Is anyone else exhausted, and continually upset, by this year's plethora of movies in which women get the crap viciously kicked out of them?

Having not read the Andy Weir novel on which their film is based, it's hard to tell if Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were the right directors for the science-fiction adventure Project Hail Mary, or – for the book's many admirers, and maybe a few of us newbies – the absolute wrong ones.

With the Oscar-winning comedy hailed by USA Today as a "brilliant Nazi-mocking satire," writer/director Taiki Waititi's Jojo Rabbit enjoys a free screening at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on April 2, this season's Free Film at the Figge series presenting a selection of distinguished, award-winning films that represent the very best in provocative, suspenseful filmmaking set in the context of authoritarian fascism.

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Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too. Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again

Thursday, April 2: After a week off and a segment momentarily moved from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m., it's both lightning-round and beat-the-clock time: The boys have just under 12 minutes to discuss Project Hail Mary, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, The Pout-Pout Fish, They Will Kill You, Forbidden Fruits, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and also share their excitement about new weekend release The Drama. Spoiler alert: They do it! With seconds to spare!

Now playing at area theaters.

If, after three of the author's films over 20 months, my up-and-down reactions continue on this trajectory, I'm already looking forward to the Colleen Hoover adaptation after the next one.

All awards-season long, One Battle After Another v. Sinners felt like the friendliest of rivalries, an unusual happenstance no doubt augmented by both films coming from the same studio. Why pitch the titles against each other when Warner Bros. was gonna win either way?

An Illinois-born pioneer, independent filmmaker, and former Iowa resident’s story will be revealed when the Truth First Film Alliance hosts the feature-length documentary Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking, this March 22 showing at Davenport venue The Last Picture House boasting a post-film discussion with guest historian Jordan Bell, and followed by a screening of Micheaux's 1920 silent movie Within Our Gates.

How am I feeling about my Academy Awards predictions this year? Actually pretty good … except in, you know, most of the major categories.

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