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More than a cautionary tale.

If you deliberately ignore and laugh off the specific parallels between the authoritarianism/rise of the fascist state presented in Anniversary and the current events unfolding in the US, you do so at your own peril.

Brilliant performance by Lane, whose character recognizes the inherent danger of anti-democratic, militaristic 'think tank' policies, long before they become pervasive and accepted.

As a tenured professor, Lane's character has been teaching and talking about these perils for years, even within her own family of three fiercely independent daughters and one son, who is having trouble finding his own footing in the world.

These right-wing think tank policies are framed as 'unifying' but are, in reality, eliminating and silencing anything that threatens them. Including Lane's own family. Policies created and fed through an attractive white figurehead, Lane's daughter-in-law, to make them more palatable to a country who, sadly, cannot manage to shake off its deep-seated mysoginy, bigotry and homophobia, even after 300 years.

The film presents the indoctrination of a nation by a corporation, whose mainly older, wealthy, white individuals refuse to abide by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and use figureheads to mold an entire country into one they find more palatable. Excellent writing in this updated, Americanized 1984 for the year 2025.

Money is thicker then blood in the film Violent Ends. The Frost brothers may have once been farmers, but the money they now bring in and the power they wield in the Ozarks, through drug dealing, is immense. There's absolutely no love lost between the brothers Frost, Ray (Matt Riedy), Walt (Ray McKinnon) and Donny (Bruce McKinnon). Generations of resentment runs deep and they have no problem blowing away a cousin for saying the wrong thing, or gifting a niece with a poisonous snake. It's all a means to a violent end.

Lucas (Billy Magnussen) wants out of the family business. He's just gotten engaged to his love, Emma (Alexandra Shipp), and is leaving town with her, to start clean somewhere else. She's far above his station and he can't believe his luck; he adores her. Lucas' father, Ray, is in prison for drug dealing. He tells his father that he's going to be relocating with his fiance', and his father spits in his face with anger. Lucas' older half-brother, Tuck (Nick Stahl), is down on his luck and is having money trouble. Tuck is married, with a young daughter. Both Tuck and his wife really like Emma. Lucas's mother, Darlene (Kate Burton) is the town's sheriff, and has been cleaning up the family issues her entire life. She's desperately trying to push her sons, especially Lucas, to not end up like the senior male family members.

However, in Violent Ends, none of the Frosts are able to escape their fates or elude their violent nature. And when things go wrong, Frost family weapons explode, painting the run-down town with buckets of blood.

Magnussen carries the film so well. Every scene feels authentic. What I found a little distracting, initially, was Lucas's wardrobe. He wore the same ripped jeans the entire film. Yet afterward, I could see how these wardrobe choices help viewers understand that everything happened in a very compressed amount of time, possibly 48 hours, since he never changed his pants.

You'll also appreciate the casting of iconic faces you'll recognize from streaming or movies, even if you don't know their names. Jared Bankens, who plays Walt's son, looks so much like a younger Ray McKinnon, it's freaky! Loved the score, it really helped to underline the emotion and move the action along.

The film is extremely violent, and following the familial relationships was a little tricky - I had to create a family tree to keep it straight. And I was not prepared for the final twist! Tightly written and directed by John-Michael Powell, it's just been released in theaters. Violent Ends deserves to find its audience.

If you're in any way a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it would be pure madness to ignore Strange Journey. This is a far too-brief 90 minute documentary filled with the little-known back-story and captivating behind-the-scenes tidbits of how this enduring cult classic was (SAY IT!) brought to life. So come up to the lab and see what's on the slab of this must-see film meant for all who live the musical, especially those sweet Transylvanian transexuals.

Directed by Linus O'Brien, Richard 'Riff Raff' O'Brien's son, we're taken on a journey of what began with a few random scribblings and evolved into a multi-cultural, multi-national lovefest of the musical play that almost wasn't. O'Brien first brought his rough musical sketches to Jim Sharman, Director of the stage productions of the rock musicals HAIR and Jesus Christ Superstar. After hearing some of the tunes, Sharman was convinced that O'Brien had something. He eventually brought RHPS to the theater in London. Though it's a musical, casting calls went out for 'interesting people rather than great singers and dancers". With a liberating, in-your-face sexuality, the stage show became a sold-out absolute smash.

In stepped Producer Lou Adler, whose movie production background included Monterey Pop and Brewster McCloud. Adler believed the stage show would make a fantastic film. In Strange Journey, we're treated to in-depth interviews from almost the entire RHPS cast including Susan Sarandon (Janet) and Barry Bostwick (Brad). Magenta (Patricia Quinn), Columbia (Nell Campbell), even Rocky (Peter Hinwood), share some outrageous experiences from RHPS, telling tales of events which occurred both on and off set. This film is O'Brien's story to tell, and he does so with his guitar and a lot of wonder. And, of course, Dr. Frank N. Furter himself, Tim Curry, owns the film. Completely outrageous, FIFTY years after he first starred in the stage production, Curry is a legend.

Bostwick tells us that the cast was "wet and miserable most of the time". Pat Quinn's 'LIPS' are used to bookend the film; she lipsynched O'Brien's iconic opening tune over Richard's voice. Quinn reveals they had to clamp her head in place so that, when singing, she didn't accidentally move her head off camera. They also blacked out the rest of her face for the shots. Everyone, including Jack Black, is on hand to talk about Meatloaf's acting and singing chops, and how much he brought to Eddie's manic character.

RHPS, the film, was an immediate flop. It was difficult to market, impossible to pitch to an audience. One theater owner told Adler that the usual attendance was about 50 people. But it was the same 50 people who kept coming back for every showing. This was the lightbulb moment for Adler: run the film at midnight, in small art-house theaters, and let the audience find the film.

It started with a few talkbacks to the screen. "Buy an umbrella you cheap xxx" to Janet. "Axxhole" to Brad. "I always wanted a handle on my head" to Riff Raff. The spontaneity grew organically. RHPS acquired a cult following, with sold-out shows in every theater. Screenings were usually held at midnight, but eventually the 90-minute film was rolled out every 2 hours. With the adoration came the bags of stuff that attendees brought: cards, toast, a newspaper, a lighter, rice.

If you don't know what I'm referring to, you've never attended a performance with a Shadow Cast/Floor Show. I called them the Floor Show. The film calls them the Shadow Cast. I'm not sure there's a difference. Sometimes they play instruments, sometimes they're acting on the stage and dancing along the rows, while the film screens behind them. But however you identify them, these are ordinary people who step into their characters, transforming themselves to join their RHPS Transylvanian Phantom family. Embracing their right to be different, happy and accepted in a rose-tinted world. Join us; it's just a jump to the left.