OK, stop it! Enough already!

I guess we need some rules around here, beginning and ending with, “Don’t make Santa Claus into a boogieman.” I know him personally, and he’s the most gracious and loving human being you’d ever want to meet. In the past week or so, since turkey carcasses began clogging our landfills, I’ve heard two ...Read more

There are six days to go before Thanksgiving, so Josh Pettit’s Mooresville, North Carolina, home isn’t yet adorned with a single Christmas decoration. But it sure looks like Santa’s been here recently.

On the dining table, the 47-year-old web developer has neatly arranged a vast assortment of gifts — everything from T-shirts and ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. ― His license plate still says “Shatner.”

And his driver’s license still reads “Peter Shatner” because, well, that is his legal name.

He changed it from Peter Sloan in 2019 due to a long-standing belief that William Shatner was his biological father. But it’s been two years since the 65-year-old Clearwater man ...Read more

'VIOLENT NIGHT'

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references.

What it’s about: Santa Claus turns to violence in order to defend a little girl and her family who are targeted by a gang of criminals on Christmas Eve.

The kid attractor factor: Despite this being a movie about Santa, the bloody, foul-...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It almost sounds like a riddle.

How is it possible for a 43-year-old woman to be sitting here in her living room holding a 1-month-old girl who came out of her womb — even though, just one month and one day ago, this same woman had no idea she’d been growing a tiny human inside of her?

We’re not talking about a ...Read more

'BONES AND ALL'

Rated R for strong, bloody and disturbing violent content, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

What it’s about: Two teenage cannibals connect in the 1980s Midwest for a romantic roadtrip that is "Badlands" with flesh-eating.

The kid attractor factor: Teens might be drawn to star Timothée ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Carla Mitchell's 6-year-old daughter was home sick from school this week — again.

The first-grader attends Gladwyne Elementary in the Lower Merion School District (LMSD), which has seen an unusually high numbers of kids out sick with a potpourri of nasty viruses: flu, common colds, COVID-19, and upper respiratory viruses, ...Read more

'THE MENU'

Rated R for strong/disturbing violent content, language throughout and some sexual references.

What it’s about: A black satire set in the world of high-end dining, in which a celebrity chef assembles a unique group of diners for a meal they'll never forget.

The kid attractor factor: Not much! This is a fairly violent satire with ...Read more

'BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER'

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language.

What it’s about: The sequel to "Black Panther" takes on the world without T'Challa, and Chadwick Boseman, introducing new heroes, new villains and some who straddle the line.

The kid attractor factor: It's a big superhero Marvel movie �...Read more

'GOOD NIGHT OPPY'

Rated PG for some mild language.

What it’s about: A warm documentary depicting the incredible 16-year Mars Exploration Rover mission.

The kid attractor factor: This science-forward documentary is told in a very accessible way for kids — a fun and educational film for the whole family.

Good lessons/bad lessons: ...Read more

The aphorism “birds of a feather flock together” describes the fact that people tend to prefer associating with others who are similar to themselves. The phenomenon goes by different names: Sociologists call it homophily, psychologists call it in-group favoritism and political scientists call it affective polarization. It’s observed in ...Read more

'CALL JANE'

Rated R for some language and brief drug use.

What it’s about: A fictionalized depiction of The Jane Collective, a real-life network of women who helped other women obtain safe illegal abortions in the late 1960s and early 1970s, before Roe v. Wade.

The kid attractor factor: This is an adult drama, not much for kids here.

Good ...Read more

'BLACK ADAM'

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language.

What it’s about: There will be a change in the hierarchy of the DC Comics universe ... when the new supercharged champion Black Adam is woken up from his 5,000-year slumber and tangles with the Justice Society league of superheroes.

The kid ...Read more

'HALLOWEEN ENDS'

Rated R for bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout and some sexual references.

What it’s about: Apparently the final chapter in the Strode-Myers 40-year showdown. Will she end it once and for all?

The kid attractor factor: Teens might be up for this iconic slasher franchise

Good lessons/bad lessons: Sometimes...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Leah Rose Gallegos paced the library at Accelerated Charter Elementary School. In 15 minutes, the room would be full of fifth-graders in sneakers and school uniforms, arms raised overhead, dutifully following her instructions to breathe, stretch and look inward.

But first it was time for a consecration of sorts.

Gallegos stepped...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Norma Fabian Newton had heard of other new mothers experiencing the "baby blues," short-term sadness and anxiety. But when she had her first child in her early 30s, she described her experience as a "constant barrage of thoughts."

"I was constantly thinking, 'I'm not equipped to be a parent, I hate myself, or I hate this decision...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Lily Walker, 17, was in eighth grade when she suddenly lost weight and suffered headaches so severe she’d throw up. Her mom thought it was stress, or maybe a virus. After the double vision set in, a doctor told the family to head to an emergency room.

Her cousin, Peter Cellucci, then 7, stopped eating two years later. He ...Read more

'SMILE'

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images, and language.

What it’s about: A horror film about a contagious death curse with one notable symptom: smiling.

The kid attractor factor: This is a fairly intense horror movie — teens might be interested but not kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Be true to yourself and your ...Read more