At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

I'm not reading this because I want to see this movie going in almost completely blind next week. This one I have high hopes for.

That's probably the best bet, but I must warn you do not expect it to be action filled.

 

[NDX]

That's probably the best bet, but I must warn you do not expect it to be action filled.

That was not a problem. Cage and Wolff were damn good in this. Not at all what I was expecting but it was better for it.

Looking at my top 10 I might have to rearrange things as I feel it should be higher but still under In The Earth. Time to get the old thinker thinking.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Blood Red Sky

Vampires on a plane! Terrorist group tries to hijack a plane, while a vampire is among the passengers, what can possibly go wrong? I appreciate the director taking this premise seriously and does so with care and with whatever limited budget he had. A few cliches aside, this was a real solid movie. I was very impressed with the look of the lead vampire, that nosferatu visual look was on point. Lead actress (Peri Baumeister) keeps this whole thing together. I wasn't annoyed by the kid actor who plays her son, but they gave that kid way too much to do imo, but eh, it doesn't take away from this being a worthy vampire flick.

7/10

 

[NDX]

I tried to watch that but there was so much German in the beginning and I had no access to subtitles so I had to turn something else on. I'll try to revisit it another time.

 

[Kane52630]

Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins

A pretty basic solo action film that takes a page from a lot of superhero origin movies and surprisingly enough, Point Break & Fast and Furious. The first half sets up and explores the Arashikage Clan and while a lot of what happens isn't really new, they do a somewhat decent job checking those boxes on a story level. The 2nd half pretty much uses the MCU playbook on trying to set up the GI Joe universe and they don't really fully pull it off. I will say the performances weren't too bad, I kinda dig the Henry Golding/Andrew Koji dynamic here that play off like Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Sadly, they don't give Samara Weaving and Iko Uwais too much to do screen time wise which was a shame. The action itself was half decent, but they relied too much on that close up Jason Bourne fight scenes that ruins it. Overall, it's probably not gonna win over most people even though they try to set up a universe, but I kinda dig it as a throwback to the mid-2000s where so many studios try to make their own superhero movies and failed.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Old

The answer is The Missouri Breaks!

This was such an oddity from start to finish and a lot of it stem from M Night's deliberate choices he makes throughout the film. This movie is somewhere between Lost and The Happening and I feel like its goal was to try to be something like Circle from 2015, but it never does. I dig the overall concept even though it needed some heavy retooling even though I get where they're trying to say. The actors in this movie is so bafflingly stiff while delivering basic dialogue (Vicky Krieps being the worst), it felt like it was done on purpose to dumb it down for everyone to understand. I will say though the only one that was given some sort of depth or complexity was Abbey Lee. Some of M Night signature direction and cinematography feels off here for some reason and I feel like his cameo was mistakenly too long and on the nose. As for the twist that explains everything, it's pretty much unimportant to the story it's trying to tell which was weird. Overall, it's a wild and perplexing ride that is almost so bad it's good.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Ain't Them Body Saints

I don't normally post reviews of older films, but I finally got around to David Lowery's first film which is the only one I haven't seen from him. Overall, I thought was a phenomenal take on the Bonnie and Clyde trope where it's got the basic plot structure of a romantic bank robbery set in the west, but it uses David Lowery's sensibilities and stillness to carry the film in his own way. All the performances was great as expected, but I really dug the scenes with Keith Carradine. This also feels like a companion piece to A Ghost Story considering they also got Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck as the stars and weirdly enough Assassination of Jesse James. Solid film all over and I can't wait to see what David Lowery does in The Green Knight.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Green Knight

A phenomenal and poetic medieval tale that does capture the essence of the Green Knight story through David Lowery's style. It has more or less the pace of his previous film, A Ghost Story, where the film is constantly droning around as it tells its story which isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea especially if they're expecting Game of Thrones levels of action and suspense. It uses a lot of mood and atmosphere to help tell the story about the ideas of heroism and chivalry. While a lot might feel aimless in the middle, the movie does stick the landing and everything, especially in the last 15 minutes, makes it really worthwhile (which also reminded me of A Ghost Story). Dev Patel manages to do a lot through his performance without having heavy dialogue, Alicia Vikander does have a couple of very interesting sense, and Joel Edgerton livin things up a bit with a very Joel Edgerton role. I also really dug all the supporting cast like Sean Harris as King Arthur and Sarita Choudhury as Morgan Le Fay, but Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight was phenomenal. The visuals was an acid trip and a half with some haunting and well staged images. Overall, I loved it. It's exactly what you'd expect from a David Lowery film about medieval knights to be with more money to play with which will undoubtedly disappoint and bore the vast majority.
4.5/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Green Knight

This is a burning snail of a masterpiece. I loved it took its time to get there. I think the folks around my seating area were expecting more action or whatever they thought the trailer sold them on. I clearly heard chatter of 'what is this film?' and 'I don't get it', and the audience got uncomfortable in certain scenes. I took it all in! Let thy sin my palette into ever glory! I also could've easily paid the premium and watch it at home, but that is a complaint for another thread. This is by far David Lowery's best film. Hell, I'd say he'd be a lock for at least a best director nom. Dev Patel is a bloody great actor. He truly is great here. You see and feel every damn thing through him. I'm also very pleased to say Alicia Vikander does her thing. She has the type of look and presence that when ever she is on screen one can't take their eyes off of her, you follow her in every damn frame.

When the ending hits, I smiled. I knew them groans would come and they did.

I couldn't be happier!

4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

Surprisingly fun for a kids film and in some ways is a vast improvement over the first film. This one is fully aware of itself that it is a sequel to a goofy animated/live action kids film based on a book and it rolls with it. The meta aspects is what I dug the most and the cleverness from all the characters is what keeps this movie afloat. At one point the film even pokes fun of James Corden who voices Peter Rabbit. A lot of the jokes hit better this time around and the slapstick and gags with Domhnall Gleeson (who is hamming it up big time) also works. Overall, while it's no Paddington or Shaun the Sheep, this does have a bit more to offer than the usual kids film which was shocking.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Jungle Cruise

A pretty obvious Pirate of the Caribbean clone that Disney hopes could turn into another franchise based on a Disney ride. The blueprint is all over this from the plot, staging, and characters, only it's not as clever as they think it is. And production wise, it fails in comparison considering the amount of green screen and obvious sets that this has. The only thing keeping this movie really together is the chemistry between The Rock and Emily Blunt and some interesting subversion of certain characters and moments. The comedy also sometimes works and having The Rock play someone somewhat different from the characters he has always played, it was a bit a relief. There's also some weird moments throughout it from the Metallica cover of "Nothing Else Matters" (that they played twice) to some choices they do in a certain flashback. Overall, It kinda feels all over the place, yet they still played it safe for the most part.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Gunpowder Milkshake

That gun knife is pretty badass, not gonna lie...

It's a neon-noir action thriller that has some good intentions, but they don't really fully realized its plot or characters. In a way, this feels like a combination of John Wick, Shoot Em Up, and oddly enough the Expendables. It's extremely flashy and has style over substance and while they try to attempt for some substance, they don't really get there. It's a lot of on the surface story about a girl who becomes a badass assassin who is trying to reconnect to her assassin mom and the secret organizations surrounding them. There's not more they do after that and that kinda hurt most of the films potential. It's also way too long and the film does drag at times. That said, I did enjoy the all the people they got here like Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, and Paul Giamatti who all got their moment to shine. Also really dug the director and the cinematographer who shot this because despite its low budget, they do try to make it look somewhat expensive. Overall, it's an okay stylish action flick that I wish had more to offer in the script.
2.5/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Suicide Squad

'Bring me the heads of the Suicide Squad!' When I saw this right here, I came to finally get Gunn. It goddamn made me smile, I bet most folks won't get that reference, but those who do, know the deal.

This was a lot of fun. Yes, this is Gunn's best film so far. I also was never a fan of his GOTG flicks, but his style just pretty much came together here with these characters and with that R.

Margot once again is great as HQ. Her action scenes are top notch here and the best we've seen her in so far.

Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher II is the best of all skwad members for me. Gunn found a gem here with her casting.

Elba is once again great, but that is to be expected. His motivation was a bit too much Deadshot for my taste tho, but that is a minimal nitpick.

Cena was pretty good here, but not sure that was enough for me to follow him into his own series, but we shall see. I mean, Gunn gotta give that sexy blonde of a gf of his some acting gigs, so here she goes along side Peacemaker.

Kinnaman seemed more chill and fun here. Eh.

Also, say what you want about the DCEU in general, but there are none mcu stand alone flicks that look like this.

Walking talking Shark was fun.

4/5

 

[Kane52630]

THE Suicide Squad

Shout out to Milton, the MVP.

This is everything I could hoped it to be and then some. James Gunn managed to recapture that magic he had when he made the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. This is the Suicide Squad done right and it uses James Gunn's experience from Troma films and Marvel to great effect. It's both utterly gruesome and hilariously goofy and it walks that tightrope right down the middle like it was easy. It is absolutely well directed and smoothly edited and everything flowed naturally. The story itself is like a combination of The Dirty Dozen with the Great Escape with a little bit of The Wild Bunch thrown in inside of a superhero... or supervillain setting. The opening itself takes you by surprise and it does a good job letting the audience know, anyone can be taken out. They do a great job setting up the stakes and the solid character development among the main stars especially Ratchater 2, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, and Polka-Dot Man. And I love that the smaller quieter scenes are as important (if not more) as the bigger... more starfishy scenes. Speaking of, I loved how they used Starro here and they weren't afraid to go full Kaiju with all the horror and destruction that comes with it. Overall, I loved it. It's pretty much as perfect of a movie DC has done since Shazam or The Dark Knight. And it really makes you wonder "What if" DC had their sh** together and hired the right people who knew what they were doing post-Nolan's Batman trilogy. Either way, I'm looking forward to the Peacemaker show.
5/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

I had to kidnap you so you'd get to know me. I'm sure you'll get to love me as I love you. 23 years old, I have 50,000 pesetas, and I'm alone in the world. I'll try to be a good husband to you and a good father to your children. Antonio Banderas' character 'Ricky' says this to our lead actress as he kidnaps her and ties her up.

Pedro Almodovar with such damn elegance and perverse sensibilities walks a fine line. A fine line between sexism, absurd plot points and sexy moments with a depressing shadow lurking. This film is very much 80s. Again, everything in this film should be like a stalker type horror, but It's more of a love story than a horror story. Almodovar some how turns this on you and makes you cheer for them in the end, it was a bizarre feeling, but done masterfully by a great director. There is also a film within a film plot point going on here, with side fun characters.

Lola: You're crazy! How can you love a kidnapper who ties you up? You think that's normal? You must be in shock. You can't be that kinky!

4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

A fairly decent documentary about the life and death of Anthony Bourdain that gradually becomes something more engaging. Trying to put the discourse surrounding it aside and just watching it for what it is... It's a documentary that almost plays like an episode of his show where while it might be talking about something fairly standard like food and travel or in this case how Anthony Bourdain got his start becoming a chef, but it's truly searching for meaning and purpose and the complexity that comes with it. I thought Morgan Neville did a good job trying to throw a wide enough net that tries to get into the heart of why everyone loved Anthony Bourdain, but it also shows his struggles as an addict and his mental well being that spiraled out of control. Overall, I thought it was really well made despite some questionable things in it.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Don't Breathe 2

A schlocky sequel with some interesting moments. It's honestly a bold move on their part to switch the antagonist to the protagonist especially after the events on the last film. Plot wise they try to find a way to do it by introducing a group of guys who are far more despicable than he is. It's an interesting strategy that I don't think work ultimately and some things didn't felt earned. What the movie really becomes is a series of well directed action/horror set pieces in a single home in the vein of Panic Room and a Friday the 13th sequel. Despite the plot, I thought Stephen Lang was really good here even though him acting blind goes in and out. Madelyn Grace stands out the most in the movie who plays the girl, who was great, where they don't rely on the annoying kid trait. There's some twists in here that kinda hammer in how clever but schlocky the film is, but I dug it. Overall, while it's doesn't really reach the heights of the original, it does have enough entertainment value.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Free Guy

A pretty good video game comedy at the end of the day. It makes no bones that it's a collection of "done before" stories ranging from Tron to the Truman Show to The Lego Movie... to even stuff like They Live, the Matrix, and Ready Player One all set in a GTA or Fortnite like world seen through the perspective of an NPC. I will say a lot of the trailers made it out looking like it's just Ryan Reynolds wildin out in a video game world, and while that might be true, they do have something more complex with the other characters mainly Jodie Comer and Joe Keery who are great in here and they serve a bigger role in this. The action and effects are top tier and exaggerated which does add to the overall theme of the movie. While I don't think every joke landed (and a lot of the misses goes to Taika Waititi shockingly), there's plenty of humor that worked and some cameos that pretty much stole the movie. Overall, pretty good in the sense that it's a charming big blockbuster that is trying to juggle a lot of things that try appeal to a lot of folks.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Night House

A solid slow paced horror film that leans more on the drama side that deals with suicide, grief, guilt, and looking for resolve. In a way it feels like a combination of What Lies Beneath and the recent Invisible Man under David Bruckner's vision who made The Ritual. It's yet another film where Rebecca Hall's performance takes up most of the movie and she knocks it out the park in here. There's some phenomenal camera work, lighting, and angles/camouflaging that takes place on the horror side that really adds to the film. Also, by far one of the best movie houses/summer homes I've seen in a long time even if it's "haunted". The overall message seemed to be subtext, but it just became text which I didn't mind and there's some subversion and some twists that I thought were interesting. My only complaint is I was hoping there would be more when they wrapped it up at the end. Overall, while I don't think it's as good as The Ritual, it's just right up there with a lot of my favorite horror dramas.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Coda

A truly genuine coming of age film about a family who is deaf except for the daughter set in a fishing community in Massachusetts. It's got that real indie filmmaking that you'd see back in the Little Miss Sunshine days where it's got the fluffy lighter moments on top of everyone getting their fair share of dramatic scenes. It also gets a lot of things right and avoid a lot of common traps where things get contrive just for the plot to keep going. It centers on Emilia Jones who plays the daughter and she is phenomenal in here and they do a good job showcasing how much she's juggling between school and home. Even though a lot of scenes feel like they've been done before, they do it under the microscope of the deaf community and how that factors into everything. I also love how well it was shot where everything had natural lighting that helps make the story feel that more real. Overall, it's great family drama that excels on a lot of things most films like this fail on and I can't wait to see what Sian Heder does next.
4/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Zola

This is definitely a Florida movie. I don't know what it is about that place, but this capture the mood and setting of a 48hr trip down there.

Taylour Paige and Riley Keough both give oscar worthy performances. Both bring layers to their characters and so easily emotionally transition between them. This was also very funny, tragic, sad etc, but done so with care, considering the original material. I think James Franco was originally attached to direct before he got cancelled. Taylour Paige alluded to that version of the script not being to her liking. Director Janicza Bravo absolutely kills it. She is one to look out for. This was also a lot of fun to watch. I was never bored. Overall this is one of the best films of the year.

4/5

 

[Black Narcissus]

Deadlock

Directed by Roland Klick.

This felt like the director took the last 20 minutes of 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly' and made a bleak movie out of that. Also, there is no way one of the Coen Bros/ Cormac McCarthy see this and wasn't inspire by it, even a bit. Opening sequence alone was basically No Country For Old Men. None of these characters are likable,but this is shot in a bizarre and often disorientating way, some other reviews called this a psychedelic thriller. Director Roland Klick didn't direct much movies, and very little on where he is at now in his 80s, last real interview with him was in the late 90s and he bought some farm and was growing crops and 'mushrooms', he had a real rock n roll/grunge style. I think he was a better version of Alex Cox.

This also gave me Sam Peckinpah vibes in certain scenes. A good double feature with 'Two Lane Blacktop'.

4/5

@weezerspider

Let me know if you've seen this yet.

 

[Kane52630]

Reminiscence

An excruciating melodramatic scifi noir that so wants to be Chinatown meets Blade Runner/Inception, but it ends up being another Transcendence which is funny because it's by Lisa Joy who is also from the Nolansphere. The film immediately starts losing you with Hugh Jackman's narration which is nothing but cliched phrases. It simultaneously spoon feeds you information but then it tries to throw you off with its non-linear set up. A lot of the more exciting scenes fall flat for the most part although the movie probably peaked when when they eventually used the technology to solve a crime. Acting wise, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, and Cliff Curtis are technically pretty good, but it's a waste of performances because they are trying to deliver some really basic mundane dialogue the best way they can. The only positives I have for this is the world building, the cinematography, and the art deco production design which are indeed really well done. Overall, much like Transcendence, this was a mostly forgettable movie that could have easily been a classic.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

Stillwater

A mostly decent film that kinda feels like three films mixed together. It happens to be a very loose adaptation of the Amanda Knox story, a indie drama about a redneck American getting worldly by traveling and learning French culture, and a bizarre Taken style thriller that goes left field. It's a very good Matt Damon performance, but I also thought Abigail Breslin, Camille Cottin, and Lilou Siauvaud did a fantastic job. It's also really well directed and I thought they did a good job letting a lot of the scenes breathe and make it feel lived in. There are some parts towards the end that does feel out of place and rushed which kinda brings the movie down a bit, but overall it's worth a watch.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Candyman

A mostly phenomenal sequel that takes the independent film sensibilities and insert it into a mainstream horror structure. Nia Decosta did an unbelievable job directing this by trying to capture the essence of the first film. Whether its the cinematography of Chicago, the atmosphere, the music that sounds like Philip Glass, the grounded performances, or the story structure, they were able to update it for modern times while also using new creative techniques like the shadow puppets. I will say that I dug some of the retcons that help expand the lore of Candyman and help fit in many social issues that does feel natural even if it might be a little heavy handed. The kills are pretty brutal, the body horror is great, and they incorporate some inventive shots with the mirrors and reflections that keeps you scanning the entire room in every scene. Performance wise, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Teyonah Parris, and Colman Domingo, as expected, are amazing in this. My only complaint is the last 15 minutes of this felt a bit rushed. It almost feels like there's a longer cut that helps marinate that last part where things go crazy and conventional. Overall, a really great sequel to a franchise that still has something to say.
4/5