At the Movies with Kane and BN

Kane52630 · Oct 9, 2021

Queenpins

Surprisingly well done. It's basically got a Coen brothers plot with jokes that felt like it was written by Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen. It centers on Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste who play coupon addicts trying to find reasons to fill a void in their lives by starting a business that illegally sells coupons. The performances were great especially with Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser who were absolutely hilarious. The comedy doesn't feel ad libbed and even if they did, they did a better job than most comedies these days. It's also one of the rare movies where it made sense to feature a massive amount of product placement. Overall, it was a lot of fun.
3.5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 10, 2021

Lamb

Mary had a little unholy abomination.

Lamb is a Grimm-like fairy tale that takes a journey in a simple Icelandic farm land where a couple is raising lambs and farming crops... until a particular lamb shows up in an obvious allegoric fashion. It's definitely a mood setter and the bulk of the film is focused on the tasks and the relationships of the main leads while setting up what's to come. The film basically takes the Jaws route and slowly build up to what we eventually see of the whole lamb and once that happens, it's truly unsettling (at first). The cinematography and location shots is excellent and the minimum dialogue almost makes this like a silent movie which worked for me. There isn't any horror elements per-say, but you do get plenty of foreboding atmostphere. Once Björn Hlynur Haraldsson enters the picture, the film pretty much becomes a A24 style absurdist sitcom (in a good way). And without giving it away, the last 20 minutes of this takes a turn for something that totally makes sense and yet it's absolutely insane, even though, I wish they gave us more. Overall, while Lamb doesn't get too deep and complicated, it does make up for it with it's atmosphere and bizarre fable.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 10, 2021

No Time to Die

A pretty satisfying conclusion to the Craig era series that really uses all the common Bond tropes throughout the decades. To no ones surprise, Cary Fukunaga directed the hell out this and almost every part of the production really fits well together and it offers a ton of great set pieces. With them closing out Daniel Craig's Bond, they did a lot of bow tying from the previous installments from Vesper to Blofeld and having it be apart of the main plot... which btw you can see why they delayed the release of the movie. They also fully gave into the campy side of Bond while balancing the serious tone. Really dug the new people that showed up even if they only get bit parts like Ana de Armas and Billy Magnussen. Lashana Lynch was great, but I wish they gave her even more screen time to fully flesh out her character and I thought Rami Malek was pretty decent all things considered. Overall, it's really good and I'd probably rank it 3rd in the Craig era Bond film behind Casino Royale and Skyfall.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 11, 2021

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The Manor

A very basic and vanilla horror flick that tackles issues of nursing home abuse which stars Barbara Hershey who is trying her best with a weak script. It's by far the weakest entry in the Amazon/Blumhouse horror series where almost every aspect of the production and story feels like repetitive tv quality movie. Even though at times it tires to bring up some introspective thoughts and ideas about morality, it gets buried with basic dialogue. And I guess some of the scary moments does work on a rudimentary level. Overall, a swing and a miss.
1.5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2021

Ghost of Mars

I've always avoided this... until now. This feels like Carpenter crammed everything he's made before from Assault On Precinct 13 to Escape from New York to The Fog into one car crash of a movie... Which I clearly blame on the studio who thought it was a good idea to make Ice Cube basically Snake Plissken on Mars. The production feels dated even for 2001 even though I did appreciate some of the old school techniques and effects. There are clearly some awful parts in this, but I was kinda digging the premise which cribs from some scifi horror properties like game Doom or Pitch Black but even goofier. Ghost/zombie army was a cool look, but that's all they were with a knockoff Metallica band playing their theme music. I was surprised that Natasha Henstridge and Jason Statham were decent in this despite it all and it's a shame they didn't give Pam Grier more to do. Overall, while it kinda works as a b movie with some hilarious moments, as a John Carpenter movie, you get why he never wanted to work in Hollywood again until The Ward.
2/5

Kane52630 · Oct 13, 2021

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Halloween (1978)

Checking out the original again before the new one and to no ones surprise, this movie is still iconic.
5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 14, 2021

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Halloween (2018)

It's more or less how I felt the first time around, it's a great examination of Laurie Strode as a survivor, solid direction by David Gordon Green, and that kid who's being babysat is the MVP of the movie. The only minor gripes I have that keeps it from being perfect is the overall movie at times feels kinda feels disjointed and it's not as tightly edited as it should be.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 15, 2021

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Halloween Kills

Michael Myers saw he was down by 20 points against Jason Voorehees with the kill count and went buck wild in the 4th quarter.

Halloween Kills basically picks up right after the 2018 Halloween... almost similar to how the original Halloween II picked up right after the original Halloween even including a hospital set piece. There's a big disconnect right away from how the last film was made to what Halloween Kills is trying to be. This film moves away from being the quiet menace and instead injects chaos and confusion to the story for better and for worse. The movie uses the people of Haddonfield as the main crux of the story and how the town responds to Michael Myers. The obvious mob mentality theme wasn't particularly clever as it thinks it is, but they use it to some great effect especially when a certain figure shows up. Michael Myers is basically Jason Voorehes at this point where the movie seems to be more focused on the kills than the overall plot. How they use Jamie Lee Curtis was a bit disappointing and Judy Greer and Andi Matichak weren't really front in center of the story. Instead you get more of Anthony Michael Hall who plays Tommy Doyle and more of the original cast from the 78 Halloween. One of my major complaints is they spoon feed you information the entire time through flashbacks (which they overdid on) and shorthand conversations. All that is to say, I still did enjoy most of the movie for what it is... a Friday the 13th style murderfest. Everything from the the style, the humor, and the kills worked even though they lost some nuance and deep character moments along the way.
3.5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 15, 2021

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Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Watched this again but with the commentary from Shout Factory of Tommy Lee Wallace. I thought it was interesting when he was looking back at certain kills (like the face pull in the hospital), it still took him by surprise of how violent it was... even though he directed it. And no matter how many times I've rewatched this, that ending still remains to be effective.
5/5

Black Narcissus · Oct 16, 2021

Once Upon A Time in America

I'm ashamed to admit this was my first viewing.

Leone worked on this for 16 years! He passed on The Godfather and other projects to do this.

I read elsewhere that Leone wanted to break this into two parts as the original cut was 6hrs and change. The American distributor panicked and botched the US release, it was a bloody mess and the maestro never did another film again. The european market watched the almost 4hr version, which is the one I watched. This is one got the stamp of approval from Leone himself. This was a very difficult viewing experience in some parts. None of the characters here are worth rooting for. They are ruthless, despicable ppl and to take an almost 4hr journey was rough. James Woods for me is the best performance in the film. Deniro at times seems lost to me, but he is still very much in and once can tell he really went all in for Leone. Director cuts this and director cuts that, they found even more footage of missing scenes in some vault and having seen bits and pieces of those scenes online, they add more layers to character motivations etc. The entire time while watching this all that went through my mind is 'There is a masterpiece in here' somewhere. There is greatness in here somewhere. On my first viewing all that I got was admiration for one of the last grand epics of the 80s, at the gigantic balls on Leone's part for making this, but felt overwhelmed on my first viewing. Perhaps this will get better as I get older. I don't know.

Kane52630 · Oct 17, 2021

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Dracula (1931)

Rewatching it again and analyzing the stuff I overlooked previously, I do appreciate it a lot more this time around even though I still prefer Max Schreck‘s Nosferatu. Bela Lugosi truly commands the screen and I enjoyed his dynamic with Edward Van Sloan as Van Helsing a lot more this time.
5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 17, 2021

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Dracula (1931 Spanish version)

It’s an interesting look into how different a film can be when the same exact film and production is directed by another person at the same time. While the overall story remains the same, there are some added differences in the Spanish version that helps more with the characters in the 2nd half of the film. And having it be shot at night compared to Tod Browning’s Dracula (which was shot in the day time) adds a lot to the look of the film when they have night scenes. Carlos Villarías’s Dracula has a far different approach compared to Bela Lugosi and while I don’t think it completely worked for me, Carlos Villarías has some moments that rival Bela Lugosi. Overall, I still think the Tod Browning version is superior in terms of overall aesthetic, George Melford’s version offers more in character development.
3.5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 18, 2021

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Dracula's Daughter

It’s a fascinating sequel to the original Dracula that takes place right after the events of the previous film. Gloria Holden who plays Countess Marya Zaleska aka Dracula’s Daughter is easily the best thing going for this film where she’s the sympathetic lead who grapples with wanting to escape her family’s name and wanting become her own person. There’s also some scenes, like the undressing scene that for 1936, is really impressive they were able to get away with. You can also spot the influences this film has with the later horror films especially in the last 20 years. Overall, really impressed.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 19, 2021

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Son of Dracula

While this strips a lot of the horror aspects down, it does help build a lot of the lore that eventually becomes canon like Count Alucard and having it set in New Orleans. It’s got a great Lon Chaney performance and I really dug the updated effects that they finally get to use to show off some of Dracula’s powers. Overall, while it’s not nearly as great as it wants to be, it’s got a lot of interesting moments in between.
3/5

Kane52630 · Oct 21, 2021

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Dead Silence

Thought I'd rewatch this in light of Malignant. Still lot of fun and it's still super underrated in James Wans's filmography.
4.5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 22, 2021

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Season of the Witch

A pretty fascinating horror/drama about a depressed suburban mother trying to finding meaning by discovering witchcraft. It's more of a character piece than a standard horror flick and they did a great job with the themes this presents like gender roles and women improvement. It's a shame we only associate George Romero with zombies and not the other films he's directed like this and the vampire flick Martin where he was able to showcase his french new wave inspired filmmaking. There's also a couple of nightmare dream sequences in here that are extremely reminiscent of John Carpenter's Halloween. It's quite undeniable after watching this that Carpenter had seen his film in the making for Michael Myers. Overall, it's definitely an underrated horror flick that should be seen if you're a George Romero fan or a fan of horror in general.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 23, 2021

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Southbound

A really solid horror anthology by several directors who went on to do some great things like David Bruckner and Radio Silence. They took a page from Trick r Treat's handbook and did a great job connecting all the stories together flawlessly. Radio Silence's The Way Out was a decent, but how The Way In ends (also by Radio Silence) made it a lot better. I thought Siren by Roxanne Benjamin was probably the weakest entry even though I did enjoy how it started out. The Accident by David Bruckner is by far the best one in the anthology and that alone kicks up my overall rating. And Jailbreak by Patrick Horvath had a great concept that I wish was better utilized once it got to the end. Overall, I really dug it.
4/5

Kane52630 · Oct 24, 2021

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The Mist

After pretty much 10 years of rewatching this, I decided to put on the commentary track by Frank Darabont. It's a lot of pretty straightforward "making of" stuff with some interesting insights of how Frank was able to get away with some of the scenes in the movie.
5/5

Kane52630 · Oct 24, 2021

Dune

A true spectacle on an epic scale that we rarely get anymore that deals with destiny and the effects of colonialism in a scifi wrapping. Denis Villeneuve was able to adapt the Dune to the big screen with better pacing than the 1984 film along with a insane production value and design that matches his sensibilities like he did with Blade Runner 2049 and being inspired by films like Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdom of Heaven. The cinematographer Greig Fraser did a phenomenal job making all the shots seem so effortlessly real and tangible to the eye. Really liked all the performances, but I especially dug Javier Bardem as Stilgar the most even though he's barely in it. My only complaint so far is they don't nearly get as dense as they want to with the the source material and of course how they end it smack dab in the middle of the story. Overall, for a first half of a movie, this is one of best looking films of the year and hopefully the 2nd part gets made.
4.5/5

Black Narcissus · Oct 24, 2021

Titane

Written and directed by Julia Ducournau.

Won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

I've been pretty much in awe of Julia Ducournau since her previous film RAW. Her biggest influence is korean cinema and Cronenberg, which she wears on her sleeves. She is beautifully brutal in her images and stories, but one can only squirm and go on these nauseating cinematic rides with her. This was a tough watch in certain scenes. The way she frames and directs violence is chef's kiss. This film takes plenty of unexpected turns very early on and keeps you on your toes. The lead actress here was found on instagram, which is damn impressive cause she hits every emotional mark. She also really resembles Julia Ducournau herself, which kinda makes this a bit more odd, surely a very conscious decision on her part. This is very difficult to describe into words, but this is an extravaganza of body horror and car sex...a twist on family drama.

This is the best film of the year for me so far. Still, I don't ever want to revisit this again, but a must watch at least once.

4/5

@weezerspider
@Kane52630
@StarLord
@OutOfBoose

I'd like to hear your thoughts if and when ya'll watch it!

weezerspider · Oct 24, 2021

Black Narcissus said:
Titane

Written and directed by Julia Ducournau.

Won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

I've been pretty much in awe of Julia Ducournau since her previous film RAW. Her biggest influence is korean cinema and Cronenberg, which she wears on her sleeves. She is beautifully brutal in her images and stories, but one can only squirm and go on these nauseating cinematic rides with her. This was a tough watch in certain scenes. The way she frames and directs violence is chef's kiss. This film takes plenty of unexpected turns very early on and keeps you on your toes. The lead actress here was found on instagram, which is damn impressive cause she hits every emotional mark. She also really resembles Julia Ducournau herself, which kinda makes this a bit more odd, surely a very conscious decision on her part. This is very difficult to describe into words, but this is an extravaganza of body horror and car sex...a twist on family drama.

This is the best film of the year for me so far. Still, I don't ever want to revisit this again, but a must watch at least once.

4/5

@weezerspider
@Kane52630
@StarLord
@OutOfBoose

I'd like to hear your thoughts if and when ya'll watch it!

“I’m in love with my car” - Queen

This is my favorite film of the year. It takes such a strange, yet effective turn.

DKDetective · Oct 24, 2021

Kane52630 said:
Dune

A true spectacle on an epic scale that we rarely get anymore that deals with destiny and the effects of colonialism in a scifi wrapping. Denis Villeneuve was able to adapt the Dune to the big screen with better pacing than the 1984 film along with a insane production value and design that matches his sensibilities like he did with Blade Runner 2049 and being inspired by films like Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdom of Heaven. The cinematographer Greig Fraser did a phenomenal job making all the shots seem so effortlessly real and tangible to the eye. Really liked all the performances, but I especially dug Javier Bardem as Stilgar the most even though he's barely in it. My only complaint so far is they don't nearly get as dense as they want to with the the source material and of course how they end it smack dab in the middle of the story. Overall, for a first half of a movie, this is one of best looking films of the year and hopefully the 2nd part gets made.
4.5/5

Agreed, that was my biggest issue as well. You can tell there were some major cuts in the middle of the film that would fill out the story and world a bit more. I know Denis says it's his director's cut, but it is one of those movies that screams out for an LOTR-style extended cut.

OutOfBoose · Oct 24, 2021

Black Narcissus said:
Written and directed by Julia Ducournau.

I need to see Raw too.

Black Narcissus · Oct 24, 2021

Night Teeth

Watched this the other night. Eh, it was a fun little flick. Definitely one of the better ones to come out of netflix recently, which aint saying much. A few cliches here or there, but not too bad. Still, we finally get Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney as sexy vampires and you waste them. Lucy Fry was the standout. Theon Greyjoy as the bad guy was simply meh. Best moments are with the trio leads that we follow through out.

3/5

OutOfBoose · Oct 25, 2021

@Black Narcissus Titane looked like a modern twist on riot grrrl. I also felt there's Almodovar influence. Anyway, I was entertained and it made me think. Which is a sign of a very good movie. So thanks for recommendation. Definitely one of the best movies this year. I'll keep an eye on the director.

P.S. That dance scene in the beginning is d o p e. Rotating the song on repeat.

At the Movies with Kane and BN

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Sidekick

Elementary, Dear Robin (he/him)

#ReleaseTheAyerCut

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#ReleaseTheAyerCut

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