Based on a true story, FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY follows reformed gangster Ricky, wife Julia, daughter Paige and son Zak as they make a living wrestling together in tiny venues. When Paige and Zak get the opportunity to try out for WWE, the family grabs a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn their wildest dreams into a dazzling future. However, brother and sister quickly discover that to become superstars, both their talent and their relationship will be put to the test.
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY is a heartwarming and smart comedy that proves everything is worth fighting for when it comes to family.
Directed by Stephen Merchant, the films stars Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Opens in theaters February 22.
Enter for your chance to win two free passes to the St. Louis advance screening of FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY. The theatrical sneak preview will be on Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm.
Add you name and email address in our comments section below.
NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
The film has been rated PG 13 for crude and sexual material, language throughout, some violence and drug content.
It’s time for the 91st Oscars. Yeah baby, if you love movies, this is your night. With the Oscars just a week away, preparations for the big night have already begun in Hollywood at the Dolby Theatre. On Saturday WAMG caught a glimpse of the construction of press risers, fan bleachers and pre-show stages that will line the Oscars red carpet.
You don’t have to be a huge movie geek (although, we are), but it helps. Even if you just love movies, consider watching the Oscars next week for more than just the Best Picture award. You’ll see a lot of these names again, and like in sports, finding the player who is some day destined for greatness in this can be your big thrill.
Here’s our take on why to get excited about tuning in for Hollywood’s Big Night!
1. BLACK PANTHER is a Best Picture nominee
Black Panther is NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR! Yes, I’m excited. I’ve been a comic and comic book character fan my entire life. Now that one is nominated for an Oscar, I’m actually, factually, and probably, TERMINALLY excited. It may not win, but it never could have without being nominated. The story, about King T’Challa and his first real challenge as king, is great. I won’t go in to anything that could be a spoiler, but the story, the many locations, the costumes, the special effects, and last, but not least, the actors portraying these wonderful characters actually brought them to life. It is an exciting film, with characters you actually care about, and come to see their points of view and motivations (Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, gives you a villain to both loathe and yet can understand, extreme though he may be), all woven in to a rich tapestry. If you loved the character in the comics, you’ll love him even more by the time you’ve watched this. If you never heard of him, but watched out of curiosity, you’ll enjoy his coming of age struggle. As a fan of the entire genre, I’m thrilled to see a “comic book movie” get an Oscar nod. The cast is filled with names you’ll know, and a few that I’m certain you’ll get to know more in the near future (I’m talking to you, Winston Duke) because of their presentations of the characters in the film. It is a film with heart, and humor, drama and thoughtfulness. There is tragedy, and each character must make their peace with the decision that they make in this film, a husband and wife divided by duty and passion to their country and king, vengeance and justice, loyalty to tribe and king. I loved it, and I don’t even like kings.
2. The presenters
We’re thrilled to see the lineup of stars that will present at the Oscars. Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson, Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Keegan-Michael Key, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, and Jason Momoa.
Why? Because you get to see a lot of the actors that are in the movies you’ve loved, or a composer who made a film score (or many!), or a director of some of your favorite films (We’re talking to you, Roland Emmerich), or of the movie you want to get an award in a given year. OR some of the other categories that award those who are also instrumental in the presentation and success of a movie.
3. Oscar Week events
In the week leading up to the 91st Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated and Live Action Short Film categories. Events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Tickets are now available online at Oscars.org. Tickets to the Documentaries, Shorts, Foreign Language Film and Animated Features events are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID (Shorts and Foreign Language Films tickets limited to four per person). Admission to the Saturday afternoon Makeup and Hairstyling event is free, but advance tickets are required (limited to two per person). Doors open one hour prior to each event. All ticketed seating is unreserved. For more information, visit Oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.
4. An Oscar Party
Some people actually throw an “Oscar Party” and if you’re one, make a night of it and check out the award-winning food you can serve your guests. https://www.oscars.org/press/governors-ball
5. The red carpet
Ever since Joan Rivers first asked the stars “who are you wearing?” tuning in for the red carpet is a must-see leading up to the Oscars. With the advent of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, Oscar-watchers can have a lot of fun and opine their fashion thoughts live with other fans across the world.
Yep, ALL 24 categories will be celebrated during the Academy Awards. Whether it’s a two hour show or a four hour show, we die-hards are in it for the duration.
For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com. Check out some of the reactions of the nominees after the nominations were announced.
After announcing that certain categories would be omitted from the live broadcast, the officers of the Board of Governors released a statement on Friday:
“The Academy has heard the feedback from its membership regarding the Oscar presentation of four awards – Cinematography, Film Editing, Live Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling. All Academy Awards will be presented without edits, in our traditional format. We look forward to Oscar Sunday, February 24.”
7. Oscar Game
The Official Oscar Game live play along experience lets you participate in Hollywood’s biggest night featuring real-time trivia, polls, and category predictions. Gather your friends and play The Official Oscar® Game. https://oscar.go.com/game
8. The Oscar nominated songs performed during the show
Bette Midler announced via Twitter she would be among the many singers to perform one of the Best Song nominees
So, (drum roll) Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be chanteusing (that’s singing) on the Oscars on Feb 24…the nominated song from “Mary Poppins”…”The Place Where Lost Things Go” …so excited!!
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will perform “I’ll Fight” from RBG (music and lyric by Diane Warren); nominees Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will be welcomed to the stage to sing “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (music and lyric by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings); Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are set to perform “Shallow” from A STAR IS BORN (music and lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt)
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe “I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
9. Class photo of the annual Oscar nominee lunch.
Another great way to get ready for Oscar Sunday and catch the actor, actresses and filmmakers. You can see highlights and excerpts of interviews from the Oscars 2019 nominee luncheon at Oscar.com
10. The funny spoofs of the Oscars
Saturday Night Live got in on the act this past weekend with their hilarious take on the Academy Awards.
Frank Henenlotter’s BASKET CASE (1982) screens Midnights this weekend (February 22nd and 23rd) at The Moolah Theater and Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108) as part of Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Nite Grindhouse film series.
For those readers who may have existed under a rock over the last four decades—or, perhaps in a wicker basket, hiding yourselves from civilization—Basket Case is a zero-budget (okay, $35,000, but that’s pretty close to zero), Z-grade, grindhouse film. Most films that played the grindhouses of yesteryear didn’t intend on playing grindhouses; it’s just where they ended up. But Basket Case, by writer/director Frank Henenlotter, was intentionally made as a grindhouse film that would play in the grindhouses of 1980’s Time Square. In fact, that was Henenlotter’s only expectation for the film. His dream was to see his film up in lights at one of the theaters that he frequented throughout his youth. So he intentionally went about designing and creating the most outrageous, disgusting, hilarious film he could put together in homage to all the outrageous, disgusting, hilarious films he’d cut his teeth on in Times Square.
Basket Case is the story of Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck), a painfully shy and naïve youth with an unfortunate problem. He was born as a Siamese twin. But his twin didn’t fully develop and was simply a blob of flesh with a distorted face and two claws that grew out of Duane’s torso. His parents were horrified and so, during Duane’s youth, they hired some sleazy doctors to perform a horrific surgery to remove this living monstrosity, named Belial, from Duane’s side, thus allowing Duane to live a normal life. With total disregard towards Belial, the doctors wrapped him in a plastic bag and summarily dumped him in the trash where he was rescued later in the evening by Duane. The two brothers eventually escape the Hell of suburbia to enter a different Hell—that of the Big Apple’s 42nd Street. Here Duane meets a pretty young girl and both experience their first true romance. But Belial, who vicariously lives Duane’s experiences thanks to the mysterious psychic abilities some twins share, becomes jealous of Duane. Fearing Duane’s departure, Belial goes on the attack to ensure the two will never be separated (for the rest of Roger Carpenter’s review of the BASKET CASE Blu-ray, goHERE)
THE PSYCHOTRONIC PRE-SHOW STARTS AROUND 11:30P WITH THE FILM STARTING AT MIDNIGHT.
The Moolah Theatre & Lounge serves alcohol until 2:30AM! Feel free to show up early and stay late to have some drinks and get friendly with the amazing Moolah staff.
One of the year’s most acclaimed films and South Korea’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2019 Academy Awards®, BURNING debuts on digital January 29 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD March 5 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami, BURNING is a psychological tale of all-consuming jealousy that tells the story of three individuals and a mystery that shows no one is truly as they seem. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 95% and an average score of 8.7 from over 100 outlets. A special bonus is the behind-the-scenes featurette “About the Characters” where viewers will take a deep dive into the characters in BURNING and the actors who portray them. The film stars Steven Yeun (Okja, “The Walking Dead”), Ah-in Yoo (“Six Flying Dragons”) and Jong-seo Jun making her big screen debut.
BURNING is the searing examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jong-seo Jun), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibilities, and Ben (Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead,” Sorry To Bother You), a wealthy and sophisticated young man who returns with her from a recent trip. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.
Country of Origin: South Korea
BURNING has a runtime of approximately 148 minutes and is not rated.
Oliver Masucci as Professor Antonius van Verten, in NEVER LOOK AWAY. Photo by Caleb Deschanel, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Art and history meld in the Oscar-nominated NEVER LOOK AWAY, a German-language epic tale that begins in 1937 Nazi Germany, and follows Kurt, an artistically-gifted young German, from his boyhood under the Nazis, to life in communist East Germany, and finally in the West in the 1960s. The personal story is used to explore life in eastern Germany under two repressive regimes, and those regimes shifting views on modern art under those regimes. Naturally, the drama also touches on Nazi war crimes, the war itself and its aftermath under communism but the lens is this child’s experience in wartime and then as a young artist.
NEVER LOOK AWAY is an Oscar nominee in this year’s Foreign Language category and also in the Cinematography category, for Oscar-winner Caleb Deschanel’s stunningly lush work. The visual lushness is a must for a period film centered on art, but three-time Oscar winner Deschanel far exceeds expectations, creating one of the many elements that make this dramatic film so compelling to watch.
German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck also wrote and produced this excellent film. His feature film debut, 2006’s THE LIVES OF OTHERS, won the Foreign-Language Oscar. That drama also touched on the treatment of artists in communist East Germany. Sebastian Koch, who played a lead role in THE LIVES OF OTHERS, returns in this film, appearing as a Nazi doctor, Professor Seeband.
NEVER LOOK AWAY is as much art history as political history, and both form the backdrop for a absorbing personal saga. We first meet Kurt (Cai Cohrs) as a young boy in 1937 Germany, when he and his aunt Elizabeth (an amazing Saskia Rosendahl) are visiting a Nazi exhibit on “Degenerate Art.” While the tour guide descries the various “evils” of the modern art works on display and praises traditional art, Kurt and Elizabeth listen politely. Hanging back as the tour group moves to the next gallery, Elizabeth whispers to her nephew that she likes the “degenerate” art anyway. Elizabeth is Kurt’s mother’s teenage sister, and she is as wild and creative as she is beautiful. Kurt adores her and she encourages Kurt’s drawings, urging her nephew to “never look away” from anything in life.
The period drama has a truly epic scope, covering about 30 years, and a running time to match, at just over 3 hours. Yet the film does not feel long, never drags and keeps the audience engaged and even absorbed in its sweeping story. Love, art, tragedy, family and sweeping change all suffuse this outstanding film.
At first, the family, who live in an idyllic rural area near Dresden, think they have nothing to fear from the Nazis since they are “Aryans.” Kurt’s father, a teacher, finds Nazi ideas personally distasteful, yet he joins the Nazi party at his wife’s insistence, and her belief that it will advance his career. The rest of the family goes along as well, with the older boys in the Hitler Youth and then the army, and pretty blonde Elizabeth, the picture of the Nazi ideal, chosen to hand a bouquet to a Nazi leader visiting her school. Their expectations turn out to be tragically wrong, starting when Elizabeth’s behavior becomes unstable and she comes in contact with Nazi doctor Professor Seeband (Sebastian Koch).
Tom Schilling plays the teenage and then grown-up Kurt, as the drama follows him and his family through the sweeping changes of the war and its aftermath. Kurt does become an artist, a very gifted painter, through a circuitous path that takes us through the shifting landscape in post-war East Germany.
NEVER LOOK AWAY takes a different tack on history than audiences might expect, skipping some more familiar subjects usually covered in WWII set films. The epic is as much art history as political history, and all the history is more backdrop for this personal story. The drama picks and chooses historical details, based on aspects that touch the main character directly. The war and Nazis are depicted through the child Kurt’s experiences, thus it focuses on Nazi ideas about eugenics and extermination of those they deemed “defective” rather than the atrocities heaped on Jewish people. Rather than multiple battles, the film depicts the firebombing of Dresden, in a horrific, powerful sequence. After the war, the hunt is on for Nazis but party members in name only, like Kurt’s father, are as likely a target as real ones like Seeband.
On the art history side, we see Nazi repression of modern art replaced by the communists’ focus on only propaganda-laden Socialist Realism. Even in the non-communist West, the arbiters of artistic taste tell painter Kurt that “painting is dead” and he must embrace some other medium.
Still, the particular events in this life do play symbolic roles to highlight some aspects of the history, noticeable enough that it seems like more than mere chance is at work where some character story lines intersect. Donnersmarck does a masterful job blending the personal and the historic in this art-focused epic.
The acting is as outstanding as the powerful story and beautiful photography. Tom Schilling is superb as the young artist, effectively depicting him from a teen to an ambitious young man. The actor captures to struggle of the artist to express himself despite the strictures of the cultures he finds himself in, and the hunger to create.
Yet audiences might be as taken with the two young women in Kurt’s life. As star-crossed aunt Elizabeth, Saskia Rosendahl is hypnotic, radiating charisma and madness in an emotional, pivotal role. Paula Beers, who was so fabulous in FRANTZ, plays the young fashion designer Kurt meets at art school, a role she carries off with enormous charm.
Sebastian Koch as the doctor is a perfect villain, a fully-rounded person with the impulse to protect his family, but fully committed to the Nazis’ cold ideas. The complexity and intelligence of the character makes him all the more chilling, as he becomes entwined in Kurt’s life in ways neither expect. It is a relationship fraught with tension and secrets, some that neither realize until much later. The other cast are strong as well, with Oliver Masucci as art school teacher Antonius van Verten particularly effective.
It is best to approach this film without expectations built on its historical setting and just let it sweep you up in its flow. One of the year’s best, particularly for fans of art, NEVER rewards well those willing to make the effort to read subtitles and be patient with its epic length. It is well worth it.
NEVER LOOK AWAY opens Friday, February 15, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
From the rich historical archives of WWII comes another true tale of struggle and survival, when Hitler and his cronies enacted the”Final Solution”. So what makes this film special? Well, it was produced and filmed in Germany and mixes real footage with actual interviews of the people who lived the story. The biggest twist is that it doesn’t focus on families fleeing the country and blending in or going “underground” in those nearby foreign lands. This is about the Jews who would not leave their homeland, risking their lives to “hide in plain sight” (sometimes even venturing from the closets and attics to walk the streets). Another unique aspect of this film is that it’s almost an anthology, splitting the narrative amongst a quartet of youths barely past their teens. It is set in Berlin, so some of the principals often run into the same people, though the main four never meet. Aside from the city, they do share that common goal: anonymity. Because in order to “wait out the war”, they must become THE INVISIBLES.
It begins in early 1943 as the Reich is shipping out all the “undesirables”. The first of the four we meet is Cioma Schonhaus (Max Mauff) who uses his art skills to become an expert forger. While his parents board the trains for the camps in the East, he modifies his papers in order to be labeled an essential worker at the local munitions factory. Later he is recruited to be the Jewish underground as a “passport doctor”, saving the lives of hundreds while having to be constantly on the move. The next “invisible’ is fun-loving teenager Ruth Arndt (Ruby O. Fee), who spends much of her time dancing to banned American swing music in a cramped room (she can’t risk going to a dance hall). She tries to stay with her family, but as the days drag on, they are forced to separate. Eventually, she pairs up with cousin Ellen (Victoria Schulz), playing the part of “war widows” until they get jobs as housekeepers for a high-ranking German officer. Another young woman, Hanni Levy (Alice Dwyer) has no family but is deemed temporarily essential for her work sewing parachutes. Eventually, she must go on the run, flitting from one sympathetic apartment owner to the next. To blend in, Hanni has her hair dyed blonde and changes her name. Finally, there’s the journey of Eugen Friede (Aaron Altaras), who feels safe in his parents’ home (his stepfather is not Jewish, so they aren’t harassed), until the authorities come after him. He stays with an affluent Communist family, but they must send him off to another household where he must don the garb of a “Hitlerjugend”. In his last days on the run, Eugen stays with resistance fighter Hans Winkler and aids the efforts of the resistance group Community for Peace and Development alongside camp escapee Werner Scharff (Florian Lucas). As the Allied forces bomb Germany into submission, can the quartet make it safely out of the rubble that was their land and convince the incoming Russian troops of their innocence?
One could say that these are fairly familiar stories, but the taut direction and pacing by Claus Ralfe (who also worked on the screenplay with Alejandra Lopez) gives it an intimate contemporary feel. This is also accomplished via the remarkable black and white footage from the time period used to bridge sequences and establish locales. We see German citizens from the period, not dodging bombs, but strolling down the street, window-shopping just like city dwellers in New York, Chicago, or London. Plus Ralfe knows just when to drop in some of the remarkable interviews with the real “invisibles” shot over the last couple of decades. Their portrayers (or are they re-enactors) give solid, compelling performances. Mauff embodies the confidence and cluelessness of youth, as he goes forward in his plans not fully realizes that he’s in “way over his head”. On the flip side, Dwyer brings a haunted, lonely quality to directionless Hanni, as she somehow floats past danger as in a fog. As for those who intersect with the quartet. Lukas is full of righteous bravado as the aggressive Scharff. His opposite is the slinky Laila Maria Witt as Stella Goldschlag, a Jewish collaborator who nearly exposes Ruth and Ellen, but has an unexpected change of heart and spares Cioma. Her story, full of deceit and conflict, might make for an interesting film, too. Hopefully, it would have the same superb art direction, costuming, and hairstyles as this one, skillfully dropping us right into the mid-’40s. All those involved with this powerful drama make THE INVISIBLES well worth a look.
4 Out of 5
THE INVISIBLES opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
“Hello, film lovers, where ever you are…” (with apologies and props to Rogers and Hammerstein). Yes, it’s that holiday, once again, so are the Hollywood studios offering any sort of “movie nightcap” to that special, intimate evening? Well, the flick opening today does have romance (well, a variation) in the title. But look at the lead actress. She’s perhaps best known for raunchy comedies, more “raw-coms” than “rom-coms”. That should clue you in that this flick offers a much sharper take (razor-sharp at times) on the now familiar “kisses and chuckles” feature. This gives several interpretations to the question posed by the Valentine’s Day release, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC. Oh, and don’t try and sneak in any heart-shaped boxes of candy into the multiplex, okay?
The story begins a couple of decades ago, as the camera gives us a full close-up of adorable nine-year-old Natalie, with an expression of pure bliss as she watches (probably not her first viewing) the 1990 classic PRETTY WOMAN. Of course, her weary, life-battered Mum (Jennifer Saunders) walks in to burst her baby’s bubble, warning her that life is very much not like these types of bubbly flicks. Cut to today, NYC, as now thirty-something Natalie (Rebel Wilson) wakes up in her dingy, tiny apartment. After saying hi to her surly unfriendly neighbor Donny (Brandon Scott Jones), she heads to her architect job at a messy, crowded downtown design firm. No one respects her except her frowsy aide Whitney (Betty Gilpin), who spends much of her days streaming, you guessed it, “rom-coms” on her computer screen, and best “work pal”, the ever-encouraging and jovial Josh (Adam Devine). Later that day, a subway altercation KO’s Natalie. When she wakes up in a very comfy hospital bed, it seems like everything’s changed (maybe better, definitely weirder). As she walks out into the now immaculate streets, she has a “meet cute” with an instantly-smitten Aussie billionaire named Blake (Liam Hemsworth). After taking her home in his limo (and giving his “digits”), Natalie is stunned by her now lush and luxurious apartment, with a fully stocked (all those shoes) walk-in closet. And (certainly “out of the closet”) waiting for her (he’s got a key, natch’) is her “BFF” Donny, now friendly and extremely flamboyant, devoted to her alone (does he have a job or an outside life). Things are certainly different at her now plush, upper-crust design office. Oh, but now Whitney is a super-competitive, rhymes-with-witchy rival. Luckily Josh is still the same supportive pal. Ah, but he’s not immune to this “turn of events”, as he starts a fast “meet cute” turned romance with the gorgeous “yoga ambassador” Isabella (Priyanka Chopra). Natalie realizes that she’s in an artificial world based on “rom-com” cliches. Is she forever “trapped” or will she find a way to return to her “real world” before losing Josh forever?
In a role quite different from her usual “party hard” twirling dervish, Wilson makes a solid cynical leading lady, calling out the genre tropes and cliches. Though she’s treated as a “beguiling” (Blake’s go-to phrase) queen, she knows that she must get back to our ole’ cruel world and makes us root for her to complete her “quest”. Plus Wilson uses her slapstick gifts to great effect in several physical gags (stopping a careening kabob cart) and a couple of musical numbers (hey there Amy). Speaking of music, she teams up once more with her PITCH PERFECT partner Devine for scenes that bristle with true chemistry (a real bit of movie “shorthand”). Luckily Devine has toned down the aggressive energy that has made many of his film roles a tad abrasive. This “mellow” almost verges on the cloying, coming off as a needy puppy in the early scenes, but he bounces back when he finds this “new NY” more appealing. Hemsworth has a winsome, goofy vibe as the fantasy “prince of the city”, yearning to take Natalie away in his carriage..er..stretch limo. Chopra is charming as the fantasy femme whose claws come out as she realizes the strong bond between the “normal” duo. Happily, the film has a couple of terrific supporting players who become the story’s true MVPs. Straight from the wrestling ring of the Netlix sitcom “Glow” comes Gilpin, showcasing her versatility in two distinct versions of Whitney. Whit 1.0 is a frizzy, mosey mess, who has been suckered in by movie fibs and spouts silly platitudes to “help” Natalie (“The right man will see your inner light”). Even more fun is Whit 2.0, a crimson-haired barracuda turning the air toxic with her withering glares and savage slams (“I’m taking you down!!”). Oh, but that “f-word” truly describes the “go-for-broke” work of Jones as the (another “f-word”) fabulous Donny, bouncing from every corner of the screen like a martini-swilling Tigger, only slowing down to deliver just the right “pep talk” to his fave “grrrlll”. He’s a real-life cartoon, in the best sense of the word.
There are a lot of truly inspired comic gems and “call-backs” in the witty, satirical script from Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, and Katie Silberman. I was particularly amused when, in the new “world”, Natalie tries to drop the “f-bomb”, but is constantly drowned out by ambient noise (car horns, alarm clocks, etc.), thus ensuring the coveted(for this genre) PG-13 rating. And the visual bits are executed by the film’s top-notch art directors and production designers. The “RC” NYC is a place of clean streets with adorable lil’ shops for cupcakes, kids books, and bridal gowns (as opposed to the grimy 99 cent stores, bodegas, and check cashing places in the opening), subway stops adorned with potted bouquets, and pristine pedestrians wearing warm pastels and flowery prints. And, of course, no traffic jams (there’s never a car anywhere near Blake’s limo as he zips over the bridge). On the other hand, pointing out the ridiculous nature of rom-coms may be the parody equivalent of “shooting fish in a barrell”, making the film’s main premise seem “stretched” to the breaking, or boring, point. Like last year’s THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (this new flick is vastly superior, though), we wonder if this might have worked much better as a short subject, or on TV as a comedy special or a bonus-length SNL sketch. It doesn’t help that the direction from Todd Strauss-Schulson is often listless, with lots of “wheel-spinning” (the repeated “morning after” gets tedious fast) between some peppy set pieces (the karaoke number, in particular). The whole enterprise derails in the story’s big finale as they suddenly embrace the cliches they spend the previous hour or so bashing with a Mad magazine-filled sledgehammer (how I wished a person from HR would break up a big office reveal). C’mon ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, you can’t have it both ways, or as those films would show, somebody (a guy named Baxter) has to be left at the altar. Darn, this one had a premise with some promise.
Although there are some fun sequences and genuine wonder to behold, director Robert Rodriguez‘ ALITA BATTLE ANGEL is mostly familiar, noisy, visual mayhem with a thin plot and even thinner characters.
ALITA BATTLE ANGEL takes place in 2563, 300 years after The Fall, a future where society is split into two halves: those who enjoy the sweet life of Zalem, a bountiful floating city in the sky, and the street-dwellers below in Iron City, who exist suspiciously like those in the world of last year’s READY PLAYER ONE, scraping and hustling to make ends meet. Christoph Waltz stars as Dr. Dyson Ido, a scientist who repairs cybernetic human appendages, which appear to be in big demand in the future. He’s introduced scavenging a junkyard for parts, where he digs up the head and torso of a young cyborg girl who, while badly damaged, is still alive. After Ido repairs her, she has no memory of who she is or where she came from. He names her after his late daughter Alita, and it’s soon clear she was once some sort of accomplished cyber-warrior. Everyone desires to reside in Zalem, but unless you’re well-connected, the only way to get there is by becoming champion at the popular roller-derby-esque sport known as Motorball, which is a lot like Rollerball if James Caan’s head had been grafted onto Optimus Prime. Alita soon begins exploring the world, gets a hunky boyfriend (Keean Johnson), and falls into the clutches of Dr. Ido’s ex-wife Chiren (Jennifer Connelly) and Vector (Mahershala Ali), the leaders of Iron City, who want to use her latent skills for their own nefarious purposes.
Perhaps the genesis story for ALITA BATTLE ANGEL was fresh and groundbreaking when it first appeared in Yukito Kishiro’s graphic novel back in 1990. In the decades since, filmmakers have presented similar themes, concepts and imagery, a lot of which are now so commonplace in these big-budget, CGI-focused extravaganzas that there’s not much new here that separates this film from the dystopian sci-fi crowd. The many CGI robot battles are clearly the focus of ALITA BATTLE ANGEL, and while they’re technically impressive (especially in eye-popping IMAX and 3D), visual snazziness alone isn’t enough to carry the film. The constant use of androids in back alleys striking battle poses grows quickly tiresome. Rodriguez has always been ambitious with his visuals, working wonders with medium-size budgets, yet while ALITA BATTLE ANGEL purportedly cost close to $200 million, the director’s style seems less inventive here than with his cheaper films.
A motion-captured Rosa Salazar as Alita is outstanding, delivering just enough charm and humanity to make Alita a fully-realized CGI character. Veteran actor Christoph Waltz has fun with his role as the caring scientist/creator, though he seems to be retreading previous performances. While I did enjoy Jeff Fahey in a small role as a cyberdog-loving cowboy bounty hunter, the villains, especially a sneering Ed Skrein as head creep Zapan, are mundane, with little dimension or character arc. This is especially problematic since the film is a heroine’s journey and we truly want to see her vanquish more worthy adversaries. Jackie Earle Haley and Jai Courtney (or their heads at least) are underused as robot noggins. There’s a lot to look at in ALITA BATTLE ANGEL, and its young target audience may be entertained, but it’s just not a fresh enough film to sway anyone who has grown tired of this genre.
Exciting new for stop-motion fans! THE GIANT BEHEMOTH is now available On Blu-ray from Warner Archives. Ordering information can be found HERE
London faces death and destruction when a radioactive monster emerges from the depths of the ocean–and millions flee in terror from The Giant Behemoth.England, 1959. The horrors of the Atomic Age threaten Britain when thousands of fish begin to wash up dead on its shores–then fishermen are found mysteriously dead at sea. Two scientists investigating these mysteries discover something far more frightening than their worst nightmares: A giant, radioactive sea creature that has been horribly mutated by the effects of radioactive fallout staggers from beneath the depths bringing death to every living thing in its path. And–even worse–they realize the monster is heading for London!
The horrors of the Atomic Age threaten Britain when thousands of fish wash up dead on its shores and fishermen are found dead at sea. Two scientists investigating these mysteries discover something far more frightening than their worst nightmares: a giant, radioactive sea creature horribly mutated by the effects of radioactive fallout staggers from beneath the depths bringing death to every living thing in its path. Even worse, they realize the monster is heading for London! This stop-motion monsterpiece comes roaring to life in glorious Black and White thanks to this tremendous high definition rendition. 16×9 Widescreen
“You know, it’s wonderful when guys like you lose out. Makes guys like me think maybe we got a chance in this world.”
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in DARK PASSAGE screens at Webster University Tuesday February 12th. The screening will be at 7:30 at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE. This is the third of four Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall collaborations screening at Webster in February. The final film will be KEY LARGO Feb 26th. Look for more coverage of this great Bogey and Bacall film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
DARK PASSAGE (1947) was the third of the four Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall pairings of the 40s. It’s the least remembered, but it’s great entertainment and Bacall and Bogart really steam up the screen. The movie starts off brilliantly, shown from the P.O.V. of Vincnet Parry (Bogart), a prison escapee, who has been wrongly incarcerated for his wife’s murder. While on the run he is picked up by a beautiful woman who has been following his case for personal reasons of her own. Of course she’s played by Lauren Bacall and after some plastic surgery the prisoner becomes Humphrey Bogart and the pair team up to find the real killer. Sam the cab driver (Tom D’Andrea) suggests he visit Dr. Walter Coley (Houseley Stevenson) a Plastic Surgeon who gives him a new face. Once Parry removes the bandages, he begins searching for the killer, and is beset with revolving questions and an odd assortment of characters which include Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead and Clifton Young. Don’t miss DARK PASSAGE next Tuesday night!
