At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

Palm Springs

Loved it. It's a charming romcom that essentially takes the Groundhog Day concept and combines it with 50 First Dates, but in a Judd Apatow/Andy Samberg style comedy. Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg are really great in this and their chemistry is what sells the movie. I also dug supporting cast. Camila Mendes, Meredith Hagner Tyler Hoechlin and J. K. Simmons all have some really good moments in here and the comedy mostly works. Overall, definitely one of the best movies of the year. It's also eerily the perfect movie to watch during the Covid times. Also, this would pair perfectly with Happy Death Day (1& 2).
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Greyhound

Battleship Simulator: The Movie. It's essentially a WWII film that looks at the day to day operations at a US Battleship during a mission. There's no real character development except for Tom Hank and even then, it's very thin. There's some notable actors in the supporting cast, but they don't really do much. A lot of the movie goes through all the jargon and commands that go with the Navy and it doesn't stop to explain anything, it tries to be as authentic as possible. Aside from a few action scenes that really work, it's all mostly sterile and plain. It almost feels like it was made for the History channel with a slightly bigger budget. Overall, not bad but not great.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Relic

A very subdued and slow burn haunted house film that takes a look at old age and motherhood. While it's got horror and atmosphere, it's not the main focus and the performances between Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, & Bella Heathcote is what keeps this movie afloat. It takes until the final act for things to get really interesting and where it ends elevates the whole movie. Overall, pretty solid.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

First Cow

If Bob Ross made a movie about cooking and outdoor adventure in the 19th century, it would probably look like this. For a movie about capitalism on the Oregon Trail, like a Bob Ross painting, this was absolutely mesmerizing and relaxing to watch. Kelly Reichardt does a phenomenal job directing it and making the frontier life feel as naturalistic and gentle as possible. Solid chemistry with the two main leads and how all of that unravels. Overall, I loved it. It's probably the most wholesome and gentle film A24 has done so far.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Valley Girl

Gotta say, I'm surprised at by how much I dug it. It's a remake of the 80s film where they made it into a jukebox musical with a bunch of 80s songs. Story is pretty straight forward even though it's cliched. I thought they struck a nice balance where they went for that corny musical aesthetic in a authentic way and played it straight, but is also self aware of itself. In a way, it's kinda comparable to how The Final Girls was self aware of itself in the horror genre, but also plays it straight when it needs to. I was really impressed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, who directed it, and the cinematography was really spot on for the hyperstylized 80s aesthetic they were going for. The cast was pretty solid and Jessica Rothe continues to do no wrong. It was almost as if she was born to play this kind of role. Overall, really good.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Bacurau

Incredible stuff. If you combined some of the attributes of Assault on Precinct 13 with Seven Samurai with The Wild Bunch, you'd probably get this film. It's got all the markings of a spaghetti western or a b movie inside of a Brazilian social injustice drama. The movie starts off pretty poignant as it explores a small town in Brazil and by the 2nd half it descends into b-movie level bloodsoaked madness in such a satisfying way. The filmmaking side is pretty well done and as well as the performances. Also to my surprise, John Carpenter came in to create the theme music for the movie and it's possibly one of his best works yet. Overall, it's a must see if you're a fan of the 70s style action dramas.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Above Suspicion

It's a based on a true story noir crime drama that feels like it belongs on the Lifetime network. It starts off sorta decent with Emilia Clarke narrating the story and whats to come (who btw does put on a thick southern accent), but it quickly becomes contrived like a bad soap opera. It's a shame what they do to Jack Huston who plays the FBI agent that gets into an affair with Clarke who's the informant, they give him shoddy material to work with. The writing is what kills any momentum this movie has, it's so much made for tv bull****. The movie puts way more emphasis on the weak love triangle that they forget the supporting cast all together. And what they do with the last 20 minutes was kinda hilarious. Overall, it's pretty generic and banal.
1.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Rental

A solid slow burn horror film that takes Joe Swanberg's mumblecore style and tone and adds a slasher element to it. It's sorta similar to Karen Kusama’s The Invitation if it took the Friday the 13th/The Collector route with it set in an Airbnb. They do a good job setting up characters for it all to crumble down in the 3rd act and the message of the film can't be any more relevant today. Dave Franco does a solid job directing it and adding some stylistic flair to it. The cast was pretty solid... particularly Dan Stevens, Sheila Vand, & Alison Brie. That being said, I will say through the movie is not overly complicated or trying to do more than it's required. It does exactly what you expect it to do. Overall, I dug it.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

An American Pickle

Surprisingly not the schlocky comedy that this could've easily been. It's a sentimental dramady that is more concerned on the relationship between the Seth Rogens rather than the jokes. There's some solid moments every now and then and they hit on some topical issues like cancel culture and assimilation, but the movie doesn't feel fully realized. As it goes along, it feels like a 90 minute SNL skit which I don't mind persay. It also feels very low budget. Overall, it's alright, but it could've been better.
3/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Tax Collector

Written and Directed by David Ayer.

Where to begin. Many hispanic and film plot cliches aside, I was willing to overlook all that for what the trailer sold us. Two hood friends on a mission to rescue ones family from satanic worshiping cartel members. This kinda builds up to that and then takes a sharp right turn. Shia was good with what he had, but without going into spoilers...He got them tattoos for nothing and it makes me laugh so much. I mean that almost badboys for life moment of two homies/brothers going to unleash hell on them mf doesn't happen. It almost feels like Ayer tried to change what the viewer was expecting him to do and did the opposite with said character, just a waste. The other lead isn't very good to be honest. I did like the main latina who I don't remember her character's name, but I'll call her hot wife #1. George Lopez was pretty good with his limited screen time tho. I'm disappointed to say this ain't worth a watch. I'm kinda angry I paid for this. Man, if only Ayer stuck to the plan, stuck with that moment between the two ready to unleash hell, if only.

4/10

 

[Kane52630]

The Tax Collector

It's a crime thriller that felt like a highlight reel of a tv show that would've been on FX or Netflix 5-10 years ago. To no ones surprise, it's got a bucket full of LA Latino gang cliches that David Ayer put all over the screen. It was as if he was trying to make his own Sopranos, but it lacks any nuance and subtlety. Storywise, it's got a lot of soap opera schlock that could be fun if that was the direction they were going for from the start. That being said, there are some good moments that I enjoyed. But those moments could've been even better if this was a tv show. I thought Shia LaBeouf was pretty good even though he's actually not the main star. Overall, didn't hate or loved it, it just felt like another direct to video schlock with a little bit more money thrown in.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

So, these past months I've been going back and watching old films that I've missed and it gave me a great idea. Since I haven't done top 10s prior to 2010, I thought I should start doing some starting with 1999 and working my way to 2009.

I'm almost done with 1999 so, I thought I'd ask everyone reading this, what is your top 10 of 1999? I'm looking for recs.

@Boom @flickchick85 @Black Narcissus @kvz5 @DarthSkywalker

 

[Black Narcissus]

So, these past months I've been going back and watching old films that I've missed and it gave me a great idea. Since I haven't done top 10s prior to 2010, I thought I should start doing some starting with 1999 and working my way to 2009.

I'm almost done with 1999 so, I thought I'd ask everyone reading this, what is your top 10 of 1999? I'm looking for recs.

@Boom @flickchick85 @Black Narcissus @kvz5 @DarthSkywalker

That can be a tough one as 99 had great flicks and also a lot of over rated ones. Always never cared for American Beauty.

I'd say my top 5 in no particular order are:

Eyes Wide Shut
The Matrix
Fight Club
Galaxy Quest
Office Space

And that ain't even counting some of the great foregin ones that I need to rewatch.

 

[flickchick85]

So, these past months I've been going back and watching old films that I've missed and it gave me a great idea. Since I haven't done top 10s prior to 2010, I thought I should start doing some starting with 1999 and working my way to 2009.

I'm almost done with 1999 so, I thought I'd ask everyone reading this, what is your top 10 of 1999? I'm looking for recs.

@Boom @flickchick85 @Black Narcissus @kvz5 @DarthSkywalker

You've probably seen all my faves of that year, but in no particular order:

Magnolia
Galaxy Quest
The Matrix
Election
Fight Club
The Iron Giant
Being John Malkovich
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Insider
Dogma

And don't forget the rom-com for our times: Blast from the Past!

 

[Black Narcissus]

You've probably seen all my faves of that year, but in no particular order:


Dogma

And don't forget the rom-com for our times: Blast from the Past!

I rewatched this gem the other day. I can never hate on Alicia Silverstone.

 

[kvz5]

I got 11. Fight me

10 Things I Hate About You
Eyes Wide Shut
Cruel Intentions
Election
The Green Mile
The Insider
Nothing Hill
The Matrix
Magnolia
The Sixth Sense
Fight Club

 

[Kane52630]

Thanks for the recs.

I should have my top 10 ready in a few more days and move on to 2000.

 

[Kane52630]

Project Power

I dug it a lot. It tries to be a more grounded take on the mutant power genre with chemistry between the main characters at the heart of the movie. I thought Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman did a phenomenal job directing this and I love their neon infused aesthetic. With the way the movie operates, it reminds me a lot of the movie Kin by the Baker brothers if it had a much bigger budget with a lot more action. The score was also impressive. Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, & Dominique Fishback were great together and the banter between them are a lot of fun. If I had any complaints, it would probably be the main villains who don't get a lot of screen time. As much as I love the writing for everything else, their motivations are pretty underdeveloped and straightforward. Overall, I thought it's a solid Netflix movie that checks a lot of boxes for me for movies like this.
3.5/5

 

[Mysteryman]

You've probably seen all my faves of that year, but in no particular order:

Magnolia
Galaxy Quest
The Matrix
Election
Fight Club
The Iron Giant
Being John Malkovich
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Insider
Dogma

And don't forget the rom-com for our times: Blast from the Past!

Blast from the Past is one of my faves. I didn't think anyone remembered that one.

 

[flickchick85]

Blast from the Past is one of my faves. I didn't think anyone remembered that one.

I was just inspired by this thread to give it a re-watch. Still a charming flick.

But damn was Brendan Fraser's hairline distracting! I'm convinced they straight-up used the shoe polish method in some scenes.

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Hater

A rewatch within a few days.

I might just be over hyping the hell out of this, but this is the best film of the year so far. Granted, that ain't saying much right now, but it stays with you. Hell, this is so good, I won't be surprised if we got a hollywood remake. The lead actor already kinda looks like Tye Sheridan, so there's your lead right there. Netflix got into a small indie bidding war with A24 over this and they never advertised this on the front page, no real social media marketing, just good word of mouth, that is how I came upon it. I suggest not seeing ANY trailers as they give a lot of it away. I also suggest not to watch the english dubbed version.

@Kane52630

 

[Kane52630]

Boys State

A phenomenal documentary that takes a look inside the political summer program in Austin for high school kids where two groups create a mock election. It's essentially a sociopolitical Lord of the Flies in a lot of ways as you follow some key people throughout the doc and showcases how politics can turn ugly fast. The doc does a solid job in making you choose sides and actively gets you involved with who you want to win. It also gives you a fascinating yet also bleak look into the future of politics and politicians in the US. As far as filmmaking goes, it's really remarkable and keeps you invested the entire time and on top of that, with it taking place in Austin, you feel like you're watching a Richard Linklater film. Overall, it's probably one of the best (if not the best) documentary of the year.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Before I make my top 10 of 1999, here's some quick reviews that I've seen for the first time all the way through.


Election
Loved it. Aside from a questionable subplot, this was a solid satire on the political process and a hilarious rivalry between a overachieving student and a "You think you're better than me?" teacher. I like how it's a breezy and light film, but has all of these undertones and subtext that goes with it. Great cast all together, but Reese Witherspoon & Matthew Broderick were the standouts.

8mm
It's a schlocky crime mystery-noir by the time it ends, but I dug it. I like how promising it starts off, but as it goes along it becomes very genrey. What really works about the movie is it's Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix and their interaction. Also, the score was an interesting choice.

American Beauty
This might be the most problematic film to get Best Picture and with each year ages even more poorly. It tires to be a satire on suburbia, but it never quite get there and it gets lost on itself countless times. I will say I did like Sam Mendes's directing and cinematography work. There are a couple scenes that worked (none of which was a VHS tape of a flying plastic bag) and some great performances even if they're problematic.

Magnolia
Didn't expect to love it as much as I did. For PTA, this is him building his own 3 hour Rube Goldberg machine and letting the initial ball roll. It's such an impressive cast all together including Tom Cruise & Julianne Moore who pretty much stole the show for me. It's also got some relevance to today that I liked and I like how out of nowhere it ends.

The Insider
Loved it. It's the dad movie of 1999. This has a great Al Pacino performance and despite the accent that goes in and out, I liked per-Gladiator Russell Crowe. Genius casting with Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace who delivered one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie. It's for the most part a solid whistleblower story and they do a great job making it concise and straightforward.

Galaxy Quest
I will say I've seen parts of it, but never the whole thing. But now having seen it, it's a fun homage/riff to Star Trek that goes through all the familiar tropes in a meta/loving way. Much like Starship Troopers, this movie is kinda a head of its time and instantly rewatchable. Loved the cast and it's possibly the best Sigourney Weaver has ever looked.

More to come...

 

[Kane52630]

Dogma
It's no Clerks, or Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back, or even Mallrats, but it's a decent Kevin Smith film where the cast kinda saves the movie. Really liked Linda Fiorentino in this and it's a shame how her career went. Even though it's a comedian doing standup in a movie, I thought Chris Rock was great here. And Matt Damon and Ben Affleck seemed to be having the most fun.

End of Days
One of the few Arnold movies that I never got around to and, much like a lot of Arnold movies, it manages to be both utterly ridiculous and super entertaining. Of all the movies from 99, this one feels the most 1999 partially due to the Y2K-ness of the plot plus the NYC setting. Arnold was great and I really liked Robin Tunney who does a great job pulling off that vulnerable but scrappy character who's in peril. What really puts this over for me was the hilarious 666/1999 scene and the ending.

The Cider House Rules
The Oscar bait film of 1999 and of course it's got the Weinsteins backing it. That being said, as much as it feels like a sappy drama that feels manipulated, I actually enjoyed it for what it is. Seeing Tobey MaGuire, Charlize Theron, Paul Rudd, & Michael Caine in a movie together was a wild to see in retrospect. It's got a Charles Dickens plot that I didn't mind even though it's so textbook. I thought performance wise Delroy Lindo stands out the most, even though the movie wasn't about his character.

Eyes Wide Shut

An incredibly shot and well produced film with a less than remarkable story that becomes so noticeably self-indulgent and long. Aside from the mansion segment, which is the only memorable part of the movie, there's a lot of padding that doesn't really say anything interesting. Performance wise, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were fine, but nothing really mindblowing. For Kubrick's last movie, I guess he wanted to go out horny as hell.

Fight Club
So here's the thing, I only reason why I never saw the whole movie was because I spoiled myself with the ending/twist years ago and never had the time to go back. Now that I have... yeah it's a masterpiece. It's David Fincher at his most experimental and creative. Even knowing the ending going in, it's such an incredible experience. It's one of those movies that manages to capture the low and high brow of storytelling and merge them together seamlessly.

 

[Kane52630]

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