Cinema Playground Journal 2023: Week 12 (My Cinema Playground)

Multiplex Madness

A Good Person

⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Drama

Director:  Zack Braff

Starring:  Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Chinaza Uche, Celeste O'Connor, Molly Shannon

This film features Florence Pugh as a woman who accidentally killed her almost-sister-in-law in a car crash who falls down a drug addiction hole but joins a support group that happens to have the victim's father in it as well.  A Good Person is functional, which is about the best way to describe it.  Florence Pugh is really good in it, and she almost gets it bonus points, except that it just flatlines in its writing.  It's an honest effort at portraying trauma and addiction but feels like a sterilized take on it. It tries to get elbow deep without getting messy, which feels counterproductive.  The movie would have been more interesting if the movie were less about lifting Pugh up out of her turmoil and more about it in general, because the film feels like it's oddly trying to sugar coat depression (odd bursts of comedy throughout the movie doesn't help).  At the same time, the script feels like it often pushes scenes too far, making something hard-hitting oddly softer.  Certain moments feel like they should be abreviated, like they would have had greater poignancy if they had ended a few lines sooner, but the script wants each scene to end with more scripted lines of over-written insight.  But A Good Person might be a helpful film for people who might find themselves relating to Pugh's position, and it might be a thereputic film for them to help them visualize a light at the end of their own tunnel.  For that, I'd recommend it.

John Wick:  Chapter 4

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Action

Director:  Chad Stahelski

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Shamier Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Lance Reddick

The latest installment of the Keanu Reeves Murders The World franchise is more of John Wick shooting all the people who want to shoot him, as he continues his war against the assassin underworld that has reluctantly pulled him back in.  Chapter 4 took a little while to win me over, because as it started it just felt like more of the third installment.  The third film had its astounding action too, but the problem with that film was that it never felt like it progressed.  Wick felt like he was in the same position when it ended as he was when it started, and everything in between just felt like running in place.  Because of that, Chapter 4 felt like it was retreading the same ground, which kept me prepared for another installment where a lot is happening but nothing really happened.  But the film's momentum keeps building to the point that even if this were the filler movie the previous film was, it was doing it in ways that was pushing the envelope in the art style of meyhem.  Chapter 4 is a stunning action movie ballet. Beautiful in its complex construction of choreography serving simplistic narrative decisions. So innovative in its design, other filmmakers would be fools to not take notes.  And best of all, unlike the previous film, it has a conclusion, making it the film that Chapter 3 should have been.  The action and stunts are jaw-dropping, an art-form unto themselves that must be experienced, from up-close brawling in the middle of traffic to the most intense attempt to climb a flight of stairs in cinema history (Rocky, eat your heart out).  The dazzling momentum of the film leading to that finale breaking point not only makes it the best John Wick movie, but also one of the greatest action movies ever made.  If they retired the John Wick series right here, he would go out on top.

The Lost King

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Comedy, Drama

Director:  Stephen Frears

Starring:  Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Mark Addy, Harry Lloyd

The Lost King tells the true(-ish) story of Philippa Langley, and her attempt to track down the long-lost grave of Richard III.  I know little about this story, but something tells me she didn't hallucinate visions of the king while doing so.  Strangely whimsical for a movie based on a true story, the movie is more cute than compelling.  Just skimming a Wikipedia article on Langley shows that certain ideas and events don't quite add up to what really happened, choosing instead for a fantastical comedy approach that is only inspired by what really happened.  But Sally Hawkins is very charming in it, and it's a lightweight watch that isn't demanding.  It's more of a feel-good option for casual comfort viewers than a interesting look at a real discovery, but it still has value.

Paint

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Comedy

Director:  Brit McAdams

Starring:  Owen Wilson, Michaela Watkins, Ciara Renée, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey

The latest Regal Mystery Movie.  Imagine if Bob Ross got himself into an All About Eve situation, underlined with the awkward tensions of The Office style comedy.  That's the basic premise of Paint, which sees Owen Wilson playing a beloved artist on PBS, who finds his popularity threatened by new, younger talent who airs directly after him, who seems to be succeeding at everything he failed at when he was younger.  It's about 20 years too late to parody Ross the way it does, but it is successfully funny.  Wilson channels that Ross-persona quite perfectly, while Michaela Watkins deserves some praise for some straight-faced reaction comedy, and even has a sequence of slapstick that would make Buster Keaton proud.  I had a good time watching it, though I doubt I'd come back to it any time soon.

Art Attack

Inside

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Thriller

Director:  Vasilis Katsoupis

Starring:  Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is an art thief who gets locked inside a wealthy man's apartment with no way out, surviving months on his own.  Basically, Castaway in an apartment. Probably should have been titled The Room, but some bozo already took that title.  Dafoe absolutely brings everything he has to this piece, but if there is anything that lets it down it's that Inside often feels like it's stretching its minimalistic premise thin to the point where I'd say if you'd seen the trailer, you've already gotten what the movie has to offer.  You'd probably be losing the psychological element, but it rarely amounts to much other than Dafoe mumbling to himself repeatedly.  That probably sounds much harsher on this movie than it probably deserves, because it is a good movie with a good performance at its center.  I'd recommend a watch based on that if it interests you.  And it is one of the few films that points out the chilling effects of the Macarana.

Movies Still Playing At My Theater

65 ⭐⭐

Ant-Man and the Wasp:  Quantumania ⭐⭐⭐

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Champions ⭐⭐1/2

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Creed III ⭐⭐⭐

Everything Everywhere All at Once ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jesus Revolution ⭐⭐1/2

Moving On ⭐⭐1/2

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Scream VI ⭐⭐1/2

Shazam! Fury of the Gods ⭐⭐⭐1/2

New To Digital

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Operation Fortune:  Ruse de Geure ⭐⭐⭐

New To Physical

Babylon ⭐⭐

M3GAN ⭐⭐⭐

Coming Soon!

Demon Squad 2 Kickstarter! & Q&A with Director Thomas Smith!

During the 2021 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Kickstarter, creator and star Joel Hodgson announced a pair of titles for the proposed new season that they had already obtained the rights to.  One was the Charles Band production Robot Wars, and another was a recent microbudget neo noir Demon Squad.  When the film was announced, you would have thought the movie had killed MSTies dogs.  I remember all the complaints about the selection, accusing it of being another Atlantic Rim and having foul things to say about it, but it largely seemed like none of the people who were bemoaning it had actually seen the film.  I wasn't convinced this film was something that should cause such a stir, mostly because movies in general don't make me angry very often, even when I dislike them (unless it's Dear Evan Hansen, because fuck that movie), so I was more curious about it than most.  I mean, I know what a Charles Band movie looks like, so I'm not too curious about Robot Wars, but what was Demon Squad?

That night I found the movie on Tubi to see what exactly it was.  I was greeted with a movie that had "homebrew" written all over it, with star Khristian Fulmer playing detective Nick Moon getting drunk at a bar filled with demons played by extras in Halloween make-up and a cute puppet serving drinks.  I was immediately charmed by what I was seeing.  As the film went on, we were introduced to heiress Lilah Fontaine (played by Leah Christine Johnson), who was dolled up in a classic noir femme fatale costume, which was ostentatious but adorable.  As Nick and Lilah went through a classic "mysterious woman walks into a cynical detective's office" opening, I knew that I was falling in love with this microbudget movie.  After watching this film, I came back online to help spread the word that this particular movie was not what people were accusing it of being.

Having it featured on Mystery Science Theater seemed a little mean, if I'm being honest.  It was cheesy and cheap, but it was earnest and good-natured, made by people who had no money but just made a thing because it was fun.  On the flip side, being featured on Mystery Science Theater does help certain movies get more exposure, and as the episode aired (which featured the return of Joel Hodgson as series host), fans seemed to come out of the experience with a similar thought as myself:  "You know, that movie wasn't that bad.  I kinda liked it."  Director Thomas Smith and his wife and co-writer Erin Lilley Smith (who plays Nick Moon's assistant Daisy in the film as well) soon made their way into the online scene and started interacting with fans, answering questions, and also joined Joel Hodgson, Matt McGinnis, and Emily Marsh for a post-episode stream.  Joel, Matt, and Emily all had very kind words to say about the film, words of endearment also came out online from Tom Servo puppeteer Conor McGiffin and writers Devon Coleman and Tammy Golden.

Crow:  "Demon Squad will never be back in anything ever!"

Shows what you know, puppet!

Enter 2023, and Thomas and Erin are testing the waters on a possible sequel to Demon Squad, recently announced to be titled Deadwatch.  They have launched a Kickstarter to help fund the sequel, and after less than a week have raised almost the same amount of money that they had used to fund the original, which was made for a microscopic $15,000.  It's still a long road to their final goal, which is $125,000, including Kickstarter fees and rewards budgets, but while it's quite a jump, this isn't exactly like going from El Mariachi to Desperado.  We're still talking about less money than Sam Raimi made Evil Dead for, so make no mistake that this is a very small budget.

I hoped to get some exposure on the project and hopefully shed some light on what Thomas and Erin plan on doing should the project succeed by sitting down for a brief Q&A with Demon Squad director Thomas Smith.  Luckily, he was happy to do so!

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Q:  So, congratulations on the Kickstarter. I wish it the very best, because I want to see this movie get off the ground. I'm also happy you have had such a pleasant experience with Mystery Science Theater 3000. Fans seemed to give this film a very warm reception, which isn't always the case (just look at Munchie). Was that a surprise to you? What was your Mystery Science Theater experience like, as someone who worked on a film featured on the show?

A: I know I've mentioned it before, but we had no idea the film would be featured until it was announced. I've been a fan of MST3K since high school, but knowing something you made will be roasted on the show... Well, it shifts your perspective a bit. I was incredibly nervous, because, at the end of the day, I'm proud of Demon Squad despite its low budget. Luckily, the episode itself was fun and I absolutely loved some of the punchlines. A lot of the jokes gave voice to some observations I had already had in the edit, but had to chalk up to not having a budget. The MSTies have been great and have been incredibly supportive. I'm glad the movie has found an extended life through the show. Otherwise, it would have been another no-budget film no one saw and was lost to time. My only reservation is that a lot of viewers complain about certain plot points not making sense, not realizing that about a third of the movie was cut for MST3K's episode length, and that greatly affected some major plot points and characters.

Q: I'd definitely agree on that last point. I think film editing was an issue with this season, particularly with Demon Squad and The Christmas Dragon.

But moving closer to the Kickstarter, from an outsider's perspective, the ball started rolling on Demon Squad 2, or Deadwatch, after the Mystery Science Theater episode aired.  So, my next question has to be was there an idea for a sequel before the MST episode, and if there was, is it the same as Deadwatch?  Or did you start developing ideas after the episode aired?

A: We've always wanted to do a follow-up to Demon Squad, either as a series of shorts or a web series or another film. I had been kicking around different ideas after we finished the first film, but kept going back to a concept I came up with more than a decade ago. It was originally a short film follow-up to our first feature The Night Shift, but it didn't quite work for those characters. I sat on the idea and realized it would fit Nick Moon perfectly. We've gone through several drafts to get it where it is, and Erin and I are super happy with it. It's exciting and different. And, while it takes place primarily in one location, that location is a historic mansion. The type of place that's fine to film at for a day or two, but when 90% of your shoot takes place there, it eats through your budget. We knew we couldn't pull this off the way we wanted without some proper funding. When Demon Squad released originally, the reviews would always ask for a sequel or state their desire for more adventures. When the MST3K episode aired, we saw a similar response. Then the MSTie community encouraged us to launch a Kickstarter and, eventually, we caved to peer pressure. :)

Q: You mentioned this on the Kickstarter too, that you're leaning away from Film Noir and inserting these characters into a Haunted House Mystery this time.  The first film took influence from classics such as The Maltese Falcon, but does Deadwatch take influence from any particular films, such as The Old Dark House or The Haunting?

A: Aesthetically, if all goes well, I think you'll see an influence from those type of films. However, this story feels much more like an adventure romp... I'd say it has more of a Doctor Who vibe.

Q: So that River Song GIF on the Kickstarter is also a subtle hint at what you're going for?

A: Haha, it was a conscious choice!

Q: What is your approach to the Nick Moon franchise?  Would Deadwatch build upon the story of the previous movie, like going from Star Wars to Empire Strikes Back, or are you taking an Indiana Jones approach and every adventure is different but just connected to the previous via the main characters?

A: Haha, the Nick Moon franchise. If we could be so lucky... A bit of both, actually. More standalone aspects like Indy but with some carry-over characters here and there. The ending for Demon Squad 2 would actually lead directly into a possible third film. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger or anything like that, but it's very open ended. And leaves our heroes in a different place with new possibilities.

Q: So, we're talking Temple of Doom, where it's a whole new cast of supporting characters, and Last Crusade, where Sallah and Marcus are back?  Lilah can pop out of a portal and say "Surprise!  I'm not dead because hell magic or something!"?

A: Yep! Bert can pop in whenever. And there are a couple of new characters that are pretty fun.

Q: If it's not too much of a spoiler, can you say anything about where Nick and Daisy are now?  Has business improved since the last film, or is it a Ghostbusters II sort of situation where you have these characters who are heroes, but nobody really cares?

A: They're in an OK place business-wise. They're still trying to stay under the radar but people are starting to notice them. The existence of monsters isn't widely known, still.

Q: One thing that's of particular note to MST3K fans is that Devon Coleman, who wrote on several episodes this past season, offers a service of reading screenplays and offering notes.  Deadwatch's screenplay was passed through Coleman, and he has spoken enthusiastically about that.  Can you tell us about that experience or what kind of notes Coleman had to offer?

A: Devon DM'd me before the episode aired because they were looking forward to hearing our reaction to it. Devon genuinely liked the movie, and we struck up a back-and-forth conversation talking about the show and other pop culture -- I consider Devon a friend now. After learning about the script reading service, I wanted to have someone else give their thoughts on the script before we launched the Kickstarter to see what, realistically, kind of shape we were in. Devon seemed to genuinely like the script. There were a few notes that Erin and I addressed, but nothing major. It was a great experience and I recommend other writers to reach out and take part in the service.

For those interested, Devon Coleman can be found on Twitter at @DisguiseVoice and can also be found on the official Mystery Science Discourse 3000 forums.

Q: Speaking less optimistically, this Kickstarter comes at a time immediately after a shake-up at a prominent, platform-building social media site (which shall remain nameless, but everyone knows which one it is) that has made it less accessible for small projects to break through the noise.  Is there anything you would recommend those championing this project could do to help spread the good word?

A: We're trying to figure that out. Press releases have gone out, some Facebook ads are running, and we're asking anyone who can to please share the campaign and try to amplify it however possible. The more folks with large social media followings that can share it, the quicker we can get to our goal!

Q: Excellent, that should wrap this up. Thank you and good luck! Hopefully we'll see Deadwatch in production soon!

A: Thanks! Erin and I appreciate the support!

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The Kickstarter will be running until April 20th, so get those pledges in soon!  For those who haven't seen Demon Squad, you can check it out free with ads on Tubi.  For those who haven't seen the MST3K episode, it's now available to stream on PlutoTV along with the rest of Season 13.  If you like what you see and want to be a part of getting Deadwatch off the ground, every little bit helps!  Back the project for any amount, small or large, or share the link and help spread the word to other people who are interested in getting involved!

Cinema Playground Journal 2023: Week 11 (My Cinema Playground)

Multiplex Madness

Moving On

⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Comedy

Director:  Paul Weitz

Starring:  Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Malcolm McDowell, Richard Roundtree

Because we needed more comedy of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 2023 than just 80 for Brady, here they are in Moving On, a dark comedy where Fonda threatens to kill Malcolm McDowall for raping her decades prior, with Tomlin as her accomplice.  It's amusing, though more wry than funny, while it touches several taboo subjects that are hard to make funny no matter what path it takes and cause its tone to switch drastically every other scene.  But it's lucky to have Tomlin's delivery to help elevate it.  What's interesting about it is that there is a large amount of progressive ideas presented in a movie that's primarily targeted at women of a certain age, from interracial relationships to closeted homosexuality and even support of the trans children.  Tomlin and Fonda fans will want to check it out.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Superhero, Comedy, Action, Fantasy

Director:  David F. Sandberg

Starring:  Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Grace Caroline Currey, Ross Butler, Ian Chen, D.J. Cotrona, Jovan Armand, Meagan Goode, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans

A sequel to one of my favorite DC films, I've been waiting for this one for a good while.  While not everyone seems as enamored as I am with this sequel, I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.  Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a blast from start to finish.  It's in some ways an improvement on its predecessor, as it has a better plot structure and the sense of ensemble among its family characters is more robust.  If there is one area it falls down to become weaker than its predecessor, it's that the built family aspect of the original is more muted in favor of heavier comedy and chaos.  It's not completely absent, mind you, it's just lesser than what made people fall in love with that first film, making it a far less emotional experience.  But the vibes of the film are so lively and it's just a good old-fashioned good time.  With the uncertainty of the old guard of DC's characters as a reboot looms large over them, if all we get of the Shazam franchise are these two films, I'm more than happy with them.

Netflix & Chill

Boston Strangler

⭐⭐⭐

Streaming On:  Hulu

Genre:  Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Director:  Matt Ruskin

Starring:  Kiera Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper

Based on the true story of reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, who broke the story of the Boston Strangler murders in the early 1960's.  It's a handsome looking movie with great performances, though its dryness makes one think punting it straight to streaming is a good call.  In a way it benefits from home viewing, as it's a film about various home invasions that creates tension in one's familiar surroundings.  In it's beating heart, the movie is about the unease of being a woman in a hurtful world ran by men, as McLaughlin and Cole battle sexism in the workplace, uncover the harm that men bestowed on their victims, and even the conspiracy of men using it to cover their own misdeeds.  The Boston Strangler case is a perfect window into that, and while the film is an imperfect picture, its themes resonate strongly.

Leave

⭐⭐1/2

Streaming On:  Shudder

Genre:  Mystery, Horror

Director:  Alex Herron

Starring:  Alicia Von Rittberg, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Herman Tømmeraas

Melodramatic mystery sees an orphaned woman looking into her past and trying to find out why her mother abandoned her in a cemetery twenty years prior.  Leave might be too light on jolts to please most horror fans, but I see it playing well with teens who are heavy into horror and love killing time with Young Adult novels with heavy "Who Am I?" drama.  It's not an uninteresting movie, though its twists and clues can be too obviously telegraphed to the audience while its heroine wanders around clueless to their meaning.  It can be frustrating, but one must remember that we know she's in a horror movie and she doesn't.  It arrives at a climax that is more chaotic than conclusive, but the movie does everything it sets out to do and does it with a little bit of style.

The Magician's Elephant

⭐⭐

Streaming On:  Netflix

Genre:  Fantasy, Adventure

Director:  Wendy Rogers

Starring:  Noah Jupe, Brian Tyree Henry, Benedict Wong, Mandy Patinkin, Natasia Demetriou, Miranda Richardson, Aasif Mandvi

This children's movie has a whimsical but strange story about a boy searching for his lost sister...but is told by a fortune teller he needs to follow an elephant to find her...and I guess elephants are mythical creatures in this world...but a magician makes an elephant appear...and an eccentric king wants the boy to do three tasks to receive the elephant?  I guess that's what's going on, and I'd be lying if I said I was fully in tune with it, because it's a whirlwind of ideas that don't really connect.  But the film's more basic themes of family hit well, because that's the one spot where the movie keeps itself simple.  The movie becomes more cluttered when it's story becomes about overcoming what is conceived as impossible, but the wee ones will find amusement in seeing the young hero perform strange tasks with his wits.  It's an okay movie that falls well short of its magical intentions.

Oscar Winners

All Quiet on the Western Front ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse ⭐⭐⭐

Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Elephant Whisperers ⭐⭐⭐

Everything Everywhere All at Once ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An Irish Goodbye ⭐⭐⭐

Navalny ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pinocchio ⭐⭐⭐1/2

RRR N/A

Top Gun:  Maverick ⭐⭐⭐

The Whale ⭐⭐⭐

Women Talking ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Movies Still Playing At My Theater

65 ⭐⭐

Ant-Man and the Wasp:  Quantumania ⭐⭐⭐

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Champions ⭐⭐1/2

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Creed III ⭐⭐⭐

Everything Everywhere All at Once ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jesus Revolution ⭐⭐1/2

Operation Fortune:  Ruse de Guerre ⭐⭐⭐

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Scream VI ⭐⭐1/2

The Whale ⭐⭐⭐

New To Streaming

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Knock at the Cabin ⭐⭐

New To Physical

A Man Called Otto ⭐⭐⭐

The Whale ⭐⭐⭐

Coming Soon!

Cinema Playground Journal 2023: Week 10 (My Cinema Playground)

Multiplex Madness

65

⭐⭐

Genre:  Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller

Director:  Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Starring:  Adam Driver, Arianna Greenblatt

It's Pitch Black with dinosaurs.  And no, one of those dinosaurs isn't Vin Diesel.  Or one could consider it Planet of Dinosaurs with a budget.  Either or.  Whatever it is, it's mostly a montage of Adam Driver shooting dinosaurs with a gun.  Written and directed by the writers of A Quiet Place, 65 is another high-concept thriller with a core of family to help sell it.  A Quiet Place thrived on the latter while holding a tight grip on the suspense of the former.  With 65, it seems to be the opposite.  The familial story is undercooked and has haphazard focus (it feels like a lot of it was cut out to make the film more action focused).  The action scenes look good, but they aren't too exciting.  It often feels like Driver is just in video game mode, moving from one boss to the next.  If you want dino action from your movie, 65 will deliver its fair share.  But it's rare that I see a movie work this hard to entertain and come up with nothing to show for it.  The last Jurassic World movie is probably comparable, but at least 65 doesn't exert itself to that level.  Because of that, I'm at least thankful that it's as short and to the point as it is.  I just wish it were more engaging.

The Magic Flute

⭐⭐

Genre:  Fantasy, Musical

Director:  Florian Sigl

Starring:  Jack Wolfe, Iwen Rheon, Asha Banks, F. Murray Abraham, Amir Wilson, Stéfi Celma, Teddy Teclebrhan, Niamh McCormack, Sabine Devieilhe, Morris Robinson, Ronaldo Villazón

Odd, but strangely endearing in its own way, attempt to blend children's fantasy with classical opera finds a modern day music student sucked up into the fantasy world of Mozart's Magic Flute opera, Neverending Story style.  This flick actually hails from Germany, specifically Independence Day helmer Roland Emmerich, who's production company Centropolis shepherded this flick, and if nothing else it's certainly as bold and large-scale as that pedigree would suggest.  I not entirely convinced this take works, but it's kinda fun to watch it try.  The movie looks very pretty, and the swings are big with a great amount of follow through.  I admire the risks this movie takes, it's just kind of silly in a Snow White and the Three Stooges sort of way that it can't shake.  The movie is a unique wielding of very specific tropes, I'll give it that.  Not just any movie can do that, so it should take pride in it.

Scream VI

⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Horror

Director:  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Starring:  Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmine Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Durmot Mulroney, Hayden Panettiere, Jack Champion, Liana Liberators, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Joshes Segarra, Samara Weaving, Courtney Cox

We're long past the point where the Scream franchise has become what it parodied so effectively in 1996, to the point where the "new rules" are starting to sound a lot like the old ones.  I'm of two minds about it, because Scream as a franchise feels like it's been running on fumes since Scream 2, and yet playing the guessing game along with each new entry is consistently entertaining.  Scream VI boasts about transcending the rules, but the grim reality of it is a lot of what it does apes what the franchise has already done (I'm not going to point out any specific movie because spoilers and such), and because of that I pretty much guessed who the killer was and what their motivations were a half hour in.  I feel like I would have been more forgiving of that if there weren't so many death fake-outs in this movie.  Scream VI brags about how even its core main characters aren't safe, and gives them big dramatic moments where they probably could kick the bucket, then constantly backs off of it.  If nobody is safe, why do so many characters feel protected?  The franchise needs to be sharper and probably go for less blood and more guts as it goes forward (take whatever pun you want from that).  It's hard to say I didn't have a good time and I'll give it credit for some inventive set-pieces.  And Samara Weaving in that dress.  It deserves so much credit for that.

Southern Gospel

⭐

Genre:  Faith, Drama

Director:  Jeffrey A. Smith

Starring:  Max Ehrich, Katelyn Nacon, Emma Myers, Gary Weeks

This is the second movie in several weeks that took me by surprise in featuring The Walking Dead's Katelyn Nacon.  This one was far less of a pleasant surprise, because I feel like she could have a bright future, but she can do a lot better than this movie.  I knew going in that this was going to be a faith movie (there was a near-zero chance it wasn't going to be with this title), and it's about as manipulative as one ever got. The movie begins with a heavy montage of "life is unfair" brutality bullshit spaced out with gospel songs to inspire a redemption arc.  The whole rock 'n' roll is the temptation of the Devil being turned into a tool of God as a gospel singer instead left a bad taste in my mouth, especially since the film's message conflicts with what it preaches in its earliest moments about voicing your faith in your own way, even if it is in rock.  But that doesn't seem good enough for the movie, because rock has to be a downward spiral because maybe the person who made this saw The Doors or Bohemian Rhapsody or whatever.  The dramatic punches are so clumsily heavy that they inspire more of a laugh than a tear, while the rest of the movie is the basic "preach to the choir" nature of very basic faith films, not delivering much of a message (at least not one that narratively works), but saying God and Jesus's name enough times and hoping that's enough.

Art Attack

No Bears

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Drama

Director:  Jahar Panahi

Starring:  Jahar Panahi

There are likely few filmmakers today proven to be as ballsy as Jahar Panahi.  Everyone says they'll bleed for their work, but few actually get a chance to prove it.  Panahi has literally been arrested for it, several times, because his personal work is illegal in his home country of Iran.  No Bears is another he has been jailed for, where he paints a dramatized self-portrait of him creating under immense Iranian restriction.  No Bears is interesting, but it's more tense in the sense of what his filming means over the actual product itself.  Seeing the means it takes to film remotely while also ducking through restrictions kept me engaged, but I don't think the narrative is fully engrossing because he is restricted with what he can actually do.  Granted, he does more with very little than I could imagine, and a lot of the natural lighting silhouette shots are beautiful, though I could only claim No Bears is a slight glimpse without being a full picture.  I'm grateful for that glimpse though, and it's impressive he was able to paint as complete a picture as he did.

Turn Every Page:  The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Documentary

Director:  Lizzy Gottlieb

Starring:  Robert Caro, Robert Gottlieb

This documentary of biographer Robert Caro and his editor Robert Gottlieb is way more entertaining than it has any right to be.  It takes a look into the lives of the two Roberts before taking a deep dive into their collaboration for The Power Broker and the Lyndon Johnson biography series, which is filled with flavorful tidbits and sidenotes that keeps it consistently fun and amusing.  I'd probably label this a required watch for anyone aspiring to be a writer, because while it doesn't always get into the writer's mind like it probably could, it's a colorful look at the collaborative process a writer has to work with and how perfectionist the ordeal can be.   It's also a reminder of egos being left at the door, the importance of listening to notes, but also the challenge of fighting for what you think is best for your own work.

Netflix & Chill

Chang Can Dunk

⭐⭐

Streaming On:  Disney+

Genre:  Comedy, Drama, Sports

Director:  Jingyi Shao

Starring:  Bloom Li, Dexter Darden, Ben Wang, Zoe Renee, Chase Liefeld, Mardy Ma

Rather bland tween targeted dramedy features a five-foot-eight high schooler betting his rival that he can dunk a basketball after several weeks of training.  The bright side to this movie is that it has messages of sportsmanship, working to achieve, cheating, and the earning of respect in its narrative.  It's very inert though, and it doesn't really have the momentum it needs to catch the attention of casual Disney+ viewers, unless they're young ones who are really into sports.  After its setup, the movie is just a peppy workout montage that climaxes in the middle, then changes for the more dramatic halfway through.  By then I had fully lost interest.  It's not a bad movie, just one that doesn't hold a lot of appeal beyond its specific target audience.

Oscar Nominees (bold indicates Best Picture nominee)

Aftersun ⭐⭐⭐1/2

All That Breathes ⭐⭐⭐

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed N/A

All Quiet on the Western Front ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Argentina, 1985 ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Babylon ⭐⭐

The Banshees of Inisherin ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths N/A

The Batman ⭐⭐⭐

Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Blonde ⭐1/2

Causeway ⭐⭐⭐

Close ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Elvis ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Empire of Light ⭐⭐1/2

EO ⭐⭐⭐

Everything Everywhere All at Once ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Fabelmans ⭐⭐⭐

Fire of Love ⭐⭐⭐

Glass Onion ⭐⭐⭐1/2

A House Made of Splinters ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Living ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris ⭐⭐⭐

Navalny ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pinocchio ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Quiet Girl N/A

RRR N/A

The Sea Beast ⭐⭐1/2

Tár ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Tell It Like a Woman N/A

To Leslie ⭐⭐⭐

Top Gun:  Maverick ⭐⭐⭐

Triangle of Sadness ⭐⭐⭐

Turning Red ⭐⭐⭐

The Whale ⭐⭐⭐

Women Talking ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Animated Short Films

Live-Action Short Films

Documentary Short Films

Movies Still Playing At My Theater

Ant-Man and the Wasp:  Quantumania ⭐⭐⭐

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Champions ⭐⭐1/2

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Creed III ⭐⭐⭐

Jesus Revolution ⭐⭐1/2

Knock at the Cabin ⭐⭐

Operation Fortune:  Ruse de Guerre ⭐⭐⭐

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

New To Streaming

80 for Brady ⭐⭐1/3

A Man Called Otto ⭐⭐⭐

Marlowe ⭐⭐

Missing ⭐⭐⭐

New To Physical

Women Talking ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Coming Soon!

Attack of the Puppet People (RiffTrax)

Film Year:  1958

Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy

Director:  Bert I. Gordon

Starring:  John Agar, John Hoyt, June Kenney

RiffTrax Year:  2015

Riffers:  Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett

The Movie

Hey hey!  It's the Amazing Colossal Man in reverse!  Wouldn't that just be the Incredible Shrinking Man?  As good as that movie is (and it's fucking amazing, honestly), it doesn't have the legendary auteur Bert I. Gordon at the helm (just that hack Creature from the Black Lagoon director Jack Arnold), so let's see him do tiny people instead of big people!

Attack of the Puppet People is about a local dollmaker who has nefariously been shrinking people into doll size and keeping him in his collection.  Considering how many people last come into contact with this dude, you'd think the authorities would be more inclined to connect the dots, but he is getting away with it scott free.  But his latest acquisitions are now led by the intrepid and gung-ho John Agar, who will lead the tiny people back to the big world.

Puppet People's main issue is that it's pacing is wonky.  It takes a long while for us to get to some Puppet People action, and when we get there it's a lengthy scene of exposition followed by a musical number that almost feels like Bert I. Gordon starting to work the groove he'd put into full swing in Village of the Giants.  The movie is a bit of a hike to get to the Puppet People overcoming mundane things while puppet-sized, but it's an amusing enough diversion that won't suck up too much time in general.

Typical Gordon trademarks are all here, including many superimposed shots that are more inclined to look fake than look real, while scaling is inconsistent from scene to scene because I don't imagine the proper proportions of the characters was all that thought out.  There are a couple that are well-played though, probably more than in other Gordon goodies of the era, which probably makes Puppet People one of his best special effects showcases.  But there are also those obvious paper replicas of John Agar in small plastic tubes that he's trying to pass off as dolls, which is forcing me to rescind that statement.

The Trax

Rest in peace to the Mystery Science Theater icon Bert I. Gordon, who directed eight movies that were featured on the program (more than any other director) and had one incredible run at life by living to be a full century old.  As a toast to this man's wonderful life and contributions to our favorite series, I'll be reviewing the last riffed film of his that I haven't covered on my blog, which is the RiffTrax release of Attack of the Puppet People.  And if you love Gordon's flicks on MST, Puppet People is a must-see RiffTrax.

Like all Gordon flicks, Puppet People is a wacky movie all by itself, so it doesn't necessarily need the commentary to enhance it.  The commentary is just a garnish, really.  In fact, the approach does indeed seem to be to garnish this movie.  It's a silly premise with riffs that basically play up how silly it is with their own silly tone ("Oh my god, he's playing with my fiancé!").  This works out well, because the film's pacing doesn't work in its favor, while the riffing keeps the film's inherent goofiness alive throughout it's runtime.

The RiffTrax gang also push the line further when they need to, with some fun results.  They have an amazing callback to one of their shorts when they propose that the dollmaker might be "William from 'William's Doll' all grown up."  It's an idea that's both depressing and funny at the same time.  Meanwhile they also get a little dark about the concept of the tiny people meeting tiny demises in amusing ways.  Hell, the end of the movie leaves the fates of many of the Puppet People up in the air, choosing to end ambiguously without much closure, which prompts them to speculate that those folks met horrible ends off-screen.  While Puppet People isn't a spectacular riff, it's another solid toe-dip into Gordon's filmography with funny results, and I, for one, enjoyed the trip.

⭐⭐⭐

Good

Animal Antics (RiffTrax Shorts)

RiffTrax Year:  2015

Riffers:  Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett

This newsreel short from way back in yesteryear comes from a series called "Our World in Review" ("In case you missed it all the first time."), of which I have limited information on.  Based on what's featured here, it looks like footage used and edited/dubbed over for amusement purposes, likely for kids.  This particular one is rabbit focused, as it shows off rabbits hopping around and interacting with other cute animals (not predatory animals, because that would be decidedly not fun) and a narrator dubs little conversations between the critters.

It's cute, mostly because the animals are cute.  It gets tiring after a few minutes, but it's only eight minutes long and I can put up with that.  The sense of humor is a bunch of big talk, wise-guy humor from the 30's, but we're here to see the animals playing around and that's what you get.  Animal Antics delivers on its title, though it's a bit more rabbit-focused than the more broad title of "animal" would imply.  Should I feel ripped off?  I don't know.  All I know is that they made that chicken move its mouth like it's talking, and I feel very concerned about what they did to it to make it do that.

"This is like Watership Down meets Jersey Shore."

This is a rather lightweight short that is difficult to make unamusing, so I'd consider this a T-ball round.  Mike, Kevin, and Bill get to the plate and bunt their best base hit with it.  I'd hesitate to call any of it hilarious, but there are some really funny barbs flung around.  They jab at the edited quicktalk of the narrator, wondering aloud "Do you think the narrator takes one huge breath at the beginning?"  They comment on the cows in the barn begging the rabbits for help:  "Help us escape from this freaky nipple torture dungeon!"  And then there is a look at the rabbits themselves, which mixed with the humorous narration, rubs Bill the wrong way.  "I had no idea rabbits were unlikable, sexist dickbags."  And now we know.

Thumbs Up

👍

Cinema Playground Journal 2023: Week 9 (My Cinema Playground)

Multiplex Madness

Champions

⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Comedy, Sports

Director:  Bobby Farrelly

Starring:  Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Kevin Iannucci, Madison Tevlin, Matt Cook, Cheech Marin

The latest Regal Mystery Movie.

In case you were wondering what Bobby Farrelly was doing while Peter was off making Green Book, he was making a remake of Mighty Ducks with special needs folks.  More to the point, Champions is a remake of a Spanish film from a few years back, which tells a story of a sports hasbeen who is busted for drunk driving and sentenced to community service by coaching a local sports team.

Y'know...Mighty Ducks.

The twist is that the team is made up of intellectually disabled players, and he must work to earn their trust and build the team.  Kind of...sort of...  Unlike a lot of (Mighty Ducks) sports movies, this movie's building of teamwork and the coach's bonding with the players isn't really heavily telegraphed.  He comes in and things steadily improve, but there is no real arc between him and the players that plays out.  Most of them shine to each other instantly.  But instead it tries to wring for laughs the best it can.  What makes Champions tricky is the disability subject matter.  The actors are all actually disabled, which is a plus one for diversity.  The type of comedy Bobby Farrelly is known for often comes at the expense of characters making questionably silly decisions, and when you make that joke at the expense of someone with an intellectual disability, it can get problematic.  The movie walks a fine line between laughing with its subjects and at them, not always successfully.  However, it wins over some good will with its surprising empathy and sweetness.  For example, there is a player who refuses to play for Woody Harrelson's character for the majority of the movie, and while it's a pretty funny gag for a good long while, once we find out why, it's surprisingly heavy, deep, and moving.  It was this scene in Champions that won me over, even if I wasn't always on board with how it was handling itself.  While I did feel like the movie did come off as exploitative at times, it also isn't bullying anybody.  Everyone here, everyone is in on the joke, and everyone is having a good time.  If you want to have a good time with them, you'll enjoy the game.

Children of the Corn

⭐1/2

Genre:  Horror

Director:  Kurt Wimmer

Starring:  Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, Bruce Spence

I have no experience with Children of the Corn.  I just know the franchise is a thing that exists.  I guess it makes sense that a new version of Children of the Corn was made since we had a Stephen King mini-renaissance pre-pandemic with the success of It, but apparently this movie was being filmed just as Covid started hitting, limped to the finish of shooting, then sat on a self, missing what window of opportunity it had at any success (well...we'll see how Salem's Lot and The Boogeyman do).  So, I have no point of reference for this...what do I think of it?  It's like watching a horror movie starring the Little Rascals as the monster.  Darla's on a rampage, motherfucker!  Though, what's weird is that most of the children have non-speaking roles, while one of them hogs all the dialogue.  To be fair, the young girl in this role is actually pretty good and she seems to be having a blast playing her unsympathetic psychopath role.  It's just hard to really grasp the kids as a threat if she's the only one that does anything.  The lead protagonist actress is serviceable, but looks as if she's the only one who showed up for the Drew Barrymore cosplay contest.  And director Kurt Wimmer, who has been in director's jail for over a decade, has a few tricks up his sleeve to make the movie moderately chilling at times (the burial sequence is actually pretty effective).  But the script tends to feel chopped up and incomplete, as there are plot strands that go nowhere and/or feel like they skipped a necessary moment to tell the story.  But even if the film did feel complete, Children of the Corn is a bit too silly to build merit outside of its camp value.  Some of its campiness is pretty charming, I'll admit, but I can't imagine ever taking it seriously.

Close

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Oscars Nominated:  Best International Feature Film

Genre:  Drama

Director:  Lukas Dhont

Starring:  Eden Dambrine, Gustav de Waele, Émily Dequenne, Léa Drucker

France's submission for the International Oscar this year is about two boys with an intimate friendship who have a falling out when the other kids at school start believing them to be more than friends.  Close is a very "Show, don't tell" movie, and its very strong at conveying internalizes emotion, those moments where it hurts and you choose not to show it.  The film's biggest strength is that it cast its two leads with two young actors who strongly convey a sense of longing in their eyes.  The film is an examination of mutual love through bond, while also side commentating on bullying, peer pressure, and both gender and social norms.  Its about two children who don't fit in the established box and their separate reactions to society's attempt to label them, with fear of negative connotations of that label.  There's even the possibility that the two boys were actually in love with each other, but neither realized it (or maybe one realized it more than the other), but given the narrative of the film, we may never know the answer to that.  But that doesn't matter because it shouldn't matter, as friendships in their many forms are a beautiful thing, and this movie realizes it more than most.  It also realizes that not everyone will understand a personal connection, which can lead to suffering because of one's idea of love.  Through that, among other elements, it becomes about the pain that love brings.

Creed III

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Drama, Sports

Director:  Michael B. Jordan

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson

People named "Michael Jordon" should stop being this god damn talented.  Michael B. Jordan has no business being that sexy, that good an actor, and now establishing himself as an exceptional director.  You're making the rest of us look bad, bro.  The latest installment of the Creed franchise has Jordan taking a page out of Sylvester Stallone's playbook and directing the film himself, and the result is masterful.  Like Ryan Coogler before him, Jordon seeks to innovate with the boxing sequences over what the Rocky series normally delivers. But also like Rocky's third round, Creed III heavily emphasizes the entertainment over the drama, which gives the first two a leg up.  The third film lacks the little character beats that made the first two resonate so highly among the Rocky/Creed franchise, and sometimes it seems to be rushing through them (there is a subplot about Adonis's daughter being bullied which is oddly dropped almost instantly, only serving the purpose of giving the daughter character an extra scene or two).  Despite this, it doesn't fumble the ball.  The main story is an interesting combo of Adonis's streetlife past clashing with his current success.  The closest the Rocky franchise has gotten to doing a story like that is maybe Rocky V, and since the Creed franchise was built upon the idea of "Let's do Rocky V, but let's do it well," one can't blame them for embellishing the theme and running with it.  But it's mostly just an excuse to get Adonis in the ring for that dramatic one-two climax.  The movie is primarily flash, with that glimmer of a heartbeat that keeps us from tuning out.  That's what defined Rocky III in general, and if this is what Creed's version of that is, then it's an exceptional one.  I guess we're in for the hollow, music video inspired one next, the misfire after that, and the contemplative one to make up for that.  That's how this series works, right?

Hunt Her, Kill Her

⭐⭐1/2

Genre:  Horror, Thriller

Director:  Ryan Thiessen, Greg Swinson

Starring:  Natalie Terrazzino

Those who know me know I love seeing movies with limited resources jump into the grind and make a thing.  Sometimes it results in Evil Dead, and sometimes it results in Manos, but I always want to see the swing.  While I know very little about the production of Hunt Her, Kill Her, the movie very much feels like it was made by people who had access to a large space and used it to influence a simple chase movie about a woman who is stalked through a factory by masked killers.  Hunt Her, Kill Her is also made by people who show a lot of promise, as it's camerawork is impressive for such a low-to-the-ground title and its sequences are genuinely suspenseful.  The movie is actually quite thrilling, but it falls victim to greenhorn pitfalls that could be ironed out with more experience under their belts.  The acting can be uneven and the script lacks polish, as foreshadowing is too heavily telegraphed for twists to genuinely surprise and dialogue leans heavily on trope-influences lines.  Even something as simple as the foley is probably more potent than it should be.  It can also leave logic at the door at times with awkward blocking, but the film just wants to hit the ground running with little bother to think things through.  Horror enthusiasts will want to check this out to see if they consider it a minor gem or not.

Operation Fortune:  Ruse de Guerre

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Spy, Action, Adventure, Comedy

Director:  Guy Ritchie

Starring:  Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Carey Elwes, Josh Hartnett, Bugzy Malone, Hugh Grant

Coming off as Guy Ritchie doing his own pitch for helming a Mission:  Impossible movie, I'd admit I'd be game to see Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza get their own spy franchise out of this.  It's very much a Guy Ritchie flavor, sometimes puting forth more effort into its personality than its story.  However, it's more rhythmically pleasing than a lot of its contemporaries.  Every moment in this movie is a beat that serves a purpose in the film and pushes the narrative forward.  More films could learn from its example.  It's not as exciting as the best of the Mission:  Impossible series, but it's a lean machine on its own and entertaining enough to put on during a rainy day.

Art Attack

One Fine Morning

⭐⭐⭐

Genre:  Drama

Director:  Mia Hansen-Love

Starring:  Léa Seydoux, Pascal Greggory, Melville Poupaud, Nicole Garcia

Léa Seydoux stars as a single mother taking comfort from her daily stress in the arms of a married man.  This is the sort of dry, slice-of-life dramas that some people eat up, and to them I recommend it.  It's also one of those movies that general audiences likely will find dull, because it lacks any sort of spice (except Seydoux's spicy body without clothing).  As for myself, I have a middle of the road reaction in that I can admire the drama but not be invested in it.  I'll call the movie good on the basis that I can't have the audacity to say it's bad.  It's not very rich on interest value, short of displaying certain struggles other films do more compellingly.  Seydoux is good, so I guess that's why we're watching it.

Netflix & Chill

Bruiser

⭐⭐⭐

Streaming On:  Hulu

Genre:  Drama

Director:  Miles Warren

Starring:  Trevante Rhodes, Shamier Anderson, Jalyn Hall, Shinelle Azoroh

I tried to watch this movie last week but Hulu was acting trashy, so I finished it up this week.  Simple but interesting drama features themes of father figures and the influences they inflict upon a child, both what they try to and what they unintentionally impress upon them.  This flick features a teen boy who meets his biological father for the first time, which has consequences in his life that aren't foreseen.  It's also a look at violence, what influences it and how it relates to environment and emotion.  As a drama it maintains a mood that emphasizes the mental tone of the main character, which works in its favor because it's consistent about it.  But it's also a very drawn out movie that requires patience, which may not be for everyone.

Spoonful of Sugar

⭐

Streaming On:  Shudder

Genre:  Drama, Thriller

Director:  Mercedes Bryce Morgan

Starring:  Morgan Sailor, Kat Foster, Myko Oliver

Bizarre thriller sees a virgin babysitter addicted to acid and caring for sheltered boy while lusting after his father.  It plays out like an attempt at elevated artsy horror that doubles as a fetish film for people who are into making it hurt, while also having paternal issues that make them kinkier?  God, this movie is weird.  And horny.  And being weird just makes it hornier.  Spoonful of Sugar wants to be unnerving and instead comes off as odd and unpleasant. I kept trying to jive with this movie, but it always felt like it was pushing me away and screaming at me for trying to understand it.  I think I partially read it as work relating abuse relating to longing, but it's also a work so pushed to the edge that if that's its intent, it is too busy reveling in its metaphor to tell a story.  It's kind of a shame, because there are moments where I look at it and think "I see what you did there," but the whole experience is not worth barreling through for the brief spots where it shines.

Oscar's Trash Can

A House Made of Splinters

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Oscars Nominated:  Best Documentary

Genre:  Documentary

Director:  Simon Lereng Wilmont

Starring:  Lots of children

Nothing tugs at the heartstrings like the wellbeing of children.  On top of that, we have a documentary about the wellbeing of children living in Ukraine, which is a very hot spot right now.  This is about a Ukrainian orphanage trying to keep the kids safe during the little you-know-what that's going on.  Some of the kids are troubled, some come from troubled homes, some have nowhere to go while the orphanage system sorts them out.  We get to see little ones come and go for various reasons, sometimes good and sometimes bad.  The film provides a look at the innocents who suffer because of the chaos of adults, and it's pretty excellent.

Navalny

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oscars Nominated:  Best Documentary

Genre:  Documentary

Director:  Daniel Roher

Starring:  Alexei Navalny

From a documentary on Ukraine to a documentary of Russia, we get to see both sides of the border today.  This one, however, is set in late 2020/early 2021, well before the War in Ukraine.  Instead it focuses on Vladimir Putin's political rival Alexei Navalny, specifically the failed assassination attempt on Navalny and his attempt to trace it back to Putin.  It's a tense throughline between the event and his investigation, right up to calling the potential suspects and questioning them himself.  It's an intense look inside the danger of current Russian politics, both the dangerous and the outrageous.  The documentary's only real drawback is that it feels like it's only surface level on Navalny's personal politics, but they make it clear that Navalny wants to keep it focused on the narrative.  There are moments were Navalny is asked some tough questions during his talking head scenes, and he doesn't always answer angelically.  But Russia is a complicated country, and this peak at the iron clad cling Putin has to his personal power is chilling.  The movie's primary point is to shed light on the dangers of the current political climate is, and one can't help but admire the bravery of a man who is willing to jump into it.

Oscar Nominees (bold indicates Best Picture nominee)

Aftersun ⭐⭐⭐1/2

All That Breathes ⭐⭐⭐

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed N/A

All Quiet on the Western Front ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Argentina, 1985 ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Babylon ⭐⭐

The Banshees of Inisherin ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths N/A

The Batman ⭐⭐⭐

Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Blonde ⭐1/2

Causeway ⭐⭐⭐

Close ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Elvis ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Empire of Light ⭐⭐1/2

EO ⭐⭐⭐

Everything Everywhere All at Once ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Fabelmans ⭐⭐⭐

Fire of Love ⭐⭐⭐

Glass Onion ⭐⭐⭐1/2

A House Made of Splinters ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Living ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris ⭐⭐⭐

Navalny ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pinocchio ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Quiet Girl N/A

RRR N/A

The Sea Beast ⭐⭐1/2

Tár ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Tell It Like a Woman N/A

To Leslie ⭐⭐⭐

Top Gun:  Maverick ⭐⭐⭐

Triangle of Sadness ⭐⭐⭐

Turning Red ⭐⭐⭐

The Whale ⭐⭐⭐

Women Talking ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Animated Short Films

Live-Action Short Films

Documentary Short Films

Movies Still Playing At My Theater

80 for Brady ⭐⭐1/2

Ant-Man and the Wasp:  Quantumania ⭐⭐⭐

Avatar:  The Way of Water ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Cocaine Bear ⭐⭐⭐

Jesus Revolution ⭐⭐1/2

Knock at the Cabin ⭐⭐

Magic Mike's Last Dance ⭐⭐1/2

A Man Called Otto ⭐⭐⭐

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

New To Digital

Magic Mike's Last Dance ⭐⭐1/2

A Man Called Otto ⭐⭐⭐

New To Physical

I Wanna Dance with Somebody ⭐⭐1/2

Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Coming Soon!