jaeger.

• “The Last Showgirl” (R): A seasoned showgirl must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Starring Pamela Anderson, Kiernan Shipka, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista.

• “Love Me” (R): Long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and learn what it means to be alive and in love.

• “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.

• “Better Man” (R): The true story of the meteoric rise, fall and resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. Starring Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Heriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvany, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge and Anthony Hayes.

• “Rob Peace” (R): Based on a true story about a young Black man who attends Yale University while working to free his imprisoned father. Starring Camila Cabello, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jay Will and Mary J. Blige.

• “September 5” (R): Drama focused on the 1972 Munich Olympics, when an American sports broadcasting crew is thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes. Starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Leonie Benesch and Ben Chaplin.

• “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.

• “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.

• “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.

• “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.

• “Nickel Boys” (PG-13): Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead, the film chronicles the powerful friendship between two young black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida. Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

• “Kinda Pregnant” (R): Jealous of her friend’s pregnancy, Lainy (Amy Schumer) wears a fake baby bump, and coincidentally meets the man of her dreams. Also starring Jillian Bell, Will Forte, Damon Wayans Jr., Brianne Howey, Alex Moffat, Joel David Moore, Lizze Broadway, Urzila Carlson and Francis Benhamou.

• “The Sand Castle” (2025) (PG-13): A family of four become stranded on a deserted island and must scavenge for survival. Starring Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri and Zain Al Rafeea.

• “Unstoppable” (PG-13): Born with one leg, Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) defies expectations to become a champion wrestler in college, competing against the very school that rejected him. Available on Amazon Prime.

• “The Damned” (R): A 19th-century widow and her community are forced to make an impossible choice during a cruel winter when a ship sinks off the coast, risking what’s left of the village’s dwindling supplies. Starring Rory McCann, Odessa Young, Joe Cole and Siobhan Finneran.

• “Taking Care”: Documentary about Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen as they navigate Lauren’s mother’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease.

• “Back in Action” (PG-13): Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) are pulled back into the world of espionage. Also starring Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson and Glenn Close. Available on Netflix.

• “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. Available on Google Play.

• “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.

• “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.

• “Bloody Axe Wound” (R): Horror/Comedy film that follows a teenager who inherits her father’s real-life slasher business. Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Burke, Sari Arambulo and Molly Brown.

• “Bonhoeffer” (PG-13): The true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and anti-Nazi dissident, who was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Starring Jonas Dassler, Flula Borg, Moritz Bleibtreu and August Diehl.

• “A Real Pain” (R): Mismatched cousins David ( Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji ( Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. Also starring Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and  Daniel Oreskes.

• “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” (PG-13): Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, bookstore owner A.J. Fikry’s (Kunal Nayyar) struggles after his wife’s tragic death. Also starring Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks and David Arquette.

• “The Return” (R): A retelling of Homer’s “Odyssey.” After 20 years away, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. He finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War, and he must fight to save his family. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer and Amir Wilson.

• “The Monster Beneath Us” (NR): Horror film set in Yorkshire, 1898. When her ex-husband suddenly dies, a woman and her son move to his country estate. Starring Becca Hirani, Nicola Wright, Jennifer Lim and Marshall Hawkes.

• “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.

• “Flow”: Animated film about a cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.

• “Anora” (R): A sex worker from Brooklyn gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelstein, Yuriy Borisov and Ivy Wolk.

• “Hitpig!” (PG): Animated feature about a bounty-hunting pig who catches escaped animals. Featuring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Anitta, Rainn Wilson and Lilly Singh.

• “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. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

• “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.

• “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.

• “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.

• “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.

• “The Order” (R): Based on the true story of a veteran FBI agent who goes after a white supremacist terrorist group that was active in the 1980s. Starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Jurnee Smollett and Tye Sheridan.

• “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 Video.

• “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 Video.

• “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 Video.

• “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.

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, permanently closed.

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

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

By Patti Nickell, Tribune News Service

Mark Van Osdal is a tree whisperer. Owner of Carolina Bound Adventures, he is leading a small group of us on the Deep Creek hike on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City.

During the hike, we will see waterfalls, a picturesque bridge over Deep Creek, the last of the summer wildflowers, and one rather belligerent squirrel, angry that he dropped the black walnut he was munching on right in the middle of our group.

Oh yes, and trees … lots of them. Van Osdal says that the national park (America’s most visited) has some 100 native species of trees, more than the entire European continent. And he appears to be on a first-name basis with all of them.

Van Osdal is just one of the people waiting to welcome visitors to Bryson City, known as “the quiet side of the Smokies.” Although just 45 miles from Gatlinburg, across the Tennessee line, it seems a world apart in its peaceful serenity.

And in its welcoming residents who can’t wait to make your stay as authentic as possible. People such as Rita Jones, director of the Swain County Visitor Center & Heritage Museum.

Make it your first stop — you can’t miss the imposing white-columned building on Everett Street, which doubles as both a resource for visitors seeking the area’s best hiking, rafting, canoeing and biking spots and a museum of western Carolina heritage.

And then there’s Rita, pink-cheeked and smiling, looking just like the adorable elf she dresses up as during the town’s celebrated Christmas festivities.

Make a stop at Nantahala Outdoor Center, starting point for all of the adrenaline-boosting adventures people come here for. If you’re lucky, you will meet marketing manager Betsy Bevis and reservations manager Chris Aldridge, who joined me for lunch at the Riverside Restaurant overlooking the Nantahala River.

Munching on my catfish sandwich, I noted that the Nantahala is much more benign from a window table than from an overturned canoe, courtesy of my last experience on it.

The 500-acre NOC is a one-stop shop for all things outdoor — whether it be rafting, mountain biking, zip lining, etc.; eating at one of the two restaurants; buying outdoor gear, or overnighting in the new mountaintop Hemlocks bungalows.

Guests wanting to be closer to the river and trails can book private cabins, and for the truly adventurous, there are primitive campsites within the Nantahala National Forest.

Fun fact: NOC’s founder Payson Kennedy was a stunt double in the film “Deliverance,” and if you remember the scenes filmed on the nearby Chattooga River, you’ll understand why Burt Reynolds and the other actors were keen to leave the paddling to those stunt doubles.

Although the movie may suggest otherwise, Bevis and Aldridge say the 1971 film was responsible for a surge in the popularity of whitewater rafting.

Back on dry land, you would be fortunate indeed if you crossed paths with Scott Mastej and experienced a dose of his southern hospitality. Along with his partner Ron LaRoque, he is the owner of the Everett Hotel, a luxury 10-room boutique property repurposed from a 1908 bank building.

While I didn’t stay at the Everett, I did enjoy a dinner (lobster bisque and Carolina mountain trout) and a conversation with Scott in the chic Everett Bistro, the hotel’s in-house restaurant.

Dinner another night was at the historic Fryemont Inn, a Bryson City fixture and a nostalgic trip back to the 1920s, where there are no TVs in most of the rooms and no air conditioning as the mountain breezes provide natural cooling.

This is rustic luxury at its best, with the large fireplace in the lobby and even larger open porch off that lobby competing for favorite guest hangout.

Dinner included an entrée plus choice of soup or salad and two family-style sides of the day.

If you can, track down co-owner Monica Brown, and ask her about the lavish Halloween festivities she organizes where repeat guests return every year for the spooky fun.

Should you opt for a stay in a bed-and-breakfast, you will find a charming one in the Folkestone Inn. Those charms include a serene garden for sipping your morning coffee, the 15-minute driving distance to the Smoky Mountains National Park and innkeeper Toni Rowe’s delectable breakfast Croque Madame.

Since I had my two sisters on this trip with me, we opted for one of Bryson City’s many cabin accommodations. Our cabin in the Bryson City Village lived up to its name, Creekside Delight.

The two-bedroom, two-bath cabin had a large kitchen/dining area and a large living room with a deck and hot tub overlooking a small creek.

While many visitors prefer a cabin nestled in the mountains, this one had definite advantages, being just a short walk into town and the train depot.

The latter is important as it makes it easy if you book the area’s top attraction, the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Nantahala Gorge Excursion.

The 44-mile excursion is a four-and-a-half-hour trip (including a stopover at the Nantahala Outdoor Center). The scenery from your car’s window is breathtaking – the Nantahala River and along the shore of Fontana Lake before crossing the 426-foot Fontana Trestle into the Nantahala Gorge.

The leaves were just starting to turn during my excursion, and I could only imagine what this would look like in peak season, the view a tapestry of gold, orange, scarlet and russet.

If you book a first-class car like Harper, you’ll get lunch and a chance to engage with Steven, the personable host.

Finally, there’s no better trip-ender than toasting the sun setting behind the mountains with a not-to-be-forgotten experience at Long View Resort.

The Nordic-themed experience features a massage on the deck of the spa, where birdsong was the only music needed to lull me into a semi-slumber as every muscle in my body went along for the ride.

Post-massage, I had only to cross the deck and ease into the hot tub facing the mountains in preparation for my 90-minute sunset soak. To say that this is a transcendental experience is not overstating the case.

The only interruption to my zen-like solitude was the attendant bringing me a glass of ice water and a small charcuterie board to nibble on.

After four days in this part of the Smokies, I left feeling relaxed, reinvigorated and wanting to return soon to this authentic mountain destination.

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By GLENN GAMBOA, AP Business Writer

NASHVILLE (AP) — Richard Casper shakes his head as he touches one of the boarded-up windows in the once-abandoned church he plans to transform into a new 24-hour arts center for veterans.

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient said he was an arm’s length away from military officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at Marine Barracks Washington when he learned the former church his nonprofit CreatiVets just purchased had been vandalized.

The physical damage to the building and its stained glass windows saddened Casper. But what worried him more was that the church had remained empty since 2017 without damage. That vandalism came just weeks after CreatiVets bought it, suggesting that maybe he and the veterans in his program were not welcome.

“I almost just left,” Casper said. “It put me in a weird headspace.”

However, Casper, 40, a CNN Heroes winner and Elevate Prize winner, needed more support for the center — “a place to go when the PTSD hits.” Like so many veterans, he said his PTSD, caused by seeing a close friend die on patrol in Iraq, would generally come in the middle of the night, when the only places open are bars and other spaces that can be ”destructive.”

He figured a 24-hour center where veterans could engage in music, painting, sculpture, theater and other arts could help. It could “turn all that pain into something beautiful.” The artistic element factored in when Casper, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq, returned home and found it hard to be in public — unless he was listening to live music.

So he completed his mission that night in Washington, introducing new people to CreatiVets’ work. Then, Casper returned to Nashville to practice what he has preached to hundreds of veterans since his nonprofit opened in 2013. He asked for help.

And help came.

Within weeks, CreatiVets’ Art Director Tim Brown was teaching a roomful of volunteers how to create stained glass pieces to replace those that were vandalized. Brown said the volunteers wanted to give back to the organization, “but also because of the impact that these activities have had on them.”

Gary Sinise believes in art’s impact

Gary Sinise values that impact. The actor, musician and philanthropist had already signed on to donate $1 million through his foundation to help CreatiVets purchase the building. Sinise’s involvement encouraged two other donors to help finalize the purchase.

The “CSI: NY” star said he believed in CreatiVets’ work and had already seen a similar program in his hometown of Chicago help veterans process their wartime experiences.

“In the military, you’re trained to do serious work to protect our country, right?” Sinise said. “If you’re in the infantry, you’re being trained to kill. You’re being trained to contain any emotion and be strong.”

Those skills are important when fighting the enemy, but they also take a toll, especially when veterans aren’t taught how to discuss their feelings once the war is over.

“Quite often, our veterans don’t want any help,” Sinise said. “But through art – and with theater as well – acting out what they are going through can be very, very beneficial.”

David Booth says he is living proof of how CreatiVets can help. And the retired master sergeant, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army as a medic and a counterintelligence agent, wishes he participated in the program sooner.

“For me, this was more important than the last year and a half of counseling that I’ve gone through,” said Booth. “It has been so therapeutic.”

After years of being asked, Booth, 53, finally joined CreatiVets’ songwriting program in September. He traveled from his home in The Villages, Florida, to the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, to meet with two successful songwriters – Brian White, who co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “Blame It on You,” and Craig Campbell, of “Outskirts of Heaven” fame – to help him write a song about his life.

Booth told them about his service, including his injury in Iraq in 2006 when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device and detonated it.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury in the explosion, and it took months of rehab before he could walk again. His entire cervical spine is fused. He still gets epidurals to relieve the nerve pain. And he still suffers from nightmares and PTSD.

In Iraq, Booth’s unit was once surrounded by kids because American soldiers used to give them Jolly Rancher candies. Snipers shot the children in hopes the soldiers would become easier targets when they tried to help.

“Things like that stick in my head,” Booth said. “How do you get them out?”

He also told them about his desire for a positive message and Combat Veterans to Careers, the veteran support nonprofit he founded. Those experiences became the song “What’s Next.”

Booth hopes “What’s Next” becomes available on music streaming services so others can hear his story. CreatiVets has released compilations of its veterans’ songs since 2020 in cooperation with Big Machine Label Group, Taylor Swift’s first record label. This year’s collection was released Friday.

“It’s almost like they could feel what I was feeling and put it into the lyrics,” said Booth, after hearing the finished version. “It was pretty surreal and pretty awesome.”

Why Lt. Dan from ‘Forrest Gump’ launched a nonprofit

Sinise has seen the unexpected impact of art throughout his career. His Oscar-nominated role as wounded Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” in 1994 deepened his connection to veterans. His music with the Lt. Dan Band expanded it. In 2011, he launched the Gary Sinise Foundation to broadly serve veterans, first responders and their families.

“I think citizens have a responsibility to take care of their defenders,” he said. “There are opportunities out there for all of us to do that and one of the ways to do it is through multiple nonprofits that are out there.”

Sinise immediately connected with CreatiVets’ mission. When the idea came to dedicate the performance space at the new center to his late son Mac, who died last year after a long battle with cancer, Sinise saw it as “a perfect synergy.”

“Mac was a great artist,” he said. “And he was a humble, kind of quiet, creative force… If Mac would have survived and not gone through what he went through, he’d be one of our young leaders here at the foundation. He would be composing music and he’d be helping veterans.”

Mac Sinise is still helping veterans, as proceeds of his album “Resurrection & Revival” and its sequel completed after his death, are going to the Gary Sinise Foundation. And Gary Sinise said he discovered more compositions from his son that he plans to record later this year for a third album.

After the new center was vandalized, Casper said he was heartbroken, but also inspired knowing part of the center was destined to become the Mac Sinise Auditorium. He decided to take pieces of the broken stained glass windows and transform them into new artwork inspired by Mac Sinise’s music.

“I told you we’re going to go above and beyond to make sure everyone knows Mac lived,” Casper told Sinise as he handed him stained glass panes inspired by Mac Sinise’s songs “Arctic Circles” and “Penguin Dance,” “not that he died, but that he lived.”

Sinise fought back tears as he said, “My gosh, that’s beautiful.”

As he examined the pieces more closely, Sinise added, “I’m honored that we’re going to have this place over there and that Mac is going to be supporting Richard and helping veterans.”

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY, Associated Press

After carefully choosing the freshest produce at the market, people face even more choices with vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy products at home that can help prolong freshness, minimize waste and prevent foodborne illnesses.

There are several methods to store and preserve food, such as canning and pickling produce, freezing leftover ingredients and storing food in the refrigerator. Although refrigeration is effective and most households have the appliance, experts say it is safe to say most families simply set it and forget it.

“Storing perishable items in refrigerated conditions is the first step, but it is necessary to stay aware of how long certain foods have been prepared, exposed to the air, and stored. Refrigerated items are still able to develop mold and dangerous microorganisms like listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, so consumers must stay alert and take necessary precautions,” said Emily Hilliard, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This is especially important during the holiday season, when people buy more and expect meals to last. Planning recipes, buying less and being creative with extras and leftovers can help reduce food waste, said Diane Beckles, professor at the University of California, Davis, who studies the quality of fruits and vegetables. She said these steps can also help stretch shopper’s budgets, especially with inflation on the rise and federal food aid under threat as the government shutdown continues.

Preparing your groceries for refrigeration

Experts say proper food storage starts before groceries even reach a refrigerator. Buy products before their expiration or “sell by” dates — which tell stores how long to display their products, and are not safety dates. Follow handling instructions and place foods in the refrigerator within two hours of being at room temperature. Other tips include keeping appliances clean by wiping spills, especially from thawing meat, and discarding spoiled food. The Department of Energy recommends keeping refrigerator temperatures between 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7-3.3 degrees Celsius).

Social media offers seemingly endless tips to make food last longer, such as cleaning fruits before refrigerating and storing everything in plastic or glass containers. But experts say there isn’t just one right way to properly store many foods.

It comes down to understanding temperature and relative humidity when storing produce, said Wyatt Brown, emeritus professor at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. After that, “it becomes more refined” and includes considerations like storage space, timing of meals and personal preference.

For Beckles, the most important thing is to eat more fruits and vegetables — not worrying so much about how they are stored. “I recommend not storing tomatoes in the fridge, but there are people who feel better doing so,” she said. “It’s not going to taste as good, but if they eat them and get the nutrients, who cares.”

Fruits and vegetables

Most produce, including fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and herbs, is alive. Experts say refrigerating produce can slow spoilage, if done correctly. Brown, who studied post-harvest technology and taught for 31 years, said refrigeration can also maintain nutrition and extend shelf life.

Experts recommend using your fridge’s crisper drawers to separate fruits and vegetables and control humidity. Keep berries dry and wash them just before eating. Refrigerate broccoli, carrots, and green beans, and store leafy greens in plastic or paper bags to prevent wilting.

Some produce, like tomatoes, pears and apples, emit ethylene gas as it spoils causing the surrounding fruits and vegetables to ripen more quickly, so experts say to get rid of rotting food to keep other items fresh. Onions, garlic, apples, nectarines, citrus fruits and squash can all be left on the countertop.

Brown said to consider storing onions and potatoes outside of the refrigerator to limit roots sprouting from the bulbs. “If you store potatoes in the refrigerator for a long time, the starch will break down into sugar, and the Maillard reaction could cause the sugars to produce dark pigments when cooked,” he said, explaining the reaction causes dark patches on cooked potatoes.

Proteins, including meats, eggs and beans

Uncooked meat should remain chilled and not left at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), federal health agencies say. Avoid thawing meats on the counter, and marinate in the refrigerator, experts say. When placed in the refrigerator, meats should be stored at the bottom to prevent cross-contamination from drips or spills.

Food safety guides from the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service suggest storing eggs on the middle or back shelves rather than the door, where the temperature is warmer. Avoid washing eggs because it removes their natural protective outer layer called the bloom. Unwashed farm-fresh eggs can be stored at room temperature, but refrigeration extends their shelf life.

Dairy products, milk and cheeses

Milk, yogurt and cheeses should all be refrigerated. Experts say yogurt is a ready-to-eat product that can be stored on the top shelves in refrigerators. On the other hand, cheeses should not be stored on top shelves or the door where air circulation could dry them out. Experts say soy, coconut and nut milks should also be refrigerated but, depending on the carton, can be stored at room temperature until opened.

Breads, grains and rice

The FDA advises against refrigerating bread, as it can dry out and become stale. However, refrigeration slows mold growth in humid climates, and freezing preserves quality for up to six months. Non-perishable foods like rice, pasta, and flour can be stored at room temperature.

Other

Ready-to-eat meals and leftovers can be stored on the top shelves for quick and convenient access, while dressings, condiments and non-dairy drinks can be kept in the door where it is warmer. The USDA says leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Alcohol storage depends on the type, whether it’s opened, and if it contains dairy or fruit. Opened wine should be refrigerated on its side to slow oxidation and keep the cork moist.

Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona.

By GLENN GAMBOA, Associated Press Business Writer

NASHVILLE (AP) — In a life filled with milestones, Irving Locker celebrated a new, unexpected one last week: He became a published songwriter.

One day before his 101st birthday, “If Freedom Was Free” was released by Big Machine Label Group and CreatiVets, the Nashville-based nonprofit that helps veterans work through their traumas by building something new through the arts.

CreatiVets teamed Locker, a World War II veteran who landed at Utah Beach on D-Day, with Texas singer-songwriter Bart Crow and duo Johnny and Heidi Bulford, who also sing on the track. The chorus – “If freedom was free, there wouldn’t be a mountain of metal and men under Normandy” – includes the message Locker has used in lectures from classrooms to the White House. Freedom, he says, is not free. People should be thankful for it and for those who make it possible.

“I have to talk about things like that,” he says. “I got nothing to gain. But people have to know and appreciate the fact that they’re living because of men who died. It comes from the heart, not the lips.”

Locker, who now lives in The Villages, Florida, said the chance to write a song was an “unbelievable” thrill, one that he never dreamed possible. It means even more to him because music is such an important part of his life.

He said he and his wife of 77 years, Bernice, still go out dancing often – still doing the jitterbug and the cha-cha as they have for decades.

“You should see me on the floor even now,” said Locker, adding that he knows how lucky he is to be alive and active when so many other veterans are not.

“To be very honest with you, I was never conscious of God until the war,” he said. “But I came so close to dying that I learned how to thank God and use the simple phrase ‘But for the grace of God go I.’”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Mechanical birds, bears and princesses have chirped, growled and sung in Orlando’s theme parks for more than 50 years. The animatronic trend shows no signs of fading, as new figures arrive in new places at Walt Disney World, and Epic Universe introduces batches of lifelike characters.

The additions range from a planned electronic version of Walt Disney at Magic Kingdom to a lumbering Frankenstein’s monster figure that debuted with Epic in May.

“People still enjoy seeing lifelike figures of their heroes, villains and others come alive,” said Dennis Speigel, CEO of International Theme Park Services. “I think this is one area that continues to evolve, and I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.”

Technological advances are enabling the improved illusion of the figures, said Brian Orr, show systems studio executive with Walt Disney Imagineering.

“The way that we can now simulate, the way that we now design, the way that we now can generate content for these and in style — like it is moving like the character that everybody sees and recognizes from the film … I think that’s really the appeal of like, ‘Wow, not only did I see Elsa on the ride, but I felt like it was Elsa. It moved, it performed, it looked at me,’” Orr said.

The next new animatronic at Disney World will be Benjamin Clawhauser, a cheetah character that’s part of the “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” show launching at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park on Nov. 7.

“You will see something new and unique from that figure,” Orr said.

Tiki birds, Big Al and beyond: A tour of 10 Disney World animatronics

Other planned figures include Buddy, a support-bot, in the ongoing update for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Rangers Spin at Magic Kingdom; Scooter and other Muppets in the retheming of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; facelifts for Frozen Ever After figures at Epcot; and the addition of Walt Disney himself at the beginning of Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom.

These come on the heels of the first animatronic to represent Walt Disney, which debuted at Disneyland in California this summer.

“I think that has breathed a lot of life back into the animatronics and from the highest level,” Speigel said.

Figures frightening, formidable

Universal Orlando installed animatronics inside Epic Universe’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment ride and elsewhere.

“Everyone has their normal lives that they’re going through, and that comes with people wanting to be transported,” said Gregory Hall, assistant director, creative design for Universal Creative. “We have the opportunity to bring new technology and use it for good and use it to entertain and inspire people.”

The Monsters Unchained ride is peppered with figures in action, including Dracula, Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

A crowd-pleasing scene happens in the Unchained preshow with new character Victoria Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster, who strides into the room. It’s a moment that prompts applause from Epic visitors, Hall said.

“That was the first time we made a figure on that scale walk,” Hall said. “And then he’s right next to Victoria, and they’re using extremely different technology.”

Another big animatronic project was the “erumpent,” a charging beast in the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride.

“We’re really all about, how do we get the fastest, smoothest motion moving this giant thing?” said Anisha Vyas, director of projects for Universal Creative. “It needs to be really visceral. It needs to move really fast. It needs to be moving really fluid,” she said. “Getting it to move and stop is not hard. Getting it to look pretty and gorgeous and realistic? That’s hard.”

And the motion must be repeated for each load of passengers.

“We ensure every guest has the same experience,” Vyas said.

It all started with a bird?

The seed for Disney’s animatronics — the company trademarked the term Audio-Animatronics in the 1960s — goes back to Walt and Lillian Disney’s purchase of a miniature caged-bird decoration that tweeted. That eventually led to Enchanted Tiki Room attractions such as the one at Magic Kingdom, which opened with the park in 1971.

Animatronics got a major boost from “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln,” developed by Disney for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Guests watched the faux former president give a speech, and Speigel witnessed this on a high-school trip to the event.

“When he put his arms on that chair and he stood up and talked, the whole audience, I remember, just gasped,” he said.

The 1960s technology propelled the show’s status, said Bob Rogers, chairman of BRC Imagination Arts. Otherwise, it might have been forgotten quickly, he said.

“The fact that it was just a robot, not a human, was the charm,” Rogers said.

Waiting for Walt

Fast forward to 2025 and the installation of the Walt Disney animatronic at Disneyland. “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” is temporarily taking the place of the Lincoln animatronic presentation there. Some fans have criticized the look of the new figure.

“It looks fine to me from a distance,” said Jeremiah Good, the Florida correspondent for LaughingPlace.com, “But people that were there for the opening that were in the front row filming every bit of it were going that doesn’t look a thing like Walt.”

Critics are more forgiving about animatronic looks for animated beings as opposed to actual humans, Good said. He awaits the Walt Disney figure slated to join Carousel of Progress next year.

“That is supposed to be a little bit older of a Walt, so that’ll be interesting to see,” Good said.

“I think there are some opportunities there for the point in Walt’s life,” said Imagineering’s Orr, who noted that Florida’s animatronic would be seen in shorter but more frequent bursts at Magic Kingdom than its counterpart in California. “I also think there are things just logistically about the run time of shows — if you just look at the run time of the Disneyland, the frequency of that show, versus something like Carousel of Progress that is cycling through.”

Tech talk

After pneumatic and hydraulic phases, animatronics are now settling into an all-electric era with computerized programming.

Last year, Walt Disney Imagineering gave a public peek into the process with an episode of “We Call It Imagineering” on YouTube. This preceded the debut of figures for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the retheming of Splash Mountain at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.

A big challenge was the development of Louis, the trumpet-toting alligator, considered one of WDI’s largest and most dynamic figures.

“There’s a lot of moving parts. “So you have all of these layers, you’ve got fabric and it all has to be in sync,” said Sonny Chapman, principal illusion maker, in the episode. Louis’ big belly, upper torso and arms must work together with the costuming, all while he’s bouncing, looking happy and blinking.

Imagineering has expanded into “stuntronics,” creating figures that can perform elaborate aerial acrobatic feats, including one dressed as Spider-Man at Disney California Adventure theme park. The company has also developed knee-high DBX droids, which made appearances at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer.

“They’re wonderful not just because they’re robots, but because they are animated and they are written with stories.” Rogers said. “They express emotions. They’re doing things. They get frustrated when they can’t do what they’re trying to do. … That’s just wonderful.”

Animatronics have proven, multigenerational staying power.

“A lot of our engineers went to school just to work on animated figures. … That’s their thing,” Hall said. “They’re studying their whole lives, and they make their entire lives, and it’s time for their generation to show the next generation how to pass the baton. This is one of those moments that’s even bigger than just [theme] parks.”

Vyas points to their entertainment value.

“I just think they bring so much life to the environment,” she said. “I absolutely love that at Epic Universe we’ve doubled down on that. I really think that it just takes it to the next level.”

dbevil@orlandosentinel.com

By KELVIN CHAN, AP Business Writer

While driving to a new restaurant, your car’s satellite navigation system tracks your location and guides you to the destination. Onboard cameras constantly track your face and eye movements. When another car veers into your path, forcing you to slam on the brakes, sensors are assisting and recording. Waiting at a stoplight, the car notices when you unbuckle your seat belt to grab your sunglasses in the backseat.

Modern cars are computers on wheels that are becoming increasingly connected, enabling innovative new features that make driving safer and more convenient. But these systems are also collecting reams of data on our driving habits and other personal information, raising concerns about data privacy.

Here is what to know about how your car spies on you and how you can minimize it:

How cars collect data

It’s hard to figure out exactly how much data a modern car is collecting on you, according to the Mozilla Foundation, which analyzed privacy practices at 25 auto brands in 2023. It declared that cars were the worst product category that the group had ever reviewed for privacy.

The data points include all your normal interactions with the car — such as turning the steering wheel or unlocking doors — but also data from connected onboard services, like satellite radio, GPS navigation systems, connected devices, telematics systems as well as data from sensors or cameras.

Vehicle telematics systems started to become commonplace about a decade ago, and the practice of automotive data collection took off about five years ago.

The problem is not just that data is being collected but who it’s provided to, including insurers, marketing companies and shadowy data brokers. The issue surfaced earlier this year when General Motors was banned for five years from disclosing data collected from drivers to consumer reporting agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission accused GM of not getting consent before sharing the data, which included every instance when a driver was speeding or driving late at night. It was ultimately provided to insurance companies that used it to set their rates.

Be aware

The first thing drivers should do is be aware of what data their car is collecting, said Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars, an automotive privacy company.

In an ideal world, drivers would read through the instruction manuals and documentation that comes with their cars, and quiz the dealership about what’s being collected.

But it’s not always practical to do this, and manufacturers don’t always make it easy to find out, while dealership staff aren’t always the best informed, Amico said.

Privacy4Cars offers a free auto privacy labeling service at vehicleprivacyreport.com that can summarize what your car could be tracking.

Owners can punch in their car’s Vehicle Identification Number, which then pulls up the automaker’s data privacy practices, such as whether the car collects location data and whether it’s given to insurers, data brokers or law enforcement.

Tweak your settings

Data collection and tracking start as soon as you drive a new car off the dealership lot, with drivers unwittingly consenting when they’re confronted with warning menus on dashboard touch screens.

Experts say that some of the data collection is baked into the system, you can revoke your consent by going back into the menus.

“There are permissions in your settings that you can make choices about,” said Lauren Hendry Parsons of Mozilla. “Go through on a granular level and look at those settings where you can.”

For example, Toyota says on its website that drivers can decline what it calls “Master Data Consent” through the Toyota app. Ford says owners can opt to stop sharing vehicle data with the company by going through the dashboard settings menu or on the FordPass app.

BMW says privacy settings can be adjusted through the infotainment system, “on a spectrum between” allowing all services including analysis data and none at all.

You can opt out…

Drivers in the U.S. can ask carmakers to restrict what they do with their data.

Under state privacy laws, some carmakers allow owners across the United States to submit requests to limit the use of their personal data, opt out of sharing it, or delete it, Consumer Reports says. Other auto companies limit the requests to people in states with applicable privacy laws, the publication says.

You can file a request either through an online form or the carmaker’s mobile app.

You can also go through Privacy4Cars, which provides a free online service that streamlines the process. It can either point car owners to their automaker’s request portal or file a submission on behalf of owners in the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Britain and Australia.

… but there will be trade-offs

Experts warn that there’s usually a trade-off if you decide to switch off data collection.

Most people, for example, have switched to satellite navigation systems over paper maps because it’s “worth the convenience of being able to get from point A to point B really easily,” said Hendry Parsons.

Turning off location tracking could also halt features like roadside assistance or disable smartphone app features like remote door locking, Consumer Reports says.

BMW advises that if an owner opts to have no data shared at all, “their vehicle will behave like a smartphone in flight mode and will not transmit any data to the BMW back end.”

When selling your car

When the time comes to sell your car or trade it in for a newer model, it’s no longer as simple as handing over the keys and signing over some paperwork.

If you’ve got a newer car, experts say you should always do a factory reset to wipe all the data, which will also include removing any smartphone connections.

And don’t forget to notify the manufacturer about the change of ownership.

Amico said that’s important because if you trade in your vehicle, you don’t want insurers to associate it with your profile if the dealer is letting customers take it for test drives.

“Now your record may be affected by somebody else’s driving — a complete stranger that you have no relationship with.”

Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

This story has been corrected to show that the Mozilla representative’s first name is Lauren, not Laura.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

This seasonal dessert marries two Mediterranean flavors: fresh, ripe figs and sweet peaches.

The pastry crust is very forgiving and comes together in just a few minutes (though it has to be chilled for an hour).

If you have really sweet fruit, you can cut back on the amount of sugar in the filling; if it’s on the under-ripe side, increase it.

The recipe calls for demerara sugar (a partially refined raw cane sugar characterized by its large, light-brown crystals) but you can substitute another large-crystal sugar like turbinado.

Equally delicious warm or at room temperature, the tart can be served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a touch of pizzazz. Also great with your morning coffee!

Fig and Peach Tart

PG tested

Figs are in season from late summer to early fall. You usually can find them at specialty groceries like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

For pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 extra-large egg yolk (reserve white for glazing)

1 tablespoon cold water

For filling

2 ripe and sweet small peaches

5 ripe figs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup demerara sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

For glaze

1 extra-large egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Make pastry: Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Lightly beat egg yolk and cold water, then add to the bowl, using your hands to lightly knead everything together into a soft ball of dough.

Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice peaches into 3/4 -inch-thick slices, removing the pits, and quarter the figs. Place the fruit in a bowl and toss with the vanilla, cinnamon, lemon juice, demarara sugar and cornstarch.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and put the ball of pastry on it. Lightly flour a rolling pin and use it to roll out the pastry into a circle around 1/4 -inch thick and 14 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if edges are rough. If pastry starts coming apart, just squish it back together with your fingers.

Place parchment paper with the dough on baking sheet, and arrange peach and fig slices in the center of the circle, leaving a 2-inch border. (Either pile all in the middle or make a pattern with circles.)

Fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit. Use your finger to bring the pasty together where you have gaps.

Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top of the pasty with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top of the pastry is an even dark golden-brown color. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 tart.

— “Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece and Cyprus” by Yasmin Khan

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

To have an event included in the Vitality calendar, email the name of the event, the time, date, address, cost (if applicable) and contact information to jgray@medianewsgroup.com.

November

Nov. 13: Night Lighting class sponsored by the Shelby Gardeners Club, from 1-2 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Shadbush Nature Center. Cost: $5. Don’t be left out in the dark when it comes to night lighting your landscape. This class will explore the many different types of lights available, along with revealing ways to create dramatic effects. By incorporating plant material, hardscapes and low voltage lighting, your landscape can be illuminated from dusk through the evening hours when you can enjoy it the most. This economical way to highlight your landscape not only beautifies your yard, but also provides security and safety as well. For more information, call Ivy Schwartz at 586.873.3782.

Nov. 13: Live at the OPC. The Midwest Dueling Pianos, Thursday Nov. 13, 6-7:30 p.m. $15 Members $20 Non-Members. Get ready for a night of music, comedy, and high-energy fun! The Midwest Dueling Pianos show is a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience where the audience becomes part of the act. Light appetizers & refreshments provided. Open to the public. Sponsored by Pomeroy Living. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information call (248)656-1403 or visit OPCcenter.org

Nov. 13: Adult Craft Night: Winter Wine Bottle Luminaries at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Crafters of all skill levels are welcome at our monthly Adult Craft Night! Transform a recycled wine bottle into a beautiful winter-themed luminary using paint, ribbon, and fairy lights. Registration is required, so visit htlibrary.org or call (586) 329-1261 to secure your spot now.

Nov. 14: Financial Friday at the OPC. Make Your Income Last, Friday, Nov. 14 at 10:30 a.m. $2. Practical strategies to make your retirement income last. Learn how to balance savings, investments and withdrawals to enjoy a secure and comfortable retirement. Presented by Rochester Wealth Strategies Vice President Xenia Woltmann, AWMA. Open to the public. For information or to register please call 248-659-1029. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester.

Nov. 14: Memory Café at OPC, Friday, Nov. 14, 1-2:30 p.m. A welcoming social gathering for individuals affected by memory challenges and their care partners. Some activities include art, music and games with light refreshments provided. Sponsored by Waltonwood Main. Open to the public. RSVP to Theresa Gill (248)659-1036 or tgill@OPCcenter.org. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, call (248)659-1029 or visit OPCcenter.org.

Nov. 15: Yoga Moves MS will host the Gratitude Gala on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at The MINT, 27000 Evergreen Road, in Lathrup Village. Yoga Moves MS is a nonprofit celebrating its twenty-first anniversary, providing life-changing and pain-reducing free adaptive yoga for those with MS, Parkinson’s Disease, and other neuromuscular disorders. The Gratitude Gala will celebrate the Yoga MS community and its leaders. Tickets include dinner, live music, open bar, a silent auction, entertainment, and a celebration of the honorees. Register at https://yogamovesanybody.org/fundraisers/ or email info@yogamovesanybody.org. For more information, call 248-417-5985.

Nov. 17: Athletico Physical Therapy Visit at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Have questions about your health or mobility? A licensed physical therapist from Athletico will be on-site to answer questions, share simple exercises, and provide guidance to help you stay active and safe. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 17: Movie at the Library. Sponsored by Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Join us for a select movie at the library.  This months flick: Dances with Wolves. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 17: Living Well, Learning More at the OPC. Coach of Champions: Detroit Sports Stories You Never Knew, Monday, Nov. 17, 2:30 p.m., $5, Dining Room. Over 100 years ago, Coach David L. Holmes built the athletic program at Wayne State University, coaching from 1917-1958. With little equipment and even fewer facilities, he welcomed athletes often excluded elsewhere – Black, Jewish, Catholic, and Eastern-European – and guided many to become Olympians, champions, and record holders. Author (and grandson) Keith Wunderlich shares Coach of Champions, celebrating Holmes’ legacy of resilience and inspiration. Books available for $25 cash; signing to follow. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information call (248)656-1403 or visit OPCcenter.org

Nov. 18: Live Music & Swing Dancing at the OPC, featuring the Metro Music Makers Big Band. Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2-2:30 p.m.; Swing Dance Lessons,  2:30-4 p.m.; Big Band Show. Members $15 Non-Members $20. Join us for free Swing Dance lessons led by the Diversiform Dance Project Company, and put your new moves to the test as you dance to classic swing tunes performed by the talented Metro Music Makers big Band. Whether you’re coming solo or with a partner, everyone is welcome! Open to the public. Sponsored by DFCU. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information call (248)656-1403 or visit OPCcenter.org

Nov. 18 & 25: Knitting & Crochet Circle at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp. at 10 a.m. Welcome knitters and crocheters of all levels! Hang out and share your creativity with other knitters. Please bring your own projects and supplies. The group creates and donates to charitable organizations like Beaumont Little Angels, Project Linus, Compassion Pregnancy, and more to provide comfort items during times of need. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Nov. 18: Check Mates: Chess Club at the Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., Roseville, Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6-7:30 p.m. Once a month, local Chess enthusiasts gather at the library to socialize, trade tips, and challenge each other to this classic game of strategy. Whether you are a master player or just learning the game, you are welcome to join us. You may bring your own set or use one of ours. Ages 12 to adult are welcome. For more information, call (586) 445-5407 or email rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov

Nov. 18: Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Group at the OPC, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30-3 p.m. Support group for those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Open to the public. Respite care is available. OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. Call (248)659-1036 or visit OPCcenter.org for additional information.

Nov. 18: Detroit Opera House Tour and lunch. Sponsored by Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 10:15 a.m. $12 tour and bus fee + pay for your own lunch at Buddy’s Pizza downtown Detroit. Phone: 248.589.0334. Join us for a 90-minute tour of the historic Detroit Opera House followed by lunch. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 19: Navigating Grief During the Holidays at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. The holiday season can be a challenge for individuals of all ages from all walks of life. Feelings of sadness, grief, and loss are often amplified during what outwardly appears as a joyful time. Come learn and discuss how we can support ourselves, our loved ones, and each other as we navigate the complexities of grief during the holiday season. Presented by Matina Fabian, Director of Adult Outpatient Services at Hegira Health, Inc. Registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Nov. 19: Living Well, Learning More at the OPC. Sourdough Bread Class, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 3-5 p.m., $75. Discover the joy of sourdough just in time for the holidays! Join instructor Alaina Campbell, founder of Sprout Bake, for a hands-on class that breaks down the baking process into four simple steps. Learn how to care for the starter, mix and knead dough. Leave with the confidence to bake for family and friends. Every attendee receives: a personal sourdough starter to take home, written instructions and bonus recipes, a refresher video of the process, access to a private sourdough Facebook group & quarterly tips newsletter, a tasting bar featuring fresh sourdough and herbal teas. Spaces are limited. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information call (248)656-1403 or visit OPCcenter.org

Nov. 19: Papotage & Cie: Talk-time in French at the Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., Roseville, Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 6-7 p.m. Papotage & Cie is a program for French conversation practice with a French native speaker (and librarian…) The program is open to any teenager or adult who speaks some French and wants an informal and safe place to practice with others. If you have learned French at school, learned it (forgot it…) and want to practice again, this event is for you. For more information, call (586) 445-5407 or email rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov

Nov. 19: Lunch & Learn with Chris Stark at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 11:30 a.m. Phone: 248.589.0334. Get your questions answered! Chris Stark will host an informative session covering important topics for older adults, all while you enjoy a complimentary lunch. Bring your curiosity and leave with practical knowledge. Register by Nov. 12. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 20: Mystery Book Club: “The Honjin Murders” by Seishi Yokomizo at the Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., Roseville, Thursday, Nov. 20, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Calling all sleuths! Get together with other mystery readers as we discuss crime novels every third Thursday of the month. This month, we will discuss The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. You are welcome to join us even if you have not finished the book. For more information, call (586) 445-5407 or email rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov

Nov. 20: Trivia Night at Total Sports sponsored by the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. Come test out your knowledge at HTPL Trivia Night, hosted at Total Sports. Tickets include trivia plus unlimited pizza, salad, and soft drinks. Tickets can be purchased at the library for $8.00 in advance or purchased at the door on Trivia Night for $9. Cash or check only. Max team size of 8. Arrive with a team or we’ll team you up. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Nov. 20: Thanksgiving Special Event Lunch  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Thursday, Nov. 20, noon. $6. Phone: 248.589.0334. Join us for one of our most beloved traditions—a festive Thanksgiving lunch with turkey, sides, and all the trimmings! After lunch, stick around for a lively bingo game sponsored by Oak Street. Space is limited—register by Nov. 12. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 20: Euchre Tournament at the OPC, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. Registration Begins 4:30 p.m. Members: $7 Non-Members: $10. Pre-registration is appreciated. 8 Games – 8 Rounds. Pay-out prizes to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place placers. Open to the public. This program is sponsored by Accent Care. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, call (248)659-1029 or visit OPCcenter.org.

Nov. 21: Join us for Coffee at the DSO, “Billy Joel Songbook” plus lunch after the show at Vivio’s on Friday,  Nov. 21. Join the DSO and vocalist-pianist Tony DeSare for a symphonic celebration of Billy Joel’s most iconic hits. Experience the legendary songs of the Piano Man like never before—brought to life with full orchestral arrangements and favorites including “Only the Good Die Young,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Piano Man,” “New York State of Mind,” “You May Be Right,” “Movin’ Out,” “My Life,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” and more in this unforgettable tribute to one of music’s greatest storytellers. Bus departs from John Armstrong Performing Arts back parking lot, 24066 F V Pankow Blvd, Clinton Twp at 9:15 am. Cost $105. Register online at www.lc-ps.ce.eleyo.com or by calling L’Anse Creuse Community Education at 586-783-6330.

Nov. 21: Grief Support Group at the OPC, Friday, Nov. 21, 10–11:30 a.m. The death of a loved one affects your head, heart and spirit. A Grief Support Group is an opportunity to gain an understanding about grief and receive support and healing with other caring individuals who have experienced a loss. Many people report a feeling of relief in knowing they are not alone as they share their experience with others. Open to the public. Walk-ins are Welcome Questions: (248)608-0249. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, visit OPCcenter.org.

Nov. 21: Parkinson’s Care Partner Group at the OPC, Friday, Nov. 21, 1-3 p.m. This group provides an opportunity for those who are caring for their loved one to come together for support, sharing and time to talk with others who are also living with Parkinson’s. Open to the public. Call facilitator Kathy Walton 248.568.3549. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, visit OPCcenter.org.

Nov. 22: Puzzle Tournament sponsored by the Roseville Public Library, 29777 Gratiot Ave., Roseville, Sunday, Nov. 22, from 1-5 p.m., at Recreation Authority of Roseville & Eastpointe (RARE). Ready to put your puzzle prowess to the ultimate test? Join us for a thrilling puzzle challenge! Whether you’re flying solo or part of a team, all puzzle aficionados are welcome. Race against the clock for a chance to win fantastic prizes! Got puzzles gathering dust? Bring them to our puzzle swap and discover new challenges to take home. Think you have what it takes to be crowned the puzzle champion? Find out. RARE is located at 18185 Sycamore Street. For more information, call (586) 445-5407 or email rsvlibraryservice@roseville-mi.gov

Nov. 22: All-Ages Wicked Movie Matinee at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Saturday, Nov. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. Join us for a magical matinee showing of Wicked on Saturday, Nov. 22. In celebration of “Wicked: For Good” hitting theaters, we’ll be streaming part one starting at noon and serving up some spellbinding mocktails and enchanting snacks. This is an all-ages program. Costumes are welcome. No registration required. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Nov. 25: Tuesday Night Book Group at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. Join us as we discuss “Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?” by Crystal Smith Paul. A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz. When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions. Get your copy and join us today. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Nov. 25: OATS Tech Program: Streaming and Smart TVs at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 4 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Are you paying for TV channels you don’t watch? Learn why people are “cutting the cord” and using streaming services instead. Register ahead at: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Nov. 26: Turkey Time BINGO Games at the OPC, Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 12:30 p.m. $10. Join us for Bingo in the Dining Room. Ticket price includes 8-10 games with up to 4 BINGO cards per player and pizza! Daytime bingo Sponsored by the Village at Orchard Grove and Shelby Crossing. Evening bingo sponsored by Home Helpers Home Care. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, call (248)659-1029 or visit OPCcenter.org.

December

Dec. 1: Madagold: Live Performance  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Dec. 1, 10:30 a.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Ease into Dec. with an uplifting morning performance by Madagold at the Senior Center. Enjoy great music, friendly company, and a warm community vibe—perfect for a winter pick‑me‑up. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 4: Sparkle Spectacular: Harrison Township annual Tree Lighting at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Thursday, Dec. 4, from 6-8 p.m. Kick off the holiday season with a dazzling evening of magic, music, and lights at our Sparkle Spectacular. Join us as we countdown to the grand lighting of the holiday tree, followed by a glittering celebration full of cheer and wonder. Enjoy festive music, twinkling lights, hot cocoa, sweet treats, and special holiday surprises for the whole family. Whether you’re young or young at heart, this is a night to shine bright and make joyful memories. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Dec. 4-6: Anchors Aweigh for the Holidays with the OPC Performing Arts Troup. Luncheon Show: Dec. 4, noon, $25. Morning Matinees: Dec. 5 & 9 | 10:00am | $15. Set sail for a festive adventure with Holiday Cheer on the High Seas! Enjoy music, laughs, and holiday magic on this spirited voyage. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information call (248)656-1403 or visit OPCcenter.org

Dec. 4: Coffee Hour with Humana Medicare 101 Talk  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Thursday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Grab a cup and meet local Humana representatives to learn about Medicare benefits, coverage options, and plan resources in a no‑pressure, friendly setting. Bring your questions. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 4: OATS Tech Program: Passwords, Passkeys, and More at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Thursday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334 Tired of resetting your password all the time? Join this lecture to discover password alternatives and different ways to manage your passwords. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 8: Lunch & Learn with Stephanie and Josh at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Enjoy a light lunch while Stephanie and Josh share timely resources and helpful insights for older adults. Come hungry for food and information. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 8: Meet Rep. MacDonnell (Community Drop‑In) Monday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Stop by for an informal conversation with Representative MacDonnell. Ask questions, share concerns, and learn about current initiatives. Register: Drop in—no registration required.

Dec. 11: Adult Craft Night: Craft Supply Exchange & Drop-In Winter Craft at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Thursday, Dec. 11, from 6-8 p.m. Avoid the cold weather – come “chill” with us at HTPL! No registration is required for this special Adult Craft Night. Drop in and create holiday cards, ornaments, handmade bows, and more small crafts. Snacks and beverages will be provided. In addition to Craft Night, we’ll be hosting a Winter Craft Supply Exchange! Drop off up to 5 standard sized (12 x 12 x 10”) boxes of craft supplies starting Dec. 1 through Dec. 11 to participate. For each box you donate, you’ll receive a “ticket to shop.” One ticket equals one box that you can fill up on the day of the exchange. Any leftover supplies that are not taken after the exchange will be donated or used for library programming. This is an Adults-Only program. However, we will accept children’s craft supplies for the exchange. Check htlibrary.org/events for a full list of accepted and non-accepted items. For more information, call 586-329-1261.

Dec. 16: Harrison Township Diamond Dazzlers: Diamond Dot Club at the Harrison Township Public Library, 38255 L’Anse Creuse, Ste. A, Harrison Twp., Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 6-8 p.m. Are you a regular Diamond Dot fanatic, or are you looking for a new hobby to keep you occupied during the cold winter months? Drop in and join our new Adult Diamond Dot club! Come chat with fellow Diamond Dotters and treat yourself to a cozy and relaxing evening of crafting. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Feel free to bring your own project to work on. We’ll also have freebies available if you come empty-handed. No registration required. For more information, visit htlibrary.org or call 586-329-1261.

Dec. 18 (register by Dec. 8): Christmas Lunch & Bingo  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Thursday, Dec. 18, noon. $6. Phone: 248.589.0334. Celebrate together with a festive holiday lunch, then stay for merry rounds of bingo with prizes. A seasonal favorite—these seats fill quickly! Register by: Dec. 8. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 9: The Birmingham Metropolitan Woman’s Club presents at their monthly luncheon, A Presentation of Christmas Songs at 10:30 a.m. The presentation will be followed by a delicious lunch. You do not have to be a member to give us a try. Reserve your place two weeks prior to the event by calling Chris at 248-303-7339. Lunch & program $34, held at the Iroquois Club, Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Twp. To learn more visit, tbmwc.com

Dec. 9: Holly, History & Harmony (Trip). Sponsored by Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. $50 (admin fee). Phone: 248.589.0334. A festive outing featuring seasonal history, music, and community cheer. Drop‑off/pick‑up at Troy Community Center. Registration closes Nov. 21—reserve your seat now. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 11: Holiday Orchestra Concert. Sponsored by Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Thursday, Dec. 11, 11:30 a.m. $4 for lunch (served at noon). Phone: 248.589.0334. Enjoy the festive sounds of the Clawson Public Schools String Orchestra as they perform holiday classics for our community. Following the concert, students will join senior adults for a special lunch. Space is limited—please register ahead for lunch. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 15: Movie at the Library. Sponsored by Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Dec. 15, 1 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. This month, we celebrate UN Human Rights Month with a special viewing of the movie Gandhi at the Blair Memorial Library. Popcorn and refreshments provided. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 15: Secretary of State Mobile Office at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Monday, Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Phone: 248.589.0334. Renew IDs, driver’s licenses, and other common documents without leaving Clawson. The Mobile SOS Office will be at the Senior Center. Call to make an appointment today at 248.589.0334.

Dec. 16: OATS Tech at the Library Saving Money with Tech  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 4 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Explore ways that tech can help you save money and manage your finances. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 30 (register by Dec. 18): “Noon Year’s Eve” Lunch with Olivia Van Goor  at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Tuesday, Dec. 30, noon. $6. Phone: 248.589.0334. Ring in 2026 early with a celebratory lunch and a sparkling jazz performance by Olivia Van Goor. Countdown at noon—party favors and smiles guaranteed. Register by Dec. 18. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

Dec. 19: OATS Tech Lecture, Technology for Aging in Place at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson, Friday, Dec. 19, 1 p.m. Free. Phone: 248.589.0334. Come learn how smart technology can help you maintain your independence in your own home. Register: https://miclawsonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/

January

Jan. 14: Let’s head to lunch at Lelli’s before the show at Meadowbrook Theatre, “All Shook UP” on Wednesday, Jan 14. This musical was inspired by and features the songs of Elvis Presley. Set in 1955 the story of the guitar-playing young man and his hip-swiveling musical fantasy will have you jumping out of your blue suede shoes. Enjoy these classics: “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Jailhouse Rock” and “Don’t be Cruel.” Bus departs from John Armstrong Performing Arts back parking lot, 24066 F V Pankow Blvd, Clinton Twp at 11:00 am. Cost $120. Register online at www.lc-ps.ce.eleyo.com or by calling L’Anse Creuse Community Education at 586-783-6330.

Monthly events

•  Monthly Casino Trips: Sponsored by the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. Last Thursdays & Fridays, 10 a.m. (unless otherwise noted). $12. Venture out to Hollywood Casino or Motor City Casino (rotates monthly). Try your luck at the slots, table games, and more! Enjoy the excitement with friends. Register: 248.589.0334 or recreation.cityofclawson.com

• Chair Drumming: Second Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Cost is $5 per drop-in class. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or online at recreation.cityofclawson.com.

• The Birmingham Metropolitan Women’s Club: Meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Iroquois Club, 43248 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Twp. at 10:30 a.m. for lunch & informative speakers. We are a friendly group of 50+ women who gather for friendship, informative programs & philanthropic activities in our community. Visit before becoming a member. The cost for the luncheon & program is $32. To make a reservation, call Chris at 248-303-7339. To learn more, visit tbmwc.com

•  Monthly Epic Health Screenings: At the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. Last Wednesdays (unless otherwise noted), 11 a.m.–1 p.m. FREE. Stay on top of your health with a quick 10‑minute checkup. Professionals will be on-site to monitor vital signs and share tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Register: 248.589.0334 or recreation.cityofclawson.com

• Learn Spanish: at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. Donations welcomed. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Somerset Mall Walking and Shopping: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Depart at 9:45 a.m. from the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court to enjoy a scenic and safe way to support your physical &  mental well-being and shop while you are there! Cost $3. Contact dispatch at 248-583-6700 to sign up.

•  Join Widowed Friends, a peer support group hosting Tuesdays, noon. Bowling Collier Bowl, 879 S. Lapeer Rd (M24) Arrive at Noon for lane assignment. Three games, shoes extra. Lunch afterward is optional. Hosts: Joe, 248-693-2454 or Nadine, 248-475-9036.

•  Join Widowed Friends, a peer support group hosting Thursdays. Michigan Meadows Golf Course will resume very soon. Call Chuck, 586-201-6607.

• Yoga for Seniors: At the Fraser Senior Activities Center, 34935 Hidden Pine Dr., Fraser. Friday mornings 10:30am-11:30 a.m. (6-week sessions). Wednesday mornings 11:30-12:30 p.m. (6-week sessions). $26 for members per session, $32 for non-members per session. To register, call 586-296-8483.

• Attorney Eric Glick: At the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. 3rd Wednesdays, 1–2:15 p.m. FREE. Schedule a 15‑minute legal consultation to discuss your questions and concerns. Find helpful guidance and resources in a confidential setting. Register: 248.589.0334 or recreation.cityofclawson.com

•  Join Widowed Friends, a peer support group hosting Monday Golf, Stony Creek Golf Course will resume soon. Call Ted, 248-425-4879.

• Pickleball Drop: in with friends of all ages for a friendly game of pickleball at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. on Mondays, from 1-3 p.m. Cost is $2. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Quilting Group: meets every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson.  For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Water Fitness Classes: Mondays & Wednesday, from 11:10 a.m. – noon (times subject to change based on staffing) at L’Anse Creuse North high school located at 23700 Twenty One Mile Rd, Macomb. Cost $5 drop in or punch cards available for $50 – payment accepted poolside or online and bring your receipt. Register online at Lc-ps.ce.eleyo.com or by calling L’Anse Creuse Community Education at 586-783-6330.

• Wheel of Fortune: At the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. 3rd Thursdays, 1 p.m. (date subject to change). FREE. Spin the wheel, solve puzzles, and claim your prize in this lively, interactive game. Bring your lucky charm and competitive spirit. Register: 248.589.0334 or recreation.cityofclawson.com

• Men Only Breakfast: Lukich Family Restaurant (1st and 3rd Thursday), 3900 Rochester Rd., Troy, at 9.m. The Widowed Men’s Group invites you to meet with other widowed men for breakfast at either of the Men’s Fellowship locations whichever is more convenient for you. Many topics & ideas help you become involved in the activities of Widowed Friends. Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries  Contact Ray at 248-585-5402.

• Quilting Group: Meets every Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 5/6. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Let’s meet up to discuss the latest topics and ask questions in a friendly environment. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• $5 Movie at MJR: Sponsored by  the Clawson Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court, Clawson. 1st Tuesdays (morning showtime). $3 bus fare, $5 ticket. Catch a fun flick with friends at MJR. Movie title and showtime will be announced as the date approaches. Purchase your ticket and any concessions on-site. Register: 248.589.0334 or recreation.cityofclawson.com

• Pick Your Play: Thursdays at 12:45 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Play Kings in the Corner, Hand & Foot, Farkle, whatever you like. Bring a friend and have some fun. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Did you want to learn to play piano, guitar or ukulele? What about voice lessons? We offer beginner classes for youth and adults: Visit our website to see all of the  music lessons we offer.  Lessons take place at Kawai studios and rental instruments are available for rent. Kawai studio is located at 12745 23 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp, MI  48315. Register online at Lc-ps.ce.eleyo.com or by calling L’Anse Creuse Community Education at 586-783-6330

•  Join Widowed Friends, a peer support group hosting Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Dancing American Polish Century Club, 33204 Maple Lane (14 Mile east of Van Dyke), Sterling Hgts. Doors open at 6PM. Music from 7-10:30 p.m. Cost $10 per person, cash bar. Contact Event Host, Liz 586-801-4536.

• Current Events Club: meets the 1st Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Let’s meet up to discuss the latest topics and ask questions in a friendly environment. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Fitness 20/20/20: Monday and Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fitness 20/20/20 held at Frederick V Pankow Center – Room 505, 24076 F V Pankow Blvd, Clinton Twp. Cost is $96 Register online at Lc-ps.ce.eleyo.com or calling L’Anse Creuse Community Education at 586-783-6330.

• Chair Exercise: On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Level I at 10:30 a.m.: Seated warm-up, light weights, bands and balance work. Level II at 11:15 a.m.: Low-impact moves. No fee, donations welcome. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Socrates Club: Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Meetup to discuss current events in a relaxed, informal setting. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Zumba Gold at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court at 1:30 p.m. on Mondays with Ivy. Cost is $5 per drop-in class. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Solo-Seniors Group: meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court Meet and mingle with other seniors in this fun social group. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Indoor Walking on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:15 a.m.at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Meet with friends to walk in the gym. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Older Persons’ Commission Membership: Mondays – Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. OPC membership is available at no charge to all residents 50+ of Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township. Registration forms are available at OPC or online at opcseniorcenter.org. You must register in person and proof of residency is required. The OPC is located at 650 Letica Drive, Rochester. For more information, call 248-656-1403.

• Pinochle: on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 p.m. at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Cost is $1. Price includes prize money for the top three scores. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Chair Yoga: at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays & Thursdays with Melissa or Stephanie at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Come get a great stretch in this class! No fee, but donations are welcome. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Tai Chi: Wednesdays at 10 a.m. with Cheryl at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. Cost is $5 per drop-in class. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Euchre: on Tuesdays at 12:45 .pm. Cost is $1, which includes prize money, at the Clawson Recreation and Senior Center, 509 Fisher Court. For more information, call 248-589-0334 or visit cityofclawson.com

• Confident Communicators Club: Meets monthly for people who seek improving public speaking skills and leadership confidence. This supportive Toastmasters group meets online the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 8-9:30 a.m. Many of our members have gain skills needed to become a better salesperson, grow their business, get promoted, and engage students. Register for any of our meetings to get the Zoom Link -https://confident-communicators-club-meeting.eventbrite.com. Contact our VP Membership to get more information vpm-1196053@toastmastersclubs.org

• New Baltimore Civic Club: Euchre every Thursday at 36551 Main St. (corner of Blackwell) in New Baltimore. Sign in at 6:30 p.m., play at 7 p.m. $10 plus a quarter for each euchre.

• Senior Card Playing: Come and join a fun group of card players who play a wide range of card games. Everyone brings a snack to share while playing. Free. Mondays from 1-4 p.m. at 35248 Cricklewood Blvd. (Cricklewood Recreation Building). Call 586-725-0291.

• Dancing every Tuesday: at Polish Century Club, 33204 Maple Lane, Sterling Heights. Doors open at 6 p.m. Music from 7-10:30 p.m. Cost is $8 per person with a cash bar. A table is reserved for Widowed Friends. Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries Contact Kate at 586-344-3886.

• New Baltimore Senior Club: Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This welcoming group of seniors has all sorts of fun. We play bingo, hold luncheons, go on trips, and play cards. Monthly dues, $2. Location 35248 Cricklewood Blvd. (Cricklewood Recreation Building). Call 586-725-0291.

• Zumba Gold: from 10:30-11:30 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday at the Washington Center, 57880 Van Dyke, Washington Twp. Cost depends on how many punches are purchased. 4 punches $23 resident, $29 NR; 11 punches $60 resident, $66 NR. For more information, call 586-752-6543.

• Cards/Games/Friendship: Ss. John and Paul, (1st Thursday or every month), 1:30-4 p.m. at, 7777 28 Mile Rd. Bring a snack to share and your own beverage. Ss. John and Paul support the Agape Center, a resource center for the most vulnerable members of society and would appreciate it if you could bring a canned good (vegetable, meat, fruit) when you come to play. (Dinner afterward at Romeo Family Restaurant, 66020 Van Dyke Rd., between 30 & 31 Mile is optional.) Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries. Call Ellen, 586-781-5781.

• Eastside Movies: (1st Tuesday of each month) at Chesterfield Crossing Digital Cinema 16 (known for free soda & popcorn refills also offers discount matinee pricing) 50675 Gratiot Ave., Chesterfield Twp. Early dinner afterwards TBD. Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries. For more information, contact Marion at 586-703-1427

• Metamora – Dinner Club: (3rd Wednesday of the month) at 5 p.m. Join us at The White Horse Inn, 1 E High St., Metamora. Reserved seating. Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries. Please RSVP to Sharry 248-840-0063. No walk- ins. Please call if you must cancel your reserved seating.

• Breakfast at Avenue Family Restaurant: 31253 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, at 9:30 a.m. (2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month). Sponsored by Widowed Friends Ministries.

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The Red Hot Chili Peppers may be strongly associated with southern California, but drummer Chad Smith’s heart never left the Midwest.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who grew up in suburban Detroit, is gifting a need-based music scholarship to the University of Michigan.

“A lot of people (say), ‘The Chili Peppers, West Coast band, California this and California that.’ I get it. I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Smith told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday, just hours before he made the official announcement during a surprise appearance at the Ann Arbor school’s annual Band-O-Rama event. “The Minnesota connection is strong. The Michigan connection is strong.

“And that’s why we’re here. It’s a natural, authentic fit for us.”

Smith, 64, performed the RHCP hit “Can’t Stop,” alongside the Michigan Marching Band at Hill Auditorium.

The Curtis & Joan Smith Scholarship, which is named in honor of Smith’s parents, will be awarded to an incoming University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance student, beginning in 2026.

The scholarship is a partnership between the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the Chad Smith Foundation and comes on the heels of one with the same name launched two months ago at the University of Minnesota. Smith’s parents are Minnesota alums.

Michigan’s version of the Curtis & Joan Smith Scholarship will support incoming freshmen to the School of Music, Theatre & Dance undergraduate program who demonstrate financial need and a strong commitment to pursuing a music career. The scholarship reinforces CSF’s mission to expand access to high-quality music education and career pathways for aspiring musicians across the country.

Smith attended Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and began his career playing in clubs and bars across the Detroit area. He credits his parents with nurturing his love of music and supporting his dream to pursue it professionally.

“My mother is 98 years young. Still going. She’s here today — amazing,” Smith said. “So, to be able to honor her (and) my father unfortunately passed away, but they were so integral in helping me with my musical path.”

Smith has been with the Red Hot Chili Peppers since the late 1980s. During that time, the quartet, which also includes singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, have been one of the biggest-selling music acts, mixing layers of funk, punk, rap and traditional pop over a foundation of rock.

The backward-baseball-cap-wearing Smith has held down the beat on such hits as “Give It Away,” “Under the Bridge” and “Dani California.” The Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I’m fortunate to be in a band people like and I play the drums and maybe some drummers or musicians will get inspired just from my story,” Smith said. “So, yeah, it’s just an opportunity to give back to what I’ve been so lucky to have and for next generations of musicians to be able to pursue what they love.”

As domestic travel booms, many Americans still flock to the familiar — national parks packed before sunrise, selfie-saturated landmarks, cities so overrun with tourists their official mottos may as well be “Been There, Done That.”

Just beyond the beaten path, however, lies a less choreographed America where predictability gives way to surprise and encounters feel more personal, perhaps even profound. These destinations may draw steady crowds like their bucket-list cousins, but they glow with a gentler light: less mainstream, more meaningful.

If zigging where others zag sounds like your kind of trip, this great nation has a wealth of places that might just redefine what “must-see” really means. From California to Florida, these seven detours favor the road less traveled — destinations that may not rack up as many hashtags, but hold their own with standout sights, strong local flavor, and often with fewer crowds and fresher stories.

For wallet-friendly California winetasting: Think Lodi, not Napa — While some snooty oenophiles may scoff at uncorking a grape getaway in California’s understated Central Valley instead of world-renowned Napa, open-minded and budget-conscious wine lovers should give Lodi a taste (visitlodi.com).

Craving a laid-back, grassroots vibe over one cultivated with polish and sophistication? That’s penny wise, not pour foolish. Tastings in Lodi typically run $10 to $20, and often the fees are waived with purchase. By contrast, just 70 miles west, expect to shell out $50 to $125 for samples, and good luck getting in without a reservation. Yep, Lodi welcomes walk-ins.

Among the region’s standouts is Harney Lane Vineyards, one of the few 100% estate-grown wineries in California. This family-owned gem (harneylane.com) offers a personally hosted flight of five small-lot selections — featuring zinfandel, the region’s signature grape — for as low as $20. The Wine and Visitor Center (lodiwine.com), also in town, proudly carries hundreds of wines made from Lodi-grown grapes, four of which can be tasted for just $12.

While Napa Valley has nearly 20 Michelin-rated restaurants to Lodi’s zero, that soon could change with the recent opening of Americana House (americanahouselodi.com). Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer has brought his signature progressive American cuisine to a destination known more for value and authenticity than refinement and luxury. Naturally, the months-old restaurant boasts the best wine list in town — yet another reason to zig (or zin?) where others zag.

For a Vegas nightcap: Think speakeasy, not lobby bar — You’ve painted the town and aren’t quite ready to cash in your chips after doing Lord knows what in Sin City. The easiest place to enjoy a nightcap is the lobby bar of your hotel. But if you’re of drinking age and prefer to swig with a zig, skip the obvious and go underground — not to a basement dive, but one of Vegas’ cool, covert speakeasies where the vibe is as smooth as the top-shelf spirits.

Bellagio (bellagio.com) has one that makes its lobby bar seem as old-fashioned as, well, an old-fashioned. It’s called The Vault, and the lounge’s whereabouts are on a need-to-know basis. But since it’s just friends here, this secret bar is nestled discreetly behind the live gaming tables on Bellagio’s casino floor, near the cashier. The joint is a masterclass in moody opulence with equal parts speakeasy, sanctuary and cinematic seduction. Stocked with some of the most expensive and rare bottles in town, and boasting a bar menu that makes no apologies for $60 cocktails, it’s as clear as VING vodka that The Vault is for Bellagio’s highest-end guests.

For those more comfortable with a $13 starter shot of Kentucky straight bourbon, there’s a speakeasy inside the Cosmopolitan that’s a cut above both literally and metaphorically. A working barbershop by day and live music lounge by night, The Barbershop (barbershoplv.com) is a sharp 180 from Cosmo’s neo-retro lobby lounge. Actually, when it takes slipping through a janitor’s closet to get inside, we’re talking something unlike any lounge anywhere.

For a blend of Arizona art and landscape: Think Bisbee, not Sedona — Both of these destinations are Arizona gems, but they shimmer in wildly contrasting hues. Sedona is beautiful and well-known for a reason. Its red rock scenery is dramatic, the hiking is excellent, and the town is full of spas, galleries and restaurants that cater to tourists. But it’s also busy — especially on weekends — and much of the experience feels inauthentic, designed for visitors.

Zag-worthy Bisbee (discoverbisbee.com) offers a very different kind of escape. It’s smaller, raw and far less crowded. The town has a strong local identity, shaped by its mining history and current community of artists, musicians and longtime residents. You won’t find chain stores or luxury resorts here — just quirky shops, historic buildings and a slower pace that feels real.

If Sedona is the place everyone’s heard of, Bisbee is the one they haven’t, but should. It’s not trying to impress anyone, and that’s part of the charm. For travelers who prefer character over convenience and want to explore a town that still feels lived-in, Bisbee is worth the detour.

For a Texas-sized vacation: Think Dallas, not San Antonio — Being home to the legendary Alamo, a vibrant River Walk and two major amusement parks has folks stampeding like longhorns to San Antonio for a vacation in the Lone Star State.

But let’s pour some of that famous San Antone picante sauce on those travel plans. Instead of remembering the Alamo for a Texas-sized trip, consider breaking off from the herd by heading north to “Big D.” Dallas offers up a more robust downtown scene, a larger and more thrilling theme park — Six Flags over Texas (sixflags.com) — and nearby Fort Worth with its cattle-crazy Stockyards (fortworthstockyards.com) and the colorful Cultural District where El Chingon Mexican restaurant (elchingon.com) tops an exciting food scene with its Pancho Villa-inspired flair.

As far as legendary downtown hotels are concerned, while San Antonio’s Menger is respected as the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi River, Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel (adolphus.com) is the hands-down winner for Beaux-Arts grandeur meets modern luxury. Built in 1912 by beer magnate Adolphus Busch, the 407-room jewel is located within walking distance of museums, theaters and upscale shopping. You’ll want a healthy walk after enjoying afternoon tea in the hotel’s opulent French Room, a cherished Dallas tradition.

For a family-friendly menagerie: Think Kentucky’s Ark Encounter, not a traditional zoo — If you’re weary of zoos that feel more like concrete enclosures than conservation sanctuaries, consider a detour to northern Kentucky, where a colossal wooden ark rises from the hills like a myth made real.

The Ark Encounter (arkencounter.com) isn’t just a replica — it’s a reimagining of stewardship, scale and storytelling. Built to biblical dimensions, this seven-story timber-frame vessel invites visitors to step into a world where animals weren’t displayed — they were protected. With immersive exhibits, lifelike dioramas and a petting zoo that prioritizes interaction over spectacle, this attraction south of Cincinnati offers a gentler, more thoughtful lens on our relationship with the animal kingdom.

For urban Southern hospitality: Think Knoxville, not Nashville — Nashville isn’t called Music City for nothing. It’s got the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, recording studios and honky-tonks that all welcome toe-tapping tourists. But Nashville also is getting more crowded and chaotic — and more expensive — with every new flight added at Nashville International Airport. In fact, BNA had its busiest month ever in June when 2.4 million passengers passed through its gates.

Zigging to Knoxville 180 miles east will get you Tennessee-kissed Southern hospitality without Nashville’s drawbacks. Its music scene is turned down lower, but still holds its own from the storied, century-old Bijou Theatre to the outdoor stage at World’s Fair Park, where the iconic, 266-foot-tall Sunsphere proudly stands.

Knoxville knows how to treat its guests. Whether you’re savoring the prime hanger steak or rainbow trout at stylish Oliver Royale (oliverroyale.com) or sinking into the plush linens of The Tennessean Hotel, this city pairs refinement with warmth. Speaking of The Tennessean (thetennesseanhotel.com), each of its recently renovated 82 rooms is exquisite, an adjective that applies throughout the renowned downtown luxury property. The tea service, alone, is worth a visit — sweet, savory and seeping in Southern charm right down to the last drop of the hotel’s signature sweet peach noir blend.

For a Miami vibe: Think Coconut Grove, not South Beach — The crown jewel of Miami tourism is undeniably South Beach with its miles of white sand and turquoise water seaside and pastel-colored art deco hotels, restaurants and bars giving the neighborhood its signature retro-glam vibe. And if glamor, grit and tropical swagger are your Miami vices, by all means keep zagging.

Away from the sensory playground that is South Beach lies a zig-worthy community often described as Miami’s bohemian soul wrapped in lush greenery and waterfront serenity. Coconut Grove offers boutique hotels, trendy eateries, high-end shops, and a village-like vibe steeped in easygoing charm. Accommodations don’t get more chill than Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove (mrccoconutgrove.com), a 100-room boutique hotel with bay views and a rooftop pool, just steps from the shops and restaurants of Cocowalk. Even its exterior is cool – designed to evoke the sleek, curved lines of a luxury cruise ship, porthole windows and all. South Beach flaunts flash, but it doesn’t have this.

NEW YORK — The great playwright August Wilson used to say he’d just let his characters talk and then try and get out of their way. Bess Wohl’s fascinating and superbly acted Broadway play “Liberation,” by contrast, is entirely frank that this is the playwright talking — or, more specifically, asking question after question of her mom’s generation of 1970s feminists.

On the one hand, this ambitious and personal play, first seen off-Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre, is a moving tribute to the big thinkers who got naked in their meetings (which is why the show judiciously locks up the audience’s phones) and to the pioneers when it came to demanding respect in the workplace, building reproductive rights, advancing sexual freedom and demanding equal pay. Not to mention myriad other victories, even while these women often were raising kids and caring for their less-than-evolved husbands.

On the other hand, its continual interrogations are a reminder of successive generations’ endless fascination with baby boomers, not to mention yet another example of Gen Xers and millennials’ weird complexity of feelings about them.

“Why did you make these sacrifices?” the play wants to know. “Did they bring you happiness? Did you abandon your principles when you had kids?” And, perhaps most interestingly of all, “Did you actually liberate anyone beyond yourselves?”

You can also see this play as highly reflective — for obvious reasons — of the current progressive age of anxiety.

Wohl’s authorial mouthpiece, the character Lizzie (Susannah Flood), begins the show by introducing both herself and her mother’s “friends” who form the feminist group that meets inside a high school gymnasium somewhere in Ohio. (David Zinn’s set looks like a functioning school gym.)  She tells us she will be playing her mother (she shares her name), and so she does, taking us inside those 1970s conscious-raising meetings on folding chairs, but also inside her own nagging sense that the country has failed to follow through on the sacrifices of these women — and even has gone in the opposite direction.

“Why?” the daughter Lizzie often interrupts the play to ask. And does that mean her mom’s generation of feminists somehow failed to make lasting, transferable change, even if they achieved some level of emancipation and power for themselves? Was her mom’s problem actually that she fell in love with a handsome guy and left Ms. Magazine to take care of her kids?

That’s a gutsy question for a writer of Wohl’s generation to interrogate, of course, especially since most feminist plays consider some of the matters questioned here to be inviolate truths and the handsome guy in question is Lizzie’s dad (played, with amusing deference to the rest of the show, by Charlie Thurston) who helped conceive her.

Make no mistake, this is a sophisticated piece of writing that goes far beyond the usual 90 minutes on Broadway, and it is cleverly self-protected too: In the opening scene, Lizzie even takes the audience to task for spending Broadway money and still wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. A paradox, she asserts, and she is right.

At times, you feel like Wohl made a list of what other progressives might criticize about both the play and the movement (too rich, white and straight) and then set consciously about fending them all off by writing beyond her own experience. She pulls it off, thanks in no small measure to this formidable ensemble, especially Kristolyn Lloyd, whose performance is the most dynamic of the night.  But there is no question that Wohl, who went to both Harvard and Yale, writes from the perspective of the liberal elite. For example, we never know in which Ohio city the play is set, even though there is much discussion of the excitement of life in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. A Buckeye would have made a different choice, but then Wohl lives in Brooklyn, where Ohio functions mostly as a metaphor for the other America.

So “Liberation” feels aimed more at the women of Park Slope than Cleveland. Then again, that is who likely will be sitting in those expensive Broadway seats (perhaps with their Upper West Side moms), but it does answer one of Lizzie’s questions about the political direction of the world in a way that the play can’t quite admit.

That said, just asking these kinds of questions is rare, especially with this level of humility.  The other great strength of “Liberation” is the potency and humanity of its characters, even if Lizzie struggles to shut up long enough to let them talk. All are adroitly performed under Whitney White’s direction; if there were a Tony Award for best ensemble, it would be wrapped up now by Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Irene Sofia Lucio and Adina Verson, as well as the aforementioned Lloyd and Flood.

If you are of a certain age, you likely will view “Liberation” as an exploration of the questions that have always come to mind as one’s era of political activism recedes and it dawns on a person that successful relationships and kids and partners take even more work, at least until the nest empties out. It’s a version of the “can-you-have-it-all question” to which, alas, the answer is always no. Whoever you are. The advertisers sold you lies. But the theater always has been the right place to wonder, and hope.

“Liberation” pokes fun at long, “male” plays written by the childless, which is a bit of a cheap shot, albeit one that lands with this audience. In reality, it has much in common with those epic lifts, and that’s a compliment. There are certain thematic interests and structural devices in common with Paula Vogel’s “Mother Play,” which is not surprising, but Wohl has such a powerful and enjoyable voice.

She makes everyone care about the questions she has herself and that’s exactly what a playwright should be doing.

At the James Earl Jones Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., New York; liberationbway.com

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

These pumpkin and black bean quesadillas are a cozy, fall twist on a classic, perfect for cooler days when you’re craving something hearty yet simple.

The creamy pumpkin purée adds a subtle sweetness and velvety texture that pairs beautifully with the earthy black beans and warming spices like cumin and chili powder. Everything comes together quickly with pantry staples, making this an ideal weeknight meal or satisfying lunch—and a great way to use up pumpkin puree beyond pie.

Crisped in a skillet until golden and melty, these quesadillas are endlessly adaptable. Swap in corn tortillas or use pinto beans instead of black. Optional toppings like avocado, salsa, or sour cream let you customize each plate to your taste. For a more complete meal, serve with a crisp side salad or a tangy cabbage-lime slaw.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Quesadillas

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin purée

Salt and pepper, to taste

1½ cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, cheddar, or a mixture)4 large flour tortillas

Oil for the skillet

Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the black beans and pumpkin purée. Stir to combine, mashing some of the beans slightly for texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through, then remove from heat.

Spread the pumpkin-black bean mixture over half of each tortilla. Top with shredded cheese, then fold the tortillas in half.

Heat a bit oil in a clean skillet over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is melted. Slice into wedges and serve warm with desired toppings.

Registered dietitian and food writer Laura McLively is the author of “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook.” Follow her at @myberkeleybowl and www.lauramclively.com.

By KIKI SIDERIS

Don’t let your Halloween pumpkin haunt the landfill this November.

More than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins rot in U.S. landfills each year after Halloween, according to the Department of Energy.

Yours doesn’t have to go to waste. Experts told us your pumpkins can be eaten, composted or even fed to animals. Here’s how.

Cooking with pumpkin waste

If you’re carving a jack-o’-lantern, don’t throw away the skin or innards — every part is edible.

After carving, you can cube the excess flesh — the thick part between the outer skin and the inner pulp that holds the seeds — for soups and stews, says Carleigh Bodrug, a chef known for cooking with common food scraps. You can also puree it and add a tablespoon to your dog’s dinner for extra nutrients. And pumpkin chunks can be frozen for future use.

“The seeds are a nutritional gold mine,” Bodrug said. They’re packed with protein, magnesium, zinc and healthy fats, according to a 2022 study in the journal Plants.

One of Bodrug’s recipes involves removing the seeds, rinsing and roasting them with cinnamon for a crunchy snack or salad topper. Then you can use the stringy guts to make a pumpkin puree for muffins. This version differs from canned purees in grocery stores — which typically use a different type of pumpkin or squash — because carving pumpkins have stringier innards and a milder flavor. A carving pumpkin’s guts can still be used for baking — you’ll just have to amp up the seasoning to boost the flavor.

If you don’t want to eat your pumpkins, you can donate them to a local farm, which might use them to feed pigs, chickens and other animals.

Edible parts should be collected while you’re carving and before it’s painted, decorated or left on your porch for weeks. Paint and wax aren’t food-safe, and bacteria and mold can grow on the skin in outdoor climates.

Once you’ve cooked what you can and donated what’s safe to feed, composting the rest is the easiest way to keep it out of the landfill.

“That way, even though they’re not safe to eat, they can still give back to the earth,” Bodrug said.

Composting at home or donating to a farm

Composting pumpkins keeps them out of methane-emitting landfills and turns them into nutrient-rich soil instead. You can do this at home or drop them off at a local farm, compost collection bin or drop-off site.

“A large percentage of what ends up going to the landfill is stuff that could have been composted,” said Dante Sclafani, compost coordinator at Queens County Farm in New York. “So even just cutting down something like pumpkins could really help curb how many garbage bags you’re putting out every week.”

Before composting, remove any candles, plastic, glitter, or other decorations — they can contaminate the compost. A little glitter or paint won’t ruin the pile, but it’s best to get it as clean as possible before tossing it in. Then, chop up the pumpkin in 1-inch pieces so it can break down easier.

“Pumpkins are full of water, so it’s important to maintain a good balance of dried leaves, wood chips, sawdust, shredded newspaper, cardboard, straw — anything that’s a dry organic material — in your compost bin,” Sclafani said. If you don’t maintain this balance, your compost might start to stink.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a healthy compost pile should include a mix of “greens” — like pumpkin scraps and food waste — and “browns” like dry leaves, straw or cardboard, in roughly a three-to-one ratio. That balance helps the pile break down faster and prevents odors.

And if your pumpkin’s been sitting on the porch all month? That’s actually ideal. “It’s never too far gone for compost,” Sclafani said. “Even if it’s mushy or moldy, that actually helps, because the fungus speeds up decomposition.”

“Composting anything organic is better than throwing it out because you’re not creating more refuse in landfills, you’re not creating methane gas,” said Laura Graney, the farm’s education director.

Graney said autumn on the farm is the perfect opportunity to teach kids about composting since it gives them a sense of power in the face of big environmental challenges.

“Even though they’re little, composting helps them feel like they can make a difference,” Graney said. “They take that message home to their families, and that’s how we spread the word.”

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.