Steve Stebbing

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Aug 31

stevestebbing

August 31, 2023

New Releases:

The Equalizer 3 – Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

Expectations: As a big fan of the first Equalizer film, I have to preface my thoughts on this third one by saying that I really disliked the second installment and don’t really see this follow-up being earned. Still, Denzel is always a great presence on the big screen and sequels are definitely not his regular jam as Equalizer 2 was the first one he ever did. He must love doing this Robert McCall role and dispatching bad guys effortlessly. Those parts are really cool to see and probably the highlight of each film. I also like that there is a Man On Fire reunion in this film with Denzel and co-star Dakota Fanning.

Blu-Ray & DVD:

The Flash – A bolt of lightning strikes Barry Allen and thus, an extraordinary power is born inside him: The Speed Force. When he uses this power to run back in time and save his mother, he creates a world without heroes and General Zod has returned. To defeat him, his only hope rests in the hands of a retired Batman, another Barry and an imprisoned Kryptonian.

Review: This might be easily my most disappointing movie of the year as well as one of my most hated ones which is so depressing as it took so long for it to come out and it featured the return of a childhood favourite in Michael Keaton’s Batman. I will admit that the emergence of Supergirl was cool as well but once the film brings both back, it has no idea what to do with them. This film is a struggle thoroughly. Bad CGI, a script that struggles to find a tone throughout and a purely unlikable performance from Ezra Miller in a dual role hamper the film constantly through its almost two-and-a-half-hour run time.

No Hard Feelings – In the enigmatic town of Montauk, New York, Maddie, a struggling Uber driver facing dire financial circumstances, stumbles upon an intriguing Craigslist ad. Responding to the cryptic posting, she enters into an unconventional arrangement with secretive parents who harbour concerns about their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy. In a secret pact, Maddie agrees to immerse herself in Percy’s life, delving into a world where dating and intimacy are foreign concepts. Little does she know the enigmatic path that awaits her as she embarks on this mysterious journey to guide Percy toward adulthood while grappling with her own uncertainties.

Review: Judging from the trailers, I wasn’t sure what to think of this raunchy comedy but I knew Jennifer Lawrence put her all into every film so I kept an open mind. The result was a very funny film that highlights the Academy Award winner’s comedic chops, wears its burgeoning heart and soul on its sleeve and the whole show almost gets stolen by her young co-star, Andrew Barth Feldman, who is an absolute delight every moment he is on screen. The movie makes some bold choices and has one unforgettable fight scene on a beach and I think is one of the more underrated ones to hit the box office this year. Hopefully, with VOD and streaming, the film gets some distance through word of mouth.

Blue Bloods: Season 13 – The series follows the lives of the NYPD’s First Family of Law Enforcement: the Reagans. Frank, the Police Commissioner and son of former PC Henry Reagan must balance his duties of running the largest police force in the world and being his kids’ boss. His daughter Erin is an Assistant District Attorney, son Danny is a senior detective and fellow Marine Veteran, and new Harvard Law grad turned cop, Jamie all swirl through this family drama and passionately defend their city from harm. The Irish-American family is deeply rooted in their patriotism, passion, and love of family.

Review: Unlucky season thirteen rolls in this week and it actually saw the return of former regular cast member Jennifer Esposito to her role of Jackie Curatola in a guest starring capacity, which is a bonus for me as I really liked her character. Let’s face it though, the series draw is all about Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg who bring it every time they are on screen. This is sort of like your regular run-of-the-mill Law & Order procedural but the Reagan family dynamics keep each season pretty engaging.

Smiling Friends: Season 1 – Smiling Friends Inc. is a small company whose main purpose is to bring happiness and make people smile. The series follows the day-to-day lives and misadventures of its representatives, the lazy, cynical Charlie, and the cheerful, optimistic Pim, as they try to cheer up and comfort the troubled people who call their company’s hotline. They receive seemingly simple requests but the jobs turn out to be more complicated than they seem, making it difficult to bring happiness to the world.

Review: Adult Swim strikes again with another delightfully weird piece of animation and this one will appeal to the niche viewers who love stuff like Superjail or Mr. Pickles. You know, the downright deranged stuff. It comes from the mind of Michael Cusack, an Australian creator who recently brought his brand to Hulu and Disney+ with Koala Man, a hysterical little series. I really love it but take that for what it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3_Ii6IxCJI

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Champions – Woody Harrelson stars in the hilarious and heartwarming story of a former minor-league basketball coach who, after a series of missteps, is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that, despite his doubts, this team can go further than they ever imagined.

Review: I will admit, that this movie had bad reviews so I went into it with a chip on my shoulder and I ended up really liking it. I’ve been done in some of the solo work of the Dumb And Dumber and There’s Something About Mary directing duo, the Farrelly brothers, but Woody wins me over in this alongside his very funny team players and a great romantic role for It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olsen who is honestly incapable of phoning it in. Ingire the slights on this one, I had fun with it.

River Wild – Joey (Leighton Meester) fears there could be trouble ahead after her brother Gray (Taran Killam) invites Trevor (Adam Brody), a childhood friend with a troubled past, on their whitewater rafting adventure with two tourists. Once they become stranded in raging rapids, the thrill-seeking trip quickly turns from exciting to utterly terrifying as the rafters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives, all while someone seems intent on sabotaging to ensure shocking secrets stay buried. To survive the wild river, Joey will have to face her fears, and everyone will have to develop killer instincts before they’re torn apart by deception aboard the raft, or by deadly waters wreaking havoc all around them.

Review: This film got me in two ways as, one, I am a huge fan of Curtis Hanson’s original film, starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn and John C. Reilly, and, two, it stars two people from the 2000s teen dramas, The OC’s Adam Brody and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester. Fun addition to that, they are actually married in real life. Now, this is not a direct remake at all, just a film that sort of uses that same energy and makes Brody, against type, play the menacing bad guy. That said, I actually enjoyed the film quite a bit once I was able to separate it from the pre-established film I know. I would say that the performances against the white water rafting peril is what got me and it would be a really tough story to completely screw up in my opinion.

Nuclear Now – The movie, narrated by Oliver Stone, promotes nuclear power as a safe and viable solution to combat climate change by replacing fossil fuels. Stone predicts a significant increase in global electricity demand in the next three decades and suggests mass-producing nuclear power plants to meet this growing need for low-carbon energy. He argues that recycling, electric cars, and eco-friendly products are merely superficial attempts by the middle class to feel good and that they won’t make a substantial impact on the climate. The scriptwriters also accuse the anti-nuclear movement of associating nuclear power with nuclear weapons, thus instilling a deep-seated fear of this energy source. Additionally, they imply that the oil and gas industry has been funding campaigns against nuclear power.

Review: Being a huge fan of his narrative work, Oliver Stone is one of those cinema gods to me and has been since I was an early movie aficionado but as an adult, I’ve scrutinized some of his historical beliefs, political beliefs and social commentaries as he can some times have, well, a wide range of ideas. This one is really fascinating though because it centers around a resource that is pivotal to our world, both in use and execution. The energy battle, especially now, may make or break our world so to have open and frank discussions on how our kids are going to survive and how they will power things is crucial. Stone knows the conversation and knows what questions to ask, making this film really important and I wish it got more of a mainstream push, honestly.

Television:

One Piece (Netflix) – An alternate version of Earth, and one that is currently in the midst of the ‘Golden Age of Pirates’. Ruthless cut-throat pirates rule the seas, and only the strongest have the chance to lay claim to the mythical treasure known as ‘One Piece’ that was left behind by the greatest pirate of them all, Gold Roger. Years after the death of Gold Roger, a young boy by the name of Monkey D. Luffy has dreams of raising his own crew, finding One Piece, and declaring himself as Pirate King. After eating a devil fruit that grants Luffy the power to make his body like rubber, it gives him enormous strength and agility. When Luffy finally comes of age, he sets sail from Foosha Village in East Blue and sets upon his grand adventure to become the next Pirate King.

Review: A hit with anime fans of all ages for a long time now, Netflix has now put this into live-action form, ahead of the adaptation of Avatar The Last Airbender and after their version of Cowboy Bebop which they sadly cancelled, so I’m sure expectations are high for it. I myself found it a little hard to get into as I don’t have the history of the show to lean on but I am more than willing to give it more than a few episodes because it is colourful, beautifully shot and my kid is getting really into the story.

The Wheel Of Time: Season 2 (Prime Video) – Moiraine, a member of a magical organization, takes five young people on a journey, believing that one of them might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to save the world or destroy it.

Expectations: Based on a popular fantasy book series from author Robert Jordan, I have to sadly admit that I was late to this series and just started the first season in anticipation of this new follow-up. To be honest, with the spending on the Lord Of The Rings series, I thought Prime Video would make this show dead in the water like Carnival Row but here we are, more episodes with the badass Rosamund Pike. She is really the draw to the show and the killer action and not shying away from gore make the whole thing really entertaining. Hopefully, they can keep it all afloat with these new episodes.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Aug 24

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August 24, 2023

New Releases:

Gran Turismo – 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.

Expectations: Sony Playstation rolls out their second feature film based on one of their popular titles after Uncharted and this one is special because it is an adaptation of one of their original games from when their first system launched. The supporting cast is very likeable, with Stranger Things star David Harbour, former Legolas, Orlando Bloom, all around the young British star, Archie Madekwe, known to horror fans because of Ari Aster’s Midsommar. I want to have faith that this is an entertaining film but I worry about the muddled nature of the storytelling as it comes from director Neill Blomkamp who has stumbled notably since his debut with District 9 in 2009. Hopefully, this will put him back on top with a whole new blockbuster rejuvenation.

Dreamin’ Wild – This film, the true story of love and redemption, is about what happened to singer/songwriter Donnie Emerson and his family when the album he and his brother recorded as teens was rediscovered after thirty years of obscurity and was suddenly hailed by music critics as a lost masterpiece. While the album’s rediscovery brings hopes of second chances, it also brings long-buried emotions as Donnie, his wife Nancy, brother Joe, and father Don Sr. come to terms with the past and their newly found fame.

Review: This film is a winning true story music-driven film that satisfies with great performances from the entire cast with Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe and Jack Dylan Grazer leading the way. An interesting story about a young talent that was kept hidden by so many conflicting elements and the juxtaposition of being appreciated for it decades later. It also raises the fascinating notion of the rediscovery of unappreciated art of the past. Really enjoyed this one.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! – Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who’ve always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. However, things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.

Review: Adam Sandler lands with his latest Netflix original movie and this time it’s a family affair with wife Jackie Sandler playing a supporting role and daughter Sunny shouldering the leading weight instead of her father. That said, this might be the most cohesive film he has released since Uncut Gems for sure and it is all from the sheer heart and likability displayed from the start. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I really love this movie and I hope it gets popular.

Vacation Friends 2 – Picking up a few months after the end of “Vacation Friends,” this uproarious sequel finds newly married couple Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) inviting their uninhibited besties Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), who are also newly married and have a baby, to join them for a vacation when Marcus lands an all-expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean resort. His reason for traveling there in the first place is to meet with the owners of the resort to bid on a construction contract for a hotel they own in Chicago. But when Kyla’s incarcerated father Reese (Steve Buscemi) is released from San Quentin and shows up at the resort unannounced at the worst possible moment, things get out of control, upending Marcus’ best laid plans and turning the vacation friends’ perfect trip into total chaos.

Expectations: The first film, when I initially saw the trailer, looked like a bottom of the barrel crude comedy that Fox and Disney didn’t see having the clout for a theatrical release and they were sort of right. I definitely don’t see this movie making box office waves but I thought it was pretty funny and that rests on the broad shoulders of John Cena who is pretty hysterical. Do I see his character having enough comedic muscle to carry a sequel? I definitely don’t want to count him out and I will be watching for sure!

Blu-Ray:

The Blackening – The film centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherfu**in’ game. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

Expectations: Horror comedy is a genre that will always have a warm place in my cinematic heart and when they pull at tropes that are solidified in how we look at slasher films, well, that gets me even more. The setup is all here but the unpredictability and winks to the audience will surely be what wins audiences over and if it is all executed right we could have a runaway hit, much like the writers of this film’s previous work, Girl’s Trip.

You Hurt My Feelings – Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a popular writer, and her husband Don, a well-liked teacher, share the kind of relationship that truly, seriously, for the love of God cannot be real: that is, they’re actually in love. Even after decades of marriage, parenting, and their own successful careers, their physical spark has somehow not diminished; in fact, they seem to relish the opportunity to share a single ice cream cone and drive others — including their son, Charlie — mad. Should it come as a surprise then that his own marriage is in crisis? But when Beth discovers that Don has been untruthful to her about his opinion of her work for years — Beth’s world comes crashing down. Has their whole relationship been one Big Fat Lie?

Review: On the surface, this looks like a film about rich New York intellectuals going through a tiff in their long marriage but writer and director Nicole Holofcener manages to craft a relatable story that can fit into any romantic relationship. With a deft character-driven nuance, this film navigates the unspoken thoughts that exist in relationships, the white lies or dismissive support that is sometimes given and the hurt that comes from the revealing of the truth. Dreyfuss and her counterpart Tobias Menzies play this film with a veteran’s touch that makes it not only believable but makes us root for their relationship and mental health.

Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar – Picking up after the heroic rescue of Toki Wartooth, this new story finds Dethklok frontman Nathan Explosion traumatized in a brutal professional and romantic flat-spin all while he is tasked with fulfilling the prophecy and confronting the ultimate songwriting challenge: write the Song Of Salvation and save the planet. Can Nathan Explosion look beyond his brutally damaged ego to save his band, stop the Metalocalypse, and finally face the ultimate evil: Salacia?

Review: As a forever Metalocalypse fan, the mere announcement of this new movie sent me over a blood moon with excitement but those who aren’t clued into the blood-soaked and death metal-driven hilarity may just be left in the dark on this one. What other show about a fake band has spawned a real band that still tours to this day? Heck, there’s even a tour right now featuring Babymetal which seems amazing. As for the movie? If you love these guys then it’s just par for the course. So, throw your devil horns in the air and headbang to Dethklok… or die!

NCIS: Season 20 – Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs leads a group of colourful personalities in investigating crimes — ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism — that have evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The team includes MIT graduate Timothy McGee, Ellie Bishop, who specializes in international threat assessment, charismatic and unpredictable Nick Torres, and forensic psychologist Jack Sloane. Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard brings his vast experience in forensics into play to help solve cases.

Review: Twenty years his show has been going for? Yes, the Boomers have definitely been keeping this and the other spinoffs from JAG alive but New Orleans ended its course a couple of years ago, and Los Angeles ended its run this past year, so what is keeping this one afloat? The original lead star, Mark Harmon, has already shuffled off into retirement with his character Gibbs, after a reveal of on-set nastiness, and now Gary Cole is the leading man and I kind of love that. It honestly could keep the show going for another handful of years. That complete series box set is going to be massive though.

Steve’s 4K & DVD Geekouts:

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 4K – Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, “borrows” a Ferrari and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris’ trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act.

Review: One of my favourite movies ever made gets its full 4K treatment and it looks just gorgeous. Does the movie still hold up? Definitely, still one of the best high school comedies of all time and another brick in the incredible film foundation that John Hughes left us with. Broderick, Ruck and Sara are an endearing and iconic trio that was pitch-perfect in their casting and there are so many scenes that stick in my mind when I relive this classic. It’s a great addition to anyone’s collection and if you’ve never seen it before, that must be rectified immediately.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?: Ghost Island – Four best friends and members of a Midnight Society get more than they bargained for when what they think is a fun summer vacation on a resort island turns into something sinister.

Review: Resurrected a while back by Nickelodeon, this original Canadian American horror anthology that chilled us all a teens has been pretty consistent in it’s return. I loved the kick off to it with Rafael Casal’s villainous top hat character and it has managed to stay consistent with this new season. This is purely gateway horror for the kids and, like me, it will prepare them to be total genre fans.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Complete Series – New York City has become the threshold for the crime lord Shredder and his evil associates, such as the genius Baxter Stockman and Hun’s gang of brutal street punks, the Purple Dragons. After fifteen years of living and training in the safe cover of the sewers, it’s time for Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo to venture topside and battle these threats to the city. With the help of their Sensei, Master Splinter, and other allies such as April O’Neil and Casey Jones, the four lean green brothers are in for the fight of their lives if they are to defeat their nemesis.

Review: For those keeping track, this is my second complete series for the Turtles, my last one being the computer-animated version from 2012. Now, this one isn’t the original version I grew up on but this is a pretty solid series of the New York sewer-dwelling heroes and it did last seven seasons and over a hundred and fifty episodes which is very impressive. I dig that a lot of the storylines were taken from the original Mirage comic book, giving it an authenticity that has been lost over the years in varying degrees.

Television:

Ahsoka (Disney+) – After the fall of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

Review: A brand new Star Wars series arrives on the big Mouse streaming service and it is definitely the most heady of all the shows produced so far so a deep knowledge of everything in this universe is more than recommended to get a good foothold into the story. Lots across the internet are calling the first couple of episodes a bit of a snooze but I’m loving every second of it. Rosario Dawson is so commanding as Ahsoka Tan, like she was born to play it, and all of the villains are so formidable. I cannot wait to continue through it but am sad to have to go week to week for it. Also, rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. What a presence he was in this.

Invasion: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens humanity’s existence; events unfold in real-time through the eyes of five ordinary people across the globe as they struggle to make sense of the chaos unravelling around them.

Expectations: I was honestly surprised with the pick up of this sci-fi thriller for a second season as the first season felt so slow burn that I was unsure if it would catch on. Some of the main cast is a reason why I checked it out, with the great Sam Neill playing a retiring small-town sheriff and the beautiful and intriguing
Golshifteh Farahani as a mother trying to keep her family protected during a global alien takeover. The story may be a little slight and formulaic but I expect it will take off in this new season. Well, it really needs to or it will certainly face cancellation.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Aug 10

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August 10, 2023

New Releases:

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter – Based on a single chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel Dracula, the story is set aboard the Russian schooner Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo – twenty-four unmarked wooden crates – from Carpathia to London. The film will detail the strange events that befell the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a terrifying presence on board the ship. When it finally arrived near Whitby Harbour, it was derelict. There was no trace of the crew.

Expectations: We get our second Dracula film of 2023 this week, although this one is very different from the modern comedy horror of Renfield from a couple of months ago. With the stylistic eye of Troll Hunter writer and director André Øvredal, we might have a solid low-key chiller on our hands, featuring cinematography from Clint Eastwood’s usual guy, Tom Stern, and a score from the great Bear McCreary. Øvredal described this movie as basically Alien on a ship in 1897, so based on that description alone, I’m in it for some fun.

Heart Of Stone -An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon.

Expectations: Gal Gadot steps back into the very familiar shoes of an action hero for her second Netflix feature after she teamed with Ryan Reynolds and The Rock for Red Notice. The film comes from director Tom Harper, known for the pretty solid air balloon true story on Prime Video, The Aeronauts, but, most notably, the music-driven indie drama Wild Rose which features a phenomenal Jessie Buckley Performance so I have good thoughts invested in this action thriller. With a string of okay-to-solid genre films recently, The Mother and Extraction 2, it might be a safe bet to say that this might be a worthy watch on your weekend.

The Pod Generation – Set in the very near future world where AI is all the rage and technology has trumped nature in nearly every aspect of life, The Pod Generation follows Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith. And so, begins the wild ride on their tech-paved path to parenthood.

Expectations: Although a science fiction-based futuristic story, the ideas presented in this film are not that far off from how this is trending with technology so the far-fetched nature sometimes exhibited in the genre is not present here. I’m a fan of Clarke’s work on Game Of Thrones but I can’t say she’s done anything amazing afterward Chiwetel’s a massive draw for me, as the guy brings it to every role. The biggest excitement for me about this film is it is from the mind of writer and director Sophie Barthes, whose film Cold Souls is one of the most meta films I have ever seen and might be the most underrated movie of 2009. With her weird idiosyncrasies, this might be another underrated masterpiece that audiences might sleep on.

Aporia – Since losing her husband Mal (Edi Gathegi) in a drunk-driving incident, Sophie (Judy Greer) has struggled to manage crippling grief, a full-time job, and the demands of parenting her devastated teenage daughter (Faithe Herman). When her husband’s best friend Jabir (Payman Maadi), a former physicist, reveals that he has been building a time-bending machine that could restore her former life, Sophie will be faced with an impossible choice–and unforeseeable consequences.

Review: At the top of this well-constructed, thoughtful and unpredictable drama with seasonings of sci-fi, I was cheering inside for another chance to see Judy Greer dig into that character actor bucket of hers. Paired with a soulful performance from the always-great Edi Gathegi, this movie does slow burn right and leaves you with a resonant story about hope and grief. A really unexpected hit with me and I hope it lands with a bigger audience.

Passages – Set in Paris, this seductive drama tells the story of Tomas (Franz Rogowski) and Martin (Ben Whishaw), a gay couple whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas begins a passionate affair with Agathe (Adele Exarchopoulos), a younger woman he meets after completing his latest film.

Review: Ira Sachs, one of my cinema MVPs, makes his return with a film that features one of the most gorgeous leading trios in a film this year. Whishaw has been a favourite of mine since 2004, with both Enduring Love and Layer Cake, Adele absolutely entranced me in Blue Is The Warmest Color and Franz has been a festival favourite since I started attending them, starting with the one-shot feature Victoria. This will be a slow-burn film among cinephiles everywhere but I highly recommend this well-told and beautifully shot film as it is one of the best in a year filled with incredible movies. I hope it doesn’t get lost in the crush of them.

Blu-Ray:

BlackBerry – A company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveal the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.

Review: A friend of mine called this film The Wolf Of Wall Street of Canadian Cinema and I love that term. Writer and director Matt Johnson was the perfect person to tell this story, also taking on the role of Research In Motion co-founder Doug, and the grainy look of the film and the fly-on-the-wall feel of it is directly attributed to him Glenn Howerton’s Jim Ballsilie is the big star of the film but Jay Baruchel’s understated then ferocious performance as founder Mike Lazaridis is so compelling to watch—definitely one of my favourite films of the year and a champion for Canadian movies.

The Wrath Of Becky – Three years after escaping a violent attack on her family by four Neo-Nazis, Becky and her beloved dog Diego live with a kind elderly woman named Elena Connor to rebuild her life. But when a fascist organization known as the “Noble Men” break into their home, attack both Becky and Elena and kidnap Diego, it’s up to Becky to fight back by returning to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones, rescue Diego, and uncover the Noble Men’s mastermind plans before it’s too late.

Review: Look, when you cast Kevin James in his first villain role as a neo nazi escaped convict, you have my attention but when you have a young girl dispatch him and his crew in gory fashion, well, you’ve got my fandom. Easy to say, I was psyched for this follow-up and I was satisfied with what I got, an older Becky pushed to the edge by a new group of assholes. Lulu Wilson kicks every ass around her in this hero whose glee for killing may thrust her into the anti-hero category. Even still, I could be totally swayed into watching a third film, hell, make a Becky cinematic universe at this point, I’m game.

The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster – Having developed a preposterous theory in her mind, precocious Vicaria, a teenager obsessed with the unknown after her brother’s brutal murder, dreams of solving the impossible problem of the ultimate disease: death. And having a penchant for science, the driven schoolgirl gets to work. After all, trying to find a cure for the plague is worth a shot. As a result, strange, logic-defying experiments occur in the brilliant young scientist’s secret lab. Has Vicaria made a pivotal breakthrough in death treatment? If the irreversible process is only an illusion, who can stop the angry black girl and her monster?

Review: A gripping horror story set against the backdrop of a violent and brutal neighbourhood, this film pulses with an energy that gets under your skin and has some jarring and unforgettable scenes of tragedy. Lead actress Laya DeLeon Hayes, also the main voice of Disney Junior’s animated hit Doc McStuffins, delivers a hell of a performance that runs that gamut of all dark emotion leading to an ending that sticks to your brainpan and demands unpacking. This may be one of the best lowkey horror films of the year in my opinion.

Night Of The Assassin – Joseon, the last and longest dynasty in Korea, spanned over 500 years and contained some of the greatest unrivalled assassins. One such assassin discovers he has a heart condition and must put his violent career aside while he searches for a cure. With a bounty on his head and an area gang barging into his village hide-out, he must again take up his sword and fight to survive.

Review: This film, at least in North America, is so hard to research before watching as the real title just lists as The Assassin and no search for Night Of The Assassin yields any results so I almost felt like Well Go USA had discovered some anomaly. Well, if they did, I wish they would have unearthed something better as this film seemed to disappoint on every level, a rare South Korean miss. The film feels goofy and slapstick ridden with a lame script, and a consistent struggle to find tone and hair and makeup that looked jarringly bad. Usually, I’m excited to check these movies out, especially the dynasty epics but this one tipped its hat pretty early.

1923 – The next installment of the Yellowstone origin story introduces a new generation of the Dutton family and explores the early twentieth century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression all plague the Mountain West and the Duttons who call it home.

Review: This prequel spin-off of the popular Kevin Costner series definitely has more legs than its predecessor, 1883, as, spoilers here, but pretty much everyone dies by the end of that one-season series. This show has the added power of Academy Award winner Helen Mirren in a prominent lead role and, a personal icon of mine, Harrison Ford in his first television series. The show does get caught up a bit in sweeping romance when it comes to the one son, Spencer, living abroad in Africa and his new bride there, but when it gets down to the gritty action, Taylor Sheridan always comes through. I’m really looking forward to what’s next after the cliffhanger at the end of this season.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Golden Gate – New FBI recruit Kevin Walker (Matt Dillon) is tasked with finding communists within San Francisco’s Chinatown. When Kevin comes up empty-handed, he is forced to produce results, leading to his indictment of Chen Jung Song (Tzi Ma), an innocent Chinese worker. This results in tragedy, and the guilt-ridden Kevin feels compelled to look out for Song’s beautiful daughter, Marilyn (Joan Chen). Though Kevin and Marilyn fall for each other, his past deception still hangs over his head.

Review: It’s two weeks in a row of Matt Dillon films in the Geekouts, thanks to the people at Moviezyng.com but this one is about a decade earlier and it doesn’t have him behind the camera as well. This time it’s future Academy Award nominee John Madden, five years before he would be the talk of the movie world with Shakespeare In Love. The film was written by David Henry Hwang, who made his made his mark in the industry the same year with the romantic drama M. Butterfly, directed by the legendary David Cronenberg, which kind of left this film as a forgotten little drama. I think this film is fascinating to watch now, blending this tale of human connection across cultures with the era-specific battles against communism and racism.

Stormy Monday – Brendan (Sean Bean) begins to work at a jazz joint in a seedy part of Newcastle, England, and soon develops a friendship with the establishment’s seemingly ethical owner, Finney (Sting). Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones), a crooked American businessman, arrives and attempts to force Finney into a shady deal involving the nightclub, but Brendan tries to keep his boss out of the suspicious agreement. Things are intensified when all three men compete for the affection of call girl Kate (Melanie Griffith).

Review: This film is definitely a buried gem but it comes from a time when Melanie Griffith was a queen of the era and dominated the genre market of crime dramas. The movie also has a killer cast of character players including an underappreciated at the time Tommy Lee Jones, rock star Sting and a young upstart British star in Sean Bean. Written and directed by one of the best and most underrated filmmakers, Mike Figgis, in his debut feature film, the story is a new sort of noir that carves its own path and lets the characters breathe along the way. As a guy who only discovered the film in 2023, I loved every moment of this one and hope this new Blu-ray will give it a bit of a resurgence.

Television:

Ladies First: A Story Of Women In Hip Hop (Netflix) – Recreates the role that the unstoppable women of hip-hop have played across the 50 years of this groundbreaking genre, putting them where they belong: at the heart of the present day.

Review: Netflix is getting me in that sweet spot this week as it’s hitting me not only with a new docuseries but it’s a music-centric one as well and I just adore those. This one is really cool as well as it follows the journey of women in hip hop from the ground floor with the originators in the late seventies, Salt n Pepa in the 80s through to the nineties with Queen Latifah, Foxy Brown and so on through to the influence women still exhibit in the genre today. I’m an easy sucker for all of this but any documentary fan can latch onto this one, maybe dispel some myths and learn more about these players in the music industry and not just what they did for music but the gender war as well.

Painkiller (Netflix) – This limited series exposes the roots of the most pressing health epidemic of the 21st century. Powerful narcotic painkillers, or opioids, were once used as drugs of last resort for pain sufferers. Purdue turned OxyContin into a billion-dollar blockbuster by launching an unprecedented marketing campaign claiming that the drug’s long-acting formulation made it safer to use than traditional painkillers for many types of pain. That illusion was quickly shattered as drug abusers learned that crushing an Oxy could release its narcotic payload all at once. Even in its prescribed form, Oxy proved fiercely addictive. As OxyContin’s use and abuse grew, Purdue concealed what it knew from regulators, doctors, and patients.

Review: Following Hulu and Disney+’s limited series Dopesick starring Michael Keaton, Netflix now takes a stab at the OxyContin story with the writers of the Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood making their debut as the showrunners. The cast is solid with Matthew Broderick playing Richard Sackler, the catalyst for the whole pharma-driven tragedy on the American people, as well as Uzo Aduba, Taylor Kitsch and West Duchovny in main roles and the pilot episode is a well-told dive into a sort of familiar story. It also helps that the veteran direction of Peter Berg for all six episodes drives a story that is fascinating on the surface anyways and just adds a new flavour to what you may have already seen.

Strange Planet (AppleTV+) – A look at a distant planet not unlike Earth, with hilarious yet poignant observations on life, love and friendship, as told in the most peculiar way.

Review: Based on a hilarious webcomic done by Nathan Pyle, this is something I never would think of getting a television series adaptation but here we are and, you know what? It’s pretty fun. Will it translate to a broader audience that has no connection to the origins of it? I think that is your harder sell as the whole idea, especially the way the dialogue flows, is nuanced to what. made the usually one to four-panelled comic work. I enjoy it but I also question the gamble with adapting this for a streaming service.

Only Murders In The Building: Season 3 (Disney+) – Follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

Review: One of my current favourite comedy shows is back for a new season and bringing some serious firepower in the guest star department with Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd. The chemistry with Martin, Short and Gomez is brilliant and it really gave me an appreciation for how talented Selena is in the genre as her deadpan deliveries are consistently hilarious. As a lifelong fan of both Steve Martin and Martin Short, I was an easy mark for this show but beyond that, it is one of the best-written shows on television today and always surprises and entertains. Can’t wait to see how this one will all turn out but I won’t go into specifics because of spoilers for new readers.

Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty: Season 2 (Crave) – Beginning with the arrival of Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the #1 overall pick of the 1979 draft, the Lakers played basketball with gusto and pizzazz, unleashing their famed “Showtime” run-and-gun style on a league unprepared for their speed and ferocity and became the most captivating show in sports and, arguably, in all-around American entertainment. The Lakers’ roster overflowed with exciting all-star-calibre players, including center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they were led by the incomparable Pat Riley, known for his slicked-back hair, Armani suits, and arrogant strut. Hollywood’s biggest celebrities lined the court and gorgeous women flocked to the arena. Best of all, the team was a winner. Between 1980 and 1991, the Lakers played in an unmatched nine NBA championship series, capturing five of them.

Expectations: Adam McKay has got himself yet another hit in the true story realm with this famed sports story of a benchmark in the history of the NBA under the ownership of a guy who had no idea of the mountain he was facing at the time. It’s a good thing this was a hit too because it cost his friendship with Will Ferrell over not being offered the chance to be involved. Beyond that behind-the-scenes drama, this show is really compelling with a great cast but I do wonder what the real people think about their stories being told because some of them definitely do not come off great.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Aug 3

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August 3, 2023

New Releases:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. Their new friend, April O’Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

Expectations: For the first time since 2007’s TMNT, the Turtles are back on the big screen in animated form and the anticipation for this movie is high, with some eye-popping style that is reminiscent of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. The voice cast around our four heroes is fantastic, including Jackie Chan, Paul Rudd, John Cena, Ayo Edibri and Seth Rogen, who also produced and co-wrote the film. Another cool thing about this film is that Leo, Donny, Raph and Mikey are all voiced by real teenagers, the first time this has been done with the characters, and, to me, that adds so much. This is going to be awesome.

Meg 2: The Trench – Get ready for the ultimate adrenaline rush this summer in a larger-than-life thrill ride that supersizes the first movie and takes the action to higher heights and even greater depths with multiple massive Megs and so much more. Dive into uncharted waters with Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as they lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time.

Expectations: Speaking of things that are going to be excellent, the first Meg film was way more fun than I expected it to be and now that we have a usually arthouse horror and thriller director Ben Wheatley helming this one, I think all bets are off. With bigger monsters, bigger stakes and Jason Statham defying all expectations, the trailer is an absolute blast and I think we will have a wild ride ahead of us. Giant shark movies for the win!

Shortcomings – Ben, a struggling filmmaker, lives in Berkeley, California, with his girlfriend, Miko, who works for a local Asian American film festival. When he’s not managing an arthouse movie theatre as his day job, Ben spends his time obsessing over unavailable blonde women, watching Criterion Collection DVDs, and eating in diners with his best friend Alice, a queer grad student with a serial dating habit. When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben is left to his own devices and begins to explore what he thinks he might want.

Review: The writing and directing debut of Randall Park, this film is a total win with a great script and smart and funny characters framed by great performances from Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola and Ally Maki. Meta in a lot of its delivery, the interesting this about the film is that it leads with a pretty unlikable character but one that is very unassuming of his lesser traits. This counteracts Chon’s onscreen likability as I always have enjoyed his work, especially on The Umbrella Academy.

A Compassionate Spy – Directed by two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself), the film is a gripping real-life spy thriller about controversial Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project and didn’t share his colleagues’ elation after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that a U.S. post-war monopoly on such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union. After the war, he met, fell in love with, and married Joan, a fellow student with whom he shared a passion for classical music and socialist causes and the explosive secret of his espionage. The pair raised a family while living under suspicion and years of FBI surveillance and intimidation. This film reveals the twists and turns of this real-life spy story, its profound impact on nuclear history, and the couple’s remarkable love and life together during more than fifty years of marriage.

Review: This new documentary is capitalizing on the fact that the Christopher Nolan-written and directed biopic was only released last week. So, with some of the Manhattan Project facts fresh in our mind, we get a story that is only slightly eluded to in that blockbuster film about leaking weapons secrets to the Soviets. The decision to do interviews along with dramatic re-enactment is one that I don’t agree with the story is interesting but that may be my residual Oppenheimer high from last week.

Blu-Ray:

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 – In the final part of their story, our beloved band of misfits is looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Review: Writer and director James Gunn closes his chapter in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe with a film brimming with heart and soul, so much so that if you didn’t leak a tear then I’m curious if you are a robot or not. I will contend that Guardians was the perfect trilogy contained within this expansive story and Gunn seemed to get the assignment every time and knock it out of the park. I also love that this is Rocket’s movie and every emotional beat lands with an incredible crescendo. This is one of 2023’s best, without a doubt.

About My Father – The film centers around Sebastian (Sebastian Maniscalco) who is encouraged by his fiancée (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant hairdresser father Salvo (Robert De Niro) to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family (Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, David Rasche). The weekend develops into what can only be described as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family.

Review: I have to say that my feelings for this comedy may come from a low bar being set for it, given De Niro’s comedy choices recently and the “comedians-centric” movies that have always been hit or miss. The film has to fight through its cliches and plot points that are completely predictable but there are some genuine laughs to be had in this movie and enough to elevate it to being a solid watch. Much like Jo Koy’s Easter Sunday, there was something about this movie that just won me over.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Best Seller – Police detective and successful author Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy) has not been able to write since his wife’s death and owes an overdue manuscript to the publisher. When corporate hitman Cleve (James Woods) proposes his life story as a book, Meechum suspects he is a fraud. However, Cleve has proof of his hits for executive David Madlock (Paul Shenar). While this convinces Meechum, it also endangers his daughter (Allison Balson), whom Madlock kidnaps to stop the story from coming out.

Review: It’s cool that Moviezyng.com hooked me up with this 1987-made action flick as it just celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary and it is a time portal to a different time of movies with very different ideas of a genre star. Yes, James Woods was at his early career peak and Brian Dennehy was in his F/X phase and the action section was filled with great gritty films. Both actors make this Larry Cohen script a hell of a lot of fun and it inadvertently led to Stallone calling director John Flynn to make Lock Up, another action favorite of mine at the time.

City Of Ghosts – Waiting for the heat to cool from a failed U.S. insurance scam, Jimmy (Matt Dillon) grows restless in Bangkok. When he hears rumours that his partner and mentor Marvin has surfaced in Cambodia, he sets off to get his promised cut. What he finds there is a mysterious and hostile environment where even the most polished criminal can end up on deadly ground. The further Jimmy gets in his search for Marvin, the deeper he plunges himself into a predicament from which he may not return.

Review: Matt Dillon’s debut as a writer and director in a feature film makes its debut on Blu-ray and I remember checking it out on DVD when it was originally released twenty years ago. Featuring a solid cast around him with James Caa, Stellan Skarsgard and Natascha McElhone, Dillon tells a pretty well-told story against an exotic and interesting backdrop. The cinematography is the true MVP here, done by Jim Denault, the eye behind Boys Don’t Cry and The Grizzlies.

Diary Of A Hitman – A veteran hitman, Dekker (Forest Whitaker) is ready to call it quits and leave the profession. Dekker’s final job, however, proves to be trickier than expected when the sadistic Zidzyck (Lewis Smith) recruits the assassin to kill his wife, Jain (Sherilyn Fenn), along with the couple’s baby. While Dekker has a change of heart and resolves not to shoot Jain and her child, his decision places all their lives in danger, since Zidzyck has dispatched another killer to perform the task.

Review: Dipping back to an action drama from 1991, this was also a Forest Whitaker blindspot for me, as well as a Sherilyn Fenn one as I’m a huge Twin Peaks fan as well. The film has that early 90s noir grit to it that benefits from having Forest’s gravitas, as well as a solid performance from Sharon Stone, just a year before she hit it big with Basic Instinct. I also like the added Twin Peaks connection of a quick cameo from Jim Belushi.

Television:

Physical: Season 3 (AppleTV+) – Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, the show is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin, a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband’s bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She’s also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image; that is until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics. At first, hooked on the exercise itself, Sheila’s real road to empowerment comes when she discovers a way to merge this newfound passion with the burgeoning technology of videotape to start a revolutionary business. The series tracks her epic journey from a stifled, overlooked enabler to a powerful, confident economic force, as Sheila transforms into someone we take for granted today but was entirely radical at the time- the female lifestyle guru.

Expectations: Rose Byrne is an absolute treasure, especially comedically, but this show loves to dabble on the razor’s edge of dark comedy. That said, I think it still plays to Rose’s dramatic side and her portrayal of Sheila is biting, pragmatic and oh-so awful to herself. This show, in a sea of other shows that seem plucked from other networks, is a crown jewel in quality from AppleTv+ and I think it is the show that is being seriously overlooked on a grand scale. If you love character-centric dramas with a funny bite to them, this is your bag for sure.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jul 27

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July 27, 2023

New Releases:

Haunted Mansion – A single mom named Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering ghosts inhabit it.

Expectations: Disney is taking a second attempt at making one of their storied theme park attractions into a movie following the 2003 Eddie Murphy film that didn’t do what they wanted business-wise. I’m mostly attracted to this film by the director, Dear White People’s Justin Simien, who hasn’t disappointed yet and is now saddled with a definite blockbuster. The cast is also awesome, featuring Sorry To Bother You’s Lakeith Stanfield and some legends in Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson and, a forever favourite, Danny Devito. Not much chatter about this one but it could be a low-key hit for Disney, a studio that really needs it at the moment.

The Beanie Bubble – Why did the world suddenly treat stuffed animals like gold? Ty Warner was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women grew his masterstroke of an idea into the biggest toy craze in history. “The Beanie Bubble” is an inventive story about what and who we value, and the unsung heroes whose names didn’t appear on the heart-shaped tag.

Review: Obviously, being a nineties kid, I knew about the obsession over Ty’s Beanie Babies but I really didn’t know the rabid degrees that the consumers when to in their quest to obtain the discontinued ones nor the story about Ty Warner, the founder of the company, played by an oddly beardless Zach Galifianakis in the film. The film is a solid comedy biopic with great performances and some really beautifully shot sequences. Another studio dump to streaming, this time on AppleTV+, but I think word of mouth will do it well.

Hidden Strike – Two ex-special forces soldiers must escort a group of civilians along Baghdad’s “Highway of Death” to the safety of the Green Zone.

Expectations: This is kind of the best surprise action comedy because it pairs legendary action star Jackie Chan and former WWE superstar and current “that guy’s in everything” star John Cena and, judging from the trailer, it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. I mean, a tanker truck backflip? You’ve got my money for that alone, gentleman. The film is one of those non-Netflix productions, produced by a Chinese company but directed by Need For Speed’s Scott Waugh so the action beats may be the reason to check this out. To be honest, Cena is a big draw for me as the guy improves every time I see him.

Theater Camp – Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) are lifelong best friends and drama instructors at a rundown camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech-bro Troy (Jimmy Tatro) arrives to run the property (into the ground), Amos, Rebecca-Diane and production manager Glenn (Noah Galvin) band together with the staff and students, staging a masterpiece to keep their beloved summer camp afloat.

Expectations: I want to get behind this new comedy musical but seeing Ben Platt’s face makes me have bad flashbacks to the movie version of Dear Evan Hansen, a truly awful experience. The point where I can hook back in si Molly Gordon, an actress who has currently surfaced on the hit series The Bear but also wrote and directed this film as well as starring alongside Platt. This movie definitely has potential but I’m still a little reserved on it.

Talk To Me – When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and opens the door to the spirit world forcing them to choose who to trust: the dead or the living.

Expectations: This is the dark horse of the week, a horror film from first-time writer and director brothers Danny and Michael Philippou with a story that seems a bit familiar in horror, pushing on the Monkey Paw tale. There are no big actors in this one, just a creepy tale from the glorious studio of A24, the people responsible for distributing some of my favourite films of the past decade. The festival buzz about this creepy movie has been bouncing around the internet since the beginning of the end and the trailer is super effective so I, as a huge horror fan, say “bring it on”. I want a best of 2023 for the genre and this may be it.

Kokomo City – In the wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City, Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver, who unapologetically break down the walls of their profession. Holding nothing back, the film vibrates with energy, sex, challenge, and hard-earned wisdom.

Review: A deeply personal film, shot in stark black and white, giving the spotlight to four people of a community that is mercilessly and relentlessly under attack by today’s society at its core. The four ladies are so fascinating, just as characters, and came across as so likable and lively that it is so easy to get on their side of the struggle. The film isn’t likely to get a lot of attention but I think it is one of the best docs I’ve seen in 2023.

Blu-Ray:

Book Club: The Next Chapter – The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

Expectations: After the “what the hell am I watching?” experience of 80 For Brady, I think I need a cooling off period before I jump into another Jane Fonda vehicle, especially this film that had a loathsome first film. I’m very aware that these films are written for a very specific age group but the construction of the first film felt so clunky that no one could elevate it. I do like that cast though as I adore Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen. All of this aside, this movie is definitely digging for that Mother’s Day market this weekend and will surely make some money.

Master Gardener – Deep within the lush grounds of Gracewood Gardens, horticulturist Narvel Roth tends to more than just plants. With a meticulous hand and unwavering devotion, he’s created an idyllic sanctuary for his demanding employer, Mrs. Haverhill. But when troubled great-niece Maya arrives seeking an apprenticeship, Narvel’s perfectly cultivated life begins to unravel, unearthing secrets from a violent past that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.

Review: Paul Schrader returns with another complex character drama that gives Joel Edgerton a career-best performance in a filmography full of them. Schrader’s gift of getting the audience to care so deeply for conflicted and tortured men is fully on display here again and supporting work from the great Sigourney Weaver and Black Adam actress Quintessa Swindell strengthens it all that much more. Like the usual outcome of the Taxi Driver writer’s films, I doubt it will be spoken about around Oscar time but at this point, it’s one that I’d have at the top of the best actor and original screenplay conversation.

Polite Society – A merry mash-up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

Review: A fun rush of martial arts action embedded in the story of two British Pakistani sisters living in Sheperd’s Bush that works for the most part. There start to be some unbelievable cliches and action tropes that feel forced from the teen comedy beats the main artery of the film is trying to pull from which start to dull the edges as you’re watching it. At the end of the film, it lands on being pretty entertaining but forgettable, even if it is a sweet lead role for The Umbrella Academy’s Ritu Arya.

Paint – Owen Wilson portrays Carl Nargle, Vermont’s #1 public television painter who is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke… until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves.

Expectations: There is no doubt at all that Wilson is channelling Bob Ross in this comedy, so this is as close as we will get to a biopic but that sort of wackiness is kind of my wheelhouse so I’m willing to excuse it’s bad review meter online. The film comes from a first-time writer and director in Brit McAdams but the veteran help of Wendi McClendon-Covey, Stephen Root and Michaela Watkins can’t hurt the whole situation and the story just seems so wacky and fun. It’s also great to see Owen explore some character work because I know he’s good at it.

Buddy Games: Spring Awakening – After the death of one of their own, Bobfather and the boys steal the urn and go on a trip to commemorate his life at the place where the Buddy Games began, but everything goes wrong when they find themselves in the middle of spring break.

Review: This is the sequel to the directorial debut of Josh Duhamel, a really personal one that he wrote as well. Although he didn’t write this one, he returns to direct as well as play one of the lead roles in a comedy that pulls on the comedy strings of lesser Adam Sandler films like Grown Ups but it manages to find some charm within it from time to time.

The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is The Blood Of The Baboon Heart – A nationwide manhunt for Hank Venture leads to untold dangers and unexpected revelations. At the same time, an imposing evil from the past reemerges to wreak havoc on the Ventures, The Guild, and even the Monarch’s marriage.

Review: Just over a month after the release of the complete series box set, an absolute beauty, we get an all-new movie to whet our appetites for more Venture Bros. This movie plays to every strength the series had and, if this is the last time that we see the doctor and his sons, it was a really great send-off. I think there are some hints of a continuation within the film but I really don’t want to get any hopes up.

One False Move – After an “LA drugs deal” leads to blood and carnage, the perpetrators end up in a small town in Arkansas where the leader Ray contacts his ex-girlfriend. Two LA Detectives ensue and soon find themselves out of sorts in the sticks. Chief Dale ‘Hurricane’ Dixon sees his chance to impress and get a dream a move to the big city but his Hicksville approach leads to mockery and derision. Keeping important information from the two officers he tries to play clever and capture the criminals himself. ‘Classic’ neo-noir, tough is tough but evil is evil.

Review: I was so excited to get this 4K upgrade of this Bill Paxton-led classic from director Carl Franklin as it was a blind spot in my viewing of the entire filmography of the late actor. To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of it but the Criterion Collection seal of approval is enough for me and now it is one of my favorite new discoveries this year. Fantastic character work and a darkly funny script that always knew where to show up. This is definitely a hidden gem.

Television:

The Witcher: Season 3 Volume 2 (Netflix) – Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a mutant with special powers who kills monsters for money. The land is in a state of turmoil, due to the empire of Nilfgaard seeking to enlarge its territory. Among the refugees of this struggle is Cirilla, the Princess of Cintra, one of Nilfgaard’s victims. She and Geralt share a destiny. Meanwhile, another figure looms large in Geralt’s adventures: Yennefer, a sorceress.

Review: Weare now at the end for Henry Cavill as Geralt OF Rivia, a role he was destined for and had the reverence and responsibility to play, and I can’t say I’m excited to see a new person do it. All we have left is to savour what we’ve got as I enjoy this series and its lore plus the action scenes are awesome and the progression of the story has been handled very well. I also adore Jaskier, the bard, played brilliantly by Joey Batey. His dialogue is hilarious.

Heels: Season 2 (Crave) – The show is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade and Ace Spade, war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy, and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.

Expectations: Finally my passion for dramatic television combined with my love for professional wrestling has collided with this series starring Arrow’s Stephen Amell and Vikings star Alexander Ludwig. Season one was really solid and also had the inclusion of real-life former AEW and WWE champion CM Punk and this year sees the inclusion of his wife, AJ Mendez, a former WWE champion herself. The drama is great, the love for the industry is always present and, as a fan, it makes me yearn for more wrestling-related movies and TV shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrF5CS_QnI

Good Omens: Season 2 (Prime Video) – A naked archangel turns up at the door to renegade angel Aziraphale’s bookshop, with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and Aziraphale and retired demon Crowley’s lives become extremely complicated. Heaven and Hell are both desperate to find the runaway. As Crowley and Aziraphale attempt to fix a human romance, things become increasingly unsafe for them, in the past and the present.

Expectations: Two of the best character actors out of the United Kindom who happen to share brilliant chemistry and connection, Michael Sheen and David Tennant, playing a counterpart of Heaven and hell, all written by Neil Gaiman. Yes, you’ve definitely got a hit here and it’s so cool that we’ve got, not just one season, but now this follow-up, sure to be filled with great dialogue, incredible endo f the world scenarios and hopefully the opening for the third series.

Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+) – Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Review: Pretty soon they’re going to have to rename Paramount+ to Taylor Sheridan+ because the guy has made so much content fr the streaming services and we get another new one this week, led by Zoe Saldana and featuring Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman. Episode one is a solid establishing point, giving us an entry point with the new recruit Cruz, played by In The Tall Grass actress Laysla De Oliveira. It is a bit formulaic and corny, suffering a bit from that unpolished nature that plagues all first episodes. I have a feeling it will even out though.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jul 20

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July 20, 2023

New Releases:

Barbie – To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

Expectations: It’s crazy to think that this film is part of the most anticipated one-two-punch screenings of the year but “Barbieheimer” is a real phenomenon and I can’t wait to check out this new film from writer and director Greta Gerwig. This film feels tailor-made for lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and I can’t wait to see what they do with a story about falling relevancy in the toy world. This might be one of the year’s best here, who knows?

Oppenheimer – The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the atomic bomb.

Expectations: Master filmmaker Christopher Nolan returns with a huge passion project of his and what is surely going to be deemed the front-runner for the Oscars in 2024. The cast is incredibly stacked here, toplined by Cillian Murphy in the title role but also featuring Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt and many, many more and I expect there to be some breakout performances from some of these supporting stars. This is most likely the top film of 2023 but at a daunting runtime of three hours, will audiences make it a box office success or will it get a knockout punch from Barbie?

They Cloned Tyrone – A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper.

Review: This is the surprise hit of the week, a genre-laced comedy that has a great sense of character and a fantastic scope of cinema. I don’t want to get to any sort of spoiler talk because it’s best to go in cold but I will say that Boyega, Foxx and Parris all deliver career-best performances with each in a cleverly nuanced way and debuting writer and director Juel Taylor nails this film from the opening moments. I hope this one becomes an instant weekend hit for Netflix because this film deserves acclaim.

The Deepest Breath – Descending to remarkable depths below the sea on one single breath, Alessia Zecchini enters what she describes as the last quiet place on Earth. The Italian champion is determined to set a new world record in freediving, a dangerous extreme sport in which competitors attempt to reach the greatest depth without the use of scuba gear. Freedivers are often subject to blackouts upon ascent, necessitating the help of safety divers like Stephen Keenan, a free-spirited Irish adventurer who fell in love with the sport in Dahab, Egypt. Having formed a special bond on the freediving circuit, Alessia and Stephen train together to make an attempt on Dahab’s legendary Blue Hole and its challenging 85-foot-long tunnel 184 feet below the Red Sea, their fates inextricably bound together.

Review: Some of my favourite documentaries are the ones that get an almost physical reaction out of me and this film joins the National Geographic release Free Solo as stories that almost turned me inside out with viewer anxiety. Much like that previously mentioned film about climbing Yosemite without ropes or gear, this one left me in awe, watching Zecchini plummet to beyond fifty feet deep in the beautiful waters of the Blue Hole. The thread of ambition leading to obsession is fascinating as the limits of what these two could do as humans are pushed in the lead-up to these beautifully shot dives. I feel like this is a broad enough documentary to grab a big audience on Netflix and I know people will be talking about it next week.

Blu-Ray & DVD:

Love Again – What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number…not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person…and win her heart.

Expectations: It’s an easy assumption to make to assume that romantic comedy dramas are generally not my thing unless they are really well written, subversive or have cast members that I love and I will say that this movie has none of the above I think. What’s that, Steve? Not going to watch it for Celine? That’s right, it has no appeal for me. I will say that I am enjoying Citadel with Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and I do like her lead in this, Sam Heughan, in his series Outlander but nothing from the trailer has any effect on me.

Little Richard: I Am Everything – The film tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator — the originator — Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an Omni being who contained multitudes — he was unabashedly everything.

Review: Those who know my thoughts or follow this page know that I love a good music documentary and this is a special one because of how widely spread Little Richard’s musical influence was spread but, also, what he himself as a persona meant to the pop culture zeitgeist. Told through one and one interviews with those who were affected by one of the Kings of Rock ‘n’ Roll as well as archived interviews with the man himself and other mega-stars who have since passed, the film gives a pretty in-depth look at an icon who was cool and charismatic on the outside but conflicted from time to time on who he was a sexual being and how that would be received. Another interesting film from the combination of CNN Films and HBO Max.

The Last Of Us: Season 1 – 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Review: The video game adaptation story has been long and storied as large narrative failures with a few exceptions but this HBO series broke the mold. Featuring fantastic performances from both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, I think it’s safe to say that this series is an easy candidate for best new series of the year and the anticipation for the second season is at a fever pitch. I don’t have a connection to the games, as I’ve never played them, but this story is so well written, the production level is so high and it feels so fresh and different from any other post-apocalyptic or zombie fare.

Your Honor: Season 2 – Bryan Cranston stars as a New Orleans judge who is forced to confront his own deepest convictions when his son is involved in a hit-and-run that embroils an organized-crime family. As a storm of vengeance, lies and deceit threatens to engulf the entire city, Michael Desiato faces a series of increasingly impossible choices and discovers just how far an honest man will go to save his son’s life.

Review: It came and it went quickly with just two seasons but Bryan Cranston’s return to television gave us an intense twenty episodes filled with unpredictable tension and another fiery performance from character actor Michael Stuhlbarg. The series comes from UK writer and creator Peter Moffat who finally got a solid hit in America after a few cancelled shows and he and Cranston created something pretty memorable here. I don’t know how popular this show was during its run but it definitely deserves some views.

Steve’s 4K Geekout:

National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K – The Griswold family–father Clark W., wife Ellen, daughter Audrey, and son Rusty–set out in high spirits to spend their vacation driving cross-country from Chicago to the glorious Walley World on the West Coast. The trip Clark planned down to the minute slowly loses its smoothness from the moment the first grain of sand gets in. A meeting with constantly-in-debt, simple-minded cousin Eddie results in the Griswold family giving cantankerous Aunt Edna a lift to Phoenix. Of course, the Griswolds receive one strike of bad luck after another. But Clark promised his beloved family the best vacation ever.

Review: One of the most iconic if not THE iconic vacation movie, this film doesn’t lose its lustre at all as being one of the funniest Odyssey comedies ever made, with fantastic directing from Harold Ramis and a great script from one of the greatest of all time, John Hughes. Chevy Chase stars in the most memorable role of his career, the driven and determined Clark Griswold, and everyone plays so brilliantly off of his lead, most notably Beverly D’Angelo who is a lifetime favourite from these films. It was a true pleasure to revisit this film at the higher level of 4K.

Television:

The Bear: Season 2 (Disney+) – Carmen Berzatto, a brilliant young chef from the fine-dining world is forced to return home to run his family sandwich shop – the Original Beef of Chicagoland – after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing reality of trading in Michelin-star restaurants for the small business’ kitchen filled with strong-willed and recalcitrant staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide.

Expectations: This is without a question the best show on television right now and the series I have been looking forward to most so a lot is riding on it’s sophomore season. Jeremy Alan White is so gifted on screen but the whole ensemble that rounds out the crew in the restaurant, like Ayo Edibri and Eban Moss Bacharach, make each episode so gripping due to a fantastic writing team as well. Everybody was talking about the first season and I expect that to resume this week. Heck, it may go down as one of the best network shows of all time in my eyes.

Minx: Season 2 (Crave) – In 1970s Los Angeles, an earnest young feminist joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women.

Expectations: This is a low-key hit from HBO that o one is seemingly taking notes of and it won’t be appreciated until it’s gone. Starring the incredibly likeable Jake Johnson from New Girl and British actress Olivia Lovlibond, the chemistry and scriptwriting for the two actors is so damn good and drives the series in such a good way. I also like that it can be a good recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the Maggie Gyllenhal and James Franco series The Deuce but it also has a great feminist angle and energy to it that I really enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzKylM8l5f8

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jul 13

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July 13, 2023

New Releases:

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One – Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Expectations: Shoot for the sky in your excitement for this film because Tom Cruise and this entire franchise have done nothing but dazzle us with phenomenal action, intriguing stories and a fast-paced ride that thrills at every turn in the whole lead-up to this point and from the advance reviews, including some from friends of mine, this might be the best one yet. I’m an easy mark for these movies but Tom Cruise’s uber enthusiasm and love for cinema translates to the big screen and always guarantees a satisfying movie experience. This one is going to be massive.

Blu-Ray:

Scream VI – Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

Review: So quickly after the Radio Silence team brought back this franchise in the first film not directed by creator Wes Craven, we get this new installment featuring our new core four of players while omitting one of the legacy characters, Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott, and bringing one back into the fold with a personal favourite, Hayden Panitierre’s Kirby Reed. The film is bigger and badder with Ghostface slashing up the Big Apple this time around and I’m game for even more if there is any left in the tanks. It also has an opening scene that vies for a series’ best award, simply brilliant and kind of game-changing.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – For over fifty years, Judy Blume’s classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. has impacted generations with its timeless coming-of-age story, insightful humour, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions. In Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.

Review: I can’t believe it has taken this long for a literary classic like this to get a film adaptation but I will say that they put it in the perfect hands with Edge Of Seventeen filmmaker Kelly Fremon Craig. With brilliant performances from young actress Fortson and Canadian actress McAdams, this film soars on heart and soul while being unflinching to its central issues. Margaret’s story is every girl’s story of self-discovery, no matter the time period, and its reliability is what makes the film soar. I know this because my wife told me.

Renfield – R.M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) decides to leave his centuries-long line of work as a henchman and familiar to Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and finds a new lease on life in modern-day New Orleans when he falls in love with a feisty but perennially aggressive traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).

Review: A lot of people were turned off by this colourful and bloody little horror comedy offering and, yes, it is a bit of a mess in its narrative but there is one key thing that makes this can’t miss, Nicolas Cage’s Dracula. He relishes every moment in the iconic role and is clearly having the time of his life, which translates well to the audience. This film isn’t going to blow you away to any degree but I contend that it is a fun watch at least.

Sisu – During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back — even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.

Review: This is a crazy one-man army epic that has nods to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood while also forging its own path littered with blood, guts and bone. A silent figure up until the very end, Tommila’s main character becomes bigger than life like an 80s Stallone or Schwarzenegger character and I was here for every second of him dispatching Nazi soldiers. If you love a good action flick and are looking for something John Wich adjacent, this is the film for you.

Beau Is Afraid – With his mother’s gloomy spectre looming over his entire life, grizzled outcast Beau has never made sense of his miserable existence. And perpetually baffled by reality and his conflicting urgent needs, the neurotic New Yorker gets a hearty slice of crippling anxiety and sheer paranoia when he sets foot in a strangely familiar war zone: his neighbourhood. But as the pill-popping hermit reluctantly embarks on a Sisyphean quest for answers, determined to reunite with his estranged mum at all costs, Beau must summon every last ounce of courage to confront everything that has kept him in the dark. To have a fighting chance of deciphering the sinister secrets that continue to rule his life, Beau must grapple with deep-seated phobias, deal with heavy guilt, and face the menacing parent. Because, in his case, love was a fiendish trap–the labyrinthine depths of maternal affection were only the means to an end. Now, the drugs don’t work, and Beau is afraid. As the universe conspires against his conquest and the end draws near, will Beau be able to fight his inner demons for a change?

Review: I had been waiting for writer and director Ari Aster’s new film, being a huge fan of Hereditary and Midsommar but I was certainly not even a little bit prepared for this film and I don’t think anyone was. This is definitely for a niche audience who love to see things that are widely left than center so, with that in mind, you know I absolutely loved it. Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant in his loser character’s odyssey into his own fears of every degree and, if this wasn’t such a wild arthouse swing, he might be praised for it more. I think it’s one of my favorites this year and I will definitely be watching it again but is a hefty sit at three hours long.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geek Outs:

King Solomon’s Mines – Allan Quartermain leads an expedition into uncharted African territory in an effort to locate Elizabeth Curtis’ husband Henry, who was searching for King Solomon’s legendary treasure. Along the way they encounter a variety of wild animals including snakes, a leopard and a rhino. Quartermain isn’t keen on having a woman on the expedition and he and Elizabeth quarrel regularly. Elizabeth and her husband were not very fond of one another and her journey is driven by her own guilt. She and Quatermain fall in love but survival becomes their goal when they meet dangerous tribesmen.

Review: A marvel of its time in 1951, this film had a lot of technical acclaim behind it and won two Oscars, for cinematography and editing, but also got the nod for Best Picture as well, losing to All About Eve, which is understandable. The adventure film was a box office smash and was progressive enough to be the first time the Watusi tribe allowed themselves to be filmed and gave an in-depth look at indigenous culture, employing existing villages and locally recruited extras. The film was also to blame for the affair between stars Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger who were both married at the time.

Queen Christina – Queen Christina of Sweden ascended to the throne at the age of six and as an adult has proven to be a wise and just ruler. There is much speculation about who she will marry – and produce an heir – but she is not interested in any of the possibilities mentioned, including Prince Charles. She does fall in love with the Spanish ambassador, Antonio, but marriage is out of the question given that he is a Roman Catholic. Some around her, such as Count Magnus, demand that she send him away and the mob rises openly against him. She insists that she has the right to be happy and is forced to choose between love and her duties as queen. Hers is not a happy future, however.

Review: A story about Swedish royalty, made in 1933, this is definitely a project to show off the legendary beauty of lead actress Greta Garbo. She was the driving force of the production as well as she had a big say in the casting of her co-star, somebody that almost was Sir Laurence Olivier before it was discovered that they shared zero chemistry. The film is also interesting as it has been said that the real Queen was a known lesbian which makes this an early entry into queer cinema I think.

One Ranger – British Intelligence meets Texas Justice in this white-knuckle action-thriller. A gunslinging Texas ranger (Thomas Jane) tracks a bank robber (Dean Jagger) across the desert — only to discover he’s an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London. When the lawman’s partner is killed, he is drawn into partnership with a British intelligence agent (Dominique Tipper) and her boss (John Malkovich) to bring the outlaw to justice — dead or alive.

Review: Being a direct to video release, the hopes that this will be fantastic are pretty low but it has the genre grit of Thomas Jane being the lead actor, someone I enjoy a lot. It also is the continued questionable film choices of John Malkovich who seems to do these films more than theatrical releases these days. The film was done by writer and director Jesse V. Johnson and I was hoping for more of a cohesive story like Hell Hath No Fury was but this one, with the convoluted storytelling, is a bit of a mess. Although, it was an entertaining one.

Television:

Quarterback (Netflix) – Following NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota on and off the field from the beginning of the 2022 season to its conclusion.

Review: I would consider myself a sports guy for sure but football has always been a bit of a hard sell for me as I find myself bored with what I’m seeing time to time. That said, I found myself really intrigued by this series and especially the in-game pieces with the quarterbacks all mic’ed up. Hearing the players talk on the field, the trash talk and the moments of self-doubt leading, sometimes, to elation, is a really interesting aspect of the game to focus on. I hope this goes beyond one season because it is a really great concept.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xlXTW5CuPY

What We Do In The Shadows: Season 5 (Disney+) – Based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, “What We Do in the Shadows” is a documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of four vampires who’ve “lived” together for hundreds of years in Staten Island. The self-appointed leader of the group is Nandor the Relentless, a great warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire. Then there’s the British vampire Laszlo — a bit of a rogue and a dandy and a fop, he might say. He’s a lover of mischief and a great soirée, but not as much as he loves seeing Nandor fail miserably in every attempt. And then there’s Nadja: the seductress, the temptress, the vampiric Bonnie to Laszlo’s Clyde. Also cohabiting in the vampire household is Guillermo, Nandor’s familiar; and Colin Robinson, an energy vampire and day-walker of sorts — he feasts on humans, but not on their blood.

Expectations: Easily one of the funniest shows on television, the Staten Island crew is back for more late-night hijinx and this time Kristen Schaal is part of the main cast and I couldn’t be happier. As a big fan of the original film from Taika Waititi, this series can do no wrong and Matt Berry is a comedic gem but I also now have a deep love for the entire cast, most of whom I had never seen before. This is definitely one of the most quoted shows in my household and for good reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCvO1QmAMXY

Foundation: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – Far in the future, The Empire is about to face a reckoning unlike anything else it’s faced before: several millennia of chaos have been predicted by the galaxy’s leading psycho-historian, Hari Seldon. But can The Empire offset the disaster before it begins?

Expectations: I remember when AppleTV+ released the first season of this series, I knew it looked cool and I knew about the source material by famed Science fiction writer and real scientist Isaac Asimov but had kind of forgotten about it. In my prep for my blog this week, I decided to finally start my journey and I’m so sad that I’m just realizing its brilliance now. Well cast, incredibly shot and intriguing from the first moments, this finally feels like my sci-fi replacement for shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Expanse. There is a braininess to the storytelling that hooks me in and makes me wildly wonder what’s next because it is so unpredictable. All in all, I’m not caught up yet but feverishly making my way to season two.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jul 6

stevestebbing

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July 6, 2023

New Releases:

Insidious: The Red Door – The horror franchise’s original cast returns for the final chapter of the Lambert family’s terrifying saga. To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and a college-aged Dalton (Ty Simpkins) must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.

Expectations: The finale of a chilling and jump-scare-filled series arrives and lead actor Patrick Wilson steps behind the camera in his debut as a director to shepherd the end to the screen. This film definitely has its built-in audience so I don’t see it grabbing any new fans. I will also say that the first two films, directed by creator James Wan, are the best in the bunch so I don’t see this one outdoing it at all.

Joy Ride – The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Expectations: Every trailer I see for this movie makes me more and more intrigued to check this movie out because it looks absolutely hysterical and a film destined to get the same praise as Bridesmaids or The Hangover. Stephanie Tsu is a future star, without a doubt, already having earned an Oscar nomination but I really think that the rest of the cast will get some love as well, especially Sherry Cola who also has the comedy Shortcomings releasing soon, the directorial debut of Randall Park. I must recommend that people check out the red band trailer for the film and you too will be on the road to seeing Joy Ride just like I am.

The Out-Laws -Owen Browning (Adam Devine) is a straight-laced bank manager about to marry the love of his life, Parker (Nina Dobrev). When his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws (Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin) who just arrived in town, are the infamous outlaws.

Review: The new collaboration between Netflix releasing and Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company, luckily this pretty dim action comedy doesn’t feature Adam or his merry band of friends but instead extends it to Workaholic’s Adam Devine. which definitely includes a small part for Blake Anderson. The is pretty dumb, as I’v said, but it has sparks of really great comedy in it that had me laughing, so I definitely won’t call the film a waste of time. There is a Pierce Brosnan joke in it that absolutely delighted me so I have to give the film a little love.

July Talk: Love Lives Here – A natural project for a band that has built a compelling and artful visual world alongside their award-winning, chart-topping catalogue, July Talk: Love Lives Here asks a fundamental question: What is essential in a time of upheaval? Farhat documented the months of panic and epiphany in the leadup to July Talk’s lauded Drive-In Shows of 2020, and with the help of unreleased archival footage spanning a decade, follows the thoughtful group of artists to a crossroads of identity and circumstance. July Talk: Love Lives Here balances the raw spontaneity of July Talk’s live performances with the intimacy of closed-circuit interactions – phone conversations and backstage moments that go unseen by fans – against a backdrop of ten years of band history.

Review: I love a music documentary and the post-pandemic landscape of live performances has definitely been an area of interest and that’s exactly where this story resides with a very gifted and entertaining Canadian band. With the uncertainty of live venues looming, their idea of doing an all-inclusive drive-in show in Ontario is so fascinating and the way it is pulled off is really cool. It’s also neat to see the creative processes of July Talk, an energetic and lively bunch that definitely rotates on their own access. This is a cool doc full of great Canadiana.

Blu-Ray:

The Truman Show 4K – Truman Burbank is an ordinary man, living in an average town. He grew up to be a desk clerk for an insurance company, living an ordinary life, having an ordinary wife, an ordinary neighbour and an ordinary bud, who pops in from time to time with a six-pack. But Truman is not happy with his life. He wants to see the world. He wants to get away from his happy-happy, ever-tidy, nice ‘n’ shiny little island town at the seaside. In reality, Truman was an unwanted pregnancy. His “father”, Christof, a reckless TV-Producer whom he had never met, made up the Truman Show – the greatest show on earth – a show in which life is lived. So, everyone around poor Truman is an actor with a little headphone in the ear. One day, Truman accidentally bumps into a catering area backstage and gets pretty suspicious. His plan now is: Pretend to be sleeping and steal away…

Review: This is probably Jim Carrey’s best performance, along with his portrayal of Andy Kaufman in Man On The Moon, and it comes from legendary Australian director Peter Weir, the man behind Walkabout and Picnic At Hanging Rock to name a few. Now in 4K, I think with today’s reality show clime it is the perfect time to revisit a film that seems to capture so much of the reality versus false backdrop so brilliantly. The originality of this story is also so well done.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geek Outs:

The Boy With Green Hair – In a police station, a child psychologist uses his ability to interview a runaway boy with hair completely cut-off that is reluctant to speak. The boy tells that his name is Peter Fry and his parents had travelled to London and have not returned yet; meanwhile, he is living with Gramp Fry, after being lodged in the houses of many relatives for short periods. He gets along with Gramp, the locals, his schoolmates and his teacher; however, when he discovers that he is an orphan of war, his hair turns green the next morning and Peter is rejected by his community.

Review: This one is cool as a David Lynch fan as Blue Velvet star Dean Stockwell features in the title role as a child actor in a film that got both director Joseph Losey and screenwriter Ben Barzman blacklisted shortly after the McCarthyism era. Funny enough, in another Twin Peaks connection, this was the feature film debut of Russ Tamblyn who would go on to play Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in the legendary series so Lynch must have been a young fan of this film as well. The film was also featured recently in the Fran Lebovitz Netflix documentary “Pretend It’s a City” which was done by Martin Scorcese.

The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father – Realizing that he needs a mother — and his widower father, Tom (Glenn Ford), requires a wife — precocious Eddie Corbett (Ron Howard) is determined to get his dad remarried. While Tom dates numerous women, including the uptight aristocrat Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill), nobody seems to be a good fit for Eddie or his father. Soon it becomes apparent that Tom’s ideal match may be closer than he thought, as he develops feelings for his lovely neighbour, Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones).

Review: Featuring a very young Ron Howard and a younger Ms. Partridge with the lovely Shirly Jones, this film was widely loved as a sweetheart crowd-pleaser and still pretty much plays that way today. One of the many hits of Oscar-winning filmmaker Vincente Minnelli, the film is a big inspiration for the widely beloved nineties from com Sleepless In Seattle, which features many of the same tropes. Sadly, when Minnelli’s many cinematic accomplishments are listed, this film is rarely mentioned.

Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear – Ranger Smith, tired of Yogi’s picnic basket stealing, has he and Boo-Boo shipped off to the San Diego Zoo. Yogi escapes being sent away, unknown to Yogi’s girlfriend Cindy, who goes looking for him and is kidnapped by a circus owner. Yogi and Boo-Boo are forced to sneak out of the park and travel across the country to save Cindy and bring her back home.

Review: If you ever thought that the live-action hybrid movie with Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake was the debut of Yogi Bear on the big screen, well, this Warner Archive release is here to prove you wrong. The film was the first theatrical feature from Hanna-Barbera Productions and the first animated film based on a TV series. It would also feature a snickering dog named Mugger, belonging to the Chizzling Brothers, who would eventually be developed into the character Muttley for the widely popular animated series Wacky Races. As a Saturday morning cartoon veteran, I had an appreciation of this film that not many under my generation do.

Television:

The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 2 Part 1 (Netflix) – Mickey Haller, an iconoclastic idealist, runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles. Sidelined after an accident for almost a year, Haller is back in the courtroom, recovering from a drug habit. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his practice, including the defence of Trevor Elliott, a tech billionaire accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent’s killer may be coming for him next.

Review: The film that predates this series, starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Brad Fuhrman, was a decent enough movie, a well-told drama mystery with a solid cast around the lead including Marisa Tomei, John Leguizamo and Bryan Cranston. That said, I never once thought I needed a series continuation but this show won me over in its first season. The cast is again where it excels with The Magnificent Seven remake’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and, a personal favourite, Canadian actress Neve Campbell but the added charm is with Ugly Betty’s Becky Newton who I absolutely adore. This is a solid little law series and, with part one of two hitting this week, I assume this is the beginning of the end of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI0C81p7vKI

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jun 29

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June 29, 2023

New Releases:

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny – Experience the return of legendary hero, Indiana Jones, in the fifth installment of this beloved swashbuckling series of films. Finding himself in a new era, approaching retirement, Indy wrestles with fitting into a world that seems to have outgrown him. But as the tentacles of an all-too-familiar evil return in the form of an old rival, Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Expectations: Fifteen years after the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Harrison is back for a real send-off to one of his all-time greatest characters and it is under the eye of director James Mangold who hasn’t had a theatrical stumble yet. I can’t lie, the de-aged Indy stuff gets me excited as it looks so well done and there’s a quality to these movies that makes me feel like a kid again. I’m so excited for this one and I know I’m not the only one.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken – Sixteen-year-old Ruby Gillman learns she is in the next legendary line of sea Kraken. Despite her lofty destiny, she is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High. Ruby struggles, even more, to fit in when her mother forbids her from going to the beach. After disobeying her mother’s rules, she discovers that she is descended from the warrior Kraken queens and will ascend to the throne as the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas, her grandmother. The Krakens are a race sworn to protect the world’s oceans from the vain, power-hungry mermaids by battling with eons. Ruby would need to embrace Chelsea, a mermaid-turned-human who enrolls at Oceanside High School.

Expectations: It looks like Dreamworks is trying to launch a new franchise here and the animation looks fun and colourful which has my kid excited about it. The humour for adults will be present here as well as it comes from writer and director Kirk DeMicco, the mind behind The Croods movies and I contest that those films are hilarious. Featuring the voices of Lana Condor, Jane Fonda, Toni Collette and Will Forte, this movie has the potential to grab a good audience, especially after Disney and Pixar fizzled with Elemental.

Nimona – When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem – who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc – for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc.

Review: Another big studio animated film dumped onto Netflix and, once again, just like The Sea Beast and The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, it is absolutely fantastic. Great chemistry between Ahmed and Moretz in the lead roles, a queer-coded storyline that is sweet and original and eye-popping animation from the guy behind the Will Smith animated flick Spies In Disguise. I had no idea what to expect from this film but it got me chuckling early then I buckled in for the full ride. This is a real hit here.

Blu-Ray:

Evil Dead Rise – In the fifth Evil Dead film, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids alone in a cramped L.A. apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.

Review: With a Twitter handle like Stevil Dead, it is no surprise that these movies are the tops of the genre for me and I love them deeply. That said, none of the films have disappointed me and this film is no different. Director Lee Cronin has gifted us with a glorious and gory entry that keeps you on the edge of your seats and gets in your ear with an incredible sound design that is award-worthy. I also contend that this film has possibly the greatest title card in film history, one of my all-time favourites now.

Television:

Hijack (AppleTV+) – A tense thriller (told in real-time) that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, while authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Sam Nelson (Elba) is an accomplished negotiator in the business world, who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.

Review: There’s something weird about the catalogue of shows on AppleTV+ and it is the distinct knowledge that most of the shows were rejected from other networks and streaming services and this one in particular feels very much like a BBC co-productio. This is not necessarily a bad thing because BBC and star Idris Elba combined talents for the fantastic series Luther and anything he does just oozes his charisma so if you are a fan of his, then you have to check this one out. Beyond that, the show doesn’t feel particularly special and maybe a bit formulaic with the big grand arching problem and the potential genius played by Elba to fix it. It feels entertaining on a surface level and the pilot plays out well but can the interest be sustained?

The Witcher: Season 3 Volume 1 (Netflix) – Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a mutant with special powers who kills monsters for money. The land is in a state of turmoil, due to the empire of Nilfgaard seeking to enlarge its territory. Among the refugees of this struggle is Cirilla, the Princess of Cintra, one of Nilfgaard’s victims. She and Geralt share a destiny. Meanwhile, another figure looms large in Geralt’s adventures: Yennefer, a sorceress.

Review: We now reach the beginning of the end for Henry Cavill as our title character, which is so unfortunate as now the plum role of Superman has also been taken from him since that announcement was made. I guess I’ll savour what I’ve got as I enjoy this series and its lore plus the action scenes are awesome and the progression of the story has been handled very well. I also adore Jaskier, the bard, played brilliantly by Joey Batey. His dialogue is hilarious.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 4 (Prime Video) – When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, with a rising terrorist figurehead preparing for a massive attack against the US and her allies.

Expectations: John Krasinski has done a phenomenal job with this character and given Harrison Ford a run for the best to have played him at this point and it is with that going out on top feeling that he and the creators of this series have decided to bring it to a close with this final group of episodes. Always well told and believable, I think Tom Clancy himself would be proud of what they’ve done with the character and the modernization of the world he faces. It also makes me wonder if we may see some limited movies in the future within this world.

Warrior: Season 3 (Crave) – A crime drama that takes place in the latter half of the 19th century during brutal gang wars in San Francisco’s Chinatown, it follows martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant who arrives in the City of Lights under mysterious circumstances. Once he proves his prowess as a fighter, Sahm becomes a hitman for one of Chinatown’s most powerful organized crime families. As he is mentored by the son of the crime family’s leader, learning the ins and outs of gang warfare, Al Sahm wins the confidence of brothel madam Ah Toy, eventually revealing to her his true intentions.

Expectations: This is a series that is definitely rough around the edges but the action scenes consistently elevate it and set it apart from other crime shows. In a world where Peaky Blinders, Sons Of Anarchy and Yellowstone have massive popularity, there is definitely a space for an Asian-driven show to be successful and I think this is well worth the time to check out. I wish the script was a bit tighter as it makes some of the acting a bit wooden but the series is so entertaining that I can get over it from time to time.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jun 22

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June 22, 2023

New Releases:

Asteroid City – Following a writer on his world-famous fictional play about a grieving father, who travels with his tech-obsessed family to the small rural town of Asteroid City, to compete in a stargazing event. Only to have his worldview disrupted forever.

Expectations: Wes Anderson returns for what looks like one of his most, uh, Wes Anderson-like movies yet and I’m already so enamoured with it, only having just seen the trailer for it. This looks like a different film from The French Dispatch, which was a step down from The Grand Budapest Hotel but I love all of his work so I’ll be patiently expecting a Criterion for it anyways. I don’t see Anderson winning new fans with this one but the ones he already has will be delighted.

Expectations: I am really all for JLaw doing a raunchy comedy but I do have to address that if the gender roles were reversed in this story, well, we would all have a problem with it. That said, there is something really fun to seeing Lawrence as a sexpot who also happens to be a bit of a piece of crap and having Good Boys’ director Gene Stupnitsky is the perfect fit I think. I also can’t get over Matthew Brodericks terrible yuppy mullet in the trailer, it just sets up the idea of a helicopter parent so well.

Blue Jean – England, 1988 – Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new girl at school catalyzes a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core.

Review: This is a perfect movie to be released in Pride Month during a time that is a bit freer and a bit more accepting. Rosy McEwen delivers an incredible lead performance, playing a character so desperate to keep her sexuality secret that she ends up sabotaging more lives than just hers. It’s tragic to see this era represented on the screen and to see how vicious the government and the citizens were about it. The film is a stunning and deep character drama from writer and director Georgia Oakley in her debut feature and I look forward to what she does next.

World’s Best – A12-year-old mathematics genius Prem Patel, in the midst of navigating the tumultuous hardships of adolescence, discovers his recently deceased father was a famous rapper and immediately sets out to pursue a career for himself as a rap superstar. While his actions may appear reckless and the quickest way for him to lose everything, Prem, empowered by imaginative hip-hop music-fueled fantasies where he performs with his father, is determined to find out if hip-hop truly is in his DNA. As his father always used to say, “The world’s best never rest”.

Review: I didn’t know a lot about this movie heading in but I really enjoyed writer and director Roshan Sethi’s debut feature film 7 Days, a pandemic-set romantic comedy, and the story for this was really intriguing. Young star Manny Magnus carries this film beautifully on his shoulders with some solid help from a favourite of mine, Utkarsh Ambudkar, who has appeared in Free Guy, Never Have I Ever and Blindspotting. This is a great family story about a multi-faceted prodigy that will surely win audiences over with its charm and grow from word of mouth.

Blu-Ray:

Avatar: The Way Of Water – Pandora, 2170. Having found meaning and purpose in the heart of the extrasolar Garden of Eden, formerly paraplegic Marine veteran Jake Sully and his fierce warrior princess companion Neytiri enjoy peace and prosperity after the life-altering events of the first film. But happiness is fleeting. And when the unsightly ghosts of Sully’s past emerge, sixteen years after the all-out Assault on the Tree of Souls, the human Toruk Makto and the Na’vi must fight back. Now, Jake and the Omatikaya clan have no choice but to pick up where they left off to defend their home. In the upcoming war against the unstoppable Sky People, will blind revenge destroy everything Sully holds dear?

Review: Nobody does a film like Jim Cameron and it was one to experience on the big screen in the full immersive 3D world he has created, the ultimate and best way to do it. On your screens at home, I will admit that the first film paled a bit so I expect some of the lustre to be washed off when it gets to the smaller screen but there are still so many breathtaking wonders to behold in this story and the sheer artistry contained within and the imagination of it all can’t really be dulled. This is blockbuster cinema at its core and no one does it better or in his own way like Cameron.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant – The story follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.

Expectations: Guy Ritchie releases his second film in 2023 after his Jason Statham action comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre skipped Canadian theatres altogether and landed on Prime Video last month just like this one but I have to say that this film doesn’t even look like one of his productions. It looks fairly standard, a one-man army rescue and survival story but Gyllenhaal absolutely delivers and he and hs co-star, Dar Salim, create characters you want to see survive this insurmountable challenge. While I do miss Ritchie’s gangster flicks of the past, this new team of writers he has paired with on The Gentlemen, Wrath Of Man and Operation have produced some really solid and entertaining movies.

Skinamarink – Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows and blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party. They play well-worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that eventually some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while, it becomes clear that something is watching over them.

Review: This is a film that took audiences by storm when it was released on Shudder at the beginning of the year and it had the horror world so buzzed that it even spilled over into mainstream film chatter. Everyone loves a mysterious film and that is exactly what writer and director Kyle Edward Ball crafted here. It gets even more heightened as the conduit in which we see this story is the eyes of children which ramps up the horror and elevates the stakes big time. No exaggeration here but this film actually chilled me to the bone in many parts.

I Am T-Rex – After a power-hungry dinosaur from outside the valley attacks the king of dinosaurs by surprise, a young T-Rex escapes and begins to train, vowing never to return until he is the biggest and bravest in all the land—and finally strong enough to challenge the evil Fang and restore peace to Green Valley.

Review: This is an odd one, a fully animated prehistoric adventure film out of China, something that was reminiscent to me of the Disney non-Pixar animated film Dinosaur which came out in the year 2000. There aren’t any stars that you know of but the animation is pretty slick and the runtime isn’t over bearable, clocking in at a good portion under an hour and a half. I can’t see it getting a lot of press so my little page might be the only place you see it mentioned.

Criminal Minds Evolution: Season 16 – An elite squad of FBI profilers analyzes the country’s most-twisted criminal minds, anticipating the perpetrators’ next moves before they can strike again. Each member of the “mind hunter” team brings his or her expertise to pinpoint predators’ motivations and identify emotional triggers to stop them. The core group includes an official profiler who is highly skilled at getting into the minds of criminals, a quirky genius, the former media liaison who manages to adeptly balance family life and the job, and a computer wizard.

Review: This is long celebrated and loved procedural mystery right here and even without my original draw to the show, Mandy Patinkin, still in the cast I find this series so damn great and am happy it was resurrected. The revival being on Disney= through Hulu also helps the show considerably as they don’t have to conform to the network ratings and can be more, um, untethered. This means more violence, more bloody crime scenes, more deranged characters and more, leading to a wickeder story at its core.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekout:

Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice: Volume 1 – From deep inside the Warner Bros. vault comes an anthology chock full of animation gold! Restored, remastered and uncut, the shorts in this set have been carefully selected for discerning fans. Enjoy the finest and funniest golden-era cartoons with the brilliance of high-definition audio and video. These treasures feature A-listers like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat and Porky Pig, just to name a few. Even better, included among these 20 shorts are classics that have never before been released on home video. Whether you grew up with them or you’re introducing them to a new generation, these timeless and iconic characters will keep fans of all ages young at heart.

Review: Not much to say about this collection of classics other than you are a Looney Tunes person or you are simply not. This is a collection of some of the most iconic little shorts that Cuck Jones and company put together and the springboard and inspiration for many other creators. I think it’s pretty awesome that Warner Archive is releasing them in a restored fashion.

Television:

Glamorous (Netflix) – Marco Mejia, a gender non-conforming high school graduate who lands the gig of a lifetime interning at a cosmetics company whose products he panned on YouTube. Madolyn Addison, CEO, entrepreneur and founder of Glamorous Cosmetics and former supermodel, built one of the top companies in the world from the ground up. However, something’s happening of late. The company isn’t just slipping, it’s plummeting, like it’s being sabotaged from the inside. Not about to let that happen, Madolyn hires Marco right out of high school to be her summer intern. She has a plan, she wants him to be her eyes and ears, to make friends and find out what’s going on behind her back, to discover “what they’re hiding and what they’re stealing.” In exchange, she’ll teach Marco everything she knows, but she warns him “This business isn’t all glitter and glamour and neither is life”.

Review: So this is what Ms. Samantha Jones is up to while she isn’t being a major player in the Sex And The City revival. Kim Cattrall was definitely made for this role but as a first-timer to YouTube star Miss Bunny in their debut role, I was definitely charmed by their leading performance a lot. I have to say that this series probably owes something to a favourite series of mine, Ugly Betty, as well as the Meryl Streep fashion film, The Devil Wears Prada. So far so good on this though and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen.

The Righteous Gemstones: Season 3 (Crave) – Well into the second generation of a grand televangelist tradition, the world-famous Gemstone family is living proof that worship pays dividends in all sizes. Patriarch Eli, the man most responsible for the tremendous success of the family’s megachurch, is in mourning over the loss of his wife. Jesse, the eldest of the three grown Gemstone siblings, looks to lead in his father’s footsteps but finds his past sins jeopardizing the family ministry. Next in line comes middle sister Judy, who secretly lives with her fiancé and dreams of escaping the Gemstone compound. Rounding out the dysfunctional trio is pseudo-hipster Kelvin, the youngest of the preachers and a thorn in Jesse’s side. As the family battles numerous threats to their renowned religious empire, they continue to spread the good word… and make a solid buck doing so.

Expectations: Ever since creator Jody Hill and co-creator and usual star Danny McBride debuted ten years ago in the comedy Foot Fist Way they have been churning out abrasive comedy gold ever since. That said, this may be their crowning achievement and an evangelical lampooning that seems to be coming at the perfect time in this political and religious-dominated time. The cast is phenomenal, with the breakout star going to Edi Patterson who I adore, and I feel like it will just get better with Steve Zahn coming in to antagonize our characters this year. This is definitely a most anticipated series and after the exit of Barry, we need more solid HBO comedy on our TVs.

Secret Invasion (Disney+) – In Secret Invasion, set in the present-day MCU, Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who have made a life for themselves on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.

Review: This series is exciting to me just based on it featuring an original MCU character in Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and it having so much history contained within the storyline, which is deeply rooted in the fibre of this cinematic universe as well as being a huge event in the comics that same the emergence and exits for many characters. The first two episodes are electric with intrigue and espionage and I’m really looking forward to what they do with the central villain, played by One Night In Miami’s Kingsley Ben-Adir. I know a lot of people are burnt out on the whole Marvel thing but I’m definitely still all here for it.

I’m A Virgo (Prime Video) – A coming-of-age joyride about Cootie, a 13-foot-tall man, who escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world; he forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol named The Hero.

Review: For those who haven’t had the mind-twisting please of experiencing Sorry To Bother You, it’s really hard to explain the energy, drive and straight-up insanity of a project from writer and director Boots Riley but it really must be seen to be believed. The sheer fact that Prime Video has believed in his vision enough to give him this incredibly original limited series is an absolute gift for any fan of his or just a fan of weird cinema in general. With the celebration of Everything Everywhere All At Once this year, a film that had hot dog fingers, I hope audiences are now ready for the mind of Boots because it is wild.

And Just Like That…: Season 2 (Crave) – The new chapter of “Sex and the City” follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.

Expectations: I honestly thought this was just going to be a one-season companion piece but when Carrie and the gang return, so do the fans and, of course, we were going to get more. The show has skirted the scandal that was the Chris Noth allegations and dealt with it handily which now opens the door for one of my favourites of Carrie’s exes, Aiden, played by John Corbett. I can’t say I was favourable on the first season but this development makes me more invested for the new episodes plus I’m hearing there is a return for Ms. Samantha Jones as well.

The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) – Maggie and Negan travel into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland. The city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world.

Expectations: While a spin-off series featuring Maggie and Negan doesn’t feel like a necessary story to be told, I’m definitely here for it because I will watch anything Jeffrey Dean Morgan does and I really love both characters. What intrigues me further is that the show is run by first-timer Eli Jorne, a guy who isn’t a stranger to the Dead world, having written and produced on the mothership but he is also a producer on the FX comedy Wilfred, an underrated gem that everyone should see. But back to this show? Episode one was fun and I like Zelko Ivanek as a villain.