Actress-singer-influencer Zendaya, yes, that’s her full name, stars in the upcoming black-and-white Netflix feature film “Malcolm & Marie.” She teams up with her “Euphoria” showrunner Sam Levinson (who directs here) with the help of “Tenet” actor John David Washington. Not much is known about the secretive plot, but what we do know is that Washington and Zendaya star as the title character, who play boyfriend and girlfriend forced to confront the nature of their relationship after they return home from the world premiere of his new film.
Read more“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?”: Infectiously Entertaining Doc Tackles Rise and Fall of The Bee Gees [Review]
It wasn’t easy being a Disco star back at the peak of the dance mania, just ask Ther Bee Gees who are the subject of a wildly entertaining documentary courtesy of director Frank Marshall. Titled “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?“ this compulsively watchable treatise on the Brothers Gibb was set to premiere at the since-canceled Telluride Film Festival during the first week of September, alas, it has now settled for a streaming exclusive on HBO and HBO Max.
Read more‘The Prom': Ryan Murphy Fans Rejoice, While the Rest of Us Shriek in Horror [Review]
Based on the 2018 Broadway musical and directed by unabashed showman Ryan Murphy, “The Prom” starts off strongly, with a kind of self-aware mockery of itself, as we are introduced to a quartet of washed-up NYC musical theater actors: Dee Dee, an aging legendary actress (Meryl Streep); Barry, a goofy sideman (James Corden); Trent, a pretentious Juilliard grad bartender (Andrew Rannells); and Angie, a 20-year “Chicago” chorus girl (Nicole Kidman).
Read more‘Run': Twist-Filled Hitchcock Ripoff is a Suspenseful Yarn [Review]
Writing a review for a movie such as “Run,” much like anything by Alfred Hitchcock, is risky, as you walk that fine line between revealing too little and revealing too much of the plot. I’ve decided to try find some kind of middle ground, because you should really go in with as little knowledge of the plot as possible.
Read more‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm': A Flat Attempt at Satire in the Age of Social Media [Review]
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” is a sequel to the 2006 comedy classic, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Shot late this year, on a whim, by star Sacha Baron Cohen, the film has our fictional Kazakh character, now a celebrity, trying to hide from the public in various different costumes. Much like the original, there are pranks involving abortion clinics, right-wing rallies. but this time around even Trump consiglieres such Rudy Giuliani and Mike Pence get swept up into the action.
Read more‘Bad Hair': A Killer Weave Kills the Un-Woke in Satirical Horror Movie [Review]
“Bad Hair” is Justin Simien’s sophomore effort, following the critically-acclaimed “Dear White People.” It also opened the midnight section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. This blend of the socio-political and horror falls mostly flat in its attempt to both provoke and entertain. Set in 1989 L.A., the movie revolves around Anna (Elle Lorraine), working as an assistant on the music video show, “Culture.” She desperately wants a promotion, but sees her dreams evaporate when her boss leaves the company, replaced by Zora (Vanessa Williams, miscast), who wants to revamp the business by, gulp, adhering to white culture.
Read more‘Shithouse': SXSW Grand Jury Prize Winner is a Warmly Talkative Gen-Z Romance [Review]
The big winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s canceled SXSW was “Shithouse,” from director Cooper Raiff. This is 22-year-old Raiff’s nano-budget debut and it feels like an incredibly personal statement from him. He writes, directs, and stars in the film, with a little added help from his friends. Raiff plays a shy and dorky freshman struggling to adapt to dorm life. It all changes when he meets fellow freshman Maggie (Dylan Gelula) and spends a memorable night with her - this is when the film truly hits its stride, drunk on the power of dialogue and romantic discovery. Things do get awkward the morning after; she starts ignoring him, he tries to get her back. You know the drill.
Read more‘The Painted Bird’: A Shocking, Empty and Self-Important Holocaust Movie [Review]
Movies about World War II can be brutal, especially if they are set in rural-ravaged Eastern Europe and have a child protagonist rummaging through the chaos. There’s always been something about that time and setting that exudes total and utter dread. The most well-known examples would be “Come and See,” and Tarkovsky’s “Ivan’s Childhood” which set the bar quite high.
Read moreI Have Seen Josh Trank's ‘Capone' ...
These shouldn’t be desperate times for movie fans. Fine, we can’t physically go to movie theaters to watch the latest releases, but it’s a great time to catch up with all the great movies you may have missed from the ‘30s, ‘40’s ‘50s, ‘60s etc. With all that being said, there are a number of interesting movies about to be released in April, May, and June (I’ll be covering those titles in an article published later today).
Read more‘Sincerely': Louis C.K's New Standup Special is a Politically Incorrect Hoot
“Canceled” comedian Louis C.K. surprised his fans last Saturday by releasing a new comedy special titled “Sincerely,” (which can be streamed for $8 on his website). Performed, written, edited and directed by C.K, whose career got derailed in 2017 after it was revealed that he was a chronic public serial masturbator, “Sincerely” is his first filmed special in over three years.
Read more‘Big Time Adolescence’: A Mixed Bag Saved By Pete Davidson's Excellent Turn [Review]
Once high school is over, there are a lot of decisions to be made about the future. Not every 17-year-old flourishes beyond that, it’s already an egregious task to give to someone so young, choose the path that will likely be the next 40 years of your life.
Read more‘The Invisible Man': Taut Direction and an Impeccable Lead Performance Power #MeToo Horror Film [Review]
In Leigh Whannell’s “The Invisible Man,” Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is victimized by her narcissist sociopathic husband, Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), even after his death. It all amounts to a metaphorically-driven B-movie filled with Cronenberg-ian dread throughout its, let’s be clear, overlong 124-minute runtime, but the most ingenious aspect of the film is how Whannell manages to tell the story of a victim nobody believes.
Read more‘The Rise of Skywalker' Caters Too Heavily to ‘Last Jedi' Haters [Review]
For the last two years, director Rian Johnson and “The Last Jedi” have been on the receiving end of a backlash from a large contingent of “Star Wars” fans. Johnson’s creative decisions pleased film critics, but hardcore Star Wars loyalists despised the fresh new direction Johnson took with the “Last Jedi.” There was no catering to fans, risks were taken in the narrative, more sacrilege, however, Rian’s deconstruction of Star Wars lore, including doing a 180 of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker by making him do things which, shall we say, went against the “spirit” of the beloved 4 decade-old character.
Read more‘Where’s My Roy Cohn?': Doc Tackles One of the 20th Century’s Most Feared and Despised Men [Review]
Matt Tyrnauer’s “Where’s My Roy Cohn” is an absorbing doc on one of the most brooding figures of 20th century America.
Read moreSpike Lee's ‘Do The Right Thing' Is 30
"My people, my people, what can I say, say what I can. I saw it but didn't believe it, I didn't believe what I saw. Are we gonna live together, together are we gonna live?" — Mister Señor Love Daddy, “Do the Right Thing”
Read moreAri Aster's ‘Midsommar' Review: An Absurdist Break-Up Movie
Director Ari Aster has claimed that “Midsommar” is his “breakup movie.” After all, the screenplay was written when the director, as he has acknowledged in interviews, was going through a rough patch in a long-term relationship.
Read moreJordan Peele Raves About Ari Aster's ‘Midsommar'
I do wonder how I missed the Fangoria q & a between Jordan Peele and “Midsommar” director Ari Aster. The quote most outlets are using is Peele’s rave of Aster’s film, which is said to play heavily on pagan cult horror, much like “The Wicker Man.” No surprise then that, given Peele was on-stage with Aster, the “Get Out” director had over-the-top praise for Aster’s upcoming movie: “I think you’ve made the most idyllic horror film of all time. You’ve taken Stepford Wives and shattered the attractiveness of that movie with this one. That alone is a feat. This movie is just so unique. This hasn’t existed yet, and anything after Midsommar is going to have to contend with it. I mean, this usurps The Wicker Man as the most iconic pagan movie to be referenced.
Read more‘Matthias & Maxime' Review: Xavier Dolan's Return to Quebec Cinema Misses the Mark — Cannes
30-year-old Xavier Dolan, returns to his native Quebec for “Matthias & Maxime.”
Read more‘Shazam!’ Is Quite Possibly the Best DCEU Movie We’ve Ever Had, But That Doesn’t Say Much [Review]
The removal of Zack Snyder in the DCEU seems to have a sparked a wide array of MCU-inspired movies. You know, films filled with meta-humor that don’t take themselves as seriously as, say, “Man of Steel” and “Batman vs Superman.” If Snyder wanted to, so badly, bring the dark layers that Christopher Nolan’s sublime, game-changing Dark Knight trilogy then he was dead-wrong in that decision. The drastically lighter tone shown in post-Snyder movies “Wonder Woman,” and “Aquaman” has none-too-surprisingly led to the hiring of James Gunn for “The Suicide Squad.” It is, after all, because of Gunn that the MCU has had this tonal shift in humor, his 2014 sci-fi romp “Guardians of the Galaxy” changed the game for the MCU and how they were going to handle their ensuing films (just look at “Thor Ragnarok,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Doctor Strange,” “Captain Marvel.”)
Read moreNow That You've Seen Jordan Peele's ‘Us' ...
What do you think? Do you agree with my assessment that it knocks it out of the park for its first 100 minutes, but then loses steam in its last act? I still gave it a B+ because the rest of the film was, quite frankly, highly entertaining and managed to set aside its murky message to nevertheless provoke.
I wrote in my review:
“It’s all led by Duke and, especially, Nyong’o’s performances. The latter, an actress of considerably imposing talent, inflicts a real sense of haunting into Peele’s frames. Much like his main character in “Get Out,” Peele’s camera deep focuses on his lead’s eyes every chance he gets. And what eyes! Aided by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, Peele gives his film a surreal and nightmarish look with pertinently memorable frames unveiled every few minutes. The color scheme here is pure dread, focusing especially on reds and browns.”
“With “Us” Peele confirms that he will not be a one-hit-wonder director. This latest effort lacks the socio-political and satirical undertones of “Get Out,” but as a filmmaker who can expertly stage horror, he is second-to-none — his talent for shot composition is quite frankly impressive for such a young filmmaker.”
The message in the film seems to be that we are our own worst enemy. Something that was also tackled in “Get Out,” but in more expansive and provocative ways.
The film carved up $29 million on Friday night, coming in above expectations and headed towards an impressive $67 million+ debut weekend. Congratulations must go out to Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex. These are mightily impressive numbers for an R-rated horror movie.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.