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Strange Darling (2023)
Willa Fitzgerald just became a legend in my book
I think this is my favorite movie of 2024 so far. It has A LOT of strengths. Almost everything about it is STRONG, but being real about this, what really brings this movie to the TOP, is that lead actress Willa Fitzgerald, who I had otherwise never heard of, delivers the most impressive, iconic, and simply riveting acting performance I have seen this year. As the movie went on, I was more and more impressed by her, and by the ending credits, I was just about moved to tears.
As far as the style of the film, 10-15 years ago I would have said this vibe is a little tired and overplayed, but at this point it is wholly refreshing and satisfying. Due to the use of sequences played out of order, and well, a lot of over-the-top violence, it did remind me a lot of classic Tarantino films more than anything, but absolutely NOT in a bad way. Between 1995 and 2010, there were a lot of people "trying to do Tarantino" but a lot of it felt uninspired. This, on the other hand, is a vicious, no-frills thrill ride through and through, brimming with plot twists and sporadic surprises, and while it's simpler than most Tarantino movies, it still feels like it exists out of passion for film as a format, and wholly to entertain its audience above all else.
On that note, this is definitely a risky movie to put out in this day and age, for a multitude of reasons. It goes a few places that are certain to "divide audiences". Nowadays, people expect almost all "good movies" to exist "for a reason" and to be making some kind of statement. Perhaps this is because outside of superhero movies, franchise money grabs, and the garbage factory known as contemporary American horror, we aren't offered much in the theatrical film arena that exists for sheer entertainment anymore. Strange Darling is a rare gem in the pile this year, especially considering it even made it to wide theatrical release when it stars two no-name actors and a no-name director.
Outside of the relatively unknown, the familiar names were MUCH welcomed. Legends Ed Begley Jr. And Barbara Hershey add the much welcomed and intelligently placed humor to the film when they appear, but it was 90's wonder boy Giovanni Ribisi (Phoebe's brother in Friends) that I was even more shocked to see - though it wasn't his face, it was his name during the closing credits - he was the Director of Photography! What a phenomenal job he did!
As I said, this movie is absolutely going to divide audiences. But, it is my opinion, that this is one of the best movies of the year, and precisely the type of underdog theatrical release that we need to be supporting in order to conjure more original filmmaking in America while we still can! Everything about this rips! So much fun. Kyle Gallner's subtle Tom Hardy'isms were a blast, and Willa Fitzgerald is now a legend in my book. This is destined to be a CULT CLASSIC. Go see it!
Alien: Romulus (2024)
The epitome of fan service, but it ROCKS
Pure fan service but also grade-A entertainment.
This is the first Alien film that has taken all of the collective lore and aesthetics and simply re-used it rather than trying to do something innovative with its story. But, for those not looking to be challenged or surprised, for those who simply seek tense, gripping action with as many xenomorphs and face-huggers as possible, this film is a dream come true. While it lacks in creativity, it absolutely delivers in every other way. Director Fede Alvarez understands how to use tension very well, which is now very clear through the consistency of his films (Don't Breathe, and Evil Dead (2013), before this).
I actually found the beginning of the film to be one of its strongest suits, as it sets its own world and its character's stories up in a very tightly knit and classic-feeling manner. It got me excited for the rest very quickly, but once they get into the ship it goes into fan service mode the rest of the time. The middle of the film is the only section that feels slightly redundant at times, like okay we've seen this before, we can guess what's gonna happen, but it's never boring. It's always very entertaining. Then you get to the final 30-40 minutes and it's just over-the-top and electric, it's theatrical value cannot be denied. It is an immensely fun movie to see in the theater. A lot of the sequences have big, big video game boss battle energy, and I am entirely here for it. We don't get much of that in movies these days. Not anymore.
While the whole cast did a sufficient job, there is only one cast member who truly stood out, and that was the wonderful David Jonsson as our lead's cyborg brother, Andy. Wildly impressive, dynamic, and endearing performance by this legend. I hope to see him in a lot more film and/or TV in the near future. Cailee Spaeny did a fine job carrying the film, otherwise.
While it's not breaking any ground AT ALL, it is one of the most purely entertaining movies I have seen come out this year. Fully worth seeing in the theater and fully worthy of all the praise.
La bête (2023)
The most intriguing film of the year
This is easily the most intriguing film I have seen in the last year, and certainly the biggest headtrip.
First and foremost, I must confess that this is the first time in a very long time where I 100% needed to Google an "ending explanation" after the movie was finished. In fact, it might be the only time I truly felt the need to do so. I even rewatched the last 20 minutes again the next morning, trying to make more sense of it, but I still had no idea! If the movie had all felt like empty nonsense, I would consider this a bad thing, but up until its ending, I felt entirely intrigued by and impressed with ALL of its themes and scenarios. So, in this case, I fully respect how puzzling the ending was.
The Beast takes you a lot of different places. So many, in fact, that you will likely ask yourself several times, "How did we get here?!". I went into the movie knowing nothing about it, so having to determine myself that these characters were each "more than just a character" was part of the fun (I determined that was a way I could word it which would avoid spoiling it for you). You'll spend the first act getting to know the characters, and later you'll be like "Wait, do I know this person? Who is that person...actually? What is happening?!" It's THAT kind of movie, and I loved it.
Both of the film's brilliant leads, Lea Seydoux and George MacKay (1917, etc), carry it wonderfully, fusing it with heavy amount of nuance and psychological complexity. By the end of the film, you feel like you've been through something like a full ayahuasca rebirth with each of them. BIG bonus points for throwing Dasha Nekrasova into the mix for a couple of scenes, a surefire way to add to the overall unease AND allure. Double bonus points for all the bizarre "future dolls"!
It's hard to say more about this other than if you enjoy puzzling, surrealist films you absolutely must see this. The first film that comes to mind, and honestly one of the only comparable ones that I can think of, is David Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Much like that, this movie is absolutely not going to be for everyone. You've got to want to feel like someone is sticking a couple fingers into your brain and twisting around. And, man, how did they manage to make that internet fortune teller in the final act SO SCARY????? Actress Marta Hoskins laid down legendary vibes!!! So spooky!!! I was finishing this movie at like 3:30 AM and the final act is the spookiest part. I was like "Am I going to be able to sleep after this?!"
Fascinating film. This is my first dose of director Bertrand Bonello. I hear his other films are intriguing in a similar regard. Now, I'm excited that I have more of his works to consume! Excellent!
Beast (2017)
A masterclass in nuanced acting
I scrolled down expecting to see numerous 10-star reviews, but I should have assumed, most cases in which I find a movie to be truly masterful, it goes misunderstood or under-appreciated by the majority.
When Jessie Buckley appeared as one of the leads in I'm Thinking of Ending Things, i immediately wondered "who is this interesting person that maestro Charlie Kaufman chose to front his new movie, and where did she come from?" At least a couple of people said "Beast". I have remembered ever since, and recently it appeared on Amazon Prime, so it was time.
BEAST is a masterful showcase of acting, particularly by both leads Buckley, and the very underrated Johnny Flynn. I was first introduced to Flynn through EMMA (2020), a movie in which the only thing I really took away from is what a capable actor he is. But here, both of them shine on a level I have not seen in anything else. Astonishing performances; as dynamic as acting gets and bursting at the seams with nuance. Throughout the film, they both display immense levels of polarity, at times being wholly tender, and others being wholly frightening. And within that, their chemistry together is unstoppable; the whole film it's a quiet stick of dynamite, and you can feel how soon it's going to explode. The supporting cast are all great as well. The mother played by Geraldine James specifically stood out to me as well, just a revolting presence every time she showed up on screen. Pure heinousness in her eyes.
Now, this is a psychological thriller that absolutely does not spell everything out for you. You'll need to run with your gut and trust your instincts. After the first act, you'll be thinking "Well, no matter how this plays out, it seems predictable", but, that's incorrect, because as it will show you, it's not so much "who did it", but rather "how and why". The second half of the film is full of so many unexpected, intricate turns, and each just seems to be digging you deeper into a grave plot as you watch. You'll also need to be accepting of surrealism because there are a fair share of sequences that may throw you "off" if you're not. I feel that they could have ended the movie about 10 minutes earlier and it would still be a masterpiece, but the ending they do tack on works just as well.
This is a pretty dark experience with a lot of genuine bleakness at its core, but its fused with enough heart and romance to flesh it out into a crucial movie viewing experience. The acting, writing, and directing are all performed at an immaculate level. I know it won't be for everyone, but to me it's a masterpiece. I'm fully on board with both Buckley and Flynn for as long as they decide to keep acting.
The Sweet East (2023)
A muse is not enough
This is exactly the TYPE of movie I feel we need more of now, so I really wanted to like it, but sometimes that is not enough. I was originally drawn to this film by mere way of its casting and a few blurbs I'd read about it, making it out to be some indie wonder. The tastefully selected cast is primarily made up of actors who have broken through more recently like Ayo Edebiri and Jacob Elordi, obscure pseudo-celebs like Gibby Haynes and Andy Milonakis, transgressive underground NYC filmmakers like Betsey Brown and her brother Peter Vack, and no-names, and that alone spoke volumes to me.
When I started watching the movie, I discovered that it was directed by the DP of Good Time, one of my favorite movies of this entire century. With the tone and pacing of the first 15 minutes, I really thought I was going to love this movie. It moves quickly, barreling through people and places, almost faster than you can keep up with as a first-time viewer. The style of cinematography has a certain raw value reminiscent of 90's/2000's stalwarts like Harmony Korine or Larry Clark, or more modern films that also channel that energy like the wonderful American Honey. There is value in the believability of youth that is portrayed in this film's early segments - the true energy of college age kids going wild together is captured. Then, we hit the opening credits, which are also mystifying in their own way. Lead actress Talia Ryder lip syncs to a whimsical fairy-tale esque ballad while gazing at herself in the mirror - it is then that it becomes clear that Ryder will be the focus of the film, and it doesn't seem like a bad thing as she is gorgeous.
However, things change after the title card. The pace slows down to more of a butter churn for most of the remainder of the film, and the structure shifts into a rather familiar, and in this case, somewhat redundant, and aimless one. "She's on an aimless adventure and everyone wants her", would be the easiest way of summing it up. This is a structure I've seen so many times before, but most of the other ones I've consumed had a lot more meat on their bones. Talia Ryder is angelic, looks like a model in the most traditional sense, and is totally likable, but her character has more arc and depth in the first 15 minutes then she does throughout the entire rest of the movie, so sadly, eventually, fixating on her SO MUCH does lose its steam in this case. There's not enough character depth in the writing to justify the infatuation that the camera seems to have with her. More humor really would have helped give this movie wings to fly, but I rarely found it to conjure chuckles or leave you with any memorably witty dialogue. On top of this, half of the male characters who appear all seem to have the exact same personality - they all want to flex obscure historical tales and philosophies endlessly - this is funny for a few minutes but after some time, it's like "ok, yeah, we get it...what else?". Simon Rex is actually the king of this energy in this film, and leaves one of the most lasting impressions, almost returning to the vibe of his most recent celebrated role, Red Rocket, in which he portrays characters with arguably pedophilic tendencies. The rest of the male characters simply portray danger or un-trust, one-dimensionally.
As you could assume based off of the rest of this review, the journey goes nowhere. It only feels more aimless as it goes, and ends extremely abruptly. I really like what they were GOING for with this movie, but I just don't think it adds up to anything at all. Even as a tribute to the east coast in general, as it presents itself to be, it doesn't seem to hold much merit for viewers. It has flashes of brilliance but never more than flashes. Even some of the music choices are especially delightful, like putting a choice Minimal Man song over the ending credits, but those count as flashes.
Of course, I could be wrong, but this feels like the EPITOME of a case where the filmmaker chose Talia Ryder as a muse, and just wanted to make a film revolving around her (hence the "camera's obsession" with her throughout the entire film), yet struggled to find a story with any real purpose, inspiration, or cohesion, and maybe even knew that, but had an opportunity to make a movie with this cast, and did it any way. They also used this as a vehicle to have Ryder say "retarded" as many times as possible - the R-WORD is back, baby! Maybe this will be some magical experience for some teenagers or college-age kids, but as a 40-year-old artist, it left me wanting a lot more.
Welcome to Me (2014)
Satire done wrong
I really want to like it because it's a "dark comedy" about a mentally unwell woman played by Kristen Wiig (who is generally great) who starts her own public access show and basically just wants to talk about dog circumcision on the air for literally no reason. On paper that sounds like pure gold - totally my kind of movie - but, unfortunately barely any of the satire or jokes really hit, and it's really just kind of a toneless mess the entire time. I give it a 5/10 for being so singular, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
This was actually recommended to me by a wild punk dude from San Jose who was raised by lesbians, and I generally agree with his tastes, but this one was way off.
Keetje Tippel (1975)
An immensely underlooked gem - classic Verhoeven
This feels quite a bit like a spiritual sequel to one of my favorite movies of all time, which I also perceive as perhaps the most underrated movie I can think of, Paul Verhoeven's debut feature film, Turkish Delight. This is also directed by Verhoeven and has the same two leads, the iconic Rutger Hauer in some of his earliest roles, and the utterly beautiful and charismatic Monique van de Ven. I guess there's a bit of a swap as Hauer is the main character in the previous, while van de Ven is most certainly the main character in this.
I expected less from this hardly-referenced second offering from Verhoeven, considering it's never even spoken of, but the combination of van de Ven's electric allure with that of Verhoeven's provocative, fast-paced directing keep this film riveting through every sequence. On paper, you'd think it might be a slow-burner, but it hardly ever feels the part. In summary, it's quite a simple film - a poor girl who is the eldest child in her extremely impoverished family seeks more out of life, and slowly, through recognizing the power of her own allure, amongst other things, she begins connecting with people who are a little bit richer, or a little bit more powerful - and so she makes her sporadic journey into higher society rather suddenly. Of course, one can only "pretend" to be something for so long...
If you're watching for Hauer, you'll find much more within his performance in the other early gems of Verhoeven (Spetters is another great one...I've yet to watch Soldier of Orange - That's the last of Verhoeven's Dutch classics remaining for me), but this film is absolutely worth watching regardless. There are bundles of intriguing, stylish, innovative, and very memorable sequences scattered throughout it. Specifically, one featuring a giant vat of intimidating green liquid, and one where many people are being shot in a dark alley!
All of Verhoeven's Dutch classics are more than worth exploring. This is no different. Fully on par with Spetters and The 4th Man. I love Paul Verhoeven films - he's truly one of the best that cinema ever had.
Walkabout (1971)
Breathtaking, beautiful, melancholy, comforting - a masterpiece
This was so special. Such a unique and beautiful film.
Nicolas Roeg has always been one of the most up-there directors for me. I grew up with his The Witches as one of the most rented VHS tapes from the video store by my sister and I. Over and over, we would watch it and we would never grow tired of it. Revisiting it as an adult, I realized that it not only held up, but was leaps and bounds above the majority of "children's films". I miss the "children's horror" boom of the late 80's and early 90's, and still find that The Witches is the greatest film ever made within the sub-genre. After that revisit, I began exploring the rest of Roeg's filmography and became a huge fan of every single movie I watched (with the exception of Track 29 - what a stinker in the pile). One more of his films would fully blow my mind, and that was Don't Look Now (from 1973). I'd say that, The Witches, and Eureka are my 3 favorite Roeg films, but now this one sits up there snuggly with Eureka.
I didn't expect to recognize cast members from this out-there movie from so long ago, but both leads were already special to me. I'd recently had beautiful Jenny Agutter stand out to me in my first viewing of sci-fi masterpiece Logan's Run, and here in her breakthrough lead role, her presence is very strong and she is breathtaking. Even more unexpected was to recognize David Gulpilil, whom I was introduced to through his unforgettable role as "Christopher Sunday" in the final season of the groundbreaking surrealist TV series, The Leftovers. I remember seeing that he passed away in the last couple of years, and upon seeing posts about him, it made me curious about his history. Well, it turns out that his history began with this movie. He has an astonishing presence as the Aboriginal boy who helps the stranded leads survive after being lost in the desert. It works because he was an ACTUAL "First People" in reality, so all the hunting, dancing, etc, are legit. Noting this, considering that the film is otherwise rather graceful, it does feature a very large amount of animal brutality, as creatures of the outback and hunted and slaughtered consistently throughout the movie. It was making me flash back to Italian video nasties such as Cannibal Holocaust and Mondo Cane, though the difference here is that those films are generally considered staples of distaste/trash cinema, while this is considered a film of pure taste. It creates an extremely unique juxtaposition of vibe and energies, slightly melancholic but comforting at the same time, just as I'm sure the lead character's experience following Gulpilil's character would be in actuality.
I very much enjoyed the whimsical music score, which is sort of typical 70's film music, with flutes and strings, etc, but it's one of my favorite sounds - not many approaches are failsafe to be so beautiful and emotive.
Considering Walkabout's rather straightforward plot, the film features far more dynamic in its story's progressions, environments, and side characters than I expected. There are many sequences that I absolutely was not expecting to see in this film, and I've never really seen anything quite like it. This movie changed the world upon its release, where it was a huge hit everywhere except in Australia. It helped some of the world perceive Aboriginals differently, humanizing them for many people, but it also pulled Gulpilil out of nature and into a Hollywood lifestyle, which eventually damaged him greatly as it did to so many people. This is a legendary movie - see it.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
About as intriguing as a film can be
I absolutely loved this madness. I will say right off the bat, if you're one of those people who needs "answers" with your films, then you may just want to avoid this one altogether because it hardly exists within the rules of reality and all of its "conclusions" require interpretation.
Three tales featuring the same cast playing different characters are woven together only loosely through a strange archetypal type of man referred to as "R. M. F." - part of the fun is trying to determine what connects these three stories together, and why. Your guess is as good as any (LOL). Making a film this abstract is always a risk, but when you're a visionary filmmaker with as much creativity and wit as Yorgos Lanthimos, and you've got a cast this immaculate, it becomes nearly impossible to fail. Every member of the cast brings immense dynamic from tale to tale, with this film featuring probably my favorite and the most versatile and accomplished performance from Jesse Plemons ever. The same goes for Emma Stone at least in regards to versatility, riding the immense coattails of the groundbreaking TV series The Curse, and of course her Oscar win for Poor Things. Margaret Qualley is much welcomed in her array of roles, subtle but striking at the same time. Willem Dafoe is the only one who plays 3 characters that are much more similar to one another... but I feel that this is intentional, as he is always playing some sort of "father". There are some unforgettable sequences with Dafoe here, per usual, but ones that truly stand out among all of his prior appearances.
On the subject of fathers, this movie is tonally much more comparable to Lanthimos's DOGTOOTH and THE KILLING OF A SCARED DEER (two films with very strong focus on fatherdom), than it is his most recent POOR THINGS or something easier to swallow but still brilliant like THE FAVOURITE. It is very heavy on its looming sense of dread, and though most of it is packed with extremely dry, extremely nuanced humor, the bleakness greatly outweighs the comedy. And, it has some truly disturbing sequences that enter horror territory! Tons of medical scenes! As the movie progresses, it slowly veers away from comedy and further into cryptic darkness. It was also reminding me a bit of Paul Thomas Anderson's INHERENT VICE at times - only the most bizarre.
This is truly my kind of film. It will give you a lot to talk about, and a lot to think about, unless of course you're the type of person who has no interest in dreams whatsoever? There are many dream sequences throughout this film, often feeling a bit Lynchian. It feels like an extra layer of...something, noting that a movie that already feels like a dream all the way through, is packed full of dream sequences within it. While many will walk away frustrated that "it doesn't make any sense", those who appreciate having the walls of their mind expanded will find much value in this nearly-3-hour epic which is clearly rich with metaphor, yet never makes it fully clear what those metaphors really are. Loved it.
Ragewar (1984)
Impressively disjointed - how did they even...
One of the flimsiest, most disjointed, most nonsensical movies I have ever had the pleasure of watching.
I wanted to give it a 4 or 5 out of 10 simply because the level of absurdity it presents during the first half makes you want to give it more credit, however, its special brand of brain-numbing beats you down so hard that by the time you get to the second half you just want it to end, but somehow its 80 minute runtime feels like 2 and a half hours.
We've all seen anthology films that include 3 or 4 stories in a movie's runtime work relatively well, but whoever decided 7 would be okay in an 80 minute movie was wildin' out. Each of the 7 segments are LESS than 10 minutes long, meaning that literally none of them are long enough to establish ANYTHING that makes a lick of sense. There are barely 2 scenes in this entire film that actually feel connected in any relative sense. Maybe auteurs like Peter Greenaway can get away with that when they drop movies like Prospero's Books, but this ain't Greenaway, this is Charles Band!
On that note, I really wanted to like this because it feels like Charles Band going full bore and trying to include everything that makes Band (and later, Full Moon Features) precisely what they are. But, it's simply too much. None of it works when you include too much.
I think I was drawn to this because someone said it was the closest thing to a live-action NES game they'd ever seen. While that might be true, it does NOT make the viewing worth it! I much prefer Charles Band's finest work from two years after this, TROLL, featuring the debut appearance of Elaine Benes, prancing nude through the mysical forest! Everyone should see TROLL!
MaXXXine (2024)
It's a turd painted neon & wearing sunglasses but it's got Mia Goth, so
I despised X and adored Pearl. After seeing the trailer for this, I had a feeling this one would float somewhere in the middle, and that's precisely how it went down for me. By way of the trailer alone, I thought the movie looked terrible, but I held some faith because I was under the impression that Mia Goth helped co-write this film, as she did with Pearl, however, when the opening credits played through, it ended with the dreadful "Written and Directed by Ti West" with no sign of any co-writing by Goth, and I feared I was fully doomed.
Perhaps it's because of all the negative feedback I ingested before going to see it, but I actually found MaXXXine to be much more fun than expected. Many people are claiming Mia Goth is "underutilized" here, and while it's not one of her most riveting characters or performances, it should not be a prerequisite that each character she plays has to "out-intensify" the previous one. While her performance is far more subdued than say Infinity Pool or Pearl, she still gives a thoroughly strong performance here and is the only real thing keeping this film as engaging as it is (that's mildly).
It's an odd one to sit through though, primarily because on the surface it seems like it has a lot to offer, but you may find yourself having a hard time staying "in it" by the time you get to the second half, as I did. The movie has some really over-the-top gore sequences, stronger dialogue than expected which is generally performed very well by the tasteful cast, and plenty of visual stimulation in general. But on the subject of visual stimulation, a lot of the aesthetics are actually also one of the worst parts of the film. Rather than feeling like it actually takes place in the 80's, it feels like a parody of the the 80's by someone who has never actually consumed much actual 80's media, and definitely wasn't there for it. The aesthetics feel more synthwave than they do actual 80's, and it's purely corny. Another example is the carved pentagrams on the murder victims - this feels straight out of a 12 year old's mind. The movie is not campy enough to work as a gem of that subgenre (like Pearl) and too corny to work as a genuinely disturbing offering. It also doesn't help that the general plot is just about non-existent, outside of the protagonist's broad mission. There is hardly a story, and the film hardly moves. And then, the ending feels like a tacked-on afterthought.
Director Ti West uses a lot of decorations and baiting to pull people into theaters, to compensate for the fact that he doesn't have a good movie, and, hey, it got me too. Nearly everything about the movie is flair with no guts. It barely matters that Goth's character is "a pornstar", and though the extreme gore sequences gave me a good laugh, they too feel like colorful paintings on top of what is a turd at its core. But beyond the fact that it is a bad movie, it is a somewhat refreshing and weird release in an era where 90% of horror films are carbon copy vomit. At least it tries to be something original, it just happens to kind of suck in the end, but it is bound to end up having some sort of strange cult following, as long as people keep watching movies, and especially in lieu of being part of Mia Goth's filmography, who will absolutely be a highly regarded actress for the rest of our lives.
Miracle Mile (1988)
Far from typical 80's fare - powerful & unforgettable
This movie...is crazy. I suppose I've never seen anything quite like it. I expected it to be pretty hokey, and it definitely is at times - I mean it's super "80's feeling", but by the end of the film, it transcends it's era-specific elements and really surprises you with the powerful way it decides to wrap itself up.
The film pretty much gets heavier as it goes, and by the final half hour, you might be surprised how effectively emotional the experience is. Of course, there are a lot of fun small details that let it also exist as a "super 80's" gem, such at Brian Thompson's musclebound gym lord helicopter pilot character, the general look of love interest Mare Winningham's character, and a lot more, but as I said, it's definitely more than just more 80's fare.
I can't say I'm super familiar with lead Anthony Edwards from any of his other roles, but he does a phenomenal job of holding everything down in this film, choosing love over everything in the light of a potential apocalypse. At times, you feel like he may be insane, at other times, you feel like he may be the smartest man on earth with the biggest heart.
This is a must-watch for any 80's completist, but also something that every true cinema fan should see, in general. It had plenty of unexpected curves throughout it's progression, and only got better as it went. I think my absolute favorite part was seeing horseshoe-haired actor Kurt Fuller in his absolutely psychotic role, who I'd known my entire life as "that really weird but cool guy who works at the radio station in Wayne's World" - his character in Miracle Mile is so strong and so memorable, it's undeniable, and things elevate VERY QUICKLY WITH HIM! Amazing!
Missing (1982)
Impressively bleak, progressive, and effective thriller
Major standout film. Got to watch this thanks to Criterion Channel letting the wonderful synth pop lordess Danz CM curate a "Synth Scores" film playlist, which included this thanks to its Vangelis score, which of course is phenomenal, especially its main theme. All 3 leads in this bring so much life to this film.
While I found the first half hour to be the most intriguing, intense, and engaging part of this movie, it does round itself out nicely in the end, making it a near-masterpiece, if not a full-on one. The first half hour follows some young American journalists covering a coup d'etat (a term I was unfamiliar with previously) in Chile, and does a very impressive job of displaying just how terrifying it can be in reality to be a foreigner in a dangerous country during a dangerous time in history. The dread and tension are incredibly high and effective. Then, of course the titular theme occurs and one of our characters goes missing. The rest of the film involves his wife and his rather stubborn father who don't get along very well at all coming together to try to find him. While at first the volatility between them is rather frustrating (I believe it's intended to be), the bond that develops between and the way they change together throughout the film is what gives the entire meat of the movie it's greatest strength. Finally, in the final act, we receive a powerful ending that is the ribbon that ties this whole masterful package together, and I will just say that it does not pull any punches.
Heavily recommended for anyone looking for a fantastic vintage thriller that exists on the bleaker, more realistic side of things and might even teach you a thing or two about the history of Chile and corrupt government activity in general.
Deck of Cards (2022)
A film experience unlike any before
A film experience unlike any before.
Gregg Turkington's DECK OF CARDS tells a historical tale that somehow previously slipped through each and every one of our school textbooks and documentary collections up until this point. Profound beyond belief, DECK OF CARDS tells the true story of how we humans as we know ourselves nearly missed out on knowing how a deck of cards works, entirely.
While the writing and directing are equal parts challenging and and innovative, it's Tim Heidecker's dual performance as both Special Agemt JJ Denecker and the Jack of Cards that brings down the house in a walloping showcase of esteemed talent. Must be seen to believe.
Asparagus (1979)
A masterpiece of feminine energy, cryptic nostalgia, and psychedelia
A short but sweet masterpiece of obscure feminine energy, a cryptic sort of nostalgia, and psychedelic art from another planet.
The opening sequence is about as close to the opening sequence to Shrek as you are gonna get (the only good part of Shrek). It won be right away with that title card...
I kind of wish I would have known about this when I was a 19 year old stoner. I feel like it would have been one of my favorite things to turn on over and over again when my friends and I were hanging around in the basement at my mom's town house while taking bong rips.
The art style is equal parts beautiful and nightmarish. The jagged movements feel like those of bad dreams, yet the content is mostly pleasant, colorful, and otherwise calming on the surface.
While the first half reminded me of what it felt like to be a young child at an aunt's house, I wasn't sure what to take of the second half. I took no thematic purpose from it, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it in all its weirdness. In the end, I don't even know what the asparagus itself represents, and I love it that way. I've never seen anything quite like this. It is entirely worth your 18 minutes. I will definitely be revisiting it in the future.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Like the best DLC in film format ever
Furiosa is a wholly worthy sequel to its groundbreaking predecessor, Fury Road. While it does not break new ground, what it does do is offer 2.5 hours of more on-par material that goes unmatched by any other movie ever made, outside of Fury Road. Typically, simply making more of something while hardly offering anything "challenging" would be a big no-no to me when it comes to the film world, but when what you're making more of is hands down the greatest blockbuster film of this entire CENTURY thus far, it comes much welcomed.
Much like Fury Road, the entire last 2/3 of the film consist of blistering non-stop action. Typically, contemporary action films bore me to death, but these Mad Max films put 90% of other action films to shame, because they feature consistent innovation, between the physics of what's occurring, to the character and weaponry design, and so on, it is an electrifying ride that moves with a lightning pace all the way through. You will hardly feel the 2.5 hour run time.
I always wanted to like Anya Taylor-Joy, but her early films and performances often disappointed me. However, from Emma and on, she has continuously been better and better in every movie I have seen her in. I was especially fond of her in The Northman, The Menu, and Last Night in Soho. She did a PHENOMENAL job with this role, and yes, she looks bad ass too. Chris Hemsworth fills out the movie nicely as a villain who provides the film it's only comedic relief (aside from maybe SCROTUS AND RECTUS when they first introduce themselves, LOL), while being equally despicable. It's a nice change of pace for Hemsworth and he is great in this position. I was unfamiliar with actor Tom Burke but he also adds some very strong character and moments to the movie.
I've been seeing a lot of press about how much this movie has "bombed", but the press needs to stop ignoring the fact that ticket prices have skyrocketed to ABSURD levels this year, and people are struggling to get by as it is - THAT is why people aren't going to the theater. It has nothing to do with the movie, or people's tastes, in my opinion. We almost didn't go last night cuz we couldn't find a theater playing this movie for less than $23, but I'm glad we bit the bullet and went, because it's about as riveting and satisfying as a movie theater experience gets. If you are going to spend the money to see only ONE movie in the theater this year, THIS IS THE ONE IT SHOULD BE.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
A profoundly powerful masterpiece
When people say things about movies like "this isn't a movie, it's a feeling" - this is the epitome of the kind of movie they are talking about.
If I had seen this last year, it absolutely would have been on my Top 10 of 2023, if not my Top 5.
Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal have ASTRONOMICAL chemistry in this, and I mean that in a MULTITUDE of ways. This is my first impression of the very hyped Paul Mescal as an actor, and from his first minute of dialogue I was entirely sold. Drastically charming with a very unique demeanor and sense of humor, and, if he ISN'T GAY in REALITY, then this film shows that he is ONE TALENTED ACTOR. As a straight man, I have no fear or shame in saying that the sex scenes in this are HIGHLY STIMULATING - perhaps it's because I could feel that it was "working" on my girlfriend who was watching with me, but the passion between these two men did NOT feel like a work of fiction - I will just say that. It's wonderful to see Andrew Scott getting such a ball rolling - he's always been a very standout person to see on screen, but ever since that priest role in Fleabag he's really broken through, and this is without a doubt the most astonishing performance I've seen by him - the emotion he is able to resonate through expression in this film is on a very high level.
The soundtrack is fantastic (great new wave songs).
The film keeps you guessing. What is real and what isn't? After we finished squeezing each other and letting our tears drop all over each other throughout the entire ending credits, it left us with a lot to discuss, and every element, even if we weren't fully sure what they represented, felt deeply powerful and beautifully tragic.
I had heard that All of Us Strangers was a really heavy film, and it absolutely is. While the ending was mostly beautiful and comforting to me, my girlfriend found it to be deeply sad, and overall, found the film to be "maybe the saddest movie she has ever seen". It feels immensely personal, and somehow strikingly "real" though the entire film functions very far outside of reality. It's a hard experience to put into words other than: IT IS A PROFOUND MASTERPIECE.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Making "meta" cringe
The last 3 movies I've seen have been "meta" (the other two were I Saw The TV Glow, a singular masterpiece, and American Fiction, an admirable film). Is meta becoming that trendy? I think it is. In fact, I think for the first time I've witnessed, meta is becoming cringe. This is the movie that is causing the whole idea of a meta film to cross a line, and make it totally lame. In my life time, some of the meta films released have been some of the most unique and mind-bending films that have been created (Being John Malkovich comes to mind first), but The Fall Guy is, at its core, brainless popcorn garbage.
This feels like watching a Deadpool movie but without the superhero costumes. It's not nearly as funny as it wants to be. It does not function well as a comedy. Yet, it is also far too corny to allow any real tension to build during its countless action sequences. You can't take any of these characters or the film's events sequences seriously, therefore you do not care if or when they might get hurt. I saw the majority of the twists coming before they occurred. I hated the soundtrack - I probably wouldn't get along with whoever did the music supervision; a lot of bad, unfitting songs are used. This movie did not need to be over 2 hours long.
The first act moves too quickly and the interactions between characters are far from believable, the second act feels almost entirely aimless, while the third act does manage to deliver consistent base-level action film entertainment. Though his performance is nothing to write home about, it is fun seeing Aaron Johnson playing such a torqued-out villain. While Gosling and Blunt are charismatic enough to keep the movie as mildly entertaining as it is, neither of them shine, while brit Hannah Waddingham actually steals the show as the slimy film producer.
All the post-release press about "America asking for more original films and then not supporting them when they come out" in light of The Fall Guy's release, is really quite comedic after seeing it. They seem to be ignoring the fact that "an original script" alone is not enough - the movie also has to be GOOD, but I would straight up call The Fall Guy a BAD MOVIE. It feels almost identical to watching a Marvel movie, tonally, and as far as I'm concerned, THAT is the LEAST refreshing thing one can possibly consume in the form of feature films in 2024.
Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)
What am I missing?
After being entirely whoa'd by every element of My Dinner With Andre upon my recent viewing, I thought it only made sense to dive immediately into the only other film made by the same team of director Louis Malle and writer/actors Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory. Unfortunately, Vanya on 42nd Street provided none of the magic that the prior did for me.
My Dinner With Andre is very much a film that transcends format. It is a philosophical experience that feels more comparable to reading a book or watching a documentary, but in the form of a narrative fiction film. Naturally, I expected some sort of similar next-level experience from this spiritual follow-up, and I can tell they went for it. Perhaps it went completely over my head, but I could not find the purpose in this one. Again, they went for a meta sort of experience by making a movie about a group of people rehearsing a play, rather than a movie that tells the story originally told by a play, or even simply capturing a play on film. As I reached the second half of the film, I started to think "there must be some kind of twist that occurs in the 2nd half that's going to give all of this purpose, something that makes it clear why they would choose to make a movie about people rehearsing a play, with no other included elements", but, then they finished reading the play, and the credits rolled.
The movie was only as entertaining as watching people rehearse a play would be in reality. Of course it helps that there's a young Julianne Moore on the cast (striking beauty), but that is not enough to give the movie reason, nor are any of the performances throughout the film. There is literally nothing else to this movie, and I am wholly confused by any praise that exists for it. I very much wanted to love it as My DInner With Andre hit so hard and was a 10 for me, but I simply can't find anything worthwhile in this. It's puzzling.
I would love to hear from anyone who enjoyed this! Tell me what I'm missing!!! Thank you!!!
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
A brilliantly weird movie for the young weirdos who found solace in weird media
A deeply sad, heartfelt, surrealist film that is very likely to be the most unique American film released in 2024, and even more likely to be misunderstood by at least 75% of its viewers. On the surface, it's one of the most locked-in mid-90's nostalgia pieces I've ingested, but beneath that it's one of the most complex coming-of-age films I can think of.
To me, the movie was an expression of the kids who grew up in dysfunctional families in the 90's (the TV generation), those who were drawn to dark media due to that (which was extremely prevalent in the late 80's up through the mid 90's), and in turn, those who ended up with a far deeper connection with those dark fantasy worlds than they had with most other humans, and reality as a whole. When it's time to grow up, things get rough...I can relate, because I was 100% one of those kids during that exact era, so this one hit a lot of buttons that made a lot of sense for me.
There are some impressively unique horror/monster effects in this film, that are equal parts comical and terrifying, simultaneously, which feels like yet another element that is heavily loyal to the era it is inspired by. This, along with many other elements, allow this movie to differentiate itself pretty boldly from everything else coming out right now. Common horror fans will likely just be confused by this film, which tends to be the case with most psychological horror films that actually offer anything with emotional purpose, but it offers plenty of cerebral scares and lots of melancholic gloom.
Leads Brigette Lundy-Paine and Justice Smith do an immense job of keeping things deathly serious and dreamlike, Smith almost feeling like he fittingly "can't handle being human" a lot of the time. There are several sequences where their performances bring the movie to a full Lynchian realm - of course this is also due to visionary director Jane Schoenbrun's skilled directing. Speaking of that, I just realized that the segment that feels most like a nod to Lynch in a multitude of ways is the one that features bands performing live at a strange club, much like the Road House in the last season of Twin Peaks. Kris Esfandiari of King Woman makes an especially strong appearance here. It certainly doesn't hurt that they put together a very tasteful soundtrack that feels very reminiscent of the classic movie soundtracks of the 90's. It's fitting that the movie and soundtrack begin with a Broken Social Scene cover, because the whole album kind of feels like a full Broken Social
Scene album, with similar dynamics and vibes throughout.
While it's truly hard to compare this to anything, it feels HIGHLY inspired by ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, the Canadian kids horror program broadcast in the 90's on Nickelodeon, more than anything, while it's themes remind me only of a couple other movies, Pixar's INSIDE OUT, and the very wild SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK. While I cried my eyes out at that Pixar movie, this one is too committed to its surrealism and gloom to induce actual tears, but the overall melancholy remains very heavy and very real throughout.
This is a movie about the weirdos who found solace in media for weirdos. Brilliantly, the movie itself is weird (and sincere) enough to be that exact sort of weird type of media that the new young weirdos may find the same kind of solace in when they watch this as a teenager in reality now. I think that might be the whole point. If it wasn't, then it's awfully masterful accident. That's 2 strikingly unique and effective psychological horror films by Jane Schoenbrun now, 2 for 2...I officially deem thee a visionary force to be reckoned with.
Le notti del terrore (1981)
Pure Italo-zombie; pure joy for freakshow lovers
I would say that this is now my favorite "straightforward Italo-zombie film", though I'm not sure what that means. I don't think there's such thing as a "straightforward" Italo-zombie film, to be honest. In fact, that's what makes Italo-zombie films so special. Generally, they all feature some of my favorite music ever made, bringing the atmosphere to a level 100 by default. This element, crossed with the relentless violence, and the natural spookiness of the Italian environment in the 70's and early 80's, completely make up for the fact that most of these movies have almost zero plot, or at least no plot that makes a lick of sense.
Burial Ground is literally nonstop zombie assaults for nearly the entire film, and it's perfect that way. The zombies look kind of "cheap" but have a unique and strange enough aesthetic that it remains legitimately creepy all the way through, and gives this movie it's own character amongst the hundreds of existing zombie films. There are handfuls of "oh my god, is the zombie really going to do that to him??!!?" moments, and that's kind of a horror signature, so...what else can you ask for?
Of course, the most iconic thing about this entire film is the absolutely unhinged relationship between a mother and her "abnormal" son. I won't say more but it is the main part of this movie that you will never be able to erase from your mind after watching this. There's a specific scene involving them towards the end that really had my jaw dropped. I don't think this would have gone down in an American film! It's too twisted for U. S. horror cinema in 81!
This is a MUST-SEE for all zombie movie fans, plain and simple.
Targets (1968)
Wild & unique anomaly of a film
Wild & unique film. I imagine it was extremely disturbing when it came out in 1968. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it.
A seemingly normal American man living a normal American life snaps one day and decides to go on a killing spree. While this thoroughly documented killing spree takes up a majority of the second half of the film's runtime, the first half is heavily interspersed with the rather intriguing story about a legendary actor who suddenly decides one day that he is going to retire from acting. There is a synchronicity between the two that I can't say I fully understand the relevance in - perhaps it's just "a coincidence" - but either way, it makes for an awfully intriguing and entertaining film, and in the end the two things come together in a rather complex way.
I became familiar with director Peter Bogdanovich rather recently and watched one of his most celebrated films, Paper Moon, which is definitely some form of masterpiece. This could be considered something similar, but in a completely different wheelhouse - this Roger Corman-produced anomaly often gets pinned as an exploitation film, and that makes sense to me in some form, but I do find that it has much more depth than the majority of those movies. Bogdanovich does a great job playing a smaller character in this movie, looking like a young Peter North, quite different from the version of him I grew familiar with, as the therapists's therapist in The Sopranos.
Definitely recommended for fans of late 60's films, exploitation films, or movies about people getting killed. I am stoked to watch more Bogdanovich, based solely off of 2 films, I can tell the man has a huge range, and was truly a visionary.
The Even Stevens Movie (2003)
A legacy stain
This is the real reason why native Hawaiians don't want mainland U. S. citizens coming to the islands. Just watch this and you'll see what I mean.
To be honest, this is quite the stain on the legacy of an otherwise iconic family series, and a really unfortunate way to wrap it all up. Of course, it doesn't really matter because most will likely forget about this, I mean I didn't even know it existed until Disney+ recommended it to me as I began watching the series.
While Season 1 and 2 of the series were mostly pure gold, the 3rd and final season was a lot more flimsy. It's funny to me because Beans is the only thing you really hear people reference at this point in time, but when they start making Beans a major character is right when the show starts to degrade in quality. It seemed to me like Season 3 was trying too hard to be zany and more "out-there" with the plots, which in the end really lost focus on what made the show great, and that was the actual chemistry and mechanics between the family and their close friends, and classmates. The episodes that focused on school were definitely the strongest ones, and it starts to veer from that in Season 3. The movie, however, veers WAY off the road, completely losing the majority of all the elements that made Even Stevens great, and even manages to have 95% of its jokes feel cheap, unimaginative, and most unfortunately, not funny at all. Majority of the dialogue and moments throughout the entire movie fall flat.
The cast do their best but it's mostly the horrendous writing that makes this movie barely watchable. Tim Meadows is always a welcome addition to any cast, and brings this movie its strongest moments, which is...maybe two of them. There's a plot twist about halfway through that was pretty much the only thing I found any real value in through this entire film, but it wasn't enough to redeem the low quality of the movie - it kind of falls right back into its own cesspool of badness immediately.
There are some fun over-the-top moments towards the very end of the film that fans of movies like Spy Kids 2 might enjoy, but otherwise there's really not much here I can point anyone towards. It's quite the stinker. The series is totally worth watching, especially Season 1 and 2, but I would avoid the movie like the plague. I'm a big Shia LaBeouf fan and this was never on my radar when it was on TV, so I wanted to consume, see where it all began for my guy. Gonna check out his breakthrough drama features that followed after this, soon....
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Worthy of its reputation as one of the crown exploitation films of all time
When I was in high school in the early 2000's, I was really into going to Barnes & Noble regularly to check out the newest issues of magazines like Fangoria and Bizarre (the latter which one of my girlfriend's would grace the cover of later in life, and in a surreal turn of events, I would see my own name mentioned in the interview). This was the heart of an era for re-releasing classic exploitation films on DVD, and during the ongoing coverage of these re-releases, Death Race 2000 was the movie that was mentioned most often, and generally crowned as the true gem of the exploitation genre, if one must be chosen. While I bought the majority of my DVD's at Best Buy (their selection was incredible during that time - I mean I bought Giuseppe Andrews' TRAILER TOWN there, for gods sake), I never saw this one available anywhere. So, it took me over 20 years since coming onto my radar that I finally got to see it (thanks to Amazon Prime Video).
Now, I always figured this would be schlocky but overall just kind of a dumb p.o.s. Of a movie, but it actually manages to be incredibly unique, and holds a pretty impressive amount of cohesion and vision, even after all these years. I found everything from the aesthetics, to the structure of the film, to the style of dialogue, and even the scenes of violence, to be surprisingly refreshing. David Carradine puts in an unforgettable performance as an iconic and unmatched character, while seeing Sylvester Stallone as his character just one year before breaking through with Rocky is wholly surreal.
One of my favorite parts of the whole film was that I was unsure who was the good guy and who was the bad guy, until the very end of the movie, and even then, you're still left with a lot of questions. On that note, I think this may have one of the most nonsensical endings I have ever seen. The final 20 minutes are pure "WTF?". What else could you ask for from an exploitation film?! Gore, vixens, one-liners, loose themes that hardly qualify as relative, and chaotic absurdity.... this movie truly lives up to reputation as the epitome of what defines cult classics and/or B-movies.
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
The ultimate existential rejuvenator in film form
Barely "a movie", yet so much more than a movie. My Dinner With Andre is the greatest podcast episode you've ever listened to, or the greatest book you've ever read, but in the format of a film. You may ask yourself, why would I want to watch a 2 hour film that is literally just two men having a conversation over dinner? Well, because the conversation they are having is perhaps the most profound one I've ever heard, and perhaps the precise type of conversation in which no higher tier of profundity is even possible. This is basically an existential instruction manual - at the very least, designed to remind you to rethink things, in the same manner that a psychedelic experience would.
The most powerful part of this film is in the manner that it is one of few pieces of media that has the power to make time seem much less relevant than it does on a day to day basis. Though this was made over 40 years ago, it feels as if it were written for us, today. The themes and ideas discussed transcend the concept of time and era, thus making the movie itself timeless in some form. While I say that, it also feels mind-blowingly relevant in regards to where we are currently heading as a society, including the progressions of technology, and how it's effecting us, etc. Every lick of the conversation conjures wonder, intrigue, and naturally, universal reflection.
It was a bold move for the filmmaker(s) to carry on producing such a "minimal" film with such maximal concepts. The team must have had the same level of confidence that lead Andre Gregory portrays in the film to know that this would be something worth making. I see now that the film was also written by its two leads Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, making this whole thing all the more real and intense. This has put Andre Gregory on the map for me, as an instant legend.
"It's inconceivable" how effective this little slice of philosophical offering manages to be. It really feels like it transcends the expectations of what one generally attains from consuming a film, or any single piece of media, for that matter. I absolutely cannot imagine how most of the world swallowed this epic pill in 1981, before the internet, before the access, before everything that defines our world now. I have a feeling this is something I will be returning to more than once throughout the remainder of my life. This has entered the category of a small handful of films that were so profound that I started bawling either just before the closing credits hit, or in the moment that they hit. I can't even call it a masterpiece because that word doesn't feel right... that word correlates with a piece of art, but this isn't just a piece of art; it's more than that.