Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” the film is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael and Kit’s relationship is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill.
On a rampage for blow and blood. Meet COCAINE BEAR.
Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild dark comedy finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.
COCAINE BEAR stars Keri Russell (The Americans), O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Christian Convery-Jennings (Sweet Tooth), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (BlacKkKlansman), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Hannah Hoekstra (2019’s Charlie’s Angels) and Aaron Holliday (Sharp Objects), with with Emmy winner Margo Martindale (The Americans) and Emmy winner Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark).
Check out the trailer now!
Directed by Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect 2) from a screenplay by Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen), Cocaine Bear is produced by Oscar® winners Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines) for Lord Miller, Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect franchise) and Max Handelman (Pitch Perfect franchise) for Brownstone Productions, Brian Duffield (Spontaneous) for Jurassic Party Productions and Aditya Sood (The Martian) for Lord Miller. The film is executive produced by Robin Mulcahy Fisichella, Alison Small and Nikki Baida.
Lionsgate has set the release of MRC’s acclaimed horror-comedy The Blackening for June 16, 2023 – Juneteenth weekend.
The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
One of the runaway hits out of the Toronto International Film Festival, The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
The film is produced by Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, E. Brian Dobbins, Tracy Oliver, Tim Story, and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. Perkins serves as a co-producer, with Vicky Story as associate producer.
A brand new poster is here for M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie KNOCK AT THE CABIN.
While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.
Could they be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Death, Famine, War, and Conquest? Each figure on the poster are holding a different “weapon.” In the Book of Revelation, these Four Horsemen represent a vision of harbingers of the Last Judgment, setting a divine end-time upon the world. This wouldn’t be the Oscar winning director first film on faith with religious overtones. SIGNS was the story of faith and “there are no coincidences,” WIDE AWAKE was a boy on a metaphorical mission to find God, DEVIL which he produced and wrote, says the Antichrist is always around and UNBREAKABLE has ordinary guy David Dunn as the savior lifting his hands in a Messiah archetype stance in the train station to battle dark forces to help save mankind. There’s even a part of the movie where the hero has a resurrection, comes back to life and becomes the true superhero.
Revelation to John, also called Book of Revelation or Apocalypse of John, abbreviation Revelation, is the last book of the New Testament.
In John’s Revelation the first horseman rides a white horse, carries a bow, and is given a crown as a figure of conquest, perhaps invoking pestilence, Christ, or the Antichrist. The second carries a sword and rides a red horse as the creator of (civil) war, conflict, and strife. The third, a food merchant, rides a black horse symbolizing famine and carries the scales. The fourth and final horse is pale, upon it rides Death, accompanied by Hades.
See the trailer below and look for the film in cinemas on February 3, 2023.
From visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, KNOCK AT THE CABIN stars Dave Bautista (Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), Tony award and Emmy nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Mindhunter), Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth, Fleabag), BAFTA nominee Nikki Amuka-Bird (Persuasion, Old), newcomer Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn (Little Women, Landline) and Rupert Grint (Servant, Harry Potter franchise).
Universal Pictures presents a Blinding Edge Pictures production, in association with FilmNation Features and Wishmore Entertainment, an M. Night Shyamalan film.
The screenplay is by M. Night Shyamalan and Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman based on the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay.
The film is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock (Split, Glass) and Ashwin Rajan (Servant, Glass). The executive producers are Steven Schneider, Christos V. Konstantakopoulosand Ashley Fox.
“My Cannibal Romance” or “The Fine Young Cannibals” might be alternate titles for this film except that it suggests comedy rather than the high-concept horror film that BONES AND ALL really is. Starring Timothee Chalamet and Canadian actress Taylor Russell as a very different kind of star-crossed lovers, BONES AND ALL does two surprising things: combining romance with horror in a very different way and creating a new kind of monster beyond the usual vampires, werewolves and zombies. The characters at the center of this tale are born as cannibals, compelled to eat human flesh the same way vampires are compelled to drink blood. However, despite the image that evokes, BONES AND ALL is surprisingly restrained in what it shows on screen. There are bloody scenes, but the like in a film where the gory is the point. That will probably disappoint the torture porn crowd or those looking for buckets-o-blood violence. There are no Jeffrey Dahmer-like bone-cracking or cooking scenes. Instead, these compulsive cannibals are treated more as people with an unfortunate affliction, something they have no say in. The focus is on people living lonely, isolated lives, people who have a compulsion they would rather not have, but something they unfortunately must do, periodically, in order to live. Their only choice is when, and who. That gives this unusual horror story a completely different tone.
Set in the upper South and Midwest of the mid-’80s,Maren (Taylor Russell) is a lonely high school senior living with her dad (Andre Holland), who is “the new girl: who doesn’t fit in at her new high school – again. The father and daughter have moved around a bit but Maren longs for friends, and here she is finally forming some tentative friendships. Yet we get a sense she is hiding something, although it might just be that she is living a trailer park, unlike her new friends.
Her dad sets strict rules for her, including no nights out, but one night she sneaks out anyway, to go hang out at her new friend’s sleep-over. All goes well as first, until it doesn’t. What happens sends daughter and dad on the run.
In her new rundown rental home, she wakes one day to find dad gone, but an envelop of money and a tape and recorder left behind. Dad’s tape answers some questions about why she is different, while leaving others unanswered. Maren decides to seek those answers by finding the family of the mother she never knew.
Already you see the parallels to any young person who is different in some way, where bi-racial (as she is) or from a different country or religion, or born with a “condition” although not likely to be like her particular affliction. On the road, she is surprised to meet others like her, such as Sully (Mark Rylance, in another striking performance), an oddball, colorfully dressed man with a Southern drawl, and later another young person with the same affliction, Lee (Timothee Chalamet).
It’s Timothee Chalamet, so of course, they will fall in love, although it takes awhile. Also in the fine cast are Michael Stuhlberg, Chloe Sevigny, Jessica Harper, Jake Horowitz and David Gordon Green. Director Luca Guadagnino’s impressively varied credits include CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, SUSPIRIA, A BIGGER SPLASH and I AM LOVE. Here, the director shows a firm hand and fills scenes with tension, sadness, yearning, and a sense of the tragic by turns, always making the most of his fine cast.
Like all horror films, realism and the plausible are not priorities. The acting is the film’s standout strength, but the concept deserves credit. as a fresh way to show people who exist on the fringes of society, as these people, as well as a new horror creation. By making these characters into people rather than monsters, the film turns the usual horror film structure on its head. Other than their compulsion and “dietary needs,” and how that forces them to live, they are completely ordinary people, who would rather not do want they must. They are filled with revulsion by encountering an ordinary human turned cannibal, as they do at one point. The young couple try to create something like a normal life for themselves, with starry-eyed dreams of avoiding their need to eat, as they inevitably must.
It makes for an unexpectedly heartbreaking story, and the film is in many way more a tragic romance of star-crossed lovers than a horror film. Timothee Chalamet and Taylor… as the star-crossed lovers, who are what they are without choice, give marvelous performances. The two develop a convincing chemistry, and their shared problem
But the most unforgettable performance is Mark Rylance’s. The already lauded British actor, who some may recall from BRIDGE OF SPIES, is having quite a year – with wide ranging performances. He plays a charming British eccentric, a sparkling comic role, like the delightful PHANTOM OF THE OPEN, and a shy unassuming tailor bullied by gangsters in the twisty mystery thriller THE OUTFIT. Here, Rylance plays Sully, whose smooth Southern accent and mix of menace and loneliness sets us on edge in very scene, and a performance that sears its way into our memory. Whenever he is on screen, we are uneasy, even though what he says is often pitiful. When he pops up unexpectedly, “stalker” is the word that comes to mind.
Any film that makes these kinds of bold choices deserves credit for creativity and courage, even while the film’s subject is inevitably squirm-inducing. There is blood and blood-covered faces, and we know that these folks are doing, but it is less about that, about gory effects, than the complicated characters at the center who were born with this awful curse. That makes for a fresh kind of horror film, one that invites thought about something more that how they did that effect.
BONES AND ALL opens Wednesday, Nov. 23, in select theaters.
Since the feast is finished and the shopping (in person and online) has begun, the fine folks at Marvel Studios hope that you’ll take a break for a tasty little seasonal treat. And it’s the most unusual of setting for such an offering as much of it takes place in the most distant reaches of the MCU. Another universe, really. You see, the Earth-born leader of our favorite group of planet-hopping (I’m using a line from the first flick) “A-holes” is not quite feeling the yuletide spirit. Oh, as mentioned earlier, little is the operative word as this is yet another Marvel Studios Special Presentation, following October’s WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (for Halloween, ‘natch, so this new one makes sense). It’s not really feature-length and it’s too long to be considered a short subject (maybe a “super deluxe” home video extra). So fire up the egg nog and join the ragtag space crew for THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL.
After bidding farewell to their Asgardian “temp” teammate in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, and an animated flashback with a grinch-like Yondu (voice of Michael Rooker) prologue, the Guardians have settled in on Knowhere, after Peter Quill AKA Starlord (Chris Pratt) bought it from the Collector. Mantis (Pom Kiementieff) notices that her pal seems a bit off. Discussing this with Drax (Dave Bautista), she believes that he’s down due to the approaching time of “Earth Christmas” coupled with his ongoing search for his lost love, Gamora. Maybe a gift would cheer him up. But what? It’s then that Drax has a great idea (in the comics, a light bulb would appear above his bald noggin). THE perfect gift is a person. The duo then sneaks away to “borrow” the smaller sized (maybe “fun-size”) cruiser, the Bowie (the Milano’s too big), and zip through the space grids to arrive on planet Earth, right above Hollywood. Their search then commences for Peter’s hero, Kevin Bacon (as himself). But there are detours in front of the Chinese theatres, where tourists “make it rain” thinking that the two are part of the usual costumed “buskers” and in a rowdy dance club. before acquiring his unknown info through the wondrous “map of the stars’ homes”. It’ll be a breeze for the aliens to scoop him up and zoom back home, right?
Okay, Marvel maniacs, let’s put your minds at ease right now. They may have taken a bit of inspiration from it, but this bares almost no resemblance to the much-derided and often reviled ” The Star Wars Holiday Special” of 1978 (though it has some fans who like laughing at its campier moments). So don’t expect comic TV actors and out-of-place music acts. I’d say it’s more of a nice little “catch-up” with the gang before next year’s final entry in the trilogy (Volume Three, really). Sure there’s an animated sequence (the late 70s TV event introduced us to Boba Fett), but it feels like a nod and a wink to the Ralph Bakshi rotoscoped (traced drawings over live footage) from forty years ago. And in ways, the rest’s a comic caper headlined by a comedy team, with Mantis and Drax acting as a new twist on Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello. As with the former, both score big laughs with Bautista a sweet, but dim deadpanning lug, and Kiementieff the over-excitable flighty ringleader. Actually, they may be a comic trio (like the Stooges or the Brothers Marx) with Bacon as their straight man although his too-cool, hipster star riff on his persona is lotsa’ fun. Most of the other Guardians are supporting them in bookends to the Tinsel Town hijinks. Pratt still projects a goofy charm while a new husky Groot somewhat resembles his vocal source, Vin Diesel. Writer/director James Gunn has delivered a bouncy, irreverent seasonal surprise full of frothy flourishes from the off-kilter carols by the Old 97’s (Santa’s a super-powered burglar) to Bacon’s choice of Christmas viewing (and yes, it’s an earlier SF/fantasy camp hybrid) that compares most favorably to the previous MCU Special “spook-show”. Hey Rudolph, Frosty, and Mr. Grinch make room under the tree for THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL. So, Excelsior to all, and to all a Marvel-ous night!
3.5 out of 4
THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning on Friday, November 25, 2022
Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman, in THE FABELMANS, co-written, produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. Photo credit: Courtesy of Universal
In his semi-autobiographical film THE FABELMANS, director Steven Spielberg looks back on growing up and how he fell in love with movie-making, a remembrance told through the lens of his parents’ marriage. Of course, “semi-autobiographical” means not everything we see is true but the story is by turns funny, touching and heartbreaking, as Sammy Fabelman, the stand-in for young Spielberg, grows up while his determination to make movies also grows, and his parents’ marriage falls apart. The film features a stellar cast, including Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch with a nice cameo by David Lynch. Spielberg co-wrote the script with Tony Kushner, who also co-wrote “Munich” with the director, and with music by John Williams, the stage is set for something wonderful – and we get exactly that.
There seems to be a spate of partly-biographical films from big-name directors in the last couple of years, maybe partly due to reflection during pandemic lock-down or just to reaching an age for looking back (Spielberg is now 75). This one joins Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical “Belfast” from last year and Sam Mendes’ partly-biographical ode to his mother, “Empire of Light.”
THE FABELMANS starts out with the family in 1950s New Jersey, as we meet 6-six-year-old Sammy Fabelman (Mateo Zoryon Francis-Deford) while he is standing in line with his parents Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano) to see his very first movie. However, young Sammy is not too sure about this experience because he is afraid of the dark. It does not help matters when his mother, in an effort to reassure him, describes movies as “like dreams” – which Sammy quickly notes can sometimes be scary. But his parents tell him the movie is about the circus, and Sammy loves the circus and clowns (in an earlier era when clowns were seen as harmless and funny rather than scary). And the movie? Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Greatest Show On Earth.” If you have seen this epic, you know it is less a light, happy comedy than a dramatic epic, with a showstopper scene of a circus train wreck.
Sammy’s parents obviously expected a more light-hearted movie (and what parent hasn’t made this kind of mistake?), so they are nervous about Sammy’s reaction after the show. Sammy does indeed seem stunned afterwards, but it is because he wants to know how they did that train-wreck scene. But Hanukkah is coming, and the lighting of the menorah candles, and Sammy gets an electric train set, one car at a time until the final piece, the transformer to power it all. Yup – train-wreck re-enactment is inevitable, and when his mother hands him a home movie camera so he can record it, the pattern is set.
Sammy’s fascination with making movies is encouraged actively by his artistic mother Mitzi, who even gives him his first movie camera, but it puzzles his science-inclined father Burt. The film follows Sammy’s early efforts at making movies, along with growing up with his three sisters (one a baby) and his parents. His brilliant engineer/inventor father Burt (Paul Dano) is working on the cutting edge of the nascent computer industry, developing the machines that will drive the future. His mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams) is a talented pianist but gave up her dreams of the concert stage to raise her family.
Scenes of little Sammy crashing his train and filming it with his dad’s home movie camera give way to more movie-making, often starring his older sisters, who seem to enjoy the process nearly as much as their brother.
Burt Fabelman’s soaring career takes the family from the suburbs of New Jersey, to Arizona, and then to northern California. Tagging along is fellow computer engineer Bennie Loewy (Seth Rogen), a family friend who is kind of an uncle to the kids as well as Burt’s co-worker in early computer research.
For anyone who grew up making little movies (or knew someone who did), this film is pure catnip. At the same time, this is a universal coming-of-age story for anyone who grew up in the later half of the 20th century. The film-making sequences are among the most fun, and punctuate the family’s story as well as illuminating young Sammy’s growth as he approaches adulthood. This beautifully constructed family story has humor and heart-break, and a winning coming-of-age story.
While scientist Burt is supportive of his son, he sees his son’s movie-making as a hobby, and something he will grow out of. It’s pretty clear Burt wants his son to follow in this footsteps but as much as Sammy loves his quiet, kindly father, he is just not the same. As a sister points out, Sammy doesn’t even like math, but he sure loves making movies. Dad’s gentle efforts to interest his son – in fact any of this children – in his world of science is often undermined by jokes by ever-present pal Bennie. Although Bennie is in the same nascent computer field as Burt, his playful, jokester temperament is more like Sammy’s mom Mitzi.
While the family’s Jewish identity is clear, it is not always at the forefront in the story and instead is integrated into it in a pleasingly natural way. Interestingly, the Fabelmans never seem to live in neighborhoods with many other Jewish families around, as they move from place to place. In New Jersey, they drive home after in winter through a subdivision full of houses decorated with Christmas lights, until they reach their own unlit house. Yet later, we see a festive menorah in the window, as extended family gathers to celebrate Hanukkah. Later in Arizona, we see both grandmothers visit them, Mitzi’s warm mother Tina Schildkraut (Robin Bartlett) and Burt’s more critical one, Hadassah Fabelman (Jeannie Berlin). But by the time the family reaches northern California, as Dad’s career is reaching the top, the family finds itself in very different territory, a place where, as Sammy comments, “there are hardly any Jews.” Here Sammy is confronted by open antisemitism, in the form of a hate-filled fellow student in high school.
Both Michelle Williams and Paul Dano are marvelous as Sammy’s parents, two good but mismatched people. Michelle Williams is particularly brilliant as Sammy’s artistic mother, in one of her best performances in a career of them. Mitzi is encouraging to her son while frustrated in her own life, and the two do not always get along. Paul Dano is surprisingly good in the less-showy, more-challenging role as Sammy’s quiet, kind, steady, more reserved father. Dano manages effectively the difficult job of portraying a man who, while not understanding his creative son’s passion for movie-making, ever-hopeful that he will grow out of it, and fearing for his financial future if he doesn’t, is still supportive and kindly towards him, even if he doesn’t understand, In fact, both actors present these people as good parents who put their children first, even as things between them are breaking down.
Two young actors play Sammy Fabelman, Mateo Zoryon Francis-Deford as little Sammy, and Gabriel LaBelle as the teenage Sammy. The former is cute but newcomer Gabriel LaBelle does a truly impressive job, delivering a fine, strong performance often laced with a dry humor. Also very good are the girls playing Sammy’s two older sisters, his companions in movie-making in his early attempts. Both Julia Butters as Sammy’s sister Reggie and Keeley Karsten as sister Natalie give appealing, effective performances.
Other supporting roles offer humor and more. Seth Rogen plays Bennie, a part largely based on Spielberg’s favorite uncle. Rogen’s Bennie is often silly but role isn’t always comic, as his constant presence sometimes disrupts serious Burt’s attempts to connect with his family, and Rogen does well in the part. Yet Bennie encourages also Sammy’s movie-making ambitions along with Mitzi, and he plays a crucial role at a pivotal moment for the budding director. Judd Hirsch plays Mitzi’s oddball Uncle Boris, who comes to visit at one point, telling tales of working in early movies, and having a profound effect on Sammy. Hirsch’s bit as crazy Boris is short but a comic highlight. Another actor notable in a smaller role is Jeannie Berlin, who is dryly funny as Burt’s disapproving mother Haddash Fabelman. “This is brisket?” she asks after marching into Mitzi’s kitchen and opening her oven door to inspect the meal.
Spielberg recreates his own earliest films – which include a dentist horror one, a Western, and a war movie – but the director has admitted in interviews that he improved them over the originals, as he found the originals too embarrassing to show. And why not? The admission is its own kind of charming for fans and film buffs, and more of that catnip for the childhood movie-makers among us.
“The Fabelmans” is a lovely love letter to film-making, and to Spielberg’s family, with a message about good parenting and what matters in life. This film is very well-constructed, weaving together Sammy’s movie-making and growing up, with what is happening to his parents’ marriage, in a cohesive tale of family life. It is film that is entertaining but has something real to say about growing up and following dreams.
“The Fabelmans” is a wonderful cinematic Thanksgiving treat, particularly for those who dabbled in movie-making as kids.
As the temperatures continue to dip, and some parts of the country are neck-deep in snow, a great way to spend the day is to curl up next to the fireplace, or space heater, with a mystery. Perhaps it’s one featuring a familiar investigating sleuth. Well, if you can make it out to the multiplex, then there’s a cinematic equivalent around for just a week, Oh, and the sleuth’s only been around since 2019. That’s when a filmmaker who just survived an entry in the biggest movie franchise ever, decided to create his own modern version of those Agatha Christie “all-star whodunits” (mind you that Kenneth Branagh had just donned the “stashe” for a new series). Well, it was a hit, so he and his hero star have returned with GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY. Let’s find the clues and keep track of the suspects…and victims.
Talk about being modern! It all begins right in the middle of the height of the Covid pandemic. Political candidate Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) gets a delivery that’s definitely not what she ordered from Amazon. It’s a large, apparently solid (no lids or hinges) wooden box sent from an old friend. Immediately she gets into an online conversation with the other old friends who were in the sender’s group. There’s Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), a former fashion model turned high-fashioned designer along with her aide Peg (Jessica Henwick), scientist Lionel Toussant (Leslie Odom, Jr), and Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), social media agitator/ men’s rights activist, who lives with his girlfriend media/co-creator Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) at his mom’s house. They soon figure out how to open the box which contains several puzzles that reveal an invitation to the island home of their old buddy, tech mastermind billionaire Simon Bron (Edward Norton). Oh, someone else, a stranger to them also gets the box: famous detective genius Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). It’s not long before they’re all on a dock in Greece awaiting the transport boat to Bron’s island when all of them are stunned by the arrival of another invited guest, Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand (Janelle Monae). Why stunned? Andi had sued Simon claiming that he stole her idea for the software that made Simon so rich. The group is greeted by their host at his lush resort-like island who tells them that they will be part of a fun “murder mystery” game. Still, Simon wonders why the “pro”, Blanc, is there. Of course, he easily wins the game, but things take a dark turn when a real murder occurs. Over the course of a long night (no boats can handle the tides till morning), Blanc puts his skills to the test to find a real killer before he, or she, strikes again.
Although it is a new, very different, case most film fans will focus on the return of that Southern-fried Sherlock Blanc played with a long drawl just a bit west of Foghorn Leghorn by Craig. And he appears to be having a blast not dodging bullets as that gentleman secret agent (his biggest risk here is trying to find a place to fire up a massive cigar). It’s a treat to see Craig indulge his comic talents as he goes from genteel to annoyed and outraged. Matching his intensity is Monae, who views everyone with apprehension and refuses to be the victim, not only of murder but intellectual thievery. As that thief Norton also seems to be having fun with his usual intellectual characters, making Bron a pompous “showboat” who’s not nearly as clever as he believes. His glee is close to that of Hudson as the high-fashion dimwit who is oblivious to the world’s sensitivities. Plus she makes a good duo with Henwick’s Peg, who wants to take a more aggressive and violent response to the situation. Now Birdie’s a beacon of tolerance compared to the near-neanderthal Duke played with lunk-headed confidence by the very funny Bautista. His blustering keeps us from wondering if pools and pistols are a great mix. Yet somehow he captures the affections of Cline whose sultry Whiskey may be a more deadly weapon than his sidearms (and she’s more than “side candy”). And it’s always great to see solid supporting players like Hahn and Odom, although the politico and the grim scientist aren’t as enjoyably wacky as their cohorts.No spoilers from me, but keep your eye, and ear, peeled for lotsa’ fun cameos.
This extraordinary cast is led and perhaps inspired, by director Rian Johnson, who also penned the very witty script. Sure, it’s a pretty great whodunit, but it’s also a wonderfully satiric comedy skewing social mores and media, from the pandemic to toxic tweets, while taking well-deserved aim at the “one-percenters”. Hmmm and just days after the also clever dark comedy THE MENU, which also involves an island and foul play amongst the “well-off”. Smart minds think, not alike but on “shared wavelengths”. The “icing on the cake” for this romp are the wild costumes (Birdie’s just a burst of flesh and pastels) and the gorgeous Greek locations (now there’s a beach backdrop for Bron’s excessive tribute to his genius). If you enjoyed the first outing, then you’ll relish this bigger, bawdier new caper. My only problem was the somewhat downbeat ending. Mind you the culprit’s revealed, but the world pays a hefty price for their indulgences (can’t say more). Everybody’s having a splendid time which is quite contagious as fans will be watching with engaging grins. This is another Blanc tale in the works, but it will be tough to top the marvelous mirth of GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY.
3.5 out of 4
GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY opens in select theatres for one week only beginning on November 23, 2022
It’s important to keep in mind when sitting down to the big holiday meal in a day or so, that many families will have a temporary missing seat at the table. That’s the case with so many households with loved ones serving in the military. And then there’s the empty seat that goes from temporary to permanent. This Thanksgiving weekend’s new film release touches on that with a tale of real-life heroism in the sky. Oh, but it’s not another TOP GUN wannabe, although it features one of the recent sequel’s hunky young stars. This is based on a conflict 72 years in the past. And, as I said, it’s all true concerning a group of men who possess a very special kind of DEVOTION.
The saga starts at a naval air base in Rhode Island as Navy fighter pilot Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) arrives for his new assignment. After checking in with his CO Dick Cevoli (Thomas Sadoski), Tom heads to the locker room and nearly runs into another pilot Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors). He’s the only African American flyer Tom’s ever met, but the men find they have much in common. Ditto for the rest of the elite squadron. However, Brown rarely socializes with his co-workers (he doesn’t even drink), preferring to spend all of his time with his wife Daisy (Christina Jackson), and their toddler daughter in their rented house. One night, Tom sees Jesse stranded after his car breaks down and offers him a lift home where Tom and Daisy share a beer. Soon after, time at the base gets more intense as Korea becomes a “hot zone. The whole squadron must get familiar with their new Corsair fighter jets in preparation for the “big show”. And things pick up even more when the squad is transferred to an aircraft carrier off the coast of Italy, where Brown must deal with on-deck landings and a group of racist Marines. Tom offers his help, but Jesse wants no special treatment. Everybody has a relaxing shore leave in Cannes, France (and rubs shoulders with an iconic silver screen starlet), But Tom and Jesse butt heads over dealing with equality and confronting prejudice. This flares up in Korea when Jesse ignores orders from Tom (put temporarily in command) during a bombing raid on a bridge. But they’ve got to put their “beefs” aside when they’re sent to back up ground troops during a deadly battle with an overwhelming horde of Chinese forces. Can they become a tight team and make it back home alive?
This story provides another terrific role for a star on the rise, Majors (he’ll soon face off against CREED before, reportedly, taking on the Avengers). His Brown is often quiet, even stoic, but we see that his emotions are bubbling beneath the surface. When he does vent, in a powerful solo sequence facing the camera as a mirror, Majors is riveting and heartbreaking as he rattles off a litany of racist bile he’s endured. Yet he also shows his tender side with his two loves (other than flying), Daisy and his sweet baby. When seeing this, Powell as Tom subtly sneaks in an envious grin. Yes, in many of the scenes, particularly with the French ladies, he’s got that Han Solo roguish charm, but Powell gives us much more of the inner soldier loyalty, building on his scene-stealing turn in the last TOP GUN flick. Sadoski projects a patriarchal warmth as the best “old man” these hotshots could ever hope to follow. He’s tough but doesn’t hide his pride and affection for his “guys”. And speaking of affection, Jackson shines as the apple of Jesse’s eye, who quietly worries for her spouse, but tries to coat her fear with a sassy, “no BS” demeanor. We also get an energetic group of young actors, including pop star Joe Jonas, who provide superb support for the lead duo.
Director J.D. Dillard has ably recreated the nostalgic look of the early 1950s tempered with the rise of tension in the early start of the “Cold War” (and those frozen Korean battlefields illustrate it). He shows us the monotony of the constant readiness for that siren to blare, ushering the guys into their cockpits. The screenplay by Jake Crane and Jonathan Stewart, adapting Adam Makos’ book, avoids several flying ace cliches while giving the Browns a rich, romantic backstory. At times the film gets bogged down with too many heated exchanges between Jesse and Tom over the racial bias of the era. Oh, but when this film gets airborne, it soars. with scenes almost as stunning, well as that other aerial epic from a few months ago. The planes twirl and twist, breaking formation and cutting the clouds from every possible angle. The dog fights are just as deadly as the ones in that “galaxy far far away”, and the sequence with the pilots making practice landings in their new rigs is a tense nail-biter. It all leads to an ending that’s a true emotional “gut punch”. It makes us wonder whether if in the similar type of situation, we’d have the same level of DEVOTION.
In order to continue the big holiday festivities, the “mouse house” is releasing another full-length animated feature to enjoy with the whole family once the leftover goodies are sealed off and sent to the fridge. But you can enjoy this if you’re celebrating solo, too. Now a few days ago, I praised a remake. or re-imagining, of one of their iconic animated classics, and I was lukewarm on their own sequel to a popular hybrid (live and ‘toon) from 15 years ago. So, naturally, they’re sending out an original cartoon flick, not a sequel, prequel, or spin-off. And it’s not set on an Earth-bound fantasy kingdom, but on another world. Ah, but then so was last summer’s LIGHTYEAR from sister studio Pixar. Nope, this is from the artists that really delivered the previous year with ENCANTO (just an opening title song here), Walt Disney Animation Studios, who hope that you’ll join them in a journey to a truly STRANGE WORLD (cue the theremin).
Yes, the title tune brings us up to speed in the film’s first few minutes, giving us the “4-11” on the world of Avalonia, a technically primitive society (horse carts, windmills, and such) that yearns to see what’s beyond the massive mountains that surround them. Why, that’s a job for their most intrepid and adventurous explorer, Jaeger Clade (voice of Dennis Quaid), and his teenage son Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal). All’s going well until a most dangerous passage reveals a weird, glowing plant called Pando, It emits crackling electric-life energy, and Searcher wants to harness it for the Avalonians. This prompts a stand-off as Jaeger insists on forging ahead despite almost certain doom. And thus begins a parting of father and son, as Jaeger continues, while Searcher and the rest of the crew return home with the Pando. Several years passed and the plant has indeed changed the planet, powering new contraptions and transports, and also providing a plentiful food source, So plentiful that Searcher oversees his own massive Pando farm along with his wife Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and their teeage son, who has gotten his grandpop’s explorer genes, Ethan (Jaboukie Young White). Jaeger never returned, so a statue of him along with his son tower above the nearby village. All seem’s well, until the Clades notice that part of the crop has no, well, spark. It’s a bust. This precedes an unexpected visit from former crew member, and current president of Avalonia, Callisto Mal (Lucy Liu). She’s discovered that all the Pando crops are connected via their roots to a massive “heart’ deep underground. And that central “organ” is failing. She implores Searcher to join her and her aides aboard a massive airship, the Venture, on a journey into the dark depths to save their precious food/energy source. Searcher bids his family farewell and boards the Venture. As it begins its mission, Searcher is stunned to see that Meridian is tailing them in a small one-person crop duster. It turns out that it’s a family reunion because she tells him that Ethan and the family pooch are stowaways on the ship. Before Meridian can return with them the Venture comes under attack and gets two new crew members. When they finally escape the threat, the ship lands in a bizarre world filled with weird unknown creatures. What new dangers await them and their cohorts in this odd hostile new environment? Can they save their precious Pando?
Now here’s a rollicking adventure tale with satiric touches, imaginative creatures and backdrops, cool gizmos, and a family saga at its core (which is the setting for most of the really wild antics). Plus it features a terrific vocal ensemble. Quaid provides the macho blustering as Clade senior, Jaeger, and Gyllenhaal scores a good many laughs as the dad who just wants his kid (and his pals) to think he’s the cool papa. Union’s a no-nonsense mom that keeps her family grounded(and alive). And Young white bursts with youthful yearning. Oh, I hinted at the look of the film, which is eye-popping. The Pando-fueled transports have a retro beauty, a mating of steampunk and Flash Gordon with intricate little flourishes and fins. Now the underground world is a rainbow pastel explosion with curving slopes and jagged edges. And the wildlife, wow. Check out those magenta-glowing dragons. Or the horses with exlpoding worms for a head. All seem to be a candy-colored mix of Dali and Dr. Seuss. As a bonus, we’re treated to a cool comic book-inspired prologue with the classic 2D animation accented with old-school printers’ dots enhanced by a rousing choral march right out of a grainy TV ‘toon. So, it’s a true visual delight, but something just feels off. The characters look like true caricatures (Jaegar owes much to the bulk of Bluto, Popeye’s arch nemesis), but the movie gets bogged down with the bickering between the different Clade generations. And the ecological message is often pretty heavy-handed, even as we marvel at the weird sidekick Splat who resembles a shiny strobing rubber beanbag filled with gelatin. What may be at fault is the nearly two-hour running time (so many this film year) making several of the non-stop perils fairly repetitive. There are countless wonders to dazzle the senses in this STRANGE WORLD, it’s just a shame it doesn’t engage our hearts and heads.
3 Out of 4
STRANGE WORLD is now playing in theatres everywhere
