Category: Quick Thoughts

Quick Thoughts: ‘Parasite’ – ‘The Lighthouse’ – ‘Jojo Rabbit’ – ‘Dolemite Is My Name’


Just as a brief preamble, it’s been a pretty down year for movies, as far as I can see. Other than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nothing else has come close to being my favorite of 2019, but, all of the following four are standouts in their own way, and the first two in particular I bet will get some awards love.

From the director of Snowpiercer (a very entertaining movie with a questionable ending) comes a film that I think is getting a little overhyped in terms of the level of praise, but is nonetheless one of the best films of the year.

I say that because I was led to expect that Parasite would be totally mind-blowing, and, well, it didn’t quite reach that level for me (I mean I wouldn’t call it more successful than Burning in that regard), but it’s still a sight to behold (figuratively and literally; the cinematography is wonderful), and it did go places I didn’t expect, so I must give it that credit.

What really makes Parasite go though is the performances. As the plot essentially revolves around a long con, there’s a lot of acting on top of acting that could easily be overplayed, but this ensemble handles it with an impressive level of nuance.

Some have called this movie a dark comedy, and while there were moments that made me laugh I think I’d label it more of a twisty drama, but we’re splitting hairs at this point.

As I said, one of the best of the year, if not totally mind-blowing.

Rating: ★★★★☆



Regrettably, I’ve still not seen Robert Eggers’ previous film, The Witch, though after seeing The Lighthouse I feel even more inclined to seek it out.

I’m not the biggest fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, but The Lighthouse definitely cribs some notes from it, in a good way. I wouldn’t say I found The Lighthouse horrifying or unsettling in the way of, say, Hereditary; I’d actually call it a rather entertaining, darkly comedic descent into madness, which I don’t think I really expected from a film about two men stuck on an island, living that harsh 19th Century life.

The most compelling factor by far though, beyond even Dafoe and Pattinson going mad together, is Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography. Forgoing colorful widescreen for 4:3 black & white, every single frame of film is a work of art, to the point that you could populate an exhibit at The Met (or maybe MoMA? Hard to say) with just stills from The Lighthouse.

It’s certainly not cookie cutter Halloween fare, but you could do a lot worse.

Rating: ★★★★☆



Everything I have seen so far from that quirky Kiwi, writer/director Taika Waititi, I have enjoyed, and Jojo Rabbit is no exception.

You might not think a comedy about a 10-year-old fanatical Nazi in late-World War II Germany whose imaginary best friend is Adolf Hitler would work, but somehow Waititi (who also plays Der Führer) pulls it off. Not to heap too high praise on it, but, to me, Jojo works in much the same way that Blazing Saddles works (in fact I’ll go ahead and call it a blend of Blazing Saddles and Moonrise Kingdom) in making a farce of blind bigotry; but it’s not exactly the same in that, despite its fanciful premise, Jojo is a bit more grounded (as opposed to the more cartoonish reality of Blazing Saddles), which allows it to move in some surprising tonal directions. Frankly, it’s the sort of story I think could only be handled by a New Zealander.

It’ll make you laugh, perhaps make you cry as well, but I recommend it across the board.

Rating: ★★★★☆



You could write the history of Black American Cinema without mentioning Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite himself), but why would you want to?

Dolemite Is My Name marks Eddie Murphy’s return to the world of R-rated movies after a twenty year absence (seriously, it’s been since Life), and while he may not look like or particularly sound like Rudy Ray Moore, it doesn’t matter. He’s totally invested in the film and having a great time doing it, which easily extends to the audience.

Beneath the torrent of ribaldry, however, is a rather heartwarming story about chasing (and grinding for) your dreams no matter how far along in life you may be; which is nice, though parts of it feel a bit by-the numbers.

However, as fun as Murphy is in the lead, there’s one actor who steals every scene he’s in, and that’s one Mr. Wesley Trent Snipes.

Maybe I’m insane (or just insanely ignorant), but playing real-life actor/director D’Urville Martin might be the best performance of Snipes’ career, at least comedically. I couldn’t take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen.

All-in-all, much like its namesake, Dolemite Is My Name may not be a total work of art, but for a Netflix watch it’ll be well worth your time.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Quick Thoughts: ‘Dragged Across Concrete’ – ‘Triple Threat’ – ‘Us’

There’s a line in this film where someone says, “I’m in until I’m not,” and that more or less sums up my feelings on Craig Zahler’s Dragged Across Concrete. Much like the recent Destroyer, there’s a lot to love (literally a lot, as Concrete clocks in at over two-and-a-half hours), but it doesn’t quite stick the landing, which holds it back from being truly special.

Still, it’s got the best performance from Mel Gibson in quite some time, Vince Vaughn is nearly flawless as Gibson’s fellow detective, Tory Kittles shows off some range, and the rest of the cast is well up to the challenge.

Story-wise, it’s like a far bleaker Jackie Brown, but creatively I’d also compare it to Sorry to Bother You, in the sense of putting a lot of detail into a fictional world, and that both movies’ auteurs directed the films, wrote the screenplays, and co-wrote the music (though the reality of Sorry to Bother You is far more heightened).

I’ve not seen Craig Zahler’s other films, Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99, but I knew going in that he has a propensity for grisly violence, which Concrete eventually gets to and will undoubtedly turn some people away, but in all honesty it wasn’t as much as I expected.

All-in-all, not a must-see theatrically, and not for everyone, but it’s a good slow-burn crime drama, if that’s your thing.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)



People generally see martial arts movies to see martial arts, and from that perspective you can’t say Triple Threat doesn’t deliver.

I mean, when you’ve got a film starring Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak), Iko Uwais (The Raid), and Tiger Chen (part of the Kung-Fu team from The Matrix trilogy), you know you’re going to see some high-quality (and high-flying) fight choreography, and that alone is worth the rental fee. In particular, I enjoyed how they handled strength relative to size, which a lot of other martial arts movies treat with videogame physics, but Triple Threat somehow made it feel more grounded.

Unfortunately, there’s not much else to latch onto in terms of the story or acting, which holds the movie back in terms of comparisons to other offerings in the genre, but hey, it’s a movie by fight fans for fight fans, so I’m not going to sit here and hate on it too much.

Rating: ★★★☆☆



I have to confess, I missed out on the zeitgeist of Jordan Peele’s previous offering, Get Out. I caught up with it eventually at home and wasn’t that impressed, but I felt a little guilty about judging it without getting the full experience, so I made sure I went to see Us opening night in a packed theater.

And, well, I still wasn’t that impressed.

I’ll admit that perhaps Peele uses a cinematic language that I just don’t understand, but my problem with Get Out was that it tried to combine concepts that just didn’t work together for me, and I have a similar issue with Us (though I can’t really get into it without spoilers).

Now, I will say that there is a lot of cleverness in the screenplay in terms of set-ups and pay-offs, I can’t not praise the film for that, but it’s all more for little things, and I just couldn’t find the ultimate point of what the movie was going for, which is frustrating.

One last thing I’ll say though is that if you do decide to see Us, do your best to not have any preconceived notions about it in your mind, because I did (thanks Twitter…), and I would say that also hampered my experience.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

Quick Thoughts – July Mega-Post – ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ ‘Sorry to Bother You’ ‘Skyscraper’ ‘The Equalizer 2’

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

My affinity for these movies is fairly well-documented, from the first one to the last one.

And why not?  After all, when the consensus “worst film” in your franchise is a John Woo guns-motorcycles-doves-knives spectacular, you know you’re doing something right.

A lot of that credit belongs to J.J. Abrams for resurrecting things in 2006 (and staying on as a producer ever since), which was perfect timing, because when the James Bond franchise zigged to more gritty and grounded, Mission: Impossible zagged to what classic Bond always was: a globetrotting, fun, high action, insane stunt-filled series.  The key difference is that where the Bond actors would step aside for a stuntman (or stunt driver, or stunt pilot), Tom Cruise, more often than not, gets in there and does these amazing feats himself, and Fallout is no different; so much so in fact that to me the movie played more like a Bond Greatest Hits album than a Mission: Impossible film, which is fine by me.

Hate him all you want for whatever reason you want, I choose to respect Tom Cruise for this: he was an action star at 27, and is still an action star at 57, and while this may be the last Mission: Impossible movie with him in the lead, it looks like he’ll be an action star for at least a few more years.

All that said, and it’s hard to put my finger on exactly why, the script for Fallout feels like a step back compared to the last two films (not to mention my boy Jeremy Renner feels conspicuously absent).  However, I will still give it four stars because the action and stunts are more than big-screen worthy, and because the movie does reward long-time fans (making reference all the way back to the first, and yes, second one).

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Sorry to Bother You

Often times, when I find myself having to sit through a movie’s trailer dozens upon dozens of times (*COUGH*EighthGrade*COUGH*), I become resentful and refuse to see it on the principle of how annoyed I am, but in the case of Sorry to Bother You, I was always looking forward to it, just because it looked so refreshingly original, which it most definitely is.

In fact, not only is it an original script from writer/director Boots Riley, he also contributed a number of songs to the film’s soundtrack with his band, The Coup, so the whole project has a real homegrown vibe to it (but in a good way, not a crappy student film way).

Fair warning, the third act goes off the rails, which will divide people, but in terms of comedies with social commentary and satire, it’s the best I’ve seen since Ingrid Goes West (though the style of much of the satire is akin to the original Robocop, which, again, is a good thing).

It’s definitely not a movie for kids, and I’m sure it’ll piss some people off, but I enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to adults with brains.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Skyscraper

I know I’m not making a revelatory statement when I say that this movie is like if Die Hard and The Towering Inferno had a baby in Hong Kong.

In fact, it’s safe to say that not only do most people going to see this already know that, but the movie knows that they know that, and therefore delivers exactly that.

What I’m trying to say here is that the movie knows what it is: a fairly mindless yet relatively satisfying piece of popcorn entertainment.  Is it dumb?  Yes.  Is it as dumb as it could be?  No, and I appreciate that.

It’s nothing special, and you’re either on board or you’re not, but if you are, you’ll have a good time (and I even noticed and liked some of the music, which feels so rare these days).

Rating: ★★★½

 

The Equalizer 2

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m starting to get the sense that Antoine Fuqua is not a great action director, because though I think these movies are okay (largely because Denzel is Denzel), I have issues with both that hold me back from enjoying them as much as I theoretically think I should.

My major problem with the first one was I felt the “badassness” was way overwrought, and I thought the movie would have been better served by underplaying it a bit; but I guess be careful what I wish for, because the sequel swings the pendulum hard the other way, but overall I didn’t find the story as interesting as its predecessor, so, I don’t know.

There are some satisfying moments and plotlines, and I really can’t hate on the slower pace (and the James Bond-esque cold open was kind of nice), but, I can’t say I’ll be all that disappointed if they never announce an Equalizer 3.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Classic Movie Quinella – ‘RussellMania’: The Kurt Russell Marathon – Land of the Free

Another Super Bowl Saturday, another actor marathon at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers: Caged, Stallone Zone, Van Dammage, Burt Day, ‘HEY, ARNOLD!‘, and now, RussellMania 2018.

I had sky high hopes for this one, but for the first time in attending these events, I actually left fairly disappointed.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Kurt Russell, I love my new hat, and I got to see four movies I had never seen before (which I do place a certain value on), but overall it just wasn’t quite the same enjoyable ride I’ve become accustomed to over the past five years.

The man himself needs no introduction though, so let’s get into these movies.

 

Movie #1: Tango & Cash (1989)

Right off the bat, I was wrong.

Seeing as how this film lead off Stallone Zone (click the link to read the Tango & Cash review), I figured there was no way we’d see it again here, but, as I said, I was wrong.

I will say, it was interesting watching it again as a Kurt Russell movie rather than a Stallone movie, but I don’t really have anything more to say now than I did in 2014.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Movie #2: Breakdown (1997)

I remember my cousin putting this on once at my aunt and uncle’s house, probably around the time it first hit DVD (which was technology beyond my imagination at the time), only I don’t think I watched past the first half hour or so, so I never realized until seeing it on the big screen that Breakdown turns into an action movie by the end (spoilers?).

Before that though, the movie feels extremely Hitchcockian, so much so that you could believe it’s a remake of something Hitch actually made (though to my knowledge it is not and I’ll happily give full credit to writer/director Jonathan Mostow).  The story’s simple enough (I’d actually make a gentle comparison to The Belko Experiment, just in terms of imagining yourself in the same situation), and it doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming too twisty, which I appreciated.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste as to whether or not the third act works for you.  I’m okay with it, but I understand others feeling somewhat betrayed by it.

Either way though, I’d still say it’s solid.

Rating: ★★★½

 

Movie #3: Used Cars (1980)

Before Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale made one of the greatest movies of all time (review here), they had a string of less successful endeavors (I Wanna Hold Your Hand, 1941), culminating with 1980’s Used Cars (although they did write one of my favorite episodes of Kolchak: The Night Stalker).

Used Cars isn’t great, and its definitely a touch bloated, but it’s not without its charms.  For one thing, it’s Kurt’s first R-rated performance, which is interesting to see at odds with his still-lingering Disney good guy persona, and it’s got Jack Warden doing some classic one-actor-playing-twin-brothers schtick, and a good amount of the satirical humor still holds up today.

It also hearkens back to a time when comedy wasn’t strictly a bargain basement genre and studios weren’t afraid to throw in a little more production value when necessary, even for an non-family friendly comedy.

Not everybody will fully enjoy Used Cars because it’s such a product of its time, but for me, that’s why I found it interesting and why I’d give it another watch someday.

Rating: ★★★½

 

Movie #4: Executive Decision (1996)

Speaking of the kinds of movies that don’t get made anymore, let’s talk Executive Decision (which is one I was hoping for, for better or worse).

Stuff like this just has a certain je ne sais quoi that feels missing from Hollywood of the present (the fact that it was made pre-9/11 definitely has something to do with that).  It’s not like we have a dearth of action movies these days, but Executive Decision takes itself seriously in both story and tone where a movie today would have a wink and a nod (it’s no surprise that the last similar example I can think of, Behind Enemy Lines, was also a story by Jim and John Thomas).

I think it’s fair to say that Kurt plays against type here, at least relative to the “action man” roles he was known for at the time, but, even in a lame tuxedo and nerdy spectacles, he’s still cooler than we could ever dream of being.

“All-star cast” may be a stretch (it’s no Airport ’77), but, at the time, Executive Decision certainly had a mix of experienced pros and hot up-and-comers (most notably Halle Berry).  Given that it’s a 90s action movie, I’ll say everyone does a fine job.

That said, let’s call it what it is, “Die Hard on a plane.”

Still worth a watch though, just get comfortable.

Rating: ★★★½

 

Movie #5: Escape from L.A. (1996)

This is not how I wanted the day to end.

I don’t want to merely compare this movie to Escape from New York, but I don’t think it leaves you with much of a choice.

Honestly, Escape from L.A. is depressingly bad in comparison to its predecessor.  New York was a low-budget underdog that managed to find an audience and punch a bit above its weight class.  It stands on its reputation more so than its actual quality, but at the same time it was a fairly progressive movie in terms of film-making, what with the use of the Panaglide (an early “cousin” of the Steadicam) and new techniques that allowed Dean Cundey to shoot many city blocks deep using only streetlamps for lighting; not to mention how the film allowed Kurt Russell to truly pivot away from his Disney comedy roots.

On the other hand, L.A. is essentially The Asylum version of New York, with a copy-and-paste script, horrendous CGI effects, and terribly cheesy performances.  In fact, the only element you can point to as being better than the original is the fact that they shot a scene at the real L.A. Coliseum, but the movie is still so terrible that it doesn’t even matter.

Escape from L.A. is awful, it was rightfully a box office bomb, and if you truly love Escape from New York, you should never ever watch it.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

 

So, there you have it.  Not the best day, but definitely not all bad.  Just kind of middling, and therefore not what I expected given Kurt’s body of work.

I guess they can’t all be winners.

 

This hat though, this hat is a winner.