At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Black Narcissus]

The Gentlemen

A really fun and solid return for Guy Ritchie. Great to see McConaughey chew the scenery with good material again, after a few missteps here or there. The opening scene with him kinda felt a bit like his Lincoln commercials, which I don't know it it was intentional or not, but I found it funny, while Ritchie shoots ya in the head right from the start. Charlie Hunnam was solid, but his one big scene to steal the show was just bloody there, nothing more, he needed to go a bit more ham in that moment, but it goes along with the character. Hugh Grant was damn hilarious and the best he has been in years. Nice shades too! Colin Farrell for me is the MVP. What a great actor he is. Makes me more excited for The Batman.

A solid 7/10

 

[Kane52630]

The Rhythm Section

A gritty female assassin actioner that doesn't really have the smarts to elevate the material. The execution of the premise is kinda hard to get through because of how Blake Lively's character starts out. It skips logic to get you through what the movie really wants to focus on and it's a average thriller that you've probably seen a hundred times. Thankfully Blake Lively does try in this and she delivers a mostly solid performance. Jude Law basically redoes his performance from Captain Marvel as a spy who trains her. Every once in a while, the action will kick in and that's where Reed Morano succeeds. They're easily the highlight of the film and it's a shame it was wasted with a lazy script. Overall, it's just skirts by on being mostly average.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Gretel & Hansel

An incredibly atmospheric and haunting adaptation of the classic Grimms' fairy tale. I'm a huge fan of Oz Perkins' last film, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and here he continues with his style of horror that's even more stylistic and grim. It's almost like a low budget version of Mandy and The Witch but with more importance on style over substance. I really dug the cast and Alice Krige who plays the witch does a phenomenal job. Overall, it's worth seeing if you're a horror fan.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Klaus

A beautifully crafted animated film that really captures the magic and feel of the Disney renaissance era of animated films. It's essentially a origin story for Santa Claus with some creative liberties that really adds character and a breath of fresh air. Even though you kinda know where it's headed it keeps you entertained throughout. I really dug the voice cast especially JK Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, and Rashida Jones. Overall it's a animated film for kids that really stands out and I wouldn't be surprised if this gets an annual viewing during Christmas time.
9/10

 

[Kane52630]

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

For Korean gangster crime films, this follows on the more average side of things... which is still mostly good all things considered. It's essentially a thriller that involves the cops and the gangs to team up and track down a serial killer. It's got a weird mix of The Good, The Bad, and The Weird with I Saw The Devil. The tone is probably my biggest issue with the film. It gives you a sense of a screwball comedy with a dark and violent thriller and it doesn't really match. That being said, there's a lot of exciting moments in between the tonal shifts and Ma Dong-Seok was probably the best part of the film. Overall, it's probably not gonna be a Korean thriller classic, but it was mostly entertaining.
7.5/10

 

[Kane52630]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Outside from a few moments, I thought this seems pretty typical for an indie french romantic drama. It pretty much checks all the boxes of what you expect this movie to do and it doesn't really do anything more than that. My biggest issue is the movie meanders through the plot and it's enamored with small moments. I will say the performances are pretty good, the chemistry between Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel works. Cinematography was really well done during the bigger moments. Overall, it's mostly average for this kind of a movie.
7.5/10

 

[Black Narcissus]

Birds of Prey

I had fun watching this. You can tell Margot really likes playing HQ. It must be in a way refreshing for an actress to not act so proper or even lady like and just break a bunch of grown man's ankles. I liked this way better than the first Deadpool movie. Cathy Yan deserves a lot of cred for coming into this cinematic world and making it her own. Minor complaint is they could've trimmed a bit of the fat on the run time, but nothing really bad. All the ladies have great chemistry when they finally get to be in the same room together, a few moments here or there felt rushed, but it kinda felt like a sugar rush. Ewan Mcgregor gave us ham, but the good kind of ham. Again, another actor one can tell just had hell of a time. I wanted more scenes with him. MEW is kinda the standout for me. She just hit every damn mark! We honestly didn't get enough of her. I hope this is a box office hit, cause I wanna see the sequel right away. Bring in Oracle and Ivy.

The dp work here is just great. Some scenes look like straight out of the comics.

8.5/10

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★½ review of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

A carnival ride of a comic book movie that only exist to have fun... much in the same vein as Deadpool. It takes the foundation of what David Ayer was trying to do with Suicide Squad and elevate it to a much more cartoony and comic style under a female perspective. The director Cathy Yan delivers a really colorful and vibrate film that has a lot of things going on that all ultimately work together. It also helps the editing and focus was way more competent even though they play with time one too many times.

I will say despite the title, this is definitely Harley Quinn's movie featuring the Birds of Prey and Margot Robbie is clearly the main star. As for story, they pretty much took the Harley's Holiday episode from Batman TAS and molded it around Birds of Prey. The cast was pretty solid for the most part. Margot Robbie was clearly having a blast making this and she captured Harley Quinn from the show pretty well. I also like how creative they were with addressing the elephant in the room (aka Leto's Joker). I really dug Ewan Mcgregor as Black Mask, he was hamming it up like Shatner and Gary Oldman.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli probably had the best underrated performance. She wasn't given a whole lot of screen time, but she was great every time she showed up. Jurnee Smollett-Bell did fine as Black Canary, although they definitely depowered her abilities for plot conveniences. Rosie Perez also did fine as Renee Montoya, although they don't really give her a lot to do. As for Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain... as much as I enjoyed her performance and how well she's integral to the plot, she's Cass Cain in name only. Also there's a surprise Ali Wong supporting role that caught me by surprise.

Overall, despite some issues I have with it, it's ultimately a solid fun movie that isn't meant to be super dramatic in a world saving plot. This along with Shazam! is exactly what DC needs right now.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Rewatching Good Time on Netflix... That sh** still holds up.

It's still wild to me this was the first movie I used MoviePass with and much like the movie, they both ended hilariously tragic.

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★½ review of Downhill (2020)

Downhill

A solid Americanized remake of Force Majeure. And because it's Americanized and a remake, I don't think critics are giving this a fair shake. They do enough to capture what made that original movie work, but also add in a more comedic flavor to it. That being said... while it does have Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, they don't necessarily go for the full on comedy like they do in their other projects, it's very toned down. The relationship between Farrell and JLD really works especially when they both confront with the elephant in the room, it's probably some of their best dramatic acting so far. I will say there's some pacing issues and some scenes do get repetitive just to fill out time. Also Miranda Otto's character seems a bit out of place with where the plot was going. Overall, it's a mostly solid relationship drama and it's not nearly as bad as the critics are making it.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★ review of Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Sonic the Hedgehog

A run-of-the-mill kids movie that has some fun bright spots... which for video game movies, is a big win. Plot is pretty simple and not at all complicated. It essentially takes the road trip cliche that we see in a lot of family movies and comedies and substitutes in Sonic and his video game world. Ben Schwartz does a great job voicing Sonic, but Jim Carrey manages to reach back into the 90s for his performance as Dr. Robotnik. He chewed more scenery than any animated character in the movie and is what really anchors the movie into positive territory. There's also some references to the game that I dug. The rest of the cast (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) do the bare minimum in terms of story, they all just help out Sonic. At the end of the day, it's exactly the kind of movie that wanted to make in the 90s but couldn't afford the special effects.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

A ★ review of Fantasy Island (2020)
Fantasy Island

A sloppy and absolutely infuriating horror film from the guy who made Truth or Dare (which was another sloppy and infuriating horror film). While it does nods to the original tv show which was a light fantasy adventure, this movie is tonally all over the place. It doesn't know if it wants to be a horror film or a black comedy or even a drama. None of the characters are written well or likeable (aside from maybe Jimmy O. Yang) and the concept/plot wasn't well thought out. Michael Pena is miles away from even trying to be like Ricardo Montalbán... it was laughable. The movie constantly runs into plotholes and it's so inconsistent that it'll make your head hurt if you try to think about it for one second. Overall, it's an island sized mess of a film.
1/5

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★★ review of A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Loved it, my boy Shaun crushed it. While it doesn't quite reach the heights of the last movie, this has almost everything you want out of Aardman animations. The movie essentially pays homage to the sci-fi/ufo genre but more specifically, it's a love letter to Spielberg's E.T. and Close Encounters. They do a terrific job with the old fashion Looney Tunes style comedy and it's got a lot of heart. Much like the Paddington movies, Shaun the Sheep is exactly the antidote we need to all the glut we get for low grade family movies. Overall, It's worth seeing if you a fan of animation.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★★ review of Color Out of Space (2019)
Color Out of Space
While it's not perfect, this is a crazy Lovecraft story that is really worth seeing. Richard Stanley was definitely going for a visual style that reminded me of John Carpenter and David Lynch. Nicolas Cage was pitch perfect for a movie like this, he even brought back his accent from Vampire's Kiss when sh** hits the fan which was fun. The rest of the cast was pretty decent, but Madeleine Arthur seemed like the stand out star. It's got a lot of great creature effects and has quite possibly one of the most disturbing scene I've seen in while. All that being said, I do wish they had better dialogue and a better script to go by and bits of the performances does kinda fall flat. Overall, it's definitely a movie worth seeing if you are a fan of Lovecraft or horror in general.
4/5

 

[MovieSlave]

A ★★★★ review of Color Out of Space (2019)
Color Out of Space
While it's not perfect, this is a crazy Lovecraft story that is really worth seeing. Richard Stanley was definitely going for a visual style that reminded me of John Carpenter and David Lynch. Nicolas Cage was pitch perfect for a movie like this, he even brought back his accent from Vampire's Kiss when sh** hits the fan which was fun. The rest of the cast was pretty decent, but Madeleine Arthur seemed like the stand out star. It's got a lot of great creature effects and has quite possibly one of the most disturbing scene I've seen in while. All that being said, I do wish they had better dialogue and a better script to go by and bits of the performances does kinda fall flat. Overall, it's definitely a movie worth seeing if you are a fan of Lovecraft or horror in general.
4/5

In an interview Nic Cage said Stanley's favorite Cage performance is Vampire's Kiss and asked him to channel a bit of that for this movie.

Really loved this one. "They're alpacas. Alpacas!"

 

[Black Narcissus]

Honey Boy

Shia LaBeouf's memoir growing up in the acting business with his dad. Here, Shia plays his own father, which only adds to how personal this whole flick feels. He wrote this while in rehab. This out the gate feels uncomfortable and very real. You see a few film and tv show references that he worked on, but nothing too on the nose. Lucas Hedges plays present day Shia, and he does a great way of even mimicking Shia's real voice and all that, but I thought his scenes were the weakest parts of the movie. The best was with Shia and Noah Jupe aka young Shia. They had great chemistry together and what a good actor this kid is. He nailed it.

A solid 7.

I think Shia could've gotten an oscar nom for this in a weaker year. I think Sandler was a bigger snub.

According to some imdb trivia:

Shia got his father to sign the rights agreement by telling him that Mel Gibson would be playing him in the movie. He knew Mel Gibson had already turned down the role, though Mel was supportive of Shia and the movie.

 

[Kane52630]

The Lodge

An incredibly atmospheric horror flick by the people who made Goodnight Mommy (which I actually didn't love). First and foremost, It's quite possibly the best performance by Riley Keough who plays a former cult member who's trying to return to normalcy and trying start a family. The kids, Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh, also did a pretty solid job performance wise. The pacing is not for everyone, but it's very methodically slow that does give you an uneasy vibe throughout... especially after a certain event that happens early on. There are some obvious visual queues to Hereditary like the dollhouse, but I found this to be slightly better. They do an solid job showcasing cabin fever and isolationism and there's some nods to The Shining and The Thing in here that I enjoyed. I will say, if I had any complaints it would be some questionable logic the father does that makes you wonder. Overall, I really dug it, it's one of those horror movies that was tailor made for someone like me.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Brahms: The Boy II

Yet another useless sequel to a movie nobody asked for. It's pretty dull and predictable which is somehow worse that The Boy 1, which was hilariously awful. Katie Holmes and Owain Yeoman plays a couple who had to leave their own home and in turn finds the same house from the first movie and the son finds the doll. It runs through all the horror cliches like it's a prepackaged meal. They even have a groundskeeper Willie (played by Ralph Ineson) that warns the family. There is a shocking dumb twist at the end, but it's nowhere near as entertaining and dumb as the first one. Overall, it's turd in the wind.
1/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell with a really soiid follow up. Elisabeth Moss is pretty good here, but I still kinda think she was miscast. I could easily see Samara Weaving or Matilda Lutz doing just as good with this character. This also reminded me of Soderbergh's film UNSANE, but with the invisible man running around. Heh. The supporting characters around Moss are paper thin, but Aldis Hodge has good on screen charisma that he makes it work. I still believe Oliver Jackson-Cohen should've been on the shortlist for Batman and would've given Pattinson a run for his money, tis' a crime he wasn't even given a chance to read for the role. But that is for another topic. Minor complaint, but the cgi is just kinda meh. Blumhouse really didn't go all out on that, and they will most likely make their money back tho, my screening was packed.

A solid 7.

It would make a good double feature with Hollow Man, but I still prefer that one over this. Kevin Bacon and twinkies, RHONA MITRA!

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★★½ review of The Invisible Man (2020)
The Invisible Man

Brilliantly well done and a lot of fun. It's probably one of the best recent examples of recontextualizing a classic and have it be culturally relevant today with mental health and abusive relationships. Leigh Whannell pretty much took his sensibilities from Upgrade and use it in a more subdued and eerie way. They do such a great job having each scene marinate and develop naturally so when things do go crazy, it earns that moment. It's also incredibly well shot and so crisp and the sound design was also phenomenal. While Oliver Jackson-Cohen who plays The Invisible Man does play a crucial role in the movie, this is pretty much Elisabeth Moss' movie and she delivers an incredible performance. All that being said, there are some continuity problems I have with it and some logical issues with a couple of the characters. It didn't really ruin the scene, but it did still kinda bugged me. Overall, I really loved it. It's exactly what the Universal Monsters should be doing instead of a Mission Impossible ripoff like The Mummy.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★ review of Impractical Jokers: The Movie (2020)
Impractical Jokers: The Movie

A lot of fun. If you're a fan of the hidden camera show then the movie is exactly for you. It does exactly what you'd see in the show only with bigger pranks, but with a roadtrip plotline that deals with Paula Abdul that connects each prank. It's almost exactly the same concept as Bad Grandpa only done slightly better. Overall, it's enjoyable but nothing out of the ordinary.
3/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Night Clerk

Tye Sheridan plays a night clerk with severe Aspergers, who becomes the prime suspect in a murder. Eh, I must admit to never really met someone with Aspergers and my only interaction with it comes as a viewer in movies. I don't know if this the ''hollywood'' system exaggerating this level of awkwardness related to asperger person and the long speeches that comes with it etc, not just in this movie but in others. I would also like to know if the director and actors knew beforehand that this was going straight to vod and not get a theatrical release. I often wonder if it matters anymore to the creative folks involved. I can't really blame them suits/financial ppl for not even trying to get a theatrical release for this one tho, it wouldn't of made money, just a bomb, rightfully so.

The beautiful and talented Ana De Armas show us her assets here, and makes such a bleh character work on her charm alone.

But this was pretty damn bad.

4/10

 

[Kane52630]

A ★★★★ review of Guns Akimbo (2019)
Guns Akimbo

Junk food cinema at its best. It's pretty much what you get if you combined Upgrade and Hardcore Henry with a little bit of Gamer and Crank thrown in. Plot is not at all complicated or challenging, but that's the charm they're going for. It's got comedic moments that go along with the ultraviolet action and it mostly works. Daniel Radcliffe was really great, but Samara Weaving stole the show. She's pretty much unleashed here and it's glorious to watch. They also shot it really well and there's a lot of that Suicide Squad aesthetic going on that works. While it's got something to say about internet culture and society in general, it doesn't take itself seriously at all, its just used to justify this batsh** insane plot. Overall, it's worth seeing if you're in to see some over the top craziness for 90 minutes.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

What Happens if Coronavirus Forces U.S. Movie Theaters to Close?

 

[Kane52630]

Emma

I suppose it's alright? It's a movie that is totally out of my wheelhouse. This is the adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, which I've never read, and they made sure they didn't want to contemporize a single thing. It's exactly the kind of stuffy aristocrats romance drama that doesn't get made anymore and I can kinda see why. The film is almost too dry for its own good. However, Anya Taylor-Joy does a pretty good job with the material. Every now and then the movie breaks the monotony of British dialogue and throws in some funny bits mostly by Bill Nighy... who does an excellent job playing the old curmudgeon father. I will say the best thing about this film for me was the set design and the costumes and Autumn de Wilde also does a great job directing it. Overall, it's a movie definitely not made for me, but I can see exclusively white females go crazy over it.
2.5/5