At the Movies with Kane and BN

Kane52630 · Oct 5, 2019

Joker

Remove all the media circus hype and fear that is attached to this film, I thought this was an astonishing achievement. It's one of the rare cases where the trailers accurately portrayed the final film to the tee. It is very much a Taxi Driver pastiche under a Pagliacci style dressing. They also drew some influences from The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns, and other films like the French Connection and even a little bit of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It wears its influences on its sleeves and I don't think it's a bad thing (Tarantino does it for a living). Without giving it away, there's some interesting addition to the Joker mythos that worked really well.

I thought Todd Philips and the production department did a phenomenal job showcasing a grimy and sick Gotham in the early 80s just like New York City in the late 70s/early 80s. There's a level of attention to detail that is undeniable and it adds up a lot to the film. Lawrence Sher shot it just like a film from the late 70s only with a nice sheen to it to make it utterly beautiful to watch.

As for Joaquin Phoenix, I never thought I'd see someone who could take up the challenge Heath Ledger put out after The Dark Knight, but he manages to create a performance that is on the same level as Heath while operating on a completely different context. The movie is a character study solely on Arthur Fleck and nothing else. The casting for everyone else is also really well done. It's got some of my favorite character actors working today. If I have any complaints about this movie, it would be that I wish they had the supporting cast do more than only exist for Arthur Fleck.

Overall, I thought it was incredible. It's one of the few comic book movies where they aren't focused on meeting a quota for action and adventure or setting up the next movie. It sets out a fully engrossing character study that also happens to be a comic book movie and fully embrace it. The only superhero film that I can compare this to is Logan which is a character study set in a western. It'll be shocked if Joaquin Phoenix isn't at least mention for best actor.
10/10

Da-Scribe · Oct 5, 2019

If back in 2013, fresh off the heels of American classic Hangover 3, you’d have told me Todd Phillips would make not only one of the best CBMs ever, but one of the best overall films of the year...I’d have spit in your face.

Black Narcissus · Oct 5, 2019

JOKER

Joaquin Phoenix gives a haunting and Oscar winning performance. From the opening shot to the very end, he eats every damn frame, chilling. A character study of a man descending into madness, while still being loyal to the comicbook lore. Todd Phillips deserves all the praise for not holding back, I just couldn't believe at times what they were doing with a comicbook flick! Yes, the influence of various other films is there, but he also does original things with those homages. The score is delightfully terrifying, it made me uneasy through out. A few minor nitpicks here or there, mostly with the Zazie Beetz character. I felt like she was wasted a bit, but this ain't her story, she could've done this in her sleep, but she is such a wonderful actress that to get her for even a few moments makes up for it. The DP deserves a nom, just really beautiful to look at, which makes you feel uneasy after the violence hits. I'm going back to Phoenix, the scene in his apartment while he is getting ready and what follows next, I legit had to look around to see if anyone else was reacting the same. I often felt like I was watching a modern take of 'The Red Shoes' in some moments, simply great. One of the best films of the year and one of the best cbm ever.

10/10

I don't like to compare between Heath and Joaquin, but I will say as a Batman fan...It makes me smile that we've gotten two great and legendary performances.

I only wished, he'd be going head to head with Battinson's Batman.

Kane52630 · Oct 5, 2019

Haunt

Excellent and unexpected. It's essentially a house of horrors movie that really do hone in on the performances from the cast. You totally expect them to be obnoxious, but they never really do which was refreshing. It's similar to Hell Fest only it's way more focused as a theme park ride and the performances weren't as strong as in Haunt. They do a good job on not relying on jump scares and they do a good job showing menace from the villains even though a mask. Katie Stevens plays the lead and she does a solid job carrying a lot of the main plot along. Also she looks a lot like a young Rachel Weisz. My only grip were the villains towards the end where they got pretty sloppy. Overall, it's definitely a gem of a movie that horror fans should totally check out.
9/10

Kane52630 · Oct 6, 2019

I Trapped The Devil

It's a Christmas themed horror flick with a great premise and great atmosphere, but ultimately doesn't have enough meat on its bones. It's definitely a slow burn with limited characters, but they really stretch the story. You get the feeling early on they were gonna tease the devil until the very end. And I feel like this should have been a 20-30 minute short on Netflix. I thought the performances were decent enough but Scott Poythress was clearly the standout star. Overall, it has its moments, but this could of been great. The payoff didn't justify the hour of teasing especially when you kinda know where it's going.
6.5/10

Black Narcissus · Oct 7, 2019

High Tension

Easing my way into the Halloween spirit of sorts.

The film that put Alexandre Aja on the map. I still remember when the dude at blockbuster recommended this to me back in the day. lol

Bloody, dirty, simple, and a twist that I could see coming a mile away, but the ride was fun. It was worth a rewatch and it was pretty cool to see how he has improved as a director, while still never holding back on the violence and gore. I hope someone is crazy is enough to let him direct a comicbook property one day, and just stay out of his way.

Kane52630 · Oct 8, 2019

Nightmare Cinema

It's another one of these horror anthologies and like most anthologies, they are a mixed bag of short films. The frame takes place at a old movie theater where the stars of each short shows up and Mickey Rourke is the host. It starts off with The Thing in the Woods which is basically a typical slasher parody that turns into something else. The acting isn't their strongest suit, but the story did take some interesting turns. It's very tongue in cheek but I wasn't impressed by it outside of the effects. Mirare is kinda like Eyes Without a Face meets a Twilight Zone episode. There's some interesting things going on, but it's pretty on the surface level horror and nowhere as great as it could be. Mashi✝ is basically your typical demon possession movie only on bath salts and cocaine. It's more in common with Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness than The Exorcist only not as clever. It's probably the weakest one of the bunch. This Way to Egress is easily the best one and one everyone should check out. It's directed by David Slade and he does a great job showcasing Elizabeth Reaser losing her mind in a nightmarish environment. I could easily see it as a full length film. Dead closes out the anthology and it's mostly a ghost story with a little bit of Halloween II thrown in. It's decent for the most part. Overall, it's really worth seeing just for the David Slade short, otherwise, it's another average horror anthology.
7/10

Kane52630 · Oct 9, 2019

The Wind

It's a horror western that's more atmospheric than anything. You find out it's pretty light on horror, but there's more emphasis on drama which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The main reason to watch this is the fantastic performance by Caitlin Gerard who reminds me of Blake Lively in a lot of ways. It's really well shot and the the film itself is told mostly in flashback. I will say the film could use a bit more horror or or tension or something that really hammers in the point of the movie, The Nightingale knew how to do it right. Overall, it's pretty decent but it could have been great.
7.5/10

Kane52630 · Oct 10, 2019

Wrinkles The Clown

It's a solid documentary about Winkles The Clown that also talks about the viral age of folklore and a brief history of clowns. Michael Beach Nichols does a great job directing it and making it more creative than your usual doc. There's an interesting reveal that happens towards the end that makes a lot of sense. It's almost like Winkles The Clown was trying to be Banksy for clowns. Overall, it's definitely worth checking out especially this year where clowns seems to be on everyone's minds.
8/10

Kane52630 · Oct 11, 2019

The Hole in the Ground

A decent atmospheric horror flick that's in the same vein as The Babadook in terms of story where it's an allegory for motherhood. It's Lee Cronin's first feature and yet he manages to feel like a horror veteran directing this movie. It's really well shot and edited together. I will say it's a slow burn and you do see the where its headed step by step, but they do enough to keep you engage. The movie rests on the performance of Seána Kerslake and I thought she did a fantastic job. Overall, while it's not perfect, it's worth seeing if you want something like The Babadook or The Omen.
8/10

Kane52630 · Oct 11, 2019

Little Monsters

It's an interesting romcom zombie flick from Australia that feels far less cynical than Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead. You wouldn't have guessed this was a zombie flick from the first 20 minutes where it plays it straight like a romcom. Once Lupita Nyong'o shows up in the movie, they introduced a Day of the Dead style zombie plot and then all hell breaks loose. I thought Lupita and Alexander England were really good and Josh Gad did a solid job playing a scum bag kids tv host. That being said, outside of the 3rd act (which was great), the movie kinda meanders through the plot. It's less about the zombie apocalypse and more about parenting issues. Overall though, I had fun with it.
7.5/10

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2019

Gemini Man (HFR 3D)

This seems like one extremely dumb and expensive demo reel to show off some incredible effects and cameras. I saw this in 60 FPS 3D and it's unbelievable how far they've come since the Hobbit tried and failed with their 60 FPS 3D. You don't ever get the soap opera effect or the feeling it's on fastfoward. The 3D effect doesn't disappear as you're watching it... it's noticeable from beginning to end. And for me, it's possibly the best 3D movie since Avatar. As for the young CGI Will Smith, it's pretty much flawless until it got to the very end. It's obviously way more advance than what Marvel was doing with their deaging technique. And I thought the action and directing was really well done.

...and as for the plot, it's goddamn laughable. It's somewhere between a bad remake of The 6th Day and a generic video game about cloning. They pretty much use that plot as an excuse to go globetrotting and show off some cool action set pieces. And the performances aren't really that good even for a generic action flick, especially Clive Owen who's just phoning it in. Overall, if it weren't for the effects and the 3D, I would probably hate this more. It's just a shame this new tech is being used on some banal plot.
5.5/10

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2019

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

That son of a b*** Vince Gilligan has done it again. A fantastic epilogue and send off to the greatest show of all time. The closest comparison I can make is the epilogue from Red Dead Redemption 2. This might disappoint some people, but this is not some season long plot condensed into two hours where it's nothing but action and suspense. It ties a bow to several plot lines that relates to Jesse. It also showcases all the hallmarks of Breaking Bad and the spirit of show of "How does this guy get out of this extraordinary situation and have it all makes sense." The cast did a great job but it is the Arron Paul show and he was utterly fanatic in it. Overall, I absolutely loved it.
10/10

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2019

Our House

A damn good ghost drama. Anthony Scott Burns manages to take a more modern approach to the classic ghost films like Poltergeist where it deals with family issues. He did a great job directing it and the cinematography is exactly what you want in a horror movie. The cast was great and you can totally buy them as realistic siblings. It's pretty much a slow burn horror, but the drama keeps you interested. They also try to reinvent the pseudoscience behind ghosts which worked for me. Overall, I really recommend it. Between this and the Father's Day short from Holidays, I can't wait to see what Anthony Scott Burns does next.
9/10

Da-Scribe · Oct 12, 2019

Any way you can throw in a line about where we can watch these? I know I can just google but I’m lazy and forgetful.

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2019

Da-Scribe said:
Any way you can throw in a line about where we can watch these? I know I can just google but I’m lazy and forgetful.

There's a few that you can probably find a stream for (like The Hole in the Ground (Amazon Prime) and Little Monsters (Hulu) ), but most of the movies I've listed so far you either have to rent them, check out at the theater, or find a... not so legal way of finding them.

Kane52630 · Oct 12, 2019

The Death of Dick Long

Ridiculously hilarious and tragic at the same time. This was legit like a Coen Brothers movie from the 90s... specifically Fargo. It centers around three redneck friends who one night do something so stupid and shocking it caused one of their deaths. So what you're left with are two guys doing a sh** job covering their tracks in hilarious fashion.They don't reveal what happens until later on in the movie, but you can sorta figure it out early on. The banter between the characters is what really makes the movie. It's straight up a Coen brothers comedy. Once everything gets revealed, the movie slowly turns into a really interesting drama with some powerful performances... particularly Virginia Newcomb who really stands out in the last act of the movie. Overall, it's yet another A24 movie where they knocked it out the park. It's a total must see.
9.5/10

Kane52630 · Oct 13, 2019

Satanic Panic

A pretty schlocky horror comedy. It goes back to the old 70s style satanic cults with the red hoods, but it takes place in a rich white neighborhood. It centers on Hayley Griffith (who kinda looks like Alexandra Daddario) and she's pretty much the only one who acts normal. Meanwhile, everyone surrounding her are doing a campy version of a satanic cult movie. There's some good moments and it's shot really well, but it's ultimately kinda meh. It's the kind of movie made only for horror fans who will watch anything because it's horror related. Overall, it's just below average.
6/10

Black Narcissus · Oct 13, 2019

Lost Highway

Patricia Arquette in the 90s was sweeter than wine. A she-devil with an angelic voice and blonde locks to go along with her surprising curves. No wonder she drove Nic Cage a bit mad in real life.

This is my favorite David Lynch film and even with all the other weird stuff he has done, this one still stays with me after every rewatch and haunts me. The opening scene is based on a true life moment that happened to Lynch, he answered the intercom and it was a voice he didn't recognize said, "Dick Laurant is dead." This has by far one of the most creepiest characters ever put on film imo, which makes it a whole lot creepier when you know Robert Blake did what he did in real life. I also kinda feel a bit nostalgic and kinda sad for Natasha Gregson (Natalie Wood's daughter) she was beautiful here, but only comes second compared to the timeless beauty and talent to her own mother, but she also had a great pair of ''eyes'', and Lynch shot the hell out of them. The great Robert Loggia doing what he does best, he always makes me laugh with most of his lines here, no matter how many times i've seen this, his lines always land. An unsettling, dark, comedic, horror nightmare on a bad trip. Worth a rewatch every year. A 90s classic.

Kane52630 · Oct 14, 2019

I haven't laughed this hard in a long ass time.

Kane52630 · Oct 15, 2019

3 From Hell

It's yet another Rob Zombie flick about scary white people. This time it's the sequel to the Devils Rejects and while I haven't seen it in years, they do a so-so job catching you up on what happened last time. Sid Haig gets a cameo role which was a shame, he scene was one of the few good parts about the movie. They introduce Richard Brake to replace him and he doesn't do enough in here to make him stand out. The first half of the movie plays like a pretty goofy version of Mindhunter and Sheri Moon pretty much plays a rated R version of Harley Quinn. While the second half is like a exploitation spaghetti western. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it's nowhere near as memorable as Devil's Rejects.
6/10

Kane52630 · Oct 16, 2019

Carnival of Souls

I can see why this has a small cult following and inspired a lot of horror filmmakers. For an independent movie in the early 60s, this was a phenomenal horror film. Just on a filmmaking level, it takes a lot of inspirations from Psycho and The Twilight Zone and it ultimately works to its benefit by making it a bit off kilter and weird. The directing and cinematography is really inspired. Candace Hilligoss plays the Marion Crane-like role and while the acting might not be on par, she does a great job playing someone who's slowly losing her mind. There's also an interesting commentary on loneliness and relationships that is somehow relevant in 2019. Overall, it's worth checking out if you love movies like Psycho or want a good Twilight Zone episode.
9/10

Kane52630 · Oct 17, 2019

The Return of the Living Dead

This was fascinating Frankenstein of a movie (who would fit in this movie). For the longest time I've avoided this series just because it wasn't the Romero zombies and I heard it mocks it in some ways. The only one I've seen parts of was Part III and that was pretty interesting for various reasons. It seems like what Dan O'Bannon did here kicked off one of the major cliches the general public knows of zombies that weren't in the Romeo zombies (I.E. eating brains). There's also a stark difference between the Romero zombies and the O'Bannon zombies like their intelligence, how they move, and especially how you kill them.

As for this movie, it's a bizarre mishmash of super 80s camp and incredibly disturbing moments if you think about it for a few seconds. The conflicting tones this movie has shouldn't work, but it kinda does which was interesting. Also this movie got some balls just for the opening text alone. I did like how the Romero zombies does exist in this universe just slightly altered to connect with this series. Of all the characters, Don Calfa is probably my favorite because he outacts every person in the movie. Tarman is quite possibly the most horrifying zombie I've ever seen... It's so effective and it's a shame he's not in it a lot. Overall, I don't think it's a perfect zombie flick, but there is a lot to admire about it.
8.5/10

Black Narcissus · Oct 17, 2019

The Art of Self Defense

Written and directed by Riley Stearns

This felt like he found out his then wife (MEW) was cheating on him and his screenplay took a dark turn. This felt like he watched Fight Club many times and Napoleon Dynamite, while also finding out his hot wife was kissing Ewan Mcgregor via google alerts. Dark and dry sense of humor is here, but even for Eisenberg who has made a career out of playing these types of lame characters, he felt like he was doing some SNL sketch of himself. Alessandro Nivola's career probably thought he made it big after that Jurassic Park flick, but he has been awful in a lot of other stuff, but this one plays to his strengths, which aint much. Imogen Poots is simply wasted here, but she is still the best thing about this mess. I could lose myself in her green devilish eyes.

5/10

Kane52630 · Oct 18, 2019

Zombieland: Double Tap

This is pretty much the equivalent of microwaving NY style pizza. Sure, it wasn't perfect like when you originally had it... and the edges are a bit cold, but it does the job. It continues the story and style of the first only it's now 10 years later and the jokes aren't that fresh. It starts out in the White House and they stay in there for quite a while which was telling. It wasn't until they introduce Zoey Deutch where they start showing some promise. She does a phenomenal job playing a ditzy valley girl who would totally show up in Mean Girls. She keeps the movie interesting and funny for a good while until the movie keeps going into these random subplots that ultimately go nowhere. That's where they introduce other characters like Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, and even Rosario Dawson. They only exist to be either cannon fodder or have a underdeveloped relationship with the main cast. The movie kinda yada yada their way into the 3rd act where you know how it will play out. It's not bad, but it's pretty predictable. The only bright spot might be the aftercredits where they do something funny and awesome. Overall, it's just passable.
6.5/10

At the Movies with Kane and BN

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