New Releases:
The Marvels – Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau.
Expectations: Clearly, the shine and lustre has been coming off of the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days but I’m still in and I’m excited for Canadian actress Iman Vellani to get her big screen debut after the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. The storyline looks like a lot of fun, with each hero’s powers being directly connected to each other and I relish at the chance of more Nick Fury because Sam Jackson just owns this role. I also have a feeling that the mutants, A.K.A. the X-Men, may have something to do with this film.
The Holdovers – Nobody likes teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) — not his students, not his fellow faculty, not the headmaster, who all find his pomposity and rigidity exasperating. With no family and nowhere to go over the Christmas holiday in 1970, Paul remains at school to supervise students unable to journey home. After a few days, only one student holdover remains — a trouble-making 15-year-old named Angus, a good student whose bad behavior always threatens to get him expelled. Joining Paul and Angus is head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph)-an African American woman who caters to sons of privilege and whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam. These three very different shipwrecked people form an unlikely Christmas family sharing comic misadventures during two very snowy weeks in New England. The real journey is how they help one another understand that they are not beholden to their past-they can choose their own futures.
Expectations: I am a huge fan of writer and director Alexander Payne’s work and especially of his previous film with Giamatti in the lead, Sideways, one of the best films of 2004. This film seems to lean into the best thing about the actor, his ability to command an unlikable character and with Payne’s biting scripts, this seems like a great union. It’s great to see this brilliant filmmaker get back to what we loved about his work after the pretty out there comedy Downsizing from 2017.
The Killer – A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.
Expectations: Michael Fassbender plays a world class hitman in the new David Fincher film and you best believe I am angry that I didn’t get to see this film in a limited release in theaters or get an advance look at it before going on air. That said, I am so excited for the first new thing since Mank and the reviews are glowing for this thriller, being called the “Fincher-est Fincher film yet. Yeah, I’m damn excited.
Blu-Ray:
Gran Turismo: Based On A True Story – Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.
Review: I went into this film with lowered expectations as it was a Playstation-produced film and the latest from Neill Blomkamp who had been on a downslump before its release. I was absolutely blown away by it, a fun and exhilarating action ride with an immersive style of depicting the races and characters we could actually root for. David Harbour is a gem as always and Archie Madekwe really arrives as a great leading actor. I really didn’t know the true story behind all of this and I thought it was totally awesome, highly recommended.
It Lives Inside – Sam, an Indian-American teen, lives in an idyllic suburb with her conservative mother and her assimilated father. Sam’s cultural insecurities grow due to her estranged friend, Tamira, who mysteriously carries around an empty mason jar all the time. In a moment of anger, Sam breaks Tamira’s jar and unleashes an ancient Indian demonic force that kidnaps Tamira. Sam searches for Tamira, following the trail of a young man who performed a deadly ritual, until the demonic entity starts targeting her, murdering her boyfriend and shattering her reality with terrifying visions. Sam must band together with her parents and a sympathetic teacher to save Tamira and put an end to the terror of the demon.
Review: Shot in Vancouver, this has Blumhouse horror written all over it but when the “bump in the night” starts to reveal itself, the scares become scarce. This isn’t to say the film is overly scary in it’s entirety and makes for a good beginner horror as it has minimal blood to it as well. I have to praise actress Megan Suri, who I also liked in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever. She plays the horror lead quite well.
Scrapper – This vibrant and inventive father-daughter comedy follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a resourceful 12-year-old girl who secretly lives alone in her flat in a working class suburb of London following the death of her mother. She makes money stealing bikes with her best friend Ali (Alin Uzun) and keeps the social workers off her back by pretending to live with an uncle. Out of nowhere, her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson; Triangle of Sadness, Beach Rats) arrives and forces her to confront reality. Uninterested in this sudden new parental figure, Georgie is stubbornly resistant to his efforts. As they adjust to their new circumstances, Georgie and Jason find that they both still have a lot of growing up to do.
Review: Smart, funny and full of charm, Campbell and Dickinson absolutely shine in this sweetheart of a drama. Debuting writer and director Charlotte Regan makes such textured characters here that you want to get behind them immediately and are rooting for them from the get go. I will say that there were some emotional beats in the end that totally got me.
Scrooged 4K – Francis Xavier Cross is a cynical, mean spirited television executive, he treats his loyal assistant with contempt. He just sacked a member of staff on Christmas Eve for simply disagreeing with him, and he’s alienated himself from his brother who still insists on inviting Frank to Christmas dinner despite him refusing to go every year. However, Frank is forced to learn the true meaning of Christmas when he’s visited by three ghosts.
Review: I haven’t revisited this film in years but this 4K is an early Christmas gift for sure because it reminded me that it is possibly one of the greatest holiday films ever made. It’s my favorite version of the Dickens classic, exudes cinematic charm like only Richard Donner could and is one of Bill Murray’s best performances. I could also go on and on about the supporting cast, including a scene stealing performance from the iconic Bobcat Goldthwait. This movie is an absolute gem.
Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:
The Fastest Gun Alive – Whenever it becomes known how good he is with guns, ex-gunman George and his wife Dora have to flee the town, in fear of all the gunmen who might want to challenge him. Unfortunately, he again spills his secret when he’s drunk. All citizens swear to keep his secret and support him to give up his guns forever — but a boy tells the story to a gang of wanted criminals. Their leader threatens to burn down the whole town, if he doesn’t duel him.
Review: A based on a true story western from writer and director Russell Rouse, a genre chameleon who also made the noir thriller The Thief and the classic romantic comedy Pillow Talk, I think I geeked out more on the fact that major Twin Peaks player Russ Tamblyn plays a main role. It’s also fascinating that lead star Glen Ford, a known drunk at the time who alongside co-star Broderick Crawford would get blackout drunk every night after filming, went full method on the fastest gun draws and got quick and accurate as the days went by. Alec Baldwin has stated that this is one of his favorite performances of all time.
Helen Of Troy – Prince Paris of Troy, shipwrecked on a mission to the king of Sparta, meets and falls for Queen Helen before he knows who she is. Rudely received by the royal Greeks, he must flee…but fate and their mutual passions lead him to take Helen along. This gives the Greeks just the excuse they need for much-desired war.
Review: This film became notable when I read up on it and saw that legendary filmmaker Sergio Leone was one of the second-unit directors, five years before his directorial debut The Colossus of Rhodes and a good experience on this American film because he was able to communicate directly with director Robert Wise since both could speak French. As for the movie itself, I feel like I was spoiled by Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy because I kept thinking about it while I watched this one. It is notable for being the first film to get what was termed a “global premiere” as it premiered in fifty six countries.
The Last Time I Saw Paris – Charles Wills returns to Paris to reminisce about the life he led there after it was liberated. He worked then for “Stars and Stripes” when he met both Marion and Helen Ellswirth. He soon married and was happy staying in Paris after his discharge. While working for a news organization, Charlie began to write the great novel that would come between him, his wife, and his daughter.
Review: Rolling out some young Liz Taylor in this brand new blu-ray edition of a classic 1954 romantic drama but not only that, it is also the theatrical debut of future James Bond, Roger Moore. Interestingly enough, like a handful of MGM films in the 1950s, this movie is actually public domain and could be distributed by anyone who made a copy of it. THe film itself is clearly built around the star and is a bit shallow, given the aging of it over seventy years. One this is clear though Taylor was the definition of a star.
Television:
For All Mankind: Season 4 (AppleTV+) – In an alternative 1969, the world, and especially the United States, watch in shock as the Soviet Union successfully manages to land men on the Moon before the USA does. With that defeat, NASA is presented with a renewed challenge in the space race that they never expected to face. Now, the cold war rivalry takes on a new intensity and grander ambition to reach far further than ever dreamed and with more diverse resources than ever before.
Expectations: As usual with a lot of AppleTV+ programs, I find myself playing catch up when a series is unexpectedly good and entering its second, third and fourth season but this is one that friends online have been really loving. It is right up my alley because I love a good alternate reality and the idea that the Russians beat the Americans in any kind of world race is fascinating, especially given our current times. I also love the cast because I’ve been a big Joel Kinnamen guy since The Killing and Nate Cordrry was an original podcast guest of mine. I’m slowly making my way through the backlog but I will say the show gets better and better plus it was created by Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore.
The Curse (Paramount+) – The series is a genre-bending drama series that explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their new HGTV show.
Expectations: Starring Nathan Fielder, Emma Stone and Benny Safdie, this co-production between Showtime and A24 is getting some stellar reviews and I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. Combining Fielder’s awkward and cringe inducing style with the known talents of his co-stars is a recipe for brilliance and I love that it crosses into horror as that is my jam. I’m hoping this is the breakout hit to close 2023 and I don’t think I’m far off base with that.
Steve Stebbing 