Tag: monkeypaw productions

HIM – Review

As I mentioned in another recent review, the studios are shifting with the change of seasons. With Fall a few days away, most would be releasing their big “awards-bait” prestige projects. Ah, but this week’s new big release doesn’t fit into that strategy as much as it meshes with two other staples of the cooler temps. First, it’s set in the world of high-stakes pro football (yes, the 2025-26 games have already begun). Oh, and Halloween is just a few weeks away (most stores have had the “spooky aisles” set up since late August). Really, a “horror sports flick”? I can recall a few thrillers like the original STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and THE FAN. Plus, the musical classic DAMN YANKEES has its supernatural Faustian main plot. And, of course, there’s the hockey mask-wearing J. Voorhees. So, it’s time that the “passers of pigskin” get their chance to terrify in HIM.

The title pronoun may just refer to Cameron Cade, who we first meet as an obsessive football fan who’s only seven or eight years old. He’s “glued to the tube” for all the games played by his fave USFF team, the San Antonio Saviors, who are led by their star quarterback (and Cam’s idol) Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). The story springs ahead via a montage of images of Cam grabbing headlines on the field in high school and college. Unfortunately, Cam’s papa passes away before the pro teams begin “sniffing around”. Luckily, his devoted mama, Yvette (Indira G. Wilson) is his “rock”. While tossing a few balls late at night on his old high school field, Cameron (Tyriq Withers) is gravely injured by a masked assailant (perhaps dressed in a mascot costume). After a major surgery and lots of rehab, Cam appears to be nearly healed of his massive brain injury. But can he resume his quest for “gridiron glory”? Thanks in part to his aggressive agent/manager (Tim Heidecker), the Saviors will give him a most unusual “try-out”. Cam will travel down to the home/training compound of his idol, Isaiah (who may be in his final season), who will see if he’s ready to be their new quarterback. The White “estate” covers several acres in the desert, cut off from the adoring throngs, although several scary fanatics hover near the fence. There Cam also meets the “doc” (Jim Jefferies) and the flamboyant “online influencer”, Isaiah’s wife, Elsie (Julia Fox). Cam is put through grueling physical torments during a series of exercises that take a dark, sinister turn. Cam soon realizes that Isaiah’s not just interested in prepping his body for life in the “pros”. The increasingly intense White may be trying to possess Cam’s soul.

Withers is truly put through all manner of dramatic and physical “paces” as the often confused, but still “laser-focused” young Cameron. He’s a compelling presence as he looms over most of his castmates, searing into them with his questioning, expressive eyes. Most importantly, he draws us in to see Cam’s pain and torment. The cause of much (almost all) of it is Isaiah, played with pitbull-like ferocity by Wayans. He’s eager to break out of the comedy genre, so this screen vet nearly devours anyone vying to share the screen with him. Certainly, he gets our rapt attention even as his methods are murky and muddy. Luckily, many of the supporting players bring some much-needed humor to relieve the tension. Fox is a zany, quirky online “gadfly” as she hawks her new-age trinkets and attempts to be a nurturing matriarch to Cam, while still leading an unending line of grinding strippers. Heidecker puts a hyperbolic spin on the JERRY MAGUIRE-super sports broker trope, careening like a mad dervish after downing a massive mocha. The best laughs are generated by stand-up superstar Jefferies, who delivers doses of surly snark along with whatever’s really in his ever-present hypo (probably not vitamins).

Justin Tipping, in his sophomore directing effort, really seems to be “going for it” as he throws every flashy effect and editing flourish “at the wall” to see if the visuals can “stick” onto the script he co-wrote with Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. And it is exhausting, making us more weary than any film under 100 minutes should. The MTV-inspired cuts and razzle dazzle create a heady fever dream while keeping us as perplexed as Cam. The heavy, clunky religious riffs seem to be pointing to White as Satan’s recruiter, though Isaiah would appear to be equally content with eliminating this new “GOAT”. As for the horror aspects, there are a few effective “jump scares” along with lots of gooey gore and even several X-ray enhanced set pieces (tackling skeletons). But all the sound and fury (and N-bombs, pounding music beats, and gyrating groupies) don’t tell us anything new about the “quest for success”. The revelation about the wealthy owners (wow, they’re actually evil monsters) feels like the retread of familiar cliches. It all leads to an off-the-rails finale that results in a big fumble and eventual defeat for the ultra-hyper HIM.

1 Out of 4

HIM is now playing in theatres everywhere

MONKEY MAN (2024) – Review

Since we’re now into the slow slide from Easter/Spring Break into the Summer cinema season, how about an MMA-style action thriller full of fights and daring escapes? Oh, you say we just had that in the remake of ROAD HOUSE just a couple of weeks ago. Well that flick, despite the director’s protests to the press, bypassed the multiplex and went right to a streaming service. And this new release almost went the same route until an Oscar-winning filmmaker saw it, bought it, and helped prep it for a wide theatrical debut. Oh, and speaking of debuts, this is the first feature directed by the star of a Best Picture Oscar winner over a dozen years ago. Yes, he was the lead in that, and he’s in the lead here as the mysterious avenger who is known as the MONKEY MAN. And no, he’s not another comics-based hero.

Rather, his moniker is based on mythology. In the flashback opening sequences, a young mother and her six or seven-year-old son enjoy the peaceful countryside as she tells him of the Indian animal deity Hanuman AKA the “monkey god”. Flash forward to now in an underground mixed martial arts “fight club” somewhere in bustling Mumbai. One of the brawlers is a lanky fellow wearing a rubber simian mask, along with a filthy tank top and sweatpants. Moments after being introduced by the preening ring MC “Tiger” (Sharlito Copley), the Monkey Man (Dev Patel) is pummeled by “King Cobra”. On his way to the locker room, he endures the taunts of a connected “hustler” named Alphonso (Pitobash). MM who also uses the name Bobby tolerates him since he’s part of his master plan to get a job at the exclusive VIP club where Alphonso works. His boss is a cruel mistress named, naturally, “Queenie” (Ashwini Kalsekar). With the aid of several “street people” Bobby gets her wallet, only to return it to her. Instead of a cash reward, Bobby asks for a job in the kitchen. With an assist from Alphonso (he bets on Monkey Man to take a “dive”), Bobby becomes a server in the ultra-exclusive top floor “playpen” where Queenie provides beauties trafficked from around the globe to international “high rollers”. At last, Bobby spots his reason for being there, his “target” a corrupt sadistic police captain named Rana (Sikandar Kher). Seeing him unleashes many painful childhood memories from Bobby’s time in that forest with his mother. Eventually, Bobby saves up to buy a gun, and then figures out a way to get it past the many security “checkpoints”. So does his revenge scenario play out as planned, or will Rana survive and exact his own vengeance?

Building upon the fighting skills he used six years ago in THE WEDDING GUEST, Patel proves more powerful than his tall, slender physique would suggest. In his bouts, we see, despite the mask, a man in a near-constant panic as he struggles in the opening matches. And that same emotion is echoed in the big high-rise throwdown when things go more than a bit “sideways”. That’s not to say that Patel’s often stoic Bobby is all furious fists and feet. His downturned eyes hint at the heavy weight of family tragedy that almost forms a dark cloud over him. He’s not full of 80s action star quips and snark, and barely makes any human connections. Luckily he does befriend one of the “menu women”, a haunted beauty named Sita played with gentle power by Sobhita Dhulipala. Well, Bobby also connects with a hungry “alley pup’, which brings some extra pathos. And the laughs are provided by a talented trio, Pitobash is a motor-mouthed wiseguy whose bravado distracts from his own tragic past. Kalsekar is a foul-mouthed mini-tornado of disdain and abuse (toward her “staff”). And Copley is the ultimate hammy, and quite swarmy, host as he plays to the crowds while insulting the real “talent”. They’re all an amusing counterpoint to the sneering Kher who makes Rana a great villain more than worthy of our hisses and boos.

Yes, as I alluded to earlier, Patel is making his feature film directing debut while also producing and contributing to the script. And what an ambitious undertaking as he’s in nearly every scene with most consisting of very intense fight choreography (and Patel did take his “lumps” via broken bones and even an eye infection). Aside from the stunts, he creates a great gritty atmosphere as we get “down and dirty” on those dusty streets where denizens scramble for space. One memorable image is Patel’s Bobby in the center of dozens of people “sardine-style” as they try to sleep under a nosy auto overpass. These scenes are in great contrast to the gorgeous flashbacks of a forest paradise (that waterfall). But soon we’re back on the move, as Patel often uses a POV angle to place us right in the mayhem as he ramps up a big pursuit that even takes a second to inject some satire (window jumps are tough). And sure, it’s in the JOHN WICK “wheelhouse” with one bit of dialogue referencing the series. Though this is unique as it hooks us with the fairy-tale legends and the political backdrops. Yes, there’s something of a lull between the two major action “set-pieces” in which we get more backstory and the obligatory “training montage”, but the wait is more than worth it as the finale is truly epic Patel is a terrific physical actor and shows us that he’s a filmmaker to watch (just like the flick’s “savior” Jordan Peele) with the fighting fable of MONKEY MAN.

3 out of 4

MONKEY MAN is now playing in theatres everywhere

HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL. – Review

4200_D019_00328_RC Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown star as Trinitie and Lee-Curtis Childs in HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL., a Focus Features release. Credit: Steve Swisher / © 2021 Pinky Promise LLC

Just in time for the big holiday weekend that “closes the curtain” on the summer blockbusters of 2022, comes a comedy that’s more than a bit different from the usual warm weather farces. That’s because it’s part of the increasingly popular subgenre, the “mockumentary”, which parodies documentary features (that’s the “mock” part). It stretches back more than fifty years, to Woody Allen’s feature directing debut, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, but most current film fans zero in on Rob Reiner’s THIS IS SPINAL TAP, which inspired one of its stars, Christopher Guest, to create his beloved string of cult classics like BEST IN SHOW and A MIGHTY WIND. And a few others jump in with such efforts as CB4 and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (which spawned a still-running TV series). The small -screen has embraced the format with hits like “The Office” and “Modern Family”. But it’s back on the big screen in a big way, as this story two main characters implore drivers to HONL FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.


The two in question are the founders of a big “mega-church” right outside of Atlanta. We first see them in “action” via “news archive footage. The Reverend Lee Curtis-Childs (Sterling K Brown) aided by his wife and “first lady” Trinitie (Regina Hall) “packed the pews” and sent their sermons over the airwaves LIVE from the Wander the Greener Path Baptist Church, which could almost double as a mall or a college. But those days are long gone, thanks to the Rev’s recent scandals (some “improprieties” that he and the missus don’t want to discuss on camera with the doc crew following them). Now that the trials are over and “settlements” have been made, the duo are determined to re-open their “palace of worship”. Luckily they still have a handful of followers, but the majority of their old “flock’ is now down the street at Heaven’s House run by a married evangelical “tag-team’, Shakura (Nicole Behaire) and Keon (Conphidance) Sumpter, who are planning a big expansion. Nonetheless, Pastor Lee has a “vision” of a big, splashy “re-opening” on Easter Sunday, only weeks away. Trinitie is supportive, but has her concerns, especially when they find out the Sumpters will have the big debut of their shiny new facility on the same day. Will someone “blink”, or could this be the beginning of a modern “holy war”?

Although not the most flamboyant of the duo, Ms. Hall truly carries the film as the true ‘rock” of this battered church. Yes, she strides about in her outrageous “Sunday go ta’ meetin'” ensembles as though Trinitie was “working the runaway”, but her fashion style is used to obscure her doubts, from her marriage to the “spiritual rebirth’ of WTGPBC. With her expressive eyes and subtle gestures, Hall conveys the character’s vulnerability over the “public humiliations” while flashing a frozen grin for the doc cameras, and evading any negative aspects. It’s certainly more than her ego-fueled “other-half” deserves. Brown plays him almost as a strutting peacock, his smile becoming a menacing leer as he “puffs out” for the cameras and revels in his sense of entitlement and blind confidence in his “gifts”.His “showboat” style can’t quite cover his rage over his unpure impulses, and his need to destroy those who would thwart his plans (“Cut the cameras…now!!”). Behaire and Conphiance have fewer scenes, put we see how they’re veering on to the same road while believing themselves above the shallow former “religious royalty”.

Expanding on her 2018 film short of the same name, writer/director Adamma Ebo does capture the look of the mega-churches and the “holy circus” flashy “sermonizin'”, but it feels like “shooting fish in a barrel”, with a subject matter too easy to mock, especially after last year’s THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE which mined much of the same material while also delivering the drama of the Bakers. The Reverend comes off even more cartoonish as he pushes his Pradas toward the cameras, while Trinitie continues to be humiliated and brushed aside. In the finale when she “finds her voice” the shocking “gag” can’t quite overcome the degrading antics she endures outside the church’s entrance (I just didn’t buy it, even for a farce). Despite the “shock” tactics, it’s “been there, and the real “deal” is often more outrageous and grotesque”. And certainly not enlightening or entertaining, despite the best efforts of the lead duo. Sure they’re “all in’ with their role, but they can’t “revive’ the dreary, one-joke-long slog that is HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL. Amen and oy vey!


One Out of Four

HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL opens in select theatres and streams on Peacock beginning on Friday, September 2, 2022

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of Jordan Peele’s NOPE

THIS SUMMER, EXPERIENCE THE CINEMATIC EVENT FROM OSCAR WINNER JORDAN PEELE.  UNIVERSAL PICTURES PROUDLY PRESENTS DANIEL KALUUYA, KEKE PALMER, MICHAEL WINCOTT, BRANDON PEREA AND STEVEN YEUN IN NOPE. IN THEATERS JULY 22.

Rated R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images.

https://www.nope.movie/

Get out of this world and plan your visit today at https://www.jupitersclaim.com/

DATE AND TIME:
July 19, 2022 at 7:00pm

The screening will be filled on a first come first served basis, so we encourage you to arrive early. Seats will not be guaranteed. 

Enter: http://gofobo.com/uItoP97834

No purchase necessary.

“What’s a bad miracle?”

Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope.

The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Nope, which co-stars Michael Wincott (Hitchcock, Westworld) and Brandon Perea (The OA, American Insurrection), is written and directed by Jordan Peele and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us, Candyman) and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions. The film will be released by Universal Pictures worldwide.

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