Tag: 1980’s

BLACK PHONE 2 – Review

Hey, Halloween’s just a couple of weeks away, Hollywood studios! So where’s the new spooky, scary flicks? Well, we’ll have to wait another week or so for the new version of Mary Shelley’s classic, so how about a sequel to one of the surprise horror hits from four years ago? And it’s from the classic “monster-maker”, Universal by way of the “ghouls” that dwell in the Blumhouse. Concerned about the number in its title? Perhaps knowing that they got “the band back together”, namely the cast along with the directors and co-writer, should erase your worries. What’s that ringing noise? Do you dare to pick up the receiver and answer the call of BLACK PHONE 2?


It all actually starts with a flashback set in the late 1950s. A teenager trudges through the snow to a desolate telephone booth, somewhere in a frigid forest clearing. After a very odd, even cryptic conversation, the story springs forward to 1982 Colorado. Just outside the high school, a young man is viciously pummeled by Finn Blake (Mason Thames). Luckily, his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) pulls him off the lad. Despite being the young hero who ended the murderous reign of “the Grabber”, Finn is still challenged by bullies. But that’s not their only problem. Though papa Terence (Jeremy Davies) is finally sober, Finn is now the substance abuser, numbing his damaged psyche with bags of weed. Yet somehow he’s alert enough to stop Gwen from her dangerous sleepwalking excursions. Yes, she’s having visions again, this time of three boys murdered in the cold white woods. Could this be the spirit of their nemesis? Gwen’s dreams lead the duo to look into getting jobs at the Christian church “winter camp” called Alpine Lake. Luckily Gwen’s “wannabe BF” Ernesto (Miguel Mora) agrees to drive them there during a blizzard. At the camp’s front gate, they’re met by the horse “wrangler” Mustang (Arianna Rivas) and her father, the supervisor Armando (Demian Bichir). He tells them that other new workers called ahead and cancelled due to the fierce storm. But the trio can stay in the cabins until the roads are cleared. Gwen’s nightmares start up as things get even more weird for Finn. He answers the “out-of-order” payphone and speaks to the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) before seeing the horned, masked demon himself. Soon, Gwen’s visions give her a portal into the fiend’s deadly origins at the camp. Can the Blakes guide the campers in their mission to stop the Grabber and send him back to Hell?

Though he’s prominently featured in the marketing, the participation of Mr.Hawke raised some questions. Since the Grabber is usually masked up, or seen in various stages of gnarly wounded decay, Hawke is really delivering more of a vocal performance. It doesn’t help that the glimpses of him as the magician/balloon twister at the wheel of that old black van are that of a different actor (but then they’re part of Gwen’s visions). Mind you, Hawke delivers a threatening growl, but I recalled the rumors about the 1940s Mummy movies “starring” Lon Chaney, Jr. As for the other “originals”, the very busy Thames (this is the middle of his three 2025 flicks) makes a steadfast horror “hero” as the young man who is paying the mental “price” for his victory over evil. The memories (and grass) have dulled his eyes, but a return match seems to “jump start” his fighting spirit. That, and in protecting his adored lil’ sis’ played with equal parts sass and snark, with a touch of trembling vulnerability, by McGraw. She somehow can make most of her clunkier put-downs (this from a 15 year-old) work. Davies is also strong as a man struggling to rectify his past behavior and reconnect with the kids that will soon drift away from the nest. Mora also provides a good connection to the first flick, while scoring some chuckles as he pines for Gwen. The most compelling new character may be the grizzled Armando, played with a gravitas and protective charm by the always watchable Bichir ((love when he scolds Finn over his “goodie bag”).

Returning to the director’s chair is Scott Derrickson who co-wrote the new script with C. Robert Cargill, based on Joe Hill’s 2004 short story. I will give them kudos for not returning to that dingy basement (it does make a cameo) for a new rash of abductions and escape attempts. Though the first entries had supernatural elements, this one truly goes “all in” allowing for lots of creative effects, some CGI and many practical make-ups (even a bit of puppetry, I’m guessing). But once the Blakes get to their new setting, the story becomes fairly repetitive as Gwen drifts off to sleep in order to be menaced by the Grabber before Finn arrives just in time. And many set pieces are also derivative, as though we’re watching a late 80s Freddy Krueger knock-off set near the Overlook from THE SHINING (the red-coiled space heaters do give the cabin interiors a Hellish glow). The need for new scares and gross-out clutter up the big finale showdown as the “camper’s quest’ finally limps to a frozen finish. The fans have the original will probably enjoy seeing the “OG” cast, but for few new fans will want to jump in that icy glass booth for BLACK PHONE 2.

1.5 Out of 4

BLACK PHONE 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere

FREAKY TALES – Review

As the big Spring break period approaches its conclusion, there’s still just enough time left for a quick trip via the multiplex. The destination’s not an exotic locale far from our shores, nor the pixel-generated backdrops of this weekend’s big studio flick. This movie “getaway” all takes place on the sunny streets of Oakland, CA. And, more importantly, this is a “time trip” since the “stories” are set in the long-ago Reagan era of 1987. Yes, I said “stories’ as this is an anthology of “twisted” fables with characters dropped in and out of different segments, so it differs from the TALES FROM THE CRYPT or NEW YORK STORIES template, though there’s an off-screen narrator (unlike the Cryptkeeper). So, get your hair teased out, unplug the Walkman, lace up the Reeboks, and set the “Wayback machine” 38 years in reverse to take in some truly FREAKY TALES.

Speaking of that narrator, he provides a bit of a prologue as we’re told of a mysterious green glow, perhaps alien in origin, that affected that gritty West Coast city in 1987. As a TV commercial for a “self-help” style center called “Psytopics” fades out, we’re taken to the outside of a movie theatre playing a quartet of classic 80s flicks for the first story, “The Gilman Strikes Back”. A trio of “New Wave” garbed friends are hassled by a truck full of teenage Neo-Nazi skinheads, who speed away. Ah, but they aren’t done for the night as they invade an underground dance club and destroy the venue and the band’s instruments. A young couple, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and “Lucid” (Jack Champion) decide, along with the other club regulars and owners, to fight back. Next is “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” in which two young women who work in an ice cream shop decide to pursue their dream of being hip-hop stars. It may come true when Entice (Normani) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne), AKA “Danger Zone”, get a chance to be part of a big concert with rap superstar Too $hort (DeMario Simba Driver). But could it actually be a “set up”? From there we’re dropped into the last days of a loan shark enforcer with the third tale “Born to Mack”, as weary “leg-breaker” Clint (Pedro Pascal) tries to leave the “life’ and settle down with his pregnant partner Grace (Natalia Dominguez). But the ‘sins of the past” catch up to him outise a video rental shop, run by a familar talkative cinefile. The final story is “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd”, which focuses on the title Golden State Warriors superstar (Jay Ellis) who becomes the target of a home invasion committed by a biker gang turned burglars sent out by the crime mastermind known simply as “The Guy” (Ben Mendelsohn). They soon find out that basketball is just one of Floyd’s incredible “skills”.

Now, even though it’s four stories, several of the actors should be lauded since there’s certainly a lot of “cross-over” activity. Its biggest star might be the busiest guy in streaming TV, though he’ll truly stretch (sorry) as Mr. Fantastic this Summer: the internet’s “daddy”, Pedro Pascal. He brings a real gravitas to the haunted Clint, a “working class” mob soldier who’s aching to reach that light at the end of the tunnel, the road to a better future. That’s reachable unless the past grabs him. Yes, he’s fearsome when he confronts his last “gig”, but Pascal can tug on our hearts moments later with his love. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the always terrific Mendelsohn, who is ruthless and brutal with none of the sophistication of previous “baddies” in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE or READY PLAYER ONE as the sneering, lascivious crimeboss creep. And kudos to him for resisting the temptation to twirl his mustache. The most physical, rather than verbal, of the main roles is “Sleepy,” played with lots of charisma and steely determination by Ellis. He’s gregarious and charming after the big game, but “flips a switch” when responding to the tragedy in a twist on the typical superhero origin story. Also engaging are the BFFS played by Normani and Thorne, who try to escape food service “Hell”, with a chance at hip hop stardom. Their ‘arc” takes a turn when they decide to forge ahead even though they believe their “invite” was merely to put them back in “their place”, mainly as “eye candy” for the men with the mike. And happily we get one last big screen performance by the late Angus Cloud as the main “intel man” for The Guy.

My lack of knowledge about the people behind this film gave an added element of pleasant surprise as the end credits rolled. I had assumed (which is always a “no-no”) that this was made by a film student (or students) fresh from graduation, eager to make their “mark”, and trying to use all the cinematic “toys ” at their disposal. But no, this is from the directing/screenwriting team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have been making features for twenty years now. Most of their work would be considered “indie”, though their last effort was a stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with CAPTAIN MARVEL. With that film’s late 1990s setting, they were comfortable in going back another decade with this sprightly, grungy, zingy ode to pop culture tropes at he time. Sure, there’s a definite Quentin Tarantino influence, particularly PULP FICTION and especially ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD with the inclusion of several real people (Sleepy and Too $hort), but it also felt as though the story was concocted after a weekend video store rental “binge” during that era. We get nods to everything from SEVEN SAMURAI to the “Lone Wolf and Cub” flicks to REPO MAN and even SCANNERS, with some Bruce Lee tossed in for a bit of spice. Oh, and back to the “toys”, Boden and Fleck make great use of retro special effects, from the practical “gore” of the final battle to the green glow that gives a boost to a city bus (which is a riff on the orb from HEAVY METAL). And there’s some nifty “2D” animation, as sketchy stick folk act out the inner thoughts of Tina and Lucid (naughty boy), and later to illustrate the big basketball game in the style of Saturday morning TV adventure shows. Those cartoon bits may have been “side winks” to underground comix, lurid paperbacks, and the glory days of black and white comic magazines such as “Creepy” and “Eerie”. Boden and Fleck also reward us for paying attention as they return to different locales and offer “blink-and-you ‘miss them” cameos, which add to the fun of the flick. And “fun” is the main “f” word, along with fabulous, flashy, funky, and ferocious, making it the perfect “midnight movie” that can be enjoyed anytime of day at the multiplex, drive-in, or “grindhouse”. So thank you, Oakland, for the perfect quick escape from the 2020s via the talent and imagination of the truly dynamic duo of Boden and Fleck and their FREAKY TALES. Hmm, now I’m in the mood for the tasty hot dogs this curly-haired lanky kid once sold at the A’s games…

3.5 Out of 4

FREAKY TALES is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE ORDER (2024) – Review

During the pandemic lockdown and in the frigid months of more recent years, many home viewers became hooked on “true crime” stories that were once the lifeblood of broadcast TV news “magazine” shows, but now have entire cable networks devoted to them. And the streaming apps are simply bursting with documentaries and “limited” series that are comprised of recreations and “talking head” interviews. While motion pictures had been the showcase for non-fiction law enforcement tales, recently we’ve seen more of the “over the top” “stunt-heavy” action blockbusters. Now, in between the year-end family fantasies and the somber “Oscar bait”, here’s a nifty thriller that evokes the feel of those zippy “B pictures”. Ah, but there’s a twist in that much of the story still resonates today, several decades later (much like the upcoming SEPTEMBER 5, which you’ll be hearing about soon). Yes, on a cold day almost four years ago, the country was dealing with the legacy of THE ORDER.


A murder in a dark wooded area begins this fable set in the 1980s, just a couple of years into the Reagan presidency. Soon after, a veteran FBI agent named Terry Husk (Jude Law) takes on a new assignment in sleepy Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. After setting up in an empty office space, he checks in with the local police. A counterfeiting operation and bombs planted at synagogues and porno theatres may be linked to the local branch of the white supremacist group, the Aryan Nation. The sheriff is hestitant to help Husk, but young officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) is eager to guide him. The film shifts focus to Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), who is living a double life. He has a pregnant girlfriend, Zillah (Odessa Young) while maintaining a home with his wife Debbie (Alison Oliver), and young son Clinton. Or maybe it’s a “triple life” as Bob is the leader of a ‘splinter group” from the Nation called “The Order” which has been robbing banks and armored cars. As the crimes of the group become more violent, Husk brings in some FBI backup led by old partner Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett). But Bob is also getting more help as he enlists new recruits to his “crusade” as they plot their biggest score yet while also perpetrating the assassination of liberal radio talk show host Alan Berg (Marc Maron). He is aware of Husk and his crew as the men engage in a deadly game of “hide and seek” that finally explodes in a savage showdown.

Playing against his still dashing leading man looks, Law dives deep into the role of a lawman whose only real passion is for bringing the outlaws in, even at the cost of his health and all of his relationships. With his droopy Wyatt Earp-stache’, Husk seems to be living off nicotine paired with booze-infused caffeine despite his body’s distress signals (a long surgery scar in the middle of his chest and his gushing, ill-timed nose-bleeds). He’s truly a flawed hero, the grim dispenser of justice, though his loneliness seeps through (he reaches out to a family that has fled). But he’s the man for the job, the perfect pursuer of Bob Maxwell, played with wide-eyed zeal by Hoult. Unlike Husk, he remains a family man despite his split loyalties, though neither woman can tear him away from his goal of reshaping his homeland. Hoult goes into full “alpha dog” mode making us understand how he can lead his minions take on the “feds”. This makes Husk’s crew even more essential. Sheridan almost bursts with youthful energy as the small-town patrolman so eager to be “on the line” and stop the bigots tarnishing his “heartland”. And Smollett is all grit and steely determination as the agent who has a past with Husk and will call him on his “B.S.” without hesitation. But she has to temper her passion, especially as she “puts the hurt” on Mathews’ kin. Special kudos for the compelling Mr. Maron who puts a warm, human spin on this early casualty of the culture war.

Director Justin Kurzel doesn’t go for showy camera angles or flashy stunts and CGI bombast. He keeps the film moving at a crisp efficient pace, balancing the quirky character moments (Husk leans too hard on a witness and drenches him in nasal plasma) with suspenseful crime set pieces, bringing sweaty chaos to bank jobs and armored car shakedowns. But thanks in part to the screenplay by Zach Baylin (adapting ” The Silent Brotherhood” by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt), it’s the quiet moments that leave us with a chill down our spine. During a big picnic at the Mathews house, he lovingly lets his eight-year-old son pull the trigger of an automatic rifle. He later sends him off to bed with a story, a truly “grim’ fairy tale from “The Turner Diaries” a “how to” on rebellion (and we see an illustration of gallows in front of the White House). With the film’s eerie epilogue we’re reminded never to dismiss those “fringe” groups. And it makes us appreciate all those who would defend our country’s ideals. This is a gripping, well-acted thriller that may inspire others to take up the “reigns” from Husk and his aides when another challenge arises from the toxic seeds planted by THE ORDER.

3 out of 4

THE ORDER is now playing in select theatres

ROBOT DREAMS – Review

So it’s been long established that the Summer season is the “go-to” release time for animated features (along with the year-end holidays). Kids are out of school and parents need an air-conditioned refuge for the whole family. This season has begun at the multiplex with a fully CGI’d version of the “funny papers” feline, and we’ll soon get an ’emotional” reunion with a Pixar sequel and another visit from Gru and his minions. Ah, but “in between” we’re getting treated to something special and somewhat unique as it’s not part of a franchise, rather it’s based on an acclaimed graphic novel. Plus it’s done in the “classic” animation style, often referred to as 2D, much like the “hand-drawn” shorts and features (and TV shows) of the past. Oh, and it’s an Oscar nominee…from last year. Yes, it was one of the five nominated films in the March ceremony. And though THE BOY AND THE HERON took home the gold, this little gem more than deserved to be “in the race”. Now, at last, everyone will get a chance to be dazzled and delighted by some heart-tugging ROBOT DREAMS.


This story’s “waking life” begins in an anthropomorphic (much like ZOOTOPIA) version of NYC nearly forty years ago. The canine hero (known only as “Dog”) spends his nights in a walk-up one-bedroom apartment (perhaps in Brooklyn or Queens) in front of his tube TV. It’s hooked up to a “home gaming system” enabling him to play the classic “Pong” by himself (each hand holding a joystick makes it a new spin on Solitaire). Dog then switches his set over to basic cable, and pops a frozen “mac & cheese” dinner into the microwave. Setting up his “TV tray” he notices the windows of buildings across the street revealing happy couples enjoying life. And then a commercial inspires him. It’s an ad for the “Amica-2000” robot companion. Dog grabs the phone along with his charge card and places an order. After days of listening for a delivery truck stopped on his street, the big package arrives. After the driver (a bull) leaves, Dog quickly assembles his new mechanical buddy. Its steel noggin sports wide quizzical eyes and a broad smile. Soon Dog and “Robot” are inseparable, strolling down the street, watching TV (THE WIZARD OF OZ is a fave), playing video games, sharing a pizza, and even roller skating in the nearby park. As the temps rise, Dog decides they should hop on a bus to “Ocean Beach Park”. After some fun and food on the “boardwalk”, the duo ventures into the water. After a bit of trepidation, the pals finally engage in some undersea exploration. Afterward, they grab a bit of blanket space on the sand and bask in the sun. They doze off and awaken to a nearly deserted beach at dusk. Dog hastily begins gathering their things and takes Robot’s hand. But he can’t move. perhaps the seawater damaged his inner workings (could be rust). Dog then leaves his friend (assuring him he’ll return) and heads back into the city for his tool kit (and an oil can). But when Dog returns, a fence has been erected because the beach is now closed for the season, the sign stating it will be re-opened in June of next year. He tries to squeeze through the fence but the police gorilla hauls Dog away. Can these “best buddies” survive the separation? Could something happen to either one during the long months of waiting?

This is quite an emotionally complex story for an animated feature, though told in a seemingly simple way. As I mentioned earlier, these aren’t digitally shaded characters with “pixel’d” strands of fur and whiskers. Sure there’s a “double color layer” to suggest a light source and guide the shadows, but the main duo would be right “at home” with the Flintstones, Jetsons, or the first seasons of the Simpsons, though Robot could be a distant cousin to Futurama’s Bender. The backgrounds also benefit from a smooth, slick design, with meticulous detail to the time period (from a couple of pop culture nods, I’m zeroing in on 1986). Plus the fact that Spanish craftsman could so convincingly recreate the Big Apple is most amazing. And the movement is quite impressive, as there’s no real spoken dialogue other than some “chirps”, grunts, and growls. Through body language we know exactly how the heroes are reacting and their “inner life”. Which touches on the universal adult feelings of loneliness and the joy of finally connecting with someone, even if you did have to build him. There’s a sense of that even as the duo are kept apart for months. Dog has a brutal “dust-up” with two nasty twin aardvarks, and later he begins a romance with an athletic duck. Even as he lies on the beach, Robot has some encounters, including a rabbit rowing team and a bird seeking a safe nest for its eggs. And he does dream, drifting into shattering fantasies of reunion and whimsy. It all builds to something beyond the usual cartoon “happily ever after” ending, instead, it’s a warm interlude bathed in melancholy. Surprising that these simple shapes could elicit “all the feels”. Even more startling is the director’s resume, as Pablo Berger is mainly known for live-action comedies and dramas (talk about hitting a homer the first time at bat). But then the source material he adapted, from graphic novelist Sara Varon, has plenty of both. So even though this is technically from 2023, ROBOT DREAMS is one of the best films, animated or live-action, that you’re likely to view, and be moved by this year.

4 Out of 4

ROBOT DREAMS is now playing in select theatres

LOVE LIES BLEEDING – Review

Ready for a cinematic “walk on the wild side”? Perhaps something in the film noir category, but not similar to something you’d run across on one of those nostalgia streaming channels. Maybe something set just before the turn of the century rather than the decade post-WWII. Sure, this new flick is a crime thriller involving multiple murders, but that’s just one aspect. Let’s see, there’s a big (truly huge) daughter/father conflict so it’s a family drama. And it’s certainly a romance ala’ girl meets girl. Oh, and one of them is seeking fame in the competitive world of female bodybuilding events. Now, that’s really different and certainly unique. Mix all those genres and subplots together and you get an insight into the provocative title, LOVE LIES BLEEDING.


Oh, the backdrop year is in the 20th century, way back in 1989. We first meet lonely Lou (Kristen Stewart) who runs a gym catering to weightlifters in a dusty New Mexico border town. After a night of unclogging toilets and dealing with a spacey clingy ex-girlfriend named Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), she heads back to the dingy apartment she shares with her cat Happy Meal. Meanwhile, across the tracks, JJ (Dave Franco) is “hiring” a new waitress for the tavern at the gun range business he manages…in the back of his car. He tells the muscular statuesque brunette, Jackie (Katy O’Brian) that she can start tomorrow. She leaves the parking lot to sleep under the highway overpass. The next morning JJ introduces her to the gun range owner, his father-in-law, the surly Lou Sr. (Ed Harris). Eventually, Jackie heads over to Crater Gym where she encounters Lou. The two immediately form a connection and spend the night (at Lou’s pad, natch’). Jackie insists that she’ll soon be moving on to a big body-building event in Vegas as soon as she makes enough cash for the trip. A few nights later Lou and Jackie have a most awkward dinner date with Lou’s sister Beth (Jena Malone) and her abusive spouse, JJ! Lou is furious that he’s smacking around her sister. But he doesn’t stop and Beth ends up in a coma at the local hospital. After an uncomfortable reunion with Lou Sr. (they are estranged, to say the least) something…happens. And soon the lovers are nearly in panic mode. Can Lou stay ahead of the FBI agents who are pressuring her for info on her papa’s shady operations? And what about those “off-brand” muscle “enhancers” that Lou gave Jackie? Things are about to get much hotter in that sleepy desert burg…

Add another interesting character performance to the already impressive resume of Ms. Stewart. In the opening act, Lou is a take-no-crap (unless she’s clearing the commode) tough gal whose tough exterior masks her lonely solitary life and very dark past. That all changes when she spots Jackie her “warrior angel’ across the gym floor. Stewart shows us that a spark has been ignited in those “half-mast” eyes. Later on, she’s almost a whirling dervish as she scrambles to “clean and dispose’ all the while Stewart lets us see that Lou’s brain has shifted into “high gear”. The real breakout role may belong to her “ideal” Jackie played with great energy and flair by relative screen newcomer O’Brian, who was one of the few highlights of the last ANT-MAN epic. Jackie is “laser-focused on her sports goal, though she’s elated by the prospect of real love with Lou. But that is somewhat short-circuited by the “boosters’ that spiral her into a scary “roid’ rage’ while dropping her into a nightmare-like netherworld. And even as she’s posing in front of a mirror, there’s still a child-like vulnerability. The “third wheel” of this love “triangle is the manic white-hot mess that is Daisy who Baryshnikov plays as a distracted child who demands attention while engaging in passive-aggressive manipulation. She’s trouble, but is merely an annoying “jack-in-the-box’ compared to the sadistic cruelty of the two dudes hovering over them. Franco is a sniveling mullet-sporting bully as the weasily JJ, who needs the protection of the king of the “wolf pack”, Lou Sr, given a constant sneer by the bombastic Harris who resembles a heavy metal Satan with long curtains of hair framing his scowling pate. They’re “bad dude” and super-bad dude”.


The director and co-writer, with Weronika Tofilska, Rose Glass has crafted a low-rent, hard-scrabble fable that incorporates lust, love, longing, and brutal revenge while taking many unexpected and often “out there” twists and turns. She makes great use of a vibrant color scheme, switching from a warm “lit by headlights” glow in the wee hours to the shimmering, blazing crimson of a blood-soaked hellscape. It’s all punctuated with a grim “gallows humor” echoing the criminal eccentrics of Tarantino and the Coens mixed with more than a dash of the heroines of BOUND. The big “dividing point” for many viewers will be the sharp detour into “fantasy-land” in the big finale showdown, but after the lean, taut storytelling most will probably embrace and may even be thrilled by the audacity of it. Somehow Glass gets all the diverse elements to jell while making us truly invested in these two unlikely lovers, again played superbly by Stewart and O’Brian. The desert locales project a sense of sun-baked decay while the period is well represented (no cell phones, but lots of answering machines). More adventurous filmgoers will enjoy the “totally-jacked” trip taken when LOVE LIES BLEEDING.

3.5 Out of 4

LOVE LIES BLEEDING is now playing in select theatres

THE IRON CLAW – Review

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to …watch another sports-themed movie! Sheesh and people whine about a “glut” of superhero flicks! So far this year we’ve got four or five “sports flicks”, the latest being the soccer comedy NEXT GOAL WINS. Now that’s based on a true story, like most of the others. Oh, and two more true sports films finish out the year on Christmas Day. So, what sets this weekend’s release apart from the others? Well, it’s set in the world of professional wrestling in the “go-go” 1980s. Hmm, sounds like lots of campy, flashy fun. And you’d be a bit mistaken. Mind you, there are chuckles but this true tale is really a tragedy, close in spirit to a Greek one or even Shakespeare, but with spandex and mullets. In the center ring…a fable of a wrestling family dynasty whose patriarch gained fame through his signature “move”, THE IRON CLAW.


The film actually starts a couple of decades earlier, in the final moments of a match won by Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany), and he does indeed use “the claw”. In the parking lot, he meets up with his grade-school-aged two sons and their mother Doris (Maura Tierney), and introduces them to their newer bigger vehicle for traveling on “the circuit”. She’s annoyed, but little Kevin and Kerry are thrilled. Flash forward about a decade and a half as buff twenty-something Kevin (Zac Efron) goes for a morning jog around the family’s Texas ranch home. He finishes in time for a big breakfast with Mom, Dad, and kid brothers David (Harris Dickinson) and Mike (Stanley Simmons). And what of brother Kerry (Jeremy Allen White)? The prodigal is away training for the upcoming 1980 Olympic games. Fritz is out of “the game” and now works as a manager for Kevin while starting up a new league, World Class Championship Wrestling. Unfortunately, despite his physical prowess, Kevin is awkward in front of the camera in promotional interviews, while David proves to be more of a “showboat”. This prompts Papa to focus on him, much to Kevin’s frustration. He does get a boost from dating a lovely fan named Pam (Lily James), leading to an eventual marriage. And then world politics impacts “the act” when the USA boycotts the Olympics, sending Kerry home. Fritz then creates a three-man tag team with Kevin, Kerry, and David as Mike pursues his music dreams. But fame splits the trio, as the brothers go solo, and tragedy spurs Mike to enter the “family business”. Fate is far from finished with them as the rumored “Von Erich curse” threatens to destroy the tight-knit group.

As the eldest Von Erich son, and the film’s main focus, Efron achieves a real maturity as an actor, blasting beyond his teen heartrob era to convey the complexities of the deceptively simple Kevin. Though he has the shape of a Samson (and many other “sword and sandal” screen stalwarts) Kev seems to be a vulnerable youngster yearning for his papa’s love and respect. His behavioral development seems a bit stunted perhaps causing his inability to sell himself on camera, and later when in his relationship with Pam (like his pop, she’s almost his coach). Efron shows us how life chips away at that awkwardness until he pushes back against his dad in a powerful third-act sequence. As Pam, James completely morphs into the twangy Texas belle who’s awed by the “beefcake” and then smitten by the timid soul beneath. White, the breakout star of TV’s “The Bear”, doesn’t have nearly as much screen time, but his struggles with a cruel impairment give extra strength to the changing family dynamic. Dickinson oozes charisma as David who becomes the face of the family franchise with his boasting bravado and showmanship (he rocks all those sparkly stetsons). As the “baby”, Simmons has a real warmth and sweetness as he tries to break away with his tunes while obviously crushing on his big bro’s gal. This makes his fate even more heartwrenching. The talented Tierney isn’t given enough to do as the sometimes aloof matriarch, though she is an excellent partner to the blustery, manipulative McCallany is the former fighter denied his glory who now believes he can attain it, along with the big payday, through his boys. For much of the story, he’s more of a villain than any of the wrestling adversaries, and McCallny brings all the intimidation and callousness needed for the role.


This sports saga is told bywriter/director Sean Dirkin who crafts a believable bond between the brothers and deftly recreates the era when wrestling was beginning its steady climb into the mainstream. Dirkins gets great work from the ensemble and makes effective use of the Texas locales. However, the matches themselves seem to lack the trashy campy exhilaration of those big events. Much as in the recent PRISCILLA, the spectacle seems “muted” with the action at a distance and in shadows, perhaps to obscure the backgrounds. We hear some of the chatter between the champs and get a look at their camaraderie in the locker room, but some of the absurdities are “watered down”. Outside the arenas, we never really get to know the brothers, aside from Kev, until the “curse” begins picking them off like an early 80s horror flick stalker. I’m wondering if the story should have had more room “to breathe”, perhaps as a TV mini-series (this may be the reason why one brother, Chris, was completely written out). The last act is given a boost by the big confrontation between father and son but is then diluted by a fantasy/dream sequence that feels cloying and mawkish like something from a film from eighty years ago. Still, this is not to take away from the excellent cast, who “flex their pecks” and give heart to the Von Erichs in THE IRON CLAW.

2.5 Out of 4

THE IRON CLAW is now playing in theatres everywhere

STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE – Review

As we slide into the 2023 Summer movie season, a new release takes us back to another one, now 38 years old. And while in recent years you could say that a major studio “owned’ the Summer as Paramount did last year with the TOP GUN sequel, or as Marvel Studios has done (along with some characters licensed out to others) a couple of years prior. Oh, but the Summer of 1985 was pretty much owned by an unlikely cinema superstar, Michael J. Fox. For a week or two his “star vehicles”, BACK TO THE FUTURE and TEEN WOLF were respectively numbers one and two on the box office charts. But his streak wasn’t limited to the big screen, as his “day job” on the NBC sitcom “Family Ties” had a safe perch in the top ten Nielsen ratings. But now he’s perhaps best known for his battle to defeat the deadly disease that has taken him away (for the most part) from the sound stages and into medical research fundraisers and labs. His incredible journey is expertly detailed in the new documentary feature, STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE.

The film actually begins during one of Michael’s biggest “movie star” years, as he recovers from a night of hard partying with co-star Woody Harrelson (they were teamed in DOC HOLLYWOOD) in a swanky Florida hotel room. He raises his hand to block the sunlight and notices something odd. He can’t stop his pinky finger from twitching, almost as though it were vibrating. Jump cut to Fox today as he tells of soon getting the stupifying diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 1991 (“But that just happens to old folks!”). We then follow him along as he works with his physical therapist, exercising and trying to walk without slamming into walls (and we do see him take a spill, and then ease the tension with a perfectly-timed quip). From there it’s “back to the past” with a peak at his early life, growing up as the “baby of the family” in the suburbs of Canada where the acting bug bit him when he got his first laugh on stage. Even though his pop thought he was a, well “f*#%#up, he took him to seek greater fame (he was a sitcom star on the CBC) in LA. Fox relates the usual “horror stories” of struggle (swiped jelly packs for meals and selling off a sectional couch one piece at a time) until that script from Family Ties arrived. It seems all of his bosses, the show’s producer, and the network chief (the “lunchbox” story is a hoot), were against him, but the audience adored him. Then it’s just a couple of years until he’s tapped to replace the lead in the big Spielberg/Zemeckis time travel epic and shoot it at night and on weekends while still doing the TV show (we get a POV of his hectic schedule for over three months). With his career headed into the stratosphere, he’s gobsmacked by the smart NYC stage actress brought in to play his TV girlfriend, Tracy Pollan. The film shifts to love story mode, from their uneasy first meetings to a lasting marriage and a quartet of kids. Tracy is his “rock” when the disease kicks in, helping him deal with it (Fox found ways of hiding symptoms during his second TV show, “Spin City”), until he finally “went public” in 1998. we get intimate details of the start of his research foundation, his occasional forays back into TV, and the struggle and triumphs as Fox strives to keep moving forward.

Bravo to the film’s subject and also to the inventive talented filmmaker that destroys the many misconceptions over documentary features. I’m speaking of Davis Guggenheim, Oscar-winner for AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, who has delivered a string of compelling non-fiction films. Here he balances the standard “talking head” interviews, proving that Fox has lost little of his communication skills, with first-person narration (much of it gleamed from Fox’s lauded memoirs and recreations of pivotal moments in recent history. Now, here’s the clever “bit” (and kudos to the research staff involved), archival news footage is seamlessly meshed with backstage clips, recreations using set “mock-ups” and “look-a-likes”(often seen from the back), along with footage from Fox’s film and TV work. A story of an NYC press visit has bits from FOR LOVE OR MONEY (the hotel room) and BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (on the sidewalks). And though his name is in the title, it’s his wife Tracy who may truly be the heart of the tale, especially when she sees Michael trying to drown his fear in booze. Honestly, I was somewhat dreading this film, as the recent news pieces on Fox are heartwrenching to watch. But, as he states in the film, Mr. Fox will have none of that. He’s got no time or patience for pity or sorrow (a real “save yer’ tears” fella’). You can almost imagine Parkinson’s looming over him ala BTTF’s Biff which recalls Fox as Marty knowing he’s maybe got one chance for a punch, so he’s putting everything into it. This film is an endearing look back at the “go-go” 1980s/90s which also inspires as an uplifting “call to action”. Who’d have thought that one of this year’s most compelling motion pictures would be about a former “teen dream” whose health struggles fail to keep him STILL, as in A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE? Way to be, Alex P.!

4 Out of 4

STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on Friday, May 12, 2023

EMPIRE OF LIGHT – Review

So could an underlying theme connect several film releases over the past year? Quite possibly, as this new work arrives right between two works that embrace the nostalgia of cinema itself. A few weeks ago, audiences got a glimpse into the early inspirations of one of our most celebrated filmmakers in THE FABELMANS, which reflected on the artist’s influences from the early 1950s into the next decade. And in a week we’ll get another director’s look back into the late 1920s and early 1930s when Hollywood was thought of as a modern-day BABYLON. Now, this drama jumps ahead in time from both, as it takes place during the early 1980s, just a few years before another blockbuster that would spawn a sequel this year. Another big difference is that this new flick is more about the finished products rather than the making of the movies. In fact, it’s about a movie palace that showcased them, a towering EMPIRE OF LIGHT.

That theatre is really called the Empire, and in 1981 it’s the jewel of the seaside boardwalk in Margate, on the Isle of Thanet, Kent catering to many Brits on “holiday’ along with throngs of “locals”. The staff is mostly comprised of college-aged teens looking for a job before their big careers. But for two workers there it’s almost become their “legacy”. High above the “broom-pushers” and “popcorn-fillers” is the aloof prickly projectionist Norman (Toby Jones), but keeping the guests happy is long-timer/co-ordinator Hilary (Olivia Colman). Unfortunately she’s also “tasked” with keeping her boss “happy” as she becomes a sexual plaything for the theatre’s married manager/director Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth). Hilary never complains as she spends her days shuffling from the theatre to her lonely apartment. And then her routine changes when she meets the newest “hire”, a sensitive and smart young man named Stephan (Michael Ward). With the changing social and political climate, the small-town thugs and “skinheads” place a target on black men like him. And though they’re from different backgrounds and eras (the whole May/December thing), Hilary begins a passionate secret love affair with Stephan. However, when the local hooligans storm the Empire and attack him, this shatters her delicate psyche, sending her into a mental health crisis. Not long after Mr. Ellis announces that the Empire will be part of a “shared” nationwide premiere of the new “prestige” picture CHARIOTS OF FIRE. Can Hilary control her inner demons and join Stephan for the big event?

Thsi heartfelt “memory piece” provides a powerful showcase for the always superb Ms. Colman, adding another complex character to her impressive resume. She projects a real warmth as Hilary to her co-workers, almost becoming their “work mum” while being the consummate “team player. This adds to our shock as we see her abused and exploited by her selfish “superior”. When she meets her “soul mate” Colman lets us see that the spark in Hilary’s often tired eyes as be rekindled, then we see it neatly snuffed out when the intolerant outside forces intrude and push her into an abyss of despair and delusion. Ward is soulful and sympathetic as the kind newcomer who touches Hilary’s fragile heart, merging with her rather than using her like the detestable Ellis, given an arrogant sneer and pompous demeanor by the talented Firth who treats the big “premiere” as his big chance to elevate his social and economic status. For him, Hilary is a mere “stress reliever’ who must toil in “the trenches” until his urges take control. Some much-needed comic relief is provided by Jones whose Norman sees himself as the king of his tiny “nerve center” of the cinema priding himself over his attention to perfect focus and split-second “reel changes”.

Writer/director Sam Mendes takes a hiatus from his big blockbusters like 1917 and the Bond franchise for a “deep dive’ into 1980s film cultures and the swirling political landscape of the time. We get the impression that he commenting about the current “climate”, but he “hammers” away at it, often intruding on the character study at the story’s center. Mendes sets us up for a whimsical nostalgic romp, then abruptly switches gears into a “forbidden” love story which leads to a plunge into madness. Of course, an exploration of mental health issues can illuminate, but here it seems to provide several big dramatic and awkward sequences with little insight, as with Hilary’s intrusion into Ellis’ premier triumph. It also chips away at the romance between her and Stephan which has little direction and appears to “spin its wheels” during the last act. As stated earlier, Colman is superb, but the script structure really leaves her adrift. Finally, her big elevation feels forced and more than a bit contrived when she finds her “sanctuary”, not a church but a true EMPIRE OF LIGHT.

2.5 Out of 4

EMPIRE OF LIGHT is now playing in select theatres

HELLRAISER (2022) – Review

Jamie Clayton as Pinhead in Spyglass Media Group’s HELLRAISER, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of Spyglass Media Group. © 2022 Spyglass Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

So, we’re now officially a week into October. Ready for a spooky flick? Well most hardcore “horror hounds’ are game any time of the year, but this month is…special. And what better way to get “in the mood” than revisiting some iconic and shocking characters in a big reboot, though their creator calls this a “re-imagining” (um, okay). Oh, and we’re not reaching back to the Universal icons of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. They skip a few decades to get into the scream kings (and queens) of the 70s and 80s. It just feels like all of them have gotten a nice new coat of gore. Hey, even Michael Meyers will be back in a week for his final rampage (heard that before). And much like Chucky, these horrors spring from a toy, a puzzle box specifically. As we learned 35 years ago, and over ten flicks, when you solve this puzzle you don’t get a prize because it’s a real HELLRAISER.

This “new take” begins on the streets of Serbia as a woman named Menacker (Haim Abbas) does an exchange in a dingy alley, handing over a briefcase full of cash for a nondescript box, which its former owner warns her not to open. Cut to the impressive mansion of a pleasure-seeking reclusive billionaire named Voight. There’s a party in progress, clothes optional. Menacker meets a handsome young man at the bar and invites him to a private audience with Voight, in his secret gallery. Inside a case, he spots a detailed puzzle box, the Lament Configuration. Voight appears (Goran Visnej) and instructs his guest to solve the puzzle. When he does a spring-triggered needle pops out and punctures his hand. The box seems to suck up his blood which initiates a portal to another dimension that shoots out long chains with sharp hooks that dig into his flesh before hoisting him up. From there the story shifts to a grungy bedroom as Riley (Odessa A’zion) and her new beau Trevor (Drew Starkey) enjoy each other’s company. As they leave the sprawling apartment they’re confronted by her straight-laced brother Matt (Brandon Flynn) He’s angry that she’s dating somebody she met while in rehab and thinks she’s using again. Oh, and she’s behind in her share of the rent. Back at Trevor’s place, he suggests a way to make some quick cash. He makes delivers to a warehouse owner by some “rich dude”. They could use the security code and take something in his safe. And they go through with it, acquiring, yup that deadly puzzle box. Later, when it whisks away Matt, Riley is on a mission to find out the secrets of the box and rescue her sibling. But will she along with Trevor and their friends become victims to the box and the other-worldly demons known as Cenobites?

In an interesting spin on your typical horror heroine. or scream queen, A’zion as Riley is a woman who seemingly has her hands, and mind, full battling her own inner demons, let alone some true terrors from another dimension. And she’s up to the challenge even as the script has her screeching in her opening act like a spoiled petulant pre-teen. But her missing bro forces her into detective mode and A’zion is a formidable force as she slowly uncovers the truth about the “box”. Starkey has a low-key seedy charm as the tempting “bad boy” of many fantasies. But he’s a piker compared to Voight who is given a sinister grinning snarl by Visnej, whose leading man looks mask his perverse machinations. And making a mark (in more ways than one) is Jamie Clayton as The Priest (often referred to as “pinhead” which irks its creator), her passive aggressive delivery, much like one of those home AI devices, clashes with the sadistic punishments it unleashes.

So, has director David Bruckner (THE NIGHT HOUSE) delivered a terror trek that surpassed the 1987 original? Well, there are a few new interesting spins (the attire of the Cenobites particularly), but there is little of the campy fun of that trippy late 80s flick that surprised us. And the new script from Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, and David S. Goyer (yup, it took a trio) doesn’t deliver new shocks, but rather tepid variations on familiar scary set pieces inspired by the Clive Barker classic. It’s amusing that Voight’s mansion itself is also a puzzle box, but its contrivances just feel…contrived, though the art direction is done well. This is something like the tenth film in this series, but it just might be time to put that nasty puzzle box in storage until someone can twist and turn it until it becomes a truly horrific HELLRAISER.


1.5 Out of 4

HELLRAISER is now streaming exclusively on Hulu

THINGS HEARD & SEEN – Review

With Spring in full bloom through most of the country, many cooped-up urbanites are longing for a sweet getaway, perhaps at a quaint old cottage. Even a century-old farmhouse would do for a nice rest. Ah, but what if someone was already there and refusing to rest. Or stay in the “underworld”? Oh yes, it’s haunted house time at the movies (or at least the number one movie streaming service). No, it’s not another mission for those 1970s paranormal “PIs”, the Warrens, though they’ll be back soon in another entry in the ever-expanding CONJURING series (what, they’ve got like four spin-offs, already). No, this time it’s pure fiction (yes, those other flicks are hotly debated certainly), and it springs ahead into the start of the next decade. Otherwise, it’s a new take on yet another attractive young family as they begin to unravel due to those unexplained, late at night (usually) THINGS HEARD & SEEN.

And those “things” are in full swing as the film begins in the winter of 1980. A young “thirtysomething” man encounters them as he pulls his car into the garage of his somewhat desolate farmhouse home. The story takes a fast rewind to the previous Spring in an NYC apartment where he, artist/historian George Claire (James Norton), and art-restorer wife Catherine (Amanda Seyfried) are hosting a fourth birthday party for their adorable daughter Franny (Ana Sophis Heger). But actually, it’s an excuse for them to drink with their city friends and family, and to announce that George has accepted a teaching internship at upstate Saginaw College. All a cause for celebration, but Amanda’s eating disorder hints at cracks in the happy union. But soon the relocation plans begin as an anxious local real estate agent in Chosen, NY, Mare (Karen Allen) takes the Claires to a 100-year-old four-bedroom former dairy farm known as the Snit (later Vayle) house. It’s a “fixer-upper”, but Catherine’s ready for the challenge as Michael meets with the head of the school’s art department, Floyd DeBeers (F. Murray Abraham). One morning Catherine is surprised when two local young men knock on the door and inquire about work. She hires them with post highschooler Eddie (Alex Neustaedter) as “fix-it man” and his pre-teen brother Cole (Jack Gore0 as a babysitter for Frannie. But something’s just “off”. The lights flicker at night, while intense gasoline exhaust smells waft through the home. Cate’s discovery of an old family Bible raises many questions, while George becomes distracted by a wispy young woman working at a nearby stable, Willis (Natalia Dyer). As Floyd helps to set up a seance (unknown to George) with Cate, the college weaving teacher Justine (Rhea Seehorn) becomes friends with Cate as she begins to question George’s motives and his past. Will these otherworld forces at the new home add to the tensions in the increasingly shaky marriage? And are these “entities” trying to help or harm Catherine?

With those intense expressive eyes, it seems that Seyfried was custom-made to headline ‘spook shows ‘ of this nature. Certainly, but she also carries the emotional weight of the story’s dramatic arc. Although she adores her child, Catherine tries to clamp down on her depressive thoughts and uncertainties, which rises to the surface with that early episode of closeted bulimia. Sure, Seyfried shows us a woman facing the unknown, the same forces that somehow liberate the repressed artist. Curiosity triumphs over terror as Catherine becomes a hidden sleuth, giving her the strength to stand up to the smothering arrogant George. Norton nails his villainous spouse role using his charming smile to get himself out of sticky situations while seducing every easily swayed young woman (the female students swoon at his lectures as though he was a certain Dr. Jones). His smugness and privilege mask his inner evil. Ah, but a few see thru his slick veneer, especially Dyer as the too wise for her years Willis. She knows what George is after, yet can’t stop herself from giving in, as Dyler’s sad dark eyes explain it all to us. Also seeing past the hair and gleaming teeth is Seehorn’s Justine who chooses not to be moved by his B.S. and becomes the crusader that will end his career climb and also rescue Cate from his vise-like grip. She’s “running the show” while the terrific James Urbanik scores a few needed laughs as her pot-growing failed-writer house-hubby. Neustaedter raises the temps as the smoldering long-haired teen dream right from the cover of a romance paperback (complete with Fabio-style hair). Oscar-winner Abraham brings the proper gravitas to his department boss role, while also becoming a kindly mentor/father-figure to the confused Catherine. And kudos to casting two 1980s screen icons as the non-college town couple. Allen, as the sympathetic realtor, and Michael O’Keefe (CADDYSHACK) as her stoic sheriff/ husband.

Venturing into the supernatural for the first time, directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) create a subtle, simmering atmosphere of dread, making this tale closer to classics like THE UNINVITED and the original THE HAUNTING rather than the current CGI-enhanced “found footage” flicks and more effects-heavy franchises. Yes, there are a few “jump scares”, but there’s little reliance on the jarring sound mix tricks that have almost become cliche. Thanks to their screenplay adaptation of Elizabeth Brundage’s novel, the unraveling of the Claire marriage has as much importance as the disembodied voices and the hovering crows (with the time frame, you may recall ORDINARY PEOPLE). The frenetic third act has some unexpected turns, that lead to a final denouncement that offers little in the way of a dramatic “pay-off’ while creating lots of questions involving logic and character motivations. But, as I mentioned, that 80s atmosphere really works (praise to those artists in costumes, hairstyles, and set decoration), and Seyfried is a sublime horror heroine. With her as our guide, it’s an engaging tour through THINGS HEARD AND SEEN.

3 Out of 4

THINGS HEARD & SEEN streams exclusively on Netflix beginning on Thursday, April 29, 2021.