The Girl On the Train:

Based on the novel by Paula Hawkins, Emily Blunt is Rachel.  She used to be married to Tom (Justin Theroux) but he dumped her and turned her out.  He now lives in the house they shared as a couple, with his new wife and their new baby.  Each day, Rachel rides the train into the city, as she had done for years before, going to her job, but now she passes by her former home and grieves what she lost.  After a time, on her daily ride, she begins to fixate on a couple a few doors down.  She sees them out on their back deck, often demonstrating their affection for one another, and Rachel begins to fantasize as to what life must be like for them.  Then one day she sees something – she sees the male half of the couple as always, but he is with a different woman.  Rachel, who is struggling with alcoholism and blackouts, decides she must tell him.  Days later, the first woman turns up dead, and Rachel, who was seen leaving the man’s house, is now a suspect.  A strong, intense film, and for those who did not read the book, full of surprises.  Rated 14A.

Ouija 2: The Origin of Evil:

This is a prequel to the 2014 film, and it is set in the same house, but 50 years earlier.  Elizabeth Reaser (The Twilight Series, The Good Wife) is plays Alice Zander, a single mom who manages financially by involving her two girls in the fake séances that they put on.  When one of the girls encounters a Ouija board, the same one that shows up a half-century later in the first movie, Alice quickly incorporates it in the “act” and produces some amazing results.  What Alice does not know is that the board has introduced an evil spirit into the home, and it is taking possession of the daughter who works the board, and threatens the family’s existence.  The challenge in attempting to rip her daughter free from the clutches of the terrible demon takes on many forms.  Several of the characters who appeared as either ghosts or old people in the first movie, make appearances here as living individuals.  Not a  “slasher” horror film, but rather a  real spooker.  Well made, well-done.  But don’t watch it alone in the dark.  Rated 14A.

Keeping Up With the Joneses:

Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher are the Gaffney’s, an average suburban couple who meet their new neighbours ((John Hamm and Gal Gadot) who seem very nice at first, but then just a little suspicious.  Turns out the neighbours are actually international spies, and once the bad guys find out where they are living, things become very, very tense for everyone.  Despite their desire to just steer clear of trouble, the Gaffneys are soon on the run, pursued by all manner of nefarious characters, and learning minute by minute just how deep into this life their neighbours are.  Jon Hamm did much of his own stunt driving here, just to add to the realism.  And Gal Gadot will soon be seen on the big screen as Wonder Woman in her own stand-alone movie. Rated 14A.

Due Date (2010):

A take on the old Trains, Planes, and Automobiles idea, this one has Robert Downey, Jr. as Peter Highman, an ultra-conservative architect, who gets into a mix-up while boarding a plane with Ethan Tremblay (Zack Galifianakis), which gets them both thrown off the flight.  Peter has lost his money and his baggage in the process, and he has to get home to make the arrival of his first child ... and he is forced to accept a car-rental-ride from Ethan.  Bad idea!  A road movie in which everything that can go wrong, most certainly does.  Rated 14A. 

Madagascar (2005):

This terrific animated feature has the animals running the zoo, sort of.  Tired of being mired within the confines of the Central Park Zoo, we get a gang of friends that include Alex, a lion voiced by Ben Stiller, Marty, a zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), who decide to escape and see the world.  That's what happens, but the world isn't quite what they expect, especially once they hit the island of Madagascar and a gang of lemurs headed up by their king, Julian (Sasha Barron Cohen).  This is the movies that introduced the Penguins of Madagascar too, zoo animals that eventually got their own movie.  Great fun!  Rated PG.