Hi everyone! I have some fun updates for you. I know at times I can be perceived as a tough critic but I am going smile worthy on all 4 films I’m reviewing today. What can I say? Sometimes a critic goes through rough patches and then other times we like everything we are seeing. So let’s talk about the movies!

SMILE 2-

Believe it or not I had never seen the first Smile movie before deciding to go to the screening of Smile 2 this week. I’ve been trying to expand out of my comfort zone lately and after watching the first Smile movie I really enjoyed it. It has all of the surprises and scares someone wants in a scary movie but it also has something to say about trauma and mental illness and how quick we are to dismiss people who try and explain what is going on in their heads.

Now we have the sequel in Smile 2 and it’s a pretty different movie so if you didn’t love the first film I’d still give this one a try. On the downside I missed the grounded quality to the original film and feel it is a more thoughtful introspective horror film but that said Smile 2 is a more fun experience. They go for bonkers crazy in this horror film and I was mostly here for it, even if I was squirming in my seat through much of it (I’m a horror wimp!)

Naomi Scott plays a pop star named Skye Riley who comes into contact with the curse from the first film through a drug dealer who we meet in a crazy opening sequence. What’s interesting about Skye is she is a recovering addict so there is a lot of unreliable narrator happening so we as an audience are never sure what is fantasy, reality, drug-induced or an unrelated delusion from her. Either way I found it wild and fun for most of the run time and Scott is excellent in the role, creating a character that we empathize with but also don’t fully trust (like I said unreliable narrator.)

The ending is a little cynical for my taste and some of the scares feel telegraphed but Smile 2 is a fun time. I really enjoyed it.

Smile Worthy

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE-

I was able to see the latest Looney Tunes movie virtually through the Animation is Film Festival. If you are in or near LA this weekend I highly recommend attending the festival in person- especially if you get to see incredible films like this and take part in panels. I should have several more films to review soon from the festival and I want to thank them for letting me attend virtually. I hope I can go next year.

Anyway The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is a gem that made me so happy to watch. I love the Looney Tunes and even the weaker Space Jam movies give me some joy because I love these characters so much. Fortunately this latest entry is much better than either Space Jam movies and has the zany energy you want from this franchise.

The setup is that some aliens are planning to take over earth with a mind-controlling chewing gum that turns its chewers into zombies. We then have our leads Daffy Duck and Porky Pig taking on the evil plot; however, before that we get lots of bits about Porky and Daffy’s childhood and early days. My favorite bit is a segment with all their failed jobs. That’s just funny to have Daffy Duck trying to be a barista and losing it with someone’s overly-complicated latte order.

This does stay focused on Porky and Daffy so if you are looking for Bugs Bunny or Tweedy Bird you might be disappointed, but I loved it. I can’t wait for kids to get reintroduced to The Looney Tunes and everyone to have a wonderful time together. The vocal performances are all excellent (and not distracting celebrities like we sometimes see.) Look out for it to come out in February. It’s delightful.

Smile Worthy

GIRL HAUNTS BOY-

I’m grateful to my friend Kristen for profiling Girl Haunts Boy on her content and interviewing the stars because it probably would have gone under my radar otherwise as I don’t always watch many YA Netflix films. I’m so glad I did because this is a very sweet and endearing little coming of age romance and perfect for this Halloween season.

In the story Cole moves into a new apartment in 2024 and meets a ghost from the 1920s named Bea. She is stuck in limbo because of a magical ring she took before unexpectedly dying in an accident. Cole has stopped singing or being happy because of his grief from the loss of his Dad and Bea reminds him of the power of memories and living your best life by making more of them. It’s a very tender and lovely little script and story.

I love friendship stories and that’s basically what you have here. Both of the leads are extremely likable and we even get a song from star Michael Cimino at the end. I am sure some might be skeptical but trust me. Girl Haunts Boy is one of the good ones on Netflix.

Smile Worthy

MY HERO ACADEMIA: YOU’RE NEXT-

I believe I have seen each of the My Hero Academia movies and managed to enjoy all 4 but still have yet to start watching the show. This latest My Hero Academia: You’re Next may be the final tipping point to get me to watch once the holiday season is finished. I just really like the characters, lore and story. They also do a pretty good job making these entries approachable for non-TV watchers with a little prologue at the beginning to fill us all in. Not all anime does this and I appreciate it.

In this entry we have Giulio and Anna are taking on a power-hungry villain named Dark Might who is imitating All Might but only as a lust for power not to help anyone or be a good person. He also creates a fighting arena that leads to a lot of fun action.

One of the nice things about My Hero Academia is even if one doesn’t enjoy the plot the action and animation is so well done there is plenty to enjoy. Particularly the opening and closing action setpieces are as good if not better than anything we have gotten from Marvel for some time. This You’re Next entry doesn’t have the gravitas of some of the other films but it is still entertaining and well animated.

If you are looking for a gateway into anime My Hero Academia: You’re Next is a great place to start.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it! 4 more reviews. Let me know if you’ve seen any of these and what you think.

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hi friends! I’ve been super busy this week starting a new part-time job at a local school but still managed to get lots of movies and live theatre in. You can read my theatre reviews and logs here. Today I have 5 movie reviews to catch you up on. What have you been watching? I hope you have been catching some of the big and small releases that are worth seeing. Here we go:

SATURDAY NIGHT-

I’ve long been a big fan of director Jason Reitman with his film Juno being an all time favorite. Naturally I was pretty excited for his new film Saturday Night about the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live and for the most part he delivers a pretty fun movie.

While it is directed well by Reitman the true star of the film is the terrific cast including Kim Matula playing Jane Curtain. It was fun for me to see her because I interviewed her a couple of years ago for Hallmarkies Podcast. The various impressions of the original cast are spot on with Ella Hunt playing Gilda Radner, Dyla O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd and JK Simmons in a memorable turn as comedian Milton Berle.

The main aspect holding Saturday Night back is the decision to present the film in real time as the 90 minutes before the first episode airing. This requires us to believe an outlandish number events all happened within this 90 minute time period. Because there is so much it makes things happening feel a little phony and fake but it was all done with such energy and personality that it didn’t bother me too much.

Smile Worthy

PIECE BY PIECE-

Next up we have the new animated documentary, Piece by Piece, about the career of Pharrell Williams. Director Morgan Neville has taken the creative approach to interview Pharrell and then present the footage in a Lego animated style. This is fresh and fun and gives energy to interviews that frankly would be pretty dry on their own. I was surprised how nuts and bolts the interview is sticking mostly to the business-side of recording tracks and releasing albums. Kids might find it boring after a while.

Still, it’s fresh and unique enough that I’d recommend watching it. There are also other good animated documentaries you should check out like The Tower, Waltz with Bashir, and Flee.

Smile Worthy

WE LIVE IN TIME-

I always try and judge a movie within the genre that it is trying to be in. For example, is a horror movie good at scaring, is a comedy funny? In the case of We Live in Time I ask myself is it good at being a romantic weepie in the spirit of Nicholas Sparks adaptations or even something like Love Story or Penny Serenade?

I would say it does a good job of telling a story within that genre. It’s very predictable but the key elements are all there for this kind of story. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have terrific chemistry and there are amusing scenes with a meet-cute car accident and some steamy scenes as they fall in love. There is also one of the most memorable birthing scenes of recent memory.

It all leads to Pugh’s character getting cancer which is par for the course for this genre. They give it some A24 touches with a non-linear storytelling structure and some more nudity than you typically see in these movies, so there’s that.  We Live in Time is a movie that is exactly what is advertised. If you like this kind of film you’ll like it. It’s as simple as that.

Smile Worthy

MEGALOPOLIS-

I’ve long made the argument that cinema is more a branch of literature than it is a branch of art. At least successful cinema. It is much more story dependent than it is visual dependent. I know many disagree with me but then we get projects like Megalopolis from director Francis Ford Coppola and he proves my point. I’m not sure what Coppola was trying to say with this bizarre self-funded mess but a coherent story was clearly not a priority.

I guess it has something to do with America being like the Roman Empire full of avarice and greed. But this isn’t Rome or America it’s New Rome and there’s a special new metal called Megalon that can stop time. Adam Driver plays a man named Cesar and he has various relationships throughout and is also an architect (I guess.)

Anyway, I have no idea what Coppola is trying to say with Megalopolis and it was so incoherent I was mostly bored and disengaged. The other couple in the theater with me got up and left after about 45 minutes and I don’t blame them one bit. Let’s just say some art projects should just stay within a family.

Frown Worthy

SIX DAYS IN AUGUST-

Finally I have a new film for Latter-day Saint members called Six Days in August. While it is not officially made by the church it has history and doctrinal content that will be confusing for non-members. For example, a whole section at the end is about members waiting at the temple to get their endowments before they leave Nauvoo. Non-members will have no idea what this means or why it is so important to the characters they are seeing.

I don’t have a problem with a film being made for a target demographic as long as it is made well and I’d say this one is. The filmmakers do not shy away from darker elements of this part of church history and this keeps it from feeling like a propaganda piece. For example, Joseph Smith (Paul Wutrich) and his followers are shown destroying the press which was printing unfavorable things of them. We also see early polygamy in a pretty honest uncomfortable light (even if I’m sure some against the church would go even further.)

I wish screenwriter Mark Goodman got to the 6 days of the title sooner and built up Brigham Young (John Donovan Wilson) more as opposed to spending so much time with Smith. Why was he more worthy by God than Sidney Rigdon (Joseph Carlson)? Nevertheless, I think for the target demographic Six Days in August is well made and tells an interesting period of LDS church history.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it! If you’ve seen any of these films let me know what you think.

I have to admit I was reticent to see The Substance because everyone kept talking about how disgusting it was and how it is the ultimate ‘body horror’ film. While it is true that the movie is pretty gross it also has something to say and is endlessly debatable with friends, which is always fun.

In the film Demi Moore plays an aging actress named Elisabeth Sparkle who is portrayed kind of like a Suzanne Somers type who is being phased out of her popular exercise show by her beast of a boss named Harvey played by Dennis Quaid. In a moment of desperation she decides to try a mysterious product she gets sent called The Substance which promises to transform her into an “enhanced” version of herself.

This “beautiful” clone is the much younger Margaret Qualley (named Sue), and she is immediately successful in this exercise show and becomes a favorite of executives like Harvey. Unfortunately the more Elisabeth switches the more her original body begins to deteriorate and things begin to spiral out of control.

There are some places one could nitpick with The Substance. This exercise show Elisabeth and Sue are supposedly stars in makes no sense for 2024. Harvey keeps talking about network television as if this is the 1980s.  Also Elisabeth is conveniently isolated. You’d think she’d at least have an agent or manager checking in on her. And the New Years Eve special that becomes a focus of the final makes no sense but none of that matters because the overall conceit and what it’s saying about beauty works so well.

Moore is fearless in the role giving her whole body and soul into the performance and Qualley is believable as Sue. Director Coralie Fargeat also creates very chilling visual effects and sound design to make the transformations feel real and visceral.

Another aspect that really impressed me about The Substance is how careful Fargeat is in her screenplay to connect beauty with love and acceptance. Every time Elisabeth thinks of Sue she is reminded that people love Sue. In giving up Sue she not only gives up a superficially beautiful thing in her life but the adoration and love of people she cares about. I’m sure this is why they don’t show any family or friends with Elisabeth- to make the way she’s treated as Sue even more of a contrast. It’s very true that human beings often conflate physical beauty with virtue usually to disastrous consequences (how many charming dictators have come to power over the years…)

So yes, The Substance is disgusting and especially pushed my needle fearing tolerance to its limit but it also has a lot to say. In particular Fargeat challenges the viewer with questions about how we treat all women, not just celebrities, and how desperate we can be for love and acceptance. The beauty is almost secondary to the need to be cared for and noticed and that’s what Elisabeth seeks out most of all and makes, even at the end, taking the substance worth it.

Smile Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. I have 5 movies to report for you today, and I have to be honest all 5 are varying degrees of boring. They all have their positives but even if I lean positive none of them are slam dunks. So here goes:

WOLFS-

When I first heard that Wolfs was going straight to Apple Plus and getting little to no theatrical release I was shocked. It looked really funny, had a massive budget and stars 2 of the biggest names in Hollywood, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, as is often the case, when I saw the film it was obvious why this choice was made as it is such a disappointing film from all involved.

You’d think a movie with such stars playing clean up men for crimes that’s directed by Jon Watts would have some charm to it. That it would be a little bit entertaining but it plays everything super serious without a lick of fun to be had. It was like they were offering a lecture about the life of a fixer and we were all going to have to take notes for a quiz after.

They desperately need a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino to give this film some energy and life. As is I couldn’t wait for Wolfs to be over, and I was watching it while eating lunch at home… That says something. Everyone just took the paycheck on this one unfortunately. I think it was Gene Siskel who used to say ‘I’d rather watch a documentary about these people having lunch.’ That is certainly the case with Wolfs!

Frown Worthy

THE OUTRUN-

It’s always frustrating when a weak film is led by a gutsy performance. Such is the case with The Outrun. It is a film starring Saoirse Ronan playing a girl named Rona who comes back home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland to help her continue to recover from rehab for alcoholism. We then get a non-linear story that is incredibly repetitive with nothing new or insightful to say about addiction, recovery or anything else.

Movies about addiction are incredibly difficult to make riveting because the experience is so narcissistic and selfish but the structure of The Outrun magnifies this by interrupting whatever narrative arc we are getting to go back to earlier days of partying and getting drunk. The only way we can often tell what time period we are in is the change in Ronan’s hair color and it all feels so unsatisfying.

Ronan gives it her all fully committing to the role and all the drunken antics that are required but I grew weary of it and the nearly 2 hours felt very long. I’d unfortunately skip The Outrun.

Frown Worthy

WHITE BIRD-

It often seems like there are years between trailers and the release of films but in the case of White Bird there literally have been years. The first trailer was released in June of 2022 and I have seen it countless times at this point. I guess it is based on a novel by RJ Palacio who wrote the book Wonder (which I wasn’t a big fan of back in 2017. You can read my review here) Given it was a bully narrative the whole idea of ‘a wonder story’ always seemed bizarre but with Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson I was curious to see what it’s all about.

Unfortunately White Bird feels like it came out of a recycle bin in the WWII movie-making factory. Everything here we’ve seen in other movies done better and while the Nazis were the ultimate bully it’s connection to Wonder is weak at best. If you are watching the movie for Helen Mirren don’t hold your breath. She is simply the narrator and is in the film very briefly. The main protagonists are 2 teens, Sara (Ariella Glaser) and Julien (Orlando Schwerdt), but I wasn’t engaged in their love story or the lessons Julien gives Sara while she hides out from the Gestapo.

Lionsgate has certainly had a rough year of releases and this needs to be added to the pile. There are just so many better movies on this same topic. I’d skip White Bird.

Frown Worthy

btw this image is not in the film

JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX-

As I was walking out of the screening for Joker: Folie à Deux my fellow critics all seemed to have very negative feelings about it. I don’t know if they are just bigger fans of the original film than I was or if I’m just such a musical-loving nut that I left with much more mixed feelings. While I don’t think it all comes together in a satisfying film I do appreciate the swing director Todd Phillips and team took and it is an interesting watch merely for the strange choices it makes.

This sequel bounces off the first movie with Arthur Fleck going to trial for murdering 5 people and a young devotee named Harley Quinn (or Lee) becomes obsessed with him and the movement he inspired. One of the strangest aspects of this film is it seems to be apologizing for the original. It’s frequently referred to as “that TV movie made about me.” As a devotee of TV movies myself they don’t often garner multiple Oscar nominations and even wins so this was a very odd decision. It seems like Phillips and the team were distancing themselves from the incels that the very film was commenting on and yet perhaps also inspired. Like I said, it was a very odd choice.

My biggest hope for this movie was the musical component. I obviously love musicals and you can read my theatre reviews here but Joker: Folie à Deux makes odd choices in this department as well. We’ve heard Joaquin Phoenix sing in other films including Walk the Line and Brother Bear but here they have him straining to hit every note making the classic big band songs sound uncomfortable and strange. I was anticipating getting a lot of joy out of downloading the soundtrack and listening to the tunes but I wouldn’t want to with the way they were sung. And since the songs aren’t part of the plot or the bad singing (they are complete fantasy sequences) this was so baffling? Aren’t you going to want people to be humming the tunes out of the theater? Otherwise what’s the point? It’s a fantasy so he could sound completely different from the character? The songs with Lady Gaga were more pleasant but do absolutely nothing to endear us to her character so I’d just rather buy one of her albums than watch this movie again.

Joker: Folie à Deux does look nice and have some good moments but I was mostly puzzled by the whole experience. I have no idea what it was trying to say or do and each decision it makes is both fascinating and bizarre at the same time. In the end, its an odd time at the movies, but not one I’m eager to revisit any time soon.

Frown Worthy

MONSTER SUMMER-

Now for my one recommendation of this post. It’s for the scrappy little family horror film Monster Summer. If you are looking for a fun way to introduce your family to horror and scary movies it’s a pretty decent time.

In a small island town spooky events start happening and 4 kids start the investigation into what is going on. Mel Gibson plays a writer who’s son vanished years before and Lorraine Bracco hams it up as the woman who just might be a witch.

It is probably best to wait until streaming to watch Monster Summer as there are sections that drag but I was impressed with how scary it got for the target demographic. The kids are in strong peril and there may be more than one crazy person with a hatchet after them. It feels more like something that belongs on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel but if you go into it with those expectations you’ll have a good time with it.

Smile Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hi friends. I hope you are doing well and enjoying movies at the cinema. I have a few to update you on and I will be doing a full detailed review of The Wild Robot coming soon.

MERCHANT IVORY-

First up we have a new documentary called Merchant Ivory about the famed partnership between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Of course we all know about their famous projects together like Howard’s End (my favorite) and  A Room with a View but they made 44 films together! I had no idea there were so many. I also didn’t realize how limited the budget was on these films. They all feel so lush and expensive but they had very limited funding. In fact, some of the actors like Emma Thompson say they dreaded being in one of their productions because of how challenging the conditions were but the movies were always worth it. At one point Merchant was even making the catering for the cast of one of his films.

I’ve seen similar documentaries in recent years that felt more like an expose- as if to say ‘see these people weren’t as good a friends as you thought. The documentary on the Sherman Brothers called The Boys comes to mind. While I guess there is some value in such revelations it can feel deflating so it was nice to see how positive Merchant Ivory collaboration was and how the two really balanced each other out.

If you are a fan of their films than I’d recommend Merchant Ivory. It’s a solid entertaining documentary and worth your time.

Smile Worthy

SUPERMAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY

Moving on to another documentary this week we have the highly anticipated Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story. I really wanted to catch this at Sundance but was unable to do so and then the trailer is one of the best of the year so it got me excited to see this film. I’m not the biggest celebrity person but Reeve and his story was something I followed back in the 90s when he had his accident. I even read his book Still Me as a college student and found it very moving.

There are a lot of aspects that really work about this documentary but most importantly it doesn’t just chronicle Reeve’s life but it is the story of a family and how everyone in his life was impacted and responded to his journey. Especially with a man who played Superman in 4 films it would be easy to make this film patronizing and cloying but instead it always feels sincere and moving.

I remember when his wife Dana passed away so soon after Reeve feeling so heartbroken about it and so concerned for their son Will. Needless to say when they get to that section there is not a dry eye to be found in the theater.

It might sound cheesy to say but we sometimes need inspirational stories and here is one from the man who just happened to play Superman in the movies but was a pretty super individual in real life with a very super group of family and friends.

Smile Worthy

THE CRITIC-

As soon as I heard about the film The Critic I knew I had to check it out. A movie about a theatre critic starring Sir Ian McKellen seemed tailor-made for me. Unfortunately it ended up as a disappointment for this critic.

I think the most deflating aspect of the film is it doesn’t really dive into the mind of a critic or the challenges of assessing material like theatre. Instead it spends most of its time on a love triangle and blackmail plot between McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong and Ben Barnes. I guess this is based off of a play called Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn and perhaps it works better in that setting but was an underwhelming and frankly boring plot for a film.

Another aspect that was odd in The Critic is it took me a while to figure out when the film was set. In reality it is 1934 but there were times it felt quite modern, other times seemed to be turn of the century, 1950s, 1920s. All the period details needed to be stronger to give a more clear sign of when events are taking place so we can have context for the characters behavior and choices.

The acting is good enough that it’s impossible to pan this film but it could have certainly been much better and I wish it had actually been about the experience of being a critic. It’s a definite missed opportunity

Frown Worthy

NEVER LET GO-

I was actually quite excited to see the new horror thriller Never Let Go because I’m a big fan of its director Alexandre Aja’s last film Crawl (I have a whole theory about how Crawl is the ideal date movie if you ever want to hear it.) Unfortunately despite some good performances Never Let Go is a let down suffering from a muddled mess of a script.

The problem is the movie can’t decide what story it wants to tell. It supposedly has the setup of a paranoid Mother, played by Halle Berry, who has survived a dystopia with her boys by never letting go of a rope tied to a protected house. The movie flirts with her being an unreliable narrator. The movie flirts with a lot of things. One child seems to believe the Mother, another does not. It seems like the one who believes is a demonic child we see in horror movies but then he’s not. They seem to imply that the religious angle is hokum but then the power is a visible force. Which is it?  There’s zombies but then there’s not but are there. Again the movie flirts with these ideas and many more but doesn’t finish any of them in a satisfactory way. The last shot of the film is literally more questions.

I don’t mind ambiguity or twists but the film needs to have some focus and consistency in characters and plots. As it is it feels like all they cared about was making things look nice and then just made the script up each day they were on set.

In addition to this frustration Never Let Go puts children and a dog in peril making the experience unpleasant and frankly gross. I would definitely skip this one.

Frown Worthy

 

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful Labor Day. I have a few random films to update you on as I enjoy my day off.

FLY-

First up we have Fly. This is a documentary from the National Geographic Documentary folks about base jumpers from across the globe attempting to try and dive into why they love the sport even with the risks. I was impressed with how honest and frank the movie was about those risks. Death and injury are frankly discussed and you could certainly never get  me to jump off these mountains!

There are some incredible visuals and it was neat to see them unfold on the IMAX screen. In many ways this type of documentary is why the IMAX format was made and where it can shine the most as a cinematic experience. My only gripe with Fly is that it is probably 30 minutes too long and some of the points it makes feel repetitive as do the jumps. Still I’m glad I saw Fly and if it comes on Disney Plus I would watch it on the biggest screen you have available.

Smile Worthy

BEETLEJUICE (1988)-

Before the new sequel comes out this week (I see it tomorrow) I had the chance to see the original Beetlejuice on the big screen. I had seen it once before but it had been a bit so I’m grateful to the folks at Brewvies for giving me the opportunity, even if the projection was off!  Anyway, I got a chance to see it and I found it quite entertaining. The jokes for the most part work and the creepy atmosphere is effective.

What surprised me the most, however, is how little Beetlejuice is actually in his own film. He doesn’t appear for about 50 minutes and even then he is only sporadically involved. I have a feeling the new movie won’t take this lesson and we will see tons of Beetlejuice which would be a mistake. A little of that character goes a long way. I guess we’ll just have to see but it’s a fun film. I particularly like the way they are always making fun of Delia’s art. Glenn Shadix is underappreciated as the cutthroat interior designer Otho Fenlock. Very funny. Why can’t we have this Tim Burton back? Please…

Smile Worthy

KNEECAP-

I actually saw Kneecap a few weeks ago but I forgot to include it any of my reviews. That’s not because it isn’t a good film just a clerical error on my part. Anyway, it’s an interesting film because it’s about  a band called Kneecap in Ireland played by the band members themselves, which is usually a recipe for disaster but this turns out pretty well. For non-actors they all do a good job in their roles and do help you root for them to succeed by the end. Michael Fassbender is also excellent as one of the band member’s Dads. The ending particularly concerning his character had me grinning from ear to ear.

That said the movie can be grating at times with the continual shouting that never lets up. I get that’s part of this bands style but I would have loved to have gotten to know them better. A few softer subtler moments to endear you to the characters would be nice. As it is it can be exhausting but I still say the good in Kneecap outweighs the bad. If you see it on streaming and can handle a hard R film give it a shot.

Smile Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and enjoying these last days of summer. It’s unfortunately a mixed bag for you at the cinemas this week but a couple flicks that I think are worth checking out if you have time. Let’s talk about them:

STRANGE DARLING-

Strange Darling is a tough film to talk about without giving away major spoilers and so this review may be especially brief. At first I wasn’t sure if it was for me because I usually don’t like slasher movies with women in peril or being pursued. On the surface that seems what this film is but just trust me there is more to it than that.

Willa Fitzgerald plays “the Lady” in question and Kyle Gallner is “the Demon” chasing her. However, the movie is divided into 6 chapters that are told in a non-linear fashion. For example, it opens on chapter 3. This structure keeps the audience guessing until the very end making it highly unpredictable and exciting.

While Strange Darling is definitely an R-rated film it might be able to win over people that don’t normally like horror or slasher movies. It’s just that well written and exciting.

Smile Worthy

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE-

It’s always interesting as a critic when you get a movie early and have a certain response and then when your peers see it they have a very different response. Such seems to be the case with You Gotta Believe. I found it to be a heart warming family sports movie with endearing performances and a nice message but some of my friends have been very harsh on it. I don’t really get it but as they say to each their own.

I enjoyed it enough that I got to interview the real life subject of the film Robert Ratliff and you can find my interview in the link above and my detailed thoughts with friend Mary Richards.

It’s a simple story about a little league team that wasn’t great to start but grew as the season progressed and at the same time their coach and father to Robert is diagnosed with cancer. As they make it to the little league world series they have something to rally around and believe in and come together as a community to support the Ratliff family. I realize this isn’t going to win any Oscars but I found it sweet and endearing with a nice community message. I liked it!

Smile Worthy

REAGAN-

Honestly the  new presidential biopic Reagan I feel a little torn on. I think there is a place for slick old-school, biopics that lean on the positive and heroic. I’m not someone that immediately cries out ‘propaganda piece’ when something paints with a inspirational brush. That said, when such a light approach is taken factors in the movie-making like pacing and writing can be a problem.

That’s where my issue is with Reagan. Dennis Quaid is quite good as Reagan and Penelope Ann Miller is terrific as Nancy. Unfortunately the movie feels a need to tell every detail of Reagan’s life to the point of exhaustion and they have John Voight playing a Russian KGB agent narrating the thing in a baffling and unnecessary choice that weighs the movie down and makes it feel more exposition-heavy than it needs to.

This is also obviously a movie that will not win over anyone who isn’t already convinced of Reagan’s virtue as a president. Even with the handling of the Iran-Contra Affair Reagan comes out on top as the guy who made understandable mistakes but learned from them. There’s no deep discussion about his legacy with the aids crisis or questionable record with Afghanistan. That’s not the kind of movie this is and I’m mostly ok with that but your mileage will definitely vary depending on your political convictions.

In the end, Reagan is serviceable but not much beyond that. Maybe wait for it to come on streaming if it sounds like your type of film?

Frown Worthy

ROYAL FACADE-

I get approached quite frequently by independent producers asking me to check out their romantic comedies and often they are not worth my time or review. However, occasionally there will be one that I enjoy and such is the case with Royal Facade. Now this does not have the budget of something for Hallmark and you can feel it in some of the moviemaking and acting but the leads and script are solid, and I enjoyed it.

The story taps into screwball comedy roots with a man (Isaac Akers) who happens to look like a famous celebrity, who happens to be in town for a shoot, and then unbeknownst to all involved a princess is also on the lamb trying to get a break from her busy princessing duties. As you can imagine when they meet there are all kinds of mistaken identities and misinformation.

If you can handle something with a low budget filming with some terrible camera-work, awkward moments from extras and things like that there’s a story and 2 leads that are entertaining in Royal Facade. I encourage the filmmakers to keep going and will look forward to what they come up with next.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it!

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

 

Hey everyone! August is known in the movie world as being a bit of a dumping ground but sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Today I have 3 movies to report on and one I enjoyed more than most but it’s by no means a top-tier film. Sometimes you take what you can get with these releases and the good outweigh the bad in a particular offering. So here goes:

SKINCARE-

Skincare is a hard movie for me to review because I think it fulfilled its goals pretty well but it’s not a film I enjoyed. On one hand it seems wrong to fault a film for scaring me but on the other it didn’t provide enough catharsis or excitement for me to do anything with that feeling of unease.

This is a horror film where Elizabeth Banks plays a woman named Hope who runs a skincare brand in Los Angeles and is unsettled when a new competitor moves in next door. Immediately she starts getting threats online and in person and the tension builds as she. I think for anyone who is a public figure, even small-scale public figure, the idea of being stalked and terrorized is really scary, especially for a single woman like myself who is often alone with no protection of any kind. Skincare really monopolizes on those insecurities and I was very anxious watching things play out for Hope.

There are elements that are very predictable, but I liked the overall style of the film and it definitely captures Los Angeles and the vibes down there well. I think I would have enjoyed it more overall if Hope had gotten some vindication at the end and there was more of a satisfying payoff. As it was I was left feeling just unpleasantness with little fun to be had. I can see why it would be appealing to some. It’s just not for me.

Frown Worthy

BORDERLANDS-

Borderlands is one of those movies you watch and just wonder- how? How did so much time and effort get put into something with so little story to back up that work? How could they not get the script better before spending millions on a project like this? Evidently it went through development hell and one has to wonder if the script was better at one point to attract someone like Cate Blanchett but this thing is truly a rough sit.

The thing is it’s not even interesting bad. It’s just bland with its visual style really the only thing to recommend it. The plot feels non-existent. I guess Cate Blanchett’s Lilith is hired to find the daughter of a kingpin named Atlas, who she then finds with relative ease. Then they spend the rest of the movie hanging around the desert occasionally fighting with various mercenaries and listening to quips from a robot.

It’s a tremendous cast but some of them seem there against their will (particularly Jamie Lee Curtis.) I suppose it’s a blessing it is under 2 hours but that’s about all I’ve got here. There just is no story to talk about in Borderlands! It unfortunately deserves to be the box office bomb that it is.

Frown Worthy

THE CROW-

I must admit until this Saturday I had never seen the 1994 cult classic film The Crow starring Brandon Lee. I should have made it a blind spot pick but it was an interesting experience to watch that film and then go to the new version literally directly afterwards. There’s no question the original is the stronger film with more of a unique visual aesthetic and stronger script, but I actually enjoyed the new version as well. It isn’t a homerun or anything but enough good to give it a recommendation.

This iteration of The Crow has Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven who falls head-over-heels in love with the mysterious Shelly played by FKA Twigs. They become spiritually bonded and he promises he will find her if she ever is taken away. When they are both killed by the evil Roeg, Eric is sent on a mission to ‘right the wrongs’ and bring his lady love back from the darkness she’s been sent to.

As you can tell the story is not the selling point of this film. The villain is super bland and the fact it is being played by Danny Huston is tiresome. He’s played this same role so many times it’s getting old. And even though I overall enjoyed the romance they do spend too much time on it. To the point when I’m sure the young men who this film was made for are getting anxious to get back to the action.

That said, the action is pretty entertaining. It’s bloody and visceral and I had a good time watching it. Particularly a sequence at an opera house is really fun. And I think Twigs and Skarsgard had nice chemistry together, and I was invested in them as a couple.

Perhaps my newness to the original helped my feelings for The Crow? I’m not sure but the romance and action were well done enough with likable leads that I had a good time with it. Your mileage may vary.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. 3 August movies! Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think of them?

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful summer and enjoying or surviving this hot weather. I have a few new releases to update you on and fortunately it’s another good group of hidden gems you should check out!

CHICKEN FOR LINDA

First up we have a wonderful animated film from France called Chicken for Linda. This film is co-directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, the latter who directed The Girl Without Hands a few years ago, which I also really enjoyed. This film has a much lighter tone but it still can be quite touching and sweet.

I love the sketchy animation style and the way it captures Linda’s joyful nature and spirit. The bright colors are also very eye-catching and make you want to smile as you watch them move and flow across the screen.

The story is simple for Chicken for Linda. Linda’s Mother wants to apologize to her daughter for a miscommunication they have had so she agrees to make her favorite dish chicken and peppers. This was also the favorite dish of Linda’s departed father so it carries a lot of meaning for both mother and daughter. Unfortunately all the stores are closed making the quest to get all the ingredients challenging.

If you have the Criterion Channel Chicken for Linda is available to stream there but you can also rent it on all over the place. It’s a vibrant, beautiful, joyful look at family and childhood.

Smile Worthy

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BIG CITY GREENS THE MOVIE: SPACECATION-

Since I cover a lot of Disney films in my content I try to watch whatever they release in the year. This is why I noticed a DCOM was being released for the series Big City Greens. I’d heard of this series but never watched it but I asked a few friends if the movie is standalone and they said it was, so I decided to give Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation a shot. In the end I’m so glad I did because this is a charming little movie and it encouraged me to watch the show as I enjoyed the characters and family dynamic at play.

The plot of this film will feel very similar to The Michells vs the Machines, a movie I love. Both films are about a family going on a road trip and the conflict between a teen child and the over-protective father. In this case the Greens family ends up going to space and dealing with an array of shenanigans along the way. It’s obviously ridiculous for this family to go into space especially without the father realizing that’s what they are doing but the script keeps moving well I didn’t mind the leaps of logic. It’s more about the relationship between father and child and how we’d all be better off if we listened to each other.

I really enjoyed the animation in this film and there are even a couple songs. The voice cast is full of pros like Wendi McLendon-Covey and Cheri Oteri and the writing is quick witted and heartfelt. Like I said, it made me want to watch the show I enjoyed the film so much. I’d definitely recommend Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation.

Smile Worthy

NATIONAL ANTHEM

My only live action film of this update is definitely also the most mature of this batch. It’s called National Anthem and it’s from first time director Luke Gilford. This film won’t be for everyone as it it’s a slow burn without a ton of plot but the characters were engaging enough to draw me in as well as the beautiful cinematography and filmmaking on display.

Charlie Plummer is one of the finest young actors we have working today and he is great here playing Dylan a young man who when looking for gig work stumbles upon a commune of sorts for queer rodeo competitors and friends. While there he meets and falls for Sky (played by Eve Lindley) who is a trans performer. This is definitely a very sexy movie and in a lot of ways it gave me what I thought Challengers was going to give me earlier this year. There is even a threesome scene that is very steamy to say the least.

Still if you can handle the content National Anthem is a beautiful character piece with wonderful performances from Plummer and Lindley and a feeling of spending time with unique and special people that are living life as authentically as possible. It’s a beautiful experience I recommend.

Smile Worthy

WELCOME HOME, FRANKLIN

My last film is my favorite of the group and in fairness it’s actually just a featurette at 40 minutes. It’s new to Apple Plus called Welcome Home, Franklin and it is part of the Snoopy Presents series. All of these Apple Peanuts featurettes have been lovely and this is no exception. Franklin has long been a beloved Peanuts member and now he is finally getting his day in the sun. It’s a joy to watch for the whole family.

Franklin’s family has moved to town and he has to start making friends again (his father is in the army) and he meets our troop of Linus, Lucy, Pigpen and of course Charlie Brown. The kids decide to enter a soapbox derby in town and Charlie and Franklin become a pair and begin working on the car together. In the meanwhile he starts introducing his new friends to jazz music and other culture he has learned over the years. It all builds up to the big race and I’m sure you will agree it is completely charming.

I love the Peanuts and they have very few misses and this is certainly a big win. I love the animation, story, characters, everything. If you have Apple Plus please give it a watch

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. Have you seen any of these 4 films? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.