Tag: Chicago

DROP – Review

Ah, at the start of Spring what’s more romantic than a first date? Well, at least there’s the possibility of romance. Yes, that initial meeting is often the start of a cinema love story, or often a comedy (including lotsa’ ‘rom-coms”). But that’s not the case with this week’s new release from the folks at Blumhouse (that should give you a huge hint). In this flick, the jitters of a dinner with a new “potential” turns into outright terror when the evening’s intimate meal is “cyber-hijacked” by an evil manipulator. The couple at the center of this thriller barely make it to the appetizer before the “meet cute” gives way to suspense when some deadly messages begin to DROP.

This story actually starts with a scene full of violence and terror, though it’s unclear about its “placement” in the tale. Is it a “flash-forward” or “flashback”? That’s revealed soon as the film does a jump cut to the present, where a young widowed mother named Violet (Meghann Fahy) works as an online therapist. When the live streaming “video session” is complete, she begins to prepare for her big evening, her first real date since her spouse passed. Her adorable six-year-old son Toby (Jacob Robinson) helps her pick out an outfit, but that’s scrapped when Violet’s kid sister Jen (Violett Beane) arrives to babysit. Finally, her “ride service’ arrives to take Violet to Chicago’s “hot” new dining experience, a “sky high” rooftop restaurant named “Palate”. Her date’s a bit late, so Violet hangs out at the bar, meeting a nebbishy middle-aged man also on a blind date named Richard (Reed Diamond), Cara (Gabrielle Ryan), the friendly bartender, and the sleezy “piano man” Phil (Ed Weeks). Luckily, Violet can see what’s going on at home through a streaming app of her many security cameras. At last, her date arrives, a hunky photojouralist named Henry (Brandon Sklenar). Things are going well until Violet’s phone “blows up” with “airdropped” adamant demands that she “play a game”. Henry takes a look at her phone, but can’t locate who is sending the “drops” (it has to be someone close by). After a few more “aggressive nudges” the unknown “player’, he (or she) shows her the live streaming feed inside her home. In a room away from Jen and Toby is a person dressed in black holding a gun. Then the “phone fiend” ups the “ante”. Do what he commands, tell nobody, or her sis and son will be executed. Violet’s date has turned into a tormenting “trap” as she must choose between aiding a murderer (yes, Henry’s the target) in order to save the lives of her family.

Much like most first-date flicks, everything rests with the casting of that dating duo. Both stars really support this unique concept, though most of its “weight” is shouldered by the talented Ms. Fahy. Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with her work on several popular cable and streaming TV shows, but she certainly makes her mark as a real movie star with her compelling take on the thriller genre heroine lead. Fahy has terrific comic timing and charming warm rapport with her on-screen son and sis (kudos to Ms. Beane, who’s full sweet sibling snark). The Violet character becomes anxious and more than a bit twitchy as she begins the long wait at the “foo-foo” eatery. This is followed by some sunny “patter” with Henry until the “game” kicks in. Fahy shows us, through her darting eyes and tight body language, that Violet is terrified, but is calling on every brain cell to find a way through this cyber “quicksand”. At every twist and turn, Fahy has the audience right with her. As Henry, the date, Sklenar doubles down on the rugged cowboy charm we saw in THIS ENDS WITH US (where he was really under-utilized), as he woos Violet with his self-depreciating humor, while trying to be sensitive to her history (naturally, they had chatted online). Then he is a tad thrown off by Violet’s dashing about while glued to her phone and offers to call off the Dinner (though we see his disappointment mixed in his bewildered eyes). The “bar mates’ are also very good, from the awkward Diamond, to the encouraging Ryan, and the “skeevy” smarm of Weeks (much as his role in the very-missed “The Mindy Project”). But the real supporting actor MVP may be the engaging, over-enthusiastic Jeffrey Self as the first-night waiter Matt, who seems more interested in stories about his Second City improv class than in selling the “specials”. Now there’s some superior comic relief.

This is directed by horror veteran Christopher Landon, who takes a break from the supernatural elements of his previous works (including the HAPPY DEATH DAY flicks) to give us a grittier modern tech ode to the high-concept “Hitchcock-ian” suspense drama. Part of the credit must be shared with the screenwriting team of Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, who deftly mixed rom-com cliches with whodunits, while making satiric jabs at snooty eateries (the hostess podium is at the end of an intestine-like tunnel). And though most of the action takes place on the dining floor, Landon makes lots of creative visual choices to illustrate Violet’s torment. The messages to her float above her head, and in one sequence, the walls of a bathroom stall become the security cam images of her home. Plus the action is sometimes slowed to crawl in order to prolong the tension, and make us ponder what our actions would be. It’s a pretty polished “nail-biter’ until the troublesome third act, as the story takes a brief turn into DIE HARD-style chaos and dives into several “home invader” tropes while really over-playing the “child-in-jeopardy” manipulation. Luckily, the film is shot superbly, with an unfamiliar view of the “Windy City” (could it actually be Louisiana or…Ireland) and has a taut score by Bear McCreary. You might consider this to be a modern tech-savvy take on the classic “B” pictures of yore, though few recent thrillers have as many interesting ideas and talented leads like DROP.

3 Out of 4

DROP is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE BIKERIDERS – Review

This weekend sees the release of a brand new film from an acclaimed director with an all-star cast that’s a cinematic “call-back” to a genre that’s gone AWOL from the multiplexes and even the drive-ins (still enjoying a pandemic “bump) for the last few decades. And no, I’m not talking about the Western, which gallops back with Kevin Costner in the saddle next week. Well, there are a few comparisons, though these flicks began in the fifties and were an exploitation staple (a fave of the “passion pit”) into the swingin’ 70s. Going for more speed than the “oaters” were the “motorcycle gang” action epics, which have played a big role in the futuristic world of Mad Max and Furioisa. Now, this flick has those elements, but it’s more of a historical overview following some guys, and a few gals, who really thought of themselves as a “club” rather than a “gang” which accounts for their more genteel designation as THE BIKERIDERS.

It all begins quietly in mid-70s suburbia as photojournalist Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) catches up with a past “subject”. Kathy (Jodie Comer) tells him of a fateful night at a Chicago bar in the late 50s where she encountered the Vandals Motorcycle Club and became smitten with one of its senior members, the silent smoldering Benny (Austin Butler). When he offers her a lift on his cycle, he remains outside her apartment driving away her current beau. Of course, she had to marry him a couple of weeks later. Kathy then also becomes a part of CVMC and meets its leader/founder Johnny (Tom Hardy) who was inspired by watching THE WILD ONE on TV. His group is more of a family with several of his “surrogate sons”. There’s the lumbering, spacey Zipco (Michael Shannon), and their devious mechanic Cal (Boyd Holbrook) whose past membership with a West Coast club catches up to him when Funny Sonny (Norman Reedus) tracks him down, who then also “changes colors” Through the years the club clashes with rival crews and the local police while slowly expanding. But their growth isn’t fast enough for a much younger “upstart” called “the Kid” (Toby Wallace). Over the miles traveled and wild antics, Danny is recording it all on reel-to-reel tapes and snapping lots of pics. But the good times are threatened by the influx of drug-dealing (and using) returning vets, violent crime, and the Kid’s less “civil’ cohorts which may put an end to Johnny’s dream of leading his pals on an endless cruise down the highways and byways in pursuit of “new kicks”.

As two of the main leads a pair of lauded Brits do a splendid job of delivering accents from the upper Midwest. Comer mixes the Windy City vocal styling with a good chunk of Minnesota (thinking of Marge from the film FARGO) as the no-nonsense devoted biker spouse Kathy. She’s tender and fiercely protective of her Benny while not taking any “guff’ from him as he makes several questionable choices. Hardy’s Johnny is an affable everyman who often opts for the “hard way” in guiding the group and keeping his “alpha dog” rep, though Benny brings out his warm patriarchal instincts. Though he’s often staring intently and saying little, Butler as Benny is a compelling “hair trigger” nearly always settling “beefs” with his fists rather than his words. Shannon only has a few scenes to shine, but he makes the most of this character role giving Zipco a dense clueless sweetness. Ditto for Holbrook when Cal boasts and brags about his garage “magic” to rescue the banged-up bikes from the scrap heap. Faist is the fascinated outsider, drawn to danger even as his “models” are perplexed by his probing and constant documentation. Reedus seems to be having a blast as the “Cali-transplant” as he whips his tangled mane and flashes a set of truly gnarly “chopper” (teeth, not bikes). And hovering at the edge, Wallace simmers with anger and just oozes dread and doom.


Writer/director Jeff Nichols concocts a sprawling multi-decade saga from the real-life Danny Lyon’s same-titled book of photo-essays (many of those great silver images are seen in the end credits). He recreates the eras quite well, but we never really get into the heads of the principals to explore their need for this “fellowship” and their urge to act on any impulse. The near-constant parties (many are almost orgies) harken back to the Roger Corman (miss you, sir) seminal speed thriller WILD ANGELS more than the Brando classic. But Nichols really heightens the tension before the first punch, and doesn’t shy away from the resulting agony (Benny really pays a big price for his stubbornness). As the story progresses Nichols’ vision steers the story into the gangster genre (he’s said that GOODFELLAS was a big influence) with the anti-drug stance of the GODFATHER trilogy. But there’s a bit of a nod to ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.. with the darkness of the late 60s souring the “good vibes” of the early part of the decade. Soon the film bounces back and forth through the timeline making it merely a cool nostalgic stitching of various setpieces with this great cast “cosplaying” as the brawlers and “gear-heads”. It all finishes abruptly in the 1970s leaving us wondering just how some of the principals “settled down” and why they chose ths path. THE BIKERIDERS looks and sounds great, but the last stop isn’t worthy of the meandering trek, sputtering when it should soar through the years.

2 out of 4

THE BIKERIDERS is now playing in select theatres

THE OUTFIT – Review

Zoey Deutch (left) stars as “Mable” and Mark Rylance (right) stars as “Leonard” in director Graham Moore’s THE OUTFIT, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Nick Wall / Focus Features

The stylish, entertaining, a bit bloody gangster thriller THE OUTFIT is tailor-made for it star, the gifted Mark Rylance, and showcase Rylance does, with a clever script and strong direction from Graham Moore, who won an Oscar for his script of THE IMITATION GAME. With a score by Alexandre Desplat, Graham Moore’s directorial debut is a modest little indie gem but one that delivers big, with a tense, twisty story and fine supporting cast, including London-trained, Nigerian-born Nikki Amuka-Bird as a rival gangster, and a thrilling performance by Mark Rylance.

Set in 1956 Chicago, the whole thing mostly takes place inside a modest shop, owned by Englishman Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance), a soft-spoken Saville Row-trained bespoke tailor, who runs the place with help from his shop assistant Mable (Zoey Deutch).

It quickly becomes clear that Leonard is allowing his shop to be used by a mob, led by boss Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale). as a drop spot for the gang. From time to time, Boyle gang members leave envelopes in a box at the back of the shop and once in awhile, they retrieve them. Some of the communications come from a shadowy higher-level organization known as the Outfit.

As the gangsters come and go, Leonard works at his craft, creating his suits for his clients. As he works, the film is narrated by the tailor, who talks about his craft as we watch him at work. Leonard tells us he is not just a tailor but a cutter, a higher level of skill in his profession. When anyone asks why such a skilled craftsman left Saville Row, Leonard quips “blue jeans.”

Rylance’s tailor is a quiet fellow, so reserved and deferential that he almost fades into the background, while the gangsters come and go. But this quiet routine is shattered one evening when a pair of Boyle gang members burst in. One of them has been shot, and the film takes a new turn.

The wounded man turns out to be Richie Boyle (Dylan O’Brien), the hot-headed young son of the mob’s boss Roy Boyle. With him is Francis (Johnny Flynn), a trusted associate that Roy had assigned to keep an eye on his son Richie. Fortunately, Richie isn’t seriously hurt but Francis is upset, not just that Richie got shot during a run-in with the rival LaFontaine gang. Francis is worried about evidence that a “rat” within the Boyle gang is working with the FBI. An audio tape has emerged as evidence, and Francis is frantic to find the traitor.

Usually Leonard steers clear of the gang’s business but Francis demands that the tailor stitch up young Richie’s wound, threatening him if he refuses. Leonard has no choice, but as the tailor recognizes the danger he is now in, Rylance’s character emerge from the shadows, and the actor takes the spotlight with bold energy.

Despite its closed-in setting, there is plenty of crime thriller tension, plot twists and a surprising amount of violence in THE OUTFIT. The story all takes place during one night, where various gangsters come and go, secrets are revealed and twists are everywhere. At first, Rylance’s Leonard is so timid that he nearly fades into the background, but once Francis threatens him, Rylance takes center stage, looking for a way to get out of his precarious situation.

Eventually the big boss turns up, along with his menacing bodyguard Monk (Alan Mehdizadeh). The rival gang’s leader Violet LaFontaine shows up in the third act, and Nikki Amuka-Bird briefly steals the show in that role. But Rylance quickly regains center stage and then holds it firmly as the story races to its conclusion.

There are twists and surprises enough to satisfy any crime tale fan, and a ticking clock urgency in this Hitchcockian thriller. There is an unexpected amount of violence and blood for a tale that plays out in a few rooms. That those rooms are small and cramped, gives the film an extra claustrophobic pressure-cooker vibe that works well for this potboiler. Although THE OUTFIT is set in Chicago, this British production was actually shot at a London theater, but stylish noir photography by Dick Pope creates the perfect framing.

Rylance did in-depth research for the role, which has the tailor using his particular skills in the course of staying alive. Rylance even wears a suit he made himself in the film.

THE OUTFIT is great fun, and a made-to-order showcase for the formidable talents of Mark Rylance. Not everything that happens makes complete sense but it is such great crime story fun that it doesn’t matter or detract from the thrills. THE OUTFIT fits the bill for crime tale entertainment, like one of British tailor’s suits.

THE OUTFIT opens Friday, March 18, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

LIVE AT MISTER KELLY’S – Review

View of Mister Kelly’s marquee featuring Joan Rivers and Adam Wade, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1968.

In the 21st century, it seems that a near-unlimited supply of entertainment is at our fingertips, or at least at the click of a mouse. That flow seems constant with a staggering variety of options. But what did folks do around 75 years ago? Sure, radio was still dominant, though this new “gizmo” called television was making inroads. And of, course the movies were there. As for live entertainment, many performers played at regional venues like state fairs and auditoriums. If you were looking for something more intimate, the big cities had nightclubs. And in between meccas like LA (with Ciro’s and Slapsy Maxie’s) and NYC (with the “Copa” and the Latin Quarter), there was the “Windy City”. When the vaudeville and burlesque venues began to shutter, lots of big-name talents, in music and comedy, could be seen at the bustling “classy joint” near Rush and Oak. But for those who couldn’t get there, they still enjoyed the feel of the place when those artists committed their routines and songs to vinyl, which they proudly proclaimed in the liner notes, and often on the cover, was recorded LIVE AT MISTER KELLY’S.

The story of that club actually begins a few years earlier with another club. And this empire, which would include a later entertainment spot, was established by two brothers, the Marienthals, Oscar and George. At the end of WWII, the men decided to provide an upscale eatery in the heart of Chicago, the London House, formerly the Fort Dearborn Grill. Inspired by the wartime meat rationing, they struck a “hungry” chord with their catchphrase “Make a date with a steak”.Eventually, they would offer the best of jazz music with the meals in 1955. Ah, but two years before that they opened Mister Kelly’s (named after the previous owner’s doorman/manager, who didn’t remain), which would have their own “house band” the following year. In 1959, the owners instituted a new policy of combining a comedy act and a musician (singer, band, etc.) on the same bill usually lasting a couple of days. Though the stage was tiny and the space limited, Kelly’s attracted the hottest acts of the early 1960s. For comedy, the audiences were laughing with Bob Newhart, Nichols & May, Mort Sahl, and Lenny Bruce. Plus they “tapped their toes’ to Laine Kazan, Peggy Lee, and a rising star that Oscar lured away from the “Big Apple”, Barbra Streisand. One of the most radical decisions by the brothers was their hiring of black entertainers with no segregation on stage or in the audience as Della Reese, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn packed the place along with Richard Pryor, Dick Gregory, and Flip Wilson (who recorded an album there). When audiences became interested in the more “radical comics” and zany improv groups, another venue The Happy Medium (which would prove a springboard for the comedy team of Stiller & Meara) opened its doors around the corner. Despite a couple of devastating house fires, Kelly’s remained a hot spot (oops, sorry) well into the 1970s. But by then the rising comic stars and many music acts, filled the late-night TV talk shows and they upped their fees, pricing out the smaller nightclubs for the big theatres and arenas. Before the end of 1975, Mr. Kelly’s was shuttered and, along with the London House and the Medium, became part of Windy City history.

Ah, but what a slice of lively and fun history (I didn’t want to end the last paragraph on a sad note). Considering that no film footage of the interior of the club exists, director Ted Bogosian has somehow found a way for us to feel as though we have a stage-side seat (and it was just 4 or 5 feet away from the action) to enjoy an incredible gathering of the world’s most iconic performers. Luckily there are lots of archival photos of the club’s exterior and interior along with countless ads and promotional materials. Big kudos to co-producer and editor Scott Dummier for assembling all of this art and for the massive amount of interviews. Some were a bit …challenging (Streisand gives only an audio recollection), others are archival, as we hear from many who are now workin’ the “main stage in the clouds”. We encounter Shelly Berman, Fred Willard, and Jerry Stiller ( he hints that a current comedy superstar was conceived during his Medium gig). But happily many are still here and very happy to look back, including Bob Newhart, Lily Tomlin, Dick Gregory, Shecky Greene, and Dick Smothers (hey, I still have the LP he and brother Tom recorded there). Speaking of the archives, we view bits of local TV news segments, Bill Murray on the Tonight Show, and the closest TV show to being at Kelly’s, “Playboy After Dark”, right from “Hef’s swingin’ pad”. Oh, and the jazz greats certainly get their due, in some great music excerpts. Aside from the Marienthal family members and the relatives of late stars (Kitty Bruce), there are some very witty stories from playwright David Mamet, who worked a variety of jobs, and even “tickles the ivories”. Most informative is an entertainment historian who scoops up dozens of albums recorded at Kelly’s at a massive used record store (Kelly’s has its own section), along with a radio DJ/show host. I guess the closest we have to this place is Vegas, though their big showrooms have none of the amazing intimacy. Until “Doc Brown” gets the “bugs’ worked out we can’t take a sixty-year jaunt back in time to catch Ella and Lenny, but the engrossing and highly entertaining feature documentary LIVE AT MISTER KELLY’S is pretty darn close. Now I’m itching for one of their big juicy steaks along with a fresh Green Goddess salad! Tasty!

3.5 Out of 4

LIVE AT MR. KELLY’S is now playing at select theatres and is Video-On-Demond streaming on most apps and platforms

CANDYMAN (2021) – Review

Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.

Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 HALLOWEEN only references the 1978 classic). And with the recent social injustice movements, today might just be primed for a return of the CANDYMAN. But only say the title once, just to be safe.

Hmmm, a chiller that begins with a puppet show? Oh yes, as paper-cut silhouettes, moved by sticks, play out the story of research student Helen Lyle’s fateful encounter with Cabrini Green’s (the notorious low-rent housing complex in the “Windy City”) avenging spirit, the Candyman. The murdered wraith from the late 1800s eviscerated lots of folks with his hook for a right hand when they repeated his name five times while staring into a reflective surface. After the “recap” (and a brief 1977 sequence at “the Green”), the story shifts to the modern-day as Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his new boyfriend attend a dinner party at the swanky Chicago apartment of his art gallery manager sister Brianna (Teyonah Parris) and her beau, up-and-coming fine artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Over drinks, Troy tells the tale of the Candyman as Brianna scoffs. However, Anthony is curious as the “urban legend” sparks his imagination (he’d gone “dry” preparing new pieces for a fast-approaching gallery showcase). Later he sneaks into the remaining row houses of Cabrini (The towers had been torn down to make space for the trendy gentrified neighborhood long ago) and runs into former resident Burke (Colman Domingo), who runs a nearby laundromat. He tells Anthony of his time there and of a different Candyman. But on his way home the artist is surprisingly stung by an errant bee. Anthony thinks nothing of the nasty welt as he hurriedly prepares his new pieces. He displays the mirrored door at the opening with a paper handout explaining it (basically challenging patrons to repeat “Candyman” five times). Of course, someone takes the dare, and…the local news is soon filled with reports of gruesome bloody killings. Has Anthony helped bring the hooked monster into the new century? Could the two be somehow connected? And why is that bee sting looking so gnarly?

The award-winning cast aids in adding to the film’s tension-filled dark “vibe”. Mateen, so good in the HBO “Watchmen” sequel, expertly balances the complex character shifts in Anthony. He shows us how the artist’s struggle for a defining work is swept away by his all-consuming need to know all about the “silly fairy tale”. And he’s not afraid to show the awful side of Anthony’s persona as too many drinks unleash his verbally abusive id (mostly directed at art rivals). We’re rooting for him, even as he changes mentally and physically while falling deeper into the supernatural “rabbit hole”. It’s a plunge that can’t be slowed by the love of Brianna, played with grit and “street smarts” by the engaging Parris (part of the superb “Wandavision”). She shows Brianna’s devotion to Anthony even as she tries in vain to halt his obsessions. Those are fueled by Burke played with a sinister zeal by Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”)., who seems horrified by his own past, but delighted to pass on the nightmares to Anthony. Kudos also to Stewart-Jarrett who’s having a great time as the catty Troy, and Rebecca Spence who happily spews venom as a castigating art critic (ain’t they the worst).

Director Nia DaCosta, fresh off the heart-breaking family drama LITTLE WOODS, proves her talents by entering the horror genre and mixing a familiar horror icon with the current social and political clime. Yet, the film feels a tad sluggish and very disjointed (I have expected to see the “scene missing” title card from GRINDHOUSE). The discoverer of a gory slaying is abruptly seen in bed (quite a narrative jump). Perhaps that can be traced to the screenplay DaCosta contributed to along with producer Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (using the original characters from Clive Barker and Bernard Rose). Though I never saw the original I could pick up (after a bit of research) the notion that they were playing to the 1992 film’s rabid fans, even using actress Virginia Madsen’s vocal track (and a nice final VFX sequence), the twists are often predictable (another bullying scene in a deserted high school bathroom), and social norms and logic (beyond the usual “suspension of disbelief”) feel ignored (Brianna would certainly insist that Anthony see a doctor, as his bandages pop on and off). Some of the digs at the pretentious “modern art world” are nice, as is the use of those stick paper puppets (watch them during the end credits), but many horror fans will find that this re-visiting more sour than sweet as they consume the brightly re-packaged CANDYMAN. “Talk about your childhood wishes (and nightmares).”

2 Out of 4

CANDYMAN opens in theatres everywhere on August 27, 2021

THUNDER FORCE – Review

I’m guessing everyone’s ready for the start of Summer movie season, anxiously awaiting the first batch of action blockbusters, slapstick comedies, and, of course, the superheroes (and superheroines). Well, we’re going to have to wait a bit longer as the vaccines try to eradicate the pandemic that still has lots of screen venues shuttered. Yeah, we’ve gone over a year without a multiplex trip to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), so perhaps we need something to keep us going until the BLACK WIDOW finally arrives, after lots of delays (but her stingers are charged up for July, for sure). This weekend we’ve got a super-powered duo of lady crusaders (though without capes) ready to fight for justice. And laughs. Yes, one of the current queens of comedy teams up with a beloved Oscar-winner to put a satiric spin on the genre. Plus it’s streaming exclusively, so no need to seek out a cinema “safe haven”. Ah, but things are far from safe (I imagine a big spike in property damage claims) when those craven criminals face the power of THUNDER FORCE.

But first, as with most comic book-inspired epics, we get a brief origin story, told with lots of “pop art” comic panels. Way back in 1983 mysterious cosmic rays bombarded the planet. While not affecting average citizens, they gifted sociopaths with various forms of super abilities. The media dubbed these new kinds of criminals “Miscreants”. On a fateful Chicago “L” train ride, husband and wife geneticists who were working on a way to combat them became the latest victims. Their preteen daughter Emily vowed to continue their research. But first, she’s got to get through public school. Luckily the teased “brainiac” is befriended by the tough though much less cerebral Lydia. The two become inseparable pals through the grade levels, but eventually have a falling out in high school, sending them on their own adult pathways. Cut to today as the big high school reunion approaches. Beer-drinking, blue-collar worker Lydia (Melissa McCarthy) decides to reach out to “Em” who actually replies to her text, saying that she may drop in. But when she’s a “no show”, Lydia decides to try and see her at her brand new downtown Chicago division of Stanton Labs. Emily (Octavia Spencer) is surprised and delighted to see her but needs to finish up some work and asks Lydia to wait in her office. Unfortunately, it’s connected to the main lab, and a slightly ‘buzzed’ Emily initiates the big new project. When she awakes, Lydia is told by Emily that she’s been injected by a “one-of-a-kind” serum that increases one’s strength, which had been intended for her. Instead, Emily will continue with the other treatment to produce the powers of invisibility, all to “even the playing field” with the Miscreants. The two are aided by a short-tempered secret government liaison Allie (Melissa Leo) and Emily’s genius teen daughter (her dad’s long gone), Tracy (Taylor Mosby). Once Lydia and Emily finish their treatments and training they suit up as “Thunder Force” (or “The Hammer” and “Bingo” to some) and take on the Miscreants that play a pivotal role in the city’s hotly contested mayoral race. But can the duo stop the deadly dangerous Laser (Pom Klementieff) and the criminal Crab (Jason Bateman), who may have connections to the megalomaniac tycoon turned candidate who calls himself The King (Bobby Cannavale), before the Windy City citizens cast their ballots? More importantly, can these former BFFS put aside their past squabbles and become the heroes the city, well maybe the world, desperately needs?

Once again, McCarthy exercises her considerable physical comedy skills, this time with an interesting unique twist. Instead of doing damage to her character (actual injuries and pride), her super strength turns Lydia into a true human “wrecking ball” as her untapped aggression often does more harm than good (we’re constantly told that “nobody was hurt”). Otherwise, she’s recreating lots of elements from previous roles, the tough coarse exterior that eventually melts to reveal a heart of gold, All through the battles, Ms. McCarthy somehow displays a real graceful balance, as though the specials serums have unlocked the prima ballerina within as she twirls and catapults into the mayhem. For the most part, Spencer is regulated to straight ma…”person”, the “smartie” who gets agitated by Lydia’s low-class antics. It’s not till the story’s mid-point where Emily really opens up and pushes through her fears about leaving the lab and bopping the baddies. It’s then that the TF team really works thanks to their personality conflicts. She’s all planning and reason while Lydia lives up to her “Hammer” nickname by smashing nearly everything in sight. The other “straight” is probably Leo’s Allie who has little to do as the needling authority figure/ “party pooper”. It’s a shame that her role is little more than an uptight pants suit. Mosby brings a bright youthful energy to the story as Tracy, who is exposed to the fun side of life by Lydia, much as she did with her mom. Perhaps the film’s biggest scene-stealer is the laid-back Bateman who makes the most of his clunky/retro “monster man” vibe. With his crab arms, always exposed by short-sleeved shirts. he seems a not-so-distant cousin to man/beast late show combos like THE FLY (the 50s not 80s). And Bateman can still destroy with his snarky, almost under his breath line delivery, though he sideways “runaway” is a killer sight gag. His Crab is certainly more interesting than Cannavale’s “The King” who bellows, struts, and screams in a not-so-subtle riff on another recent business titan turned politico. Luckily he shares many of his scenes with Klementieff who brings a sultry sense of silky menace to her volatile Laser, a cat-like sparkplug that delights in taunting her prey before showering them with deadly needles of lightening (actually a much better version of the Spidey villain Electro).

Directing his spouse (Ms. McCarthy) for the fifth time is Ben Falcone, who wrote the script and gives himself a nice small role as The Crab’s number two. This effort fits squarely into the middle-quality range of the other collaborations. The big action scenes work both as thrill rides and as parodies of the now nearly standard super “throw-downs” (CGI-check, wire-work-double check, etc.). But a lot of it does fall flat, especially an 80s rock ballad video fantasy that causes TF’s first big action sequence to screech to a halt. Prior to that too much time was given to easy sight gags of Lydia hovering too close to computer cameras (yeah the nostrils don’t work the third time) and the gross-out (literal) gags of her slurping raw chicken meat (the serum makes her crave the slimy stuff). These indulgences make the film seem bloated at 105 minutes. The same goes for the bits concerning Lydia and Emily’s difficulty in getting in and out of their souped-up set of wheels (since Em was always part of the program shouldn’t they have designed something a tad less tiny). And, as I mentioned, the main bad guy isn’t that compelling. However, kudos to taking a few jabs at the boss/henchmen cliches as The Crab wonders aloud if The King should be destroying the staff when things don’t go his way. There must be a better way to inspire the rest without depleting the crew, ya’ know? And the Chicago locations look fabulous, although most of the flick was shot in Georgia (just as the duo’s previous THE BOSS). Once again, this is better than some, but it comes nowhere near McCarthy’s glorious work with Paul Feig (hope they’ve got another project in mind). But if you’re in the need of a superhero cinema flix and don’t mind the playful shots at the genre then you may have some fitful fun suiting up with the THUNDER FORCE. But as Lydia says of their spandex, “After a while, it’s pretty gamey!”.

1.5 Out of 4

THUNDER FORCE streams exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, April 9, 2021.

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH – Review

History class is in session once again at the multiplex (although like most schools, you can participate virtually). Last month we were treated to a bit of a primer (or in the film biz, a prequel) with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI. This weekend’s new release jumps ahead only five years or so, but it may resonate even more since February is Black History Month. And it can also be considered a sequel, or really a “companion piece” to one of the most critically praised films of last year, since they both share a historical figure (or would “bookends” be the right term). And, as the title suggests, this is a near-biblical true fable of deception, ambition, and murder. But its setting is not the Holy Land many centuries past, but in the brutal Windy City streets just over fifty years ago, the home of JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH.

After a brief late 1980s prologue, the story quickly shifts in reverse, 20 years to profile a barely out-of-high school hustler/conman named Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield). His latest “scam”, posing as a federal agent (FBI this time) to shake down a guy at a local bar and grab the keys to his new convertible. But that night his luck runs out as the cops arrive just blocks away from his “raid”. In the station’s interrogation room Bill is confronted by a real “G-Man”, ambitious FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons). Roy’s boss, the very top “cop”, J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) is determined to stop the “urban agitators”, so Mitchell has an idea. After telling O’Neal that’s he’s looking at 18 months for Grand Theft Auto plus an additional five years for impersonating an officer, Roy offers a deal. Those charges can “go away” if Bill joins the Black Panthers and informs them of the operations of the head of its local chapter, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). With his back against the wall, he reluctantly agrees. Due to his auto skills, O’Neal could apply to become Hampton’s personal driver, since the police would pull him over for constant harassment if Fred was behind the wheel. The story cuts to scenes of the enigmatic Hampton as he helps to provide free meals to needy kids, and works to unite other disenfranchised groups (the Young Patriots, the Crowns, the SDS, and others) to fight police brutality and corruption. Aside from the authorities, Hampton’s fiery speeches also attract the attention of a politically active college student, Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback), and the two become romantically involved. As the tensions mount, Hoover puts more pressure on Mitchell to stop Hampton’s rise to fame. It all then comes down to O’Neal. Can he set up his mentor before he’s found out and silenced for good?

A strong talented cast brings this piece of history to vibrant life starting with the character at the top of the title. Stanfield instills a real emotional complexity into O’Neal, showing us a most conflicted “traitor”. His Bill is on the road to a career of quick cons until his avarice turns him into a silver ball in a deadly pinball game, bouncing from the feds to the Panthers, always struggling to stay in play. While attending an early Hampton speech, Stanfield silently shows us a man in turmoil, caught up in the passion, but trying to push his emotions down. Later O’Neal makes the mistake of believing that he matters to his contacts and that they will embrace him into their ranks (he yearns for a legit badge). But his “wake-up call” will leave his soul forever crushed. As for the second part of the title, Kaluuya is convincingly magnetic as Hampton, with a fiery charisma that fills up any space, from an auditorium to the tiny Panther back office. He doesn’t win all of the audience (an early speech inspires many “walk-offs’), but his Hampton doesn’t want to “sugarcoat” his tone to win more converts. With his eyes constantly surveying the situation, Kaluuya shows us that Hampton knows that danger is always everywhere and that his time is precious. Luckily Fishback’s Johnson helps reveal more of his human side as she challenges him at first,  but then becomes the tender emotional support he doesn’t know he desperately needs. She clings to him with that same sense of mortality that drives Hampton’s every waking moment. Then there’s the devil, the tempter Mitchell who is played with silky passive-aggressive calculation by Plemons. At first, dangling the promise of freedom before Bill, then rewarding him with cash and cars, only to snatch it away when Bill’s well of intel begins to run dry. Plemon’s fed is truly a smiling “cobra’, but he barely holds a candle to the seething hatred of his master Hoover who is given venomous life by the inspired (he’s been involved in so many social movements and protests) casting of Sheen. There are no little “winks” to J.Edgar’s rumored private “kinks”, rather the focus is on the controlling puppet-master he became during that turbulent time. A scene in which he shows his true colors to Mitchell, spewing his twisted fear of “race-mixing” is “squirm-inducing” and chilling in his cold-blooded delivery.

Director Shake King, working from the screenplay he co-wrote with Kenneth and Keith Lucas along with Will Berson give the story an immediacy as though the events are unfolding just around the corner (perhaps due to the BLM protests just a few months ago). The streets of Chicago become a deadly maze as each turn holds a new threat for the main characters. Tension is always in the air, giving great power to the scenes of sudden violence. And in those pre-cellphone video days, the efforts of the police are more brazen. Officers make no effort to hide the gas can as they storm the Panthers’ HQ before setting it ablaze. The “bookend” I mentioned earlier is last year’s THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, in which Hampton also appears. Here it is referenced via a sketch of a gagged and shackled Bobby Seale. This film builds on that atmosphere of fear and oppression building to a sickening crescendo with that final early-morning raid turned execution. The pacing is tight thanks to the sharp editing of Kristen Sprague. The only moment that seemed a bit wonky was Hampton’s fairly quick embrace by the mainly white (that Confederate flag is prominent) ex-Southerners, the Young Patriots, though it certainly took more time than the film could spare (the old “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” adage). But the late 60s are faithfully re-created from fashions to autos and hairstyles as the storytelling crackles with energy. Though we’re only a couple of months in, I’m certain that many “best of the year” lists will have a spot for JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH.

3.5 out of 4

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH opens in select theatres and streams for a limited time exclusively on HBO Max beginning Friday, February 12, 2021

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER – The Review

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It’s documentary time again, film fans! Now stop that groaning this instant! As you are well aware (if you’re a regular visitor to this site) docs aren’t dry, dull homework. They can be more entertaining than many fiction films and big studio blockbusters. And they can incorporate other film genres like this year’s Best Documentary Oscar winner 20 FEET FROM STARDOM which was a musical doc. Opening today is FINDING VIVIAN MAIER which is an art/mystery/doc hybrid, much as another recent Oscar winner, SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN,  which was a musical mystery. Not familiar with the work of Ms. Maier? In the last few years she has been lauded as one of the great street photographers whose work equals the great Diane Arbus. But here’s why she’s just be recognized now. Maier spent most of her life working as a nanny or a maid, first in New York City, and later in the suburbs of Chicago. The film tells how the beginnings of her fame really started with an auction as a young man was looking for vintage Windy City shots for a project.

That man is the film’s co-writer and director John Maloof who made the winning bid on a box of old photo negatives. Although none of the images suited his project, he was stunned by the beauty of the work. Eventually he purchased more negatives that were sold to others at the auction. Maloof found letters and receipts that connected him to a former employer of Maier who was about to toss out the contents of her storage locker. After rescuing the boxes from a dumpster fate, Maloof went through the thousands of negatives in color and black and white snapped from the 1940’s through the 1970’s along with several 16mm and 8mm home movies. Of course in addition there were clothes, souvenirs, and dozens of audio cassettes. Maloof contacted several museums and galleries about printing from the negs, but was politely brushed off. And so he turned to the world-wide web and posted some of the photos to his blog. The response was staggering and soon he put together a show of prints at the Chicago Cultural Center, which drew a huge adoring audience. But Maloof wanted to know more about Maier and begins interviewing the many families she worked for (including many adults she had helped raise). His research takes him across the country and across the pond to Europe as he tries to trace her roots and “find” this gifted artist.

Maloof and collaborator Charlie Siskel make this journey a compelling tale. They keep the film moving at a brisk clip and elicit wonderful responses from their interview subjects. Maier’s charges and bosses have endless stories about this eccentric woman, but many still remain blithely unaware of her background, including a major TV celebrity. It seems that Maier kept her past hidden away much like her photo work. This may be best heard on an exchange between her and one of the kids recorded on an audio cassette (” So, tell us your name, child.” “But, what’s your name?” “I am the ‘mystery woman’!”). In one segment, even a state worker is frustrated when going through old census forms about the Maier family. Eventually the funny anecdotes give way to a portrait of a dark-natured soul. The “pack-rat” gives way to a obssessive hoarder. One of her charges even reveals incidents of abuse. The film is an excellent investigation of a woman thought to be just a simple-minded laborer and care-giver, but who is now known world-wide for her artistic endeavours. And in several shots, mixed up with the beautiful and grotesque, is the woman herself, reflected in mirrors and store fronts, usually wide-eyed, concentrating, observing and recording life all around her. We may not fully understand Maier by the film’s end, but we’re haunted by those unforgettable images of those captured ghosts from the distant past. I hope cinema and art fans find this fascinating film.

4.5 Out of 5

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

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Tribeca 2012 Review: THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN

THE GIANT MECHNICAL MAN was a bit of a letdown for me. While enjoyable as is, the film never lives up to its full comedic potential, which is a real shame considering the talent involved. In a role written to play to her strengths, Jenna Fischer is the confused, mild-mannered Janice who finds a job selling grape drinks at the zoo. Apparently the zoo is a beacon of hope for the unemployed because this occurs the day after Tim (Chris Messina) walks in and instantly gets a job there after his girlfriend dumps him. (Seriously, is it really that easy to get a job at a zoo?) Tim also has an interesting hobby / side job of painting himself silver, wearing stilts and walking around as the titular Giant Mechanical Man. A friendship forms between the two just as Janice’s overbearing sister (Malin Ackerman) tries to set her up with a motivational speaker / author played eerily well by Topher Grace.

TGMM is a romantic-comedy that tries to be a lot deeper than it really is and that is where it falters. It works best when dealing with the rom-com aspects of the story but gets weighed down by mostly unnecessary dramatic beats that feel too repetitive. I can’t help but feel like this film would have been far more entertaining if all the main characters were not so damn depressed most of the time. I also found myself wondering why Tim didn’t just tell Janice that he was the mechanical man after she not only mentions her respect for him but also visits him while he’s in character. It seems they were saving the revelation for a fairly anti-climatic finale although it probably would have been far more entertaining watching Janice cover up and ultimately explain (especially to her sister) that she’s dating the often-ridiculed street performer.

I guess the fact that I am still wondering what could have been means there was enough substance actually in the film to hold my interest more than a week after watching it. With that in mind, I’ll recommend giving TGMM a chance. It is worth watching at least once anyway if only for Topher Grace’s crazy good take on a motivational speaker or Rich Sommer as his biggest fan.


Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

THE INTERRUPTERS – The Review

Every day thousands of people across the nation grit their teeth in frustration while reading the daily papers and weekly news magazines. Many more clench their fists against their armchairs while watching local TV news broadcasts. It seems the country ( or state or home city ) is going to ” Hell in a hand basket”! But they’re not part of the government-what can they do? Film maker Steve James ( HOOP DREAMS ) and author/producer Alex Kottlowitz addresses this dilemma in the powerful new documentary THE INTERRRUPTERS. the individuals profiled here, armed only with their wits and a cell phone, may be the most heroic action stars that you’ll see in the cinemas this year.

THE INTERRUPTERS documents the effort of an organization called CeaseFire to stem the rising tide of the youth violence ( particularly in the south side of Chicago ). As the title suggests these people, men and women ranging in age from their early 20’s through their 50’s, step in during heated altercations and attempt to restore calm before fists ( and rocks,bottles,knives, and guns ) strike out. We first meet the group’s founder, epidemiologistGary Slutkin, a man who traveled the globe battling disease and now wants to eradicate the disease of violence that is ravaging the community. One of the main Chicago co-ordinators, Tio Hardiman the creator of the “Violence Interrupters” program, meets the street team at a large table and helps map out trouble spots where they must concentrate their efforts. Like most of the Ceasefire members Hardiman’s youth involved gangs and crime. The film follows the team during a brutal year on those mean streets and focuses on three of these people trying to make a difference. While much of the work is with the African-American neighborhoods, the film spends some time with a former Latino gang member, Eddie Bocanegra ,who takes us to the spot where he took a life many years ago. He then conducts an art class with children at an inner city grade school that helps them deal with their fears. Later Eddie interacts with a family who lost their fifteen year old son to a stray bullet. We observe their daily gathering at his grave site and hear his younger sister tell of how he died in her arms. The most charismatic and vocal of the trio is Ameena Mathews, daughter of legendary gang leader Jeff Fort, who is one of the first CeaseFire workers to step in ( near the the start of the film she tries to diffuse a fight right outside their offices ). She tells of her time as a party girl and how the party ended when she was shot. Her struggle to reach out to a troubled nineteen year old girl, is full of setbacks and small victories. The busiest of the group may be Cobe Williams, who seems to doing a variation of the old plate-spinning act. He attempts to reconcile a single mother and her two teenage sons who belong to rival gangs. Then he’s doing his best to cool off a street hustler known as “Flamo” ( ironically enough ) who seeks revenge on whoever called the police on his family home ( Mom was put in handcuffs while his wheelchair-bound brother was taken to the station ). Finally he picks up a young seventeen year old after serving two years for armed robbery. After a tearful reunion with his sisters and kid brother, Cobe takes him to the barber shop he and his gang had robbed in order to apologize to his victims. Soon they’re trying to score a job for him . Unfortunately it seems that the CeaseFire team is always on the move with ver few breaks.

Like HOOP DREAMS James lets the participants guide the stories. There’s no flashy graphics, recreations,and animation in this portrait of a community in turmoil. James’s camera where there when the fatal beating of high schooler Derrion Albert made the national news after a grainy video of his murder hit the Internet. The CeaseFire team swoops in and stays with the family as the national media quickly moves on. There is some use of local TV news clips and newspaper headlines along with family photos and videos. The most haunting images maybe the piles of stuffed toys and makeshift posters and cards on street corners where a slaying has recently occurred. This film has more tension that the last five Hollywood thrillers combined. The team is determined not to use violence, but unfortunately they get caught in the crossfire. There’s no magic force field that protects them. In one scene Tio Hardiman is overcome with emotion when visiting an interrupter was was shot in the back while walking away from a street fight he thought had ended. With all this misery, THE INTERRUPTERS leaves you with a great belief in the good of humanity. Along with this horrific tales of carnage, there are stories of redemption, courage, and forgiveness. But they have little time to celebrate those little victories. The street is calling. But, maybe someday….

Overall Rating: Five Out of Five Stars

Today at the Plaza Frontenac Theatre in St. Louis co-producer Zak Piper will appear with Cobe Williams and CeaseFire national trainer Marcus McAllister for a Q and A after the 3:40 and 6:30 PM shows. On Saturday September 10 McAllister will join East St. Louis CeaseFire group members Chris Smith, Kyle Blackmon, and Renard Eastern for Q and A’s following the 3:40 and 6:30 PM shows.