At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Black Narcissus]

Deerskin

A horror satire.

This was charming, eerie, and funny. I went in blind not seeing any trailers or reading reviews, just remember that this played at Cannes or Venice and most reactions were positive. Jean Dujardin really does a lot with so little, it is through him that he makes a lot of moments funny and charming all with a gloom face look to him. I gotta give the writer- director credit for doing a lot with a limited budget and schedule, he filmed all this in under 2 weeks. Never seen a story about a man's obsession with his jacket go this far.

8/10

 

[Kane52630]

Unhinged

Seems like an appropriate movie to watch on the eve of the 2020 election. I'll say before the madness really starts going, they did a decent job with the set up and made that early part seemed logical plot wise and tries to say something about road rage. Once the first death happens it free falls into pure madness. Russell Crowe really hams it up to 11 and never lets go. Although while she was good, they never made Caren Pistorius being a mother to a 16 year old believable, so it kinda takes you out. Once it gets into the over-exaggerated thriller territory, it becomes some dumb fun. Some of the deaths feel straight out of a Final Destination movie. Overall, it's a solid 'turn off your brain' thriller that is perfectly made for tv on a Saturday morning.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story

A mostly standard documentary that covers the creation of Ren & Stimpy and the rise and fall with the creator John K. It doesn't really do more than the average documentary that covers this kind of stuff even though the content deserves it. It mostly showcases John K's animation group Spumco who felt like a extremely talented frat party and how they were brought in to Nickelodeon. They do talk about John K's sexual allegations, but it's not nearly as in depth as it should be. The whole doc got all the makings of something you'd love to see a movie-fied version of... written by someone like Aaron Sorkin. Overall, it's mostly decent.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Ordinary Love

A extremely well acted drama about an older couple going through the trials and tribulations of having cancer. The filmmakers did a phenomenal job on making the story feel very real and understated and not showy or superficial at all. It really shows you the step by step process they have to do when being fronted by cancer and the toll it takes on their relationship. Along with the direction and the cinematography, the performances is what brings this movie up. Lesley Manville & Liam Neeson deliver some of their best performances, especially Liam Neeson who hasn't been this good in a while. Overall, for a really subtle movie, it's probably of the best movies of the year.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

On the Rocks

A mostly solid comfort movie from Sofia Coppola that takes you around Manhattan with some cliched plotting. Even taking out the Bill Murry of it all, it tries to resemble the same energy that went into Lost in Translation, but it never quite gets there. To me it really works when it's just Rashida Jones going through her day to day life and some of the hi-jinks that Bill Murry gets into. Marlon Wayans remembered he was serious actor at one point in his life... which was cool to see. As for the infidelity plot, it's something you've seen in sitcoms so many times before, so it's nothing really new or interesting. Overall it ends up being a fun hang, but there's nothing more after that.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

The New Mutants

Mentally this movie so wanted to be Dream Warriors meets Breakfast Club with a little bit of FX's Legion, but it ends up being more tolerable version of Fan4stic. This has a great concept and cast for an X-Men movie and it kinda works at the beginning and near the end. It's well shot and I dug the look and style of the movie. That being said, this clearly needed more time to develop the characters and the short hand stories of each characters wasn't enough. You can tell this needed reshoots because they even reuse footage from Logan. The Smiley Men section is probably the most exciting part of the movie and even that didn't last long. Some of the dialogue is what also brings it down, it's never as clever as it wants to be. Overall, it's an X-Men movie that had so much wasted potential that could've easily been avoided if it had more to show and more time to develop characters.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

His House

A stunning horror drama from a debut director that takes a look inside of a refugee couple living with trauma and guilt. For a first time feature director, Remi Weekes does a phenomenal job giving the story the emotional depth it deserves as well as the utterly creative visual horror that matches it. Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku are both incredible it and the twist and turns that come with their characters relationship. Along with a refugee metatext going on in the movie, there's also a assimilation message that still resonates today I also really dug what they do with the horror designs of the other characters, it's almost a horror painting come to life with certain shots. Overall, it's easily one of (if not the) best horror movies of the year. And I can't wait to see what Remi Weekes does next.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

Surprisingly didn't hate it. It's essentially a regular Spongebob episode stretched to an hour an a half, but with some of the most interesting animation I've ever seen since The Peanuts Movie. There's some fun moments with the cameos like Keanu Reeves and Snoop Dog and the overall plot seemed like they were trying probably in honor of Stephen Hillenburg. Overall, it's a decent animated movie for the fans.
3/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Chinatown

A rewatch, but with David Fincher and Robert Towne's commentary track. I've never heard Fincher be so fanboyish around anybody, but here he is enthusiastic, joking, asking questions that only one who seen this film dozens of times would ask. Fincher and Towne's back and forth is great.

 

[Kane52630]

Run

A phenomenal thriller that essentially puts Misery, Rear Window, and Carrie in a locked room together and let them rip. I don't want to give away the plot away, but they do such a great job creating the mom and daughter relationship and once stuff gets revealed, it slowly descends into a anxiety inducing drama. It's a perfect Sarah Paulson role and she really nails it, but Kiera Allen is the one that really steals the show considering how this is her first big role. As for Aneesh Chaganty, he does a wonderful job building the tension and story that felt natural and effortless. He is quickly becoming one of the best directors that can put out "edge of your seat" thrillers. If I had any plaints, it would probably be the over-familiarity with these kinds of thrillers, but it still works. Overall, it's easily one of the best movies this year and one that I wished I saw in theaters with a big crowd.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Dark and the Wicked

A decent atmospheric and bleak horror movie by Bryan Bertino that tackles grief in the family. While the horror side doesn't really stand out from the rest that do demon possession movies, the acting and the atmospheric dread keeps you invested. Marin Ireland really stands out from the rest of the cast and she does a great job. As a movie, it's a bit of a disappointment because it felt like it had more to say and show more of the horror towards the end. Overall, it's pretty good.
3/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Possessor

A literal mind**** by the son of David Cronenberg. Don't wanna give everything away plot wise, but it's if he had Scanners crossed with Under The Skin and The Cell with a little bit of Ghost in the Shell and Inception thrown in. Andrea Riseborough, who's always great in everything, delivers an all time performance and Christopher Abbott was incredible in it when it got to the 2nd half of the movie. In classic Cronenberg fashion, the body horror was gruesome in a bizarre way. Cinematography and the music was also excellent. That being said, I will say the movie is a bit rough around the edges, it's not as glossy as it wants to be and there's a bit of a pacing issue. Overall, it's worth checking out if you are a Cronenberg fan or a fan of trippy scifi horror films like Mandy.
4/5



@StarLord @Black Narcissus @Boom

Agreed with almost everything you said.

This is one of my favorite films of the year. Funny, I called it a mash up of Inception by way of Lynch. Got the same high feeling after watching this as I did after walking out of MANDY. Abbott continues to impress me, he was in my top 3 choices to play a new Bruce/Batman. The bloody horror moments didn't make me look away, but it was the more out of body moments which were bizarre and beautiful to look at which made me wince. I had no problem with the pacing, loved it from the opening to the ending. Eh, the only real character which kinda bothered me was played by Jennifer Jason-Lee, she played it too hammy for my taste, but nothing too big.

 

[Kane52630]

That ending tho...f**kin brutal.

 

[Kane52630]

Hillbilly Elegy

Where do I start with this one? It's without a doubt the Oscar bait movie of the year and while I'll say I didn't hate it, it's exactly the kind of movie that you'd see in parodies (in which, Kate McKinnon plays everyone). The movie has a checklist of all the cliches that a biopics usually gets, but more importantly, you can't escape that feeling that this film exists to appeal to the "All Lives Matter" demographic. As for the performances, they are all over the place. It goes from bad to decent, to overacting within a matter of seconds. Gabriel Basso, who's great in Kings of Summer, is so bland and charismatic here as JD Vance. On the opposite side, Amy Adams was overacting her ass off. It's like she was set to Julianne Moore from Mongolia and the handle broke off for the rest of the movie. The two performances I actually did like was Glenn Close and especially Haley Bennett who did look like they had it right despite how cliched it may look. I will say I can't really fault Ron Howard's direction because it's well put together for a movie like this, the problem is it's just too easy to make fun of it because it's basically the white version of that Uncle Ruckus as a child scene. Overall, it ends up right at the middle. It's not nearly as bad as everyone is saying because you can't keep your eyes off of the wild stuff that happens in it, but it's not what you want for something that is trying to go for that golden statue.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Fatman

Surprisingly a good b-movie that pits a harden Santa Claus in a snowy western vs an assassin played by Walton Goggins. I dug how the filmmakers set up this tongue in cheek action thriller where it does have plenty of humor, but also throw in some seriousness to balance it out, much like a Coen brothers movie. Putting aside the problematic nature of Mel Gibson, he was actually not bad as this reinvented version of Santa. Overall, this is exactly the kind of junkfood genre movie that is fun to sit through even though it's far from perfect or high brow enough to recommend.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Beach House

A solid Lovecraftian horror flick that takes a lot of influences from A Color Out of Space. With the Beach House, I like how it's a mostly average looking horror film at first, but it slowly builds some cosmic dread as it goes along and by the end you get some crazy atmospheric vibes. It's meticulously pretty quiet for the most part and I dug the conversations between the two couples before sh** hits the fan. And as for the performances, they're not bad, but nothing really remarkable. Overall, it's a horror movie that I'm glad I saw and would love to see what the director does next.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sound of Metal

A phenomenal movie that is both gut-wrenching and uplifting about a drummer who suddenly lost his hearing and is struggling about living with it. It's without a doubt an Oscar contender for Riz Ahmed who delivers one of the best performances of the year. The rest of the cast also did a great job especially Paul Raci who has one of the best memorable scenes in the movie. It's also really well put together on a filmmaking level. It does a great job playing with sound and allowing the audience to put into that headspace of what it is like to be deaf in a realistic way. Overall, while it may have some familiar plotting, it's one of the best movies of the year and one that I hope gets some Oscar recognition.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Happiest Season

A fun and light Christmas romcom that has all the things that you kinda want in a movie like this. I really dug Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis in this and how their relationship evolves throughout the movie. Aubrey Plaza has probably the more important role even though her storyline never quite resolves at the end. And it's probably the most chill role she's ever had. The comedy works more times than it didn't and I did really like the production/costume designs that made everything pop. Overall, it's pretty decent.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Freaky

A fun little horror film that combines Friday the 13th with Freaky Friday under the vision of Christopher Landon. While it never quite reach the heights that Happy Death Day (1&2) reached, there's plenty of stuff to like about it. The homage to Friday the 13th in the opening is really well done and kinda sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Vince Vaughn & Kathryn Newton are really good in it even though you never bought Kathryn Newton playing a regular unattractive nobody (or maybe that's part of the satire). It's got some pretty good laughs and the 80s slasher gore to balance it out. Overall, better than expected, but it could've been so much better like Happy Death Day or The Final Girls.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Mank

For cinephiles and fans of old Hollywood, it's a beautifully crafted film by David Fincher. If you're not either of those things, this film can be a struggle to get through. The story is about Herman Mankiewicz and script he developed that would become Citizen Kane. And so, the film uses the style and flair of Orson Welles and framed just like Citizen Kane. Much like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and especially The Artist, it uses the love for old Hollywood and its backroom politics as the plot of the movie. It goes deep into how studios used to function and the people that ran it like MGM & RKO. The main cast has some great performances, especially Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lilly Collins, and Arliss Howard. While the performances are great, it kinda takes a backseat once the style of Citizen Kane really takes over in the later half of the film (for example, the incredibly well done GOP party scene). Overall, It's a movie I dug a lot even though it's not a film for everyone... unless you're already a fan of the material or David Fincher.
4/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Freaky

Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn are pretty damn great in this. Plenty of moments we've all seen in other flicks, but they still make it work. Great homage to the Friday 13th flicks as well. This is fun with a lot of charm. Minor complaint is they try to make us feel for Newton via bullying and her being the ugly gal, which is laughable and it comes out forced. I still don't know if this done on purpose as part of the 80s/90s cliche things we saw in them movies, when the ''ugly lame gal'' puts on some lipstick and a leather jacket and all of a sudden she's hot and popular. You just can't buy it here, still damn fun tho.
Worth the rental price.

 

[Kane52630]

Black Bear

I don't wanna give anything away, but it's a phenomenal film that shines a light on a toxic process in artistic filmmaking. The film does a great job setting up what the plot it ends up being in the 2nd half of the movie despite some of the melodrama. It goes without saying that Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, & Sarah Gadon are all incredible in it... especially Aubrey Plaza who delivers her best role to date. She's ready to finally get some award season recognition. Overall, one of my favorite movies of the year. It's one of those movies where you can't keep your eyes off of it.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Let Him Go

A brilliantly well done neonoir western which captures and combines that delicate indie side of storytelling with a pulpy action thriller. I don't wanna give away much of the plot, but it's essentially a story about how much is family and legacy worth. It's also a great actors movie. Without a doubt, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are both phenomenal in this, but Lesley Manville steals the show by showing up and chewing all the scenery. There's also a great Booboo Stewart performance that is pretty subtle. They do such a good job creating tension and keeping you on the edge of your seat. It reminds me so much of recent neowesterns like Cold in July and Blue Ruin. There's some great direction and when the action part hits, it's pretty much earned. Overall, one of the better movies of the year and definitely worth checking out if you're remotely a fan of westerns.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Come Play

Larry just wants to watch Spongebob with somebody, is that too much to ask? It's without a doubt a Babadook knockoff, but there's some inspired stuff that they do with this concept that tackles topics like autism and technophobia. I will say the movie starts off pretty strong and the direction/camera work is actually really well done. It starts to fall apart once it keeps pushing the jump scares and the overuse of footage from Spongebob brings it down for me. That being said, I actually dug the monster design and how it was used in the movie. Overall, not bad. While it's a knockoff of a better movie, there's stuff to like about this.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Songbird

Michael Bay's Contagion. That's pretty much the summation of the movie. It takes the covid19 and ramp it up to more extreme measures and what you end up getting is a poor knockoff of The Purge. I get they shot it during the pandemic and while it's kinda impressive what they got out of it on a production level, this still feels uninspired and cheap. It's got a sizable cast like Demi Moore, Alexandra Daddario & Bradley Whitford, but Peter Stormare was probably the only entertaining part of the movie. Overall, while it has a couple good moments... it mostly fails as a movie.
1.5/5