Movie Review Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends (2022) 

Directed by David Gordon Green 

Written by Paul Brad Logan, Danny McBride, Chris Bernier, David Gordon Green 

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney 

Release Date October 14th, 2022 

Published October 14th, 2022 

It's called Halloween Ends and I do believe Jamie Lee Curtis when she says this is the last one for her. That said, if Halloween Ends makes money, it won't be long before The Shape, Michael Myers, is haunting theaters again. That reason based cynicism has colored my viewing experience of every Halloween movie. No matter how illogical or unnecessary, the owners of the Halloween Intellectual Property will try and wring more cash out of it. Try as they might to make Halloween Ends appear like an endeavor that isn't merely about cash, the makers of Halloween Ends fail as every Halloween movie fails to escape the cynical calculations of Hollywood branding and marketing. 

Halloween Ends picks up four years after the last time that Michael Myers ran amok in Haddonfield, Illinois. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is now living with her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). Though she remains alert, Laurie has grown comfortable with Michael having been gone for so long. Now, Laurie is working on her memoirs while patiently waiting for the day Michael may return to her life. That she isn't constantly paranoid is a testament to her toughness. 

Meanwhile, in a bizarre and unnecessary other movie, Rohan Campbell plays Corey Cunningham. Corey is a teenage babysitter who, while watching the child of a rich couple, accidentally kills the child. Labelled as a child killer, even though the kid's death was an accident, Corey is blamed by many and he's become a loner and an outcast, preferring to stay home under the watchful eyes of his parents. When Corey does go out he's harassed by teenagers until Laurie rescues him. Because he's a main character, Laurie takes him to meet her granddaughter and the two form a romance. 

Unfortunately, Corey's haunted past keeps getting in his way until he finally snaps. On the run from his tormentors, Corey stumbles over Michael Myers near death and living in the sewer. For reasons that only the FOUR screenwriters might understand, Michael doesn't kill Corey. Instead, the two briefly become partners in killing. Corey begins luring victims to Michael and then they graduate to Corey and Michael as a killing duo. All the while, Allyson is fooled and charmed by Corey into thinking he's just a haunted bad boy and not a murderous psychopath. 

The addition of the character of Corey is an attempt to refresh the franchise one last time but it doesn't work. Rohan Campbell's whiny performance only leaves you to wonder why a character like Allyson would be attracted to this guy. Corey doesn't drive the plot, the plot pushes him along, uses him as a device and discards him when they are ready to move back to Michael as the main villain. Any time spent with the character of Corey feels like a gigantic waste of time. Instead of refreshing the franchise, the character seems to trip the movie, stall its progress and test our patience. 

Find my full length review of Halloween Ends at Horror.Media 

Movie Review Hellraiser

Hellraiser (2022) 

Directed by David Bruckner 

Written by Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski 

Starring Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Brandon Flynn, Goran Visnjic 

Release Date October 7th, 2022 

Streaming on Hulu 

Following the twin successes of Prey and Hellraiser I want Hulu to take over all of the 80s horror genre. Prey, a prequel to the Predator franchise was a badass action-sci-fi movie with incredible fight scenes and tremendous effects underlined by perfect casting and excellent performances. Now comes Hellraiser, an equally well accomplished reimagining of a franchise that has inconceivably become a pop culture touchstone. I am no fan of the previous Hellraiser movies but I am a fan of this Hellraiser movie. 

Hellraiser 2022 stars Odessa A'zion as Riley, a recovering addict. Riley lives with her brother Matt (Brandon Flynn), but their relationship is strained. It's clear in just a minimum of dialogue that Matt is concerned about his sister relapsing after being sober for 6 months. His concerns stems from Riley's new relationship with a fellow former addict, Trevor (Drew Starkey). Matt's concerns turn out to be valid as Trevor leads Riley back into her addiction and draws her into a criminal effort to get money to feed that addiction. 

This criminal act involves robbing a seemingly unguarded safe hidden in a shipping container. Inside the safe is something Trevor claims they can sell for a lot of money. The item in the safe is an ancient and ornate puzzle box. When Riley examines it, a sharp knife pops out and cuts her. Her blood is taken inside the box and soon Riley is visited by ancient beings known as Cenobites and here is were Hellraiser really gets good. The costumes and practical effects used to bring to life the horrors of the Cenobites is absolutely spectacular as is the mayhem that ensues from their appearance. 

How the puzzle box came to Trevor and by extension to Riley, is part of a conspiracy involving a billionaire named Roland Voight (Goran Visjnic), but to say more would be too much of a spoiler. It's pretty easy to predict part of that plot but there is plenty of fun unexpected thrills that I don't want to ruin for you. Surprisingly, I am here to recommend Hellraiser (2022) and not to bury it. Admittedly, I went into Hellraiser (2022) expecting to be annoyed and disappointed. That's how I have felt about every other piece of Hellraiser media I have experienced. 

Much credit must go to director David Bruckner. Known for his brilliantly moody horror mystery, The Night House, Bruckner brings his talent for atmosphere and creeping dread to a franchise that had relied only on shock and gore for what little thrills it had elicited. Bruckner establishes a discomfort in the air from the opening moments of Hellraiser and deepens that discomfort into dread and horror as the movie spins toward an exciting conclusion. 

The stand out element of Hellraiser are still the Cenobites, led by the legendary form of Pinhead. Well, Pinhead has always been what fans have called the character. The actual name of the character in this Hellraiser is The Hell Priest, great name, way better than Pinhead. The Hell Priest has the look of David Bradley's Hellraiser character, the original Pinhead if you will, but here is played with eerie cold cool by Jamie Clayton. 

Clayton is a standout choice as her performance is an immediate upgrade over the past Hellraiser movies. Nothing against David Bradley, he did the best he could with an underwritten, under-developed role, that was more about his iconic image than performance, but Clayton with just a few lines of dialogue and improved functionality in her costume, mimicking the original and improving upon it, improves the whole idea. Clayton has a striking presence and a well stated purpose behind her villainy. 

Click here for my full length review of Hellraiser 2022

Movie Review Hocus Pocus 2

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) 

Directed by Anne Fletcher 

Written by Jen D'Angelo 

Starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Richardson

Release Date September 30th, 2022 

Disney Plus Sequel to Hocus Pocus 

The cult of The Sanderson Sisters is far more vast and wide than I ever would have imagined. For me, 1993's Hocus Pocus was a completely forgettable experience. It wasn't that the movie was bad, it merely wasn't for me. Watching it again as I got older I was never very impressed by the over top acting of Midler, Najimi and Parker or the wooden blocks posing as human supporting characters. The story was rather mundane, family friendly Disney stuff that to this day holds no interest for me. 

What shocks me however is the impact the film had on so many women, my age and younger. Something about the high camp aesthetic reached an audience that immediately become loyal and dedicated to the preservation of Hocus Pocus in popular culture. The cult of The Sanderson Sisters has grown over the past 29 years to such a degree that the fans have willed a sequel into existence nearly three decades later. It's a sequel that is just as camp and formulaic as the original but perhaps a little more energetic thanks to a supporting cast that can actually keep up with Midler, Najimi and Parker. 

Returning to Salem at Halloween The Sanderson Sisters are still the talk of the town. The legend of the Sanderson Sisters has become something of a tourist attraction thanks in part to the work of Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who has taken over the former cabin of the Sanderson Sisters and turned it into a magic shop. He also happens to be in possession of Book, the enchanted spell book that made the Sisters into a powerful witches coven. The book is under lock and key but, secretly Gilbert has plans to let the book free. He wants to bring the Sanderson Sisters back, unaware that the legends about them eating children and generally being evil are true. 

His plan is coming to fruition on this Halloween night because a teenager named Becca (Whitney Peak) is about to turn 16 and with her dalliance with magic as part of a trio of witch loving friends including lovable Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), Gilbert believes she is the key to raising the Sandersons. As a birthday gift, Gilbert gives Becca a black flame candle. What she doesn't know is that this is the same black flame candle, returned to life by Gilbert, that brought the Sanders son sisters back to life nearly 30 years ago. 

The improvements over the original Hocus Pocus are many, as far as I am concerned. It starts with the look of the film. Hocus Pocus 2 is filled with crisp bright colors even as it remains loyal to a classically fall color palette. The costumes pop, the locations are lovely and the detail on the production design demonstrates the higher budget that clearly has been dedicated for this sequel. That budget in part coming from product placement for Walgreens that, though it is immensely tacky, it does get used for several quite good gags and an important plot device. If you're going to do such naked advertising in your movie, at least make it appear necessary. Hocus Pocus 2 does that at least. 

Click here for my full length review of Hocus Pocus 2 at Geeks.Media. 

Documentary Review Lynch/Oz

Lynch/Oz (2022) 

Directed by Alexandre O. Phillippe 

Written by Documentary

Starring Amy Nicholson, Karyn Kusama, John Waters, Justin Benson 

Release Date Unknown

Currently Showing at Fantastic Fest 

I love a good niche documentary and topics don't get much more niche than the cross-section between the work of director David Lynch and the movie The Wizard of Oz. Director Alexandre O. Phillippe gathered together fellow filmmakers and critics and pondered the surprising number of ways in which David Lynch used The Wizard of Oz as a reference or a template within the stories he was telling. Whether it was something as crazed and exciting as Wild at Heart or something as somber and meditative as The Straight Story, visual or dialogue references to Dorothy, Toto, The Wicked Witch and, of course, The Wizard, can be found in the work of David Lynch. 

The brilliant critic Amy Nicholson delivers the first essay on the Lynch/Oz crossover, from the perspective of a historian and critic. Nicholson, a vibrant speaker and insightful podcaster is a terrific mind for a work that requires a strong voice and rigorous attention to detail. Nicholson notes a choice made in The Wizard of Oz to evoke the sound of the wind via chorus rather than a wind sound effect came back around when Lynch used a similar trick in, of all movies, Eraserhead. The specificity of this observation and Nicholson's poetic lyricism is lovely and thoughtful all at once. 

As much as I love what Nicholson brings to Lynch/Oz, the two best segments involve directors offering insights into a directors perspective on using homage and incorporating influence into their work. The witty and ingenious John Waters puts his typically acerbic wit on hold to gush about his directorial contemporary, Lynch and how he himself often referred to The Wizard of Oz both consciously and unconsciously. It's Waters who points out how a character acting as a gatekeeper to the goal of a protagonist relates to the gates of Oz and the goal of reaching the Wizard only to find just a man. 

Find my full length review of Lynch/Oz at Geeks.Media. 

Movie Review: The Greatest Beer Run Ever

The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) 

Directed by Peter Farrelly

Written by Peter Farrelly, Peter Currie, Pete Jones 

Starring Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, Viggo Mortensen, Bill Murray 

Release Date September 30th, 2022 

Apple TV 

Leave it to Peter Farrelly to take a great story and pull its teeth. In fairness, he was awarded a Best Picture statue for doing just that to the life of Jazz music legend Don Shirley and his longtime friend Nick Vallelonga. There however, Vallelonga takes much of the blame for the mediocrity. It was Vallelonga who wrote the self-serving screenplay, much at the expense of the story of Shirley which was lost amid the eye-rolling, uplifting pap in Vallelonga's script and Farrelly's bland direction. Of course it won Best Picture, Hollywood loves to reward uplifting pap. 

The proof of concept for my theory about Farrelly being the go-to director for taking a good story and rendering it supremely mediocre however, comes with his latest directorial effort, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Here we have a story so insane, so unbelievable, it should make an amazing movie. The true story has a guy from New Jersey deciding that he's going to take cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon to his buddies fighting in Vietnam in 1967. John 'Chickie' Donahue really did this! It's impossible to believe right? It should be an amazing movie. 

Sadly, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is directed by Peter Farrelly, a director whose movies could be sold as baby-proof for their remarkable lack of hard edges. That's not to say that Farrelly's movies aren't controversial, rather they are controversial for all the wrong reasons. Green Book is an almost complete fabrication, a vile white washing of the life of Don Shirley in favor of burnishing the egotistical legend of Nick Vallelonga. Similarly, The Greatest Beer Run of All Time should be a sharp elbowed rebuke of America's involvement in Vietnam. Instead, it's a soft headed comedy about friendship and bravery, tempered with being sad for a few people who didn't come home. 

Chickie Donahue (Zac Efron) is beloved in his small New Jersey neighborhood though not so much at home. A Merchant Marine by trade, Chickie tends to only work when he feels like it and spends most nights getting drunk in a bar owned by The Colonel (Bill Murray). Chickie and his buddies are former military men who went through Korea as kids while the specter of World War 2 hangs over the heads. While at the bar watching brutal footage of the war in Vietnam on the news, Chickie and his friends are upset that the media only shows the horror and seems to dismiss the soldiers who are fighting and dying. 

Click here for my full length, angry, review of The Greatest Beer Run Ever at Geeks.Media. 

Documentary Review A Life on the Farm

A Life on the Farm (2022) 

Directed by Oscar Harding

Written by Documentary 

Starring Oscar Harding, Charles Carson, Karen Kilgariff 

Release Date Fantastic Fest 

Featured at the Found Footage Festival 

Life on the Farm is a fascinatingly bizarre and brilliant documentary. I was not prepared for Life on the Farm. I thought what I was getting would be quirky and funny, and it is. But it is soooo much more than that. Life on the Farm is macabre, mysterious, charming and bizarre. It's a surprisingly emotional experience as well. I assumed that the film's subject, Charles Carson, was just going to be some easy to poke fun at bad filmmaker. Instead, Charles Carson is this genuine, sweet, odd individual who wins you over with his enthusiasm for all aspects of life and death. 

Life on the Farm is the brainchild of director Oscar Harding who turned a vague memory from his childhood into a lifelong search and obsession that culminates in the creation of this documentary. When Oscar was a kid growing up in the English countryside, Charles Carson was a kindly, somewhat addled neighbor who made sure drop something off with Oscar's family every Christmas. That something was Charles' annual VHS Christmas Card. Charles was a camcorder enthusiast whose life was dedicated to capturing life on the farm, in all of its forms. 

Each video started the same way with Charles addressing the camera with his name and the name of his farm, Coombes End Farm, said without a pause, charmingly and incomprehensibly together as CoomesonFahm. The videos have stuck with Oscar Harding for more than 30 years not because they were a secret work of genius, though they kind of are. No, his memory was solidified while watching the VHS with his dad and his dad suddenly clicking the tape off and getting rid of it. Why had his father done this? What could the kindly Charles Carson have had in the video for Oscar's dad to have reacted so suddenly and decisively. 

Meanwhile, somewhere around the globe while Oscar was puzzling over this childhood memory, VHS and found footage collectors were sitting on a goldmine. Through fate or chance, some of Charles' incredibly strange and unique home movies had gone around the globe and wound up part of found footage and found VHS festivals. The Charles Carson tapes were a pre-internet sensation but with no YouTube to save it for posterity, the tapes went into storage and were often forgotten, returning to the status of found footage to one day be rediscovered. 

Incredibly, just as Oscar Harding's Aunt recovered one of Charles' tapes, YouTubers had found one as well and were sharing it, though it wasn't quite as viral right away. The online fandom was small but growing and since Oscar's tape was different from the one that had gone around the globe, the confluence of Charles Carson content was about to reach a boiling point that would create this documentary, Life on the Farm, and a demand for Charles content among small enclaves of found footage devotees that is almost unrivaled. 

Click here for my complete review of A Life on the Farm 

Movie Review Don't Worry Darling

Don't Worry Darling (2022) 

Directed by Olivia Wilde 

Written by Katie Silberman 

Starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll 

Release Date September 23rd, 2022 

Published September 23rd, 2022 

If your life was perfect, how would you know? I’m not talking about the basic signifiers of things you would have that would make your life seem perfect like money, a nice house, a supportive family, I mean, what if life was perfect. No pain, no sorry, no irritation or even annoyance. Your every need is met immediately. Nothing is ever out of place. It’s an impossible standard, of course, but what if? If life were perfect, how would you know? 

This is a philosophical thought experiment. If life were perfect, perfect would be normal and thus not perfect. How do you know there is up without down? How do you know what joy is if you don’t know what the opposite of joy feels like? Yin and Yang, give life meaning. Love and the absence of love are distinct feelings. If you only ever knew love then love would become a mundane expectation of everyday life, unrecognizable without knowing the absence of it. What is loss if you never lose? 

The new movie Don’t Worry Darling got me thinking about this idea of a perfect life and how impossible that idea is. This notion that someone could invent a perfect life is downright silly but that doesn’t stop people from trying. Mad men like Chris Pine’s Frank seek to stamp out all problems from the world, tame life into what they want it to be. He’s admired for this madness and seeks to indoctrinate others to his notion of what a perfect life would look like. 

He’s arrogant enough to push aside the notion that the human mind is not built for perfection. In the brilliant action adventure movie, The Matrix, a character known as Agent Smith, wonderfully played by Hugo Weaving, explains that the A.I monsters who created The Matrix, a simulated reality intended to enslave humans while the humans themselves are treated as organic batteries, first created a perfect simulation. 

The first Matrix created a simulated reality with no heartache, no pain, no death, no war, no negatives whatsoever. Everyone was cared for and their needs were perfectly attended to. The humans went insane in no time at all. The mind rebelled against perfection because how would you know that life is perfect if every day featured the same level of precise perfection? If perfect becomes normal, normal becomes mundane and the imagination seeks something to think about, something to question. 

Click here for my full length review of Don't Worry Darling. 

Movie Review Isn't She Great (2000)

Isn't She Great (2000) 

Directed by Andrew Bergman 

Written by Paul Rudnick 

Starring Bette Midler. Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing, David Hyde Pierce 

Release Date January 28th, 2000 

Published September 20th, 2022 

I went into to watching Isn't She Great with a bad attitude. I've read a number of other critics who despised this movie. They decried what they claimed are numerous inaccuracies, they called Bette Midler's performance overly broad and cartoonish, and they barely mentioned the sweet romance at the heart of the movie. I was fully prepared to write a negative review of Isn't She Great and then I watched the movie and I was unexpectedly charmed. Perhaps its because I don't know much about the real Jacqueline Susann, or maybe I am just feeling generous, but I genuinely enjoyed most of Isn't She Great. 

Jaqueline Susann was a striver. Living in New York City, she felt that stardom was her birthright. When she failed to achieve fame by any means necessary, she dramatically walked into a lake ala Virginia Woolf only to find the water was barely knee deep. It's here where she meets the man who who would help make her dreams come through. Show business lifer, agent Irving Mansfield fell in love at first sight with Jacqueline Susann and after witnessing her quite funny and failing attempt at a dramatic death, he rescues her with promises of stardom. 

Their partnership got off to a slow start. Irving got her on television and got her gigs on commercials but Jacqueline's strength was her off the cuff wit, something she could not highlight on overly serious game shows or the confines of a live commercial advertisement. Finding little success on TV, Irving launches a new plan, a book. With support from Jacqueline's best friend, Florence Maybelle,. played by a brilliant, scene stealing Stockard Channing, Irving pitches Jacqueline the idea to write a novel. 

Jacqueline is immediately opposed to the idea, she claims that she doesn't have anything to say in a novel. Then Irving points out her incredible true stories about the dark side of Hollywood and Jacqueline is intrigued. Indeed, she's got thousands of darkly funny stories about Hollywood from her own experience and the experiences of her vast network of friends. It will require her to tell stories that her friends might prefer she did not tell, but what does she have to lose. 

Famously, Susann's dark comic story of the Hollywood underbelly, filled with truths and half truths about barely disguised Hollywood figures became the bestseller, Beyond The Valley of the Dolls. The book was an immediate sensation and soon, thanks to Irving, Jacqueline has the love and celebrity that she's always dreamed of. Naturally, this still being a movie, there is a false crisis that will divide our central couple before we get to our based on a true story ending, and that convenionalism does hold the movie back a little, it's not a death knell. 

Bette Midler and Nathan Lane make a surprisingly adorable couple in Isn't She Great. The chemistry between Midler and lane is lovely, platonically friendly growing into a chaste romance. It's charming watching Irving pine for Jackie and then try to move heaven and earth to achieve her dreams. By the same token, Midler is great at being first oblivious to Irving before seeing him as useful and then growing to rely on him, appreciate him and then love him. That's wonderfully complicated road to character growth and I really enjoyed that. 

Isn't She Lovely isn't written or directed with a great deal of innovation. The film holds to a rather strict biopic structure. That said, the film is rather breezy and doesn't drag at all. The film is brisk thanks to the performance of Bette Midler who plays Jacqueline Susann as the oversized personality one might assume she was from her brazen, barely veiled novels. It's a blowsy, blowhard performance by Midler with dramatic flourishes that I found humorous and endearing rather than merely hammy. The character, as essayed by Midler, is supposed to be hammy. That's a feature and not a bug in my estimation. 

Read my complete review of Isn't She Great on Geeks.Media. 

Documentary Review Moonage Daydream

Moonage Daydream (2022) 

Directed by Brett Morgen 

Written by Documentary 

Starring David Bowie 

Release Date September 16th, 2022 (Limited Release), September 23rd Everywhere 

Documentary filmmaker, director Brett Morgen, has a gift for fans of David Bowie. It's arguably the greatest gift Bowie fans could receive that isn't a visit from the Thin White Duke himself from beyond the grave. Moonage Daydream is the very first documentary to be approved by the estate of David Bowie. It includes footage from the Bowie archives that has never seen the light of day. Concert footage from the late 70s, movie projects that Bowie himself commissioned but never finished, and rare interviews with Bowie that provide narration amid the dazzling, dizzying, and mesmerizing sonic and visual spectacle. 

Moonage Daydream doesn't so much work in a perfectly linear fashion. Though it does tell us about Bowie's childhood, in his own words, it's not a straight ahead documentary narrative. Rather, the focus of Moonage Daydream is Bowie the icon, the music and the man. The documentary is wall to wall with Bowie music and performances with Bowie himself offering narration about where his life was at the time he created this music via a series of interviews. Whether its appearances on Dick Cavett or a British chat show, Bowie consistently, shyly offers insights into himself and his work that aren't nearly as revealing as the music he creates. That's by design. 

While interviewers were hung up on Bowie's makeup, outfits and shoes, Bowie appears baffled by the questions and the attention to his attire. He appears perfectly ready to discuss the philosophy and inspiration behind his music but clams up, rather appropriately as he's constantly questioned about his look and how unusual he is. Questions about his sexuality and his influence on his fans lead Bowie to a confused sort of bemusement that stops these interviews in their tracks. It's both charming and frustrating, charming from Bowie and frustrating that crusty interviewers can't get past Bowie's flamboyance to talk about Bowie's art. 

Far more successful is a female interviewer, I apologize for not catching her name amid the disorienting experience of Moonage Daydream, who gets Bowie talking love. It's a wonderfully nuanced and thoughtful conversation that plays as a piece of narration in Moonage Daydream. Similarly, when Bowie talks about falling in love with his wife, Iman, the obvious joy in his voice is just wonderful even as his happiness plays at odds with his still wandering spirit which cannot settle on a sound and a rather cynical worldview that led Bowie's years in the wilderness of popular culture. 

Brett Morgen does a brilliant job of approaching the dichotomy of Bowie, the superstar and the artist, conflicted about success but desperate for the fleeting comfort of superstardom. There is a brilliant segment of Moonage Daydream that covers the most successful period of Bowie's career, his 80s yuppie phase. Let's Dance, Modern Love, and other top hits of that time are fantastic but even Bowie admits that he was playing the hits, playing what he thought people wanted to hear, and reveling in the trappings of being wildly successful. 

Click here for my complete review of Moonage Daydream at Beat.Media. 

Movie Review Pearl (2022)

Pearl (2022) 

Directed by Ti West 

Written by Ti West 

Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Emma Jenkins 

Release Date September 16th, 2022 

Prequel to X (2022) 

X was a brilliant homage to 70s grindhouse horror from a director in Ti West who has mastered the form of homage. My proof for for his mastery comes with his new movie Pearl. The horror movie starring the utterly brilliant Mia Goth, riffs brilliantly on MGM movies of the 30s and 40s mimicking them down to the credit font and pitch perfect score. Using the innocent memories of movies like The Wizard of Oz for a series of transgressive gags feels so fresh and different that this horror movie becomes honestly refreshing. 

Mia Goth stars as the title character, Pearl. Pearl is a teenage dreamer, a 19 year old who dreams of nothing but the burgeoning movie industry. The movies in her small hometown have become her home respite from a difficult home life. Pearl's mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright), is a severe German taskmaster who believes that her daughter should have to suffer as she has to provide a home and a roof over Pearl's head. Ruth has become the primary worker on their Texas farm after Pearl's father (Matthew Sunderland) was struck with Spanish Flu and suffered complete paralysis. 

The first indication that something might be a little off about Pearl comes via her father. After a night of arguing with her mother, Pearl takes her father to a pond on their land that is home to an alligator that Pearl has been feeding for some time. Pearl pushes dad's wheelchair to the edge of the dock while calling on the gator which responds to her. It appears that Pearl may dump daddy in the lake until mom arrives to make the save. The juxtaposition of Mia Goth's sweet, simple innocent look and the malevolence of her actions is part of the electric charge of watching Pearl. 

Similarly the way Pearl chooses to bathe in front of her father's paralyzed form, his darting eyes demonstrating his extreme discomfort, is another unsettling symbol of Pearl's transgressive personality. These scenes pitched against the numerous references to classic MGM musicals and those oh so innocent adventures of the 40s and 50s makes Pearl in general a movie that transgresses our expectations and conspires to make us part of dark meta joke of Pearl. 

Click here for my full length review of Pearl at Horror.Media. 

Movie Review The Rift Dark Side of the Moon

The Rift Dark Side of the Moon (2016) 

Directed by Dejan Zecevic

Written by Barry Keating, Milan Konjevic

Starring Ken Foree, Monte Markham

Release Date March 27th, 2017

Published March 27th, 2017 

Streaming on Plex 

The Rift: Dark Side of the Moon is a strange little low-budget sci-fi horror movie that has no business being as fun as it is. This American-Serbian production from director Dejan Zecevic is well paced, fun and quite creepy. Movies like The Rift are a nice reminder that low-budget sci-fi horror is still being made and can still be quite fun despite our pop cultural prejudice in favor of big budgets, big studios and big movie stars.

The Rift: Dark Side of the Moon stars Katrina Kas as Liz, an American sleeper agent in Belgrade. Liz has been inactive for two years following the death of her son when she is asked to return to the field. The agency, the CIA, has asked Liz to accompany Agent Smith (Ken Foree) to the site of a crashed American satellite outside a small village in Serbia. Joining the mission are a Serbian secret agent named Darko (Dragan Micanovic) and an American scientist and former Astronaut named Dysart (Monte Markham).

Read my complete review of The Rift Dark Side of the Moon on Geeks.Media. Subscribe to my movie reviews on Geeks and if you enjoy the review, consider leaving a tip. 

Movie Review The Bobby DeBarge Story

The Bobby DeBarge Story (2019) 

Directed by Russ Parr 

Written by Norman Vance Jr

Starring Roshon Fegan, Big Boi, Romeo Ballantine 

Release Date June 29th, 2019 

Criticizing TV One's The Bobby DeBarge Story is like having to discipline a puppy that has urinated on the floor, you don't want to be mean, but you have to let the puppy know not to do that again. As with a puppy, I will attempt to be gentle, but this is a huge puddle on the floor. This earnest, high camp, biopic mixes emotional honesty with some of the cringiest costumes and performances of 2019.

Multi-hyphenate entertainer, Roshon Fegan, plays the role of Bobby DeBarge, among the oldest of the DeBarge siblings, who would each find a measure of success on the Motown label in the late 70s and early 80s. It was Bobby and his brother Tommy (Blue Kimble) who would break out of the incredibly talented DeBarge family first.

Read the complete review of The Bobby DeBarge Story on Beat.Media here. 

Article February 23rd, 2012 It's Art Vs Mainstream at the Oscars

It's the art crowd vs. the mainstream crowd in the race for Hollywood's biggest prize at the Academy Awards. The battle for Best Picture has boiled down to "The Artist," a black and white throwback to old time Hollywood, and "The Help," a mainstream phenomenon that has earned well over $100 million at the domestic box office.

This divisive battle has two aspects of the Academy crowd at odds: Those who wish to promote film as an art form, and those who bow to the tastes of the mainstream, movie-going public.

Anti-Commercial

If there is anything the art crowd in the Academy loves, it's a movie that flies in the face of commercial sensibilities. "The Artist" -- a black and white silent film starring a pair of relatively unknown French actors, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, and directed by a Frenchman, Michel Hazanavicius -- does just that

Recent Academy history bears out the battle-lines. In 2009 the commercially challenged "The Hurt Locker," without a big star or big name director, became the lowest-grossing film ever to win Best Picture by upsetting the biggest commercial hit of all time, James Cameron's epic "Avatar." The result was hailed as an upset almost solely because of "Avatar's" massive box office numbers.

"The Help"

The mainstream crowd in the Academy has a soft spot for the movies that mainstream moviegoers love. In 1998 the mainstream got in line with the phenomenon that was "Titanic" and overcame a wave of art-lovers pushing for the tiny English indie "The Fully Monty" and the gritty cop drama "L.A Confidential." In 2003 the mainstream stuck it to the art crowd by honoring "Chicago" over art-house fave "The Pianist." And the mainstream won again in 2004 when "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" topped the beloved art-house flick "Lost in Translation."

Box Office Blockbuster

"The Help" may not have the box office numbers of a "Titanic" or "Lord of the Rings," but it is the highest grossing film among this year's nominees by a wide margin, taking in over $169 million at the domestic box office. That total is nearly $100 million more than the next closest Best Picture nominee "War Horse," which has an estimated domestic box office of $78 million. "The Artist" stands at $28 million ahead of only "The Tree of Life" among Best Picture nominees at the box office.

Art vs. Popularity

Why the divide between the art crowd and the mainstream? It may have something to do with ratings for the Academy Awards. Handing the big award to the most popular film in the field is the quickest way to curry favor with fickle awards show viewers who feel the Academy looks down upon non-Academy members. Whatever the reason, the art vs. commerce battle-lines have been drawn; we're set for a showdown on Oscar Sunday.

Article January 24th, 2012 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to 9/11

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" opened nationwide on Friday, Jan. 20. The film deals with September 11 through the eyes of a young boy who lost his father in one of the towers. The Hollywood approach to September 11 thus far has been direct and earnest for the most part. Here's a closer look at Hollywood's approach to September 11.

"Collateral Damage" / "25th Hour"

Less than a year after the tragedy, Hollywood had no idea how to deal with September 11. Arnold Schwarzenegger dealt with the tragedy by trying to go back to fighting bad guys. However, his film "Collateral Damage," which found Arnold trying to stop terrorists from blowing up a building in Los Angeles, didn't feel so much timely as ill-timed and inconsiderate; Schwarzenegger would go back to the "Terminator" well one more time before giving up movies for politics.

Spike Lee was more thoughtful when he became the first New York filmmaker to reflect on 9/11. "25th Hour" was not about post-9/11 New York directly but the sense of gloom that hangs over the movie has as much to do with the fearful, edgy sadness of the city as a whole in the wake of 9/11 as it did with the sad fate of Edward Norton's convict on his last free night before prison. Also, the footprints of the Towers are revealed right outside the window of one character's apartment -- the first time the site had been seen in a Hollywood feature.

"United 93" / "World Trade Center"

By 2006 Hollywood was ready to deal directly with the tragedy of 9/11. Director Paul Greengrass gave audiences a surreal trip inside one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center as well as inside the air traffic control command center for the East Coast of the United States which tracked the chaos of the day. The striking authenticity of "United 93" included the casting of Ben Sliney, National Operations Manager for the FAA, as himself re-enacting the choices he made on September 11.

The tragedy of 9/11 inspired earnest assessment even from one of the most controversial directors in the world. While many worried that Oliver Stone would desecrate the memory of that day the director of "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers" turned in the least controversial and arguably most flag waving and heroic portrayals of the 9/11 aftermath with "World Trade Center."

"Reign Over Me" / "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

The film that most resembles "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is a slightly more adult oriented but similarly grief oriented film. "Reign Over Me" starred Adam Sandler as a man whose life went to pieces after he lost his wife and daughter in one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. "Reign Over Me" carries the same strange sense of humor and odd warmth that makes up much of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."

Both films are focused on the grief of those left behind after the tragedy and that grief extends to us in the audience. Seeing actors we know playing out the stories of people who really experienced the tragedy and loss of September 11 is the closest that some of us will ever come to knowing what that tragic day was like.

Of course we all shared the shock and the fear of that day but those who lost someone in the tragedy have a different and far more life-altering experience of September 11. Movies like "Reign Over Me" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" give the rest of us an approximation of that experience that makes both films unique and valuable.

Article May 30th 2011 10 Movies to Watch This Summer

Summer is all about the blockbusters and this season offers blockbusters galore. The rebooted X-Men take us back to '˜The First Class.' We will find out the origins of "The Green Lantern" and '˜Captain America' this summer. And just who are all of these little blue people running around? Plus, this summer we'll see the return of Optimus Prime, Harry Potter and some Apes. So stay out of the sun and stay inside the theaters for the Top 10 Movies for Summer.

X-Men: The First Class June 3rd

In need of a reboot after the modest returns of "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," the creators of the X-Men film franchise decided to go all the way back to the beginning for "X-Men: The First Class." Find out where Charles '˜Professor X' Xavier, Erik '˜Magneto' Lensherr and the first class of student at Xavier's School.

"Kick Ass" director Matthew Vaughan takes the directorial reigns of this origin story set in the late 1960's just as Charles Xavier has started his school for gifted, mutant, students. The supporting cast includes Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Lenny Kravitz's daughter Zoe as Angel and Nicholas Hoult as Beast.

Super 8 June 10th

J.J Abrams and Steven Speilberg are a superstar team behind the scenes and the result of their collective imagination is the buzz heavy "Super 8." Ever since a big tease during the Super Bowl in January fans have been anticipating this secretive event movie about unseen, alien forces attacking a small town, secretive military types trying to keep the problem under wraps and a father and son, Kyle Chandler and Joel Courtney, along with their family, neighbors and friends who are caught in the middle.

Green Lantern June 17th

We've seen Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Iron Man; it was about time that The Green Lantern got the big screen treatment. Long a favorite of the D.C comics' fans, The Green Lantern has been talked about for a movie for years. However, it wasn't until the super combination of director Martin Campbell and star Ryan Reynolds came together that stingy Warner Bros. finally offered a '˜Green' light.

The story of "The Green Lantern" finds test pilot Hal Jordan shocked to be gifted with a ring of power by an alien who crashes not far from him. Jordan is not exactly the hero type but once he discovers the power of the ring and the responsibility that comes with it he rounds into hero form. Meanwhile, a crazed scientist named Hector Hammond threatens the survival of earth and one of Jordan's friends plots a betrayal.

Transformers Dark of the Moon July 1st

Michael Bay, Shia LeBeouf and some CGI robots reunite to imperil the earth for the third time in "Transformers Dark of the Moon." This time, Optimus Prime discovers that humans have been lying to him about just how much they know about his people and he's none too happy. The revelation of a spaceship on the moon leads to a new round of war between Autobots and Decepticons with more carnage and destruction in store for planet earth. All this just as LeBeouf's Sam gets a new girlfriend played by Maxim model Rosie Huntington Whitely who takes over for the departed Megan Fox.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows July 15th

The final film of the '˜Harry Potter' franchise, until the inevitable remakes, arrives this summer and we will finally see the showdown that we've waited nearly a decade for. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) will go nose to, well, nostril (?) with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes.) The showdown will happen but not before several beloved characters and hated villains meet their end. A happy ending is assured by J.K Rowling's astonishingly popular book series but there are likely surprises still in store even for fans well aware of how the story ends in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2.

Captain America: The First Avenger July 22nd

Chris Evans has some experience as a comic book superhero; he played Johnny Storm in a pair of underwhelming "Fantastic Four" movies. Now, Evans takes an even bigger role in the Marvel universe becoming Steve Rogers the weakling who becomes the heroic Captain America after a unique and dangerous experiment.

Joe Johnston ("Jumanji," "Lost World: Jurassic Park") directs "Captain America: The Last Avenger" as an origin story set around the beginning of America's entrance into World War 2. Steve Rogers wants to go into the army but is too scrawny until a secret government experiment recruits him to become a guinea pig for a program to create super soldiers. Soon, Steve Rogers is the muscular and heroic Captain America fighting the Germans and the evil Red Skull played by Hugo Weaving.

Cowboys and Aliens July 29th

The director of "Iron Man," Jon Favreau, is making a western with aliens, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and James Bond (Daniel Craig)? Talk about a fanboy dream. Yes, "Cowboys and Aliens" hits theaters this summer with a whole lot of novelty and a whole lot potential. Daniel Craig plays an outlaw who wakes up in the desert with an alien weapon strapped to his arm while Harrison Ford is a villain who wants Craig dead but must instead team up with him when Aliens invade.

Smurfs July 29th

The little blue forest dwellers, The Smurfs, are smurfing to New York City in their first live action feature film adventure and they are bringing the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria) as they seek help from Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays as a helpful New Yorkers. The voice cast includes Katy Perry as Smurfette, Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Paul Reubens as Jokey and SNL's Kenan Thompson as Greedy. "Scooby Doo" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" director Raja Gosnell is at the helm of what will likely become a little blue film franchise.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes August 5th

A young indie director, a quirky Oscar nominated actor and a bunch of Apes have to be a bit worrisome but the track record for the "Planet of the Apes" movies at least offer a good deal of kitschy fun. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" provides the origin story of a planet dominated by apes. Franco is a scientist who accidentally dooms humanity by greatly enhancing the intelligence of apes leading to a war for supremacy. Hey, it can't be any worse than the Mark Wahlberg-Tim Burton remake? Right?

Glee Live in 3D August 12th

If Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers can go 3D why not the kids from Fox's "Glee?" Yes, the cast of the hit series is currently on the road for their first nationwide arena tour and the cameras are rolling for a concert film, "Glee Live in 3D," with "Mobbed" creator Kevin Tancharoen at the helm. Chris Colfer, Lea Michele, Cory Montieth and Kevin McHale are all in along with the rest of the New Directions but Matthew Morrison is not, he's got his own tour plans this summer as he pushes his first solo CD.

Article March 31st, 2011 Leaked Dragon Tattoo Trailer

The first glimpses of David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" leaked over the Memorial Day weekend. While Sony remained mum about the release, scrutiny of the stolen clip has centered on Sony executives leaking the clip themselves, as noted by MSNBC. Curiously, Sony has not asked outlets like Entertainment Weekly to pull the clip. The "leaked" trailer has already been downloaded more than a million times on Youtube, indicating interest in "The Girl with Dragon Tattoo" is quite high.

Here are a few famous examples of movie leaks and how they helped and hindered movies in the past.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"

Just days before the release of the first installment of the final Harry Potter movie hit theaters Nov. 19, 2010, the first 36 minutes of the movie appeared online. While Warner Brothers issued a statement promising to prosecute whoever leaked the footage, the leak only stoked the already flaming hot buzz: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" opened to the biggest box office in the history of the franchise.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

In April of 2009, a full length but not completed version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was leaked online less than a month before the film opened on May 1, according to CNN. While the film eventually opened to more than $85 million, the opening was down from the previous X-Men adventure, "X-Men: The Last Stand," which opened to $102 million.

More than 1 million people downloaded the film illegally, but problems behind the scenes that led to reshoots plagued the movie, as did many negative reviews. Ironically, while 20th Century Fox was pursuing those who illegally downloaded "Wolverine," Fox News movie critic Roger Friedman reviewed the leaked version and gave the film a very positive review. Friedman was subsequently fired.

"Ang Lee's Hulk"

In 2003, a New Jersey man named Kerry Gonzalez received a copy of "Hulk" from a friend two weeks before the film's debut in June. Gonzalez digitized a copy of the film and then uploaded it onto the Internet. Gonzalez ended up paying $7,000 in fines and spent six months in home confinement.

It's unclear how much the leak hurt the opening weekend box office of "Hulk." The ability to download full length movies in 2003 wasn't nearly as advanced as it was when more than 1 million people downloaded "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in 2009. "Hulk" was also the subject of troubling behind the scenes buzz and mixed critical reviews.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The leak of the trailer for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" may be another watershed for the industry. If the rumors about Sony leaking the clip itself turn out to be true, it would be the first known occasion that a major movie studio has used the very tactics it decries as criminal -- footage shot by an amateur camera in a movie theater and then uploaded onto the Internet -- as a way of marketing a movie.

Movie Review: Documentary Boogeymen

Boogeyman (2001) 

Directed by 

Written by Documentary

Starring Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, Norman Bates, Michael Myers, Jason Voohees 

Release Date Unknown

Published December 20th, 2001 

A warning to horror film fans: avoid the new DVD Boogeymen. The disc that is positioned as sort of a documentary retrospective of the horror genres best. Yet Boogeymen plays more like the kind of promo disc you would receive with your subscription to Fangoria.

All the horror greats are on the disc from Norman Bates to Hellraiser's Pinhead to the greatest of them all, Freddy Krueger. They are all featured on the disc but in strange little vignettes that introduce the characters as if they were contestants on the dating game. For example, clips of Freddy are introduced with a picture, vital stats and little tidbits like "Son of 100 maniacs", killed by the parents of the Elm Street children, now returns to kill in children's' dreams. All that's missing is Wink Martindale saying "Ladies how about a warm welcome for Freeeddyyyyy Krueger." 

The disc is filled with famous clips like Freddy's first kill, and the Phantasm ball but the clips are very long and are accompanied by no commentary and no interviews essentially no insight into the making of these classics.

The DVD extras does include a commentary and a couple of interviews but why are they only in the extras and not in the documentary itself? If your looking for real insight into the making of a horror film rent Wes Craven's new nightmare with the commentary by Craven himself and leave Boogeymen on the shelf. 

Movie Review: Die Hard

Die Hard (1988) 

Directed by John McTiernan 

Written by Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza 

Starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald Vel Johnson, Paul Gleason

Release Date July 15th, 1988 

Published July 15th, 2018 

Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie. Mostly because it is set on Christmas but it is not about Christmas. If I’m being honest, Christmas isn’t a favorite holiday of mine. I don’t care for most Christmas movies including supposed classics such as A Christmas Story and the loathsome, grotesque, and lowbrow National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Die Hard is a Christmas movie for people like me, those who don’t enjoy Christmas movies. 

On Christmas Day, John McClain has arrived in Los Angeles in hopes of reuniting with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). Things get off to a bad start when John arrives at Holly’s office and finds that now living in Los Angeles, she’s dropped the last name McClane, in favor of her maiden name Gennero. The two begin to argue but they never finish the argument, first after her boss calls and then when terrorists arrive and begin taking over the building, known as Nakatomi Plaza. 

John is changing clothes when he hears gunshots. He quickly intuits the situation using his instincts, he’s a New York Police Detective whose job has been a significant strain on his personal life. John quickly assesses the situation and after escaping to an upper, unfinished floor of the building, he attempts to contact the police. Unfortunately the cops don’t believe him when he calls and only dispatch one cop to the scene. 

Sgt Al Powell (Reginald Vel Johnson) was thinking it would be a quiet night of enjoying twinkies in his cruiser but when he arrive at Nakatomi Plaza the shooting starts and his quiet night turns into a major hostage situation and the only things keeping a bloodbath at bay are Al and his new friend who won’t give his name. The two veteran cops bond quickly and even more when other less capable cops arrive on the scene and begin to screw things up. 

The terrorists are headed up by the nefariously ingenious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). Making it appear as if they have taken hostages, Hans has the cops running around in circles while his real plan unfolds. Only John McClane stands between Hans and his ultimate goal, a whole boatload of money. Hans’ ruse is brilliant and Rickman’s supremely intelligent and superior performance gives the whole film gravity. 

In many ways, Willis and RIckman were perfectly matched as hero and villain. Where John is instinctive and primal, Hans is calculating and manipulative. Hans is a buttoned up, professional criminal, used to telling others to do the dirty work, McClane is a blue collar cop who acts on hunches and well worn experience. John’s unpredictable nature isn’t merely a character trait, it becomes a strategy and Willis is remarkable in deploying it. 

Willis brings an authenticity to John McClane that matches his star power and charisma and makes John McClane an indelible hero. The film has an old school western feel in terms of the battle of good and evil. John may not be the picture of white hat virtue, but rather, he’s a more down to Earth and believable kind of good. Hans meanwhile, has an alluring evil, though you’re never on his side, you wouldn’t feel too bad if he fooled you. 

Rickman’s arrogant superiority is his most nefarious quality. Even more than his murderous plot, his stuffy, accented, suited persona is a relatable sort of evil. He’s not the picture of either a terrorist or a killer, yet he feels more real than many actual, real world villains because Rickman is so incredible at playing him. His arrogance and his suit are reminiscent of the kind of Wall Street villains that Oliver Stone had recently introduced us to. He’s just more honest than them because he robs and murders people in front of you and not from behind a desk. 

The blue collar qualities of Al and John make them our automatic allies. More of us relate to John and Al than any of the stuffy, suited types in Nakatomi Plaza. It’s part of their charm and a big part of the performances of Willis and VelJohnson. John and Al seem like people we know, people we could have a beer with. The divide between them and the suit wearing villains are signifiers that director John McTiernan clever uses to create a subliminal divide underneath the the obvious criminal and not a criminal divide. 

The action in Die Hard is top notch. Director McTiernan stacks the odds against John McClane brilliantly. The stakes rise in each passing scene with John and Holly’s identity as husband and wife acting in many ways like a bomb about to explode the story at any moment. The name game with Holly is also a terrific piece of screenwriting as the argument over the name tells us everything we need to know about the strain between John and Holly. 

Many screenwriters need a page and a half of dialogue to tell us what the names Gennaro and McClane and the hurt in John’s voice and manner do in a single scene. Die Hard is rarely thought of as being a great screenplay but Jeb Stuart and co-writer Steven E de Souza deserve nearly as much credit as director John McTiernan. The economy of character building in John, Holly, Hans and Al is really remarkable. We learn  more about them from their actions than we would from endless pages of expository dialogue. 

Die Hard is Christmas for me because I watch it every Christmas. It’s the kind of smart, well-worn action movie that is perfect holiday comfort food. The familiarity, the easy good versus evil story, the action that even after 30 years feels refreshingly new and ever exciting. Die Hard is the gift that keeps on giving. 30 years of thrills, 30 years of pithy hero banter, and 30 years of watching Hans Gruber falling to his death. Merry Christmas indeed. 

Movie Review: 1985

1985 (2018) 

Directed by Yen Tan

Written by Yen Tan 

Starring Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, 

Release Date March 19th, 2018 

Published August 12th, 2018 

Director Yen Tan’s 1985 left me an emotional mess. This incredibly moving drama about a gay man returning home for the holidays to his conservative, religious, Texas family hit me right me in heart with its brave storytelling and artful construction. Filmed in 16 millimeter black and white, the film gives you a feeling of a memory being recalled with great detail, directly from the year 1985. 

1985 stars Corey Michael Smith, best known for his role on TV’s Gotham, as Adrian. Adrian moved away from his Texas home three years ago to live in New York City and, for the first time, to live openly as a gay man. Having never come out to his parents, expertly portrayed by Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis, Adrian decides immediately to keep himself in the closet while back home so as not to upset his family dynamic. 

Adrian’s sexuality however, is not the only secret he’s decided to keep from his family. Verbal and visual cues will slowly reveal as the film goes on that Adrian has been losing weight, he’s been getting ill frequently and in a beautifully telling moment, his beloved dog clings to his side as if to protect and comfort him. It’s not hard to suss out what Adrian’s secret is though the film does gently allow the secret to be unfolded throughout the story. 

1985 was directed by Yen Tan, a filmmaker who I am unfortunately not familiar with though this is his fourth feature film according to Wikipedia. In notes that accompanied the movie when I saw it, Tan discussed how working with AIDS patients years ago inspired him to want to tell the story of a closeted gay man and the sadness, frustration, and heartache that comes from keeping secrets so essential to who you are. 

There is a next level of sadness at play here that I am reluctant to go into. I was lucky to watch the film without having read other reviews on Wikipedia or IMDB, places that give away the secret Adrian is hiding. Again, it’s not a twist or even a major reveal, it’s an organic, growing part of the story. I just really loved watching it unfold even as the brilliant visual and vocal clues in the movie give the game away with intent. 

It’s a wonderful piece of filmmaking and it’s not intended to fool you or gut punch you, it makes sense to the plot why Adrian is hiding something and the journey toward him actually saying what is happening out loud is powerful. Actor Corey Michael Smith does an incredible job of making Adrian genial and awkward and delicately pragmatic. The secret of his sexuality isn’t really much of a secret, as we come to find out, but the way in which the film gently layers this into the characters and the story is remarkable and emotional. 

I haven’t even mentioned one of my favorite parts of 1985. Actress Jamie Chung plays Carly, Adrian’s ex-girlfriend whom he broke up with three years earlier when he left for New York. Now an aspiring stand up comic,  Carly has no idea that Adrian is gay and when the two reconnect there is some awkward and brilliantly relatable truth to their interaction. Carly may seem like an extraneous character in some ways but her presence underlines dramatic moments from Adrian’s backstory that pay off with strong emotional impact. 

1985 will be on my list of the best movies of the year. Few films have touched me as deeply as this movie has. It’s not an easy movie, it’s not a movie for an audience that doesn’t want to be challenged and it is not a movie that rewards you with easy answers. This is a deeply emotional and beautifully rendered film that, if you allow it to, will break your heart in ways that will make it stronger and more empathetic going forward. That, to me, is a better feeling than any 10 blockbusters can provide. 

What a year for Black and White movies huh? Roma dazzled us with its arrival on Netflix last week with it’s crisp, clean, black and white sleekness. And here, in 1985, we get a black and white movie that uses this type of film to give age to the story, to evoke the time it is set within and to give the film a dreamlike or memory-like feeling. The grainy, slightly dark, look of 1985 gives the film the feeling of a story being recalled from memory, a little hazy, a little fuzzy, yet recalled with detail and deep emotion, as if we were in the mind of someone recalling this story and feeling what they felt at the time. 

Movie Review: A Shot at Glory

A Shot at Glory (2002) 

Directed by Michael Corrente 

Written by Denis O'Neill 

Starring Robert Duvall, Ally McCoist, Brian Cox, Kristy Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Michael Keaton 

Release Date May 3rd, 2002 

Published August 5th, 2002

Robert Duvall may be the most under-appreciated actor in the business. Despite his awesome resume, Duvall is not offered the roles that go to the actors of his age and class such as Deniro, Eastwood, Pacino and the like. The reason is likely his lack of leading man looks, but what he doesn't have in looks he makes up for with pure acting chops.

Easily one of the best actors going today Duvall still has a hard time getting a movie greenlighted, struggling with the film The Apostle for nearly 20 years. The soccer movie A Shot At Glory is another of Duvall's passion features, co-written and financed by Duvall himself. Though the film isn't as good as The Apostle the film once again showcases Duvall's amazing talent.

A Shot At Glory tells the story of a tiny Scottish soccer team trying to compete with the big boys. Duvall is the teams coach Gordon McLeod, a former player with the major league team The Rangers whom he now feuds with over incidents not fully explained. Michael Keaton is the owner of Duvall's team, Peter Cameron, a brash American who wants to move the tiny team to the bigtime by taking the team and it's players from it's home in Kilknockie, Scotland to Dublin, Ireland. Cameron thinks he can make the team more marketable to the Irish investors by acquiring past-his-prime soccer star Jackie McQuillan, played by real Scottish soccer legend Ally McCoist.

McQuillan is an egocentric jerk, overcoming a drinking problem, but also Gordon's son in law, though Jackie and his wife are separated. Parallel to the main story is that of Gordon's daughter, British stunner Kirsty Mitchell as Kate McQuillan. Gordon doesn't speak to his daughter since she married Jackie. It has little to do with Jackie's being a jerk, though, it is because Gordon is Protestant and Jackie is Catholic and the marriage took place outside of either church. The rivalry of Protestants and Catholics is vicious at times, even resulting in violent feuds that often spill over onto the soccer field.

Cole Hauser rounds out the cast as a rookie American goalie who is pressed into duty as the team surprisingly advances through Scotland's biggest soccer tournament.

No doubt about it A Shot At Glory is a sports movie bound by that genre’s many clichés. The aforementioned Hauser only plays after the starting goalie is injured and, wouldn't you know it, the rookie is forced to play in the two biggest games of the season. As for Gordon, what a shock when he is forced to play his former team, The Rangers, in the big game and face his hated rival Martin Smith (Brian Cox).

Though the film is steeped in sports movie clichés, the soccer scenes are well presented thanks to cinematographer Alex Thomson who makes his living as a soccer cameraman. Thomson knows how to film the action and given the tools of a handheld cameras and super 16 film, Thomson gives the film a realistically gritty look.

Duvall is excellent, his mere presence elevates even the film’s most leaden moments to passably interesting. Saddled with a difficult Scottish accent and some very dull and obvious dialogue, Duvall still manages to be entertaining and engaging. The real surprise though is Scottish soccer star Ally McCoist who really holds his own against Duvall and comes off very natural.

A Shot At Glory almost never got made. Duvall had set the film up with a Hollywood studio with Russell Crowe attached to play the soccer star. Crowe however pulled out at the last minute and Duvall was forced to make the film independently. Nevertheless, Duvall has crafted an above average sport movie that rises above genre convention to be an entertaining little movie.