Steve Stebbing

Breaking down all things pop culture

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.

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.

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.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jun 15

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June 15, 2023

New Releases:

The Flash – Barry Allen is struck by a bolt of lightning 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 rest in the hands of a retired Batman, another Barry and an imprisoned Kryptonian.

Expectations: I have mixed feelings and projections regarding what I believe to be part of the hard DC Cinematic Universe reset with only Blue Beetle and the second Aquaman film left on the list of releases for the Warner Bros. properties. I love that Michael Keaton is back in a fan-favourite role and it’s cool to see Affleck’s Batman again in some capacity. Still, Ezra Miller, beyond his legal and personality issues, has never come across as a tangible Barry Allen in my opinion and, to be honest, his involvement still kind of turns me off to the whole thing. The reviews, a week out of release, are still pretty favourable so I do have more good thoughts than bad heading into it.

Elemental – The film journeys alongside an unlikely pair, Ember and Wade, in a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together. The fiery young woman and the go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they have in common.

Expectations: This may be the first Pixar release that the trailer gives me absolutely no drive to go out and see the film. The feel of this film has such a comparison to Inside Out that it is still an original concept, it borrows a little bit from that sort of world-building. The film is the second directorial effort from Peter Sohn whose last feature was one of Pixar’s lowest-scoring films, The Good Dinosaur, which I feel is a little bit underrated, so going off that, maybe this film will surprise me as well.

Extraction 2 – After barely surviving his grievous wounds from his mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take on their next mission. Tasked with extracting a family who is at the mercy of a Georgian gangster, Tyler infiltrates one of the world’s deadliest prisons in order to save them. But when the extraction gets hot, and the gangster dies in the heat of battle, his equally ruthless brother tracks down Rake and his team to Sydney, in order to get revenge.

Expectations: It might not be the popular opinion of what is turning into the Extraction franchise, but I really enjoyed the first film quite a bit, a tactical espionage action flick that tried to do big and original things in its execution. Heck, I enjoyed it more than the recent release of The Gray Man and that one was both written and directed by the Russo Brothers, unlike them just penning the script for these films. I also think that Hemsworth has a hell of a lot of charisma when he is allowed to show it and this is better in his action oeuvre I think.

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.

Stan Lee – This is the official documentary film about Stan “The Man” Lee and his rise to influence in the world of comic books and pop culture. Tracing his life from his upbringing as Stanley Lieber to the rise of Marvel Comics, the film tells the story of Stan Lee’s life, career, and legacy in his own words through personal archive material.

Expectations: I’m really sad that Disney teased me by getting me to fill out a form for this film and not sending it as I adore Stan and his legacy and was absolutely looking forward to it. During the year that would have been his hundredth, it is honestly about time that we got to see his story in this format, even though a lot of his fans already know the rundown. I’m excited to see how they approach his work with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and to see his creations realized on the big screen.

Persian Lessons – Nazi-occupied France, 1942. Having escaped death by the skin of his teeth by claiming to be half-Persian, Gilles, a Jewish man from Belgium, is spared so that he can teach Persian to Klaus Koch, a mid-grade SS officer in charge of the concentration camp’s kitchen. Luckily, Gilles doesn’t speak a word of Persian, and to save himself from certain death, he must fabricate an entire language of convincing gibberish without raising suspicion. Now, Gilles’ life is hanging by a thread, and one small mistake can blow his cover. Will the lie that has just saved Gilles bring about his downfall?

Review: Every time a new World War II-centric film involving the Nazi occupation or the horrific history of the holocaust comes out, I wonder how much more my heart can take of it because each one of them is devastating. This film will sadly not get as wide of a reach as many other big studio films do or even the internationally celebrated ones but it surely deserves the attention. The plot is where this film excels and even with a couple questionable moves in motivation for the characters, it all comes together for a great ending.

Blu-Ray & DVD:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie – A Brooklyn plumber named Mario travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with a princess named Peach and an anthropomorphic mushroom named Toad to find Mario’s brother, Luigi, and to save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser.

Review: A far superior film than what we were given in the nineties, the combination of Illumination and Nintendo pays off with an authentic feeling origin story for Mario and his brother with scads of in-jokes, references and a good old Mario Kart race sequence to dazzle us. The animation is colourful, the voices are spot on and I hope to see more of these movies down the Rainbow Road.

John Wick: Chapter 4 – Condemned by the tyrannical High Table to be on the run for the rest of his life, deadly assassin maestro John Wick (2014) embarks on a Sisyphean mission of suicidal fury to decide his fate after the merciless carnage in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019). At last, John’s violent journey, fuelled by vengeance and grief, ultimately leads him to a fateful confrontation with his former employers, the crime masters that forced him into exile. And as the blood-stained vendetta to destroy those who pull the strings continues, old companions face the brutal consequences of friendship, and all-powerful, well-connected adversaries emerge to bring Wick’s head on a platter. But talk is cheap–now guns have the final say. Can Baba Yaga, the grim messiah of death, make every bullet count in this bloody, once-and-for-all struggle for freedom?

Review: In a seemingly impossible succession, each John Wick movie outperforms the earlier entry making this fourth film an easy masterpiece of action set pieces. Starting from the very Lawrence Of Arabia to a long climb up the stairs to Wick’s final battle, this movie grips you and never relents, a true treat to see on the big screen. The best news is now that it is a home release you can make your windows rattle with the bone-crunching sounds whenever you want.

The Pope’s Exorcist – Rome, 1987. Having performed hundreds of successful exorcisms throughout his decades-long career, Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s chief exorcist, travels to Spain to shed light on the peculiar case of troubled Henry, a boy reportedly possessed by a powerful unholy spirit. But as the child’s condition deteriorates, the grizzled priest joins forces with local cleric Father Tomas Esquibel to cast out the demonic legions from possessed Henry. However, the exorcism is just the tip of the iceberg. Can guilt, sin, and a well-hidden, centuries-old conspiracy threaten the soul of the Pope’s exorcist?

Review: This had all the markings of a terrible movie but somehow Russell Crowe, with a terrible and possibly offensive Italian accent, manages to lead a pretty fun possession horror film. I can’t say it will be a memorable one at all and not a must-see but anyone who loves movies like this will want to check it out because director Julius Avery constructs some really cool genre set pieces. After seeing his Nazi horror flick Overlord, I knew he had more good filmmaking in him. Oh, check out Overlord if you haven’t!

The Man From Toronto – Teddy, a struggling fitness entrepreneur in Yorktown, Virginia, is fired from his job at a local gym for giving ad brochures without the gym’s address. He decides not to tell his wife, Lori, to take her to Onancock for her birthday. Leaving her at a spa, Teddy arrives at the wrong cabin, where a man named Coughlin is being held, hostage. Mistaken for “The Man from Toronto”, a mysterious assassin with a talent for brutal interrogation, the clueless Teddy manages to intimidate Coughlin into giving up a code. The cabin is raided by the FBI, who convinces Teddy to pose as the Man from Toronto to help capture would-be Venezuelan dictator Colonel Marin in exchange the FBI will pay off his overdue mortgage. As he navigates through a web of intrigue and danger, Teddy’s relationships are put to the test, including his marriage to Lori and his unexpected bond with the actual Man from Toronto, named Randy. With twists and turns along the way, Teddy and Randy find themselves entangled in a mission to prevent a catastrophic event. The film culminates in a series of confrontations, leading to unexpected consequences and a surprising resolution.

Review: This had so much potential out of the gate, an action-comedy about mistaken identity with Kevin Hart and Jason Statham directed by Patrick Hughes, the guy behind fun action films like Red Hill, Expendables 3 and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Due to scheduling issues, Statham had to drop out and Woody Harrelson stepped in which isn’t a downgrade in my opinion so everything is looking good. This movie starts with that promise I described and then quickly pulls into a nose dive as things get worse and worse. The CGI and effects are horrible, the script is lame and wastes both actors’ talents featuring lines I know I’ve heard in better movies and the only saving grace is some well-done action scenes. If only I could care about those because everything in between screams bad Netflix action and it’s evident why Sony Pictures offloaded this dud to a streaming service. An utter waste of time.

Sakra – Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), the film stars Donnie Yen as Qiao Feng, the respected leader of a roving band of martial artists. After he is wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story–and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows.

Review: It’s probably needless to say that the fight sequences and stunts in this film are where the true viewing worthiness lies, a fact that is easily gleaned from the fact that it stars Donnie Yen, one of the greatest martial artists to come out of Hong Kong cinema. That said, it’s a little awkward to have him play such a young character which some serious smoothing to make him look that way. That said, the writing isn’t phenomenal and careens into cheesy territories but it manages to be pretty entertaining which is good because it seems this is being set up as a bigger cinematic universe.

Bone Cold – An experienced Black Ops sniper attempts a nightmarish escape after a failed mission, tracked by enemy soldiers hellbent on revenge, and hunted by something sinister and monstrous, hungry and determined.

Review: This has the simple action thriller potential of being a man versus beast battle and it has worked out well in the past. Think Arnie versus Predator or… Amber Midthunder vs. Predator again in the Disney+ gem, Prey. The sad thing here is the premise is wasted on a movie that starts, teetering on the edge of being terrible, and then just plunges into the abyss of awfulness. I’m bummed out by the quality of the Well Go USA movies this week, to be honest, I’m usually higher on them.

Time Bandits – A young boy’s wardrobe contains a time hole. Through this hole an assortment of little people (i.e. dwarfs) come while escaping from their master, the Supreme Being (Sir Ralph Richardson). They take Kevin (Craig Warnock) with them on their adventures through time from Napoleonic times to the Middle Ages to the early 1900s, to the time of Legends and the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness where they confront Evil Genius (David Warner).

Review: Criterion and Terry Gilliam films are a match made in heaven as some of my favourite Blu-rays in my collection are his entries, like Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and the recent Fisher King release. This 4K upgrade of the classic 1981 sci-fi epic is a glorious gift to a fan like me and the film still hasn’t lost its lustre, one of my favourite movies of all time, easily. This cast and Gilliam’s delightfully weird and idiosyncratic feel to his films make every watch just as exciting as the first time watch.

The Venture Bros.: Complete Series – The warped misadventures of a former boy adventurer turned washed-up, middle-aged mad scientist Dr. Rusty Venture; his moronic teenage sons; their maniac bodyguard; and the Doctor’s arch-nemeses, incompetent super villain The Monarch and his masculine sounding paramour, Dr. Girlfriend.

Review: As a network, I’d definitely consider Adult Swim one of the perfect producers of episodic television this show was part of the beginning of the network and I’m all for it getting its flowers in this box set. Featuring a great voice cast of network favourites with James Urbaniuk, Patrick Warburton, Brendon Smalls, Dana Snyder and more, it’s so awesome to rewatch all seven seasons before the all-new movie comes out next month.

Television:

The Full Monty (Disney+) – The original band of brothers as they navigate Sheffield and it’s crumbling healthcare, education and employment sectors, exploring the brighter, sillier and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity.

Review: I had no idea this was even coming until Disney+ sent me the screener for it and I’m so happy they did because I adored this late-nineties film and the cast and am so happy to see the story continued with all of the original players. The charm is still here, a return to Sheffield to see old friends with new problems and Robert Carlyle has no deficit in his charisma whatsoever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FgjqX34soQ

Star Trek Strange New Worlds: Season 2 (Paramount+) – Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One explore new worlds around the galaxy on the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Expectations: Not being a Trekkie but following along with all of the Paramount+ releases under the franchise, this series is the golden goose in the bunch. I think this is rooted in the straightforward, back-to-the-basics approach that it takes, being more a “problem of the week” procedural and paying attention to making great characters and letting the actors play to their strengths. I’ve been excited about this sophomore season and it is for great reason.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jun 8

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June 8, 2023

New Releases:

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts – Set in the 1990s, this spin-off prequel takes audiences on an action-packed, globetrotting adventure as the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. Noah, a sharp young guy from Brooklyn, and Elena, an ambitious, talented artifact researcher, are swept up in the conflict as Optimus Prime and the Autobots face a terrifying new nemesis bent on their destruction named Scourge.

Expectations: This is one of these franchises that is far from perfect but I still manage to check out every installment on the big screen. Starting from the first Shia Labeouf-led film, none of them were great but they lost me when Mark Wahlberg came in for what I thought were two pretty lacklustre fourth and fifth movies. Those films aside, Bumblebee was great and the infusing of a new director’s style seems to be helping out, I loved Steven Caple’s last film, Creed II, so he already knows how to approach an existing intellectual property with care. This might be a surprise hit, who knows?

Past Lives – Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Expectations: This is exactly my type of movie, a Before Trilogy-like story that follows a journey of connection between two characters. Yes, this is a piece of cinema I love and the buzz on this film is very high which gets me excited for it. Sadly for me, the film is set to be a pretty limited release so if you’re in a small town you will most likely have to wait for this possibly future Oscar-nominated drama from South Korea.

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. 

Daliliand – Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mary Harron (I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, AMERICAN PSYCHO), DALÍLAND stars Sir Ben Kingsley as the titular Salvador Dalí, one of the most world-renowned artists of the 20th century and focuses on the later years of the strange and fascinating marriage between Dalí and his wife, Gala (Barbara Sukowa), as their seemingly unshakable bond begins to stress and fracture. Set in New York and Spain in 1974, the film is told through the eyes of James (Christopher Briney), a young assistant keen to make his name in the art world, who helps the eccentric and mercurial Dalí prepare for a big gallery show.

Review: This movie had all the markings of a hit, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley playing Dali, directed by the woman who brought American Psycho to the big screen, it all had me very intrigued. Sadly, the execution of the film left me a bit cold as the narrative is muddied and the character that the story is centred around feels really uninteresting and unremarkable, more of a foil for all of the other characters to shine off of. I do like that Suki Waterhouse has a small role in this film, an actress who impresses me every time.

Blu-Ray:

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, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined.

Review: I will admit, 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 by 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. Ignore the slights on this one, I had fun with it.

Mafia Mamma – An American mom (Toni Collette) inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Guided by the firm’s consigliere (Monica Bellucci), she hilariously defies everyone’s expectations as the new head of the family business.

Review: The terrible trailers for this movie nearly scared me off completely but the mere fact that it stars Toni Collette, who I would watch in anything, and directed by Thirteen and Lords Of Dogtown director Catherine Hardwicke kept me on board. That said, Collette is the saving grace in a film that is cartoonish and slapstick but oddly charming in the end. If you read elsewhere bout this movie you will see many low scores for this one but I kind of had fun with the movie.

Tulsa King: Season 1 – Follows New York Mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi, just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realizing that his mob family might not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.

Review: Taylor Sheridan expands his Paramount+ universe further, this time with the giant star of Sylvester Stallone to lead it in his first television series and, like everything the Yellowstone creator does, it is great. Stallone brings a fantastic anti-hero-like energy to Dwight, a man who is a fish out of water in every way, but with his current surroundings but also not being behind bars. This is coupled with the fact that he is smart, devious, always able to sort things out on the fly and, most importantly, blessed with an amazing knockout punch ability, well, it makes him a damn interesting dude to watch. Can’t wait for season two. 

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Border Incident – Illegal Mexican migrant workers paying coyotes for the chance to cross the border and work for unethical American rancher Owen Parkson are ambushed and killed upon their return to Mexico by soulless bandits. To stop the vicious cycle of exploitation and murder, Mexican federal agent Pablo Rodriguez is assigned to infiltrate a group of ‘braceros’ in cooperation with American federal agent Jack Bearnes. Risking their lives to uphold the laws of their respective countries, the success of the operation depends on Pablo and Jack’s ability to outsmart the predators without becoming the prey.

Review: It’s fascinating that a film-noir drama from 1949 about illegal migrant workers in America could be so relevant in 2023 but here we are. Equally intriguing, it’s interesting to know that the production of it was actually pretty progressive at it’s time as well because this is the only time in his career where leading man Ricardo Montalban got to play his own nationality with the Mexican character Pablo Rodriguez. The film was directed by Anthony Mann who later found bigger success with his films El Cid and The Glenn Miller Story which may have been his most widely renowned.

Clash By Night – After ten long years of absence, Mae Doyle returns to her hometown of Monterey, California, disillusioned by the big-city lifestyle of New York. There, unattainable Mae’s air of sophistication and confidence catches the eye of the hard-working, good-natured fisherman, Jerry, and his misogynistic, patronizing, movie projectionist friend, Earl, who begins to court her right from the start. But, Mae has had her share of loser boyfriends, and even though she seems determined to spare an innocent her cynicism, she decides to take a second chance at love and marries Jerry. Now, one year and a baby daughter later, a silent undercurrent of unspoken desires and raw lust threaten Jerry’s happiness. Once, Jerry promised that he would do anything for Mae. Is he prepared to lose everything in the aftermath of love?

Review: Warner Archive is coming through with the film noir gems this week and this romance also boasts a phenomenal cast of the early 1950s elite with Robert Ryan, Barbara Stanwick and Marilyn Monroe. It seems like it would be a dicey set as Stanwick was in the midst of a divorce but it actually helped with the tolerance of Monroe’s inability to remember the lines and the calmness, I say, gets a great performance out of both of them. I think both actresses are the highlight of the movie, for sure.

Fist Of The Condor – Upon the empire’s fall to invading conquistadors, the 16th-century Incas quickly concealed a sacred manual containing the secrets behind their deadly fighting technique. But after centuries of careful safeguarding, the manual is again at risk of falling into the wrong hands, leaving its rightful guardian to battle the world’s greatest assassins to protect the ancient secrets within.

Review: This film was a total surprise for me and I should have known that those genre masters at Well Go USA had a gem in their hands because they always come through with titles I end up loving. The big shock for me in this martial arts film was the country of origin as this action epic actually comes from Chilean writer and director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, a filmmaker I know only from his segment in the ABCs Of Death anthology film. He crafts a really cool world here and the action scenes feel hard-hitting and exhilarating. It’s also a great platform to show off how awesome lead actor Marko Zaror is, a dude who needs to shoot to the top of the action a-list in my opinion.

Television:

Human Resources: Season 2 (Netflix) – This spin-off pulls back the curtain on the daily lives of the creatures Hormone Monsters, Depression Kitties, Shame Wizards, and many more that help humans navigate through every aspect of life from puberty to childbirth to the twilight years. It quickly becomes clear that though the creatures are the protagonists, they have a lot of humanity themselves.

Review: Just like the show it has spun off from, Big Mouth, this series aims for the same thing, rude and crude sexually explicit comedy almost designed to make you uncomfortable. I do enjoy this and Big Mouth but as much as I do, I’m ready for all of this universe to come to a planned end, I mean, where else can we go but down at this point? Nick Kroll and his friends have had an incredible time grossing us out with our own bodies and urges and I do love Maury and Connie the hormone monsters but, you know, let’s get that Netflix money somewhere else now.

The Idol (Crave) – After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros, a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest, darkest, depths of her soul?

Review: This is a series that got people divided right out of the gate. On its surface, it is a series created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and megastar and Canadian singer The Weeknd who also stars in the show alongside Lily Rose-Depp. Well, the sleaziness of the storyline did not go over well at the Cannes Film Festival, prompting man walkouts, but I’m intrigued by its unflinching provocativeness, something that is a common theme with me for a long time. I also dig the satire the show is going for and, if the vitriol against it is so bad, I better watch it all now before the eventual cancellation from HBO.

Never Have I Ever: Season 4 (Netflix) – The complicated life of a first-generation Indian-American teenage girl, inspired by Mindy Kaling’s own childhood.

Review: This is a series that I wish Netflix would put their money on because I am definitely not ready to see it go. On the other hand, a show that decides to go out on its own can be much more satisfying and I adore Devi and her friends so much and seeing them get their resolutions is really bittersweet. It’s just a little too much after I just went through The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry and Ted Lasso. A guy can only take a certain amount of emotions on the television.

Arnold (Netflix) – Follows the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his days of lifting weights to his successes in Hollywood, his time serving as governor of California, and both the joys and volatility of his family life.

Review: As a guy who has been an Arnie fan since childhood, I was all about this new documentary series that follows the action hero in an unflinching and, at times, remorseful look at his life. To see this legendary performer, former politician and forever advocate for the environment be brutally honest with himself ain front of the audience at home is inspiring and really humanizes a man who I looked at like a cinema god for decades. Even if you aren’t a fan of his, the story he has to tell is really extraordinary and worth a watch.

The Crowded Room (AppleTV+) – Danny Sullivan is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979. Through a series of interviews with curious interrogator Rya Goodwin, Danny’s life story unfolds, revealing elements of the mysterious past that shaped him, and the twists and turns that will lead him to a life-altering revelation.

Review: Tom Holland is in such a Hollywood limbo situation. In one aspect, he is an international darling, as an endearing actor that has been Spider-Man and video game character Nathan Drake in some pretty solid films, is an endearing young man on the various press circuits and Zendaya has to see something in him, right? The other side of this is the less than stellar other acting projects, the lower of which are both things he has done for AppleTV+, starting with the Russo Brothers film Cherry and now this lacklustre limited series. Holland is good in both things, don’t get me wrong, but he is the only thing that works and in this show, everyone around him, including favourites like Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum, feels like forgettable background noise.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Jun 2

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June 1, 2023

New Releases:

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse – Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.

Expectations: The anticipation for this follow-up to possibly the most perfect representation of Spider-man ever is off the charts and I can’t wait to immerse myself in this world. The animation itself is so original and breathtakingly gorgeous, the voice casting is absolutely endearing and the attention to character and story is unparalleled. I think we have another flawless epic on the horizon and we get the next piece in about a year, with more anticipation to live with.

The Boogeyman – A psychiatrist, where a man named Lester Billings talks to the doctor about the “murders” of his three young children, describing the events of the past several years. His first two children died mysteriously of apparently unrelated causes (diagnosed as crib death and convulsions, respectively) when left alone in their bedrooms. The only commonalities were that the children cried “Boogeyman!” before being left alone, and the closet door was ajar after discovering their corpses, even though Billings is certain the door was shut.

Expectations: As a big Stephen King fan, the author who really got me reading books avidly, I’m excited to see them tackle this short story, one that I felt was an easy transition to the big screen. It comes from the writing duo of Beck and Woods, mostly known for the A Quiet Place movies but coming from the sci-fi action of 65, and the big studio debut for Rob Savage who found genre popularity with his Shudder streamer Host during the pandemic. The early reviews are pretty solid and while it won’t knock you out of your socks like a film with this title should, they paid attention to character and plot along the way.

Bone Of Crows – The film is told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. She uses her uncanny ability to understand and translate codes into working for a special division of the Canadian Air Force as a Cree code talker in World War II. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future.

Review: An incredible and soulful story that is gorgeous in its visual scope and so important in its themes and message. Marie Clements has become such a strong writer and director in just a couple of feature films but this film is the one I feel left the bigger mark. It’s also awesome to see actress Grace Dove getting the lead role, a talent I have been interested in since her small but pivotal role in The Revenant. A film that I missed at the Vancouver International Film Festival, I’m really glad I caught up with it now and I hope more Canadian moviegoers do as well.

Cascade – A teenage girl’s wilderness hike with friends spirals after they stumble upon a crashed drug plane, forcing her to outwit a ruthless gang and face an enemy far worse than drug smugglers.

Review: This is a type of thriller I could really get into, a battle in the wilderness for survival, and one that the larger viewing audience is looking for after the success of Yellowjackets which features teenagers in the vastness of nature. Being a Canadian production, the film has a cast that is more known if you watch a lot of Netflix television, like Sara Waisglass from Ginny & Georgia but Greg Bryk has appeared in a great Cronenberg flick, A History Of Violence, so he gets immediate credibility. The film itself is a solid tense thriller but a little derivative of ones that have come before it.

Blu-Ray:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Having spent two long years in a dark and dank prison cell after a botched attempt to get his hands on a magical artifact, lute-playing bard-turned-thief Edgin Darvis decides he has had enough. And as the once respected former member of the noble Harpers and his fierce barbarian companion Holga Kilgore assemble a motley crew of old and new friends, a dangerous mission to reunite with Edgin’s daughter Kira begins. But the busy streets of mythical Neverwinter have eyes–evil sorcerers, powerful necromancers, and legendary creatures of lore now stand in the way. Do Edgin and his misfits have what it takes to complete their quest in the perilous world of Dungeons and Dragons?

Review: Firmly washing the bad taste of the New Line film from the 2000s era, what this iconic role-playing franchise adaptation needed was some levity and great characters and that is delivered in this two-hour thrill ride. The whole cast is fantastic with both Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez doing, in my opinion, the best work in their careers and I really hope this isn’t the last we see of this world on the big screen. If you are still on the fence about this film I implore you to watch at least the first fifteen minutes of the film to knock you into watching the rest. Trust me.

65 – After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth… 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.

Review: As a fan of the quintessential 90s sci-fi action films, the debut of A Quiet Place’s writers Beck and Woods behind the camera had me in the palm of their hand from the get-go. A straight-up self-serious actioner putting futuristic weaponry into a battle to survive during the prehistoric era seems like an idea I would have loved to see as a kid and I really enjoyed it as an adult as well. It may be corny and ridiculous but it is also damn entertaining as well.

Assassin – A private military operation led by (Bruce Willis) invents futuristic microchip tech that enables the mind of an agent to inhabit the body of another person to carry out covert, deadly missions. But when an agent (Mustafa Shakir) is killed during a secret mission, his wife (Nomzamo Mbatha) takes his place in an attempt to bring the man responsible to Justice.

Review: I keep saying this every time I get a new one but how many movies did Bruce film before his untimely retirement because I feel like we’ve gotten a dozen since we went public with his diagnosis. Sadly, they all suffer from the same anchors driving them to the depths of the Wal-Mart dollar bins but with this being the final one it really is sad to see him float out on a stinker. Nothing but respect and love for a man who brought so many memorable characters and stories to the big screen though in the end.

A Good Person – Daniel (Morgan Freeman) is brought together with Allison (Florence Pugh), the once thriving young woman with a bright future who was involved in an unimaginable tragedy that took his daughter’s life. As grief-stricken Daniel navigates raising his teenage granddaughter and Allison seeks redemption, they discover that friendship, forgiveness, and hope can flourish in unlikely places.

Review: I feel like the critics were really hard on this new drama from Garden State writer and director Zach Braff, many of them calling the film underwhelming or mediocre. I can’t even fathom this given the fantastic performance from Flo once again but also a great supporting outing from Morgan Freeman as well as a winning script that is full of heart and humanity. It’s times like this when I feel like I differ slightly from the verified reviewers because I really loved this film.

Thelma & Louise – Meek housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) joins her friend Louise (Susan Sarandon), an independent waitress, on a short fishing trip. However, their trip becomes a flight from the law when Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar. Louise decides to flee to Mexico, and Thelma joins her. On the way, Thelma falls for sexy young thief J.D. (Brad Pitt) and the sympathetic Detective Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) tries to convince the two women to surrender before their fates are sealed.

Review: One thing I love about the Criterion Collection is that every now and then they pull from the big box office pile of movies and release a gem just like this Ridley Scott classic. At the same time, it’s also a great opportunity to recognize a game-changing high-budget studio film that was led by women and written by one as well, something that rarely happened leading up to its 1991 release and still doesn’t happen to an equal degree. Beyond the legacy that this film has left, Geena and Susan still absolutely rule this film, Keitel plays to his type beautifully and that small Brad Pitt scene still contains a Hollywood star brightness of realized potential. This film is an absolute classic.

Transformers: 6-Movie SteelBook Collection 4K – This box set includes TRANSFORMERS, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT and BUMBLEBEE all in eye-popping 4K Ultra HD. Each film is presented in a separate SteelBook with the feature on 4K Ultra HD Disc plus a Blu-ray Disc™ with legacy bonus content. All six SteelBooks are housed in a striking magnetic slipcase that also includes a collectible decal and access to Digital copies of each film.

Review: Look, I fully concede that the quality level of storytelling in this series is one of diminishing returns but the first three are still watchable in my opinion, the Shia Labeouf years if you will, and Bumblebee is a kick-ass movie that a lot of people slept on and still do to this day. I’m a sucker for steelbooks as well and this is a beautifully constructed one dropped in the red white and blue of the Autobot’s leader, Optimus Prime. For a guy that saw the original animated film in theatres as a kid, this is a true gift for a collector that is more than meets the eye. Yeah, I went there.

Steve’s 4K & Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Flashdance 4K – Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) is a beautiful young woman who works a day job in a steel mill and dances in a bar at night. When Alex discovers that her handsome boss, Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), is both interested in her and supportive of her performing career, she renews her efforts to get accepted into a prestigious dance conservatory. Although Alex is frightened of failure, she is cheered on by Nick, as well as by her mentor, former ballet performer Hanna Long (Lilia Skala).

Review: It’s crazy to look at the Rotten Tomatoes meter for this iconic film and see that it was critically panned when it came out with one reviewer saying it “might be considered one of the first signs of Hollywood’s Apocalypse” because I think the Adrian Lyne directed character story has so much charm to it. Beals is fantastic in the lead role and the cinematography from Don Peterman is such a great start to a streak in the 80s that included Splash, Cocoon and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Plus the 4K makes that infamous dance scene just pop off the screen and the soundtrack is one of the best of the decade.

Superman I-IV 5-Film Collection 4K – It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the Superman movies as never seen before! Get to know one of the world’s most iconic superheroes now in stunning 4K Ultra HD. Follow the Man of Steel’s big screen debut, directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve. Then, witness Superman sacrifice his powers unaware that three Kryptonian villains are to descend on Earth. Welcome Richard Pryor and Annette O’Toole as they join Christopher Reeve in Superman III, before seeing Superman clash with Lex Luthor and Nuclear Man to save the Statue of Liberty, plug a volcanic eruption and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China in Superman IV.

Review: This is a pretty obvious one that is a welcome addition to my movie collection and a 4K gem, even if the third movie is questionable and the fourth one is downright terrible but this presentation is so glorious that I may just go ahead and watch them more than the inaugural one. The really cool thing is that Warner Bros. has done fans a solid and included both the theatrical version of the second film as well as the Richard Donner director’s cut in separate editions in the set which just means my wife is, unfortunately, going to have to endure the second film twice. I should feel extra bad because of how south it goes afterwards.

Greenberg – Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), a failed musician now making a living as a carpenter in New York, returns to Los Angeles to house-sit for his brother (Chris Messina). He is stranded there — since he doesn’t drive — until his brother’s assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig), comes to his rescue. She is as much a lost soul as he is, and as the pair begin spending more time together, they form a significant connection — giving Roger a much-needed reason to be happy.

Review: I adore writer and director Noah Baumbach, one of my favourites who is pretty damn consistent in making films that resonate with me. His work with Ben Stiller has been among my favorite and this one in particular really gets me because he has such great chemistry with co-star Greta Gerwig, who happens to be married to Baumbach. I feel like he isn’t a well-kept secret, but if someone hasn’t checked out this little indie gem, I highly recommend it.

Television:

I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson: Season 3 (Netflix) – Actor Tim Robinson stars in this sketch comedy series — which he also co-created — that sees him trying to get people to go away. In each segment, Robinson and his guests do whatever they can to try to drive someone to the point that they need — or desperately want — to leave. Robinson spent several years as a writer on “Saturday Night Live,” so it’s not a surprise that the show’s roster of guest stars includes a number of SNL alumni. Among them are Andy Samberg, Will Forte, Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong.

Expectations: This is one of my most anticipated new seasons of 2023 as the insanity of Tim Robinson’s mind feels completely in line with my own and I find myself quoting and reminiscing about it with my wife almost constantly. There is no great way to describe the show but sketch comedy is an easy sell in my mind and the episodes are only about ten to fifteen minutes long. Yes, this is my sales pitch for this series but I only do it for the love of comedy and the need to spread it to everyone.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – May 25

stevestebbing

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May 25, 2023

New Releases:

The Little Mermaid – The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to learn more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

Expectations: I have to say that the live-action reimaginings from Disney of their animated catalogue haven’t really done a lot for me in improving upon the originals so I can’t say the bar is set considerably high for possibly the biggest in that trend, a film that all the girls of my generation adored and still revere. I like the casting and the fact that they brought in Lin Manuel Miranda to punch up the songs a bit is promising so I’m curious t see how it all goes. It also comes from a hit-and-miss director with me, Rob Marshall, but musical adaptations are his thing so this may work out to be an enjoyable experience.

Kandahar – An undercover CIA operative gets stuck in hostile territory in Afghanistan after his mission is exposed. Accompanied by his translator, he must fight enemy combatants as he tries to reach an extraction point in Kandahar.

Review: This film, on the outside, felt curiously similar to Guy Ritchie’s latest film with Jake Gyllenhaal last month but it is a kind of perfect vehicle for Gerard Butler. Playing the grizzled contractor caught behind enemy lines, he and director Ric Roman Waugh pair for the third time and seem to have a good chemistry down as I found the movie pretty entertaining. As I write this, it is being slaughtered on Rotten Tomatoes, but I encourage an open mind on this one.

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.

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.

Expectations: I know this film is all about the big leading man debut of popular comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as his big screen vehicle but it is another indication of De Niro having either a terrible manager, a pending bankruptcy or padding up for his retirement because this loos bad. Not Dirty Grandpa bad or The War With Grandpa bad but still a certain quality of yikes bad. There are some laughs to be had in the trailer but it all looks so cliche and corny that I can’t say it would be that fun of an experience even with a less than hour and a half run time.

Blu-Ray:

Creed III – After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian–a fighter who has nothing to lose.

Review: I know we are in a post-Jonathan Majors praise environment now due to the charges levied at the rising star but, damn, he is such a force in this movie and such a formidable opponent for Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed in the lead actor’s debut behind the camera. Jordan makes this feel so within the fibre of the franchise while also taking some real cinematic chances with the look of the film that always works out beautifully. I was surprised with how much I liked the movie but also how necessary it felt in the story and not just an extra story tacked on for an obvious cash grab. Just a damn good boxing film with great character work from all involved.

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods – Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

Review: As a guy who enjoyed the first movie, this film feels like a direct continuation of that, with David Sandberg leaning into that fun atmosphere with Zach Levi doing his best as a superhero that is a teen at his core. The film took a lot of flack in being the death rattle of the DC Comics Cinematic Universe as we know it with his character’s future in the James Gunn and Peter Sarafin-led movies being unknown but as far as a story that doesn’t seem to have stakes beyond it’s just over two-hour runtime, it was a thrilling ride even if it was a bit predictable from time to time.

Cocaine Bear – 1985, Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. When a duffel bag crammed with cocaine bricks falls from the sky, a massive American black bear eats $14 million worth of nose candy. And as a pair of drug dealers comb the tangled woods to retrieve the goods, the coked-up beast goes on a rampage for more white powder, carving a bloody path of destruction along the way. In the next few hours, the black-haired mountain of muscle and razor-sharp claws will be the most dangerous apex predator on any continent. Do the intruders have what it takes to confront the unstoppable Cocaine Bear?

Review: In a Tarantino-esque romp through a Georgia state park with a myriad of characters, this movie manages to be entertaining, bloody and pretty damn funny, a complete surprise from director Elizabeth Banks who has seemed to find an interesting storytelling stride in the big studio B-film department and I am totally ready to see her do more of them. Multiple actors have scene-stealing moments in it, like The Wire’s Isiah Whitlock Jr. and one-time Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich who prove their importance every time they are on screen. I had such a fun time with this movie in theatres and am so happy for this Blu-ray to experience it again and also dig into the gag reel for it.

The Quiet Girl – Set in 1981, this film tells the story of a young girl, Cáit, who is sent away for the summer from her dysfunctional family to live with “her mother’s people”. These are Seán and Eibhlín Cinnsealach; a middle-aged couple she has never met. Slowly, in the care of this couple, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living, but in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.

Review: There is a trend in the nominees this past year of the Academy wards and that is devasting stories from other countries about kids that sat in the nominees for Best Foreign Film. Along with the Scandinavian drama Close, this film was selected as well, told in Irish garlic, about the salvation of a young girl to hopefully open up her world and bring her out of the shell that her birth parents had put her in and the tragedy of that being all ripped away. Beautiful performances punctuate a deeply resonant story that will level you heartbroken in its final moments. I loved this film from beginning to end but I will definitely contend that it is a hard sit and you definitely will need the tissues to get through it.

SEAL Team: Season 6 – Failure isn’t an option for the new Navy SEALs, and that kind of pressure can take a toll on the members of the special operations forces’ most elite unit. This team — which includes Jason, the group’s intense leader, and Ray, Jason’s longtime confidant, along with loyal soldier Sonny and SEAL hopeful Clay — trains, plans and executes some of the most dangerous, high-stakes missions and deploys for clandestine missions around the globe at a moment’s notice. While serving their country is a worthy and rewarding cause, it can put a strain on the SEALs and their families, causing the guys to look out for one another in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, both on and off the job.

Review: Being a big David Boreanaz fan since the Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel years, I was an easy mark to check this series out and I have more love for it than I did with his Fox procedural Bones. The show is tactical military, something I really like in a story, reminiscent of Strike Back or, a show I loved on CBS years ago, The Unit. The best thing is ever since it moved to Paramount+ exclusively they have been able to give more of an R-rated feel which has drastically improved the storytelling and combat on screen obviously. With six seasons of episodes and a seventh on the horizon, this is an easy pick if you’re looking for an action series.

Bonanza: The Complete Series – The Cartwrights’ one-thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch is located near Virginia City, Nevada, the site of the Comstock Silver Lode, during and after the Civil War. Each of the three sons was born to a different wife of Ben’s; none of the mothers are still alive. Adventures are typical Western ones, with lots of personal relationships/problems thrown in as well.

Review: Only getting the Paramount releases for probably just over five years, I was at the tail end of the release of this classic series on DVD and received the final three only, making my collection decidedly lopsided. Well, that was all short-lived as I have your dad and their parent’s favourite television series in my possession and I definitely ever the series and know what it means to the television we have today. Lorne Greene is also a total legend and I get where it comes from because he is a total force on this show.

Steve’s Blu-Ray, 4K & DVD Geek Outs:

The Greatest – Teenagers Rose and Bennett were in love, and then a car crash claimed Bennett’s life. He left behind a grieving mother, father, and younger brother, and Rose was left all alone. She has no family to turn to for support, so when she finds out she’s pregnant, she winds up at the Brewers’ door. She needs their help, and although they can’t quite admit it, they each need her so they can begin to heal.

Review: This was an easy pick-up for me as it stars the incredible Carey Mulligan who was just a rising star at the time and this movie doesn’t get nearly enough love in my opinion. A film that is deeply mixed in both grieving and mourning but the optimism of new life and the continuation of a life snuffed out too soon, writer and director Shana Feste absolutely delivered in her debut feature film and hasn’t really come back with the same calibre of film since. I also love the dramatic work from Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon here as the grieving parents, such great character work.

Deep Impact 4K – A comet is hurtling toward Earth and could mean the end of all human life. The U.S. government keeps the crisis under wraps, but crack reporter Jenny Lerner (Tea Leoni) uncovers the truth — forcing U.S. President Beck (Morgan Freeman) to announce his plan. Grizzled astronaut Spurgeon “Fish” Tanner (Robert Duvall) and his team will land on the comet and lay explosives, hopefully deterring the object from its doomsday course. If not, humanity will have to prepare for the worst.

Review: Back when disaster porn movies were all the rage, like Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day or Jan De Bont’s Twister, studio director Mimi Leder made this film, one that focuses more on its characters with the impending world-ending comet being the backbone to the story and, well, no one saw it and it bombed. Now Paramount is giving it the 4K treatment for a re-release and while I can’t say it improves the film’s problems, being the sappiness of the melodrama, it really makes the special effects look solid, even twenty-five minutes later. It’s also great to see that we’ve accepted Morgan Freeman as president long before Gerard Butler had to protect him in the latest Has Fallen movies.

His Dark Materials: The Complete Series – One of the supreme works of imaginative fiction for both children and adults published in the 20th century. Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In “The Subtle Knife” she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in “The Amber Spyglass.”

Review: I won’t mix words here, I was a fan of the New Line-produced film adaptation of this Philip Pullman book series starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and would have watched more but low box office returns squashed that from happening. That said, the right way to tell this story was in series form and with the power of HBO and BBC we got a damn good version of it with Logan actress Dafne Keen doing a killer job as the lead character, Lyra. The show also had the full experience of adapting the entire series of books and not getting an early cancellation this time around which really is so satisfying and an opportunity a lot of adaptations don’t get.

Television:

FUBAR (Netflix) – A father and daughter have both been working as CIA Operatives for years, but each kept their involvement in the CIA hidden from the other, resulting in their entire relationship is a gigantic lie. Upon learning of each other’s involvement in the CIA, the pair are forced to work together as partners, and against the backdrop of explosive action, and espionage, learn who each other really are.

Review: The cool news about this show is that it is action film legend and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger’s television debut but it feels like a bit of a retread as the secret agent family action stuff was already done with James Cameron in True Lies I thought. Sadly, the show is a bit corny and feels like a rough-around-the-edges Netflix series, or at least the pilot really does. It’s a bit of a bummer as great Canadian Jay Baruchel has a supporting role here and I worshipped at the feet of 80s icon Arnie so I feel obligated to see the whole series through no matter what.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6A56zcGeWE

American Born Chinese (Disney+) – Jin Wang, an average teenager, juggles his high school social life with his home life; when he meets a new student on the first day of the school year, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

Review: Disney may have an underlying hit here when people catch on. I hope it’s through the conduit of Academy Award winners Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh’s involvement in the show, even if their roles in the series are very supporting. Based on a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, the show is charming, colourful, and fun and has some really great action choreography plus it features a Monkey King and I have a weakness for that classic martial arts inclusion.

The Kardashians: Season 3 (Disney+) – The family you know and love is back with a brand-new series that gives an all-access pass into their lives. Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie bring the cameras back to reveal the truth behind the headlines. From the intense pressures of running billion-dollar businesses to the hilarious joys of playtime and school drop-offs, this series brings viewers into the fold with a rivetingly-honest story of life and love in the spotlight.

Review: I don’t know how I got so wrapped up in this show, having never watched the Keeping Up version aside from clips on the internet of Joel McHale’s E series The Soup, but I am now three seasons deep and kind of ingest it as a character series rather than a reality one. Now, as a viewer, I’m hoping for a more interesting season as the Kourtney and Travis Barker heavy season two was so tedious and almost made me drop the show entirely. This one has already raped up the sibling drama though so that is a good sign. Oh my god, what have I become?

Platonic (AppleTV+) – Former childhood best friends reconnect as adults and try to get past the rift that led to their falling out.

Review: Produced by Nicholas Stoller and starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in a Neighbors reunion of sorts, this is my adult pick of the week for sure. Seth and Rose’s proven comedic chemistry is fully on display in a show that seems tailored to their talents. Unpredictable, funny, charming and sometimes totally relatable, this one may fill the void that Ted Lasso is going to leave next week after the series finale.

What The Hell ShouldI Watch? – May 18

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May 18, 2023

New Releases:

Fast X – Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything–and everyone–that Dom loves, forever.

Expectations: It looks like we might be nearing the end of the road when it comes to this Vin Diesel-led franchise as this film and the eleventh and twelfth installments will be the finale trilogy to end this series that started with stolen DVD players. It has now become an almost parody of itself as Dom and his family have survived the most ridiculous of scenarios repeatedly. I will say that I wish the egos of Diesel and The Rock hadn’t clashed so badly because I miss the invigoration his character gave the franchise.

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. 

White Men Can’t Jump – From 20th Century Studios, the all-new comedy “White Men Can’t Jump” is a modern remix of the iconic 1992 film that celebrates the streetball hustling culture of Los Angeles. Multi-platinum rap superstar Jack Harlow makes his movie debut as Jeremy, a former star of the game whose injuries stalled his career, and Sinqua Walls stars as Kamal, once a promising player who derailed his own future in the sport. Juggling tenuous relationships, financial pressures and serious internal struggles, the two ballers–opposites who are seemingly miles apart–find they might have more in common than they imagined possible.

Review: As a fan of the original film, starring Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez, I didn’t feel there was a need to revisit this one but apparently Hulu did and wanted to use it as an acting springboard for rapper Jack Harlow. They did manage to make a bland and toothless reimaging of it complete with another awful screenplay by Kenya Barris to follow up his terrible Netflix film You People. Harlow couldn’t emote his way out of a death sentence if he wanted to and most of the film was painful to get through.

Blu-Ray:

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible.

Review: While I will say that this wasn’t the trilogy finisher that you wanted, given the quality and fun feel of the first two, this film manages to service the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe more than it is a send-off for Avenger Scott Lang who I assume is probably done or at least for now. For a Paul Rudd starring film, the levity is a bit lacking here and there but when it takes broad sweeps at it, they generally connect. It may be a mess from time to time but it is still enjoyable and I liked a few of the Marvel character cameos hidden within.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre – In the film, super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.

Review: This being the reunion of actor Jason Statham and director Guy Ritchie, I was immediately excited to check this film out although I had to wait a while as it wasn’t released in Canada. The film plays as a slick spy thriller with great dialogue and great characters but it doesn’t for a single moment feel like a Ritchie film. This leads to the belief that the guy who made Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch is a person of the past and now very much resembles a studio filmmaker but he still shows a little flair here and there. This will be a word-of-mouth type of film but those who pick up on it will love it.

Moving On – Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as estranged friends who reunite to seek revenge on the petulant widower (Malcolm McDowell) of their recently deceased best friend. Along the way, Fonda’s character reunites with her great love (Richard Roundtree) as each woman learns to make peace with the past and each other.

Expectations: The career move for these two legends is definitely to work with each other for as long as they can and with the success of 80 For Brady, a surprising one, it seems to be working out. Tomlin reteams with writer and director Paul Weitz for the third time after Admission and Grandma, both great movies, and the film also having McDowell in the cast leans on my love of the actor from all the way back to A Clockwork Orange. The reviews are not too bad so this might be a sleeper home video hit of this week.

One Day As A Lion – Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hitman, and when he’s sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons), Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes bored waitress Lola hostage. When Jackie reveals he needs money to get his son out of jail, Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie’s ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime-comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

Review: Caan writes and stars in this small-town noir that feels a little too uneven to be satisfying in the end. Every actor plays well into their strengths but that can only float so far as it gets a bit lost in finding its edge and trying to be too much like what inspired it. Director John Swab and Caan are a promising pairing though and I didn’t feel like this was a wasted watch.

Max Fleisher’s Superman – A series of 17 animated short films released in Technicolor by Paramount Pictures and based upon the comic book character Superman, making them his first animated appearance.

Review: This little collection is honestly for the super fans of the character, pun only sort of intended. It definitely shows its age and leans into the big blue boy scout side of the Superman lore but it is kind of cool to see the first animated representation of one of the original worldwide known superheroes. It’s safe to say that animation has only improved in the time since.

Steve’s Blu-Ray & 4K Geekouts:

The General and Three Ages – After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through enemy lines.

In his first independently produced feature film Buster tells of love and romance through three historical ages: the Stone Age, the Roman Age, and the Modern Age.

Review: My journey to own all of the Kino Lorber classic releases starts with this double feature Blu-ray, featuring two huge films in the career of the legendary Buster Keaton. As a film lover who is playing catch up with a lot of pre-1965 cinema, I know how important Keaton is and how inspiring his work is and to own a restored version of his work is very cool.

Aftersun – Reflecting on the brief summer holiday she spent with her father at a budget seaside resort when she was 11 years old, Sophie replays the same nostalgic, sun-kissed memories of happy times in her mind. And two decades later, a now adult Sophie tries to process the fading remembrance of her father by filling in the blanks through bitter-sweet recorded recollections. But memory is unreliable, and Sophie needs to make sense of the parent she loved but thought she knew.

Review: Easily one of my favourite movies of last year, Paul Mescal earned his Academy Award nomination with so much heart and soul brimming behind a guarded performance as a father who does his best to hide his conflicted psyche. This one is exceptionally geeky for me as the only way to purchase this Blu-ray was through the A24 studio store. I’m giddy that I could give directly to my favourite studio.

Rebel Without A Cause 4K – Jim Stark is a troubled youth who constantly seems to get into trouble. He’s new in town – they moved because Jim had gotten himself into some kind of trouble – and he seems to be starting off where he left off when the police pick him up for being drunk on the street. At school, he meets a group of young toughs who challenge him to a game of chicken. When that leads to an accident and a death, Jim wants to go to the police but his parents refuse to let him do so. When some of the teenagers go after Jim thinking he might go to the police, tragedy ensues.

Review: It’s crazy that a single film out of the tragically short career of James Dean can still exude so much cool but even now, almost seventy years later, this is definitely the case. Beyond Dean, Natalie Wood has become an absolute favourite of mine as I go through all of these classic films, and this is a beautiful performance alongside the lead’s tortured soul. Nominated for three Academy Awards, for Wood, co-star Sal Mineo and the screenplay by director Nicholas Ray, this is still a crown jewel in the one hundred years of Warner Bros.

Television:

High Desert (AppleTV+) – Peggy Newman, a woman with a checkered past, makes the life-changing decision to become a private investigator following the death of her beloved mother, with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California.

Review: As soon as I saw Patricia Arquette’s name attached to this comedy-drama, I knew I had to watch it as I’m a huge fan of the Oscar-winning actress and this is a really great role for her. There’s something about a complete anti-hero private detective story that grabs me and the fish-out-of-water nature to it makes it even better. With a cast that includes Brad Garrett, Christine Taylor, Kier O’Donnell and a quick visit by Matt Dillon as her ex-husband, I’m really enjoying the show so far and hope to see more.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – May 11

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May 11, 2023

New Releases:

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.

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.

Fool’s Paradise – The film is a satirical comedy following a down-on-his-luck publicist (Ken Jeong), who gets his lucky break when he discovers a man recently released from a mental health facility (Day) looks just like a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer. With the help of a powerful producer (the late Ray Liotta), Ken helps the man become a huge star, even marrying his beautiful leading lady (Kate Beckinsale). Their adventures lead them to cross paths with drunken costars (Adrien Brody), irreverent unhoused action heroes (Common), unpredictable directors (Jason Sudeikis), a super-agent (Edie Falco), and power-mad moguls (John Malkovich). Fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be, and the two men must fight their way back to the things that matter the most.

Expectations: This feature directorial debut for actor Charlie Day has actually been fully filmed and in the can for years as I heard him talk about it on Dax Shepard’s podcast so I’m not sure why it took so long to see its release but it is now here. I love the dynamic here as Day is doing a fully silent and pantomimed performance, working against type, and the cast here is fantastic including Kate Beckinsale, Jasons Bateman and Sudekis, Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and one of the final performances from the legendary Ray Liotta. I really like the trailer for this and fully believe it will meet up with my expectations.

Hypnotic – Determined to find his missing daughter, Austin detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiralling down a rabbit hole investigating a series of reality-bending crimes where he will ultimately call into question his most basic assumptions about everything and everyone in his world. Aided by Diana Cruz, a gifted psychic, Rourke simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal spectre — the one man he believes holds the key to finding the missing girl — only to discover more than he ever bargained for.

Expectations: Being a Ben Affleck guy for a long time now, I’m rooting for this movie to be a great action ride and that’s not just because of the leading Boston-born actor but because it is directed by badass filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who I’ve loved ever since his debut with El Mariachi. I have to say that the film doesn’t loo like any Rodriguez film I’ve ever seen but the man has always been super inventive with his style and I’m interested to see what he’s doing with this very studio-looking production.

The Mother – While fleeing from dangerous assailants, an assassin comes out of hiding to protect her daughter she left earlier in life.

Review: I can not glaze over the fact that both Ben Affleck and his wife JLo have vacation movies coming out this week but Jenny From The Block’s flick is on Netflix but also from a pretty solid director as well. Niki Caro follows up Mulan with a pretty standard action film and Lopez manages to do her best Mark Wahlberg impression to keep it all afloat. This won’t blow any minds but I thought it was a pretty solid one-woman army type of genre movie.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – The film, which will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements, will recount Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, will unspool alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film will chronicle Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails. It will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film will feel like… well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.

Review: This is the most inventive biopic documentary I have ever seen, something that uses every possible footage of Michael to allow him to tell his own story from the beginning. With his endearing humour on his sleeve, he tells the story of his childhood in Burnaby, his move to Hollywood to pursue his dreams and the struggle until Family Ties, superstardom launched by Back To The Future and, of course, his battle with Parkinson’s. As someone who has the very real possibility of getting the disease myself, I was deeply rooted in Michael’s story and hung on to every word of his journey. An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim did a fantastic job in realizing it to a film form and I think it may well be one of the best this year.

Crater – This film is the coming-of-age adventure story of Caleb Channing (Isaiah Russell-Bailey), who was raised on a lunar mining colony and is about to be permanently relocated to an idyllic faraway planet following the death of his father (Scott Mescudi). But before leaving, to fulfill his dad’s last wish, he and his three best friends, Dylan (Billy Barratt), Borney (Orson Hong) and Marcus (Thomas Boyce), and a new arrival from Earth, Addison (Mckenna Grace), hijack a rover for one final adventure on a journey to explore a mysterious crater.

Review: With The Stanford Prison Experiment director Kyle Patrick Alvarez helming the film and rising young star Mckenna Grace in a starring role, I was definitely keen on checking this film out, something I compared a bit to Holes upon first impression, a rare Disney genre film. The execution I wasn’t so keen on as I found the film painfully dull with a plot that had faint stakes and no real peril to it. The script is dull and filled with cliches and the effects come off goofy from time to time, which is a glaring problem being Disney produced. I was pretty disappointed by this one.

Blu-Ray:

Knock At The Cabin – Wen, only seven years old, is vacationing with her two dads, Eric and Andrew, at a remote cabin. While catching grasshoppers, she is approached by a stranger named Leonard. Initially friendly, he explains that he needs Wen and her parents’ help to save the world. However, Wen becomes suspicious when three other people appear with makeshift weapons. Wen flees to warn Eric and Andrew, but the visitors break into the cabin and tie them up, with Eric sustaining a concussion. Leonard and his companions claim that they have never met before this day and have no intention of harming the family. However, in the past week, they have been driven by visions and an unknown force to find the family as they are predicting an impending apocalypse. Vision or illusion?

Review: I will fully admit that after the disappointments of M. Night Shyamalan’s trilogy finisher Glass and the thriller Old, my bar for this film was considerably low. The thing keeping me going on it was the inclusion of Dave Bautista in the cast, a wrestler turned-actor who keeps getting better and better in every role. Needless to say that the man rules in this film, giving a complex and nuanced performance that is the mysterious heartbeat of the thriller. The ideas are complex and surprisingly straightforward for a Shyamalan film which is actually quite refreshing. The film actually resonated with me for a couple of days and I hope this is another good patch in the uneven filmmaker’s career.

Children Of The Corn – Possessed by a spirit in a dying cornfield, twelve-year-old Eden recruits the other children in her small town to rise up and take control. Tired of having to pay the price for their parent’s mistakes, Eden leads the kids on a bloody rampage, killing the adults and anyone who opposes her. With all the adults jailed or dead, it comes down to one high schooler who won’t go along with the plan and becomes the town’s only hope of survival.

Review: Being an adaptation of one of my all-time favourite authors and written and directed by the man who brought us the sci-fi epic, Equilibrium, I thought that this might be a fun watch at best. The twist on the original story should have been the first red flag as Kurt Wimmer’s take on the story is completely toothless and wastes creepy imagery on not being scary whatsoever. The film was done in lockdown with a start and stop schedule so maybe that led to the problems in it. Or maybe it’s another bad Children Of The Corn movie. Besides the original, they just can’t get it right.

Unwelcome – Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare of London to the tranquillity of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent, murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden. Heavily pregnant, Maya is soon targeted by the goblins and the family she befriended after forgetting to make sure the creatures are fed. Who – or what – will come to her rescue and what extremes will she go to to protect her unborn child?

Review: This movie taps into one of my favourite horror tropes, the secluded cabin chillers, much like The Evil Dead, so it all tracks with my personality. This one is an absolute blast that also plays with an underused horror and fantasy monster, the goblin, which I feel like hasn’t been used since Ghoulies. The cast is game, with Ant-Man & The Wasp’s Hannah John-Kamen and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies actor Douglas Booth leading the way well. I hope this one gets some word of mouth because it is worth checking out.

Yellowstone: Season 5 Part 1 – Oscar and Emmy winner Kevin Costner is the marquee attraction of the ensemble cast in this drama series, starring as the patriarch of a powerful, complicated family of ranchers. A sixth-generation homesteader and devoted father, John Dutton controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. He operates in a corrupt world where politicians are compromised by influential oil and lumber corporations and land grabs make developers billions. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect, Dutton’s property is in constant conflict with those it borders — an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.

Review: When I started watching this current season on Paramount+, I never thought for a second that we were entering the final season of this fantastic and addictive show but after a conflict between creator Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner, this is exactly where we are. Now it’s completely unpredictable where this show will go but where we are right now is with a John Dutton who is now the Governor of Montana and a jaded son in Jamie Dutton looking to take him down and usurp his power. This show is brilliant and if you haven’t started it, there’s no better time than right now.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

The Maltese Falcon 4K – Spade and Archer is the name of a San Francisco detective agency. That’s for Sam Spade and Miles Archer. The two men are partners, but Sam doesn’t like Miles much. A knockout, who goes by the name of Miss Wonderly, walks into their office; and by that night everything’s changed. Miles is dead. And so is a man named Floyd Thursby. It seems Miss Wonderly is surrounded by dangerous men. There’s Joel Cairo, who uses gardenia-scented calling cards. There’s Kasper Gutman, with his enormous girth and feigned civility. Her only hope of protection comes from Sam, who is suspected by the police of one or the other murder. More murders are yet to come, and it will all be because of these dangerous men — and their lust for a statuette of a bird: the Maltese Falcon.

Review: While it doesn’t have the stature of a film like Casablanca, this detective noir still holds a place on the list of cinema greats that star Humprey Bogart and to get this 4K film during the one-hundredth year of Warner Bros. existence is a movie lover’s gift for sure. Listed as one of the top one hundred films of all time according to the American Film Institute, the film was actually nominated for three Academy Awards but won none of them. Watching it now, I’m still struck by the fantastic writing, Bogart’s transfixing performance as well as Peter Lorre’s stand-out supporting work. This is a classic and no tarnish has touched its legacy in my opinion.

Cool Hand Luke 4K – Lucas Jackson, natural born world shaker, someone with more guts than brains, a man who refuses to conform to the rules he has been given. Sent to a prison camp for a misdemeanor Luke soon gains respect and becomes an idol. He has some fun in jail doing things for the hell of it, after his mother dies the Bosses put him in the box afraid he might want to attend the funeral. When he gets out he runs and gets caught and runs and gets caught, the bosses try to break him but he just won’t break.

Review: An iconic character piece, this is easily one of my favourite Paul Newman performances and I know I’m not alone in that opinion. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards but only walked away with one, for Best Supporting Actor George Kennedy and his role as Dragline, but the resonance it has had on filmmaking can still be felt today. You simply can not even make a prison movie without thinking of this film and you definitely can’t eat a hard-boiled egg without bringing it to mind either. This is a special flicka and it looks glorious on 4K, an easy purchase decision to make.

All-Star Superman 4K – Grant Morrison’s epic swan song to the Man of Steel, is wonderfully brought to the screen. Soaring to the rescue of a scientific explorer team near the Sun Superman’s cells become overexposed to the solar radiation. As a result, his abilities have increased exponentially, but at the same time destroying him on a cellular level. Yet this is just a part of Lex Luthor’s ultimate plan to destroy his nemesis. With his time nearing its end can the Man of Tomorrow rise to his greatest challenge and save humanity one last time?

Review: As a comic fan, I am a huge fan of the comic that this DC Comics animated adaptation is based on, probably one of my favourite stories about the Man Of Tomorrow from one of the greatest creative minds in the industry, Grant Morrison. The voice cast also has some favourites for me as well as Christina Hendricks, Alexis Denisoff, John Dimaggio, Matthew Gray Gubler, Linda Cardellini and more feature in some classic supporting Superman roles. I already had this one on DVD so it’s very cool to get the fully updated version of it on 4K.

Television:

The Muppets Mayhem (Disney+) – The Electric Mayhem Band as they go on an epic musical journey to finally record their first studio album. Lilly Singh plays the (human) lead role of Nora, a driven junior A&R executive tasked with managing and wrangling the mayhem that is The Electric Mayhem Band. With the help of Nora, the old-school Muppet band comes face to face with the current-day music scene as they try to finally go platinum.

Review: It’s like someone read my fever dream journal and made a series just for me, following Dr. Teeth and his band featuring the drummer of all drummers, Animal. I am a total nerd for these Jim Henson creations and I will watch anything they put out it’s pretty refreshing to see that they have something not featuring the main cast.

Class Of ’09 (Disney+) – A suspense thriller limited series, the story follows a class of FBI agents set in three distinct points in time who grapple with immense changes as the U.S. criminal justice system is altered by artificial intelligence. Spanning multiple decades and told across interweaving timelines, the series examines the nature of justice, humanity and the choices people make that ultimately define their lives and legacy. The series stars Bryan Tyree Henry as Tayo, one of the most unorthodox agents to ever join the bureau, and Kate Mara as Poet, one of the most successful undercover agents of all time.

Review: I was initially pretty uninterested in this show, which I perceived to be a police procedural at first glance but the complexity of the character over the span of decades was really enticing. The cast is solid as I think Henry is one of the fast-rising lead stars, especially after his work in Causeway with Jennifer Lawrence recently and Mara has been a dependable actress for years. The story has a deeper subplot than the general premise would lead you to believe so I think I’m in it for at least the first five episodes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh3JIflUYjk

Mulligan (Netflix) – After Earth is destroyed by an alien attack, a rag-tag band of survivors has to start society over from scratch. It’s an opportunity to learn from humanity’s past mistakes and get things right this time. Or make the same mistakes all over again. Probably the second one.

Review: Coming from the mind of 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt co-creator Robert Carlock, this is the opportunity to move his madness to the animated landscape. Featuring a solid cast with Nat Faxon, Chrissy Tegen, Tina Fey, Daniel Radcliffe and Sam Richardson, the show has failed to catch fire with me so far like Carlock’s previous work has. The Boston doofus who has to act the hero is a bit Family Guy-leaning, even given the different premises, and it doesn’t seem to have the same sort of writing to have a sustainable drive for a whole series. I smell an early cancellation on this one.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – May 4

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May 4, 2023

New Releases:

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.

Expectations: This is the end of many things as it brings to a close the story of a lovable bunch of a-holes and the completion of writer and director James Gunn’s involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he moves to course correct the DC Comics movie franchises. I expect Gunn to play everyone’s heartstrings like a well-trained classical musician and see the fitting finale of a trilogy that exceeded all of my wants and desires for it. What will it set up for the future of the MCU? That is unclear to me but I know that our main cast probably sees their swan song here.

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, 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.

Carmen – To escape a murderous cartel, the captivating young Carmen (Melissa Barrera) is northbound, her route traversing an area patrolled by the US government and fanatical Americans who hunt people for sport. Mixed into the horde is local veteran Aidan (Paul Mescal), dragged into the ignoble mission as a means of earning money for his impoverished family. Soon, the star-crossed sweethearts intersect and, with hearts leading the way, take the wheel with Los Angeles on the horizon. Carmen’s goal is to seek refuge in a nightclub run by an infamous family friend named Masilda (Rossy de Palma) and bartender Gabrielle (Elsa Pataky). But as the song goes, l’amour est un oiseau rebelle — and perhaps love may not be enough when the laws of physics and men aren’t far behind.

Review: Based on the famous French novel by the creator of one of the creators of romanticism, Prosper Mérimée, world-renowned choreographer and dancer Benjamin Millepied makes an ambitious and striking feature film debut. After her horror breakout performances in Scream and Scream VI, actress Melissa Barrera is electric in this film and Paul Mescal follows his brilliant Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun with another stellar outing here. This movie is unlike any in the literary adaptation catalogue and it benefits from that.

Acidman – Maggie tracks down her estranged father Lloyd, now living in the Oregon wilderness and obsessed with UFOs; together they attempt to make first contact.

Review: When I started this movie, I have to admit that I was expecting something that was more sci-fi driven but the heart of this story is the reconciliation of the estranged relationship of a father and daughter. More to the point, the film is a character study of a man who may be silently brilliant or mentally ill and the effect that has had on a woman who just wanted to know her dad. While I do wish that the film leaned harder into the sci-fi elements, you quickly realize that this was never going to be the focus.

Blu-Ray:

80 For Brady – The movie is inspired by the true story of 4 best friends and New England Patriots fans who take a life-changing trip to Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play, and the chaos that ensues as they navigate the wilds of the biggest sporting event in the country.

Review: This film is exactly what you expect it to be, funny in fits and starts and cringy throughout but it is a winning backdrop for four absolute legends. I will watch Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin do anything together, especially after the complete series of Grace & Frankie, but adding the adorable Sally Field and the iconic Rita Moreno just makes it that much better. I won’t say this is a good movie by any means but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Play Dead – Criminology student Chloe fakes her own death to break into a morgue, in order to retrieve a piece of evidence that ties her younger brother to a crime gone wrong. Once inside, she quickly learns that the fearsome Coroner uses the morgue as a front for a sick and twisted business. As a frightening game of cat and mouse ensues, Isabel will discover that the scariest thing about the morgue is not the dead, but the living.

Expectations: As a horror thriller fan, I have learned over the years that, whether as a writer or as a director, I generally have a fun time with Patrick Lussier’s movies. The guy has given us the cinematic rides of Drive Angry and the remake of My Bloody Valentine and now he’s making Jerry O’Connell super creepy and I’m totally here for it. The reviews are pretty favourable and it apparently leans into the dark humour which is Lussier’s wheelhouse, which only adds to my intrigue for the film.

Steve’s Blu-Ray & DVD Geekouts:

Deathtrap – When once-successful playwright Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine) sees his latest Broadway effort bomb on its opening night, he tumbles into despair — until he receives a package from his former student Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve). Inside is an unproduced script that’s better than anything Sidney has written in years. At the urging of his wife, Myra (Dyan Cannon), Sidney undertakes a plan to lure Clifford to his country home, murder him and then announce the script as his own work.

Review: Going through legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet’s work has been a true pleasure as I get older as a movie fan so, in picking up all of the Warner Archive collection chronologically, I was really excited to see another one of his mysteries for the first time. Featuring stellar work from the always incomparable Michael Caine, it really is Reeves who shines in this film, coupled with a really great script from the same mind behind Rosemary’s Baby. Sadly, it was the only time that Lumet and Caine worked together.

Chloe – Balancing family with a successful career, Catherine Stewart, a gynecologist, after years of being happily married to David, a college professor, starts to believe that the reason for her stagnant marriage is her husband’s infidelity, a suspicion fuelled after finding a compromising photo of him with one of his students on his cellphone. Insecure but curious to find out whether David is prone to adultery, Catherine while looking down from the window in her office, will spot Chloe, a young and elegant escort girl and she will hire her as a honey trap to flirt, seduce and report back. Without a doubt, Chloe is intelligent and quite proficient in her job, so before long, Catherine will be the recipient of the explicitly vivid descriptions of their passionate encounters that will ignite an unprecedented and inexplicable urge to hear more. However, as the appointments multiply, Catherine inadvertently loses control while putting her entire family at risk.

Review: Atom Egoyan is in that special category of Canadian filmmakers with a European-like directing eye, much like David Cronenberg and, to a degree, Xavier Dolan. This film has the feel of a steamy French erotic thriller and is very much played like that as well, with Amanda Seyfriend giving a hell of an underrated performance. If you look it up on Rotten Tomatoes, you will see it as rotten but I think the film was panned for its B-movie sex-hungry prowess, which I believe to be its strong suit. It feels like a restrained De Palma flick.

The Brak Show: Volume One – An network original, this is a story of a neighbourhood. It’s the story of a family. It’s the story of what happens when adults have children and those children go to school. And Brak is in it. He lives in a house. A house on a quiet street not unlike yours or mine. A house in a neighbourhood. That’s The Brak Show.” So goes Cartoon Network’s description of the new sitcom starring Brak, the absent-minded space pirate from the Space Ghost cartoons. He goes through all the typical sitcom situations with his friend Zorak. Also along for the ride are Brak’s parents, his brother Sisto, and his next-door neighbour Thundercleese.

Review: This is a blast from my television-watching past, circa the 2000s, that I had a burst of inspiration to watch so I went onto the net to find that it had been discontinued years ago. Luckily, a wholesaler warehouse I frequent had a dusty copy in stock and I was able to secure the first volume of an inanely hilarious little animated film that paved the way for Adult Swim to rise for us fans with a more mature sense of humour that is also completely immature. Now to find the second set.

Television:

White House Plumbers (Crave) – This series goes behind the scenes of the Watergate scandal as Nixon’s political saboteurs, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, accidentally topple the presidency they were zealously trying to protect. Chronicling actions on the ground, this satirical drama begins in 1971 when the White House hires Hunt and Liddy, formerly of the CIA and FBI, respectively, to investigate the Pentagon Papers leak. After failing upward, the unlikely pair lands on the committee to reelect the president, plotting several unbelievable covert ops, including bugging the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex.

Expectations: Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson toplining a new HBO limited series about Hunt and Liddy being the downfall of the Nixon government? And it’s by the producers behind Succession and Veep? Sign me the heck up for all five episodes! The show looks like a slam dunk no matter how you look at it because both of these actors are so consistent in delivering great performances and with Lena Headey, Kim Coates, Ike Barinholtz and more in the supporting cast, it just gets better and better.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix) – The young queen’s marriage to King George of England ushers in an epic love story and transforms high society.

Expectations: With the massive success that the original series Bridgerton has become, it was only a matter of time til we saw other shows based in the same universe. Now we get a prequel following the young exploits of Golda Rosheuvel’s character, who is my favourite character on the show, so at least they’re starting at a high point. I do say this without having watched all two seasons of Bridgerton but I appreciate a good formidable actress.

A Small Light (Disney+) – Follows twentysomething Miep Gies who, when her boss Otto Frank came to her and asked her to hide his family from the Nazis during World War II, didn’t hesitate. For the next two years, Miep, her husband Jan, and the other helpers watched over the eight souls (Otto Frank, his wife Edith and daughters Anne and Margot as well as four others) in hiding in the Secret Annex. And it was Miep who found Anne’s Diary and kept it safe so Otto, the only one of the eight who survived, could later share it with the world as one of the most powerful accounts of the Holocaust.

Expectations: National Geographic and Disney+ combine for this historical drama that features one of my favourite British actresses, Bel Powley in the lead role, someone that has hooked me in movies since The Diary Of A Teenage Girl. I also find it fascinating to base this long-known story of Anne Frank around the woman who put it all on the line to save her and her family’s lives.I won’t let the fact that the showrunners come from a Grey’s Anatomy background bug me that much although I do wonder which seasons in particular.

Silo (AppleTV+) – In a ruined and toxic future, a community exists in a giant underground silo that plunges hundreds of stories deep; there, people live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them.

Expectations: I’m a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic story of survival and the trailer for this one has been plastered everywhere and I’m loving what I’m seeing of it. The cast is stellar, with Mission Impossible and Dune actress Rebecca Ferguson in the lead and Tim Robbins, Common, David Oyelowo, Iain Glen and more to help round out the cast. The show has the potential to be the next big hit for this streaming service if the substance within is as good as its players. Either way, I’ll be watching everything I can of it right away.

The Other Two: Season 3 (Crave) – Former “Saturday Night Live” head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider are the creative forces behind this show, a scripted series centred around two siblings desperately seeking their lot in life. Aspiring actor Cary is struggling to land better auditions than “Man at Party Who Smells Fart,” while his sister Brooke is simply struggling in general. As they work toward self-improvement, their lives are turned upside-down when their teenage brother Chase becomes an internet sensation overnight.

Expectations: Only recently being clued into this show’s existence, I am now playing catch up with a brilliantly written series that takes precocious parody and interjects a couple of tragically comedic losers into the equation. I’m new to both lead actors Heléne Yorke and Drew Trver, but I have long loved Molly Shannon who plays the mom in the series. I also love how to offset their self destructive ways are from the pure goodness of their little superstar brother. It’s a great dynamic.

Star Wars Visions: Season 2 (Disney+) – Seven Japanese animation studios bring their unique perspectives to the “Star Wars” universe through a series of short films.

Expectations: This is one of the coolest things to come out of the Star Wars Disney+ releases as it explores the universe of Star Wars in incredible new ways, and gives us unknown Jedi tales in unique ways. Regular listeners and readers also know exactly how much I love an anthology and this one has so much added nerd cred to it.

Fatal Attraction (Paramount+) – An affair threatens the lives of Dan Gallagher and his wife, Beth, in this reimagining of the 1987 movie, exploring marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control.

Expectations: I have to be transparent here and say that I had some doubts about Paramount+ doing a series redo of this classic thriller that featured some iconic performances but the casting of Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan gave me more incentive to watch it. I’m glad I did because I think it’s well written with great dialogue, Joshua is settling into what I’m thinking is a Clooney era, Lizzy is a formidable presence every time she is on screen and it features a plum role for Toby Huss to stretch his wings, always a treat. I have to say that Paramount really surprised me with this one.

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Apr 27

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April 27, 2023

New Releases:

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – Margaret Simon is just 11 going on 12 when her family moves from New York City to Farbrook, New Jersey. Margaret’s mother is Christian and her father is Jewish. Margaret has been raised without an affiliation to either faith and does not practice an organized religion, although she frequently prays to God in her own words, beginning by saying, “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret.” She is beginning to feel uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation. For a school assignment, she chooses to study people’s religious beliefs, hoping to resolve the question of her own religion in the process. Part of her study involves attending different places of worship to better understand the religious practice and see if one might be right for her. She enjoys spending time with her Jewish paternal grandmother, Sylvia Simon, who loves her as she is. She hopes Margaret will embrace Judaism after taking her to her synagogue for Rosh Hashanah services.

Expectations: One of the most celebrated coming-of-age stories of all time gets a feature film adaptation and it’s crazy to think that in the fifty years of the book’s existence, this is the first time it’s been put on screen. The cast really is winning here with young lead actress Abby Ryder Fortson being surrounded by some top talent including Canadian actress Rachel McAdams, Oscar winner Kathy Bates and Uncut Gems writer and director Benny Safdie. The film comes from director Kelly Fremon Craig who also did the Hailee Steinfeld comedy Edge Of Seventeen which I absolutely loved. I think this film is the big winner this week in theatres.

Peter Pan & Wendy – Based on J. M. Barrie’s novel Peter and Wendy and inspired by the 1953 animated classic, Peter Pan and Wendy is the timeless tale of a young girl who, defying her parents’ wishes to attend boarding school, travels with her two younger brothers to the magical Neverland. There, she meets a boy who refuses to grow up, a tiny fairy and an evil pirate captain, and they soon find themselves on a thrilling and dangerous adventure far, far away from their family and the comforts of home.

Review: Following up on the masterpiece that is The Green Knight, director David Lowery heads back into the world of adapting animated Disney. Yes, we’ve seen live-action Peter Pan before but not one so rooted in the origin of the character for many of us now, the 1953 iconic piece of history. The film is a mix of that same family-friendly tone and action we all remember, recreated to a meticulous level, and broad sweeps of Lowery’s focused filmmaking with his bold uses of light and texture as well as imaginative camera angles and movement to keep it interesting. Even with a film like Peter Pan, a large commercial venture for Disney+, Lowery will always retain his soul of cinema and he makes Jude Law look like an incredible Captain Hook.

Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story Of The Once And Future Heavyweight Champion Of The World – The film is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances. Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channelled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit. But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.

Expectations: You would think this is a straightforward biopic about the boxer and grill entrepreneur but the trailer for the film suggests that it will focus more on the man’s faith. This kind of disinterests me as the faith-based stories have had such a hard time connecting with me at all and the storytelling within always seems to take a back seat to the message. The American Underdog film with Zachary Levi playing Kurt Warner managed to skirt this trope a little bit but it still wasn’t that great. I kind of expect the same from this biopic.

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.

Expectations: I fully expect this to be the knockout of the week, a film that will delight any action fan that wants a bit more John Wick-style action in their lives crossed with a Finnish Rambo. The trailers for this film are an action nut’s glory dream with insane action and a one-man army taking down droves of Nazi soldiers with a satisfying visceral nature. It’s safe to say that this is my kind of movie and I really hoped we got it here in Penticton but, you know, small-town problems.

My Happy Ending – Andie MacDowell stars as a famous actor who goes incognito to seek treatment for a medical issue. While at the hospital, she meets three unique and remarkable women — an aging rocker, a young mother, and a forever single retired schoolteacher. Together, they help her face adversity with humour and camaraderie while coaching her for the most challenging role she has ever played…herself.

Review: I went into this film believing, if anything, Andie would be great because I’ve always loved her work and I’m happy to see her back in movies again. Unfortunately, this movie plumbs the depths of obvious emotional manipulation and cliched melodrama in a film that could have tightened the whole experience with better writing. It was great to see Miriam Margolyes and Tamsin Greig in this, as I really love their work as well and Tamsin plays the uptight and standoffish person like no one else.

Blu-Ray & DVD:

Triangle Of Sadness – This is a special one to me as this film was celebrated by the Oscars in even being nominated and now it makes its first Blu-ray debut in the Criterion Collection. When you sit down for a movie by writer and director Ruben Ostlund you have to know that you are in for something unpredictable and sometimes as scathing as having a bucket of cold water thrown in your face. He’s taken on marriage dynamics in Force Majeure, and the volatility of the art world in The Square, but this time he has the 1% and influencers in his crosshairs, which is very “shoot to kill”. The initial story follows a celebrity model couple named Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), who are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared “Instagrammable” ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival. Ostlund is going for the throat in an even spicier version of his firebrand and as soon as the story starts to slide down the slope of chaos it is unrelenting into a totally unpredictable third act. Not everyone is loving this movie as much as I am but it hit me in all the right spots even if it is massively stomach-churning in certain places.

Marlowe – I know I’ve been ragging on Liam Neeson every time one of his new geriatric action thrillers is released but I will obtain from it his week because his new film is directed by the legendary Neil Jordan, the man behind films like Interview With The Vampire, The Crying Game and Mona Lisa among others. I’m also digging into the fact that this is an old-school film noir following one of the iconic characters of the genre, Philip Marlowe, which Neeson is pretty perfect for. The story is set in a late 1930s Bay City, with the brooding, down-on-his-luck detective being hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress, setting up all the delicious cliches of a damsel in distress or a femme fatale. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm started to wane when I found that it was all talk and no bluster as Jordan’s Marlowe knows how to construct the dialogue but has a hollow quality underneath as it starts to parrot much better detective stories. Neeson also can’t seem to get out of that gruff Taken gear and it becomes distracting more and more as the film goes on. I thought this was a break out of the slog he’s put himself into for more than a decade now, but we are still in the rut.

Alice, Darling – Anna Kendrick is generally known for comedic roles or ones that lean into comedy from the drama side as she was a mainstay in the three Pitch Perfect movies, the protege foil to George Clooney in Up In The Air and many more projects but this new film heads into some dark territory. Domestic abuse is at the forefront of her new drama and the word of mouth on it has been stellar. In the film, Kendrick plays a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship who becomes the unwitting participant in an intervention staged by her two closest friends. Kendrick This is really Anna’s movie and she nails it with a phenomenal performance that makes up for any mistakes in the storytelling. What is crafted is a story about friends creating a support network to try and save a friend who hasn’t gotten the courage to make the exit of a toxic and dangerous relationship. Bill Nighy’s daughter Mary makes her directorial debut with this film it is a bright first feature and I can’t wait for what’s next from her.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Vixen are transported to the strange world of Remnant and find themselves turned into teenagers. Meanwhile, Remnant heroes Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang must combine forces with the Justice League to uncover why their planet has been mysteriously altered before a superpowered Grimm destroys everything.

Review: I honestly don’t know what to make of this one as it leans heavily into the world of the Warner Bros.-produced anime RWBY more than the Justice League side and, although both sides are in a neutral world between the two worlds, it curtails more to that style. With o prior knowledge of RWBY and the characters, who have seven volumes of adventures, it was hard to get into their story as it has been established for a while and I think you need the back stories to see their connections to each member of the Justice League. That said, I did like Batman’s look for this world, one of the best out of the group.

Star Trek Lower Decks: Season 3 – The third season of the animated and comedic version of Star Trek has now landed on DVD this week after beaming onto Paramount’s streaming service near the end of last summer at the perfect time as lead voice actor Jack Quaid had been riding the tidal wave of the third season of the Prime Video series The Boys and anything he touches seems to be gold at the moment. I’m looking directly at my copy of Scream from last year as I say that. For those uninitiated into the “Final Space” -ing of Star Trek that this show is, the series is about the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, following them as they keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The supporting cast with Quaidis great, including Jerry O’Connell, Space Force’s Tawny Newsome, Loki’s Eugene Cordero and fellow podcaster Paul Scheer, and I’ve really enjoyed my dive through the series and I’m looking forward to the forthcoming season three. It lacks a little of the consistency of the heavyweights like South Park but it is still a solid show with some great Trek references.

Primal: Season 2 – One of the greatest creators in the game, Genndy Tartokovsky is back with the second season of another incredible epic that he can put alongside Samurai Jack and beam with pride. A decidedly violent tale, this series follows a caveman at the dawn of evolution as he forms an unlikely friendship with an almost extinct dinosaur. Again, without a single word of dialogue, the series is a painting come to life, relying solely on music and graphic imagery to tell the story of two unlikely allies as they navigate through a treacherous world and, after bonding over unfortunate tragedies, they seem to become each other’s only hope of survival against a common enemy. The show is mind-meltingly beautiful in a way that Tartokovsky has the utmost command over and The emotional resonance of even the first episode had me bursting into tears with how heavily it was handled and the fact that it relies on just visuals without any dialogue. I think he has released yet another masterpiece that will be celebrated for years to come, just like the legend of Samurai Jack and each episode resonates with me so much. This show is incredible and hits me on an emotional level consistently.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Gypsy – Rose Hovick (Rosalind Russell) pushes her two young daughters into the entertainment industry, travelling and promoting them with minimal success. After years in the business, younger daughter June quits and elopes, leaving Rose searching for work for her other, less talented daughter, Louise (Natalie Wood). The only offer is at a burlesque house, but Louise takes to it and transforms herself into the popular Gypsy Rose Lee. As Louise gains notoriety, she grows tired of her mother’s influence.

Review: This was an important one for me to seek out for my collection as it is the first entry into the Warner Archive collection, the first acquisition in my start at the beginning of their many releases. The film was an adaptation of a famed Broadway production and, after the HBO documentary from 2020, I’ve been fascinated by the performances of Natalie Wood, an actress taken during her prime, and this is one of the big ones in her career. I’m not big on stage musicals but her performance is full of energy and she outshines Russell from time to time.

When You’re Strange – A chronological look at The Doors, focusing on the lead singer, Jim Morrison (1943-1971), from the formation of the band in 1965, its first gigs, and first album, to Morrison’s death, after years of alcohol and drug use. Along the journey, we see archival footage of rehearsals, performances, and private moments including a Miami concert resulting in Morrison’s arrest and trial for indecency. His love of the spotlight, his desire to be a poet, and his alcohol-fueled mood swings lead to a back and forth between public and private desires, successes, and failures. The band’s music plays throughout.

Review: Admittedly, I can’t call myself a Doors fan as I never really connected with the music that much and always thought that the shadow of Jim Morrison’s star status blocked out the real talent within the actual musicians in the band themselves. Even so, I’m a sucker for a music documentary, especially one made by the legendary Tom DiCillo, and I do completely acknowledge this band’s mark on rock music. The film itself does more to affirm that Morrison’s superstar status was the cause of the band’s lightning-rod success than the actual music which may hit a divisive line for a lot of music lovers out there. Then again, the Oliver Stone biopic with Val Kilmer also divided people as well. I dig the Stone movie myself.

Steve Byrne: The Byrne Identity – Steve Byrne has established himself as one of the premier stand-up comedians of his generation. In his second one-hour special, Steve asks the universal question “Who are you?” The result is a poignant, inventive, and immensely funny look at how we identify ourselves in America.

Review: This is a fantastic stand-up comedy special from a comedian who I found on a mid-2000s special The Kims Of Comedy with Bobby Lee and Ken Jeong and really loved his work. Keep in mind, this special is from thirteen years ago so the America he’s trying to identify with is a very different one. I won’t say better or worse, I’ll just say that 2010 was very different, quaint almost by comparison.

Television:

Sweet Tooth: Season 2 (Netflix) – Ten years ago “The Great Crumble” wreaked havoc on the world and led to the mysterious emergence of hybrids babies born part human, part animal. Unsure if hybrids are the cause or result of the virus, many humans fear and hunt them. After a decade of living safely in his secluded forest home, a sheltered hybrid deer boy named Gus (Christian Convery) unexpectedly befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). Together they set out on an extraordinary adventure across what’s left of America in search of answers about Gus’ origins, Jepperd’s past, and the true meaning of home. But their story is full of unexpected allies and enemies, and Gus quickly learns the lush, dangerous world outside the forest is more complex than he ever could have imagined.

Review: As a guy who has read all of Jeff Lemire’s brilliant comics that this is based on, Sweet Tooth is easily one of my favourite Netflix shows ever made, a story brimming with heart and imagination. Produced by Robert Downey and his wife Susan, this series is like the comic has leapt onto the screen and the second season has lost no momentum from that great finale in season one. I feel like anything I write next is going to head into spoiler territory so I better end it here.

Love & Death (Crave) – Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore had a lot in common: They sang together in the Methodist church choir, their daughters were best friends, and their husbands had good jobs working for technology companies in the north Dallas suburbs known as Silicon Prairie. But beneath the placid surface of their seemingly perfect lives, both women simmered with unspoken frustrations and unanswered desires.

Expectations: There is something consistently enticing about stories of church crazies and this show has it written all over it plus it has the added charm of starring the fantastic Elizabeth Olsen in a main role as well as the always great Jesse Plemons. The show is actually the second adaptation of Montgomery’s story in a short couple of years as Jessica Biel took on the role in the Peacock series Candy almost a year ago exactly. This show also has some veteran television experience behind it, giving the show some buzz, as it’s the latest in the David E. Kelley HBO partnership after The Undoing and Nicole Kidman co-produces as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z778sJGKB3E

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens: Season 3 (MuchMusic) – Nora Lum and her cousin struggle with young adulthood in Flushing, N.Y., with a little help from her father and grandmother.

Expectations: Another hilarious outing with Awkwafina and her hysterically funny family played by B.D. Wong, Bowen Yang and the scene-stealing Lori Tan Chin. This was an immediate watch for me when it premiered and I haven’t seen a bad episode from it yet. People are surprisingly quiet on this show in my opinion and I lump it in with some of the great crop of single comedian-led shows in recent years like the FX show Dave. Underrated but some of the best comedy on television today.

Saint X (Disney+) – A young woman’s mysterious death during an idyllic Caribbean vacation creates a traumatic ripple effect that eventually pulls her surviving sister into a dangerous pursuit of the truth.

Expectations: This is a mystery of a show that should be right up my alley but I’m not really gripped by it after the first episode. I will say that, s an X-Files and Californication fan, it was cool to see that David Duchovny’s daughter West has a prominent role in this show and it also features the 100 and Fear The Walking Dead’s Alycia Debnam Carey but I need a bit more non-wooden depth of character to get really on board. I feel like shows like Lost spoiled us in the beginning and sometimes it needs a bit more to pull me into a grand arching mystery.

The Afterparty: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – When a high school reunion’s afterparty ends in death, everyone is a suspect. A detective grills the former classmates one by one, uncovering potential motives as each tells their version of the story – culminating in the shocking truth.

Expectations: The first season of this show hit all of my expectations as it comes from one-half of the showrunners of Clone High, the writers and directors of the 21 Jump Street movies and so much more, Christopher Miller. It also has an incredible cast of hilarious people like Be Schwartz, Sam Richardson, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz and so many more. I really thought, after watching the first series, that it would just be a limited one-off series and am so happy to see that we get more. I wonder if there is a story beyond this one as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB5mNNK0H_4

Citadel (Prime Video) – Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency – tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people – was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. One night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick, who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.

Review: The opening scene of this show was so corny that I thought I was trapped in a Mr. Ad Mrs. Smith wannabe starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Richard Madden that leaned into cheese and cliche a little too hard. Thankfully, this was only the prologue to our main story and the series itself played a bit more interesting and features Stanley Tucci and the eye in the sky tech guy and I was sold with whatever it wanted to do. The show is a flashy spy thriller featuring an amnesiac who must relearn his reflexes to guard his new family but, being on Prime, it has more room rating-wise to do it. This would be so bad on network television.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0JG6V-12ac

What The Hell Should I Watch? – Apr 20

stevestebbing

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April 20, 2023

New Releases:

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.

Expectations: 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 from what I’m hearing, director Lee Cronin has gifted us with a glorious and gory entry that will keep us on the edge of our seats and give us nightmares for weeks. I can not friggin’ wait.

Beau Is Afraid – Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.

Expectations: It really looks like this week is a cinematic gift to me as I get not one but two of my most anticipated movies of the year but I doubt my small town of Penticton will receive it unfortunately. This puts the words most anticipated in bold though as it is the follow-up for Ari Aster after his masterpiece Midsommar and pairs him with one of the best actors on the planet right now, Joaquin Phoenix. The reviews are praising Phoenix but I will say there are a lot of detractors saying that Ari is wasting studio money but that just makes me want to see it more. 

To Catch A Killer – A modern-day Clarice Starling, Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a young police investigator wrestling with the demons of her past when she is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help profile and track the work of a disturbed individual. As the police and FBI launch a nationwide manhunt, they are thwarted at every turn by the individual’s unprecedented behaviour. Given her tortured psyche, Eleanor may be the only person who can understand the mind of their assailant and bring him to justice.

Expectations: The buzz for this film is damn near non-existent as it seems studios are unwilling to even try selling Shailene Woodley films now or something, maybe a residual effect of her Divergent franchise tanking at the box office repeatedly over a five-year span. This film does look interesting, a cat-and-mouse FBI agent versus a serial killer but the Silence Of The Lambs reference in the synopsis will do only harm to the end result I think. Even still, it has Mendelsohn in a main role as well as The VVitch’s Ralph Ineson, some character actor studs in my opinion.

Chevalier – It looks like the big-budget, big studio period films are back or at least for this week as we head to Marie Antoinette’s France for a music-focused drama spearheaded by a fantastic performance from Waves actor Kelvin Harrison. The film is definitely ambitious in scope with costuming, lavish sets and gorgeous art direction and is the first feature film from veteran television director Stephen Williams. It is based on the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair with the wife of a Marquis destroys everything he has built. Co-starring Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton and Minnie Driver, the film manages to circumvent the stuffiness usually exhibited by this dramatic genre with a script and story that is interesting from the start and characters that don’t feel like biopic stereotypes. Harrison keeps getting better and better in every film as well, an actor on a fast track to awards glory.

Ghosted – Salt-of-the-earth Cole (Chris Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (Ana de Armas)–but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.

Expectations: Years ago when a film went straight to video, pay per view or streaming it was usually the nail in the coffin of a bad film but since the pandemic in a big way some blockbuster-sized films have been getting the streaming release treatment and action is a regular candidate with studios that are unsure what to do with them. This film looks like exactly one of those types of films, an action romantic comedy, sort of like the recent JLo flick Shotgun Wedding on Prime Video, This one has the very gorgeous and likable Chris Evans and Ana De Armas starring in it, making it the third time they’re been in a film together. The trailer is enjoyable enough but I don’t think this is going to do huge streaming numbers for AppleTV+.

Judy Blume Forever – The radical honesty of the books by trailblazing author Judy Blume changed the way millions of adolescent readers understood themselves, their sexuality, and what it meant to grow up, but also led to critical battles against book banning and censorship.

Expectations: One week before one of this author’s greatest works, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?, hits the big screen, this documentary arrives on Prime Video to give her some very deserved flowers. Featuring Judy and some of the women she inspired, like Molly Ringwald, Samantha Bee, Lena Dunham and many more, I love a good biopic doc and this looks like a solid one that is already getting stellar reviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neWsO1Rk_q0

Blu-Ray:

Magic Mike’s Last Dance – “Magic” Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse… and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he–and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape–be able to pull it off?

Expectations: I know these movies are a big reason for a good amount of Channing Tatum’s fame and I thought the first movie was great but my enthusiasm stalls with XXL and this third film, even with a returning Steven Soderbergh behind the camera, feels forced. As the title implies, this is Mike’s last time on stage so it makes it all that much worse to fizzle at the end of your trilogy.

Emily – The film imagines Emily Brontë’s own Gothic story that inspired her seminal novel, ‘Wuthering Heights.’ Haunted by her mother’s death, Emily struggles within the confines of her family life and yearns for artistic and personal freedom, and so begins a journey to channel her creative potential into one of the greatest novels of all time.

Review: A gorgeously filmed period piece from the first moment, the bold first feature from actress turned filmmaker Frances O’Connor who also wrote the screenplay as well. Emma Mackey has a bubbling intensity to her that is fascinating to watch as Emily, the gifted black sheep in the mix with two equally gifted sisters and Fionn Whitehead and Oliver Cohen-Jackson are two character actors who keep getting better and better. This film was a total win that took chances and escaped being a dry romantic drama biopic.

Kids Vs Aliens – All Gary wants is to make awesome home movies with his best buds. All his older sister Samantha wants is to hang with the cool kids. When their parents head out of town one Halloween weekend, an all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing the siblings to band together to survive the night.

Expectations: Jason Eisener, the brilliant mind behind Canadian Grindhouse actioner Hobo With A Shotgun has returned with something a little bit different for Shudder but guaranteed to have the same charm. What has me more excited about this film in particular as it is the fully realized version of the short film which appears in the anthology horror flick, V/H/S/2. If you are a genre fan, I think you owe it to play Canadian this weekend with this film.

Steve’s Blu-Ray Geekouts:

Neptune’s Daughter – Aquatic dancer Eve Barrett (Esther Williams), now partnered with Joe Backett (Keenan Wynn) in a swimsuit design company, tries to prevent her sister, Betty (Betty Garrett), from falling in love with Jose O’Rourke (Ricardo Montalban), a suave South American polo player. Unbeknownst to Eve, Betty has actually fallen for Jack Spratt (Red Skelton), a masseuse who is posing as Jose. To protect her sister, Eve finds the real Jose, agrees to a date, and falls in love.

Review: An Oscar winner for Best Original Song, this is the film we have to credit for bringing the Christmas song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” which would ignite debate seventy years later. The film itself is the definition of easy and breezy fun with an early English-speaking performance from playboy Ricardo Montalban. The film also features a rare on-camera appearance by legendary Looney Tunes voice actor Mel Blanc doing a sort of Mexican accented performance, reminiscent o Speedy Gonzalaz, who wouldn’t debut in animated form until four years later.

The Prince And The Showgirl – A travelling party of royals from central Europe arrives in England in 1911, as the host country prepares to celebrate the coronation of a new king. But when the visiting Regent (Laurence Olivier) goes to a musical theatre, his attraction to American performer Elsie (Marilyn Monroe) makes it hard to stay focused. Soon, Elsie learns of a potential coup in the Regent’s home country, and it’s up to her to smooth things out — or watch as the nation hurtles toward instability.

Review: This is an interesting one as it was directed by Olivier as well and the only one of the few to not be Shakespeare or Chekov. The first movie from Marilyn’s own production company, she and Olivier had trouble filming together. He would often get angry at her for forgetting lines or being late to the set. Monroe was furious one day while filming when Laurence told her to “just be sexy.” The odd thing is, in the final product, I thought she upstaged him in a lot of their scenes together as the movie star quality wins out over his polished deliveries. Late to seeing her actual product on screen, I’ve found her performances really likable but this one might be her best.

Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes! – After a wave of reports of mysterious attacks involving people and pets being eaten by the traditionally docile fruit, a special government task force is set up to investigate the violent fruit and put a stop to their murderous spree. Included in this crack team are a lieutenant who never goes anywhere without his parachute, an underwater expert who’s never out of his scuba gear, and a master of disguise who conceals his appearance by dressing as a black Adolf Hitler.

Review: This was a many-time rental for me when I was a kid and after getting a refresher with this MVD Rewind Collection Blu-Ray I can’t tell you why I was so obsessed. The campy cult status of the movie bleeds off the screen with its ridiculous premise and it is very cool to see this spoof classic restored for home release. One of my favourite pieces of trivia from this film is that the big helicopter crash in it was unintentional and totally spun for story in the aftermath. All this length to make a horror film about man-eating tomatoes made out of sponge.

Television:

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (Netflix) – Thirty years after the wise and powerful Zordon formed the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the team comes face to face with a familiar threat from the past. In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to be the heroes the world needs. This 30th Anniversary Special is inspired by the legendary mantra from the franchise “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger,” meaning once you become part of the Ranger family, you are always welcome back.

Expectations: This one is bittersweet for obvious reasons with the recent passing of Green/White Ranger Jason David Frank and the return of the old cast here but the film was actually made when he was still alive. The reality is that Frank and famed Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson had actually declined to return which makes the extra-long episode more of a partially transparent cash grab for Netflix. That said, I’ll most likely still watch it, being an old-school Power Rangers fan.

The Diplomat (Netflix) – In the midst of an international crisis, Kate Wyler a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job for which she was not suited, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.

Thoughts on the show: On the outside, the show looks really formulaic, like a series ripped off of a CBS drama like Madam Secretary but that feeling is dispelled a few scenes into the pilot episode. The show then starts to rise in interest with great character work from the lead star Keri Russell, still riding that high from The Americans, and Rufus Sewell as her former ambassador husband. The show manages to set up a great political drama in the first hour and then pull the rug from under you in the last thirty seconds before the credits and that is how you hook an audience. It got me on an immediate binge so I think it will be pretty effective.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head: Season 2 (Paramount+) – The iconic animated duo are back and dumber than ever. The ’90s pop-culture phenomenons return, voiced by creator Mike Judge, to confound common sense, torment each other, and showcase some of the dumbest comedy imaginable.

What to expect this season: Really what can I say about this one? If you are into it, you will love it. If you hated this show the first time around, well, expect more of the same.I will say that the original film that got us here to a new Paramount+ series is entertaining as hell and I really liked season one so hopefully the well hasn’t run dry yet.

Dead Ringers (Prime Video) – A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes–including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics–in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.

Expectations: The track record for remaking the works of the amazing David Cronenberg hasn’t been great but the casting of Rachel Weisz as our lead twin characters causes me to be so intrigued that I will likely finish every episode by the end of the weekend. The story always was fascinating and I’m really looking forward to the modern take as well as the new avenues the gender swap could lead to as two brilliant women surgeons.

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

Barry: Season 4 (Crave) – Disillusioned at the thought of taking down another “mark,” depressed, low-level hitman Barry Berkman seeks a way out. When the Midwesterner reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an actor who is bedding a mobster’s wife, little does Barry know that the City of Angels may be his sanctuary. He follows his target into acting class and ends up instantly drawn to the community of eager hopefuls, especially dedicated student Sally, who becomes the object of his affection. While Barry wants to start a new life as an actor, his handler, Fuches, has other ideas, and the hitman’s criminal past won’t let him walk away so easily.

What to expect this season: The end, that’s what to expect. The end of Barry himself? Probably. Most likely. I really don’t think it could happen any other way by this point but the one thing that this show and creator Bill Hader has managed to do is always keep us on our toes, always keep us laughing and guess at what will happen next and constantly blurring the lines between true comedy and the darkest of souls. The final season of Barry has arrived so buckle up, I think we’re going to get pummeled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4lf2LKZwoY

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