There is no doubt in my mind that Nicolas Cage is an incredible actor. His body of work speaks for itself. There are many of his films that are on my favourites list and my ‘highly recommend’ lists. That being said, just when you think you have him pegged in a category, he goes and throws you a hard curve ball. That curve ball here is “THE SURFER”, an Australian Independent Film directed by Lorcan Finnegan and written by Thomas Martin.
Nic plays The Surfer, who is sort of a investor/realtor as well, an American, born and raised in Australia, who is attempting to take his son, The Kid (Finn Little), surfing out on an Australian beach at the same Australian beaches he used to in his childhood. However, he is prevented from doing so by a local gang of local, sunburnt surfers who humiliate him in front of his son. The ‘surprise’ for his son was to show him the beach with the hopes of buying up his father’s old property nearby for them to live in from of course, The Estate Agent (Rahel Romahn). As they enter the beach area from the parking lot, they run into none other than the Locals. Yes, this is a “Locals Only” beach ran by Scally (Julian McMahon), and his gang of merry surfers consisting of Blondie (Rory O’Keeffe), Pitbull (Alexander Bertrand), Runt 1 (James Bingham), Runt 2 (Austen Wilmot), and Runt 3 (Talon Hopper). These are just a few of what we referred to when I was a kid in Huntington Beach, CA as “Surf Nazi’s.” You only need to watch “American History X” to fully understand the true scale of these people as yes, they did exist, and yes, they do still exist.
From here on, “The Surfer” takes us on a wild ride through various time slips, with Cage’s character making increasingly desperate calls to his broker friend, and encounters with local bullying kids I mentioned, Add in an ominous, Reaper-esque like character named The Bum (Nicholas Cassim), an elder who brings up grim facts of his past, we watch as not only he, but Cage’s character The Surfer as well, slowly lose their moorings to real life. The Surfer becomes a stranded, demented wanderer of the area, insisting on some version of life that doesn’t jive with reality.
I can’t remember the last time I saw someone suffer – on screen – this much. The amount of punishment, deprivation and gaslighting that Nic Cage’s character suffered throughout the film is only matched by the sheer perseverance and desire he had to ride those waves with his son. Proving that parental ties can sometimes top anything and everything and nothing else matters but that one goal.
Despite the constant abuse being shown on screen, the film sustains a weird comedic and almost dreamy quality throughout. The soundtrack with its use of chimes and the camera with its play on focus helped elevate those scenes with a dehydrated Cage to a place straddling between a delirious dream and a nightmare. Sometimes the film crosses into a point of hilarious ridiculousness; there is one scene where a dead rat comes out of someone’s pocket and is used as a weapon.
I was also a bit surprised by just how gorgeous of a film The Surfer actually is. The cinematography and editing are quite over the top, but never overdone. It’s clear he filmmaker’s are having fun shooting the film as they clearly respect the power of the ocean and the beauty of the waves and surfing experience itself.. It’s also impressive how much dynamic they manage to get out of a movie that literally takes place entirely between one beach and the parking lot next to it.
Summing it up, there were points at the beginning where I thought, “this can’t be real”, but then I only had to remember writing “Locals Only” in surf wax at age 15 on the 9th street beach apartment walls to remember, “Oh “yeah it is real”. I mean we never went to this extent, but some did.
All in all, “The Surfer” keeps your brain going and I came to respect the film. As well, a great supporting cast including Julian McMahon whom has a fully riveting presence as the film’s co-star, as well.
While the final act of the film is certainly the most loose and lawless part of the experience, and is sure to be the killer of joy for some, again, it had me respecting the film in a particular way in the end.
Who doesn’t love Denzel Washington right. We all do and here he teams up again with director Antoine Fuqua once again as Robert McCall in the third film of this series.
This time they head to Italy where McCall goes to “find peace”. It isn’t long till the mafia shows up with one of the best looking mafiaoso’s I’ve ever seen in Marco(Andrea Dodero), & his brother Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio), but they are there to make life messy for this little Italian town.
Robert McCall (DENZEL WASHINGTON) takes out Marco (ANDREA DODERO) in Columbia Pictures THE EQUALIZER 3. Photo by: Stefano Montesi
Equalizer 3 isn’t an overly original story and while Denzel tries his best to keep this formulaic film from completely failing..he succeeds at that, but not much more. Dakota Fanning is thrown in as Emma Collins a CIA agent – but her story thread is barely noticed.
Mind you the violence is high so be prepared for that. I wanted so much more than what I got, but it wasn’t terrible as is sure to entertain some.
Grade: C-
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“EQUALIZER 3” FROM SONY PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
Review Screening: Monday, August 25,2023 ~ Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Having watched one of the greatest car-chase in the history of cinema… and it still wasn’t even the best scene in the movie gives you just a small idea of how good “MISSON: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE” is. From the pre-opening credits scene to the final act, if you’re like me, you will be on the edge of your seat for almost the entirety of the film – most especially during any of the truly defying fight scenes – and while there are a few moments that the tempo of the film slows down to enough to let you catch your breath and let the story advance, it is still always completely captivating.
The challenge in continuing the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is that fans expect each entry to be “bigger” and more awe-inspiring than the last. With the seventh film in the series, and the third straight he has directed, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and actor/stuntman (honestly credit here for where it’s due), Tom Cruise have managed to accomplish what seemed unlikely … they have delivered another fantastic Ethan Hunt mission. Prepare to be awed.
But he doesn’t do it alone as his supporting cast here is once again, incredible, and charismatic to boot.
You should also be aware that this is just “Part One” and yes, it runs a lengthy 163 minutes, which is a full hour longer than most movies and that’s saying a lot considering movies are getting longer and longer – and exponentially more expensive to produce. But as good as this one is – time passes without you even realizing it has been that long. And think about it, all this during an age when ultra-high-budget blockbusters are being rumored to be fading from public interest. Of course, we are only one year removed from Cruise’s TOP GUN: MAVERICK being hailed as ‘saving cinema’ – so this just might be coming at the perfect moment and bring people back to the box office. As well, with all of us supporting the WGA/SAG/AFTRA strike, production has stopped on Part Two and while we all hope it will be rectified soon – if it’s one person that can bring cinema back – it is Tom Cruise standing in solidarity with his fellow actors. In the meantime, with McQuarrie co-writing the script with Erik Jendresen, they remain faithful to the characters and storylines established by the TV series creator, Bruce Geller.
And with that, it must be said, there may never have been an actor more suited to this role than Tom Cruise is as Ethan Hunt. He truly embodies this character, and makes it his all his own. The story itself is fairly straightforward even though you might be questioning of how a ‘simple’ spy-thriller can be effective is understandable. Yet it’s completely fascinating to watch as Ethan Hunt’s mission in life as an agent is evaluated, as is the cost he’s paid as a man. Providing a more modern theme here, the obscure object of desire is an all-powerful key which comes in two parts and is based on controlling an all-encompassing Artificial Intelligence (AI), that of course, if it falls into the wrong hands… well we know how that would go. Once the movie begins, you are strapped in with these characters, and it’s impossible not to be invested in the mission. The action set pieces swiftly move from one to the other, and it is non-stop action. Rather than explaining a lot of what’s happening with the AI, it’s clever and subtle in its execution so the audience can form the story. The beauty of this franchise is that the audience is always in with Hunt and his team, and there is no way of being confused with the mission. Visual storytelling is the driving force here because AI challenges each character. The computer becomes the enemy, which affects the communication between Benji, Luther, and Ethan. It’s heartbreaking to see moments of helplessness between them because it is a much darker storyline than others. You feel the love and respect they have for each other in this film which grounds the madness of the AI.
In a twist on a familiar theme (and a certain classic Thanksgiving comedy film), we have Airports, Trains, and EVs, the latter being one of the funnier sides of the film featuring tiny Fiat with handcuffs. Still, the car chase is everything we might hope, while the high-tech facial tech search in the airport sequence delivers the thrills for viewers and sadly also gives us a peek into how dangerous AI can truly be. The train sequence of sparring all happens inside as well as on top of an actual moving train. And lest you be worried, there are enough Cruise sprint scenes here that it feels like he might just be giving Carl Lewis a run for his money.
Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
The now familiar faces include Ethan Hunt’s team of Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). It’s nice to again see Henry Czerny as Kittridge, and Vanessa Kirby back as European arms dealer Alanna Mitsopolis aka The White Widow. Esai Morales steps in as Gabriel, the shadowy villain in search of the same key as Hunt’s team is. New faces include Grace (Hayley Atwell), a master pickpocket, whose soul may or may not be beyond salvation; Denlinger (Cary Elwes), the agency director; Briggs (Shea Whigham), and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis), are fellow agents who just can’t seem to get their hands on the slippery Hunt and last but not least, Paris (Pom Klementieff), who is a silent but deadly, hired assassin.
The stunt work here is outstanding, and of course, Tom Cruise is renowned for personally handling many of the most breathtaking acts himself, which just make them all the more mind-blowing. As I’ve noted before, who needs CGI when you have Tom Cruise – and that statement could not be more true here. Probably the piece-de-resistance is the motorbike off the cliff into a base jump is something else. The fact Cruise did it for real, multiple times, is crazy and inspiring but I will not spoil this majestic scene for you completely as it must be seen. And yes, the stunt is so truly mind-blowing that it has a ‘making of’ video that has been available for a while. As movie goers, we’ve never seen anything like it.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
As well, Part One was originally scheduled for release in 2021 (thanks a lot, COVID), and now Part Two is set for 2024. It’s also wild to think it has been 27 years since the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996), and that Cruise was mere 34 years old in that one, and yet here he is and it seems like time just hasn’t passed for him. Lucky! But this mission is clearly the biggest yet, and it’s a mission that will be closed out in Part Two, and possibly simultaneously bring an end to Cruise’s amazing run as Ethan Hunt.
Putting forth a story line that is oh-so-very good. The film was very cleverly written in a way that it is a very complex plot device they’ve chosen to use, however they found a way to keep it extremely simple and easy for the audience to follow with the two keys concept. After the fantastic underwater opening, and introduction of what the next Impossible Mission will be – the rest of the film is essentially just four huge action set-pieces. Except these set-pieces are like nothing you have ever experienced on screen before. The pacing is quite unique – it almost feel like four short thrilling films, while still working as a whole narrative. And more to come in Part Two leaves us all waiting with baited breaths even as we now know Production has shut down for the time being.
Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
And yes, we do have to talk about the performances. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg were like a family already and i’m pretty sure they did not need any rehearsal as their chemistry was already there since the fifth one. Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby returning performances were shorter here, but as always, wonderful, Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis get more than expected and their buddy cop antics are a lot of fun. Pom Klementieff gave a very interesting performance as a character and she was amazing in terms of action sequences – there is an alleyway fight that is nothing short of a masterpiece of work between her and Cruise. Esai Morales was a good intense villain, and last but not least Hayley Atwell at possibly her best performance she’s ever in and I think she might get to the top of a lot of lists a favorite Ethan Hunt’s sidekicks besides his own team. She was incredible and her presence was lovely every single second of her performance. Her character and dynamic with Cruise were fresh in comparison to everyone who has come before and their chemistry is magnetic.
Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Lorne Balfe does the music once again and yet again it’s a highlight of the film, he knows how to elevate everything so well and really hammers home the emotional beats.
If I were looking for faults, and they are so nominal to be frank, but the second act drags a little to the extent that it felt like they were repeating themselves. Although even then they are stylishly filmed – the Dutch-angles never got old. The single, solitary, disappointment comes as the credits roll, and you remember you’re going to have to wait until next year to see how it all end.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I is another strong entry in the action/spy series, with Cruise looking slightly older, but not less determined to save the world. Will the sequel to this film will be his last outing – who knows but I do know we will all be there for Part Two..and after that…well we’ll see.
And lastly, it is truly a cinematic experience that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Grade: A
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“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE” FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES IS OUT IN THEATERS FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2023
Review Screening: Tueday, June 27, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Paramount Picture
“Have you given any thought to where this will end?”
—–A reasonable question repeatedly posed to Keanu Reeves’ seemingly immortal hitman in this fourth entry.
222 steps. That’s what it will take for John Wick to make it up to decide his fate. There are of course obstacles, so many obstacles.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves), fresh off being shot off a roof by supposed friend Wilson (Ian McShane), at the conclusion of ‘Parabellum’, is on a vendetta to destroy the ‘High Table’, while Bill Skarsgårds‘ Marquis character as he tells us, is a man of exquisite tastes, sets out to take Wick down. And as the ransom rises commensurate with Wick’s kill count, the hunt is on again with the only surprising element being that the ‘High Table’ still has a flood of anonymous assassins to call upon following Wick’s trail of destruction to date.
The continued existence of Wick yields consequences for those who align themselves with him; a brutal truth that is delicately raised by the wonderful Hiroyuki Sanada’s character Shimazu, as another round of thugs descend. But that’s about as deep as it gets – story is secondary, spectacle is everything. And like its predecessors, the film exists in its own unique realm of ridiculousness; a place where Clancy Brown’s ‘Harbinger’ serves an eviction notice by unveiling a massive ornamental hourglass, and where Wick trades dancefloor blows with Scott Adkins’ Wilson Fisk-esque villain while the noticing revellers just continue dancing the night away. But we’ve not come here for social realism – we’re here for the kick ass baddassery of John Wick and the body count. And boy…ask and ye shall recieve
Director Chad Stahelski is an action maestro who, aided by stunt coordinators Scott Rogers and Stephen Dunlevy (yes we NEED a stunt category Oscars), orchestrates a symphony of destruction as electrifying as it is in-your-face. The ballet of violence, all marinated in a neon glaze, is beautifully choreographed and, unbelievably, still manages to pull new tricks out of its blood-soaked bag, whether it be Sanada’s staircase ascent using knives and a witless heavy’s body, or Reeves’ nunchuks razzle dazzle.
And while the set pieces in Osaka and by the Arc de Triomphe will dazzle, it’s also the brillance of the characters. Donnie Yen, as blind assassin Caine, does well, the Donnie Yen thing…and gloriously so.
It’s a veritable buffet of overblown excess, but not without the odd undercooked canape. Lawrence Fishbourne has almost blick and you missed it, little to do scene where he presents Wick with his dry cleaning like a subway-dwelling Q. Shamier Anderson’s bounty hunter ‘Mr Nobody’ is brilliant addition giving us a fresh character that is seemingly hellbent on that ransom to a sadomasochistic degree, making his later decisions a bit on the curious side. And one action set piece on the Sacré-Cœur steps seemingly threatens to go on forever, and it becomes my only gripe as it makes the film drag for a overly long bit of it’s 3hrs run time. But these are just nit-picks because despite being basically the same film for four installments now. Regardless of that ominous runtime, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ somehow delivers yet another furiously enjoyable slice of bloody mayhem that, bizarrely, doesn’t outstay its welcome. A true experience as when have you ever seen a franchise go better on it’s fourth go in?
Where the series goes next remains to be seen, but it would be remiss to not mention the quiet impact of one of the story’s key contributors – Lance Reddick. His calm yet imposing presence has been one of the joys of this saga, and, in light of the recent sad news, his final line in this chapter couldn’t be more poignant. “It has been an honour, my friend”. Sir, the honour has been all ours. Rest in power my friend, you will be so very missed.
John wick chapter 4 is taken to the next level and by far, one of the best action movies I’ve seen in a LONG time, Extraordinary filmmaking & action sequences with stakes heightened like never before. It completely earns its 3 hr runtime, something you will only rarely ever hear me utter.
Grade: A-
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Review screening: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 ~ Courtesy of Brigade Marketing
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 FROM LIONSGATE IS NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS
“All the Old Knives” is a romantic spy thriller directed by Janus Metz, based on the book by Olen Steinhausen about romantically involved CIA agents looking back at a mission that went wrong in a big way.
The story is set eight years after the 2012 hijacking of Royal Jordanian Flight 127 and the CIA’s mishandling of it, leading to the deaths of the passengers, the terrorists, and an agent who was onboard. The Vienna-based investigating team, made up of Henry Pelham (Chris Pine), Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton), Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce), Ernst Pul (Jonjo O’Neill), Leila Maloof (Ahd), Owen Lassiter (David Dawson), and their supervisor Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne), are initially clueless. Believing the terrorists had inside help, and only after the capture of the “mastermind” of the terrorist attack, Ilyas Shushani (Orli Shuka), is Henry is sent to interrogate now former agent Celia, with whom he suspects provided information to the hijackers. The story is them rehashing not only the entire day of the attack, but their relationship at the time as well which is when they (and we) realize that the truth is far more twisted than anyone initially thought.
ALL THE OLD KNIVES
One would almost think this would be an action filled, Bond-esque type thriller, but this isn’t that in the slightest. All the Old Knives keeps the suspense going through the conversation and keeps you wondering what happened, who did it – and why. There’s a deliberate omission of details to keep you guessing along about what’s coming next. Conversations that happened in the past are run in together with parallel conversations of the present to help accentuate the impact of certain revelations. Pay attention as well, to the visual clues being dropped, as they all take you down the traveled path of the story at hand with seemingly at every moment a twist is thrown in. We watch as the room gets smaller and smaller, making it almost impossible for the answer to escape as well as asking the bigger question – when it all comes down to it in the end, who do you trust?
ALL THE OLD KNIVES
While the scenery is a beautiful backdrop in the entire film, most especially the restaurant scene where the story unfolds, the film is held together by it’s two leads Pine and Newton. They are the glue that keep it pasted together, though at times to be fair, barely so as sometimes they seem to work with their characters chemistry, and other times they just seem to be working their characters. As well, with a supporting cast that includes Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce playing characters that are certainly within their element, Henry’s interrogation of Bill in a London pub, is devoid of any dramatic heft. Pryce, for his part, makes a spirited effort to give these scenes some depth, but the material just isn’t there. Fishburne barely plays a factor as he might have five minutes worth of screen time, which befuddles the mind as why wouldn’t you want to use someone of Fishburne’s caliber throughout the film to elevate it more. The other supporting actors are all given the briefest of moments, even when it’s revealed that Lassiter, David Dawson’s character, committed suicide over the whole fiasco.
So with struggles to streamline the story and stumbles a bit with it’s own chronology that’s likely better in the book, though it still carves out a decent enough spy-game intrigue.
Grade: C
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Review Screening: Friday April 1, 2022 ~Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR and Amazon Prime
Amazon Studios will release ALL THE OLD KNIVES in select theaters and globally on Prime Video on April 8, 2022.
Winona Ryder is truly at some of her best here in Eli Horowitz’s “THE COW“. Along with Dermot Mulroney in this rather fun “genetic” little mystery thriller, that twists along to an ending you’d never quite think of. While it’s not without it’s problems, it is still just simple fun.
With a film title has nothing to do with the animal it’s named after, the story follows Kath (Winona Ryder), and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr.), as they arrive at a remote cabin in the redwoods and mysteriously discover it already occupied by a younger couple, one Greta (Brianne Tju) and one Al (Owen Teague). The question of why is answered quickly as it’s clear the rental has already been double-booked, so neither couple has anywhere else to go, with Kath and Max being quickly invited to stay ‘just one night’.
And the mystery only deepens when she wakes up to find out Max just up and disappeared with Greta, and a broken up Al is the one to tell her the next day. Kath goes home, but randomly becomes obsessed with getting to the bottom of their sudden breakup – but will learning the truth be worse than she could ever imagine? Yes, yes it can. See what we end up finding out is the ever so important backstory. Kath is older than Max, by 10 to 15 years, as well, Kath is insecure about herself, and being in a relationship with a younger man has made her even more doubtful of her attractiveness, as we see her examining the wrinkles on her face. On the other hand, Max isn’t very mature for his age, doesn’t even do the most basic of things like drive, and seems to be out of place at a dinner party with Kath’s friends. Turns out, the trip to the woods was an attempt by Max to keep Kath showing her he CAN be the guy for her, and for Kath to keep Max, showing him that she can be adventurous. Which speaks volumes about what is to happen later as she ends up meeting Nicholas (Dermot Mulroney), the man who actually owns the cabin, on her attempt to find out who Greta really is. While similar in age, and while he might be somewhat of a recluse, Nicholas clearly also has his life together, although as we soon find out, not in exactly the way we thought he did.
While the film continues on with twists and turns, not all of them come off as one is not sure if this film is every going to go horror on them, or continue on the path it seems to be heading of everything relying on that one fateful night. Honestly, all the credit here goes to Ryder for pulling the bizarre middle and ending twist off, as without her, Tju and Teague, making those twists from left field that keep you engaged in this mystery ride along with Kath wouldn’t be anywhere near as enjoyable. That they can keep you on your toes guessing, even questioning her end-result intentions till the very last moment, is the point of all of it. Without them, this would not be the clever thriller that it is – even with it’s faults on display – they help pull it off.
Having just been picked up by Vertical Entertainment, the film is set to release later this year. Don’t miss it.
Grade: C+
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One thing not to be expected upon watching the opening scene of “FRESH”, director Mimi Cave‘s new horror comedy thriller, is laughing your head off at said opening scene with Chad (Brett Dier) and Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), while watching them on a date. Chad is the guy you never want to find yourself on a date with, but it’s hilarity like this that makes you think this is just going to be a harmless little rom-com. Well you will have sorely mis-judged your expectations because you are about to be taken on a fantastic wild little ride that you will not soon forget.
As we’ve now met Noa on the date from hell, we soon find out she is just one of the many young, single women who has been looking for love in all the wrong places, like dating apps, hence the terrible date with Chad. So when she randomly meets the charming and very good looking Steve (Sebastian Stan), in the produce section at the local grocers, she falls for his charming ‘cotton candy grapes’ line and ends up exchanging numbers. From there, things move fast, a little too fast if you were to ask her best friend Molly (Jojo T. Gibbs), as Noa ends up throwing caution to the wind and goes on a weekend getaway with Steve. But I mean who wouldn’t – honestly, they have great chemistry and he is fun, different and yes, re-‘Fresh’ing.
Honestly, not knowing much about this film is how you should go into watching this one, as it made me feel glad to not have anything revealed to me beforehand. Watching everything unfold as it does and finding out who Steve really is, is just something that needs to be as savoured as the meals Steve prepares for Noa. But be prepared as this skillfully directed film has a plot that is as diabolical as they come and those meals Steve cooks, can be profoundly disturbing. But perhaps the best part is as psychologically terrifying as this one is, it barely touches on any in your face violence or gore, but instead its the sheer psychological terror of each minute, that keeps you entirely focused on what’s happening in front of you. And mind you, some of the things happening will chill you to your core as the subject matter is grisly, but in mostly in the thought of it all because it is so realistically handled by Cave’s direction here as it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Fresh can be genuinely disturbing and unsettling, at times even nauseating, but you will also find that you can’t look away for a second and this is mostly because of two factors, those being Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones. They are insanely good here as Stan is so charming, yet so dark and mysterious, turning into almost repellant, and yet feels like he is what you would get if swiped right on a hot Tinder version of Hannibal Lecter, because yes, we would swipe right on him. Edgar-Jones, plays her persona more than just convincing as she uses reverse psychology on Steve and does it so competently and never gives into the victim cliché. And there is a dance scene that should just not be missed by anyone and this whole film should truly fall into cult classic heaven. Even the supporting cast comes through here adding belief into each scene. While I admit it’s one fault is the ending felt a bit rushed and cheesy, but with the first 30 mins getting you in the mood before revealing the big “surprise” twist, it really doesn’t matter.
But again, I can’t stress enough to go into this as blind as possible but also be prepared for what’s to come as It can get quite unnerving and rather intense at times, but in oddly all the right ways. Here is what I know and what will stick with me for some time – Mama Rosa’s meatballs will never look the same for me for some time to come, and after watching this and The Tinder Swindler, I am never dating again – well that is until ‘Steve’ pops up on my phone.
Grade: B
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Review Screening ~ Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR
“FRESH” premieres exclusively Hulu Friday, March 4, 2022
Ring..Ring.. Ring..Ring.. Yes – someone still has a landline and yes, what would “SCREAM” be if they didn’t. I mean they have to follow some traditions and this one is a MUST to have as they can’t deny us, the audience this one major plot point now can they. Well thankfully co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett agree.
The plot is simple and while it’s good to it all keep vague to not spoil it, it’s also exactly what you think it will be with the exception of this time around they’ve brought along with them a new cast of characters. New girls Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), and her older sister Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), as our female leads, essentially taking the spots of Gale Weathers-Riley (Courtney Cox), and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), they have the same chemistry of not really being close at the beginning. And then Ghostface returns to town proving he can still slash with the best of them, and turns everything upside down.
With her own set of suspects…errr… friends, Tara gets attacked by whomever Ghostface might actually be this time around and that list of new suspects is long. There is Sam’s boyfriend Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), along with Tara’s group of school friends, Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison), the twins, Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy-Brown), Liv McKenzie (Sonia Ammar), and Wes Hicks (Dylan Minnette) – who is none other than Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) son. Combining this new cast along with our old favourites – Gale, Sidney and yes, the now “retired” Dewey Riley (David Arquette), makes this film an absolute blast, with a lot of crisp, smart, but alas also cliched writing, that combines the nostalgia of what has come before with the infusion of fresh talent present here. Now this is how you return to Woodsboro.
SCREAM is a fun, intelligent horror film and the fandom should be quite happy here with it as it draws some good laughs for how the writers nail every piece of the dialogue, along with the film’s ability to recognize not only where it came from, but to play with it along the way. You’re along for the jokes as an audience, while it juggles every one of your expectations when it comes to what is on the screen. And while of course it has cliché galore and some cheese is thrown in, but that is sorta what the DNA of the franchise is notorious for now isn’t it?! Truly, what would a ‘SCREAM’ movie be if your characters didn’t get slashed and still be able to get up and walk around like nothing has ever happened. And that’s also what brings the humour – the quick funny one liners about what people “should” be doing in a horror movie is what made the original well.. so original.
And while the new cast is good and pretty solid in their respective new roles with any one of them being able to be and/or suspected of at one time or another, of being Ghostface. Noting that they remind you of characters of old is to be expected as well, but it is Jenna Ortega who is truly amazing here. She brings the solid teen vibes making being stalked by Ghostface seem realistic. But for all that they bring, it’s hands down the old school cast that brings it hard here. Every one of them brings back not just the memories, but their characters are more solid at this point as well. One can’t help but be entertained by it all.
With tons of slasher kills, some are not for the faint of heart, as they try to outdo each other in this area and while fun, the finale seems almost like they were trying a bit too hard to come up with too many twists and turns that are fairly obvious. But again, it’s mostly just some fun with cliché thrown in adding to the good old time slash – all in all – it’s a ..SCREAM!
Grade: B+
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Review Screening: Tuesday, January 11, 2022 ~ Courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment
“SCREAM” IS OUT IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022
Universal Pictures and director Simon Kinberg brings together an incredible group of women from Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Bingbin Fan and Diane Kruger in it’s latest release “THE 355”.
The film follows CIA spy Mason (Jessica Chastain), as she goes off-grid after a tangled mess up debacle with fellow agent/love interest Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan). On the hunt for a new mass destruction techno weapon – one that could probably bring World War III about and possibly destroy the world through the power of technology, she teams up with her old friend MI6 cybersecurity expert Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o). But getting the disk eludes them as they battle as well against German BND Agent Marie (Diane Kruger), as they end up combining forces for the common good. As well, Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz), and Chinese MSS spy Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), come into play as well, though Graciela is no spy – she is a mother with a family back home who was thrown into it all when her friend Luis Rojas (Edgar Ramirez) is killed. As well Lin Mi doesn’t join in until they get closer to the asset and expose the corruption that may take them down some paths that lead closer to home than they realize.
Now does this film involve brain surgery – no it does not. It is however full of decent action and can be entertaining for the most part – if it weren’t so darn predictable with the character story lines. It has it’s ups and downs, for the most part getting a bit more exciting in the second half where the device is put up for auction, but again, we are in the predictable ‘bad guys at the auction’ set-up here. And as I always say, you are only as good as your villain, which here is once again, predictable.
However all is not lost as the five leading ladies are all quite superb with their distinctive characters with all of them given a decent amount to do and flesh out their characters, though Fan’s Lin Mi character doesn’t show up till at least two-thirds of the way, she makes her mark. Their dynamics and chemistry are engaging as well though Chastain and Kruger’s respective agents spark off one another throughout with their entertaining, but averse relationship, while Nyong’o brings the ‘heart’ to the film in her role as retired MI6 computer expert. It is however, Penélope Cruz who comes close to stealing the show as Colombian psychologist Graciela, as she brings the much needed fun into the film with a character very much out of her depth in the espionage and action department. And lastly, the character of Marie – with Diane Kruger just bringing the bad-assery with her here every step of the way. She’s the character you love to hate, and then love again.
Again, while entertaining at times, and the bad-assery is quite on par, and ‘Girl Power’ definitely reigns supreme here, unfortunately the end result is a rather mish-mash affair that, while not really ever dull, never really feels all that fully exciting either.
Grade: C-
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Review Screener: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
“THE 355” is out in theaters Friday, January 7, 2022
Well to say this film went into the unexpected might not quite sum up completely as writers Joe Barton and Michael Pearce, whom directs as well, take us on a road trip journey of science fiction – adding in a very personal side to the lead character, that at first is just thought of as being a crazy person, but it really goes much deeper than that.
Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed) is a ex-Navy Seal/Marine who is on a mission. But not the kind you would think it would be like the ‘too busy saving the world’ kind so he rarely gets to see his sons, who live with their mom Piya (Janina Gavankar), and her new husband Dylan (Misha Collins), but as young boys do, they miss him dearly, and vise versa. One night Malik shows up unexpectedly and persuades his two young sons, Jay (Lucian-River Chauhan) and Bobby (Aditya Geddada), to come with him but won’t explain the urgency of why or where they are going to his them. He has convinced himself and in short, tries to convince his sons that something has happened, something more important than the initial mission apparently, or rather, the ‘mission’ has come to their home.
ENCOUNTER
Malik’s mission as he finally explains it while on the run is this. A comet has brought alien micro-organisms to Earth, and the organisms use mosquitos to transplant themselves into humans where they can manipulate their behaviour. While it might sound far-fetched saying it out loud, think about it, mosquitos do carry things. So in essence he makes it feel very real to them and even somewhat to us, the audience, as he tells his kids, though they might not have observed it first hand, but the aliens had already infected their mom, and it was only a matter of time before she in turn infects them. So Malik is taking Jay and Bobby to a base where they will be safe, while, in the meantime, their mother has reported them missing, and there is an all out alert for Malik for kidnapping. The only person he has trusted so far is the person he has to report and check in with for the past few years, Hattie (Octavia Spencer), and even she is baffled and confused by what he is doing, and while she keeps noting to those hunting for him, how this isn’t really him and he would never hurt his boys. This is where I started to realize what the deeper part of the film was, and it’s clear that Malik is delusional, traumatized and suffering from some sort of PTSD. And it seems the boys are picking up on this as well.
Honestly, Riz Ahmed once again proves once again that he will always pick roles that challenge him and that he somehow pulls off without a blip as he lives up to his reputation of engaging an audience with an intense, committed performance. As well, the kids are scene-stealers with both of the young actors showing real intensity and just the right amount of kid-cuteness to make it all realistic. The long desert cinematography was all quite encompassing aside from the three leads and their obvious chemistry as a family.
This is a hard one to put a label on as yes, it’s Sci-Fi, but it’s underlying tension of what is real and what isn’t, keeps you well alert long after whatever you realize is actually going on. It’s also very much about the bond between a parent and children. It also handles a surprisingly hard subject of PTSD in a such a sympathetic and realistic manner when Hattie is speaking for him, yet the others think he’s going to hurt the kids, it’s done so well, but also in the most different original manner ever. Yet somehow it all works, as there is tension, love, aliens and a road trip all in one film. Colour me Alien-rated as I quite enjoyed this for it’s originality of idea and how that idea was told.
Grade: C+
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Review Screening ~ Courtesy of Ginsberg/Libby PR
“Encounter” will be in theaters December 3, 2021 for a limited release // Coming to Amazon Prime on December 10, 2021
Peggy at the Movies ~ Film Critic | Movie Maven | Reviews & More"
Peggy at the Movies 