Master

My View: Master (2022) R  Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has been named dean at a prestigious New England university, the first Black dean in the school’s history. Jasmine (Zoe Renee) is a new student at the university, and she learns that the students at this school believe that the campus is haunted. Both Gail and Jasmine aren’t just dealing with systemic racism at the university because there is something far more sinister in these hallowed halls. Something that could prove deadly. This is not your ordinary horror film as it only makes up half of this film’s content. The other half is about racism, white privilege, and how institutions of high learning are more about politics and less about higher education. The film follows two stories connected by a sinister force that is alive and well on the campus; the question is, is it a supernatural force, or is it just underlying racism that hides under the surface. I liked this film for the first two-thirds, but then the storyline fails to come to a satisfying ending, leaving me wanting more from its resolution. The film doesn’t quite deliver on the scares, and I didn’t think the character of Jasmine was ever in mortal danger that the film wants you to feel that she is in. Still, there is quite a bit that you will be discussing afterwards about this film and its subject matter.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Master Website   Now playing in select theatres and on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: The Outfit  (2022) R  Leonard (Mark Rylance) is an English tailor who used to work on London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, Leonard now makes his home in Chicago, in a part of town where only mobsters can afford his hand-crafted suits. Basically, all Leonard wants to do is be left alone to make clothes with his assistant (Zoey Deutch), but his life is about to get complicated when two killers show up on his shop’s doorstep. This is an absolute thrill ride of a film where you are kept guessing until the end. Buoyed by a brilliant performance by Mark Rylance and a script that values words more than actions, this film is a mystery inside another mystery. It slowly peels back its layers of plot woven together better than any other fine suit that Leonard constructs. The Outfit is a film that lets Rylance show us just how good an actor he is, giving us a far craftier and wise character than the people around him. I can’t tell you how much fun I had watching this film, making me think of some of the great Hitchcock films of the 30s and how a character can get them in and out of impossible situations, taking us along for the thrilling ride.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Outfit Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Deep Water (2022) R Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas), on the surface, have the perfect marriage. However, both love to play mind games, and their marriage is holding on by a thread. Vic allows Melinda to take any number of lovers, as long as she doesn’t desert her family. Their marriage is about to fall apart when one of Melinda’s former lovers is discovered murdered. While I don’t think this is a great film, I still enjoyed going on this weird, strange, and sometimes horrifying journey with two very messed-up people. Directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, 9 1/2 Weeks, Fatal Attraction) and based on a book by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), this is a mystery/suspense film about two people who are in a twisted and peculiar relationship. The film is sure to be compared to Gone Girl (2014) and possibly the Harrison Ford film Presumed Innocent (1990), this film is about two people who are in a relationship that is complicated, messy, and dangerous. Affleck and de Armas portray to beautiful people that do very ugly things to each other. This film takes a lot of twists and turns, with you wondering if you saw something that was real or fantasy until the very end.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Deep Water Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Familyfaire: Cheaper by the Dozen (2022) PG  Zoey (Gabrielle Union) and Paul (Zach Braff) are parents of a large blended family, the Bakers. Whoever thought living in this family of 12 would be easy thought wrong. This is the third version of Cheaper by the Dozen. The first is an excellent classic film from the 1950s that stars Clifton Webb. The second was a mildly funny film starring Steve Martin from the 90s. And now we have a modern-day version that is painful to watch. Incredibly dull, not a bit funny, and so long it seems to last for days, this version is an attempt to pack a lot into a film that doesn’t work as a comedy or as a commentary on race relations. Add into the mix some horrible acting by some of the kids and a script that is so poorly constructed I almost got whiplash from the events of the film (the family goes from barely paying their bills to a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood in a matter of days) and you have a film that is just dull to watch. Go watch one of the latest animated films from Disney or the wonderful Mitchells vs the Machines if you want some family fun because this version of Cheaper by the Dozen doesn’t even come close to being entertaining.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Cheaper by the Dozen Website  Now playing on the Disney+ platform.

Forgotten Film: White Fang (1991) PG  The story of a young man who goes to the Yukon to find gold and a dog who was raised by wolves. The two find each other in the wilds of Alaska and make a great team to survive the wilderness together. I loved this book as a kid, and though the film doesn’t quite match the book in the storyline, it’s still a great adventure film. I think we forget just how good an actor Ethan Hawke was at such an early age. The film is one of the better wilderness action films and has a dog you will fall in love with. What more could you want?   My Rating: Full Price    White Fang Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Outfit: Rushes Runner

Coming Soon to Screen Near You: The Northman (2022) R A Viking prince (Alexander Skarsgard) has come back to avenge his father’s death and rescue his mother. From filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Witch) comes an epic tale with a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Add in Bjork as a character named Seeress, and you have a movie that could be really interesting to watch.    The Northman Website

Until Next Time!

Jackass Forever

My View: Jackass Forever   (2022) R   The Jackass gang is back for one last time of death-defying stunts that any normal person wouldn’t do, but we know that these guys aren’t normal. Ok, so I was never a fan of the TV series, but I did enjoy the last movie, Jackass 3D. I will tell you what I told the studio rep after seeing the film; despite my better judgment, I really thought this film was funny and fun to watch. Now I will warn you that this film is not for the squeamish, and you will see a whole heck of a lot of male full-frontal nudity. I think what makes this so much fun to watch, besides all the crazy, idiotic stunts, is the reactions of the rest of the gang when something horrible happens in a stunt. It's also the relief on their faces when they realize that that could be them tied down in a room covered in honey and salmon with a big live bear. The gang is led by Johnny Knoxville, who has the most fun watching his friends get creamed (no pun intended) by a stunt, as he is the instigator, often starting stunts on his own with a taser. Jackass Forever is undoubtedly the last one that Knoxville will do, as he is now over fifty and was very seriously hurt several times during the filming, including a stunt near the end of the film where I think he may have died for a few seconds. Most of the Jackass gang, which has added a few new recruits, look like they have been through several wars these past ten years since the last film, with the exception of Steve-O, who looks better now than he did in the previous movie, mainly because he has gotten off of drugs and alcohol. So, if you are brave, sit down and enjoy a bunch of people being tortured just for the fun of it. You will laugh, though you might be a little ashamed afterward.    My Rating: Full Price   Jackass Forever Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View:  Moonfall   (2022) PG-13   A mysterious force has knocked the moon from its orbit and is in a collision course with Earth. A former astronaut, Jo Fowler (Halle Berry), enlists a ragtag team (Patrick Wilson, John Bradley) to help her go on an impossible mission, leaving everything they love behind to try to save the Earth. The only problem, the moon isn’t what we think it is. Let me give you an example of how stupid this film is (or how stupid the filmmakers think we are). Halle Berry, a former astronaut, has become head of NASA (don’t ask how) and is now on a mission to save Earth. She states how she doesn’t know how much time they have to complete the mission before the world starts to send nukes to blow up the moon. Five minutes later, she states that ‘We have only ten minutes before they send the nukes.’ That is how well the plot of this film has been thought out. In fact, I bet a ten-year-old could come up with a better plot than this film has. Besides saving the Earth from disaster, all three leads have back stories where they are trying to repair their relationships with their loved ones. Patrick Wilson is a former astronaut whose life was destroyed after being blamed for a disastrous mission and now has a troubled teenager (Charlie Plummer) who goes on a joyride that turns into one of those car chases you see on TV. Berry is a single mom whose marriage has fallen apart, and John Bradley has never lived up to his mother’s expectations or his own. So while trying to save the Earth from certain destruction, they are still trying to fix their families. The plot has so many holes in it that you start going, ‘well, that would never happen, but ok, let's let that go.’ I will leave you with this. A central plot point is that they take a Space Shuttle, a spacecraft that hasn’t flown since 2011, and in 24 hours, it is launched in space. Oh, and it has graffiti on it.    My Rating: Cable   Moonfall Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Jockey (2021)   Jackson (Clifton Collins Jr.) has been a jockey for a long time, and the toll that it’s taking on his body is catching up to him. When Jackson learns that his longtime trainer (Molly Parker) has acquired what appears to be a championship horse, he knows this could be his last chance. Jackson’s failing body and a new hot jockey (Moises Arias) on the scene are throwing into question his ability to continue his lifelong passion. All he needs is one last ride. What would you do if your mind told you to keep going but your body couldn’t? This is what almost every professional athlete has to go through in their career. When do you hang it up? Jackson is a jockey who has had past success but struggles to keep riding due to mounting injuries, some of which could be life-threatening. Clifton Collins Jr. gives us a touching and meaningful performance of a man who loves what he does and doesn’t want to give it up. Jackson is supported by his trainer Ruth, played by the fabulous Molly Parker. Ruth, a longtime trainer, has bought a horse that she thinks could be a champion, and she wants her partner in crime, Jackson, to ride this horse to fame and glory. But Jackson has two secrets that are bringing him down. The new jockey in town, played by Moises Arias, says that he is his son, and Jackson is starting to suffer serious side effects from previous injuries that could stop his ability to ride. Clifton Collins Jr. is brilliant as Jackson, a man who has a good heart and is a standup guy but can’t admit that he needs to hang it up. If this was a bigger studio film or had more star power behind it, I would say that Collins Jr. would be getting an Academy Award nomination out of this role, but I just don’t think enough voters will see this smaller film. But you should.   My Rating: Full Price   Jockey Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Indiefest: Sundown (2021) R   Neil and Alice (Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg) are with their family on vacation at a fancy resort in Mexico. When a family emergency cuts their trip short, the family’s tight-knit order is struck to its core when one family member refuses to go back, bringing long-simmering tensions to rise to the surface. I love a film that doesn’t spell anything out for you. This is a film that slowly reveals itself, letting you try to figure out what is going on with its characters and never giving you too much information (though almost everything is explained by the end of the movie). Sundown is a character study on how different people deal with a crisis. Roth gives us a man who seems always to be moving in slow motion and is one of very few words (I would love to know the total of his lines in the script are). I loved this film and how it slowly peels back the story to let us into Neil’s world. Neil is a man you will not like until maybe the end of the movie, and even then, you might still not like or understand him. But that’s ok; it’s still an interesting journey that we go on with him.    My Rating: Full Price   Sundown Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Wolf and the Lion (2021) PG   After her grandfather’s death, 20-year-old Alma (Molly Kunz) decides to return to his cabin on a little island in the heart of the wilderness. While there, she rescues a wolf cub from certain death. While raising the cub on her own, a plane crashes nearby, and the only survivor is a new addition to Alma’s growing family, a lion cub who was destined for a zoo. This is a sweet, simple, and well-meaning tale that kids and animal lovers will enjoy, while the rest of us may become a little bored. The two cubs are adorable, and their interactions are the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, the film has a plot that is a bit dull and very predictable, with a bit of over handedness on the cruelties of caging wild animals for people’s entertainment. The film writes itself into a corner that it quite can’t get out of, and the ending to the film is unbelievable. Still, young children may be entertained by two very different wild animals interacting and enjoying each other’s company.   My Rating: Cable   The Wolf and the Lion Website   Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Book of Love (2022)   Young, uptight English writer Henry (Sam Claflin) has a novel that has been an absolute failure. Henry is startled to find out that his book is a massive hit in Mexico and is invited there to promote it. He soon discovers why his book is such a hit; his Spanish translator Maria (Verónica Echegui) has rewritten his book into an erotic romance novel. Consequently, Henry must go on a book tour with Maria, not knowing anything about a book he is supposed to be the author of. I was really looking forward to this film. I love rom-coms, and I have much love in my heart for Mexico, but I was a little disappointed in the movie. I loved the fact that about 1/3 of the film was in Spanish. I'm not too fond of films that make everyone speak English in a foreign land. I wish the film had done a better job of showing the beauty of Mexico, but I felt that the film never left their one location, except for a few shots of Mexico City. I wanted more sparks between Claflin and Echegui, both of which are very likable on screen but never entirely developed the chemistry and fire that we need to see to make this film work. It’s not a bad rom-com, but nothing that the Hallmark channel doesn’t put out on a weekly basis, and I wanted more.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Book of Love Website  Now playing on the Amazon Prime platform.

Indiefest: Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (2021)   Criminal defense/civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States from the beginnings of slavery in this country to the modern myth of a post-racial America. I am a history buff and took a couple of courses in college on the Civil War, so I thought I knew a lot about slavery and its history in the United States until I saw this eye-opening and engaging documentary. It’s staggering and depressing how much I didn’t know about this country's history with slavery and just how much the country's history is taught, so one-sided. Robinson gives us the story of slavery and oppression in a well-thought-out discussion where he travels the country to interview people who have suffered and lost loved ones throughout the years. Robinson talks about the assignation of Martin Luther King, Jr. and how it was a tipping point fifty years ago. This is a sobering discussion on the subject of race in America and how we haven’t really progressed at all in the fifty years since the Civil Rights era. Please watch this documentary and then discuss it with your family and friends. Robinson lets us know that we are at another tipping point in our history, and this time we must not let it slide back down the hill. My Rating: Full Price    Who We Are Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Forgotten Film: The Long Good Friday (1980) R   Harold (Bob Hoskins) is doing well as a gangster about to hit the big time. When bombs start exploding in inconvenient places, Harold realizes that a new syndicate is trying to muscle its way on his territory. The syndicate will learn very soon that Harold isn’t going to go down without a fight. Hopkins gives one of the best performances of his career as a short-tempered mob boss who deals with force with the only thing he knows, brutality. The Long Good Friday is a film about a man who will stop at nothing to protect his stake and not take anything lying down. It’s a marvelous film that is both brutal and, at times, almost breathtaking, with a powerful performance by an actor at the top of his game.    My Rating: Full Price   The Long Good Friday Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Moonfall: Splinter Unit Gaffer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Outfit (2022) R  Leonard (Mark Rylance) is an English tailor who used to work on London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, Leonard now makes his home in Chicago, in a part of town where only mobsters can afford his hand-crafted suits. All Leonard wants to do is be left alone to make clothes with his assistant (Zoey Deutch), but his life is about to get complicated when two killers show up on his shop’s doorstep. The Outfit looks like a good old-fashioned thriller with a great cast headlined by Mark Rylance.  The Outfit Website

Until Next Time!