📽 AT THE MOVIES-

Another Stephen King adaptation hits the big screen: Based on King’s 1973 short story, The Boogeyman (watch trailer, runtime: 2:26) follows a small family dealing with the aftermath of losing its matriarch. Chris Messina plays Will Harper, a therapist who is unable to process the loss of his wife, nor help his daughters navigate the process. After a disturbed patient of Will’s passes on a curse he’s plagued with, the family must now defend themselves against a non-descript monster haunting their house.

Hits and misses: As a whole, the film lacks a cohesive identity outside of its derivative metaphorical narrative (yes, we get it, emotional trauma is the real monster), but there are a few positives. Director Rob Savage captures overworked concepts with a fresh lens, which doesn’t exactly make up for the rehashed premise, but gratefully subverts our visual expectations. Sophie Thatcher — fresh off Yellowjackets fame — serves as a memorable and convincing adversary to the Boogeyman as the eldest daughter Sadie, and veteran horror film composer Russel Topal had our hearts pounding from the effectively eerie film score.

WHERE TO WATCH- While we stand firm in our conviction that not just any Stephen King work should be adapted, The Boogeyman was a satisfactory watch that will scratch your horror itch. You can find it in VOX theaters in City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, Citystars cinemas, and Cairo Festival City cinemas.

The new De Niro film is a light, comedic watch: About My Father (watch trailer,runtime: 2:47) follows Sebastian Mansicalco (played by the comedian of the same name), who is born to two Italian immigrants and moved from Sicily to Chicago in pursuit of the elusive American dream. Sebastian falls in love with Ellie, played by Leslie Bibb, who comes from a threateningly wealthy family. While Sebastian’s parents coveted the American dream, Ellie’s were the inspiration behind it. The bump in the road comes in the form of Robert De Niro’s Salvo, Sebastian’s father. Sebastian’s main goal is to convince his father to accept his relationship with Ellie despite their differences, and get his blessing… or more accurately, his grandmother’s engagement ring.

Expect a healthy dose of comedy, but not much else. The plot lacked a bit of cohesiveness as the motives behind Sebastian’s resentment for his father and rebellion against him weren’t convincing. We never really get a good look at where the strain in their relationship comes from. That being said, the film is a light comedy that makes for a stress-free watch.

WHERE TO WATCH- If you’ve had enough of horror and sci-fi these past few weeks, this is the movie to see to destress. You can find it at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza and Mall of Egypt, and Cairo Festival City theaters.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

These summer highs are making us miss the cold: We might be around six months too early with this recommendation, but can you blame us when the mercury is hitting 37 already? Andrew Shaffer’s Secret Santa is a campy horror page-turner we wish was longer. Set in the 1980s, unemployed copyeditor Lussi miraculously lands a job as a senior editor at a prestigious publishing house after her interviewer suffers a fatal heart attack before rejecting her application. However, her luck soon sours when her new coworkers begin unleashing a series of mean-spirited pranks on her, including bestowing the gift of a creepy figurine at the company’s Secret Santa party. Soon, Lussi’s coworkers begin falling victim to mysterious and horrific accidents. This brisk and bingeable read employs all the effete tropes of the genre down to the humor. We suggest you lean into the clichés and accept the satirical narrative of 80s horror and gore.

WHERE TO BUY IT- You can grab your copy from Cherry Blossom Books for EGP 239, but hurry up — the website warns that they’re low in stock. If you miss the chance, you can download the Kindle version from Amazon for USD 9.99, or the audiobook for free with your Audible trial.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

The Hungry Turk serves up Turkish flavors in New Cairo: Take your tastebuds on a trip to Turkey without cutting an airplane ticket with a visit to this restaurant. At first, the menu is similar to a lot of Turkish restaurants we’ve frequented, but there are hidden treasures and unique dishes scattered throughout.

Same same, but different:We recommend the babagannuc —- the Turkish version of our own baba ganoush — which is infused with tomato paste and grilled peppers, adding depth to the dish we know and love. The prenses (marinated red cabbage in labneh) and zengin (veggies smothered in spicy bell pepper paste) are great accompaniments. Our interest was piqued by the main dishes, so we indulged in sandwiches and pide flatbreads instead. The kusbasi (cubes of charbroiled beef and veggies) and sucuk (suguk) sandwiches were especially good. We also sampled the tantuni (sliced beef with onion, parsley, mint, and tomato) and tavuk doner (charbroiled chicken) sandwiches, which proved to be palatable and delicious. The spinach pide flatbread is also a standout if you enjoy indulging in pies.

As for desserts, order them all: The peynirli kunefe and the baklava — konafa and baklawa — offer up excellent Turkish executions of classics we’re familiar with. The helva tajin might be a bit of a sugar overload, but you’ll find yourself daydreaming about it within minutes of paying the check.

💵 Per person: EGP 350-500

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

Tags: