Space Jam: A New Legacy

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.


Familyfaire:  Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) PG   The son of famed basketball player LeBron James has been kidnapped by a rogue artificial intelligence. Now LeBron must join forces with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang to win a basketball game to get LeBron’s son back. I am a huge fan of the Looney Tunes crowd, having grown up watching them after-school and on those glorious Saturday mornings. While I am not a fan of the basketball player, I did quite enjoy his performance as the best friend of Bill Hader’s character in Trainwreck. I am not a fan of the original Space Jam, though I understand that it is probably one of your favorites if you saw the film as a child. Warner Brothers has been trying to a sequel to the original for 25 years, but they couldn’t get Michael Jordan to do the green screen again, and other attempts like Spy Jam with Jackie Chan or Race Jam with Jeff Gorden or Football Jam with Tim Tebow all fell through. Unfortunately, this one didn’t fall through, and we got almost two hours of a very boring film that doesn’t have any of the enchantment or humor of those classic Bugs Bunny cartoons. And how much of an ego boost does James need for us to go through what seemed like a ten-minute highlight reel of his career. Instead of space, we go into cyberspace, where a rogue AI played by Don Cheadle plans to take over the world or something (it never was quite clear what his plan was) and challenges James to a basketball game. It takes an incredibly long time to get to the game, so much so that you almost forget that there will be one. The film is full of sad ripoffs of classic cartoons, and the kids that I saw the film with were more interested in figuring out all the Warner Brother characters that were in the crowd of the basketball game (like the Penguin and the weird guys from Mad Max: Fury Road) than in the movie itself. By the end of the film, I didn’t care who won or why; I just wanted someone to say ˜That’s All Folks’ (it does happen, and it’s just as disappointing as the rest of the film). I did see this film in the theatre, but the animation was dull and not worth the trouble of seeing it on a big screen.   My Rating: Cable    Space Jam: A New Legacy Website  Now playing in theatres and on the HBO Max platform.

Indiefest:  Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021) R    A documentary about the legendary chef, writer, and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who traveled across the world searching for great food and exciting cultures after publishing his groundbreaking book Kitchen Confidential made him a worldwide star. The problem with documentaries is you know how they are going to end, and we all know that Bourdain killed himself. I didn’t know too much about Bourdain’s later personal life, just from what he lets us see (which was a lot) in his groundbreaking book Kitchen Confidential that blew the lid off what had been sacred grounds of the upper-crust kitchens of some of the most famous resturants in the world. The film uses a lot of behind-the-scenes footage from his TV series and interviews that he did once he became a media darling with his book. The film does a great job of letting us know what it was to be around the man through interviews with the people that were closest to him, including his two wives, his production crew (some of which were with him almost throughout his TV career) and chefs from around the world, all of whom loved and admired this man and his talent. The first two-thirds of the film is fun and is thrilling to watch this man who had a knack for words find his voice. The film's final third is hard to watch, as he struggled with fame and success, never quite finding happiness and always on the road to find it. I was not too fond of the fact that the film demonizes Bourdain's last girlfriend, Italian actress Asia Argento, who was not interviewed for the film and was made to look like she was a significant contributing factor to his death. Fans of Bourdain will enjoy that behind-the-scenes footage, and all the stories told about him. Still, his leaving behind so many people who loved him and a child he had with his second wife just is such a sad way to end a glorious life, one which brought so much happiness to the world but couldn’t ultimately bring Bourdain that same happiness.    My Rating: Full Price    Roadrunner Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest:   Pig (2021)   R   A famous truffle hunter, Rob (Nicolas Cage), lives alone out in the Oregonian wilderness, isolated from the world he left behind many years ago. When he is brutally attacked and his prized truffle hunting pig is kidnapped, Rob returns to his past in Portland in search for her and the people responsible. I know that in the past ten years, Nicolas Cage has made some strange films, sometimes horrible (Left Behind), sometimes wonderfully weird (Mandy), and sometimes just plain bizarre (Willy’s Wonderland). Cage doesn’t always make the right choices, but he can bring us some fantastic, low-key performances that few other actors out there can deliver. Pig is one of those magical Cage performances, and he is perfect for the part of a man haunted by his past who has escaped the world to live in the wilderness with his truffle-hunting pig. Now, don’t expect another John Wick or Taken thought there is some rather brutal violence in it; this is more about a man who is on a quest to find his best friend, his pig. This is one of Cage’s best performances letting his body language tell most of the story. Cage’s low-key, almost non-verbal performance plays perfectly off of Alex Wolff’s performance of Amir, the high-strung truffle broker who becomes Rob's unwilling sidekick and chauffeur. Pig is one of those films that I feel will get better with another viewing, letting you soak in this strange man who has one task, to find his pig. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Pig Website    Now playing in select theatres.

My View:  Fear Street Part Three: 1666  (2021)   R   We go back to the origins of all the problems to see how the curse of Sarah Fier started, which changed the lives of Shadysiders forever. These days, it is rare to see a terrific horror film, but it's almost a miracle to see three in a row. All three films are creatively connected with the last taking place in the year 1666 when we see the origin of the Fear Street story and how Sarah Fier started her horrible curse. The film uses the actors from the first two films to supply the characters in this one set in the past. Kiana Madeira, who played Deena in the first two films, portrays Sarah Fier, a brash but well-liked woman who lives in a small settlement with her brother and widowed father. She gets into trouble due to her relationship with Hannah (Olivia Scott Welch), and when things start going badly in the settlement (i.e., fruit rotting, pigs eating their young, etc.), she and Hannah are accused of being witches. I don't want to give too much away, but everything that has happened in the first two Fear Street films are connected to this event. The conclusion is one of the best horror film’s endings I have seen in a long time, and yes, there could be more. The cool thing about this film series is you don't have to wait years for it to play out; you can binge-watch it in an afternoon and have a scary good time.   My Rating: Full Price     Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  Summertime (2020) R   The story of what it's like to live in present-day Los Angeles as told by 27 young people over the course of a single day. This is a beautiful homage to a city from the hearts and minds of the people that live in it. Taken from a poetry workshop, the film interweaves the lives of these young people as they tell their stories through rap, spoken word, songs, dance and poetry. All the actors in the movie are the writers of each of their pieces, which makes the performances feel so heartfelt and genuine as they express their hopes, dreams, and hardships living in such a big and diverse city. The film is fun to watch, imaginative in how it intertwines their lives with each other, and perfectly captures the mixed feelings of being young while dealing with what life brings in front of you.    My Rating: Full Price    Summertime Website   Now playing in select theatres.

My View:  Gunpowder Milkshake  (2021)  R   Sam (Karen Gillan) was only 12 years old when her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), was forced to abandon her. Sam was raised by the crime syndicate that her mother worked for and was trained to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Now, Sam has chosen to cross the syndicate to save an innocent eight-year-old girl (Chloe Coleman) and must find her mother and her lethal associates to help her take down the syndicate known as The Firm. Any film with Karen Gillan and Lena Headey as mother/daughter assassins is worth watching but add in a cast that includes Caral Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, and Angela Bassett, and it's a sure bet I’m turning on the computer to see this one. The best way I can describe this film is John Wick with a sense of humor, and the women do all the butt-kicking. Karen Gillan is perfect as the deadpanned Sam who decides to protect the little girl who has a contract out on her head. Lena Headey is hilarious as the mother who thought it was a good idea to leave her teenager behind with a group of assassins to raise her. The action sequences are fun, well done, and are so filled with action that it may take a couple more viewings to take it all in. So go on a killing spree with Sam and her mother but just don’t call Sam a serial killer…¦she is just an assassin for hire with a love for guns, nothing more.   My Rating: Full Price    Gunpowder Milkshake Website   Now playing on the Netflix platform.

Forgotten Film:   The Guns of Navarone (1961)  G   When I was a kid, I loved the books written by Alistair MacLean. They were adventure books full of intrigue and high stakes, with a stoic hero leading a team into an impossible situation that was sure to fail, but our hero would somehow, someway succeed and save the day. MacLean wrote a bunch of these books, and many went on to be films, including billionaire recluse's favorite film Ice Station Zebra. The best of the bunch is The Guns of Navarone, about a team of allied saboteurs assigned the impossible task of infiltrating a Nazi-held island and destroying two enormous guns that are keeping 2,000 soldiers from escaping a nearby outpost. The cast is a who’s who of 1960s stars, including Gregory Peck as the leader of the force, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, James Darren, Anthony Quayle, and Richard Harris, who chews up scenery like no one can. The film is a blast to watch and is full of well-made action sequences with an ending that can’t be missed.   My Rating: Full Price     The Guns of Navarone Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Pig: 'Pig' Understudy

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:   Ride the Eagle (2021)   Leif (Jake Johnson) is left a picturesque Yosemite cabin he inherits from his estranged mother. Her only condition is that he has to complete a to-do list that she has compiled to teach him some lessons about life. Jake Johnson is one of my favorite actors, and I can’t wait to see this film that he co-wrote. It doesn’t hurt that the cast includes J.K Simmons, Susan Sarandon, and D’Acry Carden.   Ride the Eagle Info

Until Next Time!

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Note to readers: I have started going to movies in the theaters, having received my two shots and passed the two-week standby period, wearing a mask at all times and following social distancing. Most of the films I am reviewing are still movies that I watched at home, but I will note in the review if I saw them in a theatre. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

My View:  The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It   (2021) R  Ed and Lorraine (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) are back, and this time, they are fighting for the soul of a young man who has been charged with murder, and his defense is that a demon-possessed him. First a note: This was my second screening to see with an audience (others have been critics only), and it was not a good experience. Between the people who cannot go an hour and a half without checking their phones and the guy who did a running commentary on every scene to his seat mate, I did not enjoy being back in the theatre. That being said, you need to see horror films in a theatre with an audience to get the full effect. I have enjoyed this series, some films less than others, but the films that involved the Lorraine’s have been fun and scary. This one puts the series back on track, where the focus is not just the frightening thing they are investigating but also the love and respect that the couple has for each other. The plot is a little weak, and unlike many horror films, you are asked to believe that this film is based on fact. Still, it’s a fun ride and has quite a few scares, most of which aren’t based on the ‘jump out of the dark’ kind. And it’s always enjoyable to watch Vera Farmiga, and Patrick Wilson work on the screen together, as their on-screen chemistry is excellent. Overall, I had fun on another adventure into the strange and weird with the Lorraine’s.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Conjuring Website  The film is currently playing in select theatres and on the HBO Max platform.

Familyfaire:  Spirit Untamed  (2021)   Lucky Prescott (voiced by Isabela Merced) lost her mother and now has been sent by her father from the city to a small frontier town. Her life will be changed forever when she meets a wild mustang named Spirit. This is one of those animated films where young kids will have a good time, but parents will be bored. While the film has a good heart, the plot feels like it is a movie based on a TV series. The animation is nothing to get excited about and looks a little dated. If you have someone who is crazy about horses in your family, then by all means, check it out, but it’s a relatively simple story that could have been told in 30 minutes…or wait, maybe it was.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Spirit Untamed Website   The film is currently playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet (2021)   Legendary broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine the collapse of the Earth’s biodiversity and how this crisis can still be averted. We see the world through the eyes of Attenborough and scientist Rockström, which give us a rather bleak picture that we, humans, have pushed the Earth’s delicate tipping point to the wrong way, a way that will lead to our inevitable destruction. The things that we have done, such as car emissions, over-farming, over-fertilizing, overfishing, have put us on a destructive course that will be hard to overcome. The first two-thirds of the film is incredibly disturbing, showing us how our greed and self-worth have destroyed the climate balance of the planet we live on and that we have ignored scientists' pleas for the last 50 years to stop these catastrophic ways. The last third of the film does give us hope, telling us that, hey, you can get it together and make things better, but it’s going to make sacrifices and work in order to do it. I came away from this film depressed and angry, with not a lot of hope, but maybe that’s what we need. We need a hard kick in the butt and perhaps a slap across the face, like this film, to get us to realize that we must act now and not later.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Breaking Boundaries Website  The film is currently available on the Netflix platform.  

Indiefest: Undine (2020)   Undine (Paula Beer) works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development, and she has a secret. When the man she loves leaves her, she is bound by an ancient myth that she must kill him to survive. I loved this dark, rich fairy-tale of a film about a mysterious woman and her quest for love. We are enchanted by Undine, played by the magical Paula Beer, right from the start when we see her meet her lover, who wants to break up with her. She gives him an ultimatum; stay at the cafe while she gives a lecture, or if he leaves, she will be forced to kill him. The film never goes out of its way to tell you who or even maybe, what Undine is. We just know that she is someone or something not to be messed with. Beer is perfect in the role of a woman seeking love and is caught up in all its wonder while knowing that this love might have a price. Undine has everything, mystery, the hint of possible murder, lust, longing for love, and the magic that it can bring.   My Rating: Full Price   Undine Website  Now playing in select theatres including Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

Indiefest: All Light, Everywhere (2021)   This documentary explores how we see and use surveillance technologies and how they have become a fixture in our world, often changing our point of view. This fascinating and engaging film covers a wide range of subjects from the history of photography and how it influenced police work on criminal behavior, the ethics of surveillance, and an inside look at the world of Axon, a company that created the Taser and now is the supplier of body cams to the majority of police departments across the country. The film opens to let us know that our eyes have a ‘blind spot’ and that our brain fills in the blind spot. Cameras, on the other hand, aren’t supposed to have a blind spot. They are supposed to record things accurately and without prejudice. However, what this film shows us is that surveillance cameras also have a blind spot, and that can have consequences. This film shows us that there is always a point of view, and that perspective can be controlled….a blind spot.   My Rating: Full Price   All Light, Everywhere Website   The film is currently playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest:  The Courier (2020) PG-13   British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) is enlisted to be a spy, going undercover to get intelligence on a potential nuclear missile attack on Cuba. Under the leadership of Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan), Greville forms an alliance with Oleg (Merab Ninidze), a Russian source, to try to stop the end of the world as we know it. What if you were an ordinary British citizen, with a wife and a young son, working as a salesman who travels overseas a lot because of his job. Your home life is good after a bit of trouble due to an affair you had, but that is all behind you. One day you are invited to lunch and meet with two people who want you to travel to Russia, meet a high ranking official and bring back a piece of paper. Oh, and by the way, that piece of paper might save the world from a nuclear war.  What would you do?  So starts the well done and interesting spy drama The Courier based on true events on how a salesman became one of the most important spies of the Cold War. Benedict Cumberbatch is so well cast as somewhat rigid and slightly snooty Greville Wynne, a man who’s one talent is that he can sell anything to anybody and uses that advantage to become a courier, bring secrets about the Russian missiles being established in Cuba. The tale is gripping and as the film goes on, builds the tension as Greville becomes more involved with the spy mission. The film lags a bit near the end but that can be expected as his job as a spy winds down.I saw this in the theatre but it will work just as well at home on a DVD or Blue-Ray. Overall, The Courier is an intriguing and exciting spy thriller that doesn’t disappoint.    My Rating: Full Price     The Courier Website   Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Forgotten Film: In Bruges (2008) R  After a hit on a priest has gone horrible wrong, hitmen Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are told to go to Burgees, Belgium to hideout. While Ken sees it as a perfect vacation, Ray is miserable, and things start to go bad, very bad. Harry (Ralph Fiennes), the man who hired Ray to do the hit, decides that Ray must be done away with. I don’t want to go too much into the plot because some of the surprises are so much fun, but this is a blast to watch. Farrell does some of his best work as the hitman that would rather be anywhere else in the world than this beautiful city, and Gleeson is a wonder to watch as the hitman who decides to take advantage of this holiday. As the crime lord who can’t stop cussing, Fiennes is hilarious, and the action sequences are incredibly well done. And wait until you see the ending.   My Rating: Full Price     In Bruges Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It: Environment Artist

Coming Soon To A Screen Near You: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain        (2021)  A documentary on Anthony Bourdain, the beloved yet cranky man who peeled the curtain back on the world of the chef’s kitchen and became a media superstar in his approach to travel, food and culture. I hope to get just a bit of an insight into such a complex and interesting but troubled man.    Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain Website 

Until Next Time!