Tag: Allison Janney

MINIONS & MONSTERS – Review

So, after seeing the new TOY STORY installment (at least once), you say that ya’ just can’t get enough of CG animated franchises? Well, the multiplex movie gods have answered your prayers. Less than two weeks after the return of Woody, Buzz, and their plastic pals comes the newest flick in a series that’s almost half as old. Technically, this is the seventh one in the series, but it’s really the third of the spin-offs. So, has this gang of jabbering yella’ fellas “worn out their welcome”, or do families need another visit from them? Hold on, looks like they’ve brought some company, since this comic adventure is titled MINIONS & MONSTERS.

After a really nostalgic and clever opening credit sequence, we join an inquisitive tour group at a Hollywood movie history museum. When their guide, Olivia (the voice of Allison Janney), shows them the display honoring the Minions, the kiddies are perplexed. She explains as we begin a flashback to a time long ago when the Minions were in search of a “big boss” (they have to be sidekicks to somebody evil and worthy). When things don’t work out with several potential candidates, they make their way to North America. Naturally, there are rebels in the mix (a trio): the plump, silent Ed, artist James, and the dreamer, the writer of stories, Henry. In a desert out West, the team spies a desperate bandit on horseback as he tries to elude a determined posse. Ah, but it seems that the “M squad” has stumbled onto the set of a silent movie in the 1920s. When the chase ends in bustling LA, the flick’s director, Max (Christoph Waltz), believes his epic is ruined. But when he shows the footage to his bosses, Frank and Elwood, the heads of Bright Brothers Studio, it’s a sensation. The duo proclaims that the lil’ guys will be in all their features from now on. Max finds them and proceeds to make the Minions big, popular movie stars. Still, Henry and James want to tell their own stories. But fame is fickle, and the guys fall out of favor with the arrival of “talkies,” AKA sound films. Henry believes that the sure way to get back “on top’ is to make a monster movie. However, all his yellow buddies, except James and Ed, decide to resume their “big boss” quest. Luckily, Henry still has a book of spells from a wizard, so they conjure up a monster, saving on special effects and makeup. Ah, but the lil’ green guy, Goomi (Trey Parker), has an evil scheme up his sleeve. Can he deceive the trio? And what happens when the other Minions find a new “candidate”, a robot-costumed science-fiction fan named Dort (Jesse Eisenberg)? Will they reunite to stop Goomi and finally meet their dream “mastermind”, Gru?

As the old TV commercials used to say (maybe still do) “your mileage may vary”. Here, I’m referring to your own feelings and tolerance for the lil’ “banana bros”. I still find them somewhat amusing in small doses, so I had some trepidation about a third feature. However, much of this does work, at least in the first act or so. By delving into their past, we’re given new backdrops for their comic chaos with some nicely designed “masters”. The international settings are great, but the artisans really shine as they recreate La-La-Land from a hundred years ago. The colors are dazzling with the city still shiny and new. Plus, this works in lots of nifty tributes to the classic stars of the time, though the museum settings also do this with a fun filmmaker cameo. We get a nice riff on the oft-told tale of silents going from sound, perhaps best seen in SINGING IN THE RAIN and THE ARTIST (let’s try to forget the wretched BABYLON). Oh, this would be a terrific TV special, a splendid streaming thirty minutes or so. But then, it keeps going. The plot requires the M’s to split up and bounce between the “A and B’ stories. And neither are half as engaging as the opening. Per the title, we’ve got to meet those monsters, led by the Lovecraft-inspired Goomi, with Parker tweaking his Cartman tone. His larger henchmen, Howard and Phil (aha, H P), aren’t that interesting, though Irene, the “mega-monster”, is more compelling with her zillion eyeballs floating in caramel pudding look. In the “B” zone, Dort doesn’t transcend the old “nerd SF geeks” cliches even as he begins a romance with a sweet suffragette, Debbie, voiced by Zoey Deutch. As for the other vocal talents, Bridges seems to be having fun as the twins (one mellow, as the other fumes), and Waltz brings lots of Stroheim-zeal to Max. Once more, all the Minions are played by this film’s director, Pierre Coffin. It’s a shame he has to pad out the plot, since the physical acting is superb and the images compare favorably with the Pixar wizardry. But by the time the extended finale showdown finally concludes (guessing this is a kaiju/Kong satire), the kids may be exhausted beyond the somehow lengthy ninety-minute runtime. It’s an improvement over the previous two flicks, but the separate plots and urban destruction detract from the silent era celebrations at the heart (and opening) of MINIONS & MONSTERS. And, speaking of the latter, why are there none of the classic movie monsters in this release from Universal Studios (at least Lon Chaney, Sr.)?

3 Out of 4 Stars

MINIONS & MONSTERS opens in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Win A Family 4-Pack Of Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of ILLUMINATION’S MINIONS & MONSTERS

THIS SUMMER, SEE THE RAMBUNCTIOUS, RIDICULOUS, AND TOTALLY TRUE STORY OF HOW THE MINIONS CONQUERED HOLLYWOOD IN ILLUMINATION’S MINIONS & MONSTERS.

ONLY IN THEATERS JULY 1ST.

https://www.minionsmovie.com

The special screening is Monday, June 29th at 7pm at at Marcus Ronnie’s Cinema (5320 S Lindbergh Blvd). Doors open at 6pm. Seating is NOT reserved.

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Winners will each receive 4 passes to the screening.

GET YOUR PASSES HERE – http://gofobo.com/sBYvF23707

Rated PG

Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of summer 2024’s funniest comedy, Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions & Monsters. This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.

The acclaimed voice cast includes Academy Award® winner Allison Janney, two-time Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz, Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges, two-time Academy Award® nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague) and Academy Award® nominee and comedy iconoclast Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park. The cast also includes Saturday Night Live alum Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr (Futurama, King of the Hill).

Minions & Monsters is directed by Academy Award® nominee Pierre Coffin, a director of the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions film. Coffin has also provided the voice for the Minions since their film debut in 2010. The film is written by Brian Lynch (Minions, The Secret Life of Pets films) and Pierre Coffin and is produced by Illumination’s Academy Award® nominated founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Bill Ryan (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie). The executive producer is Brian Lynch.

More than ten years after their creation, the Minions have become the most iconic animated characters of their generation. Globally recognized and beloved by fans of all ages, they have propelled Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions to a global box office of more than $5.6 billion.

Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin.
© Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Photo credit: Illumination & Universal Pictures

New Trailer Lands For Ridley Scott’s THE DOG STARS With Jacob Elordi

Here’s a first look at the new trailer and poster for director Ridley Scott’s THE DOG STARS. The film, a riveting, epic thriller set in a world where survival is instinct, but humanity is a choice, opens exclusively in theaters August 28.

The film tells the story of Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (Josh Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. But when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exist. 

Based on Peter Heller’s captivating bestseller, THE DOG STARS features Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce.

The screenplay is by Mark L. Smith, based upon the novel by Peter Heller, and the producers are Ridley Scott, p.g.a., Michael Pruss, p.g.a., Mark L. Smith, and Cliff Roberts, p.g.a., with Lily Brooks-Dalton, Brandon Scott Smith, Peter Heller, Aidan Elliott serving as executive producers.

Margaret Qualley as Cima in 20th Century Studios’ THE DOG STARS. Photo by Fabio Lovino. © 2026 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Jacob Elordi as Hig and Jasper in 20th Century Studios’ THE DOG STARS. Photo by Fabio Lovino. © 2026 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR – Review

This week’s big streaming feature film release could be compared to the return of an unexpected Fall romance from several years ago, seven to be precise. This movie captured my heart, along with my critical sensibilities. when it seemed to appear seemingly out of nowhere, with little fanfare or hype. Yes, I was, and remain, a fan of the filmmaker and one of the lead actors, but this was a real step out of their “comfort zone” with an engaging murder mystery full of snark and satire, along with fabulous fashions. That movie, A SIMPLE FAVOR, nabbed a spot on my top ten list of 2018. And now, almost everyone is back for a sequel, but is that magical spark still there? Will I have that same frothy fun and romance with ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR? Or was the original “just one of those things, just one of those crazy flings…”?


In the opening sequence, much has changed in the sleepy California suburb. “Home lifestyle vlogger” Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) has expanded her “brand” and is the author of a true-life murder mystery novel based on her past experience there (y’know, the first flick). She’s doing a “reading” from that work at the town’s bookstore with her “mom pals” there along with a small audience, under the guidance of her aggressive manager Vicki (Alex Newell). All is pretty normal until someone arrives late, Sasshaying up the aisle (as if it were a fashion show runway) is none other than Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). Seems a pack of high-powered lawyers have gotten her released from prison, just in time for nuptials to her new wealthy fiancé (who paid for the legal team). Emily wants Stephanie to be her maid of honor at the big wedding ceremony…in Capri. Steph balks, but Emily insists, saying that her law squad could sue her for libel and slander unless she agrees to go. Luckily, Steph’s son Miles is off to Summer camp, so …bon voyage. Actually she boards (with Vicki in tow) the private jet of the wealthy, perhaps “connected” family of Emily’s beau, the hunky, handsome Dante Versano (Michele Morrone). Upon landing, they’re whisked away to a fancy hotel where Steph meets him and reunites with Emily’s ex (and her former “fling”), the boozing Sean Townsend (Henry Golding). He’s brought along his son with Emily, Nicky (Ian Ho). At the big pre-wedding reception, we meet the Versano matriarch Portia (Elena Sofia-Ricci), who detests Em and her pals. But she’s got a surprise for her future daughter-in-law. She’s flown in her dingy mother, Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins), and her pushy sister, who Em hasn’t seen in thirty years, Aunt Linda (Allison Janney). With the “players in place, the “game” soon begins with multiple murders that point to Stephanie. Has Emily set up the whole event as a way to exact revenge on her former friend who helped send her to the slammer years ago?

Well, the two leads haven’t missed a “beat”, effortessly going into that verbal ‘dance” they aced so well way back in 2018. Yes, Kendrick is still a delightful snarky “hot mess”, as she doles out the “burns” while trying to grasp all the chaos swirling about her. She gets us back on her “side” even as she has to go into the cliche drunk/stoned bits in the story’s troubled (more about that later) second half. Lively as Emily is still the epitome of swaggering super-confidence (I mean, look at those wild outfits that she “works” expertly), though there’s more than a hint of sadness in the veiled threats she utters casually to Kendrick, perhaps to always keep her off-balance. Her character is a supermodel who’s always ready to strike. As for the supporting players, the real standout may be Ricci, who is constantly “shooting daggers” at the “Americans” as she spews venom through her perfectly clenched teeth. Morrone is a prime “Euro-stud” with a smouldering but dangerous stare and primo product-filled hair and white linen tailored suits. He’s the opposite of Em’s “ex,” who Golding plays as an ever “open wound” in need of constant liquid medication in a thankless expendable role. Ditto for the rest of Emily’s “side” with the talented Perkins reduced to playing a dotty, daft unfiltered harridan (think of a really nasty Sofia of “The Golden Girls”) and the usually superb Oscar-winner Janney who has to bark out threats while doing a variation of the old villainous “mustache-twirling”. They’re both such gifted actresses, saddled with subpar material. And then there’s Newell, whose Vicky may be the standard “fish out of water American doofus”, but his stint as the comic relief reactor is marred by constant “mugging” and a delivery right out of a 70s sitcom, maybe due to some misguided direction. But happily, we do get some brief early scenes with Steph’s “Greek chorus” back home led by the terrific Andrew Rannells. Plus, we get a new comic character from an energetic screen newcomer, Taylor Ortega.

So, I’m reminded of that old phrase from WWII, “Was this trip really necessary?” when thinking about this flick. Well, I’m not so sure if it was needed. All the right elements are back, including comedy movie master Paul Feig and the original screenwriters. Mind you, the first act is lots of fun with the reunion of Steph and Em. fraught with fun and danger. Unfortunately, the film soon goes “off the rails” when the murder mystery kicks in. We’re given a “heads up” with a bizarre flashback to a recent mystery with Steph, that may be there to plant some doubt on her sleuthing skills, but just serves little function till a quick final act nod. Part of the problem may be the often conflicting acting styles, with Feig giving a bit too much “leeway” with some of the performance “choices”. And this is the director who guided Melissa McCarthy in her best movies, really. Maybe this is a way to “sell” the script. to make the muddled plot revelations, with each new “twist” trying to “upend” the previous one to the point of exhaustion (for us, the audience). Maybe this is meant to be a dark, satirical “soap opera”, with triple-crosses, and “ret-cons” of storylines in the first flick which induce migraines rather than laughs. Plus, we get some “travel cliches” including “mafia mirth” and even a chase on a Vespa, of course. Sure, the location work is spectacular, a great “tourism pitch” in those long shots, and those wild fashion styles are still fun (Em wears a hat that’s bigger than a stingray), but it’s not enough to smooth out the story glitches where we’re meant to see Emily as a naughty “scamp’ rather than the mudering mastermind “diva deviL’. So, to answer my earlier question, no, this isn’t the same delicious romp from 2018, so perhaps it’s best to leave that movie romance there, even though Kendrick and Lively are a different kind of dynamic duo of crime comedy, they just can’t deliver the charm and laughs with ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR.

2 Out of 4

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR streams exclusively on Amazon Prime Video beginning on May 1, 2025

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR

Launching globally on Prime Video starting May 1 is ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR.

Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.

Directed By Paul Feig, based upon characters created by Darcey Bell, ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR stars
Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell, with Henry Golding and Allison Janney.

The St. Louis screening is at 7PM on Tuesday, April 29th at Marcus Ronnie’s Cinema.

PASS LINK: https://amazonscreenings.com/WAMGanothersimplefavor

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Rated R.

Blake Lively stars as ‘Emily’ in ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR.

Get A Sneak Peek At Gareth Edwards’ THE CREATOR At The IMAX LIVE EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK On Tuesday, August 29

A still on the set of 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Glen Milner. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Director/producer/co-writer Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Godzilla”) will participate in THE CREATOR: IMAX® LIVE EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK on Tuesday, August 29 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET. The sneak peek fan event will take place at the AMC Century City IMAX Theatre and feature exclusive footage from the upcoming sci-fi action thriller and an interactive live Q&A with Edwards.

THE CREATOR opens exclusively in theaters September 29, 2023.

The exclusive screening event will take place at 10 participating IMAX theatres in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Seattle, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and all attendees will receive a commemorative lanyard and mini poster from the film. Tickets for the sneak peek are available on a first-come, first-served basis at: TheCreatorIMAXLive.com  

An epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, “The Creator” stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, and Allison Janney.

Joshua (Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war…and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory, only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Voyles). 

The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, with a screenplay by Gareth Edwards and Chris Weitz from a story by Gareth Edwards. The producers are Gareth Edwards, p.g.a., Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer, p.g.a., and Arnon Milchan. The executive producers are Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Natalie Lehmann, Nick Meyer, and Zev Foreman.

BAD EDUCATION – Review

BAD EDUCATION can currently be viewed on HBO

Review by Stephen Tronicek

If the standard of a great scene is one where you can watch the external action and see everything going on within the internal life of the characters, then every scene in Cory Finley’s sophomore feature, Bad Education, is a great one. Whether it be the cast, the editing, the direction, or the sound, what Finley’s debut feature, Thoroughbreds was missing in subtlety Bad Education has in spades. It’s one of the most satisfying films over the year. 

Admittedly, Bad Education is the type of story you can’t help but fall in love with. Follows the true story of the investigation of a huge embezzlement scheme at Roslyn High School in 2002, perpetrated by Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), uncovered by a student at Roslyn who “followed the money,” (Geraldine Viswanathan). It’s the type of story that prioritizes character and craft over the stylistic trappings of Thoroughbreds.

 The pared-down, realistic style of Bad Education is immediately useful to the storytelling. Everything feels so business as usual, that Finley and scriptwriter Mike Makowsky are able to hide so many pieces of information in specific details. It’s a film that asks the audience to figure it out.

It also serves to be familiar, to anyone who has stepped foot inside of a public school. There’s a quiet tension to the way that human flaws are sitting beneath the professionalism of the environment and all that paper. So much paper just rotting away. Bad Education thrives on details like this, the camera focusing on a waterlogged ceiling or a modern art painting hanging on a wall it shouldn’t be on. 

Similarly, Bad Education is focused on the details of a character’s face and how much of the face we can see. Early in the film, Frank and Pam are shot from behind, later they are seen in profile, and lastly, devastatingly, they are seen straight on. Jackman and Janney take those close-ups and run with them. They are so good, very specific line readings will become lodged in your head, so illuminating of the characters that they transcend the physical action of the scene. It’s not just Jackman and Janney though. Viswanathan is incredible, Ray Romano continues his fantastic career renaissance in a small role and Hari Dhillon shines in a few scenes as Viswanathan’s father. There’s such kindness to their scenes together that contrasts brilliantly with the pitch black storytelling (on that note watch out for the smoothie Jackman is drinking). 

When all of this detail comes together, it’s pretty much unstoppable. There’s a scene near the beginning of the second act where Viswanathan’s student reporter speaks to Allison Janney, that is so excellently crafted from all the parties involved that it becomes a wonderful surprise that the film is only getting started.You’d be hard-pressed to find a better film than Bad Education right now. It’s a wonderful reminder that films like this can not only still be made but also excelled at. As much as the trailers might suggest, this isn’t a funny film. There’s no element of ironic wit to be found here. Just true to life wit that takes its characters and craft seriously.

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

BOMBSHELL (2019) – Review

Wishing that your feature films inspired by true events were of a very recent nature? More so than last week’s RICHARD JEWELL (23 years), or those docudramas from last month, DARK WATERS and THE REPORT, both from the early part of this decade. Here’s one that reaches back about three years, and it’s still happening, although not dominating the media as it did. Last year a terrific documentary, DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES from director Alexis Bloom, pulled back the curtains on the cable TV goliath Fox News, giving us an unflinching look at the history of it and its founder, Ailes. A big part of that film concerned his on-air talent with stories of the lawsuits leveled against him and his staff which added fuel to the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements. Now comes the big-screen treatment, from a celebrated director and an Oscar-winning screenwriter and starring a cast lead by two other Oscar-winners (and a third one for support). All these ingredients combine to create an explosive BOMBSHELL.

In the heat of the presidential campaign of 2016, Fox News is changing course in order to ride the tide of its viewers’ increasing support for unlikely contender Donald J. Trump. Surprised Fox News head Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) assigns the network’s shining star, prime time queen Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) to moderate the next televised debate. But she pulls no punches and soon earns the Twitter wrath of Trump (along with his Fox News watching followers). As Megyn takes some time off to plot her next move, another female anchor is feeling a different kind of heat. Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) is tired of the sexist jabs and comments as the only woman co-host of the network’s morning show “Fox & friends”. In order to diffuse the situation, she is given her own daily show, though with a smaller budget and not in a great time slot. As Carlson begins to chafe at the intense editorial interference, she opts to consult her lawyer before the ax falls on her program (and career at the channel). Back in the editorial cubicles, AKA “the trenches”, an ambitious new hire, Kayla (Margot Robbie) begins her “dream job”. After briefly “learning the robes” from veteran staffer Jess (Kate McKinnon). Kayla begins the climb up the corporate ladder to go from behind the camera to anchor. But can she pass the private “audition” for Ailes? And what happens when Carlson’s legal team begins to “chip away” at the network? When Kelly hears of this, will she speaks out or will she remain “loyal”? As the newsroom turns into a war zone, how long will it take the owner, global media titan Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell) to step in?

The talented trio sinks their teeth in this script as though it were the finest gourmet dish. First and foremost, since the character is the network’s “queen” is Theron who brings a calculating cool to the often conflicted Kelly. She’s riding high until the quickly changing political tide begins to buffet her journalistic ideals (yes, she works there and has some left). Through her eyes, Theron shows us a person who is suddenly “woke”, knowing that her viewers and some in management are pushing against her. It all works toward a terrific character “arc finale” as she (in more ways than one) “testifies”. The other anchor that helps hasten her turnabout is Carlson played with controlled calm by Kidman. Her pleasant smile is a mask, hiding her mounting frustrations first as the “gal in the middle” than as the banished “reader” given little support from the “higher-ups”. These two vets make a great contrast to the “next-gen talent” represented by Robbie in the composite character Kayla. In her early scenes, she beams as though it was her eighth birthday, her bouncy walk sending her from one “magic” spot to the next. She’s ecstatic and so very ambitious, leading her straight to her dream job’s seedy side. This gives her a tragic air as she sees her dreams shatter. That destroyer is played by the superb Lithgow who makes Ailes a sinister but easily offended tyrant, a mix of Mr. Potter from that Yuletide classic and the alien overlord he hears people call him behind his back. This leads to his howling rants as the events of the film’s last act push this “wounded snake’ into a corner. The rest of the ensemble is filled to the brim with wonderful stars popping in for a quick moment, from Allison Janney as Ailes’ Long Island lawyer to Connie Britton as his stoic wife to McKinnon’s tragic secretive staffer to a wonderful comic actor, and inspired choice as Rudy G (yes, that one).

Director Jay Roach has made a name for himself for starting up several comedy franchises (MEET THE PARENTS and Austin Powers) while helming award-winning HBO topical political flicks (“Recount” and “Game Changer”). Here he combines those skills mixing the laughs with scathing social commentary, though never quite diving into whimsical satire like last year’s VICE, though the stakes here aren’t quite as high (the Fox offices are a war zone, but lawsuits rather than bullets whiz past). It helps that the smart script by Oscar-winner Charles Randolph (THE BIG SHORT) delicately balances the farce and tragedy. For instance, we get a peek at the ladies wardrobe room at Fox with anchorwomen straining to squeeze into all manner of high heels, girdles, corsets, push-ups bras, and too tiny skirts. It feels like an odd mash-up of backstage burlesque and soldiers donning armor before heading out to battle. We find some truth in the latter in the film’s dramatic centerpiece when Kayla has a “private’ audition/interview with Ailes. As he leers and barks to raise that dress “Higher! C’mon higher!”, Robbie conveys the degradation and humiliation that, as the “Me Too” has stated, is so very common. But we see the strength of these women as they fight back and even confront each other over ethics and integrity (the story’s main hero is taken to task for not sounding the alarm sooner). And special kudos must go to the makeup artists for evoking the real subjects without burying the actor is mounds of latex and masks, from the bloated Nero of Ailes to the remarkable nose and lips of Kelly. Another huzzah to the editing and effects techs who drop the actors into several scenes with real (still on air) reporters and political figures. They all give power to a BOMBSHELL, its explosion making a very loud “wake up call” to action.

3.5 Out of 4

THE ADDAMS FAMILY (2019) – Review

Move over ABOMINABLE, it’s time for another big animated feature film to hit the ole’ multiplex. Unlike the past Summer’s hit TOY STORY 4 and the upcoming FROZEN 2, it’s not a sequel, but it’s not exactly an original concept or idea. Even though the characters have been kicking around the pop culture ozone since 1937, they’re now in “uncharted territory”. Yes, it was over eighty years ago when Charles Addams debuted this frightfully funny family in the New Yorker magazine. They were part of a series of “one panel” cartoons so popular that they continued to pop up in issues, eventually being collected in book form. Eventually their creator gave them first names (Gomez, Morticia) along with the same surname as the artist. It wasn’t until the 1960s that they gained their greatest fame as part of the fantasy TV sitcom fad (begun by MY FAVORITE MARTIAN and encompassing BEWITCHED, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, and some equally odd neighbors living at 1313 Mockingbird Lane). Now, there’s a bit of controversy around who arrived first. The Addams project was first announced in the “trades” and eventually “beat” THE MUNSTERS to the airwaves by six days. After its brief (only two seasons) run on ABC-TV, the family returned as a Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon in 1973 (with son Pugsley voiced by Jodie Foster), and was revived by the same studio in 1992. The previous year saw the release of an enormously popular live-action feature film, with a sequel coming out in 1994 (25 years, wow). Now, after a recent Broadway musical, they’re back on the big screen, not in live-action or in 2-D “cell” animation, but in 3D-like CGI renderings. So, as that peppy ole’ theme music from Vic Mizzy says, “…it’s time to pay a call on… THE ADDAMS FAMILY”.

The cartoonist creator and his kooky creepy clan

Let’s label this romp an “origin story”, to borrow a term from the superheroes. Thirteen (of course) years ago, the entire Addams clan is gathered in the “old country” for the midnight wedding of Gomez Addams (voice of Oscar Isaac) and Morticia Frump (Charlize Theron). Unfortunately, before their first dance, the locals arrive with the pitchforks and torches (they may have wondered over from the Universal backlot). There’s only one place the lovebirds can go. With the helping hand of Thing, they make it to America. After “acquiring” their hulking servant Lurch (Conrad Vernon), the Addams newlyweds settle into their new home. Not a museum (as the song states), but an abandoned, haunted asylum. As we forge into the present day we view pics of the family’s expansion, first with gloomy daughter Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz), then son Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard). They adore their secluded haven until a red balloon drifts into the yard. The fog lifts to reveal, far below them, a brightly painted planned community. Said “planner” is none other but cable TV’s design and decorating diva Margaux Needler (Alison Janney), who now has “designs” on the creepy mansion overlooking her “picture perfect’ village of Assimilation. Gomez decides to take a break from preparing Pugsley for his Mazurka sword ceremony, assisted by the newly arrived Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll). and greet their new “neighbors”. Wednesday bonds with Margaux’s teenage daughter Parker (Elsie Fisher) and decides to join her at the “middle school”. Can she possibly “fit in”? And what nefarious scheme is Margaux plotting as the Addams distant relatives begin to arrive for Pugsley’s “big day”? Will the celebration become a catastrophe? And, just what is Cousin It (Snoop Dog) babbling about?

An interesting mix of actors (a couple of Oscar winners) and comedians have been assembled to give voice to the famous family and fiends…er, friends. Isaac is a smooth as silk classic Latin lover type as patriarch Gomez. Theron’s Morticia is the epitome of the oh so cool vamp as the matriarch. There’s a terrific energetic raspy cackle to Kroll’s Fester. Margaux has a patronizing “sing-song” delivery, all saccharine with a hint of strychnine thanks to Janney. Unfortunately, the kids feel a tad bland, with Moretz trying to come across as an aloof sounding menace, but seems more bored than demented, while Wolfhard only gives Pugsley an anxious, breathy quality. Luckily comic vets Bette Middler as Grandmama along Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short as the Frump ghosts (SCTV reunion…yes) provide lots of chuckles in their limited screen time. And Vernon gives Lurch a most impressive guttural growl.

In addition, he’s co-director with Greg Tiernan on this, their first big project since 2016’s racy and raunchy SAUSAGE PARTY (quite a turnabout from those R-rated hi-jinks to this family-friendly PG project). For the most part, they recreate the look of those classic characters from the pen and ink panels of Mr. A, though many of the supporting players get into a bit of a design rut, resembling potatoes with “pipe cleaner” thin arms and legs. And the faces are small features surrounded by a fleshy circular ‘noggin. Luckily the fam’ is more interesting. Gomez’s rotund, “striped beach ball” torso works well with his round Peter Lorre caricatured head (great dark sunken eyes). I missed the ever-present cigar that John Astin twirled ala’ Groucho, but I guess that was nixed to get the PG rating. Those same eyes and torso (they’re brothers after all) work well with Fester, paired with his droopy banana nose. Morticia, on the other hand, is comprised of “hard angles” with cheekbones and a chin so sharp they could “thin slice” deli meats. And rather than shoes we see the spider-like hem of her skirt as she glides across the floor (not teeny tiny steps, but hovering). Not sure if the high forward of Wednesday works, but the twin egg-like eyes of Pugsley that look as though they may fall out of his head are quite expressive. The brow and heavy-lidded eyes are a nice nod to the classic Frankenstein monster for Lurch, whose bulk appears to be a black mountain looming and blending into the house’s shadowy corners. And his mouth “quiver” as he delivers the classic “Yoooou rang?” is superb. Ditto to the massive blond bouffant of Margaux, balanced by her plump hips that almost burst out of her blue jumpsuits. Her daughter Parker has a much different look with a button nose and huge expressive eyes making me think of the talented young actress Joey (WISH UPON) King.

If only the same amount of thought and planning of the look of the cast had gone into the uneven script. Yes, there’s much of the same subversive spirit that Paul Rudnick gave to those 90’s features, but the screenplay (credited to three writers) seems to run out of “juice” after the one hour mark, falling prey to the usual funny flick third act “lull”. It abounds with so many great visual gags (Thing’s internet interests) and one-liners (Kroll’s timing kills), but the story has the feel of three sitcom episodes “stitched” together, bouncing haphazardly from plot “A” to “B” to “C” and back again. And these stories mainly focus on the Addams kids, making Morticia and Gomez into secondary support players. And with that PG rating, much of their smoldering sexy banter has been neutered (in the tame 60s sitcom-world, these two generated real “heat”). Only one bit of Gomez driven wild over Morticia tossing out a phrase in French…C’mon?! Still, a few sequences are full of inspired satire, particularly the “Up with People”-style anthem sung by the cheerful Assimilation quintet and Wednesday’s take on biology class (a 70’s sci-fi movie classic reference). But these are shuffled aside to make way for the convoluted plottings of Margaux, who often seems to be at cross purposes. It’s a muddled mess, but the wee ones should be amused by the creepy but not too scary elements (the pet lion Kitty Kat looks like a massive stuffed doll). Even though they’ve seemingly been with us forever, this kooky clan’s non-conformist ways still feel fresh and needed today. Thankfully, despite the script bumps, these folks (cue the big guy on the harpsichord) are still “altogether ‘ooky’, THE ADDAMS FAMILY”. “Snap, snap!”

3 Out of 4 Stars

MA – Review

A Cult Classic is born! And I don’t use that term loosely. I’ve been emceeing the midnight shows here in St. Louis at Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater for a decade now and if MA finds the audience it deserves, I can totally see it playing there in a year or two with an inebriated audience screaming its many memorable lines back at the screen. “Don’t make me drink alone!” could become the new “No more wire hangers!”

Octavia Spencer stars in MA as Sue Ann (aka Ma), a 50-ish veterinary assistant who keeps to herself in a peaceful rural Ohio town. One afternoon, Ma is confronted in a liquor store parking lot by Maggie (Diana Silvers), a teen who’s just moved to town with her mother (Juliette Lewis) who asks her to buy alcohol for her and her new pals.  Ma sees this as the chance to make some younger, if gullible, friends and opens up her basement as a safe place for the kids to drink and party, out of the eyes of their parents and local cops. But Ma has four strict house rules: One kid has to remain sober to drive, they can’t take the lord’s name in vain, they can’t go upstairs, and they can’t get Ma wet (ok, I made that last one up). ‘Ma’s Place’ is soon the party hangout for the whole school, but the older woman’s hospitality turns to obsession when the teens begin to realize how unstable she may be (my first hint would have been when she orders one boy to strip naked at gunpoint the first time they meet her) and look for other locales to get wasted. Old wounds involving some of these kid’s parents are opened and Ma’s place eventually goes from the best party pad in town to a nightmarish hell of torture, revenge, madness, and murder!

The brilliance in casting Octavia Spencer as the dotty Ma (the role was obviously written for her) pays considerable, glorious dividends. In everything from her Oscar-winning breakout role in THE HELP to the strong work she’s done on films like HIDDEN FIGURES and THE SHAPE OF WATER, Spencer is a chameleon of an actress. She can be the sweetest sort of woman in one performance, then turn around here and wow as a ruthless psychotic. Spencer has a field day with Ma, creating a quirky object of hate, fear, sympathy, and childishness. Spencer pushes her character this way and that, dispensing kindness and threat in equal proportions. Even after we know she’s crazy (which is early on) there is often something compassionate about her. Spencer feels like the ultimate lonely person bringing out Ma’s mentally ill side, though not in a melodramatic way. Nor is her psychosis laughable. Even when she gets foolish and says “You are guilty of being so cute! “, which is worthy of a chuckle, the scary side of her is always present. In flashbacks to her own high school years, we see the genesis of her psychosis where she was the victim of a horrible sexual prank in the “janitor’s closet” (Kyanna Simone Simpson as the young Ma is heartbreaking in these scenes), carried out by the parents of some of the young teens she’s now hosting. This backstory adds depth to Ma, a unique creation and I can’t quite think of any performance to compare Spencer’s to. There’s a bit of Kathy Bates in MISERY, some Glenn Close in FATAL  ATTRACTION, even a pinch of the ‘Horror Hags’ played by the likes of Joan Crawford and Tallulah Bankhead in the ‘60s (Ms Spencer is just 47 but coded  matronly). It’s unlikely, but in a perfect world, Ms Spencer would receive awards attention for her work in MA.

The screenplay for MA by Scotty Landes is somewhat predictable but shrewd enough not to go in totally obvious directions. Teenage behavior is exhibited that’s dangerous enough even without psycho Ma in the mix, but MA is not the teen body count parade you may expect. The script sets up a number of more pitiless adult characters to bear the (often bloody) brunt of Ma’s homicidal tendencies. This works well because good actors have been cast in these roles including Luke Evans as a cad who’d caused Ma such pain in the past, Tate Taylor (the film’s director) as a clueless cop, Allison Janney (who looks like she was on set for one day) as Ma’s impatient boss, and Missi Pyle (a mean girl staple in the ‘90s) as a drunken harpy named Mercedes (“I’m more a Porsche man”).

MA is one of the most fun ‘audience’ movies I’ve seen in some time. It’s scary, but not under-the-skin terrifying and it’s darkly funny, generating nervous laughter as well as a few big gut-busters. I hope MA finds the cult status it deserves. Even if it’s stomped on by Godzilla and Elton John at the box-office this weekend, I suspect it’s a movie that will live on.

5 of 5 Stars